Wand:

11 inches, willow wood with a phoenix feather core

Physical Description:

Ellie has a rather round, youthful face, which she’s slowly growing out of as she loses her baby fat and becomes a more pronounced “woman” (ahem). Hints of her father’s more chiseled bone structure are particularly noticeable in her milky facade when her fringe is swept across her high forehead,  obscuring caramel brows and threatening to obstruct the gaze of her wan blue eyes. Eleanor’s hair, though a dusky blonde, seems to darken her features when she wears it in certain ways. In the winters, when light is sparse, her sometimes-messy mane became almost a friendly chestnut. Usually, Ellie is quite content for her locks to hang in thick, tousled waves, halfway past her shoulder, or else braided to the side without much effort.

Though Ellie has pretty, baby pink lips that dip into a cute shape, her smile is not that of a Witch Weekly cover girl. Her pearly whites have a quirky little gap between two most forefront teeth, giving Ellie a very distinct grin.

Her nose is just sort of there, sort of cute, and rather perky. Though it isn’t long and elegant like her mother’s, it befits her face. Her cheeks are wide and rosy.

Ellie stands about 5'6" or 5’7”, very-leggy, but not scrawny. She’s soft, as opposed to bony or sharp. She’s slim, but toned, and possesses a healthy weight for her height. Somewhat pear-shaped, her hips are broad for her frame. She has fairly normal assets. Ellie’s not so fond of her feet, which are long, just like her legs.

Ellie wore very girly clothes when she was a small child, but traded them in for a tomboyish wardrobe after a growth spurt that began in her second year. By fifth year, her style became something of a unique compromise of all of her personality niches... she’ll wear tattered jeans, boots, and a leather jacket one day, and trade them in for a printed skirt and puffy parka the next. Or she’ll mix and match: wrinkled biker clothes and a floral blouse. Ellie especially loves jewelry, which many of her school teammates found hilarious, as over-sized earrings and bunches of rings aren’t exactly the best gear for avoiding tangles of limbs and catching quaffles. Another favorite style is sharply-layered, slightly androgynous formal wear, like fitted black trousers and a bow-tied blouse with red lipstick. Ellie’s face is too youthful to compliment exceptionally risque clothing, while it is too soft to really mesh with a wholly tomboy aesthetic.

Personality Description:

Eleanor is a fun and usually friendly person. She’s chatty, engaging, and usually out to try new things. She takes her time when she thinks it’s worth it, or will rush to do something when her appetite for adventure seems insatiable. She flits between peaceful and coolly collected, Bohemianishly untethered, and downright daredevilish. (A bit of a hippie, a bit of a tomboy, and most certainly a free spirit.)

Oftentimes, Ellie leaps before thinking. Intuition and common sense aren’t always the same thing, and it has taken Ellie more than a few years to learn this. She’s not someone with a perfect record for being on time, keeping her life organized, and remaining civil in the heat of a debate. Like a true Gryffindor, Ellie possesses a certain... hardheadedness and spirited self-assertiveness.

But the girl’s affirmative attitude got her through school: punishments from her superiors were something she took in stride, with a charming smile that somehow made professors softer around the edges during detentions. She has always a had knack for employing what she knows about people in conversation... making them know that she’s listening, absorbing (even when she doesn’t always apply the wise words of others to her daily life). She’s something a personal cheerleader for certain souls, but not in the peppy, air-headed manner. When she’s calm and pensieve, she likes to hear stories, particularly from old people who have “Lived the Life”.

While never boyish to the degree that she outright protested dresses or the girl’s loo, Ellie has flitted in and out of a rogue, earthy, and indelicate air. She is sweet, but not demure. Like many a graduate of Godric Gryffindor’s school of character, Eleanor is not afraid to get her hands dirty. There are certain things she is steadfastly outspoken about, and that’s that.

Her mother’s influence is enough to have made the young woman a touch more feminine around the edges as she’s matured. It’s also lent itself quite nicely to that boldness that follows her.

History:

Elliot St. James and Cadence Holden met at a benefit for a Ministry politician in London, in 1986. They exhibited a mutual distaste for one another, Elliot being a London-bred, Durmstrang-educated lad with a penchant for big city lights, and Cadence being a thoroughbred Holden: Ravenclaw alumni, lover of books and tea, and graduate of an elite, countryside summer school for blue-blooded witches and wizards whose parents wish to force hellish dance steps and table manners on their privileged brood. In short, they were perfect for one another, but each refused to admit it in that hotheaded way that accompanies many a self-entitled, self-righteous youth.

A year later, the tables were wholly and successfully turned. Cady found herself veiled in white, holding a bouquet, while Elliot waited to slip a pretty gold band on his bride’s finger. The kiss was followed by a bit of traveling, and the purchase of a very lovely set of apartments in the heart of London. Hardly another year passed, and the couple welcomed their first child: Edward.

Soon followed Evan, Samia, and finally, Eleanor.

Ellie's father had a soft spot for his dainty new daughter, and her mother was thrilled to decorate a nursery in soft, feminine colors and bowed teddy bears once more-- and of course, books.

Her father might have made a good Slytherin in his prime, and her mother had been a steadfast and studious daughter of Rowena, but there was nowhere Eleanor belonged if not Gryffindor tower. A young lion on the prowl, Ellie showed her true colors even before she hopped off the train and into the boat. Where her love of adventure overtook a fondness for frills, Eleanor did well in her first year-- at least in terms of friends and new experiences. She did well in her second, third, and fourth, too. Her marks were slightly above average, but this never bothered her one way or another. She was not her mother... and both of her parents were forced to accept this, sooner rather than later.

Come fifth year, Ellie’s keen interest in Quidditch a primary pursuit. No longer just a bystander in the crowds, or a teenage girl with a messy braid, shouting at the radio, Ellie became one of the Gryffindor chasers. Spending every free moment on a broom meant sacrificing a study break or two. Eleanor’s OWL scores were decent, but not what they should have been.

After collecting a few more NEWTs than she had OWLs, and squashing the idea of professional sports because of a broken leg, she became an apprentice to a Ministry officer. This spell ended prematurely, and Eleanor ended up taking off several weeks to travel and “grow” (as she’d put it to her frowning mother).

With a summer of decent but unpaid work behind her, and barely a toe back in London after a trot across the map, Eleanor is now looking for a place to settle. She is something of a family favorite, being the baby, and has few qualms crashing in her old bedroom while looking for a flat and a job. She is very interested in becoming a sports photographer.

What is your occupation? How do you go about it?
How did you get your current occupation?
How does your past and abilities justify your current skills?:

Ellie does not currently have a steady job, but she is interested in several things. Currently, she would love to explore Photojournalism, specifically Sports Photography. Getting her foot in the door at the Prophet without any professional training or much of a portfolio to boast is a bit of hurdle.

Sum up your character in one paragraph:

Eleanor is fiery, sometimes feisty, but a good person and a friend upon whom one can count. When she isn’t testing her own limits, she is an ideal conversationalist. She knows how to listen, and can brighten a friend’s day. She likes hearing and learning things that aren’t necessarily deemed useful by most people. Personal histories intrigue her. She has a quirky side which is revealed through her ever-evolving passions, and sometimes her wardrobe. Eleanor does not have one path she’s keen to travel, but many. Some of them she hasn’t a clue where to begin.

[Character Name:] Eleanor St. James
[Previous Position:] Unemployed
[Position Applying For:] Freelance and News Media Photographer
[Link to Accepted Biography:] here

[Why have you chosen to change careers?:]

Ellie recently graduated from school and has begun to compile her photography portfolio. After a brief Ministry internship, and a bit of traveling overseas, Ellie has decided a traditional desk job is not for her. Tired of lounging around her parents' home, she wants to establish herself in Wizarding England.
What is your job description?
How do you go about your job?
How did you get your current job?
How does your past and abilities justify your current position?:

Ellie does freelance work for several local papers, magazines, and brochures, but is especially interested in sports photography. She is also available for hire by independent companies and for private events (parties, press photo shoots, etc.). She does not hold regular hours, but carries her camera everywhere and often finds herself traveling out of London. The work and pay are often as sporadic as the locations; some weeks Ellie works everyday, all day. Other times, the calendar is sparse and the days are sluggish.