Bai Li Yang: Magizoologist, DRCMC Tags: Bai Li Yang Dietrich Eisenberg Ferreole LeBeau Read 1488 times / 0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic. Bai Li Yang: Magizoologist, DRCMC on November 12, 2011, 11:27:41 PM BIOGRAPHY Approved! - SparkyBAI LI YANG March 29, 1977. Hong Kong, China. Salem Witches Institute of Magic. MAGIZOOLOGIST, BEAST DIVISION Department of Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures Currently a resident of the House of Atreus, in London, England.Engaged to Dietrich Eisenberg as of January 1, 2011.[ 12 ¾”, cherry, phoenix feather; inflexible with an delicate-looking shaft. ]Physical DescriptionAt first glance the former professor appears to have been ‘that teacher’—the classy one, the glamorous one, the one with the figure that probably attracted more dazed looks than an Arithmancy class on a slow day. And indeed her general appearance does little to change that first impression; Bai bears the weight of her looks like an experienced sniper with a rifle—which is to say, proudly, and with the calm certainty that she cannot look anything less than her best since she is always her best. Rarely does one see her in something other than crisp skirts and blouses, or exquisite dresses made of the finest quality. The lady enjoys her finery, and when she isn’t working she is loathe to settle for anything less. However, she will don more casual threads – such as denim jeans and sturdy, rugged boots, even a T-shirt if she really must – if she has to; some things just can’t be helped. But even then, rest assured that she will still look every inch the lady she is. When her lips aren’t politely quirked at the corners (or curving in warm smiles of approval), her expression is as blank and dispassionate as a statue’s. To a stranger, she often appears composed and utterly aloof.Among close friends, Bai appears more approachable, those rigid lines and dark eyes softened by the comfort of cherished company.Unseen to the naked eye is a tattoo that spans the entirety of her body, enchanted to remain invisible unless Inferi are present. Then, the marks will burn to the touch. Only when the enchantment is suspended can it be seen: a complete, navy blue outline of the third eye chakra. The ink is fluid, and must be maintained at least once a year. It was a gift she had received from a Buddhist monk, when she had to investigate a plague of the aforementioned creatures in the catacombs of an old temple.PersonalityIn short, Bai Li is fussy, reticent, and soft-spoken. Unless expressly asked for her opinion, she refrains from offering personal views and information (she’s a very private individual) and pays a great deal of attention to details. As such each word is spoken quietly, sparingly, and deliberately; she hardly ever raises her voice, and finds fits and tantrums utterly abhorrent in others. Nothing quite wins her utter contempt like a lack of self-control. She does not allow her temper to show nor control her, so why should you?Coincidentally, she is also bitter, judgmental, and haughty, though she is careful about showing it. And because she does try to keep the more negative aspects of her personality out of sight, the woman keeps herself apart from others. On more than one occasion she has been accused of being aloof, which is true.Still, Bai is far from emotionless, for beneath that diamond-hard polish is a woman with a fiery temper, a dry sense of humor, and an innate kindness that does not come easily to her. No, she may not give pats on the back like some teachers do, nor does she ever seem to ‘let her hair down,’ so to speak. But on the flip side she is understanding to those who truly care about her class, and to those she considers a friend she is a valuable one herself; when the defense of such a person calls for it, she can be quite nasty, obstinate as sin.When she was Salem’s resident professor of Magizoology (and by extension, Care of Magical Creatures), Bai was calm, patient, and intuitive as well—all fine qualities when dealing with, say, a particularly irate griffin or a vicious Mackled Malaclaw. She was also more comfortable with them, gentler with them than she is with other people, which her instinctive knack for animals and beasts show. So far students (and a few former colleagues, including the Headmaster himself) are the only exception.HistoryA witch of humble origins, Bai Li was born to a pair of proud – if poor – Chinese expatriates, owners of a modest grocery.Traditionalists to the core, Han and Jia-Fen Yang had something rather different in mind for their daughter, and so childhood became a time for lessons. But then the letter arrived (as well as an oddly dressed stranger to explain things), and before long she was packing her things.Secretly – and rather ashamedly – she was quite excited; she always wanted... more, which felt like a betrayal to her parents. But a school of magic was still a school, and not only was she a witch, she was brilliant, competent at an age few seemed to be. She would succeed.However, school would not prove easy—not the social aspect, anyway. Because of a childhood that had been, from a certain perspective, anything but one, Bai often found herself at the sidelines of situations both good and bad. Her shyness made things difficult; she was afraid of failure – rejection – quite sensitive, took jokes seriously, and was easily appalled by outbursts and misbehavior. Her primness won her no friends either, and it was of no surprise to anyone when she found herself at odds with those who were very much unlike her.Fortunately, as time passed things improved. (Puberty was especially kind.) But more importantly she grew into her strengths, particularly the one subject that interested her the most: magizoology. By the time she finally graduated in ‘94, she was a driven, independent witch with Plans, and enrolled at Laevenstrome’s Fundunct of Sorcery. There, she practiced legilimency and occlumency, and studied their applicability to magizoology. She worked long and hard to improve her abilities. When she left Laevenstrome in ‘98, she left not as a master in her field, but something very nearly like it, and went on to see the world.The first year she spent abroad, she went to Europe—to the Emerald Isle and through the United Kingdom, out into France, then Italy, Bulgaria, Ukraine and the freezing wilds of Russia—spending no more than a week or two at a time at any place. As she drew further and further east, she found herself gravitating towards institutions and people both reputable and... not; when it came right down to it, all she truly cared about was her research, and if a place – or person – offered the aid that she sought, then so be it.During this time, Bai took an interest in the Dark Arts as well.However, before it could become anything more than such, she left the continent of Europe for another—Asia—and slowly drew back, inch by inch, from the hard-eyed woman she was gradually becoming. It was in the mountains of Tibet that she encountered yetis, and in India, rare gandaberunda. She also traveled as far as the Pacific, the archipelagos of Japan and the Philippines, studying kirin, aswang, and as many others she could between. To support her travels, Bai did what she could; she made potions (-cures, really, for beast-related causes) and cast charms; she offered her expertise on small plagues and infestations, and worked as a consultant on certain hunting expeditions in return for cadavers she could have prepared and added to her collection. Little had she known that traveling was another of her dreams, and when she finally realized this Bai was determined to do what she could to keep on traveling.But all things have their price, and the time and distance she spent so far away from her parents had given her new perspective; when she looked back to her family she did not like what she saw, and their insistence that she settle down was the last straw. With little regret, Bai gently separated herself away from them and their influence, which she had come to find stifling.When she felt that she had learned enough, gone on long enough—was lonely enough, though she would never admit it—Bai finally returned to Salem. It had always been more of a home to her than anywhere else, and while she may not have always fit in, it was familiar and understood her better than her parents ever had. In time, she came to regard both staff and students alike as her family. She was especially loyal to the headmaster, Ferreole LeBeau, despite his noisy, eccentric ways. In 2009, she accompanied the delegation to Hogwarts for the TetraWizard Tournament, rather than stay and run the school in his absence.It was a most eventful year.A week before Halloween, she met Dietrich Eisenberg, a tattoo artist from Knockturn Alley. The attraction was immediate; a tall, gorgeous man with a goodnatured smile, it was, in hindsight, only to be expected. What was surprising (–to her, at least), was how easy it was to like him; as a rule Bai was rarely won over. And yet here she was, looking forward to seeing him more and more, until her own smiles came as a surprise to her as well.At the end of the year — after much indecision – she chose to stay. With Ferreole’s blessing Bai resigned from her post, returning to Salem only to pack her things and say her goodbyes. She lives in London, now, at the House of Atreus, where good friends – and a good man – are well within reach.Career Magizoologist, Beast Division, Dept. of Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures (2010–).See Career Change.Salem Professor of Magizoology (2001 - 2010).After graduating from Salem, Bai went on to study at Laevenstrome, where she began her research on Legilimency and its potential applicability to better understanding of beasts, and possibly human-beast communication that might bypass physical cues. Because of her brilliance in the subject and her own affinity for animals, she left the Fundunct with top honors and went on to travel the world for the next three years, visiting various institutions pertinent to her interest, leaving them for less... reputable ones when they turned out to have little to offer. During this time she penned several noteworthy articles and dissertations—sometimes under a different name, but usually under her own—before she finally returned to Salem in 2001.At Salem, Bai taught her students how to treat magical beasts in regards to behavior, basic care, and history. However, Care of Magical Creatures and Magizoology maintain some key differences between them, as the latter focuses on both the study’s ecological and physiological aspects as well.Her class was open to students of all ages, but its content and status differed for Junior and Senior years. From grades 6 to 10 it was fundamentally a basic Care for Magical Creatures class, whereas for grades 11 and 12 they had the option to take either Advanced COMC or Magizoology, a specialized class available to those interested in furthering their knowledge of the beasts they study. Because Magizoology is based more on physiology and anatomy than basic handling (and its classroom is charmed to reflect existing environments), class often took place indoors. Lessons incorporated basic, generalized knowledge of Herbology and Potions (in terms of diet and potion ingredients respectively), and there were dissections, lectures and demonstrations (for which she may use live models or enchanted ones). Eventually, as they progressed into their junior and senior years, students learned about these magical creatures on a smaller and smaller scale until they had heaps of theory and ecology papers pouring out of their ears.Bai’s approach to teaching involved a curious mix of understanding, objectivity, discretion and a great deal of patience. Those who did well in her class earned a quiet smile of approval and one or two words of praise; those who did not often received a disappointed look to accompany those demerits, which were crushing in its own way.She was no fan of favoritism, and chided even high-performing students when they slacked off, acted out of line, or misbehaved in class.SummaryBai is, to put it simply, a beauty, a snob, an ice queen, viciously competitive and a sore loser; she’s beautiful and knows it, frequently looks down on others (albeit discreetly), is warm but impersonal, and takes personal failure badly. But she is also loyal, reliable, understanding, and honestly, genuinely kind (even though expressions of such make her uncomfortable), as well as coldly protective of those she cares about—a number that is less than most but more than you think. Skip to next post Bai Li Yang: Special Ability Request Reply #1 on December 14, 2011, 12:20:39 PM SPECIAL ABILITY: OCCLUMENCY/LEGILIMENCYLEVEL: MASTER AGE: 16 | 17How did they learn or hone this ability? At the soonest available opportunity—when she was just beginning to have an inkling of what she wanted to do post-graduation—Bai began her training in Legilimency and Occlumency at Salem. At Laevenstrome she trained further for research purposes, particularly in Legilimency; while in no way did she neglect Occlumency, she had always been more interested in the other and how it could be applied to her project.When she finally let Laevenstrome in ‘98, she traveled both Europe and Asia for the next two years, searching for those who could help her improve upon her skills, as well as studying what creatures she could that couldn’t be found elsewhere. Throughout Europe and Asia she made several acquaintances that proved to be very useful—and from whom she would pick up a thing or two, at that.Describe how the Special Ability influences their life. What do they use it for? Bai uses her abilities primarily for research purposes—Legilimency to better understand the needs and thought processes of her subjects, and establish a means of communication not with conversation, but with visual thoughts and physical cues; Occlumency to defend herself against potential backlash (with the additional benefit of maintaining her privacy). She also uses Legilimency to control animals both magical and non-magical, to a certain extent. Though she still has some ways to go before achieving absolute mastery in this field, Bai is able to exert some influence on their actions with considerable skill—something she finds useful when an animal is aggressive or on the loose. To this end she uses it to reign in her familiar when she must.Write a description of what happens when your character is exhibiting this Special Ability. As Legilimency is the ability to breach and influence another’s mind, Bai is fond of employing coaxing tones and proximity (-but not actual physical contact, however) to make the endeavor more likely to succeed. During this time she takes a great deal of care to be subtle, as unnoticeable in her prying as she can. Although animal minds are simpler than those of humans and other intelligent beings, their thoughts are no less difficult to interpret—they are difficult, but in a different way. Intentions and desires are, perhaps, even more difficult to read, if only because their processes run more along the lines of basic feelings and urges rather than words, so Bai greatly relies on her own intuition and knowledge to understand what she is “seeing.” Occlumency, on the other hand, comes a bit more easily to her than its opposite because of her own private nature, enviable self-control, and dominant personality.As a highly skilled practitioner of both, Bai no longer feels as drained after a session as she once had when she first began. Those she uses Legilimency on, however, may experience disorientation and/or pain, depending on how forceful the breach was and how hard the recipient fought back. Otherwise, she is able to permeate most animal minds almost completely undetected.As of late she has been able to infiltrate hive minds, such as those of bees. Skip to next post Bai Li Yang: Additional Information Reply #2 on December 14, 2011, 12:21:07 PM ADDITIONAL INFORMATIONPhysical CharacteristicsHeight: 5’3Weight: ~115 lbsEthnicity/Nationality: Chinese; Chinese-American – Hair color: Black – Eye color: Dark brownMannerisms: Tucking her hair behind an ear, smoothing out the smallest wrinkles in her clothing, dusting nonexistant lint off her shoulders—all quite typical of a prim, finicky person.Speech pattern(s): Formal, sometimes quiet and edged with annoyance, sometimes soft and husky when smiling, sometimes dry and lilting when amused.Greatest flaw(s): Snobbish and cold; vain. Pride in her appearance and her skill is not undeserved, but it does cause her to look down on others.Best quality: Loyal. Even if one is an old, eccentric, loud man, she can be trusted to do her job well, willing to work through nasty details and make matters a lot less troublesome (and bureaucratic) than they have to be.Emotional CharacteristicsStrengths: Quickly and calmly assesses situations before reacting; can be objective; very strong sense of self-control and -awareness; able to deal with overbearing personalities and work around them with subtlety. Also possesses an array of less known and appreciated skills that some may not approve of.Weaknesses: [classified]Introvert or Extrovert? Introvert. While she is often seen in the company of other people, she keeps to herself.How does the character deal with anger? Coldly, and nastily, depending on just how badly she is provoked. Her tone gets sweeter and sweeter, until one is faced with subtlety wielded like a scalpel.With sadness? Quietly. She tends to keep it all in, and out of sight.With conflict? Calmly. Very little fazes her (although it doesn’t take much to annoy her).With change? Calculatingly. Events are taken in stride, subjective interpretations taken with a grain of salt, and potential consequences are weighed and double-weighed. She adapts to most situations quite well.With loss? Badly.Interests:fashion, languages, dragonology, demonology, poisonsMagical CharacteristicsErised: [classified]Amortentia: [classified]Boggart: [classified]Patronus: [classified] Skip to next post Bai Li Yang: Writing Example Reply #3 on December 14, 2011, 12:21:27 PM WRITING EXAMPLE Peer-to-Peer, My Dear, February 22 2010“And I am very grateful you’ve chosen to come, Vadim,” a voice murmured softly, a smile clear in its tone. And when its owner drew close, the men could see the smile for themselves—could watch it brighten as it slid from face to face, touching upon each like a kiss on the cheek. “Truly. It has been a while. Hello, Balfour.”Modestly dressed in deep, elegant purple– a nod, of course, to the school she had arrived with –Bai Li hardly looked much more than a passing acquaintance of either man, particularly the grizzled Vyrubov; she was tiny, compared to him, and delicate-seeming, and was nearly as out of place beside the red-haired Balfour, who she didn’t know quite as well. However, she stood at their table with an ease that whispered of familiarity, and the small smile gracing her lips was sincere. There was strength there, in the confident curve of her back, even if it wasn’t readily apparent.There would have had to be, if one was to gain the respect of a man such as Vadim Vyrubov in the first place.“You weren’t waiting long, I hope?” she looked at him in askance, as she peeled off a long, leather glove by the fingertip. “I do apologize.” Skip to next post Bai Li Yang: Character Influences & Inspirations Reply #4 on December 14, 2011, 12:33:21 PM CHARACTER INFLUENCES & INSPIRATIONS Ise NanaoMary Poppins (books)Reserves of PatienceLoyalty [to an Eccentric Old Man]ProfessionalismPaperwork GoddessStrictnessSnobbishnessAnnoying SidekickVanityGranny WeatherwaxNanny McPheeBossinessBorrowing SkillRuthlessnessSelf-ConfidenceApproach to ChildcarePragmatic StreakCapabilityGeneral Demeanor Skip to next post Bai Li Yang: House of Atreus Resident Reply #5 on December 14, 2011, 01:42:53 PM CURRENT RESIDENCE House of Atreus3rd Floor, No. 3BKnightsbridge, LondonClassic, comfortable, and luxurious, yet understated, with a dash of art nouveau for variation and a touchof purple and dark, plummy red to round out the more neutral, creamy tones. Opulence is fine so long as it is tempered by good taste and moderation.The flat is tidy, well-kept, but partly due to the owner’s frequent absences. Still, there are signs of a homelived in: a towel draped over the back of an armchair, the remains of a few lacewing flies beside a lamp, scratch marks on a window sill, where mail is sent and received. Skip to next post Bai Li Yang: Career Change Reply #6 on April 26, 2015, 04:10:34 PM CAREER CHANGE Approved! - KitPrevious Job/Position:Salem Professor of MagizoologyPosition Applying For:MagizoologistDepartment of Regulation and Control of Magical CreaturesWhy have you chosen to change careers?Salem was her family, but London has her lover and most beloved friends—promising her the change of pace she had wanted for some time now but pretended she hadn’t out of loyalty for Ferreole LeBeau; there was... expectation, that she would take up the mantle after he retired, but Bai had other ideas. Working for Beast Division would allow her to continue do what she does best – magizoology – and live comfortably and self-sufficiently in London.After a long and private chat with the headmaster, she resigned in late June of 2010, and began work at the Ministry shortly thereafter.Elaborate on your expertise in this new field.Three years of freelance work, and then eight more of teaching. Spare time was often spent pouring over research both new and old, and going on trips not just for her students’ benefit, but her own as well. Despite the obvious attention she pays to her own appearance, Bai is practical, diligent, and hardworking. She can speak Mermish and Gobbledegook. Her skill in legilimency also offers a great advantage in understanding (and subduing) the more dangerous creatures the Division comes across.Describe your new job and how you go about doing it.As a Magizoologist for Beast Division, Bai is expected to lend her knowledge and expertise on a regular and competent basis.Her approach to teaching had involved a mix of understanding, objectivity, discretion and a great deal of patience—a manner she brings over with characteristic composure. It takes her a while to warm up to new colleagues, but for the most part she is amiable, succinct and polite, if somewhat impersonal and aloof. Skip to next post
Bai Li Yang: Magizoologist, DRCMC on November 12, 2011, 11:27:41 PM BIOGRAPHY Approved! - SparkyBAI LI YANG March 29, 1977. Hong Kong, China. Salem Witches Institute of Magic. MAGIZOOLOGIST, BEAST DIVISION Department of Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures Currently a resident of the House of Atreus, in London, England.Engaged to Dietrich Eisenberg as of January 1, 2011.[ 12 ¾”, cherry, phoenix feather; inflexible with an delicate-looking shaft. ]Physical DescriptionAt first glance the former professor appears to have been ‘that teacher’—the classy one, the glamorous one, the one with the figure that probably attracted more dazed looks than an Arithmancy class on a slow day. And indeed her general appearance does little to change that first impression; Bai bears the weight of her looks like an experienced sniper with a rifle—which is to say, proudly, and with the calm certainty that she cannot look anything less than her best since she is always her best. Rarely does one see her in something other than crisp skirts and blouses, or exquisite dresses made of the finest quality. The lady enjoys her finery, and when she isn’t working she is loathe to settle for anything less. However, she will don more casual threads – such as denim jeans and sturdy, rugged boots, even a T-shirt if she really must – if she has to; some things just can’t be helped. But even then, rest assured that she will still look every inch the lady she is. When her lips aren’t politely quirked at the corners (or curving in warm smiles of approval), her expression is as blank and dispassionate as a statue’s. To a stranger, she often appears composed and utterly aloof.Among close friends, Bai appears more approachable, those rigid lines and dark eyes softened by the comfort of cherished company.Unseen to the naked eye is a tattoo that spans the entirety of her body, enchanted to remain invisible unless Inferi are present. Then, the marks will burn to the touch. Only when the enchantment is suspended can it be seen: a complete, navy blue outline of the third eye chakra. The ink is fluid, and must be maintained at least once a year. It was a gift she had received from a Buddhist monk, when she had to investigate a plague of the aforementioned creatures in the catacombs of an old temple.PersonalityIn short, Bai Li is fussy, reticent, and soft-spoken. Unless expressly asked for her opinion, she refrains from offering personal views and information (she’s a very private individual) and pays a great deal of attention to details. As such each word is spoken quietly, sparingly, and deliberately; she hardly ever raises her voice, and finds fits and tantrums utterly abhorrent in others. Nothing quite wins her utter contempt like a lack of self-control. She does not allow her temper to show nor control her, so why should you?Coincidentally, she is also bitter, judgmental, and haughty, though she is careful about showing it. And because she does try to keep the more negative aspects of her personality out of sight, the woman keeps herself apart from others. On more than one occasion she has been accused of being aloof, which is true.Still, Bai is far from emotionless, for beneath that diamond-hard polish is a woman with a fiery temper, a dry sense of humor, and an innate kindness that does not come easily to her. No, she may not give pats on the back like some teachers do, nor does she ever seem to ‘let her hair down,’ so to speak. But on the flip side she is understanding to those who truly care about her class, and to those she considers a friend she is a valuable one herself; when the defense of such a person calls for it, she can be quite nasty, obstinate as sin.When she was Salem’s resident professor of Magizoology (and by extension, Care of Magical Creatures), Bai was calm, patient, and intuitive as well—all fine qualities when dealing with, say, a particularly irate griffin or a vicious Mackled Malaclaw. She was also more comfortable with them, gentler with them than she is with other people, which her instinctive knack for animals and beasts show. So far students (and a few former colleagues, including the Headmaster himself) are the only exception.HistoryA witch of humble origins, Bai Li was born to a pair of proud – if poor – Chinese expatriates, owners of a modest grocery.Traditionalists to the core, Han and Jia-Fen Yang had something rather different in mind for their daughter, and so childhood became a time for lessons. But then the letter arrived (as well as an oddly dressed stranger to explain things), and before long she was packing her things.Secretly – and rather ashamedly – she was quite excited; she always wanted... more, which felt like a betrayal to her parents. But a school of magic was still a school, and not only was she a witch, she was brilliant, competent at an age few seemed to be. She would succeed.However, school would not prove easy—not the social aspect, anyway. Because of a childhood that had been, from a certain perspective, anything but one, Bai often found herself at the sidelines of situations both good and bad. Her shyness made things difficult; she was afraid of failure – rejection – quite sensitive, took jokes seriously, and was easily appalled by outbursts and misbehavior. Her primness won her no friends either, and it was of no surprise to anyone when she found herself at odds with those who were very much unlike her.Fortunately, as time passed things improved. (Puberty was especially kind.) But more importantly she grew into her strengths, particularly the one subject that interested her the most: magizoology. By the time she finally graduated in ‘94, she was a driven, independent witch with Plans, and enrolled at Laevenstrome’s Fundunct of Sorcery. There, she practiced legilimency and occlumency, and studied their applicability to magizoology. She worked long and hard to improve her abilities. When she left Laevenstrome in ‘98, she left not as a master in her field, but something very nearly like it, and went on to see the world.The first year she spent abroad, she went to Europe—to the Emerald Isle and through the United Kingdom, out into France, then Italy, Bulgaria, Ukraine and the freezing wilds of Russia—spending no more than a week or two at a time at any place. As she drew further and further east, she found herself gravitating towards institutions and people both reputable and... not; when it came right down to it, all she truly cared about was her research, and if a place – or person – offered the aid that she sought, then so be it.During this time, Bai took an interest in the Dark Arts as well.However, before it could become anything more than such, she left the continent of Europe for another—Asia—and slowly drew back, inch by inch, from the hard-eyed woman she was gradually becoming. It was in the mountains of Tibet that she encountered yetis, and in India, rare gandaberunda. She also traveled as far as the Pacific, the archipelagos of Japan and the Philippines, studying kirin, aswang, and as many others she could between. To support her travels, Bai did what she could; she made potions (-cures, really, for beast-related causes) and cast charms; she offered her expertise on small plagues and infestations, and worked as a consultant on certain hunting expeditions in return for cadavers she could have prepared and added to her collection. Little had she known that traveling was another of her dreams, and when she finally realized this Bai was determined to do what she could to keep on traveling.But all things have their price, and the time and distance she spent so far away from her parents had given her new perspective; when she looked back to her family she did not like what she saw, and their insistence that she settle down was the last straw. With little regret, Bai gently separated herself away from them and their influence, which she had come to find stifling.When she felt that she had learned enough, gone on long enough—was lonely enough, though she would never admit it—Bai finally returned to Salem. It had always been more of a home to her than anywhere else, and while she may not have always fit in, it was familiar and understood her better than her parents ever had. In time, she came to regard both staff and students alike as her family. She was especially loyal to the headmaster, Ferreole LeBeau, despite his noisy, eccentric ways. In 2009, she accompanied the delegation to Hogwarts for the TetraWizard Tournament, rather than stay and run the school in his absence.It was a most eventful year.A week before Halloween, she met Dietrich Eisenberg, a tattoo artist from Knockturn Alley. The attraction was immediate; a tall, gorgeous man with a goodnatured smile, it was, in hindsight, only to be expected. What was surprising (–to her, at least), was how easy it was to like him; as a rule Bai was rarely won over. And yet here she was, looking forward to seeing him more and more, until her own smiles came as a surprise to her as well.At the end of the year — after much indecision – she chose to stay. With Ferreole’s blessing Bai resigned from her post, returning to Salem only to pack her things and say her goodbyes. She lives in London, now, at the House of Atreus, where good friends – and a good man – are well within reach.Career Magizoologist, Beast Division, Dept. of Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures (2010–).See Career Change.Salem Professor of Magizoology (2001 - 2010).After graduating from Salem, Bai went on to study at Laevenstrome, where she began her research on Legilimency and its potential applicability to better understanding of beasts, and possibly human-beast communication that might bypass physical cues. Because of her brilliance in the subject and her own affinity for animals, she left the Fundunct with top honors and went on to travel the world for the next three years, visiting various institutions pertinent to her interest, leaving them for less... reputable ones when they turned out to have little to offer. During this time she penned several noteworthy articles and dissertations—sometimes under a different name, but usually under her own—before she finally returned to Salem in 2001.At Salem, Bai taught her students how to treat magical beasts in regards to behavior, basic care, and history. However, Care of Magical Creatures and Magizoology maintain some key differences between them, as the latter focuses on both the study’s ecological and physiological aspects as well.Her class was open to students of all ages, but its content and status differed for Junior and Senior years. From grades 6 to 10 it was fundamentally a basic Care for Magical Creatures class, whereas for grades 11 and 12 they had the option to take either Advanced COMC or Magizoology, a specialized class available to those interested in furthering their knowledge of the beasts they study. Because Magizoology is based more on physiology and anatomy than basic handling (and its classroom is charmed to reflect existing environments), class often took place indoors. Lessons incorporated basic, generalized knowledge of Herbology and Potions (in terms of diet and potion ingredients respectively), and there were dissections, lectures and demonstrations (for which she may use live models or enchanted ones). Eventually, as they progressed into their junior and senior years, students learned about these magical creatures on a smaller and smaller scale until they had heaps of theory and ecology papers pouring out of their ears.Bai’s approach to teaching involved a curious mix of understanding, objectivity, discretion and a great deal of patience. Those who did well in her class earned a quiet smile of approval and one or two words of praise; those who did not often received a disappointed look to accompany those demerits, which were crushing in its own way.She was no fan of favoritism, and chided even high-performing students when they slacked off, acted out of line, or misbehaved in class.SummaryBai is, to put it simply, a beauty, a snob, an ice queen, viciously competitive and a sore loser; she’s beautiful and knows it, frequently looks down on others (albeit discreetly), is warm but impersonal, and takes personal failure badly. But she is also loyal, reliable, understanding, and honestly, genuinely kind (even though expressions of such make her uncomfortable), as well as coldly protective of those she cares about—a number that is less than most but more than you think. Skip to next post
Bai Li Yang: Special Ability Request Reply #1 on December 14, 2011, 12:20:39 PM SPECIAL ABILITY: OCCLUMENCY/LEGILIMENCYLEVEL: MASTER AGE: 16 | 17How did they learn or hone this ability? At the soonest available opportunity—when she was just beginning to have an inkling of what she wanted to do post-graduation—Bai began her training in Legilimency and Occlumency at Salem. At Laevenstrome she trained further for research purposes, particularly in Legilimency; while in no way did she neglect Occlumency, she had always been more interested in the other and how it could be applied to her project.When she finally let Laevenstrome in ‘98, she traveled both Europe and Asia for the next two years, searching for those who could help her improve upon her skills, as well as studying what creatures she could that couldn’t be found elsewhere. Throughout Europe and Asia she made several acquaintances that proved to be very useful—and from whom she would pick up a thing or two, at that.Describe how the Special Ability influences their life. What do they use it for? Bai uses her abilities primarily for research purposes—Legilimency to better understand the needs and thought processes of her subjects, and establish a means of communication not with conversation, but with visual thoughts and physical cues; Occlumency to defend herself against potential backlash (with the additional benefit of maintaining her privacy). She also uses Legilimency to control animals both magical and non-magical, to a certain extent. Though she still has some ways to go before achieving absolute mastery in this field, Bai is able to exert some influence on their actions with considerable skill—something she finds useful when an animal is aggressive or on the loose. To this end she uses it to reign in her familiar when she must.Write a description of what happens when your character is exhibiting this Special Ability. As Legilimency is the ability to breach and influence another’s mind, Bai is fond of employing coaxing tones and proximity (-but not actual physical contact, however) to make the endeavor more likely to succeed. During this time she takes a great deal of care to be subtle, as unnoticeable in her prying as she can. Although animal minds are simpler than those of humans and other intelligent beings, their thoughts are no less difficult to interpret—they are difficult, but in a different way. Intentions and desires are, perhaps, even more difficult to read, if only because their processes run more along the lines of basic feelings and urges rather than words, so Bai greatly relies on her own intuition and knowledge to understand what she is “seeing.” Occlumency, on the other hand, comes a bit more easily to her than its opposite because of her own private nature, enviable self-control, and dominant personality.As a highly skilled practitioner of both, Bai no longer feels as drained after a session as she once had when she first began. Those she uses Legilimency on, however, may experience disorientation and/or pain, depending on how forceful the breach was and how hard the recipient fought back. Otherwise, she is able to permeate most animal minds almost completely undetected.As of late she has been able to infiltrate hive minds, such as those of bees. Skip to next post
Bai Li Yang: Additional Information Reply #2 on December 14, 2011, 12:21:07 PM ADDITIONAL INFORMATIONPhysical CharacteristicsHeight: 5’3Weight: ~115 lbsEthnicity/Nationality: Chinese; Chinese-American – Hair color: Black – Eye color: Dark brownMannerisms: Tucking her hair behind an ear, smoothing out the smallest wrinkles in her clothing, dusting nonexistant lint off her shoulders—all quite typical of a prim, finicky person.Speech pattern(s): Formal, sometimes quiet and edged with annoyance, sometimes soft and husky when smiling, sometimes dry and lilting when amused.Greatest flaw(s): Snobbish and cold; vain. Pride in her appearance and her skill is not undeserved, but it does cause her to look down on others.Best quality: Loyal. Even if one is an old, eccentric, loud man, she can be trusted to do her job well, willing to work through nasty details and make matters a lot less troublesome (and bureaucratic) than they have to be.Emotional CharacteristicsStrengths: Quickly and calmly assesses situations before reacting; can be objective; very strong sense of self-control and -awareness; able to deal with overbearing personalities and work around them with subtlety. Also possesses an array of less known and appreciated skills that some may not approve of.Weaknesses: [classified]Introvert or Extrovert? Introvert. While she is often seen in the company of other people, she keeps to herself.How does the character deal with anger? Coldly, and nastily, depending on just how badly she is provoked. Her tone gets sweeter and sweeter, until one is faced with subtlety wielded like a scalpel.With sadness? Quietly. She tends to keep it all in, and out of sight.With conflict? Calmly. Very little fazes her (although it doesn’t take much to annoy her).With change? Calculatingly. Events are taken in stride, subjective interpretations taken with a grain of salt, and potential consequences are weighed and double-weighed. She adapts to most situations quite well.With loss? Badly.Interests:fashion, languages, dragonology, demonology, poisonsMagical CharacteristicsErised: [classified]Amortentia: [classified]Boggart: [classified]Patronus: [classified] Skip to next post
Bai Li Yang: Writing Example Reply #3 on December 14, 2011, 12:21:27 PM WRITING EXAMPLE Peer-to-Peer, My Dear, February 22 2010“And I am very grateful you’ve chosen to come, Vadim,” a voice murmured softly, a smile clear in its tone. And when its owner drew close, the men could see the smile for themselves—could watch it brighten as it slid from face to face, touching upon each like a kiss on the cheek. “Truly. It has been a while. Hello, Balfour.”Modestly dressed in deep, elegant purple– a nod, of course, to the school she had arrived with –Bai Li hardly looked much more than a passing acquaintance of either man, particularly the grizzled Vyrubov; she was tiny, compared to him, and delicate-seeming, and was nearly as out of place beside the red-haired Balfour, who she didn’t know quite as well. However, she stood at their table with an ease that whispered of familiarity, and the small smile gracing her lips was sincere. There was strength there, in the confident curve of her back, even if it wasn’t readily apparent.There would have had to be, if one was to gain the respect of a man such as Vadim Vyrubov in the first place.“You weren’t waiting long, I hope?” she looked at him in askance, as she peeled off a long, leather glove by the fingertip. “I do apologize.” Skip to next post
Bai Li Yang: Character Influences & Inspirations Reply #4 on December 14, 2011, 12:33:21 PM CHARACTER INFLUENCES & INSPIRATIONS Ise NanaoMary Poppins (books)Reserves of PatienceLoyalty [to an Eccentric Old Man]ProfessionalismPaperwork GoddessStrictnessSnobbishnessAnnoying SidekickVanityGranny WeatherwaxNanny McPheeBossinessBorrowing SkillRuthlessnessSelf-ConfidenceApproach to ChildcarePragmatic StreakCapabilityGeneral Demeanor Skip to next post
Bai Li Yang: House of Atreus Resident Reply #5 on December 14, 2011, 01:42:53 PM CURRENT RESIDENCE House of Atreus3rd Floor, No. 3BKnightsbridge, LondonClassic, comfortable, and luxurious, yet understated, with a dash of art nouveau for variation and a touchof purple and dark, plummy red to round out the more neutral, creamy tones. Opulence is fine so long as it is tempered by good taste and moderation.The flat is tidy, well-kept, but partly due to the owner’s frequent absences. Still, there are signs of a homelived in: a towel draped over the back of an armchair, the remains of a few lacewing flies beside a lamp, scratch marks on a window sill, where mail is sent and received. Skip to next post
Bai Li Yang: Career Change Reply #6 on April 26, 2015, 04:10:34 PM CAREER CHANGE Approved! - KitPrevious Job/Position:Salem Professor of MagizoologyPosition Applying For:MagizoologistDepartment of Regulation and Control of Magical CreaturesWhy have you chosen to change careers?Salem was her family, but London has her lover and most beloved friends—promising her the change of pace she had wanted for some time now but pretended she hadn’t out of loyalty for Ferreole LeBeau; there was... expectation, that she would take up the mantle after he retired, but Bai had other ideas. Working for Beast Division would allow her to continue do what she does best – magizoology – and live comfortably and self-sufficiently in London.After a long and private chat with the headmaster, she resigned in late June of 2010, and began work at the Ministry shortly thereafter.Elaborate on your expertise in this new field.Three years of freelance work, and then eight more of teaching. Spare time was often spent pouring over research both new and old, and going on trips not just for her students’ benefit, but her own as well. Despite the obvious attention she pays to her own appearance, Bai is practical, diligent, and hardworking. She can speak Mermish and Gobbledegook. Her skill in legilimency also offers a great advantage in understanding (and subduing) the more dangerous creatures the Division comes across.Describe your new job and how you go about doing it.As a Magizoologist for Beast Division, Bai is expected to lend her knowledge and expertise on a regular and competent basis.Her approach to teaching had involved a mix of understanding, objectivity, discretion and a great deal of patience—a manner she brings over with characteristic composure. It takes her a while to warm up to new colleagues, but for the most part she is amiable, succinct and polite, if somewhat impersonal and aloof. Skip to next post
Bai Li Yang: Magizoologist, DRCMC