Sept 3, 2023 14:04:12 GMT
Deri, Ellis
38 July 15, 1980 Drummer with Twisted D's Graduated/ Ilvermorny/ Thunderbirds Half-blood Fort Meade, Florida (Born); Swansea, Wales (Now) | PERSONALITY: Deri is the quiet one of the group. Typically observing rather than being the center of attention. He is content to be the grounding force, and reluctant moral compass of his group of friends. ASPIRATION: To see to it that he and his mates do not get jettisoned from the whirling merry-go-round of life. | LIKES: -Music & Mayham -Reading & History -Late Nights -Whiskey & Scotch -Occamcy, Jarvy (animals in general) DISLIKES: -Farming - Mornings (daylight hours in general) -Being in the spotlight -Country Music -Magical Animal Trade |
FAMILY MEMBERS. |
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CHILDHOOD. | Deri was born the first son of Pedr and Meghan Ellis, and by right and tradition he should have been named Pedr Aeron Ellis IV and taken charge of the family orange grove as an adult. However, his mother knew from early on that he would be anything but an average farmer. His father loved country music, however from the time his mother was 6 months pregnant on, anytime she would get within a foot of a radio tuned to a country station, the station would change. She knew this child would be nothing like his father and when he was born refused to allow him to be named Pedr. She instead chose to name him after her father. Although having exhibited magical abilities while in the womb, Deri did not otherwise display any tendency or pre-disposition to magic until he was four. He had followed his mother out to the barn to collect eggs and tend to the other morning chores surrounding their animals. While she was preoccupied with her chores, Deri wandered out of the barn. His mother heard him giggling and singing “Tidy Little House” his favorite nursery rhyme. Finding it odd as there was no one else home, she followed his voice to find him sitting under a tree with a mother grey fox sitting within arm’s reach with Deri scratching her head and her kits climbing on him. From that moment on, Deri was watched more closely, and his instruction began on keeping the magical and non-magical worlds separate. Which was especially necessary seeing as the family grove was a no-maj tourist attraction as well as functioning commercial orange grove worked mostly by no-maj workers. Deri’s father wanted him to go to the local elementary school, specifically to learn to socialize with non-magical people like himself and the majority of the farming community they socialized with. His mother was not convinced he would need it and they spent his kindergarten year going back and forth over the subject. Finally, his mother consented, and he started the first grade in the local elementary school. Having missed out on kindergarten, he was the new kid and, while older than most in the class, being smaller than all of them made him an easy target. One day, he was being picked on by an older boy at lunch when out of nowhere a fist connected with the boy’s nose, which immediately sprouted blood. He blinked as the teacher came over and whisked the boy away wondering briefly why she hadn’t just used Episkey like his mom would have. He had stammered his thanks, the boy, Diesel, and offered him the cupcake from his lunch. This was the beginning of their lifelong friendship. During his formative years Deri was taught Welsh, as that was the only language his father spoke in the home, attended a no-maj grammar school, had equestrian lessons, tended to the family’s animals, and helped in the grove. What little spare time he had, he spent either reading about both no-maj and magical history, teaching himself the drums, or keeping Diesel from getting eaten by alligators. This kept him rather busy and he had little time or interest in those outside his family home and his best friend. |
SCHOOL YEARS. | Deri had dreaded the idea of going to magical school if only for the fact his best friend would be left behind. In fact, he’d adamantly refused to go until he learned that his best friend would be going with him. He may have even been more shocked than Diesel but was glad. Especially as that meant he would know someone at school. Like most everything, he and Diesel went shopping for school supplies together, introducing Diesel and his parents to wizarding shops and wizarding money, and road the train and carriages to Ilvermorny, sticking by the other’s side the entire time. Granted Diesel, loyal to his love of adventure, was more naturally drawn to the newness of the situation. Deri on the other hand was content to stay in Diesel’s shadow. Deri found his first feast at school very overwhelming and barely has any recollection of the initial feast or sorting ceremony. He was sorted into Thunderbirds, but to this day he doesn’t know if he’s remembering his own sorting or had subsequently created his own memories from years of seeing others sorted. Typical of any student, Deri found his way around classes, having added music and no-maj studies to his and Diesel’s schedules, figuring it would be easy for both to earn top marks. This seemed to further fuel their love of music and solidified the group of six that began to be inseparable. Care of magical creatures also came relatively easy to Deri due to his affinity for animals. His lack of fear of any animal and the ease at which he interacted with most did not go unnoticed by his professors. This lead to him being called upon to aid in dealing with any incident with magical creatures that required the staff to seek additional help. At one point, Deri aided his professor in caring for a few Jarvy that had been found abandoned and ailing at a town near to the school. One of the Jarvy kits had a broken leg and was frightened enough to be extremely aggressive. Deri was the only one able to calm it enough to allow the leg to be set and to otherwise care for him. The kit bonded with Deri over the time it took for him to heal. As the Jarvey’s injuries left him lame in that one leg, he could not safely be released and Deri was given special permission to keep the Jarvy at school. In typical Deri fashion, he named him Tymer, which means temper in Welsh, as even after he healed, he never fully lost his aggressive streak if crossed. Deri was the grounded one of the group, attempting to keep Diesel from fights, but always having his back when it came right down to it. Diesel wouldn’t let anyone bully his friends, and they wouldn’t let Diesel stand alone. Deri fell into the roll of the silent observer, keeping an eye on everyone and everything and attempting to be a reluctant moral compass for the group as they got older. The most notable thing that happened occurred during the summer of his 5th year. He was with Diesel and the group at Diesel’s place, tucked away in the barn drinking and playing. It was after consuming more than the needed amount of Twisted Tea, that they started joking around about forming a band. With everyone drunk enough to not know any better, or maybe because they knew they were good enough but just needed the liquid courage to admit it, the six solidified their drunken thoughts and the Twisted D’s was formed. Deri had reservations about the whole idea after he sobered up, given the fact he hated being the center of attention and being in the spotlight, but this experience had sparked a passion in Diesel he had never seen before and there was no way he was going to do anything to dampen that. He swallowed his own fears and enthusiastically, if reluctantly, took his place behind his drums whenever they got a chance to play, either at home or at school. |
ADULDHOOD. | Deri ended up passing his exams with high marks and had considered taking a position with MACUSA, when Diesel dropped the first few gigs he’d lined up on the breakfast table in front of him. He’d not given much thought to the band continuing past school. You went to school, graduated, and got a real job. That rock star dream died with the diploma. Right? That was what he had thought. That was obviously not what Diesel had planned on. There was some (understatement of the year) tension between them at first when Deri tried to talk sense into Diesel about the possibility of them actually making it and the need to have a job that would actually pay the bills while they kept the music to a hobby. Eventually they settled on a compromise where Deri would pursue his career in MACUSA working in the Body for Protection of Magical Species and would continue in the band when it had gigs. This worked for a while until the popularity of the Twisted D’s grew and Deri was spending more and more nights awake either practicing or performing instead of sleeping. This lasted only about six months before Deri tendered his resignation with MACUSA to fully focus on expanding the Twisted D’s with Diesel and the others. During his time in MACUSA, there was a particular incident where the department rescued a nest of Occamy from an illegal breading ring. Most were able to be fairly easily rehabilitated and returned to India for re-release into their native habitats. However, one was near death but still terrified and overly aggressive, lashing out at anyone who attempted to help him. Deri, with his affinity for animals, was allowed to approach the animal and therefore he was given the task of caring for it. The Occamy was rendered blind by the abuse at the hands of the breeders and was not able to be rehabilitated to the point of being released. In addition, the abuse resulted in massive infections that resulted in an adenecotomy, or the complete removal of the venom glands, as well as stunted growth. Although Occamy typically can reach a length of fifteen feet, Diyvatej, as Deri named him, maxed out a length of five feet. Diyvatej maintained the choranaptyxic ability where he could shrink or grow up to his max length. As the creature could not be released back into its natural habitat, MACUSA gave Deri permission to keep the Occamy. Deri was just starting to truly settle into his life as a member of the Twisted D’s and becoming somewhat comfortable with their rising stardom and being trust further and further into the spotlight, when Diesel up and moved the group to Wales based on the potential for furthering a relationship. Although the relationship never materialized, the group decided to stay in Wales and increase their popularity on this side of the pond. Deri, as always, was content to stand in the group’s shadow and to this day maintains that position, typically standing behind the group and leaving the interviews to the others. At least his growing up with Welsh as the language spoken in his home gave the group a bit of a head start in resettling. Once while exploring one of the forests nearby their new home in Wales, they happened upon a young Thestral that had gotten itself mired in a tangle of vines and underbrush. While the others tried to approach, the adults of the herd would get between them and the foal to keep them away. Deri nodded at his mates and gestured for them to keep back. He slowly approached and the herd kept their distance. Deri was able to free the thestral and seeing as it was not injured, watched as it followed the herd back into the forest. The group returned the following year and the thestral recognized Deri and stepped from the shadows, bowing again in thanks and letting Deri approach him to pet him. Deri named him Ysbryd (spirit or ghost in Welsh), and returns at least quarterly to take his friend treats and see that he and the herd in general continue to remain happy and healthy. Deri and the Twisted D’s continue to advance their careers through concerts and interviews which has them traveling the world, leaving little time for a social life. Regardless, Deri’s personal life remains just that personal. He’s dated on and off over the years but has not put a lot of effort into it, choosing to focus more on his professional life. And with Diesel’s failed relationship, it pushed that aspect of his life further to the background and he’s a confirmed bachelor to this day. To his knowledge he has no children, although that does not mean that like most of his band mates, there might be one or more out there somewhere. |
Special Situations
None
RP SAMPLE (200 words min.)
Deri sat at the window of his room, watching the sun rising and absently tapping a drumstick on the sill. A frown darkening his features. It was the day his letter from Ilvermorny should arrive, if he was getting one. His mother was convinced, his father was hopeful, if only for the sake of his mother. He sighed as his mother called from downstairs.
“Deri, Pedr, Breakfast, lets hurry now.”
She was in higher spirits than usual and that depressed Deri’s mood even more. He stood, stretched and left his drumstick on the sill as he went to get breakfast. He ignored Pedr as he bounced happily down the stairs chasing the smell of bacon which filled the house. The rumbling of Deri’s stomach was the only reason he was complying with his mother’s request. Then again, if he was downstairs maybe he could close the window and the own would just take the letter back to the school.
“Good morning Cyw” (Cyw - Welsh term of endearment meaning young animal, young bird) his father said ruffling his hair as they met in the hall. “You don’t seem too excited for a young man getting his letter today.”
Deri shrugged, stuffed his hands in his pocket and slipped into his seat at the table. He wasn’t excited, he was decidedly not going. And there was nothing anyone could do to make him. He watched as his father opened the window to let in the owl when it arrived. He wondered since his father was a no-maj and most likely so was Pedr, if his father would try to make him go regardless? It would break his mother’s heart for him to not go, but he just wasn’t.
“Deri, don’t worry, you should be getting your letter shortly. The owls are just running a bit behind, it happens every year. You should see the complaints that will pour in tomorrow.” His mother said misinterpreting his mood.
“I’m not going.” He said, dropping his gaze to his plate. He heard the glass shatter as his mother lost her grip on it and he almost felt bad, but not really.
“Not going? What do you mean you’re not going? This was all you talked about a month ago.” His mother said as the broom and dustpan whisked away the shards of glass.
“If Diesel’s not going, then I’m not going. He’s my best friend, we go together.” He shrugged, finally voicing his reason for not wanting to go. He and Diesel had been friends since the first grade, and he didn’t want to make new friends.
His mother just nodded, a small smile flitting across her face which Deri could not interpret. It seemed completely out of place with the conversation. He was tentatively eating pancakes and bacon and contemplating if his parents might actually let him continue on in no-maj school when Tylluan landed with the morning post.
“Be a dear and get that will you Cyw?” His mother said, having turned back to cutting up fruit for lunch. She’d picked up some no-maj habits over the years with his father and one of them was cooking without magic.
Deri sighed and crossed to the window. He took the mail, tucked it into his back pocket then carried the owl over to the perch in the corner. Setting him down, he offered Tylluan a few treats before leaving him to drink, preen and rest as he desired. He made sure to leave the window open so Tylluan would be free to leave as he wanted. Crossing back to the table he pulled the letters out of his pocket and sighed, his letter from Ilvermorny was right on top. He absently flipped through the rest, there was one addressed to him from his Aunt in Scotland, one from another of his mother’s friends in Georgia, and the last… He stopped as he stared at the letter at the bottom of the pile. He looked at it, turned it over, looked at it again, then turned to his mother. “Mom?” He said crossing to her and holding out the letter. “Mom, this is addressed to Diesel?” It didn’t make sense, Diesel and his family were no-maj, that and Diesel didn’t really live here, it just seemed like it on occasion.
His mother took the letter and smiled softly. “It is no mistake. Diesel has also been accepted to Ilvermorny. Now, how about we finish our breakfast so we can take this to him. We have a lot of explaining to do to him and his parents.”
Deri grinned. He was going to get to go to Ilvermorny after all, and with his best friend.
OOC INFO
Alias: Brona
Other Characters: Grigor Cadwaladr
Other Characters: Grigor Cadwaladr
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