BRANCH & ROOT / prompt 3
[Heine's content to eavesdrop; he's at home, reclining at the far end of the bar, inconspicuous -- though there's no need to be, merely listening to what the buzz is about.. He's wary about the suspicions regarding the resistance, though he's reluctant to engage anyone outside of his table. He eyes Badou over the rim of his mug, not overly fond of the swill within, but it's part of socializing. Infogathering.
It all helps with his career -- their career, in a roundabout way. He's entirely to passe about their circumstances; he hasn't been roused to fight, train or vouch for one side over the other (logically speaking, however, the resistance is least of all to blame). Matter of fact, he's remaining quiet, focusing on a scene beyond Badou involving a Scarback and an ordinary patron, unidentifiable by faction with a mere glance. Their interaction isn't a hostile one, but it's interesting on principle.]
Have you been feeling any different?
[With his eyes elsewhere. Regarding talks of that pandemic. The query is void of actual concern.]
It all helps with his career -- their career, in a roundabout way. He's entirely to passe about their circumstances; he hasn't been roused to fight, train or vouch for one side over the other (logically speaking, however, the resistance is least of all to blame). Matter of fact, he's remaining quiet, focusing on a scene beyond Badou involving a Scarback and an ordinary patron, unidentifiable by faction with a mere glance. Their interaction isn't a hostile one, but it's interesting on principle.]
Have you been feeling any different?
[With his eyes elsewhere. Regarding talks of that pandemic. The query is void of actual concern.]
(no subject)
Player
Name: Jenn
Age: 30
Contact:
Preferred Pronouns: She/her
Other Characters: N/A
Character
Name: Heine Rammsteiner
Age: Early 20s
Memory Option: Memory deterioration (1)
Established Status: Five years
Canon: Dogs: Bullets and Carnage
Canon Point: Chapter 89
Citizenship: Westerly
Job: Free agent
Abilities
Minor
Heine has inhuman physical strength, sharpened senses and breakneck reflexes. His immune system is impenetrable and he automatically heals from injury -- especially death. Cuts, bruises, maiming, all of it goes away in a matter of seconds. This is due to the Kerberos spine implant he received in underground experimentation. With the implant, he can regrow limbs (though it's a painful experience) and evade death, unless someone beheads him. Canonly, recovery is instantaneous. In-game, the process will be slowed (hours+) depending on/reflecting the injury.
Minor
In addition to being a walking godmode, predictably, Heine's good at using (but not limited to) blades and firearms. He carries two pistols on his person, and his accuracy exceeds what one may consider normal. Hand to hand combat is something he excels at, and he's capable of alternating between ranged and close quarters with ease -- he's capable of holding his own more often than not.
Major
His Kerberos spine is unique to others, in that he's been implanted with a leader version. This means he can control other test subjects who have a Kerberos spine implant, though he has yet to willfully do so. There's a metaphorical(ish) "second person" (ALTER EGO) -- a "Dog" living inside of Heine and can take control of him in specific instances of strife. When under possession of the Dog, Heine is more brutal and thrives off of violence. When he wakes from that state, he often has no recollection of what he's done. For the sake of staying relevant, I'll be temporarily(?) suspending his ability to control other subjects.
Personality: Heine can easily be described as antisocial, preferring to keep quiet and observe, which serves as no excuse in regards to his lack of friends. When he does talk, he's usually being an asshole -- or unfeeling enough that he's teetering the line of 'awkward' and 'dick'. Though derisive in nature, it isn't totally his fault (re: history). He's standoffish and apathetic at best, usually, which doesn't help his case. His only friend ("friend") is his partner, Badou. They work well together and often save eachother's butts from life-threatening situations (when they aren't being assholes to one another) and have formed a unique bond due to their precarious lifestyle as information brokers.Major
His Kerberos spine is unique to others, in that he's been implanted with a leader version. This means he can control other test subjects who have a Kerberos spine implant, though he has yet to willfully do so. There's a metaphorical(ish) "second person" (ALTER EGO) -- a "Dog" living inside of Heine and can take control of him in specific instances of strife. When under possession of the Dog, Heine is more brutal and thrives off of violence. When he wakes from that state, he often has no recollection of what he's done. For the sake of staying relevant, I'll be temporarily(?) suspending his ability to control other subjects.
They also compliment eachother in douchesthetics.
One glaring weakness Heine exhibits is a distinct, consistent fear of women, girls, females. He suffers from gynophobia in a form of PTSD prompted only by physical contact, even benign in nature. It ties back to the way his mother, Angelika Einstürzen, treated him in his earliest memories and her twisted sense of love, as well as the fact that he killed his "sister", Lily, with his own hands.
As an experiment in the underground, Heine underwent a spine transplant. Specifically, he was implanted with the 'leader spine', which forced an alter-ego to inhibit his body/mind, otherwise known as 'the Dog'. It often takes over and speaks to him as a conscience (ironic) would when he's in a life-threatening situation, typically, and thrives off of pure violence. Initially, he was said to be a good match to house the leader spine -- he's certainly strong enough to do just that, but Heine lacks an interest. After all, the first time he was driven into berserk mode and allowed the Dog to take over, he killed a vast number of his peers, as well as the most important person in his life at the time -- Lily.
To say that he's haunted by, and exists primarily in the past would be an understatement. It's why he has a difficult time forming and maintaining relationships of substance. While he was produced as a killing machine and doesn't necessarily want to proceed through live as such, it's all that he knows. He's violent by nature and takes pride in his various capabilities; it's easier to distance himself from potential tragedies and expound on what he already knows. He's fearless in his violent undertakings, primarily because of his nearly-immortal status in life. He doesn't fear pain, though he definitely feels it as anyone else would. Regrowing limbs is especially excruciating, despite his recklessness attitude when engrossed in a fight. Most of the time, it actually seems like he wouldn't mind being killed, once going as far as to advise his foe to aim for his head 'next time'.
All of this being said, he does manage to extent his social circle somewhat. He meets Nill, a young girl who is also a product of genetic experimentation. Because of this, he sympathizes with her right away and saves her from a prostitution ring. She's someone who reminds him of Lily, and in turn, she sees him as a kind person despite his inclination for violence. She manages to bypass his phobia and they sustain a tender bond.
Naoto is another woman Heine's begrudgingly allowed into his life. At first, they clashed often and consistently. Their fighting styles compliment one another, however, and over time they're able to form a shoddy understanding of one another. They aren't colored on the best of terms, but some's better than none and he doesn't mind physically (favorably) engaging with her.
Heine seems to hold everyone at arm's length regardless, as a proxy to his own dangerous capabilities.He genuinely enjoys fighting, which pins him at a crossroads. He's not so unfeeling as he'd like to be, however, and will stick his neck out for those close to him. He's far from someone who regularly fights for justice (like, say, your run of the mill shounen hero) but won't hesitate to intervene for the sake of a friend or something that personally affects him. He doesn't stray far from his comfort zone (dubious) but often falls into trouble without meaning to. While he doesn't necessarily believe he has a future, he does end up pursuing the goal of erasing the source of his past trauma(s). A hurdle in this is provided by his brother, Giovanni, who insists on trying to rouse the Dog within him each time they encounter one another, with the explicit purpose of bringing him back to their mother so that she can use him to her liking.
AU History: The nature of the Kerberos Project was to create super soldiers underground tunnels in Westerly,. Several series of children (theorized as test tube babies, orphans or donated through more nefarious means is unclear) were altered with a Kerberos Spine, complete with a metal collar that bands their throat. Faithful dogs that would serve unconditionally. Heine wasn't among first course (earlier series all tended to be failures), but a pawn amid the Rammsteiner variety.
Every child was dressed the same, lacking any and all memories upon waking from surgery including their own identities, driven to kill, be torn apart, regenerate and kill again. Granted powers that can only be achieved through the spine implant, their senses and reflexes are comparable to that of a feral animal, reworked as the perfect tool for war, complete with excelled healing abilities, including the talent of regrowing lost limbs and organs. Immortality.
A woman, identifying herself as their mother, urges the group of subjects to fight, maim and kill failure experiments. Heine is especially doted on, told he'll be loved if only if he becomes the perfect weapon. It's unclear how he's able to, but Heine somehow manages to permanently kill his co-experimentees in addition to the failures, including someone he deems a little sister. Shortly thereafter, he's freed from his 'pen' by Handsome Jack, he's cut loose in Westerly whereby he keeps a low profile -- not out of fear, but nature. It isn't long before a Scarback by the name of 'Bishop' (later: Ernst Rammsteiner) pairs him up with a similarly wayward (but not too similar) Badou Nails to earn himself a proper living and put his skills to use.
Skills he's more or less using to regularly save Badou's ass. Their friendship is established in a helter-skelter of near misses, paybacks and unadulterated violence, sometimes aimed at one another. The income isn't bad, either. For the record, their missions are typically skewed in favor of the resistance, and while they seem to be the unsung heroes, Heine is a reluctant aid 9/10 times.
CRAU: N/AA woman, identifying herself as their mother, urges the group of subjects to fight, maim and kill failure experiments. Heine is especially doted on, told he'll be loved if only if he becomes the perfect weapon. It's unclear how he's able to, but Heine somehow manages to permanently kill his co-experimentees in addition to the failures, including someone he deems a little sister. Shortly thereafter, he's freed from his 'pen' by Handsome Jack, he's cut loose in Westerly whereby he keeps a low profile -- not out of fear, but nature. It isn't long before a Scarback by the name of 'Bishop' (later: Ernst Rammsteiner) pairs him up with a similarly wayward (but not too similar) Badou Nails to earn himself a proper living and put his skills to use.
Skills he's more or less using to regularly save Badou's ass. Their friendship is established in a helter-skelter of near misses, paybacks and unadulterated violence, sometimes aimed at one another. The income isn't bad, either. For the record, their missions are typically skewed in favor of the resistance, and while they seem to be the unsung heroes, Heine is a reluctant aid 9/10 times.
Original History: Here!
Inventory:
• One black Luger P08 Pistol.
• One white Mauer C96 Pistol (attached to his belt by a chain).
Samples: Here and here hot off the press! If you'd like something more, say the word.
Miscellaneous Notes:
quick permissions
[OOC]
Backtagging: Absolutely, I can only truly be attentive during weekends and even that varies.
Threadhopping: Sure, unless locked.
Fourthwalling: Probably won't work with this canon.
Offensive subjects (elaborate): It's near impossible to offend me. I'm liable to bow out of anything that has to do with animal abuse, however, and would appreciate not being subject to.
[IC]
Hugging this character: Sure.
Kissing this character: Sure, but he bites.
Flirting with this character: Again, sure, but he doesn't like making contact with girls, typically. He's got the gynophobia.
Fighting with this character: Absolutely.
Injuring this character (include limits and severity): 100% beat his ass.
Killing this character: Maybe PM about this ahead of time just because.
Using telepathy/mind reading abilities on this character: That's a go-go.
Backtagging: Absolutely, I can only truly be attentive during weekends and even that varies.
Threadhopping: Sure, unless locked.
Fourthwalling: Probably won't work with this canon.
Offensive subjects (elaborate): It's near impossible to offend me. I'm liable to bow out of anything that has to do with animal abuse, however, and would appreciate not being subject to.
[IC]
Hugging this character: Sure.
Kissing this character: Sure, but he bites.
Flirting with this character: Again, sure, but he doesn't like making contact with girls, typically. He's got the gynophobia.
Fighting with this character: Absolutely.
Injuring this character (include limits and severity): 100% beat his ass.
Killing this character: Maybe PM about this ahead of time just because.
Using telepathy/mind reading abilities on this character: That's a go-go.
