Guardian (Jiskastya X Promise)

[Jiskastya]

She certainly seemed a bit... disorganized for someone who was supposed to protect him. But then again, organization didn't really matter, so long as she could protect him, and explain things.

Which was where she needed work.

But there were more important things to think about. There was absolutely no room left for doubt in his mind that the brochure had been telling the truth, and that this was his new, incredibly irregular life. Well, he didn't know whether or not he was used to such nasty realizations, but since he didn't seem to be panicking, he probably was.

And besides, how could he resist some of the things she had said? Mental capabilities and flight? It was childhood dreams come to life. So long as he was careful he should be in no danger.

He would need to learn to control his strength, however. And these mental abilities of his. He didn't like the feeling of being unable to control himself. He longed to be a creature of precision, which meant practice.

But there would be more time for that later. For now, he had other matters that needed to be covered. He glanced at the jug of blood, took a deep breath, and reached out a hand. If, in some miraculous way this was a prank, that would be the way to end it. Get a person so believing in what she had told them that they drank "blood". It would be hilariously funny, they wouldn't be able to resist laughing, and the joke would come out.

But, in all honesty, he didn't really believe that this was a joke. And, if that was the case, blood was going to be his life. It was his food, his drink, all in one. Best get used to it now.

The jug was awkward in his hands, but despite the fact that the liquid should mean it was quite heavy, it seemed to barely weigh anything. That would be the next thing to learn. Figure out how far a normal person could see, how much they could lift, what they could hear, and learn to be able to discard whatever was different. Otherwise, any disguise he might try and adapt would be blown out of the water to anyone who had an expert eye.

He switched the jug to one hand, trying to remember what a jug of water had felt like when he had still been human. There was nothing, so he guessed. Tensing the muscles in his shoulder and arm, trying to make it look as though he was just straining to lift it. No real problems, but a slight level of discomfort. He wasn't procrastinating the first taste, he had no reason to morally object to drinking blood. He couldn't remember any reason to object, after all. Once he had finished his brief moment of experimentation he lifted the jug and took a small sip.

It was rich and dark, but unfamiliar. He had nothing to compare its taste to, so he just went ahead and tasted the blood for its own flavor. It most certainly wasn't bad. His body accepted it happily and willingly. But nor was there an explosion of pleasure on his tongue. It tasted good, but it wasn't an addiction. Much like most food, he assumed.

What next? Should he question his guardian on something? She had said he was free to do as much. But, he decided to go in order. The second thing she had suggested was a name. Sure why not?

Self-consciously wiping his lower lip he glanced at the woman.

"Shall we look at the list of names?" he suggested hesitantly.

[Promise]

He didn't spit it out, he didn't choke, he had nothing to compare it to and no memories to hold him back. It seemed to Nadia, as she watched him, that it was a far more merciful for the Newborns to remember nothing of their old lives. This man before her was certainly taking it well. She thought of other Guardians who did everything in their power to make their ward remember, what good could it do? What good was it to design a completely new life around an old one? She didn't question the damage she had been warned could be cause by revealing their past, that was one weapon the Hunters didn't know about yet.

Nadia knew some memories could return naturally, never whole, it came from the same place in the mind as their knowledge of language. It could be something as simple as knowing how to give someone a back rub, knowing when someone was upset. But never whole memories, people, places but never the emotion to piece it together and give meaning to anything. Forcing these meaningless memories on a Newborn, moulding them to a life that wasn't theirs could crack the psyche. But she wasn't about to try it with her new ward, she smiled as she watched him lift the jug, he was going to be fine.

Nadia wondered about her other wards, she had certainly been better at explain things to them, time would get her back to normal. But right this moment wasn't the best to be regretting not taking a holiday, she had someone to look after and she'd have to push her self back into the game.

Nadia was drawn out of her thoughts by his speaking, "names? No problem, the higher ups try to keep Vampire's names from being similar, so if you had anything in mind already, there is a possibility it is taken." She didn't want to mention that some Newborns came out with the name they wanted, only for it to turn out to be their old one. Using old names allowed Hunters to find Vampires, they had access to databases and matched the names day and night. Even others couldn't use a Newborn's old name for several years, if there was the slightest indiscrepancy in the record's history a Hunter or six would come to call. Even an innocent Human could receive a quick and violent visit if there was the slightest problem.

She pulled five sheets from the clipboard, "the first parts of A, B, C, D and G are there" she said handing them over, "they're the more popular first letters, I also have surnames here" she pulled out six sheets, there were still a few left on the clipboard. "Middle names are limited to two at most, they used to allow up to five but that caused problems when two names were the same as another Vampire" she grimaced. "The fights over who got the name first were never pretty and by the time the disagreements really broke out was after the Newborn was separated from their Guardian." She looked sad at this fact "we couldn't even step in and help" she looked through the other papers, "once you pick you name we can start on your signature practice, there is paper in the writing desk."

Nadia pointed to one of the names on the paper she and handed over, it had a red inked number next to it. "Those mean you can't have the name in that place in your full name, so Anthony is taken for a first and Aaron is taken for a third...or rather second middle name." She pulled her hand back and looked at him, "once we sort out your name we can get going on you passport and other identification. Unless you would rather start on working through your abilities first, but its always better to get the boring paperwork out of the way" speaking of paperwork she remembered she had some to fill out about the dead Hunters she had called in a clean up crew for.

[Jiskastya]

The naming system seemed mostly straightforward, although he was slightly curious about the reason for keeping track of what the vampires named themselves. There were enough people in the world with the same name that, unless it was something remarkably uncommon, it shouldn't really be a problem to let them have the same name. Which meant there had to be another reason.

Once more, he locked that little bit of information into the chest in the back of his head. Another thing to puzzle over later.

He took the clipboard with incredibly delicate fingers. He still remembered the way that the woman's wrist had caved so easily under his tightening grip; how her neck had snapped sideways under the force of his palm. It would be best not to shatter this clipboard. After all, in some respects, that clipboard held his future.

As he was looking over the names on the clipboard, he made a sudden decision. He'd tell her about the name he had selected as his primary identity, but if he was starting over, this would be a good point to come up with some alternate identities. He'd be careful about it, obviously, but this would be the easiest time to get his hands on multiple sources of identification.

Would it? How hard was it to get a different passport?

Not the time. He didn't even know how careful this company's security would be, or if it would even be possible to get away with it. Another thing he locked into the back of his mind, for later thought.

He ran his fingers lightly along the paper, pausing occasionally and saying a name to himself. He tried to convince himself that it didn't really mater who he identified himself as. Children never got to pick their names, their names came to fit them. Despite that, he still cared. Maybe not as much as he could, but he still cared. He wanted to come up with something appropriate. Something...

He paused on a name. Why was this one so appropriate? He was almost certain that there couldn't be many people in the world named that, so the chances of it being his name were remarkably slim. Why wouldn't there be many people named that? It was like a crucifix. The more he tried to struggle, the more he tore himself apart. Stop it.

"Dante," he said, deciding to go with his instinct. "For a first name." He then transitioned his eyes to the sheets of last names. This one mattered a lot less. He let his eyes wander over the sheet, pausing randomly. Stark. That one, at the very least, he knew the reason it felt appropriate. Just a touch of irony.

"Dante Stark." He said, trying it out. Sure. "I still need a middle name, right? Could I see some more of the sheets?"

[Promise]

He didn't trust her, not completely, that was the feeling she was getting from him, planning ahead for...for what? Escape? Would he try to go rogue? The idea didn't settle well with her, but it wasn't exactly like they had got off to the best stat with her tasering him. A man with no history and supernatural abilities, what would he do on the streets of New York? On any city for that matter....what couldn't he do? Nothing that wouldn't get him tracked down and killed, whether it was Guardians, other Vampires or Hunters, someone would come after a rogue.

But the point was there was no real reason for him to trust her, maybe she was trying to give him a name and was claiming to be trying to help him into a new life. But what was that in the situation when you're a completely blank slate? Their was no real reason for her to trust him either, but as it came to any Newborn, she trusted them in the beginning as far as until they bared their fangs at her.
He was no different, as much as she wanted otherwise, she hadn't offered his history (and wouldn't) as a show of being trustworthy. But what difference would it make in the situation that he didn't remember anything? Only the truth was damaging after all. She could lie to him about his history at least if he asked too much...but he could hear her heart.

Guardian's weren't trained to trick lie detectors, she could lie pretty well but someone looking for the tells and knowing what they were could pick her apart. Also lying could stop him from trusting her further, that would be even less helpful.

Nadia snapped out of her thoughts and looked at the clipboard, she then lifted some more of the sheets, pulled them free and handed them to....Dante. He had picked an interesting name, hopefully not too interesting, the Hunters liked picking out interesting names sometimes. If they were having a particularly bad week killing Vampires then they could end up picking names and looking into them.

They had even made correct hits that way, other times it had been innocent family members who had died. Not one Vampire in the family and the one with the odd name got a stake through a very Human heart, Guardian's got recruits that way a lot of the time. It was also how the Vampires wee able to name many of the Hunters as nothing but murderers, they couldn't even get evidence against the fact. Videos captured, locations traced, it was so simple to nail a Hunter to the wall in the media. One Hunter had been caught on camera killing a child Vampire, the loss was a shame, not many children survived the change and many even grew up. But the Hunter had likely wished he was dead after his entire family were labeled as being part of the crime.

Nadia blinked and concentrated on what was before her, "sorry, my mind keeps wandering" she apologised looking at her ward before her.

[Jiskastya]

He nodded, occupied by the sheet of names. His eyes ran over the names well. Something that he liked with Dante...

His eyes paused on another name. Julian. Dante Julian Stark. He liked the sound of that. And the name was free for a middle name, so, why not?

"Dante Julian Stark." He said, partially to inform her of his choice, partially to see how it sounded. Yes. That would work.

"You mentioned paperwork?" That would be the time to watch, to see if he could find a way to get his own papers off this organization that, apparently, made them fairly easily. Another thought flickered into his head. Another thought of distrust. Why was this company doing this. As an individual, he could see reasons to want to protect vampires. Or perhaps simply to oppose those who had hunted him.

But a company was more than just a collection of individuals. There had to be an overriding reason for what they were doing.

Distrust could be good, in small measures. However, at that moment, he decided that he wouldn't let distrust rule his life. Keep an eye out, expect betrayal, but don't go looking for it. He didn't know if he could pull that off, but he would try.

He had so much to think about, a completely new life to work out. And he couldn't let it overwhelm him.

[Promise]

"Well, you don't particularly need a middle name, Dante Stark isn't taken yet" Nadia looked from the paper to him with a raised eyebrow, Julian, was that an echo? Or simply an innocent preference from a piece of paper? It was a middle name and probably wouldn't come into use that often, after all how many people introduced them selves with their middle name?
She shook her head and shrugged, "it is your choice at any rate" she stood and knelt by the bedside table, "spares are usually kept in here..." Nadia opened one of the three draws and pulled out a file, it was thick with pages neatly kept inside it.

Nadia thumbed through it, still knelt down she started to frown at sections, it was more of confusion than worry. "Looks like someone's been taking pages, there are only a few sections with copies" she skipped to the back and pulled out several pieces of blank lined paper. "I'll need you to practice you signature several times, that and you can come up with your favourite one....and we can teach you how to write without engraving the surface under the paper" she smiled at him then added"....light touch."

Nadia placed the blank paper on the file then handed it over and searched the draw for a pen. "Did the clip board have a pen?" She lifted her head and looked around Dante but couldn't see one and shrugged. When she stood she was holding a silver pen and looked at it confused, "who the hell left this here?" She muttered and pocketed the item, from another pocket she drew out her own, it had her name towards the clip. The pen was black but the clip was silver, the clip could also revolve and double as a silver knife. For a company designed to defend them, Guardians were sure well armed against Vampires.

"Just don't touch the clip and it won't hurt you, if you want I'll go find another one" she stood and offered the pen writing end first so he didn't touch the silver accidentally. "I should mention though that you'll have to get rid of any instinctive aversion to the metal. Hunters use that to pick you guys out in a lot of situations, they'll fake being your girlfriend and offer you silver cuff links, that sort of thing" she sat down on her spot again. "It won't leave a mark straight away, it just hurt and the pain gets worse. We'll work on toughening you up at some point" her tone made it clear she wasn't willing to start those lessons right now.

[Jiskastya]

Torture lessons. Wasn't that just peachy. But, she had a point. The newly named Dante knew that he didn't want to die, or, at the very least, not die for real.

Signature and light touch. As Dante thought about it, he realized that he had nothing to compare. What was a "light touch"? What wouldn't engrave the surface underneath the paper? How much pressure would it take to engrave a plastic table?

With nothing to compare to, the only way to learn anything was to try it out. Trying not to look like he was worried about the fact that the pen he delicately took had a torture device at the other end, Dante grabbed it, flipped it around, careful to make sure that the clip was straight up, and nowhere near touching his hand yet. Despite the necessity of it, he really didn't want to hurt himself just yet.

The missing papers were interesting as well. Another thing to store in the back of his mind and review later. If she wasn't worried about the fact that there was paperwork missing, it would probably be that much easier for him to send off for multiple identities.

As he took the paper, and sat it down on the bedside table to begin his signature practice, another thought flitted through his head. He remembered fighting with the blonde in the alleyway, his first moments in this new existence. How had he known how to fight like that? It wasn't like he wondered what situation in his life had prompted him to need to know how to fight, but how had he still remembered? He had acted on instinct, on a deeply ingrained muscle memory.

What else did he have stored away in his head, things that he could do without his body even having to think about it, simply reacting on instinct and a slight instruction? If learning how to do a signature was that important to his guardian, it must be fairly prevalent in society. Which meant that he would have done such an action frequently. Frequently enough that it would be engrained as muscle memory?

Another thing to store for later contemplation. The chest in the back of his mind was starting to get full. There were just too many questions. Too many things to think about.

Think on the present for now, he instructed himself. You are now Dante Julian Stark. Light touch. Whatever that means.

"Do people usually sign their middle name as well?"