Copy (Cuttlefish)

Physical:
Copy is a female shapeshifting chimera. She is often presented as a feral, quadrupedal chimera, but she can appear as other species of animals (feral or anthropomorphic.)

Copy can change to be any one of these forms:

• Chimera (default)
• Dragon
• Wolfdog
• Cow
• Deer

If Copy can understand how an animal species moves and behaves, she can eventually change to be one. However, achieving a new form takes some practice.

Regardless of what form Copy presents herself in, some specific physical traits will remain. Examples can include a specific color or coat pattern originally seen in her default chimera form.

Dimensions: 

As a quadrupedal chimera: Copy stands up to 3’2” at the withers, and stretches 5 ft from the tip of her nose to her rump. (Or 14 ft from the tip of her nose to her tail.) ^{(*still calculating wing length*)}

As a bipedal chimera: Copy stands up to 5’3”

Nature, personality & social behavior:

Copy is naturally quiet and analytical. When she meets someone new, she’ll often choose to hide and/or observe the individual from a safe distance (like a cat). After a while, Copy will slowly begin to loosen and open up to the individual and be very playful (and frankly, sometimes annoying) to them (like a dog).

Copy is also humble, modest, excitable, curious, reserved, introverted, shy, picky, and (sometimes) irritable.

Mental Capacity:

Copy is considered intelligent for her ability to recognize and recreate patterns, resolve problems, remember past locations and individuals, and draw. She also understands how to use tools, and will find ways to use specific tools fairly efficiently if she finds herself in a form that has, at least, semi—prehensile appendages (specifically fingers and thumbs.) Copy will use her mouth too in some instances.

However, she ultimately isn’t as smart as a human. She may not recreate patterns exactly as expected, or resolve problems in the intended way. Instead, she’ll either successfully solve the problem with the wrong solution, or change patterns and/or colors to her own liking.

By having some level of intelligence and creativity, she can often make small, sometimes useful structures or tools, like campfires for herself. She will also sometimes make small drawings in dirt or manipulative surfaces for her own entertainment, personal liking, or as a way to communicate.

Anatomy:

Copy is incapable of human speech due to lacking the necessary vocal cords. This may be due to the exposed patch of dark skin on her throat. This could be an old wound inflicted on her vocal cords that have healed and scarred over time, or it could be the result of the fur receding back to expose her throat. Either way, there is little evidence of scarring or natural fur patches on this part of her neck.

Despite being incapable of verbally speaking, Copy is still able to make expressive vocalizations. She can also communicate non-verbally by using body language, or by drawing messages and writing on most surfaces that allow it. (It is currently unknown if Copy can communicate via sign language.)

Story:

Copy’s real name is Cuttlefish. She was named this by her mother, Little Bird, a hardy and stern, but loving and motherly chimera, because of the color of her fur (sepia), and because of how much she loved to cuddle and eat fish.

Cuttlefish, however, didn’t like her name because of how childish it sounded, especially when used by others who weren’t family (who would often exaggerate the pronunciation of the name behind the excuse that it was “cute”), so she began to present herself to others as Copy, and sometimes but more rarely, Sepia.

Likes:

• Kindness
• Pizza
• Fish
• Affection (hugs)
• Intimacy (sex)
• Animals
• Studying anatomy
• Studying fossils
• Collecting bones
• Flying
• Freedom
• Relaxing
• Stories (any kind)
• Art/music

Dislikes:

• Unnecessary violence/drama
• Rudeness/disrespect
• Arrogance
• Greed
• Being lied to
• Humans
• Most children
• Yelling
• Most fruits

Trivia:

• When she was first thought up back in 2014-2015, ”Copy“ was meant to be a placeholder name until I could think of an official name for her. However, I couldn’t think of a proper name I liked until 2019-2020 (“Cuttlefish”/“Sepia”), but by then the name ‘Copy’ just stuck.
• "Cuttlefish" is Copy’s canonical birthname. "Sepia" is her alternate name. "Copy" is her fake name, but it can also work as her stage name (because she basically copies other animals to shapeshift.)
• Copy’s first design was a wolf furry. (She would still sometimes be drawn as quadrupedal.)
• Copy’s cow form was added on June 2, 2022, and the design was created and bought from Ino89777 on the same date.
• Although Copy is biologically female, her deer form can sometimes be presented with antlers, which is biologically a male characteristic in many deer species.
• I, and Copy by extension, identify as nonbinary AFAB. Male or female pronouns are fine to use (she/her/he/him) but I prefer to go by she/her/they pronouns.