Application for Paradisa

[spiritusaequitas]

PERSONAL
NAME: Ang D.
PERSONAL JOURNAL: chartharsis
EMAIL: msfeistus@gmail.com
AIM: chartharsis
WIKI NAME: Ang_d
CURRENT CHARACTERS: Barney Stinson bro_codebreaker, Fifth Doctor cricketycricket, Mark Hunter hard_talker, Ray Stantz ectobabble, Kermit the Frog flailingfelt

CHARACTER
CHARACTER NAME: Murphy McManus
SERIES: The Boondock Saints
CANON POINT: Post-canon, after the sequel "All Saints' Day".
LOSS: If Murph - a hardcore, fervent Irish drinker and Manly-Man - tries to drink either Guinness or Jameson's, they'll both instantly taste just like a strawberry daiquiri, but still look completely normal. This will be a blow to his pride, his Irish cred, and his manhood all at once - a Hat-Trick of Evil.

ABOUT THE CHARACTER: Murphy McManus is the epitome of a Good Irish Boy: he listens to his mother, obeys the Word of God, drinks like a fish, and fights like a trooper. He takes life pretty much as it comes: being a first-generation immigrant from Ireland to South Boston has taught him to take whatever’s given and make the most out of it, even if whatever he gets isn't much at all.

While raised to be a gentleman where it counts, in general Murph doesn’t put too much stock in manners unless the situation’s serious (or involves a lady). He’ll interrupt, swear, talk with his mouth full, sling good-natured insults and racial slurs, blow cigarette smoke without considering if it might go in someone’s face, steal the last beer or piece of pizza without asking, make a racket at 2 AM without a care for who hears, and generally do whatever he pleases with the thought that everyone who might take offense should just lighten up, because he’s not really hurting anyone by being himself.

Despite his manners, his Irish Catholic upbringing has made him intensely devout. He and his twin brother, Connor, have both been graced by a vision from God: "Destroy all that which is evil, so that which is good may flourish" - and they do anything and everything within their ability to carry it out. They only strike out at people who are truly, wholly evil, however: lesser forms of filth generally get off easy with a beating and a strong warning. This intensity of faith is hidden under a boisterous exterior... despite the depth of his faith and the seriousness of the brothers' vision, Murphy is ridiculously easy-going, and will make a genuine effort to get along with everyone he meets. He doesn't really believe in class or culture barriers (all cultures are equally insulted, including his own), which will make adjusting to the particularly eclectic melting pot of Paradisa a relatively easy learning curve. As for his humility, that comes both from his religion and from his own personal history: as immigrants, he and Connor didn't have much. Whenever he can, he gives back to those who need his help, and has genuine sympathy for anyone who finds themselves in an awful situation.

In addition to his faith, Murph is possessed of a strong sense of humility. He believes that no one outright "deserves" anything in the way of material possessions or any set lifestyle: one must work for what one gets. As such, he won't be doing much in the way of wishing. He does, however, believe in basic human rights, especially the Golden Rule and the concept that everyone deserves kindness ... unless they deny it to others to the point of cruelty, in which case that right is completely forfeit.

Murph's sense of humor is almost entirely undefeatable - of the two twins, he's usually the one ready with a jibe or a smart-ass remark. He takes any and all jokes at his expense with a smile, even while he's beating down whoever might've pulled one over on him. More often than not, he'll defuse a tense situation with a joke, hoping that the laughter that ensues will help gloss over the conflict. As he sees it, there's no point in dealing with all the crap life's thrown at him if he's not able to laugh about it. In fact, laughter is one of the chief ways that he rolls with the punches and keeps on going. Between his humor and the strength of his faith, it's extremely hard to get Murphy down and keep him there. He's been known to have his sober moments, but he usually comes out of them with his determination even more strongly defined than ever, ready to take on whatever obstacle's in his way guns blazing - often literally.

When all these factors combine enough to earn Murphy a friendship with someone, he'll go out of his way to keep it, as he's an extremely passionate person. Though he believes in keeping the majority of his emotions to himself - Manly Men don't talk about their feelings, after all - in the face of injustice or idiocy, he's one of the first to speak up... loudly, and profanely. He'll fight for a friend at the drop of a hat, whether the odds are with him or against him, and without even a thought to the fact that there are some fights he might not even survive. His faith in what he does and in what's right are too strong for him to waver for long. Most who get to know Murphy would come to realize that there isn't much about him that's stronger than his integrity.

The only thing that surpasses it, actually, is his bond with his twin. Connor and Murphy have the unique sort of unspoken connection that comes from being fraternal twins. More often than not, they can have entire conversations with a glance. Frequently they act at once, or speak at once, without even realizing or planning it. While at times, they can be completely different (Connor tends to be the more serious of the two), when they've made up their mind to do something, they both commit to it and help each other through it until it's done. On good days, Murphy's a force to be reckoned with ... pair him up with his twin brother, and that force becomes virtually unstoppable.

ABILITIES: Murph speaks SEVERAL languages canonically: English, Gaelic, Spanish, Italian, Russian, French, and German. He's a ridiculously good shot with any sort of gun, and can hold his own in a brawl or knife fight. He's also got a very high tolerance for pain - canon shows him willingly having his shoulders dislocated to escape captivity, and still fighting on his feet despite at least two gunshot wounds on numerous occasions... though it's probably faith and will alone that kept him standing.

THIRD-PERSON WRITING SAMPLE:
The pier was crowded, noisy, and stank - nothing Murphy hadn't expected. As he leaned against a piling, his duffel slung over his shoulder, he couldn't help but feel the absolute concreteness of the moment. The minute he stepped off the gangplank and onto the tanker, he wouldn't just be leaving land: he'd be leaving Ireland, where he and his brother had hidden themselves away for the past few years. It had been like living in their own little world - newspaper and word-of-mouth their only contact with the outside world they'd left behind. Their days had been filled with good, hard, honest farm work, their thoughts consumed by the menial tasks of caring for the family sheep and maintaining the property. The weather and the work had aged them both a little beyond their years ... but really, Murphy thought, the weight of their memories had aged them just as much.

It was odd, he thought, stuffing his hands in his pockets, how much lighter those memories felt, now that they were turning back across the sea to face them. Almost like the weight had all been carried in the long hair and the beards they'd shorn off with sheep shears, a fast-and-dirty job before digging up their old personal belongings. His fingers closed around something small and solid, and he pulled it out - a beat-up, worn, old pack of cigarettes. "Oi. Have a look't this," he piped up, waving the pack under his brother's nose.

"The fuck did you get that?" Connor wondered idly, his glance only briefly flickering down to the smokes before returning to the open sea.

"Was in my fuckin' coat," he replied, a note of surprise in his voice. "Wonder f'they're still any good."

"We're goin' out to find whatever low, God-forsaken piece of scum dared t' kill Father McKinney in OUR names, and you're on about cigarettes?" Connor scowled, finally turning to face his brother.

"Well, they were there, weren't they?! 'Scuse the hell outta me if I'm not gonna brood all th' way back to Boston. You're gonna look older than Da by th' time we get there if you keep that up."

Connor leveled his gaze at Murphy, something still and heavy going unsaid between them. It was a serious thing - the fact that they were being framed for something they themselves would never have done - and neither of them needed to repeat what they already knew. Murphy raised his eyebrows, slightly. As serious as the situation was, they'd had their share of time for introspection, soul-searching, and turning their own guilt over piece by piece. It was time to act, again - and somehow, in the space of a moment, all of that passed silently between the twins.

"Almost feels like ... we've just been waiting for this. Or it's been waitin' fer us," Connor said, finally.

"Well, then, let's not be late," Murphy grinned, clapping his brother on the shoulder and giving it a shake. "We got arse to kick, don't we?"

"Aye." Connor's smile was slow to spread, but once it did, it stayed. Adjusting his own pack on his shoulder, he started up the gangplank, stealing the beaten pack of Marlboros from Murphy's hand as he passed.

"HEY!" Murphy shouted, running after him. "Get th' fuck back here with those!" By the time he caught up with him, both twins were off the gangplank and onto the ship, Ireland firmly behind them. As Murph caught Connor's arm and twisted it behind his back, laughing, he barely gave any thought to the quiet days he was leaving behind. Before them was chaos, and violence - but they were going to face it side by side. And with that in mind, it felt like going home.

FIRST-PERSON JOURNAL SAMPLE:
[a few doodles show up in the margins of the journal: various Celtic knotwork, a bird, a butterfly, climbing vines. this goes on for a little while, the scratch of the pen the only sound, before Murphy's smooth, lilting brogue drifts out of the pages] Oi, y'know, I've got a little time t' kill today. Not that I mind, but I figure if I've got it, I might's well offer some of it up. I'm a pretty good hand with ink, if any've you out there've been wantin' or considerin' a tattoo. M'not gonna charge any of you for it, either - all you'll need is patience an' a stomach for the pain. I'm down in town right now, but f'none've you wanna take the hike, I can come on up and find ya.

INTENT: There's a facet to Murph that I've never played in Paradisa before: he's the sort of character who would prefer living out in the City Royale, trying to live as normal a life as possible outside of the castle's shenanigans. He'll still interact with everyone in the castle - he'd likely spend his evenings up there, getting to know everyone and frequenting the Death Match and the Lux - but he'll be much more active in the town itself. I'd ideally like to see him try to pick up the Town Charity that Jilly Coppercorn was running before Kyra dropped out, and possibly helping with the Outposts and other outside locations. And of course, I'd love the opportunity to plot out some sort of vigilante arc for him ... either with town NPC scumbags, or actual in-game villains.