Second Wind

By Raven Rawne

• April 12, 2017

Age: 27

Gender: Male

Species: Non-Pony

Appearance: <p> A batpony stallion, Second Wind has lean buld and slightly above average height. Although his coat is slate grey, as in all bat ponies, his mane and tail are more colorful, deep purple to be exact. Second Wind likes his tail long, almost reaching to the ground, and his mane short, combed neatly to the side and often slicked back into shape by his wings, which also share the hint of purple. Interestingly, he wears round glasses even though his lime eyes are okay - it's because he thinks they make him look smarter. During the day, or in brightly lit interiors, he will wear sunglasses to protect his gloom adjusted eyes. As all bat ponies, Second Wind has a pair of small fangs that stick out of his mouth. </p>

Cutie Mark: <p> A golden key with an open book instead of the usual keyhole. </p> <p> It represents his ability to solve problems through dedicated research andapplying what he learned. Sounds plain, but he's very good at racking problems when given time to do his research. Useful when faced with a new lock or safe type, looking from professional perspective. </p>

Personality: <p> If somepony would ask anypony who knows him, they would say he's brilliant, but lazy. And that's true, since these are his major traits. Second Wind is very intelligent, a natural problem solver with great curiosity about the world around him. He takes great pleasure in expanding his horizons, even read the encyclopedia as a colt. But, alas, his drive is so weak that he often needs a push in the right direction, and then another shove for good measure. A natural drifter, he follows the path of least resistance, unless something gets him seriously interested. Maybe that's why hesticks to his sister, who has drive and ambition in spades. In any way, they're very close to the point of neigh inseparability, and compliment their personalities very well. Even if they have a lot of arguments that, to a bystander, would seem almost violent and dripping with venom, they shrug it off like nothing and pat each other at the back the moment the dispute is settled.  </p> <p> Even though he is lazy, Second Wind takes great care of his appearance, almost like an actor getting into a role of supercompetent and responsible stallion, the only sane one around. He may seem aloof and, yes, annoying with his impled intellectual superiority, glaring judgingly through those glasses of his. His sense of humor relies on sarcasm and curt ripostes, which only reinforces the image of a snarky colt who wants to be important. However... if one endures long enough and gets closer to him, a whole new world unveils: a stallion who appreciates knowlendge above all, who prizes quality art and good wine, listens to symphonc music and reads adventure novels. In this case, the "hidden depths" are both well hidden, and quite deep indeed, but few are allowed to see them. </p>

Backstory: <p> Born and raised in Hollow Shades, the largest bat pony colony in Equestria proper, if you rule out the underworld colonies in the Badlands that is. Son of working class family of agricultural workers, tending to the huge treess providing shade that keeps the town in eternal gloom, and rare fruit both. Fraternal twin with his sister, Gold Rush, he's younger by a single hour. She keeps reminding him that he's "Second" for a reason. As the more passive and withdrawn, but intellectul sibling, he grew up, seemingly, keeping close to her for protection. That was not the case, since he was fine on his own, but they were and still are very close. They wouldn't open a business together and live inthe same apartment otherwise. </p> <p> Growing up in Hollow Shades was peaceful enough, with occasional stir. He excelled in classes, but never really got into sports, and the snarky wit became apparent early on. Only his sister could bear it and even top him in his own game, something they do even these days. She was the cause for many of his life choices, pushing him a certain way till he started pressing in that direction on his own, and with good results. Natyrally private, he has few friends beside his sister, who's easily his best one. For a stallion who could happily tinker with a new lock for a week, it's no surprise really. </p> <p> Back to major life events, he earned his Cutie Mark together with his sister, when they broke in to an abandoned manor in the woods after hearing the story from their uncle, who claimed that their family descended from the nobles who lived there, but wasted their fortune on all kinds of selfish ends. Both young ones got so inspired by the thought that they're nobles that they try to find the evidence for that to this day, occasionally diving into libraries and official records. But back to the break-in: he researched the manor in the local library, and, knowing what was where, he led his more hot headed sister in, providing ingenious ways of gaining entry. The mark appeared after they got back home, knowing they succeeded. </p> <p>   </p> <p> By a twisted hand of fate, they gained their marks by tresspassing, and later got into locksmithing. His Mark sure matched the profession, and his attitude helped him quickly gain proficiency. Together with the keen ear to metallic clicks in safes and locks, and bat wings which were much more nimble than those of a pegasi, opening up stuff became like second nature. In a town covered in eternal gloom, losing keys was quite common, so the siblings didn't sit idle. Plus, as licensed professionals, they could have lockpicks legally - something that came very useful after they decided to to move to Manehattan. </p> <p>   </p> <p> When they were 21, the twins, or more truthfully, Gold Rush, decided that they won't get rich and reclaim their ancestral home by opening doors in Hollow Shades. They had some savings, so they took a leap of faith and moved to Manehattan, into a cheaper, and as it turned out, shadier part of the metropolis, where they rented a place to open their shop, "No Keys - No Problem!". Life in the brightly lit city was difficult at first, but thick blinds and sunglasses proved enough to give them a measure of comfort. Soon afer moving in and opening the business, there was an incident when a pony came in for "protection money". Second wind wanted to pay up and call the Police later, but his case was dropped, and before he knew, shady figure started making house calls to open up things that most certainly didn't belong to them. Still, they were safe and well paid, and his morality adjusted. Eventually, his sister rose up in the ranks of local crime and he followed, evenhelped her in late night break-ins. Over the years he came to terms of his life circumstances, and applied his skills to use forcriminal ends like it was just another job. Still, he has moral dilemnas and some reselblance of a code of criminal ethics. </p>