Trenton Bridgewater

[Trenton Bridgewater]

Application for Salem Institute

→ CHARACTER INFORMATION.
Name: Trenton Jersey Bridgewater

Birthday: 4 July 1960

Hometown: Bassetlaw, England / Brookline, Massachusetts

Bloodline:
Pureblood

Magical Strength (pick one):
Transfiguration

Magical Weakness (pick one):
Conjuring & Summoning

Year (pick two): 4th; if not, 5th (for the 1974 term)

Biography:

People don’t often ask me about my favorite color, so I don’t have one.

Come to think of it, people don’t often ask me anything at all. Except Greg, who bothers me all of the time. It’s quite annoying, really. Shut up, Greg.

Who’s Greg? I’m sorry. I didn’t introduce you guys. Greg’s my friend. Well, he’s more of a voice in my head than a friend, really, but he kind of substitutes for a friend, because I don’t really have any of those, either. Maybe that’s why I don’t have a favorite color, because I don’t have anyone to ask me about it.

Yes, well, I don’t make friends all that easily. I don’t like America, you see. I’m not quite sure why Daddy wanted to move over to America; he said it was something about getting away from all the Bridgewaters, of which I admit there are many. Too bloody many, some may say. But I wouldn’t say that because I’m not in bloody England anymore, now am I? It’s a pity, I liked my English accent. I don’t like America, because it’s a land of savages, but I’ll try my best to talk to everyone because hey, it’s a new start, isn’t it? I do want to go back to England, though. I miss Arthur and Spencer and everyone.

Anyway, whatever Daddy wants Daddy gets, because he’s a good guy. Sure, he bosses me around and everything, but he’s far better than Fallon is. Fallon’s my brother.  And I suppose that there is an unwritten law in pretty much every book that we should love our brothers. I should know, really, Daddy’s making me do law, because ‘all Bridgewaters do law and just because we’re in America doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t follow family tradition’. But if he’s all right with tradition, why move to America in the first place? I don’t understand Daddy sometimes.

But I understand Fallon even less. That’s why I break that unwritten law, because I hate him. He’s four years older than me and treats it like that means he can use me as his personal servant. And when I don’t do something right, he pushes me off and hurts me. Bad. And I’m too bloody scared to do anything. Say anything. Because Fallon’s big and mean and I’m small and skinny and I’ve spent my life doing things other people want me to do, anyway.

I don’t know why I’m talking to you. Shut up, Greg. I don’t know how bloody counseling is going to help me because counseling is for losers. But Daddy said I have problems and that I should talk to someone, and I do whatever Daddy says. It’s not like he’s going to listen to you, really. Daddy doesn’t listen.

Change my life? Stand up to people? Do things I want to do?

Me?

I don’t know the meaning of the word.


→ ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
Note: This section is optional, and is up to you to complete.

Society Request: Pawn

Personality:
Trent is a pushover. That’s probably the best way to describe him. Having spent years being picked on by his parents, his brother, and numerous other people, he has absolutely no idea what ‘personal opinion means’ and will humbly do as he is told. It’s impossible for Trent to function without being told what to do. Without instruction, he panics completely and will throw his hands around in little circles because he can’t do anything else.

He’s a hopeless optimist and idealist, always wishing for better days to come when he can do what he wants and loves – numbers. Trent is something of a mathematical whiz, but his parents don’t see any practical future and are pushing him to do law instead, as a proper Bridgewater should.

Trenton understands how humans work and he knows what they want, his skills of observation allowing him to read people like books. His only problem is that he doesn’t know what to do about it, so he can be completely blunt and socially awkward. More often than not, he ends up talking to a voice he calls Greg. Some people find this charming, but other people find his complete lack of motivation annoying. Trent loves meeting and talking to new people, but often drives them away with his weirdness.

Perhaps the one inherent Bridgewater trait that Trent has is his undying loyalty to his home country. The only thing he’s ever fought for in his life is his having to move to America, because he loves England to the death and would do anything to go home again. Unfortunately, he got overruled, which means a huge proportion of drinking tea just to press home a point that he can’t do in words.

Appearance:
Trent is a scrawny little kid, mostly due to the fact that Fallon was in the bad habit of stealing food when his parents weren’t looking. He has thin, gaunt features and wide earnest eyes, as if he either hasn’t had enough sleep or he’s just really, really creepy. Often wearing hand-me-downs from Fallon, Trent looks like he’s swimming in his clothes most of the time. His hair alternates from brown to blond in different lights, and his eyes deviate from the Bridgewater norm, assuming a dark brownish-black.

→ SAMPLE ROLEPLAY.
Please reply to the Sample Roleplay below.

What were partner projects about anyway?

Simon wasn't a loner, but he loathed any type of assignment that required him to team up with anyone. In his book, the only truly trustworthy student was himself. So naturally, when he'd been instructed to team of with a classmate and turn in a research report on the Muggle-American Civil War, Simon had been rather disappointed.

The library that afternoon was deserted aside from Simon and his partner. Before them lay a plethora of textbooks. Wars: Old and New by Kevin Torvalt. When You Say Civil... by Emma Jean. Each book was old and worn even more than the last. In a way, it was almost impressive that the books had lasted this long and still been put to such good use. Simon figured that there weren't many things for which that could be said.

Simon leafed through a copy of Understanding America by Harvey Wires, sighing heavily as each page flipped over on top of itself. He wondered what the student next to him was thinking. He was thinking that this was a drag. These books were probably boring beyond belief, despite their interesting appearance. The library was stuffy from the heat outside. Finally growing too bored from the text, Simon slammed the book shut and sat upright.

"How about I write the essay and stuff? You can just put your name on it. Sound good?"

**

The American Civil War was just another thing American that Trenton Jersey Bridgewater did not care about at all. Mostly because it had the word ‘American’ in the title, but also that it was about war, and Trent didn’t really like war. There was too much blood and too much gut spilling for him; he’d much rather hole up someplace and hide until everything was over. Of course, being a Bridgewater probably meant that he’d be on the front line killing people instead.

The worst thing about this project was that he had to work with someone else. Maybe it was a good thing, Trent didn’t really know, but it meant getting pushed over by someone else again. Usually Trent was the one who ended up doing all the work. Fallon had made him do all of his homework since he started school, so Trent was pretty smart, and this meant getting tasked to do everything.

Trent stared at the pile of books in front of him with undisguised apprehension. It looked like Simon or whatever his name is was pretty gung ho about this. Just another overachieving student, he supposed. Someone with not much of a life like all students in the world. Like Trent when he was being bossed around by Fallon.

"How about I write the essay and stuff? You can just put your name on it. Sound good?"

Trent blinked. That wasn’t supposed to happen, Greg observed drily.

“Shut up, Greg,” Trent muttered, hoping that Simon wouldn’t have heard that and begun to complain about delusional weirdos.

“Um, sure,” he said, shooting Simon a meek sort of look, and really the only one he was capable of. “Anything you say. I mean, yeah. You’re annoyed with me, aren’t you? I should just…leave.”

But because he was Trenton Jersey Bridgewater and he could not keep his mouth shut, he went on. “Are you sure you don’t need any help, though?”

→ ABOUT YOU.

Previous Characters (if applicable): Scott Cooper, Maverick Steele, etc.

How did you find us?: I clicked the ‘most visited’ tab in my bookmarks?

[J.Q. Winchester]

Dear Mr. Bridgewater,

We are pleased to inform you that your application to Salem Institute has been accepted. Please report to Ms. Lenore Bixby in Admissions (Main Hall, Room 206) at your earliest convenience. Currently, it is summer in our universe, and we recommend bringing appropriate attire for the climate as well as your necessary coursebooks. Note: Term begins 01 September 2012. Enjoy your summer!

Cordially,

J.Q. Winchester
President, Salem Institute

*Please note: Miss Bixby is an NPC in our universe. No need to find her!

(You saucy thing you.)