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art by me
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{NAME}Aike (Mercy) Jadon
{ALIASES}"Commander", "Governor", "Little Spider", "Pest"
{AGE}38
{GENDER, SEXUALITY}Nonbinary, uses any pronouns. She/he/they genuinely doesn't mind if someone sticks to one over the others, either. Pick one and Aike will roll with it.
Pansexual
{SPECIES/ETHNICITY}Human, Cortlan Adelan
{HEIGHT/BUILD}6'1", lean musculature
{OCCUPATION}Governor of Cortla; up for renewal every eight years. (Currently in second term)
Commander of Trapdoor Squadron Widow; the other members presently serve as part of their personal guard and are some of their best and closest friends.
{RESIDENCE}Skythread City, Cortla, Adela
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IN DEPTH STUFF
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{PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION}Build; Born and raised in Cortla, Aike has considerable upper body strength, with well defined shoulders and thighs. Tall and lean, their only "curve" is their hips, as their leg strength has similarly translated into a well-defined rear. This has earned them a little bit of teasing from their non-Cortlan friends, who comment on their resemblance to an actual spider in this regard. Aike takes it with some amusement and no shortage of rolling their eyes.
Color; Like many other Cortlans, Aike has a dark, warm skintone, deep black curly hair, and sage-green eyes.
Alterations; None, Aike is human and has all the trappings thereof.
Modifications; Aike has several body modifications, most noticeably that of their facial piercings. They have a simple metal bridge piercing, two symmetrical lip piercings, and a few others that are not easily seen. Like many other Cortlans, they chose to get banding style tattoos, with sets of two bands on their upper arms and thighs, as well as single bands on their wrists and ankles. They also have a few scars, again most noticeably on their face, with a line going over their right brow to their right cheekbone.
Dress; Aike is very, very rarely outside of their Trapdoor uniform. They only exchange it for other clothes when necessary, and it's a rare privilege to be trusted enough to see them in a more 'vulnerable' state. Their hair usually gets the same treatment, mostly kept in protective headwraps, especially against the canyon winds. But every now and again they'll let their hair down in a literal sense.
{PERSONALITY}- Poised; It's hard to tell if Aike has a phenomenal pain tolerance, or is too stubborn to show they're in pain at all. Whatever the case, they usually save any display of weakness for behind closed doors.
- Workaholic; Aike will often forgo decent sleep, or work through their meals in order to care for the day to day needs of their people. Headaches are a common ailment for them.
- Proud; They take their integrity very seriously, even well beyond typical Cortla devotion to honesty. Insult their honor in some way, and you can be sure Aike will remember it until their dying day.
- Affectionate; When Aike does become fond of a person, they're very physically affectionate. One can expect plenty of shoulder touches at the minimum, and full on snuggling at the maximum.
- Sarcastic; When Aike is comfortable with the people they're around, they become increasingly snarky. Cracking a wry joke is a mark of how much they hold someone in esteem.
- Exhausted and a little bit lonely; Less a personality trait and more a general state of being right now, Aike has given so much of the past eight years of their life to Cortla and Adela. Gladly and willingly, of course, but there's still a firm desire to be a part of something personal, and while they've had their share of trysts, the lack of any real lasting romantic relationship is taking a toll.
Fun Facts!:- Takes great comfort from playing string games like cat's cradle. If Aike needs to unwind, that's usually the first thing they do.
- Is a huge fan of the Funnel. Aike almost never misses a bout. Or those sweet and spicy locust kebabs.
- Is a heavy smoker, and will often smell of tobacco. They've got quite a collection of pipes.
- Has absolutely slept in their office. Multiple times.
{SPECIAL ABILITIES}Psychometric; when Aike touches a physical object, be it one of the many tripwires that criss-cross Cortla, or even a footprint in the dirt, they are given a very strong gut feeling about events that have transpired upon that object. Mostly this is in the form of feelings, whether the last person to touch was scared, or happy, or what have you. Makes for very handy tracking, and a lot less surprise when it comes to investigating trespassers on Cortlan lands.
Trapdoor; The specialised military that operates within the Cortlan territory. Rather than platoons and regiments, Cortla has soldiers known as "Trapdoors", who operate in small groups to protect the territory's borders as well as engage in major hunting. Trapdoors are masters at ambush and guerrilla tactics, using the environment to trap their targets and attack.
{RELATIONSHIPS}The Trapdoor Widows: Aike's very dearest friends. Rakal is the absolute best person to sit and bitch with. Sikke is quiet and usually sweet. Sitkal is the resident himbo. Others I'll eventually name and figure out.
Atsida: Brother in bond, and one of Aike's closest allies outside of Cortla. Has regular cross-territory meetings to reaffirm cooperation between their territories. Absolutely loves messing with him and calls him "Old Bird".
Enoka: Atsida's husband and also someone Aike considers a close friend. Even if the great big ostrich of a man insists on mimicking thunderstorms when they're around.
Enicea: Atsida and Enoka's wife. Though initially there was a whole lot of hostility, eventually Enicea and Aike became close friends, and their relationship is way calmer than the boys'.
Spoiler
As of late summer into their second term as Governor, Aike is five weeks pregnant. Who the father is, is anyone's guess, but plenty of rumors abound about potential sires. The most popular idea is, of course, that Aike is carrying a non-Cortlan bloodline, and that the sire is none other than the Great Horned Owl himself. Which is a great way to get yourself punched in the face.
A descendant of the first Governor of Cortla, Jadon, Aike always felt a lot of pressure to do right by their ancestors' stories, especially the ones involving brave warriors and fierce battles. Glorifying battle is leagues different from actually living it, and Cortla's tumultuous relationship with "Serenian interlopers" and raiders from the south have taught Aike the difference between tempered aggression and outright bloodlust. It was their even-tempered nature that saw Aike as a very popular candidate for Governorship, and for the past eight years they have devoted every last moment to the betterment of their homeland. Still, it's taken quite the toll, both from general exhaustion as well as being away from the wilderness for so long.
They've been proud to serve their country, but are keen to step down and go back to their old life. The problem is that some of the younger generation haven't quite learned their balance yet, and it's becoming harder to keep the angrier members of their territory in line. Who knows whether things will calm down enough for Aike to finally be able to retire.
{THE BEADS}Like all Cortlans, every bead in their braid has a story... Every year from their eighth summer onwards, Aike has added a bead and a story to the great tapestry of their life. Each bead means a different event.
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TIMELINE:
Winds of Change - M for child death mention.
Flashback thread - Set in the year Aike first gained Governorship and met the Owls of Talu.
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