Powers and abilities
S E A R C H I N G F O R P A R A D I S E
For those who have seen the anime know how difficult this step is. There is no actual explanation to how they do this, any precise information about how it works, and all we are shown simple flashing sequences of them switching forms.
For this, things in this rp will be probably different than what happens in others. Understand that by this I’m trying my best to keep things easier for me and for those who interact with Toboe.
Even if he looks like a human, Toboe is a wolf; I wish I could say he was a normal wolf to simplify this matter, but he isn’t. I’ll later on get to that. His kind is capable of creating illusions on themselves so they appear human to most people. Those who are good at supernatural or have high psychic perception abilities, drunken people or even old open minded men will be able to see through it either completely or for a brief second before it returns to the illusion.
Animals will also be able to see through the disguise, but for rp purposes I’ve decided that, even if they can easily identify Toboe as a wolf, they can still see his human form. This way would help to those who don’t know Toboe and who aren’t human, still have the excuse to sound surprised that he is a wolf.
Because there is no real explanation, we are going to consider that Toboe’s human image is a projection of himself as human that is somehow connected to the wolf part, allowing people who try to hurt him while he is standing to actually hit him. In other words, if you try to shoot for the head, even if as wolf it’s lower than the aim, you’ll still be able to hit to due to some sort of connection the two images have (this was seen when Quent shot Kiba's shoulder once).
But his image shadow is still of a wolf, and his footprints are nothing but paw prints, actually. We may admit that his hands also leave behind wolf prints, and this is hown to us in canon.
The human illusion obviously has clothes. Again, we actually cannot tell how this works because it’s shown to us during the anime that the clothes may come off when necessary (when Toboe was treating Kiba's wounds). Still, they simply disappeared and reappeared. By this fact, I’ve though that those clothes, as illusions, will only exist as long they are touching Toboe’s body; if the pup decides to take off his shirt and drop it to the floor, it will disappear, but still, he does need to take it off. Same as picking up an illusionary shirt that will show up in his hand, and then he’ll need to redress.
It’s necessary to mention that the clothes may get ripped to match the wounds inflicted on them. As the wounds heal, the marks in the clothes will disappear until it has faded and healed completely. The same with dirty, actually, as the clothing will be dirt when the wolf also is, and a simple bath would take care of this (they do take bathes with their clothes on).
As for touching, because this is an illusion, you need to remember you'll feel a wolf. This is why it's for the best for them not to allow others touch them. If Toboe touches someone, like attacking, he’ll leave claw and bite marks (even though some use illusionary weapons in their human forms), and if he is reaching for someone, he will use teeth and muzzle to do so.
Although this is not proven; we see Blue carrying Quent her her both hands, we see them carrying food. While not proven, it's for the best if we just leave it like this.
But yes, wolves are also able to pick someone up in their arms, carry things, and do what most humans can do with their arms and hands.
Something good about Wolf’s Rain is that they kept wolves talking with their mouths closed. Fact is, Toboe may speak to a human even in his wolf form without having to move his mouth.
This allows him to use his mouth to grab things and still talk at the same time, giving us the impression that a big deal of his illusion-human-hand actions are from the mouth.
Ah, did I forget to mention that they also cry? Yes, they do shed tears in their human form, but not in wolf.
But remember that he can switch as fast from human to wolf as the other way around. After all, being an illusion, he just has to stop concentrating and you'll see a wolf. Probably, if he lost his concentration while typing on a computer, you'd just see a wolf sitting on a chair and typing with his paws (NO, Toboe can't type. It was an example).
Toboe is a special wolf, but his human illusion isn’t the only thing that makes him special. To make things even more complicated, we are faced with the kind of wolves able to do extraordinary things. These animals have a super strength, more than any regular wolf; their stamina and resistance is also incredibly huge, and they may have been shot once or twice, but they keep on going and quickly recover. They jump higher than any normal human (several buildings) and are able to make agile attack moves.
To add to this, Toboe and other wolves still have their animal senses like earing, olfaction and taste.
And we’ll finally go to the regular basis. Wolves age 7 human years each year that passes, like any dog; this is just estimation, but because Toboe looks like he is 14, I’ve given him 2 years. Wolves can live around 13 years maximum, when wild, but because it’d be too weird to make him grow all of sudden 7 years, I’ve decided it was better for him to keep a human age, at least while he is in this rp world.
Being a canine, it means that he will act like a puppy dog most of the times. Don’t forget that there is also a high chance he’ll act like that even in his human form, even if it makes it look weird.
Finally, as a wolf, he is not emotionally interested in other species.
[Canine anatomy]
[Wolf body language]
# Nuzzles or Nuzzling: This expression/action is used when greeting others, or as a submissive act.
# Licking: Is an action used while greeting as well, and as a submissive posture.
# Submission: This gesture is one of friendliness, harmony, and the most expressed. A wolf showing submission will normally display, ears pinned back licking up at the dominate wolfs chin/muzzle, tail tucked or held low, head held lower then the dominate, and maybe a slight whimper. It doesn't necessarily mean it's a bad thing, it can be a sweet caring touch showing to an older pack member.
# Aggressive behaviour: Ears are held erect (or pushed to the side in "airplane ears"), lips puckered and closed or slightly open, eyes wide open, hackles and tail erect, tail held stiffly. The animal carries its body rigidly, with confidence and a stiff-legged walk, and stares at the object of aggression directly, keeping eye contact.
# Defensive aggressive behaviour: when he'd rather flee but is prepared to fight if necessary. The animal is fearful but feels it may be able to hold its own if the threat persists. Elements of threat and submission are combined in their postures, or may visibly alternate as the animal "waffles" between one option and the other. An animal may simultaneously grimace in fear and snarl, or alternately growl and whine. The hackles are erect, the back humped, but at the same time the animal crouches submissively, keeps its tail and ears down, and avoids staring directly at its opponent.
# Hunting: I won't mention the tactics wolves use, I just wish to remember that Toboe does NEED to hunt because he is a growing wolf and still needs to learn - he knows that himself. Remember it's also in his genes to have a predatory behavior, so from time to time, the pup does need to go out and hunt on his own.
# Scent rolling: act of pressing the body against a strong-smelling object or scent. This behavior usually begins with the wolf pushing a cheek against the object, and then sliding on it until the side of the chest has cleared the object. The wolf will likely stand and repeat the process several times on each side of the body. Wolves commonly perform this behavior with any strong or unique-smelling object within their territory that wasn't there before for olfactory camouflage.
# Cache behavior: yes, wolves do really store bones and food in holes. Don't worry, it's not like Toboe will do it on the submarine, but he will hide what he can.
[Wolf vocal language]
# Howling: I do know wolf's behaviour doesn't include howling to the full moon, but because of the connection the Full Moon has with Toboe and characters from these anime, when it's that time, Toboe will howl to the moon as to announce it (every month he does this for two nights). They often howl before they go on a hunt, a wolf may howl alone if it is having troubles locating its pack, and will also howl in apparent grief after the death of their mates, and lonely wolf pups often howl in distress. And, as R. D. Lawrence has written in his book, Trail of the Wolf, "somewhat like humans, they [wolves] enjoy a singsong." Wolf packs may also howl to communicate with other packs.
# Whimpering: tends to serve as either a submissive or friendly greeting sound.
# Growl: when they are attempting to threaten another wolf or are behaving aggressively
# Bark: wolves rarely bark, but may do so as an alarm call or during play. Toboe barks more often since he was raised by humans
[Play]
Wolves also use different gestures to ask each other to play. When a wolf wants to play, it will approach another wolf and it will bow down with its front feet on the ground and its rear in the air with the tail wagging. It may also wipe its paw against its face. If the other wolf wants to play, it will approach the initiator, who may then stay in the crouched position or who may then bound away. The two will play fight or chase each other until they are tired. While wolves play, they may growl at each other playfully, let out loud, high-pitched dog-like barks, or gently bite and nip each other. During play, a dominant wolf may behave as though it were subservient to a lower-ranking wolf, and a subservient wolf may appear to be dominating a higher-ranking wolf.
I'd advise child characters to be careful, though. Toboe, being a pup, is incredibly playful but that can bring troubles because he doesn't know his strength. He'd rather play in his wolf form, but he also does enjoy doing so in his human form.
[Diet]
Wolves are carnivores, meaning they live almost exclusively off of meat. When hunting in a pack, wolves often try to capture and kill, deer, moose, caribou, bison, wild sheep, wild goats or musk oxen, and these large ungulates (hoofed animals) make up most of a wolf's diet. Although wolves hunting in packs tend to capture such large prey items, lone wolves will on occasion bring down a large hoofed animal or one of its calves. During spring, wolves often prey upon juvenile ungulates. Wolves will also eat smaller animals like beavers, rabbits, hares, voles, fish, muskrats, lemmings, raccoons, shrews, marmots, woodchucks, shellfish, ground squirrels, mice and birds. In many parts of North America, beavers make up a large part of wolves' diets. Wolves hunting alone often catch such animals. Wolves will also eat animal carcasses they have found but did not kill themselves. Wolves will also eat insects, earthworms, or garbage and, when especially hungry, vegetable matter, such as berries or nuts, though none of these items make up a significant part of a wolf's diet. They will also eat grass as a purgative.
Canides's tongue has millions taste buds for salt and sugar, two of the things they enjoy a lot. So Toboe is very keen on anything that involves those. Like any dog, he will eat human food with no problem, but careful with vegetables because being a carnivore it means that those don't go well on his diet. Again, dog treats will make him a very happy pup. Just to remind, though, no human drinks - he only drinks water. Also, he eats from 1-2,5KG a day, needing meat, bones and skin.
Wolves can also go around 2 weeks without eating.
[Mating]
Wolves mate for life, which means, once they choose a mate, they stay with that mate for the rest of there life. Normally only the alpha pair would mate, but on rare occasions, subordinates do mate with other wolves as well (when it's a beta pack).
Toboe is 2, and in dog's age that means he is already reached his sexual maturity. Talking to him about animal mating will probably get him embarrassed, but he still is very innocent so jokes involving it, he won't understand.
# High jumps (minute 0:40)
# Playing (minute 1:40)
# Fight with walrus