#luwia

I got tagged by @theticklishpear about the handwriting of my OC’s, but I have...so many... that I had to weed out which ones from which of my headworlds to do.

So I went with my oldest! Luwia, and a small portion of my cast for it.

rules: describe your OC’s handwriting, and tag seven people

Here goes! :

Sutraan : Depends how tired they are, but even at their best their handwriting looks big and childish because their hands lack the fine motor control necessary to coordinate very well. They also can’t draw a straight line to save their life, which doesn’t help with several writing systems. So the fact that their handwriting is even legible at all is the result of lifelong and constant efforts to keep it that way. It’s a source of insecurity for them, and they avoid writing anything down because of it.

Luta : Despite being a member of the medical profession (in some form) Luta’s handwriting is still legible to the average person, but whether they’ll understand what he’s written is another matter. He writes thinly and tightly, mostly for his own benefit, but has had an education that requires men to have elegant handwriting. The result is a mixed style that can still be considered ‘pretty’ but also somewhat lax.

Gafa : Blocky and functional. She doesn’t care much as long as it can be read. Her native language has a writing system made up of straight lines and corners, and even her handwriting in other languages reflect this original learning experience : well separated letters written boldly, with few round parts.

Jilu Qasini : He doesn’t have a fixed handwriting style. His handwriting is either as sloppy or elegant as he needs. This is a result of training and ambidexterity in childhood, and he uses it to full effect when he needs to forge somebody’s handwriting. Which comes in handy since his ‘job’ involves a lot of it.

Mataahi : Sutraan’s mother. She grew up around a lot of writing styles, languages and scripts. Her own mother expected a lot from her, including a certain amount of diplomacy and negotiating ability. This meant her handwriting needed to balance being as legible and elegant as possible. It formed a habit that tends to carry over no matter what and how she’s writing.

What is your character’s ethnic background?

Although living in Erutsi territory, Sutraan’s mother comes from the Saraani, a people who live in more southerly climes than the cold Erutsi lands. The Saraani have a rich history of coming from a nomadic lifestyle that eventually settled in their current lands very gradually, a land consisting of a mix of open plains, long rivers and isolated mountain peaks. They never quite lost their travel bug however, and a rite of passage into adulthood requires that they take a year-long trip to as many places they can in that span of time and come home with contacts and connections that can benefit the whole nation.

Find a face claim for your character and identify the differences.

I have no name for this person, but I was impressed when I found this photo because no-one else has come close to looking like Sutraan.

What are your character’s weaknesses?

Since Sutraan grew up in a hostile environment, ze is always on guard for the next problem. It makes hir seem hard and unapproachable, even intimidating. It also makes it hard for hir to open up to people, and those who might actually otherwise like hir then find hir offputting. Taking on so much responsibility so young also cause hir to have less than positive feelings about taking ‘dumb’ risks and anything ze perceives as thoughtlessness. Ze tends to overwork hirself and does not do well at taking care of hirself when others are in need. Since Sutraan also grew up taking care of hir sick brother, ze is used to needing to be frugal, and anything that seems like an unnecessary luxury tends to annoy hir. It can even sometimes cause hir to dislike people without knowing much else about them, despite hir knowing ze should not jump to conclusions.

Sutraan’s Jino modifications seem pretty sweet, but they come with their own set of trade-offs:  ze has excellent long-range vision and night vision, but ze is also far-sighted and needs glasses to read; ze is extra strong but also lacks the fine motor control needed to be able to write properly (ze has terrible handwriting...); hir bones are hard to break, but their density makes them so heavy that ze sinks in water like a rock; ze’s ability to see heat helps ze spot things otherwise hidden, but it can also create red blind spots in hir vision if ze looks at hot things for too long; hir venom glands, though productive, also overfill and leak, requiring them to be milked regularly.

What are your character’s strengths?

Personality-wise, Sutraan has that iron will that comes from having to fight for everything and getting back up again when things go wrong. Ze’s also a fast learner, adapts quickly and has endless patience. Ze also has had the attention, since childhood, of a particular clan with worldwide influence called the Qasini. They control the Sanctuaries, a politically neutral institution that that promotes peaceful relations between nations with various cultural exchange programs. Officially. From them, and one member in particular, Sutraan gained something of an education in exchange for hir considering letting them adopt hir into their clan. It’s a fine line ze walks to keep their support, however limited, but ze knows how to use it to hir advantage.

Physically, Sutraan is what is called a Jino, someone who is genetically modified. This was done before birth, and it has given Sutraan certain advantages (but also disadvantages) compared to normal, baseline humans. Compared to the average, Sutraan has extra strength and tougher, denser bones that are very hard to break. Ze also has nightvision, and if you look at hir eyes from just the right angle you can see hir eyeshine. Most noticeably, ze has 2 small black spots between hir eyes and nose: these are heat sensing pits, and ze can ‘see’ heat as a red haze around hot things. Ze can also eat a wider variety of foods than normal and has a more efficient digestive system. On top of which, ze has venom glands in hir cheeks where two saliva glands would be.

What does your character have to lose?

Hir brother’s life, hir mother’s safety and hir cobbled-together family’s future. Essentially, everything ze values.

If Sutraan’s plan to go southward and try to get hir grandmother acknowledge hir as a member if her family fails, the ze will have lost everything ze owns for a long trip with no payoff and possibly get hir brother killed by his illness before he can be treated. 

It would also mean ze would have left behind hir mother with him to take care of alone and with no extra hands to help work to pay for his needs, and have left her to do so in a hostile environment.

It would mean the rest of them would likely feel abandoned and break apart, looking for somewhere else to live.

Where does your character stand on the alignment scale?

Firmly in the ‘chaotic good‘ section.

Sutraan grew up in a rules-heavy environment that often caused more harm than good, but that the powers that be kept in place to prevent ‘disorder and instability’. Ze therefore has no love for rules, but unmistakably has hir own sense of right and wrong, a personal set of morals that are more ‘principles’ than ‘rules’.