[Send me a word and a character and I’ll write a drabble!]
I hope you’re ready for some serious second-hand embarrassment, because The Overseer is a mess.
I’m adding the FF tag list at the end because I think you all need to see how much of a mess he is.
Baisemain - A kiss on the hand.
They were introducing him to Nightmare today.
The Nightmare. Greatest villain of current-time. The baddest of the bad, the coolest of the cool. The one who knows everything you’re afraid of and uses it against you.
And he was about to meet her. One on one.
Oh, God.
Was he ready for this? He just got recruited like a month ago. And he’s only assisted on, like, one crime. He was a nobody about to meet the biggest Somebody there was.
He was not ready for this. Was it too late to go home?
The two guards on either side of him moved forward, which was as good a sign as any that yes, it was too late, and that this will be happening no matter what.
They hadn’t even let him wear his control band to the meeting.
The wide double doors at the end of the long hallway opened, and there he was. Standing in the Council Chambers flanked by two beefy body guards, standing ten feet away from the head of the Council.
Nightmare.
She was wearing her uniform, of course she was. All dark and grey and black and red, with black gloves and a black mask pulled halfway up her face like a bandit. She wasn’t wearing her hood. Red hair, artfully curled, fell to her shoulders. She smiled at him. He could tell, it showed in her eyes. They were green.
Nightmare had red hair and green eyes. She was probably Irish. That was pretty neat.
One of the bodyguards poked him in the back. Right.
He stepped forward.
Nightmare held out a hand.
“Welcome to the CIIP, Overseer.” Her voice was muffled behind the mask, and there was a slight modulation, as though the fabric itself was filtering it in some way. Cool.
And, actually, it was The Overseer, but that sounded weird in conversation like this and he wasn’t about to correct Nightmare. Oh my God, no.
“Uh,” he said. “Hi. I mean, thanks. Thank you. Ma’am.”
He took her hand and, in a fit of brain-dead panic, leaned over and kissed it like a Renaissance Fair try-hard.
Nightmare’s eyebrows shot up nearly to her hairline. Behind her mask, her face scrunched up, the apples of her cheeks pushing up under her eyes and-
She laughed.
“At ease, my lord,” she said, and pulled her hand away.
And that’s how The Overseer died.
No, really. He did. On the inside, anyway.
One of the body guards cleared his throat.
Nightmare waved him goodbye as they took him back to his temporary quarters on the third floor of the Council building.
Before he went to sleep, Overseer fell over onto his bed, shoved his face into his pillow, and screamed.
WIP Intro Post | FF WIP Tag | WIP Page | PowerPoint Intro
Character Tags: Iron Will | Overseer | Lithium | Babylon | Nightmare | Sparkplug
OC Intro Post: Phase 1 | Phase 2
Individual Intros:
Phase 1 (Main Cast): Iron Will | Overseer | Lithium | Babylon | Nightmare
ALSO gosh I haven't participated in STS in forever so: If your characters were to have a picnic/potluck, what would everyone bring? (For any wip you'd like~)
Storyteller Saturday!
OH MAN me either!
Heck yes, @quilloftheclouds. Let’s do it for Fish Food, since I vaguely recall answering something similar for H2H and it was so much fun.
Make the superheroes cook, I say!
Will brings a casserole. It’s 100% something someone else gave him a few days ago for some reason or another, and there’s a 75% chance it’s green bean.
Depending on the time of year, Ryan either brings homemade raisin challah (it’s amazing), sangria, or some type of fried thing. And yes, he totally makes a fryer to test his mechanical skills. And yes, he totally burns himself a little. Everyone is Concerned. But he’s fine.
If it were the villain pot luck, however, he would try to be fancy and bring fried desserts. It… would not go well. Instead, he would be a last-minute sign up for cutlery and plates.
Stephanie bakes a big ‘ole blueberry pie. With the COH logo on it. And she insists on cutting it with the biggest knife she can find. It’s Symbolic ™. Also, blueberry is Andy’s (aka Babylon’s) favorite and they hate that they love Steph’s baking so much. She also supplies several 6 packs from the bar.
Andy brings store bought frosted cookies. You can expect to find them at any workplace social function. It’s only a coincidence that most people enjoy them.
If Jamie (aka Sparkplug) were still with the COH and was invited, she would make a huge pot of gumbo. It’s her favorite.
Nightmare would be the unfortunate organizer of the pot luck and would feel obligated to bring something impressive. Then she’d think about it and realize that as the best villain, she doesn’t have to do anything. She’d bring something with watermelon in it, though.
Ferro would make trail mix. He’s not creative. And he hates cooking. If he felt like making an effort, he might make dairy free rice krispy treats using his powers. Does this have any weird effects on the people who eat them? Who knows. It’s now a science experiment.
Battalion would bring kebabs. Meat, fruit, and veggie ones. Is this purely for the swords and stabby pun? Yes. Yes it is.
It’s finally time to introduce Fish Food’s antagonist:
Nightmare!
[Interview provided after careful consideration and with the kind permission of The C.I.I.P.]
1. What is your full name?
Careful, dove, or you’ll find yourself at the bottom of somewhere dark and... cryptic.
2. What does your name mean, then?
That depends on how Biblical you want to get. Let’s just say it’s an old word.
As for my code name? I like to leave that up to the imagination.
3. What are your nicknames/other names?
I don’t like to get friendly with reporters.
Look how that turned out for all the comic book heroes. Wouldn’t want something to happen to you, now would we?
4. What’s your gender?
I use she/her pronouns, if that’s what you’re asking. Everyone knows gender is an institutionalized social construct with a meaningless binary.
But I’m a woman, if that wasn’t what you were asking, which, honestly, dear, it should’ve been.
5. What’s your sexuality?
I know this is important for some people to know, but it isn’t, in my case. You’d be surprised to know that my personal life is really pretty bland. Including the gentlemen I date in my free time.
6. Where are you from?
Not too far. I have ancestry in Ireland.
7. How old are you?
Be glad this isn’t in person, or you’d find out just how intrusive someone is allowed to be when I’m around.
I wonder what it’d be for you. Heights? Bats? Illness?
No. I’d put money on isolation and ignorance. Being a journalist, and all.
How close am I?
8. What is your magic form/What designation are you?
Grab a newspaper and see for yourself.
Our naming conventions are really quite simple and self-explanatory.
The Coalition has assigned me to the Manipulation Class with the Mental Power Set designation. Not very creative, if you ask me.
9. What does your human form look like?
Why do you think I wear a mask, honey? Not to hide these cheekbones, that’s for sure.
10. What’s your aesthetic?
I do a good job at not being caught by cameras, don’t I? But there’s always a slip every so often. I think there’s one photograph out there of me turning around a street corner. You can see the back of my head - mask, I mean - and my left foot. Dark boots, dark hood, dark half-mask. Red everything else.
Not very inventive, I know. C.I.I.P. really needs to step up on the costumes front, if you ask me.
Outside of work, I’m one of those flowery, kimono-wearing hippy dippy young ladies. Like a farmer’s market hipster who actually gives a crap about the environment.
I wear pink even though it clashes with my hair because what’s life without a little conflict, huh?
[A:NTMR59 - meeting scheduled with C:DRCTR - see comm attachment]
11. Who’s your best friend?
Again, dear, remember the comic book characters.
But there is someone I talk to every once in a while. Not as much as I used to, though. Since I started with the Council, I’ve been quite occupied. I try to make time for a call every few weeks or so. They’re good people.
Good people deserve friends who can be there.
12. Would you ever get a piercing/tattoo?
Once upon a time, maybe. Now, though? No way in hell. It’s actually banned, as per my contract.
13. When are you happiest?
I [REDACTED] two weekends every month. It’s also in my contract that I get that time off unless there’s an emergency or unavoidable event.
[Be careful, A:NTMR59.]
14. What’s your biggest secret?
I love dogs. I’m also a literal small town girl, but I think the dogs thing is more important.
15. Do you have a sidekick?
I‘m one of the few villains who never had a henchperson. My power set isn’t conducive to outside help. In the beginning, when I was fresh, they might’ve gotten caught in the crossfire. And we generally don’t like hurting our own team members.
(Yeah, I know the general term is “henchmen” but come on, we live in the goddamn future. I stand by whoever graffitis the Coalition posters and paints over “mankind” with “stop it you Biffs.”)
+1. After so many years spent avoiding the press and living under the radar, what made you accept this offer to interview with a local reporter?
It’s important to support local businesses.
Everyone else got to do one, so why shouldn’t I have the same chance? It’s not like people are beating down my door to ask me personal questions.
Outside of the COH interrogators, I mean.
Lovely bunch.
xxx,
Nightmare
[Tag List and WIP Info under the cut:]
WIP Intro Post | FF WIP Tag | WIP Page | PowerPoint Intro
Character Tags: Iron Will | Overseer | Lithium | Babylon | Nightmare | Sparkplug
OC Intro Post: Phase 1 | Phase 2
Individual Intros:
Phase 1 (Main Cast): Iron Will | Overseer | Lithium | Babylon | Nightmare
Mate, I heckin' love question 29 so I'm requesting you answer this for... whoever you like? It'd be cool to have multiple to compare, but that's up to you!
[Send me some numbers!]
OOooooo! @quilloftheclouds, I love this one, too! As a big video game nerd, I’m gonna have too much fun with this one.
Let’s get super carried away (ha, see what I did there?) and do it for all the Fish Food folks!
29. If your oc was in a video game, what would their idle animation be? (When the player stays still for too long, the animation that plays.)
For the sake of my imaginings, I pictured each of them idling in the lobby of their respective HQs or out in the middle of the city in full uniform. Both so they could use their powers at will and so I could pretend I made a video game for a hot second.
Iron Will would be standing with his arms crossed looking all official, then sneak a peek around, close his eyes, breathe deep, and let his hero posture drop completely. Then he’d jerk back into reality and quickly gather his hero-facade and nod at the nearest PC or NPC very official-like.
Overseer has this fancy schmancy console strapped to his wrist that’s like a very high tech Apple watch crossed with a Pip Boy. His idle would be poking around on the screen, then it shoots out a couple sparks and he flinches and smacks it until it works again. Then he’d glance around and hope nobody saw that.
Lithium would probably hop backwards in a trust fall, land on the ground hard, and immediately bounce back up a little too high before landing on her feet with a slight wobble. Like people do on those big trampolines in gyms. But with concrete.
Babylon would pull a dossier out from somewhere, flip through it, sigh in a very put-upon manner, check their watch, and put the dossier away. This is, of course, accompanied by their signature Foot Tap of Impatience and Lost Efficiency.
Sparkplug would probably ignite a small fire in her hand and pretend to eat it to freak people out. Or play with a swirly ball of fire Jareth the Goblin King style (by which I mean contact juggling).
Nightmare would glance at the player over her shoulder and wink before turning back around like nothing happened.
Battalion (super special character I haven’t introduced yet!) would adjust the straps on her gauntlets, unsheathe her sword, do a couple flippy tricks with it, and put it back.
PRE-ORDER EXCLUSIVE IDLE ANIMATIONS - Other Powers
Iron Will: Pulls a soda can from somewhere and crushes it between his hands, then pulls his hands apart, revealing a fully intact soda can. Basically, an aluminum accordion. The item sometimes changes from a soda can to a small steel rod.
Lithium: Pulls a lighter out of her pocket, snaps it on, focuses on it until it shoots a HUGE flame jet into the air, clicks it off, and tucks it back into her pocket.
Overseer: Drone Buddy flies in and spins a circle around his head before zooming off. Overseer is overjoyed.
Nightmare: Turns to face the player, the screen goes dark at the edges and shaky for a moment, turns back around, and the effect fades.
I saw this fun thing goin’ around and I thought I’d hop on the bandwagon!
I haven’t written a whole lot for this WIP yet, but here are my characters’ first lines and what I want their last ones to be.
In order, we have: Lithium, Iron Will, The Overseer, Babylon, Sparkplug, and Nightmare. I used some of their real names because it looked better and I live for the #aesthetic.
If you wanna do one of these, go for it! Tag me so I can see!
[Tag list and WIP info under the cut!]
WIP Intro Post | FF WIP Tag | WIP Page
Character Tags: Iron Will | Overseer | Lithium | Babylon | Nightmare | Sparkplug
OC Intro Post: Phase 1 | Phase 2
Individual Intros:
Phase 1 (Main Cast): Iron Will | Overseer | Lithium | Babylon | Nightmare
Phase 2 (Supporting Cast): (Coming Soon!)
***
[Let me know if you want to be added or removed!]
Fish Food Tag List: @theevolutionofledarose, @kriss-the-writing-nerd,@quilloftheclouds, @waterfallwritings, @dontwritethatone, @aeschknight, @abalonetea, @ladywithalamp, @writevevo, @writing-frontiersman