Name: Sunset ShadowSunset - the time in the evening when the sun disappears or daylight fades; somewhat more metaphorically, a period of decline, an ending
Shadow - a dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface; follow and observe (someone) closely and typically secretly.
Full name could reflect the idea of the incoming end, the shadows of the sunset
Blood colour: ██████████ #4937b0
Gender: Female
Symbol: Kind of like a blank cat face
Profile: Sunset is an excitable little kitten, ready to sink her teeth into the world.
Sunset definitely has the promise to be...something. But what that something may be is still to be determined. For now, she’s a directionless ball of energy, ready and raring to go. Whatever it is though, she’s in it for the adventure. Sunset jumps on the first “good” idea that comes up and rides that until it’s through or something more enticing comes along. There’s a lot of hair brained ideas that get ditched or started but never finished with Sunset more inclined to immediate satisfaction than playing the long game. The more involved jokes and games can be entertaining, but she gets fidgety and will blow the whole thing if she starts getting antsy. Long winded discussions or lectures are a bit much for her and she’s a little bit awful at listening, liable to interrupt with questions or wander away. It’s not even that Sunset tries to be disrespectful or that she’s purposely not listening, but she can have trouble focusing. And as soon as her attention span goes, you’ve already lost.
Sunset has a bit of trouble thinking beyond her own nose. She tends to react in the now, and I mean the now now. Nothing is more important than what she’s feeling and thinking in the moment. It makes for a very impulsive little troll that is a terror to try to reason with. That’s dangerous, we might get in trouble, that’s against the rules! Who cares! Sunset doesn't! She wants to do something, then by golly, she’s already doing it. Trying to reason with her or use consequences to dissuade her means very little. It comes across as impersonal and nonsensical. Meeting Sunset on her level though, saying that you’re uncomfortable or scared, mean a lot more because she can immediately relate to an emotional response!
When weighed between someone else's emotions and her own, she's still going to act on her own whims first. It’s a bit callous and she doesn’t mean to make anyone feel bad, but just because you don’t want to do something doesn’t mean she doesn't still want to.
Sunset loves games, but is about one sport ball game away from a semi permanent ban being put upon her joining any team sports. It’s not like she goes in with the express purpose of hurting anyone, but after enough bloody noses and bruises, trolls get a little less inclined to let you play. It’s not just her tendency to be too rough that can make her hard to work with, but Sunset’s kind of awful about following game rules. She tends to get forget or get distracted and break the rules, but it’s a game. The change up makes it exciting so what’s the problem? At least she’s a good sport about losing.
It causes even Sunset some problems, being a whirlwind of energy that wants to play with others, but they don’t always want to play with her. Sunset has a real and genuine desire to connect with others and be included. Sunset can be really hard to keep up with, and unintentionally puts pressure on those around her to do so. If you don’t keep pace, you’ll get left behind, and if you are, she’ll come back later to tell you how you really missed out. It’s great that she’s always willing to play with anyone in the swamp, but she hasn’t learned how to go at any pace but her own yet. If she were ever to be met not by opposition, but indifference and exclusion, it would really start to get to her.
Sunset is, shockingly, actually great at doing tasks around the swamp when she’s asked. She likes having things to do, and as much as it seems like she’d scamper away cajoling you to chase her, she’s quite good at helping out if you can keep her engaged. Otherwise, hunting is one of her favorite things to do or mucking around through the woods with Morrow. Whatever it is though, she gravitates towards others and tries to get herself involved.
It would be prudent to mention sunset has a twin, Morrow Shadow! A constant companion and partner in crime, these two get up to no good a lot. The solidarity and guarantee of companionship is a fundamental in Sunset’s life. She can always count on her twin to be there! Being twins, these two get each other. Sunset is comfortably open with Morrow and always feels like things will turn out just fine with Morrow. Growing up with such a close companion has led to Sunset expecting trolls to react and understand her the way Morrow does, and so when they don’t. She doesn't always grasp that reality, thinking they’re just messing around. Sunset makes the misstep of often assuming everyone is on the same wavelength as her because Morrow always is.
A real big difficulty is that punishing Sunset is hard. Her desire for instant gratification and the lack of long lasting consequences has built a mentality that’s difficult to break through.
As much as she is a bit of an unholy terror that rams head first into everything, she actually understands cause and effect. When she causes trouble, she expects to get in trouble. But you’ve got to catch her first, literally. All getting caught means is that she lost this round and she’ll be back, worse than before! Not to mention that if you take your eyes off her for an instant, she’s going make a break for it. Sunset takes punishment in stride and accepts fault and blame easily, but only because it doesn’t mean much to her. And underneath it, she craves the attention and this is a sure fire way to get it!
At least Fluffy has bothered to teach her some things he’s deemed important, like a sense of a code. Continuous reinforcement of particular morals and values is what has really let her grasp that they’re important. Earn your keep, protect the swamp with your life, respect the experience of your elders, do not play with your food out of respect for the life given, obey the words of your leader (Byakko, in this case). Unquestionably, they are law. Sort of. They’re important and she could recite them off like a good little kid that’s been told something by their parent a million times! But it doesn't mean she actually understands them, even if she thinks she believes in it. It’s a start at least, and Fluffy considers it good enough. It’s their own litte code for their own little family and she really likes the sense of belonging it gives her. There are a lot of rules in the swamp too, and she’s heard ‘em a hundred times before. If you asked, she could list them off, and she’d defend them mightily! But the same logical fallacy occurs here as it does with the code of conduct her guardian has tried to teach her. She thinks she’s following the rules but she really isn't. She gets told to respect her elders a lot, but she does! She wasn’t throwing mud to be disrespectful, she was playing a game and they’re just upset that they got hit, that’s all. She’s really good at rationalizing events into her point of view.
For all the trouble she causes, Sunset loves the swamp unconditionally. It is her home and the community is all her family. They’re one big unit, a single mighty being. No matter what, she’ll always have a place here is what she believes wholeheartedly. As a result, Sunset sees trolls as either family or outsiders with basically no in between. Outsiders are tolls that live away from the swamp, trolls that are not family. Anyone from the swamp and lives in their community is family! Simple, right?
Outsider matters and issues are outsider matters and issues. They’re things that exist and she may need to have some amount of knowledge on, but she quickly loses interest because they just don’t matter in the long run. The outside holds such a strange and silly hierarchy called the hemospectrum, more absurd than anything else. Social standing based on colors? It sounds like an arbitrary feature you use for picking teams for a game! The outside is so goofy, how do they even function like that? Thankfully she doesn't go shouting it from the treetops, but she's likely to write off the weight that trolls give the hemospectrum as other things, entirely missing the point. More than likely, she'll steamroll conversation to talk about something more interesting or have some fun than waste her time waffling over Outsider nonsense.
The way Sunset has learned it, from the combination of Fluffy and example set by the swamp, is that your standing is determined by your age and contributions. Kids are still young and learning, gaining skills in the form of play and are a "precious resource to be protected.” Teens are in training, learning to fight and give back to the community, performing tasks adults don’t have time for. Adults are the warriors, the hunters and gatherers that keep the community together. They do the most dangerous and thrilling tasks and keep everyone safe! Some warriors even travel and live outside the community to perform more daring feats or watch the outskirts to keep the rest of them safe. Sunset sort of understands the roles these play, but not all of the boundaries that are meant to come with them yet. Sunset isn't really sure how to feel about the members she's never met that spent time away or living with Outsiders. Curious for sure!
Activity and companionship are the most important things in Sunset’s world at this age. Of course, she always has a companion in Morrow, so it’s never really been an issue. Sunset approaches life without hesitation or fear, excited and open, and probably going to drag anyone around her into the fray. Young, brash, and hardy, Sunset needs a bit more attention and guidance than she gets and she goes about getting it in all the wrong ways. More than likely though, it’s all going to come back to bite her in the butt down the line.
Strengths:
- Active: - Sunset would always be in motion if she had her way. She’s prone to action at almost all time, which at least means that things will get started with her around. There will be no sitting idle with Sunset.
Fearless: - Sunset is about as far from shy as you can get. Bold and daring, Sunset is up for adventure and is the last troll you’ll catch backing down. Trouble? Danger? She’s not afraid!
Accepting: - Sunset tends to take trolls a bit at face value and loves to have anyone and everyone included. Young or old, despite any differences, Sunset will welcome you. And for all that outsiders are weird, and there are some boundaries, she’d love to play with them too.
Flaws:
- Flighty: - Sunset’s ability to focus and follow through certainly leaves something to be desired. It’s most often caused by something new catching her attention or things taking too long and getting boring that causes her to jump ship. Things may get started, but do they get done?
Troublesome: - A penchant for sticking her paws into things she ought not to, Sunset is often in trouble. And if she’s not, she probably will be soon. It’s not because she wants to be difficult, but it’s the best way to get attention and have fun!
Ignorant: - Sunset’s tendency for callousness and doing things she shouldn’t is mostly out of ignorance. She may hear the words you say but they don’t mean anything to her yet and her grasp on the consequences is tenuous, at best. It’s this lack of understanding that allows her to act the way she does without a shred of remorse.
Weapon: A whip! But that’s for when she’s older. For now she gets a cool dagger, slash slash.
Appearance: Helpful reference!
Sunset’s hair is a bit of an unkempt mess, although she manages to have a couple of braids within the flyaway mess of tangles. Oftentimes, it gets bundled and tied up, probably not doing the knots any favors, but it keeps it out of her face! Sunset’s horns are fractured and branching, but close enough together that as a child, could resemble cat ears, but that’s unlikely to remain true as they grow. Each set consists of one larger bit, with three smaller horns clustered in front of it.
Sunset is heavily freckled and has the starts of vitiligo on her face, just like her twin, creating mirrored mirrored marks between them. Sunset’s takes up residence on her left cheek. The main body of the vitiligo spans under her eye and down to her lip and a little onto her chin, with a second smaller spot smack dab on the cheek. Sunset and Morrow also tend to paint on their faces, making it easier for outsiders to differentiate between them. Sunset’s preferred pattern reminiscent of what some distant alien species may know as a cheetah. She wears very obviously hand sewn garments, colored with dark grey, green, and purple to blend into the swampy environment. Sunset has a bit of a sleeveless jumpsuit going under her sturdy tanktop and shorts. Always wear elbow and knee pads for extra protection and some boots to keep your feet safe! See the reference for general color distribution, some details may be lost on the transfer to official art.
Home: Sunset shares a swamp den hive with her twin and their lusii. A cozy little thing with the necessities, it’s hidden amongst brambles and pines. So long as the bramble cover is upkept by the inhabitants, the hive easily evades notice, creating a little camp that surrounds the hive and a yard space with a fire pit. A bathroom, a kitchen, a laundry closet, and a main room with their recuperacoons and cat trees for their lusii are all clustered together. Certainly small and not really meant for more than sleeping and storing material possessions.
Lusus: A bit larger than a main coon, incredibly fluffy, and has a set of pretty phoenix type wings, Sunset’s lusus is aptly named Fluffy. A dour kind of guy, he can usually be heard huffing about one thing or another, the most common being in regards to the amount of stuff that gets stuck to his fur. He honestly ends up sounding more like a whiny teenager than a serious adult most of the time as he goes about his responsibilities with a pout and a complaint. But he still goes about his chores to upkeep the hive cave, even if he has to spend every night cleaning something out of his fur, most commonly brambles or mud.
He’s mate to Morrow’s lusus, Juniper, and the two raise the twins as their own kits.
Fluffy sees the two curious kids, and for all intents and purposes, thinks they will need to learn their own lessons eventually. At the same time, he would rather they don’t get grievously injured. They’re just kits after all. They’ll have to grow up someday, but it don’t have to be today, you know? While he may not read as the most fun guy he is definitely, well, fluffy, which Sunset adores. She loves to cuddle with him and Fluffy himself is friendlier than one may think on affection. Shoulder bumps, headbutts, a lick to the forehead. Sunset and Morrow are his kits and he cares for them deeply.
Their approach to parenting could be called a little questionable though. Mainly, the approach to discipline. The way Fluffy sees it, the swamp is a community and Sunset’s family. It’s a unit that supports and helps each other. It’s a greatly positive experience for a social child like Sunset, to have that mental reassurance that she has so many trolls to rely on. One of the biggest drawbacks though is that, well, if all these trolls are her family, why is it up to Fluffy to teach her to be one? Simple. It isn’t.
This is probably a parenting approach that should be discussed with someone so they understand the expectations here but since lusii only really talk to their own troll and Sunset isn’t likely to pass on the message or for Fluffy to really even clearly state this, looks like no one's gonna really know. Thus leaving Sunset in an odd sort of lurch where her understanding of authority and guidance is lacking. Sunset defaults to Fluffy as her authority figure since he’s her parent. And he does take what he finds to be his responsibility seriously, but the rest of that junk? Troll social structure and buffing out the rough edges on her socializing? That’s not his problem. But Sunset still defaults to Fluffy’s authority and because he doesn’t treat that stuff as important, she has yet to understand the value of it.
Sunset often thinks she’s following rules and acting within acceptable boundaries, not really recognizing her own lawless behavior. And it’s because of that that she would feel some shame and discomfort if truly scolded for it. But to really get through to her and to udnerstand that it was serious, at this point, it would take Fluffy getting involved. Given Fluffy is not prone to scolding, but a light cuff around the ears and reminder, it all works out in her favor, but it means she’s very ill disciplined.
Power: N/A
