One spiraling leaf brought playful mirth to sullen earth of trodden dirt. A flight of hopeful shades of spring,
for hard, hard ground, an offering.
Quick, sure, quiet feet carry her along in the grassy, long-forgotten wake of countless sisters and mothers, deep-green shadows offering welcome sanctuary from the first sleepy blinks of blossoming sunlight. She is alert but lethargic both on and off her feet in that particularly feline way, perpetually seeming half-asleep with the languid and easy gait of those who live their days with childish exuberance and immodest bravado. Her gaze is heavy and sleepy-- sometimes the honey-orange of the slow, sticky sun that clings to the horizon with heavy golden claws-- sometimes the syrupy-amber of hot whiskey that burns quick and pleasant in the belly.
Extra eyes and ears and teeth are her comfort, more secure than any wall or lock, and she greets the bosom-cradle of tree boughs eagerly as any feather bed. Through the day they sleep, and prowl when the night soft creeps, eager, and soundless, on cat’s feet.
“Animals don't behave like men,' he said. 'If they have to fight, they fight; and if they have to kill they kill. But they don't sit down and set their wits to work to devise ways of spoiling other creatures' lives and hurting them. They have dignity and animality.”
-Richard Adams, in Watership Down
She knows little of society's rules and law, and even mislikes many of the unspoken creeds that had been threaded into her young, twitching ears. Simple ways suit her best, anyroad. She is bright and foolish enough to grin and to laugh and to play, to be disobedient and sure in it. If her sisters grow gentle like mountains and springtime rain, she grows instead, contrary as she is, like brushfire-- snapping and sparking and hungry and following the wind.
SHE SIGHTS A BIRD -- SHE CHUCKLES
By Emily Dickinson
She sights a Bird—she chuckles— She flattens—then she crawls— She runs without the look of feet— Her eyes increase to Balls— Her Jaws stir—twitching—hungry— Her Teeth can hardly stand— She leaps, but Robin leaped the first— Ah, Kitty, of the Sand, The Hopes so juicy ripening— You almost bathed your Tongue— When Bliss disclosed a hundred Toes—
And fled with every one.
Sometimes she still thinks she is a little savage, a little scared of the threat civilized walls, passing her days hiding away from stone bricks and sunshine and sentiment. Guarding the words under her tongue like a jealous magpie at the nest; sparkling tokens deemed too vital, too damning, too dangerously personal, to share. But she crows and she mimics and she plays, happy to be the clown that surely must be too foolish to have any baubles worth guarding.
Khoba smiles long and often, often with too much tooth for the lasting kitten-roundness of the rest of her face; a pointy, pearly grin that promises mischief.
Naturally dusky-skinned, with a small but well-built frame; 4 fulms, 11 ilms tall and weighing 111 ponze. Khoba is short but not lacking in strength, balancing some feminine curves with dense muscle. Every ilm of her othrwise petite form is shaped with lean, dense muscle that points at a very physical life, with her weight centered low on wider hips and thighs below a more modest chest. 'Stocky' and 'sturdy' are her descriptors of choice, though she can claim at least some womanly charm in her physique.
Her eyes are honey-orange in color and paired with the large, permanently rounded pupils of her race. Pale gold hair with marginally lighter, sun-bleached ends is generally inexpertly trimmed and a bit on the messy side. She almost always sports long blunt bangs, and the hair framing her freckled face is left longer than the back, though often plaited or tied into bundles. Like all miqo'te she bears feline ears and a tassel-ended tail covered in fur the same shades as her hair. Her teeth are sharper than other hominid races, most notably on canines an bicuspids. Her skin is laced with myriad little scars and a generous coat of freckles, most prominent along her shoulders, back and hips.
Scars & Markings:
Most of her body carries scars of varying size and type;most notable is a scar bisecting her right eyebrow and trailing onto her cheek below.
The sole of her right foot bares a faint tattoo of a dandelion puff and a few drifting seeds.
So many freckles-- most prominent across her shoulders, back, and hips.
Clothing: Attire of choice is usually something simple, light, and not overly restrictive of motion. While appreciative of the workmanship, she tends to shun anything too formal or pretty, knowing she will inevitably ruin it.
Voice Model:Natalie Morales (Language warning on the link, nsfw!)
She has (an undetermined mount of) dust bunnies as pets.
Snarky smirky cat.
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“I am what I am. I would tell you what you want to know if I could, for you have been kind to me. But I am a cat, and no cat anywhere ever gave anyone a straight answer.”
-Peter S. Beagle, in The Last Unicorn
At first, second, and tenth glance Khoba seems an easy read; relaxed, playful, friendly, and irreverent. Rarely without a smile and a quip, the Keeper is nearly an inexhaustible fount of amiability and good-humor. Beneath the initial bright veneer of open friendliness (oft crossing the line into flirtiness) and joking she greets the world with, Khoba remains much the same though a bit less rampantly and inexhaustibly cheerful. She is quite capable of seriousness and calm, and keenly enjoys inaction as deeply as she does action; a time and place for each. As a firm believer that life is to be enjoyed, she will take it upon herself to ensure the smiles or laughter of those around her. There are few lengths she would not go to for the sake of humor and general cheer. Moments of introspection or reflection are saved for privacy, and even then are few and far between. With her feet planted and her eyes ahead, Khoba does not spend much time looking behind her, and is happier for it.
Humor, sarcasm, and easy banter are staples of her socialization and thought processes, and the miqo'te at times can seem hardly able to make it two sentences without some raillery. A jovial habit developed by choice, in company Khoba perpetually seeks to retain and share a sense of ease and friendly comfort. Quick to initiate or reciprocate physical contact, the Keeper enjoys being close to others in the most basic sense of the word.
Though she makes friends readily enough, Khoba does not quickly nor easily adopt others into close confidence nor camaraderie, instead maintaining a loose gathering of fair-weather companions. Raised of a small, highly traditional Keeper tribe in the Shroud, the largely nomadic and hermetic upbringing of her most formative years simply has her accustomed to constant flux and inconsistent company. Quite happy enough alone or with fair-weather friends and passing acquaintances, Khoba may simply lack the more basic social skills of standard culture to cultivate a strong or lasting web of companionship. Those she comes to truly care for, however, are assured unyielding loyalty and a lifetime of affectionate teasing. In this same vein, any perceived betrayal is keenly felt and rattles the miqo'te to the core, and she has never learned to forgive and forget. Major sleights are remembered, kept locked tight beneath her ribs, but very rarely reviewed or resolved.
Few things raise her ire, but she will not hesitate to make her anger obviously known in a moment of temper. She does not seek nor shy from physical confrontation, and genuinely prefers coming to blows over trying to articulate turbulent thoughts (and not at all because she might be a bit of a masochist and enjoys a good scrap a little more than what might be normal). Personal upset and sadness are generally handled discreetly, tucked away behind more smiles until a moment of privacy. Khoba holds her personal feelings and sentiments very closely guarded, only rarely and very unwillingly sharing them with others. Most attempts to glean personal information from the Keeper will be deflected with humor, or likely given a different and clearly fabricated answer at each asking.
Beneath her nonchalance and easygoing nature, the conjurer may be a surprisingly steady individual, unwavering in her honesty and steadfast in her word. She knows herself to be prone to selfishness and possessiveness by nature or nurture or some mix of the two, and so keeps her personal possessions few but highly regarded. Constant travel makes such a thing easy, though, and if asked she will claim not to feel as though she is at all lacking.
Khoba likes to speak and, perhaps surprisingly, likes to listen-- to learn and to see and to try everything for herself. Very fond of trees and shade. Her manners are often a bit rough or unrefined in familiar company. Born of her innate happiness to be immobile and lazy or just a rare good trait for the impish conjurer, Khoba has a deep well of patience that rarely runs dry, though with a handful of immediately obvious exceptions. Children being one of the most obvious.
Likes
Rocks, trees, dirt
Sleeping
Sweets
Chocobos
Swimming, hot baths
Physical affection
Booze
Dislikes
Heat
Shoes
Tea
Children
Seriousness
Fears
Heights
Enclosed spaces
Children
Responsibility in general
Getting old and boring
Trivia
Favorite Food: Pastry fish, tuna miq'abob
Favorite Drink: Mint lassi, whiskey and cream
Favorite Color: Blue
"Don't say anything, because I see that you understand me, and I am afraid of your understanding. I have such a fear of finding another like myself, and such a desire to find one! I am so utterly lonely, but I also have such a fear that my isolation be broken through, and I no longer be the head and ruler of my universe. I am in great terror of your understanding by which you penetrate into my world; and then I stand revealed and I have to share my kingdom with you.”
-Anaïs Nin
Color Key
♥ In A Relationship: Name is romantically involved with this character.
♥ Romantic Attraction: Name is romantically interested in this character.
♥ Sexual Attraction Name is physically interested in this character.
♥ Platonic Love/Family: Name considers this person family.
♦ Friend: Name considers this person her friend.
♦ Friendly Acquaintance: Name considers this person mostly friendly, or as an ally.
● Good Standing: Name has no specific feelings about this character, however they left a good impression.
● Neutral: Name has no specific feelings about this character.
● Bad Standing: Name has no specific feelings about this character, however they left a bad impression.
♠ Dislike: Name doesn't consider this person a friend, and will talk if needed, but try to avoid them.
♠ Hate: Name consider this person an annoyance, and will try to avoid them. Conflict can happen.
♠ Fear: Name is terrified by this character, and will try to avoid them at all cost.
♠ Rivalry: Name consider this person a rival, and will try to initiate conflict every time she gets to meet them.
♥ Family Member: This character is related by blood to Name.
✔ Business: This character is either an Name's employer, employee, or coworker.
✖ Deceased: This character has passed away.
?Hidden Feelings/Unknown: This character has one of all the color keys above, but Name isn't fully aware of it yet.
NPC
Kinmune(♥)( NPC ) - Noble Steed
Khoba's chocobo, of plain stock and un-extraordinary in nearly every way beyond temperament. To Khoba, though, he is the finest travel companion she could wish for, and she considers the bird dearest family. She takes fastidious care of the chocobo, seeing his feathers, beak, and claws are always well-cleaned and polished; often even before tending to her own care. Her loyal steed in every stereotypically romantic sense of the term.
Khoba's father, a city-born Keeper who adopted the tribal lifestyle to live with Khoba's mother after their child's birth, despite the unabashed disdain of the clan's Matriarch. A childhood of watching her father need duck his head and hold his tongue to retain his place, even on the fringes, of their clannish society has made Khoba intensely protective of her father. They have shared an easy and close bond all their lives, and even in her wanderings Khoba never fails to send letters and trinkets home.
Khoba's grandmother and the yet-reining Tahlu clan Matriarch. Khoba learned much under Riahm's tutelage as she grew, though learned to both respect and detest the woman. They share pride and stubborness in spades, and Riahm's rigidity opposed to Khoba's lax nature rarely let the two see eye to eye. Khoba has not seen her grandmother since the day she left the clan grounds at the age of fifteen, and does not wish to.
A hyuran Wood Wailer, and Khoba's childhood friend. Nearly a decade of friendship have kept the two one-troublemakers still thick as thieves. Penn is the closest thing Khoba ever had to a sibling, and treats the man much like a brother. Namely, endless torment.
Name Goes Here( Status Icons Go Here )( NPC ) - Title Given By Character Goes Here
A hyuran doctor and medic. Khoba had, accidentally, found it perhaps a bit too easy to share personal thoughts and details with the charming doctor, and his willingness for frank conversation often left her thirsting for more time in his company. Being asked a rather unexpected favor had only made her more curious and amenable to the man, eager to see what sort of fun (or trouble) the dashing 'doctor' might bring her direction. More and more she found herself absently pacing his trail, perhaps a bit too eager for his company and attention but entirely out of her depth in addressing the impulse. Her lack of communication, or a bout of uncharacteristic caution on her part, drove a wedge into her opinion of the man. Though likely entirely her own fault, Khoba considers her trust in the man broken and is very much attempting to avoid further contact.
Khoba's closest friend, and the first to ever make her regret not having siblings. Possessed of a steady head and a usually sunny disposition, Khoba has enjoyed an easy rapport with Leo since their first meeting. She keeps a very fine opinion of the man, endeared by his loyalty to his friends and the evident depth of care for any and all around him. With Leo, Khoba believes to have found a friend with which to appreciate the finer, and stupider, points of comedy. He is also very much a fan of bear hugs, a commodity Khoba has sorely missed.
Though evidently a mutual acquaintance to more than a couple of her friends, Khoba finally met Kodaro properly through their time in a shared adventurer's guild. It has not taken long for Khoba to decide she very much likes the Seeker, sharing common ground in amiable cheer, playfulness, and an enjoyment for sparring. Training spars turned snowball fights have only endeared him further to Khoba, who very much values anyone willing to take time for fun in an otherwise over-serious world. Ko has consistently proven himself to be fantastic company, more than willing to tease and play and scrap.
Khoba loves this charming elezen thief, though often expresses the sentiment in less profound and pretty ways than what he likely deserves for his patience and affection. Her heart found it's way safe into Emil's pocket despite the uncertainties and confusion that seem keen to steadily arise on their joined paths. Familial ties have Emil making forays into Ishgardian territory; Khoba is not happy about the arrangement (not a fan of any clime which requires shoes, or company which requires stuffy manners), but there are few lengths she will not go to for a loved one and so she does her best to tolerate. She accompanies him when she is able-- and is (slowly) learning to treat his once-estranged father more kindly though forgiveness still feels impossible to the stubborn cat. Long stretches of time apart from the elezen strain Khoba's sense of well-being a bit more than she will ever admit, but she does her best to ignore the problems with sleep, company, and travel.
A hyur fellow met on a contracted run of their shared freelance guild, Pathfinders. Evidently earnest and committed, it did not take long for Khoba to take advantage of the lancer's innocent optimism and convince him she had actual plans to kidnap a local thaumaturge to heat a personal, artificial hot-spring. Needless to say, Khoba finds Talan quite amusing and, given the opportunity, will likely continue abusing his naivete. Talan had once come under suspicion from shared comrades due to (what Khoba believes to be) circumstances beyond his control, and Khoba has all but promised ill-will to those who doubt or would intend to harm him.
Khoba had thought Eddard much too serious early in their acquaintance, and spent much of her time interacting with the hyur trying to brute force a bit of levity into his life. Many moons in his company had the Keeper quite fond of him, and appreciative though she never felt at liberty to admit as much-- she was quite sure the sentiment was unwelcome, inappropriate, and very unreciprocated. With the eventual revelation that she was becoming too keen on him and a rather bristly last encounter, Khoba has stubbornly avoided further contact and company. She thinks on him here and there, usually when visiting Thanalan, but has no means to try mend the bridge. A touchy topic.
A friend of friends, met on a journey through Coerthas. This proper lalafellin lady is entirely too much fun to tease, in Khoba's humble opinion. Small in stature but with a heart quite a bit larger than most, Khoba may admit, if pressed, to a burgeoning protective streak of the little lady, a bit too aware of what the world's teeth can do to the kind-hearted.
A miqo'te woman initially met by chance on free-company grounds and subsequently becoming something Khoba will cautiously but optimistically call a friend. Tadhara is, in Khoba's observation, grounded, reliable, earnest, and perhaps a bit too easy to trick. Though generally fond of pranks and tricks, Tadhara's seemingly unending well of faith in Khoba's own sparse morality is slowly but surely sapping the mischievous conjurer of the desire to let any of said pranks or tricks fall on this darling miqo'te's head. Khoba might, slowly, be feeling just a little protective of the other cat.
One of the first female miqo'te Khoba could admit a definite and unbiased fondness for after her unpleasant experiences in her home tribe. This violet-haired, gold-hearted miqo'te woman is Khoba's best friend. Vesna's seemingly perfunctory honesty is deeply, if quietly, appreciated (and makes Khoba feel just a bit guilty for her own habit of deflecting), and Vesna's ease with care and smiles even moreso. There is a steadiness and reliability in Vesna that often makes Khoba stand a bit taller in unconscious imitation of her dear friend. While there is clearly more to Miss Vesna than Khoba is privy to, the Keeper has never been one to mind when people wish to keep their secrets secret and, no matter the road, would fight tooth and nail to defend her and those things she keeps guarded.
A gladiator Khoba met during a foray into Ul'dah. Though they seem to share little in the way of experience and lifestyle, Khoba is uncommonly fond of the man. She has a keen interest in helping him enjoy the world and greet it honestly, and has found she learns much from their simple conversation. Zeean is the first person Khoba seeks when she is troubled enough to wish outside aid, trusting the older miqo'tes advice as an apparent Thanalan-based substitute for her Gridania-located father. Zeean's unwavering patience with the younger Keeper have only endeared her further to the man, and despite the gap in their years and experience Khoba has developed a definite protective streak on his behalf.
Name Goes Here( Status Icons Go Here )( PC ) - Title Given By Character Goes Here
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Name Goes Here( Status Icons Go Here )( PC ) - Title Given By Character Goes Here
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Some of these rumors are untrue, speculation, or are greatly exaggerated. Please feel free to add your own rumors under the Player Character category, or send me a note on Discord, in-game, etc. and I'll happily include your rumor here if you don't want to deal with all the messy code-text!
NPC
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◢ Common Rumors - Easily overheard. Use these freely!
■ "She used to cause a damn ruckus at the Conjurer's guild. Can't imagine how she ever passed her studies." -Stillglade Greens-Tender
■ "Raucous little thing. Mouth's bigger than she is high, it seems. Pays her tabs, at the least." -Barkeep
■ "Lhyr? Used to scale the walls at night. Even worse when she learned to shape the earth to move under them. She's been far afield and a-foot for a handful of years now." -Wood Wailer
◢ Uncommon Rumors -A little more difficult to hear, but found when looking in the right places.
■ "Seems she spends more on gyshal greens and saddle-upkeep than anything she could use for herself." -Merchant
■ "She's Lhyr'a's sprout-- leatherworker fellow, lives just outside Gridania. Neighbors say she nips out her window most nights, sleeps on the roof instead." -Wood Wailer
■ "Bah, pest, she is. Three times I caught her throwing shoes at the bowsprit. Ran off laughing when we yelled. Never came back for her boots, neither." -Lominsan Dockworker
◢ Rare Rumors -More rarely overheard. Feel free to use IC, but someone would need to have done some digging to find.
■ "She was driven from her birth clan, years and years ago. I've not seen hide nor hair of her around these old hunting trails since." -Keeper Clanswoman
■ "Seen her poking about Ul'dah's walls now and then, outside and a ways off the road. Conjuring stones, hopping about and seeing how high she could get before a Blade chased her off." -Caravaneer
■ "Mm? The little blonde conjurer? Ah, yes, sold her a room key, now and then. Seems every time I see her she's got some new bruise or limp or nick in her ear. Always gone well before morning." -Innkeep
PC
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◢ Player Character Rumors -Feel free to add rumors of your own!
■ "She's a good lass, smart and strong. Honest, too. Nobody who ain't honest can walk as she does, without a mask, or without shoes. But, honestly, she should get some shoes, its fuckin' hot out here, damn Khoba listen to yar father fer once!" - Zeean Wraithor
■ "Sometimes I think she tries to make me angry, twisting my words into something bad. I don't understand why she laughs at me so much, but I am glad there is somebody else in this world that still remembers to play and have fun." - Syf Kha
■ "She's an inexplicable example of someone that gets under my skin while being enjoyable at the same time. Despite her mischief, she never means poorly. I appreciate her in a way I really can't describe." - Eddard Holt
"The happy ending cannot come in the middle of the story.”
-Peter S. Beagle
Stories are in no particular order.
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Songs included likely set some mood appropriate for Khoba at some spot in her story. Lyrics may not necessarily reflect the views of me or my character. Please mind your speakers/headphones when clicking links as volume may not be standardized between them!
Spotify Playlist (Mooncalled) Way Out There Artist: Lord Huron Gonna wander out there and see what I'm worth. Girls Artist: Marina and the Diamonds Girls are not meant to fight dirty? Birthright Artist: Sleeping at Last She was raised by wolves
Sheep in Wolves Clothes Artist: Little Hurrican From your head down to your toes, you're a sheep in wolves’ clothes. I Burn Artist: Casey Williams You’re starting up a fight that you just can’t finish Bohemian Dances Artist: The Do The best is never around if you're trying too hard
Old Pine Artist: Ben Howard Careless and young, free as the birds that fly Every Other Freckle Artist: alt-J I’m gonna kiss you like the sun browns you Wrecking Ball Artist: Mother Mother I made a fist and not a plan Animal Artist: Badflower I'm your masochist, make me bleed
Personal RP Limits
■ I will play mature content and themes (violence, sexuality, drug / alcohol use) as long as they're consensual OOC, or fit into a plot-driven encounter. Coarse and excessive language a-okay. Injury or incapacitation is fine, Khoba has a habit of picking fights she has no business winning. Temporary imprisonment okay. All walk-up encounters welcome, or always feel free to shoot me a tell! I'm very easygoing and just love that sweet sweet co-op writing!
■ Ask about Permanent injury and/or disfigurement. Long-term captivity or imprisonment.
■ I won't play Unplanned permanent character death.!
Disclaimer
■ If an aspect of my writing makes you uncomfortable in a scene we're playing, please send me a /tell letting me know! Communication is very important, more important than potentially keeping immersion. Khoba can be a bit of a potty mouth and she likes to push her 'humor' as far as she thinks the other party will let her. If she steps over a line IC or OOC, feel free to tell me to rein her in a bit, or bite back at her IC! All here to have fun, and make fun for other folks with a silly, scrappy healer. If ever uncertain about or interested in something RP-wise, just shoot me a /tell! I am willing to talk anything out and generally amenable to anything that makes for a good story.
Links Out
Links that lead off the wiki, but are technically relevant to the character.
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Time Zone/Server
■ Time Zone: US Central
■ Server: Balmung
Credit
Thanks to everyone for the coding! If I miss anyone do let me know and I will credit where it is due!
