Post by Ree on Jun 27, 2012 22:32:13 GMT -5
In a Nutshell
Name: You can call me Tiva.
Species: Puma, cougar, mountain lion, catamount... pick whatever suits you best.
Gender: Female. Isn't it obvious?
Age: I don't keep track of specifics. I suppose I've seen about three springs, or at least I had before all...this...happened.
Birthplace: Destroyed along with the rest of the old world.
Preferred Region: I'm adaptable. If I have to choose...hmmm... I suppose The Light Forest, though it'll never be as glorious as the mountains I used to inhabit and you shouldn't be surprised if you see me elsewhere.
On the Surface
Picture:
Physical Description: I'm a little on the large side for my species, I suppose. Hard to say, since we vary so greatly, and - anyway - I'm not so large as to really stick out among a group of my species. My proportions are fairly average, as far as I can tell. I think I'm pretty, but there's nothing about my build that would make anyone remember me over any other puma. My fur is primarily a silvery tawny color, though it fades to practically white at the front of my muzzle and along my chest and stomach and darkens to near black around my muzzle, tail tip, paws, and ears. My nose is a darkish pink color, flecked with black, and my eyes are a calm shade of yellow-green.
Digging Deeper
Personality: You really think you can trust me to give an accurate account of my traits? What's to stop me from using this space to talk about how great I am? Sigh. All right, I'll do my best.
The Good: I like to think I have a healthy opinion of myself. I think I'm pretty and certainly worth as much as any other creature, but I don't elevate myself above others either. I am me. I have my rights. They are them. They have their rights. I have no problem defending myself if I think I'm being wronged, but I'm one of the farthest things from a bully or tyrant. Before the end of the world I knew, I tended to keep myself to myself when I could help it. Don't bother me, and I won't bother you. That was my main rule in life. I was only ever social with my mother and siblings growing up, and then my mate - yes, mate, there was only ever the one male whose territory overlapped mine. More on that later - and cubs. As I get to know this strange, new place, I'm slowly realizing I'll have to rewire my instincts to survive. In light of recent events, I've been trying to be friendly with the other creatures I encounter. This world is vastly different from the old, and I'm not too proud to admit I could use help learning how to live peacefully and happily here.
The Bad: Even knowing I need to change how I think and act to adapt to things here, I struggle with my territorial side. My first instinct upon seeing another creature is to make them prey or chase them off. Sometimes, my instincts instruct me before I can stop myself, and I've run off or killed and eaten someone who had the potential to help me. I don't see a moral problem with this, unlike some other predators. Prey animals have always been food. Why should that change now? They call it ignorance, I call it the way things are meant to be.
History: Prepare to be bored to death...
Cubhood: My cubhood was actually happy and normal. I don't remember any siblings, if I had any. Either they were stillborn or I was truly an only child. My mother and I never talked about it, and it's not something I put much thought into now. My days were spent playing, learning, growing, and exploring under my mother's watchful gaze. She always made sure I was fed and protected, and I never strayed far from her sight. As for my father...I vaguely remember his face, but he stopped coming to visit when I was still young. Either he died, lost interest, or was captured by humans. It doesn't matter, though. That's how life goes, and life went on just fine without him.
Striking Out Alone: My first year came and went. I started wandering farther and farther from my mother. Eventually, instinct did what instinct does and broke us apart. I got the urge to wander off and claim my own territory, and she got pregnant. It was the right time, so I set off, travelling far away until I found a suitable home. It was a small cave near the top of a mountain, with no predator scent to speak of and plenty of deer and goats to hunt, as well as smaller creatures. I spent some time there on my own, adjusting to the lacm of company and learning what it meant to survive unaided. At the time, I thought this was the high point of my life, but it got better fairly quickly.
Building My Life: One day, as I sunned myself on the rocks that formed the summit of my mountain, I met another puma - an older male who had been injured in a road and spent some time in the care of humans. They had released him near my territory, far from hi old home, and I decided there was no harm in him laying clami to te mountain, as well. Had he been female, I would have chased him off, but female and male territories often overlap and there was plenty of prey for the both of us. We cohabited the mountain peacefully, though we rarely spent any extende amount of time together.
The First Loss:It wasn't long before I ended up pregnant. I was nervous, of course, but I went about life as normal and trusted nature to tell me what to do. After all, it hadn't let me down yet. Time passed and the cubs were born. There were three, and they were the most fragile, sickly - looking things I had ever laid eyes on. I did my best to take care of them. Really, I did. My mate ven helped - occasionally - by bringing by some extra meat he had managed to catch. All the care in the world couldn't save them, however, and - one by one - they all died, leaving me alone again.
Trying Again: My mate and I didn't see each other for a while after that. Looking back, I think we both blamd ourselves for the death of our first litter. Eventually, time healed our hearts and we tried again. This time, I made sure I ate as much as I could and rested at every opportunity. When the time came, only one cub was born, but she was much healthier than her older siblings had been, and I was determined to make sure she survived.
The Second Loss: My mate saw our daughter exactly twice - once shortly after her eyes opened and again when she was perhaps two moons old. A moon or so after that, while on a hunt, I found the remains of his body near the edge of my territory. I can't be sure what killed him - there were scents of bear, dog, and human near the body, so strong it was hard to tell what had happened. I abandoned that part of my territory that night, not wanting to see his body further damaged, and not wanting what had killed him to find me. I was sad to see him dead. Even though we didn't spend much time together, I had gotten used to his presence. Still, I had to survive, and I had to ensure the survival of our cub. Once she was grown and out on her own, I decided I would search for another territory. If I ever wanted another litter, I would need another mate.
The End: It happened suddenly. One moment, I was chasing down a deer with my daughter watching nearby. I made the pounce, but - just as I connected with my prey - everything flashed dark. The nxt thing I remember is my daughter prodding me awake, her voice crying in fear inside my head. Perhaps that's not an accurate description, but it's the best I can manage. When I opened my eyes, I found myself in this wretched place. I comforted my daughter as best I could and we set off together to figure out where we were and what had happened.
The Finishing Touches
Family: Tehya - my daughter - is the only one really worth mentioning.
Song Lyrics: I suppose this bit of Survive by Lacuna Coil will suffice for now. Really, the whole song about fits.
Am I dreaming it all? I will never be afraid
I'll survive in this nothing, leading nowhere
I'll survive, feeling stronger, for how much longer?
I'll survive in this nothing, leading nowhere
I'll survive, survive
