Vaudevillain VV4, 4 - Backstory Brainstorming

VV4, 4 - Backstory Brainstorming

So, whats our first mission? Sweet Dream asked.

Should we do so backstory for our group or sothing? Dylan offered.

Eh, Oro said. I dont think we have to think about it that hard. This is more for fun, right? Lets just pick a Dr. Zlo quest and try it out.

Im ga, Dylan said.

Riptide pumped a fist. Yeah, lets do it dudes! Ti to beat up that villainous Dr. Zlo!

Dylan chuckled. So which city should we go to?

The Paris knockoff, Jack said. Lets watch Dr. Zlo steal the Eiffel tower.

Easy enough, Oro said. The guild has a teleporter service that anyone can use. Might take a bit of waiting though because of all the players that use it.

Jack bumped Dylan. We can wait around and create backstories then.

Ive already got mine done, dudes, Riptide said.

Let guess, Sweet Dream said with a smile. Youre a mutant.

Wrong! Riptide laughed. Touched a radioactive match and now Ive got its powers.

Sweet Dream scoffed. Im not wrong! Radioactivity mutates you, hence mutant.

Nope, Riptide teased. Completely wrong.

Dylan looked to his other friends as Sweet Dream and Riptide fell into a familiar pattern. Riptide would tease his girlfriend while she pouted, which only made him want to tease her more. Dylan was pretty sure it was on purpose at this point. Sweet Dream would have caught onto Riptides obvious ribbing by now.

Dylan, Oro, and Jack made their way toward the heroes guild, ignoring their friends flirting but making sure they followed. They walked through the front doors of the guild and Dylan, for a mont, got the itch to deface the property. But he wasnt a villain at the mont, and there was no way Approximo would intentionally ruin the guilds aesthetic.

Even if that aesthetic was a drab white and gold.

That was the thing about heroes headquarters, Dylan thought. They had to be symbols of peace and security for the populace, which always seed to lead to the sa color palette. Whites, golds, and silvers were the standout colors, with bronze showing up every once and a while. If the headquarters was in the city, it was often a skyscraper or a stadium-like building. Of course, if it was in the country, the headquarters would be an old mansion of so kind. That was the only ti the color sche really changed, more brick reds and ivy green.

It got Dylan thinking about the headquarters his super team would have. Hed want sothing that incorporated each of his friends thes. Sothing like a school campus might work best. There could be a sporting ground for Jack, a art installation of mirrors for Sweet Dream, a snazzy building for Oro, and Dylan could make a science building for his character. The only one who didnt quite fit was Riptide. There could be another art installation, but Dylan didnt want to overlap with Sweet Dream.

He kept thinking about the idea as they walked from room to room in the heroes guild. The team passed multiple NPC tutorial heroes, many of which reached out to the passing players to help guide them. Only those truly new to the ga paid them any mind, and even then it seed most people were crowding around certain characters.

I read this one gives you the best starting gear, Dylan overheard.

Only if youre going for a martial build, ca the reply.

Dylan raised an eyebrow, but put the talk out of his mind when they ca to the teleporter room. It was similar to the one in Skyline, a grand atrium filled with various circles. The main difference was a ticket line at the door. Players would take a ticket and watch a screen for their number.

Oh god, its like the DMV, Dylan said.

It moves a lot quicker than that, Oro replied.

The hero moved up to grab their ticket. Sweet Dream and Riptide had stopped their bickering and were now trying to out complint the others character. Jack rolled her eyes at them when Dylan looked over to her.

Once Oro ca back with their ticket, everyone moved to the side to wait for their number.

So, already got ideas? Jack asked when everyone settled.

Hm? Dylan said.

For your backstory.

Oh, yeah, Dylan answered. I figured Approximo is an alien sent on a cultural exchange of so kind. Debating on if he got the wrong planet, but Im sure I want him to completely mistranslate idioms.

Got any good ones already? Oro asked.

So, Dylan answered. You know the whole, sir is my father, call blank? Approximo thinks that sir literally ans father.

Jack giggled. Thats terrible.

Ive got more, Dylan said. Another I want to do is the di a dozen one.

How would you do that? Oro asked.

If I get a di in change Ill argue that I should have twelve, Dylan said.

No, thats so dumb, Jack laughed.

Dumb is the best part, Dylan laughed back. I cant wait to mistranslate raining cats and dogs.

Oro snorted. Now Im wondering if we shouldnt have picked powers based on idioms.

Im perfectly content with my power, Jack said. It turns out sport is a very broad category. Im pretty sure I can ride a horse now.

Do you not have a limit on it? Oro asked.

Jack shook her head. I dont think the ga thinks sports are dangerous enough to limit.

Oros eyes twinkled mischeviously. It looks like youll be our jack of all trades then.

Ha, ha, very funny, Jack said. Did you co up with a backstory for your character then?

Im thinking mafia goon turned hero, Oro said. Got my powers in a freak chemical accident or sothing. Went villain for a bit but got reford by a hero.

Oh, dude! Riptide cut in. It should be that did it. Wouldnt that be great? This punk rocker turns a mafia goon to a life of heroism.

Its interesting, at least, Oro said.

Yeah, I havent read about that happening before, Dylan said. Though a punk superhero is pretty rare.

Yeah punk is all about taking on the man, Jack said. And superheroes are totally the man.

Right on, Sweet Dream said.

Dude, that should be how we et up! Riptide said. Activism and all that.

Doesnt quite fit my character, Dylan said.

It does if you misinterpreted a protest or sothing, Jack said.

Dylan nodded. Yeah, that could work. What kind of protest?

Oh lets make it so kind of anti-mutant thing, Oro said. Like we were in Mutatholis going against the anti-mutant movent or sothing.

I could get behind that, Sweet Dream said. I can make my character a recent mutant that got kicked out of an anti-mutant house or sothing.

And I could be so sports prodigy that tested positive for the mutant gene, Jack said.

And Oro and I were in the city because we were about to play a gig! Riptide said.

Oro shook his head. Nope, Of a Kind would not be in a band.

Yeah, but I bet youd be the manager, dude, Riptide said. You can book us the venues while Firestarter plays the music.

We should all be a part of the band, Sweet Dream said. Ill play bass or sothing.

I could do drums, Jack said. Im pretty sure music competitions count as a sport.

I dont think Approximo would play an instrunt, Dylan said. But he could easily be the sound guy. Hes probably familiar with technology enough for it.

You could drive the van, too, Oro said.

Heck, with my power I could probably be the van, Dylan joked.

Dudes this is aweso! Riptide said. Punk rock band by day and heroes by night!

Everyone congratulated themselves on their collaborative backstory and continued small talk until the television flashed their ticket number.

Looks like our numbers up, Oro said.

Ti to rock the world! Riptide cheered.

Dylan laughed as they took the teleporter.