Ayla Thatcher

Ayla Thatcher
Gender	Female
Race	Hyur
Clan	Midlander
Citizenship	Gridanian
Age	22
Marital Status	Single
Occupation	Adventurer
Height/Weight	5'4" / 140 lbs
Orientation	Panromantic Demisexual
Relatives	Keiran (Father) Sharlene (Mother) Kaidwyn (Uncle) Valencia (Older Sister) Drake (Older Brother) Anselm (Older Brother)

Ayla Thatcher (pronounced /ˈaɪlə θætʃə/) (32st Sun 5th Umbral Moon (Oct 31)) is a Gridanian hyur, trained in the art of bow and song. Daughter of two Serpent Lieutenants, Ayla grew up just outside the city of Gridania on a failing farm. After the Calamity struck and severely injured her father, Ayla took up adventuring to fund the farm and her father Keiran's recovery, as well as sate her wanderlust. The bard befriended a couple who helped her into their Free Company - The Adventure League of Eorzea. Since then, Ayla has traveled extensively. Most recently, she has been seen helping the efforts in Ishgard.

Basic Info

LIKES ■ Music ■ Animals ■ Stars and Space ■ Puns

DISLIKES ■ Cloudy nights ■ Blood ■ Loud discordant sound/intense colors ■ Morbols

OTHER ■ Alignment: Neutral Good ■ Vice(s): Drinks alcohol, sometimes to drunkenness ■ Favorite Food: Tomato Pie ■ Favorite Drink: Tawny Port Wine ■ Favorite Color: Blue

Appearance & Personality

The bard stands at a short stature compared to most midlander women, but with great posture and poise. Her carroty red hair is shorn short and her head is very rarely seen without a hat of some kind - usually highly decorated and adorned with feathers. Ayla has a distinctive scar that cuts across the bridge of her nose, interrupting a smattering of freckles that litter her nose and cheeks. Her attire usually matches her headgear, ornate and complex with many patterns and designs, and has a tendency to either show a little skin and/or be flowing and loose.

Ayla's life thus far has been filled with love and acceptance. Thus, she shows the same to most everyone she meets. The bard almost always has a smile on her face and a cheerful attitude. She has a tendency to wear her heart on her sleeve; most people can figure out how she feels at any given moment. Ayla is verbose and well-spoken, owing to her educated background and charisma. To those who know her well, there seems to be a small, lingering sadness in her eyes that never seems to shake even when she's at her happiest. Despite this, she is always optimistic.

Oddly enough, Ayla always seems to look like she never gets enough sleep. Some days, it's pretty apparent that she's dead on her feet.

Biography

Childhood

Ayla was born to Keiran and Sharlene Thatcher in the Fifth Umbral Moon, a little over two decades ago. Sharlene, unfortunately, died while giving birth to Ayla, leaving Keiran to raise her and juggle his position in the Order of the Twin Adders. She grew up in Gridania with older sister Valencia and older brothers Anselm and Drake, and never had a shortage of people there for her. As she grew up, she helped out around the farm and met several other children. She eventually befriended several other kids in the city, but her best friends included a little, punch-happy girl named Avery Weaver, and one little boy about 3 years older than her, named Stefan Arkwright. When she was under 10 years old, a farming accident - a thrown trowel - left a scar across her nose that would never really fade.

Pre-Calamity

Ayla began training as an archer as soon as she was able to hold a bow. She was Keiran's pride and joy, and he hoped as she grew older she would continue her archery study. With every passing year, Ayla's voice developed and her interest in music grew - her mother Sharlene's influence working on her even in death. It seemed the girl was born with a great potential to be a bard, judging from her easy grasp on melody and harmony at such a young age. At first, she resisted it - she didn't want to sit in Gridania singing for people. When she learned what it really meant to be a bard, and that her mother was one of the best in the city, she took her talents to heart.

Ayla continued running around with Avery, unintentionally leaving havoc in their wake. Though she was great friends with the girl, she didn't quite know who her family was. Avery helped Ayla learn how to fight without weapons, using her fists and feet to defend herself should she get into trouble wandering around Bentbranch Meadows alone - which Keiran didn't allow her to do specifically for safety reasons.

The girl's friendship with Stefan slowly turned into something deeper in their teens. Neither really knew what those feelings were, or when they crossed from friendship to love, but the two decided that they couldn't quite live without each other. The two struck out on adventures together in the Black Shroud - a lancer and an archer solving minor issues in the little villages around Gridania. When they were of age, they joined the Order of the Twin Adders together.

Calamity to Present

When Eorzea's Grand Companies came together to fight at Carteneau, the battle called Ayla's father and Stefan away. Ayla had been completely prepared to go along - she was an Adder after all. However, Keiran begged her to stay home. She wasn't ready. There was no need for her to go out and risk her life. Ayla begged Stefan to stay as well, but that was a lost cause as his mother Célestine pledged to help fight and he wasn't going to let her go alone. But unbeknownst to the three, Ayla had tailed them with bow equipped. The fledgling archer managed to fight her way through the stragglers to a spot where she could watch from a distance. She watched as her father was mowed down by Garlean forces, and she lost sight of Stefan. She could easily see Célestine's well-practiced lancing from where she hid. It was then that Ayla decided she needed to help her father out; the moon was glowing a brighter, ominous red with every second that passed. Célestine had intercepted Ayla, and the two helped Keiran out of thick of it. As Ayla escaped on the family draught chocobo with Keiran in tow, Célestine went back to find Stefan. Neither were seen afterward - and Célestine wasn't seen again until five years later. Only days after the battle, when survivors were finally accounted for, did Ayla and Keiran realize they left Célestine and Stefan behind to die.

Life immediately after the Calamity was rough on every Thatcher at the farm. Keiran could barely walk, still recovering from near-fatal injuries from the fighting. All of the children took taking care of the farm into their own hands and, though it was failing, they tried their best. Ayla suffered from not knowing Stefan's fate for five years, thinking him dead, until Célestine came back. The Arkwright matriarch finally let Ayla know for sure that the love of her young life had perished - burned to death by fire before the remaining adventurers were sent forward in time, and before his mother could reach him. To this day, Ayla still tears herself up over not finding him, and saving him, too.

With Keiran still recovering from his injuries even five years later, the Thatchers made money the best they could. Valencia's talent in botany helped the family farm, but not by much. Anselm began work in the auction house and Drake decided to go adventuring, in the hopes that his talent for identifying ore would help keep the family afloat. Ayla decided she would accompany her older brother on his adventures, until she ran into Khyra Luriihn and Talon Weaver. Once she befriended them, and through them was able to join TALE, she left her brother to his ore expeditions. Drake later found a place with Amaljina and Sons, mining ore. Anselm, and later her father when he felt recovered enough to work again, became Ayla's retainers.

Ayla's time spent in TALE and accompanying Talon and Khyra on their adventures helped her grow as an archer and bard, and prepared her for the fighting to come in Coerthas. She fought alongside other adventurers and militiamen in the weeks leading up to Ishgard opening its gates to the world. The bard continued to help keep the city and surrounding areas safe - as well as found time to explore and meet new people.

Miscellaneous

RUMORS Some of these rumors are untrue or are greatly exaggerated. Please feel free to add your own rumors under PC! ◢ Common Rumors (Easily overheard) ■ "She might seem nice, but I hear she's an ice queen. Won't give anyone the time of day, if you know what I mean." -- a Young Man in New Gridania ■ "I think they gave her the worst chocobo of the bunch..." -- A Serpent Requisition Officer ■ "Such a pretty girl with a pretty voice! But she always sings the saddest songs!" -- A Wood Wailer in Bentbranch Meadows ◢ Moderate Rumors (Moderately difficult to overhear) ■ "That bard's head is in the clouds every night; all she does is stare at the sky." -- A passerby in the Goblet ■ "That Thatcher girl kept getting into trouble with that little Weaver girl. They just couldn't leave well enough alone and destroyed the fruit stand. That Ayla's a wild child and must be avoided." -- A fruit stand worker in Gridania ◢ Rare Rumors (Very difficult or rarely overheard) ■ "They say she's not really happy. She plays at being happy because she's lonely. I would be too if a giant rock killed my lover." -- A former instructor at the Archer's Guild ◢ PC Rumors (Rumors from the character's of other players) ■ "The fair Miss Thatcher? As lovely as the Gridanian dawn, and sharp as the arrows she lets fly! So wise and wonderful a woman deserves naught but the best that life can provide!" -- Zigovali Rigovali, Lalafellin arcanist ■ "Ayla? She's my best friend. One of the few people who immediately took me in and showed me kindness. I'll repay her, someday." - Natsumi Yatsurugi ■ ■

RELATIONS ♥ Romantic Interest    ♥ Platonic Love     ● Good Standing     ● Poor Standing ♥ The Thatcher Siblings : Ayla loves all three of her siblings a lot. They're all very close with the exception of Anselm and Ayla - for some reason, he doesn't seem to get along with her very well. ♥ Natsumi Yatsurugi : Natsumi is the au ra currently sleeping on one of her couches. Ayla calls her her roommate and the au ra is easily her best friend. Despite the bard's tendency to go off alone on adventures, she more than welcomes having Natsumi along, but cares about her so much that she's often too worried about her friend's back to watch her own! ● Khyra Luriihn : One of Ayla's first friends when the bard had just begun adventuring. Khyra and her former-friend-turned-lover Talon Weaver met her and her brother just outside Ul'dah and soon after, Ayla became Talon and Khyra's free company-mate. Since that first meeting, Khyra and Ayla have become very good friends. The two of them bonded through their love of books and information. Ayla occasionally comes over to help the couple with their twin babies. ● Rikitiki Tavatiki : TALE's Doyen, and the lalafell that interviewed her and invited her into the free company. Ayla looks up to Riki and enjoys the times she talks to him and adventures with him. ● Mai Suikazura : Ayla ran into a freshly immigrated Mai in Gridania and offered to show her around. The two spent quite a bit of time together in Ishgard, sharing a house while Mai healed people in the area and Ayla resumed her lancer training. After an awkward mishap on Ayla's birthday, it was made clear that their relationship was purely platonic. Ayla considers Mai one of her best friends, and the bard owes the au ra woman her life. ● Fhilwyda Eyrihaerzwyn : A roegadyn warrior that met Ayla in the Forgotten Knight, sharing a table and polite conversation with her in the cold of Ishgard. Since then, the warrior has fast become a friend of Ayla's and a frequent travel companion. Ayla is currently helping Fhilwyda look for her estranged brother, Abrecan. ● Zigovali Rigovali : A lalafellin arcanist that started out as a tagalong to Ayla and her roommate Natsumi's adventures, but ended up becoming a friend to the bard. She has helped him learn how to read. Ayla seems to be the one Zigo goes to for advice and mentorship, and the two share a unique, almost sibling-like relationship. ● Kiya Jiiflihu : A miqo'te skywatcher that provided the weather to Ayla and Natsumi in Ul'dah. As Natsumi and Kiya became closer, so did Kiya and Ayla in a different, very platonic way. ● Taz'tri Xerr : A miqo'te healer Ayla met briefly while checking in on Natsumi. Ayla found him to be very caring, professional, and knowledgeable and asked him several questions about his healing ability while she was there.

Gallery

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  Ayla at 20 vs Ayla at 22

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  Ayla and Natsumi

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  Ayla and Khyra

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  talgalar/dem

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  Me! (featuring Natsumi, Zigovali, Mai, Talon and Khyra

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  Me!

Footnotes

Template by Bancroft Gairn, thank you!

Ayla is a lyric mezzo-soprano, with a tone and range similar to Sara Bareilles

Theme Song: Rhythm, Chord and Melody + I Hear That Music Play - The Reign of Kindo

Character Inspirations: Varric Tethras, Locke Cole, Rosa Farrell, Leliana, and my Guild Wars 2 main Selda Oakenforge.

TV Tropes: Determinator, Failure Knight, Adorkable, Nice Hat, Friendly Sniper, The Mourning After, Chaste Hero, and The Bard, of course.

8tracks Playlists: i. watch the stars, they're ours, ii. in my darkest hour i hear that music play