by Miakemi » Mon Sep 06, 2010 7:24 pm
Pet's ID Tag: Kennel 93
Name You'd Choose for It: Keep the name Shade
Gender: Male
Reason You Want It: I would love to have Shade as my first wolf character. I love his design and the emotion I get from looking at him. I’d love to practice wolf anatomy with him as my character. I don’t have a story idea for him yet, but if I win him, he’ll be either my main protagonist or antagonist. If I really can’t figure out a decent story idea, I’ll try to find a roleplay that will allow unnatural markings.
Personality: Shade is a rather close-minded, stubborn individual starting around his first year of age. He doesn't believe in the structure of pack life and sees submission as a form of cowardice rather than respect for a higher rank. Instead, he believes in more of a survival of the fittest model for society and feels that all of the pack's problems would be easily dispelled if they grew a little more backbone.
Because of his attitude, he often finds himself to be extremely lonely and pushes other wolves even farther from himself. His lack of understanding for wolf society as a whole holds him back from the companionship and loyalty that he could have with the rest of his pack. Sometimes he even wants to be close to his packmates but is afraid of their rejection after the way he's acted for so long. This urge is usually pushed back by his disdain for their submission to him (as he's the alpha's son).
Other than his closed minded stubbornness, Shade is a decent fighter and enjoys training with the rest of the pack. This is the one time when he feels kinship with the others, and he often trains alone to clear his thoughts. It's during these solo training sessions that he reflects on the week's events and prepares himself for the next week.
History/Background:
Shade's background is flexible depending on the plot of the story I develop, but his personality and attitude will not change from what is written in his current background.
A warm breeze ruffled the crimson dorsal stripe atop my gray fur as I walked through the narrow strip of land between two territories. "No Wolf's Land," as it was called by the packs, was no longer truly descriptive of this little strip where no pack wolf would cross for fear of spoiling relations with the next pack over. This small strip of neutral territory was the only buffer zone that stood between two rival groups as well as the only place for loners to tread without fear of a fatal attack.
Most loners only use this area as a way to disperse and find a new pack or territory. I, however, have made my home here. I am Shade, once the oldest son of Hawk of the Windstrike Pack. Now I'm just another loner, expected to find a new pack. I don't think I will join another pack, though. I'm quite content with wandering No Wolf's Land, where there's no structure to get me into more trouble.
One might ask why I'm a loner in the first place. The expected answer would be that I was either expelled from the pack or that I wanted to lead my own pack. I can guarantee that neither is the case, even if the former would have been inevitable if I had stayed any longer.
The Windstriker Pack is one of the most well-known packs in the forest. The alpha pair, Hawk and Night, are honest and forgiving leaders who give multiple chances to those who cause them trouble. Much was the case with me, their oldest son. I didn't care about the power and responsibility of my position. I wasn't earning their submission because of my strength; I was given their submission because of my superior status. I didn't appreciate this empty form of respect. Rather than submitting to me for my position, the cowards of my parents' pack should have been strengthening themselves and carving out a higher position. Maybe then they would have received the respect that they seemed so keen on giving me. I even tried to get them to fight back a few times to no avail.
My father and the elders of the pack tried to warn me about what they considered to be disruptive to the social structure of wolf life. However, I didn't listen to their constant warnings. What was the point if there was no real consequences for my actions. Structure isn't what helps the pack survive; strength is. Sure, I would like to be closer to my kin, but even now I don't see that happening. My actions were too harmful to my chances of becoming friends with them. They probably wouldn't have trusted me to join them.
The power struggle between my father and me continued for a while longer before I finally challenged him to a fight. This fight wasn't about leadership of our packmates, though. Gaining the rank of leader would just make them show me more cowardly submission. Instead, I wanted to free the pack of the terrible structure that kept them from strengthening themselves, individually, and earning true respect from their peers.
Unfortunately, the fight didn't go as I had planned. I had never noticed my father's true strength, and an adolescent wolf such as myself didn't stand a chance against a seasoned fighter. My father feigned to the left and landed a solid blow to the right that sent me tumbling to the ground. I still clearly remember him standing over me, his rough voice ordering, "Don't challenge me to another fight. I won't go easy on you next time."
I walked away from that fight ashamed of my weakness and annoyed by the fact that my "assigned" subordinates were still submitting to me only because of my position. I needed to be alone to think about my next course of action. Should I accept my role as the alpha's son, or should I try my challenge again? This would be the start of a series of solo training days that would not only clear my mind, but would also make me strong enough to challenge Sting, our beta male, and earn the respect that my packmates were so emptily giving me.
I trained for a year before approaching Sting. "Sting," I said, my fur rising as I prepared myself, "I challenge you for the position of beta of this pack." Sting opened his mouth to speak, but I didn't hesitate to attack. I had already made up my mind about taking the position. "
What are you doing, pup?" Sting asked as he dodged a quick slash aimed at his eyes. I didn't answer before lunging toward him, using the same trick as my father the year before. Sting was unable to predict the feigning strategy and I landed my first blow. Of course, Sting wouldn't be easy to hit again.
The beta wolf was able to endure the impact of my attack and attacked back, any restraint from trying to kill me lost in his fury. I was only able to avoid a fatal attack by turning my shoulder in the direction of the attack. The blow knocked me backwards, and Sting was able to push me off my feet.
Sting lunged to land a final blow, but I was quick enough to roll away from his attack and get to my paws. We faced each other for a brief moment, snarls emanating from our throats before making what would be the final attack of the fight. Neither of us saw the shape that wedged itself between us, and we both attacked to end the other's life.
Neither of us won that fight. The figure between us, my father, took the majority of the attack, instantly falling to the ground as two wolves inflicted a major wound on either side of him. Within seconds, my confidence of winning this fight was gone and I rolled to my back to show Sting that I gave in.
My father's wounds took three weeks to heal completely, and within those three weeks I separated myself more and more from the rest of the pack. I was tired of hierarchy and trying to change the minds of the other wolves. I could tell that pack life didn't fit and that it was time for me to move on. That was my final decision.
Now I wander No Wolf's Land, never turning back to the comfort of my home territory. That territory was never comfortable to me anyway. I prefer the freedom the life of a loner has to give, and I will probably never accept pack life again.
I understand that by adopting this creature I take full responsibility for it.
Last edited by
Miakemi on Thu Sep 09, 2010 7:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.