Sarita Reyna McCoy
Jun 4, 2014 11:18:22 GMT -5
Post by Deleted on Jun 4, 2014 11:18:22 GMT -5
Name: Sarita Reyna McCoy
Age (or human equivalent): She's about 25 years old, and was born on June 15 — a Gemini.
Gender (or human equivalent): Female
Species: Human
Faction: Neutral
Original Occupation: Formerly a student of music (and some theatre), Sarita did a lot of busking as well as attending online courses to become a musician. The 2008 financial crisis changed that.
Occupation/Specialization: Sarita is a hobo, not to be confused with a bum or a tramp. She's a transient worker who lives in her car; she will take temporary work and Craigslist gigs to get by, as well as busk with her beloved guitar. She's too deep in debt to buy her own home for apply for a loan, and has been trying to pay off two loans with mere pennies. She's given up on the idea that she'll have a permanent home again.
Appearance/Altmode: Sarita is 5'5" and a little underweight. She has long, straight black hair that she makes wavy with a curling iron, and an ambiguously brown skin tone — her ethnic background is mostly unknown, as she was adopted as a baby. The adoption was closed, but Sarita's personal research reveals she has a great deal of Native American and East Indian blood (which also explains her lactose intolerance). She has warm brown eyes that twinkle with her smile, and a lively voice that lends well to singing. She often dresses in light skirts and short-sleeved shirts — alternating between rich wine-reds and dark, swirling blues — and two pairs of old, gaudy cowboy boots that she bought at a thrift shop. Her face is slightly worn from her hard life on the road, and her hands are beaten and calloused from her years of hard work.
History: Sarita Reyna McCoy is the lovechild of two unknown pseudo-hippies that met on the road. Whoever her birthmother was, she left Sarita outside a hospital in Oregon one night, barely visible to the cameras outside of the building. Her adoptive parents took her in when she was five months old, keeping her birth name because they liked it so much; the name "Reyna" came from her great-grandmother on her mother's side, the Mexican-born wife of a small-time cattle rancher. She was happily raised by the McCoy family, who owned a coffee shop in a small town near the mountains.
Despite the humble settlement she grew up in, Sarita's family was a family with money. Her maternal grandparents left a sizable sum of money and stocks to the family; Sarita had the joy of being raised in a large house with a maid. Her toys were on the more expensive side, and various artsy brands filled her clothing closet. Privately home-schooled, Sarita developed a passion for culture and art, picking up her father's guitar and learning how to sing. A high-class acting club in the nearest city took up most of her time; there, she participated in a few amateur plays, and learned the art of theatre. She was very much a hipster in her teenage years, blending in with a semi-snobbish, affluent art crowd that listened to the alternative, discussed politics and various world issues, and always had a member of an "outside" community. To this day, Sarita isn't sure if anyone else grew up with a friend that classified themselves as "otherkin".
Sarita graduated from school and high school as an average student, but with notably high marks in art and music. Rather than go to a physical college, Sarita's parents gave her the option of attending some online courses, which their daughter took out a loan for. Overjoyed, the McCoy's "little muse" threw herself into them with abandon, but did not realize that her days of quiet privilege were coming to an end. Her father had taken out a loan and a mortgage on the house; in the months before the financial crisis hit, some of his family's stocks had started to plunge. He and Mrs. McCoy kept everything quiet from Sarita, though, and when she was 20 years old, they found her a spacious cabin not too far up the nearby mountains. Another loan had to be taken out to finance it, again done by Sarita — she only thought it was right, as it was going to be her house.
And then, the 2008 financial ball dropped, and so did what was left of the McCoy's stocks. Within a few days, they lost most of their money, barely hanging on to what little remained. Sarita finally learned the cold, hard truth — her parents, who had been living beyond their means for several months, had used all of their inherited money up. The rent was coming up on the coffee shop, and several bills would have to go unpaid. Their semi-mansion overlooking the town was suddenly too expensive to pay for, and they could not help Sarita if she was looking for money. They couldn't even scrape together pay for their own employees, some of whom would have to be let go.
Sarita was devastated. She had fully intended to get a job, pay off her loan and live forever in her little dream house on the mountain. Instead, the IRS and the bank came to the McCoys, and demands for money were made. When they couldn't be answered, the McCoy's properties were foreclosed — first with their coffee shop, then with Sarita's house. Finally, they lost their first home, and were forced to move into the house of Sarita's paternal grandparents.
Life quickly became a tense hell for Sarita. Mr. McCoy had never told Sarita he'd been kicked out of his house; he'd always said he left willingly at 17. They and their son's family had never been close, save for a few birthdays and the odd letter. He was repeatedly mocked for marrying into a richer family; the fact he'd used up most of the inheritance was constantly brought up. Mrs. McCoy, who was a Latina, was often told to "go back to her own country" and that she was better off working as a maid. Sarita herself was known as "the welfare case", and a great fuss was made whenever she (politely) asked her grandparents for anything. "You'll be a hooker living on handouts," they had said, even after she got a fast food job, "and don't expect us to be there when you finally pop out your money-grabbers."
On top of the drama, her paternal grandparents asked for a large rent fee. Sarita and her parents all pitched in to help pay it, though they had little left for themselves afterwards. When Sarita's father fell and broke his leg at the factory he worked at, his parents immediately started calling him "lazy" and claimed he did it on purpose. Sarita, who was very taxed by now, turned on her grandparents and threw in their faces how they had always lived in a smaller house. She ground into their faces that they had always worked hard, that neither of them had finished high school, and that her paternal grandmother had had Mr. McCoy at 16. When they fired back at her, calling her all manner of names and taking stabs at her birth parents, they spilled a very, very well-guarded secret.
Credit cards had been taken out in Sarita's name, and both them and her parents had been using them to pay for things too expensive for the cash they had.
Not only was Sarita in debt, but since the McCoys had started feeling the financial pinch, they had been wrecking their daughter's credit score to try and keep up appearances. Blame ended up being shoveled onto the girl, and the "you should be grateful you were adopted" card was played by both sides. Sarita, absolutely betrayed, left that night in her car — it was the only thing that no longer had payments left on it. Without a plan or a care as to what to do, Sarita floored it out of that tiny Oregonian suburb, and off she went into the sunset.
That was four years ago. Since then, Sarita has been living as a transient worker, taking on the hobo lifestyle after meeting a few while on the road. They were kind enough to get her started by teaching about things like farm jobs; from there, through documentaries and her own research, Sarita carved out her own path. She's young, fiery and ready to face the world, but there is a sadness to her still. Her parents have not spoken to her since she left, nor have they come looking for her; in her mind, they sided with her paternal grandparents. The car is all she has left of...anything, really.
Personality: Sarita alternates between the classy composure of a sleek Borzoi and the energetic, almost goofy energy associated with a Labrador mutt. The dog metaphor is apt, for she is one to show much loyalty and compassion to people she counts as friends. She is mannerly and appropriate, intelligent and polite, prone to using flowery words and daydreaming about grander things. She has a habit of keeping her head in the clouds, though her change in lifestyle has grounded her somewhat. When she can be, she thinks quickly and can move just as fast, though she hasn't yet gained a completely-toughened shell. There are times where she can be very emotional.
Though she still has a "rich girl's" attitude, Sarita has grown dependable. She is a hard worker, realizes life is not all sunshine and daisies, and is coming to terms with her lot in this world. She still has her rose-coloured glasses to an extent, but they are cracked and frayed by what she has seen and what has happened to her.
Likes: Art. Music. The finer things in life, like expensive wines and high-class clothes. Vibrant colours and powerful forms of expression. Her father's guitar, which is one of the few gifts from him he still has. Her car, which is also her house. The Hey Arnold! cartoon, which is one of her guilty pleasures, and Game of Thrones, which she is an absolute fangirl for. Busking. Acoustic covers. Folk and country music.
Dislikes: Her family. The degree of poverty she is in. Stories and shows about vampires like Twilight and True Blood, because she's irritated about what she sees as a "lack of intelligent writing". More modern forms of music like rap, dubstep and techno, though there are some exceptions. When people mess with her car, since it's her house. When people spoil her shows. Being unable to find work. When she can't buy something she really likes or wants to buy. Having her car searched by cops. Vanilla pudding (shudder).
Strengths/Weapons: Sarita has a knife she keeps in her glove compartment, and a crowbar she keeps in her trunk. She can punch, run and kick, but she only knows the rudimentary basics of self-defense. If anything, her biggest asset is her car — if she was truly forced to, she could (and would) run someone over with it, possibly while going from 0 to 60 in 3.5 seconds.
Sarita also has her actress's training to rely on in a pinch. Not only can she fake crying, she can also put on a convincing bluff, and mask any emotions she might be feeling with a more appropriate face. She is sensitive to the tone and mood of a conversation, and can change her act on the fly as needed. This is not foolproof, however; when she gets emotional enough, her true feelings will bleed through any guise.
Weaknesses: Sarita is a privileged girl thrown into what many see as a less-than-ideal situation. Though she has gained some street smarts, she is not a physical powerhouse, and manipulating people can only get her so far. There is always a chance she will be mugged, carjacked or worse, and the thoughts of such do keep her up at night. She won't say it out loud, but at the heart of it all, Sarita is often scared for her own safety. She is lost and has nowhere to turn.
Sarita also struggles with trust issues thanks to the financial abuse from years gone by. She is fiercely protective of anything she has, especially her car and her own money; irreparably damaging her car is enough to make her fly into a rage. She is also impulsive, prone to split-second decisions in the heat of an emotional moment. She will not always be smart with her money, buying beyond her means if there is something she truly desires to have. A couple of times, she has shoplifted items for her own gain, something Sarita doesn't like to talk about.
Another problem Sarita has is being emotional. Sarita feels like she is caught between two worlds — her life and mindset before the financial crash, and the nomadic lifestyle she has now. She has come to have a passion for it, but there is a deep homesickness in her, further strengthened by her estrangement from her family. She is trying to pay off her debts, but the interest on them means that mere pennies will not be enough. On top of being hyper-alert in case a bad guy sneaks up on her, Sarita gets little sleep, and she nerves are partially frayed. She can keep up appearances if need be, but can get overwhelmed and become emotional, bleeding through any facade she's put up.
Finally, Sarita can be judgmental. Hypocritical as it might seem, she quietly leers and judges those "beneath" her, such as homeless without any shelter or the more ragged-looking panhandlers. In her worst moments, she can be passive-aggressive and petty, coming across as a spoilt brat and out of her element. This has gotten her into trouble before; some folk don't take kindly to her being snooty, and some of those folk are armed.
Special skills (that are not weapon related): Sarita is a natural singer, and is also very good at the guitar. As stated before, she can act and fake emotions, and also is sensitive to how other people might feel. She grew up with Spanish as a second language, and can act as a translator if necessary. That being said, she cannot understand European Spanish, as Latin American Spanish has evolved to be very different from the dialect across the pond.
Extra Info:
Age (or human equivalent): She's about 25 years old, and was born on June 15 — a Gemini.
Gender (or human equivalent): Female
Species: Human
Faction: Neutral
Original Occupation: Formerly a student of music (and some theatre), Sarita did a lot of busking as well as attending online courses to become a musician. The 2008 financial crisis changed that.
Occupation/Specialization: Sarita is a hobo, not to be confused with a bum or a tramp. She's a transient worker who lives in her car; she will take temporary work and Craigslist gigs to get by, as well as busk with her beloved guitar. She's too deep in debt to buy her own home for apply for a loan, and has been trying to pay off two loans with mere pennies. She's given up on the idea that she'll have a permanent home again.
Appearance/Altmode: Sarita is 5'5" and a little underweight. She has long, straight black hair that she makes wavy with a curling iron, and an ambiguously brown skin tone — her ethnic background is mostly unknown, as she was adopted as a baby. The adoption was closed, but Sarita's personal research reveals she has a great deal of Native American and East Indian blood (which also explains her lactose intolerance). She has warm brown eyes that twinkle with her smile, and a lively voice that lends well to singing. She often dresses in light skirts and short-sleeved shirts — alternating between rich wine-reds and dark, swirling blues — and two pairs of old, gaudy cowboy boots that she bought at a thrift shop. Her face is slightly worn from her hard life on the road, and her hands are beaten and calloused from her years of hard work.
History: Sarita Reyna McCoy is the lovechild of two unknown pseudo-hippies that met on the road. Whoever her birthmother was, she left Sarita outside a hospital in Oregon one night, barely visible to the cameras outside of the building. Her adoptive parents took her in when she was five months old, keeping her birth name because they liked it so much; the name "Reyna" came from her great-grandmother on her mother's side, the Mexican-born wife of a small-time cattle rancher. She was happily raised by the McCoy family, who owned a coffee shop in a small town near the mountains.
Despite the humble settlement she grew up in, Sarita's family was a family with money. Her maternal grandparents left a sizable sum of money and stocks to the family; Sarita had the joy of being raised in a large house with a maid. Her toys were on the more expensive side, and various artsy brands filled her clothing closet. Privately home-schooled, Sarita developed a passion for culture and art, picking up her father's guitar and learning how to sing. A high-class acting club in the nearest city took up most of her time; there, she participated in a few amateur plays, and learned the art of theatre. She was very much a hipster in her teenage years, blending in with a semi-snobbish, affluent art crowd that listened to the alternative, discussed politics and various world issues, and always had a member of an "outside" community. To this day, Sarita isn't sure if anyone else grew up with a friend that classified themselves as "otherkin".
Sarita graduated from school and high school as an average student, but with notably high marks in art and music. Rather than go to a physical college, Sarita's parents gave her the option of attending some online courses, which their daughter took out a loan for. Overjoyed, the McCoy's "little muse" threw herself into them with abandon, but did not realize that her days of quiet privilege were coming to an end. Her father had taken out a loan and a mortgage on the house; in the months before the financial crisis hit, some of his family's stocks had started to plunge. He and Mrs. McCoy kept everything quiet from Sarita, though, and when she was 20 years old, they found her a spacious cabin not too far up the nearby mountains. Another loan had to be taken out to finance it, again done by Sarita — she only thought it was right, as it was going to be her house.
And then, the 2008 financial ball dropped, and so did what was left of the McCoy's stocks. Within a few days, they lost most of their money, barely hanging on to what little remained. Sarita finally learned the cold, hard truth — her parents, who had been living beyond their means for several months, had used all of their inherited money up. The rent was coming up on the coffee shop, and several bills would have to go unpaid. Their semi-mansion overlooking the town was suddenly too expensive to pay for, and they could not help Sarita if she was looking for money. They couldn't even scrape together pay for their own employees, some of whom would have to be let go.
Sarita was devastated. She had fully intended to get a job, pay off her loan and live forever in her little dream house on the mountain. Instead, the IRS and the bank came to the McCoys, and demands for money were made. When they couldn't be answered, the McCoy's properties were foreclosed — first with their coffee shop, then with Sarita's house. Finally, they lost their first home, and were forced to move into the house of Sarita's paternal grandparents.
Life quickly became a tense hell for Sarita. Mr. McCoy had never told Sarita he'd been kicked out of his house; he'd always said he left willingly at 17. They and their son's family had never been close, save for a few birthdays and the odd letter. He was repeatedly mocked for marrying into a richer family; the fact he'd used up most of the inheritance was constantly brought up. Mrs. McCoy, who was a Latina, was often told to "go back to her own country" and that she was better off working as a maid. Sarita herself was known as "the welfare case", and a great fuss was made whenever she (politely) asked her grandparents for anything. "You'll be a hooker living on handouts," they had said, even after she got a fast food job, "and don't expect us to be there when you finally pop out your money-grabbers."
On top of the drama, her paternal grandparents asked for a large rent fee. Sarita and her parents all pitched in to help pay it, though they had little left for themselves afterwards. When Sarita's father fell and broke his leg at the factory he worked at, his parents immediately started calling him "lazy" and claimed he did it on purpose. Sarita, who was very taxed by now, turned on her grandparents and threw in their faces how they had always lived in a smaller house. She ground into their faces that they had always worked hard, that neither of them had finished high school, and that her paternal grandmother had had Mr. McCoy at 16. When they fired back at her, calling her all manner of names and taking stabs at her birth parents, they spilled a very, very well-guarded secret.
Credit cards had been taken out in Sarita's name, and both them and her parents had been using them to pay for things too expensive for the cash they had.
Not only was Sarita in debt, but since the McCoys had started feeling the financial pinch, they had been wrecking their daughter's credit score to try and keep up appearances. Blame ended up being shoveled onto the girl, and the "you should be grateful you were adopted" card was played by both sides. Sarita, absolutely betrayed, left that night in her car — it was the only thing that no longer had payments left on it. Without a plan or a care as to what to do, Sarita floored it out of that tiny Oregonian suburb, and off she went into the sunset.
That was four years ago. Since then, Sarita has been living as a transient worker, taking on the hobo lifestyle after meeting a few while on the road. They were kind enough to get her started by teaching about things like farm jobs; from there, through documentaries and her own research, Sarita carved out her own path. She's young, fiery and ready to face the world, but there is a sadness to her still. Her parents have not spoken to her since she left, nor have they come looking for her; in her mind, they sided with her paternal grandparents. The car is all she has left of...anything, really.
Personality: Sarita alternates between the classy composure of a sleek Borzoi and the energetic, almost goofy energy associated with a Labrador mutt. The dog metaphor is apt, for she is one to show much loyalty and compassion to people she counts as friends. She is mannerly and appropriate, intelligent and polite, prone to using flowery words and daydreaming about grander things. She has a habit of keeping her head in the clouds, though her change in lifestyle has grounded her somewhat. When she can be, she thinks quickly and can move just as fast, though she hasn't yet gained a completely-toughened shell. There are times where she can be very emotional.
Though she still has a "rich girl's" attitude, Sarita has grown dependable. She is a hard worker, realizes life is not all sunshine and daisies, and is coming to terms with her lot in this world. She still has her rose-coloured glasses to an extent, but they are cracked and frayed by what she has seen and what has happened to her.
Likes: Art. Music. The finer things in life, like expensive wines and high-class clothes. Vibrant colours and powerful forms of expression. Her father's guitar, which is one of the few gifts from him he still has. Her car, which is also her house. The Hey Arnold! cartoon, which is one of her guilty pleasures, and Game of Thrones, which she is an absolute fangirl for. Busking. Acoustic covers. Folk and country music.
Dislikes: Her family. The degree of poverty she is in. Stories and shows about vampires like Twilight and True Blood, because she's irritated about what she sees as a "lack of intelligent writing". More modern forms of music like rap, dubstep and techno, though there are some exceptions. When people mess with her car, since it's her house. When people spoil her shows. Being unable to find work. When she can't buy something she really likes or wants to buy. Having her car searched by cops. Vanilla pudding (shudder).
Strengths/Weapons: Sarita has a knife she keeps in her glove compartment, and a crowbar she keeps in her trunk. She can punch, run and kick, but she only knows the rudimentary basics of self-defense. If anything, her biggest asset is her car — if she was truly forced to, she could (and would) run someone over with it, possibly while going from 0 to 60 in 3.5 seconds.
Sarita also has her actress's training to rely on in a pinch. Not only can she fake crying, she can also put on a convincing bluff, and mask any emotions she might be feeling with a more appropriate face. She is sensitive to the tone and mood of a conversation, and can change her act on the fly as needed. This is not foolproof, however; when she gets emotional enough, her true feelings will bleed through any guise.
Weaknesses: Sarita is a privileged girl thrown into what many see as a less-than-ideal situation. Though she has gained some street smarts, she is not a physical powerhouse, and manipulating people can only get her so far. There is always a chance she will be mugged, carjacked or worse, and the thoughts of such do keep her up at night. She won't say it out loud, but at the heart of it all, Sarita is often scared for her own safety. She is lost and has nowhere to turn.
Sarita also struggles with trust issues thanks to the financial abuse from years gone by. She is fiercely protective of anything she has, especially her car and her own money; irreparably damaging her car is enough to make her fly into a rage. She is also impulsive, prone to split-second decisions in the heat of an emotional moment. She will not always be smart with her money, buying beyond her means if there is something she truly desires to have. A couple of times, she has shoplifted items for her own gain, something Sarita doesn't like to talk about.
Another problem Sarita has is being emotional. Sarita feels like she is caught between two worlds — her life and mindset before the financial crash, and the nomadic lifestyle she has now. She has come to have a passion for it, but there is a deep homesickness in her, further strengthened by her estrangement from her family. She is trying to pay off her debts, but the interest on them means that mere pennies will not be enough. On top of being hyper-alert in case a bad guy sneaks up on her, Sarita gets little sleep, and she nerves are partially frayed. She can keep up appearances if need be, but can get overwhelmed and become emotional, bleeding through any facade she's put up.
Finally, Sarita can be judgmental. Hypocritical as it might seem, she quietly leers and judges those "beneath" her, such as homeless without any shelter or the more ragged-looking panhandlers. In her worst moments, she can be passive-aggressive and petty, coming across as a spoilt brat and out of her element. This has gotten her into trouble before; some folk don't take kindly to her being snooty, and some of those folk are armed.
Special skills (that are not weapon related): Sarita is a natural singer, and is also very good at the guitar. As stated before, she can act and fake emotions, and also is sensitive to how other people might feel. She grew up with Spanish as a second language, and can act as a translator if necessary. That being said, she cannot understand European Spanish, as Latin American Spanish has evolved to be very different from the dialect across the pond.
Extra Info: