Post by Ethan Lacroix on May 18, 2009 6:42:39 GMT -5
Referred By: Google
Name: Ethan Samuel Lacroix
Age: 17
Sex: Male
Nationality: American
Speech: American English with a few UK English phrases
Blood: Muggleborn
Father: Samuel Edward Lacroix - deceased
Mother: Eloisa Beth Lacroix - deceased
Siblings: Bethany Lois Lacroix - deceased?
Other Family: No living relatives that he knows of, though he counts most all of the other children and teenagers at the orphanage as siblings.
Family Interactions:
There he was again. The situation was all too familiar. The bully (Ethan had to remind himself that the boy's name was Derek, that the boy had a name and was a person, not merely the callous demon he acted) was standing over the small quivering form and laughing as tiny sobs rocked the poor child. Running over, Ethan shouted for the larger boy to leave his sister alone. When Derek's response was to laugh harder and deliver a contemptuous kick to Bethany's side, he lost control.
That night after dinner Samuel sat Ethan down on the sofa, his expression disappointed yet compassionate. As he began chastising his son for fighting, the nine year old boy shouted about how it wasn't fair, how he had to defend his "little" sister. "I understand how you feel Ethan, but what you did isn't acceptable. You have to fight with words, with reason, not with fists. You have to control your anger." After a bit more conversation with his father, the summation of which was that he was grounded, Ethan was led to the bathroom by Eloisa for a final application of salve to his numerous scrapes and bruises before being shuttled off to bed.
Lying in the dark in the room he and his sister shared, Ethan was just drifting off when the slurred and sometimes difficult to understand voice of his sister whispered to him. She told him that she loved him and that he was her hero. "I love you too Beth. I'll always protect you."
Height: 5' 9"
Weight: 150 lbs
Hair: Auburn
Eyes: Brown
Skin Colour: Fairly light
Clothing style: Simple, usually relaxed fitting jeans and t-shirts or button downs. Very occasionally a vest over his shirt. Plain sneakers.
Accessories: None
Paragraph Format:
Ethan is quite adept at not being noticed. He doesn't try to avoid attention usually, it's just that very little about him stands out. The reddish tint to his otherwise brown hair is probably his most distinguishing feature. His skin tans slightly in the sun, but never gets terribly dark and isn't all that pale naturally. His eyes as well are a fairly common brown. Neither exceptionally handsome nor hideous, he stands a breathtakingly average five foot nine with a typical build. He is rather athletic, but his clothes don't really show as much.
Jeans and t-shirts that fit well without being tailored or tight add to his average air. His plain athletic shoes and total lack of jewelry or accessories also serve to make his appearance as unassuming as his personality. He does like to layer his outfits when the weather is colder (as he usually considers it to be) so it's not uncommon to see a solid or plaid button down over his t-shirt. Rarer is the vest he'll sometimes wear over that. And of course his simple tan naru jacket usually covers it anyway.
Personality:
Noble may be the definitive word for Ethan, but only certain meanings of it. He certainly doesn't come from auspicious ancestries, as far as he's aware. He can however be quite self-sacrificing in certain situations. From an early age he developed the (some say bad) habit of defending those who couldn't defend themselves, at least in his eyes. This began with his older sister, to whom he was fiercely loyal. Now that loyalty spreads to any he feels need him. Generally this amounts to little more than sticking up for whatever poor soul is being picked on by a group of sneering students (who, all stereotypes aside, do seem to be Slytherin with alarming frequency). Occasionally though, when words are not enough, Ethan is ready to offer a show of force, or more than a mere show if he deems it necessary to protect whoever needs it at the time.
Like virtually all teenage boys, Ethan enjoys competition, though he restricts it to certain circumstances. He'll only willingly participate in what he believes to be friendly matches, whether they be wizard duels, fencing matches, or pickup quidditch games. He's not much interested in proving that he's better than anyone, which isn't to say he doesn't play his best and try to win. He simply sees it for what it is: a game that is meant to be fun and that ceases to be should any parties begin to take offense. He's quick to surrender if he feels doing anything else will result in flaring tempers, though doing so severely irritates him. He does his best to restrain his annoyance in such situations.
In class or out, he's typically meek and quiet, offering his opinion if asked in a soft voice, but rarely volunteering anything. The exception is when he senses that someone needs to talk to someone about something, at which point he'll usually make himself available. Unfortunately his quiet nature causes few to feel that they really know him, and thus few are willing to open up. His offers of a friendly ear are more often than not rejected. Though he accepts this with a shrug and small smile, offering his time and attention if they should change their mind, it does make him feel dreadfully useless at times.
History:
There seems to be a curse upon the Lacroix name. They live long enough to create the next generation and perhaps another ten to twenty years after, but no more. Samuel's parents died in his late teen years, forcing him quite abruptly into adulthood. He managed it well enough, thanks in large part to his girlfriend and soon afterward wife, Eloisa. Oddly, her parents each developed severe cancer and died not two years after the wedding. The tragedy colored the pregnancy that Eloisa was even then experiencing, yet the couple's joy was complete when she gave birth to their first child.
Bethany was a healing salve to Samuel and Eloisa, despite the complications. The child's ears hadn't developed correctly and she was deaf from birth. The doting parents devoted countless hours to her, and by the time she was four, she could sign fluently and could even speak relatively well. It was at that time that Ethan Samuel Lacroix came into the world. Samuel and Eloisa's time was growing shorter.
Though he was much younger than his sister, Ethan grew more rapidly and by his ninth year he was notably bigger than the thirteen year old Bethany. They were the best of friends and would often spend their afternoons playing together at the park. Sadly, Bethany's unusual sounding speech made her the target of numerous bullies. Ethan would often throw himself at the other boys regardless of their age or size or numbers. It was not so much courage as it was sheer love and loyalty for his sister that made him do it, even if he didn't stand a chance. This did not sit well with their parents, who always tried to instill in both children a sense of respect for all life and a devotion to peace. Slowly they got Ethan to do his utmost to settle things with words. When that failed he would still resort to violence, though he no longer instigated it.
The Lacroixs had never been wealthy, and Ethan's parents were actually quite poor since neither Samuel nor Eloisa had been able to attend college. Unknown to the children however, the two had been saving for years, eager to give their children a special treat, and themselves as well. Just a few months before his eleventh birthday, Ethan and Bethany were told that they were all taking a trip, a two week vacation to Europe. Sam was eager to see France, where he'd apparently come from many generations back. The other three were just excited to be doing something so extraordinary (for them). None of them foresaw what was waiting for them across the Atlantic.
They never made it out of the United Kingdom. In fact, it mightn't be fair to say they even made it into the United Kingdom. As their plane was descending toward the London airport, something went terribly wrong. A miscommunication? A miscalculation? Ethan never found out. All he knew was that one moment they were sinking steadily toward the ground, the next everything seemed to be spinning and the back of the plane was just... gone. There had been a midair collision and two planes, one in two pieces, hurtled down with no hope of survival. Hugging his knees, all Ethan could do was wish he were somewhere else, somewhere safe.
Everything stopped. There was no more roaring wind, no more chaotic spinning. There were no more terrified screams. Slowly opening his eyes and looking about, Ethan found himself on the ground, inside a building, right in front of a large counter. Sniffling some from the horror that still gripped him, he drew the attention of a gentle-faced elderly woman who looked down at him from the other side of the counter. She was as confused as he was about his presence and his inability to explain how he'd gotten there. Naturally, she assumed he'd been abandoned, as regularly happened. Her orphanage often received children with little to no explanation. He was just one more mystery child.
All reports on the television said there had been no survivors of the dual plane crash. Ethan spent the first few days at his new home in tears. The letter that shortly arrived, inviting him to some odd school come September didn't help his mood any, just confusing him further. What did finally bring him back to life in a way, was an unusual invitation from another boy there. He was offered a place in the small fencing class an older boy was hosting. Though he didn't immediately like the sound of swordplay, it did give him some medium through which he could work out his grief and confusion. Though at first he was aggressive, seeking to take out his negative emotions on the other students, that behavior was quickly curbed. Not only did it always lead to him being defeated, but it went against everything his father had taught him.
A few months later he was smiling again, though it was always a subtle expression. He'd found that the combat sport was becoming almost meditative to him, allowing him to calm his often raging emotions, and it also built friendship between the participants. When September came and he headed off for Hogwarts, he was eager to see what this was about despite his nervousness at the unknown.
Ethan's progression at the school was not unlike that at the orphanage. Though he started off completely lost, he gradually seemed to get his feet. On any holiday he'd return to the orphanage, maintaining his friendships there and continuing to develop his fencing ability, particularly over summer. By his third year at Hogwarts he discovered that dueling with a wand, while mechanically quite different than using a foil, served much the same purpose for him. Though he was never the best, he'd gotten pretty good, excelling at Charms and Defense Against the Dark Arts. True his Transfigurations weren't great and his Potions were rubbish, but he managed to get by.
Now an interesting dilemma has been presented to Ethan. In his sixth year at the school, he's recently turned seventeen. In the wizarding world, he's a man. Part of him wishes to return to the orphanage come summer as he's done for the past several years. Part of him though is intrigued by the numerous possibilities elsewhere. He's as of yet undecided where he will go, where he can do the most good.
EDIT
Name: Ethan Samuel Lacroix
Age: 17
Sex: Male
Nationality: American
Speech: American English with a few UK English phrases
Blood: Muggleborn
Father: Samuel Edward Lacroix - deceased
Mother: Eloisa Beth Lacroix - deceased
Siblings: Bethany Lois Lacroix - deceased?
Other Family: No living relatives that he knows of, though he counts most all of the other children and teenagers at the orphanage as siblings.
Family Interactions:
There he was again. The situation was all too familiar. The bully (Ethan had to remind himself that the boy's name was Derek, that the boy had a name and was a person, not merely the callous demon he acted) was standing over the small quivering form and laughing as tiny sobs rocked the poor child. Running over, Ethan shouted for the larger boy to leave his sister alone. When Derek's response was to laugh harder and deliver a contemptuous kick to Bethany's side, he lost control.
That night after dinner Samuel sat Ethan down on the sofa, his expression disappointed yet compassionate. As he began chastising his son for fighting, the nine year old boy shouted about how it wasn't fair, how he had to defend his "little" sister. "I understand how you feel Ethan, but what you did isn't acceptable. You have to fight with words, with reason, not with fists. You have to control your anger." After a bit more conversation with his father, the summation of which was that he was grounded, Ethan was led to the bathroom by Eloisa for a final application of salve to his numerous scrapes and bruises before being shuttled off to bed.
Lying in the dark in the room he and his sister shared, Ethan was just drifting off when the slurred and sometimes difficult to understand voice of his sister whispered to him. She told him that she loved him and that he was her hero. "I love you too Beth. I'll always protect you."
Height: 5' 9"
Weight: 150 lbs
Hair: Auburn
Eyes: Brown
Skin Colour: Fairly light
Clothing style: Simple, usually relaxed fitting jeans and t-shirts or button downs. Very occasionally a vest over his shirt. Plain sneakers.
Accessories: None
Paragraph Format:
Ethan is quite adept at not being noticed. He doesn't try to avoid attention usually, it's just that very little about him stands out. The reddish tint to his otherwise brown hair is probably his most distinguishing feature. His skin tans slightly in the sun, but never gets terribly dark and isn't all that pale naturally. His eyes as well are a fairly common brown. Neither exceptionally handsome nor hideous, he stands a breathtakingly average five foot nine with a typical build. He is rather athletic, but his clothes don't really show as much.
Jeans and t-shirts that fit well without being tailored or tight add to his average air. His plain athletic shoes and total lack of jewelry or accessories also serve to make his appearance as unassuming as his personality. He does like to layer his outfits when the weather is colder (as he usually considers it to be) so it's not uncommon to see a solid or plaid button down over his t-shirt. Rarer is the vest he'll sometimes wear over that. And of course his simple tan naru jacket usually covers it anyway.
Personality:
Noble may be the definitive word for Ethan, but only certain meanings of it. He certainly doesn't come from auspicious ancestries, as far as he's aware. He can however be quite self-sacrificing in certain situations. From an early age he developed the (some say bad) habit of defending those who couldn't defend themselves, at least in his eyes. This began with his older sister, to whom he was fiercely loyal. Now that loyalty spreads to any he feels need him. Generally this amounts to little more than sticking up for whatever poor soul is being picked on by a group of sneering students (who, all stereotypes aside, do seem to be Slytherin with alarming frequency). Occasionally though, when words are not enough, Ethan is ready to offer a show of force, or more than a mere show if he deems it necessary to protect whoever needs it at the time.
Like virtually all teenage boys, Ethan enjoys competition, though he restricts it to certain circumstances. He'll only willingly participate in what he believes to be friendly matches, whether they be wizard duels, fencing matches, or pickup quidditch games. He's not much interested in proving that he's better than anyone, which isn't to say he doesn't play his best and try to win. He simply sees it for what it is: a game that is meant to be fun and that ceases to be should any parties begin to take offense. He's quick to surrender if he feels doing anything else will result in flaring tempers, though doing so severely irritates him. He does his best to restrain his annoyance in such situations.
In class or out, he's typically meek and quiet, offering his opinion if asked in a soft voice, but rarely volunteering anything. The exception is when he senses that someone needs to talk to someone about something, at which point he'll usually make himself available. Unfortunately his quiet nature causes few to feel that they really know him, and thus few are willing to open up. His offers of a friendly ear are more often than not rejected. Though he accepts this with a shrug and small smile, offering his time and attention if they should change their mind, it does make him feel dreadfully useless at times.
History:
There seems to be a curse upon the Lacroix name. They live long enough to create the next generation and perhaps another ten to twenty years after, but no more. Samuel's parents died in his late teen years, forcing him quite abruptly into adulthood. He managed it well enough, thanks in large part to his girlfriend and soon afterward wife, Eloisa. Oddly, her parents each developed severe cancer and died not two years after the wedding. The tragedy colored the pregnancy that Eloisa was even then experiencing, yet the couple's joy was complete when she gave birth to their first child.
Bethany was a healing salve to Samuel and Eloisa, despite the complications. The child's ears hadn't developed correctly and she was deaf from birth. The doting parents devoted countless hours to her, and by the time she was four, she could sign fluently and could even speak relatively well. It was at that time that Ethan Samuel Lacroix came into the world. Samuel and Eloisa's time was growing shorter.
Though he was much younger than his sister, Ethan grew more rapidly and by his ninth year he was notably bigger than the thirteen year old Bethany. They were the best of friends and would often spend their afternoons playing together at the park. Sadly, Bethany's unusual sounding speech made her the target of numerous bullies. Ethan would often throw himself at the other boys regardless of their age or size or numbers. It was not so much courage as it was sheer love and loyalty for his sister that made him do it, even if he didn't stand a chance. This did not sit well with their parents, who always tried to instill in both children a sense of respect for all life and a devotion to peace. Slowly they got Ethan to do his utmost to settle things with words. When that failed he would still resort to violence, though he no longer instigated it.
The Lacroixs had never been wealthy, and Ethan's parents were actually quite poor since neither Samuel nor Eloisa had been able to attend college. Unknown to the children however, the two had been saving for years, eager to give their children a special treat, and themselves as well. Just a few months before his eleventh birthday, Ethan and Bethany were told that they were all taking a trip, a two week vacation to Europe. Sam was eager to see France, where he'd apparently come from many generations back. The other three were just excited to be doing something so extraordinary (for them). None of them foresaw what was waiting for them across the Atlantic.
They never made it out of the United Kingdom. In fact, it mightn't be fair to say they even made it into the United Kingdom. As their plane was descending toward the London airport, something went terribly wrong. A miscommunication? A miscalculation? Ethan never found out. All he knew was that one moment they were sinking steadily toward the ground, the next everything seemed to be spinning and the back of the plane was just... gone. There had been a midair collision and two planes, one in two pieces, hurtled down with no hope of survival. Hugging his knees, all Ethan could do was wish he were somewhere else, somewhere safe.
Everything stopped. There was no more roaring wind, no more chaotic spinning. There were no more terrified screams. Slowly opening his eyes and looking about, Ethan found himself on the ground, inside a building, right in front of a large counter. Sniffling some from the horror that still gripped him, he drew the attention of a gentle-faced elderly woman who looked down at him from the other side of the counter. She was as confused as he was about his presence and his inability to explain how he'd gotten there. Naturally, she assumed he'd been abandoned, as regularly happened. Her orphanage often received children with little to no explanation. He was just one more mystery child.
All reports on the television said there had been no survivors of the dual plane crash. Ethan spent the first few days at his new home in tears. The letter that shortly arrived, inviting him to some odd school come September didn't help his mood any, just confusing him further. What did finally bring him back to life in a way, was an unusual invitation from another boy there. He was offered a place in the small fencing class an older boy was hosting. Though he didn't immediately like the sound of swordplay, it did give him some medium through which he could work out his grief and confusion. Though at first he was aggressive, seeking to take out his negative emotions on the other students, that behavior was quickly curbed. Not only did it always lead to him being defeated, but it went against everything his father had taught him.
A few months later he was smiling again, though it was always a subtle expression. He'd found that the combat sport was becoming almost meditative to him, allowing him to calm his often raging emotions, and it also built friendship between the participants. When September came and he headed off for Hogwarts, he was eager to see what this was about despite his nervousness at the unknown.
Ethan's progression at the school was not unlike that at the orphanage. Though he started off completely lost, he gradually seemed to get his feet. On any holiday he'd return to the orphanage, maintaining his friendships there and continuing to develop his fencing ability, particularly over summer. By his third year at Hogwarts he discovered that dueling with a wand, while mechanically quite different than using a foil, served much the same purpose for him. Though he was never the best, he'd gotten pretty good, excelling at Charms and Defense Against the Dark Arts. True his Transfigurations weren't great and his Potions were rubbish, but he managed to get by.
Now an interesting dilemma has been presented to Ethan. In his sixth year at the school, he's recently turned seventeen. In the wizarding world, he's a man. Part of him wishes to return to the orphanage come summer as he's done for the past several years. Part of him though is intrigued by the numerous possibilities elsewhere. He's as of yet undecided where he will go, where he can do the most good.
EDIT