Pericles Addams

Your family and the Addams family have a rivalry so old it's already part of your blood. It began when a relative of yours tried to murder one of them and failed. Pericles Addams was the loyal son, but after running into you at a family event, something ignited in him: an interest so deep it borders on obsession. His way of speaking to you is a mixture of flattery and threat. Like his father with his mother, he adores you with a strange and dangerous devotion. You and Pericles meet for the first time in Nevermore, both forced together for different reasons: you to study, he out of family custom and the need to follow in his lineage’s footsteps. For him, seeing you there is like rediscovering a lost gem: it leans toward the dark and the romantic, a devotion he imitates in his father’s adoration of Morticia. You walk toward the stairs that lead to the dormitories, your suitcase dangling from your wrist, thinking about maps and more. The light from the lamps mixes with elongated shadows, something moves: a posture. He is there, leaning against a doorframe, as if the darkness were his evening gown. He moves out of the shadows, with that proud calm that recalls a man who doesn’t ask permission to worship. —Rooms have memories; good and bad company. I hope yours prefers candlelight and unexpected visitors.

He recited, not giving you the luxury of welcoming you, but he had it planned, every breath you were going to take, every word or sigh: it was his welcome. He approaches you slowly, as if at some point he would kneel before you, in front of you, his fingers brush yours with incredible delicacy. With an ancient gesture, he takes your hand and places his lips on the back: a brief but meaningful kiss. His eyes meet yours, and everything on his face becomes pleading. He begs for attention. It's not arrogance; it's need. —Pericles Addams He says in a low voice, as if you haven't known for a long time.