#fleshing out

OKAY, so I’ve always been more of a “show don’t tell because what are words” kind of person, so I tracked down that DeviantArt scars meme that Hannah used with her depiction of Phantom’s scars. But I also figured, y’know, nice to know kinda what you’re looking at, so I’m also gonna talk a little bit about them (and maybe write a drabble or two about them some time down the road).

Anyway, (working from the top down) he has a scar just to the side of his left eyebrow from one of many brawls--a lucky blow split the skin pretty good, and it took two stitches to close the wound.

On his chest, on the right side, is a tattoo of the phrase Волко́в боя́ться — в лес не ходи́ть (Volkov boyat'sa — v les ne khodit), which is a Russian proverb. It translates directly into “To fear the wolves -- to not go into the woods,” which is roughly equivalent to the English proverb of “Face your fears”. It was one of the first things Vasily actually said to him, and (as cliche as it may have been) it stuck with him, enough so that he got it inked a few years later.

On his left shoulder blade is a small grouping of tattooed points--one for each of his kills under Vasily, with the middle and largest signifying his first. (He’s been considering adding to it on his own for kills done under the Company, maybe in a different color, but he hasn’t come down on either side of the line yet.)

Wrapped around his right forearm, just under his elbow, is a tattoo of (another) Russian proverb:  Из двух зол выбира́ют ме́ньшее (Iz dvukh zol vybirayut men'sheye), which translates to “[They] choose the lesser of two evils”. He got it tattooed after he started working for Vasily as a reminder of the choice he made to help his family, even if it did come at the cost of parts of himself.

Also on his right forearm, below the tattoo, is a laceration scar--the result of a reflex defensive move that kept a rather pointy knife from finding a fleshier part of him to embed itself in. He has a scar on his left hip from a similar incident (a different guy with a different knife and worse aim).

He has scars on his left forearm from one of his earlier kills--late enough in his career working for Vasily for him to have grown more comfortable with the idea of taking a life, but early enough to have not learned better about properly incapacitating someone--who bit him trying to get away.

tagged by @mayflydecember

Let’s have some fun and talk about our OCs! If tagged, pick the best/most developed OC you have and fill this out!

Rules:

Post these rules.

Answer the questions about your OC below. Go ahead and give more info than just a one-word response!

Tag at least 5 people! (If you don’t have an OC, you should make one and then fill this out *winky face*). You don’t have to be tagged to do this, if you want to do it, tag me so I can see! :D

Questions:

By sheer volume of written content, I think Midnight actually wins the title of most developed, so imma do this for him, cuz why not

OC’s name: Adam Wheeler / Midnight Massacre Fandom (if any): Danger Days Age: We said timeline’s at like, 2027, right? So I think that puts him at 47? Somewhere around there. (What an old fart) Occupation: Hitman, I guess? Hired gun? Reaper? Something along those lines, I guess. (He hasn’t been picking up much work lately, in any case.)

1: Any nicknames?

He’s never really had any like, common nicknames. The only nickname I can ever think of someone giving him is Angel calling him Middy, and that was just the one time (so far, anyway).

2: What is ‘home’ to your OC?

As of, what, six, seven months ago, I don’t think he’s felt at home anywhere. Before that, I’d definitely say the bar/club. Like, it was basically home once he warmed up to Raven, and just continued to be even after it switched hands. He’s got something like ten years worth of time spent there, and most of his memories of the place have been good.

3: Favorite food and drink?

For ease of I-don’t-wanna-get-into-desert-foods-and-drinks, I’m gonna say favorite food is probably like, a stroganoff type thing, because it’s the sort of meal his mom would’ve made that wasn’t super often, but she’d make enough for the week, and made her own sauce and stuff, so it reminds him of her cooking. And then drink... I don’t know if he really has a favorite. If we’re talking alcohol, probably something stiff and simple, which, as far as he’s concerned, boils down to either like, just bourbon in a glass or something like a Godfather.

4: Any scars/birthmarks?

No noteworthy birthmarks, but he’s picked up his fair share of scars. I still haven’t worked out all the specifics of what all his career has subjected him to, but I’m almost certain he’s got a number of scars from various knife wounds, and he’s been shot at least once (though whether it was back during his detective days of actual guns with bullets or his drac days of laser guns, I’m not sure of yet). And then of course there’s the handful from various kitchen and mechanic work accidents, which are generally like, on his fingers.

5: What does your OC do in his/her free time?

He’s got a lot of free time these days, it seems. It’s generally divvied up spending some time trying to get more memories back--which entails lots of reading through any old journals he’s got lying around, or flipping through the journal of memories he’s been making, and the occasional nap--and general chores, like making sure his guns and motorcycle are well maintained, his supplies are well-stocked, and keeping up with patrol movements and weather patterns.

Beyond that, he might hit up a “shooting range” type spot to keep in practice, or, in more recent weeks, do something stupid, like poke around drac camps while the dracs are away, or go looking for something City-owned and dangerous in the hopes that maybe it’s interesting or something he can mess up in some way. Otherwise, he occasionally sits and drinks and/or looks for conversation on the radio.

6: When does your OC think killing is ok?

Midnight and killing has always been such a weird/interesting topic to cover, because like, his moral compass has always been in something of flux. Once he got into homicide, he reached this weird state where like, there was a part of him that was just waiting for the other shoe to drop, and some perp to force his hand and make him discharge his weapon. There were some weird cases, especially in the tense few years leading up the Wars finally making landfall so to speak in the States, and more than once he had a perp try to kill him. It was this awkward limbo state of balancing this “killing is considered both legally and morally wrong, and should always be a punishable offence” mindset that came with being a homicide detective with this “you may have to shoot someone who would kill you first if given the chance” mindset that came with going after murderers.

And then came being “transferred” onto the City’s policing force, and suddenly there was this brand new set of rules and regs and laws and expectations being forcing onto seasoned cops. And he had a hard time balancing the limbo of the homicide detective mindset with this new “use lethal force to quash rioting forces if necessary”. But he adjusted, slowly but surely, until he’d basically become desensitized to the expectations set upon dracs. And with that came this new, shifting mindset toward lethal force being an acceptable means to an end (which was what started to land him promotions, and was really indicative of a big shift in his morals and character--and also that like, he’s not a fundamentally good person, could arguably have the roots of a lawful evil type). After that was the adjustments going into being an Exterminator, and, to some extent, he lost a lot of the internal moral lines drawn between acceptable and unacceptable use of lethal force.

I doubt he would ever used lethal force in an everyday type setting unless provoked. (So, like, he doesn’t always have his finger on the trigger, so to speak, but if you tried to rob a desert storefront, I doubt he’d think twice before putting a laser in you.) But at the same time, within a year of leaving the City, he turned to contract killing to engage a part of himself that had been conditioned to crave satisfaction from a violent altercation (or a kill).

What I’m getting at is like, it’s hard to pin down what he actually views as acceptable and unacceptable, especially because there was somewhere down the line where he started using the societal morals as guidelines instead of his own, because there was a part of him that recognized that he could no longer trust his own moral compass.

7: Biggest fear?

At this point in time? Losing himself, maybe. I haven’t been writing a lot about it, but he’s still grappling with the notion that like, a few more weeks, and a lot of what made him him would have been buried by reeducation. And there’s nothing he could’ve done about it. (I’ve got a few things planned out and some AU pieces I’ve written bits for that show how that changes him, or how he’d approach or respond to the same (or a similar) situation. The planned out bits will show up in the RP eventually, but if you (the reader) have any interest in the AU bits, you can hit me up and I might do some revisions and post them.)

8: What does your OC think is his/her biggest accomplishment?

I don’t actually know if he has something he considers a big accomplishment. He’s never really been one to brag, or set clear goals for himself, so it’s hard to tell.

9: How clean/tidy is your OC?

He’s always been pretty tidy. Like that saying, “A place for everything, and everything in it’s place,” or however it goes. His system of organization may look a little chaotic sometimes, or not make sense to anyone who doesn’t think like he does, or isn’t familiar with how he compartmentalizes and arranges things, but he’s always had systems to his living and working spaces.

10: Favorite smell?

I don’t know if he’s got a favorite smell, so much as ones that make him feel nostalgic and sad--because anything that comes to mind is something he associates with Mary. Like a shampoo she used a lot, or the laundry detergent she insisted they buy, that sort of thing. (Though he doesn’t encounter those smells much anymore, living in the desert.)

I suppose there’s one or two incenses, or the smell of sage, that’s become something of a comfort--or at least had been in the past--because he associates it with Omens.

11: What does your OC smell like?

These days, probably a mixture of gun and motor oil (because what better way to waste your days than continuously working over your finite collection of guns, or fine-tuning your fine-tuned motorcycle, right?), sweat, and probably faintly of gun powder (he does only own the one jacket, after all, and he’s generally, y’know, wearing it).

12: What kind of clothing is your OC the most comfortable in?

Back when he was living in the City, jeans or slacks, a button-up shirt, and maybe a coat (he always had one for riding his motorcycle--which he rode right up until something like 2016, when superiors started paying him more notice and he started to feel the need for the extra barrier on the road and he finally got a car, and then picked back up when he left the City in early 2018--but whether or not he wore it once he got into the office depended on the weather). Living in the desert, the slacks were dropped, and button-ups traded in for tees (preferably plain and more neutral in color).

13: What do your OC’s living quarters look like?

He’s got this little cabin-y/shack set up out in the middle of nowhere in the desert, basically. One of the windows is tightly boarded up, with a tarp on the inside to protect the interior from the elements, and the other is perpetually dusty and hidden behind ratty looking maybe-once-blue curtains.

The back (north) wall has two rifles and a shotgun hung on it (there were two more rifles hung up, but he’s since stored them, back when he’d been bitten by the sudden urge to up and leave), and shoved against it is a chest full of ammunition, and next to that his chest of need-to-be-protected-from-the-elements supplies, like a spare blanket and a thicker coat, that kind of thing. In the north-western corner is the infamous bookcase I’m always mentioning in drabbles, where he keeps everything from actual books to journals to business and contact ledgers to the pictures of Mary (and the engagement ring). In the north-eastern corner are two taller, thinner cardboard boxes he keeps rolled up maps and the like in.

The western wall has the dusty window, and under it, his desk (always strewn with some project or another--currently writing materials and journals for his memory-regaining journey--and which has a gun haphazardly strapped to the underside of it, because he’s a little paranoid and a lot overly-cautious). The eastern wall has the boarded and tarp-ed up window, and under it is his bed (the thing he must have traded something pricey for, because it’s got a frame and everything, and the springs aren’t shot).

The door has three locks--one of which he added, two of which are deadbolts--and sitting right beside is is generally an old aluminum baseball bat he found (which he keeps there as a just in case all-else fails precaution).

It looks lived in, but rarely disorderly. He usually makes the bed and makes sure the chair at his desk is pushed in, and the chests locked up when he’s not going through them.

14: Is your OC impulsive?

Not particularly often. I mean, he’s had spur of the moment decisions where like, looking back on it, yeah, not the best play, but overall I wouldn’t say that’s a hallmark of his character. He’s generally pretty careful about planning things out, and if it looks like a situation won’t end with the outcome he’d planned for, if he can, he’ll either abort before it starts or bail instead of waiting to see how badly it’ll blow up in his face.

15: Most treasured possession?

I wanna say the engagement ring he bought for Mary, if only because like, it would be the most devastating loss for him, out of everything he owns. It’s probably got the most emotional significance to him, save for the few pictures of her that he has, as opposed to like, a radio or clothes or his motorcycle, which he can replace.

16: What does your OC consider to be good entertainment?

He doesn’t do a whole lot for his own entertainment, or, at least, nothing that doesn’t have a backing somewhere else. (Like going to a gym, which like, yeah, he gets some level of enjoyment and reward out of a good spar, but he’s also there to keep in shape.)

I guess the only habit he really has that’s got rooting in keeping himself entertained is conversing with people over the radio. He’s grown pretty fond of his little conversations with Tech, and doesn’t mind needling City folk every now and then, if he’s in a good mood.

17: Most noticeable physical characteristic?

His height, maybe? We’ve never really discussed if there’s been a noticeable average height in the desert, or what it might be (I’d hazard a little shorter than the modern average, given malnutrition and other environmental factors that would limit growth), but I figure anyone about six foot starts to garner a little more attention. That, or maybe his build, given his age. He still looks quite fit, despite being almost fifty, and I’m sure that’s turned a few heads (especially when he grows out his facial hair, which has taken on more of the salt and pepper coloring).

18: You OC is going out somewhere. Where is he/she going and what time is it?

Probably out trading for supplies. Which would mean he’s off to one of the traveling markets, most likely, and make it early afternoon, when there’s still plenty of light out, but the sun isn’t at it’s peak point in the sky anymore, so it’s not quite so hot.

19: Did your OC enjoy his/her childhood?

I’d say he did. I mean, it was pretty uneventful, but he had a close relationship with his mom, and all things considered, it was a pretty good childhood.

20: What would your OC die for?

These days, I don’t know if that list really has anyone one it. (He hasn’t quite gotten back enough of his memories of Omens for the starboy to find his way back on that list, and Midnight hasn’t grown to trust Detonator enough to be willing to lay down his life for the guy yet, so.)

EDIT: Re-answering, as I have misread the question. What would he die for. (I’ve never really thought about this before.) It’s hard to say whether or not he has an abstract concept he’d be willing to die for, especially because he’s never been a fan of causes, and definitely isn’t currently. And, I mean, that’s what really differentiates dying while doing something, and consciously acknowledging that “yes, this is a thing that has a notable likelihood of getting me killed, but I’m going to do it anyway, because it’s the right thing to do/important to me”.

I think he had things in the past. Like, as a cop, he was willing to lay his life down in the line of duty, whether it was to protect his partner, or the victim, or just because it was between him kicking it and something arguably worse for other people. And there were echoed aspects of that train of thought in working for the Company.

And before reeducation--this is more of a who than a what--he’d stepped into harm’s way to help a friend, or someone he’d taken under his wing. And there was still some of the “dying in the line of duty” mentality that came along with going out of his way to mess with Company constructs in the desert, where he was okay with taking the risk that he could get himself killed, because he could be helping people a lot less prepared to run across an organized attack or trap of some kind.

21: What does it take to earn your OC’s respect?

It depends on how you meet him, and what kind of first impression you make. If you speak confidently (but not cockily) to your own abilities, or demonstrate basic common sense, he’s probably at least going to treat you fairly, if not respect you on the basis that until you do something to warrant not having it, everyone deserves respect.

22: Pet peeves?

His biggest pet peeve is probably being interrupted in the middle of giving the rundown of a job, or (what boils down to) a debriefing. It’s generally significantly more irritating for him that most things because he doesn’t need to take the time to explain this information, but he was usually prompted to, and pushed to dumb it down to some degree if he’s talking to someone who isn’t familiar to the verbal shorthand of law enforcement or security-type work.

Or, alternatively, the fastest way to tick him off is make comments based on the assumption that he is as he appears to be--some daft, aging man who doesn’t quite belong. It implies a lot of things about him that aren’t true, and it bothers the hell out of him to be talked down to by someone half his age with perceivably less life experience. Bonus points if it has something to do with the nuanced workings of the City.

23: How forgiving is your OC?

It depends on what there is to forgive. Smaller things he’s more quick to forgive on his own, or if you apologize, but wrong him and his, and he’s much more likely to hold a grudge.

24: What does your OC sleep in?

A bed.

Kidding. (I mean, he doesn’t not sleep in a bed, but I know that’s not what the question’s geared toward.) I’ve honestly never really thought about it. A light t-shirt, probably. And cotton shorts, maybe?

25: Biggest secret?

I feel like he’s got two that fall into this category, though like, one isn’t so much an intentional secret as it is something that’s too painful to think or talk about, so very few people know about that facet of his life.

The secret he actually expends effort keeping and would probably be killed for if it got out--not that it’s the most well-kept secret, given that he has some Nosy Nancys for rescuers (though they at least kept it pretty quiet)--is his history as an Exterminator. Like, that’s the kind of stuff ‘joys don’t wait to hear you out about before shooting you dead where you stand. So, not exactly the kind of thing he’s gonna be sharing any time soon.

But Mary has also turned into something of a secret--and arguably one of his best kept, out of all of his secrets. There are maybe three or four people in the whole desert who could say they know her name and have a general idea of what their relationship was, and even fewer who know that her death pushed him over the edge and drove him out of the City. It’s not that he’s intentionally withholding information about her, but more that it’s still very painful for him to recall memories of her. (Especially because there will always be a part of him that blames himself for her death.)

But he checked all the other boxes, and I figure PR is always clawing for the decision to be made so they can start running out new information for the public’s consumption about who’s next up in defending their Perfect City™, so he was pulled in for corrections.

But like, he was grieving at the time, right, because he’d just lost Mary, who he was quite literally going to propose to as soon as she got back from her run, and it was a really hard blow to his morale. And I imagine the Company took that into account, when they were prepping, but I feel like it’s really hard to know exactly how that kind of grief effects the mind, and it’s even harder to fully compensate for. But they went through the process, and they successfully made the corrections they wanted--namely pulling some of that penchant for mercy and lack of drive to kill out of the way--only, his mind couldn’t access it properly.

It wasn’t until his grief started to subside some, which was after he’d defected, following his learning that the City had had Mary killed on assignment, that the corrections really started to kick in. And that was about the time he started reaching for a gun about as often as he’d reach for a bottle of liquor.

Those alterations probably kept him from derailing to a much darker mindset, because he has such terrible coping skills, but it was also what drove him (and still drives him) into semi-dangerous to super dangerous situations, because now he’s got this urge (that sometimes comes out of no where) to get himself into something violent.