Trignome
A Candle
Dunstan Whist
"I wonder why I feel like someone is watching me."
FACE CREDIT: Nathan Gamble
Height: 5'1"
Weight: 110 lbs
Hair: Straight, dark brown
Eyes: murky green
Other: A decently tall boy whose sprinkling of freckles and soft features give a false air of sensitivity. Dunstan rarely smiles, preferring instead to scowl, frown, stare, grimace, sneer, glare, or otherwise give some indication of animosity towards his peers.
"It's okay if you hate me, but I'm afraid I don't care enough to reciprocate your feelings."
NAME: Dunstan Whist
(DUNE-stan WIST)
AGE: 11 years
YEAR: Year One
GENDER: Male
BLOOD: Muggle-born
EXPLANATION: Great-grandfather on mother's side was a Squib, the rest of the family being Muggles. Father's family is 100% Muggle.
PERSONALITY:
"Dunstan Whist, the epitome of a lonely, misunderstood child," and that is how ignorant adults would view his belligerent attitude, writing his behavior off as an adolescent seeking attention because of his abusive family. In truth, Dunstan simply prefers the peaceful silence of solitude. From a very young age, he lacked the urge to socialize with others, the two exceptions being his loving parents. He can tolerate everybody else's existence, as mankind survives only through it's rather prolific nature, but he refuses to associate himself any further with the other children in the neighborhood. This does not mean, however, that Dunstan hates people. He generally cares very little about his peers, and lacks the interest to even feel any sort of animosity towards them, unless they are bothering him while he tries to read. This is an action that other people have learned not to do.
When initially approached by a stranger, Dunstan is rude and emotionally reserved. Often accused of treating his fellow human beings badly, he insists that he does not subject the people he cares about to his more irritating personality traits. Dunstan's treatment of mere acquaintances, however, is on par with his attitude towards people he dislikes, always distrusting and belligerent towards both groups of people, until he accepts them onto his short list of friends, or otherwise completely ignores them. If an individual does happen to become a friend of his, Dunstan still maintains a curt manner of speech, though not as offensively as before. He will occasionally give small demonstrations of his affection as well.
Dunstan is by no means a lonely child. His natural affinity for animals gives him all the companionship he needs to feel content with his homeschooled environment. His parents, an extremely understanding couple, indulge the interest he has in wildlife, and their home is occupied by two mutts, a one-eared cat, a garden snake, a common toad, three caterpillar cocoons, a praying mantis, a goldfinch, and a moray eel. Dunstan refrains from talking to these animals in a human language, as he believes this restricts his communicative skills with them. Choosing instead to understand his friends using non-verbal methods, Dunstan has significantly developed his ability to observe and sense changes in his immediate surroundings.
STRENGTHS:
Intuitive and observant:
Thanks to his general distrust of other people, coupled with the time spent with his animal companions, Dunstan has developed his social and environmental intuition further than most people.
Considerable athleticism:
Though not involved in any sports, Dunstan's constant interaction with the wildlife gives him sharp reflexes and a decent amount of stamina, but no muscle mass.
Level-headed:
His emotional reservation towards others gives him a more stable mentality, useful when trying to thoroughly plan a course of action.
Assertive manner of speech:
He says what he means, and means what he says, since he dislikes having false assumptions made about his opinions.
Loyal:
Towards the few people he does happen to care about, Dunstan is freakishly loyal, even though he is completely aware of their flaws. He can be very protective, often threatening any individuals that may harm his friends.
Impartial to reputation:
Dunstan ignores social standing, age, ethnicity, or any other generalizations made about people he doesn't know, preferring to make his own judgement of their character.
WEAKNESSES:
Socially inept:
Perhaps he is simply very picky about his interpersonal relationships, but Dunstan holds a strong aversion for interacting with his peers.
Very little patience for emotions:
He dislikes excessively emotional displays, and this impatience does not help increase his number of friends by any means.
Horrible work ethic:
Though he loves to read and has a wide range of interests, Dunstan does not like assigned tasks, as he believes he can learn best by himself.
Stubborn:
His stead-fast loyalty is an aspect of his stubborn nature. Once he has developed an opinion of something, it is very difficult for his perspective to change.
'Forgetful':
He will often 'forget' to do his homework and sometimes arrives to class late. He also has a penchant for 'forgetting' any obnoxious people he's met.
Offensively open:
He is uncomfortably honest with his opinions of everyone. If asked for his input, Dunstan will give a brief, no-frills version of his viewpoint on the matter. He has absolutely no tact.
Strong disregard for rules/societal boundaries:
This is the aspect of his personality that tends to get him into the most trouble, as he often feels that obligations and such are restricting of his learning and/or enjoyment of life.
FAMILY:
Mother: Elise Shepherd, 35 year old college professor
Elise is a very laid-back parent, allowing her son the freedom of expressing himself and developing his own interests and talents. She is a stickler about keeping a clean house, though, and often chastises Dunstan for bringing miscellaneous animals into his room. As a professor at Princeton, and also a prominent individual in the field of human behavioral science, she was recently offered a position at Durham University. After much deliberation, Elise accepted. So the family packed their bags and moved to Britain.
Father: Jacob Whist, 39 year old marine biologist
Growing up in New Jersey his whole life, Jacob Whist is a marine biologist who deeply loves his wife and son, albeit in a mother-hen sort of way. He is frequently chasing after Dustan, reminding the boy to eat meals, to brush his teeth, to clean his room, to remember to study his course materials, to wear his shoes when outside, and many, many other things besides. Although bossy at times, Jacob does mean well, and his son understands this too, though it's still rather annoying when he's constantly being reminded to do his chores. Recently, Jacob's wife, Elise, accepted a teaching position in Durham University. Believing that a change of scenery would benefit his son, Jacob agreed to move, transferring his work to the coast of Great Britain in the process.
Animals (Kept during the move):
2 lab/collie mutts: Baskerville & Hades
Born in an animal shelter during a very cold winter, two pups of a large litter fell ill. Because there was a lack of quality medical attention, they could not be treated properly, and were to be euthanized instead. Overhearing the volunteer workers saying this, Dunstan snuck the puppies into his bulky winter jacket while his parents were still looking at the fish. Once they were back home and Dunstan's theft was realized, Mr. and Mrs. Whist didn't have the heart to send the animals back to their inevitable death, and decided to adopt the two dogs into the family.
cat: Corpse
Corpse was a street-savvy tomcat that freely wandered about the town, and Dunstan frequently attempted to befriend him, leaving out a saucer of milk on the back porch, or maybe a can of tuna. When any of the neighborhood kids tried to tease the cat or catch him, Dunstan would constantly try to stop them, attacking the kids with a water pistol, or in more extreme cases, with his fists. Eventually, the cat decided he liked the boy and adopted Dunstan and his family as his own.
"...I am smiling. Would you like me to pretend I'm pleased to see you, too?"
Nationality: American
Birthdate: January 5, 1988
Birthplace: Princeton, New Jersey
Education: homeschooled
Background:
There was once a nerdy beanpole named Jacob Whist, who spent all his childhood in New Jersey. He was a kindly kid, but extremely awkward with the spoken word, preferring instead to write or fish in his spare time. That all changed when a clever, thoughtful, and pretty girl moved next door. As soon as he met this girl, Elise, the boy named Jacob changed from a nerdy, awkward, beanpole to a nerdy, awkward, love-struck beanpole. He wrote her letters, gave her flowers, invited her on fishing trips, and once they both graduated from Princeton University, he asked for her hand in marriage. Elise refused, on the grounds that she didn't want her hand having all the fun while she remained single. Their wedding was held in December, around a festive Christmas tree. The bridesmaids were elves, the grooms were reindeer, and the bride threw a bouquet of candy canes.
The happy couple was soon busy settling down in a modest home near Princeton University. As his wife lectured college students on psychology and sociology, Jacob pursued his freelance study of aquatic ecosystems, eventually moving on to lead his own small team of marine biologists. Their snowboarding honeymoon in the Wisconsin Dells flew by quickly, and several peaceful months passed before Elise became pregnant. Jacob decided that if it was a girl, they'd call it Elise, if it was a boy, they'd call it Dunstan. Elise disagreed, saying that if the baby was a boy, they would name it Jacob. If it was a girl, they'd name it Dunstan. Their son was born January 5th, 1988, little more than a year after they had married. They named him Dunstan.
Said child often contemplates the insanity that is his parents.
But at the time, young Dunstan did not seriously consider the mental state of his parents, as he was only a baby, and babies can't actually understand the meaning of 'crazy'. So for most of his early infancy, he cried, ate, and slept, as most babies are wont to do. Jacob temporarily shifted his managerial duties to a close friend and colleague, working from home to accommodate the demands of his new son. As Dunstan grew older, and was able to toddle about the house and grab objects dangling from counter-tops, his father decided it was about time that the little boy was sent to preschool. The boy's affair with early education was rather short-lived, and after he had managed to slip outside and into the daycare parking lot for the umpteenth time, his parents decided it was best to keep him at home.
A few years passed, and Elise and Jacob decided to reconcile their son with school, maybe foster a more intimate relationship between the two. So 5-year-old Dunstan was sent to Kindergarten. His ride on the bus was uneventful, and he was left well alone in his 'baby' seat behind the bus driver. But once he entered his classroom, it all went to hell. First, his teacher made them sit in a circle and introduce themselves. When she got to Dunstan, he said his name, but didn't stand up to do so, choosing instead to remain on the carpet. Gently chastising the young boy, the kindergarten teacher told him to stand up and say his name, like everybody else. Dunstan stubbornly refused, saying that he didn't want to stand up just because the kids before him did. He was given a warning sticker on his 'behavior' sheet. It was a green circle.
By the time the little boy went home that afternoon, he had 3 stickers on his 'behavior' sheet. A green circle, a yellow circle, and a red circle. The day after that, Dunstan brought home 3 stickers on his 'behavior' sheet, and a short note from his teacher. On the third day, he brought home 3 stickers and a paragraph from his teacher. On Thursday, again he had the stickers, and now an entire essay of criticism on parental skills written on the back of his 'behavior' sheet. Finally, on Friday, Elise and Jacob were called in for a meeting with the kindergarten teacher and the school principal. Dunstan was homeschooled from that week onward.
Though his integration with his peers seemed to be a total failure, the boy was not at all upset by this new development. In fact, he was delighted that he no longer had to go to school, where he often complained he was learning absolutely nothing. Sympathizing with her son's frustrations about the educational system, Elise took on the job of tutoring Dunstan after her classes, covering the subjects of English, math, and world history. Though struggling a bit with long division, which his mother insisted he learn sooner than his peers, Dunstan genuinely enjoyed this private method of study, and soon became afflicted with 'book-worm' syndrome. Jacob, not to be left out of his son's education, covered the three basic branches of science: biology, chemistry, and physics, along with cooking and music theory. The boy was also allowed to accompany his father out to collect data samples with the rest of the research team. From his father, Dunstan developed a love for swimming and a strong interest in aquatic wildlife, which soon expanded to include all animals.
As time passed by, Dunstan's mother's increasing prominence in the field of human behavioral sciences drew the attention of Durham University, a prestigious college situated near the upper east coast of Great Britain. After more than a year of deliberation, Elise and Jacob decided it may be best to accept the position and move the entire family, in order to stay together and perhaps give their son another opportunity to make some friends. Though mildly intrigued by the thought of a new home, Dunstan was devestated that he had to leave all his companions behind. Finally, his parents consented to him bringing Baskerville, Hades, and Corpse if he agreed to attend a public school in Britain. Feeling a bit affronted by these negotiations, Dunstan nevertheless agreed to his parents terms. Almost immediately after he was situated in his new bedroom in High Lands, Durham, he began worrying about the blandness of the school he'd be attending in the fall, and his soon to be lost freedoms in education.
Little did the boy know that his life in Britain was about to become much more interesting...
Room number 2, at the end of the 2nd story hallway
34 High Lands Durham, UK
Wand: Ebony, 12 inches; thestral tail hair
Broomstick: TBA
Patronus: TBA
Amortentia: TBA
Boggart: TBA
Muggle Subjects of Interest: English, Chemistry, Physics, European History
Wizarding Subjects of Interest: Dark Arts, Potions, Transfiguration, Care of Magical Beasts
Likes:
books: Since he is homeschooled, Dunstan learns most everything from books, both fiction and nonfiction.
snacks: Due to his erratic sleeping pattern, several snacks are better than three large meals
swimming: The fluid silence that comes with a cold pool of water is very relaxing for Dunstan.
rain/snow/fog: He likes any form of precipitation, especially heavy storms.
animals (esp. strange ones): Animals are much more honest about their intentions, and animals don't talk.
being alone: Thinking is a one-man sport, and solitude is best for reading as well.
Dislikes:
parties: Unless the occasion includes duct tape for obnoxious people, Dunstan will never consider going.
overly friendlies: The kind of people who force friendships and don't know when to shut up. He does not like.
homework: Dunstan believes this vile creation was introduced to the educational system by horrible teachers who couldn't teach anything and tried to get their students to do all the work.
societal restrictions: Order is not the mother of happiness. It's the oppressive older sibling of individuality.
loud noises: Singular, loud noises are tolerable. But Dunstan will become annoyed if the sound is frequent.
hot weather: The pool and beach become much too crowded to properly enjoy.
Favorite colors: gray, forest green, dark blue
Favorite foods: potato chips, caramel chews
Favorite drinks: water
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