Post by picky on Dec 1, 2012 5:18:48 GMT
CORTANA
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one year • female • feline • turkish van • iris • alley cat
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PERSONALITY |[/font]
[/b] | companionship ; heightsCurious. Ever heard of the phrase "curiosity killed the cat?" Well, in the case of Cortana this may in fact be true. She is an incredibly curious young cat who is willing to venture high and low to encounter new places and make some discoveries of her own. Her small, agile build allows for her easy mobility and maneuvering through the streets and alley ways piled with broken junk and garbage. She's not too awful afraid of getting into trouble as she knows she can handle herself but her curiosity may someday get the better of her. Although, this wouldn't upset her too greatly considering the thing she wants most in life thus far is to explore every nook and cranny Hexasol has to offer - even if that leads her into hostile territories. (138)
Brave. It is thought by many that this particular kitten may actually be a bit too courageous for her own good. She is not afraid to take risks - that is, unless they threaten the life or well being of someone she cares about. Her bravery goes hand in hand with her loyalty to her friends, family, companions, and pride. As she has grown she has simply assumed that her place would be one on the battlefield and thus her fearlessness would be of utter importance. However, she does not retain her fearless behavior in all situations - even though she will try her best to hide any nervous actions or emotions depicted in her own body language or expressions. Like everyone she has her own personal fears, although some have been learned through the teachings of others, such as her fear of large canines. But, when confronted with her fear she will hide behind a mask of blind fury with sharp teeth and claws. (164)
Clever. Sometimes this young feline's bravery may be viewed as simple-minded stupidity. This is, however, not entirely the case. Cortana is quite smart for her age, even if her antics may not always show it. She knows how to get herself out of sticky situations and will often think through everything she does and surprisingly plan every move accordingly. Thus, performing a leap of faith from the rooftops of buildings may actually have been well thought out and calculated in her mind before the plunge. Her mind is almost constantly running with thoughts, ideas, analyzations, and calculations which also means she suffers from frequent headaches and migraines. (111)
Naive. Even though slightly mature for her age - considering the age her breed actually matures - she is still young and harbors that sense of innocence, ignorance, and naivety. Even with her ever-speculating mind she can misplace her trust in the more unfriendly of felines and is also a bit gullible at times. She has not yet learned all she can of the world and therefore can easily fall under the impressions that any feline older than her knows better and would not give her false information. This trait may cause problems in the future as it is her naivety that has resulted in her hatred of the canine species. (113)
Social. Cortana is by no means a solitary character. She is actually quite the opposite. She hates the feeling of being alone or lonely and prefers to find companionship in others - mainly those of her species. Her need to find this companionship makes her very trusting in others as well as loyal to those she already has. This may cause her to become a bit misguided at times but she has a need for social interaction and will do as much as she can to fulfill that need. This also - with the addition of her bravery - makes her anything but shy when encountering new faces. That is, with the exception of large canines or large, rogue felines. (119)
• dislikes | canines ; thunderstorms ; loneliness
• goals | to "conquer" (explore) all of Hexasol
• fears | large canines ; rogue felines ; death
• strengths | brave ; nimble ; clever
• weaknesses | over-confident ; small ; naive
• mental disorders | n/a
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APPEARANCE |[/font]
[/b] | 7 inCortana is of the Turkish Van breed and holds the basic color palette and markings of the breed. She has silky white fur that covers most of her body with the exception of her orange-tan, feathered ears and the orange-tan tabby-like tail that flows behind her. Her eyes are a crystal, icy blue and will remain that color through adulthood. She has a typical salmon-pink colored nose that matches her tongue. Her body build is very slender and regal looking - as is found in most felines of her breed - with a long body and stocky legs built to push her forward giving her speed and the ability to easily swim. She is quite small for this breed of cat but still has a lot of growing to do considering her age and will reach her full height (11 in) and weight (15 lbs) at around three or four years of age. (160)
• weight | 6 lbs
• fur colour | white & tan
• eye colour | crystal blue
• scars | n/a
• noticeable features | tan, feathered ears and tail
• physical disorders | n/a[/ul][/blockquote]
HISTORY | [/font]
[/b] | winterAlley Cat. Contrary to what she would like to believe, Cortana was actually born outside of the Iris Pride. Her mother was a rogue to any pride, pack, tribe, what-have-you and lived alone on the streets. Even through her pregnancy she lived alone with no loyal mate to live along with her - not that it was strange for a female cat to go through a pregnancy alone. However, this does not mean it was not a hard pregnancy as the mother-to-be had to carry into the winter season as she had become impregnated at possibly the most lethal time for her kittens. This lingering reality of horror and certain loss caused a bit of depression in the feline's mind as she had already assumed her kittens would not be able to survive the harshness of the winter season. When she finally did go into labor she had hidden herself away behind a dumpster in a tight-fit alley to help prevent the strong winds from causing any more trouble than they already had. The litter consisted of five female kittens, four of which were born alive. The mother feline's maternal instinct kept her from giving up on her offspring as winter slowly trudged by. By the end of the season one kitten had starved herself - presumably she had had a stomach problem and could not ingest the proper nutrients needed to keep her alive - and one who had frozen overnight from veering too far from the comfort their mother's warm fur provided them. Still, two kittens remained into the warmth of spring, almost bringing a sigh of relief over the older feline.
However, one day their mother had wandered off - perhaps in search of food or a new shelter - and failed to return. The two young cats waited for a span of two or three days before wandering off to explore or even find where there mother had gone. What they found, or more so what found them, is an image that still lingers in Cortana's mind to this day. The two kittens had no sense of what danger was so when a large bird had swooped down, knocking the two off their feet, they had no clue how to react. Quickly they had scurried up and sprinted towards the nearest cover - as their instincts led them to. But, it was not quick enough as the hawk made another foul swoop, once again knocking Cortana to her feet but this time picking up the other white kitten and carrying her away into the skies. The sound of her sister's scared and anguished cries still haunts the feline's memories to this day. Frightened by the endeavor, the young cat remained hidden for the remainder of the day and much into the night. (481)
Iris Pride. After finally building up the courage to venture out of her hiding hole the female wandered the streets, aimless and lost. Her soft mews echoed from the seemingly empty streets. After a few hours of this dying effort she had been proven wrong about the city being empty. Turning into an unfamiliar alley she noticed two new creatures and, in her mind, if they had not proven themselves dangerous she had no reason to think otherwise. Hence, she approached them, noting how the tipped the trash cans and dug around for old, smelly, rotting sustenance much like how she had seen her mother tip the metal tins in search of anything to eat when not willing to venture too far from her kittens. However, approaching the pair of large canines quickly became a blatantly obvious bad decision. Cortana mewed in a friendly manner as she padded towards them. The two's ears seemed to perk up in perfect unison as they turned to face the kitten that was only slightly bigger than their paws. Spit dribbled from their mouths as they glared at her, their minds working to decide how to react to the situation. As they had turned, Cortana took notes of each of their features. One was a doberman while the other was a rottweiler - not that she knew the breeds but she would learn to recognize the traits. After a short stare-down the doberman let out a sharp bark before the two bolted towards the kitten's tiny form. Fear and instinct taking over, the white feline turned tail and ran. It wasn't long before she reached a dead end, her pursuers quickly approaching, enclosing the space between them. Then, almost out of nowhere, her white knight appeared. A strange, adult feline grabbed the kitten by the scruff of her neck, compassion overwhelming him, and leaped up atop some boxes and onto the rooftops leaving the dogs barking furiously below at the loss of their seemingly easy meal.
In a state of shock, Cortana did not ever question or struggle against the will of her savior as he carried her over rooftops, leaping from building to building and slipping between some tight spaces before reaching an area engulfed in felines. It was at this point when she was introduced to the Iris Pride. A new mother accepted the young kitten as one of her own and she was given a name - as she was too young to speak and recite what her mother had called her, not that she could remember now anyways. She was raised as a member and taught their ways, easily influenced into believing how "evil" or "bad" canines were considering her past experiences. She also learned to be brave, taking note from the feline who had pretty much saved her life. This was when and why Cortana had eventually pledged her loyalty to the Iris Pride.(502)
• place of birth | Hexasol (Iris Pride)
• family | n/a
• memorable events | loss of mother ; death of sister (hawk) ; street dog chase ; adoption into the Iris Pride
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SAMPLE | [/font]
Upon arrival to this new habitat of Azure Isle, Val Jean had wandered about seemingly aimlessly until happening upon a familiar landscape. The jungle. It only seemed natural that someone such as himself would find a land such as this. The tall trees and rugged floor made - what he believed as - a perfect home. It was here towards the west side of the isle that he would choose to live as it fit his natural needs and instinct kept him from venturing into unknown lands. It was not that Val Jean was a coward. No. He was far from it in fact. He had many times proven himself brave and courageous, seeking out battle and proving his dominance. Sometimes he had even managed to get carried away and destroy one's life. However, this was a rare occasion when his rage would consume him and seemingly take control of his intelligent mind. He was no savage, but given the correct circumstances he could appear as one. No, he had chosen not to travel far from this portion of the isle due to the fact that it was unnatural. A gorilla should live no place aside from the forests and jungles where the trees would protect him and the familiar plants would bare trustworthy fruits and vegetables. That's right, even with as powerful a male as he, he was still a simple omnivore and preferred the bounty of the earth than that of a fallen foe.
The brutes mind hurt at the thought of eating meat and those he had felled over the years. His brother, his mate, both dead because of him. Of course, he had not eaten them but it was still a burden on his cold heart. Unlike what most of the gorillas he had known believed, he was not a heartless and cruel mammal, just one with a disease of the mind. He had his moments, sure, but were they really so horrible and difficult to deal with that he had been cast out? Perhaps he was evil after all but just couldn't see it for himself.
The chocolate brown eyes of the primate glanced up through the trees and plumage of the jungle, taking in the purples and oranges that showed through, causing the green of the leaves to almost glow in contrast. The sun was setting and it was about time he made a small nest for the night. Even as a loner he knew how to survive the dreadful nights. If it was one thing he feared - aside from death - it was the darkness. Danger would walk the floors during the night, the jaguars and panthers along with other beasts of the night. Jean snorted at his sudden cowardice thoughts. Woe was he, the one who feared the night. His mind seemed to be making sarcastic remarks at him. He let out a mighty roar, lifting his arms up and hitting as his own head. Quickly he climbed to his two feet and ran towards a tree, slamming himself against it with all his force as if trying to expel the horrible thoughts and taunts from his brain. After the sudden hit he turned back around, facing the jungle as his back scratched against the tree he had hit, his massive, black body sliding slowly down the towards ground until his rear hit the dirt floor with a thump.
Panting a bit from his sudden breakdown, Jean let his hands slide down his face in a very thoughtful, humanoid type manner before glancing back up at the sky. It would be dark soon, no doubt about it. Grabbing some large, soft leaves that he found growing from the earth below he began his ascent up to the treetops. Holding the leaves in his left hand, he mainly used his right arm to pull himself upwards, climbing in a very awkward-appearing fashion. These trees were different from home, larger around than he could remember. A few hisses of pain escaped from between his clenched canines as he managed to scrape himself from his chest, over his belly, and down by his groin. However, as he assured himself and contained his confidence it wasn't too long before he had found a large, sturdy enough branch. Reaching out with one arm he grabbed his hold and swung himself over, pulling his massive weight up and situating himself.
Gently he laid down the leaves, creating a bed while also pulling some smaller leaves down from the nearby branches. Stretching his arms up and out and letting out a massive yawn, the brute laid down upon his side, the branch moving a bit with the sudden thump and strike of his weight. Up on his perch he felt safe, although his solitude would keep him awake for most of the night yet again. It was hard to sleep knowing that at any moment a predator could pick you off quite easily, with no one around to care. However, if he was still part of a troop he would have others to watch out for him, and he would watch out for them as well. He grunted, unamused at his thoughts and turned over to face the other way, crossing his arms in denial. He didn't need anyone... did he?
Rolling onto his back he placed his arms comfortably behind his head, his elbows sticking outwards on either side. He glanced up at the ever-darkening sky and thought to himself. Someday he would find others like him. Someday he would find another to love and mate. Someday he would be part of a troop again. Someday... (934)
• link to roleplay sample | link.
• link to image of character | Flickr.
• where did you find CR? | Canine Conspiracy.
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