Pico

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Basic Information

Name: Pico (original name Griff)
Gender: Intersex (originally male)
Orientation: Demisexual
Birthdate: April 302
Breed(s): Harrier x Irish terrier
Variant: Other-Mutant (originally Basal - Nnt^at)
Mutation: Increased jaw size, increased range of motion in jaw, venom glands in bottom jaw (more developed one on the left side), deeper chest to accommodate larger organs, female reproductive organs, increased muscle mass, thicker bones
Played by: Quirky Tea

Appearance

Height: 22in (56cm)
Build: Muscular, thick
Description:

Pico has reddish-brown/tan fur. The color is close to that of amber, though slightly duller. His fur is soft and scruffy, but never grows out to a flowing length, giving his coat a nice, tousled and rustic appearance. His eyes are a soft, gold-brown color. Honest eyes. There is a fleck of gold in his right eye, near the top. His body, which was once lean and sinewy, is now thickly made, muscle-bound, and powerful. He appears slightly longer than tall, but does have good length to his legs and is capable of fast, efficient locomotion.

Pico's face is distorted from his mutations. His muzzle is crooked, twisted so that it is turned slightly to the left. His bottom jaw is thick and bulgy around his throat due to both the musculature needed to use his over-sized jaw and also for his venom glands--which are only developed on the left side. His venom's most notable effect is that it causes temporary paralysis. When bitten by him in a venomous bite, it is only the teeth on the left side which carry any venom. The right side is incapable of injecting venom. However, because the left side is more developed, his throat is thicker there and lends more to his lopsided appearance. His left eye, as a result of this feature, is squinted. He has large tusks protruding from his bottom jaw, making it difficult for him to eat effectively, but he is capable of an increased range of motion in order to use his tusks for an actual bite. And he's very capable of doing a lot of damage with his teeth. His tongue isn't sure what to do in his mouth and typically licks around in his mouth awkwardly or when relaxed, he has it hanging out.

His paws are small, cat-like feet and have remained so even through his transformation. His chest is deep and wide to house his large lungs and heart--another adaptation. Pico is now so far changed that he can no longer be called a dog and doesn't entirely smell like one. His appearance is dog-like enough that dogs can recognize what he was, but certain mannerisms are very different (described further in personality).

Pico is incapable of clear speech. Most of his speaking is done through strange trills, purling noises in his throat, and even his growl is different. It sounds almost mechanical in its harshness. He can speak somewhat, but has a lot of difficulty doing so and only has a few words he has practiced.

Personality

Skills: Survival skills, fighting, hunting
Abilities: Venomous bite, powerful jaws, increased stamina
Description:

Pico's mind and the way he thinks has changed considerably. He operates mostly on instincts but things which were important to Griff--who is the dog Pico was before he mutated so much he became something other--have remained the defining factors of Pico: Wanderlust and family.

Balancing those two things have always been a struggle for Griff, who would travel when upset and then become upset that he had spent so long for his family. This would turn into a terrible cycle for him. But to Pico? Simple bliss. He simply wanders when he wishes and knows he can return home at any time and be welcome. And home to Pico is simply wherever he is best taken care of.

Sometimes, there are moments when he has pure clarity and he is Griff, but usually, his mind is foggy, full of the mist of his many mutations. His skull has changed shape, so his brain had as well. Connections that used to be easy to make are hard, but instinctive reactions have become easier for Pico. He's become an efficient hunter--even more so than he had as a dog, but now that he is a mutant, he is a ball of instincts that sometimes gets in the way of his social interactions with dogs.

Sometimes social interaction is very overwhelming. Pico tends to either be over-zealous or over-estimates how much other dogs enjoy his presence but when scolded by another dog, he becomes a creature of self-loathing and submission, not really understanding what he's supposed to do. Despite this, he is actually remarkably intelligent. It's just that his brain is in shambles right now and he doesn't always have access to the things he ought to.

History

Lineage:
Father: Oleander | Basal | Harrier | deceased
Mother: Sara-Ann | Augment | Irish terrier | deceased
Sibling(s): Soren | Basal | Harrier x Irish terrier | alive
Poe | Augment | Harrier x Irish terrier | alive
Background:

He loved Tarin, his mate. They both found Winterwood together--back when it was amazing. When Nicolas hadn't gone off the deep end. He watched as his friend descended into madness and his unease with touchy-feely things was evident even then. It was easier to ignore the warning signs. He was a Scout who stood by his mate until she got pregnant. His brother Poe had pups too and one of Griff's nephews was born with a mutation.

Nicolas killed the puppy to make a point. His other brothers and their mates left Winterwood, but Griff remained. Tarin loved the pack and needed it. So did Griff. He was loyal to the pack and defended Nick's ideals. Griff was always loyal to a fault. He finished the Winter Survival Test with Tarin.

After that, it seemed that Nicolas wasn't doing anything that could be considered morally wrong. Griff raised Iris and it was good times, but then Tarin got pregnant again and lost that whole litter. She went the third time and died whelping her pups.

The loss of his mate damaged his heart. And Aoife looked so much like Tarin. It was in her eyes. Full of fire and joy and spunk. Those were his mate's eyes. He tried. He taught her his favorite songs, but then he heard Tarin's voice. And because he was in so much pain, he would come and go, barely there in her life. And soon his other daughter, Iris, hated him.

While he was wandering, he had to fight and hide. He helped many dogs and ended up exposed to mutagens while protecting a friend of his--an Augment--until the dog healed. The dog was immune to mutating, but Griff was not. His friend died after trying hard to make it and the nanobots were unable to stave off the pneumonia. It was then that Griff decided to go back to Winterwood, afraid of his changing body.

He knew that Aoife would have taken him back. She was too good a daughter for him. But she was in her Winter Survival Test and Iris was the one who greeted him. She rejected him and pushed him away. He cried for his daughter, his words already hard to form, his sentences halting by then. And she told him that they didn't need him growing up and they don't need him now.

He apologized and left, heading to Ash River Project to hopefully get a cure. He didn't make it as his body painfully changed and his mind grew more and more foggy until he forgot what he wanted and what he left behind.

Accepted.