#kyo's crew

[nyotasaimiri]

Kyo's pet crasberry (Rina) considers Kyo essentially her son and likes to groom him. He returns the favor sometimes, imitating her. Son groom good. Crabma is proud.

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Aha, the timing worked out perfectly~ My 1000th post and it’s little necromancer Kyo with his big zombie friend Vasim! These two are just about inseparable. (Open in a new tab for better details)

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Floran medic Akim, from Kyo’s crew. She’s always sleepy but she does her best!

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Sidestories: Kyo

I figure October is the perfect month to officially introduce a character I’ve been poking for a while... He’s not directly related to Nyota’s story, but why not?

Story after the cut; caution for sadness and Eldritch

Kyo crouched under the stairs, crasberry cradled in his arms, and wished he could cry. Nothing. Poor Rina. Only creature in this empty house that was ever really happy to see him, and he couldn't even muster the tears to send her off. Not now, and not for the past twelve years. He stared at the small corpse, dry-eyed. Kyo wasn't sure if it had been on purpose or an accident, but he didn't need to see the ugly cracks in her shell to know his pet was dead, same as he knew the pounding feet up above were searching for him. Clearer, even. He could feel the yawning hole where life and soul used to be.

The tiny Hylotl shuddered as someone passed overhead again, but not because of fear or the body of his pet pressed close to his chest. He shuddered because he knew it should feel wrong. Everyone he had ever met, they were terrified of death, acting as if even speaking of it would bring a curse down on them… As if Kyo himself was cursed, because he had never been afraid. He was just… lonely, really, especially now. His best friend had gone away without him, somewhere he didn't know how to reach.

He curled a little tighter as the searchers passed his hidden way into the hollow under the stairs. A voice called his name; that was the woman he was supposed to call Mother, even if she wasn't, not really. If she found him, she would take his Rina away. Alone again. No. He could almost feel Rina there, could almost reach. If he strained--could he catch? Could he--follow--

Something tickled his ribs. He gasped. The footsteps stopped. “Kyo? Where are you?”

Kyo tried to hold as silent and still as he could, but carapaced legs scrabbled at his belly and he couldn’t stifle the ticklish squeak.

“Kyo?” The board he had left over the entrance slid aside and Mother looked in. “Heavens… What are you doing in here, you silly boy? You’re sixteen! Too old for playing under the stairs. It’s filthy down here.”

Kyo cringed back, trying to hide Rina--who chittered at him, squirming in his arms. He stared down at her, dumbfounded, and set her down. “My apologies, Mother,” he said, his voice soft and hesitant as ever. She didn’t notice the new hesitance, the wonder. “I was looking for Rina. She got away from me.”

“You found her, so come out of there,” Mother told him. She had gotten very good at keeping the distaste out of her eyes when she saw the crasberry.

“Yes, Mother.” He crept meekly over to the entrance. The crack was still there in Rina’s shell. He hadn’t imagined it. His pet had been dead. But what--dizziness crashed over him; he heard Mother gasp, felt her hand catch his shoulder.

“What’s wrong? Are you ill, Kyo? I warned you that animal would make you sick--”

“I am fine!” he protested, and saw her freeze, dumbfounded. He never interrupted, never talked back, and certainly never raised his voice. But his Rina was alive. “I am fine, Mother,” he said, softer. “Only tired… Rina was hurt by something. She needs help.”

“We’ll… we’ll take her to a veterinarian,” Mother promised, guiding him out of the hollow. Kyo didn’t mind knowing that she would have it boarded up later. That didn’t matter. Rina was alive again.

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About Vasim

Apex, male, chemist (green) 21 years old 7′02″/219cm Favorite food: Apex fritters Likes: Kyo, being groomed, cuddling, chemistry, flowers Dislikes: Ron, Jeggy, pirates, robots, dying, being cold Weapon of choice: Dagger Further notes: Entirely magicless; the first person Kyo intentionally brought back, and the only one revived more than once so far. Descended from Tarvei; Nyota Saimiri is his great (x6) aunt

Born and raised on a cargo ship, Vasim Gura had a very interesting childhood, quite a lot freer than the average Apex ever gets to experience. Second-eldest of four (one sister and younger twin brothers), he grew up bold and friendly, and with a knack for chemistry. Unfortunately, nothing lasts forever… his home ship was attacked with pirates, his father and elder sister injured in the scuffle and Vasim kidnapped. Vasim’s parents hired Kyo as a bounty hunter to either rescue Vasim or avenge him. Kyo found him sold to a galactic freak-show of sorts, managed to break him out, and brought him home. Vasim’s parents decided to retire from the cargo ship, but Vasim asked to go with Kyo to repay him (and see more of the galaxy).

Some time after his recruitment, Vasim and Kyo got in a fight with a mechanical monster. It exploded when they slew it; Vasim shielded Kyo from the worst of the blast, but died soon after from internal injuries. Kyo was hurt from the explosion, but managed to muster the energy and call Vasim back. The Apex was astonished, and also incredibly grateful. Death terrifies him… In gratitude for being rescued twice, Vasim has been Kyo’s closest friend, stubbornly sticking up for him no matter the cost to himself. The two are inseparable (much to Jeggy’s displeasure). Vasim has been teaching himself to fight lately so he won't hold Kyo back.

His tasks on the ship include cooking, assisting Akim (especially by making medicines), and being everyone’s pillow at bedtime. Off the ship, he supports Kyo in battle with green stimpacks to enhance speed and his long dagger to fend off close-quarters attackers.

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About Kyo

Hylotl, male, technically captain by default of everyone listening to him 19 years old (equivalent of early-mid 20s) 4′07″/140cm Favorite food: Brineapple with neonmelon Likes: Vasim, Rina, exploring space, crystals, warm hugs Dislikes: his “parents,” scaring people, Avian tombs Weapon of choice: Longbow (often poisoned) Further notes: Necromancer, magic only really affects dead/partially dead things

He’s always had an affinity with dark magic, giving off uncomfortable vibes to others. Kyo learned early to suppress this as best he could; other Hylotl and similarly sensitive people can still recognize it if they try, but he seems ordinary to most. Bones and emblems of death seem drawn to him, or he is drawn to them, neither option being accepted by Hylotl culture. Until he met Aoi, he had very little idea this affinity was anything more than bad luck. Then the power woke: Kyo is a true necromancer, able to rend the walls between this life and the next. Still a novice, he lacks the skill for more complicated magic, but he can revive the recent dead, and has done so several times. At first, the idea horrified him, but he has grown at least apathetic to it, if not truly accustomed.

Kyo grew up as the ward of a wealthier Hylotl couple in one of their surface cities, neglected beyond basic needs and more status symbol than son. His darker affinity got him trouble from his peers, but he managed well enough. Then his young pet crasberry died. Kyo still doesn’t remember clearly what happened; one moment Rina wasn’t moving, the next moment he was cradling the little creature in his arms as it chittered softly at him. He left home soon after, stow-away on a trade vessel. He didn’t realize he had truly brought Rina back until he did the same with Aoi a few years later.

His jobs on the ship generally include piloting it and repairs/maintenance. Off the ship, he acts as a scout in dangerous territory and the diplomatic face of the crew in safer areas.

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About Aoi

Hylotl, female, first mate? and tailor 26 years old (not quite middle-aged) 4′08″/142cm Favorite food: Coconut rice Likes: Sewing, Akim, books, glass, making people smile Dislikes: Ron, close-mindedness, blood, splinters Weapon of choice: None (may animate needles and pins to defend herself) Further notes: Can animate small objects

An exile, Aoi rejected the idea of Hylotl perfection and superiority over other cultures that was the law of her xenophobic underwater city. This might have been considered an acceptable deviation on her own way to enlightenment, except that as a librarian, she was in a position to spread this deviation. Despite receiving numerous warnings, Aoi persisted and was banished, in hopes that she would learn from experience and return to the correct path. She ended up on a desert planet and lived there peacefully for several years, until an incursion from Occasus cultists. Kyo, on his way through the area, fought them off, but Aoi’s injuries proved too great. She died of her wounds as he returned with help. The resulting shock and grief woke Kyo’s magic for the first time in years and revived Aoi. Her neighbor had been brought to help, saw her suddenly alive again, and panicked about zombies, so she couldn’t stay there. She ended up following Kyo. It's taken her a long while to come to terms with having a second life, but she’s grown to love traveling and seeing more places and people than she ever could have dreamed of.

Aoi, like Kyo, is naturally capable of magic. Hers isn’t as dramatic or powerful as necromancy, but she can animate small objects, like needles or stones. Before her exile, she would occasionally use this knack to entertain her five children, though she asked them to keep it secret. Kyo started bringing her back small figurines after he learned what she’s able to do.

Her tasks on the ship include making and repairing clothing for the others, and occasionally assisting Akim with medical duties when a spare set of hands is needed. She rarely leaves the ship due to her lack of combat ability (and self-consciousness over being technically undead).

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About Akim

Floran, female, medic 60s? 5′00″/152cm Favorite food: Cacti ice cream Likes: Aoi, cuddling, sun lamps, Ron?, sugar cubes Dislikes: combat, fungus, insomnia, shouting (hers or otherwise) Weapon of choice: Short sword, only for self-defense Further notes: Ron’s first friend in decades; speaks in first person with very little hiss. Could use wands, but lacks power to do magic without them

A licensed doctor and skilled field medic, Kyo hired her after the incident with the exploding robot, desperation overcoming his fear of florans. Akim runs on very little sleep most of the time, though she at least attempts to remain enthusiastic. No one is entirely certain if this lack of sleep is by choice, because of insomnia, from bad dreams, or simply a Goldilocks problem where no bed really suits her. She generally asks no questions, though she is unaware of Kyo’s nature at the moment and has been wondering about the should-be-fatal wounds that she’s seen since joining. Akim is too tired to pry, and tries to stay neutral. The others seem to take her drowsy quietness as permission to confide in her, and Akim is happy to listen as long as they don't mind her dropping off mid-sentence.

Turns out part of the sleepiness and her lack of height come from the same source: a lingering fungal parasite that's nested in her neck for decades. It's too risky to remove it on her own, though, and it isn't causing lethal harm, so Akim has been forced to just endure it. Hopefully help from steady-handed Aoi and Vasim’s medicines will help her fight it off.

Her tasks on the ship include treating maladies and injuries, physical and mental, as long as she’s able to stay awake. On the rare occasion she accompanies Kyo off the ship, her duties remain the same. Like her captain, she prefers to avoid combat.