Flower: Tatarian AsterAppearance and Personality:Hello, I'm Nui! I'm a girl, but more importantly I'm a fox! And not just any fox either, I've got lots of tails–nine of them! People say that foxes are supposed to get a new tail for every century they've lived, but that probably isn't true. I'm not that old! I've had all of mine since I was a kid. Foxes come in lots of different colors, so my hair and fur are white. My eyes are just a plain brown, but I have one less thing to disguise when sneaking into places that don't like people who look different. And before you ask, I'm not short! I'm 5'2"–which is a totally normal height for my age! It's not my fault that all my friends are literally trees…
Anyway, Gramps and the others all say I'm pretty lively and a bit of a tomboy. Usually I'm pretty easygoing, but it really annoys me when people are rude or treat you differently based on how you look. I used to climb trees and play pranks when I was younger but I don't do that as much anymore; especially since I'm mostly bailing out one of my friends from getting into trouble. You wouldn't believe me if you saw him, but he's more of a kid than all of us combined.
I usually keep my hair short, above my shoulders. I used to have bangs in the front but it was a bother to get them trimmed so often so I just let them grow out. Having long hair is nice but it takes a long time to dry. Don't get me started on how much time it takes for me to comb and fluff my tails. I'm not a picky eater. My favorite foods are udon noodles, baked sweet potatoes, chestnuts, and sweets! One of my friends makes the best red bean jelly in the village–almost as good as the ones you can buy in the capital. He's a really good cook too, his girlfriend's super lucky she nabbed him!
I like cute stuff too like hairpins, jewelry, and clothes. Cats are the best, the fluffier the better! I'm ok with dogs, but sometimes they get a little too excited. My dislikes are spicy food, bitter food, rainy weather, Ignius heat, and geese. Don't laugh! I'm serious! You don't understand–those birds are
pure evil. I bet there's a place in the Circles of Infernos that's entirely filled with them, with their biting beaks and black, beady eyes…
History:I've always lived in the Hachiuji Temple (八有寺) ever since I was a kid. The name means 'Temple of Eight Existences'. Contrary to popular belief, it didn't get its name because there were eight founding families (八氏) in the village–but because the first abbot established it as a place that welcomed everyone, no matter who or what they were. Gramps said I was left there when I was a couple years old. I guess I don't remember anything before that, but I'm fine with it. I asked Gramps who my parents were and why they left me there, and he told me he didn't know. He never lied to me, and the other uncles at the temple were always nice even though I was a fox. I gave Gramps a hard time as a kid–I mean when you're only five it's hard to sit still and memorize verses for hours! And sometimes I'd steal sweets in between meals, try to sneak out so I could skip chores, and climb trees. There weren't any other kids my age in the temple, so when Gramps was busy I'd get bored. One day he said I was old enough to have my first trip outside, and we walked to the village below the temple. I was so excited that I tripped, but I finally got to meet other people. We found a group of village kids playing games, and I joined in. That was when I first met my two best friends: Rashomaru and his little brother.
We always stuck together, even when the other kids didn't want to play with us anymore. We'd visit each other at least once a week if the weather was good. I'd go down to play at their house and they'd come up to see me. When I finally wasn't a kid anymore, Gramps and the other monks helped me get my own house not too far away. That's why I've been working at Rashomaru and Genji's family restaurant for the past few years; I wanted to repay all the help Gramps and those uncles gave me from the very beginning. It's not easy raising kids that aren't your own, especially if they're not human. Hopefully things will change here so people like me won't have to hide our real selves in public. Even though it's a small town, things are getting better little by little. I'm sure one day everybody will all sit together under the cherry trees in Terra to welcome in the new year without masks or disguises, just like the temple's first abbot wanted.
Relationships:- Genzo/Gramps (Head Priest of Hachiuji Monastery) - adoptive parent figure
- Rashomaru Kaname - Childhood friend
- Genjiro Kaname - Childhood friend
- Enya Ito - Genjiro's girlfriend
- Effie Godfrey - Rashomaru's girlfriend
- Attie - New friend from Canelux (deceased)
- Toya Rose-Wintercrest - 'Role Model'
- Kite Rose-Wintercrest - Toya's grandson
Talents and Abilities:Growing up with Gramps, I learned a lot when it came to making charms and talisman spells. Most of it was for protection and defensive stuff, but in some situations you can use them offensively too. Instead of doing a lot of damage, they're good for keeping people safe or making enemies easier to take down. I can even use them to ward off areas if I have enough of them. They're not as strong as normal magical attacks, but I can keep them hidden and make more in advance. I also know a handful of written spells from some exorcist scrolls. I'm also really good at haggling! It's how I got a lot of my favorite clothes and hairpins. There's a lot of vendors who try to pull a fast one on you if they can, so it's important to know how valuable the stuff you're buying really is. They really hate it if you make a fuss since they don't want to be found out, so they'll cave if you press hard enough.
Nui's Foxfire Diary:
