Takoda Ryder
Shapeshifter Bio
Name
Takoda Ryder (Koda)
Player
Black Howling
Age
63 (Appears mid thirties)
Animal
Florida Black Wolf
Claimed By
Daniella Kate Bryant
Orientation
Heterosexual
Hair
Medium Length, Black
Eyes
Hazel
Height
6'3"
Appearance
Koda stands at a towering height, a fact only enforced by his swagger and confidence. He's somewhat lean in build, though that leanness masks a chiseled physique that's he's always been proud of. Broad shoulders, corded muscles and wiry abs all lurk just beneath the clothing that adorns his form. It's certain that he's a man comfortable naked. His clothing runs a gambit of styles, from the typical worn out jeans and shirts he uses to remodel, to fine designer fashions when the right first impression just has to be given.
In his Wolf forms, Koda's skin is covered in the lustrous black fur of the extinct wolf he holds in his soul. His eyes darken to a deep, near red brown. His impressive physique carries over to each form respectively, giving even the simplest an intimidating presence. He has but one defining feature in his moon's guise, that being a silver patch that runs along his chest. This is present in each variation, something that is sure to clue in anyone familiar with his changes that it is in fact him.
Face Claim
Joe Manganiello
Personality
Koda is often viewed as a laid back persona, somewhat in the vein of hippies to a degree. In times past this often worked against him, but the change in view that's happened in recent years have allowed him to turn this to his favor. Unfortunately it's only a mask in part. His traveling nature required he find a method of dealing with his territorial nature, and over time this simply became a part of him as a sort of balancing mechanism. It allowed his natural instincts to focus only on those things truly his, and of those he's fiercely protective and territorial over.
Ons & Offs
O/O link
History
Takoda was not born into the life of a supernatural, but that did not mean he wasn't born around a spiritual harmony with nature. Growing up in the Navajo Nation made certain of that. It's atmosphere seemed to even calm a rebel soul like his was as a youth, but he grew more and more curious as he aged into adulthood. Eventually he grew more interested in the lives that laid outside their reserves, and as he peaked into a man he ventured to see them for himself.
It was a very different structure to say the least, but it took Koda no time at all to see a gap he could bridge. It was here that his dream of bringing the Dine's philosophy to those around him started. Using their 'walk in beauty' idealism to bring peace to people by designing homes with this in mind. The progress of his dream to be a designer was of course slowed by the drugs and alcohol one would find abound at the time, and he found it incredibly hard to branch into the field. It was some years later that he decided instead to study design alone in the woods, hoping to hone his skill enough he'd have a chance.
To this day he isn't sure if his first sights of a strange black wolf were caused by his substance abuse. Though during his time in the words he'd see the beast again and again. It was on the night of a full moon that he finally got a close up view. Curious he followed the beast, which moved with grace unlike a canid. He tried to snap a photo with his camera, finally tracking the beast to an angle where the full moons light shone. The flash of the camera spooked the beast, and it made what he could only tell as an unprovoked attack.
Looking back at it, Koda could easily tell that it wasn't an attack meant to harm him. Just an attempt to disarm his camera, but at the time he didn't know this and pulled his hunting knife for defense. The struggle ensued more, and after a successful slash on the beast, he found himself bitten hard. The bite sunk deep into his arm, leaving him bloody and reeling. The creature looked at him then, something that almost seemed like regret in his eyes before he rushed away from the scene.
While ill feeling from the blood loss, Koda was still able to get himself to the makeshift camp where he could try to treat and cleanse his wounds. The encounter boggled his mind, but it wasn't until much later that he understood why. It was next month, while he was spending time in the nearby town that he was approached by a dark haired man with a warning.
It took some time and first hand proof before Koda believed anything of what he'd been told, but once it all sunk in, he realized there was no going back. The shifter that had inadvertently changed him did help him out getting settled into the new life. Moreover he could only think it was fate that such a thing had happened, for the man also helped him finally get his foot in the door as a designer. The man was well connected, and set him up with some people that could recognize his talents. He worked like this for some time, and then his life changed again.
Koda knew from the first time he met Dani that he wanted her. The two became closer as they worked with each other, but it didn't take full swing until about two years after they'd first met. Koda will quickly tell anyone that it wasn't because of a lack of trying on his part. He can't remember if the business was his idea or her's at the time, but whichever it was, they started it together, and still run it to this day. Both know they could have retired by hiring employees to do the work for them, but for Koda this is the way of life he always wanted, and one she seems happy to share with him.
For Koda becoming her familiar was not the last stop on their journey though. Unbeknownst to Dani, he's been planning on proposing to her in a more formal kind of marriage. This came to his mind after she began to talk with him about her plans for a dream home. While he assumes it will never be completed, he knows that marriage would certainly make something complete. He just hasn't found the right time or setting between their busy work life to actually pop that question.
