I'll have his sister up soon as I get this writing sample on screen. :o
Also, just a tad torn between using
Magneto Fassbender or Ackles for Aldous. Hm... *le taps chin thoughtfully* I've been itching to use Ackles likeness for a character, just because he's kinda adorably gorgeous ;_; I guess that's a weird reason to use any drawing or picture for a character. I'm sorry, I'm being weird and I feel the judgmental eyes about to veer my way. Pls no. ;_;
Oh, and Chef for our delicious meals of canned beans and granola bars!!
If anyone needs a dog burger to die for, then Aldous is your man.
NAME: Aldous Gallagher
AGE: 31
PERSONALITY:There are various words to describe Aldous, all a variety of obscene slurs and plenty of praises. Aldous doesn't necessarily like to hide who he is, or at least what he's feeling, from the general populous and it can come off as a bit aggressive and standoffish with how easy he lets his emotions sway his thoughts and actions. Of course, Aldous is far from bipolar, nor does he have any really noticeable emotional disorders of any kind; emotions just come naturally and whatever he feels he lets out in whatever way he deems necessary. Sometimes it can be a little raucous and out there, but over all, Aldous is a sincere man and true to his word and his heart. And he appreciates honesty and sincerity in return; in fact, he expects it. Aldous likes to boast that he is, indeed, an open book for all to read, emotionally speaking, of course. There's nothing wrong with wearing your heart on your sleeve, even if it's not your whole heart. His attitude usually comes out in a gruff manner, in quiet humphs and huffs as he meanders through the back of a crowd, content to keep to himself and watch other people. It's part of the reason he loves his diner so much: the amount of people that come in and out leaves a lot of room for the imagination and a long time from the window in the back to watch them. Though, many would argue that Aldous is far from the quiet type. He can be loud and unruly, despite his preference for a quiet night of people watching. Among his crowd of friends and family, Aldous is a man who likes to please.
Behind the careful line of emotional vulnerability Aldous likes to display is a carefully knit wall to keep those he doesn't necessarily trust from getting any info on the inner workings of his mind. Aldous is a smart man, though his smarts may not line up with society's definition of the fact. He's a quiet thinker, someone who hashes out philosophy with the best of them, and prefers a book in his lap to a football game on the television (though he won't object, as it is still one of his favorite pastimes). But most of all, Aldous is a man made of complexities wrought from the tragedies he'd faced as a younger man. There's a broken individual in all the layered snark and sass, someone desperate enough to hide away in piles of work and friends. What he keeps hidden is his inabilities and his disorders, the routines he's put into place to keep him from slipping down a path he'd already been down before. Drugs and alcohol have always been a big issue, which he replaces and alleviates with work and routines that consume all of his time and leave no room for anything to sift its way through the cracks. The stress that's piled up and the memories he's pushed behind walls have eaten him alive the past few years, sinking him into bouts of depression he wasn't sure he'd make it out of, that he alleviated with more work and a group of people that knew where his boundaries lay. However, he's content to just wait this out—wait for the moment where he can just explode and let everything go, instead of patching it up piece by piece, maybe finally looking back and forgiving himself.
All of the issues that have piled up and all of the problems he'd had to face have molded Aldous into the man that he is today. He is quick to throw out his honesty, expecting people to trust his word, yet in a hypocritical manner, he's skeptical of others, wary of their motives and always keeping an ear to the ground in case they decide they weren't actually telling the truth. It's difficult for Aldous to open up, in spite of his appreciation for genuine honesty and no one can really blame him for that. It comes at a great cost, as indecision is often his worst nightmare. Aldous is a submissive individual by nature and more than willing to give someone else the reins whilst he follows. He's good at that, prefers it over putting himself in a spot to make mistakes, but it's difficult to find a middle ground between submitting to a worthy leader or a supposed friend or deferring to his own skepticism and jadedness. It doesn't help that Aldous isn't just gruff for a reason and those huffs and puffs aren't for mere show; many people have been victim to the stubbornness that plagues Aldous and, to an extent, his family. He's willing to stick to something of his choice, regardless of the consequences and is more likely to be beaten down than to give that up willingly. It's a whole mess of contradictions brought on by past struggles and issues that have forced him to take his trust and hold it tight so no one can up and take it, though he longs to find that happy place between giving into an answer and keeping cautious, one foot out the door, just in case.
OCCUPATION: Owner and Cook of a Small Diner called
Dock of the BayETHNICITY: Irish-American
EQUIPMENT: Flashlight, A Few Power Bars, a Brown Duffle Bag, Some Water Bottles, A Compass, and a Watch
WEAPONS: A Bowie Knife and a Claw Hammer
FAMILY: -Father; Theodore Gallagher: Deceased
-Mother; Linda Gallagher: Deceased/Walker
-Adopted Sister; Grace Gallagher: Alive
PAST: Born and raised a proud Georgia citizen, Aldous was given his name from his mother's favorite author and was treated just as such. Being an only child was a privilege then, as his parents, Aldous being just an infant then, attempted to conceive another child. The first stillbirth his mother had affected the family, unbeknownst to Aldous, harshly and holding what could have been her second child was enough to send her into a deep depression. It wasn't until Aldous was around four that they tried again, to no avail. She conceived, but the complications were more dire and began to affect her as well, past any mental trauma she suffered. However, they were insistent the third time was a charm and Aldous was then consumed by the frantic, panicking father and a mother he nearly lost due to the birth complications. This child was exactly like the others and due to the dire situation it had thrust his mother in, they'd soon given up. It wasn't until Aldous was six that they'd finally succeeded, rushing for adoption in lieu of the circumstances his mother was in, from the physical pain it put her through to the mental trauma that wracked her mind. They'd adopted an infant put up for adoption in Sierra Leone, hardly even one by the time they'd flown to take her back to America. It cost a fortune, coupled with the medical bills their insurance barely paid off, but it was worth the work they'd have to pile on themselves and the risk of caring for another child.
From then on, Aldous was considered the oldest and was expected to act as such, caring for his little sister whenever his parents could not. At such a young age, but old enough to understand the implications of having a younger sibling to care for, Aldous could only love her like their parents did and cared for her with a fervor of a six year old who'd finally gotten a sibling. It wasn't until Aldous was in his teens did the whole sibling thing finally affect him. The fact that his parents paid more attention to her, cared for her despite her not being born into the family, grated on the growing boy and the neglect he felt hurt him deeply. He craved his parents approval but only got babysitting duty in return and when he asked for their help, he only got dismissive remarks that he was old enough to take care of it on his own. Aldous had no one to guide him and it was tough wading through puberty and the idea that certain things that didn't matter before were everything now. Being a Gallagher meant a lot of things, and clinical depression was among one of those, aided by hormonal changes and it was a wonder he got through high school unscathed... or relatively unscathed.
After wading lost in the sea of hormones and daily freak outs, Aldous found himself falling to whichever crowd would take him in and a wandering teenager was the perfect target for a growing clique of junkies to pull him under too. He looked like he needed a joint or a pill or whatever they could get their hands on. It wasn't until it was too late did Aldous find out he was more prone to addictions than most of his teenage counterparts and soon drugs were all that ever mattered to him and it brought his family slowly down with him. It wasn't until Aldous found his way through the city did he find the perfect supply to get what he craved before it clawed its way out of his skin. And before he could stop himself, he found a way into one of the numerous gangs that floated the city. They provided him with whatever he needed and in return he did what he had to do and some of those things he was certain he couldn't have done without some kind of toxin in his system. And the only one who knew was his sister and she kept her mouth sealed tight. She wanted the love of her bigger brother, who she'd put on a pedestal. She wasn't expecting that pedestal to be ruthlessly knocked down.
School was still a thing though and even if he'd barely made it, he still graduated with what dignity he dragged along with him. It was the least he could do for his parents, if not the sister that constantly hung around, worrying quietly to herself. So far into his state of mind, Aldous had no collection and no thought as to what he was doing to the people he loved, but most of all what he was doing to himself. The only thing that woke him up was the blinding fury that followed a tragedy that no human should have to bare on their shoulders. Two years after he'd graduated, doing absolutely nothing with his life then and still living it with his parents, a twenty year old Aldous was steeped in favors and debts he owed to supposed friends he'd made, desperate for some kind of fix. After not coming home for two days straight and with her parents not yet concerned enough to file a missing report, his sister fled to find him herself. It took until sundown before she stumbled upon him in the apartment of what he'd deemed a close friend, someone he'd grown to trust over the years. She found him completely incapacitated and incoherent, high on a multitude of things and probably drunk too, though from what she'd seen he seemed to be coming down from it by the time she walked through the apartment's open door. Aldous friend, a fellow gang member, sized her up not too soon after she demanded Aldous come home with her. After a fit of arguing, he'd determined she was good enough payment for the various debts he'd collected from her brother and by the time Aldous regained his sense of mind, it had already been too late. In a fit of uncontrolled rage, Aldous had beaten the man within in an inch of his life before his sister dragged him away and out.
It wasn't until they'd gotten far enough away that he'd realized the state she was in and rushed her to the emergency room. By the time she was hauled out, she'd already fallen unconscious from blood loss and exhaustion and Aldous was left to his shame in the waiting room, accompanied by confused and sorrowful parents. The entire event lead to Aldous coming to terms with his addictions, deciding that night he'd find a way to make up for what he'd done, or at least run far away to spare his family any fallout that was sure to come. However, there were things he was required to settle before leaving and the issue that was bound to rise with his family was among those. He'd confessed everything in that waiting room, under hushed breaths that escalated to yelling that got he and his father promptly escorted out. The bond their family shared was shattered, but from there it could only heal, that is if both parties tried. Aldous was still their son and his parents had always been there for him, whether he wanted to admit it or not. He made amends as quickly as he could, patched things up so that they could properly heal over the years.
When Grace had been released, she'd retreated into her shell, with as much contempt as her petite frame could muster. Aldous figured he didn't deserve her forgiveness, but he'd make it up to her whether she wanted it or not. Eventually, over the passing years, Aldous paid off what debts he could, settled the bad blood between his severing ties with the gang he'd fallen into and determined it was time for him to leave, so that he wouldn't stall or slow the healing process for his family, his sister most of all. Addiction was still a very big issue and without help he'd inevitably fall back into his old habits, so he decided rehab was the best decision and insisted he pay for it. However, his family saw his attempt to leave as an attempt to fix things, which wasn't entirely wrong—he figured leaving would fix things—so they kept his name under the health insurance and the company paid in full for his rehabilitation, though they didn't necessarily know he was heading to California for it.
In San Francisco, Aldous recovered and recuperated, found a way to channel all of his stress into good habits—among which he found cooking to be the most thrilling hobby. And, eventually, he turned that hobby into a job, but only after a few years in community college in order to start a business. He founded the diner right on the San Francisco bay he named after an old Otis Redding song, 'Dock of the Bay,' however obscure that reference was, it fit. Work and relationships kept him busy from dawn till dusk, leaving no room for anything else in his life. He found life fulfilling, though maybe missing a thing or two, but was mostly satisfied with how far he'd come, though he didn't leave without developing ways to cope with the trauma that gripped him so hard in his younger years. It was hard, at first, but that was what rehab was for and eventually what his diner was for. He didn't quite realize what would come of that once shit hit the fan, but survival seemed more important than what happened to a diner you poured your life and time into, especially since that was in a world so far away from where he was now.
OTHER INTERESTING INFORMATION:-Was visiting family in Atlanta when the world went down the drain.
-Is named after the author of
Brave New World
