Cathal Bryce

[Rattlesnake]

Name: Cathal Bryce
Gender: Male
Age: 18
Grade: 12
School: Bayview Secondary School
Hobbies and Interests: Field hockey, guitar, history, choir, tactics

Appearance: Standing wiry and firm at 5'8" and 155 lbs, Cathal is denser than he appears. Despite getting out of the ROTC program after his freshman year, he retains a proud bearing and physical fitness regimen. One thing that's definitely changed, though, is his face- where there was once a crew cut, curly brown hair cascades down to his shoulders, and his firm jaw is overgrown with a tangled orange-brown beard. His manner of dress is reserved yet fashionable- on the day of the abduction, khaki shorts, Puma shoes, and a red sweatshirt from Germany over a black t-shirt and wifebeater.

Biography: Raised in poverty by a single mother, Cathal was nevertheless able to lead a mostly happy childhood. Though his teachers worried about their shabbily-clad little boy who smelled of tobacco, his force of personality and congeniality alleviated their concerns for his future. In 5th grade, his mother married a mechanic, and a year later adopted his younger brother Ethan. Cathal is not overly fond of his brother. In fact, you could say he's overly not fond of him. He was thought to have ADHD until recently, when it was discovered he was faking it so he could recieve attention and have his schoolwork more or less  done for him. Cathal immediately passed him off as a liar and a coward, and began from that moment to despise him, spending as little time in his proximity as possible.

During middle school and his freshman year, Cathal was sure he would end up a career soldier. Exercising relentlessly, he prepared himself for a life of mental and physical abuse. His forceful personality began to be grating, and he became just short of openly hostile to everyone around him. In effect, he was dishing out just the sort of mental and physical abuse he expected to one day receive to everyone around him. This now-latent aggressiveness manifests himself in field hockey, where he plays as if he's swinging a sword instead of a stick and hasn't yet gone a game without a penalty or two. Or three, or four.

For his sophomore year, Cathal was selected to take part in the exchange student program and spent the year in Germany. Upon his return, he was almost unrecognizable. His crew cut, courtesy of ROTC, was a thick mat of curly hair, and his formerly smooth chin sprouted bristles a wire brush would be proud of. He also developed a certain zeal for life- no longer somewhat antisocial, he picked up an "everybody's buddy" attitude and joined choir. Once he realized that singing garnered quite a bit of attention from the ladies, he started learning guitar and now spends time before school and during lunch sitting on the floor propped against a wall, playing and singing pretty much whatever comes to mind. Of the change, he states while that he was out and around town in the thick of life, he realized that planning to die before his thirtieth birthday was a total waste, and that coming from a household like his didn't mean he had to resign himself to an ignominious fate. Though he still shoots verbal barbs, informing those he feels are immoral or otherwise undesirable that he hopes they'll die and the like, he has picked up the ability to say almost anything to anyone and cause no offense. Additionally, he prides himself on being incredibly blunt and brutally honest. It's best not to ask him a question if there's an answer you really don't want to hear. Also, he has become very chivalrous, dedicating himself to serving the ladies, whether they want it or not. He will hold that door open for you, thank you very much, no questions asked. Trying to return the favor only upsets him.

Cathal's grades tend to be simply average, but he excels in history. What started as perusal of The Art of War and military tactics slowly but surely grew into a fascination for the men behind the battles, then their lives, then their countries, then into history as a whole. Especially that of the ancient Romans- he can name most of Rome's emperors and what they did, especially as it related to conquering and fighting. This interest has bled over into a love for tactical games. His room is littered with old boxes and manuals for everything from Fire Emblem to Pokemon. Though not exactly the chess type, he'll wipe the floor with human or computer opponents if he has to group up and order around squads of soldiers to do it.

Advantages: A good head for tactics, fast and strong, used to harsh conditions, very likable
Disadvantages: Blunt, brutally honest, chivalrous to a fault