Yves

Honoré (Grandfather, NPC)

## Application Sheet

Yves was a dark reddish-brown male wolf with silvery accents and cinnamon-colored eyes. He was part of the pack Hintertomb, joining the Domain with the remnants of this pack. His story is just beginning. Yves was created and RP'd by latteador.

## Personality

* ***Benevolent, Optimistic, Judicious, and Merciful.*** This amiable wolkin proves himself to be teeming with optimism, offering his buoyant perception regardless of the severity of the situation. No matter how hard things get, there is always something to hold on; a truth to believe in. He is judicious in his decision-making, always taking into account the impact his choices will have on others. He believes that all wolvenkind is inherently good; some of them are just swayed by the cruelty this world has to offer. No matter how much wrong one has done, or if they may have blood on their paws, everyone should have a chance to redeem themselves. After all, not a single wolf hasn't done wrong during their life.
* ***Perceptive, Quick-Witted, Imaginative, and Savant.*** Being a “gifted child” from an equally gifted mother, his natural thirst for knowledge caused him to become a bit of an eccentric individual. His perceptiveness and quick-wittedness make him excellent at reading people, piercing through their shallow facades. He's in possession of an imaginative mind that allows him to come up with creative solutions to problems. Yves moves through life at a brisk pace, always focused on the task at hand. He's able to see the bigger picture and has a knack for making important decisions. With a quick mind and ability to make accurate choices he rarely finds himself in situations where he doesn't know what to do next. Being in possession of a vivid imagination, he relies on his mind to visualize concepts inside. He's able to come up with quick solutions and think outside of the box to see situations from different angles. The savant ember has an unique ability to process information quickly and retain vast amounts of knowledge.
* ***Sentimental, Nonchalant, Steady, and Calm.*** His mind is cursed by nostalgia; he continues to dwell on the past, even though life moves forward. It always hits him unexpectedly - it can be a familiar smell or a mere feeling, a phantom touch of another's fur but no one's there. He’s haunted by the past he cannot escape, and it tortures him. A prisoner in his own mind, trapped by the memories of what once was. He can’t forget, as he refuses to let it go. Yves looks at the world with tenderness, for he finds beauty in simple things. A blessing and a curse. Deep inside, he's still a golden-hearted boy, who sees love where it's hard to notice. He is a rock in the storm, always there to provide a steady paw and a calm voice; an anchor.
* ***Devout, Dogmatic, and Fervid.*** Like a loyal dog, he succumbs to his duties as a Hintertomb wolf with utmost seriousness. His keen eyes are always glued to the starry sky as they watch obsessively, with a mixture of fear and curiosity. Lost in his paranoia, he devotes himself to find the ultimate answer. The great ones always linger in his mind, as they watch the pack's every move. Waiting for the best moment to strike, as they wrap their jaws around his throat as he sleeps. And yet, he still submits and plays his role. There's a noble purpose to his life; he's sure of it. He wants his name to be etched in the fragile minds of wolves that are yet to exist, his legacy thriving as the years go by. A moth drawn to a flame, he sets his sight on one goal only. He's ready to give up anything to get closer to success, even if it requires to choose the lesser of two evils. Sometimes sacrifices are ought to be made to achieve success; the ends justify the means in his mind. Driven by selfish desires, his true goals aren't as cordial as one would expect; if one focused on his eyes long enough, he would notice a familiar emotion stirring amidst the amber sea - utmost glorification, and perhaps a glimpse of blooming madness. Some things stay in the family, after all. Without Hintertomb, he is nothing.
* ***Reserved, Pensive, Avoidant, Insecure, and Self-Sacrificing.*** Known by many, but understood by little - that's a quick way to sum up most of his relationships with the rest of wolkin. He only shares trivial parts of his life with others, leaving out some things here and there without a second thought. He’s an observer - he prefers to witness life as it unfolds before his eyes, instead of actively participating in it; like a side character in his own story. With his head in the clouds, he might come across as intimidating at first. He’s always been a deep thinker - he ponders over little things, making his life more complicated than it actually is. Despite his calm demeanor, his mind wanders restlessly, poisoning his mood. Yvie's carefully crafted, phlegmatic image is a result of his deep insecurities stemming from his childhood. In fear of estrangement, he goes out of his way to be as memorable as possible. In result, he lets himself get trampled by those who abuse his good intentions, as they tear down his boundaries. In his delusional mind, Yves sees this as a necessity to achieve change. Like a self-proclaimed martyr, he allows them to take and take and take, until there's nothing left; just an empty shell of a wolf. He avoids any sort of conflict like the plague; running away from difficult feelings will prove itself to be a common trope throughout his life. He has a tendency to overcomplicate things, especially when it comes to his usually quite tumultuous relationships. Insecure and afraid of being alone, he'll cling onto individuals he barely knows in order to feel something. He tends to idealize those that he feels attracted to, but then quickly becomes disillusioned by their flaws as they become more familiar with each other. Yves is constantly looking for ways to fill the void in his life, the bottomless pit inside of him. He's not afraid of death; it's living that scares him most.

## Pre-Group History

The universe shifted when the mahogany pup breathed its first breath. A new life, blood, and dust—the beginning of the end.

It wasn't supposed to happen. Well, how could she not expect this? That's what always happens when you decide to give in and let your heart take the lead. It's a tale as old as time. She had never experienced anything like this before, but whenever she spoke with the brown male, Samu, an uproar of emotions raged within her. He managed to sweep her off her feet and distract her from her main goal. He left as fast as he appeared, leaving the pack to wander aimlessly. The young Spire had a bright future ahead of her, but it didn't include a child. How could she love a being she birthed knowing she had subjected it to live in fear of the unknown? Noelle, as a deep believer, was too self-aware for that.

"I'm sorry," She thought, "for bringing you into this wretched world."

\*\*\*

He doesn't recall much from his childhood, only glimpses of muddy visions when the nights are too dark and cold.

He's been like this since the earliest days. A quiet child, he never cried much. Smaller than an average pup and less lively. Weaker. That wasn't a problem for her, though. The opposite, quite frankly, was true— he was perfect as long as he didn't bother her too much. She wasn't cut out to be a mother - her world revolved around the secrets hidden within the shadows. Most of the time, she could barely look the pup in the eye. He looked exactly like his father, with his dark pelt and sweet amber eyes. The pup was fortunate to inherit some of his mom's smarts, which made him realize a couple of things early on. Like why the stones shined so brightly or why his mother was always away. He simply wasn't as interesting as all those things hidden in the archives, such a magical and mysterious place for a small kid. She dwelled underground as he sat and pondered over this issue. Thanks to his bright little head, he caught up on it quickly; she didn't seem to mind his company when he was nice and quiet. He shifted his tactic, and soon enough, she started to come around more often, even going as far as telling him about all of those interesting things. He had to tailor his behavior in a certain way to earn his mom's affection and interest. A small price for being loved.

Yves wasn't the type to mess around with his peers as a kid; he watched as they played and filled the air with laughter, but he never joined in. Mature for his age, said everyone. His mother liked that about him, and it was enough to keep him from joining in on the fun. Instead, he sat in on Noelle's latest discoveries whenever she had time for him. He soon learned she was always dreaming big as she talked about one discovery after another. His young mind was filled to the brim with everything extraordinary, from simple divination to savage gods that resided in the sky. While it usually came in through one ear and went out through another, spending time with her satisfied his little heart.

Even though life wasn't perfect, he would be fine as long as Mama was by his side. That, too, was destined to end quicker than he would ever realize.

\*\*\*

It has happened once more. The silver-furred female had a habit of ignoring her own health, but she went too far this time. After another fight with her father, she buried herself in work. Honoré was always worried about her, after all. This time wasn't different; her obsession with her task was getting dangerous at times. She usually managed to swiftly get back on her feet. What could be different now? Noelle always pushed her luck, so why now? The weakened female bit off more than she could chew, and after a few days of constantly exhausting herself, she fell victim to an unknown illness. Yves could only sit and watch as her life slowly faded from her eyes, day after day. There was nothing he could do; maybe it was meant to happen. He was merely a juvenile; how was he supposed to live without parents? Oh, the cruelty of the world.

When it became obvious that the young mother’s time was coming to an end, she decided to leave something behind for her only son. Her whole heritage, or an apology, if you will. She wasn’t a good mother in the slightest, but deep down she cared for the child; of course she did. He was the only wolf worthy of taking over her legacy and uncovering the secrets that she worked so hard on. Wolkin had to prevail, no matter the cost, and so she made sure that someone would fill the space she would leave behind. And there was a perfect candidate who could fulfill her desires. She used the last ounce of strength she had to prepare everything for her departure. Now, Yves was the only missing piece.

"My dear child, my most precious one, listen to me closely now." She muttered as the fever ravaged her body. He wasn't dumb. Therefore, he was fully aware that it meant only one thing: she was actually dying. The last goodbye is happening right now. It felt anything but real. "You've always been so... I was such an awful mother, but you never left my side. I was never deserving of a son like you. And yet, I have the audacity to ask you for one last favor."

"You shall become a spire. You're a special child, my dear, for you are made from my blood. All of the things I've gathered throughout my life are waiting for the moment you climb your way up. You just have to access the archives. It won't be hard for someone like you." A silent promise. "May shadows kiss your heels, Yvie." And just like that, she went cold after one last plea to the world.

It was enough to give him a reason to keep going. To continue his mother's legacy and bring solace to Hintertomb, if even possible.

\*\*\*

Life goes on; there's nothing more to say. He was grieving in silence as the world continued to spin. Some wolves were counting on him, so he couldn't just break down. If he gave up now, it would mean that Noelle's death was to no avail. There were many wolkin that needed him right now, especially his grandfather, who officially became his guardian for the time being. Yves was the last family member he had left. He had to be mature now. He wasn't just a pup anymore; he had a greater role to play. With his mom's end, he realized one thing: how fragile the life of wolvenkind was. Yves swore to himself that he wouldn't ever let another wolf suffer in silence. Even if he had to suffer instead.

He never broke his promises.

Things were different now. He didn't spend all of his free time with adults anymore; as the time of becoming an ember got closer, he got more interested in making connections with wolfs his age. It seemed like things were finally calming down. Little did he know that, soon enough, he would meet someone—a wolf who would make him second-guess everything he'd ever known.

A stray has been found lurking nearby on Hintertomb's territory—a young one, just about the same age as Yves. Despite his hostile attitude, he decided to join the pack, at least for now.

This situation piqued the interest of his fellow Wolkin; it wasn't every day that an unknown face appeared among them. Their curiosity would soon dwindle as the new member put his sharp tongue into action. He clearly didn't come here to make friends, of course. Hungry and tired, he didn't have any other choice and Yves understood that well. With that thought in mind, he embarked on a side mission: to get closer to this mysterious newcomer and make him come out of his shell.

Initially, it was incredibly hard to convince Yuli to talk with him; as per his cold demeanor and lack of interest, he would typically disregard him or express his annoyance. They danced around each other for quite some time, but eventually Yves managed to make him crack just a little bit. It was a minor but effective first step. After they broke the ice, it only became a matter of time for them to get closer. The brown wolf wouldn't leave him alone, no matter how creative he was in finding ways to get away from him. Even though he acted indifferently, he appreciated his tireless efforts, since no one ever cared about his feelings that much. Yves was a fool for being so determined to win him over. He finally gave in after some time. They were the same, after all; just two boys out in the harsh world, their hearts tucked away deep inside their chests.

At last, they both became embers beside one another; their fondness only grew with time, but neither of them would ever admit it out loud. Not only did he manage to help the headstrong wolf, but he also got one step closer to making his mother proud. Now, he only had to try his best to obtain the rank needed to enter the archives. So far, yet so painfully close. Even then, he felt an unusual feeling inside his chest—something clawed at his insides, making him restless and anxious. As if something dreadful was just about to happen. The disappearance of The Omen only made his suspicions stronger.

The Southpoint Collapse. As the tunnels caved in, so did his world. His heart stayed buried there, along with all of those who lost their life. In the aftermath of the collapse, Yves was left with a multitude of unanswered questions. Swayed by emotions, Yuli managed to convince him to stay behind as The new Omen emerged from the ruins. Tired from all the panic, he obligded.

\*\*\*

For a moment, there were no gods and no fear. Everything went quiet. He should feel at peace now, but the deafening silence made his skin crawl. Now, they were sitting next to each other as two strays, nothing more. None of them dared to speak up. It could stay like that. He could stay here and make a new life for himself... if he was any other wolf. No matter what, he would always be of Hintertomb, and there was no power that could change that. Even if he ran for so long that his legs gave out, The Great Ones would still catch up. They were watching, especially now.

The easiest prey to hunt down was the one standing alone.

No matter what he decides to do, someone will end up hurt. For once in his life, he has no other option but to act selfishly. He chose to leave his sleeping partner without a farewell, believing that it would lessen the pain. And so, he ventured into the unknown, unspoken words feeling heavy on his tongue. The search for the trail left by his kin began as the moon shined with its fake light, seemigly mocking his every move.

The archives were gone, swallowed by the rubble. What his mother left for him would remain a mystery—but that couldn't be the end of it: not yet. Hintertomb still needed him, no matter what.

## Trivia

* He enjoys meditating, usually just before sunrise.
* Sometimes he zones out during a conversation, when the topic causes him to remember something relevant.
* He gets restless when embarrassed.
* When alone, he sometimes talks to himself or hums under his breath.
* Tends to act older than he is, and speaks in an old-fashioned way, a quirk learned from his grandfather.

## External Links

* Official Application Sheet
* latteador's deviantART Gallery