Post by João Alvares Henriques on Sept 6, 2011 18:10:19 GMT -5
Application for "Portugal"
The Basics:
Nation: Portugal
Name of Character: João Alvares Henriques
Age: 34
Gender: Male
Country of origin: Portugal
Blood status: Pure blood (as far as we know)
School:
House: Gryffindor
Subject(s): Arithmancy and/or Divination
Job: Head teacher of Gryffindor ((ifthat'sokay))
Appearance:
Eyes: Dark brown
Hair: Brown
Other features: The first thing one would notice about João is the large scar over his left eye. It's unknown how he actually got this scar, but it may be something to do with him being a Seer; although the eye itself seems normal otherwise, he's actually blind in it, and were one given the chance to look closely and carefully, it would become clear that the pupil and iris are very slightly marred. He also has more common, but less formidable looking scars all over his body, particularly on his torso and arms... These are from physical injuries, though. Apart from that, he is a tall man, standing roughly in the region of six foot, tanned and well-built. His hair is usually gathered into a short ponytail over his shoulder, and he tends to wear a large, heavy coat sleeveless and over his shoulders.
Character Background:
Likes:
-Tea
-Codfish
-The ocean (and hence fishing and sailing)
-Fado
-Saudades
-Sword fighting
-Adventure
-The Arts
Dislikes:
-Technology, though specifically that of the modern Muggle variety
-Overly-loud people
-Foresight (it's pretty much a double-edged sword, and has never really been useful for him)
-People who are intolerant of other peoples' cultures...
Personality:
João (pronounced "Juh-wowh") is a laid-back, mature type. Outside of teaching, he's particularly quiet, and awkward at the worst of times, which can often make him seem more timid than he actually is. Additionally, he has odd periods of spacing out and dwelling on the past (ironic, given that he's a Seer). In reality, like any generic Gryffindor, he's kind-hearted, fairly practical and incredibly strong; kept happy by the simplest things in life. Strangely enough, he doesn't see his foresight as a gift, and prefers to keep any prophecies he receives to himself... Usually, however, the likelihood is something will happen and he'll give the delayed response, 'Oh, that was what I saw last night'. Though he's happy to teach Arithmancy and Divination as long as he can remind students that the future is still, after all, what they themselves make of it.
Pet?: A huge black owl called Rodrigo
Background:
João was born into a traditional wizarding family in Lisbon, Portugal. His parents worked for the Portuguese Ministry of Magic, but after he was born, they moved their family home to the costal town of Faro, his mother - an Andorran-born, former Beauxbatons student - giving up her job to raise him; though his father remained working in Lisbon, only returning home every few months. He grew up cultured and respectful, and spent quite a lot of his younger years around Muggles, learning to fish and sail on the coastline. The other children would tend to question the very odd scar on his eye that had rendered him half-blind from birth, but he almost never realised then that he was 'special' in any way. It wasn't until he was old enough to somewhat comprehend the bizarre, yet common dreams he had that the pieces started to fall into place. Seers being incredibly rare, it's actually not known whether his blind eye and his "Inner Eye" are connected. Though upon coming to terms with this - around the time that he became a Hogwarts student - he had hoped that this rare gift he had would be of some use... However, he was wrong. Though João studied Divination as best he could in the third year and onwards, he was never going to be an exceptionally powerful Seer, only witnessing snippets of the future at best, and having to over-analyse everything else. He returned to Portugal after graduation for a while to work in the Ministry with his parents for a while, until he accepted the (rather cliché) teaching job at Hogwarts.
Relations with other characters:
Spain/Antonio - The Henriques family is related to the Fernandez family, making João and Antonio second cousins. They seem okay with each other at first, but they're not very close, and João apparently likes to use his authority role to attempt to keep Antonio out of "too much trouble".
The Gryffindor Students -
Sample:
((Historical, based off a page from a doujin called Maaf, which is centric on the colonisation of South East Asia))
There is silence, and it's as if time has stopped, and is delaying the inevitable. The ocean is calm, the sky is empty and the sun is beating down, gracing the water and refracting, sparkling. The ships are still, all seventeen or eighteen of them; the one beneath his feet is so still that it's almost as if he's walking on land again... But no. The land is on the horizon - Malaysia is close enough; so very close, and yet so very far.
The raids will prove successful, he tells himself. He is the Portuguese Empire, and this is his conquest, and Malacca is peaceful now but will thrive under his rule. He needs these thoughts, and the convincing words of his King and noblemen, to know that the actions will not be in vain. To secure the spice trade. To remain on par with Espanha and Holanda and Inglaterra. For whatever reason he needs.
He draws in a breath through his nose, and shuts his eyes, and now in the otherwise utter silence he can hear the waves, as small as they are, lapping against the side of the ship. For a moment, he equates himself to the ocean; the great expanse he had once dreamed of exploring - that very dream now a reality. He thinks that the ocean, like himself, can one minute be serene and harmless... And raging and destructive the next.
'What have I become?'
The comparison is unsettling.
He seeks what little solace he can find by clutching at the cross around his neck tightly, bringing the worn shape to his lips. And he asks - he asks knowing that his request is too much to weigh against his actions, as the fleet begins to ready the cannons, anticipating his orders to attack like a pack of ravenous wolves, watching, waiting... "Please forgive me."
The necklace drops down to his armoured chest with a gentle chink, and with another deep exhale, his eyes are open again, and Malacca is back in view, and though he prays his redemption doesn't fall on deaf ears, he must give the order now, or never.
"Fire!"
The rest
Anything else you'd like to add: I'm also Bulgaria? U8 (also I'm really not sure how much of a Godmod being a Seer is, but I tried to restrain it so it was more of a nuisance than a gift. But I'll happily go back and edit it out, if there's any issue with it. Trust me, I do want to be creative, but at the same time I'm a total spazz and worrywart about Godmoding OTL') As for the canon design I go by, it's the ponytail dude... In case that wasn't like, obvious enough or anything.
Country/Timezone: GMT
Contact: (Aim/Msn/Skype/etc.) MSN - hclarcy@hotmail.com
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