This is a weekly article, delivered to you every Wednesday. These articles are intended to be a fun exercise as well as a good resource for role-players to explore Character Development so please feel free to post your own characters reaction to the weekly prompt. So be sure to stay tuned to this blog for future installments!
What is your Characters Greatest Fear, and what would they do if they came face to face with it?
Sacred Heart Parochial School
Kings Row 1989
Bang! Pow, THUNK! Back alley Brawlers fist flew through the air, muscles rippling under the unforgiving glare of the afternoon sun while bad guys where thrown bodily sporting bloody noses and black eyes. However from the street a large number of thugs boxed in the burley stalwart hero and pointed guns at his massive chest, he was surrounded and out numbered.
No hope seemed in sight for our Hero until .
Hey you Buttheads leave him alone! a young voice cried from the roof top, where she stood, Oh No! Not the Back Alley Kid! one of the bloodied miscreants whimpered and shoving past his buddies took off in a cloud of dust and leaving a yellow puddle in his wake.
Back Alley Beat down Begin! She cries before swinging from off her perch atop the roof and disarming each of her foes with swooping strategic kicks to their gun toting hands, and dropping with a triple back flip beside her Hero and Partner Back Alley Brawler.
The Big man grinned down at the young girl and gave her a big metallic thumbs up, before they commenced to beat the thugs and punks to a pulp in a rain of fists and bloody surrender.
Miss Jordan if you would be so kind, name the four principal rivers in Russia
POP! The bubble gum Serena had been chewing burst noisily covering her chin and nose as she looked up into the stern old face of Sister Mary Alice who hovered over her like a Vulture with those black beady eyes fixed on Serenas face and hitting the palm of her bony hand with her ruler.
The Sister held out her hand and Serena was forced to relinquish her comic book as well as her bubble gum. Serena innocently blinked up at the old lady behind large wire rimmed glasses hoping that if she started speaking while she picked pink bubble gum smears from off her nose that she wouldnt have to go to the Headmistress office that day for dreaming in class again.
Of its 100,000 rivers, Russia contains some of the world's longest. Of these five, the Volga is the most famous, not only because it is the longest river in Europe the Mother Volga as its called flows southward into the world's largest inland body of water the Caspian Sea. The other four are Ob-Irtysh, Amur, Lena, and Yenisey. All but the Amur flow northward into the Arctic Ocean.
But thats five, I thought Volga would be to obvious, but should be mentioned anyway due to its importance during the Battle of Stalingrad, Kazan Operation and the martyrdom of 1836 when the little Jewish Children where Martyred rather than commit the Kiddush Hashem of Conversion.
Very good Miss Jordan Sister Mary Alice simpered and stalked off in a clack of rosary beads and sensible shoes. Tommy Malrooney turned around in his seat which was diagonal from Serenas and stuck his tongue out at her while his shadow Danny Gilbert-Mason who sat behind him made kissy faces at her.
They thought she was a suck up and a know it all, and nothing made you an outcast quicker than either of those qualities. Serena narrowed her eyes and made a threatening fist at the two bullies letting them know in no uncertain terms that she was neither and wouldnt take their stupidity laying down. Tommy paled under his freckles and turned around again and Gil looked like he swallowed a bug. Both trouble makers had tasted her fist before and where not ready for a second helping of a knuckle sandwich.
Serena was generally well liked by the kids in school but it took a lot of laying low and more than a few fist fights in order to get that way. She was in little league and pee-wee football, she was a very good student which endeared her to her teachers and an observant catholic which put her in good standing with the penguins, but she was a four eyes and if she didnt take care to hide her real grades from her friends at school she had to lie and tell them she just got lucky I guess.
Sister Mary Alice made her way to the front of the classroom and continued her geography lesson rolling down the large map of Eastern Europe.
Knock, Knock, Knock. The door to the school room was opened and in walked Father Kerry whom escorted a very small, pale but very pretty blond little girl in front of him whom hugged her books to her chest and wore a bright pink backpack over her narrow shivering shoulders.
I have a new student for you Sister, Class this is Lizzy White, Lizzy this is your new Teacher Sister Mary Alice and your new classmates, Im sure everyone will get along just fine. Father Kerry said smiling; his bald spot on his head shining under the florescent lights making the ring of dishwater brown gray hair which ran around his head look even more minuscule under its harsh glare.
The little girl looked around the classroom and being so slight and so sickly looking it seemed to Serena that someone could knock her over with a feather, and that a kid as pretty and well dressed as she was wouldnt last to long in the Row if they didnt have someone to stand up for them.
The Row didnt appreciate weaklings, the Row was built with rough hands and strong backs, the Slavick, Irish and Italian stock had produced a good labor stock, and as Sacred Heart was the primary parochial school for all the good catholic families and pretty much everyone else in the neighborhood their children grew up with strong features, solid builds, and quick tempers. They wore hand-me-down clothes, off market shoes and canvas bags with someone elses name written on the backs.
This Girl wore nice clothes and spoke softly, she had a hot pink pencil box and new shoes with glitter in the laces. She even had one of those fancy Lisa designed trapper keepers! Serena doubted if the girl even went outside as white and pale as she was let alone if she knew how to throw a punch to protect herself. As Serenas dark blue eyes slipped away from the girl who took an empty seat in the front of the room they settled on her fellow classmates.
Despite her best efforts to befriend her classmates, there where some whom still wouldnt speak to Serena herself. Serenas father was African American and while he was a War Hero from the Vietnam War not everyone in the Row liked Sam D probably for no other reason other than his skin. Paragon City was not New York and the Row was not the Bronx, Sam D and his daughter stuck out.
While Sam wasnt Serenas biological father, another reason why the Single Father was such an oddity, but also Serena was dark complected herself, darker even than the Italian olive skin which was so prevalent in the neighborhood, but her hair was coal black and her eyes a dark sapphire blue and it had marked her out and set her apart from the other kids as sure as being openly smart would have done.
Serena watched the envy mingled with indignant pride that washed over some of the young faces, like shadows passing over the sun clouding their eyes with hate and mingling with scorn in their furrowed brow. This girl would not have an easy time of it if someone didnt watch out for her and Seri felt a stir of fear for the smaller girl and wanted to protect her. That was what Heroes did after all; protect those who cant protect themselves.
But what can I possibly do? Serena thought to herself, I cant beat everyone up who looks sideways at the girl can I? Its best to sit back and wait and see how she does for herself, Serena concluded, getting up at the ring of the bell for lunch they all began to file out into the hall.
Miss Jordan, where do you think your going? Sister Mary Alice asked her as she was about to leave the room.
To Lunch Sister, cant I go? Seri asked.
You know chewing gum and comic books are forbidden in my class, you will take your lunch here and you will stay after school this afternoon and clean the chalkboard and the erasers.
Yes Sister. Serena said sulkily sucking in her pouting lower lip while Tommy and Danny shoved by her out the door and she returned to her seat opening her Justice Maiden lunch box taking a bite of her wonder bread and bologna sandwich and opening her thermos filled with Tang with a sigh.
After school that afternoon after Serena had cleaned the chalkboard and kicked up a chalky white cloud which still hung like heavy curtains on her clothes and hair, she made her way home to the four story brick apartment building where she and Sam D made their home. Serena made herself a bowl of Statesman crunch and settled in wearing her padded Back Alley Brawler super silver boxing gloves to watch her afternoon cartoons while Leticia their next door neighbor who was supposed to watch Serena after school and make dinner but who mostly listened to her Walkman and talked to her boyfriend on the telephone sang Menudos Los Ultimos Heroes loudly and badly shaking her rump in a funny latin step around the Kitchen.
Leticia was an older girl in her late teens who despite being a bit boy crazy was a pretty good sitter over all and she taught Serena how to cook, all the cool new songs and dance steps to go along with them. She was an excellent cook and made the best Cuajitos en salsa in the world. When she was feeling particularly generous she would put up Seris long black hair in big crazy hair dos and take her down to the arcade on summer afternoons.
However Seri heard something above the tone deaf din of Leticias howling. Running to the southern facing window, and creeping out onto the fire escape Seri looked down to find the small blond haired girl surrounded by a group of the biggest, roughest and meanest kids in their class. They had bloodied her nose and torn the arm of her dress. She had scraped her knee and she was holding on to her stomach sobbing and crying out as they took turns kicking her and calling her names.
The alleyway that they had trapped her in ran along behind all of the buildings on the street, and Seri was lucky enough to note that the garbage truck hadnt yet stopped by to pick up the piles of trash bags, old mattresses and empty the dumpster. Making a plan which only momentarily diverted her mind she yelled out, Back Alley Beat down! before hoisting herself over the wrought iron balcony and falling two stories down and into the middle of the group of boys.
Serena, growled, punched and kicked her way into the center of the circle, leaving blackened eyes, bloody noses and busted balls in her wake. She held out her hand to the shaking blond girl who looked up at her with the widest beautiful blue eyes that Serena had ever seen and helped her to stand. Just then Kyle Durgin and Dickie Presman rushed her which she brought them both down by jumping up she and bringing her elbows down hard on their backs making them buckle and fall on their faces to the concrete.
Danny Gilbert-Mason tried sucker punching her, but Seri didnt feel it, instead she kicked him in the knee and head-butted him in the nose making him cry like a girl and limp off down to the street holding his nose and bleeding on to his Bill and Ted T-shirt.
Then Randy Braves Jr. waded in, he had been held back a year and was twice Seris size and mean as a pit-bull, but Seri didnt back down. She didnt have a hope for winning this fight, but she was resigned to taking the beating. Here to fore Serena had avoided getting in the way of one of Randy Jr.s fists but today it couldnt be helped, she just couldnt sit by and let this girl come to harm, she wouldnt get mistreated again, not ever again if Seri could help it.
So she took her stance, her feet apart and hands loose at her side, just like Sam D taught her and keeping her eyes on the dirt brown beads of Juniors own she waited for him to make the first move. They circled each other and Serena was aware that his reach was longer than hers, so she would wait for him to move into the body.
Junior didnt keep her waiting long, he caught her with a strong left hook to the side of her head which sloshed her brain around and left her ears ringing, however she used the momentum of her sideways fall to the earth and grasping the opportunity to take Juniors arm she pivoted with him beneath her. She took him down to the concrete below and soundly boxed his ears to keep him disoriented while she laid five square punches to his ribs, kidneys and face breaking his nose and laying it crooked along his face.
When he tried to retaliate by locking her in a bear hug and standing with her drove her over and over back first into the edge of the dumpster she refused to cry out and instead she drove her knee up between his legs and brought her entire weight down with her elbow onto his collarbone. With a sickening pop his collarbone on the right side dislocated and he dropped to her feet cursing in pain and dribbling blood on the ground.
"From this day forth, none of you shall lay a hand on her, or you have me to answer to, understood?" Serena said barely able to breath, glaring at the group of their classmates and even some she had called friend. They all nodded and even Randy Jr grumbled an acceptance and blubbered off, his right arm useless dangling at his side while his broken nose gushed blood down his face.
Serena kept her word, for seventeen years Serena Jordan and Elizabeth White have been the best of friends. Serena has been Lizzys protector and Hero from that day forward, saving her from Bullies and bad dates and Lizzy tending to Seris wounds when the fighting was done. When the two girls had reached puberty and their mutant super powers had emerged Serena was better able to take a punch and Lizzy was made healthy and could heal others with just a thought.
However Serenas greatest fear had finally come true, Lizzy was in the Rogue Isles, and Serena was unable to keep her safe. Who is to say that in that den of murderers, madmen and thieves that out of their multitude a few of them might not be so happy to see her.
This is a weekly article, delivered to you every Wednesday. These articles are intended to be a fun exercise as well as a good resource for role-players to explore Character Development so please feel free to post your own characters reaction to the weekly prompt. So be sure to stay tuned to this blog for future installments!
What is your Characters Greatest Fear, and what would they do if they came face to face with it?
Sacred Heart Parochial School
Kings Row 1989
Bang! Pow, THUNK! Back alley Brawlers fist flew through the air, muscles rippling under the unforgiving glare of the afternoon sun while bad guys where thrown bodily sporting bloody noses and black eyes. However from the street a large number of thugs boxed in the burley stalwart hero and pointed guns at his massive chest, he was surrounded and out numbered.
No hope seemed in sight for our Hero until .
Hey you Buttheads leave him alone! a young voice cried from the roof top, where she stood, Oh No! Not the Back Alley Kid! one of the bloodied miscreants whimpered and shoving past his buddies took off in a cloud of dust and leaving a yellow puddle in his wake.
Back Alley Beat down Begin! She cries before swinging from off her perch atop the roof and disarming each of her foes with swooping strategic kicks to their gun toting hands, and dropping with a triple back flip beside her Hero and Partner Back Alley Brawler.
The Big man grinned down at the young girl and gave her a big metallic thumbs up, before they commenced to beat the thugs and punks to a pulp in a rain of fists and bloody surrender.
Miss Jordan if you would be so kind, name the four principal rivers in Russia
POP! The bubble gum Serena had been chewing burst noisily covering her chin and nose as she looked up into the stern old face of Sister Mary Alice who hovered over her like a Vulture with those black beady eyes fixed on Serenas face and hitting the palm of her bony hand with her ruler.
The Sister held out her hand and Serena was forced to relinquish her comic book as well as her bubble gum. Serena innocently blinked up at the old lady behind large wire rimmed glasses hoping that if she started speaking while she picked pink bubble gum smears from off her nose that she wouldnt have to go to the Headmistress office that day for dreaming in class again.
Of its 100,000 rivers, Russia contains some of the world's longest. Of these five, the Volga is the most famous, not only because it is the longest river in Europe the Mother Volga as its called flows southward into the world's largest inland body of water the Caspian Sea. The other four are Ob-Irtysh, Amur, Lena, and Yenisey. All but the Amur flow northward into the Arctic Ocean.
But thats five, I thought Volga would be to obvious, but should be mentioned anyway due to its importance during the Battle of Stalingrad, Kazan Operation and the martyrdom of 1836 when the little Jewish Children where Martyred rather than commit the Kiddush Hashem of Conversion.
Very good Miss Jordan Sister Mary Alice simpered and stalked off in a clack of rosary beads and sensible shoes. Tommy Malrooney turned around in his seat which was diagonal from Serenas and stuck his tongue out at her while his shadow Danny Gilbert-Mason who sat behind him made kissy faces at her.
They thought she was a suck up and a know it all, and nothing made you an outcast quicker than either of those qualities. Serena narrowed her eyes and made a threatening fist at the two bullies letting them know in no uncertain terms that she was neither and wouldnt take their stupidity laying down. Tommy paled under his freckles and turned around again and Gil looked like he swallowed a bug. Both trouble makers had tasted her fist before and where not ready for a second helping of a knuckle sandwich.
Serena was generally well liked by the kids in school but it took a lot of laying low and more than a few fist fights in order to get that way. She was in little league and pee-wee football, she was a very good student which endeared her to her teachers and an observant catholic which put her in good standing with the penguins, but she was a four eyes and if she didnt take care to hide her real grades from her friends at school she had to lie and tell them she just got lucky I guess.
Sister Mary Alice made her way to the front of the classroom and continued her geography lesson rolling down the large map of Eastern Europe.
Knock, Knock, Knock. The door to the school room was opened and in walked Father Kerry whom escorted a very small, pale but very pretty blond little girl in front of him whom hugged her books to her chest and wore a bright pink backpack over her narrow shivering shoulders.
I have a new student for you Sister, Class this is Lizzy White, Lizzy this is your new Teacher Sister Mary Alice and your new classmates, Im sure everyone will get along just fine. Father Kerry said smiling; his bald spot on his head shining under the florescent lights making the ring of dishwater brown gray hair which ran around his head look even more minuscule under its harsh glare.
The little girl looked around the classroom and being so slight and so sickly looking it seemed to Serena that someone could knock her over with a feather, and that a kid as pretty and well dressed as she was wouldnt last to long in the Row if they didnt have someone to stand up for them.
The Row didnt appreciate weaklings, the Row was built with rough hands and strong backs, the Slavick, Irish and Italian stock had produced a good labor stock, and as Sacred Heart was the primary parochial school for all the good catholic families and pretty much everyone else in the neighborhood their children grew up with strong features, solid builds, and quick tempers. They wore hand-me-down clothes, off market shoes and canvas bags with someone elses name written on the backs.
This Girl wore nice clothes and spoke softly, she had a hot pink pencil box and new shoes with glitter in the laces. She even had one of those fancy Lisa designed trapper keepers! Serena doubted if the girl even went outside as white and pale as she was let alone if she knew how to throw a punch to protect herself. As Serenas dark blue eyes slipped away from the girl who took an empty seat in the front of the room they settled on her fellow classmates.
Despite her best efforts to befriend her classmates, there where some whom still wouldnt speak to Serena herself. Serenas father was African American and while he was a War Hero from the Vietnam War not everyone in the Row liked Sam D probably for no other reason other than his skin. Paragon City was not New York and the Row was not the Bronx, Sam D and his daughter stuck out.
While Sam wasnt Serenas biological father, another reason why the Single Father was such an oddity, but also Serena was dark complected herself, darker even than the Italian olive skin which was so prevalent in the neighborhood, but her hair was coal black and her eyes a dark sapphire blue and it had marked her out and set her apart from the other kids as sure as being openly smart would have done.
Serena watched the envy mingled with indignant pride that washed over some of the young faces, like shadows passing over the sun clouding their eyes with hate and mingling with scorn in their furrowed brow. This girl would not have an easy time of it if someone didnt watch out for her and Seri felt a stir of fear for the smaller girl and wanted to protect her. That was what Heroes did after all; protect those who cant protect themselves.
But what can I possibly do? Serena thought to herself, I cant beat everyone up who looks sideways at the girl can I? Its best to sit back and wait and see how she does for herself, Serena concluded, getting up at the ring of the bell for lunch they all began to file out into the hall.
Miss Jordan, where do you think your going? Sister Mary Alice asked her as she was about to leave the room.
To Lunch Sister, cant I go? Seri asked.
You know chewing gum and comic books are forbidden in my class, you will take your lunch here and you will stay after school this afternoon and clean the chalkboard and the erasers.
Yes Sister. Serena said sulkily sucking in her pouting lower lip while Tommy and Danny shoved by her out the door and she returned to her seat opening her Justice Maiden lunch box taking a bite of her wonder bread and bologna sandwich and opening her thermos filled with Tang with a sigh.
After school that afternoon after Serena had cleaned the chalkboard and kicked up a chalky white cloud which still hung like heavy curtains on her clothes and hair, she made her way home to the four story brick apartment building where she and Sam D made their home. Serena made herself a bowl of Statesman crunch and settled in wearing her padded Back Alley Brawler super silver boxing gloves to watch her afternoon cartoons while Leticia their next door neighbor who was supposed to watch Serena after school and make dinner but who mostly listened to her Walkman and talked to her boyfriend on the telephone sang Menudos Los Ultimos Heroes loudly and badly shaking her rump in a funny latin step around the Kitchen.
Leticia was an older girl in her late teens who despite being a bit boy crazy was a pretty good sitter over all and she taught Serena how to cook, all the cool new songs and dance steps to go along with them. She was an excellent cook and made the best Cuajitos en salsa in the world. When she was feeling particularly generous she would put up Seris long black hair in big crazy hair dos and take her down to the arcade on summer afternoons.
However Seri heard something above the tone deaf din of Leticias howling. Running to the southern facing window, and creeping out onto the fire escape Seri looked down to find the small blond haired girl surrounded by a group of the biggest, roughest and meanest kids in their class. They had bloodied her nose and torn the arm of her dress. She had scraped her knee and she was holding on to her stomach sobbing and crying out as they took turns kicking her and calling her names.
The alleyway that they had trapped her in ran along behind all of the buildings on the street, and Seri was lucky enough to note that the garbage truck hadnt yet stopped by to pick up the piles of trash bags, old mattresses and empty the dumpster. Making a plan which only momentarily diverted her mind she yelled out, Back Alley Beat down! before hoisting herself over the wrought iron balcony and falling two stories down and into the middle of the group of boys.
Serena, growled, punched and kicked her way into the center of the circle, leaving blackened eyes, bloody noses and busted balls in her wake. She held out her hand to the shaking blond girl who looked up at her with the widest beautiful blue eyes that Serena had ever seen and helped her to stand. Just then Kyle Durgin and Dickie Presman rushed her which she brought them both down by jumping up she and bringing her elbows down hard on their backs making them buckle and fall on their faces to the concrete.
Danny Gilbert-Mason tried sucker punching her, but Seri didnt feel it, instead she kicked him in the knee and head-butted him in the nose making him cry like a girl and limp off down to the street holding his nose and bleeding on to his Bill and Ted T-shirt.
Then Randy Braves Jr. waded in, he had been held back a year and was twice Seris size and mean as a pit-bull, but Seri didnt back down. She didnt have a hope for winning this fight, but she was resigned to taking the beating. Here to fore Serena had avoided getting in the way of one of Randy Jr.s fists but today it couldnt be helped, she just couldnt sit by and let this girl come to harm, she wouldnt get mistreated again, not ever again if Seri could help it.
So she took her stance, her feet apart and hands loose at her side, just like Sam D taught her and keeping her eyes on the dirt brown beads of Juniors own she waited for him to make the first move. They circled each other and Serena was aware that his reach was longer than hers, so she would wait for him to move into the body.
Junior didnt keep her waiting long, he caught her with a strong left hook to the side of her head which sloshed her brain around and left her ears ringing, however she used the momentum of her sideways fall to the earth and grasping the opportunity to take Juniors arm she pivoted with him beneath her. She took him down to the concrete below and soundly boxed his ears to keep him disoriented while she laid five square punches to his ribs, kidneys and face breaking his nose and laying it crooked along his face.
When he tried to retaliate by locking her in a bear hug and standing with her drove her over and over back first into the edge of the dumpster she refused to cry out and instead she drove her knee up between his legs and brought her entire weight down with her elbow onto his collarbone. With a sickening pop his collarbone on the right side dislocated and he dropped to her feet cursing in pain and dribbling blood on the ground.
"From this day forth, none of you shall lay a hand on her, or you have me to answer to, understood?" Serena said barely able to breath, glaring at the group of their classmates and even some she had called friend. They all nodded and even Randy Jr grumbled an acceptance and blubbered off, his right arm useless dangling at his side while his broken nose gushed blood down his face.
Serena kept her word, for seventeen years Serena Jordan and Elizabeth White have been the best of friends. Serena has been Lizzys protector and Hero from that day forward, saving her from Bullies and bad dates and Lizzy tending to Seris wounds when the fighting was done. When the two girls had reached puberty and their mutant super powers had emerged Serena was better able to take a punch and Lizzy was made healthy and could heal others with just a thought.
However Serenas greatest fear had finally come true, Lizzy was in the Rogue Isles, and Serena was unable to keep her safe. Who is to say that in that den of murderers, madmen and thieves that out of their multitude a few of them might not be so happy to see her.