Application @ balance_logs

[rougerebelle]

	CARMEN SANDIEGO: “I realized that stealing isn’t a game. It does harm people. Especially when you’re willing to steal lives.”
	APP HMD DANCER ERICA

Player Name: Erica
Age: 30+
Contact: bouncyerbear
Timezone: Central
Other character currently in game: None

Character name: Carmen Sandiego
Age: early 20s
Canon: Carmen Sandiego (2019)
Canon point: "The French Connection Caper" (Season 1, Episode 9)
History: Wiki link and Bonus wiki link

Three key adjectives: Determined, Clever, Rebel

Influential Events:
Black Sheep | One does not simply become a master thief overnight. It takes years of training and Carmen's had more years than most, considering she was raised from near-infancy on an island paradise of criminals and thieves. It wasn't until later that her unknown past began to itch at her, but as a child she thrived in the environment where she was THE only kid. It led to both an eclectic education and a penchant for pranks and hi-jinks, a trait that would definitely follow her into adulthood. Since she WAS the only child, she got away with a lot thanks to her "familial" status on the island. She was especially close to Coach Brunt who, for a long time, she suspected was the one to bring her to the island.

Carmen didn't know much about the outside world's morality or what it was really like out there, just that it was fun to get away with the pranks and acts of thievery she was involved in. While most kids grew up playing hide and seek or tag, Carmen grew up playing at thief and prankster and it was a GOOD life as far as she was concerned, a fun game to be played and won time and again.

Ready Player One | Everything changed for Carmen the day she stole an electronic device from one of the island's criminal visitors. It was forbidden to have, which of course made it appealing to a child used to toeing the line when it came to the rules.

However, it wasn't the device itself that pushed her out into the outside world, it was contact with a mysterious voice on the other end who referred to himself as 'Player.' Not only was Player the one to open the window to the outside world for her, he was also the one that planted ideas in Carmen's head like the idea of using 'wicked skills' for good (though that particular idea wouldn't come into fruition until much later). However, contact with Player was what inspired her to take the step to enrolling in the VILE Training Academy.

Forty Thieves | Learning thievery through osmosis and actually BEING one of the forty thieves candidates was two different things and it was during her early to mid-teens that Carmen really honed her skills as a thief alongside her classmates. There were friendships and rivalries established from practically day one, but her closest companion was Gray. Classes were as eccentric as you can imagine: stealth, infiltration, self-defense, science, art, and other necessary skills for assessing and pulling off various acts of criminality. It wasn't just about studying and training hard, she also roped a number of her classmates into her usual pranks, although this time she had to deal with more intense consequences since she was now a student. It was her first time to have friends and learn to work together, it upped her socialization skills but also taught her how to work with others and definitely pushed her competitive nature to its limit.

This year of her life came to an end with 'final exams,' and while she did great in pretty much all of her classes it was in Shadowsan's trial that she blew it. This was a hard blow for her as Carmen (and many of her fellow thieves) saw her as the greatest pickpocket. Not only would this result in her failing thieves school, but would also haunt her for years, literally a reoccurring nightmare, even if she DID imagine that it was somehow rigged.

Leaving VILE | Spurned by her failure, Carmen's next big milestone was leaving VILE without permission to attend the caper put on by her former classmates. While this wouldn't be a permanent escape, it was the one that would completely flip her perspective of what it meant to be part of the VILE organization. During this trip she found out that VILE operatives were willing to do whatever was necessary to obtain their objective, even if it meant harming innocent people. Stealing was one thing, but Carmen didn't see how it was right to hurt others in the process nor did it seem right to steal things that had historical significance (a value she never considered prior to this).

Of course, her first excursion resulted in a forced return, but she'd been exposed to the outside world and wasn't going to give up on that chance at freedom again. When the next opportunity to leave presented itself Carmen took it without hesitation, reaching out to her one link to the outside, Player, for help. It was this escape that not only provided her with a way to do some good, but it also introduced her to the signature red outfit and name she would use for the rest of her life. It was escaping the island for good that officially gave birth to Carmen Sandiego.

Final Pocket | Once away from the island and using her skills for good, Carmen often clashed with her former classmates. This was an on and off thing, but one encounter in particular would close that chapter in her life for good. As mentioned before, one of the aspects of her former life that continued to haunt her was Shadowsan's pickpocket trial. Her rival, Tigress, managed to pass with flying colors while she failed. During a job in San Francisco, Carmen was able to meet her rival head to head for another shot at proving her worth. She not only beat Tigress, but finally resolved the doubt in herself that she had harbored this whole time by telling Shadowsan to his face that she no longer sought or needed his approval. Carmen was finally able to heal her bruised ego and let the past officially go where VILE was concerned.

Shadows | What happens when the man who treated you the harshest turns out to be the one that supported you from the start? Carmen's entire outlook on her history changes when she discovers that it was not Coach Brunt who rescued her from the side of the road but Shadowsan. This is revealed to her when Shadowsan risks everything to get her out of a tight situation. He doesn't reveal much else to her, but Carmen does learn that she has a new ally out in the world now and one who may hold more answers to her past. Having resolved most of the other aspects of her childhood, this is definitely one loose end that will continue to motivate her going forward.


Link to Samples: Link to Sample 1; Link to Sample 2;

Chosen path: Dancer
5 Abilities: Allure, Master of Faces, Acrobatics, Shocking Grasp, Hex
Why this path?:I'm sure you thought I was going to pick rogue. However, Carmen has already mastered life as a thief. It's her day job and something she spent the better part of her life doing. That being said, nothing embodies the spirit of Carmen Sandiego more than this part of the Dancer's description: "never staying in one place for very long, they yearn to discover what the world has to show them." The current part of Carmen's life has been all about that journey to discover herself and see the world. Sure, each place she visits is a job, but it's also a place she's wanted to travel to for some time. Carmen was raised as a thief, but in game I think it could be a unique opportunity for her to explore a different profession (or path if you will). It's who she could be if VILE hadn't adopted her in the first place. Besides, while she has the grace down and possibly a few dance moves, this would present a unique challenge for her since I doubt there was much focus on dancing in thieves' school.

blurb code by photosynthesis

Comments

Path Actions as of August AC

[rougerebelle]

Path Actions
○ Allure: You can perform an action (such as a wink, a blown kiss, a dance) that will make someone mildly feel the need to listen to what you tell them to do.

○ Master of Faces: You are especially good at deceiving people through appearances. You have gained the ability to use makeup to create disguises and can quickly improvise clothing alterations that allow you or someone in your party to take on the guise of someone else.

○ Acrobatics: You are especially adept at making parkour jumps and your jump speed is far beyond that of a normal person. Time to do some sick flips.

○ Telekinesis: You have the ability to move an object weighing no more than 50 pounds with your mind.

○ Hidden Knife: Your ability to stab someone under covert measure is unparalleled. When attempting to perform an assassination, you go unnoticed by anyone else in the room that isn't intently paying attention to you.

○ Quick Employment: When entering a town for the first time, you can quickly spot a place to blend in and work at the local tavern. This will pay your room and board for you.

○ Break Dance: (P) You have the ability to use a dance to force someone into momentary paralysis.

○ Shocking Grasp: (M) You can use magic to touch something and lightly electrocute it. Magic used in this way can be harmless, such as static electricity, or provide a buzz akin to touching a weak electrical force.

○ Hex: (M)(P) You can use magic to curse someone. Until you remove the curse from them, they will suffer a case of bad luck.

○ Calm Emotions: (M)(P) You can use magic to calm someone from becoming too hotheaded in a situation, providing them time to think through their actions for 10 minutes. When used, the other person knows it's been used against them and may become hostile towards you.