General Information:
First Name: Darin
Last Name: Saine
Heritage: Half-blood
Nationality: English
Spoken Languages:English
Place of Birth: Greenwich District, London, England
Age/Date of Birth: 6 December/13 years old
Approved Special Features:
Looks:
Eyes: Darin’s hazel eyes are round and small, protected behind a pair of glasses with silver-colored rounded rectangles for lens frames, the lenses themselves having a very light blue tint, though they are not sunglasses.
Hair: His shaggy hair is a medium-brown and tends to curl slightly as it gets longer. As it grows it simply gets thicker far faster than it gets longer as a whole. Generally his bangs will just touch his eyebrows, with the rest of his hair bushing out from his head in a lopsided spherical shape. Regardless of length, Darin's hair is soft and smooth, but not glossy.
Height: Darin stands at a good and average 5’5”
General Appearance: Darin has a round, open face, which, when taken in with his ever-smiling, thin-lipped mouth, gives him a very friendly appearance. His eyes are always gleaming, though whether with intelligence or mischief is dependant on what he’s been thinking of lately. As he hits puberty, he’s beginning to grow lanky, with a thin body and proportionally longer arms and legs. Although he is prone to mild acne on his face, he has no facial hair to speak of just yet. In contrast to his pale skin, Darin’s nose is usually a faint shade of pink due to a severe sunburn sustained when he was young, and has never fully healed.
Dressing Style: While in school, Darin is mostly limited to his uniform. Outside, he’s a very laid back, jeans and t-shirt kid. Most of his shirts bear the album covers or other artwork associated with his favorite bands, British metal legends Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, as well as, in his opinion, the greatest band to ever come out of America, Metallica. Although Darin really could care less what others think of him, he does recognize that wearing muggle clothing could very well be a safety hazard in present times, and has taken to wearing robes of navy blue and sea green, to represent his father in the Royal Marines. He also has a pair of deep green dress robes trimmed in teal lace. Typically found with a pair of running shoes that are starting to show the miles of wear he’s put on them or in a pair of brown leather thong flip-flops on his feet, Darin values comfort over glamor. That being said, he does enjoy dressing up every now and then, although ‘dressy’ for him is a plain black polo shirt and a pair of khakis with a pair of brown leather loafers.
Personality:
General Character Traits: Darin is introverted and laid-back almost to the extreme. He very rarely knows where the good hang-out spots are, and is more likely to be found in the library than the common room party. This isn’t saying he doesn’t enjoy having fun, he just doesn’t know where to find it. He is very intelligent although he doesn’t show it as much as his parents and teachers might wish, often times leaving off homework and other projects until the last minute, even though he generally passes his tests with flying colors.
Despite his laid-back exterior, Darin truly wishes he had what it took to be at the center of the party rather than the wallflower at the ones he’s actually found out about. His love for rock’n’roll music has imparted him with a fun-loving interior that is most always swallowed up by his social insecurities. He’s just never going to be that cool, in his own opinion. This self-defeating attitude has given him a nonchalant disregard for others’ opinions of him that many see as being rebellious or confrontational. But again, Darin generally doesn’t care what anyone other than his close friends or whatever girl he happens to be crushing on at the moment really thinks about him. However, this happy-go-lucky attitude towards the opinions of others directly contrasts with his secret wish to be accepted into the elite inner circle known as ‘The Cool Guys.” His taste in music has also imparted upon young Darin an extreme stubborn streak, ‘no’ means no to him, and there is simply nothing anyone is going to do to convince him otherwise.
A true romantic, Darin is nevertheless completely hopeless with girls. He has a tendency to get nervous and fidgety around attractive girls, giving him a bumbling and clutzy appearance. In truth, this is the only aspect of his personality Darin would give most anything to change, as he believes luck with the ladies is the epitomy of being one of the ‘cool guys.’ He is almost always crushing on one girl or another at some point in time, and many times he crushes on more than one, creating lots of inner conflict and stress on himself as he tries to sort out his thoughts.
Likes:Darin loves muggle hard rock music just because it resonates with him on many different levels, from the “go out and have fun” messages of many of Judas Priest’s songs to the “give ‘em hell and let God sort ‘em out” themes of Metallica (who, by the way, has been his favorite band since he was eight), he just can’t imagine a world without rock music. Although he is by no means a social butterfly, Darin is always up for hanging out with his friends, especially if it’s to create a bit of mischief. Dogs are Darin’s animals. He wishes he could be as laid back and “chilled-out” as Pete and Doug, the two Boston Terriers that live with his mother, and envies their ability to take life a day at a time with no worries. And when it comes to food, nothing will ever taste as good to Darin as seafood. Whether it’s Atlantic Salmon or Alaskan King Crab imported from America, anything that comes out of the water tastes great to Darin, and he often wonders whether or not the squid in Hogwarts’s lake would taste the same as normal calamari. While everyone loves having fun, Darin’s bit of fun is best described as mischief. He and his friends are always thinking of new pranks to pull, though Darin is usually the brains behind the operation and rarely actively participates.
Dislikes: Darin can’t stand stuck up people. He finds them pathetic in every sense of the word. The mere thought of people rejecting him based on what he wears rather than who he is infuriates him. He also can’t stand people who like to stand in the middle of the corridor talking when he’s in a hurry to get somewhere, often muttering curse words under his breath about the inconsiderate louts who are making him late to his next class. He absolutely despises homework, feeling that if he knows the material, there is no sense in drilling it further into his brain by monotonous repitition. Most of all, Darin can’t stand certain aspects of himself, particularly his nervous bumbling around the ladies as well as his ‘don’t give a flip’ attitude, though the fact that he can’t seem to change either is his biggest irritant of all.
Habits/Mannerisms: When Darin gets nervous, he tends to fidget, either by rotating one hand back and forth very quickly, or even twiddling with whatever object he has in his hand. Sometimes, if he’s making a conscious effort to not twiddle, he’ll stick his hands in his pockets or run them through his hair.
Strengths: Darin is very intelligent, often grasping supposedly difficult concepts the first or second time they’re explained. His laid back, carefree attitude towards others’ opinions lets him keep a lot of stress off, rather than freaking out over a rumor that is most probably just that: a rumor. This same attitude, coupled with the seemingly contrasting desire to fit in, makes him a bold person who’s not afraid to back down from a challenge, no matter how daunting. Though not a particularly hard worker, Darin always devotes a hundred and ten percent of himself to whatever task or obstacle happens to have his attention.
Weaknesses:Darin’s disregard for others’ opinions of him ensures that there is no filter between his brain and his mouth; he says exactly what he thinks, regardless of who it might offend. He is about as far from a highly-motivated student as you can get, studying the night before if at all, and putting off homework until the night or even morning before it’s due, if he does it at all. The very same focus that allows him to complete almost any task he puts his mind to is often times his undoing when it comes to the opposite sex, as he often comes off as possessive or even obsessive of his current crush. This in turn allows him to be easily hurt, as his current crush’s opinion is the only one that matters to him aside from his friends. Likewise, his boldness in accepting a challenge, and stubborn streak in completing it has led him to be humiliated many times, and he never seems to learn from his mistakes.
Personal History:
Parents:Jason Paul Saine – 38, Muggle, Colonel in the Royal Marines
Vivian Creed Saine – 36, Former Hufflepuff, former employee of the Department of Muggle Affairs, does not currently work
Siblings: Jacob Saine, 9 years old
Background Story: Jason Saine, born on December 18th, 1960, grew up in the Redbridge district of London, where he attended the Woodlands Infant and Junior schools before moving on to finish Sixth Form at Beal High School. Having little idea as to what he wanted to do with his life, Jason enlisted in the Royal Marines at the age of eighteen. He underwent the Potential Officer Course as well as his Admiralty Interview Board along with all the other officer candidates, and in both instances his natural compassion and leadership ability helped him keep his team together and working. After being comissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the RM, a year and a half after he’d initially enlisted, Jason went on to become a troop commander, though his troop remained on standby in the absence of any pressing global conflicts.
Six months later, Jason took a thirty-day period of leave to go back to his home in Redbridge, where he encountered Vivian Creed, newly out of Hogwarts and just beginning her career at the Department of Muggle Studies within the Ministry. They became fast friends, and eventually fell in love. Before his leave-period was up, Vivian told Jason of her true background as a witch. He couldn’t believe his ears, having been trained to be rational and logical, a mindset that simply didn’t include a belief in magic. Still, his love for Vivian lit a spark of belief in him. They exchanged letters by way of Vivian’s owl Roderick, and Jason was always amazed that the bird could find him, no matter where he was on the planet. The next time he was home on leave, he stayed at Vivian’s flat in the Greenwich district, where she put on a display of cooking breakfast using only magic. As the old saying goes, the way to a man’s heart, or in this case, his mind, is through his stomach. Although Jason couldn’t completely believe his eyes, he couldn’t deny them either and, having no logical explanation for how the sausage and waffles were flying about the kitchen, he simply had to concede that Vivian had been telling the truth.
Jason went on duty again, by now having attained the rank of Captain. But this time, he had a real surprise planned for Vivian when he was home again. As soon as he was off the plane, he popped the question to her right there in the terminal. She accepted breathlessly, and nine months later, gave birth to their first son, Darin.
As Jason was rarely at home, and then only for a month at a time, Darin was raised largely by his mother. A compassionate and kind woman by nature, Vivian was the ideal mother, always encouraging him, disciplining him with a firm and fair hand when necessary. Darin grew up with full knowledge of his magical background, and never attended muggle school, despite his father’s wishes that he attain some sort of education before the age of eleven. The one part of muggle life Jason did manage to pass on to young Darin was that of rock music, giving Darin his first Judas Priest CD at the age of eight, and from there Darin was hooked.
His brother, Jacob, was born when Darin was four years old, and from the very start the two seemed destined to be opposed forever, with Darin constantly complaining about the baby’s incessant screaming and hogging of attention.
It was this deprivation of attention that planted the seeds of Darin’s wallflower complex, as he quickly learned to entertain himself by either causing trouble or reading a book, depending on what sort of mood he was in. When Jacob was six, the two brothers became almost openly hostile to one another, constantly arguing over toys and other things, rarely agreeing on anything. The constant conflict contributed significantly to Vivian’s stress level, and she would often go to bed early, as she was loathe to yell at or discipline her children. Darin became much more introverted in this period, having his headphones on almost constantly to drown out the irritation of his younger brother.
It was also during this time that Darin’s magical ability seemed to manifest itself most often. At times objects would randomly fly across the room, or, in the case of one particularly memorable event, Jacob’s legs would become like jelly. Needless to say, Vivian was horrified when she saw her youngest boy screaming and sobbing because he couldn’t get up, though she quickly cast a counter-curse and restored his legs to him, along with a strong admonishment to Darin that he must try and control his gift, and never simply lash out with it in anger.
Jason, now a Colonel in the Royal Marines, quickly brought order to the family when he was on leave, mediating the conflicts with a loving and reasonable tone. Darin grew to love his father even more, though from his view, both parents favored Jacob the majority of the time. All that changed the summer after Darin turned eleven, when an owl flew through the window and dropped a letter addressed to him on their dining room table in the middle of breakfast. Having of course, seen his mother’s owl and being told what to expect by his mother, Darin had no doubt that this was the letter inviting him to attend Hogwarts, the very same school his mother had attended. The reply was sent out the very next day. Darin would be attending Hogwarts that coming fall.
His first year of classes was relatively uneventful. He made zero headway with girls, and began displaying his lackluster work effort with regards to classwork. When it came to exams he excelled and showed a good grasp of the material, but any time work was to be done outside of the classroom, it was done at the last possible minute, if at all. Although he ended up with a few friends, for the most part he was a social outcast from the get go with his attitude and love of muggle music. He did particularly excel in Defense Against the Dark Arts, and although he wanted to join a dueling club, he just never could get over the sense of nervousness that came with what he saw as forceably inserting himself into an already established group of people. It was the unconfidence eating at him again, but he tried not to let it bother him.
That summer was more tolerable, Jason was on leave, and Darin so wished to show off everything he’d learned that year, but Wizarding law forbade it, as he was still underage by far. So instead, Darin contented himself with simply stating what he’d learned while Vivian demonstrated it for the sake of her husband. Even Jacob was enthralled by his big brother’s tale of Hogwarts; the two siblings actually seemed to almost get along when Darin was telling Jacob what to expect for his first year.
Darin returned for his second year of Hogwarts with a new determination to catch up on what he’d missed out on previously. His lackluster work habits continued to dominate his academic work, though he did go out on a limb and make several new friends, including a Gryffindor named Geoffery Kade, who also happened to live in Greenwich. The two became fast friends and nigh inseperable over the year, not to mention a pain in the arse of certain less-than-entertaining teachers and prefects, often earning detention for the same act of mischief. Although Geoff didn’t share Darin’s love of muggle music, they found common ground in the realm of magic: Geoff was terrible at Defense against the Dark Arts, while Darin was wretched when it came to Charms and Transfiguration. They managed to help each other with their weak areas, and maybe a little of the Gryffindor rubbed off on Darin, as towards the end of his second year he actually began surprising his teachers by turning his homework in not only completed, but without the rushed look that came with last-minute work.
That summer, Darin and Geoffery continued their friendship, often heading into the City of London to pester the tourists with their antics. Now, Darin gets ready to go back to Hogwarts for his third year, which, hopefully, will go even better than his second, although, admittedly, Darin was outraged when he heard the news of muggleborn wizards no longer being allowed at Hogwarts. The very notion of discriminating against someone solely based on their blood seemed outright ridiculous to him. Nevertheless, it made him thankful that both he and his friend Geoffery were half-bloods, but he knew the Slytherins were going to be downright intolerable this year.
Hogwarts Sorting:
Strong Area of Magic: Defense Against the Dark Arts
Weak Area of Magic: Charms, Transfiguration
Preferred House Choice: Gryffindor
Responsibility or Guidance?: Guidance
Forgiveness or Justice?: Justice
Adventure or Security?: Adventure
What does "Never tickle a sleeping dragon" mean to your character? Don’t be an idiot.
Minor Details:
Pets: Barn owl named Roderick, formerly his mothers
Two boston terriers (stay at home with Vivian): Pete and Doug
Wand: Willow, 10.5", dragon heartstring core
Quidditch position: Spectator
Anything else? Nope ^_^
Are You A Native English Speaker?: Yes
RP response: This was it! September 11th was finally here, and Darin was present and accounted for along with his mother, who had volunteered to take the boy because Vivian had to work that day. In one hand Darin wheeled the chest full of his possessions, newly acquired from the wondrous Diagon Alley. His robes, books and other supplies were all stowed away in a large padlocked chest, while Roderick, the beautiful owl Vivian had passed on to her son, was preening himself in the cage that sat atop it all. Thrusting his free hand into his jean pocket, he felt the warmth of his wand almost glowing against his palm. As mother and son they walked to the column between platforms nine and ten.
“Darin, are you sure you’ll be alright?” Vivian’s voice was touched with concern for her son. The former Hogwarts student was full of excitement at the thought of sending her son off to the school she’d attended, had it really been thirteen years ago? Her heart seemed to be beating a million miles an hour as they approached the barrier.
“I’ll be fine, Mum. I promise.” The young boy was so full of enthusiasm, but he couldn’t help but have a bit of self doubt in him. He’d be going away from everything he’d known for the past eleven years. Granted, that meant no Jacob, but it also meant no Mum or Dad to talk to when he needed it most. As they stepped through the barrier, Vivian squeezed her son’s hand.
“Of course you will, silly me. You’re just like your father you know, you have the makings of a Gryffindor about you, if you would only look after yourself a bit better.” Her voice took on a nagging tone as she referenced Darin’s love of muggle music and clothing; she had never really approved of it, but had consented because, as Jason said, Darin was still at least half-muggle, and if he was going to a wizarding school, then he should be able to indulge himself in his muggle heritage as well.
Darin was awestruck at the sight of the Hogwarts Express, so majestic in its black and red finish. All around him others bustled with their parents fussing about their clothing and belongings. Vivian helped Darin load his things into one of the storage compartments, greeting a few of her old school friends and introducing Darin to them, much to the young boy’s dismay. They all liked to squeeze and pinch. When it was finally time to go, Darin managed to pry himself away from his mother’s best friend and give Vivian a hug.
The former Ravenclaw knelt down to face-level with Darin. “Listen to me son. Just remember what your father and I have taught you. Be yourself. Don’t let anyone else control who you are. I know you won’t have a problem with that, but it bears repeating.”
Darin nodded and smiled. “Thanks Mom. I’ll remember.” He gave his mother one last embrace before boarding the train, managing to find a relatively empty compartment for the long ride to Hogwarts.
Hours later, Darin sat in the amazing Great Hall and listened to Headmistress McGonagall call out names of the first year students. He looked around nervously, wondering which House he’d end up in. Seconds passed. Minutes. An hour. Finally, the Headmistress called, “Darin Saine.” The young boy practically shrunk the closer he got to the bench and the hat. All those people looking at him, waiting on him. It was nervewracking to the extreme. Nevertheless, Darin sat down as the hat was placed up on his head. His heart raced as he waited for it to scream his House….
[dec]And just for the record, we normally don't retrieve sheets. Please make sure you save them yourself. This process often takes hours and we honestly don't have the time.[/dec]
