Application
CHARACTER STATS;
Name: Regulus Arcturus Black
Date of Birth: 16 October, 1961
Occupation: None, recent Hogwarts graduate living off family wealth.
Blood status: Pureblood
Former House:Slytherin
Wand: Oak and Dragon Heartstring, 9½"
Gringotts Vault: 785
Familial and Spousal Units: Father, Orion Black; and mother, Walburga Black. Sirius Black, though still his brother by blood, hasn't been considered acceptable family for several years now and though his disownment changed Regulus' life and all the expectations of him from his family, he will never consider Sirius family again. Though he is not married or involved sexually with anyone and has no desire to do either, Regulus is the heir to the family and will be expected to take a wife fairly soon to assure a continuance of their lineage.
HISTORY;
From the very beginning he was a dysphoric child, all anxious and sensitive. He was born a small and translucent little thing who hardly made a sound, and grew into a small pale little boy who made just about as much noise. He took to the strict environment of his homelife very well in that it gave him a need for orderliness and cleanliness, but he was often left rather alone and though he had nothing to compare his experience to, he felt very lonely and scared being left to play by himself. Being from the family that he was, his brother the first born was seen as top priority. Though that was never said to Regulus or Sirius's faces, children sense these things, and it becomes apart of their views of themselves and the world. Sirius was much more of a handful, as well, and being a first child he was always conquering new territories and finding new troubles for those taking care of him. Regulus was more of an afterthought and his quiet temperament allowed for them to easily overlook him. He was by no means abused or any such dramatic fanfare, but to a sensitive second child in a big dark house with many more pressing things going on, it was very easy for him to become neglected. His relationship with his brother was trying given their different personalities, and his parents were figures of respect more than parental love. His comfort came in the form of the family house elf, Kreacher, who preferred him over his boisterous brother and who most provided the gentle attention that Regulus craved. He became quite dependent on and very fond of Kreacher, and while having his source of affection come from an otherwise surely old house elf did nothing to help his social growth, it gave him someone who cared for him and took time to show it in strange little ways. Regulus' current perceptions of affection are still shaped by his growing up with Kreacher looking out for him, and often he will miss obvious signs of social approval and only notice more bizarre and childish ones.
This is part of the reason why, upon entering Hogwarts, he soon became friends with Barty Crouch, Jr. who frankly did most of the work to become Regulus' friend while he simply allowed it to happen. To the rest of the school they seemed quite an awkward and undesirable pair - Barty being an extremely alarming child and Regulus an extremely alarming quiet one. They sat together for classes, meals, and if anyone were to care to look it would seem that Barty was often the only person Regulus spoke to of his own volition. To schoolmates they were outsiders, both of them with much too unusual of personalities to connect well with others. They were never bullied, however- they may have been perfect targets for such behavior but Regulus' family name stopped most things beyond looks and the occasional verbal needling. Barty on the other hand, was soon seen to be better left alone for fear of drawing his attentions, but Regulus didn't seem to mind them because the same strange, emotionally stunted way of showing affection was there with Barty just as it was with Kreacher. Between the two of them their friendship was not seen as unusual nor was it thought much about or examined. They each were a strange solution to what the other had been lacking and no matter how old and mentally adept they became their friendship is still childlike - even after joining the Death Eaters.
Some time after Regulus was Marked, Lord Voldemort requested the use of a house elf. Regulus had been a tentative fighter but a full devotee to the Dark Lord's cause, so his beloved Kreacher was offered to help. Voldemort took Kreacher to a cave to use him to prepare the hiding place for one of his horcruxes, and once he had forced Kreacher to drink the poison, he left him for dead. Kreacher escaped just in time, using his magic to apparate back to Regulus. Regulus had never intended Kreacher's life be threatened by helping this cause, and once the elf's life was no longer at stake he spoke with him and found out a secret that changed everything - the horcruxes. This clear quest for immortality did not add up to the pursuit they had been Marked for, and Regulus became distrustful and paranoid of the future of their cause if this powerful man's priorities were for himself and not for the Death Eater perception of the greater good. His Pureblood beliefs were intact but his loyalty to Voldemort had been ruined by this betrayal not only of his beliefs but to one of his dearest friends. With no desire to die but feeling it was the only way to stay true to his morals, Regulus and Kreacher returned to the cave to steal Voldemort's locket and leave a false one. Regulus drank the same poison potion Kreacher had been made to swallow, instructing Kreacher to make him drink it all and to take the Locket and leave him once he had. Kreacher, bound by his duty to his Master, did this. But when he left Regulus there alone to die, the things in the water begun to stir, Kreacher's loyalty and affection overpowered his orders and he returned to the cave, taking Regulus back with him to safety just in time. Since recovering Regulus and Kreacher's bond has strengthened but now he is left with the residual emotional effects of being prepared to let himself die, and with a piece of the Dark Lord's soul to somehow destroy.
PERSONALITY;
Regulus is a rather curious person, a neurotic depressive with phobias and many prejudices he isn't even aware of they are so innocently ingrained in him. He is silently overwrought, a very internal young man who strikes the eye as much too young to be anything, but strikes the consciousness as someone much older than he seems to have any right to be. He stays quiet and obedient on the surface and doesn't inspire many people to be interested in finding out what he is like beyond that. Of the few people who become curious enough to try, only fewer still are ever permitted access. Even his immediate family have never been altogether impressed by him (apart from when he joined the Death Eaters), but similarly they have they been given any reason to be disappointed, either. He adamantly wishes to stay unnoticed and whenever he can't he is greatly uncomfortable.
As a student, he was mortified and bitter about speaking publicly and spent much time wishing not to be called upon. To muggleborns and many halfbloods he comes across as, frankly, a bit of a freak - a spindly boy from one of the wealthiest families wizarding Britain has to show, who seems to have the weight of the world on his thin, privileged shoulders. In school and now upon his graduation he is regarded as peculiar and prejudiced, a puzzling combination between Pureblood elitism and someone who seems as though they must never sleep for all their nerves. Someday he is intended to hold a great deal of responsibility and power in his family, merely by birthright, however it is difficult for most to imagine him being capable of much. Most people see him as quite unobtrusive yet horribly maladjusted. He speaks very well but very little, with only a few exceptions, and from a young age has seemed to be very wrapped up his own mind - and to not be enjoying it in there, on top of it. On the surface he isn't much, but Regulus does have great patience and a good mind and gentle, artistic sensibilities. He doesn't believe in a god at all but rather intrinsically believes in the morals of religion. His weaknesses may seem to overwhelm his strengths but he is silently resilient and just because he doesn't express what he is thinking or feeling does not mean he has not endured much internally. He can keep a confidence, and to those he is close to he provides them with a person they do not have to fear being harassed or mocked by for their flaws.
MENTAL;
Mental health is much more complex than sick or well, and Regulus has never been labelled or diagnosed with any mental illness, condition, or disorder. Still, Regulus' gloom and anxiety were very prominent from a young age and have only grown drastically worse in recent years. Young adulthood is often filled with hardship and difficult feelings, but Regulus seems more to have been born in a state of sombreness that was then perfected over time to make him into who he is today. Regulus' long-term and persistent depressive personality did more than just put him in the occasional bleak mood but actually hindered him from forming essential connections and behaviours needed to feel comfortable and function in social settings and behave normally during intimacy of almost any kind. He is intelligent, and keen, but emotionally awkward. Though well-bred and polite, his interpersonal skills aren't to be admired and he is very shy, nervous, and introspective. He is sensitive but not intelligent about his own emotions, recognising more of the how's than the why's. He is so distanced from his own feelings, in fact, that he often does not realise how enormous his emotions have become before they begin to leak out to release themselves and consequentially confuse him. He has a mind primarily suited to logic and puzzles, as well as skills in art and music which he keeps predominantly private, not putting much stock in their worth belonging to him.
His IQ places at 124, an intelligent score but it is more to the credit of hard work than natural gift. Regulus sleeps very little and eats less, a propensity for insomnia and hardly any appetite remaining constants in his life since he was quite young. His emotional state was drastically shaken when he resigned himself to death only to continue living - he does not wish himself dead nor has he ever once thought of self harm or active suicide, but following his trip to the cave he no longer bothers wishing for things to be better, just acts on what he thinks is Right or necessary.
Sexually, romantically, he is disinterested. And though it could be explained by his gloomy demeanor and pinched appearance, and probably by repression, and possibly even by an undiagnosed depression, the truth is he is simply disinterested. He has never sought out any romantic encounters nor did he dwell on his sexuality around the age it usually culminates. His emotional intimacy is intense but odd and mostly nonverbal and only shown to a select few. Indeed, if those select few ever were to discuss it or laugh at him he would be fiercely embarrassed and try to retreat from them as well. Much like his physical health, Regulus is officially documented as well, but the reality of his mental state is incredibly fragile and being worn thinner all the time, only kept supported by a small number of very fragile, very important things.
PHYSICAL;
The Blacks have developed many refined and elegant family aesthetics through the generations, so it would not be overindulgent in the least to say that he belongs to a very handsome family. However, though he himself is consequentially quite fair, it is in the odd way that subjects of 18th-century paintings are beautiful, and his appearance inspires more fascination than it strikes people as lovely. He may be a prize for a painter, perhaps, but his looks will never impress in the way his father's do.
In regard to his health, though free of disease or defect and with youth and carefully bred genetics on his side, Regulus is not at all strong of body and relies on his mind to keep him out of trouble. He is predominantly healthy in a technical sense, passing most medical check-ups, with the only alarming bell ringing being that of his size. He was born slightly prematurely and stayed quite small all through childhood and his school years and looks as though he will remain that way the rest of his life. Naturally alarming thin and delicate, he appears to be sickly but, though healers have pressed the importance that he not become thinner, he has never presented with any debilitating consequences to go along with his appearance. His weight and build are not suited to athletics but lent themselves nicely to the Seeker position on his House team while he was in school - though that resulted in several broken bones. He is not someone well-suited to physical fighting, and overall he is fairly dexterous but very easily breakable. He bears injuries quietly but is easily beaten by pain or exertion in strong doses.
MAGICAL;
Bright though he is, Regulus is no magical prodigy and he is acutely aware of his fairly average abilities. He may not possess the strong inherent power most often revered as great in wizardry, but he is rather exemplary in less obvious ways. Regulus' recently taken NEWTs will return to him with passing marks in Transfiguration, History of Magic, DADA, Astronomy, Ancient Runes, and Charms- his strongest subject. Though he scraped by, his scores are much lower than expected and many of his them were just over the line between pass and fail due to a turn for the worse he made following his traitorous turn from Voldemort and the toll his intended self-sacrifice took on his drive to study for exams. He is booksmart, knows quite a bit about old and Dark magic from growing up in his family, and worked hard to do as well as he did in school, but never felt he measured up. He is highly analytical, excelling in theory-based concepts, codes, and detailed technical work, and less skilled in typical magical areas apart of a strong but subtle aptitude for Chams.
Upon joining the Death Eaters at age sixteen, Regulus struggled in combative situations and more than occasionally had to resort to actually hiding to escape being captured or killed. But to be honest, a lot of it had to do with his inability to accept or facilitate the staggering level of violence expected of them all. To this day he is unable to cast any of the Unforgivable curses, and when forced to fight relies on smaller and much more inoccuous wandwork. Time spent in an organisation like Voldemort's desensitizes even the most shocked and appalled child, and Regulus is now much too jaded and too careful and too precariously balanced to show any feelings against the torture and destruction he is apart of. Luckily, Regulus' current work with the Death Eaters rarely involves being in the midst of raids when they occur. Instead, he is fairly recently being put to better use, often at near-by locations, doing distance work to control previously set up wards, charms, and to track movements of battle. His work is more similar to what specialist muggles do with computers than to a warrior. This distance from the scene and opportunity to work with patterns and formulas in magic allows him to continue living safely under the Dark Lord's nose while ironically keeping his followers safe as well.
POLITICAL;
A Death Eater since age sixteen, Regulus' allegiance to Voldemort is now a mess of contradictions. Though his discovery of the horcruxes and his decision to find and destroy them has made him a traitor to the Dark Lord, his belief in the cause is still strong. Regulus is a working member of the Death Eaters and genuinely, innocently, does believe in the value of pure blood and the dangers mixed breeding will bring about. His prejudices and fears are as much apart of him as all his other beliefs. Though he is inwardly thoughtful and courteous without any love or wish for violence, he was raised with these opinions and they seem perfectly reasonal and normal to him. His views on the leader of their crusade do not change his views on the work itself. Regulus continues his work to assist his country and the wizarding race but it is a dangerous double life as he exerts much too much of himself to work to weaken Voldemort personally while continuing to be a cog in his machine. The stress of doing both at once is hard on him, mind and body, but he sees it as Right and it's too far gone now to stop.
His traitorous turn in no way set him free of his ways or left him better suited or more drawn to organisations such as the Order, or even to the Ministry, not at all. Crouch Sr. seems as threatening a man to him as Voldemort, his friendship with the Minister's son giving him a chance to see the leader of their government more intimately than others can from his public campaigns. He stays quiet to and about his Minister, his main goal to avoid detection of both his an Barty's membership to the people Crouch Sr. is out to destroy.
His discovery of Voldemort's devices for immortality struck Regulus as unrelated to the mission he had been leading them on for years. It no longer seemed about blood, it seemed about power and the danger of a man as convincing and dominant and inhuman as Voldemort having control not over those of dirty blood alone, but over those who worked to give him that power as well. Mistrustful of Voldemort's motives, he turned from him, and believes the wizarding race has the right to fight for it's purity and safety, but the man behind it is more calculated and dangerous than most Death Eaters are willing to see. He is one of them, but not one of Voldemort's.
In their own words, how would your character describe themselves?: Oh... Well I grew up here - in London. Which was quite nice. I attended Hogwarts to study, was Sorted into Slytherin - like my father, did well in my classes. I've recently graduated, actually. Ah, I sat six NEWTs but, no one will know their marks for a while, I imagine. Though one would think NEWT results would be posted at least relatively more quickly than OWLs. Since they're so essential for most programs, should one want to continue their studying somewhere else, that's all. I don't, not at the moment, want to continue. Truthfully I've felt rather done with school for a while now. Everyone says they'll miss it once it becomes real that it's going to be gone. And I'm sure that is true, but I would prefer to focus on other things, missing something isn't very productive. I would prefer it went without saying.
THE PLAYER;
Name: Hannah
Age: Nineteen
LJ Account: noneedofcrepe
Email: madestatic@gmail.com
MSN Contact: madestatic@gmail.com