appity
This app was written before 1.09 where we learn about Michael's wife and daughter. We also learn that Michael is a former Navy Intelligence Officer. His wife and daughter died when a bomb meant for him went off in their car. Michael was recruited by Percy while he was still in the hospital from the blast. In was recruited in March of 2001. Michael's approximate age for 2010 is 35.
1. Player Information
Name (or internet handle): Brim
Current characters in Bete Noire: Dr. Daniel Jackson, Ba'al, Gibbs, Selina Kyle
2. Character Information
Name: Michael
Livejournal Username: hereforthem
Fandom: Nikita (2010)
Image: http://l-userpic.livejournal.com/105010605/30924426
3. Character Information II
Age/Appearance: Early to mid thirties. Average build but well muscled like someone who fights. PB Shane West.
History: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikita_%28TV_series%29
Not much is known about Michael's early life. What is known is that he owes Percy his life. Some of his actions speak to a military roots though it's not likely he was in any branch of the military very long before joining Percy's side where he's spent the majority of his life. It's head canon on my part but I believe Michael was the first recruit Percy brought in and trained when Division(An offshoot government organization that specializes in black ops and assassination.) was first formed. Given Michael's unquestioning loyalty to Percy, it didn't take him long to be something of a right hand man for him.
Later, Michael was entrusted with the recruit program. It was his job to choose kids with no pasts and no future to take into the program. It was also his job to over see the training of all the recruits and ensure they each have the best possible chance of succeeding and becoming agents and viable assets.
Michael was often put in charge of coordinating and running the majority of high priority operations. Early on, these operations were for the benefit of the government but slowly, Percy was beginning to run operations on the side for the sole benefit of Division, if not Percy himself. Because of everything Michael owed Percy he never questioned what he was doing nor did he raise alarm when Percy created his 'black boxes' that contained all the dirty little secrets of the government. It was those boxes that kept Percy and Division in power. Again Michael didn't stop or question these actions, his priority has always been the recruits. He views what he does with them as giving them a second chance on life, even if it has its constraints, it's more than what they would have had.
Then it was from the recruits that his first doubts about Percy and Division were raised. One of the recruits, Nikita, he took an interest in and felt a connection with. He watched over her a little more than should have and started to get attached. This attachment later costs him when Nikita goes rogue and he's unable to stop her because of it.
Three years pass and things at Division go more or less back to normal. Division steadily drifts further from governmental control until it's firmly in the hands of Percy. Michael still remained loyal to Percy despite everything.
Things are upset when Nikita resurfaces and Michael is tasked with going after her and killing her. He was able to catch up to her in an ally but he didn't pull the trigger. He came away with a shoulder wound and she got away. About the same time a new recruit, Alex, was starting to show the same promise that Nikita did.
Michael soon took the same protect stance with Alex that he did with Nikita. He stepped in on many occasions to save her from either death or long term harm, much in the same way he did for Nikita when she was a recruit.
Meanwhile, Nikita had begun to interfere heavily in Divisions operations. Despite coming in contact with Nikita on more than one occasion, Michael had been unable... if not unwilling to kill her or bring her in.
When Michael acted out of bounds in relation to another mission, Percy told him he never questioned his loyalty except when it came to Nikita. Later, Alex was undergoing a training operation where she didn't know it was a test, Percy was also using the opportunity to test Michael. He had Alex put through a few more hoops than usual to see if Michael would have the same hang ups with her that he did with Nikita. Michael passed that test, “mostly.” Michael is taken from shortly after that test.
Personality:
Michael is loyal to a fault. Unfortunately, he's loyalty is often placed in people who aren't always deserving of it. He'll follow orders without question(mostly). Given his position in Division, he is often called upon to do more than a few morally objectionable things. He's able to justify this by believing it isn't his job to ask questions and anything he's ordered to do is for a good reason. He would do nearly anything he is ordered to, and has made an art of working around his orders without directly disobeying them. Michael is a good person in bad situation. He works within the constraints of the system he's stuck inside to do what good he can.
He has no life or family outside of Division. He views the recruits as his responsibility and will do what he has to protect them (without directly disobeying Percy.). In fact, Division and the recruits are the closest thing he has to a family.
He keeps his mind on the mission in a good soldier mentality. The majority of the time it serves him well, until he gets attached. This first happened with Nikita, where he was more inclined to bend the rules for her sake. Michael only grudgingly admits he got attached, and denies a relationship between them even when they clearly had something. He knows that he shouldn't get attached to anyone but he still tends to develop feelings despite knowing he shouldn't.
Sexual Preferences/Orientation: Heterosexual but men aren't completely off the map if the situation or mission calls for it, he just feels no attraction. Because of Division he's been sent undercover and had to do any number of things to sell his cover but he keeps himself detached through it.
He doesn't exactly have time for relationships in general. The few relationships he's had have been with people he works with. As much as he would like a long term relationship with someone he knows his job wouldn't allow it.
For him, sex is something to relieve tension and something he tries not to have any feelings toward. He knows any type of hang up he could have with someone would be dangerous. Not just to himself but to the person he's with.
Powers: No special powers, unless you count failing to shoot at Nikita. But he is a highly skilled fighter in hand-to-hand combat and an excellent marksmen.
Reason for playing: Michael is one of those rare characters that just clicked when I started playing him. He has a lot of the features I like in characters I play.
I also think he'll be interesting to play in a setting where he'll be pushed toward all the things he's been trying to avoid.
4. Original Character Supplement
World History: What kind of world is your character from? This part can be short, but it must focus on the particular character's context. What was their world like, from their point of view?
Character History: Let us have a summary of the highlights, the turning points of your character's history. What was it that made them who they are?
5. Samples
First-Person: (5-10 sentences) Journal-entry style, written in the character's own voice.
My name's Michael. I'll be taking over your operation as of-- right now, actually. You'll do nothing without my expressed permission. I don't want so much as a paper filed without my knowledge.
If you have problem with this, you can leave or we can take it outside. Your choice.
Third-Person:
They were close on Nikita's tail, he could feel it. Michael knew she was going for another black box location and Percy was being very unhelpful in offering specifics on where the box was located. That's fine. He'll just do this the hard way. He might not have been able to get the black box location but he was able to find what city she was headed to, Bete Noire. Honestly, he never heard of it before today. Just some middle of nowhere town probably.
Imagine his surprise when reached the outskirts of the city. It was no small town. It was big enough that it should be on the map. But really, that wasn't important right now.
He pulled their SUV up to an abandoned looking building and got out. “All right, secure the area. Set up shop inside. I want us up and running in twenty,” he ordered the small contingent of men he brought with him. Hopefully these guys would last longer than the last group he took after Nikita.
He scanned the area as the men moved to carry out their orders. The place was bigger than expected. Darker than expected. It was the kind of place they'd usually pull their recruits from. So why was it he hadn't heard about it until now?
Third-Person #2: (200 words minimum) This sample should be rated R to NC-17, and be erotically-focused. It does not have to be explicit smut.
There were a lot of things lately he shouldn't be doing. He should keep his mind on the job. Of course, it didn't help that she was part of the job. That he sees her every day.
It was easy to fall into it. Easy to follow her back to her room. Easy to let her push him back against the door. So easy to let his hands form to her sides and pull off her shirt. So easy to let her pull open his. It was also frustrating. Having something for a few hours only to know you had to give it back. That after he left that room they had to be professional again. Something he really didn't want to think about right now.
“Ah-ah,” he scolded when she tried to open his pants. “We had a deal--” he said as she grabbed her wrists and pinned her to the bed, “--you lost.” It was just a little bet to spice up the tedium of training. The loser did whatever the winner wanted next time they were together. She complained at him but didn't put up a struggle. She then put on her best seductive voice to ask what he wanted.
“It's not that hard,” he said spooning into her and slipping his hand between her legs. “Watch the clock,” he said against her ear, “I want to see just how many times I can make you come in ten minutes. Tell me when my time's up.” He gave her a little rub to her clit then added, “Think you can do that?”
She had already started to squirm against him when she answered. Yes, she could.
“Good.”
He spent the next ten minutes counting off each orgasm as he felt them against his fingers.
Revisions
Personality stuff here:
Michael tends to get attached over protection. It's usually the people he tries to save from death or a bad life. He can't openly save most of them and does so within the confines of his job. But the attachment stems out of an almost co-dependency. He needs people to save to help sooth his own conscience, for the people he's killed and the lives he's ruined in the name of Division. He's drawn to people like him, in a bad situation and still trying to hang on to some shred of morality. The more of that he sees in someone the more he tries to protect them and the closer he feels.
A great portion of his life was defined by his debt to Percy. But Michael likes to honestly believe they're here to do good in the world. That is purpose is to serve his country and make the world a better place -- but that often collides headlong into his loyalty for Percy. This makes him conflicted about dubious operations but he falls back on his training and belief that everything he's doing is for a good reason even if it seems like a bad one. It's his own special spin on Don't Ask, Don't Tell. He also feels like he doesn't have a choice in what he does. That he owes this man his life and should do everything in his power to do what he's tasked with... even if he doesn't agree with it. Trapped as he feels, he also thinks he's in the best location to minimize the damage and loss of innocent lives in the path of Division, a weapon he views as unstoppable. If he can't stop it, he will do everything he can to nudge the weapon where it could do the most good and result in the fewest lives lost.
Ultimately, Michael believes in doing what's right but he lives in a world so filled with shades of gray he's just trying to find the best possible solution.
Playing elaboration here:
Okay. What I'd like to do is get him set up in a similar situation as in canon. Get him in debt to someone, either owing them his life or something else along those lines. Have him set into situations where he'll be forced to make hard decisions between what's right, what's wrong and that shady middle ground.
As time goes on, I think he'll start to discover that he really loves what he does, in terms of Black Ops and assassination and he'll have to try to resolve that with his own moral code.
1. Player Information
Name (or internet handle): Brim
Current characters in Bete Noire: Dr. Daniel Jackson, Ba'al, Gibbs, Selina Kyle
2. Character Information
Name: Michael
Livejournal Username: hereforthem
Fandom: Nikita (2010)
Image: http://l-userpic.livejournal.com/105010605/30924426
3. Character Information II
Age/Appearance: Early to mid thirties. Average build but well muscled like someone who fights. PB Shane West.
History: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikita_%28TV_series%29
Not much is known about Michael's early life. What is known is that he owes Percy his life. Some of his actions speak to a military roots though it's not likely he was in any branch of the military very long before joining Percy's side where he's spent the majority of his life. It's head canon on my part but I believe Michael was the first recruit Percy brought in and trained when Division(An offshoot government organization that specializes in black ops and assassination.) was first formed. Given Michael's unquestioning loyalty to Percy, it didn't take him long to be something of a right hand man for him.
Later, Michael was entrusted with the recruit program. It was his job to choose kids with no pasts and no future to take into the program. It was also his job to over see the training of all the recruits and ensure they each have the best possible chance of succeeding and becoming agents and viable assets.
Michael was often put in charge of coordinating and running the majority of high priority operations. Early on, these operations were for the benefit of the government but slowly, Percy was beginning to run operations on the side for the sole benefit of Division, if not Percy himself. Because of everything Michael owed Percy he never questioned what he was doing nor did he raise alarm when Percy created his 'black boxes' that contained all the dirty little secrets of the government. It was those boxes that kept Percy and Division in power. Again Michael didn't stop or question these actions, his priority has always been the recruits. He views what he does with them as giving them a second chance on life, even if it has its constraints, it's more than what they would have had.
Then it was from the recruits that his first doubts about Percy and Division were raised. One of the recruits, Nikita, he took an interest in and felt a connection with. He watched over her a little more than should have and started to get attached. This attachment later costs him when Nikita goes rogue and he's unable to stop her because of it.
Three years pass and things at Division go more or less back to normal. Division steadily drifts further from governmental control until it's firmly in the hands of Percy. Michael still remained loyal to Percy despite everything.
Things are upset when Nikita resurfaces and Michael is tasked with going after her and killing her. He was able to catch up to her in an ally but he didn't pull the trigger. He came away with a shoulder wound and she got away. About the same time a new recruit, Alex, was starting to show the same promise that Nikita did.
Michael soon took the same protect stance with Alex that he did with Nikita. He stepped in on many occasions to save her from either death or long term harm, much in the same way he did for Nikita when she was a recruit.
Meanwhile, Nikita had begun to interfere heavily in Divisions operations. Despite coming in contact with Nikita on more than one occasion, Michael had been unable... if not unwilling to kill her or bring her in.
When Michael acted out of bounds in relation to another mission, Percy told him he never questioned his loyalty except when it came to Nikita. Later, Alex was undergoing a training operation where she didn't know it was a test, Percy was also using the opportunity to test Michael. He had Alex put through a few more hoops than usual to see if Michael would have the same hang ups with her that he did with Nikita. Michael passed that test, “mostly.” Michael is taken from shortly after that test.
Personality:
Michael is loyal to a fault. Unfortunately, he's loyalty is often placed in people who aren't always deserving of it. He'll follow orders without question(mostly). Given his position in Division, he is often called upon to do more than a few morally objectionable things. He's able to justify this by believing it isn't his job to ask questions and anything he's ordered to do is for a good reason. He would do nearly anything he is ordered to, and has made an art of working around his orders without directly disobeying them. Michael is a good person in bad situation. He works within the constraints of the system he's stuck inside to do what good he can.
He has no life or family outside of Division. He views the recruits as his responsibility and will do what he has to protect them (without directly disobeying Percy.). In fact, Division and the recruits are the closest thing he has to a family.
He keeps his mind on the mission in a good soldier mentality. The majority of the time it serves him well, until he gets attached. This first happened with Nikita, where he was more inclined to bend the rules for her sake. Michael only grudgingly admits he got attached, and denies a relationship between them even when they clearly had something. He knows that he shouldn't get attached to anyone but he still tends to develop feelings despite knowing he shouldn't.
Sexual Preferences/Orientation: Heterosexual but men aren't completely off the map if the situation or mission calls for it, he just feels no attraction. Because of Division he's been sent undercover and had to do any number of things to sell his cover but he keeps himself detached through it.
He doesn't exactly have time for relationships in general. The few relationships he's had have been with people he works with. As much as he would like a long term relationship with someone he knows his job wouldn't allow it.
For him, sex is something to relieve tension and something he tries not to have any feelings toward. He knows any type of hang up he could have with someone would be dangerous. Not just to himself but to the person he's with.
Powers: No special powers, unless you count failing to shoot at Nikita. But he is a highly skilled fighter in hand-to-hand combat and an excellent marksmen.
Reason for playing: Michael is one of those rare characters that just clicked when I started playing him. He has a lot of the features I like in characters I play.
I also think he'll be interesting to play in a setting where he'll be pushed toward all the things he's been trying to avoid.
4. Original Character Supplement
World History: What kind of world is your character from? This part can be short, but it must focus on the particular character's context. What was their world like, from their point of view?
Character History: Let us have a summary of the highlights, the turning points of your character's history. What was it that made them who they are?
5. Samples
First-Person: (5-10 sentences) Journal-entry style, written in the character's own voice.
My name's Michael. I'll be taking over your operation as of-- right now, actually. You'll do nothing without my expressed permission. I don't want so much as a paper filed without my knowledge.
If you have problem with this, you can leave or we can take it outside. Your choice.
Third-Person:
They were close on Nikita's tail, he could feel it. Michael knew she was going for another black box location and Percy was being very unhelpful in offering specifics on where the box was located. That's fine. He'll just do this the hard way. He might not have been able to get the black box location but he was able to find what city she was headed to, Bete Noire. Honestly, he never heard of it before today. Just some middle of nowhere town probably.
Imagine his surprise when reached the outskirts of the city. It was no small town. It was big enough that it should be on the map. But really, that wasn't important right now.
He pulled their SUV up to an abandoned looking building and got out. “All right, secure the area. Set up shop inside. I want us up and running in twenty,” he ordered the small contingent of men he brought with him. Hopefully these guys would last longer than the last group he took after Nikita.
He scanned the area as the men moved to carry out their orders. The place was bigger than expected. Darker than expected. It was the kind of place they'd usually pull their recruits from. So why was it he hadn't heard about it until now?
Third-Person #2: (200 words minimum) This sample should be rated R to NC-17, and be erotically-focused. It does not have to be explicit smut.
There were a lot of things lately he shouldn't be doing. He should keep his mind on the job. Of course, it didn't help that she was part of the job. That he sees her every day.
It was easy to fall into it. Easy to follow her back to her room. Easy to let her push him back against the door. So easy to let his hands form to her sides and pull off her shirt. So easy to let her pull open his. It was also frustrating. Having something for a few hours only to know you had to give it back. That after he left that room they had to be professional again. Something he really didn't want to think about right now.
“Ah-ah,” he scolded when she tried to open his pants. “We had a deal--” he said as she grabbed her wrists and pinned her to the bed, “--you lost.” It was just a little bet to spice up the tedium of training. The loser did whatever the winner wanted next time they were together. She complained at him but didn't put up a struggle. She then put on her best seductive voice to ask what he wanted.
“It's not that hard,” he said spooning into her and slipping his hand between her legs. “Watch the clock,” he said against her ear, “I want to see just how many times I can make you come in ten minutes. Tell me when my time's up.” He gave her a little rub to her clit then added, “Think you can do that?”
She had already started to squirm against him when she answered. Yes, she could.
“Good.”
He spent the next ten minutes counting off each orgasm as he felt them against his fingers.
Revisions
Personality stuff here:
Michael tends to get attached over protection. It's usually the people he tries to save from death or a bad life. He can't openly save most of them and does so within the confines of his job. But the attachment stems out of an almost co-dependency. He needs people to save to help sooth his own conscience, for the people he's killed and the lives he's ruined in the name of Division. He's drawn to people like him, in a bad situation and still trying to hang on to some shred of morality. The more of that he sees in someone the more he tries to protect them and the closer he feels.
A great portion of his life was defined by his debt to Percy. But Michael likes to honestly believe they're here to do good in the world. That is purpose is to serve his country and make the world a better place -- but that often collides headlong into his loyalty for Percy. This makes him conflicted about dubious operations but he falls back on his training and belief that everything he's doing is for a good reason even if it seems like a bad one. It's his own special spin on Don't Ask, Don't Tell. He also feels like he doesn't have a choice in what he does. That he owes this man his life and should do everything in his power to do what he's tasked with... even if he doesn't agree with it. Trapped as he feels, he also thinks he's in the best location to minimize the damage and loss of innocent lives in the path of Division, a weapon he views as unstoppable. If he can't stop it, he will do everything he can to nudge the weapon where it could do the most good and result in the fewest lives lost.
Ultimately, Michael believes in doing what's right but he lives in a world so filled with shades of gray he's just trying to find the best possible solution.
Playing elaboration here:
Okay. What I'd like to do is get him set up in a similar situation as in canon. Get him in debt to someone, either owing them his life or something else along those lines. Have him set into situations where he'll be forced to make hard decisions between what's right, what's wrong and that shady middle ground.
As time goes on, I think he'll start to discover that he really loves what he does, in terms of Black Ops and assassination and he'll have to try to resolve that with his own moral code.