Ms. Rachel, Sweetheart of the Year

 

Dutch Wagenbach from The Shield vs. Michael Knowles

 

Vera Echo

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THE BASICS

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Name: Vera Echo

Nickname: Doctor Feelgood

Gender: Cisgender Female

Age: 45

Birth Date: 455 AM

Birth Place: The Xavier Village

Currently Living In: The Xavier Village

Species: Elf

Ethnicity / Race: Elf

Citizenship: The Xavier Village

Religion / Beliefs: Magetan Leftist

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FAMILY

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Father: Unknown

Age: Unknown

Relationship: Went missing after birth

Mother: Marian Echo

Age: Dead

Relationship: Smothering

Pet(s): Lovely (cat)

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PHYSICAL FEATURES:

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Height: 5’10”

Weight: 110 lbs.

Frame / Build: Slender

Hair length: Shoulder

Hair color: Black

Eye shape: Narrow

Eye color: Purple

Complexion: Light Green

Face size: Narrow

Voice type: Gentle

Foot size: Women’s 10

Tattoo(s): Angels on her right leg

Scar(s): Knee injury

Other notable accessories: Security teddy bear

Any other identifying mark(s): 

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SOCIO / ECONOMIC / POLITICAL

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Political Affiliation: Leftwing

Economic Class: Moneyless society

Social Class: Healer

Occupation: Psychotherapist

Income: Moneyless society

Residence: Cabin on the outskirts of the village

Transportation: Feet

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INTERESTS

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Favorite Food(s): Carrots and ranch

Favorite Sport(s): Yoga

Favorite Book(s): Fantasy romances

Favorite Show(s): TV wasn’t invented yet

Favorite Music: Harp and violin

Favorite Color(s): Purple and green

Clothing Style / Preferences: Religious robes and Birkenstocks

Hobbies: Knitting, doll collecting, and reading

Role Model(s): Mageta and Llewellyn Xavier

Likes: Naps, peace and quiet, love stories

Dislikes: Ableism, racism, and animal abuse

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PERSONALITY

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Good Qualities / Trait(s): Sweet, loving, empathetic, and kind

Vices / Negative Trait(s): Hypersensitive to raucous stimuli, easily burned out and traumatized

Strengths: Compassion and good conversation

Weaknesses: Fearful, knee injury, and cries easily

Habits / Idiosyncrasies / Quirks: Tosses teddy bear and catches it, bounces feet

Phobia / Fears: Missing out on life due to not only her smothering relationship with her mother, but also the limitations of her autism

Select one personality type below that best describes your character:

Confidant (INFJ) – Intensely private and committed to their beliefs. Highly intuitive, emphatic and dedicated listeners. Quietly forceful and sensitive. The rarest personality type, especially with males. Focused on fantasy more than reality. Fears doing the wrong thing. Tend to work quietly behind the scenes and influence people than be leaders. Perservering, especially when it comes to doing the right thing. Very individualistic, rather than leading or following, but can work with groups to accomplish a goal.

Define your character’s personality based on the following aspects:

a. Physically: Easy to approach

b. Psychologically: Wise, caring, intelligent, and loving

c. Spiritually: Devoted follower of Mageta, but empathetic towards people who are not

d. Emotionally: Cracks under pressure, but doesn’t let it show

e. Socially: Universally loved by her village, but hunted by perverted city men

Others things to know:

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HISTORY

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1. Describe the character’s childhood. Vera lived a sheltered life due to her mother’s overprotective nature, which in turn was inspired by the disappearance of Vera’s father. Vera originally wanted to be a soldier and defied her mother to pursue training with Edward Xavier. She sustained a knee injury that put her out of action permanently. Vera had a falling out with her mother over the “I told you sos” she gave her. She pursued psychotherapy as a career to make sure nobody else was as lonely as she was.

2. Name the good incidents that have happened in the character’s life. How has this shaped her personality? Whenever she wasn’t being smothered, she sneaked out of the cabin to play with her friends and that’s where she got her social skills from.

3. Name bad experiences that have happened in the character’s life. How has this shaped his personality? Not much outside of the knee injury and mother’s helicopter parenting style. She had been sexually harassed by Morgan Town humans before and starts to question if her mother was right all along.

4. What is the character doing when first introduced? What are her goals at this point? She’s sitting in on a Magetan sermon conducted by Llewellyn, only for it to be interrupted by a potential patient, Bijou Birdwing. Vera wanted to sign her on as a client, but Bijou refused.

4a. Do these goals change at any point in the story? Can’t answer due to spoilers.

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STORY DEVELOPMENT:

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CHARACTER ARCHETYPE: (Put an X on all applicable boxes)

[] Addict (Conspicuous Consumer, Glutton, Workaholic–see also Gambler)

[X] Advocate (Attorney, Defender, Legislator, Lobbyist, Environmentalist)

[] Alchemist (Wizard, Magician, Scientist, Inventor–see also Visionary)

[] Angel (Fairy Godmother/Godfather)

[] Antagonist (Opposing View, not necessarily the Evil Bad — see also Villain)

[] Anti-Hero

[X] Artist (Artisan, Craftsperson, Sculptor, Weaver)

[] Athlete (Olympian)

[] Avenger (Avenging Angel, Savior, Messiah)

[] Beggar (Homeless person/ Indigent)

[] Bully (Coward)

[] Catalyst

[] Child (Orphan, Wounded, Magical/Innocent, Nature, Divine, Puer/Puella Eternis, or Eternal Boy/Girl)

[] Clown (Court Jester, Fool, Dummling)

[] Companion (Friend, Sidekick, Right Arm, Consort)

[] Damsel (Princess)

[] Destroyer (Attila, Mad Scientist, Serial Killer, Spoiler)

[] Detective (Spy, Double Agent, Sleuth, Snoop, Sherlock Holmes, Private Investigator, Profiler–see also Warrior/Crime Fighter)

[] Dilettante (Amateur)

[] Don Juan (Casanova, Gigolo, Seducer, Sex Addict)

[] Engineer (Architect, Builder, Schemer)

[] Exorcist (Shaman)

[] Father (Patriarch, Progenitor)

[] Femme Fatale (Black Widow, Flirt, Siren, Circe, Seductress, Enchantress)

[] Gambler

[] God (Adonis, see also Hero)

[] Gossip (see also Networker)

[] Guide (Guru, Sage, Crone, Wise Woman, Spiritual Master, Evangelist, Preacher)

[X] Healer (Wounded Healer, Intuitive Healer, Caregiver, Nurse, Therapist, Analyst, Counselor)

[] Hedonist (Bon Vivant, Chef, Gourmet, Gourmand, Sybarite–see also Mystic)

[] Hermit (see also Wise old Man)

[] Hero/Heroine (see also Knight, Warrior)

[] Judge (Critic, Examiner, Mediator, Arbitrator)

[] King (Emperor, Ruler, Leader, Chief — see also Politician)

[] Knight in Shining Armor

[] Liberator

[] Lover

[] Martyr

[X] Mediator (Ambassador, Diplomat, Go-Between)

[X] Mentor (Master, Counselor, Tutor)

[] Messiah (Redeemer, Savior)

[] Midas/Miser

[] Monk/Nun (Celibate)

[] Mother (Matriarch, Mother Nature)

[] Mystic (Renunciate, Anchorite, Hermit)

[] Networker (Messenger, Herald, Courier, Journalist, Communicator)

[] Pioneer (Explorer, Settler, Pilgrim, Innovator)

[] Poet

[] Politician (see also King)

[] Priest (Priestess, Minister, Rabbi, Evangelist)

[] Prince

[] Prostitute

[] Queen (Empress)

[] Rebel (Anarchist, Revolutionary, Political Protester, Nonconformist, Pirate)

[] Rescuer

[] Saboteur

[] Samaritan

[] Scribe (Copyist, Secretary, Accountant–see also Journalist)

[] Seeker (Wanderer, Vagabond, Nomad)

[] Servant (Indentured Servant)

[] Shape-shifter (Spell-caster–see also Trickster)

[] Slave

[] Spectre (Ghost / Apparition with Unresolved issues)

[] Storyteller (Minstrel, Narrator)

[] Student / Scholar (Disciple, Devotee, Follower, Apprentice)

[X] Teacher (Instructor, see also Mentor)

[] Thief (Swindler, Con Artist, Pickpocket, Burglar, Robin Hood)

[] Threshold Guardian

[] Trickster (Puck, Provocateur)

[] Turncoat

[] Vampire

[] Victim

[] Villain / Shadow (Big Bad of the story; see also Antagonist)

[] Virgin (see also Celibate)

[] Visionary (Dreamer, Prophet, Seer–see also Guide, Alchemist)

[] Warrior (Soldier, Crime Fighter, Amazon, Mercenary, Soldier of Fortune, Gunslinger, Samurai)

[] Wise old Man (see also Hermit)

1. What are the motivations for the character’s actions? Not wanting anybody to be as lonely as she was growing up.

2. What are the character’s goals / ambition / dreams? To heal as many minds as possible without being vicariously traumatized herself due to her work.

3. What external conflicts would you wish for the character to overcome? Trying to survive attacks on the elven race.

3a. What are the obstacles in the character’s path that might make this difficult? Knee injury, inability to fight, and inability to process war stimuli

4. What inner conflicts would you wish for the character to overcome? To heal her own trauma with her Cognitive Behavioral Therapy techniques.

4a. What are the obstacles in the character’s path that might make this difficult? She doesn’t do it often enough because she’s frustrated by the slowness of her healing process.

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AUTHOR’S NOTES / MISCELLANY

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Character theme song: “Life” by Gene Kauer

Celebrity / IRL lookalike: Miyam Bialik

Obligations

Running away from your obligations

Won’t put an end to the conversation

The topic’s been brewing for a while

Never mind approaching it with style

You must attack the problem head-on

Even if it starts to feel morally wrong

You don’t have to have the answers

You’re a team player, not a freelancer

Help each other come to a conclusion

Don’t spend so much time in seclusion

Don’t confuse the act of cooling down

With running away and skipping town

You can do this, it’s a phone call away

Don’t put this off for yet another day

Three words, eight letters, say it loud

Before the hatred comes back around

Don’t let a small misunderstanding

Become your downfall, a stiff landing

Pick up the phone before it’s too late

Before the silence has sealed your fate

Black Panther

MOVIE TITLE: Black Panther

DIRECTOR: Ryan Coogler

YEAR: 2018

GENRE: Superhero

RATING: PG-13 for violence and language

GRADE: Extra Credit

The secret African nation of Wakanda harvests a powerful mineral called vibranium and uses the unstable element as the basis for all of their technology. Part of their technological advancements include an impenetrable superhero suit for the king of Wakanda, T’Challa a.k.a. Black Panther. A mysterious black American soldier named Erik “Killmonger” Stevens wants the vibranium for himself so that he can carry out his own political agenda. The power struggle between Black Panther and Killmonger runs deeper than just superficial greed. Revenge, revolution, and altruism are at the heart of this battle in which loyalties will be tested on both sides of the equation.

The main reason this movie gets an extra credit grade is because of how strongly black people are portrayed. Representation matters, especially in a world where racism and classism governs every part of American life. The audience will love the Black Panther character for more reasons than just being a kick-ass superhero. There’s a struggle within him that’s more taxing than the physical battles he endures. He wants to be a good king to his people, but a small part of him wants to share his loyalty with the entire world despite protests from his own subjects. This dynamic between selfishness and altruism is something we all have to consider in our lives. We need to have empathy for each other if our world is going to know true peace and the director seems to agree with that sentiment. Blood begets more blood and love begets more love. Underneath all of the action-packed fight scenes, the truth resides, though some people aren’t ready to hear that truth, which is why we have the bloodbaths we have today.

But of course, if the power struggle is to be believed, then the villain must buy into his own hype and make a strong case for it. That’s exactly what Killmonger does and the actor’s portrayal of such is to be praised. Killmonger wants revenge on a world that looks down upon him with racist bigotry. He wants to overthrow entire governments just so he can flash a middle finger to the man. It goes to show that even in a superhero movie like this, there are shades of gray in between the two extremes. The audience actually has to think for themselves and decide what is right. I hate power hungry oligarchs as much as anybody, but do we need constant assassinations left and right? It’s easy to give into the dark side when anger becomes your driving force. Be better than that. I’m begging you.

No matter what side King T’Challa takes, he’s going to have to pay his dues with one hundred percent interest. Just because he’s a superhero, doesn’t mean he’s not vulnerable to losing every now and then. Physical strength and godlike endurance can only take a man so far. It’s what’s on the inside that will bring him to any victories he needs. Anybody can throw a spear. Anybody can shoot a machinegun. But the real enemy must be conquered from within and that takes more strength than a bullet can provide. Some people don’t have that strength and they either meet an early death or they cross the moral event horizon themselves. Can Black Panther pass his own moral test? Buy a ticket and see for yourself.

In the same way that Wonder Woman was empowering to females, Black Panther is empowering for black people. While it’s nice to live vicariously through the titular superhero, it’s what we do in the real world that will make the biggest difference. What will you do to make a change? Will your actions be more powerful than a lead bullet? Will you become superhuman by virtue of your work towards a better day? Black Panther will steer you in the right direction and for that it gets an extra credit grade.

"The Bully, The Bullied, and The Bystander" by Barbara Coloroso

While this book may not be the fastest thing you’ve ever read or even the happiest, it’s definitely the most important. Bullying has been going on for far too long and it shouldn’t have taken a few suicides in 2010 for change to happen. That change should have happened a long time ago. “The Bully, The Bullied, and The Bystander” was written in 2003 and updated somewhere after 2008 to include a chapter on cyber-bullying. In the beginning of this disturbing piece of nonfiction, Barbara Coloroso sites several pages full of examples of how bullying destroyed the lives of students all across the world. Suicides, murder sprees, assaults, expulsions, prison sentences, the first few pages has examples of all of these things. And then you have an entire book to get through of the psychology behind bullying which is even more disturbing than shortly written case studies. What Barbara Coloroso tries to emphasize throughout the book is that the reason bullies do what they do is because they lack empathy for others. It’s not enough to send them to detention, suspend them, spank them or anything like that. If punishment is all the system has to offer, then the bully is just going to keep doing what he’s doing, but in a more covert way. Without empathy, the phrase, “Treat others the way you want to be treated” means nothing. Also without empathy, people get the message that bullying is a rite of passage for children going to school. No, it isn’t. There’s nothing normal about it. It’s demoralizing, humiliating, and even traumatizing. I’ve had my own battle with bullying during my freshman year of high school. I would have loved to believe that war was the answer and that all I needed to do was punch and kick my way between classes. Without educating students and teachers about the importance of empathy and getting along with one another, the cycle’s going to continue for many generations to come. Yes, we’ve got all these anti-bullying programs going around ever since those suicide statistics in 2010. Those programs do no good if nobody is willing to open their ears for just a few moments. You know what I say? I say make this book I’m talking about required reading for schools all around the world. Put it in the same bookshelf as “Catcher in the Rye” and “To Kill a Mockingbird”. Stick it somewhere between “The Outsiders” and “The Crucible”. The psychology behind it is disturbing as hell, but it’s also a necessary wakeup call for those walking around like traumatized zombies.

　

***MOVIE DIALOGUE OF THE DAY***

TEDDY: You call my dad a loony one more time…and I’ll kill you.
MILO: Loony, loony, loony.
TEDDY: Ah!! I’ll rip your head off and shit down your neck!

-Stand By Me-