Jerry Dandridge (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
outforbloodinvegas) wrote2012-01-08 09:40 pm
outforbloodinvegas) wrote2012-01-08 09:40 pm
Entry tags:
My Blood is your life ; Leviticus.
User Name/Nick: Ramen.
User DW: [/filed]
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E-mail: [/filed]
Other Characters:[/filed]
Character Name:Jerry Dandridge
Series: Fright Night (2011 with 1985 information thrown in)
Age: Jerry appears to be a human male in his early to mid thirties when in reality he is a vampire who is over 600 years old.
From When?: Post Film-after the spectacular vampire staking performed by Charley wherein he lit himself on fire and attacked Jerry.
Inmate/Warden: Jerry is a violent offender who relates more to the predatory behavior of dogs and cats then he does to human beings. He is a vampire who has killed and hunted and done things purely out of revenge. He is an inmate.
He'll be a difficult inmate, but not an impossible one to redeem. He needs someone to curb his violent tendencies and encourage him to co-exist with other humans/use his abilities positively. In order to do this, a warden must get him to confront the reasons why he became a vampire in the first place and remind him of just what made him a vampire and why he chose to become one-a decision that resulted in the deaths of others.
Until that occurs, he will be a challenge for anyone involved in his upbringing.
Item: --
Abilities/Powers: There's this Handy Guide here as far as Jerry's vampire species goes. The major differences between Jerry and Ed are as follows:
Ed's strength is impressive, Jerry's is legendary. Jerry in canon lifts off cars and survives being staked through the chest (because they narrowly missed the heart).
For the sake of being on the barge, all of his abilities will be lessened by 75 percent.
Strength-Instead of lifting cars he can lift 50-100 pounds with ease.
Smell-His sense of smell is reduced by half.
Hearing- Halved Again.
Control- It is assumed that in canon he has the ability to influence/control his minions. With all of his powers halved, instead of being unable to disobey a summons from his "master", Ed will be able to disobey and if Jerry creates any minions on the barge he will be unable to control them without a lot of effort.
I want to keep the control issue because his species social nature is important. But again, it will be halved.
Other then that, he can still turn into a wolf-but it's not of supernatural size or power, just a wolf and only at will.
Amendment to Abilities:
All of his abilities are reduced:
Strength- Instead of lifting cars he can lift about as much as an average human.
Smell- His sense of smell is that of a human's.
His hearing, sense of control, and wolf transformation would be the only thing kept remotely supernatural (but still halved)
That and (as per mod suggestion) His time as a wolf will be reduced to 20 minutes. (taking a page from the animorph handbook.
Personality:
In Fright Night (both 1985 and 2011) Jerry Dandridge is portrayed as the genial neighbor next door who borrows a cup of sugar, makes small talk over picket fences, and eventually attempts to blow up your house with a gas-line. He is overly sexual, touching himself and leaning forward to invade the personal space of others. He knows he's good looking and capable. He behaves like an animal, a powerful animal less in line with a shark (as he is compared in canon) and more with a wolf or a canine (a coyote perhaps). While his vampire nature makes him a loner and a lone hunter, his human nature adds a mammalian aspect to his predatory movements.
Because of this, draining people takes on a highly sexual aspect for him. An animal eats, Jerry eats and is aroused by the aspect of it. In canon, he does not kill for power or "simply because he can." His actions are clearly motivated and the main character (Charley) comments on that. He chooses an area where he can blend in and disappear with ease and an area where his attitude and behavior will go unnoticed. This suggests that Jerry is highly intelligent, but it also suggests that he understands the need for self preservation.
The big problem is that Jerry-when threatened-has an impulse control problem. I've chosen to interpret that as Jerry has been careful up until Edward's introduction into his life. He is frustrated by Edward figuring him out and assumes that he can just kill him and remove him as a problem. When Charley continues to pursue him Jerry becomes angry. His views about humanity have been challenged. He reacts like a predator who has been cornered and attacks everyone who comes near him.
Jerry can be vain, ruthless, and cruel, emotions born of his animal nature and predatory skill. He is capable of maintaining an interest in creatures other then himself (see Anna) and has the capacity to be tender. He can also stay under the radar, using sneak attacks to do what he needs to do and achieve his objectives. While Jerry's original maker most likely did not instill him with a respect for human life, he did instill in him a respect for the food chain and understanding that he was only to take what was needed.
Jerry can also feel emotions. He feels anger and for one instance he feels fear in the line "Do you know what it's like to take a stake through the heart." His tone conveys that he did not like it and that perhaps he was afraid that he would not survive. While Jerry's fear might have been greatly reduced throughout the ages, it's plain that death-complete and total death-is something that he is afraid of. He does not feel attachment as strongly as he used to-it's possible that he could be taught to feel it again as in canon he shows an interest (it's purely sexual of course, but) in Charley's girlfriend.
When it comes to his subordinates however, Jerry is attached within reason. He enjoys a mental hold over their behavior and sits like a benevolent father behind the throne and lets them do his bidding. I've taken the liberty to cover this more in the powers/abilities section relating to vampires and my take on his particular species. A good example of this is his ut relationship with Ed. Chances are he saw Ed as a risk and removed him-however it appears as though he cannot bite everyone without turning them. He took his time with Ed and made him special (again detailed in the powers section) but he seems them as little more then a puppet through which to have someone do what he wants. With Anna he sees her first as a sexual interest and then as a threat which becomes interest once again.
Jerry is bored by humanity having seen so much of it. He takes notice of them and they are interesting except he then will grow bored with them quickly. This is because he still sees them with a predator's eye. Forcing him onto the hellboat and into close confines with a lot of people will force him to make friends for his benefit-and eventually if these friendships last he will see them as "his". If he has an opportunity to confront himself and the man he was before he was turned then he will see his humanity once again and-he's incapable of cherishing them but he will at least acknowledge that they have the right to live.
In canon, Jerry has a lot of "children" or familiars. The closest individual he has a relationship with is Edward who he sees as a threat and turns to take "care" of a problem. Something about Edward-namely his relationship with Charley and Charley's unwillingness to leave well enough alone makes him interested in Ed. Honestly however, he never sees him as anything more then a threat. He wonders regularly just what Charley did to make Ed like him, and for that matter what about Ed inspired such loyalty in Charley.
His motivations for turning him were personal, his years of living have made him a skilled manipulator of human emotion. On the boat, Ed is still "his", but observers will notice that he treats him with the same attitude that one would treat a pet or an annoying friend in school. He's there and he's responsible and he will do whatever it takes to keep him in line-within reason. Ed's eventual split from him won't hurt-unless by that time Jerry has realized that he's a part of himself and therefore worthy of respect. He is (and it cannot be overstated) an animal, and he has lost the ability to see people in positive relationships. He sees them as members of his hive or his pack, and he will need to learn to see people as individuals again before he can make any sort of progress-even if they are individuals who represent a part of himself.
Jerry would do best with a warden who has been a part of a system (potentially) and who learned to break out of it or at least learned to see himself/herself/themselves as an individual after overcoming a trial. If they had learned the ability to co-exist, or possessed a superior power and still learned to like humans/live with humans so much the better. Someone comfortable with vampires and unafraid of someone who likes to hurt things would also be good for Jerry. A man would be better then a woman, if anything because Jerry thinks that women are weaker then men (not out of any misogyny. If he were to confront a strong female he would be intrigued by her, pursue her (most likely fail) and then respect her. His behavior would be that of a male dog looking for a mate-if beaten he will slink off and move away.
It should be noted that, while Jerry is aware of modern appliances and modern popular culture he doesn't broadly flaunt it. His entire motivation has been keeping to himself and saying enough to make others aware that he's normal. He has a mastery of classics-within reason. As a templar he was perhaps a low level knight-the equivalent of a beat cop so to speak-but he had education. His attitude towards women reflects that.
In all honesty, if a woman were to beat Jerry he'd be fine with it. He likes exciting women. Eventually he would need to possess them, but that's not out of a feeling of inferiority. Jerry is an animal and thinks in terms of mating/propagation. He doesn't consider them weak at all (although he does tend to prefer younger women if the occasion calls for it, but that's his personal preference.)
Path to Redemption:
Jerry plays a role that most people traditionally would find irredeemable. By nature, a monster can't be saved and that's what makes them a monster. Jerry is a killer and a murderer and what's worse is he enjoys killing and murdering. Throughout the film we see instances of Jerry showing emotion however, which makes him something more then a complete soulless psychopath. While his emotions are usually anger and vindictiveness he is constantly telling Charley (and his cohorts by comparison) that they shouldn't have meddled and shouldn't have been nosy. Everything in Jerry's actions prior to interference by Edward and Charlie points to the notion that he did not want to be found and wanted to be left alone.
Jerry needs to be taught moderation and anger management skills. He will be unable to function without someone putting a reign on how he reacts. Power removal will only make him angry and lash out again, he needs someone who can think and reason with him. Jerry has shown that he can be thoughtful, and a simple "What would this accomplish these people aren't better then you really, you can still be you just-understand you need to share the planet." attitude is important. Unlike Hoffman, Jerry isn't made up of blind vanity because he's had a very long time to become full of himself. His resolve can't be shaken and his vanity can't be turned. He's a vampire and he knows it. He knows he's good and nothing will ever change that. He needs to understand that he is part of a system and that his actions have consequences.
He needs to learn to co-exist with human beings and be reminded of what his own maker spent several centuries trying to teach. They are a species that is best left in private. You can't remove the vampire from him, but once his excesses have been curbed and he is reminded that he was once human he will accept that he needs to co-exist. From there it is a matter of finding him a place where he can exist-or something that he can do. He is not the only species of supernatural creature in the Fright Night Universe and there is a lot that he could do one way or another.
In summation. Jerry needs a warden who will be able to teach him to curb his tendencies. He'll be going straight from "Kill Charley." to "Humans suck" so that might take a bit. He needs to be encouraged to open up and make friends, and co-exist with them without building them into minions. Once that is done, he needs to come to terms with what made him a vampire and that he can use these skills for positive behavior instead of anger and malice. Jerry became a vampire to save his own life in the face of danger and at the expense of others. He needs to own up to that and see that he could potentially do good with his abilities, see them as a gift-and with his curbed tendencies use that gift to help others either in his own world or elsewhere. He does not have to be a predator, he can be a man instead and moderate his animal instincts.
History:
Jerry Dandridge is an alias, one of many used by a man who has moved throughout the ages watching men dance and women die. Jerry was formerly Steve, who was formerly Hoffman, who went-for a brief period, by Darren. He saw Henry the VIIth cut off the heads of his wives, saw George the third begin colonizing the United States, saw the pilgrims, watched the witch trials, drank with Wyatt E, bought war bonds and generally lived his un-life to the fullest. Jerry has killed a lot of people, and by nature needs to atone for centuries of conflict, blood, and battle and a rapidly deteriorating human nature which has made him more animal then man, a grim sort of Cu Sith stalking the fields of history.
Jerry was born Thomas Berard, a french knight and younger son who swore his sword to the Knight's Templar as a youth and saw battle in the holy land. He moved into Greece with his unit, where in a glade they were rapidly picked off by a young blonde woman who gave Thomas a choice between immortality and being her eternal companion and dying violently becoming one of her golem servants. Thomas chose immortality and spent a hundred years with Circe in her glade burrowed in the dirt.
The truth however is that Jerry remembers none of this. He does not remember Circe beyond vague impulses and a desire to be with younger women in preference to older ones and women his age. Circe and Thomas's peaceful existence was destroyed by the Knights Templar, Thomas's former colleagues who staked him through the heart-or at least attempted to. The trauma was so severe that all he remembers is the pain and nothing of the time he spent before it-and very little of his human existence. Thomas had a wife and lands. "Jerry" has had countless partners and individuals who he eventually abandoned-his race is not particularly social.
He is haunted by his past and the things that the trauma erased-going so far as to find the logo of his former troop and hang a tapestry in his study/office. He also wears a medallion with a miniature version of his unit's symbol chased in metal (no silver, never any silver).
Jerry lived a full life and attended a lot of events that were marked to history. He migrated to America because that was where the action was and fell into vice and ill repute, influenced heavily by the influx of freedoms that Americans possessed and the way that they promptly abused those freedoms. He's held a number of jobs-nothing that requires an extensive background check but he was a day laborer in Salem, a sheriff in the wild west, and even briefly a soldier.
He has kept out of the way of history however, tended toward jobs and locations that are private where he has space to burrow, as he needs to spend time burrowed in the earth in order to function. He migrated to Vegas recently-choosing the house and neighborhood at random where he works night construction-a minor job making no waves-and pursues several hobbies. He likes watching the Kardashians, Reality TV- the food network-and bug collecting.
And then, the events of Fright Night took place.
Sample Journal Entry:
[Intro'd]
[The Camera turns on-there's a fzzt. And we have a broad looking overly pale man with black eyes staring at you, at you. He sees you ladies.
Jerry puts one foot up and then another and just continues to smile.]
...“The truth is I love being alive. And I love feeling free. So if I can't have those things then I feel like a caged animal and I'd rather not be in a cage."
True words from a great philosopher of our time.
[Yes, because Angelina Jolie is a great philosopher.] It's hard not to follow the train of thought here. The only question is, what I've done to get here?
[Private to Edward]
[Cold. Icy.] Say nothing about who I am, and please...come to me at your earliest availability?
------------
[About Floods]
[When the Camera turns on, Jerry is angry-it's obvious. There's no calm look in his eyes, no attempt to mask any emotion. He looks angry-but aroused. Excited, breathing hard and heavy as he fiddles with a button before putting his hands on the desk and glaring at you barge.
Glaring hard.]
I don't know who is responsible for this.
[It was a flood. A chaotic flood where individuals were cursed with chaos in their lives. Jerry-Jerry upended and changed routines so everything in his life had flip-flopped. He picks up the camera and pans around his room filled with lace and pink and flowers-there are even pictures of kittens.]
Also, someone replaced my fridge? [He points to his fridge, it's a small one. It's also pink and has cat stickers all over it. cute ones.] Someone replaced my...food in the fridge with ice cream.
[Have the tightest, most frightening smile in the history of smiles barge. You're welcome.]
I would like it back please.
Sample RP:
Jerry Dandridge dreamed. His dreams were full of earth and seweet salty smells, the smells of the sea and the sky and a life that he had left long ago.
He rarely if ever dreamed. Dreaming made him uneasy and making him uneasy meant that his brothers and sisters in the earth below were uneasy. Dreaming for a vampire wasn't anything specific-fits and starts and odd shapes. He remembered a young woman and holding her and kissing her and-
Nothing but more vague shapes. He opened his eyes and breathed in the salty sweet smell of earth.
He slept in earth, in cold wet earth. He'd come to love showers however and was thinking that he needed one when he became aware of scratching and movement outside his private room.
They were awake.
He would need to bring them food. His brothers and sisters. His children. The sounds grew louder and Jerry climbed from his burrow, naked, and wiped dirt from his hair. He scratched at his ears with one long claw and picked out a clot of earth before throwing open the door and stopping in the door frame. He found his clothes-carefully folded and slipped them on before he paced out-feet bare-to stare at his kingdom.
There were shapes. The night was full of eyes. Some were unnaturally bring and others were filled with intelligence. Some knew fear and others knew success. He moved out among them and they scattered back, his pack, his wolves. He'd always liked wolves. Someone had called him a shark-he was-but he was more of a wolf by nature and trade.
He knew, instinctively, that the desire to propagate would fade in time, another century (or perhaps a millennia.) he would be a shark for real but as of now he relished in the minds under his control.
"...Ed."
He whistled, "Eddy c'mere." None of the wolves moved, "Edward."
One wolf, one small upset looking wolf, appeared, "...What?"
He was skinny and lean with a torn pair of jeans. In the dim light of the evening he looked especially pale. He'd been a hunter-Jerry liked turning hunters. Although this one wasn't the equal of any of the templar or other creatures who had come after him.
...Pity. It took some of the savor out of changing him. He was a pathetic thing, but it made it easier to control him. Give him power and make him loyal (That idea had appealed. There was a grim vision with it of a blonde woman wiht her arms outstretched.)
He leapt, landing amid them inches away from the boy-from his boy.
"Don't tell me you're stills cared?"
"Not scared."
One long fingered hand trailed out to stroke his cheek, "...Good. You're brave. I've kept you locked here in the dark. I've ruined you, murdered you, potentially gone and killed your parents-"
The boy flinched at that. Jerry's eyes narrowed, "...They're not dead. Relax. You're spoiling my moment." He removed his hand, "Out of everyone here? You're the most useful. you're the most important and that's more then a lot of other people could say of you right?"
He paused," A lot of other friends?"
It wasn't personal Charley. Jerry thought. It wasn't personal at all.
He extended a hand and slit his wrist carefully, one neat line across from one bone to another and extended it.
"I love you."
He didn't. He knew what love was. He had a dim notion of feeling it once upon a time, of it leeching away. He cared for him because he was useful, a minor imp. His friend Charley..
"Dude don't be gay."
That made him smirk, "...Then I care more then a lot of other people. I understand, I'm willing to help you, teach you-and how many people were willing to do that for you? Yeah you had your parents, but your friend...Your one friend?"
He watched him squirm. Blood ran down and dripped onto the earth. The wolves began to bark and howl.
"...Help me show him just how wrong he was to deny you, to not believe you, to let you go."
Ed's resistance finally gave. He pressed himself to the wound and drank until Jerry moved him away and knelt in front of him. In a delicate move worthy of some twisted father, he used his thumb to wipe away the blood.
"...And then? Then we could go our seperate ways if you haven't learned to like it."
Ed was staring, wide eyed and afraid, the wolves paced, the world was filled with howling and his son-his son-looked at him with eyes as black and soulless as his own.
"What do you want to know?"
Special Notes:
User DW: [/filed]
AIM/IM: [/filed]
E-mail: [/filed]
Other Characters:[/filed]
Character Name:Jerry Dandridge
Series: Fright Night (2011 with 1985 information thrown in)
Age: Jerry appears to be a human male in his early to mid thirties when in reality he is a vampire who is over 600 years old.
From When?: Post Film-after the spectacular vampire staking performed by Charley wherein he lit himself on fire and attacked Jerry.
Inmate/Warden: Jerry is a violent offender who relates more to the predatory behavior of dogs and cats then he does to human beings. He is a vampire who has killed and hunted and done things purely out of revenge. He is an inmate.
He'll be a difficult inmate, but not an impossible one to redeem. He needs someone to curb his violent tendencies and encourage him to co-exist with other humans/use his abilities positively. In order to do this, a warden must get him to confront the reasons why he became a vampire in the first place and remind him of just what made him a vampire and why he chose to become one-a decision that resulted in the deaths of others.
Until that occurs, he will be a challenge for anyone involved in his upbringing.
Item: --
Abilities/Powers: There's this Handy Guide here as far as Jerry's vampire species goes. The major differences between Jerry and Ed are as follows:
Ed's strength is impressive, Jerry's is legendary. Jerry in canon lifts off cars and survives being staked through the chest (because they narrowly missed the heart).
For the sake of being on the barge, all of his abilities will be lessened by 75 percent.
Strength-Instead of lifting cars he can lift 50-100 pounds with ease.
Smell-His sense of smell is reduced by half.
Hearing- Halved Again.
Control- It is assumed that in canon he has the ability to influence/control his minions. With all of his powers halved, instead of being unable to disobey a summons from his "master", Ed will be able to disobey and if Jerry creates any minions on the barge he will be unable to control them without a lot of effort.
I want to keep the control issue because his species social nature is important. But again, it will be halved.
Other then that, he can still turn into a wolf-but it's not of supernatural size or power, just a wolf and only at will.
Amendment to Abilities:
All of his abilities are reduced:
Strength- Instead of lifting cars he can lift about as much as an average human.
Smell- His sense of smell is that of a human's.
His hearing, sense of control, and wolf transformation would be the only thing kept remotely supernatural (but still halved)
That and (as per mod suggestion) His time as a wolf will be reduced to 20 minutes. (taking a page from the animorph handbook.
Personality:
In Fright Night (both 1985 and 2011) Jerry Dandridge is portrayed as the genial neighbor next door who borrows a cup of sugar, makes small talk over picket fences, and eventually attempts to blow up your house with a gas-line. He is overly sexual, touching himself and leaning forward to invade the personal space of others. He knows he's good looking and capable. He behaves like an animal, a powerful animal less in line with a shark (as he is compared in canon) and more with a wolf or a canine (a coyote perhaps). While his vampire nature makes him a loner and a lone hunter, his human nature adds a mammalian aspect to his predatory movements.
Because of this, draining people takes on a highly sexual aspect for him. An animal eats, Jerry eats and is aroused by the aspect of it. In canon, he does not kill for power or "simply because he can." His actions are clearly motivated and the main character (Charley) comments on that. He chooses an area where he can blend in and disappear with ease and an area where his attitude and behavior will go unnoticed. This suggests that Jerry is highly intelligent, but it also suggests that he understands the need for self preservation.
The big problem is that Jerry-when threatened-has an impulse control problem. I've chosen to interpret that as Jerry has been careful up until Edward's introduction into his life. He is frustrated by Edward figuring him out and assumes that he can just kill him and remove him as a problem. When Charley continues to pursue him Jerry becomes angry. His views about humanity have been challenged. He reacts like a predator who has been cornered and attacks everyone who comes near him.
Jerry can be vain, ruthless, and cruel, emotions born of his animal nature and predatory skill. He is capable of maintaining an interest in creatures other then himself (see Anna) and has the capacity to be tender. He can also stay under the radar, using sneak attacks to do what he needs to do and achieve his objectives. While Jerry's original maker most likely did not instill him with a respect for human life, he did instill in him a respect for the food chain and understanding that he was only to take what was needed.
Jerry can also feel emotions. He feels anger and for one instance he feels fear in the line "Do you know what it's like to take a stake through the heart." His tone conveys that he did not like it and that perhaps he was afraid that he would not survive. While Jerry's fear might have been greatly reduced throughout the ages, it's plain that death-complete and total death-is something that he is afraid of. He does not feel attachment as strongly as he used to-it's possible that he could be taught to feel it again as in canon he shows an interest (it's purely sexual of course, but) in Charley's girlfriend.
When it comes to his subordinates however, Jerry is attached within reason. He enjoys a mental hold over their behavior and sits like a benevolent father behind the throne and lets them do his bidding. I've taken the liberty to cover this more in the powers/abilities section relating to vampires and my take on his particular species. A good example of this is his ut relationship with Ed. Chances are he saw Ed as a risk and removed him-however it appears as though he cannot bite everyone without turning them. He took his time with Ed and made him special (again detailed in the powers section) but he seems them as little more then a puppet through which to have someone do what he wants. With Anna he sees her first as a sexual interest and then as a threat which becomes interest once again.
Jerry is bored by humanity having seen so much of it. He takes notice of them and they are interesting except he then will grow bored with them quickly. This is because he still sees them with a predator's eye. Forcing him onto the hellboat and into close confines with a lot of people will force him to make friends for his benefit-and eventually if these friendships last he will see them as "his". If he has an opportunity to confront himself and the man he was before he was turned then he will see his humanity once again and-he's incapable of cherishing them but he will at least acknowledge that they have the right to live.
In canon, Jerry has a lot of "children" or familiars. The closest individual he has a relationship with is Edward who he sees as a threat and turns to take "care" of a problem. Something about Edward-namely his relationship with Charley and Charley's unwillingness to leave well enough alone makes him interested in Ed. Honestly however, he never sees him as anything more then a threat. He wonders regularly just what Charley did to make Ed like him, and for that matter what about Ed inspired such loyalty in Charley.
His motivations for turning him were personal, his years of living have made him a skilled manipulator of human emotion. On the boat, Ed is still "his", but observers will notice that he treats him with the same attitude that one would treat a pet or an annoying friend in school. He's there and he's responsible and he will do whatever it takes to keep him in line-within reason. Ed's eventual split from him won't hurt-unless by that time Jerry has realized that he's a part of himself and therefore worthy of respect. He is (and it cannot be overstated) an animal, and he has lost the ability to see people in positive relationships. He sees them as members of his hive or his pack, and he will need to learn to see people as individuals again before he can make any sort of progress-even if they are individuals who represent a part of himself.
Jerry would do best with a warden who has been a part of a system (potentially) and who learned to break out of it or at least learned to see himself/herself/themselves as an individual after overcoming a trial. If they had learned the ability to co-exist, or possessed a superior power and still learned to like humans/live with humans so much the better. Someone comfortable with vampires and unafraid of someone who likes to hurt things would also be good for Jerry. A man would be better then a woman, if anything because Jerry thinks that women are weaker then men (not out of any misogyny. If he were to confront a strong female he would be intrigued by her, pursue her (most likely fail) and then respect her. His behavior would be that of a male dog looking for a mate-if beaten he will slink off and move away.
It should be noted that, while Jerry is aware of modern appliances and modern popular culture he doesn't broadly flaunt it. His entire motivation has been keeping to himself and saying enough to make others aware that he's normal. He has a mastery of classics-within reason. As a templar he was perhaps a low level knight-the equivalent of a beat cop so to speak-but he had education. His attitude towards women reflects that.
In all honesty, if a woman were to beat Jerry he'd be fine with it. He likes exciting women. Eventually he would need to possess them, but that's not out of a feeling of inferiority. Jerry is an animal and thinks in terms of mating/propagation. He doesn't consider them weak at all (although he does tend to prefer younger women if the occasion calls for it, but that's his personal preference.)
Path to Redemption:
Jerry plays a role that most people traditionally would find irredeemable. By nature, a monster can't be saved and that's what makes them a monster. Jerry is a killer and a murderer and what's worse is he enjoys killing and murdering. Throughout the film we see instances of Jerry showing emotion however, which makes him something more then a complete soulless psychopath. While his emotions are usually anger and vindictiveness he is constantly telling Charley (and his cohorts by comparison) that they shouldn't have meddled and shouldn't have been nosy. Everything in Jerry's actions prior to interference by Edward and Charlie points to the notion that he did not want to be found and wanted to be left alone.
Jerry needs to be taught moderation and anger management skills. He will be unable to function without someone putting a reign on how he reacts. Power removal will only make him angry and lash out again, he needs someone who can think and reason with him. Jerry has shown that he can be thoughtful, and a simple "What would this accomplish these people aren't better then you really, you can still be you just-understand you need to share the planet." attitude is important. Unlike Hoffman, Jerry isn't made up of blind vanity because he's had a very long time to become full of himself. His resolve can't be shaken and his vanity can't be turned. He's a vampire and he knows it. He knows he's good and nothing will ever change that. He needs to understand that he is part of a system and that his actions have consequences.
He needs to learn to co-exist with human beings and be reminded of what his own maker spent several centuries trying to teach. They are a species that is best left in private. You can't remove the vampire from him, but once his excesses have been curbed and he is reminded that he was once human he will accept that he needs to co-exist. From there it is a matter of finding him a place where he can exist-or something that he can do. He is not the only species of supernatural creature in the Fright Night Universe and there is a lot that he could do one way or another.
In summation. Jerry needs a warden who will be able to teach him to curb his tendencies. He'll be going straight from "Kill Charley." to "Humans suck" so that might take a bit. He needs to be encouraged to open up and make friends, and co-exist with them without building them into minions. Once that is done, he needs to come to terms with what made him a vampire and that he can use these skills for positive behavior instead of anger and malice. Jerry became a vampire to save his own life in the face of danger and at the expense of others. He needs to own up to that and see that he could potentially do good with his abilities, see them as a gift-and with his curbed tendencies use that gift to help others either in his own world or elsewhere. He does not have to be a predator, he can be a man instead and moderate his animal instincts.
History:
Jerry Dandridge is an alias, one of many used by a man who has moved throughout the ages watching men dance and women die. Jerry was formerly Steve, who was formerly Hoffman, who went-for a brief period, by Darren. He saw Henry the VIIth cut off the heads of his wives, saw George the third begin colonizing the United States, saw the pilgrims, watched the witch trials, drank with Wyatt E, bought war bonds and generally lived his un-life to the fullest. Jerry has killed a lot of people, and by nature needs to atone for centuries of conflict, blood, and battle and a rapidly deteriorating human nature which has made him more animal then man, a grim sort of Cu Sith stalking the fields of history.
Jerry was born Thomas Berard, a french knight and younger son who swore his sword to the Knight's Templar as a youth and saw battle in the holy land. He moved into Greece with his unit, where in a glade they were rapidly picked off by a young blonde woman who gave Thomas a choice between immortality and being her eternal companion and dying violently becoming one of her golem servants. Thomas chose immortality and spent a hundred years with Circe in her glade burrowed in the dirt.
The truth however is that Jerry remembers none of this. He does not remember Circe beyond vague impulses and a desire to be with younger women in preference to older ones and women his age. Circe and Thomas's peaceful existence was destroyed by the Knights Templar, Thomas's former colleagues who staked him through the heart-or at least attempted to. The trauma was so severe that all he remembers is the pain and nothing of the time he spent before it-and very little of his human existence. Thomas had a wife and lands. "Jerry" has had countless partners and individuals who he eventually abandoned-his race is not particularly social.
He is haunted by his past and the things that the trauma erased-going so far as to find the logo of his former troop and hang a tapestry in his study/office. He also wears a medallion with a miniature version of his unit's symbol chased in metal (no silver, never any silver).
Jerry lived a full life and attended a lot of events that were marked to history. He migrated to America because that was where the action was and fell into vice and ill repute, influenced heavily by the influx of freedoms that Americans possessed and the way that they promptly abused those freedoms. He's held a number of jobs-nothing that requires an extensive background check but he was a day laborer in Salem, a sheriff in the wild west, and even briefly a soldier.
He has kept out of the way of history however, tended toward jobs and locations that are private where he has space to burrow, as he needs to spend time burrowed in the earth in order to function. He migrated to Vegas recently-choosing the house and neighborhood at random where he works night construction-a minor job making no waves-and pursues several hobbies. He likes watching the Kardashians, Reality TV- the food network-and bug collecting.
And then, the events of Fright Night took place.
Sample Journal Entry:
[Intro'd]
[The Camera turns on-there's a fzzt. And we have a broad looking overly pale man with black eyes staring at you, at you. He sees you ladies.
Jerry puts one foot up and then another and just continues to smile.]
...“The truth is I love being alive. And I love feeling free. So if I can't have those things then I feel like a caged animal and I'd rather not be in a cage."
True words from a great philosopher of our time.
[Yes, because Angelina Jolie is a great philosopher.] It's hard not to follow the train of thought here. The only question is, what I've done to get here?
[Private to Edward]
[Cold. Icy.] Say nothing about who I am, and please...come to me at your earliest availability?
------------
[About Floods]
[When the Camera turns on, Jerry is angry-it's obvious. There's no calm look in his eyes, no attempt to mask any emotion. He looks angry-but aroused. Excited, breathing hard and heavy as he fiddles with a button before putting his hands on the desk and glaring at you barge.
Glaring hard.]
I don't know who is responsible for this.
[It was a flood. A chaotic flood where individuals were cursed with chaos in their lives. Jerry-Jerry upended and changed routines so everything in his life had flip-flopped. He picks up the camera and pans around his room filled with lace and pink and flowers-there are even pictures of kittens.]
Also, someone replaced my fridge? [He points to his fridge, it's a small one. It's also pink and has cat stickers all over it. cute ones.] Someone replaced my...food in the fridge with ice cream.
[Have the tightest, most frightening smile in the history of smiles barge. You're welcome.]
I would like it back please.
Sample RP:
Jerry Dandridge dreamed. His dreams were full of earth and seweet salty smells, the smells of the sea and the sky and a life that he had left long ago.
He rarely if ever dreamed. Dreaming made him uneasy and making him uneasy meant that his brothers and sisters in the earth below were uneasy. Dreaming for a vampire wasn't anything specific-fits and starts and odd shapes. He remembered a young woman and holding her and kissing her and-
Nothing but more vague shapes. He opened his eyes and breathed in the salty sweet smell of earth.
He slept in earth, in cold wet earth. He'd come to love showers however and was thinking that he needed one when he became aware of scratching and movement outside his private room.
They were awake.
He would need to bring them food. His brothers and sisters. His children. The sounds grew louder and Jerry climbed from his burrow, naked, and wiped dirt from his hair. He scratched at his ears with one long claw and picked out a clot of earth before throwing open the door and stopping in the door frame. He found his clothes-carefully folded and slipped them on before he paced out-feet bare-to stare at his kingdom.
There were shapes. The night was full of eyes. Some were unnaturally bring and others were filled with intelligence. Some knew fear and others knew success. He moved out among them and they scattered back, his pack, his wolves. He'd always liked wolves. Someone had called him a shark-he was-but he was more of a wolf by nature and trade.
He knew, instinctively, that the desire to propagate would fade in time, another century (or perhaps a millennia.) he would be a shark for real but as of now he relished in the minds under his control.
"...Ed."
He whistled, "Eddy c'mere." None of the wolves moved, "Edward."
One wolf, one small upset looking wolf, appeared, "...What?"
He was skinny and lean with a torn pair of jeans. In the dim light of the evening he looked especially pale. He'd been a hunter-Jerry liked turning hunters. Although this one wasn't the equal of any of the templar or other creatures who had come after him.
...Pity. It took some of the savor out of changing him. He was a pathetic thing, but it made it easier to control him. Give him power and make him loyal (That idea had appealed. There was a grim vision with it of a blonde woman wiht her arms outstretched.)
He leapt, landing amid them inches away from the boy-from his boy.
"Don't tell me you're stills cared?"
"Not scared."
One long fingered hand trailed out to stroke his cheek, "...Good. You're brave. I've kept you locked here in the dark. I've ruined you, murdered you, potentially gone and killed your parents-"
The boy flinched at that. Jerry's eyes narrowed, "...They're not dead. Relax. You're spoiling my moment." He removed his hand, "Out of everyone here? You're the most useful. you're the most important and that's more then a lot of other people could say of you right?"
He paused," A lot of other friends?"
It wasn't personal Charley. Jerry thought. It wasn't personal at all.
He extended a hand and slit his wrist carefully, one neat line across from one bone to another and extended it.
"I love you."
He didn't. He knew what love was. He had a dim notion of feeling it once upon a time, of it leeching away. He cared for him because he was useful, a minor imp. His friend Charley..
"Dude don't be gay."
That made him smirk, "...Then I care more then a lot of other people. I understand, I'm willing to help you, teach you-and how many people were willing to do that for you? Yeah you had your parents, but your friend...Your one friend?"
He watched him squirm. Blood ran down and dripped onto the earth. The wolves began to bark and howl.
"...Help me show him just how wrong he was to deny you, to not believe you, to let you go."
Ed's resistance finally gave. He pressed himself to the wound and drank until Jerry moved him away and knelt in front of him. In a delicate move worthy of some twisted father, he used his thumb to wipe away the blood.
"...And then? Then we could go our seperate ways if you haven't learned to like it."
Ed was staring, wide eyed and afraid, the wolves paced, the world was filled with howling and his son-his son-looked at him with eyes as black and soulless as his own.
"What do you want to know?"
Special Notes: