So, my art here didn't come out as good as I might have liked (I had to simplify it a little), so I hope the backstory and bio make up for this. I kinda wanted to create a character whose backstory might also bring up some environmental awareness. Name: Roe Gender: None (they/them) Age: 16 in species years "Roe, you had a job." Roe sighed and shuffled their feet. "I know, Redwoodcaller." "And you failed," the larger Deerbear from the next park over gazed at Roe critically, "One simple, easy, clearly instructed job. You screwed it all up." Roe kicked the dirt in front of them. Redwoodcaller's ruddy fur glinted in the morning sun, glowing stripes and patches casting a soft blue light over their fur. Roe looked like a muddy cinderblock spattered with glow-in-the-dark paint in comparison, due to their wet fur covered in ash turned to mud. They felt like an adobe brick. "I'm sorry, Redwoodcaller. I know the council wanted me to do better. I just..." They broke off. Everything came back in a blur. Roe, sitting aside watching some humans, shrugging off their presence and leaving. The cigarette, not quite put out. The smell of pine wood burning. The ash. The fire crew of humans. Running. Roe spending the night under a charred bush in the ash, sneezing every so often as rain soon came down and turned everything to ashy mud. And now, this barren scape of skeleton trees, nothing but leafless corpses. Roe felt tears sting at their eyes. "I know." Roe looked up at Redwoodcaller, surprised by the sympathetic tone in their voice. "What do you mean?" "I mean that all forest guardians make similar mistakes, and overlook a little thing, sometimes an illegal hunter, sometimes an invasive species being introduced. You just screwed up in a different way than most." "So I'm a special delinquent case?" Redwoodcaller pressed their lips together into a straight line. Silence, for a second. "Yeah, kinda." Roe heaved a sigh. "Roe, this is not a mistake that can be ignored. In this day and age, nothing is. You are a forest guardian, and you have magic. You should have used it to try to get everyone out of the area and hold the fire back until a human could put it out." Roe groaned. "I'm really, really sorry. I know I was careless." "Yes, you were." Redwoodcaller placed a paw under Roe's chin and tilted the younger Deerbear's head up to face them. "You're going to need to do something to make up for that." "Like?" "That's your choice." Roe thought for a moment. What would truly make up for such a huge loss? They coughed softly, then sneezed, the ash coating their throat and making it hard to breathe. They certainly couldn't stay here. Their magic wasn't strong enough yet to help rejuvenate the plants. Not even Redwoodcaller could do that. "I guess... go to other places and try to stop fires from starting?" Redwoodcaller smiled. "That's the spirit!" "Yeah, I just don't know how." Redwoodcaller pulled something out from a small satchel they had been carrying, and draped it over Roe's antlers. "For good luck," they stated, before giving Roe a hug. "You can do it, Roe. And when you come back, your forest will be bouncing back again." Redwoodcaller let go, turned and lumbered off, but not before casting one last glance over their shoulder, offering Roe a wink and small smile, and then left. Everything was going to be ok. Roe took a breath. They were going to do this or burn up trying.
Coding: @Shiny_Kitty Art: Me Char: @Warriorsisawesome Song: Fire - Louis the child
