Strep Aureus

At 31 years of age and 5ft 9in tall Strep Aureus is a confident, self-assured and independent woman. A hardworking and dedicated mother of two Strep is a hardnosed lady who never takes no for an answer.

Being a fellow poison dart frog anthropomorph her skin is as venomous as Staph's. Akin to her husband she arrives to the interview bound head to toe in fabric with only her face visible beneath swathes of colourful cloth. Naturally we ask her to remove her headgear for the portrait and she willingly obliges. The twins trail behind her, an eight year old boy and girl who although shy at first are soon running loose in the studio. It concerns us that Tero and Toco are not tightly wrapped in clothing but instead flail their bare arms and legs as they chase between the lights.

Who ever thought a simple game of tag could be so unnerving? 

Strep calms our worries by explaining that young dart frogs are not deadly as the venom they will eventually produce in their epidermis is one that accumulates over time due to a diet rich in poisonous plants. It is comforting to know that there’s only a slight chance of us having a severe reaction and that Tero and Toco don’t unintentionally murder their playmates on a daily basis. Strep relates that they likely won’t develop poison strong enough to kill a man until their teen years. It’s nice to know that nature has saved the privilege of causing accidental death for when they hit puberty because being a teenager sure as hell isn’t complicated enough.

A strong believer in equality and diversity Strep likes to get involved with community affairs. She gets on well with her neighbours and works at the local primary school with some rather difficult students. She jokes that after five years of teaching there she likes kids a whole lot less than when she started.

A dependable woman her hobbies include a variety of handcrafts from whittling wood to jewellery making. She even crafts personalised spearheads and darts for her beloved husband. The family bond is certainly a strong one, founded on love and deep running loyalties. Fearless and soulful Strep is both a protective and devoted wife. She is not directly involved or interested in Staph’s work and seems unconcerned of the potential impact his profession could have on the family. In her own words, ‘what Staph does on Luk’s time is his business.’

Right on.

Staph Aureus

Staph is quite an imposing man, at 55yrs old and 5ft 8in tall he carries an air of dark intent. The silent and sturdy as a rock type; his expressions and moods are hard to read. He arrives to the interview fully suited with his arms and legs wrapped in bandages. His facial markings are immediately striking, especially as we know that these patterns are not tattoos but part of his natural colouring. As requested he removes his jacket and several of the bandages to allow us to capture more of his unusual markings in the portrait.

Thankfully we were pre-warned not to shake his bare hands or otherwise make contact with his skin. Being a poison dart frog anthropomorph his skin is highly toxic.

Aside from being so venomous he might accidently kill you with the slightest touch, Staph appears to be a centred, calm and well-adjusted individual. His voice is deep, softly measured and rather soothing to listen to.

A keen observer, he listens and watches. He appears to dislike idle chatter and only responds when directly spoken to.  A balanced, logical thinker Staph is far too good at reading other people’s reactions and calculating consequences. He states he distrusts everyone as a rule of thumb (or at least until they prove otherwise.) 

Clearly physically fit Staph boasts impressive shooting and marksman skills particularly as he is able to poison his arrows and darts simply by rubbing them between his fingers. This is probably most handy as he is Luka’s top assassin. He seems unconcerned that anyone viewing this interview will now know the exact nature of his work, which we figure translates to being so efficient at his job that secrecy isn’t even necessary.

Whilst he enjoys being an assassin he maintains that he does not kill for pleasure, he believes in equality, in respect for all aspects of the natural world and tells us he often enjoys meditation.

Staph is also quite the family man, married to a fellow dart frog anthropomorph named Strep he speaks with great affection of his wife and their two children. It almost warms our hearts to think he takes the kids to the park and then settles down to a nice Sunday roast. For a moment we are drawn in by his velvety voice and a painted picture of happy wedded bliss.

Then we remember his profession.

The thought you might wake one night to see him perched on the end of your bed or staring out from the darkest corner of your room is quite frankly terrifying.