Shadowheart and her brother Emmrich are better known as The Volkarin Siblings, celebrity occultists renowned for both entertaining performances and bonafide exorcisms. Shadowheart is also one of Portia's spiritual wellness advisors, offering moon-phase yoga retreats, astrological readings, erotic reiki healing, and other forms of spiritual support to those who can afford the price of consultation.
BACKSTORY:
Shadowheart (born Jenevelle Volkarin) grew up on a grand estate with her older brother Emmrich, who doted on her from the moment she was born. When Shadowheart was only 8 and Emmrich 18, their parents died in a tragic accident, and Emmrich raised her himself. Though she had a unique sensitivity to the spirit world from a young age, it heightened after the death of their parents, and Emmrich helped nurture her budding talents through divination and sรฉance.
Shadowheart attended the School of Divinity at St. Andrew's, where she met Gale Dekarios, who was her university sweetheart and theological rival during their time there. After graduation--and the abrupt breaking of her engagement to Gale--she distanced herself from the family business, and thus her brother, entering the corporate world as the creator of Luna Vibes, crystal insertables for sexual wellness. Though she made a name for herself--and a good sum of money--Shadowheart found the work of a CEO to be unfulfilling, and stepped down from her position to reconnect with Emmrich. They began traveling together shortly thereafter, she adopted the stage name Shadowheart, and the rest is history.
RUMORS:
cw: incest
๐ Shadowheart can accurately guess anyone's Moon sign after spending just one evening with them.
๐ Her hair turned white during a harrowing possession case, where the restless spirit took over her body.
๐ Shadowheart believes that she and Emmrich were lovers in most of their past lives. She calls him the Endymion to her Selene and the Apollo to her Artemis.
๐ Their first sรฉance together was to their beloved pet pig, Lucy. Shadowheart was only 6, and was inconsolable in the aftermath until Emmrich bought her a plush piglet to sleep with, which he sprayed with his cologne.
๐ Shadowheart still has a plush seal Gale won for her in their uni days. She claims it "has his soulful eyes."
๐ Her engagement to Gale was abruptly called off when, on a trip to visit her family home, he caught the Volkarin siblings in a compromising position.
๐ She and Emmrich keep a collection of artifacts from their cases in a private museum on their estate. They've been courted for exhibitions by the British Museum and Smithsonian, among others, but have declined due to the volatility of the artifacts and potential danger they would pose to the public.
๐ Their parents, famous occultists in their own right, died in a carriage crash under suspicious circumstances.
๐ There's a hidden reference to the Volkarin Siblings in Disneyland Paris's Haunted Mansion.
๐ Shadowheart hooked up with Gale's then-wife, Parisa, at a Salvatore vineyard party in her corporate days.
๐ Rumor has it Shadowheart taught Ani how to orgasm using only breathwork. Ani later described it as โwitchcraftโ and โthe best reason to believe in God.โ
๐ Shadowheartโs brand launched a limited edition aphrodisiac serum called Nocturne Bloom. Ingredients? Rose oil, crushed pearls, and a vial of Aniโs sweat. It sold out in an hour.
๐ She and Emmrich have matching tattoos in white ink on their inner thighs.
IMPORTANT CONNECTIONS:
๐ ALIA: friend from her corporate stint. still sends her free product.
๐ ANI: ex-fling, also from the corporate days.
๐ ASTARION: escort of choice and confidante from her corporate days, now friends.
๐ DAISY: beloved daughter niece.
๐ EMMRICH: beloved older brother. her other half, to whom none can compare.
๐ GALE: the university sweetheart, now spiritual rivals. too easy to tease.
๐ RHAENYRA: fellow horse girl, friend.
๐ SABER: ex from her corporate days, who loved her more than she loved him.
๐ THE KAMALIS: the twins. another fated connection.
๐ THE SALVATORES: former investors in luna vibes.
Plucked from obscurity and offered the creative opportunity of a lifetime by one Armand Kamali, William is Saltburnt's new Poet In Residence. He's hard at work polishing a collection that he hopes will land him a spot at the prestigious Iowa Writers' Workshop, and part of his residency includes regular readings of his work--to very mixed reviews.
BACKSTORY:
The product of a youthful affair between Rupert Giles and a mystery woman, William was raised by his aunt in London, and had a quiet youth punctuated by his mother's early abandonment and his father's absence. He found solace in the written word, and began keeping extensive journals the moment he learned to write. Bullied relentlessly in secondary school for his sensitive demeanor and terrible poetry, William dropped out at 17 to backpack around Europe and America and work on his writing--though he avoided southern California, where his father and half-sister Buffy lived. During his travels, he was scouted by Armand Kamali, who offered to sponsor a residency at Saltburnt. The opportunity at Saltburnt is three-fold: polishing a collection to submit to Iowa, reconnecting with his father (and meeting his sister for the first time), and investigating Portia Balfour, whom he has reason to suspect might be his mother.
RUMORS:
๐ A local magazine column titled "Hotties on the Thames" hosted a man with a striking resemblance to William for a six month period. He was in the same spot each time, reading the poetry collection Mountain Interval.
๐ Rumor has it William has hemophobia. Even the scent of blood is enough to make him break out in sweats. One time, the sound of jingling pennies made him faint โ though whether that was just the effect of American capital is anyone's guess.
๐ In his youth, William spent an entire month speaking only in rhymes. His most interesting rhyme was "choke" with "yolk."
๐ William once got so pissed on St. Patrick's Day that he recited the entire third act of Hamlet from the bar top of a pub. The patrons wept.
๐ William claims he had a torrid love affair with a member of parliament's daughter. They never touched each other โ just stared deeply into each others eyes.
๐ Allegedly, William plays a mean game of cards. Witnesses attest his lying face is "guileless."
๐ Although he claims he was named after the playwright William Shakespeare, in truth it's after Robbie Williams. His mom was a big fan.
๐ William earned the nickname "Spike" from his impressive volleyball playing skills. Friends say he could've gone professional.
๐ Equipped with absinthe and a Gautier poetry collection, William taught himself fluent French on a cruise.
๐ William once saw a stray cat so beautiful in Athens, he wrote an entire poetry collection dedicated to it. "Surprisingly sensual," reviews claimed.
๐ Despite (or perhaps because of) his romantic leanings, William has yet to be in a real relationship--nor has he explored any of his more primal urges with another. He claims to be waiting for his soulmate, whom he'll know at first sight.
๐ In addition to his poetry, William keeps a sketchbook. He's terribly shy about sharing his art, but he's actually quite talented.
๐๏ธ Pen name is William Pratt.
๐๏ธ Wears reading glasses.
๐๏ธ Brown hair, but known to bleach it when he needs an "artistic shake-up".
๐๏ธ 26 years old.
๐๏ธ Plays guitar with Powder, on occasion.
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