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Daphne Childs is a human teenage girl who was kidnapped by vampires to be used as a potential blood slave in The Chosen . After managing to escape, Daphne helped vampire hunter Rashel Jordan take down the vampires and rescue the other kidnapped girls. She is also notable for being one of the few humans able to resist vampire mind control.
Background[]
Daphne is about sixteen or seventeen years old. She has presumably lived in Boston her whole life and lives in Somerville with her family. Daphne apparently has quite an unstable home-life; her biological father appears to be out of the picture (it is not specified what happened to him) and her mother remarried. She has six siblings - four sisters and two brothers - most of which appear to be younger than her. Daphne's family appears to be quite cash-strapped, with Daphne having to share a room with her little sister, meaning she has little privacy or personal space. Recently, her mother's relationship with her step-father fell apart and they are in the middle of a divorce. Whilst her mother does appear to care about Daphne and was concerned when Daphne went missing, she appears to be largely preoccupied with her other children and her pending divorce. Daphne states that "they [her stepfather and mother] don't even notice when I'm gone."
Daphne became quite lonely and perhaps even mildly depressed as a result. She developed something of an obsession with death and the dark side of life, and began secretly going to The Crypt, an underground nightclub that, unbeknownst to Daphne, was run by vampires who were looking for human girls to kidnap. Daphne ended up drawing the attention of John Quinn, and Daphne, believing he was romantically interested in her, began spending more time around him. Quinn eventually persuaded Daphne to meet him, alone, in the club carpark on a Sunday night. There, he managed to render her unconscious - Daphne states that she simply "fell asleep". When she woke up, she was chained to an iron cot in a warehouse the vampires were using to keep the girls they kidnapped.
The other girls were in a trance-like state; Daphne, however, was fully conscious - Rashel guesses that Daphne, like herself, must resistant to mind control. Daphne pretended to be in a trance, so as not to arouse suspicion and plan her escape. She overheard her captors talking about boats and enclaves (which she incorrectly pronounced as "ont-clave" when explaining her story to Rashel). When the vampires came to take Daphne and the other girls to the boat in a truck, Daphne watched a vampire named Ivan (whom she nicknamed Ivan the Terrible) to see how he locked the door. Daphne managed to get the door open and jumped out onto the street.
The Chosen[]
Daphne is first introduced in the novel moments after her daring escape. Rashel, who was patrolling the area, sees Daphne fall from the back of the truck and helps her get away from the vampires. She then takes Daphne to a Dunkin' Donuts outside of Boston to talk to her. Daphne tells Rashel her story, providing Rashel with many useful clues and leads as to why the vampires are taking the girls and where they're taking them to. Rashel later takes Daphne home, where Daphne helps Rashel prepare to infiltrate The Crypt. She borrows gothic-type clothing from a friend named Marnie and paints Rashel's nails black. Unfortunately, Daphne realises that Rashel may give herself away as a vampire hunter, as she is inexperienced with acting like a ditzy teenager. So, Daphne decides that she will go with Rashel, to act as her "guide". Rashel wants to refuse, as Daphne will be putting herself in danger, but Daphne insists on coming with her.
At the club, Daphne pretends not to remember her kidnapping or the vampires, acting like a stereotypical 'dumb blonde'. She and Rashel are chosen by the vampires and taken to the warehouse. From there, they are transported to a vampire enclave on an island along with the other girls. Rashel frees herself and Daphne, then persuades Daphne to escape back to the mainland with the other girls, whilst she remains behind. Daphne is reluctant at first, but finally agrees and makes it off the island safely.
Physical Appearance[]
Daphne is described as having deep, cornflower blue eyes and blonde hair. She is short in stature and small-boned. She frequently wears dark-coloured, gothic-style clothing.
Personality[]
Rashel initially thinks of Daphne as being "a bit of blonde fluff"; however, she soon comes to realise that there is far more to Daphne than that. Daphne is a surprisingly brave and intelligent girl; she also has a good sense of humour, which she retains even when faced with mortal danger. She can be quite stubborn and determined, and is very caring towards the people she cares about. Daphne appears to be quite light-hearted, but beneath the surface, she is implied to be unhappy and lonely - this most likely stems from her unstable home-life and the fact that her mother pays little attention to her. She has something of an obsession with darkness and death, but when faced with real darkness, her illusions are quickly shattered. She is horrified to discover that creatures like vampires really do exist; however, despite her fear, she is more than willing to help Rashel try to take them down, even if it means putting her own life on the line.
Trivia[]
- The name Daphne is of Greek origin, meaning "bay tree" or "laurel tree".
- Daphne shares her first name with another, famous fictional character: Daphne Blake from the animated series Scooby-Doo! Like the Daphne from Scooby-Doo!, Daphne helps solve supernatural-oriented mysteries and also has a perchance for getting kidnapped by the villains.
- Daphne is apparently a fan of the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer; she believes Rashel to be the Slayer upon first meeting her.