Shadowpaw Larkspur
Full Name: Shadowpaw Larkspur
Gender: Male
Age: 18
Height: ‘5“11,
Physical Appearance: silver, short, straight hair, curtain bangs, electric blue eyes, fair skin, neutral undertones, as-muscular-as-an-eighteen-year-old-guy-can-realistically-be body type :D
Animal Form: large silver fox
What’s their role in your story? Main character, side character, etc.? Shadowpaw is a main side-character.👍Does it make complete sense? Not really, no. But that’s what he is.
What is their greatest desire? Something they’d give anything to have? Shadowpaw would do anything to protect his siblings. He loves them more than anything else in his life, and would risk a lot to secure their future.
Do they have a dream job? If not, how do they feel about not knowing what they want to be when they grow up? Shadowpaw’s only idea for his future is leading his siblings.
Can they fight? With or without weapons? Shadowpaw can fight wonderfully with his mother’s dual swords and could grapple adequately with an enemy. (Or one of his brothers.)
Are they left or right-handed? Or are they ambidextrous? Shadowpaw is left-handed, as is 90% of the humanimal population.
How strong are they, both physically and mentally? Physically, Shadowpaw is really strong. He’s also an excellent problem solver, and resilient, but can be a bit too resilient at times. (Stubborn, you know? That’s one of his flaws.)
What do you, as the author, want to happen to them by the end of the story? (Character arcs, new friendships, revelations, etc.) By the end of this book, Shadowpaw no longer hates the entire kingdom of Moonflower Valley, and grows fond of another side-character.
What do they do in their spare time? Because he lives in the middle of nowhere with nobody but his siblings, he has a lot of spare time, in which he works out, reads (when he’s able to borrow a good book from Flynne), fishes in the rivers, and practices sword fighting.
If this character kept reliving the same exact day over and over and over again, (like the events of the movie ‘Groundhog Day’), what would they do? Honestly? I’m not sure. I feel like this is when all the uptight characters would come undone and start living completely on the edge, but Shadowpaw wouldn’t do anything differently. He’s already living as dangerously as he dares, and he wouldn’t leave his siblings or try to settle a score with anyone. I guess he’d just… stop aging??
Does this character keep a journal? What do they write in it? As a matter of fact, Shadowpaw does not keep a journal. He’s not much of a writer.
Does this character know how to dance? Do they enjoy dancing? Yes and mostly. He learned how to dance as a child (six years old), and liked it fine until Lightningbolt became obsessed with it. His younger sister makes him and their other siblings dance with her so she can practice, and the science behind him not liking it is simply because he’s obligated to.
Would you and this character get along in real life? Hm… I can honestly say I do not know. He’s polite enough to people not associated with Moonflower Valley, buuuuuuut then again I created that kingdom. I also killed his parents, so… But he does get along alright with Citrine, though. Wow, the fact that Citrine is like my tether to the rest of my characters is just— *sniffles* Thank you, darling.
Who do they look up to? Their older brother or sister, a parent, a celebrity? What do they like about them? How did this person earn their respect? Shadowpaw looks up to his dad. How did he earn his respect? Well, aside from the fact that he was his dad, he was a magnificent leader, and an amazing friend. (At least, he used to be…) Now he looks up to the memory of his father, and in tough situations he finds himself asking what his dad would do. He isn’t conscious of it, but he’s no longer really doing what his dad would’ve done. He’s doing what he knows in his heart is the right thing.
Do they like little kids (or just regular kids, depending on how old they are), or do they find them annoying? I mean, he kind of had to learn to love them, since he’s got five younger siblings. Yes, Shadowpaw thinks little kids are cute, and he also knows how to handle them like a pro. He’s like the child whisperer…
Are they introverted, extroverted, or the perfect introvert + extrovert salad? With a little weirdness dressing? Shadowpaw is a bit of both. He knows how to talk to people, but is also pretty guarded when it comes to conversation. He doesn’t give away anything for free, and if you want to know about his past? Either get close to him, or try talking to Rainpelt instead.
Do they have siblings? Are they the oldest, youngest, or somewhere in between? How does their role in their family affect the way they act? Shadowpaw is the oldest of six, and his role in his family affected him a LOT. When his pack was destroyed and his parents killed, he raised his siblings by himself as a thirteen-year-old boy. He was thirteen. I swear I don’t know how he managed to pull that off. …I probably should know how he pulled that off, though. *adds another item to my To-Do list* How does being the oldest affect the way he acts? Well, he’s always putting his siblings first, he’s incredibly responsible and reliable, and he feels like he needs to always know what he’s doing. He always needs to have a plan, and a backup plan, to know what to do in the event of fill-in-the-blank. And he usually does, but I have a few things in mind for him… You know, push my characters to their limits? Ah, I’m so evil.
What are their unique relationships with each of their siblings? Let’s start with the oldest and work our way down, yeah? Hurricane and Shadowpaw, who are two years apart, are practically best friends. They work out together, fight together—you know, with swords—fish together, and make fun of each other. Together. Shadowpaw also tends to curse a bit (don’t worry, I keep it on the hush-hush), and Hurricane keeps him in check. E.g. punching, pinching, elbowing, stepping on, or kicking him.
Lightningbolt and Shadowpaw are close as well and he observes her as a peer. They dance together, like I mentioned before, and when he gets overwhelmed or is having ‘one of those days’, she listens to him rant and gives him a shoulder to lean on.
Sunray and Shadowpaw, who are four years apart, are actually pretty similar when you get down to it. They’re both guarded, and put on a strong but playful exterior on the usual day-to-day. But they understand each other like nobody else. Sunray doesn’t like showing weakness, and neither does Shadowpaw, but they share deep, intimate moments when one of them needs it.
Rainpelt and Shadowpaw just act like your average brothers. They’re also four years apart, but Rainpelt acts more aloof and playful than Sunray, so Shadowpaw sees him as a child. I mean, granted, he is only fourteen, but you get what I mean. Shadowpaw trusts Rainpelt with important things… mostly—but definitely wouldn’t be the first person he turns to in a moment of need.
Moonshine, who is about nine years younger than Shadowpaw, brings out his strictest side—but also his most playful. She makes him feel like an old, father-ish guy, but also like the young man that he is. They play together all the time, and he taught her how to handle a sharp, fighting knife—something he truly regretted one bad haircut later.
Are they married or in a relationship? Do they plan on getting married in the future? Shadowpaw isn’t married, and has never been in a relationship. He’s seen couples before, and has imagined himself as the male lead in several romance novels of Lightningbolt’s—a detail that he’ll never admit to anybody. He doesn’t think that he’ll ever get married, mainly because he lives in the middle of nowhere and has never met anyone who he’s actually interested in.
Do they have pets, or want any? Shadowpaw doesn’t have any pets and has never thought about it since the Eastern Pack was destroyed. He has enough responsibility between taking care of his siblings and making sure Moonshine grows up with values.
Do they have a favorite animal? He really loves griffins. They’re so powerful and majestic, and really loyal companions.
What does this character do in response to things they’re afraid of, whether it be public speaking, spiders, water, etc.? Do they try their best to avoid it? Have a panic attack? Take a deep breath, keep calm, and face it? Do they have any other methods? On the rare occasion that he’s scared of something, Shadowpaw doesn’t let the fear show on his face. He might take a breath to keep his head clear, and then he strategizes. What’s the safest, most logical thing to do in this situation? If it’s run, sobeit, but he’s always prepared for a fight.
What does this character think and do when they see their own reflection? Do they stop and fix their hair, wink at themselves, wrinkle their nose, shudder, etc.? Shadowpaw thinks of his dad when he sees his reflection. The older he gets, the less differences there are between them, and the prouder he feels.
How does this character act when they get sick? Do they suck it up and refuse medicine, rest, and TLC? Do they drop everything and cuddle up under the blankets until they're better? Or do they embellish their suffering and become a pain to take care of? Shadowpaw will try to hide his condition for as long as he can, but when Lightningbolt realizes he’s feeling under the weather, she forces him to stop acting like an idiot and let her treat him, take it slow, and reread a few feel-good books.
What would this character do if there was a bug—or a snake—inside their dwelling space? Would they scream and run away? Call their mom, dad, brother, sister, significant other, etc. to remove it from the premises? Would they glance at it and pick it up (or kill it) and then put it where it belongs? Yeah, bugs don’t bother Shadowpaw. He would totally just pick it up—bare-handed, regardless of its species—and take it into the forest so that the chances of it coming back are slim.
How does this character act in social situations? Are they the life of the party? Do they stick around their friends or siblings? Well… Shadowpaw hasn’t exactly done anything ‘social’ in a long time, but in this hypothetical situation, he’s the life of the party. He’s chatting it up with everybody, maybe flirting on occasion, and participating in as many games and festivities as possible.
Does this character know how to play a musical instrument? Do they know how to sing? If so, what instrument do they play? Do they perform for friends and family, or only play when they're alone? He doesn’t play any instruments—unless those of death count XD—but he does sing with his siblings. Not well, mind you, but some traditional East Pack songs that they’ve kept alive.
Does this character participate in any form of sports? Are they only doing it because their parents or friends pressured them into it? Do they enjoy sports? It hardly counts, due to the fact that he does it alone, but Shadowpaw sword fights defenseless dummies, trees, and the occasional unsuspecting younger brother. (Hurricane still won’t go anywhere without his knife.)
Is this character a hugger? Why or why not? Shadowpaw isn’t afraid to show affection to his siblings—especially Moonshine—and hugs them often. Especially Moonshine. He rarely hugs Hurricane or Rainpelt, though—instead opting for a clap on the back or a tousling of hair. (The latter is reserved for Rainpelt, of course. Hurricane is much too tall and strong to accomplish it without being attacked.)
What does this character do when they get tired and they’re around people? Do their eyes start fluttering closed? Do they take long blinks? Or is this tired character a nightmare to be around? Irritable, rude, a menace to society? Depending on if he enjoys the company in question, he may just get drowsy and bleary-eyed. If he’s in a bad mood or does not appreciate his company, he may get irritable and cranky.
Wow, what a man. Shadowpaw was a creature of mystery prior to this beautiful informant. He’s a poor, traumatized boy, but I’ll be darned if I said I didn’t love him. (As a character, of course.) :D
These questions were compiled by Leah Larkspur into character sheets. If you would like to create your own character using her method, click here.