Elaine Gustav

“Buddy, you can tear that note down right now and let me handle it.” 

BACKSTORY

Elaine Gustav just doesn't fit in.  They live on the remote island nation of Falt, whose economy revolves primarily around export of foodstuffs.  They're not interested in any sort of farming, though; they're descended from a long line of people with the power to communicate with animals.  Their style of dress, their skin color, their very goals rarely match those of Faltian folk, and most of the people that know them in the nearby town of Tuathanas look at them with confusion and scorn.  They've lived all their life out in a remote cabin with just their mother and the local fauna to keep them company.

Everything changes for Elaine when they answer a request from the capital city of Ceartas.  They yoke a powerful hawk under her control and name him Velgr, then set out to watch for an animal killing the local cattle.  The culprit is no animal at all, but rather a zombie sailor with no memories.  Elaine, desperate to make a friend and travel the world, quickly volunteers themself to help the sailor recover her memories and stop the massive serpent that killed her.  Along the way, they have a lot to learn about life, love, and the world beyond their tiny hamlet...

PERSONALITY

In Falt, Elaine got teased no matter what they did, even if they did their very best to conform to society.  Therefore, they've given up on fitting in, leading to someone who's unabashedly themself, so long as they're not actively being teased.  One of their problems is that they're not quite sure who they are in a lot of ways.  The things they are set on, though, include their love for nature and a genuine desire to help folks who need it.  When they make a friend, they pull out all the stops to keep the friendship, sometimes at the cost of their own well-being.

That's partly because Elaine has terrible, debilitating social anxiety.  Their agoraphobia can be so severe, they become nervous, dizzy, even nauseous when walking a busy street.  They're understandably averse to putting themself in a busy place to find new friends.  They do have a few coping skills, though.  One of them is their simple curiosity; they can put her nervousness around new people aside if they find those people interesting enough to ask and listen and learn more.  So long as Elaine sticks to the wilderness, they're free from crowds and social mores, and they can be their true self.