Pythonpaw

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 * Played by rook

Soul Animal
Ball Python

Description
Pythonpaw is a large, thickset tom. He has the normal back half of a feline, with sleek black fur and a long tail. His front half retains a normal cat shape, but rather than fur it is covered in small, smooth scales - those of a snake, and, like a snake, he periodically molts these scales. Their coloration is that of a ball python - rich brown in color with splotches of copper. The bone structure of his head is more or less catlike in nature, though it seems a bit flatter. It too is entirely covered in scales. His nose is rather snakelike, and he his mouth is notable for its sharp curved fangs (which often fall out but promptly grow back) and forked snake tongue. Due to this he is not capable of speech, or even sound, aside from the occasional hiss. His tiny ears are rounded and he is deaf, but he has a particularly keen sense of smell due to the help of his forked tongue, which basically collects airborne particles and brings them back to his Jacobson's organ to be examined. His large brown eyes are disturbingly round, and while his eyesight isn't particularly keen it isn't too poor either, but he usually relies on other methods such as the aforementioned sense of smell to track prey. He has small grooves in his lips; these are infrared-sensitive receptors that basically allow him to track the heat signals of mammals. He is not yet very adept at using this skill and only gets vague readings, but it can still come in handy. He is rather sensitive to vibrations and thus can sometimes sense when an animal is approaching by air or ground.

Personality
Pythonpaw is an extremely passive cat. No wonder his spirit animal is a ball python, a snake notorious for its defensive strategies - he certainly lives up to the legacy! Due to his size and snake assets, he has the potential to be quite a formidable opponent in battle, but he has immense trouble overriding his instincts, which tell him to run and hide when the going gets rough (because obviously, as a cat, he cannot curl up into a ball). Many in the Clan have started gently, or not-so-gently depending on their personality, encouraging/commanding him to abandon his instincts and become a fighter, as he certainly has the necessary skills. Not wanting to upset his Clanmates, he tries, but it is challenging and exhausting and takes quite a toll on him mentally. Due to this extra stress he hasn't been eating as often. Eating is fairly hard for him the first place. Since he has the bone structure and organs of a cat he cannot swallow prey whole, but his snake teeth were not made for chewing. He has to tear the prey into small chunks, which he then swallows. The tearing poses a bit of a challenge, and he often loses several teeth during the process. His Clanmates would likely be willing to help by tearing up the prey for him, but he doesn't want to inconvenience them, so he doesn't ask for their help. He is a bit underweight for his size, and his fur and scales are dull and drooping.

Where hunting is concerned, Pythonpaw is fairly talented. Though he doesn't have very good endurance when it comes to moving quickly, he is incredibly stealth and uncannily silent. He usually will sneak up to within a few tail-lengths of the prey, and then suddenly strike, propelling himself forward at amazing speeds with his strong hind legs. His teeth aren't very equipped for killing, but his jaws are quite powerful so he usually relies on his first bite to the neck to stun or immobilize the prey. Pythons are constrictors, but Pythonpaw cannot do this because, y'know, he isn't a snake, so the killing process is a bit tedious. If the prey is sufficiently paralyzed, he will kill it as cleanly as possible, generally with several nips to a vulnerable area, such as the base of the skull. If he fails to immobilize his prey, it isn't too much of a problem because the more it thrashes about, the deeper his fangs sink. With larger prey he will use brute force to kill it, bearing down on its head of spine with the full force of his weight, often crushing the bones. This method of killing is a bit more messy and makes for tougher eating, so he tries to avoid it whenever possible. He prefers catching prey on the ground or in the trees; he can swim, but clumsily, and he does dislike it.

Pythonpaw is a bit of a lazy cat. It's not that he disobeys orders or refuses to train; he simply doesn't take it upon himself to do any work, only doing things when others ask him. He is incredibly fond of sunbathing. He always feels much more invigorated after a long nap in the sun. Cold weather makes him even more lethargic than usual, and indeed a bit grumpy, though it's usually pretty hard to tell his mood due to the fact that he can't speak.

He's generally an incredibly easygoing cat, not wanting to harm others or cause any trouble. He isn't daunted easily; the only thing that bothers him is threats of physical violence. If such a situation is forced upon him, he will run off and hide: he may burrow deep into a clump or brambles, or shelter high in the treetops - he's rather adept at climbing. Despite his deafness, he usually has a pretty good idea of what's going on due to his other senses. He's not a leader; he's definitely a follower, going along with the wishes of anyone in a position of power. He obviously doesn't engage in small talk, and he is indeed rather estranged from his Clanmates, as he doesn't really feel the need to bond with them.

For some reason, Pythonpaw loves to collect smooth pebbles. He will store them in odd, seemingly random places; he has an excellent memory, so he rarely forgets where he puts them. He's fairly intelligent, but doesn't really do much with his knowledge. All in all he's a super chill, laid-back dude.

History
Was born into ChimeraClan to Ratfoot and Troutface. From a young age, it was obvious he couldn't hear or speak, but this isn't too exceptionally rare in ChimeraClan, so everyone else was easily able to adapt to communicate with him. He had to start eating meat much sooner than the other kits. Ratfoot was a caring mother but died in Pythonpaw's first three moons of life, along with his sickly sister, Spiderkit; he pretty much tended to himself, because at this point he was no longer drinking milk and didn't have much need for a queen to take care of him. Troutface, an attractive ton with many children by different cats, was not involved in his upbringing.

Age
6 moons

Gender
Male

Rank
Apprentice

Skills
Sense of smell is far above average, talented hunter, stealthy and silent, has the potential to be powerful, good tree climber, can track the heat signals in mammals, sensitive to vibrations, good at hiding

Weaknesses
Deaf, mute, passive, doesn't participate in battle, stressed, doesn't often eat

Relations
Ratfoot, mother (Rattus norvegicus :: brown rat chimera), deceased of sickness; Troutface, father, (Oncorhynchus mykiss :: rainbow trout chimera), alive NPC (will create later!); Spiderkit, sister (Araneus cavaticus :: barn spider chimera), deceased of sickness; various half-siblings through Troutface

"Main" family
This section lists all direct family


 * List format:
 * Mother: Ratfoot
 * Father: Troutface
 * Siblings: Spiderkit (sister)

"Side" family
This section lists all non-direct family


 * List format:
 * Mate: 
 * Kit(s): 
 * Cousin(s): 
 * Uncle(s): 
 * Aunt(s): 
 * Grandmother(s): 
 * Grandfather(s): 
 * Niece(s): 
 * Nephew(s):