Player: Kittiara
Link: http://www.furaffinity.net/user/kittiara/
Character Name: Jody Ketch
Age: 17
Sex: Male
Species: Platypus
Height/Weight:5'10", 125 lbs
Social Status: Outer Class
Physical Description: A platypus, with its odd characteristics, might be mistaken for a hybrid-- if it were well-kempt, unscarred, well-fed, and basically nothing like Jody Ketch. The proverbial cat wouldn't bother to drag his sorry tail in anywhere. His fur manages to be sleek only once and a while, and he's never swum in his life. His expression seems almost constantly cheeky due to the natural shape of his face and the apparent squinty quality of his eyes-- it's often difficult to tell exactly how hard he's examining something.
He's tall and gangly simply by virtue of having hardly any meat on his bones. It's impossible to know how he managed to shoot up a few inches in height since his 16th year, just living on the streets, but whether it's his overactive genetics or simply that he has a source of food he isn't telling anybody else about is completely up for speculation. He never seems as tall as he really is; he's just too skinny to be intimidating.
His clothes are eclectic, almost all fished out of garbage. His close-fitting undersuit (which helps to insulate him against the cold) is his pride and joy, hugging his slightly underweight and extremely flexible body. He won't own up to where he got it, so either the story is exciting or entirely uneventful. Faded and torn blue overalls a little too big hang off his skinny frame (he's cut a hole out of the back for his thick tail), his shoes a mismatched boot and some sort of pitiful burlap job. Over his shoulders he wears the remnants of a stylish cape-- and he wears it all like it's still new, or fits together at all.
Background: Jody and his pals, all orphans (or at least runaways, and basking in what they feel is the romantic notion of being on their own and under 18), have been together a long time. They were the residents of one of the scattered orphanages in the Undercity, the sort that never lasted long enough to see their first generation of tenants through. Most of the kids named themselves-- Jody says he doesn't know where his first name comes from, but "Ketch" is something he gave himself. In fact, that's only because he can't spell "catch" right.
When the orphanage went belly-up, or, more specifically, the matron disappeared one day, the kids took over the building and used it as a makeshift headquarters, laughing boastfully about how they'd make their own little gang and wouldn't do nothin' stupid. Of course, their matron had gotten herself in trouble upside in the Mids. Anyway, once that got 'round, some local game gave them some trouble on account of the orphans' pickpocketing, and they got smoked out-- literally. The ramshackle slum of an orphanage is ashes now, like most others. His, too, is a typical orphan story.
Even the posse he had after the orphanage is now gone, however, one to (perceived) betrayal, two to disinterest, one to death, and one to god-knows-what. Bapsef never was right in the head after her fall, and he has all the reason to suspect that she is now dead. He makes due with local orphans, all of whom manage to be more disillusioned than him. But not much can quench his natural showman's nature, and all he needs is a kickstart in an otherwise shitty, typical Undercity life. He continues to eke out a "living" by street performance and contortion, though he's grown "bored" of the scraping and scrounging life.
Personality: Jody Ketch is aptly described as a "fucking idiot" to those in the mood for polite terminology. One might think a life in an orphanage would have put him in his place or dampened his spirits, but instead he felt in entitled him to a special place among those his age and younger. Though it's true that he is a contortionist thanks to his own perseverence, he is cocky and often far too satisfied with that skill. He's better at running away than fighting, but his large mouth and recent tendency to sarcasm often get him into more trouble than he plans on. At some point, he seems to have lost a measure of concern for his well-being. He can range from outright stupidity to biting sarcasm (backed by more wit and 'street smarts' than any real intelligence), making him a difficult one to pin down verbally.
Despite his ego and boastful, often showman-like attitude, the kid's got a pretty good heart, except when he's being completely selfish or insensitive to the feelings of others. When he tries to communicate on an emotional level, he usually fails, but the thought is there. Somewhere. Still, he's not all that sly, just a little clever when it suits his own hide. His grasp of language leaves a lot to be desired, making him all the more irritating-- or endearing, perhaps.
Weapons/Equipment:
-Skin-tight "stealth" suit that makes it easy for him to contort while providing support, and a little protection against the cold (or, in some places, heat).
-Rusty switchblade "acquired" somewhere, along with other odds and ends.
Misc: Like all male platypi, Jody has a small spur on his hind feet-- this is venemous and can cause severe pain. It's not fatal, but is painful enough to incapacitate a foe, and it does describe why Jody's booted foot is in a shoe so big; he can kick it off and give an assailant a nasty surprise. The wound will swell and slowly makes the entire effected limb swell as well; the venom will also cause hyperalgesia (an increased sensitivity for pain) that can persist anywhere from days to months.