Nox

Build & Coat: A strange looking creature, distinctly canine. However, the specificity of what type of canine is ambiguous. Nox is a strange mixture of domestic and wild, Canis familiaris meets Canis lupus. There's every possibility that even more oddities exist within his bloodline, given the extent of mutations present in his lineage.

Starting from the top, those ears. Just a little bit too big for his head, with a propensity to flop forward at the tips. The cartilage isn't quite as sturdy as it is in a pure-blooded wolf. Though they stand straight upright like a wolf, they are surrounded by silky tufts of loosely curled fur, which mingles with the similarly textured fur of his cheeks to frame his angular features. The next most notable feature of his is that absurd snout. A direct manifestation of sighthound genes, it's a very long and angular muzzle set upon his narrow skull. With those sharp cheekbones and delicate brows, Nox wears his mixed-breed lineage well.

The canine oddity has a slender and swan-like neck, with surprisingly strong and defined shoulders. He's a runner, he's a track star. He lacks the barrel-shaped chest of a sighthound, and the lung capacity that comes with it. Even the dramatic tuck of the waistline is lacking here, instead there's a subtle upward curve of tummy into waist. Nox's thighs match his shoulders stacked musculature, rippling with each stride. The pretty canine is less dainty than one would expect with such a leggy physique, standing 44" tall. Nox is a svelte, strong creature designed for speed and agility. He's got the narrow chest and big paws from his lupine genes, alongside sleek musculature from his mother. A distinctively dog-gene abberation from his father's lineage, Nox has the double-dewclaws on fore and hind limbs one might see in a Beauceron.

Nox inherited the dense, downy undercoat of a wolf to add bulk to what would otherwise be a thin, silky smooth coat. His fur is long, bordering on entirely unmanageable for a scatterbrain like himself. It curls at the ends, and often needs to be braided or pinned up when he's out and about to avoid catching every bit of debris he happens upon. It's the longest around his throat and along his tail, accentuating the curving lines of his neck running down to his chest and shoulders, and dragging on the ground when his tail is lowered.

The colouration of that silky coat is what is easily the most eye-catching of his features. Painted in jagged streaks of crimson and burgundy, brightest along his topline and darkening across his ribs and hips. By the time the eye drifts to his limbs, the majority of his coat is dark as the night, which earned him his name. Streaks of charcoal grey break up the hues of his coat, sticking out against the darker portions of his coat like thin clouds scuttling across the night sky. Across his features, the outer corners of those bright eyes are framed by forking streaks of sanguine, with a matching inverse-V shape over the bridge of his nose.

Eyes & Face & Voice: Those eyes of his, they're all wolf. There's something intangibly wild in them, despite the warmth that radiates from within. One couldn't look him in the eyes and deny his lupine heritage, they're the most distinctly wolf part of him. Where most eyes could be likened to gemstones or fathomless pools, Nox's gaze is nothing short of lightning in a bottle. The striking cyan blue of electricity, with the intensity of a storm lingering in his stare. Pale enough to be silver in some lighting, but undeniably electric.

The stony look on his face is a near-permanent fixture. Two parts defensive, and one part genetic. Predominantly, it was cultivated in the interest of keeping others from seeing the softness in his heart. To keep those fragile and vulnerable aspects of himself safe from the outside world, which seeks only to do him harm. The kind of harsh, no-nonsense look that borders on a scowl and forces onlookers to think twice about their continued staring problem. To a certain degree, though, his face simply does that. With his nose in a book, and the lights dimmed around him, Nox is still wearing that borderline-sneer with the cold eyes that send a shiver up your spine.

Nox has a lilting, sonorous voice. Deceptively deep, with a surprising baritone tombre. He's rather quiet, soft spoken. There's some of the telltale rumbling of a wolf's voice when he speaks, a hint of a growl.

Stance & Gait: His posture varies depending on the setting. Nox tends to retreat into himself among strangers, shoulders slouching and ears tipped back nervously. Cautious movements, head held low to try and avoid the attention of those around him. Not that one can really hide.. any of that. Furtive eyes, searching for anything to distract himself from the presence of those around him.

Among friends and family, or simply when he's on his own, Nox is a whole different beast. Head high, practically prancing along. You can really see the ears flip flopping around when he's in his element, and get to admire the way his wavy-curly fur moves with the motions of his strange body.

Quirks & Mutations: Blessed by a mysterious force beyond his ken, Nox has inherited the curved ram horns of his mother. They look out of place on him, accentuate his angular features and oversized ears as they curl around the upright auds. Dark as night, but slow growing. When he's born, there's no sign of them. It takes a few weeks before the first little nubbins of keratin break through the flesh of his crown, and then the entirety of his first year until they can even be properly characterized as ram's horns. It won't be until his second year of life that Nox's horns reach his jawline.

His second obvious oddity is only noticeable when he opens his mouth. His tongue isn't pink like usual, instead mottled with grey throughout. When he smiles, when he's content, one can't help but notice the strange colouration.

Reserved: One might call it being mistrustful, wary even. For the most part, Nox is a buttoned up individual. He tends to keep his thoughts to himself under most circumstances, and holds back on speaking up. He tends to keep his emotions close to the chest, and would prefer to avoid emotionally volatile situations. In the interest of self-preservation, he maintains an even-keeled demeanour and feigns apathy in most situations in the hopes that no one will look too closely at the marshmallow-softness at the core of his being.

Curious: The boy is a scholar at heart, eager to learn and know and understand. He loves nothing more than his books and his scrolls. It's a unique privilege to be able to learn from books, and he doesn't waste a moment of that opportunity. Nox eagerly accepts any lessons offered, and soaks up information without bias. It's part of what makes him enjoy travelling, as it grants him the ability to interact with strangers who can potentially impart new wisdom and knowledge.

Stoic: Painfully stony and cold on the outside, from the moment of his birth. Nox has the kind of nonplussed demeanour around others that gives the impression of disinterest and scorn, though neither of these emotions are generally present in his heart. It forms as a defense mechanism against the coldness of the world and the emotional neglect of his caretakers. By the time adulthood comes around, this instinctive, default attitude forms a carefully constructed barrier against the harm that the world around him seeks to enact upon soft hearts and pure souls like his own.

Empathetic: He's a softie. Ill-suited to the cruel world in which he was born. Fond of rescuing little creatures and watching sunsets. He takes on the pain of his loved ones readily, often to his own detriment. Nox is brimming with love, and he can't help it. To his credit, his empathy makes him very quick to befriend others, and he forms networks of friendly connections everywhere he goes.

Affectionate: perhaps a bit of a mama's boy, but also undeniably just a sweet boy in general. Nox is eager to impart affection on his friends and family. He's a huge fan of cuddle puddles and sharing time with those around him, and prefers to spend his free time with someone else within arm's reach.

Insightful: those bright eyes seem to peer straight into the heart of things, picking up on tiny details and often unnoticed aspects of the world around him. A skilled problem solver from an early age, and a trusted confidant for those around him. His ability to cut through the nonsense and find the meat of various issues makes him an excellent advisor and aide, though he most commonly utilizes these skills for his own work. Tinkering with various projects or ventures for hours on end, each new development creating a new possibility, and thus an endless cycle of introspection and work.

Dedicated: there's something that lives deep in his marrow, vestiges of a hellbent, work-driven lineage that demands Nox pursue his goals and see his tasks to their completion. He forgoes food, drink, sleep. All in the interests of whatever project he's most recently picked up. He will go for weeks, months, it doesn't matter how long he needs to be holed up in a cave, or marching endlessly across vast swathes of landscape. If it is not finished, it must be seen to its conclusion.

Scatterbrained: almost as a direct act of spite on behalf of the universe, Nox is forgetful to a fault. There are so many things in his head at all times, he isn't able to manage all of that information in a neat and efficient manner. He leaves things laying about, walks into rooms and promptly forgets why he entered, and quite often misplaces his tools. Hygiene tends to go by the wayside in the depths of his research-driven madness, as he simply forgets that his long fur needs regular tending. Poor thing, it's hard being so smart and also so incredibly smooth-brained.

Self-Conscious: Being a mutt, he struggles with his own self image. He's such an oddity, and Nox often finds himself under scrutiny by those around him. It makes him nervous, uneasy. He hates the judgement, the disdain. By the time he's grown up, he tends to steel himself whenever he encounters anyone new. Leans into that stoic expression and standoffish demeanour, hoping that having his guard up will prevent the stares from feeling like knives.