Name: Rhian Gallagher (pronounced like Ryan)
Age: 18
Appearance: 
"Don't get the wrong idea. I hate you magic freaks almost as much as I hate this school"She typically wears edgy punk type clothes ( [
x] [
x] ) and dark, but lightly applied make-up. She stands at about 5'10" and has a tattoo of some
peonies on her left shoulder. This
symbol glows a warm, honey-gold color on the center of her chest, just below her collar bone, only visible when activated.
Personality: "
A dream doesn't become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work." This quote by Colin Powell has been meticulously written on the inside cover page of every journal Rhian has ever owned-- except her most recent one. Rhian is a very scrupulous person. She has a memory like a tack and can be a very quick-witted brat when she's frustrated. In many ways, Rhian fits into the 'popular girl' stereotype, but she has always viewed herself as a decent person.
She never poked fun at the nerds in school-- although she most certainly could've. She never knocked anyone's books out of their hands. She never laughed at anyone's homecoming dress... but she never told her friends not to, either. She longs for acceptance and always felt warm and safe and normal nestled within her group of friends-- just outside of the limelight, but close enough to not be forgotten whenever party invitations were handed out. Along with her longing to be normal, she tends to avoid anything that is not. That included anyone and anything having to do with magic.
Rhian has a rough, edgy style and took up smoking when she was 16 to complete her 'look' and rebel against her parents. She likes loitering around the mall, getting just drunk enough not to do anything stupid at parties, raves, and bonfires, and going to the movies. She also likes cats (although her parents are allergic), writing in her journal, dubstep, and playing volleyball. She's very much an extrovert and enjoys the company of friends. She also has
severe insectophobia and arachnophobia.
Some might read this and call her superficial... and some might be told to "
shut the fuck up" because "
you don't know me." But you do, don't you? Meet Rhian.
History: Rhian's parents are what most people would refer to as "eccentric" progressives. They wear matching sweaters and glasses and are the proud owners of their very own botany and entomology lab and greenhouse-- conveniently attached to the house. They share many things, but the one thing they seemed to cherish most of all is their love for magic and lore. Neither of them have any magical capabilities of their own, however. They would lament about this fact in the most obnoxious fashion, day in and day out throughout Rhian's life as an only child.
"Ry-ry, if I had magic, I would make it so you aren't so afraid of Mr. Fuzzy Legs here!"
"Ry-ry, wouldn't it be amazing if we could fly right up there and get your kite?"
"Ry-ry, if I had magic, us girls wouldn't GET periods."
"Ry-ry, I'd make you forget all about that jerk from school that stood you up-- if I had magic."
Yes, it seemed her parents relied quite heavily on those phrases whenever Rhian was in desperate need of parental comfort or counsel. It didn't take long for her to realize that what she really needed were just different parents. She still faintly holds on to the theory that she was switched at birth and somewhere out there there's a pair of perfectly normal parents wondering what went wrong with their geeky, weirdo daughter who eats dirt and keeps pill bugs in her pockets.
She and her parents couldn't have been more different. They liked quiet, books, bugs, and thinking outside the box. Rhian liked parties, shopping, and not getting laughed at. She hated all the bugs that crept out of the greenhouse. She hated listening to her parent's outlandish ideas about politics and society. And, above all, she hated their sickening fascination with magic.
Subconsciously, her resentment towards her parent's eccentricity manifested itself in many ways during her teen years. She took up smoking, permed her curly hair (which used to match her mother's), got a tattoo, pierced her ears twice, and ate lots of salad. Okay, maybe that last one wasn't an act of rebellion, but she IS very self-conscious of her weight and over-all image.
Rhian had a vast number of friends in school. She was
generally nice to just about everyone, liked to hit the town with her friends, and basically spend as little time at home as feasibly possible. She was an A grade student with hopes of attending Harvard and becoming a lawyer. The closer Rhian got to her 18th birthday, the more obnoxiously persistent her parents became with their hope that Rhian might indeed be gifted with magic. They seemed to believe that through sheer will power, she would be "gifted" with an affinity for it.
Her resentment towards them only grew. She didn't have magic powers, she didn't WANT magic powers, and she would rather die a slow and horrible death then fill in the blank of her parent's ridiculous fantasy. The day before her 18th birthday, her parents, without her knowledge, arranged for her to meet with a old soothe-saying witch who, for the sultry price of $49.99, would be able to pinpoint what power Rhian had-- if she had one. They met in a tiny office and, under the guise of a college scout, the woman sat quietly as Rhian enthusiastically discussed her aspirations and dreams.
At the end of her chat, the woman asked Rhian to excuse her for a moment and left the room. Not long after that, the door creaked open just enough to allow what she knew to be her father's giant huntsman spider, also known as Mr. Fuzzy Legs, into the room. What resulted was an immense amount of screaming, a room full of spider, and Rhian sobbing on the ground while Mr. Fuzzy Legs, now a hundred times his size, affectionately rubbed his pedipalps on her face. This moment was soon followed by her parents opening the door with a synchronized "awwww".
It was the second worst day of her life. The worst being the next day-- when that damned letter came in the mail.
Her parents vowed to withhold her college fund if she refused to give Four Winds a chance.
Skills: Rhian is very athletic, thanks to her 3 years on the varsity volleyball team. She is also well versed when it comes to fashion and the like. She can roll a mean blunt and hold her liquor, although some might not consider either of those a skill. She's not an especially good writer, but she keeps a good journal, so I guess... journal-keeping?
Rhian has trouble talking herself up, but while she may not be especially talented in anything in particular, she's a very hard worker with a heart of gold.
Magic: Name: The Bug Mother
Type: Manipulation
Description: Rhian's magic grants her a deep bond with all the creepy-crawlies of the world. They are drawn to her like a cub to it's mother, yet they are much more obedient. That is what Rhian has been told, anyway. She has yet to get the whole 'obedience' part down aside from one thing-- Rhian also possesses the ability to vastly increase the size of any bug she chooses (or accidentally chooses).
This can only be done with one bug at a time and is accomplished by greatly focusing on the bug in question. (Unfortunately this tends to happen whenever Rhian has an insectophobic episode). She is able to scale up the average sized insect to that of a chow chow. Should the insect expire during it's time as a colossus, it will promptly shrink back to it's original size-- dead as a door nail.
Inventory: --a small designer satchel with the following contents inside:
--a leather journal with painted peonies on the cover
--a small, extendable fly swatter
--a hot pink, kitty-shaped wallet containing about $50 in cash and driver's license
--her passport
--sunglasses
--a pen and sharpie
--a box of cigarettes
--a lighter
--a small pouch of weed (hidden in a secret pocket on the inside of the bag)
Theme Song: 
