Your Nickname: Hazel
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? Web Search
If you have written other characters here: Yes
If Yes, list them all: Alexandra Carstairs, Izola Bellamane, Leon Faulkner, Jeun Ji-Hyun
Is this a Primary or Secondary Character?: Primary

Full Character Name: Sebastian Antonin Desrosiers
Character Birthday & Age: 12th October 1994
City & Country of Birth: Ireland
Pureblood, Halfblood or Muggleborn: Halfblood
House & Year: Slytherin 4th Year

Wand: Larch, with a core of Dragon Heartstring, measuring 11 3/4 inches. Made by Ollivander's, and kept in fine condition.

Physical Description:
Prone to lying on the nearest horizontal surface, including relatively clean ground, Bastian seems to tilt perpetually, rather like a banana. But more charming, of course, and there’s something about the way that he lazes around that suggests he would very much like to be carried everywhere, either in a sedan or in someone’s arms, he isn’t fussy. Alas, he doesn’t have quite the frame for it - while he isn’t overweight, he doesn’t have the willowy delicate figure that such treatment suggests.

And if he were being carried, he might accidentally hit them in the face. For Bastian’s love of theatrics is most apparent in his ridiculous reactions to things: exaggerated expressions and massive waves of his arm, a twirl while they’re waiting in the corridor for class, and the occasional fall to the ground for effect. But although he might occasionally, and entirely accidentally, sweep other people’s belongings to the floor, it is never his own possessions that fall.

But then there’s his smile, which is normally considerably more than merely suggestive, and for the sake of public decency should probably have a censor when it gets too out of hand. And no, you don’t get used to it. In place a considerable amount of the time, Bastian’s smiles range from pleasant through unpleasantly suggestive to murderous. When not there, it’s usually because his mouth’s agape, or he’s pouting, or distraught that anyone would ever say anything so cruel about him, how could you?

Other than that, though, he does have a pretty face - and he knows it, too, if all of that time spent in front of the mirror is anything to go by. It’s odd to think that someone so content to roll around on the floor could be vain, but Bastian manages it. He’s not exceptionally fashionable, but he always makes sure that he looks presentable - and by the exacting standards of his mother, which often involve long stretches in front of the mirror before he starts the day.

Personality Description:
It sometimes seems to people (his family, friends, acquaintances, random people on the street, etc.) that Bastian was born without the ability to feel embarrassment – or perhaps a sense of propriety. Considering that his scandalised squawk can often be heard rising decibels above even the din of a fourth year classroom, and that he has no compunctions about telling the whole world about things that nobody wants to know, this assumption is not far off. He’s not entirely immune to others’ opinion of him – indeed, there are some whose opinion he takes a little too seriously – but he has no problem with being thought of as obnoxious, lazy, and whiney. Because he is.
 
But don’t stop there! Bastian has many, many bad traits – has he mentioned how attention seeking he is yet? A lover of the spotlight, he takes all praise as his due – even things that are probably not meant to be complimentary. Especially things that are probably not meant to be complimentary. It suggests an ego stronger than iron, and he certainly displays a remarkable immunity to insults and the opinions of others, continuing to behave exactly as before. But, although he would never admit as much, the regard of the few whose opinion does matter to him is all important, enough that an offhand comment will result in a prized t-shirt being discarded or the rejection of an acquaintance. Outside of the unlucky few, however, criticisms are met with laughter, rebuttals, and frustrating arrogance.
 
But despite his many flaws, Bastian is… oddly likeable. He’s got a pretty face, which helps, but more than that, he’s charming – when he wants to be. Usually, he prefers to lie on the floor and wail, but when the mood strikes him he compliments people easily, even if what he’s saying doesn’t quite match up to reality, and as it turns out all of those posh dinners did rub off on him, at least a little.
 
And while he is always happy to talk about himself, he’s equally happy probing to find out more about your life. See, Bastian likes people – mostly. He doesn’t like everyone, but he’s a sociable person, and has a general detached affection for people that suggests he isn’t one. And then there are those who Bastian really, really cares about, with a force of feeling that isn’t always apparent, and tends to make itself known the second anyone says anything that is even slightly uncomplimentary about them. Bastian doesn’t have good control of his temper, see, and he’s not so dumb as he can’t hex you to Saturday. Or wait until a better opportunity arises, if he won’t win in a fair fight.
 
Because although he positively radiates idiocy, there’s something about him which suggests that he isn’t entirely idiotic. Perhaps it’s his occasional eloquence, or that he follows a certain individual around faithfully no matter how many times she tries to rip his nose off. Or perhaps it’s you projecting things, because you just don’t want to think that anyone could be that shallow.

History:
It was only because she belonged to a more liberal branch of the Desrosiers family that Sebastian’s mother was not rejected when she married a muggle - and worse, a muggle with several years and two children.

But she managed to convince her parents, and eventually her other relatives, that although he was indeed a muggle there was no shame in marrying him - for he was rich, and handsome, and not entirely lacking socially: in other words, all a woman could ask for. (That she was in love with him was entirely her own affair, and was never mentioned in her ceaseless campaign to regain her lost prestige.)

She told her husband that she was a witch only when she was already pregnant, and although he couldn’t be said to be happy about it, he grudgingly accepted it - mostly by ignoring it, although this was difficult to do when she insisted that their children would take her name, as they would be wizards and so the Desrosiers name would carry more weight than that of Castillo.

Their first child together was a girl, stared at warily by her half-siblings and utterly charming. It was a source of slight strife when it turned out that she was, indeed, a witch, but that was not so important after all - what mattered was that they had a family, and were happy. It was two years before they decided to have another child, a second daughter who was just as adorable as the first.

Soon to follow was a boy, perhaps unwisely named Sebastian.

Cooed over by aged relatives, the baby was happiest - according to his loving but critical older siblings - when placed in front of a mirror. ("Not surprising considering the alternative was staring at your ugly mugs.") Demanding even by the standards of babies, his parents decided that there was no way they would ever have another child; five was plenty and they were far too much effort anyway.

As Sebastian grew older, he grew impossibly louder.

The family moved, from France to Italy and then back again via Switzerland. Permanent residence wasn’t to be expected when your father was an arms dealer, and the shifts in location meant that Bastian never really had friends, not ones that lasted – other than his siblings, his lovely charming frustrating sisters and horrible charming frustrating half-brother.

By the time both of his half-siblings were of secondary school age, his mother had made another decision: that they were going to settle somewhere, according to where they wished her children to go to school. A decision that initially seemed nepotic, she had put more consideration into it than the accusation suggested: the number of wizarding schools was far slimmer on the ground than muggle schools, and so it was the factor of greatest significance.
 
It was decided, eventually, that all three Desrosiers would be sent to Hogwarts. Although his Mother had been to Beauxbatons, and the family had moved around so much as to make the claim to citizenship of Northern Ireland dubious, English was their first language – barely – and it was where it was felt that the three would be happiest.

Although his half-siblings remained at home, his older sisters leaving to go to Hogwarts marked another change in his life, and Bastian was to stay in England with his mother, who had grown bored of flitting about Europe – although that boredom swiftly lifted when the season came and new fashions were available. While he missed them, he wasn’t unhappy, and when his tutors said that he had time to himself, there was always someone around or something to do – usually, reading, something that Bastian pursued far more happily without older siblings around to tease him about it. Although the teasing was in good faith, merely the spirit of siblingship, to Bastian, it seemed more serious, and he kept his secret firmly hidden.

Eventually, however, the time came for he too to join the finest wizarding educational establishment in the United Kingdoms, and he received a letter offering him a place at Hogwarts.

It took a while - not a long while, but longer than normal - for the hat to place him, eventually picking Slytherin over Hufflepuff.

Slytherin, especially initially, didn’t seem like an obvious fit for Bastian - he was loud, and annoying, and constantly trying to hang out with his older sisters instead of his classmates, and didn’t seem at all concerned with silly things like alliances and vendettas. But as time went on, Bastian started paying more attention to his classmates, some more than others, and somehow managed to make friends.

Perhaps it was his overwhelming brilliance.

But whyever it was, Bastian began slowly to learn the ways of Hogwarts life, and about magic. Well, apart from Potions, in which he seemed, and still seems, to be utterly hopeless. Other than that, however, he did reasonably well in lessons, for a lazy slacker, and his test results often came out surprisingly well. Other than Potions. Really, the less said about potions, the happier everyone would be.

Eventually, like mould, Bastian managed to grow on people - even if it was in affectionate, condescending terms. But although he’s on friendly terms with most of his year, there are still some unfortunate stooges who persist in believing that he’s far too trivial and irritating to be allowed to remain at Hogwarts, and the number of people who he counts as friends is slim.

Classes:

Core Classes Astronomy Charms Defense Against the Dark Arts Herbology History of Magic Potions Transfiguration No

Electives No No Care of Magical Creatures Divination Muggle Studies

How Do You Fit Into Your House?:
As anyone who has witnessed him refuse to release a table leg can attest to, there is very little that Bastian wouldn’t do to achieve his goals.

Writing Sample:
See Alexandra Carstairs

Sum up your character in one paragraph:
While Bastian resents the implication that you could possibly summarise him in something so short as a paragraph, if asked, he would say that his best quality is his total brilliance, and that his worst is his tendency to exaggerate. Cheerful and quick to compliment, Bastian does not have a dramatic streak: he has a sensible streak, and a complete inability to feel anything as trivial as embarrassment. Seemingly immune to public opinion, Bastian does care about it a little more than he lets on, but since he often rolls around on the floor it would be hard to convince anyone of such.

Special Title Request
Character Name: Bastian Desrosiers
Title Applying For: Prefect
Character Biography: http://absitomen.com/index.php?topic=15160.0

What Experience has Prepared You For This Honor?:
As a long time student, and occasional detention receiver, I have intimate knowledge of exactly what you are forbidden from doing at Hogwarts. I am head of the Slytherin Quidditch team’s cheering squad, which has given me experience with authority and also means I am great at being supportive. It also means I can yell really loudly if there is ever a need for it, which is unlikely, but not impossible. As a member of the Hogwarts Howler’s writing staff, I have written several informative, amusing, and well-written articles. Particular highlights include my reporting on the pranking of Professor di Luca last year, (she isn’t deciding this, is she?), which was both tasteful and amusing. Aside from that, I have many excellent qualities.

What Do You Think the Most Important Aspect of This Job Is:?
The totally awesome bathrooms? No! Not them! The most important aspect of being a prefect is making sure that your fellow students are happy. Of course, discipline is important too, but the teachers and the other prefects worry about that more than enough for the rest of us. Rather than focus on terrifying younger students, I would be the approachable side of the prefect body. It is my aim to make sure that everyone feels happy and included in their house. All those poor firsties, away from home for the first time, surrounded by the unfamiliar – I remember all too clearly how alarming was that, even though I had my delightful older siblings here. As a friendly and outgoing person, and frankly a less intimidating person than some of the current crop of prefects, I would be great at making them feel better! And because everyone loves me, they wouldn’t be afraid to come for me for help.

The bit about bathrooms was a joke! Don’t count it against me!

Tell a Story From Your Past That Has Proven Your Mettle: 
My life to date Even the most wonderful and brilliant among us occasionally fall short. My dear friend, Esther Morrell, once found herself in the unfortunate situation of not having completed homework, not through any fault of her own but because she had been absent from the class. Although there was an amicable quidditch match going on, being an exceptionally generous person, I forewent my planned excursion to watch it, instead helping her with the work because she had missed the lesson.