Panama
This information is displayed publicly on the cortex, and may be used ICly.
| So far, no one has bothered to take a photo and upload it to the cortex with his name, though he might appear in the backgrounds of other photos. | |
| Full name | Panama |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | 2490 May 01 |
| Parents | Unknown |
| Siblings | Unknown |
| Spouse | None |
| Assignment | Unemployed |
| Gender | Male |
Last Update: July 26, 2012
Contents
Description
6'1" tall, well muscled for a man in his forties, maybe 225 lbs. His brown hair is buzzed down to the same quarter-inch length all over, including his goatee, putting his thick eyebrows in relief and making his light brown eyes pop. His visible skin is browned by work in the sun, but was almond-brown at birth. He has no visible tattoos and no visible jewelry except for the peek of a chain that disappears under his shirt.
He wears baggy khaki cargo-style pants over worn black lace-up combat boots. He wears long-sleeved T-shirts with the sleeves pushed up to his elbows. He wears an off-creme straw Panama-style hat with an embroidered brown and red band; the area near the forehead is slightly darker thanks to long wear in hot conditions.
Personality
It is public knowledge that Panama has yet to utter a word on Persephone. Instead, he keeps a small stack of 3.5"x2"cards and a small pencil in a pocket inside his hat. One side is pre-printed: it depicts a panama hat icon, under which, crossed, are a violin and a repeater. It reads in English and Mandarin "Panama" and lists his @wave address. The other side is blank. So far, Panama has been using these cards and his neat, block-letter handwriting to communicate.
Despite his reluctance to speak, Panama has proved to be friendly and approachable: He flashes a wink and a smile towards those he sees [like an Australian on his first visit to New York]. He is willing to help others in need when he can.
Recent History
Performing
Over the past few weeks, Panama has eked out a living as a busker and street performer, playing his violin, doing card tricks and sleight of hand tricks, and juggling. He is meticulous in his set-up and tear-down, as the ability to shout is a time-honored part of busking. Panama sets up one of a series of large cards against the back of the violin case. The following cards, all of which are neatly hand-written, have been seen so far:
Easy Come, Easy Go
Just Playing
"Art is moral passion married to entertainment. Moral passion without entertainment is propaganda, and entertainment without moral passion is television." TIPS APPRECIATED
Have A Nice Day
Panama would be considered a highly skilled amateur at the violin: He can play fairly difficult pieces in several styles, and can even improvise, but he has never been formally trained and does several things at which classically trained violinists might scoff.
Panama's juggling skills are perhaps just above mediocre. His maximum number of objects simultaneously juggled is four, and he only knows basic patterns. He does not have much experience juggling with other people. He picks up new tricks fairly quickly, however.
Panama's sleight of hand tricks are his forte. Those who might notice such things might suspect that he is trained in more than just parlor tricks.
History
Information detailed here is for OOC uses only.
Pre-War
A very detailed cortex search (and some in-person detective work) might reveal some of the following:
Born on Ezra on May 1, 2490 to a woman who signed in to the hospital as "Jane Doe" and ran out again as soon as she could walk.
Placed into the foster system under the name "Alex". Records in the public school system end when he was seven, and records in the foster system end when he was eight.
Prints/DNA searches will reveal many misdemeanors and petty crimes committed by a minor under several different names, some of which are categorized as gang-related. Such records end in 2506.
War and Post-War
In 2506 an "Alex Doe" joined the Independents, but he would only have been sixteen at the time, and that was too young to enlist. This same man climbed the ranks to Corporal.
A person with very high-level clearance would be able to find out that he was captured in April 2511 and taken to a classified POW camp. At the end of the war, he was transferred to a POW camp on Boros before the first was burned to the ground.
In July 2511, "Alex Doe" was one of many POWs released as the result of massive protests following the end of the war.
Immediately after, this man's fingerprints come up related to medical records at a veteran's hospital on Boros, but the name on the records is "Jorge Garcia". Jorge had several scars from burns and blade about his torso and upper thighs. His tongue had been cut out. Additionally, he suffered from severe phobias and nightmares related to PTSD. He was malnourished and underweight. The records here end after just under three weeks, when he checked himself out.
Soon after, he checks in to a VA hospital on Santo. He enrolls in personal and group therapy and receives sleep medications. He begins to learn sign language.
In 2514, the records of Dr. Rogers, a psychiatrist who worked alone in a tiny office on Santo, makes references to a man calling himself "Panama". Dr. Rogers mentions therapies revolving around personal expression, including continuing to learn sign language. Artistic expression is also mentioned: drawing and painting, which were not very successful, and violin, which was. The recorded details become more and more spare after the first month, tapering off to almost nothing after two years. The patient named "Panama" formally stop attending sessions in 2523.
Between 2514 and 2530, Panama is employed as a seasonal (Late Spring to early Fall) security guard at a large upscale outdoor music space on Santo. He works various jobs from light construction to museum, bank, and college security - there is even a short (three week) stint in housecleaning. Additionally, Panama volunteers at a center for the deaf and hard of hearing, as a sign teacher and conversation partner.
In early 2530, a large public funeral for Dr. Rogers was held. Panama appears in the background of several photos talking with family and friends of the deceased.
Soon after, Panama gets a job on a luxury interstellar cruise liner as a security officer, works nine months, and ends service on Persephone.
RP opportunities
Panama has many useful talents to the intrepid space explorer and common person alike. He is very good at appraising the value of items, he was raised in underworld culture, and his sleight of hand graduates into pick-pocketing/lifting. He has military training and basic understanding of tactics, and he is able to handle two simultaneous pistols or a repeater. You'll probably need to figure these things out through RP, of course.
Panama's Goals
Get a "real" job; get off the street. Panama used to enjoy running for health (and practicality) but has nowhere safe to stash his belongings - He'd like to get back to running.
Find a way to resolve his phobias and nightmares.
Find people who accept him.
Activism: working toward a world of increased personal freedom and personal safety.
Panama also holds out hope that he will one day meet his parents and/or find out why they abandoned him, but he has no idea where they might be, or even if they might be alive.
Panama is vaguely interested in joining/starting an ensemble to play either classical or bluegrass music for fun and profit, which could itself create interesting hooks.
Panama has never been very technical, but wishes to become better at maintaining guns and his violin. Also, not being able to work PDAs and computers is quickly becoming a problem.
He wants to become a better entertainer, both in magic and the violin.
He wishes to continue advancing in the martial arts, as through it, he has started to find inner calm. He will continue to hone his fighting skills as long as he sees a need for it.
RP Hooks
In addition to the goals, above...
Panama is running into increasing problems with the local street urchins and thieves in and around the Eavesdown Docks area. They don't like him performing on "their" streets, and have taken to harassment.
For the patient, Panama has skills he is willing to teach: he might volunteer to teach sign language; he might teach sleight of hand magic for cash or favors. Plus he's a decent shot with a pistol or repeater.
Panama enjoys card games, but is averse to gambling.
