Hmm...
Chang and Song: In the group of heroes, are basically the Plucky Comic Relief. Song is uncertain about lying about his merchant background to become a scholar, so he has friction with his parents. Chang comes from a colony far to the North of Jiangshan-proper that is kind of like a mix of Amish/Communism, so he has sort of culture shock to a degree.
Ji: Ji is an aloof Lady of War around the heroes, and is torn by how she left her parents (she was their only child), concerned whether it was the right thing, etc, etc.
I have a group of four Dressed to Kill Career Killers and Hired Guns who are brought together in order to retrieve a MacGuffin and have even indulged in some harmless Theme Naming in order to get the job done:
X: The eldest the four individuals, the gentlemen who would go on to be "X", is a semi retired Career Killer who is looking for one last score before he hangs up his hat for good. "X" is a veteran in the stark world of corporate espionage and assassination but, despite any connotation his current moniker may have to notions of "extreme" violence and gore, he is essentially a Punch-Clock Villain and Combat Pragmatist, doing his job solely for the money and hoping to go about it as quickly and painlessly as possible.
Truth be told he would rather not hurt anyone who isn't his target, peferring to instead use manners, decency (and a little subterfuge) in order to help him accomplish a task. These tactics are regrettably abandoned once no other option is available. Though polite and courteous, "X" doesn't take kindly to fools or thrillseekers and will at times teach these "liabilities" a lesson.
Concerning his last job, "X" is somewhat conflicted. Though feeling as if he is entitled to finally retire for good, he does admit to not knowing what he'll do afterwards and, as the story progresses, does admit to feeling replaced or forgotten.
Anyways thats "X", the first man in my cast. Crits and thoughts welcome.
edited 30th Nov '10 8:13:10 AM by AtomJames
Theres sex and death and human grime in monochrome for one thin dime and at least the trains all run on time but they dont go anywhere.Not at this point. To be honest I want to keep their backstories as minimalistic as possible in order to focus more on how the individuals in the group get along and on the plot itself. Its just an idea though.
Theres sex and death and human grime in monochrome for one thin dime and at least the trains all run on time but they dont go anywhere.I have! There are three other characters, that I'll go into more detail later: A psychopathic dandy, an up-and-coming rookie and a snake oil salesman.
He is most amiable with the snake oil salesman as the two roughly share the same level of experience and prefer to do things as quietly as possible. There is some tensions here as to how the group is to be led and about different styles ("X" while reluctant recognizes the need to go in guns ablazing, while SOS prefers to rely completely on smarts). There is also a level of mistrust on "X" side.
"X" developes a mentor/protege relationship with the rookie and sees himself in the youngest member on the team. He will often act as a dead pan snarker and will criticize some of the rookies courses of actions or methods, such as wasting to much energy in order to prove a point. He developes the closest bond with the rookie
Not being able to tolerate fools lightly means that "X" is often be at odds with the Dandy, whose psychopathic tendencies tend to get the better of him. Add both of their explosive tempers and you have fireworks. The best way I can really explain to you this relationship is by comparing it with Kane and Lynch in Dead Men.
edited 30th Nov '10 8:42:24 AM by AtomJames
Theres sex and death and human grime in monochrome for one thin dime and at least the trains all run on time but they dont go anywhere.Okay, let's get you to think further about X's and the rookie's relationship.
Where did the two meet? What's their rlationship like- are they conflicting a lot, or get along peacefully? You know, what are the two like when theyre together? How do they affect eachother?
There are too many toasters in my chimney!The two first met at an airport bar after they had been assigned their job and their "names", X and ∆ respectively. For the most part they get along peacefully: ∆, though reluctant through youthful pride, takes note and tries to learn whereas X tries to keep him in line, making sure that . There is conflict between the two though, namely regarding methodolgies and the fact that∆ something of a Hitman with a Heart despite his attempts to sound professional, made evidently clear once he allows one of the targets to get away.
Together they are similiar to a big/little brother relationship complete with playful rivalry (or perhaps more appropriately similiar to Sean Connery and Kevin Kostner in The Untouchables. For the most part, they seem to have a positive effect on each other: X feeling some measure of worth and reassurance that he'll leave behind some legacy and ∆ gaining some insight into the life or a Career Killer and how to make it in the business.
edited 30th Nov '10 10:01:42 AM by AtomJames
Theres sex and death and human grime in monochrome for one thin dime and at least the trains all run on time but they dont go anywhere.Coolio.
What about his relationship with the Snake Oil Salesman?
There are too many toasters in my chimney!O is the consummate con artist, using deception and subterfuge in order to complete his task, which is something that X can respect and understand. On the surface, these two are like a couple of old friends, telling each other stories in the hope of out doing the other. Due to their similiar approaches and experiences these two are the most comfortable and almost natural looking together despite O's younger age.
Beneath the surface though, there is a game being played between these two. Almost as if they are trying to out-trick or out-class each other in terms deception. This is where that element of mistrust comes from, which starts to grow as the story continues. Due to a slight different in age, O believes X to be unfit to lead the group (though whether O actually means this or its some ploy is usually anyones guess).
NOTE: O is meant to be interpretted as a circle not an "o"
edited 30th Nov '10 10:03:05 AM by AtomJames
Theres sex and death and human grime in monochrome for one thin dime and at least the trains all run on time but they dont go anywhere.□'s and X's relationship is one built solely for business. Nothing more. They are both far too different to effectively work as a team were money not involve, and that may not really be the case considering □'s love of violence, they wouldn't be in the same room together. To best describe □ would be to combine Buddy Love from the original The Nutty Professor and Mr. Blonde from Reservoir Dogs. Loud, flamboyant, obnoxious, brings entirely too much attention to himself and sadistic to say the least. Considering X's approach: inconspicous and with little bloodshed as possible, □'s methods or his appreciation for his job are not smiled upon at all by the veteran. For the most part they attempt to put up with each other though they can only take so much and at times will erupt though they can be talked down.
edited 30th Nov '10 9:50:16 AM by AtomJames
Theres sex and death and human grime in monochrome for one thin dime and at least the trains all run on time but they dont go anywhere.I'll post another character just for the lulz. This one is the hero of a planned series, sort of based off of D&D but set in a more bio-punk/steampunk/cyberpunk universe.
He's Faxon Swordhand, and he's a Heroic Redhead/Dark Skinned Redhead Lawful Good tiefling sorcerer who works for the Environmental Department of (Townname). However, because he's The Ditz, coupled with his amnesia, his naivete, and his evil ancestry, make him a bit of a liability to his coworkers. He has amnesia about all of his childhood, and had to relearn how to do basic tasks. He's also nearly illiterate and reads at the level of a 2nd grader. He is very naive about things. Like, "How is this guy still alive"-level stupid. His goal in life is to do good and prove himself to the Knighthood so that he can join the ranks of their paladins and monks. He is VERY prone to Break the Cutie.
I'll add more later, I guess.
Would you kindly click my dragons?edited 6th Nov '17 4:44:49 PM by ch00beh
"Never let the truth get in the way of a good story." TwitterX lives in a relatively spartan apartment. A few luxuries like his old film collection and his treasured bonsai are really the only personal touches he gives it. He does keep a cache of weapons (nothing too ostentatious) beind the medicine cabinet. He rarely stays there longer than a few months. With retirment coming though he is considering painting the place and even keeps a colour swatch booklet in his jacket pocket.
X's style is all about conservation of energy and performing tasks with the minimum amount of time or action. A Punch-Clock Villain, X doesn't believe in making people needlessly suffer when all he has to do is kill them and he'll pick the most efficient method to get the job done. This is his main point of contention with ∆ and □.
Theres sex and death and human grime in monochrome for one thin dime and at least the trains all run on time but they dont go anywhere.@Cygan - The parents who took him in were often overwhelmed by his energy and strong personality, and he would frequently get into trouble with other people because his sorcery powers would go absolutely out of control and ignite nearby objects. He was something of a nuisance to his neighborhood where he grew up, but he also liked to help out his neighbors.
His friends are:
The paladin Irella Tarmikos, who is evaluating him for Knighthood. Irella is soft-spoken and feminine; and like most people, she is overwhelmed by Faxon's enthusiasm. Faxon sees her as a close friend more than an evaluator, but he does get a little annoyed when Irella forbids him from doing something.
The Lawful Neutral druid and wizard, Xangretos Fletcher, who was his mentor back in the days when he frequented the city. Xangretor is a hard-ass drill sergeant with a Hair-Trigger Temper and he is quite the cynic, and doesn't have much in the way of social skills and tact. Faxon and Xangretor find each other abrasive - Faxon doesn't like being yelled at, and Xangretos doesn't like having such a ditz working under him.
The Chaotic Neutral escaped prisoner and half-elf warlock Willery Wyvernjack, who is crass, insane, and convinced that everyone is out to get him. He seems to know a lot about Faxon, but Faxon knows nothing about this mysterious person. Willery isn't always with Faxon at all times, but he nonetheless tracks him down wherever he goes. Since Willery knows so much about Faxon, he is probably the only person he fully trusts. Faxon finds Willery to be enigmatic, random, and untrustworthy, as he assists him one moment and causes him to go through a scrape with death the next. However, later on, Faxon discovers Willery to be an important part of his past.
There are also LOADS AND LOADS OF CHARACTERS. These are the three big ones that Faxon interacts with.
Would you kindly click my dragons?I've got three.
Private Ramirez and Private Marlowe - The former's a United States Army Ranger, the latter is technically a grunt from a no-name battalion, but has been used in missions that normally would call for elite forces like SEA Ls when no one else was around. Both are parodies of Modern Warfare and the Battlefield Series' fanbases. Needless to say, they dislike each other.
Ramirez is more "serious" and somewhat humorless, and is quiet (in accordance with the fact that Call Of Duty protagonists, with the exception of Black Ops, never speak during gameplay). He's the type that wants to be a model soldier [you know, typical US Army depiction of its grunts - compassionate, disciplined, strong], and frowns on less-than-model soldiers. Is a major fan of "dumb" action films [in particular, he's a big fan of Michael Bay], and does dual-wield two Winchester 1887 shotguns (he's strong enough to handle the recoil and strong enough to not break his fingers on working the lever one-handed.
Marlowe is a Deadpan Snarker [more than Ramirez, who does his own sarcasm - in a heavy handed way], is often eager [more so than Ramirez], trigger-happy, and is knowledgeable in useless military trivia. Strangely enough, he knows how to fly military aircraft and choppers [he claims he reads too much].
Marlowe rags on Ramirez for his odd weapon choice, "obsequious" [in his eyes] nature, lack of "teamwork" (Ramirez likes going alone), and love of action films, whereas Ramirez dislikes Marlowe due to his insubordinate, laid-back attitude and snobby taste in media [Marlowe's the sort you'd want to punch for ragging on anything not indie or arthouse].
The third guy is a Russian soldier, Yuri Smirnoff, who's fighting off Ultranationalists [the plot's a deconstruction of modern FP Ses revolving around Russian Ultranationalists - for example, they may be a threat, but they're lacking in manpower, funds, equipment, and support]. He's rather calm, thinks of the military as more of an opportunity to get some skills for his resume than a patriotic duty, and would rather be reading. He's got no particular fighting style, and does as he's told in combat. He's not much of a Deadpan Snarker or a humorist, but he does like to make bad jokes.
Half-Life: Dual Nature, a crossover story of reasonably sized proportions.YAY PEOPLE ARE PARTICIPATING
Atom James: Okay. How does he interact with the world around him when he's not on a job- in the rain? On a pleasant day? On a crappy day? On a snow day? On a miserable day?
Suzy: Whoah okay. I don't need to ask you any more questions about them, then, eh?
What's his living space like? Also, ^ answer the same questions as I asked James, because you just know I'm gonna ask them next
Jack: How do the characters interact with each other? Pleasantly, or otherwise? Could they interact differently with each other depending on their moods? If so, how? Or, if they never actually meet in-story... Pretend they do in order to answer the question.
♫♬ Encourages, encourages, encourages the lovely newcomers to critique eachother as well ♬♫
There are too many toasters in my chimney!For the most part, X is quiet and prefers his own company when not on the job. He excericises, attends vintage movie houses, visits cafes etc. He's far from that depressed and creepy loner though. For the most part he is approachable, well-mannered and even goes out of his way to help people. In the lead up to his last job, X has taken a few more steps towards being more social (like joining a book club), though he admits its not because he feels particurly sociable. He just wants something to do after its all over.
Theres sex and death and human grime in monochrome for one thin dime and at least the trains all run on time but they dont go anywhere.Yep pretty much spot on. Well, like I said, he's a fan of classic cinema and an avid film buff. He also keeps a bonsai. His hobbies include excercise, taking walks and, as ∆ is stunned to learn while waiting at a train terminal, playing video games (primarily a D Si). He's also starting to take up reading.
Theres sex and death and human grime in monochrome for one thin dime and at least the trains all run on time but they dont go anywhere.

It's not really a reanimation; it's just lagging because most of the rebiewers are either sick (me) or incapacitated or bored for now.
Anyway, here's the standard first question: What's their relations like, with their parents and friends and whatnot?
There are too many toasters in my chimney!