Post by Rook on Sept 14, 2011 21:18:35 GMT -5
Name: Cyle & Trace Galahad
Gender: Cyle: Female; Trace: Male
Age: 13 (twins)
Species: squirrel
Occupation: Double trouble makers/ Abbey-school Students/ Involuntary seers
Physical Appearance:
Cyle (pronounced like Kyle): As the older of the two, Cyle is much more strict about her appearance than her brother. She keeps her tawny-gray fur well groomed, and the large patch of white on her belly, chest, inside of her limbs, and bottom half of her snout is normally kept nearly spotless, despite the numerous misadventures she gets into with her brother. Her ears are small and pointed, but the left one has a small V-shaped tear in the side, and her nose and paw pads are dark charcoal in color. Her eyes are almond shaped; the right one is a sparkling copper color, while the left is the same copper but with a wide section of bright blue in the bottom part of the iris.
Cyle is rather slim, but not sickly. Her features are angled and very pixie-like. Her limbs appear dainty and almost delicate, but don't let that fool you. Beneath that pretty fur is a quick, agile climber who is faster than you. Don't even try to argue. Her tail is longer than the average young squirrel's, but not more bushy, and a stripe of white fur covers the underside. She smiles as if she can read your thoughts, which she probably can.
Trace: Though he is the younger of the two, Trace is already taller than his sister, but only by a few inches or so. His fur has more of a reddish tint, and the patch of white on his belly is smaller than Cyle's. His ears are tall and pointed, and his tail is much bushier than his sister's, but hers is longer. Both his eyes are copper-colored. His paw pads and nose are the same charcoal color as Cyle's.
His features are angled like his sister's, but he has a little more muscle on his limbs from constant activity. His fur is normally disheveled and dirty from the never-ending scrapes he gets into with Cyle, and he has a thin scar beginning at his nose, running through his upper and lower lip, and ending just above his chin. His wide grin suggests that he has done something utterly forbidden; he is not the least bit guilty about it, and he'll keep you guessing 'til you're blue in the face.
Since both twins walk comfortably on the toes of their hind paws, they both can seem rather tall for squirrels their age. This habit was developed solely for that purpose.
Clothing:
Cyle often wears a long, flowing, three-quarter-sleeved dress the color of autumn leaves. She keeps the dress in good condition, but it is a little long for her, so the bottom hem is slightly frayed. A braided leather cord is tied around her middle, which she will use to hold papers or other things she doesn't fancy carrying at the moment. Adorning her arms are black and white striped arm-socks with ample openings for her fingers, and she will wear these year-round. Upon her right wrist can always be found a thing gold band decorated with designs of flowers. She also likes to wear a gold toe ring on the outside toe of her left footpaw.
Trace normally wears a simple dark blue, almost black, tunic and a black leather belt around his middle that is much to long for him. He will tighten the belt to its limit, but it still slips down his hips now and again. His clothes are often dirty and occasionally ripped. He doesn't wear shoes, but he does like to wear thick leather bracers on his shins. It helps to have something protecting your shins when breaking the rules. He, too, wears a special piece of jewelry. His is a simple silver ring with an emerald gem set in the middle.
Possessions:
The twins, as young as they are, have few possessions between them besides their clothing and prized jewelry. Between them they possess a silver-framed, handheld mirror, a scant marble collection, two plush squirrels, a long brass chain, and a small brass compass pendant. The chain is used to hold the compass, Cyle's bracelet and toe-ring, and Trace's silver ring when the twins are sleeping, swimming, or involved in other activities where they wouldn't want their jewelry to get lost, damaged, or dirtied. They each own one of the squirrel plushes. Cyle's is a light tan-gray in color, with one copper button and one blue button for its eyes and a tiny tear in one of its ears. Trace's is a terra-cotta color with two copper buttons for eyes and evidence of a sewn-up tear on its snout. The plushes were made to look like them specifically, even with the twins' various flaws and markings.
Personality:
Cyle is a smart-aleck. Every other sentence out of her mouth is a snide remark. She doesn't care whose feelings she hurts with her comments, and she has a tendency to be more than a little brutally honest. She does not listen to authority, even if it is a simple request to come down to dinner. If she does obey, she makes it look like it was her idea in the end. Quite the charmer, she is easily able to convince you that her way is best. In fact, she could probably talk any beast into giving her whatever she desired if she set her mind to it.
She is unrivaled at finding loopholes in the rules. Word your sentence wrong, and she will immediately turn it around to suit her purposes. For example, some beast tells her to "Come down to dinner." Cyle would find ten excuses to NOT come down to dinner. Her thought process would go something like this: They didn't say when to come down for dinner. They didn't say my name, so how was I supposed to know they were talking to me? And so on. She will give you the runaround and run circles around you just to get her way.
Intelligent and crafty, Cyle is always coming up with new schemes. Meticulous planning goes into each and every one of her glorious plots. She works hard mapping out a scheme, and it's not uncommon for her to spend hours or even a full day on a plan. Once she has a rough plan outlined, she plays out the plan in her mind, trying to figure out every possible outcome and accounting for any unforeseen variables. The most satisfactory outcome is then noted, and she works out all the means by which to reach that end. During this process, she will hyper focus to the point where almost nothing can distract her. Now if only she would do her schoolwork with as much dedication.
With a stubborn streak of pride a mile wide, Cyle takes excellent care of her fur and clothing. She is extremely vain, but instead of spending time in front of a mirror, she goes out and silently gloats about how well-groomed she looks compared to others. She is not the type to get her paws dirty easily, since she has her brother to do that for her.
Cyle is not a sympathetic ear. You have a problem? Go away. She has enough problems of her own and/or you might spoil her perfect day. She clearly displays her disinterest in the lives of others with a rude sweep of her tail, swatting other beasts in the side as she turns around and haughtily leaves the room with her nose in the air. If you do try to explain your problems to her, she will give you the most honest answer: Get over it. She simply doesn't care.
In all reality, though, Cyle is homesick. She misses her family. But she never admits to this because sadness is a sign of weakness which she regards with the utmost disdain. The only soft spots she has are for her brother and her plush squirrel. When Cyle is feeling tired, lonely, sad, or just plain in need of a hug, she will seek out Trace. If he's busy, she will curl up in a quiet corner with her doll. She will often wear their compass pendant during these times, since it is a special heirloom in her family. But don't you dare even mention her plushie. If you so much as make a side comment about seeing her snuggling with it, you better prepare yourself for the insult war of your life.
It's pretty easy to set Cyle off as she has a short temper. But she doesn't always explode right away. Normally she will try to cool down by tossing a few nasty names your way, but if you continue to press her, she will lash out physically. Do not mention anything about her family, even if it's a nice comment. She doesn't think any beast is worthy to even talk about her family as they are extremely close to her heart. Once the subject of her family comes up, expect much tearful yelling, a smack upside the head, and possibly a kick to the groin or shins, depending on your gender and Cyle's particular brand of dislike for you.
Trace is just as smug as his sister, if not more so. With at least one nasty comment in his arsenal at any given moment, he is not a beast you want to set off. His fuse is shorter than his sister's. Once angry, Trace will fight, and he does not fight fair, but he is really good at it. He bites, scratches, kicks, and does everything in his power to force you to apologize to him. He will add as much insult to injury as his limited store of curse words will allow.
Overconfident and egotistical, Trace is also insanely competitive. He wasn't born first, so he has to make up for that in other ways. He is always striving to win, and he is the sorest loser at Redwall. He will turn a simple walk down the hall into a no-holds-barred race. If he wins, he'll rub it in your face for the rest of the day. If he loses, he will chase you back down and forcefully demand a rematch until he either wins or is too furious with you to do anything but yell insults.
Unlike his sister, he could not care less about hygiene, since he's usually the one getting his paws dirty in Cyle's plans. But she nags him about the state of his fur so he grudgingly takes a bath on a regular basis.
Rebellious as his older twin, Trace likes to push boundaries and break rules. He doesn't take the more diplomatic approach like Cyle does, he simply does what he's not supposed to, and he does not do what he is supposed to. He is reckless and likes to do things on impulse. He hardly ever thinks things through. That's Cyle's job.
He is just as uncaring and disinterested in the affairs of others as his sister, and he makes no effort to hide his boredom about your problems. Got a problem? He's busy. Didn't see him doing anything? Well, he's doing something now that you're here. So go away. If you do try to explain your problems to him, he groans loudly and doesn't pay the least attention. You're better off finding sympathy from a brick wall.
Trace cannot sit still. He is always moving. He doesn't really care what the movement is, as long as it's outside and active, like climbing, running, or even swimming. He's quicker than you at climbing. Don't believe him? Just race him up a tree and you'll find out who's faster. He really is an excellent climber, due to his agile frame and strength.
He has two soft spots, though: Cyle and his own stuffed squirrel plush. Though if he ever feels homesick, he usually goes to find Cyle or simply sits on his bed with his plush in his paws. If you bring up his family, he stops to make sure you're not insulting them. If you are, beware. He bites, remember? But he's fine if you compliment them in some way.
The one defining trait shared by both twins besides their cynical nature is that they are seers. It is an unpredictable ability that can surface at any moment. When it happens, both twins' faces suddenly go blank, and their eyes glaze over. If they are not within each other's vicinity, they will slump against a wall, or simply drop to the floor at the exact same time. If they are near each other, they will hold onto the other's paw tightly and lean on each other. One or both of them will hold the brass compass pendant out before them. They will then receive a vision, a small scene of what is to come, and they will start speaking in unison, describing what they see. They say no names, because the vision is usually about creatures they don't know, anyway, and they say no locations, but those listening can usually discern the place by the description. The vision can last anywhere from five minutes to half an hour, but it's usually no longer than that. They never see visions pertaining to themselves or their family, only others. Their parents saw it as a sort of punishment for their rude natures. They could see the future of almost any beast, but their own futures remain uncertain.
These visions drain their energy drastically, and they usually ask politely to go lie down and rest. The twins are much more agreeable after seeing a vision, and even though they are tired, they aren't irritable. They will sleep until the next morning or even longer after having a vision. The longer ones exhaust them more than the shorter ones.
Strengths:
Cyle: Intelligent and clever, Cyle is a skilled diplomat, despite her age. She can find loopholes in almost anything, so be careful how you word your statements. She is also an agile and graceful climber, and a decent swimmer. She learns quickly, and she can make adjustments to her plans as events transpire. Very good at improvising. Though her schemes are normally made to break the rules, they are laid out with almost military-like precision. She also has a pretty good memory, and is a decent seamstress, since she does not like that her dress gets ripped up during their escapades.
Trace: Fast and strong, Trace is a great climber, excellent swimmer, and quick runner. He's also a good paw-to-paw fighter, even though his methods are a bit unorthodox. He can keep going under pressure because of his competitive nature. He never gives up, and he is not afraid to get a little dirty. Like his sister, he catches on quickly, and he is really very smart. His tendency to act on instinct has actually quickened his reflexes. He simply reacts faster than others to the things going on around him.
Weaknesses:
Cyle: Rude and uncaring, Cyle is a sarcastic beast who has no love for any beast outside her family. She tends to make friends slowly, if at all. She rarely expresses her feelings any other way than in a snide comment or a physical blow. Short-tempered and irritable, she dismisses others rudely when her interest is lost. She is vain and self-centered, and every one of her plans is laid out to benefit her in some way. Disobedient and rebellious, she only speaks to her elders with a snarky tone and body language that clearly suggests she won't listen to them no matter what they say.
She tends to sink into a deep depression in her alone times. She will curl up in a dark, private corner with her plush and their compass and simply cry. But she doesn't let any beast but Trace near her to help her feel better. She just forces herself to deal with the sadness and let it pass, or hide it away until she can find another time to be alone. She has very little physical strength outside her ability to climb. She has a hard time lifting heavy objects.
Trace: Bigheaded and smug, Trace thinks he's better than you. If you lose to him, he will not let you forget it for the rest of the day. If he loses to you, he still won't let you forget it, and he'll insult you every chance he gets until he's finally over it, which usually takes the rest of the day or longer. He has a shorter temper than his sister, and he doesn't even try to hide it. He will lash out brutally, and it takes him days to calm down. He usually can't even look at the beast he's mad at without giving them a nasty glare.
Trace is as uncaring as his sister, and he gets bored easily. He does not listen to others' cares and woes. In fact he avoids conversations like that because those topics aren't focused on him or anything relevant to his interests. Very unsympathetic ear, just like Cyle. But when his homesickness hits, it hits pretty hard. He usually can't even think straight for a few days. He's morose and quiet, but still easily angered and just as willing to punch you in the gut. He also cannot use a weapon to save his life. Literally.
History:
Cyle and Trace have always been troublemakers. Since their dibbun days, they have broken the rules and disobeyed their parents every chance they could get. Living in a small village in the north, they were close to their family members, despite their rebellious tendencies. The twins lived with their mother and father, their grandparents, their uncle and his wife, and their three cousins. Needless to say, it was a full house. Every beast shared a bed with some beast else because of the limited space, and every beast shared everything from blankets to a seat by the fireside. From food to work to even clothing.
When the twins turned five, they had their first vision. They were happily playing by the fire, quiet for once, when they both went stiff as boards and latched onto each other's paws. They then described their vision, a scene of a young male sea otter walking through the woods. Then it was over, and both were exhausted to the point of tears. From then on, these visions plagued them at random and often inopportune times, leaving them completely wasted.
From the time she was little, Cyle liked to look good. It was hard to do in a little house in the middle of a tiny village, but she somehow managed to keep her fur groomed and her clothes as clean as possible. She even convinced her mother to pierce her ears for her, and for awhile, Cyle had pretty gold loops in her pointed ears. But one day while her father was showing Trace how to use a longbow in an attempt to teach the boy something useful, her brother's aim was completely off. The arrow caught Cyle's left earring and pinned her to the side of the house. She panicked and tried to pull away, but she left her earring and a chunk of her ear behind. After that day, Cyle swore to never wear earrings again. The impact of her head hitting the side of the house also caused a section of her copper-colored eye to turn blue.
Trace never learned how to use that bow properly, so his father tried to teach him knife-throwing instead. Trace was not very adept at this, either, and he managed to nearly cut his snout in half. He still has the scar.
The twins' three older cousins (elders by almost eleven years or so) were named Brock, Bree, and Brody, nicknamed the B's by the rest of the family. The B's taught Cyle and Trace everything there was to know about mischief-making once the twins were old enough to understand. Together the five children caused chaos and discord in the little home until the twins' tenth birthday. Finally, their mothers couldn't take it any longer. The B's were old enough to live on their own by that time, so they were more or less kicked out of the house to start their own lives. The twins were very distraught at losing their mentors, but they figured they knew enough havoc-wreaking to keep the house in check.
However, their mother had a special plan for them. She had long been hearing about a famed abbey to the south called Redwall, where only good beasts lived. She figured that by sending the twins there, they would finally learn some decency. The twins' grandmother made them two squirrel plushes that looked like each of them, as a little memento of home. They were also given a compass pendant to share between them. Their grandfather, a firm believer in the power of visions, said that the twins were now compasses to others. Their visions guided those around them like a compass guided a lost traveler. This was lost on the troublemaking twins when they were presented with their other parting gifts: their mother's gold bracelet and their father's emerald ring. Cyle also smuggled her aunt's silver handheld mirror, and Trace had managed to keep one of the B's marble collections for himself. It was with these few possessions and some food for the journey that the two young squirrels set out for Redwall with their father.
They reached the abbey several months later with little incident. Their father dumped the twins into the care of the abbey-dwellers, and he promised to return for them in ten years. That was three years ago, so seven years remain until their father comes back. Since then, Cyle and Trace have been wreaking their special brand of havoc upon Redwall abbey, but they have been met with much stricter retaliation than at home. This has done nothing to dampen their spirits. If anything, it has caused them to structure their plans even more carefully. Their abbey-school teachers are beginning to lose hope that the twins will ever be anything more than mischievous scoundrels. Cyle and Trace are perfectly content with that title, and they are doing nothing to suggest they even want to be good beasts. Despite their rebellion and antics, they are actually doing quite well in school, since they are both rather intelligent. Only time will tell if the rest of Redwall can stand their schemes for seven more years.
Relationships:
Cyle and Trace are brother and sister. Their mother, father, grandparents, aunt and uncle still live in the north. Their older cousins live up north, as well, as far as the twins know.
Other:
Although Cyle can swim, she doesn't like the water, whereas Trace loves it.
Cyle has never even touched a pair of earrings since the day her ear was torn, and Trace has a small aversion to knives from when he received his scar.
Gender: Cyle: Female; Trace: Male
Age: 13 (twins)
Species: squirrel
Occupation: Double trouble makers/ Abbey-school Students/ Involuntary seers
Physical Appearance:
Cyle (pronounced like Kyle): As the older of the two, Cyle is much more strict about her appearance than her brother. She keeps her tawny-gray fur well groomed, and the large patch of white on her belly, chest, inside of her limbs, and bottom half of her snout is normally kept nearly spotless, despite the numerous misadventures she gets into with her brother. Her ears are small and pointed, but the left one has a small V-shaped tear in the side, and her nose and paw pads are dark charcoal in color. Her eyes are almond shaped; the right one is a sparkling copper color, while the left is the same copper but with a wide section of bright blue in the bottom part of the iris.
Cyle is rather slim, but not sickly. Her features are angled and very pixie-like. Her limbs appear dainty and almost delicate, but don't let that fool you. Beneath that pretty fur is a quick, agile climber who is faster than you. Don't even try to argue. Her tail is longer than the average young squirrel's, but not more bushy, and a stripe of white fur covers the underside. She smiles as if she can read your thoughts, which she probably can.
Trace: Though he is the younger of the two, Trace is already taller than his sister, but only by a few inches or so. His fur has more of a reddish tint, and the patch of white on his belly is smaller than Cyle's. His ears are tall and pointed, and his tail is much bushier than his sister's, but hers is longer. Both his eyes are copper-colored. His paw pads and nose are the same charcoal color as Cyle's.
His features are angled like his sister's, but he has a little more muscle on his limbs from constant activity. His fur is normally disheveled and dirty from the never-ending scrapes he gets into with Cyle, and he has a thin scar beginning at his nose, running through his upper and lower lip, and ending just above his chin. His wide grin suggests that he has done something utterly forbidden; he is not the least bit guilty about it, and he'll keep you guessing 'til you're blue in the face.
Since both twins walk comfortably on the toes of their hind paws, they both can seem rather tall for squirrels their age. This habit was developed solely for that purpose.
Clothing:
Cyle often wears a long, flowing, three-quarter-sleeved dress the color of autumn leaves. She keeps the dress in good condition, but it is a little long for her, so the bottom hem is slightly frayed. A braided leather cord is tied around her middle, which she will use to hold papers or other things she doesn't fancy carrying at the moment. Adorning her arms are black and white striped arm-socks with ample openings for her fingers, and she will wear these year-round. Upon her right wrist can always be found a thing gold band decorated with designs of flowers. She also likes to wear a gold toe ring on the outside toe of her left footpaw.
Trace normally wears a simple dark blue, almost black, tunic and a black leather belt around his middle that is much to long for him. He will tighten the belt to its limit, but it still slips down his hips now and again. His clothes are often dirty and occasionally ripped. He doesn't wear shoes, but he does like to wear thick leather bracers on his shins. It helps to have something protecting your shins when breaking the rules. He, too, wears a special piece of jewelry. His is a simple silver ring with an emerald gem set in the middle.
Possessions:
The twins, as young as they are, have few possessions between them besides their clothing and prized jewelry. Between them they possess a silver-framed, handheld mirror, a scant marble collection, two plush squirrels, a long brass chain, and a small brass compass pendant. The chain is used to hold the compass, Cyle's bracelet and toe-ring, and Trace's silver ring when the twins are sleeping, swimming, or involved in other activities where they wouldn't want their jewelry to get lost, damaged, or dirtied. They each own one of the squirrel plushes. Cyle's is a light tan-gray in color, with one copper button and one blue button for its eyes and a tiny tear in one of its ears. Trace's is a terra-cotta color with two copper buttons for eyes and evidence of a sewn-up tear on its snout. The plushes were made to look like them specifically, even with the twins' various flaws and markings.
Personality:
Cyle is a smart-aleck. Every other sentence out of her mouth is a snide remark. She doesn't care whose feelings she hurts with her comments, and she has a tendency to be more than a little brutally honest. She does not listen to authority, even if it is a simple request to come down to dinner. If she does obey, she makes it look like it was her idea in the end. Quite the charmer, she is easily able to convince you that her way is best. In fact, she could probably talk any beast into giving her whatever she desired if she set her mind to it.
She is unrivaled at finding loopholes in the rules. Word your sentence wrong, and she will immediately turn it around to suit her purposes. For example, some beast tells her to "Come down to dinner." Cyle would find ten excuses to NOT come down to dinner. Her thought process would go something like this: They didn't say when to come down for dinner. They didn't say my name, so how was I supposed to know they were talking to me? And so on. She will give you the runaround and run circles around you just to get her way.
Intelligent and crafty, Cyle is always coming up with new schemes. Meticulous planning goes into each and every one of her glorious plots. She works hard mapping out a scheme, and it's not uncommon for her to spend hours or even a full day on a plan. Once she has a rough plan outlined, she plays out the plan in her mind, trying to figure out every possible outcome and accounting for any unforeseen variables. The most satisfactory outcome is then noted, and she works out all the means by which to reach that end. During this process, she will hyper focus to the point where almost nothing can distract her. Now if only she would do her schoolwork with as much dedication.
With a stubborn streak of pride a mile wide, Cyle takes excellent care of her fur and clothing. She is extremely vain, but instead of spending time in front of a mirror, she goes out and silently gloats about how well-groomed she looks compared to others. She is not the type to get her paws dirty easily, since she has her brother to do that for her.
Cyle is not a sympathetic ear. You have a problem? Go away. She has enough problems of her own and/or you might spoil her perfect day. She clearly displays her disinterest in the lives of others with a rude sweep of her tail, swatting other beasts in the side as she turns around and haughtily leaves the room with her nose in the air. If you do try to explain your problems to her, she will give you the most honest answer: Get over it. She simply doesn't care.
In all reality, though, Cyle is homesick. She misses her family. But she never admits to this because sadness is a sign of weakness which she regards with the utmost disdain. The only soft spots she has are for her brother and her plush squirrel. When Cyle is feeling tired, lonely, sad, or just plain in need of a hug, she will seek out Trace. If he's busy, she will curl up in a quiet corner with her doll. She will often wear their compass pendant during these times, since it is a special heirloom in her family. But don't you dare even mention her plushie. If you so much as make a side comment about seeing her snuggling with it, you better prepare yourself for the insult war of your life.
It's pretty easy to set Cyle off as she has a short temper. But she doesn't always explode right away. Normally she will try to cool down by tossing a few nasty names your way, but if you continue to press her, she will lash out physically. Do not mention anything about her family, even if it's a nice comment. She doesn't think any beast is worthy to even talk about her family as they are extremely close to her heart. Once the subject of her family comes up, expect much tearful yelling, a smack upside the head, and possibly a kick to the groin or shins, depending on your gender and Cyle's particular brand of dislike for you.
Trace is just as smug as his sister, if not more so. With at least one nasty comment in his arsenal at any given moment, he is not a beast you want to set off. His fuse is shorter than his sister's. Once angry, Trace will fight, and he does not fight fair, but he is really good at it. He bites, scratches, kicks, and does everything in his power to force you to apologize to him. He will add as much insult to injury as his limited store of curse words will allow.
Overconfident and egotistical, Trace is also insanely competitive. He wasn't born first, so he has to make up for that in other ways. He is always striving to win, and he is the sorest loser at Redwall. He will turn a simple walk down the hall into a no-holds-barred race. If he wins, he'll rub it in your face for the rest of the day. If he loses, he will chase you back down and forcefully demand a rematch until he either wins or is too furious with you to do anything but yell insults.
Unlike his sister, he could not care less about hygiene, since he's usually the one getting his paws dirty in Cyle's plans. But she nags him about the state of his fur so he grudgingly takes a bath on a regular basis.
Rebellious as his older twin, Trace likes to push boundaries and break rules. He doesn't take the more diplomatic approach like Cyle does, he simply does what he's not supposed to, and he does not do what he is supposed to. He is reckless and likes to do things on impulse. He hardly ever thinks things through. That's Cyle's job.
He is just as uncaring and disinterested in the affairs of others as his sister, and he makes no effort to hide his boredom about your problems. Got a problem? He's busy. Didn't see him doing anything? Well, he's doing something now that you're here. So go away. If you do try to explain your problems to him, he groans loudly and doesn't pay the least attention. You're better off finding sympathy from a brick wall.
Trace cannot sit still. He is always moving. He doesn't really care what the movement is, as long as it's outside and active, like climbing, running, or even swimming. He's quicker than you at climbing. Don't believe him? Just race him up a tree and you'll find out who's faster. He really is an excellent climber, due to his agile frame and strength.
He has two soft spots, though: Cyle and his own stuffed squirrel plush. Though if he ever feels homesick, he usually goes to find Cyle or simply sits on his bed with his plush in his paws. If you bring up his family, he stops to make sure you're not insulting them. If you are, beware. He bites, remember? But he's fine if you compliment them in some way.
The one defining trait shared by both twins besides their cynical nature is that they are seers. It is an unpredictable ability that can surface at any moment. When it happens, both twins' faces suddenly go blank, and their eyes glaze over. If they are not within each other's vicinity, they will slump against a wall, or simply drop to the floor at the exact same time. If they are near each other, they will hold onto the other's paw tightly and lean on each other. One or both of them will hold the brass compass pendant out before them. They will then receive a vision, a small scene of what is to come, and they will start speaking in unison, describing what they see. They say no names, because the vision is usually about creatures they don't know, anyway, and they say no locations, but those listening can usually discern the place by the description. The vision can last anywhere from five minutes to half an hour, but it's usually no longer than that. They never see visions pertaining to themselves or their family, only others. Their parents saw it as a sort of punishment for their rude natures. They could see the future of almost any beast, but their own futures remain uncertain.
These visions drain their energy drastically, and they usually ask politely to go lie down and rest. The twins are much more agreeable after seeing a vision, and even though they are tired, they aren't irritable. They will sleep until the next morning or even longer after having a vision. The longer ones exhaust them more than the shorter ones.
Strengths:
Cyle: Intelligent and clever, Cyle is a skilled diplomat, despite her age. She can find loopholes in almost anything, so be careful how you word your statements. She is also an agile and graceful climber, and a decent swimmer. She learns quickly, and she can make adjustments to her plans as events transpire. Very good at improvising. Though her schemes are normally made to break the rules, they are laid out with almost military-like precision. She also has a pretty good memory, and is a decent seamstress, since she does not like that her dress gets ripped up during their escapades.
Trace: Fast and strong, Trace is a great climber, excellent swimmer, and quick runner. He's also a good paw-to-paw fighter, even though his methods are a bit unorthodox. He can keep going under pressure because of his competitive nature. He never gives up, and he is not afraid to get a little dirty. Like his sister, he catches on quickly, and he is really very smart. His tendency to act on instinct has actually quickened his reflexes. He simply reacts faster than others to the things going on around him.
Weaknesses:
Cyle: Rude and uncaring, Cyle is a sarcastic beast who has no love for any beast outside her family. She tends to make friends slowly, if at all. She rarely expresses her feelings any other way than in a snide comment or a physical blow. Short-tempered and irritable, she dismisses others rudely when her interest is lost. She is vain and self-centered, and every one of her plans is laid out to benefit her in some way. Disobedient and rebellious, she only speaks to her elders with a snarky tone and body language that clearly suggests she won't listen to them no matter what they say.
She tends to sink into a deep depression in her alone times. She will curl up in a dark, private corner with her plush and their compass and simply cry. But she doesn't let any beast but Trace near her to help her feel better. She just forces herself to deal with the sadness and let it pass, or hide it away until she can find another time to be alone. She has very little physical strength outside her ability to climb. She has a hard time lifting heavy objects.
Trace: Bigheaded and smug, Trace thinks he's better than you. If you lose to him, he will not let you forget it for the rest of the day. If he loses to you, he still won't let you forget it, and he'll insult you every chance he gets until he's finally over it, which usually takes the rest of the day or longer. He has a shorter temper than his sister, and he doesn't even try to hide it. He will lash out brutally, and it takes him days to calm down. He usually can't even look at the beast he's mad at without giving them a nasty glare.
Trace is as uncaring as his sister, and he gets bored easily. He does not listen to others' cares and woes. In fact he avoids conversations like that because those topics aren't focused on him or anything relevant to his interests. Very unsympathetic ear, just like Cyle. But when his homesickness hits, it hits pretty hard. He usually can't even think straight for a few days. He's morose and quiet, but still easily angered and just as willing to punch you in the gut. He also cannot use a weapon to save his life. Literally.
History:
Cyle and Trace have always been troublemakers. Since their dibbun days, they have broken the rules and disobeyed their parents every chance they could get. Living in a small village in the north, they were close to their family members, despite their rebellious tendencies. The twins lived with their mother and father, their grandparents, their uncle and his wife, and their three cousins. Needless to say, it was a full house. Every beast shared a bed with some beast else because of the limited space, and every beast shared everything from blankets to a seat by the fireside. From food to work to even clothing.
When the twins turned five, they had their first vision. They were happily playing by the fire, quiet for once, when they both went stiff as boards and latched onto each other's paws. They then described their vision, a scene of a young male sea otter walking through the woods. Then it was over, and both were exhausted to the point of tears. From then on, these visions plagued them at random and often inopportune times, leaving them completely wasted.
From the time she was little, Cyle liked to look good. It was hard to do in a little house in the middle of a tiny village, but she somehow managed to keep her fur groomed and her clothes as clean as possible. She even convinced her mother to pierce her ears for her, and for awhile, Cyle had pretty gold loops in her pointed ears. But one day while her father was showing Trace how to use a longbow in an attempt to teach the boy something useful, her brother's aim was completely off. The arrow caught Cyle's left earring and pinned her to the side of the house. She panicked and tried to pull away, but she left her earring and a chunk of her ear behind. After that day, Cyle swore to never wear earrings again. The impact of her head hitting the side of the house also caused a section of her copper-colored eye to turn blue.
Trace never learned how to use that bow properly, so his father tried to teach him knife-throwing instead. Trace was not very adept at this, either, and he managed to nearly cut his snout in half. He still has the scar.
The twins' three older cousins (elders by almost eleven years or so) were named Brock, Bree, and Brody, nicknamed the B's by the rest of the family. The B's taught Cyle and Trace everything there was to know about mischief-making once the twins were old enough to understand. Together the five children caused chaos and discord in the little home until the twins' tenth birthday. Finally, their mothers couldn't take it any longer. The B's were old enough to live on their own by that time, so they were more or less kicked out of the house to start their own lives. The twins were very distraught at losing their mentors, but they figured they knew enough havoc-wreaking to keep the house in check.
However, their mother had a special plan for them. She had long been hearing about a famed abbey to the south called Redwall, where only good beasts lived. She figured that by sending the twins there, they would finally learn some decency. The twins' grandmother made them two squirrel plushes that looked like each of them, as a little memento of home. They were also given a compass pendant to share between them. Their grandfather, a firm believer in the power of visions, said that the twins were now compasses to others. Their visions guided those around them like a compass guided a lost traveler. This was lost on the troublemaking twins when they were presented with their other parting gifts: their mother's gold bracelet and their father's emerald ring. Cyle also smuggled her aunt's silver handheld mirror, and Trace had managed to keep one of the B's marble collections for himself. It was with these few possessions and some food for the journey that the two young squirrels set out for Redwall with their father.
They reached the abbey several months later with little incident. Their father dumped the twins into the care of the abbey-dwellers, and he promised to return for them in ten years. That was three years ago, so seven years remain until their father comes back. Since then, Cyle and Trace have been wreaking their special brand of havoc upon Redwall abbey, but they have been met with much stricter retaliation than at home. This has done nothing to dampen their spirits. If anything, it has caused them to structure their plans even more carefully. Their abbey-school teachers are beginning to lose hope that the twins will ever be anything more than mischievous scoundrels. Cyle and Trace are perfectly content with that title, and they are doing nothing to suggest they even want to be good beasts. Despite their rebellion and antics, they are actually doing quite well in school, since they are both rather intelligent. Only time will tell if the rest of Redwall can stand their schemes for seven more years.
Relationships:
Cyle and Trace are brother and sister. Their mother, father, grandparents, aunt and uncle still live in the north. Their older cousins live up north, as well, as far as the twins know.
Other:
Although Cyle can swim, she doesn't like the water, whereas Trace loves it.
Cyle has never even touched a pair of earrings since the day her ear was torn, and Trace has a small aversion to knives from when he received his scar.
