Eli

ELIJAH

the basics

the appearance

Species • African Lion
Eye Colour • Blue with light yellow sclera
Markings & Scars • Darkly colored but still has a pink nose, thick facial rough that points upward, scruffy chin, hooded eyes, has two small beauty spots at the end of his muzzle on the left side of his face
Height • Below Average (3.5 ft tall)
Weight • Below Average (300 lbs)
Voice Actor • Ed Sheeran both talking and singing, he loves to sing
Basic Appearance • A stunning example of his species, Eli always tends to stand out in a crowd. His fur is so dark it is almost black and he disappears when stalking around at night, his deep and dark coloration making nighttime hunting a breeze for him, he is almost impossible to track in the dark. It is believed that he inherited his dark coloration from his mother. Though she was relatively normal in color herself- in fact she was quite light in color- her mother's mother was an extremely dark almost melanistic lion. As a recessive gene, it wasn't expressed in his own mother or even his grandmother, in fact they were noticeably lighter than normal, all of them. But they carried the possibility of melanism down to him and he's been the target for bullies ever since. His dark coat makes him stand out, and while so far it's only brought him hostility, at the end of the day, lionesses love dark males. Especially ones as dark but also as sweet as Eli is so, he's always been quite popular with the ladies.

His mane is thick but close-lying. It is nothing luxurious, it's not incredibly long or incredibly thick or anything like that, it's pretty par for the course for his age, stretching from chin to belly, stopping just a bit beyond his elbows. His elbows are scruffy as well, as are his ears and eyebrows, but his mane is more tame than you'd expect. It is such a dark color it is almost completely 100% black, another reason that lionesses tend to be all over him, the darker the mane the more attractive the male. However, he is still a single pringle because of his small size. He's about the same size as your average lioness, which makes him smaller than average in terms of male dimensions. He's about four or five inches shorter than the average male and is outweighed by his counter parts by a solid hundred pounds. He is a pretty small guy, but what he lacks in strength he makes up for it with speed and agility. His legs are long and his proportions are very cub-like despite his age, with big paws, longer legs and an overall less stocky appearance than your usual male. He is so light-weight that he can even climb trees like a leopard, most lions are much too big to do this so that gives Eli some advantage over others. He can also see very well in the dark, when his blue eyes reflect the moonlight and glow faintly.

He has no scars or injuries as of yet.

the personality

Personality • Eli is many things, but the main thing that everyone seems to notice is that he is absolutely amazingly kind, caring, generous individual with a heart of solid gold. Always altruistic, he is always looking out for others, often completely neglecting himself and his personal wants and needs in favor of seeing other animals get what they want and deserve. In that way, he has very low self-esteem, thinking that even vultures need food more than he does and he often goes hungry not because he does not hunt, but because he is always giving carcasses and things away to benefit others, especially if there are cubs involved. A young lion still himself, Eli has a massive soft spot for youngsters, knowing the cruel fate that might befall some of them, he will always jump into the line of fire to protect cubs, even if they are not his own, he simply puts that much value on the life of youth. They are this world's future and he goes out of his way to make them feel safe and secure, something he's never really had himself.

No, Eli really has no self-esteem whatsoever, thinking of himself as something to use but to then discard when you are done with it. This makes him incredibly shy and reserved, shying away from strangers out of pure fear and anxiety. He's faced a lot of hardship in his time on this earth, especially being bullied by other lions his age, he's been depressed, he's been miserable and, not wishing that on even his worst enemy, he goes out of his way to keep negative thoughts and feelings at bay for others. His mind is an absolute mess but as long as the others in his life are happy, he calls it a win, even if it sends him spiraling into the darkness, he is still just completely self-sacrificing and it can be hard for his friends to watch. He deserves more than what he's gotten and, still bullied even now as an adult, he just cannot see that for himself. He just thinks so lowly of himself. But others, be they strangers or long time friends, can always rely on him to be in their corner, to help when they need it, to protect them when needed, to cub-sit or hunt if that is what is asked of him, he finds satisfaction in helping people. Maybe he's a lost cause, just an actual pile of garbage, but that does not mean that the animals around him are as well. So he lives vicariously through cubs and children, making every day of their lives as fun and warm and comfortable as he possibly can because he knows the importance of that. So many cubs do not know their fathers, it's not something that Eli can really tolerate, cubs deserve to have a father figure, and while he would never vote himself 'best dad ever', he does try his best to help anyone who needs help, especially if and when cubs are involved.

Likes • The rainy season, he loves water and loves to swim and to fish | Cuddling, he is very affectionate once he knows someone well | Telling jokes and entertaining others, bit of a party boy, loves to hear others laugh | Singing, he loves to sing and will make up songs on the spot sometimes | Grubs, tends to eat insects instead of actual meat but he will scavenge from time to time
Dislikes • Being touched, especially by creatures that he does not know very well, with cubs being an obvious exception to the rule | Sleeping, his dreams are awful to him so he sleeps very little | Bullies, seeing others in danger | His emotional and dramatic reactions to things, it's not very masculine, he cries a lot | Killing, with an exception for prides that have animals to feed, he does not really kill personally but does not judge those who must kill to survive

History • Eli is a little bit of an oddball not just because of his dark and handsome appearance, and not because of his intelligence or his personal fortitude. No, Eli stands out because he knows nothing about being an actual African Lion. He was born in a sanctuary in the United States, somewhere in the deep south, far away from prying eyes. His father was a circus lion, trained to do tricks for an audience. Though most find such a profession to be unflattering, Eli's father Atieno loved it. He had some hard times with it, if he messed up the practice routines then he did not get food for the day, so he was a little skinny and a little on the small side because he grew up in such an environment where eating was a privilege and not a right. Fortunately for the lot of them, circuses were rapidly dwindling in number, unable to properly care for their animals without some kind of supplemental income. So they made a deal with a local sanctuary to use their circus lions as breeding stock for sanctuary animals that humans honestly wanted to groom in a way that they could potentially be re-released into the wild. Originally, Eli's father was one of those lions as he had an alpha personality, the right temperament, and he was originally born in the wild and was taken by poachers who sold him to the circus, so the sanctuary thought he'd at least throw some nice cubs, if they could not buy him and release him themselves. So he was rented out to the sanctuary on a regular basis, siring several litters of cubs behind its walls.

One of those cubs was Eli. Eli never really got the chance to truly meet his father. Sure, the older lion was around during his childhood, popping up to sire more cubs every now and again, they barely had the time to have a conversation, let alone actually have a relationship. But when Eli's mother died suddenly, his father was absolutely sympathetic and comforting to his son and daughter, who were still young at this time. Most of his cubs had moved on by this point, but Eli was different. He was skittish, fearful and emotional. So his father was constantly trying to toughen him up by telling him not to be such a "wussy" all of the time. But when his mother died, Eli's father was sort of there for him, a good ear to rant into and a good source of adult insight and advice. They were just starting to get to know each other when suddenly, Eli was ripped from his family, torn from his sister Riley, drugged and stuffed into a box. When he woke up, he was not in a sanctuary, he was in a palace.

He did not know what a palace was at the time and was instantly terrified, even though he woke up on the softest most plush bed he has ever seen let alone experience. The ceilings were way high up, there were gaudy columns everywhere, there was a big screen that showed pictures and played animal sounds, he had toys- mostly like big dog toys, they were tons of fun to chew on- and he had a huge bowl of raw meat, and there was soft music playing from god knows where. This palace was where Eli spent most of his life. He was chained to a wall at the end of a great hall, and humans would come around constantly to take pictures of him and throw him treats that he would catch in mid-air, much to the humans' delight. It was sort of like being in a circus. But his connection to his trainer was more than any circus lion could ever understand. His trainer was a kind and soft man who taught the young lion how to behave, how to not bite or scratch humans on purpose, how to sit and look pretty for the cameras, how to play games with toys and how to do tricks in exchange for food. Eli was glued to his trainer, always following the young man around when he was not chained to the wall. He knew of his owner, the one living in the palace, the young man was barely a teenager, how he had gotten to where he was, Eli could only guess. But it was clear from the get go that the guy did not care about his new lion, other than to flaunt him as an expensive purchase. He would take Eli for walks through their city and he was constantly at the center of attention, which slowly wore him down. At first, he loved the attention. But overtime, he began to feel used, neglected. He wanted to run around and roll in the grass and meet more big cats, all things he could not do from the end of a human's leash. So, utilizing the knowledge of an older lion named Luvo, he and Eli craftily undid their chains and snuck off into the night.

Though Eli had no idea where he was or what he was doing, he simply followed Luvo and ended up somehow back in Africa. They traveled all day and all night for several weeks, maybe even months, but eventually the jungles and brief snowstorms and incredible mountain ranges were left behind, and they entered a world full of tall grass and hyenas. Eli did not know anything about being a wild lion, he was born in captivity, he had never been so... free before. Luvo kind of walked him through the basics of being a lion- how to hunt, how to fish, how to know when you're trespassing on a pride's land, that kind of thing, which Eli soaked up like a sponge. But then Luvo went on to try and teach Eli how to take over a pride, how to lead for once in his life and not follow. He talked about fighting the pride's alpha male once he turned old and feeble, and while Eli was with this idea at first, when Luvo described what they'd have to do for the cubs in the pride, Eli went from enraptured to horrified. He was disgusted that any male would murder a helpless cub, let alone someone he considered to be a good friend. He vowed to find a way to never have to hurt a cub ever and he and Luvo kind of parted ways at this point. He, just like everyone else, thought Eli was just being a wussy.

Eli wandered for a long time, alone and lost in a world that he knew so little about. He got into many fights with pride males, who did not want him hanging around with lionesses who may have been in heat. Eli is too kind to ever forcefully take anyone as his mate, in fact he really doesn't care for the actual act of mating, he's more in it for the emotions, for the long talks at four in the morning, for the trust and companionship and the knowledge that if you died someone would miss you. But the local pride males were not buying it and he was chased and run around like a chicken with his head cut off. He's now been sculking around the Pridelands, being sure to keep his distance but also finding peace and comfort in the small unclaimed area that exists between the Pridelands and some parts of the Outlands. He is still pretty clueless about how to be a lion, he sometimes has trouble reading body language because he just was never exposed to it so he seems a little slow, a little culture shocked and a little confused. But he's nice and is very respectful of territories that he wanders close to, he is always sure to keep his distance. But someone somewhere must've noticed him because now, animals enter the Outlands literally looking for him. He is just so kind and generous that many animals seek him out for help or advice, so even though he is a rogue with no pride of his own, all of the local prides and their subjects seem to know about him.

He is still friends with Luvo, who has forcefully taken a territory nearby, and Eli goes to visit him all of the time. Luvo really wants Eli to join his pride as a backup alpha male, so if challengers appear, it at least would be two on one. But Eli always refuses, he cannot look at his friend the same way after knowing that he slaughtered innocent cubs just for the sake of power and being in charge, it disgusted him. But other than that topic, they still enjoy each other's company and Eli learns a lot from the wild born Luvo, while Luvo just likes to feel useful and will always come to Eli's aid should he need it at any time. There is also a female rogue wandering around- a leucistic leopon named Kambo, whom Eli has become fast friends with. She is miserable and sad all of the time, terribly depressed with nowhere to go and no one who cares. Eli relates to her predicament so much and the two are kindred spirits- both soft spoken and altruistic and such. They hang out from time to time.

But Eli is getting tired of wandering, tired of being chased and stepped on, ignored or more likely bullied for his small size, his more feminine features, and his overall construction. He wants to find somewhere to be... safe and loved and treasured, something he has just never felt in his life before, and as he rapidly approaches adulthood, he worries that he will never find a mate or a pride and will die somewhere of some random disease and no one will care, no one will miss him. He wants so desperately to just be important to somebody.... but he gets in his own way, overthinking things to the point that his behavior becomes unnerving. He's not a very appealing guy, he feels like, and he honestly does not believe he will ever find someplace to call home, let alone to find someone who will be waiting for him there. He is a very lost and confused individual. But his heart is solid gold.

the FAMILy

Father • Atieno (whereabouts unknown)
Mother • Asya (deceased)
Siblings • Rylie (littermate, whereabouts unknown), Zack and Jason (older brothers, both live in a zoo in the UK)
Mate • None
Offspring • None
Others • Kambo (fellow rogue and a good friend, she is a lion x leopard cross), Luvo (recent prideleader and a good friend, he's an african lion, only slightly bigger than Eli), Wenzile (a cheetah with crackhead energy, sort of a friend, common hunting partner)

the role player

Name • Heapass
Nickname • Heapass is fine, can be shortened to Heap, my real name is Joey which some of my friends use sometimes
Age • Thirty
Password • Don't post this until you're COMPLETELY finished with your app.
Other Characters • Tojo , Nyongeza , jiwe

roleplay Sample

Missy had always been a finicky horse, which was not saying a lot since she was only a few years old, still a teenager by horse standards. She was still getting used to eating solid food, still getting used to the idea that her mother was now ten stalls down the row from her rather than being within muzzle reach, and the whole concept of life in this big, bad adult world seemed to hit the leggy filly hard. It was not odd for her to reject her feed every few days or so. But she'd pace, get some exercise the next morning and return that night for dinner sporting a healthy appetite again and all would be well. Not eating for three days straight was a bit odd, even for her and her young jaw, her unground teeth.

That was how the oldest De Luca child found the cremello filly that damp evening- pacing restlessly in her stall, a full bag of oats hanging from the sliding wood door to her stall, still heavy and completely untouched. She was starting to wear a track in the bedding on the floor as well, a perfect oval of kicked sawdust marking every step of her shoed hooves for the past 72 hours, where as all of the other horses, her mother included, stood stock still in the slowly darkening evening air. They probably had never worn tracks in their stalls in their lives. Carson's eyebrows dropped toward his brilliant blue eyes in an expression of deep puzzlement. To be fair, Missy was always a fidgety filly- taking after her sire and sporting boundless amounts of energy, she promised to be an excellent racehorse one of these days. But a healthy amount of energy was also usually accompanied by a crazy appetite, and even when at her most finicky, she'd go maybe six to twelve hours maximum without nibbling on something. This three day stint was unheard of.

Unsure of what else to do, the tallest of the De Luca family used his long strides and well built legs to close the small gap between himself and his favorite horse, casually coming to a stop with his chest leaned against the soggy wooden doorframe. Outside of the stables, the sky was cast over with darkened clouds and a lazy rain fell from the heavens in low, gentle rumbles. But the shingled roof was solid and the thoroughbred paused in her stall to eye the soaking wet figure that now peered at her through the bars, swiveling her ears once or twice curiously before silently walking over to where his hand lay outstretched through the door. Without hesitation, she sniffed and then casually nibbled his extended fingers, tugging on the wet sleeve of his jacket, as though to ask why he'd be foolish enough to come out here in the bad weather. But the werewolf only smiled knowingly at the animal and patted her nose gingerly.

"What's the matter with you? Your favorite rolled oats and you've barely touched 'em."

WORDS: 507 (and that's pretty short for me, I can regularly type between 700 and 900 words)