Characters That Haunt You: Justyn

November 19, 2013

English: Second Floor Life Science Lab at Wells International School’s On Nut Campus (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

THE CHARACTER:
He has been knocking around in the back of my head for several weeks as the main character in my new story. This Challenge helped me to focus on him.

Name:
Justyn SaintWyvern.

Details:
He has nothing in common with his classmates who are all descended from prominent Magi’i Families, except for his ability to do Magick. He is motivated by a strong sense of self-preservation to study hard and do well on all of his tests. He fears expulsion and the Military Press gangs. He dreams of a job where ability is more important than lineage. He can’t do much about the attitudes of his classmates and teachers. They all scorn him and look down on him as a “Wilder” (someone with no family history of doing Magick), but he perseveres.

Location:
A science lab room in the Mageston Academy of Magick

THE SCENE:

Justyn slipped onto his stool and hunched down over the lab table. He was a very unappealing youth, being short, only five feet six inches tall, and pudgy, weighing in at one hundred-seventy pounds. He was also endowed with: lank shoulder-length mousey brown hair, bulging muddy brown eyes, a large bulbous nose, a pair of blubbery dark red lips, a sallow complexion, and oily skin constantly covered in pimples. He was dressed in loose, shabby clothing. His black Mage’s Robe was faded from numerous washings. A darker patch on the right chest revealed the place where a House Badge had been removed. The other students laughed and chatted as they took their seats. Silence fell over the room as Professor Chillie took his place at the podium in front of the chalkboard. A beautiful girl stood beside him. She was tall, slender, golden-haired, and blue-eyed. Her features were fine and regular, her skin was creamy white, and her figure was lush.

“Class, allow me to introduce Mistress Silvya R”Vaille. She has just moved to Charterious. Welcome to The Mageston Academy of Magick. I expect all of you to help her get settled in and learn her way around the school. Follow me and I’ll find a place for you to sit.” His beady eyes scanned the room as he walked up the aisle, the girl behind him. Justyn’s heart sank. There were five empty seats in the room, but the Professor was headed straight for the one next to him. “Ah, here we are!” Chillie smirked in satisfaction. “You can sit beside Mister SaintWyvern.”

Justyn cringed as she took the empty stool beside him. Just what he needed! Someone so attractive that they would constantly draw attention to his table. There went any chance he had of getting through the rest of the year unnoticed. What a wonderful sixteenth birthday present! He thought sarcastically. He wasn’t even sure if it really was his birthday. It was the day that the Director of Saint Wyvern’s Orphanage had assigned to him after they found the days-old infant of unknown parentage abandoned in the Dregs, Mageston’s worst slum.

“Hello, I’m Silvya.” Her voice was sweetly musical.

“Justyn.” He mumbled.

“What are we studying?” She leaned closer and breathed gently in his ear. Justyn blushed beet red. He turned his face away from her. Silently he slid the opened Spell Book over where she could read it.

“Oh, I just love Transmutation! Don’t you?”

“Mphmm.” Justyn grunted. Maybe if he ignored her she’d give up.

“Today we will be discussing changing liquids from one form to another.” Chillie announced from the podium. Justyn ignored Silvya and focused on the Professor’s lecture. He had a lot to learn if he was going to get marks high enough to get a good job after graduation. Nothing and no one was going to get him expelled and left to the doubtful mercy of the Military Press Gangs! He thought determinedly. He pulled his Spell Book close and began to make careful notes.

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In response to Weekly writing Challenge: Characters That Haunt You Pick one of your characters, today is their birthday, write about them: physical characteristics, motivation, etc. Place them in a scene. Scene excerpted from THE STUDENT by Emily Karn. Emily