ophidia in herba | Snakeblink tags, etc

[Snakeblink]

SNAKEBLINK
OPHIDIA IN HERBA — a snake in the grass | any hidden danger or unknown risk​

🐍 i. appearance ii. personality iii. abilities iv. relationships v. history

• Water snake Snakeblink — named for his lisp as a kit and the scar on his face
  ✧ cis male, he / him
  ✧ Created at 34 moons on 10.18.2022, ages semi-realistically
  ✧ Warrior of Riverclan
  ✧ homosexual, secretive but devoted
  ✧ Voice claim
  ✧ a sleek, skinny tabby with venom-green eyes, short fur and a long scar bisecting his face. His large ears, whip-like tail and the way he keeps low to the ground give him an awkward and somewhat rat-like appearance. Toyhouse
  " speech " | penned by @Kangoo
  
  
• 
  There's something about Snakeblink's appearance that discourages trust. It's his long, thin limbs, his triangular head that sways left and right when he watches you, his bright green eyes that are always squinting at you, analyzing you. It's the long claws he keeps unsheathed, the reptilian pupils that never seem to dilate even in the darkest night. It's the scar – did you know he got that one fighting another warrior from his own clan? She died of an illness, but some say that actually, he poisoned her for revenge.
  
  More than that, it's the way he moves: with quick, fluid movements, keeping low to the ground, always stalking, creeping around… slithering. Anyone can look like a scheming snake, but what kind of innocent cat would move like one?
  
  
  Of course, Snakeblink can't help it. He doesn't have much of an appetite so he doesn't put on much weight, and he can't make his fur grow longer to soften his silhouette. He gets his eyes from his mother: both the bright, beautiful color, so comforting in his memory, and the family defect that makes it hard to adapt to changes in lighting and give him noticeably poor night vision. He moves like this because he's so used to hunting in water, and it's the best way to be quick and discreet when tracking frogs through the reeds – it's hard to kick the habit once he's back on solid ground. As for the scar… it's just a scar. They all have some: it seems unfair that his would be particularly notable just because Snowchase happened to die not long after hitting him in the face.
  
  He knows what he looks like. Lanky, awkward, off-putting; the runt of the litter, with his rat ears and his rat tail and his snake-like everything else. He kind of wishes other cats would overlook it sometimes: it's hard to have a conversation with someone when they look at you like they're checking for traps.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• 
  
  Loner ─○─── Gregarious
  Rude ───○─ Polite
  Theatrical ○──── Dry
  Cruel ───○─ Kind
  Impulsive ────○ Thoughtful
  Pragmatic ─○─── Idealistic
  Energetic ────○ Calm
  Power-hungry ──○── Satisfied
  Oblivious ───○─ Perceptive
  Suspicious ○──── Trustworthy
  
  ( + ) dedicated, loyal, clever, responsible
  ( / ) wordy, independent, logical, nosy
  ( - ) aloof, calculating, pushy, ruthless
  
  Snakeblink is a tom who loves his people so sincerely, so entirely, there's nothing in the world he wouldn't do to keep them safe and happy. It's a shame he's so godawful at expressing it.
  
  A kithood as a loner skirting around other groups of cats with his mother for sole company has made him socially awkward and reclusive. Being aware of that fault of his, Snakeblink has done his utmost to learn to read other cats, to some success — but he might have been better served learning how to talk to them, instead. He keeps to himself out of habit, and when he does go out of his way to socialize he rarely comes out of the experience with a feeling of accomplishment: he struggles to express himself clearly and often comes off as mildly insulting, when he isn't sinister on accident.
  
  All of this has led to him garnering a reputation as a shifty, self-centered individual, which Snakeblink embraces as his lot in life. He likes to think himself as unnecessary to love: his loyalty is already assured, and any affection granted to him by his clanmate would just be... a nice bonus, in no way mandatory.
  
  Because he is loyal, down to the bones, and his devotion once given is given forever.
  
  He is possessive of what he considers to be his, and feels responsible for it: it's his clan, his territory, and he wants it all to be safe and prosperous. Although he is ambitious, it's only because he is driven by the urge to make himself useful, be it as a warrior hunting for the clan or a deputy helping shoulder some of the leader's burden. In an ideal world, he would have been a medicine cat. He has a quick, detail-oriented mind suited to the work, and enjoys acquiring knowledge and taking care of others more than he does hunting and fighting. As things are, though, he is must be satisfied with what he's made of himself: sneaky, sharp, dutiful, willing to linger on the edge and do what he needs to be done for the good of his clan. He only needs to be trusted enough to be allowed to do it: he's fine with being seen as a power-hungry, manipulative social climber as long as others are aware he acts in service of the clan's interests rather than his own.
  
  Frankly, he finds it more insulting than hurtful. He's self-aware enough to know what he looks, sounds, and acts like: even the cats who like him find him a little suspicious, and he will readily admit it's warranted. But if he was truly evil, if he really wanted to hurt those he cares about and overthrow their fragile system… he wouldn't be this obvious about it, and it's annoying that his clan assumes he would monologue and whisper ominous threats on purpose.
  
  (And if sometimes he yearns for his quiet, unwavering loyalty to be reward with equally unconditional love and respect in return... well. That's only between him and his late night musings.)
  
  
  
  
• 
  ✧ MENTAL ✧
  ●●●●● Knowledge
  ⤷ of the going ons in his clan (gossips).
  ●●●●● Scheming
  ⤷ forgetting to factor in other cats' reaction tends to make his schemes go awry, but he's good at coming up with them alright.
  ●●●●● Charm
  ⤷ off-putting despite his best efforts.
  ●●●●● Composure
  ⤷ keeps his cards close to his chest.
  
  ✧ PHYSICAL ✧
  ●●●●● Strength
  ⤷ not much better than a wet leaf.
  ●●●●● Speed
  ⤷ faster in water than on land.
  ●●●●● Dexterity
  ⤷ nimble and deft with his paws.
  ●●●●● Stealth
  ⤷ able to blend in his surroundings; stays low to the ground to hide his light underbelly.
  
  ✧ SURVIVAL ✧
  ●●●●● Hunting
  ⤷ excellent at fishing, decent at land hunting
  ●●●● Swimming
  ⤷ more at ease half-submerged in water.
  ●●●●● Fighting
  ⤷ will not start fight, and will only try to finish them if he thinks it's crucial for the sake of his clan. will try to bait adversary onto a more advantageous terrain for himself.
  ●●●●● Tracking
  ⤷ observant and has a good nose, but poor eyesight in dim light.
  
  
• 
  ✧ Child of Salamander
  ⤷ sibling of Pond Turtle, Brook Newt and Tree Frog
  ✧ Mate with no one, currently not crushing on anyone, open to romantic plots
  ✧ Friend with Cicadastar, Cindershade, Pikesplash, Ashpaw, Coyotecreek
  ⤷ Mentor to Frogpaw, Carppaw
  ✧ Enemy with Flamewhisker, Flycatcher
  
  Heartchart
  
  
• 
  
  PRE-CANON SUMMARY:
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  ( Important Threads )
  ( ☆ ) Interaction ( ★ ) Development
  Lorem ipsum ──── dolor sit amet.
  
  

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