|
|
Post by Leif Adamson on May 19, 2016 9:14:49 GMT
Barely conscious, the newborn Nosferatu was sprawled across the ground of the military complex, her weapons placed just outside of her reach. She could see the knives decorating the floor, all laid out according to size, and her two firearms beside them. The handgun remained in its holster, untouched, but she had the rifle slung across her back. It stretched out, the butt closest to her. If she moved just right, she might be able to kick it to herself.
The gnarled creature that had once upon a time been beautiful remained prone, however. Her captors, two male Nosferatu, stood nearby, whispering in hushed tones. "Where is Bernd?" one asked the other, who shook his head of barely existent hair. "I don't know..." It was obvious that neither knew exactly what was going on, but there was that same name again. Bernd... They had suggested she go see him, and when she had refused, everything had gotten red. She remembered shooting at one but apparently, she had missed. The other, however, still sported an open wound from where she had attacked him with her rifle as he tried to take it from her.
Shifting her shoulders slightly, she found that her hairless arms were bound together by some kind of rope, from her elbows down to her wrists. She could still wiggle her fingers, but that was about all of the range of motion she had. Her ankles were also bound, and he thighs and calves were tied together, keeping her in a rather pathetic position. Without moving her head, she glanced up at the monsters that had taken her hostage, trying hard not to sneer.
For the first time in her life, she had no concept of what time it was, nor of what day. Before they had woken her in a shallow dug grave, her only memories were of a Friday night spent at the memorial of the bombing site. Her brother, one of the only men she had ever really loved or respected, had instilled a deep respect for the fallen within her, and she clung to that whenever she felt particularly lost. Leif remembered being grabbed, but after that, she could only recall pain... and that pain was confusing to her. When she had risen, what she assumed to be nights later, she had looked in the mirror... Only to see the form of a monster. It was enough to send her into a neonate frenzy, and that was how the others had found her.
She couldn't think of them as anything but the monsters she saw, standing like cowards where they thought she couldn't get to them. Her lips - or what should have been her lips - sneered in total disgust as she quietly moved her tiny frame. Even as an ignorant little Nosferatu, she was smaller than she should have been. From head to toe, she only stood at approximately five feet tall, maybe an inch or two taller, and she was wispy and lithe. It was easy for her to pop her shoulders out of their sockets noiselessly, which gave her the ability to reach the one hidden blade they had missed, hidden away in the waistband of her torn trousers: a small stiletto blade, the same black as her pants.
As they continued to fearfully discuss the whereabouts of this "Bernd," she began to file away at the rope that bound her. In no time at all, she had almost complete movement of her wrists, and as she continued to work the rope as carefully as she could - trying to avoid cutting her paper-thin skin - she contemplated how best to bring the two down. The moment she moved, she knew they would both be on her, and her muscles were already stiff from the stillness and the awkward position they had her in. If it were a fair fight, she knew she wouldn't last... So she had to be smart about this.
|
|
Bernd
Applicant
Posts: 19 
|
Post by Bernd on May 19, 2016 9:44:38 GMT
Bernd had received word of the new Nosferatu in town, one that had been dug from a shallow grave, the reports he'd received from the numerous sources he utilized all gave the same general description of the events and the Neonate involved. He'd had her taken to the military complex, hoping that it would settle her nerves at least a little bit. Leaving his Angel to her studied, Bernd had left his little tidy apartment home and started there right away, knowing that his decrepit and deformed body would take far longer to get there than it would have if he were even still human. Despite this however, he did arrive at the location a quarter of an hour after the summons had arrived.
He could hear the pair of his brethren speaking in concerned tones about his whereabouts and why he hadn't arrived yet, but that wasn't the sound that bothered him, the sound of fiber being cut away caused him to move in faster than he would have liked, hobbling along on his twisted and deformed legs. Bernd entered the room, pausing so that she could see his form as he hobbled over towards her, careful to give her the space she deserved as another living being. First impressions weren't much to him, but to one so young and new to the life of the monster, it could very well make all the difference. "Thank you for watching over her for me." He spoke to both of his gathered kinsmen, dismissing them with a polite word, and his thanks.
"I would not continue cutting through those ropes were I you miss." Bernd had sat down on the concrete floor with her, hoping that his words and demeanor would at least in some part calm her. "I'm truly sorry for the treatment from the others..." His voice caught then and he coughed into a malformed, and twisted hand, catching the spittle before it flew any further than his hand. "Sorry again... I'm Bernd." He moved forward reaching for the bindings on her legs, his twisted fingers failing miserably to untie the binding's gracefully, but they did come free. Every breath and movement was an obvious pain to the broken and twisted form that was the Nosferatu Primogen, but she was a Neonate, and he would do his best to make sure her first experience with her own kind after her embrace wasn't a complete failure.
"I know you don't know what's going on..." Another coughing fit, started to tear into him as he released her legs entirely. It bent him in half on the ground, causing his lopsided head to bow a bit as he continually tried to be polite and kind. "But..." Another cough to clear what phlegm was left in his throat and mouth. "If you decide to attempt to attack me here, you'll be taking a father away from his daughter." Bernd patted her leg a bit before crawling up to start removing the bindings on her arms and hands. "And my little Angel would probably not be happy if she lost me." Bernd smiled, it was a crooked and yellow smile, but it was genuine and filled with the warmth that his Angel had brought into his life.
"If you'd like to ask me questions about things, now would be the time. I would also like to offer you sanctuary in my home until we find you one, provided you bring no harm of any kind to myself or my little Angel." Bernd finished patting her shoulders. It was sad to see a fellow Nosferatu bound and tied up like this, but it wasn't terribly uncommon, most of them had gone through that exact same experience. He was also smart enough to not belittle her experience by letting her know that. "I would like, if you would be so kind..." Bernd stopped speaking again, fighting against a coughing fit he knew he'd be experiencing soon if he wasn't careful. "Who you are miss?" He asked, his beady little eyes focused on the now completely untied form of the newest Nosferatu in Nagasaki.
|
|
|
|
Post by Leif Adamson on May 19, 2016 10:01:43 GMT
As he arrived, her tiny frame froze, eyes raising to gaze upon him. In her human uears, they were a beautiful, storm cloud grey that captured the thoughts of those that chased her. The curse of the Nosferatu had turned them almost black, but slivers of that color still existed within the nearly endless pits. She flinched back away from him, gripping the hilt of the blade as best she could. Three against one, even if one of the men was a cripple, meant the odds were not in her favor. She could feel hunger and fear gnawing away at her usually excellent perception, and her mind felt foggy, almost as if she had a concussion.
She was vaguely aware of two of the men leaving, heading out the same door the stranger had entered through, but the threat of their presence remained. If they had any interest, at all, in protecting this man, who seemed to command their respect despite his physical state, then they wouldn't be far. She was, after all, still quite dangerous... and she knew she could move faster than the strange, malformed monster before her.
Before she could demand anything, he released her legs. His movements were jerking and sloppy, but he didn't seem interested in taking advantage of her weakened state. He kept talking through her silence, but it took her some time to put it all together. Bernd... so this was the man the others were talking about. The one they wanted her to meet. She closed her eyes tightly, a slight pounding echoing through her head. They had used some strange word to describe him, but she couldn't remember it.
"F....father?" Leif asked softly. She had little respect for fathers, but their daughters? If the two had a good relationship - which, if his tone was any indication, they did - then it would be cruel to force some unsuspecting girl into a position so similar to her own. Harming this man would do her no good... at least right now. He didn't seem to have any interest in hurting her, after all.
Her mind was slow to process the rest of what he said, but that question, his final one, rang through her mind. Who was she? Was she the same girl she had been before the night at the bombing site? Was she still Leif, sister of Neil, born in Keswick? Or was that taken from her like her beauty, her humanity?
Her arms stretched at an awkward angle as she rolled over, showing her arms and back to him. "Me?" She asked, voice still lilted softly with a British accent. Carefully, she forced her shoulders back into their proper places, staring blankly at the wall. "I'm... My name is Leif. I'm a traveller. Or, I was. I was going to see the world free before joining the military. I'm from England... but my family, they live in America, now." Was she talking too much? She couldn't tell. The words that poured from her felt foreign and disconnected, as if somebody else were saying then. Finally, however, she turned her attention back to Bernd, rolling to lie on her side, facing him, and pulling her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them tightly. "At least, that's who I was. I 'unno much anymore of who I am... or... or what."
|
|
Bernd
Applicant
Posts: 19
|
Post by Bernd on May 19, 2016 10:23:00 GMT
Bernd listened to her politely, keeping his eyes and his attention on the girl the whole time, letting her say her peace before beginning himself. "Yes I am a father, though not in the traditional sense, my daughter is adopted, and very precious to me." The smile that touched his lips was very warm and kind, obvious even through the monstrous visage that was his entire physicality. Slowly, Bernd stood up, straightening himself out as much as he could, then offered her his hand to help her up as well. "Leif, such a lovely name. Scandinavian originally, if memory serves..." He coughed a bit, this fit far more controlled than the last one.
"What you are is a Nosferatu, a type of vampire, or Kindred as we call ourselves. Unfortunately, we Nosferatu are cursed with these looks and deformations." He paused a sad look on his face. "That I can speak to you about at greater length, though I would prefer to do so in my own home." He paused looking towards the weapons he'd not once touched. "If you'd like to rearm, feel free. I would appreciate it if you didn't choose to utilize those tools on anyone for three days." Bernd smiled again, his voice was getting raspy and it was obvious that speaking was difficult for him to do at any real length, especially so after traveling on foot.
With a cough and a sputter the old Nosferatu stumbled back and leaned against the wall of the room. "I would like to tell you about you, your existence now as a Kindred, and as an ageless being, provided you'd like to learn. Our rules, what we do, why we do, and who we truly are. And provided you promise not to attempt to harm myself or my daughter, I'd be glad to bring you to meet her, to speak to her as well as me. Let you see that I am no charlatan or liar." Bernd broke down coughing, spittle flying from between his mangled fingers as his knees hit the floor hard. He would need to find a new location to have these meetings, his own little apartment might need some modifications and preparations in order to function properly, but it would make things easier for everyone.
Slowly, the old Nosferatu looked up toward Leif, a weak but still kind and gentle smile on his face. "That is, if that suits you. If you'd like to simply walk free from here, you're more than welcome, however you do so at your own peril. Ignorance of our laws, does not garner breaches of them in most circumstances." He wasn't being cruel or rude, he was trying to give her all her options to the best of his limited ability. Who would listen to a warped and twisted sick monster, after becoming one themselves? He certainly hadn't, he merely hoped that he could educate and pass on the knowledge that she would need in order not only to live and survive in the world that they existed in, but to thrive and truly be allowed to live her life as she choose. Of course that would be difficult if she were dead.
|
|
|
|
Post by Leif Adamson on May 19, 2016 10:33:42 GMT
She stared at his offered hand with obvious trepidation. It had been a long time since innocence and ignorance had allowed her to blindly trust somebody, and that somebody was still waiting for her back home in Chicago. Fear gripped her still heart, which gave a squeeze in her chest. He listed her options and none of them seemed particularly worth contemplating. If all she had in this world were her guns and her knives, somebody stronger and smarter was sure to come along and destroy her. It wasn't as if she could blend in with the crowd anymore. Green skin kind of stood out.
She could go with this stranger, back to his home, fully armed. If the worst came true, and he was telling the truth, it would only be a cripple and his daughter that she'd have to free herself from. Two against one seemed like far better odds, as long as the two from before didn't try to follow them. Her breathing calmed slowly from its labored hyperventilation as Leif stared up at him.
Despite the monstrous features, Bernd had a kindness in his beady little eyes. He didn't seem to want to take advantage of her, like her own father had. He seemed genuinely interested in her well being. He could teach her, like Neil had... Teach her how to survive in this world, new and wild all around her. Comparing him to her brother made the decision easy for her, even if she didn't quite realize it. Her long fingered hand reached out at last and took ahold of his, mostly for show. She managed to pull herself up on shaking legs.
Quietly, she moved back towards her weapons, putting them all where they belonged. Leif was moving slowly, her body quivering from newborn hunger that she didn't quite know how to satisfy. As she reached for her last knife, both firearms still on the ground, she finally spoke. "Your daughter... What's her name? What does she like? If I'm... coming to her home, maybe we should stop for something. A peace offering?"
|
|
Bernd
Applicant
Posts: 19
|
Post by Bernd on Jun 7, 2016 6:24:56 GMT
Bernd watched the newest of his clan rearm, she treated her weapons as soldier had, and that brought him a level of pause. Perhaps she wasn't just a traveler, or she was, and had different training. He wouldn't pry. Not until she'd decided to tell him more. It wouldn't do to interrogate the poor girl after all the things that had happened to her in the past couple of evenings. A slow smile crept onto the crippled Nosferatu's pitted and crooked face as she asked about his daughter, and he responded just as quietly as he had before as he struggled to rise to his feet. "My daughter's name is Blue, and she won't need a peace offering, of that I'm sure." His gnarled and crooked hand managed to push himself off the ground and into a standing position with the help of his cane. "Once again, I apologize for the way you were treated when you were brought here. I am not the fastest old man by any means. I hope you can forgive those men." He nodded toward Leif before turning to head out of the building.
He figured she'd follow him, and she'd agreed to do so. He paused just before leaving the building and leaned his cane against the doorway carefully, leaning as best he could to maintain his balance. Slowly, and with careful and rather graceless movements the old Nosferatu lifted his hooded jacket off his shoulders offering it to her. "I don't need the jacket to stay hidden among the mortals, and until you understand you will. If it's alright with you..." He coughed a bit into his hand, reaching out clumsily for his cane. It took him a few long moments standing there to regain his composure and wipe the spittle from his fingertips. "I would like..." He coughed once again, but this time it was far less severe. "It if you wore that coat. It would help disguise you from the mortals... And keep you warm." He sputtered a moment before his body seemed to become that of a regular crippled old man.
He wore an old well worn grey suit and carried with him a rather plain old beaten cane. He still hunched, and it was obvious that he was crippled, but for all intents and purposes. Bernd looked just like a regular old crippled man. "I apologize if the transformation startled you. It's one of the traits we Nosferatu have honed and developed over time." He coughed a bit taking a step into the moonlight. "This... Is one of the many things that you can learn as a Nosferatu Leif." Slowly he turned toward the streets pointing with his cane shakily. "My home is over near the Bombing Site if you'd like to join me?" He asked hobbling out of the building.
|
|
|
|
Post by Leif Adamson on Jun 7, 2016 21:45:01 GMT
Leif slung the rifle across her back with well practiced ease, humming softly to herself as she glanced back to the sickly looking creature, hobbling towards the exit of the door. Slowly, she dragged her fingers along the thick leather strap that kept it close to her body. It had belonged to her brother, once upon a time, as had the rifle itself. Both were prized possessions of hers and she refused to leave without either, especially considering the unfamiliar journey that waited before.
She followed after him, every step placed carefully, with the sort of practice that only came with military. training. She hadn't lied to Bernd when she told him she was a traveler, but she had refused him the whole truth. She wanted to trust this man that reminded her of her brother, almost desperately, but logic warned her against it. He was a stranger to her, and here, given her situation, she had very little choice other than to trust him. It was a familiar manipulation tactic that set her teeth - yellowed overnight - on edge.
She took the jacket he offered her, careful not to touch him, and continued to stare at him in silence. She wanted to check the fabric, the pockets, to see if he was trying to plant something on her with his seemingly kind offer, but she didn't know what she was looking for in the first place. If she insulted this man and he was trying to hurt her in some way, she could alert him to the fact that she was suspicious, and the combination could be deadly for her.
Right as she was about to speak, he changed in the blink of an eye. There was no magical girl theme song playing in the background, no costume change... It was simply like putting on a mask. One moment, he was the twisted, foul looking creature that reminded her of her own reflection, and then suddenly, he was any other man. She startled, stumbling back a few steps as elongated fingers reached for one of her blades.
His apology was sudden and fell on nearly deaf ears as she looked him over. She had convinced herself that she would never again be the beauty she once was, yet this Bernd creature appeared nearly normal. She noticed a moment too late that she was holding a blade, hidden only by the jacket she had taken from him, as if she were about to attack. She forced herself to relax, to lower the weapon back to its hiding place on her side. Bernd had done nothing wrong, thus far, and she had no reason to attack him.
"What exactly... is it?" Leif asked softly. "An illusion?" She stepped forward, slowly, and looked him over without trying to touch him. She slipped the jacket on, removing her rifle in order to cover as much of herself as she could. She hadn't ever seen a monster that looked like her walking around, and if there were so many of them just in Nagasaki, she assumed that was for a reason. She slipped her rifle back across her back and hid her face as she could. Offering a nod, she motioned for him to lead the way.
|
|
