Application for Deerington

[phrenetic]

IN CHARACTER

Character Name: Vanessa Van Helsing, previously Vanessa Seward
Canon: Van Helsing
Canon Point: End of 2x10

In-Game Tattoo Placement: On her throat, above her left collarbone.
Current Health/Status: At her canon point, Vanessa has just been shot in the head. Being who she is, this wouldn't permanently kill her but leave her in a death-like coma (she doesn't breathe or need to eat, nor does her heart beat, but her blood continues to function as if it is alive, preventing rigor mortis and keeping her skin flushed). Her body will eventually resurrect itself, though it could take years unaided.
Apparent Age: 33
Actual Age: 33
Species: Human(?)

History: Character Wikia | Canon Wikia
Hometown/World: Northwest United States, Earth

Personality:

Vanessa grew up believing she didn't have a place in the world. As an orphan and a product of the foster care system, she was rough around the edges with a dangerous temper. She had difficulty holding down a job, resorted to selling her blood and plasma for money to get by, and tried to take care of her ten-year-old daughter, Dylan, as best she could.

And then she died, murdered by a vampire while her daughter hid in the closet on her birthday. Dylan held her as she took what should have been her last breath.

Except her blood didn't die. And when she wakes up three years later, the world isn't the same anymore.

The world Vanessa wakes up to quickly shapes her life and her future.

Vanessa is, first a foremost, a mother. Dylan was her entire life, her reason for struggling to continue on in a post-Apocalyptic world, and finding her was the only thing that truly mattered to her. Her maternal instincts are fierce, showing themselves whenever there's a child around, and she wants nothing more than to protect those that can't protect themselves. Unfortunately, the world is merciless, and she learns very quickly that she can't save everyone.

That she has to choose.

In this area, it's fortunate that she's a hit first and ask questions later. Vanessa doesn't hesitate when it comes to protecting herself or the people she cares about; she simply reacts in a way that usually results in the other person's death. She does not hold back and she has a reputation for being bold and brutal, especially in the faces of her enemies.

Namely, vampires.

Vanessa is definitely not suicidal. Even after the death of her daughter, she's not trying to find a way to go down swinging. That said, she's not afraid to take the fight to whomever she has in her sights; planning and strategy isn't one of her greatest skills. She's always left that to Axel, the Marine, and when he's not around things always get pretty hairy for her. Vanessa goes for the most direct solution to any problem, and that's usually hitting and stabbing her way through whatever is between her and what she wants. She's even ripped down a solid iron door rather than try to find a way around.

But her daughter's death has also broken something in her, as has the general state of the world since she woke up from her death coma. She's had a serial killer murder her best friend. She's discovered the leader of a town sell infants in exchange for their prosperity while lying to the children's mothers. She's been led into a trap by someone she trusted, resulting in her capture and torture. She's had a woman pretend to be her biological mother and then get shot in the head once she was no longer needed for her specific purposes. Smiling used to be so much easier, and for as difficult as her life was at times, she wasn't the distrusting, angry and vengeful person she's become. Things simply don't matter as much anymore without her daughter, though the new presence of her recently discovered twin sister and their possible place in saving the human race from destruction and slavery gives her something to continue to fight for.

It's just hard to keep perspective when it seems like the entire world is against you, both human and vampire alike. But apparently, that's what happens when you end up being a member of the Van Helsing family.

Personal Moral Codes: Unlike a lot of the characters in this series, Vanessa has strong feelings about doing what it's right regardless of whether or not it's easy or more likely to end in her survival. There's only one instance where she deliberately did something to hurt an innocent, and it was solely to try and save her daughter's life. Afterward, her guilt was incredible and she knew she couldn't do anything like that again. That said, she's more than happy to viciously murder anyone who she views as bad or evil and though in the beginning, she felt some guilt over some of the people she's killed (namely humans), this has lessened even further as the series has gone on. It also doesn't take much for her to switch into this us versus them mentality and she will gladly take down others if it keeps anyone she considers 'her people' alive. But she doesn't sell people out, she doesn't abandon people she cares about, and she'll hold a grudge for a very long time if you do something she doesn't like.

Insecurities/Personal Demons: Her biggest personal demon is her daughter. Vanessa is someone who wants to be able to save people, and the one person she wanted to save more than anything was Dylan. In the end, she killed an innocent to feed her after she found out her blood might kill her if she tried to heal her vampirism. When that was too much, she still attempted to make her human again, only to have Dylan burn to death in her arms. She feels completely responsible for her daughter's death, and has been afraid of curing anyone since. Everyone she's loved seems to die around her and their losses have taken their toll on her. So far only one story of deliberately trying to save someone has panned out and at her canon point she doesn't even know if that's still the case due to her kidnapping. She has intense abandonment issues, as well as insecurities about her very existence as she's something of a freak of nature. She's fine with using her abilities to her advantage, but that doesn't mean that she doesn't think about how she came to be or feel like some sort of monster or experiment. She just hides all of that beneath her actions and her anger.

She also has a pretty healthy level of paranoia when it comes to new people or communities. She's always looking for the catch, to find what level of depravity she's going to find next. Sadly, she's rarely been wrong.

Abilities/Powers/Weaknesses:

Regeneration/Resurrection: After Vanessa's first 'death' at the hands of a vampire, she technically died. However, her blood continued to function as if it were alive, and she remained in a sort of coma for three years without decay despite not breathing or eating the entire time. When she finally awoke, after another vampire attack, she discovered that all of her wounds would rapidly heal and that she couldn't die. Even after extensive blood loss or a gunshot wound to the head, her body would repair itself and eventually reawaken. The extent to this regeneration isn't entirely known, though I assume something like decapitation would be fatal. Anything else she seems to be able to eventually recover from.

It's unknown if she's continuing to age.

Vampire Reversion: In her canon, if a vampire bites Vanessa, they immediately start to vomit blood and are reverted to their human state within a very short amount of time. This also occurs if she bites them instead. Some vampires don't survive this process, namely the vampires that have gone completely feral, and some will go through a period of unconsciousness before awakening again. Also, once a vampire is reverted to human form, they cannot become a vampire again.

Ferocity: When threatened or angered, Vanessa often loses control over her actions and goes into a rage, fighting anything that comes at her without mercy.

Combat: Vanessa is skilled in combat, both hand-to-hand and with various weapons. She seems to prefer bladed weapons over guns, but she can use both. It's unknown whether this comes naturally or with practice over her lifespan, but it's likely a bit of both. Regardless, her style is more street fighting than disciplined.

Night Vision: Vanessa can see perfectly fine in complete darkness.

Enhanced Hearing and Strength

Human Blood Consumption: When Vanessa consumes human blood, her more ferocious and supernatural aspects become more pronounced. In addition, she also gains enhanced smell, able to track and notice scents from far away. Consuming her twin sister's blood seemed to increase effect this even further.

She does not need to drink blood to survive.

Ability/Power/Magic Warping:

N.B. As these abilities are shared by another character (and only one other character) from her canon, that is being apped, I have worked with the other player to develop a shared warping of abilities in order to have continuity.

Reversion: In the event of Vanessa biting another Vampire, or that Vampire drinking her blood, they will temporarily become human but during that time, she will temporarily become a Vampire. She would gain all of their natural abilities, but also all of their ability/power warping. If you go by how long it takes alcohol to be undetectable in your system, it can take anywhere from 12–48 hours for the two to return to their previous states. It could also be that somebody else would swap with the Vampire for the sake of variety and potential plot exploration for other players.

Rapid Cellular Regeneration: As per the FAQ. If Vanessa heals within ten feet of another person, that person will get the injuries they are healing themselves from.

Resurrection: I don't believe this should come into play in-game, as the death itself should count in-game before the resurrection can happen. Unless you want to say that in the event of another character intentionally killing her, Vanessa resurrects and they suffer her death. Same can be said if she kills somebody, that character resurrects and she suffers their death.

Feral Poisoning: This would very much depend on whether there are Vampires in the 'wilds' and if any of them are feral in any way. If yes, then her blood & bite will still be deadly to them but it results in Scarlett becoming violently ill. Fever, sweating, vomiting and delirium & hallucinations for a period anywhere from 2-5 days, with weakness, as if recovering from a bad virus for up to two weeks to follow.


Inventory:

One outfit: boots, underwear, bra, socks, cargo pants, tank top, jacket
One bullet-proof vest
One hand-axe
One fifth of vodka
A picture of her daughter
Backpack containing: a lighter, rope, water purification tablets, first aid kit, a blood bag, beef jerky, large water bottle (filled), multi-tool.

Writing Samples:

sample one

sample two

i can't be the only one who thinks that just sitting here and waiting for something to happen is the best plan here right?

seriously it's like laying out on the train tracks and just waiting to get run over. it's gonna happen eventually if you don't get your ass up and save yourself.

i'm not even expecting everyone here to be able to do that. but we need to know more about what we're dealing with here. there's gotta be some kind of reasoning, or solution, or pattern.

maybe you all are already on the same page as me on this. if that's the case feel free to clear that up for me. share what you know with the class.

also i saw we've got some kids here too. anyone know how many?

OUT OF CHARACTER

Player Name: Ashley
Player Age: 34
Player Contact: fiendishfanfares

Other Characters In Game: n/a
In-Game Tag If Accepted: Vanessa Van Helsing: Ashley
Permissions for Character: here
Are you comfortable with prominent elements of fourth-walling?: Yes

What themes of horror/psychological thrillers do you enjoy the most?: Suspense, body horror, mental manipulation, violence, existential, space/sci-fi, creepy children, religious, supernatural, anything related to Stephen King
Is there anything in particular you absolutely need specific content warnings for?: No
Additional Information: n/a