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 Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 9:20 am
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Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 9:30 am
1o.o6.2oo9 Appearance, Personality & History are complete.
o9.23.2oo9 Production of the Los Dias concept contest entry has begun.o1. Introduction
o2. Updates, ToC
o3. Statistics
o4. Appearance Suggestions
o5. History
o6. Relations
o7. Vignette One
o8. Questions & Answers
o9. Vignette Two
1o. Concept Art
11. Reserved
12. Reserved
13. Reserved
14. Reserved
15. Credits
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Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 9:34 am
Name: Carmen Ortega
Age: 19
Gender: Female
Nationality: Mexican
Year Time Broke: 1836
Likes: Flowers, cleanliness, patience, quiet
Dislikes: Male attention (unfriendly or TOO friendly), rodents, those who speak ill of God, discussions of marriage and babies
Merits: Courtesy, Obedience, Prudence, Humility
Flaws: Dependent, Dubious, Nervous, Squeamish
Skills: Ambidextrous, cooking, sewing, playing and repairing guitars, house keeping
Hobbies: Making beaded necklaces, plant care, practicing guitar, night time prayers
Habits: Nail biting, twirling hair, understating important facts, wringing her hands
Reason for Joining LOTUS: There are three reasons why Carmen has sought out LOTUS and seeks to join; first and foremost, she wants to help in any way she can. If they would take her, she would try her very best to return the world to the way it was because this current one is much more frightening. Besides this, she is subconsciously seeking a form of independence; her family won't be taking charge of her life as long as she's with LOTUS and this is what she wants, but she doesn't know how to say this because it's all she's known for her entire life. The final reason is her brother; she feels this might be an answer to her and her mother's prayers for her little brother's soul and she might be able to seek him out and see if he is at peace.
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Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 9:37 am
Weight: 138lbs
Eyes: Almond shaped and fairly wide, still looking more childish than refined. They are a honey-brown.
Hair: Black and wavy with thin strands in a naturally crimped style, most of it is kept up in a bun but there are many loose strands in front of her face, some reaching her neck, and the rest of her hair is loose in the back but only reaches her shoulders. When it is completely down, it reaches mid-back. It is held up in a bun by a ribbon, usually bright red.
Face: Due to helping her father with work, there is little baby fat remaining and it is quite shapely. Her chin is slightly pointed with a long nose. Her eyebrows shape a great deal of her forehead and they're naturally wide, blending nicely with her hair and giving a good cover atop her eyes.
Skin: Coppery, she has a fairly smooth complexion but it is not without blemishes such as freckles, most notably on her shoulders and arms. She has a farmer's tan, to some degree.
Build: Her musculature is leaning more towards athletic but she is still rather shapely in the waist and hips. Her body type is consistent with her height and weight, and is the shape of a woman who exercises regularly and eats as healthy as she can.
Posture: She tries to hold herself with as much proper decorum as possible, and so her shoulders are always back, legs together, hands held in front of her and her head is usually bent down, especially when addressing people of higher authority. She often tries to keep eye contact but is wary of doing so with people she is not considered on the same level with because she does not want to insult or anger them; this usually makes her seem timid or weak willed instead of respectful.
Clothing: Simple dresses, mostly consisting of tans, reds and purples. The sleeves are usually short and her shoes aren't quite heeled due to the sandy ground, but also reflect the simple nature of her clothing. They're all hand made, so it is obvious they aren't a wealthy family but they also aren't the poorest of the poor.
Accessories: Always wears a flower in her hair; currently, it is a marigold.
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Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 9:41 am
1817 - Carmen is born.
Her birth sprang many things in the lives of her family; her mother could no longer follow the Mariachi dancing while she had been pregnant and even less so with the baby. Her father, not wanting to sadden his wife, parted ways with the Mariachi and started up a guitar selling business, making unique, hand made guitars. To assist Ynez while Ciriaco was away at work, his parents moved in with the family. Fabian and Evita would take care of the young Carmen while Ynez did house work and cooked, Evita occasionally switching off while it was time to feed Carmen. Fabian would usually go to help Ciriaco when things got busy at the shop or there was a particularly hard to build guitar.
Things went on like this for many years, very calm and enriching, a wealth of family time. But soon, Fabian got old and left the world when Carmen was only ten years old. Life got a bit harder after this; Evita was sad for a long time, Ciriaco toughened up and ran a stricter house and business. He found no room for mistakes. Things only seemed to get harder after that and Ciriaco often took Carmen to the shop to work with him, as well as trying to hire more help. Several people applied but only one young man was hired, Leon Castillo of seventeen years. He already had a lot of experience with guitars and was the nephew of one of Ciriaco's Mariachi band mates.
He and Carmen worked well together, binding and stringing guitars in proper form. If Carmen had any questions and her father wasn't around, Leon provided the perfect answer. On slow days, he would play some of the guitars to try and draw a crowd, but this didn't always work. When things were particularly slow, Leon would teach Carmen how to play. It didn't take long for her to develop a crush, despite their age difference.
A few years went on and another rough patch filled with bad news came to the Ortega family; Ynez's sister and her family had met with an accident, only leaving their daughter, Blanca, to survive. No questions asked, Ynez offered their home to Blanca and she settled right in, allowing Carmen to have someone to bond with that was her age and gender. Ciriaco was distressed with Blanca moving in, not knowing Ynez's family well and them having such limited space--this lead to a fight between he and Ynez but he soon relented and Blanca roomed in with Carmen. They hit it off very quickly and became nigh inseparable, much like sisters.
It was decided by Ciriaco that if Blanca was to live with them, she was to help at the guitar shop with Carmen. Blanca didn't really like that idea but was helped by Carmen and Leon both to understand things and do well, so it didn't take her long to feel more welcomed and at ease. Around Carmen's fifteenth birthday, Blanca divulged that she thought Leon to be good husband material, and Carmen confided that she had fancied him since he was hired. It was here that Carmen learned not to tell Blanca such things, as even though she was a great listener, fun to be around and wouldn't lie to Carmen, she also had a rather big mouth and Ciriaco over heard that Carmen was infatuated with Leon.
When Blanca and Carmen arrived to work the next day, Leon and Ciriaco were in a terrible fight and Leon was fired. He told Carmen that he didn't know if Leon felt the same way or not but he did not want her to marry into such a simple life and was trying to allow her to have a better life for herself. Carmen was devastated, certain that if Leon had wanted anything to do with her at all, he certainly wouldn't now. Blanca tried to make it up to her but it was no use, Carmen decided she didn't want to ever get married, especially not by her father's choice, but made Blanca promise never to tell anyone about it--exactly what she hadn't done when she told her she liked Leon.
After this event, life became slow, monotonous. Things were very average for the Ortega family; every Sunday was Church, every Wednesday they would pray in their own home, Monday through Friday was working on guitars and Saturdays were used for selling blankets Ynez and Evita made while giving out hand-me-downs of clothes that fit none of them anymore. This pattern continued, almost entirely uninterrupted, until 1835. Ynez was pregnant again.
Ciriaco had been praying for a son, a successor to the family business and to the household while Ynez had been praying for another child at all; through the years, she had been under the impression she might have gone barren after giving birth to Carmen but with that being proven false, she would have been happy with whatever gender the child was. Evita's arthritis had set in and she was no longer able to help, so Blanca and Carmen were tasked with doing the sewing and weaving while Ynez could not and Ciriaco tried to hire once more. He got a few good workers, but none were as good or as interesting as Leon.
Far into Ynez's pregnancy, she asked to come along to one of the Saturday carpet sales with the girls and things went well for most of the day. Quite a few got sold and they were able to offer several parents and children clothes that would be good for them. Near the end of the day, Ynez got up to see if she might like to purchase anything from the other sellers but she prematurely went into labor. Blanca and Carmen were just able to get her back home before she gave birth to a baby boy... one who wasn't moving or breathing.
Ynez was devastated, sent into hysterics. Evita was tasked with calming her while Blanca went to retrieve Ciriaco from work and Carmen was given the terrible task of readying the newborn for burial. All of the women were sobbing when Ciriaco returned, Ynez only able to repeat what she had wanted to name the baby over and over, "Demetrio... Demetrio...". Carmen's baby brother was buried in the nearest cemetery with a rock as a headstone, name carved into it as best they could, his grave sprinkled with marigolds.
Nothing was ever the same again, not after that. Carmen was more withdrawn than ever, Evita seemed to be losing her mind, Ciriaco's temper grew exponentially, Blanca tried to distance herself from everyone but Carmen as much as possible and Ynez lost all of her spark. Yelling matches and physical fights broke out often, especially at dinner, and their El Día de los Muertos celebration centered almost exclusively around Demetrio instead of Fabian or their other relatives. Instead of it being a joyous celebration of remembrance, the day was spoiled with tears and bitter memories, guilt and longing.
Their second Day of the Dead without Demetrio was spoiled even more, by something far greater. Something none of them could comprehend or had any control over. Time... destroyed itself. 1836
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Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 9:43 am
Father: Ciriaco Ortega used to be a guitarist in a Mariachi when he was young but now he makes and sells guitars. It is the main family business and he would have handed it down to the son, had he survived. He is a strict man, in business, religion and home life, not afraid to strike someone should they do something wrong but just as he is strict, he tries hard to be a loving father and husband and do what he thinks is right. Ciriaco loves his family dearly, just not their mistakes.
Mother: Ynez Ortega was once beautiful and lively; she loved dancing and would accompany her husband's Mariachi group whenever they played in the streets, dancing to their music and garnering more attention. She used to sew all of the clothes and blankets for the family, having Evita assist her and trying to get both Carmen and Blanca interested in the side business because it was more acceptable than the girls working a masculine job. When she discovered she was pregnant again, she was over joyed and took very good care of herself. Despite that, things didn't work out and the baby was lost. After this, it seemed all color had drained from Ynez's life; she became short with everyone, often bursting into crying fits at the tiniest provocation and she no longer takes pride in dancing or sewing, mostly sleeping a lot of the day away.
Brother: Demetrio was going to be the name of Carmen's baby brother. A year prior to time collapsing, he had been premature and was still born. The family was devastated and now their entire Day of the Dead celebration consists of paying respects to him, almost exclusively, leaving little for their other relatives.
Cousin: Blanca Rivera is Carmen's cousin and has been living with her family for several years. She was orphaned and taken in, so she is more like Carmen's sister than cousin. They are the same age and confide in each other more than with any other member of their family. Whereas Carmen enjoys helping her father with work, Blanca detests it and tries to get out of it as often as possible. Her family was a bit higher on the social scale and so she is still getting used to living a more humble lifestyle.
Grandmother: Evita Ortega is Ciriaco's mother; at around 70, she's still kicking but has terrible arthritis and may be going senile as she occasionally talks to her deceased husband at the dinner table, especially around November 2nd. Carmen's family has gotten used to it and are no longer surprised, though they find it hard to explain should they have company over who are unfamiliar with the practice. Before her hands and joints went bad, she used to weave blankets herself and sell them, even helping her daughter-in-law to do the same before the death of her grandson. She is developing cataracts over both of her eyes and may soon go blind.
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Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 9:46 am
Vignette One - The Case of Carmen, Blanca and Leon
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Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 9:47 am
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Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 9:52 am
Vignette Two - Dinner Fight
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Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 9:53 am
Concept Art
Tekteks because I'm lame
Blanka  Ynez  Leon  Ciriaco  Evita  Actual Art
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Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 9:58 am
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Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 10:01 am
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Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 10:04 am
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Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 10:06 am
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Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 10:08 am
LOTUS copyright Jyoti and Enhaya
Carmen Ortega and all text in this thread copyright ex o ex Snoof
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