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| The Basics |
Character Name: Ritchie Coote.
He got the nickname "Ritz" while in America and is debating whether to sanction its introduction back home. At first it was a play on words he didn't much care for, but he's taken his sense of humor to it, commenting, "Yea, I'm buttery sweet, totally flakey... and baked whenever possible."
Age: Seventeen
Birthday: 27 March 1983
Wand: A 8 1/4" piece of cedar with a Hippogriff feather core. The Hippogriff feather is supposed to make the wand very good at animal control magic while cedar is good for protection charms. Ritchie's wand is short but quite pliable, revealing the nature of its user. Whenever someone asks why his wand is so short, Ritchie just gets one of those quirky, completely disarming little smiles on his face and says, "Well its not the size that counts, you know." It has alot of knots and streaks of pink in its otherwise creamy color, but the wand generally runs straight.
Hogwarts House: Gryffindor
Bloodline: Muggleborn
Political Views: Ritchie had and has passionate views when it comes to the war and its end. Being a Muggleborn, he naturally sided with the Ministry- at least at first. Voldemort was out to eradicate his kind- Muggleborn wizards- so in his mind he felt like he was in serious danger. But the war came when Ritchie was only thirteen and fourteen years of age. That made him far too young and inexperienced to be an active recruit on the side of good.
Like most young men who have no concept of what war means, he took to the notion with enthusiasm. He was eager to do his part, but he wouldn't be quite the malleable piece of clay that the Ministry may have wanted. During his fourth year, he listened to the likes of Harry Potter and how he had a different view of the Ministry. Ritchie was still quite young and impressionable, Harry was his Quidditch Captain, so the boy listened. Harry's casual dislike of people like Rufus Scrimgeour was a planted seed in Ritchie. As Hogwarts became less of a school and more of a military base, Ritchie's faith in the Ministry waivered. He could see Harry's point. They seemed more interested in propaganda, maintaining people's calm, and promoting their own image rather than actually going out and fighting Deatheaters.
Like his would-be idol, Ritchie lays the lion's share of the victory at the feet of the Order of the Phoenix. He was eschewed far away from the bulk of the fighting by his parents once they learned that their only wizarding son was eager to go fight in some type of war. Despite that, he actively kept up on the news and regularly wrote his old friends at Hogwarts. He was very frustrated that he couldn't hear more, knowing that the Ministry was filtering everyone's mail. Ritchie's real unbiased connection to the outside world became the magical tablets that the Ministry issued to the population in order for them to report incidents quickly. He used it like his brother used his citizen band radio.
The filtering, the propaganda and the ineptness of the Ministry frustrated Ritchie greatly, but he has never given up on the institution. He has high hopes that a good, moral and decent Minister will come in and restore things. You just can't keep a good optimist down for long. He has returned to England now that the war is over, in order to complete his last year at Hogwarts with his friends. He doesn't like the stories he's hearing of vast power abuses coming from the Ministry and the reconvened Wizengamot. He thinks the blanket targeting of people with Deatheater ties is completely unfair, and he thinks this 'Registry' is a terrible idea, except for known Deatheaters. But then he would- he naturally expects the best out of people, even though some of them would have loved to see his Muggleborn body broken at their feet. Now he wants to help and in the next year he has high hopes to play a part in the nation healing itself.
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| Appearance |
Height: 5'7" / 1.7m
Weight: 130lbs. / 9.2 stone
Build: Weedy, always has been and probably always will be. Even in the three years that have passed since Harry chose Ritchie as a Beater, Ritchie probably hasn't gained more than a few pounds.
Eyes: Denim Blue
Hair: A relatively straight head of dishwater blonde hair, just slightly favoring the brown side of that color. Its exceptionally long in the front and is usually in Ritchie's eyes. On humid days or when he's been sweating, the tips start to curl.
Dress Style: Ritchie is a Muggle through and through. He doesn't keep up with Wizarding fashion as much as he keeps up with Muggle fashion, but he tries to be fair. When in Rome, he thinks. His preference for clothes has always rested in Muggle clothes, so he usually attempts to combine Muggle and Wizarding wear in interesting ways. Most of the time, people will see Ritchie in clothes you'd find in the growing gay, indie and emo subcultures of the day- tight t-shirts, tight low-waist pants, boxers and briefs poking an inch over his waistband, and all in a combination of bright colors with dark ones. When in public or in the wizarding world, Ritchie's usually in his school robes, complete with polished oxfords, armani break slacks, a crisp white oxford and a tie- but he usually has a bit of a rebellious edge to it- his tie isn't all the way done up, his lapels are slightly askew, his shirt is untucked or he's wearing bracelets and hemp chokers, or the like. He also prefers to wear goggles when playing Quidditch, so its not unusual to see him in them before or after practice.
Discerning Marks: Ritchie is not exactly handsome, but it would be hard to classify him as "pretty" too. Ritchie is simply "impishly adorable"- he evokes that subconscious need in people to treat him like a precocious, slightly rebellious younger brother who few can seem to stay mad at for long. He is still most certainly a boy in his appearance, mostly because of his short, weedy stature. His tendency to smile in such a disarmingly mischievous way just brings out that mentality in people to see him as a kid brother.
Ritchie has that ability to smile at a person and make them feel like they are perhaps the only important person in his life. It is so disarming and so genuine that its infectious. People just have to smile back at someone like him, who has weathered this crisis of war and remained so positive. Ritchie is sort of accidentally sensual and sexy- the kind of sensuality that people almost feel guilty about noticing because somewhere in their mind he screams kid brother, or jailbait. He is relatively unaware that he is sexy, not because he is naive but because he doesn't find himself to be all that attractive.
One can tell that something serious is going on in Ritchie's life when he is not smiling. He does have a deeply contemplative aspect to his personality and it shows in his face. His lips are fairly full and cupid's bowed, so he does pouty with ease. His eyes- a soft, worn denim color- denote a deep thoughtfulness and an artistic intelligence. They are kind and contemplative one moment, and practically radiating mischief the next. Usually, he has one eye covered or else his hair is completely in his face, making him look- again- quite boyish.
Ritchie's body is ferret-like and lithe. He is one clearly built for speed and accuracy, not strength. Once described by Harry as "Weedy, but fast and with good aim," the statement still rings very true. He is almost frighteningly flexible, but there is little muscle definition on him. Best described as bony, Ritchie is your consummate "twink". His neck is long and thin with a strong adam's apple, his shoulders slope into straight-running collarbones and thin, reed-like arms.
Ritchie's body does show the ravages of being a jock, and of being a teen. Seldom is some section of his face, neck, chest or back not marred by a zit or two. Although one must look closely, he has a strange v-shaped scar on his right upper arm on the inside- a place where a compound fracture broke through the skin when a bludger hit him in the arm. His hands, although slender and pretty, are usually knicked, cut or bruised from holding a bludger club and having to hold onto a broom. His chest, legs, back and arms often bare bludger bruises from near misses. One thing Ritchie truly wants to hide is the birthmark on his left bumcheek- its shaped vaguely like a three leaf clover without a stem.
Although Ritchie doesn't consider himself to be all that attractive, he is comfortable in his own skin and very casual about it all. He has that air about him of a person who likes himself. He doesn't let inhibitions rule the moment, although he might be a bit embarassed later, after the event. So he's usually seen doing some pretty stupid stuff. The blonde has a tendency to just seem uninhibited, silly, rebellious and free-spirited.
PB: Devon Sawa
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| Sexuality |
| Ritchie is far too free, comfortable with himself and loving to nail down an interest in just one gender. Most people would have Ritchie pegged as gayer than a picnic basket, not because he is effeminate but because he is so flirtacious, cute and at ease with talking about any kind of relationship. Ritchie doesn't treat sexuality with much mystique- its just fun. But truthfully, Ritchie's bisexuality is complex- maybe a bit too complex. He leans towards women- albeit very open and experiment-friendly women- when he is seeking solace, softness and romance. But he seldom "goes all the way" with a woman. Its more often about finding comfort with each other. He sees women as very pretty things that should be treated well. He is much more discerning and picky about the men he finds attractive. He tends to be attracted to dominant, physically taller (usually slightly older) men. Men, to Ritchie, are about a good, hard shag where he is playing a submissive role. In truth he has a weakness for straight guys who "just want to try it." Above all, Ritchie is one of those selfless types who would rather pleasure than be pleasured. He has a penchant for overly complex scenes of romance that he has painstakingly planned out. He hasn't bothered to decide which sex he sees himself living his life out with.
Despite all that, Ritchie is very sexually inexperienced. Most people can't make that break away from the notion that he just screams innocence and he is like a brother to them. They just can't handle the reality that they are making love to someone that they feel like they should be protecting, not sexually advancing, so its seldom that Ritchie's partners return. He finds it all pretty aggravating.
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| Psychology |
Extrovert / Introvert: Ritchie has all the earmarks of someone who is extroverted. He thrives off of people's attention and energy. He loves a cheering crowd, a good party, great friends and loud music. He may have inhibitions, but he is quick to push past them and have a good time. Who cares if he embarasses himself and people laugh at him? Its what he usually wants anyway. Ritchie is a clown and a flirt.
Yet surprisingly, Ritchie also thrives off of introspection, contemplation, creativity and having a moment to think. He just doesn't do it as long as your typical introvert. He needs quiet time to gather his energy and thoughts- especially before a big game or exam.
Boggarts Appear As: Ritchie's Boggart manifestations are gorey and terrifying. They usually deal with an excessive amount of blood and gore, and someone who is in extreme suffering. Ritchie feels a great deal of fear and helplessness towards the "victim". A truly clever Boggart that can really get into Ritchie's psyche and dredge up a loved one or friend who is in pain can virtually paralyze Ritchie with fear. The worst Boggarts will know that to send Ritchie into near catatonia or hysteria, the bloody, beaten and screaming victim should try and grab Ritchie and get blood actually on him or worse, blame him for their injuries through his inaction. Things like, "Why didn't you help me?" devastate the blonde.
The origins of Ritchie's fear are not well known to him. He has largely repressed the incident that brought up his fear of blood and suffering. When he was a child, he witnessed a neighbor's boy being hit by a bus. The blood splattered on him as he flinched away at the last moment. He was quickly pulled away from the scene by his parents. Because he never saw "death" and knew he was looking upon it, Ritchie cannot see Threstrals. He does still have a recurring dream of something coming at him at extreme speed... he closes his eyes as he braces for the impact and right before it hits, he wakes up.
Patronus Appears As: Ritchie has never really had cause to summon a Patronus, and has never had any kind of training in summoning one, formal or otherwise. Because he is unsure of what is necessary to cast a Patronus Charm, he couldn't summon anything more than some wispy white ephemera. He does, however, have enough powerful, positive memories that should he learn how to summon a Patronus and could probably manifest a full-fledged one. In all likelihood, his most potent memory would be the image of his friends and loved ones. It would likely trigger a powerful need to protect. His patronus will appear as a Bear- the animal he most identifies with a protective and nurturing nature. It is a small Black Bear because he sees himself as smaller and faster, not hulking. Good things come in small packages, Ritchie always says. Its true about him, and about his would-be Patronus.
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| Personality |
Strengths: Ritchie's greatest strength is his ability to endure. He is both very resilient to criticism and hardship, and flexible enough to encourage compromise and camaraderie. In short, he is a team player, facilitator and diplomat who seeks consensus. He unconditionally loves his friends and has an optimism that his enemies need not stay enemies for long. Ritchie is eager to please and works very hard. Although he has a penchant for procrastination, he is diligent when he works. This trait almost landed him in Hufflepuff, it it hadn't been for the fact that Ritchie is also nearly fearless! He is devoted to his friends and loved ones, they are the driving force for his desire to evoke change. He is a protector and a caregiver, with a friendly shoulder and an ear... as long as one can stand hearing his unbiased and unvarnished opinion as well.
Although Ritchie is quite well rounded in that he is intelligent, artistic and athletic, he does none of them with great excellence.
Weaknesses: Ritchie is not street smart and he can be somewhat naive. He has been known to let opinion rather than fact sway his own beliefs. He definitely leads with his heart which can get him into trouble. His optimism can get a touch annoying at times, and his tendency to have a rosy-hued view of the world can blind him to the real gravity of a situation. Worse, his sense of teenage morality is going to sooner or later put him in mortal peril. He has survived broken bones and bludgers but he has never once let it enter into his mind that he could die. On that day, his world could come crashing down and who knows what would rise from the ashes.
Ritchie can also be very cocky and overly sure in his own abilities, but he is very swayed by charismatic individuals. That team player mentality could be an exploitable resource for someone who would want to do harm. Ritchie is in many ways too trusting and too eager to see people as good. Its going to get him hurt. He has got to learn to trust in his own opinions and stand by them rather than simply deferring to someone he trusts or admires. He is slowly learning that leaders are falleable too.
Likes: Ritchie just likes life! He is a well-adjusted, happy person despite the horrors of war that are around him. He has largely been spared that degree of pain. He does have several favorite things, most obviously Quidditch. To a guy who never knew magic existed for over half his life, he's certainly taken to it. Quidditch, he says, is better than sex and soccer combined. He plays Beater on the Gryffindor team, or did for his fourth and part of his fifth year. When he was ferreted away from his beloved Hogwarts and placed in a private school for wizards in Salem, Massachuseets, he thought he was going to die! They didn't have a team! he quickly tried to set one up, but not being a natural leader it didn't go places. Now that he's back he fully intends to take advantage of the Quidditch craze sweeping the wizarding world and try out for his old Beater position.
Ritchie's second love would probably be animals. He is one of the exceedingly brave (or possibly stupid) souls that has dared take Hagrid's NEWT-level Care of Magical Creatures class. He was an animal lover in his muggle life as well, constantly taking in strays and the like. It drove his mother insane.
Ritchie is quietly artistic- his skill is quite amateur. Its not something he shares with many people, even close friends. Its one of the secrets he does keep to himself. He enjoys photography (but not nearly to the level of Colin) and drawing, but his true artistic love is music. He passably plays the guitar but its seldom that he'll play anything that you could call that. Usually he just plucks the strings dischordantly, especially during a thunderstorm, and seems deep in thought.
Ritchie thrives on his friendships, but he's also fairly demanding of his friends. He loves his friends almost romantically, so he's constantly testing that line between what is platonic and what is intimate. He means very well and just wants his friends to be happy, but at the same time he takes happiness from it all. He's pretty flirtacious and touchy-feely.
Dislikes: Its harder to find something that Ritchie truly dislikes. Even todays enemies, he hopes, will be tomorrow's friends. But he can say that he hates lies, violations of his trust, being treated like a child, and people that are just radiate palpable evil- people like Lucius Malfoy and the late Lord Voldemort. The sight of other people's blood makes Ritchie physically ill and he has a very difficult time when he knows a person or an animal is in physical pain. If he had joined the war, Ritchie would have very quickly been reduced to near suicidal depression. He can't take a life- its just too sacred to him.
Quirks: Ritchie's got a rather annoying habit of clucking his tongue when he knows he's right. He also drums his fingers on the table when he's agitated. He's a touchy feely person with his friends and loved ones. He's a spicy food nut and is most fond of Indian and Thai food. He enjoys games of dares and seldom shrinks from a dare thats somewhat reasonable. He's got a wide and varied sense of humor, from light and pun-laced to sarcastic and dirty. When in deep thought or frustrated, Ritchie bites his lower lip- usually in the corner.
Ritchie's got an affinity for animals. He lacks any kind of speaking tongues ability but they do seem to realize that Richie is no threat to them. Depending on what is necessary, Ritchie can be submissive or dominant, depending on the animal he is dealing with. Its just part of that compromising ability he has.
General: Ritchie is one of those rare naturally sweet, sensitive, truly good people. He has a definitive moral compass, even if he doesn't always listen to it at the right moment. He's good intentioned and usually acts on his intentions. Eager, cheerful and high-spirited are also strong aspects of his disposition. It takes alot to get Ritchie down, but while him being down may not last long, when he is, he is really down. It takes alot to hurt Ritchie- truly hurt him. He has a bit of a puppy mentality in that it takes a truly painful incident for him to not forgive. Betray his trust to that degree and you really have earned yourself an enemy. He won't hurt you or try to undermine you- you will simply cease to exist as far as he is concerned.
Ritchie is a wild and raucous type of guy- he enjoys physicality and competition, but its all in good fun for him- no matter how intense. Once the competitions over, its time to shake hands (or even better- hug) and go have a Butterbeer. It explains his draw to sports like Soccer and Quidditch. He's not the type to read about life in a book, and sitting on the sidelines is very aggravating. He wants to live life- every setback, bruise and the rewards that can come with. As wild and fun as Ritchie tends to be, he's not into melodrama and excess baggage. He isn't overly flamboyant. He doesn't believe in holding grudges unless the case is extreme. Hate and anger are just a waste of energy to him. He can not like you and still be civil, unless you have badly wounded him emotionally.
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| Family Ties |
Parents: Irene and Stephen Coote are Ritchie's parents. They are both Muggles with no known previous history of Magic in the family. It is possible, though uncertain, that Ritchie's Great, Great Uncle on his mother's side was a Wizard. Irene and Stephen are both schoolteachers- one Church-Primary and one secondary school. Stephen also coaches Soccer for the local Little League, which Ritchie used to be a part of.
Siblings: Ritchie has three older brothers and two older sisters, none of them with any magical talent. Ritchie's the baby of the family. His brothers are mostly blue-collar worker type guys who attended or are attending technical schools. His sisters have gone into the restaurant business together and are enjoying modest success.
Family Dynamics: Ritchie becoming a wizard was met with mixed reviews from his parents and family. At first, they all thought it was some type of hoax from some of Ritchie's friends or some of his Dad's coworkers. One of Ritchie's Dad's coworkers was known for pulling off "unusual" tricks of that ilk and jokingly saying it was magic. What the family didn't know, at least until later, was that the man was a Squib. It was he who, when Stephen asked him to stop sending these silly letters by trained owls, revealed what was going on. Even then, the family wasn't altogether convinced.
Ritchie's mother is vehemently Catholic and continues to see the entire affair in a dark sort of skepticism. She has reacted to this very much like the stories say her family reacted in the past to that Great, Great Uncle. With suspicion and eventual toleration through distance. The day a student actually came to personally deliver a letter via the Floo Network, it was she that held the poor student at bay with a broom. It took alot of convincing (and a Ministry-sanctioned parlor trick) to prove all of this was legitimate.
Ritchie himself was enthralled- he was special! Thats always nice to hear. And he finally got to have something before his brothers. Ritchie was usually regarded as the runt by his older brothers, and he was often manipulated as the pawn in his brothers' games. One brother, the oldest, has not taken Ritchie's powers well at all. They still talk but they skirt the issue of Ritchie's abilities. The reason is religiously based, much like Ritchie's mother. Irene is more concerned that Ritchie is stepping into blasphemy and a road that will take him to Hell. It took Stephen literally overriding his wife in order for Ritchie to be able to attend Hogwarts.
In the past seven years, Ritchie's mother has grown to tolerate Ritchie's differences. Its not exactly the news she ever expected to hear. I'm gay.... I'm experimenting with drugs... I got a girl pregnant... I'm a wizard... she's often comparing the issues and wondering which she would rather hear. She saw a chance to take Ritchie from this world of his when it was discovered that there was a war going on and Ritchie and the family were likely in serious danger. Ritchie was all too eager to join up, but when his family sat him down and explained the gravity of the situation- that they all could die- Ritchie listened to reason. His family means so much to him. But the war wouldn't last forever and when Ritchie was reasonably sure they were safe, he took steps to rejoin his beloved wizarding world.
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| Lifestyle |
Occupation: Student during the school year. He has only been back in England for a few days and has had no chance to find a summer job. He'd like to be able to act as Hagrid's assistant- that way he could make excursions to Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley on occasion for supplies.
Residence: The Coote family is native to a small village outside of London called Biggleswade. It somewhat resembles your typical Cotswold village- slow paced, relaxed, fairly religious and everybody in everybody else's business. The Cootes have a cottage-like home on the outskirts of town with a decent amount of land. The house was actually Stephen's fathers, who was a farmer. The land now mostly lays fallow, except for the various animals that Ritchie and his family have taken in through the years.
Financial Status: The Cootes would qualify as roughly lower middle to middle class. They don't make a great deal of money and the majority of the household is blue collar. Ritchie's never been so strapped for cash that he can't afford books, but he can't afford to buy alot of frivolous luxuries either. When Ritchie is given some extra cash, he usually blows it on clothes or on his friends.
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| History |
Ritchie Coote came into the limelight in his fourth year, when he was accepted as the Gryffindor team's Beater. Harry remarks that he was fast and had great aim- all that is fairly accurate. Ritchie's not all that strong but he can put a bludger where he wants to. He never aims to seriously injure anyone, and keeps in mind that this is a game. Ritchie took his role as Beater very seriously. He wanted to do right by his housemates and bring them another House Cup, so he took his position as an honor. Like most students, Ritchie was awestruck to be in Harry's presence. And like most people, he was curious to see the infamous scar. He quickly realized that Harry didn't like that kind of attention, so Ritchie has done his best not to fawn and oggle when in Harry's presence.
Ritchie didn't let the record defeat of 320 to 60 by Hufflepuff get him down for very long. He was initially very angry that McLaggen had ruined it all, but in a short time he had to forgive the guy. He was possibly one of the few to do so. He has, however, made it quite clear that if anyone grabs his beater club again, he might just whack a bludger at them next time. Its just not in Ritchie's nature to remain angry, although he did have some concern that Harry was alright.
It wasn't long after that the Deatheaters invaded the school through Draco's use of the Room of Requirement. Ritchie, like alot of the Gryffindors once they realized what was happening, wanted to go out and fight. To help defend their home. He did manage to break past Hermione and Ron, but he was quickly put down by a Confundus spell from someone. He never did find out who. He woke up in disarray later amongst the confused, frightened and angry students of his House. He, like so many others, realized that an innocence had been violated and the war that seemed distant through the occasional letters or person disappearing was suddenly here at home.
Ritchie was a good, caring person and did his best to try and calm the youngest students no matter their House. When shock turned to anger for most people, Ritchie wanted to be a part of what would end the war. He was too young though. No one wanted a 15 year old on the front lines when he had had minimal training. When his parents found out how their son was eager to go fight in a war that would likely see him killed, they immediately made plans to leave England. It took some time for Ritchie to understand and accept his family's decisions, but he did. They left England in some haste, and moved to Salem, Massachusetts.
Ritchie was largely forced to the sidelines, which drove him insane. He wanted to be active, but had to accept the fact that he had to keep his family safe and stay low. It wasn't safe to be a Muggleborn. He did however continue his education at a small private school in Salem for a handful of wizards. It was more akin to personal tutoring, and the school lacked the frills of Hogwarts like live-in dorms, field trips and most importantly- a Quidditch team. It wasn't even divided into different Houses. Students were just students.
Ritchie did keep up as best he could with his friends in his home country. The war was largely centered in England and Europe, and Ritchie was desperate for any kind of information he could get. It annoyed him and made him feel cut off as the Ministry's propaganda machine continued to censor the truths of what his friends wrote. Twice, fed up with the situation, Ritchie made plans to run away back to England. He never did though, as he was found out each time- once by his family and once by his friends who told him to stay away.
Ritchie's mom was quite happy with alot of the situation. She could easily ignore the fact that Ritchie was attending a wizard school. It was all feelings like a mundane, Muggle life for her. It was very hard on her, then, when Ritchie announced that Voldemort was dead and happily waved a Daily Prophet in front of everyone with a triumphant but beaten Harry Potter on its front cover. Ritchie has preserved that issue with near reverence. It was his ticket back home, to what he felt like was his life.
Ritchie has returned to England just in time to take up his seventh year at Hogwarts. He needs to probably take a few assessment exams to see if he has the knowledge to take his place as a seventh year, but he was quite studious in America. It was all he could do to not go insane. He's eager to see his friends and make new ones, and has Owled just about everyone he ever knew just to say hi. He was elated to set foot back at home, and then things turned darker.
Ritchie is having a very tough time accepting what the Ministry is doing, and its getting harder and harder for him to accept it day by day. He has grown overly vocal about it yet. He's not sure if he even should... is it his place? If not, then why is his gut feeling saying all this is wrong?
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| Contact Info |
Player Name: Zach
Email: z.ruff@yahoo.com (easiest to get a hold of here) or zach.ruff@hotmail.com
IM: z.ruff (YIM) and zach.ruff@hotmail.com (MSN) are the two I'm on most. Zachyr19 is my AIM... I'm there less often.
I'm pretty easy to get a hold of... I'm on the computer alot and I post alot. I'm usually on between 7 and 9 am PST in the mornings and then after 7pm in the evenings. I'm usually up to chat too and always like to get to know my roleplaying mates.
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