Russel "Watson" Blake Mardel
Aug 4, 2013 12:46:51 GMT -5
Post by Jelly on Aug 4, 2013 12:46:51 GMT -5
Written: 7/27/2011
[style=width: 500px; font-family: georgia; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 1.5px; color: #000000; text-transform: uppercase;]TO THE WELL ORGANIZED MIND,[/style][style=width: 500px; font-family: georgia; font-size: 32px; letter-spacing: 1px; color: #467970; text-transform: uppercase;]RUSSEL BLAKE MARDEL[/style][style=width: 450px; font-family: georgia; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 1.5px; color: #000000; text-transform: uppercase; border-bottom: 1px dashed #000000;]DEATH IS BUT THE NEXT GRAND ADVENTURE[/style]
[style=width: 450px; border-top: 1px dashed #000000; font-family: georgia; font-size: 10px; font-style: italic; color: #000000; text-transform: lowercase;]"hopelessly, I feel like there might be something that I'll miss
hopelessly, I feel like the window closes oh so quick
hopelessly, I'm taking a mental picture of you now
'cuz hopelessly, the hope is we have so much to feel good about"[/style]
[style=width: 480px; font-family: georgia; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: 0px; text-transform: uppercase; color: #467970;]THERE IS NO GOOD AND EVIL, ONLY POWER[/style][style=width: 480px; font-family: georgia; letter-spacing: .5px; color: #000000; text-transform: uppercase; border-bottom: 1px dashed #000000;]BASICS , BASICS , BASICS , BASICS , BASICS, BASICS , BASICS , BASICS , BASICS, BASICS[/style]
[style=width: 480px; text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;]FULL NAME ,
Russel Blake Mardel
NICKNAMES ,
Watson, Russ, Brussel (let’s just say his sister decided to give him the worst nickname she could… and got stuck at the vegetable)
AGE && BIRTHDAY ,
16 years; May 23rd, 1995
YEAR OR OCCUPATION ,
Sixth year
BLOOD ,
Pureblood (by his definition at least – technically 3/4)
HOUSE ,
Ravenclaw
GENDER && SEXUALITY ,
Male; heterosexual
WAND ,
11 inches, hawthorn wood, sphinx feather, unyielding[/style]
[style=width: 480px; font-family: georgia; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: 1px; text-transform: uppercase; color: #467970;]AND THOSE TOO WEAK TO SEEK IT[/style][style=width: 480px; font-family: georgia; letter-spacing: 0px; color: #000000; text-transform: uppercase; border-bottom: 1px dashed #000000;]APPEARANCE , APPEARANCE , APPEARANCE , APPEARANCE , APPEARANCE , APPEARANCE[/style]
[style=width: 480px; text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;]FACE CLAIM ,
Andrew Garfield
HAIR && EYE COLOR ,
Light reddish (in the right light) brown hair; brown eyes
HEIGHT && WEIGHT ,
6 feet; 155 lbs
DISTINGUISHING FEATURES ,
Characteristics: The only natural feature Russel has that attracts attention (usually of people making fun of it) is his thick eyebrows, although he’s thankful he didn’t inherit his father’s full unibrow.
Scars: Only the not-too-surprising amount of minor scars that Russel has acquired through his sixteen years of life, from being a relative klutz just as much as simply from being a teenage boy.
Piercings and tattoos: Not a fan of these types of things (except for earrings in women), he has none.
STYLE ,
Russel’s style – if you can exactly call it that – is very simple. He’s certainly not a jeans and t-shirt kind of guy, but for him slacks or corduroys (or loose cargo pants when he wants to be more comfortable) and sweaters or button-up shirts and vests (or at least simple t-shirts) do a similar job. Sure, he has a few pairs of jeans or sweats and worn shirts to wear for if he ever has to do some kind of dirty work, but only then – and then only when the majority of people wouldn’t see him wearing them in the first place. Dressing up, despite how he dresses normally, is something of a hassle for him. He has a tendency to get perfectionistic with his clothes in such instances, and then get all nervous about whether he looks right or not, and then he just ends up all frazzled unless someone steps in to help.
As for his hair, he does very little with it. Thankfully, he doesn’t have to do much with it besides wash it every now and then and brush it once in a while. Then again, any attempts to style it would end up being useless anyways, as he has a habit or nervous tic of running his hands through it, or even pulling at it (so yes, Holmes literally has made him almost pull his hair out on some occasions).[/style]
[style=width: 480px; font-family: georgia; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -1px; text-transform: uppercase; color: #467970;]FEAR OF A NAME INCREASES FEAR OF THE THING[/style][style=width: 480px; font-family: georgia; letter-spacing: .5px; color: #000000; text-transform: uppercase; border-bottom: 1px dashed #000000;]PERSONALITY , PERSONALITY , PERSONALITY , PERSONALITY , PERSONALITY[/style]
[style=width: 480px; text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;]LIKES ,
Books of any genre
Long quiet nights
Receiving a high score on an assignment (or succeeding at anything in general)
Any kind of chocolate candy
Snow
DISLIKES ,
Loud music
Stereotypes
Obnoxious people (although there are many ways to be obnoxious)
Quidditch (but he’ll support his house team and friends)
Girls who wear too much makeup or perfume
STRENGTHS ,
Focused
Intelligent
Quick learner
Determined
Good ‘behind the scenes’ leader
Quick reflexes when he doesn’t over-think them (otherwise his reaction time is horrible)
WEAKNESSES ,
Somewhat naïve
Mediocre to novice flyer
Accident prone
Stubborn
Shy in front of crowds (stage fright)
Explosive temper (though it takes quite a lot to set him off)
His family – his sister especially
Holmes
PATRONUS ,
Badger. One of the most obvious characteristics Russel shares with his badger patronus is the complete and utter determination to get what he wants, whatever he has to do to get it. In his case, these are mostly scholarly pursuits, such as tackling a difficult spell (he’s had his eye on trying to become an animagus, for one example), but it still overflows into other areas of his life. Another easy similarity is the fierce protection he has for those he cares for, family and friends alike. He will do absolutely anything for them, and though no situation has ever called for it (thankfully), that includes giving his life for them. The last major connection is his rather solitary nature. He’s not reclusive and he has plenty of friends, but besides Holmes and a few others, the majority of people aren’t all that close to him; if he isn’t with those few, he’s off somewhere enjoying being alone.
Then again, despite everything that ties him to the badger personality-wise, part of it might just be that his best friend is a Hufflepuff (winkwinknudgenudge? <.<).
BOGGART ,
Losing someone. He hasn’t yet, although he’s seen his best friend lose her sister, and he’s almost lost his sister, but just the idea terrifies him.
Spiders. Just because; he really doesn’t have a good story to back this fear up, he’s just never liked them. At all.
Crowds. He’s not exactly claustrophobic, but he doesn’t like being around lots of people. Much less being in front of lots of people. Those are times he tends to freeze up and break out in a cold sweat, ending up stuttering and all that.
VERITASERUM ,
His sister is a squib. Furthermore, because she can’t attend Hogwarts, every summer/break he still tries to teach her subjects like potions, herbology, history of magic, ancient runes, care of magical creatures, or anything else that doesn’t necessarily need active magic.
AMORTENTIA ,
Smoke: Instead of thinking ‘danger’ when he sees a fire or smells smoke, Russel thinks of warmth and comfort and many cold winter nights spent around long low-burning fires with his family, even when they had a heater.
Raspberries: His and his sister’s favorite fruit (maybe it’s technically a berry, but he doesn’t care), and one they spend many summer days picking from the thorn patch in their backyard.
Ink and parchment: One of his favorite places is the library (however much time he actually gets to spend there), and when he’s on his own he’s often found with his nose buried in a book or scratching out something of his own – that no one will ever read – on a spare piece of parchment.
DESCRIPTION ,
Russel is a rather quiet person, when left to his own devices. He enjoys the sound of silence, or when it is only broken by the turn of a page or the scratching of a quill on parchment. In fact, he’s known to often stay in the Ravenclaw common room long after everyone else goes to bed, enjoying the simple comfort of the warm fire, the company of Tac (his cat), and a good book or an essay of some kind he has to finish. And considering the fact that he has a tendency to load himself up on more classes than one person should take (although he doesn’t have such a lovely device like a timeturner to allow him to take even more), he usually has an excuse to stay up late merely to finish homework.
However he’s not exactly antisocial. But, for Russel, there’s a difference between knowing someone (as, say, he knows the majority of Ravenclaws, or of sixth years, but only in passing) and being friends with them. He only has a few real friends – those he can completely open up around – and yet he is still often just as quiet as he normally is when around them. He’s just not always so quiet around them. In fact, if someone gets a conversation going in something he is interested or well-versed in, well, it’s hard to get him to stop talking. Then again, no matter who you are, Russel isn’t afraid to speak his mind to you (at least when it’s socially acceptable – he won’t burst out while passing someone in the hall that they really shouldn’t wear so much perfume, or something along those lines). This trait most often comes out when either a) someone asks him his opinion on something – where he will either be brutally obvious or completely avoid the topic – or b) he’s arguing with someone, whether it be over something as simple as an answer to a homework question, or some kind of standoff in the halls where someone has wronged him or one of his friends.
Then again, standing up to someone is completely different from standing up in front of them, and Russel has long come to terms with the fact that he has horrible stage fright. Even being called out in class in any situation that involves him leaving his desk and becoming the focus of attention leaves him with sweaty palms and a stuttering tongue, as well as magnifying the horrible fidgeting habit he has. He attributes it to his quiet personality anyways, but more often than not does anything he can to avoid being put on the stand with little explanation.
Most would expect someone so reserved (toward the general public) to have a similarly quiet temper, but that’s not quite how it works. It’s true that Russel can manage to keep himself calm in great lengths of situations, but he certainly does have a breaking point. And whether someone reaches that point by continuously trying to push his buttons or (purposefully or accidentally) pushing one of his weak points, they’ll get the same reaction: a rather violent outburst that could quickly escalate to a full blown fight if he’s egged on and no one else steps him. His own personal pride is of little concern to him (at least when others attack it), but attacking those he cares for or what he plans to do with his life will get a rise out of him every time.[/style]
[style=width: 480px; font-family: georgia; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: 1px; text-transform: uppercase; color: #467970;]TIME IS MAKING FOOLS OF US AGAIN[/style][style=width: 480px; font-family: georgia; letter-spacing: .5px; color: #000000; text-transform: uppercase; border-bottom: 1px dashed #000000;]HISTORY , HISTORY , HISTORY , HISTORY , HISTORY , HISTORY , HISTORY , HISTORY[/style]
[style=width: 480px; text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;]PARENTS ,
Oliver Thomas Mardel: father, forty-seven, pureblood, former Gryffindor, works in the Ministry of Magic
Amelia Marie Mardel: mother, thirty-eight, half-blood, former Ravenclaw, works with magical creatures
SIBLINGS ,
Elsie Ann Mardel: younger sister, twelve, squib
OTHER FAMILY ,
Blake William Mardel: paternal grandfather, sixty-seven, pureblood, former Gryffindor, retired
Ellen Paige Lewis: maternal grandmother, deceased, muggle
Daniel James Lewis: maternal uncle, thirty-eight, muggle, real estate salesman
IMPORTANT FIGURES ,
Saraphina Eve Holmes
PETS ,
Tac: used to be Sara’s cat, but Russel didn’t trust her to care for her and took the cat for its own safety. He’s since grown attached (since he was originally planning on leaving Tac home) and Tac’s now a common sight in his room or the Ravenclaw common room.
Lincoln: one of two owls the Mardel family calls their own, although Lincoln is more Russel’s than anyone else’s and accompanies him to school, although he’s somewhat a menace as he prefers to roost in places other than the owlery.
Rox: his sister’s pride and joy of a pet, the Mardel family’s other owl.
DEMENTOR ,
The fight he had with his father when they found out his sister was officially a squib. Suffice to say it got rather nasty – and then he had to go searching the city for his sister when she ran away because of it. It was the longest night of his life.
PATRONUS MEMORY ,
The day he got his wand from Ollivander’s. It wasn’t his first trip to Daigon Alley, but it was his first after he received his Hogwarts letter, and everything seemed completely different and new, and Elsie was as excited about it all as he was. Right after he got his wand, his whole family visited the nearest Honeydukes, and even though his parents said they’d only buy each of them one thing, he managed to use a little of his own money to get him and Elsie some Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans – her favorite. They shared them the whole way home.
BACKGROUND ,
Though not a very powerful pureblood family, the Mardel family was most certainly pureblood – for very many long, long generations. Unfortunately, their blood status was nearly all they had, as someone far back in the line did something scandalous or other, and along with that (or after it, all the details are somewhat vague now, as it’s been covered up as best as it can be) lost a great majority of the family’s money. Each generation after him set about trying to right themselves in the wizarding world, but even with how many had passed before Russel and Elsie’s birth, they still hadn’t quite achieved that. As it was, their blood status was still one of the vitally important things to his family when Oliver Mardel, an only child (more importantly to his father, an only son), decided to settle down with a half-blood. It wasn’t exactly a surprise that his family wasn’t all too happy with that fact – though perhaps they were thankful he didn’t choose a muggle-born or (God forbid) an actual muggle. In fact, had he not been his father’s only son (his mother having died in his teen years), he wouldn’t have been surprised to be completely cut off from what little the Mardel family had for its descendants.
Instead, Oliver and Amelia’s small family was simply under the constant disapproving glare from his father, especially after the man retired from a position of his in the Ministry and came to live with them, unable to support himself (not that he’ll ever admit it) on his own after that. However, the birth of young Russel was an event celebrated by them all, especially after he showed very early signs of magical blood. It was a very simple stunt that proved it, but it was enough for his grandfather. The night they brought him home from St. Mungo’s and left him to sleep in his crib, they woke not to him crying in the middle of the night, but instead to the whirring sound of the little mobile over his crib spinning around and around like crazy, while the baby below giggled to himself.
Russel had a very simple childhood. Despite the overall financial situation of the Mardel family, his own small family unit seemed to be doing well enough. At least, if he was ever left wanting something, he didn’t notice. In fact, his mother spoiled him whenever she could. It was never anything large or very expensive, but every time he went out shopping with her (which was every time, as it wouldn’t do to leave him home, even if his grandfather could have watched him), he always came home with some kind of small candy treat or other. The only thing he can really remember his father doing for him in his first few formative years was reading to him. Singing him to sleep never worked – his mother tried – but when Oliver pulled up the rocking chair and rocked the two of them while reading from some book (it really didn’t matter what book it was, at least in the first few years – he got picky when he began to understand the words and the stories), his father’s voice would easily lull him to sleep.
Unfortunately, at about the same time that Russel was getting used to this lifestyle, two major things came about that changed it. First, Oliver was promoted in the Ministry, his new job meaning more money for the family, certainly, but also less time for him to be home. Second, Amelia discovered she was pregnant for a second time, much to the happiness of her and her husband, the wariness of her father in law (however well Russel had turned out, he still didn’t think his son should be with anyone that wasn’t a pureblood), and the confusion of her son. He had no idea what to think, all he knew was that everything got al chaotic at once, his daddy was never home when he went to bed to read him to sleep (there were incidents where he refused to go to bed until Oliver did get home), and his mommy was sick half the time. And in fact, the pregnancy was a very rough one for Amelia. Near her last trimester she was restricted to bed rest so she couldn’t wear herself out and put more stress on her body, and Russel was left in the care of his aging grandfather. He wasn’t a horrible caretaker, but Russel never really liked him, and spending hours and days with him only strengthened that. Maybe it was the way he smelled (like firewhiskey and worn out leather), or maybe it was the way he looked at everyone, like no one quite met his expectations. He may have been only four years old, but there was something that warned Russel away from his grandfather, and the little boy was happy to listen to it whenever he could.
When little Elsie was finally born, things actually got better, somewhat. Even though it still took a little while for their mother to recover, she was up and moving more than before, and that meant that she could watch over Russel while she took care of her new daughter as well. Many children (at least the oldest) get jealous when they first have to deal with a younger sibling, but Russel was partly just glad his mother was getting better, and partly curious as to who in the world this new little addition to their family was. Unfortunately (in the eyes of both the older Mardel men), Elsie had no early signs of magic like Russel had. They didn’t doubt that she would eventually, but both of them (at least, whenever Oliver was home) were constantly looking for something from her.
However, the two Mardel children were too busy having fun with each other and enjoying the early years of their life, oblivious to the world – to the ever-watchful eyes of their grandfather, the constant support and care of their mother, and their rather absent father (although it became a common practice for him to watch them sleep for some time when he came home late), as well as the rest of the world outside their small home. Russel adored his sister, amused at the little thing she was, and she returned the favor, quickly choosing her brother as her favorite playmate. As they both grew old enough, their games grew more complex, as kids’ games do. They’d spend all day with each other: picking berries to snack on or chasing each other around in games or tag or hide and seek in their backyard during the warmer months, causing a general ruckus or building forts where they would ‘hide’ and Russel would try and teach little Elsie to read (though she had much less interest in his books than he did) during the colder or stormier parts of the year.
The day his letter to Hogwarts came was a day of celebration for the family – though it wasn’t unexpected. On the next day off that his father had from work, they all went out to Daigon Alley and set about finding everything he needed for his first year. It was a long, happy day, the first in a very long time when their entire small family was together without any sort of incidents (even Russel’s grandfather kept his more sardonic comments to himself, proud to be sending his grandson off to Hogwarts). In fact, hardly anything else happened among the family in the days leading up to September 1st, and a nervous, excited young Russel was sent off on the Hogwarts Express without a hitch.
Awkward and unsure as he was truly alone for the first time he could think of, Russel wasn’t sure who to sit with or what to do, but thankfully that problem was soon solved for him. After he had found an empty compartment that he could keep to himself, it was invaded by none other than the girl that soon became his best friend: Saraphina Holmes. Though he was rather quiet at first, soon an easy conversation sprang up between them, which continued throughout the entire train ride, cementing the friendship in at least his mind. Unfortunately, once they reached Hogwarts (which left Russel in awe, despite the stories – like that of the ceiling – his parents and grandfather had mentioned to him) and were sorted, the two of them were separated. Sara went to Hufflepuff, and Russel was sorted in Ravenclaw – although he was happy to be joining his mother’s old house too.
Thankfully they still had classes together, and although Russel made friends with others in his house – some as good friends with him as Sara became – he would always try to make time for the two of them to hang out, even if that was simply to study together. And between studying and going through his classes and spending time with the few friends that would pull him from the library or his room to socialize (because he really wouldn’t unless they made him), the year passed quickly and rather uneventfully.
The summer was equally quick, even though it was obvious something was changing in the family. As his grandfather got older, he got even more bitter at the fact that Oliver had married a half-blood, and at the fact that Elsie had still yet to show any magical potential. And although the young girl was kept from knowing the extent of his harsh judgments about her (and the fact that he would call her a squib – the term obviously derogative from him), her mother was really the only one that did anything about it. It seemed, as time went on, that Oliver Mardel was agreeing with his father, and not only did it show in the little time he spent home around his daughter, it put a strain on his marriage – although, thankfully (depending on how you look at it), they never even considered divorce.
Russel couldn’t wait to return to Hogwarts, even when he didn’t want to leave little Elsie behind. He promised the young girl that he would write her constantly – a promise he easily kept on. And over the next few years, little of note happened besides the classes Russel took, the nickname his was unceremoniously given, that he really found more amusing than anything, and what trouble the usual Hogwarts student gets into throughout the course of their school career. (Well, maybe he and Holmes got into more, but Russel would deny that.)
As his fourth year rolled around, something changed. Well, something changed in Sara. Russel had known his friend’s older sister – they were in the same house after all, but besides looking up to her in a way, he had never really gotten to know her. The loss hit him more in the effect it had on his best friend, no matter how she coped with it. And he never judged her, never said anything about the changes in the way she acted. For the longest time, he just humored her – truly becoming her Watson as she set about trying to ‘solve’ any mysteries she found around Hogwarts. Eventually his whole voice of reason role in the whole thing began to play a bigger part (especially as any important tests came up), but he could never really keep himself from getting roped into whatever it was that Holmes wanted to do.
The summer before his fifth year dealt a much more personal blow to Russel. Elsie was turning eleven, and although she had yet to show any magical potential, they all hoped and prayed that her Hogwarts letter would come, that they would be proven wrong. When only one letter came before the school year started – Russel’s – their house all but erupted. Blake Mardel was yelling profanities and ‘I told you so’s and insults hurled both toward Elsie and her mother, while his son was both yelling back to argue with him and protect his family, as well as directing a few of his own comments at little Elsie, part of him blaming her for not having the ‘vital’ magic genes. As the young girl cowered behind her mother (who’s own protests at the both of the older men in the house went roughly ignored), Russel found himself completely fed up with the comments and the insults he had heard his grandfather muttering when he thought no one was listening through all the years, and the rising fight amongst all of them.
His voice joined the fight, to which neither of the other Mardel men responded well, and it came to the point that he even drew his wand – ignoring the fact that he wasn’t supposed to use magic, or the fact that this was his father or his grandfather. Thankfully it never got farther than that, for his mother cast a shield charm between all of them, and the two wands brought silence throughout the house. Amelia ordered her son out of the room (up to his own, most likely, but he can’t remember that part), but as the fuming teenage boy went to follow her instructions, he froze, noticing Elsie was nowhere to be seen. He ran and checked the kitchen, as well as her own small room, and when he realized she was absolutely nowhere within the house, he went sprinting out the door without another word. It didn’t take the rest of his family long to figure out what had happened, and they took up the search as well (their heated fight momentarily forgotten – even by his grandfather), but the hours passed slowly and she was still, simply, gone.
Russel didn’t find her until the early hours of the morning, when the sun was beginning to rise. She had somehow ended up in a random alleyway, curled up beside a dumpster where she had given up running away and just sat through half the night. The extremely worried and extremely relieved Russel checked her over for anything that could have been an injury, pulled her into an incredibly tight hug, and then proceeded to lecture her on the way home about how horrible of an idea it was to run away like that – in that perfect older brother voice, of course. Thankfully the whole incident muted any complaints their grandfather (and father) had about the issue of her being a squib, and things settled back into some sort of regularity in their home.
When Russel went back to Hogwarts, he made no mention of his sister’s absence (although it wasn’t a surprise that Holmes managed to figure it out). In fact, a large majority of his fellow students don’t even know he has a sister, and those who do have just never figured out that she never came to Hogwarts, that year or this coming one. He wrote Elsie more frequently than ever (especially as rumors about this so-called ‘Dark Lord’ began to spring up), and swore to himself that he would teach her whatever he could during any break or over the summer. Because of that, he’s been focusing more on classes with less of a magic base and more of an information one – though he doesn’t exactly neglect the others. And, in fact, he has his eye on trying to become a teacher once leaving Hogwarts (unless he could be lucky enough to gain a teaching position there, which he wishes for, but doubts).[/style]
[style=width: 480px; font-family: georgia; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: 0px; text-transform: uppercase; color: #467970;]IT IS THE UNKNOWN WE FEAR[/style][style=width: 480px; font-family: georgia; letter-spacing: .5px; color: #000000; text-transform: uppercase; border-bottom: 1px dashed #000000;]ROLE PLAYER , ROLE PLAYER , ROLE PLAYER , ROLE PLAYER , ROLE PLAYER[/style]
[style=width: 480px; text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;]CBOX NAME ,
Jelly
RP EXPERIENCE ,
Going on seven years
OTHER CHARACTERS ,
None (yet *cough*)
COMMENTS ,
Sooo glad this is finally done xD Watson’s been hogging all my muse.[/style]
[style=width: 480px; font-family: georgia; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: -0.5px; text-transform: uppercase; color: #467970;]IT DOES NOT DO TO DWELL ON DREAMS AND FORGET TO LIVE[/style][style=width: 480px; font-family: georgia; letter-spacing: .5px; color: #000000; text-transform: uppercase; border-bottom: 1px dashed #000000;]SAMPLE , SAMPLE , SAMPLE , SAMPLE , SAMPLE , SAMPLE , SAMPLE , SAMPLE , SAMPLE[/style]
[style=width: 480px; text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;]Whose bright idea was it to set her up on a blind date anyways? The very idea of such a thing mortified her. Not because there was anything really wrong with the concept… just with her and the concept. She didn’t know anything about him, how was she supposed to do this? What were they supposed to talk about? How was she supposed to even know who her date was? Well, actually, that last part was taken care of, courtesy of the very same friend who had set this whole thing up – making the reservation under her own name so that they both wouldn’t have to worry about it. Still, that knowledge did little to quell her nerves as she readied herself for the night.
But a shower and a session of blow drying her hair and brushing it and otherwise readying herself later, she had somewhat steeled herself for it. Somewhat. At least she could enjoy it, right? Dress up a little (because while the little Belle Italia was no five star restaurant, it was still a nice, local, place for them to meet and have dinner), and meet someone knew that she might not have ever really come across normally. Even if this didn’t go as well as her friend was obviously hoping, there was the possibility of a friendship springing up from it, right? Then again, there was also the possibility of her making a fool of herself and being able to use the whole thing as a reason to never go on another blind date again.
Trying to discard those thoughts with a shake of her head as she locked the door of her apartment, she made her way down to her car. The poor thing, it had finally gotten fixed up after many extra hours at the diner. But at least it wasn’t dented and scratched up anymore, and she didn’t have that little voice in the back of her head piping up with the ‘what will people think?’ when she was driving it. It was a terrible habit, certainly, her constant wondering about other people’s opinions, but it wasn’t exactly something she could control. In fact, that same voice was currently bugging her with a different, but similar question that she couldn’t quite ignore. What will he think? Although she wasn’t concerned with her car with that question.
When she finally reached the little Italian restaurant (it had been a quick drive, but it felt like it had dragged on – must have been the red lights), she took a moment to just sit in her car and steady herself (or attempt to) with a deep breath. Her fingers tapped out a staccato beat on the steering wheel, echoing the nervous flutter of her heart. She didn’t even have any idea who this guy was, and yet she was already paranoid about what his first impression of her would be. This whole thing was crazy – the idea of a blind date, especially with her. But… it wasn’t as if she could leave now. It definitely wouldn’t leave a good impression if she stood him up, and she didn’t want to disappoint her friend who had set the whole thing up.
Taking yet another deep breath, Alyssa left her car, locked it, and made her way into the restaurant. After a quick inquiry with the hostess about whether or not her date had already come in for the reservation and finding that he hadn’t, she settled onto one of the padded benches that were there for people waiting for tables. She found herself fiddling with her necklace, sliding the pendant back and forth along the chain, until she realized that it was a clock (not that she hadn’t known when she put it on, but it was more one of those ‘oh yeah’ moments). A quick check of the time told her that there was still about five minutes until they were supposed to be there anyways, and mollified with that information – although not quite at ease on the nerve front – she fell back to waiting and fiddling with her necklace, eyes watching the door and the parking lot outside.[/style]
[style=width: 450px; border-top: 1px dashed #000000; font-family: georgia; font-size: 10px; font-style: italic; color: #000000; text-transform: lowercase;]"hopelessly, I feel like there might be something that I'll miss
hopelessly, I feel like the window closes oh so quick
hopelessly, I'm taking a mental picture of you now
'cuz hopelessly, the hope is we have so much to feel good about"[/style]
[style=width: 480px; font-family: georgia; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: 0px; text-transform: uppercase; color: #467970;]THERE IS NO GOOD AND EVIL, ONLY POWER[/style][style=width: 480px; font-family: georgia; letter-spacing: .5px; color: #000000; text-transform: uppercase; border-bottom: 1px dashed #000000;]BASICS , BASICS , BASICS , BASICS , BASICS, BASICS , BASICS , BASICS , BASICS, BASICS[/style]
[style=width: 480px; text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;]FULL NAME ,
Russel Blake Mardel
NICKNAMES ,
Watson, Russ, Brussel (let’s just say his sister decided to give him the worst nickname she could… and got stuck at the vegetable)
AGE && BIRTHDAY ,
16 years; May 23rd, 1995
YEAR OR OCCUPATION ,
Sixth year
BLOOD ,
Pureblood (by his definition at least – technically 3/4)
HOUSE ,
Ravenclaw
GENDER && SEXUALITY ,
Male; heterosexual
WAND ,
11 inches, hawthorn wood, sphinx feather, unyielding[/style]
[style=width: 480px; font-family: georgia; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: 1px; text-transform: uppercase; color: #467970;]AND THOSE TOO WEAK TO SEEK IT[/style][style=width: 480px; font-family: georgia; letter-spacing: 0px; color: #000000; text-transform: uppercase; border-bottom: 1px dashed #000000;]APPEARANCE , APPEARANCE , APPEARANCE , APPEARANCE , APPEARANCE , APPEARANCE[/style]
[style=width: 480px; text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;]FACE CLAIM ,
Andrew Garfield
HAIR && EYE COLOR ,
Light reddish (in the right light) brown hair; brown eyes
HEIGHT && WEIGHT ,
6 feet; 155 lbs
DISTINGUISHING FEATURES ,
Characteristics: The only natural feature Russel has that attracts attention (usually of people making fun of it) is his thick eyebrows, although he’s thankful he didn’t inherit his father’s full unibrow.
Scars: Only the not-too-surprising amount of minor scars that Russel has acquired through his sixteen years of life, from being a relative klutz just as much as simply from being a teenage boy.
Piercings and tattoos: Not a fan of these types of things (except for earrings in women), he has none.
STYLE ,
Russel’s style – if you can exactly call it that – is very simple. He’s certainly not a jeans and t-shirt kind of guy, but for him slacks or corduroys (or loose cargo pants when he wants to be more comfortable) and sweaters or button-up shirts and vests (or at least simple t-shirts) do a similar job. Sure, he has a few pairs of jeans or sweats and worn shirts to wear for if he ever has to do some kind of dirty work, but only then – and then only when the majority of people wouldn’t see him wearing them in the first place. Dressing up, despite how he dresses normally, is something of a hassle for him. He has a tendency to get perfectionistic with his clothes in such instances, and then get all nervous about whether he looks right or not, and then he just ends up all frazzled unless someone steps in to help.
As for his hair, he does very little with it. Thankfully, he doesn’t have to do much with it besides wash it every now and then and brush it once in a while. Then again, any attempts to style it would end up being useless anyways, as he has a habit or nervous tic of running his hands through it, or even pulling at it (so yes, Holmes literally has made him almost pull his hair out on some occasions).[/style]
[style=width: 480px; font-family: georgia; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -1px; text-transform: uppercase; color: #467970;]FEAR OF A NAME INCREASES FEAR OF THE THING[/style][style=width: 480px; font-family: georgia; letter-spacing: .5px; color: #000000; text-transform: uppercase; border-bottom: 1px dashed #000000;]PERSONALITY , PERSONALITY , PERSONALITY , PERSONALITY , PERSONALITY[/style]
[style=width: 480px; text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;]LIKES ,
Books of any genre
Long quiet nights
Receiving a high score on an assignment (or succeeding at anything in general)
Any kind of chocolate candy
Snow
DISLIKES ,
Loud music
Stereotypes
Obnoxious people (although there are many ways to be obnoxious)
Quidditch (but he’ll support his house team and friends)
Girls who wear too much makeup or perfume
STRENGTHS ,
Focused
Intelligent
Quick learner
Determined
Good ‘behind the scenes’ leader
Quick reflexes when he doesn’t over-think them (otherwise his reaction time is horrible)
WEAKNESSES ,
Somewhat naïve
Mediocre to novice flyer
Accident prone
Stubborn
Shy in front of crowds (stage fright)
Explosive temper (though it takes quite a lot to set him off)
His family – his sister especially
Holmes
PATRONUS ,
Badger. One of the most obvious characteristics Russel shares with his badger patronus is the complete and utter determination to get what he wants, whatever he has to do to get it. In his case, these are mostly scholarly pursuits, such as tackling a difficult spell (he’s had his eye on trying to become an animagus, for one example), but it still overflows into other areas of his life. Another easy similarity is the fierce protection he has for those he cares for, family and friends alike. He will do absolutely anything for them, and though no situation has ever called for it (thankfully), that includes giving his life for them. The last major connection is his rather solitary nature. He’s not reclusive and he has plenty of friends, but besides Holmes and a few others, the majority of people aren’t all that close to him; if he isn’t with those few, he’s off somewhere enjoying being alone.
Then again, despite everything that ties him to the badger personality-wise, part of it might just be that his best friend is a Hufflepuff (winkwinknudgenudge? <.<).
BOGGART ,
Losing someone. He hasn’t yet, although he’s seen his best friend lose her sister, and he’s almost lost his sister, but just the idea terrifies him.
Spiders. Just because; he really doesn’t have a good story to back this fear up, he’s just never liked them. At all.
Crowds. He’s not exactly claustrophobic, but he doesn’t like being around lots of people. Much less being in front of lots of people. Those are times he tends to freeze up and break out in a cold sweat, ending up stuttering and all that.
VERITASERUM ,
His sister is a squib. Furthermore, because she can’t attend Hogwarts, every summer/break he still tries to teach her subjects like potions, herbology, history of magic, ancient runes, care of magical creatures, or anything else that doesn’t necessarily need active magic.
AMORTENTIA ,
Smoke: Instead of thinking ‘danger’ when he sees a fire or smells smoke, Russel thinks of warmth and comfort and many cold winter nights spent around long low-burning fires with his family, even when they had a heater.
Raspberries: His and his sister’s favorite fruit (maybe it’s technically a berry, but he doesn’t care), and one they spend many summer days picking from the thorn patch in their backyard.
Ink and parchment: One of his favorite places is the library (however much time he actually gets to spend there), and when he’s on his own he’s often found with his nose buried in a book or scratching out something of his own – that no one will ever read – on a spare piece of parchment.
DESCRIPTION ,
Russel is a rather quiet person, when left to his own devices. He enjoys the sound of silence, or when it is only broken by the turn of a page or the scratching of a quill on parchment. In fact, he’s known to often stay in the Ravenclaw common room long after everyone else goes to bed, enjoying the simple comfort of the warm fire, the company of Tac (his cat), and a good book or an essay of some kind he has to finish. And considering the fact that he has a tendency to load himself up on more classes than one person should take (although he doesn’t have such a lovely device like a timeturner to allow him to take even more), he usually has an excuse to stay up late merely to finish homework.
However he’s not exactly antisocial. But, for Russel, there’s a difference between knowing someone (as, say, he knows the majority of Ravenclaws, or of sixth years, but only in passing) and being friends with them. He only has a few real friends – those he can completely open up around – and yet he is still often just as quiet as he normally is when around them. He’s just not always so quiet around them. In fact, if someone gets a conversation going in something he is interested or well-versed in, well, it’s hard to get him to stop talking. Then again, no matter who you are, Russel isn’t afraid to speak his mind to you (at least when it’s socially acceptable – he won’t burst out while passing someone in the hall that they really shouldn’t wear so much perfume, or something along those lines). This trait most often comes out when either a) someone asks him his opinion on something – where he will either be brutally obvious or completely avoid the topic – or b) he’s arguing with someone, whether it be over something as simple as an answer to a homework question, or some kind of standoff in the halls where someone has wronged him or one of his friends.
Then again, standing up to someone is completely different from standing up in front of them, and Russel has long come to terms with the fact that he has horrible stage fright. Even being called out in class in any situation that involves him leaving his desk and becoming the focus of attention leaves him with sweaty palms and a stuttering tongue, as well as magnifying the horrible fidgeting habit he has. He attributes it to his quiet personality anyways, but more often than not does anything he can to avoid being put on the stand with little explanation.
Most would expect someone so reserved (toward the general public) to have a similarly quiet temper, but that’s not quite how it works. It’s true that Russel can manage to keep himself calm in great lengths of situations, but he certainly does have a breaking point. And whether someone reaches that point by continuously trying to push his buttons or (purposefully or accidentally) pushing one of his weak points, they’ll get the same reaction: a rather violent outburst that could quickly escalate to a full blown fight if he’s egged on and no one else steps him. His own personal pride is of little concern to him (at least when others attack it), but attacking those he cares for or what he plans to do with his life will get a rise out of him every time.[/style]
[style=width: 480px; font-family: georgia; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: 1px; text-transform: uppercase; color: #467970;]TIME IS MAKING FOOLS OF US AGAIN[/style][style=width: 480px; font-family: georgia; letter-spacing: .5px; color: #000000; text-transform: uppercase; border-bottom: 1px dashed #000000;]HISTORY , HISTORY , HISTORY , HISTORY , HISTORY , HISTORY , HISTORY , HISTORY[/style]
[style=width: 480px; text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;]PARENTS ,
Oliver Thomas Mardel: father, forty-seven, pureblood, former Gryffindor, works in the Ministry of Magic
Amelia Marie Mardel: mother, thirty-eight, half-blood, former Ravenclaw, works with magical creatures
SIBLINGS ,
Elsie Ann Mardel: younger sister, twelve, squib
OTHER FAMILY ,
Blake William Mardel: paternal grandfather, sixty-seven, pureblood, former Gryffindor, retired
Ellen Paige Lewis: maternal grandmother, deceased, muggle
Daniel James Lewis: maternal uncle, thirty-eight, muggle, real estate salesman
IMPORTANT FIGURES ,
Saraphina Eve Holmes
PETS ,
Tac: used to be Sara’s cat, but Russel didn’t trust her to care for her and took the cat for its own safety. He’s since grown attached (since he was originally planning on leaving Tac home) and Tac’s now a common sight in his room or the Ravenclaw common room.
Lincoln: one of two owls the Mardel family calls their own, although Lincoln is more Russel’s than anyone else’s and accompanies him to school, although he’s somewhat a menace as he prefers to roost in places other than the owlery.
Rox: his sister’s pride and joy of a pet, the Mardel family’s other owl.
DEMENTOR ,
The fight he had with his father when they found out his sister was officially a squib. Suffice to say it got rather nasty – and then he had to go searching the city for his sister when she ran away because of it. It was the longest night of his life.
PATRONUS MEMORY ,
The day he got his wand from Ollivander’s. It wasn’t his first trip to Daigon Alley, but it was his first after he received his Hogwarts letter, and everything seemed completely different and new, and Elsie was as excited about it all as he was. Right after he got his wand, his whole family visited the nearest Honeydukes, and even though his parents said they’d only buy each of them one thing, he managed to use a little of his own money to get him and Elsie some Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans – her favorite. They shared them the whole way home.
BACKGROUND ,
Though not a very powerful pureblood family, the Mardel family was most certainly pureblood – for very many long, long generations. Unfortunately, their blood status was nearly all they had, as someone far back in the line did something scandalous or other, and along with that (or after it, all the details are somewhat vague now, as it’s been covered up as best as it can be) lost a great majority of the family’s money. Each generation after him set about trying to right themselves in the wizarding world, but even with how many had passed before Russel and Elsie’s birth, they still hadn’t quite achieved that. As it was, their blood status was still one of the vitally important things to his family when Oliver Mardel, an only child (more importantly to his father, an only son), decided to settle down with a half-blood. It wasn’t exactly a surprise that his family wasn’t all too happy with that fact – though perhaps they were thankful he didn’t choose a muggle-born or (God forbid) an actual muggle. In fact, had he not been his father’s only son (his mother having died in his teen years), he wouldn’t have been surprised to be completely cut off from what little the Mardel family had for its descendants.
Instead, Oliver and Amelia’s small family was simply under the constant disapproving glare from his father, especially after the man retired from a position of his in the Ministry and came to live with them, unable to support himself (not that he’ll ever admit it) on his own after that. However, the birth of young Russel was an event celebrated by them all, especially after he showed very early signs of magical blood. It was a very simple stunt that proved it, but it was enough for his grandfather. The night they brought him home from St. Mungo’s and left him to sleep in his crib, they woke not to him crying in the middle of the night, but instead to the whirring sound of the little mobile over his crib spinning around and around like crazy, while the baby below giggled to himself.
Russel had a very simple childhood. Despite the overall financial situation of the Mardel family, his own small family unit seemed to be doing well enough. At least, if he was ever left wanting something, he didn’t notice. In fact, his mother spoiled him whenever she could. It was never anything large or very expensive, but every time he went out shopping with her (which was every time, as it wouldn’t do to leave him home, even if his grandfather could have watched him), he always came home with some kind of small candy treat or other. The only thing he can really remember his father doing for him in his first few formative years was reading to him. Singing him to sleep never worked – his mother tried – but when Oliver pulled up the rocking chair and rocked the two of them while reading from some book (it really didn’t matter what book it was, at least in the first few years – he got picky when he began to understand the words and the stories), his father’s voice would easily lull him to sleep.
Unfortunately, at about the same time that Russel was getting used to this lifestyle, two major things came about that changed it. First, Oliver was promoted in the Ministry, his new job meaning more money for the family, certainly, but also less time for him to be home. Second, Amelia discovered she was pregnant for a second time, much to the happiness of her and her husband, the wariness of her father in law (however well Russel had turned out, he still didn’t think his son should be with anyone that wasn’t a pureblood), and the confusion of her son. He had no idea what to think, all he knew was that everything got al chaotic at once, his daddy was never home when he went to bed to read him to sleep (there were incidents where he refused to go to bed until Oliver did get home), and his mommy was sick half the time. And in fact, the pregnancy was a very rough one for Amelia. Near her last trimester she was restricted to bed rest so she couldn’t wear herself out and put more stress on her body, and Russel was left in the care of his aging grandfather. He wasn’t a horrible caretaker, but Russel never really liked him, and spending hours and days with him only strengthened that. Maybe it was the way he smelled (like firewhiskey and worn out leather), or maybe it was the way he looked at everyone, like no one quite met his expectations. He may have been only four years old, but there was something that warned Russel away from his grandfather, and the little boy was happy to listen to it whenever he could.
When little Elsie was finally born, things actually got better, somewhat. Even though it still took a little while for their mother to recover, she was up and moving more than before, and that meant that she could watch over Russel while she took care of her new daughter as well. Many children (at least the oldest) get jealous when they first have to deal with a younger sibling, but Russel was partly just glad his mother was getting better, and partly curious as to who in the world this new little addition to their family was. Unfortunately (in the eyes of both the older Mardel men), Elsie had no early signs of magic like Russel had. They didn’t doubt that she would eventually, but both of them (at least, whenever Oliver was home) were constantly looking for something from her.
However, the two Mardel children were too busy having fun with each other and enjoying the early years of their life, oblivious to the world – to the ever-watchful eyes of their grandfather, the constant support and care of their mother, and their rather absent father (although it became a common practice for him to watch them sleep for some time when he came home late), as well as the rest of the world outside their small home. Russel adored his sister, amused at the little thing she was, and she returned the favor, quickly choosing her brother as her favorite playmate. As they both grew old enough, their games grew more complex, as kids’ games do. They’d spend all day with each other: picking berries to snack on or chasing each other around in games or tag or hide and seek in their backyard during the warmer months, causing a general ruckus or building forts where they would ‘hide’ and Russel would try and teach little Elsie to read (though she had much less interest in his books than he did) during the colder or stormier parts of the year.
The day his letter to Hogwarts came was a day of celebration for the family – though it wasn’t unexpected. On the next day off that his father had from work, they all went out to Daigon Alley and set about finding everything he needed for his first year. It was a long, happy day, the first in a very long time when their entire small family was together without any sort of incidents (even Russel’s grandfather kept his more sardonic comments to himself, proud to be sending his grandson off to Hogwarts). In fact, hardly anything else happened among the family in the days leading up to September 1st, and a nervous, excited young Russel was sent off on the Hogwarts Express without a hitch.
Awkward and unsure as he was truly alone for the first time he could think of, Russel wasn’t sure who to sit with or what to do, but thankfully that problem was soon solved for him. After he had found an empty compartment that he could keep to himself, it was invaded by none other than the girl that soon became his best friend: Saraphina Holmes. Though he was rather quiet at first, soon an easy conversation sprang up between them, which continued throughout the entire train ride, cementing the friendship in at least his mind. Unfortunately, once they reached Hogwarts (which left Russel in awe, despite the stories – like that of the ceiling – his parents and grandfather had mentioned to him) and were sorted, the two of them were separated. Sara went to Hufflepuff, and Russel was sorted in Ravenclaw – although he was happy to be joining his mother’s old house too.
Thankfully they still had classes together, and although Russel made friends with others in his house – some as good friends with him as Sara became – he would always try to make time for the two of them to hang out, even if that was simply to study together. And between studying and going through his classes and spending time with the few friends that would pull him from the library or his room to socialize (because he really wouldn’t unless they made him), the year passed quickly and rather uneventfully.
The summer was equally quick, even though it was obvious something was changing in the family. As his grandfather got older, he got even more bitter at the fact that Oliver had married a half-blood, and at the fact that Elsie had still yet to show any magical potential. And although the young girl was kept from knowing the extent of his harsh judgments about her (and the fact that he would call her a squib – the term obviously derogative from him), her mother was really the only one that did anything about it. It seemed, as time went on, that Oliver Mardel was agreeing with his father, and not only did it show in the little time he spent home around his daughter, it put a strain on his marriage – although, thankfully (depending on how you look at it), they never even considered divorce.
Russel couldn’t wait to return to Hogwarts, even when he didn’t want to leave little Elsie behind. He promised the young girl that he would write her constantly – a promise he easily kept on. And over the next few years, little of note happened besides the classes Russel took, the nickname his was unceremoniously given, that he really found more amusing than anything, and what trouble the usual Hogwarts student gets into throughout the course of their school career. (Well, maybe he and Holmes got into more, but Russel would deny that.)
As his fourth year rolled around, something changed. Well, something changed in Sara. Russel had known his friend’s older sister – they were in the same house after all, but besides looking up to her in a way, he had never really gotten to know her. The loss hit him more in the effect it had on his best friend, no matter how she coped with it. And he never judged her, never said anything about the changes in the way she acted. For the longest time, he just humored her – truly becoming her Watson as she set about trying to ‘solve’ any mysteries she found around Hogwarts. Eventually his whole voice of reason role in the whole thing began to play a bigger part (especially as any important tests came up), but he could never really keep himself from getting roped into whatever it was that Holmes wanted to do.
The summer before his fifth year dealt a much more personal blow to Russel. Elsie was turning eleven, and although she had yet to show any magical potential, they all hoped and prayed that her Hogwarts letter would come, that they would be proven wrong. When only one letter came before the school year started – Russel’s – their house all but erupted. Blake Mardel was yelling profanities and ‘I told you so’s and insults hurled both toward Elsie and her mother, while his son was both yelling back to argue with him and protect his family, as well as directing a few of his own comments at little Elsie, part of him blaming her for not having the ‘vital’ magic genes. As the young girl cowered behind her mother (who’s own protests at the both of the older men in the house went roughly ignored), Russel found himself completely fed up with the comments and the insults he had heard his grandfather muttering when he thought no one was listening through all the years, and the rising fight amongst all of them.
His voice joined the fight, to which neither of the other Mardel men responded well, and it came to the point that he even drew his wand – ignoring the fact that he wasn’t supposed to use magic, or the fact that this was his father or his grandfather. Thankfully it never got farther than that, for his mother cast a shield charm between all of them, and the two wands brought silence throughout the house. Amelia ordered her son out of the room (up to his own, most likely, but he can’t remember that part), but as the fuming teenage boy went to follow her instructions, he froze, noticing Elsie was nowhere to be seen. He ran and checked the kitchen, as well as her own small room, and when he realized she was absolutely nowhere within the house, he went sprinting out the door without another word. It didn’t take the rest of his family long to figure out what had happened, and they took up the search as well (their heated fight momentarily forgotten – even by his grandfather), but the hours passed slowly and she was still, simply, gone.
Russel didn’t find her until the early hours of the morning, when the sun was beginning to rise. She had somehow ended up in a random alleyway, curled up beside a dumpster where she had given up running away and just sat through half the night. The extremely worried and extremely relieved Russel checked her over for anything that could have been an injury, pulled her into an incredibly tight hug, and then proceeded to lecture her on the way home about how horrible of an idea it was to run away like that – in that perfect older brother voice, of course. Thankfully the whole incident muted any complaints their grandfather (and father) had about the issue of her being a squib, and things settled back into some sort of regularity in their home.
When Russel went back to Hogwarts, he made no mention of his sister’s absence (although it wasn’t a surprise that Holmes managed to figure it out). In fact, a large majority of his fellow students don’t even know he has a sister, and those who do have just never figured out that she never came to Hogwarts, that year or this coming one. He wrote Elsie more frequently than ever (especially as rumors about this so-called ‘Dark Lord’ began to spring up), and swore to himself that he would teach her whatever he could during any break or over the summer. Because of that, he’s been focusing more on classes with less of a magic base and more of an information one – though he doesn’t exactly neglect the others. And, in fact, he has his eye on trying to become a teacher once leaving Hogwarts (unless he could be lucky enough to gain a teaching position there, which he wishes for, but doubts).[/style]
[style=width: 480px; font-family: georgia; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: 0px; text-transform: uppercase; color: #467970;]IT IS THE UNKNOWN WE FEAR[/style][style=width: 480px; font-family: georgia; letter-spacing: .5px; color: #000000; text-transform: uppercase; border-bottom: 1px dashed #000000;]ROLE PLAYER , ROLE PLAYER , ROLE PLAYER , ROLE PLAYER , ROLE PLAYER[/style]
[style=width: 480px; text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;]CBOX NAME ,
Jelly
RP EXPERIENCE ,
Going on seven years
OTHER CHARACTERS ,
None (yet *cough*)
COMMENTS ,
Sooo glad this is finally done xD Watson’s been hogging all my muse.[/style]
[style=width: 480px; font-family: georgia; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: -0.5px; text-transform: uppercase; color: #467970;]IT DOES NOT DO TO DWELL ON DREAMS AND FORGET TO LIVE[/style][style=width: 480px; font-family: georgia; letter-spacing: .5px; color: #000000; text-transform: uppercase; border-bottom: 1px dashed #000000;]SAMPLE , SAMPLE , SAMPLE , SAMPLE , SAMPLE , SAMPLE , SAMPLE , SAMPLE , SAMPLE[/style]
[style=width: 480px; text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;]Whose bright idea was it to set her up on a blind date anyways? The very idea of such a thing mortified her. Not because there was anything really wrong with the concept… just with her and the concept. She didn’t know anything about him, how was she supposed to do this? What were they supposed to talk about? How was she supposed to even know who her date was? Well, actually, that last part was taken care of, courtesy of the very same friend who had set this whole thing up – making the reservation under her own name so that they both wouldn’t have to worry about it. Still, that knowledge did little to quell her nerves as she readied herself for the night.
But a shower and a session of blow drying her hair and brushing it and otherwise readying herself later, she had somewhat steeled herself for it. Somewhat. At least she could enjoy it, right? Dress up a little (because while the little Belle Italia was no five star restaurant, it was still a nice, local, place for them to meet and have dinner), and meet someone knew that she might not have ever really come across normally. Even if this didn’t go as well as her friend was obviously hoping, there was the possibility of a friendship springing up from it, right? Then again, there was also the possibility of her making a fool of herself and being able to use the whole thing as a reason to never go on another blind date again.
Trying to discard those thoughts with a shake of her head as she locked the door of her apartment, she made her way down to her car. The poor thing, it had finally gotten fixed up after many extra hours at the diner. But at least it wasn’t dented and scratched up anymore, and she didn’t have that little voice in the back of her head piping up with the ‘what will people think?’ when she was driving it. It was a terrible habit, certainly, her constant wondering about other people’s opinions, but it wasn’t exactly something she could control. In fact, that same voice was currently bugging her with a different, but similar question that she couldn’t quite ignore. What will he think? Although she wasn’t concerned with her car with that question.
When she finally reached the little Italian restaurant (it had been a quick drive, but it felt like it had dragged on – must have been the red lights), she took a moment to just sit in her car and steady herself (or attempt to) with a deep breath. Her fingers tapped out a staccato beat on the steering wheel, echoing the nervous flutter of her heart. She didn’t even have any idea who this guy was, and yet she was already paranoid about what his first impression of her would be. This whole thing was crazy – the idea of a blind date, especially with her. But… it wasn’t as if she could leave now. It definitely wouldn’t leave a good impression if she stood him up, and she didn’t want to disappoint her friend who had set the whole thing up.
Taking yet another deep breath, Alyssa left her car, locked it, and made her way into the restaurant. After a quick inquiry with the hostess about whether or not her date had already come in for the reservation and finding that he hadn’t, she settled onto one of the padded benches that were there for people waiting for tables. She found herself fiddling with her necklace, sliding the pendant back and forth along the chain, until she realized that it was a clock (not that she hadn’t known when she put it on, but it was more one of those ‘oh yeah’ moments). A quick check of the time told her that there was still about five minutes until they were supposed to be there anyways, and mollified with that information – although not quite at ease on the nerve front – she fell back to waiting and fiddling with her necklace, eyes watching the door and the parking lot outside.[/style]