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Welcome to Charming, the year is now 1894. It’s time to join us and immerse yourself in scandal and drama interlaced with magic both light and dark.

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Basil Foxwood
#1
In-Character
Full Name: Basil Arthur Foxwood
Nicknames: n/a
Birthdate:  June 21, 1863
Current Age: 28 Years
Gender: Male
Occupation: Transfiguration Professor at Hogwarts
Reputation: 9 - Upper class but very academic; he can be slightly odd and socially inept at times. He recognizes the distinctions between the classes themselves however, and does his best to be as much the upper-crust snob he was bred to be. Not keen on muggles or muggle-borns, but not a prejudiced ass, either. He works at Hogwarts and has lofty aspirations to be more than just a man of leisure, be he supposes one day it will be inevitable. Overall, he tries very hard to be the perfect upperclass gentleman despite his idiosyncrasies and has a lot of anxiety because of it.
Residence: Foxwood Estate in Bath; Foxwood Home in Wellingtonshire; or, Hogwarts Castle throughout term.
Hogwarts House: former Ravenclaw
Wand: Cedar wood with a phoenix feather core, 10 ¾" and unbending flexibility
Blood Status: Pure
Social Class: Upper
Family:
Atticus Foxwood II., older brother (30 y/o)
Rose Foxwood, mother (young for having three old kids)
Deceased - Atticus Foxwood I., father
Appearance:

Basil is a lanky fellow, average of height and general appearance. He recognizes that his appeal has never been the chisled adonis façade but rather the station some ladies aspire to that comes with the Foxwood name. He has pale blue, almost grey eyes, and dark hair that curls a bit towards the end on soggy days. He’s left handed and has never quite understood why society insists this is a flaw. Generally, Basil wears fashionable but demure clothing. He’s not ostentatious in his attire and prefers to blend in with the crowd.

Faceclaim: Luke Thompson

History:

Childhood (1863 - 1874) Foxwood Estate, Bath

- Atticus Sr. and Rose Foxwood give birth to first child and heir to Foxwood line: Atticus Foxwood II. (1861)
- Two years later, they give birth to another son, Basil Foxwood. (1863)

Basil lived a charmed life for his first few years. The Foxwood Estate near Bath (est.1855) was always bustling with staff and he wanted for nothing, including the perfect playmate. He and Atticus were like two peas in a pod, always one stumbling after the other, getting in trouble here or there. Wherever Atticus led, Basil followed as if attached by an invisible string. They even shared a bed in the youngest years, something that to date makes his ears burn upon remembrance.

Around the age of two, Basil displayed his first signs of magic. At the time, it was considered quite late for a pureblood wizard from a prominent family be so ordinary for so long. Atticus Sr. was disgruntled and always thereafter assumed his second son would amount to very little magically. It was a Good Thing he had the first-born, Atticus Jr. to secure the family lineage, and quickly Basil was set aside. In the years thereafter, Basil had little if any interaction with his father and the pressure to perform built at an early age.

All throughout his tutoring, when not torturing the governess with his brother, Basil worked very hard. He pushed himself beyond what limits an ordinary child might and he excelled easily in languages and arts. He and Atticus were primarily raised on the skirts of the nanny and then the governess - but nonetheless he had a deep affection for their mother. She, for her part, babied him in ways Basil always failed to realize were meant to make-up for his father’s disdain. As a result, he grew into a bit of a mamma’s boy.

At nine years old, Basil learned his first life lesson in separation. Atticus, eleven, received his Hogwarts letter and promptly shipped off at the start of term. It was a bit of a shock for Basil who had suddenly lost his ring leader. The estate at Bath was suddenly too quiet now, a stark contrast to the life Atticus had breathed into it in years prior. (Then again, he always had been the more outgoing, charismatic brother.) For two years, Basil adapted to this new solitary life and receded in on himself; he adopted more solitary pastimes and discovered a newfound love for problem solving.

Student Career (1874 - 1881) Hogwarts Castle

- Basil receives his Hogwarts letter (1874)
- The Foxwood Estate in Bath is sold and the family relocates to Hogsmeade (1877)
- Basil has his first panic attack* (1877)
- Basil graduates without further scandal (1881)

At the age of eleven, Basil too received his Hogwarts letter and promptly shipped off from Bath. He was sorted into Ravenclaw after some deliberation on part of the hat between that and Slytherin. (Something about a darkness trying to creep into his thoughts kept at bay). He’s never forgotten the sorting hat’s words and the memory of, in that moment, working so desperately to keep the anxiety, the empty darkness, from consuming his thoughts. (He would always come to remember those daunting words during his worst moments of panic too, during which the darkness swallowed him whole.)

For the most part, his first and second years passed without much incident. Basil excelled academically and discovered very early on his love for Transfiguration studies. In his third year he focused his efforts to exceed in his O.W.L.S on the subject, and later would continue to do the same for his N.E.W.T.S.

Somewhere along the lines, he managed to befriend Cornelius ‘Nee/Nius’ Edevane: a Slytherin in his same year. They had many of the same courses together, and interests between the two aligned politically as well as personally. (They are still close friends to date and Basil cherishes his opinion, because he has few close acquaintances.)

In 1877, around the time of the great migration, Basil formally discovered his tragic affliction*. He was in his fourth year at Hogwarts when the Queen’s decree forced all the wizarding families over Britain to flock to Hogsmeade. He remembers distinctly their father’s outright disagreement with the migration and how the Foxwoods were one of the last families to sell their estate and purchase in Hogsmeade. (He also remember’s his mother’s turmoil at the scandal Atticus Sr.’s open disgruntlement with the ministry caused them. It did nothing to endear his father to him.)

At the time, it wasn’t anything more catastrophic than what others like him were facing: prejudice, discrimination, fear of muggles and for his way of life. But Basil remembers the intensity of his own fear. Fear for himself, his brother, and especially for Nee. It was this fear that immobilized him in the owlery one evening. It crept up along his spine through to every pore of his being and crippled Basil, like a plague. He hunched over, pulling himself into as tight a ball as possible, and drowned in the experience. It wasn’t until someone went to fetch Atticus from one of his classes that Basil was finally able to move to the infirmary. It was the worst experience of his life and he dealt with the backlash and humiliation for weeks.

Eventually, life continued for the young Foxwood and Basil moved up through his fifth, sixth and seventh years without much more incident. He threw himself harder into his studies, perfecting apparition as if his life depended on it (which it could one day, in the case he ever fell into another attack of ‘vapors’ for it provided a convenient escape). He suffered from a few more attacks over the course of these years but eventually he learned to manage the onslaught enough to excuse himself from the public eye. During this time he didn’t sympathize too terribly with the muggle-borns, blaming them and all the muggle populace for his affliction.

He excelled in transfiguration and eventually graduated the top in his class at the subject in 1881. At the time, he so excelled that he kept in regular correspondence with the professor - his predecessor - and assisted with publications in academic journals for a number of years.

Adulthood & Academic Career (1881 - present) Hogwarts Castle

- Basil is forced to fully emerse in society (1881)
- Atticus Sr. dies of The Laughing Plague when it hits Hogsmeade (summer 1884)
- Basil’s first academic article is published in his own name (1885)
- Foxwood Estate is regained in Bath after the reconciliation with muggles (1887)
- Basil starts his tenure at Hogwarts in the capacity of Transfiguration Professor (1888)

After his graduation from Hogwarts, Basil was forced to move into the Foxwood Home in Hogsmeade with his parents and siblings. His father greatly disapproved of his work in continuing studies and his mother urged him to join the social scene. Doing only the most his duty required, Basil entered society ‘fully’ at (a late eighteen almost nineteen) years old and began to frequent London. He found the atmosphere of the social scene stifling, however, and more bouts of what he now knows to be “neurasthenia” occurred hidden from the public eye.

In 1884, tragedy struck the Foxwood household. The Laughing Plague took one of its many victims in Atticus Sr. leaving the estate and all its affairs to the eldest. The family went into mourning but escaped otherwise unscathed. As the world of the Foxwood line changed overnight, Basil continued to find solace in and frequent his correspondence with Hogwarts. In 1885 he was able to publish his first solo record of study titled “Transfiguration for the Masses, and its implications on class structure.”

Reconciliation with muggles was achieved in 1887 and, though his viewpoint had not changed dramatically from his youth, Basil began  to relinquish his hatred and blame of the populace for his affliction. He started ‘soul searching’ and much of his research effort that year was spent dabbling in alchemy and other philosophic endeavors related to neurasthenia. Later that year Atticus Jr. sought out to regain the estate in Bath for the Foxwood stronghold, and succeeded.

Not a year later, Basil’s correspondence with Hogwarts changed. His old professor and now colleague wrote to inform him that he was retiring from his position as Transfiguration Professor and the position was offered. Lurching at the chance to escape and move to an employment that would occupy his mind, Basil accepted the position without the consent of his mother or elder brother.

He rather precariously waited and made the announcement just before start of term in 1888 and the family was cornered into allowing it for fear of tarnishing their reputation. Lord knew the Foxwoods would not be considered ‘unreliable’ lest he back out of the arrangement and leave the esteemed headmaster in a pinch.

For three years Basil has continued to serve at Hogwarts as the Transfiguration professor, knowing full-well the time may come any day when he is forced to resign. His relationship with Atticus has become strained over the years and he wonders how much longer his elder brother will allow his estrangement from the rest of the family.

Personality:

Basil is a determined fellow with a keen intellect. He’s driven by his desire for knowledge and research, and - honestly - the solace it provides from the responsibilities of being a Foxwood. He graduated in the top percentile of his class at Hogwarts, though he never quite managed to make prefect, and he’s always held a fascination for transfiguration. He’s scared of the dark, though he’d never admit it to anyone, and taught himself how to cast a patronus on his own after many, many, many… weeks and months of practice.

Because he is the studious sort though, and much prefers the company of tombs to bi-peds, he’s paid very little attention to matrimony in recent years. He recognizes it is his duty as much as Atticus’ to keep the Foxwood line intact and continuous, but he hasn’t quite found the moment to hunt for a bride. He will one day, he’s sure of it, just not until this next project or term or paper is complete. (Or Atticus forces him.) He understands that as the second son, his responsibilities don’t come close to matching those of his elder robrother - but he’s always been rather averse to the ‘unimaginative’ life of a husband of leisure. He has many goals and aspirations, none of which include maintaining a wife he has nothing in common with and only speaks to out of obligation.

Due to his idiosyncrasies, Basil has struggled with anxiety for much of his life. He only ever finds relief when his mind is occupied and, most of the time even outside of his work, he’s marveling away at some academic nuance or another. He does the best he can to cope with the affliction and over time has been able to better accommodate his needs.* (See history) He adores his students though. It’s been said he’s at his happiest when in the classroom, though he wouldn’t dare admit he has his favorites when it comes to courses. (The sixth and seventh years, shh don’t tell.)

Overall, despite his internal turmoils, Basil is a gracious man. He’s cheerful in his own quiet way and tries to see the best in most people and situations. He abhors gossip, and would rather while his time away in the castle, away from society. He does his duty, he attends functions, and he puts on a brave face. But in the end, he knows his peace is only destined to last so long as it takes for Atticus to re-focus on him and the future of the Foxwood line. At which point — he recognizes he’s doomed for life destined to step backwards.

Other:

Amortentia: Ancient texts (because that’s a very distinct smell!), spilled ink, new parchment rolls and - oddly - pumpkin pasties. He likes fall, a lot.
Patronus:  A sparrow.
Boggart: A faceless wife entirely co-dependant on him, nagging to give up his work and attend functions. It’s a suggestion, a creeping feeling, that manifests as a shadowy claw wrapping around his neck asphyxiating him and inducing panic attacks. Perhaps he also fears the empty void of panic itself and loneliness.
Goals: He aspires to be Ravenclaw Head of House one day. He knows it’s not usual for someone of his class to be working at Hogwarts and he understands Atticus’ rather firm position on it. For now, it’s rocky sailing at best but he’s forced to prescribe to his elder brother’s will. At best, he hopes to be allowed to work for the ministry in the eduction department in the future.

Sample Roleplay Post:

Matthew Lindell hadn’t been born with the inherent ability to speak plainly. He couldn’t verbalize the same way many people did, and sometimes the blunt words that he did manage to voice didn’t convey even half the meaning he meant for them to. He could see, scribbling across Alec’s face, a sense of denial - that Alec was important to him, despite what the little one might think - hadn’t been conveyed. It wasn’t a new sensation, but resignation fell over the blonde. He and Alec had long since stopped communicating the way they used to; they’d long since stopped communicating, really, period. Besides, Mattie tried to tell himself, what difference did it really make? It wasn’t like many people in this world understood him. Nobody bothered to decipher the non-verbal cues, nobody had the patience to deal with someone who took so long just to spit out a couple jumbled words with too much weight to really mean anything.


Once upon a time, Alec had been the only person who could have read Mattie like an open book. Once upon a time, he’d been Mattie’s translator. These days, the twins were lucky to even catch a glimpse of one another anymore and the thought made Matthew’s heart clench like a furious fist in his gut. Whose fault was this fractured relationship, anyway? In some senses the eldest twin couldn’t help but blame their father. It was his nonsense after all that had driven the wedge when everything had happened. But it was also Alec’s fault, for just… giving up on them so easily. Matthew had never imagined he’d have to live in a world where Alec could so easily waltz out of his life. He supposed the bond between them had never been as strong as he’d imagined, or needed it to be.


With an awkward shift as his twin tromped halfway down the steps, Matthew let the dustpan and sweeper hang limply in his hands by his sides. He was itching to tug at something: his bowtie, his shirt sleeve, anything. Alec’s words carried a malice in them that was asphyxiating, despite their soft tone. The eldest Lindell felt like he was going to drown from the implications of them. I’m sorry that I can’t believe in you, I’m sorry I can’t tell you how much this hurts. His hand clenched over the soft handle of the dustpan until it was nearly white. No words managed to materialize for him, despite the turmoil.


For a long minute Matthew anticipated the sound of footsteps tromping away and the front door slamming. When those steps paused instead, the blonde froze. He didn’t know what else Alec could possibly say. He didn’t know what more there was to say, about anything. Ever. He braced himself for a flinch. The words that came weren’t harsh though, and neither was their implication. Not yet. They were merely curious, which, if anything served as a relief. Alec would always be curious underneath everything: under all the weight of the world, their world, crashing around them. The eldest Lindell shifted to turn and walk down the steps himself, pausing only at the base to lace the dustpan and sweeper together, before tugging neurotically on his sleeve. Where was he staying?


The thoughts themselves didn’t even want to formulate correctly to answer that question. Each string of words was followed by a pregnant pause in his mind, a struggle of its own to come together. How could Matthew possibly tell Alec that he didn’t know yet, that he was practically homeless because he was so broke? It wasn’t his place to dump such a burden on his brother’s consciousness, and a little bit of pride too kept the will at bay. Matthew would figure it out. His current apartment was almost all packed up so the next step was just moving everything. He’d…. figure it out. Twisting his sleeve anxiously, Matthew tried to respond. “I…” the words caught and he frowned a little, dipping blue-grey eyes to the ground. “I don’t… kn…ow.” The last word seemed to get trapped in his throat, beaming like an admission he hadn’t even realized himself. Mattie tried to lock everything down.


“W-we should be going,” he ushered again. Repetition made everything easier. Changing the subject even made it easier. Matthew held his breath, hoping his words wouldn’t fail him again so dramatically. Then, without looking up, he tugged at his sleeve one last time and waltzed into the kitchen. There were things to be put back in their place.


Out-of-Character
Name: Fox
Age: 27
Contact: PM please :)
Other Characters: none yet
How did you hear about us?: RPG directory! (Because this loser is RUSTYYYY and all my old sources are long gone)


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— Aldous walks with a cane and pronounced limp as the result of a splinching accident. —
[Image: TrSGeWR.jpg]
— graphics by lady ❤ —

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