BOLD ANY FEARS WHICH APPLY TO YOUR MUSE. ITALICIZE WHAT MAKES THEM UNCOMFORTABLE. MAKE A NEW POST, DON’T REBLOG.
the dark • fire • open water • deep water • being alone • crowded spaces • confined spaces • change • failure • war • loss of control • powerlessness • prison • blood • drowning • suffocation • public speaking • natural animals • the supernatural • heights • death • dying • intimacy • rejection • abandonment • loss • the unknown • the future • not being good enough • scary stories • speaking to new people • poverty • loud noises • being touched • sex • chains • inner demons • hallucinations • staring • going berserk • betrayal
ᴛᴀɢɢᴇᴅ ʙʏ: @prkjn
ᴛᴀɢɢɪɴɢ: @southtae @sujjico @tokkisana @jinyounc @myouiari @soojunq @ieuijin + anyone who wants to do it, really.
1. Will grew up with a single mother, abandoned by his father save for the purchase of his textbooks when he began attending Hogwarts.
2. Will is kind of unintelligent, but talented when it comes to physical activities, and always has been.
3. Will stayed back a year in Hogwarts and almost didn’t bother finishing his seventh year.
4. Will is very aggressive, and has been since a young age, save for toward those few that he deems important.
5. Will only dated women until he was in his twenties, and questioned his sexuality for years before starting to date Cris.
1. Will grew up with a single mother, abandoned by his father save for the purchase of his textbooks when he began attending Hogwarts.
Prior to his birth, Will’s mother was a prostitute to help make ends meet. She had been in an abusive relationship when she was young, leaving her without family to return to when she finally ran away, and in her desperation, finally discovered that she could make money by selling herself. Will’s conception was, therefore, a complete accident. His father didn’t even know he’d been conceived until Will’s mother came forward shortly before his birth, and he refused to believe that Will was his child for most of his childhood.
Will grew up almost on the streets with his mother. Though she did her best to ensure they had an apartment no matter what, there were a few instances he can recall where they had no home and were left to sleep wherever they could find shelter. He learned young how to shoplift and pickpocket in case he needed the funds or food, and learned quickly how to keep his things from being stolen in the rare incident that he had anything to hide. Part of his prowess was magical, but neither of them knew that.
Will never knew that his mother was a prostitute. Even as an adult, she has never told him the truth about that. He’s under the impression that she worked as a housekeeper and a childcare assistant, sometimes finding work and sometimes hitting dry spells. She made certain no one else told him the truth either, not wanting her son’s perception of her as someone good to change because of how she kept them above water. Will is better off not knowing the truth, because it would make him hate his father more.
When he was found by an envoy from Hogwarts, Will didn’t believe them at first. He thought someone was trying to trick him into going with them, not for the first time, and ran away from them. It took three tries for them to catch him with his mother, who confirmed that it was true, he was a wizard and from a powerful magical bloodline. The envoy assisted in paying for Will’s first year of textbooks, and was the one to get hold of his father for financial assistance from then on.
Will didn’t want to accept his father’s help at first either. He was already a proud child by then, and his father had left him behind, after all. What was the point in taking money from someone who didn’t want him to exist even? When he saw how expensive his school things were, however, he conceded to the aid, and though he never saw his father in person, he looked forward to the small sums of money that he was sent throughout the year to perpetuate the appearance of money.
When he finished at Hogwarts, Will thought that would be it from his father, and at first he was correct. The letters stopped, he wasn’t sent money anymore, and he went back to trying to keep his mother above water with him while he worked toward making a Quidditch team. If he hadn’t made it within that first two years of graduating from Hogwarts, he wouldn’t have pursued Quidditch further. He would have wound up working street jobs and such things rather than finding the success he managed.
Will’s father has only once tried to contact him since he made the Montrose team. Before a game two years ago, he tried to find his son to wish him luck and bridge the gap. Will was already in the locker room and refused to step out and humor any visitors, and so he left under the impression that Will wanted nothing to do with him. He’s determined to try, however, and so every few Magpies games, he makes an appearance, asking once again to see Will in hopes of finding success.
Will funds his mother’s apartment with his Quidditch salary, and it’s at least double the size of his own. He kept the same tiny flat he was first able to buy to move out on his own, and his mother has a penthouse apartment instead. He stops in to make sure she’s got food and anything else she might need once every two weeks or so, and she’s always at the Montrose games, though she always stands out as someone who’s barely involved in the magical world at all.
2. Will is kind of unintelligent, but talented when it comes to physical activities, and always has been.
Will’s earliest memories are of his mother apologizing to the owner of a shelter they were staying in, promising that he was a smart boy, just... simple. That’s always how he remembers being described, both by his mother and by those around him. Simple. For many years, Will didn’t understand what she meant. He didn’t think he was any different from other children his age, except that he couldn’t read at all. And who needed to read anyway? It wasn’t as though Will had books or anything, after all.
Will was already in Hogwarts before he realized what people meant when they called him simple. He was the only student he knew that couldn’t read well, struggled to write his own name, and knew very little about anything that the others all seemed to be familiar with. That was a sobering realization. Will was always a proud child, but knowing that he was so far behind his peers just made him feel worse about it, to the point that he wanted to leave Hogwarts and not come back after first year.
His mother insisted that he had to go back, though, and so Will returned to Hogwarts the next year just like the rest of the students did. He didn’t particularly want to go back, and he spent much of the first week avoiding classes as best he could. Except, that is, flying. He always loved his flying class, even though it seemed like something so basic that he shouldn’t have any difficulty in it or much interest in continuing to take it. It was his best class, and straight from day one, he was one of the best in his class.
Before he’d gone to Hogwarts, Will had also been brilliant at soccer, rugby, climbing, any kind of sport that required some sort of physical skill rather than technical prowess and strategy. He was always that way. Even as Will began to learn things, began to find his place in the world and learn those things that he was so far behind in, he maintained a greater skill in physical talents than he ever did in academic types. Will didn’t see anything wrong with it, but his professors tried to encourage him in the opposite direction.
Even in his adulthood, it’s quite easy to call Will stupid, especially as most of his peers in the Quidditch world seem to be much more intelligent than him. It’s a source of self-consciousness, but he continues to try and use his Quidditch skill to cover that as best he can. As long as he’s big and menacing, no one would dare to insult him in that regard, for fear that he might use that physical prowess that he’s so developed against them, leaving them as the more wounded of the two of them.
3. Will stayed back a year in Hogwarts and almost didn’t bother finishing his seventh year.
Will doesn’t like to talk about his Hogwarts years, and for a very valid reason. With how far behind he was from his peers and how little faith his professors seemed to have in him, Will didn’t do well in school at all. Even when he was trying as hard as he could, making as much progress as he could every year, he couldn’t seem to get far enough along to satisfy his professors. His mother tried to reassure him at every break that he was doing his best, and that was enough, but Will didn’t believe it.
Which was why Will wound up repeating his fifth year. He almost had to repeat it twice, in fact; he received such low marks in his O.W.L.s that there was no way for them to pass him on in good faith in the first run through. Will was incredibly embarrassed to be told that he would have to repeat a year, and did not hide that, as much as he perhaps should have. It encouraged his aggression, because he decided everyone thought they were better than him just because he’d made a few mistakes.
His second run through of fifth year only just barely went better than his first round. It wasn’t for lack of effort; it was never for lack of effort. Will tried as hard as he could to ensure he passed. In the end, they passed him simply so that he didn’t have to repeat the same year again, passing him along with no more than four O.W.L.s. He was a little bit ashamed of how few exams he passed, but at least he made it on to the next year. That was all anyone could ask of him.
By the time he got to his seventh year, though, he regretted his decision to keep going. Some of his peers were mocking about his age compared to the age of the other students in his year, and few of his professors were particularly supportive of his desire to trade his attention to Quidditch rather than toward his education. Will just couldn’t see a point in continuing when he was so clearly failing. It was only because his mother asked him to that he continued.
When Will finished his N.E.W.T.s, it was with only four passing grades, and technically he ought have stayed back and repeated his seventh year to ensure he got enough grades to make it somewhere in the Wizarding world. It was only because he was very clear about his intentions of becoming a Quidditcher that the Headmistress agreed that he could discontinue studies and move on into his professional life.
4. Will is very aggressive, and has been since a young age, save for those few that he deems important.
The one thing that Will really remembers from his childhood that wasn’t with regard to his being poor is the sheer number of times his poor mother got confronted by other parents about Will’s aggression toward their children. Will has never gotten along well with others. He claims it comes out of a need to protect himself, and he’s not entirely wrong, but it’s a natural aggression that has been in place since before he knew the world was rough.
Will’s mother believes his aggression stems out of his unintelligence. Will is dim at best, and that makes him feel a need to make up for his shortcomings in whatever way he possibly can. Much of his early fighting was with children that teased him because of who his mother was or his not understanding some of the things they talked about, and his mother took that as the origin of whatever anger issues her son has.
That turned out to be a benefit as he learned that the world was not a nice place. Will’s aggression became a driving force behind his learning how to defend his things from being taken, and as he got bigger and became one of the biggest children in the neighborhood, especially after going to Hogwarts, he became the enforcer of sorts for his family. Will was always angry, and he could use that to keep their things safe.
After Hogwarts, however, that became more dangerous. By the time he was fifteen, Will was the biggest child in the area that he and his mother lived in, and bigger than most of the adults, at that. That made it intimidating at best for the rest of the neighborhood; Will was so big that he could easily take out anyone he wanted to, and if he happened to get angry enough at them, he would get into a fight without a second thought.
It was only because he found himself in Quidditch so quickly after finishing at school that Will didn’t end up in a much worse place than he did. It was difficult at best for him to get along with his peers and the adults that he spent any time with, and he knew it was just going to get worse as he got older and they got more condescending. Quidditch became an outlet for Will’s temper that he was incredibly thankful for having the talent to make it in.
There was one notable instance of Will’s temper getting the better of him, however, and leading to him getting into some trouble. Right after finishing at Hogwarts, when he had failed to make the Magpies on his first try and thought he might have nothing going for him, he got into a fight with one of the biggest people in their current neighborhood. Will managed to knock the other man out, and in response, he ran back to his parents and pressed charges.
Will spent three months in jail following that assault charge, unable to defend himself against the accusations without a lawyer, and he had no funds for a lawyer. It was after that brief jail stay that Will tried for the Magpies a second and then a third time, finally making the team on his third try. It has been one of his greatest anger outlets ever since, even when he really should be more careful about his temper coming out toward other players.
Since joining the Magpies, Will has only once gotten into trouble for his temper. During a game against the Wimbourne Wasps, Will intentionally directed a bludger toward a Chaser with a blood condition that caused him to spend a couple of weeks in St. Mungo’s healing up. Will maintains to this day that it was not his fault the Chaser in question wound up in the hospital, and certainly not his fault that the stay lasted for so long.
Despite his temper, however, Will is incredibly gentle with people that he loves and children. He has a soft spot for children that he knows are in rough situations, to the point that he could easily be called soft around them. He’s much the same with Cris; though he can be difficult and they bicker like no other when some things come up, he loves him to the end of the earth and has an incredible soft spot for him.
5. Will only dated women until he was in his twenties, and questioned his sexuality for years before starting to date Cris.
In Hogwarts, Will had no small share of partners. He enjoyed dating, and though he could be difficult at best to get close to and tended to not like most people, there were a few exceptions to the rule. The girls he dated in Hogwarts were largely Gryffindors, most of whom thought that he would be the kind of gruff guy that they would enjoy dating just for the sake of the reputation it would bring them. And they weren’t wrong, mostly.
It was widely believed, though, that Will was abusive toward the people he dated, and Will never understood why people had that impression of him. He’s always been very careful not to even get particularly angry with his partners, even when he had reason to do so, and he’s never laid a hand on one of them in anger. Still, the rumors flew, and every relationship ended in the girl deciding the suspicions from her friends might prove valid one day in the future.
When he finished Hogwarts, Will had to admit that he was glad for the chance to go into a new dating scene. Being an adult meant no more rumors flying about his aggression leading to abuse, and that made it much easier for him to date without high expectations on his shoulders. He quickly found himself immersed in the nightlife of the Wizarding world, and after dating a couple of girls, he found himself looking into other locations.
It was when a friend suggested he go out with them one night that Will first realized he might be attracted to men. They’d gone to a gay club together, and while Will was wary at first, he found himself relaxing enough to actually go dancing. In a few month’s time, he had accepted that part of himself, and though he wasn’t especially vocal about his sexuality, he did acknowledge it and kept his options open.
Will continued to date around, both with men and women, until he and Cris became serious, and he was not a virgin when the two of them got together. Cris was, however, the most serious attraction he’d ever had, and the only person he could actually imagine much of a future with. Though he thinks Cris could do much better, especially with his wealth and family name, he’s eternally grateful that Cris is as in love with him as he is with him. Will spoils Cris as much as he can in response, hoping to keep him.
Well, I do wish that Holyhead had come up a little higher, but that’s just because I always want to see them come out on top, really. The season was brilliant, though. Every one seems to get better, you know? And we got incredible business, actually, as we started introducing new treats and whatnot. So it was a great season.
Are you and your team ready for this year’s season?
Oh yes, certainly. The Players Lounge gets plenty of business even during off season, but it’s always even more when the season starts. The players start coming out more, and fans flock to watch the streams of the games we opt to show. I mean, we have four screens set up to stream, so. It’s always great when the season gets going.
Have you introduced anything new to your practice regime?
We really haven’t made any changes in between, other than a few altered recipes and mixed drinks. Because we stay open all year long, we don’t often change things up. Patrons are easy enough to please, and they like the routine that comes with a little changing menu. We’ll probably make more changes as players start coming in more, like usual.
What did you spend your time off-season doing?
Working, always working. I love the bar, of course, so I’m definitely not complaining about having work, trust me. But it sometimes gets a little... boring, during off-season. Maybe that’s just because I get much more interested when the players come in, you know? It’s always better when I get to see them.
How do you relax when you’re not on the pitch?
Outside of the bar, I really love flying, honestly, and I listen to podcasts a lot. Flying has always been my favorite thing, ever since I can remember, and now and then I can get friends together for a scrimmage game or two. For podcasts, though, I only just started getting into a few because of a patron’s suggestion, and they kill time quite quickly.
Do you have any plans on retirement or a career change in the near future?
Never. If anything, I’d have to say the bar is more successful than it’s ever been. We’re making great profits already this season, and the tips people leave us are incredible. I think Sofia and I are going to run with this until the bar starts to fail, really. We both love it, and she’s got this brilliant mind for business that makes it easy.
What were your dreams and goal as a child? Are they Quidditch related?
When I was younger, the only thing I wanted to be was a Chaser for the Harpies. I always wanted to be one. They’re one of the best teams in the League, and they’ve always been my favorite, and I loved Chasing so much... But there’s limited room on a professional team, and they have to choose the best. So I shifted my attention to other avenues.
How do you feel about the constant media attention?
The more press we get inside the bar, the better our business gets, so of course I love the media attention. Players get photographed in here every week during the season, and as soon as the location’s mentioned, we see a couple days of increased business. I feel for those that don’t like it, but I don’t think anyone could blame me for loving it.
Do you have any memorable experiences with fans in the past?
There are always some questionable fans, no matter how green or rude or aggressive the player they’re trying to catch a glimpse of may be. The most memorable ones we’ve had to remove for trying to get too close to the players. We get probably two of those a week once the season starts, and they last until the last two weeks or so of off-season.
If you could choose one thing to be rid of in the entire Quidditch experience, what would it be and why?
Maybe just the number of people that try out for teams whenever a position opens. I know it’s incredibly unfair to expect, or to consider, but I always wonder if I might have made Holyhead if I’d only tried out before the newest player comes through. It’s selfish, I know, but I wish more than anything that the competition was less strict so I had a chance.
I thought last year’s season was great! I mean, I wasn’t an active member of the Main String or anything last year, so I got to see most of it as a fan, and that’s the best thing in the world, you know? I just hope this season is gonna be as good. It’s hard to match up to something that still leaves you in awe, I guess.
Are you and your team ready for this year’s season?
I think so? I mean, my teammates definitely are, if you ask me, but you know. It’s probably better to ask Zita that question, she has a better perception of what the team’s supposed to look like by the time we get close to the season starting and all, you know? I’m still kind of awestruck by everyone, so I might be like, overestimating how great they look.
Have you introduced anything new to your practice regime?
Oh, definitely. I never trained this hard. I used to just like, play with the Snitch, see how long it took me to find it and try to sharpen my eye that way, before I made the team. I never did speed drills before, or that much physical stuff in anticipation of a game, because I didn’t have to, really. Zita works us all hard, and she’s taught me so many things already.
What did you spend your time off-season doing?
I actually did a few photo shoots this off-season. I used to model, see, but work dried up, so I went back to Quidditch. I’d always been good at it in school, so you know. It was worth a shot. So now when I have time to, I go back and find shoots to do as much as I can. I got a lot more over this break, actually. Probably because I’m recognizable now.
How do you relax when you’re not on the pitch?
I like playing with makeup, but honestly, I spend most of my time off-pitch just lounging around in sweats and a tank top and watching Netflix. I’m so lazy, I swear, it’s awful. I like being able to just... wind down and not have to worry about people seeing me, I guess. So I binge shows whenever I have enough time to.
Do you have any plans on retirement or a career change in the near future?
I’m definitely not planning on either any time soon, but I wouldn’t be like, incredibly against it if the time was right, I guess. I mean, I did totally turn on my head last time I changed what I was doing so... I kind of just go where things take me at this point. If that means staying in Quidditch, that’s what I’ll do. If that means changing away, that’s what I’ll do too.
What were your dreams and goal as a child? Are they Quidditch related?
My dream was actually to be an actress once upon a time. I didn’t have much I was good at, honestly, and I didn’t know what else to do, so I thought acting would be cool because I was good at pretending I was fine all the time. Wow, that sounded dark, but that’s not how I meant it. I just mean... It was a talent. I didn’t even consider Quidditch as a career when I made the Harpies, it was just an impulse choice and I got really lucky.
How do you feel about the constant media attention?
It’s... overwhelming. The cameras aren’t a huge thing, I used to have my picture taken all the time, you know. But like. The crowds, the swarming people, everyone knowing my name when I haven’t even played my first game yet. That’s a lot for me. That would be a lot for anyone, I think, but it’s so new. I think I’ll like it better once it’s not like... all that’s happening around me.
Do you have any memorable experiences with fans in the past?
I’m honestly so new that I don’t think I’ve had any yet. I’m sure I’ll have something much more interesting this time next year, once I’m better settled, but so far, it’s just been a lot of people asking for autographs and things like that. There was one girl that asked me to sign her chest, though, if that counts as something?
If you could choose one thing to be rid of in the entire Quidditch experience, what would it be and why?
I... really don’t think I would pick anything. I fell into this out of luck, honestly, and I can’t say I have anything to complain about yet. Maybe when I’ve been here longer, I will, like I will for everything, but you know. It’s not as though anyone’s forced anything awful on me or anything like that, so who am I to wish anything be different?
Tagging: @aearlin , @troubled-twins-of-elrond , @springvigor , @elvxnkingthranduil , @thiskingdomwillendure, anyone who wants to do this really and sorry if you’ve already been tagged/have done it! I’m too lazy to dig and check. >>;;
Bold any fears which apply to your muse. Italicize what makes them uncomfortable.
TAGGED BY: @sanaskad
the dark. fire. open water. deep water. being alone. crowded spaces. confined spaces. change. failure. war. loss of control. powerlessness. prison. blood. drowning. suffocation. public speaking. natural animals. the supernatural. heights. death. dying. intimacy. rejection. abandonment. loss. the unknown. the future. not being good enough. scary stories. speaking to new people. poverty. loud noises. being touched.
TAGGING: @littlelakegirl , @lordofthegoldenflower , @springvigor , @woodlxndguard , @i-dream-of-oceans , anyone who wants to really /didn’t check to see if people have already done this or not--oops!
