Anti-heroes
A popular trope in CP literature and in SH serials in general is the anti-hero. In UL, it can be argued Sawyer and Juliana are antiheroes, in IVB Slate is an antihero.
In Veritas I think most of them fall under the type IV 'What the Hell' antihero. In my own head they are the types of protagonist you aren't supposed to like, they aren't good people and don't try to be. However the fact that you can relate to them is what gives them the hero part of it.
Alan
As you all know I tend to base my characters of real life events/persons and inspirations. Juliana is a mixture of inspiration from Jonestown/LG15, the IVB's are based off the Awareness Ribbons and foundations.
Well, Alan's story-- this whole section really-- is based on Patty Hearst. The girl who was trapped in a closet for 57 days and became part of a terrorist organization and is a convicted felon. She gets Stockholm Syndrome and I was kind of interested in this concept. SS is played with a little in UL but, I wanted to make a story of it. Hearst was ironically enough 19 at the time she was taken which I just discovered.
The original Veritas concept (before it even became a CP story) was about a girl who is taken and falls in love with her captor and then has to decide to turn him in or not but, I couldn't find enough story for that ... and Lile fleshed it out better.
Also, some people imagined early on that Alan was gay but he is a heterosexual.
The Dorys
Oh, the Dorys . . . they were originally very minor characters and the story was mostly Alan and Sara but, I felt like they added something. I had thought out this story and concept characters without even really acknowledging the "squickness" of Jean and Minnow's relationship.
However, it is relevant to know that Jean is gay. So, no there is nothing between he and Sara. Minnow is bisexual and she is also a nymphomaniac. That's why she comes on to Alan so strong. It's not the cybernetics that makes Alan attracted to Minnow its the drugs she gives him. The drugs are a mix of pain relief and libido boosters which is why they are always 'in the mood" after they take them.
Some people comment that Alan was using her sexually but, she was using him. When Alan spent so much time building the bomb with Sara she went back to spending so much time with Jean. The "sex scenes" in the serial even though they are from Alans POV are all about Minnow. Alan never describes feeling any type of pleasure during the sex because the sex is not about him, it's about her. That's not to say the loving feeling between Minnow and Alan weren't real because they do care for each other.
As far as Jean and Minnow's relationship goes, In my head they don't have sexual intercourse if anything they probably have sexual intracourse. Not only is Jean just very close to her, he doesn't like that Minnow sleeps with other men all the time. He'd rather she deal with her addiction with him than with strangers. Kind of the whole parents who perfer you drink in the house instead of in the street.
I think I made the squickiness worse.
!Disclaimer !*This is all concepts for a story that is about the gritty and unpleasent in life and is complete fiction. I can't abdicate this in real life. If Erik and I have kids we would NEVER let them act like the characters we write. They'd be on a short leash*
The Graces & Saint
I will say in the beginning Sara's whole name was Sara Grace but, somehow it didn't work so Grace is actually her (very ironic) last name.
As I think I've mentioned Sara was supposed to be a strong female, takes no BS character but, I also wanted her to be really likeable in a tough love kind of way. She is the model antihero because she is driven for vengeance against the big bad (the government) for killing her husband but, they way she does it is not exactly nice
As for Luce he was a main character from the start and in the original story he had a much bigger part. I imagine he will have a larger role in part 2.
As for Saint, he is asexual so, there is nothing between him and Sara either. They are just really close. Saint is an original concept based on something I saw I just can't remember what.
Foreshadowing and other plot devices
Mrs. Gray
Alan's mother's name, Ciele is supposed to be like the French words for sky. So, her name is Gray Skies. That's why Alan remembers her after sitting outside and watching the gray sky.
Character Evolution
Alan is slowly pulled into this crapsack world but,keeps his innocence and moral integrity for most of it. The real breaking point for him is in chapter 9 when Minnow is going into withdrawal and Alan sleeps with her against her consent. He has lost his grasp a little bit here and it officially makes him one of them. The only thing that pulls him out a little is Allison.
Phyrric Victory
I guess Lile and I are reading from the same book (trope page . . . ?) with this one. I always knew Minnow and Saint were going to die because Sara's win was going to be a Phyrric victory. When you win but, lose everything important to you in the mix.
Inspirations !
Here are some more picspirations :
Inspiration for Allison, the pale skinned brunette. I wanted to find a picture of Cosgrove not smiling and this was the best one. Plus, it has an innocence.
I saw this image and thought of Minnow Dory. I have no idea why.
Inspirtaion for Mrs. Gray. This is one of Hugh Hefners girlfriends I'm not sure which one, I saw her picture and thought she fit the image.Part II
No, I don't have Part II (thought I'd rip that band-aid)
But, I am so excited about it--I have a lot planned out. I am even gearing up for part 3. There will only be 3 parts so, don't worry I'm not trying to write anything to epic.
Finally, Story Inspirations
I wanted to conclude this post with the quotes that inspired this whole story. I had no plot before but, I found this quotes and they became the theme.
"Transhumanism is about how technology will eventually help us overcome the problems that have, up until now, been endemic to human nature. Cyberpunk is about how technology won't."
— Stephenls of RPG.Net, on the relation between transhumanism and cyberpunk
"Anything that can be done to a rat can be done to a human being. And we can do most anything to rats. This is a hard thing to think about, but it's the truth. It won't go away because we cover our eyes. THAT is cyberpunk."
— Bruce Sterling (one of William Gibsons writing partners)
A purpose of human life, no matter who is controlling it, is to love whoever is around to be loved.
Kurt Vonnegut, Sirens of Titan
. . . the street finds its own uses for things
- Unatribbuted
and just a quote I found kind of funny was that Kurt Vunnegut smoked Pall Malls everyday and he referred to it as "classy way to commit suicide"
I will be back to you guys soon, better and more inspired than ever !
