Name: Aandes LaMode
Andes: a brand of popular mint chocolate candy
A la mode: In US meaning served with ice cream. Also refers to the translation "in the style of"; fashionable
Blood colour: Green - Hex Code: #00b681
Gender: Male
Symbol: A scoop of ice cream in a cone.
Personality: Smooth-talking Aandes LaMode can sell ice cream to a snowbeast in wintertime, they say – and they’re not far off. Who would argue with a sugar-sweet troll who is eager to please? This young greenblood is always on his feet in social situations, and is already aware that his charisma is his most profitable feature. Whether he’s putting on a show, weaving hyperboles and spreading rumors, sucking up or lying through his teeth, Aandes is a kid who knows how to appease. Though, his constant social manipulation is certainly not just for the good of those who he influences. Aandes’ foremost concern is on himself and himself alone. And what better way to get ahead than riding on the hearts and pocketbooks of those around him? Aandes always tries to profit on his own and others’ schemes through the way of his words, whether his reward is a handful of beetles or a connection with a higher-up.
As a mid-blood (and fairly close to teal at that!), Aandes is in a handy position where he’s managed to skate by relatively easily – even in the high-class resort town where he resides. His lusus dotes upon him, and paired with the resort climate of Four Fronds (foregoing a few lowblood hunts in the woods, of course), Aandes’ fondness for the good life has made him rather spoiled. He spends beetles frivolously on ventures that he quickly loses interest in. In fact, if not for his love on taking advantage of others, he'd be as lazy as his lusus. He has a go-getter passion and zeal for his new efforts, but he’d rather scrap an idea and start from scratch than to put effort into fixing a clunker.
The only exception to this is his ice cream route, which Aandes has run without fail for as long as he could pedal his bicycle cart. His rather pronounced sweet-tooth lead to the young troll to acquiring an old five-wheel device – a junker resembling the front half of a bicycle and the back half of a four-wheeled cart, with an impressive amount of space for storage. His entrepreneurial attitude was sparked as soon as he put two and two together one balmy evening, and sought to make his delicacies the best new thing in Four Fronds since the Slinkies. He gets out on nice nights to ride around the lake and sell the stuff by the cone-ful, letting the rather haunting sound of his hand-made confectionary jingle alerters ring quite clearly.
Needless to say, Aandes’ childish efforts to make his own business have been rocky up until recently. When his night rides aren't so fruitful, Aandes can't help but indulge himself in his own surplus. If there's one thing Aandes has mastery over, it's identifying the quality and flavor palate of any frozen delicacy. He's tasted every flavor under the moon, and can't get enough. It's not the most useful skill outside of his hobby, but for what it's worth he's proud to represent his symbol through his talent.
At this point in his life, Aandes has a rather superficial stance on the Hemospectrum. He's not particularly interested in social change unless it benefits him, but since he's done pretty well for himself as it is he sees no need for any improvement. He figures if lowbloods want to get ahead, they just need to be smarter about it. He's rather unperturbed by abuses of power, and has a penchant for studying the way that highbloods throw their weight around and get results.
Aandes' ego has made him quite shallow when it comes to his personal relationships. He's a very social troll with no intent on committing to anything he can't easily back out of, whether it be his own plans or a budding friendship. Getting too far into an engagement and being trapped or cornered terrifies him deep down, and he'll go through every effort to burn bridges if needed. This sometimes culminates in him soundly sabotaging his previous "flings", as it were. He tries not to get to that point in any situation.
The green blood's competitive spirit has fueled his love of sports, which he enjoys fairly universally. Hot grub does he like sports! He's pretty athletic, and enjoys a good romp whether he's kicking or throwing around a oinkbeast ball or beating rocks with sticks. The rush of playing is nowhere near the thrill of emerging victorious, however, and he tends to be a sore loser when he doesn't win. His athleticism doesn't translate whatsoever to fighting ability, and while the kid can run and catch a ball, he'd rather talk his way out of a tussle than embarrass himself in combat. His ego bruises like a peach, especially concerning his sub-par combat skills and getting whupped.
He's also a sucker for all things fashionable. He basks in the glitz of celebrities, and is quite taken in by lavish lifestyles that he sees around him. He'll be hard pressed to purchase a lower-quality item for himself that doesn't have a popular Alternian cultural brand on it. Even though he insists it's all part of his image, he's actually quite sold by advertising and endorsements. While he's not exactly narcissistic, Aandes always makes sure he looks coiffed and presentable in his appearance to the point of obsession. He hates risking a potential positive interaction because of split ends.
Strengths:
Silver Tongue: Aandes is a sweet talker, to say the least. He's cool-headed in social situations, and has natural talent for getting what he wants through his natural speaking ability and sharp presence. In fact, Aandes can be quite the little showman; even at his young age he is showing signs of flirtatiousness and charm. With his ability to pick up on emotional queues, Aandes can transform from an empathetic helping hand, to a wily co-conspirator, and back to an innocent passerby in an instant. He tends to keep himself out of trouble this way, deflecting blame with his charisma in a pinch.
Adventurous: Aandes' rambunctiousness and dreams of travel contribute to him being a very bold young troll. He's not afraid to step out of his hive and try new things (when he cares to, that is), and prefers stepping out of his comfort zone over playing it safe. Aandes seeks new thrills in all aspects of his life, and doesn't settle for mediocrity. In relationships, food, locations and pastimes, the troll isn't afraid to be a risk-taker for the highest profit.
Perceptive: Aandes scrutinizes every angle of a situation. When it comes to piecing details together, Aandes learns fast. He loves using his awareness for his social exploits and pays close attention to body language when interacting with other trolls to predict and sway any interaction in his favor.
Flaws:
Egotistical: Aandes has an inflated ego, and he can't resist flaunting it. While his narcissistic sense of self-preservation helps keep Aandes on the top of the food chain (as far as greenbloods are concerned, anyway), he won't hesitate to throw any number of trolls under the bus to maintain his pride and standing. Despite his saccharine speech, Aandes doesn't tend to think of others very highly-- he puts himself above others and doesn't tend to hold anyone in high respect.
Aandes' pride also gets him into trouble more often than he'd like. It's hard for him to walk away from someone who threatens his ego or insults him personally. If there's any method to shattering Aandes' cool, it's through his pride. He'll even get physical when dealt a low-blow of sorts.
Reckless: Being a risk-taker as he is, Aandes is also a bit of an adrenaline junkie. He may endanger himself or others doing things that are physically dangerous, because he loves pushing his limits. Both riding on perilous edges or pulling a fast one on a high blood tend to end up with someone hurt or dead, and young Aandes doesn't understand the consequences of his actions enough to really care about the true dangers of Alternia.
Flighty: It's tough to get Aandes to commit to anything that he doesn't completely believe in. What he does believe in is serving himself, so doing things for others without personal reward is usually out of the question. Furthermore, Aandes is unable to commit to stable relationships. With his ideal relationship being largely one-sided and using others as tools for his own sake, getting to know the real Aandes LaMode is an arduous and frustrating process.
Weapon: It's a dangerous world out there! Even with lusus in tow, Aandes has taken every caution to avoid trouble and has outfitted his cart with easily accessible weapons. Each of the wheels hides a double stack of decorative chakrams, tied together with wire -- this makes them look a lot like a spool, or a yo-yo. He's awful at using them.
Appearance: (See cute art!)
Aandes' classic look as far as fashion is concerned differs subtly from day to day. His hairstyle seems to be a surefire constant, however, and he takes pride in maintaining it. Isn't his 'do pristine?
Home: Aandes lives in a tiny hive on the far end of the lake in Four Fronds. It's not much, but it accommodates Koalapop's need to drop from trees, as well as giving Aandes a natural route to follow when riding around the lake. Aandes has never been sure how his lusus found such prime territory; he'll be quick to spread the rumor that it's haunted by the ghost of its previous owner, a psychic lowblood hunted for sport.
The hive itself is perky and geometric, with splashes of color painted inside the home and visible through the hive's many windows during the night. There are only a few separate rooms, with a main living space and a spacious nutrition block that Koalapop resides in while inside. In fact, it looks a lot like the interior of a frozen yogurt shop.
Aandes' respite block is on the cramped second floor, which resembles something of an attic. It barely fits his oblong recuperacoon (which he has attached makeshift wheels to, and added racing stripes), and some mechanical parts for his cart. He also has an impressive number of posters on his wall of celebrities.
Lusus: Aandes' lusus takes the form of a rather long koala, with an extra pair of legs, spindly fingers and a coiled prehensile tail. Aandes refers to him affectionately as Koalapop, or just Pops. Aandes is always carrying around his lusus. Whether Koalapop is clinging to his back or in the sidecar of his cart, his lusus is ever present-- physically, that is. Despite him being around Aandes so often in his childhood, Koalapop is absent during many of his charge's important milestones, tending to forget or lack the willpower to attend. Koalapop has never been an active lusus, and spends most of his time eating and sleeping. He is proud of his charge, showers him with praise, and gives him free reign of the hive, his route and even his funds. His passivity allows the troll a certain amount of independence, but has largely lead to Aandes' big ego, frivolous spending and reckless personality. Koalapop is so laid back it's hard to imagine him completely lucid, but Aandes does tell of a few instances when he has been sobered up and is actually quite ferocious in nature.
Power: N/A
