Profile
Basics
"I can't lose this."
Hardened from his time spent in the post-apocalypse, Drift becomes a protective and somewhat jaded man who holds his family close to his heart. Familiar with the dangers of his unique day-to-day life, he could teach you a thing or two about survival… assuming he likes you, and he probably doesn’t.
Drift is highly distrustful and holds a cold disposition towards strangers. He’s an extremely hard worker; selfless for the welfare of his family, and selfish to everyone else. Around loved ones, he is spirited and playful. He’s also very emotional and wears his heart on his sleeve, but only because he’s bad at hiding his feelings. For this reason, he usually isolates himself when he feels down.
While no longer as skittish as he once was, he’s paranoid about the intentions of others who populate the world. As a result, he's incredibly vigilant and doesn’t sleep well most nights.
Likes
- His current family
- Strong coffee
- Cooking
- Housework and construction
- Stargazing
- Relaxed music
- Being in nature, the countryside, traveling, exploring, hiking
Dislikes
- Strangers, even friendly ones
- Looters, marauders
- Silver
- His childhood family
- Being alone, or separated from loved ones
- Surprises (he startles easily), freaky bugs, spiders
STRENGTHS & WEAKNESSES
CONSTRUCTION & REPAIR
With the dangers that lurk this treacherous world comes the need to keep your territory secure. Drift is often renovating, repairing, or constructing things around the house, and under the advice of Butch, he’s gotten quite good at it. He also possesses limited mechanical knowledge, and can make simple repairs to machinery.
May wield a wrench (or other tools) during combat.
PHYSICALLY STRONG
Within reason, he can lift hefty objects and stacks of heavy items (such as bricks, logs). Though a clumsy fighter, he still packs a punch in combat.
DEMOLITIONIST
He carries small, rounded explosives that he makes himself. The names are given in jest, though it does help him keep track of which is which. Central light indicates the type of explosive:
- RED (“The Behemoth”): Large blasts. He rarely uses these, since they can be catastrophic if used irresponsibly. Made for terrain management (to level buildings, hills, or any massive obstacles).
- ORANGE (The “Big Guns”): Medium blasts. His personal favourite and most commonly used. Primarily for terrain management and tough obstacles like boulders, or to blast a hole through someone’s door.
- YELLOW ("Pest Repellant"): Splits into a series of smaller explosions. Made for combat, used as a threat against intruders or to ward off hungry predators.
- BLUE (The "Flashy Exit"): Non-lethal, simply a mobility enhancement. Used for jumping (longer/higher bounds, or “double jumps”).
- BLACK/NO LIGHT (The "Oh Look a Butterfly!"): Smoke bomb. Used as cover / to escape a threat. He alternatively refers to it as the “Last Minute Panic”.
CULINARILY GIFTED
When it comes to feeding his loved ones, Drift treats it as an art form - if one of the kids doesn’t like something he’s cooked, then he sits firmly in the belief that he’s cooked it wrong, and that next time he’ll do it better. Maverick will learn to enjoy broccoli one of these days, just you wait…
He loves to experiment with his dishes and would make for a great chef. He’s not good at desserts though, his sweet tooth is too weak.
HOSTILE AND DISTRUSTFUL
Drift can be an asshole, but it depends on the company. Around loved ones, he is a complete teddy bear. Around Butch, he’s generally friendly, but with an unhealthy dose of sass. But if he’s never met you before, then it doesn’t matter how good your intentions are - Drift has found his happiness and sense of security already, so he feels no reason to open his doors to anyone else. The chances of gaining his trust are slim to none... And if he doesn’t trust you, then he can be pretty vicious. It’s VERY easy for strangers to leave a bad impression on him - most who come across him don’t like him that much and prefer to stay out of his way.
ONE-TRACK-MIND
Drift is an emotional thinker, and he can be very impulsive. That’s not to say he isn’t strategic in combat (he can be terrifyingly stealthy when he needs to be) but if emotions come into play, which they often do, then he tends to act fast, not smart. Over the years, he’s made a few decisions where he was one mistake away from an early grave.
If you want to leave him open, target his sore points: mess with his head, make him feel insecure, or threaten his family. If you anger him or scare him, he’ll be far more error prone… but just be mindful, because Drift is vindictive and he won’t hesitate to go for the throat.
INSECURE, OVERWORKS, AND OVERCOMPENSATES
Drift presents as a vain, but under the surface he harbors a lot of self-doubt. He’s still in disbelief of the life he’s got - his wife, his kids, his happiness - and he feels like he doesn’t deserve them, but he’ll do everything in his power to protect what he’s got.
He overworks himself to keep them happy because he feels like he needs to earn their love, even though they love him regardless.
About
APPEARANCE
Despite his age, Drift is already starting to look a bit old - likely the consequence of stress and poor sleep, but he doesn’t mind his appearance too much. His green colouring has muted since youth and he often looks worn out, and/or surly when he’s away from family. Around his loved ones, he’s usually much more upbeat.
Drift mostly takes after his father in both appearance and personality, though he’s not seen his dad enough to be aware of it. With thick, rugged quills and chest fur, he’s naturally better built for cooler conditions, which is either a blessing or a curse depending on the weather. He has markings above his eyes that resemble eyebrows, as well as various other markings on his body (mostly his head), courtesy of his hedgehog species. Prominent canine teeth and (optional) claws. Frequent heavy lifting has given him a strong, sturdy build, and at 133cm he’s around average adult height (using Vanilla the Rabbit as a reference point).
Drift favours strong / protective attire, though he doesn’t dress to impress and can be seen wearing his wife’s clothes on the occasional lazy day.
Backstory
I'LL UPDATE THIS LATER! This is an extreme tl;dr version: When Drift was 14 years old, a time rift (triggered by Silver changing something small in the past, unbeknownst to anyone though) caused Drift to get stuck 200 years into the future, trapping him in a post-apocalyptic world.
Initially terrified for his life, Drift soon met Cia, who he was initially scared of at first, but in time they became good friends. They grew up together, and he learned how to survive in this world because of her.
Eventually he fell in love with Cia and at 23 they ended up started a family together. Now 27, Drift has fully adjusted to this new life and wouldn't trade it for the world - he has his best friend/wife, a precious daughter and another child on the way, life is tough but they make it work.
But then Silver has a breakthrough in his research, and now it's a race against time to stop him undoing everything that Drift has built.
Trivia
- Drift is a POWER type.
- "Drift" was one of his brother's nicknames for him, which he later adopted. His birth name was Dizzy; he was never fond of that name, and abandoned it when he decided to rebuild himself in the apocalypse.
- He was shorter than Cia when they first met.
- He has a fear of spiders, which is often put to the test because Cia absolutely loves picking them up. He’ll encourage her enthusiasm, but from the farthest corner of the room.
- He has retractable claws on his hands and feet.
- He exhibits a lot of playful, catlike behaviour (like pouncing and chasing things) ever since he entered a relationship with Cia, but most notably after River was born. He picked it up unconsciously, it helps him bond with his family.
- He’s a sucker for all things romantic. Films, music, etc. He’s sappy and he's not afraid to admit it.
- He almost always reads before bed. It helps relax him.
- Drift considers himself “A country bumpkin at heart, just born and raised in the big city.”
- He was created on January 2, 2014.
- His theme is Say You'll Haunt me
Basics
Cia Virsia [ wife, best friend ]
"I don’t deserve you, Starlight, I really don’t, but I’ll never stop being grateful we’re together. I love you. Take care. I’ll be back soon.” - Drift"
Given how long they’ve been together now, Drift finds it difficult to accept that he actually disliked her when they first met. The eccentric qualities he once found intimidating became part of her charm, and now he wouldn’t have it any other way. He’s perhaps a little too protective of her now; if anyone dares to criticise Cia, Drift will be on their back faster than they can finish that sentence.
He loves Cia with every fibre of his being. She is his light, his comfort and his guidance, even if her advice is somewhat unconventional, and he can’t imagine a life without her. With that said, he’s not always upfront with her when it comes to his concerns, and doesn’t want her involved in his dangerous ventures - even though he would benefit from it.
Butch the Warthog [ supplier, friend ]
“...For a grumpy old recluse, you sure have a lot to say on the subject of family.” - Drift
Drift’s meat supplier and only regular contact outside of his family. Drift runs errands for Butch in return for food and other favours, but the two have also taken to unconditionally helping eachother on occassion. Although they bicker like an old married couple, they always have each other’s backs.
Drift sometimes feels resentful of the old bastard’s scathing criticism, but he tries not to take it too personally, since it comes from a place of concern. He trusts the old man enough to seek him for advice or as someone to vent to. Though buried deep in his subconscious, he sees Butch as a father figure.
Silver the Hedgehog [ despises, fears ]
“YOU’RE DELUSIONAL.You really think you’re a hero, huh? You think this is what's right for everyone??” - Drift
Silver’s attempts to undo the apocalypse had been in vain up until his most recent discovery. For many, it’s a sign of bright new beginnings, but Drift has spent the past 13 years in a future he was never supposed to be in. If the apocalypse is undone, then Drift loses everything: His wife, his precious young daughter (and her sibling who is yet to be born), his home, the happiness he’s worked so hard to make for himself. He’s not going to let that happen.
Drift grows increasingly unstable in his desperation to track Silver down. Dread clouds his vision as he remains isolated for weeks on end, knowing any moment is the moment he could lose everything. His family is alone and vulnerable, but he feels he has no choice but to leave them behind for this pursuit.
The only way to secure his life is to put the threat away for good… only one person can walk away from this fight, and it has to be Drift.
River [ eldest, daughter ]
“Don’t know what I did to be blessed with you and your mother. Love you, kiddo. Please don’t ever forget that.” - Drift (to baby River)
(Described Post-Silver-Conflict.) From the beginning, River has been full of surprises. She was his first child - and an unplanned one, much to his embarrassment, so despite extensive preparation, her arrival was still very confronting. Despite the challenges, he loves her dearly and is fiercely protective of her. It breaks his heart that she becomes so aloof.
Drift nearly died during his showdown with Silver. She watched him blow himself up. She was only 4, and that memory will haunt her forever. He’ll never forgive himself for that.
Kai [ middle child, son ]
(Described Post-Silver-Conflict.) After settling into life as parents, Kai was the aftermath of a long and thoughtful discussion. His upbringing was less rocky, now that Cia and Drift had an idea of what to expect.
Kai is shy, curious, and well mannered. Much like his mother, he has a quiet, peculiar nature that strangers may find unsettling at first, and naturally Drift wants to protect him.
Maverick [ youngest, son ]
“......” - Drift (waking up covered in glitter and christmas ornaments)
(Described Post-Silver-Conflict.) Maverick is an oddity that Drift can’t quite wrap his head around. For one, he insists on being called Turd, after being threatened by an armed marauder one time... and why in god’s name he’d want to be called THAT is beyond Drift’s understanding.
He also loves pulling pranks - harmless but annoying pranks, like playing this sound every time he sees dad kiss mum on the cheek. Drift doesn’t know where he gets it from, and can’t decide whether he loves the pranks or hates them, but since they’re usually at his expense, he's generally not a huge fan of them. Mav is weird, Mav knows it, and Mav embraces it… and though Drift finds him rather infuriating at times, he has a lot of admiration for the kid’s ability to remain unapologetically himself. Even if Drift is frequently at odds with Maverick, he’s still his son after all, and loves him all the same. He’s a crazy little genius.
Ash Hayward [ older brother, deceased ]
“text.” - Drift
Drift hasn't seen him since the day he left his old life behind. Ash encouraged the decision but Drift can't help but wonder how he's doing. Well, aside from obviously being dead by now, that's kind of a given when you choose to reside 200 years in the future...
HTML by Eggy
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