Accepted ~ Analiza Snark

About You, the Writer:

Your Nickname: Morgan
Have you read and do you agree to the Code of Conduct?: Oui.
How did you find us and decide to write with us? A little birdie flew by and…we chatted.
If you have written other characters here, list them all: None as of yet.

Full Character Name: Vienna Adelaide Pascal
Character Birthday & Age: April 22, 1991. 17 years old
City & Country of Birth: Oxford, UK
Pureblood, Halfblood or Muggleborn: Pureblood
House & Year: 7th Year Slytherin

Wand: Vine wood, 12 ½, unyielding, Chimera scale

Physical Description:

Upon first glance, Vienna does not seem particularly striking. She has a petite build and stands at an average height of 5’4. Her facial features are well-formed but not remarkable. She has a heart-shaped face, a sharp jaw line, and a dimple on the right side of her cheek when she smiles (which she does not do often). Her nose is straight but a little on the thin side. Her lips are pinched and naturally ashen. To make up for this shortcoming, her vanity would never permit her to go out without her trademark sanguine lipstick. She considers her eyes to be her best feature. They are almond-shaped, dark-green in colour, and framed by long, black lashes.

(Absolutely captivating. Or so she has been told)

Vienna’s overall complexion is pale, but not sickly. It contrasts well with her dark hair, which is always pulled back and tied in a simple knot above the nape of her neck.  The wintry colouring, combined with her sharp features and distant expression, often give people the impression of an emotionally withdrawn personality. Though when she does flash one of her rare, dimpled smiles, she could almost pass as friendly and gracious.

Vienna takes immense pride in her wardrobe. Unlike many others of her age, she prefers silk dresses and pointed heels to jeans, t-shirts, and flip-flops. Her attire often makes her seem older than she actually is. Vienna detests flashy clothing and would never be caught dead wearing neon-coloured ‘anything’. Her obsession with appearance is largely influenced by her mother,  whose meticulous style and grace she admires and tries hard to emulate.  

Personality Description:

If anything, Vienna is unpredictable. Her temperament shifts and changes at the most innocuous gesture or comment. The slightest insult could set her off and send her into one of her infamous silences. In spite of her attempt to keep composure at all times, she is not averse to the occasional, emotional outburst. Vienna is an introvert. When left unprovoked, she generally does not speak up much as she cares very little for attention or nonsensical chatter. People often mistake her quietness for timidity, though she is anything but. Her reluctance to immerse herself into social interactions is largely due to preference rather than fear. However, in situations where charm, and not aloofness, is required. She can be a persuasive and witty conversationalist.

Although most strangers and acquaintances see her as forbidding and unapproachable, the select few whom she calls friends can read her like an open book. She builds up a high wall to keep people out. Her fear of being hurt holds her back from making real emotional connections with others. As such, Vienna does not have many friends, but she is fiercely loyal to those who are loyal to her and have gained her trust. Her attitude towards friendship is one thing, but love is another matter. She cares very little for the latter as to this day, she still has not experienced a lasting relationship with anyone worthy of her affection and nor does she expect to do so anytime soon in the future. Despite her pessimism towards love, she is secretly terrified of being alone. So, from time to time, she has no qualms with short flings or hook-ups.

As a Slytherin, Vienna craves power and control, but is hesitant to burn bridges or make enemies. As such, she prefers to stay behind the scenes and attain her goals through covert means. Having grown up in an environment of scrutiny and high expectations, Vienna hates to disappoint. She feels compelled to live up to those standards by any means necessary. She is competitive, calculating, pragmatic, and not above playing dirty (should the situation demands it). Despite these strengths, or rather, what she considers to be her strengths, Vienna can be, quite often, her own greatest critic. She is keenly aware of her faults and constantly feels the need to better herself. At times, she is insecure and paranoid, vain and prone to envy, unforgiving and an unyielding keeper of petty grudges. But above all else, her pride is, by far, her greatest flaw. Her inability to admit defeat and make concessions often gets the best of her. Even something as simple as saying “I’m sorry” can torment her for days. Vienna is horribly stubborn. Nothing kills her more than having to admit that she’s wrong. She will never concede an argument, ever. This aspect of her also makes her a mild control freak. But then again, like most people, she enjoys having her way.

Although Vienna is a pureblood, she does not subscribe to notions of blood purity. The very ideology strikes her as barbaric and unfounded. She finds Voldemort sympathizers and blood purists distasteful, believing them to be pathetic nobodies who lack defining characteristics other than what flows through their veins. Her dislike for the ideology largely stems from her upbringing. Her parents have always stressed the value of personal merits over hereditary advantages.

History:

Vienna was born on April 22nd, 1991 to Marcus and Adelaide (née Dais) Pascal in the city of Oxford. Her birth occurred just mere minutes after that of her twin brother, Sebastian Dominic Pascal. Sebastian, who loved and craved for attention, became the favourite of their mother, who doted on him day and night. Marcus, having sensed his wife’s favouritism, always tried to even the family dynamic by making sure equal attention was lavished on Vienna. Even as a baby, she seemed distant. Vienna did not cry often and ‘talked’ even less. That is, if one counts meaningless baby babbles as talking. Adelaide always remarked on how frightening it was to find her staring silently at nothing in particular for hours on. “Babies shouldn’t be this quiet,” she would say. In spite of her bias, Adelaide treated Vienna with affection and care, for appearances’ sake at least.

As a child, Vienna did not see much of her father, who was always away on business trips and the likes. She spent the first five years of her life at the family’s elegant home in the outskirts of Oxford.  Vienna’s childhood was largely defined by the rivalry she shared with her brother. The two competed over everything: attention, toys, cookies, the treehouse. Although they were twins, Vienna and Sebastian could not be more different from each other. Secretly, she admired the charisma he had which she lacked, while not-so-secretly, she hated everything else about him. Sebastian, who always had Adelaide’s backing, made a habit in his younger years of abusing his position as the favoured child. Vienna, in response, reported his every abuse, with gross exaggerations, to Marcus whenever he returned. It was a comical cycle and the bane of their parents’ existence. Fortunately, their maturity level grew with age. Although the sibling rivalry still exist (albeit in a more covert form), the two have come to a truce.

When Voldemort’s power once again peaked in 1996, the Pascals grew fearful of being labelled blood-traitors as both Marcus and Adelaide made no secret of their disdain for the purist ideology. During that turbulent period, Vienna and Sebastian were sent to live with their Great-Aunt in Canada. It was reasoned that they would be safer there as Voldemort did not accumulate as much power across the Atlantic as he did in England. Soon after, Marcus and Adelaide went into hiding themselves. Vienna did not know where, and nor did she ever find out. It was the most horrid two years of her life. Great-Aunt Lucille, as Vienna came to know, was a “big, fat meanie”, for lack of a better vocabulary at her age. Lucille was strict, humourless, and demanded nothing less than perfection from her new charges. While Sebastian rebelled by sneaking out whenever he could, Vienna found solace in the manor’s library, which Lucille almost never visited because it reminded her too much of her dead husband, who had spent more time with the dusty tomes than with her (perfectly understandable, Vienna believed, considering the disposition of his wife). Whenever she was not reading things she did not understand, Vienna grew miserable and lashed out at Lucille and Sebastian. Although she was too young to realize the gravity of the situation, she knew to some extent that things were amiss and the thought of never returning to Oxford scared her immensely.

The tides of fortune turned by May 1998 when Voldemort’s reign ended at the Battle of Hogwarts. The Pascals returned to Oxford in August 1998 only to find their ancestral home in ashes. The manor were looted and burnt to the ground by Voldemort supporters during their absence. This exacerbated Vienna’s hatred for the purists and she directed all her childish anger towards them. To this day, the grudge still burns in her heart. For the next three years, the family resided in their summerhouse in Cornwall while Marcus sought to rebuild the Pascal manor. The reconstruction efforts were completed in 2001. Today, an identical structure now stands above the ruins. Marcus was also able to recover several of the family’s heirlooms and artworks, which had since then resurfaced on the Black Market. However, this only accounted for a small fraction of the Pascals’ former possessions.

In 2002, Vienna received her invitation to Hogwarts. It was perhaps the only time in her life where she felt reasonably excited for anything. While many of her peers fretted over the house-selection process, Vienna was sure she would be sorted into Slytherin. After all, most Pascals were Slytherins. Marcus had been a Slytherin in his Hogwarts days while Adelaide had been a Ravenclaw. Personality wise, Vienna took after her father a lot more than she did her mother. She was fortunate to have gotten her wish. The Hat sorted Vienna into Slytherin without the barest hint of hesitation. The ultimate shocker came when Sebastian was sorted into Gryffindor. Vienna was both disappointed and relieved to see her brother in a different house. To her surprise and secret resentment, their parents adored him all the more for it, as if the very act of becoming the first non-Slytherin Pascal in over half a century was some kind of grand accomplishment.

Hogwarts gave her the best years (so far) of her life. She met people from all walks and backgrounds and excelled in her schoolwork. The academic rivalry she shared with Sebastian played to her favour. She beat him in every class (with the exception of Flying and DaDA). Even Adelaide was mildly impressed by her fervent work ethics. Sebastian made a point of teasing her every year that she should’ve been sorted into Ravenclaw rather than Slytherin. Vienna disagreed. She couldn’t care less about her marks, it was the gratification from beating her brother in every respect that she craved for. In her Fifth Year, she aced her O.W.L.s and would be continuing the following subjects in her Sixth Year: Potions, History of Magic, Defence against the Dark Arts, and Charms. In her spare time, Vienna is an avid debater and a keen follower of Quidditch. She loves the tactics and strategies associated with Quidditch more so than the physical aspect of the game.

How Do You Fit Into Your House?:

Vienna is a Slytherin in the truest sense. She is ambitious, cunning, and absolutely determined when it comes to achieving her goals. In most situations, she believes the ends justify the means. However, she is not totally unscrupulous and without guiding principles. She considers herself to be quite intelligent and can be, at times, somewhat of an intellectual snob. Her greatest strength lies within her ability to persuade effectively and with charm (should the circumstances demand it). Vienna has high aims in life and will not stop until she gets what she wants.  

Writing Sample:

That blast-ended skank was eyeing her brother again. Vienna shook her head and sighed. Her parents’ annual New Year’s Ball just wouldn’t be the same without some drunken chick hitting up on her brother. Vienna made herself comfortable on the chaise lounge and smoothed out the elaborate folds of her corseted dress. It wasn’t fair. Obviously, she wasn’t jealous of the attention this particular girl lavished on Sebastian, but if anything, there should be an equally drunken guy hitting up on her. Vienna’s competitive sprit borderlined on ‘unhealthy’ and she was fully aware of it, but after her fifth glass of wine, she really couldn’t care less.

It was a beautiful night in every respect and yet, she was so miserable and bored. What she wouldn’t give for everything to end right now. It was strange really, because she usually loved these parties. Once upon a time, the swish of silk dresses, the crystal flutes of champagne, and the endless night of wining and dancing were all that was enchanting in her life. She used to feel like a princess, prettied up and perfect when she glided across these marble malls. Not now. Not anymore. She just wanted to go back to Hogwarts and Merlin, what a blasphemous thought this was.

Mother would absolutely die if she knew what you were thinking right now, Vienna smirked bitterly to herself.

She tilted her head to the side and spotted Anton Strauss by the windows, chatting up her lovely cousin. He would… She rolled her eyes. They had dated in the summer before her fifth year. He was one of Sebastian’s friends from Durmstrang. Quite the charmer, but a bastard nonetheless.  What were his exact words the last time they spoke to each other, oh yes, “You’re kind of difficult, Vienna”. She still did not know what that meant. It was a shame, because she really did like him. He caught her looking at him and acknowledged her presence with a polite nod before turning away. The snub made her fume with anger. Vienna sneered at him though he was quite oblivious to it.  Who did he think he was? Her lips twitched. Only decorum and pride held her back from walking up to him and socking a punch to his pretty face. She clenched her fists until her knuckles turned white. This was turning out to be a most dreadful night.

Sum up your character in one paragraph:

Vienna cannot be counted on to act in a predictable manner. She is capricious and easily set off. Most people see her as bit of an ice queen and they are not all that wrong in their judgement. She is emotionally distant and cares very little for genuine social and emotional connections. Vienna enjoys competition but tends to be a sore loser when others gain the upper hand. However, she holds great respect for worthy adversaries (albeit grudgingly). She can be quite charming when she puts her mind to it and is absolutely loyal to friends who have gained her trust. She is highly ambitious and will not stop until she achieves what she wants.

Thread List:


Current:


[May 20] This Room Ain't Big Enough for the Both of Us!, Empty Classroom, 5th Floor
Fauna Blake

[May 24] Bothersome Little Things, Great Hall
Randilyn Newell

[May 28] Nothing Personal, Entrance Hall
Zoey Gabriel McAdams

[May 29] History of Magic: Blood Purity, History of Magic Classroom
Headmaster Greyfriar, Devlin Matthews, Waker Nolan, Gavin Snark, Nina Morales

[June 6] For Slytherin Eyes Only, The Slytherin Common Room
Jasper Quinn

[June 6] The Woods are Dire, Dark and Deep, The Forbidden Forest
Fauna Blake, Neely Woolfolk, Trent Travis, Jasper Quinn, Megan Ruiz, Saffron Padmore,
Professor Nagde, Sasha Schlagenweit, Miles Faraday, Mystique Ketteridge, Waker Nolan,
George Carter, Devlin Matthews, Darcy Bloxham, Beatrix Dark