"Je peux le faire … Je peux le faire … Je peux le faire …"
Name: Antoine de la Tranche
Nicknames: Ant, Twan, “Antoine D'Coolette” (given by a fellow cadet when he pulled off some impressive sword maneuvers in exercises, but also used to tease him when he was being less impressive)
Species: Northeastern Coyote (Canis latrans thamnos)
Gender: Male
Age: 20
Alignment: Hero (Lawful Good)
Type: Speed
Height: 3'8"
Build: Lanky
Residence: Westopolis
World of Origin Gaia
Occupation: Courier and Volunteer Patrolman
Likes: Flowers, cookbooks, epic romance (and romance novels and romcoms - it's epic if it moves him enough!), swords, cooking and baking, cleaning and organizing, decorating, souffles, crepes, espresso drinks, jazz
Dislikes: Messy environments, getting dirty, sudden or extended loud noises, ghost stories/horror in general, rash or foolish behavior, thunderstorms, hot weather, subpar ingredients (do NOT bring margarine into HIS kitchen), disorganization
Hobbies/Talents: Antoine is an expert fencer and truly loves the sport. He's an excellent baker and a good cook in general, and enjoys gardening and piano.
Played By: Nikki
Theme:
Last Hope
Dance Of Swords
Personality
Romantic in nature, Antoine holds himself to strong chivalrous ideals… and no one is more disappointed than he is when he fails to live up to it. As much as he would love to live up to the fearless attitude of his peers, his habit of overanalyzing a situation and what could go wrong, paired with the ever-present fear of disappointing his father or failing to live up to his legacy, have lead to an anxious outlook fused with deep pride in his skill and heritage. These two warring traits can make Antoine rather difficult, with some accusing him of lacking the ability to back up his assertions.
Which isn't to say Antoine is without his strong points: his devotion to a knightly ideal is genuine, and as much as he hates his currently inability to fulfill it he still holds a determination to work toward it. Antoine's dedication to a cause and personal loyalty are ironclad despite any fussing or complaining he may indulge in along the way, and he makes a real effort to treat the people he meets with dignity and compassion. While fully capable of turning petty if provoked and defensive of his shortcomings, Antoine's heart is in the right place and he tries his best to show that.
Strengths
Physical: Though no match for Sonic or similar creatures, and slower than a cheetah or gazelle, Antoine is remarkably fast, particularly in a flat sprint. He also possesses the acute senses of his species: Antoine is able to hear in a huge frequency range and at considerable distances, can track by scent with no difficulty, and can easily see in dim conditions. Antoine is in excellent physical condition with great stamina and surprising physical strength, though his true asset in this regard is his agility, most notable in distance jumping and climbing skill. A fencer of the Dall'Agoatchie tradition, his fencing skill is considered Expert with saber and Advanced with epee, and he has the added advantage of being ambidextrous (left preference).
Mental: Antoine possesses a focused personality with a fine eye for detail – small changes or irregularities that my be overlooked by most fall easily to his eye, allowing him to detect these discrepancies and use them to his advantage. He is also highly dedicated once committed: though he may waffle when a task or mission is suggested, or complain or exhibit anxiety once it's underway, if he decides he's doing it then he is absolutely doing it.
Weaknesses
Physical: Antoine's greatest physical asset is also something prone to tripping him up – his sensitive ears with their wide range of frequency reception. Sounds with frequencies above the abilities of other species to detect are quite audible to him and painful after a certain point, the constant sound of machinery on the battlefield can prove a distraction, and he is often startled by distant sounds few others catch. His physical toughness also fails to measure up to his general stamina – Antoine does not take hits well, and has no skill with grappling or other unarmed combat styles.
Mental: Obsessive, fussy, and anxious, Antoine has a tendency to laser-focus on details – a trait that can be helpful, but can also lead to fretting over the wrong thing entirely. Prone to occasional panic attacks, Antoine's anxiety also leads him to compare himself to his apparently fearless peers – which causes further anxiety that can spiral swiftly if he's not distracted from it in some way. His inability to pinpoint any reason for these episodes further distresses and embarrasses him, leaving him defensive and touchy about them, and teasing on this point can swiftly turn him spiteful.
Emerald Abilities
Sabre Lumineux: When in possession of an Emerald, Antoine is able to generate a hard light sword. Sabre Lumineux is most stable if Antoine has something to grip as a hilt, though in a pinch he can use it barehanded (at greater energy expenditure and risk of Chaos burns to his hands). A larger number of Emeralds allows greater stability at lower energy cost.
Pre-RP History
Born to a highly esteemed military officer in the northern regions, Antoine is no stranger to high discipline and high expectations. The coyote idolized his father and decided early on he would follow in both their footsteps: an ideal officer like the knights in stories, upstanding and unstoppable. When he showed an early talent for the sword, he was immediately entered in classes and given private lessons with his father; under this tutelage Antoine's skill bloomed – and so, unfortunately, did his anxiety. The more he was praised for milestones met and tournaments won, the more Antoine's self-worth began to hinge on his skill as a fighter. His father, though well-meaning, inadvertently contributed to the mindset: unable to relate to Antoine's other hobbies of piano, gardening, and cooking, he focused on Antoine's fencing, attributing any losses to a 'lack of discipline' and off-handedly referring to a loss as 'disappointing', phrasing that led Antoine to believe he specifically was the root of any disappointment and that succeeding as a fighter was the only way to please his father.
Once he arrived at military academy, Antoine's paired anxiety and desire to excel both grew – in such a high-pressure environment so connected to his father's expectations and his own, he alternated stellar performance with private meltdowns. Embarrassed by these attacks, Antoine developed a habit of hiding himself away before and after important exercises and exams, a habit that earned him a reputation for standoffishness. It wasn't all bad, of course; he did have a few friends among the cadets, even one or two trusted with his secret, and his performance earned him the validation he desired from his father even as he felt like a fraud due to the anxiety he worked so hard to conceal. Still, he held together long enough to graduate – which left the question of what to do next. The military was the obvious next step but he didn't feel quite ready, fearing an inability to live up to his name, and nothing else seemed a sure fit just yet.
An academy friend came up with a suggestion: time away from his father and his expectations might do Antoine some good, help him get to the root of his anxious nature and tame it while he found his own place in the world. And so Antoine set off: to press toward his ideals, to find a cause to dedicate himself to, to prove he was worthy of being his father's son. Now a resident of Westopolis for two years, Antoine serves as a volunteer patrol officer on the lookout for dangerous activity within the city, while acting as a freelance courier on his off times, and while reality hasn't quite caught up to his ambitions… well, surely if he keeps pressing forward it will, won't it?
Post-RP History
Their track record since they've been in the game.
Crossover History
Their track record in the crossover.
Affiliates
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| Name | Relationship with that person. |
Other Info
He's the Gaian equivalent of Québécois and has a strong French accent, sometimes struggling with English idiom.
Carries his father's saber as well as small practical items such as a two-way communications radio and a small first aid kit.
Antoine actually does have Generalized Anxiety Disorder, though he's never been formally diagnosed.
Name Origin: Antoine's surname takes the scientific name for coyote (Canis latrans) as a starting point, and combines it with the French 'trancher', to slice – hence de la Tranche, 'of the slice', referring to slicing/slashing/cutting with a sword. 'Dall'Agoatchie tradition' is named for the sword treatise of Giovanni dall'Agocchie.
