[center][img]https://lifeislikeaboxofmakeup.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/tumblr_m1f41jjey11r1r2jao1_500.jpg[/img] [b][i]"I am merely seeking the truth, you see."[/i][/b][/center] [b]Name:[/b] Dani "Gata" Salazar [b]Age:[/b] 24 [b]Gender:[/b] Female [b]Occupation:[/b] College Student; Forensics Major; Daycare Assistant [b]Skills[/b] Gata had always dreamed of being a detective or a forensics scientist, ever since she was young. Books, countless open binders and pages, swarm her mind, with images of crime scenes and bodies plastered among the wordy parchments. She is extremely [b]knowledgeable of the human body[/b] and seems to always catch if something is amiss with people around her. While she is no doctor, she is surely well versed in [b]common first aid[/b] thanks to her ventures as a daycare assistant, and the one medical sciences class she took in high school. Gata is also in possession of some very [b]keen eyes[/b]. Clues rarely fail to slip past her vision, and she always strives to find the truth, no matter the consequences. She is also skilled at [b]caring for children[/b], especially younger ones. Growing up in a rather harsh Mexican city, Gata has always had to rely on her [b]street smarts[/b] to survive. She took quite a few [b]self defense courses[/b] in high school and college, and is [b]bilingual[/b], speaking both English and Spanish with relative ease. To this day she still practices slef defense and yoga, making her extremely [b]agile and quick[/b]. She loves people, and as such has some [b]decent communication skills[/b]. Her way of talking, though normally sweet if she likes you, can easily be swapped, though, if the group is in need of an [b]interrogation[/b]. Gata is sharp tongued and scary when she needs to be, and those who don't wish to be cut should stay on her good side. [b]Flaws[/b] Gata, despite her usually clear and bright mind, is prone to bouts of [b]depression and anxiety[/b]. The apocalypse has left her incredibly shaken, and often spends her night sleeplessly staring at the stars or her hands, wondering how she could continue from where she is at. She has [b]extreme break downs[/b] in some cases, though she has started to try and control them as of recently. Though she has some self defense training, Gata is extremely [b]poor with firearms[/b] and would much rather [b]avoid conflict[/b] than actually dive head first into a fight. Gata has a very intense fear of [b]storms and water[/b] and is also [b]unable to swim[/b]. A bad experience at the beach are the reason for these phobias. While she is not the weakest girl out there, Gata [b]isn't as strong[/b] as she would like, relying more on speed and out thinking her problems than simply pushing through them. Though her mind goes into overdrive in stressful situations, she is [b]easily distracted[/b], and when things don't seem to want to go her way she can become [b]overly stubborn and bratty[/b]. [b]Firearm proficiency:[/b] 1, Gata has had little to no experience with firearms. [b]Weapons:[/b] - Iron-bladed shovel, extremely worn and slightly rusted from age. - Pocket knife, the blade reads Gata, and looks as though it was poorly engraved years ago. [b]Equipment:[/b] - A large, dirty canvas bag - Dozens of old books and journals, some hers and some not. - A metal canteen, almost empty - Many pens. Maybe too many. - A broken watch, normally seen on her left wrist. - Various trinkets she either found interesting or pretty. - Fold-able winter coat - A bloody, wrinkled picture of a class full of students and teachers. [b]Apparel:[/b] [url=https://36.media.tumblr.com/318fa6a30722df5a48e17040f2d0b675/tumblr_mvzjfp1F161skt9wso4_r1_1280.jpg]Fourth Outfit[/url] [b]Personality:[/b] Dani "Gata" Salazar is always smiling around other people. She smiles in the worst of situations, and laughs lightly, trying to have other join her cheerfulness as to keep them from despairing. The worst thing to do in a dire situation is to lose hope, and Dani knows this. Hope is the only thing she has left to cling to, and she grasps it tightly, smiling all the way. She finds weakness in getting angry for no reason, or crying, and thus she bottles up her emotions, keeping up her cheery mask as the world burns. As one may guess, this often leads to Gata feeling very drained or stressed, though she never reveals or tired face to anyone. No one should burden her own anxiety but herself, after all. And so, she playfully teases those she is close to, tells light jokes and old stories, and just generally tries to keep everyone's spirits up. Gata often clings to her closer friends, having a strange interest in physical contact, and likes to think of herself as a very maternal character towards them. As true to her old, student ways, Gata is extremely curious towards things she doesn't know. She thirsts for knowledge and truths, and can often be found studying the many journals or textbooks she manages to find. Gata also keeps quite a few observation journals herself, their pages filled with details of the apocalypse and the creatures that roam the empty streets. She is somewhat sly to those she doesn't entirely trust, and can sometimes come off as a bit stand off-ish and blunt to strangers if they don't interest/feel safe to her,. Due to her severe stress and depression, Gata is prone to episodes of insomnia, and can often be found writing or reading when she can't sleep. Though she has managed to keep her break downs under control recently, sometimes the stress can get to be too much for the woman, and she will simply "shut down", curling away into a far corner where hopefully no one would find her until she feels better. In emergency situations, Gata, through her aching head and beating heart, always tries to keep her eyes peeled for solutions and clues. Her ambitions to be a detective have never seemed to leave her mind, and with those wishes in mind she will always try to seek the truth,and the way to safety. Those who treat her badly, or those who threaten her or her friends will most likely catch a glimpse of "Interrogator Gata", the Gata with harsh eyes and cat-like grin. The Gata who's words cut like knives and who's hands seem to shake with a hidden rage. With that Gata in mind, do try to keep on her cheerful side. While she will never, ever take one's life without reason, it is best to be safe than sorry, right? [b]Backstory:[/b] Dani Salazar was born and raised in Tamaulipas, Mexico, a sea side city that wasn't exactly known for having welcoming locals. Living in a small home with her useless mother, Luisa, and a tabby cat named Cielo, Dani hoped from a young age to escape the city and live in America, hopefully safe from the bullies that normally threaten her life. She also gained an interest in science and detective stories at a young age, which must be the key to her love for forensics in the future. While living in Tamaulipas, Dani often found herself getting sucked into local junior gangs by mistake, though not for the reasons you may think. They paid her, actually, to run errands and send messages, and though the jobs themselves may be somewhat fatal towards her life Dani never did like to turn down cash. In high school, she started becoming a bit more defensive around other people, taking classes to ensure her safety all while studying twice as hard with a hope of getting into a decent college far, far away from this god awful town. Time passes, and she manages to secure a scholarship to New Mexico's State University. She waved goodbye to Mexico at the age eighteen, and hopes to never look back at that awful city behind her. Las Cruces, the main campus at NMSU, was where she spent most her time. Dani studied her brains out, working twice as hard as students usually did, and was awarded with decent test scores and knowledge that filled her brain with bliss and her heart with pride. She found work at an old, homely day care, looking after darling children during her off days from school. The pay was great, and her co-workers were all so friendly and kind, it felt as though she had left all her worries behind in that damned city. It felt as though she was finally where she belonged. And then everything crumpled around her. The panic started during her afternoon shift at the daycare. It happened quickly, too quickly even. She had failed to notice the thing that had staggered in, thinking it to be just one of her co-workers, but when it suddenly sprung onto a child all Hell broke loose. The door, they always left the front door open, that was the first thing Dani thought of, and her eyes traced the gleaming door way, watching in horror as two more of those things entered, attracted to the screams of the injured child beneath the first monster. She moved slowly, stunned by the sight of blood, and then quickly ran over to tear the odd being away from the first child, her breathing labored as she saw that the screams had stopped and the boy was still and quiet. Dead. Her co-worker, a stout woman with curly hair and dark skin, started screaming at the children, telling them to get into the teacher's office, but even her cries are cut off by the second monster's teeth digging into her shoulder. Dani slowly pulled her eyes away from the dead child at her feet to stare at her co-worker, and then with sudden ambition she continued calling the children towards the office, guiding them around the carnage until the remaining seven toddlers and herself were safe behind a rattling door. She found herself unable to stand after that, her mind clouded with after images and her mouth a gap with empty air. The children were sobbing, screaming, just riling up the monsters outside the door, and Dani found herself unable to calm them. She was just. . . [i]Useless[/i]. Two hours later and the door wasn't about to hold anymore. Dani had managed to gain some control of herself, and after calming the children slightly she began leading them towards the very large windows to the east side of the room. The windows slid open with ease, and one by one Dani lifted the children over the sill and onto the green grass outside. The door shattered after the fourth child escaped, and Dani, feeling rushed, simply tucked the remaining children under her arms and booked it. They didn't get far, who would have expected them too? Without a plan, or even the slightest idea off what the hell was happening, the group of children were picked off one by one. Ripped right from Dani's grasp, screaming in pain as the monster devoured them. By the time they reached any other non-zombie citizens, only Dani and two children were left. Scarred beyond belief and shaking like mad, Dani was thankful to see other breathing people, and the folks quickly took in the three remaining daycare attendees, giving them a safe place to stay for a few moments, water, and plans. The family of four Dani had stumbled upon were all planning to head out of the city, far from the carnage that filled the streets. They all assumed that open fields would be safer than crowded towns, and after gathering up supplies and sharing names, the group of seven all crowded into a white mini-van and drove. They survived well for the first few weeks, though good luck never seemed to last around Dani, and very soon she was all alone. The entire group had been slaughtered by bandits, bandits that simply wanted their car, and Dani barely escaped with her life. She took refuge in an abandoned cemetery, and wallowed in guilt and fear for what felt like millenniums. She wandered the rotting house that stood among the stone tablets, too terrified to move passed the gates of the cemetery, finding books and notebooks to fill her time, and eventually a buzzing radio. Whispers would sometimes emanate from the black box, speaking of survivors and a place called Haven. The name itself gave her a bit of hope, and that alone was enough to inspire her once again. Dani took whatever she could find from the cemetery house, and with new ambition set off towards Haven, hoping to find safety among other survivors, and sanity among living minds. [b]Other:[/b] - "Gata" means 'Cat' in Spanish (feminine). Dani acquired this nickname in her teenage years from a close friend, who often related her to a "quick, sly kitty cat". -She's bisexual as hell.