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 Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2012 9:32 pm
Name: Elbrus (named after Mount Elbrus, a dormant volcano in the Caucasus)
Gender: Male
Type of Tekimi: Common
DNA Strand 1: White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus Virginianus) - (INFO)
DNA Strand 2: Eastern Wolf (Canis Lupus Lycaon) - (INFO)
Traits: Antlers (deer), satyr-like deer bottom including tail, legs and hooves (deer), claw-like finger nails (wolf), canid ears instead of human's(wolf)
Physical Appearance: OPTIONAL.
Flaws:
===== Duality: Constantly at war with his predator/prey nature, Elbrus has several different layers to his demeanor which fluctuate frequently. This may lead some to think he has something of a bipolar nature, but this is simply not the case. It all depends on his environment, the people around him, and how he's feeling that day whether he can be outgoing or he would rather be left to his own devices, if he may act aggressive or meek. This can be too unpredictable for some and it is a fact which frustrates him considerably because it can lead to behaviors he regrets or things left unsaid and done.
===== Anxiety: As a side effect of the above, his fight or flight senses are almost constantly on the fritz and if he feels anxious or intimidated to any degree he may just up and flee or, worse, attack. The latter is far less common and usually just comes as a quick bite on an extremity (usually the hand or arm, whatever's closest and isn't vital), preceded by growling and appropriate body language. This is standard for meeting new people, especially those who may come on too strong, and lessens considerably the more comfortable he is with a person. He can also be a jumpy sort and easily spooked, either into fleeing as stated above or going into a frozen state of fear.
===== Picky: Elbrus can be rather choosey when it comes to most things, whether it be food, stories, knick-knacks, textures, or even friends. This can lead to him seeming ungrateful, as it can be sometimes difficult for him to suppress his expressions and emotions because he relies on body language so heavily. While he will try to soften the blow of disappointment when he does not enjoy the things offered to him, he outright refuses to lie about it even to spare the other person's feelings.
===== Opinionated: When you do managed to catch Elbrus in a talkative mood, you may find that he seems to have a lot of clear ideas and opinions about things. You may also find that these opinions are not always based on reality. All too often, Elbrus may state that he feels a certain way about things or people but may have difficulty explaining why when it comes to hard facts. Usually it comes in the form of him sensing “vibes” off a person or thing. If he thinks someone is mad at him, for instance, when they could just be having a bad day, he could easily leap to the conclusion that the person does not like him!
===== Dramatic: This could be considered a Virtue in some ways, but for the most part it is definitely a Flaw. While it can sometimes lend itself to humor both intentional and otherwise (that's the virtuous part), more often than not it just leads to him making a mountain out of a molehill. Elbrus takes off handed comments to heart, exaggerates negative events, and can often give over the top descriptions to things that generally don't need them. He also takes things rather seriously, particularly responsibility. If someone were to entrust him with an object, he would take this responsibility to a ridiculous extent bordering on martyrdom.
Virtues:
===== Honest: Elbrus puts a great deal of importance on honesty. He is a strict believer that, without one's word, you are worth nothing. Because of this, he takes great care not to even provide white lies for the sake of comfort, leading his honesty to sometimes be quite brutal but often necessary. Due to inconsistencies in his subjective (and dramatic) nature, it can often be difficult for him to not stretch the truth a little but you will never find him speaking intentionally false. He will also take lies towards him as a great personal affront which will take a long time to heal.
===== Empathetic: This one is obviously sensitive to his own emotions, as well as those of others. Both of his DNA components come from very primal creatures steeped in instinct which rely on specific cues for communication. In socialization, this can often make things complicated and frustrating for Elbrus as he can easily misunderstand situations if people are unclear with him. At the same time, he will often be the first to notice something is off about someone he's close to due to subtle changes in their body language, and he will also be the first to ask what's wrong.
===== Sense of Humor: Though Dramatic is organized into its own Flaw, it can tie into this Virtue as well since a great deal of Elbrus' humor does rely on exaggeration. He may not have the expertise of comedic timing fully understood and it can sometimes be difficult for him to tell whether other people are joking or not (straight faced jokes are especially frustrating), humor is not lost on him to any degree and he does gain enjoyment from making others laugh. He isn't usually one for slapstick, rather giving way to a sarcastic comment or a simple silly wording.
===== Respectful: There is a certain hierarchy to life, Elbrus feels, and should he come in contact with anyone who is his elder or may "outrank" him (such as staff at the lab), he will show proper respect to. Whether it be dipping his head in their presence, speaking formally, or generally being helpful. To him, the old are automatically wise and it will take a lot to convince him otherwise -- even then it will strictly be on a case by case basis. For those whom he feels he outranks, usually younger tekimi or those he perceives as from less noble DNA groups, his respect for them must be dutifully earned through action. How this will come to pass is different for everyone. Do not convince kindness or conversation for respect for he would much rather speak with those he dislikes than start a huge fight.
===== Generous: To many, sharing is considered a burden. It is tedious and leaves one with less than desired. For him, sharing is caring. He will often do so without giving it much thought, whether it be with food or trinket, and will act on impulse if he sees someone without. Of course, this ties in a lot with his respect, for he may not give so easily to those he has no respect for, wanting them to ask nicely or even beg before doing so, but very rarely will he actually deny someone anything of his. For keeps, on the other hand, Elbrus would very much like to say you should not think his offerings are permanent gifts unless otherwise stated and you very much ought to give it back right now, please and thank you.
General Attitude: Elbrus is a rather quirky sort, finding humor in rather grim subjects as well as deep sympathy and sadness in otherwise mundane happenings. He is quite gullible and also superstitious, mostly believing what he's told without checking the facts beforehand (especially if it's in books!). Generally a kind individual, he can be a bit unpredictable as well as otherworldly. Often he will be quite, then other times he will offer a surprising amount of insight into a certain topic. One of his more unique traits is Elbrus' penchant to use “we” and “us” in place of “I” or “me”. This is not for any reason alluding to a split personality or something like that, but merely because he thinks it sounds nice (though it is somewhat instinctual due to the regal and noble nature of both his DNA as this is what royalty did in the past). If asked why, he will merely respond with “We just do.” Because of his dualistic nature, it can never really be assumed whether he will or will not approach others but, even if he would rather not be approached, so long as he is not ganged up on or sensing negative feelings he should respond amicably.
Interests: His interests are a varied and almost constantly shifting sort, as fickle as the phases of the moon. One that never seems to fail is his thirst for knowledge. An institutionalized school setting would be detrimental to his learning environment, but Elbrus is always happy to learn new things, especially if the experience is hands on because this is how he learns best -- by seeing and doing. Something that has never ceased to interest the young tekimi is the life cycle, though particularly areas concerning death. There is a certain beauty he finds in decay, whether it be dried, wilted plants, shed husks from insects, or the skeletal remains of other creatures. Of course, there is an understandable apprehension in regards to it, for his self preservation instincts are very strong, but there is still something that draws his eye to a scene of death. He actually has a moderate collection of animal skulls, shed skins, old cocoons and the like which he takes very good care of.
Likes: reading, singing, music (mostly slow and classical or operatic over heavier and more tech-heavy genres), being alone with nature, being in packs/groups, grim or macabre things, companionable silence, physical contact (holding hands, hugging, playing with hair, etc) of a platonic nature, wide open spaces, fresh air, exercise, natural and floral scents
Dislikes: strangers invading his personal space, blood sucking insects like ticks, sudden loud noises or bright lights, yelling and raised voices, exceptionally sweet, sour, or bitter foods, cooked vegetables, burnt meat, tight enclosed spaces (not to the point of claustrophobia but they are very uncomfortable), chemical or sterile scents, junk food
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Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2012 10:06 pm
I will refrain from any full critique until you're completely filled in, but I like where you're going with it so far. He's interesting.
I also do like the concept of a satyr type character, I am going to point out that being a biped, I would probably make his legs a bit thicker than a typical deer's legs so as to hold the distribution of weight a bit more - plus obviously the human or ferric side of his blood gives a bit more weight to the musculature than standard digitigrade leg. Not that they'd be fat, but large enough and slightly straighter as to support a bipedal walking stance for long periods of time.
Hooves and ungulate style legs are fine, as is the tail as it would assist with balance anyway.
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Star-Crossed Shapeshifter
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Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2012 10:13 pm
That makes perfect sense and I am more than fine with that :B Thanks <3 I'm glad he's looking good so far, I was a little worried he might not be quite right (particularly his traits, so you've eased my worries!).
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Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2012 10:18 pm
Nono, his traits are fine. The only other thing I'd wanna point out about that is that I do some fur patching but, for example, while he might have patterned skin there probably wouldn't be a distinct satyr style fur division (no fur up top, furred legs). I probably wouldn't fur most of his legs; I'm thinking it would be more on his back, tail, and the back of his arms. idk why but that's what I'm picturing.
BUT THE TRAITS ARE FINE /babble
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Star-Crossed Shapeshifter
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Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2012 8:51 am
:'D Yaaay.
Oh, would the fur patching be unnecessary for me to list then? I was thinking he'd mostly have a fur patch around his neck (which lead to a furry spine down to his tail which would have to be fuzzy) and his forearms so we're pretty much thinking in a very similar fashion, there :0a In that case, would it be alright to add a different trait so I'm not "wasting" it if you were planning on doing that sort of thing anyway?
I'm perfectly fine with the no fur on the legs, no problem there~
I also had a question about traits. I'm under the impression that they're mostly aesthetic attributes, is that correct to say? Or would something like him having the same type of sight as a deer (which is dichromatic as opposed to a human's trichromatic so they have difficulty seeing oranges and reds) be counted as a trait as well and take up one of those slots?
Elsewise, I've filled in his interests and his last two virtues o u o If you're willing, I think he may be ready for a hard critting! <3
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Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2012 9:45 am
♥~
Fur patching wouldn't be necessary to list; the thing with traits is that, if you get a custom of some sort, those are things you want to show up. I put it up as an option mostly for aesthetics, but if there is a guaranteed ability trait that you want then that would count as one "trait", yes. You could swap the fur patches for the sight if you wanted.
The quest form is really tailored to semi-customs, since I like the scientific and artistic freedom of them. So just because you don't put fur patches doesn't mean that he wouldn't get them; likewise, you put canid ears - but having canid style ears doesn't automatically mean that he'd get a wolf's hearing level.
Diet is another example (and why I don't ask for it, because I determine it). Humans are omnivorous, and ferrics are omnivorous with more carnivorous tendencies. I'm going to use Cuider - a tekimi in the shop - for this example. His DNA are a type of cuttlefish and a jumping spider. He's got a ferric base. Automatically he prefers meat; cuttlefish are hunters, as are jumping spiders. Therefore this pushes him WAY over into carnivore. Enough to where one of Cuider's traits is that he's an obligate carnivore; he CAN "eat" plants, but he gets no caloric nutrients from it. He HAS to eat meat to survive.
I don't merge them all like that of course; sometimes I'll take a trait from one and mix it with the humanoid base and ignore the other side's influence. It depends. All this means though is that when you pick a "trait" - regardless of if you'll "see" it or not, you're changing what I might do otherwise. You're forcing the science one way or another and I have to adjust everything else to that, so anything that could be considered either an ability or a flaw due to genetic influences is a trait, as are physical options.
WOW VARI YOU REALLY DIDN'T NEED TO EXPLAIN YOURSELF THAT WELL WHAT THE ******** see.
Virtues and Flaws work well for me. I am a little curious about his anxiety; does the wide variety of Tekimi make a difference in his flight/fight behaviours? What I mean is, when introduced to the world and no longer represented by a faceless avatar of sorts, when he begins to see other alien-type creatures, does it affect him more? Do predatory Tekimi set him off more than passive or prey or fauna Tekimi? Or are all people "people" regardless of that sort of mix?
His general attitude seems to match with what you've set out, and his interests work well with the labs. ... The only other thing is that he dislikes clean and sterile scents. This is fine, but most of the Labs are very clean and sterile and smell as such. I imagine he'd probably try to linger in the living areas or outside a lot, haha.
This is probably a bad crit but honestly I think he seems like a very good character for this shop. If con doesn't have anything else to add, I think his personality section is fine. (Just need to see what you ultimately decide with traits).
~♥
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Star-Crossed Shapeshifter
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idk waste more plat Captain
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Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2012 9:52 am
In other words, traits are scientific traits, not just aesthetic ones.
This is a science-based shop, and so things we make try to make as much grounded scientific sense as possible.
I was also going to point out the being in the labs accompanied by the sterility of it all, because of the setting, but I think it would make things more interesting.
Plus of course that everyone looks and acts different than a norm, based on their genetic inheritances.
All in all I think Vari covered everything I was going to ask, or say.
We do that so often.
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Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2012 9:56 am
Ah, okay! I think I understand for the attributes, now o u o I'm a little unsure if I will go with the sight, but considering you'll do the fur patches anyway I do think I will replace that with something.
For the diet, should I remove allusions to that? I figured he would be an omnivore just because of the human base + both an herbivore and carnivore are his DNA, but I can definitely take that out of it would also count as a trait and override your judgments <3
His Anxiety would definitely be affected by the variety in Tekimi, I think! Noting another's predatory nature is a good way to put it. If he encounters other predators, he is likely to feel more anxious and easily intimidated as opposed to an herbivore or someone who is considered prey, but this will be overridden by personality. It's just that general first impression that will be quite obvious and either calmed or elevated depending on how people act towards him.
Haha yeah I figured xD I think he would definitely like to say out of the lab proper and stick to those areas, especially outside @ o @ outside is so nice.
Oh no, not a bad crit, this is very reassuring! I'll wait for Con's word (if he has any to give) before changing some things/smoothing out the details but that's great to hear, I'm excited :'D Thank you!
Edit: OH, CON DID SAY THINGS
Ahh, yes, thank you, that makes sense!
I don't think Elbrus would go over the top with his dislike of sterile scents within the lab. If he had to be in there for whatever reason, especially if asked by staff, he would deal with it, but he'd probably make scrunched faces in response or cover his nose occasionally. Then when they were done with him, he'd be out of there very quickly but he wouldn't be throwing a huge fuss just from being there or anything like that. Would that be alright?
I'll see what I can do to finalize the traits but I'm glad you guys are good with his personality besides 8'D That's really cool.
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idk waste more plat Captain
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Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2012 10:49 am
I don't have any issue with it provided he has no issue working in the lab under someone else if so required.
Something to consider on this subject, if you plan on roleplaying this character, is that they do most of their initial growing, through childhood, learning, developing their intelligence, etc, in tubes, so he may have no issue with the chemicals (possibly base ones too) used in the sustaining fluid, since he would be accustomed to them in that manner.
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Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2012 11:37 am
Yeah, he'd definitely work through it if he was required to. For prolonged working, I could see him maybe wearing a medical mask? But that's if he had to be there for hours, not just for twenty minutes or so. I don't mean to say his olfactory sense is especially strong either, just he's sensitive to those types of smells in the same way that hairspray or nail polish makes me cough and gag. I figured that sort of thing fit with both of his DNA donors. c:
Ahh, that would make sense :0 I definitely do plan on roleplaying if I acquire him or any boy here! I'll take that into consideration, for sure. That'd probably be interesting to play with.
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Star-Crossed Shapeshifter
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Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2012 11:43 am
Well you're here in stream so you can watch me make typos and stuff as I type this out but ...
I can't really think of anything for the moment until the traits are finalized, but it's fine to allude to his diet. He would probably be an omnivore because of the mixture of DNA even if he had a ferric base. I was just throwing that out there as an easy example to me.
For future reference (and future quests 8D?) ... Even if they don't get any nutrition from food, I don't limit the Tekimi's ability to safely ingest various foods for the most part. Sort of like I'm sitting here drinking a Pepsi Max; I'm not getting any kind of calories from it or vitamins or anything, but I enjoy it, so I'm drinking ******** DA POLICE damn it typos
But if you make something that ends up being a carnivore who wants to be a vegetarian, well, he can try, but he's going to wither away. 8Db
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Posted: Sun Sep 23, 2012 9:24 am
That makes sense! I did read a bit about Cuider's diet the other day so I remembered that during your explanation. Gosh, I hope no Tekimi withers away ; 3 ;; that'd be so sad.
I think I've finalized his traits. I didn't change anything about his deer traits, but I took away the fur (since he's going to have fur anyway??) and swapped it for claw-like finger nails, and decided to forego the original positioning of his puppy ears and put them on the sides of his head where human ears are instead of the top since that area's already going to be cluttered with antlers anyway. I think I forgot to respond to an earlier statement that he probably wouldn't have wolf-level hearing and that is perfectly okay c: I just want the fuzzy ears <3
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Star-Crossed Shapeshifter
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Posted: Sun Sep 23, 2012 9:29 am
Das fein den. :B
He looks fine to me overall now. The traits seem okay. Just poke at con for the final okay and I'll (or he can) mark it as an acceptable quest.
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Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2012 10:28 am
The only thing I can think to add is a preference on human or ferric.
Though that's not limited to this quest. We need a space for it.
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idk waste more plat Captain
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Star-Crossed Shapeshifter
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Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2012 12:59 pm
I'll go ahead and mark it as [A] but snoof you are free to add preference (and we would appreciate it if you would even if it's not guaranteed) :B
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