Post by Celestine on Dec 6, 2021 1:59:05 GMT -5
Rue
ALIAS: Rue
ALLEGIANCE: Limberlost Pack
RANK: Healer
AGE: 49 Months (4.1 Years)
BIRTH DATE: November 2017 (Autumn)
SPECIES: Red wolf
GENDER: AFAB Nonbinary
ALLEGIANCE: Limberlost Pack
RANK: Healer
AGE: 49 Months (4.1 Years)
BIRTH DATE: November 2017 (Autumn)
SPECIES: Red wolf
GENDER: AFAB Nonbinary
Appearance
With one glance at Rue, there is no doubting they are pure wolf. Although classified as a Red Wolf, their fur is mostly mottled dark brown and black, with hints of auburn undertones around their ears, muzzle, and peeking through beneath their thicker winter fur. Around their muzzle and throat is a splash of white, and their eyes settle somewhere between hazel and muted amber. Rue's most notable feature is a scar on the lower left side of their neck, once a nearly fatal bite wound.
Personality
In the eyes of many, a healer should be gentle, compassionate, and accepting - an image Rue appears to turn on its head. With firmness and efficiency verging on apathy, Rue is far from the sort to coddle her patients or tolerate whining. A pup they can excuse, but anyone beyond the nursery who comes in sulking and resisting their treatment is liable to be turned away until they are willing to cooperate. Rue's bedside manner truly is nothing to envy, some appreciating their unfiltered honesty far less than others. However, there is no doubting that when it comes to someone's health, lying is a rarity for Rue. And yet it is not harshness or heated temper that they radiate, but a chilled distance from those around them.
When asked to describe Rue, some may say it is as though their spirit was torn away with their mark, the exorcism taking away the evil spirit that had claimed them, and leaving Rue with nothing. A strange concept, but not an uncommon belief in such a superstitious pack. The distance they hold from those around them, almost as though their emotions are not hidden, but lacking, seems only to confirm this. A softer soul might see through this unrippled surface to a wolf more troubled by their past, locking their heart away; but most will likely never see past the ice.
While not a poor teacher in terms of patience for learning speed or their disinterest for where their student hails from, Rue has little tolerance for anyone who will not put forth their best effort, nor those who do not take their role seriously. Even so, their whelp will likely see the closest to protectiveness or understanding than anyone else would ever glimpse. However, if their whelp proves undedicated or unable to learn or do what is necessary, Rue will not hesitate to replace them. The pack, and their duty, must come first.
When asked to describe Rue, some may say it is as though their spirit was torn away with their mark, the exorcism taking away the evil spirit that had claimed them, and leaving Rue with nothing. A strange concept, but not an uncommon belief in such a superstitious pack. The distance they hold from those around them, almost as though their emotions are not hidden, but lacking, seems only to confirm this. A softer soul might see through this unrippled surface to a wolf more troubled by their past, locking their heart away; but most will likely never see past the ice.
While not a poor teacher in terms of patience for learning speed or their disinterest for where their student hails from, Rue has little tolerance for anyone who will not put forth their best effort, nor those who do not take their role seriously. Even so, their whelp will likely see the closest to protectiveness or understanding than anyone else would ever glimpse. However, if their whelp proves undedicated or unable to learn or do what is necessary, Rue will not hesitate to replace them. The pack, and their duty, must come first.
History
Thea had always been among the most superstitious, guarding marks painted around her nest and coating her fur to ward off evil. Her pregnancy had been an accident - she had wanted pups for the good of her pack, yes, but to have them in fall? That was never her intent. She had been wary enough at the thought of pups to begin with...such frail, innocent lives were the flame to the moths of evil; irresistible. But she did not have the will to stop what was otherwise inevitable. All she could do was prepare, and pray.
Born in the throes of chilled winds and browning leaves, there was little to escape the bad omen set before Thea's litter. Perhaps the full moon they were due by might have redeemed them, had there not been complications. That had been her strongest hope. Instead, they would meet the world in the light of day. Even the moon had forsaken them. And so, despite all the carefully arranged pelts and protection symbols in the brightest of colors they could make, there was skepticism around every corner. They were right to be worried.
A large litter should have been a cause for celebration, but all they faced was fragility, death, and perhaps something even worse: the mark. For a mother so steeped in tradition and superstition, who had already faced so many misfortunes, this was the final straw. Those two innocent fang marks upon the neck of one unfortunate pup would set in motion the course of their life, starting with being introduced without a name. Even that they would need to earn.
Numb and resigned to her misfortunes still surely fated to come, Thea did not resist as her healthiest pup was taken away for the ritual. It was all she could do to acknowledge that she had failed. For all her precautions, her pups were damned, and surely so was she. In the wake of this failure, she would offer nothing beyond saying that if the pup did not survive it was never fated to live. In her eyes, the cursed creature was as good as dead already. It was this moment that would set the tone between mother and pup, even if neither knew it yet.
To say the 'exorcism' went smoothly would be a cruel joke. In reality, the pup was left teetering on the brink of death at their own father's paws, as the healers methodically set about treating them. Nearly all strength and life drained, the recovery was slow and painful, with many moments that everyone believed would be the end. But it was a recovery. The day that it was pronounced they were certain to survive, was the day their mother finally named them. Rue. No longer an it, but a who. And yet it couldn't have been clearer to anyone who knew the meaning behind this new name - Thea regretted the moment she decided to keep her pregnancy. Rue was the reason why.
Spending much of their formative weeks as something rather than someone, it took Rue a while to grasp that they were not so unlike everyone else - although, that was a hard concept to grasp when everyone's treatment of them belied that. Even once Rue was able to acknowledge that, there were still things the other pups had that they just couldn't understand. Even born female and now knowing this, Rue had about as much understanding of their gender as they did about family or their place in their pack. The way everyone looked at them did not help. It would take more than the rest of their puphood for Rue to accept themself.
Rue's battle had always been more mental than physical, even as they grew and trained to fight for their pack. Their approach seemed to be that all their problems could be fought off with tooth and claw. For the bullies, that was true. The dreams were another story. They invaded what should have been a time of rest, clawing away at Rue's resistance. Those that did not think they were still possessed - of whom there were few - thought their ancestors were calling upon Rue for a greater destiny. Neither perspective did anything to keep the eyes off them. Rue wanted to shut the world out, banish all the expectations and judgment. And for a while, they tried. It was never going to work.
Eventually, Rue realized that.
Although the change did not happen in an instant, it was still too quick to be normal. The anger receded, and the young whelp calmed. But they were still different. Closing themself in, Rue became distant and uncaring, taking the world at surface value - acting like something, rather than someone. Just as they had always been treated. But that something could be efficient. Useful, if they tried. And so when the pushiness of the healers and the incessant dreams revealed they had an aptitude for the craft, Rue did not resist. Leaving the life of a warrior behind, their path shifted beneath their paws. They followed without resistance.
Rue was never close to their new mentor, but that was far from surprising. Rue was close to no one. But what they were, was a good student, and a quick learner. They did not dwell on what they couldn't do. Instead, Rue constantly worked to improve and accepted their shortcomings with a driven intent to overcome them. And they did. When their mentor passed on the mantle, there was no doubting that Rue was ready. But there was still a lot to be desired.
MOTHER: Thea
FATHER: Adonis
SIBLINGS: Open (4-5)
MATE: None
PUPS: None
Born in the throes of chilled winds and browning leaves, there was little to escape the bad omen set before Thea's litter. Perhaps the full moon they were due by might have redeemed them, had there not been complications. That had been her strongest hope. Instead, they would meet the world in the light of day. Even the moon had forsaken them. And so, despite all the carefully arranged pelts and protection symbols in the brightest of colors they could make, there was skepticism around every corner. They were right to be worried.
A large litter should have been a cause for celebration, but all they faced was fragility, death, and perhaps something even worse: the mark. For a mother so steeped in tradition and superstition, who had already faced so many misfortunes, this was the final straw. Those two innocent fang marks upon the neck of one unfortunate pup would set in motion the course of their life, starting with being introduced without a name. Even that they would need to earn.
Numb and resigned to her misfortunes still surely fated to come, Thea did not resist as her healthiest pup was taken away for the ritual. It was all she could do to acknowledge that she had failed. For all her precautions, her pups were damned, and surely so was she. In the wake of this failure, she would offer nothing beyond saying that if the pup did not survive it was never fated to live. In her eyes, the cursed creature was as good as dead already. It was this moment that would set the tone between mother and pup, even if neither knew it yet.
To say the 'exorcism' went smoothly would be a cruel joke. In reality, the pup was left teetering on the brink of death at their own father's paws, as the healers methodically set about treating them. Nearly all strength and life drained, the recovery was slow and painful, with many moments that everyone believed would be the end. But it was a recovery. The day that it was pronounced they were certain to survive, was the day their mother finally named them. Rue. No longer an it, but a who. And yet it couldn't have been clearer to anyone who knew the meaning behind this new name - Thea regretted the moment she decided to keep her pregnancy. Rue was the reason why.
Spending much of their formative weeks as something rather than someone, it took Rue a while to grasp that they were not so unlike everyone else - although, that was a hard concept to grasp when everyone's treatment of them belied that. Even once Rue was able to acknowledge that, there were still things the other pups had that they just couldn't understand. Even born female and now knowing this, Rue had about as much understanding of their gender as they did about family or their place in their pack. The way everyone looked at them did not help. It would take more than the rest of their puphood for Rue to accept themself.
Rue's battle had always been more mental than physical, even as they grew and trained to fight for their pack. Their approach seemed to be that all their problems could be fought off with tooth and claw. For the bullies, that was true. The dreams were another story. They invaded what should have been a time of rest, clawing away at Rue's resistance. Those that did not think they were still possessed - of whom there were few - thought their ancestors were calling upon Rue for a greater destiny. Neither perspective did anything to keep the eyes off them. Rue wanted to shut the world out, banish all the expectations and judgment. And for a while, they tried. It was never going to work.
Eventually, Rue realized that.
Although the change did not happen in an instant, it was still too quick to be normal. The anger receded, and the young whelp calmed. But they were still different. Closing themself in, Rue became distant and uncaring, taking the world at surface value - acting like something, rather than someone. Just as they had always been treated. But that something could be efficient. Useful, if they tried. And so when the pushiness of the healers and the incessant dreams revealed they had an aptitude for the craft, Rue did not resist. Leaving the life of a warrior behind, their path shifted beneath their paws. They followed without resistance.
Rue was never close to their new mentor, but that was far from surprising. Rue was close to no one. But what they were, was a good student, and a quick learner. They did not dwell on what they couldn't do. Instead, Rue constantly worked to improve and accepted their shortcomings with a driven intent to overcome them. And they did. When their mentor passed on the mantle, there was no doubting that Rue was ready. But there was still a lot to be desired.
MOTHER: Thea
FATHER: Adonis
SIBLINGS: Open (4-5)
MATE: None
PUPS: None
credit to Laura of Adox
