#also stuff thats not mentioned in this. darling nikki usually 'hunts' around brothels

[rhaaclaws]

ok hi here is Darling Nikki talking about her backstory to Jane Cuomo. Heart <3 [quite long so its under a cut]

"Well, I take you to know of the Italian Renaissance. If you didn't I'd be ashamed of your lack of education, but nonetheless. My mother was a courtesan- a prostitute if you want to be crude about it. But she was the damn best one in Venezia. Contrary to what one might believe, courtesans were respected members of society, especially if you were a high-ranking one. You could rival the aristocracy. But no matter what, you were still marked. you were still alienated. I was born in 1501, my father: unknown. She never wanted this path for me, and I didn't always understand why. I saw her wear these fancy gowns and accessorize with pearls, and I always thought she was the most beautiful person in the world. So I thought, 'why couldn't I be like her?'. With some time it was clear the reason why you are not seen kindly in this kind of work. Even then we had it easier than most, being able to even wear pearls were a symbol of status. My mother knew this, otherwise, she wouldn't have gotten this far. Because she knew the atrocities of people, she raised me to be an artist. She showed me paintings, poetry, writings, and music. We were in the best city for the arts, especially during the Renaissance. I learned to play the harpsichord, the piano, and the violin. I learned to paint, to write, both in prose and in verse. With that, she also taught me everything she knew. 

The most important thing she taught, though, was knowing how to use my words. The art of the charm, if you will. If you know the power of flattery, you can rule the world. I'm sure you can tell she taught me well. 

One time, I had been strolling down the street at night and met the second most peculiar man of my life. We only knew each other for a few minutes, but it completely changed me. He was sitting down in one of the cramped alleyways, and some sort of meat stew was in his hand. It was rare for a person out in the street to be eating meat, especially one who seemed to lack possessions. As I was staring, something captivated me about this environment. It felt as though death was near. He must have caught me observing, and spoke up. “Young girl, would you want some of this stew? It is warm and the meat is freshly harvested.” 

I knew better than to accept something from a stranger, but it was tempting. I kept quiet, so he spoke to me again. “I understand your hesitance, will knowing the origins of the flesh soothe you?” He spoke too formally to be normal, it was as if he was waiting for someone to hear him. I nodded, and he craned his head as if to point with his lips. I cautiously got closer to see what he was pointing at and nearly gagged. It was the now-rotting corpse of a woman, with her dress ripped, and completely disemboweled. 

I ran away then but I never got the image of that dead lady on the floor out of my head. I never told anyone about it, but it haunted me for years. 

The most peculiar man I’ve ever met appeared to me after the death of my mother. I had not taken it well, she was the only person in the world who cared for me. I was hysterical, but who wouldn’t be? He was dressed in all black, with the only color on him being his bright red horns. His eyes were hidden away but still maintained an intense stare. That man, whose name I learned to be Matejka, offered me anything at the price of my soul. If I could beat him in a fight, anything I could’ve ever wanted could be a reality. And so I accepted his deal.

I was barely alive but I won. I wasn't the most proficient in fighting, but it was something vital for survival. I wasn’t prepared to lose but I also wasn’t ready to say what I wanted. I can’t remember exactly what I said, but it must have been along the lines of “becoming an apex predator”. The last thing he told me was to stay out of the sun. That confused me, but when I tried calling out he was already gone. 

I learned what he meant very quickly though. When I was getting up in the morning, some light from the window must have seeped in. The sun burned my back and it was the most unimaginable pain possible. I must have been writhing in pain on the floor for hours. 

I had to adapt fast though. I realized I was no longer human, and now dealing with constant headaches and toothaches. I didn’t know at the time, but those were caused by me growing horns and fangs, respectively. I made multiple new discoveries, such as: no longer seeing my reflection in mirrors, I could walk on walls, having unimaginable strength and agility, and incredibly fast regeneration. But the most prominent discovery was insatiable bloodlust. I could eat normal food, but it did not nearly give me as much energy as it was supposed to. The memory of that man in the alleyway rose up again.

The first time I went out at night, I wasn’t necessarily trying to kill someone. It just became addictive. I shifted to a hunter of the night, and my legend was told. “Have you heard of the woman who hunts people at night?” was a common thing. I never planned to become this sort of creature, but the thrill of the kill fascinated me. And so I became an expert.

One night I tried eating a victim. That man in the alleyway had to do that for a reason, no? I was already drinking people’s blood, so perhaps flesh wouldn’t hurt to try at least once. And I was oh so right. Human flesh became my favorite part of each night. 

I was once approached by a courtesan, and she was pleading for my protection. She must have been desperate, but who would I be to attack my own kind? More and more courtesans learned of me, and I became their protector. If you check the archive of every single person I have eaten, I have written out their professions. Not one is a courtesan. 

When I first began killing people, it was mostly a quick attack but that began to bore me. That very same charm I learned, became my weapon. The fear in someone’s eyes after they placed their trust in me was like my alcohol. It gave me large amounts of power, and what my mother said about ruling the world with flattery was correct. 

Sometimes I wonder if my mother would be proud of who I’ve become, but I’ll never get the answer to that. I know that I am wicked, but this is where I thrive. She would understand the measures I’ve taken. Jane, darling, if you were to ask me why I just told you the most intimate parts of my life, I would not be able to give you an answer. You are the first person in 500 or so years to learn of this. So consider yourself lucky.”