Forum:Gretchen MacMillan

The Open-Ended Questions

A. Please answer the following questions as elaborately as possible. (Remember, this part is only a requirement for your third to fifteenth character! However, if you want to have more input on where you character is sorted, then please answer #6!)

1) What would you consider to be your character's strengths, and your character's weaknesses? Elaborate on your answer.


 * Gretchen is incredibly head-strong and more often than not is very polite. Moreover, she's an incredibly mischievous person; she hardly takes anyone serious, let alone can be taken as such. She likes to mess around a lot, and it has its consequences. She also tends to act before she thinks.

2) What goals and objectives has your character set out in their life? Is it to be successful and rich? Is it to find happiness? Why?


 * Gretchen would love to become a professional photographer. Any kind - she just wants to take pictures. Of landscapes, of people, of weddings; she doesn't mind.

3) What's their ideal way of spending a free day? Why so?


 * Her ideal way of spending a day would be taking photographs. It can be of anything. But her, with a camera, recording every moment of her life on this planet? Permanently capturing the beauty of each crevice in Earth? It sounds like heaven, truly.

4) If your character could only keep 5 possessions, what would they be? Why?

5) What one thing would your character change about the wizarding society? Why?


 * They have so many expectations for young people; serious jobs, a family, children, etc. She detests all these expectations. She'd be more than happy with nothing but food and a camera for the rest of her life - why can't these people just care about that, instead of the worth of her life in terms of how she's contributed to society?

6) What house does your character want to be in? What house does your character not want to be in? Why?


 * She doesn't care.

The Sorting Quiz

B. Select the option that best fits your character. (Remember, this part is a requirement for every character you make! Please bold the answers from an IC Point of View, and mark in italics the answers from the OOC Point of View.)

1) Which type of spell is most useful?


 * A. A Complex Spell


 * B. A Spell Of Control


 * C. A Combat Spell


 * D. A Healing Spell

2) What is most important to you?


 * A. Grades.


 * B. Getting your way.


 * C. Life.


 * D. Friends and family.

3) What would you do if a teacher caught you cheating?


 * A. I'm the person people cheat off of.


 * B. I wouldn't get caught; I'm too slick.


 * C. I would deny the accusation until the teacher gives up.


 * D. I would 'fess up, apologize, and accept the consequences.

4) What matters most to your character?


 * A. Wisdom


 * B. Reputation


 * C. Success


 * D. Friendship

5) What's the best way to get things done?


 * A. Putting together a qualified team and completing the task efficiently.


 * B. Trick someone else into doing the work for you.


 * C. Get some friends together and lead them in the task.


 * D. The right way, no matter how long it takes.

The Character's Background

1) Give a description of your character's personality. Are you noble or sneaky? Arrogant or Humble? Anything about your character that might help the Sorting Hat decide. (Don't worry, you can copy this onto your character page later!) (Remember, personality must be at least one paragraph long for the first two characters, two paragraphs long for the third to eighth characters, and three paragraphs long for the ninth to fifteenth!)


 * When you think about Gretchen, you'll probably think about leather jackets, low-cut dresses, the smell of cigarettes and vanilla perfume. You'll think about adrenaline. About the thrill and exhilaration of bending rules. Of breaking them. Because that's exactly what makes her... her. Above everything, Gretchen is confident. She has this natural, authentic, solid, powerful, and permanent confidence that communicates she's sure of who she is and where she's going. She's also incredibly perceptive. For real. She isn't sure whether it's the fact that she's been in so many different bodies, been so many different people, but she knows... well, she knows what makes everyone the same, and what makes everyone so unique. She's very empathetic and is amazing at handing out advices, even if she herself is very bad at following through with them. She supposes it's just a perk of being a Metamorphmagus. There are more, of course, but they just satiate her thirst for trouble. Gretchen's a spontaneous, vivacious daredevil, unafraid to live her life a little. Take her bungee jumping, and she'll happily do it. Take her ziplining, and she'll be the first to go. Hell, she's heard about the Suicide Forest, and she wouldn't mind paying the forest a visit once she's of age. She's got a sense of recklessness, jumping on board to cause some mischief. She's unsure whether it's because her parents influenced her so much while they were alive, or if it's the fact that wrecking havoc distracts her from the guilt that eats her alive every single day, or even the fact that she wants to feel like she's living up to her parents' legacies. Whatever it is, it's making her live her life to the fullest - even if she dies tomorrow, at least she won't have any regrets. Or at least any excluding her biological family. Gretchen adapts easily. She's clever, too. Witty. That's why it's so easy for her to get out of trouble. Though she does act on instinct a lot, and sometimes around to bite her in the ass.

2) Write about the history of your character. How did they grow up? Is there an incident that made them the way they are? etc. (Again, you can copy this onto your character page later!) (Remember, history must at least be two paragraphs long for the first two characters, three paragraphs long for the third to eighth character, and four paragraphs long for the ninth to fifteenth character!)


 * The MacMillans were a particularly wealthy family, composed of merely a married couple - a squib Frenchwoman named Sabine, and a British muggle named Jasper. What they did for a living to accumulate such a wealth was a mystery to many, both inside and outside their family, but they didn't question it. Much less when they conceived a child. Exactly nine months afterwards, Gretchen Johanna Amarante MacMillan was born - a little chubby thing with bright eyes and a brown tuff of hair. Or, well, brown until it turned ginger right before her parents' eyes, and blonde, before becoming brown again. That was when seeds of doubt were planted in both their minds. There had been a metamorphmagus in the maternal side of Eleanor's family - her grandmother. While Sabine had very well known, she'd let Pierre know when they were in late stages of the pregnancy, given there was a good chance she'd be magical. And magical she was.


 * Throughout her childhood, Gretchen never stepped into a muggle school. She was indeed a metamorphmagus, and it showed at quite the early age, unexpectedly having a new hair color, or eye color. Given the fact that it was hard for the young girl to keep it in check (that was a lie, but her parents never knew), they homeschooled her. They felt bad, naturally, for forcing her to remain cooped up in the house because of their fears and her lack of control, so they tried making up for it by beginning to travel around the globe whenever they could. By the mere age of seven, Gretchen had visited multiple countries, like France, Germany, Russia, Argentina, Australia, England, and Ireland. This kept her from being too upset about not partaking in normal muggle events.


 * While she knew from a young age she was magical, thanks to her metamorphmagi abilities, she didn't truly have her first magic sign until she was about nine. She was having a particularly vivid nightmare, when a nearby candle lit up more and more, until it engulfed her curtains in flames, which then began to swallow her room. She woke about halfway through her room catching fire, and made a run for it, immediately alerting her family. While they tried to tame the fire, they couldn't, so they found themselves outside their home, watching it burn down, until they found themselves looking for Gretchen inside the house again. She had slipped inside, to find the dog her family had apparently forgotten about. A puppy pug that had been a gift for her ninth birthday. While she managed to find him and rescue him in time to escape the house, her parents didn't find themselves with the same luck, and burned to death in an explosion moments afterwards. It didn't really register until the paramedics and firefighters arrived. That's when she broke down.


 * While word reached her family that Gretchen had gone missing, she was actually just in an orphanage nearby. One of Pierre's brothers didn't give up, however, acknowledging the fact that she hadn't died in the fire, and she wouldn't just be off on her own. So, when he set out to find her, he started in the orphanage closest to the burnt home, and surprise surprise, there was Gretchen staying. They quickly struck a deal, since on the spot, he knew she wasn't ready to face her family. She would write him a letter every week, and he'd let her be. One missed letter, and he would drag her back to France with no hesitance, considering he was her godfather. Everything went as fine as it could, until six, maybe seven months later, that a couple attempted adopting the young girl. This scared her into running away, using her god-sent abilities to fit in with the crowd, and be able to take anything she needed from the stores, so the blame would fall on someone else rather than her. It wasn't a lifestyle she knew her parents would be proud of, but she had to survive somehow.


 * She continued to write letters to her uncle, too, but didn't give anything away for him to worry about. Not yet, anyways. If she ever had to shower, she could just find the nearest orphanage, become 'one of the kids', and take advantage of the water. This was her way of living for about a month, until her uncle claimed he wanted to see her with really good news. Already far enough from the orphanage, she was sent into a panicked frenzy. She wouldn't make it in time to see him, unfortunately, so she came clean. Realizing what she was up to, Pierre's brother knew that his news would be even better for her. For them. This girl - she needed stability. Now, more than ever. And so he told her; he'd gotten a job in England, and had managed to rent an apartment for them both. Uncle and niece. She truthfully didn't want to do that; she just couldn't. She had issues. She was scared she'd be the cause of his death, too. Unfortunately, her fears - they came true. Because when he came for her, via plane, he wasn't able to reach his destiny; the plane had disappeared without a trace. To this day, nobody knows what happened to the plane. But this... this meant she was a for-sure orphan, with no other relatives that truly cared about her. And that meant she had to be taken to an orphanage. Lil Bundles.


 * Gretchen was 12 when Niele and Beau Smith adopted her. It had taken a couple months for her to open up to them, let alone agree to let them adopt her, but when it happened, they realized she was worth the wait. She was a wonderful child. Of course, the transition took time, and she had to get used to all these changes, but when she did, she truthfully felt happy for the first time since... well, since her parents' deaths. It was at this point that she learned to appreciate life. To take it for what it was worth, and make the best of it. Her first Christmas with the Smiths had meant good presents, and among them had been an expensive, top-quality camera. It was great; it's like they knew it was exactly what she needed, to record the good moments and cherish them when she had bad ones. It's from there that her passion for cameras stems. Ever since then, she's been taking picture after picture, using camera after camera. The arts is Gretchen's thing. Not drawings or paintings necessarily, but capturing a beautiful moment in a single image? She could do that in a heartbeat. She still can. Now, more than ever, actually. And having supportive, albeit very annoying, siblings... it just helps all the more.

3) Write about your character's appearance. What do they look like? Are you planning on using a certain model for your character? If you already have a picture in mind, you can put it here!



Her faceclaim is Alycia Debnam-Carey.

4) Is your character a Pure-Blood, Half-Blood or Muggle-Born? Do you have any notable magical relations? (Remember, you cannot be related to important Harry Potter characters!)


 * Gretchen is actually a half-blood.

5) Does your character have any special magical abilities? Or special abilities in general (photographic memory, etc.)? Is he or she of a different magical race, such as Veela, Vampire, Werewolf or the like? Part or half of that magical race counts! (Remember, you cannot have a character with special abilities/of a different magical race as one of your first two characters!)


 * She's a metamorphmagus.

6) What year is your character in?


 * She's currently in her sixth year.

OOC Questions

C. These do not affect what house you're sorted to, but everybody must answer them!

1) Is this your first character?


 * A. This is my first character.


 * B. No, this is not my first character.

2) If your answer to the previous question is B, how many characters do you have? How many of them are "exotic" (of a different magical race/have a special ability)?


 * 12/2 iirc