Dodger
Mar 6, 2010 19:53:47 GMT -5
Post by dodger on Mar 6, 2010 19:53:47 GMT -5
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introduce yourself.[/ul][/font][/i]
charrie basics.[/ul][/font][/i]
age: Young Adult (unsure of the exact age)
species: Canine, terrier-mix mutt
birthplace: New York City
movie: Oliver & Company
title:
"Why should I worry?"
why: Oliver & Company is tied with Alice in Wonderland for my favorite Disney movie of all time, and my favorite character has to be Dodger. In fact, he’s one of my favorite Disney characters overall, so I’d love to give him a go here. I love his ‘too-cool’, streetwise attitude, and the unique bond he shares with the rest of his street dog family. I think he would be an interesting contrast for some of the other canine characters here (including Tramp), and I would enjoy getting to see how he interacts with them and others, and exploring how he differs from them.[/ul][/ul][/size]
charrie appearance[/ul][/font][/i]
facial description/mood expressions: Generally easy-going and fun-loving, Dodger’s expression is often one of a lopsided grin or mischievous smile, particularly towards the fairer canine sex. He bears himself with a markedly casual air, indicative of his motto “Why should I worry?” and is rarely seen as being tense or aggressive. However, when someone does rub him the wrong way, or threaten a member of the gang, the hair on his back tends to bristle, and his usual laid-back demeanor is replaced by snarling, growling, and scuffling. His eyebrows in particular belay many of his emotional expressions, whether raised in passive amusement, cocked with creativity and mischief, or narrowed at a potential offender.
clothing style: Dodger possesses only two signature pieces of clothing. The first is a ratty red bandana that he is never seen without, given to him by Fagin as the first member of their little band, and something he considers symbolic of his leadership role and the faith that has been placed in him by Fagin and the others as a result. The other is a pair of Rayban sunglasses, helping to amplify his rather cool exterior, which he knicked off a street salesman on one of his many jaunts through the city.
body build: Dodger is fairly lean for a dog his size, mostly from living on the street and surviving on scraps from day to day. That being said, he also gets around quite a bit, and is rather toned with what muscle mass he does have from getting around the city and getting himself out of trouble. He is of average size, though he has been known to take on dogs considerably larger than himself if he feels the need for it.
any unique traits (optional) : Physically, his sunglasses and red bandana (see clothing style). Personality wise, he has a certain rugged charm and wit that can make quite the impression, particularly on the ladies.
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original charrie analysis. (everything must be in your own words! please be thorough.)[/ul][/font][/i]
But don’t let his casual demeanor fool you, Dodger is quite dedicated and quite good at what he does, taking pride in position as ‘top dog’ within their little gang. Though in most cases he possesses the skills to back up his boasting, he does have a tendency to be cocky and overconfident, and at times can’t resist the urge to show off. He knows how to tell a good story and make a good show out of anything, whether it be bringing home the bacon (so to speak, although sometimes literally) or pulling off a particularly tricky job. He is very comfortable with who he is, and loves to show it to the world. Along those lines, he also is somewhat vain, if that can be said for a street dog, when it comes to keeping up his appearance. If you’re going to make a living out of robbing people blind, you might as well look cool while you’re doing it.
However, his cocky, confident attitude also tends to get himself, and others, in trouble from time to time. Usually it is something that he can get himself out of, but he is learning that he has to be careful around some of the younger members, particularly Oliver. However, if his friends are in trouble, no matter what the reason, Dodger is ready and willing to go to bat for them. Though he often hates to admit that he feels something deeper for his family than as facilitators of his own lifestyle (for he subconsciously clings to the belief that he is completely self-sufficient), he would do anything to save any one of them, including taking on one or more of Sykes’ goons. They fill a gap in his life that he doesn’t like to admit that he has, and secretly, he is quite glad of their company and the closeness and camaraderie they share. The Gang is perhaps the only thing Dodger has let himself truly become attached to for any length of time.
Dodger is also incredibly charismatic and often charming, particularly when it comes to members of the fairer sex. He is a bit of a playboy with women, partially because of his lack of serious commitment to any one thing (other than to his friends and helping out the gang).and partially because there is something about playing the game with a pretty face that he just can’t resist.
In spite of his sometimes immature and playful behavior, however, Dodger does possess a certain level of cunning and intelligence that allows him to operate effectively as the unofficial leader of the group under Fagin. He knows the city like the back of his hand, and has the confidence and knowhow to lead the team on whatever job is set before them, often having to improvise and think quickly in the middle of things when things start to go wrong. Both his manner of speaking and the way he carries himself exudes confidence, and he uses this to his advantage in both his dealings with the gang and in his personal life.
history: Dodger was a street dog from the very first moments of his life. He doesn’t remember much about his parents, or even knowing them, really, but he knew the city, and she became more like a mother to him than any dog he had ever really known. He grew up in a New York City junk yard with a host of other abandoned, dejected, or otherwise orphaned pups where you had to squabble with other pups to find your place in the pecking order of the group. It seemed it was always a contest to get your next meal, or a dry place to sleep, or even to keep from being gone over by some of the older or larger dogs for fun. He always had to fight and defend his position and who he was (as did all of the pups), and he soon became good at asserting his confidence (whether or not he fully felt it), and knowing how to pick his battles.
On one such occasion when the hierarchy within the yard was again in danger of being overthrown, one of the larger dogs (and one of the biggest bullies), who perceived Dodger as a threat, challenged him for the position of ‘top dog’ within the group, hoping to square him away once and for all. He was to go out into the city and bring back something of great value, something that would prove his worth to the group. To the shock and dismay of the older dog, he did just that, and with relative ease. While the older dog returned with a face full of scratches and a temper to match (after trying to knick a bone from a particularly grumpy bull-mastiff in the adjacent yard), Dodger returned with a gleaming diamond collar that he had happened to talk a rather up-scale feline into handing over, believing it to be the dying wish of some other poor canine. The other dogs respected him greatly for the feat, but Dodger decided to leave, having enough of that lifestyle. He didn’t want to spend the rest of his life waiting to be stabbed in the back. So he left, proud of his new talent that he had discovered, and decided to make life on his own.
Over the next few years, Dodger spent his time honing his pilfering and conning skills, and learning the ins and outs of the city, becoming quite adept at all of these things. On one such venture, he happened to past by a rather haggard looking man who was trying desperately to barter with someone who looked much better off for one of the coats he was selling. He looked like he was on the outs, much as Dodger had been, and taking pity on him, Dodger set up a rather loud distraction for the man by barking up a storm and overturning one of the stalls the vendor had set up. In the commotion, the man was able to escape with his much needed quarry. It was some time before he saw the man again, but when he did, his favor was returned. On one of Dodger’s riskier escapades (involving a well-to-do household with a large dog that he didn’t realize was living there), he was caught by the owners of the house, the female of which went to the steps demanding he be taken somewhere to be ‘disposed of.’ Dodger knew what that meant, and even tried to bite the woman to get away. Fortunately, the same man appeared, and claimed that the dog was his and had slipped away from him. As though to prove it, he tied a red bandana around Dodger’s neck, and Dodger, catching on, was quick to follow him away from the crazed woman. The man’s name was Fagin, and the two soon realized that their mutual skills and needs could provide for a very profitable partnership. Dodger became the first member in a small gang of recruits, that would go on to work their magic and live by trust in each other on the streets of New York.
Some time afterward, when Dodger had settled comfortably into his role as ‘top dog’ amongst his friends and gangmates, his life was met with yet another unexpected surprise. He ran into a little lost cat named Oliver, and Dodger knew immediately the kid wasn’t exactly cut out for the street life. Taking advantage of his naïve and gullible nature, Dodger convinced him to help him snag some particularly delicious looking hot dogs, after which time he tried to cut his losses and run. Though he didn’t know it at the time, the young cat fortunately followed him home. Though skeptical at first (as their family was mostly dogs), the gang agreed to keep Oliver on as an official member after he ‘bravely’ assaulted one of Sykes pet Dobermans (which made him ok in Dodger’s book).
Dodger took the kid personally under his wing to show him the ropes about living on the street and making a life for yourself in the city. However, life has a way of being unpredictable, and this was no exception. While pulling a distraction gig involving a limousine, Oliver was discovered by the little girl of the well-to do family they were exploiting, and taken in. Of course, Dodger wasn’t about to let his protégé be taken in like that and denied the lifestyle and family he had just been welcomed into, and he hatched a plan to steal him back. Unfortunately, a nice home and doting family was what Oliver had always wanted, and he was less than thrilled with their rescue efforts. A bit put off that he did not appreciate his effort’s, Dodger left Oliver to his own devices, and went back to the life HE knew and loved, looking out for himself and not ungrateful kids who didn’t appreciate what they had.
However, Oliver didn’t make it back. Seeing an opportunity in the young kitten’s presence, Fagin tried to ransom Oliver to get the money he needed to pay his debt to Mr. Sykes. Oliver’s girl, Jenny, came looking instead, however, and resulted in her own kidnapping by the aforementioned villain. Despite his resentment for the way Oliver had rejected him and his lifestyle, Dodger couldn’t let anything bad happen to the girl, knowing how much she meant to the kid. He and his friends accompanied Fagin to Sykes’ place, set on saving the girl. Through stealth and some outright brawling on Dodger’s part (and not without injury), they were successful, though almost at the loss of young Oliver’s life. However, when Dodger saw the joy Jenny expressed at seeing the kitten finally show signs of life, Dodger knew that Oliver had made the right choice. He came to realize that love didn’t only mean one sort, and that maybe the love and the lifestyle that he loved so much wasn’t right for everyone. He still visits Oliver from time to time, to make sure he doesn’t forget that free spirit and get too content living the high life (or forget his friends down at the boat house), and has since resumed life as usual within the gang.
ambitions:
• To remain ‘top dog’
• To see the gang successful and have enough for them to live life the way they want to
• To see Fagin finally stop worrying so much
• To not let life bother him, and to make the city work on his terms
• To remain self-sufficient and not get too attached to any one thing
• To maintain his cool, confident demeanor and reputation at all times
• To keep Oliver from becoming a contented house cat
strengths && abilities:
• Street smart
• Clever
• Good at talking his way out of any given situation
• Navigating the streets of New York City
• Easy-going
• Good liar
• Sense of humor
• Good leader
• Loyal
• Independent/Self-Sufficient
• Expert sneak thief, pick-pocket, and con-artist
flaws:
• Over-confident/cocky
• Rarely serious about things
• Has trouble accepting just how much he’s let the gang get under his skin, and just how dependent he really is on them
• Indifference towards those he doesn’t understand or have any connection to (or underestimation of those that challenge him)
• Trouble-maker
• Short temper when it comes to his friends being put down or threatened
likes:
• Being the ‘top dog’
• Rita
• His friends in the gang
• The feel of the wind whipping past him when riding the city traffic
• A good nap
• Hot dogs
• Flirting
• The sounds of the city
• Sports
• Watching TV
• Causing trouble
• The thrill of pulling a good heist
dislikes:
• Roscoe and Desoto
• Sykes
• People who can’t take a joke
• Vegetables
• Being wet
• Going hungry
• When others don’t believe his stories
• Losing
• Being made a fool of
• People who are obsessed with money
fears:
• Losing his position within the gang/having Fagin and the gang lose faith in him
• Losing a gang member or Fagin
• Getting caught for good
• Losing his sense of identity
• Thunderstorms
what makes this character unique: Dodger has an interesting dynamic going on between his cool, play-boy demeanor and the deeper feelings he has that he still struggles with. He’s a hero at heart, but his moral compass is perhaps not as true or defined as what many of the others heroes would think (i.e. he has no problem with stealing to make a living, or breaking the rules to suit his lifestyle, particularly if it involves those supposedly better off than he is).
RP SAMPLE: See Tramp’s app., please.
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