James and Raphael, welcome to the Seoul Institute for Shadowhunters!
Other Name: Ke Chuying
Nicknames:
+ Yingying - a nickname used by most of his friends and family
+ Jem - what Will mostly calls him because of the similarity in their names when compared to that of their ancestors'. His friends use that as well, though it's mostly used by Will
Birthday: [15 / March; 21]
Birthplace: Shanghai, China
Hometown: Idris
Ethnicity: Chinese-British
Language: [can fluent up to four language]
Mandarin-Chinese / 10 / He's half Chinese, so his father speaks Mandarin in the house. Fluent.
English / 10 / Being half British, his mother also speaks English, so he grew up conversing in both languages.
Latin / 10 / He learnt Latin with Will, who was extremely good at the language. They managed to master the language by studying it together.
Face Claim: Cai Xukun
Backup Face Claim: Zhu Zhengting
Height & Weight: 179cm, 63kg
Appearance: James has black hair more often than not styled casually, though currently it's dyed a light brown, like that in the picture. He has a slim build, so slender that he came off as slender at first glance. He also has this smirk on his face whenever he wins, or has proven himself right, which makes people swoon.
Style: James is mostly a subtle person who doesn't like to stand out in a crowd, so he wears clothes that blends in such as large hoodies in soft colours such as grey and dark blue coupled with tight jeans (because he has slim legs and he likes to show them off). Due to his narrow sight, he also wears round-framed glasses, thus giving off a boy-next-door vibe.
However, whenever he feels like doing something different, he decides to undergo quite a drastic makeover, mostly borrowing clothes from Will such as bomber jackets and shirts, as well as leather jackets. He also forgoes the glasses and wears contacts instead, as well as styles his hair, thus giving off a celebrity-like feeling.
Mostly though, he likes wearing loose or large-sized sweaters and tight jeans that shows off his legs, with either sneakers or combat boots. Sometimes, he also adds on some accessories, such as a baseball cap, or a watch.
When he trains, he wears the normal gear like all other Shadowhunters, with a hoodie thrown on top.
Personality
[Positive] kind, caring, sensitive, cheerful, honest, determined, loyal, gentle
[Neutral] Independent
[Negative] Blunt, sarcastic, impatient, can hold grudges easily, distant
James, normally around strangers or people he isn't too familiar around, is kind and caring, as well as helpful. He is gentle, letting everyone think of him as an ideal gentleman. He is also sensitive to others' mood and feelings, as well as to his own, so he knows when to say what and how to act. Due to him being brought up in quite a strict Chinese household, he knows all of the mannerisms and cultures, as well as what to do and how to behave. To most, he is the ideal son and Shadowhunter.
Being most of the time cheerful, it's not easy to look beneath that exterior to the moody side of his, but once exposed, James does have a hard time covering it up again, at least for the person who managed to crack him open. He's also quite determined, and is willing to go to extreme lengths to achieve his goals and attain what he wants, though of course within limits and his own set of beliefs.
Like most Shadowhunter children, he spent most of his childhood waiting for his parents to come back from missions, and is taught to prepare for the inevitable, the tragedy that is having his parents killed, and therefore is quite distant from others himself.
Having spent time with William Herondale, he also became somewhat blunt, as well as sarcastic, what with having the other side of him exposed. Living in the London Institute made him realise that not everyone acts the way he does, and so he became slightly open, in terms of personality.
He's also quite impatient, and doesn't like waiting for things that require waiting. This is seen as a fatal point between him and Will, as both of them are quite stubborn and impatient. James can also hold grudges easily, and for an extremely long time as well, albeit not looking like it.
However, he's extremely loyal to his friends and family, and wouldn't betray them for anything in the world.
background
Born to a pair of quite strict parents, James was brought up to become the heir of the Shanghai Institute once he grew up, lest his parents are killed. He was also taught the traditional beliefs and mannerisms of his culture, and is thus a well-behaved gentleman throughout most of his childhood.
At the age of ten, his parents decide it would be suitable to send him to the Herondales' house, also known as the London Institute. Since his father was close friends with Will's father, he was able to persuade Charles Herondale to take his son in, for him to experience different cultures and to learn a different way in which a Institute could be ran.
Since he arrived at the Institute, he was interested by Will, who seemed to share similar interests to that of his. Due to the two of them having the same age, they hung out a lot as friends, and sparred and trained together.
However, once Will hit puberty, he started to get extremely moody and violent, with James being the only one able to calm his spells down. It was at the age of sixteen that Will decided to become parabatai with him, which was proposed in the form of a dare; whoever could kill the most demons in their next mission would decide what to do. James, being sensible, refused with the help of Jessamine, who helped intervene.
Later, Will then asked again, in a more tame way; if James lost to him in a game of Scrabble, he would become his parabatai. In the end, James did lose, and agreed to become his parabatai. And thus, they became parabatai.
Afterwards, James reached the end of his period at the London Institute, and it was a coincidence that Will's parents decided to send him away to Seoul to learn good manners. James then asked his parents for permission to visit the Seoul Institute as well, which his parents agreed to again, because, well, why not.
Now, James mostly acts as mediator between Kain and Will, as well as a stand-in mother for Will, who is constantly in a foul and violent mood.
trivia
Likes:
- Tea, both Chinese and English
- Traditional music, which Jinseok and him has hours upon hours of discussion on
- Cats. He brought his pet to the Seoul Institute
- Winters
- Ancient Chinese poetry
- R&B
Dislikes:
- Will in a foul mood
- The piano, for some reason
- The colour purple
- People making fun of his family or culture
Trivia:
- He has a habit of or biting his lips in a sort of seductive way absent-mindedly when he's nervous or just bored
- He likes to dance. And by dance, I mean hip hop dancing
- Can play the violin and a traditional Chinese instrument called Guzheng, as well as another traditional Chinese instrument called Erhu
- Can do calligraphy
- Homoual
- Was at first baffled at the lack of traditions the West had
- Likes anime
- Thinks of himself as a cross between Chinese and Western culture, as well as the past and present
- Likes history and old folk tales
- Masochist
- Has a habit of wandering around when he feels down or lost
- He and Will has a habit of wandering around in Seoul dressed like trainees or celebrities, so as to attract attention, because it's fun, Will claims.
harelationship
Best friend and parabatai / William Herondale / 21 / Shadowhunter / Impatient, sarcastic, rude / They became close friends when they were little, and became parabatai at the age of sixteen. Ever since then, they were practically inseperable, in terms of friendship as well as combat. James is also one of the few people who can control and predict Will's moods, which he uses sometimes to his advantage. The two likes to roam the streets of Seoul together in search of street food and demons.
Mother / Maria Carstairs (nee Lightwood) / 53 / Shadowhunter / Caring, distant, stubborn / She is similar to Lily Herondale in terms of personality, as both of them are headstrong and stubborn woman who likes to have things go their way as well as being leaders instead of following others. She takes good care of James in his childhood, and still does now, though is quite strict when it comes to his upbringing, manners and skills. She has high expectations when it comes to her son, though softens when she sees him injured or hurt, both physically and mentally.
Father / Ke Wuying/Louis Carstairs / 54 / Shadowhunter / Strict, demanding, authoritative / James likes his mother more than his father, and for obvious reasons. He is more distant than Maria, and is mostly busy in missions as he is an extremely skilled Shadowhunter. He demands even more from James than Maria, and requires James to be an ideal son in terms of Chinese standards.
Little sister / Ke Xueqing/Alicia Carstairs / 16 / Shadowhunter / Distant, optimistic, carefree / Every father's heart softens when it comes to his daughter, and Alicia is no exception. Louis showers her in more love than James, which is extremely obvious. Due to this, James was often bitter when he sees Alicia, and was distant from her for most of her childhood, though changed immediately when she went to him for protection and reassurance when their parents disappeared to a mission for the first time. Ever since then, he treasured and loved her, as well as tries to protect her from unwanted suitors and demons, even though she insisted she can do well by herself. (faceclaim: Cheng Xiao)
Friend / Kain Cherrywain / 20 / Shadowhunter / manipulative, perfectionist, controlling / Being not as hot-tempered as Will, James became friends with Kain somewhat easily, and listens to his plans and strategies when it comes to their missions, even though he disagree with most of them. When Will first accused him of being a traitor, James reasoned that it would be easier to have a friendship with Kain than become his enemy. While James doesn't exactly like Kain, he doesn't go out of his way to show his hatred either, unlike a certain William Herondale.
Friend (?) / Raphael Locke / 300+ / Warlock / Sarcastic, helpful, dramatic / The two met when Raphael first came to the Institute to inquire about Kain's request, and the two soon had more and more conversations about their similar interests, such as traditional music and history. James felt a kind of connection to Raphael that was similar to that of which he felt with Will, and so decided to pursue it further. They are currently friends, though not exactly.
Pet / Feng / 2 / Obedient, childish, playful / Feng, Chinese for phoenix is James' pet cat, who he brought to the Institute with him. She's extremely obedient, though not as much to other people as to her master. She often urges James to play with her, and can be seen rolling around and exploring things with childlike curiousity.
Parabatai's boyfriend / Gabriel Hallowreath / 23 / refer to here / They were at first not close, due to James being afraid that Gabriel is exploiting Will for his own good, or something of that sort. (James is extremely protective of his rude and brash parabatai aye) However, once they had a proper good talk, the misunderstanding cleared immediately.
skills
Combat: [5]: Being trained by perfectionist Shadowhunter parents who also happen to be extremely strict, his skills would be anything but weak. He can fend for himself extremely well, and is well-versed in both long-range and short-range combat, as well as in weapons and hand-to-hand.
Weaponry: [5]: The Shanghai Institute has quite a large collection of weaponry, and James spent most of his childhood training and playing around with them. He can handle a weapon as easily as he moves his limbs during dancing.
Q - What species are you?
A - I'm Shadowhunter, Nephilim.
Q - What do you think about Shadowhunters?
A - We protect others, mundanes that are oblivious to their surrounding demons. It's quite exciting, but then again tiring because dashing around exorcisting the city isn't exactly my idea of 'fun'.
Q - What do you think about Downworlders?
A - I haven't met most of them, but I think Raphael is a pretty nice warlock. I've heard others speak of Downworlders badly, but I won't judge them until I've met them.
Q - What do you carry with you when you go out?
A - I take essentials; my phone, wallet and seraph blades, as well as a witchlight and daggers. Oh, and stele.
Other Name: Raphael Locke (which he also prefers over his Korean name)
Nicknames:
+ Loki; A Norse God whose name has a similar pronounciation as his last name (of his english name)
+ Half-breed; honestly, he was used to these insulting names, but who has the time to care?
+ Seok; What he allows his close friends to call him
Birthday: [23 / April; 300+]
Birthplace: Someplace in Joseon (no one really knows, not even him)
Hometown: he likes to decide it as Busan
Ethnicity: Korean (?) Asian, at the very least ~ Jinseok
Language:
Korean / 10 / His mother tongue, and what he has spoken for the longest time.
English / 10 / He remembered travelling to London for some time, so yes, during that time he learnt the language.
Latin / 10 / His spell books and all that are written in Latin. Fluent, of course.
Ancient Chinese (written) and Mandarin (spoken) / 9 / Jinseok likes to analyze ancient texts of Korea and China, so he learns the Chinese language.
Face Claim: Lee Taemin
Backup Face Claim: Jung Taekwoon
Height & Weight: 180cm, 64kg
Appearance: Jinseok has a pretty slim build, especially for his height. He is quite slender as well, and has long limbs. He mostly has dark hair styled casually, though do changes his hair colour quite suddenly, and to colours such as light blue and maybe even pink. (He hasn't quite done that yet) He resembles his faceclaim a lot, except for his warlock mark, which is having doe-shaped ears and irises the colour of stars.
Style: Jinseok can be quite startling to people who has never met him due to his somewhat flamboyant fashion. He likes to wear clothes that normal people (or at the very least, normal males) do not wear, such as tight leather jeans and loose shirts which show off quite some skin. On the surface, they do seem quite subtle, as he wears clothes such as loose shirts, tight pants, long jackets and short boots, but he likes adding accessories or parts that people find startling, such as a large hat, chokers or earrings.
Sometimes though, when he doesn't want to draw attention to himself, he wears clothes that are more down-to-earth, such as t-shirts and jeans with sneakers. But he is a fashionable person, and likes to be addressed as such.
Oh, and he often wears eyeliner and eyeshadow, as well as lipstick (though not extremely red). So yes, people do get shocked when they see him.
Personality
[Positive] Helpful, confident, determined, strong-willed
[Neutral] Dramatic, independent
[Negative] Blunt, sarcastic, judging, moody, cunning
If one has to describe Kim Jinseok in one sentence, it would be that he is a carbon copy of Magnus Bane. Though of course no one likes to be compared to another person so let's go into an in-depth analysis of his personality.
Being a warlock, many seek him for his magical abilities, which he more often than not is willing to offer, though of course not without price. (Yes he charges people for his services). Though of course, he isn't unreasonable, and will sometimes make exceptions for others.
Having lived for 300+ years, Jinseok learnt how to be confident in his own skin and to find a style that suited him, and so promptly ignore insults or degrading remarks about his appearance or whatever others find distasteful about him. He's also determined, and is dead-set on something once he decides to get it. Nothing much can stop him, really. Being strong-willed, he can often hold his ground when faced with a problem, though sometimes it can turn into stubborness, which people find annoying.
He is dramatic, as his fellow warlock Magnus Bane is, and quite often likes to make sarcasti remarks about things that he doesn't care about, or matters he doesn't like. Being quite dramatic, people often has to tell him to calm down, though he mostly doesn't listen.
He's independent as well, and can look after himself, thank you very much. Jinseok, having to fend for himself since he was little, doesn't like others helping him as well. To him, it is a weakness.
However, Jinseok is blunt, and sometimes extremely so, as his remarks can cut or hurt others. Sometimes, it is on purpose, though mostly, he just isn't aware of the things he say. If someone is hurt by him, he would gladly apologize for it.
He is also sarcastic, and throws remarks like one does with throwing knives (though not that he care for them much). Being judging, Jinseok mostly keeps his mouth shut when he's confronted with people he doesn't like, though you could see how displeased he is with his narrowed eyes and frown.
He is also moody, and sometimes likes to shut himself up in the house for days on end, just to ignore the world and do his own thing. Lastly, he's cunning, and sometimes does things for his own benefit. Oh, and he also doesn't like to help Shadowhunters. He thinks they're annoying pests who are snidely authoritive.
background
Jinseok often tells others two stories; one that he made up, and one he believed in. The one he made up was quite unbelieving, especially since it involved fighting a serpent that was somewhat dead when he found it anyways, but here is the one he believed in;
Long, long ago, there was a place called Joseon. And in the middle of that, he was born to a middle class family, who were yearning for a child. Having prayed to the gods, they were enthusiastic with the arrival of a baby, and didn't mind the child's eyes, which were the colour of stars, and constantly sparkled. They believed that it is the sign of a special child.
However, as the child grew older, he started to exhibit strange powers, such as the ability to start fires without wood or flint, or the ability to predict the weather, small things. Hence, when the child reached the age of ten, the couple made the decision to send the child away to live with his uncle, who was quite single and a scholar, as well as a healer.
The child didn't mind it at the least, and thought it as an adventure where he would learn new things and experience the company of new people. The child's uncle was kind, as well as full of knowledge, and thus taught him a lot of things such as healing techniques and the study of the ancient scrolls.
As he grew up, he thought of his uncle as his own biological father, and never asked for reasons as to where he came from, because their culture forbid them to speak of these. (his uncle, when faced with these questions, would often state that his mother died early of sickness)
Shortly after the boy hit the age of sixteen, Korea began to become open to the outside world, especially to western countries such as the United States and France. His uncle, fearing the invasion of the west, fled to China and went into hiding.
The teenager, who his uncle had named 'Jinseok' ever since he had arrived, was obedient towards his uncle, and went to China to live with him. However, at that time, China, too, was thrown into a state of chaos, and the two pretty much disappeared from the face of the earth for quite some years, until the uncle passed away.
Jinseok then went into hiding for quite some years again, testing his skills as well as studying ancient texts, posing often as a scholar who has an mysterious heir after about every forty years that looks suspiciously like himself (which of course it is).
The world was then faced with the threat of the two World Wars, and Jinseok, seeing how humanity was acting, was fed up and wanted to hole himself up in some place faraway, possibly in the hills or wherever that's furthest from humankind, and somehow ended up meeting Magnus Bane.
Anyways, the two had an intellectual exchange, with Jinseok then adopting a new name, Raphael Locke. Seeing how Jinseok was drifting around, Magnus offered to have him travel together, which Jinseok readily agreed to.
They travelled throughout Europe, with Magnus showing Jinseok many of the sights that he believed was amazing, which, in theory were quite amazing. During that time, Jinseok also adopted some of Magnus' mannerisms, such as his love for flamboyant clothes and expensive food. (They also fell in love throughout the way but none of them brings that up, especially in front of Alec)
In 1962, the two decided to part ways, with Jinseok heading back to Asia to see the political scene for himself. For the following years, he decided to keep a low profile, offering his skills as magic, which hardly anyone believe in anymore. Then, he decided to head to Seoul to check out the Shadowhunters there for himself, and thus met Kain Cherrywain, who he decided to be too bratty for his taste.
trivia
Likes:
- Dawns and sunsets. He thinks of the colours as beautiful
- Flowers, especially lilies. He likes the smell of flowers
- Expensive and tasty wine
- Felines
- Eyeliner
- Coffee
- Traditional music
Dislikes:
- Most of the Shadowhunter population, really, due to his previous run-ins that suggest them as anything but civilised people (as he claimed)
- The rain
- The sun
- Noise
- The colour white
- Shadowhunters or mundanes seeking his help at 'ungodly hours' (even though he often stays up late)
Trivia:
- Biual, again
- Doesn't like to wake up early, but likes the dawn for some reason
- Has quite a few traditional instruments in his apartment
- Specialises in healing magic
- Likes to do calligraphy to calm himself
- Has a room in his apartment just for his scrolls and books
- Likes to dress up as a celebrity just for the fun of seeing girls fangirl over him in public
- Stopped aging at the age of around 20
- Likes to tell people he wears contacts
- OFten tells mundanes he's in fact 24, and Downworlders he is only 200 when he felt like flaunting his youth, and 500+ when he wants to show off his extensive knowledge
- Has quite a large social circle, and pretty much has connections to Shadowhunters throughout Asia because manners are still needed and he has to keep in contact with those 'pesky Shadowhunters who rave about nothing but their justice and Law'
- Often flirts without trying
- His skills are quite expensive, but he makes exceptions for people who are desperately in need
relationship
Father / Lucifer / Immortal / Demon / Prideful, obviously (others unknown) / Like all other warlocks, he pretty much doesn't mention his father nor has met or even conversed with him. Ever since Magnus helped him found out who his father was, Jinseok hadn't had any attempts to contact him, or indeed, even to admit who his father was. (Jinseok also had contempt towards Valentine who claimed that his surname, Morgenstern was derived from Lucifer himself due to this)
Mother / Kim Jinha / long-ago deceased / Mundane / Jinseok doesn't really remember her much / Jinha, being the wife of a middle-classed businessman in Joseon, yearned for a son to mark her position amongst the concubines. She prayed for a child, and one night the demon Lucifer snuck into her bedroom and had with her, with Jinha believing the man who had came to her was her husband. She loved the child who was born with all she could, and even treated him as a normal child, even though at the beginning she knew something was wrong, though she couldn't quite pinpoint the exact problem because her husband have had no problem with their son. However, the powers he soon displayed brought both parents to his attention, and believing his powers to be a sign from the gods, they then sent him to her brother, a known scholar. They thought him to be more useful to mankind in that way, and since she was killed in a riot by thieves, she never saw her son again.
Step-father / Lee Mingyoon / long-ago deceased / Mundane / Jinseok doesn't remember him either / He was a well-off middle-classed businessman, and was constantly busy, so he doesn't see much of his family. Mingyoon had quite a few concubines, though he loved his wife the most. The child that Jinha had given birth to, he loved the most because he was believed to be the future heir. However, he soon realised something was wrong with the boy, and made the heart-wrenching decision to send him away.
Uncle / Kim Hyunmin / long-ago deceased / Mundane / Caring, air-headed / When Jinseok was first sent to him, he had cursed his bad luck and his sister. However, as the boy slowly grew up, quite independent without a mother, he slowly grew to love his nephew, and taught the secrets of his trade such as his healing skills and his knowledge, and thus prepared Jinseok for inheriting his work after he died. Being quite air-headed and easily frightened, he had moved for quite some times, everytime the result of being afraid of the unstable political scene. Jinseok was obedient, and constantly followed his uncle. However, once Hyunmin died of sickness, Jinseok was then set free, and at first carried about his uncle's work, but since he realised how big the world really was, he decided to travel.
Good friend and once lover / Magnus Bane / Approximately 400 / Warlock / refer to here / When Magnus found Jinseok lost and drifting around when he for some reason went to Korea, he decided to take the boy under his wing and thus they became companions and good friends, with Magnus constantly bringing Jinseok to places in Europe he once has been. Sometime in the time they spent together, the line blurred from friends to lovers, and they spent a century together, both as friends and lovers, before Magnus parted ways to go to New York and met Camille. They then lost contact, though met again when the Shadowhunter community was involved in the Morgenstern case.
Acquaintant / Kain Cherrywain / 20 / Shadowhunter / manipulative, perfectionist / At first sight, Jinseok disliked him due to his authoritive nature, and called him 'brat' whenever they meet, despite Kain being an adult already. However, since he had liked Kain's parents when they were both young, he felt he owed Iris and Warden, and thus tried to take care of him and his sister albeit unwillingly.
Pet/ President Meow / 3 / Cat / manipulative, sweet, proud / Considered a sister to Chairman Meow, Magnus' cat. She is mostly obedient to Jinseok most of the time, and likes to curl up to his side for snuggles and hugs. However, because she is mostly prideful, she scratches people without warning, especially when they touch her without permission.
Acquaintant / Gabriel Hallowreath / 23 / Shadowhunter / see here / Since the two of them were both orphaned at a young age (well, Raphael not exactly), they share some sort of mutual undestanding. While the two of them hadn't talked that much, Gabriel does seek Raphael for advice and the sort.
skills
Combat: [3]: Well, technically, since he has magic he doesn't have to combat, but since he had learnt some basic martial arts, he can still fend for himself pretty well.
Weaponry: [3]: Again, since he has magic, he doesn't really need to use weapons and the lot, but Jinseok likes to infuse his magic with physical things, such as sticks and staffs, so he uses them sometimes.
Q - What species are you?
A - I'm a warlock who is constantly tired of the world.
Q - What do you think about Shadowhunters?
A - They're stuck up, arrogant, pretensive, snide, and think they're above everyone else. Take that brat Kain Cherrywain for example. Not only is he high and almighty, he also has bad taste in clothes. So there's that.
Q - What do you think about Downworlders?
A - My own kind? Well, for starts there aren't many of us left, what with all that let's-exterminate-downworlders-stuff going on. Let me put it this way. Some of us are genuine s. Some of us likes to help people. Some of us display different sides of ourselves to others. I'll let you decide for yourself.
Q - What do you always carry when you go out?
A - I'd say my wallet, phone and a backpack or something to put all of my stuff inside, like extra eyeliner, and that flask that somehow always turn its contents into alcohol.
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