Mori (Fukutsu no Seishin)

"Wander from the clan as often as you desire; I'll make sure you always have a little piece of home."
== Background ==
Mori was born in the clan, and never chose to leave, unlike her siblings who itched to get to the outside world and fled their little crystal cave as soon as they were old enough to potentially survive its horrors. She doesn’t know if they did, having heard nothing of them since, but the world is a large place and nocturnes were never the most sensible of dragons.
Indeed, for a nocturne, finding an identity can be difficult, and Mori found herself following various older dragons around, trailing her father and his best friend out into the battlefield and learning how to stain her claws with blood long before she learnt who she could be. Her mother a mimic herself, learning from her was all but impossible, sending her mind into a tizzy as she tried to copy the copy.
Thankfully, a newcomer to the clan took her under his wing - literally, considering their size disparity - and under Konpeki she learnt how to craft, and put her warrior skills and reflexes to good use for the benefit of the clan. Not, she would later admit, that she was very good at fishing, but the crafting of nets called to her, and the ridgeback’s proud smile the first time she presented him with a net sturdy enough to keep up with his trawling would always be her first truly fond memory.
Only so many nets needed to be made, however, and after burying Konpeki under enough nets to last him a lifetime, barring too many accidental maren captures, she found herself at a loss.
Stop was not a word she liked to hear, because stop meant don’t copy, and for a young nocturne don’t copy meant helplessness, so she found her way back to her father’s side, begging Kagayaku to take her with him into the coliseum again. He refused, too busy training up new recruits to be able to keep an eye on her, he claimed, and she burst into tears - a dramatic move she had picked up from that one stuffy pearlcatcher who would do anything to get her own way - until her father shuffled awkwardly.
“I can’t take you with me,” he insisted, scooping her up on one giant claw and raising her to his eye level. “But let’s find you something to do.” Those words were the first time Mori understood love, although as she grew older and more experienced she could retroactively identify many previous occurrences. Kagayaku’s acceptance of his daughter’s need to always be doing something touched her, and she agreed whole-heartedly.
He gave her a small banner, spoils from the battlefield, and immediately she pounced on the similarity to the nets she’d made for Konpeki, noticing weaves and intricate work only claws of her size could ever really achieve.
Kagayaku’s proud grin the day he first wore the imperial-sized banner she’d carefully crafted through months of hard work could never be replaced in Mori’s heart, and from that day on she threw herself into the art of tailoring, in the hopes of inciting more heartfelt smiles.
== Personality ==
Despite her early years of confusion and trying to find her way in the world, Mori has since developed into a confident dragon, who knows exactly what she wants, and makes sure she gets it.  She’s patient about it, however, willing to spend months, or even years, on a single piece in order to make it truly perfect for the recipient.
This patience extends to her mate, who is seemingly shy of interaction and often disappears for months at a time, and despite him being far older than her, whenever he deigns to come home she fusses over him as though he’s a lost hatchling - a courtesy only extended to him.  Everyone else can make their own way in life, she believes, although she’ll extend a helping claw if it’s needed in homage to Konpeki and her father’s own efforts towards her back when she was unsure.
== Role Within The Clan ==
Excepting the tatty old hat Kanshi refuses to take off, and that even Mori has failed to get her claws on despite how badly it needs mending by this point, she is responsible for all of the cloth worn by the clan, and often works with Fuon and Taki on the rest of their apparel in order to make every piece unique to the dragon wearing it.  A little piece of home, she calls it, and no-one disagrees, although many of the clan are too proud to ever thank her for it. But that’s okay, because seeing them wear it is thanks enough.
When she isn’t creating things for her clanmates, she’s crafting pieces for Kuroichi to sell at the market, earning the clan some extra coin.  Thanks to her father bringing back all the spoils she needs from his fights (and later, donations from other clanmates), she never needs to spend on new materials and allows all of the profit to go to the clan’s coffers.
== Appearance ==
Mori bears little resemblance to either of her own parents, inheriting only her mother’s spines.  An entirely green dragon, barring her piercing pink eyes, she’s often been mistaken for a Nature dragon, much to her dismay - although she will admit her fondness for wearing flowers does little to argue her case that she’s nothing like one.  The misconceptions have waned somewhat since she developed a runic halo, to her delight.
== Abilities ==
=== Magic ===
Mori doesn’t really bother with using magic.  Despite being an Arcane dragon, and mimicking a powerful mage in her hatchlinghood, she never really developed an affinity for the art and all but abandoned it - although if her creations never tear, maybe there’s some latent spellcasting going on beyond her control.
=== Mélée ===
Despite being small, Mori relies on her physical abilities in a fight.  Perhaps it’s because she’s small, but she’s found an uncanny ability for locating weak spots and unerringly targeting them with a sharp jab or bite.  All she’s really good for stomping on is insects, as her father and Hoseki occasionally joke about, but as Mori quite likes eating those, that’s no hardship on her.
== Relationships ==
=== Konpeki ===
The first dragon to help her find her way, Mori holds the ridgeback in high regards, and often nestles in amongst his spines as she works, enjoying the lap of water against the banks in gentle waves, or the exhilaration of a fly-by as he uses her nets to scoop fish up for dinner.
=== Kagayaku ===
Her father, Kagayaku will always be Mori’s favourite dragon, even if he’s over-protective and tries to keep her away from the battlegrounds.  As she’s grown older, she’s come to realise that he was right and that her calling was not getting her claws all bloody after all, but that doesn’t stop her sometimes nestling on his back as he goes out, hidden by the same banner she made him all those years ago.
=== Brogden ===
Her wayward mate, Mori adores him and waits faithfully for the next time he braves civilisation to come home and see her.  Too social a dragon herself, she’s only once accompanied him on one of his many journeys - it was not one either of them particularly enjoyed, with Mori feeling isolated from the world and Brogden unable to find the solitude he craved.  Since then, she’s always waited at home for him, often with some new cloth for him to wear when he comes back, as a reminder of home.
== Trivia ==
* Mori (森) is Japanese for forest
Category:Arcane Dragon
Category:Female
Category:Nocturne
Category:Dressmaker