another character title question

-The Pain Queen
-Needlebaby
-Succuba
-Miss Manners
-The Dom

Maybe more coming, maybe not. None of these I've mentioned are that special. :shrug emoji:

Is this is the one with the leader called mother?

May consider familial sort of titles then:

Aunt Payne (Pain)
The Twisted Sister
Granny (just for the potential of saying: "They they dropped him off at Granny's place, poor bastard.")

*everything justo mentioned*

FWIW I don't love Blood Angel. Bloody Mary, though...

I wasn't trying to suggest that they were related, sorry if it came across that way. I was simply thinking that the leader is called mother so using a moniker along a similar vein of family.

The SS (Schutzstaffel) meant protection squad, causing it to become very ironic nomenclature. Are you trying to get a similar vibe of an organization meant to protect Mother's Children at any cost?

indianroads said:

She is one twisted lady.

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Then Twisted Sister it is.

I don't think I'd use Twisted Sister because, while "We're Not Gonna Take It" is kind of appropriate in the context of torture, I wouldn't be able to get away from the image of 80's hair metal.

If she actually uses knitting needles for torture I think I love her.

Do you need knitting-related pain puns?? Gauge is a knitting term that sounds kind of pain-related. Same with cables and stitches. Ripping back is a term for when you have to undo your work. And can she please choke people with circular needles, or scarves that she has knit herself? Does this take place in a modern setting in which she can go on an evil monologue with a victim about how a bottle of water isn't allowed on airplanes but 15" titanium knitting needles are? Followed by "do you know what one can do with five double-pointed needles? *Sweet smile* Knit a sock, for one. For another..."

I'm sorry, this didn't answer your question at all. Don't mind me.

ETA: The Stitcher maybe??

ETA AGAIN: Or The Twisted Stitcher! Sounds like a pun on Twisted Sister, plus twisting stitches is a thing in knitting.

Stitch Witch.

The Seamstress - She could refer to her victims as pincushions.
Mistress Obedience

Based on your previous thread it sounded like mother sees herself as a loving and caring savior of the country. So she may be sending them to something more medical sounding, because what sort of mother would she be if she didn't take her sick children to the doctor. Especially effective if those needles are hypodermic needles.

The Physician
Mother's Nurse
MAc for Minister of Acupuncture or just The Acupuncturist
The psychiatrist

To really strike fear in U.S. readers call her High Deductible HMO

So, a nickname for a woman who feigns being sweet while torturing people with needles. Also the leader of her department ...

I'm thinking of things like Aunty Mae. Things that bank on the maternal authority within the division. Aunty or mother derivatives like Aunty/Aunt Needle, Mother Pain, Mother Red, Aunt Red.

Or if we wanted to lean into the mass murder inspirations you were mentioning, then something like Bloody Stitch, The Dollmaker, Sweet Release, Bittersweet Chelsea, Shirley Temple (this one tickles me for some reason, Red Stitch, Crossstich ... Crochet of the Damned.

indianroads said:

Thanks. I looked up nick names of female mass murderers and torturers on line (The Blood Countess, Bloody Mary, etc.) and none of them really fit. The Blood Angel will probably do, but I thought I'd troll to see if anyone could come up with something better.

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Angel of pain?

Dark Mother?

I like "The Seamstress" also.

"The nurse" works , though.

Justobuddies said:

The Twisted Sister

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The name of a rather bad metal rock band from the 1970s.

caw

indianroads said:

Just finishing up with the first draft, and thought that I'd mention that I chose "Mother's Nurse" or "the Nurse" for her nickname. I'll add some backstory for her in the second draft that puts her as a real trained nurse that was caught torturing patients at the hospital - and instead of being punished, she was moved to her new position.

Thanks to everyone for all the wonderful ideas!

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Glad to be of help. Looking forward to reading it.

blacbird said:

The name of a rather bad metal rock band from the 1970s.

caw

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indianroads said:

I think Twisted Sister was from the 80's - they were pretty good.

"The Price" video

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Started in the 70s didn't get famous until '84 with "We're not Gonna Take it!"

Good or bad they had big hair and that was what mattered dammit.

indianroads said:

Not just big hair... frigging HUGE hair.

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Kind of what happens when New York Dolls & KISS have a baby together. But I can't possibly see how that's applicable to the discussion.

indianroads said:

In my dystopian city state there is a part of the government concerned with internal security. Basically they torture people to either get knowledge, or a confession, or (in the case of my MC) to force compliance to the governments requests. I thought it would be deliciously evil if the leader, and top torturer was a woman. She can play at being sweet and loving as she shoves needles between MC's toes etc. She's a viscous sadist, and at one point tells the MC that the faces of people writhing in pain are "so beautiful".

She needs a nickname. The one I arrived at was 'Blood Angel', but wonder if someone can think of something better.

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I think I need to know more about her. Something more than just her gender. If you cook up a nice backstory, something in her history may stick out. Kinda what sets her apart from other torturers you know?

Just a tip, you may know this already, but the Baddies that have the biggest effect are the ones that come with a backstory atleast implied in the piece, one that specifically answers the question "WHY?!?" your readers will be asking themselves. It can be a twisted "why" but it should connect for the character's logic.

Justobuddies said:

The Seamstress

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This one.