Miguel Cortes

General Information:

Name: Miguel Cortés

Nickname: N/A

Species of Shifter: Bull Shark

Human Ethnicity: Hispanic

Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual

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Physical information:

Gender: Male

Age: 27

Human Hair Color: Dark brown, almost black

Human Eye Color: Dark brown

Human Distinguishing Marks: A large tribal tattoo across his torso, labeling him as a member of El Toros/The Bulls, a herd of Shark Shifters that currently hold control over the Gulf of Mexico, as well as a good portion of the U.S. West Coast and many of the larger rivers that empty out into the Gulf, including the Mississippi. It is the largest known herd of sharks in/around the Americas, claiming upwards of a hundred Bulls, and even a few Great Whites and Tiger Sharks- rounding their numbers out to roughly 120 sharks in total. The humans had it easy hunting shifters on dry land, but they have had little to no luck in the seas.



Human Description of General Appearance:
Miguel is tall for a human, but not necessarily tall for a shifter, averaging in around 6'2". He is lean and fit, but not overly muscular, rounding out to about 215lbs. Miguel has the body of a swimmer, a runner, of a well accomplished athlete.

Preferring to dress casually, especially since the world ended (at least for the humans), he is most often seen in jeans or possibly shorts, and a t-shirt. It is rare to see him in anything fancy, such as a suit or tux, but he cleans up quite well.

Miguel is never seen without a plain, gold wedding band resting on his left ring finger and can often be seen with a shark tooth necklace hanging from his neck, though it is generally tucked underneath his shirt. If one were to ask, he'd tell them it's all he has left of his wife, but he refuses to speak of her death.



Shifter Color: Dark grey on top, white on the underside.

Shifter Eye Color: A faint glowing blue, though it's hard to tell beneath the surface.

Shifter Distinguishing Patterns or Marks: N/A

Shifter Description of General Appearance: Miguel's shark is on the larger side of the male Bull Shark spectrum, coming in around 7'6" in length and 220lbs in weight.



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Society Information:

Would your character optimally be an Alpha, Beta, Omega, or Other?
Alpha

Occupation in Society: (What would they do? Sentry, Computer Specialist, Bartender)
Sentry

What was your position in your former pack (if applicable)
Alpha

What brought you to Three Valleys?
Diplomatic matters

Love History (If applicable)
Wife (deceased), still wears the ring

Shifter Designation: Dominant or Submissive?
Dominant

Answer the following questions to determine your starting number:

1- If your character walked into a bar where the bartender was being robbed at gunpoint what would your Shifter do?
Bull Sharks aren't necessarily known for subtlety, but he'd do his best to sneak up on the gunman/gunwoman and disarm them. He'd give them the option to surrender, but if they refused, he'd tear them to shreds. Miguel can't fully shift on land, but those shark teeth are just as vicious out of water as they are under they waves.

2- If your character saw a Shifter cub wandering into a busy street after a ball, what would your Shifter do?
Miguel would snatch the kid up, but let the ball get run over as punishment for the child's naivety. He'd reprimand the child for going near the street after a dumb toy, then make sure it got home safely.

3- Your Shifter is participating in an athletic event and comes in second to another Shifter how do they react?
Miguel's not a sore loser, but he'd not necessarily gracious in defeat. He'd begrudgingly applaud the victor, but wouldn't hesitate on challenging them again.

4- Your Shifter is in the middle of an important negotiation when the person in charge of the meeting suddenly collapses with a heart attack- what would be your Shifter's first reaction?
Miguel would make sure that if any healers were there, they did their damn job. He'd offer his assistance in the matter, but he's no expert in the medical field. Overall, he'd do his best to make sure everyone stayed out of the way of any healer or doctor that was present, and do his best to continue the negotiations afterwards.

5- Your Shifter has been unjustly arrested for disorderly conduct and is thrown in General Holding.  There are seven large men or women in the cell with you.  What does your character do?
The disorderly conduct would come after being unjustly arrested, most likely leaving whatever authority that arrested him with bloodied noses and possibly a couple broken bones. He wouldn't hesitate to stake his claim on the cell, if any chose to challenge him. He's a bit of a firecracker when he's pissed off. His temper would most likely rear its head, if any of the cell's occupants approached him.

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Personality Details:
Personality:
As mentioned previously, Miguel has a temper, though he does fairly well at keeping it in check. Overall, he's a decent guy with a good sense of humor. He is extremely loyal to his friends and to his family, what little family he has left.

Strengths:
Swimming, Navigating, Tracking, Hunting, Driving, Cross Country Running, Scavenging, all around survival skills on land or at sea

Miguel considers his loyalty a strength, though it may not be considered a skill.

Weaknesses:
Undying loyalty. Miguel would die, before betraying a friend.
Stubborn. He has a stubborn streak that stretches back to his teenage years.
Temper. Miguel has a temper that rears its head every so often, if he's pushed too hard.

Fears:
Losing his life, or witnessing the death of more friends and family.

Background/History:
Miguel was born just south of the Mexican/American border, to two Pure Blooded Bull Shark shifters, Matteo and Isabella Cortés. Matteo was considered the alpha of a herd of Bull Sharks that called the Gulf of Mexico home, while Isabella was considered the Beta. At that point in time, the herd only claimed to have fifteen or so sharks.

Miguel was raised a survivalist, taught to take what he needed, to work for it, rather than having it given to him. If he wanted a bike, he had to work for the money to pay for it. If he didn't want to be bullied in school, he had to take care of the bullies on his own. And he did.

Raised a survivor, Miguel struck out on his own early in life, around the age of thirteen. He traveled Central America, South America, and the United States for roughly ten years before returning home to find his father ill. Cancer.

Matteo was losing control of the herd, the others seeing him as weak. Matteo's requested that his son take over the herd, keep it in check, so Isabella could live peacefully after he was gone.

Miguel fought his way to the top of the herd, claiming his place as alpha, as his father wished. Taking over the herd, he gave his mother the freedom to retire, to leave and take care of his father. She left, ending herself shortly after Matteo passed.

Hardened by a life of surviving, fighting for what was his, Miguel kept control of the pack easily enough over the years.

Once the Gray was deemed an epidemic, shark shifters began to flee south, into the Gulf. Miguel and his herd defended their territory with fist and tooth in equal measure, killing many who tried to drive them away, but also taking many under their wing (the woman he married being one of them), protecting them from the human hunting parties.

Since the human population started dying out, Miguel's herd has been growing and growing, but their relations with humans and other shifters have always been sketchy at best.

Miguel recently heard of a population of shifters, all kinds, taking up residence up north. After doing his research on the town, the leadership, he decided to head north as well, leaving his herd in the capable hands of his friends.

Miguel hopes to utilize Longclaw's connections with the New Republic of Texas and the Grain Cooperative to garner a trade agreement between the two territories and his herd, eventually.
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Skills and Abilities:

Is your Shifter Pure or Halfling?
Pure

If Halfling- Which parent was Human and which was Shifter?
N/A

Were you mentored or trained in your abilities?  If so, by whom?
Yes, extensively by his mother and father, both were talented in their own ways.

Education:
High school diploma, and countless things learned on his own over the years. Miguel was a smart cookie, graduating at thirteen.

Special Learning Prior to fall of Society:
Miguel has always loved the sea, the gulf, the rivers...he lives in the water, preferring it to land, to civilization. He knows the many ins and outs of the rivers that snake through the U.S. as well as those that snake through Central and South America. He has spent many years finding his way, but finally settled in the gulf a few years before the fall of society.

If Pure:

• Would you like to be considered for a special ability?  Yes/ No
  *Seers and Healers are currently unavailable due to numbers, unless you can give me a very compelling reason why yours will be different from the other two.
  No
  
  
• If Yes, which ability are you interested in having?
  N/A
  
  
• Proposed way that the ability works for your Shifter,
  N/A
  
  
• Proposed price that your character has to pay for that ability:
  N/A