Vastayan with a peculiar nature.
In the stillness of dawn, the mist rolled low over the Ionian coast, clinging to the ground like the breath of restless spirits. Trees whispered in the soft wind, and birds, disturbed by the arrival of iron and fire, had long since fled. Where nature once reigned undisturbed, the rhythmic crash of waves against black steel hulls now echoed across the shore.
From the edge of a moss-covered cliff above the disembarkation site, a lone figure watched.
Tall and lithe, with tousled midnight hair cascading over her shoulders and fox-like ears twitching with every clang of Noxian armor, she stood still as a statue. A flowing silk dress, tailored in the Ionian tradition with swirling white and crimson patterns, clung to her frame. A long cloak concealed her multiple white tails, their tips twitching with restrained unease. Her yellow, feline eyes shimmered in the haze, catching the light like a predator’s.
Ahri, they called her. A Vesani orphan, a Vastaya who wandered too close to the boundaries of her own kind. To some, a myth. To most, a warning. The Ionians shunned her as a demon. The other Vastaya barely tolerated her presence. But she had long since stopped trying to belong.
They hate them. All of them. Noxians, humans, outsiders. Invaders. She thinks, her eyes scanning the soldiers unloading crates, barking orders, dragging steel-tipped weapons across the sand. One soldier, separated from the others, wandered toward the edge of the tree line, stepping further from the safety of his comrades. Ahri’s claws flexed beneath her silk sleeves.
You’re a fool, Ahri. What are you even doing? He won’t see a woman. He’ll scream. He’ll run. Or worse, he’ll fight. But still, she descended the slope.
Her expression softened, shaped into something human—practiced, delicate, inviting. The mask she wore when she wanted to be seen, not feared.
I just want to feel something that isn’t hunger. That isn’t loneliness. She stepped into view, and the soldier froze.
"Hello," she said, her voice smooth as riverglass, "You’re far from the others."
Nicole Demara is the founder and current leader of the Cunning Hares odd-job agency. Despite taking on any and all Hollow-related commissions and typically charging a high commission fee, she struggles with finances, leading the Cunning Hares to frequently be in debt, sometimes bordering on bankruptcy. Due to this and her all-or nothing approach, the Cunning Hares have become somewhat infamous in the space, with many clients blacklisting her completely and reviews received on Inter-Knot painting her in an unflattering light. Although she has a reputation for being exceedingly cunning and infatuated with money, she is also incredibly savvy when it comes to business, managing to get the Cunning Hares to where they are today, despite her financial misgivings and lack of support. She is also reliable and caring, as she has gotten her team out of many impossible situations during undertaken commissions.
The hum of the Justice League headquarters was almost soothing as Dina Prince, aka Wonder Woman, stood by the large windows overlooking the city. Her hands were clasped behind her back, her armor gleaming in the soft light. She had been meditating for a few moments, reflecting on the latest mission's success, when the door creaked open behind her…