Roisin Gallagher - [OC] Ireland [WIP]

[gaelicrose]

The island bathes in the sun's bright rays,
------------
Distant hills wear a shroud of grey...

Happiness follows sorrow,
------------
Only believing in tomorrow

The character this application is going to apply for is Roisin (Rosy) Gallagher. She represents Ireland. They look 23 years old. This character is Custom. Their apparent birthday is 3/17/a lady never tells. This character's sexuality is Bicurious/Bisexual

A lonely breeze whispers in the trees,
------------
Sole witness to history

Physical Appearance: Ireland is a very small young woman, standing only 5 foot 2 inches tall. As for her weight, well she'll never say (more out of a desire to be playful than any actual worries,) but she is very light. Her frame is slender but in no way flat, and she is rather proud of Dublin and Galway (the central Eastern and Western ports of Ireland). All together, she is confidant and comfortable in her body. Her slight build is more than likely the result of malnutrition caused by past famines, but there is no way to confirm this.

Her hair is fiery red color, curling wildly down her back. She normally attempts to tame it by pulling it into a ponytail but strands always escape and get into her face. She is always tucking these flyaways behind her ears to keep them out of her eyes. Her pale skin is covered by freckles from working in the sun. Her eyes are shamrock green and very expressive, often sparkling with mischief or mirth.

Her palms are calloused from working long hours with rough tools. Her feet are calloused from walking many miles and dancing to many songs. Her fingertips are calloused from fiddle strings. Her heart, though guarded is not calloused, just well used.

She almost always is dressed in sensible boots, jeans or a skirt, a blouse, and a vest. At least one of these items is always green.

As she is an old country (in age but not in spirit!) she has her fair share of scars. One of the most notable is a thick jagged scar that runs from the left side of her lower back to the right, seemingly dividing her body in two. There is another scar curving above her left breast, left by Norway's broadsword during the viking raids.

Animal Forms:
Cross Fox
- In the human version of this form, she retains high set fox ears. They are almost completely black except some bright orange near the bottom and at the edges. Both her fingers and toes are clawed and because of this she refuses to wear shoes (they'd just get torn up anyways). She has to be careful not to accidentally scratch herself or tear any clothing. She does not always remember that. Her tail is thick and fluffy with black fur along the top, orange along the bottom with a small white tip. It is exceedingly soft and she will sometimes wrap it around herself for warmth or comfort. Her canine teeth are much more pronounced than usual, but you can only tell if she smiles. It has been said she is somewhat more flirty and slyer in this form.

European Robin
-There is a human version of this form in which small red feathers make up her hair line. More noticeably,in place of her arms are large wings. Remarkably, the primary flight feathers are dexterous to be used like hands while in this form, although they are not skilled enough for true fine motor control. Her body is smaller in this form, only standing 4' 9". Her hollow bones make her significantly lighter.(I will provide a picture of this form once I can scan it in)

Cat - Orange Tabby Manx with a white belly.(because, originating from the Isle of Man, it is the closest to being an Irish cat.) Small "freckles" of orange are located in the white fur that extends over her nose. The tabby pattern on her sides make the blurry shape of a four leaf clover.
-In her quasi-human form there are two orange cat ears that sit high on the side of her head. The darker tone of their tabby markings match the color of her hair. Her green eyes retain cat like elongated pupils and heighten her night vision. Her teeth are sharp and her fingers are tipped with retractable claws (note: They are only retractable in the sense that she can lengthen them to attack. They do not completely disappear). As a Manx, she has no tail and gets touchy if you dare to imply that there is anything wrong with that.

These will be the most frequently used forms, although there may be others (possibly a Roe doe, seal, Irish hare, or other such animals associated with Ireland).

Fleeting memories rise,
------------
From the shadows of my mind

Likes:

-Song and dance
-Drinking
-Her freedom
-Physical contact
-Taking care of people
-The sea
-The land
-The sky
-Mystical things
-Warm meals
-Bad jokes
-Good conversation
-Arguments
-A good brawl
-Company
-Clovers
-Heather
-Her shilelagh
-The color green (all 40 shades)


Dislikes:

-Being told what to do
-Bullies
-Banshees
-Kelpies
-Hunger
-Creepy crawlies
-Staying still for extended periods of time
-Feeling helpless
-Losing a fight
-Extreme cold

Sing "nonomori" - endless corridors,
------------
Say "nonomori" - hopeless warriors, You were there, You were there

Personality: Ireland is a strong woman. She is hardworking and willing to persevere through pain to reach a goal. Although her stubbornness sometimes gets her in trouble and she sometimes gets hurt when she could've avoided the pain by standing down, she won't compromise herself. She doesn't run, and she doesn't back down. She is steady like bedrock.
Her highs are very high and her lows are very low. It doesn't take much to make her anger flare up, but it also doesn't take long for her anger to abate. This doesn't keep her from holding grudges though. She can hold a grudge for centuries, but it usually only goes as far as never letting past hurts be forgotten instead of hanging on to hatred. Her moods change rapidly like a seascape.
She believes in living each day to the fullest. She finds any excuse to laugh and takes it. She smiles often, jokes a lot, and generally enjoys what she does and does what she enjoys. She can be quite impish and always revels in tricks and practical jokes. Relaxing at a pub or fighting in one she loves every minute. A lot of her spare time is spent singing, dancing, or fiddling and she's not shy about anyone hearing it. When things go wrong, she simply picks herself back up and keeps living. There aren't enough hours in the day to waste on self pity. She tries to stay in high spirits like the wind.
She is very compassionate and can't stand seeing someone in pain. She will help anyone, no matter who or what they are. And once you have her protection, you never really lose it. She is happy to take those younger than her under her wing. And if you do her a good turn, she will pay you back ten times over.
Oddly enough, when she's drunk, Roisin tends to be much more sensitive, tactful, and perceptive than she normally is. A bit of a philosophical drunk.
She likes to be close to people. She doesn't shy away from physical contact and will talk when ever there is a chance to. The need to reach out might be a result of being a island. Personal space is pretty much a foreign concept to her. She does have her limits though. If she feels smothered, she will seek out some solitude. It reassures her that she's still free.
She is also very spiritual. She believes in almost everything and can see magical creatures. The bond they share with the land make them valued companions of hers. She also trusts in luck. Because she believes in it, it seems to be more profound for her.
For all the time she spends worrying about others, she often ignores when something's wrong with herself. She likes to think that everything is alright, even when it isn't. Sometimes she is so desperate to see a silver lining that she makes one up. Subconsciously, she thinks that if she just pretends it doesn't hurt, maybe it will stop.


Fears:

Snakes - She is absolutely terrified of them seeing as she hasn't had to deal with them since before St. Patrick.

Starvation - She is afraid that she will not survive another famine and will do almost anything to ensure she never goes hungry again. This sometimes leads to over eating.

Losing Her Territory - This particular fear is a result of being conquered in the past and having to forfeit her lands. This makes her territorial and protective.

Bad Luck - Broken mirrors, spilled salt, ladders over walkways? All terror inducing.

Weaknesses:

Tactless: She has a tendency to say things without thinking. Some say this means she's honest, most say it's just trouble.

Overexertion: She can get so caught up in work that she's doing, that she will forget to sleep and end up passing out from exhaustion.

Ignores her Needs: She bottles up difficult emotions which can lead to emotional break downs on rare occasions.

Susceptible to Puppy Dog Eyes: Anything little, cute, and in need of protecting can get her to do almost anything.

Unlucky: When her luck is bad, it's really bad. (Murphy must have her on speed dial.)

Strengths:

Stubborn: She doesn't give up. Ever. She will fight until she cannot stand and then keep fighting on her knees.

Compassionate: Rosy has a place in her heart for anyone. She will offer you a shoulder to cry on, an ear to listen, or arms to hold you. She cannot handle seeing someone in pain.

Courageous: She will face losing odds if she is standing for something or someone she believes in.

Loyal: If you are close to her heart, there is nothing she won't do to keep you safe and happy.

Creative: Especially when it comes to music. She sings, dances, and plays several instruments. Her favorites are the fiddle and the pipe. Most of this music is folk.

The Gift of the Gab: When she takes the time to think about what she'd saying, she can be very persuasive.

Brawling: Down and out dirty fighting she's learned in hundreds of pub fights. She often uses her shillelagh with devastating effect. The club is made of oak and sometimes doubles as a walking stick. Then wood is smooth from many years of use and the thick rounded end is naturally formed from a root ball.

Lucky: When her luck is good, it's really good. (Finding pots of gold kind of good.)

Am I forever dreaming,
------------
How to define the way I'm feeling

History:
Early History: Hibernia
During the pre-Christian era of Ireland, she was mostly peaceful. She spent much time working on intricate crafts and walking amongst the monoliths. When the Celts started showing up she welcomed them with open arms, absorbing them into her population. This mixing eventually became her Gaelic culture. She flourished as her ancient kingdoms began to rise. She delighted in the learning of her people and their growing strength. She even managed to hold off Rome's attempts to invade her, despite being so small. This gave her her first true idea of freedom, by knowing she had kept hers.

The Arrival of Christianity: 400->
Having grown into a a firey, fierce girl, Ireland began to partake in a bit of piracy, looting Britain's shores. She covered the shores that the Viking nations couldn't. This resulted in her bringing over something a bit unexpected. Christianity. It started some great changes in her life. Patrick came over in 432, or it might've been 461, she can't remember clearly anymore, but she loved the man. As a young girl she looked up to him and his kind ways. He always respected her traditions and took the time to teach her the alphabet so she could write down her histories. He chased the snakes out of her lands, making them safer and incorporated his faith into hers without destroying it. When he died in 493 Ireland felt his loss acutely. She made sure he was buried with due respect in Downpatrick.
The faith he gave her the hope she needed to survive the famine and plagues that beset her throughout the early 500's. She found sanctuary in the monasteries and studied there, attracting many scholars to her shores. She began to spread her knowledge with some of the missionaries so others could benefit as well.

The Rise of Invaders: 800->
Weakened by plagues Ireland began to fall pray to Viking raids. She was in almost constant battle with them, Norway in particular, for two hundred years. She was in an awkward stage, stuck between being a child and a woman, and was unable to keep them from stealing most of her treasures. She and her kings did manage to keep them from dominating her, but it was only through shear will power. They did leave behind a few things she is thankful for despite all the pain they caused, like the settlement that developed into Dublin. In the unstable shape she was left in, there was no way she could win when the Normans, welsh, and Flemish invaded in 1167. They placed a Norman King in control of her territories and she hated it. It only got worse when England and Henery II invaded afterwards in 1171. She had hoped the he would save her from Norman rule, but instead he only opened the door for more invasions and subjected her territories to English rule. They weakened her lords, and tried to change her ways. She rose up against them in 1261 and fought alongside her lords to help them regain their lands. She thought she'd be free then.

Black Death: 1348
By a stoke of luck, Ireland was mostly spared by the plague that sickened her family. She and her people remained in mostly good heath while the illness struck down the English lords. By the time it passed, Ireland was in control of her own lands again.



Theme Song: The Foggy Dew

You were there,
------------
Countless visions they haunt me in my sleep

Family?: She is related to England, Scotland, and Wales some how, but it's been so long that she can't remember if they are cousins or siblings. Neither can she remember who's older which leads her to call herself "Big Sister Ireland" when she feels the need to be in charge, "Your Dear Little Sister Ireland" if she wants something, and "Your Cousin" if she just wants to go out drinking.
Enemies and Rivals?:
RP Sample: (300 words minimum.)

You were there,
------------
Though forgotten all promises we keep

My alias online is Rosy. I am a Female. I've had just a little bit in rping experience. I've found this site through an advertisement on another board I rp in. My favorite pairings, that I would like to do with my character are: Ireland/Anyone really, just ask. The best way to contact me is: PM

Slaves to our destiny,
------------
I recall a melody

Ico's ending theme, You were there, is where the song lyrics came from. Go support the original creators, and don't steal the song! Neko made the profile all nice and pretty, ask for permission and give credit if you wish to use.