Whispering,
As of right now your form is not accepted. Please reread the rules, as well as WP's rules for images.

Sands

Sorry about that! It is fixed I hope that's good now.

Asteria

Commonly called Aster

She's gone by many names through the years, hopefully this is the last one she bears in this life.

Age:

16 years,

Gender:

Female

Breed:

Purebred Border Collie

Role:

Non-Sled dog

Companion dog

Appearance:



This female was quite the sight to see in her youth; with a sleek coat of an inky black almost completely unbroken by the classic markings of her breed, the clear white patterning of her fur starker when viewed in contrast to the darkness of her primary coloration. Standing at precisely 19 inches at the shoulder, and weighing 35 pounds, she is admittedly on the smaller side, even when taking into account that Border Collies are not the largest nor heaviest canines to exist.

Hailing from working lines, her construction is more utilitarian than her show-bred counterparts. With the composition of her form being slender in an athletic manner, long legs designed for pure speed and soft coat distinctly shorter with a smoother texture, there is noticeably less frippery about her than the dogs reared for the show ring. Suitably, she fulfills the appearance of a worker able to endure hardships in the course of a duty that requires much of those who are chosen to pursue its trail, albeit due to her stature, the initial impression by many is often the opposite of reality.

The passage of years has left its mark on this creature, the graceful swirls of silvered hairs have long infiltrated the black mask of her face, offering a rather distinguished look to her in her older age. There are signs of her advancing years in places other than the ashen fur encircling dark amber eyes, such as the fact that she has indeed lost a considerable amount of muscle mass as she gradually became more restricted in her activity by concerned owners, though she has not become remotely overweight, yet there are still echoes of her former self evident in her frame.

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Personality:

From a young dog, cheerful and willing to please her owner with a zeal that was admirable; to an adult growing weary of change, energy dulled with the onset of maturity, yet still desperately trying to be optimistic about finding a permanent home; to an old creature disinclined to trust in the promise of a family to call her own, a timeworn dog who had seen many things and experienced the many kinds of humans in the world, resigned to a life of moving residences until the end of her existence; Asteria has come a long ways from who she used to be in previous years.

She is now the grumpy old lady who alternates between shouting at the younger folks to get off of her lawn and stop lumbering through the garden, and inviting some of the politer kids in for a talk or cup of tea because she is more lonesome than she lets on. Though the first description is the dominant aspect of her personality, Asteria is amendable to not snapping at any younger dogs if they are accordingly calm in her presence. It is mostly the disturbance that the younger dogs, energetic and borderline rowdy, that fuels the irritation that seems to always be a moment away from flaring into crankiness. She does have her moments of undistilled grumpiness though, that seems to not have any reason other than she can allow herself to be a bit crabby.

With those who have gained her trust, whom she willingly calls her friends or family, there is a softer side that rises to the surface. While the grouchy side still persists, that part of her is slower to spark to life than if she were interacting with strangers or those she does not like. She is more tolerant of antics those younger than her often get up to, although she does have her limits of course. Asteria's enjoyment of company is more aloof than many other dogs' ways of showng affection; a quiet look of contentment and a desire to rest in the presence of her humans, and a higher tolerance for any antics of younger dogs, are her main outlets for the fondness that she likely will never actually admit to others.

There is a confidence that hangs around this female like a cloak, it is not the arrogance of some individuals and it is not the bluster common to many young creatures, instead it is a quiet type of self-assurance, something that befits a canine who has lived as long as she. Perhaps it is the certainty of a wizened elder, born long before the rest of the pack and having lived a life less than easily, or perhaps it is the casual dominance an experienced leader carries; regardless of the exact type of confidence that she carries, there is no denying that she is precisely that, confident. She will not put up with any crap from others, that is for sure.

As is befitting those who hail from her breed, Asteria is a very intelligent creature. A naturally quick learner, it does not take long to teach her new things, give her a few days or even less, and she'll likely have picked it up. Life has taught her that to thrive in the world, she has to be a quick thinker, and so she is, even many years later on in her existence. This, combined with her intense focus, makes her quite an interesting dog to encounter.

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Strengths & Weaknesses:

-Speed & Agility-

While admittedly, at her age, it is not the best for Asteria to be running like she is a much younger dog, she still has not lost the primary physical strength inherent to her breed. While unable to turn quite as quickly or spring into a flat run compared to younger dogs, she has slowed down with the years after all, this female still has a considerable amount of activity left in her. Her reflexes have dulled, her muscles softened, and she has been restricted to more sedate manners of exercise, but she still is a Border Collie; and there is enough energy left in her to move quickly if she sees fit to do so.

Being her age has it's advantages, as does having seen much of the world throughout her life. Asteria has seen much and been through many events, she has met a multitude of dogs and humans. In short, she has gained valuable experience throughout her sixteen years of life, being remarkably old for many dogs and even old for her breed, there is still many things in her memory, knowledge that is not to be underestimated. She may be old, but she is wise and has seen things many younger dogs have not.


-Age-

Her age as is as much as a curse as it as an advantage, she has been fortunate to not have slowed down horribly as she grew older, but there are still marks of time taking its toll on her. She can feel her age creeping up on her, in the slight ache of her joints when the weather is colder and in the way she feels changes in temperature more accutely. It is a source of frustration for this female, unable to keep up with the passing of time.

-Hearing-

Nobody would deny that she's hard of hearing nowadays. It is an expected thing of many of those getting on in age, especially so for her particular breed. She cannot hear as well as she used to in years past, sometimes it requires those she talks to, to repeat what they had said once or twice in conversation. While Asteria can still hear things, it is significantly less than in her youth, she is actually nearly deaf in her right ear, and her left isn't of the best quality nowadays.

-Abandonment Issues-

More than a decade of changing homes and owners, the impermanence of it all, has taken a suitable toll on her ability to be fully secure of her place in a family. Logically, she knows that she's not going anywhere as long as her current owner has anything to do with it, but there is and will always be a significant part of her that fears being abandoned yet again; always having a slight nervousness that she will never admit to, that when the people go out, they will not be coming back.

-Lack of Tolerance-

Admittedly, this female has gotten a newfound intolerance for many things. Starting a few years ago, before she had come to be with her current owner, her age started to catch up to her personality. From things as understandable as younger dogs being too rowdy when trying to rest or a canine being too pushy with her, to smaller things such as others in general or even the current weather. Put simply, she has a lack of patience for many things, more relating to social interactions, but she has experienced an erosion of tolerance nonetheless

Affiliations:

Open

Other:

I don't know, maybe 10?

Pictures are not mine, credits to go Miahii on Deviantart

-I imagine that loss of muscle mass does not affect Asteria's appearance too much, just that she doesn't have the same look as she did as a younger dog; because in my research of the breed, it is recommended to shift an aging Border Collie away from the more intense activity and into more gentler ways of exercise, such as slow walks and swimming :)

Sands

I'm very sorry for the confusion and everything. I misunderstood. I didn't realize how much you wanted. I haven't done a roleplay before and I was genuinly interested in this one. This is to much for me. You can take my name off and give it to someone who wants it and can handle the responsibility. Again, sorry for all that, I'll delete my character post so it isn't taking up space.

Isha is finished on page 2! let me know if i need to change or fix anything!

Isha looks good aside from his size. I checked on both breeds and it looks like the MRH is larger with a max of like 29 inches tall and 105 lbs. :) so I'll except the 30 inches but perhaps size his weight down a tad?

okay, i can do that :)