Your Nickname: Sparky
Have you read and do you agree to the Code of Conduct?: Yes
Are you over thirteen? Yes
How did you find us and decide to write with us? RPG Directory
If you have written other characters here: Yes
If Yes, list them all: Aggh. Jonas, Rai, Kurby, Atash, Noriko, and Gwenna. This will be the last one for a while again.
Is this a Primary or Secondary Character?: Primary
Full Character Name: Aviad Cohen
Character Birthday & Age: 27; August 15, 1984
City & Country of Birth: Tel Aviv, Israel
Blood Purity: Halfblood
Alma Mater: Beit Gaddol (Zeresut House)
Job/Position: Itinerant Mage
Wand: Ten and three quarters inches, pine, hollow with a written HaShem scroll inside.
Physical Description:
At a brisk five foot eleven, Aviad is hard to overlook in a crowd -- he is far too lean for his height, which makes him appear even taller than he really is. He has a dark complexion, a sharp nose, and dark eyes, all inherited from his Moroccan mother; although those who know his father can recognize him all too well in the young mage's usual cocksure expression and confident, easy smile.
Aviad dresses simply but sharply, in Muggle clothes when he can get away with it. He normally wears a golden chai symbol around his neck -- a close magical inspection would reveal that this is some kind of spelled protective charm. On his right arm, he has a sleeve tattoo that covers his skin from his shoulder nearly to his elbow: the design changes from day to day, but protective elements like a hamsa or other warding symbols are common.
At times, particularly in quieter moments, one might notice that he looks very tired or worn, with a gray complexion and dark circles under his eyes -- as if he's recently been ill for a very long time.
Personality Description:
Cocky and self-assured, Aviad takes greater pleasure in showing off his sharp tongue and wit than garnering friends. He'd far rather be the center of attention for negative reasons than positive ones, as it takes far less effort and tends to be far more satisfying in the short turn. He is heavily (and proudly) disengaged from the rest of the world, and rarely expresses empathy for others, even for those that he knows well.
Though he is admittedly bright and loves the rush of adrenaline, Aviad is far from ambitious. He would much rather spend his time lazing about, admiring fancy things or enjoying the club scene, and it usually takes the threat of mortal danger to drive him to action. Those who know him well would take any sign of proactive action as being entirely out of character -- though underneath it all, he will admit that he does expect to be valued for what he sees as his considerable array of talents.
Still, as confident as he acts on the outside, underneath it all there is something else -- an anxiousness or desperation that only manifests in the worst of circumstances, when the pressure is outside his control.
History:
Aviad was born to a mixed family in more ways than one. His father, an Ashkenazi Muggle who followed his older brother in immigrating to Israel, met his Moroccan mage mother through his older sibling. Aviad, the resulting progeny, grew up surrounded in a wash of dueling cultures -- North African and European, magical and Muggle -- that still somehow seemed right at home on the colorful streets of Tel Aviv.
As his parents had hoped for, like his mother he too showed signs of being a mage, and at age 11, Aviad was whisked off to Beit Gaddol. He found himself in the same class -- though not the same house -- as his favorite cousin, Benny, and the two were cohorts in crime for most of their years at the school. Though bright, Aviad was a lazy student: he far preferred flirting with girls or causing trouble with his friends. He made it through the entirety of his school career without standing out academically, save for a known interest in darker magics and the study of ghosts and spirits, as well as an occasionally explosive rivalry with an older cousin.
After graduation, he convinced Benny that rather than enlist in the army, they should spend a year traveling together. This resulted in a whirlwind adventure -- or rather, a world-wind, as their explorations took them to the far, most exotic reaches of the globe. (For Aviad, this was clearly Los Angeles, which he noted was as physically far from Israel as one could probably get.) Alongside the partying, the alcohol, and the exchanging of phone numbers with those of the female persuasion came a darker sort of magical exploration...and when Aviad returned from his year of travel, his foundations were considerably shaken from where they had once been.
His abrupt return to Israel and entrance into the adult world had not included any sort of long-term career plans. Benny returned home, but Aviad, left on his own, sought out a shadier sort of work. And then, as the months and years wore on, he kept at it: smuggling, thieving, colluding, and generally living the most high risk life that he could.
The business that brought him to London was a different sort of work: underwritten by a promise to undo that dark exploration all those years ago. Now that he is here, he is quickly settling in, brushing up on rusty English -- and expectantly planning to meet some of the players in the UK's magical scene.
Describe your job duties and how you go about them:
Aviad does not have much of a profession. He tends towards thievery and the like: oftentimes, only as much as he needs to do in order to earn money to get by for a few months. He will occasionally take legitimate work, but it rarely lasts long.
Elaborate on your expertise in your field:
Despite his worse qualities, Aviad is very bright. He's a quick spell-caster, and though he knows very little about the more academic magics, he can solve problems quickly and creatively. Mostly, though, he's lucky that no one has put in the effort of killing him yet.
Writing Sample:
Sum up your character in one paragraph:
An internant mage, Aviad Cohen has never tried very hard at anything. Though he is bright and quick witted, a lack of drive or dedication has kept him from turning his talents into anything worthwhile, whether inside or out of the criminal sphere.
Aviad Cohen: Itinerant Mage