Miranda Ramsay

History
Miranda Ramsay spent the majority of her life growing up in the metropolis of New York; the Centre of The Universe as it were. Originally she was from the across the pond, born in London, England. Her family was of a wealthy background, her father; Nikolas Ramsay owned and managed a successful real estate conglomerate, meanwhile her mother, Kathryn Ramsay, was a naïve and passive trophy wife who followed along her husband’s desires. The perception Nikolas envisioned of himself was of sophistication, a primary reason much of his business focused upon the more dignified portion of the city. The tactics he employed held similarities to a ruthless dictator, which fueled his egomaniacal reputation. His standard for excellence were thought to be excessive, bordering on improbable in some instances. Despite this, few could argue his capability to turn a profit. Unfortunately, these business-oriented characteristics would be applied heavily to his daughter’s upbringing. There was much to be expected of her, the eventual successor to his business and Nikolas was not a man to settle for anything less than perfection.

From quite a young age, Miranda would undergo daily tutelage in a variety of subjects beyond the necessary requirements of a child. She was held to a strict schedule and frequently not permitted to attend many actives that would neglect from her studies. To maintain public rapport, some was allowed, albeit it would have to be something her father deemed worthy. Therefore, Miranda was enrolled in music and eventually came to fancy the piano. For a relatively young individual, all of eight, she was rather talented, enough to warrant praise for her class and teacher. Her father however saw differently, believing she could perform better and much akin to her studies refused any indication of approval.

The only words of encouragement, if they could be called that, he would offer was, “I expect better” and would on occasion chastise her when she boasted of an accomplishment. Outside her school curriculum, she did manage a social life to a certain extent. She was surprisingly talkative for a reclusive child yet most of her friendships were short-lived. Initially she had always sought the support of her parents, however when she witnessed other children interact with their family in the manner she had longed for. She began to grow jealous, leading her astray from most people. This in kind turned to sharp resentment of her parents, in particular her mother, who she perceived as worthless.

Abruptly, as she approached her late teenage years, the Ramsay family would relocate to the Big Apple, Nikolas having wished to expand his company although perhaps the more accurate conclusion was to boost his ego by ‘conquering’ the capital business city of the world. Miranda foresaw this as her opportunity to step outside the shadow of her father and exercise her own agenda. No longer was she seeking approval, instead she sought to become superior and watch her father’s legacy fall either by way of taking control or becoming his rival. Such an ambitious undertaking was well beyond her means at this junction. Conversely, such did not deter her from fantasizing of what the future could behold. She never would realize the irony she was steadily becoming more like the man she had come to loathe.

Miranda enrolled herself in various business courses and utilized her father’s vast resources both overseas and ones he had previously established here to her advantage. Unlike Nikolas, who relished the use of intimidation for his approach to success, Miranda opted for the subtlety of persuasion and seduction. It was hardly anything of immediate use for her but in New York, her father held significantly less sway and she intended to maintain that would never change.

A few years following saw the onset of the Shift occur and the consequential awakening of powers within her. Miranda had been in the company of a few college friends whom she had invited to her home, when a transparent current brushed through the room. Although being forcefully thrown to the ground rather abruptly, two of her friends gradually recovered from the shockwave. Miranda, however, was less fortunate. There she lay, unable to move for several moments, gasping for air as though something had only jus released its suffocating grasp upon her neck. Her complexion had faded, taking on a paler shade whilst elongated fangs began to form. The events to follow where surreal, something one would find depicted in a horror film. The unbridled desire for plasma overcame the young heiress and within moments her father’s study was decorated in crimson, blood smeared upon the walls as the bodies of the two girls slumped lifelessly to the ground.

Miranda was oblivious to the gruesome sight, her eyes captivated by an illusion, which would masquerade the carnage she had created. Instead, she envisioned was her name having replaced her father’s on any documentation present, thus giving her sole ownership of his company. Exhaustion would seize hold of her and as she collapsed, the quaint images faded, dissipating the illusion and revealing what had happened as a result of her change. It would not be until the morning when the glistening sun initially grazed her skin, only to burn it seconds thereafter, that she had some realization of what she had become.

With time, Miranda had learned her persuasion skills had taken on an inhuman characteristic and she possessed the capability to mould ideas into a person who may otherwise never have pondered such a thing. To this end, she would exploit her parents, implanting a variety of trivial concepts as a means of testing her limitations. For a time she forced the notion of acceptance in her father so she could finally hear his approval even in a twisted and disingenuous manner. This continued for a while, whether to taunt her father or to satisfying childhood yearnings of a family life where her own mystery. Gradually she grew disdain for the façade, her deep loathing for both her parents overcoming any sense of rational thought. Alas, her powers were not yet capable of influencing a relatively well assertive mind, thus her hold over her father was limited. While she sought to make that first a illusion; having stolen everything from Nikolas, for now she would bide her time, parting ways with her parents to focus on her own project, the nightclub, Afterlife. She relished the knowledge of how her father disapproved of these endeavors, however being she had since developed her own connections, he could only watch from the wayside.

Afterlife would spark a new step for the heiress, and more importantly, her introduction to Rose McAllister, a young orphaned girl who had wondered into the shady club on nothing more than a whim. The two were acquainted following a spectacle caused by the latter, and oddly enough, Miranda took a fancy to her; presumed initially only due to her abilities. In some respect, there harbored truth to such thoughts, especially at the onset, however something changed.

Miranda had begun to dot upon Rose heavily, and in doing so, Rose became increasingly attached to her, affectionately referring to her as a mother-like figure on infrequent occurrences. While an unusual relationship, both had grown to enjoy their faux family, and thus would lead to Miranda turning Rose into her first progeny on her nineteenth birthday; a present offered to ensure the two would remain as they were. The change further amplified the damaged psyche of the girl, who took to nearly believing they were mother and daughter, while her sanity slipped to even darker levels, in many ways emulating the woman she now adored.

Rose harbored a new obsession to please her sublimate, thus when she inadvertently activated her powers, which allowed her to witness Miranda’s hatred for her actual family, and the plot to rid herself of them. She decided to reward her ‘mother’ for the gift of making her what she now was, whether out of pure loyalty, or a mixture of jealousy, was unknown.

How she went about it was to borrow specific powers, including Miranda’s when the opportunity arose. For a time both vampires had spun a manipulative game with their respective abilities however now, Rose had different intentions and went by her lonesome, purposely choosing Miranda’s birthday to enact her plan. To either parent, she was merely an eccentric girl, of with whom Nikolai had little time for, and wondered aloud why his daughter wasted her with Rose.

Only sometime thereafter, when she received a phone call, did Miranda suspect her progeny had done something; the message saying to come see her present. What awaited her in the study, was the grisly sight of a double murder, with both of her parents slumped on the ground, blood seeping to the floor below them, all the while Rose sat on the desk overlooking the scene, kicking her legs in a childish fashion, and shouting in glee, asking if her mother liked the present.

For perhaps the first time in her life, Miranda was dumbfounded, not having realized just how influential her mannerisms were over her progeny. Taking a moment to process the events, she bore a wicked smile, alleviating Rose’s concerns from the momentary silence. Her ‘daughter’ had done for her precisely what she desired, the removal of the only obstacle holding her back. She did lament over not being a part of it, although her father was always wary of her motivations, perhaps more so following the Shift. Rose was the perfect ruse, neither would have ever thought capable.

Moving forward with her life, Miranda established herself in a different light, a darker one. The change the world had undergone would lead itself to new ventures and associates. Her father’s business would remain intact in name only to maintain a respectable reputation when it was convenient. Miranda’s own endeavor would see the rise of what would become a popular nightclub devoid of discriminations that plagued those above. In actuality, there were no regulations for her shady establishment. She christened it Afterlife, an intentional metaphor to the vampire temptress she fancied herself. This would be the cornerstone to where her ambitions would arise; after all, what is just a nightclub to someone in her position?

Personality
Miranda prides herself as a temptress, a captivating individual with whom garners favorable attention with a considerable amount of consistency. Such qualities are what make her both an entertaining, yet terrifying young woman. At the forefront, she is promiscuous, with a penchant for sarcasm and an alluring disposition. Through charismatic eyes, she is capable of deception, leading one to believe her innocence of youth is genuine. Her socializing tendencies further places emphasis upon her convincing characteristics, and yet is all a façade created to integrate her into the circles of others. Her sinister motives belie the charmed approach she demonstrates. Miranda's only desire is to advance her objectives, be that through business or purely for entertainment is hardly ever known. She has little qualms using sex appeal to accomplish these endeavors, although primarily as a last resort. She is surprisingly meticulous and patient, willing to bide her time for frustratingly long instances if necessary. She would rather the task be performed well or otherwise not at all.

Despite her playful disposition, there is a deviation. Miranda affords much enjoyment through sadistic pleasures. She delights in tormenting her chosen prey by way of her illusions, subjecting them to unimaginable horrors, often with a brief moment of hope, only to watch them attempt cling to the mirage. Her sanity dips further when in discussion of those deemed inferior, in particular humans, by which she will reference them to puppies and often depicting a child like tone whilst doing so. This is primarily the fault of her declining empathy. Ironically, her affections to her surrogate daughter give the impression of legitimacy.

Appearance
Miranda is a relatively tall woman, standing at five foot eight, and an estimated weight of a hundred twenty pounds. She has a lithe, slender build with beautifully defined curves. Her facial features exhibit both youthful and alluring qualities whilst her skin is of a soft complexion with a mild orange tint. Her hair is a rich shade of sable, cascading down to the midst of her chest, and often worn in curls, primarily in front. Her eyes are a chestnut brown and display a slight metallic tone if glanced at closely. Given her youthful appearance, she is scarcely one to be thought the CEO of a business corporation and especially not the self-proclaimed queen of the nefarious Afterlife.

Her attire differs widely, and pertains to her present mood. Her most prominent garments are of a form fitting leather variety, often accompanied by a suede vest and on occasion made to seemingly be the only garment to adorn her torso. She has a frequent habit for utilizing her illusions to make odd adjustments to her clothing, the majority to reduce modesty.

Powers & Abilities
Customary to any vampire, Miranda exhibits abilities that supersede those of humans by a considerable margin. Her strength is comparable to typical vampire lore, allowing her to lift objects or overpower a person well beyond her size. Likewise, she moves at a far more accelerated speed, with a heightened endurance coinciding with rapid healing. Her most notable improvements are her perception and reflexes, both of which have excelled significantly, even by vampire standards. The five senses of sight, sound, smell, touch and taste have all be augmented in a similar manner, to the extent she can at times deduce powers or race purely on instinct, although this is not necessarily accurate.

Mental resiliency
Due to the nature of Miranda’s abilities, she is highly resistant to abilities that would attempt to manipulate her mind, regardless should they manifest from a direct action from the user or through a passive means more akin to aura-esque powers. She is liable to notice of the effects however even particularly potent individuals would have difficulty having any sway over her thoughts or actions.

Illusions
By way of simple thought, Miranda can change her surroundings to something more fitting of her imagination, distorting the perception of those within the vicinity so they may witness what she desires. Although her abilities are limited to influencing the mind, she is able to alter the sensation of those in close proximity. The crawl of a spider, the bite of a dog, despite there being no visible indication of pain, one might feel as if there was. It is subtle, and entirely dependent on the person's will. A remarkably resolved individual could potentially ignore it outright. There are limitations, Miranda can only stretch her illusions the approximated length of a small block, albeit at significant strain, made worse by how much she attempts to cover. When she begins to wane, her illusions lose their foundation and appear bewildered and twisted.

Recently, her illusions have taken on a secondary property, allowing Miranda to masquerade within one in mere moments, should she feel threatened. This provides the exterior impression she is almost disappearing from thin air, although in actuality she linked herself to another section of the given area. The ramifications for doing however, cause an increased likelihood of her becoming delirious from the subsequent strain. In addition, if someone is swift enough, she is entirely vulnerable if caught utilizing this method, perhaps more so depending on the force. Therefore, only in the need of an immediate escape to avoid physical harm, does she make anything greater than sporadic use of the ability.

Inception
This ability is unique in practice, providing Miranda the capability to influence a person not only on the exterior but to project herself into their subconscious. For relatively minor ideas, the mere sound of her voice and the glowing tint of her eyes is enough to sway them to her suggestive wiles. For particularly advance variations of mind manipulation, most predominantly implanting an idea into a person’s mind, attempting them to question their own memories, in essence something they would never consider otherwise. She must force herself into their unconscious mind, entering into the inner psyche where a person is most vulnerable to suggestions. Such is not devoid of risk, leaving her subjected to whatever the individual’s mind has created. Some may prove difficult to sway while in extreme cases could drive her insane if she does not shatter the mental link. The process is exceptionally taxing on her own state of mind and could be damaging if she lingers beyond a few hours. It is entirely dependent on the complexity of the person's subconscious.

There is an alternative benefit, which while still an exhausting venture, is not quite so grueling. Being within the mind of an individual Miranda is able to merely be a bystander, witnessing the events of their past unfold without any attempt to interfere. Her only source of potential conflict is if the inner body of the person suspects her of foul intent, an unlikely event if she remains subtle, but a possibility nevertheless.