Antioch had quite a few expectations for himself, once upon a time. Getting through his teachings and joining his family in their long line of successful mages was at the top of his list. When he flunked out of the mage school run by his own family (on his mother's side), it put many things into perspective for him. Like, for instance, what the hell would he do now.

​

After a childhood spent prepping for one profession, having those dreams be crushed under his paws, and then having to switch to another role, Antioch's known for being startlingly pessimistic when you first get to know him. All that time struggling through school despite how hard he tried reinforced his practical nature, especially since he never harbored that creative "spark". His father used to say that Antioch always had a more logical than imaginative mind, but in a school for mages, low imagination just didn't fly.

This ostracized him from his family quickly enough, but it increased his independence and skill in other areas, even if it's hard for him to personally see those hidden talents. As a cat used to his own, surprisingly quick pace, he's known for getting exasperated or annoyed with cats who can't or won't keep up with him, and he's not above dismissing others if he thinks they're wasting his time. He's not trying to be mean or spiteful, but his rationale is that he simply doesn't want to waste his or the other cat's time.

Low self-esteem exacerbated his loner tendencies, but he's always been a very standoffish cat. It sometimes comes off as rude or blunt, especially when he'd rather not have to waste time with cats who want to make friends, or when he'd rather not have to deal with a crowd. The one thing he hates to deal with the most though is cats who appear inherently lazy, especially after going through mage school and having to deal with others who either coasted on their own talent with no extra work or who flunked out just by doing nothing at all.

Beyond his admittedly rocky exterior, Antioch is... just very socially awkward. He sometimes just doesn't know what to do with others he gets close to, so he really just becomes a toned-down version of his outward self (beyond getting flustered easily), but he's also extremely patient with the ones he loves. And knowing Antioch, that can sometimes be a bit spooky. Especially seeing how much he'll let a loved one get away with versus a stranger. It just takes him a little bit to show his love. His lesser-known tactile nature definitely helps him out, though.

​

Oh yeah, and he's stupid competitive. Forgot to mention that. Yeah, he can get a bit intense when it comes to battle, no matter how reluctant he seems to be in learning it.