[ 9 ]

_{Nine is alive.. and with new health.}

Say hello..

Name;

"Nine"
Age; young adult*
Gender; male
Sexuality; panromantic asexual

Species; deer of the TEF variety
Height; ~3' at shoulders
Weight; ~102 lbs.
Afflictions; albino, eunuch, no antlers

Speaks; _{red subtext}
Voice; Mei; Arashi No Yoru Ni *

Possessions; snow globe; a special gift from someone dear to him, massive troupe of rats, beast helm, skull 'mask'..
Location; "Throne", his ferns, behind the Crying Idol

Created; Sept. 1st, 2009 (9-1-09), awoke in the forest as an adult
Birth; date unregistered

^{*Nine will not disclose his age to anyone.}

Don't be shy..

Stability; One of Nine's few great fears is sudden, drastic changes in his lifestyle. He thrives on routine, unless he initiates change on his own.

Security; Another of his few and far between fears is loss, which is connected to his fear of change. This is expressed in his tendencies of possessiveness and habit of sitting as close as possible to someone- even if that means on or under them.

Safety; Nine fears very little. Though brave, he is not a fool; he knows he is small and in that, vulnerable. He backs himself with friends of strength and loyalty.

Idleness; Between bursts of exuberance, Nine sleeps. He easily sleeps a day away without stirring.

Purity; Nine has the heart of a newborn babe and the gentleness of a saint, when his behavior isn't corrupted by selfishness, greed, or petty jealousy.

Childlike; Though an adult, he tends to have an air of someone far younger, often feigning ignorance. He has a 'bubbliness' to his behavior.

Stubborn; His stubbornness is usually isolated to himself and his admittance to an err he may have made. He has trouble allowing himself to face up and fess up. He has never cried.

You're not alone..

Bylah; A powerful figure in Nine's life and possibly the one that has made the most impact on him as an individual. Since their meeting, Nine has matured greatly but has also grown to depend heavily on Bylah's presence. When in his company, Nine shows defensive and territorial behavior towards strangers who he feels may come too near for his or Bylah's comfort. Nine holds the highest respect and vast endearment for this entity and considers him and all that he is, 'home'. It is not unusual to see the boy sitting alone in Bylah's otherwise vacant sunbeam. The king's absence has had a crippling effect on him emotionally and psychologically, but the experience leaves him farther room to grow.

As to the deeper aspects of their relationship, Bylah and Nine are difficult to describe. Some things, though, are best left undefined.

Dhudhwa; In par with Bylah, Nine simply adores Dhuddy. He is a very vital aspect to the boy's life and fills the crucial gap that Bylah simply cannot. There is a deep and powerful mutual bond between them and though their shared love for each other is unsurpassed, it is unique to most other relationships in that it manages to remain strictly platonic. After they met and rapidly became close and reliant on each other, Nine struggled to keep a stable balance between Bylah and Dhudhwa in his heart and on occasion, he still does. He couldn't live with himself if he were to truly lose either of them, for they are as much a part of themselves as they are a part of him. Quite simply, they have his heart.

A gruesome facade..

^{.. for such a charming face beneath. Why do you hide?}

The Helmet; Nine's most cherished and sacred possession, it came to the forest with him and has always been with him, save for the few instances that he may have dropped it. The helm's design appears to be some sort of nonexistent monster, a row of jagged, pointed teeth along its ridge, fierce eye sockets, and spiked horns jutting from the back and sides.

Its significance at a glance may be unclear, and it's easy for one to assume that it's a means of intimidation, or even protection, but for its owner it is a powerful and very personal tool.

Nine finds a great amount of comfort, confidence, and security in wearing his helmet. With it, he has a fuller sense of self and is more stable, emotionally. When it's removed from his person, Nine may seem more humble, vulnerable, and aware of eyes and ears that may be on him. In short, it is his security blanket and also a part of his psyche. It's virtually impossible for him to be healthy if it is removed permanently or terminated.

He tends to take the helmet off more when he feels comfortable and safe in someone's company, usually that of Bylah or Nine, or if his head needs a good tree-rubbing. Unfortunately, while wearing it, he has an obvious blind spot and does a good amount of sniffing if you meet him up front. He often stands at the side of someone and leans on them or circles them or their legs* and is less inclined to give frontal attention unless he's nuzzling or sniffing. Don't be offended if he turns at an angle to look at you.

(This information may be likely to change over time. Most of if was written on the spot.)

^{*This is also a show of affection, like a cat rubbing, especially if done repeatedly.}