ACTRESS SQUARE Preview: Volume 2! · 7:55pm Feb 9th, 2017
Liées par le ciel et la terre, Actress Aérienne et Actress Koto. Together, we are partners in every sense of the word!
I've been going to town on designing the civilian forms the Actresses use to keep their wings hidden, so I thought another preview post was in order. Since the last one had the basic plot before the profiles, this one will talk about battle mechanics and flesh out the other characters.
While many Actresses can form a fighting group, most often, they fight in duos or trios. A "partnership" consisting of two is the most common, both in and out of President Tsukimura's control. While partners are assigned in Star Corporations (the company that makes Actresses), freed Actresses choose their own based on friendship, similar power levels, or occasionally romantic attraction. It's often a very close relationship that is truly a life partnership--or at least a long lasting one. In a particularly dire situation, they can "project," or exchange a small amount of power with another Actress. While often done with partners, Actresses can project with anyone they choose, and while the two Actresses maintain their bodies (unlike "fusion" magic in other franchises), they take on aspects of the other Actress, such as similar costume color, costume theme, or hairstyle.
Actresses still within President Tsukimura's control fight out of necessity--whether they're kidnapped humans or specially designed clones, they are first and foremost magical child soldiers to be used in his plot to depose the other presidents. Escaped Actresses in the Square still battle, but for entirely different purposes. Originally, the Square was a hotspot for Faerie Star infiltration--Faerie Stars being brainwashed, specialized fighters for quashing the Actresses' safe zone. However, Square Actresses have kept their area fairly safe from these threats for years, with limited numbers of Faerie Stars coming in and being quickly cured by cheap, easily available anti-brainwashing weapons. It no longer takes the entire population to control them, and those Actresses who do fight do so under the name of heroism (or to provide an outlet for the battle instincts Hassow cultivated).
The Faerie Stars, however, were also common prey for an extremist rebel group known as the Firebrands, who have magic-draining abilities. Magic-draining was originally a very rare spell, but as a way of keeping her members under her thumb, Firebrand leader Alarice spread a variation of it throughout the organization, which left many Firebrands dependent on magic to survive (like changelings and love, except too much drainage can kill an Actress). As such, the rapid decrease in the Faerie Star population, followed by the increase of the Firebrands' own form of brainwashed Actresses (Chars), has led to a very territorial sort of fighting between those who wish to cure Faerie Stars and those who wish to consume their magic. Firebrands have now begun to attack cured Faerie Stars and regular Actresses not involved in the fights, and current anti-brainwashing tech does not work on Chars. (Some have been freed from Firebrand control, but retain magic-draining instincts and there is no consistent cure.)
And with that long infodump, here are the remaining profiles!
Chise (Ame): An ex-Faerie Star and helper Actress in the Post, a sort of messenger service that also provides basic magical items to new and old Actresses alike. While she claims to be a neutral party, she admires the Nebula members for fighting the Firebrands (who captured her sister years ago) and helps Omega with her magic training. Very kind, motherly, and can read the emotions of others. Due to this ability, she can be overbearing at times, pushing her friends to tell her what's wrong before they're really ready. Turned into an Actress sometime in her early elementary school years. Her theme color is white, and her costume is Victorian-themed. Uses ice magic in battle, but prefers her psychic link.
Xing (Lueur): Chise's older sister, currently held captive by the Firebrands. Is kept alive so they can continually harvest magic from her. Before being captured, she enjoyed rock music and wanted to become a singer. Has Chise's mentoring skills, but is much more energetic about it than her sister's gentler way of helping people. She's great at magic, but has a relatively weak body, which is where Chise balanced her out as her partner. Turned into an Actress sometime in her late elementary school years. Her theme color is orange, and her costume is '80s-themed. Fire magic user.
Koto: President Tsukimura's former bodyguard, who lacks an Actress name. A clone who has never known the human world, and who was originally trained to believe she was emotionless. However, when her one real friend, an Actress created from a human named Stelle, was captured and Charred by the Firebrands on a recon mission, she slowly began to unravel. Opposed the Nebula at first under President Tsukimura's command, but during an assassination attempt, she saw Stelle's Char form, Nuage, and defended her against orders. The Nebula took her in when she was abandoned, and while she is slowly starting to show emotion, she's still awkward and fearful about others seeing it. Was always an Actress. Her theme color is brown, and her costume is military-themed. Earth magic user.
Stelle (Aerienne): A celebrated hero within the Actress community for challenging Firebrand leader Alarice to a fight. While she lost it and was never seen again, her sense of honor about saving Faerie Stars became a battle cry for rebels to "souviens Aerienne" ("remember Aerienne"). However, instead of dying, she was forced into becoming Nuage, one of the worst of all Chars. Through Nebula interference, she was freed several years later, but the guilt of her magic-draining instinct still plagues her. While she's often depressive and fearful of hurting other Actresses, in better times, she hides it under joking and liveliness, and is not the best at confessing her feelings. Deeply curious about the human world, and is developing feelings for her constant childhood companion, Koto. Was turned into an Actress within a week of her birth and has never known her birth family. Her theme colors are green and silver, and her costume is dance-themed. Air magic user.
Kaine (Épine): A mysterious, yet very dramatic Actress who fought on President Tsukimura's side alongside Koto. While she's a clone, her power level appears to match Valka's, which ranks her among the most powerful created. Unlike Koto, she stays with President Tsukimura, as she is engaged to him. Occasionally feels doubt about being boxed into this role and having to watch her fiancé commit terrible crimes for an unknown purpose, and even questions his own motives in creating her. Was always an Actress. Her theme color is black, and her costume is Gothic Lolita-themed. Dark magic user.
Alarice: One of the first ten Actresses created from humans, who was always jealous of Valka's magic level, and stopped at nothing to achieve similar levels on her own terms. Was considered the weakest of the ten before President Tsukimura granted her the exclusive ability to drain magic. While he hoped to use her as an assassin against rebels, she quickly came to consume so much magic that the resources needed to keep her alive were no longer worth it. Rather than leaving herself to die in the Square, she started the Firebrand group to stir up rebellion against the president and to tempt other Actresses into her grasp, giving her a constant power supply. At the present day of the story, disguises herself as an athlete in an attempt to turn Omega into a particularly powerful Char and presents herself as a misunderstood Actress who has to spark brutal fights just to feel her magical hunger. Has many, many other hidden agendas as the story's secondary antagonist, though. Was turned into an Actress sometime in her early teens, and refuses to use her original Actress name. Her theme color is brownish/rust red, and her costume is steampunk-themed. Was once an iron/metal magic user, but now possesses a far wide arsenal of varied magic. Is second-most powerful Actress after Valka.
All these girls other than Alarice will be reformed/will join the rebellion. And now that this whole long preview's done, who's your favorite now?
@Quillamore Not that I mind such posts like these. However, you know you'll have people saying things like: "You shouldn't be posting this or any other kind of idea (be it fanfiction or original work) on sites like this. Someone might look at these ideas, try to steal them and then take credit for themselves."
I'm not saying that this could happen, I'd just thought to give you a heads up, just in case. That said, what would be your response to such a statement?
4417675
I guess I trust my fans enough to give them a preview? But I'm willing to fight for my ideas, too.
Plus, I doubt people could get these ideas into a publisher before I could.
4417690 Was this your first idea for an original work?
What's more, your idea has made me rethink how I'd want to approach my own. Believe it or not, I have something similar to what you've proposed as it does involve magical girl elements.
If I may ask, how open would you be to exchanging ideas, back and forth? Perhaps we could help each other out, somehow.
4419205
I feel like that could be a good idea.
And, while I had several ideas for original works as a kid, this is my first modern, developed one.
4419474 Hmm. You're a better person than I am. Like you, I've had ideas for lots of works. however, it's only in recent years that they've begun to develop more and more. Some are still in development, while others are fully formed (but have yet to be put to paper).
Where do you think would be the best place for us to exchange ideas? Would you like to do this via PM?
Or could we do this over other points of contact, like email (if you're interested, that is)?
4420594
PM would probably be best.
4420780 Somewhat related question: Was this idea conceived before or after you started creating fanfiction based on MLP: FiM?
4476322
Before. The very bare basics were conceived around 2011 or so, right when MLP itself started. I didn't write ponyfic until 2014.
4476370 For me, one of my original ideas had been conceived right around the time of FiM (Season 2's) end and before the beginning of Season 3.
While I've been there since FiM's start in 2010, I'm extremely late (when it comes to creating content). I'm still working on a few scripts concerning FiM (with two of them concerning some prominent names within the fandom) and at least one Adult-level story (when it comes to fanfiction, at least).
When you saw MLP: FiM for the first time, what went through your mind when you watched it?