It’s so Easy When You’re Evil...

 If you aren’t humming Voltair’s “When You’re Evil” yet, I hope you will be once you watch the video because it’s the perfect tune to hum as you read my answers to June’s Beautiful People: Evil Edition! Mua ha ha ha ha he :}

For June’s edition I thought I’d take on Whowlaski’s left hand man, since I used the Good General for April’s Beautiful People.  Chester would be Whoalwski’s right hand man, however, it’s his twin, York, who gets that honor. Thankfully, York isn’t nearly as evil. He’s just the better assassin. Chester, on the other hand, is a slime ball who likes Wholwaski’s methods.

1. What is their motive?

Revenge against all those whom Chester feels caused him and his twin, York, to be abandoned at birth. This list includes the Gods, as he feels it's their fault that twins are looked upon as 'bad news'.

2. What are they prepared to do to get what they want?

Anything except be kind and considerate (which I'm not sure he's capable of) or harm his twin.

3. Are they evil to the core, or simply misunderstood?

Originally it annoyance at being misunderstanding, which soon turned to grudge because no one saw his true potential. Then, after some cunning words from Wholwaski, his grudge has turned to hatred against the world.

Ted Raimi is my pick to play
Chester and York

4. What was their past like? What about their childhood? Was there one defining moment that made them embrace their evil ways?

Chester and York were abandoned at birth (due to the stigma of having twins). They were found by the Nigiri (Gods’ assassin) who wanted to retire, so he brought the newborns to the Gods to be raised to take his position. York was supposed to be The replacement assassin, but he refused to exclude his twin. Though they learned side by side Chester’s was never as good as York. This means Chester always got the easier jobs. When he’s tries for the harder ones, York ends up having to fix his debacles. His pivotal moment was when, York switched assignments with him. That was the day Chester tried to assassinate Wholawski and found himself facing an equal, who didn't even believe in the Gods. It was then that Chester switched sides.

5. Now that they’re evil, have they turned their back on everyone, or is there still someone in their life that they care for? (Brother? Daughter? Love interest? Mother? Someone who is just as evil as they are?)

Wholawski may have replaced the Gods in Chester's heart, but the General couldn't replace his twin. York and Chester share that mysterious twin bond and even if Chester could take out York, he wouldn’t.

6. Do they like hugs?

No. Definitely not. (York says he'll take them for his brother, though he prefers high fives)

7. Are they plagued by something? (Nightmares, terrible thoughts?)

Chester is definitely plagued by the ever present threat that his actions, especially his failures, could be the one that angers Wholawski enough to hurt York.

8. Who are they more similar to: Gollum or Maleficent?

Good question, I’m going to with Gollum, because he’s not the sharpest sword of the bunch.

9. If your villain could have their choice of transportation what would it be?

Willow transport. Ever since he stopped working for the Gods he hasn’t been able to use Willow trees to teleport from one location to another. Now he has to use horses like normal ‘mortal’ men, which really irks him.

10. If you met your villain in the street, how afraid would you be? Are they evil enough to kill their creator?

No, Chester wouldn’t kill me, York won't let him. He's more likely to kidnap me and take me to  Wholawski, which would be a fate worse than death. So yes, I'd be afraid and hope York, Sarah or Hason would show up to save me.

And for the Bonus Question!

Does the dark side really have cookies?

No, not in this world. Baking cookies is as foreign to them as guns are.

(The web has amazing things - you can actually purchase gun cookie cutters. - How cookie is that? *snickers*)

Villains Can be Beautiful Too

I know I just answered some questions for Sarah and Hasón, my Phoenix Trilogy protagonists. But what about the antagonist? A tale can fall just as flat if the villain isn’t believable as it can when the hero isn’t. So for April’s edition of Beautiful People, posted last Sunday, I’m picking on General Jackobus Wholawski.

"Come into my fortress," said the General to the innocent lass.

Tim Curry– Read his Trade Mark.
He’s the perfect choice for playing Wholawski.

WARNING:

Wholawski's name was derived from Jack A. Hole, only he’s turned into a sadistic psychopath, which is reflected in his answers. Read them at your own risk!

1. What is their favorite type of shoes?
   Fur lined, leather, knee high boots, no questions about that. It gets cold up in the mountains of Azure and Wholawski likes to stay warm. Not to mention they are good armor on the practice field. Woe to anyone who manages to slice them; there’s a fine line between showing your skill and ending up on the rack when you spar the General.
2. Do they journal?
Even if he could write fluently, he wouldn’t. A journal would only give his enemies fuel to their fire and he would have been ousted sooner. No, for Whoalwski it is better to read theirs than to keep one of his own.
3. What’s their favorite animal?
A well seasoned and cooked one; particularly Vervellean steer. The man keeps no pets; hates cats and hunting dogs. The only reason he has a horse is because the beast is useful.
4. What does their average day look like?
   A typical day at his strong hold starts with Wholawski rising at the crack of dawn to practice sword play. After that, he eats breakfast and then spends some time in the dungeons. Usually, at least one new recruit from that morning practice will require racking. Then from late morning to late afternoon he pulls together all the information he’s gleaned from the past day to continue his quest for domination of Videra. When the sun starts setting, he goes back out for more sparring before picking one of the servant girls. If the girl is lucky, she’ll get to dine with him in the Great Hall, otherwise she’ll be a prisoner in his bedroom. If he’s had a really bad day, she may end up in the torture chamber.
   Wholwaski’s routine when traveling is much the same only the practice sessions are shorter and he does a lot of thinking while moving. He also forgoes the woman, unless they happen to be in town and one suits his purpose. Wenching is a reward for good performance on the road. Bad performance results in flogging; or worse.
5. Night owl or morning person? (Optional: What time do they usually wake up? Go to bed?)
   Up by dawn and in bed (but not asleep) by dark is his way of life. Then again, when your only other source of light is through candles and the rare oil lamp, it’s not hard to see why. Plus, Whoalwski is not a lazy man; he has a continent to conquer.
6. Do they have a sweet tooth?
   Yes, he does, though probably not as sweet as what we think of as sweet. Sugar and honey are high commodity items. Still, Wholwaski has developed a refined palette and likes savory food.
7. What colors are their bedroom?
   The anteroom is predominately the grey of stone, with yellowed parchment maps hung upon the walls. Separating this room from the bedroom is a red curtain. Made of woven wool, blood stains seem to disappear in it. In the bedroom the walls are hung with threadbare tapestries keeping the grey at bay. More red wool curtains hang over the windows and around the bed. All the better to hide his violent tendencies.
8. Can they cook?
   By the Gods’ Graces No! His mother did that for him and after he killed her, his sister took over the job. Now his sister just runs the kitchen whose wenches try to satisfy Wholawski’s many appetites.
9. What is their favorite household chore?
   Torturing ‘guests’ for information and slicing up sparring partners, if you want to count those. He’s rather fond of being mean to a fellow human beings and causing them to cower in fear. In his youth his favorite chose was chopping wood. While his ax sliced through the logs, he imagined they were someone’s body part.
10. Favorite kind of tea?
    Whoalwski doesn’t drink tea – not if he can help it – but if he has to present a facade to some Nobel or upper classman, he prefers Checkerberry (think wintergreen).

So what do you think? Is he a diabolical villain? I hope so, since that’s what he’s wants to be. There will be no redemption for him, though the Gods have their use for his ghost. Just as I have a use for BeautifulPeople. I think it shall become a regular monthly occurrence.

:} Cathryn