Smash Academy App

[yessirmrjohnson]

Out-of-Character Information

Name: jao
Are you over 15?: Yes
Time Zone: EST
Personal Journal: n/a
Reliable Method of Contact: jaokolad | Aim: zigziggon
Tegaki: jaokolad
Anything Else?: Aim is preferred!

In-Character Information

Name: Caroline
Game/Series: Portal 2
Teacher/Student/Other: Teacher
Canon Point: 1950
Age: 26
Grade Level/Class Taught/Job: Choir
Dorm or Living Arrangement: A teacher's room would be nice, but I'm not picky.

Personality:

If you spend five minutes with Caroline, a few things might strike you. First is that she's a striking person. Never seen with a shabby appearance, Caroline is the sort of woman who walks with an effortless grace. Every detail is perfect, hair curled just right, each strand deliberately placed. Somehow, she gives the impression that her image is natural and comes just as easily as the confidence and joy that she carries her self with. Even in stressful scenarios, this image of feminine grace doesn't falter.

It's easy to miss that this is all simply a part of her job. Cave Johnson, her beloved employer, has discerning tastes and she caters to those tastes. Long hair, a pleasant smile, just the right sort of dip as she takes the mug from his desk. Whatever it takes to keep him happy. In her mind, she is the visual symbol to him for how the business is going, and it should always be going smoothly. So, she looks smooth, acts smooth, reassuring that he has everything he wants and that things can only get better.

On another level, it is a bit like revenge. Men can look if they wish, but they can never possess or even touch her as long as she works for Cave. Those that would want to take her and reduce her to a sexual object or some pretty little house wife won't ever have a chance. Their side glances in office meetings, the investors and their looks of jealousy towards Mr. Johnson, it feels good. Knowing there's plenty to choose from should she decide to marry, but continuously deny that option helps her feel above other women who bend over backwards for a wedding ring. It makes her feel as though her goals and dreams are better and far more noble than their little homes and kitchen products.

After meeting her, you may also notice that Caroline is quite a dedicated worker. She hardly sits and prefers to be doing something. Endless nights of research and report writing isn't uncommon to her and she does it with a smile. There's an ever present enthusiasm to do her best and work as hard as she can towards the goals ahead of her. Optimistic and cheerful, it takes a great deal to break her from her stride when working and, if interrupted it will only push her to work harder.

You might not know that this is from a fear of being replaced. Caroline is aware that her relationship with Mr. Johnson is perhaps not a standard boss and assistant working relationship, but she knows that the man has a number of options. He's currently the owner of an up and coming scientific community with more money than he knows what to do with and smile that routinely makes women swoon. She will do what it takes to continuously remain in his good graces. He seems proud of her, bragging on occasion that she is his. For that to ever end would easily be one of her largest fears. If she allows one lazy day, she may be more inclined to cut corners later and slide down an irrational slippery slope from there.

It's also to give her power. Knowing that he'd be lost without her helps Caroline be a little more secure in her job. She knows all the company's secrets, their projects, their patents, their dealings. Within her is his schedule, all his contacts. If her hard work ensures that she remains indisposable, then all the better. The praise and the very positive attention she gets from Cave is a wonderful bonus.

Then there's science. Meeting with Caroline for only a short time, you'll likely hear her speak of science in ways that others talk about deities. She believes that science can cure the world's ills with its logic and that something wonderful is just on the horizon and only requires the right hand to reach out and usher it in. Caroline believes that anyone and everyone with a desire to know science can be apart of the progression of humanity and all its endevours.

More than just a lofty cause for which one should dedicate their lives to, science is an image outside the norm that Caroline clings to. Her interests and beliefs in science are genuine, but her motives aren't all so pure. You see, when you tell Caroline there's something she can't do, you can bet that she will do what it takes to prove you wrong. Wanting to believe that that traits lies with scientists who pushed the limits of human understanding, in truth it lies in a fear of becoming like all the other miserable women she had known. Trapped in a house with a husband who works all day and stays out all night, looking after children who could care less with only sales and holidays and housework to look forward to is the last thing she would want. So she strives to find a place in a man-dominated field of her greatest interest. Here, in the labs, she's as far from that future as she can get, doing what all the people before her had said she had no place in doing. Yes, her dreams do lie with science and what she can do to progress it, but they also lie in being free from the fate that others had told her to accept.

Caroline is also very bright. She doesn't just compile reports for Mr. Johnson, she makes an effort to understand everything they say. Caroline strives for an intimate understanding of the science they perform in the labs and devours the knowledge she has time to get her hands on. To continue to set her apart as an asset, to continue to share and grow in her and Cave's shared interest, to further distance herself from the common woman.

And, should you meet Caroline, I hope you won't have the chance to see how she is when she's angry. If wronged, Caroline's sweetness gains a bitter metallic edge to it as passive aggressiveness and sarcasm slips in. Depending on the offence, she may simply stop at those bitter comments or she may strive to find a way to harm you in a non physical way that will keep you from making the same mistake twice. If you were a woman looking to grow closer to Cave or convince him that there was room for an additional assistant in his business, there would have been no darker threat for you than Caroline. For her position and her standing with Mr. Johnson, Caroline will do anything, no matter what violence or horrible shady things that might entail. Highly competitive, there would be little else she would find time for than to think of ways to get rid of her competition.

She's not afraid to use all her resources and assets to get the company ahead. Drawing the line at physical things, Caroline isn't above manipulation, secret deals, bribes and other shady practices to get what she whats or what will benefit Cave Johnson and newly established Aperture Science Innovators. These secret dealings are much like a game of chess to her, stimulating and empowering.

So, upon meeting Caroline, it's hard to miss her most attractive features. Her beautiful appearance, her sunny, energetic, optimistic disposition, her enchanting voice. She's efficient, dedicated, and bright. Everything a new business man could hope for in a personal assistant. Under the surface is a woman who works tirelessly to avoid a fate she doesn't want. A person who struggles for power in a time where women are oppressed by the expectations of society and it's demands for conformity.

Backstory:
There isn't any canon back story for Caroline. This section is pretty much 99% head canon and is an attempt to help explain aspects of her personality as detailed above.

Hailing from an upper class family, Caroline was spared most of the troubles of the great depression. Her family would have kept upper class company who all abided by their upper class standards and images. Women were to be beautiful and excellent entertainers and hostesses. They were to cater to their husbands and care for their children without stepping from their high heels or smearing their lipstick or uttering a word of complaint.

Throughout her childhood and adolescence, Caroline would have been trained in these traits. She were to find a successful young man and be a perfect angelic wife. For the sake of being a good hostess and emphasize her femininity, singing lessons, cooking lessons and baking were stressed with private tutors and teachers. These expectations would have been there without much of her own choice whether or not to accept them.

In her early adolescence, she discovered the story of Madame Curie and admired her ability to fight for recognition for her contributions to science. To something worthwhile and not as petty as the things she was being told to pursue now. When she expressed this new desire to her family, the idea was shunned. The desire to rebel and her new interest became a potent combination and Caroline found her true calling. After high school, her family allowed her to attend college in hopes that she'd find a nice man there. That being the furthest thing from her mind, she graduated quickly.

However, there were no jobs for a woman scientist. After a long search and being cut off from her family, Caroline had no other choice than to let her dream go just to get by. She took a secretarial job with Aperture Fixtures, a shower curtain company. She would still bring her books with her to read during her short breaks to help her stave off the approach of the depression that comes with dying dreams.

That's when she caught the eye of the company's best sales man. Cave Johnson was a young man just back from a short tour in World War II and was making waves in the company. He was endlessly charismatic which earned him big bonuses within the business.

He also didn't seem to like the man for whom Caroline was currently working for. Her boss had been a over bearing monster of a man who acted as men were expected to act in the the office. His eyes would linger on her body, his hands grab her hips and pull to her him. A smack to the bottom, a lecherous offer of drinks and more, all done in the presence of the young businessman. With poise and professionalism covering her still breaking heart, Caroline always managed to slip from his grip.

She would strive to make it to her lunch break when Cave would come in for his next packages of samples to take door to door or to stores. He would stop and she would share her lunch with him as they talked about science. Even if her hopes of being a scientist were gone, it was nice to finally find someone who shared her interest and spoke to her with respect. It made all of this somehow bearable, because of him.

Caroline never assumed that Cave's effort to not just raise up in the ranks of the business, but to take it over was to remove her from her horrible boss' grip. If that was his true motivation to selling thousands and thousands of shower curtains, he'd never admit it. Not only did he save up his bonuses and paychecks and buy out the business, he gave her something more. He gave her dream back. With her already on board to work for him, Cave went on to purchase a salt mine and establish Aperture Science Innovators. He never asked her for sex, never touched her in a way that degraded her. All he asked was for her hard work and she gave it as much as she possibly could.

In a way, it was also nice to use these things she was forced to learn as a teenager in a way that would have made her parents pale. Instead of winning over a man with her singing, at private investor dinners she was winning clients and money. Her poise under pressure wasn't so that she could still look nice while doing the housework, but to further science. It was beautiful revenge on everyone who ever doubted her. And she'd be damn good at it.

At this point in time, Aperture is still new. Major testing hasn't yet begun. Repulsion gel is in its final stages and work on the Quantum Tunneling Device is in research and development. Thanks to a mistake in a key equation, a portal has opened linking Aperture to Smash Academy.

Upon discovering this other dimension, Cave decided it would be best to expand Aperture to other dimensions. By working there part time, Cave hopes to gain enough influence with the school to rename it Aperture Academy someday. Caroline, of course, is right behind him.

Her choice to be a choir teacher and not a science teacher comes from her want to keep enough "spare time" to work the staff here in Smash Academy and further their standing with them, as well as keep up with her responsibilities back in Aperture.


Anything Else?:

I'm aware that there's very very little known about Caroline from direct player contact in Portal 2. In this app, I've put more of a focus on who she was at the taken canon point which holds a fraction of the little canon for the character. I have more reference for her personality as sculpted by the events later along in her canon timeline and I assure you that they are still the same character, just this one is still young and has yet to experience real failure.

For that reference, please check here. It pulls from as much irl historical evidence and canon evidence that I could find to support my take on her.

Also! As a Choir teacher, I will need samples of her singing. I plan on relying on Ellen McLain as her primary sound reference. Since the number of songs that are available are limited, I plan on supplementing the list with both the Hayley Westenra ( PB ) and Sarah Brightman. I'm hoping we can look over conflicts between the dates the songs are composed compared to the date of her canon point. If placed under that restraint, it could greatly limit the examples I can give.

Here is her proposed song list in order of closest reference to the performance of the character:

Ellen McLain
Sweet Bird that Shun'st the Noise of Folly
Orpheus's Self may Heave his Head
Despina 's Aria

Sarah Brightman
Chromaggia
Pie Jesu

Hayley Westenra
Ave Maria
Dark Waltz
O Mio Babbino Caro
Lascia Ch'io Pianga
Benedictus
Many Times Always
Amazing Grace
Pleading with the Developer
Memory
Jupiter
Never Say Goodbye

In-Character 1st person sample:

[ Miss Caroline looks a little unhappy today. A stray pencil even lingers behind her ear, a rare oversight to her appearance. She tilts her chin up, looking down at the video feed with a very serious, almost accusatory look. ]

To whoever thought it would be a good idea to steal my record player and records, I'd like to give you an opportunity to return them without any consequences. You have until 3pm today to bring them back to the activities room.

[ That said, she relaxes a little and slips her hair over her shoulder. ]

Those who are scheduled for lessons today, class will still start on time. Today we'll be singing A Capella. And believe me, A Capella is a whole new challenge for those who are just beginning. I anticipate a long, long lesson. Warming up before class is strongly suggested.

In-Character 3rd person sample:

For the sake of time, I hope this log will do. If it's not enough, I will happily write one.