Stats Stamina: 12 Evasion: 1 Strength: 15 Wisdom: 3 Arcane Power: 7 Accuracy: 10 Stat Base: Year 3, +3 From Quidditch Wins [Not a Quidditch Player]

Abilities

Year 2 - Obnoxiously Strong

Reducio

Arrogant and judgmental enough to know how much appearances matter, Arjan spends a lot of time exercising. This was important to him from a very young age. It started off as just playing sports with his friends when he was a child. However, he started to develop a routine. Durmstrang already encouraged morning exercises as part of the mandatory course but Arjan quickly found himself doing extra in the evenings. His routine was usually either strength based exercise or cardio and stamina building.

He had a set of weights in his dorm. Every evening, he would start training his biceps with them. They started off as bicep curls with a pair of light weights. Over time, these became heavier weights. Arjan also found himself doing other exercises like push ups or planks.

One day, he came across a beautiful gold railing that went over some archways. It was nothing major but he managed to reach it. Within moments, he found himself using the railing to do pull ups. It could take his weight, after all. Then again, even if it broke, he would not have been bothered. But Arjan found himself enjoying becoming strong. The first time he tried it, he struggled to do even a single pull up. When he finally started to develop more muscles, he started to achieve more - gradually increasing the number he could do in one go. The same happened with all of his exercises. Planking for ten seconds before collapsing quickly turned to holding it for a minute before reaching two. It was not long before he started to do more press ups, challenging himself to doing more than he could before.

Over the course of the months, he found himself starting to develop strong biceps. The bigger his muscles got, the more he wanted to start to show off. Impressing others, showing off and just being overly strong drove him into working hard. Arjan became obnoxiously strong through a desire to be the best in the room. Luckily for him - or perhaps unluckily - he was rather competitive. This caused a lot of jealousy and envy at times but it also provided endless motivation.

The desire to be the best in the room was always motivating. For Arjan, this was the strongest in the room. He had a lot of competition - there were people with better genetics than his, such as part-giants or people with more training. He lacked both. But he had the desire to be the best. That was enough. That was his drive.

Over time, the more he trained, the stronger he became. As time went on, he started to become "obnoxiously strong".

WC: 446

Year 3 - The Martial Artist

Reducio

In his third year, Arjan was unable to play Quidditch for his school. He wanted to be a beater but his lack of teamwork abilities, the fact that he was more likely to lose his temper and turn against his own team mates meant he was never on the team. He enjoyed the sport in lessons but he was not accepted on the school team. Arjan did not let that stop him, however. It was odd. For a pureblood, he actually adopted a lot of muggle sports without realising it. From kicking a ball around with his friends to tackling them in a game that was very similar to what muggles might consider 'rugby'.

It was in his second year that he understood how discipline played a big part in training and sports. He was introduced to various forms of exercise where he could train and work on his abilities alone. Some took the form of gymnastics or strength based yoga - such as learning how to do handstands, cartwheels, shoulder stands and so on. But he also discovered the world of combat. Physical forms of self-defense and combat - also known as martial arts.

Arjan did not really stick to one specific form of 'martial arts'. Perhaps he lacked the discipline to really stick to one. Or perhaps, he just was not interested in any specific one. Rather, Arjan tried a variety of different arts. It was only the basic moves of the different forms that he tried but it was a start. Over time, he picked up a few moves that would help him in any physical fight. Without a wand or magical talent - which he was struggling with - physical combat was his forte.

In all honesty, there were a few moves that he learned was what everyone could do. A basic punch or a kick, for example. It was nothing fancy. But it was highly effective at the best of times. Simple, yet effective. Arjan did, however, learn how to minimise the chance of breaking his hand whilst punching someone and did spend time training his body to withstand more power than it could before. Likewise, he worked on his flexibility to allow his kick to reach higher than it had previously.

But there were also a few things that he picked up, which might be a little less "basic" over time. For example, how to choke hold someone or grapple with them properly. Arjan may have lacked the discipline to stick to one specific form of martial arts but he was very good at sticking to general training. He worked hard to become a proficient fighter in a physical combat and often was found throwing the first punch, with his hotheaded nature. For someone who prided themselves on being a pureblood, it was rather amusing - and highly ironic - that he resorted to physical violence at every opportunity he got irritated.

WC: 488

Year 4 - Spell Spread

Reducio

For the first few years of his magical experience at Durmstrang, Arjan spent a lot of his time getting into physical fights. It was partially because he enjoyed the look of muscles on his body and appreciated being strong. But, there was another reason. It was because he was rather inept at actually casting spells. He had a few years of magical training under his belt by now - four years in fact. However, he struggled in a magical fight.

For some reason, he lacked the ability to actually cast a spell properly or control magical items. And noticing other things? Pffft. He only noticed himself. And the cute girls, of course but actually finding or noticing other things was beyond him. It was strange. When he did manage to successfully cast a spell, he usually hit the target - and hit them hard. But actually casting them was a struggle for him. It was almost as though he lacked the wisdom to do so and it was more a case of luck.

Being bad at magic got him in trouble a few times. There was an incident when he was surrounded by a few students he had previously beaten up in a physical fight. Unfortunately, with more opponents, it was a little harder for him to fight fairly. If he was able to successfully immobilise a few of them then it would have been so much easier to take them down physically, without getting beaten up. But he continuously found himself failing and ended up losing the fight.

But Arjan was not the type to just 'accept' that he was bad. He adapted. He might not be good at successfully casting but he trained. He focused on his magical power. Through hard work, he did not get better at casting but he did learn something else. He managed to learn how to make his spells even grander than they were before. He had learned how to actually defend himself, give himself a fighting chance at the very least. Unfortunately, it did not make him any better at actually casting. It made him worse, if anything. But it was grander nonetheless.

It became harder to control, and the risks seemed to get worse but if he was successful, Arjan was suddenly capable of actually hitting multiple targets with the same spell. Well, two targets with his spell. Unfortunately, he had a very high chance of it backfiring onto himself. But when forced into a magical fight, this move had the possibility to being his trump card. It might give him a chance of turning the tide or distracting his opponents long enough to get close enough to physically hit them.

WC: 450

OOC Note:
I have written these abilities as though it starts in his second year (which would be Serena's first year) to keep with the same number of abilities that she will get.

Approved

Stats and Ability application for Madhup

Quidditch Position: Chaser
Broom: Silver Arrow

Stats
STA: 6
EVA: 7
STR: 8
WIS: 3
ARC: 3
ACC: 8

Ability: Foulplay

(Application)

Reducio

The survival of a street child is highly dependent upon cleverness. In order to thrive, it was imperative that Madhup have a silver tongue, nimble fingers, and a keen sense of situational awareness. When an unsuspecting stranger was dining outdoors, he learned how to deftly scoop their meal away when they were not looking. When slithering through a dense crowd, he could carefully pluck a wallet from any unguarded pocket. He grasped the importance of maintaining a calm expression, relaxed pace, and- if caught- a clueless tone with which he could feign absolute innocence. Dancing one's way out of a tricky situation was a talent he had honed. While most sensible sorts would interpret this as a negative trait, the boy was perfectly proud of this skill, and he would continue to practice it even after he was adopted. His new lifestyle meant matters of trickery were no longer necessary for getting through the day, but he was keen on using whatever means he could to ensure he got his way.

Madhup was never the most academic student, though he knew his access to extracurricular activities relied heavily upon his grades. He learned how different professors operated, how to speedily scan another student's papers for answers, when it was safe to chance a glance. When pulling pranks, a frequent "pastime", he knew how to scope an area, how to exit the scene of the crime, how to seem perfectly clueless when a culprit was sought. Madhup was as multifaceted as they come: a charming prankster to some, a greasy weasel to others, with motives ever unclear. If he could get away with it in the classroom, in a friendly game, or in the Quidditch stadium, cheating was practically always an option. Whatever a person's opinion of him may be, after his first year at Durmstrang, it was commonly known that one was better off not playing him at cards- or any other game- when a bet was involved. Perhaps if he put half as much effort into school studies as he did studying people, he would not have needed to cheat. But trickery had practically become a hobby of his. If one put so much effort into acquiring something, even if the method involved foul play, hadn't they essentially earned it in their own way?

Whether or not he took a risk was less based in whether it was a "necessary act". He did not often wonder if his pranks and antics were right or wrong: he worried about whether or not he could get away with them.

(WC: 428

Stats: Approved
Abilities: Approved
Broom: Please be aware that you do not have IC access to the broom on either character until post graduation. So it will not be used in the game.

Position not guaranteed - might need a preference listed if all chaser slots are taken.

Ash Andwiltz Statistics

Stamina: 7
Evasion: 6
Strenght: 6
Wisdom: 8
Arc Powder: 1
Accuracy: 7
Abilities: N/a (coming soon!)

Stats: Approved
Abilities: Pending. Please post in a new post when you submit them.

Stats:

stamina: 8
evasion: 7
strength: 3
wisdom: 11
arcane power: 8
accuracy: 8

Abilities:

Ability year 1: advanced casting

Reducio

"Effect: A reflection of inherent skill or simply hard work in studies. Spells have an increased chance of being a critical hit. +1 to the critical chance, so if a critical would be on a 20, now it would be on a 19 or a 20."

If you're not going to do something properly, then there's no point in doing it at all. That is one of the many things the young Hjördis has decided to live by, and (because of that very principle), she lives by it thoroughly. Just as she has done for the most part of her life.

For as long as the girl can remember, her father had taught her about the importance of impact- quality over quantity. Like a "make the few words you say, count"-sort of thing... He was very much himself a man of this philosophy, Andrei, and it was one of the most distinct differences there were between Hjördis' two parents: where her mother would chat, spill her heart out, and make do- her father would remain passive, closed up, and only settle for the opportunities arisen that boded him well.

And then, what went for conversation, of course also went for magic:

While neither of Disa's guardians had raised her to seek out confrontation, or to ever use her abilities recklessly, the major contributor to her attitude towards magic as a subject was, again, her father. To the both of them, magic was something sacred. It was an academic force that you were to study carefully until you knew as much about it as you possibly could... That was one very pureblood take, that differed from her Swedish family's.

In Stockholm, witches and wizards who were proud of their magical heritage would express this by making whatever item they were currently holding glitter or sing... They would throw spells all around, without knowing the least thing about them, only because they could...

Or at least, this is what Andrei Svaetichin had told his daughter. And it might be useful to remember that he didn't have a very high regard for these people.

In any case, it is this philosophy that has kept Hjördis' nose buried so deep in books for so many years now... As well as what has kept her eager to practice these spells practically, outside of classes- with her father or uncles, or even together with other students at Durmstrang before whom she felt more confident failing.

Or rather, who she knew wouldn't mind should her successes hurt them.

She and Nichlas, for example, they would practice. And he was good for practice, too, since even though she might like him- the boy embodied a certain cockiness that added to the satisfaction of hitting him would just about anything.

Especially when that something was done properly.

WC: 422 words without the ability description at the top.

permission granted to godmod Alan Vanes' NPC

Ability year 2: perfectionist

Reducio

"Effect: You have a reduced critical failure chance range by 1. In addition, you can counter up to 1 point of additional critical failure chances caused by abilities or spells (not potions)."

While it might go without saying, it is evident that Hjördis' great determination to succeed (advanced casting) has come hand in hand with her thankfully less prominent fear of failure. It's not something she ever discusses, not with anyone at all, but it would be dishonest of her not to admit that it has played an important part in fuelling her years worth of hard work. Both academically, and in the rare efforts she makes in other areas.

Failing is just not something you do. Especially not out of recklessness.

Here, at least, both of Hjördis' parents can for once agree. Because while her mother might appear soft in comparison to her husband (a comparison in which she has lived since their marriage), it's important to remember that Åsa, too, was raised within wizarding high society. In fact, it wouldn't be a stretch to suggest that the pressure put on the young witches and wizards in Stockholm were even harsher than those Disa's father had learned to live under in his remote parts of Russia.

Because that was the thing about political families: everyone knew everything about everyone else, and they only cared about the worst parts. You might've been born with some worth, the worth of your pure blood, but that didn't mean you couldn't easily lose it...

So then, even though Hjördis herself had lived all of her life far away from such communities in both the physical and emotional sense- the idea that shortcoming was a very shameful thing, had stayed with her through her parents, slowly manifesting itself in the girl as a hidden kind of nervousness, much like her mother's, as well as a deep wish to impress her father.

And to impress herself. Who else is there, really?

Academically, this has proven to serve Hjördis as a strong motivator to stay meticulous in her studies. There's no skimming through the details of a spell, no butchering its pronunciation, and no aimless flailing of her wrist... Only precise practice. It is what has earned her some very good marks through her schooling years, and a for her paramount yet unobtrusive reputation- one that has reached her family, and that has become that which they expect from her. That, and nothing less... And so it's also what she will be expecting from herself, now, and for many years to come. Both out of fear, and out of pride.

WC: 402 words without the ability description at the top.

Ability year 3: sixth sense

Reducio

"Effect: +2 to their awareness rolls. If a player attempts to enter a thread that you are already in, there is a 25% chance that you automatically detect them on entry."

She's always been more or less on guard, Hjördis, and has been for as long as she can remember. Every waking hour she'd allow for one eye to inspect the room, and for one ear to listen for anything out of the ordinary to occur around her... because those things rarely boded any well in her opinion, that is, the opinion of someone who didn't enjoy surprises of any kind.

Yet you shouldn't necessarily call her paranoid- the girl is just not self-interested enough to believe that the world is out to get her. But at the same time, she'd always found herself distrusting of both intentions as well as her surroundings- no matter how seemingly innocent they might be... And of course, residing in a dark castle full of ambitious and hierarchical young witches and wizards (who ranged all the way from the most recklessly impulsive to the most carefully determined)- did contribute to this.

In fact it contributed to it a lot.

Thankfully, her wariness wasn't exactly due to a great many enemies within the school, as she didn't imagine she really had any... Mostly, of course, because she thought the idea was rather childish. There were students whom she more or less loathed, that was true, but she wouldn't go out of her way to pay them any sort of unnecessary attention. Nor, she sincerely hoped, did they her.

No. Her alertness was instead something she could largely thank her own disciplined work for (not that she hadn't always been observant). It was the truth that the Durmstrang Institute taught its students about the dark ways of magic, and in some cases primarily its use in combat... Among many other things too, of course, but it was still in this light that Hjördis regarded the art. And so, in studying it, she had grown cautious and hyper-aware...

Hjördis had managed this perfection, just like she had with her spell casting, by consistently taking every chance she got to sharpen her senses by practicing out of class... Which she'd especially do together with her friend Nichlas. She'd already bettered her accuracy and the power with which she could use her magic with him, but it was when it was his turn to practice, that she had to stay viligant: Nichlas would hide and creep all through their school in order to surprise the girl, and to gain the upper hand in whatever combat his ambush would launch. Sometimes he'd make it (which proved that the boy actually could be quiet if he really wanted to), and sometimes, more and more frequently as they both had grown better, he'd fail.

Some might call this a game. Hjördis most certainly would not.

WC: 452 words without the ability description at the top.

permission granted to godmod Alan Vanes' NPC

Stats: Approved
Abilities: Approved

Name: Milena Sergejevna Orlova Year: Fourth (so, 45 stat points & 3 abilities) Quidditch Player? No. Stats: Stamina: 6 Evasion: 8 Strength: 8 Wisdom: 7 Arcane Power: 9 Accuracy: 7

Ability 1: Perfectionist

Reducio

Milena is not a perfectionist in the sense that she wants to be perfect at everything, but she grew up as the daughter of a Pure-Blood house and that had several expectations attached. True, her parents were probably a lot less strict than her grandparents had been and being one of five siblings lent to far more unruliness than being an only child might have, but it did not change one fundamental fact: She was a Pure-Blood daughter and as such would always, always represent her family.

And so, like her siblings, she was taught how to present herself: how to talk, how to walk, how to sit, how to... You get the gist. She was also taught to always be courteous, no matter what she might think of a person's value. She was taught how to be a perfect little lady – if only for the duration of societal galas and not quite for every-day home-life. In other words, she was taught how to seem the perfect young lady and that included certain guidelines on how to act at school and what was expected of her school performance.

Trying to do her family proud, Milena did her best to excel at school which meant that she took care to learn all spells and potions properly. Lessons were for learning. Pranks, distractions, fun... all that she considered to have little to no place in a lesson – not that a teacher could not make a lesson fun, that was different – and she could not understand why someone would rather play around with their friends than pay attention – that's what the free time between lessons was for and the time in the evening that wasn't spend on homework.

While that mind-set had thawed a little as she grew older just as her stance on her grandparents' teachings did, she was still a very dedicated student. The one thing she had never perfected, however, was her script. She had tried to painstakingly teach herself to write perfect, exact letters, like the ones of her grandmother... but unlike her grandmother, she had no such talent. Her school notes and homework are perfectly legible but that particularly neat. Given enough time, she can write clean enough to imitate her grandmother's script – but there is no such time to be had when it comes to school work.

The older she grew and the more her mind-sets thawed, the more those Pure-Blood expectations chafed... but not enough for Milena to think it worth it to rebel. She found it annoying, yes, restrictive, yes, but not oppressive (yet at least) and so she still saw it as her duty to attempt to meet them.

WC: 450

Ability 2: Evasive Manoeuvers

Reducio

Growing up with her siblings, especially with three brothers taught her how to dodge. The younger twins had not paid enough attention often enough that she had almost developed a sixth sense of when one of the would come careening down a corridor and almost running her over.

Despite being part of a Pure-Blood family, they had been allowed time to just be themselves – there was no need to always be perfect sons and daughters if it was only them and their parents at home – it had led to multiple prank wars, mainly between the sets of twins but neither she nor her parents had escaped those completely unscathed. Her parents, especially, were never targeted but there was always some spill-over.

Her parents had been of the impression that if they were raised spending time learning how to be the perfect progeny and also being given time to run free, that it would be easier for them to control themselves in a social situation – like a gala. Masks and restrictions were easier to bear, in their minds, if they were not needed around (the immediate) family and it was better to let loose a bit and work of restless energy by engaging in such prank wars or going on little adventures on their property, than keeping it all in, and in, and in – until it either imploded or exploded. No, her parents believed in a healthy balance of the two, much to both Milena's chagrin and her delight.

She had little in the way of muscles – she wasn't weak but neither was she particularly strong – but she was lithe and agile. She had spent significantly less time rough-housing than her brothers and probably also less than her sister, although Olga had participated far less as she 'grew out of that phase'. Still, being a bystander was not so safe and she had ample practice in evading flailing limbs or occasional thrown objects (nothing potentially dangerous but it was still not nice to be hit in the face with crumbled-up parchment.)

Another reason might be that the one area of 'Pure-Blood' upbringing she had excelled in far beyond her sister (not that that was hard) was dancing. Moving gracefully and with the flow was something she had a much easier time with than Olga. But Milena would not call herself a talented dancer outside a comparison to her siblings.

It came in handy also when it came to not tripping over things. Her spatial awareness was normally quite good and if she did miss something she easily managed to keep her balance (most of the time) and carry on as if there had been no obstacle in her path, no matter how small it might have been.

There had also been the fencing lessons as her grandfather insisted that at the very least her brothers if not all the children (and it had turned into all the children) receive some basic fencing lesson to learn how to move in a fight instead of 'standing stock-still like an idiot' (Grandfather Oleander's words, not hers) as too many wizards apparently did. The less to be said about those lessons the better, tough, and she was still not sure what use they might have been if any.

WC: 549

Ability 3: Calming Presence

Reducio

Over time, Milena noticed that she seemed to have a calming effect on both friends and family as well as other people she knew. Maybe it was because she always seemed aloof and calm and therefore spreading an aura of calm? Maybe it was because when others outside her immediate circle saw her, she always seemed while not inviting still open and kind?

Whatever it was, exactly, she had found that she had the ability to appear neutral and defuse tense situations as well as calm tempers or soothe tears – when helping new students with their first bouts of homesickness. It was not something she planned on or actively promoted, in truth, she had not said one word of it.

But she had come upon one firstie crying bitterly because he missed home and she had – well, first she had tried to leave and leave him to his privacy, but he had noticed her and after paling and then flushing in embarrassment, the boy had apparently stopped caring as he had thrown himself at her and continued to sob in her arms.

While she privately thought of him as weak and far from the representative of his house he should be, she was raised to be better than to show disdain. Besides, she was compassionate enough to feel for him anyway, and so she merely enveloped him in a – slightly awkward by the fact they had never met before – hug and proceeded to try and soothe his fears enough for him to compose himself again.

She had figured that would have been the end of it. Alas, he apparently told some of his class mates that she was a good listener or something, so she had been occasionally sought out to allay some fears of the unknown.

Somehow there was the general impression that she was not someone to judge people needlessly, no. She would offer no judgement and only listen or... well, observe? Honestly, she wasn't sure how that whole mess came to be but her Sands ancestors would be proud of her … poise? Her ability to keep her thoughts to herself and outwardly offer no judgement and treat everyone equally. The lack of censure to expect also seemed to make others less prone to make nervous mistakes – or rather, they were still prone enough to those, she simply did not acerbate their nervousness.

Yes, her Sands ancestors would be proud though less so about her thawing inner sense of Pure-Blood superiority they had instilled in the family. The more she kept her calm, the more others seemed to wish to interact with her, the more her thoughts on that changed. They were all just people, and 'pure blood' did not make an ass any less of an ass. And her friend certainly was not less of a friend because she was 'only' a Half-Blood.

She would never be a Miss Popular and she had no intention of being one, but she got along well enough with people when they did approach her.

WC: 510

Status: approved
Abilities: approved

Approved

statistics
stamina || 7
evasion || 6
strength || 6
wisdom || 11
arcane power || 5
accuracy || 10

abilities

year one: perfectionist.

Reducio

From a young age, Maksim has always made sure to do things right. Like Vyacheslav, he is loud and rambunctious, and he doesn't hesitate in the slightest to do the wacky and the crazy, but he has always made sure that he did everything to the very best of his ability. For him, if it wasn't perfect, then it simply wasn't good enough. "About" or "around" was never good enough, and guess-timating was simple out of the question: everything had to be exact. From learning phrases in English to making his bed, from washing the dishes to doing his schoolwork, everything was done with the utmost care and precision. Maksim refused for there to be any room for error.

Part of this stemmed from the car accident that ultimately took the life of his parents. His mother was an excellent driver with a pristine record, and yet, something so terrible still befell them. The only possible reason, Maksim had figured, was that they hadn't been completely prepared. Something had happened to throw his mother off her game, and because of that, they no longer walked the earth. If everything had gone perfectly that day, if his mother had slammed on the brakes just a fraction of a second sooner, things would be so different, today. Perfectionist was a mild way of describing Maksim- control freak would be far more accurate.

When it came to magic, Maksim was a natural. Latin may have been tricky for others to pronounce, but something about the dead language just made sense to him. Casting spells, and even duelling, was seen as an art to the young boy, and he launched himself into learning as much as he could, as well as he could. He practiced for hours and hours each day, perfecting his pronunciation, his wand movement, and his hand placement on his wand. If there ever came a time where he really needed magic, he would be ready, and he would not let down anyone who was counting on him.

But beyond an extremely traumatizing incident in his childhood that would scar any child for life, Maksim also had an insatiable hunger to be the best. Oh, he hid it quite well from most people, although Vyacheslav could see right through him in an instant. They were brothers and best friends, after all. But unbeknownst to everyone else, Maksim was one of the most overly-competitive people that could ever walk the earth. It was always in small ways, too- like who woke up the earliest, who stayed up the latest, who had the best hair, who could talk to the most girls, who had the best grades... But being so overly competitive also meant that Maksim naturally got better and better at everything he did.

Maksim has always had this need to be in control, and for everything to be as perfect as possible. Impeccable planning, hours and hours of practice, and an over-competitive drive are what fuels the young boy's actions, even if he masks it all with his charisma and good looks. It's always the smart ones who know how to lie that are the most dangerous. Despite how hard he's tried to hide it, without a doubt, Maksim is a total control freak. But, since that's a little rude to say to someone's face, many people prefer to identify him as a classic case of a perfectionist.

word count: 566
year two: evasive maneuvers.

Reducio

Maksim is an athletic young boy- or, at least, above average in terms of speed, stamina, and strength, combining to make someone who is more athletic than your average Russian Joe. Although he certainly isn't the strongest kid around, he is tall for his age, with a lean and slightly muscular build. In short, he looks like he could easily play any number of sports, all with great ease. He is light on his feet, extremely reactive to any changes around him, and in general, could remind one of a jumpy rabbit, ready to flee at a moment's notice.

Of course, much of this trait also stems from his parents' car crash, although obviously, he doesn't know that trauma changes the way people act. In his subconscious, though, hypotheticals replayed over and over again, as if he could find a parallel universe in which his parents had walked away from that awful accident. Maybe... maybe if his parents had been just quick enough, they could've avoided the other car altogether, or they could've gotten out of the car quicker, or... If things just hadn't gone so disastrously wrong, Maksim might've still had his parents here with him. He was not going to let that happen between him and his new family, the Preobrazhenskys, and thus, had made sure that he was always in the best possible form to dodge any horrendous situations that might arise.

Beyond a crippling trauma that deeply affected the young boy's every personality trait, you simply had to be good at dodging things when you had a younger brother- specifically, if you had a younger brother who was a troublemaker. The Preobrazhensky brothers were always messing around with each other, whether it was at their parents' pub entertaining the patrons, or outside taking walks around the city. He learned to dodge any joking punches, duck away from any thrown Quaffles or balls, and avoid any embarrassing kisses from their mother in public.

Now, Maksim uses his lithe build to his advantage. An aspiring duellist, the young Durmstrang student takes every chance he gets to take advantage of Durmstrang's grand duelling hall, testing his skills against his classmates. With time and practice, of course Maksim has gotten better at dodging all manner of jinxes and hexes from the bloodthirsty Durmstrang students. After all, if it saves getting hurt day in and day out, it's worth improving at. The agile and graceful young boy is determined to avoid trouble at all costs, both physical and mental.

word count: 417
year three: charmer.

Reducio

It's no secret that Maksim fancies himself to be a bit of a hottie. In fact, he likes to flaunt it at every possible moment, and his confidence is only bolstered by the comments of, "Oh, what a(n) adorable/wonderful/amazing/handsome child you are!" from patrons of his parents' pub. Borderline arrogant, he has no problem talking to anyone and everyone in an effort to make everyone like him. Or, you know, to flirt with everyone possible, gender be damned.

Of course, Maksim's already had lots of practice charming people. As a natural people-person, even from a young age, it was only natural for him to strike up a conversation with the magical community that passed through his parents' pub. From the people, whether they were locals or from around the globe, the young boy learned to hone his conversational skills, and also learned quite a few other languages. He could hardly claim to be fluent in them, but he is certainly much better at them than most other young wizards in Russia. His English is remarkably good for someone who's never left Russia, and knows quite a lot more than the average kid at school about the language.

Talking to adults all the time also taught Maksim how to sweet-talk others into getting his way. More often than not, at the pub, he can be seen chatting to the adults in such a manner that they end up scrambling for their wallets, to buy him some food or a drink; and from his family's pub, no less! While he is no Veela, his undeniable charm and suave demeanor puts most people at ease in his presence. Well, most adults, anyhow. With other kids, it is probable that they see him as more of a smooth-talker or a suck-up than a charming, charismatic young man, although it does seem like Maksim gets more than his fair share of friendly favors and bonus help from his classmates.

He has absolutely no qualms about flashing a blindingly white smile and tossing around some puppy-dog eyes if he ever needs a leg up on everyone else. Does this make him ruthless? A little bit, yeah. But the very things that make him a dangerous enemy make him a powerful ally and a fantastic friend. Maksim knows how to turn on his charms when he needs them, and his charisma and personality can be just as dangerous as his wand when Maksim wants to use them as weapons. Indubitably (how's that for an SAT word?), Maksim Preobrazhensky is a charming young man.

word count: 425

any and all mentions of and content pertaining to ruby cazares' inpc vyacheslav preobrazhensky have been approved of by ruby herself.

edit: Maksim is not a Quidditch player.

Approved

I am a tad confused if your parents are alive or not. I might just be sleepy of confused. To be clear, your wizard-born mother was driving a car? This is highly unusual because of how separated wizards are from muggles (it is why we have muggle studies). Regardless, approved.

Espen Kvalheim

Stats:
Stamina: 10
Evasion: 10
Strength: 5
Wisdom: 0
Arcane Power: 0
Accuracy: 10

Abilities:
First Year:
Charmer

Reducio

At home under the critical eye of his mother, Espen would use his charm to gain the favor of his father. Was it his cute looks that pushed his father to side with him? Maybe it was the fact that he was the only other male in the house. Yet despite that there was always something about the boy that his family could not place. When visiting the elders of his mothers community, the matron mother had told his parents that something obscured him, affecting her ability to clearly read his aura. This was the first indication that there was something different about Espen.

Espen had never had a particularly difficult time making friends in his life. There was something about him that many found hard to resist. He never fully understood why this happened to him, as growing up he spent most of his life in the shadow of his older twin sisters. Despite this, he never failed to garner the affection of his fellow classmates, his first time understanding a bit what the old lady had spoken of to his parents.

Upon arriving at Durmstrang Institute, Espen quickly drew many to him. When he spoke, others listened. This charm helped him in school, as Espen frequently procrastinated on his schoolwork until the last minute. Although he was not dim minded, he would have failed all classes had he not been able to convince the other students around him to provide him with their answers for homework. The only classes he was prepared to put hard, dedicated work towards was ones that taught about the Dark Arts.

Despite this, Espen remained sharp witted, never fearing that he would be asked to leave Durmstrang Institute. He was confident that after experiencing how other students came to his aid, fumbled with their words around him, or managed to collide into others when passing him in the hallway, he would be able to convince any professors to let him remain at school.

Despite his charm, Espen only managed to keep a few loyal friends around him. This was not a flaw in his character, indicating an underlying personality flaw such as arrogance, toxicity, or betrayal of acquaintances, but rather was an indication that Espen was one who found little importance in the quantity of friends one had around themselves, and focused more on the quality of friends. Of those who he chose to remain as his close confidants, the charm of the young boy made them fiercely loyal and protective of the boy. Should any confrontation happen with another student, his friends were not far behind to support him. Was this due to his ability to instill devotion amongst those students based on some other factor, or due to his charming nature? While Espen was never quite sure himself after realizing that many people fell for his charm, he did not question the dedication his friends showed towards him.
WC: 487

Desired quidditch position: Chaser

Approved

Vyacheslav Aleksandrovich Preobrazhensky

Statistics
Stamina: 6
Evasion: 7
Strength: 7
Wisdom: 6
Arcane Power: 5
Accuracy: 10

Abilities

First Ability: Evasive Maneuvers

Reducio

Vyacheslav, even at the young age of 13, had already been involved in perhaps more than his fair share of fights. His desire for the rush of adrenaline and his tendency to tease people and stir up trouble had pushed others over the edge many a time. Still, he mostly enjoyed it, even if his older brother had to come save his neck sometimes. He learned to dodge, to be light on his feet, and to sharpen his senses so that he would know when people were coming—which also helped him avoid getting caught when he set up pranks. With endless amounts of energy, reacting quickly and ducking or jumping to the side was never a problem.

At home, he got practice by dodging Maksim when messing around. While Vyacheslav was often the one to initiate it, Maksim wasn't afraid to hit back—jokingly with his fists or by throwing objects at him in a futile attempt to get him to shut up. When he was younger, a fair amount of them would hit, but he soon learned to dodge and would do so with a huge, self-satisfied grin while continuing to babble on about whatever he was annoying his brother with that day.

Once, he got to see a travelling circus. In awe of the acrobatics in the performances, he persuaded his parents to sign him up for gymnastics. He did that for years before going to Durmstrang, and continued to return there during the summers. He had a natural affinity for it, and became rather good at it after lots of practice. Using it as a way to dodge was almost too showy and unnecessary, even for him, so he used it sparingly. However, these skills and the training made him more nimble and improved his flexibility and reflexes.

A flicker in his peripheral vision, the sound of footsteps, the slight raising of a voice, an innate sense… all of them would alert the boy to impending danger. Avoiding getting hit became something ingrained in his nature, and he started doing it almost subconsciously, moving in response to the small signals before he even realised that he had spotted them. He could dodge hexes, punches, and things that his brother threw at him, often in the morning in an attempt to wake him up or if he got irritated after Vyacheslav woke him up instead. Sometimes he still got hit, but it was undeniable that he had improved greatly over the years.

Word Count: 413 words

Second Ability: Broken Broomshaft

Reducio

Quidditch. It was one of the things that Vyacheslav had become most passionate about, even if that had only taken effect in the past year. He had had a minor fear of flying until he put himself out there and joined the Quidditch team on a dare. He realised that he was starting to enjoy it, and the fear dissipated with a little bit of time and the thrill of some danger. There was always the risk of being hit with a bludger and off of his broom, but there was also the chance that he could hit back. Hard.

Impulsive, reckless, and hotheaded with a penchant for insults were not good traits to have if one wanted to stay out of trouble. Slava made no attempt to avoid it, provoking people regardless of the consequences. Light on his feet after years passed, his dodging had improved, but the fact remained that he had to get help from Maksim or flee a lot of the time. Sure, he had fists and learned to use them, and he wasn't weak, but he was often faced with bigger and stronger opponents. He had to learn to do more damage.

Training was the simplest way to improve, getting his brother and parents to help him practice or set up equipment. His parents didn't approve of the physical fighting, but it was difficult to stop him and there was no harm in being prepared with self-defense techniques in case things ever went wrong or magic couldn't be used. He managed to make some progress in this time, and he just got further with that in his years at Durmstrang, particularly during his first year of joining the Quidditch team. His motivation was rekindled by the desire to be the best at what he did. His highly competitive nature helped him improve himself and his strength.

Slava was not a boy with a tough upbringing or tragic past, and he frequently struggled to take things seriously. Despite that, he did get knocked down—literally and occasionally metaphorically—but he would always get back up again and finish what he started. His determination didn't cease and he learned to hold his own without needing as much help from his brother. He began hitting things with enough force to sometimes break them. He was a happy kid with a good heart, but a rather destructive nature. This nature was demonstrated in Quidditch by his position as a Beater and from the first time he broke someone's broom.

Word Count: 420 words

Quidditch Position: Beater
Broom: Silver Arrow

Note: I used 41 stat points due to a bonus from a Quidditch win. Mentions of Maksim Preobrazhensky were approved by Ami Procoppio.

Approved