「 strategy · S T E A L T H 」

Though Aurore is fairly confident with defending herself, she prefers a stealthy approach when dealing with hostiles—if given a choice, she’d prefer to merely observe from a distance and avoid direct conflict as much as possible. Even if she is slightly stronger than an average human, she can be easily overpowered by other purebreds and is further handicapped by her small stature. Because of her disadvantages, she would have to strike when enemies least expect it. Averse to killing, she’d prefer to render enemies incapacitated and let others deal the final blow.


「 weapons · P O L E A R M   and   K N I V E S 」

「 polearm 」

• A light yet sturdy metal rod. There’s no gimmick to it besides being able to retract from a length of five feet to a compact half foot. It is secured onto a custom made holster fastened onto one of her lower thighs.


「 throwing knives 」(Locked)

• Light and razor-sharp knives used for attacking or simple cutting. For strategic uses, a metal wire can be tied onto the hole of the handle. She has four on each custom made holster fastened onto her upper arms. The holsters are concealed by her long sleeves.



「 arcane · L I G H T N I N G   sub   N A T U R E 」

「 powers 」

• Discharge : Because of her natural affinity to the lightning-type arcane, Aurore can send out electrical discharges from her body. The strength ranges from prickly yet harmless static to mildly dangerous charges that may cause paralysis or defibrillation. This power is extremely limited to the reach of her limbs, which she solves by extending the range with the metal polearm. Each discharge is brief, the longest she can withhold it is five seconds. She sometimes has no control over activating it when she feels strong emotions. Whenever she gets too excited, the short tufts of her hair and fur tend to stand and puff up.
• Spark Flower (Locked) : Utilizing a single flower seed, Aurore can grow flowers embedded with potentially fatal electrical energy. They act like electrical landmines and activate when they catch vibrations or when touched directly; they can stick to any surface which roots can latch onto. The shock can be as strong as a regular taser and may temporarily paralyze those who come in contact with it; it may also damage machinery to a certain extent. Aurore cannot produce many of these flowers as they consume lots of energy. Quality versus quantity; the stronger the flower the lesser the amount produced.


「 spells 」

• Lightning bolt (Beginner)
• Plant growth and manipulation (Beginner)

「 kind · skittish · meticulous · playful · temperamental 」

Aurore is quiet and would shy away from strangers when approached; these palpable qualities often obscure her affectionate and frisky nature which she only shows to people she’s comfortable with. Despite being friendly, she is extremely reluctant to trust others because of the fear of re-experiencing mistreatment and exploitation. She observes people and keeps to mind her impressions of them. As much as she remembers every act of kindness, she remembers each wrong done to her with unfaltering clarity. 

Not a person of many words, she often expresses herself through action. She is bad in holding onto conversations, thus she would often try to find a way to excuse herself and walk away. Although, she is very different around the people she cares for. She shows her affection through physical touch: hugging, nuzzling, clinging, and other ways for her to be able to feel one’s warmth—she can get a little too playful at times though. She loves doing things to make others happy.

Despite her seemingly innocent appearance, she is capable of being mischievous and would hurt others if the situation calls for it. 


[ 185 : words ]

「 likes ×  dislikes 」

+ Playing with zippers
+ Silver’s cooking
+ Fragrant scents
+ Feeling warmth
+ Getting petted
+ Shiny things
+ Butterflies
+ Her mom
+ Flowers
+ Sashimi
+ Food
- Touched inappropriately 
- Judgmental people
- Disgusting odors
- Desadora
- Aciescar
- Collars

「 summary 」

Just like the many victims of war, Aurore and her human mother were survivors—whilst her Terrifera father a casualty—from the genocide that took place in Anima 18 years ago. They moved to Defluo in the hope of forgetting the nightmare and have a quieter life. Being a Halfling, Aurore found it difficult to cope especially since their relatives refuse to support them and discrimination was still apparent. Throughout her childhood and adolescence, she tolerated the many adversities both she and her mother had to face. It was some time during her high school years was she able to find comfort in peers who suffer the same maltreatment she did, and eventually find few other humans besides her mother who accept her. Because they are strained financially, they couldn’t afford enrolling her into a college upon graduating—and so she joined the Aciescar Army in hopes of improving their quality of living. In exchange of years of service, she was promised education and financial support…and the chance to be rid of the collar which symbolized the Aciescar Empire’s oppression against those who aren’t human.


[ 185 : words ]

m e m o i r

---

life · M E T A M O R P H O S I S

「 stage i . E G G 」

Born into a world plagued with war, it didn’t take long for Aurore—even at such a young age—to realize life had been cruel and unfair. For her…and for everyone.

Her oldest memories were the acrid stench of burning bodies, sweltering air that made it difficult to see and to breathe, wet tears dripping down on her from her mother’s face, and the warmth of her father’s blood pooling next to her. Everything else was a montage of horrific scenes that beleaguered her dreams night after night. She was only six when the genocide transpired in the capital of Anima. With her father gone, she and her mother were left to cope on their own.

Upon moving to Defluo to start anew, Aurore began to forget the nightmares brought by Desadora against the Aciescar Empire . . . as well as the good memories left behind by her father. Because of this, she focused more on present struggles and didn’t let their loss affect her emotionally. Rather, she resented him for leaving them behind when her mother, who spent most of her married life as a humble housewife, found it difficult to support them both with the meager commissions she got from tailoring. All their surviving relatives refused to help them as they couldn’t acknowledge a Halfling as part of their kin, and thus Aurore began to even resent her very own existence—further reminded by the tight collar rung around her neck. To the little girl, the collar was like a noose or guillotine she can never escape from. 

“Only humans have the privilege to breathe without restraint, to never fear the risk of losing their head—the Aciescar Empire is a force never to be reckoned with, and we must place all our trust with them,” that was what her own school taught her in repetition like a broken record day after day, year after year. That vision made itself more important than any arcane or history lessons that the school could ever provide. Being in a school where majority were humans, it was impossible to be brainwashed into believing that norm was righteous...especially if you aren’t one of them. Coping with the discrimination was nearly impossible as well because even among the minority, she wasn’t accepted either. Being a Halfling—a cur as some would call her—she was always in the gray area. The only human who ever accepted and loved her was her own mother.


「 stage ii . C A T E R P I L L A R 」

Her home was the only place she can be at peace where else she received cold gazes filled with disgust from adults and children alike. Still little then, she could never understand why when she had never done anything bad worth being condemned for. It hurt knowing she was discriminated merely for what she looked like—not looking completely human or Terrifera either. Upon reaching high school at the age of 12, she eventually grew apathetic to the mistreatment. Normally she’d steer away when trouble decided to reveal itself, but one such day became an exception. 

A chance encounter by the playground had led her to find two Halflings, twins who seem significantly younger and smaller than her, getting hit by rocks thrown by other children. Driven by emotion, she defended them—and because she felt the pain of getting hit—in anger, she grabbed a nearby bench twice her size and almost hit one of the human children hurting them. In fear, the children ran away. She then approached the two Halflings but they ran away from her too; much to her surprise they clung to a human boy close to her age. “Big brother,” they cried. Rebuffed and dejected, she scuttled away from them only to be stopped by the human boy who wanted to treat her injuries. Though she rejected his offer, she was forcefully carried to their home where their father, a human doctor, attended to her. Ever since that day she found herself occasionally visiting them, as she was drawn by the existence of two other Halflings just like her.

In time Aurore got closer to the twin Halflings and began to accept two other humans besides her mother, the human boy named Silver and his father. She was especially fond of the father as he was kind and gentle, but the boy on the other hand…not very. Though there was never a time Silver hurt her, they rarely converse or even see each other ever since they met—just aggrieved of his absence when his Halfling siblings need him the most.

Wanting to better defend herself and the twins from the continual bullying, after school, she would secretly watch martial arts lessons from a dojo that had been long established on the island. The Master, an old Vulusfera, eventually found her practicing one day; instead of getting angry or driving her away, he told her to train with them as she would be able to learn better. Even if the old man merely pitied her, she was just thankful she could learn from him where he didn’t ask for anything in return.


「 stage iii . P U P A 」

Aurore persevered and eventually graduated high school when she turned 17; though because they couldn’t afford for her to continue through college, she had to start working alongside her mother. Besides tailoring, her mother began working at the market and so Aurore insisted on helping especially since their savings were for her to continue studying one day. She focused more on delivering groceries to clients who were either too old or live too far from the market. Most of their clients were rude, but there were times they were kind—but one particularly had a strong effect on her . . . and it wasn’t good. 

Every time she would have to deliver to a particular client, a middle-aged human, he would give extra pay if she were to do “favors” for him. Every favor was horrible especially since she never understood his strange requests, and he would report her if she was to be disobedient; and because of her own naivety it became worse as it went by. She couldn’t bear it anymore when the man was drunk one night; she ran out of the man’s house only to be stopped when he pulled on her collar. When it began to squeeze around her neck, warning her of imminent decapitation, she feared dying more than anything especially after every beep that sounded like a death toll.

Just before it tolled ten, she heard a loud noise and just suddenly found herself wrapped in warmth. Confused, she immediately touched her head to check if it was still there and eventually looked up to see a familiar face. ‘Had Silver been this tall before?’ she first asked herself before realizing Silver arrived in time and had knocked out the drunken man. However he managed to find her, she didn’t care but she was glad he did. Tears just ran down her face after.

She was brought back to Silver’s home to have his father check her for any injuries; thankfully she only had light bruises. As she was getting treated she thought that many people, especially humans, were cruel…but there are few with unwavering kindness. And on impulse, she couldn’t help but tell the man, “I wish you were my father. Maybe mom would've been happier…and maybe life would be better if I were human instead.” 

In silence, the man merely smiled sadly and patted her.


「 stage iv . B U T T E R F L Y 」

Ever since that horrific incident, Aurore stopped delivering groceries and was asked by her mother to help in her new job at a small restaurant—fearing for her daughter’s safety, she wanted her to be with her more often. Aurore then watched the years go by and everyone around her get older and taller—even the twins surpassed her height. Somehow, that made her sad yet happy at the same time. Unfortunately time wasn’t so kind to her mother’s body. Noticing her mother found it difficult to do tasks around the restaurant, Aurore realized they couldn’t keep this up for long.

Overhearing customers’ conversation, she learned of a way to improve one’s quality of living. In exchange of years of service, the Aciescar Army promised education and financial support…and a chance to be rid of the collar.

Wanting a better life for both her and her mother, she applied as a soldier in the Aciescar Army. 


[ 1400 : words ]