Accepted ~ Analiza Snark
About You, the Writer:I’m extremely shy. I’m also pleased to find a website with this loyal of a following. Hopefully I’m up to par, but I might need help from admins.
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Your Nickname: John (A moniker to identify you, the writer.
Can be your first name or a nickname.)
Have you read and do you agree to the Code of Conduct?:Yes
How did you find us and decide to write with us? The same way I find everything else on the internet. Accidentally while surfing for adult entertainment.
If you have written other characters here, list them all: Not Applicable
Full Character Name:James Arthur Forrester
Character Birthday & Age: August 15, 1985 (23 Years of age as of 2008)
City & Country of Birth:Glasgow, Scotland
Pureblood, Halfblood or Muggleborn?:Pureblood
Alma Mater:Durmstang Institute
Job:Professional Quidditch Player for Tutshill Tornadoes Second String Seeker/Chaser
Wand:11” Willow with Dragon Heartstring
Physical Description:
James is a strangely built wizard. This comes from his constant chasing of a quaffle or a snitch on a broom. He plays for the Tornadoes as a second string seeker/chaser, subbing for whoever is either a) injured or b) tired. This has given him a rather skewed build. Since he is left-handed, he has developed some muscles on one side from throwing the quaffle, but it makes his right arm look slightly smaller in comparison. His quadriceps, hamstrings, calves, and gluteals are well-defined from his near constant steering of a broom with only his legs. Being a pureblood, he typically dresses in robes appropriate for the occasion, though he has a preference for grey tones. He weighs just over a hundred and sixty pounds and is five foot nine inches tall. He has brown eyes, black windswept hair, and a square jaw.
Personality Description:
James has developed something of an inferiority complex. He is the second son in a pureblood family, so he gets responsibility instead of privileges. Playing quidditch with Victor Krum helped it along, because he was always in his shadow. Krum was the greatest seeker Durmstang had ever seen, James was his replacement. A few years later, the flying coach moved him to chaser because another player had a better build for the position. He is frustrated from not being able to stay in one position, and get good enough to land a starting position. This leads to him making rather inappropriate remarks, especially on the Quidditch pitches.
With the bad comes the good however, and he has learned to take and give insults with the best of them. His tough skin and skill at insulting people leave his diplomacy much to be desired, but he is usually honest. Going to Durmstang did toughen him up though, and he sees the world in a slightly darker shade than most wizards.
History:
James was born as the “spare” of the family. His older brother will eventually inherit a Wizengamot seat, a major fortune, and be the head of the household. James has only received enough funds to make sure he didn’t have to work while at school. Still, he and his brother do get along even if James envy does show periodically. James just resents his parents for so blatantly favoring his brother. While he now understands the “heir & a spare” concept, he has never liked it due to his upbringing. The only silver lining in being born second was that he did not have an arranged marriage. His older brother, William, got stuck with a real !@$#%. This has cemented James into thinking that bachelorhood, and an occasional one night stand is the best way to go about relationships.
As a young child, James was well taken care of, even though his parents spent much more time grooming their heir. When his older brother had free time with him though, they would terrorize the house elves and play quidditch. After being sorted into Ravenclaw, his brother seemed more interested in books, but they would still play games from time to time.
As for schooling, James entered Durmstang in 1996. This was because at the time, his parents believed Rita Skeeter’s articles and thought Dumbledore was a lunatic claiming that Lord Voldemort had returned. This is something else that he blames his parents for, since William was a Ravenclaw at Hogwarts. He had wanted to go to Hogwarts, but his parents were firm on the matter. Still, James chose Durmstang over Beauxbatons.
His parents had to pull a few bribes, but they got him on the quidditch team as a first year. It wasn’t too much of a stretch, since he was flying before he could walk and had talent…but he wasn’t Victor Krum by any means. This action had two effects. The first being that James’s time at Durmstang focused around flight and quidditch, and academics only got in the way. The second was that he was compared to Krum constantly, and was almost always found lacking. Even when he did catch the snitch, someone would say, “Krum could have caught that faster”.
Academically, he did get Acceptables in the core competencies (Dark Arts, Transfiguration, Potions, Charms, Herbology, History), but he failed his two electives (Care of Magical Creatures, Arithmancy). He did manage to eke out an exceeds expectations on his potion NEWT though. He got an acceptable NEWT in Dark Arts and Transfiguration. He did not sit for any other exams.
After graduating from Durmstang in 2003, he entered the draft for quidditch. He was chosen in the third round, and got traded around a couple of times before finally signing with Tutshill on the second squad. During this time, he moved to a place near the mouth of the River Dee so he could get to and from the training facilities quickly which are located in Sedbury. After a year practicing, he was selected to move up to the reserve seeker position in 2004. He did not play during regulation until 2005, and has been consistently subbed in ever since.
What is your occupation? How do you go about it?
James is a quidditch player. He trains, he practices, and whenever he can, he plays. He tries to extend his playing time as much as possible, since he knows he only has so much time on the pitch. He also tries to show off a little bit too much while on the field, since he is trying to become a starter.
How did you get your current occupation?
James has been playing quidditch since his first year at Durmstang, and flying before that. He wasn’t heavily recruited during the draft, but he did manage to sneak in the third round. After being traded a couple of times, the Tornadoes signed him on as a second-string seeker. He got his break when one of the Harpies’ beaters sent a vicious bludger to one of his teammates playing chaser, and because he was the fastest one on the bench, he got called in. He dropped the quaffle a couple of times, and then finally settled down. He scored 3 goals over the course of twenty minutes, and the Tornadoes have him alternate training with chasers and seekers. He has yet to sub for the starting seeker.
How does your past and abilities justify your current skills?:
The only real outstanding skill James has is flying on a broomstick. Since he has been playing Quidditch since first year in some form or another, he has gotten good at it, but is nowhere near as good as Krum, Potter, or anyone else who starts…yet. Since he attended Durmstang, he is fluent in Swedish and Norwegian. ((OOC: If Durmstang is different on this board I’ll change the language))
Writing Sample:
James was furious. The snitch was literally behind his team mate, and he wasn’t thinking to check his six. He always wondered why he was second-string when his coworker wasn’t aware that the snitch was less than a yard away from him. Worse, the other seeker saw it too. It was only a matter of time before the Falcons would win it at this rate. He just hoped the chasers had enough of a lead to cushion the loss. 15 goals was a lot to make up for. He sighed. As the referee’s whistle blew, he saw the snitch with the falcon seeker.
He looked at his coach.
“And I’m not playing for him because?” James knew it was unprofessional, but he couldn’t help himself. He knew he would play for that remark in practice. With a rather nasty snarl on his face, he went over to congratulate the other team.
Show your character in a scene that illustrates the best and worst aspects
of their personality. Include action, dialog and thought.
James was frustrated. He had trained for years at Durmstang, flying when he should have been studying, flying when he should have been eating, flying when he should have been sleeping, flying when he should have been in detention. All that work, and he had an offer as a *second* string seeker for Tutshill? James decided it was a good idea to kick the nearest object, which happened to be a desk.
“!@#%$!” James yelled. His boots were not charmed unbreakable. The pain took his mind off the frustration, and he decided to lie down on his bed. He looked up at the ceiling. He had no other offers. He would inform Tutshill of his acceptance in the morning. At least he was playing professionally. ‘That’s one thing my brother doesn’t have on me’ James thought to himself. He realized he needed to get to sleep, and get on a broom tomorrow. He needed to be ready for the Tornadoes. He closed his eyes, and went to sleep.
Sum up your character in one paragraph:
James is an easily frustrated quidditch player, and his frustrations are a reflection of his life. He has been second born, second son, second string, and constantly coming in second has become frustrating to him. He is working to overcome it, but it is a long and arduous process, and he has more slip ups than he cares to admit.
James Arthur Forrester : Seeker/Chaser for the Falmouth Falcons