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SHAENA FRAYE

SHE/HER/THEY/THEM - 24YRS - SHAE/MERCEN

"Void be my witness if you harm one of Mine, I'll End you."


  • ALIAS The Frayed ● Leo
  • CLASS Human
  • SCAPE Dystriven
  • AFFILIATION Warden Clan
  • THEMEShaena's Tunes
  • STATUS Living Light

Shaena Fraye, a traumatized system fueled by Spite as they navigate and balance the chaos that is Life; changing titles like tear-stained masks she adapted to whatever came to her through work and leisure, running around combatting curses wrought by the Umbanes as often as she was rooted down with her adoptive family in Timepiece Boughs.

Wandering feet currently found her needed to investigate an Umbane Haunt, but it came with a familiar face she spent long and hard trying to catch. This irritatingly familiar cat-and-mouse chase pushed her patience, but they knew they needed it to survey the scenes playing before their eyes. Only then can they finally put their questions to rest.

Key Bits:
  • Blunt, Honest
  • Soft Spoken
  • Non-Verbal Communicator
  • Slow to Trust
  • Trained Resting B-Face
  • Will Bite
  • Fiercely Protective
  • Clingy/Touch-Affectionate
  • Avoids Confrontation
  • Will Finish Confrontations

With a RBF and quiet nature Shaena comes off as neurally apathetic and unapproachable, unhelped by verbal bluntness and dismissiveness to most conflict. In truth they are what one calls a Social Introvert, preferring select company & expressing herself through non-verbal means. She's honest with her feelings, though is more used to masking them unless prompted or if usual non-verbal expressions fail. Childhood trauma made her especially wary of whom she interacts and builds bonds with, and is particularly protective with those she's already bonded with.

The system perfers to avoid engaging in petty conflicts and fights, but can/will bite back with vehemence. Sometimes at a disregard of her own self-preservation even, though she dislikes the disappointment aimed her way by family when it happens. All the system wants is to be healthy and happy, and while they might get frustrated with hurdles to that goal they're adaptable to finding their way through and is not shy in showing displeasure as needed.

  • Eyes Moss Green, Blinded Right
  • Hair Short, Brown, Fluffy Mane
  • Face Tri-Scratched Scar
  • Build Atheltic
  • Accessories Loose Scarf
  • Shirt Green, Fur-lined Jacket
  • Pants Dark Grey/Black
  • Aura Tex.Moss & Feathers

Shae presents rather basic with brown hair, athletic build, neutral expression and wearing whatever feels comfortable for the day with preference for hooded jackets & good running boots, as well as a scarf of sorts. Her facial scar doesn't bother her despite the history or others' thoughts, their words nothing compared to the Umbane that caused and paid for it. If anything, it gives her intimidation points paired with the Resting Bitch Face she trained herself to keep in most settings.

With the development of her magic came with small physical changes, notably in her bite. While training built her body, her teeth are visibly sharper & came with a matching jaw strength. This paired with the more... feral part of her personality can be very chaotic for the people she deems bite-able. Aside from people, you can find frayed fabric on her person from hooking teeth into them.

Favorites
  • Food Bite-Sized IceCreams
  • Drink Tea
  • Color Earthy Green Tones
  • Animal Snakes
  • Time Night
  • Hobby Sewing
  • Gesture Leaning Contact
Likes
  • Textile & Chewing Stims
  • Tactile Affection
  • Rhythm Games
  • Ambient Music
  • Comfy/Nest Corners
  • Soft/Fluffy Fabrics
  • Loose Hoods
  • Sweet, Crunchy & Bite-Sized Treats
  • (Brand) ChocoCaramel Ice Cream
  • Nighttime Strolls
  • Exploring Scapes in own time
Dislikes
  • Magic Poisoning
  • Umbane Shades
  • Poor Stitching/Itchy Fabrics
  • Pop-Rocks/Overly-Soft Foods
  • Unnecessary/Petty Conflicts
  • Being Away from Family
  • Achey Jaws
  • Tight Neck Accesories
  • Crocodile Tears
  • Getting Lost in ScapeVeins
Trivia
  • Shaena is the System Head and Mercen is their Protector Alter. They are thought to be Lion or Umbane-based and are highly aggressive to the corrupted Shades.
  • The system uses sticky notes to pass on news, tasks, and events between them.
  • It was Mercen's idea to start doing the rhythm game and karaoke activities.
  • They call the people in her mage group familial titles (aunt, uncle, cousin, brother, etc.) despite not being related to them.
  • They've broken a few things chewing & tugging on them. Shae is often upset finding they've chewed holes into their scarf.
  • Shaena dislikes lying post-eye-injury, so will usually go around the bush with giving technical truths, ommitions, or changing the subject. Mercen will lie with a straight face and no remorse.
  • Shaena has been to jail exactly once. They'd gotten into a fight for Kanae's honor, won, had to have Uncle Ferrus pick them up, refused to apologise and regrets nothing of the experience save for making her family worry.
    They were teenagers. This needs no further explanation.
  • For one reason or another, Shaena can hear snakes 'talk'. She doesn't know why nor how, but she rolls with it & is actually good at handling them.
  • She has picked up at least three(3) snakes in her lifetime. The most memorable was picking up a striped krait out of a fishing net & chattering to it while Tom and another Local looked on in annoyed confusion and horrified disgust respectively.
  • Shaena does not use the full scope of their magic due to experiences and is hesitant to explore them. She's slowly easing into pushing their limits so they don't get blindsided later, but is still repulsed by the Umbane-esque abilities that the Alter has picked up.
  • She doesn't know her favorite ice-cream is from a whole different Scape and annoys her to no end when she can't find it herself.
  • Shaena hates being called the Executioner. It's not who she is, and it's an awful reminder of what she's able to do, be it against any Shade or living beings.

  • Originally an offshoot AU of a previous, older character of similar concept.
  • Said character was based on someone seen in a Dreamscape, since developed and drawn in older works. I still keep notes to track development from where it started.
  • There used to be three of them in the System initially; Shaelo, Merc, and Red.
  • Shaelo was the main personality and original name.
  • That first concept has found another purpose now :)
  • SEWING/STITCHING: Picked up when she was little, first from interest of items her late mother left her, then when Aunt (corved) showed her how to make baby things for Kal. It has since expanded to making clothes, accessories & plushies on her own. It made for a nice side-business while Warden duties stayed as primary work.
  • RHYTHM GAMING: An activity that keeps their body and eyes busy while having fun. They favor dance-style games & also like hand-button type machines to get full use of their limbs. They're a real beast on the dancepad and has expanded to join Kanae in group dance exercises.
  • Scape DRIFTING: Despite the dangers of the ScapeVeins, there are some peaceful times she takes advantage of. It's easier to wander if she Drifts in sleep, though if it's a true Fall in a Faux/Full Scape, first priority is always getting home. She considers it a nice plus if she picks up a thing or two before leaving.
  • PARKOUR: Something about being on the move & high places eases the an itch in the system. It's good practice for mobility & expels the excess bit of jittery energy that might accumulate in their bones otherwise.
  • KARAOKE & MINI-JAMMING: Whether with others or on her own, sometimes energy comes out through vibing with a song. Emotions get a good outlet, it's a fun activity, and it makes both of them happy, what more do they need?
  • Gnawing/Chewing: A habit she's unable to kick since her magic's development. Shae can be seen chewing at her clothes when idle, or actively nipping her siblings while tussling. This habit has developed into full-on biting in a fight, and people have found she is very VERY difficult to unlatch.
  • Texture Stimming: A common habit, Shae will run her hands through fabrics for comfort and quality inspection, given her interest in sewing.
  • Touch Gestures: Both a method of communication and a self-soothing action. Shaena chooses to convey her thoughts through nonverbal means, including touch; context always needs observing especially when idle taps develop into displeasure. It also serves to soothe her in another's company, sometimes being a small tell to indicate that she's warmed up to someone.
  • Vocal Churrs/Soothing: Only ever observed with people she is comfortable with as a means of communication or soothing. It's almost automatic with family & small animals she encounters, though she can be caught churring at children too.
  • Focused Eye Contact: Since losing her sight on the one eye, eye contact looks a lot more intense when it happens. Shae doesn't usually mean to intimidate and only initiates it when invested in the conversation, though they do know to use it when they don't particularly like something/someone & can pin them with the Look(TM).
  • Head Tilting: An oddly animal-like gesture with no particular thing starting it. Usually an indicator of curiosity & looks fairly innocent most of the time. With the right mood and facial expression though they can turn it into something to unsettle or intimidate.
  • LION'S TEETH: These are a set of knives she carries in both work and self-defense. There's no telling what they're actually made of, but they have been carefully enchanted to last and respond to Shae, keeping at least 4 on her person at any time.
  • WARDEN MASKS: Owning several spares, all of them are stained with black tears as a mark of a visible CurseBreaker. It's a generic circular mask with black eyes, made such to represent the Magic Poisoning all the Wardens risk doing their duties.
  • TEXTILE BOOK: A small book of textile samples Shae uses for both sewing work and personal stimming. She adds & replaces textile sheets when they wear down or if she finds something she likes in the store.
  • HOODED SCARF: Their most favored article of clothing, she owns a different pair for casual and work use. It's made of material she stims with while also providing coverage/deterrent for rain or sociability. In her Warden uniform, the scarf tails serve as a base for her aura constructs, specifically wing-type.
Early Childhood

As far as she could remember, Shaena's family was already part of the Warden's clan. Both her parents were Wardens, though her father had died before she was born. As a Ward, Shaena was raised on stories of magic, dragons, dreams and travelling. They were meant to play with other kids, regarding the world with bright-eyed curiosity, not needing to join the troupe if fate allowed it. She was loved, cherished, and yet... It was always the little ones that saw cruielties looking to snatch them away.
Her mother died to an Umbane encounter, saving her child among others that Fell into a ScapeVein. The Rook, a Ferrus Corved and her mother's friend, offered his home to the orphaned child and brought her to Timepiece Boughs to recover with his family. She bonded with his first child and settled slowly into the fam, while remembering her late mother with the little things she left for her.However the trauma left her with immense separation anxiety and distrust of strangers, as well as protective urges that worsened as her magic developed.

Magic & Training

Her magic development started just as the littlest Corved was born. With a new member added to her new family, Shaena decided she was going to join the Wardens to get stronger and better protect them despite the reminders that she didn't have to. Her decision was solidified when her aura developed to be a very powerful absorption type, making training necessary when it became clear she was at risk of INTENSE magic poisoning. She learned basic spells and self-defense techiniques, taking inspiration from Seekers and Curse Eaters in their methods under the Wardens' careful guidance.

The Lion's Birth

Alas the Umbanes would trouble her again, this time dragging her littlest cousin into the fray after a rough argument over her overprotective tendancies. With other snatched children, Shae had pulled the Umbanes into Karmic Liar to stall long enough for the adults to reach them. Under the spell's bounds, they lied to all questions and greatly angered the questioning Umbane when they realize they'd been duped. That day, she watched her littlest's face twist in horror as the Umbane clawed out half her sight, fully intending to deal with her permanently.

That day, something within her snapped, and the magic she inherited bared its teeth and bit back.

That day, she left the Scape with little memory of the following events save for the littlest crying in her arms, an aching, poison-blurred eye, and a sense of satisfaction that came with satiating a deep Hunger.
Later, they'd be told that not only did they attack the Umbane somehow, they'd also eaten the very lifelight that held it to the living Scape. No Curse, not a single wisp of it was left behind.

The Aftermath

It took a while for anyone to find out what the trauma did to Shae. By this point she was losing track of time & events especially when near potentially threatening scenarios, and others around her clocked a touch more aggression during these spots. It took her adoptive brothers coaxing cooperation from the Other one with their own concerns that finally the family was let in on the system's development and was allowed to handle it accordingly. Treatment and management would start here, but Shaena had to handle this development throughout the rest of her childhood and teenhood as the system would try to sort itself out while surviving obstacles thrown at them.

School Life

The Rook enrolled Shaena, with Kanaex, into a mixed school of mages and non-mageborn that taught other aspects of Dystriven's magic and other subjects. Between therapy and Warden training, the new system met this with some annoyance and hesitation, not surprised to already walk into conflict while trying to socialize with peers. Quickly gaining a reputation as a cold, dismissive magic-sponge due to how her magic was perceived, Shae brushed off bullies with silent words and rarely retaliated with violence outside of class-mandated combat. The one incident that gained her notoriety for feral behavior came from a conflict with a jealous girl and a stupid decision with a single shoelace.
Let's just say the other girl very, very quickly realized that a mere shoelace did nothing against a very, very angry Lion.

She'd not made many friends in their time there, though they'd found a peculiar few people and those that required her brand of help. Health-affectors, cursed items, through these routes Shae began making a tentative network of bonds. The most memorable acquaintance she'd made was a mage who's family name turned eyes, menaced those around him with no rhyme or reason aside from sheer pettiness, and, ever since losing a sparring exercise to her, had hounded her heels seeking to prove something. He was suffering a Curse that couldn't be removed, and she'd not been able to approach until an accidental encounter with the Snake, her title also being revealed. They'd entered an agreement benefiting both as Cursed & CurseBreaker, and eventually the two bonded over one's competitive nature and a shared penchant for shenanigans; they would have been considered very good friends... had he not betrayed her.

With the usual chaos that tailed the Wardens' work, Shaena was roped in to help ward off some Umbane-affiliated clan, the young mage having been pulled in with them. It was a large clash that left many scrambling, with word of Umbanes likely planning an appearance the longer it went, so the last thing Shaena had expected was to be nearly incapacitated by bottled lightning, someone being stabbed in the back, and the mage behind it all fleeing with the enemy on a cart track.

They... didn't remember much in the ensuing pursuit. Only that when they'd next woken, they were in a cart in the middle of nowhere, a bullet in her vest but otherwise unharmed, and the very last thing she'd seen were wide eyes filled with fear and pain and panic looking up at her before blanking.
Furious and understandably upset, for the next 5 years any contact with the mage would lead to some kind of fight. It wasn't many encounters, and they'd been shorter than she'd like, but in every one she would never manage to rip any answers out of his haughty face. The frustration would burn into faint cinders as the grudge settled next to the loss in her heart.

Shaena had grown into her title and abilities, now able to withstand some fairly intense curses and find balance in handling the corrupted Shades. By this time the system settledin their shared existence, managing work & casual life the way they like. They've become a wandering Warden so that their range of service wasn't limited to one area while also taking up different jobs to open up their skillset, most commonly surveillance and sewing commissions.

Their current major assignment has them staying at (city) to observe Umbane activity and aid in Lost Seeking with the Mysfits, a suspected Haunt needing clearing once found. Shae still takes on other jobs as called, especially if the Shades are involved, but they've come to learn that Umbanes come in all shapes and personalities, and the some that weren't too leery about 'the Executioner' have attached themselves to her aura despite her own reservations about it.
Her encounters with the Viper Mage continue, the scenarios as scattered & random as the Veins. They've cooled enough to focus on their duties more, but Shae continues to try and corner the slippery bugger to get some closure and turn him in. She's still much to learn about what exactly the opposition's agenda is, and unfortunately the Viper Mage is the only link she has to getting anything about it. So while she's combatting the Menace and the chaos he & the corrupted Shades bring, she's keeping her ears open for openings & discrepencies she can bite into.

With turmoil in her work life and a tentative peace in her casual one, both facets of the system have pushed through the best they could with the chaos. Warming to new friends and linking with old ones, they're bound to learn a thing or two as they go about Wardenhood and finding their spot in the world. Sure, their lifespan might be questionable after their developments with CurseEater, and sleep had been bringing her odd scenes to walk through, but they've still got a fair amount of spite to keep them going.

Travel Log
  • Timepiece Boughs:
    Home, with her adoptive family. A semi-quiet suburb dubbed so for one of the strange occurences that it sees; in this case a section of homes is wrought with hanging timepiece chains on trees and available overhangs. It is a well-known Warden's route as some of the residents (including themself) are alleged-Wards.
  • School?:
    Their old learning grounds where they made & broke connections. Memories were made inside & out of these halls, They don't visit much anymore but they still keep in contact with some people after graduating.
  • City:
    Their current place of work, observing for a rumored Umbane Haunt and aiding the Mysfits in seeking out wayward Lost & Shades.
  • ?:
    ?
Warden Duties
  • CURSE BREAKING: Her main sector & specialty of work in the Wardens, she helps remove/alleviate the effects of various curses in Dystriven. Curses come in many forms and it's important to know the methods of undoing & preventing them. Some types of curses may have many different methods of breaking, and it is particularly advantageous to learn so that one may mitigate risk to both client and breaker.
    Some curses cannot be removed however, so one also learns to give relief where they can so that the other may live as comfortable a life they're able with the curse.
  • LOST SEEKER: While technically not in her job description, Shaena is included in these duties due to her experience in the Veins. Under the Rook's guidance, she aids Seekers who call her assistance to search for Lost locals that have fallen in/out of the Rift Veins and need returning to their own scapes/areas. Her presence also helps just in case combat situations or curse breaking needs arise.
  • UMBANE HUNTER: Once again required due to her experiences with the Shades and the threat they pose. Shaena is part of the work force that seek out and dispatch Umbanes making noise in their areas and cleansing out any Haunts that have formed. For the most part the young Warden is given seeking and elimination, however due to some recent developments relating with the Lion they have also been given task to removing unwilling Shades from their current environment & undoing the binds linking them to more corrupted Umbanes. From there they can then proceed to rehabilitate & redistribute the Shades with the next duty as follows.
  • SHADE GUIDE: Involves handling Lost Shades and resolving any issues that crop up with them & the surrounding Scape. Most can usually be left alone, as they are merely ghosts and can usually find their way on their own, it is sometimes needed to help guide them along so that they don't have anything too heavy weighing them to the waking world when they finally want to seek out the end of their Tracks.
    Technically not under her juridiction, she's had to dabble in it with the other Shade-handling Wardens due to her unwanted affiliation with the Umbanes. However she does not handle this as often due to certain issues with her aura (see Shade Repulsion in Weaknesses) leading to tense encounters.
Key Bits:
  • Moss Green, Soft & Prickly
  • Hidden Spikes Bite
  • Dark/Tainted Overflow Energy
  • Overflow forms Feathers & Wispy Constructs
  • See-Me-Not / Ambient Hiding
  • High Capacity for Absorption
  • Hungering Aura
  • Magic Poisoning Resistant
  • Nullifies/Breaks SpellBinds
  • Shade/Umbane Deterring
  • Gnaws on Most Energies/Auras
  • Emotionally Responsive

Overview

Shaena's Lifelight Aura is that of a mage with high capacity for absorption, aligned to perfectly handle her duties as a Curse Breaker. Seekers note that its mossy green texture soothes with a gentle brush while hiding prickling spikes underneath when pressed too hard, a mirror of the Warden's overall nature. Aura overflow manifests outwardly in dark feathery extensions, linking her to the Corved family's aura magic on Ferrus's side. Her capacity for energy allows her to share it with fellow Wardens as needed while fueling her own spells for tasks.

However Seekers have also noted certain bits that bring concern for their Ward's health; most cast spells do not affect her (healing, harming, etc.) unless they carry elemental aspects, meaning Shae is effectively immune to curses and healing from others and must conduct those herself; It also has an odd effect on Shades and Umbanes, making the former wary of approach & latter more hostile, and when questioned it all links to the final concern; the passive Hunger unique to Shaena's aura.

While the immunity is more common to people than it appears, the Hunger is the one thing that differentiates Shaena's aura from most due to how it affects her work and daily goings. It's the reason for her gnawing habit and makes her a very effective CurseEater.

CURSE EATER(+)

The Wardens' most effective CurseBreaking ability, and one that Shaena's aura defaults to with ease when handling curses. Due to the Hunger it's almost natural that the Warden essentially Eats the curse energies/binds after severing the main affliction from a client's aura, though passive-presence method also works quite well. It leaves her at risk of potent Magic Poisoning but she's long since trained up her capacity for resistance/absorption, though she carries the telltale taint that manifests in all the different ways.

It's odd how this is a normal state for her while most other Wardens must learn the skill over time, and even more odd seeing its effect on Umbanes as they undo the curses binding them to their torturous existence. It was especially concerning seeing that the ability, when Shaena uses it, can effectively Shatter and End the corrupted soul when actively gnawing on the soulbinds themselves...

Pros
  • Raises M.P Resistance
  • Easily Identifies CurseBind Typing
  • Protects User from Spell's Original Intent
  • Immediate Energy Conversion
  • More Effective through Touch
Cons
  • Magic Poisoning Risk
  • Somewhat Invasive (needs Access to Aura/Soul)
  • Needs High Energy Cap
  • Fatigue Over-Time
  • Aura Hunger(Devourer-exclusive)


LION'S BITE

A side-effect of Magic Poisoning & joint influence of Curse Eater, not seeming to occur with other Curse Breakers. When enough taint has accumulated, it can be used to coat & poison through a chosen weapon. Due to Curse Eater's influence, the aforementioned weapons are usually blood-streaked knives or straight-up biting. Once the poison gets in a target's body, it isn't long before they choke to death as it tries to come out through the blood, tears and saliva with no prior resistances built up against magic poisoning. According to previous Curse Eater records, this is sometimes so deadly even those with prior magic poisoning won't be able to handle the toxins injected by the bite, at best crippling the target severely before being offed by the Warden themselves.
It is the deadliest to Shades and those afflicted with a Curse.
This ability is only able to be used in the moment as the tainted liquid eventually loses its toxicity & dries out into delicate flakes that quickly dissipate into the environment. They can stain belongings given an extended amount of time, but will not be as dangerous as it was fresh.

Pros
  • Magic Resistance
  • High Energy Cap
  • High M.P.Resistance Cap


Cons
  • Magic Poisoning Risk
  • Aura Hunger



KARMIC LIAR

Also known as An Eye for a Lie.

This ability activates upon uttering the aforementioned phrase, allowing Wardens to conduct a questioning of up to 5 direct questions. Truths are unaffected, but Lies are made more obvious to the other as one eye becomes afflicted with magic, causing a burning sensation to the liar. There are no other outward cues to tip off the questioner, but it's said that those that double down on the lie until the end of the spell's duration will lose their sight in the afflicted eye, whether by the burning or some other consequence.
While useful for some situations, Wardens don't use this very often as the spell does not discriminate from white lies and heavy ones. As long as it is a spoken lie, then the consequence takes effect until the end of questioning.

Pros
  • Magic Resistance
  • High Energy Cap
  • High M.P.Resistance Cap
Cons
  • Magic Poisoning Risk
  • Aura Hunger

Strengths
  • HEIGHTENED SENSES: Due to losing partial sight, she'd had to compensate through her other senses. Hearing especially improved, forming a head-tilting habit, and she'd had to train magic and instincts to react quickly on the blind side.
  • BITE FORCE: Shaena has unusual jaw strength given the nature of her magic, making her a frightening foe when one's first instinct of attack is going in teeth-first. Luckily she rather makes use of this chewing on hard candies and the like.
  • HIGH MAGIC CAPACITY: A must in Shae's line of work, having trained up her limits to be able to handle large amounts of absorbed energy. It allows for good energy supply for spells as well as provide a buffer before being tainted by Magic Poisoning. If needed she can also share stored power to others who might be in need to replenish their own caps and conduct spells.
  • AURA SENSITIVITY: While CurseBreaker training honed the detection aspect for Dispelling, her constitution as a CurseEater has made her more sensitive to their lingering energies. It only manages to go out to a short distance, but it's useful when used to locate & gauge curses in the area. Deeper/masked auras still require contact to really tell much. The only downside to this passive ability is that once it latches on to particularly lively lights, her aura begins feeding off of it to fill magic reserves, whether or not Dispeller gets auto-activated for curse-presence. It won't usually be a noticable thing to the target (save for some exceptions) but she'll often need to consciously pull away to avoid overfilling caps.
  • CURSE IMMUNITY: As a Curse Eater, most curses directed at, ingested, or otherwise making contact with her will not have the intended effect and be immediately absorbed into their own aura pool. This also applies to less aggressive/benevolent spells, and she will not experience any of the intended effects (ie. healing, death spells, transformative spells, etc.). This absorption does have a backlash, however, see Magic Poisoning in Weaknesses.
Weaknesses
  • PARTIAL BLINDNESS: Permanent after Umbane encounter, unable to even see auras through magic. Has had to compensate with her other senses, see Strengths.
  • MUTED SEEKING: While able to See as a Seeker does (see Abilities/Magic in Story), it is much more muted compared to normal. Shae suffers from slight overstimulation/headaches when using the ability, the Sight muting most auras while making certain others slightly too bright to view directly. She benefits more from simply feeling out these energies instead, following the way her aura reaches out & nibbles on their trails (see Aura Sensitivity in Strengths).
  • MAGIC POISONING: Common in Curse Breakers, a consequence of high magic accumulation from absorption without proper expulsion. Common symptoms are blackened sclera, coughing/crying tainted fluids, tainted blood, and fatigue. The higher capacity/more aggressive/complicated curses absorbed, the worse the symptoms and can be deadly if not managed. Due to intensity of some curses Shaena handles, her blood is permanently tainted, though while not deadly as-is, it has caused anxiety for her. Paired with Lion's Bite (see Abilities/Magic in Story) has resulted in some touch-aversion whenever injured.
  • ELEMENTAL DAMAGE: The very rare exception with what her aura can absorb. While the magic behind the spell can be taken without issue, the actual element (ie. flames, lightning, water splashing) would then still cause its related damage/effects (ie. burning, shocking, getting wet) as it is turned loose. At best Shae can only get prepared with stocked medkits and raised resistances, but an injury is an injury and she must handle it accordingly.
  • SHADE REPULSION: A result of CurseEater abilities and aura's tendancy to feed off of others'. Shade-type auras can sometimes feel the nipping away of their lights and find the seeking/clinging-aura unnerving on a living human, describing it as an 'emptiness that never feels full'. It makes it necessary to make some extra effort on her part to ease them to her presence.
Familial Bonds

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Ferrus Corved [ Uncle-Adoptive Father / SEEKER WARDEN ]

While not related by blood, he was friends with her mother and had willingly taken her in when she died, raising her in Timepiece Boughs with his family. As the Rook and her adoptive father/uncle, he is in charge of her recovery, safety, and did his best in seeing her happy, supported, and well-defended.

Ferrus is the Head of the local HOA and runs a gym as a civilian. As the Rook he is a Lead Seeker and one of the best at his job. Shaena is his Ward and she sometimes joins him in both to train & provide backup when not with any of the other Corveds.

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Kanaex Corved [ COUSIN / BROTHER FIGURE ]

The eldest Corved son and while technically 2yrs older, she refers to him for some things. He was key in her integration into the family dynamic & were inseperable when they were young. They still go to each other for support, advice, and defense as they both navigated the challenges of life & school shenanigans.

Kan minds the family when Shae is out doing Warden work, keeping the littlest Corved in-check and serves as the 'level-headed' sibling... Though make no mistake, he's just as chaos-seeking when he needs to be. Case-in-point: not stopping Shae throwing hands vs a classmate deadnaming him. He disapproved of her methods, but the classmate didn't ever do it again ¯\_( o-o)_/¯.

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Kalux "Caracal" Corved [ COUSIN / BROTHER FIGURE ]

The littlest Corved and the 'spicy' angy brother. He was Shae's Ward the moment he was put in her arms & he learned many a habit from the adopted eldest. They play-fight, share food & outdoor hobbies, and both are prone to Violence(TM) when needed. He'd gotten Mercen properly addressed &
The youngest brother in the Corved unit. He's the 'spicy', fiery feral brother, contrasting to Shaena's cool indifference with Kanaex being middleground. As older sister, Shae is particularly protective of the 17yr old and took it upon herself to teach him how to drop-kick someone in the name of self-defense. Kanae was less than pleased with the shenaniganry but Carkal ate up the lessons happily and spread them to the kids he'd babysat.
Once upon a time, the only-child gained a cousin/sibling. Then Carkal entered the world and Shae was gripped with a need to protect so strong it scared her deeply. This led to some hovering, and as the little one grew expressed unhappiness at the stifling contact. One day, young and silly as they were, had ended up fighting her on it and a lot of hurt feelings were had. Then the both of them Fell with Umbanes and Shaena pulled all the stops to make sure he and the others came out relatively unharmed at the near-cost of her own life. Guilt ate at them both, and Shaena was made to swear to never lie to that extent again, fearing another further loss. She'd agreed, but struggled to keep it until Mercen went to negotiate it themselves to compromise with the younger, wanting to protect them both properly.

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MERCEN FRAYE [ PROTECTOR ALTER ]

The Protector of the system and only other to share their lastname. When Mercen first came to be, they'd been quite distant with each other, Mercen taking time from them when fronting, causing paranoia & fear, sowing anger to what was happening between them. It was some time to realize that it was only to protect & make sure they both survived whatever they'd faced. It took rounds of therapy for Shae to offer the olive branch to finally understand each other, and have since made a system to how they'd go about their existences.
Though they communicated, keeping secrets wasn't uncommon, the Alter in particular loving to get into shenanigans they don't tell Shaena of until she gets pulled into them. They might not agree on certain methods, but they adapt & make it work somehow. It took some coaxing to get Mer to start settling fully into the family, but once they did it was another weight of their collective shoulders, no longer subjecting themselves to the self-assigned distance and slowly easing into having their own experiences outside the conflict they'd been born in.


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JACKIE 'KID' [ WARD ]

Carkal's ward and pseudo-adopted by the Corveds, they met the child during a Vein incident that they'd been Summoned to and had to lead them back home. They'd bonded over sign language and shared preference for peaceful quiet. Shaena has sort-of adopted the little boy as a trusted figure and helped him with things regarding being Lost and clinging magicks. She was the second/third to find out about the NutcrackerBot companion he'd had and made sure to teach him the tips and tricks to getting out of a fight he didn't want to be in. Carkal may have caught them more than once during these times and left them at it, Kanae was a lot less fun.

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DESMOND [ MYSFIT / HONORARY WARDEN ]

One of the wards posted outside the clan, and honorary Warden with his work in aiding the Lost. They'd met when Shae was assigned to assist in laying out protection for the orphanage Des works in, continuing to lend a hand when in the area. They'd grown to be friends during that time and had been introduced to the Mysfits of through him, settling into the new assignment under his guidance.
Des was a non-combatant when handling Mysfit cases and Vein-brought chaos, tipping the Warden on where they're most needed on the job. He's part of the informally-known 'Neon Squad' as Psyckinect(tentative), and though she wasn't an official Mysfit he brought Shae along whenever they did their runs, if she wasn't already patrolling on her own.
Oddly enough, when Shae first met Des, they thought they'd met each other before. They weren't sure what it was, but brushing against his aura gave her a sense of strange familiarity, but otherwise had no real lead for it.

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SEAN "BELL" OWENS [ PENPAL / FLORIST ]

An accidental letter sent through the Rift resulted in two lives finding unlikely companionship. While being unable to help with initial book request, Shae wrote back and forth in other matters, often of the little things with the (at the time unknown) otherworlder. Sean brought on her interest in plants and influenced a mini-garden as well as trading origami flowers as a 'game' between them. They'd grown enough to use little pennames, Sean being 'Bell' and Shaena adopting 'Leo' after being likened to a cat in some of her stories.
Neither would know one another's true faces for a while until an unlikely common point would make it happen.

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SAKOBUN [ CLASSMATE / MAGE APPRENTICE ]

One of her few friends in school, and one of the first people she'd helped officially as a Curse Breaker. She'd detected the curse and approached, and despite the initial hesitance, had managed to successfully remove the curse over the course of a short time and had stayed in contact since.


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LUNALEI "YUKI" MARSHE LAPINET [ CLIPSOLEIL RABBIT MAGE ]

Another acquaintance from school with a penchant for chaos and fluffy things, dubbed 'Bunny' by the Alter which leaked to her. She didn't know this one as well as Musa, having met through her initially after starting treatment on the other's curse, but was very quickly swept into her social circle and bunny-related shenanigans. Shae didn't find out about Yuki's affiliation with Hex until she'd dragged him into the scene too, learning firsthand how much more chaos is had when both of them are in the same room.
Shae'd been wary of her after finding out Hex's clan affiliation, more than ready to distance about the same, but after observing & awkward conversations she's found that Luna's judgement of people could be... trusted. As chaotic as she was the Rabbit Mage didn't make acquaintance with just anyone, and while she definitely has words about certain scenes, Shae has never felt reason to fully cut her off. This is one of the only reasons Shae continues to associate with Luna, the other being Musa's and Kanae's judgements of no harm.

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HESTIA [ MYSFIT ]

The second head of the Neon Squad known, alias Firecracker. Hestia was the main guide in (city)'s territory, knowing the scape day & night like the back of her hand. She's got the connections if one were to need them, and Shae has gotten to use these connections whenever one were to look for her specific brand of services.
Hestia is Desmond's friend and initially didn't warm to Shae due to being affiliated in a mage clan, not having the best experience with them. There was no disrespect thrown between them so the two worked amicably for a time before the ice was broken. It helped seeing each other in action and her persistent need to protect those within the group by means available. They swapped tips and dogpiled Des when they suspect he'd been going beyond his limits.

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DR. EVAN [ THERAPIST ]

Shae had been going to therapy for the Vein Falls already, and then for Mercen's emergence, so Dr. Evans was just her most recent assigned since after highschool. He's recommended as one of the go-to's for the Wardens, so he's no stranger to the kind of things they've brought to his chair. These days they go more to let off steam compared to before, or if there are some things they can't really bring to the family just yet.
Believe it or not, Mercen is more mindful of making sure they make it to appointments on time, especially when they're fronting.

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NAME [ TITLE/OCCUPATION ]

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TOM 'HEX' AURELL [ RIVAL / NUMBRAGE VIPER MAGE ]

An acquaintance/friend turned enemy/rival, Hex's affiliation with the Numbrage clan set the tone for their future interactions. Shaena's grudge still simmered after the betrayal and encounters made her wary of his intentions. In turn, the mage made a menace of himself and initiated this song & dance of theirs to varying results, none of which included his capture. Even so, there's a begrudging respect between them due to past association, both having somehow maintained the pacts they've made since. Shaena is still one of the few people that Hex has trusted to use his real name in normal settings.
As much as he infuriates her, Shae can't find herself to deny help as a CurseBreaker, knowing her presence soothes the Snake as much as it does. Even then she's tried to avoid confronting it directly, knowing what an enemy to the Snake looks like and not at all keen on finding out what it might do without the human side tempering it. On the plus side, the exchange seems to allow a slightly less hassling mission completion, even if the CurseEating happens during most of their physical clashes than not.
Shae won't lie, she misses the friendship, but her need to keep her own safe has her Masking most feelings again. They's're only made more complex given their shared social circle & the general air he holds outside of Missions. Until she gets answers from Hex she just can't let her guard down, especially since Mercen hasn't really initiated contact to him whenever they've fronted, as far as she's aware.
The two of them were due for a long, long talk when she's able to corner him properly.

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Woe & Foe [ AERAVYRM DRAGON ]

Thext

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BECKY [ BULLY ]

A highschool bully, nothing more. A constant annoyance to her time then, and continuing to do so whenever they run into each other. Shaena gave no fucks to the girl's petty arguments and attempts to unbalance her, not rising to any of the attacks against her character. The only thing that made her memorable in the Warden's eyes was that incident involving a shoelace; while the girl didn't manage to scare/choke her out like she'd intended, Mercen took it as a threat to their life and hammered home that they could do far more damage if they'd wished it.
The stupid things one would do over a boy.
After that, any time they see each other it's met with apathy and heckling from their respective persons. Shaena continued to cold-shoulder Becky and won't actively go out of their way to interact with her. Becky would continue to antagonize her, but knew well enough at that point that Shaena can and will throw down if ever pushed like that again. She just doesn't know the extent of just what kind of lion bear she's poking, and Shaena was happy enough to leave her in the dark.


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MOOCH (MITTENS) [ THE NOT-CAT ]

An odd creature she'd encountered within the Veins, from Drifting or Falling. Clearly a Voidling/Stelling taking shape of a cat, though instinct tells her to be cautious with the creature despite friendly interaction. That aside, they can't help but be mildly peeved as the creature snatches food as it pleases (hence the name she'd given it) and leads her along the Vein's Scape willy-nilly. Still, it was a very lonely thing and it always seemed to delight in her presence, and she does indulge its munchie-cravings when she can, hence her finding out its preference for chicken nuggets. Sometimes they'd bring her 'food' in the form of something to restore magic capacity, though they're not entirely sure why they do this knowing the other creature had a larger need for it.

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GALE [ AERAVYRM DRAGON ]

The most unexpected encounter when they'd gone to meet with the Mysfits. Gale was with the group as part of the search party and secondary combat if and ONLY if it's needed. A dragon draws a lot of attention after all, especially one of the Elders' descendants that Stellings have taken to accompanying.
These two are not as close as some of the other Mysfits, but they are amicable enough to work together. Evidently the dragon finds their aura too hungry for their liking, moreso for the Stellings' sake than his,but he leaves her alone in a mutual understanding.

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VEX [ KRAIT / MAGE FAMILIAR ]

Introduced to her during a Hex encounter. While still suspicious of the mage, the snake was quite friendly and more than willing to slither up for attention. It was very happy to be heard and gave the Warden full permission to handle it whenever they'd encounter each other again. Shaena was happy to see it healthy and happy despite current company, and she'd made sure to put a word down to Hex if she found out he'd been lacking in care. In turn, she'd asked Vex to keep an eye on the mage's status as is and as the Snake.

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ALBUN, PEANUT, & JELLYBEAN [ CLYPSOLEIL RABBITS / MAGE FAMILIAR ]

Bunny's mage familiars, also known to them as the Daycycle Buns. While amicable with their master, it doesn't stop the more mischievous of the bunnies (Jelly) from trying their luck being chaotic with everyone they encounter, Shae included. Unlike certain persons, Shae has a touch more patience with the rabbits and has actually watched them for a time as a favor for the Rabbit Mage.
Suffice to say they've gotten used to each other enough that the bunnies respond to basic commands from the Warden, though not all the time.