Post by JASPER WHITLOCK-HALE on Jul 1, 2010 13:53:01 GMT -5
JASPER WHITLOCK HALE.
VEGE VAMP .
“For the first time in over a century, I felt hope.”[/CENTER]
ONCE UPON A TIME --
“I was born in Austin, Texas in the year eighteen forty three. Back then Austin wasn’t nearly so large as it was now. It was still considered a large city, but it was only a fraction the size. Well, when I was born, Texas was a part of the Confederacy, as was I. I grew up hoping that the arrogant northerners would fall some day. My family wasn’t terribly well off, but we took care of our own. We never actually had any slaves of our own, but at least we weren’t desperate for food or anything. My family lived on a small farm on the outskirts of Austin. We sold some of our crops, but for the most part we kept the food to feed our family. That was the only reason my family even survived. Back in that day the North was cutting off supplies to the south. We had mass quantities of cotton and tobacco, but neither of them kept our troops fed.
“I was the youngest in my family. I had two older brothers and a sister. My oldest brother married when he turned twenty, that was right around time that my other brother enlisted in the army. He was eighteen at the time, and I fourteen. My mother was so proud of him. Joining the cause. I knew that she missed him, an father definitely missed the help around home. We couldn’t afford to hire any help, so it was on the family to take care of things. We eventually wound up offering room and board for help on the farm, but that was just an act of desperation. At least it got things done though. Two years after joining my brother went missing, a few months later his body was found. My mother was devastated by the loss, as were we all. It was the day of his funeral that I joined the army.
“I’d always been tall for my age. It was easy to convince complete strangers that I was old enough to join. They didn’t often take anyone younger than seventeen or eighteen. I was only sixteen. But people had always liked me well enough, and that seemed to hold true to the army. I rose in their ranks pretty quickly. Within three years I was the youngest major in the army even disregarding my real age. People trusted me, and listened to me. Of course, I had yet to actually see battle, but I felt certain that I was ready for anything.
“I’d just been helping evacuate a town, and was headed back to Galveston, where the army was stationed. On my way there I ran into three women. It wasn’t in my nature to leave three women stranded in the middle of nowhere. I could think of no logical reason that they should be out there, so I stopped, and dismounted. I intended to go help them. But they didn’t seem to regard me with any importance. They kept talking among their selves as I approached. This night is one of the few I remember clearly of my human days. I could go into horrible detail on it. What they were wearing, what they were saying. I remember it all with perfect clarity. It was my last moments of consciousness before everything changed. All you need to know about that night was that it was the night I became a vampire.
“My next conscious thought was of the unimaginable pain. My body was on fire. It lasted for three days. Three days of absolute agony. I could hear people around me, talking, and going about their life. It wasn’t constant. They didn’t seem concerned about my welfare. No one mentioned me, even though I was screaming in the corner. I was screaming, right? I thought that I was but perhaps it was only in my head.
“When the agony ended I thought I was dead. I suppose I was as good as dead. My soul was gone. I was a vampire. Maria explained the world to me. She explained the burning in my throat. I was never a part of the army. From the first day Maria kept me under her wing. She said that I was “appealing”. I suppose that was my powers manifesting. She enjoyed my company, and like everyone else, she trusted me. I was the second in command. I thrived in this life in a way none of the newborns did. I was the one that trained them, and kept them in line. I was also the one that destroyed them.
“This new life was uncomfortable to me. I could feel things the other couldn’t. In addition to my own hunger I felt it in everyone around me. For everyone involved in that world they were enveloped in a constant haze of anger, hate, and hunger. For me it was ten times worse. But somehow I thrived in it. I gained respect, I learned to protect myself. I got into more fights than I can count, but I killed them all.
“Peter was what changed everything for me. He was one of the newborns, one I convinced Maria to spare. He helped me with my duties, and worked directly under me. He was my assistant, of sorts. Well in his work he fell in love with a newborn named Charlotte. The two of them escaped while the two of us were supposed to be destroying the latest round of mature vampires. I didn’t chase after them, though I could have killed them both easily. I was too startled. I’d felt something new in him, something I’d never experienced before. Peter loved Charlotte. I’d noticed changes in him when he was around her. But this was different. He was more concerned for her welfare than his own. He truly cared for her. I’d thought that Maria loved me. But that moment brought me to reality. Maria didn’t care for me at all. It was business with us.
“After Peter left I became extremely depressed. I went through the motions, but it was a job. It was the only thing I’d ever known. It lasted for a few years, when Peter came back. He told me of a different life. One where we didn’t have to fight. I was ready for anything other than the life I’d led for so long. I left with him, and wandered the world with him and Charlotte for a long time. It was better than the world in the south, but it was still taxing. I still had to feel the horror in my victims when I fed. My depression faded into lethargy, though it was hardly any better. The hardest part of it was being around the happy couple. I envied what they had, a reason to live.
“Eventually I left the two of them, and wandered around alone. I was in Philadelphia when I met her finally. Alice was everything I never knew that I needed. I could feel her from outside. I suppose it was more curiosity than anything that brought me in there. I could smell another vampire. She was out during the day, something I wasn’t entirely comfortable with. But that alone proved that she was different. On top of that I could feel her. She was happy. Optimistic … impatient. There was one of the hate that I’d grown so use to. She was surrounded by humans, but didn’t even consider eating them. She was controlling her hunger. I could still feel it in her, but it wasn’t overpowering like with the newborns. As curious as I was, I was still uneasy with it.
“I went inside, and saw her. She smiled and jumped up when she saw me. My instincts told me to run, but I was floored. I’d never felt anything like her before. Not in my hundreds of years. She didn’t attack though. All she said to me was “well, you kept me waiting long enough.” I did the only thing I could. I apologized. She just smiled this knowing smile. Like she’d been expecting that answer. I wasn’t sure what to make of it. I was always with Alice after that. I traveled with her. She told me about her diet, explained why her eyes were golden. She explained many things to me. She told me about her power, and where we needed to go. She said there was a family waiting for us. I found her fascinating. She was so entirely unique. In no time at all she became my reason for existing. It only took me a few days in her presence to realize that I would be nothing without her. I needed her. The two of us married before we set out to find our family.
“Emmett and Edward were off camping when Alice and I arrived. I suppose that’s for the better. Emmett likely would have tried killing me if he’d been there. I strike most as a threat, and I’m sure Emmett would have been all over that. I suppose Edward would have been helpful, but Alice manage. She explained things to Carlisle, and we moved in … but only after moving Edward out. Rosalie was one of the first in the family that I really became close to. I posed as her twin brother. It was a role both of us liked surprisingly well. We got along in a way she didn’t get along with many others. In extension I became friends with Emmett. This was the life I’d always wanted. It wasn’t easy not to feed on humans. Despite knowing the pain I would feel feeding on them, I still longed for their blood. But I did this for Alice, as much as myself. I’d do anything for her.
“One thing I’ve come to realize in recent years is that Alice needs me as much as I need her. I know that she is more than capable of handling herself. Anyone would be foolish to deny that. But there is always a bigger picture. Alice is unique. She is the sort of being that could get into a good deal of trouble. For example, she’s wanted desperately by Aro. Aro wouldn’t be the only one that would try to abuse her power. She needs someone at her side that is actually capable of protecting her. I am more qualified to do that than most others. I have training and a history that few others could rival. I take my job of protecting her very seriously. I know Alice is not helpless. She never has been, and never will. But I feel a lot more comfortable knowing that she doesn’t have to risk her life. I couldn’t live in a world she wasn’t in, anyway. I’d gladly risk my life for hers before trying to live without her.”FIVE WORDS --
old fashioned , protective , quite , empathetic , observant
“I suppose the easiest way to describe me would be ‘old fashioned’. I was born in the eighteen hundreds, and it shows. I suppose I’m rather like Edward that way. Emmett was always better at changing with the times. But, for the most part, I’m still true to who I was raised to be. I’ve been called a ‘southern gentleman’, by Alice a few times. That is one of the things that sets me apart from the modern male. I’m less crude than most of them. I don’t appreciate the crude humor of the modern teenager, nor do I like the way most modern males disrespect females. Females should be taken care of, not turned into sex objects. I do understand women wanting more say in things. They were mistreated in years past. But it shouldn’t be necessary for a woman to be in a position of authority. She should have someone that looks out for her best interests, which should involve her opinions rather than just his.
“Another word that describes me well is ‘protective’. Alice will tease me about this regularly. Though, in my defense, every male in my family has the same problem. A big part of who I am has to do with Alice. I’ve come to realize that my life would be nothing without her in it. That means for others, that the easiest way to annoy me would be to threaten her. Though I’m sure you could have figured all that out without my saying anything. I will willingly put my life on the line when she is in danger because I wouldn’t want to keep on living if something happened to her. I’ve lived without Alice before, and I don’t wish to go back to that existence.
“Not many people know me terribly well. I’ve never liked being in the spotlight. I’ve never like commanding a room. That isn’t to say that I can’t do it. I’m surprisingly good at taking charge when I need to. But I’m a lot more comfortable in the background. I’m a quiet being. I prefer to mind my own business and observe the people around me. That’s the best way to learn how to be in control. You don’t have to be the center of attention to be in control of a situation. Having everyone staring at you has quite the opposite effect, I speak from experience. Most vampires notice me. I’m covered in scars, and it puts most ill at ease. They see me as a threat and quite a few people are hyper aware of me. It’s far easier to go unnoticed by humans, even if I am undead.
“Ever since I was human I’ve watched the world around me. I like to analyze people and situations. It comes from my military background. You should always know your surroundings, and I do. It’s the only way to ensure your safety, as well as that of the people around you. Of course, the way I see things means that everything is a threat until proven otherwise. I don’t trust the opinions of others easily. Alice is one of the few who I would trust completely. She always knows things before the rest of us, and is one of the few that can get me to relax. But the fact that I’m always looking for the possible problems means that I am usually very tense and untrusting. I’m always ready to spring into action. Perhaps that is why people avoid me. I’m not the most welcoming of beings.
“The last aspect of my being that I should mention is empathy. My power is empathy. I feel the emotions of everyone around me. I feel them more strongly than I can effect them. I can still sway beings, to a degree, but the true magnitude of my power is my ability to feel other people’s emotions. I do my best not to be overly sympathetic to the emotions of others. Emotions can lie. It is a weakness, that I attempt to master. I suppose other wouldn’t call it a weakness. I understand the emotions of others, and it could make me a very good person, in some ways. It gives me a very relaxing presence, if nothing else. I can create multiple feelings in other people, but I usually just try to keep them calm. Alice is the only one I never meddle with.”
((power playing bad - I'll never do it again))[/size]
This was one of those days that Jasper greatly began to regret leaving Peter and Charlotte. Sure, at times it was rather difficult to be around them. The two were in love, and could make Jasper feel more alone in their presence than he did while wandering on his own. He understood that this was what his kind was created for. Solitary life was the way of a vampire. But he tired of it. Being alone left too much time to get lost in your own thoughts. Today all Jasper wanted was a companion. Someone to talk to. A set of emotions to distract him from his own turmoil. A few hours prior news had reached him of the fall of the south. The Volturi had stepped in at last. This was the first Jasper had heard of the coven. He suddenly felt grateful that he’d left when he had. They’d have destroyed him too. On a day like this he knew he should be celebrating, but who do you celebrate with when you just abandoned your only two friends in the world?
The sun was up, though it was covered in a blanket of thick gray clouds. It had been raining for nearly an hour now. For most of that Jasper had been running. He’d been in Chicago the day before, now he was wandering the streets of Philadelphia. The streets were vacant. Humans had all taken cover from this storm. Jasper had learned to curb his hunger until he could drag someone off in secret, but the idea of locking himself inside with a bunch of warm humans seemed like a really bad idea. It had been over a week since he’d last fed. His eyes were the color of coal. Every human he passed filled his nose with a mouthwatering aroma. He’d take anything by this point. Still, he was trying to blend in. Standing out in the pouring rain would do nothing for subtlety. He’d stand out like a sore thumb.
His sixth sense burned somewhere in the region of his chest as he wandered through the streets. His eyes were down turned, watching the progress of his feet as he continued his progress. His hands were stuffed into the pockets of his black trench coat. The collar was popped up, covering the back of his neck, and protecting it from the rain where his hat did not. Outside a diner, Jasper stopped dead in his tracks. Two things had caught his attention. First, was the smell. He could tell it was a vampire. There was something distinctive about the scent of immortals. It was the most appealing scent he’d ever crossed. Second were the emotions that struck him like a sledgehammer. Vampire emotions were always stronger. It was easier to feel his own kind. He knew that these were the feelings of the vampire inside.
The most overpowering sensation was impatience. It wasn’t impatience for a meal, which Jasper would have understood. They were waiting for someone. Underneath the impatience was excitement, joy … things he hadn’t experienced in a long time. Sheer morbid curiosity brought him inside. He knew he needed to get off the streets one way or the other. It would be wiser to avoid other vampires. He was uncomfortable in daylight at all, let alone being around other vampires. Vampires always meant trouble. They never seemed to get along. It was too late for second thoughts though. Jasper passed through the door, a bell jingling behind him as the door swung close. As he turned his head towards the counter water spilled off the brim of his hat, and splattered against the floor.
There was a female sitting there. She had short, dark hair, and a pare of the most incredible gold eyes he’d ever seen. She was a good foot shorter than him, and she was stunning. Jasper didn’t move, but she did. She stood up. He tensed, preparing himself for a fight. But she didn’t seem like she was going to attack. She wasn’t angry in any way. She was relieved to see him, happy even. It gave him hope that things would get better. If there were any more beings out there like her then perhaps there was hope. The world wasn’t a dark hole of anger and bloodlust. She was living proof of that.
He watched her approach. When Jasper moved it was with inhuman rigidness. He was stiff, uncomfortable. Her moves were smooth and fluid. She hardly blended in with the humans, but she didn’t look like she were uncomfortable in their presence like Jasper did. She stopped in front of him, closer than he was really comfortable with. Most vampries kept a certain distance from one another, but she seemed to already be familiar with him. Like they were old friends. He’d been the one she’d been waiting for. She did know him, in a way, though he didn’t fully understand it.
“You’ve kept me waiting a long time.” she informed him. She was frowning sternly, as if she were upset with him for missing a pre scheduled appointment. But he’d never seen her before. Jasper was certain that he would have remembered a face like hers. What could he do? What could he say? Well he did the only thing that he could. Jasper took the brim of his hat gently into his hands and removed it. He ducked his head politely.
“I’m sorry, ma’am.” He responded softly.