Post by Alex Russell on Oct 31, 2007 12:32:07 GMT -5
Character Name: Alexander (Alex) Cameron Russell
Character Age: 13
Wand: 12 inch, Dragon's Blood (Yes, it is a type of wood), with a core of kirin hair.
Pet (if any): A large F1 savannah cat, by the name of Mika. Friendly, assertive, playful, fairly intuitive, but most of all, very forgiving - while she endures a lot from Alex, she also happens to be his best friend and constant companion. Alex jokes she makes a great watch cat - she watches the people come in, take things, and tries to make friends with them, or play with their legs...
The only problem with Mika is that she has a tendency to gnaw on things, especially people she likes (which is most everyone). "That's just a love-nip; it doesn't hurt, really..."
And yes, she has eaten homework before.
((Savannah cats are a mix breed between an African serval and a domestic cat. F1s look quite wild.))
Family History (Go into detail, if possible): Alex's parents divorced when he was a young age - his sister, Fiona, lived with his overprotective mother, and he went to live with his laid-back, (mostly) father. Felicia Djion, his mother, largely thought his father was far too lax on the lad, not only ignoring his inventions, some of which were muggle-related, and his obsession with muggle hobbies such as a computer, while Galadran, his father, was under the belief that he was learning, and young minds shouldn't be quashed.
As a result, he grew up with a respect for technology, and believes secretly that magic and technology, if combined, would take the world by storm. He constantly crafted, created, and rebuilt - his association with the muggle children down the street led him to know how to actually build a computer.
When he was accepted into Hogwarts, it was to Felicia's great relief: this would make him leave his foolish toys behind and come over to the wizarding ways. Alex, however, saw them as fairly antiquated, and largely calls wizards as creatures that live in denial of the world growing around them. Felicia blames his father, and Galadran largely shrugs, saying 'He'll grow out of it'.
As time went by, Alex did shift a little, turning his inventor's eye to a more magical sense, and set to work trying to craft his own arsenal of spells and creations. Although no one ever encouraged this behavior, calling him (and rightfully so) a threat to himself and his peers, Alex never wavered in his attempts, and over time showed a knack for it. His nearly encyclopedic memory aided him a lot in his pursuit to learn and create, and also gives him the annoying ability to sit and sketch scenes of epic battles, random diagrams, and cartoons in class, then repeat the lesson exactly back as it was said, and remember it.
As far as family history is concerned, his mother was from Gryffindor, and from a long line of Gryffindors, while his father had moved to England from Ireland, and had attended school there. While both parents are of the wizarding community, his grandparents are not; Galadran's mother, Eleanor, is a muggle.
For the life of Alex, he cannot understand why muggles are looked down on; as he would put it, 'they're bloody brilliant.'
Physical Description: Lanky and long-limbed, with long reddish-brown bangs that fall into his green eyes, Alex is halfway between child and adult, and has yet to grow into his body. He stands at around 5'7", and is predicted to reach at least six feet in height someday.
He is almost always seen with his cat Mika either resting across his shoulders, (which causes him to slump forward to accommodate her) or bounding alongside, sometimes vanishing altogether for various periods of time. She always comes back, though.
Personality Description (Go into detail, if possible): Alex is indomitable, with a strong will, a well-developed sense of humor, (which every inventor needs), and a strong, steadfast determination. Largely optimistic, he tends to believe that there's a solution to everything, and always more than one - given enough time, he also believes he can work his way out of any bind. Usually, he will, but many of his shenanigans land him in Detention.
Alex is also something of a showoff, but he knows enough to laugh when whatever he's doing inevitably blows off in his face. He has a sarcastic streak, and loves practical jokes, but on the flip side, he'll do anything to help his friends, and often takes the blame for things, sometimes even if he didn't do it. After all, teachers expect Alex to be in the middle of the lake in the great hall, or the cause of candles springing to life and trying to dance in a conga line.
Strengths: A strong will belied by an impressive intellect, an encyclopedic memory, and a strong faith in his friends, and himself. He also has the ability to laugh at himself.
Weaknesses: A stubborn determination, very much like his strength - Alex really doesn't know when to quit. He also has some social awkwardness, though he (mostly) means well.
If given the opportunity - would you take part in a Quidditch team, a Book Club, a Potions group or an Afternoon Tea party?
Book club - especially with the extensive library that Hogwarts boasts. One can learn or find out anything... but beyond that, reading is a true joy, far more so to Alex than something like Quidditch. Potions, too, is fascinating, but not to the extent that books are. The wisdom of centuries is locked in these tomes, and countless adventures, stories, poems, thoughts...
If you found a wandering Kneazle, what would you do?
Ask it where it was going. If it did not have some immediate destination, this would likely end in either talking to it, sketching it, or trying to befriend it... probably a combination of these - the first and last most likely. Kneazles are cool.
What House would you like to be placed in (This is to be taken into consideration, though the Hat will ultimately make the final decision)?
It really matters little. Ravenclaw, on account of his creativity and obsession with knowledge (and experimentations...), but he also displays some Gryffindor traits. Place him as you see fit.
Why would you like to be in this student group and not the others?
Alex makes a good third-year solely on the account of the fact that this is when one knows enough to get into true trouble - a first year trying to craft spells would get nowhere near the havoc one who understood the basics could attain. One day, Alex might actually get somewhere other than Detention...
Please give us an example RP:
It was a beautiful day by all standards; the sun shone brightly, the breeze was gentle, and the temperature moderate. From where Alex sat in the dorm room, book in one hand, wand in the other, he could hear the distant sound of the Quidditch team - Gryffindor, probably - practicing, and even more students just mingling. That was fine; let them mingle over there, for Alex was busy, and determined to figure out a 'talk to animal' spell.
Yet again, his cat had been drafted as his 'lovely assistant', and Mika lay on the bunk, halfway asleep. She took one look at Alex, then decided that perhaps this was suddenly not somewhere she wanted to be at the moment. Unfortunately, Alex had other plans, and with a few soothing words, assuring her it was not going to be Transfiguration of any sort, she allowed herself to be persuaded, largely on account of the fact that he kept stroking her back and rubbing her head in just that one spot...
"Okay. I'm gonna get this right, this time." Clearing his throat, Alex held out his wand. The difficult part was knowing just what to do - was it an incantation? Did it need a movement? Getting it wrong was what he did best, but all inventors knew you had to go through ninety-nine failures before a success.
"Sermo felis," he chanted, holding the wand up before him, nearly resting the tip on his forehead, then pulled it away to look at his cat. "Did it work, Mika?"
Or, rather, that is what he had intended to say. It ended up sounding a little more along the lines of "Rreowrrl mrowr rrrrt?" Whatever he ended up saying certainly got Mika's attention; her golden eyes opened and stared at Alex.
"Mrow?"
Mika continued to stare, then sat up and batted at him curiously.
"...rrrrowrrrnnn..." With a feline growl, Alex stood, looking at his wand. Well, curses. If I can cast that on someone else, they'll not be able to cast anything. Problem is, I can't cast anything, either. Or say anything. Maybe I should try 'lengua' next time?
It did not discourage him - the wonderful nurses knew how to undo anything he could dish out so far, and at least this was progress. He'd get it right someday, and already had found out a nice jinx.