#it's nabi and anchor's fault

[sea-and-storm]

UNNOTICED: Backstory Drabble

Had a slow work day and decided to spend it writing up a backstory drabble for Ghoa that I’ve had rolling about my mind for the past.. while. Nothing too important for current plot purposes, but it was cathartic to get it written down finally!

Trigger warnings for suicide mention. Nothing too explicit or detailed, but it’s pretty unambiguous what’s being referred to, so it might still make you feel uncomfortable if you’re sensitive to such content. It’s in the paragraph right under the cut, so if you wanna skip it just skip over that and you should be alright! Read with care, friends! ♥

[ SEVERAL YEARS AGO :  Kugane ]

For almost all of her life, Ino Ghostwalker had excelled at going completely unnoticed.

Her apparent invisibility had started with her childhood, the middle child of three to two modest Hingan produce merchants. Her father had always focused wholly on her elder brother Takehiro, who would one day take over the family business in his stead. Her mother's attention had been devoted to her younger sister Chifumi, a sickly and frail little thing that had come into the world well before her time and had seemed to stay in poor health ever since. Acknowledgement had been scarce, and affection even moreso.

She had thought that things might change in the summer of her tenth year. A shipment had come in from Yanxia and with it had come a swift and powerful sickness that claimed the lives of her mother and both siblings. As if such a loss weren't heavy enough to bear, the Sekiseigumi had come to their home upon learning of what had happened to confiscate the goods. The sickness had to be stopped from spreading, naturally. Yet they hadn't stopped with only the goods in question. Anything and everything that they owned which they suspected of contamination had been put to the torch. Goods, clothes, personal effects.. Almost all of it had been burned to ashes, leaving them with next to nothing and only the barest compensation for the loss.

But there had been a morbid sort of silver lining in it all, or so Ino had thought. Even if it struck her with guilt to think so, she had thought that perhaps now someone would finally notice her. After all, her father no longer had a business to pass on and no heir to prepare even if he did. No more late nights would be spent nursing a sickly toddler to sleep. There was only her and her father, so surely he would finally acknowledge and cherish her.

She had been wrong, so very wrong. Her father had never recovered from the loss, only continuing to drift further and further from her with each day. Not even a full cycle later, Ino had returned one day to find him hanging in their home. She hadn't even bothered to report it to the authorities. Eventually a debt collector would come for one of the many bills they owed and it would be discovered. The note that he had left behind about "longing to return to his beloved wife and children" would make it apparent that there was no foul play involved. Even if they did suspect it? She had doubted that anyone even remembered that he had another daughter, or that they would recognize her face or know her name to search for her if they did.

Life on the streets had been tough, but had gotten a touch easier when she had found a new home of sorts. She had fallen in with a small gang of other orphans and misfits, banding together to make a life for themselves in whatever way they could. She had learned skills there that would serve her well for the rest of her days: how to sneak about, how to pick locks and pockets, how to sell the items she had pilfered. And for once, for the first time in her life, she had thought that being invisible could be a good thing.

Then Ino had met her. 

Newly arrived in Kugane, the doe-eyed Xaela woman had clearly been out of her element. The thief had stalked her through the streets, silently observing her. She had seemed more civilized than the rest of her kind, at least, and she had some money on her person. Ino had watched the Au Ra barter for what seemed to be reagents for some manner of herbalism, and had rolled her eyes when the ignorant woman had allowed herself to be taken in each step of the way by the city's more predatory merchants. Like the sharks of the Ruby Sea, they could smell naivety like chum in the waters and hesitated not to seize upon it.

Ino could have made her move at any time, either "bumping into" her and snatching her purse or cornering her in an alleyway with a knife in hand. She doubted that she would have had to actually use it to get her to turn her coin over. This odd Xaela didn't seem half so cocksure as the others of her ilk that the sneak thief had met, more akin to a quivering little bird than a blooded steppe warrior. It seemed like only a threat of violence would be enough to cow her.

But she hadn't. Even if she had had every chance in the world to rob her blind and go on her way, she hadn't. Instead, she had just kept watching with growing annoyance and dismay as the woman let herself be taken advantage of by each greedy merchant. She gritted her teeth every time she had given them a tentative smile and thanked them before heading onto the next. By the time she had reached the last stall and handed over her last bit of coin, Ino had been positively livid. The final straw had come when she had followed her all the way back to the quiet street corner that the Xaela had decided to claim for herself, no longer having the money to afford even the most meager of lodgings.

Yet when she finally left, she couldn't get the frustratingly foolish woman out of her head. So she had retraced her steps, sticking to the shadows as she went from booth to booth that the woman had visited, swiping however much coin that she could. More, even, if the merchant had been especially vile in their swindling. And once she was done revisiting them all, she had returned to where she had left the Xaela and dropped the full purse in her lap along with a lecture and a demand for her to find a proper place to stay before some ill fate befell her.

It should have ended there with the same stunned, tongue-tied look people usually gave her when she spoke up and they finally noticed her. But it hadn't. The girl had followed her.

At first, it was innocent enough. Despite her exasperation with her, Ino had taught her new hanger-on about the city. Mostly she taught her the most general manner of things, like what was what and who was who and what was where. Now and again, she found herself teaching the other bits and pieces of the tricks that had been taught to her. How to survive in the shadows of Kugane, how to make a life in a city of people that would eat a person alive if it meant they could get even a single step ahead.

Eventually she became oddly accustomed to the company, and every day she would wonder if it would be the last. The girl was growing smarter than she had ever expected, taking to the lessons more quickly than she would have thought from that initial impression alone. She finally seemed to have her bearings about her and enough of an understanding of how Kugane worked that she could have easily made it on her own. Soon she would leave her, Ino was convinced, the same way that people always left her when she was no longer useful to them. The Xaela would be gone, and Ino would be back to being invisible.

Yet days gradually turned to weeks, and still she lingered. Weeks turned to months, and somewhere along the line, Ino had stopped expecting that day of her departure to come. Their being together seemed as natural and inevitable as the sun rising over the waters of the Ruby Sea each morning. Eventually, the months turned them to lovers and that foolish Xaela herbalist had somehow become more precious to her than anything she had ever stolen. With Ghoa, for the first time, Ino was no longer invisible. She felt she was no longer like a ghost, but a living and breathing person.

With her figurative return to life and the odd sense of exhilaration that it had brought with it had come new ambitions. No longer was she content to drift aimlessly and scrape by, but within her was a newfound desire to rise. With that desire came a want -- no, a need -- to finally be seen in earnest, to be acknowledged and respected by not only her lover, but by others.

And so, she had constructed a plan for them to make it big, for both her and Ghoa to rise from petty street crimes to something greater. The opportunity had presented itself when rumors began rippling about the Hingan underbelly of the death of the well-known and respected Hisakawa Mifune. With the man’s death, his family's once prolific drug business had passed on to his eldest son, Hisanobu. Yet no sooner had the mantle passed than had the family begun to fall upon hard times. Rumors swirled about suppliers failing to deliver and customers defecting. Competitors were beginning to barge into their markets and put the long-time staple of Kugane’s drug trade to ruin.

It was only natural that such organizations would rise and fall over time, but there was more to this particular story. After all, Ino had had firsthand knowledge of how said competitors had strong-armed their way in. Those she knew from the street had been running shipments from old Mifune suppliers to this new group in place of their usual porters, to try to keep the move hush-hush. If anyone knew that these weren't simply natural fluctuations in the market but a carefully manufactured power grab, it was her. And she knew how to prove it.

With the help of her lover's potions, she had crept unnoticed into the home of one of the family's prominent suppliers. The man had bemoaned problems from piracy to poor yields, but the ledgers that she had stolen and taken to Mifune Hisanobu had shown the truth:  there was no shortage, and that all of the product that he had once sold under agreement only to their family for generations was now being sold at a premium price to their competitors.

The betrayal had been dealt with, and the new head of the merchant's family had seemed much more willing to honor their former agreement. In fact, he had even lowered their prices for a time as a way to show his deepest apology for his predecessor's greed. Once that example had been made, other suppliers that they had had trouble with slowly but surely seemed to be resolving their own issues. The Mifune family’s problems weren’t wholly fixed, of course, but it was a promising start on their return to glory.

But most importantly to Ino, she had accomplished exactly what she wanted. Hisanobu had been grateful for their work, and In exchange had offered them not only great compensation but a more permanent position among their business. The family could always use another set of eyes and ears in the shadows, he had told her. Even Ghoa would have a place among them, helping to produce and develop new drugs for them to peddle.

Things had seemed so perfect at first. Ino finally had everything she had ever wanted:  money and success, recognition and appreciation, and someone to share both her bed and her secrets. But she should have known that nothing perfect lasted forever. That wasn't the way this cruel world worked.

It started with her own work for the family taking her away more often, to further places, for longer times. In her absence, Ghoa had been taken under Hisanobu's wing. With him guiding and teaching her as Ino herself once had, the Xaela had begun to develop quite a knack for the more intricate aspects of their business. Under his direction, she was cultivating a cleverness and charm about her that had helped him win over no small number of business allies. 

It was clear that she was flourishing, and for that Ino should have been happy. But she couldn't stop the jealousy that swelled inside her like a rising tide every time she thought about it. Every time she came home to find Ghoa in Hisanobu's company. Every time she heard the rumors, passed about too often and too openly not to be true, of the pair of them sharing company as more than simply business partners.

Slowly, that feeling of invisibility had begun to return and Ino had embraced it out of spite and hurt. She took on more jobs and only returned to Kugane when it was necessary, and only stayed for as long as she had to. It gave her the chance to see more of Hingashi, of Yanxia, even going so far as the Azim Steppe on occasion. But it all felt so hollow, like she wasn't even there at all. Once more she was totally unseen, scarcely more than a shadow with a pulse. The name she had been given by the Mifune family as a badge of honor -- Ghostwalker -- now seemed more a mocking insult.

Months more had passed, and at the end of a long stint in Yanxia, Ino had once again returned home. Time to make her reports, get her next assignment, make her preparations, and leave again. Yet this time when she arrived, she had found Ghoa missing. Apparently no one had seen her in a week or so, and no one had heard mention of where she was going. Even Hisanobu was in the dark, distraught at the thought of his precious lover leaving him. That alone would have given her some measure of satisfaction had the whole thing not struck her as strange. Ghoa had it so well here. Why would she leave without a word to anyone..?

So Ino had delved deeper into the mystery and found the truth. She had learned of Hisanobu's viciously jealous wife's plan to have the interfering Xaela captured and sold off like chattel. She had learned where they held her, waiting for her buyer to make landfall and take her far away from them all.

And Ino had decided, for kami only knew what reason, that she couldn't let that happen.

Finding them in the small village outside of Kugane proper had been easy, and sneaking past the first guards at the perimeter even easier. Yet dealing with the last man stationed at the small outbuilding in which Ghoa was held was much harder. Ino was a spy and a thief, not an assassin and certainly not a fighter. But still, after a lengthy struggle, she had managed to kill him.

Upon prying open the crate, the Xaela inside had first pressed herself to the very back of it, cowering in fear. Only when Ino crouched down and cooed words of reassurance to her did Ghoa seem to realize who she was. Those silver eyes widened and instantly set to watering when she saw her, and that look had her chest feeling like someone had wrapped their hand about her heart and squeezed tightly.

Quickly, she ushered the weak Auri woman from her confines and set to their escape. It was slow-going, but eventually the pair had made it out of the village on the road back to Kugane. They hadn’t quite made it even halfway there when Ino’s shaking legs finally gave out from under her and she could go no further. 

She had succeeded in killing the guard, but it hadn’t been without serious injury. The man's knife had sunk into her flesh a handful of times in the scuffle, and now the blood that had steadily been leaking from the wounds was too much to bear.

"No, no, no.."

She could hear the panicked whimpering of the Xaela as she dropped down next to her, could feel Ghoa’s trembling hands feeling for her wounds. Her eyes closed for a moment once she felt the twinge of aether washing over them, dim and weak, only for those hands to pull away with a hissed string of curses and sobs. The other had to know as well as she did that she was far too weakened from captivity to even hope to heal such grievous wounds.

"Shhh.." Ino tried to soothe her, reaching up to brush her hand against her cheek. "It's alright."

"Ino," Ghoa gasped, her voice cracking. "But you're--" Another gasping sob wracked her as she crumpled forward, leaning over her. She could feel the warmth of her tears dropping down, landing on her cheeks.

She opened her mouth to try to murmur some sort of comfort, but it was so difficult to summon forth the words. Even if she could, she didn't know what to say. Any time Ino had ever imagined what her final moments would be like, all she could picture were solitude and silence. She was prepared to go as quietly as she lived, to be unseen even in death. She hadn't prepared for this.

Further down the dirt path, she could hear the quiet, distant sound of voices calling out to one another. When she turned her head towards them, she could see the light specks of what she assumed were lanterns. A grimace settled onto her lips as she looked back to Ghoa.

"Go," she rasped.

"I can't," the Xaela sobbed. "Ino, I can't just leave you here. This is my fault. I have to--"

"Ghoa."

There was so much she wanted to say. Don't blame yourself, she wanted to tell her. I feel more alive right now than I ever have because of you. But that was too much. Too many words. She didn't have the strength for them all. There were only a few left in her, and so she had to choose them carefully. She had to make them count.

Ino reached up, carefully pulling the other down until their foreheads were pressed together. She sucked in as deep of a shaking breath as she could manage.

"I love you," she whispered, her hold loosening. "Now go." Her hand gently fell back to her side, and her last word to the other was pleading, desperate. "Please."

For a moment, it seemed like Ghoa would continue to stubbornly linger. But finally, she began to pull away. Though her eyes were losing focus, Ino could see the other’s lips moving. Vaguely, she could hear that she was saying something, but she simply couldn't discern the words. It gave her only the vaguest hint of annoyance that she would leave this world never knowing what she had said. But she suspected that she knew what they were all the same. That was enough. It would have to be.

As Ghoa finally rose to her feet, Ino closed her eyes and listened to the sound of her hurried footsteps growing fainter and fainter. Only some time later did she hear more approaching from the opposite direction, from the men in pursuit of them. Yet steeped in the shadows as she was by the roadside, not a single one stopped nor even slowed. The corner of her lips just barely pulled into a wry smirk at the ironic realization.

For the final time, Ino Ghostwalker went completely unnoticed.

[afreesworn]

12: Miss the Boat

Anchor’s hold on her hand had grown softer over time.

In their earliest suns, if he grabbed her at all, it was around the wrist or the arm, and only to yank her away from things, or hurry her along with him. Both were frequent occurrences, since Nabi often got distracted with this or that, or her curiosity drew her towards things without a thought for safety.

But since their escape from the fighting pits, when he now reached for her, his fingers closed in around hers. His steps often were still quicker than hers, especially towards the end of the sun, when he would meet her at her herbal stall in Rakuza District. It was so that they could walk together to the pier to catch the ferry back home.

Nabi could tell from his pace and his mindful ways of catching the boat on time, that he was not a man to dawdle away his bells. She wondered often if he had many regrets of missed opportunities in his past. She never asked, hoping someday, he would share those stories with her.

Disappointment was fleeting on his features the first time they missed their ride home, although there seemed to be no irritation towards her. Even if it was her fault—roaming about on their way from the stall to the pier, insisting on indulging in a dango or a cup of tea—he gave no looks nor words of blame. 

But the second time, then the third, his stride became slower than the last. And when inevitably they reached the docks and the barge was already sailing afar, he sighed and turned to her, soft edges to his eyes. 

It was because Nabi always had an idea of what to do until it was time for the next ferry. Whether it be to watch the dance of the fireflies in the Rakusu Gardens, or pick up delectable treats at Kogane Dori, or even peruse over the newest katanas at the stall of swords…

Each was a (secretly) delightful new excuse to let time drift by while they enjoyed each other’s company. 

Nabi knew that whether the time was spent at home or on the streets of Kugane, they were all precious. But those random moments that happened out of chance by missing the ferry, those that otherwise shouldn’t have happened, they felt stolen somehow, from the threads woven by fate, where anything was possible.

And while that idea was thrilling, even in those pockets of time where freedom and impulse reigned, all she wanted to do was laugh, and perhaps, maybe, catch him laughing too.

So as they looked out towards the ocean, the fiery sunset sky silhouetting the ferry that was growing smaller into the horizon, Nabi felt a gentle squeeze of his hand around hers. Anchor turned back to her expectantly.

Nabi beamed bright and returned the hold, then spun around and pulled him back towards the way they came. She was eager to discover their next stolen moment.

[shaelstormchild]

More Than Friends

“He’s… gone?”

Nabi stared at her with that wide eyed confused look. Shael could see the all-too-familiar shadows of worry starting to darken the Xaela’s visage. It was a look Shael thought for sure she was done with for awhile.

That soddin’ Ishgardian…

“Not gone,” Shael snorted with a roll of her eyes. “Just went back home for awhile. Probably needed to tidy up some business after getting the explosives from his old contacts or whatever.” She flipped her hand into the air as if to dismiss the whole affair. “Don’t worry about it, yeah? He’ll probably drag himself back here after all’s well.”

The Highlander hoped that she sounded more convincing than she felt. Nabi was chewing her lower lip as if to ponder on it, though the crease between her brows remained.

“So… you don’t think… he left because of me.” The Xaela was rubbing her thumbs over each other, her gaze lowered. “Do you?”

Shael arched her brow with an incredulous expression. “What? No. What makes you even think this is about you?”

Nabi’s head remained lowered as if chastised, but her eyes slowly rose back toward her. “Because… I asked too much of him. I insisted on so many things. I’m sure I’ve hurt him. He wanted me to stay. But I went anyroad into the mountain. And then… I…” Her words were coming haltingly and stumbling over each other. Her golden eyes couldn’t meet the Highlander’s gaze for too long, they looked to her hands again as she continued to fidget.

Shael had an idea of what Nabi was struggling to say. She had long suspected something had happened between Anchor and Nabi in those suns where she went missing and he had come to her rescue and then subsequently hid her from Grave. The Xaela had returned to Kugane after that, completely distraught over what had happened to the Confederate. The sorrow and the despair in the woman’s eyes the suns following were obvious for anyone to see. Tserende must have noticed it too.

The Ishgardian rarely showed any emotion, but Shael knew him well enough by now to know that he too saw what she did. And just like her, he couldn’t have approved of this new attachment between Anchor and Nabi. It should have been even more so for him, since Nabi and he were in a relationship. It was something he rarely talked about, or even admitted openly, but she’d seen the gestures of affection between them, before all this began. He was even considering opening up shop in Kugane. Shael was sure he was planning on settling down here because of Nabi.

His refusal to go help Anchor made Shael suspect his true feelings on the matter. But his subsequent rejection of aiding Nabi when the Xaela went after him, that surprised her. She couldn’t deny that he was just being pragmatic to a fault, and going in hot headed after Nabi would have been impractical. But she wondered if it was also in part due to his resentment over Nabi’s new feelings for the Confederate. But he also seemed more determined than ever to kill Grave after that. And once the deed was done, he just… left. With nothing but a short note addressed to Shael. He didn’t even see Nabi after everything was finished.

Either the bastard was colder than Shael had given him credit for, or this whole thing with Anchor hurt him more than he ever wanted to show. Or there was a third option, of some trouble coming to find him and he had to go deal with it. But Shael believed that if there was real trouble, that he would have told her. She had come to believe that between the two of them, there was a measure of trust, that if there was something that needed to be dealt with, they would confide each other.

Was she wrong?

Or was this all because of Nabi?

The whole mess made Shael groan out loud and toss her head back. “He’s a shite-eatin’ idiot if he blames you for any of that,” she spat out. Nabi blinked, taken aback, so the Highlander rolled her eyes with a sigh, and softened her tone. “You know him, nothing ever bothers the man. I doubt he’d run away cryin’ because of somethin’ silly like that.” She gestured with her hand spinning in the air. “He’s got… people in Ishgard. And history there. I met them myself while you were in the pits. He owes ‘em for what they gave him. He probably has to square some debts is all.”

Shael gave the Xaela a flat look when Nabi continued to have that nervous expression. “Just don’t worry about ‘im, yeah? He’s fine.” When Nabi parted her lips to say something more, Shael held up a hand to stop her. “Tell you what, I’ll go check on it myself. You just keep tight here. Rest, get strong, look to rebuilding stuff, and get back to yer usual things, eh?”

Nabi regarded her for a long moment, then eventually nodded. “As long as you make sure he’s alright. And... if you do see him, tell him I miss him. Yes? And that I am grateful.” The Xaela immediately frowned, biting her lower lip. She shook her head soon after. “No, don’t say that. I want to tell him myself. So, if… when he decides to come back, tell him I would like to speak to him.”

Shael nodded with a tired sigh. “Yeah yeah. I got it.” She waved her off impatiently. It seemed as if Nabi wanted to say something more, but the Xaela girl just... nodded, once, and then walked away. Shael only let out a sigh of relief after Nabi was a good distance away. She didn’t want to keep lying to the girl.

There was no question that Nabi was going to ask her about Tserende again. Hopefully by then, Shael’s letter would have reached Ishgard and she would have heard something back from the man. Something more than just some cryptic missive about how he had to leave and return home without any other explanation.

If you left her like some jilted lover, I’m gonna… Shael began to scold the Ishgardian in her mind, then scowled at herself in not being able to yell at man face to face. She didn’t like where her angry thoughts were leading her. Was Nabi the only thing that was keeping him here?

She pushed off the chair she’d been perched on, stomping angrily on the ground.

Whatever. Shael didn’t care why he left. She just needed to keep reassuring Nabi that he was fine and that she’d already checked into it. Tserende could give his own godsdamned explanation whenever he returned. If he came back at all.

I don’t give a soddin’ shite. She believed it, too.

Shael briskly made her way to hostelry and the pier beyond it. She needed to find new work after all, now that Tserende was no longer around.

And she knew just where to start.

[afreesworn]

Character Survey: Nabi Kharlu

RULES.  Repost, Don’t reblog! Tag  10! Good  luck!

TAGGED BY. @vysaldhe Thank you!

TAGGING. I’ve seen this go around so who hasn’t done it? @anchor-management! @shaelstormchild!! @jaliqai-and-company!!! @sentryandco?? @mirkemenagerie @trc-xiv @finishing-touch @ember-arrow @fatewalker @andarion @jancisstuff @gegenji @shadottie @zhauric @herd-of-halla (I’m sorry if you have already done this!) and anyone else who wants to!

BASICS.

FULL  NAME :  Nabi Kharlu

NICKNAME :  None that seems to stick since her mother died.

AGE :  In her 20s.

BIRTHDAY :  Summer

ETHNIC  GROUP :  Au Ra, Xaela

NATIONALITY :  Of the Kharlu Tribe

LANGUAGE / S :  Common, Xaela, Hingan

SEXUAL  ORIENTATION :  Heterosexual

ROMANTIC  ORIENTATION :  Heteromantic

RELATIONSHIP  STATUS :  In a relationship with Anchor Saltborn

HOME  TOWN / AREA :  Born in the Steppe

CURRENT  HOME :  Shares an apartment in Shirogane

PROFESSION :  Herbalist, Alchemist, Healer

PHYSICAL.

HAIR :  Raven black hair that she keeps short and cropped near her chin

EYES : Warm gold

FACE : Sun-kissed complexion, soft features, usually with a look of welcome or curiosity.

LIPS : Smiles easily.

BLEMISHES :  None on the face.

SCARS :  Sometimes a few scrapes and bumps, but she is without any significant scars that would have resulted from any serious wound or trauma.

TATTOOS :  An ornate mark on her right back shoulder area.

HEIGHT :   On the short side for a Xaela.

WEIGHT :  On the thin side.

BUILD : Soft, although not unfit since she likes the outdoors, but she is by no means athletic.

FEATURES :  She has youthful features, with bright eyes that are most notable. Her usual cheerful outlook softens her countenance almost always.

ALLERGIES :  None that she’s aware of yet.

USUAL  HAIR  STYLE :  Trimmed around her jawline so it is easily tucked away, but left free and loose otherwise. 

USUAL  FACE  LOOK :  She can be intently studying an herb, pouring through books about alchemy, focusing on mending wounds, or happily chatting up with whatever customer that happens to find their way to her stall or clinic. Her general mood is usually buoyant and welcoming, although there is a certain softness that can be spotted around those she is close to.

USUAL  CLOTHING :  Varies between traditional Hingan fare to woven robes favored in the Steppe. Has a few traveling clothes that are neither, usually a loose comfortable cotton robe and leather boots. She is almost always found with a bag hung over her shoulder. 

PSYCHOLOGY.

FEAR / S :  Losing her loved ones. Failing them. Drowning. 

ASPIRATION / S :  She won’t speak of it, but she has only one real goal in mind. To cure someone she loves of what is killing him. Other than that, she has no specific ambitions, only looks forward to discovering what brings joy. She has however kept certain promises close to her heart that she wants to see fulfilled. Something about new sunsets and beaches. 

POSITIVE  TRAITS :  Trusting. Kind. Optimistic.

NEGATIVE  TRAITS :  Hopelessly optimistic. Wants to see the good in all things. 

MBTI : ENFJ

ZODIAC : Virgo

TEMPERAMENT :  Phlegmatic

SOUL  TYPE / S :   Priest

ANIMALS :   Butterfly

VICE HABIT / S :   Rambling, Daydreaming, Throwing herself into work.

FAITH :  Vaguely remembers her mother talking about Nhaama, also believes there are spirits (kami)

GHOSTS ? :  Yes

AFTERLIFE ? :  In the aether stream

REINCARNATION ? :  Perhaps?

ALIENS ? :   From...?

POLITICAL ALIGNMENT :  Anyone that promotes peace she favors

EDUCATION  LEVEL :  ”Home schooled” by her mother

FAMILY.

FATHER :  Deceased

MOTHER :  Deceased

SIBLINGS : None.

EXTENDED  FAMILY :  Uncle and cousin(s?).

NAME MEANING / S :  Her father named her while she was in her mother’s womb, to signify her delicate beauty but also a new start

FAVORITES.

BOOK :  Anything that has to do with herbs. But she also likes romantic tales from foreign lands.

DEITY :  She respects both kami and Nhaaama.

HOLIDAY :  She is starting to try and observe some of the foreign holidays, like Nameday. But she always has celebrated Heavensturn.

MONTH :  The month when cherry blossoms are in full bloom

SEASON :  Spring

PLACE :  Home.

WEATHER :  She loves all sorts. Just when the cold is starting to give way to warmth of spring and the birds start to sing. The first sunny day after a snowfall. Cloudy windy afternoons that sends the colorful autumn leaves spinning through the air. That quiet and stillness just before rain is about to fall. She loves them all.

SOUND / S:  Mating call of birds in the spring. The sound of raindrops drumming against the rooftop. The soft babble of a running spring. Distant chirping of crickets in the quiet of night.

SCENT / S :  She enjoys the rich scent of nature in full bloom, from flowers to trees to various herbs. But there is a soft spot in her heart now for rosemary, and the briny scent of the sea.

TASTE / S :  Delicate tastes of Hingan cuisines and teas but also bold savory mixture of flavors from the Steppe.

FEEL / S :  Tingling warmth that rolls up to greet her touch.

ANIMAL / S :  Fireflies. And anything small and adorable.

NUMBER : “Do people have favorite numbers?”

COLORS :  Soft colors like pink and cream, but also rich earth tones.

EXTRA.

TALENTS :  Analyzing and mending wounds. Recognizing natural elements.

BAD  AT :  Knowing when not to empathize. Reading non-verbal cues of people when she is curious about them. Staying mad, she finds it exhausting. Hiding her emotions, it shows plainly on her face. 

TURN  ONS :  She isn’t the type to be easily turned on. But she does take note of those who are honest, even bluntly so, and those who let their actions speak for themselves.

TURN  OFFS :  Violence. Cruelty. 

HOBBIES :  Reading. Drawing. Gardening. Cooking. 

TROPES :  Ho boy. Lots. Some may be spoilerific.

QUOTES : “It’ll be alright.“

MUN QUESTIONS.

Q1 : If you could write your character your way in their own movie,  what would it be called,  what style would it be filmed in, and what would it be about?          

A1 :  I’ve always wanted to see Cigarettes and Fireflies as an animated series rather than a movie, first season starting with the Underground Arc.

Q2 : What would their soundtrack/score sound like?          

A2 :  Epic scores (I really love Hans Zimmer) for battle scenes, but also quiet soundtracks from Sleeping At Last for some private moments. But really, there are SO MANY TRACKS I have on the playlist.

Q3 : Why did you start writing this character?          

A3 :  My first main character, Roen, had just completed this huge three year arc of a story, and I wanted to write for someone new, someone who was extroverted, open, and personable. Roen was none of these things. I also wanted to delve into some mystical side of magic, and  the Xaela was introduced.

Q4 :   What first attracted you to this character?          

A4 :   Xaelas were one of my favorite parts from Stormblood. Shamanism and all that. But I wanted her to be also displaced from it, with a loss of identity in a way.

Q5 : Describe the biggest thing you dislike about your muse.

A5 : Sometimes, her reactions are not what come naturally to me. The things she would say and think could seem baffling to someone else, but I want it to make sense in her own head. There are times where I struggle to make certain her reactions feel natural, since I would have definitely lashed out more, been furious and or distrusting, but she decides consciously not to choose those paths. She is a patient and kind person above all, but sometimes I wonder if it comes off believable rather than tropey.

Q6 : What do you have in common with your muse?          

A6 :  She derives a lot of satisfaction in helping people. She also likes to daydream. And seeing her loved ones be happy, makes her happy.

Q7 :  How does your muse feel about  you?          

A7 :  Nabi would probably adore my puppy and would approve of my doting husband. Probably also would like my career choice.

Q8 : What characters does your muse have interesting interactions with?        

A8 :  I love, LOVE the people I am writing with. They are all so fantastic. Nabi’s story wouldn’t be what it is today without Anchor. And we wouldn’t have ongoing arcs without Sentry, Ghoa, and Shael. Pjel recently jumped in, so I am quite excited to see how she gets to know everyone.

Q9 : What gives  you inspiration  to write  your muse ?        

A9 :  Music, sad and not sad head canons (thanks Anchor), lately some AU ideas (again Anchor’s fault), but mostly the RPers/friends I write with. They are AMAZING.

Q10 :  How long did this take you to complete ?          

A10 :  Too long for me. I have work next morning. Which is why I skipped the tropes.

The original art can be viewed here! 

[afreesworn]

“I should have come much sooner. But it has been.. a difficult few weeks.”

Nabi curled her fingers inward over the apron that laid across her lap. She pressed her lips tightly for a moment, before a furrow began to crease her brow. “I should have come to see you. You were taken by that ghost just as Anchor and Shael had been. I should have seen you were not well.” 

Ghoa shook her head as that. "No.. Even if you had come to me, I would've likely just pushed you away like I had Lehko'a. Not through any fault of yours, but my own." Reaching out a hand, she rested it on the other's forearm and gave it a gentle squeeze. "It wasn't your responsibility to put me back together, so please, don't cast blame on yourself for it."

Nabi regarded her keenly for a moment. “How are you?”

((Bonus under the tag))

“Nabi, stahp. Gross.”

((Okay the last shot didn’t really happen in RP, but she looked so vexed when I took this screenshot.))