IDE O'RINN
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆:
.☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───
BASICS
Full name: Íde Aileen O’Rinn
Alias:
- The Scorpion: A term of endearment, turned codename, given to her by The Ratking during their discreet meetings. This codename references her adeptness in puncturing both fabric (sewing) and flesh (stitches). She wasn’t fond of this alias at first, but it soon, begrudgingly grew on her.
Nickname: Ídie: An endearing shortening of her already short name that came from her early childhood.
Date of birth: 17th June 20XX
Place of birth: Kilfinane town, County Limerick, the Republic of Ireland
Age: 20-30~
Gender: Female
Orientation: Bisexual
Ethnicity: Irish traveller (also known as
an lucht siúil (‘the walking people’) in Irish)
Nationality: Irish and Illean / American
Occupation: Íde shares her shopkeeper status with her great-aunt Agatha, helping her run the haberdashery and styling services of Buttons & Bobbins.
Residence: Íde lives in Buttons & Bobbins with her great-aunt, where they both live and work. The building a narrow thing, tucked away in a little alleyway, and many pass it without knowing ── not seeing the little sign on the high street.
- Underground (Old Cellar): Auntie had long had her bedroom in the old cellar, for she prefers having to use a gas heater in her bedroom in winter over Íde's issue with heat in the summer. Auntie has her own fridge in her bedroom, thanks to the absurdity of this building's layout, and that's a bonus in her opinion.
- Ground floor: A labyrinth of second-hand fabrics rom reused closed unable to be taken into charity shops, and unique, Íde-made clothes from thrifted clothes, and ribbons, buttons, needles, bobbins, etc. Tucked away here, behind a little locked door, is the kitchen-come-living-room, with its own little window looking out into a small "back garden" of Auntie's cheeky garden gnomes and Íde's struggling vegetable patch.
- First floor: The labyrinth continues up a curving, wooden staircase and into a tighter room that has a lockable door to its entrance. Once the door opens, two fitting cubicles meet your eyes, along with a little dais (for customers to see how their fitted clothes fit / to get fitted or measured for clothes) with three full length mirrors of different fashions blocking the window. A little desk and chair is tucked to the side, along with a rail of half-made and finished clothes behind it. A folder of dimension notes, nagging ideas, and shopping lists sits on the desk, along with a chugging sewing machine and a pair of glasses. It's here that the customers can request a garment, have Íde take their dimensions, and, after a week or so, have a fitting before buying the garment.
- Second floor: It seems that the higher you go, the more crazed the layout of the shop gets. It seemed so reserved and neat on the outside, looking only two stories high. Here, the level stretches out backwards in the direction of the cramped "back garden", making the single room of the second floor an extra foot in length, and also allows it to have a nook to place a customer's toilet and washbasin. It's here that the old sewing machines are stored to be sold, and other, more expensive purchases that are more flamboyant than the lower-castes are allowed (think false fur fabric).
- Third floor (Attic): The most cramped of the levels despite only being one room ── with its lower ceiling and a wall of boxes along the north and south side of the room, around Íde's personal belongings. It used to simply be a storage room ── used for items her aunt hasn't gotten around to sell, old belongings, and past regrets ── until Íde came along from Kilfinane. The attic is a simple bedroom-come-storage room now, with an old, thin wardrobe, a creaking, metal-framed bed with a patchwork quilt, a little bookshelf nailed to the far wall, and a chest of drawers all jumbled amongst the clutter of sealed and labelled boxes. The attic isn't terrible conditions in winter, only in summer, when the heat rises from the bottom of the building to it's very top, and Íde has to relocate for that season to sleeping on the camp bed on the kitchen's floor.
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‘THE SELECTION’ CONTEXT
Caste: Six
Province: Altin (lives in Prince Rupert, Northern British Columbia)
Reason(s) for entering the Selection: Íde sees the Selection as a means to an end. Her Auntie Agatha is not the same health she was a few years ago, when Íde first came to live with her. Her great-aunt is easily sick these days, and she’s struggling to work the long hours Íde must to survive in this dystopian hellscape of Illea’s caste system. The money that’s being sent back home – compensation for Íde being stuck in the palace for the duration of time she spends in the Selection – is more than double their salary as shopkeepers. They need this money, and that is all the Selection is to Íde (at first?).
Attitude towards the Selection: Íde views the Selection as a necessary burden rather than an exciting opportunity. To her, it’s nothing more than a job — a high-stakes application she filled in to hopefully fulfil her great-aunt’s safe and healthy. Íde approaches the competition with a cold, pragmatic internal-mindset, keeping her emotions in check and refusing to get swept up in the glamour. Deep down, she resents how much of her freedom it strips away, but she forces herself to stay focused on the money and the safety it brings.
Thoughts on the Royal Family: Íde sees the royal family as both the root of Illéa’s oppression and a necessary evil she must tolerate. She does not admire them and secretly blames them for perpetuating the caste system that has trapped her and her great-aunt in poverty. The crown prince(ss) is more of an obstacle than a potential partner in her eyes — someone she must charm just enough to remain in the competition without actually wanting their affection (for now). While she never openly insults the royals, she keeps her true opinions close to her chest, playing the polite, cooperative participant only when absolutely required.
And the crown prince(ss) themself is simply an
annoyance – both a distraction to her goals of financial security and the very person whose attention she
has to grab if she wants safety for her great-aunt and herself.
Political views: Íde is quietly but firmly anti-monarchy – especially since she was raised outside of Illea, in
Ireland (where the culture is very much anti-monarchy due to historical ineptitude in the British Crown
). She believes the caste system is fundamentally unjust and that no single family should hold so much power over the lives of millions. Her experiences working long hours to support her ailing great-aunt have made her cynical about the palace’s promises — she sees them as empty gestures to maintain control. While she isn’t openly rebellious (she knows it would put her and her great-aunt in danger), she is a rebel sympathizer and quietly aids with
The Ratking’s – something that began with something so simple ad innocent as unknowingly patching up one of their members who had stumbled into Buttons & Bobbins late at night, bleeding over the tarmac. Íde wants systemic change, not just personal escape from poverty, which makes her see the Selection as both a tool and a potential risk to her cause.
Public Image: Íde is perceived as poised, serious, and even distant on-screen. Her choice of fashion — 1920s-inspired “make do and mend” attire — makes her stand out among the modern fashions of the other Selected. To the public, this unique style can read as austere, backwards-minded or even snobbish, as though she’s turning her nose up at palace luxury. In reality, Íde’s fashion sense is an act of self-sufficiency — she admires the resilience of women during the Great War who survived hardship with dignity. For the interviewers who take the time to get to know her throughout several meetings, Íde is compassionate and deeply principled, but to casual viewers of the royal broadcasts, she may come off as “the serious one,” or even as someone with a hidden agenda — which, ironically, is true.
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PSYCHOLOGICAL
Personality: Íde is a striking mix of poise, sharp wit, and quiet defiance. She carries herself with a forced elegance that seems effortless to unassuming eyes, yet her mind is always working — analysing, planning, creating.
At a first glance, Íde can seem reserved or even aloof, thanks to her serious demeanour and carefully measured words. But those who spend time with her discover someone with a deep well of empathy and a surprising sense of dry humour. She sees beauty in the overlooked — from scraps of fabric she turns into something exquisite, to the house spider living in the attic.
Íde is fiercely independent and protective of those she loves, especially her great-aunt Agatha. She tends to keep her own struggles private, preferring to handle problems herself rather than burden others. This makes her strong, but also rather lonely. She has a sharp sense of justice and a quiet rebellious streak, choosing subtle acts of defiance over open confrontation — at least until she’s sure she can win.
Greatest strength: Her artistic imagination and ability to see beauty in everything – even the strange, like the woodlice that live in the old cellar. Íde doesn’t just create clothes – she transforms
scraps into clothes.
Fatal flaw: Íde can be stubborn and prideful to a fault. Her independence and sense of dignity make it hard for her to ask for help, even when she desperately needs it. She struggles to trust others fully — even allies — because she fears losing control over her life or becoming indebted to someone. This can make her seem distant or aloof, and it risks sabotaging opportunities for genuine connection (including with the royal family).
Deepest fears: In order of importance to her
↳ Losing her great-aunt Agatha before she can secure her safety and care
↳ Becoming a pawn of the monarchy and betraying her values
↳ Being dismissed, misunderstood, or ignored – that her true self will never be seen
↳ That all her sacrifice and hard work won’t actually change anything once she’s gone, and the world will go on just as cruelly as before without her
Deepest desires: In order of importance to her
↳ To protect and uplift those who cannot fight for themselves
↳ To build something lasting out of her bare hands
Deepest regrets: In order of importance to her
↳ She loves her Aunt Agatha deeply but sometimes wonders what kind of life she could have had if she stayed in Kilfinane
↳ Occasionally resenting the weight of responsibility she puts on herself to take care of her remaining family and lower-caste community, then feeling guilty for it
Values:
↳ Justice: The world is unfair, but she refuses to accept that
↳ Loyalty: She may be cautious with trust, but once someone earns it, Íde would go to the ends of the earth for them.
↳ Creativity & beauty: She believes that creativity (and it’s subsequent, unique beauty) is a necessary part of life
↳ Manners: “Good manners cost nothing”
Motivations:
↳ Short-term: Keep her great-aunt alive and well by winning money through the Selection – and trying not to fall for the annoying prince(ss) along the way.
↳ Long-term: Use her position (whether she wins or not) to push for change in Illéa’s systems — quietly, cleverly, through influence rather than outright rebellion.
Goals: Deep down, she wants to create her own clothing company that revolves around repurposing fabric and previously owned clothes
Hobbies: Fashion, sewing, scrapbooking, reading, board games
Skills: Moderate first aid knowledge, Irish (fluent) & Illéan / American (Moderate) Sign Language speaker, community leadership, deductive skills (from her love of Agatha Christie), clothes making, and identifying birds
Adores: The roaring 1920’s, fashion design, make-up, playing solitaire, creepy crawlies, karaoke bars, collecting knickknacks from thrifters, reading (especially murder mysteries and mythology), theatre performances, & trying to out-nice her petty neighbours
Detests: Liars (hypocritical of her, really), being late to anything, social events, disorganisation, flower bouquets (“Why kill flowers for a moment of beauty?”), crowds, and babies (she doesn’t know what to do with them)
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───
PHYSICAL
Appearance: Íde has a tall, thin build and yet also carries a wiry strength to her, standing at 6’2” (6’5” in the palace’s heels). Her skin is pale with a cool undertone. She wears a dark brown wig styled in a short, 1920s finger waved bob to match her vintage aesthetic. She is meticulous about keeping her wig
perfect. It’s more costly than her entire wardrobe and thrifted accessories.
Her face is angular and androgynous, with high cheekbones, a strong jawline, and an aquiline nose. Her eyes are deep-set and a cold grey-blue. Underneath her wig she has her patchy hair from her alopecia areata, which she keeps shaved short for practicality and cleanliness. Her teeth are clean, sharp and crooked – not enough to cause a speech impediment, but enough to make Íde grow up self-conscious of her teeth.
Íde has her earlobes pierced and has a faded stick and poke tattoo from her 18th birthday as a tramp stamp. She has no other body modifications but wishes she could. A black, woodcut-styled moth tattoo on her chest would be her first choice.
Voice: Íde’s voice is unmistakable — low and edged with a subtle rasp that betrays years of chain smoking. Her tone is measured and deliberate, never rushed, giving the impression that every word has been weighed before being spoken.
Style: Íde’s wardrobe is rooted in 1920s-inspired silhouettes — clean lines, dropped waists, and muted colour palettes (mainly light blues and creams). She leans toward practicality and always tailors them with her own hands. Accessories are subtle but meaningful: a well-loved brooch, a scarf with hand-stitched details, or woollen gloves she’s repaired herself. Her favourite hat is her blue cloche hat, fitted with a thrifted butterfly brooch.
When in the comfort of her own home and with no one seeing her but her aunt, Íde doesn’t wear her wig but (if it’s cold – which it often is in their home) a beanie.
Body language: Íde carries herself with an air of quiet confidence — poised, deliberate, and just a touch intimidating when she wants to be thanks to her height. Her movements are quick and precise. When she sits, she crosses her feet neatly, one on top of the other. When thinking, she might drum her fingers against her arm or restlessly wiggle her feet — small, restless motions that betray the calculations happening in her head.
Quirks: Íde is self-conscious of her bald spots although no one other than her aunt knows. Because of this, she is constantly — sometimes subconsciously — adjusting her wig, hair by hair, to make sure it sits perfectly. This small, repeated gesture can become a tell for those who are observant enough to notice. She also has a habit of pausing to study textures, seams, and fabrics with her fingertips — she can’t help but appreciate the craftsmanship (or silently critique it) no matter where she is.
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HEALTH
Physical health: Íde’s physical health is overall okay, however, due to having alopecia she is more at risk of other auto-immune diseases. She eats well when she can, but years of poverty and a long-hours, stressful job have left her with a wiry sort of strength rather than a body built from luxury at birth. She occasionally gets stress-related migraines that can last from anywhere between fifteen minutes and three hours.
Mental health: On the surface, Íde appears calm, but inside she is often unable to truly relax. Her responsibilities — both to her great-aunt and to the rebel cause — weigh heavily on her. She has mild anxiety that manifests as restlessness and trouble sleeping, particularly when she feels cornered or powerless.
Allergies: She has a mild strawberries allergy (hives and mild swelling if ingested – uncomfortable but not life-threatening if treated quickly).
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RELATIONSHIPS
Family:
- Eithne O'Rinn, nee Prendergast (Mother): Íde’s mother passed away when Íde was just three years old, leaving behind little more than a few belongings and a single photograph — the one Íde keeps blue-tacked to her bedroom wall. The photograph is worn and curling at the edges, but to Íde, it is one of her most precious possessions. Eithne is smiling in the picture, her hair pinned back with a scarf, and though Íde doesn’t consciously remember her mother’s face, she has memorized every detail in the photo. Eithne looks like Íde’s twin now that Íde is a year off being the age she is captured being in the photo.
Because Íde never had the chance to know Eithne, their “relationship” is more of an imagined one — a conversation Íde has with a ghost. She often wonders whether Maeve would be proud of her choices, whether she’d approve of her alliances with The Ratking, whether she’d like the clothes Íde creates. When things get difficult, Íde sometimes catches herself speaking quietly to the photograph, asking it for advice, even though she tells herself afterwards that she's being childish and that she knows no answer will come.
This absence has left a quiet ache in Íde’s life. She envies those who have mothers to guide them and sometimes feels unmoored without that presence. At the same time, her mother’s early death fuels her determination: Íde is resolved to protect her great-aunt, to cling to the family she has left, and to build a future that would honour the woman she barely remembers.
- Ciar O'Rinn (Father): Ciar was born deaf in a small Irish village where he worked as a painter. Though life was not always easy, Ciar carried himself with a gentle strength that made him a grounding presence for Íde and her elder sister, Líadan. His hands were rarely still — when not signing to his daughters, they were sketching, shaping, or painting. He had an artist’s soul and a deep appreciation for the beauty of everyday life, even if his own work rarely left the walls of their small home.
He was patient and kind, with a warm sense of humour. He taught Íde from an early age that communication was more than words — it was attention, empathy, and presence. Growing up as the only hearing person in their little family, Íde became his and Líadan's translator.
Ciar’s dream was always to leave behind something beautiful — a painting that might outlive him — but when he passed away from misdiagnosed sepsis, Íde buried him with his favourite painting, honouring his wish to be remembered through his art. His grave lies beside Eithne’s in the quiet fields of Adare, marked by a simple stone and wildflowers their children planted before Íde left Ireland.
His death left Íde with a hollow ache she still carries. He had been her safe place, and her cheerleader, encouraging her creativity. Three months after his funeral, unable to bear the family caravan’s silence, Íde accepted Illéa’s “new life” propaganda and left Ireland — a choice that still feels bittersweet. In her heart, she carries Ciar’s lessons and his artist’s eye.
- Líadan O'Rinn (elder sister): Líadan is Íde’s elder sister by three years and, for most of Íde’s childhood, was her closest companion and protector. Like their father, Líadan was born deaf, and Íde grew up translating for both of them — a role that made her feel both important and, at times, responsible for holding their family together. Despite this, their bond was strong.
Everything changed after their father’s death. Líadan, grieving deeply, wanted Íde to stay in Ireland to preserve what little they had left of him — their home and the memory of their father. Íde, overwhelmed by the silence in the house and the weight of loss, accepted Illéa’s “new life” easily.
When Íde left, Líadan saw it as abandonment. In her words: “You chose Illéa over me. Over us.” Since then, their relationship has been strained and distant. Letters pass between them occasionally, but they are formal, stilted, more like duty than affection. Líadan has not forgiven Íde for leaving, and Íde has not forgiven herself for doing so — though she believes she could not have survived if she stayed.
Despite the bitterness, Íde still loves her sister fiercely and longs to reconcile. She keeps the letters Líadan sends to her, filed away neatly in the attic by date. Deep down, Íde hopes that the life she’s building — and the money she can send back thanks to the Selection — will prove that she didn’t leave out of selfishness.
- Agatha Moran (great-aunt): Auntie Agatha is Íde’s great-aunt on her maternal grandmother’s side — a woman of iron resilience and quiet tenderness who took Íde in, in Illéa, after her father’s death. Though she’s well into her nineties and her health is beginning to falter, Agatha still carries herself with a no-nonsense outlook. She's the head of Buttons & Bobbins despite what The Ratking might think. Íde won't do anything about the haberdashery without asking of Agatha's opinion out of respect — even though Agatha has told Íde time and time again to "do it if it's necessary".
Íde worries constantly about Agatha’s health. She notices every cough, every moment when her aunt must sit to catch her breath, and it gnaws at her while she is away at the palace. To Íde, Agatha represents the last solid piece of “home” she has left — and losing her would feel like losing her entire past.
Acquaintances:
- Member of The Ratking | Raili Heikkilä: Among The Ratking’s network, Íde has a complicated and often tense relationship with Raili, one of the group’s junior strategists. Raili was the first to suspect Íde’s loyalty when she accidentally stumbled into the organization after saving their leader’s life. While she respects her resourcefulness and skill, Raili doesn’t trust her judgment — she thinks Íde is too cautious, and Íde thinks Raili's protests are too direct and dangerous on the rebel member's life. However, this doesn't stop Íde giving the Ratking aid when they need it — with smaller rebel organisations even going as far as knocking on her doorstep at midnight to get one of their members bandaged up by her when their organisation's own doctor is ill.
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MISCELLANEOUS
- Your grandmother very probably loves her
- Íde has to write lists for everything due to how chaotic her work-life is.
- Her vocabulary is very formal, and she is prone to use complex words and more sophisticated, refined phrasing than others
- Jokingly calls herself a lady while her sharp manners aren't far from it.
- Despite Íde's formal personality, she has shown an occasional inclination for punching louts.
- Growing up, Íde dreamt of becoming a fashion designer with her own brand. Now she simply wants her remaining family to stay safe.
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PLOT IDEAS
The Selection themed:
- The reluctant selected x (crown) prince(ss)
- The reluctant selected x anti-monarchy rebel
- New royal fashion designer x (crown) prince(ss)
Non-fandom themed:
- Skint shopkeeper x disguised king / queen / prince(ss)
- Skint shopkeeper x secret / disguised billionaire
- Skint shopkeeper x secret / disguised celebrity
- Cinderella x Prince(ss) Charming retelling
