The Curator

image by fritz
they / them ◈ museum curator ◈ sapio
*a young museum curator who lives at dead water docks... a seaside town on the southern nightwing peninsula coast, near the border between the peninsula and the lands of heresy.
*works at a family-owned aquarium / aquatic museum that, after the passing of their parents, they now uphold. the aquarium was built in honor of an ancient sea god as a way of preserving its creations.
*a complete nerd on all things sea related and often goes on long-winded tangents about sea life. fairly socially awkward outside of this. doesn't... go outside very often and actually lives in their aquarium. 
**has legitimately spoken for hours about sea life. but since not many people are willing to... listen, they just... talk to themself.
**writes down their thoughts in a journal they keep in their room. no one is allowed to read it! >:<
*asks local fishermen to catch fish for them because they're not good at doing it themself. in generally considered physically inept and only really useful in knowledge.
*wears a thick, dark brown hooded cloak when going outside because they're self-conscious about their appearance and what others might think of it. plus... they don't want to be defined solely by how they look. only reveals themself to... people they trust deeply. 
**unfortunately, no such person exists as of now.
*hasn't been able to travel the world like they kind of wanted to because... they need to tend to the aquarium. they aren't sure if they're even a good match for their job, but they can't just let their family's business fall into ruin. plus, they don't... hate their job they just... don't like the more... management side of it. they just want to talk about fish all day.
*lives in the museum, their room is for employees only, though! and... friends...
the curator 	the curator
 	
art by 	radar
background information	background information
creator 	radar
attribute 	hiding away, continuing family tradition
element 	saltwater, seafoam, bioluminescence
animal 	angler fish, sea monsters
color 	purple, dark blue, neon green
song 	light house ◈ river boy
mbti 	infp-t
character information 	character information
nicknames 	the curator, fish guy
age 	~26 (hy)
gender 	genderless / non-binary
tribe 	sea (sea beast heritage)
occupation 	museum curator, marine biologist
orientation 	sapioromantic sapiosexual
residence 	dead water docks
relatives 	lusca (parent, deceased), cetus (parent, deceased)
allies 	most dragons, pallas
enemies 	heretics (mixed), jerks
likes 	fish, marine life, talking about their interests, intelligent conversations, getting what they want without conflict, sea beasts
dislikes 	confrontation, being taken advantage of
abilities 	normal seawing abilities, slightly tougher scales, knowledgeable
weapons 	ritual dagger, anything they can find
loves 	probably has a crush
appearance
an angler seawing, not something one sees on a daily occurrence, as they usually live within the depths of the ocean. while typically shrouded in a dark brown cloak, navy blue scales shimmer through its openings. a bluish-purple goes from the top of their head down their back while a more pinkish purple goes down the underside of their luminous green eyes. long, dark blue horns protrude from the back of their head, appearing somewhat goat-like in appearance, as they curve downwards near the tips.
the curator's underbelly is a lighter version of their main scales, which makes the underbelly blend in a little with their main scales. neon green luminous patterns dot their underbelly and, around their tail area, become the only true sign that it's still there. two long tendrils protrude from just below their ears and are a sort of pink-tinged purple fading into a darker purple at the rounded tips. this gradient is shared with the membranous sail that goes down their back, with the base being the pinkish-purple and the edges being the dark purple.
their wings are a dark blue, the same color as their horns, and are often folded anxiously to their sides. iridescent scales purple and blue scales can be seen scattered across the undersides of their wings, but they never show this trait to anyone. aside from their tendrils, their legs display one of the only signs of their siren heritage. shimmering and tough fish-like scales that are seen all along the fronts of their legs. in color they are pinkish-purple, but slowly fade into a blue-purple as they continue downwards.
while seawings typically have a fin protruding from their chest, the curator doesn't fully have this trait. while pinkish-purple, fleshy in-betweens used to connect the webbing together are present, the webbing itself isn't. it's unclear why this is the case. thin slits for gills can faintly be seen on the sides of their neck and their thin talons webbed with a thin purple membrane. the curator's build isn't particularly impressive. they're small and short, mostly because they slouch over to appear more... meek.
personality
intelligent and reclusive, the curator wouldn't really be considered social per say, but they certainly have a few select topics that they've specialized in talking endlessly about. perhaps it's loneliness or an eagerness to share their knowledge with others or, perhaps, a mixture of the two, but despite their anxious demeanor, they can speak verbosely about fish and sea life. as disorganized as their thoughts and knowledge on these topics can be, they're very comprehensible, it's only a matter of being patient enough to listen through their whole dialogue.
they appear to be quite proud of their knowledge on sea creatures and sea beasts and often gets self-conscious and embarrassed when they get something wrong or if they accidently spread misinformation. while not really a secret, they're also quite shy and socially awkward when not talking about their singular hobby... which is marine biology. they're... weird and aren't very good at starting conversations, often relying on others to do it for them.
they're in that area of being really awkward when they think about what they have to or should say, but do perfectly fine when they just go with it. the curator does better in more casual settings than professional ones because there's a lot less pressure on their social performances. and even despite how social they can be when talking about their favorite subject, conflict can still arise.
they're so used to being the biggest fish, being incredibly knowledgeable on fish, that if they meet someone of similar or higher knowledge than them they feel... jealous? they still nevertheless like talking to them, but find it difficult to have an actual intelligent conversation with these types of people because... they feel like they already know everything they do. this forms a sort of competitiveness in the curator as they struggle to one-up the other person in some sort of combat for who holds the most knowledge.
the seawing seems to focused on what they can bring to the table that they don't consider that... they don't have to bring anything. they just need to engage with this other person, this isn't an intellectual competition after all. but when they can't bring anything, they start to feel more awkward, embarrassed, or anxious. it is perhaps their inherent loneliness that makes them so social... and so socially awkward.
the curator longs for companionship or at least someone who is curious about their interests. the unfortunate thing is, they're too nervous to get themself out there and really talk to people... because they're too busy tending to their museum. whenever one makes a compromise and crosses into their domain (that being their museum) and interacts with them, they cling to this person like a tick. information... passion... it all spills out of them, as though they've been keeping it all inside themself, waiting for someone to tell it to.
but once that person leaves... they're heartbroken, desperately, but also hopefully waiting for their return... so maybe... just maybe, they can talk to this person again... and perhaps... they can become friends! that's all they long for, a single friend to confide in... a single friend to share with... a single friend to love. the curator often fantasizes about what their ideal friend looks like and it's through these fantasies that they wonder if... they've set their standards too high.
perhaps finding a singular person who shares their interest and is curious about it is too big of an ask. but if they don't stop hopelessly waiting for that exact person to walk through their museum's doors then... they'll accept defeat and continue their life forlornly. despite their desperation, they seem steadfast in not putting themself out there, preferring to just... wait for the right person to come to them instead of actively looking for them.
they don't think they're the right person to run the museum and they're quite hard on themself, thinking they're letting their family and deity down. barely anyone goes to their museum despite how busy dead water docks can get... and it makes them feel like a failure. yet they still remain devoted to this job they don't have any interest in because... if they don't take care of the museum... then who will? it's their divine duty, their burden to bear, no matter how stressful or difficult it is for them.
the curator has a tendency to just let others walk all over them, refusing to stand up for themself because they hate confrontation and being... annoying and argumentative. or at least that's how they feel whenever they correct anyone or tell people what to do if they're breaking a rule. so instead of advocating for themself, they are submissive in the face of even the slightest hint of authority or resistance against them.
in a similar vein, they are terrible in arguments and often crack under the slightest bit of pressure, which usually leads to them bursting into tears. these are mainly just... frustration tears, so upset that they can't find the right words to back up their side of an argument and just letting the other party steamroll them instead. this often leads to them berating themself for being weak, arguing that next time they'll surely be more assertive and stand their ground... and the loop begins again.
they seem self-conscious about their appearance, hiding it away from everyone with a thick, dark brown cloak. the source of this appears to be the small hints at their siren heritage, seemingly paranoid that they'll be persecuted or discriminated against for being related to this misunderstood species. why risk unwarranted judgement or hate when they can just hide it? that is their thought process anyway.
while fish and marine biology in general has captured their heart, they are also fascinated by sea beasts and have shown keen interest in studying and preserving their culture. this interest was brought on, in part, due to their family, as it was their desire to teach others about siren culture, but this wasn't something that needed to be forced upon them. they were naturally drawn to it.
abilities
the curator's skillset isn't something to be admired in its entirety. for the most part, they have their tribal abilities, being able to see and breathe underwater and having luminous patterns to navigate better in the dark. they come from a lineage of angler seawings, so they have a small lantern attached to their forehead by a drooping tendril. they're also more tolerant to higher water pressures, as angler seawings are deep sea dwellers.
the fish-like scales on their legs are noticeably tougher than the rest. this is due to their distant siren heritage, coming through in the form of a few tough scales on their legs. their talons are webbed, making them much more efficient at swimming. one could consider them to be a strong swimmer, though they would say they're a bit rusty. outside of this, perhaps the curator's most well-used skill is their expansive knowledge on sea life.
they're the most well-versed in fish, but they can spout many a fun fact about different sea creatures if prompted to. in addition to this, they're fairly knowledgeable on the history and culture of sea beasts, a dying family of creatures with only a few species left. this knowledge, in part, comes from their own distant relation to sirens, a species of sea beast and perhaps the most populous and misunderstood. the curator still has much to learn about their own family's culture and is still researching it.
history
 
*born the child of two seawings living in a seaside town located between the border with the sandwing territories and the nightwing peninsula called dead water docks.
*family owned an aquarium / museum dedicated to an ancient sea god they worshipped. it was built to preserve all the life this god had created and inform of the history of sea beasts... a diverse family hosting many species that were either dying out, extinct, or were considered monsters instead of sea beasts.
*the said ancient sea god was believed to be creator of all sea life, including sea beasts. they believe worshipping paathak, a sea beast, is heresy and therefore believe all of paathak's followers to be heretics.
*the curator themself, along with their family, are distantly related to sea beasts... specifically sirens, a type of sea beast that is often mistreated for their deadly songs. though they were all too distantly related to have this and generally passed as angler seawings. 
**angler seawings are any seawing with "lanterns." luminous bulbs attached to a tendril connected to the forehead of the seawing. most angler seawings live in the deeper parts of the depths or even the abyss of the seawing territories / archipelago.
**this is likely where older generations of their family came from before moving to the nightwing peninsula as to not be killed for their religious beliefs.
*still didn't stop the family from wanting to preserve sea beast and specifically siren culture in honor of their distant siren relatives... and for sirens in general who are often underrepresented or just straight up stereotyped as monsters out to deceive and kill lost sailors with their seductive songs.
relationships
pallas • what a nice guy! he collected some fish for them and they can't help but be thankful for that. he's also... a really good listener... for the most part anyway. while they worry about being too boring for others, he was willing to hear them out and was curious in what they had to say about sea life. they did notice that perhaps they went on for a little... too long, because he started looking tired by the end. hopes to meet this strapping traveler again... and maybe... learn more about what he's up to.
they'd attribute him to being the main reason their aquarium is still up and running because... he made a very generous donation of... a LOT of gold. they aren't even sure how he managed to accumulate such wealth, but they're appreciative. his generosity truly knows no ends. they've heard of some of his other achievements through pilgrims and they find them... interesting to say the least. they're honored to have met such an accomplished traveler in the flesh. • positive
salter • the newest lightbringer to the local lighthouse just off the coast of dead water docks on a small island called puffin point. they seem friendly enough, though the curator has only briefly met them once when they visited their aquarium and... didn't pay the entry fee. it's... it's fine... it's not like they'll remember that whenever they see the donation jar... or the sorry state of their aquarium... or the dirtied pricing board they set up.
they were just... too nervous to tell them to pay... they didn't want to cause a fuss... so they just... let them in for free. overall they have a very... neutral opinion of the nightwing and don't really like or dislike them. they're just kind of... a normal person in their eyes. • neutral
paathak • a sea beast who has become a god in his own rights. the curator was taught to consider paathak merely another sea beast, son to the ancient sea god they worshipped. and so they do, believing those who worship him to be... heretics... they suppose. they don't really like or feel comfortable hating an entire group of people for their religious beliefs so... they don't feel the intense hatred for these supposed heretics as the rest of their family did.
still doesn't support them, for their family's teachings remain in their mind, they just... don't hate these people. the curator has only seen artistic depictions of this sea beast and... wow... he looks very similar to some of the sea beasts said to sink ships that travelled too far out to sea. krakens. though they are a hylic species, something he certainly isn't, so they're still trying to figure out what... exactly he's supposed to be. they still wonder if he... used to sink ships back in the day, knowing how incredibly old he is. • neutral
trivia
*moral alignment is lawful good.
*love languages are gift giving, quality time, and physical touch.
*inspired by a hypothetical update to cult of the lamb i came up with called mysteries of the depths which added a sea monster character called the curator who would run an aquarium / museum. 
**most of the concepts here are directly taken from this curator character... even their "name."
*also takes minor inspiration from undertale's alphys, regarding their more "anxious nerd" archetype, and deltarune's ralsei, the cloaked concept and being nervous on showing one's full appearance.
*design was done by fritz. kudos to them, they did a great job!
*their name isn't the curator, that's merely their title, but their real name is... dumb, so they prefer just being called curator.
**for anyone wondering, their real name is febrebre (though the curator has a bad habit of misspelling it as frebrebre as not even they remember how to spell it), though they often shorten it to febre.
*has a shrine dedicated to the ancient sea gods that they pray to occasionally for a boost of confidence or to thank them.
*wrings their hands, sways gently back and forth, or twirls the tendrils near their ears when focusing or bored. might also mess with their lantern occasionally, pulling or batting it.
*writes down their thoughts in a journal they keep in their room. no one is allowed to read it! unless they're a friend...
*sings to themself in private... or when listening to a good song. they... aren't terrible, but they aren't good either.
* is afraid of dolphins... thinks they're too intelligent for their own good and must be stopped.
*finds smart people attractive... need i say more?
**their type is more on the eager and curious side. those who enthusiastically want to learn more. this is mainly because they find these people to be the easiest to talk with... when their particular interest is learning more about their line of work and what they enjoy studying.
**only likes it if the smart person invested their intellectual points into a category they didn't... that way they don't feel like they're competing against this person.
*carries a book with them that they pretend to read solely to avoid awkward social situations... or to avoid eye contact. not that those are mutually exclusive. often does it when they're near a heated argument or confrontation that they aren't involved in but are too nervous to move away from.
Category:Characters
Category:Non-binary
Category:SeaWings
Category:LGBT+
Category:Content (Verglas the IceWing)
Category:Work in Progress
Category:Status (Commoner)
Category:Occupation (Archivist)
Category:Occupation (Scientist)