Post by LOVINO VARGAS on Jun 13, 2011 1:28:35 GMT -5
Lovino Vargas
South Italy-Romano
South Italy-Romano
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Are you a Nation or a Counterpart?: Nation
Your Name: Lovino Vargas
Your Nation's Full Name: Repubblica Italiana, Italy Romano
Age: 22
Sex: Male
Physical Description:
As two halves of the same country, Veneziano and Romano share an inherent similarity in appearance, but the older brother's darker hair and soft olive complexion makes it easy to tell them apart (if the displeased glare on Romano's face wasn't a dead giveaway). Romano keeps his hair short and neat, parted to one side carefully except for that wild unfortunate curl, forever untamable, resting on the right side of his head. His hazel eyes seem to have a green hue to them, not that he really cares nor believes that anyone would find that important; it's just a natural trick of the light or the colors he chose to wear that day and that is that.
Fashionable clothes are extremely important, he feels, even when he is choosing something for a casual day at his house. He loves to look good and dress right; it gives him at least a bit of a confidence boost when confronted with company despite the fact that his fervent scowling puts off most people. Romano’s attire consists of his khaki uniform with a maroon shirt and navy tie and his black high boots or a nicely pressed suit and tie for formal conferences.
When he doesn’t hold a burning sense of hostility towards someone, or when he’s in his rarer good moods, Romano will likely have a pensive look on his face, but he rarely gives a genuine smile to just anyone. Smirks and self-satisfied grins will suffice most of the time for him.
Personality:
Ill-tempered, disagreeable, and rude, Romano prefers to keep to himself for fear of being rejected or being used by anyone who tries to get close to him. A history of feeling belittled and overlooked combined with the constant comparisons of his sunny, friendlier brother have left him with a massive inferiority complex, though there is probably nothing more that he wants than to be able to believe that someone truly does care about him. His general distrust of anyone other than Veneziano and Spain (and he's still a bit unsure about them) causes him to behave coldly towards most people; profanity and insults litter his vocabulary and sometimes if he harbors enough hatred toward someone he'll lash out with violence and threats. It's all a part of keeping people at arm's length (though he is rash and violent, he is still Italy, and so rarely causes real harm or damage).
Of course, with cute girls it's quite the opposite; like his brother, he is a natural flirt and acts charming and kind around them. Romano will openly say he likes them, wearing a broad smile and without any shame. They're the only people he feels that he has ever managed to please.
Romano's low self-esteem and bleak outlook of the world, influenced by the Mafia who constantly pushes him around, make him a very moody, unsociable type that few really get to know well. Since he views the ball of insecurities and troubled feelings inside him a great weakness, he's only too happy to push them away and hide behind his prickly, angry exterior. Even the people he cares deeply about don't always get to see his softer side (and his genuine smiles are rarer), though he does make sure to try his hardest to protect them and care for them.
Lazy and clumsy since he was a child, Romano avoids most household chores, especially cleaning, though he does like cooking good food and getting his hands dirty in the garden under the Mediterranean sun. When it's absolutely necessary, he'll manage to get some work done, if only to keep his house clean and presentable. There are nicer things to spend his time on, anyway.
Likes:
Tomatoes
Cooking
Wine
Good food (namely Italian and Spanish)
Spain
Fields and gardens
Siestas
Turtles
Veneziano
Dancing
Music
Singing
Art
Women
Fashion
Dislikes:
Germany
Potatoes
Foreign food
Fighting
Not getting what he wants
Cleaning
The Mafia
Being pushed around
Most men
Being looked down on/overlooked
Being compared to his brother
Fears:
Being forgotten/abandoned
Rejection
Wars
Failure
Strengths:
Determination/Persistence: Romano will push himself past his limits in order to accomplish something, whether to protect his loved ones or to be better than Veneziano (that latter one is fueled by jealousy and usually tears Romano down instead).Even when he fails he keeps coming back to try again, and some wave it off as being pure obstinacy.
Enthusiastic/energetic: He passionately directs a lot of this energy into attacking people (quite ineffectually) and yelling loudly in panic or rage, but oftentimes he finds that dedicating it to doing the things he loves best is so much more satisfying.
Speed: Perhaps because he is so quick to retreat, Romano has gotten quite fast over time. With the right motivation, he could keep that speed up for hours.
Loyal devotion: Even though he doesn't believe that his loved ones love him back, he'll do whatever he can to keep them safe from anything he views harmful or bad for them. His affection for them remains the same (and he would never think of leaving their side), though he prefers to hide it behind an angry façade.
Endurance: Not the physical endurance that comes with being a country, Romano's strength comes from simply enduring the emotional heartache and self-doubt throughout his life. He still finds courage to love his friends and family anyway, even if he doesn't believe highly of himself.
Weaknesses:
Low Self-esteem: Centuries of being compared to his younger brother and finding that he always fell short of expectations have ruined his perception of who he is and how the world sees him.
Temper: When things don't go his way, or if he just doesn't like a person), Romano is sure to lose control and start throwing insults and anything he can get his hands on. Punches and kicks are usually a part of this combination.
Cowardice: His fear of practically everything around him, whether it's a scary-looking nation or just something out of the ordinary, will send him running for the hills. This includes his emotions as well; part of the reason he is so bold and harsh in social situations is because he happens to be timid about them (he can barely come to terms with his own feelings, let alone showing them in public).
Clumsiness: As a child, Romano was afflicted by the disease Chorea which really messed with his chores (when he actually tried to do them). Spain seemingly "cured" him by making him dance the tarantella, but Romano may be just plain clumsy nowadays.
Ineffectual: Romano never was physically strong, and his general incompetence is something he has in common with his younger brother.
Distrustful: He just can't get out of his pessimistic mindset; everyone's either after his grandfather's inheritance or probably likes his brother better. He can't really blame them.
Sample Post: (300 words minimum)
As much as Veneziano’s pacing around his spacious new house (no, their house) worried him, Romano found that he didn’t want to make any real effort to move from his spot in front of the sink. His tight-fisted grip on the edge of the smooth, cool counter relaxed by a couple of notches when he heard his brother’s light footsteps heading back into the kitchen; the confrontation was postponed, at least for a little longer. Still, the thought of his brother nervously flitting about (trying to occupy himself because he was just as scared) made something in Romano’s heart twist painfully.
The truth of the matter was that neither of the brothers was prepared for what unification demanded from them. After centuries spent being raised and governed separately, the two Italies were under the same roof, trying to hold a nation together and hoping they wouldn’t end up killing themselves (or each other) in the process. Lifting his gaze wearily, Romano studied his reflection, wincing inwardly at the way the dark shadows under his eyes and the miserable sulk he wore like a mask.
“I didn’t have to work half as hard under those bastards’ rule in the past,†he chuckled darkly, not referring to the boring work and endless formalities of running a country.
Veneziano was still the intensely cheerful and bubbly person he remembered from the snatches of his childhood that they had spent together. But he had grown used to living without him; he might as well have been a stranger.
A stranger I’m not madly jealous of, he thought angrily, just someone I don’t know how to act around.
He had believed his brother had been comfortable with the arrangement (going on excitedly with his inane chattering and brilliant, toothy smiles) but when Romano had silenced him down with a single, half-hearted glare, he had to admit that he wasn’t the only one who was scared.
“You aren’t like everyone else that I can keep away forever,†he sighed at Veneziano’s bedside. The poor idiot had finally worn himself out.
He bit his lip. Even now, he remembered, stupid as it was…
Standing up, Romano turned the lamp off and turned away.
“I kinda liked you back then.â€
“Ve, I liked you too, brother.â€
Romano twitched.
“You were awake this whole time?â€
Oh, that sneaky bastard…Romano glared out in the dark at what was surely his brother’s knowing smile. He was like Grandpa in that way. Managing to change his smile into a smirk, even though no one was watching, he answered his own question.
“Buona Notte, jerk.â€
Personal Information:
Your Name?: Anni
How may we contact you?: PM
Have you read the rules?: One with Russia...huh? I-I’m not actually agreeing to do anything like that, o-okay?