Profile
A Nervous Lad
"Once feral, this domesticated dephx now spends his time mixing paint and digging for clay."
Kiwi would not have survived if it wasn't for the kindness of a travelling merchant. He was always underweight and malnourished because he could only scavenge- with a moderate limp, he was too slow to catch prey. It took time and much more kindness to acclimate him into living among other creatures, but he now lives happily with his mate Alabaster on the edges of Ta' Iwi. When he isn't collecting materials, Kiwi works by mixing paint for the shop; he does not have eyes to judge the color, but has memorized the ingredients for each one by scent.
Because he primarily navigates by echolocation, Kiwi is disoriented and easily overwhelmed in crowded or noisy environments. He has an underdeveloped light-sensing ability and supplements his navigation with a very sensitive sense of smell; however, that means that he cannot visit cities for long periods of time without getting overstimulated from all of the sensory data. While he is social and friendly, he is the happiest and most comfortable when he is at home with Alabaster.
Details
Likes
- fruit
- sunlight
- napping
- mixing paint
Dislikes
- loud noises
- crowds
- hunting
- cold weather
Summary
Personality
This dephx is very quiet and prefers to listen to conversations; he will usually not speak unless spoken to unless he's feeling especially cheerful. He has been "reformed" but is still very aware of how dephx are viewed as a whole. Despite never being a hunter, he is careful around other creatures to frightening any particularly skittish aphex. Despite his reserved nature, he is also relentlessly curious and will quite literally stick his head into places it doesn't belong, such as tall vases or a sack of cooking supplies.
Background
Kiwi was born to a clutch of five eggs in the canyons between Ta' Iwi and Norwich. He was the second to hatch and nearly died there after his eldest sibling attempted to eat him. (While he cannot blame them for their hunger, their attack damaged one hind leg badly enough for issues to follow him into adulthood, nearly resulting in his death). He bit back and fled, leaving the other eggs behind to hatch or become meals. Kiwi has never met his parents or remaining siblings (if any), but that is typical of most feral-born dephx.
Whether he was edged out of territories by a competing dephx or simply could not manage enough resources, it was easier to keep moving rather than wait for fruits to regrow and plants to take root. He was born closer to the district of Norwich, but the noise and clatter of hunting parties and travelers drove him away as a hatchling. Thankfully they weren't hunting for him: Norwich would typically leave feral dephx be as long as they did not try to enter the city. Through the years, he drifted north. Canyons turned into wetlands, and wetlands turned into swathes of desert. He spent most of his young adulthood in the shallowest marshes and oases before those, too, began to run out of food. He had learned very rudimentary farming but it was not enough. He kept moving. Alabaster found him in southeastern Ta' Iwi.
Home
When he was found, Kiwi was very thin and living off what he could scavenge. Alabaster had always had a soft spot for dephx and took pity on him, "accidentally" leaving food behind until Kiwi wouldn't run away from him. The aphex fed him, homed him, gave him a name and the means to be happy. Kiwi learned how to make himself useful, digging for wet clay and mixing batches of paint for Alabaster's charms. Kiwi was unused to how cold the nights were in the desert, even wrapped in a blanket. It was easier to tolerate when Alabaster let them crawl into his bed. Over time, they became friends. Over even more time, they fell in love. It took a few years to get started, but now, Kiwi is allowed to be happy.
Traits and Inventory
Standard Traits
- Head Vampire
- Tongue Thorny
Bonus Traits
- Dwarf Wings Uncommon
- Spine Growth Uncommon
- Crown Rare
Leg Scars
His hind right leg is thin and somewhat crooked; the foreleg is crisscrossed with knots of scar tissue. Kiwi had been one of the last to hatch from his nest, and one of his clutchmates nearly tore his leg off trying to eat him. He has a moderate limp because of it.
Wings
Kiwi cannot fly. His wings are used for locomotion, especially helpful in caves and forests, but he can also hold small objects for later. The black dots on the skin around the "palm" are his namesake.
Tattered Blanket
When out in the sun, Kiwi usually has a thin linen sheet draped over his shoulders. His ability to sense light isn't particularly strong, but he prefers to have a means of generating shade if he starts to get a headache from it.
Paint
A lack of eyes has not hindered Kiwi's paint mixing. He memorized what raw ingredients are associated with each color and uses this to determine what to add. He often has a blotch of paint on his snout from examining his work.
Alabaster
[ Mate ]
The tenacious merchant was kind enough to give Kiwi a chance while he was feral and skittish. Alabaster took him in and gave him a chance; over time, their quiet companionship blossomed into a romance.
Laplace
[ Friend ]
The tempermental vikai took a long time to warm up to Kiwi, considering he automatically read as a predator. They have a good relationship now and often doze together in the morning haze.
Mamoru
[ Friend ]
The curious shingaling was found during one of Kiwi's adventures. She works as his eyes when necessary, climbing around his mane and bubbling small objects to carry for him.
Aesthetic
