Name: Dax Mercier
Nickname/s: None
Species: Shapeshifter - Wolf
Clan Position: Dominant, Clan Leader
Age: 22 years old
Gender: Male
Hometown: Reading
Current Residence: 4 Bedroom House rented from Lawrence Housing
Studying: Medieval Studies Masters Degree – 1st Year
Employment: Intern at the Reading Natural History Museum
Family: Father: Jean-Pierre Mercier, Mother: Avelaine Mercier-Laurent, Sister: Tempeste Dubois [married to Vincent Dubois], Sister: Odette Roux [married to Girard Roux], Brother: Laramie Mercier [Married to Jennifer Mercier], Sister: Genivee Mercier [single]
Friends: Clan
Relationship: Single
Player: Jadea
Contact Email:
impatientbeauty@yahoo.com
Model: David Gallagher
Background
The first born, Dax has in always in some way been a leader. He was expected, even when he was so young, to look out for his growing brood of siblings, to protect them and keep them safe. It was a typical expectation for an older brother, and Dax never saw it as a burden. He enjoyed being the responsible one, the one everybody asked to tell stories or make up new games. A clever, creative child, this was a more than easy task and Dax often led the Mercier children in wild afternoons of carefree adventure and play. With his bright mind, however, came a certain awareness that his parents likely wish he had never developed; he knew even as a little boy that their family was looked down upon for being weak, for staining the name of his proud forefather, Andre Mercier. There was no animosity or hate, just a resigned acceptance of the fallen family. It bothered him that people thought these things, and even before he understood how he might fix the problem he decided he would make things right, somehow.
He started with learning all he could about the great Andre Mercier. He led a rebellion against a group of hunters in 1887, quietly snuffing them all out, extinguishing them and their families – by then, shapeshifters were learning that leaving even a small child behind only means being hunted down later on by a rage-filled hunter. Andre had demolished three groups of hunters, using a wide variety of methods to track them. In the end, it was said he went out in a blaze of glory after the group of hunters he’d been tracking ambushed him. The legend says he was shot over twenty times with pure silver before going down – with the entire group of hunters dead at his feet. Whether or not it was true, Dax could easily see the contrast between Andre and his family. The man had been a hero, a powerful dominant that led his clan with ruthless ease; the Mercier family today was a quiet bunch of weaker dominants that were embarrassed by their bloodline.
Ironically, a few short years later Dax DID change the fate of the Mercier family. On his eleventh birthday, in the middle of a small celebration with his family and clan, Dax smiled and held up his hands, which had morphed into paws. At that moment his eyes slowly changed into a bright, wolf-amber and his mouth extended into a muzzle, complete with a full set of pearl-white teeth. The clan was absolutely shocked, and both Mercier’s were taken aback by the sudden show of dominance; he’d been expected to be able to change one body part, two at the most, but three was entirely unprecedented. But, things moved on as usual – though the clan gave a little more respect, however begrudgingly, to the once powerful family of wolves. Slowly, Jean-Pierre pressured Dax to excel. The charming boy who adored his world of make-believe was now told that he must give up all of that ‘silly kids stuff’ – he needed to show that he was stronger, faster, more powerful… and one way or another, Dax found that he was no longer as close to his siblings as he used to be. It was hard to see that they no longer came to him when they needed something, and he had to finally accept that being a strong dominant in a family of weaker ones was going to be hard; harder when Genivee shifted her hands and ears one snowy December morning. Soon, Jean-Pierre began to use the same tactics he’d used on Dax on the youngest Mercier, pressuring her.
The older boy didn’t like to see his sister bullied by his father; he understood why Jean-Pierre wanted her to be strong like him so that they could redeem the family, he just didn’t like it. He could see that Genivee was falling apart under the pressure, devastated because she knew – like Jean-Pierre did, if he’d only admit it to himself – that she would not be like Dax, that she would be like the rest of their family with enough dominance to defend herself, and that was it. Already, the family had gone through the same disappointment with Tempeste, Odette, and Laramie , but none of them had shifted so suddenly, as Dax and Genivee had. Tempeste had gained the power to shift her nails into claws at the end of puberty; Odette had gained that ability and then later on had sprouted a tail. Laramie had shifted his eyes in late summer, and his nose in the following winter. But none had been like Dax. Except for Genivee.
Genivee began losing weight. Her grades were dropping and once Dax went into the bathroom to find her crying over a clump of hair that had fallen out of her head. In a way, seeing the brown curls in the sink made Dax realize that while he felt so helpless to stop the bullying of his family by his desperate father, he was not helpless. In fact, he was stronger than his father and could put an end to it if he only dared. But did he? Dax helped Genivee fix her hair so that the missing patch didn’t show, then took the sorry handful of hair and put it in the trashcan outside. He told her a story about a wise princess, including lots of pretty jewels and humor because those were things Genivee loved to hear about – of all the children, she’d always been the joker. Its why seeing her so pale and quiet, dropping weight and miserable… it hurt him in a way he couldn’t explain. His other siblings had surpassed their brief flings with what Dax now considers abuse, Tempeste going on to marriage and a family with a local boy, Odette headed to college and marrying one of her professors, and Laramie heading off to school and marrying his sweetheart.
All of them would grow uncomfortable at the mention of that dark time in their childhood, praying that you would please your father and be strong, praying you wouldn’t be so you could escape him. It was a brief moment, followed by the return of all affection from their father, but it touched them still. Yet, it wasn’t the same for them. They escaped, they were still loved; the infernal pressure from their father no longer existed. For Dax, and Genivee, it never went away. He wanted to scream in frustration, anger that it had to be him. The promise of the little boy he’d been kept him quiet, but oh, how Dax hated that in the end it would have to be him to put his own father in his place. In the end, the confrontation was very brief, very simple, and very to the point. Dax sat down with his father and told him he was going to stop pressuring Genivee to be a strong dominant. He spoke to his father in a cold voice, distant from the situation, but the message was clear: if Jean-Pierre persisted, Dax would end it. Violently.
For a time, things got better. Jean-Pierre withdrew from his family, little Genivee began seeing a therapist, and Dax settled back into life, focusing on his own life. His love of sword-fights, dragons, and distressing damsels still lurked and Dax found himself learning more and more about the era he felt he belonged in. Becoming lost in books, Dax rediscovered his passion for storytelling, for finding fun in the most unlikely of places. He remained distant from his siblings (Even Genivee, despite his help), but inside his mind, they were closer than ever. His high school years, aside from that, were rather uneventful. He had a few girlfriends, made friends, played sports, cooked, laughed, and lived. The trouble with Dax, however, was that he was a hopeless romantic. His love of medieval history hinted at it, but how quickly he seemed to fall for girls only confirmed it. At 17 years old, he proclaimed his undying love to his girlfriend of five months, and proposed. A normal girl likely would have brushed it off or not accepted, given that Lauren Hillgrave was a year younger than him. But Dax was so very charming, and unbelievably handsome. The poor girl was so smitten that she didn’t have much of a chance. She agreed and they married before either family could be consulted; it should be mentioned that Lauren was from a very strong, dominant family. When they heard of their daughter marrying some upstart dominant in a family of weaklings, even if they were Merciers, they were furious. But what could be done?
Given her age, it isn’t surprising that it only took a year for Lauren to grow and realize she didn’t want to be married. She wanted to flirt, to party, and to have fun with her friends. It wasn’t any fun to pay bills, to work, and to cook and clean. So she divorced Dax and headed home, before attending an American University in the fall. Dax was devastated. He was young, but for him, their life had been perfectly blissful. Dax was very much a rare individual in that he gave his whole heart away, easily, but expected the love to be everlasting; he didn’t understand that most people did not instantly love like him, that it took time for them to develop a relationship that stuck. It’s no surprise that it hit him very hard, and he ended up moving to Italy and attending a University there. In time, he grew to be happy again, but entertained no thoughts of returning to France . Dax didn’t think he could survive it if Lauren showed up somewhere. A late-night phone call from Genivee changed that.
She was frantic, babbling uncontrollably, but from what he could understand she was at a bus stop, it was raining, and Jean-Pierre had just tried to kill her. He was drunk and furious, angry that his chance to redeem the Mercier name was gone, and had stormed into his daughter’s room in an effort to kill her for not being strong like her brother was. Stunned, but resolved, Dax’s face lost all emotion in that moment. He was home within 24 hours, picking up Genivee and taking her to a hotel. After she fell asleep, he returned home. Whatever happened once he went inside is unknown; he won’t talk about it, and Jean-Pierre pretends it didn’t happen. Avelaine had been out shopping, so asking her is a futile effort. What is known is that Jean-Pierre and Dax do not speak, and the forceful father visibly whitens whenever his dominant son is mentioned. Genivee now lives with Dax in Reading , and doesn’t ask how he freed her. She’s so happy to be able to grow in the sunlight, rather than under the imposing shadow of Andre Mercier, that she rarely questions Dax.
Their move to Reading was a sporadic one, made when the clan leader there disappeared suddenly. Dax took over easily and efficiently, and though he’s been in Reading for only a short while, the reservations the other wolves might have had about him are dwindling. He is young, he is a hopeless romantic, but he is a natural leader, and the wolves respect that. Dax can’t help, of course, seeing a reflection of his own family in the O’Connors.
Physical Appearance
Depending on you taste, Dax can be many things – from devastatingly handsome, to strange and somewhat odd. Personally, he doesn’t give it much thought. Shaggy, unkempt blonde hair tops his head and is constantly in his eyes – a fact Dax resigned himself to years ago after it began to grow longer and unruly. He has a strong face that might have been exceptionally brooding on another man, but is brightened by charm and a charismatic nature. His heavy, dark eyebrows overhang clouded moss-green eyes and often knit together deliciously when his frustrated or thinking too hard. His nose is very straight and ordinary, presiding over a shapely mouth and dimpled chin. Often, scratchy stubble spreads wildly along that chin, stretching up to the corners of his jaw if he allows it.
Dax is tall and athletic, though in a sinewy, lean manner. Well-defined, wide shoulders taper into a narrow waist, with a toned but not obvious stomach, and strong legs. Fair skin covers the expanse of his body, from his square palms to the pads of his feet, everything is the same shade and rarely will he develop any sort of tan – a burn is ten times more likely for Dax. Concerning general appearance, he is never a clean shaven man and his vanities extend to personal hygiene. Dax has rarely bothered with much more than a hand brushed through his mess of hair, and you’ll never catch him plucking his eyebrows or waxing. His fashion efforts will never be vogue worthy, but one shouldn’t be surprised to find this wolf in a suit jacket, muscle shirt, jeans, and cowboy boots. He’s shown up in everything at least once, and will likely never cease to amaze.
As a wolf, Dax is a swirl of rich cinnamons, creams, and tans with heavy black ticking along the ridge of his spine extending to the base of his neck. There is a distinct white patch on his chest, and his eyes are golden amber. He is unusual in that he is not a terribly large wolf by shapeshifter standards, no more then twenty pounds heavier than the real thing. But it is a mistake to believe he does not know how to protect himself, or that size is a mark of strength. In whatever shape, Dax is never a weak individual, in mind or body.
Personality
Dax is a gregarious individual, charming and endearing, who is always up for a bit of fun. Some of the wolves are concerned that he is too young for the heavy responsibilities that lie within leadership, but Dax only laughs their worries away. Even as a little boy, he’d been a natural leader, and in a short time he has adapted beautifully to leading and directing the Reading clan. There’s an answer for everything on the tip of his tongue, and he is always willing to listen to troubles or concerns. If one thing can be said of the young man, it is that he is deeply compassionate about his people. Even when he was so far away, hearing about the murder of one of his own had hurt him badly, wounded him in a way that few things could. He had not known the wolf personally, but it was still an offense he did not take lightly. It serves as a reminder to him now that he’s taken over the clan, and Dax is very, very adamant that all the wolves remain safe.
Outside of being a leader, he is a born storyteller. At a party he usually is the center of attention, juggling glasses or sharing the latest gossip with a wink and a tease. Yes, he’s a gossip hound, though there is some merit in his knowing about the dirt within Reading – it means he knows who he can trust, who’s going to be at a certain street with a certain whore, who stole what, and why someone needs to be punished. It helps him keep tabs on his wolves as well as the other nonhumans, which means safety for the clan; and in the end, that is his top priority.
Talents & Weaknesses
As a shifter, Dax has always changed very smoothly, almost effortlessly with minimal pain; he often changes very quickly, faster than average. He also, of course, can change three body parts – an incredible feat for the child of two lesser dominants. But in his human form, Dax has much to offer. He is incredibly generous, with a quick smile and keen mind, and always seems to be the first to laugh or point out something unusual. While he may not be a book worm, he considers himself a well-read individual, and does his best to keep up with the latest popular fiction. It would be wise to never, ever partake in his cooking, however, as he is downright rotten and the type to experiment. He takes it all in stride, but is often baffled when his friends and family refuse to try his latest creation.
One weakness of Dax’s that comes before all others is his romantic inclinations. Already, he’s proven that he gives his heart away quickly and fully, but doesn’t take the time to consider holding something back – nor does he think that, once handed over, his heart will never be returned to him after being trampled on repeatedly. He’s just too trusting. It has made the clan protective of their sensitive, compassionate leader and any woman that gets too close is carefully screened. If the clan considers her no good, she’s quickly sent far away before Dax can get hurt. This mostly happened in France , before he was a clan leader, but word travels quickly and the Reading wolves have followed the example set by Dax’s old clan; they don’t want to change leaders so soon, and a broken heart would mean Dax fleeing again.
It can be counted on that he’ll, in the end, listen to his brothers and sisters. He holds them in high regard, and takes their suggestions and opinions very seriously. To Dax, his siblings are the most deserving of his respect, mostly because he remembers his childhood so fondly, with them all wrapped in the safe world of imaginations and dreams, Dax steering their ship safely onward. But, like all men who were born leaders, he can stubbornly get set in his ways. Once he makes a choice, there will be no changing his mind – he’ll dig his heels in and fight against every small effort made to persuade him to another path. It has always been the way of the eldest Mercier child, and it is unlikely that he’ll ever be able to change.
