Post by Deleted on Jun 5, 2015 12:17:37 GMT -6
||| Flak Jacket |||
#Name;Flak Jacket
#Age Group ;Young stallion
#Orientation;Heterosexual
#Gender ;Male
#Species;Earth Pony
#Cutie Mark ; Flak Jacket's cutie mark is an electric blue crest in the shape of a shield, a silver cross spanning its length and width with three darker blue stars surrounding it.
#Occupation ; Bearer of the Solar Standard/Royal Guard
#Powers, Skills, and Abilities ; Physical prowess, a stubborn, decisive demeanour and good ol' fashioned grit are what Flak Jacket brings to the table. He retains his natural affinity with nature and wildlife that comes with his species, but Flak stands by that his strength, honour and will are his real powers.
#Physique ; Lean and muscular, quite tall and imposing
#Mane and fur color and style ; Flak's fur is a shadowy grey which blends to white at his hooves and parts of his face. His mane, in stark contrast to his neutral fur colour, is a mix of jet black and electric blue, granting a shock of colour to his otherwise neutral coloration.
#Eye color ; Flak's eyes are akin to a summer sky, profoundly blue.
#Other appearance details (optional) ; A small shock of black fur beneath his chin
#A more thorough description (optional) ; When you first come across Flak Jacket, the first thing you'll notice is his bulk; akin to Big McIntosh in size and stature, perhaps even rivalling his size, Flak is a muscular stallion who looks imposing at first meet. His facial feaures from his jaw to his eyeline are angular and square, giving off a very masculine look. His mane flows freely at the fringe, streaks of jet black and electric blue running from the top of his head down to his muzzle, but never covering his eyes as to impair his sight. His mane then falls down his shoulders and back in a two-tone braid, touselling neatly yet somewhat wildly, barely contained by braids tied into his mane. His tail is neat and well-kept, striping in a more uniformed pattern than that of his mane. He does have a small shock of black facial hair beneath his chin, jutting out in spikes that are surprisingly soft to the touch.
As for clothing and such, Flak chooses only to inhibit his form with mandatory armour. His flank is plated with metal as well as the backs of his back hooves not for protection, but for his other most distinguishing feature: jutting vertically from his armoured flank is the Solar Standard, denoting his rank in the Royal Guard. It is a cumbersome banner, lifting from the bottom of his flank to the tip of his head in height, with a tapestry of the sun emblazoned upon it. At his side, he also has a rolled up, worse-for-wear banner, but more on that in Flak's history. Other than the rear armour and standard, Flak chooses neutral coloured, leather harnesses and cuffs to help with physical work wherever he's needed in his spare time.
Finally, Flak feels a little bare without wearing a necklace of some kind. These vary from day to day, but usually it's either a wing, butterfly or horseshoe design
#Personality ;
There are a few sides to this big ol' stallion, so we'll run through them as you'll find them. When you first meet Flak Jacket, the first thing you'll notice is that he has a very serious nature; to the point where a younger pony might think him a bit of a stiff, Flak always walks with purpose and takes his work very seriously, eyes constantly shifting at any potential shady dealings or danger. This suspicion can almost be deemed paranoia, to the point where he appears slow to trust, and you'd be right; such caution, however, is borne of the best intentions, for it is his sense of duty to Equestria not only as a Royal Guard, but as an earth pony of the world that drives him to such a burden. Indeed, while he may not show it, he cares for everypony he comes across, his steely vigil to protect and serve the real driving force behind his somewhat standoffish demeanour.
That's not to say that Flak is beyond having fun. While circumstances where he's let his mane down have been few and far, Flak enjoys going on adventures, attending parties and helping a pony wherever he can. However, you can tell even when he's more relaxed that Flak is not used to being off-duty. His sense of humour is dry and a little hard to understand to the point where he'll be laughing at a joke only he comprehended the punchline to. But once he trusts somepony enough, he's a steadfast companion, perhaps even with a slight mischievious streak once he's come out of his armoured shell. However, it must be said, that even in jovial times of fun and laughter, the guard within him never truly shuts off, and the moment he thinks something could endanger anyone (even if it clearly won't) his sense of duty will spur him back to his serious train of thought, his eternal vigil over Equestria's daytime never faltering.
All of this is spurred by a train of thought that has been mentioned a bit earlier: his sense of duty. Himself, he has many names for it: 'The Great Oath', 'The Vigil Eternal' and 'The Courageous Creed' are a few of the names he's plucked out of the air for it. In short, Flak believes that every breath granted by Mother Equestria is a monumental blessing, and that these blessings should not be taken for granted. He believes wholeheartedly in community and friendship (even if he seems a little stiff) and that every creature is in this together, from the youngest foal to the Alicorn Princesses. As such, he has developed a selfless demeanour, always the first to answer the call should his strength be needed anywhere, offering his support and presence anywhere he can should it be required, and he silently yearns for other ponies to do the same, for in his eyes it is in each other that Equestria thrives, through the congregation of love and friendship that everything gets to live happily.
It was not without cost, though, and wasn't always like this. Flak's selfless attitude was ignited through a lack of it in the past, leading to a tragedy within his youth. He has seen firsthand what happens if you lose sight of togetherness, if you are consumed by selfish drive and desire, and deep down he resents himself slightly for having such thoughts at times. Indeed, he is growing to accept that he is a pony, and ponies want what's best for themselves sometimes, but Flak has been tempered well, and refuses bitterly to put his own wants and needs ahead of those of the creatures of Equestria; as is written in The Great Oath.
In short, Flak is a serious natured stallion, stalwart defender of Equestria with a rough, steely exterior that belies his heart of gold. Like all (or most) ponies, Flak believes in love, happiness and friendship, and always seeks to do what's right, even if it means he misses out on a little fun here and there.
#History ;
Born to two loving, strong parents in Ponyville, Iron Maiden and her mate Strongarm happily named their new foal Flak Jacket due to his fur colouration, the white at the tips of his form blending into the grey around the inside giving off the illusion that he was wearing his eponymous flak jacket. As a young foal, Flak Jacket was especially needy, never straying too far from his parents and, in honesty, being a little high maintenance when it came to caring for him, but his parents happily shepherded his wants out of love for their own. As Flak got a little bit older, his parents tried to instill the knowledge that while every pony had their needs and wants, you could always take the time to help out another pony with theirs, but Flak was incorrigable; he was spoilt, in a way, always getting his own. At school, he attained a bit of a reputation for being a brute and a bully, much to his mother's disgust. Whenever the next story was relayed by the headmaster of a taken apple from another student, or a scuffle over a toy, Iron Maiden scolded her son, but Strongarm always pulled her away, calming her down. "Don't worry, he will learn in time. We can teach him the basics, but he needs to learn for himself." Iron Maiden was skeptical, but she always backed down, knowing well that Strongarm knew what he was doing. Through school, Flak maintained a reputation that sullied his family's parenting skills amongst the other parents, but once again, Strongarm merely watched and calmed with a patient eye. While his mother was, to say the least, disdainful about her son's development into a thug, she trusted her mate's counsel, knowing that he would know what was best. The two were quite alike, after all.
Then, on his first day of secondary education, Flak picked a fight with a smaller, physically weaker student. As he rolled the victim over with his bulk, he felt a shock to his side as a magical bolt struck him, sending him reeling. He turned his head to the side to view his assailant: a unicorn, smaller than himself who he didn't recognise. "Don't you know who I am, runt?" Flak spat, standing up again and dusting himself off. The filly nodded her head, a look of disdain on her face. "Why yes, I do. You're a bully. And bullies never win." Snorting angrily, Flak motioned a hoof towards the pony who was still floored. "Do you even know this weakling?" The unicorn shook her head, tresses of violet hair waving as she did. "I don't need to. All I need to know is that you're pushing ponies around with no good reason other than that you can, and you want to. But you should know: it won't get you anywhere. As long as I'm here, I'm going to protect those you're hurting." Several hurled insults and a stun spell later, and Flak was admitted to the hospital ward.
At first, he simply shook with anger that his reign over the playground had ended. What happened next would be the first of a few choice lessons he would learn. Strongarm walked in to pick Flak up from the hospital wing of the school with that fatherly, knowing gleam in his eye. But walking in beside him was that violet-maned assailant that sent him here. With a cocktail of anger, pain, confusion and suspicion in his eyes, Flak croaked out a weakened "Why?" Strongarm trotted slowly to his son's side. "Raina Cloud here told me what happened. How she stood up to you on behalf of someone who couldn't stand up for themselves. Being strong isn't about being powerful. It's not about taking what you want. It's helping those that need it, and shouldering their burdens when they can't carry any more. That is true strength." Flak, for the first time, bowed his head in humility, tears staining his grey cheeks. Mustering the strength to stand, he tottered over to Raina Cloud and embraced her, crying in understanding. "Thank you...I'm so sorry! I promise, I'll change!" Raina returned the embrace before pulling back, punching his broad shoulder lightly with her hoof. "Friends?" She asked. He parroted her word, smiling. As Raina and Flak trotted out together, Strongarm knew his son had learned a valuable lesson. For the rest of his time at school, Flak Jacket did all he could to help the other ponies where he could, even at one point playing Raina and standing up to a bully himself in his last terms. His reputation had changed from schoolground tyrant to reformed defender, and he passed his exams with more than acceptable grades, with the exception of physical education, where he excelled.
As he grew into a young adult, Flak Jacket carried the lessons of his schooling through with him, always offering to help the residents of Ponyville wherever he could, and earning his keep through farm work and physical labour; the bits he earned from such work to pay for his higher education weren't the real prize here, for he had developed into quite the muscular specimen. Months of ploughing fields and carrying apple-carts, coupled with his major in physical education had strengthened his body, and when coupled with his innate size, he had developed into an unusually strong colt. While he always used his physical prowess for what he perceived to be good, he revelled in the attention from both the females and impressed peers alike, his status as a "Strapping young colt" always bringing a grin to his face. While he did carry through that true strength was helping others, he couldn't help but admire himself and let the attentions of enawed peers make him proud of his accomplishments. He continued his scholarship, becoming more athletic with each month of sports, and more knowledgable of a pony's capabilities through knowledge of anatomy, muscular maps and diet-science. After a couple of years, he graduated with honours, offering his headmaster and tutor a firm hoof-bump. He now had the physical prowess and knowledge to protect and serve, and look damn good while doing it. Everything was looking up for Flak Jacket. But there were more lessons to be learned, and little did Flak know that he was about to receive the second life lesson that would shape his being. It had happened overnight: the Solar Standard had been spirited away by a manticore of unusual guile. All that was known is that the beast had headed for the Everfree forest. Seeing a unique opportunity to impose his prowess and do a good deed, Flak recklessly set out on a one-pony hero's crusade to return the Solar Standard.
Searching through the Everfree Forest alone was never a good option, but Flak was sure of himself, knowing that with the supplies he had brought with him, and his strength of body and will, that he would win the day. He searched for hours, fighting off fatigue and occasional nasties, until eventually, he found her, guarding an alcove of trees, the tattered standard behind her. With pent up anger, he called out the manticore, challenging her to either fight him for the Solar Standard, or give it up and leave, never to return. But the manticore merely roared, pouncing at the earth pony, wings splayed and tail jutting forwards. The ensuing battle lasted a long time, Flak sustaining injuries and exhaustion until, with one final burst of will, he delivered a headbutt that knocked the beast unconscious. Staggered but victorious, Flak strode past the knocked out manticore to claim his prize. However, when he lifted the tapestry, shock set into his system. There, beneath the hallowed standard, were three manticore cubs, already shivering at the absence of heat once the banner had been lifted.
The mother had stolen the banner as a bed for her young.
Pride evaporated, giving way to crushing guilt.
Flak Jacket knew what had to be done. Using the standard as a blanket, he swaddled the three cubs to his form and tied the manticore mother to his harness, using the last of his strength to drag her safely to Ponyville. However, just as he reached the entrance of the town, he finally collapsed. Next thing he knew, he was in Ponyville General. A doctor arrived, telling him that the manticore had been released back into the forest with a blanket made for her cubs, and that the Solar Standard was beside him. Flak looked, exhausted, to his side at the tattered, dirty, ruined flag beside his hospital bed; it had been tough, but he had done it: the Solar Standard was back, and the manticore's cubs had a blanket now. But the real prize was the lesson he had learned: All things had a right to happiness, and personal pride and accomplishments could not cloud your judgement. Where he had rushed into the Everfree Forest a brash, brazen colt, he had left it a wizened stallion, gifted with the revelation that there was so much more to using his strength for good than personal gratification. Once he had been nursed back to health, Flak headed to the home he had rented in Ponyville, vowing to himself that he would use his strength for the good of all, that every creature in Equestria had the right to happiness and that he would do all he could to ensure the safety, security and unity of all. It was then that pen went to paper, and 'The Great Oath' was written:
"I hereby pledge, on humble hoof,
To honour, serve, protect,
To never be proud and aloof,
But live with true respect,
For every creature, large or small
Have rights to laugh and love;
And so, by Equestria's call,
I'll place their needs above
With strength and wisdom, I will stand,
Compassionate and true,
For every being in the land,
For him, for her, for you,
I'll offer all my hooves can give
For every single one,
So all can comfortably life:
The Great Oath's will be done"
As he finished utturing his oath, two things happened. First, there was a glowing upon his flank, and his cutie mark, as if answering his creed, appeared. His eyes smoothed over it, a blue shield with stars and a silver cross dividing it. He understood; his purpose had been set to him as a defender, thus the shield. The three stars denominated the three aspects that he would defend. He was not only a protector of his oath to Equestria, not only a protector of those around him, but also a protector of morality, of justice, of the greater good. With a sage nod, he accepted his path. It was then that a magically sealed letter found its way to him; Flak had received a summons by Princess Celestia himself, requesting the return of the Solar Standard. Humbled beyond measure at such an honour, Flak made the journey to Canterlot, carrying the ruined standard with him. Bowing in the presence of the Princess, he laid the Solar Standard at her feet. Celestia smiled, saying that a new standard had already been crafted, but the fact that he had gone to such lengths not only to return the standard, but to ensure the safety of the manticore mother too was nothing short of heroic. In recognition of his service to Equestria, Princess Celestia made Flak Jacket the Bearer of the Solar Standard, having the new, resplendant banner affixed to his armoured flank, but also allowing him to keep the old, tattered one he recovered as a reminder to protect, serve, and enact good will, as he had done on his quest.
To this day, Flak Jacket acts as a Royal Guard for Canterlot, but he will always take time when he can to visit other parts of Equestria and help wherever he can. While his new occupation is that of a Royal Guard and ranking officer, he sees the world through tempered eyes; with his duties come great responsibilities, and he shoulders the burdens not just for the Alicorn Princesses, but for every creature in Equestria.The Roleplayer's Corner
#Nickname ; Flittering Soul
#Age ;22
#Gender/Preferred Pronouns ;Male/He
#How did you find us? ; Initially, I found you on RPG Directory
#Sample RP ;
Routine patrols were great for many reasons. One, it allowed Flak Jacket to take in the sights of Equestria. Two, it allowed him to inspire safety within those he came across through the means of the Solar Standard. The enchanted banner swayed gently from his armoured flank, glowing with the warmth of the sun as it fluctuated with the gentle breeze. And three, it allowed him to do a good deed for the guardspony who was supposed to be on patrol today. Flak was usually too high a rank to be sent on something like a routine patrol, but he knew that the one who was supposed to be patrolling today had just had her mate arrive back home from Appleloosa, and so the Solar Standard Bearer saw an opportinity to allow her to have the day off to see her husband while he got to patrol in her stead. Of course, she happily acceeded, and so here he was, striding through Canterlot Commons with well measured, deliberately slow strides, his ocean green eyes taking in the sights around him. Rich couples dining in the best seats of the most luxurious restaurants, pampered mares trying on dresses that cost more than some homes in Ponyville, at the request of personal shoppers, rich, influential individuals discussing the finer things in life...Flak made a mental note to spend some time in Ponyville today. While he saw everypony as equal in his eyes, the thought of some of the populace of Canterlot looking down upon the 'lesser' ponies of Equestria with a derisive sneer made the Royal Guard quite upset indeed; the fact he had seen some do so himself affirmed this. While he himself was by no means poor, for a Royal Guard was paid quite well, he chose to live in one of the more humble abodes in Canterlot, living on just enough to sustain his strength and needs, choosing to carry around the excess bits in case they were needed; who knew when that young couple would have just three bits too short to pay for that romantic meal, or when a thief would strike, leaving a pony in discord. It wasn't that he didn't value currency, it was just that he valued wisdom, life lessons and integrity above it. As he continued his patrol, his ocean blue eyes and tentative ears rested upon a most curious scene.
"Come on, Whimsie, it's alright, I'll buy you another one." A mare gently stated to her foal, a small unicorn who was incessantly bawling her eyes out, stamping her hooves by a tree, one of them pointed up at it. "But mum! That was the last purple one! The nice colt said there won't be any more purple ones until next weekend! I CAN'T WAIT THAT LONG!!" And with that, Whimsie began anew, her tears falling in floods, so much that it appeared to dampen the soil of the small park. It wasn't so much that the weeping was irritating as much that Flak hated to see a foal in distress that spurred him to move. Pacing over to the mare, Flak asked a quiet question, looking sidewards at her. "Why is she so upset, Mrs?" Looking up at the stallion, she smiled, rolling her eyes. "There's nothing wrong, sir. It's just that I bought my daughter an enchanted purple charm for her bracelet, but before she could attach it a bird swooped down and snatched it from her. But it's alright, really, I'll be able to buy her another one next weekend, an-" That was all he needed to hear. Waving a hoof dismissively, Flak Jacket took two steps forwards, taking in the situation. In the tree that Whimsie was stood under, there was a bird standing over a nest, the purple charm glowing in its beak. It would have been simple: slam into the tree, and the charm falls. However, there was a nest up there that likely contained young, and Flak couldn't in good conscience allow the home to be destroyed by his actions. Musing for a short while, Flak came up with the solution. Lifting a hoof, he snapped his wing pendant from its chain, holding it outstretched in his hoof before whistling loudly to get the bird's attention. The pendant was dangerously shiny, polished to a faultless gleam that was simply too good to pass up. The bird dropped the faintly glowing charm and swooped down into Flak's hoof, taking the small wing before fluttering back up to the nest. The charm had already been retrieved by a jubilant Whimsie, who ignored Flak, running straight to her mother, bouncing with joy. "Look, mum! I got it! I got it!" That joy was payment enough for Flak who, with a small smile, turned to leave for his patrol. But before he could, the mare called for him to wait. Looking over his shoulder, he watched the mare smile at him. "You didn't need to do that. But thank you." Flak shook his head. "I know I didn't need to. I wanted to." With a nod of respect, the bulky stallion turned and continued his patrol.
Today would be a good day.
