The Pines App

[angelic_archer]

PLAYER

NAME: Selina
CONTACT: Plurk @ starfleetgirlfriday
OTHER CHARACTERS IN THE PINES: None

CHARACTER

NAME: Alexander ‘Alec’ Gideon Lightwood
CANON: What is your character from? The Shadowhunter Chronicles (book verse)
CANON-POINT: A few months after the epilogue in City of Heavenly Fire

DOSSIER

HISTORY:

Alec's Wiki Entry

WHAT ARE YOUR CHARACTER'S STRENGTHS?: This and the following question refer to mental and emotional strengths and weaknesses - physical ones have a separate question.

Alec is an observant, level-headed person. He is the one who is the voice of reason to a group of warriors who think that rushing into danger is the best way to proceed. He attempts to calm his friends down before they acting so that they don’t get hurt. If time allows, he will think through a problem, considering details that others may not notice and suggest solutions that are based on his observations. When the leaders of the various Downworld factions were debating a problem, he used the information he’d learned while working at the Institute to suggest ways of stopping a dangerous situation before it could escalate. This temperament means that he can also be a bit sneaky. When the Clave arrested his parabatai, Jace, he pretended to agree with the decision, citing the Law, while studying Jace’s prison to find ways for his friend to escape. Jace knew his strengths, he didn’t see how to use them to escape until Alec pointed out the possible way out of his imprisonment.

Alec cares deeply for others. Love is what has motivated him through most of his life. He is the type of person who rarely does things for himself, focusing instead on the people who are important to him. His caring nature makes Alec extremely loyal. He follows his siblings into battle without hesitation other than complaints that they should find less dangerous tactics. He will do almost anything for the people he loves, including literally going to hell to rescue the people he cares about. Both his boyfriend, Magnus, and Jace describe him as one of the most loving people they have ever known.

Once Alec decides on that a course of action is morally or emotionally right, he will follow through resolutely, no matter the consequences. When he kissed Magnus in front of the Clave, he knew that he could be severely punished for both being gay and for dating a Downworlder (those who have demon blood), but proving his feelings to Magnus was more important than what might happen to him later. Afterward, he was subtly ostracized by other Nephilim, but he still continued his relationship with Magnus. He repeatedly ignored orders that were based on misinformation and fear so that he could save lives and attempt to prevent the wars Valentine and Sebastian were instigating. Eventually, when Magnus and Alec discuss rebuilding their relationship, Alec considers the consequences, knowing that there is a more socially acceptable path available. Instead of taking the easy choice, he decides to start over with Magnus when he could decide to be the ‘good Shadowhunter’ that would please his parents and the Clave.

WHAT ARE YOUR CHARACTER'S WEAKNESSES?:

One of Alec’s main weaknesses is seeing himself as ‘trivial’ or believing that he doesn’t matter to others. Throughout his life, he was ignored by various members of his family. His parents took a half-hearted approach to raising their children; even when Alec was dying of a mortal wound, they didn’t return to New York to be with their son. Their political ambitions were more important than attempting to reunite with their children when one of them was dying. His parents rarely acknowledged him except to criticize his attempts to protect his siblings or his ‘choice’ of being gay. This belief that he was ‘trivial’ worsened after he learned about Magnus’ previous lovers. Every time his boyfriend deflected Alec when he wanted to discuss Magnus’ past, it solidified this belief until Alec made dangerous decisions in an attempt to learn about Magnus’ history.

This belief that he doesn’t matter can lead Alec to jealousy. When he was compared to someone Alec assumed had been one of Magnus’ past boyfriends, he saw himself as a random relationship in a long string of flings. This made Alec bitter and angry, snapping at Magnus whenever his boyfriend teased or flirted with others. It leads him to make dangerous decisions that almost cost him his relationship with Magnus. Eventually, Alec works his way through these tendencies and realizes he is important to Magnus and his family, but at his current canon point, he would occasionally feel twinges of self-doubt and jealousy if he thought Magnus was interested in someone else.

Shadowhunters have a tendency to keep to themselves, usually only socializing with other Shadowhunters. For the Lightwood family, this isolation became even worse because Alec’s parents were exiled to New York. His parents were also members of a bigoted group called the Circle who believed that Nephlim were better than all other races and that Downworlders should be destroyed because they were impure. Although this hatred did not pass to their children, the Nephilim elitism was taught to the Lightwood children. Alec can view himself as better than others, but he is learning to see past the ingrained superiority of his culture. In City of Heavenly Fire, his friend Simon calls him out on this elitism. Alec’s answer to the criticism is that he’s trying to be a better person but it is obvious at times that he struggles to be more open-minded.

WHAT EVENTS OR CIRCUMSTANCES IN YOUR CHARACTER'S PAST HAVE IMPACTED THEM THE MOST?:

The Lightwoods adopting Jace. This was the first time that Alec really interacted with another boy his age and had a friend that wasn’t someone related to him.

Falling in love with Jace. This is when Alec realized that he was gay and this infatuation influenced his actions for years.

Jace asking Alec to be his parabatai and the two of them going through the bonding ritual. When Jace asked, Alec realized that someone truly believed in him and thought of him as an equal to the ‘greatest Shadowhunter of their generation.’

Jace bringing Clary to the Institute. This effected the entire group, exposing them to the Mundane world and pulling them into the war that Valentine was orchestrating.

Meeting Magnus Bane. This meeting lead to some of the most important events in Alec’s life. He decided to act on his attraction for someone, slowly putting aside his crush on Jace. As he fell in love with Magnus, he began to think beyond the narrow confines of Nephilim society and finally came out of the closet. He also began to accept that he would never have the ‘normal’ life that was expected for most Shadowhunters.

Magnus breaking up with him and their reconciliation. The break-up forced Alec to start reevaluating his actions and to consider what was best for both of them. Instead of focusing on his own wants, he thought about how they treated each other and they were able to rebuild a relationship that had been flawed.

WHAT MOTIVATES YOUR CHARACTER?:

Alec is motivated by love. It is one of his greatest strengths and weaknesses at the same time. Every decision he makes is based on the people he cares about. When he saw a boy that he believed no one cared about, he decided that he would love Jace because he thought no one else ever had. Despite the infatuation he felt for Jace and knowing that romance was forbidden between parabatai, he still agreed to go through with the ritual because Jace needed him to be his grounding force more than Alec needed his feelings to be returned. When a demon attacked Jace, he didn’t hesitate to jump in front of his parabatai to save him despite knowing that the demon would probably kill him. Love is what causes Alec to make the decisions that lead him to Magnus and it also motivates the foolish decisions he made involving Camille. He goes to a hell dimension to save the people he cares about. When Magnus makes the deal to free them all, Alec offers to stay with his ex-boyfriend because he doesn’t want to return to a world without Magnus.

WHAT IMPRESSION DO OTHERS TEND TO HAVE OF YOUR CHARACTER?:

To others, Alec can seem aloof, distant, and rude. He has a tendency to say what he thinks with a bluntness that seems rude. He would rather tell the truth, even when it might be hurtful, than tell lies, which can make him seem rude to others. Normally, he’s the one that hangs back in the group, seeming to isolate himself. This combined with the elitism that his parents taught him regarding Shadowhunters’ superiority, make him seem like he thinks that he’s better than others. He seems serious, the parent of the group, instead of someone who is barely eighteen.

IN WHAT WAYS DOES THAT IMPRESSION DIFFER FROM WHO YOUR CHARACTER REALLY IS?:

In reality, Alec is an introvert who is slowly learning to interact with the world. For years, he was isolated from others, only interacting with other Shadowhunters. Even that contact was limited to his family and his tutor, Hodge, because the Lightwood family was exiled to New York. He is slow to warm up to people, but when he does, he is loyal and compassionate. His reserved nature hides his sense of humor, making it difficult for some people to know if he’s teasing or serious when he does make jokes. He is blunt, but not intentionally hurtful. He simply lacks the tact that other people think of as normal. The elitism is learned behavior, not an actual belief that he is better than others. Most of the time, Alec sees himself as less skilled or less important than his siblings and friends, which contradicts the image of thinking of himself as above others.

HOW DOES YOUR CHARACTER HANDLE CRISIS OR ADVERSITY?:

Alec is usually the voice of reason during a crisis. He is the one who thinks clearly, using logic to figure out a situation and offer suggestions. He’s the one who thinks of the practical aspects of a mission, considering what a rescue party will need in terms of supplies and weapons instead of rushing into danger the way his siblings prefer. He can be coldly efficient, using his archery skills to make remarkable shots to protect his loved ones during the middle of a battle, but he is carefully controlling his emotions so that he doesn’t break down when he’s needed most. That cold reserve also kept him from giving in to doubt and fear when Magnus was kidnapped by Sebastian. Instead of ‘falling apart’, he became more calculating and efficient, being the person what was needed instead of the person who was afraid of losing someone he loved.

WHICH 5 THINGS WILL YOUR CHARACTER REMEMBER UPON ARRIVAL, AND WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THEM?:

1. Alec knows that he’s a Shadowhuter/Nephilim, but he doesn’t remember everything that it means. (This is a vital part of who he is. Physically, it makes him different than the average human, but the vow to protect others from the dangers of the supernatural world is something that Alec takes seriously. This need to protect others will remain even if he doesn’t understand why this is so important to him.)

2. Alec remembers he has two siblings, Izzy and Max, and an adopted brother/best friend, Jace. He remembers he loves them deeply, but doesn’t know why thinking of Max always makes him feel sad. He also doesn’t understand why he has conflicting, awkward feelings for Jace (from the crush that he doesn’t remember). (Alec will do almost anything to protect his family. They were the main focus of his life for years and he protected them while their parents were absent from their lives. Until they met Clary and Simon, his family and Hodge were the only people Alec interacted with regularly.)

3. He remembers kissing Magnus Bane in front of the Clave but not the details other than he came out in front of his family and all the important people they knew. (This is when Alec came out of the closet, accepting his sexuality and whatever consequences he might face because of it. It’s also the first time that Alec decided to live his life on his own terms instead of accepting what his family and Clave expected of him.)

4. He remembers being at a wedding and dancing for hours with Magnus. (These are chosen because it’s after their breakup and their relationship was on more solid ground. It was also chosen so that he would remember that he has a serious relationship with Magnus.)

5. Alec remembers that he is an excellent archer and all the skills that go with it. (Archery is the skill that Alec excels at and the one that sets him apart from the ‘best’ warriors that he’s surrounded by)

IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU FEEL WE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER?:


SKILLS, ABILITIES, & PHYSICAL WEAKNESSES:

Physiology:

Shadowhunters were originally created when a human summoned an Angel to beg for help to protect the world from demons. The Angel, Raziel, mixed the blood of humans and angels to create a group of warriors, Nephilim or Shadowhunters, who had enhanced strength, speed, agility, stamina, and coordination. These abilities are further improved through training and the use of angelic runes. When Nephilim are children, they go through a ritual to protect them from possession and other demonic influences. Despite these traits, in the end, Shadowhunters have the same weaknesses as humans. They may be able take more damage than the average human, but they can be mortally injured and they are not immortal.

The Sight:

Because of their unique physiology and their runes, Shadowhunters are able to see what most people would think of as the supernatural. They can also see through illusions and glamours.

Angelic Artifacts and Runes:

Nephilm are descended from the mixing of Angel and human, Shadowhunters so they are able to use items that have angelic power and also use angelic runes. Certain objects, such as their weapons, witchlights, and steles can only be used by Nephilim or those with a connection to Angels. When a Shadowhunter picks up a Seraph blade and names it after an Angel, the blade will glow brightly. If a non-Shadowhunter picks up the weapon, nothing will happen, even if the being names the blade. This connection to Angels also allows them to use runes or marks.

Runes are symbols that are burned into the skin that augment certain abilities in Shadowhunters. Permanent runes are black on the skin and never fade except in a few rare cases. Temporary runes last for a finite time and will fade once they have been ‘burned up’. If a normal humor or a Downworlder attempts to use most runes, it will either kill them or drive them insane.

Fighting:

Alec was trained almost from birth to fight demons. His training included hand-to-hand combat and the use of a variety of weapons. His greatest strength is the bow; he is one of the greatest archers among the Nephilim. Although he is not thought of as one of the best warriors, he can keep up with the best Shadowhunter of their generation. He has also learned how to compensate for his weaknesses so he can fight with Shadowhunters who have a higher skill level than his own. Usually, if Alec is not using his bow, he fights with a seraph blade or with a staff.

Parabatai:

During his training, he became soul bound to his best friend, Jace. This bond improves a Shadowhunter’s fighting ability and any runes drawn by parabatai are stronger than those drawn by other Shadowhunters. The bond amplifies their abilities. They are synchronized in battle, fighting as two halves of a whole. At times, they can feel each other’s emotions and draw strength from each other. Because it is a soul bond, in a way parabatai are soul mates, which can add emotional complications to the bond.

Being parabatai can also be a weakness for the pair because when one dies, the other will feel the loss. Many Shadowhunters are driven crazy with grief over this or they’re killed when the bond is severed. Distance can also weaken the bond, but in the book canon, when Alec was separated from Jace, he felt a faint connection to him even when Jace was in another reality than Alec. While in game, Alec will feel a faint echo of the parabatai bond, but it will not break since this could drive him mad or kill him.


INVENTORY:

• The black leather pants, jacket, boots, and gloves that make up a Shadowhunter’s gear
• A plain steel knife hidden in his boot
• His bow and quiver which holds runed arrows
• Seraph blade
• His Lightwood family ring
• A witchlight
• Two steles (The device that allows Shadowhunters to draw runes on themselves. He always carries a spare for his siblings since they have a tendency to lose them.)
• Cell phone with headphones
• & bull; A copy of Lord of the Rings that Jace gave him

SAMPLES

PROSE-HEAVY:

Prose Heavy Sample

DIALOGUE-HEAVY:

Dialogue Heavy Sample