Name: Carlito Araújo
I.D. Number: 72520716
Rank: B1
Year: 2
Nationality: Brazilian
Age: 16
Sex/Gender: Male
Fighting Style: (
Capoeira and
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Blue Cord and Blue Belt respectively)
Carlito has been a practitioner of Capoeira since the tender age of four, and after being introduced to the more formal establishments of the art, went through the annual Troca de Corda every year until he earned a blue cord, earning with it the title of "Graduado", the highest rank achievable by a non mestre.
During his apprenticeship under Mestre Cardoso, Carlito not only learned the more combat oriented techniques of Capoeira, but his (many) weaknesses were exposed through hours upon hours of training sessions and sparring matches, the most notable being just how useless Carlito was if an opponent were to get him on the ground. Carlito actively tried to rectify this by doing something he never thought he would; training in an art other than the one of his father and grandfather.
Seizing the opportunity of the premium facilities and seasoned instructors at New Peaks, Carlito enrolled in a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu course headed by the school's English teacher, David Lemay. Showing initiative few others did, Carlito was given specialized training by Lemay during the school's summer vacation months. Lemay managed to use his connections to get a representative of the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation to orchestrate an advancement test for Carlito. Passing the exam, Carlito officially entered the adult ranking system of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, earning a blue belt. As a joke, he dyed his hair blue to signify his status in both of the arts.
Carlito's style has been called troublesome by his fellow second years and even the upperclassmen, as with Capoeira, his first and foremost style, he specializes in his spontaneity and ability to strike his adversaries from any angle at any time, no matter his own position. He is also noteworthy for the sheer difficulty it takes to perform a proper take-down on him. This is not to say Carlito is weak to ground combat, well, he was, but not anymore.
With his nation's specialized version of Jiu-Jitsu, Carlito has brought attention to what was once his greatest weakness and turned it into an advantage. Jiu-Jitsu masters are heralded for their abilities on the mat, able to execute an innumerable amount of submission holds or simply snake their way out of their opponent's grasp, though Carlito's lack of experience is very recognizable to those who have seen a master's work. In short, Carlito is almost impossible to get on the ground, and even if one succeeds in doing so, he is almost as deadly as if he were on his feet.
Powers: Carlito was born with a genetic mutation that resulted in his body developing bones that mimic the resilient skeletal structure of sharks, Carlito is much more resistant to physical damage than one might initially assume. While his flesh will cut or bruise as easily as any other person's, his skeleton is actually partially composed of a dense cartilage. Similar to the human ear, this tissue is flexible and durable. However, it is denser than normal cartilage and will not simply bend into odd angles like your ear might if you play with it. Some of his longer bones, such as his femurs and humerus are still the standard calcium-based bones, as the marrow within helps to replenish blood cells. However, over 70% of his skeleton is the more resilient and flexible cartilage. This makes him more resilient against joint-locks and submission techniques that put pressure on the bones and joints, as well as more capable of the acrobatic techniques of the Capoeira style he uses
Personality: Seeing as he was raised in relative poverty, Carlito turned out surprisingly decent and kindhearted. He remains unembittered by his past and non-judgmental to those from a more financially secure background. One thing that could be called a negative about Carlito, or a positive considering the type of people he now calls classmates, is his knack for thrill-seeking and daredevil antics. He'll accept even the craziest dare for only the slightest pay-off, and while this generally causes him to be the center of attention among students, it annoys the staff of New Peaks to no end when he shows up at the infirmary with a broken bone from jumping off of a ladder into several tables or some other inane activity that normally results in property damage.
Additional Info:
- Strange Talent: Carlito once tried to suck his own dick, and succeeded. He vowed never to tell anyone and has never done it since.
Background: Born to a troupe of street performers in Rio de Janeiro, Carlito Araújo can't exactly be called a child of privilege, but he remains proud of his heritage all the same. Introduced to the art of Capoeira at the age of four, mainly as a form of entertainment rather than self-defense. Due to his natural talent and young age, Carlito drew fairly large audiences, and subsequently payrolls. Eventually, Carlito was approached by a Capoeira mestre by the name of Jorge Cardoso after a routine performance in one of Rio de Janeiro's busiest parks, excited by the prospect of their child not being raised in relative poverty, Carlito's parents took up the mestre's offer.
By the time Carlito was to enter middle school, he was progressing far faster than his mentor could've predicted, quickly advancing through the troca de corda to the point that he had achieved the rank of Graduado at the age of fourteen, this in itself did not shock those within Carlito's circle, his decision to stop at the blue cord however, did. Shocked by his student's apparent lack of drive to utilize his talents, Carlito's mestre effectively banished him from his school.
Effectively back on the streets, Carlito had to find a way to make money, fast, and his street performances weren't going to be enough if he intended to stay in Middle School. It was around this time Carlito took to entering underground martial arts tournaments in the shadier sides of Rio, and while his natural talent allowed him to glide through these instances, he was in for a rude awakening when he arrived at New Peaks Academy.
Supposedly one of the showrunners for his underground fighting league had been apprehended by a man who was directed to him by a capoeira mestre who he was referred to by God knows who and so on. After witnessing Carlito's abilities firsthand, decided to offer the child a scholarship to New Peaks Academy on the premise of an urban outreach program.
Carlito's first few months on the Island was a nightmare, and the lad spent many a hungry night due to the insufficient funds given by the school to the less fortunate of the student body. Carlito didn't let such trivialities keep him down however, and he soon garnered a reputation as a bit of a party animal after recorded instances of jumping from the roof of the Student Rec Center into the pool below and foolishly stealing one of the student transport vehicles for a bit of a joy ride during the impromptu Brazilian Independence Day party he decided to throw in his dorm. He got off with a warning for the first event and earned himself a week in the academy's detention center for the latter.
This does not mean, however, that Carlito was exempt from the bullying and disadvantages given to less privileged students. Truly, Carlito quite frequently found himself at the butt of jokes regarding his inability to speak English, his "freaky flexibility thing", and his overall idiotic behavior.
Though his nearly unmatched experience with his chosen art gave him a leg up on most other first years in rank, it did little to help him when it came time for tournaments. The first real test of his skills in his lifetime, Carlito generally fumbled through the school's tournaments and had a streak of lucky performances before his peers seemingly figured out his glaring weakness; an absolute lack of ground techniques. After a string of losses, Carlito attempted to rectify the situation by signing up for a course in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu taught by a member of New Peaks' teaching staff. As could be expected, he showed a knack for it and finished his first year strong, ending up with a designation of B3.
Though often bullied, Carlito simply ignored his contemporaries and focused on his own life, which went swimmingly until one of the final days of his first year at New Peaks. It was the End of Year party being held by DeMarcus Jones, a senior student, native of Detroit, and parahuman who had effectively taken Carlito under his wing in his first year. The music was loud, the people rowdy and the food tasted like shit, but it was the closest Carlito had ever felt to having a home away from home. Then the Imperius Gloria decided to show up and cause problems. Apparently the Gloria didn't approve of the party's blaring music and didn't like the fact that a party was being held without their knowledge. The situation rose until DeMarcus dismissed the pair of Gloria that had shown up with relative ease, and life continued as normal, for about ten minutes. The fight was a blur, and Carlito hardly saw the scuffle from within the crowd, but he saw enough. He saw DeMarcus' limp body sprawled out on the floor in front of the Imperius Gloria's greatest mercenary, Shotaro Yanmei. A six foot seven behemoth of a student was brought to the ground with a single kick, and from there, stereos were busted and people scattered, yet Carlito stayed until medics arrived, and it was then that he decided he wouldn't let bullies have their way at New Peaks anymore.
Carlito spent his summer on the Island, training with Mr. Lemay in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and learning the English language. He trained intensely and celebrated intensely, with the few friends who had stayed on as full time residents themselves, and before long, it was time for his second school year to begin.
During the first couple months of the new year at New Peaks, Carlito focused his time on becoming a mentor for the less fortunate of the school's newcomers and parahumans, and even adopted Capoeira Cove as something of a safe haven for the newly resurgent Mendicant faction and parahuman student body, though the added benefit of pirate themed parties certainly contributed to his decision to claim the territory. Well, that and pissing off the Imperius Gloria who liked to use the spot as a beach.
It is unknown to anyone except Carlito what he plans to do next, but the Imperius Gloria certainly don't approve of him consolidating power amongst the "peasants" of New Peaks, though neither group has outright attacked the other outside of individual conflicts, and most believe it is only a matter of time.
