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Key Facts

Name: Anthony Watson
Call Me: Anthony. Anny is the girl over there.
Specialty: Make Believe
Age: 11
Height: 4'7"
Weight: 78 lbs
Place of Birth: Wellington, New Zealand
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Green
Nationality: Kiwi
Occupation: Student and just Being a Kid.
Distinguishing Features or Marks: Lot's of nicks and scratches, a lot of very small scars on knees, elbows, arms and legs from continual punishment from gravel and other obstacles, but none on the face.
Voice: High, as he has not hit puberty, though speaks with the Kiwi accent, but usually tries to lower the pitch of his voice around others.
Likes: Playing alone, using his imagination, movies about amazing things.
Dislikes: All the other kids, sheep, reading, getting asked too many questions.
Most Embarrassing Moment: Received a black eye from one of the family sheep's hooves landing on him.
Goal in Life: Just getting by, trying to make life more livable.
Theme Song: "I'm just a kid." - Simple Plan

His life in two sentences: His parent's couldn't care for him and he now lives in a foster home on a sheep farm. Due to continual disagreements with all of the other children he knows, he has slowly developed a imaginary friend that he treats as almost more real than other people.

History

For a boy of eleven, Anthony sure has gone through a lot. He was born to a couple who were not ready nor equiped to be parents, Teresa and Will Watson: his father had been an alcoholic and his mother had anger management issues. They were constantly fighting, and in fact were preparing to divorce and were disputing custody of the child when the court found neither parent to be a suitable caregiver to the then year and a half old child. From there he went to a foster home for young children, where a family took care of several toddlers, including him. They cared for all the young children, and when they turned three, the children were passed on to another home.

For Anthony, this was the farm of Robert and Janet Teague, of Queenstown. Like many of their neighbours, the pair raised sheep for wool. They were both very religious, belonging to the Roman Catholic church, though Janet was by far the more vocal of the two about it. They raised him with care, though they didn't love him - not quite, anyway. They believed it to be much more of a civic responsibility to look after children like Anthony - in a way, they have been babysitters these eight years. They made sure he was safe, looked after, comforting, but caretakers and fill-ins none the less.

Janet Teague
Anthony's primary caregiver. She made his meals, did his laundry, and all of the infinitely diverse small things that mothers do for their children. She looks after the house, helps feed and work with the animals, and volunteers her time in the community, helping to better it, as she is by being a foster parent. One thing she made sure to do was to pray the Rosary with her charge each night before he went to bed. She stands a good 5'10" tall, with flowing dark brown hair almost to her waist. Given the chance, she'll wear simple dresses, but as need calls, she'll happily don jeans or other work apparel.

Robert Teague
Robert spends the greater part of his time out with the sheep - tending the huge flock in one way or another, or fixing a farm impliment. He has a farmer's tan to a high degree, and wears a wide-brimmed hat most of the time to prevent sunburn. He usually is clean shaven with practical, very short hair, though sometimes he lets his beard grow if he needs the time for other things on the farm and won't be going to the city for a few days. He's generally quiet by nature, believing that actions speak louder than words.

Anthony Watson
Now for the important part - Anthony!
From the time he arrived at the Teague's, he found he had to explore, always wandering off in random directions, over that hill, around the barn. to the point where the Teagues almost put a leash on him. One thing that happened quite early on was that they called him "Anny", simply as a short name - to which he never responded. In fact, when he was still very small he thought that "Anny" was another person, a girl just out of site. So often on his early-year tromps he would go look for this mysterious girl, always just out of sight. Eventually he 'befriended' the girl, imagining her, talking to her. Janet and Robert found it cute for a time, until he was about to start school. When he failed to give it up, even after being talked to about it, they took him to a therapist. The consultation told them that Anthony would eventually grow out of it.

They were wrong.

When Anthony started Kindergarten, he was teased a great deal when he talked to Anny. He was forced to go on the defensive, continually repeating what his mind saw to the other kids - which pushed him farther away. After a time, the bar was raised and shouting matches began, as well as bullying - the kids at his school simply didn't want to play with him. Janet would pick him up after school at a loading area by the school, and it became a place of torment for the boy other kids, bigger kids and older kids, would call him names or even throw rocks and stones. In fact, it was because of this that Anthony found his 'secret' passage. After a rather aggravating stone-throwing by some of the bigger boys, he was literally chased away from the loading point with sticks. Nearby he found a chain-link fence, and almost thinking he was trapped, he noticed a hole underneath it - one that was large enough for him to fit through, but small enough that the other boys couldn't follow. Needless to say, he took it. On the other side was a ravine, stretching a great distance. He explored it with Anny, wiping away the tears and talking to her. It was on that even, walking through the ravine, that he found his first 'Stone.' [See Pukka Post] Eventually he made his way back to a road, where a payphone was nearby and he called home with a little lunch money he lad left over. Little did he know it was long but manageable walk back to the Teague farm. While he was still in third year, Janet and Robert both agreed it wasn't a place for him to go. As time and the bullying went on, though, his pleading with them finally came through, simply because more often than not he was coming home with bruises otherwise. Starting in fourth year, they allowed him in the ravine. Sometimes they would pick him up near where he had found the pay phone, and sometimes they would let him walk all the way home if both of them were very busy. In all, though, it was only 3 kilometers, and after the payphone junction the Teagues had neighbours that could watch out for the boy. It was his preference, also, so why not?

Anthony was thrilled, to say the least. Over time he had adventures there, found more Stones, and as always, it was a good escape route - even too good. There were many a time where he would use it as a passage rightly, but there were other times that, if he felt particularly spiteful against all of the other children, he would call them names or say something mean (because he was far too weak to pick on them physically) and then would run back to the shelter of the Ravine, and then go home.

This continued well into his fifth year and he was nearing twelve years old. And this is where our story begins...

Anthony's Pukka

Anthony's Pukka Object, simply enough, is his anklet. The first time he went into the ravine, he found his first Stone - just a shiny pebble, blue and rounded by the stream that was once there. To him, though, it was a physical symbol of his bond with Anny. Over the two years that he was in the ravine, he had collected several more. He really was picky, though, and only found five in that whole time, with one, green stone being larger than the others. Eventually, he bargained with Janet to make it into a necklace of hemp for him, with the green stone in the center. After he was teased for it, though, he started wearing it on his leg instead, wrapped around twice so it wouldn't sag and catch on something. He wore it everywhere - even in the tub, though he would take it off just to clean underneath, and back on it went. It was, in many ways, the only physical presence of Anny he had.

Needless to say though, as a young boy does, he lost it. One time, when sliding down the side of the ravine after escaping through the fence, a branch was able to expertly snag the anklet and left it hanging there. The problem was, Anthony was far too much on adrenaline rush to notice. Later, nearing the pay phone, he scratched the back of his leg with the other, a subconscious thing he started doing a while back. Realizing the anklet was not there, he told Anny, and they started back, though Anny ran ahead of him for quite a ways, as she was the faster of the two. Finally reaching the fence, he found the Stone anklet hanging there, but something was different - in fact, the green stone had been replaced - but a cut and polished one. He took a good look at it, confused, and was about to point it out to Anny when the world turned upside down.

The 100% Form

Arguably the most difficult post - To sell the appearance and physical of a hippotaur. If I'm strangely animate-oriented when drawing sometime (I generally draw scenery) I'll try and get an image up for what it would look like.

Otherwise, here we go.

These are two pictures of the typical hippopotamus, "Hippopotamus Amphibius" I will sometimes refer to "the typical hippo." These are for visual reference of those who haven't stared at hippos day in and day out for a while. My descriptions are rather anatomically correct, so at any point you should feel pretty safe using the following pictures as reference.
[X][X]

To begin, I will say that Anthony will undergo an age transformation of sorts as he changes. That is, he is not changing into a hippotaur that would be comparable to his current age, but rather that of a full adult hippo (including size, weight, and yes, the plumbing).

An average hippo weighs anywhere from 4000 to 8000 pounds, is 10-12 feet long, and about 5 feet high. The basic dimensions of the hippotaur, then, would be a little larger. The upper body would be part hippo, and thus have a comparable weight and length to the front half of a hippo: This would make the hippotaur between 6000 and 11000 pounds, with a "back end" height of 5 feet, length of 11 feet, but front and torso and head height, all together, of about 11-12 feet.

Now with the boring logic out of the way, a more flowing description:

Anthony will be, in no uncertain terms, massive. His feet would cause the earth to tremble a small amount as he moves. The tremors would be caused by feet fronted by four large, black, hard toes that could be carved from basalt, for all their delicacy. The four round, flat feet the colour of mud would turn with a joint that preferred a simple backward-forward motion. This joint would be a slight narrowing point before the upper leg widened. Only some inches above that the legs would be completely swallowed by girth. The thick layers of dark, porous skin and tissue would fold again and again over the joints, flattening out over an animalistic back. Black, thick veins and arteries would be scattered along the back side, noticeable unless covered with blood sweat (see below). A tail would jutt out of a very round rear end, which would be considered large on anything but a hippo, appearing to be a stunt of flesh nearly a foot long and as wide as a man's arm. Below all this is the belly: a large, massive amount of skin and fat and muscle between the four legs. On a normal hippo this could be seen extending from the plumbing all the way to the base of the neck of a hippo, but upon a hippotaur it would go further. Pushing past the front legs, the flesh would curve upwards, continuing on up, and up, until reaching the upper half of the body, where commonplace ends. The girth would continue up, shaping into a great rotund belly, paler than most of the skin, appearing a maroon colour.
This massive belly would wrap around to a back almost five feet away, so that the back of the torso would end a third of the way down the back of the fully animalistic part. The torso, like many tauric creatures, would have extreme but necessary flexibility to survive (see below).
Above this crests extremely rounded shoulders, extending from which would be two very beefy arms. Going on eight inches in diameter, the forearms would barely slender out before they gave way to pseudo hands. Each hand, puffy as it would be, has only three sausage-like fingers and a thumb. The fingers would be in proportion to the passive hand, with individual diameters of nearly two inches. The fingernails would take up the entire ends of the fingers, being about an inch and a half of solid bone before giving way to meat and flesh.
Rising high above the rest would be the distinctly hippo-like head. With only an inch of neck to be seen in the space between collar and head. At first glance, the head seems complete animalistic, until you see the shining green eyes set into the back, behind the muzzle. The muzzle itself would be completely animalistic if not for the improved articulation, allowing for speech. The massive tusks would still be hard to speak around, though.

Two main notes:
Flexibility - The base of the torso would have incredible flexibility - to the point where it could turn towards the back by 120 degrees in either direction. Many taurs have been known to incorporate this, because otherwise one would be defenseless from the back. However, this does not change the lengths of the arms, and they could not reach the back - although they wouldn't have far to go.
Reversely, the head has limited mobility, only able to move from side to side about 60 degrees in either direction, compared to the about 110 that humans enjoy. To see behind himself, Anthony would require to twist his whole torso backwards.
Blood Sweat - a normal function of a hippo, blood sweat is a secretion that comes out of the pores as a clear substance, but as it is exposed to dryness and sun for a period of time, it turns blood red- hence the name. It is a natural bug repellent, sun screen, and anti-bacterial agent. It's so beneficial that even normal doctors are trying to bottle it in some way. This blood sweat could come out anywhere where a hippotaur has exposed skin.

Reserved, if need be.

Hey there I'll work from the top of the concept to the bottom ( hopefully) so it's easier to find things.

1. Just out of curiosity what exactly is a kiwi accent will it be visible in the way you type his speech?

2. should be pretty much a runt. Fairly much sounds awkward.

3. if he's below average weight no matter how active he is he isn't going to have well muscled legs, the body eats muscle as a source of food even if he isn't malnourished the fact that we can see his ribcage means he's unhealthy and his body would have started cannibalizing itself.

I like this part of him but for practicalities sake he should be within a safe weight range for his height in order for his body to continue building muscle. also remember muscle weighs more than fat and regular body tissue.

4. The rest of his physical description is quite nice and i really liked that posture bit.

5.I really like the history section, and Anny, you didn't just have him make her show up but made her a byproduct of the way he was talked to. Logically a three year old would respond in that manner, you did a very good job in that aspect.

6. you do need to expand on his running away and finding his first stone part, it's a bit rushed and leaves me confused.

7. you did a fair job explaining the walking home bit and how safe it is due to watchfull neighbours. Still it seems like a rather long walk for one so young. I know you intend to age him more and i suggest he doesn't start walking home till he's at least 10 as that's more plausible.

8. i like that while is is volatile with kids he is respectful of adults,( who likely if they know of anny give him pitying or amused looks) if you manage to make him into a changed he will need the help of adults to survive in the new world. Also he should be friendly to children in the new world becuase they will have no knowledge of anny and his outcastness at home.

9. The Pukka is nice but i'm not sure the stone should have changed. i think perhaps he should see a perfect stone to add as he goes to retrieve it. the powers that be have no reason to mess with stones already in place if they can tempt Anthony with an object of their own.

10. I really don't understand why a hippotaur fro him, i mean yes it's big and damnit not much would wanna pick on it but it still doesn't really fit. you'd need to explain more why that animal. if you feel you can then i suggest switching to another myth. Perhaps something small and agile that still has some power. perhaps a small equine.

Overall a really nice concept that I hope comes to life.

Update/Overhual complete. He is now 11 years old.