Post by Kale on May 11, 2017 4:26:25 GMT
-General Stuff-
Name:Kale
Nickname/Alias(es): N/A
Race: Unicorn
Gender: Male
Age: 22
Additional Status:
-Physical Stuff-
Pelt Color: Foggy gray, although it's of such a light shade that in bright lighting, it could be mistaken for white.
Mane/Tail Color and Style: Kale's mane and tail are chocolate brown streaked with green. Both are of medium length and perpetually defy neatness; his forelock, in particular, tends to fall into his eyes, requiring him to brush it out of the way.
Eye Color: A midnight blue as subdued as Kale himself.
Cutie Mark: Two kale leaves, one slightly larger than the other. They signify his cooking abilities.
Other Scars/Markings:
Physique: Kale has never been known for his brawn. He's always been a bit noodly, although the physical exertion of working in a restaurant kitchen has helped him strengthen up a bit. His slenderness is somewhat offset by the fact that he is also a touch short, meaning his proportions aren't unusual.
-Social Stuff-
Current Residence: Ponyville
Job: Chef, Clop Cafe
Mother: Marey Kay, a unicorn who made her fortune in the makeup industry.
Father: Silver Screen, a pegasus stallion and relatively well-known Manehattan actor.
Sibling(s): None
Other Family: None (in Ponyville, at least!)
Closest Friends:
Courting/Courted By: None
Mate: None
Foal(s): None
-Personality Stuff-
Likes:
Food - The one thing Kale understands completely. It's understandable, considering his special talent is cooking. Good food, especially when artfully or innovatively prepared, is something this stallion will always appreciate.
Reading - Considering they neither judge nor tease, books have been faithful lifelong companions for Kale. When he's not studying culinary texts, the unicorn is known to enjoy an epic novel or even comic books (he may be quiet and shy by nature, but he can fantasize rather wistfully about being somepony confident, powerful, and admired).
Creativity - Although he's not an artist in the conventional sense, Kale appreciates creativity in all its forms and can bond with other creators over their shared urge to innovate and inspire.
Cats - Kale's ideal pet. He had one growing up (a white-and-brown stray he adopted and named Oatmeal) and, having recently moved to Ponyville, is already starting to wish he had another. He doesn't mind dogs, but with their more mellow nature, he prefers cats.
Board Games - Kale gets a little too into board games. It can be rather jarring to those who are used to his typically quiet, reticent demeanor.
Dislikes:
High Society - With its myriad unspoken social rules and general air of judgment, life in upper-crust Manehattan society was a landmine for perpetually awkward Kale. He may have been raised by parents who took to society like ducks to water, but learning proper manners isn't the same thing as developing social instincts.
Rude Ponies - Kale has little patience for those who make others feel bad, having been subjected to more than enough snide remarks and outright teasing during his youth. He may not retaliate beyond a few quiet, sarcastic comments of his own, but he generally won't hide his irritation unless there's a pressing need to.
Indifference - Thanks to both his sensitivity and his creative zeal, Kale is frustrated by those who don't appreciate hard work, passion, or ingenuity.
Sports - More particularly, contact sports. Kale has never been athletic, and rough-and-tumble activities don't appeal to him. He'll watch sporting events if invited to, but is overall fairly indifferent to them.
Motivation:
Few things fulfill Kale as much as seeing other ponies enjoy the fruits of his labor. Beyond giving credit to his skills as a chef, he cherishes the notion that a good meal can bring ponies together in a way few other things can. Though he doesn't realize it, he is also pining for a sense of worth; he longs to feel appreciated, and while he does enjoy developing his talents for the sake of culinary innovation, at his core, he wants to feel valued for what he can give.
Strengths:
Intelligent - Kale is a quick learner, particularly where culinary matters are concerned. He's also something of a quiet thinker; considering he finds socializing difficult, he may as well be.
Exceptional cook - As per his special talent, Kale is a natural in the kitchen. His particular style tends toward what he calls "simple flair": the use of few, and frequently common, ingredients in clever ways to play up their unique flavors. It's partly because of this
Industrious - When Kale wants to do something, he's diligent and focused enough to see it through.
Creative - As mentioned above, Kale likes to re-imagine the ordinary in a way that makes it special without losing its original qualities. This is mostly applied to food, although he can somewhat apply it in other artistic fields if the need arises.
Weaknesses/Flaws:
Social anxiety/sensitivity - The social graces that come naturally to most ponies simply don't for Kale. He worries incessantly about saying the wrong thing (ironically contributing to the problem thanks to his nerves) and is easily hurt by slights both real and imagined.
Doesn't do well under extreme pressure - Handling a dinner rush is one thing, but in most situations, putting pressure on Kale--and especially shining a spotlight on him--can drive him into a panic.
Not particularly physically strong - On top of being a unicorn, Kale is a bit on the wimpy side. He's also not a skilled fighter, although as he has yet to be called on to defeat changeling hordes or magic-stealing centaurs, this has yet to become a serious issue.
Easily manipulated - Thanks to his fear of rejection and confrontation, Kale is rather easily manipulated by those sharp enough to prey on his insecurities.
Fears:
Confrontation - Kale is rarely prepared to stand up for himself, even when he's certain he's in the right. He is more likely, however, to step up for somepony he cares about when they are threatened or belittled.
Being rejected by others - Between his social ineptitude and a general lack of self-confidence, Kale greatly worries about whether other ponies accept him--even those whom he really shouldn't find much reason to worry about.
Fires - For a cook, this is--depending on your reckoning--either a rather peculiar fear or a practical concern. While Kale has no issue working with hot stoves or ovens, the idea of a true, out-of-control fire terrifies him (partially stemming from an incident in his colthood when, in an attempt to earn his cutie mark, he built a campfire in the living room). He's had more than one nightmare about fires since.
Things going awry - Kale does his best to keep things in his life relatively under control. This doesn't stem so much from a desire for order as it does from his nerves; the smoother life goes, the easier it is for him to remain calm. When circumstances begin to spiral out of control, the unicorn's anxiety will go through the roof until things settle down.
Overall Persona:
Kale is a perfect example of the phrase 'more than meets the eye.' He is fairly quiet, the kind of pony who makes acquaintances easily but finds it difficult to turn them into full-fledged friends. This stems from a frequent uncertainty as to what he should say in conversations; he often ends up trying too hard, which alienates some. Others, however, see past this, and manage to uncover what hides behind his shyness.
Once he opens up, Kale turns out to be bright, industrious, and earnest. He is eager to learn and create, and has done quite a bit of both, particularly in the kitchen. If the subject of food comes up, the unicorn can, quite literally, babble on with mounting enthusiasm until he either senses somepony wants him to stop or until he runs out of breath. He is also loyal to what few friends he has, something that makes him a worthwhile companion despite his flaws.
Chief amongst those flaws is a tenuous grasp on the art of socialization. As mentioned above, conversation is hit-or-miss for Kale, and he has a nasty habit of accidentally saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. He is also rather sensitive, easily hurt or manipulated. In keeping with his high-strung nature, he has trouble keeping together when things start to fall apart--trying to fix the problems can drive him nearly insane if it doesn't work. Fortunately, he does his best to keep out of situations like this, so usually, the Kale you'll meet is the nervous one hoping to make a new friend.
This isn't to say that it's impossible to get on Kale's bad side. He has a particular distaste for those who are brash or arrogant, thanks in no small part to the unpleasant memories they dredge up for him. Not being one for confrontation, the most retaliation he will normally offer is a muttered sarcastic comment or two; otherwise, he will simply shut them out until they leave him alone, or else beat his own retreat.
History/Background:
Kale was the only child of his parents. He was born in Manehattan, the city of posh ponies and posher parties (at least, from an upper class perspective). Given that his parents were noted figures in society and delighted in being hosts, the young colt still had to endure a fair amount of both--and he cared for neither. The stuffy gatherings were filled with judgmental ponies, all of whom seemed to have a snide comment about his shyness, or his lack of skill with the small talk they all seemed to care so much for. Each party meant another evening of embarrassment, so Kale begged his parents not to put him through any more of them. Though they were unwilling to stop hosting any more, they did allow their son to remain out of sight; he often did so by hiding in the kitchen, where he made friends with the far less snobby house and kitchen staff.
Despite the unpleasant motivation for these forays into the kitchen, they would soon turn out to be a blessing for Kale. On the day of what must have been the thousandth party he'd seen, the colt retreated into his culinary safe haven once again, doing his best not to get in anypony's way. Commotion happened on its own, though, in the form of a soup pot spilled across half the floor. While the staff scurried to clean up the mess, the empty pot remained unattended, leaving Kale to fill it with a creation of his own. By the time the cooks realized what he was doing, the soup was ready to serve. It was, to their surprise and Kale's delight, delicious--and given more time in the kitchen, he proved to be something of a cooking savant. That was the night his cutie mark appeared; the night he discovered he was meant to create delicious food.
A few years passed, and Kale's creations continued to be the hits whenever they were served. Over time, both he and his parents realized that this wasn't meant to be contained to their kitchen alone. But it still came as a shock to him when, one night, his parents told him he would be moving to Ponyville. In that small town, they explained, his aunt and uncle owned a restaurant, and who had agreed to let Kale work for him. He wasn't quite certain that he wanted to move, though; as much as he hated Manehattan society, the city was still all that he knew, and Ponyville was...well, it wasn't anything like Manehattan. But he couldn't turn down the offer to work in a real restaurant kitchen, so before he knew it, the pony found himself in a new home, in a new town, with a new job, surrounded by new ponies.
Nowadays, Kale can most often be found in the kitchen of the Clop Cafe. For the first time, he has the opportunity to present his creations to a public audience -- and he is reveling in it.