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Recolle Application
PLAYER
YOUR NAME: Teresa
18+?: Yes!
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lycanthropy101; PM
CHARACTERS IN GAME: n/a
RESERVATION LINK: Link!
YOUR NAME: Teresa
18+?: Yes!
CONTACT:
CHARACTERS IN GAME: n/a
RESERVATION LINK: Link!
CHARACTER: CANON SECTION
NAME: Faolan
AGE: 28
CANON: The Bridei Chronicles
NAME: Faolan
AGE: 28
CANON: The Bridei Chronicles
CANON HISTORY: Unfortunately there is no wiki for the Bridei Chronicles but I have sumarized his history here to the best of my ability.
CANON PERSONALITY:
There was a perfect image of Faolan in her mind, correct in every detail: his strength, his kindness, his courage. His reticence; his wariness. Those things were the essence of the man.
To say that Faolan is a complicated personality is a bit of an understatement. He is a man who was once a bard that became an assassin. There are many facets as to what make him unique as an individual that I will try and touch on now.
Faolan has been hurt in the past, both by outsiders as well as the people he loves. Because of those experiences, he shuts his true self off from most who meet him. He believes himself unworthy of friendship. The heart of this lies in the fact that he believes in killing his brother to save his family, that he also effectively destroyed them, a belief that is furthered by the fact that they turned him out of their home the next day. Killing his brother and losing his family in one fell swoop, then being thrown in the prison of Breakstone Hollow for not working for his family's tormentor, he keeps the truth of his past guarded and hidden, and he has never made peace with it because of this. He says that men die of despair in the Hollow but he lived because he was already beyond despair -- that he had lost all capacity to feel already because of what happened with his family. His family and their rejection of him caused this in his personality. He puts up a front to the world of sly indifference, but he does genuinely care about others. When Bridei is ill and possibly near death, he takes his place with the druids in caring for him -- something a mere hired guard and assassin would never even contemplate.
He takes pride in his job and he is good at it. He may look down on his position itself, seeing it as a dark and dirty sort of profession (and it is, really), but he is very good at it, and is recognized for that. As Bridei himself puts it, "Misinformation, deception, sudden death, those are the essence of Faolan's work. He is of great value principally because he does those things so expertly, and without qualms." That is not to say that Faolan just blindly follows missions. As he tells Bridei when the young man questions him on it once, "I am my own man, for all the silver pieces. A fellow has to eat; that need not render him mindlessly obedient." He simply has his own sense of duty.
Faolan merely gets the job done in his own, which some might call reckless at times. For example, risking Bridei himself to try to draw out his assassin. Because he was turned out of his own house and has been making his own way in the world for such a long time, he has learned to make do on his own, as his own man as they say, and as Ana puts it when she thinks of what Faolan might have been like growing up (before she knew), "Faolan would not have let anyone hold his hands. He would have learned to walk all by himself." He is highly capable of a variety of skills: fighting, strategy, he knows how to navigate, and though he does not demonstrate it until he needs to, can sing and play the harp as any master bard despite not having practiced in years. He is not cocky. He is merely capable, and gives off the air of being so. He can roll with the punches, because as he puts it, "he had learned early that alongside the stunning blows fate could to deliver, the practical matters of day-to-day life were trivial." Bridei's friendship has given him purpose again, even if he is reluctant to call it that himself. He remains loyal to the other man because it is what he has to give him in return.
At times he pushes himself too hard and there is cause to remind him that he is only human. He does not like to demonstrate weakness. Underneath it all, he is still a bard with a bard's sensibilities and a bard's heart, however hard he tries hard to bury it. If he touches on any part of the life he used to know he is liable to break down for it brings back too many memories memories, and that sentimentality is a weakness that he can't afford in his career. A weakness that lays him wide open to his enemies. A good friend of his points out that what she can see the man beneath his mask of indifference and he's not as bad as he thinks. That he is a man for whom anything is possible, if he only sets his mind to it.
Faolan has a quick and witty, although somewhat bitter humor. He likes to make sarcastic comments in regards to his surroundings and especially in response to the people he's talking to, though sometimes opening his mouth gets him into more trouble than not. He is a good man, though his emotions can be volatile at times. He gets jealous easily, and his jealousy can lead him to dark thoughts, though he never acts upon them. He is fiercely possessive of the people he cares about, and he would move heaven and earth to keep them safe. He would also tear anyone apart who harms a hair on their heads. Because he has bottled his own emotions for so long, when he does allow them they are sometimes overwhelming, and he does not handle them well. He has a tendency to run away from pressure when things get to be too much for him. None of these are positive traits.
But there is another side to him as well. The side of him capable of tenderness and love. He composes silly little ballads for children on the spot to sing them to sleep. He is patient and understanding when he rescues a young woman out of a life of abuse and offers to protect her and her child as they travel back to Fortriu together. And despite his jealousy, when the woman he loves falls in love with another man, he is able to step back and let them be happy together. He has been through a lot in his life, good and bad, and has come through it all stronger for it.
SKILLS/ABILITIES:
• translation (Gaelic to Pictish)
• stealth (also concealment of weaponry)
• assassination
• strategy
• combat (knife/sword/spear/ranged)
• hunting/tracking
• horsemanship
• navigation
• reading the weather
• playing the harp/singing
• composing music/lyrics
CANON PERSONALITY:
To say that Faolan is a complicated personality is a bit of an understatement. He is a man who was once a bard that became an assassin. There are many facets as to what make him unique as an individual that I will try and touch on now.
Faolan has been hurt in the past, both by outsiders as well as the people he loves. Because of those experiences, he shuts his true self off from most who meet him. He believes himself unworthy of friendship. The heart of this lies in the fact that he believes in killing his brother to save his family, that he also effectively destroyed them, a belief that is furthered by the fact that they turned him out of their home the next day. Killing his brother and losing his family in one fell swoop, then being thrown in the prison of Breakstone Hollow for not working for his family's tormentor, he keeps the truth of his past guarded and hidden, and he has never made peace with it because of this. He says that men die of despair in the Hollow but he lived because he was already beyond despair -- that he had lost all capacity to feel already because of what happened with his family. His family and their rejection of him caused this in his personality. He puts up a front to the world of sly indifference, but he does genuinely care about others. When Bridei is ill and possibly near death, he takes his place with the druids in caring for him -- something a mere hired guard and assassin would never even contemplate.
He takes pride in his job and he is good at it. He may look down on his position itself, seeing it as a dark and dirty sort of profession (and it is, really), but he is very good at it, and is recognized for that. As Bridei himself puts it, "Misinformation, deception, sudden death, those are the essence of Faolan's work. He is of great value principally because he does those things so expertly, and without qualms." That is not to say that Faolan just blindly follows missions. As he tells Bridei when the young man questions him on it once, "I am my own man, for all the silver pieces. A fellow has to eat; that need not render him mindlessly obedient." He simply has his own sense of duty.
Faolan merely gets the job done in his own, which some might call reckless at times. For example, risking Bridei himself to try to draw out his assassin. Because he was turned out of his own house and has been making his own way in the world for such a long time, he has learned to make do on his own, as his own man as they say, and as Ana puts it when she thinks of what Faolan might have been like growing up (before she knew), "Faolan would not have let anyone hold his hands. He would have learned to walk all by himself." He is highly capable of a variety of skills: fighting, strategy, he knows how to navigate, and though he does not demonstrate it until he needs to, can sing and play the harp as any master bard despite not having practiced in years. He is not cocky. He is merely capable, and gives off the air of being so. He can roll with the punches, because as he puts it, "he had learned early that alongside the stunning blows fate could to deliver, the practical matters of day-to-day life were trivial." Bridei's friendship has given him purpose again, even if he is reluctant to call it that himself. He remains loyal to the other man because it is what he has to give him in return.
At times he pushes himself too hard and there is cause to remind him that he is only human. He does not like to demonstrate weakness. Underneath it all, he is still a bard with a bard's sensibilities and a bard's heart, however hard he tries hard to bury it. If he touches on any part of the life he used to know he is liable to break down for it brings back too many memories memories, and that sentimentality is a weakness that he can't afford in his career. A weakness that lays him wide open to his enemies. A good friend of his points out that what she can see the man beneath his mask of indifference and he's not as bad as he thinks. That he is a man for whom anything is possible, if he only sets his mind to it.
Faolan has a quick and witty, although somewhat bitter humor. He likes to make sarcastic comments in regards to his surroundings and especially in response to the people he's talking to, though sometimes opening his mouth gets him into more trouble than not. He is a good man, though his emotions can be volatile at times. He gets jealous easily, and his jealousy can lead him to dark thoughts, though he never acts upon them. He is fiercely possessive of the people he cares about, and he would move heaven and earth to keep them safe. He would also tear anyone apart who harms a hair on their heads. Because he has bottled his own emotions for so long, when he does allow them they are sometimes overwhelming, and he does not handle them well. He has a tendency to run away from pressure when things get to be too much for him. None of these are positive traits.
But there is another side to him as well. The side of him capable of tenderness and love. He composes silly little ballads for children on the spot to sing them to sleep. He is patient and understanding when he rescues a young woman out of a life of abuse and offers to protect her and her child as they travel back to Fortriu together. And despite his jealousy, when the woman he loves falls in love with another man, he is able to step back and let them be happy together. He has been through a lot in his life, good and bad, and has come through it all stronger for it.
SKILLS/ABILITIES:
• translation (Gaelic to Pictish)
• stealth (also concealment of weaponry)
• assassination
• strategy
• combat (knife/sword/spear/ranged)
• hunting/tracking
• horsemanship
• navigation
• reading the weather
• playing the harp/singing
• composing music/lyrics
CHARACTER: AU SECTION
AU NAME: Faolan O'Neil
AU AGE: 28
PHYSICAL DIFFERENCES: AU Faolan will appear pretty much the same as he would have in canon, save for the fact that he is missing the scars acquired from when Bridei shot him, when the Blues shot him, and when he was attacked by wolves. He will not have a bad knee as he did after he was attacked by wolves. He will not have the blue star-shaped tattoo behind his right ear that he was given, marking him as having been imprisoned in Breakstone Hollow.
AU NAME: Faolan O'Neil
AU AGE: 28
PHYSICAL DIFFERENCES: AU Faolan will appear pretty much the same as he would have in canon, save for the fact that he is missing the scars acquired from when Bridei shot him, when the Blues shot him, and when he was attacked by wolves. He will not have a bad knee as he did after he was attacked by wolves. He will not have the blue star-shaped tattoo behind his right ear that he was given, marking him as having been imprisoned in Breakstone Hollow.
AU HISTORY:
Born as the second son to a large family in Northern Ireland, just outside of Dublin, Faolan had a relatively easy childhood. His father being a prominent lawyer, his family was always fairly well off. His mother liked to keep horses and he and his siblings -- two younger sisters, one older sister, and an older brother -- spent a lot of time outdoors growing up. His parents always encouraged the O'Neill children to follow their passions, and thus from an early age Faolan had always had a talent for music. Starting with classical piano, Faolan soon branched out into other studies, including violin, guitar, and voice. Faolan's older brother had always been much more of a jock than Faolan himself, but Faolan hero-worshiped him and thus from an early age Faolan's second passion beyond music was to follow in his brother's footsteps. Whatever his older brother would pick up, so too would Faolan, whether it would be chess, football, judo, or debate team.
But then Faolan's brother graduated and went off to law school, and Faolan was left to his own devices, to make his own choices for his future for the first time in his life. For a brief period of time for a few years up until when he graduated, Faolan started to turn all his attentions to his music. It being his greatest passion and Faolan showing a lot of talent for it, there could be a chance that he might really make a name for himself in the field. And Faolan's parents being who they were, they were of course support of him to make the decision to pursue his passion, no matter what.
But fate has a funny way of catching up with people. And just when Faolan had started to feel like he was on top of the world, the family received a call that there had been an accident. Faolan's older brother had been caught up in a robbery, and being the good man that he was, had stepped in to try and be the good Samaritan. And lost his life for it. Faolan was devastated. His older brother was everything to him, his hero, his hope, and to have him taken from his life in such a way took something from Faolan as well. If only he had been there, if only he could have done something, if only he could have stopped this from happening. It became something of an obsession to him. What if he could be there. Not for his brother, it's too late for him now, but for others.
Faolan realized at that time that he needed to change his career path. While he still has a passion for music, it starts to feel like a joke. How could he live with himself, being so selfish, when he can make a difference and save a life? He could not be there for his brother, but if he were to go on to a career in private security, he might be there for someone else. (He chose security and not police because he's not in this to save people, he wants to have the singular job of looking over a person and ensuring their safety. There is a difference.) Given how personal the trigger for this choice was in his life, Faolan put his all into it. It became something of an obsession, an obsession that he was able to successfully make into a career. Starting in the lowest entry position, Faolan quickly works his way up the ranks, because not only is he good in a pinch but he's also an excellent strategist, analyzing how to keep from getting into trouble in the first place. He is good at what he does, not only through the necessity of the job but through his inner drive to push himself to protect his charge, no matter the cost to his own person. He could not save his brother, but he is doing the next best thing he can, in being there for the people who have hired him.
His career success had Faolan doing international jobs, bringing him further and further away from his surviving family, until eventually Faolan found a job in France working for a family of successful media mogul billionaires who own a French media company, CableCorp -- the Duvere's. Faolan was assigned to the safety of the heir of the company, a young man not that much older than Faolan himself. Through their close ages and his charge's easy-going personality, he got on with the young heir quite well, and the pair of them formed as close to a friendship as Faolan can allow himself, with a charge. That is, up until the young heir's little brother, Laurent, was set to study for his final year abroad. The young heir loved his brother and wanted to keep him safe -- with their family so often in the public eye, who knew what might arise with Laurent on his own in a foreign country. Faolan did not like the idea of leaving the young heir at such a time as this, not even to other guards that he knew and trusted. Faolan is the only man Faolan trusts to keep anyone safe. But he knew that this was the most precious person to the other man in all the world, so he accepted the assignment. Much to the chagrin of Laurent, who was clearly unhappy with the suggestion.
Laurent will be starting at Recolle University in the fall semester, so Faolan is doing his best at the moment to get him settled in the new city as he can. Installing new security on his apartment, meeting all the neighbors, investigating his school, investigating the town, and generally seeing that no harm should come to his young charge so that he might return with him safely the next year to continue his assignment with the young heir to follow. It's just a year abroad. It shouldn't be that difficult an assignment. ...right?
(Note: This has all been approved with Laurent's player.)
AU PERSONALITY:
Faolan's personality has largely been shaped by his family, particularly his older brother, in both positive and negative ways. His family always encouraged him to pursue his dreams and as such he had a wide variety of skills from a young age, although music was always his calling. But his hero-worship of his brother had him taking other paths in life as well, up to and including the path he is on now. For it is his love for his brother and his anguish over his brother's murder that pushes Faolan into the job he has now, up to the point that it has almost become an obsession. He is obsessed with his career, to the extent that he has neglected his surviving family because of it, and indeed he probably only sees them once or twice a year these days when he can be talked into coming home (or better yet, when they can be talked into flying to wherever he is). For Faolan, as long as he is on duty, nothing terrible will happen to his charge. Which is why he has a hard time not being on duty, and as such even when he is taking "time off" he is most likely doing something for the benefit of his career, rather than his personal life.
This is not exactly a difference from canon. Faolan is obsessed with his job in canon as well, but that is due to the fact that it is all he has. His brother was killed by his hand in canon, thus convincing Faolan that killing people must be all he is good at. Here in this AU, Faolan is instead convinced if only he could have been there to save his brother, things might have been different, and thus the obsession with being there for other people instead blossoms.
Unlike in canon as well, Faolan does not have any painful associations with his music -- he will still occasionally pick up a guitar or sit down at the piano and play/sing, if the mood strikes. But while it was once his dream to pursue the study, he thinks it frivolous now. He is good at music, and it does calm him down, but it's not the answer to his troubles. He isn't sure what there is to do about this turmoil over what happened to his brother, other than constantly being on alert, constantly making certain he is ready for whatever comes next. His job not only affects his family life, it affects his sleep, his personal life, and his social skills. But he is very good at what he does, mostly because he has been putting his all into it for the last ten years now.
Unlike canon, Faolan in this AU never swore off his emotions. The death of his brother naturally sobered him, and he is generally a more grumpy, snarkier person than most, but he has not sworn them off as he did in canon. He is however awkwardly stunted in sharing them. He has very few friends, because his job demands so much of him and because he gives so much of himself to his job, and he has become rather terrible at sharing his thoughts and feelings with others because of that. He will bottle them up inside himself until they inevitably eat away at him and/or explode in unfortunate ways. He has a few coping mechanisms for trying not to let himself get that far, such as jogging, excercise, or music, but mostly he tries to keep his mind off of his thoughts by focusing even harder on his job. Because that is hardly a coping mechanism in and of itself, he is prone to moodiness.
Still, despite Faolan's flaws, he is a good man, and one who cares deeply for the welfare of others. Faolan in canon is a great deal more cynical, his life structured around his murder of his brother and his shame in that act, for as he says in canon the only things he seems to be good at after that act are slitting throats and taking orders. The personality of Faolan in this AU however is more driven. His life here too is built around his sense of loss in response to the murder of his brother, however Faolan has taken that loss and turned it into something positive in his drive to succeed in his career and be there for others in a way that he could not be there for his brother. He has a much more positive view on his own life in the AU, even if he still has his own different struggles besides.
Born as the second son to a large family in Northern Ireland, just outside of Dublin, Faolan had a relatively easy childhood. His father being a prominent lawyer, his family was always fairly well off. His mother liked to keep horses and he and his siblings -- two younger sisters, one older sister, and an older brother -- spent a lot of time outdoors growing up. His parents always encouraged the O'Neill children to follow their passions, and thus from an early age Faolan had always had a talent for music. Starting with classical piano, Faolan soon branched out into other studies, including violin, guitar, and voice. Faolan's older brother had always been much more of a jock than Faolan himself, but Faolan hero-worshiped him and thus from an early age Faolan's second passion beyond music was to follow in his brother's footsteps. Whatever his older brother would pick up, so too would Faolan, whether it would be chess, football, judo, or debate team.
But then Faolan's brother graduated and went off to law school, and Faolan was left to his own devices, to make his own choices for his future for the first time in his life. For a brief period of time for a few years up until when he graduated, Faolan started to turn all his attentions to his music. It being his greatest passion and Faolan showing a lot of talent for it, there could be a chance that he might really make a name for himself in the field. And Faolan's parents being who they were, they were of course support of him to make the decision to pursue his passion, no matter what.
But fate has a funny way of catching up with people. And just when Faolan had started to feel like he was on top of the world, the family received a call that there had been an accident. Faolan's older brother had been caught up in a robbery, and being the good man that he was, had stepped in to try and be the good Samaritan. And lost his life for it. Faolan was devastated. His older brother was everything to him, his hero, his hope, and to have him taken from his life in such a way took something from Faolan as well. If only he had been there, if only he could have done something, if only he could have stopped this from happening. It became something of an obsession to him. What if he could be there. Not for his brother, it's too late for him now, but for others.
Faolan realized at that time that he needed to change his career path. While he still has a passion for music, it starts to feel like a joke. How could he live with himself, being so selfish, when he can make a difference and save a life? He could not be there for his brother, but if he were to go on to a career in private security, he might be there for someone else. (He chose security and not police because he's not in this to save people, he wants to have the singular job of looking over a person and ensuring their safety. There is a difference.) Given how personal the trigger for this choice was in his life, Faolan put his all into it. It became something of an obsession, an obsession that he was able to successfully make into a career. Starting in the lowest entry position, Faolan quickly works his way up the ranks, because not only is he good in a pinch but he's also an excellent strategist, analyzing how to keep from getting into trouble in the first place. He is good at what he does, not only through the necessity of the job but through his inner drive to push himself to protect his charge, no matter the cost to his own person. He could not save his brother, but he is doing the next best thing he can, in being there for the people who have hired him.
His career success had Faolan doing international jobs, bringing him further and further away from his surviving family, until eventually Faolan found a job in France working for a family of successful media mogul billionaires who own a French media company, CableCorp -- the Duvere's. Faolan was assigned to the safety of the heir of the company, a young man not that much older than Faolan himself. Through their close ages and his charge's easy-going personality, he got on with the young heir quite well, and the pair of them formed as close to a friendship as Faolan can allow himself, with a charge. That is, up until the young heir's little brother, Laurent, was set to study for his final year abroad. The young heir loved his brother and wanted to keep him safe -- with their family so often in the public eye, who knew what might arise with Laurent on his own in a foreign country. Faolan did not like the idea of leaving the young heir at such a time as this, not even to other guards that he knew and trusted. Faolan is the only man Faolan trusts to keep anyone safe. But he knew that this was the most precious person to the other man in all the world, so he accepted the assignment. Much to the chagrin of Laurent, who was clearly unhappy with the suggestion.
Laurent will be starting at Recolle University in the fall semester, so Faolan is doing his best at the moment to get him settled in the new city as he can. Installing new security on his apartment, meeting all the neighbors, investigating his school, investigating the town, and generally seeing that no harm should come to his young charge so that he might return with him safely the next year to continue his assignment with the young heir to follow. It's just a year abroad. It shouldn't be that difficult an assignment. ...right?
(Note: This has all been approved with Laurent's player.)
AU PERSONALITY:
Faolan's personality has largely been shaped by his family, particularly his older brother, in both positive and negative ways. His family always encouraged him to pursue his dreams and as such he had a wide variety of skills from a young age, although music was always his calling. But his hero-worship of his brother had him taking other paths in life as well, up to and including the path he is on now. For it is his love for his brother and his anguish over his brother's murder that pushes Faolan into the job he has now, up to the point that it has almost become an obsession. He is obsessed with his career, to the extent that he has neglected his surviving family because of it, and indeed he probably only sees them once or twice a year these days when he can be talked into coming home (or better yet, when they can be talked into flying to wherever he is). For Faolan, as long as he is on duty, nothing terrible will happen to his charge. Which is why he has a hard time not being on duty, and as such even when he is taking "time off" he is most likely doing something for the benefit of his career, rather than his personal life.
This is not exactly a difference from canon. Faolan is obsessed with his job in canon as well, but that is due to the fact that it is all he has. His brother was killed by his hand in canon, thus convincing Faolan that killing people must be all he is good at. Here in this AU, Faolan is instead convinced if only he could have been there to save his brother, things might have been different, and thus the obsession with being there for other people instead blossoms.
Unlike in canon as well, Faolan does not have any painful associations with his music -- he will still occasionally pick up a guitar or sit down at the piano and play/sing, if the mood strikes. But while it was once his dream to pursue the study, he thinks it frivolous now. He is good at music, and it does calm him down, but it's not the answer to his troubles. He isn't sure what there is to do about this turmoil over what happened to his brother, other than constantly being on alert, constantly making certain he is ready for whatever comes next. His job not only affects his family life, it affects his sleep, his personal life, and his social skills. But he is very good at what he does, mostly because he has been putting his all into it for the last ten years now.
Unlike canon, Faolan in this AU never swore off his emotions. The death of his brother naturally sobered him, and he is generally a more grumpy, snarkier person than most, but he has not sworn them off as he did in canon. He is however awkwardly stunted in sharing them. He has very few friends, because his job demands so much of him and because he gives so much of himself to his job, and he has become rather terrible at sharing his thoughts and feelings with others because of that. He will bottle them up inside himself until they inevitably eat away at him and/or explode in unfortunate ways. He has a few coping mechanisms for trying not to let himself get that far, such as jogging, excercise, or music, but mostly he tries to keep his mind off of his thoughts by focusing even harder on his job. Because that is hardly a coping mechanism in and of itself, he is prone to moodiness.
Still, despite Faolan's flaws, he is a good man, and one who cares deeply for the welfare of others. Faolan in canon is a great deal more cynical, his life structured around his murder of his brother and his shame in that act, for as he says in canon the only things he seems to be good at after that act are slitting throats and taking orders. The personality of Faolan in this AU however is more driven. His life here too is built around his sense of loss in response to the murder of his brother, however Faolan has taken that loss and turned it into something positive in his drive to succeed in his career and be there for others in a way that he could not be there for his brother. He has a much more positive view on his own life in the AU, even if he still has his own different struggles besides.