Michael

Michael is a tiny Northern Saw-Whet Owl, loyal attendant to the alpha of Tentaka, Akuto, and considered to be her familiar. He vanished when Akuto died in the horrible eruption of Ascension Peak, and it is unknown whether he lived or died. He was created and RP'd by Fireshrike.

## Personality

* ***Obedient***: Michael is a natural servant and loves to serve others.  It's partly a learned way of life, partly a personal joy he *just really loves*.
* ***Giving***: In tune with his intrinsic obedience, Michael is always looking for ways to help, and will joyfully put aside whatever he is doing to offer assistance at the drop of a hat.
* ***Humble***: Michael is used to living a life of servitude, and acts accordingly.  Interruptions are rare, and so is anything unfitting for a servant, such as disrespect, dishonesty (though he will lie if ordered to or his current master/master figure needs it), and bluntness.  These tenets of his may find themselves ignored, however, if the situation becomes dire or values stronger than obedience overwhelm the latter.  Thanks to his meekness, he also has a way of figuratively disappearing into the background.  (Though being an owl, he's pretty good at *literally* disappearing, too!  Those earth tones and silent wings can really come in handy).
* ***Attentive***: Michael is very perceptive and has a talent for noticing the small details and nuances others may miss.  This can come as a surprise to many, even the ones who don't take him for granted, because Michael is not usually inclined to share his thoughts immediately.  He is not *against* it, but rather it's just not something he thinks of sharing unless the information becomes pertinent.  Michael is not particularly *secretive* per say, and though not naive, will generally share his thoughts and observations with anyone if they ask or seem in need of it.  He also has a very long attention span, born of years of practice.
* ***Servile***: The owl can be selfless to the point of harm.  He is easily manipulated and taken advantage of, and is unable to throw off someone who has taken control over him.  In this way, he is heavily dependent on those around him to either not manipulate him, or to step in should abuse of his nature be noticed.  This helplessness is due both to his lifestyle before his time around wolves, when he was a designated servant, and to the personality traits, behaviors, and coping mechanisms he developed around it.  It should be noted that Michael does not resent his past, nor who he is (though this could change, if he is taken advantage of enough); he was never mistreated and was generally appreciated by the owls whom he worked for.  That said, his upbringing still had a marked effect.
* ***Private***: To a fault.  Functioning in tandem with all the above, Michael is very good at keeping secrets, both his and others' - for better *or* for worse.  While under normal circumstances he's merely reticent, if successfully convinced to follow someone, he can (and often will) refuse to share information regarding his charge or anything they request if so commanded.  He makes an excellent confidant, but potentially for *anyone*, not just those with their heart in the right place.
* ***Goofy***: Michael has a gift for being silly, and will use this to cheer people up, or just to mess around.  Saying and doing strange things and behaving in odd ways are his favorite way of lightening the mood or just relieving some boredom.  He can be quite the performer at times, and a particularly astute one when it comes to his audience, too.

## Pre-Group History

He and Elysia lived in the same society, in which owls were given different tasks or life paths based on their size.  While bigger owls like Elysia were more akin to nobility, small ones like Michael were more or less peasants and assigned the role of servant, and given charges to look after in addition to generic cleanup duty and other menial tasks.  Michael never really resented the role, which his mother and father filled as well - a fact that likely allowed him to be so content with his given lot.  As his entire extended family was in the same boat, Michael was not without support, and received plentiful training and exposure to the role he had.  As a result, to him it was all just a fact of life - and thanks to the encouragement of his parents, he even learned how to mold himself around it, rise to the task and become the best owl he could for the job.

In general, Michael's life was not without hardships, but it was not entirely unpleasant, either.  While other owls may have struggled more with the idea of being given a certain and exclusive role to fill, thanks to Michael's family situation and the natures of his parents, he was able to accept and embrace it, taking the concept in stride.  Any classism Michael personally faced was either largely forgettable or went undetected by him as a result of his attitude, and as such he remembers his former life fondly.  As Michael aged, he prepared to become a fully-functioning adult and accept the responsibilities that came with it.  It came time to begin considering taking over larger roles in caring for the family and tree they lived in, and potentially to begin looking for a mate.  Michael awaited all of this with excitement - his whole life had been building up to the idea of responsible adulthood and becoming better able to serve the owl society.

However, it was not to be.  Before he could reach that stage of his life, the heavens shattered - a colossal blaze rained down from the sky, rending the air asunder and smashing upon the land.  The meteor wrought utter destruction, leaving no trace of the hollows and woodlands which had previously housed their entire society.

Michael and Elysia managed to escape, but Michael still has no confirmation as to the fate of his family.  They were lost from sight in the resulting blaze and shockwave, and the fires that took the forest were too intense to risk going back for survivors.  Though he did not witness it directly, deep down he knows none of them survived.  Shocked, broken, and lost, his search for Elysia - the only other survivor he knows of, and the only tie to his old life - has brought him west to the lands around Tentaka.  Though resting there for a while, he still hopes find her again someday.  Michael is weathered, but not broken.

## Group History

Michael became the adept attendant to Tentaka's alpha wolf, Akuto, serving almost as another pair of eyes for the alphess. The two are rarely seen apart when on duty. Michael often encouraged Akuto when she began to question her decisions and leadership abilities, and had genuine affection for her.

When Ascension Peak erupted, it is unknown what became of Akuto's loyal attendant. Whether he perished alongside his wolf companion, or escaped the flames and smoke, is completely unknown. He has not been seen in the Domain since.

## Trivia

* He doesn't like felines, but likes wolves quite a bit.
* He's a bit more of a bumbling flier than the typical owl. Just slightly.
* Michael is genuine, eager, and perceptive. In moments of heart-to-heart interaction, can suddenly seem oddly wise in his own childlike way.
* While not an official familiar (as familiars were not yet introduced to the group), Michael served the same purpose as a familiar, as has been designated as such.

## Quotes

* "I think the fact that the den affected you so deeply just makes you even more qualified to lead. That means you care about those around you - a whole lot!" (trying to comfort Akuto, *Snow Warning*)

## External Links

* Official Application Sheet
* Fireshrike's deviantART Gallery