Michelle Alameddine

Michelle Alameddine is a graduate of Yale University and former Dante/Virgil of Lethe House. Steady, competent and singular, Michelle acted as a Virgil to Darlington's Dante, guiding him through magics of the Ancient Eight societies and work of Lethe House. She is now working on her master's degree at Columbia University in New York.

## Biography

### Early Life

After graduating high school, Michelle Alameddine was accepted into Yale on a scholarship and was then recruited to be Dante for Lethe House. Michelle knew that Lethe was unaware that Michelle attempted suicide in high school, or else she would have never been tapped. At some point, she got a tattoo of a semi colon on her arm.

Michelle Alameddine resided in Hopper College. Her Virgil was Jason Barclay Cartwright, who she described as "lazy because he could afford to be." She understood that part of her appeal as a Dante was that she couldn't slack off or risk her position at Yale. Michelle then served as Darlington's Virgil when he was a first-year. She would meet and welcome him at the Old Campus freshmen dorms. At some point in Darlington's freshman year, he would invite Michelle to Black Elm.  She graduated Yale and now is earning her masters at Columbia University.

### Ninth House

Before the school year began, Michelle would leave a bottle of brandy and a note containing a Longfellow poem to Darlington, as a commemoration of his new position as Virgil and as good luck. In the note, she explained the brandy's history, how was made in a monastery by priests forced to flee after the King wished to kill them to keep their secret.

After Darlington's disappearance, Michelle agreed to take part of a ritual to bring him back. While the ritual was originally planned in January during the new moon rising, Michelle's schedule in January would block her from attending, causing the entire scheduled ritual to be scrapped until the next month.

That Wednesday night of the new moon rite, Michelle was picked up by Dean Elliot Sandow at the train station and took his car directly to Black Elm. Arriving at the mansion, introductions were made and, along with the others, Michelle sat down at the dining room table where wine and snacks were set up. In the following conversation, Michelle nixes the possibility Darlington is dead, sure that he'd be a Gray if he was. She is amused by Alex' power to see Grays, musing that Darlington must have been baffled at her ability. She comments that she spent most of Darlington's freshman year making sure he wasn't rushing into something that could get him killed, lightly adding he was less of an attention seeker and more someone who took Lethe's mission very seriously.

During the rite in the ballroom, Michelle took her position as the West compass point, facing Dawes, as part of the hound-dog casting. As the Veil's layers thinned, Michelle along with Alex, Pamela and Sandow, rung the silver bells in effort to call Darlington back. However, they instead summoned a terrifying demonic presence. She explains to Alex it must have been the hellbeast that consumed Darlington and stole his voice. Sandow, as Alex learns later, knew the hound-dog casting wouldn't work and that the demonic presence was Darlington, using the ritual to bar the so-called echo of Darlington from ever returning to Black Elm.

Subdued by the events of the night, Michelle called a car. As she was leaving, she told Alex that she's there to help and was able to be found at gifts and acquisitions at Columbia University.

That spring, Michelle returned to Yale to attend the funeral of Sandow at Grove Street Cemetery. At the funeral, Alex and Dawes would signal Michelle over to talk. In a secluded area between two sphinxes, Alex bluntly tells Michelle that Darlington isn't dead, but had turned into a demon when he was consumed by the hellbeast. At Michelle's skepticism, Alex explains how she heard the phrase, 'Gentleman Demon' in the borderlands and how believes it to be referring to Darlington. Michelle argues there's only one sin that allows someone to be survive a hellbeast and transform into a demon: murder. Alex reminds the Michelle and Dawes it's entirely possible and that in any case, all of them were going to get Darlington back, attempting to rope Michelle into a mission to rescue her former Dante from hell.

### Hell Bent

Reluctantly convinced that Darlington still lives and is trapped in hell, Michelle, Pamela, and Alex go to the Blue State café after Sandow's funeral. She tells Pamela and Alex the existing Lethe knowledge of possible gateways to hell. Michelle tells them of the Gauntlet, a secret passage that consists of a series of steps indicated by subtle symbols. Michelle mentions Darlington's project to create a magical map of New Haven, how he speculated that some society boys built a Gauntlet in the town.

After the funeral, however, Michelle didn't meet up with Alex and Pamela in New Haven. The one time she did, the three girls spent the time looking through society records and had a quiet, stilted lunch before Michelle left.

Anselm, after Alex and Pamela break Scroll and Key's portal table, calls Michelle to ask her if the pair told Michelle of any plans to get Darlington back. Hearing this, Michelle makes the trip back to New Haven to check in on Alex at her apartment in Johnathan Edwards residences. There, she met Mercy Zhao, before following Alex out of the apartment to the JE library, and then to the sculpture garden. Michelle reassures Alex that she didn't snitch to Anselm. Alex goes to tell Michelle about the Gauntlet, but Michelle stops her. She stresses that both she and Alex couldn't afford to break the rules and risk her position. Michelle berates her recklessness, asking Alex if she knows what's ahead of her.

Michelle reveals that the Gauntlet requires the 4 murderers to die, revealing her own suicide attempt and her subsequent unwillingness to risk her life.

## Personal Attributes

### Personality

Michelle Alameddine comports herself with sophistication and some consideration for others, putting in effort to guide Darlington in his position as Dante and offering her support to Alex. She is widely known to be brilliant and clever in her work at Lethe House. Although competent and skillful, Michelle lacked the serious conviction that Darlington and even Alex grew to possess regarding the mission of Lethe House.

### Physical Description

Michelle Alameddine has thick, curly hair that went to her shoulders, as well as an angular face with elegantly manicured brows.

## Relationships

### Darlington

As her Dante, Darlington had a mentor relationship with Michelle and she parted with him on good terms, having wished him luck on his new role as Virgil. As his Virgil and mentor, Michelle holds him in esteem although thinks his passionate dedication to Lethe's ideals is naive. She remembers him as eager to dive into the world of magic in his first year, often causing chaos.

### Alex Stern

Michelle and Alex don't know each other well, and only through their Lethe positions. The two women are very different from each other. Whereas Alex struggles to fit in at Yale and has a shaky hold over her duties at Lethe, Michelle embodies New York sophistication and is known for her brilliance and reputability. Both share an abundance of power and resolve, however.

## Etymology

"Alameddine" is traditionally of Arabic origin, commonly used as a surname.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 *Ninth House* Chapter 11 (Winter)
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 *Hell Bent* Chapter 11
3. ↑ *Ninth House* Chapter 5 (Winter)
4. ↑ *Ninth House* Chapter 2 (Last Fall)
5. ↑ *Ninth House* Chapter 13 (Last Fall)
6. ↑ Ninth House Chapter 4 (Last Fall)
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 *Ninth House* Chapter 25 (Winter)
8. ↑ *Ninth House* Chapter 32 (Spring)