#this is the extreme 4x cropped version I literally wrote this much and was only at Oliver's Sacrifice the first time

[saltspill]

Vinny

Vincent wasn't always a vampire. Once upon a time, the viney vamp was a Fairy Prince.

He grew up only a few years older than his younger brother Oliver, a Star Child. And though they were inseparable best friends as children, Vincent started to get jealous as they grew up. He hated the thought of fighting and killing. He watched Oliver study instruments, paint, and arrange flowers, and he cursed at the calluses that sword training left on his own delicate hands.

Ultimately, that jealousy would push the two apart. Vincent would be shipped out of Capitol before Oliver's ceremonial sacrifice, before ever getting to apologize or say good bye.

Though leading an army didn't appeal to him whatsoever, traveling and exploring did. Vinny would quickly become popular in any town their battalion passed through, with his charming personality, royal wealth and influence, and bright red hair. He'd spend many nights with many lovers, finding a hobby in sex.

Until he met a woman who made him realize there might be more to life. Who talked about adventures and romance in the same breath, who liked him for his smile more than his status. Who convinced him to defect when it came time to move on.

Vincent really loved her. He wanted to do right by her so badly. But one single night, he caught the eye of another man across the bar and fell into an ugly old habit. The next morning, he knew he couldn't hide the deep, bloody wound on his neck, or the bruises across his body. And it didn't help that he didn't know exactly how vampirism worked, being led to believe he had already been turned, or at least become dependent on this other man's blood to live. And so he made the worst decision of his life, to run away again.

It wasn't a good relationship, it was baddddd. And when Vincent finally tried to leave, he was attacked and left for dead in a patch of thorny wild roses as the sun rose. As his blood soaked into the soil, he couldn't help but remember the rose bushes in the castle gardens, where he used to play with Oliver...

The next evening, Vincent woke under a shelter made of giant, thorny vines growing up over him, shielding him from the sun's bright rays. He had survived the attack, but his bright red hair had dulled to pink, his ethereal wings were gone, and his teeth ached and craved for blood.

It would take him a while to figure out his situation. Though his actual magical ability was gone, he had a new, innate connection to nature. He would stay in hiding in the woods for a few weeks, hunting small animals to sustain himself, a far cry from the luxurious meals he enjoyed as a Prince.

During that time he would stumble across a terrified, barely clothed sylph on the run from a deranged circus and decide to travel towards Capitol together