Telaki

Telaki is an effusive, chatty person with a penchant for leadership and encouragement: urging yet kind, able to make demands without sounding demanding. In a past life she was an ambitious sailor who won a dozen local trophies in Aora, before deciding after several years' foraying that she's better at teaching than competing (and enjoys it far more).

Trained as an educator both in the sport and outside it, she has a strong friendship with Jinai and has watched her take on highs and lows, over these 7 years of coaching her. While she knows Anqien less well, they've grown on her quickly. She puts in double time to mediate the relationship between her sailors—whom she affectionately calls her "little stars"—and the sponsor company.

Sometimes, the two sailors under her purview seem to think she sugarcoats her opinions and advice too much. But by and large, they're profoundly grateful that she cares as much as she does about her job. She's gotten in her fair share of spats with them, but with years of history behind them, the bond could not be stronger between the coach and her two proteges.

Telaki's family moved to the capital of Aora right before she was born. As an adult, she travelled to the easternmost city of the archipelago, training as a solo inshore sailor and winning a number of local titles.

At twenty-six, Telaki decided she'd attained all the accolades she wanted, having no interest in the international circuit, and left sailing to become a PE and life education teacher in Niro then Helfi. But the sport eventually called her back: Cloud Connectors got wind of her experience and wanted her on as a coach. She meant to take the gig to pad out her retirement fund, but after meeting Jinai and recognising her talent, she committed to the job for several years longer.