Once Bitten and Twice Shy

Alfie has always been a very kind and generous young man. Manners were instilled in him from a young age and chivalry was part of his upbringing. He's very old-fashioned in his approach to life, he even carries a pocket watch around with him! He rarely swears and is very careful when he talks to people. Alfie struggles with sarcasm sometimes and takes a while to understand modern slang, but he tries his best, bless him!

As well as all that, Alfie is a bit of a charmer. His personality somehow brings him all sorts of attention. From people making fun of his slight British accent to those who swoon whenever he speaks. He is flattered, of course, but always a little unnerved.

Alfie can sadly be a bit negative at times, when you have lived as long as he has you tend to avoid getting too attached to the positive. Having lived through two world wars, he has become a little jaded and bitter, though he tried to keep that side to himself. Putting on a front allows him to intermingle with his friends and acquaintances but also allows him the space he needs to breathe for himself.

Alfie was born in 1893 in Devonshire, England. He was brought up in a very upper-class family, servants, the lot. His parents were strict but fair and often spent time with Alfie and his brother - hunting or tennis tended to be the family favourites. But in 1914, when Alfie was 21, the first war broke out and he and his brother enlisted to fight for their country. at first it was thrilling, exciting even to go over the channel and protect the borders. But thrill soon turned into despair and while the troops huddled through cold summers and even colder winters, they turned to floozies and cheap tricks for their entertainment.

She was beautiful, attracted all the men to the bar as she danced and sang and teased. Alfie wasn't the only one drawn in, but once she had bitten him the world turned from technicolour to black. According to his brother, he had passed out for six hours. Passed out, or died.

As war raged on, Alfie found himself changing. Not just his opinions of war, but physically too. He didn't bruise like the other men, didn't feel the cold, or the warm. In fact he didn't feel anything at all.

Vampire, she had said when they met again. It was a gift. Eternal life, more like eternal damnation. Nights grew longer and as war ended only one Newton brother returned to England, but neither returned to their childhood home.

He lived for a while in London, collecting art and fancy trinkets to sell on black markets. Dodgy dealers tried to scam him but one flash of red and they never crossed him again. During this time he was approached by a man who worked for the Regulation of Magical Creatures. Well, if Alfie hadn't believed in vampires, he wouldn't have believed in magic. As it was, he did believe in vampires and when this man asked for Alfie's registration number he shrugged his shoulders and claimed ignorance.

ANEWT62891.

Vampires registered nowadays. How quaint.

But nothing changed and while he was closely monitored on his blood intake, he was still free to do mostly as he pleased. Then war began again.

He wasn't going to volunteer, wasn't going to sign up. He had lived through enough blood. but he still looked no older than twenty-two, so people stared at him. Frowned, spat and shouted. He was being ostracised for not going to war, accused of being disloyal to his king and country. Eventually fighting became mandatory and as Alfie could fight, they decided his fate for him.

Back across the sea he traded trenches for task-forces and found himself set on rescuing prisoners of war. Though they rescued some, Alfie couldn't bare to think of the masses that didn't make it. They tried to help those they recused, rehabilitate them and look after them. But they could only stay a few weeks before moving on.

After the war, heartbroken and disenchanted with the whole idea of life, Alfie returned to America with the troops hoping to start a new life there. And he did.

He met Amanda, a beautiful young musician, and they fell madly in love. Alfie tried to avoid it, tried to push her away but she kept close to him. She told him that she was a witch, and she had known what he was from the beginning. Their relationship flourished and within the next year they were married.

Their love bloomed but as she got older she began begging him for the bite. He explained she couldn't do that to her, couldn't turn her into the monster he was. She swore at him, fought with him, shouted and cried. but he wouldn't budge. She was beautiful and good and he loved her. He couldn't see her turn. He would have burnt in the sunlight for all time before he even thought about cursing her.

Then news came that war had broken out in England again. His heart ached for his homeland and the people suffering there. Witches and wizards, vampires and humans. Everyone. He thought about leaving. Running back to help. But his life was in America.

Whispers moved across the country, followers of a 'Dark Lord' began rising up and while every effort was made to ensure the safety of wizardkind murders became more common and the streets weren't safe. She was killed walking home from work. Two wizards, they said, muttering about tarnished blood and vermin.

She had died because of him. Because they had fallen in love and she had chosen him over a wizard. He didn't love again after that.

Born: Monday, April 17th, 1893
'Died': Wednesday, November 24th, 1915
Height: 6'1.5"
Favourite Colour: Yellow