Carmela Rodriguez is 16 years old, and as normal as one can be when one's little brother is regularly off creating universes, one's dog not only creates universes but asks about the meaning of life, and one's TV and remote control argue in Japanese. Audibly.
She's a pretty Hispanic girl who wears her hair in a thick braid, and whose clothing tends towards the neon and tight. Her greatest joys in life are tormenting Kit, her younger brother, and auditioning boyfriends (including, but not limited to, every boy in her grade, alien princes, giant centipedes, and sentient Christmas trees). She's taught herself Japanese from anime videos, and the wizardly Speech from alien chat rooms.
Carmela's got a lot more to her than just a boy-crazy high schooler, though. She's got a quick wit and a resourceful streak -- this girl not only bargained a troop of mercenaries into breaking their contracts using only a bar of chocolate, she cavalierly shot the Lone Power's avatar. The problem is that with that wit and resourcefulness comes a tendency to go charging into situations recklessly.