Name: Larry William Blaisdell
AGE: 18
DOB: 14 August 1980
Origin:
Larry is a Sunnydale native, born and raised in the suburb of Los Angeles. The young man had a fairly normal upbringing, living as many American boys do. The exception to this was that in his preteen years, Larry’s grandfather would tell him stories about men and women who lived forever, dueling each other for reasons known only to a select few. The elder Blaisdell particularly admired a Scotsman named Duncan MacLeod, whom he had kept records on for nearly twenty years. When he started to feel the years catching up to him, Larry’s grandfather retired from the secret society to which he belonged, passing his assignment onto another. This was two to five years before Larry’s birth (Hunter In Dark). Larry’s grandfather told him that if he ever saw a man or woman with a tattoo identical to the one on his forearm, he was in the presence of one of his fellow Watchers.
Larry put the stories to rest as he grew up, a love of sports taking precedence in his mind. His particular favorites were baseball and football. Larry’s natural size gave him an early advantage, and he began joining various leagues at the age of ten. By the time he reached fifteen, he was a virtual shoo-in to make the varsity squads at Sunnydale High due to his talent.
Larry excelled at his chosen sports, but rarely hung out with his fellow athletes. Most assumed that he was simply a private person, but the truth was much simpler; Larry was slowly realizing that he was gay. Fearing being ostracized by his peers, Larry often acted rude and sexist towards female students to make it appear that he was "straight," or perhaps to see if he could somehow change his sexual preferences. He acted this way throughout his freshman and sophomore years, as well as the first half of his junior year (Halloween and Phases). In late January of 1998, Xander Harris, who told Larry that he understood what the young athlete was going through, approached him. After some ballistic comments and veiled threats, Larry finally revealed his secret to Xander (Phases). Larry assumed that Xander had figured it out because *he* was gay as well and also vowed to keep what he thought to be Xander’s secret. Xander didn’t have the heart to continue the argument and disprove Larry’s theory, nor could he reveal that his real intent had been to make Larry confess that he was in fact a werewolf. As it turned out, the werewolf was Willow Rosenburg’s new boyfriend, Oz Green.
However, Larry was surprised by his confession; rather than the negative emotions he had expected, he felt relieved and strangely liberated. He also realized how terribly he’d treated his classmates, so he vowed to change for the better.
Over the next several months, Larry continued his change for the better. With his improving attitude came a happiness he hadn’t felt for a few years. He even became confident enough to reveal his secret to his father. Luckily for Larry, Mr. Blaisdell was completely supportive and stands by his son to this day (Sunnydale High Yearbook). He kept the truth from his classmates, and he also realized that Xander Harris didn’t share his preferences, but chose to keep Larry’s secret to himself, even from his closest friends.
Larry also began to realize that Sunnydale was different; he finally saw that vampires and the odd demon were drawn to his hometown like moths to a flame. This knowledge brought his grandpa’s stories back to the front of his memories, and he began to realize that many things were different than what he had always assumed. He saw that one of his classmates, Buffy Summers, was often at or near the scene of many of the strange happenings in Sunnydale. It was a sign of Larry’s discretion that he said nothing, even though he knew that Buffy and others often gathered at her boyfriend’s house.
The young man got a close up taste of the vampire scourge when a vampire that had led him into a trap captured him. Hours later, Larry watched as an assault group attacked the vampires’ lair to rescue him and two hundred other hostages. Larry saw that one vampire was a mole, planted by the assault group to protect the prisoners so that their saviors could concentrate on killing the vampires (Libyan Assault/War of the Sections). Larry was even responsible for saving that vampire’s life; he shouted a warning when a demon attempted to sneak up on his guardian. Little did Larry or that vampire know that they would meet again. But Larry was left wondering how he could go about his life while others fought such evil night after night.
When his senior year started, Larry put the episode behind him, attempting to concentrate on the upcoming football season and applying to college. Over the first three months of the term, the young man went about his business as usual, with one exception; he began to do the same thing that Xander had done for him in January, talking with students who shared his homosexuality. One student in particular caught his attention; a young woman from Scotland who obviously had feelings for a student named Amy Madison. Larry wanted to reach out to the exchange student, but decided to wait and see if the girl would realize that Amy was involved with a man and thus unlikely to return her feelings. When the middle of November approached, Larry saw that the Scotswoman still harbored deep emotions for Amy. So, he decided to come forward and offer advice to the junior when she was covering for the librarian, who was out of town with several students.
Unfortunately for him and the object of his desire to help, a vampire in search of a before-bed snack approached them at the same time. Larry and Shaw Hunter ran for the library in an attempt to escape their pursuer, but to no avail. The junior-cum-librarian threw Larry threw the doors to the library, and then sealed them with what Larry could only describe as magic. He watched as the woman savagely beat and killed the vampire and then tried to act as nothing strange had happened. Larry tried to get answers but the young woman was adamant that they should only talk about Larry’s original topic. Larry told the girl that he felt her chances for a romantic relationship with Amy was doomed, which prompted the foreigner to accidentally blurt out the truth; the source of her feelings toward Amy was their being cousins. Larry realized that he’d put his foot in his mouth, but Shaw secretly appreciated that he had been trying to help her out. What she did not appreciate was Larry’s attempts at getting her to divulge information about the strange happenings in Sunnydale.
Larry understood that her terseness was an attempt to protect others, but his desire to help others did partially win her over; she agreed to put in her recommendation to her leader to consider letting Larry join their team. Larry and Shaw shared secrets about each other (although Larry was somewhat stumped over the fact that she couldn’t care less about his sexual preferences) and parted company, the seeds of a friendship beginning to form (Slayer In Black).
Over the next two weeks, Larry patiently waited for an answer to his request. On Thanksgiving Day, he received it. He would be allowed to join on a "reservist" basis, training with the group every other day and learning the ins and outs of patrolling before being allowed to participate regularly. It was hoped that by breaking him in slowly, Larry would recognize the dangers inherent with fighting vampires and not try to do anything reckless to prove himself.
At Larry’s first training session, he received a pair of surprises; a visitor of the group led by Buffy and her boyfriend, Steve St. Wolf, was none other than the Scotsman his grandfather had Watched so many years before. Also, the vampire that Larry had encountered in August worked undercover for the team Larry was now a part of. Larry, on the other hand, provided his own surprises when he put two and two together when Buffy revealed that she’d died once. When he noticed the Watcher tattoo Ms. Calendar wore, he figured out Buffy’s secret (Hunter In Dark).
Larry’s training went well for the first two weeks, helped by his growing friendships with Xander, Charlie, and Shaw. Despite his eagerness to learn and do his share, he was still surprised when he received the call to help the team patrol the town when the vampire doubles of Xander and Willow arrived in this universe. In a nod to the trust he felt in the new member of the Scooby Gang, Steve assigned Larry the task of protecting Xander’s house along with Charlie. Sure enough, a group of vampires showed up. Larry dusted his first vamp in the fight and handled himself quite well. He also found himself on the front lines when the majority of the team went to an alternate universe to help the natives of that Sunnydale (Be Careful What You Wish For). When the team returned, Steve St. Wolf was pleased to hear Joe N’Gato, Amy, and Charlie remark on how well Larry had handled his first "tour of duty." He handled himself just as well during a second excursion by the majority of the team (Faith’s Story).
In January, a new threat showed itself; the Silerwor, a demon/Immortal hybrid that returned to Earth after an exile of several centuries. His intent was simple; wiping the Immortals off the face of the planet (Another Run). When an elven Lord followed the Silerwor and attempted to eliminate the demon, the Scooby Gang (Larry included) did what they could to stop the new threat, who eventually escaped Arrin Parkin’s wrath. With the threat apparently ended, the Rainbow Archer left the Hellmouth, intent on tracking down the Silerwor and exploring this strange world he found himself on.
It was then, with the Slayerettes letting their guard down, that the still-present Silerwor struck a second time (Drake’s Play). By having one of his minions raid the records at Sunnydale High School, Drake was able to crack the identities of some of the Slayerettes by using files that Principal Snyder kept on certain students. The demon sent groups to various houses with the intent of capturing Slayerettes in order to gain information from them. Attacks were made on Willow’s, Xander’s, Oz’s, and Larry’s houses. The attacks on Oz’s and Xander’s houses were dismal failures, but Sheila Rosenburg was seriously wounded before her daughter’s Guardian Spirit could decimate her attackers. Larry and his younger brother, however, were captured by the demons that invaded his home.
After gathering together after the initial attacks, the Slayerettes realized that Larry wasn’t present and sent a small group to his house to find out if he was all right. Finding out where Silerwor was lairing turned out to be easy, thanks to a prisoner taken in the attack at Xander’s. The prisoner was a vampire, but not of the soulless variety; he was a Kindred, sent by his Prince to secretly gather what information he could on the warriors defending the Hellmouth. Upon discovering the Silerwor’s plans the Kindred, a member of the Ventrue clan, decided to use the Silerwor’s recruiting as a means of gathering his intelligence without revealing himself to the Slayer and her band of warriors. In return for his help, the Wanderer provided information on their mission profile, information that would hopefully satisfy (and reassure) the Kindred that Section Seven’s goal was to protect the innocent, not declare open season on vampires. Armed with the knowledge of the Silerwor’s plan, the Scooby Gang began planning a rescue operation.
While interrogating the Ventrue, Oz, Amy and Shaw had found the lair as well, thanks to Oz and Shaw using their combined tracking skills to find out Larry’s location. As the groups tried to find him, Larry was being tortured by the Silerwor. The young man went through hours of being jolted with a cattle prod by the demon, but steadfastly remained silent throughout the ordeal, eventually passing out from the pain. Against the better judgment of Amy, Shaw and Oz (with some minor witchly help from Amy) bluffed their way into the warehouse in search of Larry.
Larry woke up to find his erstwhile rescuers "negotiating" with Drake, offering to give them the Slayer’s location in exchange of getting information from Larry’s mind on a "secret cache" of magic owned by the Wanderer. Shaw pretended to read Larry’s mind while Oz stood ready. After this, Shaw cast a spell that made it appear that Larry was dead, citing his usefulness had ended. Drake happily sent his minions to attack the house he believed to be the Slayer’s home (which turned out to be Shaw’s, guarded by religious magic, deadly glyphs and wards, and consecrated ground), essentially sending them to futile deaths. When they left, the rest of the Scooby Gang attacked en masse. While they managed to wipe out the demon’s army, the Silerwor disappeared once again.
Larry woke up once again, this time surrounded by his teammates. Larry talked with Steve, Buffy, Jenny, and Giles about what happened and decided to see the team’s resident psychiatrist for counseling. A couple of days after that talk, Sydney Greene cleared Larry to train, citing that the young man had come through the torture surprisingly well, even though Larry would continue seeing the Doctor, just in case. In his next training session, Larry surprised the group by wiping the floor with Xander in fifteen seconds. Larry admitted that he’d been approached by Robin, who had given Larry the same empowerment as other members of the team. Oberon appeared, demanding to know why Robin would violate the restrictions on his use of magic. Robin explained what had happened to Larry, and made the case that giving Larry an equal empowerment would allow Larry to protect himself more easily as well as allowing his charges to fight evil more effectively. Although displeased with Robin’s antics (something not very new), Oberon accepted the argument based on Robin’s sincere desire to protect his charges, as well as Larry’s respectful attitude (something he found rare in humans [particularly young ones]). The Lord of the Fairy Kingdom departed, allowing Larry to keep his newfound abilities, but warned Goodfellow NOT to try this ever again without express permission from him.
In the most recent weeks, Larry is continuing to train with the team. Steve had decided to keep Larry on "reserve" status at this time, until he gains more experience and training in the "easy duty" of Sunnydale. Whatever happens, Larry has earned his place on the Scooby Gang.
Race: Human.
Description: Larry is a burly individual to say the least. The Sunnydale High senior stands six-foot-five and weighs close to two hundred thirty pounds. Larry has something of a barrel chest, big arms, and a thick neck. Even before his empowerment, Larry possessed impressive strength that even the Amazons on the team had problems countering at times, as well as excellent overall athletic skills. Larry has brown eyes and hair, which he keeps cut short.
Larry’s physique is impressive, leading women to admire him from afar. He almost never notices, because of his personal preferences. The times that he does notice are when a certain Slayer from the East Coast openly admires (and sometimes drools) at him during training sessions.
Larry has one distinguishing physical mark; a bite mark on his right arm, near the inside of his elbow caused by a dog bite that took thirty-nine stitches to close.
Abilities (uncommon): With his recent empowerment, Larry possesses enhanced strength, agility, reflexes, endurance, and hand-to-hand combat skills (the latter still being less than that of other Slayerettes, who have many more months of experience). So far, it seems that his skills are equal to those of other empowered Slayerettes, although it’s possible that Larry’s original level of strength might give him greater levels than the average empowered male.
Abilities (learned): Larry isn’t known to have any exceptional talents (like Willow’s computer skills or Giles’ skills with ancient magic and lore). Among the skills he is known to possess is knowledge of the sports of baseball and football, as well as physical fitness, which he uses to keep himself in excellent shape. Larry also knows enough Spanish (from two years of high school lessons) to get by. Larry might have enough knowledge and memories from talks with his grandfather to help research information on Immortals by name. Also, at this time (late January/ early February 1999), Larry also takes hand-to-hand combat training.
Current Status: (include here if the person is immortal or not): "Reservist" of the Slayerettes (although only weeks away from being classified as "Active") and trainee of Section Seven. Senior at Sunnydale High School, member of the SHS varsity football and baseball teams. Citizen of the United States with no criminal record. Larry is not an Immortal.
Proficient weapons: Larry is currently taking training in multiple martial arts, modern firearms, and medieval weaponry. His current regimen includes karate, tae kwan do, kung fu, Zen sword, Philippine stick fighting, archery, and fencing. Larry’s preferred weapon is the battle-axe, which allows him to take full advantage of his size, strength, and reach. Larry’s empowerment allows him to pick up fighting techniques more easily than most people.
Current beliefs:
As the new year moves into its second month, Larry has impressed Steve with his steady resolve. The Sunnydale senior has taken the surprises that come with joining the Slayerettes with surprising aplomb. He’s handled himself well in his first patrols and assignments, and weathered being tortured with amazing willpower. The fact that he went through such treatment without giving up a single bit of information is not lost on the team.
Currently, Larry is dealing with what happened to him, seeing Sydney but also talking with several Slayerettes who have been through similar traumas (including Willow, Xander, and Cordelia, who suffered battle wounds in a fight the previous summer). Sydney had been impressed with Larry’s progress and doubts Larry will have any lingering problems in the future.
Aside from training, Larry’s life has remained fairly normal. He recently finished his final football season and now concentrates on the upcoming baseball schedule. Larry also continues to help students who share his sexual preferences, talking with them and referring them to various support groups. Personally, he continues to keep himself "in the closet" at school, as well as with most of his teammates (Larry has told Steve, who agreed to let him choose when to speak of the matter. Xander, Steve, Shaw and Charlie are the only people who know), but he has talked with his grandmother, who have been as supportive as Larry’s Dad is.
He’s changed from a crude pig to a fine, protective young man who wants to help defend his hometown. The Slayerettes have gladly accepted him as one of their own and help him with his training. Of those on the team, Larry has growing or close friendships with Xander, Faith, Robin, Shaw, and especially Charlie, who gets along very well with the jock. Larry has considered telling his teammates his secret but, with the attitude displayed by those who already know, he’s beginning to think that it’s no longer a priority; if it comes out, it comes out, and the reactions of Xander and others reassure him about that possibility.
However, there are some possible repercussions on two fronts. First, Larry’s grandmother has started to play matchmaker (Sunnydale High Yearbook). Secondly, since she’s one of those who doesn’t know, Faith has started expressing some interest in the man she’s playfully nicknamed, "Beefcake."
What is the one most important thing you can say about the character?
Larry is a classic example of someone who can be called a "diamond in the rough." He was a good person on the inside, who hid his better qualities because he had personal issues. Once he dealt with the issues that plagued him, he changed for the better.
This change is evident in the Buffyverse: in Halloween and Phases, Larry is a sexist jerk. But in the middle of the second episode, the truth comes out; he’s gay, and afraid of what will happen if the truth comes out. But once he confronts his homosexuality and accepts it, he realizes that it’s not the end of the world (not to mention how shitty he’s been towards his classmates). At the end of Phases, he’s treating women with respect and politeness. Over the third season, Larry’s improvement continues and he seems to be on friendly terms with Xander. He comes out of the closet and even has people trying to set him up with guys. In the end, Larry shows how much of a good person he could be; he gives his life to defeat the Mayor in Graduation, Part 2.
In the Wandererverse, his improvement is on a similar course through the summer of ’98. He knows that something’s up about Buffy (and friends), yet doesn’t blow the whistle on them. He’s open-minded enough to see the difference between the majority of vampires and Charlie, and ends up saving Charlie’s life. So, having him eventually join up was an idea that I put forth to Steve (who liked the idea and approved it, provided I could find a way to "open the door" for him). Now, Larry’s becoming a part of the team.
Favorite quote:
Nicknames: Lar (pronounced "Lair"), Mungo (his football nickname), and Beefcake.