Amihan Mactan (2012)

Iteration: 2012 

Name: Amihan Mactan 

Nickname/s: Ami, Ming, Han, Hanami

Age: 15

Gender: Non-binary 

Sexuality: Omnisexual/Ace

Pronouns: Any, They/she (sometimes just also prefers "Ami") 

Height: 5'4

Weight: 145lbs 

Strengths: 

  - Flexible

  - Great at adapting to certain situations 

  - Scarily always aware 

  - Hyperactive 

  - Fast runner and strong arm strength 

Weaknesses: 

  - Strains themselves a lot 

  - Puts too many burdens on themself to handle 

  - Too independent (So much so that they can't really ask for help)

  - Unpredictable 

  - Sensitive to dust 

  - Partially blind

  - Fear of heights 

  - Speech (or complicated English terms) 

Likes: 

• Rice desserts 
• Ice desserts 
• Beaches and summer
• Winter too 
• Crabs (as food and pets) 
• Bicycles
• Training and physical activity 

Dislikes: 

• Seaweed
• Iphones 
• Washington 
• Sliding doors (the heavy ones) 
• Denim short shorts 
• Oysters
• The smell of medicine/rat poison 
• Cockroaches 
• Blunt knives 

Power/s: None 

Inventory: Ginunting duo (small and big), two pouches of herbs and spices, small dagger, pepper spray, and portable flashlight. 

Mbti: ISFP

Zodiac sign: Pisces 

Personality: 

Curious.

Competitive.

Cunning. 

Ami is a lot of things, one second they're calm and cooperative, the next they're at someone's throat because of something they don't agree with. 

One small joke could become a serious battle of whoever is right or wrong for Ami, they take pride in winning, and living in their moment of glory only fuels them to purposefully start some of these conflicts. If they are successful with winning sometimes, they'd deem it a "bore" as it didn't live up to their expectations. 

Still, looking deep into that pool of sharpness. 

They are usually relaxed and warm around people they feel comfortable enough to do so, being very open about their situation and joking more. Ami's humor tends to go on the darker side, however, that doesn't deter them from making them at all despite that. 

People with an outsider view might even see Ami as a different person when with someone they deem worthy of attaching to, laughing more and being considered goofy. From someone else's view, they seem "likable". 

Beneath their sometimes brutishly rude behavior is an intense feeling and beating heart. When Ami feels, they make sure to burn that emotion into their bloodstream. It happens often with new interests they deem exciting enough to pursue immediately, leaving everything and everyone behind in the dust. 

Commitment is something Ami holds on an unstable scale, they are loyal to a fault but only to those areas, they want to. But, they are more of a feeling individual than a thinking one. They don't mind who they have to put aside for a commitment to another craft if this is what they consider more important than anyone else's opinions are wrong. 

To add to this, Ami believes strongly in freedom. Not wanting to be under someone and to be free to make their own decisions, traditions and rules are up for debate. Anyone wanting to command them of anything other than close loved ones feels like an act of oppression. And they do not like it one bit. 

They have no problem giving commands though. 

Nonetheless, they are always looking for opportunities to prove themself. Ami isn't fond of competing with more than two people. They have no problem wiping them out with what task is given, but they are more worried about the numbers and the possibility of them teaming up against them. 

Companionship isn't something they are great at, it makes them doubt themself as they are. It hinders their skill in having to think of what they lack, what they can't excel at, and what they might have to deal with because of it. 

They don't like their skills being questioned, they are very sensitive to what others perceive them as, and usually, they are swayed by their blade skills. If they are not impressed by it, Ami would spend most of their remaining time asking "why? Are they not enough?" 

Even so. Ami continues on with their hardened exterior to ward off anyone not willing to find out who they really are. 

Backstory: 

Coming from a small family in the Philippines, Ami grew up in Cebu and had an active childhood. 

Of course, their heritage was something they were very proud of, so even at the early age of 5. The kid wanted to join their older cousins in practicing their national sports for school. 

Unsurprisingly, they had gained interest in their sport, as well as the Arnis and play fighting.

(Wasn’t surprising to find out the arnis was simply a placeholder for blades.)

Their parents were shocked at how much information and knowledge they had gotten at that age, so much so that they wanted to preserve that curiosity. 

Enrolling them to private tutors to work with after school and even sometimes on the weekend, it was too much for someone their age but Ami had no problem with their new hectic schedule. 

Slowly through the steady state of their adventures and lessons, they got closer to their teacher. 

It was bound to happen eventually, they were the only student to stay for so long that their lessons would stop early so they could learn more about the craft itself. Its history, how it was made, the different techniques, and of course, combat. 

It started from joking duels with balloon sticks to serious sparring before they even turned 12. 

Up until now, Ami's parents had no idea, sure, they had entered local and national competitions but never would they have thought that this was Ami's whole life inside that small lot. They lived and breathed the sport, it was what brought them joy, it was the very thing that kept their blood pumping, it was what made them want to continue on and on. 

They could still keep up with their school activities so their parents never had a problem. Ami thought this was going to be their signature and source of success in the near future. 

Until one day, 

When her beloved teacher of so many years passed away as they graduated at the end of their elementary. 

Tears were shed, denial was evident and a funeral was had. 

Ami thought the world of their teacher, they were a more comforting presence than some of their family members. He often talked about his past with them often too, and the many others he had shared his stories with always intrigued them to want to meet them someday. Oh, if only they had contact with them on the news. 

It was truly a devastating experience for someone at 13, who could only process so few emotions at a time. 

It was worse when their aunt announced they'll be taking Ami with them to The States to start their high school learnings there, 

Overhearing from the kitchen and couldn't bear to listen anymore, the young one went to the only source of comfort they knew. 

The same lot where their nine years were spent, the property was to be sold sometime soon but today no one was around so they went in. Taking off their footwear and continuing on to the familiar rooms, 

Rattling it was, to see their pictures in first place and their trophies on the walls still. It was bittersweet to see their teacher there with them too, 

So, supportive he was..

The room of their teacher was close, Ami wanted to leave right away but something in them wanted to push through. Opening the door and going into a very empty room, except for the cabinet bolted there. 

They opened it out of curiosity and were not surprised to see nothing, sighing and turning around only to trip on an uneven floorboard. 

..

Why was it uneven? 

It was sticking out, Ami had become curious, and even with goosebumps riddling up their arm, the teen tried to pull it upwards. 

It had come off completely and there was what looked to be a box of sorts under there, carefully it was lodged there and seemed to be hidden in a hurry. 

It felt wrong, so very wrong and they were about to leave it there but their eyes stay glued to what lettering they could read. 

"To Amihan." 

Time had flown by now as the teen now held the box and laid it on their lap, it was quite long. And heavy. 

Searching it for any other words, they carefully peeled it open. 

Shocked to see a perfectly crafted Ginunting sword there, the street lamps light peeking in through the windows causing it to shine, Ami felt funny in the situation as they picked it up to inspect. 

It was sharp, very sharp that they accidentally cut themselves upon just gliding their fingers. Even as someone who is supposed to be experienced with the craft, it looked almost foreign to them. 

Water dropped to the blade, the teen looking up to see nothing, but a cold, damp feeling on their cheeks. 

Were they crying? 

Who couldn't? Their mentor had just left something for them, wiping away the tears and hurriedly putting the blade back in the box a scrunch of paper was heard. Moving it again to see what looked like a tiny parchment of paper, going to grab it before their name was called outside. Ami packing the stuff up and running out. 

Two years passed, Ami had moved with their aunt and uncle to America. Washington, specifically. The change in environments caused them to feel homesick from time to time but they did get used to it, 

their craft, however, is no longer relevant where they are.  

That was one of the things they couldn't get used to, ever, their whole life's work to that point meant nothing. Even after two years of being there, they never felt home, 

Having been fed up with feeling this way, they decide to enroll themselves in a new school. Wanting to start elsewhere, somewhere bigger, somewhere more prone to crime. 

And just Ami's luck, their teacher's infamous last note mentioned a colleague in New York.