Acceptance:Students/Apollinariya Talnika

Index > Students > Acceptance:Students/Apollinariya Talnika

**Name:**Apollinariya Talnika

**Year/Age:** First Year // 11

**Chosen House:**Athena

**Why you think the character should be in that house:** Her intelligence is just too valuable to her to consider any other house - she wants to increase her knowledge and awareness, especially of languages, which interest her.

**Species:** Witch (no exotic abilities)

**Blood Status:**Half-Blood

**Appearance:**

Her FC is Georgie Henley.

**Personality (more than a paragraph):**

Apollinariya is largely logical - a trait she adopted from her father, Zebunon, a high-ranking Ministry worker in Russia - and can occasionally struggle to deal with the emotional side of people when solving their problems. She's prone to being outspoken especially about her personal opinions on things, or people, which can make her fairly difficult to befriend if you make a bad first impression.
Apol does try her best to remain open to meeting new people, but having fifteen siblings can become fairly overcrowded and has led to her having a strong desire for independence and self sustenance (hence why she attended GIAM rather than Koldovstvoretz like her older siblings). She craves the acceptance and praise of others especially the pride of her father, who she idolises, it is her one dream for him to be proud of her. It's well known in the Talnik clan that Zebunon has a certain soft spot for his middle daughter - this is the one episode of family tender closeness she never, ever wants to let go.
She is very intelligent and this comes off, even though she tries her best to stay informal at first meetings (and usually succeeds). Below the surface of striving to succeed and make her family proud there is a secret desire for adventure and new experiences that she never had growing up in a small town in Russia. While the Talnik clan were unquestionably rich the need to spread it across eighteen people plus Zebunon teaching his children the value of humility diminished the impression that they were.
Apollinariya's tendency to be blunt about others can make her seem arrogant as well as her reluctance towards company when she doesn't want it, but she actually has a lot of self-doubt when it comes to living up to her older siblings' success. She really does want friends but she doesn't quite realise that her inability to shut her mouth can sometimes hinder that. The bluntness comes off as sarcasm, she is naturally quite a sarcastic person; she picks up from what's around her and living with her older brother Slava ended up in her having a quick-running mouth.
She is currently struggling with her sexuality especially from living in Russia - her brother Slava aforementioned came out to her and she is currently leaning on him for support; this is the only thing that made her doubt her initial decision to go to GIAM. Apollinariya doesn't relate to her Greek mother - she knows she is homophobic and they have never been close.
**History (more than two paragraphs):**

Apollinariya Talnika is the ninth-born of sixteen children born to Zebunon Talnik and his Greek wife Elena Andreadis - they were born in what is now Balashikha, Russia. She obviously grew up with a throng of older siblings, all of whom that have been protective of her since the moment she was born. It was Zebunon that named her (he and Elena took turns) and it was clear that he had a soft spot for her. It was a small place that was formerly Zheleznodorozhny - he was a high-ranking ministry official and Elena worked from home. They were rich but he raised them all in a small place in the hopes of teaching all his children the value of humility - they had to work and earn what they got rather than having it handed to them on a silver platter. Most of the Talnik clan were excellent fliers and Apollinariya was no exception - she was off the ground at a young age.
Her nearest older sister was a Squib and Apol was filled with fears that she would be too - they'd had an excellent relationship before Apol's first magical sign. In her sister's words, ‘of course Daddy’s little girl is magical and special.’ Despite this utter lack of a bond her sister still features as the first obstacle in Apol's boggart. The sign of magic was quite explosive, so the Willow parents were surely glad it had happened outside and caused little injury. The older Talnik(a) siblings had a soft spot for the game of Quodpot, which they’d somehow managed to drag their competitive sister into. Refusing to accept a goal, an outburst of magic forced it to explode when it shouldn’t have due to the counter-solution, attributed to her due to the look on her face. This ruined her relationship with her older sibling and forced her to spend time with those who were even older, or perhaps even younger than she is.
After that she picked up the largely more popular European 'Quidditch' and discovered a fair talent for the beater position, one shared by her other brother Mstislav. This increased their closeness and bond, to the point that Mstislav has recently confided in his younger sister that he is gay. Apollinariya replied to him that she thought she liked girls too, quoting one of the girls she went to Muggle school with - and they have each other's backs. Apollinariya, however much she likes sport, chooses mostly to focus on academics to make her father proud - she's well-read and well-learned, as well as fairly philosophical at times. Sometimes she can become overwhelmed by her siblings and become more introvert - a phase she encountered shortly before recieving her letters.
The truth is that Apol experienced very little adventure due to her geographical position and her need to learn. She has a secret desire for adventure that she just needs to unlock, but won't admit that she does. Upon arriving at GIAM she hopes to choose the House of Athena - she chose GIAM to satiate a burning need for the independence she has never had as a child.

## Comments

Apollinariya Talnika has chosen the House of Athena. Congratulations!

They say I'm insane, I say it's *just a game*.~*Jaye*