Post by raoul on Sept 14, 2010 22:35:06 GMT -5
...giovanni markus van doren *
*What have we to hide?*
[/size]*What have we to hide?*
...basics*
name Giovanni Markus Nathaniel Alphonse Romulus Phillippe Van Doren
nickname Though he doesn’t really enjoy nicknames, he gets “Gio” or “Gino” on occasion from his friends, “Van Doren” from some of his less polite classmates, and “pansy” and “rich boy” behind his back.
age Seventeen
gender Male
grade High school senior
hometown Albany, New York
sexuality Straight
personification Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny, of The Phantom of the Opera
status DORMANT
face claim Edward Speelers
...appearance*
hair color Blonde, somewhat short, but rather thick and often nicely styled. He takes rather good care of his hair, and it’s obvious without looking too much like he’s trying too hard. His hair has also been brown on occasion, but whether he dyes it brown or bleaches it blonde is hard to say. Its length and style tends to be...well...inconsistent.
eye color Light blue with a green tint, and very expressive.
build Lean. He does have some muscle on him, as Giovanni takes good care of his body, but mostly he just looks kind of...skinny. But it’s a healthy sort of skinny.
height 5’11”
clothing style He dresses very nicely, most of the time, but not overly nicely. There’s no real distinct clothing style with him, as he likes to play around with mixing different styles. However, the clothes he wears are usually expensive.
distinctive traits Those expressive green eyes, a calm smile, and lots of money in his wallet.
...personal*
personality Giovanni Van Doren is a man of class. There’s an air of it around him, some sort of sophistication and gentlemanly poise to him. He has impeccable manners and an aristocratic demeanor, and somewhat of the accompanying aristocratic distance – despite the fact he’s become fairly popular for his wealth and good looks, he sometimes finds it difficult to relate to those who are of a lower social class than he, as he’s so adjusted to his luxurious way of life. Slightly sheltered, Giovanni has not experienced much hardship in his life and he is therefore somewhat “soft”; some think of him as weak or inexperienced. He has little to no street smarts, and sometimes even his common sense can seem bizarre when he is out of his element. Though he has some idealistic sense of heroism and altruism, he’s really more of a dreamer than a doer and doesn’t always like to get too involved.
With a charming voice and a way with words, Giovanni has had fairly good luck with the opposite sex, though he does not often pursue them outright. It’s actually somewhat hard for a girl to get his attention, at times, as he has an unspoken standard in mind – if it isn’t met, it’s as if the girl just isn’t there. This can make him seem somewhat cold, but to those he does acknowledge, he is a ruthlessly loyal friend, as well as amiable and social. He may seem a little stuck-up, but that’s just kind of the “way he is” – he’s used to getting his way, and it probably has made him a little arrogant. Polite and refined, Giovanni is always the first to hold the door for a lady or say “please” or “thank you.” Though he knows that manners should also entail modesty, he can get a little...wrapped up in himself sometimes, and he is somewhat vain – his appearance is important to him.
Giovanni’s personal depth is an odd thing; he can seem as if he is deep at times, and yet he is not particularly thoughtful – if anything, he’s somewhat impulsive when it comes to making decisions. He can be just a little impatient, too, after years of being spoiled, and he tends to be a little bossy, often walking right into a situation and taking control almost as if he feels he’s entitled. Fortunately, he is a fairly good leader and is very, very organized, so it’s not that difficult to accept him in such a scenario, even if his stepping in and grabbing the reins can seem inappropriate. With a strong sense of self-assurance, Giovanni is confident, convincing, and a good public speaker, which makes it easy to trust and follow him, but tread lightly; even he is not above mistakes in calculations.
Though he tries not to be outwardly judgmental, Giovanni can be critical of others at times, which is part of the reason for his so-called aforementioned “aristocratic distance.” He is also, as aforementioned, an idealist, and sometimes this causes him to overlook his own flaws, or even the flaws in others (that’s less likely). A romantic, he entertains the ideas of true love and finding the girl of his dreams, and he tends to be very optimistic and positive – however, when he does get depressed, he’s known to fall hard. He doesn’t take rejection well, but he’s also very persistent to the point of it being annoying. Still, he usually makes good company, as he’s quite social and charismatic. He has a very strong sense of self, and, despite his manners, he's not afraid to show who he is.
Somewhat of a drama king, Giovanni tends to have slightly overexaggerated emotions and is fairly theatrical. He is easily upset, and he would be first to volunteer to make himself a martyr for a cause. He wears his heart somewhat on his sleeve in general and is rarely shy about his emotions, though he is not so melodramatic in his emotions as to seem ridiculous or comical. Easily moved, Giovanni is swiftly impassioned, and he would give up anything for the ones he loves, and often asks for nothing in return. These occasional bouts of selflessness seem to collide with his materialistic rich boy persona, and some question whether or not his self-sacrifice really is genuine. Still, he really doesn't seem the manipulative type. In fact, if anything, Giovanni is excessively naive, due to his posh upbringing and lifestyle. He doesn't completely understand the concept of taking advantage of someone and is peacefully unaware of many of society's ills - but as they say, ignorance is bliss.
past Giovanni was born some surprisingly warm Sunday afternoon in December to Jean Patrice Van Doren, a wealthy middle-aged noble, and his young wife Henrietta, the heir to an oil baron's fortune. For that reason, Giovanni was spoiled from the moment he came into the world - he always had everything he wanted, including the best stuffed animals, the best clothes, and the best friends. He was taught by private tutors that his parents brought to the house, and yet his life was not completely sheltered; the Van Dorens travelled the world, so Giovanni was able to see many aspects of society. (They were mostly only the good ones.)
Despite all the family's travels, however, the Van Dorens had a very cozy mansion in Albany, New York, so that was Giovanni's technical hometown. However, for the first ten years of his life, they spent very little time there; the only reason they ceased travelling long enough for Giovanni to settle into life in Albany as a ways of giving him the feeling of having a home. (The Van Dorens, who pored over parenting books, were constantly worried for Giovanni's welfare and did everything possible to give him the best childhood they could.)
Giovanni attended an expensive private school from the age of ten to fifteen, mingling amongst his fellow rich kids and receiving that extensive education his parents had wanted for him. Though he still couldn't really speak any exotic or interesting languages and he was a bit clumsy with algebra, he did well in school; when he put his mind to studying, he couldn't be distracted for hours.
However, Giovanni wanted to see more of the "real" world, not just the overblown wealthy schools and civilized dinner parties he had attended all of his life. His parents obliged him; for high school, he was permitted to attend Baum Academy in New York City.
present Currently, Giovanni attends Baum Academy. He is keen on participating in extracurricular activities, but, despite already being a junior, still seems indecisive about what he wants to do. He's getting along alright without his mansion and his plethora of material possessions, but sometimes he still seems a little..."lost," or confused by simple things. He hasn't had much trouble making friends due to his fairly friendly nature, but he fails to notice that some of said friends are taking advantage of him for his money. As the heir to his parents' fortune, he really has no need to pick a career unless he wants to...and he isn't sure if he wants to. Overall, it's difficult blending into his new surroundings, but Giovanni is managing it, one step at a time.
family
Jean Patrice Renaldo Van Doren – father, 67
Henrietta Annelise Van Doren [nee. De Angelis] – mother, 48
likes
Music (he was raised on a lot of classical music, so he enjoys that)
Theater productions
Designer clothing (Vain? Nonsense.)
Happiness
Sappy romance movies (Shhh.)
Fancy writing implements
Social events
Art galleries
The Internet
Travelling
Compromise
Pastries
dislikes
Loud rock music
Confusing books
Math
Rudeness and insincerity
Not understanding things
Depression
Conflict
Very sour or spicy food (he has a delicate palette)
Vegetables
other notes The Gary Stu-ness is intentional. |:
...literature*
book title The Phantom of the Opera
backstory Raoul is the main love interest for Christine Daae. The two of them were childhood friends, though they were long separated until he came to the Paris Opera House to watch her sing. He wants to catch up with her and speak with her further, but, quite obviously, the Phantom doesn’t like that. Eventually, Christine and Raoul fall in love; at first, Raoul does not believe the rumors of the Opera Ghost, but as soon as proof is shown to him, he is more than ready to be rid of the ghost entirely to protect Christine. At the end of the story, he and Christine live happily ever after together.
...roleplayer*
name Zeldaaaa.
age Harrumph.
gender Female.
rp experience Lots.
how you found ouac Ze Becket?
rp sample See Alex Fortescue, Avi Abselon, Ridley Fox, Thursday Davenport, Charlemagne Fletcher, or Oliver Quinn GOD WHAT IS WITH ALL THESE CHARACTERS.
