Username: Lillybear
Name: Koda
Gender: Male [he/him]
Personality: Koda, simply put, doesn't like being told what to do─but if you tell him he can't do something, he'll go out of his way, sometimes even pushing himself past his limits─to prove he can.
He doesn't respond well to challenges or threats, and often stupidly puts himself in danger to show others what he's made of─to show them he has the strength, courage, and power to conquer anything.
But he's far from intimidating─he's just a scruffy, rebellious teenager who's too proud of himself and his accomplishments to accept any criticism. He has no patience to learn, as he believes he already knows everything that's worth knowing.
And although he doesn't want to admit it, part of his showing off comes from wanting to prove to his family that he can become as strong and fulfilled as them someday─a lot of people don't believe in him, as he's the youngest and scrawniest of his brothers. "The runt," some say, "the unwanted mistake."
He's often made fun of by his family─they never intentionally try to hurt him to his face─but anything they say sticks with him, and only fuels the untameable fire inside him.
Koda has a free spirit, an itch for adventure, and a longing to run. He doesn't like staying in one place for long, and doesn't like anything holding him back. Anything anyone says to him─any doubt they may have─he feels as if they're trying to hold him back from what he believes is his true potential.
Homeland/backstory: Koda was born in the country of Swimonia, where sea dwelling creatures of all shapes and sizes have the space and freedom to swim and live in the waters that border the land, and in the abundant marshes and swamps.
More specifically, Koda was born in Sea City, the capital of Swimonia. Sea City is Swimonia's northernmost city, right at the edge of the land, where the waters are frigid and deep.
Sea City and the area that surrounds it is the coldest part of Swimonia, as just northwest of the country lies the barren, uninhabited "Blizzardlands," as the citizens of Sea City have nicknamed it. It has no real name, for no one has ever tried to claim it.
Just as the name suggests, in the Blizzardlands there is nothing but darkness and cold as blizzards are fierce and neverending. With the strong winds, some of the snow has blown and landed in Sea City, providing an arctic home for creatures who've adapted to living in the cold and snow.
The population of Swimonia has been steadily rising due to the number of creatures who've come to live in Sea City, to thrive in the snow and cold like they were always meant to. However, Swimonia also has it's fair share of beautiful beaches with warm waters, making it a beautiful vacation spot and perfect living area for creatures who can only survive in warm water.
Koda is proud of his country, how diverse the beauty is, from the snowy, ice cold waters he learned to swim in to the hot beaches and murky swamps. There's something for everyone, but for Koda, he believes there could be even more.
In Sea City, everyone is proud of what they've accomplished, proud of their wealth and freedom. Koda was born in a large, hardworking family, but they didn't expect him to be the same─the was the smallest and thinnest, and ultimately, the weakest. His parents, aunts, uncles, and cousins expected his brothers to follow in their footsteps, to uphold their family's business and work ethic, but not him. They didn't think he could do it─or maybe, a thought that stung Koda the deepest─they didn't
want him to do it, because they were embarrassed of him.
He didn't like it from the start, didn't like the hurt and the doubt─so every change he got, he'd try and prove himself. And when that didn't work, he told himself that if they didn't want him, he wouldn't want them, either, and stopped trying to follow in their footsteps─he'd find a way to the top on his own. He became rebellious, and found that when he broke free from his family, he found a new kind of freedom, a new kind of spirit.
Koda no longer cared about his family, but he still wanted to prove to them that he was as strong─no,
stronger─than they were. And that he became that strong his own, no thanks to them. He wanted everyone to know that he had it him in. That's when he became increasingly aggressive to those who defied him, or challenged him, or told him he couldn't. He wouldn't stand for it anymore.
Yes, he was proud of his country─but he wanted his country to be proud of him, too. And that's when an idea came to him, a crazy idea─he wanted to be the first to inhabit the Blizzardlands. It was dangerous, and likely impossible for a young boy like himself─but he wasn't going to give up.
And that's what he's been working towards, right now, every day. To make his family proud, to make his country proud, to make himself proud. One day he'd get there, one day he'd conquer the Blizzardlands. He'd show them all.
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