Midnight Ruse

Ruse bein' sassy. It's what he does.

Midnight Ruse

Player: @Fox Lee

Origin:	Magic
Archetype:	Corruptor
Threat Level:	6

Personal Data

Real Name:	Lucius Reuben Knightley
Known Aliases:	Ruse, Muse, various "business" names
Species:	Vampire spawn, previously human
Gender:	Male
Age:	Approximately 108 years
Height:	5'8.5" (170cm)
Weight:	117lb (53kg)
Hair Colour:	Deep purple
Eye Colour:	Deep red

Biographical Data

Nationality:	British-Etoile Islander (unofficially)
Occupation:	Prostitute
Place of Birth:	London
Base of Operations:	The Rogue Isles
Marital Status:	Negotiable
Known Relatives:	Parents Sarah Elizabeth Knightley and Lucius Josiah Knightley, deceased

Known Powers

Vampiric control over shadows, darkness, life drain, etc. Does not physically age. Immune to most human diseases. Was able to fly (by supernatural means) before his imprisonment.

Known Abilities

Extensive knowledge of demonic lore.

Equipment

None of note.

Note: Despite appearances, subject is MALE.

We've all seen the scene before, haven't we? An innocent young occult enthusiast meets an angst-ridden vampire and falls desperately in love… and is certain that, through this love, the vampire can be redeemed. He believes so fervently that he offers himself willingly, certain that their love is special and true and pure, and the bite will never come…

Well, that's the last time this boy is going to believe in the all-conquering power of love.

Still, it's not all bad - he can command the powers of darkness, for one. And he's immune to all those nasty diseases you might normally get from being, ahem, a person of negotiable value. And come to think of it, he was never particularly fond of this foolishly puritan society in the first place.

Yep, this could turn out to be a blessing after all…

Midnight Ruse, more commonly known as "Ruse" or "Muse", is the ultimate result of his creator's frustration with the differences between male and female models on CoX. His visual design came first - the attempt to make a female character who looked as close to very-effeminate-male as possible, in this case without using the armoured chest because it wouldn't look trampy enough. He was probably inspired by the wealth of ludicrously effeminate anime and videogame males, such as Bridget from the Guilty Gear series, those being a favourite subject of his creator.

Ruse was originally played as a Zombies/Dark Mastermind - with the idea that he was a summoner of spirits, and was creating wispy wraithlike things rather than shambling zombies - until the player decided she didn't much enjoy MM play, and she couldn't really think of vomiting corpses as darkly beautiful spirits. After being reinvented as a Corruptor, he obviously wasn't a summoner any more, and it became evident that his powers were very like those of a vampire. In the end, his creator remembered a somewhat awful fanfic she wrote when she was younger, and reasoned that the "I trust you not to bite me" scene probably showed up in a lot of vampire fiction, and it would be fun to poke fun at it.

Personality

In his youth, Lucius was an extremely bright but hopelessly naive young man, with an over-developed sense of adventure and romanticism. Since his turning, and the years which followed, the boy has become vastly more cynical; he considers humankind hopelessly selfish, and morality a tool used by the clever to control the fearful. As might be evidenced by his profession, he has certainly given up on his old romantic notions, replacing love with passion, and with a vicious mercenary streak.

He is, however, still rather playful and wicked, more mischievous than "evil". He has no particularly malicious intentions, except to those who consider prostitution evil in and of itself; really, all he wants is to keep himself entertained. He plays with people for his amusement, and for the thrill he gains from making them desire him - and, while he doesn't much care if something bad happens to them, he doesn't particularly want to hurt anything. Except their bank accounts.

As comes to light when he's working, Ruse has a distinct masochistic streak, and an obsession with "dark" fetishes such as rape and abuse. Also, contrary to the dominating image of most vampires, he's avowedly submissive (albeit eager).

History

The Beginning

The scholarly son of a moderately wealthy family in Victorian-era London, Muse - or, at the time, Lucius - was fifteen when he first took interest in the occult. Displays of "paranormal" power, such as hypnotism and spiritual channelling, had become popular at the time, and the boy's parents dismissed his fascination as a childish lark, which would be left behind once the novelty had faded. However, something about the occult world drew Lucius in, and he continued to study occult theory and mythology even as he neglected his more important studies. Much to his parents' concern, Lucius gave the notions of magic and demonology more credence than they had imagined, and was determined to prove them real.

Spoiler Warning: click to show content

Gabriel

An elegant, socially charming man who had spent much of his time abroad, Gabriel Delaney met with Lucius by one of the boy's tutors, and - through sharing his interest in occultism - quickly became like an idol to the boy. He also became an object of attraction, though it was some time before Lucius realised how he felt; soon he spent most of his time in Gabriel's company, constantly pestering the older man to share more of his knowledge, and quietly hoping that he would show some deeper interest in return. Gabriel maintained his distance, however, and the boy grew increasingly more frustrated with his deliberate lack of affection.

Then, on one predictably fateful night, there was a confrontation. With the knowledge gleaned from his studies, Lucius had come to believe that Gabriel was more than he seemed - and, when he finally brought the matter before the man, his suspicions were confirmed. His friend was a vampire. Gabriel explained himself a sort of noble outcast from the darker denizens of the night - one who wished no ill upon humans, who tried to deny his bloodlust - and had gone to great lengths to resist laying a hand (or rather, fang) on his young friend. He also admitted that he was aware of Lucius' attraction to him, and felt no less drawn to his young friend - but, he said, it was far too dangerous for them to become romantically involved, lest he lose control.

Lucius, however, would have none of his warnings, and argued bitterly that they should "follow their hearts". It was then that Gabriel realised that their relationship had gone too far, and attempted to break off his involvement with the boy, planning to flee the city as early as possible. Had Lucius been less naive and more critical, he might have realised that being able to catch up with his friend the following night was altogether too easy. He didn't, of course, and thus he confronted Gabriel as the man tried to leave, making dramatic declarations of his love for the vampire, and his trust in Gabriel's ability to fight his inner demons. The fight culminated with Lucius, in desperation, swearing that he trusted Gabriel even with his life, and that he knew the his friend would never bite him - and, as a gesture of his trust, offering himself to the vampire willingly.

The idea, of course, was that Gabriel would be unable to hurt his friend, would realise that it was all right for them to be in love, and would tearfully return to Lucius so they could live happily ever after and such. Gabriel, however, had been playing the boy from the beginning, and had seen this pure-hearted gesture a dozen times before. After taking advantage of the moment - and of Lucius, for most of the night - the vampire tossed his conquest aside and casually moved on, leaving Lucius to rise devastated and alone. Not for lack of searching, the boy has not seen his sire since that night.

The Aftermath

At first terrified by his new self, Lucius searched desperately for a place to be safe, eventually falling in with others of his kind who provided protection in exchange for his loyalty. He learned quickly, however, and as he grew in confidence he found himself becoming less and less reliant upon them. This was largely due to discovering that he was incredibly desirable to a certain type of person; this came as a surprise at first, as he had never considered himself particularly attractive. He quickly learned to use it to his advantage, however, and set himself up nicely by manipulating equally the passion and pride of his upper-class "clients". He also became highly scornful of his former self, vowing never to be so naive and foolish again, and adopted the name he would stick with from that point on - "Midnight Ruse".

The Zig, and Beyond

The story of how Ruse came to be in the Rogue Isles is a long and largely uneventful one, save for lots of indecent vampire action. In short, Ruse became quite powerful and somewhat infamous in the early 1900s, and some time around 1930 was tracked down by a British secret society who dedicated themselves to fighting "the undead menace". Resilient as vampires tend to be, Ruse was not actually eradicated by this group, but he was overpowered and magically sealed, and given over to an arcane research institute attached to the society for safekeeping. He remained there in a suspended state for over seventy years, his powers slowly deteriorating, all but forgotten.

Then, the institute's facilities were largely destroyed in a research accident, and their remaining resources entrusted to Longbow, with whom they had become affiliated in recent years. During the reclassification of the institute's materials, Ruse was recognised as a dangerous criminal and transferred, still in his sealed state, to the Ziggursky Penitentiary. Here, as fate would have it, he was found by the demon Jakob of Malleus, who freed him on what turned out to be a most rewarding whim, and agreed to shelter him in exchange for his obedience and "services" (and a cut of his profits, as he went back to his old job). Although the world of the 21st century was somewhat jarring to him, Muse - as he always did - adapted quickly, and is finding it quite to his liking.

Affiliations

Though he has historically been an independent worker, Muse has recently formed a partnership - both working and physical - with the demon Jakob of Malleus, who rescued him from his imprisonment in the Zig. He is as yet unaffiliated with any villainous organisations.

Powers and Abilities

Ruse's powers stem from his vampiric influence in a most straightforward fashion; there is no other source to his gifts. For the most part, these powers are traditionally vampiric - draining life, obscuring through darkness, causing supernatural terror, being very difficult to kill, and so forth. Traditionally vampiric powers that he noticeably lacks include superhuman strength and toughness, mind control, turning into a swarm of bats, commanding animals, and turning others into vampires (as he himself is only the lowest of spawns).

Since his imprisonment, Muse's powers have become vastly less potent, and he is gradually working to restore them for his own protection. Notably, he currently lacks the ability to fly above a very slow speed, but he possessed this power before his sealing, so he expects to regain it in the course of time.

Ruse has a particular aptitude for his profession, a vast knowledge of demonology and magic theory, and a quick mind which picks up a lot of subtlety, particularly when it comes to interacting with people. He has few other abilities outside of his vampire powers, however.

Weaknesses and Limitations

Ruse has the usual complement of vampire weaknesses - bright daylight, holy items, garlic, stakes, and so forth - though some are more prevalent than others. Notably, he has managed to overcome the inability to cross running water - a necessity in the Rogue Isles - though it is still a teeth-grindingly painful experience for him. And of course, he has the blood cravings; his powers begin to wane if he goes without human blood for an extended period of time. He usually "borrows" this from his tricks at a convenient moment, though he's careful not to kill in this fashion - that would be bad for business.

Other Notes

Please note, while Ruse is a prostitute, this doesn't mean that his player is interested in smutty roleplay or "cyber" when she's trying to play the game. When he's not idly hanging around in Pocket D or a similar area, Ruse is there for work work, not the other kind.

Also, players are asked to bear in mind that Ruse is male. Not a shemale, not transgendered, just male. Some breast still shows on the model by necessity, but if players can't imagine him without, they are encouraged to assume that he's bra-stuffing. Because he would - he gets a kick out of fooling people into thinking he's female.

Trivia

• After an experiment with Jake, Ruse has found that demon blood is quite intoxicating to vampires (not figuratively; as in like alcohol). He is not responsible about this.
• Ruse has considered the idea of a secret identity (since there's even more vampire hunters around these days than way back when) but is ultimately too vain.