A tall figure stood by the gates of the small settlement, a presence so imposing that it could easily draw all attention towards itself with no more than its silence. No, to simply call it 'tall' would have been an underestimation. Its towering body, a chaotic mixture of human and beast-like traits, was definitely close to that of a giant. The difference in height between the stranger and the average laborer was such that it challenged the limits of what humanity could achieve and branded him as some sort of divine, no, demonic existence. In its wake, time itself seemed to freeze, there reason for its arrival an enigma not difficult to solve given the stench of death that surrounded it. [break][break] Mai Aburame, who had just casually exited one of the many tents that'd been set up close to the entrance, literally found herself no more than four meters away from the abominable creature. However, far from being paralyzed by fear, she took one, no, three steps forward towards danger and made a honest effort to make eye contact with what others wouldn't have hesitated to call death incarnate. Was it foolish innocence or sharp intuition what moved her to do such a reckless thing? Regardless, it would seem that the little girl had taken it upon herself to resolve this situation, acting as a mediator between the locals and the foreigner. [break][break] "My, you look terrible." Were the first words she spoke. They were warm, serene and lacking in urgency. Like a parent welcoming a child back home, it was an invitation to breathe out and relax the muscles. "It must have been a long, long walk." [break][break] A glance was all the short girl needed to be able to tell that he was wounded, even if she couldn't see the wound directly nor the discrete trail of blood that followed after him. Be it due to her advanced knowledge in anatomy or her experience with patients that dare to conceal their injuries under a tough act, few were those that could fool her insightful gaze. [break][break] "But it's alright." Her smile was gentle, yet her frame was tiny and frail. If the man wanted, he could destroy it with a single motion. "You don't have to worry anymore" [break][break] Behind her, several laborers stood still, dumbfounded and unsure if proceeding with the plan was actually a good idea. It was undeniable that the beast looked as dangerous as it was fierce. They definitely didn't want to get close, not when there was no guarantee that it wouldn't lash on them the moment they did. [break][break] "Let's get you patched up, okay?"
People of the village often came to admire Mai for her unique approach towards the path of a Shinobi. Being an eighteen year old prodigy who reached her current rank of Jounin at the age of fourteen, one would expect her to be no less than an emotionless murder machine or, at the very least, as cold and professional as high-seated officers come. As it would turn out, she instead is a very friendly and reliable person with big sister energy surrounding her persona. This sort of attitude would often as a bridge to connected her to the rest of the villagers in a way that other seniors simply lacked. Above all, one could notice the young Aburame was doing this because she wanted to, not a single hint of weariness or frustration present on her expression even after consecutive weeks of intense activity, traveling across the country, doing missions and the like. One could only praise this level of mental enlightment or simply grow jealous of it. [break][break] How she still had time to kill after all her responsibilities was even more of a mystery. [break][break] One of her hobbies was sightseeing. You'd be surprised of how many beautiful landmarks the Hidden Rain holds within its territory in spite of its usual unstable weather. Today, however, Mai Aburame had found a good seat to enjoy a different sort of landscape. One that she had come to see several times by now and yet it still carried the same endearing traits it did the first time. Same time, same spot, as usual, two rookies were training there together, proof of their desire to become brillant adults in the future. The eighteen year old wasn't much older than them but she was already seeing them as if they were already part of a new generation of shinobi. [break][break] In any case, they weren't complete strangers. They were both part of Anotsu's platoon, man who she was much familiar with due to being colleagues bearing the same rank. She might or might not had the chance to look over their dossiers during a certain special jounin meeting, regardless, it was safe to say they had all interacted at some point in the past given how open she tended to be. Be it a 'hello and goodbye' or a more developed relationship, they had to at least recognize her on sight. She was an exemplary figure, after all! [break][break] "Hallo~" Beaming one big smile, the aburame left her seat, her body-flicker technique smoothly transitioning into a casual walk accompanied by a cheerful wave of her hand. "You kids are so full of energy~ It makes me want to give it my best too~." [break][break] Again, she was only slightly older than them, but still couldn't help but see them as kids... [break][break] "What say you? Would you let big sister take part in your training?"
[attr="class","boxo-notes"]Get ready for your training arc! We're learning bankai in three days
This sort of trip wasn't common. Wandering outside of one's village was dangerous but walking straight into the enemy territory was on a completely different level. Anotsu and Mai were Jounin capable of looking after themselves. The rest of the platoon, however, was certainly not ready for this level of exposure. That said, because war was always right around the corner, imparting as much knowledge as possible into the minds of young shinobi within the shortest amount of time was, simply put, a necessity, and so this operation was justified, so to speak. It didn't change the fact that the young Aburame was as worried for them as a mother would be for her own children, but if the Kazekage believed Anotsu and her were enough to look after them, knowing her, she was probably right. [break][break] "You know, Anotsu-san, I got to admit I am kind of jealous." With a body flicker, Mai appeared close to the Uchiha and the rest of the rain squad. Some might say inappropriately close, as if she was formally a part of their platoon. "You've gathered such a fine crew it almost doesn't feel fair. I wonder if the Kage is playing favorites again..." [break][break] All the genin and chunin under their care were, as far as she knew, very capable and promising. But, out of all of them, the one who had inspired this comment was no other than Daichi Konishi who, despite his apparent naivety, proved to be capable of thinking outside the box. Perhaps other members had already reached a similar conclusion, but he was the first one to voice it, so she had to give credit where it was due. [break][break] Moving on, the Aburame quietly completed a series of hand-seals, compelling a number of bugs within her body to discretely leave their haven in order to do her bidding. With a prudent distance standing between them and the other groups, and Anotsu's platoon serving as additional cover, it was safe to say that the activation of such technique, as well as its nature, probably went unnoticed to agents that did not belong to the Hidden Rain. [break][break] "Ara, is that how the Hidden Stone handles things?" Distancing herself from her comrades just a little in order to speak louder without leaving them deaf, Mai didn't waste an opportunity to 'throw some dirt' at one of Iwagakure's jounin, who branded himself the host. "Essentially asking underclassmen to tackle a challenge before yourself... As a senior, shouldn't you lead by example?"
[attr="class","boxo-notes"]Let's do some trash-talking while we're here.
too many hearts, alone without a reason, are hangin' onto nothing just to pass the time. hey, don't they know what it means to live inside the moment with something to believe, something just like you? let the rain come down and take us home. open up the door! show me what i'm looking for! you are my everything. say the word, baby: i'll stay forever. you are my everything. no one else in the world will be waiting like me to be your everything.[break][break]
can you hear? can you even answer? and do you remember? it's hard for me to know. 'cause i know the way that it feels to hold out for tomorrow, and i'm gonna wait here. there's nowhere left to go! let the rain come down and take us through. open up the door! show me what i'm looking for! you are my everything. say the word, baby: i'll stay forever. you are my everything. no one else in the world will be waiting like me to be your everything, yeah. open up the door. it's you and me forever. show me what i'm looking for![break][break]
tell me what i'm looking for! you are my everything. say the word, baby: i'll stay forever. you are my everything. no one else in the world left for me, oh. you are my everything. say the word, baby: i'll stay forever. you are my everything. no one else in the world will be waiting like me to be your everything, yeah. open up the door.[break][break]
i have a heart, and i have every reason to wait for tomorrow, to be your everything.
[attr="class","twobeenotes"]
this song is, like, the opposite of both face claim and character, but you know what? i love it, anyway.
A well-liked figure within Amegakure's military force, Mai is a prodigy from the Aburame clan who has graduated as a Jounin at the impressive age of fourteen. Now, four years later and in spite of her short stature (4'11), she commands a great deal of respect, all while keeping the atmosphere warm and cheerful with her presence. Like a mother willing to lead by example, she's strict yet kind, professional yet flexible. Forging a connection is important for her, no matter how shallow, so as long as you have the courage to properly communicate with her, you'll likely be kept in the good graces of this colleague. Be mindful of what words you use around her, though, especially if you are a junior. Etiquette is important, but not mandatory. Foul words, however, are for adults only.
Mai comes from a branch of the Aburame clan who have retired as ninja and instead use their bugs for a different purpose. Her parents, for example, run a traveling flea circus, renowned across the entire country and neighboring lands. In other words, this girl is a shinobi by choice. There is no tale of revenge within her background nor is there any family obligation present that would force her to pursue this kind of path. In her own words "I joined the academy because I wanted to spend more time with my friends. Then, before I knew it, I was looking after them as their Senior". Her natural talent, bolstered by the passion she invests in anything she sets her mind on, allowed her to arrive at the place where she stands today.
At times, Mai can be a little bit of a bully. She enjoys teasing others and knows very well how to use irony as a weapon. That said, unless you are an actual enemy, chances are she's just playing with you. Naturally, she is drawn more towards those that let their honest human reactions roam free, but she can also make a good pair with a strictly professional person (much to their dismay). She takes pleasure in cooking, sightseeing and well, simply talking. She's also quite fond of missing-nin hunting, especially as a method of stress-relief. She is not in it for the money, so she rarely goes after a big fish, instead, she picks on the weak, beats them up and turns them in alive, if possible. A real-bully-slayer, that's her.
Proficiencies
Taijutsu [Journeyman] Throughout her career, Mai has faced hardships in the field of hand-to-hand combat, mostly due to her frail and small frame. In order to turn the tables, she has abandoned the striking style generally taught at the Ninja Academy and switched to a more defensive style inspired in Aikido. The goal is not to hurt the enemy, at least not directly, but to serve as a bridge that leads to a favorable outcome. It's all about being able to disarm the opponent, throw them off their balance or simply deflecting one of their attacks, defeating them without the need to get one's hands dirty.
Shurikenjutsu [Journeyman] Proficiency befitting someone of her rank. When facing or interacting with traditional throwing weaponry, Mai can quickly identify the advantages, drawbacks and effective ranges each of them possesses. She has a record of acing written exams that involve trajectory calculation through the mathematical method so it is safe to say that she's rather accurate with her throws, however, her otherwise flawless aim suffers greatly against moving targets. Her personal preference are senbon needles, but she can throw kunai and shuriken just as well.
Stealth [Journeyman] As a shinobi, Mai is naturally skilled in the art of concealing her presence. Be it inside or outside the battlefield, she likes to approach others from behind and give them a scare. What she specializes at, however, is not actually moving around unnoticed but rather keeping her intentions hidden under a veil of shadow, a skill suitable for a spy. While standing in plain sight, she's doing something, but one can't tell that she is. And then, by the time that Mai chooses to reveal her hand, the game has already reached its conclusion.
Aburame Clan [Journeyman] A proficient insect tamer, Mai has a long story in raising Kikaichu which started even prior to the beginning of her formal shinobi training. She acts as the host of a medium-sized colony which can be used for offense, defense, reconnaissance and espionage. Bugs can group in swarms in order to impersonate another, deflect incoming projectiles, act as an additional limb or even surround and overwhelm a single target. However, in spite of their abundance and chakra eating capabilities, they represent little more than an hindrance if an opening isn't created for them to exploit.
[/b] A rare breed of butterflies raised by a select few of the Aburame Clan. Their main purpose is to gather powder from different flowers and plants, which can then be stored in a special cavity. Right now, Mai is still experimenting with them, so they're merely a cosmetic.[/ul]
Medical Ninjutsu [Journeyman] Mai is well-versed in the art of medicine, particularly in the fields of anatomy (human or otherwise) and toxins. She has been taught about the most commonly used poisons, how to brew them and how to counter-act them. In addition, she has been exposed to some of them, increasing, if only slightly, the resistance her body has towards them. She has yet to start brewing original mixes. Finally, she holds some knowledge in the art of healing others through mystical techniques but often requires time, resources and possibly assistance in order to carry out a proper medical procedure.
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[attr="class","APP3"]
Kimetsu no Yaiba
Mai Aburame looks like Shinobu Kochou.
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Last Edit: Sept 9, 2021 19:01:07 GMT by Mai Aburame
