Sample Student Application
PLAYER DETAILS
Player Name: Scout
Player Age: 24
Contact Email: mockingbirdscout@gmail.com
AIM: heyboo
Other Characters Played at Fandom High: Bullwinkle, Max Goof
CHARACTER DETAILS
Character Name: Kate Libby (aka Acid Burn)
Potential Character LJ Handle: poolontheroof
Fandom: Hackers
Age: 18
Class: Senior
We're going to ask you a few questions about your character and their canon. These questions are designed to give us an idea of what you know about your canon and your character, as well as an indication of how the character might work at Fandom High and what plans or ideas you have for them.
1. Assume we've never even heard of your show/movie/game/book/comic/play (known as 'canon' from now on). Explain it to us and how your character fits into the scheme of things.
Hackers was a film released in 1995. It told the story of a group of teenage high school computer enthusiasts who were extremely talented hackers. They performed illegal break-ins of computers for fun and reputation. The plot revolved around Dade Murphy, who was arrested and charged for the biggest hack in history when he was 11 years of age. The movie then jumps ahead to when he turns 18, has moved to New York and is then allowed to use computers again. He gets involved with a group of other hackers, including Kate Libby (aka Acid Burn) and gets involved in the now much more developed computer underground culture.
Cue the problem. A corporation security specialist known as The Plague has set up a program to steal money from an oil tanker company. When one of the hackers in the group accidentally stumbles upon the plan, The Plague decides to use a virus that will sink several oil tankers and frames the hackers for the crime to cover up his theft of millions of dollars. The hackers fight back and save the day, uncovering the plot and getting The Plague arrested.
Kate Libby is the only girl and one of the unofficial leaders of the group. Dade takes an interest in her when they meet online and fight over online territory. The rivalry continues in the real world, but they eventually come to like each other when they team up to fight The Plague.
2. Now onto your character. Please tell us about them. Appearance, personality, how they react to others. Describe the character to us so we can get an idea of who's joining the community.
Kate is from 1995 and is the daughter of an outspoken, best-selling, feminist author. She's thin and attractive, but is a rebel herself and shows it by cutting her hair very short, having a 'bad boy' boyfriend and actively engaging in the underground computer sub-culture. She's very intelligent, as is shown by her hacking abilities and her placement in advanced classes at school. She has a problem with authority, but she would rather get by with a sly remark and then mess with the school's computers than be aggressive if she can help it. She will, however, stand up for herself if the situation calls for it. The actress who played Kate was Angelina Jolie.
3. Powers! Does your character have any abilities (powers, skills, training or weapons) that go beyond what a normal teenager would have?
She has advanced computer skills and can break into heavily guarded computer systems. She carries a flare gun around as a "subway defense system" but has no other weapons. She has no other special abilities of note.
4. Why is your character coming to Fandom and what kind of situation are they leaving behind at home? (ie: where in the canon timeline do they come from?)
In the movie, the hackers saved the day and all charges were dropped against them. It was never stated what happened with the rest of the school year. In order to get Kate to repeat her senior year, I'm inventing that the high school expelled them on grounds of misuse of school property (officially, unofficially the school didn't want the bad publicity). The hackers were split up and Kate's mother sent her to Fandom to avoid the media furor.
5. Is there any reason that they might cause trouble to other characters in the Fandom High setting due to behavior or abilities? How would you account for that to make the character work well in a group-intensive environment?
If Kate conflicts with anyone, there will likely be a low-key snark contest followed by Kate changing the student's permanent record using her computer. This would not be done without permission from the administration or the person involved. She's not above pranking, but tends to brush things off to keep her cool appearance.
Links to character/series information:
Please provide 2-3 links to information about your character and their canon. If you cannot find any links because your fandom is too obscure, please let us know where we can get our hands on your canon.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hackers_%28film%29
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113243/
http://www.ozbricks.com/syme1984/hackers/
Problem Solving: You don't get what you want. How will you react out of character as a player? How will you have your character react?
You're on your own for this one!
Writing Sample: Please write at least 300 words *in character* having your character do something, anything, at Fandom High. Please write in third person. You may borrow other characters in the game for the purpose of this writing sample.
"Your computer is outdated."
Kate looked up from over the screen of her laptop at the boy. Longish hair and no real fashion sense that could tell her what kind of person he was, but the voice and the way he was looking down at her computer, her baby, screamed geek. She supposed it shouldn’t have surprised her. All high schools had geeks, even prep schools in Virginia that unsuspecting honors students were exiled to for PR purposes. "It's top of the line," she assured him. "And no, you can't play with it."
"That model was made obsolete over a decade ago. You must be new."
"You must be perceptive," Kate replied, pursing her lips. "What are you, some kid from the future?" She was joking.
"No, but if you think that's new, you're probably from the past."
"Right, because time travel is part of every girl's normal, healthy life."
"It is in Fandom. I'm Zack."
She eyed him. Either he was crazy or, well, she'd received the talk on gremlins and had already met the alien Dean of Students. Time travel? She wasn’t ready for that yet. Kate stood up, closing the lid on her computer. "Kate Libby," she replied, sliding the computer into her backpack. "You have a problem with my computer?"
"I don't have a problem with your computer, but you might find some compatibility issues."
"Show me."
"Excuse me?"
"If you know so much about computers and know where the modern ones are, McFly, show me." On the one hand, he was insulting her computer. On the other hand, he might have something worth showing her. If all else failed, she could make him flunk algebra or something. "Well?"
"I'm assuming you called me McFly because of the Future Boy reference from the movies."
"Like I said, perceptive. Are we going to look at the computers or am I walking away?"
A moment later, Kate followed him out the door and towards the computer lab.