Your Nickname: GeminiStar
Have you read and do you agree to the Code of Conduct?: Yes
How did you find us and decide to write with us? RPG Directory
If you have written other characters here: No
If Yes, list them all:
Is this a Primary or Secondary Character?: Primary

Full Character Name: Alvis Balthazar Norling
Character Birthday & Age: December 3rd, 1994; (14)
City & Country of Birth: Adderley, Shropshire, England
Pureblood, Halfblood or Muggleborn: Halfblood
House & Year: Ravenclaw, 3rd Year

Wand: Osage Orange wood, eight-and-three-quarter inch, phoenix feather, smooth

Physical Description
The Basics
Build/Body type: Lanky and thin, with long limbs and a rounded face.
Estimated Height/Weight: 5'7", 118 lbs.
Hair color: Dirty blond, and a bit long for a boy. He ties it up sometimes, particularly when teachers start talking about regulations; but most of the time he keeps it loose.
Eye color: Absinthe green
Skin color: Pale
First Impression: Forgettable.
Any odd/outstanding features?: He doesn't blink much. This is only really noticeable if you talk to him for a while, and it can sometimes be a bit unnerving.

The Rest
Alvis is the sort of person who could be in the background of pretty much any major scene, but when you think back on it all, you won't remember him being there. It's not that he's unattractive. He's just not particularly memorable, especially when overshadowed by his more-striking classmates.

Sometimes it seems like Alvis's appearance is stuck in a bubble. He hasn't changed much at all since he first arrive at Hogwarts; he's still just as likely to wear his school uniform after class because he's too lazy to change and he has no inclination to follow any sort of trends; however, he does order all his clothes at least a size too big.

He always looks like he's half-asleep, which might be why he doesn't seem to blink.


Personality Description

Alvis is what muggles would, and have, call a "space cadet." Eighty percent of the time, it's hard to tell if his mind is actually in the present, or if it's off frolicking on Jupiter somewhere. And that's not even an exaggeration. You see, ever since he was a child, Alvis has been fascinated by the stars. He's a member of the astronomy club and idolizes its older members; his personal chest is stuffed full of both astronomy and muggle astrology books; and his dream is to someday put a wizard on the moon.

Like most Ravenclaws, Alvis thinks a lot, and very logically. Unlike most Ravenclaws, Alvis's logic is so out-there that, if you're unfortunate enough to walk in during the middle of his explanation, you'll have no idea what he's talking about. It's not uncommon for him to get so caught up in his own thoughts that he blurts out the answer to something before he can properly clue the listener into the question. Nevertheless, if you can get on the same wavelength that he's on, you can always follow the logic of his words, every single time.

Strictly speaking, Alvis doesn't have many friends, partially because of his strange quirks and partially because he was very shy as a first-year. He is, however, kind and affectionate once you get to know him, and if you can get by his strangeness, he's a loyal friend. For obvious reasons, he's extremely fond of Professor Trishna, to the point that it wouldn't be inaccurate to call him a fanboy.

When Alvis speaks, it is always soft, deliberate, and formal, even when he's around his friends. He often contemplates his responses carefully before he gives them voice, which can lead to some very long-winded build-up. The easiest way to throw him off his game is to cut him off in the middle of a sentence, which effectively drops a girder onto his train of thought and will leave him floundering to recover. Don't do that too much, though, since he's liable to cry.

Alvis is often perceived by his classmates as vulnerable or weak-willed, both of which are true to an extent. While he doesn't mind being alone, he hates to be lonely, which can lead to clinginess with his friends; and he is absolutely terrible at standing up for himself. In class, he can sling spells and incantations as well as any of his classmates; but when he's put in a conflict situation, he can't come up with any of them. He is, frankly, a bully's dream target.

That said, when the chips are down, he's a reliable friend. If you ever need help with astronomy homework, he's definitely the guy to go to; you'll probably find him up in that tower, waiting for the sun to set so he'll get another look at the stars.


History

Alvis is the son of Orville and Ariadne Norling, a half-blood wizard and muggle respectively. The two are childhood friends who have lived in the village of Adderley, in Shropshire, for almost 40 years. Though Orville made good on his dream to travel the world shortly after his graduation from Hogwarts, he returned to marry his childhood sweetheart and settled happily into her family's bookshop. Both parents now make their living as booksellers, with Ariadne running the muggle front-shop and Orville manning a wizard's establishment in their basement.

As such, Alvis was raised in a lovely, tight-knit community that was always there to support a growing young man. He was an avid reader of both muggle and wizard texts, going through most of his parents' stock before he was eight and always reading the new releases.

When he was ten years old, just before he got his letter for Hogwarts, he saw a muggle documentary on the Apollo program, and was instantly smitten. Ever since, he's been obsessed with the stars, their meaning, and the magical potential of reaching other planets. As he'll happily tell you, his dream is to one day put a wizard on the moon. After all, if the muggles can pull it off, then wizards aught to be able to figure it out sooner or later.

Unfortunately, growing up in such an isolated community made his initial transition to the hustle and bustle of Hogwarts a bit odd. Naturally, he had some contact with the wizarding world through his father's business, but the wizarding community in Adderley was tiny and isolated; the mere idea that there were so many wizards contained in such a small place was absolutely mind-boggling to Alvis.

During his first year at school he was very shy and didn't make many friends, but he's been starting to open up a bit more and is getting to know the members of the other houses.

What Classes is Your Student Attending?:
Core Classes

• Astronomy
• Charms
• Defense Against the Dark Arts
• Herbology
• History of Magic
• Potions
• Transfiguration

Elective Classes

• Ancient Runes
• Arithmancy
• Divination

How Do You Fit Into Your House?: He's highly intelligent, book-loving, and devoted to expanding both his own knowledge and the overall achievements of wizardkind. Granted, he's a bit odd, but there's that old adage about genius and insanity that rings true.

Writing Sample:

It was going to be one of those days.

Alvis had an entire hierarchy of "those days," ranging from the moderately boring to the downright unbearable. Today fell squarely into the category of "one of those days when his soul forgot to come back from dreamland."

He was sitting at the table in the rose garden, looking down at a bowl of cold strawberry soup and listening to the others speak. He didn't remember how he'd gotten down there. He didn't remember waking up, or cleaning himself for breakfast, or putting on his clothes. He had a vague, distant recollection of greeting the Mistress in the hallway and returning a book to the Master's library; but that was all.

Now he sat, listening to the others speak as though he were on the inside of a goldfish tank, underwater, and they were on the other side of the glass. He saw his hand dipping into the pink soup and felt the cool mix of mix and strawberries against his tongue, but the sweet taste seemed distant and unreal. His body felt numb and his limbs were cold. His mind was a million miles away.

There was a tap on his wrist. It was Evangeline, the green-haired girl sitting to his left, trying to get his attention. "Earth to Al," she said. "Are you there?"

Alvis blinked slowly, turned his head to the side, and shrugged. "That is something of a complicated question."

Sum up your character in one paragraph: A highly intelligent space cadet who drams of reaching the stars. He's never been the best at social things, but he does mean well in the end.

Character Name: Alvis Norling
Age: Fourteen
Please provide a link to their Application: http://absitomen.com/index.php?topic=8366.0
Do any of your other Characters have Special Abilities?: No
 
Special Ability: Legillimency/Occlumency (Unintentional)
What level is this ability at?: Beginner, of a sort
At what age did your character gain this ability?: Six-ish (see explinaiton below)

How did they learn or hone this ability?:
Strictly speaking, Alvis hasn’t actually learned anything about occlumency or legilimency. He’s been doing it instinctively since he was a child.

For a currently-unknown reason, Alvis was subjected to an extensive memory charm when he was six years old. The improperly-performed charm damaged his developing mind, leaving him exceptionally open to the influence and thoughts of others.

In short: He is, literally, too open-minded for his own good.


Describe how the Special Ability influences their life.  What do they use it for?:
The brain-damaging memory charm left Alvis no mental defenses. Period. If a legilimen tried to get into his head, it would be as easy and clear as diving into the Caribbean. Alvis wouldn’t even notice. He’s even weak to the influence of others who aren’t trying to manipulate him magically: when coming out of a deep sleep or a daydream, he's extremely open to suggestion.

In response, Alvis's subconscious will sometimes reach out to others via legilimency, to ferret out which thoughts are his own and which belong to other people. For Alvis, an unfocused mind is a dangerous thing. On those rare occasions when he lets his mind wander in class, it has a bad habit of doing so through the emotions and surface-thoughts of his classmates. However, this is fairly rare; usually he's so focused on his studies, the teacher's lecture, or his next discussion response that his mind doesn't have a chance to wander off.

Where he gets really into trouble, though, is when the object of his attention is a fellow human being. While he’s having a conversation with someone, especially someone who’s making eye contact, his mind will go riffling through the uppermost layers of their emotions. This is partially a subconscious defense against outside influences and an attempt to understand others.

Mind you, Alvis has no conscious knowledge of what he’s doing. As far as he knows, being able to understand and sympathize with people like this is perfectly normal; any resulting headaches are written off as chronic migraines. This is also why he’s gotten into the habit of not blinking as much as normal person and why he is the singular worst candidate for a secret-keeper in all of wizard-kind.

Alvis does not consciously use any of these abilities, but he may yet learn how, if he is made aware of the potential.


Write a description of what happens when your character is exhibiting this Special Ability:
Alvis’s instinctive legilimency is not particularly invasive, so the most that non-occulems would wouldn’t notice anything beyond the fact that he’s still not blinking while he's talking to them, and that’s kind of creepy. Besides, he only ever reaches into the upper layers of emotion; at most he comes across as obnoxiously insightful about the feelings of others.

An occulem, on the other hand, would probably become aware of this after about five minutes of conversation, when Alvis's subconscious starts trying to root around in theirs. This is when Alvis is at his most vulnerable because, as stated above, he has no defense against legilimen attack, and no way to resist other mind-altering spells like the Imperius curse.

Alvis suffers from disorientation and headaches as a result of his ability, but he has long since chalked these up as chronic migraines and keeps a stash of Muggle and wizarding remedies in his dorm for just such an occasion.

Physical Characteristics
Sociological Characteristics
Family/Friends Information
Educational Characteristics
Magical Characteristics
The Six Stats
Gear, Possessions, Familiars, Protectorates
What Ifs
In and Out of Character Info

Physical Characteristics

[Name:] Alvis Balthazar Norling
[Nickname:] Balthazar, but only to his older relatives.
[Age:] 14
[Height:] Tall for his age and still growing
[Weight/Bodyshape:] Lanky and thin
[Ethnicity:] Northern English with Anglo-Saxon and Scandinavian roots
[ X] Male    [] Female
[Clothing Style:] Oversized and comfortable. He's particularly fond of the color blue.
[Hair Color:] Dirty blonde
[Hairstyle:] Overgrown. He rarely remembers to get haircuts when he should. It's naturally wavy as well.
[Eye Color:] Absinthe green
[Eyewear:] As of late September 2009, glasses. The bash on the head he received in Egypt made him nearsighted.
[Complexion:] Pale
[Voice:] Soft and only just beginning to change.
[Outstanding Features:] He almost never blinks. It can be quite unnerving.

Sociological Characteristics

[Emotional Level:] Wimpy, day-dreamy, and moderately eccentric. Although if you'll let him ramble about a familiar subject, he gains confidence.
[Occupation:] Hogwarts Student, Ravenclaw Fourth Year
[Income:] Average, for an English village
[Transportation:] The broom modified for him by his grandfather. At home, he's used to navigating the village on foot or by bike. For out-of-town, non-magical excursions, his mother owns a small muggle car.
[Interests:] Astronomy, alchemy, pendulum dowsing divination, cross-disciplinary endeavors, creating things
[Quirks/Vices:] His mind often goes off on wild tangents, even in mid-conversation.
[Special Talents:] Design of magical objects, sketching, making accurate calculations in his head
[Greatest Strength:] Creativity augmented by intelligence
[Greatest Weakness:] Defending himself in any shape, form, or fashion.
[Favorite Music Style:] Soft rock
[Band:] Owl City
[Favorite Place to Visit:] His grandparents' home down the hill.
[Favorite Book:] He lives in a bookstore. Don't make him choose.
[Favorite Number:] π
[Favorite Food:] Vanilla fudge
[Least Favorite Food:] Raisins
[Favorite Color:] Blue
[Allergies or Physical Handicaps:]  [X] Yes [ ] No He's nearsighted for one. His mind was also damaged by a bad memory charm when he was six, the complications of which have reverberated throughout his life. The most obvious incarnation is chronic headaches.
[Chemical Dependency:]  [ ] Yes  [X] No Unless you count aspirin and willowfine.
[Criminal Past:] [ ] Yes [X] No
[Educational Level:] 4th Year, though his expertise in certain fields is on a much higher level.
[Musically Inclined:] [ ] Yes [X] No
[What Instrument:] N/A
[Extra Information:] Also N/A

Family/Friends Information

[Location:] Adderley village, Shropshire, Northern England
[Marital Status:] Single. He's fourteen.
[Children:] Still technically one himself
[Family Information:]
Father – Orville Norling, a wizarding bookseller who will also make you a lovely hand-crafted spellbook for the right price.
Mother – Ariadne Norling (nee Howe), a muggle bookseller who keeps her eccentric husband and son grounded
Grandfather – Weyland Norling, a retired broom-maker who still takes up the old work on special occasions
Grandmother – Sabia Norling (nee Martel), retired amulet maker and runesmith
Great-Aunt – Niamh Stendhal (nee Norling), Weyland's younger sister and a retired potions inventor.
Grandfather – Grampy Howe, Ariadne's father
Grandmother – Granny Howe, Ariadne's mother
[Pets:] Adam, the family owl
[Any Family Traditions:]  [X] Yes [ ] No Alvis's wizarding relatives tend to be craftsmen and take great pride in their work. As Grandpa Weyland says, "The pride most families waste on their blood, we Norlings invest in our creations."
[Faction:] Hogwarts
[Best Friend:] None really, though he'd like to change that.
[Nemesis:] Again, none.
[Romance:] Has had crushes on both older boys and younger girls. Notably, he tends to be impressed and intimidated by the women he's attracted to, while his attraction to boys is on a more emotional line between admiration and wanting to take care of them.

Educational Characteristics

[Year:] Ravenclaw Fourth
[Learning Preference:] Self-study, though without direction he'll study only what most interests him and completely ignore the other subjects. He tends to work on a number of projects at once, flitting between them as inspiration strikes and seeking out research when the need for it appears. He also tends towards trial-and-error, which occasionally leads to some rather, er, volatile reactions.
[Best Subject(s):] Astronomy, Arithmancy, Divination
[Worst Subject(s):] Defense Against the Dark Arts by far.
[Learned Skills/Select Expertise:] Multidisciplinary design, such as combing rune-studies, transfiguration, and arithmancy to create magical objects. Also anything involving astronomy.
[Clubs/Extra Curriculars:] Unofficial second-in-command of Astronomy Club and Keeper for the Ravenclaw House Quidditch Team.

Magical Characteristics

[WAND:] Osage Orange and phoenix feather, ten-and-a-quarter inches, smooth.
[ERISED:] Himself, surrounded by friends and loved ones.
[AMORENTIA:] Fresh printer's ink, newly-forged iron, and the cool scent of a clear night without a hint of rain
[BOGGART:] An angry friend, who insults and belittles him for an imagined slight
[RIDDIKULUS:] When he can manage it (which isn't often) the boggart finds itself to be holding a large wizard's cracker. Alvis then pulls the other end, producing an explosion of streamers three times as large as your average cracker, knocking the boggart on its bum.
[DEMENTOR:] Half-remembered visions of being forced to run through a dark forest by an unknown person who is both a comfort and a terror. But he rarely registers this because the accompanying headache is comparable to having an aneurysm. It knocks him out after more than a few seconds.
[PATRONUS:] A Caladrius
[SPECIAL ABILITY:] Legillimency, although technically speaking it's more of a mental deficiency than a special talent.
[FAVORITE SPELL:] Alvis doesn't get particularly attached to spells, seeing them as little more than means to an end. He tends to have a much deeper emotional connection with magical objects.
[MOST USED SPELL:] The Summoning Charm.
[BEST OFFENSIVE SPELL:] None.
[BEST DEFENSIVE SPELL:] Shield Charm


The Six Stats
Fans of traditional tabletop RPGs will recognize these characters stats which determine strengths and weaknesses. I do not use actual numerical values but rather use them for characteristic definitions.

[Strength:]  The lower end of Average – He's a nerd, but he spends a decent amount of spare time practicing Quidditch or wandering around outside.
[Dexterity:]  Above-Average – A craftsman in heart and soul, Alvis's hands are quite steady, particularly when working on the fine details.
[Constitution:] Average – Again, nerd, but an active nerd.
[Intelligence:] Very High – He's a Ravenclaw, after all. And he lives in a bookstore. And he started inventing things at age 10. He might be a genius-level intellect, but it's hard to tell under that tarnish of eccentricity.
[Wisdom "Street Smarts":] Sub-Average – It's hard to be street-smart when you grow up in a village that's only got two primary schools and a rectory to its name.
[Charisma:] Sub-Average – Alvis is eccentric and quirky, which can have its appeal, but does not make for a popular individual.

Gear, Possessions, Familiars, Protectorates
The unique items the character has beyond standard (wand, basic school equipment, etc.) and the creatures or people they can call on for help.

[Turquoise Pendulum:] As seen here. Alvis uses this simple amulet for his Divination assignments. But more importantly, this is the first magical object that Alvis has created entirely on his own.
[Carved White Stone:] The tiny Caladrius statue Alvis received from the pharaoh's tomb in Egypt. It is not magical, but looking at it stirs Alvis's memories of the real-life bird he once knew.
[Modded Broom:] Originally a Comet 300, Alvis's grandfather modified this broom to increase its stability and personality. It suits Alvis quite well.

What Ifs

[Where does character see herself in 10 years:] Alvis rarely thinks that far ahead, but he'd probably imagine himself apprenticed to a craftsman, astronomer, or alchemist somewhere, learning a trade that appeals to him.
[Oddest thing that has ever happened to them:] He disappeared when he was six and turned up three days later with no memories of the preceding month. To call it 'odd' is probably an understatement...
[Personal goal not yet achieved:] Would you like the short list or the long? He keeps a lot of projects and they all progress at their own speed.
[Biggest Regret/Mistake:] Not opening up to his classmates when he had the chance. Now he fears he'll never be accepted by them.

In and Out of Character Info

[Avatar:] Haley Joel Osment

Special Title Request

Character Name: Alvis Norling
Title Applying For: Astronomy Club President
Character Biography: http://absitomen.com/index.php?topic=8366.0

What Experience has Prepared You For This Honor?:
In-character, it's an established fact that Alvis has been in the Astronomy Club since his first year. (OoC, he's been a member since his creation.) Given the relatively small membership of the club, it wouldn't be too weird for him to be the longest-serving member even if he's not the oldest. So it's kind of the obvious choice.

Astronomy is Alvis's best subject, he has a distinct passion for it, and he's very familiar with both wizarding and muggle techniques of monitoring the stars. Under other club presidents, he's taken up a second-in-command sort of role in helping to set up before the club starts, so he knows how things work the most smoothly. He's also been seen tutoring younger students in the subject, which he considers to be the Club's primary purpose.

What Do You Think the Most Important Aspect of This Job Is:?
As far as Alvis is concerned, the Astronomy Club has two primary duties. The first is to promote an interest in the subject and provide a space for those who enjoy it to engage in deeper discussion. As President, the most important aspect in this regard is organizing meetings, settling on discussion topics ahead of time, and preparing the meeting space before everyone gets there.

The second duty is offering tutoring for any students struggling with the subject. For some people, it's easier to absorb the information if it's presented from a new perspective, so having tutors who aren't the professor can be a big help. As club president, it's important to let non-club members know that this tutoring is available through fliers or word-of-mouth, as well as keeping track of when the volunteer tutors are available and working out schedules that would best make the resources available to other students.

In-character, both equally important to the function of the club, but OoC the later may get more play, due to the relatively low numbers of active members.

Tell a Story From Your Past That Has Proven Your Mettle:  
May 13, 2010 - Rain, Rain, Go Away

"Steady now, you're doing good. Just keep the line smooth and straight and...there, see? You've got it."

Off to one side, Alvis had managed to collect a small knot of about half-a-dozen First and Second years, whom he coached through their occasional stumbles while he worked on his own, more elaborate charts. It wasn't that unexpected, really. Alvis was a long-term Astronomy Club member and (though he would never admit it) a bit of a mother hen, so he naturally gravitated towards tutoring those who would accept the help. After a full year of star-gazing, the ones he helped most often knew where and how to come find him.

Alvis loved star-gazing sessions. For all the late nights and freezing winters, they remained his favorite class sessions every week, bar none. There was just something peaceful about losing one's thoughts in the stars and the calculations and the endless gulf of night that helped him clear his head and relax for once, even while he was surrounded by people.

The Lupin boy -- whose hair tonight was so silver it was almost distracting -- sucked heavily on the tip of his quill and gave a miserable little groan. "I don't get it. How do you know which planet that is?"

"Don't get stressed," Alvis soothed, refreshing the ink on his quill. He would have leaned over for a look at the younger boy's parchment, only Lupin had his dog with him tonight, smelling of sulfur as always and lying with its head propped on Lupin's knee. The beast made Alvis nervous. He didn't want to get any closer to it than he had to.  "Check your notes from the previous nights, narrow down the possibilities, then extrapolate from your own observations. You'll figure it out. You already know how."