8 Character Facts Tag: Alex Thornton

Tagged by again, and I will inevitably tag you back so we will keep doing this until the end of TIME

- Post these rules. 
- Unveil 8 random facts about your character. 
- Tag 8 other Deviants and one of their characters.


_{This was going to be a fullbody picture but it turned into an anatomical mess of colossal proportions BADUM TISH}

Oh man. This giant dork.

ONE
Alex is a canine Altera, which is RAID's version of real-life actual anthropomorphic human/animal creatures. Going off on an immediate tangent: I first designed this species when I was really young, maybe around 8 or 9. 90's children's animated shows were filled with creatures of this sort, so I didn't see anything wrong with it. I wanted them to look a bit more human than they did on TV though. I dubbed them "mutants" (lol I didn't watch X-Men until years later oops) and ran with the idea. Then I discovered the internet, and DeviantArt, and subsequently furries. XD I still remember finding a gorgeous painting of a cat-woman abandoned in a dark alleyway, and feeling so disheartened that someone had already thought up my idea, haha! 

As the years have gone by and I've learned more about the furry community (which I never actually joined myself), my confidence in presenting a story with a cast that is 85% anthropomorphic had greatly waned. I didn't think anyone would take it seriously. But graphic novels like Blacksad and movies like Zootopia made me think again. What really re-bolstered my confidence were the following thoughts: 
1. RAID's entire story and plot have been built around the Alteran species. They're the story's spine: it can be rebuilt without it, but it'll never be the same, and most likely will not be as interesting!
2. I imagined myself stumbling upon this story online, as though it had been made by someone else, perhaps even with different characters, but the hook was the same: furry dystopia. And I knew what my reaction would be: laughter, followed by amused curiosity, and yes indeed, I would want to read something like that.

So I suppose I want to preface this by saying that I am very much aware of the stigma around human/animal hybrid characters... and that I'm done being afraid of that. I have discovered that this would definitely be something I'd want to read, and writers should writer for themselves first, right? c:

_{(Getting back on topic;;; )}
Altera have more in common with their human counterparts than they do animals; they tend to retain more of the abilities related to their animal side rather than that animal's instincts. For example, Alex's hearing and sense of smell are heightened, and his heart and lungs are somewhat larger than that of a human being's, so he's capable of being very physically fit. But you won't see him chasing cars down the street or oh my God marking his territory - thought that kind of shit is really funny to think about 
ANYWAY

TWO
I explained in Andrew's 8 Facts what Nanotechnology is used for in RAID's universe. Alex has them too - though just the one type, unlike his brother's two. 
Like his brother, he wears a collar to disguise the Nano Plug on the back of his neck. He passes it off as a dog thing. (It's not a dog thing.)
Alex’s Nano type is Recovery. Does exactly what it says on the tin: it speeds up physical healing in the body - but can only affect specific types of damage. It can increase the rate of tissue regrowth, so any kind of exterior bodily damage (scrapes, lacerations, bullet wounds) heals up quick. It also bolsters general muscle and bone strength; stack that with Alex’s already physically fit canine-Altera-body, and you’ve got one strong puppy! He can lift his own weight and then some. 
There are limits of course. Shoot Alex anywhere fatal, or chop off his head or make him bleed too much and he’s gone. The Nanos have no control over sickness either, so Alex can still catch a cold! (Or worse.)
Bloody typical. He could lose a limb, hold it to the stump and wait for it to reattach, but there’s still no cure for the common cold. THANKS, SCIENCE.
(PS that should hopefully explain why I sometimes draw him with so many horrible injuries hahaha :3;; Follow that link and there's a picture of him near the bottom of the sketchdump where he has a massive gash through his eye and the bridge of his nose. He makes a full recovery of course. But that's how poor Celcia and Cody discover Alex's healing abilities, haha)

THREE
Alex is the story's main character (the plot is seen through his eyes for the most part), though he doesn't play the role of "leader" in his group. He doesn't formulate plans or the like (that’s left up to greater minds like Andrew and Celcia), but he is an excellent source of good vibes and comedy. He keeps the group's morale high with his dorky hijinks, and the occasional campfire song (he sings and plays guitar!). In an Orwellian, oppressive world where hope for change is very bleak, he is an integral part of the cast, and the story would be a hell of a lot more serious without him. He is absolutely the story’s heart and soul.

FOUR
Alex was adopted into the Thornton family at around 11 years of age (Andy was 9). Though communications between humans and Altera were tentative at the time, their father was a forward-thinking sort of man who believed peace could be achieved, and so adopted Alex not just for his son’s sake, but to make a statement: to show it could be done.
Alex truly, truly loved his family, and took his father's wish for him to be a good elder brother very much to heart. Even more so after he passed away.
His biological parents, as far as he knows, are also both deceased and died of illness. An illness he and his brother are hoping is not hereditary. 

FIVE
Alex was put through military training, just like Andrew, though Alex was not made to endure mental conditioning. He was given the Recovery Nanos during this period of his life, and much of his training centred around that. It left him with a very high tolerance for pain, thus enabling him to tank more damage. 

SIX
Alex is bisexual, and where he’s not the type to rub it in people’s faces every chance he gets, he certainly sees no shame in it, as well he shouldn’t. He’s a hopeless romantic and looking for someone he can express his devout loyalty to. Throughout the course of the story he will flirt with characters of various genders, but his greatest crush (and main love interest) will be a certain moody panda-bear.
_{Who, I should add, is very much on the enemy side so uh GOOD JOB ALEX YOU SURE KNOW HOW TO PICK ‘EM}



^This is based on a canon scene. When Alex and Law first meet, Alex successfully tricks Law into thinking he's Programmed (brainwashed to follow and obey the Elite: the militant group currently in control of the government and its entire nation) like he should be, and disguises his ignorance regarding how this new world works as a failure on the system's part. He claims he wasn't Inducted into society properly and is now lost. Law feels sorry for him, so he buys him dinner and gives him a crash course on how life works now. All the while, Andy is watching the pair from the shadows and losing his shit at his stupid, stupid brother.
To make sure Alex stays safe until he can get some help tomorrow, Law sets him up with a hotel room for the night, and gives him his number with instruction to call him if anything goes wrong. This was a critical error on Law's part because even after Law discovers the truth about Alex and becomes dogged (lol) determined to capture him, Alex will not stop calling him every chance he gets.



(Shitty, silly doodles brought to you by Para staying up way too late.)
Law is currently serving in the military police at this time, and will be promoted to Elite in the next Arc. Alex is an idiot who does not only play with fire, he openly flirts with it.

SEVEN
Alex serves as the group’s bruiser: his increased strength and healing abilities make him an excellent front-line fighter. However, Alex upholds a strict no-killing policy, war-time be damned. He does his best to be there for Andy, who wants to uphold the same morals as his brother, but due to his fear of being captured and the highly volatile Nano-type coursing through his veins, he can’t always keep his cool. Cody will prove to be Alex’s greatest challenge in this regard.
Alex is also the group’s driver, and was only designated so because he’s the eldest. Not a single one of the Anarchists owns a driver’s license. In fact, they don’t even own the van they drive; Alex punched in the driver-side window, Cody clambered inside and hot-wired it, and thus began Alex’s first ever driving test, haha

EIGHT
Alex was the one to dub their group the “Anarchists”. During the first Arc, the group fight against the Elite for the first time, and their conflict causes quite a stir in the capital city. Once it’s over, the protagonists flee the place, driving for miles until they have to stop to eat at a road diner. Just when they think they’re safe, the newscaster on the television reports the “incident” that occurred in the capital the previous night. She ensures the viewers that the Elite have this under control and they will soon find the anarchists responsible for this act of rebellion.
The group are out of there like a shot.
Nobody’s happy about this, least of all Cody. Celcia argues: “But we haven’t even done anything… anarchic!”  
Alex, however, is rather giddy and can’t stop giggling. He smacks the dashboard, and with a massive grin on his face, proclaims:
“I LOVE that name. That’s it, that’s our name now.”
The others express their concerns, but Alex won’t hear it. He beeps the horn, leans out of the window and yells in the city’s general direction:
“We are the Anarchists and we won’t take your shit!”
And thus their group title was born.


I’ve run out of fact space BUT I STILL WANT TO SHARE SOME TRACKS THAT INSPIRED HIS CHARACTER I AM A MUSIC DORK;;
I've always liked to listen to these songs to find inspiration for Alex. There!
(Sorry for that last link but Bulletproof - Five Finger Death Punch is nowhere to be found on YouTube. :U Even though FFDP have their own VEVO channel. :U Wat.)


TAGS <3
- Charlie. :3c <3
Phelan! I told you about my fluffy dog man, now you tell me about yours, haha!

I'd feel bad bothering friends with yet more tags, so please take this as an invitation to complete this meme if you'd like to. XD; 

Thanks for reading yet more of my gushing~ w@/