Application
Jan. 14th, 2016 10:03 pmThe Player
Name/Nickname: Carrie/Platy
Age: 32
Pronouns: she/her
Contact: platy121 on AIM, or PM this account
Experience: I co-run this popsicle stand
Currently Played Characters:![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
wildmage_daine, rae_of_sun, andhiswife (and the retired but still occasionally present all_the_gifts)
The Character
DW account:cheeseburger_backpack
Name: Steven Quartz Universe
Age/Birthdate: 14 years old
Species: half human, half Gem
Gender: male
Canon: Steven Universe
Canon point: following the end of S1 ('Joy Ride')
Played By: well, he's voiced by Zach Callison, if that helps
Icon:
Abilities:
Steven can produce pink, bubble-shaped shields of assorted sizes. They are airtight and can withstand a good amount of abuse. He can also pull a more legit shield out of his wonderful belly gem; this can be used to block an attack, or it can be thrown, Captain America-style. He can also manipulate the size of the shield to an extent, making it larger or smaller depending on how many people he's trying to protect. If he loses control of the shield for whatever reason, it will simply disappear, allowing him to re-summon it as needed. It's harder for him to summon the proper shield than the bubble ones, though; three legit shield summonings in one day is a big deal, and it tires him out.
He has some shape-shifting skills, though after a frightening incident in which he almost turned into a ball of cats, he's pretty careful about using it. The only other time he used this ability was on his birthday (which falls after the canon point I'm taking him from); he stretched himself out just a bit to make himself appear older. He can't hold a different shape indefinitely. Appearing older put him under strain after an hour or so; a bigger change would probably be even harder to maintain. It's safe to assume he won't mess around with shapeshifting unless he has a pretty compelling reason.
At one time, his saliva had healing powers. It's been canonically implied that he lost that power, but since its effectiveness was always kind of iffy - sometimes working, sometimes not - it's possible he could regain the ability to heal minor wounds and maladies by licking his hand and slapping that spit right on there. Delightful!
Gems in the SU universe have the ability to fuse: merge with one another to form new individuals who combine the physical and personality traits of the two (or more) Gems involved. Steven, being half human, has the previously unheard-of ability to fuse with other humans. So far, he's only done it with his best friend, Connie... but given that precedent, there's no real reason he couldn't fuse with any fully human characters in the game. Obviously this would require a lot of forethought and discussion, but it would be quite the experience.
The Rift will also be bestowing an additional power on Steven, though it will be subtle, and chances are he won't even realize anything unusual is going on. Characters who interact with Steven will often find themselves inspired to be the best versions of themselves. It's like a vibe he gives off; he just makes people want to be better. It's not strong enough to rewrite any personalities - an asshole won't just stop being an asshole because Steven's nearby. But they might be a bit less of an asshole for reasons they can't be bothered to parse.
Also, he can play the ukulele and sing. Kid loves his tunes.
Appearance:
Smol, stocky, curly-haired cutiepie who could easily pass for a preteen. Anyone who gets a glimpse of his bare belly will note that instead of a belly button, he has a rose-colored gemstone, not unlike a troll doll (only 90s kids will get that reference). His face and voice are very expressive, and he tends to approach both word and deed with more enthusiasm than the average kid. He is rarely hesitant, unselfconscious, and quick with a smile. His standard outfit is a salmon colored t-shirt with a big, yellow star emblazoned across it, along with jeans and flip-flops. He'll dress for the weather, though, adding hoodies, boots, and coats as needed.
Personality:
Steven's baseline personality is indistinguishable from that of a golden retriever puppy. He approaches new people and new situations with mingled curiosity and delight, and is inclined to treat any living creature as a presumed friend. From Steven's perspective, everyone deserves to be treated with kindness and compassion, and no one is beyond redemption. He's quick to offer help or protection to his friends, even if it means putting his own life at stake.
He is confident to the point of foolhardy, and that - combined with his unbridled optimism - can sometimes get him and his friends into trouble. He's been known to bite off more than he can chew, and sometimes, his faith in others' good intentions turns out to have been misplaced. Such betrayals hurt, sadden, and bewilder him, but he doesn't hold a grudge. He genuinely wants people to be happy and make the right choices, even if they've hurt him. Heck, he'll still try to help or reason with someone who is actively trying to hurt him. Violence is always a last resort, and it's not coincidental that his weapon of choice is a shield.
If he sounds a bit naive, that's because he sure can be. He was raised by Gems in a house outside of town, where he was exposed to Gem-related weirdness and excitement, but largely sheltered from the comparative banalities of the 'real world.' He has friends in town, but he's never attended school, so his social skills aren't always on point; he can be oblivious to cues that would be blatant to someone more savvy.
Living with the Gems also meant never needing to hide who he was, so he has a strong inclination towards honesty. That, and a naturally expressive face, make him pretty terrible at lying, or even just keeping a straight face while someone else lies in his presence.
He is aware of his own relative innocence, and it's been a source of frustration for him - especially when others go out of their way to preserve it. He doesn't like being coddled or kept in the dark. If there's any kind of heavy shit going down, he wants to know so he can help.
History:
(I'll try to keep this as spoiler-free as possible.)
Steven is the child of a human - Greg, a musician and owner of a car wash - and a Gem - Rose Quartz, leader of a posse of Crystal Gems who consider it their solemn duty to defend Earth from attack.
Gems are essentially rock-based magical aliens that once attempted to colonize the Earth, and are characterized by gemstones set somewhere in their bodies (forehead, palm, chest, etc.). Gems don't reproduce the way humans do, so Rose and Steven could not coexist. Rose passed her gem along to Steven during his birth and gave up her physical form, leaving Steven both her child and her sorta-pseudo-partial-reincarnation. Many of the magical Gem-related abilities he possesses are directly inherited from her.
For the first several years of his life, he was raised by his father. Once he got a bit older, the remaining Crystal Gems - Pearl, Garnet, and Amethyst - took him in to teach him about magical Gem stuff. The four lived in a beach house/Crystal temple together, though Greg remained available for visits, advice, jam sessions, and occasional help with Gem-related shenanigans.
Much of Steven's journey has consisted of his growth from the Crystal Gem's ward to their cohort. They care for his safety, both because he's a lovable scamp and because he's all that remains of their departed leader. He has to push to be allowed to accompany them on missions, at first. Pearl, in particular, worries about his safety and questions his readiness to participate more actively in what they do (in no small part because she has a lot of Feelings about Rose Quartz). Garnet is more willing to let Steven test his limits, and with her support, he's able to get out there and start defending the Earth.
His methods are a bit unusual due to his lack of experience and context. Unlike the rest of the Gems, who are thousands of years old and well aware of what's at stake, Steven doesn't actually know the full extent of the danger they're facing. Sometimes, this gets him into trouble. Other times, his unique perspective and willingness to try approaches other than 'kill it with smashing' yield excellent results. As he gains better control over his magical capabilities - and a more serious outlook regarding the work they do - the Gems extend more trust and freedom his way.
His best friend is Connie Maheswaran, a relatively recent transplant to Beach City. Steven had noticed her at a parade, but it was a year before he had the opportunity and gumption to introduce himself. He winds up using his magic to save both of them from an attack by a mutant Gem (Earth is lousy with them), and Connie - who moves around a lot and doesn't really have any local friends - is fascinated. She reads a lot of fantasy, so finding herself immersed in legit magic is pretty great. Plus, it's impossible not to like Steven.
(It gets spoilery from here on out.)
The two become fast friends, and there's a bit of a mutual crush going on. One day, while Steven is encouraging Connie to dance - something she's usually far too shy to do - Steven and Connie accidentally fuse into Stevonnie (to Garnet's undisguised delight). Pearl and Amethyst are astonished and a little taken aback; Garget encourages them to go! have! fun! So they do. They turn a lot of heads in Beach City, since Stevonnie is the best, and they have a mostly grand old time until things go a bit awry at a rave. At first, Stevonnie has a great time dancing on their own, but when a guy pressures them for a dance, Connie's anxiety comes to the fore, and they have a panic attack. That prompts them to unfuse, confusing the heck out of everyone else at the rave. Steve and Connie seem relieved to be back to normal, though; fusing together isn't the same as being together.
In more recent weeks, Steven has become increasingly appreciative of the threat facing Earth. Homeworld Gems seem to be taking a renewed interest in the planet, for reasons unknown to the Crystal Gems. The Crystal Gems have a few run-ins with Peridot, the individual who seems to have been assigned to check up on Earth. All this mysterious Homeworld malarkey culminates in Steven and the Crystal Gems being kidnapped and imprisoned on Peridot's spaceship. Steven is able to escape his cell and release his friends thanks to his half-human heritage, which makes him partially immune to Gem technology.
They crash-land back on Earth, and in the process, Peridot escapes in a pod. The Crystal Gems are aware that she's out there, but without a ship or the means to communicate with Homeworld, she doesn't seem like a huge threat. They have a big, busted ship to clean up, but Earth, for the moment, is safe.
Writing Sample:
"Whoooah," Steven says as he stares at the New York City skyline. He's splayed on his back - on his backpack, if you want to get technical - and his palms are being tickled by... grass. Which is not the warp pad he should be feeling.
This is weird. He's good at warping, now. He's the Warp Master! He knows better than to mess around while they're all on the move. What went wrong?
Steven wiggles for a moment like an upended beetle, then rolls over onto his stomach. "Pearl?" he calls out experimentally. Maybe the warp pad they were aiming for got broken. Maybe it scattered them. "Garnet? Amethyst?" He pushes himself upright, then shivers. Wherever he is, it's colder than Beach City. Good thing he came prepared! He unzips his backpack, and a few moments' rummaging produces a hoodie. He pulls it on, puts up the hood, and gives the strings a good jerk to tighten it.
Much better. Now, he can find his friends.
That turns out to be much easier said than done. There are loads of people here. It's like six or seven Beach Cities combined, at least. Usually, warp pads take them to out-of-the-way places where people don't live, not huge, bustling spots like this.
Steven makes his way to the edge of the park, then stops, frowning at the heavy foot traffic. None of the Gems would be able to spot him in that crowd, or hear him over the rest of the noise. There are fewer people back the way he came. Maybe he should retrace his steps to where he arrived, in case his friends land in the same spot. Maybe it was the timing that got messed up, not the location. Maybe the warp pad was buried under the grass! Can that happen?
He'll ask the others when he finds them.
It's good to have a mission, even if it's not the one they originally set out on. Steven sets off at a purposeful march, backpack bouncing, eyes and ears peeled for any sign of his friends.
The Game
How did you find out about Big Applesauce?
My roots run deep.
What interests you about the game, and your character's place in it?
Given how much heavy stuff has been happening IG lately, I think everyone could use a pick-me-up in the form of this little darling. He's going to want to befriend absolutely everyone, regardless of age, species, personality, or interest in befriending him in turn. He's young, but self-sufficient enough to take reasonably good care of himself, so he'll be able to mingle with the game's adult contingent without being dependent on any of them. And I'm interested to see how he does without his Gem-moms around to guide him.
Anything else?
Name/Nickname: Carrie/Platy
Age: 32
Pronouns: she/her
Contact: platy121 on AIM, or PM this account
Experience: I co-run this popsicle stand
Currently Played Characters:
wildmage_daine, rae_of_sun, andhiswife (and the retired but still occasionally present all_the_gifts)The Character
DW account:
cheeseburger_backpackName: Steven Quartz Universe
Age/Birthdate: 14 years old
Species: half human, half Gem
Gender: male
Canon: Steven Universe
Canon point: following the end of S1 ('Joy Ride')
Played By: well, he's voiced by Zach Callison, if that helps
Icon:
Abilities:
Steven can produce pink, bubble-shaped shields of assorted sizes. They are airtight and can withstand a good amount of abuse. He can also pull a more legit shield out of his wonderful belly gem; this can be used to block an attack, or it can be thrown, Captain America-style. He can also manipulate the size of the shield to an extent, making it larger or smaller depending on how many people he's trying to protect. If he loses control of the shield for whatever reason, it will simply disappear, allowing him to re-summon it as needed. It's harder for him to summon the proper shield than the bubble ones, though; three legit shield summonings in one day is a big deal, and it tires him out.
He has some shape-shifting skills, though after a frightening incident in which he almost turned into a ball of cats, he's pretty careful about using it. The only other time he used this ability was on his birthday (which falls after the canon point I'm taking him from); he stretched himself out just a bit to make himself appear older. He can't hold a different shape indefinitely. Appearing older put him under strain after an hour or so; a bigger change would probably be even harder to maintain. It's safe to assume he won't mess around with shapeshifting unless he has a pretty compelling reason.
At one time, his saliva had healing powers. It's been canonically implied that he lost that power, but since its effectiveness was always kind of iffy - sometimes working, sometimes not - it's possible he could regain the ability to heal minor wounds and maladies by licking his hand and slapping that spit right on there. Delightful!
Gems in the SU universe have the ability to fuse: merge with one another to form new individuals who combine the physical and personality traits of the two (or more) Gems involved. Steven, being half human, has the previously unheard-of ability to fuse with other humans. So far, he's only done it with his best friend, Connie... but given that precedent, there's no real reason he couldn't fuse with any fully human characters in the game. Obviously this would require a lot of forethought and discussion, but it would be quite the experience.
The Rift will also be bestowing an additional power on Steven, though it will be subtle, and chances are he won't even realize anything unusual is going on. Characters who interact with Steven will often find themselves inspired to be the best versions of themselves. It's like a vibe he gives off; he just makes people want to be better. It's not strong enough to rewrite any personalities - an asshole won't just stop being an asshole because Steven's nearby. But they might be a bit less of an asshole for reasons they can't be bothered to parse.
Also, he can play the ukulele and sing. Kid loves his tunes.
Appearance:
Smol, stocky, curly-haired cutiepie who could easily pass for a preteen. Anyone who gets a glimpse of his bare belly will note that instead of a belly button, he has a rose-colored gemstone, not unlike a troll doll (
Personality:
Steven's baseline personality is indistinguishable from that of a golden retriever puppy. He approaches new people and new situations with mingled curiosity and delight, and is inclined to treat any living creature as a presumed friend. From Steven's perspective, everyone deserves to be treated with kindness and compassion, and no one is beyond redemption. He's quick to offer help or protection to his friends, even if it means putting his own life at stake.
He is confident to the point of foolhardy, and that - combined with his unbridled optimism - can sometimes get him and his friends into trouble. He's been known to bite off more than he can chew, and sometimes, his faith in others' good intentions turns out to have been misplaced. Such betrayals hurt, sadden, and bewilder him, but he doesn't hold a grudge. He genuinely wants people to be happy and make the right choices, even if they've hurt him. Heck, he'll still try to help or reason with someone who is actively trying to hurt him. Violence is always a last resort, and it's not coincidental that his weapon of choice is a shield.
If he sounds a bit naive, that's because he sure can be. He was raised by Gems in a house outside of town, where he was exposed to Gem-related weirdness and excitement, but largely sheltered from the comparative banalities of the 'real world.' He has friends in town, but he's never attended school, so his social skills aren't always on point; he can be oblivious to cues that would be blatant to someone more savvy.
Living with the Gems also meant never needing to hide who he was, so he has a strong inclination towards honesty. That, and a naturally expressive face, make him pretty terrible at lying, or even just keeping a straight face while someone else lies in his presence.
He is aware of his own relative innocence, and it's been a source of frustration for him - especially when others go out of their way to preserve it. He doesn't like being coddled or kept in the dark. If there's any kind of heavy shit going down, he wants to know so he can help.
History:
(I'll try to keep this as spoiler-free as possible.)
Steven is the child of a human - Greg, a musician and owner of a car wash - and a Gem - Rose Quartz, leader of a posse of Crystal Gems who consider it their solemn duty to defend Earth from attack.
Gems are essentially rock-based magical aliens that once attempted to colonize the Earth, and are characterized by gemstones set somewhere in their bodies (forehead, palm, chest, etc.). Gems don't reproduce the way humans do, so Rose and Steven could not coexist. Rose passed her gem along to Steven during his birth and gave up her physical form, leaving Steven both her child and her sorta-pseudo-partial-reincarnation. Many of the magical Gem-related abilities he possesses are directly inherited from her.
For the first several years of his life, he was raised by his father. Once he got a bit older, the remaining Crystal Gems - Pearl, Garnet, and Amethyst - took him in to teach him about magical Gem stuff. The four lived in a beach house/Crystal temple together, though Greg remained available for visits, advice, jam sessions, and occasional help with Gem-related shenanigans.
Much of Steven's journey has consisted of his growth from the Crystal Gem's ward to their cohort. They care for his safety, both because he's a lovable scamp and because he's all that remains of their departed leader. He has to push to be allowed to accompany them on missions, at first. Pearl, in particular, worries about his safety and questions his readiness to participate more actively in what they do (in no small part because she has a lot of Feelings about Rose Quartz). Garnet is more willing to let Steven test his limits, and with her support, he's able to get out there and start defending the Earth.
His methods are a bit unusual due to his lack of experience and context. Unlike the rest of the Gems, who are thousands of years old and well aware of what's at stake, Steven doesn't actually know the full extent of the danger they're facing. Sometimes, this gets him into trouble. Other times, his unique perspective and willingness to try approaches other than 'kill it with smashing' yield excellent results. As he gains better control over his magical capabilities - and a more serious outlook regarding the work they do - the Gems extend more trust and freedom his way.
His best friend is Connie Maheswaran, a relatively recent transplant to Beach City. Steven had noticed her at a parade, but it was a year before he had the opportunity and gumption to introduce himself. He winds up using his magic to save both of them from an attack by a mutant Gem (Earth is lousy with them), and Connie - who moves around a lot and doesn't really have any local friends - is fascinated. She reads a lot of fantasy, so finding herself immersed in legit magic is pretty great. Plus, it's impossible not to like Steven.
(It gets spoilery from here on out.)
The two become fast friends, and there's a bit of a mutual crush going on. One day, while Steven is encouraging Connie to dance - something she's usually far too shy to do - Steven and Connie accidentally fuse into Stevonnie (to Garnet's undisguised delight). Pearl and Amethyst are astonished and a little taken aback; Garget encourages them to go! have! fun! So they do. They turn a lot of heads in Beach City, since Stevonnie is the best, and they have a mostly grand old time until things go a bit awry at a rave. At first, Stevonnie has a great time dancing on their own, but when a guy pressures them for a dance, Connie's anxiety comes to the fore, and they have a panic attack. That prompts them to unfuse, confusing the heck out of everyone else at the rave. Steve and Connie seem relieved to be back to normal, though; fusing together isn't the same as being together.
In more recent weeks, Steven has become increasingly appreciative of the threat facing Earth. Homeworld Gems seem to be taking a renewed interest in the planet, for reasons unknown to the Crystal Gems. The Crystal Gems have a few run-ins with Peridot, the individual who seems to have been assigned to check up on Earth. All this mysterious Homeworld malarkey culminates in Steven and the Crystal Gems being kidnapped and imprisoned on Peridot's spaceship. Steven is able to escape his cell and release his friends thanks to his half-human heritage, which makes him partially immune to Gem technology.
They crash-land back on Earth, and in the process, Peridot escapes in a pod. The Crystal Gems are aware that she's out there, but without a ship or the means to communicate with Homeworld, she doesn't seem like a huge threat. They have a big, busted ship to clean up, but Earth, for the moment, is safe.
Writing Sample:
"Whoooah," Steven says as he stares at the New York City skyline. He's splayed on his back - on his backpack, if you want to get technical - and his palms are being tickled by... grass. Which is not the warp pad he should be feeling.
This is weird. He's good at warping, now. He's the Warp Master! He knows better than to mess around while they're all on the move. What went wrong?
Steven wiggles for a moment like an upended beetle, then rolls over onto his stomach. "Pearl?" he calls out experimentally. Maybe the warp pad they were aiming for got broken. Maybe it scattered them. "Garnet? Amethyst?" He pushes himself upright, then shivers. Wherever he is, it's colder than Beach City. Good thing he came prepared! He unzips his backpack, and a few moments' rummaging produces a hoodie. He pulls it on, puts up the hood, and gives the strings a good jerk to tighten it.
Much better. Now, he can find his friends.
That turns out to be much easier said than done. There are loads of people here. It's like six or seven Beach Cities combined, at least. Usually, warp pads take them to out-of-the-way places where people don't live, not huge, bustling spots like this.
Steven makes his way to the edge of the park, then stops, frowning at the heavy foot traffic. None of the Gems would be able to spot him in that crowd, or hear him over the rest of the noise. There are fewer people back the way he came. Maybe he should retrace his steps to where he arrived, in case his friends land in the same spot. Maybe it was the timing that got messed up, not the location. Maybe the warp pad was buried under the grass! Can that happen?
He'll ask the others when he finds them.
It's good to have a mission, even if it's not the one they originally set out on. Steven sets off at a purposeful march, backpack bouncing, eyes and ears peeled for any sign of his friends.
The Game
How did you find out about Big Applesauce?
My roots run deep.
What interests you about the game, and your character's place in it?
Given how much heavy stuff has been happening IG lately, I think everyone could use a pick-me-up in the form of this little darling. He's going to want to befriend absolutely everyone, regardless of age, species, personality, or interest in befriending him in turn. He's young, but self-sufficient enough to take reasonably good care of himself, so he'll be able to mingle with the game's adult contingent without being dependent on any of them. And I'm interested to see how he does without his Gem-moms around to guide him.
Anything else?
