Beautiful People- May {Villain Edition}

This month, I'll be answering questions about a character villain from the latest idea stewing around in my head--Drift, a slight retelling of the original The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen. I don't have major plot points or anything yet, but I do have a basic idea of who my version of the sea witch/the Little Mermaid's Father {a.k.a. Scylla}is. 

Alright, enough chatter-- let's get on to the questions!

1. What is their motive? 

Believe it or not, to make her daughter {the MC, (name to be decided on)} happy. The problem is she's a little off her rocker. What she thinks makes her daughter happy is really constricting her internal and external goals. Also, she's obsessed with being the best Queen she can be. Her husband, Erik, was the previous ruler, and died when fishermen mistook him for a large fish and attempted to reel him in, giving him several fatal wounds which he perished to early the next morning. Knowing of his wife's {then only mildly} obsessive personality, he made her promise to make sure their daughter and the Deep were happy and safe.

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

Kill. Maim. Ruin. Anything she perceives to be a danger to the MC and/or the Deep will be terminated in the most painful sense of the word.  Now, when things are fine, she rules with a strict but {fairly...} kind hand, actually making the Deep a more peaceful, protected place. For a time.

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

A combination of both. Her motives can be misunderstood, which isn't surprising if you note how twisted the outcomes are when thrust into reality.

4. What was their past like? What about their childhood? Was there one defining moment that made them embrace their evil ways?She was born to the Duke and Duchess of a mermaid duchy in the English Channel. She'd been in an arranged marriage with Erik since the age of five, and her entire childhood then after was geared towards marrying him. The entirety of her maids, nannies and governesses were female, and relatives that had sons older than her or around her age were discouraged from visiting. This was to prevent even the slightest idea that she was destined for anyone but Erik. 

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?)

Main character. Not to spoil something that's barely tangible, but after a turning point in the novel, her already obsessive, controlling definition of love goes from bad to worse.  

6. Do they like hugs?

She has no opinion on them, as she has received few in her lifetime.

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

The fear that she might fail to fulfill her promise to Erik. Once you live your entire life for someone, and s/he's gone, you can't help but still cling onto the one thing that lets you carry on. That, and she's had the phrase Mother knows best drilled into her head since childhood. She think's it will apply perfectly to the MC as well... and that's the problem.

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

I had no idea who Gollum was till I googled it and realized it was that creepy weird guy one writer joked you might end up eventually looking like if you keep at it. So... *checks Wikipedia* Maleficent.

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

Hmnn, she prefers to swim, but it really depends on the situation.  

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

It would factor on how she even got this far into land, what mood she's in and a ton of other factors. But she'd probably give me a really dirty look.

11. Does the darkside really have cookies?

Yep, but only for 'villains with the rank of Head Villain, Evil Genius or above. Wannabe Villains and Henchmen get Rich Tea biscuit', as Charley put it. ;) 

Well, that was interesting. I hope you've had as much fun reading this as I did writing it!

write on,
searching-for-a-name-for-MC