FINALLY DONE!
and thanks to KK to finding it for me.
No problem.
WARNING: STILL MAY CONTAIN MINOR SPOILERS
The Questions:
Full name of Character: Alondra Melo Vaz
Reason, meaning or purpose behind the name: No real reason in-verse. From a writing standpoint, her first name symbolizes her role in fighting against the terataurs (the translation is literally “defender of mankind”, which pretty much sums up her day to day job).
Nickname: NA
Reason for nickname: NA
Race: Brazilian
Occupation/class: Brawler-Grade Sentinel Pilot
Social class: Soldier
Physical Appearance:
Age: 25
Eye Color: Light green
Hair color length and style: Reddish-black, thick and straight short hair. Dyes it red.
Weight and height: 130 pounds
Type of body (build): Very fit and in shape, a necessity for the strenuous work of being not only a soldier, but the pilot of a Brawler.
Skin tone and type: Caucasian, dark skin tone.
Shape of face: Aristocratic, sleek facial structure.
Distinguishing marks: Carries a scar on her left arm.
Predominant feature: Often dyes her hair red.
Is s/he healthy?: It’s imperative for a Sentinel pilot to keep themselves fit and healthy for service, especially Brawler Pilots.
Do they look healthy?: Yes.
Favorites:
Char’s favorite color: Red, because it represents power, energy, and aggression, traits she feels are extremely important to have in battle. On the flip side, she also feels that it represents passion, loyalty, strength and love, which she admires more than any aggressive traits.
Least favorite: Green. She finds the color aesthetically unpleasant, comparing it to illness or poison. She’s not exactly pleased about her eye color. She doesn’t even like to eat green things.
Music?: Rock. Gives her plenty of energy when working out.
Least favorite music, why?: Hip hop and pop. How people can enjoy those genres is beyond her.
Food: Beijinho, a Brazilian birthday party candy prepared with condensed milk, grated desiccated coconut, rolled over caster sugar or grated coconut and topped with a clove.
Literature: She doesn’t read much, but enjoys looking at picture books of day-to-day life before the arrival of the terataurs, and enjoys reading about history.
Expletives: Commonly uses “shit” and its many variations, and isn’t above other terms when angered. Also has a preference for glaring.
Mode of transport: GIANT MECHA, BITCH! (Also AST units, plasma propelled aircraft, and her own personal motorcycle on off days.)
Hobbies: Alondra enjoys going out for physical activities. She loves playing football and swimming, and sticks unwaveringly to a strict workout scheduled. She enjoys companionship, preferring to hang out with a group than spend time on her own. She’s also interested in history, particularly the pre-terataur days.
How do they spend a rainy day?: If there’s no one around to hang out with, Alondra will quickly become bored and attempt to fix this by going to the gym.
Personality:
Are they a daredevil or cautious?: Alondra’s optimism and outgoing ways do indeed make her quite rash, though she fights her impulsive nature by adhering strictly to her training, and following orders given to her to the best of her ability. If angered enough however, her temper will override any sense of self-control and throw caution to the wind.
Do they act the same alone as when with someone?: When with other people, Alondra tries to keep any negative emotions concealed, trying to maintain an optimistic atmosphere, though her eyes still blaze with feelings words never express. With her short temper, this can be a dangerous practice, as suppressing her anger only makes her more vindictive over time.
Habits: Alondra is very energetic and hyperactive. She can barely sit still for a few minutes at a time, and finds herself pacing or playing with objects in front of her.
Drinks: She doesn’t want to risk harming her body as a Brawler pilot, limiting soda and avoiding almost alcohol entirely with the exception of special occasions. Pure, simple, natural water is her preferred choice of refreshment. Coffee is another favorite of hers, giving her a boost in energy to start the day.
How much: As often as needed to keep hydrated.
Greatest Strength: Alondra’s greatest strength is the intense passion she demonstrates in nearly all her endeavors. It allows her to focus on her goals and beat down obstacles in her path to success. It fuels her fighting spirit, feeds her anger, and bolsters her love and loyalty to her friends and comrades. She is the first to jump into action, the loudest to cheer victoriously, one of the chattiest members of a group, and always quick to imbue her confidence and energy in others.
Greatest Weakness: Her short temper and aggressive nature can easily lead to rash actions if she’s not careful, and work to debilitate teams, alliances, and even friendships. She’s also openly hostile towards those she dislikes, making it difficult to work with enemies. Because of her tendency towards rash actions when angered, she strives to follow her training and orders to the letter to prevent it, which in turn leads to a reluctance to break rules or not follow standard procedure, which can handicap her in unanticipated situations.
Soft spot: Alondra really doesn’t like being left alone by herself, particularly when outside human civilization. While being alone in a city, town, or military base may bore her, the same situation in the wilderness is actually a fairly frightening concept to her. It’s for this reason she’s always looking to be around people. Her fear of being alone and her need for companionship also makes her extremely sensitive to losing friends, whether through death, betrayal, or simply being separated for long periods. Also, do NOT lose her beloved pearl necklace.
Is their soft spot obvious, why/why not: Not particularly. She does her best to keep it hidden behind her optimistic confidence, though in situations where she does have to face losing a friend (or her necklace) or being left completely alone, her confidence might very well fail her and her fears be exposed.
If not, how do they hide it: Alondra hides this through her own outgoing and confident nature.
Biggest Vulnerability: Because of her tendency towards rash actions when angered, Alondra attempts to prevent this by following her training and orders to the letter, which in and of itself can further handicap her, as completely unanticipated events can strike her with indecision.
Background:
Hometown: Alondra grew up in the city of Rio de Janeiro.
Type of childhood: Growing up alongside Copacabana Beach, Alondra learned to walk and play on the sand, and as she grew older, the beach became the meeting place for people of her age. Her father, a beachside retailer, made only enough to keep them comfortable and provide her with an education, but they were hardly rich. She would often help her father during weekends as she grew older, and swim or play football on the beach with friends during her spare time.
First Memory: Digging holes on the beach and finding a shell.
Most important child hood event that still affects him/her. Why?: There are two, in fact. In 1994, at the age of five, Brazil became the home of a new terataur species known as the Carnecultor, the only known terataur in history to deliberately see humans as prey. Waking up each morning to news of mass death caused by these terrifying creatures, Alondra quickly learned from an early age to fear terataurs as the population of Carnecultor slowly made their way towards the coastline. However, a combination of the SEDD and overhunting on the part of Argentinian Axejaws caused the apparent extinction of these repulsive monsters. Later in life, as a young teen, several Orlashi made their home along the coastline of Rio de Janeiro. The beaches were immediately closed down, as the Orlashi had been known to mistake humans for prey. With nowhere for her father to work, they quickly fell into poverty for a few months, until the SEDD arrived to take care of the problem. Seeing the gigantic Sentinels take on the Orlashi in person gave her immense respect not only for the power of the machines, but the courage and selflessness of their pilots. From that point on, she worked hard to earn a position in the SEDD upon graduation, and managed to find a place in the Pilot Academy.
Education: She enlisted in the SEDD as a pilot in training upon graduating high school.
Religion: Alondra operates on logic and practicality. She finds it difficult to believe in things without solid evidence, effectively making her an atheist.
Finances: Growing up, Alondra and her father had little money. Now, as the ace pilot of an expensive and powerful Brawler-Grade Sentinel, Alondra is paid extremely well, and gives much of her money to her father so that he may live in the protection of Rio de Janiero’s Sanctuary.
Family:
Mother: Yara Melo
Relationship with her: Her mother passed away giving birth.
Father: Carlos Vaz
Relationship with him: Alondra’s father was a beachside retailer, who earned only enough to give his daughter a good education, and a comfortable but humble life for them both. He mourned the loss of his wife for years, and as a result was very protective of his daughter. He taught her to work hard in all her life’s endeavors to earn success. When she decided to enroll in the SEDD, he was very reluctant about supporting what he felt was a dangerous decision, but decided to let her choose her own path after discussing it with Alondra’s grandmother.
Siblings: Only child.
Children of siblings: Again, only child.
Other extended family: The only surviving one is her grandmother, from her mother’s side.
Close? Why or why not: VERY close. She acted as a sort of mother for Alondra, who taught her to be caring and compassionate despite her short temper. She talked Carlos into letting his daughter leave for the SEDD upon graduation, and gave her a pearl necklace that had been passed down through her family’s generation. Alondra has only been able to visit her grandmother a few times since then, and she fears that she’s reaching the end of her life.
Attitude:
Most at ease when: Hanging out with a good friend, or two, or three. Physical activity also keeps her calm and happy, as she prefers to be doing something rather than sit and do nothing. The endorphins help too.
Most ill at ease when: Being alone and far away from civilization. It’s for this reason she always brings a friend along when venturing out into the wilderness.
Priorities: First and foremost a soldier, Alondra will make her rules and orders top priority, only breaking them if complying would put her team in danger. Her priorities to both her duty and companions can be put into jeopardy by her temper, however, acting on her raw feelings rather than her head.
Philosophies: “Laws are constructed and orders given for a good reason. Disobeying them can lead only to danger.” “We can do this.”
How they feel about themselves: Alondra is completely confident in her own abilities, though her own pride can make her equally stubborn during disagreements.
Past failure they would be embarrassed to admit: She very nearly didn’t make it as a Sentinel pilot, as her temper got the best of her during training more than once. Few who join the academy meet all requirements at the end of the day to begin with, making the competition extremely tight. Her failures to take down the monster Chimbwi are also big ones.
Why?: Again, her own pride. She doesn’t like to admit she was wrong or that she failed, at all.
If granted one wish what would it be, why?: Alondra believes that the world would be much better off without terataurs, and considers them a blight upon humanity. Her one wish would be for everything to go back to the way it used to be, before giant monsters.
Traits:
Optimist or pessimist?: Oh, very much an optimist. Alondra’s energy and confidence keeps her spirit strong, and she’s quick to use her “We can do it” attitude to boost the moral of her team.
Introvert or extrovert?: Definitely an extrovert. Alondra is very friendly and outgoing, and can rarely be seen alone. She’s always trying to find people to talk to, as she quickly gets bored sitting around by herself.
Why?: Two reasons. One: Being left alone is an uncomfortable experience for her, especially when away from human civilization. She grew up as a child under the ever-looming threat of the terataurs, and feared that she would lose her family and friends to the monsters. As a result, she’s made a point of being extremely social, to spend precious time with people that she might never get back. The second reason: She can barely sit still for more than five seconds.
Drives and motives: As a teen, Alondra greatly respected the courage and selfishness demonstrated by the Sentinel pilots. They became something of hero figures to her, and to this day she does her best to continue their fight. In training, she found she couldn’t keep away from the action. It was the perfect job for her intense, energetic nature. To her, the intensity of battle was almost addicting, and her passion quickly allowed her to rise through the ranks. Her love for her friends and family keep her going through even the darkest times. She is determined that she will see her team and herself through, despite the odds, so that they may all be again reunited with their loved ones. And perhaps… someday she will be able to help the SEDD rid their planet of terataurs forever.
Talents: Growing up on the beach, Alondra is a strong swimmer. She also practiced in kickboxing, which became her chief fighting style as a Brawler Pilot. Given the weapons of Praetorian, she’s trained in using shields and spears. Because of her sociability, she’s also good at perceiving the feelings of other through subtle body language.
Extremely skilled at: Like all Brawler pilots, Alondra is an ace pilot. After all, only the best of the best are allowed to pilot these rare and extremely expensive machines. She’s also very good at reading body language, making it difficult to hide things from her.
Extremely unskilled at: Funny enough, she herself is absolutely horrible at lying. Her own feelings are usually passionate and intense. Instead of happy, she’s overjoyed. Instead of glum, she’s heartbroken. Instead of bitter, she’s hostile. Instead of aggravated, she’s enraged. She is not a subtle woman, and can easily be read herself. She also has poor survival skills, as she rarely likes to venture far from civilization and grew up in a big city.
Good characteristics: Alondra is a perfectly friendly and social individual, unlike a few of the “tough guys” that make it into the SEDD. Her optimistic nature and self-confidence in her abilities and beliefs give her a strong will, and unmatched determination to beat the odds. Her fiery passion and high-powered lively nature makes her fierce, fierce ally… or a potent enemy, as at times it seems as though she enjoys the adrenalin rush of combat. She’s normally the first to dive right into a crazy situation, but she’s practical enough to know what is feasible and achievable. Though her personality may be guided by emotion, Alondra is happy to follow the laws and orders of her superiors. She will follow them to the letter; only the safety and wellbeing of her friends is a greater priority.
Character flaws: Alondra’s emotions can quickly get the best of her if she doesn’t keep them in check. Her short temper in particular can quickly create conflict, and the same passion that keeps her active and focused, exhilarated and energetic, also has to potential to fuel her anger. It can easily transform a simply disagreement into a massive argument. With her confidence also comes pride, which makes her especially stubborn and close-minded. Alondra usually believes her way is the right way, and will refuse to back down. She can sometimes impose her own beliefs and morals on others. To keep her emotions from getting the best of her, Alondra strictly follows orders and acts professional during missions, operating using standard procedure and tried and true methods. However, this leads to her being ill prepared for unorthodox situations, and her closed mind makes it difficult to quickly adapt. Lastly, Alondra’s friendly, chatty nature makes her a little bit too trusting.
Mannerisms: In social settings, Alondra will sometimes greet people with a handshake and a cheek-to-cheek kiss (though it’s more of a cheek-to-cheek touch and kissing air), though a simple vocal greeting of “prazer” is just as common. Additionally, despite her lively personality, when Alondra is extremely angered (in this case, usually by a friend) she reverts into a very quiet, glacial state. She will not shout or sprout insults… in fact it can be quite difficult to get her to talk in this ice cold state at all. For the most part, she is generally a very chatty individual, though she struggles to reel in her temptations in professional settings.
Peculiarities: When something is troubling her, she tends to chew the inside of her cheek. Taps foot when getting impatient. Rubs temples when thinking hard. Idly plays with objects in front of her when bored. Uses the slang term “silverblood” when referring to terataurs. Doesn’t eat green food.
Biggest regret: When Alondra eagerly enlisted into the SEDD at the age of eighteen, she didn’t factor in the time and dedication that a Sentinel pilot has to spend at the Citadels. Years of hard training, physical workout, and a basic understanding of the various species of terataurs were all required before she finally became a full-fledged pilot. By the time she rose through the ranks to become the pilot of a Brawler, her grandmother had began experiencing heart problems. Alondra regrets joining the SEDD too early, and that she wasn’t able to spend much time with her beloved grandmother aside from brief visits. However, both she and her grandmother have agreed that her duty of piloting a unique Sentinel outweighs any personal regrets. New Sentinels very difficult to pilot by themselves, and the especially complex Brawler-Grades are usually custom designed to suit a particular pilot and his or her fighting style and strengths. It would be difficult to find someone else capable of piloting Praetorian as effectively.
Minor regrets: Offering herself to be stationed in Citadel Cairo, an SEDD base only 250 kilometers of the edge of the restricted zone, the location of a huge bioteratic ecosystem swarming with all manner of terataurs. Everything is done as fast as possible to prepare for a new attack: repairs to Sentinels are rushed and/or incomplete, workers take 15 hour shifts on average, terataurologists come and go frequently, and the threat of the terataurs is always present. Even for Alondra, it’s too busy. Another regret of hers is her repeated failures to take down a recurring Class 3 terataur. The mammalian creature, dubbed Chimbwi, is able to easily outrun even the fastest Sentinel, and jabs at her dignity by not only treating these hunts as a game, but also returning to Cairo repeatedly just to draw them out. The damn thing is an insult to her reputation.
Biggest accomplishment: Perhaps her greatest accomplishment was simply being promoted to Brawler status. Sentinels require long hours of training in order to be piloted safely and efficiently, and Brawler-Grade Sentinels are even more complex, requiring the pilot to be highly trained in close combat, and to be able to translate their fighting style into the body of a 130 000 ton machine. Additionally, the brawlers are unbelievably expensive investments; only the best pilots are chosen, as they are the most likely to bring the Sentinel back to base in one piece. Only a dozen or so Brawlers exist, and Alondra has proved herself as one of the few people in the entire world capable of handling them.
Minor accomplishments: Alondra is one of two individuals in the world to kill a Sobek, the other being a vigilante by the name of Robert Fordson.
Darkest secret:
Does anyone know?:
How did they find out: By seeing
with their own eyes, being in a position of power or a need to know basis, and excessive theories and/or blurry photos. Alondra herself has kept her mouth shut.
Self-perception:
One word they would use to describe themselves: Capable
One paragraph of how they would describe themselves: “It’s no manner of luck that got me where I am today. It was my talent, dedication, and innumerable hours of training. Why shouldn’t I be proud of my achievements? I use my skills as any good soldier should: to protect our people from the threats these silverbloods pose to us.”
What do they consider their best physical characteristic and why: Her physical fitness. Maintaining it keeps her busy, and it’s essential for the pilot of a Brawler.
The worst one? Why?: Her eyes. She hates green.
Are they realistic assessments?: No
If not, why not?: The SEDD is less concerned about attractive qualities and more concerned about skill… though physical fitness is important to a pilot. Also, most people don’t share her disgust of the color green.
How they think others perceive them: Upbeat
What four things would they most like to change about themselves. Why?: Her eye color (she hates green), her short temper (can cause problems for herself and others around her), her hair color (not a big one, and she dyes it anyway), and her fearfulness of being left truly alone.
If they were changed would they be the same person, why/why not: She doesn’t place a huge amount of emphasis on physical features. However, the absence of her temper would make her a more likeable and mature person, and the removal of one of her greatest fears would make it easier to keep her levelheaded in these situations.
Would the changing of number 1 make them more happy? Why/why not: Oh yes. She finds green a sickly, gross color.
Interaction with other people:
How do they relate to others: Alondra enjoys meeting new people and having friendly relationships, though solid friendships are difficult to maintain due to her dangerous work, fame as a Brawler pilot, and need to travel.
How are they perceived by strangers: Although perfectly friendly, loyal and sociable, Alondra can sometimes come across as a bit egotistical, and it’s never fun to set off her temper.
Friends: Alondra is very chatty and affectionate towards friends, always looking out for her friends and very trusting of them in return. She enjoys spending as much time with them as she can, and her pride is usually dulled, able to easily laugh away teasing and jokes, usually dishing out some of her own. If a friend really angers her, she’ll be much less conflictive than usual, instead reverting to a cold and silent state, almost deadpan. She’s also willing to stand up to her friends if she believes it’s for their own good.
Wife/husband/lover: Alondra wants to avoid getting into a relationship until she’s retired from service, to avoid complications.
The Hero/Heroine: Alondra first met Steven when he was brought to Citadel Cairo to partake in an important mission for the SEDD. The two quickly became friendly acquaintances, but that same mission will put their limits and teamwork to the test…
How do they view the Hero/Heroine: Evolves and changes over the course of the story. Too long to explain, and would include spoilers.
First impression of the char: Steven is at first surprised and even taken aback by her friendly and social nature.
Why?: He already has preconceptions that Brawler pilots (usually famous for their skill) either enjoy the company of other high-ranking individuals, are horribly narcissistic, or take their training too seriously to consider any social life.
What happens to change this perception: Their mission ends up taking a turn for the worse, and Alondra’s darker side is revealed. Chimbwi didn’t help matters either.
What do people like most about this char: Her friendly attitude, unbreakable will, optimism and the kindness to use it to comfort others.
What do they dislike most about them: Her temper, stubbornness, pride, and narrow-mindedness.
Goals:
Immediate: To complete what is perhaps one of the most important missions the SEDD has ever given anyone, and to do so while bringing back as many of her team, find a way to defeat Nandi, and to get rid of that god damn Chimbwi.
Long term: To retire eventually when things are safer, and return to her father in Brazil, earn money for not only herself and her father, but her friends so that they may earn livings in sanctuaries. And, if at all possible… wipe out or cripple the looming threat of the terataurs.
How do they plan to accomplish them: By her own determination and skills, and by working with the SEDD.
How will others be affected by this: Well, her father, friends, and all of mankind will certainly be safer. The terataurs, not so much.
Problems/Crisis:
How do they react in a crisis: Alondra will use her optimism and confidence to push herself further, refusing to give up. She will try to comfort and rally allies. Her passion and energy will strengthen her spirit and give her the hope she needs to press on.
How do they face problems: Depends on the problem. If its an enemy, Alondra will immediately be on the offensive, ready to fight should it come down to it. If it’s a problem with her friends, she may either stand up to them for what she believes is their own good, or if seriously angered, refuse to speak with them. If it’s a problem with the environment, or a situational problem, she will attempt to inspire confidence in her allies and think of a practical way out of the mess.
Kind of problems they usually run into: Terataurs, extreme survival situations, avoiding collateral damage when piloting a Sentinel, keeping her allies strong and optimistic, other dangers that may put her physical, mental and emotional limits to the test…
How they react to new problems: As long as it’s somewhat expected, Alondra will revaluate and change her plans and tactics. If not…
How they react to change: Alondra prefers to follow standard protocol and tried but true methods. Sudden, unexpected changes can leave her completely unprepared and struggling to come up with a solution.
General:
Favorite clothing, why: Casual wear. She doesn’t find much use in looking spiffy and well kept in her job.
Least favorite, why: Green clothing and high heels. One she finds a repulsive color, the other is impractical and painful.
Jewelry: The pearl necklace given to her by her grandmother, which she keeps with her at all times.
Other accessories: Type V Diamondskin Personal Armor, the protective suit worn by Sentinel pilots to protect them from the physical trauma and noise of operating a Sentinel. A personal nanosteel machete for emergency situations.
Drives: A GIANT MECHA, BITCH! (And her own personal motorcycle.)
Where do they live: Alondra travels frequently, but for the past several months she’s been stationed at Citadel Cairo.
Where do they want to live: Alondra is content with her living conditions, but wishes to eventually retire to the sanctuary in central Rio de Janeiro.
Spending habits, why: Alondra has mostly spent her money by giving it to her father so that he can live in the safety of a sanctuary, but hasn’t bought much for herself despite her massive paycheck.
What do they do too much of, why: Brawler pilots need to be fit and very well trained to do their job, but Alondra sometimes takes personal fitness a little overboard, generally if she’s bored out of her mind. It can leave her sore and less than 100% capable the next day.
Most prized possession, why: Her pearl necklace.
People they secretly admire, why: All Sentinel pilots, to some degree. They have taken up an incredibly dangerous job, trained long and grueling hours to beat out the tight competition, and have proven their bravery and competence more often than not. They are, in her eyes, like the heroes of ancient myth: men and woman of immeasurable courage that set out to slay terrible monsters and release the land from their iron grip.
Person they are most influenced by, why: Her grandmother and father, who taught her the meaning and importance of kindness and passion.
Most important person in their life before story starts, why: Her grandmother. She was the closest thing to a mother Alondra ever had.
How do they spend the week just before the story starts: Alondra has been stationed at Citadel Cairo, on the front lines of the restricted zone. Returning from another successful hunt, she found herself facing none other than the military leaders of the SEDD. She was asked to join a crucial, top-secret mission that was to be carried out right in Citadel Cairo. Always willing to aid the SEDD in their efforts, she accepted immediately.