This is for an upgrade of the already won civilian.
Name ✦ Christopher Luke Gallo
Nickname ✦ Chris by his brothers and friends if they feel like it. He responds to either. He'll also respond to Gallo.
Age ✦ 18
Birthday ✦ August 12th
Sign ✦ Leo
Gemstone ✦ Sardonyx
Blood Type ✦ O-
Favorite Food ✦ His mother’s lasagna and coffee ice cream. Not necessarily at the same time.
Hated Food ✦ Eggplant, liver, honey. It's a texture and smell thing!
School ✦ Destiny City University on a baseball scholarship. Go Dragons!
Hobbies
Baseball ✦
It’s the only reason he didn't complain when his father got transferred from place to place when he was younger. No matter where Chris has lived, he has always been able to find other children his age to play with. His position of choice is pitcher, followed next by catcher. The control the positions give him is a great relief from his life off the field, especially in terms of dependency. Being in a position that basically places him in charge of how his team's defense holds up does wonders for his ego; probably a little too much, sometimes. He has been known to be a little clingy to the mound, and is never in a good mood when the coach retires or replaces him for the rest of the game. He's a Starter, and would very much prefer to be the Finisher, too, thank you very much.
Christopher got into DCU on a baseball scholarship, having been scouted in high school for his excellent pitching average. Now, more than ever, he is doing everything he can to increase his less than exemplary batting average. After all, his dream is to be drafted into the Major League! But he's realistic enough to have a backup plan.
During the summer, Chris helps out as a junior coach at a local baseball camp. It plays a lot towards his need to feel appreciated and loved, and nothing says "appreciated and loved" more than a bunch of little kids hanging on his every word.
Animal Shelter Volunteer ✦
As a way to offer themselves for the betterment of the world, Christopher’s father insisted that both he and his older brother work weekends as volunteers at a location of their choice. His older brother chose a non-profit that built houses for the homeless, while Chris chose to walk dogs and clean up after the animals. It might not be as labor intensive as what his older brother does, but it brings him great joy to be around animals. Another reason that Christopher probably shouldn't be volunteering to build homes, even though he is studying to be an architect, is because he'd end up getting frustrated about the layouts and other general nit-picking in dealing with blueprints that are not his own. It's best for everyone that he sticks to the shelter.
His passion for animals comes from growing up with his old dog Eleonora, a Golden Retriever. In fact, part of his own personality has developed from his close bond with the ridiculously loyal dog. Growing up in a household with so many high expectations was hard on a lighthearted child, and having a companion that never wanted anything more than to be loved helped him overcome personal heartaches. When Eleonora had to be put down in her old age, he felt as though part of himself died with her. Even though it happened over five years ago, and they now have a new dog, Annabel Lee, he still does his best to keep Eleonora’s memory alive through his own actions. It might seem lame to others, but she was his life.
Now that he does to DCU, he had the choice of either living at home, in an apartment, or on campus. As much as he loves his mom's cooking, he decided to get an apartment so he could bring Annabel Lee with him. She's his alarm clock, basically, and will curl up at the end of his bed and slobber into his hair and on his face in order to wake him up. Thankfully she's a small enough breed to keep in such a small space. Besides, his little brother is too young to really understand how much attention Anna needs.
Acoustic Guitar ✦
He got his first real six-string at the Five and Dime received a six-string Martin Dreadnought from his paternal grandfather when he was ten, and with the help of his grandfather and a few of his extended family members, Christopher was able to learn enough to start playing on his own. More often than not, he plays it when he is feeling stressed or when he feels like he's being backed into a corner to make a decision about something. He doesn't mind playing around his friends, and will pull it out when there's nothing else to talk about and have a few rounds of rough karaoke. His own singing voice is pretty good, but he feels too self-conscious to sing outside hymns at church. Sometimes he's bullied into singing with his friends, but would much rather prefer making the music to which others can sing.
Yeah, he's that guy with the guitar and dog in the apartment complex who likes to play at random times. He wouldn't dare play after 11pm, though, because he knows that's when noise restrictions start for the residential area of Destiny City, but he'll play at 10am when he's bored and trying to stay awake until his next class. He laughs at the idea of joining a band or any kind of communal group, but sometimes he'll play and sing at church when the sweet, old lady who is in charge of the choir asks him the week before.
Legs Man ✦
Chris?? "Saint" Christopher? A perv?? Of course not! But that doesn't mean he doesn't like to look. He has a certain fondness for nice legs and a pretty face. He thinks too much cleavage is distasteful, but he isn't going to complain about short skirts or Daisy Duke's. Sometimes he'll catch himself looking a little too long, but most of the time it's subconscious.
Don’t get him wrong! He doesn’t touch and doesn’t stare obsessively, but Chris can’t help it if he happens to find nice, shapely legs attractive! Sure, he’s been caught staring from time to time, and he’s gotten into trouble for it; getting fussed at for being rude, which he would immediately apologize for. Personally, he doesn’t understand why some women get upset over people staring when they are obviously trying to show off.
How exactly is this a hobby? Well... sometimes he likes to rate legs on a scale of 1 – 10. Okay, most of the time he rates them. But only in his head. It's much too embarrassing to joke about with friends 'cause then he'd have to admit to staring at women's legs when they walk by, rather than their boobs. Also, Ugg boots lower the score by 5, skirts short enough to see their panties lowers it by 2, and unshaved legs lowers it by 8. He has no qualms about being good friends with a Wild Flower, just don't expect him to drool over her legs. That being said, wearing heels gracefully increases the score by 3.
Virtues
Nobly Compassionate ✦
Chris sincerely cares about people (and animals) and making them happy. That’s why he readily volunteers at the animal shelter, even if it was his father’s suggestion at first... Yes, he thought about volunteering for the same organization his older brother volunteers for, but because they build houses he knows he would end up feeling bothered about “inadequate pathways” and “poor uses of space” in the blueprints.
He goes out of his way to help others, even if it hinders his own schedule. Whether it be helping a teacher carry books to a classroom, or helping a pregnant mother with five screaming children carry her groceries out to her car. He does not believe in purposely hurting people for the sake of hurting them, and will jump to the defense of someone who is being harmed.
He tries to understand other people such as why they’re upset or angry, or sharing in their joy if they’re happy. Making people happy makes him happy. He’s the kind of friend to go to for a shoulder to cry on because you just broke up with your girlfriend of three years, even if it’s in the middle of the night. Chris sympathizes with others and tries to alleviate their burden, whatever it may be.
His heart can be magnanimous, though he is not without fault, usually giving into his weaknesses before able to take a moment to calm down and think things through. Even so, he is generous in forgiving insult or injury, especially if it’s asked of him, and it takes a lot to make him feel resentful or vindictive towards others. It’s just himself he has to work on not feeling bitter towards.
Accepting/Acquiescing ✦
While Christopher has little to no tolerance for things like bullying and breaking the rules, or law, he has an open enough mind so that things don’t usually surprise him, and he knows how to “roll with the punches” if a situation calls for it. As long as something isn’t in direct violation of his personal morals, then he’ll concede to it. If his little brother wanted to dress in drag and do the hula run around in a make-shift space suit, he might think him strange, but let him do as he pleased.
He is open-minded enough not to get upset about things that may go against the social norm, so as long as no one is being hurt and no rules are being violated, he’ll shrug it off and go with it. If girls (and guys) wanted to dress up in skimpy little outfits and run around, saving the citizens of the city from strange creatures, then who was he to stand in their way? Besides… he’s a fan of mini skirts. Er… on women, of course. Not his own, personal fashion.
Unwavering Allegiance ✦
If someone has ever done something for Christopher’s benefit, he will forever be indebted to them, making it his personal goal to pay back their kindness ten fold. “But I only let him borrow a pencil…” It doesn’t matter! Need your car washed? He’s on it! Need to borrow school notes? He’ll have them typed up and in a labeled folder by the end of the day. If Chris considers one a friend, then their life is pretty much made. No matter what happens in the future, if he's loyal to someone, he'll remain loyal.
Obviously, for many reasons, his loyalty to others can be used against him and he wouldn’t give it a second thought. His mother has voiced her concern to him on numerous occasions that he may be getting walked over; he doesn’t always believe that people have good intentions, but hopes that his own actions will make others want to be their best, as well.
Go for the gold, or go home ✦
While he is not entirely cut-throat in his ambitiousness, he still wants to do his best in every way possible. He sets high standards for himself, as well as those around him, often working to encourage others to do their best, too. He has goals and is determined reach them. When Chris starts something, he does his best to see it through ‘til the end. If something happens and he doesn’t manage to get a project finished, he would feel like a complete failure and probably sulk for a few days before moving on, though he would retain the sense of worthlessness. This feeling would probably last until his next project is successful. He hates feeling like a failure for anything, which will push him to the brink, and sometimes over the edge, but at least he’ll feel accomplished and proud of his efforts.
Flaws
Superiority ✦
Chris is a nice guy, but he has to excel in whatever he does, giving him a bit of a, well, complex. He has to be the first to jump up and help someone, he has to make good grades, he has to pitch that no-hitter, he has to be better than YOU! No, he won’t forcibly go out of his way to prove that he is better, but he cackles victoriously in his mind when he gets the only perfect score on the test or when he’s modestly blushing as that elderly woman thanks him for helping her cross the street. Wipe that smug little smirk off your face, Mr. Gallo — those are pathetic things to be “better at” than other people. Although he tries not to show that he does these things for any reason other than being selfless, he slips up from time to time and one may catch him grinning, ear to ear, when he knows he's bested someone else.
Needless to say, Chris will do his best to subtly outdo anyone in anything. He’ll beat you in tic-tac-toe, yet again! He’ll have the most perfectly made bed in the dorm! He’ll have his clothes neater and cleaner than the next guy! He’ll scoop up that dog poop so there isn’t a streak on the sidewalk! That’s right. You’ll think twice about crossing Christopher Gallo when it comes to s**t like that, next time!
Sometimes his ambition to be better than other benefits those around him, such as on his baseball team, or even for group projects, but outside that Chris could be considered kind of obnoxious, especially if he was competing with someone one-sided. He holds others to expectations that are often unreachable and tries too hard a lot of times, which could definitely annoy people, especially those with whom he isn’t a close friend.
Temper ✦
Since he was little Chris has been known to throw the occasional temper tantrum when things didn’t turn out as he wanted them. He’s not proud about them, and a lot of times he can’t stop it even though he knows it’s building. Chris likes doing things on his own and if he’s forced into being helped, he isn’t going to appreciate it. He’s a proud individual who happens to think he’s fairly self-sufficient, thank you very much. Asking for help would be the last possible option for him, and if someone “helps” him without his permission it will hurt his pride and will begrudgingly thank them, but the next time he did something that they might feel he needs help with, he’ll make sure not to tell them about it. Regardless of his occasional temper tantrums, he doesn’t hold grudges, or at least not for very long. He will get angry, pitch his fit, and then cool off and apologize for getting out of hand.
His temper combined with his superiority complex makes him a sore loser, unable to accept defeat gracefully. He turns into an immature little brat, really. He’ll get moody and angry about things he isn’t good at, though it’s not reasonable to expect someone to be good at everything, right? He’ll demand a rematch if he loses, on the chance he’ll win the second time around.
Anything he isn’t stellar at he dislikes, making him afraid to branch out and try new hobbies or activities for fear of not being good at them and losing. Regardless, if he’s challenged to something, he’ll have to accept: his pride would be harmed even more if he didn’t accept! While he takes challenges seriously, he doesn’t hold them over to other aspects of his life. If someone constantly beats him in a board game, he’ll be upset about it, and may end up tossing the game off the table if he’s teased enough for his temper to break, but it won’t stop him from offering help in math class the next day. He has his tantrum and gets over it rather quickly, especially if something distracts him from his bitterness or resentment for losing at something.
Self-Righteous ✦
Coming from a privileged, well off family with a strict moral upbringing, and having minimal opportunity to really experience the world through the eyes of those not as financially and religiously “fortunate” as himself, Chris has been known to fall victim to bouts of self-righteousness. While he doesn’t go around preaching about his own morals, Chris believes that his own examples should be enough to make others want to better themselves. Heightened by his sense of superiority, and a little by his temper, Chris may offer suggestions about what others should or shouldn’t do, according to his own morals. Be respectful to others, don’t litter, say please and thank you, “yes ma’am” and “no ma’am”, hold the door for the person behind you, don’t be greedy in the buffet line.
When he does have to “remind” people of common courtesy, he can’t help but feel morally superior to them, and his actions will overcompensate. He’ll hold the door for several people behind him after it was closed in his face, or will pick up the dropped cigarette butt and “return it” to its owner to be properly disposed of, or make a comment about how there were other people in line when the person in front of him took the last five pieces of ham and their plate was already full. The dirty looks he gets for his comments do nothing, because he knows he’s the one doing the right thing.
His self-righteousness falls primarily over the spectrum of those he hasn't built a golden lining around; namely, people he doesn't know. Those within the bright, good light of Chris's mind have a fairly large reprieve for any moral faults they commit by his standards. Instead of returning their cigarette butt to them, he'll subtly pick it up and throw it away, himself; rather than commenting on how they could have held open the door, he'll just smile to the person behind him and hold it open for them without drawing attention to his actions; and he definitely wouldn't make a comment about them taking more food than they need at the buffet! They must be hungry. Basically, the population is split into two for Chris — those he knows and admires, their golden lining perfectly intact, and those he doesn't know, to whom he feels morally superior.
Physical Description [x] [x]
Eyes ✦
His eyes are soft, open, and expressive (unless he's in a pissy mood, then they're narrowed and unhappy looking), goldenrod in color, inherited from his mother. Because of the expressive quality of his eyes, it's difficult for him to conceal his emotions, so when he does try to be secretive, his eyes usually give his thoughts away. (Colors in the example are just for reference.)
Hair ✦
Straight and neatly kept, brushed to the side, it is obvious that he has had military influence in his upbringing by his hairstyle. Except for when he's playing baseball, then it's roughly brushed back with his hand and shoved under his hat and out of the way... but prefers it brushed. The color is a dark auburn-red with some highlights from being out in the sun. His hair isn’t so short to be mistaken for a military or naval man, himself, but it is kept nicely; just like the good little boy his mother always wanted him to be. Actually, it's getting a little shaggy looking, and if he was at home, his mother would probably made him get it cut. He is of Italian decent and it shows, even in the slightly tan color of his sunkissed skin. (Colors just for reference, again.)
Face ✦
His face is oval in shape, maturing recently from the leftover baby-fat from his youth into a young man. He has no noticeable freckles or beauty marks, though he has spent time in the sun, which tanned him with a soft, golden glow. He is usually flashing a full smile and friendly expression.
Fashion ✦
Did he mention he was on the baseball team for DCU? Chris feels most comfortable in his uniform, with his socks pulled up over his pants and shins. When he's not in uniform, it is very typical for Chris to wear polos and khaki pants. He'll even wear brightly colored shorts such as orange, white, or even plaid! He's not afraid of the color pink and will wear it occasionally, but prefers blues, greens, and golds.
