House: Gryffindor
Year: Sixth
Wand: Supple, 11 and 3/4 inches, Holly with Dragon Heartstring core
Bloodline: Half-blood
Birthday: July 10, 1961
Pet/Familiar: A gray wood owl named Shade
Physical Description:
Desmonds hair is a mass of pale brown strands nearing a blond shade. Its a good thing he keeps his hair short, grazing only the tips of his ears, since he has always favored the rugged look to one thats neat and seemingly over clean. His strands are often parted down the middle and are sometimes left to rest on his forehead and brushing his nape at the back. He considers himself lucky to have inherited the silken quality of his mothers locks since he doesnt have to spend so much time on arranging his hair. Desmonds skin tone, usually a light tan, could vary a degree or two considering his love for the outdoors and sports that require him to be outdoors. He darkens the most during the summer and regains his natural skin tone in the duration of his stay in school as he is confined indoors most of the time.
His eyes are of a gray-blue hue. If one would take a closer look, Desmonds irises are delineated by a fine black line that accounts for making his eyes seem more gray than blue at times. His eyes have the tendency to flash with whatever emotion Desmond feels, even before his body follows their reaction. Fringes of long, caramel-colored lashes frame his communicative orbs and match the color of the two moderately thin brows sitting atop them. Tracing the bridge of a tall, straight nose, we come upon a pair of shell-pink lips that can be as animated as his eyes. His lips are very much capable of enhancing whatever emotion is held within his gaze, be it a smile that brightens his face considerably or a scowl that swipes all traces of cheeriness from it. His lips often form a half-smile, lifting only one corner and granting him more boyish charm. Desmonds oval-shaped face, though it doesnt make for pronounced cheekbones, it provides him with a strong, well-defined jaw and a rounded chin.
Desmonds five-feet-and-eleven-inch frame is a bit on the thin side aside from being rather tall. His limbs are long and lean, his shoulders fairly slender, his chest strong and his abdomen toned and tapering to a fine waist. His hands are rather large, long-fingered too; artists hands as his mother called them. He keeps his body in shape by engaging in various activities and probably a good game of Quidditch while at home during the summer and setting aside a few minutes of exercising during school days. Desmond is quite swift on his feet and possesses considerably fast reflexes. True, his body structure may create an impression of athleticism, but Desmonds frame is actually slender and would have been considered effeminate if not for the muscles he diligently worked on. He usually walks with a casual gait, almost leisurely and he could even throw in a slouch here and there.
Personality Description:
Desmond is generally genial and good-humored. With looks to match the abundance of charm he possesses, its easy to see why he was branded the Rogue label of the Ryker clan. He seems to associate well with women and has a propensity to turn his charm on at full force in the presence of a lady. Despite the cheery disposition and womanizing impression he projects, Desmond is, in actuality, an introspective soul. His intelligence is often overlooked because of his rakish charisma and he can often surprise people by quick and insightful retorts in a battle of wits. He also is astonishingly observant and has a keen eye for details.
Desmond has an enormous amount of patience and tolerance when it comes to dealing with people. It enables him to stay calm and keep his thinking straight through critical situations. He draws around an attitude of openness, compassion and subtlety when associating with others, even those he doesnt particularly like. It is, in fact, a rare occasion when Desmond loses his temper or his composure but still is susceptible to the risk. He is likely to snap at those who try to talk to him when hes still angry or to walk his anger off on the grounds of the school. His usually tight reign on his emotions also makes it difficult for Desmond to handle an outburst of emotions, especially if it was another persons. He does care though and would even fight your fight if you ask him to. He wouldnt hesitate about cursing someone who has hurt any of those he cares for, particularly members of his family, and could be quite horrid if his temper explodes.
Though hed never be one to break rules just to see how far he could go with them, Desmond has ever since had a fondness for mischief and isnt timid about playing pranks and toeing the line if he has to. Desmond, admittedly, is one of the more happy-go-lucky students, shirking academic responsibility as often as he could although he does love learning about magic and trying out new spells (jinxes and hexes especiallyon his siblings). However, nobody could deny that he was competent enough within the classroom, never really hesitating to ask questions if he didnt understand something or voicing a ready opinion if he was asked about a certain subject matter.
Brief History:
Desmond Jais Ryker was born to Max and Celeste Ryker on a dewy morning, seventeen years past. As the youngest of the Ryker brothers, he had a lot to live up to; more so because of overachieving brothers who, more often than not, liked to flaunt their skills (be it physical, mental or magical) about the house. Desmond had, early on, disliked being compared with his brothers and preferred to be recognized as his own person. Yes, he wasnt as dignified as his eldest brother, Forrest, who was the successor to their fathers title and most of their family estates. And he wasnt as shrewd as his second brother, Julian, who was bound to be instated as the official advisor when it came to the family finances. But he held his own.
From what he had learned of his familys history, his mother, Celeste de Fontaine was disowned by her very Puritan Pureblood family in France when she chose to marry Maxwell Ryker, a Muggle. True, he was an English nobleman with money and a title to his name but he was a Muggle just the same. Being less than a Pureblood was bad enough for Celestes family but to forge a lasting bond with a Muggle was unforgivable. As a result, Celeste was erased from the de Fontaine genealogy and was literally ostracized from the rest of her clan. Desmond saw that his mother didnt seem to mind the fact that she hadnt had contact with her family in ages and he never questioned her obvious happiness in the life that she chose.
As part of the English gentry, Desmond had to know how to behave as a gentleman should in public so as not to embarrass the Ryker name. As restless as any boy would be, he had absolutely no interest in learning such things and especially detested it when their mother made him practice dancing with his two younger sisters when he preferred to muck about in the backyard with his brothers. It was at dinner parties when he and his siblings were tested. What they said, how they acted and most importantly, how they dealt with the guests mattered. It was during those times that Desmond honed his skills in forcing a gentlemanly demeanor if need be, masking anger and annoyance with wit and charm. Not all of the guests his parents invited were perpetually pleasant and good people to mingle with, after all.
The eighth year of his life was a year hed much rather not talk about if he can help it. No one in their household, in fact, talks about it. It was when he was eight that he was kidnapped. Apparently, even the third son of a Marquess could be used as leverage in blackmail. For four months, he was kept from his parents and every day, hed wish for someoneanyone to rescue him. For a young boy, the months had felt like years and he hardly appreciated being pushed around, cursed at and being manhandled. He missed cavorting with his brothers. He missed seeing his parents and his sisters. He even missed those stupid dinner parties where he had to keep a polite smile on his face even if his collar itched.
The day he was rescued from the seemingly hopeless situation was the day he learned of his mothers being a witch. She was the one whod lead the group whod found him. He later found out that Forrest had received a letter accepting him to a school named Hogwarts, where he could study to become a wizard. Where people shrank back from the very concept of wizards and witches, Desmond welcomed it with the enthusiasm he was now determined to have. If his kidnapping incident taught him anything, it was to live life to its fullest without taking anythingespecially the little thingsfor granted. He attacked horseback-riding lessons, associated with a wide variety of people in school and out, dabbled in a bit of sketching and painting and had even demanded archery lessons when he was ten.
Desmond received his acceptance letter to Hogwarts shortly after he turned eleven, which was not a surprise, considering he had unknowingly showcased his magical talent when he was five by making a ladys wineglass shatter into pieces when she pinched his cheeks too many times. Of course, then he had no explanation for that particular event. Desmond had actually been looking forward to receiving magical schooling, ever since he saw Forrest head on to Hogwarts and come back with a wand of his own and books with various spells in them.
Within the halls of Hogwarts, he learned it wasnt much different from the world of Muggles. There was camaraderie and rivalry between students. Though he wasnt one to involve himself on a deeper level, he sometimes found himself a target for rude comments about his lineage and disdainful glances from students he hadnt even met before. And the first time he lost his temper was when another boy hurled a particularly vile insult at his mother. Slurs against him were ones he could handle but to offend either of his parents or one of his siblings was definitely a way to make him loathe you. Desmond only knew his fury and had disregarded the rules, casting a Petrificus Totalus spell on the other boy. Detention that night was bittersweet.
Academically, Desmond wasnt exactly diligent but he wasnt too lazy either. He loved learning. He just didnt like working on homework. Magic fascinated him and he knew it was something that was of great use to him in preventing anything that was like what he went through in the months that hed been held captive. He never really found out if his parents had paid the ransom and he didnt really care. People were careful to skirt around the subject whenever he was around. He actually surprised himself last summer when he received his O.W.L. results, having gotten eight O.W.L.s when he expected a mere five. It wasnt as good as Forrests or Julians (ten each), but he was happy with what he got, especially since he didnt devote as much time as he probably should have in studying for them.
With the Wizarding community in growing unrest, Desmond knew his next year was going to be eventfulperhaps a bit more terrifying than the last five years hed stayed at Hogwarts. Death Eater attacks, injured students, rumors about the He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Namedthey had increased in frequency and Desmond couldnt help but worry about what could happen and if he was prepared to take a stand on the matter. He knew one thing though. Hed do whatever it took to protect his family. He truly hoped it would turn out to be better than what he was expecting but it didnt hurt to prepare for the worst, did it?
Important Relationships:
Maxwell Ryker Desmond had ever since looked up to his father. He looked forward to whenever his father returned from his trips to London, taking his seat in the House of Lords. He liked how his father always spends time with him and his siblings even if he is busy. He especially liked how his father never favored one over the other. He liked his father even more when the elder Ryker adapted fairly well to the concept of his entire family being capable of magic.
Celeste Ryker Having the strictness of a schoolteacher, Celeste Ryker wasnt one of Desmonds favorite people when he was younger. He detested how he was forced to give up precious playtime and instead learn how to behave and dance. He saw how frantic her expression was when she found him the day he was freed from his captors and knew, without a doubt, he was cared for. That, however, didnt mean he didnt dislike how she can be so austere at times.
Forrest Ryker When they were younger, Desmond thought it would have been better if he was born as the eldest. People called you Young Lord Ryker, heir to Lord Windmeres title and fortune. Then he realized what burden it must be for his brother to deal with and his birth order didnt matter that much anymore. Desmond considers Forrest too solemn. He remains firm in his belief that a little fun never hurt anyone.
Julian Ryker Outspoken and the expert on initiating pranks; thats Julian. There are times when Desmond would simply shake his head at the things Julian says, abstaining from adding his own comment but he is continually amazed by how Julian seems to notice little things other wouldnt even bother to look at. Julian is also who Desmond consults with if he wanted to create mischief.
Danielle Ryker The epitome of sweet and innocent, Danielle is often the recipient of Desmonds protective streak. Putting the fact that theyre closest in age difference among the siblings, they get along with each other better than with the others. Danielle is more often than not, Desmonds confidant and he was hers.
Louisa Ryker Desmond spoils his youngest sister unconditionally. He cannot, absolutely cannot say no to her. Of course, it doesnt help that she can flutter her beguiling eyelashes at him or that she can work up those blackmailing tears when he even hints that he cant play with or spend time with her.
Genevieve Warwick Desmonds partner in crime when they were youngerand even until today, in fact. They were introduced when they were about four since their mothers knew each other and since then, had turmoil following them. Desmond never tires of teasing Gen since she retaliates with the same playfulness he regards her with. Except for the time when Gen and her family moved to France, Desmond and Gen had met up whenever they could.
Felix de Maurier Ever since Desmond saved Felix from a fate neither of them would rather talk about, theyd been close friends. With Felixs antics and general inclination to fall into trouble, Desmond never lacks a good laugh. He doesnt mind lending a hand though. They were in their second year when they found out that Felixs parents knew of Desmonds mother and have kept up a friendship since their time in France.
Gawain Robards Admittedly, Gawain is a lot like Forrest. Desmond is often inclined to coax Gawain out of a particularly sober mood when the other boy seems to be drained to exhaustion. Gawain is the one Desmond often pesters (or begs) to lend him his notes when hed fallen asleep in a class.
Abner Bloom Desmond associates the word mischief with Abner. It shifts to disaster whenever Abner and Felix are in the same room. Theres bound to be something that goes wrong when theyre together and Desmond would have to be part of those who clean up after them. As with Felix, he doesnt mind lending a hand after hes had a good laugh.
Ayena Crow Desmond doesnt mind the fact that Ayena is in Slytherin. In fact, shes one of the Slytherins he actually gets along with, despite the obvious difference in their Houses.
Melanie Hastwell Desmond has never really spoken to Mel before their third year when he borrowed her Potions notes. She helped him overcome a particularly long assignment and theyve found that it wasnt that hard falling into conversation with each other. Desmond likes being around Mel and often slips into a flirtatious mood whenever theyre together.
(Working on it further)
Likes/Dislikes:
Desmond loves the outdoors. Sports involving the outdoors are what he prefers to indulge in whenever he can; particularly football (soccer), swimming, archery and a bit of Quidditch if his siblings can fly with him. He likes having a good laugh and would have very few or no qualms about involving himself in harmless mischief. He enjoys discovering new spells and the occasional challenge of getting it right when put into practice. He likes good food, drawing, a good book (now and then) and teasing his siblings. He also relishes his free time and tries to make the best of it.
Desmond has an inexplicable dislike of people who peer over his shoulder; a pet peeve of his. It gives him the impression of someone sneaking up behind him. Anyone doing it, at any given time, even for the simplest reasons, makes him uneasy. He doesnt like closed spacesor anything that would remind him of being trapped. He doesnt like seeing people suffer because of anothers insensitivity. He frowns at people who blatantly disregard rules and those who judge people too quickly. Desmond hates it when people are rude; more so when people are rude to any member of his family.
Class sign-ups: Charms, Transfiguration, Potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Ancient Runes, Herbology
Loyalties - Personal and Family:
One needn't ask if Desmond would stand by his loved ones, whatever they do. He'd do anything for them in a snap. And being a half-blood himself, he thinks the entire concept of Pureblood supremacy isn't all it's made up to be.
PB/Avatar to be used: Jesse McCartney
Contact Information:
E-mail: cryptic091@yahoo.com
AIM & Y!M (Im on Y!M more though): cryptic091
EZMail is always open
ALL other ezboard IDs you use on PI, including the names of the characters you play on EACH: None Im new ^_^
Roleplay Sample:
Desmond blew a sigh as he closed the book he was reading. He readjusted himself slightly, propping himself up in a more comfortable position on the window ledge hed claimed for a reading spot. A frown crossed his aristocratic features as he thought he saw a shadow flit across the grounds below. He stilled himself briefly, making no other move than letting his chest puff in and out in breathing. It was a cat darting across the grounds. Only a cat. He leaned back and speared a hand through his already messy hair. He seemed to be on edge these days. And for good reason, he suspected. It was a night like this very night, chilly but clear, when hed dared venture out of the Windmere Hall at night. It was innocent fun and he meant to return after an hour or so. As it was, he never reached the fort he and his brothers built and had been knocked unconscious.
His eyes took on a glazed look as his mind revisited that dreadful night. He didnt even see the men that seized him. All he remembered was seeing a shadow towering behind him and the next thing he remembered was the severe pain that exploded on his head before he slipped into nothingness. Desmond leaned out the window further, wanting to relish the feel of the winter wind against his face. It was things like this that he sorely missed in the four months hed been held captive. He was kept in a dank room that smelled like something had died; or a load of that something, for that matter, had keeled over and was starting to rot. It was after the reinstatement of his freedom that hed vowed never to take things for granted; not even the little things. Sometimes, he wished his mind could bury the incident in a place where even he couldnt unearth.
A high-pitched squeal jarred him from his thoughts. Desmonds gaze spun around, catching sight of a trio of girls who were, he was sure, friends of Danielle. Before he knew what was happening, one of them had herself plastered along his side. He groaned inwardly, seeing that his only way of escaping her was to hurl himself out of the window. The three floors he had to drop from was not very appealing. Youll come to the party on Thursday, wont you, Dez? Caroline Travell batted her eyelashes at him. The said party was hosted by the Travell family; one of the many Christmas celebrations he and his family had been invited to. Desmond nodded politely, lamenting the fact that relations between the Travell and Ryker families were on such good terms.
The Travell family was a generally pleasant bunch. Desmond just couldnt seem to tolerate Carolines company. He supposed it was the way she clung to him like a predator would when it found its prey. It was terribly unsettling and more often than not, it made him feel as if he was caged in. That was a feeling he didnt associate well with. I rarely see you at parties, you know. Desmond watched as Carolines brows furrowed, her lips forming an unhappy pout. He raised the wattage of his smile as he swung his legs unto the floor. That would be because he worked hard to avoid her during the dratted events. It would be in poor taste if I wasnt there. He gently peeled Carolines death-grip from his arm and stepped back, comforted by the distance hed place between them. Were leaving tomorrow. I have to go and pack, alright? Have a good night. He tipped his head and went off toward the dormitories, careful to keep his pace normal, in case they were still watching his getaway.
How did you hear about PI?: Recommended (by Agne) ^_^



