Courier OC Character Sheet (with some babbling) #1
Motif/Reference:
Soviet Retrofuturism. Even though she doesn't have a direct connection to the Soviet Union, there’s a specific optimism and faith in progress and science that fits her character. It must be absurd to view science as something value-free in 2020s. We are watching the world boiling with the heat discharged from datacenters; terraforming Mars has become a frivolous joke. What we need—both in the reality and the fictional wastelands—is to democratize science and technology in the hands of techno-feudal lords.
Princess Knight. Girl protagonist performing traditional male gender roles is a classic archetype in Japanese manga/anime. Fictional characters embodying the archetype had been appreciated by pro-feminism critics in decades ago, when qualities like leadership, bravery, or grit are considered masculine virtue. Time has changed, society has moved closer to gender equality, but I think modern audiences still can empathize with protagonists struggling with sexual norms—while some may conform to those norms and others may not, their existence must be recognized first. The reference images are from Princess Knight (Ribbon no Kishi) by Osamu Tezuka, the fictional work that established the archetype.
Appearance:
172cm(=5 feet 6 1/2 inches), slender build, tomboy-ish face.
She is of Asian, Hispanic, and White heritage, but identifies herself to none of those groups. Ethnicity would not be that kinda big deal like today in post-Great War—it is an arbitrary concept developed by the society, often to set up hierarchy and to secure interests of the privileged. It would not apply to the new world alike the other old world ideas.
Face claim: Emma D'arcy or Noémie Merlant.
Name:
Her first name became Judith merely because it sounded like the feminine counterpart of the name Joshua. Joslyn was in the short list, but Judith seemed more relevant due to its biblical origin.
She usually goes by her middle name, Rayleigh. It is taken from Lord Rayleigh, the physicist who is well recognized for his work in optics.
Her last name is Yang(traditional: 陽, simplified: 阳) which means sun, light, warmth, or the bright side of a hill in daytime. Reminds you of A "Light" Shining in Darkness? Yes Yes. What a blatantly apparent motif.
