Iron Cross Breeding Program [Main]

Schreiber · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Schreiber** on Sun Apr 13, 2008 8:12 pm

Vitaliy gave a smile at the sight of Tanya in this new dress, oddly happy and honored that she had chosen to sit in front of him instead of back in her armchair. He leaned back in his own chair, never taking his eyes off of hers even as he drank from his own vodka glass.

At the mention of his career in the war, Vitaliy felt his face pale slightly and his eyes go wide. The service itself hadn't been too bad; he had already become desensitized to violence and gore from the pre-war fistfights he initiated himself into. However, there was one part of his life that he wasn't quite desensitized by: watching the men around him actually die, some of their blood splattering onto him and their lifeless bodies sometimes falling onto him. He recalled one night where, in order not to be killed by the damn Germans, he had to bury himself under a freshly-dead pile of his comrades and pretend that he himself was dead every time one of the Death Squads came by. For a while, the ruse had worked... right up until he had given away his position to the wrong officer.

His memory became a little fuzzy, but he began to remember everything with an odd clarity. Leather restraints, cold metal table, the cold feeling of a needle sliding into the crease of his elbow... Vitaliy's eye muscles spasmed and he put his hand to them, shutting his eyes. But the flashes of memories were cut short by someone yelling and screaming; his eyes snapped open and he looked over his shoulder, standing up so quickly that he dropped his glass of vodka on the floor with a clatter. He watched as Tanya hurried over to the man on the couch, tending to him just as a mother would do. He had to give a slight smile at the sight. He nodded when Tanya gave the diagnosis, then walked over to the man on the couch. He was a little unsure of what exactly to say and do, but he figured the he could try and get him to calm down. "Come now... don't cry..." he uttered, unsure of what to say.

Shade the Avenger · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Shade the Avenger** on Sun Apr 13, 2008 10:03 pm

Afanasiy's screaming ceased as soon as he felt someone touch him and he shot upright, sweat pouring down his face and panting like an exhausted dog. He blinked rapidly a few times before realizing that he wasn't in the trenches, but in an apartment, a bit messy here and there, but an apartment nonetheless. The people before him weren't Germans either, but those that were with him outside the bar. He relaxed a little and licked his chapped lips, but wasn't going to let down his guard just yet. He visibly gulped, still shaking, but not as much as he was. His right hand was gripping the blankets, while his left hand was on his heaving chest. He relaxed a bit more and took a deep breath before slumping into the couch and letting go of the blankets to run a hand through his hair. He then rubbed his eyes for a bit to make sure this wasn't another illusion caused by his stress, then rubbed the couch. It felt real enough, and the smell of what was probably stew reaching his nostrils smelled real enough too.

"Wh..." He gulped down some saliva to wet his throat a little. "Where... where am I?"

Stitches · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Stitches** on Mon Apr 14, 2008 3:48 am

"It's okay, chicken. You gave us a fright back then. You're safe now, back in my flat. My name's Tanya and this is Vitaliy. This man carried you all the way up here, he is a real hero."

She had heard a glass smash, but she was unaware of who it belonged to. Either way it could wait for a couple of minutes. Tanya continued to run her fingers through the dark brown strands of his hair as he sat errect on the couch. Carefully, she found her way softly through large tangled patches. She was relieved that the man was finally sitting upright, it was a pleasant reassurance that he would inevitably be okay. The creases of her mouth curled into a smile as Vitaliy joined her at the man's side. His voice, although gruff, was spoken softly with genuine care and consideration for the other man.

"You are a natural."

She whispered, placing a free hand upon Vitaliy's elbow. She had a great deal of respect for the man. It took a lot of integrity to help a stranger in need. She had already come to the conclusion that Vitaliy was a very proud man. He certainly was a character, she would wager that every single one of his fading scars had a story to tell. She had also guessed that his mind was a complex maze, much like a large labyrinth. She wondered what she would find around every sharp turn and twisted corner. He fascinated her. With a sudden bump, she snapped back to normality, quickly realising that she had spent her time staring aimlessly into Vitaliy's wide eyes, almost as if she were engaged in a vivid and exciting conversation with his pupils. She returned her attention to the other man.

"What is your name, chicken? What were you doing roaming the streets at this time of night?"

Again, Tanya talked to the man as if he were younger than her. She would usually put it down to a bad habit, but tonight it was more of a motherly instinct. She felt inclined to take care of him. Tanya wondered if the experiments that had taken place on her would allow her to have children. She would have to find someone that could deal with her mood swings first, see past her temperamental behavior. Even if, in the unlikely event that did happen-- they may be genetic freaks, with red eyes and claws. Tanya shuddered at the thought which had never previously crossed her mind. She would not wish that fate on any child.

The distinct aroma of beef stew quickly spread throughout the flat, covering the previous smell of stale bourbon. She was glad of the change, it made the place feel more like a home.

"Are you hungry?"

Schreiber · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Schreiber** on Mon Apr 14, 2008 5:14 pm

Vitaliy gave a little smile at the compliment that Tanya gave him, the smile growing broader when she placed a hand on his elbow. For a few seconds there, he had gotten lost in her gray eyes but snapped back to attention just as she did. "You're safe now," he said, trying to keep up the fatherly front for the sake of Tanya and the boy on the couch. "We took you in after you fainted. But... I don't think you're out of the woods just yet." He put a hand to the boy's forehead and smoothed his hair back, almost hesitating as if debating whether or not to actually do it.

"It'd help us both," he said, "if you told us your name. We could help find your fami--" He hesitated, then switched words. "Your loved ones if we knew your name." After he said that, the scent of beef stew reached his nostrils. Like a hungry dog, he turned his attention from the boy on the couch to sniffing at the air, determined to find out where the scent of the food was coming from (even if he technically knew that it came from the kitchen - perhaps it was part of instinct). His stomach growled audibly, and he snaked his arms around his middle to try and muffle the sound. He stood and continued sniffing before answering, "Starved like hell..." and started to wander off to find out where the kitchen was.

Before he could get too far though, he turned to the boy on the couch and said, "How 'bout you? Hungry?"

Shade the Avenger · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Shade the Avenger** on Mon Apr 14, 2008 7:01 pm

As if on cue, Afanasiy's stomach started to growl. He gave a nervous smile and said, "Y-yeah... just a little..." He wrapped his arms around his thin body, trying to prevent any of those illusions from happening again. "I... I don't think I have any loved ones left... I-I'm from..." He stopped. He didn't want to talk about Stalingrad just yet, the mood seemed too cheerful to talk about something as horrible as what happened to the town.

"Oh! F-forgive my rudeness... I'm Afanasiy... Afanasiy B-Borislav..." Afanasiy had to take out his wallet and look at his I.D. for a minute before nodding. It had been a while since he had used his name. During the war, no one used their name. It was mostly "you", or rank names. However, he didn't mind. If he knew someone's name on the battlefield, that meant they were close to you, and Afanasiy made that mistake too many times. He looked up at the one called Vitaliy and gave a small smile.

"Thank you... very much for saving me..."

Stitches · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Stitches** on Tue Apr 15, 2008 6:33 am

"I... I don't think I have any loved ones left..."

That sentence tugged upon her heart strings, tying her stomach in bitter knots. Tanya could not imagine what it must be like to lose your loved ones. She imagined that it must be like losing a special part of yourself. She had never loved anything or anyone, so found it hard to related. One good thing about being solitary was that you did not have to watch the people you care about die or become estranged. She struggled to find the right words to say to Afanasiy, but promptly gave up when she could not find them. Tongue-tied, Tanya slipped into the kitchen with great stealth, leaving Vitaliy to talk to the man he had referred to as "comrade". She made a mental note to find out what Vitaliy had meant by the remark.

She plated up two dishes, piling them both high with the beef stew which consisted of beet, stock, potatoes and various other mixed vegetables. The dish had been stewing gradually for several hours over the night, so she hoped that it would be packed with flavour. She considered herself to be pretty handy in the kitchen. She could make a good meal out of anything-- although some days she preferred just medium-rare pigeon. She had cooked for the man living next door on occassion as well. But, to be quite honest she did not really see much of him. They both preferred to keep themselves to themselves.

Slicing a loaf of bread, she placed three hearty slices upon the side of both plates, she returned to the front room with an assortment of knives and forks, before back-tracking into the kitchen to get the main dishes. She placed Vitaliy's on the table to the side of the chair he had chosen to sit in. She neatly placed a night and fork beside the plate to make the meal complete.

"It's not much, but I hope you enjoy it."

She then used her free hand to place a thick towel on Afanasiy's lap. He looked to fragile that she did not want to burn him with a hot plate. She slowly and gently placed his meal onto his lap. Tanya flashed Afanasiy a smile before placing his cutlery into his right hand.

"You eat up. It'll put some meat on your bones. And there is plenty more, so if you are still hungry you can have all the seconds you want."

Tanya did not feel the need to eat, her hunger had vanished hours ago. More curious than anything else. She cleaned up the smashed vodka glass, replacing the remaining shards with a fresh glass which she placed just within the reach of Vitaliy. So as not to bother them whilst they were eating, Tanya sat up on the neglected armchair. She watched the flames of the fire in a trance like state as they engaged in a joyous dance. Patiently she waited for the two men to finish their meals.

Schreiber · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Schreiber** on Tue Apr 15, 2008 2:01 pm

Vitaliy literally bit his tongue once the words “I don’t think I have any loved ones left” leave Afanasiy’s lips. He himself was uncertain whether or not his family or friends were alive, especially after some of the more violent battles and raids. When Tanya failed to find the right words, he placed a hand on Afanasiy’s and said, “I know how you feel… I… I think I understand you.”

He turned away from Afanasiy when he smelled the beef stew, and he cocked his head to the side when she actually brought in the food. His ordinarily dull eyes lit up when she came into the room, holding the plates and watched as she put the plate down on the table. Before he did anything else, though, he watched her give Afanasiy his own meal, replace the shattered vodka glass and sit down. He grabbed his plate off of the table, sitting by Afanasiy. He figured the kid would want someone close to him just in case; it might calm him down. “So…” he said, trying to think of something to break the silence. He shut his lips when he found that he couldn’t find anything to say, slightly frustrated with himself that he couldn’t.

Shade the Avenger · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Shade the Avenger** on Tue Apr 15, 2008 4:48 pm

Afanasiy looked down at the meal on his lap, then up at Vitaliy after he said, 'I know how you feel… I… I think I understand you'. He knew a lot of people who would say that during the war, but Vitaliy... he meant it. He looked away and shut his eyes as he remembered how all his brothers were shot and killed by Germans. First went Ivan, his second older brother, then Vladimir, his third older brother, and finally, Aleksandr, the oldest. All of them died within months of the battle in Stalingrad, and Afanasiy wished it could have been him that died, not them. They all had great educations, with Ivan and Aleksandr going to a college in America. He didn't. Vladimir had a job helping his father weld. He didn't.

He started to shake and he bit his lip hard. Now was not the best time to think about it, he would wait until he got back to the alley to remember them. Opening his eyes, he looked back to the stew on his lap. Though there was a towel on his thin lap, he could feel the heat from the food sink through the fabric and warm his legs. He gave a small smile and stared at it for a minute. Compared to the other meals he had before, this was like a feast for a king. However, he decided to wait a while for it to cool down; he hated burning his tongue more than anything.

The silence in the room made Afanasiy a little uncomfortable. He heard Vitaliy say something, but then fall silent. He drummed his fingers on the couch cushions, trying to find a subject that wouldn't be too dull or too touchy to talk about. At first he wanted to ask them about their friends and families, but that fell under the touchy category. Then the idea to talk about their favorite hobbies came to mind, but then that went under the boring category. Finally, he cleared his throat, took a deep breath and said, "So... where were you guys born?"

Schreiber · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Schreiber** on Tue Apr 15, 2008 5:09 pm

Vitaliy looked up from his food and said, with a mouth full of stew and bread, "A little town..." He finally swallowed his mouthful and said, "You've probably never heard of it, so I won't bore you with the details." He took another bite out of the bread, growling to himself when he couldn't bite through the thick crust of the bread. He growled a second time when he failed again, then jerked his head violently like a dog does with a chew toy. Finally, the crust broke and he jerked his head backwards, same motions as a dog. He hated it when he did this whole little routine, but it was so heavily ingrained in the back of his head that he couldn't avoid doing it. He always thought that his odd gestures would be what would give him away to everyone, but he had gotten through it so far.

"A boring little town where the kids constantly pissed me off," he said with finality. "Back when we were all seven or eight, I couldn't stand any of 'em! I got into my first fist fight with one of them, back when I was seven." He grinned broadly, showing off his teeth. "Won, too! That's why I wanted to fight in the first place..." His grin faltered and he looked down at the carpet in front of him, suddenly disinterested in his own food. He put his plate down on the floor next to him and put his hands on his stomach, face turning paler than it had been before.

Stitches · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Stitches** on Wed Apr 16, 2008 3:21 am

"So... where were you guys born?"

She heard the question, but for a short while she refused to acknowledge it. Tanya's eyes still watched the flames of the fire twirl, spiral and twist. She wondered how something so beautiful could be so harrowing and inflict so much pain and sadness upon the earth. She guessed that in some retrospectives that fire was very like war- it destroyed, maimed and create chaos and loss. Although with fire what is left in it's wake can sometimes blossom again, creating a wonderful new wake of life. She pondered whether the war could have done the same thing- the destruction that had ensued diminishing and leaving the world open for a fresh beginning ..Sometimes she wondered if she dwelled to deeply into things, trying to find a deeper meaning for everything. Her train of thought rapidly dwindled, with her enthusiasm for the burning embers dying she tuned in to Vitaliy's speech, turning towards the man she gave him her full attention once more.

"Won, too! That's why I wanted to fight in the first place..."

Suddenly the atmosphere of the room changed. She watched as Vitaliy neglected his plate, placing it down to his side. His hands where placed upon his stomach and his face lost it's colour. She removed herself from the armchair, crouching down beside the man. He looked almost as if he were in a state of shook. She placed one of her hands gently upon his.

"What's the matter Vitaliy? It looks asthough you have seen a ghost.."

Shade the Avenger · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Shade the Avenger** on Wed Apr 16, 2008 10:29 am

Afanasiy looked over at Vitaliy and his smile faded. Seeing the man's face turn pale like that made Afanasiy shiver and all he could do was stare at him with widened eyes. His appetite vanished and he couldn't feel the warmth from the stew anymore. He wanted to help Vitaliy, but he didn't know what to do. He didn't know what was going on, and he was angry at himself for just staring at the one who saved him from freezing to death. He could feel the dizzyness coming back, but he didn't care. Black and white dots danced in his eyes and his head started pounding, but he did his best to not notice them until later. Right now, all he wanted to do was help Vitaliy in any way possible.

"A-are... you okay, mister Vitaliy?" He knew that was a useless question to ask, but he couldn't stop himself.

Schreiber · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Schreiber** on Wed Apr 16, 2008 1:48 pm

Vitaliy didn't hear either one of their questions. Or, if he did, they were too far off for him to hear - they must've sounded a bit like mice trying to whisper commands to him from across Stalingrad. Speaking of Stalingrad... that's where his thoughts were now.

He stood in plain sight and he knew that by now. He knew that if the Germans came by, he would be utterly screwed and they'd put a bullet in him. In his left hand he clutched the rifle of a dead Russian soldier; in his right was the small handgun of a German officer he had ambushed earlier in the day. He could still hear the man's neck snapping and the back of his head crunching open as he repeatedly bashed his head against the stony ground with feral anger. He forced the bile back down his throat and made himself continue walking.

He froze when he heard the sound of tank treads grinding against the cobbles, and his eyes darted from side to side, looking for a place to hide. In a wide alley of desecrated buildings, there was literally nowhere to hide, save for a pile of corpses. Vitaliy threw himself at the pile, and found - with a touch - that they were still warm. He groaned to himself, but he really had no choice. He proceeded to bury himself with the bodies, blood dripping onto his skin and clothes...

Vitaliy stood up, shaking violently. "I... I'm..." Before he could finish the statement, he bolted towards the kitchen and leaned over the sink, retching unpleasantly before vomiting up the beef stew he had just consumed.

Stitches · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Stitches** on Wed Apr 16, 2008 2:20 pm

Tanya knelt frozen to the floor. Completely baffled by the situation, she recalled the look of menace within Vitaliy's eyes. He had looked as if he was recalling a rather unpleasant situation. He seemed distant ..almost vacant. Keeping a slight distance she proceeded to follow him into the kitchen. He stood in front of the sink making distinct retching noises. Tanya was one of those people who could not abide the sound that occurs when a person vomits. It made her physically retch. Although the noise turned her stomach she took a few brave steps closer, extending her hand so as to rub the man's back.

"Come on now ..my cooking couldn't of been that bad."

She continued making small circular motions with her palm, more for comfort purposes than anything else. After a few long seconds she proceeded to ask the very cliche question;

"What's the matter, chicken?"

Schreiber · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Schreiber** on Wed Apr 16, 2008 4:51 pm

Vitaliy managed to stop himself from retching, his forehead and back already covered in a sheen of sticky sweat. He wiped his chin on the back of his hand and washed the residue in the sink down the drain, splashing water around to get some of the stuff off of the side of the sink. He gave a little start at the touch to his back, but he managed to calm himself down when Tanya began to rub his back. He gave a groan and sank down to his knees, still trembling as he rested his forehead against the counter. "I... T-trust me, it wasn't your cooking..." he grated out. "It was excellent..."

He remained silent as Tanya stroked his back, then looked up when she asked him "What's the matter, chicken?"

"N-nothing..." he said. "Just a... a nasty memory that comes back every so often... I'm alright, really..."

Shade the Avenger · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Shade the Avenger** on Wed Apr 16, 2008 4:54 pm

"Vitaliy..." Afanasiy managed to say. He knew what was going on, it was like a daily thing for him nowadays. Think about the carnage, shake, then vomit. Sometimes, it was shake, remember, cry, then retch. Either way, Afanasiy hated it. He wanted to walk over and help Tanya, but it felt like his legs were chained to heavy weights. His anger towards himself grew as he just sat there and watched Vitaliy. He shut his eyes tightly, then brought up his left hand, which was covered in what looked like old bite marks. He had promised himself time and time again to stop, but it was to no avail. He opened his mouth slightly and bit his hand hard enough to break the skin. He opened his eyes and watched as the blood trickled down his arm and vanishing under his sleeve. He never intended to bite that hard, but it was too late and he stared at the wound, more black and white dots dancing before his eyes.

Schreiber · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Schreiber** on Fri Apr 18, 2008 12:59 pm

Vitaliy tried to keep himself calm, but all attempts to stop himself from shaking failed and only set him off shivering even harder than before. His limbs felt weighted and tired, even if he had only run from the living room to the sink. He reached over to find the first metallic thing his hand could come across - a spoon - and, without really asking if he could do so or even checking to see if the thing was clean, put it in his mouth. His jaws clamped around the spoon handle, bending the metal effortlessly between his teeth. It took a little more effort for him to bend the spoon and twist it, trying to focus his energy on twisting the spoon rather than the memory that he had lost himself in a few minutes before. It seemed to work at least a little; he pulled the mangled spoon from his mouth and rested his head against the sink, seemingly calmer from the release of tension put into twisting the spoon. He held the spoon in his hand and the meaning of what he had done seemed to sink in only then; his eyes opened and he looked over at Tanya, muttering "S... I'm... I'm sorry... about that..."

Stitches · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Stitches** on Fri Apr 18, 2008 7:14 pm

"Uh- don't worry about it. I don't know why I keep so many spoons anyway. There seem to be quite a few and there is only one of me."

She debated whether to talk to the man or not. She wondered if the memories he seemed to be repressing were better left vanished in the dark never-regions of his mind. However, sometimes coming to terms with ill memories is the best way to cure yourself. She was taken back by the sheer power of his teeth and gums. Vitaliy was definitely a force to be reckened with.

"Look, you have had a bit of a bad turn.. I could not bare sending you back out into the streets at this time of night thinking that your stomach may take a turn for the worse again. I have a spare room here, would you like me to make you up a bed?"

She laid a hand gently upon his back.

"Seriously Vitaliy. I may not be a great conversationalist, but I'm a pretty decent listener. If you need to get something of your chest, then I'll listen to you. However, if you wish to rest, then please be my guest."

She purposely laid two choices out infront of the man, being unsure of which one he'd prefer, it seemed like the best idea.

Schreiber · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Schreiber** on Fri Apr 18, 2008 9:44 pm

Vitaliy took a few deep breaths, examining the twisted spoon he still held in his hand. He shrugged slightly at the idea of a spare room proffered to him, unsure if he wanted to take his chances out on the streets despite all of Tanya's complaints otherwise. He finally met her eyes when she laid the hand on his back, his dark blue eyes bloodshot and watery. He weighed his options again between resting and spilling his secrets - everything: the whole war experience, the whole thing that happened in Germany in that place, how he got into bets and bar fights.

He finally shook his head. "I... I don't think you'll understand much of anything that happened to me after the war," he said. "It wasn't a good time. I doubt you'd ever know what it felt like when the Germans..." His eye started throbbing again, and he took that as a sign to shut up before he let anything else slip out. He waited for the throbbing to go down before saying, "Well... they just... they just did horrible things." He sighed and rested his head against the counter.

Stitches · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Stitches** on Sat Apr 19, 2008 5:38 pm

She yearned to understand, to help Vitaliy get through this difficult time. She found the sight of those big red, watery eyes almost unbearable.

"Maybe you are right. Maybe I do not know what it is like to be out there on the frontline.."

She trailed off, searching for the right words to say. She decided to just let the words roll of her tongue.

"But, however, I do know what it is to go through terrible things. I know a great deal about pain, suffering and loss. I am reaching out to you, Vitaliy. I do not even know why I am talking to you like this. Usually I am quite the indifferent person, but I really do care. But, you are going to have to open up to me. I don't know what you have been through if you won't tell me. Sometimes it is better just to confront your repressed emotions before they consume you. Listen, I am willing to tell you about my tainted past. But, in return you have to open up to me. Maybe we can help eachother?"

Schreiber · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Schreiber** on Sat Apr 19, 2008 9:02 pm

Vitaliy listened to her words carefully, weighing them just as carefully to himself. Finally he sighed and hung his head slightly, finally muttering, "Alright... If you think it'll help."

He sighed and sat up a little straighter. "Well... I signed up for the war because I was young and stupid and wanted a good reason to fight. So I fought. The results were a little less... less 'pretty' if you will than I expected... and I got pretty well injured at one battle... And I was found by the wrong side. They took me. I thought they'd kill me immediately, but I knew enough German to figure out they were going to 'do something far more creative' with me... and they did... And..." He didn't want his eye muscles to freak out again, so he just put it as "They took me to this place, fiddled around with my being and just waited for me to die while performing all sorts of tests..."

Iron Cross Breeding Program [Main]

a topic in Fantasy Roleplay, a part of the RPG forum.

Re: Iron Cross Breeding Program [Main]

Re: Iron Cross Breeding Program [Main]

Re: Iron Cross Breeding Program [Main]

Re: Iron Cross Breeding Program [Main]

Re: Iron Cross Breeding Program [Main]

Re: Iron Cross Breeding Program [Main]

Re: Iron Cross Breeding Program [Main]

Re: Iron Cross Breeding Program [Main]

Re: Iron Cross Breeding Program [Main]

Re: Iron Cross Breeding Program [Main]

Re: Iron Cross Breeding Program [Main]

Re: Iron Cross Breeding Program [Main]

Re: Iron Cross Breeding Program [Main]

Re: Iron Cross Breeding Program [Main]

Re: Iron Cross Breeding Program [Main]

Re: Iron Cross Breeding Program [Main]

Re: Iron Cross Breeding Program [Main]

Re: Iron Cross Breeding Program [Main]

Re: Iron Cross Breeding Program [Main]

Re: Iron Cross Breeding Program [Main]

Post a reply

Make a Donation

Who is online