➟ ᴛʜɪs ɪs ɴᴏᴛ ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ɪ ʙᴇʟᴏɴɢ ➟ [dnp]

[monochrome.]

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

➟ Hello! ➟

As you're likely aware, you have somehow stumbled across my
tryout form for the two-hundredth Delta Velorum Fox. I am
currently the owner of eight DVFs, and purchased two extra slots
specifically so that I may try for this fox. He somehow captured my heart,
and I have spent significant amounts of time weaving him into a character
that I am able to love and connect to in a way that is fairly rare for me.
Please, proceed onwards, traveller, and enjoy your look into the mind of Rhys.

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

➟ Name ➟ Rhys
➟ Name Meaning ➟ "Rebel". Commonly spelled as "Reece", Rhys is
the original Welsh spelling of the name.
➟ Name Origin ➟ Given to Rhys by his parents with the aim of making
the todd unique, his parents originally intended for Rhys to be one who goes against
the grain of society, excelling at whatever he attempts. While their naming was apt
in that Rhys is a rebel, it was not nearly correct in the way they expected.
➟ Gender ➟ Male. Also known as a Todd.
➟ Age ➟ Rhys insists that he is ageless, but others suspect him to be equivalent
to a human in their early to mid twenties.

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

➟ A quick note ➟
Rhys's input on various topics will be colored in green.
Formatting may differ if not viewed on the browser Firefox.

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

[monochrome.]

➟ Index ➟
- Introduction
- Index [you are here]
- Short Story n1, "Home"
- Into the Deep [history]
- The Difference [personality]
- Just Further [relationships + more]
- Short Story n2 [and I run]
- Finale [credits + more]

➟ Returning Home [main adoption thread]

[monochrome.]

The blades of grass bowed beneath the paws of the prince, the subtle winds gusting, tossing his fur into a flury of earth and moss tones. Each breath was slow, each heartbeat measured. The silence was never ending, as though it never stood a chance. The royal fox stepped forwards, a thought escaping his previously silent mind.

If home is where your hope is derived from, then this place is far from my home. It is simply my starting place, an origin.
A means to an end.

Any illusion of majesty dissipated, swept elsewhere by the autumn winds, as the prince lifted a single paw.
As he ran.

The pack members shied away from the arrival, the whites of their eyes revealing terror and surprise. Each movement was audible, utter quiet filling the territory for the first time in the prince's vast knowledge.

Breathe in.

The cave came into sight as the prince approached it. Memories flooded back, and although he did his best to suppress them, the demons still swept him under with ease.

"You are the only one of your birthright."
"The only future king."
"The others have died."
"You must succeed."
"That is not satisfactory work. Try again."
"Try again!"
"Again."
"Again!"
"You, my son, are a disappointment."

The prince closed his eyes, casting his gaze upwards in hope. In worry.
In terror.

Breathe out.

And, finally, the story began to fall into place.
The prince had been born with two siblings during a particularly harsh winter. The first, a princess, was stillborn. The other prince froze shortly after. Our young hero is the only one of his lineage.
His mother was nonexistent in his life, his father an iron-fisted tyrant. Everyday was a nightmare, the word "again!" forever framed with a sharp nip, a swift bite to the side, or a sharp kick in the chest. Every mistake, every question, every failure... Judged. A disappointment.

That's all the young prince was.
A disappointment.

The time came when the prince grew angry with his father, angst stirring inside of him like a mutiny finally reaching the tipping point. The tipping point never came, however.

The prince tumbled into a ravine by sheer accident, during an attempted escape from his father, the tyrannical king. The ravine was narrow, as deep as the ocean itself. And the prince fell, fell into the deep blackness of eternity.
When he landed, like an angel whose wings were too shattered to fly, his ribs were broken, nose caked with blood. But something had saved the prince. Something... exceptional.

The prince's escape plan was a success in more ways than one. Not only did he escape from his position under the tyrant's thumb, but he escaped the torturous confines of his accursed blue blood. He was no longer a prince, destined to rule over a clan the size of Dellhaven but twofold, he was now free. Antlers quickly grew atop his head, beads shone from his head, his tail no longer long and powerful. Mystical abilities allowed the princes to escape his confines of reality. Still young, however, the prince entered hiding, taking his powers with him. Awaiting the day that he could return to his homeland and greet his father one final time. Not to reclaim his throne, no, but to justify it. As if to show his father, you are confined to your own selfish whims. I run free. I am confined by no chains. No responsibilities.

The snarl so familiar to the prince sent his emotions running high, every fur on his body tense. The tyrant who once ruled his every waking hour, who terrorized his nightmares, stood before him. The old man was frail, worn with age. He stood below his son, who towered above the supposed king. "And what could you have possibly returned for?" The bitter old fox's lip curled upwards when he spoke, his eyes cold and hollowed. The prince did not move, did not speak.

Breathe in.

The king narrowed his eyes, ears snapping backwards in a show of aggression. The prince simply bowed before his father, his elegant body folding inwards, stone antlers gracing the grass that crumpled under his paws. "I have come, dear father, to say goodbye." And with the simple words uttered, the prince, no, Rhys, fell free of his chains. Burdens crumbled atop his shoulders, the weight on his chest lifted.

And Rhys turned around, this time turning his back on the king.

Breathe out.

And he ran.

[monochrome.]

Rhys was born into royalty, within a clan larger than the planet Delta Velorum had ever seen before. His appearance was a usual one from birth, but his life was never 'normal'. His littermates all passed away from various ailments - one was stillborn, the other couldn't survive the winter chill.

From a young age, significant amounts of pressure were laden upon the todd's shoulders. He was expected to learn how to rule, how to govern. He was forced to the point of perfection - and when he couldn't reach it, he was a failure.

Over the years, his parents pushed him further and further from their lives, turning their back on him and regarding their son as a disappointment. When Rhys's mother left the clan without an explanation, the todd was at the complete disposal of her father. His life became a living hell of alternating disappointments and battles sprung upon the two by anger.

Eventually, Rhys decided that he'd had enough. So he took to running. Every day, every night, the todd wove his own path under a blanket of stars. Each day, his legs could carry his farther. Farther than his father could ever reach.

And then the boiling point was reached.

The Todd took off, galloping across the countryside in fits of anger. He made one false step - one false step that would lead to his liberation - and tumbled down, down, down...



After the accident, Rhys never returned to the pack. Instead, he travels the planet, caring for orphans and those without homes. Rhys uses the powers that he gained from the accident to do good, although his reckless behavior sometimes means that his powers create more problems than they solve. In a way, Rhys does his best to give others the good childhood that was cruelly torn away from him.

Rhys lives in a secluded area of a forest, residing deep within a cavern that contains underground rivers and hot springs. This is the area he considers to be home, albeit the home that he rarely inhabits. Rhys spends the majority of his time traveling, assisting those in need, and caring for young ones who cannot care for themselves. Over the years, the Todd has single-handedly raised almost twenty critters. He has one creature that he is willing to call his family member - a small white rabbit by the name of Jess. Jess remains inside the cavern, terrified of leaving, and Rhys certainly has a soft spot for the animal. One he'd never admit to, of course, but it's there all the same.

[monochrome.]

.= Heroic =. Rhys does his best to improve the lives of others consistently. His belief that nobody should have to suffer like he did means that he's constantly striving to assist others in any way possible. He helps children more often than adults, but he will assist anyone in need... If he determines that they deserve it. Rhys tries to use his powers for good, and these often aid in his quest to 'save' those who are miserable.

.= Reckless =. Rhys, when confronted with death itself, will do nothing short of laughing at it. Rhys has no concern whatsoever for his own safety, leading to the frequent reckless - albeit fun - behaviors that surround him. From jumping between treetops to running straight towards a cliff, you name it, Rhys has done it. He has little concern for how his actions will impact his and the lives of others, and therefore behaves however he feels will make him happy.

.= Cautious =. Rhys has some trust issues due to his familial past, and as such, is cautious around strangers and even those he would consider a 'friend'. He guards his secrets carefully, hides his emotions, and does his best to act as normal, calm and plain around those he does not trust.

.= Introverted =. Rhys prefers being alone to most everything else. He trusts very few people in the world, and he feels most at peace when he's in solitude.

.= Irritable =. Rhys has very little patience, and the smallest things can make him angry. Within seconds, his mood can escalate from happy to frustrated or angry. This irritability is most frequently heightened when he's overtired or already upset because of something.

.= Fun Loving=. Rhys has a strong drive for fun. Whatever he considers will bring him joy, he'll find a way to do it.

.= Thrill Seeker =. Coinciding with his reckless trait, Rhys has no problem seeking that adrenaline rush that so many roller coaster lovers everywhere look for. With Rhys, however, his 'thrill seeking' typically includes jumping off of cliffs into deep pools of water, sliding along vines of his creation, and cutting it close in any situation he can imagine.

[monochrome.]

➟ Relationships ➟
Dia || Rhys met this Vixen only once, but he thoroughly enjoyed her company. Her kindness and compassion was refreshing, but managed to irritate him after awhile. Rhys learned the valuable lesson of what being laid back and fun loving can bring a fox from this Vixen, and his experience with Dia has helped him lighten up.

Aello || Rhys tumbled into this Vixen (literally) while he was out during a morning run one day. She'd recently lost her clan, and was terrified and alone. He took her under his wing, since he knew the area well, and taught her how to hunt and survive on her own - even though they were both around the same age. By the time he'd taught her how to survive on her own, he'd grown attached to the young rebel, and although she's since moved on to do her own thing, the duo remain close friends and will often have meetings in the dead of night, staying up under the moonlight to have a quiet chat about their lives.

[monochrome.]

The soft crackling of leaves underfoot grounded Rhys, bringing him back to reality and away from his safe haven - the depths of his mind. "Again!" came the hiss, accompanied by a sharp pain in the side of his flank. Too afraid of further reprimanding, Rhys didn't bother glancing at the source of pain. He could feel droplets of blood bubbling from where his father's claws had struck him. Opening his eyes, Rhys's gaze met the cold, worried eyes of every pack member. The prince's plain black fur stood out in the ashen wonderland, the cold bite of winter numbing the pain in his leg.

All his life, Rhys had bee plain. Not exceptional enough to meet his father's expectations.
But now.
Now, Rhys stood in front of his fellow foxes, required to address the entire clan. He had been standing here for hours, as the snow fell around him. A shiver took over his body - a sign of weakness. No blow fell this time. His father must not have been watching. Mustering his dwindling courage, Rhys said in a shaky voice, "Today's reports show no signs of invaders. The clan will be going on hun-" Another tremble - caused by cold? Or fear of his father? - led to a sharp nip on his heels. Whipping around, Rhys could feel his anger rising. Not bothering to speak, Rhys snarled - and he ran. In his first rebellion ever, Rhys couldn't see for the snow in front of him and the fury blinding him. The todd dashed through the forest, his paws carrying him further and further away from the home of all his nightmares. His paws stumbled for the first time in mere moments - and he fell.

His ribs were quite obviously cracked, trickles of blood running down his head as he opened his eyes. What had happened? Heaving himself to his feet, Rhys groaned. His head felt so... heavy. looking down, Rhys saw that things had changed. His paws were brown instead of a dull, graphite gray, and he seemed to be sprouting... antlers? A normal todd would panic.

But not Rhys.

Rhys just smiled.

He stood, no longer in any pain.

And he ran.

[monochrome.]

➟ Art ➟
All art made by me, all art used in form.
Border
Eye
Headshot

➟ Ending Note ➟
I'd like to quickly thank the judge(s) for reading through my form and considering me as the possible future owner of the character I have taken to calling "Rhys". I had a ton of fun weaving this character together to fit his design, and while I did hit some time restrictions in reality that limited the amount of art/writing I could complete, formulating a personality and story regarding this character was an escape and ridiculous amounts of fun.


➟ Credits ➟
Fonts (c) Veer.com
Writing & Art (c) AnnaROUaT
Dia, Aello and Atlas are all property of myself.

Return to Adoption Thread