Tell my story

[WMDBASSPLAYER]

Here is Hothead before her final transformation into Firebird. I’ll email you the unfiltered HM version of Firebird.

[The Atomic Punk]

WMD, thanks, I did receive the original in my e-mail. I’ll write something for all three.

CHEZ TESSA
Original Design by WMDBASSPLAYER; Story by The Atomic Punk

“Hur mår du, Mister Adolvsson? Quite an interesting exhibit, I must say.”

“I am doing well. Tack, Miss Dorna, it was quite a success in Rome. It pleases that you opened your world-renowned gallery to display my collection.”

“Enchantée, please call me ‘Tessa.’ ‘Miss Dorna’ and ‘Contessa’ are too stuffy. My home has a more casual atmosphere where artists can shed convention and enjoy simpler things. Care for a glass of Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame? The vintage is 1998. Please tell me about this particular piece. She is so vibrant.”

“Thank you, Tessa. Please call me ‘Andekung.’ You could say that alcohol does have a role in my work. This particular beauty is ‘Drottning.’ She is the queen of my exhibit. Are you interested in purchasing?”

“Possibly. Tell me, Andekung, what was your inspiration for such a small yet delicate ouevre? The contrasts are so vibrant. She has a rich texture.”

“Well, I could not settle on just a photograph. It would not have done the queen justice. I was travelling in Germany when I heard rumors of elves and sprites haunting the Black Forest. Being of curious mind and searching for my muse, I spent many weeks hunting… I mean, hiking there.”

“Yes, such rumors and the natural beauty of the Schwarzwald would spark the imagination. What of the texture and color?”

“Sigh… those are a result of my carelessness. I am no lepidopterist. The setting was ruined. I decided to dry her so she would be flat against the canvas. However, I had used too much salt in the pickling process. Gently, I scraped what I could. Then I painted her red and black because her lovely green skin and soft blue wings were discolored. I could not recreate such beauty.”

“Wait? That is a real fairy that you captured, embalmed, and glued to a picture frame?”

“In non-poetic terms, yes.”

“Dear guests, forgive my rude decision, as of now this exhibit is closed. Mister Adolvsson, you are no longer welcome in my home.”

[WMDBASSPLAYER]

WOW! That took a very unexpectedly creepy turn! But I like it! Never occurred to me to look at her as a fairy.

[The Atomic Punk]

Thanks, WMD. I’m kind of stuck on your Firebird / Hothead as a fairy. As info, the freeware Paint.Net is really good at compressing files.

HOTHEAD
Original Character by WMDBASSPLAYER; Story by The Atomic Punk

“What do you think, Professor? Readings are stable. Temperature is constant. We’re no longer talking candlepower. I think we did it.”

Professor Sumner tapped the glass and smiled, “Did you see that? She jumped! She’s responsive. We should transfer her to the nursery.”

Gary, Sumner’s graduate assistant, finished typing the preliminary test results. His final entry: “It’s a girl!”

He turned to the Professor: “Project: Hothead is a success!”

“So far, so good, Gary,” she said with her trademark reservations. Lydia Sumner did not want to celebrate too soon. She had been burned more than once during this experiment – figuratively and literally. “Careful with the containment vessel.”

“She’s so cute!” Gary said as if he were the proud father of a newborn. He cradled the 12-inch tall jar as if it were a baby. “I can’t believe that we were able to customize those wings. They turned out wonderful. Think that she will be able to fly with them?”

“They are purely cosmetic. Something to test the integrity of the naphthenic and aliphatic carboxylic acids. Our little napalm mix is what’s keeping her stable,” the Professor noted as she unlocked the glass habitat situated in the center of the laboratory.

A lone white table stood in the middle of the sterile thirty-by-thirty room. A smooth board leaned against the table. Black hemispheres housing cameras protruded from every corner of the ceiling and floor. Gary set the containment vessel on the table. He attached a special release spring so it would open automatically after Professor Sumner and he were out of the nursery.

The two scientists exited the nursery. Moments later, the vessel opened. The flames rushed from the release of pressure like a backdraft. The eight-inch tall newborn creature stumbled as she made her first steps onto the table. Though she had no pupils, her look of confusion was easy to see. Within minutes, she was walking upright.

“Our baby is growing up so fast!” Gary exclaimed.

Professor Sumner chuckled and continued to jot down observations. Project: Hothead looked down at the floor from different sides of the table until she spotted the ramp. She tilted her head side-to-side a few times almost like a child curious as to how to use it to get to the floor. Finally, she sat and slid down the ramp.

“Wheeeeeee!” she squealed.

Professor Sumner and Gary were flabbergasted. They had merely given her a humanoid shell not the ability to vocalize. Even then, the decision to make her female was determined by a coin flip.

The scientists stared at each and both said: “Unbelievable!”

“Jinx, you owe me a soda,” Sumner said waving her pen at Gary.

The two turned back to the nursery. They could not see Hothead. Thinking that she might be on another side of the table, they ran around the glass enclosure. When they reached the door, it was slightly ajar. Professor Sumner had forgot to lock the door!

Frantically, they searched the rest of the laboratory. Gary’s nose twitched. He could smell something burning. He rushed to the source of the smoke. Wads of discarded paper that missed the trash can were on fire. Gary stomped on them quickly to extinguish the flames. Then he heard Professor Sumner shout from behind.

“There she is! Right in the middle of the floor,” she yelled. “Quick, grab the jar!”

Before Gary could rush to the table, Hothead looked at him then turned to Professor Sumner. Then she scanned the entire room. She looked up and smiled. With a last look at the scientists, Hothead jumped into the air and flew into a ventilation shaft.

“Oh, crap!” Professor Sumner yelled.

“Baby, come back!” Gary cried.

[WMDBASSPLAYER]

Hahaha! So much for the “purely cosmetic” wings! You took this character in such a far out direction from my original concept. I saw a fire manipulating mutant who constantly changed appearance as she matured and gained more control of her power. Your “flame sprite” idea is wonderful! If you want to do more with her, feel free! BTW, I’ll give Paint.net a look. I’ve been using myPhotoEdit wnd it’s OK for my purposes so far in that I really don’t know what I’m doing! But it’s a fun process.

[prswirve]

Let’s see if you can throw these to your Firebird story… upto you for the names, etc…:)

[The Atomic Punk]

@WMDBASSPLAYER: I hope you don’t abandon your original concept for Hothead / Firebird. That being said… thanks for loaning her to me for a little longer.

@prswirve: Actually, I have the whole Firebird movie finalized… in my head, with no industry contacts, and no financial backing. The target audience would be females ages 13 – 45 (possibly a mother-daughter movie night).

Still working on the cast and soundtrack. There would definitely be cameos and cash for everyone involved. My pick for Xaphan would be our very own barbario. Picture Xaphan when he firsts attacks the crowd. Everyone scrambles for cover except a street musician playing for tips. He’s the first to see Firebird charging Xaphan. He looks to the sky, raises his sunglasses, grins, and says: “Oh, this is gonna be good!” Guess who that is?

I should be able to fit your latest characters into the script. If not, there’s always the sequel.

[prswirve]

Wow that’s sooo cool man. I’d definitely wanna watch it when it’s done.

[Harlekin]

Another Character for the Aschewelt world. Always need a tsundere in every anime.

First is the starting scene for here, the second is her story part. I don’t give her name, i personally knew you give your best for give more life for her.

1.

2. Ultima_Ratio

[The Atomic Punk]

@H@RLEK(!)N: Csodálatos!

I came up with this design for WMDBASSPLAYER’s “Hothead.”

HOTHEAD: Chapter 2
Inspired by WMDBASSPLAYER’s Original Character

Every fire alarm in the building was blaring. The overhead fire extinguishers activated. Professor Sumner cursed herself for being so careless. This was the ultimate failure of Project: Hothead. She darted to her laptop. Hothead’s nanochip “brain” featured a GPS tracker. The search returned no trace.

Gary panicked, “How are we going to find her? Oh, man, what if Carlsbad finds out?”

“I believe that I already have,” said an angry voice behind the assistant.

Gary turned to the lab’s entrance. There stood University President Albert Carlsbad. His normally pressed and crisp suit soaked by the artificial rain.

“Come with me, both of you,” he commanded.

Lydia grabbed her notes and laptop then stuffed them in her travel pack. She slung it over her right shoulder and grabbed Gary’s arm with her left hand. Sumner dragged Gary into the slippery hallway.

The walk across campus was uncomfortably silent. The only thing the scientists could do was follow Carlsbad’s wet, shiny bald head like a beacon. When they reached the University President’s office, Carlsbad politely held the door for them to enter first. He bowed and smiled.

Standing behind Carlsbad’s desk was a military officer. Professor Sumner and Gary flinched when they heard Carlsbad slam the door behind them. Sumner recognized the officer as General Bettis from the nearby army base. The General slammed his fist hard against the desk. Gary could swear that smoke was coming out of his ears.

“Dammit, what happened now?” demanded the General.

Gary was the first to speak, “I’m sorry, sir, you are…”

“Shut up, Gary,” muttered Professor Sumner. “I’ll do the talking.”

“General Bettis, the incubator malfunctioned. It must have surged, causing all the alarms and extinguishers to go off.”

“That’s not what the cameras show,” growled President Carlsbad. “We saw Project: Hothead escape! Where is it?”

Professor Sumner stuttered as she reached for her laptop, “We don’t know… the GPS failed. Look at this reading. The temperature must have short-circuited the nanochip.”

“We’re not abandoning this project. I will personally see to the capture of the rogue experiment,” General Bettis said. “You two will remain on the job. This time no cute little faeries. However, we do want something that can fly. That will increase the versatility of this weapon. You want something from a children’s book? How about… a freaking dragon!”

Gary spoke up, “Wait… weapon… what’s going on?”

General Bettis and President Carlsbad both shouted, “You want off this project?”

“Jinx, you… owe him… a soda,” Professor Sumner injected meekly.

President Carlsbad ordered the scientists to return to the laboratory, help with the clean up, then get back to work. Professor Sumner fumed. Her anger turned into a plan. If the General wants a dragon, a dragon he shall get.

[The Atomic Punk]

Concluding the Three-Part Introduction of Hothead.

HOTHEAD: Chapter 3
Original Character by WMDBASSPLAYER; Story by The Atomic Punk

General Bettis paced around the glass “nursery.” Inside, a lizard-like creature the size of a rat was flying frantically, occasionally bumping into the transparent walls. Now and then it would spit fire at its captors. The General turned to the three civilians.

“Impressive, but why is it so damn small?” scowled the General.

Professor Sumner put on her glasses and grabbed her laptop. She went to show the General the various procedures that went into creating the new species. General Bettis ignored her. He nodded to University President Carlsbad and the two exited the laboratory.

Gary stepped to Professor Sumner’s side, “Why are we working on this project, again? So we can create new life that the military will use to kill?”

Sumner glared at her assistant, “You and the high horse you rode in on, Gary. Military-funding has advanced technology for decades.”

She turned her attention back to the creature in the nursery. Jinx continued to bang into the walls and spit fire. It was obvious that he wanted out. Feeling confident that the nursery and lab were secure, Sumner and Gary went to lunch. The young idealist wanted to debate ethics. Professor Sumner wanted a chicken sandwich. Finally, she relented a little.

Sumner explained to Gary that Project: Hothead was to create an artificial intelligence that could infiltrate enemy facilities and detonate itself. Literally, it was a walking bomb. The nanochip brain was programmed so Hothead could make tactical decisions and be elusive. That’s how she was able to escape. Sumner was convinced that the trash can fire was a diversion not an accident. In fact, there had been no sign of Hothead for months.

That is until one day, there was a house fire near the campus. All five members of the family escaped including two dogs. Local news interviewed the survivors. They all spoke of a tiny angel who flew into their home and absorbed most of the flames. Then she motioned for the family to follow her out of the house, which they did.

Professor Sumner took note. Hothead seemed to act contrary to her programmed suicide mission. General Bettis and President Carlsbad had many questions for Sumner. There had been no real progress with the tiny “firebird” that Gary named Jinx. It stayed in the nursery, continuing to bang the walls and spit fire. There was no nanochip brain. Gary’s expertise helped link the amino acid chains but the result was a wild animal.

General Bettis and President Carlsbad were in the laboratory waiting for Sumner’s latest test results and progress report. The three, and Gary, were discussing options for another experiment. Bettis demanded a new nanochip. Carlsbad wanted faster results. Gary wanted “peaceful uses” for the project as demonstrated by Hothead’s rescue. Sumner wanted another chicken sandwich.

The firebird continued to bang the walls. Suddenly, he stopped. This caused the four to stop arguing. There was a calm silence. They looked into the nursery where Jinx was sitting on the floor. He made a loud clucking noise almost like a chicken. His eyes looked over the humans toward the ceiling. Gary turned his head. Inside the vent, there was a soft glow as if something was on fire. A soft coo could be heard from the vent. Jinx replied with his own coo.

Suddenly, the grate blew off the vent and out flew Hothead. She was engulfed in flames. She circled the glass enclosure several times, buzzing between the startled humans while doing so. General Bettis tried to grab her from the air but he burned his hands doing so. In seeming frustration, Hothead landed on the floor then began to push against the glass. The intensity of her heat was melting a hole in the cage. Jinx rushed to meet her and began spewing a stream of fire in the same area.

Just as the hole opened, Jinx quit the nursery. In the meantime, Carlsbad had found the fire extinguisher, He sprayed Hothead and the firebird. Fire alarms blared and the extinguishers began spraying the room. When the cloud from the fire extinguisher dissipated, Hothead and Jinx had disappeared.

General Bettis and President Carlsbad were in disbelief. Simultaneously, they yelled: “Son of a… !”

“Jinx, you owe him a soda,” Professor Sumner said with a laugh.

[WMDBASSPLAYER]

THAT WAS AWESOME! I really would like more! I’m starting to like your fire-sprite concept more than my flame mutant. That being said, for prs’s Firebird movie, I’d like to contribute. I’m a musician and I actually do make most of my living street performing and could provide some video of me working.

[prswirve]

You have a really wide imagination and you have the gift of capturing ours as well. Of all the stories you’ve done in this thread, i wonder how you can keep all inside your head. You are amazing!

[The Atomic Punk]

@WMDBASSPLAYER said:

THAT WAS AWESOME! I really would like more! I’m starting to like your fire-sprite concept more than my flame mutant. That being said, for prs’s Firebird movie, I’d like to contribute. I’m a musician and I actually do make most of my living street performing and could provide some video of me working.

Who do you think I had in mind when I set up that scene?

@prswirve said:

You have a really wide imagination and you have the gift of capturing ours as well. Of all the stories you’ve done in this thread, i wonder how you can keep all inside your head. You are amazing!

Thanks for the compliment. I like to write but can’t draw. That’s what led me to HeroMachine. I like to see my characters on paper not just in my imagination. It’s fun to be “opposite.” Instead of someone describing a character then I draw it, they present a character and I write it. For the most part, I know what’s in my head. Input from others stimulates creativity.

[WMDBASSPLAYER]

You’re appealing to my professional vanity, my friend!

[Author]

Posts