none but the [lark] so shrill and clear

image © lynstar of flickr.

ϟ ϟ ϟ
hello hello, introduce yourself, won't you?

NAME: Lark
AGE: Seven
GENDER: Male
BREED: [[Belgian Malinois x English Pointer] x Flat-Coated Retriever] x Flat-Coated Retriever] x [Flat-Coated Retriever]
PACK: Westwood

APPEARANCE:

Having inherited his father's unique and sheer, moderately imposing size as well as his mother's leaner, though finely-muscled and toned build, Lark is the product of a rather divine mixture; strong and durable, he has grown to be a fine balance between brute strength and agility. As far as over-all appearance is concerned, specifically from a distance, the male looks far closer to his larger counterpart, his father, despite perhaps pertaining a similar personality to his now-deceased mother. His pelt is an exceedingly dark, glossy ebon in color, and though his appearance is not overwhelmingly notable, he does tend to catch the eyes of those of which he is surrounded by. With very deep chocolate eyes, generally lifeless and pallid, and scars that mar his body in varying sizes, this male can often appear dangerously intimidating; not by the stereotype his breed is given, like most, but instead his demeanor. If anything, his breed stereotype would provide a very wrong indication as to his personality; energetic, exuberant, and confident are hardly within the range of his demeanor.

PERSONALITY:

strengths ;
[Trustworthy, emotionally collected, self-controlled, dignified, respectful.]

weaknesses ;
[Overly detached, lacks the ability to form emotional relationship, poor social-skills.]

stoic. Upon first meeting Lark's acquaintance, many would be quick to judge him as an exceedingly concise, abrupt, and eerily emotionless individual. Never willing to let primal or instinctual urges and impulses get the best of him, self-control is, without a doubt, the most dominant trait of which he possesses. Lark is a brute of whom has been numbed and hardened to a point where emotion and feeling are unfathomably difficult to express, despite the fact he does, indeed, feel. He often wishes to smile, longs to laugh, but cannot do so without inner struggle; it is far too foreign, to him. Because of this inability to express himself, stemming from intense guard and mistrust, Lark is very detached, and therefore often introverted. He can be a flawless leader, yes, but not an inviting nor exuberant one. He simply accomplishes what he must, and leaves it at that.

dignified. Perhaps one of the most evident aspects of his personality, Lark is an undeniably regal, stately, and noble male. He does not let impulses get the best of him, nor does he wield an obnoxious bone within his skillfully crafted torso. He is composed, collected, and inevitably precise in each and every of his actions--like that of a ruler, he holds a certain sense of respectable authority and a humble magnificence. Lark harbors no hint of childishness or indecorous, and, from a glance, would appear exceedingly honorable; distinguished, aristocratic. He is particularly refined, yet grave. Never would he allow his emotions cloud his reasoning, and it is evident in the sober way of which he conducts herself.

loyal. Although a rather hardened being, Lark has extremely good morals--and, they are displayed with the presence of a fierce loyalty and dedication to his word. Once given, he will never go back on it--not unless, of course, it could lead to disasters for both parties involved. Now, Lark's respect is given out very sparingly and, with it, usually comes his undoubted loyalty. It is exceedingly difficult to achieve either of these, but, once an individual has them in their grasp, Lark will stand by their side until death. Keep in mind however that, should one break such trust, such promises, he will strike back with the precision and remorselessness of a viper, with an animalistic lust for blood.

humble. Not pertaining an arrogant or egotistical bone within his finely chiseled, muscled frame, Lark is a male of whom holds a quaint amount of self-worth and, though he has the confidence to achieve the things of which are required of him, he has no longing to flaunt his abilities to those within his surroundings. He is not so sickeningly insecure, nor is he obscenely attention-seeking; to put it simply, Lark does not seek the concentration of others. Compliments are rather foreign, to this hardened individual, and thus he does not vie for them each waking moment of the day.

passionate. Although it may seem unlikely should one venture across this weathered and stoic individual, Lark does, indeed feel--very deeply, in fact. He is a brute of whom refuses to allow his views to be ignored, should he feel fervidly enough about them, and will not rest until the wrong has been righted, and all of his morals are satisfied. Should he ever fall in love, it will be quite similar; Lark will be the type of mate to devote his entire being to his other half, without so much as expecting a smile in return. When he believes strongly in something, or perhaps even relays his trust within something, he devotes himself towards said thing in a very intense and awe-inspiring manner. He does not express such passion with the vulgarity of most, but that certainly does not mean it is not present.

fierce. Although Lark is oddly level-headed and has an excessive amount of self-control, he is still not a male that should be trifled with. He is not quick to snap, as his patience is nearly everlasting, however there are certain times when the brute can turn very aggressive, very quickly; he is uniquely protective and, in rare cases, can even grow possessive over those he cares for. In a pack setting, for example, any threats will be annihilated should they be deemed worthy, due to an intense longing to protect those he cares for. This ferocity is not blind nor raging, but rather stems from experience and knowledge; he is peaceful, until given adequate reason for otherwise. Never, would Lark go searching for a senseless fight--it is simply not within his character.

selfless. A very secretly benevolent, charitable, and altruistic individual, though it may not seem likely, Lark is a male of whom regards other's lives as more valuable then his own. Sacrifices have been a part of his life throughout the years and so they only come naturally to him--should he have to give up his power, his happiness, for the well-being of a child holding potential, he will--just as he will always put the lives of his loved ones before his own. A respectable trait, but one he holds nonetheless.

post-traumatic stress syndrome. Finally, due to the events of which make up his history, Lark suffers from post-traumatic stress syndrome. It is not an extremely severe case, nor is it even notable in most scenarios, but it is certainly present. Because of this, he often experiences very vivid, intense nightmares, as well as flashbacks on occasion. His triggers are very few, and can inspire a very uncharacteristically panicky, flustered reaction from him, should a spell hit without warning.

HISTORY:

years one to two. For Lark, loss started young. His mother perished while giving birth to him, thus provoking an intense hatred for the pup within his father, stemming primarily from the agony of loss and the ability to blame another morsel. The larger male, a self-proclaimed alpha of their little pack of abandonees, made his distaste towards the puppy very evident from the moment he hit the ground; however, having not been of his mother's sole litter, Lark had a brother to fall upon, for support. Valor, appropriately named in his father's narrow-minded eyes, was Lark's everything; his rock, his inspiration, his stability. And, despite the fact that Valor was favored by the pups' father, Lark knew better then to take this to heart. His dad did, however, teach him the art of the hunt; not out of wanting to preach cruelty, but out of longing for his children to survive and carry on his legacy. It is due to this training that Lark is so proficient in the ways of taking lives, despite his good morals.

year three. It was once the male turned four, having flourished into a fine specimen (despite his father's inability to yet realize it), Lark, along with Valor, began taking on other responsibilities, such as scouting for their quaint pack in attempt to bring in more numbers. Why? Another pack was quick to blossom within the area, twice in size and equally more intimidating, thus upping the ante. Lark's pack resided within their deceased owner's barn, having been long forgotten there with the elderly man's death, and thus Lark's father had a very emotional attachment to the area. Lark respected this as, though the feeling was hardly mutual, he did love and admire his father. With that said, the superior was hardly afraid to send Lark out to scout with Valor, with the sole purpose of protecting his older, more valuable brother--it went very wrong, very quickly. In brief, the scouting mission left Valor dead and Lark wounded, having just escaped the grasp of death in an act his father would off-handedly perceive as cowardice. He was rewarded with a short but memorable, "it should have been you," upon his homecoming, before being immediately outlawed for his disservice.

years four to five. Having his purpose and stability pulled from beneath his paws in a matter of seconds, Lark was left stranded. In a desperate search for a place to belong, he ended up meandering into the hands of the same very pack that slaughtered his brother--unknowingly, of course. They accepted him into the pack after hearing his plea and soon enough Lark found himself rapidly making his way up the ranks. Before long, he served as something resembling that of a general; in charge of all trespassers, war, and strategy regarding the conduct of the pack itself. By the time he was five, he had gained himself the respect of each and every canine within the pack, alpha included. That changed, however, when Lark caught wind of the fact his brother had been murdered at the hands of the pack he served for. The male lost it, attacking the alpha when he was least suspecting it and did not cease until the superior was battered and broken, coughing up a bloody froth. And then, Lark took off. No longer trusting himself or his emotions, he receded into himself entirely.

years six and seven. Long story short, Lark did eventually find reprieve in the form of a female, a stray collie, who was quick to capture his heart and ease his battered spirit. He fell in love with her, recklessly so, throwing all logic into the wind as he did so--and, much like other times within the male's life, it came back to bite him. He found his mate, as well as their entire litter of four at the time, dead within their den upon his return from a hunting day-trip. Or, rather, all except one; a female pup with the striking, blue eyes of her mother. Lark devoted his life, from then on, to attempt and raise the child; months were spent to provide her with the care and support needed for survival, but Lark was no female, and therefore could not provide her with the milk needed. That, in turn, resulted in her being extremely malnourished and frail, nearly unable to carry her own weight long after the period where she should have been walking. Come winter she, too, passed, curled into the warmth of his neck.

Since that point in time, Lark has not recovered. He is broken, but strong--bleeding, but with a valiant will to survive his wounds.

PS. SORRY FOR LE SHITTINESS IT SHAMES ME BUT ALAS I CANNOT DO BETTER AT THE MOMENT ILY ALL SORRY KTHNKSBYE.