app ★ ground control to major tom
PLAYER INFO
Name/Nickname: Random
Age: 19
Journal: okroginator
AIM/MSN/IM: dishonor4honor (AIM) / random_idiot (Plurk)
Email: random_idiot_v2@yahoo.com
CHARACTER INFO
Character Name: Axmili-Esgarrouth-Isthill (nicknamed Ax by the kids, who find his name hard to pronounce)
Canon: Animorphs
Point taken from canon: Ax is taken from an indeterminate point between books #27 (The Exposed) and #28 (The Experiment). His available morphs will be listed in the Abilities section.
Age: Ax is about three or four Andalite years old; the author has stated that this makes him roughly the biological/developmental equivalent of the other Animorphs (thirteen years old at the beginning of the series); in short, he is in early/mid-adolescence.
Gender: Male, but has some female morphs, though this does not play into Ax’s sexual/gender identity.
Appearance:
Ax’s usual (Andalite) appearance is like this:
This isn’t a picture of Ax himself, but it’s good for a closeup of an Andalite face:
His main human morph is a mixture of phenotypes from the DNA of the four Animorphs he’s taken, using a technique known as the Frolis Maneuver; it is described as a rather attractive, slightly androgynous male, with wavy brown hair, medium-toned skin, and blue eyes. (I did my best to find a PB that combined most of these traits and also had the range of expression necessary for Ax.)
Background:
Wikipedia~
Personality: Ax is still a young Andalite, and this is apparent even when the Animorphs first meet him. He is very curious, especially about human customs and culture. Ax attempts to absorb as much knowledge as possible by reading and watching TV (his favorite shows are commercials, which he calls These Messages, and The Young and the Restless).
At first, Ax often displayed a cultural Andalite arrogance towards non-Andalite races, a sort of “advanced alien privilege,” as it were. Andalite culture, for all their technological advancement and instinctive kindness, actually touches on many issues of privilege: sexism, pride, unwillingness to compromise, and a horrendous, deeply ingrained cultural aversion to the disabled. However, his time spent with the Animorphs and his experiences away from the Andalite military greatly changed his attitude. His age and other personality traits probably contributed to this; he was not as old and entrenched in those ideas as older Andalites would be.
Honor and personal responsibility are cornerstones of Andalite culture. They strongly believe that every person must be subordinate to someone-their military is very hierarchical, the structure culminating at the top with a leader elected by the public-so Ax, as an aristh (a sort of warrior cadet), believes strongly in following the orders of his Prince (in his case, Jake, since Jake is the leader of the Animorphs). Ax is very loyal, and will carry out his duties even in the face of death, even if he questions them-which he has conditioned himself not to.
He loved and hero-worshipped his older brother, Elfangor, whom he barely knew on a personal level and whose death he has sworn, by Andalite law, to avenge. Family is important to Ax, especially being that he’s so far from his home and loved ones.
Abilities/Strengths: As an Andalite, and a member of the military at that, Ax has many natural advantages simply in his own body, the most obvious of which is the long, bladed tail common to all Andalites. His tail is very strong, long enough to reach well in front of him, and the blade is sharp enough to slice and chop most anything short of rock or metal into pieces. His stalk eyes are completely prehensile, allowing him literal 360-degree vision at all times. Andalites are also stated to have better physical endurance than humans, due to their biology (having three hearts), and much greater speed (being quadrupedal).
As if this isn’t enough, Ax also has the ability to morph. By touching any complex life form (fungi, plants, and microorganisms are not morphable), Ax can absorb their DNA into his body, and then transform into a clone of that animal. He can be the bird flying over your head, the flea riding your clothing, or the rattlesnake sinking its fangs into your heel. He can even be the seemingly normal human you met the other day. This ability gives Ax a distinct advantage in matters of espionage and stealth.
As if that weren’t fair enough, Ax is also a technology whiz. Since Andalites have technology far superior to human, Yeerk, or any other extraterrestrial species seen in the series, Ax can operate basically any technological system you sit him in front of.
Ax’s morphs up to the point in which I am taking him from canon are:
Tiger Shark, Lobster, Ant, Northern Harrier, Cockroach, Housefly, Great Horned Owl, Mouse, Flea, Rattlesnake, Termite, Skunk, Wolf Spider, Bat, Horse, Seagull, Hammerhead Shark, Mole, Mosquito, Leeran (a species of psychic alien), Dolphin, African Elephant, Seal, Polar Bear, Giant Squid, Chimpanzee, Cow, and Bull. (That’s twenty-nine morphs, not counting his human morphs.)
He also has DNA from several different humans: Jake, Cassie, Marco, Rachel, and one random male Human-Controller.
Weaknesses: Ax’s greatest weakness is also his strength: his loyalty. Because of his cultural background, Ax has been conditioned to unquestioningly obey the orders of his Prince, whomever he deems that Prince to be (in canon, it’s Jake; in Kannagara, it will probably end up being Elfangor simply by virtue of rank). Though this does not mean he doesn’t question his duties, he will unfailingly carry them out nonetheless. Ax, though perfectly suited to providing information and advising in military matters, is not comfortable in a position of leadership with no one above him handing down orders.
Ax relies on his legs, as a quadrupedal creature; I headcanon him as having a strong fear of being hobbled, particularly combined with his Andalite aversion to disability. His siza also makes it difficult to fight in close quarters without morphing, though Kannagara being Kannagara, this may not be too much of a problem anyway.
Ax is still young, and still has a tendency to speak before he thinks. He is also somewhat naïve, even regarding machinations of power within his own people. Fighting on Earth with the Animorphs is forcing him to grow out of it very quickly, though. He also occasionally blinded by his arrogance without even realizing it.
When in human morph, Ax has a hard time controlling the urge to eat (Andalites don’t have a sense of taste, since they eat with their hooves, so the experience of taste as a human is almost intoxicating to him), and controlling his verbal tics. He likes to play with “human mouth-sounds,” as he calls them, since Andalites communicate via thought-speak. This is the one thing that often throws a wrench in plans that involve passing Ax as human, though he can certainly focus on the task at hand in urgent situations.
Defining Quote(s):
You always seemed so sure
That one day we'd be fighting
A suburban war
your part of town against mine
I saw you standing on the opposite shore
But by the time the first bombs fell
We were already bored
We were already, already bored
--“The Suburbs,” Arcade Fire
We were darting from the place where we just couldn’t fit
Far away from all the violence safely flying in our own orbit
Why do I always have to tell you
Forget about the prescient signs
Forget about the life we knew
May we never be stripped of anything we love
May we grow so gentle, never go mental
May we never go, go mental
May we always stay, stay gentle
--“Forecast Fascist Future,” Of Montreal
Other: Ax sometimes goes by the name “Philip” in human morph, usually when masquerading as Jake’s “Canadese” cousin.
Name/Nickname: Random
Age: 19
Journal: okroginator
AIM/MSN/IM: dishonor4honor (AIM) / random_idiot (Plurk)
Email: random_idiot_v2@yahoo.com
CHARACTER INFO
Character Name: Axmili-Esgarrouth-Isthill (nicknamed Ax by the kids, who find his name hard to pronounce)
Canon: Animorphs
Point taken from canon: Ax is taken from an indeterminate point between books #27 (The Exposed) and #28 (The Experiment). His available morphs will be listed in the Abilities section.
Age: Ax is about three or four Andalite years old; the author has stated that this makes him roughly the biological/developmental equivalent of the other Animorphs (thirteen years old at the beginning of the series); in short, he is in early/mid-adolescence.
Gender: Male, but has some female morphs, though this does not play into Ax’s sexual/gender identity.
Appearance:
Ax’s usual (Andalite) appearance is like this:
This isn’t a picture of Ax himself, but it’s good for a closeup of an Andalite face:
His main human morph is a mixture of phenotypes from the DNA of the four Animorphs he’s taken, using a technique known as the Frolis Maneuver; it is described as a rather attractive, slightly androgynous male, with wavy brown hair, medium-toned skin, and blue eyes. (I did my best to find a PB that combined most of these traits and also had the range of expression necessary for Ax.)
Background:
Wikipedia~
Personality: Ax is still a young Andalite, and this is apparent even when the Animorphs first meet him. He is very curious, especially about human customs and culture. Ax attempts to absorb as much knowledge as possible by reading and watching TV (his favorite shows are commercials, which he calls These Messages, and The Young and the Restless).
At first, Ax often displayed a cultural Andalite arrogance towards non-Andalite races, a sort of “advanced alien privilege,” as it were. Andalite culture, for all their technological advancement and instinctive kindness, actually touches on many issues of privilege: sexism, pride, unwillingness to compromise, and a horrendous, deeply ingrained cultural aversion to the disabled. However, his time spent with the Animorphs and his experiences away from the Andalite military greatly changed his attitude. His age and other personality traits probably contributed to this; he was not as old and entrenched in those ideas as older Andalites would be.
Honor and personal responsibility are cornerstones of Andalite culture. They strongly believe that every person must be subordinate to someone-their military is very hierarchical, the structure culminating at the top with a leader elected by the public-so Ax, as an aristh (a sort of warrior cadet), believes strongly in following the orders of his Prince (in his case, Jake, since Jake is the leader of the Animorphs). Ax is very loyal, and will carry out his duties even in the face of death, even if he questions them-which he has conditioned himself not to.
He loved and hero-worshipped his older brother, Elfangor, whom he barely knew on a personal level and whose death he has sworn, by Andalite law, to avenge. Family is important to Ax, especially being that he’s so far from his home and loved ones.
Abilities/Strengths: As an Andalite, and a member of the military at that, Ax has many natural advantages simply in his own body, the most obvious of which is the long, bladed tail common to all Andalites. His tail is very strong, long enough to reach well in front of him, and the blade is sharp enough to slice and chop most anything short of rock or metal into pieces. His stalk eyes are completely prehensile, allowing him literal 360-degree vision at all times. Andalites are also stated to have better physical endurance than humans, due to their biology (having three hearts), and much greater speed (being quadrupedal).
As if this isn’t enough, Ax also has the ability to morph. By touching any complex life form (fungi, plants, and microorganisms are not morphable), Ax can absorb their DNA into his body, and then transform into a clone of that animal. He can be the bird flying over your head, the flea riding your clothing, or the rattlesnake sinking its fangs into your heel. He can even be the seemingly normal human you met the other day. This ability gives Ax a distinct advantage in matters of espionage and stealth.
As if that weren’t fair enough, Ax is also a technology whiz. Since Andalites have technology far superior to human, Yeerk, or any other extraterrestrial species seen in the series, Ax can operate basically any technological system you sit him in front of.
Ax’s morphs up to the point in which I am taking him from canon are:
Tiger Shark, Lobster, Ant, Northern Harrier, Cockroach, Housefly, Great Horned Owl, Mouse, Flea, Rattlesnake, Termite, Skunk, Wolf Spider, Bat, Horse, Seagull, Hammerhead Shark, Mole, Mosquito, Leeran (a species of psychic alien), Dolphin, African Elephant, Seal, Polar Bear, Giant Squid, Chimpanzee, Cow, and Bull. (That’s twenty-nine morphs, not counting his human morphs.)
He also has DNA from several different humans: Jake, Cassie, Marco, Rachel, and one random male Human-Controller.
Weaknesses: Ax’s greatest weakness is also his strength: his loyalty. Because of his cultural background, Ax has been conditioned to unquestioningly obey the orders of his Prince, whomever he deems that Prince to be (in canon, it’s Jake; in Kannagara, it will probably end up being Elfangor simply by virtue of rank). Though this does not mean he doesn’t question his duties, he will unfailingly carry them out nonetheless. Ax, though perfectly suited to providing information and advising in military matters, is not comfortable in a position of leadership with no one above him handing down orders.
Ax relies on his legs, as a quadrupedal creature; I headcanon him as having a strong fear of being hobbled, particularly combined with his Andalite aversion to disability. His siza also makes it difficult to fight in close quarters without morphing, though Kannagara being Kannagara, this may not be too much of a problem anyway.
Ax is still young, and still has a tendency to speak before he thinks. He is also somewhat naïve, even regarding machinations of power within his own people. Fighting on Earth with the Animorphs is forcing him to grow out of it very quickly, though. He also occasionally blinded by his arrogance without even realizing it.
When in human morph, Ax has a hard time controlling the urge to eat (Andalites don’t have a sense of taste, since they eat with their hooves, so the experience of taste as a human is almost intoxicating to him), and controlling his verbal tics. He likes to play with “human mouth-sounds,” as he calls them, since Andalites communicate via thought-speak. This is the one thing that often throws a wrench in plans that involve passing Ax as human, though he can certainly focus on the task at hand in urgent situations.
Defining Quote(s):
You always seemed so sure
That one day we'd be fighting
A suburban war
your part of town against mine
I saw you standing on the opposite shore
But by the time the first bombs fell
We were already bored
We were already, already bored
--“The Suburbs,” Arcade Fire
We were darting from the place where we just couldn’t fit
Far away from all the violence safely flying in our own orbit
Why do I always have to tell you
Forget about the prescient signs
Forget about the life we knew
May we never be stripped of anything we love
May we grow so gentle, never go mental
May we never go, go mental
May we always stay, stay gentle
--“Forecast Fascist Future,” Of Montreal
Other: Ax sometimes goes by the name “Philip” in human morph, usually when masquerading as Jake’s “Canadese” cousin.