CHARACTER INFORMATION
Character name: Ambrosia "Rosie" Montclaire.
Previous and/or Current Character(s) if applicable: Type in your response here
Maurus Gale, etc. (Ambrosia herself is currently a character in Elsewhere.)
Character age: 34
Character education: Beauxbatons, '52 - Vocal Performance
After her schooling at Beauxbatons, Rosie took a long academic journey. Studying music and, most notably, the Nature of Magic through various prestigious wizarding universities and conservatories, fueled by her skill and her family's endless pockets.
Strength and weaknesses (details please):
Ambrosia Montclaire was a simple woman. It's true she excelled at things such as decorating and singing and dancing, and fell short in the areas of baking or painting, but there was more to a person than that.
Formally, she was a scholar, a researcher, a performer, and a writer, although she would never consent to the title of librettist. She was a woman who got what she wanted; she was good at that. She wanted to sing, so she sang and sang well, in performances across the world. She wanted to know about how magic worked, so she figured it out for herself.
Ambrosia Montclaire is a complex mix of both empathy and apathy. She cares deeply about students and companions, responding to the needs of others, yet, at the same time, couldn't give any heed to the frivolous antics of everyday life. Her family, in particular, is of little importance to her, save a few select members with whom she identifies.
Generally, she is very peaceful and content. It takes a lot to get Ambrosia worked up, over anything. She doesn't take kindly to abusing or harming others in any way, however. That is probably the quickest way to see Rosie angered, but even when angered she is very cool and collected, but also extremely harsh. She has no qualms about severely punishing a misbehaving student. When teaching, she is very informal and relaxed, inviting others to participate warmly and forgetting many of the stuffy conventions long practiced by teachers.
Physical description: Ambrosia has always been a graceful, elegant woman. Much like her personality, her looks reflect a slight variation on the typical Montclaire persona. Standing approximately five feet and ten inches tall, with light brown hair (not the standard shining blonde of her siblings) that falls in extravagant curls across her shoulders. Not particularly muscular or slender to either extreme, all of her movements indicate a woman of exquisite poise and self-control.
Personality (nice, rude, funny etc. Paragraph please.) Ambrosia isn't a person of wide ranges of emotion. Her mood tends to flow between mild stages of irritation and contentment. When annoyed or in a similar negative mood (a state most likely brought about by ignorance, carelessness, or classlessness, or rudeness to others), she tends to be short and ruthless, but still calm and collected. When happy or relaxed, she is more amiable.
Rosie also has a rather strong motherly instinct. Coddling and fawning over people is not her style, but she believes strongly that everybody should be on equal footing. She's not afraid to quash those who try and get a leg up at others' expense, or help those who have been knocked down get back up.
Again, she tends to appear rather apathetic about most things. Things that do bother her are corrected, things that please her are acknowledged, and little else. Really, she cares much more than is apparent - Ambrosia simply shows it in more subtle ways.
Hopes and dreams. Why are you teaching at Hogwarts?:
It is a philosophy of the Montclaire family to be excellent in every area. Ambrosia, of all of her siblings, exemplifies this philosophy best. She is a successful musician and researcher. However, she does things for her own reasons. She does not, and has never, acted in the interests of her family. Ambrosia Montclaire is a woman of her own whims. She performs for the exhilaration of it. She is an academic for the intellectual merit.
She wants to teach for the chance to influence students' lives for the better. She believes strongly in the equality of every person - even though she comes from a pureblooded home. As a child of her own hopes, dreams, and ambitions, she hopes to pass similar views to her students, creating a strong canvas for students to grow on.
Biography (500 words minimum. There is never such a thing as too much.):
Life in the Montclaire household was not a particularly easy one, as many less fortunate people tend to think. Sure, there where house elves and anything you wanted at your fingertips, but there was more to that. There were hours of tutoring, music lessons from a teacher so boring your hair stood on end, the constant snapping of an eagle-eyed mother and her equally waspish oldest daughter, and little to show for it, save "Upholding Family Values."
Ambrosia had been done upholding family values years ago. As far as she was concerned, she was a self-made woman.
It was a small victory that school was away from home. Her siblings were also both in other departments - Amelie chose fabrics as her area of specialty, particularly things like fine stitching and embroidery. Christophe had decided to be a sculptor, and had been in a completely different world from the beginning - he was the heir, after all. He was tutored separately in things important to heading a family. Amelie and Ambrosia were raised to be perfect little angels, designed to marry well and bring honor to the family name. At least, that had been the plan.
Her siblings graduated from Beauxbatons, leaving her alone for the first time. She relished in it. She was near the top of her class - not because her family desired it, but because she did. Performance was her dream, and so she excelled in it. In every regard, Rosie did exactly what she wanted and little else. After Beauxbatons, she went to Scotland. The family's second home in Edinburgh served Rosie as her humble abode while she polished her career as a musician. Of course, a Montclaire cannot exist without burning curiosity. As a result, Rosie undertook research in magical theory. This would set the basis for her academic career, which she pursued alongside her musical career - performing during the evenings and formulating her theories and studies during the day. After several years in such a fashion, she published her findings - "The Musical Pretext of Magic," which discusses the physical properties of casting and speaking spells, and how they are related to the processes of singing and creating music.*
While it is true that Rosie prefers to distance herself from her family, there was one member with whom she was especially close. Her cousin, Michael, was always her closest ally. They were of similar minds - They both felt little loyalty to the Montclaire family. Both were dreamers and thinkers. Both followed their own path. While Rosie's led her to a career as a performer, Michael's led him elsewhere. He fought against the order of the Montclaire house, while Ambrosia simply stepped away from it completely.
Things changed just over a year ago, when Michael took his own life. Ambrosia, a woman who cared about very little, was hurt - her companion in youth, eternal friend, was gone. Yet she recovered, and - against the wishes of her family - took in his teenaged daughter, who had been born to a muggle woman that had passed away in childbirth Chapin is like a daughter to her, the daughter she never had. She and the girl grew close, and have bonded in recovery from Michael's death.
Strong and independent as ever, Ambrosia is ready to move on to the next chapter in her life - She has taken a break from her music career, and her research has been discussed and debated by the scientific community. Her desire for knowledge hasn't ceased, however. Instead, her desires have led her towards teaching; passing on her love of knowledge and her passion for helping others to students.
*Due to the fact that I want to avoid limiting anyone's RP's as much as possible, and because things such as Rosie's research were never discussed thoroughly in the Harry Potter Series, I am going to forgo trying to describe the specific tenants of the research, like I have attempted to explain in the past. Suffice it to say, Ambrosia studied the physical actions of casting spells vocally and how that works specifically. Details will be used sparingly and with discretion, and only when necessary and when it can be done in a safe, unimposing way.
ROLEPLAYING
(Please respond to to this in third person past tense. Do not write the other characters' reactions. Only your own.)
The Headmaster of Hogwarts was typically a firm, but reasonable man in most regards. His years as an educator had taught him no small amount of tolerance and patience in dealing with the turbulent teenage years of the most hot-headed, rebellious witch or wizard to grace the castle halls. He was quite scholarly and knowledgeable, albeit a bit eccentric on surface appearances, and his laid back manner usually had an effect on even the most savage beast
err student. In fact, for all intents and purposes, he was the voice of reason in a sea of calamity.
Except in one very particular regard.
Today was the day he was scheduled to hold conference with the new professor who had just been hired. Normally, such trivial things like appointments didn't hold much sway over his daily activities as he marched to his own drummer - sometimes literally when the house elves were feeling musically inclined. However, nothing delighted him more than to engage in conversation with a fellow educator, espousing the virtues of their shared profession along with the rewards of learning in general. And in preparation for a most delightful chat, the tea tray had been polished to glistening radiance while a separate pot of his own beloved kaffe was set off to the side.
To top things off, as no detail was left unattended thanks to his ever faithful caretakers, all sorts of tasty treats had been arranged to curb the hunger of even the most finicky of faculty members. The centerpiece to all of this was a bowl of scrumptious, salty licorice treats to which the Norseman had been looking forward all throughout the morning.
Alas, as luck would have it, just before the start of the meeting Einar had been called away from the office due to reports of excessive owl droppings being sighted in the corridors. It had been a dreadful mess to square away, causing his return to be delayed. Yet upon his arrival, he stepped into the room with a smile to offer his greetings and apologies when suddenly it caught his notice that things were entirely amiss upon his desk. Someone had started the festivities without him!
His glance straying back and forth between the empty bowl and his new employee, a dark scowl is visible on his features as he asks, "First, it was McStingy and now this! What in the name of Odin happened to my lakrits?"
By the expression on his features, it is quite clear who he suspects to be the culprit of this dastardly crime. After all, who doesn't like salty licorice?
So
how exactly does one handle an irate Headmaster?
Roleplaying Response:
The meeting with the Headmaster was not an affair Ambrosia was nervous about - there were very few things that made her nervous. If she could handle a theater full of people, she could handle nearly anything.
She had prepared for the meeting like she had any other. Ambrosia neatly arranged her golden brown hair and slipped on an elegant something or other, in this case a pair of fresh, black robes that were more than appropriate for a teacher. She lightly applied a lilac-scented perfume and stepped out of the room she had been assigned as the newest teacher. The room was still unpacked, but that would change within a few short days.
She strolled lightly down the hallway, head held high and a content expression on her face. A few students gave her curious looks as she made her way to the headmaster's office. They would learn, in time, who she was. The newest teacher, the French woman, the lady who liked to sing.
Eventually she made her way to the destination. The headmaster's office was a well-worn place, a room where years of headmasters had sat deep in thought. She could almost feel the magic from all the past headmasters reverberating from the walls, steeped in the presence of such esteemed individuals. It was refreshing, being in a place with such a proud heritage; one that, unlike the studies of her own family, actually seemed to serve a notable purpose.
She was beginning to wonder where the Headmaster was when she heard a strange noise near the door to the Headmaster's office. It sounded like...crying? Slowly getting to her feet, Rosie went to investigate. She gently opened the doorway and peeked outside.
A little girl, perhaps a first year, was startled by Rosie's appearance. Clearly, she had been crying. Upon gentle questioning, she realized the culprit was some older boy who had been pranking some of the students by throwing bat droppings at them. Rosie helped make sure the girl was sufficiently cleaned, and then brought the girl into the office. While she momentarily felt unsure if she was justified in bringing the child into the headmaster's office, Ambrosia quickly answered her own question with another - What headmaster wouldn't open his office for a few moments to help a student in need? With that thought in mind, Rosie brought the girl in to have a seat. Rosie had offered the girl a choice of some of the treats on the table, who quickly grabbed the bowl of licorice and took a few pieces for herself.
"Don't worry, dear, the Headmas-" she began, when, indeed, the headmaster showed up almost on cue. "Oh, Headmaster, nice to see you," she smiled warmly. He announced his presence and his longing for licorice, and Ambrosia responded without missing a step. "This young lady had a run in with a few misbehaving students and I brought her in here and gave her a few sweets to help her calm down. I must say, she was quite shaken. I trust that's alright?"
Apparently, the professor was quite irritated about his missing sweets. Rosie gently took the bowl from the girl (there were still several pieces left), and smiled sweetly at her.
"Dear, it would appear that our good headmaster has solved all the problems. Why don't you go run back along to your common room?" she subtly handed off the bowl of licorice to the professor, and sat back down in the soft chair facing his desk.
"Now then. Shall we?"
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