Last words.
What about them, you ask? Well, it's interesting what some people are able to cough up when they know that they're about to bite it. Of course, some people don't know that they're going to die, so oftentimes it's just nonsense and possibly cliché, like your everyday scream of practical uselessness and whatnot, but there truly are some hidden gems out there.
I wish the first word I ever said was the word 'quote,' so right before I die I could say 'unquote'.
Ah, Steven Wright! Yes, that is an excellent way to go out, even if someone else has probably done it ahead of you. No offense, but hey, at least it could be so much worse.
Why are you doing this to me? I just want to go home!
Then there's this example. As last words go...not very memorable.
...Those were actually someone's last words? Hah, that poor sap never stood a chance—
Wait, that poor sap is— ahahahaha! Of course, I should have expected that. Clearly not the best last words to go out on, huh?
...Yeah, whatever, I'll get to the point.
Ahem. Normally, most people don't even get to reflect on their last words. It spares them the mind-crushing embarrassment of having to live with the fact they said them.
After all, last words are for people who can't say anything after they've died. No takebacks, no refunds.
There's just one teensy-weensy, itty-bitty little difference here.
You're not quite dead, are you?
Not even close. I still want to live.
Perfect. Then please, come this way.
I want to play a game with you. I think you'll remember what it is.
A/N:
Strictly speaking, I think this is a horrible idea for me to tackle given the fact that I'm technically supposed to be attached to at least three different stories on this site, and as such, I'm really not supposed to be free to do something like this.
But of course, when have I ever listened to myself as a voice of reason?
Okay, let's address the elephant in the room: this is a very special SYOC, one that could either go on to be spectacularly mediocre, or blow up in my face. This all depends on whether or not my plans for this story pan out in the way I want them to, especially with the first and most important twist of them all.
You see, this is a Mutual Killing Game for the dead.
I'm looking for OC submissions, but not just any OCs. The character you submit has to meet these requirements:
1) They must have participated in a Mutual Killing Game before the events of this story. You can create a character from a self-created MKG from scratch, but a preferred option (both for you and me) is that you give me the name of the Mutual Killing Game they last appeared in. Yes, this story is probably the only one in the site history (no pun intended) to encourage reused OCs, and that's precisely why I'm afraid this could probably be a horrible idea, but hey. My story, my problems - you get the dubious honour of watching me sink or swim, firsthand.
2) They must have died in said past Mutual Killing Game. This doesn't apply to just the innocent - they could have been victimized, blackened, responsible for killing someone and getting killed immediately after (a la Yamada), executed outside of a trial for whatever reason (a la Mukuro) or even the mastermind of their Mutual Killing Game! Yes, you can literally submit your Mastermind for a second chance to Mastermind all over again! ...Then again, how many stories have even reached the point where their mastermind has been executed?
3) They must be at least somewhat realistic. I know, this is an unspoken rule, but take a step back to consider what they could bring to the plot. If they have clear motivations, a strong personality, and a willingness to grow, congratulations, they'll now get a second chance to tie up any loose ends they couldn't settle before their untimely demise. On the other hand, if they are overly cliche to the point of 'hope is good despair is evil and I'm right all the time sore wa chigau yo'...Well, do you think I'll like them? If so, press your luck and hope Nagito smiles upon thee.
4) They must not be Todd Dunham. This rule is simple and nothing to worry about. As far as you and me are concerned, you don't know who Todd Dunham is, nor what he has done to merit a spot on this. Clear? Alright.
Because I am a sucker for listing examples, I'll give you guys a few.
Haruna Takahashi - Super High School Level Soccer Player
Story they appeared in: Encore of Despair
Status: Victim (Chapter 1)
Her creator, Shiranai Atsune, can submit her (with her original form adapted to fill in the blanks on the new one) without any need for change. Unify, being the author of Encore of Despair, can also submit her, as he technically also owns her, having featured her in-story. Other authors are free to submit her too, but chances are she won't be the same Haruna.
Mozume Saito - Super High School Level Foley Artist
Story they appeared in: -
Status: Mastermind (Chapter 6)
An example of a vanilla OC. You can create one using the form, and make up the circumstances that led to their death in their respective Mutual Killing Game. Of course, this means more work for the both of us, but I welcome it wholeheartedly. Heck, my own character is probably going to be a vanilla OC, so if you just want to create a whole new character that died once before, be my guest!
To recap, both character submitters and the SYOC authors who received them can promote an OC that died once before in a past Mutual Killing Game if they so please. Authors, do try to get permission from your submitters beforehand if you do so, though. It's always polite to check-in with your clientele.
So, what you've all been waiting for - the form. Please fill out all portions marked with an asterisk (*) - the others you can leave blank for me to fill out, though you should really fill those if you have anything special to say. It will also be on my profile page for easy copy-pasting. Oh, and leave out the brackets.
Story they last appeared in: *(if any, leave blank otherwise; can be a forum or tumblr RP as well)
:General Info:
Name: * (please specify which is first and which is last; due to the MKGs potentially happening worldwide, any naming convention is fine by me)
Nickname(s): (if any)
Talent: * (Try to avoid canon talents - I'll accept under special circumstances, but you should go with original ones anyways)
Age (at time of death): *
Gender: * (all genders are accepted, but please specify clearly, and do your research if necessary; I myself will balance out the roster as I see fit)
Nationality/Ethnicity: *
Height: *
Build: * (Long and lanky? Stocky? The loli-type? Or just regular?)
:Appearance:
Physical Appearance: * (do remember to include eye and hair colour and hairstyle; heterochromia is not encouraged, but will be considered)
Clothing: * (I strongly recommend keeping this practical and suited to your character - a Drag Racer would not wear a skimpy bikini, nor would a Basketball Player be wearing several layers of jackets)
Presentation: (Do they carry themselves with confidence? Shrink into one corner and meep? Calmly disappear and reappear only when needed?)
Physical Anomalies: * (any amputations/scars/tattoos, etc.)
Special Accessories: (if any; make sure they can be carried around on a daily basis and do not impede the character in any way)
:Mental:
Personality: * (at least five lines; try to give a fair assessment of how they would act in normal/different situations, and their strengths/weaknesses)
Speech Pattern(s): (Do they have an accent? Do they have an aversion to speaking loudly? Do they suffer from sepsiquadalian loquaciousness?)
Habits: (Do they bite their fingers? Twiddle their thumbs? Pick their nose when no one's looking?)
Fears: * (What are they scared of? What causes them to scream?)
Likes: * (around three)
Dislikes: * (around three)
Life Goals:
People They Would Get Along With: * (Self-explanatory)
People They Would Not Get Along With: * (Self-explanatory)
Openness to Romance: * (they don't necessarily have to be fully open to romance for a 'Yes' - they could be open but not actively pursuing a relationship, or already in a previous relationship at time of death)
Sexual Orientation/People They Would Look For In A Relationship: (I will figure out if your character ends up in a romantic relationship [again or otherwise] or not - don't expect both halves of the ship to survive to the end, however)
Other: (Anything you'd like to add regarding their personality?)
:Biography:
History: * (at least five lines; try to explain the events behind your character's journey in attaining their Super High School Level Talent)
Mutual Killing Game History: * (Not required if they come from a source I can read, like another fanfiction. Otherwise, describe how they ended up dead as a direct result of the Mutual Killing Game they participated in)
Known Family Members: (if any, in the format below)
[Name of family member] - [Relation to OC] - [Age]: (Short description)
Hobbies: (if any)
Secrets: (not mandatory, but try to give at least one; surely your character has to have done something they're not proud of, right?)
:DR Role:
Reaction to Corpse: * (Will they scream? Silently collapse? Or applaud?!)
Investigation Role: * (How will your character act during investigation? Will they insist on searching in groups? Lead the charge?)
Class Trial Role: * (Will they bring up new ideas? Go with the flow? Factcheck everything? Or be Hagakure-level useless even?)
Rate In Order Of Likelihood: * (Victim, Killer, Mastermind, Survivor, Protagonist)
Are You Comfortable With Them Masterminding?: * (Yes/No)
Possible Reasons For Murder: (aside from the whole 'coming back to life thing', obviously)
Ideas for their Execution: (I'll come up with one for you no matter what, but if you have any great ideas, be my guest)
:Miscellaneous Trivia:
Sample Quotes: * (Give me an idea of how your character speaks, or how they would greet someone)
Trial Quotes (just for fun; examples given in the brackets, courtesy of the SHSL Chessmaster; do keep it short and sweet, and if possible, punny)
I disagree: (Aren't you making a huge oversight?)
I agree: (That's the best response in this case.)
I think it's this: (It's a variation of this, I believe.)
Crossed Swords Begin: (I'll pin your words down!)
Crossed Swords Finisher: (I'll skewer your argument straight through!)
I've figured it out: (Eureka, I've got it!)
Panic Talk Action Finisher (e.g. Hajime's 'This is the end!'): (Checkmate!)
Climax Inference Ender: (Game, set, and match. Well played, [name], but you've lost!)
Accusing Someone: (I'm afraid I must call check on you...Surely you can offer a counterargument...Right, [Name]?)
Anything else?: (Really, was this form not clear enough? Wwwwwwww)
Anything you want to say to me directly?: (all manner of insults welcome; after all, I did force you through this form O u O)
Do remember that they will all retain memories of their past in their original Mutual Killing Game, and will likely retain mental scars of any injuries they received prior to/during their death.
I will select the mastermind at random from the pool presented to me. The protagonist, on the other hand, will be the student I feel suits the role best - and in all likelihood, I'll be going with my character, to be perfectly honest. But if you can impress me...We'll see. :3
Also, as always, I cannot guarantee that I'll stick 100% to your character the way you intended for them to be portrayed. Liberties have to be taken sometimes, but I'll do my best to spotlight them how they were meant to be spotlighted and all.
Oh yes, and a maximum of two OCs per person. Can't have a monopoly on the twenty spots occurring, now can we?
And finally, I hope you have as much fun during the process as I have had making this ridiculously, well, ridiculous idea of a fanfic come to life. I'm graciously thankful to this whole fandom for giving me the inspiration to attempt this, even if I still think this is a bad idea. To that, I say, carpe diem!
I'm looking forward to your OCs! Remember, you can create them from scratch, or you can repurpose them from the last SYOC they were in! Happy trails, everyone!
UPDATE [21/03/16]: Aaaaaaaand the roster is complete! Jeez louise, guys, you sure didn't make it easy for me - thirty-two applications had to be whittled down to nineteen, and it got really hard to decide on the last few spots. Heck, it would have stayed at nineteen if not for a very special application that just had to be accepted. As such, I knocked off a certain enigma and voila, I have my cast! Thank you all so much for applying and taking interest in this story, and I hope that not being in it will not affect you as a reader. In any case, cheers!
P.S. Speaking of which...what happened to my OC, you ask? Why was their talent such a heavily-guarded secret? So many things I wanted to reveal about them, but I guess you'll never know the answers to that...
ACCEPTED OCS SO FAR:
1. Super High School Level Cosplayer - fangirlandotaku
2. Super High School Level Screenwriter - Criminal Limes
3. Super High School Level Observer - arandomcanadian
4. Super High School Level Journalist - PSISomething
5. Super High School Level Gunslinger - dashunterman
6. Super High School Level Geisha - SqualinaTralala
7. Super High School Level Ninja - Daichi Yamazaki
8. Super High School Level Maskmaker - Shadowclanwarrior
9. Super High School Level Sharpshooter - Revolution921
10. Super High School Level Traveler - HeroineOfDarkness
11. Super High School Level Bodyguard - Penumbro
12. Super High School Level Con Artist - CaptainQuackin
13. Super High School Level Actor - VioElcina
14. Super High School Level Actress - Fujisaki-kun
15. Super High School Level Memory Bank - IfTimeWasStill
16. Super High School Level Knight - Gazooki
17. Super High School Level Codebreaker - Strange Nothing
18. Super High School Level Typographist - 50Zoned
19. Super High School Level Tactician - CrimsonSkyTamer
20. Super High School Level Street Artist - TheRoseShadow21
"It's almost time for them to wake up...Mana, let's go check up on the negative control. I hope that your claims that his personality has not been affected are not unfounded."
"Of course they aren't, daddy. I wouldn't let such a pure heart be maligned in any way. Not this time. I promise."