Profile
name -- Roscoe
species -- Esk
origin -- Traveler
nature -- Fickle
gender -- None
pronouns -- Any (primarily it for now)
size -- Sturdy
nature feature -- Acorn Squash
boundary -- Roadside Produce Stand
biome -- Developed
original form -- Great Pyrenees
masterlist -- #4075
appearance & personality summary --
> Size & build similar to a cross between a small bear and a large, sturdy dog. Short, broad muzzle, sturdy shoulders, and round eyes.
> Fur thicker on the front end of its body; very short and sleek on the legs and flanks. Fur has a bit of a shiny sheen to it, especially in the ginger areas.
> Front paws have two longer fingers at the front, with a third "thumb" on the back of the paw, set too far back to be particularly useful for manipulating or holding small objects (this does not stop Roscoe from trying). Hind paws somewhat resemble hooves, with two large toes and a smaller "dew claw" set onto the inner side of each foot.
> Nature feature (acorn squash) changes with the seasons -- sprouting, blooming, fruiting, and withering over the course of the year.
> Still thinks of itself as and behaves much like a dog, albeit with an expanded intelligence and self-awareness that it is only just beginning to acknowledge and explore. Still has very little sense of personal identity outside of "I think, therefore I am," and whatever residual behaviors/training it developed from its life.
> Communicates primarily using feelings, impressions, and memory as opposed to words, and when it does use words, they are generally short and simple commands and phrases like would've been spoken to a dog ("stop" "come" "stay" "good boy" etc.), and are spoken in the voice of one of its former owners, most commonly a younger male (but occasionally a female, old man, or child's voice). It is perfectly capable of understanding the words of other esk, but still responds best to concise, familiar words and phrases.
> Visits its former owners and home frequently (remaining unseen, of course), and often repeats behaviors from its life. Its owners joke that they're being haunted by Roscoe's ghost, probably without realizing quite how accurate their assessment is.
> Generally playful and puppy-like, but may have bouts of irritability or depression when separated from its former owners for too long. Quite protective of those it views as family, including the livestock on its old farm, and may also become serious and dutiful if it feels like it needs to protect or watch over them. Still, that doesn't stop it from occasionally startling and scattering the sheep or the chickens for fun.
appearance --
From a distance, Roscoe could fairly easily be mistaken for a large dog or perhaps a small bear, with its sturdy limbs, wide muzzle, and somewhat lumbering, hunched posture. Of course, its somewhat strange coloring quickly betrays it, even without the presence of the gourd vines growing from its neck and haunches, as well as - upon closer look - a pair of almost crow-like front paws with long fingers, and soft hind paws that almost resemble the hooves of a goat or sheep, save for any kind of keratin covering; and, of course, the lack of any orifices besides eyes and nostrils.
Of those, the nostrils are also unusual - though the shape of Roscoe’s muzzle somewhat resembles a Great Pyrenees, the nostrils are set forward in the tip of its nose, and aligned more vertically, with no difference in fur or flesh around them to denote any kind of “nose” structure. The eyes are large and somewhat rounded, and a very dark green-brown in color, almost black except in the brightest light, and fading to black towards the center similar to a pupil (but far more subtle and gradual). A narrow ring of amber-brown encircles the outer edge of the visible eye. Roscoe possesses no true eyelids, save for a nictitating membrane tinted slightly with the same sable color as its haunches, which may cause its eyes to look almost entirely black when closed.
In terms of pelt, Roscoe’s fur is thick and soft, the perfect texture to make a lovely pillow or else to collect a gratuitous amount of dust. It is longer around the back of the head, neck, belly, and along the spine, but short and smooth along the legs and flanks. It ranges in color from a light blond at its muzzle and lower jaw, which fades to a bright ginger on the forehead and neck. This in turn fades quickly to a chestnut brown on the forelegs and shoulders, darkening slightly on the lower legs and belly; the hind legs and haunches are a very dark brown-green. This sable lasts to the base of its tail, where the coloration reverses itself along its long tail hairs to end in the same blond as its nose.
The vines that extend from Roscoe’s neck and haunches are not always the same, changing as they are damaged in Roscoe’s haphazard frolicking and with the changing of the seasons. They flower in the spring and summer, fruit in the autumn, and wither and brown in the winter, to repeat the cycle again with each season and each harvest. Despite the fact that they are partially incorporeal, the flowers still seem to attract bees and other such pollinating insects, and despite having no mouth, Roscoe still attempts to eat them when they come near.
Despite its proportions, Roscoe has a somewhat impressive range of motion. It is not quite as lumbering as it first appears - or doesn’t need to be, rather - and is perfectly capable of galloping at reasonably impressive speeds, although its gait is a bit odd and perhaps unsettling-looking, granted its mismatched paws. By utilizing its entire hind feet flat on the ground (as opposed to only the toes, as it typically walks), Roscoe is able to rear up on its hind legs for brief periods of time, whether to look more intimidating or to be able to make easier use of its front paws to hold or reach for things. Its front paws are, loosely speaking, able to be used to grasp objects, although its third finger is set far to back on its paw relative to the others to make an effective thumb. Still, that doesn’t stop Roscoe from trying to hold and carry just about any object imaginable, just for the mere fact that it now can (and doesn’t have a mouth to use instead).
personality --
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life & origin --
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