Takoda Naidu
Takoda Naidu (a.k.a. "the plant girl")
Takoda Naidu is a soft-spoken and altruistic Wood Elf who hails from a Druidic Circle in the Kingdom of Onea. One would expect life in a Druidic Circle to be peaceful and free of heavy responsibilities. This Druid's life, in particular, has been nothing but a rollercoaster. What feels like continuous tests in life has only served as motivation to keep going. In short, a kind-hearted soul with way too many obstacles.
Physical Description
Special abilities
being antisocial and traumatized, i guess
Mental characteristics
Gender Identity
Biologically Female; She understands the various gender identities and is very accepting of others. However, she has never questioned her identity and prefers to keep it that way.
Sexuality
Takoda has always had a strong affinity for men. There have been a few occasions where a woman has caught her eye, but she never looked further into those feelings. Technically, she would consider herself Bisexual.
Education
As a child, Takoda relied on life lessons and sit-down talks with her parents as the education she would receive. There was technically no school system in the Druidic Circle, nor were any schools nearby their village. Beyond that, Takoda has yet to pursue a "proper" education. She just sticks with learning from mistakes and other experiences. However, she does have extensive knowledge of nature and druidcraft.
Employment
Currently employed by the Grand Duchy; She travels with the party while technically working.
Mental Trauma
Like everyone else in the party, Takoda has been through quite a lot. Takoda has many complex emotions that result from unanswered questions and events happening too quickly in her life. She doesn't have time to comprehend or process, she just has to keep moving. It's best to not pour out one's vulnerabilities when there are more important matters at hand.
There are past scars that continue to haunt Takoda Naidu. Her current/previous relationship is one that lingers in her mind constantly (as reflected in her journal entries).
Personality Characteristics
Motivation
Despite her horrible past, Takoda is doing her best to start anew as a part of the Grand Duchy. She isn't exactly looking for closure, she's just hoping to bury her trauma and live a proper life with no regrets.
Hygiene
Takoda often compares herself to a plant that needs to be watered at a specific time of the day. If she goes a day without tending to her hygienic needs, it will affect her overall mood for the day. The only exception would be if she were on an adventure.
Social
Hobbies & Pets
She has a “pet”; its a sprouted native plant from her homeland that’s growing out of a small pot on the side of her backpack, which she has named Dewey (might be able to speak but there’s no recorded evidence)
Speech
Speaks with a timid and highly articulated tone (however she uses conjunctions or slang occasionally due to spending so much time with Severin)
the epitome of cottagecore, but with several pinches of trauma!!!
View Character Profile
Alignment
Neutral
Age
22
Date of Birth
14th of Highbloom, ??? AD
Birthplace
Kingdom of Onea
Children
Current Residence
currently stationed in the Solveisian Duchy
Gender
Female
Eyes
light green
Hair
charcoal black
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
deep almond brown
Height
5'4"
Weight
~136 lbs.
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is sorry even enough?
nothing to see here
the need to feel complete.
It's bittersweet that I don't wanna taste
I don't think it's going to be that sweet
Unripe emotions, I just feel afraid
I'll never bite, I'll never bite the pain
Sour, a soury taste that makes you cry
Sour, if there's such things as love
I don't wanna taste, I just feel afraid
Love is sour, love is sour grapes
[ le sserafim - sour grapes ]
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Love is a complicated concept for Takoda Naidu.
Back at home, love was expressed like it had to be checked off of a chore list. Takoda would argue with her parents after asking to go outside, and she would storm off into her room to marinate in her anger. Hours later, her mom would softly knock on the door, sit down at the edge of the bed, and give her daughter the most sincere look she could ever express. Every time her mother would say "I'm sorry for yelling at you, we have rules for a reason. I still love you," Takoda felt like poison was seething through her veins. The words meant nothing, as they were not at all genuine. Her parents never actually cared for her, they entertained themselves by making her seem like she was always doing something wrong.
"I love you" had the same sentiment as a river washing away dead leaves.
Irrelevant.
Insignificant.
Ineffectual.
Back at home, Takoda never exactly longed for romance. At times, she felt so hollow inside that the idea of falling in love felt more like an escape than genuine human emotion. She would create silly little scenarios in her mind of someone asking her out with a bouquet on her doorstep, but she never allowed her desire for love to become a prominent need in her life. If she never felt moved by her parents' words, how could it ever be different with a complete stranger?
At least, that's what she would tell other people. The last thing she would ever want is for people to shower her with pity.
"I'm so sorry your parents treat you like that. I could help-"
"It must be awful living like that. Have you told your friends or other relatives?"
These words felt like acid rain. It stung like hell. Internally, she felt the need to scream at them that there was nothing they could do to help. There was no way out. She just had to keep living through it. She thought that swimming through the storm would build her emotional strength, and believed that it was the only attainable consensus.
-
"Why do you let them hurt you?"
Takoda stares blankly at her half-empty glass of liquor. Her index finger swirls around the rim of the glass in a rhythmic manner. The soft yellow lighting of the tavern feels like it's burning her skull. She almost feels dizzy, but the motion of her finger dancing around the glass keeps her stable.
"Because speaking up for myself never works. I...I just have to take it."
"Just because it's your parents' words doesn't mean you're obligated to follow everything they say."
"What is your point? I don't understand."
"Your parents are supposed to raise you, not command you. They're supposed to be loving, not authoritative." The other speaker pauses. Takoda hears them order two glasses of water. "I don't mean to sound rude, but it seems like your parents are controlling you because they have no control over their own lives. They're keeping you inside because they fear the unexpected. They don't want you going down some unfortunate path. However, it's impossible to avoid setbacks in life, no matter how hard you try. Failure is necessary to become a better person. What I'm trying to say is...your ideology isn't...quite there. You're approaching it the wrong way."
Being rather tipsy, Takoda isn't able to fully process these words. They sink into her brain, but she doesn't have the critical thinking skills necessary to understand the weight of those words. She slowly lifts her head, flipping the small glass over and glancing at the glass of water placed in front of her. Takoda has yet to make eye contact with the person she's speaking to.
"Why do you feel sorry for me?"
"Empathy can only do so much, I know. I'm...sorry if I'm crossing boundaries. But-" There's a pause as the person talking to Takoda lets out a low sigh. "You deserve to be helped. I'm simply trying to give you a push in the right direction."
Takoda opens her mouth to speak, but only lets out a croak. She's unable to find the right words to say. What is this emotion she's feeling right now? Relief? Joy? Anger? Catharsis? She can't seem to pin it down.
Her face feels warmer than usual. Takoda looks down, discovering droplets that have soaked into the wooden bar counter. Her muscles are tensing up, and the tears are falling with more haste.
"I-" She finally manages to croak out in between sobs, "Have no idea....what to do. I...I feel....hopeless." Takoda keeps wiping away her tears, but they continue pouring down. Suddenly, she feels a warm hand meet her shoulder.
"It...may not mean much now, but you should know that I care about you. Something tells me that there is a brighter side of you that has yet to be unlocked."
These two have only spent a few days with each other, but Takoda somehow feels...comfortable? Maybe it was the way his presence instantly brightened her world, the way his eyes were able to see how her heart rate would increase when they would make eye contact, the way she would instinctively gravitate towards him in a crowd of people. The way he made Takoda feel was so fantastical yet unexplainable. She had tried for so long to avoid falling in love. But maybe, just maybe, this one time she would let it slide. Perhaps, this might be the right time she was waiting for. Her internal need to feel complete was screaming at her to take a chance.
Takoda's tense state softened as she relaxed her muscles. Her glossy eyes looked up, finally facing the person she has been speaking to.
"You are the most considerate guy I have ever met, Akamu La'akea. Thank you."
Akamu would walk Takoda back to her home that night, keeping his hand softly gripped onto her shoulder. They wouldn't talk for the rest of the night, but each other's presence was enough to satisfy them. Takoda would lie awake in her bed, staring at the luminous moon. If the moon could talk, it would give her answers. Clarity. Comfort. Something. She needed something to rest her overthinking mind for the time being. Takoda would eventually settle on the thought that Akamu La'akea could fill her need to feel complete. She just needed time to confirm these feelings.
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