Her preshow ritual consisted of three things: 1) Munching on the brownies/cookies/cupcake/whatever it was she baked the night before 2) Blasting her adrenaline-building, good luck-granting playlist 3) Charging her battery
Mackenzie nibbled on the last of her chewy, dinosaur-shaped brownies, savoring its chocolatey goodness. Not to toot her own horn or anything, but these were preeetty great. Like, even stoners would prefer these over pot brownies kind of great. She thought she had mucked up the recipe when she added a tablespoon more of Hershey's cocoa than was prescribed, but it turned out to be a happy accident. Anyway. First one down, two to go. Completing her ritual was a must. Laugh at her for being superstitious, but she'll have you know that there was a precedent to all this. That one time she skipped on eating her stress-baked baked goods (because she was having a really bad case of stage fright back then and eating would have been a terrible idea), she tripped over the mic stand and almost crashed into Levi in the middle of his guitar solo.
So. Time for number two—er, not that kind.
Pulling out her red wireless Beats from her backpack, Mackenzie sat upside down on the couch, feet immediately tapping out a rhythm against the wall as soon as the tracks played. Music blared out of her headphones; a muted melody to anyone that was not her, but a crashing wave in her ears, drowning out all ambient noises in the Green Room. It was easy all too easy to get lost in the upbeat riffs and the hypnotic tempo.
For a moment, she saw the band on stage. Bright lights flashing, the crowd erupting in cheers.
Mackenzie grinned.
No matter how many shows they've done, the preshow jitters never went away. It starts days before, planting dozens of little caterpillars in her stomach that metamorphose into butterflies right before the curtains were drawn. Some shows, it gets really close to a full-blown panic attack. Other shows, it's barely there. But what she learned was that the more it happened, the better she became at converting those jitters into pure energy. She let another three tracks play, letting the music wash over her, until it swept away her thrumming anxieties and only a growing excitement remained.
Now for number three.
Mackenzie rolled off the couch with flourish, newly awakened vigor very much apparent, and slid her headphones down to her neck. Now, the last part was the most important. Every performance gets emotionally-charged really fast—it was one of the perks of being a walking, talking marquee of expressions—and that means it gets draining just as quickly. She needed her dose of assurance.
Her eyes searched through the room and locked onto a target. One tried and true and ever effective.
Mackenzie bounded toward Mikayla, giving Levi a light head-ruffling as she passed him by. The bottle in his hand made her playfully wag a finger at him. Beer probably did nothing to his amazing guitar skills, but she had learn to dislike the drink after it had dried up her throat after only a couple of sips.
"Miks!" Mackenzie was careful not to interrupt until the camera dinged, signaling the recording was over. Then her hands flew up and around her best friend's neck, in a Max-patented tacklehug from behind. "Charging time!"
The red LED numbers projected on the wall started a countdown. There were only minutes left until Miami Over Moon took center stage.
The guard they had singled out had lowered his, well, guard after just one touch, and Reina almost felt sorry for him. One nasty hit on the head later and he was sprawled unto the ground, eyes rolling to the back of his head as he was rendered unconscious. The plan was to be all about discretion. Find the weak spot in the sentry, take care of the obstacle, sneak in quietly. They'd successfully done two out of three, and it would seem as though it would be smooth sailing from there on. Most of the guards had been positioned in the front and the side of the temple, and while Reina (sort of, kind of, and she'd never tell Lyra this) hoped some of them would be alerted by their trespassing, none did. She suspected they were far too tense—their fear narrowed their focus and clouded their judgment.
"Oh, wait! Before we go in," Reina crouched down by the downed guard, looking much like a child in the middle of a practical joke with the playful grin on her face. She stripped the guard of his armor, quickly unhooking the latches and the belt and resetting them around her. The armor was too big on her small frame and the metal clanged with her every movement, but Reina looked pleased all the same. She winked at Lyra. "There. Don't I make a fetching knight in shining armor?"
Now that her urge for folly had been somewhat satiated, Reina went back to business. Only a locked door remained in their way, and as one should know, opening things were something of an ex-pirate specialty. Reina could pick the lock in a matter of second, but she was a knight in shining armor right now and she thought a grand entrance suited her better.
"Ready, partner~?"
Reina cracked her knuckles and inhaled deeply, centering all the energy in her fists. Pale blue lightning crackled between her fingertips and it was as though thunder rolled across the skies when she punched the door open. The guards flanking the temple's perimeter all jolted in alarm, but looked only heavenward, anticipating the rain that was supposed to follow the sky's cries.
Before the door could crash to ground and cause more of a ruckus, Reina zipped forward, intercepting the heavy oak door she had just blasted from its hinges to set it down gently. They may have escaped the outside guards' notice, but the clamor she caused would have alerted anyone inside.
Reina beckoned for Lyra to get into formation. She wasn't sure how many guards were inside, and part of her wondered if they were the cream of the crop—because save the best for last, right?—but she wasn't too worried either way. With Lyra and her side-by-side, nothing was impossible.
Footsteps scuffled from deeper in the temple, the sound of metal on metal echoing off the walls.
Kenzie, when people, including her, are too lazy to say the first syllable of her name. This is what she usually goes by. Max, another variation for the lazy, but reserved for best friends. Puppy, because she is one.
Gender:
Female
Date of birth:
December, 19
Sexuality:
Hetero… no, wait. Bisexual? Probably. She's still figuring it out.
Appearance / Notable physical features:
Those who don't know any better would think Mackenzie a pillar of elegance: slim and shapely, bearing almost regal; steps light and airy, movements deliberate but delicate. She seems to have an eye for fashion as well (really just a side-effect from religiously watching Gossip Girl when she was younger) and despite standing only at an average 5'4, she looks like she could have been a model. But in truth, this supposed elegance is superficial, something she learned during her two-year dip into the pageant scene. That is to say: she's beauty, she's grace, but only until she accidentally walks into a glass door and smashes her face. Then the magic's gone.
Her light chocolate hair is styled differently every day of the week; she can't have a repeat--that's just being lazy. She had chopped it off recently on a whim, and it now only reaches her shoulders. Part of her regrets it, because there's a bit less she can do with her hair now and she misses her crown braids. Her hazel eyes are big and expressive windows to her soul, more often than not crinkled with happiness and laughter. Mackenzie has been planning to get a tattoo for the longest time, but hasn't quite mustered the courage (needles, ugh).
Personality:
On and off stage, Mackenzie has accurately been compared to a puppy. It's not a difficult connection to make. Enthusiastic is her default state and she takes on the world with a certain joie de vivre that probably exasperates cynics to no end. She likes to laugh and smile and would shamelessly invade personal boundaries so she can playfully pounce on you. Physical affection and Mackenzie go hand in hand, and it's almost like an addiction, really. She can never seem to spend a day without once sidling up next to a friend. If you stare hard enough, you might be able to see when her tail's wagging—which turns out to be quite often. It doesn't take much to get her excited or pumped up, and she has energy to spare. Unflinching loyalty, definitely to a fault, is one of her most puppy-like qualities. She does anything and everything for friends, even more for family, no questions asked. It doesn't matter if you're in the wrong or when the going gets tough; she'll stick by you through thick and thin, and will share the blame or the burden if need be.
At first, it would seem as though Mackenzie is incapable of taking anything seriously. She's all fun and games and even more fun. But those close to her know that she considers her craft sacred. Mackenzie pours her heart and soul into her music, dedicates hours upon hours every day just perfecting her craft.
Interviews become almost like a game of Russian roulette when Mackenzie's involved. On one hand, she's nothing if not genuine, and it's become part of her charm. She's expressive and candid and you could probably get a folderful of varied reaction gifs from spending three hours with her. People seem to respond to her authenticity, think it's refreshing even. But in this line of work, being a very open book has its risks. Mackenzie is unabashedly herself, has no pretenses whatsoever, and there are times, so, so many times, when that backfires.
The general rule is: when there's controversy, keep Mackenzie out.
Roommate-ness:
Mackenzie is the perfect partner-in-crime. She is literally up for anything, as long as it sounds remotely fun. 3am drive to the only open McDonalds to satisfy some craving? She's there. Need a buddy to watch that horror movie with? She's your girl (but she'll be half clinging to you for most of the movie). Going through a shit day and need someone to vent to? There's no better choice than expert cheerer-upper and problem listener Mackenzie. She's hard to frustrate or piss off, and her affable and jocular nature often helps diffuse some of the tension.
More than anything, she likes spending time with her friends. That's the thing about living with a human puppy: she needs attention and affection on a regular basis. Mackenzie is good at reading people and she knows when they need their space, but sometimes she can't help herself. When she's in one of those moods, she'll do her best not to be a bother, but she needs to be within proximity of another human being. At night, when it gets too quiet and lonely and her music doesn't help, she might ask to sleep next to you. Or at least on your floor, just as long as she has company.
Mackenzie's the sort that the more maternal types can't help but coddle. Something about her general carefreeness (actually, it may be her puppy-ness) seems to tug at and activate people's nurturing instincts.
Also, she stress bakes! It's probably safe to anticipate lots of delicious baked goods days before performances.
Public records / Bio:
For someone who's not just an open book, but one written in giant font, bolded and highlighted, her family life is surprisingly kept private. There's a Wikipedia article written about her after she won Miss Teen USA three years ago, and though it goes into detail about her school life and her one year reign, there's little about her family besides the listing of her parents' names. Her step-siblings aren't even mentioned, and she'd much rather keep it that way.
Mackenzie Erika James (born December 9, 1996) is an American singer known for her covers of hit songs by contemporary pop musicians, and a beauty pageant titleholder who held the Miss Teen USA 2012 title. Born and raised in Leavenworth, Washington, James is the daughter of Jenna Byron and Anthony Eric James. After winning the state pageant in 2011, she moved onto represent Washington in the national Miss Teen USA 2012 pageant held in the Bahamas, and was ultimately crowned the winner.
Her stint as pageant titleholder has given Mackenzie some public exposure in the form of television guest and public speaking appearances. Before this, she used to collaborate with YouTubers and sing covers, earning her a bit of internet fame. And before that, she used to join and mostly win local singing competitions. An old video floating online called '6-year-old wows judges with her powerful voice' is as far back as Google knows about her. Mackenzie would be really surprised if anyone knows any tidbit about her that's older than that.
Although Mackenzie is active on social media, rarely can people get relevant information about her through it. Her twitter is 50% puntastic jokes, 50% excited fangirling about celebrities and movies and television shows. Her Instagram: 1% selfies and 99% cute animals she passes by. Her Facebook had the most personal information, but she hasn't updated in two years now.
Her current location can be gleaned from the location tags on her Instagram posts. She also retweets goings-on happening in UCLA, so it's not too difficult to infer that she's currently studying there.
Vices:
♪ During downtimes, she gets sporadic urges to binge watch shows and movies she's already watched.
♪ She easily loses track of time when's caught up in a video game; it would be the next day, when her stomach's grumbling and her eyes sting, that she realizes how much time has passed. Then she quickly amends her all-nighter by sleeping through the rest of the day.
♪ Touch, companionship. It's almost like she craves touch and physical affection. Mackenzie immediately feels upset if she goes without for more than ten hours, and the one thing she can't stand is being alone.
♪ Idealizing possible romantic partners. She wants to see the best in everyone, even if it might not be there. Mackenzie can be easily taken advantage of, and though she's experienced it before and should know better, she still desperately clings to the hope that people are inherently good. She'll give anyone who shows interest a chance, because she thinks everyone at least deserves that.
Skills:
Vocal prowess: Mackenzie has been told that she goes by raw talent more than anything. She has the power, the range, the emotions, the innate feel for tone. But she's untrained, and it shows in her lack of proper technique. She still has a long way to go in learning to control her gift.
Drums: It's the only instrument she can play well, surprisingly. She can try playing the piano and guitar, but she'll sound super rough. They just don't come as naturally to her as the drums had when she first tried it. She's only been playing for two years, but she can hold her own with it.
Dancing: Mackenzie's been dancing for as long as she's been singing, but she's not quite as passionate about the former. It's more for fun. She's good at picking up choreography, though, and has a great sense of rhythm.
Charm: A lot of it has to do with her genuineness. She's approachable and affable, and her infectious personality goes a long way.
Other:
♪ Needles and clowns scare the living hell out of her, and she doesn't even know why. She has a recurring nightmare where she's captured by a Dr. Bobo—half doctor, half clown armed with a giant syringe and size twenty blood red shoes—who keeps her locked in some dingy basement.
♪ Every end of the month, she likes to marathon sad movies for cathartic purposes. Mackenzie sees it this way: you get all the tears and sadness out of the way, and start the next month baggage-free.
♪ Hopeless romantic, hapless romantic. Loves love, but love seems to hate her.
EDITS
Added fancy'd-up name, nickname section, changed character color
Ahh, took me a while, but here's my CS. I'd still like to polish it a bit, but I think it's at least ready for review. :)
Full name:
Mackenzie Erika James
Nickname(s):
Kenzie, when people, including her, are too lazy to say the first syllable of her name. This is what she usually goes by. Max, another variation for the lazy, but reserved for best friends. Puppy, because she is one.
Gender:
Female
Date of birth:
December, 19
Sexuality:
Hetero… no, wait. Bisexual? Probably. She's still figuring it out.
Appearance / Notable physical features:
Those who don't know any better would think Mackenzie a pillar of elegance: slim and shapely, bearing almost regal; steps light and airy, movements deliberate but delicate. She seems to have an eye for fashion as well (really just a side-effect from religiously watching Gossip Girl when she was younger) and despite standing only at an average 5'4, she looks like she could have been a model. But in truth, this supposed elegance is superficial, something she learned during her two-year dip into the pageant scene. That is to say: she's beauty, she's grace, but only until she accidentally walks into a glass door and smashes her face. Then the magic's gone.
Her light chocolate hair is styled differently every day of the week; she can't have a repeat--that's just being lazy. She had chopped it off recently on a whim, and it now only reaches her shoulders. Part of her regrets it, because there's a bit less she can do with her hair now and she misses her crown braids. Her hazel eyes are big and expressive windows to her soul, more often than not crinkled with happiness and laughter. Mackenzie has been planning to get a tattoo for the longest time, but hasn't quite mustered the courage (needles, ugh).
Personality:
On and off stage, Mackenzie has accurately been compared to a puppy. It's not a difficult connection to make. Enthusiastic is her default state and she takes on the world with a certain joie de vivre that probably exasperates cynics to no end. She likes to laugh and smile and would shamelessly invade personal boundaries so she can playfully pounce on you. Physical affection and Mackenzie go hand in hand, and it's almost like an addiction, really. She can never seem to spend a day without once sidling up next to a friend. If you stare hard enough, you might be able to see when her tail's wagging—which turns out to be quite often. It doesn't take much to get her excited or pumped up, and she has energy to spare. Unflinching loyalty, definitely to a fault, is one of her most puppy-like qualities. She does anything and everything for friends, even more for family, no questions asked. It doesn't matter if you're in the wrong or when the going gets tough; she'll stick by you through thick and thin, and will share the blame or the burden if need be.
At first, it would seem as though Mackenzie is incapable of taking anything seriously. She's all fun and games and even more fun. But those close to her know that she considers her craft sacred. Mackenzie pours her heart and soul into her music, dedicates hours upon hours every day just perfecting her craft.
Interviews become almost like a game of Russian roulette when Mackenzie's involved. On one hand, she's nothing if not genuine, and it's become part of her charm. She's expressive and candid and you could probably get a folderful of varied reaction gifs from spending three hours with her. People seem to respond to her authenticity, think it's refreshing even. But in this line of work, being a very open book has its risks. Mackenzie is unabashedly herself, has no pretenses whatsoever, and there are times, so, so many times, when that backfires.
The general rule is: when there's controversy, keep Mackenzie out.
Roommate-ness:
Mackenzie is the perfect partner-in-crime. She is literally up for anything, as long as it sounds remotely fun. 3am drive to the only open McDonalds to satisfy some craving? She's there. Need a buddy to watch that horror movie with? She's your girl (but she'll be half clinging to you for most of the movie). Going through a shit day and need someone to vent to? There's no better choice than expert cheerer-upper and problem listener Mackenzie. She's hard to frustrate or piss off, and her affable and jocular nature often helps diffuse some of the tension.
More than anything, she likes spending time with her friends. That's the thing about living with a human puppy: she needs attention and affection on a regular basis. Mackenzie is good at reading people and she knows when they need their space, but sometimes she can't help herself. When she's in one of those moods, she'll do her best not to be a bother, but she needs to be within proximity of another human being. At night, when it gets too quiet and lonely and her music doesn't help, she might ask to sleep next to you. Or at least on your floor, just as long as she has company.
Mackenzie's the sort that the more maternal types can't help but coddle. Something about her general carefreeness (actually, it may be her puppy-ness) seems to tug at and activate people's nurturing instincts.
Also, she stress bakes! It's probably safe to anticipate lots of delicious baked goods days before performances.
Public records / Bio:
For someone who's not just an open book, but one written in giant font, bolded and highlighted, her family life is surprisingly kept private. There's a Wikipedia article written about her after she won Miss Teen USA three years ago, and though it goes into detail about her school life and her one year reign, there's little about her family besides the listing of her parents' names. Her half-siblings aren't even mentioned, and she'd much rather keep it that way.
Mackenzie Erika James (born December 9, 1996) is an American singer known for her covers of hit songs by contemporary pop musicians, and a beauty pageant titleholder who held the Miss Teen USA 2012 title. Born and raised in Leavenworth, Washington, James is the daughter of Jenna Byron and Anthony Eric James. After winning the state pageant in 2011, she moved onto represent Washington in the national Miss Teen USA 2012 pageant held in the Bahamas, and was ultimately crowned the winner.
Her stint as pageant titleholder has given Mackenzie some public exposure in the form of television guest and public speaking appearances. Before this, she used to collaborate with YouTubers and sing covers, earning her a bit of internet fame. And before that, she used to join and mostly win local singing competitions. An old video floating online called '6-year-old wows judges with her powerful voice' is as far back as Google knows about her. Mackenzie would be really surprised if anyone knows any tidbit about her that's older than that.
Although Mackenzie is active on social media, rarely can people get relevant information about her through it. Her twitter is 50% puntastic jokes, 50% excited fangirling about celebrities and movies and television shows. Her Instagram: 1% selfies and 99% cute animals she passes by. Her Facebook had the most personal information, but she hasn't updated in two years now.
Vices:
♪ During downtimes, she gets sporadic urges to binge watch shows and movies she's already watched.
♪ She easily loses track of time when's caught up in a video game; it would be the next day, when her stomach's grumbling and her eyes sting, that she realizes how much time has passed. Then she quickly amends her all-nighter by sleeping through the rest of the day.
♪ Touch, companionship. It's almost like she craves touch and physical affection. Mackenzie immediately feels upset if she goes without for more than ten hours, and the one thing she can't stand is being alone.
♪ Idealizing possible romantic partners. She wants to see the best in everyone, even if it might not be there. Mackenzie can be easily taken advantage of, and though she's experienced it before and should know better, she still desperately clings to the hope that people are inherently good. She'll give anyone who shows interest a chance, because she thinks everyone at least deserves that.
Skills:
Vocal prowess: Mackenzie has been told that she goes by raw talent more than anything. She has the power, the range, the emotions, the innate feel for tone. But she's untrained, and it shows in her lack of proper technique. She still has a long way to go in learning to control her gift.
Drums: It's the only instrument she can play well, surprisingly. She can try playing the piano and guitar, but she'll sound super rough. They just don't come as naturally to her as the drums had when she first tried it. She's only been playing for two years, but she can hold her own with it.
Dancing: Mackenzie's been dancing for as long as she's been singing, but she's not quite as passionate about the former. It's more for fun. She's good at picking up choreography, though, and has a great sense of rhythm.
Charm: A lot of it has to do with her genuineness. She's approachable and affable, and her infectious personality goes a long way.
Other:
♪ Needles and clowns scare the living hell out of her, and she doesn't even know why. She has a recurring nightmare where she's captured by a Dr. Bobo—half doctor, half clown armed with a giant syringe and size twenty blood red shoes—who keeps her locked in some dingy basement.
♪ Every end of the month, she likes to marathon sad movies for cathartic purposes. Mackenzie sees it this way: you get all the tears and sadness out of the way, and start the next month baggage-free.
♪ Hopeless romantic, hapless romantic. Loves love, but love seems to hate her.
@Undine If you don't mind sharing the lead vocal role, then I'd love to work something out with you. :3 Maybe they could be childhood friends? Maybe they hate each other but they just sound good together?
@Mivuli Not sure if you already had someone in mind, but I'd like to volunteer for the friend spot too.
Pen Name
Sadu
Play Misty
Squirrel98
