PLAYER INFO:
Name: Michele
Age: 18
Preferred Way to be Contacted: Any way is fine. ^^
Other Characters Played: None. Yet.

CHARACTER INFO:
Name: Daniella Alyce Markus
Age: Seventeen
Birthdate: November 17, 1974
Year in School: Junior
Type: Witch
Powers: Pyrokinesis and Telepathy
Affiliation: Good

DESCRIPTION:
Physical Description:
While Dani herself is a little talkative at times, she has a quiet beauty of sorts about her. She has a small, bony frame, stretched out over her big, whopping five-foot-four-inches of height. She isn't very weight-conscious, and for good reason - the girl has metabolism to spare, and so it has never really been that much of a problem. Thankfully, though, she does have some slight curves to her body, or else she would very much resemble a stick figure.

Dani really isn't the sort to spend very much time on her hair, so she likes to keep hers as easy to manage as possible - soft, straight russet colored hair that normally falls across her shoulders. She is very expressive, and often wears her feelings on her face. Her eyebrows could be furrowed in concentration as her full lips tighten in a focused line, or her light blue eyes could be bright with happiness as her lips pull her entire face into a smile. Her facial structure is much like her mother's - though Dani was never teased for it, and so it is more a legacy for her than a reminder of a slight childhood stigma.

Style:
Dani prefers muted colors - soft hues - than the bright, vibrant colors that many of her friends rather like. She is most often wearing things that are comfortable with just a hint of style, even if it is a little bit conservative. Simplicity is key to her wardrobe - a nice solid colored shirt, a good pair of jeans, and a flash of silver at her earlobes, or a simple charm hanging off a chain for her necklace.
Nearly every girl has a "fashion weakness" -- and for Dani, that's earrings. While she loves a good pair of shoes just as much as the next girl, earrings have so much more to offer; plus, they take up a lots less space, so there's always room for another pair.

Looks Like: Alexis Bledel


Personality:
Dani is a people person. The girl loves to talk - and not just to hear her own voice. Superficial conversation, while somewhat necessary when first meeting someone, isn't what she's most interested in, as much as she loves making new friends. She loves the back and forth of it, and the fun that can be had when speaking to an old friend or all the possibilities when finding out about a new one. On top of her talkative nature, she's friendly. She's always been curious about new people - from when she was a small child watching the older students while following her mom around the school to just last month when she went up to talk to the new student that looked more than a little lost.

She tries to see the best in people, until she is proven wrong. That isn't to say she believes the whole world is good; what person who knows that demons do indeed exist could? However, even when someone seems sour, Dani'll give them a second chance. They could be having a bad day, or they might just be going through something. Rarely is something ever what it seems, and most people are good. Otherwise, what is everyone fighting for? Of course, this means that there are times that Dani is a little bit too trusting of people.

Dani's bright. She is very cerebral about things, enjoying knowledge and the power that comes from that, as well as being a bit radiant with her attitude. Growing up in a school, with two teachers for parents, she was taught that her mind was a weapon just as much as the very strongest of powers, and should be treated as such. From her first years on, she wanted to please her parents with her studies, and Dani likes to think she has. She isn't so foolish as to strive for perfection, but she does her very best to shoot high with her efforts and is proud of the results, and has been told that her parents are, too. As well as having a sharp mind, Dani possesses a bright attitude. She enjoys life and loves having fun - and making mundane tasks more pleasant. She sees the bright side of things, almost always keeping her eye on that silver lining.

Due to her limited contact with the outside world, Dani's a bit innocent, in comparison to a lot of her classmates. She has been very sheltered, despite everything. The recent demon attack on Magic School was hard on her, more than just that ten of her classmates being killed. Her home, always thought impenetrable by the young girl, had been breached. Worse, ten people she'd known for years were no longer alive. These weren't names in a history book detailing great Wiccan battles ten, forty, seventy years ago. This was here and now, and these were people she knew and cared about. It most definitely shook her up, more so than if she had been maybe more prepared - but then, how do you prepare for such a thing? She has shed a bit of her innocence, but as she's rationalized through it, she's become even more determined to learn more in her classes to better equip herself for life outside the halls of Magic School.

SCHOOL LIFE:
Classes taking:

➺ English / Lit III
➺ History of Magic III
➺ Magical Ethics III
➺ Potion Making III
➺ Vanquishing III
➺ Pyrokinetics III
➺ Telepathy III

Favorite Class: Pyrokinetics
Least Favorite Class: Vanquishing
Subject Best At: History of Magic
Subject Worst At: Potion Making
Length of Time at Magic School: 17 years.

HOME LIFE:
Residence: Magic School
Family:

➺Father: Daemyn Markus, 41, Conjuring
➺Mother: Heavynne Markus, 40, Molecular Inhibition & Combustion
➺Siblings: Jadyn Markus, 15, Molecular Inhibition & Levitation
➺Other Notable Family: Laythan Joshwa Hepburn, 38, Invisibility, Uncle

History: On a crisp November day in 1974, Daniella Alyce Markus - Dani for short, of course - came screaming into the halls of Magic School. Two years later, she was joined by her brother, Jadyn. Can you imagine a more perfect place to grow up as a magical child? Living within the walls of Magic School, surrounded by stunning role models, Elders, having magic be your life before your powers even manifested.

Dani spent her free time in her early years exploring the school - most especially the library. Reading the old tomes excited her from the very first time she carefully pored over a study of magical creatures. When she wasn't reading the dusty volumes stored in the massive library the school holds, she would be watching. Watching the other children, from the little girls only a couple years older than her to the frighteningly tall senior boys that towered over nearly everything. The variances between each student was fascinating. And not simply just boy and girl, red hair and brown -- the differences reached far beyond that. He was a Whitelighter in training, and she was half-mortal, just like Mom... and the powers! Dani was curious about what her own power would be from the moment she understood about it. ...of course, she was five at the time, so she was curious about nearly everything, except for what was in those green beans on her plate. Ew.

It was hot the June that Dani was six years old, and it didn't help matters that there was supposed to be a heavy rain later. All she knew was that it was hot, and the air was thick and heavy. And her little brother was poking, prodding, and he was just too close, and he really didn't need to be throwing that silly little ball at her; couldn't he shut up and quit it?! Jadyn was releasing the small ball once more, aiming it at his sister's head for the tenth time, when he saw his new toy burst into flame and crumple to the ground a pile of burnt plastic. Of course, Dani no longer knew the annoyance of the humid day or a little brother mourning the loss of his new favorite ball. The little six year old girl leaped from her seat and danced around, squealing, "Fire! Fire! It's fire!" A few years later, Dani was very pleased with herself once more. She was twelve, then - still the little bookworm, and while she had an ever expanding circle of friends, a good deal of her free time was still spent in the cozy, familiar confines of the library. When Dani was half an hour late to dinner one night in August, Heavynne knew exactly where to find her daughter. And there she was -- hunched over a large text half as big as she was, and goodness only knows how many times older. It was no wonder that the woman started a bit as her daughter said loud and clear, "Only about ten times, Mom," as if she had spoken the question aloud. On the way back, a very ecstatic young girl half-danced her way to dinner. Telepathy, she thought gleefully before falling asleep that night.

Growing up in Magic School was great fun, indeed - and gave her a very stable environment. Although she's certain that she would have the firm family unit no matter where they lived, the fact that her parents taught where she and Jadyn learned cemented the bonds they had with each other. And Dani wouldn't want to have grown up anywhere else. She couldn't imagine her childhood without the hours in that extensive library, or living anywhere but the cozy home they had within the walls of the school. While she wouldn't have it any other way, she has wondered. If they lived in the mortal world, where most of her friends were, would she be very much the same? It was a heavy thing to think about. Had the school molded her into who she was? Dani enjoyed entertaining herself at times with those sorts of questions - was her studious nature her own, a gift from her mother, or the influence on rarely leaving the premises of a school? - when she had little else to do, in those quiet moments in the late evening.

Beginning with those hours spent in the library in her younger years, Dani has always had an affinity for learning - and as such, never quite lost that love for school as she grew older. And while she's just as likely as the next student to groan at the mention of an essay with a looming deadline, she delights in the absorption of new information. Her enthusiasm for learning shows in her work. Though her grades are not noticeably higher, she takes pride in what she does, and disciplines herself when dealing with assignments and projects that are designed to be spread out over a number of weeks. At the same time, school obviously isn't her entire life; Dani has always been a talkative, friendly girl. She has made several friends in her years at Magic School, and enjoys spending time with them whenever she gets the chance - which isn't quite as often as she likes, given that she does live in Magic School, and the majority of her friends, well... don't.

Dani still spends some of her time in the library, but as she has grown older, her interests have grown as well, and for the most part, moved beyond the library, especially as she has shouldered more difficult academic work as she has moved up in her years as a student. Now, as a junior, and seventeen, she's definitely interested in boys as more than just friends. As ever, she loves reading, even if she usually gets enough of the textbook type of it in the classroom -- but, then, who doesn't love a good novel at the end of the day?
Any Extra Information:

SAMPLE WRITING:

It was funny, Hayley thought. Sometimes it was frightening, and others it just... wasn't. She was usually so scared of it. It could even become paralyzing at times-- something that was definitely not good, since she was supposed to be protecting people while she was here. She was supposed to be taking care of somebody. Keeping them safe. And...and... she was scared of something that most people simply accepted as a part of life, even welcomed. She considered all of this, curled into one of the chairs in the special common room for the descendants – in the one she had very quickly dubbed her very own – sitting with her knees tucked under her chin, her arms wrapped around her legs. She always felt safe like this, but she was staring into the roaring fireplace. The thing was, it was roaring. With fire. And she wasn't scared. Sometimes it hit her like that. That... “wait. Oh, look, a fire. Whoa. I'm not scared?” kind of feeling. It wasn't comforting to know that she was more often than not, utterly powerless to such a normal thing, something people had embraced since the days when the extent of human language was “ugga ooga umph ugh, woo wow, mugga doo!” A psychiatrist would say it's perfectly normal to have a residual irrational fear, especially after the dreams that had haunted her all those years. To relive that traumatic experience couldn't have been healthy for her psyche. But... Hayley sighed. It seemed crazy, and incredibly stupid. It was just fire. It wasn't scaring her now. Why was it that she couldn't even bring herself to be this calm for dinner at night? Oh, sure, sure. She managed to eat the meal, and outwardly she was her regular self, but inside... her stomach twisted, her mind went insane, and she constantly was imagining scenarios.

She could just see it, even now, and it sent shivers down her spine. One of the enchanted candles would slip. It fell, fell... the flame of it still ignited... catching a piece of paper, or a cloth napkin, that catching someone's sleeve, and Hayley could only watch...powerless...as this girl, this young girl... she just screamed and writhed as the fire consumed her clothing, then her hair, and her flesh, and finally, she stopped moving, stopping screaming, and all that remained was a charred corpse. Hayley's lip quivered as she recalled the most frightening scenario-- the one that had forced her to excuse herself for some air last week. And remembering that, she smiled, determined to wipe the image from her mind with a happier one. She was kind of almost glad she'd thought of that horrid thing, because she'd met another person! And besides, thinking rationally... she wasn't powerless anymore. A simple aguamenti would save the girl's life, and she would of course already know to stop, drop, and roll to save herself. She would be fine, if that ever did happen. To her, or someone else. Maybe that was what she's afraid of... that maybe she wasn't supposed to be saved, that she maybe should have died with her family...and that was why she was so different. She hadn't been meant to reach seventeen. She wouldn't tell anyone that, though, because she certainly didn't believe it, and she knew that she had purpose to live beyond that horrible night when she'd been far too young to control her destiny. Besides, even if she told someone, it would have to be Kaleb, Shane, or Rafferty... and she knew quite well none of them would have any talk like that. But back to why she smiled, remembering exiting the Great Hall after that horrifying mental scene.

She'd met someone. Now, when someone else said that, it would be a declaration of love, affection, a growing crush. For Hayley, it was... a bit different. It could be, she supposed, saying she'd met a boy who she liked, who was cute, and sweet, and funny. But because she was Hayley, and not some boy-crazed girl, that didn't necessarily mean that she liked him like that. She could, maybe. Perhaps. But she hadn't thought about that yet, and she probably wouldn't until she saw him again. Or not. Or something. She'd seen other girls, at Enderman's... here... And had seen how boys could mess them up a bit. And she knew that feelings like that could even ruin friendships. She didn't want to mess up her friendship with Rhett. He was so nice, and he was so... so... She couldn't quite explain it yet. He was on some certain level she could identify with. And maybe there was the reason the flames licking the air inside the fireplace wasn't frightening her tonight. It was a focus point, a way to see her thoughts clearly. Not that Hayley needed any help, but it was easier to keep on track when there was something to concentrate on. And so she sat, thinking, her thoughts running back and forth from fires to Rhett Silimane.