Accepted! ~Elle
Your Nickname: Malia
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: Edmund Klint
Hildegarde Austerlitz
Kitty Li
Quinn McAvoy
Is this a Primary or Secondary Character?: Primary
Full Character Name: Vasily Vikoslav Volkov
Character Birthday & Age: 3rd of December, 1990 | 18 Years of Age
City & Country of Birth: Kiev, Ukraine
Blood Purity: Halfblood
Alma Mater: Durmstrang
Job/Position: Unemployed
Wand: 12", hawthorn, Kelpie vein
The Kelpie vein is a common core amongst the Volkov family, and Vasily has simply inherited this aspect.
Physical Description: Tall, at 6'1, Vasily has been gifted with that typically Slavic physique; whilst slim, prominent muscles are apparent, and the physical hardship and toil have clearly had an effect on Vasily's figure.
Facially, Vasily's looks are exceptionally harsh. His cheekbones look as if they are made of concrete, and only add to his gaunt, Slavic appearance. All of his key features are large and overstated; in addition to a hollowed, angular face, his nose is large and wide, accompanied by a thin yet long mouth. Vasily's eyes are brown and circular, placed at a certain angle that gives his presence a perpetually stern ambience.
Vasily's hair is a light brown and unkempt. It usually falls into a natural quiff, and he rarely finds time to style it. On the sporadic occasion when his parents have forced him to make half an effort, Vasily's quiffed hair is usually a lot tidier.
When placed together, the words gaunt, pale, stern and angular would not necessarily evoke the image of an attractive person, yet Vasily is handsome in his own way. Whether it's his aggressive behaviour spurred on by the Durmstrang tutelage, or his own unconventional beauty, Vasily has a certain charm and his list of past lovers is quite the read. Physically attractive, but not in the most obvious of ways.
Vasily's style is typically casual; he doesn't spend too much time on clothing and sticks to what he knows. He's usually wearing a pair of slacks tucked into boots, with a plain t-shirt, jumper and thick woollen peabody coat. Used to the typically harsh Durmstrang weather, Vasily is not used to summer dressing and finds changing his style of attire difficult and awkward.
Personality Description: The Ukrainian is in one word, confrontational. He thrives on duels, brawls and ridiculing those he wants to fight. In his fairness, Vasily's fighting is not just limited to pure sport; many of his duels and combat have been in retaliation to an insult or name-call. Durmstrang, a place dominated by blood purism, cultivated his short fuse and bad temper - he was a halfblood, and within a year or so, everybody learned not to raise his heritage. Vasily is proud of his familial background, and has a curse ready to prove it.
Similar to his sister, Vasily has a cocky and competitive streak within him that often rears its head on the worst of occasions. When Vasily wants something, he goes out of his way to get it, using his rugged, bravado-infused charm and can turn into quite the persistent young man if things don't fall into his hands easily.
Usually intimidating to most, Vasily has plenty of 'mates' but no real friends. His companions have usually allied themselves with Vasily out of fear and need of a leader rather than out of mutual interests. Despite being surrounded by underlings and thugs, Vasily can be quiet lonely at times and often feels uncomfortable and cautious when somebody is getting closer than a friendly understanding.
Underneath the thuggish facade and boyish banter, Vasily is a strong-willed chap and has just gone on the darker route throughout his young life. His relocation to Hogsmeade is unappealing to Vasily, and he isn't sure how beneficial it will be. His own stubbornness and comfort within Kiev shields the opportunity on offer, and Vasily is preparing himself to utilise his rudeness and insolence against authority - although Uncle Ignan is one of the few people who would see a diluted form of this.
History: Vasily is a true blend of Eastern Europe. His German grandmother, Imelda Storm, married Stanislav Kollontai, Muggleborn half-Lithuanian, half-Ukrainian enforcement wizard, and soon moved to Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. They bore just one child, Lyudmilla.
Lyudmilla, a semi-halfblood witch, was sent to Durmstrang like most young people within the family. A shy yet strong-willed pupil, Lyudmilla met her future husband, Mikhail Volkov during her magical education, and they were married a few years after graduation.
The newlyweds relocated to Kiev to be with Lyudmilla's parents. Vasily's mother gained a job as a healer, keen to nurture her nursing ability, whilst Mikhail became a law enforcement wizard and worked beneath his new father-in-law, Stanislav.
Within three years into their marriage, the couple had a first child - a daughter they named Valentina due to her birth on the 14th of February. Their second (and final child) was born a year later, on the 2nd of December. He was named Vasily.
With only a year apart, Valentina and Vasily both grew up in direct competition of each other. Rather than co-operation, everything was a tournament, be it one of wits, physical capability or intelligence. Despite Vasily's own determination, Valentina was usually the victor. As the more eloquent, articulate and aristocratic of the two Volkov children, Valentina was usually favoured by family friends and relatives, with Vasily being viewed as a more brutish, uncouth member of the family.
This competition soon transformed into jealousy on Vasily's side and a haughty superiority complex on Valentina's, which ultimately separated the two siblings. Upon their close induction into Durmstrang, Valentina thrived academically whilst Vasily became renowned for his duelling and physical capabilities. Valentina and Vasily, through their differences, did not get on as individual people, and this dislike has extended through to adulthood.
In an attempt to break away from Valentina's shadow, Vasily began to fall into 'the wrong crowd'. Under the leadership of a tyrannical yet charismatic leader, Vasily was soon as a brawler within Durmstrang, a trouble causer and a direct member of a resistance against authority.
Valentina flourished, becoming a model student within Durmstrang, yet her personality reeked of immodesty, arrogance and superiority. Vasily soon became as feared as his sister, but for different reasons; he struck anybody down who dared to challenge his small band of reprobates, and within a few years, became the leader himself.
Mr and Mrs Volkov despaired - they had one daughter, a paragon of intelligence and boastful arrogance, and a son who lacked this scholastic aptitude, but found solace in fighting and trouble stirring. Vasily was almost expelled from Durmstrang in his final year for causing a near riot. A pureblood companion of his sister labelled him 'your typical halfblood mongrel - a savage if I ever did see one.' Without warning, Vasily's bad temper got the better of him and he cast curse after curse, and a duel ensured that slowly enveloped half of his year group.
Vasily was reprimanded for such barbaric actions, yet the headmaster identified that he at least possessed the competitive drive Durmstrang demanded from it's students. Even if Vasily was savage, he stood up for what he believed in, and that day showed all that he was endlessly fearless. It seemed that his greatest flaw was also his lifeline.
Graduation came and went. Valentina claimed the Queen of Academia crown and was forever remembered for her all-round skill and ruthless capabilities, whilst Vasily soon gained the infamous title of King of the Delinquents. He had next to no qualifications, and turned up to only two examinations.
Vasily expected to return home to Kiev and live in the family townhouse with no expectations and no inclination to find work. Little did he know, his parents had discussed a final last ditch attempt to get Vasily on the straight and narrow: they had contacted Ignan Storm, Lyudmilla's uncle who had recently moved to Britain to teach at Hogwarts. A tough, no-nonsense sort of gentleman, Lyudmilla and Mikhail agreed that in Hogsmeade, Vasily would find independence away from his usual crowd of future criminals and would hopefully get a grip on his life. Hogsmeade was to be a place of redemption under the harsh eye of Ignan Storm.
Vasily unaware of this, returned home one day in late December to find his bags packed waiting by the front door. The night previous he'd duelled with a Russian whilst drunk, and sported a black eye and split lip. This was to be the final nail in his coffin.
Of course, Vasily protested to this plot of his parents, laughing at their attempts to rearrange his life. Valentina was quick to put her two pence in, and stated how her brother 'would never change.' This was reason enough for Vasily, and he was on the next train out of Kiev, keen to prove his sister wrong. There was no way she was having the last word.
Describe your job duties and how you go about them: As he is unemployed, Vasily's parents are keen for Ignan to find him manual work within the Three Broomsticks; an avenue he will pursue once he is in Hogsmeade. His bad worth ethic and tarnished academic reputation makes Vasily essentially unemployable to anything other than basic manual labour.
Elaborate on your expertise in your field:
Writing Sample: (Existing Member)
Sum up your character in one paragraph: A typical rogue (that is sometimes lovable, when he wants to be), Vasily is a stubborn and charmingly rough Ukrainian. On foreign shores, he's supposed to be on his best behaviour, but his fiery temper and penchant for duelling may prevent this happening. Attractive, in his own thuggish way, Vasily can be a complete hedonist when he wants to be, and his boyishly competitive streak is all too apparent.
Vasily Volkov: Bartender of the Three Broomsticks