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When people try
to put you down,
just
stand tall

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&
It will be them
who will be left
feeling small.
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Username:
Ditzy Derp
Kennel Number:
306
Why:
When I first saw Calle Ocho posted I really had to take a moment to just stare at him and take all the details in. He has this uniqueness about him that seems to really call for attention. Almost everything in Calle Ocho's design ties nicely together, from his striking multicolor eyes to his bright blue mane, tipped in the same electric green as the tribal markings on his body. And then, of course, there's the turtle necklace. I suppose you could say that was the most surprising part about him to me. Compared to the way all of Calle Ocho's other aspects connected to each other, the turtle really stuck out and seemed almost random. But this also gave me a starting point for devoloping his character. After all, Why would a giraffe be wearing a turtle necklace? That question "why" was something I really wanted to be the one to answer.
Use:
I have a feeling finding giraffe artists on CS will be a bit tricky, and trying to get the hang of drawing Calle Ocho myself even moreso, but I really do love learning to draw different kinds of animals than the canines and rodents I've become used to. Given the sheer rarity of giraffe characters, I never really bad the chance to draw one before, but now that I have the opportunity I think it could be really interesting. Plus, I have a feeling Calle Ocho's lively personality will make him quite fun to draw.

Name: Calle Ocho
[
cah-ye oh-cho]
This unusual giraffe is named Calle Ocho, "street eight" in Spanish, and I wouldn't change it even if I could. I admit, I'm not familiar with the Pitbull song, but I figured if there was a song about Calle Ocho maybe it was a real place. I did a little digging, and as it turns out,
it is. A street in the neighborhood of Little Havana in Miami, Florida, Calle Ocho is the site of a huge annual street festival in March. I bring this because, as you'll soon see, it fit quite nicely with the personality idea I had for Calle Ocho and served as a bit of inspiration for his history.
Gender:Male
Species: Giraffe
Personality:Calle Ocho has a lively, upbeat spirit that can't be put down. Agreeing fully with the philosophy of making the most of your life, he lives every single day as though it were his very last on Earth. Little time is wasted as Calle Ocho tries to make every moment meaningful. Sometimes he might come off as impatient, brash, or even a little rude, but Calle Ocho really does make a great effort not to be. He's always had a bit of trouble with self-confidence, not in the form that he lacks it, but the fact that he has so much to the point of cockiness and an inflated ego. It isn't too uncommon for Calle Ocho to overestimate his own abilities and end up biting off more than he can chew.
Not that Calle Ocho has no skills deserving of his pride. He has a creative mind (with a quick wit to match) though his ideas may seem overly unorthodox even at the best of times. Calle Ocho is also quite artistic, a trait tipped off by the bright tribal markings he painted himself over his body. Calle Ocho loves to put a little personal flair in everything he does, a small way for him to declare "This is me" to the world. A bit narcissist sounding when you put it that way on paper, perhaps, but it's rarely Calle Ocho's intention to put someone down. He truly does acknowledge the worth of others, even if he sometimes doesn't come off that way.
History:Bright lights flashed on and off in a dazzling rainbow of colors. Music beat loudly and freely out of invisible speakers, sounding off melodies both foreign yet recognizable. Cheers and shouts rose from a faceless crowd, expressing joy at this pinnacle of good times with no words, but only sound and dance. At the center of it all loomed a tall figure, sandy tan speckled with brown and exotic green marks. Right at that moment, he couldn't have cared less about where the phantom lights and music were coming from, or who the strangers surrounding him were, or even how he had gotten there in the first place. He was here now and he was going to make the best of it, kicking and swaying his entire body to the beat.
"Stop!" The cry cut sharply through the air, contrasting boldly against all the other wordless sounds. Yet the dancing figure gave no pause. He was having the time of his life. Why would he want to stop? "You better quit it. I'm warning you!" A hint of concern now tickled the back of his mind. Warning? About what? He wasn't hurting anyone. All he was doing was enjoying a little dance...
"Calle Ocho!" Suddenly everything vanished at once, leaving Calle Ocho blinking rapidly at a none-too-amused giraffe sitting in front of him. "Finally! Geez dude, you squirm more than an earthworm in your sleep. Were you dreaming you were on fire or something?"
"Uh...Something like that." Calle Ocho murmured groggily. Maybe not literally, but he might as well have been with those moves. "I hate to be 'that guy', but if it bothers you so much couldn't you just, y'know, move?"
"Your suggestion implies work." The other giraffe replied in a monotone voice. Calle Ocho rolled his eyes. Good ol' Rocco, always the lazy one. That didn't stop them from being best friends though.
"Really? It's just like, two steps, is that too much?" Calle Ocho teased. "Here, I'll even do it for you." And he stood up, making a huge deal of taking exactly two large steps away and settling himself down in his new spot. "Better?"
"Yeah, thanks Calle, I appreciate it." Rocco mumbled as he quickly dozed back to sleep again. Calle Ocho, on the other hand, had no such luck. He couldn't help but stay awake pondering over his dream. He'd had it before, each time slightly different than the last but always the same at its core. Lights. Music. People. What he imagined his namesake as.
His mother had told him once or twice when he was younger about the festival he was named after. Admittedly, Calle Ocho had never listened to the entire explanation, always losing himself to his own imagination before she could finish. Nonetheless it was a dream of his to one day go, to see it with his own eyes. Glancing towards the far walls of his enclosure, Calle Ocho wondered to himself if that could ever happen.
'If?' He caught himself. There was no "if" in this giraffe's head. Of course it could happen! This wasn't a question of "if", but one of "how" and "when". There'd have to be the daring escape, obviously, and then the journey to Calle Ocho itself...It was to these musings that Calle Ocho drifted back into the world of sleep.
*Both tribal turtle and divider images by me. dothedew