Profile
 
L I G H T + F I R E |
== Female - Adult - Mortal (Primal) - Bisexual - Single - Alpha Jewel ==
~~~~~~~~
Alpha jewel (Limited Rare), Fullbody fur edit (L), Ear (R), Glow (R)
Dual jewel color (U), Sclera (U), Pupil color (U), Claws (C)
~~~~~~~~
prompt response/
Frankie's favorite bird is the hoatzin - a very special, strange, and smelly animal that's fascinated her ever since she stumbled across one on on her first southern migration. Her mother told her not to go near it; it was dirty and no good to eat! Not worth the time of someone who was supposed to be practicing her hunting. Yet Frankie couldn't help herself. The bird's striking plumage and bright blue face caught her eye and drew her in... how could such a pretty, bright bird be dirty? Then the wind changed direction, at which point Frankie gagged and backpedaled as quickly as she could, leaving the bird free to fly away while she pawed furiously at her nose, trying to rid herself of its terrible, rotten scent. Her mother simply smiled. Once Frankie had recovered, she shushed the young Sima's questions and led her away.
Of course this only made her MORE determined to learn about the hoatzin. And as she did, her love for the bird grew in spite of (or perhaps BECAUSE of) her tribe's continued eye-rolling. The hoatzin is a creature that's just brimming with personality! From the tip of its beak to the end of its tail, this is a bird unashamed to be its freaky little self! You really gotta admire that. Especially when you're trying so hard to live the same kind of life no matter what kind of box everyone else wants to shove you into...
Frankie learned some of her favorite facts when she sneaked away from her tribe one evening and made her way to a modern library she'd managed to spy out in advance. For example, the reason it smells so bad is because it stores its food in a pouch in its throat - called a crop - and lets it ferment. No other bird in the world does this! The only animals with similar digestive systems are things like cows, sheep, and dear. Thus the hoatzin isn't dirty like her mother claimed! Frankie also finds it deeply interesting that the hoatzin is the last member of its line to survive into modern times, and that said line branched off from other birds species at least 64 million years ago. That's just after non-avian dinosaurs died off en-masse! She likes to imagine her ancestors palling around with its ancestors, and believes it looks at other birds the way she and her tribe look at modern Simas.
However, her absolute favorite things about the hoatzin have been learned by using her nose to track the distinctive creature through the jungle instead of training like she was supposed to. Did you know that the chicks actually have two claws on each wing? Yup! Just like an archaeopteryx! These claws allow them to climb around on branches and evade predators. If that doesn't work though, the chicks have a backup plan - jump out of the nest and into the water (hoatzins ALWAYS nest over water) at which point they dive under and swim to safety. Once the danger has passed, they shimmy up the tree again and sit in their nest like nothing happened. The first time Frankie saw it happen, she nearly fell over laughing. What IS the hoatzin? A bird? A fish? a squirrel? A dinosaur? Or a little bit of all four...?
Any way you slice it, they're different, they're special, and they're awesome. They take what they are and run with it! Never mind what other birds may think; and there are always plenty of other hoatzins around to keep them company.
Despite having been born with an alpha jewel, and training her entire life to live up to her potential, Frankie's heart has never been in it. She is the mellow hoatzin among warlike eagles. All she really wants to do is kick back and be herself, preferably in the company of Simas who can see past her jewel type and appreciate her for what she IS instead of what she SHOULD BE.
-------------------------------------------------------------
If she could do anything in the world, Frankie would go into a field like botany, zoology, or herbal medicine. She's very interested in the plants and animals around her - has been since she was very small - and always strives to learn things that will help her understand how the big wide web of life is held together! Before she grew old enough to begin her Alpha Training in earnest, she would indulge her curiosity by spending hours with the tribe's healer. The old woman was hesitant at first, but eventually gave way to the kit's endless pestering and, over the years, slowly took her under her wing. She learned how to collect herbs, roots, fungi and minerals then prepare them into potions, as well as how to diagnose simple ailments and splint broken bones. By the time Frankie began her training she'd developed into quite the able young healer! Her mentor was sad to lose her. And she was sad to go. She's most at home sitting in the jungle by herself and becoming 'one' with the world around her. Watching. Smelling. Listening. And she MUCH prefers spending her time reading or sketching to sparring, studying tactics, and sitting in on tribal council meetings! Frankie is, overall, a quiet and introverted individual with a strong sense of self and a drive to follow her rainbow. The only reason she sticks to her lessons as much as she does is because she feels obliged to do so, and sees no way out. Disinterested as she may be, Frankie can NOT leave her tribe without a leader. They NEED her. They're her family! The only way she'd feel comfortable breaking away to follow her own path - like the hoatzins she so loves - is by ensuring they wouldn't lack leadership in her absence and would continue to thrive.
