<hr/><div class="floatleft">(https://a-static.besthdwallpaper.com/final-fantasy-original-character-oc-tapetti-22266_L.jpg)</div><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><strong>Name:</strong> Nozomi Ono (https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=332525.msg15852139#msg15852139)<br/><strong>Tier:</strong> <em>Green</em><br/><strong>Level:</strong> 1<br/><strong>Job Class:</strong> Samurai<br/><strong>Date/Time:</strong> Day 1, Late Morning<br/><strong>Location:</strong> Ruins of Obodori &gt; main gates &gt; Arena &gt; Wine Stall<br/><strong>Tagging:</strong> Geb + open<br/><strong>Mentioned:</strong> Xen, Shiloh, Delixia, Alanis</span><br/><hr/><br/><span class="bbc_u"><em>Past Week</em></span><br/><br/><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">As Nozomi arrived at the continent owned by Caedurja, after departing from the small dock city he headed straight to the ruins of Obodori. While carrying a black ceramic jar, which contained the ashes of the old man. As he arrived at the ruins of Obodori, the entire place felt heavy on melancholy and sorrow (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-D4vp1e49fk). Nozomi was not born here, never grown here, nor never seen country when it was alive. But the Old Man's tales it was always vivid in his mind, he can imagine it even now and remember old man's tales of his former homeland. The land where he grew up and loved deeply and mourned when it fell in the civil war and then wiped out an existence by Caedurja, ancient rivals of Obodori. He saw villages, ruined homes, statues, castles, and forts and also signs of past battlefields. despite the ominous atmosphere, haunting feeling, he pressed on. He carried the jar and hummed songs, songs of Obodori in a place where no one except the dead will hear it. Doing so helped alleviate the haunting feeling, perhaps the lingering spirits were appeased by the song or they realized what he was doing; he was bringing one of the sons of Obodori back where he truly belonged; home.<br/><br/>Old Man had told many tales, but he always told he missed the cherry blossom trees which grew only in Obodori naturally, he told he had always watched the bloom and fall of blossoms from a bridge in the capital of Obodori. Nozomi timed his arrival exactly on that period, as he arrived at haunted ruins of the capital, he saw it was twice sacked city; by civil war, aftermath, and Caedurja invasion. There was no stone left standing once beautiful city, just barely foundations just make out where buildings were. However, the bridge, albeit damaged, remained standing. The sight it gave to a clearing where once garden of the emperor was in public view, showing only burned ashed ruins. But amongst the ruins and burned trees; one small tree stood standing. Pink soft cherry blossoms bloomed in this place of deep sorrow and sadness. Painting ground soft pink layer.<br/><br/>Nozomi uncorked a gourd, which contained well-made cherry blossom sake wine. Last bottle which old man had treasured all cost and which he had unburied from burned remains of the house. Miracle it survived. He pours himself one cup and one for the old man himself, besides a jar of ashes. He raises a toast to skyes and says; "For you, old man. View is beautiful as you told me so many times." Nozomi poured sake over the urn as he drank from his cup, a symbolic gesture. He then started sing, happy drinking songs which were sung in Obodori cherry blossom festivals. He disliked singing when sober, despite the old man many times said he had a beautiful voice he disliked it cause he hated performing for anyone's sake. As he sang, years of upon years of memories with old man and him, the peaceful days in a farm where they faced struggles but each day they smiled and laughed. Listening to his stories, practices with a wooden sword, and listening attentively to tales of Obodori and their once great warriors.<br/><br/>More sake and wine were drunk between songs, each time one cup for him and old man, as more wine was drunk, then came the tears, but he kept smiling and singing. Despite his chest hurt as if stabbed with a knife and twisted in the chest wound. Eventually, tears smeared his cheeks and he started sobbing, then collapsing against the reeling of the bridge he shouted; <strong>"I know I should not lose composure, samurai never do! But please, it hurts! Nobody is in here, so please...let me have this...."</strong> Then he unleashed loud scream, the howling cry of sorrow bottom of his heart where he sealed and locked it away in the night when the old man had died in hands of assassin and him being unable to protect him at all or rescue him, cause the fire blocked way! He chastizes being coward, weak, even to this day. He howled for an hour or more until his soft dulcet voice came sore and he simply ran out of tears. Panting, trying to catch breath he collapsed to sit on the bridge, lean on the reeling and take the sake-soaked urn into his lap and he says while wiping tears away from his eyes with the sleeve of his kimono; "I know, you said many times revenge solves nothing. That's what you decided not anyway strike on Caedurja despite they erased what was left of the country which was already in ruins. But...you were all, you were my everything. I would not even exist if you did not wish me to be your son. I was born to accept and give you love in return...but now...I feel empty. No purpose." Then his eyes start to gleam as if inner fire as he caresses the urn; "Justice, that's will be my spark now. Seek justice from your death upon your killer, that's the goal to which I devote myself to. You said when the man goes such trip he has to dig two graves, so time will tell when I join you with once more the old man."<br/><br/>Nozomi recovered and stood again in the bridge, opening the urn he places a hand inside, starting to throw out the ashes into the flowing river below which passes by the river going past cherry blossom trees and says; "For now, go rest, your back home now where you belonged more than the farm where we ever lived together. If I survive my journey, I may return watch the cherry blossoms again. Perhaps live here quietly rest of my life, as I feel I belong more here than anywhere else." Once the urn was empty, he places it on the bridge, sort of marker, doubting anything would disturb it anyways. Then giving a final bow to the river he turns and starts walking on the road in the sunset, in that particular day, the setting sun was the closely the same color as Nozomi's eyes, which burned with sharpened drive and devotion to justice and revenge.<br/><br/></span><hr/><br/><span class="bbc_u"><em>Present Day</em></span><br/><br/><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Nozomi arrived at Caedurja's capital, where the arena and tournament are held. He was determined to win or very least test and train his skills in his task ahead. He registered and he was assigned a room in the women's area, amused he did not tell the clerk his actual gender and let the clerk just assume he belonged to the women's area in the arena in staying wise. After a day in settling, he moves through the chaos of the arena, witnessing the beautiful enchanting performance by the performer Nisime, but not potent enough to distract Nozomi from glancing to the sky where dragons hover. Having heard what they do to contestants during the aftermath of the matches.<br/><br/><em>"No respect given to fallen nor your enemies, seems Caedurjans lack complete respect to their foes even when they are superior in power."</em><br/><br/>As he wandered and saw the sight of one of the princes without shame devouring food in one of the stalls, he shook head again.<br/><br/><em>"Nor having any grace either."</em><br/><br/>He headed to food stalls, as he ordered himself a bowl of ramen, slurping on its delicious broth he heard food stall owner and desert stall owner talk; "Yeah, very creepy guy. Face like a demon with metal." In that instant Nozomi froze, nearly spilling broth on him as he listened. He quickly finished the ramen and placing the bowl down he turned to the desert stall owner whom he asked; "Where this man went to?" The desert stall owner gave rough direction and description of the man, Nozomi started storm through the crowd, he spotted a winged knight, a white-haired woman with ash-colored skin, and a tall woman with a bow. Also, some kind monk was talking to them. He had seen plenty of strange people in the tournament, both native Caedurjans who were all fruit eaters and the tournament folk from faraway lands. But none matched the description.<br/><br/>But then he saw, dark clothed figure in wine stalls which clothing matched. He moved behind the man and said to him; "Excuse me." Once man turned, he saw it; demonic metal face! Demonic metal mask! The demonic-faced man got a brief look on angrily looking woman/man's face, crimson eyes blazing like a sunset in a fire before suddenly in lightning-fast there was pair of fingers pinning his nose and this man/woman shouting in screeching dulcet voice; "MURDERER! COWARD SHOW ME YOUR FACE BEFORE I KILL YOU!" Thus then Geb felt when a stranger tried to pull the hardest on his nose trying to remove his face off!<br/><br/>One the guards nearby turned on the duo and shouted; <strong>"Hey! Stop that! No fighting outside the arena!"</strong> Guard is rushing into scene fast as it can intervene!<br/></span>