Even before his Chrysalis, Merlot Vincent was an odd child. Eschewing such childish foods as ice cream, Sugar Crisp cereal, or pizza, Merlot instead asked for burgers - only seared, to the point of being almost raw, rare steaks so bloody that his father joked were about to start mooing, and even on a dare once eating a bit of a dead opossum that the kids had found behind the elementary school.
After his Chrysalis, everything started to make sense - and Merlot found himself craving more than animal flesh. It is an unfortunate side effect of being a ghast that others must suffer so you may survive, but Merlot made peace with that reality quickly.
Others of his kind tend to travel around, transients amongst the changelings and driven out by the kithain as soon as they are discovered, but Merlot abhorred that lifestyle, even after only two years of it. So he made his way to New York City, which was fractious and dangerous enough that he could operate without detection. He even got a job as an anesthesiologist - giving him more access to the Glamour-rich organs he needed when the surgeons and nurses left him to complete the pre- and post-op work on patients.
Of course, this does not mean he does not hunt in the way most of his kind do, striking at the most vulnerable in the dead of night: the hospital gives him access to records that help pinpoint the characteristics his clients need. Because there are certain crafters who need ingredients that are considered too heinous to be gathered by normal means, and that's when they turn to Merlot.
Physical Description
To the mortals, Merlot looks average in every way. It would be hard to pick him out of a crowd or even a lineup.
To the fae, however, he is a tall, skeletal monstrosity - skin only barely stretched over bone and muscle.
Merlot dresses nicely, if perhaps the most boring way possible. Usually, he prefers a dark grey suit with lighter grey stripes - not even committing to the extremes of black or white. A red handkerchief tucked into the pocket is the only spot of color on him.
Social
As with his wealth, Merlot's contacts as a wealthy doctor and his position as a black market broker of flesh means that he can pull from some *nasty* underbellies. If you don't kill him, expect several tough customers to come crawling out from underneath that rock to deal with you.
Business Partner (Important)
Business Partner (Important)
History
To live within the shadows is to once and a while stumble upon another leech - if not literally, figuratively.
Tamerlane stumbled upon one such night, where a careful Merlot was in the process of extracting the kidney of one of his little occultist apprentices.
What could have been a rather explosive, messy meeting (not discounting poor Karen's already-displaced organs) became one of great profitability for both. Tamerlane got rare fae blood (and, on occasion, human blood if there was a certain palette or recipe he could not satisfy on his own), while Merlot could acquire the organs and other ephemera of prodigals - such as lycanthropes and sorcerers - that he could not hope to procure for his clientele of treasure-crafters on his own.
Relationship Reasoning
Merlot is something of a kindred spirit to Tamerlane. Tamerlane respects the professionalism and brutality of Merlot, and they've probably known each other for sometime and the relationship is friendly but strictly business.
They are probably as close to friends as a vampire and a ghast could have, but that's a pretty low bar.
Shared Secrets
Running blood and guts of humans, vampires, OR fairies is dangerous, illegal business - neither of the entrepreneurs are likely to spill the beans on their business anytime soon.
A doctor, especially a doctor of anesthesiology, is well compensated. To also be a black market organ salesman gives him wealth that is nearly unlimited.
True, he will never be a J.P. Morgan, but could Morgan ever spend all his wealth either?
My point exactly.
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