Hana

BORN WITH PURPOSE.
Looked down upon for her differences.

Name: Hana

Age: Appears to be 22-25

Height: 5' 5" without ears / 5' 9" with ears

Gender: Cis female

Orientation: Bisexual

Species: Shiba variant soul guide

Hana was born blind to two traditional parents who recognized her disability and saw it as a danger to herself and others. How could she accurately judge souls or even find the dead to guide them without sight? Would she even be able to feed and clean herself? How could she be of any use at all? They became hopeless and distant after learning that even when searching someone’s soul she could not see their memories (although she could certainly feel them), and took a hands-off approach to raising her while they discussed what should become of her. Other spirit dogs feared that she was dangerous because of her self-described ability to “feel” what someone had experienced and thought she would become sympathetic to wrong-doers while others simply laughed it off saying that it would never come to that because her lack of sight would surely hinder her from straying too far from their safe realm. Her parents felt comforted that their little girl could surely never run away and would be utterly hopeless if she even attempted to do so, and so they felt no need to worry over her status. They refused to train her any further and instead began to raise her little sister Chigu to be a soul guide in her stead, leaving Hana largely forgotten. It was generally agreed that her existence was acceptable so long as she stayed out of trouble.

Sometimes she heard them laughing and talking about her but pretended not to hear or understand; it was easier to let them believe she was blind and dumb. But her heart hurt that they would say these things about her, believe that she was helpless and hopeless and meant only to be tolerated. She could contribute nothing to their society, so she was worthless, and by all means did not deserve the kindness she was given as they chose to still house and provide for her. A spirit dog who cannot pull their own weight was traditionally scorned from their society, after all, so it was a favor for them to even acknowledge her presence. 

She desperately wished to be good and trusted, but they denied her training and gave her nothing to stand on. All she knew was how to read souls, much less what hell and heaven really were or how to guide a soul to its afterlife. She felt utterly useless and full of despair. Turmoil also plagued her home as Chigu began to spend an increasing amount of time at the library as opposed to performing her duties, leading to several loud confrontations that Hana could only helplessly listen to in her small, dusty room. 

One particularly turbulent night she emerged from her room, wanting to check on her sister, when Chigu’s temper finally exploded. Barking venom at Hana, her verbal fangs rent Hana’s heart, tearing open the wounds of her insecurities and guilt, and ending with a horrid suggestion so clearly said in a moment of high emotion yet containing a hint of the truth as well. She had no responsibilities, could freely go wherever she wanted, and had no expectations for herself because nobody cared whether she was there or not.

... So why not just leave and get out of everyone’s way?

Struck by a mix of despair and determination, she decided to forge her own fate and left home without a word. She has been alone ever since.

Despite her past, Hana is a very bubbly and bright girl doing her best not to let anything get her down. She meets everyone with an open mind and personality and tends to be rather familiar and touchy even with strangers, though this can be uncomfortable to some. Wanting to appear confident in herself, she’s not afraid to speak up over small matters and stand up for her morals, but she hides from personal matters in fear of disappointing others. She also learns about the world in a very physical sense, taking time to study an object’s texture, material, and weight before she’s satisfied and treads carefully to avoid injury. Oftentimes she doesn’t want to appear obviously disabled so she tries to walk confidently but more than once it’s gotten her hurt, but she’s too prideful to use any aids and instead relies on her other senses to take care of herself.

That said, she gets overwhelmed easily in crowds and city settings because of her senses being overloaded. She doesn’t have much choice to stay away if she wants to learn and do her job, so she’s been trying to work on steeling her nerves more. On the flip side, stimulation excites her and she gets restless around low-energy people; she struggles to find the balance between just enough and too much.

Hana tries to remain as self sufficient as possible and lacks trust that other people like her for who she is. Because of this, she easily makes fast friends but keeps them at arms length if she can. She doesn’t tend to show this side of herself because of her openness and willingness to talk and share seemingly personal details, but at the end of the day she tries not to be too attached which leads to many friendships falling to the side. However, when she does find someone who really likes her and likes to be around her, she holds on tight and never lets go.

Her trouble with personal relationships makes her hesitant to admit deeper feelings she might have, but she’s very open to being with anyone regardless of gender. She seeks excitement in a relationship and is open to almost any new experience, and though she may seem like a promiscuous girl due to this, she doesn’t take well to people who treat her like a novelty and otherwise have no interest in her.

She has an appreciation for handmade crafts and small knick-knacks, even though she can’t see them. Being more finely in tune with her ability to sense souls allows her to feel the little bit of heart put into handmade items, and small weighty items are very pleasant in her hands. She does not sing often and has been told her singing voice sounds like a howling dog, but she enjoys humming in private where it can’t bother anyone.

POWERS:

As a soul guide Hana’s most basic power is her ability to sense souls and look into them, sometimes called “soul searching”. What she finds in someone’s soul varies from person to person but it manifests as an abstract thought/feeling in her mind that tells her about the person and their life. Because she’s in tune with their emotions more than other soul guides, she gets overwhelmed if someone has gone through a lot of trauma in the past. When used normally, soul searching gives Hana a better idea of the person the longer she focuses and she can take in bits and pieces at a time. However, sometimes this power can activate on accident, usually through physical touch, and she can feel one of their most prevalent emotions. Hand in hand with this ability is the ability to sort souls, though Hana hasn’t mastered this yet and lacks confidence in herself to do so.

In very rare instances Hana can see into someone’s past life. She doesn’t know what to do with this information a lot of the time but it weighs on her.

Soul guides can sense when a person is on their deathbed or tragedy is looming over them, though she can’t gauge when or how they’ll die. To help someone pass on peacefully a guide can exude a calming aura by the person’s deathbed. Hana does this subconsciously, but other soul guides will purposefully withhold this ability for people they find abhorrent. 

TRIVIA:

* likes mac and cheese

* likes fries dipped in ice cream and gets excited over fast food