Post by Sydney Larson on Mar 17, 2009 12:36:36 GMT -5
Accepted! Welcome to Hogwarts.
[ Full Character Name: ] Larson, Sydney Nicole
[ Character Gender: ] Female
[Character Age/Birthdate:] October 21st, 36 years old.
[ Position: ] Quidditch Referee
[ Country of Citizenship: ] Back and forth between England and France
[ Physical Character Description: ]
Miss Larson has always held a fascination with changing up her looks every so often. Spells to play around with her eye and hair color have been quite frequent in her lifetime. Naturally, she is a dark brunette, and she likes her hair to be kept longer rather than short. Sydney is a woman a bit above average height, standing tall at approximately 5 feet, nine inches, weighing around 120 pounds. Her figure is slim and shaped, with faint traces of curves along her hips. Her skin is soft as silk and close to the color of milk, though she is sometimes fortunate enough to lightly tan in the sunlight. She is and always has been vain over her appearance, and it shows through how well she takes care of herself.
Her long chocolate colored waves in her hair compliment her features when worn loose. Her hair holds natural waves, but on occasion it is found to be pulled back and secured in a tight bun, appearing to be straightened. She received the gift of having hair that is incredibly manageable, which she is thankful for. She does wish that her hair would choose to either lay straight or curl up, as some point in the middle does not satisfy her. She usually does try to make it go one way or the other. Sydney prefers to let her hair go loose and free rather than to constrict it into a tight bun as she was never one for wanting to come off overly-serious.
Sydney's eyes can make or break a room. They are an unusual greenish brown shade, sometimes appearing more predominantly green than brown, or vice versa. If she wishes them to appear intent upon something, she can do so quite easily. However, these eyes are also the ones that can pierce a hole through a wall if they were to concentrate on the task long enough. In general, her eyes seem to be a more relaxed feature of her face, sometimes appearing to be blank out of apathy towards others.
Her face is free from any blemishes, as she is a strong believer in staying indoors most of the time and taking care of herself (though Quidditch is the only exception to this). Sydney has gathered a few freckles on her cheeks, but one wouldn't know unless they engaged in a conversation with her, as they would be closer to her. She has sharpened features...much different than many other women she has been around. Her nose is small, and is nothing that stands out at all. Her lips are luscious and full, and she despises when they get chapped up. Her expression is often blank from time to time, but sometimes she can be perceived as angry even when she is simply apathetic. She remains calm mannered mostly, as she doesn't have to pull many strings to get what needs to be done, done. She does have one scar, though, and it's quite visible when her hair isn't over it. This scar originated from her Quidditch playing years post Hogwarts graduation when she was playing for a professional team. The weather conditions had been terribly hazardous and as it had been one of their most important matches, Sydney gave it her all. This led to a bludger smacking her hard right into the neck, which had knocked her out for a few days. To this day, the scar that begins on the back of Sydney's neck and reaches four inches down her back has been numbed. She doesn't have much feeling, if any, in the surrounding areas of the scar.
Despite this numbness, Sydney has an elegant posture, and usually walks around as though she is in charge. She doesn't slouch, ever...and if she was found doing so one day, the world would probably be coming to an end. Sydney tries to put off the impression that she is a bit above everyone else, though in recent years she has focused more on just trying to have a good time.
[ Personality Character Description: ]
Sydney Larson has no problem putting herself out there.
Naturally a creature of society, she grew up with many people around her and she's simply just used to having people around. However, this doesn't necessarily mean she's happy-go-lucky and loves every one of them. Sydney usually respects authority as she understands it is necessary, even though she might not usually like what an authority figure may have to say. In her earlier years as a student she was the wild child running care free in spite of authority, though she grew out of that when she moved to Hogwarts as realized she wasn't so keen on being able to get away with things as she had previously. Sydney hadn’t had too many opportunities to be in authority herself in her earlier career- just a few here and there on the pitch, and not a lot at all within her law school career. When she was first offered an assistant coaching position with her old team, it was something she never thought anyone would ever offer to her, though she quickly fell in line and quite enjoyed the authority it brought her.
Within her circle of friends, she's the down-to-earth sarcasm that keeps everyone going. She can easily put some people off upon first meeting them, as her insecurities about new people can sometimes come off mistakenly as arrogance. Sydney doesn't do all that well with overly cheerful people, as they tend to annoy her. She is put off by girls who squeal and giggle too much, and is known for having a bit of a haughty temper in some circumstances. It can be such the effort to get to know her sometimes. Sydney isn't one for sharing all the intimate details of her life within one or two meetings, so if someone really wanted to get to know her, they need be forewarned it could be a while before Sydney deems them trustworthy. Once this happens, Sydney is one of the most loyal friends you'll ever have. For a while the girl was prejudice against anyone that wasn't of pureblood as a result of some of her family's views, but overtime she overcame the notion that they were anything less (besides, her best friend in the world wasn't even sure she was pureblooded anymore after she found out she was adopted - she would never leave her, so what did it matter?) Once you get past these obstacles, it's smooth sailing from there...well, almost. Women are complex, and Sydney is certainly no exception.
Besides usually respecting authority, she admires students that remind her of herself - Slytherins, mostly, that have a love for the game or even a love for dueling, as she had dabbled in that as a student as well. She's not too keen on the academic types - she doesn't know how they do it, just as some of them probably don't understand her slight obsession with Quidditch.
When not on the pitch, she is obsessed with her appearance. She doesn't eat any sort of sweets or fattening breads as she is a bit crazy over maintaining her thin figure, and makes sure her hair and face especially are always kept up and looking neat. She doesn't believe in dressing down - even her nightclothes are of the designer variety. It's one of her predominant quirks, as the moment she gets on the pitch she goes crazy with fury to play the absolute best game she can. Thankfully, she has matured quite a bit in comparison to her Hogwarts years, as she knows she wouldn't have been applying to come back to the school a few years ago if given the opportunity.
[ History: ]
Some say on the day of October 21, 1972, all hell was set to break loose onto the outskirts of Paris.
This was the day Sydney Larson came into the world. Halfheartedly greeted by her mother and older sister, she was quickly whisked away and off to her nanny of whom she would soon grow quite accustomed to. Her father, Charles, had an impeccable work ethic and simply thought business came above everything else and didn't even come home from his business trip when his newest daughter was born. He had gone through law school, which had hardened his soul to the core, and all over, did quite well for himself and kept the family in luxury. By the time Sydney turned three, he had developed sort of a sweet spot for his third eldest child, though it would have never been something he would have admitted to anyone. Even after her four younger sisters were born, his affections still lay with Sydney for some reason or another.
Growing up at the Larson Estate was a world in and of itself. When she was younger, she mostly kept into her room and the surrounding area, as the house was big enough to daunt and prevent her from exploring it in it's entirety. Gradually she did venture out and away from her usual surroundings, of which she found a masterpiece of a home. Her mother was strong into interior decoration and it was reflected strongly throughout the house. Usually the house was missing it's two greatest residents, Charles due to business and her mother, Genevive, due to social gatherings of some sort. However, this certainly didn't mean it was quiet by any measure. There were two hired housekeepers, one chef, four groundskeepers, two nannies, and all the Larson children. By nature, the children outweighed them all. Besides Sydney, there were six other children that lived in the household within time. The two eldest, Vincent and Emilie, were from one of Charles' previous marriages. Then there was Sydney, followed by her four sisters Adelaide, Caroline, Julia, and finally Lyrika. There was plenty to do while at the home, though frequently they did enjoy going on and about throughout the nearby village and sometimes even Paris itself. Shopping trips were an every week happening, which often left Vincent to escort his sisters and carry their bags.
One of the major things that had an impact on Sydney's life during this time is that she was taught how to ride a broom. Though she was considered way too young and a far time away from going off to school, Vincent gave in to his younger sister and helped teach her the basics. He started her off around the age of seven with keeping a watchful eye on her, but the girl was a natural at it and he soon wasn't concerned if she nabbed his broom and ran off for the day in the fields over his summer break.
Sooner than the girl realized, it was quite time for her to go off to school as well. Thankfully she had Emilie, who was going into her fifth year at Beauxbatons at the time, to go with her and off to school for her first year. Beauxbatons was something she had never experienced before - the school was at least three times larger than her estate back home, and she had certainly never seen so many people in her life all in one place. There was a quidditch pitch, horseback riding stables, a huge dining hall with it's own chefs and wait staff - it was like someone had blown up her home into a million times the splendor. Her first year wasn't quite that eventful, aside from becoming an alternate on one of the quidditch teams and finally engaging in her magical studies.
Her second year, however, was arguably her best year yet. At this time, she met Laurisa Daniels, who turned out to be her best friend and soul sister even to this day. She officially made the Quidditch team as a Chaser, but she always held a fascination and love for playing in the Keeper position. She liked feeling the hefty responsibility that came with protecting her hoops, and the dire need for her to venture off and help her teammates under attack. Needless to say, she was good at this. Her grades were alright, she never really failed a class but in all honesty, her father seemed to hold a considerable influence over the school so who really knows. She excelled in Transfiguration and Charms the most, while the rest was a bit of a blur to her. Her third and fourth years only got better from there, that is, until her fifth year when the problems began to arise.
Sydney was never directly involved in any of these aforementioned 'problems', though with her parents' whining and complaining about them, she knew they existed. Something about how the administration was run, some forms of power turned over to other questionable figures...just notions of how the school was supposedly declining in their eyes. Though her parents were not too incredibly involved in their lives, the one thing they did care about was where their education was coming from. As Charles had been an alumni of Hogwarts, a Slytherin, of course, it was the first school that was suggested and naturally the one that Sydney was sent to ultimately. Laurisa also ended up accompanying her along to Hogwarts as well, her parents feeling a similar way about the way Beauxbatons was being run. Genevive was a bit torn up over the fact that her children would not graduate from her alum, but in the end, she figured it was best for her children. Sydney hated this decision. She had next to no say in it whatsoever, which irked her even more. She had friends at Beauxbatons...and a posse that followed her around! How could something like that be replaced? She hated Hogwarts before she even got there - after all, nothing could compare to her precious Beauxbatons.
She remembers that day as if it were yesterday. The time when she was dropped off on the train platform to meet her cruel, cruel fate. Sydney had dressed as she always did - high fashion, and to impress. Laurisa accompanied her, dressed the same way. Oversized sunglasses rested on both of their noses and pressed lightly into their faces - after all, who dare remove them so people actually see their grimaces? Sydney remembers viewing the train and its inhabitants as particularly atrocious to look at, but at the very least she had Laur by her side (though she probably wouldn't have wished this on her worst enemy, let alone her best). The two decided to just hold their breaths as they boarded the train, quickly claiming themselves their own nook, not daring to let anyone else join them.
Her first term at Hogwarts was quite the eventful one, starting right from the feast. Her and Laurisa had gotten into a tift with one of Hogwarts' snootiest, which led to a quite elaborate fight as consequence. Before anyone could make it over to break up the insult-hurling between the girls, she had grabbed a few items of food and had followed her friend off and out into the courtyard. They needed one another now more than ever, she remembered thinking to herself. Besides the little tifts here and there with people, the two kept more to themselves; that is, until Sydney made the quidditch team. What position, you may wonder? Well keeper, of course.
Though the school had its' shortcomings and could never be held up to higher standards than Beauxbatons in her mind, she had to admit that being part of the team was pretty awesome and there were some fine players (though she didn't mind giving a few specific Ravens and a Hufflepuff a fair run for their money on more than one occasion). She never managed to snag the opportunity for captainship in her seventh year, and it was undoubted that she was a fabulous player. The sport helped her hold on more than anything, and assured her mental sanity in a world of annoyances.
Her seventh year came and went, and still the only thing that helped her push through to graduation was her place on the team. By this time, her mother had left her father. She had gallavanted off with some other wizard to Scotland or something like that...Sydney really didn't know. Her parents had always been on the cold and distant side, and all she was concerned about was that her bank account was directly linked to her father's. She had a mad obsession with labels, which she shared with Laur. Soon graduation came around, and she moved out of the Slytherin dorms and straight into her own apartment with Laurisa. Laurisa had come in contact with family issues involving her parents, and in the end it was just better for the both of them. It was like their own little escape from the world - they could be alone, or host amazing parties. It was totally up to them, life by their own rules.
All in all, Sydney loved being off on her own, just as long as her daddy's money kept flowing into her account. Her dad was pushing her towards law school, and Sydney didn't feel like going through more intensive school so close to graduation. The opportunity couldn't have come at a more perfect time - the word was out that the Holyhead Harpies needed to fill two of their starting line-up positions for the new season, and Sydney was first in line for it. At first, they had her started off as a Chaser, but her quick movements and impeccable timing quickly moved her into her home position yet again. It was a legitimate job, being a professional and all...law school would certainly have to wait.
And wait law school did for five and a half years. She had a blast playing for as long as she did, but she also knew her father was growing restless with her "career choice". Sydney even had the opportunity to fill in as captain for a full season when their previous one had been severely knocked out with an injury, it was the best time she had had in her life to date. In the end, however, her father got his wishes and she traded in her broom for a law textbook.
Law school wasn't all that bad, it was just work. Sydney never appreciated work of any sort, especially busy work. Read this court case, read that. Know the history of the laws regarding this charm and that spell. That's what they make reference books for! It annoyed Sydney to have to work so hard at something she didn't even think she wanted, and longed to be back out on the pitch, riding the day away on a broom. It wasn't too much more than pure schoolwork during her three years at law school - Laurisa came and went with her own life, Sydney had her fair share of boyfriends here and there, until one finally stuck, and she was all the rage of a happening nightlife out on the town.
Damien met Sydney when she was a mere first year law student, himself being a third. Both sarcastic, edgy, and totally into one another, it wasn't soon before long that they began showing up everywhere together. If Sydney went out anywhere at night, he was with her. If he had a meeting in the city with a client, she was waiting for him outside. They often fight like they're already married, but Sydney is so far off from thinking of the possibility. She never pegged herself for a one-man girl, but somehow with Damien it just worked. It also helped that he was set on pushing Sydney through law school, as he saw that her heart wasn't in it like his had been during his own student years. Also a pureblood, Damien quickly obtained a job within a highly respected company within the London wizarding community.
Sydney heard stories of working in the law business, and though sometimes half exciting, it was usually boring. She never understood how Damien loved the law so much; after all, he was lively and crazy if not sarcastic, and was not boring in any respect of the word. Intent on at least seeing her try it out, he encouraged her to accept the job offer she had received from her father. If it hadn’t been for Damien, she would have only lasted three weeks tops. Sydney felt overwhelmed with the workload and didn't enjoy the work - she had a newfound appreciation for her father's work, for sure.
It took her about a year to muster up the courage, but she finally submitted her resignation to her father’s desk once her next job opportunity came along – he would soon have to accept that his daughter’s heart would always be on the field. Durmstrang had pursued Sydney to fill in their Quidditch Coordinator position, and once again, she found herself back out on the pitch.
After a few years, it wasn’t soon before long that an offer came her way from her old professional team, in need of a new strategic coach. Unable to deny this offer, she quickly accepted and prepared to leave Durmstrang once the school year was over. She loved running the school’s program and such, but Sydney always felt a fierce loyalty within herself towards the Holyhead Harpies and couldn’t just take this offer lightly.
Being on the other side of the fence this time around was definitely a different change of pace. There was no more getting pumped up for game days anymore – she was excited and all for her team, but it just wasn’t the same to be able to whip out her broom and dominate like she used to. She filled in for the two years she had signed a contract for, and decided she might need a bit of a change of pace.
When the IAQ heard Sydney was quitting, they urged her to apply for a position within their departments. At first, she didn’t get the job she had applied for, but she waited it out a couple of months and once again re-applied when there was another opening in the Consulting/Recruiting department and was offered the job after a series of intense interviews.
For the past five years or so, Sydney has been doing her work with the IAQ in various capacities, but mostly as a consultant for the teams that make up the IAQ and some light recruitment from various wizarding schools throughout the world. With so much traveling involved, Sydney has grown a bit restless over her non-stop lifestyle, and is looking for an occupation that would allow her to still satisfy her quidditch craving, but perhaps present her with other duties or outlets to make for a more balanced lifestyle. When she was at Durmstrang, her responsibilities did not extend beyond the coordination of the pitch activities, and she knows that this position at Hogwarts would be the same, yet entirely different at the same time – and she’s always up for a challenge, after all.
[ Pros and Cons : ]
Sydney prides herself on being good at a myriad of things, and often has trouble admitting when she's not so good at something. Her heart has always rested on the Quidditch pitch, and usually the only position she would get up for would be that of Keeper. Academically, she always had the knack for Transfiguration, Charms, and Politics, and she did go on to pursue a law degree after her Hogwarts graduation. As a result, she is a well-versed young woman now in comparison to her school days, though she can certainly have her shortcomings in relation to this.
However, Miss Larson is sometimes blinded by those things she's not quite good at. A Slytherin at heart, this girl certainly took long enough to learn the art of decency and compassion, the latter of which she still rarely practices. She's a bit cold-hearted but not completely and tragically lost as one could possibly be. On the magic side of things, she gave up on Divination early in life. Conjuring and Summoning was not exactly her forte either, though she practiced enough to perform decently at it. Sydney never had a strong work ethic for subjects and activities of which she didn't easily succeed with, which has been a disadvantage to her in her life.
[Credentials:]
Education: Beauxbatons Academy of Magic (1st-5th Years)
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (Graduated Slytherin)
Keeper for the Holyhead Harpies (6 Years), Captain (1 Year)
London School of Wizarding Law (3 Years, Graduated)
Klein, Larson, & Nobb Wizarding Attorneys at Law (1 Year)
Flight Instructor and Quidditch Coordinator, Durmstrang (2 Years)
Strategic Coach, Holyhead Harpies (2 Years)
Consultant/Recruiter, IAQ (International Association of Quidditch) (5 Years, current occupation)
[Writing/Role Playing Example:]
It was just one of those days in the life of Sydney Larson.
One of those ever-so-simplified days that the brunette had to admit were coming along more frequently as time wore on. The weight of a solid job was currently non-existent, which she was usually thankful for. Her apartment was mostly empty these days - Laurisa had a million and one things going on, the majority of her law school friends had moved off and were suddenly too busy for inhabiting all the extra space, and Damien had been long gone ever since she had broken up with him months before. She was mostly thankful that Laurisa was still even lived with her, as she had a reputation for taking off without a moment's notice for longer periods of time. After the last return of her best friend, it had been two years since the two had spoken at all, and gradually she got used to the idea that Laurisa wasn't going to be around forever. Or, at least, that was how she felt at the time.
It was relatively early in the afternoon, and she decided to go into town. Sydney had made plans with one of her friends later that evening, but for now, it was just nice to get out of the apartment and wander aimlessly through the various shops and such. It all looked so familiar - just as it had when she had been a student. It was odd to think that she might be coming here more frequently if she were to get the position at Hogwarts she had applied for - actually, just being back at the castle seemed like it was going to be a major adjustment no matter what she was doing there. Nevertheless, she had (thankfully) grown up quite a bit over the past few years in certain areas of her life and she felt as if she would be ready for anything that was next to come.
Deciding it was a good time for coffee, she made her way off to the side of the crowds and entered a small cafe. As she pushed open the door, the aroma of fresh ground coffee beans clearly filled the air, with a hint of cocoa here and there. Sydney made her way up towards the counter, casually holding her purse in her left hand as she waited in line for what seemed like an eternity. As she gazed off, her mind wandered to various things until she felt a hot rush of liquid on her arm, which quickly pulled her back into reality. The first thing she realized is that someone had next slipped onto the spilled liquid another someone had dropped onto Sydney and fell onto her, causing her to lose balance and hit the floor with about three other bystanders in the shop. Sydney's purse went flying, she later noticed, spilling various items from cosmetics to pens to mints all over the place and among anything the other three had had in their possession.
After one pulled themselves off of Sydney and offered the girl an apology, she pushed herself into a sitting position with her hands and sat there for a moment, dumbfounded. How the hell had she ended up on the floor - someone really just spilled coffee and caused a four-person collapse? How random were the odds of that happening? Her hand quickly went to her hair, assuring she hadn't gotten some sort of goop stuck in it - she hadn't, thank Merlin. She had landed on her side, which was now a bit sore, but it was completely ignored as she pushed herself up on her knees before standing up completely. Sighing, she unbuttoned her cardigan and slipped it off as it was completely drenched in coffee, and turned her attention towards where her purse had been dumped out onto the floor. Setting her cardigan on a nearby chair, she proceeded to kneel back onto her knees as she began to collect her belongings.
This certainly put a damper on her day.
[ Full Character Name: ] Larson, Sydney Nicole
[ Character Gender: ] Female
[Character Age/Birthdate:] October 21st, 36 years old.
[ Position: ] Quidditch Referee
[ Country of Citizenship: ] Back and forth between England and France
[ Physical Character Description: ]
Miss Larson has always held a fascination with changing up her looks every so often. Spells to play around with her eye and hair color have been quite frequent in her lifetime. Naturally, she is a dark brunette, and she likes her hair to be kept longer rather than short. Sydney is a woman a bit above average height, standing tall at approximately 5 feet, nine inches, weighing around 120 pounds. Her figure is slim and shaped, with faint traces of curves along her hips. Her skin is soft as silk and close to the color of milk, though she is sometimes fortunate enough to lightly tan in the sunlight. She is and always has been vain over her appearance, and it shows through how well she takes care of herself.
Her long chocolate colored waves in her hair compliment her features when worn loose. Her hair holds natural waves, but on occasion it is found to be pulled back and secured in a tight bun, appearing to be straightened. She received the gift of having hair that is incredibly manageable, which she is thankful for. She does wish that her hair would choose to either lay straight or curl up, as some point in the middle does not satisfy her. She usually does try to make it go one way or the other. Sydney prefers to let her hair go loose and free rather than to constrict it into a tight bun as she was never one for wanting to come off overly-serious.
Sydney's eyes can make or break a room. They are an unusual greenish brown shade, sometimes appearing more predominantly green than brown, or vice versa. If she wishes them to appear intent upon something, she can do so quite easily. However, these eyes are also the ones that can pierce a hole through a wall if they were to concentrate on the task long enough. In general, her eyes seem to be a more relaxed feature of her face, sometimes appearing to be blank out of apathy towards others.
Her face is free from any blemishes, as she is a strong believer in staying indoors most of the time and taking care of herself (though Quidditch is the only exception to this). Sydney has gathered a few freckles on her cheeks, but one wouldn't know unless they engaged in a conversation with her, as they would be closer to her. She has sharpened features...much different than many other women she has been around. Her nose is small, and is nothing that stands out at all. Her lips are luscious and full, and she despises when they get chapped up. Her expression is often blank from time to time, but sometimes she can be perceived as angry even when she is simply apathetic. She remains calm mannered mostly, as she doesn't have to pull many strings to get what needs to be done, done. She does have one scar, though, and it's quite visible when her hair isn't over it. This scar originated from her Quidditch playing years post Hogwarts graduation when she was playing for a professional team. The weather conditions had been terribly hazardous and as it had been one of their most important matches, Sydney gave it her all. This led to a bludger smacking her hard right into the neck, which had knocked her out for a few days. To this day, the scar that begins on the back of Sydney's neck and reaches four inches down her back has been numbed. She doesn't have much feeling, if any, in the surrounding areas of the scar.
Despite this numbness, Sydney has an elegant posture, and usually walks around as though she is in charge. She doesn't slouch, ever...and if she was found doing so one day, the world would probably be coming to an end. Sydney tries to put off the impression that she is a bit above everyone else, though in recent years she has focused more on just trying to have a good time.
[ Personality Character Description: ]
Sydney Larson has no problem putting herself out there.
Naturally a creature of society, she grew up with many people around her and she's simply just used to having people around. However, this doesn't necessarily mean she's happy-go-lucky and loves every one of them. Sydney usually respects authority as she understands it is necessary, even though she might not usually like what an authority figure may have to say. In her earlier years as a student she was the wild child running care free in spite of authority, though she grew out of that when she moved to Hogwarts as realized she wasn't so keen on being able to get away with things as she had previously. Sydney hadn’t had too many opportunities to be in authority herself in her earlier career- just a few here and there on the pitch, and not a lot at all within her law school career. When she was first offered an assistant coaching position with her old team, it was something she never thought anyone would ever offer to her, though she quickly fell in line and quite enjoyed the authority it brought her.
Within her circle of friends, she's the down-to-earth sarcasm that keeps everyone going. She can easily put some people off upon first meeting them, as her insecurities about new people can sometimes come off mistakenly as arrogance. Sydney doesn't do all that well with overly cheerful people, as they tend to annoy her. She is put off by girls who squeal and giggle too much, and is known for having a bit of a haughty temper in some circumstances. It can be such the effort to get to know her sometimes. Sydney isn't one for sharing all the intimate details of her life within one or two meetings, so if someone really wanted to get to know her, they need be forewarned it could be a while before Sydney deems them trustworthy. Once this happens, Sydney is one of the most loyal friends you'll ever have. For a while the girl was prejudice against anyone that wasn't of pureblood as a result of some of her family's views, but overtime she overcame the notion that they were anything less (besides, her best friend in the world wasn't even sure she was pureblooded anymore after she found out she was adopted - she would never leave her, so what did it matter?) Once you get past these obstacles, it's smooth sailing from there...well, almost. Women are complex, and Sydney is certainly no exception.
Besides usually respecting authority, she admires students that remind her of herself - Slytherins, mostly, that have a love for the game or even a love for dueling, as she had dabbled in that as a student as well. She's not too keen on the academic types - she doesn't know how they do it, just as some of them probably don't understand her slight obsession with Quidditch.
When not on the pitch, she is obsessed with her appearance. She doesn't eat any sort of sweets or fattening breads as she is a bit crazy over maintaining her thin figure, and makes sure her hair and face especially are always kept up and looking neat. She doesn't believe in dressing down - even her nightclothes are of the designer variety. It's one of her predominant quirks, as the moment she gets on the pitch she goes crazy with fury to play the absolute best game she can. Thankfully, she has matured quite a bit in comparison to her Hogwarts years, as she knows she wouldn't have been applying to come back to the school a few years ago if given the opportunity.
[ History: ]
Some say on the day of October 21, 1972, all hell was set to break loose onto the outskirts of Paris.
This was the day Sydney Larson came into the world. Halfheartedly greeted by her mother and older sister, she was quickly whisked away and off to her nanny of whom she would soon grow quite accustomed to. Her father, Charles, had an impeccable work ethic and simply thought business came above everything else and didn't even come home from his business trip when his newest daughter was born. He had gone through law school, which had hardened his soul to the core, and all over, did quite well for himself and kept the family in luxury. By the time Sydney turned three, he had developed sort of a sweet spot for his third eldest child, though it would have never been something he would have admitted to anyone. Even after her four younger sisters were born, his affections still lay with Sydney for some reason or another.
Growing up at the Larson Estate was a world in and of itself. When she was younger, she mostly kept into her room and the surrounding area, as the house was big enough to daunt and prevent her from exploring it in it's entirety. Gradually she did venture out and away from her usual surroundings, of which she found a masterpiece of a home. Her mother was strong into interior decoration and it was reflected strongly throughout the house. Usually the house was missing it's two greatest residents, Charles due to business and her mother, Genevive, due to social gatherings of some sort. However, this certainly didn't mean it was quiet by any measure. There were two hired housekeepers, one chef, four groundskeepers, two nannies, and all the Larson children. By nature, the children outweighed them all. Besides Sydney, there were six other children that lived in the household within time. The two eldest, Vincent and Emilie, were from one of Charles' previous marriages. Then there was Sydney, followed by her four sisters Adelaide, Caroline, Julia, and finally Lyrika. There was plenty to do while at the home, though frequently they did enjoy going on and about throughout the nearby village and sometimes even Paris itself. Shopping trips were an every week happening, which often left Vincent to escort his sisters and carry their bags.
One of the major things that had an impact on Sydney's life during this time is that she was taught how to ride a broom. Though she was considered way too young and a far time away from going off to school, Vincent gave in to his younger sister and helped teach her the basics. He started her off around the age of seven with keeping a watchful eye on her, but the girl was a natural at it and he soon wasn't concerned if she nabbed his broom and ran off for the day in the fields over his summer break.
Sooner than the girl realized, it was quite time for her to go off to school as well. Thankfully she had Emilie, who was going into her fifth year at Beauxbatons at the time, to go with her and off to school for her first year. Beauxbatons was something she had never experienced before - the school was at least three times larger than her estate back home, and she had certainly never seen so many people in her life all in one place. There was a quidditch pitch, horseback riding stables, a huge dining hall with it's own chefs and wait staff - it was like someone had blown up her home into a million times the splendor. Her first year wasn't quite that eventful, aside from becoming an alternate on one of the quidditch teams and finally engaging in her magical studies.
Her second year, however, was arguably her best year yet. At this time, she met Laurisa Daniels, who turned out to be her best friend and soul sister even to this day. She officially made the Quidditch team as a Chaser, but she always held a fascination and love for playing in the Keeper position. She liked feeling the hefty responsibility that came with protecting her hoops, and the dire need for her to venture off and help her teammates under attack. Needless to say, she was good at this. Her grades were alright, she never really failed a class but in all honesty, her father seemed to hold a considerable influence over the school so who really knows. She excelled in Transfiguration and Charms the most, while the rest was a bit of a blur to her. Her third and fourth years only got better from there, that is, until her fifth year when the problems began to arise.
Sydney was never directly involved in any of these aforementioned 'problems', though with her parents' whining and complaining about them, she knew they existed. Something about how the administration was run, some forms of power turned over to other questionable figures...just notions of how the school was supposedly declining in their eyes. Though her parents were not too incredibly involved in their lives, the one thing they did care about was where their education was coming from. As Charles had been an alumni of Hogwarts, a Slytherin, of course, it was the first school that was suggested and naturally the one that Sydney was sent to ultimately. Laurisa also ended up accompanying her along to Hogwarts as well, her parents feeling a similar way about the way Beauxbatons was being run. Genevive was a bit torn up over the fact that her children would not graduate from her alum, but in the end, she figured it was best for her children. Sydney hated this decision. She had next to no say in it whatsoever, which irked her even more. She had friends at Beauxbatons...and a posse that followed her around! How could something like that be replaced? She hated Hogwarts before she even got there - after all, nothing could compare to her precious Beauxbatons.
She remembers that day as if it were yesterday. The time when she was dropped off on the train platform to meet her cruel, cruel fate. Sydney had dressed as she always did - high fashion, and to impress. Laurisa accompanied her, dressed the same way. Oversized sunglasses rested on both of their noses and pressed lightly into their faces - after all, who dare remove them so people actually see their grimaces? Sydney remembers viewing the train and its inhabitants as particularly atrocious to look at, but at the very least she had Laur by her side (though she probably wouldn't have wished this on her worst enemy, let alone her best). The two decided to just hold their breaths as they boarded the train, quickly claiming themselves their own nook, not daring to let anyone else join them.
Her first term at Hogwarts was quite the eventful one, starting right from the feast. Her and Laurisa had gotten into a tift with one of Hogwarts' snootiest, which led to a quite elaborate fight as consequence. Before anyone could make it over to break up the insult-hurling between the girls, she had grabbed a few items of food and had followed her friend off and out into the courtyard. They needed one another now more than ever, she remembered thinking to herself. Besides the little tifts here and there with people, the two kept more to themselves; that is, until Sydney made the quidditch team. What position, you may wonder? Well keeper, of course.
Though the school had its' shortcomings and could never be held up to higher standards than Beauxbatons in her mind, she had to admit that being part of the team was pretty awesome and there were some fine players (though she didn't mind giving a few specific Ravens and a Hufflepuff a fair run for their money on more than one occasion). She never managed to snag the opportunity for captainship in her seventh year, and it was undoubted that she was a fabulous player. The sport helped her hold on more than anything, and assured her mental sanity in a world of annoyances.
Her seventh year came and went, and still the only thing that helped her push through to graduation was her place on the team. By this time, her mother had left her father. She had gallavanted off with some other wizard to Scotland or something like that...Sydney really didn't know. Her parents had always been on the cold and distant side, and all she was concerned about was that her bank account was directly linked to her father's. She had a mad obsession with labels, which she shared with Laur. Soon graduation came around, and she moved out of the Slytherin dorms and straight into her own apartment with Laurisa. Laurisa had come in contact with family issues involving her parents, and in the end it was just better for the both of them. It was like their own little escape from the world - they could be alone, or host amazing parties. It was totally up to them, life by their own rules.
All in all, Sydney loved being off on her own, just as long as her daddy's money kept flowing into her account. Her dad was pushing her towards law school, and Sydney didn't feel like going through more intensive school so close to graduation. The opportunity couldn't have come at a more perfect time - the word was out that the Holyhead Harpies needed to fill two of their starting line-up positions for the new season, and Sydney was first in line for it. At first, they had her started off as a Chaser, but her quick movements and impeccable timing quickly moved her into her home position yet again. It was a legitimate job, being a professional and all...law school would certainly have to wait.
And wait law school did for five and a half years. She had a blast playing for as long as she did, but she also knew her father was growing restless with her "career choice". Sydney even had the opportunity to fill in as captain for a full season when their previous one had been severely knocked out with an injury, it was the best time she had had in her life to date. In the end, however, her father got his wishes and she traded in her broom for a law textbook.
Law school wasn't all that bad, it was just work. Sydney never appreciated work of any sort, especially busy work. Read this court case, read that. Know the history of the laws regarding this charm and that spell. That's what they make reference books for! It annoyed Sydney to have to work so hard at something she didn't even think she wanted, and longed to be back out on the pitch, riding the day away on a broom. It wasn't too much more than pure schoolwork during her three years at law school - Laurisa came and went with her own life, Sydney had her fair share of boyfriends here and there, until one finally stuck, and she was all the rage of a happening nightlife out on the town.
Damien met Sydney when she was a mere first year law student, himself being a third. Both sarcastic, edgy, and totally into one another, it wasn't soon before long that they began showing up everywhere together. If Sydney went out anywhere at night, he was with her. If he had a meeting in the city with a client, she was waiting for him outside. They often fight like they're already married, but Sydney is so far off from thinking of the possibility. She never pegged herself for a one-man girl, but somehow with Damien it just worked. It also helped that he was set on pushing Sydney through law school, as he saw that her heart wasn't in it like his had been during his own student years. Also a pureblood, Damien quickly obtained a job within a highly respected company within the London wizarding community.
Sydney heard stories of working in the law business, and though sometimes half exciting, it was usually boring. She never understood how Damien loved the law so much; after all, he was lively and crazy if not sarcastic, and was not boring in any respect of the word. Intent on at least seeing her try it out, he encouraged her to accept the job offer she had received from her father. If it hadn’t been for Damien, she would have only lasted three weeks tops. Sydney felt overwhelmed with the workload and didn't enjoy the work - she had a newfound appreciation for her father's work, for sure.
It took her about a year to muster up the courage, but she finally submitted her resignation to her father’s desk once her next job opportunity came along – he would soon have to accept that his daughter’s heart would always be on the field. Durmstrang had pursued Sydney to fill in their Quidditch Coordinator position, and once again, she found herself back out on the pitch.
After a few years, it wasn’t soon before long that an offer came her way from her old professional team, in need of a new strategic coach. Unable to deny this offer, she quickly accepted and prepared to leave Durmstrang once the school year was over. She loved running the school’s program and such, but Sydney always felt a fierce loyalty within herself towards the Holyhead Harpies and couldn’t just take this offer lightly.
Being on the other side of the fence this time around was definitely a different change of pace. There was no more getting pumped up for game days anymore – she was excited and all for her team, but it just wasn’t the same to be able to whip out her broom and dominate like she used to. She filled in for the two years she had signed a contract for, and decided she might need a bit of a change of pace.
When the IAQ heard Sydney was quitting, they urged her to apply for a position within their departments. At first, she didn’t get the job she had applied for, but she waited it out a couple of months and once again re-applied when there was another opening in the Consulting/Recruiting department and was offered the job after a series of intense interviews.
For the past five years or so, Sydney has been doing her work with the IAQ in various capacities, but mostly as a consultant for the teams that make up the IAQ and some light recruitment from various wizarding schools throughout the world. With so much traveling involved, Sydney has grown a bit restless over her non-stop lifestyle, and is looking for an occupation that would allow her to still satisfy her quidditch craving, but perhaps present her with other duties or outlets to make for a more balanced lifestyle. When she was at Durmstrang, her responsibilities did not extend beyond the coordination of the pitch activities, and she knows that this position at Hogwarts would be the same, yet entirely different at the same time – and she’s always up for a challenge, after all.
[ Pros and Cons : ]
Sydney prides herself on being good at a myriad of things, and often has trouble admitting when she's not so good at something. Her heart has always rested on the Quidditch pitch, and usually the only position she would get up for would be that of Keeper. Academically, she always had the knack for Transfiguration, Charms, and Politics, and she did go on to pursue a law degree after her Hogwarts graduation. As a result, she is a well-versed young woman now in comparison to her school days, though she can certainly have her shortcomings in relation to this.
However, Miss Larson is sometimes blinded by those things she's not quite good at. A Slytherin at heart, this girl certainly took long enough to learn the art of decency and compassion, the latter of which she still rarely practices. She's a bit cold-hearted but not completely and tragically lost as one could possibly be. On the magic side of things, she gave up on Divination early in life. Conjuring and Summoning was not exactly her forte either, though she practiced enough to perform decently at it. Sydney never had a strong work ethic for subjects and activities of which she didn't easily succeed with, which has been a disadvantage to her in her life.
[Credentials:]
Education: Beauxbatons Academy of Magic (1st-5th Years)
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (Graduated Slytherin)
Keeper for the Holyhead Harpies (6 Years), Captain (1 Year)
London School of Wizarding Law (3 Years, Graduated)
Klein, Larson, & Nobb Wizarding Attorneys at Law (1 Year)
Flight Instructor and Quidditch Coordinator, Durmstrang (2 Years)
Strategic Coach, Holyhead Harpies (2 Years)
Consultant/Recruiter, IAQ (International Association of Quidditch) (5 Years, current occupation)
[Writing/Role Playing Example:]
It was just one of those days in the life of Sydney Larson.
One of those ever-so-simplified days that the brunette had to admit were coming along more frequently as time wore on. The weight of a solid job was currently non-existent, which she was usually thankful for. Her apartment was mostly empty these days - Laurisa had a million and one things going on, the majority of her law school friends had moved off and were suddenly too busy for inhabiting all the extra space, and Damien had been long gone ever since she had broken up with him months before. She was mostly thankful that Laurisa was still even lived with her, as she had a reputation for taking off without a moment's notice for longer periods of time. After the last return of her best friend, it had been two years since the two had spoken at all, and gradually she got used to the idea that Laurisa wasn't going to be around forever. Or, at least, that was how she felt at the time.
It was relatively early in the afternoon, and she decided to go into town. Sydney had made plans with one of her friends later that evening, but for now, it was just nice to get out of the apartment and wander aimlessly through the various shops and such. It all looked so familiar - just as it had when she had been a student. It was odd to think that she might be coming here more frequently if she were to get the position at Hogwarts she had applied for - actually, just being back at the castle seemed like it was going to be a major adjustment no matter what she was doing there. Nevertheless, she had (thankfully) grown up quite a bit over the past few years in certain areas of her life and she felt as if she would be ready for anything that was next to come.
Deciding it was a good time for coffee, she made her way off to the side of the crowds and entered a small cafe. As she pushed open the door, the aroma of fresh ground coffee beans clearly filled the air, with a hint of cocoa here and there. Sydney made her way up towards the counter, casually holding her purse in her left hand as she waited in line for what seemed like an eternity. As she gazed off, her mind wandered to various things until she felt a hot rush of liquid on her arm, which quickly pulled her back into reality. The first thing she realized is that someone had next slipped onto the spilled liquid another someone had dropped onto Sydney and fell onto her, causing her to lose balance and hit the floor with about three other bystanders in the shop. Sydney's purse went flying, she later noticed, spilling various items from cosmetics to pens to mints all over the place and among anything the other three had had in their possession.
After one pulled themselves off of Sydney and offered the girl an apology, she pushed herself into a sitting position with her hands and sat there for a moment, dumbfounded. How the hell had she ended up on the floor - someone really just spilled coffee and caused a four-person collapse? How random were the odds of that happening? Her hand quickly went to her hair, assuring she hadn't gotten some sort of goop stuck in it - she hadn't, thank Merlin. She had landed on her side, which was now a bit sore, but it was completely ignored as she pushed herself up on her knees before standing up completely. Sighing, she unbuttoned her cardigan and slipped it off as it was completely drenched in coffee, and turned her attention towards where her purse had been dumped out onto the floor. Setting her cardigan on a nearby chair, she proceeded to kneel back onto her knees as she began to collect her belongings.
This certainly put a damper on her day.