Connor MacManus (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
shepherdsveritas) wrote2012-02-06 03:26 am
shepherdsveritas) wrote2012-02-06 03:26 am
Paradisa Application
ABOUT THE CHARACTER:
Connor MacManus, one half of the MacManus twins, is the self proclaimed brains of the operation. Of course, he also thinks he’s the older twin, which is still up for very heated debate. He’s incredibly smart, deeply faithful and fiercely loyal, a dangerous and deadly combination.
A first generation Irish-Catholic immigrant, Connor knows where his priorities lie. As long as he’s got a roof over his head, somewhere quiet to pray and enough money to feed himself and his brother with a little extra to cover cigarettes and a few beers he’s happy. He’s never wanted for anything more than that. When they were on the lam in Ireland he may have missed the luxuries of city living but he was perfectly content with farm life. He’s extremely adaptable. In his life he’d gone from living in a small Irish village to an apartment in South Boston to an Irish sheep farm and back to Boston without missing a step. He believes everything happens for a reason, including being abducted to a magic castle. The key is to find out what that reason is.
Religion is an enormous part of Connor’s life. A devout Catholic, he went to mass every Sunday. Although, he didn’t usually agree with the Priests’ messages, thinking that they often missed the point. He typically left before the sermon, choosing instead to do his own devotion. Though most would think it would be rude to walk up onto the pulpit while the Priest is speaking he feels that it’s God’s message he needs to listen to, not the Priests’. Most things in his life are fueled by religion. The twins received divine intervention in the form of a shared dream. In the dream they were baptized with water falling from the ceiling and awoke with a gasp – almost being reborn – with the message “kill that which is evil so that which is good may flourish.” From that moment on they became the hand of God, killing the wicked to preserve the good. Pulling the weeds that were choking the flowers, as it were. Whenever he’s in doubt or needs support he turns to prayer, especially in moments of turmoil. He also firmly believes that even the evilest man deserves the last rites so he can be judged before the eyes of the Lord. He’s just shepherding them on their way.
Creativity comes in many forms. In addition to being quite adept at giving tattoos with a Bic pen, Connor is the mind behind the Saints’ plans. Well, the mind behind adapting the plans to fit their situation. The real credit goes to the writers of action movies, particularly those of Charlie Bronsen, John Wayne and Clint Eastwood. The way he figures it the plans always worked in the movies, why shouldn’t they work in real life? He and Murph were easily as badass as any of them, after all. Unfortunately, reality never runs as smoothly as the film does in Connor’s head. Something usually goes horribly wrong, though they always manage to come out on top. He’s good at improvising on the fly, able to work with whatever setbacks they may have. Give the boy some rope and he’ll come up with something to do with it to save the day.
Above all else, Connor is loyal to those he’s close to. He loves his twin brother, Murphy, more than life itself and will do anything to keep him safe – even at the risk of his own injury or death. Any insult or injury brought upon his friends or family is an insult to him and he doesn’t hesitate to defend them no matter the cost. He’s extremely protective of what he has and, especially after the death of his best friend Rocco, hesitant to let anyone else into that close circle. When they first meet Romeo he told him that he couldn’t join them. He trusted Murph and himself to be able to handle anything they went up against, he was unsure about putting someone else in that danger. It was only after Romeo proved himself more than capable as a part of the team, and turned out to be the foil both he and Murphy needed that he fully accepted him as a brother and part of the cause.
People say that twins have a nearly psychic bond between them. Connor and Murphy are perfect examples of this. They often speak and act simultaneously with no indication of any pre-planning. They share pain, as well. More than this, however, is their uncanny ability to have entire conversations without saying a word. They’ll look at each other and each know what the other is thinking, coming to an agreement about their next step before anyone even realizes they’re planning anything. This near pre-cognition paired with their shared visions and force of faith and determination truly make them a terrifying force for good.
Connor is the more serious of the twins, but that doesn’t mean he’s without a sense of humor. It doesn’t always show itself, but when it does it’s usually a good natured jibe at someone else’s expense, often racist or derogatory in some way. He’s not truly racist or homophobic, he doesn’t think of it that way, more often than not it’s just to get a rise out of someone. He also uses humor to add a lighter touch to more serious situations, such as affecting a Southern accent and telling Gorgeous George “you’d best be right with your Jesus, boy” while playing Russian Roulette to determine if he should live or die. He does know there’s a time and a place, however, only bringing humor into situations when he knows there’s no danger of himself or the others getting hurt.
Overall, Connor is a very driven individual. Driven by faith, love for his brother and the spiritual influences of his father and Rocco. He will always do what he feels is right, regardless of what anyone else thinks. And if he has a good time while doing it? All the better.
ABILITIES:
Canonically, Connor is fluent in English, Gaelic, Spanish, French, German, Italian, and Russian. He’s an extremely good shot with any gun and, though not trained in hand to hand combat, can wipe the floor with anyone in a bar brawl. He’s also got a knack for improvised weapons. He’s also got a high pain tolerance, through sheer force of will and necessity, having taken a few bullets and still managed to keep his feet to see it through. He’s also very, well, durable. He jumped at least 6 stories from a roof with only a Russian to break his fall and got away nearly injury free. He’s also pretty damn strong when adrenaline kicks in. Not superhuman but he was able to carry a toilet up to the roof while his bleeding wrists were still handcuffed together.
THIRD-PERSON WRITING SAMPLE:
Connor’s hand shook as he pulled the pennies out of his pocket. They didn’t have time to give all of the dead their rites, but nothing could keep Connor from praying for his father. He could hear the sirens screaming up the road as he and Murphy laid the pennies on Noah’s eyes and hung their heads. They simultaneously pulled their crosses out of their shirts with their uninjured arms, “And shepherds we shall be, for Thee, my Lord, for Thee.” Connor took Noah’s left hand as Murphy took his right, “Power hath descended forth from Thy hand that our feet may swiftly carry out Thy command.” Gently, they crossed his hands over his chest, each letting their hand rest on his. “So we shall flow a river forth to Thee and teeming with souls shall it ever be.”
They crossed themselves as they whispered, “In nomine Patri et Filii et Spiritus Sancti.”
Looking at each other, their cheeks still smeared with dirt and tears, they knew what they must do. They couldn’t just sit there and wait for the cops to come to them. No. they would stand and face their judgment just as they always had – together.
Helping each other up, they limped over to where Romeo lay bleeding amidst the broken glass and flower petals. Connor had already made sure their friend – no, their brother – was still alive. He knelt next to him and took his hand, “Rome. Can y’walk?”
Romeo forced a chuckle, his lips speckled with blood, “Get yer asses outta here.” He coughed, wincing in pain.
Connor stopped him before he could try to say more.
Murphy gently patted his hand, “Don’ worry, Rome. They’ll be here soon an’ they’ll patch you up good’s new.” He looked up at Connor, seeing the same concerned look he knew he wore on his own face.
Giving Romeo’s hand one more squeeze, the brothers stood, silent as they started the trek to the front door. Each was lost in silent contemplation and prayer as they walked through the destruction they’d brought down upon this ramshackle house. Connor couldn’t help but feel incredibly lucky to be alive as they walked past bodies filled with bullet holes and buckshot. By all rights they should all be dead. The old man was better protected than they’d thought. If he’d known there were so many waiting in ambush he would have tried to talk his father out of meeting him alone. If they’d been closer… Pushing the thought from his head he looked sidelong at his twin. Their lives had taken many strange turns in the last 8 years. As the sirens grew louder he knew they were about to take another one.
They’d each carried their guns as they limped through the foyer towards the door, though neither had any intention of using them. They were facing police, good men as far as they knew. Men who were just doing their jobs. Connor looked down at the trail of blood they were each leaving, idly thinking that they wouldn’t be able to put up much of a fight even if they wanted to. If anything, it was symbolic of their struggle, their fight, everything they’d endured up until this point.
Connor was strangely calm as he took in the blue lights flashing through every window. He looked at Murphy. His brother. His life. Their eyes met and something passed between them. This had to happen. It was part of the path they’d been destined to walk. The path now covered in bodies and blood. They stood there for a moment, alone in their grief and conviction. Finally, they nodded and reached for the door as one.
FIRST-PERSON JOURNAL SAMPLE:
[Already a few beers into celebrating, Connor’s accent is thicker as he slurs into the journal]
Oi! Out there in Paradisa-land. It’s Saint Patty’s day! I’m sorely disappointed that I’m not hearin’ more drinkin’ an’ carryin’ on. I mean, c’mon, what else’re you gonna do, today?
Fer those’ve you not in the know, as it were, Saint Patty’s Day is th’most sacred of Irish holidays which we celebrate by getting’ stone drunk with our family ‘n friends. Of course, if you don’t have any’a those you jus’ go out to th’bar an’ make some. So! If anyone’d like t’be Irish fer a day y’can come ‘n join us at th’ Death Match. First round’a Guinness’s on me.
INTENT: In my time in Para I’ve generally played characters that are up beat, energetic, positive or zany in some way (except for the Joker but I didn’t play him for very long). While Connor has his moments of ridiculous antics he’s more on the serious side. I also love the idea of playing someone who wouldn’t just sit back and take castle life, he’d go out and get a job right off and make his own way outside of the castle. Also – the idea of the Saints of Paradisa just sounds like a beautiful thing.
Connor MacManus, one half of the MacManus twins, is the self proclaimed brains of the operation. Of course, he also thinks he’s the older twin, which is still up for very heated debate. He’s incredibly smart, deeply faithful and fiercely loyal, a dangerous and deadly combination.
A first generation Irish-Catholic immigrant, Connor knows where his priorities lie. As long as he’s got a roof over his head, somewhere quiet to pray and enough money to feed himself and his brother with a little extra to cover cigarettes and a few beers he’s happy. He’s never wanted for anything more than that. When they were on the lam in Ireland he may have missed the luxuries of city living but he was perfectly content with farm life. He’s extremely adaptable. In his life he’d gone from living in a small Irish village to an apartment in South Boston to an Irish sheep farm and back to Boston without missing a step. He believes everything happens for a reason, including being abducted to a magic castle. The key is to find out what that reason is.
Religion is an enormous part of Connor’s life. A devout Catholic, he went to mass every Sunday. Although, he didn’t usually agree with the Priests’ messages, thinking that they often missed the point. He typically left before the sermon, choosing instead to do his own devotion. Though most would think it would be rude to walk up onto the pulpit while the Priest is speaking he feels that it’s God’s message he needs to listen to, not the Priests’. Most things in his life are fueled by religion. The twins received divine intervention in the form of a shared dream. In the dream they were baptized with water falling from the ceiling and awoke with a gasp – almost being reborn – with the message “kill that which is evil so that which is good may flourish.” From that moment on they became the hand of God, killing the wicked to preserve the good. Pulling the weeds that were choking the flowers, as it were. Whenever he’s in doubt or needs support he turns to prayer, especially in moments of turmoil. He also firmly believes that even the evilest man deserves the last rites so he can be judged before the eyes of the Lord. He’s just shepherding them on their way.
Creativity comes in many forms. In addition to being quite adept at giving tattoos with a Bic pen, Connor is the mind behind the Saints’ plans. Well, the mind behind adapting the plans to fit their situation. The real credit goes to the writers of action movies, particularly those of Charlie Bronsen, John Wayne and Clint Eastwood. The way he figures it the plans always worked in the movies, why shouldn’t they work in real life? He and Murph were easily as badass as any of them, after all. Unfortunately, reality never runs as smoothly as the film does in Connor’s head. Something usually goes horribly wrong, though they always manage to come out on top. He’s good at improvising on the fly, able to work with whatever setbacks they may have. Give the boy some rope and he’ll come up with something to do with it to save the day.
Above all else, Connor is loyal to those he’s close to. He loves his twin brother, Murphy, more than life itself and will do anything to keep him safe – even at the risk of his own injury or death. Any insult or injury brought upon his friends or family is an insult to him and he doesn’t hesitate to defend them no matter the cost. He’s extremely protective of what he has and, especially after the death of his best friend Rocco, hesitant to let anyone else into that close circle. When they first meet Romeo he told him that he couldn’t join them. He trusted Murph and himself to be able to handle anything they went up against, he was unsure about putting someone else in that danger. It was only after Romeo proved himself more than capable as a part of the team, and turned out to be the foil both he and Murphy needed that he fully accepted him as a brother and part of the cause.
People say that twins have a nearly psychic bond between them. Connor and Murphy are perfect examples of this. They often speak and act simultaneously with no indication of any pre-planning. They share pain, as well. More than this, however, is their uncanny ability to have entire conversations without saying a word. They’ll look at each other and each know what the other is thinking, coming to an agreement about their next step before anyone even realizes they’re planning anything. This near pre-cognition paired with their shared visions and force of faith and determination truly make them a terrifying force for good.
Connor is the more serious of the twins, but that doesn’t mean he’s without a sense of humor. It doesn’t always show itself, but when it does it’s usually a good natured jibe at someone else’s expense, often racist or derogatory in some way. He’s not truly racist or homophobic, he doesn’t think of it that way, more often than not it’s just to get a rise out of someone. He also uses humor to add a lighter touch to more serious situations, such as affecting a Southern accent and telling Gorgeous George “you’d best be right with your Jesus, boy” while playing Russian Roulette to determine if he should live or die. He does know there’s a time and a place, however, only bringing humor into situations when he knows there’s no danger of himself or the others getting hurt.
Overall, Connor is a very driven individual. Driven by faith, love for his brother and the spiritual influences of his father and Rocco. He will always do what he feels is right, regardless of what anyone else thinks. And if he has a good time while doing it? All the better.
ABILITIES:
Canonically, Connor is fluent in English, Gaelic, Spanish, French, German, Italian, and Russian. He’s an extremely good shot with any gun and, though not trained in hand to hand combat, can wipe the floor with anyone in a bar brawl. He’s also got a knack for improvised weapons. He’s also got a high pain tolerance, through sheer force of will and necessity, having taken a few bullets and still managed to keep his feet to see it through. He’s also very, well, durable. He jumped at least 6 stories from a roof with only a Russian to break his fall and got away nearly injury free. He’s also pretty damn strong when adrenaline kicks in. Not superhuman but he was able to carry a toilet up to the roof while his bleeding wrists were still handcuffed together.
THIRD-PERSON WRITING SAMPLE:
Connor’s hand shook as he pulled the pennies out of his pocket. They didn’t have time to give all of the dead their rites, but nothing could keep Connor from praying for his father. He could hear the sirens screaming up the road as he and Murphy laid the pennies on Noah’s eyes and hung their heads. They simultaneously pulled their crosses out of their shirts with their uninjured arms, “And shepherds we shall be, for Thee, my Lord, for Thee.” Connor took Noah’s left hand as Murphy took his right, “Power hath descended forth from Thy hand that our feet may swiftly carry out Thy command.” Gently, they crossed his hands over his chest, each letting their hand rest on his. “So we shall flow a river forth to Thee and teeming with souls shall it ever be.”
They crossed themselves as they whispered, “In nomine Patri et Filii et Spiritus Sancti.”
Looking at each other, their cheeks still smeared with dirt and tears, they knew what they must do. They couldn’t just sit there and wait for the cops to come to them. No. they would stand and face their judgment just as they always had – together.
Helping each other up, they limped over to where Romeo lay bleeding amidst the broken glass and flower petals. Connor had already made sure their friend – no, their brother – was still alive. He knelt next to him and took his hand, “Rome. Can y’walk?”
Romeo forced a chuckle, his lips speckled with blood, “Get yer asses outta here.” He coughed, wincing in pain.
Connor stopped him before he could try to say more.
Murphy gently patted his hand, “Don’ worry, Rome. They’ll be here soon an’ they’ll patch you up good’s new.” He looked up at Connor, seeing the same concerned look he knew he wore on his own face.
Giving Romeo’s hand one more squeeze, the brothers stood, silent as they started the trek to the front door. Each was lost in silent contemplation and prayer as they walked through the destruction they’d brought down upon this ramshackle house. Connor couldn’t help but feel incredibly lucky to be alive as they walked past bodies filled with bullet holes and buckshot. By all rights they should all be dead. The old man was better protected than they’d thought. If he’d known there were so many waiting in ambush he would have tried to talk his father out of meeting him alone. If they’d been closer… Pushing the thought from his head he looked sidelong at his twin. Their lives had taken many strange turns in the last 8 years. As the sirens grew louder he knew they were about to take another one.
They’d each carried their guns as they limped through the foyer towards the door, though neither had any intention of using them. They were facing police, good men as far as they knew. Men who were just doing their jobs. Connor looked down at the trail of blood they were each leaving, idly thinking that they wouldn’t be able to put up much of a fight even if they wanted to. If anything, it was symbolic of their struggle, their fight, everything they’d endured up until this point.
Connor was strangely calm as he took in the blue lights flashing through every window. He looked at Murphy. His brother. His life. Their eyes met and something passed between them. This had to happen. It was part of the path they’d been destined to walk. The path now covered in bodies and blood. They stood there for a moment, alone in their grief and conviction. Finally, they nodded and reached for the door as one.
FIRST-PERSON JOURNAL SAMPLE:
[Already a few beers into celebrating, Connor’s accent is thicker as he slurs into the journal]
Oi! Out there in Paradisa-land. It’s Saint Patty’s day! I’m sorely disappointed that I’m not hearin’ more drinkin’ an’ carryin’ on. I mean, c’mon, what else’re you gonna do, today?
Fer those’ve you not in the know, as it were, Saint Patty’s Day is th’most sacred of Irish holidays which we celebrate by getting’ stone drunk with our family ‘n friends. Of course, if you don’t have any’a those you jus’ go out to th’bar an’ make some. So! If anyone’d like t’be Irish fer a day y’can come ‘n join us at th’ Death Match. First round’a Guinness’s on me.
INTENT: In my time in Para I’ve generally played characters that are up beat, energetic, positive or zany in some way (except for the Joker but I didn’t play him for very long). While Connor has his moments of ridiculous antics he’s more on the serious side. I also love the idea of playing someone who wouldn’t just sit back and take castle life, he’d go out and get a job right off and make his own way outside of the castle. Also – the idea of the Saints of Paradisa just sounds like a beautiful thing.