Your Nickname: Luke
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? Friend
If you have written other characters here: No
If Yes, list them all:
Is this a Primary or Secondary Character?: Primary

Full Character Name: Dominic Griplok
Character Birthday & Age: August 28, 1989; 21 years old
City & Country of Birth: Isle of Muck, Scotland
Blood Purity: Halfblood
Alma Mater: Hogwarts, Hufflepuff
Job/Position: Apprentice Beast Handler at the Department of Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures

Wand: Yew wood with a Dragon heartstring core 13" and Surprisingly Swishy flexibility

Physical Description:
Tall and gaunt and lanky, 6’5” with a wiry frame
Slow, with poor posture most of the time
Droopy face, pale but not sallow skin
Kind but sad grey eyes make him seem much older than he is
Dark brown hair, kept short and neat
Slightly lighter colored eyebrows that don’t move much when angry or surprised
Fidgety hands that he usually keeps in his pockets of the suit jackets he likes to wear
Clothes are older styles, but not quite trendy enough to be called vintage, slightly dusty
Leather shoes that should be polished, but never are
Could be striking, except that his face isn’t animated enough
Could be imposing, except that he always slouches
Quiet, but when he does speak up, it’s crisp and clear, and people listen

Personality Description:
He was sorted into Hufflepuff simply for being a nice boy. He was always a little sad and quiet, but gets excited when curious, mostly about arithmancy or runes or poetry.

He is almost always calm and thoughtful, and is deeply trusted by even new friends. He does not push for friendship or other relationships, but they do come easily to him. He likes animals, but not the idea of having a pet, as he doesn’t want to be tied down to anything. He’s had several short-term boyfriends and girlfriends, but he doesn’t like commitment threatening his independence, though this often leads to loneliness.

It takes quite a bit to push him to true anger, though when he is, he fumes silently, but almost violently. His back straightens and his shoulders roll back. He walks much faster, and his movements and his words are sharper. When angry, his personality and physicality change so dramatically that he is sometimes not recognized.

Though he’d often been teased in his youth for his appearance, most usually being compared to an oversized clabbert or bowtruckle, he never raised to any taunts. However, once, when he was a fourth year at Hogwarts, a group of stressed seventh years looking for a outlet began heckling Dominic in the library, mostly about his appearance. He just leaned back in his chair, ready to let them wear themselves out, when one of them said that his gangliness was due to his mother having prostituted herself to merfolk. When he didn’t react to even that jab, they threatened to spread the rumor around the school. He abruptly sat up straight, his slouch gone, and icily told them how unfortunate of a mistake that would be. They laughed nervously at the boy who now seemed taller than them even though he was still seated, and they dispersed quickly.  Word spread of this cold confrontation, though not by him. His melancholic anger lingered for weeks, and he spoke to virtually no one the last month of his 4th year.

History:
Dominic grew up just off the small isle of Muck on an even smaller island, just big enough for a tall house, a garden, and a little beach. He could often be found down in the surf playing with seals, and even sometimes swimming out to interact with dolphins and porpoises. His mother, Edith Griplock, would even tell you that he befriended kelpies and serpents.

Edith was a witch and photographer that had always lived on her little island. Dominic’s father was muggle tourist his mother met on Muck one cold, sunny, November day.  She found him handsome, brought him to her house, and impressed him with the moving photographs that he thought were a strange trick of the light. He left the next day, for where, she didn’t ask. Dominic was born the at the end of the next summer. Though Edith was a semi-famous photographer, and their home was always covered in photos, she doesn’t have any pictures of Dominic’s father. Though, one can guess at what he looked given that Dominic’s mom is short and squat and very pretty and Dominic is very not.

Dominic and his mother lived quietly together, and though she often brought men and women in and out of their home, it was only ever for a fews months at most. Long enough for them to become an adult friend to Dominic, but never long enough to become a second parent. Edith had several siblings and lots of nieces and nephews that came to visit, so Dominic had plenty of social interaction with his cousins, but no close friends, which was never an issue for him. He enjoyed his time alone, and spent most of his childhood writing poetry and short stories that his mother would read excitedly while simultaneously offering gentle corrections or criticisms. They were lucky enough to be able to keep to themselves during Voldemort’s return. Though Edith had been an activist in her youth, she felt her responsibility was to keep her son safe, and so through the end of the 90’s, it was just her and Dominic on their island, no visitors or travels.

When Dominic went to Hogwarts, he found the classes easy and his peers friendly. His professor’s liked his mature behavior, though when he was closer to graduating, they found his somewhat lackadaisical attitude towards his future frustrating. On more than one occasion, a professor called him into their office to give him an impassioned speech about his potential and the enormity of choosing a career path, only to be left deflated when he just shrugged and said he was still thinking about it. He would then walk down by the lake and decidedly not think about it. After graduating, and having no prospects, he went home to live with Edith. And though she was supportive of him doing whatever he felt he needed to do, after a couple years she pushed him to move to London to find work and start a life for himself.

Describe your job duties and how you go about them:
Clearing Thestral stalls, shoveling dragon waste, accompanying Handlers on missions, being allocated specific independent tasks, etc.

Elaborate on your expertise in your field:
Did well in Care of Magical Creatures classes
Grew up with magical creatures living near his home, had a good rapport with them, including the local population of merfolk
Showed willingness to work under dangerous conditions

Writing Sample:
“Well, I’ve been around magical creatures my whole life, but I wouldn’t really say there is one single interaction that stands out.” Just like all his answers to her other questions, this one technically answered the inquiry, but didn’t really provide any information.

The office was cramped and stuffy, but the lanky young man on the tiny folding chair sat with an ease, one long leg hung over the over, his hands resting on his knee. He struck quite the image to the DRCMC administrative assistant interviewing him. To her, he looked like a bigger version of one of the many long-armed candelabra lighting her office. His face even reminded her of melted wax. In the uncirculated candle-warmed air, she was surprised he didn't sweat wearing those old wool business robes. She was glad he didn’t seem uncomfortable, but she was becoming fed up with his non-answers.

Please, just give something to write down! “Well, what were your favorite pets growing up? Did you tend to the owls, or feed the dogs, or anything like that?”

“Actually, I’ve never had a pet. Sorry.” He winced apologetically and smiled that slight smile that she’d been trying unsuccessfully to hate for the last thirty minutes.

She blinked heavily, and suddenly felt older. “How have you never had a pet? You were an only child. You excelled in Care of Magical Creatures. Your mom published a collection of photos of you with a pack of dogs when you were a child!" She opened a drawer, pulled out a thin bound book, then dropped it with a thud onto her desk. On the cover was a black and white picture of Dominic grinning wildly while he wrestled with six huge dogs on a beach. "We have the copy here that you submitted for background!”

She wanted to get this over with. She’d been instructed that the first applicant that could spell their name would get the position. Normally, she was more diligent than what was required, but this particular position just needed a body, someone to replace the last in a string of ex-assistants assigned to Mr. Oglesbee. Unfortunately for the actual work that had built up in her office, huge piles of parchment and files that formed teetering towers arched over the applicant in front of her, Dominic had supplied next to zero pertinent details she could include in her notes. “Nice,” was the only word she’d written in the margins of his application after he’d shaken her hand warmly before he sat down. Normally, the empty spaces of around Education, Experience, and Extracuriculars would be covered in hand-quilled notes. She’d interviewed terrible applicant after terrible applicant for the last week. He was the first that seemed to at least know what job he’d come in for, but he seemed cooly adamant to give her absolutely nothing to work with.

“Well, I wanted to show that I was comfortable around animals, but I’ve never kept any myself. And… I guess I like to show off my mom’s work,” he admitted sheepishly.

She blinked hard again. This is waking nightmare. She studied his cheekbones for a moment, than made a sudden decision.

“Ok. How about this: half the apprentices he’s had in the last twenty years have either disappeared, been admitted to St. Mungo’s for unknown maladies, or been eaten. Mr. Oglesbee is crude, difficult, and dangerous. My professional opinion is that he only be allowed to work alone, or under direct supervision from the Wizengamet, or both. But that’s not my call. My call is whether or not I think you could even find his office, and frankly, I’m worried you might walk out a window first. So, just tell me, are you up to the job, and why should I believe you?”

His eyebrows raised at her bluntness. “Oh yes, I’m definitely for up the job," He uncrossed his legs and leaned forward with purpose. “As for why you should believe me, you see this picture?” His long arm reached completely across her desk to point at the cover photo of his mom’s book, at himself 10 years ago laughing fearlessly. He looked up at her as she scanned the image closely, her eyes going wide with realization as she gasped audibly. “We never lived with any dogs, and to be honest, I’m not really a dog person. That’s a pack of black shuck."

Sum up your character in one paragraph:
Dominic is tall and scraggly, calm and collected. His face is not handsome, but his eyes are attractive in a kind way. When angry or needs to get someone’s attention, he can strike an intimidating presence, though this is rare. He often surprises people with some random piece of expertise that they didn’t expect from the quiet boy in the old suit. He looks older than his 21 years, but his demeanor doesn’t exactly command respect. He is excited (in his own subdued way) to begin working as an apprentice beast handler, though most think he may be in over his head. He’s ready to prove them wrong.