Applicant Info

◎ Name: Ramey
◎ Journal: midvalley
◎ Contact: exposition
◎ Current Character(s): N/A

Character Info

◎ Character's Name: Charlie Maxwell
◎ Character's Canon: Original
◎ Character's Age: 81, but appears to be in his mid/late 20's
◎ Character's PB: Matt Barr (circa Hellcats and not Sleepy Hollow) | for reference
◎ Canon Point: Modern day- he's been friends with Jacob (the story's protagonist) for the better part of four years now.

◎ Background/History: Charlie's world is little different from our own, aside from the presence of magic and the supernatural. The magical community at large takes care to stay under the radar and out of the public eye. For the most part, everyone keeps to their own- wizards have their own, self-contained society; psychics, lycanthropes, etc, etc, have their own, self-contained society, and so on and so forth.

Wizards in this world make use of a special runic alphabet to cast spells. This alphabet it is extremely extensive, and it is common practice for wizards to choose a Specialization, a set of runes that serve a specific function, and devote their skill and studies to that. As such, wizards are given classifications based on their area of study; Mender, Destroyer, Illusionist, Enhancer, Defender, etc, etc. (People who pick and choose from Specializations without focusing on a single one are called Jacks, as in "Jack of all trades, master of none". This is highly frowned upon, and Jacks are considered little more than thugs or muscle for hire.) A wizard's power is also solely passed down through the males of the family, from father to son. Girls are born with a singular magic Talent, and cannot use the runes to do magic.

Charlie himself is a wizard, born in June of 1934 to a prominent and powerful family. The Maxwells are renowned Enhancers, which basically makes them the equivalent of magical plastic surgeons. They specialize in glamours, as well as physical enhancements to strength or speed and the like. A wizard always gets to choose his own Specialization, but as a Maxwell, it was expected of Charlie to become an Enhancer, like his father and Grandfather before him. But Charlie was never close to his parents- both his mother and father were shrewd business-people, cold, and utterly set in their ways- and he never much cared for his father's line of work. He had a kind heart, and something about the dishonesty of changing peoples' appearances never sat right with him.

When Charlie was ten, a scant two years away from beginning his studies, he was at a department store with his mother. It was Christmas time, and the store had someone there dressed as Santa Claus- Charlie wasn't allowed to go see him. His parents didn't exactly encourage frivolity- but as they were shopping nearby, Charlie watched as the man soothed a crying little girl by making a small toy dance for her. It was Animation magic, and Charlie found himself fascinated. The look of joy and wonder on the girl's face was something he had never seen from any of his father's clients. His mother was appalled, called it an egregious misuse of magic, and ensured that the man was quietly fired and dealt with. But that had clenched it for Charlie- he had no desire to lie to people, and no desire to hurt them- but for the first time, he had watched magic make someone truly happy. That was what he wanted to do. His father was furious, of course. Animation was essentially blue collar magic, better suited to craftsmen or petty thieves. Charlie stuck by his guns, refusing to cast so much as a single spell if he was made to study Enhancer magic. His father finally relented, taking some solace in the fact that he was still a Maxwell and still able to pass on the family's power, even if he didn't follow in their footsteps.

But Charlie wasn't done being a disappointment, it seemed. Because the magical power of a wizard is only passed on to his sons, wizarding society places a very heavy emphasis on setting up smart matches for their children and pumping out sons to further their family line. Charlie was finding that no matter how many girls his parents tried to match him up with, he had no interest in any of them. He was actually rather attracted to their brothers instead. He tried to deny it for a long time, he thought maybe there was something wrong with him. He should want to find a nice wife, right? Someone to help him further the Maxwell legacy.

He fought his feelings, battled with himself until he was nineteen. And then he met Robert.

Robert was a boy from another wizarding family of decent standing in Charlie's neighborhood, only a couple of years older than Charlie. They sort of knew of each other, but hadn't interacted until they crossed paths at a mutual acquaintance's party- the sparks were instant. They wiled away the night together, talking and laughing and enjoying one another's company. And maybe they were a little drunk when Robert kissed him, but Charlie fell hard and fast. They entered into a relationship together, unbeknownst to their family and friends, and for the first time in Charlie's life, being with someone felt right.

It was freeing and wonderful and Charlie was walking on air. Never mind that this was the 1950's, never mind that wizarding society itself had no place or no tolerance for a young gay couple. He was contemplating ways to tell his parents, ways that he and Robert could be together forever, because young love is a powerful drug, and he was convinced they were invincible.

Scandal broke out when Robert's parents discovered him with another guy from the neighborhood- someone they paid to do their lawn or clean their pool or whatever, Charlie didn't know, nor did he particularly care. But after that, Robert vanished, just disappeared, and while Charlie still saw his parents around on occasion, their son was nowhere to be seen. In all the whispers and gossip, Charlie heard the phrase "he's been dealt with" a lot, and never mind the sting of betrayal, because implications of what had happened to his one-time boyfriend were terrifying. That's when reality set in for Charlie. He had a choice to make- he could either continue to lead his life in the high-end of wizarding society by pretending to be someone he was not, or he was going to have to run.

As much as he hated lying- it was always something he hated about his father's profession, and he'd spent way too long lying to himself already- Charlie was smart enough to know that he didn't have the means to do much of anything at the moment. He had no money of his own, nowhere to go, and only a small handful of years spent studying his Specialization under his belt. More than anything, he needed time.

Charlie took his time- he threw himself into his studies and quietly sequestered money away for twenty years. (A long time, possibly, but not all that long in the lifespan of a wizard, who can live for somewhere in the realm of 250 years. And maybe there was a part of him that hoped that attitudes would change, but wizards are obsessed with their legacies and tradition to the point of stagnation.) In that time, Charlie engineered spells to defend himself- something that broke his heart, because he had no desire to hurt anyone with his abilities, but at the same time, he didn't want to allow anyone to deal with him.

Twenty years is most definitely a long time to ignore his many would-be suitors, and there Charlie was, edging up on forty, no wife, no prospects, and with two parents who wanted to know what was up. They cornered him, confronted him, and against his better judgement, he told them. Charlie should have known better than to expect even the slightest bit of acceptance from his family, who were traditionalists to their bones, and they told him in no uncertain terms that they would not allow it. They would not allow Charlie to love whoever he wanted- not if that meant there would be no one to further the Maxwell legacy- and how dare he be so selfish.

With no other choice, Charlie finally ran.

He didn't go far- a few towns over, maybe- and rented a crappy little apartment. It wasn't much, not compared to the place he came from, but for a while it was home. But the news of the Maxwell family's scandal spread fast, and it eventually caught up to Charlie in the form of an attempt on his life. He woke up one night to find a man with a knife in his apartment- Charlie never got a chance to ask him who he was or who sent him, but he did figure out that the guy was a Jack, not just some random thug. When Charlie lashed out with magic, the man was able to fight back. That meant he was someone who had either been hired by his family to remove their shame or he had been hired by a family that was trying to work their way into the Maxwell's good graces. Either way, it was the wizarding community's final "fuck you" to Charlie Maxwell. Charlie was badly wounded in the fight, and he was forced to use one of his defensive spells- his Last Resort (capital 'L', capital 'R', he feels it deserves the distinction)- a brutal, messy spell that left his attacker dead and Charlie terrified. If he wanted any chance at a life, he had to get much further away.

Wizards tended to stick mostly to the coasts, the east coast especially, but if someone wanted to find the people who made the magical world go 'round, they looked for the shapeshifters. Shifters took up jobs in positions of power- law, local government, that kind of thing- for the sole purpose of helping the long-lived blend more easily into society by providing them with paperwork and IDs, and making sure that the magically-inclined folk who broke the law were quietly dealt with without making national headlines. Charlie headed to Denver- a place that didn't have much of a wizarding population, but a heavy shifter presence. They helped him establish an identity, and set him up with a place to live and a job at Blackburn Books, a little used bookstore downtown under the ownership of a shifter by the name of Ben Blackburn. Ben was apparently the only one willing to take Charlie in, which was not surprising since Ben had a big heart of his own and a genuine love of people.

Ben was getting up there in years, even for a shifter, who can be just as long-lived as wizards. He eventually retired to spend his waning years with his family, leaving the bookstore in Charlie's ownership. Sometime in the early 2000's, Charlie became friends with a woman by the name of Kara Makenna, a fire elemental under the employ of the local police department as a consultant. He became her go-to guy for advice and info when things got a little too strange even for her. In time, Kara was partnered with a detective by the name of Jacob Randall- Jacob, as it turned out was the grandson of the most powerful and deadly wizard in history. He'd newly learned bout his heritage, and shared none of his grandfather's ambitions. Now on top of being their info guy, Charlie became a sort of mentor to Jacob in the ways of wizarding society. Charlie gets dragged into their shenanigans a lot, sometimes against his will, but he'll admit that Jacob is a breath of fresh air, since he wasn't raised by wizards and therefore shares none of their prejudices.

◎ Is the character a hacker and/or do they have a sixth-sense? Charlie's only sixth sense pertains to his own magic. Specifically, he can sense when any wards he's set up have been triggered. He is not a hacker, but he does know how to set custom ringtones on his iPhone. That's got to count for something, right?

◎ Personality: Charlie was pretty unhappy with his home life fairly early on. His parents were strict and joyless, borderline obsessed with appearances and propriety and but what will people say, but Charlie tried to maintain an air of positivity and friendliness as best he could. He grew up to hold none of his parent's ideals, which was probably part of the reason he was so quick to reject the idea of being an Enhancer. He was a wizard, surely there should be some wonder in having magical powers. If not then what was the point? In Charlie's mind, there was no wonder in making people appear prettier or younger or faster or stronger or whatever. And maybe there could have been, but the way his father conducted business was very cut-and-dry, with no room for levity. Charlie saw the profession of something rigid and oddly dishonest. (Which was always a strange contrast to his folks' otherwise brutal honesty. Santa Claus? The tooth fairy? Banish the notion.)

Charlie's parents were willing to let his attitude slide for the most part, because his charisma and overall attitude meant he was well-liked by his peers. It's a pretty common practice for wizards to hold balls or galas as ways of showing off their standing, which always had the bonus of eligible young men and women being forced to socialize under the watchful eyes of their parents. Charlie is just naturally charming, with an easy smile and a sharp wit, and even in his darkest moments, where he felt like the biggest failure or that he was somehow defective, for a few hours, he could shine.

He did spend quite a while in turmoil- while he had no hesitations about what he wanted to do with his magic, his sexuality was another matter entirely. Before Robert he would constantly doubt himself. There were moments where he considered going to his parents for advice, but on some level he knew he wouldn't like whatever they offered by way of "help". After Robert he still had his moments, but somehow that one relationship- the rightness of it- had strengthened his resolve and allowed him a level of self-acceptance. That's not to say there wasn't some bitterness towards the wizarding community for their narrow-mindedness, because there most certainly was. He spent a lot of time hating them for his situation.

Charlie also found he couldn't abide the way wizards were willing to let the world pass by without them. The notion was probably born out of his resentment, but it was no less valid once he began to give it some real thought. The 1950's were hardly progressive, but he watched the world around them change a lot in the decades that followed. He began indulging in popular culture a lot, he learned about the latest technology, and he loved it. He always had a sharp mind, and a great love of solving puzzles. There was a lot to learn, even outside of magic. In that way, a bookstore was a perfect fit for him because it gave him the chance to learn about whatever he wanted. Though sometimes his intelligence gets him into trouble. If he's got a good read on a person or situation, he has no patience for beating around the bush. He can come of pretty tactless at times.

Time heals all things, and after being settled in Denver for a few years, Charlie came to the realization that he could not live his life embittered by what he had been through- thanks in no small part to Ben Blackburn, who gave him gentle guidance and tough love in equal measure whenever he needed it. He vowed to move forward without forgetting where he came from, and without letting it dictate who he would be. His old charm returned by degrees. He's not totally okay with what he wet through- there are a lot of unanswered questions about what he's been through and why. Even years later, he still has his moments of bitter resentment towards his family, but for the most part he's fairly well-adjusted, friendly, and kind of a giant nerd. (The animate suit of armor he enchanted to guard his store? He named her Wyn- after Eowyn, from Lord of the Rings.) Charlie's own experiences with the more prejudiced and rigid side of magical society have also given him quite the well of compassion and patience. Jacob has a tendency to collect people who have been cast out or otherwise shunned from their respective supernatural communities, and Charlie can see a lot of himself in them. His heart breaks for them, and he's more than willing to offer a shoulder to cry on or a listening ear or a couch on which to crash if the need arises. There would be no greater honor for him than being someone's Ben Blackburn.

Getting to know Jacob has done a lot for his outlook as well, even if it's thrown a wrench in his quiet, peaceful existence. If this guy was to be the future for wizards, with his boundless kindness and the wonderful way he didn't give a fuck about legacies and traditions, then Charlie had to admit that he was actually a little hopeful for the future. Maybe there was no place for Charlie among wizards anymore, but for future generations of people like him? There might be.

◎ Powers/Abilities: In general, wizards have better memories than most regular people. It's just the way their brains are wired- it helps them deal with the complexity of their magic system and their extended lifespans- so Charlie has quite the mind for useless trivia and remembering things that happened upwards of seventy years ago.

On he magic front, Wizards make use of the runes by sketching the mark into the air. Once the mark is complete, the spell is cast. Simple spells can take only a few seconds to cast, but things that are more complex may take hours or even days to complete properly. Sometimes writing enchantments is more akin to writing a computer program or complex algorithm.

Charlie is an Animator, meaning the magic he uses gives him the ability to animate inanimate objects. It could be something as simple as making an object fly across the room, or it could be as complex as creating a pseudo-personality for the suit of armor that guards his bookstore, which includes things like advanced reaction times and threat assessment (she was a project years in the making). His magic does not work on anything that's alive- not people, animals, or plants. For instance, he could not use his magic on a person's arm to make them punch themselves in the face, but he could use his magic on their clothes, and thereby yank their arm around to have them smack themselves in the face.

Charlie is a genius in his field, pioneering spells far beyond the more mundane uses for Animation magic (like enchanting dishes to clean themselves or toys to dance- not that he doesn't use those on occasion). He's innovated spells for use in combat and defense, found ways to have spells react to certain notes of music, and created ways to tie his enchantments to the user's will (so enchanted weapons, for example, can only be used by their designated wielder). He spends a lot of his spare time researching new ways to apply his magic.

He has two spells that are tattooed on his body, and magically hot-wired to his brain. He can activate them with just a thought. They are as follows:

♦ Stop-Motion Field - When active, any inanimate object with an three-to-five foot radius of Charlie will become frozen in place. With a wave of his hand, Charlie can send anything caught in this field rocketing away from him at deadly speeds. This works on solid objects only however, so things like bolts of lightning, lasers, energy beams, etc, will pass right through the field with no problems. The tattoo for this can be found on the inside of his right forearm.

♦ Last Resort - He calls it this for a reason. This is an extremely powerful spell that he will only use in the most dire of circumstances. As it stands, he's only used this once in his entire life. It basically sends all inanimate objects near Charlie into a sort of panic mode, and they will attempt to kill whoever or whatever is threatening Charlie's life in whatever way they can. It's messy and desperate and fast. The one time he did use it, he watched the furniture in his small apartment throw itself at his attacker. Lamps and light bulbs broke on impact, and the shards of glass got back up to cut and maim and stab. Ultimately, Charlie watched the carpet tear itself off of the floor and smother his attacker to death. He will only use this spell if there is literally no other recourse left, and the spell always aims to be fatal, though whether it is or not depends on who he's using it on. The tattoo for this can be found on the back of his left shoulder.

◎ Weapons & Other Special Inventory:

♦ Throwing knives - A set of half a dozen throwing knives, enchanted to hit whatever Charlie throws them at. (Provided he has a visual on it/them. He can't just throw a knife and think of a random person or object and it'll work. What they can do is fly around corners and dodge obstacles.) He can call them back to him by whistling certain notes. The enchantments are tied solely to his will and cannot be used by anyone else.

♦ iPhone - Just a plain iPhone. At this point it's good as little more than an MP3 player and a camera.

CEREALIA-Specific

◎ Element: Water. Charlie is fluid, easy-going, and open to change. Also, on a more aesthetic note, his magic is blue.
◎ Sense: Sight. Charlie's magic relies heavily on knowing what is around him, and since his spells must be written, being able to see is key. He also wishes to observe the world around him, rather than remain stuck in the past like his fellow wizards.
◎ Seven Character Traits: ( intelligent, patient, open-minded ) | ( blunt, overly analytical, resentful ) + kind

Samples

◎ First-Person Sample: Test drive!

◎ Third-Person Sample:

When Charlie first came to Denver, he was scared and broken and bore no love of the outside world. The local shifters had been helpful in getting him settled, but they seemed to want little more to do with him. Charlie couldn't exactly blame them, considering house spiteful and standoffish he was, even towards the people trying to help him.

But then there was Ben. Ben who offered up a place for Charlie in his bookshop- a job he was sorely going to need to repay the debt he'd accumulated by trying to get established in town with no money of his own. Ben who bore Charlie's tantrums with a kind of patience that Charlie really admired. Ben who, after weeks of Charlie skipping work to sulk in the darkest corner he could find, found his way into the wizard's apartment and told him, "You can't hide from life every time it hurts you."

The old shifter had reminded Charlie that there was good in this world, and reminded him of the kindness in his own heart- the same heart that had been so dead-set against Enhancement in the first place.

Charlie tried to pay that kindness forward every chance he got, and currently it stood before him in the form of Alyssa Lysander, a 20-year-old shapeshifter who had been cast out by her stepmother for being "defective". Charlie hated that about the magical community, that there were so many arbitrary guidelines, and anyone who didn't fit the mold would be made to fit it, or else they were disposable.

Alyssa landed on Charlie's doorstep thanks to Jacob, who was currently investigating the death of her grandmother. Charlie had agreed readily to take her in, but meeting her now, Alyssa seemed unsure.

The wizard offered her the kindest smile he could muster. "My home is your home. You're free to come and go as you please. And you can have free reign of the blu-ray player if you like."

Alyssa countered with a smart remark about the sheer amount of movies he owned (and to be fair, it was a lot), which Charlie took as a good sign. Theirs would be a rocky relationship, as would become obvious later, but for the time being, she was just a girl who had just lost one of the very few people left who cared about her. Charlie could never fill that gap, and he wasn't about to try. He was here to offer a roof, a meal now and then, and an ear. Someone had given him as much decades ago, and it had changed his entire world.

This was the least he could do.

◎ Is your character retaining any previous game memories? Nope!