Barrett Poer de Aika XIII

Barrett Poer de Aika XIII


Barrett chillin', by Mel
PlayerZero
NicknameBarry
Date of BirthAugust 7, 2009
Age>4 years
GenderMale
Subspecies80% Canis lupus lupus
16% Canis latrans
4% Canis lupus familiaris
LuperciYes (Ortus)
Birth placeWoodstock, New Brunswick

'Souls Profile

Current Pack

Lone Wolf

Previous Pack

Crimson Dreams

Joining dateMay 23, 2011[1]
RankPlebian, Veles, Patrician, Aedile
SignificanceMember

Crimson Dreams

Joining dateMay 29, 2010[2]
RankBasic Officer, Worm
SignificanceMember

Barrett Poer de Aika XIII, commonly known as just Barrett, was an on-and-off member of Crimson Dreams between 2010 and 2011 and a loner in between. He was a pretty chill guy. His whereabouts are currently unknown.

1.  History

1.1  Troika Outpost (08/2009-12/2009)

Barrett was the only child born to the newly mated Maserati de le Poer and Cyprus Aika XIII in a small clan called Troika Outpost. 'Troika,' meaning 'three,' was a progressive pack ruled by a triumvirate of friendly males: brothers Gale and Ross O'Clavin and their close friend Bran Connolly, all second generation Irish immigrants. They ruled with equal power and only made major decisions after extensive council. All other members of the clan were of a generic subordinate rank with only a very loose hierarchy.

At the time of Barrett's birth, the Outpost was exceedingly small--aside from the Irishmen, Gale's mate Kendra, his parents, and his mother's brother Detroit, there were only two or three other transients at any given time. These wolves, coyotes and hybrids rarely stayed for more than two or three months at a time before moving on and Barrett never developed a close relationship with any of them.

Alternatively, despite the fact they were not blood related Barrett considers the O'Clavins family to this day. They were the ones to raise his mother and uncle, who were abandoned at birth. When Maserati's true heritage came to light, she begrudgingly accepted Anselm as her father, but Detroit was still bitter over their blood father's absence chose to retain the O'Clavin surname.

1.2  Taijitu (01/2010 - 05/2010)

Although things in Troika were almost mind-numbingly peaceful, at his father's insistence Maserati agreed to send Barrett away for training. Shortly before his first shift, he and his father disembarked on a short trip across the US-Canadian border to Cyprus' birth pack, Taijitu.

Taijitu was quite a change of pace from the carefree lifestyle he'd been used to. The clan was twenty-five strong and imposed a strict hierarchy and daily training regimen. Combat techniques in Taijitu varied, but Barrett primarily studied under the directive of Cyprus' mother and grandmother--Matrix and Twilight, respectively--who both fought with a mixed martial arts style.

It was here that Barrett also had his first exposure to Taoism and Zen Buddhism. 'Taijitu,' in fact, referred to the Taoist symbol of yin and yang (☯). There was a great emphasis on personal responsibility and self-discipline when using the powerful manoeuvres and defence techniques he studied. He was taught that while violence was sometimes inevitable, it was only to be used as a last resort.

In addition to unarmed combat, Barrett studied meditation, the spiritual use of mind-altering drugs, and weaponry (both its craft and use). Unfortunately, although he was never permitted to do less than "okay" in his studies, his mind forever lacked the focus and discipline required to excel in these areas. Nevertheless, he left a better wolf for his time there and he was young enough that the Taoist and Buddhist teachings left a lasting impression on his psyche, even if he'd never possess the devotion of the Taijitu monks.

1.3  The Boy King (06/2010 - 07/2010)

As it is wont to do, a period of turbulence was to follow the Taijitu era of order. Barrett returned to find the Outpost quite different than he'd left it. Their ranks had begun to swell in size and the most notable addition was that of his blood grandfather, Anselm. Excepting his uncle, few openly expressed their displeasure at his presence, but a sour atmosphere had nevertheless befallen the entire clan.

Even as Gale and Kendra worried about losing their adopted children and Detroit baulked at Anselm's sudden repentance, the whispers of negligence and home-wrecker did not seem to impress young Barrett, who instead saw his grandfather as a suave, free-spirited, BAMF who took nothing from nobody.

Anselm only fed into this misguided idolisation, embellishing tall tales of his exploits and showing no qualms when it came to drinking or smoking with his adolescent grandson. He told Barrett about his drug empire in Halifax, and--exacerbated by his sudden freedom--the chocolate youth decided taking up the reigns of Anselm's operation would be the perfect act of rebellion. Had he made his intentions clear, Maserati might never have let him leave. As things stood, she eventually relented on the condition he seek her and Anselm's long-time friend, Savina Marino.

Though his ambitions were great, Barrett was doomed for failure. A boy king on his crooked throne, he'd entered the black market trade rather naive about the unsavoury characters he'd meet there. Although he commanded the loyalty of two intimidating watch dogs whom Anselm had won over with a regular supply of his product, it was only a matter of time before he was caught with his pants down (so to speak).

He couldn't have divined Anselm's past tangle with a rogue gang of marauders any better than Axel or Grits' whereabouts when a pair of the gang's compatriots came banging down the door unexpectedly in the middle of the night. It seemed as if the duo had stumbled upon the mass slaughter of their comrades before Jantus had a chance to bury them, and they'd been patiently biding their time since. While they were too yellow to potentially face the brutality their friends suffered at Anselm and Jantus' hands, they saw Barrett as an easy target and figured in some way, taking him would cause Anselm distress.

Barrett had just locked the door when they materialised out of nowhere--two frightful wraiths that stood blocking his path--and at once realised he was in over his head. By some miracle he was able to act on his training, delivering a swift kick to the groin of one of the thugs so he could rush past as the larger male fell, doubled over in pain. Terrified of Savina's response, he fled Nova Scotia and returned to his birth place in New Brunswick.

1.4  Western Woodstock Collective (08/2010 - 04/2011)

It seemed the wheels of change had been set in motion during Barrett's brief absence from Troika. Most notably, ageing concerns had driven the Thirteens to relocate from Taijitu. Twilight had always lead a particularly chaotic life; when she discovered she was pregnant at nine years of age, she decided to retire somewhere peaceful to raise what was likely her and Apache's final litter. With the triumvirate's blessing, Cyprus convinced them that Troika's neck of the woods would be ideal.

While most of their progeny stayed behind, the old couple left with quite an entourage: their daughter Matrix, along with her mate August and a gaggle of their youngest children; plus several of their unwed offspring, Matrix's younger siblings. In total, the party was nearly a dozen strong. Once they reached New Brunswick the Thirteens did not integrate with Troika per se, but chose instead to settle on an adjacent territory and maintain their Taijitu-centric culture. Nevertheless, Cyprus and Maserati's mateship provided a solid link between the two families.

Meanwhile, Troika itself had swollen in numbers; Anselm and his African Wild Dog mate, Alacrity, had become more permanent fixtures around the clan, as had several other immigrants. Now with Australian, Irish, African, and Far Eastern influences (amongst others), Troika had become quite the proverbial melting pot. Because of this and their strong, neighbourly alliance with the Thirteens, the two groups melded into a super community called the Woodstock Collective, with Troika in the West and the Thirteens to the East.

Despite maintaining separate customs, bylaws, and hunting grounds, the two Collective nations shared some mutually overlapping territory at their nexus. Here members could (and would) mingle and socialise freely. Furthermore, canines of either subset were unquestioningly permitted on the other's land so long as they were mindful of that district's ordinances and, when in doubt, yielded to the discretion of its native citizens. This afforded Barrett a unique opportunity to absorb both of his parents' cultures simultaneously and more completely than he had during his younger days.

In any case, his return was marked by little fanfare. Rather than fess up to the embarrassing circumstances behind his ejection from Nova Scotia, he simply told everyone he'd gotten lost and never found the garage or Crimson Dreams at all. He slipped back into his old routines to some extent, but now there was greater pressure to contribute around the pack. While most his age settled for assisting with the younger kids, Barrett found this work unsatisfactory and chose to develop his skills as a tradesman instead.

His efforts were emphatically "sufficient," with his achievements owing more to natural talent than any real drive or initiative. While his parents loved their boy and would never turn him away, they were always a little disappointed by his lack of gumption--it became increasingly obvious that their eldest son would never amount to much around the pack. Barrett also seemed to sense this, but he was too preoccupied with pursuing a childhood friend--the "girl next door," Morgan--to really care.

Outright they were positively smitten young lovers, but over time their romance became fraught with drama, as teenage affairs usually do. It seemed they'd both fallen for idealised versions of each other: she was drawn to his carefree spirit, but supposed she might one day cajole him into realising his potential and settling down; he liked having his old "partner in crime" at his side, but didn't count on her maturing into a young woman with adult needs and desires. When she began discussing "mateship" and "puppies," he kind of short circuited and that was that. It was time to get away.

1.5  The Dreamer (05/2011 - 07/2011)

Barrett returned to Nova Scotia in mid-May and began to undo the months of neglect suffered by Hilsburn in his absence. On May 23rd, he rejoined Crimson Dreams. Unfortunately, his membership was--once again--doomed to be short lived. Things appeared fine outright: he delivered parcels on his family's behalf; he settled into the hitherto unfrequented McNamara's Landing; he began to pursue a co-rank; later, he aided in border patrols. In his spare time, he stole away to Halifax to continue work around the garage. Despite his (sometimes prolonged) absences, he advanced steadily through the ranks.

The youth met a lot of fun and quirky characters during his time in the city. He never felt obliged to tiptoe around his drug use, and he realised he felt more at home on the abandoned streets than on Crimson Dreams soil. Increasingly heavy traffic around the plane exacerbated this perceived disjunction; he roamed aimlessly through the territory, seeking somewhere secluded to call his own. Meanwhile, he dove head first into some morally questionable situations, consequences be damned.

Luckily, his dubious affairs never came to the surface; in at least one instance, "affairs" could be taken quite literally. Barrett was an unwitting accessory to adultery, with--of all people--his Alpha's sister. Only later did he realise Ghita was betrothed to the gargantuan Jazper. Although it became clear Ghita did not tell her mate of their liaison, the teen found the whole situation unsettling. To complicate matters further, he managed to impregnate Anathema's Alpha, Naniko, during a drug/prostitution trade gone awry. The she-wolf expected little from him, but he still experienced waves of guilt and uncertainty.

Barrett made a few last ditch efforts to integrate with Crimson Dreams, but they never seemed to pan out. Most of the pack was blood related; most of its members were older and well established. If pressed, he would say he worried about Hilsburn getting raided while he was away, or that he should at least try to be there for his kids... but perhaps youthful discontent with "the system" played as much a role as anything. Striking off was nothing new, but this time, something was different. It was time to get out on his own--he had no plans to join another pack. And so, he announced his departure to the leadership.

1.6  Jesus of Suburbia (08/2011 - Present)

?!

2.  Appearance

Barrett is a dark coloured wolf of mottled blacks and browns that betray his slightly mixed heritage (16% coyote, 4% dog). His face, ears, and limbs are nearly solid black and his eyes are pale yellow. He has one "tattoo" (more of a branding)--the XIII mark--on his left flank. Barry also sports two gold earrings, both in his left ear (not pictured): a stud about halfway up and a hoop ¾ from the base.

Barrett has stayed lanky and lean, but he does not appear meagre or malnourished. He has a fit and balanced build owing to extensive yard work, travel, and general labour. He's just above average in height but his genes heavily favour his mother's speed and agility over his father's broad, intimidating frame. He has an unkempt, shaggy appearance overall--it's safe to assume he doesn't spend much time fussing with his looks. Barrett looks mostly the same regardless of form.

Regarding lupus, secui, and optime, he has no real preference; he just tends to stay in whatever state of the shift until it is no longer convenient. When shifted he is typically seen sporting an old, tattered pair of dark cargo pants and a brown beanie with holes cut out for his ears. He also carries a backpack suitable for holding skateboards; other miscellaneous items found inside include a deck of playing cards, dice, his personal stash, and--most recently--Helix. Finally, Barrett caries a bronze key on a chain around his neck.

3.  Personality

Barrett is a wolf of vice and virtue alike. While he engages in casual sex, lies, smokes, drinks, gambles, and can be lazy, he's also confident, adaptable, patient, considerate, and open-minded.

In his childhood he was an audacious little prankster, though he would present himself as intelligent and mild-mannered around adults in order to gain their approval. As he got older he decided that the most scrutinising and pompously educated were not very well liked and began to downplay his own intelligence. Although he is learnt in many philosophies, combat techniques, and the sciences, most would never know the difference. The only skills he ever fully embraced were carpentry and mechanics.

Though this lack of ambition is what ultimately prevents him from realising his full potential, inattentiveness and distractibility aggravate the issue. Barrett is afflicted with ADHD. In an effort to self-medicate and quell the whirlwind of thoughts inside his own head, he often turns to mind-altering substances like marijuana, alcohol, and opium. The disorder also explains his sometimes reckless, impulsive behaviour.

Barrett nevertheless comes across as an average wolf to most, unexceptional in mind or spirit. He isn't particularly gregarious and rarely seeks company outside of business or boredom. This is not to say he is antisocial--those with whom he crosses paths will find him casual, unobtrusive, and inviting. Barrett is non-judgemental and embraces foreign cultures, other religions, and non-traditional sexualities as per his upbringing.

The only thing he does not tolerate well is aggression: though he can hold his own in conflict or debate, he is largely non-confrontational and would rather duck out of a dispute than stick around and fight for fighting's sake.

4.  Relationships

4.1  Family

Several powerful bloodlines--most notably DeLePoer, Aika, and Thirteen--are found in his heritage. Barrett has a spattering of coyote and dog in his blood and his lineage boasts some European influence, although he is largely unfamiliar with his relatives abroad.