Welcome to my first character interview, which is taking place after the events of No More Heroes! I managed to find Faye (which wasn’t easy), one of the Vigilantes and I’ll be interviewing her today. She’s one of the people that most intrigued me and I’m looking forward to following her story when book 2 comes out.
Hi Faye! It’s great to be able to sit down and talk with you. How are you doing?
How am I doing? That sure is a question. Do you want to ask me that again when I haven’t been hiding in a hole in the ground for the last three days?
…Sorry, that was crass. Six months of being [REDACTED] will do that to you, I guess. Let me try again.
Hi, Sinead. It’s nice to be able to talk to someone again. Considering what I’ve been through lately, things could be worse. I mean, they could also be a whole lot better, but whatever. Next question.
Faye or Faraday? Which do you prefer? And how did you get the name Faraday?
Preference depends on when you ask. Faye is my real name – one my parents gave me. Or one of them, at least. If you meet me during the day or at a gig, that’s probably how I’ll introduce myself.
Faraday is my Vigilante name – my Alias. Aliases are usually reserved for Vig use, but seeing as you managed to track me down in this place, I’d say you’ve earned the right to use it. You’ll have to tell me how you did that later, by the way.
As for where my Alias came from, it’s pretty straightforward. The upshot of my Ability is that it basically turns me into a human Faraday cage, so when it came to picking a name… I liked it. My crew did too. But who knows – maybe Aliases are like internet handles. Give it a few years and wait for the embarrassment to set in.
I’m going to give you one word, and tell me what your first thoughts are: Shockwave.
Ha! Oh my god. That hotshot? Was he the one that sent you? No, wait – don’t tell me. I want to bask in the mental image of him sending a messenger for a rematch.
Sorry, Faye. This isn’t a rematch summons.
No? Shame. I think a part of me would have enjoyed that. I won’t lie, I did our last bout. The guy had style. I mean he was a fool for sure, but a brave one at least. Thank God for that – wouldn’t have been as much fun for me otherwise.
What makes you happy?
Oh, lots of things. Lots of things. But the one thing I’ve been thinking about most, lately… it’s a moment. One I’ve shared with my crew many times. Not as Vigs, but as Team Robinson. We’re doing a gig and the venue’s full. The music’s loud and the crowd’s good. Cavall’s on stage, Shaan and Anton are in the wings, and I’m on lights and sound. I can feel the music and the energy in the air, and everything’s big and bright. I look over at my friends, they look over back at me…
That right there. That’s my happiness. Things aren’t always perfect between us, but I love those guys to death – and I’ll fight tooth and nail to be able to have them back by my side again.
What do you want to accomplish in your life?
My usual reply for this is that I’m going to become the next synthpop superstar and usurp Cavall from his EDM throne, but… Shoot. I can’t even joke about that right now.
Honestly, I’m just a mess of short term goals at the moment. It’s all I can afford to think about. Get to safety. Save my friends. Settle some scores along the way. Then get the hell out of Dodge and lie low for a while. Once the dust’s settled, maybe Team Robinson can get back on the road and find that spark of happiness again… but not before [REDACTED] get what’s coming to them.
The antonym to heroes is villians. Is it so simple?
Only insofar as the opposite of love is hate.
Would you care to illuminate?
The opposite of love is just not giving a damn. If passion is your marker for a ‘hero’, your binary sucks. If it’s good outcomes, it’s flawed. If it’s good actions, then surprise – there’s not a single Vig out there who hasn’t done questionable things for good reasons. Trespassing, picking fights, destroying public property, whatever. So forget your reductive hero/villain dichotomy. It’s broken as hell. Come nighttime, there’s just us Vigilantes. And the only antonym to that is a civilian.
Author profile
Michelle Kan is an independent filmmaker/videographer and writer based in Wellington, New Zealand. NO MORE HEROES is her debut novel and was initially written during her first National Novel Writing Month in 2014.
Michelle is passionate about the arts, exploring her cultural heritage through her creative output, and is a lover of graphic novels, video games, action/martial arts films and parkour – all profound influences which helped her shape the world and characters of NO MORE HEROES.
Michelle can be found on Facebook and Twitter.
If this character interview spiked your interest in the book, you’re in luck. It’s already been published. You can find my review here. Check out the book and other reviews on Goodreads.
The peaceful nights are kept under the clandestine and watchful eye of young, gifted Vigilantes the world over. But a sudden rash of Vigilante deaths heralds the arrival of a new and unfamiliar enemy – one whose motive is as unclear as their identity. Someone or something seems determined to disturb the peace, and they’re going straight for the watchmen to do it. In a city where those who are gifted make up their own rules, who will step forward when the threat of a swift end is real and there stands so little to gain?
No More Heroes is an urban fantasy action/adventure novel about young, would-be heroes who get more than they bargained for when they delve deeper into a world they never knew they were a part of. Featuring a diverse cast of players, discord, a mystery to be solved, plenty of literary action and high-stakes battles, No More Heroes is a story about self-belief and camaraderie, persistence in the face of trials, and what it means to be the best version of yourself.
Featured image on the right: credited to Michelle Kan (2017).
Huntress of Diverse Books 
This sounds fun! I really must get my hands on this 😀
LikeLike
I’m sure I’ve told you and if not, the e-book version is on sale!
LikeLike