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Professor Applications / Maddox Barlowe - CoMC Professor Application
« on: 01/12/2024 at 00:10 »Before you begin, please make sure you have created
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an account in your character's full name, and make sure you have read and understand the following:
Site Rules | Magical Rules | Our Rating | FAQ
Should you have any questions, please contact an Administrator.
CHARACTER INFORMATION
Character name: Maddox Alexander Barlowe
Previous and/or Current Character(s) if applicable: Ruth Elliot, Persephone Grimsbane, Cassian McCormick
Character age: 30
Character education: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry - Gryffindor - Graduating Class of '61 (I …think?)
Strength and weaknesses (details please):
It's more appropriate to start with the strengths in order to soften the blow of the weaknesses. Maddox is serious about his work…extremely serious. He will not tolerate the mistreatment of animals no matter their ministry classification and this drive is often enough to override the pervasive fatigue that plagues him. The man is also flexible and willing to think on his feet rather than being boxed into a particular plan of action. He is easygoing which allows him to maintain at least neutral relationships with those around him and is unlikely to stir the pot (if for no other reason than the effort that would be involved in doing such a thing). He is also well-versed in his field of knowledge.
As for his weaknesses, the most glaring is his low energy as it will have an impact on several areas of his professional life. It requires him to take several naps in a day without him ever really being rested and prevents him from taking action until the situation may have already grown dire. His aversion to loud noises also leaves him irritable in more chaotic situations which may drive him toward the most immediate fix rather than the one that is best.
Physical description:
Maddox is a man with a reasonably handsome face and a clean look. This is the observation many come to when first running into him. This blue-eyed, 6ft. tall man can usually be seen slouching in a chair or with an otherwise relaxed stance. No matter how much he sleeps, there is always a hint of fatigue ingrained in his features and dark circles under his eyes. Without further interaction, the observations may end there.
Should one engage him in conversation or spend a great enough degree of time in his presence, it would become clear that something is not quite right. The canines inside his mouth are longer than one might expect of any human. They are most visible when he smiles but glimpses can be caught when he speaks. He retains an uncomfortably heightened sense of smell and hearing while in human form that makes him averse to strong or sudden noises as well as strong scents.
Similarly, one might begin to notice how unnaturally lithe he is on his feet despite his often lackadaisical movements.
He prefers to be dressed in comfortable clothing that suits the nature of his work but even then, it is clean and he is well put together.
Personality (nice, rude, funny etc. Paragraph please.):
Maddox is neither strict nor lenient, but indifferent. Some may even say he is too lazy to be either and they would, to a greater extent, be correct. Believing that experiences are life’s best teachers, he is unlikely to breathe down the necks of others or to hold their hand through the process. Once he has given information/instructions, he expects that to be the end of things and is unlikely to follow up unless there is need. That said, he is a man who likes to have things done well and expects a certain standard in everything. Upon finding out that things are not done to standard, he will not let it rest. What stands in the way of him going militant or him caving to every plea and cry boils down to the same core factor; he doesn’t have the energy for it.
The man is often too tired to lay into anyone and is similarly often too tired to go above and beyond with exceedingly generous gestures. It is for this very reason that when he is forced to become more serious (such as in the case of a student drawing his ire), they will see a cooler side to the man than his typical nonchalance and indifference. He does not enjoy such moments and often requires naps after, which only makes him more irritable when such moments arise.
He is also the sort to see a student post-failure/injury, lean in, and ask with no particular concern “what have you learned?”. He does care for the success of those in his charge. He’s just so tired most times and doesn’t have the energy for the larger ups and downs that can become exhausting to him very quickly. Despite this, he is serious about passing on a sense of responsibility and accountability. He is also surprisingly strict with his rules for a man who gives off such a laid-back vibe because he likes to maintain order. Order is not loud. Order is not disruptive. Order does not require effort on his part. That’s what he likes.
Another notable area of his personality is his dry, sometimes biting humour.
Hopes and dreams. Why are you teaching at Hogwarts?:
Maddox found his time after Hogwarts to be very fulfilling. He was able to land several internship opportunities that took him into the presence of all sorts of creatures. It deepened his appreciation and connection and stirred (if only ever so slightly) a desire in him to pass along this appreciation. He wants to lead the next generation of wizards and witches into a more informed and understanding approach to all sorts of creatures. Where necessary, he also wants to instill the sort of caution that will prevent future accidents that will then negatively impact the creatures—and of course, the person they end up mauling…sort of.
Biography (500 words minimum. There is never such a thing as too much.):
Maddox was born to a modest pureblood family in Manchester. Growing up with only sisters—his older sister Scarlet and his twin Cassidy—he took on the role of defender. It didn’t matter who started the quarrels his sisters got into, he was sure to step in and end them if it came to it. From an early age, his father instilled in him a sense of being a ‘real’ man, who protected women and especially his family, among other distinguished things. This, at times, led to a strained relationship between him and his father because of the overbearing expectations he placed on him.
These lessons never left him even as he grew. It led to some degree of trouble for him after he and Cassidy started Hogwarts as he was always quick to defend his pouting other half. Soon, he was able to grow into his own. He mellowed out quite a bit as he realised that his sisters…and girls in general, were a lot of trouble. Should he follow his father’s instructions to the letter, he would never find peace. He began to focus on his own interests and was particularly exceptional in the areas of charms and transfiguration. This was fuelled by his desire to become an animagus.
The praise he received for his skills over the years led to complacency and arrogance on his part. He began to anticipate his own success and no longer believed he needed to exert himself in order to accomplish whatever he pursued. This decision came back to bite him when his animagus training turned into a complete disaster near the end of his 6th year. Not only did he botch the final steps, but he nearly lost his life in the process. The aftereffects proved permanent, cursing him to an unfortunate mixture of feline traits even while he remained human.
He became the laughingstock of his family and closest friends who thought it fitting that the arrogant boy be humbled.
Ashamed of his botched transformation, Maddox refused to register with the ministry, despite several warnings to the contrary. The moment he graduated Hogwarts, he began looking for internships in far away places. He hoped to remove himself from the eyes of his mockers long enough to heal from the consequences of his actions.
His passion for creatures took him first to the jungles of South America where he worked in conjunction with a team of researchers looking into a surge of reports from local muggles during an uptick in nogtail sightings. From there, he was referred by a senior colleague impressed with his work to work on a small occamy reservation in India. The poaching of the creatures’ eggs for trade in black market potion sales had begun to put pressure on the local occamy population and saw their numbers dwindling unsustainably. This time in his life saw him going on many dangerous missions. His days and nights sometimes comprised of fighting off persistent poaching groups who refused to be deterred and securing nesting sites. At the age of 26, he started hearing more talk of the dragon sanctuary that was opened over in Romania. Wanting a change of pace after five years of fighting poachers, he applied for an opening and began working there the following year.
That exhilarating, world-trotting time in his life came to a crushing end when Maddox received news from back home. Cassidy wasn’t doing well. She’d always been a sickly girl despite her fiery personality. He knew she’d been ill; she was always ill. Now, she was dying.
Without giving it a second’s thought, Maddox resigned from the sanctuary and returned home to care for her and her small children. He took with him his lessons he had learned from his time abroad. Maddox was no longer a man hiding from his shame. Somewhere in his whirlwind adventure, he’d made peace with what he had become, and the challenges of his job taught him how to deal with the problems of his personal life.
SAMPLE ROLEPLAY
(Please respond to to this in third person past tense. Do not write the other characters' reactions. Only your own.)
It was the largest office in Hogwarts and, perhaps to students and newcomers, the most intimidating. The shelves were filled with paperwork, and lots and lots of books. A few of the shelves had various odds and ends that had been saved from previous owners. The sorting hat had a place of honour, but less of one than before. The walls held all the portraits of past Headmasters and Headmistresses, as well as her Russian portraits. Anneka Ivanova's was closest to Karina's desk.
In the middle of the room sat a large desk. Everything was in order. Almost a ruthless order. Important papers were closest to her, with her favourite quill. Then other documents further away. And at the edge is her favourite Venus flytrap and a picture of Vlad.
A clock sat on the desk, which currently showed the time to be 2:05. The meeting was supposed to begin at 2:00 precisely.
Karina was not always punctual. Yes, she was aware of the time, she would just deliberately come late. She valued control. And what better method of control than making people wait for you. But she expected others to be punctual to the second. Or early. So naturally Karina Ivansko was not happy.
"You have five minutes to assure me that you'll never be late again." Karina said to the applicant gesturing to the ancient and uncomfortable chair across from her. Her fingernails drummed irritably on the desk. And she had a look on her face that imitated a Russian winter.
(Yes, she had learned well from the great Anneka Ivanova).
Roleplay Response:
He hadn’t missed the staircases.
It had been over a decade since Maddox had last been plagued by their haphazard habits of kidnapping people when they had other places to be. It had often been the case at the least opportune moments and was proven no less so now.
They hadn’t always been a nightmare, no. In the younger years of his youth, he’d been able to ascend and descend them with the agility of a boy who almost seemed to understand their intricate flow.
Back then, he had had the energy for it.
The man had been early, himself taking such matters quite seriously. The morning at home had been chaotic and had required a bit of careful manoeuvring on his part but he was sure to get it sorted before he left. Maddox had even given himself enough time to arrive and have himself a breather before beginning the journey to the headmistress’s office. His carefully laid plans had fallen apart with the first, subtle sounds of creaking that had warned him his path was about to be chosen for him. Ahead, the portion of stairs upon which he stood had begun to separate from the landing. With a reluctant groan that he’d felt deep in the pit of his stomach, it had become irritatingly clear the direction in which his afternoon was headed.
A rush of warmth had flooded his system, permeating every muscle and vein. He’d long since become accustomed to the tension that wound inside him before the final release that saw him covered in jet black fur and a much smaller stature. Maddox had bolted up the stairs on all fours, narrowly managing to leap across to the landing before the distance could become too great. His ears had twitched at the sound of that infernal creaking as the adjacent section of stairs he needed to continue on his way also began to pull away. It was to be a trial by fire; one that made him truly evaluate how much he wanted the job.
Yet, he’d come so far. Circumstances dictated that he continue moving.
Maddox had been early, yes, right up until the point at which he got to the stone gargoyle that blocked his way. The man had spent a further 15 minutes turning and twisting in exasperation at the fact that…he couldn’t change back. His efforts were met by a solid wall of resistance, the magic in him feeling muted and distant.
Of all the days for this to happen.
By the time he stood before Karina Ivansko, he was ready to go home. Maddox slumped into the chair she provided without ever sparing the woman wound up too tight even the briefest of glances. He propped his elbow up on the armrest, his forehead pressed against his upright hand while he took a moment to remind himself that he could only take care of his sister if he was employed.
Right. It had to be done.
”Apologies,” said the man who scarcely sounded repentant. ”Five minutes is too short a time and I’d hate to waste any more of yours for that matter.” More accurately, he didn’t want to be bothered by such a tedious recounting. It would only exhaust him further.
Maddox sucked in a soft, shallow breath then straightened in his seat, ready to appear a more presentable candidate now that he’d taken a moment to gather himself. ”I trust you’ve had a chance to review my application beforehand. If you have any doubts or concerns, I’d be happy to clear those up for you before we begin. On the matter of my tardiness…” as that had been a concern she so eloquently voiced. ”I don’t reckon lightening will strike the same place twice so it shouldn’t be an issue.”
His job would require him to remain out by the menagerie most times. There were no stairs out there.
(In addition to posting a completed application in this forum, we also ask that you submit a PM to Karina Ivansko with details of your class and with the lesson plans for that class (include at least a minimum of 4 lessons). Also, please be sure to check the Available Positions thread located in this forum to make sure the class you want is available before applying.)
