FULL NAME: Cicero Cornelius Cook
NICKNAMES: Cid if you can't handle more than one consonant. Cookie if you want to annoy him.
AGE/DOB: 15 / April 19th / Aries
YEAR: Sophomore
BLOOD STATUS: Halfblood
GENDER/PRONOUNS: Male, he/him, that will do for now, leave him alone, don't talk to him about it, don't you dare speculate.
SEXUALITY: Externally: unimpressed with his options. Internally:
aaaaaaa
aaaaaaaaaaaaHOMETOWN: Legerde Main, New York, New York.
Legerde Main is one of many wizards-only neighborhoods in the vein of Diagon Alley, populated by mostly Irish Catholics. It's accessible only through hidden passages and mysterious subway trains that Muggles never seem to notice. It's rather sizeable, with plenty of shops and towering apartment buildings, as well as a sizeable multi-level underground space for yet more businesses and residences. Turn of the century magical elevators ferry residents up and down Legerde Main's many levels. There's even a day school for young witches and wizards, called Legerde Main Occult Academy. They don't have a sports team, on account of not have the space for, well, much of anything. Space is at a premium in Legerde Main, and Cicero's family is packed into a three bedroom apartment. He shares a room with his little sister.
APPEARANCE: Cicero is a small, severe boy with straight dark hair, thick eyebrows and big blue eyes. He's proto-handsome, but too young to have grown into his looks. That same face is usually locked in a scowl or smug smile, depending on how things are going for him that day. His walk has a bit of a stomp to it, and he talks incredibly fast, often at length. Not much about Cicero feels approachable.
Cicero dresses very formally and wizardy. Blazers, sweatervests and ties are a staple of his wardrobe, and he wears a matching pajama set to bed. He wants to be taken seriously and treated as grown up, but some of his attempts to make this happen just highlight how young he really is. He's usually accessorized by some tiny mechanical who-knows-what, a pair of brass goggles, and countless fountain pens, which puts a bit of a steampunk spin on his look.
HEIGHT: 5'3"
BUILD: Terrier-like - small but tough.
PB: Aidan Gallagher (
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INSPO: Pinboard Cicero is excessive. He takes the hardworking traits of a Thorntrail student to their extremes, and what you're left with is a stubborn, high-strung kid who always gives way more than he needs to. He's actively setting himself on fire to keep others warm, and it's alarmingly difficult to make him stop. You are not given an option as to whether or not Cicero is looking out for you.
Which might make you assume he's a warm, gentle soul, but it couldn't be further from the truth. Cicero is icy with a fiery temper. Don't
touch him, don't talk down to him, don't argue with him. He's bossy and snippy, and easily irritated if you haven't yet made it past his considerable defenses. He'll complain endlessly about what a chore it is to do all the things he does, and yet refuses to stop doing them. His is a self-inflicted hell upon first glance. It's hard to understand why he insists on caring about other people so much when he seems to
hate that he has to. This is just another wall, though. One of many.
Cicero is responsible to a fault. He involuntarily thinks everything is his responsibility, and if it goes wrong, then it's his fault. He's hugely anxious and guilt-ridden about it, and the only way he knows to alleviate it is to try and fix it himself. He has a huge (and usually angry) heart that can't help but feel for others, and he hates it. He hates it
so much. But the only thing worse than caring is watching bad things happen to other people, so he does the best he can to hold your life together
for you. Whether you asked him to or not. This makes him the mom friend by default, albeit the very cranky mom friend. He is your white knight when he thinks someone is being mean to you, and he's your fixer when he perceives you have a problem that needs fixing. He's protective and supportive, and sometimes even a little sweet. It's a bit like convincing a feral animal to let you touch it, but Cicero
does have a softer side. He also has a smug, arrogant side that makes it clear he thinks anyone he doesn't like isn't as smart as him, and he's prone to splitting hairs and getting hung up on receipts and grudges. He'd run to the aid of even his worst enemy, though.
Cicero have defined himself by the services he can provide to others, and if he doesn't have a project, he's not satisfied. He's only happy when it rains, so to speak, and will seek out messes and chaos to keep himself feeling
valuable and
productive. He's so obsessed with productivity and perfection that he tends to overdo things in his attempts to fix them. In essence, he's his own worst enemy. He often creates more drama as he tries to solve it, and he's never invented a single thing that wasn't more trouble than it's worth. Although Cicero is undeniably extremely reliable, getting his help is a bit of a monkey paw situation; he
will follow through, but there's no saying how.
And he will follow through
no matter what. Cicero is determined, but if he comes up against a wall, he's not one to force his way through. Rather, he's a bit on the conniving side. Well, a
lot on the conniving side. The ends justify the means if your intentions are good, right? Cicero can be underhanded, manipulative, thieving and dishonest if he has to be, and uses his do-gooder hyper-responsible reputation as a cover. But he's chaotic, not lawful, and doesn't feel bad if he has to lie a little or overcharge a wealthy classmate. Orchid doesn't need all that money, but Cicero does.
While all this makes him sound like no fun, he's... well, not a lot of fun, but he does joke. Sarcastically, usually. He's willing to follow his fellow sophomores into danger and chaos with the excuse that if he weren't there, they'd probably all die. It really is just an excuse, though. He's as bad as the rest of them, just as likely to be found adjacent to a fire, shrugging and saying he did all he could to prevent this. Cicero's sense of fun is dry and careful, but not hard to tap into. He likes adventure,
and he likes cleaning up messes, and a good friend can provide him with both. That said, he tends to be the straight man in more chaotic shenanigans. Will he stop it, or will he just provide a more immediate way to create a disaster? It's a coin toss.
Cicero is somehow both wildly creative, and creatively lacking. He's very much a details sort of person, who can make the tiniest, finest elements run like clockwork, while allowing the big picture to careen out of control. This is probably why his sigil work is so clean and precise, by taking someone else's larger idea and condensing it into its most base elements. On the other hand, his attempts at invention lack focus or any understanding of what people might actually
need in their life. He's drawn to create, but his vision is very, very short-sighted.
He wants to be a visionary, though. The next big thing, a household name, independent and in a position of power to do all the things he wants to do. Then, maybe, he could finally feel content knowing he could handle and take care of everything. But that's a long ways away, and for now Cicero spreads himself too thin thinking he can accomplish it all as a fifteen year old. He can't live up to the expectations he's put upon himself, and hasn't accepted that he probably never will.
FUN FACTS:
Ever since Malstrom vandalized it, he's been trying to fix Yalldive Peckenpaugh's statue. Results have been limited mixed. He's not sure how many more insults his self-esteem can take.
Rocky relationship with the Muscherons, whom he's constantly bothering. He thinks they're very cute and is obsessed with gaining their approval (which he almost definitely doesn't have).
Has been begging Ms. Altizer to let him into Arithmancy since he was a freshman. Regularly writes long, dense essays explaining why he should be enrolled in the class early. Periodically steals borrows classwork from upperclassmen so he can get a jump start on the material. Shows up to study sessions uninvited.
When he was around 9, his mom started making him audition for Broadway shows. He was only ever cast as an extra, but was technically in some big performances. Just, like, in the background, playing Child D. His recollection of the experience was that it was fun enough, so he joined Performing Arts.
LANGUAGES: English, rudimentary Appalachian Mushkin (Picked up from books and personal studies. He knows just enough to accidentally offend them every other week.)
HOBBIES: Tinkering, calligraphy, inventing gadgets, making your problems his problems, fleecing wealthy peers, white knighting.
SKILLS:Calligraphy, lettering & handwriting: Cicero has excellent, precise handwriting as well as a strong grasp on calligraphy. With a little bit of effort, he can imitate other peoples' handwriting, or change his own entirely. He has forged notes from his parents in the past, and will probably do it again. This has served him well in...
Symbology: Cicero has a good head for details, and his efforts in Symbology are praiseworthy. He has a particular talent for sigils and glyfs, where he boils down the elements of a spell into a single unique symbol, and either reading or touching it activates the magic. It's an extremely tricky art, and Cicero can only make it function with very simple spells. However, the fact that he can do it at all at this age is impressive.
Inventor/Gears & Springs: Cicero likes making things. Unfortunately, the things he makes aren't exactly practical inventions. He's a gifted, clever student without any good ideas. He's in the business of enchanted knick-knacks that will one day end up on the shelves of Spellunking. A teapot that screams like a human when it comes to a boil? Check. Mechanical friendship bracelets that tighten when you talk to someone other than your best friend? Done. A bunch of little gears that just go around and around for no real reason? On it. He's a crackpot sort of inventor rather than a visionary, and many an adult wish he'd just focus on his sigil work.
Academics: Cicero is ambitious, and if he wants to get anywhere in the world, he needs good grades. He makes it a priority to get straight A's, and is quick to pick up topics and figure out patterns. But what really gets him those marks is that he works extremely hard at school. He does all the extra credit, he's visiting during office hours, and he's doing all the reading material.
Debate: Smart, stubborn, assertive and a fast talker, Cicero took to debate like a duck to water. Organized debate meant that he needed a little polishing, since there's more to it than just starting an argument. By now, he's a force to be reckoned with.
Acting?: His mother's an aspiring actress and tried to catapult him to stardom for a couple years. It didn't work, but he didn't hate it. His skills are much better suited to high school theater. Sometimes he haughtily reminds people he's (technically) been on Broadway.
Splitting hairs and being pedantic: He's pretty insufferable.
FAMILY:Felicia Fernsby, mother, aspiring actress. Felicia is fun, beautiful, energetic, and not as good of an actress as she wishes she were. She's still fairly present in Cicero's life, but has too many financial struggles to take care of him and his sister. Cicero tends to idealize her, especially in comparison to his father, and conveniently "forgets" she wasn't great at parenting either.
Felicia's parents died when she was young, and left her an inheritance that she burned through in her late 20's.
Cyprius Cook, father, roguish cursebreaker, former Wildgulch. Cyprius didn't think he'd have to be a real father to Cicero and Caecelia after the divorce, and even he'll admit that he's done a poor job adjusting to the role. The first few years after he took in the kids, he was pretty neglectful and let a lot of responsibilities fall on them. He's trying to be better now, but it's a work in progress and sometimes he feels like the damage is already done.
Mark Santiago, Cyprius' boyfriend, muggleborn. Not thrilled his boyfriend has kids now, but he's stuck around anyway. He likes them well enough, though, and gets on Cyprius' case for being checked out with them. Their relationship is somewhat strained.
Caecilia Cook, younger sister, Thorntrail freshman. Very cute, very conniving.
Cynthia Cook, elderly grandmother. Lives with Cyprius' family.
BACKGROUND: Cicero is the oldest of two children, born in quick succession, to a couple that barely stayed together long enough for their second child's birth. The whirlwind romance between an aspiring Broadway actress and a constantly on-the-go cursebreaker was never particularly stable, but Felicia and Cyprius had both liked the
idea of settling down. It was a combination of their immaturity and busy schedules that made them split, and Felicia ended up with the kids, Cicero and Caecilia.
Felicia's dreams of stardom didn't take off like she'd anticipated. She was always stuck in the chorus, periodically getting an understudy role, but her lucky break just never came. There was even a period where she tried to see if her children might have that elusive star quality, with similarly mixed results. Felicia wanted a glamorous lifestyle for her family, but overspent on nice clothes and fun outings for herself and he children. She never considered compromising on her dreams, even as her inheritance dwindled. So while she scrounged together money and auditions,
Cicero ran the household and took care of his sister.
From a young age, Cicero did the cooking, the cleaning, the grocery shopping, paid the bills, etc. His dad would take them every other weekend for some grand adventure. Cyprius would spoil his kids, get to be the cool dad for a few days, and then drop them off again without realizing the strain his ex-wife was under. Cyprius had moved on, and was just fine being more of a fun, wealthy uncle than a dad.
And then Felicia got evicted for not paying rent. It all happened very quickly, and it was decided that Cyprius had to take primary custody of their children. Cicero remembers the arguments and all the tears like it was yesterday, and it took him a long time to believe his father when he says he's not unhappy with the new arrangement. The new apartment was nicer and bigger than the last, but it still felt like a squeeze fitting into their dad's life. Cyprius was living a (mostly) bachelor lifestyle with his boyfriend, Mark, who was
kind of living with him until the arrival of two preteens. After that, Mark decided to find his own place more permanently.
Cicero picked up where he left off. He did the cooking and the cleaning, and he took care of Caecelia and made sure their homework was in and the fridge had real food in it. It was honestly a bit of a relief to Cyprius, because it meant in the end he still didn't actually need to parent anyone. He loved his kids, of course, but he was never comfortable being a father. Cicero and Caecelia were so independent (or maybe codependent) that it was a very hands-off experience. As a bonus, he rarely had to eat pop tarts for dinner with Cicero's constant meal planning. They went to the local day school, and Cyprius didn't have to worry when his job called him out of town. The kids could take care of themselves.
But it wasn't long before the family took another hit. Cyprius' elderly mother had a stroke, and before anyone knew it, she was living with them too. Cynthia refused to go to a care facility, but still needed to be looked after. Cicero was apparently more than happy to accept that responsibility as well. So he was busy. Extremely busy. School, housework, caring for his grandmother, perfecting his own projects; it all left very little time for relaxation or friends. He was always tense, and increasingly irritable. When wuiet, dutiful Cicero hit puberty, he developed a sharp tongue, a bad temper, and a lot of anxiety.
Cyprius ignored it for a while. Cicero was becoming a teenager, and what teenager doesn't tell their parents they hate them from time to time? Soon the meltdowns became too much to ignore, though. Cicero's school called and asked if everything was alright at home. Cynthia started arguing with Cyprius over letting the boy take on too much. Even Mark was getting on his case. It had reached a breaking point, and Cyprius needed a quick solution.
So he sent Cicero away. He'd grown up in Elflock falls, gone to Peckenpaugh where things were chaotic and fun, and maybe that's what Cicero needed. He needed to get away from all of this and just be a kid, and maybe meet a cryptid or get lost in the woods. Cicero fought it, because at the time he was likely to fight anyone and anything, especially if it came from his dad. Of course, he ended up being shipped off to Peckenpaugh anyway. The next year, Caecelia followed him.
It was ultimately a net win, as Cicero's behavior
did even out a great deal. He never turned back into the quiet boy Cyprius didn't have to worry about, but the family dynamic changed for the better. At Peckenpaugh, Cicero got it into his head what the
real solution to his problem would be:
success. If he became successful and wealthy, then all of these issues would disappear. He could finally, once and for all, take care of everyone. In that respect, there's more of his mother in him than most people assume.
Cicero's habits haven't really changed, though. There's always someone he thinks he needs to take care of, and by now it's become part of his identity. Luckily, there are plenty of people around Peckenpaugh who clearly need his help.
WAND: Holly, Beamoc scale, 10", very thin and pointy with delicate copper inlay in a geometric pattern
FAMILIAR: Swetyne (pronounced like Sweetie more than Sweaty, but it's a tough call the first time you read it), a magical salmon-crested cockatoo. She was a rescue familiar upon the death of Cicero's elderly neighbor whose children strangely did not want to take Swetyne into their house. She's constantly yelling sentences that are
technically grammatically correct, but rarely make any sense. Sometimes in the middle of the night when you're just trying to go to the toilet, you'll hear her terrifying voice shouting "I HAVE FREE BEES!" as she runs at you full speed.
Cicero insists she's harmless but reminds everyone to ask for her permission before they pet her. Her personal space is very important to her, so please be respectful. She understands English even if she can't speak it very well.
Swetyne also approximately knows the lyrics to a number of early 2000's pop hits which reveals a lot about her deceased owner's taste in music.
CAREER GOALS: It changes regularly, but what's important to Cicero is that he will be successful, wealthy, and in charge. Maybe he'll go into politics. Maybe he'll become a cursebreaker like his father. Maybe he'll become an auror. Maybe he'll invent the gadget of the century and become hugely wealthy and buy out the Rainwaters and
then we'll see who's calling him Cookie!!!
Daydreams aside, Cicero knows there's work for him in the field of symbology and sigils if he keeps at it. It just doesn't seem very glamorous or impressive.
PART-TIME JOB: He's currently searching for a job, but his applications are always far too long.
CLASSES:Charms: A staple, which Cicero tries far too hard at. He's fine at charms, but can't simply let it stay at that. His wandwork is a little excessive, causing his spells to come out loud and flashy when they don't need to be.
Potions: He always stirs a little too long, or a little too hard. Cicero regularly overdoes it, for fear of underdoing it.
Transfiguration: (H) Transfiguration is a subject that actually benefits a bit more from Cicero's excessive approach. He's very good at getting precisely the results he wanted, but those transformations end up very stubborn and hard to undo.
Artificing: (H) One of his favorite classes by far. He's excellent at creating fine little clockwork gadgets but they're rarely useful. He doesn't usually have any good ideas, but luckily he has a whole slew of okay and bad ones to work with.
Hermeticism: (H) Ms. Altizer please notice him please like him please hell him he's very very smart. Cicero works extremely hard in Hermeticism with the end goal being admittance into Arithmancy. Luckily for him, he does have a bit of a knack for it. Unfortunately, he does sometimes overshoot, assuming he can start tinkering with spells well before he has the skills.
Home Mag-ec: Cicero's been the primary cooking and cleaning force in his home for, well, as long as he can remember. He knows his way around a kitchen, but it's kind of nice to do it just for himself every once in a while. He's not an expert cook by any means, but if you give him a recipe he can follow it.
DADA: He really, really wishes this class wasn't so painfully boring. He wants to like it. Wouldn't it be amazing if he were a dashing auror? Or maybe a roguish cursebreaker like his father? But Cicero struggles to really engage with this class, despite his dreams of heroism.
Symbology: Symbology is where Cicero really shines. He has excellent handwriting and a head for letters and numbers, so he makes quick work of his Symbology assignments. He's particularly good at sigil drawing, the art of breaking a spell down to its core and expressing it through a single symbol he's meticulously designed. He could provide a lot of magi-technical advancements if he keeps at it, but he's young and immature. The idea of working on invisible innovations that improve on the works of others doesn't seem as romantic to him.
EXTRA-CURRICULARS: Student Council (sophomore representative), Magirobotics, Debate (president), Culinary Club, Film Club, Performing Arts
SORTING?: It wasn't a difficult choice for Cicero. Deeplurk's weird questions immediately turned him off, and so did Mothgarden's airy approach to individuality. Wildgulch perhaps came closest to tempting him away from Thorntrail, appealing to his energy and impatience, but maybe that's exactly why Cicero went with Thorntrail. Always pushing himself and working his hands to the bone, taking care of people, handling things they can't, holding
everything together for
everyone. It was easy to see how Thorntrail would have an easy time hooking Cicero, and he didn't want to waste another second doubting himself. His sorting was very quick.
NAME: Meggie
EMAIL: what.it.seems at gmail
CDJ: ![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
swashbucklerOTHER CONTACT: Dropbox me!
TIMEZONE: MT
DEBATE CLUB PRESIDENT
Date: 2019-12-02 04:49 pm (UTC)POSITION: Debate Club President
WHY THIS SPOT?: I sure hope the upperclassmen enjoy being bossed around by a tiny sophomore, because Cicero sure loves doing it. Cicero is bold, opinionated, organized and exacting, which are good traits for running a club like debate. He takes his role very seriously, although not so seriously that he won't let a little silliness sneak in from time to time. If someone wants to bring a ridiculous argument to the table, Cicero will insist that their opponent engage with it. He has a slight sophomore bias. Just a little one.
Cicero is determined to take home Nationals and prove his worth to everyone. He's absolutely a try-hard who believes his club is much more important than sports, and laments the lack of attention the debate team receives. Broomsports aren't getting Peckenpaugh to Nationals!!! He brings up Nationals a lot, sometimes to the point where it stops sounding like a real word.
IDEAS?: