Post by meadowlark on Aug 1, 2011 20:59:37 GMT -5
Roderich Edelstein
Republic of Austria
Republic of Austria
B A S I C S ;;
name * Roderich Johann Edelstein
age * 13
birthday * October 26th
gender * Male
grade * 7th grade
sexual orientation * Bisexual
nationality * Austrian
A P P E A R A N C E ;;
height * 4’11.5”
hair color * Dark reddish-brown
eye color * Violet
appearance summary * Roderich is rather lanky, but shorter than several of his peers, coming in at just barely shy of 5’ when barefoot. He wears wire-rimmed glasses that he’s constantly fiddling with (be that cleaning or adjusting or simply taking them off to study them) when nervous. His parents did invest in some contact lenses for him, but he has never worn them, hating the fact that he looks much younger than his 13 years without his glasses. His face still has several vestiges of roundness commonly associated with younger children. Someday he might have more angular features, but for now he must content himself with the need to make sure no one thinks he’s in the wrong class or anything of that sort.
The boy has a love-hate relationship with his dark hair and violet eyes. His eyes are wide and give the appearance of innocence, which contributes to the reason he wears his glasses as much as he can. As to his hair, it doesn’t seem to matter how he cuts it (though he refuses to cut it all off) or how much gel or styling product he uses, there is one stubborn curl that absolutely refuses to lie flat. He tried cutting his hair shorter than he wears it now, but instead of curling, that one lock stuck straight up from his scalp and he had to wait for it to grow out before he could stand to look anyone in the eye again—since then he’s made a conclusive decision to keep it longer, after all a curl is better than having any number of comments about roosters made around him for the next year and a half.
Roderich is one of those few fortunate ones who have little to no problem with acne. He’s careful of his complexion and deals cautiously with anything that might turn into a break out. His one complaint with his complexion is that it burns badly if he’s in the sun too long (he also doesn’t much care for the mole he has just below his mouth on the right side.)
His arms and legs are still too long for his body and he often has bruises on his shins and forearms from where he ran into something. Because he’s still growing at a rapid rate his pants and shirts tend to be just a little too short at all times and so he usually cuffs both to avoid it being so obvious. His fingers are long and elegant, adept and detailed work due to his tendency to pick up pastimes that require dexterity and mental work over physical labor of any kind. The tips of his fingers, especially on his left hand, have slight calluses, but nothing too remarkable.
P E R S O N A L I T Y ;;
likes *
Music (especially classical)—This is the one sort of music, besides the songs he makes up sometimes, that he can find to express what he’s really feeling at a given time.
Time Spent Playing the Piano or Violin—Nothing calms him down quite like it, though he will ignore his violin for weeks at a time depending on his mood and what he’s heard from home.
Visual Art—He finds it beautiful, but he can’t create it. He loves to look at drawings and paintings.
Pastries—This is very much a comfort food for him, he’s especially fond of chocolate cake.
Tea—Green tea mostly, but he’ll take what he can get. It’s the third thing that will calm him down easily like playing his instruments or the pastries mentioned above.
His Violin—Three words: Do. Not. Touch. Roderich is extremely protective of this instrument and of three music books that he keeps with it.
The Color Blue—There’s no rhyme or reason to this in his mind, he just loves the color. It actually traces back to his mother’s favorite dress being a deep blue and his memories of curling up next to her as she stroked his hair and told him she was proud of him.
dislikes *
Arrogance—The irony of this is lost on him.
Giving Directions—It’s a great way to get someone lost.
Reading Maps/Taking Directions—It’s a great way for him to get lost.
Those Who Think They Can Sing or Play Music When They Obviously Can’t—his musical sensibilities tend to recoil at these people.
Any Nicknames—Roderich will do just fine, thank you much.
Mathematics—The numbers get scrambled when he looks at them and his poorest marks are always in this subject. He suffers from undiagnosed dysgraphia (dyslexia with numbers), but thinks it’s something wrong with him that he can’t ever seem to keep the numbers straight. He tried to associate it with music and still can’t get himself to like it. In fact, it actually put him off music for a few days until he realized how ridiculous that was.
strengths *
Reliability—If Roderich says he will do something or be somewhere by a certain time, you can bet he’ll do his best to do so. If for some reason he can’t there is always a legitimate reason.
Attention to detail—Though his perfectionism doesn’t always lend itself to winning friends and influencing people, he has an eye for the details, and is more than willing to see to them when others aren’t.
Loyalty—Though it can take some time to earn it, once you have gained Roderich’s loyalty he will stick with you to the end even when it may be to his own detriment.
Compassion—Roderich wishes to better life for others, no matter the cost.
weaknesses *
Physical strength—Roderich has never put much merit in the physical side of things, much preferring the more cerebral pursuits. As such (although he’s thin—in part due to the fact that he gets distracted and frequently forgets to eat) he has very little strength and in any sort of physical fight the odds are stacked well against him.
Compassion—Roderich’s desire to help others is one that he is still learning to curb. If allowed to continue in the way he has, one of two things will likely come out as the result: he will grow up to be a cold, distant, and altogether bitter young man, or he will die young due to the strain he has put upon himself.
Grudges—Just as Roderich holds loyalty to others beyond all logical bounds, so also he holds grudges. He remembers wrongs done to him and to those he cares about for a very long time and is unwilling to forgive the offender, especially if they hurt his friend.
Sarcasm—For someone who is willing to help heal the physical hurt in others, Roderich is sometimes quick with a sharp word or cutting remark. He’s not afraid to state his opinions and they can on occasion be rather unkind.
Complete lack of direction—His internal compass has been broken for his whole life: directions are a sure way to get him lost, and having him give you directions is a sure way to get yourself lost. He knows how to get from point (a) to point (b) and knows his way around his campus well enough, but anything outside of his immediate ken and he’s hopeless. Never give this boy a map, it will do neither him nor you any good.
fatal flaw *
People pleasing—above and beyond all his others desires and dreams, Roderich wants to be accepted. He will do everything he can to become such. Nothing’s off-limits in this arena for him.
Proud . Loyal . Quiet . Perfectionist . Formal . Compassionate
personality summary * Roderich is a perfectionist, possibly tending towards a bit OCD. His papers are in order, in folders separated by class color-coded to match the notebook he uses for each of the classes. His half of the dormroom is spotless and if his roommate is too unorganized (He can put up with a surprising amount of disorganization as long as it stays on that side of the room) he tends to avoid the room entirely except to sleep. He holds himself to high standards and expects the same of others around him.
He is very formal around teachers, but tries not to be too stiff around his fellow students (even if he comes off that way often). He’s introverted and can be rather quiet. When he smiles it’s rarely more than a quirk of his lips—almost as though he expects someone to chew him out for smiling. He prefers to spend his time with his music, rather than dealing with other people, but is able to work with others when he has to. Though he probably wouldn’t admit it, he looks forward to interaction, but is unwilling to be the one to initiate most of the time.
If you irritate him you’re likely to receive a scathing look and a sarcastic remark. When hurt emotionally (teasing, insults, etc) he’s likely to offer his tormentor a look not unlike a kicked puppy and then return to whatever he had been doing beforehand. The one thing that will get him out of his shell and in an impassioned exchange is any sort of debate about music. He loves to talk about it, whether it’s composition or style or genre, it’s the one thing guaranteed to get him to talk to you.
When he does let himself relax enough to be around friends (or even to make friends) he’s still quiet, but he’s very gentle as well. The coldness that settles around him like a cloak most of the time vanishes: his tone softens and his posture relaxes. There is a downside to this relaxing, namely that it means that he’s more willing to speak his mind. He can be brutally honest, though that predominantly only shows up with his friends or people he really can’t stand.
He is extremely loyal once he’s given his trust. Because of this he’s wary about making friends. He gets so devoted to them that if something happens he doesn’t want to get hurt. Even if they do something to hurt him he’ll defend them against anything he can.
Roderich hates to see anyone in pain, though he still doesn’t seem to fully grasp the idea that his words can hurt just as much as an action can. He’ll stand up for someone getting picked on, though this tends to make him the next most likely target, and is quick to help anyone who is hurt. He never does anything by halves (except occasionally conversation), loyalty, loathing, compassion, hatred, all are strong and fully fledged emotions he refuses to budge on without massive amounts of convincing.
On a different note (or several), he has a habit of running his hands through his hair when thinking or frustrated which tends to cause his hair to come out of its forcibly straightened state and the natural wave that is present to appear. When thinking he had a habit of chewing on the corner of the nail of his left pinkie finger. And finally, if he’s really comfortable (and it’s summery) he might even be found laying under a tree on campus, hands behind his head. Always with a blanket under him but nevertheless.
H I S T O R Y ;;
history summary * Roderich was born in Vienna, Austria to a banker and his young trophy wife. His father was always at work, and had no time for the boy except to critique him. He was too loud, he was too quiet, he smiled too much, he didn’t smile enough, he was ungrateful, he was kissing-up. Nothing he did seemed to please the man, but that didn’t stop the boy from trying his damndest. His mother was a quiet, passive woman who never spoke up in his defense. He can’t quite hate her for it, but doesn’t love her for it either. His fondest memory of his mother is the Christmas Eve after he turned eight. His father was working late, like he did most years, but this year his mother let him stay up. He was asleep before his father came home, but he remembers curling up with his head in his mother’s lap and going to sleep as she told him Christmas story after Christmas story.
His father never physically hit him, but he never had to. Anyone (especially a man) in authority says “Jump” and Roderich asks “How high?” It’s a trait that he will very likely carry well into adulthood. He seeks acceptance and approval, but always feels that he can’t even come close.
Roderich withdrew into his music at a very young age, learning early on that his words didn’t matter, but he couldn’t believe that his emotions didn’t. He found that the piano was his favorite instrument because they had one already and it meant he didn’t have to ever ask for one. He would ask for music for his birthday and Christmas, nothing else, just music. And sometimes, sometimes his father would actually get him some. His mother always made sure there was some there, somehow—even if she had to use it as wrapping paper. His father saw the music as a frivolous waste of time and money, but it was the one rebellion that Roderich had.
When Roderich was about seven his best friend at the time fell down and scraped up his knee badly. Roderich hated to see the other boy hurt and went to see if he could help him while the teacher went to find a first aid kit. The banker’s son took his friend’s hand to give him comfort like his mother did for him when he was sick or hurt, but started to feel really tired. His friend’s scrapes healed up before their eyes. It wasn’t the last time Roderich would accidentally heal one of his friends, but it was the first. Every time he did so he grew tired until he finally told his mother about it. She promptly went out and bought him a pair of gloves, insisting he wear them at all times until he could figure out how to control his Alice. He still wears the gloves because he’s not certain he trusts his control and doesn’t want to risk accidentally healing something he doesn’t have the strength for.
His music is an escape, as it always has been. By the time he was nine he could pick up almost any piece of music and sight read it nearly perfectly. It was at this point that he finally managed to ask, quietly but repeatedly, for a violin. It took a year before he finally wore away at his father enough that he got the instrument. He was expecting a cheaply made, child’s instrument that one could find at any music store. Instead what he received was the best violin they could afford—as they were far from poor it was quite the instrument—along with three books of music for it, to be worked through and up to. Roderich is extremely protective of that violin, as it is the only acknowledgment he has of affection from his father. Even Bernard was unable to deny his son’s talent with music and it was the only admittance of that fact that he would permit.
He’s spent the time since he discovered his Alice working to try and learn to control it with the help of his nation’s school, but still doesn’t feel that he’s sure how to go about it. When he received the opportunity to attend the Academy, and his father saw the opportunity to send his disappointment of a son (more interested in music than academics) out of the country for a time, Roderich was packed off to the school. He’s nervous about what will come of it, but knows that he must make the best of it, his father made it clear that he was not spending the money for the school simply for Roderich’s sake.
A L I C E ;;
[/size]name of alice * Healing Touch
what does it do? * Roderich’s Alice gives him the ability to heal another person via skin contact. It’s stronger and more rapid the nearer the touch is to the wound. The problem with this ability is that the drain it places on the boy is in direct proportion to the severity of the wound. In essence, every time he heals a wound he loses as much energy as if he had sustained the wound himself and gone through the healing process. Each healing takes his energy and with it time off his lifespan (though he is unaware of the greater consequence to his lifespan). The worse the wound the longer the span of time. There is a way around the loss of his life, it requires another person being willing to split the burden of the healing with him. In such a case, Roderich acts as a conduit for the energy from one person to another and it decreases his life by half of what it would be if it was he alone. The requirement for the conduction of energy is that the giver must be complicit in the healing of the receiver or the damage to Roderich is greater than usual.
how well can they control it? * Roderich has some control over his Alice. The problem is that in order not to be in a relatively constant state of healing those he touches he has to be focusing on it. He hopes to someday be able to not have to consciously think about not healing everyone he shakes hands with, but that day seems an eternity away for him right now. He can control it, but in a day-to-day situation he just wears gloves and long sleeves to avoid too much accidental contact.
alice class * Special
star ranking * Two Stars
F A M I L Y ;;
[/size]father * Bernard Edelstein, 53, Banker—the root behind Roderich’s self-esteem and people pleasing.
mother * Wilhelmina Edelstein nee Cerny, 43, housewife—the bright spot in Roderich’s childhood.
siblings * None
R O L E P L A Y E R ;;
ooc name * Meadowlark, Meadow, Lark, ML
how long you've been roleplaying * Oh goodness… in forum style…probably on and off for 6 or so years. In general? Likely closer to 10.
requests? * Switzerland, Hungary, Germany, perhaps Spain
roleplay example *
Roderich sat staring at the blank page of notebook paper in front of him. His chin rested in a gloved hand, the worn leather cool against his skin for the moment. The boy’s violet gaze moved from the page to the math book next to him and with a sigh he finally started copying down the problems he needed to do. Stupid math. He knew he should probably like it more than he did, but the numbers only made occasional sense to him. He kept all of his focus on the book, making sure that the numbers he was writing down matched the ones in the book exactly in every way. He was not going to mess these ones up.
Oh, who was he kidding? He could barely solve a long division problem without redoing it a half dozen times, what made him think he’d ever be ready to tackle algebra or anything of that sort. He tossed his pencil down in frustration and leaned back in the library chair, scowling at the homework in front of him. Forget it. He could “forget” to turn it in and get marked down for lateness, or a zero on the assignment for not turning it in. Of course when his parents saw his mathematics scores his father would be livid.
The boy swallowed hard. He really didn’t want the only letter from his father this year to have to do with what a disappointment he was. If he got low marks in math it most certainly would be. Roderich ran a shaky hand through his hair, letting out a quiet sound of pain as his fingers caught in the gel he’d tried to tame his curl with this morning. Great, he couldn’t even do that right. He couldn’t even get his hair to listen to him, how was he supposed to get anything else to work?
He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table again, digging his fingertips into his temples to distract himself from those thoughts. He released the pressure and turned his gaze reproachfully back to the math book. Ten problems. That’s all he was doing in this sitting. He had sworn to himself that he would do ten problems and then he could go sit down at the piano, or even pick up his violin. Shaking his head he discarded the idea of the violin. He wasn’t going to touch it today. The piano though, that he could do.
Picking up his pencil again, Roderich settled in for what he knew was going to be at least an hour, maybe two, of math. The only thing making it bearable was the thought of music on the other side.
Oh, who was he kidding? He could barely solve a long division problem without redoing it a half dozen times, what made him think he’d ever be ready to tackle algebra or anything of that sort. He tossed his pencil down in frustration and leaned back in the library chair, scowling at the homework in front of him. Forget it. He could “forget” to turn it in and get marked down for lateness, or a zero on the assignment for not turning it in. Of course when his parents saw his mathematics scores his father would be livid.
The boy swallowed hard. He really didn’t want the only letter from his father this year to have to do with what a disappointment he was. If he got low marks in math it most certainly would be. Roderich ran a shaky hand through his hair, letting out a quiet sound of pain as his fingers caught in the gel he’d tried to tame his curl with this morning. Great, he couldn’t even do that right. He couldn’t even get his hair to listen to him, how was he supposed to get anything else to work?
He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table again, digging his fingertips into his temples to distract himself from those thoughts. He released the pressure and turned his gaze reproachfully back to the math book. Ten problems. That’s all he was doing in this sitting. He had sworn to himself that he would do ten problems and then he could go sit down at the piano, or even pick up his violin. Shaking his head he discarded the idea of the violin. He wasn’t going to touch it today. The piano though, that he could do.
Picking up his pencil again, Roderich settled in for what he knew was going to be at least an hour, maybe two, of math. The only thing making it bearable was the thought of music on the other side.
