Josephine

Rosebud (Sister, NPC)

Josephine was a bright golden-furred she-wolf with blue eyes. She lived in Riverfell as a Rider, devotedly serving the pack since its foundation with Shiloh as the alpha. Josephine was created and RP'd by sunkissin.

## Personality

* ***Courteous.*** Few things are more important to Josephine than good manners. Politeness is key to forming relationships, forging alliances, and even swaying disagreements and opposing opinions in her favour. She does everything with grace and charm, always choosing her words and actions carefully, always hyper-aware of how others are speaking and what their body language is telling her. Because of this she has a very clear soft-spoken voice and refined mannerisms. While she doesn't always expect it from others, she certainly appreciates it.
* ***Diplomatic.*** Well-educated, tactful and sociable, Josephine is very well versed in dealing with sensitive matters and does everything in favour of the greater good. She's very good at discussing topics of all sorts with others, and isn't afraid to speak her mind if she is required to do so. She handles things very delicately, with both logic and feeling. No matter the situation, she tries her hardest to handle it well with a careful thought process and hefty brainstorming. She never speaks without thinking first.
* ***Peaceful.*** Pacifism is both something she was taught from a young age and something she has always believed in. She feels strongly about not handling conflicts with needless violence, she would much prefer it as a last resort and chooses to use her strongest weapon first: her words. It's all very circumstantial, but she will push for a diplomatic and peaceful approach before anything else. If violence or aggression is happening near her, she will get frustrated and eventually panic, as it's something that triggers her anxiety due to trauma. She struggles to cope with anger, and would sooner flee from it than have to face it.
* ***Meticulous.*** Josephine is, through and through, a perfectionist. She's extremely observant, and focuses on the tiniest details which she doesn't soon forget. Oftentimes she can be a bit fussy and is known to nitpick over small details which usually come off as unimportant to others. Even though this can make her appear to not care about the bigger picture, but she just strongly feels that the smaller details are just as important. She's also very finicky when it comes to her own personal demeanour: putting a lot of effort into coming off exactly how she intends to be perceived, and focusing a lot of time and energy into keeping herself clean and well-groomed. Appearance isn't the most important thing to her, but it's still very important.
* ***Impatient.*** For someone so seemingly calm, one thing Josephine cannot *stand* is waiting. She likes things to be done quickly and precisely, ad holds herself to the highest standard when it comes to such expectations. Being a very punctual creature, it's no wonder that she prefers honesty and directness to having her time wasted. She does not deal with delay well, and while she tries her best to hide her hasty nature, it can still sometimes peek through her facade. It luckily doesn't result in childish behaviour, moreso twitching and breathlessness. Do not keep her waiting or beat around the bush. She will not appreciate it.
* ***Judgemental.*** Due to being quite a well-bred and proper creature, Josephine can be rather particular and uppity about the company she keeps and the ways they behave around herself and others. She's generally pretty lax and tolerant, but if anyone acts in a way she finds bad-mannered, rude or immature, she no longer wants to be around or associated with them. She doesn't think herself better than others and would never intentionally insult anyone who was acting in a less than favourable way, and instead prefers to gossip or vent quietly to anyone she feels would agree with her. Having very high standards in how she holds herself and wants others to view her, she expects others to have a similar amount of self-awareness.
* ***Anxious.*** On top of her impatient and haughty nature, Josephine is also very nervous and often finds herself worrying about all kinds of different things, big or small. She does everything carefully, but still stresses over things going wrong or plans suddenly changing.. even the smallest thing can set her into a frustrated panicking state. Due to her past, she struggles with stressful situations, and isn't always the most trusting of wolves when first meeting them, especially after being by herself for a while. Sometimes her composure can shatter, and she's prone to panic attacks when she gets too overwhelmed. She wishes she knew how to handle her anxiety better, especially since it causes her such embarrassment sometimes.
* ***Headstrong.*** Despite everything, determination has always drove Josephine on and kept her going. She's surprisingly tough, and has a stubborn streak that even *she* isn't fully aware of. Her sense of justice and self-preservation is enough to (sometimes) push through her anxieties if she needs to, and she *will* stand up for herself and what she thinks is right. Once she has her mind set on something, nothing can stop her, and it can be VERY difficult to change her mind and convince her otherwise. Underneath her soft heart hides a very tough soul: both of which have been vital in keeping her head up and her feet moving.
* ***Kind.*** On top of everything else, Josephine has a pure heart and a moral compass that points her in the right direction. She's approachable and affectionate, and always tries to put the needs of others before her own. She strives to help others as much as she can, even if she doesn't quite know how and doesn't always do it correctly. Other wolves' opinions matter a lot to her, but she's also very opinionated, and while she'll do all she can to offer advice and help she also knows when she's wasting her time. She fears overstepping boundaries and is very cautious- especially when dealing with strangers. Once her heart is open she is loyal and true, romantic and relationship-oriented, with a sense of humour rarely seen by those who don't care to look. She's careful with who she decides deserves her time and who's time she feels she equally deserves, and while anxiety and self-preservation can hold her back, she's sweet, loyal, and dedicated to anyone and everyone she cares for.

## Pre-Group History

Far to the East, Josephine and her sister Rosebud were born into a small pack on a warm Summer afternoon. Her parents were soul-bonded pair Mercedes and Reginald who absolutely doted on their daughters: keeping them safe and sheltered from the horrors of the outside world. Mercedes had been ill before the unexpected pregnancy, so only two children were successfully conceived, and their parents absolutely adored them both. Josephine and Rosebud had a decent relationship, although it could be a bit challenging and strained due to how completely different they were. Surprising as their parents raised them both exactly the same, but while Josephine was calm and attentive, Rosebud was wildly ambitious and rebellious. They butted heads a lot, and it made life difficult for their parents.

For so long, Josephine had no idea how big the world actually was. The pack was VERY tight-knit and guarded, and tried to avoid other wolves at all costs. Their territory was well-hidden, so luckily there were few encounters with outsiders. Anything beyond their borders was forbidden, and they were often warned of the unknown and all the darkness and uncertainty it held. They all kept to themselves and stayed together, barely straying too far to even hunt or scout. Patrols were frequent, and watchers seemed to never rest. It seemed normal when they were young: they knew they were all just being kept safe inside the pack. But as they got older, and the stories became more frightening, the anxiety really started to grow within Josephine. She didn't dare to set foot outside the territory lines, and refused to even go near them. Rosebud, however, liked to challenge the authority's warnings, and had to be dragged back into the pack more than once, much to their parents' chagrin.

Outsiders were barely spoken of: only briefly in warnings and whispers, the adults knowing that a band of marauders had long desired to find an entrance into their territory and raid their land for prey and more numbers for their gang - willing or unwilling. It wasn't to be discussed in front of the children, but that didn't mean the children didn't hear about it. It was always at the back of Josephine’s mind, haunting her as she grew, making her feel like she was always being watched. And as she grew, so did her anxiety. But despite this, she remained sweet and well-mannered, and was very well-loved by the other members of the pack. She was always told she'd have great potential, and would surely rise through the ranks due to her logical yet sensitive way of dealing with things and how brilliant she was at communicating. It was a positive promise for a bright future, and she had big plans for how she was going to help the pack become better and stronger than ever.

But that would never come to pass.

Both now adolescents, Josephine and Rosebud's relationship had become more frayed and fragile than ever. Rosebud was bitterly jealous over the pack's favour of her sister, and in turn, Josephine felt guilty. She still tried to keep their sisterhood strong, and promised Rosebud that she'd never leave her side, but Rosebud wasn't hearing it. One night, after a particularly terrible argument, she fled out of the territory borders and deep into the forest. With only a brief second thought, Josephine chased after her: both of them somehow managing to evade the gaze of the watchers. Josephine called after her sister, struggling to keep up due to both the stress of leaving the safety of their home for the first time and the awkward denseness of the trees. The woods were so dark; she had no idea how Rosebud was managing to run so fast. Still she pursued, desperately calling after her one and only sister, not giving up until she'd brought her home. Finally reaching a clearing, she found Rosebud curled up against the base of a tree, weeping into her paws. Josie's only instinct was to comfort and protect her, but as she started approaching, a bone-chilling scream filled the night air. Flocks of birds gathered in the trees immediately took to the skies, and Josephine exchanged a horrified glance with Rosebud before immediately turning tail and heading back towards their home where she had sworn the sound came from. She quickly got her terrifying confirmation as more screams and desperate shouts continued from the very direction she was heading in, and the burning cold dread continued to fill up her body every time her paws pounded against the ground. She had no idea if her sister was following her or not, and she would never find out. That was the last time she ever saw her.

Returning to the pack was like entering a nightmare. It was all a blur: everything was happening so sickeningly fast. Wolves she had never seen before had infiltrated the territory, and were attacking- no, *killing* her packmates. Brutal snarls could be heard from every direction. Some of the family were desperately trying to fight back, some were fleeing, but their unit was nothing compared to the devastating numbers that had swarmed them like flies on honey. The smell of blood, dirt and damp filled the air like smoke. The sound of guttural barking and snarling mixed with the tearing of flesh and the breaking of bone was all that could be heard. It was *everywhere*.

Josephine stood, frozen, unable to properly take in the shock that was happening right before her eyes. The horror that was surrounding her. Just as an attacker spotted her, she heard the unmistakable shout of her father which brought her out of her dissociation. Without a second thought she rushed in the direction of the sound, finding her parents fighting off a pair of attackers. Josephine's pacifistic nature was all but forgotten at the sight of someone *daring* to harm her parents, and she swiftly joined the fight. She wasn't by any means a skilled fighter, but she would still do whatever she could to help them. They were surprised and horrified to see her, but stayed focused and managed to eventually kill the wolves despite their injuries. Reginald and Mercedes asked Josephine where her sister was and she answered honestly, desperately hoping Rosebud hadn't followed her and had instead fled. Her parents ordered her to leave while she had the chance, and after a moment of begging them to come with her, more wolves came hurtling towards them. They were "too weak", and would "only slow her down". ***"You've got to keep going."*** So Josephine ran, quicker than she'd ever run before, not daring to look back as the unforgettable sound of her parents' murder echoed through her ears. Some of the wolves chased after her, but she would NOT stop, despite the stinging tears in her eyes blurring her vision and the broken heart weighing down her lungs. No matter what, she would not stop.

She found herself in the clearing where she had left her sister. There was no sign of her, except for her faint scent still lingering in the air. At last, a glimmer of hope. Josephine didn't stop and followed the smell - as weak as it was - and ran for what felt like hours. Her legs ached, her feet burned, and soon, the smell was gone. As were her pursuers. She still didn't stop, and continued to run blindly through the woods until dawn, still not daring to even glance back. Soon, she finally found shelter in a cave after making sure that she was definitely alone, and finally allowed herself to collapse, grieve, and mourn. The agony of every muscle and bone in her body was nothing compared to the agony of what she had just experienced. She would never forget it.

For the first time in her life, she was completely alone.

That night had forced her to grow up so quickly, but instead of becoming cold and vengeful, she continued to be a kind and peaceful creature. She didn't want to ever experience that kind of suffering for as long as she could help it, and she certainly never wanted to be the cause of it. She keeps everything her parents taught her close to her heart, and still maintains all of their lessons and wisdom. Rosebud still crosses her mind, and she wonders if she'll ever see her again- or if she's even still alive. She's come to terms with the fact that they may never meet again, but that doesn't stop her from hoping. The trauma still haunts her, and she knows full-well that she'll never be able to fully recover from the events that took place that night and shattered her entire world.

She dreamt of having a family again, to once again be safe and secure in the comfort of a pack. It was a hard hope though, considering the only other wolves she had ever known had been her family, the ones who raised her and taught her everything she knew. The thought was both a comfort and a worry. All of her instincts told her to find another pack, but her anxieties warned her that it might not be safe, that any foreign wolves could be as dangerous and ruthless as the ones who murdered her family. So she spent some time alone: allowing herself to mourn, gather her bearings, hone her survival skills, and muster up the courage to seek out the safety of a pack she so desperately needed.

Eventually her cautiousness was finally outweighed by her loneliness, and she followed the scent of a small band of wolves. It was enough to give her a nervous kind of confidence.

She met Shiloh to the North of Riverfell's territory, a strained introduction made worse by the fact that Shiloh and had just successfully completed an assault on the abusive previous ruler of Riverfell. Seeing the freshly wounded wolf terrified Josephine, bringing her to the brink of a panic attack, and only Shiloh’s caring nature staved off a full breakdown. She was led to a safe place, a cave, very similar to the first one she took shelter in and she remained there, shaken and scared.

They spoke quietly for some time, Shiloh earning Josephine’s trust slowly and bringing her food, concerned for the golden-furred she-wolf. When Josephine had started to recover, Shiloh offered her a place in Riverfell. Josephine didn’t know what to do finally being offered the safety and sanctuary of a pack again… but she had been told the pack was won through battle, which brought back memories she would prefer not to relive. After going back and forth to herself over the pros and cons, the siren song of a safe place to rebuild her life was too strong to ignore. She awaited Shiloh, ready to accept the invitation and become a pack wolf once again - *finally*.

## External Links

* Official Application Sheet
* sunkissin's deviantART Gallery