Akili

Playful, snarky and just a little bit naive, Akili is the penultimate playboy on the surface, completely comfortable schmoozing it up with people of any gender and species, as long as they meet his standards of appearance, at least. That said, he's not nearly as one-dimensional as he seems. Find a way to pry away the layers of sass and smooth talking and you'll find a sweet man, with a kind heart and gentle hands, a man who has utmost respect for women. Dig further and you may just find long hidden signs of a lost boy. A boy who loves his mother, and misses her very much.

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Akili was born of an Ifrit father and a Human mother. His father, a wayward spirit he's never known, disappeared before even his love knew she was bearing his child. A difficult thing to keep hidden, considering her position as a concubine to a stern sultan. However, with the help of the other maidens in the palace, she bore the child to term and secreted him out of the palace, under the guise of a stillborn.

Growing up in the slums with his aunt, a free woman unlike her sister, was not an easy place for Akili to grow and learn. His race slowing his aging and his budding horns and russet skin set him apart from the other children, who teased and tormented mercilessly. For the most part, Akili would remain at home, his life one of quiet solitude with only his aunt. The only reprieve from this quiet, stifling life was when his mother, clever and beautiful in his eyes, would sneak away from the palace to see him.

Yes, Akili grew up knowing and loving his mother, as any son would. He saw the sun in her eyes and skin, and the warm glow of love in her smile and her laugh.

That only made losing her all the more painful.

Unbeknownst to Akili's mother, the sultan had noticed how often she was unavailable to tend to him, how distracted she was in her duties. It did not take long for him to send a spy to follow her, and discover her secret. The punishment for having an affair, let alone bearing an illegitimate child, was death, and Akili was run out of the city, forced to wander alone in the desert, nomadic and heartbroken.

Years passed, and as Akili grew, he blossomed into a beauty of a young man. Therefore, it was no surprise that upon stepping into a city one day, weak, exhausted and starving, he was quickly offered shelter in a local brothel. The women there were kind to him, and he eventually agreed to study the art of the Courtesan while there, and entertain guests in exchange for shelter, food, and modest pay. They also taught him the art of manipulation, self defence, and a number of other skills that only mothers and sisters could teach.

Once again, he had a home, and once again, it could only last so long. Circumstance reared its ugly head once more when Akili discovered the sultan had received word he was still alive and placed a generous bounty on his head. Upon learning of this, he knew he had to run. Fleeing from the city was easy, but leaving behind his new home and family was difficult. Now he wanders the desert and the oasis towns that dot its vast sandscape, nomadic and searching for home.