FULL NAME: Bijou Lanying (兰英) Pascal
NICKNAMES: Unironically known as Queen B during her time at Malstrom.
AGE/DOB: 16 / August 14, 2003 / Leo Sun, Pisces Moon
YEAR: Sophomore
BLOOD STATUS: Halfblood. Family lore claims the Pascals branched off from the illustrious Rosier family, though there's been considerably less bragging about that since the Wizarding Wars.
GENDER/PRONOUNS: Female, she/her.
SEXUALITY: Move over, Jane Austen. Bijou's unrealistic expectations about romance are firmly in the realm of the bizarre and she's a devoted junkie of the cryptid bodice ripper genre.
HOMETOWN: Hunting Valley, OH. Many people would be surprised to discover that a suburb of Cleveland boasts one of the richest communities in the US. It's less surprising upon discovering that the sprawling country estates are home to many wealthy wizarding families that can eagerly trace their lineage back to some of Europe's most prominent pureblood clans. (The Bureau of No-Maj Engagement would like to thank the residents of Hunting Valley for no longer making their services necessary whenever they set the damn river on fire.)
APPEARANCE:Soft and feminine, entirely at home in skirts and heels. Carefully curated image. Straight hair, perfect blowout. Loves scrunchies. Lighter/"natural" makeup look, while still being very covered in makeup. Lots of pinks and pleated skirts.
HEIGHT: 5'1"
BUILD: Tiny powerhouse
PB: Erika Tham
INSPO: Pinboard What would others say is their most prominent personality trait — what's the first thing people notice about them?Bijou is the embodiment of effortless highschool royalty - thanks to a lot of careful construction. She's a head turner, for sure. Warm and regal. A kind word at the ready whenever she passes by a fellow classmate. Privileged and seemingly not very self-aware. Peppy. Sweet. Harmless. Maybe even a ditz. The archetypal highschool cheerleader.
How would this character describe themself? What do they think are their best and worst qualities?At her best, Bijou considers herself to be a very kind and caring person, first and foremost. She's also tenacious, smart, and going to make a difference. But she's also very lonely and though she has easy likeability, she struggles a great deal with actually making real connections with people. There's a considerable amount of walls surrounding Bijou and it isn't that hard to guess that there's more lurking behind the perfectly curled hair, but actually letting people in is hard.
What drives them to action? Doing good? Getting rich? Receiving praise?As someone with a great deal of both, it would be easy to assume that Bijou desires nothing more in life than prestige and wealth. Maybe because she already has them she can take them for granted, but Bijou is far more interested in proving that she can make a positive difference on the world. Philanthropy and service aren't simply motions to be gone through to gain esteem in society. Being good and being just are both important ideals to Bijou. She has a very romantic view of the world in that way. Though it's worth noting that she's still young and very sheltered and her ideas of worthy causes can a liiiitttle out of step with reality - she's the sort to donate a Prada handbag to Spellunking truly convinced that will help the less (fashion) fortunate.
At the same time, she
has very much been raised to hold herself to incredibly high and exacting standards in order to reflect positively on her mother. Even if she tries to rebel a little here and there, she can't shake the perfectionistic tendencies that have been driven into her. Recognition for excellence absolutely
is a secondary, unhealthy motivator for Bijou and she's easily her own worst critic.
How does this character handle tense social situations like arguments/fights?Very much groomed to be a people pleaser, Bijou's first instinct is often to avoid rocking the boat. That said, when push comes to shove, she believes in doing what's right rather than trying to make someone happy. It's best to remember with Bijou that even kittens have claws.
Is the glass half empty, half full, or something else?Bijou would love to always say the glass is half full and that's exactly what she
will say if you ask her, but even as she's saying it, at the back of her mind will be a "Well,
technically..." But everyone prefers an optimist, so. Can she top that off for you?
What sense do they most rely on?With such a perfectly put together image, sight would seem the obvious answer, but it's actually the unseen that Bijou relies on the most. An avid reader from a young age, Bijou relied on books and her imagination as her only source of friends for years. She's very much an idealistic dreamer that's not fully grounded in reality and wants to be the heroine of a grand love story.
FUN FACTS:👑 Played the titular role in Wizney's
Wren Credible, a WizViz series about a preteen girl living a double life as MACUSA's youngest auror recruit. It was cancelled after one season.
👑 ESFJ, the Consul |
1w2, the Advocate
LANGUAGES: English and Loveland Croak (studying). She can also stumble through useful phrases such as "Kiss me now, you rogue!" in a variety of cryptolanguages - notably Flatwood, Lepidolite, and a variety of Sylvan.
HOBBIES: Reading romance and adventure novels (the weirder, the better), daydreaming about starring in romance and adventure novels, kissing frogs, image upkeep, acting, planning, decorating, sticking her nose where it doesn't belong, sneaking around, babysitting Queen Guin
SKILLS:Performing Arts | A so-called triple threat when it comes to acting, singing, and dancing, Bijou was groomed from a very young age to be a child star. Her on-stage skills are about as nuanced as to be expected from someone trained to star in children's programming, but she does bring a great deal of energy and charisma to the stage. Her off-stage acting skills are arguably much stronger. As a singer, her
voice is very powerhouse pop-friendly and easily her strongest skill of the set. Her dancing background primarily falls within the realm of jazz and hip hop and she's quick to pick up choreography, but unlikely to be a featured dancer.
Duelling | As seen on WizViz! Bijou began intensive duelling lessons while filming
Wren Credible which helped her build a strong foundation, even if everything was according to scripts. She's been an active participant in duelling clubs since her time at Malstrom, building on her skills beyond the script and particularly excels at Defensive Charms. She's a very theatrical duellist which is often her undoing.
Spy Kid | Thanks to her Wizney show, Bijou has been fully trained in the art of being a Spy Kid. Which is to say she's very good at dramatically sneaking around corners and through laser mazes, clicking buttons on fancy gadget looking things, and whispering into linked compact mirrors. (If you need someone with ACTUAL detective skills, you should probably look elsewhere.)
Spell Compendium | So here's a secret: 11 year old Bijou wasn't
actually the one casting all those spells on
Wren Credible. But even when a spellcasting double was being used, Bijou still had to learn all the names, effects, and movements. Unsurprisingly, Hollywiz glammed everything up for the sake of drama, but Bijou was a quick study and she's continued to read ahead in her spellbooks ever since. Her encyclopedic knowledge of standard and not-so-standard spells allows her to continue to be a useful resource, even when working with students years ahead of her. Just know that her swishes and flicks are
considerably swishier and flickier than necessary.
Running in Heels | The practical response to not wanting to sacrifice style for practicality is simply to get better at something!
FAMILY:Mildred Ng Mylène Pascal | Mother | Gold digger, negligent parent, and overall train wreck. She typically views Bijou as a tool to increase her social currency and Bijou quietly rebels by referring to her as Mildred in private.
Vespasien Pascal | Father | Deceased. During his younger years, he was a prominent BoMB diplomat and highly respected cryptolinguist. Following his retirement from the Bureau, he served as a language consultant and the Pascal family library is filled with volumes that he collaborated on. His final marriage came well into his twilight years and the vast majority of his immense estate went to his young wife upon his death. Bijou has very few memories of him.
Half Siblings | Half Siblings. For all intents and purposes, Bijou is an only child, but she's technically the youngest of the seven children that Vespasien had over the course of his five marriages. Most of them are well into their middle age and only one of them is younger than Bijou's mother. All of them are graduates of Malstrom Academy and they're probably all Dark Wizards too. Well, maybe not. But they
are all things like lawyers and bankers and real estate investors. They've all been embroiled in a nasty estate battle with Bijou's mother for as long as Bijou can remember.
Rodrigo the Pool Boy | Named for Mylène's first fling following Vespasien's death, they're never around enough for Bijou to bother learning their names or what profession they actually hold.
It's easy to fall in love with a bank account the size of Vespasien Pascal's. A liiiiittle harder when the man attached is Really Old even by wizarding standards. But after a lifetime of being treated as Not Enough by Wizarding Society, Mildred Ng - who promptly restyled herself as Mylène Pascal upon her marriage - "couldn't help but fall helplessly head over heels" for
the wealth and prestige that her new husband brought her Vespasien Pascal. It wasn't long after that the cries of new baby Bijou were echoing through the estate.
At his age and with four failed marriages under his belt, Vespasien was under no illusions about his newest wife but she was a pleasant companion and he doted endlessly on his youngest daughter - ah, small humans! So much potential still! Not like those other stinkers he had raised and disinherited over the last so many decades.
Time took its toll, however, and Vespasien passed away long before he ever had a chance to ruin his relationship with Bijou and disinherit her too. Thus at roughly four years old, Bijou and her mother became disgustingly wealthy while a fraction of the estate was divided amongst his remaining offspring.
In theory there was little to want for - nannies, tutors, clothes, food were all The Best Money Could Buy - but what little Bijou really yearned for on the vast country estate was a little honest companionship. And that, they were sorely lacking in. With her new found financial and romantic freedom, Bijou's mother was a scarcity in her life and likely would have remained that way if one of her mother's friends hadn't put the idea in her head that darling little Bijou had a perfect face for film.
Mother/daughter bonding time soon meant Bijou was getting dragged through the circus of youth modeling, theatre and dance. She didn't
hate it. It meant attention and finally getting out of the house, but even at that age, Bijou had a sense that none of it was really for herself. Once they returned home, nothing had changed and Bijou would vanish to her haven - the family library - where no one ever seemed interested in bothering her. Hidden in the stacks, trying to decipher the meanings of words well beyond her years, became her getaway. It was there she stumbled on her first catalogs of magical beings and creatures, illustrated in beautiful water colors, that left a lasting positive impression on her, not unlike a child's first viewing of Fox Robin Hood. (Okay, but really, wh-why does that Squatch have a six pack?? Is that really necessary??)
Bijou was finally on her way to follow in the footsteps of all the Pascal children before her and enter Malstrom Academy when she got her "big break". Someone knew someone who knew someone who got her an audition for an upcoming Wizney show and Bijou actually landed the starring role in a kid auror romp called
Wren Credible. So rather than textbooks, it was off to Hollywiz! Living the dream! (Even if it wasn't exactly
her dream.)
Unfortunately, WizViz still hasn't become the fixture in wizarding homes that it is for muggles and the show was canceled after one season. But even if the show was short-lived, Bijou was officially An Actress From a WizViz Show and a minor celebrity. When she finally did enter Malstrom a year delayed, it seemed as if
everyone wanted to be her best friend. It was a thrilling turn of events after years of being largely isolated from her peers. So what if they kept askeing her if she could help them meet one of her former co-stars and not much else. That's how friends worked, right??
Well, maybe not. Even if everyone treated her like royalty, this wasn't exactly what Bijou had in mind when she'd longed for friends. Back into the world of books she retreated, now with far more understanding and interest in the various lusty watercolors on the covers in "that section" of the library. "That section", of course, was where a vast number of romance novels featuring heroes and rogues of the crypid variety were housed - not all of Vespasien's linguistic collaborations had been purely academic, apparently. What started with moving through the entire saga of
The Lepidopterite Auguries spiraled into the sort of teen girl obsession that desperately needs an outlet. Without access to Tumblr, Bijou instead found herself abdicating her throne at Malstrom and applying to transfer to Peckenpaugh starting her freshmen year. (Her mother would have been more displeased with the whole thing if she hadn't recently taken up with a new Rodrigo the Pool Boy.)
A few more years out from
Wren Credible and surrounded by students who weren't all pathological social climbers, Bijou's welcome to Peckenpaugh was considerably more understated. And that suited her just fine, even if she continued to very much be On and swan about the halls like she'd taken a left instead of a right on the way to Malstrom. School finally felt "normal" - in a place where the Potions teacher likes to fake melting off his arm and the Quodpot team
really needed some help. It wasn't until some odd culimnation of Serious News Headlines and
Wren Credible nostalgia late in the year that Bijou finally found her purpose in life - in fact, it wasn't finding a ridiculously wealthy Tytan to marry. The insistence that Wizney's very own Wren Credible was going to join the DMLE for real was most likely met with a considerable amount of eyerolling, but there's absolutely no mission too tough for
~Wren Credible~ Bijou Pascal!
WAND: 10", Rowan, Qilin horn. Though intricately carved, far more noticable are the absurd amount of cutesy cell phone charms hanging off the end of it.
FAMILIAR: None. Though she'd like one, she doesn't know what she would do with it during the summer months as she's never been allowed to keep a pet around the house. She's quite fond of reptiles and would love a corn snake or a fat-tailed gecko.
CAREER GOALS: After the scandals of 2015, it's clear the DMLE could use a few good women and who better than Wizney's very own Wren Credible?
PART-TIME JOB: Oh, that's a good joke. :)
CLASSES:
Charms (H) | Bijou makes a very strong showing in this class thanks to her aforementioned fondness of reading ahead on spells and general penchant for theatrical spellcasting.
Potions | Not her stongest class, but she tries. Every spy kid kid auror knows the value of an array of potions on her utility belt!
Transfigurations | The math aspect gives her trouble and her teacups always have tails.
Cryptozoology & Magizoology (H) | Horny for monsters is like the #2 reason for coming to this school, give her a break. She's an absolute pest who loves asking Mr. Trullinger about whatever monster du jour is starring in the latest novel she's read.
Defense Against the Dark Arts (H, TA) | If you knew Bijou at Malstrom or were with her for freshmen DADA, it might be a surprise to find out she'd been selected as TA this year because this class only became a top priority for her in the latter half of last year. She's very much All In now and quite serious about the study, regularly pestering Mr. Purcell about letting her help out any way she can.
Wizard Literature | Oh, she loves. The reading part anyway. She regularly pesters Mr. Crockett for recommendations.
Outdoor Magic | The odd duck of her schedule, Bijou's primarily here for the underwater spellcasting and improvisational thinking.
Non-Human Languages (H) | Loveland Croak. Bijou's harbored an interest in cryptolinguistics for years thanks to the family library, but actually selecting a language of study was a difficult endeavor. Go with her heart and learn to whisper sweet nothings in Flatwood? Stick with something practical like Sylvan? Practicality almost won out, but she'd just finished reading Slime and Snogability when selections were being made and Oh, Mr. Croakbert!
Occlumency & Legilimency | Bijou uses her position as Queen Guin's babysitter Mr. Purcell's TA as an excuse to sit in during his L&O seminars, however she's not allowed to actively participate in lessons until next year.
EXTRA-CURRICULARS:
Cheer | She's very into the school spirit aspects of Cheer and absolutely loves decorating lockers and hanging signage up around the school. Don't discount her on the field though, she's got moves and plenty of panache to throw around.
Debate | A strong performer and public speaker, especially when working off a pre-written script. Off the cuff debate is more challenging.
Duelling & Wandwork | Wand sports > broom sports anyday.
Performing Arts | It's kind of a given. Though it was always more of something her mom pushed her towards, Bijou truly does enjoy slipping into someone else's life for a couple hours and it's important practice for future undercover work!
Student Council | Sophomore class representative. Ready to be a voice of the people! Here for all your dance planning and fund raising needs!
SORTING?: It was with little doubts that Bijou passed through the door to Wildgulch - after all, it's the one the Spring Room instantly illuminated. An argument could be made for Bijou opting to ~carve her own path~ and pass through Deeplurk's door, but doing so would have been a mistake, and if anything, likely setting herself up to follow a path not unlike her mother's. But she did like the question about what tree she could marry. (Brent Kent the Ent. No hestitation.)
NAME: Manx!
EMAIL: mahoushoujomanx[at]gmail[dot]com
CDJ: ![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
thisismanxOTHER CONTACT: dropbox
TIMEZONE: EST
SLP: Defense Against the Dark Arts TA
POSITION: Defense Against the Arts TA
WHY THIS SPOT?: While you can never truly take the shine away from DADA, Mr. Purcell doesn't exactly excite a great deal of competition to be his assistant. Do you want to battle the dark forces of drowsiness? Are you pugnacious about pug drool? Well Bijou isn't either, but she was deeply persistent about taking on the job after the previous holder graduated. So what if she's only just decided a few months ago that she's going to be an auror? She does know an adorable poochie bakery in France that sells treats fit for a queen and the absolute best angle for dramatic posing from when aiding with a demonstration.
IDEAS?: Obviously Patronus session and Auror adjacent stuff is quite popular. Boggarts are child's play but have the potential to be used at some point. I'd like to maybe poke some more at cross-discipline stuff, like healing+dark arts, creatures+dark arts (there's a fair amount of creatures classified as dark beings in Britain that probably are considered maligned by Peckenpaugh standards). No specific ideas atm, but I am very willing to try to spin out small ic/oocs and "help" during group projects. Tutoring, etc.
The Lepidopterite Auguries