.viewtopic.php?p=282212#p282212]Subject: Dancelos GREY-First Year-Slytherin

STATİCS
Stamina:5
Evasion:5
Strength:4
Wisdom:6
Arcane power:5
Accuracy:5

Gabriella Haworth had always been quite strong. Strong and sporty. Competitive too, if put in the right atmosphere. And quidditch was definitely the right atmosphere for her, she had found after the first few games. True, true, the first few games she had played with Ravenclaw had gone drastically wrong for her team, but she still felt a strong sense of Quidditch fever whenever she wandered onto that pitch, and she knew it was the right place for her.

Admittedly, when Gabriella had first learnt about Quidditch, being a Beater hadn't really been her first choice - no, originally she had wanted to become a Chaser. Right in the action of the game, scoring the goals, where she thought she belonged. There were four different positions in a game of Quidditch, and Gabriella viewed them all differently. The Chasers were the action. The drama. The danger. They were who the crowd had their eyes on most of the way through the game. If the game went well for the team, the Chasers would go down in glory. If it went badly, people would blame the Seeker. It was a win-win situation for the Chasers, Gabriella thought. The Seekers were, undoubtedly, the heroes of the pitch if they won. The Ravenclaw could imagine a Seeker creeping into the common room after a match, a modest-smug expression on their face, being bombarded by a wave of congratulations. To the crowd, it was as though the Seeker had just saved the world. Once the horde of fans had dissipated and it was left with just the Seeker's closest friend, the friend would whisper Well done, and the Seeker would slyly open their palm to reveal the shiny Golden Snitch inside. Look what I've got, they would whisper, almost unable to believe it themself. And the friend would squeeze the Seeker's hand, and the two friends would, uh, disappear off into the moonlight or something. Gabriella had never quite figured out what should happen after this in her daydream, but she supposed that the two friends should make some kind of aesthetic disappearance. However, despite how much she romanticised the position, Gabriella had never been too keen on becoming Seeker. Too much pressure if they lost. The Keepers, Gabriella just saw as the outcasts. She knew this was unfair, but who the hell remembered the Keepers? And then... and then there were the Beaters. The sly, cunning dark horses of the sky. Creeping casually around the perimeter of the pitch, they were poised ready for the attack, clutching a ominously large bat, waiting... just waiting for their opportunity. The tacticians. The scheming. And also the ones who happened to have rather a lot of brute force. Which was why, originally, Gabriella had been drawn away from this idea. However, when applications had opened for first-string beater - an instant admission onto the team, since there were no second-strings! - Gabriella had thought to give it a go, and she had found she was rather good at it.

Anyway.

As the girl got more and more experienced, and the more and more she practised, the more accurate she was able to be. She'd knock people off their brooms, occasionally. They'd go tumbling down to the ground. As long as they were ok in the long run, Gabriella would feel proud of what she'd done for her team. So it was only a matter of time before the young Ravenclaw could advance her skills even more, and in the most devastating way possible. With a swing and a smash, her opponent's chances in the game would be automatically devastated. After those first few games, Gabriella was determined to bring something to the team, some talent, some legacy, some rare skill she could use to get one up over the opposition. Every day that she could, she trained. If it was at home, she trained in the back garden, hovering low enough that Muggles nearby couldn't see her. If it was at school, she trained on the pitch. Whacking. Bludgers. Everywhere. As hard as she could, until she could manage it.

On the day that she could finally do it, she couldn't have been more proud of herself. She didn't even feel her usual twang of guilt at knocking someone off their broom, or breaking their broom this time, which was worse. All Gabriella felt was a sense of team pride, and an assurance that Ravenclaw would surely win next year's tournament.

WC: 748
Ency link: here

Gabriella was Muggle-born, and proud of it. She would never skip a chance to explain to someone else how a Muggle object worked, and she was proud of her Muggle legacy in the same way as a pure-blood wizard might be proud of his long wizarding history. It was just part of who Gabby was, and she loved to express it. Not a Muggle, but a muggle-born. She belonged to both worlds. It was Muggle-borns like her, she thought, who bridged the gap between wizards and Muggles, who knew the secrets of both. She could smile at one world's ignorance of the other. You don't know what I know. Smug, for sure, but Gabriella ignored that aspect of her pride. She enjoyed the fact that she was part of both worlds, and it was a major aspect of who she was.

Gabriella's childhood had been far from easy. Classmates from her Muggle primary school had always viewed her as strange, calling her a witch at times - which, Gabby knowing what she did now, was ironic - and she had never had friends. There had been times, sure, where this was justified. She had been known for getting a little... violent when provoked, and there was one particular occasion when she had been suspended for three days for sticking a screwdriver in some kid's ear. Maybe her tech-savvy mother was partly to blame for this: she was always leaving random appliances around and Gabriella supposed that had taught her that things like this were normal, and ok.

Obviously she was past this now, being older and rather less prone to poking poor Daisy Harrison in the ear with a building tool, but part of who she used to be still stayed with her as she ventured into the wizarding world, and she still loved her Muggle artefacts. Add that to the spark she felt as the bridge between the two worlds, and one could see why Gabby felt a special kind of attachment to her Muggle life. Not that she didn't like magic - she loved magic, but having that affinity to the Muggle world meant just a little bit more to her, and she soon became known as the "Muggle witch". She was already a Muggle mentor to a couple of friends, so why not accept that and take it forward into life, too? Sure, she might make enemies. But what did it really matter, if she was being herself?

WC: 417
Ency link: here

Link to your encyclopedia thread: click
Name of Ability or Race/Talent that you Are Applying for: Blindvision

Describe why this fits your character (not why you the player want it):

Reducio

Geoffrey loves to go camping. It wasn't only because he grew up with it; or that his family enjoyed camping just as much as he did so they went on tons of trips all through his primary school years; or that he felt he was a natural at a lot of the camping activities (fishing, swimming, starting fires with supervision, etc.); but it was also because the nighttime wasn't something that ever felt like a limitation to him.

He never gave it much thought at first but his dad pointed it out once when he was about six years old, on their first trip to celebrate the start of his summer break. His dad had lost track of time and they struggled to get back to their campsite. They had left their flashlights back at the campsite because they were supposed to be back much sooner, so while his dad mulled over what they could possibly do Geoffrey simply pointed in a seemingly random direction in the dark.

"I think I smell something this way," he said as he started tugging his father along. It was faint, but he could swear he smelled his mum's cooking in that direction. Soon enough they could spot the dim light of their campfire in the distance, and from that point his dad took the lead and they made it back to the campsite safe and sound. The experience left his dad nothing short of amazed at his son, and incidentally more watchful of him.

"Even if you're confident you can come back safely," he would say almost on every single camping trip moving forward, "it's still incredibly risky, son. Better safe than sorry, right? Best to avoid it altogether."

And he followed that instruction for the most part, particularly when the camping trips were with his parents. When his friends started inviting him on their family trips out to cabins or summer homes though, that was when he felt confident that he could safely toe the line. He would often circle the campsite, far enough that the light from the campfire was so dim as to be nothing more than a guiding light when he was ready to come back, and he would find that he was perfectly comfortable in the darkness. It was almost the same as in the daytime for him. He could sense where the trees stood and when there was movement in his immediate vicinity.

The older he got the longer he would spend wandering off on his own, practicing and testing himself. He took too long coming back once and his friend's parents told his parents what happened upon their return. He found himself in for the scolding of a lifetime, not to mention being grounded until the end of that summer. So far that's kept him from wandering off on his own on a camping trip ever again, but he still often paced his room at home in the dark just to make sure he didn't get rusty. Mostly, though, he used the skill to easily win dares that involved going into dark, creepy places. He felt perfectly at home in the dark, after all.

WC: 528

Describe why this fits your character:

Reducio

At the beginning, Rachel isn't what you exactly call fearless, oh no. She was shy, insecure, scaredy cat and had anxiety at such a young age. She wasn't the type to go stroll outside either. She was basically trained and expected by her mother, who was a little bit of a control freak at the time, to study all day, read a book, or clean. Which must be one of the reasons she was kinda coward at the time. But growing up she became friends with kids in her neighborhood, specifically, she made 4 close best friends. All of them were very outgoing and loud, total opposite of Rachel. But as their friendship grew close, Rachel found herself being a little bit rebellious thanks to their influence.

She became more confident and less shy. Although she'll appear emotionless if she doesn't know you, she'll warm up to you eventually. She also became more brave and fearless. She'll jump into any challenges her friends would dare her to. Once, she jumped off a high cliff into a river without hesitation, she and her friends were adventuring to the unknown at the time and decided to take a break and swim a little there.

She also once stood up to a bully and helped a kid from her neighborhood. The bully was much older than her and strong so she came home with a little bit bruising on her arms but nonetheless, she was happy she helped the kid out.

She'd speak out what's on her mind and wouldn't be afraid to tell the brutal truth even if the result would make people hate her. If its for their own good, then she wouldn't mind. It would hurt, yes, but at least she made people aware if their decision would humiliate them or would lead them to danger.

She will not hesitate to help someone out even if she'll get bruised up or the situation was dangerous. She actually likes the adrenaline. From being shy and fearful to the complete opposite. And its always the start of her and her moms arguments. Her mom would say that she became the opposite of what her mom wanted her to be.

Sometimes, Rachel would wonder if she was at the wrong or being stupid. But even if she was, she wouldn't really care. She liked her new self. She liked that she wouldn't need anybody to stand up for her. She liked that she had helped everyone the best she could. And she wouldn't replace that for any amount of galleon you'd give her. Call her stupid but her 'stupidity' helped her go out of her comfort zone, try out different things, and helped her explore her personality more.

Word Count:455

Ency: Accio
Ability: Perfectionist
Describe why this fits your character:

Reducio

Cade Darkbound is a hard worker. His first year at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry reflected that to some degree, but he personally felt that he could have done better. Especially when thrown willingly in the face of danger like the dueling club and other strange encounters. Cade enjoys spell work and strives to have them perform flawlessly. When in practice, his spells tend to be cast efficiently. But in times of great stress, he's had difficulties in performing them to the best of his ability.

Cade would put it on himself to practice and pour over his books in both the library and a few empty classrooms to perfect his breath and even the smallest flicks of his wand arm. He took this craft seriously. With as much effort he could muster. Muttering even the most complex incantations under his breath as he walked around the school grounds or corridors. There was a shift in his mindset. Where before he was more concerned with learning as many spells as possible. But now he didn't much care to learn something new without mastery of the things he already knew. It might have slowed down his progress in classes, but things started to click into place. And the young Ravenclaw found that it was much easier to learn more advanced spells and variations when he had the fundamentals down perfectly. Somewhat like drawing, working with the broader shapes before setting down the details. Spellcasting was an art form as well.

Patience was key. Oftentimes Cade would become frustrated with his abilities or lack-there-of. And a friend reminded him that he might have been working a little too hard. It was important to take breaks. And to everyone's eyes but Cade's people had seen his improvement. But no one understood why he wasn't happy with that. It was only his first year after all. Why worry about such details now when one can really enjoy their life at Hogwarts while the workload was still undemanding versus that of a fifth year? To this Cade would shrug and continue with his studies. The truth was, he was actually having fun learning the nuances that came with each spell. Knowing of its origins and the stories behind them might not have helped the regular student, but to Cade, it was like getting to know a wizened wizard's life and taking up that legacy. Perhaps no one else saw it that way, but again Cade found these things incredibly fascinating. And he would take the utmost care in learning gently. And of course, the magic in every fiber of his wand would enhance his learning.

Who was to stop him anyway? Cade just wanted to get the most out of his years at Hogwarts. To some that might have been socially, but to Cade, it was academics first. [WC: 474]

Stats: STA: 6 | EVA: 7 | STR: 5 | WIS: 7 | ARC: 8 | ACC: 8

Status: Approved

Status: pending, concerning the issue of Potions to suppress Metamorph ability

Status: approved

Link to your encyclopedia thread: The Badger Files
Name of Ability or Race/Talent that you Are Applying for: Beastmaster
Describe why this fits your character (not why you the player want it):

In the summer before Serena's third year, she had had the pleasure of getting a pet. From the very moment she laid eyes on Pizza Rat, the Hufflepuff quickly started to get attached. They became inseparable. Well, not exactly but Serena spent countless hours over the years with him. She took him outside, letting him run around in the grass. She would study whilst he played around. He was with her when she was chilling in the common room or whenever she was in her dorms, just attempting to study. Not that she studied often but when she did, he was always there.

In fairness, Pizza Rat spent a lot of the time snuggled up in the pocket of her robes or on top of her head as he was kind of lazy. However, there were moments when he would do the impossible! With the help of Ethen and Atlas, Serena had watched him even take part in the greatest event ever - the Rat Olympics! This was literally just a bunch of towels, buckets and sponges, like an obstacle course but that was beside the point. The point was that he had successfully managed to get through the course!

He had also even helped out at several errands or events in the past. Or at least, given people company whilst they did the errand. He did not really contribute much - it was not like he could. Though, in one of the errands - in honour of Pride - he ended up actually helping! Of course, it was a total accident but Pizza had managed to spill some paint everywhere and help brighten up the area. It had inspired an idea in the painting so it ended up working out, rather than being a huge mess.

Though she could not understand him - and she was pretty sure he could not understand her - Serena often spoke to him. Whenever she was feeling a little lonely, she would talk to him about her day or rant to him. Pizza always listened - though she had no idea if he was actually listening or not, of course. He seemed to be listening. Or at least, looking towards where the sound was coming from.

Spending so much time with him helped her to understand him a bit. Though she could not understand him, she sometimes felt like he understood her. He sometimes would jump out of her hands and towards a friend of hers, which made her wonder if he knew who the friend was or if it was a complete coincidence. It could have been a coincidence but the more it happened, the more she started to feel like he was trying to tell her something.

The way he looked at her or stared at something made her wonder if she was meant to follow him or look where he's looking. Over time, she started to pick up on cues. She would give him instructions and she was pretty sure he was starting to follow them, as though he was getting tamed. Though he totally also did his own thing sometimes and she would have to just follow after him and do whatever he wanted.

People often say that cats or dogs can sense their owners' emotions and notice behaviour changes, they say that they recognise this and can react accordingly. Though the same is not said for rats, Serena was convinced Pizza knew when she was sad. He always seemed to be there, ready to snuggle up when she was. It was likely just a coincidence but she was convinced he understood her feelings and she understood his. No one could tell her otherwise.

WC: 615

Status: approved

Encyclopedia: Click me!
Name of Ability or Race/Talent that you Are Applying for: Blindvision. (Fourth year ability)
Describe why this fits your character:

Xailah was... special- to put it modestly. Her entrance into the world was marked by a clear destiny. She was to be different. A freak among freaks. The shepherd amongst the black sheep. In a world where everyone thought they were different- wanted to be different- needed to be just that- there were few who were genuinely odd. Xailah was the needle in the "preternatural" haystack. She slipped in with the rest well enough to use their inobservance to her advantage. She gained from those who wore strangeness like an accessory. What set her apart from the self-proclaimed freaks? Why, there were a number of factors worth considering, that separated her from her peers; her... exotic features being the most notable, along with her style and habits. And then of course, there was her lineage. She fell from a family tree that consisted of very talented pureblood folk; primarily changelings, shapeshifters, or the more common (and accurate) term, Metamorphmagi. And there was the unclear start of said lineage. Lets not even get started with her name. What parent names their child Xailah Alptraum? The name had no meaning. You would think, when naming your baby- especially your first born- you'd like to give it a name that meant something. But that was an issue on its own, and if elaborated on, would drive everything off topic. There was one other wedge that really helped split her from the others; and that was Xailahs possession of abilities most remarkable... Remarkable by average wix standards. Mm. Perhaps they weren't too extraordinary. Certainly odd if anything.

Meadow, Xailahs younger sister, was the first to fully notice Xailahs very peculiar skillset. One afternoon while they were playing in one of the (many) drawing rooms sprinkled about the family estate, Meadow would make note that Xailah was a little too good at one of the games they liked to play- Quiet Blind Mans Bluff. Which was Blind Mans Bluff, only with no talking and taunting. So, really, it was a game of "Put On This Blindfold And Stumble Around In The Dark For A Half Hour While I Laugh At You". Sounds fun, right? It was good fun. Meadow thought so anyways. Even if she was the one stumbling around most of the time. During one game, Meadow had grown suspicious of her sister, and thought she was cheating. How? Meadow wasn't quite sure. The blindfold could not be seen through, and even if there was a way to see through it, nothing but darkness awaited. Maybe I'm too loud, she thought, even though she was well aware that she was quiet as a mouse. There must have been something else that gave her sister an advantage. A power perhaps, that only big sisters had. There was something else. Something that Meadow would not quite get a grasp of. Now, miss Xailah had been- unbeknownst to her- performing unusual feats. She could maneuver around things when her vision was obscured (though, sometimes furniture posed an issue), and she always seemed to know where Meadow was in the room. Eventually, once the game had concluded, Meadow just asked. Xailah was confused to say the least, when confronted. Moving soundlessly? Seeing in the dark? Knowing where a person is in a room, without having to look at them? Being sensitive to particular sights, sounds, and smells? They weren't things she bothered to question, because for her, they were natural. Why question the natural? That day was the day she discovered her difference was more than skin deep.

Growing up in a darkened environment (well, dim, at the most; except for when she played in dark rooms, or was tending to the death's-head hawkmoths living in the darkness below the home), and a partially developed tapetum lucidum, explained her excellent vision in near complete darkness, well enough. But what about her knowing where a person stood without actually seeing them? The simplest explanation, was a little less simple than a birth condition, and living without an abundance of light. Seclusion was the explanation. Seclusion resulted in a sensitivity of the world. Isolation had allowed Xailah to develop something of a sixth sense- something that she sought to refine as the years progressed. Only when she entered Hogwarts, was she very aware of the "sixth sense" (not the IC ability, I'm just using the term to refer to heightened senses). People have energy. No, this is not some psychic-fortuneteller-meditation bullcrap. All things living release some sort of feeling. Energy is the easiest way to describe it. If it has a heartbeat- if it provides some sort of warmth- it can be felt when introduced into an area. Most of the time anyways. It was something that could be learned by anyone- some are simply more aware than others. Xailah, as she would learn, was one of the more aware. A person entering the room unseen, was equivalent to feeling an invisible splinter slipping underneath that first layer of thin skin. It could not be seen, but you knew it was there- your body knew it was there, because the object was foreign. Rooms are bodies. People are foreign objects- splinters. Sometimes, if a person had an understanding of the room, and was in touch with its energy, they could feel the "splinters"- things that occupied space that was once unoccupied. The emptiness disturbed. Xailah learned she could feel people- smell them, hear them, see them without knowing what they looked like. She had a gift.

Word Count: 916

Summary: Xailah can see very well in low light settings due to having a partially developed tapetum lucidum (this is touched on briefly in her history), and spending a lot of time in the dark rooms of her home. The downside? She doesn't have the greatest vision in general, especially in bright settings. An explanation as to why vision obscuring spells do not effect her, (this is more OOC justification, I feel an explanation is needed) is because her secluded life has made her physically sensitive to things, specifically living things (evading furniture sometime poses as an issue). Essentially her senses are just very heightened, to the point where she can pinpoint the general location of something living (often in a familiar place), in the instance her vision has been taken.

Status: Approved, the ability. Not the claim to be special among special. Also not approving the claim to feel aura. I approved "Blindvision" due to the fact that you explained you are able to see quite well in darkness since you lived mostly in dark environments, which is the only thing I ask for by now, really.