END RUN: David Strauss *New Updates*

EDIT 4: Welp, I didn't pass Round four so prepare for David's life to go spiraling downhill because of the plans I have made for him oh yes CB

EDIT 3: Updated app art for David at last and a new little bit of history ;> Evolved Ramses to his awkward teen stage, and added a new team member~ <3

EDIT 2: Updated the app art with info for post-Round 2 OuO New art for the 'mons, an evolved Ramses and a new team member <3
Beware of Gollum!Kirlia and do not take his preciousssss >:u

EDIT: Updated with evolved Cerberus and newest team member :> Mandurrhurr <33

Also added all of David's new Cerberus scars OTL The poor man hasn't even stepped onto the battlefield yet.




His bandwagon tumblr: [link]

Competitor Status
Round One: PASSED [link] [link]
Round Two: PASSED [link]
Round Three: PASSED [link]
Round Four: FAILED [link]
Epilogue: In progress [link]
_______________________________

Name: David Strauss
Age: 27
Height/Weight: 5’8 / 193 lbs
Hometown/Region: Mahogany Town / Johto
Military Faction: Air Force
Extra items: A muzzle and lead for Cerberus, a pack of cigarettes, a lighter, hunting knife, and whatever other small items and trinkets he’s happened to lift off of others.

Personality: David has always had a bad habit of stealing. He doesn’t like to call it stealing though; he thinks that term much too judgmental of his “skill” as he likes to say. He tries to keep up a somewhat friendly demeanor if just for the sake of being able to pull of his sticky fingers more easily. He figures that if you’re a freaky looking person with a frown on your face that implies that you might want to harm something cute and cuddly, people will notice you and keep their distance. Unless of course they actually like hurting cute and cuddly things, which of course would make them and instant exemption from his pick-pocketing, for fear of his own neck. There is still a chance me might try though, if what’s hidden in their pockets is shiny enough.

Backstory: The first time David ever stole something was when he was eight years old. He was looking into a toyshop and longing to have the sleek new baseball bat sitting there in the window, glossy and practically calling out to him. His tactics weren’t very good at the time though, because his strategy consisted of walking in, grabbing that bat-- which was surprisingly heavier than he thought it would be-- and making a run for it as fast as his legs would carry him. He made it one step out of the store, with the clerk hot on his heels and bellowing very unseemly things before he ran smack into his dad who had started to follow him in. Needless to say, he didn’t get the bat, but a very, very good thrashing from his father when he got home. Oddly enough, after that, he still didn’t learn his lesson, and continued to steal little things left and right, eventually getting better at it, and actually getting away with it a few times.

His school days were spent in equal torment and glee, because he wasn’t much adored due to his sticky fingers, but he was always able to get back at people by using those skills to his advantage, trolling causing mayhem for many in the school until at last they were fed up with him and he was expelled his senior year in High school. His father was not pleased with this, but David found too much delight in “borrowing” items from people, and continued to do it. He isn’t especially good at it, despite all his years of committing himself to the art, and more often than not, he gets caught in the act and usually receives a good beating, or a night in the slammer.

Fresh out of high school David’s thieving didn’t stop. He continued committing petty thefts almost everywhere he went- his favorite being shoplifting. However the biggest problem he faced was what to do with the stolen items once he had them. He tried selling them on the streets but people either haggled the price too low or gave him a wide berth when passing by.
That was when he was approached by “Billy Richman” who offered him a wonderful opportunity; he’d give David access to one of his men willing to buy his stolen merchandise at fair prices so long as he paid a small fee to him every month. Naïve and foolish David took the deal gladly. The first few months were prosperous for him and he was convinced he had his life set for a while. Then Billy started raising the amount of his “small fee,” demanding that David pay up or lose access to his fence. Out of blind desperation David caved to the demands, desperate to keep Billy’s fence at his disposal because without a man to buy his stolen goods he’d have nothing again.
All was well for only a few weeks, then Billy upped his demands once more and David became reckless in his attempts to steal some more valuable items. He was caught, arrested and imprisoned but to his surprise he was released on bail within the week. Billy had posted bail for him, and now he was trapped in his debt for a very long time.

For years Billy hounded him for monthly payments, pushing him to his limit and filling him with a constant fear. He feared that Billy would eventually lose patience with him and send one of his men to kill him- or that he’d turn him in and have him arrested again to get rid of him. Eventually that day did come. The door the David’s apartment was kicked in and Billy and two of his men stormed in and grabbed David, holding him down while Billy threatened him and knifepoint. In a last desperate attempt to save his skin David lied to Billy, telling him he had a heist planned that could get him all his money back. Somehow that convinced the man and he let David live, but not without warning him that if he tried running, his men would find him wherever he went and finish the job; even in prison he could get to him.

David could see no escape from the situation, and was forced to go through with the heist despite not being prepared or equipped for it. He failed miserably, was caught red-handed and promptly arrested. Delighted that they had something real to convict him for at last, the authorities were about to tote him off to prison when the judge offered him a choice; either serve out his sentence in prison for his theft, or enlist in the military since they were in need of members, and he wasn’t all that much of a felon. He chose the latter, knowing that choosing prison would be a death sentence, and was shipped off to join Johto’s air force.

Other:

• He cannot hold his alcohol. One drink sends him spiraling into drunkenness, and another knocks him to the floor.
• He’s not all that good with authority, seeing as how he has lived most of his life running around stealing other people’s belongings.
• Cerberus absolutely terrifies him, and he’s convinced that he was partnered with him as punishment. Sometimes he wishes that he’d braved prison instead of having to deal with the psycho dog. His fear of Cebs has intensified since he evolved into a Houndoom and inflicted the burn wound all over his left shoulder and arm.
• He comes off as friendly, but deep down inside, he’s laughing at you all as he lifts your wallet off you.
• He didn’t start smoking until he joined the Air Force and was assigned Cerberus. He doesn’t even know why he started, but he figured it was to calm his nerves when dealing with the demon hound.

Relationships

Frederick Curtsinger: His only real good friend in all of the Johto camp. Fred was one of the first to approach him and befriend him and he's stuck close through everything that's happened thus far and David is determined not to lose his friend.

Jessie Pollard:

Pokemon:

Cerberus | Houndoom | Hasty | Flash Fire | Male
Cerberus is a raging psychopath trapped within the body of a houndoom. From the moment he was introduced to David he’s probably been plotting to rip him apart without mercy, just because he feels like it. He’s constantly disobeying David’s orders, and on the rare days that he does listen, he does so with a snarl on his face and a crazed look in his eyes. No one is really entirely sure why Cerberus is so insane either. The military did their best to give him the exact same training as any other pokemon, and yet he still came out seeming like he belonged in a psych ward, despite their best efforts.

They figured he’d make a good weapon out on the battlefield though, so they assigned him to the first capable new recruit they could force the houndoom upon, which happened to be David, and a glorious partnership was formed. A partnership in which one constantly fears the other in light of the knowledge that that other wants to maul them in their sleep. But the two of them get by, somehow.

Ramses | Charizard | Lax | Blaze | Male

David In convinced that Ramses was dropped on its head as an egg. It goes around in an almost blissful daze of incompetence and air-headedness while simultaneously befriending and crawling all over any other pokemon in the camp he comes across.

He’s frequently wandering in an aimless manner so David has to keep a sharp eye on him to ensure he doesn’t wander off. His attention span has thus far proved to be incredibly short as well, which does not help much during battles. Upon receiving him David was hesitant at first, not knowing if it was going to be another wildly violent pokemon like Cerberus, only to be surprised by a giant clingy lizard that literally crawled all over him before attempting to wander blissfully off. He’s outfitted the ‘mander with his scarf since the reptile is cold blooded and the high altitudes the plane will be reaching might be hard for him to handle. He’s also gotten a small pair of goggles that fit over its eyes.
Ramses has shown to have a bad habit of chewing on any sold object within reach, namely David’s boots.

Since evolving into Charmeleon he’s become even clumsier- if that’s even possible- and unsteady on his feet as he learns how to keep balances on two legs instead of four. He hasn’t learned the concept of “personal space either and is frequently crowding into David to make up for his sudden lack of cuddles.

*NOTE*
Though Ramses is now classified as a Charizard right now he’s in a rather awkward stage of his evolution. He’s still clumsy with his size and he’s also unable to carry any extra weight aside from himself while his wings grow strong. He’s also only about half his full height, with his shoulders reaching the same height as the top of David’s head, and his own head standing just barely two feet higher.

Thero | Kirlia | Impish | Telepathy | Male

Thero is much more feral beast than intellectual psychic. If anything he’s a slimy, cunning trickster with nothing but wicked plots up his sleeve. He has no grudge against humans, however, and disregards most of them as hardly worthy of his attention. He loves to see what sort of problems he can cause among them though. He has very little life experience outside of human captivity, as he was caught as a young ralts and evolved during his training, which is likely what is resulting in his careless attitude toward mankind.

He’s not the most obedient team member and will frequently use the wrong move just to coerce a fun reaction out of David. He’s a lot more intelligent than he comes off too, and his psychic power may not be on par with that of an alakazam for example, but he’s still got considerable power. To David’s eternal relief, though he doesn’t always respond obediently to orders, he’s not overly violent- at least, if he is, he hasn’t shown it yet.

Ursula | Octillery | Gentle | Suction Cups | Female

Ursula doesn’t know the meaning of “personal space” and will use whatever means possible to be as close to you as possible. When she’s not being clingy to David or creeping all around camp to be clingy to others she’s constantly seeking out water sources she can sit and soak in- making the showers into her personal spa every morning, much to the dismay and irritation of those trying to shower. While she much prefers it sit submerged in a tub of water she won’t hesitate to drag herself out onto dry land and make her way about among the soldiers in camp.

Aside from Ramses she’s one of the most harmless of David’s team- and shows a great fascination with humans. At one point David looked behind him to witness her attempting to mimic his way of walking. When taking to the skies in David’s spitfire she clings to the bottom of the plane and turns herself into a living cannon- shooting jets of boiling water at any enemy that comes within reach.