-One Call Away, Charlie Puth
-Nicole Forscythe
This page is a listing of characters in My Superhero Academy: Darkest Before Dawn. Beware of spoilers in these pages.
Students
A quiet, melancholy and shy girl with dangerously low self-esteem and confidence. Lucy believes herself to be made invalid by default, and as such rarely expresses her opinion and focuses exclusively on other people rather than herself. Deeply empathetic and emotional, she goes out of her way in helping others even though she downplays her own achievements and actions by the end of it. Lucy is also remarkably determined and assertive at her core, to the point where she is afraid that the harsher and more unforgiving person she is at heart may alienate people she's trying to help, and so tries to only show her more positive traits and hide away her negative inclinations instead. This has unfortunately ended up splitting her perception of good and bad to a tremendous extent (internally and externally), and she's ended up in an even worse state than she originally started in as a result of that. Lucy is ultimately kind and well-meaning, but is regularly held back by her own flaws—despite her attempts at suppressing them, they are ingrained in her as a fundamental part of her personality.
Tropes:
- Afraid of Their Own Strength: Uniquely in fitness class, Lucy's concern is that she'll hurt the teacher.
- Art Attacker: Her primary ability is the power to psychically manipulate ink, with which Lucy can weaponize against her enemies. Though it's less of a creative medium in her case, and more just clocking people in the face with tendrils directly instead.
- Beneath the Mask: Underneath it all Lucy is not nearly as selfless as the person she promotes herself to be. Her actual personality is much more cynical, crass, and quick to judge, and her instinctive tendency to snap back at the slightest provocation makes it especially hard for her to hide this side of herself. Though she's still empathetic and well-meaning, the negatives overpower the positives.
- Combat Tentacles: The main shape Lucy uses with her ink for all purposes. Their versatility is undeniable, after all, and given her own weak physicality they help close the gap significantly between her and other superhumans.
- Declaration of Protection: Vowed to Skye that she'd personally look out for him in regards to the Diatribe during their (ultimately failed) kidnapping attempt. While she hasn't been outright with it, she's notably more attentive towards his wellbeing compared to her with the rest of the class.
- Emotional Powers: Lucy's ink is psychokinetically controlled, so it's naturally tied very intimately to her mind. As a result of this they tend to react to stress or frustration, revealing her hidden desires even if they don't reach her face. This is most commonly seen as an ink ‘ripple’ across her body—a reaction comparable to a shiver that occurs when she's feeling something intensely. Her ink has also been seen slowly stretching out as weaving tendrils as her emotions deepen.
- Shadow Archetype: Her more negative side fits into this perfectly. Lucy is deeply ashamed of the person she is at her core, and actively tries to segregate and repress the aspects of herself she hates or otherwise perceives as being ‘wrong’. Unfortunately, it isn't working.
- Shrinking Violet: As a result of her mental practices rather than anything else. Lucy is rendered socially timid and cautious due to her fear that she'll alienate people from her, and even though she genuinely likes being with them her hesitation can end up obstructing her from being fully extraverted around them.
- Stepford Smiler: Tries to pass herself off as ‘okay’ despite the fact she's clearly the opposite, primarily because she simply doesn't want to trouble people with what she perceives to be irrelevant issues. This also translates into her general mood as well—as long as there's people around for her to distract herself with, she'll be in an apparently lighter mood than when she's alone.
- The Empath: Naturally empathetic, but Lucy has the tactile variation alongside it that allows her to momentarily connect with others mentally. It has the potential to develop into tactile telepathy, but as of right now it's limited to fleeting glimpses into people's minds. And of course the connection goes both ways.
A curious and vivacious researcher and explorer still growing up in Jena, Germany. (Mostly. She has a plane). Ortrun did come to a hero school and has a sort of bravery but is rarely the first in due to natural fear response and lack of training. She knows that she has extranormal abilities and has ideas of their theoretical extent but never tested them in combat before the school. She in fact came to the school to develop them and help in new ways. She's very studious and observant (of things), but that's also overshadowed by her near complete lack of guile and presence. Personally, Ortrun is reserved and anxious not quiet. If one finds her in a comfortable place, they may see very different things from her.
A Few Tropes
- Afraid of Their Own Strength: Ortrun doesn't think of herself as particularly strong but it is notable that she has scarcely shown off any powers as the students introduced themselves and took their first classes.
- Apologises a Lot
- Being Personal Isn't Professional: Ortrun met and got to know the others as much as she did by accident. Of course, being in school the personal/professional line cracks as enough as not.
- Bookworm: Obviously. She read the first classes books ahead of time. Though that wasn't just for fun.
- By-the-Book Cop: Particularly compared to the others in class. She went to the fitness instructor and waited politely for the instructor to ready herself, even if she knew how lopsided the odds were in Boudaka's favor.
- Cool Plane: Her prized possession and main method of commuting.
- Dudley Do-Right Stops to Help: The main way Ortrun gets in trouble.
- Fear Is the Appropriate Response: While Ortrun is in a superhero school and knows that fighting villains is in the job description, she... has never been in a fight up to entering the school. Never even swatted a fly.
- Hates Small Talk: Ortrun speaks to transmit information. Which does not stop her from babbling about weather when at a social gathering and stuck.
- Hippie Plane: Yes, really. Its what the aforementioned plane is.
-
Paranoia Fuel: Her classmates are a great source of it, especially Ryan and Sue. Her living within blast radius of a ready and able living thermonuclear device is one more thing keeping her up at night. Of course, she can add to the fuel herself were she to put her mind to it... - Work Hard, Play Hard: Not that she'll consider anything she does in the presence of others 'play'. Except for Clue.
Power Tropes
- Asteroids Monster: Not something Ortrun prefers but she still has Helping Hands even if they're cut off.
- Cannibalism Superpower: She is not what she eats but gains anyway.
- Eat Brain for Memories: In particular, this is one way for her to gain information. How did she find out about that? Trying to find out who ran over a neighbor's dog and seeing it from the dog's POV. What? She doesn't eat people.
- Master of Your Domain: When she's altogether. Its more like first among equals when Ortrun's er disseseembled for whatever reason, as her various cells go about trying to survive and get back to the main on their own.
- Shapeshifting Obviously. It ain't pretty. Nor painless. She is snapping and rearranging flesh and bone. Her nerves don't go anywhere and have no problem transmitting 'pain'.
- The Virus: A limit break that she can only theoretically make but she could attack people from within. You Will Be Assimilated.
Ryan is best described as troubled and more than a little put upon. He's anxious due to having to repeatedly uproot and leave home, the last time being the most drastic occasion. He's got a bit of a chip on his shoulder and prefers it if he's recognized, coming from a highly competitive sport like football, he's already quite aggressive and prone to flying off the handle and making assumptions. He tends to latch on to those who seem able to be trusted, due in part to the sheer number of betrayals he's dealt with. Ryan's rather fiery and despises people like racists and elitists, owing to his upbringing and the troubles that came with it. Ryan tries to be a flirt and get to know girls his age, due to his loneliness, but can come off as awkward and a little stunted. He's quick to shout and make ready to throw a punch when his friends are in danger.
Tropes
- Berserk Button: At least mind reading. Violating his privacy in general seems to be one.
- Picking on or hurting girls is a fast way to get on his bad side. "You don't hurt girls you fucker!!"
- Boisterous Bruiser: And how. Informal, loud, always ready for a fight.
- Book Dumb: Slightly. Ryan isn't exactly a well learned man. He explicitly finds book learning very frustrating.
- Heroic Build: Stockier than most, but Ryan is easily over 230 lbs and very capable of throwing that weight around, giving him some impressive strength even before superpowers come in.
- Hot-Blooded: Again, just like Sue. 'Quite aggressive' and 'prone to flying off the handle' is no exaggeration.
- No Social Skills: Played with: Ryan is more the loud dudebro than anything else, and is prone to some rather tactless statements. Whereas most of the other kids are more withdrawn.
- Undying Loyalty: "The linebacker protects the quarterback."
Sue is wild, wily, fun-loving, rambunctious, curious, arrogant, and stubborn as all hell. She does whatever she wants whenever she wants, regardless of what anyone else tells her or expects of her. She is capable of following orders, but whoever's giving them has to earn or command her respect before that can happen. She does have a more insecure side. One that isn't sure if she's doing the right thing. But it never bothers her for too long, or if it does she tries not to show it. She's also rather temperamental, quick to anger and quick to judge. But she's also quick to make friends, and eager to make them. And she'll stick by her friends to the end. (Assuming they don't stab her in the back.) She also has her own sense of justice. An eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth. If someone's done wrong to her or people she cares about, she'll do wrong back. Or perhaps worse.
Tropes
- Boisterous Bruiser: And how. Informal, loud, always ready for a fight.
- Hot-Blooded: The wild part above is no exaggeration. She entered on the first day flying around the room, is quick to her staff, and equally quick to squeezing hugs and strong attraction (whether or not its one-sided).
Quite a nice fellow, if quiet because of the seal holding his youkai instincts back. Therefore, he uses sign language and muffled grunts of varying intensity to make up for his lack of speech. He generally does not approach new environments or people easily, and has a sensitive heart despite his menacing appearence and strength. He would fight to the death to defend his friends once he has them.
Pronounced "Kah-no Uh-gah-no" Kano is a scrawny, moderately tall young man with dark black hair, and pale white skin. Due to his chronic narcolepsy, and the kickback of his powers, he is often found either asleep, or very tired. He also has a habit of both hiding, and suppressing his emotions, causing him a decent bit of damage to his psyche. His power gives him full control of a tangible, invisible force, which he uses to interact with the world around him. This force is indestructible, and can sheer through concrete and steel, but requires an intense amount of energy to use, leaving him more often than not exhausted or asleep. Up until recently, he had no intentions of being a superhero, but due to recent events, this has changed.
Tropes
- Berserk Button: Any mention of Abigail or her parents. Also any picture of them. Or any reminder that they exist. Kano is generally a calm person, but it doesn't take much more than this to tip him off.
- Clashing Cousins: Although Abigail is technically Kano's first cousin once removed, she still counts as this. The simple act of them being near each other sends them both into a murderous rage which, although not that uncommon in Abigail, isn't often witnessed in Kano. That being said, he feels a great sadness towards his cousin's condition, and despises her parents even more.
- Good Parents: Though is father is now dead, both of his parents were good people. His dad was a hero who died attempting to protect civilians, and is actually the source of Kano's moral philosophies, and his mother is a kind, selfless woman, who tends to become good friends with whoever she meets.
- Heavy Sleeper: Whenever he falls asleep, he tends to stay that way, regardless of his surroundings. His narcoleptic episodes tend to be brief however.
- Heroic Lineage: His family has a long history of relatively minor superheroes, each with a power similar to his, though without the drawback.
- Magical Gesture: His powers require these. The gesture he makes with his hands tends to align with what hes doing; ie pushing his hand out to push, closing his fist to grab, and forming a claw to rend.
- Superpower Disability: A good portion of his narcoleptic tendencies come from his powers.
- Sleepyhead: Severe. Has a habit of falling asleep in the middle of a fight, though this is justified.
- The Stoic: Kano has a tendency to cover up or hide his emotions. Even when he does show them, he rarely does so through his expression and body language.
Isobel is rough around the edges and quick to pick a fight with an enemy, but is fiercely protective of her teammates and a die-hard friend if you get on her good side. While she is boisterous in a friendly manner most of the time, she can be easy to anger, especially if you diss her family or mock her 'condition'. On the topic of said 'condition' (being a vampire), Isobel tries to play it off as something she's cool with and has accepted, but it can and does still bother her to be reminded of it, and she can get broody. Despite her struggles with her newfound powers, Isobel is still the same heroine she once was, and still strives to do the right thing and fight the good fight.
- And Then John Was a Zombie: After fighting vampires and other demons alongside her family, Isobel got herself bitten and turned into one of the very creatures she used to slay in earnest.
- Berserk Button: Don't talk bad about her family. Also a bad idea to rub her vampirism in her face.
- Boisterous Bruiser: Being undead hasn't dulled her enthusiasm for a good fight.
- Holy Burns Evil: The exact effect depends on the situation, but generally speaking, holy weaponry and/or holy ground doesn't mesh well with Isobel anymore.
A rather odd young man with the power to see the future. Skye spent most of his life bouncing between different foster homes after his parents died, and his last one was with the vigilante Blitzkrieg, who trained him to fight.
- Butt-Monkey: Played for Drama. The poor guy just cannot get a break. Over the course of the RP, he is tranquilized, attacked by robots, nearly kidnapped, and turned into what can be best described as a flesh fridge.
- Canon Immigrant: Comes from an original story written by his player.
- Deadpan Snarker: Shows shades of this as the story continues.
- Distressed Dude: Shortly after Mikael's training, the Diatribe attempt to kidnap him.
- Gender-Blender Name: While the name "Sky" is unisex, Skye himself uses the feminine version.
- Seers: Which he applies liberally.
Staff
- Principal Nike
- Homeroom Teacher Ellie
- Fitness Instructor Budoka Benkei
- Magic Teacher Aelrys
Villains and Antagonists
- Iuris
- Exabyte
- Mastermind
- Blackheart
- Gespenser
- Haos
- Grimalda
