Japan Fest, 27th September, Buxton

Countess Vivienne Vermillion hails from an ancient vampire lineage renowned not for conquest, but for refinement. Her family presided over dazzling balls and a candlelit court, believing that true power lay in restraint, presence, and being chosen rather than feared.

Through the centuries, Vivienne preserved her heritage with care. She remained deeply attached to the artefacts of her old world, heirloom gowns stitched by hand, handwritten melodies, antique jewels, and the quiet rituals of aristocratic life. However, time doesn’t pause for anyone, even those frozen, forever seventeen by their vampirism.

As the modern world pressed relentlessly forward, Vivienne’s ancestral home fell still. The wonder faded, and she found herself yearning for novelty, for connection, and new expressions of affection. 

It was during this interlude that she encountered Midori, a goblin with an unassuming cheer and collector’s eye for curious things. Midori was drawn not to Vivienne’s vampirism, despite Vivienne’s earnest attempts to make it abundantly clear that she was, in fact, a vampire, but to the old objects that she carried and cherished. Together, they would speak of unusual habits and binding magic. of Midori’s fondness for stones and her inability to touch iron, and of Vivienne’s careful avoidance of silver. Neither found the other strange, and they adapted to one another without question.

Midori spoke fondly of Meian Manor, a place where love itself fuels magic, where beings of every origin gather. Those born to the night and those of the day exist in near harmony. She insisted that Vivienne’s elegance would not be out of place but treasured.
Intrigued, Vivienne accepted the invitation and joined the dark side of the manor.

Draped in aristocratic composure and armed with dry teasing wit, she observed the language of modern devotion. Though she remained poised, even in the manor, those who watched with care might notice her counting sugar cubes before tea, avoiding certain trinkets, or offering a faint smile in response to small, unexpected kindnesses.

Vivienne is still learning. Still adapting. Yet for the first time in centuries, she finds herself belonging to a new court, connected to the realm once more, and most importantly, no longer bored.