Name: Vixen Animal: Fox Breed: Red Fox Age: 5 Lives Mate: Dash Gender: Female Group: Resistance Rank: Tracker Personality: Cunning, clever, scheming, but caring, and gentle(though she tries not to show it). And a light eater. Not sure if that counts as personality, but hey, at least it is a trait, right? Cunning, she is very smart and sly, dangerously so. Clever, she is, like I said, smart, very smart, quite intelligent. Scheming, she is always plotting how to overthrow the Earth. Caring, she'll act indifferent, but if an animal is hurt or scared, she'll find some way to help them. Gentle, mostly only to the pup Slush, who she sort of adopted after the gray wolf's parents were killed. (Slush's parents were Earth, but when they died Vixen took Slush to the Resistance to raise her) A light eater, she usually doesn't eat a lot(I know she eats a most of a squirrel in the RP example, but that is rare for her to have that much). Description (at least 5-10 sentences): Thin, slender, and swift, striking, glossy, sleek red-orange fur, with white lower jaw, tail-tip, and chest, leading to underbelly. Jet-black paws and sly amber eyes. Pointed, narrow muzzle ending in back nose. Ears remain erect usually, except when she is really angry she flattens them. Role-Play sample (at least a paragraph! 5 sentences!): Vixen dropped into a hunting crouch and slowly stalked the rabbit, being careful not to tread on any dead leaves or brittle twigs. It was nibbling a flower stem, unaware of her presence. How foolish, she thought, her muzzle curled with satisfaction. She came another step closer, than pounced, relishing the feeling of the warm blood that oozed onto her pink tongue as she seized the prey by the throat and flung it in the air. The rabbit let out a terrified squeal as it hit the ground with a thud. Vixen leaped onto it, fangs flying. Soon it was dead. She took the miserable heap of brown fur in her jaws, amber eyes sparkling with the thrill of a successful hunt. This will feed her, she thought. Slush will not go hungry tonight(BTW I'll ask my friend to make Slush, she is kinda my friend's charrie). But I need more. I need more. She scanned the forest around her, when a loud squalling and chattering interrupted. She whirled around to see a plump starling on the ground, flapping one black wing wildly. The other was wounded, she could see, and through the dried blood that caked the feathers, she could make out a set of bite marks. Something, a weasel, probably, had just given her a free kill. She didn't even bother to stalk, just bounded into it's sight and clamped her jaws on its spine. With a rather awful "CRACK!", the bones crunched beneath her pointed teeth. She lay it next to the rabbit. Success. (Meh. I'm gonna continue, just for fun) She snatched her prey, scraped a hole in the dry earth that crumbled beneath her claws, and dropped her burden. Kicking the sandy soil back over it, she focused again on her surroundings. Squirrel! She took in the scent of the plump gray creature. It was pawing between the gnarled roots of an old oak tree, hunting for acorns and whatever other nuts or seeds it could find. Perfect prey. The snowy white fur on her belly brushing the forest floor as she crept forward, placing each night-black paw lightly. Finally, she sprang. The squirrel glanced up to see Vixen lunging for it, and made a dash to the tree. As it scurried up, Vixen fastened her teeth into its tail at the last second. Another heartbeat and it would have escaped. Yanking it down, Vixen threw it onto a heap of leaf mulch, hard. Stunned, the squirrel stayed where it was for an instant, eyes dazed. In that moment Vixen lazily snagged its neck on one long claw, bringing it towards her jaws to deliver the killing bite. When it was dead, she buried it with the rabbit and the starling. A little more, she thought. A little more, and I'll go back. It wasn't long before she found her next target. A hare had strayed from the sloping moor nearby and practically hopped into her jaws. Latching onto its hind leg, she dropped it for a second and caught hold of it again, this time hooking its neck in her fangs. Killing it, she gripped the still-warm newkill in her jaws, she retrieved her haul and took it back to the camp of the Resistance. She had done her job. (Sorry I can't stop!) When she got back, a small gray face with a bluish tint poked out of a den. "You have food?" she yipped, her snowy white muzzle opened to allow her long rosy tongue to loll out. Setting down her load, Vixen barked a reply. "Yes, Sleet, I brought food. Where is your sister?" Sleet's brilliant blue eyes reflected hurt. "Why?" she demanded defensively. She was rather envious of Slush; Vixen rescued Slush first when the little pups' parents had died, and Sleet knew it. But Sleet took it out on Vixen instead of her littermate, which was a relief. Vixen didn't want Sleet to shun her younger sibling. "She needs to come before we start eating. We always do that," Vixen reminded her. "I'll fetch her." Sleet slipped back into the den. A moment later she reappeared with Slush. The pale silvery wolf's vibrant azure eyes lit up at the sight of the food. "So much!" she praised, tugging the starling closer to her with her clean white teeth. Sleet shared it with her, and Vixen took the squirrel. The rest she lay in the center of camp for the other Resistance members. The squirrel was nice and meaty, and she savored it, eating about three quarters and putting the remains in her store-hole, where she kept an emergency stash of food. Slush was still chewing on the starling when Sleet stood up. "I'm done," she declared, spitting out feathers. Slush swallowed and pushed away the scraps, which were mostly bones and a few splatters of gore. "Then so am I," Slush insisted. The fluffy fringe of pup fur around her face was streaked scarlet with blood from her meal, and Vixen cleared it away with a lick. "Let's go play!" Slush suggested. "Okay," Sleet agreed, and the two pups bounded away, Slush struggling to keep up on her shorter legs. Vixen watched them with a twinge of pride. They were so happy, so healthy. And they were safe here. For now. She was jolted out off her thoughts by a warm voice. "They are certainly frisky today," Dash remarked. Her mate padded up behind her, his russet pelt gleaming in the sunlight. "Yes," Vixen responded. "They are." His dark eyes were shining with pleasure. "I see you caught them food. Leave any for me?" he joked. "Catch your own prey, you old badger!" she exclaimed. His friendly gaze met her, sparkling with happiness. They were perfect together. A mother and father for two orphan wolf pups. Vixen felt a pang of grief at the thought of Frost, the pup's father, crouched over the thrashing body of Tundra, who was howling in agony; the pain of the bullet lodged in her chest. The sound of her voice was so clear in Vixen's head, screeching that her blood was on fire while Frost sat helplessly beside her. He was still their when the hunters caught up with him, begging Tundra to stay with him. The crack of the gun, the yelp of pain, Frost's last words; "Look after them. Look after my pups." He had asked her this. Her. Frost and Tundra had been Earth, Vixen was a Resistance, and they had been rivals for as long as she could remember. Personal rivals, from the moment they caught Vixen stealing prey. But that didn't seem to matter to Frost, not in his dying moments. He had asked her to protect his pups. And she had sworn to do it. Until she was dead. She shook her head to clear it. That was the past. She couldn't dwell on it. She had Sleet and Slush to look after. "Are you all right?" Dash looked concerned. "Fine," Vixen answered, still shaken by the memories. "Just fine." Her adopted daughters returned, eyes glowing with pride. "We caught a beetle!" Sleet announced, dropping the shimmering green insect onto the ground. Vixen was glad to see it was one of those moments when Sleet's angry feelings towards her caretaker were forgotten. "Good work!" Vixen praised. Sleet glanced at Slush. "Slush chased it to me! She caught it, too!" Slush backed away, an embarrassed but pleased look on her face. "I'm proud of both of you," Vixen declared. Sleet puffed out her chest, and Slush's eyes sparkled. "I saw more!' she informed Vixen. Sleet rolled her eyes. "You could have notified me when I asked you if you had seen anymore," Sleet barked irritably, annoyance showing in her eyes. "I saw a lot," Slush informed her. "But I didn't tell you because . . . well, I scared them away," Slush confessed. Sleet laughed. "They'll come out again," she promised. "Where were they?" "Over by the ant hill," Slush reported, directing her sister with a wave of her gray tail. "Remember when Vixen was teaching us to hunt?" she reminded Sleet. Her sister's steely blue eyes flickered over to Vixen, indignation back. "Right, by the ant hill," Sleet muttered. "Go on, you two," Dash called in a falsely cheery tone. He took a step closer to Vixen. "You can't make her forgive you," he whispered into her black-tipped ear. Vixen's rich brown gaze hardened. "But I can try." Dash dipped his head. "I expected no less of you." Vixen shook her long pelt. "I could try including her more," she reasoned. "Take her hunting with me some time. Just the two of us. And of course . . . ." Her eyes glowed. "Do the same with Slush, to be fair. Teach them hunting tricks. Even though Sleet has her heart set on being a Fighter, she still must learn how to feed herself. What worries me," she told Dash, her voice dropping to a whisper. "What worries me is Sleet wants to be Earth. That's what her parents were, and she wants to follow their pawsteps." Dash nudged her shoulder gently. The sinewy dog fox looked rigidly determined. "You'll teach her loyally, you have to," he insisted. "You're smart enough to do it." Vixen glowered at him. "Oh, yes, I'm real smart. Really WITTY," she barked mockingly. Dash took a step back, and Vixen realized she had offended him. "Sorry, I just worry about them, and you." She tried to sound apologetic, but it came out defensive. "I know," Dash muttered. "I worry about you too. I mean, look at yourself. Your way to thin, and you're cut up, and look at your paws!" he fretted. Vixen glanced at her reddish fur and saw he was right; sort of. Her ribs showed, but not too much! And sure, she has several scrapes, but nothing severe, she thought, cleaning a trickle of blood away. As for her paws . . . well, maybe the pads were worn a little red and sore and raw, but she could walk, couldn't she? "I'm fine," she snapped. "I know. You're strong," Dash soothed, obviously trying to calm her. "Thank you," Vixen murmured, hoping he knew she wasn't mad at him. "Vixen?" Sleet's frosty blue eyes glinted. Slush sat behind her, a mouse hanging from her muzzle. "Yes?" Vixen asked. "Look at what Slush caught!" Sleet blurted. "And I got a shrew and a gopher! I set them near our den" Vixen was impressed. "Amazing hunting skills!" she congratulated them, giving Slush's wet black nose a lick. She did the same with Sleet, but the glossy-furred pup winced and backed away, a message clear in her eyes, which flickered like blue fire with displeasure. Don't you dare, Vixen understood. "No," Sleet whispered, taking another step back. "Never." Vixen realized with a start Sleet wasn't the fuzzy, frisky little pup she had been. While Slush's pearly pelt remained frizzy, downy, and soft; Sleet's was becoming dense, thick, and coarse. Her muzzle was growing long and narrow and pointed, her shoulders broader and sturdy, her legs lengthy and powerful. She was wiry and rangy, growing up. And when she did, she would be dangerous. "Why don't you go retrieve your prey?" She sounded to forceful, and tried to lighten her tone. "Go on!" she added more cheerily. Sleet rushed away and hurried back with the fresh-kill dangling from her jaws. "Here," she offered, her voice muffled by her bundle. She gave the gopher to Slush and the shrew to Vixen before turning to leave. Not wanting to make her feel unwanted, Vixen called her back. "Want to share?" she suggested, pushing half of the shrew over to Sleet, who sniffed it and reluctantly settled down by Vixen. With Dash splitting the gopher Sleet had caught and the small mouse Slush had caught with the latter, and Vixen and Sleet dividing the gopher, none of them got much, but that was fine, because Vixen and the pups had already eaten, and Dash would have the rabbit and the hare that Vixen had caught earlier. They had enough. They would be fine. There was plenty of food to go around. When Sleet had finish, she headed for the den. Slush followed, her thick gray tail swaying in happiness. Vixen caught up to them as they entered. "Going to bed already?" she questioned. "Yeah. I'm tired," Sleet insisted, while Slush nodded agreement. "Okay then." Vixen settled down beside them, their smooth, woolly pelts pressed against her. Sleet shifted until she wasn't touching Vixen. Vixen flicked her coal-dark tip of her ear in irritation. She had cared for the pups. Rescued them. Adopted them. Why couldn't Sleet see it? Vixen felt Slush snuggled close to her, felt her warm body, listened to the rise and fall of her chest as she breathed deeply. In the dingy light, Vixen could make out Slush, her moon silver fur glinting as she stirred, and Sleet, her gray fur with that hint of river blue. Sleeping away from Vixen. Alone. It's her choice, Vixen told herself. She wants to be alone! She heard Dash enter the den, having probably finished the prey Vixen had left for him outside. His ebony black paw stroked her gently along her back, then he lay down with a grunt, closing his sooty eyes. Soon his gentle, rumbling snores filled the den with their soft, peaceful sound. Watching the cold glow of the stars that sprinkled the inky black sky, Vixen twitched and finally got into a comfortable position, and she found rest at last, letting herself fall into a calming, dreamless sleep. In what seemed like no time at all, her clear bronze eyes blinked open, and sunlight streamed through the bramble walls of the den. Vixen stretched each of her limbs and yawned. Nudging Dash's copper form awake, she exited the den to start a new day. She was surprised to see Sleet already wide awake."How long . . ." Vixen started to ask, but Sleet cut her off. "Since dawn." The slender wolf pup smoothed the silky fur on her feathery tail, then turned and left the camp. "Wait!" Vixen called after her. Sleet paused and looked back. "What," she answered forcefully. "Sleet . . . . ." Vixen hesitated. "Sleet . . . do you want to go hunting with me?" Sleet blue eyes lit up with surprise, but her voice was even and steady. "Why?" she demanded. "It'll be fun!" Vixen urged. Sleet gave a small growl, but nodded and padded up to Vixen. "Let's go," she barked. Vixen and Sleet entered the woods. It wasn't long before they found prey. A squirrel stood atop an oak stump, the gray-brown critter hunting for food. Vixen ducked her head to Sleet, signaling the young gray wolf it was her prey. She stalked it expertly, and with a skilled pounce, pinned it under her paws, ripping it from the old tree stub. Vixen gaped, startled. A wolf's nails were sharper than a dog's or even a fox's, but they usually weren't as vicious as a Claw's, for a wolf was most commonly better with their teeth. But Sleet was apparently deadly with both, her razor-sharp claws slicing far too easily through the squirrel, cutting past flash and into bone. Her fangs latched onto its neck, and it gave a squeal as it died. "You did great!" Vixen congratulated her. Sleet dumped the bloody heap of fuzz on the leafy forest floor. "Thank you." Vixen took a step back. This was the first time. The first time EVER Sleet had accepted praise from Vixen. Maybe this hunting trip would bring them closer together. Just then, a mouse shot out of its burrow and dove between her wide black paws. Vixen snatched it and grasped it in her thorn-sharp teeth, killing it. She set on top of the squirrel. Burying them in the damp, muddy earth, she asked Sleet, "Should we continue?" Sleet nodded eagerly. After they had searched for awhile, Sleet stopped in her tracks. Vixen followed her gaze and saw it. A small fawn lay sprawled in the sunlight, nipping the tops of the tall grass stems it was hidden in. But not hidden enough. Maybe the buck and the doe were nearby. But Vixen didn't care. Though the deer was young, so young it had pale white spots dappled all over its back, each about the size of a large pebble, and its pelt was more light red-brown than creamy pale brown. But it had lots of meat on its bones. Before Vixen could say anything, Sleet charged, a gray streak bolting towards the yearling. "Slee-" Vixen started to yelp, but then she saw Sleet might have done the right thing. She sprang onto the prey, teeth gleaming, eyes alight with the thrill of a hunt. The fawn was dead in seconds. And then the buck stepped out of the shadows. It was a large stack, with a tall rack of antlers. "Sleet! Get out of there!" Vixen shouted. Sleet obeyed. The male deer started to chase her, but lost interest. Vixen was glad to see Sleet had had the foresight to drag the fawn. "That was inspirational!" Vixen exclaimed, awestruck. Sleet pawed the ground. "It was nothing," she murmured. "More than nothing!" Vixen argued. "Thank you," Sleet replied quietly. "Let's go back. I doubt we could carry more than THIS!" Vixen decided. Sleet agreed, and they brought it back to camp, where Dash was playing with Slush. He would tell her to find something; a perfectly round stone, a clover, a crimson flower, anything; and Slush would fetch it. She gasped when she saw the prey. "You're unbelievable hunters!" Slush cried. "Thanks!" Vixen and Sleet responded at the same time, nuzzling Slush's large silver ears. "Sleet caught the squirrel and the fawn," Vixen confessed. "I only got a mouse." Sleet glanced down at the tiny brown furball that was Vixen's catch. "It's nice and plump!" Sleet told Vixen. Vixen bowed her head. Usually Sleet would have scorned Vixen's prey. This was progress in her relationship with the smart young wolf. After they had inhaled their food, Sleet joined Dash's game. The red-brown dog fox asked them to find a brittle twig. He barked a laugh as he watched them dart away, icy blue eyes scanning their surroundings. Vixen leaned into his thick, rust-colored pelt. He gazed at her kindly. "You did well with Sleet today. I am so proud of you," her mate praised. Vixen licked his ear in thanks. Slush returned now, hooked on her claws a short, thin stick. Dash examined it, then snapped it between his teeth. "It broke easily. Very brittle!" he barked. Sleet came now. Her's was longer than Slush's, but looked more flexible. Sure enough, it bent the slightest bit before it cracked and split in half. "Slush wins!" Dash announced. Sleet congratulated her littermate before Dash assigned the next round. "A shiny stone!" he decided. "Go!" They bounded away. So perfect. Safe. Vixen was fulfilling her vow to Frost. But if one hair on their pelts were harmed, she would fail. That evening, Vixen took Slush hunting. They only caught two gophers and a shrew, but pride glowed in Slush's eyes as they feasted on the prey back home. There was so much, they still had a deer hind leg, a gopher, and half of a mouse left over. Vixen added this to the food store, and everyone slowly drifted off. Eventually, Vixen joined them. She slept soundly for a time unknown to her, dreaming of chasing prey and running through fields. She jolted awake and saw that Sleet was gone. Forcing down fear, Vixen felt Sleet's sleeping spot. It contained warmth, but it was fading fast. Vixen crawled out of the den and searched the area. She left camp, and soon noticed a large boulder. And on top of it sat Sleet, her shadowy silhouette still. Vixen was about to speak when Sleet titled up her head and let lose an eerie howl, full of pain and grief and love. She is howling for her parents, Vixen realized with a pang of sadness. She's howling for them. Only when the last echo of her call had faded away into the starlit night did Sleet jump down and spot Vixen. Sleet's shocked gaze met Vixen's coppery eyes, and after a moment they hardened. "It is what wolves do!" Sleet snapped defensively. "I know," Vixen soothed. For an instant, Sleet looked like she was about to bite Vixen's head off. Then she settled down beside her and fell asleep. Accepting Vixen as her caretaker.
For Shadetail. ((Credit to KittytheCat for drawing Vixen for me, I tried and she looked like a Chihuahua XD))
