Overview
Aither is a skittish, reserved tom with a quiet demeanor. He is near-painfully withdrawn at times, the times that matter, when nobody’s watching, an observer of the game rather than a player. He much prefers to sit on the sidelines, watching the other cats as they play, hunt, interact, grow, age- it’s almost as if he prefers looking from the outside of the window rather than being invited into the house. Curiously, despite his antisocial tendencies, he is not opposed to joining his faction members in activities. He slips into the mask of a lax, carefree tom as easily as he walks- it's second nature at this point, and there are many cats who would scoff if you suggested that Aither had something against forming relationships with other cats.
He is, seemingly, easy going, a reactor rather than an actor- he seems to be fine with, for lack of better terminology, going with the flow. He’s mindful of others feelings, his words always smooth and feather-soft, sweet sugary coating to otherwise painful words. If you need hard news delivered to someone, he’s your guy. He’s rather easy to get along with, and harsh words and insults seem to bounce off of him. Most of the time all jabbing, provocative words will get you is a shrug and an eyebrow raise. Despite his seemingly peaceful nature, Aither has his moments. Pushing the right button is like flipping a switch, and bored, relaxed AIther will snap around, his words like venom, his demeanor that of someone completely different.
He adheres to his morals with near-religious firmness. Losing your morals, after all, is losing yourself.
He’s always open to listening, regardless of who you are or what you want to talk about. He’s more than happy to allow you to vent about relationship issues, ramble about birds, or talk about your favorite color. For the most part, he is a completely non judgemental cat. Despite his seeming enthusiasm when it comes to others expressing their emotions, he refuses to express his own. Any questions about his family or past are deflected, and Aither will attempt to change the subject as quickly as possible. He clearly is uncomfortable when it comes to discussing his own feelings, and his emotional shortcomings become painfully clear in his actual relationships, when he struggles to not only express how he feels, but understand said feelings. He struggles with putting a name to the colorful swirls in his head, electing to ignore the feelings rather than attempt to wrangle them. He was, after all, raised by two cats who were about as emotionally aware as brick walls (or so he thought). He tries to keep his thoughts purely rational, free of his emotions. Somehow, though, they manage to slip through the cracks occasionally, his usually well thought out decisions becoming impulsive and automatic.
If you get close to him, you’ll be able to see through the crack in his mask. He is indecisive, waiting for the perfect, opportune moments to do things. More often than not, these moments never come, and he is left waiting, frozen in the past, waiting for a perfect moment that will never come. He has a tendency to bottle his thoughts and feelings, and one day, he is going to explode. He is reluctant to let anyone closer than him than they have to be, and he struggles with building meaningful relationships. He’s also very flighty, and saying the wrong thing or making an honest mistake can send him into a withdrawn, downwards spiral.
He is organized and careful, analytical and cautious, emotional but callous, and in the end, it is bound to backfire, somehow, some way, just like it always does.
