Azarak [Up to 5]

Puppy Name/Number: Raziel (Mortal Instruments, anyone?) #1
Personality:
Difficult, argumentative: He's headstrong and tends to disregard the commands of others if their wishes conflict with his. As he grows older this tendency will be soundly rooted in reason, but as a child it will lead him to do whatever his heart desires. No amount of punishment will break him of this habit, instead it'll encourage him to think of smarter ways to get what he wants.

Intuitive, adaptable: Raziel is as changeable as they come. This adaptability stems from a desire to find the best strategies to implement his ideas, not naivety. Problem solving is his thing, and although he's usually rather quiet, when the wheels start spinning it's not uncommon for him to break from reality and muse aloud in incomplete sentences as his mind is too quick for his mouth. He lives in a world of ideas and strategic planning, valuing intelligence, knowledge and competence, with high standards in these regards, which he continually will try to meet (but never will, because as his understanding expands, the standard bars will raise accordingly). To a lesser degree these standards are applied to others.

Deliberate, long-range thinker: His interest in dealing with the world is to make decisions, express judgments, and put everything that he encounters into an understandable and rational system. Consequently, Raz is quick to express judgments. Puzzles are his passion and he enjoys gazing into the future, finding no difficulty in imagining things that haven't take place yet. Life, to Raziel, is the greatest puzzle. He finds beauty everywhere, not just in the physical sense, but in the quiet harmony that makes it all possible. He'll go through life with his eyes wide open, testing and marveling at the impossible rhythm that surrounds him. Understanding that there is an order to everything, he'll sift through the chaos and confusion, searching fearlessly for the clockwork that makes all things tick.

Sensitive, acute: With his strongly opinionated, sometimes judgmental ways, it's possible that others will mistake him for a creature with a thick-skin. As a child, this won't be true, but if he is wounded enough because of his personality it could become a reality in his later years. Raziel, though not prone to tears, can be easily hurt by others. In eagerly sharing his thoughts and opinions he'll be baring his inner workings for all to see, leaving him vulnerable to attacks. What others may not realize is that he longs to be understood and any attack on his character will be received with extreme shock. Immediately, Raziel will shut down, drawing into himself in an attempt to staunch the emotional blood pouring from his very soul. Once he is wounded, it's difficult to win him over again. In this regard, he has a one strike policy and it's doubtful that whoever hurt him will ever get back in his good graces.

Easily awed idol-worshiper: Raziel, because of his constant need to better himself, will recognize the traits he holds dear in others and try his hardest to emulate them. As a pup it wouldn't be uncommon to find him trailing behind one of his older brothers with an awed, almost starstruck, look on his face. Blinded by their superior knowledge and wisdom, their flaws will go unnoticed for much of his puppyhood. Any with the desired characteristics will be added rather quickly to his list of idols, but those in his family will be given the highest regard. Any malice or rejection from his beloved idols will cause him pain and for these few will his tears readily flow. Rejection is one of his greatest fears.

Appearance: Standing at 36" tall, Raz is one of the tallest members of his family; a fact he is rather proud of. He's built lean and wiry. His build is like that of a great dane, with long limbs, a sturdy back and a wide chest that glides up to broad hips. He's big but not bulky, giving the appearance of strength without looking like a hulking monster. As a child he'll be exceptionally fluffy, like a big squishy teddy bear. It's hard to say if the fluffiness will follow him into adulthood, but his coat will always be on the heavier side. Much like his mother, Raziel's coat is largely white; the only color being found on his head. Starting just behind his ears and along his jawline and throat, is a black mask that covers his head completely. He has red/brown brow spots, a thin white blaze on his nose, and the tip of his muzzle is red/brown with a thin line of white connecting his philtrum to his lips. His eyes are his father's eyes, the brilliant color of new leaves.
Health: Healthy; no issues.
Alignment: Neutral
Sample: BOOM! Raziel hit the bottom of the hole hard, sending snow and sound billowing up into the air. He lay still, stunned and breathless. The boy wheezed, trying to make his lungs work properly. When at last he was able to draw a complete breath, he sat up and shook his fur out. Slowly the snow began to settle, peppering him in flakes. He sneezed, then coughed, sending little puffs of warm air swirling away. For a second time he shook himself, trying to clear the fog that blanketed his mind.

Finally, once he was sure he wasn't dying or something, the boy dared to look up. Looming above, cold and gray, was the sky. It was all he could see. No trees, no plants, just dead roots hanging from the hole's yawning mouth. No faces looked down at him either. No one to pull him out.

Getting to his paws slowly, the boy walked over to one of the walls and jumped up on it, reaching for the sky. He tried climbing, digging stubby claws into the frozen surface, but his hold wasn't strong enough and his center of gravity was too far out, every attempt was met with failure.

He stepped back to eye the wall. It was at least two body lengths tall--a distance that wouldn't be daunting for a bigger wolf, but for Raziel, it could have been two stories. He couldn't reach the lip. "Ma!" He cocked his head, straining his ears to pick up the sound of movement above. "Ma!" A pause, then, "Mooooomma! Mooomma!" More silence. He hadn't wandered too far from the den. Maybe volume was his issue... "MOMMA! MOMMA! DADDY! DADDY?!" Raziel jumped up against the wall, clawing at it with his front paws. "Momma! Daddy! Kissy! Sory! KISSY. SORY. Momma? Help?" Pushing away from the wall, the boy moved to the center of the hole and sat down. "Help! Help! HEEEELP!" The last word turned into a quavering howl before trailing off, leaving him once more in silence.

Defeated, he collapsed and turned baleful eyes to the sky. Where were they? Where was everybody and why didn't they hear him? Not for one second did he entertain the idea that he'd been abandoned. No, that was a silly, useless thought. But where were they? He hadn't wandered too far away, had he? Quietly, so quietly that the sound barely made it to the surface, he called once more, "Momma? Daddy?" Silence settled once more.

Alright, fine. If no one was gonna get him out, then he was gonna have to get himself out. Getting to his paws, the boy began to pace the length of the hole. He needed to think. Raziel pinched his eyes closed, nearly running into a wall before realizing his mistake. Think, think, think. His pacing grew frantic, each step keeping time with his racing thoughts. He wanted to plan something, some form of escape, but worries kept seeping in. What if he was never found or there was no way out?

The snow had been falling thickly for days and a fair amount had collected in the hole. There was at least a foot built up in the center and possibly two along one wall where the wind had pushed it. Raziel had followed the same path from wall to wall each time and steadily carving out a path of hardened snow. He didn't realize what he was doing until he misstepped and almost plowed into one of the snow walls. "Oh..." This was important. He didn't know the 'why' of it, but he could feel that it was. His eyes darted from the wall of snow to the trampled snow between his paws. Why, why, why? Raz pushed some of the still soft snow onto the packed snow and pressed it down. Excitedly, he did it over and over until there was a small mound of hard snow.

Gleefully, but no too gleefully because he didn't want to get his hopes up, Raziel moved to one of the walls and began to dig into it. He dug until there were mounds of loose dirt all around and then he set about pushing them towards another wall. Once there, he jumped on it until it was packed down. Then the process started all over again. The boy worked tirelessly for who knows how long, digging, pushing and packing until his handy worked towered above him like an uneven, lumpy pathway to heaven. It didn't reach all the way to the top, but it got him close enough that he was able to hook his paws over the lip and kick his way up after a few attempts.

He was cold and shivering, muddy and soaking wet, but as he stood looking out over the terra, at the cold sky that still seemed so far away and the vast land that went on until he could see no more of it, Raziel had never felt so good.