B I O G R A P H Y

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               


Wand

13 ⅓”, pine, phoenix feather. Rigid.

• The handle is heavily nicked. The shaft is decorated with scorch marks and one or two stains that might, might be blood.

Physical Description

At 6’3, Rick cuts an imposing figure. His shoulders are broad and corded, and though he’s far from stocky, there’s something distinctly sturdy about the way he stands. Possibly it has something to do with the way his shirts stretch across his back; if he looks like he can benchpress a bull, well. That is because he can.

Mostly, though, it’s his face. Thick, dark brows knit easily into a scowl, and chiseled features lend his profile a predatory cast. He smiles easily but not often, and when he does there is usually a bite. He doesn’t have many tattoos (just a few, and in places not readily seen) but there are scars, ones ranging from little nicks and burns he never cared to cover up, to the mangled ring of tissue on his side—a token from the wolf who’d bitten him. And for a tall man – a large man – he walks very, very quietly.

He is also faster than he looks.

While perfectly willing to clean up for the sake of professionalism, Rick prefers to dress comfortably and practically. More often than not this means tank tops, henleys, and jeans that have been through rough times. At the shop he wears special boots and gloves spelled against the burn of molten metal and caustic acids, and a similar set of robes for more volatile projects. He is also adverse to shaving, hence the scruffy five o’ clock he sports on a regular basis.

At Hogwarts, though, Rick dons more formal clothing—button-up shirts, pressed slacks, neckties, spotless black shoes. Granted, the sleeves are usually rolled up and the necktie is loosened, but for the most part he looks every inch the teacher… sort of. Being in school makes him look a million times grumpier.

Personality

Once an awkward, introverted kid who regarded the world around him with a quiet curiosity, Rick is—still quiet, yes, but he’s far from awkward.

Puberty was kind, eventually lending him the confidence he needed, but hard times have left him cynical, sarcastic, and little patience for idiocy. He has few good opinions about people in general, and even fewer on newspapers, tradition, the government, philanthropy, heroism, teenagers, world peace… The list goes on. While he won’t immediately jump to conclusions about people (particularly about the way they look or dress), that’s because he has low expectations that are lifted only as a relationship improves. He has a soft spot for children and people who can’t defend themselves, but by nature Rick is a grim, critical individual who isn’t afraid to speak his mind.

But that isn’t to say he’s a hothead, because he isn’t. Though easily annoyed (–is, in fact somewhat prone to carrying grudges), Rick is a pretty steady guy. He thinks before he acts. It only seems like he doesn’t because he speaks his mind. Otherwise, he is pretty calm, capable of more eloquence (and good humor) than his eyebrows might suggest.

With friends, lovers, and pack Rick is… still an asshole, yes, but one that feels and cares far more deeply than his words and facial expressions might suggest. He might be harsh, but it’s because he doesn’t want them needlessly hurt or disappointed. If he’s being an ass, it’s probably because he’s worried. He won’t lie to spare someone’s feelings (especially if he thinks something needs to be said), and he’ll be there for anyone who has his loyalty—even when they’re being an idiot.

The youngest of six in a large but close-knit family. Much of Rick’s childhood was spent among siblings and cousins, as well as uncles, aunts, and grandparents; though everyone had moved out long before starting their own families, they still congregated at the family estate, which had more than enough room.

After his parents’ separation, he left with his mother to Tennessee, where he lived for the next four to five years until it was time for him to begin schooling. It was a miserable time; for the boy the move was a downgrade. Tennessee was colder than Colombia, and a lot less colorful, even dismal. The few friends he liked and the sibling he was closest to were now an entire ocean away. Cultural differences were hard to reconcile. For the first year Rick was often alone and frustrated. He clashed with local children.

Returning helped, but not as much as much he had hoped. Despite the visits to and from his family over the years, they had become a distant memory—strangers who were around all the time. The disconnect made Rick stiff and reserved.


School helped; there, Rick discovered his talent for invention. Overall he did well, diligently applying himself to his studies, but he did best in charms, which he used to support his interest. When he wasn’t working on assignments or dragged into a game of Quidditch, he was often found in the library or some empty classroom tinkering away, making curiosities out of muggle junk. The older Rick grew, the more his portfolio grew in number and complexity.

Eventually he graduated from simple constructions to intricate creations. But he needed money, and even with the family’s wealth a steady supply of materials was expensive to maintain. And so he turned to Cousin Colin—older, sketchy Colin, who ran with “a bad crowd” and known among the cousins for his cavalier attitude and sly disobedience. With his connections, Rick earned money through commissions, making repairs and alterations, recreating things from blueprints or coming up with something of his own. The jobs – while somewhat lacking in information, were interesting – and the pay was good, better than anything he would have earned elsewhere. So he continued. He wasn’t about to screw it all up by asking questions.

Colin, however, had taken a shine to his younger cousin (who wasn’t half-bad company once he was pulled away from his inventions) and took the kid under his wing. He dragged him to bars and incited brawls, brought him along on sketchy errands, and set him up with his first ‘girlfriend’—all in the name of education. With Colin’s guidance, he began making a name for himself among Colombia’s criminal element. It was, admittedly, pretty exciting.

But then the Escallón Pack – an organized group of ‘purist’ werewolves – appeared, interested in hiring. To Colin’s credit, he did try to keep them at bay. But, they were ruthless; worse, they were patient. Once they got Rick alone, they brokered a deal between themselves: complete a few easy jobs for a lot of money. Impress them? Get even more money.

Not that it was the money that drew him. At least, not anymore. But impress them he did, and at the next negotiation they offered him the bite—a more permanent place in their organization. Finally realizing he may have gotten himself into more trouble than he was ready for, Rick turned them down as gently as possible. He resolved to stick to the straight and narrow from then on.

The next day, he woke up in a storage unit. They would let him out at sundown, they told him. He could join them, or he could die.

Shona – after forcing a confession out of Colin and tracking Rick down to the warehouse district – arrived just before the hunt began, law enforcement not far behind. But in the ensuing melee both were bitten. To protect him Shona made him promise not to tell anyone and to get home without her. Then, as she recovered at the hospital, she registered her new status—taking his place in the official story. She was the one who had been kidnapped and turned into a werewolf that night. Not Rick.

Their father never quite forgave him for letting her.

Still, their family was supportive, and by the next full moon they had a safehouse waiting for her—for both of them. With their family’s connections, a mentor of sorts was obtained, someone to teach them control—to be werewolves without hating themselves. Involved were not just lessons in fitness and appropriate behavior, but history and philosophy (and in Rick’s case, therapy) as well. Shona, already a bit wolfish at heart (and a wolf Animagus), took to the training like a duck to water, emerging as the more dominant werewolf of the two.

Rick, however, was a slower study. With Shona’s own encouragement and leadership he was eventually deemed fit to be trusted on both his own and around others, but that year saw a sharp decline in grades and self-imposed isolation. He was moodier, more irritable, and steeped in guilt and self-loathing. He got into fights with classmates and Raul. Furthermore, discovery was a constant worry. By the end of the year he managed to pull his grades back up, high enough to pass, but it was clear to all that his intended path – a prestigious apprenticeship – was no longer in the cards.

Instead, with their mother’s and grandmother’s approval, Shona took a leave of absence from work—and with her, Rick. They visited Africa, Europe and South Asia. By the time she returned to work, Rick had settled in the United States, working at a nearby metal-charming smithy. Far from Colombia, he carved out a new start for himself.


Still, despite his efforts to stay on the straight and narrow, it was not to be; other groups like the Escallón pack began feeling him out for future jobs, possibly membership. After hearing about his troubles, Colin – motivated by a desire to make it up to him – invited him to join him in England, where there would still be plenty of opportunity but also an entire ocean between him and those who knew something about his past.

Desperate to keep it all behind him, Rick agreed. With the help of his sister Cecily, he set up shop in Diagon Alley: Donovan’s Commissions, Wares & Repairs. Before long, business came pouring in.

But just as it had back in Colombia, his reputation for skill and competency put him on the radars of dangerous people. In this case it was Ira Almasy, and with enough digging – the truth sold to her by an inside source – she wrangled a contract out of him, one of blood. He has been working for her ever since.


As of December 21st, 2009, Rick took on an apprentice, Alexandra Carstairs. In 2010, he applied for the Charms post at Hogwarts. At present he lives with his boyfriend, Leon Faulkner, while teaching at the castle.

Describe your job duties and how you go about them.

Donovan’s Commissions, Wares & Repairs » 

Officially, Rick provides a number of services including, but not limited to: repair, augmentation, and alteration. He also takes on commissions, and may sell the works of others (for a fee). Meetings are made in advance, and take place in his office. Depending on the job, work takes place in the basement, or off-site.

With clients and customers, Rick tries to maintain some form of politeness because he’s a professional. If a client is new, liked, or needed, he will listen their opinions (or at least seem like it). However, if they are rude Rick isn’t afraid to shut them down. It’s cost him business before, but to him it’s never worth it.

While he teaches at Hogwarts, the business has taken a backseat but still continues. He has cut down his clientele to a fraction of what it was, and works on commissions on his down time. The shop is still open for consignments.

Hogwarts

• Please see Career Change for details. » 

Crime

Rick is independent, in the sense that he doesn’t rely on others for work. He might take on jobs, but he isn’t an employee, and though he’s done work for companies his contracts last only as long as the jobs. He does work at Ira’s whim, particularly when it’s for a valued associate or client, but ultimately he chooses his work. And people have come to him on their own.

Elaborate on your expertise in your field.

Summer apprenticeship (‘95 - ‘97); professional metal charming (‘99 - ‘05); freelancing (‘05 - ‘10).

Even as a student Charms has always been one of Rick’s better subjects—unsurprisingly, really, when one takes into account how much they are necessary in the creation of an Artifact– but even beyond this particular application, he demonstrates more than sufficient skill and understanding in the subject. In fact, at the insistence of his parents, Rick had explored his options in Charmwork; for three consecutive summers (‘95 through ‘97) he apprenticed to a prestigious enchanter. And combined with an excellent memory, the number of spells Rick knows is vast; his grades in Charms were the second best of his year.

After graduation – as he distanced himself from his family more and more – Rick accepted a job at a low-key but legitimate metal charming business, where for several years he worked and enchanted metal for a fee. Although it was only a side job at first– something to whittle away the weeks between projects, as well as provide a more stable source of income – he did enough hours and commissions for it to count. After a tragic accident decimated the firm’s contingent of senior enchanters, Rick was promoted. He then found himself in charge of a number of apprentices, gaining some teaching experience in the meantime.

Two years later, Rick quit his job, and went into Artificing completely. Since then, he’s had only one apprentice, Alex Carstairs. While they have a rather contentious relationship for a mentor and an apprentice, it is truly founded on genuine respect and a desire to learn/teach.

As an Artificer, Rick has utilized a repertoire of spells solely for the purpose of altering, improving, and changing both individual cogs and mechanisms, and even entire creations to bring about specific, necessary effects—enchantments, in short, charms with a permanence that endure the test of time. And in his career, Rick has used them in numerous combinations to maximize efficacy.

Possibly the grumpiest and most attractive Charms Professor to teach at Hogwarts, ever. Though broody, sarcastic, and at times kind of a sour, judgmental jerk, Rick is also fair, reasonable and sincere, and operates by a strict code of honor that has him keeping his word even when he would rather not. Students usually find him to be strict, even harsh, but those who are undeterred by his gruff exterior (loved ones included) know he can be trusted, and cares more than he lets on.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

W E R E W O L F

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               



Characteristics and abilities.

• • Heightened senses (notably hearing and smell), strength, reflexes, agility and speed (though much of this largely depends on personal fitness).
  • Improved healing factor and overall health. He doesn’t heal rapidly – can still take weeks to heal without the assistance of magic – and can still get sick and scar, but he’s definitely sturdier than the average human. As a result he runs a little hotter, temperature-wise.
  • Night vision. His eyes flash when hit directly by light (and may be easily blinded).
  • Retractable claws and fangs.
  • Increased vulnerability to various strains of wolfsbane.

Even in a pack with the loosest ties, pack mentality is still very strong; there is a certain ease in working together, and despite how he may feel about them individually, Rick derives comfort from touch and company. In recognizing and accepting Shona as his alpha, he listens to her more than he does to anyone else. He is also very protective of those he regards as pack.

Describe how this influences their life and what happens to them.

Every full moon, Rick turns into a large, black wolf. He takes Wolfsbane Potion to keep his mind human, but it tastes like shit and does nothing for the pain of transformation.

For the rest of the month, he enjoys what perks the curse has given him. He uses his keen hearing to prevent accidents and detect lies; his sense of smell to identify ingredients and mixtures; his strength to help him at the forge; and his night vision to work in the dark (when he has to). He might have mixed feelings about the curse (and werewolf rights), but he has zero qualms about using it to his advantage.

As an unregistered wolf, Rick takes great pains to conceal his curse from others. He is secretly supplied with Wolfsbane by a friend, has someone impersonate him to cover up his disappearances, and uses his Artifact vault at the shop as a safehouse. He tries to pass off his full moon hangover as a regular one, or cover up the signs with potions and absences (re: “business trips”).

How did they become a creature?

August 22, 1997.  The day before he was kidnapped, Rick had tried to cut off ties with a pack that had wanted to recruit him. Both he and his sister had been bitten during the rescue.

Status & Reputation

Yes and no. During his time with the pack, Rick committed a variety of crimes including, but not limited to: breaking and entering, arson, and sabotage. With his stature and abilities he was eventually used for intimidation, and then interrogation.

So far connections – and his own skills – have kept him out of jail.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

C A R E E R  C H A N G E

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               



Why have you chosen to change careers?

Rick’s passion has been, and always will be, inventing; it’s cerebral, interesting, and almost instinctive as breathing. Even better, a guy doesn’t need to deal with other people as far as actual creation is concerned.

But for all his snapping and general misanthropy, there’s no denying he’s a natural teacher. Though his words are sharp and his manner’s curt, he is actually quite patient and understanding—even lenient in some ways. He doesn’t care so much about social niceties (unless his authority is being flagrantly undermined, or he just really doesn’t like the person) so long as important things are getting done. Despite a knack for attention to detail, he is perfectly capable of looking at the big picture, thanks.

As clients become more and more demanding over the years, the business has become… less fulfilling. Less of a calling, more like a chore. And in light of basically every hazard he has had to face during his criminal career (which definitely includes certain people he wishes he’s never met), he has reconsidered the importance of stability and security in a profession; in certain respects being an artificer lacks both, and as an unregistered werewolf there was always a risk of discovery. In comparison, teaching at Hogwarts is a lot less life-threatening—both for himself and the people he loves. Of the two things he enjoys very much, these days he is inclined to take the safer one.

Even if it does involve some spectacularly annoying kids. Whatever, he can handle a few brats.

Elaborate on your expertise in this new field:

Summer apprenticeship (‘95-‘97); professional metal charming (‘99-‘05); freelancing (‘05-‘10).

Copypasted from original biography.

Even as a student, Charms has always been one of Rick’s better subjects—unsurprisingly, really, when one takes into account how much they are necessary in the creation of an Artifact—but even beyond this particular application he demonstrates more than sufficient skill and understanding in the subject. In fact, at the insistence of his parents, Rick had explored his options in Charmwork; for three consecutive summers (‘95 through ‘97) he apprenticed to a prestigious enchanter. And combined with an excellent memory, the number of spells Rick knows is vast; his grades in Charms were the second best of his year.

After settling in the US, Rick accepted a job at a low-key but legitimate metal charming business, where for several years (‘99 through ‘05) he worked and enchanted metal for a fee. Although it was only a side job at first—something to whittle away the weeks between projects and provide a more stable source of income. He did enough hours and commissions for it to count. After a tragic accident decimated the firm’s contingent of senior enchanters, Rick was promoted to senior rank. He then found himself in charge of a number of apprentices, gaining some teaching experience in the meantime.

Two years later, Rick quit his job, and went into Artificing completely. Since then, he has had only one apprentice, Alex Carstairs. While they have a rather contentious relationship for a mentor and an apprentice, it is truly founded on genuine respect and a desire to learn/teach.

As an Artificer, Rick has utilized a repertoire of spells solely for the purpose of altering, improving, and changing both individual cogs and mechanisms, and even entire creations to bring about specific, necessary effects—enchantments, in short, charms with a permanence that endure the test of time. And in his career, Rick has used them in numerous combinations to maximize efficacy.

Describe your new job and how you go about doing it.

First and foremost, the Charms professor’s job is to teach his students the most basic, yet fundamental spells essential to their witchcraft/wizardry. As intrinsic to typical magical living as electricity is to Muggles, Charms are a significant portion of what makes the Wizarding world turn. Although he is mostly indifferent to his own peers’ well-being, Rick is concerned about the next generation—enough to lower his proverbial copy of the Prophet against the rest of the world and take a more active role in their education.

While he tends to broadcast rather low expectations of his students (which seem to lower the older they are), Rick does in fact have high standards he expects them to perform at—something that becomes increasingly apparent the more involved he gets in a lesson. Easily irritable and very cynical, he is prone to criticism (often delivered via cutting remarks and rude glares), punishment (which are exacted with relish), and bias (his favorites are often mistaken for those he hates), though interestingly enough Rick rarely penalizes for true bouts of brilliance, individualism, or academic curiosity.

(What he does penalize are disruptive behavior, nosiness, and wasting his time. He’d also like to include boring answers too, but alas.)

In deference to essay-obsessed school systems, Rick involves a great deal of research and writing in his lesson plan, though much of that is to reinforce what is learned, prepare them for the next lesson, convey his opinions of them on their schoolwork and keep his students on their toes—many of his assignments aren’t actually graded. If anything, they are assigned to make lives a little harder, with the spare but ubiquitous hope and desire of teaching something new. If they aren’t done it usually shows, often in the form of poor performance during class. And in Rick’s class, classwork is of paramount importance.

But despite his terseness, much of it is merely his coping mechanism for impatience; as a result, Rick is actually quite patient, determined to see his lessons through and ensure that his students have learned at least something for the day. Likewise, he is visibly more gentle with meeker students; though he may not seem like it, Rick is a man with many nieces and nephews barely of double-digit age, and they all love him a hell of a lot. His idea of babysitting is teaching his charges something new and – usually – useful, lending him perspective; he will answer just about any question, albeit with the emotion he may feel it deserves. Like sarcasm.

As a teacher, Rick’s primary concerns are his students’ comprehension, maintaining order, and an efficient use of time. Students are encouraged to ask questions, so long as a.) they aren’t stupid ones, and b.) one at a time, brats.

• Full moons
  
  He considered registration but ultimately decided against it, because if this doesn’t work out than it just wouldn’t have been worth it. Not only would he be unable to return to his old life, but he’d be putting what was left of it in danger.
  
  He is nothing if not responsible, though, so he has come up with a few plans: if his sister Cecily isn’t available to impersonate him (a practice he and his siblings have been using while he freelanced), then Alex would. He also lives off-campus (which could explain those monthly disappearances, since he is always going home at the end of the day anyway), and has someone to quietly supply him with Wolfsbane.