Edgar Nightingale
| Edgar Thomas Nightingale | |
|---|---|
| |
| Styga europaeus | |
| Age | 95 |
| Sex | Male |
| Born | 1880 |
| Died | 1901 |
| Orientation | Unknown (Attracted to women) |
| Status | Member |
| Occupation | Valet to Augustine Belfort |
| Height | 5'7 |
| Weight | N/A |
| Likes | Cats, domestic living, eating mice and birds, flowers, frollicking, kippers, people-watching, poetry, reading, |
| Dislikes | Alcohol, board games, dogs, human blood, loud noises, seeing people bleed |
| Author's theme | Black Wizard - Medusa |
Edgar is the main protagonist of Dancing with the Dead. He is an ex-rogue vampire who seeks to integrate into the E.V.S with his partner Crystin. Edgar is unique for his abnormally long rogue-hood of 74 years, and his partnership with a banshee.
History
Edgar was born in 1880 as the heir of a wealthy cotton baron. He lived within the county of Cheshire for his human life, until he was turned in 1901 at the age of 21. From 1901 to 1974, Edgar roamed the English countryside in total isolation. He lived in rural village houses, specifically within attics and wine cellars. Upon nightfall, he would leave his resting places to prey on local wildlife. When Edgar was not hunting, he was writing poems or stealing food from the humans that housed him. During this time, he discovered the Tome that would allow him to transform into a cat, which he used to his advantage. Despite these advantages, this period in his life was emotionally turbulent for him. He suffered from loneliness, but he was too afraid to seek companionship. He was convinced that he would somehow harm his potential partner. Given his vampiric nature, he likely feared that he'd behave in a predatory manner towards them. Consequently, he swore a vow of celibacy, and remained a virgin until he met Crystin.
In September of 1974, he met Crystin in rural North Yorkshire. He accidentally discovered her in a lake, and after an unknown period of time, the two fell in love.
Personality
Edgar is a kindly young vampire who seeks to embody late-victorian virtues. By default, he is pacifistic and good-natured.
But, while this endears him to many, his dedication comes at the cost of his personal wellbeing. He is anxious about upholding his values, and has a deep-seated fixation on harming others. This obsession, as revealed by Edgar himself, kept him celibate. In conflict, he doesn't reassert his needs, but instead he tries to appease the other party.
Despite his passivity, Edgar is deceptively intelligent and not incapable of quick thinking. Under pressure, he can improvise verbal solutions. He demonstrates this in Episode 13, by leading Horace into believing a false anecdote. He also demonstrates strong emotional intelligence, able to resonate with seemingly closed-off characters. At his most confident, Edgar is capable of warming the coldest, deadest hearts.
Relationships
Crystin
There's more than meets the eye, but I'm not going to reveal all of it. I'll say this though, she has been...so good to me. At times I feel like I haven't earned it, but no, she really is here with me. I think what enchanted me was how interested she was in the smaller things, her attention to detail is sublime. It's not even because of let's say, enhanced senses like those of mine, but she sees things and...she does not forget them. She can be still with me, but she can move with me, the communications we have are effortless. I can look at her and know, and she can look at me and know. There's no friction to it, it's all so effortless. I only hope though this is not a show of hubris, and that I can resume this with her. After so long of being a stray, I want her to know that I can be her gib too.
Clifford
I would never be able to cope with the things he did, for a start. I admire his courage, but I can tell he's still working through himself. He has a seriousness to him that does trip me, likely being so exposed in front of everyone. I relate to that, to a much lesser extent yet...no, it must be so much to put yourself on a stage. I wonder if he's trying to figure out how to live again. Then I see him with Crystin, and he's been so good to her that I think he's already partway there.
August
Nobody's listening in on this, right? No?...Okay, thank you. Mr Belfort, um...is a trifle much. I don't mean that to be rude, he's been very good to me and I think I may be getting to a part of him unseen by most. Really, I don't want to be rude. He is...oh, I'm alright? If we are then I best get on with this. Alright, he's...absolutely a man of his time...and status...and stature- goodness no, not that! He's very traditional, which is to be expected but then he's quite rambunctious. He's very easy to amuse, not to say I think he's simple, he's not simple at all. He's just quite a lot, he's a lot of man, he's a character. Yes, he's theatrical, he's got this sense of ritual to him...he's...he's just too much. At least he likes me, because if I get to see more of him, I can like him back too.
Rozzlyn
I hope she likes me, for a start, but that ship is sailing! From some strange alchemy of mine, I've managed to earn her trust! I treasure the idea that I am more than my condition, see. I know I'm not some stereotypical menace, if I was Crystin would be nowhere near me. It's just, a lot to contemplate that my observations of the living have compensated. Oh, I'm making this all about myself. I'm sorry Rozzlyn, I hope you can bring something out in me. It feels like for all your problems with our society, that there's this spark in you. I don't know if you think you're particularly animated, but I think you are. I think you're ready to take on whatever comes your way, and it spirits me. I know she is supposed to possess some hatred for our kind, but I don't see that. In the time I'eve known her, she's hated the action, not the person...or vampire. Or vampire. She may somewhat equate our kind with an innate evil, but I don't think this is as rigid as some think.
Appearance
Edgar resembles a young man in his early twenties'. He has black hair, thick eyebrows and a strong jawline. His eyes bear a prominent but harmless mutation, resembling the corneal clouding seen in fresh corpses. His ears are normal for a vampire, and despite his rogue-hood, they remain un-notched. His face and body are similarly devoid of scarring. His teeth are blocky and he tends to wear a wide smile. Edgar does possess fangs, but he appears to prefer them sheathed. His body is of average weight overall, but it has noticeably less hair than other men. In coloured renders, Edgar is periwinkle with darker lavender accents. His eyes are pink with white irises, and his tongue is a duck-egg blue.
Extras
Trivia- Edgar's cat form is a tuxedo cat, a direct reference to the dining suit he wears.
- Edgar has a fascination with humans, or as interpreted by some readers, a potential longing for them.
- Edgar has an unwanted fixation on harming other characters. He first speaks of this in "Complicated" to Clifford, citing it as the reason for his celibacy. In "So Insistent", he becomes anxious and flinches at the sight of Rozzlyn pricking herself with a cocktail stick.
- Edgar is afraid of dogs but this fear appears to be mild. Despite his initial anxiety around Princess, he later comes to enjoy being around her.
- Edgar, likely as a result of his upbringing, does not swear.
- His surname is a reference to the famous nurse, Florence Nightingale.
- In Episode 5, Crystin reveals that Edgar has consumed cat food. Edgar states he enjoys it.
- In "Too Long", Edgar reveals that he and Crystin normally copulate "constantly".
- In Episode 9, Edgar reveals that he is overwhelmed by the taste of Whisky.