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Dead Fish
GENERAL
NAME: Xavier Madhava Lewis
NICKNAMES: Zav; Zavvy is also acceptable. Also it's pronounced "Zay-vyer" not "Ex-ay-ve-r"
AGE/DOB: 18 / Aug 5 / Leo
BLOOD STATUS: Half-blood
GENDER/PRONOUNS: he/him, though honestly no preference
SEXUALITY: There is only one person on this earth for Xavier Lewis, and that person is
HOMETOWN: Huntington, WV; currently residing in NYC
CONCEPT: Former fish finds sense of self-worth, solves Transfiguration mysteries, eats tacos.
PHYSICAL
APPEARANCE:
Xavier is just infuriatingly good looking. And he knows it. Even with his countless scars and blotches - remnants of childhood accidents and mishaps - including a blessedly attractive nick on his chin and a small, fading hyphen on the left side of his forehead. He's sturdily built and handsome, with strong features and big, soft brown eyes. It's unfortunate that he makes so many goofy facial expressions - or maybe it's just right.
Xavier is meticulous about his appearance. He knows how good looking he is and takes obvious pride in that fact. Not only does he spend a truly ludicrous amount of time preening, but he's something of a fashion aficionado and is always sharply dressed - even when his outfit is supposed to be casual. He's a daring dresser, favoring fashion forward styles, interesting patterns and truly bizarre t-shirts. Zav also tends to pile on the accessories - scarves, bracelets, necklaces. He's never just wearing a t-shirt and jeans.
He speaks with a faint Appalachian accent, which manifests in a soft twang, a slight nasalization of vowels, and a habit of using words like "yinz."
Xavier Fashion Board: (X)
HEIGHT: 5'10"
PB: Avan Jogia
PERSONALITY
LIKES: Weird sodas, sweets, baking, cooking, fusion cooking, Marvel comics, wuxai and western movies, PANGOLINS, aquariums (personal and public), saltwater tanks, swans, birds, quidditch, fashion, mathematics, transmutation, transfigurations, arithmancy, non-base 10 numerical systems
DISLIKES: early mornings, any snow after the first one (one is enough, thanks), wasting food or otherwise disrespecting it (by pooh-poohing something that "looks gross" or "sounds weird"), anything more than a buzz, Divination, feeling pressured, anything that requires him to feel anything more complex than relaxed contentment, "MACUSA bullshit"
PERSONALITY:
(draft 1, lol as though I will finish this)
Indefatigable, Xavier burns bright. A high energy beacon of kindness and understanding, endlessly friendly, extroverted but anxious, not fearless but certainly brave – a bit like a puppy, honestly. He’s a big-hearted entertainer, eager to put a smile on the faces of others; one who rarely has anything bad to say about anyone. Although frankly, talking, in general, is a bit of a challenge for him. I’d say at least 55% of the things out of his mouth are actually interjections - “Cool!” “Neat!” “Fascinating!” “*air guitar noises*.” He comes off as a major airhead.
But his head isn’t empty – not by a long shot. It’s just full of numbers. Lots and lots of numbers. Xavier is a mathematical genius, able to do complex calculations on the fly, picking up non-base 10 counting systems for fun. A certified child prodigy. He excels at memorization, visualizing, problem solving and organizing. Unfortunately that’s not the first thing people usually see in him, and his social shortcomings are glaringly obvious.
Intuitively socializing, thinking critically and effectively communicating are all skills that evade or even panic him. He’s slow on the uptake; easily manipulated or duped – too trusting. Xavier is all too aware of these deficits, and is deeply self-conscious of them. He tries to make up for them by being unerringly kind. Unfortunately, wanting to be kind does not guarantee it and although Xavier’s intentions are generally good, he frequently puts his foot in his mouth or mucks things up. If he’s not outright offending someone, then he’s jumping five or six steps ahead in a conversation and making no sense at all. Non sequiturs are standard fare on the Xavier Lewis menu and he frequently fails to explain himself.
Xavier gives every appearance of being a laid back dude. It’s a carefully cultivated image – seem carefree, lazy, happy, at ease – and it is definitely an illusion. Xavier has a lot of self-doubt. He’s is a chronic undersharer when it comes to his own feelings. A deeply anxious person who has trouble controlling his own, often obsessive, thoughts. His anxieties err toward the hyper unrealistic, and though he is aware of just how outlandish they are, it doesn’t stop him from locking up. His sister calls him “the king of peaceful resistance,” which is a fun joke after the fact, but it’s mortifying to experience and awkward to deal with. Thankfully, Zav is resilient and bounces back from these moods fairly quickly, although it’d be better if he’d actually take the proper steps to manage his anxiety.
If it’s not yet obvious, Xavier is an eccentric. He’s got a brilliant, strange mind and despite placing a high importance on kindness, is not actually that concerned with the opinions of others. No, barring a small handful of people whose approval Xavier lives and breathes, he doesn’t actually care whether you like him or not, so long as you are civil and respectful. Ultimately, what this means is this kid is fucking weird. Zav is a multitasker who picks up new skills and hobbies unselfconsciously, discarding them just as quickly if they aren’t fun. He’s constantly getting big ideas – many of them also very dangerous - that he is compelled to follow through on and seems almost pathologically incapable of learning from the mistakes of others. Like he is called by a higher power (the scientific method?) to rigorously test and verify that, yes, that stove is hot, yes, it does hurt more to get hit in the face by nerf darts that have been soaked in water and frozen, no, no one looks good in a fedora. Dare him to do something physical and he will probably try it at least once. It’s as though someone cast Mr. Spock in Jackass. Add on to this the fact that Xavier is inherently clumsy and danger prone and it’s a recipe for disaster. He is constantly sustaining injuries both ordinary and grave and he pushes through each one with a smile-like grimace. As though it’s all in fun.
Xavier is quick to make friends, but closer bonds come slowly. Once he’s attached to you, though, it’s hard to shake him. He tends to gravitate toward people with greater emotional intelligence than him. He likes kindness, confidence and big ideas, although he sometimes confuses these qualities with regular old charisma and swagger. In friendships, he prefers to be deferential; feeling more comfortable looking up to his pals than seeing them as equals, with the notable exception being his romantic relationship with Reid Wainwright – one of the few instances of Xavier feeling comfortable and confident being 100% himself.
Indefatigable, Xavier burns bright. A high energy beacon of kindness and understanding, endlessly friendly, extroverted but anxious, not fearless but certainly brave – a bit like a puppy, honestly. He’s a big-hearted entertainer, eager to put a smile on the faces of others; one who rarely has anything bad to say about anyone. Although frankly, talking, in general, is a bit of a challenge for him. I’d say at least 55% of the things out of his mouth are actually interjections - “Cool!” “Neat!” “Fascinating!” “*air guitar noises*.” He comes off as a major airhead.
But his head isn’t empty – not by a long shot. It’s just full of numbers. Lots and lots of numbers. Xavier is a mathematical genius, able to do complex calculations on the fly, picking up non-base 10 counting systems for fun. A certified child prodigy. He excels at memorization, visualizing, problem solving and organizing. Unfortunately that’s not the first thing people usually see in him, and his social shortcomings are glaringly obvious.
Intuitively socializing, thinking critically and effectively communicating are all skills that evade or even panic him. He’s slow on the uptake; easily manipulated or duped – too trusting. Xavier is all too aware of these deficits, and is deeply self-conscious of them. He tries to make up for them by being unerringly kind. Unfortunately, wanting to be kind does not guarantee it and although Xavier’s intentions are generally good, he frequently puts his foot in his mouth or mucks things up. If he’s not outright offending someone, then he’s jumping five or six steps ahead in a conversation and making no sense at all. Non sequiturs are standard fare on the Xavier Lewis menu and he frequently fails to explain himself.
Xavier gives every appearance of being a laid back dude. It’s a carefully cultivated image – seem carefree, lazy, happy, at ease – and it is definitely an illusion. Xavier has a lot of self-doubt. He’s is a chronic undersharer when it comes to his own feelings. A deeply anxious person who has trouble controlling his own, often obsessive, thoughts. His anxieties err toward the hyper unrealistic, and though he is aware of just how outlandish they are, it doesn’t stop him from locking up. His sister calls him “the king of peaceful resistance,” which is a fun joke after the fact, but it’s mortifying to experience and awkward to deal with. Thankfully, Zav is resilient and bounces back from these moods fairly quickly, although it’d be better if he’d actually take the proper steps to manage his anxiety.
If it’s not yet obvious, Xavier is an eccentric. He’s got a brilliant, strange mind and despite placing a high importance on kindness, is not actually that concerned with the opinions of others. No, barring a small handful of people whose approval Xavier lives and breathes, he doesn’t actually care whether you like him or not, so long as you are civil and respectful. Ultimately, what this means is this kid is fucking weird. Zav is a multitasker who picks up new skills and hobbies unselfconsciously, discarding them just as quickly if they aren’t fun. He’s constantly getting big ideas – many of them also very dangerous - that he is compelled to follow through on and seems almost pathologically incapable of learning from the mistakes of others. Like he is called by a higher power (the scientific method?) to rigorously test and verify that, yes, that stove is hot, yes, it does hurt more to get hit in the face by nerf darts that have been soaked in water and frozen, no, no one looks good in a fedora. Dare him to do something physical and he will probably try it at least once. It’s as though someone cast Mr. Spock in Jackass. Add on to this the fact that Xavier is inherently clumsy and danger prone and it’s a recipe for disaster. He is constantly sustaining injuries both ordinary and grave and he pushes through each one with a smile-like grimace. As though it’s all in fun.
Xavier is quick to make friends, but closer bonds come slowly. Once he’s attached to you, though, it’s hard to shake him. He tends to gravitate toward people with greater emotional intelligence than him. He likes kindness, confidence and big ideas, although he sometimes confuses these qualities with regular old charisma and swagger. In friendships, he prefers to be deferential; feeling more comfortable looking up to his pals than seeing them as equals, with the notable exception being his romantic relationship with Reid Wainwright – one of the few instances of Xavier feeling comfortable and confident being 100% himself.
SKILLS
LANGUAGES SPOKEN: English. A teensy bit of Spanish. Non-conversational.
PATRONUS: Dolphin. Can he cast it? Idk. Stay tuned.
SKILLS:
Math Genius: Able to do massive, complicated calculations in his head.
Transfiguration: Gifted with Transfigurations, largely due to his skill with mathematics.
Strength: Xavier is a buff dude. He's significantly strong, though this is offset by a general lack of coordination and grace that goes beyond clumsy and into danger prone.
Physical Resilience: Zav is a high con character.
Cooking: Experimenting in the kitchen is Xavier's favorite thing in the world. He's an adventurous chef with a talent for pairing together unusual flavors together in remarkably tasty ways. He's also employed as a cook in a food truck, which is greatly improving his ability to not go wildly off recipe.
Baking: Most of Xavier's sugary creations tend to be of the Semi-Homemade shit cobbled together variety, but he's also a decent baker. Zav likes making cakes (and cupcakes) and cookies, in particular, but he's good for pies and other simple pastries, as well. He's confident enough in his ability that he'd be willing to tackle more complicated desserts, but sticks with spicing up simple classics, mostly.
Animagus: Xavier is a registered animagus who is able to transform into a pangolin. He spends a fair amount of time in the form, particularly as a form of escape and/or protection, but it's not practical by any stretch of the imagination.
Music Snob: Yes, he has heard of that band.
HISTORY
FAMILY MEMBERS:
➥ Ankita Lewis. Mother, Muggleborn. MACUSA rep (West Virginia). The MACUSA representative for the great state of West Virginia, currently serving her third term in the position. Ankita is a good person, dedicated to serving the Muggleborn community - particularly those abused, abandoned or otherwise disenfranchised by no-maj parents - but she comes up short as a mother. Her expectations for her children have always been unrealistic, and, constantly busy with work, she hasn't been a consistent presence in her childrens' lives in years. Her relationship with Xavier has always run hot and cold. Shortly before finishing high school, Zav cut off contact with both parents and is presently estranged.
➥ David Lewis, CMA. Father, Half-blood. Certified Magical Accountant. Once a promising rookie quodpot player, after facing early retirement due to a injury, David found success in enterprise risk management - he's effectively an Arithmancer-Accountant. David is practical to the point of parody and married to his work. Xavier's little sister calls the company his "first family." David and Xavier have never had a particularly healthy relationship, and he is presently estranged from his father.
➥ Nisha Gretchen Lewis. Sister, Coppertale. Xavier's relationship with his sister is relatively new - they spent most of their lives ignoring each other - and it's remarkable how quickly they fell into a sort of routine familiarity. They are not affectionate, outwardly, but there's a lot of obvious love, and a fiercely protective bond. Xavier is as much a guardian to Nisha as their biological parents are, at this point. They are almost constantly communicating via snapchat.
➥ Maternal Grandparents. No-maj. Zav has no contact with Dr. and Mrs. Joshi, who recently moved to Florida.
➥ Paternal Grandparents. Half-Blooded. Ma and Pa Lewis, artsy, doting retired metal charmers, have always been a big presence in the lives of their grandchildren.
HISTORY:
- Xavier's history
- Senior year
- Presentation of his final project earned the attention of several influential Transfiguration researchers.
- And then forest shit did occur
- Xavier graduates, is offered a paid internship with the New York Academy of Arcane Science's transfiguration dept, where he spends his days running errands and monitoring wizard MATLAB simulations. Pretty boring.
- Fills in the rest of his daytime schedule with shifts on a wizard food truck. In his freetime, is inseparable from Reid.
- Couch hops until moving into Ribbonfin Apt with Asher.
- Works toward eventually enrolling as a student PT at NYAAS. I am not sure how that goes for him, yet.
- Adulting, the Legendary Journeys
SCHOOL
YEAR: Alumni, Grad Class of 2014
HOUSE: Ribbonfin
SORTING:
Coppertale came on a bit too strong, and Ebonhide was entirely too serious. It was a tight match between Azurcrest and Ribbonfin, but Ribbonfin was, of all the houses, the least interested in “bringing out” some quality that Xavier had hidden inside of him and told him he could just be himself among the fishes. After about three minutes in the cave, Xavier emerged and joined his fellow trouts.
WAND: Catalpa, Unicorn Hair, 13", very bendy. A rebellious and rambunctious wand, even in its owners hands. It demands precision. Good for Transfigurations.
FAMILIAR: A surly Great Horned Owl name Jessica Albatross. Call her Alba.
OOC
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