♥ Table of Contents ♥ ❣ Table of Contents ❣ Arima ❣ Relationships ❣ Rps & Adventures ❣ Inventory & Art ❣ Extra ❣ The Story So Far...
Sabra Knight
Feral Galaxy
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Sabra Knight
Feral Galaxy
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Posted: Sat May 23, 2020 2:58 pm
Name: Arima Cyrillus Stage: 4 - Scholar Race: Earthling - Water (Albino) Gender: Female Sexuality: Straight - taken by Saraf 3 Base Traits: Shy, Quiet, Dreamer Personality: Despite the realization that Arima is indeed a Matori, the girl was raised to be proud as any Oban Noble. Due to this she was previously quite high strung and would come off brashly to those who questioned her - perhaps a bit of that was fueled even by her insecurity as she began to grow older and realized that yes she did look different from other Obans. Yet, Arima still was proud in the fact that she is the Lady's daughter and is quite knowledgeable. When it comes to discussing literature and other things that can be found in books the girl will quickly find an answer. Herbs, mathematics, stories, potions, magics, anything that has ever been recorded she may know as the Lady's personal library was quite vast. Such pride, however, still does not prepare her for the true outside world as there is much that she needs to learn. However, after learning about the truth - the fact that she was basically a slave in this society where she had believed herself a noble- the girl became more of a recluse. She would prefer to stay with her books than to even dare interact with anyone outside of the family...
It is to be noted that through her vast amount of reading, Arima has gained a significant amount of intelligence over the years, giving her an elevated vocabulary, an active imagination, and an open mind. Despite being quiet and less trusting of others, Arima still has a mind of her own and often prefers to make her own decisions. The only person she truly listens to is the Lady, as she is her mother who has accepted her without hesitation and for that the girl will forever cherish her opinions and decisions.
As it is Arima is a dreamer. Her passions and hopes allow her to conjure up images of an ideal world. The stories that she reads in her home as well fuel a passion for adventure and fantasy. Magic has always captivated her and hearing stories about spirits and other acts fill her with delight. While it is a nice escape from the reality of her cage-like situation the girl still may one day get easily manipulated into a situation by someone who takes advantage of such a pure and innocent heart. Also being a dreamer may be nice, but it may result in the girl being too confident in her own ability to fight/survive in the world (something greatly hindered in her pampered life) - hinting at another harsh lesson of reality upon the horizon.
That is if someone could steal her away from the library of books that she has retreated into. Pulling Arima out before her encounter with the Lady's relatives may have been an easy task, but now the girl is a bit more skittish of the outside world. Even now she speaks quietly and often holds her tongue whereas in her earlier years the girl may have even spoken out boldly about the things she believed in. Now she's more keen to just keep her eyes glued to a book rather than a crowd of people. So while she enjoys curling up with a book beneath the grove of trees in the Lady's private gardens venturing back outside is another story...but perhaps with time a bit of her own spirit will return and curiosity will take root once more pushing Arima to take a chance.
Her shyness, however, after being around a group of soldiers for several weeks has began to fade away. No longer haunted by the incidents of the past where she was called a slave by her mother's relatives the girl is beginning to show her bold spirit once more. Not only does she have a boldness in her step now the girl also can have a quick wit and a sharp tongue.
Description: Arima is an albino Matori and due to that is naturally a super pale version of most matori with light blue two toned coloring and almost white-yellow eyes.She still looks childlike and is very petite with delicate features and big, childlike eyes.
Her hair is white with some hints of faded blue/green with long curls that when let loose hit her lower back.
Accessories: Now that she is a healer Arima ranges in what she wears. While out in the desert it is not surprising to see her dressed in baggy pants and a loose silk top with a wrap around her head to protect her from the bright sunlight. Other days she is wearing a short, loose dressy outfit with a cloak to protect herself.
As she grows she may also keep her noble appearance and go back to dresses, but even then she is no doll - she is much more a magical woman to be reckoned with. Even if healing is her passion that does not mean she is not able to stand on her own against others after all.
She once always wore a golden collar gifted to her by the Lady - from when the Matori were still slaves as it protected her as the Lady's property at the time, even so Arima still cherished it as a valuable gift even after learning its true intent- History
History
Arima had a cursed birth.
Arima never was told the pain that her mother went through in order to give birth to her. She never knew the instant rejection that his father had towards her once his wife passed in childbirth and left him with a ghost for a child. What type of sign was it to have a child not only kill their mother, but also for her to be drained of color save for crimson eyes? Not to mention that even should he keep the babe it appeared weak and almost on the verge of death itself...
It was because of his fear and superstitions that were passed between the slaves that she was tossed out. Many would have taken her for dead due to her small size and still state, but it was as the moon rose that a fateful desert breeze finally caused the chilled baby to cry out.
An older Oban of noble birth was walking around the edges of the oasis that night. Having left her guard behind at home the Lady Cyrillia was grieving for the loss of her only daughter. Sickness had taken the frail girl from her and the lady felt hopeless. Years after years she had been warned that she would lose her daughter early on, but she had lived in denial. She had fought fate tooth and nail by bringing in all the medical specialists she could find. Eventually though her daughter's lungs had finally given out as promised and she passed away in her sleep.
Hearing the cries she felt an ache in her heart that had become so numb. What was the crying? Was that the tears of her lost daughter? Delusional and still in mourning the lady ran through the sands to find the source. There tucked away in a ragged bundle was the pale figure of a baby crying out. "Did I find a ghost?" Amazed she reached out to cradle the pale creature in her arms, "What are you little one?" At her words the crying stopped and a pair of ruby eyes opened to stare at the Oban in wonder. As Cyrillia moved her hand towards the face the tiniest of hands opened to grab onto a finger. Instantly a smile lit up the baby's face and the Lady found herself in love.
Even though pale fins peeked out from the snow white hair the Lady did not care. This little girl was a present from the gods for her to find. I am no longer without a daughter. The Lady made certain to raise her Arima, her spirit, up with just as much love as she had once held for her other daughter. Not worried about Arima being a Matori Cyrillia used the guise of a slave to keep her new daughter safe.
It was fortunate for Arima that she was found by the Lady. A kind, hearted woman she stood out against the crowd and always believed in helping those beneath her. So despite having the Oban pride, the Lady used her superiority instead to bestow generosity among others. Her husband, a stern man, had never the heart to go against his loving wife after their daughter had passed. So instead of going against her wishes he allowed her to have a separate home in Jatine where she could live freely away from the high pressures of Oban society. He, himself, would retire there during quieter months of the year before returning to business in Sulburi.
Arima was never allowed to leave their home in Jatine and often due to her fatigue under the sun would willingly stay indoors. As a security the Lady placed a collar around Arima's neck as a present for one of her daughter's birthdays. Not having the heart to tell her the true reason behind the collar, the Lady watched on as Arima cherished the present and never took it off.
Books filled her life as she could rarely venture outside as the sunlight harmed her eyes and easily burned her skin. Despite fears that her sight may be affected by her strange condition, Arima has proven that she could actually read and learn writing. Her sight, miraculously, has also stayed strong - save for in the sunlight where the brilliant light easily gives her headaches.
Despite it all Arima loved life. She had a home with a loving mother and did not mind being confined to the walls of the house. The outside world was apparently a scary place and it was rare that she got the privilege of venturing outside. She was raised and taught as any noble of her age would be. In fact while she was a child the girl actually called herself an Oban several times. It made many of the Matori servants laugh to themselves, but none had the heart to break it to her. She was not truly her mother's daughter, but some strange creature that had been picked up by the mistress into their home.
Still it was a miracle. With Arima living there the halls lit up again and life was back into the house. The Lady was happy and rather than mournful she found that the bright eyed spirit of hers was full of life. "Momma, momma!" Arima would call at as a toddler before bolting down the stairs to latch onto the Lady, "Welcome home!"
When she was a bit older relatives came into the house and that was the first time her beautiful world was shattered. The Lady's distant cousins had come for an impromptu visit so Arima was out in the courtyard when the party came in. She did not understand the strange gazes or why she was being sneered at. "Who are those grumpy people?" She found herself asking.
"My relatives."
"They don't seem anything like you though."
A small laugh left the Lady's strained face, "I know."
That evening Arima found one of the Lady's cousins breaching into her quarters. He demanded favors from her and approached her with such ill intent that the finally felt fear. "Stop it what are you doing!?" Outraged she found herself flailing against his much sturdier body, "Let me go! I'm the daughter of the Lady!"
"Shut up you Matori." A sneering gaze looked into her eyes, "You aren't an Oban, you're a slave. A valuable one at that."
Arima fell back in silence. A slave, her? But her momma was the Lady...it made no sense. Hours of fighting and of listening to dirty slavers talk about her placed the puzzle together. Oba wasn't a sanctuary for the Matori like she had thought. Her mother wasn't her mother...she wasn't....Arima felt tears burning in her gaze. She was alone and scared. Was she going to be stuck in chains now?
Only a child Arima didn't understand the complexity of the world she lived in. The reasons that the Lady kept her inside and didn't get along with other Obans was simple. She wanted her adopted daughter to live a free and innocent life - something that her noble relatives would never understand. How could a Matori even be considered a daughter of such an elite noble? Even though her husband had passed on the Lady still had a rich inheritance which in the eyes of her relatives included such a rare slave as Arima. Indeed, Arima was fortunate to have been taken in by her rather than being sold as a rare prize.
Her screams thankfully alerted a few more of the Matori who lived in the great house.Their presence protected her from the male until the Lady could be alerted. Thankfully when she brought her guards there was no harm done, but Arima had passed out in a fit and was laying on the floor from all the shock... It was the next morning that she woke up in her familiar bed with the sleeping figure of the Lady leaning against the wall. Her mother was here! She hadn't been taken away by that man after all. Still the girl was broken hearted as her peaceful world had been destroyed. She talked with the Lady for hours to find out the truth and was disappointed that there was no trace of her Matori family.
Her heart was shattered to learn of such barriers that prevented her from being an Oban noble that was her mother's true daughter, but still Arima stayed strong. The Lady had taken so much care of her and obviously loved her...while she stayed here then her life would be safe. Even once the Matori were freed and the war was over the girl found herself taking more and more care of the ailing woman. She was the one always by the Lady's side to help her when her old age slowed her down. It was not uncommon either for others -those that stayed as servants in the household and didn't return to Matori or elsewhere- to find Arima with the older lady by her side as she would read stories to the weakening Oban.
And Arima chose to stay with the Lady. Despite her curiosity of her Matori heritage the girl knew that the Lady was her true family. She stayed with the older Oban and even took up healing to help her when she was ill. This resulted in Arima venturing into the Oban army for a bit where she fell in love with Saraf. After several adventures together the two bonded and married. She is now the mother of two rambunctious boys who she loves dearly.
Posted: Sat May 23, 2020 3:04 pm
Relationships
Family: The Lady - Her dear mother. Lord Koriyan - A noble man who also serves as a healer to his majesty's army and also works with others in the noble class. When he could have enjoyed wealth and fame the man preferred to actually make use of his skills - skills which he passed down to Arima as she took over his passion and even set up a hospital to help others. Saraf : An Oban Knight whom Arima fell in love with. They were married after a few adventures together, but unfortunately he has been lost for years since venturing out after the battle against the Dretch...his memory will always live on in her heart, the pale Matori staying true to their love. Faisal & Alasdair - Her darling sons. While she lost one to adventuring, Faisal stayed behind and became head of the family with his own family. Sariza: Her darling daughter-in-law, Arima has not hesitated to accept her into the family especially after all the trials they faced together. Alinta: Her adopted daughter, a guardian for her grandsons and a strong fighter who followed the path of other family members by joining the army. Calix & Qaisan: Her grandsons, both resembling her own sons in various ways especially the mischief as children. Calix is closer to Arima since they share a fondness for reading, the pair spending at least one evening together a week to enjoy tea and discuss literature, etc.
Friends/Acquaintances/Foes Leukos: A terrible flirt, but friendly. She almost knocked him out one night when a strange creature startled them both, but later got to know him better and even saw the circus because of him. However, she refused to fall for his playful antics and kept a friendly distance. Nyko : A boy she saved from losing his arm in the market years ago. He was a bit rough around the edges with a sharp tongue, but Arima hopes him well. Gahiji: Crazy wildman that he was Arima did end up helping him out in the desert after their awkward duel. If he's still alive out there...well she doesn't know if she should worry about the monsters or him or both.
♥ The Story So Far... ♥ Arima was raised as the daughter of a wealthy Oban noble whose household name held major influence. The Lady had lost her daughter long ago due to a terrible accident and found an albino baby girl who had been tossed away by her father into the Oban desert. Taking Arima under her care she raised her with love and protected her from the outside world until finally Arima's true heritage was revealed. At first Arima was in shock and spent several days hidden from everyone, mostly to spend hours upon hours reading in the vast library her mother owned.
When she was older, Arima learned that she had an affinity for healing magic and secretly sought to take up the path of the healer. During this time the Lady was older and wanted to make certain that Arima was taken care of. She tried to arrange marriages for Arima, most of which Arima ran away from, until one arranged date took a surprising turn. Being matched with Saraf seemed to be one of the first of many fateful meetings and after picking up a healing mentor, Lord Koriyan, Arima found herself sent to the Oban army for a bit. During this time she found Saraf again and the two continued running into trouble together, eventually bonding and falling in love. Soon enough they were married and had children. While Saraf is still with the army, Arima has taken to helping the Lady run the estate and focus on raising their two boys.
Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2021 6:40 pm
“You can only hide behind your tomes for so long.”
Arima let out a soft sigh before finally looking up from the stack of healing scrolls resting in front of her. “Hello, mother.” She raised a hand half heartedly in greeting before reaching over to grab another scroll, her pale gaze already skimming over the contents. “I’m assuming the meeting with the other families ended early? Else I would have gotten through at least a few more parchments.” As much as Arima adored her mother the healer sometimes got a bit exhausted with how obstinate the Oban noblewoman could be about pursuing her interests, including Arima’s relationships. The last few years had been rough without Saraf nearby but Arima was adjusting, she had the school where she tutored and the center where she volunteered her time with patients. The busier she was the more accomplished she felt and the less time she had to worry about….other things. Arima winced at the realization before slowly lowering the scroll once more.
“I apologize if my appearance disrupted your work.” Quipped the Lady with a small smile. “I just wanted to make certain that my daughter was still alive somewhere in here.” The petite Oban woman picked up a couple of the tomes and placed them back on the shelf, her fingers lingering on the smooth wood of the shelf as she studied the rows upon rows of literature and medical notes.
“No, it’s quite alright.” Arima let out a soft sigh before standing and moving so that she could return a few of the scrolls back to their baskets, tucked safely away in order for the time being. “I suppose you have every right to want to check in on me, considering.” She admitted quietly before offering a soft smile to her mother. Ever since Saraf had left the estate for the military, his duties sometimes taking him away for months if not years, the Matori woman had grown a bit busier and more reclusive when home. Now that her sons were older, Faisal starting his own family while preparing for his responsibilities as heir and Alasdair traveling to far away lands, Arima found herself feeling a bit lonelier. It even felt as if her mother spent more time with Faisal training him as her heir than Arima spent time with either of them! This was the point in her life when she should be spending so much alone time with her husband now that there weren’t toddlers trying to sneak into their bedroom or older teens setting fires downstairs….Arima’s lips pressed into a tight line as she quickly shoved the thought and the tidal wave of sadness to the side. None of that!
“You know these halls are a bit too quiet lately.” Mused the Lady as she carefully sat down in the cushioned seat beneath the great bay window that looked over the city, the rows of sandstone buildings transitioning into desert wilderness the further one looked. “What do you think?”
“A little bit.” Admitted Arima as she glanced towards her mother. “Why? Do you have something in mind?” Arima settled back in her chair and studied the older Oban. What was she thinking this time? It was not as if Arima was looking for romance because she had already found that years ago and the healer would not trade that journey, her heart for anything in this world. Her beloved sons were proof of that commitment. “Should I start training in the halls again? I can bring in some students as well if you’d really want some chaos again.” Now that her mother had fully recovered from her illness that had plagued her so many years ago the Matori was more fond of teasing the Oban woman without as much worry.
“Not students, but perhaps some fresh blood?”
Arima found herself quirking an eyebrow. “Fresh blood? What do you mean?”
“I’m not saying we could open an orphanage but maybe, just maybe you could consider raising a child again.” The Lady quickly held up a hand to stop Arima’s protests. “I know that you had issues after the boys and now with Saraf away I’m not going to ask you for that in particular. I was just pondering things and some of the nobles were discussing family and the like. I adopted you once long ago and look at where we are now.”
“Do you want to adopt a child?” Teased Arima before she shook her head. “I don’t know, mother.”
“You’re still so young and full of life while I’m well…I’m not getting any younger.” Admitted the Lady softly. “I refuse to leave this world while you’re alone once more, dear. You have your boys and now you have grandsons, but I still feel like you’re so young that these halls will be lonely for you within a few more years. If you refuse to find a lover then perhaps another child wouldn’t be the worst idea and you would be changing someone’s life like how we changed each others’ lives so many years ago.”
“Don’t talk like that.” Protested Arima with a frown, moving so that she could finish placing the last few tomes and scrolls back into their respective spots. “But since you do seem so concerned I will at least consider the idea.” Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to have someone else to help brighten up the halls and keep her grandchildren on their feet. Someone that could be strong enough to help fight for those boys since Arima understood how dangerous the world truly could be, especially with their family history. Once again it seemed some ridiculous idea of her mother was slowly sneaking its way into her own mind, her heart twisting as it considered the possibilities.
[969]
Arima’s afternoon of quiet study is interrupted by the proposal of adopting a child.
Sabra Knight
Feral Galaxy
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Sabra Knight
Feral Galaxy
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Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2021 6:59 pm
She couldn’t believe it but she had actually gone along with her mother’s idea. Arima crossed her arms as she stared down the large building of sandstone, the structure on the edge of Jatine where she had traveled for the time being. Originally the Matori healer had gone to Jatine for a conference with other healers. Before leaving the city though she had learned about a nearby orphanage which had a reputation for attracting troublemakers, discarded children who had gotten caught trying to make it on their own in the world regardless of their youth. While Arima was not exactly looking for someone to destroy the manor back in Sulburi the idea of visiting the place continued nagging at the back of her mind until she finally caved and set up an appointment. At first she had just been curious about the idea of adoption, her interest only growing as she spent an afternoon near the orphanage with other sponsors who chatted while the children went about their day.
Eventually that afternoon Arima had been invited on a tour since she had donated some funding to help the orphanage out, her mother’s persistence making her put forward the coin since they needed to help out charities more often apparently. Not that Arima minded but she fully understood her mother’s intent with this particular action. Good timing with donations, as usual. Just in case I do decide to take the dive, hmm? Personally she much preferred offering her actual services to others, her abilities as a healer keeping her busy at the clinic and school in Sulburi. This was definitely something out of her expertise, however, and so Arima simply went and did as her mother requested with the donation. Even if she did not decide to adopt anyone or if the adoption wasn’t approved at least she knew that she had somehow helped a little bit. Arima was not the type to simply leave another in need which was why she had started helping out more by teaching apprentices and working with the local clinics in Sulburi. It would not be surprising for her to take a child into her home, someone that she could help raise and love just like her mother had taken her in so many years ago. Arima was just hesitant because of everything else going on in her life. Was this truly something that she should be doing right now? And yet here she was following the older Oban matron through the halls of the orphanage, her focus going back to the spew of words coming at her as she rounded another corner of the building.
“It’s an older building but the sponsors have done well to help with upkeep over the years. We truly appreciate your ladyship’s donation as well to help update the classrooms.” Stated the Oban woman for what Arima assumed was already the tenth time as they walked along. A teacher caught the matron’s attention and so for a moment Arima was left to her own devices to just tour the place. While she found herself peeking into the empty classrooms as most of the children were outside for the afternoon, she eventually caught sight of a bundle being brought inside.
“Oh not again!” Arima stepped back as the matron darted forward, the older Oban woman rushing to take the baby from the other worker. While the lady was later apologetic, Arima simply shook her head and told her not to worry about it before leaving for the day. Just the sight of the youngling had already tugged at Arima’s heart. Despite her earlier hesitations something about that innocent face had weakened her. Perhaps it truly was time to bring someone else into the manor. Surely they had plenty of room and the funding for it, right? And so began the application process. Now it had been almost a week and she was eagerly awaiting the news from the orphanage. Would everything actually be approved? Would she actually be ready to raise a child again? ? Arima twisted her hands nervously as she paced the room once more. Since she was in Jatine for at least another week it had been plenty of time to process her papers, so to speak, and the family name did amazing things to speed up any waiting times but she still had to wait for a brief period. The past few days had been spent shopping, orders being placed for some custom furniture and a few clothing pieces that she couldn’t resist getting just in case everything did go smoothly .And admittedly when the parchment from the orphanage came into her hands with the official seal the healer couldn’t help the smile that crossed her lips as she finally had her answer.
[798]
Arima decides to try and adopt a child.
Posted: Wed Dec 15, 2021 8:41 am
It would be an interesting trip from Jatine back towards Sulburi. Arima found herself packing more and more belongings until she eventually had to get some traveling merchants to agree to help forward a few of her new purchases towards the Oban capital. “Is it too much?” She pursed her lips as she paced around a few more trunks before finally sitting down with a soft sigh. It was overwhelming to think that she was actually out here and doing this whole adoption thing. She was delighted but also extremely nervous to think about having a child in her home again. Faisal had just revealed that he was expecting to be a father soon enough and now here she was doing this. Arima chuckled softly as she thought about it, the first truly unplanned thing she had done in ages but at the same time it felt nice to be doing something unexpected. She just hoped that everyone else would take well to the news when she returned home. Her mother was already expressing her happiness through their correspondence as Arima waited in Jatine for the paperwork to be finalized. Hopefully everything would be settled today so that she could leave the Jatine and head back towards Sulburi with the youngling.
“Does the child have a name?” Was one of the first questions to come from the letters but Arima could not provide the answer because the baby had simply been left in a basket on the doorstep of the orphanage. No note, no hint of anything except for a small wooden kinfa that was crudely carved and left with the sleeping child. It was strange for Arima to see something so familiar to her own story, save that her birth parents had not even left her near civilization but rather out in the desert where the lady had found her. So one did have to wonder what name to give the child. Arima found herself twisting a quill in her fingers, the inked tip hovering over the parchment as she pondered her reply. Was it something that could be decided so easily? She had nine months to work on a name for her boys with Saraf, but this time she would only have a week or so to pick the name that would follow this child for the rest of her life? What about Chaya? Seri? Aster? Gioia? Arima sighed as she thought about it again and again. There had to be something, right?
Maybe it would be best if she simply waited for the orphanage to finalize everything and actually release the child to her first. Arima scratched out her message before grabbing a new parchment and simply writing back to her mother. “I will have to withhold that information from you and allow you to make guesses upon our arrival in Sulburi. It will be more fun to try and see how well named the child is based upon your reactions in person, mother. I would not dare try and take that excitement away from you. We will see you soon enough as we plan to head out of Jatine within the next couple of days.” It was a teasing message but one that would buy her more time since she simply did not know for herself yet. Maybe she could even set up something and allow the child to pick a piece of paper with a name out of a pile of options for herself? Either way Arima was ready to take the child back to Sulburi with her so that she could welcome her to her new home. Warmth filled her chest as she eagerly swept up the rest of her belongings and prepared to go to the orphanage where the child was waiting for her.
[631]
After the adoption is approved, Arima begins her final preparations for the journey back to Sulburi.
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