<img src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/db/e0/43/dbe0438be345bbf5eea68f47b9affbe7.jpg"Align="right">Name: Evangeline Coeur

Nickname(s): Eva, The Black Fairy

Age: 29

Story: Sleeping Beauty

Character: The Black Fairy

Status: Named

Length of Time on This Side: 2½ Years





Heirloom(s): The Beating Box - Within an ornate box carved from an extinct species of wood, lays the beating heart of The Black Fairy. Carved from her chest by her own hand during a moment of anguish, she placed her heart within the box, closed its lid and locked it. Heartlessly, The Black Fairy did some unspeakable things. Without her heart, her emotions are dampened and she will forever see the world through a haze of gray. She keeps this box close, of course. It belongs to her, even though she can not bear to carry it within her breast. It is a powerful Heirloom but also a dangerous relic. Should somebody steal it from her,... Well, there is a reason the saying is follow your heart and not lead it. The Beating Box is power. It can be used for her or against her.

The Crystal Cup - Once Upon a Time, seven Fairies were invited to the Christening of a Princess. Six were given plates and goblets made of gold. One was seated before a setting of china and crystal. The Crystal Cup began it's life inanimate and worthless. On that fateful day, it took on a greater meaning. The Crystal Cup is a symbol of the bitter truth. Drinking from it will call forth a demon to sit upon your shoulder. Into your ear it will whisper secrets. Everything and anything you have ever wished to know, you need only think and the answers will be provided. It will tell you what people are thinking and allow you to hear their thoughts but such knowledge comes with a price and that price is the bitter truth and it is indeed a bitter pill to swallow.

The Clockwork Mouse - The Clockwork Mouse is a small mantlepiece ornament that sits beneath a bell jar. Beneath the frosted glass, should one lift it, is a little gray mouse seated upon a wooden stump. A wind of the key at the back will set the little creature into motion. Three times will it dance for you, turning around in concentric circles before it holds out its tiny paws for a reward. The Clockwork Mouse only accepts pebbles as treats. Place one in its begging hands and it will greedily swallow it down. A closer examination of this little trinket made from springs and gears will reveal that upon its paws, it has no fingers. Not one.

Physical Description: Since passing through the Rift, Evangeline has regressed in age and taken on a far more pleasing appearance. No longer is she the Crone of a Woman she was at the end of her story. She is now an attractive and youthful 29-year-old Woman. Not even the power of the Rift though could lighten her. Black will forever be her color.

At 5'6 and around 117 pounds, Evangeline falls a little on the thin side for the average woman her age but what's abnormal for some is normal for others. Eva has been described as feline in appearance. She isn't terribly tall but she is lean. Eva has a toned figure that doesn't quite cast the most alluring silhouette. That's not to say that she isn't feminine or sexy. Eva has more sex appeal than most can handle but she isn't Marilyn Monroe rubenesque gorgeous. Her hips are small and her waist is slender. She has thin arms that seem a little too long for her body and the bones of her décolletage are defined and visible underneath a soft layer of creamy skin. Eva is in great health and has more strength than many would give her credit for. She isn't starving herself nor is she attempting to achieve the waif look that was so popular in the 60's on This Side. It is simply how her body functions and who she is and we all know that we must play our roles.

Evangeline isn't one to worry frantically over her appearance. Carrying herself with a devil may care attitude that is far sexier than any boob job or collagen injection, Eva is confident in who she is. She has never been one to follow the trends. Her wardrobe is full of thrift store finds and vintage pieces from basement sales. Eva wears what she likes. She fancies black and with it, she can be either hard or soft. Her coal black hair is often wild and unkempt and her nails are kept short but clean. Regardless of whether she dresses up or dresses down, one thing remains a constant and that is her brilliant blue eyes. Often lined with black, Eva's eyes are a window to her soul. Her gaze holds an intensity that some find intimidating and often uncomfortable. Eva isn't as hard as she seems though but what is curious is that she does little to change peoples opinions that she's anything more.





Distinguishing Marks: For most of her life, Evangeline has been a creature of shadows. She didn't want to stand out or be noticed. The long jagged scar that runs the length of her torso from a finger below her neck to the bottom of her breasts, doesn't help.

This desire to remain undistinguished has not faded since coming through the Rift. So Eva hasn't done all that much to alter her appearance. That being said, she has adopted several tattoos, finding them a wonderful way to express emotions that would normally remain muted.

Wrapping itself around the pale flesh of her left shoulder is a bloom of black and white watercolor peonies. While rather soft and feminine for a woman who would be seen by most as cold and harsh, these flowers remind Eva of the garden she used to maintain back on The Otherside. Curiously, the petals of these flowers have a tendency to open and close, depending on her mood. Should Evangeline be feeling particularly melancholy and withdrawn, the petals will close. The flowers blossom, when her mood does the same.

Painted across her body's canvas are several other grayscale images. Few of them are as meaningful or magical as her peonies but all of them are unique to her. The script that is curved beneath the delicate skin of her right breast seems to say it all. It is a quote from one of her favorite books, 'The Painted Drum'. For when it is all said and done, Evangeline's heart is not dead. It still beats within the Box. "Life will break you. Nobody can protect you from that, and living alone won't either, for solitude will also break you with its yearning. You have to love. You have to feel. It is the reason you are here on earth. You are here to risk your heart. You are here to be swallowed up. And when it happens that you are broken, or betrayed, or left, or hurt, or death brushes near, let yourself sit by an apple tree and listen to the apples falling all around you in heaps, wasting their sweetness. Tell yourself you tasted as many as you could."





Personality: Few remember the Evangeline that was once carefree and warm of heart. It was so long ago that the memories of those days are thin and distant, even to her. There was a time though, long ago when Evangeline was happy and full of light. She began her life as any Fairy did and for it, she was curious and trusting. She knows this to be true because without having known such hope and warmth, she would not be able to feel the pain and icy chill that twisted her into the one History called The Black Fairy. Only love can hurt like this.

Having learned the lesson long ago that when it comes to how people see you, the truth is meaningless, Evangeline became what was expected of her. Not much has changed since coming through the Rift. The now young Woman rarely smiles. It is not because she is always miserable for the truth is, she is rather content with her simple life. She is comfortable in her own company and happy to be surrounded by her books and the stories they tell. One of her favorite things to do is to curl up after dark on her balcony with a book and a cigarette and it is in those quiet moments that she might smile sweetly to herself.

Eva simply refuses to give people the satisfaction of seeing her emotions. They have neither earned the right nor inspired feelings deep enough to break through the melancholy mask. Again, this is not to say that Eva is incapable of feeling. She has made friends on This Side and even found an occasional meaningful connection of the romantic variety but Eva will not open herself up to everyone so easily. Her heart is vulnerable after all, given that it is not long protected by flesh and bones.

Mirroring her life before in what some might call a cruel joke, people don't tend to think very much of Evangeline. Other Tales turn their noses up at the sight of her while Nuh-Uh's have been known to label her as a 'Bad Seed' or simply a 'Loser'. This is their mistake of course because not only is the Woman highly capable but should she choose, she has much to offer.

She might never argue strongly against the case that she is 'Bad', as she knows well enough that for every Hero to tell his story, he must overcome a Villian. Evangeline doesn't consider herself evil however, not anymore. She may never be as pure of heart as a Princess but her thirst for vengeance has been quelled and over the years, the sting of pain that forced her to carve out her own heart and curse the life of an innocent Princess has been lessened to a dull throb.

Eva is a reserved creature. She isn't always forthcoming with her feelings and her heart is hidden away from those who haven't taken the time to be delicate. She can be stoic and melancholy but she might correct you that she is in fact simply a realist. The World is not fair. This rule was clear as a glass slipper both on The Otherside and This Side. Eva will play her role because until somebody looks at her with open eyes, what she is expected to be is all she is.

Never let it be said that Evangeline has not made mistakes in the past, for which she has paid for in pain and turmoil but that's life. Eva is a Woman with a strong heart that she often keeps locked away. Her heart has not stopped beating, it simply does so with an echo from within that wooden box.





Why Did You Come Through The Rift?: Evangeline's memories from The Otherside are still a little hazy. Like all Tales, when she first stepped through, she had little to no memory at all of who she was or where she came from. That quickly changed however when she dared to open The Beating Box that she held cradled in her arms. What lay within was a sharp shock that brought several things flooding back. Eva cannot remember the exact details of what brought her to make the decision to step through the Rift but she does know that unlike most Tales, she stepped through willingly. Wheather she was seeking an escape or a new beginning, she doesn't know.


History: Everybody knows the story of Sleeping Beauty. Few are aware or care to be educated about the Woman behind the myth. Close inspection of the story that Nuh-Uh's have been reciting for centuries reveal that Evangeline isn't even offered the dignity of a name. Most know her simply as The Black Fairy. Of course, this is not the name she was given at birth nor is it what she calls herself. None of this matters however. She was apart of the story for one reason and one reason only and that was to play her role. For good to triumph, it must first conquer evil and nobody would deny that Evangeline Couer was evil.

The why's and the how's concerning how Evangeline became so evil are insignificant to most. Nobody really cares to know about her life before. They find it too difficult to see her as anything more than what she was and so picturing her as a child or dare it be said, a young Woman in love is simply too bizarre and so they choose to ignore the possibility.

There was a time however, when Evangeline was like any young Woman, magical or not. As a Fairy, she was curious, trusting and kind of heart. It was these inherent aspects of herself that allowed her to fall so easily for the young mortal Man that found his way one day crossing beneath her window. Lost in the forest, surely meant for death had she not taken pity on him, the young Man warmed himself by her fireplace while at the same time, warming her heart.

An entire Winter season was shared between the two, the cold lasting far longer the deeper you ventured into the Forest. Long dark nights were filled with stories of her Love's travels and adventures while plans were made for their life together. When sleep finally grew too heavy in their eyes, they would retreat to that small bed beneath the window and longingly gaze up at the splattering of stars in the sky between their panting breaths.

As the months wore on the days grew warmer, something else was growing with that Tower. Evangeline had become heavy with child and she had never been happier. Her Love had made promises. He was devoted to her and with their hands tied, he would show her the kinds of wonders she had only ever dreamed about. There was but one small problem, he needed to travel light. There was no room in his plans for a child. Foolishly, Evangeline held out hope that all he need do was lay eyes on its beating little heart and look within those brand new eyes to feel the love that she felt. How wrong she was.

Her baby never witnessed its first sunrise, her Lover made sure of that. Evangeline woke one evening to find his hand clapped across the sweet little babe's mouth and nose. Lurching from the bed, she had crossed the distance to the cradle with unnatural speed but when she managed to pry her Lover's hand away, her heart splintered and wretched to find her baby still, its heartbeat stopped. No words fell from her Lover's lips. He was not afforded the chance to offer an explanation or an excuse. Her Lover would never speak again, Evangeline made sure of that. Before the end however, she would have his screams.





It was with the same carving knife that Evangeline severed all ten of her Lover's fingers from his murderous hands, that she then turned to her own chest. Peeling back the skin and prying open bone, Evangeline carved out her own heart and set the broken thing inside a box. No more would she love, no more would she feel this excruciating pain. Closing the lid, Evangeline locked the box, placed it upon a shelf and tried to forget but it was years before the phantom aches ceased. Even without her heart pressed against her breastbone, she could still feel it. Relief was not instant but eventually, the pain turned into a dull throb that she learned to live with.

Live is what Evangeline tried to do. Locked away in her Tower, a self-imposed isolation, she tried to move on. She did not wish to be seen nor known and no more would she be hurt. She had learned lifes most important lesson and that was that love is a lie and you cannot change a person's heart. Her Lover had told her that he did want a child and yet she hoped and prayed that he would change his mind. A rodent was what he was and she had tried to make him into a Man. The world was better off when we just all played our roles and as time wore on, Evangeline found herself falling into a new role.

Though she lived alone and was better off for it, the world found her from time to time. Like the old house at the end of the street that children insist is haunted, her Tower became a place of tortured memories. Young Men would regularly challenge each other to draw as close to it as they possibly could in juvenile games of Chicken. Evangeline was labeled Witch and eventually The Black Fairy. Rumors and gossip soon overtook the truth and it no longer mattered who she once was or why she wailed and screamed in the dark.

The time eventually came of course, as the story goes, when Evangeline and six other Fairies were invited to the Christening of a Princess. Once more was she mocked, her title and power disrespected but truly it was witnessing a Fathers love for his Daughter that sent her over the edge. Love, as she knew it, was a lie and she would prove it to the world. Let them all see how strong a Father's love was after 100 years. The world wanted a Villian and so a Villian she gave them. The rest, as they say, is History or in this case, a Fairytale.





Ever After: It's been 2½ Years since Evangeline willingly stepped through the Rift. So much was lost with that action. She has no hope of ever returning to The Otherside. Her garden is gone. As are most of her belongings and those that she may have at one time called friends or enemies, it is unlikely that she will ever see them again. The little headstone she placed atop her babies grave will go untended until it eventually disintegrates into rubble. Then there were her memories. With a single step from one World into another, they were wiped clean from her consciousness. Of course, as time has passed, many of them have returned.

Truly, it was the act of opening up The Beating Box that brought most of it back. Being confronted with the sight of your own beating heart is enough to shock anyone into remembering who and what they were. There are still some things that Evangeline cannot grasp. Some memories continue to slip through her fingers like smoke. For example, she cannot remember why she doesn't drink from The Crystal Cup. She knows that it is a powerful Heirloom but she also knows that when she looks at it or goes to touch it, she feels a sense of foreboding, like a prickle up that back of her neck. To drink from it is a bad idea and while that may not have stopped her at one point in time, it stops her now.

A similar story can be told for The Clockwork Mouse. Evangeline cannot remember how it came to be in her possession or where it's sinister origins lie but she knows that it brings her a great sense of pleasure to feed it stones and make it dance but after she sets that bell jar back down, all she ever feels is sadness and grief and she can't for the life of her remember why. It comes back to her of course, the memory of the loss she suffered, the child she buried. Mostly whenever she find the courage to open The Beating Box but given enough time, the memories fade once more.

For Evangeline, losing her memories was not a cruel consequence or an accident but a toll to be paid. It was the price of crossing The Rift and Evangeline paid it willingly. She had heard the stories and the rumors and knowing that there was nothing left for her, she walked into the unknown with one wish and one wish only. That maybe, just maybe, the second time around might be kinder.

Wheather it has or it hasn't been is still to be determined. It could be said that without the weight of all her memories, Evangeline is lighter. She knows who she is and what she did, to an extent but the memories are distant. It's as if she has just woken up from a dream or perhaps a nightmare that she would rather forget. Maybe that's why she tries. Tries to be compassionate, tries to be kind. The more she tries, the more awake she feels and the further the nightmare recedes.

Evangeline has made a life for herself here. She has a garden once again on her balcony. Her stone Tower has been replaced by an old brick building in which she has built a Bar. In the rooms above is where she lives and it could be said that she has even made friends though who would she be if she hasn't made a few enemies along the way as well? Evangeline does the best she can. What more can be asked of her?