Accepted! ~Elle

Your Nickname: Tracey
Have you read and do you agree to the Code of Conduct?: Yes
How did you find us and decide to write with us? Other
If you have written other characters here: Yes
If Yes, list them all: Moira Randall, Claudia Vespucciano, Isaac Fraiser, Morrigan Ramsay, Arianna Wickwood, and Dante Ward
Is this a Primary or Secondary Character?: Primary

Full Character Name: Jasper Kingsley Marsh
Character Birthday & Age: June 20, 1982 & 27
City & Country of Birth: Dover, England
Blood Purity: Pureblood
Alma Mater: Hogwarts - Slytherin
Job/Position: Concert Pianist/Painter

Wand: Jasper’s wand was purchased at Ollivander’s shortly before he entered into his first year at Hogwarts.  It is made from African Blackwood and has a Dragon Heartstring core.  At approximately twelve inches in length it is dark brown in color and supple and smooth.

Physical Description: Standing five feet eleven and half inches tall, Jasper Marsh is the perfect combination of his father and birth mother’s features.  His dark hair and eyes blend well with the features generally associated with his stepmother’s family causing few to question his relation to Catherine Randall Marsh.  Jasper’s chiseled features and intense gaze give him a noticeable resemblance to his father who could be considered a blonde, older version of his son.

When he is working, his face is usually quite stern and serious.  His intense expression shows the level of concentration he puts into his creative endeavors.  When he isn’t working, he tends to wear a smile on his features, making him appear younger in moments of relaxation.

Working out every day, Jasper takes a lot of pride in his body.  Not a morning passes that he doesn’t go for a run, giving him a lean look that compliments the defined features of his face.  He tends to always dress well in colors that compliment his skin tone and eyes.  Fashion, while not something that’s terribly important to him, is something he is always aware of having been schooled from an early age on what would be expected of him in society.

Hardly anyone realizes that Jasper has a tribal tattoo on his right bicep.  The tribal design of a snake first appeared shortly after his eighteenth birthday when he went out to celebrate with a group of friends his father and stepmother frowned upon him associating with.  After several drinks the challenge was presented and Jasper leapt at the chance to commemorate the evening of rebellion.  Usually hidden completely by his clothing, it’s a secret symbol of his defiant side, which he usually keeps carefully hidden.

Personality Description: There are two very different sides to Jasper’s personality.  The first is what he allows members of pureblood society and his audiences to see.  When out in society he tends to be a bit on the stuffy side, always acting with precise propriety.  He has a natural charm about him, always weighing his words carefully and choosing the appropriate ones for the situation.  It shows that from an early age he was constantly drilled in matters regarding formalities and manners.

He takes work extremely seriously, seeing keeping up the façade in front of members of society as a part of that.  His position helped to quickly make the appropriate connections and find the success he has enjoyed in both the musical arena and now the artistic world.  It is not a complete act, as he is not prone to lying, but still only half of who he truly is. 

While he is a natural performer, he is also somewhat shy.  This need to divide and hide away half himself is sometimes a means of self preservation as he believes many would frown upon some of his more frivolous activities.  His need to be accepted also factors in to this need to protect himself when out among those who might very well only be pretending to be his friend.

A few people truly get to see other side of Jasper that could be consider rebellious.  Never having completely subscribed to formalities he enjoys going out and cutting loose with close friends.  He tends to be quick to laugh and joke, and is usually more then willing to just let go and allow things to unfold as they’re meant to.  The troublemaker within him is usually always lurking beneath the surface, usually evident in the smirk that will form on his lips when something amuses him at an inappropriate time.

Usually calm and collected, it can take a lot to truly bring out Jasper’s temper.  After years of burying things beneath the surface he is good at pushing anger aside.  Jasper could be seen as a very private person, most of the time keeping things that trouble him to himself.  He does detest being interrupted while working and having to listen to others put down his friends and family.

History: In 1980 Samuel Marsh entered into an affair with another married pureblood woman who was estranged from her husband.  The affair lasted four years resulted in the birth of Jasper Kingsley Marsh on June 20, 1982.  For the first two years of his life Jasper lived with his mother whose name he has never been told.  His mother was simply a vague childhood memory he never understood until he was sixteen and finally learned of the affair.  His father once told him that around his second birthday in 1984 his birth mother decided to return to her husband and family leaving Jasper to be raised by the Marshes.

His stepmother, Catherine Randall Marsh, immediately took the boy in having been unable to produce a male heir.  Jasper’s half-sister, Arianna, was already beginning to distance herself from her parents and Catherine was willing to try to fill the void and attempt to not repeat any mistakes she had previously made with her new son.  Living in Dover and rarely visiting London, few ever questioned if Catherine was Jasper’s mother due to his the dark hair and eyes that seemed to match hers perfectly, much to her delight.

Tutors began to visit the house nearly every day schooling him in everything from etiquette to what became his favorite subject of study, the piano.  None of the Randall had succeeded in having a male child, and his lack of actual birthright was completely ignored.  It was soon apparent that Samuel’s affair and the identity of Jasper’s birthmother would always remain the family’s secret.

Jasper was never close to his half sister, Arianna, as there was a twelve-year age difference between them and she had already entered Hogwarts when he entered into the household.  She was often a source of irritation for his parents giving him a one-sided and skewed view.  Between 1988 and 1993 he had no contact with her at all as she had cut herself off from her immediate family to live in London with an uncle and aunt he had never met.

Before entering Hogwarts the piano was Jasper’s escape.  He would often spend hours practicing.  By 1993 when he entered Hogwarts he had impressed many of his teachers with his aptitude and seemingly natural ability with music.

After entering Hogwarts and being sorted into Slytherin, his studies on the piano stopped and he found himself practicing only on breaks.  Lacking the escape he once had he began to sketch regularly finding that he simply enjoyed the creative process.  He did fairly well with his magical studies although they did not interest him as his musical studies had.

Between his first and third year he also had a little contact with his half-sister when she surprised everyone by agreeing to an engagement her parents had arranged.  While they never were close he found that they shared a bit of a secret rebellious side, although he certainly had kept his hidden away much better then she ever had.  When she called off the engagement the night before the wedding though, her parents finally officially disowned her putting an end to any contact Jasper would have with her while under their roof.

During his third year Jasper began to lead a bit of a duel existence when he made friends with a classmate from Gryffindor.  He would often find himself sneaking off on weekends to join this new group of friends, finding the diversity of opinions a bit refreshing.  Among his Slytherin housemates he continued to present the façade of the perfect pureblood heir.

Jasper remained at Hogwarts during the war, the aftermath of the final battle remaining with him.  He always considered the death and violence senseless, feeling no reason to truly look down upon anyone.  However he always kept these opinions to himself, never voicing them to his family or housemates.  The façade he began during his third year continued on long past graduation as he always continued to play the part of the good son.

After graduating in 2002 Jasper threw himself back into his studies with the piano after moving into his own flat in London.  His father and stepmother were more then willing to give him a portion of his hefty inheritance, hoping he would be the first among his generation of those with a direct tie to the Randalls to not disappoint the family.  After six months of once again diving into steady, serious practice he was once again back to his old standards and was able to begin finding venues to perform in thanks to the connections of his old teachers.  It wasn’t long before the venues grew larger and he was being paid for his performances, making a name for himself a concert pianist.

When not practicing the piano he began to study painting, taking the love of drawing he discovered in Hogwarts and cultivating it slowly.  In 2006 he finally felt ready to display his work, using the name he had made as a pianist to cultivate interest.  Painting presented a new challenge that the piano never had as he strives to constantly keep is work fresh and innovative instead of simply playing the same repertoire written by long deceased masters.  Managing to find some success he supports himself by giving concerts and selling his artwork, leaving most of what his family’s monetary support untouched.

Describe your job duties and how you go about them: Jasper regular performs piano concerts at venues around the UK and occasionally in other locations in Europe.  When not practicing or performing he indulges in his second passion, painting.  He regularly makes appearances at society events to network and keep his name on the lips of those who might be his patrons.  He has learned that perception is everything and works extremely hard to ensure he is viewed in a positive light.

Elaborate on your expertise in your field: Jasper studied piano from an incredibly young age, throwing himself completely into the study of music before entering Hogwarts.  After school he spent six months focusing solely on the piano ignoring nearly everything else in his life except for occasion trips out with friends.  Using the connections of old teachers he quickly started finding venues to play at and his name began to circulate.

Shortly after finding success as a pianist he took up painting, once again immersing himself in the study of the art form when not practicing for concerts.  He had a natural talent but he kept his art to himself until 2006 when he felt he was finally ready to have it displayed.  Thanks to his work as a musician he was able to make a few connections in the art world and has his work displayed and sold regularly at galleries in London.

Writing Sample: N/A – Existing Member

Sum up your character in one paragraph: Jasper Marsh is a man leading a bit of a duel life.  Among society he is serious and reserved, but sneaks off quite regularly to simply enjoy life on his terms where no one in his family’s circle will find him.  He is very artistic minded, always looking for the next challenge to his creativity.