Name(s): Hélene Arceneau (later Saint-Sens)
Hélene's original name was 'Arceneau'. French surnames often have a meaning to do with the family, such as the occupation, residence, or indicating relations with nobility/people. 'Arceneau' is a gunmaker, or seller of guns. Hélene's family's prominence grew when they began making guns, and eventually they gained the county of Montpensier - Hélene's father became the Count of Montpensier, but he kept his old name.
She would later decide to change her name to Hélene Saint-Sens because she 'grew tired of her past life'. She chose 'Saint-Sens' because it had a nice ring to it. Directly translated, it would be 'Saint Sense'. Besides, the name 'Arceneau' was known and people might get suspicious. Since in French the letter 'h' is not pronounced, Hélene would come out as [e-len] rhyming with men.
Nickname: None. Usually adressed as Mademoiselle, and not by her first name.
Age: 17 - in fact, one of Hélene's fears are becoming an old maid, but she does like the freedom of not being married. This way she can talk to as many people, flirt with as many noblemen.. yet never be reprimanded or tied down. Still, growing old is already on her mind.
Gender: Female
Ethinicity: French
Languages: French, Latin.. even as a girl, her father wanted her to know 'the language of god' as he called it. Her brothers know Latin as well, but they also speak English. She is learning English from a priest, and Hélene finds the irony amusing - that a vampire takes lessons from a priest. Yet, she is beginning to find fondness for the old man as a student would to a mentor. Hélene tries to remind herself that if he finds out she's a vampire, she'd have to kill him, and than completely and totally damn herself to hell (even though she already believes she is cursed to go there.)
Religion: Roman Catholic - Hélene as most people in the eighteenth century have a strong belief in God. After becoming a vampire, she still believes in god and believes herself to be damned. She wonders if she was made by the devil. The realization of immortality is moving itself into her head - she will never die, therefore she will never go to hell. However, with this realization came a fear of death.
Birthday: August 18th (Feast of Saint Helena, for whom she was named)
Species: Human
Rank: Part of the Aristocracy, all though a small scale. Her parents are the Count and Countess of Montpensier. They own an impressive estate, but spend most of their time at the French court as minor courteseans. Hélene's beauty is known among the court. Her father believes this to be a key point, and when it is her time to marry, he hopes to marry her off to someone much more high ranking than he himself. Unknowingly to her, he's been talking to one of the Dukes about his son.. Hélene rarely mentions the fact now, and prefers to keep her identity more.. secluded, in a way.
// A P P E A R A N C E .
Height: 5'5 - impressive for a woman in the eighteenth century.
Weight: 113 lb
Skin Color: The same as the majority - white. As a vampire, she becomes a snowy white/pale color. She only has color in herself after filling herself with blood.
Build: Average
Body Shape: Hourglass.
Hair: Hélene's undoubted best feature is her hair. It is auburn in color, inherited from her father, yet her delicate-looking waves are from her mother's hair. It is quite thick, which Hélene finds to be somewhat annoying, especially with the slight weight addition. She would never cut it. It is waist length. Lice is another issue - Hélene has had it before and hates it, especially since it is uncommon.
Eyes: Brown. Nothing special.
Clothing: Upscale and usually quite nice.. all though she wasn't her father's favorite he saw a great deal of potential in her, and gave her the money to buy lovely gowns.
Other: She is known as beautiful among court and this is true. Hélene knows it and gained confidence from that fact. She has interesting features - almost pointed or slightly elfish sometimes. Hélene has been called a 'fox' by her younger brother Marc much to her amusement, but he believed she is simialr to one not only in appearance but in personality. While she is beautiful, she isn't a room turner and court most certainly doesn't revolve around her, and neither do people. She would be more of an accessory than anything to court, and perhaps a man would be enchanted by her for a while, but surely that would pass. Hélene moves on very easily, since she likes talking to many people and bores of those without anything interesting to say.
// P E R S O N A L S .
Favorite Flower: They're pretty, but overall Hélene really doesn't see much point in them other than that - besides, they don't last a long time at all. Her favorite flower is the rose.
Least Favorite Flower: Weeds. They ruin fields.
Favorite Animal: The fox. She's been compared to them and though she acted unhappy when she was she was secretly pleased because someone recognized her wit and that she was not all smiles and dresses. They also have lovely fur.
Least Favorite Animal: Rats.. enough said.
Favorite Food: None, all though she has a fondness for wine. The older, the better, and Hélene has been drunk quite a few times before.
Least Favorite Food: Greens.
Favorite Music: Hélene has always found church hymns calming. She likes going to church.
Least Favorite Music: Drums. She finds them dull and boring and thinks that its the easiest and most talentless thing in the world.
Favorite Gem: None, really, though Hélene loves jewels. She feels 'higher' in them. Her favorite possession is a heirloom ruby/diamond brooch she received for her sixteenth birthday.
Least Favorite Gem: None.
Favorite Color: Blue, since its both calming and beautiful.
Least Favorite Color: Pink because she can never find a nice pink dress.
Favorite Activity: Something about horse back riding attracts her. It is either the exhiliration, danger, or the fact that women don't often ride horses.
Least Favorite Activity: Watching other people namely the royal family do activities.
Favorite Hobby: Playing cards - Hélene's favorite game is 'Durak' (literally 'fool' or 'idiot') a popular Russian card game which she learned off a visiting ambassador. She likes it mainly because no one else really knows it. In general, she rarely looses at cards.
Least Favorite Hobby: Cooking. Hélene doesn't like dealing with food in general.. especially gutting animals. Disgusting.
Favorite Holiday: Hélene likes Christmas because of the decoration and general splendor of it.
Least Favorite Holiday: Lent. Even though she believes she loves god, she hates giving up meat every year.
Favorite Subject: Arithmetic to challenge the mind.
Least Favorite Subject: Learning is something Hélene doesn't mind.
Blood Type: O
Dreams: To the point of dreams, Hélene has never really thought about it since a woman's goal is to marry and have children.
Fears: Death, rats/mice, and gunshots (they arouse panic in her).
Prized Possessions: A ruby/diamond brooch received from her mother on her sixteenth birthday. It is a young heirloom, which has been in their family for two generations. It is probably one of the finest jewels of the Arceneau family.
Medical Conditions: None, though she likes to drink.
Love Interest: None, but often seen as a flirt. Perhaps Hélene is a little bit, but the truth is that she gets bored of people easily. She has only one long-lasting friend, and that is her younger brother. She herself wants to marry, but at the same time doesn't. Since it is all up to her father she has little say in the matter. He intends to marry her off for rank and status.
Personality: Hélene acts differently with people she knows well and the general public. In general, though, being a noble has given her a slight snobbiness. She takes pride in herself and is a confident woman, though sometimes Hélene can be cautious. She has a brain and common sense. As a vampire, Hélene becomes suspicious of almost everyone around her. She almost always has a guard up, especially since she isn't very strong. She's not shy at all and makes friends easily, though she can lose them just as easily or simply never really talk to them again. At first her impression may be lasting, but than it will usually fade away. Hélene's pride is one of her major faults but she's also quiet stubborn which can get her hurt. She has a hate/fear of rats and mice, and she often becomes irrational around them. When in danger or when she's scared, she's scared. Irrationality and nerves get to her and panic is one of her greatest enemies. Hélene likes to have fun and she tends to sometimes drink a little too much.
With people she knows well, she'll often show a colder or a more friendly side. Hélene knows her brother wouldn't stop caring for her, so sometimes she can just be plain mean, but she tries not too because she feels guilty - and because she genuinally cares for her youngest brother. She would protect him with everything if she could, but the same could not be said for anyone else, really. She shows a more friendly and initmate side with him. To the general public, she's mostly what Marc described her as: a fox, and an indecisive one at that. Hélene has always had trouble making decisions.
She finds many things amusing, especially irony. When she grows to honestly care for someone, she finds it hard to let go or to hide it. Affection is something she's never been good with concealing, therefore its usually obvious who she likes and who she doesn't. She is the type to hold grudges. One should keep in mind Hélene does care for herself as much as her loved ones (or one). She looks out for herself and she's usually her own priority - what does she care about the poor? They're people she's never met, and honestly, she's never had any contact with them so she doesn't know their struggles. Hélene has lived with aristocratic people all her life, so she can be inconsiderate when with those of the lower class.
// B I O G R A P H Y .
She grew up alongside her two brothers Antoine (3 years older) and Marc (two years younger). She had a sister who did not survive childhood and a brother who was Antoine's twin. Her father played favorites, doting on Antoine, while her mother loved her children equally. Hélene's mother was put in the arranged marriage, though she tried her best to be a good wife and fitting of the roles placed upon her. Elisé genuinely loved her children though, but Hélene was always somewhat distant from her. She was probably her father's second favorite starting at the age of 12 when he realized his daughter would be a beautiful woman and that she could be used for attaining more rank. Hélene sometimes asks him to introduce her to people she decided seemed interesting, or just any noble in general.
Hélene was close to both of her brothers. Antoine and her were the more adventurous. They'd play in the fields and occasionally the woods of the family estate, usually under the watchful eye of their governess, Charlotte Dupont. She'd return home to Marc and tell him her stories, since he'd only occasionally come with his older siblings. Marc was more of a scholar. He discovered a passion for books and writing and kept several diaries soon after he first learned to read and write. Hélene's adventures would often be documented by him, and once they grew up, they laughed about the silly things they'd done as children. He'd tell her of places far away which he learned about through books, but what Hélene loved to hear about most was the New World - a fantastic place filled with red skinned men known as Indians. Even though Antoine was her playmate, Hélene had a bond with Marc that she didn't share with anyone else in her family. They remained close throughout their human lives. Marc was the one who she would tell her thoughts and feelings to, and oddly enough, he understood her best of all. Antoine and Helene grew apart once he married at the age of 16. She did not like his bride who returned the favor, but Antoine wasn't too fond of her either. Nevertheless, their relationship was never the same.
Hélene's governess was another important figure in her life. She taught her many things about life in general, and was someone she could tell the things she couldn't tell her brother. They became close, and Hélene grew to rely on her heavily. When she died last winter, Hélene was emotionally devastated, disappearing from public life for a while. It was the first time she questioned God - she prayed for her life every day, yet he still chose to take her life away. But why..?
As of right now, Hélene doesn't know she's being watched. Miles Aucoin, an aspiring violinist, has had his eye on her for a few months ever since she accidentally stepped on his foot - he remembered the girl with the auburn hair who had never noticed him again. He watched her talk to nobles' sons and wonder jealously if any of them was her lover, but than she'd move onto another one like it was nothing. He watched her dance. The Count's daughter remained on his mind until one fateful night when Hélene had had perhaps too much to drink and she'd practically thrown herself on a handsome young man in a giddy to keep from falling. Though this was no major issue, for some reason it almost ignited something in him and he ended up having quite too much to drink as well. When returning home, he ran into a vampire named who only called himself 'Wither'. He shared his story about how he was in love with a beautiful girl and how he thought she loved him back (he meant to say may have loved him too if he had a chance to talk to her) and Wither felt pity for this young couple bound to the aristocracy. He made Miles a vampire and instructed him, who during the next banquet returned to court and got Hélene alone - he promised he had 'something to show her'. She believed him - what harm could come from trusting this young man? He led her a good deal away from the general banter. By than Hélene became suspicious, and she pulled.. but he was strong. Once draining her of the majority of her blood, he continued to take her away and to an old abandoned house in the slums of Paris where he had a coffin ready - there Miles made her a vampire. Hélene regained full conciousness sooner or later and went through the usual - the complete awareness of the world around her. Than slowly she realized what this man had done to her, yet he proclaimed a love for her once he realized she could understand. Hélene decided what she felt was hatred, because it dawned on her that she was a vampire, something against God. She wasn't meant to be anymore. She had no thirst yet. When dawn approached (she had a boring night since the other vampire insisted on conversation.. yet Helene was more engrossed with her surroundings and the night sky outside) she thought of an idea. She would send Miles for her favorite brooch back at her rooms in the castle. She would lock him outside at the break of dawn. He agreed, not realizing how soon dawn would come, yet he did have supernatural speed. Still, once he returned to the little house, the brooch in a box, he realized Hélene had bolted the door against him. It was too late for him. That left Hélene alone though - she had no one else of her kind. The only person she thought of talking too was Marc, yet.. how could she when she was a vampire?
// A S A V A M P I R E . . .
Powers: The only power Hélene gained was the normal vampire powers - strength (2-3 times of a regular man), speed, stealth.
Bloodlust: It is that of a normal vampire. A human or two a night is fine to keep her going, though she can survive on animals. Hélene was repulsed by the idea of drinking blood at first, but grew on it (retaining her disgust) and feeds mostly of animals, calling humans her 'treats'. A regular treat may be a beggar, but if she believes she is deserving she will often kill and feed off a handsome young man. She believes herself to be cursed by god, but later immortality dawns and her and she becomes more comfortable with human blood, even playing with her food.
Maker: A young musician who had his eye on her in court for a long time. She was out of his reach as the daughter of a noble, and one day after a night of drinking, a vampire found him in the streets of France. They initiated a conversation, and the vampire took pity on him (mainly because he got the idea Hélene was also 'in love' with this man from the way he talked) and made him a vampire so that he could claim her for his own. Once he made her, Hélene refused him. He died through sun exposure due to trickery.
