Changeling: A New Story
Crossposted With inunitywefall
So, after thinking it over a bunch, I'm making a new Changeling. The concept is a far cry from anything I've ever made before, and is going to be a real challenge for me to pull off without delving in to the world of silly. That said, he still has some of the main elements - mainly in his ability to interact with plot and in his sheet - which I really enjoy as hallmarks of my characters. If you're at all interested in playing with me any, I invite you to read the story below (under the LJ cut) and look at the wiki link to see if this is something you think might work for your PC.
Ties Wanted:
1. Nice guys who develop a relationship wherein they'll defend Hank. He's very physically capable, but mentally weak and socially vulnerable. He's overly trusting, doesn't understand cruelty or sarcasm, and laughs at jokes made at his expense because he doesn't know any better. Without people to defend him in that arena, he's just an unwitting victim.
2. Mean people who take advantage of Hank. Based on his simplicity and naivete, he's the perfect dupe or patsy - and in backstory, that's not the sort of stuff that will bite the 'villains' in the ass.
3. Anything else. This is a sad character, whose story is going to be deeply personal, and I'm hoping he invokes deep emotion in others.
"Uh-uh-uhm, M-miss? You dr-dropped this..."
Her girl-wallet had fallen out of her backpack, and the class had kept walking. They were just outside of the Elephant House, and I'm not supposed to leave the Elephant House, but she would have forgotten it. I hold it out and she takes it, smiling and laughing softly. Her laugh sounds like the sun. A few of the other boys and girls laugh too. They must have said something funny, so I laugh and they all smile. I have a really good laugh. My friend used to say that my laugh could fill a room. He was being silly, though - if my laugh filled a room, how could anyone be there to hear it?
"Hey!" He has hair like a big red mop sitting on his head. I like red hair. You don't see it much any more, but I like it. He says, "I didn't know they let the Elephants work here."
My heart stops for a second. If the boy knows I'm... no, he's just making a joke. I'm not allowed to tell anyone about that. I'm supposed to keep that a secret. I'm real glad I didn't break that secret.
"Hey, dumbie, you shouldn't steal out of girls backpacks!" One of the girls says, and I get confused. I didn't take anything, and start to raise my hands. How do I explain? They're all talking now, saying things I don't understand and laughing. One of them says they should call the police, but that's not funny. But they're laughing.
"You know what?" The girl I gave the wallet to says, "I think he was being sweet." She smiles and takes a step towards me. She smells like flowers. She puts a hand on my cheek and pats it, and I take a stumbling step back. It doesn't feel right. She's much smaller than me, and I don't like her so close. She scares me. I try to talk, but I can't get the words out. The kids all laugh, sounding happy... and I'm just confused. I want to laugh with them. I don't like it here right now.
"Hey, get out of here." Lucas says, coming out of the Elephant House. Lucas is nice - he calls me brother, which is strange, because he's black, and older, and he has a different mom and dad. I miss my mom and dad a lot. "You move on, pick on somebody else, you little fuckers." The kids stop laughing and start walking away. Lucas comes up next to me and puts his hand on my shoulder. "No fucking manners, Hank. Nobody has any fucking manners anymore. C'mon, brother, it's almost three o'clock."
I like three o'clock. That's when I talk to Annette. She's pregnant, but the professors don't know that yet. She's going to be a great mom, and I'm going to get to play with her boy. I really like the elephants when they're little. They laugh a lot when they're little. Their laughter makes the whole world beautiful.
http://changeling.cam-wiki.org/Hank_Dozer
Thanks,
- Z
So, after thinking it over a bunch, I'm making a new Changeling. The concept is a far cry from anything I've ever made before, and is going to be a real challenge for me to pull off without delving in to the world of silly. That said, he still has some of the main elements - mainly in his ability to interact with plot and in his sheet - which I really enjoy as hallmarks of my characters. If you're at all interested in playing with me any, I invite you to read the story below (under the LJ cut) and look at the wiki link to see if this is something you think might work for your PC.
Ties Wanted:
1. Nice guys who develop a relationship wherein they'll defend Hank. He's very physically capable, but mentally weak and socially vulnerable. He's overly trusting, doesn't understand cruelty or sarcasm, and laughs at jokes made at his expense because he doesn't know any better. Without people to defend him in that arena, he's just an unwitting victim.
2. Mean people who take advantage of Hank. Based on his simplicity and naivete, he's the perfect dupe or patsy - and in backstory, that's not the sort of stuff that will bite the 'villains' in the ass.
3. Anything else. This is a sad character, whose story is going to be deeply personal, and I'm hoping he invokes deep emotion in others.
"Uh-uh-uhm, M-miss? You dr-dropped this..."
Her girl-wallet had fallen out of her backpack, and the class had kept walking. They were just outside of the Elephant House, and I'm not supposed to leave the Elephant House, but she would have forgotten it. I hold it out and she takes it, smiling and laughing softly. Her laugh sounds like the sun. A few of the other boys and girls laugh too. They must have said something funny, so I laugh and they all smile. I have a really good laugh. My friend used to say that my laugh could fill a room. He was being silly, though - if my laugh filled a room, how could anyone be there to hear it?
"Hey!" He has hair like a big red mop sitting on his head. I like red hair. You don't see it much any more, but I like it. He says, "I didn't know they let the Elephants work here."
My heart stops for a second. If the boy knows I'm... no, he's just making a joke. I'm not allowed to tell anyone about that. I'm supposed to keep that a secret. I'm real glad I didn't break that secret.
"Hey, dumbie, you shouldn't steal out of girls backpacks!" One of the girls says, and I get confused. I didn't take anything, and start to raise my hands. How do I explain? They're all talking now, saying things I don't understand and laughing. One of them says they should call the police, but that's not funny. But they're laughing.
"You know what?" The girl I gave the wallet to says, "I think he was being sweet." She smiles and takes a step towards me. She smells like flowers. She puts a hand on my cheek and pats it, and I take a stumbling step back. It doesn't feel right. She's much smaller than me, and I don't like her so close. She scares me. I try to talk, but I can't get the words out. The kids all laugh, sounding happy... and I'm just confused. I want to laugh with them. I don't like it here right now.
"Hey, get out of here." Lucas says, coming out of the Elephant House. Lucas is nice - he calls me brother, which is strange, because he's black, and older, and he has a different mom and dad. I miss my mom and dad a lot. "You move on, pick on somebody else, you little fuckers." The kids stop laughing and start walking away. Lucas comes up next to me and puts his hand on my shoulder. "No fucking manners, Hank. Nobody has any fucking manners anymore. C'mon, brother, it's almost three o'clock."
I like three o'clock. That's when I talk to Annette. She's pregnant, but the professors don't know that yet. She's going to be a great mom, and I'm going to get to play with her boy. I really like the elephants when they're little. They laugh a lot when they're little. Their laughter makes the whole world beautiful.
http://changeling.cam-wiki.org/Hank_Dozer
Thanks,
- Z