» Ajax Reiotir [&Nyx] «

[Rin]

Ajax Reiotir

NOTE: This profile was made on the older version of Enera and therefore is not updated to the standardized profile format. Apologies! (There are lots of HTML related errors in here as well )

» The clothes he usually wears are different; these are edited versions to show where the morphed parts are. «



Name: » Ajax Reiotir «



Age: » 10.5 years «



Birthdate: » July 14th «



Gender: » Male «



Status: » Exiled Criminal; Serving Sentence «



Pokemorph?: » Yes; Scizor (normal coloring) «



Sexuality: » Waveringly straight — he is somewhat bi: 70% leaning towards girls. It was likely his fetus was mixed with female Scizor DNA instead of that of a male’s, since it is probably what the lab had on hand and females are generally fiercer/larger than males. His adoration of Prince Léon is also probably more than that of a simple guard-master relationship. «



Theme Song: » ♫♪ «



Appearance:



• Starting from head going down:



» Standing at around 4’5” (plus hair), Ajax doesn’t cut much of an intimidating figure (aside from the huge pincer and usually sullen face), although he is somewhat tall for his age and would be formidable on the playground, had he lived that path of life. His hair quite spiky and stands up without gel or product. The spikes are well defined and point upward and back (think Sora or Cloud-style); spikes at his scalp are the tallest, and those nearer to his forehead are shorter. At the very front, his hair falls in and around his eyes in the form of bangs normally only made by piecing. The color of the hair itself ranges from bright scarlet to dark-pink tinted crimson. It shines in strong light. The texture is surprisingly smooth and the hair tends to stay clean, the reason being that he bathes often for a traveler because he was used to paying attention to hygiene at the estate. «



» His eyebrows are a relatively average-thickness, dark scarlet in color. His ears are slightly pointed with attached lobes, although this is mostly concealed by loose wisps not confined to a spike. His right ear is pierced with a cut sapphire gem stud earring set in gold—upon closer inspection, there is a detailed symbol carved into it that’s a lot like a coat of arms. (It’s the insignia of the royal family he’s bound to, but more on that in History). Ajax’s eyes are a pale golden yellow/light butterscotch, more rich in hue than a normal Scizor’s; but by no means whatsoever are they amber or warm gold. The pupils are slightly slitted, black, and dilate normally like any other human. His eye shape is closer to a child’s larger eyes, although the edges narrow somewhat. His lips are the typical pale sandy-peach. Ajax’s skin has a pinkish-cream hue, a little lighter than the average person. He blushes easily when embarrassed (something he dislikes thoroughly), but contrastingly, in cold or hot weather his skin gets a little paler. The facial structure itself is round like most children, with a somewhat pointed chin. When he smiles, he sports two small dimples on either side of the grin. «



» While his neck is a little long, it is typically not too noticeable since he holds his head slightly lowered and forward, slightly imitating a Scizor. Near the top of his neck, where his hairline begins, the symbol on his earrings is tattooed onto his skin in gold. It shimmers faintly in bright light, but is fairly unnoticeable for the most part. As for his shoulders, chest, and stomach, he is unnaturally lithe due to training and the inherited pokemon genes. Muscles tend to be more concentrated behind the shoulders, lined along the bicepts, and in the stomach area as well as abdomen in the very faint outline of a six-pack. The muscles are not grotesquely bunched and are rather lined around the organs and veins compactly. Ajax doesn’t like to eat excessively and stops abruptly when full, so he would definitely be considered skinny by most, with little evidence of child fat. He has little hip padding and a small butt although his flank is fairly muscular.

• The main emphasis of his body structure is to be agile, flexible, and fast, all while maintaining flawless balance. The muscle is not to lift and push, but mainly to propel his body to high speeds in the shortest amounts of time possible while still being able to maneuver back and forth in an elastic manner. This is why his muscles are dense and tight like coiled springs rather than bulky. The exception is his right shoulder, which needs power to lift the heavy claw of a right arm. «



» At the hollow where his throat meets his chest, the collarbone skims to the right and then the shoulder joint juts out in a darker scarlet-crimson, smooth, hard exoskeleton. (It is significantly larger than the other shoulder and needs to be to hold the necessary muscle to hold up the heavy claw. Also, think of the exoskeleton as the kind of hard material that would clack and remain unblemished if someone whipped a pebble at it). The change in anatomy is sudden and strange when looking at skin tone and texture, as if Ajax’s arm had been cut off and someone had replaced it with a Scizor’s arm. However, closer inspection reveals the joint to be well placed and perfectly in sync with the rest of the body. When Ajax lets his right arm hang limply (this happens rarely, since it causes him to be severely misbalanced which feels inherently uncomfortable to him) one can see that in fact, the fair skin does indeed fade into a hard shell. The arm itself is a close replica of a pure Scizor’s, if only somewhat smaller because of Ajax’s age. It is thinner than most human arms and tends to have a cooler temperature than the rest of his body. Additionally, both the claw and arm are incredibly difficult to puncture or scratch. Behind the claw is a Scizor’s hand and wrist full of steely sinew, which allows Ajax to clamp powerfully on whatever is in the claw hand. The bulk of the claw can also be used for smashing things, and when Ajax doesn’t use the claw for a few weeks, the teeth grow to be razor sharp, allowing him to cut through a great amount of objects easily. «



» As for the left arm, it is slender and all-around human. With a thin wrist and long fingers for his age, Ajax is very dexterous with his left hand—and he has to be. The claw doesn’t help much as in most cases, it’s too large and too strong. Therefore, the nimble left hand has to do everything that normally takes both hands to do, such as tying shoes or putting on clothes. The pads of the fingers have calloused due to training and travel, but the majority of his hand is protected by a thick, dark red biker’s glove covering the palm and the top of his hand from finger-joints to wrist. On the top of the hand, stitched in gold threading, is the same symbol that appears on the back of his neck and on his earring. «



» Around the shoulderblade area, the skin fades into rich cardinal red on both sides, becoming exoskeleton. Light-weight limbs extend outward and become translucent-silver-gray insect wings, with hard red lining at the top to keep structure. Ajax has high control over these wings and hold them loosely or press them tightly against his body. Most of the time the wings are vibrating at a quick pace, usually too fast for the human eye to follow, as they help regulate his body temperature. (Being a Scizor ‘morph, his ability to sweat to help keep cool is impaired badly, so the wings take care of this). During hot days or after strenuous physical exercise, the wings may vibrate enough that Ajax is surrounded with an audible hum.

• Since the wings are made primarily to regulate heat, they are not really strong enough to carry Ajax’s weight. While he can hover a few feet off the ground for around half a minute, this is incredibly straining and he much prefers to use their boost to aid in agility or give him that extra couple of inches to reach a limb on a tree while climbing. Occasionally with strong winds, this small amount of flying power can be more effective, and it proves extremely useful with the aid of his legs when he is jumping between high places such as the tops of trees of the roofs of buildings. «



[Note that unfortunately in a couple of the pictures the wings were forgotten. My bad.]



» Again, his thighs are fairly lean and muscular for his age, all for the sake of propulsion and speed. At the knee, his legs show the same change that appears at his right shoulder. It almost seems as if someone had removed his kneecaps and the rest of the legs, and then replaced the limbs flawlessly with a Scizor’s knees, calves, and feet. Like his shoulder and right arm, skin is replaced with smooth, shiny, shell-like dark scarlet exoskeleton material. As a Scizor’s legs do, Ajax’s calves widen and end in wide, eclipse-shaped feel with no ankle joint. A large silver claw curves in the front, and the foot is also supported with a smaller, flexible claw in the back that acts as a small thumb and helps direct and keep balance at high speeds. These feel and calves can withstand a large impact and often have to. «



Clothing:



» Ajax never wears anything with sleeves; reason being, he simply can’t fit into such shirts with his claw. Therefore, he is only seen now with loose black shirts that rest easily over his shoulders. He has a few pairs, but the one most used has two red stripes down the front and various gold-colored metal accents. The cloth is light and breathable. Occasionally he wears a belt with a gold buckle. He almost always wears pants with bottoms that widen out, allowing his legs to be comfortable and the fabric to stay loose, preferring practicality over glamour by far. These pants tend to be dark wash or black jeans, sometimes with more gold accents. They tend to be a little short at the bottom so he won’t fray the ends with his footclaws. Ajax never wears shoes—they are both incredibly uncomfortable and hinder his movement immensely. After all, his feet already have high traction and don’t posses flesh to cut. «



» During the large amount of his childhood, however, Ajax wore more official shirts in deep black with the gold crest stitched onto the left breast, which was tailored for his arm and bulky claw. The shirts were light, breathable, and typically form-fitting. For pants, he wore resembled the jeans he wears now in shape, but they usually came in lighter colors such as cherry red, pale gray or silver, gold, iridescent white, or lavender. Ceremonial colors were white and gold, usually with feathers around the nape. All fabrics used resembled the luxurious smoothness of silk or satin, although more formal outfits were usually made out of velvet-like material. However, he would typically worn light, flexible armor over his shoulders (though not obscuring his wings), chest, and thighs, which did not impair movement. «



Personality:



►Constant. » Ajax was brought into life as a ‘morph. Neither he nor Nyx (the dæmon) knew a different kind of life, body, or personality. Therefore, there are no traumatizing recollections of suddenly waking up to have a Scizor’s arm grafted onto him. To Ajax, the qualities of a Scizor are just as important to him as his human parts, perhaps even more important—cutting off a wing would be as bad as ripping off an ear. Not only that, but he’s never had a different life, either (until now, that is). There is not a before being a pokemorph or after being a pokemorph. He always just was. «



►Loyal. » All his life, Ajax has been raised to be fiercely loyal to Prince Léon and the royal family, and not only has that been taught to him, but he has accepted that role with a passion. Never is he just Ajax Reiotir; he is Ajax Reiotir, Guardian of Prince Léon of the Telaseine Dynasty. Ajax’s loyalty is both his most prominent trait and the one he himself identifies with most strongly. He allows himself to be blinded by his fidelity and is completely at ease with it, even encouraging it. His love for Léon is so deep-rooted and inherent, he can’t really imagine any other way of life. To him, those without such a bond must be lost, floundering, unclear of their existence. While he doesn’t talk much about his sworn family to others, anyone who knows of the binding to the Telaseine royal family (ie: Léon and his dæmon) can easily see how that fuels everything he does. To those he does know well, he could talk for hours about them, and could very well pridefully give a wealth of details about his way of life as well as theirs.

• Outside of the House of Telaseine, Ajax tends to be somewhat distrusting at first and it is not uncommon for him to great another with a childish scowl. But once he respects someone and he or she has his friendship and loyalty, he will never betray them. «



►Stubborn/Strong-willed/Rash. » While he’s willing to bend to the orders of his lords and ladies, he prefers to go his own way rather than listen to others. In fact, if he feels that his own plans are better, he’d rather execute them and lose the battle than listen to another’s advice aside from his dæmon’s (thankfully so, since more often than not she is able to pull him onto a more sensible course of action). He has a solid perception of ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ that can sometimes be rather illogical to others. As for rules, he has no objection to completely disregarding them when he can’t see the reasoning behind them. Ajax continues to retain a more childish point of view, and when told or explained why he is wrong he tends to hotly disagree or turn his back until Nyx intervenes. Due to this conviction, he will rush into situations before planning, preferring quick, decisive action over careful preparation.



►Short-tempered/Emotional. » Perhaps this is some of the Scizor DNA kicking in, although it is likely that had he not been a pokemorph, he still would have been easily irritable. Ajax is easily annoyed and angered; even small things only done a few times will flame his temper. Thankfully, these sessions of being hot-headed don't last for too long, and Nyx can almost always easily talk him out of it. This somewhat of a hindrance during battles, because if a match isn't going well or a pokemon can't push themselves enough, he'll get angry. Fast. On the other hand, true fits of serious anger are quite rare, but when they do happen, Ajax becomes incredibly destructive and will usually end up smashing most things around him or snapping them in half. Of course, anger is not Ajax's only emotion. He experiences happiness, sadness, remorse, as well as the rest of the spectrum of emotions. He tends to go through mood swings fairly speedily, it is not difficult to prod him in the direction of one mood or another, and his emotions tend to get away with him, making Ajax handily manipulable (Nyx sometimes takes advantage of this). Additionally, Ajax is rather easy to read, for he tends to wear his expressions on his sleeves. When he's embarrassed, he'll blush, and pointing that out will simply make him become more embarrassed and blush more; when he's happy, he'll smile and laugh; when he's angry, he'll scowl and grind his teeth; when he's sad, he'll turn away and cry. (As a side note, Ajax is always striving to be 'strong/protective' so he tries to avoid crying in front of others as much as possible. He believes that crying is a sign of weakness and he should only be seen crying in front of those who are very close to him). «



►Blunt. » Never having been in a typical social environment, Ajax was never one to tell white lies or beat around the bush. He has no tact whatsoever and usually ends up saying things in a mean way since he blurts out what’s on his mind, even if he did not intend for the statement to be malicious. If he thinks a Pokémon is weak or useless, or if he thinks something is stupid or a waste of time, he’ll say it straight out. If he respects someone, he'll tell him or her without rhetoric or elaborative compliments. He's not good at hiding his emotions, so if he throws someone a dirty look and tells them to go away, there's a 99.9% chance he dislikes them. Because he's so straightforward, he can be confused when people speak in roundabout ways, and will often interpret things literally. (As such, sarcasm is usually wasted on him). «



►Innocent/Kind. » Even though Ajax can and will tell others what he thinks, even if it is nasty or puts them down, he's not really mean--most of the negative stuff he says isn't for malicious intent, and if it is, it's usually out of a stroke of anger or disappointment. In fact, Ajax can be rather nice, in a surly sort of embarrassed way. He's the kind of kid who would hide food at lunch, then furtively sneak away alone during recess to feed a hungry animal, looking around awkwardly. Depending on his mood, he may do things that hinder him to benefit others. Being fairly close-minded and sheltered, as stated before, he really doesn’t know the social norms and can end up being rude by mistake. He doesn’t take time to think of larger concepts often, such as the broad definition of betrayal, the meaning of life, etc. However, his temper will tend to override his innocence and initial kindness unless Nyx (the dæmon) puts a word in. «



►Prideful/Conflicted. » Ajax is quite proud of his social rank, his accomplishments, the fact that he’s a pokemorph, and the fact that he’s the guardian of Prince Léon. He won’t stand insults to the Telaseine Family or Léon, whomever they are from. He is also quite conscious of himself and upon being criticized, will demand exactly why so that he can strive to be better, although around half of the time he’ll just object to the criticism, but he’ll always try to do his best for Prince Léon. Because of his dedication and pride, he’s been deeply conflicted since being sent on the journey. He’s constantly changing opinions about what he should do in response—try to just force his way back home? Complete the journey and come back? Leave forever so he won't be a burden? Sometimes, at random moments, he’ll remember this and falter. Like his service is a source of strength and pride for him, the rejection is a spot of deep pain. If you want to get him angry/lashing out, that’s probably the easiest way to go. «



History:

► A soft red light began blinking, and a few moments later, a faint beep accompanied it. ”Number 44 is ready for birth,”

[/color] a deep, computerized female voice declared. ”Number 44 is ready for birth.”[/color] Below the light was a luminous cylinder, the buoyant liquid inside glowing a pale, eerie blue. It lit up the lab in its’ strange, unearthly color. Inside, a small figure stretched energetically, struggling futilely towards the top of the container, unaware that it was being restrained by several cords attached to its tiny infant body. One arm that reached upward resembled the chubby limb of any baby; the other seemed overlarge and grotesquely deformed, wrinkled and beet red, with a curled pincer on the end. The babe was not alone in the container, for beside it, cords snaked around a pink-tinted cyan form that changed shape every few seconds.

► A shape slumped over a table, clutching a fluffy pillow, gave a groan, followed by a heavy sigh. A tag on his chest, luminous in the blue light, showed in small print: ‘TRAJOS’. ”’Bout time,”[/color] he muttered, sleepily lifting his head to blink blearily at the blue lights. Shaking himself, Trajos slid upright, walking unsteadily over to the container and deftly punching a few buttons on the side. As quickly as the responding clicks followed each other, padded metal arms swiftly plucked away the cords, lifting both infant and shifting form out of the containers simultaneously. As soon as the babe hit the air, it immediately drew a breath and let loose a good, strong yowl. The clump of cells, on the other hand, immediately shifted into a Glaceon which stared at its’ human with eerie red eyes.

► ”Hush, hush,”[/color] Trajos murmured quickly, wiping the rest of his sleep out of his eyes. Grabbing a walkie-talkie at his waist, he barked into the receiver, ”He’s out of the Arti-Womb, I need some backup!”[/color] as he and his dæmon bustled about, snatching the tiny child with the pincer. Male. Although he was supposed to be cleaning the infant, he paused brushing aside a lock of thick, wet, dark red hair that covered the little one’s eye. ”Good luck, kiddo. You and your dæmon, you have quite the job ahead of you both.”[/color] Trajos’s gaze shifted from the rasping baby to the door of the lab. It was just on time; he knew full well what would be coming in a few hours. Shaking his head slowly, he shushed the thrashing infant as assistants hurried over.



► It was all finished not a moment too soon. Trajos had just finished cleaning up and making sure the newborn and his dæmons was safe in the incubator when a soft ‘ding’ announced the visitors. ”I’m on it,”[/color] he called to no one in particular, rushing to the door and flinging it open. There, shrouded in the dark of night, stood a person—or rather, a Pidgeotto pokemorph. He wore glorious tan wings, feathers on his arms, his Furret dæmon on his shoulder, and under his neck, and a melancholy expression. ”You must know what I am here for,”[/color] he began stiffly.

► Trajos smiled sadly. ”Number 02, Agameme Vailus. You were one of the first to be born here. I remember you well. Why did they send you back here, of all their messengers?”[/color]

► Agameme shook his head, abandoning his official, formal façade. ”When there’s a job, I have to do it.”[/color] He paused, tilting his head to both avoid Trajos’s eyes, examining the frame of the doorway. ”Well…you know what the public’s reaction to pokemorphs is becoming. They’re only going to allow this lab to go to 44. You’ll have to shut down soon…really soon.”[/color] He flared his wings slightly as he spoke, closing them around his shoulders in an expression of sympathy and sorrow. ”I’m sorry. They’re only going to give you a week.”[/color]

► ”He’ll be the last, then. Lucky for Prince Léon.”[/color] Pausing, Trajos tried to contain his dejection. Not just dejection—sadness. He loved the pokemorphs from the lab as if they were his own children. They were his job, his work, his life. ”Only a week, huh…”[/color]

► Agameme kept silent respectfully for a moment as his dæmon scuttled across his wing, settling into a new position without speaking. Then, trying to lighten the scientist’s mood, he asked, ”So, who is the last one?”[/color]

► ”A Scizor…”[/color]

► ”Oh?”[/color] The Pidgeotto ‘morph gave an obliging half-smile. ”You’ve come a long way from the simple normal-and-flying types like me. Maybe you should’ve said ‘Good luck’ to little Prince Léon. Scizors are supposed to be hard to deal with. Are you sure you want to give the Prince such a temperamental blend?”[/color]

► ”The Scizor morph will work well with him, though. I’m sure of it.”[/color] Still, Trajos’s thoughts were melancholy. What kind of future will he have, with pokemorphs becoming less accepted…and not to mention, royal pokemorphs? He could only hope for the best, and nothing more.



.|~||:.



► » Shortly after leaving the lab, Ajax and his dæmon were brought to the Royal Estate of Telaseine for inspection from the royal family. After all, he was created for the crucial role of being the young Prince Léon’s guard, confidante, and constant playmate, so the King and Queen wished to make sure that Ajax was perfect. It was customary for the ‘Guardian’ pokemorphs, as they were called, to be practically part of the royal family, and the King and Queen would pretty much adopt Ajax and treat him as one of their own. The little Scizor-morph easily passed the looking over the King and Queen gave. However, it was up to the barely one-year-old Prince Léon and Lycia, his dæmon, to name the child and dæmon. This was part of the ritual process of bonding the two very early, so no betrayal could ensue from either person. Additionally, here, in this rare circumstance, the forbidden was done: Léon reached out a tiny hand to gently touch the tip of Nyx’s nose, while Ajax’s pincer was allowed to brush one of Lycia’s ears. The small contact sealed their pact together. Ajax was then tattooed with the symbol of Telaseine and welcomed into the household. «



► » However, as one of the last pokemorphs to enter the Telaseine Kingdom, Ajax was doomed to be a social pariah from the start, along with the fact that he was close to the royal family. While the general population of the Kingdom was quite fond of their royal family, there was no question that the House of Telaseine ruled as symbols of power rather than interacting directly with their citizens every day. With this along with the fact that Ajax was a pokemorph (and a fairly intimidating one at that, with his pincer) he always received glances when he walked in the streets. Still, Ajax was happy with his life as a young child. He did not make friends easily with the other nobles’ children, but for him, Nyx, Léon, Lycia, and Léon’s younger sister, born a couple years later, were good enough. «



► » Ajax’s base personality was aggressive, and the Scizor DNA only helped accentuate this. As a toddler, he often got into fights, although he never fought with Léon or his dæmon. Nyx’s personality reflected this as well, although around the age of seven, she began to become more reclusive and quiet, only allowing herself to become carefree when she was alone with Ajax, Léon, or his dæmon. (It was within this period of time that she lost her Sneasel form). Her demeanor became more and more frosty as Ajax continued having troubles with the rest of the nobles and even sometimes with the King and Queen. In fact, there were a few times in which the King and Queen considered separating Ajax from Léon and putting him in one of the typical roles for pokemorphs—serving the royal house, but not as close to the family as Ajax was. It was only the fact that Nyx was completely in their good graces and Léon protested hotly that Ajax was allowed to stay. «



► » Although Ajax was never consciously aware of it, his dæmon began quickly developing defenses to complement and fill in the holes of his own personality. She never would lose her temper, and learned the rules of social etiquette so thoroughly it became easy for her to read others and decide how to act upon their true intentions. Nyx herself became more formal and less emotive; many around her felt her to be ‘soulless’ (if it is possible for a dæmon to be so) and regarded her, and therefore Ajax with more respect when Léon wasn’t present. This helped stopped much of the fighting and arguments. «



► » During the entirety of their childhood, Ajax and Nyx trained physically and psychologically almost every day. The pretense for this was should they ever need to protect Léon from an invading army or an assassin, they would be an unstoppable force. Ajax gladly welcomed these training periods, for not only did they allow him to burn excess energy and any bad moods, but also he embraced the idea of being Léon’s shield. The most common exercise was simple sparring; with his claw as his only weapon, Ajax had to learn how to take down others with swords, and daggers. More often than not, the steely armor of his claw and feet came in handy. He also worked his wing muscles frequently, so that they could be used for regulating temperature and adding boost to his jumps and stride. Additionally, he practiced dodges, sprinting, endurance running, climbing, and jumping between pillars, all to turn him into a seasoned fighter. He practiced fighting other pokemorphs as well, and more than once Ajax staggered away from a training section with burns along his pincer and shoulders. Occasionally he would be paired with various Bug- or Steel-type pokemon, trying to learn pokemon attacks, but never caught onto any of them except for Metal Claw. Eventually it was deemed that he was incompatible with pokemon moves. He found however, that it was easier to train with the pokemon rather than other people, and he was able to make friends with them and think of them as comrades more easily. When he trained with ‘morphs or humans, his temper and aggression quickly rose and every so often he would sometimes have to be restrained with a word from Nyx or the instructor. «



► » Nyx trained as well, with other pokemon and with other daemons. Unlike Ajax, she learned a whole host of pokemon moves in her various forms that might help her fend off an attacker, including Ice Beam, Ice Fang, Whirlwind, Air Slash, Steel Wing, Flamethrower, and Confuse Ray. Her Skarmory form became the preferred one for battling, for she had the greatest mobility and could carry Ajax or Léon off to safety. Both she and her human trained their bonds with each other, straining to get inches farther away from each other each day. The psychological training helped strengthen the connection between them and strongly increased their understanding of each other, so that a few glances could translate into a full conversation. «



► » Finally, they spent much of their free time with Prince Léon and Lycia. Léon, although generally cheerful, was fairly reclusive for a prince and enjoyed exploring with a few close friends or just Ajax rather than hosting parties or attending events. He and Ajax shared an incredibly close connection initially, but their personalities meshed well since Léon was fairly easygoing and knew exactly how to deal with Ajax’s temper, even though ironically, Ajax almost never got angry at him. In the end, this along with Léon’s introverted personality only strengthened Ajax’s unswerving loyalty. The two were best of friends, and went on many an adventure together, climbing mountains, exploring caves, walking along rivers, and ditching important dinners, as small boys will often do. «



► » Unfortunately, many of the citizens, while they loved their little prince, felt that Ajax’s presence was negative. While they accepted the idea of pokemorphs working for the royal house, they disliked the idea of the Scizor pokemorph fraternizing with Léon, and being so close to him. Even the other pokemorphs serving the royal house disliked Ajax, since he was so close to the family. Many also feared Nyx because of her icy attitude. Irritated by their relationship with Prince Léon and Lycia, many people got somewhat vocal, which only raised hostility between both parties. Some even began to get vocal against Léon as well and eventually Ajax’s temper was being tested every day. And that is when disaster struck, as it often does with young pokemorphs… «



.|~||:.



► Having finished her own training session, Nyx stood to one side of the courtyard in her Glaceon form. It was uncomfortably warm, but instead of shifting into her Ninetails form, she instead opened her jaws slightly, miniature Ice Beams freezing the ground and grass around her. Settling into her frozen nest, she watched Ajax begin his fight, ears twitching with amusement. He always seemed to be able to work himself into a rage when he fought. Vaguely she wondered how he could do it. Today he was facing off against a Houndour pokemorph who worked for one of the other nobles. Her dæmon was also on the sidelines, sitting in the grass that ringed the sandy training area, but seemed to be doing a much more active job of cheering for his human than Nyx herself was. The opponent dæmon had just shifted into a Luxio and was barking encouragement.

► Meanwhile, Ajax circled his opponent. She would most likely be throwing an Ember or something at him soon. His stomach burned as he thought about how he had only managed to learn Metal Claw, even after all the training with the pokemon. I could do better for them, he thought. Better for them, and Léon. His opponent was certainly quick on her feet; not as swift as he, but faster than most. Leaning down, he grabbed a fistful of sand and threw it straight at her face, then narrowing his eyes and darting forward, claw extended.

► The Houndour pokemorph easily dodged the cloud of sand, as this was a common tactic in the training ground, but fell back as Ajax’s pincer clipped her on her shoulder. Ears twitching, with a swish of her black hair she darted forward, slashing at Ajax’s normal right arm with extended claws. Caught as he was pulling back, deep slash marks appeared on Ajax’s upper arm, blood leaking out of them. Gritting his teeth, quickly he slammed his claw into her side in a stunning blow that sent her reeling back. How could I be so stupid? he thought to himself as his claw instinctively pressed against the wound, trying to staunch the trickling flow of berry-bright blood. Meanwhile, the Houndour pokemorph had been smashed to the ground, skid marks showing how far she had been flung. She got to her feet, wincing and holding what must have been a horrid bruise on her side.

► I’ll never make that mistake again, Ajax vowed, shaking himself and raising his claw in defense. He readied himself for the next attack when he peered more closely at her expression. She was…grinning? ”Hurry up and attack already!”[/color]

► ”Heh…you think you’re so great, don’t you?”

► ”Wh-what?”[/color] Ajax blinked. Usually one wasn’t supposed to talk when in the practice arena. He narrowed his eyes angrily. ”Yeah, I’m good enough to kick your butt, at least! So come and get some!”[/color]

► The Houndour ‘morph laughed, raising her fists, the silver cuffs around her wrists glinting in the strong noon sunlight. ”I’m talking about Prince Léon, obviously. He’s…losing his touch, don’t you think? Him and his dæmon, Lycia. I hear she can’t even control the weather properly anymore like she used to. Pathetic excuse for a Dragonair. Heh, soon your beloved Prince will fade away, and no one will save you.”[/color]

► If there was anything that could instantly get Ajax in a temper, it was insulting Léon. ”Shut it,”[/color] he snapped, pale gold eyes glinting dangerously. It wasn’t about winning the training session now; it was about smashing this kid to the ground. ”That’s heresy. Treason. And pure disrespect.”[/color] He paused, then added, ”He won’t need to bother himself saving me—I can save myself!”[/color]

► Nyx stood up abruptly on the sidelines, hurriedly glancing over at the other dæmon. He seemed to be growling, fur spiking up as he glared at Ajax. So she meant business, then. It was stupid to simply goad Ajax outright; the consequences were always negative for the offender. Why, then... Her eyes narrowed as she continued to watch.

► She did not notice Nyx. ”Heh, well, Léon and Lycia is going to the dogs, anyway.”[/color] Her grin grew wider, revealing fangs.

Ajax stared at her, struggling and failing to control his anger. It didn’t help that the blood from his arm was leaking onto his claw, sliding off in little droplets to pool in the sand, nor did it help that he had endured similar comments for months now. ”I’ll win this fight,”[/color] he scowled, ”and show you not to run your mouth. I fight for the pride of Prince Léon!”[/color] He readied himself to sprint forward or dodge, tensing his legs and keeping the pincer open threateningly.

► ”Or can you?”[/color] Ajax stayed silent, and tossed her head regally as her own dæmon shifted into a Drapion. ”Your little dæmon reflects your weak, weak soul, just like Lycia shows how sad Léon is.” [/color]

► Fury swept over Ajax, causing him to see red. She had gone too far for just a training session. Too far. ”You insult Nyx, Léon, and Lycia in the same breath? You die,”[/color] he hissed, dashing straight at the Houndour morph. Surprised, she barely threw up an arm in time. The screech that rang through the clearing from the steel claw hitting the metal cuff echoed horribly as Ajax strained, trying to smash downward, while she used both hands to keep the heavy claw above her. Finally, Ajax swung heavily forward, leaping back. They glared at each other, panting.

► Nyx now stared directly at the Drapion-dæmon. ”Are you really that much of an idiot?”[/color] she said calmly. ”Pull back now, or I can affirm something very bad will happen.”[/color]

► ”You stay out of it,”[/color] the Drapion sneered at Nyx, towering over her. ”Léon’s too attached to his pet pokemorph, you see. We all guard the royal houses, not just you and your power-hungry human.”[/color]

► Refraining from rolling her eyes, Nyx turned away to watch the scuffle in the training ring. Even so, she kept an eye on the Drapion out of the corner of her eye. Her premonition proved accurate; the Houndour ‘morph laughed scornfully, ”Fool dæmon, fool Lycia, fool Léon.” [/color]

► Suddenly the Drapion-dæmon’s tail whipped forward, attempting to sting Nyx in the shoulder. She leapt gracefully away, raising her brow. ”Are you really going to go that far in your heresy?”[/color] The Glaceon-dæmon was not worried; the Houndour pokemorph’s plan must have been to enrage Ajax so he would fight irrationally, and then beat him to a pulp. It was incredibly rare that Ajax lost in the arena; he hadn’t been beaten for three years straight now. Not many ten-year-olds were that accomplished. She knew this was one of the reasons why the King and Queen kept Ajax by Léon’s side, and should he lose, they would reconsider seriously. But Nyx knew that raising Ajax’s temper only increased his skill. How ironic, that the dog-morph call them the fools. Half-smiling, she whisked her tail, shifting into her Skarmory form and unfurling her wings.

► The attack on Nyx solidified Ajax’s wrath utterly. ”I will destroy you,”[/color] he snarled, and with that he dashed forward once more, sand spraying behind him. The pincer closed right underneath the Houndour morph’s wrist, and a resounding crack split the air as the bone underneath shattered. Thrusting the ashen-faced girl away, he sniffed. ”Let that be a less—”[/color]

► He paused abruptly as the rock underneath when Nyx had been moments ago fractured under the weight of the Drapion-dæmon’s Poison Fang attack; deep purple poison seeped into the new crack. Nyx beat the air easily with her wings, hovering a few feet above Drapion’s head. ”You…WERE ATTACKING MY DÆMON!”[/color] He crossed the sandy field in a few short strides, pincer opening. The look on his normally childlike face was frightening.

► Nyx immediately recognized the danger signs. ”Ajax, no!”[/color] she ordered abruptly, her voice as sharp as the blades on her wings. ”Stop now!”[/color]

► Ears ringing, Ajax ignored Nyx, jumping straight at the Drapion-dæmon. Startled, the dæmon swung around to face Ajax, scrambling backwards quickly. But being a Scizor ‘morph, Ajax was infinitely quicker. The pincer closed on one of the Drapion’s armored limbs—for a moment, the purple exoskeleton held, but the strength of the pincer was too great—CRUNCH. The roar of the Drapion-dæmon mingled with the piercing shriek of pain of the Houndour morph. Immediately the Drapion shifted into an Aron, whimpering loudly as it pressed itself into the corner of a bush, trying to curl itself into a little defensive ball. ”You’re not getting away,”[/color] Ajax growled, slashing the Aron-dæmon from head to foot.







► The force of the attack was so great that deep gouges appeared in even the Aron’s tough armor, resulting in more cries from both the girl and her dæmon. Struggling up, she attempted to pull Ajax off her dæmon, but he easily threw her away with his left arm. Unable to control his fear, the dæmon began shifting forms rapidly as Ajax rained blows upon it—Pidgey, Eevee, Cyndaquil, Castform, back to Aron.

► While Nyx had little sympathy for the girl’s dæmon, she knew as soon as Ajax had raised his claw that he had gone too far. ”Get away from him, now! What will Léon say?!”[/color] Grabbing his shoulders with her talons, she yanked Ajax away from the crying dæmon, wings humming as she flapped hard to keep aloft with the extra weight. Still, the damage was done.

► As soon as Ajax was wrenched away he went limp, breathing heavily through his bared teeth. The Houndour ‘morph lay curled close to her heavily wounded dæmon, crying and coughing up blood. He had shifted into a Pidgey and deep red streamed from his sides and neck. One of the wings looked like it had been crushed—feathers stood out at an odd angle. After a few moments, Ajax shook himself as if coming out a slumber. ”He attacked…you…w-what have I done?”[/color] Remorse washed over him.

► Nyx said nothing, for there was nothing to say. Such savage attack on a dæmon from a human was punishable by death. There was no trial, for it was considered better to let an innocent person die than a guilty one live. And it would be obvious who had done it, judging from the size and shape of the words…



► They did not see Léon for the rest of the day, spending it in a cell while they waited for judgment. Finally, early in the morning, a messenger came to the locked, barren room. He swallowed, looking nervous; one hand stayed in front of him, shielding his dæmon from Ajax’s view. Ajax looked away sadly. ”His Young Highness Prince Léon…wishes to see you.”[/color]

► Multiple guards surrounded he and Nyx, now in her Ninetales form, as they were taken to the Estate’s main hall. As soon as he saw Léon, Ajax’s face shined with relief, but moments later, faded into shame and regret. Taking a deep breath, he bowed his head, falling to his knees. ”My Lord… Léon, I—”[/color] His voice shook as he continued. Nyx flicked one of her tails against his side, and he seemed to gain confidence from the light touch. ”I…understand what must happen. I don’t mind dying for you and Lycia…and the Telaseine Kingdom.” [/color]

► Léon’s voice was gentle as he swept towards his guardian, taking Ajax’s hand in both of his. The guards around them stiffened, as if they expected Ajax or Nyx to attack. His words were quiet, quiet enough that the guards around them couldn’t hear. “You are my best friend, and the best guardian I could ever hope for, Ajax Reiotir. We four have done so much together.”[/color] His pale blue gaze shifted for a moment as he watched his own dæmon, Lycia, gently touch the tip of Nyx’s snout with her own blue Dragonair one. Closing her eyes, Nyx shifted at the touch, shrinking until she became a Glaceon. ”I won’t have you killed.”[/color]

► ”But…they’ll hate you!”[/color] Ajax exclaimed. ”I am proud to die for you, My Lo—Léon…”[/color]

► ”No!”[/color] Léon said loudly. ”I won’t let you die! You’ve always protected me. Now I’m going to protect you.”[/color] As if he couldn’t help himself, he pulled Ajax into a hug. ”But you can’t be here in the Telaseine Kingdom anymore.”[/color]

► ”I’d rather die than not be here with you,”[/color] Ajax responded stubbornly into Léon’s shoulder.

► ”I…”[/color] He continued to hold his friend for a few more moments, then stepped back, ice-colored eyes glittering with determination; and maybe tears. ”I hereby exile you and your dæmon, Ajax Reiotir and Nyx.”[/color] Léon paused, as if gathering courage, then declared: ”But not forever. We will take you on a ship and leave you at the first large region of Pokemon that we find. I know you were at working with the Pokemon during your training; so learn what your journey has to offer and come back to me only as League Champion.” I know that journey, more than anything, will help you control your strength and your temper.[/color]

► ”But who will stay by your side?!”[/color] Ajax exclaimed, gaping up at Léon. ”What if…assassins…”[/color]

► Léon took a deep breath and smiled faintly. ”I’m safe enough. Go—I’ll be waiting.” For the new you. «



Career: » Trainer. «



[/blockquote]





[/size]The Dæmon[/u][/size]

Name: » Nyx «



Gender: » Female «



Forms: » Glaceon, Ninetales, Skarmory «



Appearance:



» Nyx’s forms alternate between that of a Ninetales and a Glaceon, and rarely, Skarmory. She used to be able to shift into a Sneasel as well, but she lost that form when Ajax was around 7 years of age—it simply faded out of being. It most likely corresponds with the fact that these were the years when Nyx’s personality began to significantly divert from Ajax’s. As a Sneasel, she looked pretty much normal except that her eyes were a bright crimson and the feather behind her ear was more of a deep red hue rather than pink. However, Nyx’s Sneasel form belonged to a different era of both her and Ajax’s life, when she lost her temper more easily and was more carefree. In any event, she knows it is highly probable she has been locked out of the Sneasel form anyway, and she has no wish to return to it. «



» Nyx’s two current main forms are most likely the closest to settling she will ever get, although she could never actually turn into anything else aside from Sneasel. That said, she is both the typical size and weight of both forms’ normal species, if not a bit smaller. Her fur color is a different matter. In both forms she is noticeably paler than the original species, has startlingly black eyelashes, and is tinted cherry red, the tint being strongest near her spinal chord. Also, she always has crimson eyes. In her Glaceon form, her fur is white-blue enough it resembles the shiny- in fact, her fur is even paler than that of the shiny. However, both her ears, forehead fur, and tail are lighter in color as well, even though they still retain their vibrant coloring. The cherry red coloring is richest at the back of her skull and down her spine, fading out along the sides of her body. This is true of her Ninetales form as well. Nyx retains the creamy, silky fur of a normal Ninetails, albeit in a much paler form. This makes the rusty red tips (originally orange, but red on her) at the ends of her tail more prominent, along with the unnatural red coloring at her back. The combination of the pale fur colors, deep scarlet eyes, black rims and cherry red hue along with the proud way in which Nyx carries herself creates both an intimidating and spectral effect. Even with her smaller stature, her haughty looks and cold demeanor practically scream out that she is a vengeful force to cross. «



» There seems to be little reason behind Nyx’s preference of her Ninetales form or her Glaceon form. In 99% of cases, it is based on pure whim. Nevertheless, there are a few patterns. When Nyx consciously wishes to look predatorial, dangerous, or other otherwise unapproachable, or high in stature, she will use her Ninetales form. For example, when attending royal banquets with Prince Léon, she would always shift to Ninetails. If she is being affection or is thoroughly relaxed, she will most likely use her Glaceon form, although this rule isn’t as reliable as the former. In both forms she is quite meticulous and keeps herself well-cleaned with a glossy coat. «



» As for her Skarmory form, it is rarely ever seen and came into being at around the same time her Sneasel form faded. It is likely that her Skarmory form came about because of the rigorous training both she and Ajax endured when they were children. She believes that she can protect Ajax, Léon, and Lycia best in her Skarmory form and if she feels seriously threatened, is fighting, or feels that Ajax needs to leave quickly, she will shift into Skarmory. While she secretly enjoys the feeling of a good scuffle where she can slash without restriction, overall she dislikes her Skarmory form and finds it rather unnatural. Nevertheless, it will probably never leave her. Her Skarmory form follows the same patterns that her Glaceon and Ninetails form share; she is much paler, and along her back, tail, and crest there is a noticeable reddish tint. Her wings are a darker crimson than actual Skarmories. «



Personality:



►Loyal. » This is a fairly relative trait. While Nyx’s allegiance is to Ajax first, a rather short stone’s throw away is Prince Léon and his dæmon, Lycia (which is saying something, since Nyx and Ajax are fairly close, even by the usual human-dæmon standards). Should she or Ajax make a friend, she would also be quite loyal to them as well—she tends to live by the “once a friend, always a friend” rule. However, when forced to choose one friend/partner over another, she will not hesitate to utterly destroy the first in order to save the one she is more affiliated with. In addition, Nyx feels very little affection or ‘loyalty’ to humanity or pokemon in general. Surprisingly, only rarely does she ever have self-driven desires (and if she ever does, they almost always end up supplementing Ajax or Léon in some way) but should she need to betray or hurt those in her way, she easily and unemotionally could become the devil himself without batting an eyelash. This doesn’t mean she doesn’t feel any emotional attachment to others, but simply shows the easy in which she can cut ties. «



►Aloof/Cold. » Nyx is very distant with others. She tends to speak coolly and her expression stays guarded – the most emotive that one will probably ever see her get is either faintly amused or faintly displeased. Curiously, it is people who act in such a way as she that Ajax doesn’t understand the most. He, with his hot temper, cannot fathom the ways of the ‘ice queens’ such as Nyx, and yet, perhaps not so strangely he understands Nyx better than anyone. One frosty glance might mean the same thing as the next to an outsider, but to Ajax they could easily signify completely different reactions. This form of communication is quite effective when Nyx doesn’t want anyone but Ajax to know what she is thinking. Nevertheless, compared to other dæmons, Nyx is quite distant with Ajax. (In reality, compared with everyone else, she is quite affectionate with Ajax. Rarely are these displays of affection obvious—instead they take on more subtle actions, such as the flick of a tail or ear, twitch of a whisker, or a faint brush of fur). If she ever is more obvious in her emotions, she tends to do so in private, away from the eyes of others, aside from her human, of course. «



►Vain/Prideful. » Nyx tends to look everything over with a critical eye, and this trait of hers explains best the haughty expression she usually wears. She is quite proud of her strange coloring, her status in the Telaseine Kingdom (even if she and Ajax have temporarily been exiled), the fact that she is one of the few who is close to Léon’s heart, and her cold demeanor. She puts much thought into how she and Ajax make her mark and should she have it her way, she always would strive to dominate in the most graceful or flashy way. She cares consciously about how she, Ajax, Léon, Lycia, and those close to them or those in their care are doing, and she cares very little of others, nor does she usually think much of them. Even so, her vanity does not translate into arrogance, although it does divert into some degree of shallowness. Nyx is good at distinguishing those who are better in ability, have more potential, or are more “worthy”* and while she acknowledges those who are, her outward behavior doesn’t tend to be so different.

• Then again, “worthiness” is a relative matter, and whom Nyx might believe to be more worthy might seem odd to others. «



►Calculating/Sharp/Diligent. » Being very alert and very acute, nothing really ever misses Nyx’s eye. She is excellent at reading others and her guesses at their true intentions are correct far more often than not. If the offer is ‘too good to be true’ she’ll quickly find the catch; when faced with manipulation, she’ll swiftly discover the trick. Nyx tends to draw uncanny conclusions and it is rare to find her looking at a situation from a lax, restful point of view, without judging others. No, she will instead be watching with the careful, sharp eye of a hawk (or a Pidgeot). This is for the most part a useful thing, since Ajax has neither observation nor people/pokemon-reading skills. When he quickly blunders into a trap, Nyx will pulls back to safety in the nick of time. Her watchfulness doesn’t apply just socially or psychologically, as it works practically as well—if a group had to climb up a mountain, she would surely be the first to find the shortcut. She might not use it, but she would certainly be the first to find it. «



►Blunt/Manipulative » While Nyx will never run her mouth, her comments are most often her brutally honest opinion. In this sense she is similar to her human, but she in fact thoroughly understands social etiquette; she simply generally decides not to follow it. Typically her comments will be on the negative side, but correspondingly, when she gives praise, she truly means it. That is not to say that she doesn’t lie. Nyx is a skillful manipulator and while most of the time she is not actively using that ability, she always says and does things that slowly push things in her desired direction. She even does this with Ajax, although her ‘desired destination’ tends to be his as well, so when he becomes aware of it, he tends to go along with her. «



►Collected. » This somewhat goes along with Nyx’s ‘cold’ trait. Rarely is she ever very emotive outwardly, and likewise her inner emotions tend to be fairly calm as well. She will never lose her temper, nor will she ever wriggle with excitement. If she chuckles lightly at a joke, assume that were she anyone else, she would be rolling on the ground with laughter. Nyx is also quite stoic and when faced with pain or a difficult task she will be able to handle it with a straight face and little complaining (and should she show emotion, she is mostly likely manipulating someone). «



» Overall, it is probably a very good thing that Nyx is a dæmon instead of a human. Should she be a trainer or coordinator, she would be ruthless and unstoppable in competitions, what with her drive and cold manipulative ways. She often whispers tactics or hints to Ajax, and they usually work as a pair rather than just him alone, since her ideas tend to be better than his anyway. It should also be noted that she can move significantly farther away from Ajax than most dæmons can, as this was part of the training that she an Ajax underwent when they were at the Estate, although had she never undergone this training, she would be more restricted in movement than the majority of dæmons. «



[Originally submitted on the old site; received rating of Ultra Rare.]