OOC: From Blade to Blade II to Insanity, Oh My!
Last Updated: Jan. 19, 2006
Dude, nobody likes Scud. Don't argue with me. Dele, you're insane. The character of Scud in Blade II? Annoying. Really fucking annoying. Plus, traitor. Why the fuck did I ever decide to pay Scud? I have no clue, okay. So it should surprise no one that Scud's backstory is on crack.
Vampyre as lamagra rules us so we rule the (?) and the land was at peace and the vampyre was benevolent he (?) the darkness as one should with strength and (?) but there was one among the (?) of the forces who became [...]
One wicked demon who would not be content to relinquish his energy to a greater power and the unholy one became envious his evil thoughts festered and grew and boiled until in his rage he seduced lamagila (?) behind the veil of [...]
tears chaining him for an eternity of bondage as then the jealousy of the unholy one rose in a fiery cloud and he lit the firmament of heaven to divide the day the light of the beast [...]
- vampire lore as seen on Deacon Frost's PDA
(thanks, you big dork)
I. Welcome to the Nexus!
Y helo thar, Scud!
Who is Scud, and why does he have such an atrocious name? He's a slacker genius, a mechanic, a techie, a pothead, "a lover not a fighter," and he was acting as Blade's backup Whistler for a while. He souped up the car, he makes the weapons, he runs the security systems, and he monitors the action from inside a truck. I've grown up with kids exactly like Scud, swear to god: guys whose extended families are undeniably rednecks, who still have a twang from when they lived in Kentucky, but have mostly escaped that and are the guys you want to go to when your computer crashes and burns or your car gives up. They're easy-going, generous, and they know lots of people. I have no explanation for the name, however. The kids I knew all had normal ones like "Greg" and "Joel."
The question Scud asks makes it pretty clear he's considering his options before deciding to betray Blade. He was, however, lying off his ass, not that it matters anymore. He was looking for a rescue. What he got, however, was Gabriel.
II. Third Option
If you check his bottom lip, Scud does indeed have the tattoo. What this means is that he was already in the process of betraying Blade; you don't get your lower lip tattooed if you don't mean business. But when he found the Nexus, he figured out pretty quick what happens to him down the line. It didn't take much longer for him to realize what he had to do to get away. More than anything, the Nexus-goers like a happy ending. They like changing things, especially people's fates. So he asked the question, fully expecting all those answers they gave him ... except Gabe's. He'd been expecting to be told to go get fucked, or to be rescued, not that there was a third way. More than that, though, was the offer of power -- to no longer be just a human pawn getting pushed around, but to become something more, a player in his own right. Gabriel was strange and wild and offputting, but also straightforward, and his confidence made him charismatic. Alternately convincing and goading, it didn't take long for Scud to start seriously considering Gabe's offer.
He had no idea what he was asking for when he finally agreed.
So he became the first new leopard of Gabriel's pard. The infection that makes him shift the first night of the full moon also gives him the ability to heal, enhanced speed and strength like a vampire from his world, and a weakness to silver. But he's not dead, there's no addiction to blood, and no bullshit vampire politics (which he certainly had to be witness to during his stint as a human servant) to put up with. While most people would be considering the ramifications, Scud embraced the change and ran with it. He was scarce in the following months, finishing up business, killing unreliable contacts and making deals with the rest. He met with Blade before his first transformation and made a truce with him. They haven't been in contact since.
III. Nightmares
Raina's Halloween feast marks a turning point for him, as he is now thoroughly and emotionally invested in the pard's present and future. While the signs of this have been showing for some time, the events do represent both the lengths he will go to protect and hang onto his family, and how deeply his naturally amoral mindset has been further compromised by constant connection with a violent animal nature. He is civil to most people, but avoids them; he treats animals kindly, unless he's trying to eat them; but in the end, the only people he actually sees as people are the pard members. He'd as soon kill someone as look at them if it seemed likely they'd bring trouble for the pard, assuming that death wouldn't in itself bring more trouble. He would also kill anyone Gabe told him to, possibly including pard members.
IV. Um, Before All That
He's an ex-redneck, name of Stephen Connor Daw, thus accounting somewhat for his silly name. He spent the first sixteen years of his life learning about cars, guns, and skipping a lot of school. He has a little sister somewhere, presumably back in Virginia, who would be about 16 now. After giving high school a miss and wandering off on his own, learning all manner of skills and picking up all sorts of scars, bruises, and tattoos, history is a little shaky. Because I'm lame and find these sorts of in-jokes funny, here are some of the salient moments of the years before he met Blade.
- He was indeed at one point somewhere in New England, where he pretended to be illiterate and in love with some woman for shady purposes.
- He was a Sextools delivery boy.
- He was definitely in jail at some point.
V. The Pard
Gabriel: His loyalty to his Alpha is more or less absolute, as a result of a combination of factors such as their respective personalities, living situations, and past experiences. The mark on Scud's lip represents more than the fact that he was working for vampires. It's safe to assume he was working for one in particular, either Reinhardt, somebody else in the group Blade was working with, or somebody else entirely. As he is not addicted to blood and has never shown any signs of odd behavior (other than during the Halloween Feast, which is attributable to other circumstances), it's likely he killed the owner of that mark. This also most likely accounts for some of his behavior with Gabriel. He's devoted to Gabe, is somewhat attune to his moods, and when the shit hits the fans, Scud will always do what he believes Gabe wants him to do. Gabe is the only one he'll seriously submit to; Jason, being Gabe's mate, also means that in a dominance situation, Scud would show throat.
Jason: Scud respects and is comfortable with Jason, as well as pretty friendly. He doesn't initiate anything with him unless he's feeling especially playful, and though it's never been an issue, he is somewhat protective of Jason, possibly more for Gabriel's sake than Jason's.
Lil: He and Lil had their first change together, and he treats her like a sister. She is the female pard member he felt closest to. She is a wolf, however, not a leopard. They're playful.
Lee: Scud thinks she is the cutest kid sister one could possibly have. He forgives her for the snowballs.
Ray: Scud loves and is protective of Ray, a weird relationship that at times has mildly incestuous undertones ._. given that they operate on a brotherly relationship most of the time. During the Halloween Feast, a mentally not-all-there Scud let Ray kill him, which screwed them up for a while. They seem to have gotten over this. Their relationship is amicable and fairly resistant to drama.
Zane: Warily friendly, Scud is interested greatly by Zane, though apparently not in a sexual way. He sees Zane as a brother-friend, a piece of Gabe's past he can learn more about, and someone who'll be good for both Ray and Gabe. Zane seems like someone he can scrap with and treat play-roughly, as opposed to Jason, whom he tends to treat more respectfully. He's not sure what kinds of issues/topics to avoid with Zane, however, which makes him cautious.
Anders: Politely bemused, Scud has no idea why the dancer has chosen to roost serenely among their rowdy little pard, but he enjoys talking to Anders, and it happy to be freed of babysitting duties. He does feel a little awkward with the language difference (Anders is formal and refined, Scud is almost aggressively casual), and is not completely certain but feels they probably don't have a lot of mutual interests.
Tamarantha: Wary of magic, Scud finds her otherwise attractive, in the laidback way he has about these things. He doesn't know her very well and is more polite to girls than he is to guys (with the exception of Anders although he's not doing that consciously). There is also a sense of underlying darkness to her that unconsciously puts him at ease -- he must, on some level, believe they are similar in this respect.
VI. Others
Scud generally doesn't have a lot to do with non-pard people these days. He's more reclusive, a loner most of the time even within the pard, though this is by choice. Lately he's been making more efforts at integrating, however, and every now and then he will answer a question at the nexus if amused by the person/people asking.
The McManus twins: Because he and Murphy appear to be sharing a face, he got acquainted with the Boondock Saints early on and is still fairly friendly with them. He's fixed some guns for them, and the offer seems pretty much standing.
Connor McManus: He ran into a different Connor in Transgressions and, after a brief bit of confusion, got acquainted and made the same offer about the guns. He holds any version of the twins in high regard.
Asher Talos: Of the two that lurk the nexus, he's spoken to the one who hasn't quite died yet. They've never met, though Scud knows who he is by reputation. Since Asher also bears some resemblance to Ray, he went against his usual reticence to converse with the vampire for a bit. He also spoke to Asher simply to see how much another vampire from his world would know about him on sight. But it's also quite possible that he did it merely to see what would happen.
Dude, nobody likes Scud. Don't argue with me. Dele, you're insane. The character of Scud in Blade II? Annoying. Really fucking annoying. Plus, traitor. Why the fuck did I ever decide to pay Scud? I have no clue, okay. So it should surprise no one that Scud's backstory is on crack.
Vampyre as lamagra rules us so we rule the (?) and the land was at peace and the vampyre was benevolent he (?) the darkness as one should with strength and (?) but there was one among the (?) of the forces who became [...]
One wicked demon who would not be content to relinquish his energy to a greater power and the unholy one became envious his evil thoughts festered and grew and boiled until in his rage he seduced lamagila (?) behind the veil of [...]
tears chaining him for an eternity of bondage as then the jealousy of the unholy one rose in a fiery cloud and he lit the firmament of heaven to divide the day the light of the beast [...]
- vampire lore as seen on Deacon Frost's PDA
(thanks, you big dork)
I. Welcome to the Nexus!
Y helo thar, Scud!
Who is Scud, and why does he have such an atrocious name? He's a slacker genius, a mechanic, a techie, a pothead, "a lover not a fighter," and he was acting as Blade's backup Whistler for a while. He souped up the car, he makes the weapons, he runs the security systems, and he monitors the action from inside a truck. I've grown up with kids exactly like Scud, swear to god: guys whose extended families are undeniably rednecks, who still have a twang from when they lived in Kentucky, but have mostly escaped that and are the guys you want to go to when your computer crashes and burns or your car gives up. They're easy-going, generous, and they know lots of people. I have no explanation for the name, however. The kids I knew all had normal ones like "Greg" and "Joel."
The question Scud asks makes it pretty clear he's considering his options before deciding to betray Blade. He was, however, lying off his ass, not that it matters anymore. He was looking for a rescue. What he got, however, was Gabriel.
II. Third Option
If you check his bottom lip, Scud does indeed have the tattoo. What this means is that he was already in the process of betraying Blade; you don't get your lower lip tattooed if you don't mean business. But when he found the Nexus, he figured out pretty quick what happens to him down the line. It didn't take much longer for him to realize what he had to do to get away. More than anything, the Nexus-goers like a happy ending. They like changing things, especially people's fates. So he asked the question, fully expecting all those answers they gave him ... except Gabe's. He'd been expecting to be told to go get fucked, or to be rescued, not that there was a third way. More than that, though, was the offer of power -- to no longer be just a human pawn getting pushed around, but to become something more, a player in his own right. Gabriel was strange and wild and offputting, but also straightforward, and his confidence made him charismatic. Alternately convincing and goading, it didn't take long for Scud to start seriously considering Gabe's offer.
He had no idea what he was asking for when he finally agreed.
So he became the first new leopard of Gabriel's pard. The infection that makes him shift the first night of the full moon also gives him the ability to heal, enhanced speed and strength like a vampire from his world, and a weakness to silver. But he's not dead, there's no addiction to blood, and no bullshit vampire politics (which he certainly had to be witness to during his stint as a human servant) to put up with. While most people would be considering the ramifications, Scud embraced the change and ran with it. He was scarce in the following months, finishing up business, killing unreliable contacts and making deals with the rest. He met with Blade before his first transformation and made a truce with him. They haven't been in contact since.
III. Nightmares
Raina's Halloween feast marks a turning point for him, as he is now thoroughly and emotionally invested in the pard's present and future. While the signs of this have been showing for some time, the events do represent both the lengths he will go to protect and hang onto his family, and how deeply his naturally amoral mindset has been further compromised by constant connection with a violent animal nature. He is civil to most people, but avoids them; he treats animals kindly, unless he's trying to eat them; but in the end, the only people he actually sees as people are the pard members. He'd as soon kill someone as look at them if it seemed likely they'd bring trouble for the pard, assuming that death wouldn't in itself bring more trouble. He would also kill anyone Gabe told him to, possibly including pard members.
IV. Um, Before All That
He's an ex-redneck, name of Stephen Connor Daw, thus accounting somewhat for his silly name. He spent the first sixteen years of his life learning about cars, guns, and skipping a lot of school. He has a little sister somewhere, presumably back in Virginia, who would be about 16 now. After giving high school a miss and wandering off on his own, learning all manner of skills and picking up all sorts of scars, bruises, and tattoos, history is a little shaky. Because I'm lame and find these sorts of in-jokes funny, here are some of the salient moments of the years before he met Blade.
- He was indeed at one point somewhere in New England, where he pretended to be illiterate and in love with some woman for shady purposes.
- He was a Sextools delivery boy.
- He was definitely in jail at some point.
V. The Pard
Gabriel: His loyalty to his Alpha is more or less absolute, as a result of a combination of factors such as their respective personalities, living situations, and past experiences. The mark on Scud's lip represents more than the fact that he was working for vampires. It's safe to assume he was working for one in particular, either Reinhardt, somebody else in the group Blade was working with, or somebody else entirely. As he is not addicted to blood and has never shown any signs of odd behavior (other than during the Halloween Feast, which is attributable to other circumstances), it's likely he killed the owner of that mark. This also most likely accounts for some of his behavior with Gabriel. He's devoted to Gabe, is somewhat attune to his moods, and when the shit hits the fans, Scud will always do what he believes Gabe wants him to do. Gabe is the only one he'll seriously submit to; Jason, being Gabe's mate, also means that in a dominance situation, Scud would show throat.
Jason: Scud respects and is comfortable with Jason, as well as pretty friendly. He doesn't initiate anything with him unless he's feeling especially playful, and though it's never been an issue, he is somewhat protective of Jason, possibly more for Gabriel's sake than Jason's.
Lil: He and Lil had their first change together, and he treats her like a sister. She is the female pard member he felt closest to. She is a wolf, however, not a leopard. They're playful.
Lee: Scud thinks she is the cutest kid sister one could possibly have. He forgives her for the snowballs.
Ray: Scud loves and is protective of Ray, a weird relationship that at times has mildly incestuous undertones ._. given that they operate on a brotherly relationship most of the time. During the Halloween Feast, a mentally not-all-there Scud let Ray kill him, which screwed them up for a while. They seem to have gotten over this. Their relationship is amicable and fairly resistant to drama.
Zane: Warily friendly, Scud is interested greatly by Zane, though apparently not in a sexual way. He sees Zane as a brother-friend, a piece of Gabe's past he can learn more about, and someone who'll be good for both Ray and Gabe. Zane seems like someone he can scrap with and treat play-roughly, as opposed to Jason, whom he tends to treat more respectfully. He's not sure what kinds of issues/topics to avoid with Zane, however, which makes him cautious.
Anders: Politely bemused, Scud has no idea why the dancer has chosen to roost serenely among their rowdy little pard, but he enjoys talking to Anders, and it happy to be freed of babysitting duties. He does feel a little awkward with the language difference (Anders is formal and refined, Scud is almost aggressively casual), and is not completely certain but feels they probably don't have a lot of mutual interests.
Tamarantha: Wary of magic, Scud finds her otherwise attractive, in the laidback way he has about these things. He doesn't know her very well and is more polite to girls than he is to guys (with the exception of Anders although he's not doing that consciously). There is also a sense of underlying darkness to her that unconsciously puts him at ease -- he must, on some level, believe they are similar in this respect.
VI. Others
Scud generally doesn't have a lot to do with non-pard people these days. He's more reclusive, a loner most of the time even within the pard, though this is by choice. Lately he's been making more efforts at integrating, however, and every now and then he will answer a question at the nexus if amused by the person/people asking.
The McManus twins: Because he and Murphy appear to be sharing a face, he got acquainted with the Boondock Saints early on and is still fairly friendly with them. He's fixed some guns for them, and the offer seems pretty much standing.
Connor McManus: He ran into a different Connor in Transgressions and, after a brief bit of confusion, got acquainted and made the same offer about the guns. He holds any version of the twins in high regard.
Asher Talos: Of the two that lurk the nexus, he's spoken to the one who hasn't quite died yet. They've never met, though Scud knows who he is by reputation. Since Asher also bears some resemblance to Ray, he went against his usual reticence to converse with the vampire for a bit. He also spoke to Asher simply to see how much another vampire from his world would know about him on sight. But it's also quite possible that he did it merely to see what would happen.