PLAYER INFORMATION
Name: Polly
Age: 21
AIM: walks with dream
E-mail: walkswithindreams@gmail.com
Timezone: EST
Experience: Several years, on and off since 16 on LJ.
CHARACTER INFORMATION
Full Name: Alexander Van Rensselaer
Nickname(s): Alex, Lex, Van, Xander, Quinn Jr Van Douche-face, Baby Van Rensselaer (only to Emilie)
Hometown: Castleton-on-Hudson, New York
Age and birthday: 15; November 8, 1995
House and Year: Lalaurie, grade 9
Electives & Schedule: None; schedule here.
Wand: reforged Basilisk skin core, Hornbeam, 14”. Rigid.
Boggart: His sister with a sneer on her face. While he’ll just joke and say his boggart is his sister, it’s actually being left behind and hated by his sister that scares him.
Patronus: A snake, cobra to be precise. Snakes stand for deceitfulness, vindictiveness, and general evil at times, but they can also be a symbol of life, rebirth, and transformation.
Animagus Form: A raven. They’re highly intelligent, coming up with their own tricks and traps for other birds. They’re also playful.
Religious Affiliation: Non-practicing Catholic. His parents are devout, but he doesn’t really care though he goes through the motions to get them off his back, though he does get some sense of comfort by going to church, even if he doesn’t believe in what’s being said or adhere to the common practices.
Extracurricular activities: Dueling Club, Debate Team, School Newspaper
Family/Relationships
Parents: Nicholas and Billie Van Rensselaer
Siblings: Quinn Van Rensselaer, older sister of 2 years
Extended Family: Noah and Jillian Van Rensselaer, uncle and aunt; two aunts on mother’s side, and two cousins.
Familiar: Silver queen ghost corn snake named Raj
Sexuality: Straight
Significant Others: Maybe one or two juvenile relationships in the Lower Institute.
Appearance
PB: Cameron Leahy
Detailed Description: Alexander is on the gangly side, beginning his first growth spurt. Already he’s taller than his sister, standing at 5’7”, slightly above average for his age. He’s rather on the thin side and a little bony, though his appetite’s been picking up. His face is strong featured and long, with his most distinguishing features being his eyes and lips, which are both on the large side. His somewhat long and shaggy hair is dark brown, off-setting his pale skin and striking blue eyes.
When he walks, he’s either slouching slightly or walking with a bit of a swagger and owning his own space, whichever way it is that day he does it with a casual kind of confidence and nonchalance. His clothes are usually casual dress, favoring button down shirts and dark jeans, neither of which are too tight or too loose, and his shoes are usually Converse.
Personality
Likes: when things go his way, being rich, dogs, snakes, rock music, his sister, being the best at something, dark colors - in particular, blues and purples and black, having control of a situation or person, being away from home while at school, smoking, getting away with things
Dislikes: not getting his way, heat (dry and damp), being too cold, being told he’s ‘too young’ for something, being alone, having a ‘disability’, that his sister doesn’t have to live at home but he does, Uncle Noah (though it’s mostly in a ‘I feel like you get more attention from my sister than I do’ kind of way)
Quirks: His sense of ‘fashion’ color wise can be a little off at times, though it’s not on purpose he will play it off as such if it’s mentioned. He can be found squinting and frowning when looking at new things (usually because he’s trying to discern what color it could be). He picked up smoking over the summer between eighth and ninth grades.
Secrets:
+ He really looks up to and admires his sister. Although he does tend to follow her into things, he tries to maintain an air of superiority and ‘I don’t give a fuck’ about whether or not she cares about him and his presence. In all actuality, though, he does care and hopes she thinks he’s a pretty cool little brother.
+ He’s red-green color blind. He refuses to get any kind of assistance for this, or let anyone know about his disability. In fact, he hardly acknowledges that he has a problem distinguishing colors at all and will lash out at anyone who tries to insinuate that he does. It’s why he prefers dark blues and the like.
+ When he was eight, he caused a babysitter to be hospitalized. She had been trying to get him to go to bed, and he was fighting - after all, he was the master of the house when his father wasn’t home and therefore she should listen to him. When she kept insisting he get to bed, he lashed out at her - literally. His young, untrained, childish magic struck her and lacerated the entire front of her body from her face to her thighs. It kind of traumatized him, so he’s a little squeamish around blood, and avoids things where sharp objects are required to be near his skin.
What’s in your characters pockets? His wand, wallet - no money, just cards, his Droid
Strengths: manipulating people, charisma, sharp mind, drive, focus, Latin, Potions, ambitious, insightful, cunning
Weaknesses: selfishness, self absorption, jealousy, Wandwork, can be obsessive, used to getting everything handed to him on a silver platter, can have a bit of a temper, has a tendency towards arrogance
Strongest subject in school: Latin and Potions
Weakest subject in school: Wandwork - and using his wand in general as it’s difficult to master, though he’s no idiot when it comes to knowing the spells, charms, hexes, jinxes. It’s just the delivery that can be a bit tetchy...
One thing he/she can't live without: Attention, mostly that of his sister.
Detailed personality: Cocky, spoiled, conceited, manipulative. From a cursory glance, Alexander Van Rensselaer seems nothing more than the stereotypical spoiled rich kid. He’s been brought up to believe he’s better than everyone else - which he is, and he doesn’t see why he should pretend otherwise. As the male heir to a wealthy wizarding family, he’s never wanted for any material thing since birth, nor for attention from his mother and father. When he wanted something, he got it - no questions asked, no effort required. Because of this, Alexander has never really known what it’s like to work for something.
Despite his obvious entitled and elitist attitude, he does have a certain innate charisma. He’s able to work a room and be charming and winning. After all it is a necessary skill in being about to get people to do what you want. While he may be slightly condescending at times, he’s also relatively personable and not entirely unapproachable.
Some of his nonchalance is purely for show. Whenever he acts as though his sister’s opinion doesn’t matter? It’s a lie. He desperately cares about what Quinn thinks. And even though he seems like an irredeemable little S.O.B. at times, he’s got a good heart under all of the conceit and prejudices that have been bred into him since birth.
(Taken from the Harry Potter Astrology site. Slytherin has been changed to Lalaurie.)
What is said of Lalauriens born under all other signs is doubly true of Lalauriens born under Scorpio. (Or was it that what is said of Scorpios is doubly true of Scorpios sorted into Lalaurie?) There is no middle ground here - these wizards can embody all that is the very best in the world... or all that is the very worst. They are heroes, or they are villains. They are attracted to the dark, twisted, and forbidden mysteries of the world from the day they are born, and only they can determine whether they will study the dark arts in order to oppose them, or to embrace them. However, as Scorpio is a sign of transformation and regeneration, it is not impossible for even the most evil of dark wizards to turn to the path of good... Scorpio Lalauriens have uncanny wisdom, insight into human psychology, and high "emotional IQ's." They are incredibly ambitious, often exist in a state of total ego, and if misused or hurt, can nurse the wound and seethe for decades. Still, although they are often tempted to do horrible things in the name of glory or discovery, they nevertheless are often the kindest, most compassionate, and most forgiving people of all, for they have seen their own inner darkness, faced it, and do not run from it when they encounter it in others.
Personal History:
Born the second child and only son of a wealthy wizarding family, Alexander has never wanted for much of anything in life. Nicholas and Billie Van Rensselaer might not have been the most loving couple within their own marriage, but they doted on their son, showering him with affection and gifts. He was the light of his parent’s lives, and he was raised to believe the world belonged to him.
Because his sister being sent away when he was only four, he mostly grew up an only child. He saw Quinn during holidays and family get-togethers, and during these times he’d follow her around like a little duckling, wanting to spend as much time as he could with his mysterious big sister. Many of these times, their mother would run and collect him and keep a close eye on him for the remainder of the visit, which only fostered more of a curiosity for the young spoiled boy. He became increasingly interested in finding out all he could about his sister. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much he could learn, as the house elves had been sworn to secrecy about the conditions of Quinn’s departure from the house. The only thing he could figure out at his young age was that his sister was a bit of a hellion. And so he set out to follow her example.
From seven on, he gave everyone a hard time. He resisted his mother’s attempts to baby him, and he acted out with his tutors and anyone who happened to be watching him at the time. Though he was a little too intimidated by his father to give him a hard time. He hardly saw the man, and when he did he just exuded an aura of power and control that a part of Alex wanted to absorb and make his own as well. It was around this time that Alex first and last show of discipline occurred.
One night when he was eight, his parents went out to a party and left him at home with a sitter, the daughter of one of Nicholas’ work colleagues, Chelsea Keen. She had watched Alex before and there had been no issue, in fact Alex had seemed to like the girl. And so the parents all went out to the party, leaving the two minors at the Van Rensselaer’s home. Everything was fine until eight-thirty rolled around.
Because most boys Alex’s age had a bed time around that time, Chelsea didn’t see an issue with getting her charge for the evening ready and into bed then. Alex, however, was not one used to being told what to do. Anyway, he had been in the middle of some very serious playing and didn’t like to be disturbed. He ignored her gentle coaxing, continuing to pay attention to his toys, not even batting an eyelash at her. After almost ten minutes of this, she finally lost her patience and took his toy away from him.
Alex had stared at her, stunned. No one had ever dared snatch something away from him before. He demanded that she give him back the toy, which she refused, telling him he needed to get to bed. As a child used to getting whatever it was he wanted suddenly being told what to do, his emotions teetered precociously and topped with the outbursts that children are well known for. His voice wavered as he told her once more to give him back his toy. Again, she declined to give in, even going so far as to hold the toy behind her and point at the door of the room. It was then that he snapped.
Screaming at her, he felt as though his body had caught on fire, he was overly hot. And then, just as suddenly he went ice cold and heard a gasp. Opening his eyes, he stared in shock as lines on Chelsea’s face and bare arms started to open and ooze bright red. The same bright red began blooming under her shirt and pants as well. His shock turned into horror as her eyes rolled back and she fell to the floor, unmoving. Panicked, he ran through the house, shouting and crying for help. He finally attracted the attention of the family’s butler and, through much effort on both parts, was able to tell him what happened. The butler promptly called both sets of parents back to the house where the damage was quickly assessed. Chelsea was fine and would survive, and though she didn’t remember the incident itself too well, she refused to go back to the Van Rensselaer’s house.
After the Keen’s had left, Alex’s parents quickly grilled their entire staff to find out what happened. When they’d discovered all that they could - fairly accurately, as there was always a house elf watching from a discreet location - Nicholas became very quiet and, for the first time in his life, Alex was actually afraid of his father. With that same, quiet anger, he informed his son that this was not the way that the heir to the Van Rensselaer name should conduct himself and that he was disappointed and shamed by Alex’s behavior that night.
From that point on, Alex had more rules placed upon him than he ever imagined he could have. He was plied with tutors and lessons of all kinds - from the musical to the academic, being groomed to grow up to be a refined gentleman. And while Alex actually enjoyed some of his lessons (particularly the music ones, for he had learned that his sister had played piano, and he was interested in his languages lessons), he grew to resent his parents somewhat. He curtailed his behavior and temper - after all, he didn’t truly want a repeat of what happened with Chelsea - but it didn’t go away. He just became quite adept at sneaking around his parents, giving them on the surface the perfect son they wanted him to be, but using the act to his advantage to manipulate them.
Life continued on in monotony after that with nothing really changing except what lessons Alex was being made to take in order to ‘groom’ him. He took them easily enough, filing all the useful information he learned away that he thought he could apply elsewhere for his own gain. It wasn’t until Alex was entering the sixth grade that anything changed. Seeing as his parents had attended Salem, they naturally expected him to go there however he spoke up and told them that Massachusetts was too similar to New York, and that the people he’d being going to school would mostly all be the same as himself and wouldn’t it be more beneficial for him to cultivate a more diverse repertoire of friends and experiences in a place that was completely unlike home? Since his parents couldn’t see any real flaw in that logic, they allowed him to go to Crescent City Institute in New Orleans.
And Alex was happy there. He made friends (and pawns), using everything he’d learned over the years to use in order to keep his lifestyle relatively the same. With his charismatic personality, he was able to manipulate his fellow classmates into doing most of his work for him. If they had something he wanted, he could usually get it from them. So when it came time for sorting, it came as no real surprise that Alex found his way into Lalaurie. Pleased with this development, Alex hopes to get to know more about his absentee and ‘dangerous’ (according to their parents) sister.
