Sen
Zaoll Luv Dreaming on Resinsoul 1/3 boy body
(previously Rainman Blina)
Backstory:
Quiet, private and rather reserved, the Second Prince of the Mountain Kingdom initially appeared cold and distant to most who encountered him and more often than not, he has been described as hard to get along with - especially when compared with his more outgoing and charming siblings. The Prince, well aware of his own personality and limitations, from the earliest years considered himself as completely lacking in the requisite skills for kingship and considered it his duty to support and protect his beloved older brother in all possible ways - and First Prince Taiyō firmly stood at his younger sibling’s side as well. Despite their seemingly vastly different characters, the deep bond between the two royal brothers and their mutual respect became almost legendary.
With passing years it became evident that while the Second Prince might not have been a radiant, widely admired and well-spoken heir to the throne like Taiyō, he shone brightly in his own unique ways. As a royal son he could have lived comfortably in the palace, never knowing any real hardships - yet as soon as his teachers mentioned that he seemed to have talent for both swordsmanship and magic, Second Prince chose to seek out a famous master from the temple high in the mountains and become his disciple, polishing his skills through rigorous training and discipline. Some of the people at court joked that the delicate, almost feminine-looking prince won’t be able to endure the strict way of life and challenging tests his new teacher demanded, but much to their surprise, the Second Prince excelled at his art. By the time of his coming-of-age ceremony, while still continuing his training, he started to advise his father in spiritual matters and divinations, occasionally travelling the kingdom in order to help people get rid of ghosts, demons and malicious curses. The First Prince couldn’t have been more proud of his little brother’s achievements, while the Second Prince himself constantly insisted firmly that compared to both his master and some practitioners of magic from other kingdoms his skills were still quite lacking and unpolished - an opinion that seemed to only strengthen with the visit of the envoys from the Empire. At the center of it was a young man named Hayanari. His training seemed to be much less rigorous and demanding than risky challenges of the mountain temple, consisting mostly of studying old scrolls and practicing spells, yet he used his spiritual powers effortlessly and his skills could only be described as truly impressive. Respected by both humans and spirits, and considered to be the magical prodigy, Hayanari was silver-tongued, proud and confident - and he evidently took a liking to the Second Prince, who in turn seemed to instantly dislike him.
With time, the initial reluctance and aversion turned into a tentative friendship which was soon put to test before it even had the chance to fully bloom. As the Empire and Mountain Kingdom stood against each other and the world they all knew started to crumble, the Second Prince found himself caught between the remains of the friendship he cherished not so long ago and cold hatred towards his kingdom’s enemies. Alone and stripped of his spiritual powers he struggled to find his place in a new and foreign reality of the Imperial Court where he was taken as a diplomatic hostage.
***
In the times when swords were nothing more than relics of a past or just fancy interior decoration, there was very little to do for a sword spirit - that was something Sen has learnt the hard way. Long gone were the glorious days of battles and heroic journeys, and even exorcising demons or sending spirits away was a rarity nowadays, when most of the world seemed to forget about old myths and supernatural tales.
Sen was a weapon. That’s what he has been for centuries and that’s what has been expected of him. He took pride in his exceptional fighting skills, flawless technique and nearly perfect obedience; those qualities were the reason he was useful to his masters, they were also something that gained him a certain amount of respect. Once upon a time he was something - someone - else, but those times were long gone too. At night, in a small room at the back of the old teahouse he still dreamt of snowy mountains, grand palaces and sparkling jewels, while every day he helped his Mistress with the chores and kept her safe. Days passed slowly, blending with each other and with every passing month Sen felt more and more suffocated by the stillness around him.
But when one day his Mistress grew sick and her granddaughter came from the capital to take over the teahouse, the lines between the human and spiritual world once again started to blur, echoes of an almost-forgotten past trickling back into Sen’s life in the most unexpected way.