Lachlan Galbraith 🕊️ (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
lachlangalbraith) wrote2017-05-02 11:37 pm
lachlangalbraith) wrote2017-05-02 11:37 pm
Lachlan Galbraith - YEAR ONE
GENERAL
NAME: Lachlan Ian Galbraith
NICKNAMES: Goes by Lachlan, but his friends call him everything from Lach to Lan to Lannie to Lach Ness (so clever, these Americans). He doesn't really mind.
AGE/DOB: Seventeen/October 25th (Scorpio)
BLOOD STATUS: Muggleborn
GENDER/PRONOUNS: Male & He/Him
SEXUALITY: Homosexual
HOMETOWN: Edinburgh, Scotland
Lachlan grew up in Edinburgh, where his parents run the historic Wulver Inn. The inn is relatively small and has relatively narrow profit margins, prompting the family to live in the building's modest top floor apartment and to handle most of the work themselves. Lachlan, along with his siblings Tadg and Maisie, often helps with cleaning and maintaining the inn.
CONCEPT: Former golden boy struggles with magic, lives with consequences, and craves approval.
PHYSICAL
APPEARANCE: While not particularly tall (he's only five feet and seven inches even with his good posture!) and not particularly well built (he's fit but lacks real muscle definition), Lachlan is nevertheless a good-looking young man. He has a strong jaw, defined and shapely lips that make him look genuinely charming when he smiles, a slightly curved nose, and dark green eyes under naturally tapering brows. His hair is a light dirty blonde color and cut short, typically parted to the right and prone to curling and flipping no matter how much he attempts to tame it. Until he shoves it under a hat or a knit cap, anyway. While his light skin is dotted with moles (including one just above his lip on the left side), there are few other distinguishing features about him; he doesn't have any piercings or any tattoos or any scars. In many ways, he's quite average. This is true of his clothing too, which consists mostly of loose t-shirts and hoodies and jackets (often worn in layers), jeans, and sneakers. This casual attire suits him, though, and he isn't trying to impress anyone.
Well, not with his appearance anyway.
While he doesn't care about dressing to impress, he wears his school uniform just like he's supposed to. All the buttons are buttoned, the shirt is tucked in, the tie is fastened, and the uniform is pressed and neat. Just in case that matters to his teachers!
HEIGHT: 5'7"
PB: Tarjei Sandvik Moe
PERSONALITY
LIKES: Achievements. Acknowledgment. Studying. Learning new things. Neatness. Having a plan. Collecting things. Magic. Magical theory. Hermeticism. Mathematics. Science. The outdoors. Camping. Hiking. Scouting. Bird watching. Birds in general (they're so smart!!). Whistling. Football (soccer). Games (for fun only, please!). People with stories and jokes. Music (especially Electropop). Muggle technology. Taking photos (the point and snap kind, not the artistic kind).
DISLIKES: Wasted time or effort. Messes. People that think they can impersonate his accent (unless it's so bad it's funny). Surprises. Impulsiveness. Making decisions under duress. Bullies. Rain. His (finicky) wand. Failure.
PERSONALITY:
Lachlan is a bright young man that's motivated by accomplishment. He has a focused, methodical mind and is at his happiest when he's working toward a tangible goal. While he most often turns this work ethic toward academics, willingly pouring hours into studying and practicing spells and wading through magical theory, he also finds pleasure in mundane tasks like cleaning and organizing or maintaining elaborate collections or teaching his pet bird tricks and songs. As long as he has something to show for his effort (anything from good grades to merit badges to a new tune for Sig to tweet), Lachlan can get satisfaction from almost anything. That said, learning and acquiring new knowledge or new skills (especially related to magic) is the greatest feeling in the world to him and can make him uncharacteristically and endearingly excitable. While admirable in many respects, this approach to life puts pressure on him and he's a classic overachiever, requiring constant achievements and acknowledgments to feel validated, and he takes abject failure hard.
Unsurprisingly, Lachlan is a Good Boy, the type of young man that works hard, respects his elders (teachers and older students alike), follows (most of) the rules, and generally craves approval and pats on the head. This has become even more pronounced in the last couple of years as a result of tension in his family dynamic and a lack of support at home. He's a notorious teacher's pet in class, especially toward Ms. Vector and Ms. Whittle, and is generally reliable and grounded. But he's far from a saint and he tends to act more like a teenager among his peers. He's less formal, somewhat blunt, and (surprisingly) has a wry, witty sense of humor that can be genuinely funny, slightly condescending, or even callous depending on one's perspective. He isn't particularly thin-skinned when it comes to anything but failure and so expects others to take minor jabs and judgments as well as he does, even if they don't. He doesn't try to be mean and he dislikes bullies, but he can hurt people unintentionally. While he always aims to be responsible, Lachlan's intelligence and general rationality relies on him having time to think and when pushed or rushed or subjected to pressure (particularly from older students or people he admires), he can and does make much bad decisions. Is that why he participated in Azurcrest sledding? That is why he participated in Azurcrest sledding. He almost always kicks himself for such behavior later on, though. He's also willing to attend parties (though he rarely has more than a drink or two), play games and sports, and geneally participate in things when he's invited, proving that he isn't a total stick in the mud. While he rarely breaks the rules, he doesn't interfere when his classmates want to so long as he won't get dragged down with them if they get caught. He doesn't want anyone to get in trouble, but he also doesn't feel like it's his place to stop them....and besides, if they do get in trouble, he'll just look better by comparison. Though friends are an exception to this rule, as he usually looks out for their best interests.
Unlike much of Azurcrest, Lachlan isn't a social butterfly; he isn't particularly friendly or particularly unfriendly either, but exists somewhere in the middle. He doesn't need company or interaction or attention from his peers at all times in the same way that many of his housemates do and he doesn't mind being alone for long stretches of time. He does like to socialize, but there are definite limitations to how long he can spend with other peope and how much he can participate in conversations and banter before he begins to burn out. In many cases, he's actually more comfortable letting other people talk and he's a very good listener; he rarely forgets anything that he's told and he adores people with entertainig stories and charming antecdotes and clever witticisms to share. While he's slow to form deep attachments to other people, once he does he's in it for the long haul. He's loyal to a fault when it comes to those he cares about and he will put everything into his friendships and relationships. He'll willingly fall on his sword to protect those that he cares about if he can, even if the consequences coming their way might be deserved, and is incapable of judging them with anything like objectivity. When push comes to shove or he's backed into a corner, there isn't much he wouldn't do for his friends.
Lachlan likes to learn and experience new things but he isn't adaptable. At all. He needs time to properly prepare for things before he's able to take them on and he doesn't do well when caught off guard, either freezing up or overthinking or just getting so flustered that he'll botch any reaction that he might make. Surprises, last-minute changes in plans, unexpected events, and anything else that he can't plan for tends to either make him uncomfortable or irritate him. He's a good little Scout and he's almost always prepared...but when he's not, he quickly becomes a hindrance rather than a help. Perhaps an extension of his organized and analytical brain or possibly the result of growing up in an inn, he's also a total neat freak. There is a right place for everything and a right way to do everything as far as he's concerned and spaces that are cluttered or dirty or otherwise neglected cause him real stress. He finds cleaning and organizing to be genuinely cathartic and can be pushy when it comes to maintaining order. Unfortunately (or fortunately?) for his cabinmates, he likely cleans up after them whether they like it or not and makes no attempt to be subtle about it. Is this an invasion of privacy? Maybe. But if they want him to stay out of their sections of the room, they'd tidy up or close their privacy curtains! He's not putting mints on any pillows, though.
Unsurprisingly, Lachlan is a Good Boy, the type of young man that works hard, respects his elders (teachers and older students alike), follows (most of) the rules, and generally craves approval and pats on the head. This has become even more pronounced in the last couple of years as a result of tension in his family dynamic and a lack of support at home. He's a notorious teacher's pet in class, especially toward Ms. Vector and Ms. Whittle, and is generally reliable and grounded. But he's far from a saint and he tends to act more like a teenager among his peers. He's less formal, somewhat blunt, and (surprisingly) has a wry, witty sense of humor that can be genuinely funny, slightly condescending, or even callous depending on one's perspective. He isn't particularly thin-skinned when it comes to anything but failure and so expects others to take minor jabs and judgments as well as he does, even if they don't. He doesn't try to be mean and he dislikes bullies, but he can hurt people unintentionally. While he always aims to be responsible, Lachlan's intelligence and general rationality relies on him having time to think and when pushed or rushed or subjected to pressure (particularly from older students or people he admires), he can and does make much bad decisions. Is that why he participated in Azurcrest sledding? That is why he participated in Azurcrest sledding. He almost always kicks himself for such behavior later on, though. He's also willing to attend parties (though he rarely has more than a drink or two), play games and sports, and geneally participate in things when he's invited, proving that he isn't a total stick in the mud. While he rarely breaks the rules, he doesn't interfere when his classmates want to so long as he won't get dragged down with them if they get caught. He doesn't want anyone to get in trouble, but he also doesn't feel like it's his place to stop them.
Unlike much of Azurcrest, Lachlan isn't a social butterfly; he isn't particularly friendly or particularly unfriendly either, but exists somewhere in the middle. He doesn't need company or interaction or attention from his peers at all times in the same way that many of his housemates do and he doesn't mind being alone for long stretches of time. He does like to socialize, but there are definite limitations to how long he can spend with other peope and how much he can participate in conversations and banter before he begins to burn out. In many cases, he's actually more comfortable letting other people talk and he's a very good listener; he rarely forgets anything that he's told and he adores people with entertainig stories and charming antecdotes and clever witticisms to share. While he's slow to form deep attachments to other people, once he does he's in it for the long haul. He's loyal to a fault when it comes to those he cares about and he will put everything into his friendships and relationships. He'll willingly fall on his sword to protect those that he cares about if he can, even if the consequences coming their way might be deserved, and is incapable of judging them with anything like objectivity. When push comes to shove or he's backed into a corner, there isn't much he wouldn't do for his friends.
Lachlan likes to learn and experience new things but he isn't adaptable. At all. He needs time to properly prepare for things before he's able to take them on and he doesn't do well when caught off guard, either freezing up or overthinking or just getting so flustered that he'll botch any reaction that he might make. Surprises, last-minute changes in plans, unexpected events, and anything else that he can't plan for tends to either make him uncomfortable or irritate him. He's a good little Scout and he's almost always prepared...but when he's not, he quickly becomes a hindrance rather than a help. Perhaps an extension of his organized and analytical brain or possibly the result of growing up in an inn, he's also a total neat freak. There is a right place for everything and a right way to do everything as far as he's concerned and spaces that are cluttered or dirty or otherwise neglected cause him real stress. He finds cleaning and organizing to be genuinely cathartic and can be pushy when it comes to maintaining order. Unfortunately (or fortunately?) for his cabinmates, he likely cleans up after them whether they like it or not and makes no attempt to be subtle about it. Is this an invasion of privacy? Maybe. But if they want him to stay out of their sections of the room, they'd tidy up or close their privacy curtains! He's not putting mints on any pillows, though.
HISTORY
FAMILY MEMBERS:
Fergus Galbraith - Father - Muggle - Inn Keeper: A simple working class man that pushes his children (not too hard) to achieve more than he did. Straight-forward, calm, fastidious, and stern but also kind. Fergus related to Lachlan far more than his first son and the two even remained fairly close after his son developed magic. Since his suspension, though, things between them have been tense and his father has become increasingly distrustful of magic and unhappy about its influence on his son.
Erna Galbraith (formerly Skjeggstad) - Mother - Muggle - Inn Keeper: A bright woman and a soft-spoken social butterfly that is hurt easily. She has a degree in Botany that she never uses, but loves flowers and plants of all sorts, prompting Lachlan to collect and press flowers for her (especially magical ones). Like her husband, she doesn't know what to think about her son or magic at the moment and it hurts both of them.
Originally from Norway, Erna came to the United Kingdom to study, met Fergus, and just never left. The Galbraith kids have been to Norway several times and both Lachlan and Maisie speak Norwegian. This is actually why he's named 'Lachlan', which means 'land of lochs' and is a way of referring to Norway.
Tadg Galbraith (Older Brother) - Muggle - Student: A chaotic temperamental artist and total troublemaker. Sometimes a rival and sometimes a friend, Tadg's relationship with Lachlan is complicated. He's resentful of his brother's magical talents, but not afraid of him like their parents are.
Mairead "Maisie" Galbraith (Younger Sister) - Muggle - Student: A smart, sassy elementary school science fair queen. She's cute but a little mean and an overachiever like her brother. She has a good relationship with Lachlan, but a million questions about magic that he can't answer.
HISTORY:
Born and raised in Edinburgh, Lachlan Galbraith was the second of three children and the son of parents that owned, operated, and resided in the historic Wulver Inn. Unlike his older brother Tadg (who was a creative but temperamental hell-raiser) and his younger sister Maisie (who was bright but unapologetically rambunctious and headstrong), Lachalan was an ideal child almost from the first. He was smart and happy and obedient and he lived for the attention and approval of his parents from a very young age. This didn't change as he got older either. When he started school, he immediately took to his lessons (excelling Mathematics and Science in particular to the delight of his mother), took part in extracurricular activities (like football), became an avid member of the Scouts (where he was keen to try everything he could and to earn every badge he could), helped out at the inn without fussing, and was generally a Good Kid. Apart from occasional arguments with his brother and tears shed over minor failures and the minor ups and downs of life, he had a very mundane and very content childhood.
When Lachlan was eleven, though, he came into his magical talents and strange things began to happen. Entirely by accident, he cast simple levitation spells and other minor enchantments that caught the attention of several guests throughout the inn, leading several of them to leave thinking the place was haunted. Realizing that he was the cause of these bizarre disturbances, even if he didn't understand how, he tried to tell his parents but was ultimately too afraid of what their reaction might be. Fortunately, before this problem could get out of hand, a witch came to visit the family and to deliver an invitation for Lachlan to begin attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She explained, very plainly and very sweetly, that magic was real and that she could do it and that Lachlan could do it. Before the Galbraiths could send the (clearly mad) woman away, she showed them what she could do and then she helped Lachlan show them what he could do. Dumbfounded and overwhelmed, his parents agreed that a magical school was probably where their son belonged and enrolled him. In the months that followed, Lachlan read about magical history and magical theory, exchanged letters (BY OWL!!) with his witch mentor (one, Ms. Violet Vervain), and slowly adjusted to the idea of his new life. While his family was confused by this strange developments, his parents continued to support him as well as they could and everything seemed all right as Lachlan prepared himself for this adventure.
Upon arriving at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Lachlan was sorted into Ravenclaw because of his enthusiasm for learning and was initially thrilled to be there, but soon found that it wasn't what he'd expected. A group of mean-spirited pure-blood boys, recognizing his lack of knowledge and lack of natural talent and realizing that he was Muggleborn, began to mock him and call him names (most often mudblood) and antagonize him before the end of the first week. One of these boys was in his grade and in his House, leading to a near-constant atmosphere of intimidation and derision. He also learned that really did lack innate ability and he struggled with his studies from the start, a fact which set him apart from many of his clever Housemates. Despite these hardships, though, he made a few close friends and was genuinely fascinated by magic, even if he had to work twice as hard to cast even the simplest of charms at first, and this allowed him to persevere and even remain excited about his studies. Every small success felt incredible and he treasured each one, always writing back to his parents to tell them about what he was learning...and maybe embellishing a little bit about his place in his class. The fact that Ms. Vervain, with whom he'd developed a genuine rapport and friendship and who was now his Potions professor, also provided him with support and guidance as he attempted to find his place. And, over the next few years, he did. While he was never going to be a savant, he worked hard and he found classes that he could excel in. Classes like Hermeticism and Potions and Herbology, which rewarded his meticulous nature and willingness to work and ability to analyze complex problems and patterns with true understanding and exceptional marks. It was stressful to work so hard so constantly but rewarding and every success continued to put overjoy him. He didn't excel in every class, but everyone (student and teachers alike) knew that he worked hard and that he was a good student and that was what he wanted. Unfortunately, even through all of this, the bullying continued and became something that he was (however begrudgingly) accustomed to enduring.
During his fourth year at Hogwarts, Lachlan entered into a long period of mutual 'subtle' flirting with a friend that had (after a summer apart) started to seem like a very handsome and very charming fellow. 'Subtle' flirting slowly became awkward, hesitant flirting. And awkward, hesitant flirting slowly became blatant flirting. Then the two began dating. Lachlan was completely smitten and coming to terms with his sexuality wasn't as difficult as he'd initially suspected it might be, but there were challenges. Specifically, coming out gave the boys that picked on him another stone to throw and having a boyfriend gave them another target to throw stones at that hadn't previously been on their radar. He did his best to keep the other boy out of it, but this proved to be very difficult because getting reaction out of him was the point. He felt miserable and guilty and began to resent the bullies more than he ever had before. This problem continued into Lachlan's fifth year and became increasingly difficult for both boys to deal with. Talking with professors had never made a difference, ignoring the them had never made any difference, and trying to stand up to them had only made things worse, escalating the situation into a magical confrontation between his more impulsive boyfriend and one of the bullies that nearly got them both expelled (and which his boyfriend unequivocally lost). Desperate and not knowing what to do, the pair devised a plan and brewed a potion that Lachlan began slipping into the water bottles of the worst of the boys: his fellow Ravenclaw.
For a time, this worked. The boy's mood improved and he became strangely mellow and disinterested and much easier to deal with, much to the bewilderment of his friends. Until he just collapsed one afternoon, falling unconscious for three days. This was the result of long-term exposure to a particular ingredient in the potion and had been completely unanticipated. Unable to handle the guilt and afraid that something could happen if the healers didn't know all of the details, Lachlan approached the headmaster and confessed what had happened, though he never implicated his boyfriend or indicated that anyone had been involved but him. He was almost expelled, only avoiding this fate because several other students (including his boyfriend) backed up his stories about how the other boy had behaved and because Ms. Vervain spoke to the headmaster on his behalf. Instead, he was suspended and sent home to Edinburgh for several weeks. Already devastated to have disappointed his teachers and to have let down Ms. Vervain, he was crushed when he got home and met his parents. While the two had been slowly coming to terms with Lachlan being a wizard and with the implications of a hidden magical world, the revelation that their son had used is peculiar abilities to do something like this shook them. And, for the first time, they seemed to be afraid of him. This was a turning point in his relationship with his parents and things have never been quite the same since.
After Lachlan returned from suspension and completed his fifth year, Ms. Vervain recommended to his parents that they sign him up for an exchange program to put some distance between him and Hogwarts and to give him a fresh start at her Alma Mater: Gooseberry Alternative High School in America. It didn't take much convincing to get his parents to agree. While Lachlan didn't want to go, he didn't argue. He didn't think he had the right to argue after what had happened. He said his goodbyes to his friends and to his boyfriend (the pair resolving to continue their relationship despite everything) and left for the States at the end of the summer break. He tried to make a fresh start, but rumors of his suspension followed him because of the other exchange students and stories about him fighting with another student or bullying another student or poisoning another student circulated for a long time after his arrival. Many students stopped believing this after several weeks of watching Lachlan be a dutiful and focused teacher's pet and one of the most well-behaved Azurcrests for several weeks, but the fact that these stories were out there at all still bothered him and the rumors haven't gone away entirely even now.
Despite this rough start and despite missing home terribly, Lachlan's time at Gooseberry hasn't been all bad. He's worked hard to earn the attention and the approval of his teachers and of older students (with some success), he's made new friends, and he's fallen in love wit the camp school experience that allows him to be out in nature every single day. With the end of the year nearing, he isn't certain how he'll feel if he's given the choice to go back to Hogwarts.
SCHOOL
YEAR: Junior
HOUSE: Azurcrest. (Former Ravenclaw!)
SORTING: Lachlan had a difficult time with the Sorting. At Hogwarts, he'd been told where he belonged, but here he had to make the decision himself. Coppertale argued that, as a fox, he could learn to push himself harder and be better and be around competitive people that would force him to be better. Ebonhide insisted that his passion for knowledge and reflection made him a natural bear and that he would do well among people like himself (a statement which read somewhat hollow after his time in Ravenclaw). Ribbonfin declared that being able to adapt and accept the world around him and forgive those that had hurt him were things that would help him and that the fishies could teach him.
Azurcrest, meanwhile, said that learning was his passion, but that he already knew how to work hard and push himself to improve, and he more was in danger of losing sight of his love for learning and knowledge and magic because of that. Come be a blue jay, Azurcrest insisted, and remember how fun it is and how happy it makes you! This argument swayed him. Besides, he loves blue jays!
WAND: Hazel, Jobberknoll Feather core, 9.5", Rigid
FAMILIAR: A cockatiel named Sig (short for Sigurd). He's a friendly bird that likes to be handled and he's very vocal, able to do a little talking and a lot of whistling. Lachlan loves Sig and loves spending time training him or doting on him. Sorry, cabinmates; he's a loud and happy little birdy.
CLASSES:
✦Core: Charms, Herbology, Hermeticism, Potions, Transfiguration
✦Electives: Astronomy, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Magizoology
SENIOR PROJECT: Honestly, Lachlan isn't certain yet that he'll even be at Gooseberry as a senior. So isn't worrying about it yet.
ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE: Lachlan is a good student; he's attentive in class, he takes notes, he studies hard, and he practices relentlessly. That said...he isn't a naturally gifted wizard. When he can take his time and experiment and turn his methodical mind to a problem, he does brilliant work, but when it comes to casting spells in the moment he often struggles and falters due to overthinking or just because it doesn't come to him naturally. His wand, a fussy hazel instrument, also reacts to his emotions and makes each subsequent attempt after a single failure harder. He puts in the work and he manages Bs and Cs in everything he's taking, but he struggles in Charms, Transfiguration, and Defense Against the Dark Arts because of this. Defense Against the Dark Arts in particular is difficult for him because it requires a certain amount of calm under pressure that he doesn't have and Ms. Lilywhite likely views him with some concern.
Conversely, he excels in classes that give him the time to think and to prepare, like Potions, Herbology, and Hermeticism. He's especially talented in Hermeticism which allows him to focus on theory and the building blocks of magic, the process reminding him of Mathematics (which he also excelled in prior to pursuing a magical education and which he still pursues in his spare time). In these classes he makes strong As and is in the top of his classes.
Essentially, his grades typically break down like:
As: Herbology, Hermeticism, Potions, Astronomy, Magizoology
Bs: Charms, Transfiguration
Cs: Defense Against the Dark Arts :(
EXTRACURRICULARS: Gaming, Outdoor Exploration
OOC
NAME: Katie
EMAIL: ollinsong@gmail.com
CDJ: N/A
OTHER PREFERRED CONTACT: N/A
TIME ZONE: CST
| MONDAY | TUESDAY | WEDNESDAY | THURSDAY | FRIDAY | SATURDAY | |
| 8:00 | ||||||
| 8:30 | ||||||
| 9:00 | Potions | Transfiguration | Herbology | Charms | ||
| 9:30 | ||||||
| 10:00 | Defense Against the Dark Arts | |||||
| 10:30 | ||||||
| 11:00 | Magizoology | Hermeticism | ||||
| 11:30 | ||||||
| 12:00 | ||||||
| 12:30 | ||||||
| 13:00 | Herbology | Astronomy | Magizoology | Transfiguration | ||
| 13:30 | ||||||
| 14:00 | Charms | Potions | ||||
| 14:30 | ||||||
| 15:00 | Hermeticism | Defense Against the Dark Arts | ||||
| 15:30 | ||||||
| 16:00 | Outdoor Exploration | |||||
| 16:30 | ||||||
| 17:00 | ||||||
| 17:30 | ||||||
| 18:00 | ||||||
| 18:30 | ||||||
| 19:00 | Gaming Club | |||||
| 19:30 | ||||||
| 20:00 | ||||||
| 00:00 | Astronomy | |||||
| 00:30 | ||||||