Application for gargleblasted
OOC:
Name: Mai
Are you over 16?: Yes
Personal LJ: umi_sama
Email: sweet_tai_tea@yahoo.com
Timezone: GTC-8, Pacific
Other contact: AIM- rainsweets, Plurk- sweethymns
Characters already in the game: lotusrebel (Lien Kha- Original Character)
How did you find us?: Friends and ATP and now I sit in this game's loving bosom.
IC:
Character name: Amelia Steinbeck
Fandom: Original Character
Timeline: Ten years later as she lives out her life as a high school teacher.
Age: 66 (looks to be in her late twenties)
~*Magical*~ abilities and strengths:
ღ Magic- All witches and wizards are born with this energy that helps them perform the impossible, unlike psychics whose powers perform within limits. Amelia has 200 years worth of very potent magical energy within her thanks to Briar, making her spell-casting dangerously accurate and strong. Magic slows down aging of witches and wizards as well.
ღ Envisioning- This is the basic principal which all witches and wizards go by to cast magic. Envisioning is basically summoning an image of one's mind to cast the spell or summon what they desire. For instance, if Amelia wanted to summon lightning, she would simply have to have that image in her head and then cast the spell with a point of her finger. And you get lightning! Another example would be if she wanted a hot cup of tea-- she would simply imagine that cup with the tea and bam, instant tea. Another example would be if she wanted a lit trail to find a person-- rinse and repeat above, and she'll get her trail.
Of course even when performing the impossible, there is a limit and forbidden uses of Envisioning. You are not allowed to do things that would have negative consequences attention such as bring back the dead, summon demons, take over the world, control time, change the past-- you get the drill. (Think Sabrina the Teenage Witch, except decidedly less silly).
ღ Elemental Spells- Amelia has decent control over fire, water, earth, and air elements as long as they are physically present and can be summoned. Versatile, but not used too often.
ღ Magic Attacks- Amelia is not a physical fighter, but if she needs to get offensive or defensive, she summons pure magical energy which is akin to emerald green flames-- it shapes itself into whatever she wishes. Her magic acts like malleable material, that can be thrown to cut or push back an opponent like an energy strike. It can be as weak or as strong as Amelia wants it. The magic can also turn into a shield and deflect most physical objects and most stronger magical attacks. Seeing as how she has 200 years worth of extremely potent magic, a little goes a long way.
ღ Magic Teleporting- Amelia can magically teleport to any location provided there's no magic blocking her from doing so.
ღ Tea Fortune Telling- Also known as tasseography, or divination from patterns in tea leaves or in coffee grounds. In Amelia's case, she simply drinks tea and then a fortune will come to mind. She only recently started dabbling in this sort of magic, just for kicks and most of the fortune telling she's able to give is equivalent to that of a fortune cookie. Technically an impractical, but still amusing use of magic which may or may not ring true at times.
How would they use their abilities?: She mostly uses magic to make life for herself comfortable, but she doesn't mind using it to help others! She'll use it sparingly mind you, Amelia doesn't go too crazy with her magic unless the occasion calls for it (like a super hard mission or something)and that won't change while she's on the S.S. Thor. Also, she'll use it for fighting if confronted with a dangerous situation so there you go.
Appearance: Amelia stands at a height of about five feet and seven inches has red hair that reaches past her shoulders which she usually pins up for neatness. Her eyes are dark green and she usually wears glasses due to being near-sighted (why she doesn't fix her eyes with magic, the world will never know). She wears loose clothing while at home, but dresses in stylish jeans, tops, and skirts when going out.
Background/Personality:
Amelia's story takes place in a modernized world like ours except for some obvious differences. This a world where magic users, mythological and mysterious creatures, and psychic individuals exist side by side in secret from the rest of the normal world. Both magic and psychic groups operate independently of each other as well, rarely mixing in the others affairs as a way to keep the peace and to not be discovered by any non-magical or non-psychic folk unless they choose to do so. Only important normal humans know of their existence, but otherwise, both communes, but especially the magic world hide themselves in the shadows. The world of magic is unofficially overseen by the Magicians Guild, a large group that oversees the activities and keeps record of the number of magic users. The Magician's Guild is made of the most ancient and powerful witches and wizards. They regulate the flow of magic, the activity of other witches and wizards, protect ancient magical artifacts and creatures, and research and develop certain spells. Basically, they set standards for the magical folk and upkeep the secrecy of magic.
Amelia is a magic user, or what we would call a witch. Oddly enough, she makes her living as a simple AP (advanced placement) Literature high school teacher, while hiding her status as a witch and residing in a the suburban town of Blackgale, California. And yet, she has a reputation among other witches and wizards for having potent magical energy and skill in spell-casting, making her particularly feared by others. Her magical aura when casting magic is green, which has gained her the nickname of 'The Emerald Witch.'
While she looks to be in her late twenties, Amelia is in actuality over sixty years old, young for a witch.
What is most notable though is that Amelia is not a 'pure' witch-- that is to say, she was not born with any magic in her veins. Her becoming a witch was an event that happened fifty years ago and her title of 'Emerald Witch' was only given to her after a lengthy incident that greatly affected her personality and way of life as a magic user.
[1946-1950]
Amelia Steinbeck was a six year old girl living in America during the 1940's. She was, in the most simplest of terms, 'normal.' She had two good parents, a home, and perhaps even a bright future ahead of her.
This ordinary existence was cut short when one day in the park while reading a book, a mysterious red-headed man who asked her a strange question:
"Do you want to be a witch?"
Such a seemingly innocent question intrigued the young Amelia who accepted the stranger's offer a bit recklessly. And as fate would have it, the mysterious Red Head was an extremely powerful and feared wizard rumored to be over 1000 years old. The man proceeded to grant the young human girl magical abilities and took her on as his student. Why? Apparently, he was bored and even to this day Amelia can't quite pinpoint her instructor's reasoning for taking her under his wing. As a result, Amelia left behind her normal life and family, becoming enamored with studying magic and slowly caring less and less about what she lost in the process.
Four years later, Amelia's teacher brought her to a formal gathering held by the Magicians Guild. It consisted of witches and wizards who were introducing their apprentices. Amelia's presence caused a stir because she wasn't a pure witch; just a human who took on magical powers. Although no one dared to question her teacher's motivation for taking on a human student, it was obvious that very few people in the magical community approved of her and were less to likely to accept Amelia as one of their own. The gathering made Amelia realize her odd position in life. She could no longer turn back to her past life and she was now under scrutiny of her fellow witches and wizards. Needless to say, not knowing her place in life didn't make Amelia a particularly happy girl.
If there was any highlight during this period of time, it would be meeting a certain wizard named Micheal DeRosiers, a man from a prominent magic family. Amelia and Micheal were both considered powerful despite being young, but Amelia seemed to have an edge over Micheal in terms of skill. This created a long term rivalry (well, mostly on Micheal's part-- Amelia still thinks he's mostly a nuisance) that continued on for years.
Amelia continued her studies in magic under the tutelage of her teacher while at his mansion. She began to socialize less and less only focusing on refining her abilities. Her only interest outside of magic was literature; as the years passed, books were the only things that gave Amelia insight about what was happening in the non-magic world, but even then she only viewed it as some twisted entertainment rather than with concern.
[1996-1997]
Fifty years later, Amelia Steinbeck still kept studying magic, but this time around acquired her own residence in Blackgale. She no longer had the need to stay with her teacher since she could fend for herself and study spell-casting on her own. By this time, Amelia had the body of a sixteen year old girl despite the passing of fifty years (a slowly aging body is a side-effect of being a magic user). Practicing and studying magic was still the center of Amelia's world, but she was beginning to feel unsatisfied and even bored with it all.
One day, Amelia's teacher sent her message with two strange orders: One, to take care of a mysterious magic rose and two, to attend high school and attempt to reintegrate with normal society and to 'find out more about the world' as he cheerfully put it. With nothing else better to do, she grudgingly accepted taking on the tasks.
Attending school still proved to be a rather boring routine. Amelia did not talk with other students aside from one girl, Lydia Daniella who made an effort to become friends with the witch. Amelia was only posing as a normal student anyways and no one knew of her secret of being a witch. The only interesting interruptions were random challenges made by Micheal, but even then Amelia brushed him off. The only comfort and peace she found was taking care of the magical rose her teacher gave her.
Everything changed when on a fateful day, Amelia botched up an elemental spell causing it to hit the rose... And as a result, said rose turned into a teenage boy.
The mysterious rose boy seemed aware of his surroundings and of himself well enough, but had the innocent personality of a young child. Amelia could sense that this boy had a large reserve of magic within him and yet he wasn't a wizard of any sort. The boy was a 200 year old 'Catalyst'-- a being who could absorb magic from its surroundings and have that energy stored within its body to become even stronger. Regardless, Amelia didn't have the heart to treat him malevolently-- he was still a person with feelings after all. And thus, she named the boy born from a rose, Briar.
The appearance of Briar also seemed to cue in other new problems for Amelia. The town of Blackgale began to be infested by shadow demons who were murdering unfortunate victims at night as they were being attracted by the potent magical energy that came from Briar. Not only did Amelia had to deal with exterminating shadow demons, but there was also avoiding the advances of her rival Micheal and avoiding the presence of a self-proclaimed witch seeker and magic enthusiast named Adam Walsh.
And yet, life went on. Taking care of Briar proved to be equal parts frustrating, embarrassing, and yet enriching. Amelia saw that Briar was a quick learner, but also very curious. The witch found herself taking Briar out to town so he could explore and discover new things. At the same time Amelia began to realize how much she had been missing out by being reclusive and only letting magic-- as opposed to other people-- be important to her. By looking at Briar and his happy attitude towards life, Amelia began to open herself up a bit more to new experiences and let herself actually talk to other people.
Near the end of the school year, a high school dance event was just around the corner. The only problem was that it was to take place during the night, a period of time Amelia knew would be dangerous if shadow demons were to show up. Briar encouraged her to go to the dance to make sure her classmates stayed safe. She agreed and took both him and Micheal with her to school with the witch hunter, Adam, following close behind.
As it turns out, the dance itself was a trap, made by none other then Lydia Daniella, the girl who tried to befriend Amelia numerous times. Lydia was a witch, with no magical talent, but instead had an ancient tome that had black magic incantations to summon the demons with. Her goal was to kill Briar and Amelia-- the first because he was a Catalyst who had 200 years worth of magic in his body to take as her own and the second because she was jealous of Amelia who was a human who received magic that wasn't even hers.
With the combined efforts of Micheal, Adam, and Amelia, the three managed to protect Briar and keep the normal students away from most of the shadow demons. Amelia cornered Lydia, demanding her to give up her magic tome and to stop terrorizing Blackgale with demons for the sake of her ambitions. With no where else to run, Lydia does the only reasonable thing any villain would do in such a situation.
Summon a huge ass shadow demon and bring out a hidden knife with magic poison at its tip and try to stab Amelia in the heart in a last ditch attempt to take her magic from her. But at the very last minute, Briar took the hit for Amelia. Although wounded, Briar gave up his magical energy to Amelia so she could defeat the final shadow demon Lydia summoned, a beast that would have engulfed the whole town had it not been for his efforts and Amelia's final spell. Micheal and Adam detained Lydia and took care of the mess left behind in the school by wiping away memories of the incident with the demons.
Briar lay dying in Amelia's arms, strangely at peace with his end despite knowing it would devastate Amelia. He told Amelia that he enjoyed living and learning with her everyday that he was alive; simply living and seeing Amelia, the one he loved most become a happier person was his greatest joy. At that moment, Amelia realized that she in turned loved Briar back and had depended on him more than he did on her.
While it was forbidden to use magic to bring someone back to life, Amelia transformed Briar back into what he what he first was when he met her-- a rose which she now keeps in an enchanted glass sphere at home. Initially, Amelia was angry and sorrowful about Briar's death. She had a hopeless dream that maybe one day the rose would absorb enough magic to bring back her love again one day. But then she became resolute and for now she would live out her life and be happy instead of holding herself back. Magic would not be the center of her life; rather it would simply be a supplement. Amelia figured that it wouldn't be so bad to become a temporary schoolteacher after thinking about how she enjoyed teaching Briar. After all, she would have a long life ahead of her as a witch and this would simply be the beginning of her new experiences with life.
The defeat of Lydia and Amelia destroying the remaining shadow demons in Blackgale gained her infamy in the magic world, especially now that it was known that she had one of the most potent magical energies of all witches and wizards.
Thus, this was the birth of the Emerald Witch.
[Ten Years Later]
Amelia finished her high school studies and continued onto college to gain her degree and start her schoolteacher position as soon as possible. Her oddly normal choice concerning her career path confused other magic users who were sure that she would try to gain a prestigious position in the Magician's Guild, especially now that she had a title that she could be recognized by. She would have been the youngest witch who had ever joined. But Amelia's answer to that question?
"Maybe later, but definitely not now."
The Emerald Witch was simply taking her time and enjoying her present life. She liked teaching normal high school students and performing the somewhat mundane, but pleasant activities of normal life she missed out due to favoring her magic studies. Of course, she didn't completely withdraw from the magical scene. Letters and visits from various wizards and witches poured in, eager for the Emerald Witch's opinions, advice, and observations about anything, from new spells to the activity of various magical creatures. There were hopeful users who wondered (and still do) if Amelia would take a student under her wing due to her excellent and superb abilities. But for now, she refuses to pass on a legacy due to personal reasons.
Amelia tried to start a romantic relationship with her rival/friend Micheal, but broke it off because of her lingering feelings for Briar. Besides, other issues cropped up around the witch that she couldn't ignore and in dealing with them increased her infamy.
At the start of her 'normal' career, Amelia noticed that one of her students, a young teenage girl named Bianca, exhibited psychic powers. Instead of turning her into a nearby psychic commune, Amelia took pity on the girl and used her magic to suppress her abilities instead so her student could live a normal life instead. She got found out eventually which put the Emerald Witch at odds with both the magic and psychic groups .
Being the only witch that currently lives in Blackgale, Amelia's magical energy attracts many abnormal beings such as demons who want to feast on said energy. Needless to say, Amelia effectively drives them away making her a particularly feared among their kind. It isn't uncommon for her nowadays to encounter a demon or two at her doorstep (literally). Other then demons, her presence also summons other beings of myth and legend, some of them being vampires, succubi, banshees and ghosts.
Otherwise, Amelia lives a semi-normal life, taking things at her own pace instead of being super focused on magic and developing any grand ambitions to take her magic to the next level.
Personality: Amelia acts the age she looks like-- an adult. Cynical, sarcastic, and with a no-nonsense, but otherwise kind attitude and much more laid back compared to her 'teenage' years. She has a fondness for alcohol although she tries to keep her drinking to a casual minimum. Amelia is a good listener and very diplomatic in dire situations, making her a wise individual. Of course, Amelia's not without her own quirks and short comings. She dislikes being proven wrong or looked down upon, indicating that she is somewhat prideful. She can in fact get irritated quite easily when faced with incompetence or anyone more difficult than she is. It can be awkward to approach her because she retains some of her cold and stand-offish behaviors on the surface and generally isn't the best at expressing genuine affection. Basically, she's a sixty-six year old woman who's still developing emotionally. Her age mentally has been out of sync due to secluding herself from others in the past, but that's a flaw Amelia has been trying to smooth out as she continues to age.
She's a very intelligent witch, being able to master elemental magic and Envisioning with great finesse. Amelia is someone other magic users refer to when they want an opinion or question to be answered. This brain power also applies to other subjects that don't pertain to magic, which is why she's also scholarly and a good teacher as well. Her way of speaking is eloquent, curt and usually to the point. Amelia doesn't use swear words very often if at all unless extremely frustrated.
Before meeting Briar, Amelia was essentially a recluse. Her passion aside from books was simply magic. She wanted to be one of the best practitioners of the art even though the magical community would not recognize her as a true witch. It resulted in a clash of desires; she didn't want to care about what other magic users thought of her, but she also thought magic was all she had to prove her worth and existence as a person. As a result, she was simply cold and indifferent to most everything around her including people.
This all changed when Briar came into her life. Amelia discovered that she liked teaching as she guided Briar each day through daily routines. It suddenly occurred to her that she had been a pathetically lonely girl this whole time. As her story progresses, she becomes a more friendly individual, a good listener, and an overall more helpful person, using her magic for good rather than just for herself. The death of Briar shook her up considerably, but she carries out his wish for her to be happy as she finally grows up and lives out a life, not of greatness, but of serving others and discovering the beauty in the simplest aspects of living. Briar, however, is still her first and perhaps her only true love and she finds it difficult to enter into a serious romantic relationship because a part of her can't let him go in her heart. Hell, she continues to keep the rose she transformed him into in a glass sphere and speaks to it when she thinks no one is around and is fiercely protective of said rose, still referring to it as 'Briar.'
Although Amelia had trouble putting trust in others at first, she now does her best to understand people. She's lightened up considerably compared to her past self since she can crack a joke every now and then although she tends to remain poker faced; her smiles aren't very common. She makes a very good ally and friend and is a well-liked figure in Blackgale among the normal folk. Amelia is extremely protective of those who are precious to her. If you make her angry, she won't hesitate to snap back or retaliate and getting on her very WORST side is ill-advised. Amelia doesn't flaunt her power or status, but she's confident with her skills. Just pray she doesn't use them against you if you become an enemy; she's slow to true anger, but not completely unflappable. When treated kindly or given hints that she is liked, Amelia actually acts a tad bit embarrassed and awkward, but secretly pleased that others would like her as a person.
Overall, Amelia is an intelligent, serious, but warmhearted witch. She's kind and unkind when she sees fit, taking things in stride as best as she can even if she stumbles in the process. Her morals are not black and white, but she's still more inclined to do good. She still tends to keep to herself and while she has done her fair share of sight-seeing and traveling around the world, Amelia likes to stay in Blackgale, which is the home she is attached to most after living there for a few decades. Amelia wants to put forth the most important things in life which she sees is love and understanding and it's still a rough journey for her in that aspect even if she is a grown up.
Why should that character be in this game: [For OCs only] This will be my second original character for this game, but one with a very different personality which I am interested in exploring using the setting of Mostly Harmless. Also, I just want to develop fun CR like I would any other character!
Why do you want to continue their history here: For characters from other games only.
For applicants considering an alternate version of a character already in game, please use this as your chance to explain the key differences between your character and the one already in play:
Have you read up on how the game works?: The Network is called FlamingFerrit, you earn money by signing up for missions, mooching, or stealing.
1st person sample:
[The Guide is sending a video feed directed at high school students, particularly those in a certain literature class. Amelia is seated at her desk with several papers all heavily marked with red pen. She adjusts her glasses in a prim and proper manner before speaking.]
It has come to my attention that my literature class students have taken advantage of the Guide's various functions including its extensive search engine. While I generally do not discourage the use of technology, especially when one needs to cite sources, I do not tolerate, however, using questionable web sources such as SpaceWikipedia and SpaceCliffnotes; ESPECIALLY SpaceCliffnotes. [She mutters something along the lines of 'idiotic over-generalizing of great works' before continuing.]
Honestly, did you think I wouldn't notice? I've skimmed those sites myself, I know when you're simply lifting the words from there when I grade your papers. That and you have the misfortune for having me, a witch, who can cross-examine your essays with magic.
As for those who wrote and cited their essays properly, I thank you. [She smiles faintly.] It's nice to know that even in space there are students who appreciate fine literature. I'll see you all tomorrow in class.
[Feed terminated.]
3rd person sample:
Admittedly, Amelia was rather lazy in utilizing technology.
Sure, she did have a cell phone and a personal laptop computer back home before Blackgale, California and the rest of the earth that she was affiliated with was inexplicably wiped off the face of existence. And she did use them; it was necessary to keep up with the times and avoid raising suspicions based on conceived ignorance. But it never seemed to present itself as a significant change in the way she lived her life. Amelia could care less of the latest trends in fancy machinery. As a high school teacher, it actually presented itself as a nuisance more than once, having to confiscate phones of students who were addicted to texting during her lessons.
That all changed once she found herself 'rescued' and taken aboard the S.S. Thor. Here on this spaceship (she had never even imagined that a witch or wizard could even conceivably LIVE in space before and therefore was understandably muddled) the Emerald Witch was presented with her usual towel and Guide. Ah, yes. The Guide. At first it annoyed Amelia to no end when she realized how dependent she was to be on it. The witch tried to use it as little as possible at first. If she wanted to speak with someone, using her magic to pay a quick visit was of no small consequence, especially since she didn't have to keep her magic a secret anymore. Of course, she would miss someone's informative video feed or text message on the Network and was sometimes very behind on the announcements made by the captains. This ship was the equivalent of an urban city, not the quiet, small town she was used to.
Amelia quickly discovered that minimal usage of her Guide was inadvisable after she foolishly signed up for a mission only to realize moments later she made an error and signed up for an embarrassing job that consisted of dressing up in 'witch' costumes (which included silly pointed hats, frills, and atrociously short hems that pleased her male employer a bit TOO much).
The Emerald Witch quickly taught herself on how to effectively use her Guide after that incident and it was one of the few times where she truly felt old-fashioned.
Questions?: Do YOU believe in magic?
Did you put your characters name and fandom in the subject: YES.
Name: Mai
Are you over 16?: Yes
Personal LJ: umi_sama
Email: sweet_tai_tea@yahoo.com
Timezone: GTC-8, Pacific
Other contact: AIM- rainsweets, Plurk- sweethymns
Characters already in the game: lotusrebel (Lien Kha- Original Character)
How did you find us?: Friends and ATP and now I sit in this game's loving bosom.
IC:
Character name: Amelia Steinbeck
Fandom: Original Character
Timeline: Ten years later as she lives out her life as a high school teacher.
Age: 66 (looks to be in her late twenties)
~*Magical*~ abilities and strengths:
ღ Magic- All witches and wizards are born with this energy that helps them perform the impossible, unlike psychics whose powers perform within limits. Amelia has 200 years worth of very potent magical energy within her thanks to Briar, making her spell-casting dangerously accurate and strong. Magic slows down aging of witches and wizards as well.
ღ Envisioning- This is the basic principal which all witches and wizards go by to cast magic. Envisioning is basically summoning an image of one's mind to cast the spell or summon what they desire. For instance, if Amelia wanted to summon lightning, she would simply have to have that image in her head and then cast the spell with a point of her finger. And you get lightning! Another example would be if she wanted a hot cup of tea-- she would simply imagine that cup with the tea and bam, instant tea. Another example would be if she wanted a lit trail to find a person-- rinse and repeat above, and she'll get her trail.
Of course even when performing the impossible, there is a limit and forbidden uses of Envisioning. You are not allowed to do things that would have negative consequences attention such as bring back the dead, summon demons, take over the world, control time, change the past-- you get the drill. (Think Sabrina the Teenage Witch, except decidedly less silly).
ღ Elemental Spells- Amelia has decent control over fire, water, earth, and air elements as long as they are physically present and can be summoned. Versatile, but not used too often.
ღ Magic Attacks- Amelia is not a physical fighter, but if she needs to get offensive or defensive, she summons pure magical energy which is akin to emerald green flames-- it shapes itself into whatever she wishes. Her magic acts like malleable material, that can be thrown to cut or push back an opponent like an energy strike. It can be as weak or as strong as Amelia wants it. The magic can also turn into a shield and deflect most physical objects and most stronger magical attacks. Seeing as how she has 200 years worth of extremely potent magic, a little goes a long way.
ღ Magic Teleporting- Amelia can magically teleport to any location provided there's no magic blocking her from doing so.
ღ Tea Fortune Telling- Also known as tasseography, or divination from patterns in tea leaves or in coffee grounds. In Amelia's case, she simply drinks tea and then a fortune will come to mind. She only recently started dabbling in this sort of magic, just for kicks and most of the fortune telling she's able to give is equivalent to that of a fortune cookie. Technically an impractical, but still amusing use of magic which may or may not ring true at times.
How would they use their abilities?: She mostly uses magic to make life for herself comfortable, but she doesn't mind using it to help others! She'll use it sparingly mind you, Amelia doesn't go too crazy with her magic unless the occasion calls for it (like a super hard mission or something)and that won't change while she's on the S.S. Thor. Also, she'll use it for fighting if confronted with a dangerous situation so there you go.
Appearance: Amelia stands at a height of about five feet and seven inches has red hair that reaches past her shoulders which she usually pins up for neatness. Her eyes are dark green and she usually wears glasses due to being near-sighted (why she doesn't fix her eyes with magic, the world will never know). She wears loose clothing while at home, but dresses in stylish jeans, tops, and skirts when going out.
Background/Personality:
Amelia's story takes place in a modernized world like ours except for some obvious differences. This a world where magic users, mythological and mysterious creatures, and psychic individuals exist side by side in secret from the rest of the normal world. Both magic and psychic groups operate independently of each other as well, rarely mixing in the others affairs as a way to keep the peace and to not be discovered by any non-magical or non-psychic folk unless they choose to do so. Only important normal humans know of their existence, but otherwise, both communes, but especially the magic world hide themselves in the shadows. The world of magic is unofficially overseen by the Magicians Guild, a large group that oversees the activities and keeps record of the number of magic users. The Magician's Guild is made of the most ancient and powerful witches and wizards. They regulate the flow of magic, the activity of other witches and wizards, protect ancient magical artifacts and creatures, and research and develop certain spells. Basically, they set standards for the magical folk and upkeep the secrecy of magic.
Amelia is a magic user, or what we would call a witch. Oddly enough, she makes her living as a simple AP (advanced placement) Literature high school teacher, while hiding her status as a witch and residing in a the suburban town of Blackgale, California. And yet, she has a reputation among other witches and wizards for having potent magical energy and skill in spell-casting, making her particularly feared by others. Her magical aura when casting magic is green, which has gained her the nickname of 'The Emerald Witch.'
While she looks to be in her late twenties, Amelia is in actuality over sixty years old, young for a witch.
What is most notable though is that Amelia is not a 'pure' witch-- that is to say, she was not born with any magic in her veins. Her becoming a witch was an event that happened fifty years ago and her title of 'Emerald Witch' was only given to her after a lengthy incident that greatly affected her personality and way of life as a magic user.
[1946-1950]
Amelia Steinbeck was a six year old girl living in America during the 1940's. She was, in the most simplest of terms, 'normal.' She had two good parents, a home, and perhaps even a bright future ahead of her.
This ordinary existence was cut short when one day in the park while reading a book, a mysterious red-headed man who asked her a strange question:
"Do you want to be a witch?"
Such a seemingly innocent question intrigued the young Amelia who accepted the stranger's offer a bit recklessly. And as fate would have it, the mysterious Red Head was an extremely powerful and feared wizard rumored to be over 1000 years old. The man proceeded to grant the young human girl magical abilities and took her on as his student. Why? Apparently, he was bored and even to this day Amelia can't quite pinpoint her instructor's reasoning for taking her under his wing. As a result, Amelia left behind her normal life and family, becoming enamored with studying magic and slowly caring less and less about what she lost in the process.
Four years later, Amelia's teacher brought her to a formal gathering held by the Magicians Guild. It consisted of witches and wizards who were introducing their apprentices. Amelia's presence caused a stir because she wasn't a pure witch; just a human who took on magical powers. Although no one dared to question her teacher's motivation for taking on a human student, it was obvious that very few people in the magical community approved of her and were less to likely to accept Amelia as one of their own. The gathering made Amelia realize her odd position in life. She could no longer turn back to her past life and she was now under scrutiny of her fellow witches and wizards. Needless to say, not knowing her place in life didn't make Amelia a particularly happy girl.
If there was any highlight during this period of time, it would be meeting a certain wizard named Micheal DeRosiers, a man from a prominent magic family. Amelia and Micheal were both considered powerful despite being young, but Amelia seemed to have an edge over Micheal in terms of skill. This created a long term rivalry (well, mostly on Micheal's part-- Amelia still thinks he's mostly a nuisance) that continued on for years.
Amelia continued her studies in magic under the tutelage of her teacher while at his mansion. She began to socialize less and less only focusing on refining her abilities. Her only interest outside of magic was literature; as the years passed, books were the only things that gave Amelia insight about what was happening in the non-magic world, but even then she only viewed it as some twisted entertainment rather than with concern.
[1996-1997]
Fifty years later, Amelia Steinbeck still kept studying magic, but this time around acquired her own residence in Blackgale. She no longer had the need to stay with her teacher since she could fend for herself and study spell-casting on her own. By this time, Amelia had the body of a sixteen year old girl despite the passing of fifty years (a slowly aging body is a side-effect of being a magic user). Practicing and studying magic was still the center of Amelia's world, but she was beginning to feel unsatisfied and even bored with it all.
One day, Amelia's teacher sent her message with two strange orders: One, to take care of a mysterious magic rose and two, to attend high school and attempt to reintegrate with normal society and to 'find out more about the world' as he cheerfully put it. With nothing else better to do, she grudgingly accepted taking on the tasks.
Attending school still proved to be a rather boring routine. Amelia did not talk with other students aside from one girl, Lydia Daniella who made an effort to become friends with the witch. Amelia was only posing as a normal student anyways and no one knew of her secret of being a witch. The only interesting interruptions were random challenges made by Micheal, but even then Amelia brushed him off. The only comfort and peace she found was taking care of the magical rose her teacher gave her.
Everything changed when on a fateful day, Amelia botched up an elemental spell causing it to hit the rose... And as a result, said rose turned into a teenage boy.
The mysterious rose boy seemed aware of his surroundings and of himself well enough, but had the innocent personality of a young child. Amelia could sense that this boy had a large reserve of magic within him and yet he wasn't a wizard of any sort. The boy was a 200 year old 'Catalyst'-- a being who could absorb magic from its surroundings and have that energy stored within its body to become even stronger. Regardless, Amelia didn't have the heart to treat him malevolently-- he was still a person with feelings after all. And thus, she named the boy born from a rose, Briar.
The appearance of Briar also seemed to cue in other new problems for Amelia. The town of Blackgale began to be infested by shadow demons who were murdering unfortunate victims at night as they were being attracted by the potent magical energy that came from Briar. Not only did Amelia had to deal with exterminating shadow demons, but there was also avoiding the advances of her rival Micheal and avoiding the presence of a self-proclaimed witch seeker and magic enthusiast named Adam Walsh.
And yet, life went on. Taking care of Briar proved to be equal parts frustrating, embarrassing, and yet enriching. Amelia saw that Briar was a quick learner, but also very curious. The witch found herself taking Briar out to town so he could explore and discover new things. At the same time Amelia began to realize how much she had been missing out by being reclusive and only letting magic-- as opposed to other people-- be important to her. By looking at Briar and his happy attitude towards life, Amelia began to open herself up a bit more to new experiences and let herself actually talk to other people.
Near the end of the school year, a high school dance event was just around the corner. The only problem was that it was to take place during the night, a period of time Amelia knew would be dangerous if shadow demons were to show up. Briar encouraged her to go to the dance to make sure her classmates stayed safe. She agreed and took both him and Micheal with her to school with the witch hunter, Adam, following close behind.
As it turns out, the dance itself was a trap, made by none other then Lydia Daniella, the girl who tried to befriend Amelia numerous times. Lydia was a witch, with no magical talent, but instead had an ancient tome that had black magic incantations to summon the demons with. Her goal was to kill Briar and Amelia-- the first because he was a Catalyst who had 200 years worth of magic in his body to take as her own and the second because she was jealous of Amelia who was a human who received magic that wasn't even hers.
With the combined efforts of Micheal, Adam, and Amelia, the three managed to protect Briar and keep the normal students away from most of the shadow demons. Amelia cornered Lydia, demanding her to give up her magic tome and to stop terrorizing Blackgale with demons for the sake of her ambitions. With no where else to run, Lydia does the only reasonable thing any villain would do in such a situation.
Summon a huge ass shadow demon and bring out a hidden knife with magic poison at its tip and try to stab Amelia in the heart in a last ditch attempt to take her magic from her. But at the very last minute, Briar took the hit for Amelia. Although wounded, Briar gave up his magical energy to Amelia so she could defeat the final shadow demon Lydia summoned, a beast that would have engulfed the whole town had it not been for his efforts and Amelia's final spell. Micheal and Adam detained Lydia and took care of the mess left behind in the school by wiping away memories of the incident with the demons.
Briar lay dying in Amelia's arms, strangely at peace with his end despite knowing it would devastate Amelia. He told Amelia that he enjoyed living and learning with her everyday that he was alive; simply living and seeing Amelia, the one he loved most become a happier person was his greatest joy. At that moment, Amelia realized that she in turned loved Briar back and had depended on him more than he did on her.
While it was forbidden to use magic to bring someone back to life, Amelia transformed Briar back into what he what he first was when he met her-- a rose which she now keeps in an enchanted glass sphere at home. Initially, Amelia was angry and sorrowful about Briar's death. She had a hopeless dream that maybe one day the rose would absorb enough magic to bring back her love again one day. But then she became resolute and for now she would live out her life and be happy instead of holding herself back. Magic would not be the center of her life; rather it would simply be a supplement. Amelia figured that it wouldn't be so bad to become a temporary schoolteacher after thinking about how she enjoyed teaching Briar. After all, she would have a long life ahead of her as a witch and this would simply be the beginning of her new experiences with life.
The defeat of Lydia and Amelia destroying the remaining shadow demons in Blackgale gained her infamy in the magic world, especially now that it was known that she had one of the most potent magical energies of all witches and wizards.
Thus, this was the birth of the Emerald Witch.
[Ten Years Later]
Amelia finished her high school studies and continued onto college to gain her degree and start her schoolteacher position as soon as possible. Her oddly normal choice concerning her career path confused other magic users who were sure that she would try to gain a prestigious position in the Magician's Guild, especially now that she had a title that she could be recognized by. She would have been the youngest witch who had ever joined. But Amelia's answer to that question?
"Maybe later, but definitely not now."
The Emerald Witch was simply taking her time and enjoying her present life. She liked teaching normal high school students and performing the somewhat mundane, but pleasant activities of normal life she missed out due to favoring her magic studies. Of course, she didn't completely withdraw from the magical scene. Letters and visits from various wizards and witches poured in, eager for the Emerald Witch's opinions, advice, and observations about anything, from new spells to the activity of various magical creatures. There were hopeful users who wondered (and still do) if Amelia would take a student under her wing due to her excellent and superb abilities. But for now, she refuses to pass on a legacy due to personal reasons.
Amelia tried to start a romantic relationship with her rival/friend Micheal, but broke it off because of her lingering feelings for Briar. Besides, other issues cropped up around the witch that she couldn't ignore and in dealing with them increased her infamy.
At the start of her 'normal' career, Amelia noticed that one of her students, a young teenage girl named Bianca, exhibited psychic powers. Instead of turning her into a nearby psychic commune, Amelia took pity on the girl and used her magic to suppress her abilities instead so her student could live a normal life instead. She got found out eventually which put the Emerald Witch at odds with both the magic and psychic groups .
Being the only witch that currently lives in Blackgale, Amelia's magical energy attracts many abnormal beings such as demons who want to feast on said energy. Needless to say, Amelia effectively drives them away making her a particularly feared among their kind. It isn't uncommon for her nowadays to encounter a demon or two at her doorstep (literally). Other then demons, her presence also summons other beings of myth and legend, some of them being vampires, succubi, banshees and ghosts.
Otherwise, Amelia lives a semi-normal life, taking things at her own pace instead of being super focused on magic and developing any grand ambitions to take her magic to the next level.
Personality: Amelia acts the age she looks like-- an adult. Cynical, sarcastic, and with a no-nonsense, but otherwise kind attitude and much more laid back compared to her 'teenage' years. She has a fondness for alcohol although she tries to keep her drinking to a casual minimum. Amelia is a good listener and very diplomatic in dire situations, making her a wise individual. Of course, Amelia's not without her own quirks and short comings. She dislikes being proven wrong or looked down upon, indicating that she is somewhat prideful. She can in fact get irritated quite easily when faced with incompetence or anyone more difficult than she is. It can be awkward to approach her because she retains some of her cold and stand-offish behaviors on the surface and generally isn't the best at expressing genuine affection. Basically, she's a sixty-six year old woman who's still developing emotionally. Her age mentally has been out of sync due to secluding herself from others in the past, but that's a flaw Amelia has been trying to smooth out as she continues to age.
She's a very intelligent witch, being able to master elemental magic and Envisioning with great finesse. Amelia is someone other magic users refer to when they want an opinion or question to be answered. This brain power also applies to other subjects that don't pertain to magic, which is why she's also scholarly and a good teacher as well. Her way of speaking is eloquent, curt and usually to the point. Amelia doesn't use swear words very often if at all unless extremely frustrated.
Before meeting Briar, Amelia was essentially a recluse. Her passion aside from books was simply magic. She wanted to be one of the best practitioners of the art even though the magical community would not recognize her as a true witch. It resulted in a clash of desires; she didn't want to care about what other magic users thought of her, but she also thought magic was all she had to prove her worth and existence as a person. As a result, she was simply cold and indifferent to most everything around her including people.
This all changed when Briar came into her life. Amelia discovered that she liked teaching as she guided Briar each day through daily routines. It suddenly occurred to her that she had been a pathetically lonely girl this whole time. As her story progresses, she becomes a more friendly individual, a good listener, and an overall more helpful person, using her magic for good rather than just for herself. The death of Briar shook her up considerably, but she carries out his wish for her to be happy as she finally grows up and lives out a life, not of greatness, but of serving others and discovering the beauty in the simplest aspects of living. Briar, however, is still her first and perhaps her only true love and she finds it difficult to enter into a serious romantic relationship because a part of her can't let him go in her heart. Hell, she continues to keep the rose she transformed him into in a glass sphere and speaks to it when she thinks no one is around and is fiercely protective of said rose, still referring to it as 'Briar.'
Although Amelia had trouble putting trust in others at first, she now does her best to understand people. She's lightened up considerably compared to her past self since she can crack a joke every now and then although she tends to remain poker faced; her smiles aren't very common. She makes a very good ally and friend and is a well-liked figure in Blackgale among the normal folk. Amelia is extremely protective of those who are precious to her. If you make her angry, she won't hesitate to snap back or retaliate and getting on her very WORST side is ill-advised. Amelia doesn't flaunt her power or status, but she's confident with her skills. Just pray she doesn't use them against you if you become an enemy; she's slow to true anger, but not completely unflappable. When treated kindly or given hints that she is liked, Amelia actually acts a tad bit embarrassed and awkward, but secretly pleased that others would like her as a person.
Overall, Amelia is an intelligent, serious, but warmhearted witch. She's kind and unkind when she sees fit, taking things in stride as best as she can even if she stumbles in the process. Her morals are not black and white, but she's still more inclined to do good. She still tends to keep to herself and while she has done her fair share of sight-seeing and traveling around the world, Amelia likes to stay in Blackgale, which is the home she is attached to most after living there for a few decades. Amelia wants to put forth the most important things in life which she sees is love and understanding and it's still a rough journey for her in that aspect even if she is a grown up.
Why should that character be in this game: [For OCs only] This will be my second original character for this game, but one with a very different personality which I am interested in exploring using the setting of Mostly Harmless. Also, I just want to develop fun CR like I would any other character!
Why do you want to continue their history here: For characters from other games only.
For applicants considering an alternate version of a character already in game, please use this as your chance to explain the key differences between your character and the one already in play:
Have you read up on how the game works?: The Network is called FlamingFerrit, you earn money by signing up for missions, mooching, or stealing.
1st person sample:
[The Guide is sending a video feed directed at high school students, particularly those in a certain literature class. Amelia is seated at her desk with several papers all heavily marked with red pen. She adjusts her glasses in a prim and proper manner before speaking.]
It has come to my attention that my literature class students have taken advantage of the Guide's various functions including its extensive search engine. While I generally do not discourage the use of technology, especially when one needs to cite sources, I do not tolerate, however, using questionable web sources such as SpaceWikipedia and SpaceCliffnotes; ESPECIALLY SpaceCliffnotes. [She mutters something along the lines of 'idiotic over-generalizing of great works' before continuing.]
Honestly, did you think I wouldn't notice? I've skimmed those sites myself, I know when you're simply lifting the words from there when I grade your papers. That and you have the misfortune for having me, a witch, who can cross-examine your essays with magic.
As for those who wrote and cited their essays properly, I thank you. [She smiles faintly.] It's nice to know that even in space there are students who appreciate fine literature. I'll see you all tomorrow in class.
[Feed terminated.]
3rd person sample:
Admittedly, Amelia was rather lazy in utilizing technology.
Sure, she did have a cell phone and a personal laptop computer back home before Blackgale, California and the rest of the earth that she was affiliated with was inexplicably wiped off the face of existence. And she did use them; it was necessary to keep up with the times and avoid raising suspicions based on conceived ignorance. But it never seemed to present itself as a significant change in the way she lived her life. Amelia could care less of the latest trends in fancy machinery. As a high school teacher, it actually presented itself as a nuisance more than once, having to confiscate phones of students who were addicted to texting during her lessons.
That all changed once she found herself 'rescued' and taken aboard the S.S. Thor. Here on this spaceship (she had never even imagined that a witch or wizard could even conceivably LIVE in space before and therefore was understandably muddled) the Emerald Witch was presented with her usual towel and Guide. Ah, yes. The Guide. At first it annoyed Amelia to no end when she realized how dependent she was to be on it. The witch tried to use it as little as possible at first. If she wanted to speak with someone, using her magic to pay a quick visit was of no small consequence, especially since she didn't have to keep her magic a secret anymore. Of course, she would miss someone's informative video feed or text message on the Network and was sometimes very behind on the announcements made by the captains. This ship was the equivalent of an urban city, not the quiet, small town she was used to.
Amelia quickly discovered that minimal usage of her Guide was inadvisable after she foolishly signed up for a mission only to realize moments later she made an error and signed up for an embarrassing job that consisted of dressing up in 'witch' costumes (which included silly pointed hats, frills, and atrociously short hems that pleased her male employer a bit TOO much).
The Emerald Witch quickly taught herself on how to effectively use her Guide after that incident and it was one of the few times where she truly felt old-fashioned.
Questions?: Do YOU believe in magic?
Did you put your characters name and fandom in the subject: YES.