Deerington App

IN CHARACTER

Character Name: Hernan “Shades” Alvarez
Canon: Luke Cage (Marvel Cinematic Universe)
Canon Point: S.2 E.13 - After being arrested

In-Game Tattoo Placement: The back of his left shoulder. It will be a single antler, about palm-sized, the tips of which are dipped in blood.
Current Health/Status: Alive and sleeping
Age: ~40
Species: Human

History: Marvel Fan Wiki entry

Personality: Shades is foremost a survivor. Growing up poor and not being able to speak English in his first years in New York, it’s unsurprising that he came into a life of crime. As many others in his position, he saw it as his only option for a better life. Even more, he came to respect and idolize the Stokes crime family for everything they did to protect and help the people of their community. He has learned to defend himself and his interests by any means necessary. While he is a more than capable fighter, Shades is something of an intellectual by gangster standards. He often chooses to work for those with more power than him, because the position often insulates him from consequences from either end. In cases where one side weakens, such as when Cottonmouth and Diamondback began to unravel and act recklessly, he is quick to desert a sinking ship and find someone he feels is more stable to latch onto to further his goals. That person takes the form of Mariah, to whom Shades is perhaps initially attracted to for seeing in her a kindred survivor, and only growing to respect and love her more for her strength and cold calculation. Not only this, but he's incredibly cautious (a mix of natural inclination and hard-won paranoia), and prefers not to act without forethought.

This isn’t to suggest that everything he does is driven by pure survival. There is an inherent level of greed and materialism necessary for someone to continue in a life of crime when there are other avenues available, and it is clear the Shades enjoys the benefits of his lifestyle. It’s clear from how he dresses that he has expensive tastes - starting from when he shows up as Diamondback’s lackey and only increasing when he assumes the place of second-in-command to Mariah. He revels in the music, the alcohol, the cars, and most importantly - the power. His later desire to get out of the game is less about distancing himself from the life and  more about wanting to get out while he is on top and the (foolish) dream of not having to constantly fight to keep it.

For most, Shades is incredibly cocky and sarcastic. He cultivates a kind of lazy arrogance that frustrates his opposition. He is an expert manipulator, something he uses not only to frustrate his enemies but to bolster his allies (or whoever he wants to win at any particular moment). What seems to be his defining trait, however, is his calm demeanor. Shades appears nearly unshakable in most situations, keeping a cool head even when bullets start flying or plans fall apart. He always suggests the most logical and pragmatic course of action, and stays as aloof as possible. He is cautious and tactical and will kill without remorse when he feels it is justified. This is because Shades adheres closely to the idea that organized crime should be conducted with dignity and respect, without excessive violence, and that innocents, however loosely defined, are never to be killed. The criminal code of ethics is something that he believes in strongly; and while morally grey and often hypocritical in execution, it is nevertheless his core. When Tone violates the peace by shooting up Pop’s Barbershop, he is visibly horrified, and all the more gleeful when the man meets justice at Cottonmouth’s hands.

However, Shades is not at all without heart. He is actually highly emotional in many ways, keeping his feelings under a rather impressive amount of control. When it comes to people he loves, he finds it more difficult to maintain his composure, and this is exactly where things begin to go wrong. It can be argued that Hernan and “Shades” are two separate personas, and that he maintains his alter ego to emotionally insulate himself from all the facets of his chosen career. You can see this literally at play in many scenes when he takes off his sunglasses when speaking to friends, and keeps them on when dealing with other criminals and enemies. However, once Shades begins to let down his walls for Mariah and becomes more Hernan, he has difficulty ignoring the reality of her actions and keeping himself contained, such as when he kills Arturo Rey for verbally slighting her. His friend Darius “Comanche” Jones is a further example. It becomes clear that his feelings for his childhood friend go far deeper, and that while they’d been romantically and sexually involved in prison, Shades has attempted to leave those feelings buried in the past along with his given name. He admits that he’d been blind to Comanche’s actions because of his love for him, in much the same way as he later realizes he is blind to Mariah’s brutality and continuing disrespect towards him. Furthermore, he is haunted by the brutal massacre at Gwen’s and the burning alive of Anansi, so much so that it, in part, makes him unable to continue the cycle of violence and execute the lone survivor to save himself.

It’s important to note, now, that the code of conduct Shades followed so closely is crumbling beneath his feet. When the code leads to being forced to kill Comanche - someone who he arguably loved even more deeply - for snitching, to save both himself and Mariah, it begins something of a downward spiral. Mariah isn’t wrong when she notes that Shades has been off-balance ever since Comanche died. He attacks her for bad-mouthing Comanche in much the same way he once defended her. Eventually, he breaks his own cardinal rule - the one for which he killed his former best friend - and turns snitch in order to save Harlem from Mariah’s escalating levels of violence. While his code lead to the death of someone he loved at his own hand, the code was in some way his reason for turning against Mariah for the greater good. His core and his sense of identity have been shaken, leaving him somewhat broken and bereft of an identity now that he’s effectively forsaken that in the eyes of the code. Whether this means he intends to stay down remains to be seen. He is, after all, a survivor.


Abilities/Powers/Weaknesses & Warping: Shades is an ordinary human with ordinary human mortality. While not a soldier, his life on the street has made him an expert combatant and marksmen.

Inventory: 

• Signature outfit
  • All black three-piece suit
  • Black leather gloves
  • Classic black Ray-ban Wayfarer sunglasses
  • Black dress loafers
  • Gold watch
  • Black peacoat
• Casual outfit
  • Black t-shirt
  • Dark grey slacks
  • Heather grey zip-up hoodie
  • Black high-top sneakers
• Walther Creed handgun
• Box of ammunition
• Black luxury sedan (Cadillac XTS)
• This picture of the Rivals

Writing Samples:
One
Two

OUT OF CHARACTER

Player Name: Cali
Player Age: 35
Player Contact: ladyraab@gmail.com, calidragon

Other Characters In Game: N/A
In-Game Tag If Accepted: Hernan “Shades” Alvarez: Cali
Permissions for Character: Here
Are you comfortable with prominent elements of fourth-walling?: Certainly, especially if the instances are done with respect and for drama. I don’t mind keeping Shades off balance.
What themes of horror/psychological thrillers do you enjoy the most?: I am more into psychological horror where people question reality itself and the people around them. Small changes that build over time until you’re totally paranoid. “It was all a dream/In your head? ...Or WAS it?” sorts of things. See: Identity (probably my favorite thriller), or Pan’s Labyrinth
I particularly love, in general, how horror can reveal hidden depths in certain characters. The innocent character may turn out to be ruthless, and the ruthless character may do something noble. It’s not like I play villain characters alot and am interested in redemption arcs I’m also into those kinds of reversals in other things. Making small generally mundane objects terrifying by imbuing them with power, like haunted dolls (not the Chuckie variety, necessarily, but the “wasn’t that doll just on the shelf and not on my bed a second ago?” way) or murderous household appliances (Christine, but a toaster, maybe?). On the flipside, I’m also into unsettling or typically evil creatures in some way aiding the heroes, should they make the effort to help or befriend them. See: Dreamcatcher or Stranger Things
Is there anything in particular you absolutely need specific content warnings for?: Extreme gore, Tooth related horror, Anything that involves being eaten alive from the outside OR the inside???
Additional Information: