Profile
Jasirā¹Karim
Design
Notes
- His extra eyes open and close independently, disappearing and reappearing in different areas of his body. He can't see through them or control them.
- He sometimes cuts patterns into the sides of his hair.
- His horns are made of a polished stone-like material.
- Jasir exhales smoke from his mouth and nose intermittently. It smells faintly of grass and incense.
Personality
However, he's not selfish at all, and will go out of his way to help someone even if he was rude to them before.
He's sympathetic to anyone going through hard times, a trait he inherited from his parents.
He has a well hidden warm side to his personality, and frets over the people he cares about excessively. He knows all his regulars by name, and occasionally joins in on their games.
He also has a bit of a temper, and lashes out easily when people slack off.
He has high standards for others, but he adheres himself to those standards more strictly than anyone. It's not uncommon to catch him working himself half to death.
Moodboard
Summary
Jasir manages a gambling parlor in the underbelly of Henan City.
Despite his age, he's a disciplined and dedicated worker. He became the caretaker of the place after the owner, his adopted grandfather, went on a long and unannounced "vacation".
Ever since then, bartending and keeping the place in ship-shape has been his daily routine. He takes pride in the work, but is quietly concerned that his grandfather has abandoned him for good, the same as his parents did years ago.
Although he remembers his parents, he hasn't seen them since he was a child. They seemingly disappeared into thin air, leaving a young Jasir to fend for himself on the streets.
It was only through a chance meeting with the man who later became his adopted grandfather that his life changed. The old man visited him often, and eventually earned his trust. After years of subsisting alone, Jasir conceded that his parents were never going to return, and asked the old man if he could work for him.
Ever since then, they've been a strange little family.
Even though his grandfather was always strict, Jasir appreciated the discipline. He carries deep gratefulness and respect for him, and views their relationship with rose colored glasses even at the worst of times.
But... now his grandfather has disappeared, too, with no explanation aside from a short letter. Jasir's tried to cling to optimism, tried not to assume the worst, but as the months have crawled along, his depression has worsened. Still, Jasir takes care of the parlor every day, hoping he'll come back. Life goes on.
Then...
One night, just before closing time, a newly deceased human stumbles through the doors. Lost.
Despite Jasir's distaste for humans and the burdens he already carries, he decides to help Elliot, who has nowhere else to go. He offers Elliot a job and a place to stay, at least until he's able to orient himself in this new and bizarre world.
The two of them develop an uneasy relationship, with Jasir teaching and scolding him in equal measure.
Jasir dwells often on Elliot's fate. As a ghost, his mind and soul will deteriorate in time, with no hope of recovery. Or he'll be caught by demons, and have his soul rended from him by force. Either way, dreaming up a happy future for him is a waste of time. Despite that, Jasir's feelings for him only grow warmer with every day they work together.
And...
Sheltering a ghost is a crime, punishable by the forfeiture of your soul. Jasir keeps this information to himself.Trivia
- His favorite foods are extra-spicy braised meats, dumplings, and thick, flavorful curries. Anything that burns the mouth and warms the stomach makes him feel at home.
For sweets, though, he only really likes fruit. - He has a surprisingly lovely singing voice, because he often practices when he's by himself. (Which is often.)
He knows the lyrics to every festival chant off the top of his head. - Jasir is quite prone to anxiety and depression. However, he pushes through these issues with brute force, most of the time.
He struggles with severe panic attacks. And even moreso, fears of abandonment. - Someday, he intends to grow the most extravagant "wizard beard" in the world.
He is simply biding his time until he thinks he's old enough to pull it off.
Likes
Gambling
Mahjong, obelisk, badlands, poker...
he's an overly confident better.
Regardless, he has fun whether he wins or loses.
Romantic novels
Jasir reads many genres, but he collects romances of all kinds, and buys up nearly anything he's never read before.
The local bookshops and traveling traders all know him well.
working (too much...)
He keeps himself sane by working ceaselessly. He derives emotional stability from a job well done.
Perhaps a poor coping mechanism, he'd admit. But he knows his grandfather is proud of him.
Origami
A diversion for his anxiety. He has dozens of completed origami discarded around the shop.
He is particularly fond of the origami panther that lives on the cash register.
(...Her name is Juuna, 'moonlight.')
Dislikes
Angels
Sanctimonious, authoritative, alien, cruel.
Jasir despises angels and the dominance they impose over the Planes.
He's always been distrustful of authority. Doubly so about those things.
Humans
Nearly as bad as the angels.
A stubborn, obdurate people, judging by the few he's met. Always trying to categorize the world into boxes.
Worst of all, they don't even know how to die right.
... Elliot, however, is evidence that some humans are worthwhile.
Cold food
Completely unsatisfying. Why eat something that doesn't warm your insides?
... His teeth are rather sensitive, too.
lackadaisical people
Nothing annoys Jasir more than laziness. He can't stand personalities that prefer coasting through life, giving minimal effort.
He's also annoyed by dishonesty, even though he's quite the liar himself...
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