War: Knighties/DH/I: The Vampbear -- "The Strange Adventures of 'Nicky Nightmare'" (2/2) Time: Saturday, July 14 Place: Nick's Loft Precedes/Follows: As marked. All characters, Snixco trademarks, and locations used by permission. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say he's been traumatized," said Maria, carefully trying to get a look at the bear's face. "A traumatized teddy bear? You've lost it, girl." "No, I'm serious," she said, gingerly patting the bear's head. "You're okay now," she told the bear. "You're safe." The bear shook his head and reburied it in Tracey's blouse. Maria continued to stroke the animal-like creature, surprised at its resemblance to the Knighties' beloved Nick. "Are you cold?" Tracey asked the bear. Maybe it was one of those trainable robot toys, like the Furbo toys that had been so popular in States a few years back. (A talking, sentient bear? she mused. Well, why not. Stranger things yet had happened during War time, and during this war in particular. The bear nodded and seemed to manipulate himself to fit her body more closely, nuzzling his head into her neck. "Well, I'll be!" ************* A half hour later, the Knighties had dried off the vampbear and wrapped him in a towel for warmth while his now-clean clothes were hung out to dry. "Do you have a name?" Maria asked the vampbear. The bear nodded, almost imperceptibly. "What is your name?" she asked. The bear glanced towards the sink, where Tracey had placed his nonwashable accessories. Marla looked through the few blood-stained items, which included an identification tag and a small booklet. "Killer Instinct?" she read. The bear shook his head and huddled closer to the Knightie holding him. "You wouldn't be named Nick, now, would you?" *Actually, it's Nicolas* Marla shook her head. Where did *that* thought come from? ***************************** From the Vampbear's Journal: Saturday, July 14: ********** "Nicky Nightmare" is real. No, not the Nicky Nightmare on TV -- I mean there's a real guy whose life is exactly like Nicky Nightmare's, and he has a partner exackly like Frankly, an his sire is an ancient vampire exackly like l'Etoile, and so on. Well, maybe not so exackly -- their names are different, but just enough to avoid inflammation of caricature wetsuits. Nicky Nightmare's real name is Nicholas Brabant Knight -- at least, that's what his lie cents says. His *real* real name is Nicolas de Brabant (and mine is Nicolas de Bearbant -- can that be more than cosydents?) an' l'Etoile is really Lacroix (like Chretien, but this guy's NOT Christian, he's a vampire, and vamp anythings don't *do* religion) and Skanky (the real Frankly) likes souvlaki an donuts with coffee an extra-garlic pizza with pepperoni and popcorn an bright How-are-you-an shirts with moose running outriggers through the flannelette jasmine... Anyway, I got to spend some time with Nick's girlfriends (well, not girlfriends like Brenda's Frank's girlfriend, but girls who are his friend -- well, maybe not girls cos they're too old to be girls, but...) an' got to see some Nicky Nightmare flashbacks, an found out that no, Nicky and L'Etoile -- I mean Nick and Lacroix -- oh, I'm not sure what I mean -- never went to see the stone dress guy and Napoleon didn't turn into millies fog layers or anything. Whew! On the other paw, this *is* Bastille Day, so maybe that's what we were lucidating about... But on the hind paw (the one that's not tattooed), it sounds like the real people are switching characters only they don't mean to be switching characters or is it the characters are switching people... it's enough to make my head swim! (Food! I need food! *Slur-r-r-r-r-p* *Aa-a-h-h-h-h*) I did get to meet Nick again after he slept (interesting thing, vamp*ires* actually need sleep! Vamp*bears*, on the other paw...) He was a bit angry that I wasn't in the pantry but hey, I needed food and his nightshirt girlfriends needed food and I was where their food was and they were where... *shrug* ANYways, the necks said they found me freezing in spoiled blood an I was dramatized an everything. Nick looked at them like they had too much yoyo in their candy an said they ruined all of Evvie's dents an they asked how they should know an' Nick still had the gas chamber an showed them it was glowing fiendishly (?!) I hope that means he knows how to get me back home... According to Nick, he just finished a run in Lacroix's body an' foun the vamp that squired Dividend -- I mean Livia -- or is that Lillien? -- oh, whatever. Anyhow this guy's supposed to be older than Egypt an is tryin' to kill everyone related to Divienne -- Lacroix, Janette, Nick, and anyone else they've managed to bring across the Atlantic. Nick asked everyone to vote to go or stay, excep me, but then I'm a vampbear an not a see-through nightie an I need to get back to the Fiendish Glow anyway. Well, Nick's a vampire and doesn't *do* religion, but because of this Kara vamp, he wants everybeardy to do something religious (excep me, cuz I don't *do* religion) an on patrol, an that we should all wear something read. So I hide under some big book that has enough dust to cover the entire loft an' smells of bad attic an play "tent". "Red," Nick tells me, as he takes the book away from me. "As in 'blood'," an he holds out some really yummy-smelling something so I got out from under the book to taste it an saw a whole bunch of French flags so I decided to play Dr. Denton for a bit an' wear a flag with red on it. Hey, it *is* Bastille Day, you know! ********