Back again with another Sky OC!! This one is named Denali, and they serve as an Eden Guide. They're very good at what they do, too, but this turns out to not be the blessing it would seem to be. As a result of their talent at traversing Eden and protecting those they guide, they can't do anything else without feeling an immense sense of guilt. A moth could be struggling through Eden unnoticed, struck by rocks and krill to fall before reaching the storm without them there to help them through. Why aren't they doing that? Why aren't they helping? Why aren't they there? This ends up taking a severe toll on their mental health, because they end up guiding moths through Eden with seldom breaks that cannot be enjoyed because of the anxiety and guilt. Denali ends up getting severely burned out (shocker, I know) and basically goes into a self-destructive spiral that they don't show many signs of getting out of. Eventually, maybe through the help of a friend, maybe through some real introspection, they realize that this work/life balance is not healthy. At all. There are other Eden Guides, this is not the burden they're making it out to be. Eventually they come to the conclusion that they have to stop what they're doing and resolve to help themself, and take care of themself. They cut their hair (a symbol of their burden; it, combined with their mask, is their most recognizable feature and lets them always be known as the dedicated Eden guide. The weight of the hair itself and the pressure of living up to that image as well as actually doing the guiding make it an effective symbol. When they cut their hair, they're cutting away the burden to set their sights to new horizons) and retire to the Village of Dreams to recover and live a healthier life. Because the Sky OCs I already had didn't have enough angst. /hj
