Blindside
<infobox> <title source="name"><default>Blindside</default></title>
<image source="Image"></image> <image source="image"></image> <group><header>Basic Information</header> <label>Civilian Name</label> <label>Aliases</label> <label>Gender</label><default>Unknown</default> <label>Death</label> <label>Age</label><default>Unknown</default> <label>Post-timeskip</label> <label>Ward start</label> <label>Relations</label> <label>Family</label></group> <group><header>Professional Status</header> <label>Occupation</label> <label>Classification</label> <label>Unique Features</label> <label>Alignment</label>
<label>Status</label><format><label>Location</label> <label>Teams</label> <label>Previous Team(s)</label> <label>Base of Operations</label></group> <group><header>First Appearance</header> <label>Worm Debut</label> <label>Ward Debut</label></group> </infobox>
Blindside is a villain finding a place in a new world.
Personality & Skills
Blindside possesses some skill in martial arts.<ref name="II1.4e3">I couldn’t hit them with my hand, I couldn’t point at them, but if I swung my hand at them, elbow jutting out-
I felt muscles seize, locking up. Blindside caught my arm, pushing me in the direction I’d already been going, and shoved me to the ground. Martial art.
The blunt instrument-I saw the tip of a metal bat- struck down toward my shin.
[...]
Elbows didn’t work either.
The muscles in my arm and shoulder twitched with the lingering strain or sprain that had gone with the interruption. - excerpt from Daybreak 1.4</ref><ref>I felt hands against my back, gripping the back of my top. Another move, Judo or Aikido, stepping into arm’s reach, too close for the vest to hit me, trusting their power to keep my arm from hitting them, and throwing me to the ground. - excerpt from Daybreak 1.4</ref>
Blindside noted that they had become familiar with some common workarounds people used to try and get around their power.<ref>I can see where you’re going with this. I’ve been at this a few years. Some of the workarounds and tricks are getting old by now. - excerpt from Daybreak 1.4</ref>
Relationships
Works alongside Lord of Loss, Snag, Nursery, and Kingdom Come. Presumably as a mercenary crew.
Appearance
Medium length hair.<ref name="II1.4e4"/>
It was difficult to pinpoint whether they were male or female from their voice.<ref name="II1.4e5">“What the hell?” someone asked. They were younger- probably teenager. I couldn’t pinpoint if they were male or female.
[...]
“I can see that too,” the teenager said.
“I can’t tell what you’re looking at, Blindside. Let me know if you need help. Snag?” - excerpt from Daybreak 1.4</ref>
Equipment
On one occasion they wielded a metal bat.<ref name="II1.4e3"/>
Powers
Blindside's power prevents people from turning their eyes and head in such a way that they would be looking at them.<ref>“My fucking neck,” Blindside said. The person in question.
Try as I might, I couldn’t look at them. My eyes and head refused to cooperate and do what was necessary to put them in my field of vision. - excerpt from Daybreak 1.4</ref> If Blindside moves into their field of vision, they're forced to compulsively look away.<ref>I nodded, my eyes still fixed on the ground, as close to Blindside as I could get. If they moved into my field of vision, a forced movement of my eye and head would let me know. - excerpt from Daybreak 1.4</ref><ref name="II1.4e2"/> Blindside claimed that they could force a person to snap their neck in this way.<ref name="II1.4e1"/> People can still turn to look in Blindside's direction if there are intervening objects preventing them from seeing them.<ref name="II1.4e2">The Brute chuckled, and climbed down from the roof of the truck, and in the doing, he put himself between me and Blindside. It blocked my view of Blindside, and it gave me a chance to get a glimpse of him. The ground smoked around where his boots touched pavement, and the smoke solidified into formations that looked like branches and twists of metal, all in an ashen white-grey.
[...]
My chin jerked toward my chest as Blindside stepped out to the side, back in my field of view. - excerpt from Daybreak 1.4</ref> They could also turn their head in Blindside's direction as long as their eyes are closed.<ref>My eyes had closed, because it kept my head from being jerked around as Blindside kept compelling me to move to avoid seeing them - excerpt from Daybreak 1.4</ref><ref name="II1.4e1">“Your head is turned as far to the right as it can go. If I move to your right, the reflex is going to be to move your head further right. You could snap your neck. You’d probably close your eyes first, but I’d rather not risk it.” - excerpt from Daybreak 1.4</ref>
People are prevented from touching Blindside with any body part, muscles cramping and locking up before they can make contact, as if they hit an imaginary wall around them.<ref name="II1.4e3"/><ref>My arm lashed out, one swing, mindful that they were probably just a fragile human being.
I didn’t make contact. Muscles in my arm wrenched, seized, and cramped as the entire arm locked up, just in time to keep me from touching them. - excerpt from Daybreak 1.4</ref><ref name="II1.4e4">I bent over them, fumbling, tracing their outline with the back of my hand, and finding walls even there, somehow. I found their head, medium length hair, and tried to press the back of my hand against their ear. My arm muscles seized.
I tried to use my knuckles to get into the ear, since I couldn’t use my fingertips without pointing or driving them toward Blindside, and I still hit the wall. - excerpt from Daybreak 1.4</ref><ref>I felt them grip my gun hard. My initial fumble to grab the gun ran into the same problem. My hand hit an imaginary wall. - excerpt from Daybreak 1.4</ref><ref>I heard the sound of Blindside moving too late. I reached out to block or catch the incoming attack, and hit the wall where I couldn’t move my arm too far toward them. - excerpt from Daybreak 1.4</ref> People even find themselves freezing when they're about to make contact with weapons. This does not stop objects already in motion from continuing and making contact, however.<ref>I swung, using the vest as a bludgeon. My arm stopped, but the vest continued. - excerpt from Daybreak 1.4</ref><ref>I spun around in the other direction, and bludgeoned them with the weight of my vest, using it like a flail. They bounced off of the logging truck and collapsed. - excerpt from Daybreak 1.4</ref><ref name="R1"/>
Their power also locks people from pointing at Blindside with fingers,<ref>I moved my hand experimentally. I hit the wall.
I couldn’t point at them, then. - excerpt from Daybreak 1.4 </ref><ref name="II1.4e4"/> weapons,<ref>With Blindside directly behind me, I drew my gun, and I turned to the right this time, swinging out with gun in hand.
“Nope,” Blindside said. “That won’t-” - excerpt from Daybreak 1.4</ref><ref name="R2"/> master minions<ref name="R1"/> etc.
This power is apparently constantly on and can not be turned off.<ref>LazarusRises:
I wonder if Blindside can turn off their power. I hope so for their sake.
Wildbow:
That would be too easy. - Wildbow or Reddit</ref> It would apply to insects controlled by a Master, preventing them from looking directly at Blindside or aiming their stingers at them.<ref name="R2">Oxirane: Seeing as wasps stingers aren't on their faces, I think Taylor would manage.
Wildbow: You can't direct/point a weapon at them any more than you can look at 'em. - Reddit</ref><ref name="R1">gsfgf: I realize who I'm replying to, but wouldn't the bugs be more akin to Victoria's vest? I imagine that Taylor would have to use a largish swarm to find Blindside, but shouldn't raw numbers work?
Wildbow: The vest only worked because it was used like a flail - swung, and then allowed to carry on its own motion. - Reddit</ref><ref>gsfgf: Gotcha. So spider silk strands and all that would work, but the actual bugs themselves would be affected like a person?
Wildbow: Yes. - Reddit</ref>
References
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