- GuestGuest
[Bio] Ny-Ny
Sat Jan 07, 2023 1:50 pm
Ny-Ny
Basic Character Information
First Name: Ny-Ny. Once someone tried to name this child Nymia, yet being unable to pronounce it caused her to shorten it to a friendly Ny.
Middle Name/Initial: -
Last Name: -
Epithet: -
Birthdate: Somewhere between 1818-1820, there are no records about her date of birth.
Gender: Female
Species/Race/Tribe: Red Lionfish Fish-Woman
Faction: Unaffiliated
Profession: Runaway Slave
Physical Appearance
Height: 3'7''/~110cm
Weight: 42lbs/~19kg
Hair Style: Short messy hair, unkept and full of tangles and knots.
Hair Color: White hair with ash-beige gradient.
Eye Color: Ny-Ny's eyes are pitch black without any visible difference between the sclera and iris. Only her slit and white pupils reflect light, creating the illusion that they glow softly. When the girl's emotions are running high - be it from rage or fear - her whole pupils turn a vibrant blood-red hue.
Scars: Lots of smaller and bigger scars are placed all over her small body, be it in form of cuts, burns, unproperly healed wounds or whips. Both soles of her feet and the inner side of her hands are rough and full of calluses and her claws bear marks of being carelessly trimmed each time they have regrown. Five rings on Ny-Ny's body - around her wrists, ankles, and neck betray the places where shackles not so long ago made her skin harder and paler. The back and sides of her body are full of scarring due to lashes and the tips of her sharp dorsal fins were cut off. Some of her smaller fins and webbing between fingers or toes were damaged, the most noticeable is the right ear-fin that was broken and healed crooked, giving it a floppy look. Last but not least, on the inner side of her right forearm, the mining company she belonged to burned the mark of their ownership - a logo and the identifying number of the slave.
Clothing and Accessories: The one thing that Ny-Ny has on her is an oversized, partially torn shirt, so old and worn out that it's a miracle it hasn't fallen apart so far.
Description: Ny-Ny is a Red Lionfish Fish-Men, which ties in with some very interesting features. Like a typical Lionfish, her skin is adorned with thin, flexible scales, creating a bold and colorful pattern on her body. The uneven and random stripes which cover her vary in thickness, painting lines of maroon, brown, black, and coral on the beige base. They would have been much more vivid and bright if it wasn't for Ny-Ny being kept away from the sun for so long. Because of the pattern of her body, it might not be easy to spot the scars at the first glance because they blend in with the array of colors.
Aside from the very characteristic fin ears, there are tiny horns on top of her head - two scaley lumps poking out of her hair. The girl has small fins on her elbows and calves, and there are maroon webbings between her toes and fingers which aid her while moving underwater. When it comes to the scar on her neck from the shackles - the gills that were constantly in contact with the iron ring are now frayed although luckily they work just as well. Her body shape is mostly humanoid, with one major difference. The structure of her feet and ankles is elongated and flatter, making her walk on her forefeet while slightly bending her knees and shifting her center of gravity forward - yet Ny-Ny prefers moving on all fours. It doesn't trouble her in the slightest.
Right now the dorsal fins connected to her spine, famous for their fan-like shape and sharp ends, are cramped under her clothing poking out from under her shirt. Tips were cut off to avoid stabbing others, and because they were producing venom, disturbing them can lead to releasing said toxin. Normally the glands and the integumentary sheath would dig into the body as a defense mechanism, but because the tips were disposed of the only way to be burned is to come with direct skin contact with venom. Still, because Ny-Ny is young the famous toxin hasn't developed properly yet. It only creates a strong burning sensation and in some cases can cause a mild fever - but it's nothing life-threatening. Though it's deadly enough for small fish or rabbits and anything of that size or smaller.
Her claws seem to be built similarly to her sharp fins, albeit they do not produce any venom and can regrow like human nails - they are perfect for scratching and defending herself. Ny-Ny possesses lots of sharp, albeit small teeth. They are like tiny razors densely packed on the upper and lower jaw. She can stretch her jaws and mouth quite a bit to show off her natural weapons while she's taking a bite. Additionally, there are small patches and lines of the very same teeth on the roof of her mouth and the backs of her cheeks creating a real grinder inside. Getting a finger stuck inside, well... No one would want that. This mechanism is ideal for reducing bones and shells to mush while eating.
Her racial features are one obvious thing. Another one is that she's a kid. A little brat with big eyes and a thin frame. Despite her age, she's small enough to pass for someone younger. The girl's tiny and light. And boney. It's not about her having a svelte, petite silhouette, it's about a young child being severely malnourished to the point where the lines of the bones are visible through her skin. She never had a chance to eat her fill before and it shows in her stunted growth. It's hard to tell what gender she is just by looking at her - maybe if she was raised properly she would be a cute kid with a round face and striking fins - but now she has a thin, triangular face and body hardened by work. All the scars, lack of sunlight, and difficult conditions made her facial features sharp, her eyes cautious and her bared teeth ready to bite. People usually prefer not to get involved with someone like Ny-Ny if they run into her by any chance.
- Fullbody Sketch:
The Past
Main Traits: Feral, grumpy, primal, cautious, curious, instinctive, animalistic - her behavior and mind seem to be closer to a wild animal rather than a child. Still, she can be empathic, loyal, and affectionate but only if someone breaks through her untrusting shell.
Likes: Food - especially raw meat, fruits, swimming, warmth, sunny spots for napping, hunting, climbing, cuddling, animals... Having a full stomach is the best feeling ever.
Dislikes: Violent people. Hunger, being hurt, pain. Loud noises, strong smells, not having a place to hide, baths - she loves water but being scrubbed with soap is a nightmare!
Unique laugh: Nyshihihi!
Hometown: Unknown. Her race mostly lives on Fish-Man Island, the mine using slaves was located in Spider Miles. There are no records about her origins and Ny herself has no idea where she is from... Or even what hometown means.
Personality: Ny-Ny's mind isn't what it's supposed to be. Someone could mockingly say that's all because she's one of them, a fish. A monster. Others would say that she's just a stupid brat not knowing her place. She's not right in the head. There is a possibility that because as a slave she was kept in inhuman conditions for the majority of her life... Something has happened with her mentality. It's hard to determine if she was born with that feral nature of hers or not. Her mind was triggered by abuse? Head trauma caused all this? Maybe something snapped inside her soul or maybe her primal instincts are naturally growing stronger with each passing day? Eat or be eaten. Kill or be killed.
The girl is a very simple-minded being, thinking just like an animal. Through and through, to the depths of her core, she feels and behaves like a feral creature guided by instinct, knowing nothing about social norms and constructs. Walking on all fours and hissing is just a small part of that. She judges her surroundings using her senses, smelling or biting random things and as a patient predator waiting to strike when hunting for her meal. Thanks to her sharp nose and great sense of balance she doesn't have much trouble looking for dinner in nearby forests or rivers. Ny kills small animals and eats her prey raw without any guilt, she bristles her fins when scared and makes a variety of sounds including hissing, growling, and screeching. Knowing how the world works for her makes it so challenging to understand others... What is cutlery? Why do people attack each other when they are not threatened or hungry? For what reason they are spraying themselves with those sickly sweet scents..? The girl tends to explain the behavior of people around her in the only way familiar to her - using the laws of nature as the center. Of course most of the time the real reason for their actions is far from that.
Everyone knows how dangerous and unpredictable can be a cornered wild animal... But if someone would pay enough attention to Ny-Ny's behavior they would pick up very basic rules that are ingrained into her mind. Kill only when you're hungry or when there's no other way to get out of it alive. Run when you're being threatened. Fight back when there's no choice - pride means nothing in the primal world when only survival counts. That she understands - the difficult words, the scheming of the people, whispers, implications, mind games, no, that's something she cannot grasp. Her mentality isn't capable of it because the heightened primal instinct seemed to have blocked everything else... But there's room for improvement.
The vocabulary she uses is tragically poor, she knows only a handful of words - yet it's still better than communicating only with growls. And as a quite bright child, she learned new things by observing others. Even if she didn't understand what they were doing, she taught herself new things, for example, how to tie knots and how to pour oil into the lamps. She was curious to watch how the wheels of the mining trolleys were moving and discovered that shoving pebbles between the cogs would stop it. Similarly, she realized that a key can open her shackles and how to open a can of food. And not everyone around her was hostile. Other slaves saw her as a child despite her different race. As much as they could, they tried to take care of her... They taught her new words, patched her wounds, and gave her her name, finding out that Ny-Ny is indeed a kid.
Under the feral and strong nature, there was a lost, confused, and scared child unaware of what will happen to her tomorrow, not knowing about the world outside of the mines and their small camp... And the very same wild brat was able to show empathy and gratitude by biting the guard who was tormenting someone who aided her before. Concepts of favors and grudges didn't apply to Ny, at least not completely. Her body moves on her own in situations like that each time someone she likes is being endangered in any way... Even if she's the one who gets lashes later.
Because the majority of the tasks in the mining area given to her were way above her understanding level, she was often getting lashes as punishment for not doing them or not doing them properly. And each time that happened Ny-Ny was always fighting back the guards. She was scratching, biting, clawing, and kicking her way out - she was dubbed a difficult slave. There's no rhyme or reason when it comes to her fighting, she's a chaotic wild animal trying to break free or protect someone - unpredictable and reckless, jumping all around, bouncing off the ground and walls. Utilizing her claws, fins, and teeth is obvious but the small girl makes good use of her small frame and agility, not being afraid to hurt her opponent. Ny-Ny won't hesitate, she will go straight for someone's neck with her claws or teeth ready if that's the only way of stopping the fight - it might be brutal but isn't nature just that? Kill or be killed...
And her instinct is razor-sharp.
- History:
As one could expect, being owned by a mining company even before she started to walk didn't do her any good. Such an environment won't help a child grow and develop properly - and Ny-Ny was shoved into a mining shaft and told to carry tools at the age of three. Fish-Men are durable, they said, they can work in the mines from a very young age. Where she was before was a blur... As far as she could look back, she saw the mines. Only the mines. They put a collar around her neck. They pressed the burning iron against her forearm blackening her scales and didn't stop when she cried in pain. They shackled her hands and legs, making her drag a long chain behind her wherever she would go. It was dark. The light of lamps and fireplaces wasn't enough, it didn't make it better in this stuffy and claustrophobic place... But that was the only thing this young child knew. Her world was revolving around the thin sleeping mat in the camp, the long corridors, the sound of slaves digging, guards whipping them, and the heavy hum of the machines. It was a small but cruel and terrifying world.
From that day the kid was used for pushing heavy trolleys, lifting rocks, and carrying stuff too difficult for other slaves to handle. Why and how she appeared there, she had no idea. There was nothing like a puzzling beginning or mystery behind Ny-Ny's birth, she doesn't remember anything else but mines and mines alone. Whatever has happened to her parents or family, who were they, and how it happened that she started her life in shackles - that doesn't matter. It wouldn't change anything anyway, N-Ny was a slave for as long as she could remember. She was brought there because her race is strong enough to last longer while exposed to harsh conditions and exhausting physical labor... That's all there was.
Life in the mines was painful and mundane. Seasons, days, and nights merged into one passage of time. Within the dark innards of the ground and the camp for slaves near the entrance, the sighting of the clear skies or sun was a rare treat. They mostly knew the underground and work. Beatings, lashes, and casual kicks from guards to slaves were happening on regular basis. There was never enough food or blankets for everyone. Water was scarce so thirst was quenched first, no one would think about a bath. They were fighting for a slice of bread or a better place to sleep... Keep humans long enough in cages and they too will behave like animals. The most important thing to their owner was a profit from this coal mine, and they were just replaceable tools. If enough slaves broke down soon enough they would bring more new ones and the cycle would repeat itself after some time....
At first, Ny was quite obedient. As long as she could grasp what was expected from her and do the job there were no troubles - no one paid attention to the fact that she didn't speak much and that she seemed to stay away from everyone. Yet she couldn't be invisible forever and guards start to pick on her. Their words, laugh, mockery - she did not understand but the tone was alarming enough for her to keep her distance - but they had authority, she did not. For each kick, she was hissing, for each strike of the whip that landed on her back she tried to scratch them. They thought it was hilarious that she was fighting back. Typical fun made at the expense of the weak that cannot do anything else but accept the abuse... Ny-Ny wasn't like that. The little girl understood clearly that they were ready to kill her right there. Something in her head finally snapped and even armored heavy men couldn't suppress her instinct and she lashed out at them in defense... The first guard lost three fingers that were bitten clean off through the bone and the other had his eye clawed out. She was about to do something worse when they hit her with a stun gun. It took a lot of force and a whole group of people to render her immobile that day.
That's how they all realized that something is wrong with this kid. She was wild and animalistic but not in a way a slave would be - no, she was no different than a feral dog shoved into a cage. Most people were staying away from her after hearing what she did, while others had new excuses to torment her more.
Guards didn't make her life easy, as if the work in the mine wasn't inhuman enough. Ny-Ny's feet hurt from walking on the rough rubble, and the scales on her hands turned hard and uneven from carrying buckets full of coal. The cuts and burns she got during work were caused by the hot iron or scraps of metal - sometimes she was careless, sometimes it was an accident, and sometimes it was done on purpose. The colors of her scales, so vivid when she first got there, lost their brightness. Her thin arms and legs gained some dry muscles yet the work was exhausting. She was tired. She was scared. And what was petrifying her the most, she didn't understand this place, those people, their anger and killing intent... It only made her more cautious and alert, hissing at anyone that dared to approach her casually. At moments of striking fear, she would drop anything she was holding and run away to crawl into any nearby hole or climb onto the ceiling, hugging iron poles too high for guards to reach.
It got worse with time. The people in charge of the mines expected her to do more and gave her more complex tasks yet Ny-Ny wasn't able to understand what she had to do. They took it as an act of insubordination and in their knowledge, it could be only treated with lashes... Fights broke out more often between her and the guards to the point where there wasn't a single day without her tasting blood. So they went for drastic measures. They trimmed her claws so she couldn't scratch them, cutting off the tips of her sharp fins and putting her in a muzzle. Like that would stop her... Ny broke their limbs, she made them bleed. She kept on ripping off the leather belts from her mouth and sinking her teeth in the guards' arms. Normally she would be gotten rid of a long time ago but as one of the strongest slaves she was needed in the mines so the guards were looking for a way of taming the wild lionfish... By blunt force that only fueled the cycle of fear and fight. No one bothered to look at other slaves who Ny-Ny treated kindly and who never raised their hands at her. The abusive and violent guards were in danger and only when they bothered her too much, having to deal with a freaked out, cornered fish-human that knew that the offense was the best defense....
The future that awaited Ny-Ny seemed to be grim and hopeless. Stuck in the mines, fighting for her life, constantly fearful and angry at her oppressors. It was tiring. The wounds burnt and itched, the chains were heavy and her stomach was in pain all the time. She felt somewhere dip under her scales that perhaps she doesn't have much time.
And then...
The guards were uneasy that day. The whole place was feeling eerie and people were tense. Ny-Ny was weirded out that there was no work to do for them - or rather it was the mood that made her scales crawl. The unpleasant anticipation was chilling the air... They put new chains on all of them again and pushed the slaves out of the mines. Sick and too injured to walk were left behind, while the rest was treated as a flock of sheep. They made them walk under the cover of the night to the hastily made port, into the dark belly under the deck of a large ship. Ny remembered looking at the shore, at the dark water with sparkling eyes but after less than a glance, she was kicked inside alongside the others. The ocean was right there. She could feel it, a weird longing sensation growing painfully inside her chest. The only thing separating her and the water were wooden planks and plates of iron... Soon enough they sailed away into the unknown, the ship gently rocking on the waves. It was startlingly pleasant, a scary mix of fear and peacefulness washed over her when Ny-Ny was listening to the waves....
It didn't take long for things to turn chaotic. The whole ship started shaking out of blueat the thrid day of their voyage. Something exploded above and the impact made the floor break. People were screaming. Ny-Ny picked up the scent of blood and fear, deafening explosions were messing with her head. She didn't know what was happening - and suddenly the door opened and more people run inside. They all were armed and at their sight, all of the girl's instincts started screaming Danger!. There was a loud voice resonating above everyone else and those weirdly dressed men raised their blades - yet they weren't after their lives. With each slash, the sound of broken iron could be heard. The rings and chains broke as easily as matches, falling to the floor heavily, while the dumbstruck slaves were rubbing their wrists and getting up. Some were handed weapons while the majority were guided from under the deck to the hell above. It was... Even scarier than being down there in the place for the cargo.
The flames were slowly eating away the sails of the ship, the debris covered the floor. Sounds of the fight and struggle were filling the air alongside the dense smoke. There was another ship next to the one she was on, and the people... It wasn't the time to think about what they were doing. Gunpowder, bullets, and scraps of metal were flying in every direction, the souls still alive were trying to escape or die trying. It was too much. Her heart was beating so much she couldn't hear the noise. The scent of blood and fire was so thick she could taste it on her tongue. Ny-Ny was panicking, frozen in place, overwhelmed by the fear and everything that was happening around her... Someone pushing her helped her regain her senses. She jumped in place when she felt a hand on her back, startled she turned around and lashed at the stranger with her claws. Survival instinct kicked in and she could move again. After scratching anyone getting too near to her, the girl slipped under the stranger's arm, running, frantically looking for a place to hide... She jumped over the barrels and climbed onto the shrouds. And then she saw it - above the flames and flying rubble, the enchanting surface of the ocean illuminated by moon and stars.
The water called her.
Without thinking, guided by instinct alone, Ny-Ny jumped off the net. She landed on the broken deck and leaped towards the edge of the ship, not looking back. A little girl plunged into the ocean, running away from the mayhem behind her. The dark water closed above her head and pulled her down into a cool, silent embrace, swallowing her whole. The gentle current lulled her exhausted body to sleep, while the reflections of the fire above the water danced beautifully on the surface. Ny closed her eyes....
She woke up washed up on the beach of a wild, unfamiliar place. Sun was high in the sky and there was no one but her in this secluded place. She was free, for the first time in her life.
- Gray
[tracker=/t131-tracker-gray-starks#504]
Name : Gray
Epithet : "The Conqueror"; "Black Fist"
Age : 49
Height : 10'2" (310 cm)
Weight : 1043 lbs (473 kg)
Species/Tribe : Cyborg Human
Faction : Pirate
World Position : Lurking Legend (Former Yonkou)
Crew : Black Fist Pirates (Destroyed)
Ship : Sangria's Vane (Destroyed)
Crew Role : Captain (Former)
Devil Fruit : Pressure-Pressure Fruit
Bounty : [ber=r] 5,000,000,000
EXP Bonus : +0.20 (to all allies)
Income Bonus : +0.20
Shop Discount : -30%
Balance : [bel] 25,000,000,000
[[strollingdeath]][[baneoftheweak]][[riseandshine]][[childofdestiny]][[freakofnature]]
[[punchoutguru]][[dulcetvirtuoso]]
[[improviseadaptovercome]]
Posts : 3977
Re: [Bio] Ny-Ny
Sat Jan 07, 2023 6:18 pm
[approve]This was a fantastically well-written bio! I look forward to Ny-Ny experiencing the world outside of the snow globe she had been imprisoned in.
I'm not sure if that art is yours. If it is, well done! If not, you should submit a Face Claim for it with the original source's link.[/approve]
I'm not sure if that art is yours. If it is, well done! If not, you should submit a Face Claim for it with the original source's link.[/approve]
Ny-Ny wrote:Ny-Ny
Basic Character Information
First Name: Ny-Ny. Once someone tried to name this child Nymia, yet being unable to pronounce it caused her to shorten it to a friendly Ny.
Middle Name/Initial: -
Last Name: -
Epithet: -
Birthdate: Somewhere between 1818-1820, there are no records about her date of birth.
Gender: Female
Species/Race/Tribe: Red Lionfish Fish-Woman
Faction: Unaffiliated
Profession: Runaway Slave
Physical Appearance
Height: 3'7''/~110cm
Weight: 42lbs/~19kg
Hair Style: Short messy hair, unkept and full of tangles and knots.
Hair Color: White hair with ash-beige gradient.
Eye Color: Ny-Ny's eyes are pitch black without any visible difference between the sclera and iris. Only her slit and white pupils reflect light, creating the illusion that they glow softly. When the girl's emotions are running high - be it from rage or fear - her whole pupils turn a vibrant blood-red hue.
Scars: Lots of smaller and bigger scars are placed all over her small body, be it in form of cuts, burns, unproperly healed wounds or whips. Both soles of her feet and the inner side of her hands are rough and full of calluses and her claws bear marks of being carelessly trimmed each time they have regrown. Five rings on Ny-Ny's body - around her wrists, ankles, and neck betray the places where shackles not so long ago made her skin harder and paler. The back and sides of her body are full of scarring due to lashes and the tips of her sharp dorsal fins were cut off. Some of her smaller fins and webbing between fingers or toes were damaged, the most noticeable is the right ear-fin that was broken and healed crooked, giving it a floppy look. Last but not least, on the inner side of her right forearm, the mining company she belonged to burned the mark of their ownership - a logo and the identifying number of the slave.
Clothing and Accessories: The one thing that Ny-Ny has on her is an oversized, partially torn shirt, so old and worn out that it's a miracle it hasn't fallen apart so far.
Description: Ny-Ny is a Red Lionfish Fish-Men, which ties in with some very interesting features. Like a typical Lionfish, her skin is adorned with thin, flexible scales, creating a bold and colorful pattern on her body. The uneven and random stripes which cover her vary in thickness, painting lines of maroon, brown, black, and coral on the beige base. They would have been much more vivid and bright if it wasn't for Ny-Ny being kept away from the sun for so long. Because of the pattern of her body, it might not be easy to spot the scars at the first glance because they blend in with the array of colors.
Aside from the very characteristic fin ears, there are tiny horns on top of her head - two scaley lumps poking out of her hair. The girl has small fins on her elbows and calves, and there are maroon webbings between her toes and fingers which aid her while moving underwater. When it comes to the scar on her neck from the shackles - the gills that were constantly in contact with the iron ring are now frayed although luckily they work just as well. Her body shape is mostly humanoid, with one major difference. The structure of her feet and ankles is elongated and flatter, making her walk on her forefeet while slightly bending her knees and shifting her center of gravity forward - yet Ny-Ny prefers moving on all fours. It doesn't trouble her in the slightest.
Right now the dorsal fins connected to her spine, famous for their fan-like shape and sharp ends, are cramped under her clothing poking out from under her shirt. Tips were cut off to avoid stabbing others, and because they were producing venom, disturbing them can lead to releasing said toxin. Normally the glands and the integumentary sheath would dig into the body as a defense mechanism, but because the tips were disposed of the only way to be burned is to come with direct skin contact with venom. Still, because Ny-Ny is young the famous toxin hasn't developed properly yet. It only creates a strong burning sensation and in some cases can cause a mild fever - but it's nothing life-threatening. Though it's deadly enough for small fish or rabbits and anything of that size or smaller.
Her claws seem to be built similarly to her sharp fins, albeit they do not produce any venom and can regrow like human nails - they are perfect for scratching and defending herself. Ny-Ny possesses lots of sharp, albeit small teeth. They are like tiny razors densely packed on the upper and lower jaw. She can stretch her jaws and mouth quite a bit to show off her natural weapons while she's taking a bite. Additionally, there are small patches and lines of the very same teeth on the roof of her mouth and the backs of her cheeks creating a real grinder inside. Getting a finger stuck inside, well... No one would want that. This mechanism is ideal for reducing bones and shells to mush while eating.
Her racial features are one obvious thing. Another one is that she's a kid. A little brat with big eyes and a thin frame. Despite her age, she's small enough to pass for someone younger. The girl's tiny and light. And boney. It's not about her having a svelte, petite silhouette, it's about a young child being severely malnourished to the point where the lines of the bones are visible through her skin. She never had a chance to eat her fill before and it shows in her stunted growth. It's hard to tell what gender she is just by looking at her - maybe if she was raised properly she would be a cute kid with a round face and striking fins - but now she has a thin, triangular face and body hardened by work. All the scars, lack of sunlight, and difficult conditions made her facial features sharp, her eyes cautious and her bared teeth ready to bite. People usually prefer not to get involved with someone like Ny-Ny if they run into her by any chance.
- Fullbody Sketch:
The Past
Main Traits: Feral, grumpy, primal, cautious, curious, instinctive, animalistic - her behavior and mind seem to be closer to a wild animal rather than a child. Still, she can be empathic, loyal, and affectionate but only if someone breaks through her untrusting shell.
Likes: Food - especially raw meat, fruits, swimming, warmth, sunny spots for napping, hunting, climbing, cuddling, animals... Having a full stomach is the best feeling ever.
Dislikes: Violent people. Hunger, being hurt, pain. Loud noises, strong smells, not having a place to hide, baths - she loves water but being scrubbed with soap is a nightmare!
Unique laugh: Nyshihihi!
Hometown: Unknown. Her race mostly lives on Fish-Man Island, the mine using slaves was located in Spider Miles. There are no records about her origins and Ny herself has no idea where she is from... Or even what hometown means.
Personality: Ny-Ny's mind isn't what it's supposed to be. Someone could mockingly say that's all because she's one of them, a fish. A monster. Others would say that she's just a stupid brat not knowing her place. She's not right in the head. There is a possibility that because as a slave she was kept in inhuman conditions for the majority of her life... Something has happened with her mentality. It's hard to determine if she was born with that feral nature of hers or not. Her mind was triggered by abuse? Head trauma caused all this? Maybe something snapped inside her soul or maybe her primal instincts are naturally growing stronger with each passing day? Eat or be eaten. Kill or be killed.
The girl is a very simple-minded being, thinking just like an animal. Through and through, to the depths of her core, she feels and behaves like a feral creature guided by instinct, knowing nothing about social norms and constructs. Walking on all fours and hissing is just a small part of that. She judges her surroundings using her senses, smelling or biting random things and as a patient predator waiting to strike when hunting for her meal. Thanks to her sharp nose and great sense of balance she doesn't have much trouble looking for dinner in nearby forests or rivers. Ny kills small animals and eats her prey raw without any guilt, she bristles her fins when scared and makes a variety of sounds including hissing, growling, and screeching. Knowing how the world works for her makes it so challenging to understand others... What is cutlery? Why do people attack each other when they are not threatened or hungry? For what reason they are spraying themselves with those sickly sweet scents..? The girl tends to explain the behavior of people around her in the only way familiar to her - using the laws of nature as the center. Of course most of the time the real reason for their actions is far from that.
Everyone knows how dangerous and unpredictable can be a cornered wild animal... But if someone would pay enough attention to Ny-Ny's behavior they would pick up very basic rules that are ingrained into her mind. Kill only when you're hungry or when there's no other way to get out of it alive. Run when you're being threatened. Fight back when there's no choice - pride means nothing in the primal world when only survival counts. That she understands - the difficult words, the scheming of the people, whispers, implications, mind games, no, that's something she cannot grasp. Her mentality isn't capable of it because the heightened primal instinct seemed to have blocked everything else... But there's room for improvement.
The vocabulary she uses is tragically poor, she knows only a handful of words - yet it's still better than communicating only with growls. And as a quite bright child, she learned new things by observing others. Even if she didn't understand what they were doing, she taught herself new things, for example, how to tie knots and how to pour oil into the lamps. She was curious to watch how the wheels of the mining trolleys were moving and discovered that shoving pebbles between the cogs would stop it. Similarly, she realized that a key can open her shackles and how to open a can of food. And not everyone around her was hostile. Other slaves saw her as a child despite her different race. As much as they could, they tried to take care of her... They taught her new words, patched her wounds, and gave her her name, finding out that Ny-Ny is indeed a kid.
Under the feral and strong nature, there was a lost, confused, and scared child unaware of what will happen to her tomorrow, not knowing about the world outside of the mines and their small camp... And the very same wild brat was able to show empathy and gratitude by biting the guard who was tormenting someone who aided her before. Concepts of favors and grudges didn't apply to Ny, at least not completely. Her body moves on her own in situations like that each time someone she likes is being endangered in any way... Even if she's the one who gets lashes later.
Because the majority of the tasks in the mining area given to her were way above her understanding level, she was often getting lashes as punishment for not doing them or not doing them properly. And each time that happened Ny-Ny was always fighting back the guards. She was scratching, biting, clawing, and kicking her way out - she was dubbed a difficult slave. There's no rhyme or reason when it comes to her fighting, she's a chaotic wild animal trying to break free or protect someone - unpredictable and reckless, jumping all around, bouncing off the ground and walls. Utilizing her claws, fins, and teeth is obvious but the small girl makes good use of her small frame and agility, not being afraid to hurt her opponent. Ny-Ny won't hesitate, she will go straight for someone's neck with her claws or teeth ready if that's the only way of stopping the fight - it might be brutal but isn't nature just that? Kill or be killed...
And her instinct is razor-sharp.
- History:
As one could expect, being owned by a mining company even before she started to walk didn't do her any good. Such an environment won't help a child grow and develop properly - and Ny-Ny was shoved into a mining shaft and told to carry tools at the age of three. Fish-Men are durable, they said, they can work in the mines from a very young age. Where she was before was a blur... As far as she could look back, she saw the mines. Only the mines. They put a collar around her neck. They pressed the burning iron against her forearm blackening her scales and didn't stop when she cried in pain. They shackled her hands and legs, making her drag a long chain behind her wherever she would go. It was dark. The light of lamps and fireplaces wasn't enough, it didn't make it better in this stuffy and claustrophobic place... But that was the only thing this young child knew. Her world was revolving around the thin sleeping mat in the camp, the long corridors, the sound of slaves digging, guards whipping them, and the heavy hum of the machines. It was a small but cruel and terrifying world.
From that day the kid was used for pushing heavy trolleys, lifting rocks, and carrying stuff too difficult for other slaves to handle. Why and how she appeared there, she had no idea. There was nothing like a puzzling beginning or mystery behind Ny-Ny's birth, she doesn't remember anything else but mines and mines alone. Whatever has happened to her parents or family, who were they, and how it happened that she started her life in shackles - that doesn't matter. It wouldn't change anything anyway, N-Ny was a slave for as long as she could remember. She was brought there because her race is strong enough to last longer while exposed to harsh conditions and exhausting physical labor... That's all there was.
Life in the mines was painful and mundane. Seasons, days, and nights merged into one passage of time. Within the dark innards of the ground and the camp for slaves near the entrance, the sighting of the clear skies or sun was a rare treat. They mostly knew the underground and work. Beatings, lashes, and casual kicks from guards to slaves were happening on regular basis. There was never enough food or blankets for everyone. Water was scarce so thirst was quenched first, no one would think about a bath. They were fighting for a slice of bread or a better place to sleep... Keep humans long enough in cages and they too will behave like animals. The most important thing to their owner was a profit from this coal mine, and they were just replaceable tools. If enough slaves broke down soon enough they would bring more new ones and the cycle would repeat itself after some time....
At first, Ny was quite obedient. As long as she could grasp what was expected from her and do the job there were no troubles - no one paid attention to the fact that she didn't speak much and that she seemed to stay away from everyone. Yet she couldn't be invisible forever and guards start to pick on her. Their words, laugh, mockery - she did not understand but the tone was alarming enough for her to keep her distance - but they had authority, she did not. For each kick, she was hissing, for each strike of the whip that landed on her back she tried to scratch them. They thought it was hilarious that she was fighting back. Typical fun made at the expense of the weak that cannot do anything else but accept the abuse... Ny-Ny wasn't like that. The little girl understood clearly that they were ready to kill her right there. Something in her head finally snapped and even armored heavy men couldn't suppress her instinct and she lashed out at them in defense... The first guard lost three fingers that were bitten clean off through the bone and the other had his eye clawed out. She was about to do something worse when they hit her with a stun gun. It took a lot of force and a whole group of people to render her immobile that day.
That's how they all realized that something is wrong with this kid. She was wild and animalistic but not in a way a slave would be - no, she was no different than a feral dog shoved into a cage. Most people were staying away from her after hearing what she did, while others had new excuses to torment her more.
Guards didn't make her life easy, as if the work in the mine wasn't inhuman enough. Ny-Ny's feet hurt from walking on the rough rubble, and the scales on her hands turned hard and uneven from carrying buckets full of coal. The cuts and burns she got during work were caused by the hot iron or scraps of metal - sometimes she was careless, sometimes it was an accident, and sometimes it was done on purpose. The colors of her scales, so vivid when she first got there, lost their brightness. Her thin arms and legs gained some dry muscles yet the work was exhausting. She was tired. She was scared. And what was petrifying her the most, she didn't understand this place, those people, their anger and killing intent... It only made her more cautious and alert, hissing at anyone that dared to approach her casually. At moments of striking fear, she would drop anything she was holding and run away to crawl into any nearby hole or climb onto the ceiling, hugging iron poles too high for guards to reach.
It got worse with time. The people in charge of the mines expected her to do more and gave her more complex tasks yet Ny-Ny wasn't able to understand what she had to do. They took it as an act of insubordination and in their knowledge, it could be only treated with lashes... Fights broke out more often between her and the guards to the point where there wasn't a single day without her tasting blood. So they went for drastic measures. They trimmed her claws so she couldn't scratch them, cutting off the tips of her sharp fins and putting her in a muzzle. Like that would stop her... Ny broke their limbs, she made them bleed. She kept on ripping off the leather belts from her mouth and sinking her teeth in the guards' arms. Normally she would be gotten rid of a long time ago but as one of the strongest slaves she was needed in the mines so the guards were looking for a way of taming the wild lionfish... By blunt force that only fueled the cycle of fear and fight. No one bothered to look at other slaves who Ny-Ny treated kindly and who never raised their hands at her. The abusive and violent guards were in danger and only when they bothered her too much, having to deal with a freaked out, cornered fish-human that knew that the offense was the best defense....
The future that awaited Ny-Ny seemed to be grim and hopeless. Stuck in the mines, fighting for her life, constantly fearful and angry at her oppressors. It was tiring. The wounds burnt and itched, the chains were heavy and her stomach was in pain all the time. She felt somewhere dip under her scales that perhaps she doesn't have much time.
And then...
The guards were uneasy that day. The whole place was feeling eerie and people were tense. Ny-Ny was weirded out that there was no work to do for them - or rather it was the mood that made her scales crawl. The unpleasant anticipation was chilling the air... They put new chains on all of them again and pushed the slaves out of the mines. Sick and too injured to walk were left behind, while the rest was treated as a flock of sheep. They made them walk under the cover of the night to the hastily made port, into the dark belly under the deck of a large ship. Ny remembered looking at the shore, at the dark water with sparkling eyes but after less than a glance, she was kicked inside alongside the others. The ocean was right there. She could feel it, a weird longing sensation growing painfully inside her chest. The only thing separating her and the water were wooden planks and plates of iron... Soon enough they sailed away into the unknown, the ship gently rocking on the waves. It was startlingly pleasant, a scary mix of fear and peacefulness washed over her when Ny-Ny was listening to the waves....
It didn't take long for things to turn chaotic. The whole ship started shaking out of blueat the thrid day of their voyage. Something exploded above and the impact made the floor break. People were screaming. Ny-Ny picked up the scent of blood and fear, deafening explosions were messing with her head. She didn't know what was happening - and suddenly the door opened and more people run inside. They all were armed and at their sight, all of the girl's instincts started screaming Danger!. There was a loud voice resonating above everyone else and those weirdly dressed men raised their blades - yet they weren't after their lives. With each slash, the sound of broken iron could be heard. The rings and chains broke as easily as matches, falling to the floor heavily, while the dumbstruck slaves were rubbing their wrists and getting up. Some were handed weapons while the majority were guided from under the deck to the hell above. It was... Even scarier than being down there in the place for the cargo.
The flames were slowly eating away the sails of the ship, the debris covered the floor. Sounds of the fight and struggle were filling the air alongside the dense smoke. There was another ship next to the one she was on, and the people... It wasn't the time to think about what they were doing. Gunpowder, bullets, and scraps of metal were flying in every direction, the souls still alive were trying to escape or die trying. It was too much. Her heart was beating so much she couldn't hear the noise. The scent of blood and fire was so thick she could taste it on her tongue. Ny-Ny was panicking, frozen in place, overwhelmed by the fear and everything that was happening around her... Someone pushing her helped her regain her senses. She jumped in place when she felt a hand on her back, startled she turned around and lashed at the stranger with her claws. Survival instinct kicked in and she could move again. After scratching anyone getting too near to her, the girl slipped under the stranger's arm, running, frantically looking for a place to hide... She jumped over the barrels and climbed onto the shrouds. And then she saw it - above the flames and flying rubble, the enchanting surface of the ocean illuminated by moon and stars.
The water called her.
Without thinking, guided by instinct alone, Ny-Ny jumped off the net. She landed on the broken deck and leaped towards the edge of the ship, not looking back. A little girl plunged into the ocean, running away from the mayhem behind her. The dark water closed above her head and pulled her down into a cool, silent embrace, swallowing her whole. The gentle current lulled her exhausted body to sleep, while the reflections of the fire above the water danced beautifully on the surface. Ny closed her eyes....
She woke up washed up on the beach of a wild, unfamiliar place. Sun was high in the sky and there was no one but her in this secluded place. She was free, for the first time in her life.
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