[ resubmit ] Ariel Harel

Personality: Always, Ariel has been stubborn. He never took orders against his own wishes well as a young child and he doesn't today. Ariel has been instilled with a fierce fighting spirit since birth. He had actually been very sickly throughout his youth. Still, that did not keep Ariel from fighting. He often landed himself into lots of trouble. Even when others punished him for his rebellious behavior, Ariel never seemed to learn.

Because his main focus was always to survive and never really to impress anyone, Ariel has formed the habit of being extremely rude and not knowing when to close his mouth. He's terribly blunt and likes to pick at others. He is nothing like a gentleman. He'll shove people if they're in his way and he doesn't spare anybody his opinions. He likes to egg people on and agitates them. Ariel is an expert at gaining the ire of others.

Despite his outward apathy for others, Ariel is a very generous person who does go out of his way to help even random strangers. If somebody is just standing there doing nothing helpful, Ariel will push them out of his way. But if that person looks like he or she needs help, he doesn't usually just stand there and he tries to aid them. If somebody is crying, especially if it's a child, Ariel will try to soothe that person. He knows what it is like to be alone and without anybody to comfort while he is crying. His actions often surprise people since he does things that most people do not expect from him.

It's extremely hard to make a bitter enemy out of Ariel and it is very difficult for Ariel to hate. He has a kind heart which rarely bares little ill will towards others except for annoyance. Often, Ariel has short bursts of tempers or an anger which rarely lasts a long while. However, every so often Ariel comes across people who are able to kindle a fire which is rarely smothered easily. Lasting anger or grudges do not come often and forgiveness comes even less often. Once Ariel has formed a grudge or hatred against someone, it is usually even harder for him to forgive said person.

For someone who seems to not know when to shut up, Ariel is very intelligent, especially when it is science that is the topic. And no, he's not very modest about this either, as he likes correcting people and smart mouthing everybody. And he wonders why so many people dislike him so much?

He has a talent for being very humorous. He does this both on purpose and without realizing it.

Ariel has a reputation of complaining. Excessively. He's always ranting about something and he rarely ever seems to be pleased. While this isn't completely accurate, Ariel does tend to act vbrattily. Ariel likes being in control and he hates when things don't go his way. Unfortunately, things rarely do ever go his way, which might contribute to the reason he's whiny in the first place. That doesn't make him any less of a hard worker. He's gotten too used to laboring hard to quit. If he doesn't have anything to work on, he tends to feel… kind of empty. One could say he is a workaholic.

Likes:

• Peace:
  Despite the fact that he gets into lots of fights and he argues with many people, Ariel only wants to live his life quietly. He has lived his whole life fighting others when all he really wants is rest from the ever growing cruelty and hatred of other people.
  
  
• Birds:
  When Ariel looks at birds, he admires the freedom they possess. They can fly around in the sky without anybody holding them back. Ariel sees them as a sign of freedom.
  
  
• Young Children:
  Ariel loves children. He envies the innocence of little children. It is also a sharp reminder of how he was once like them. Sweet and innocent.
  

Dislikes:

• War/Fights:
  He strongly dislikes war and fighting. He understands the need to defend oneself against another person but he does not understand why countries and people stir up war. He finds war stupid and idiotic.
  
  
• Shackles/Chains:
  He doesn't just dislike them, he hates them. As well as reminding him about the suffering he has gone through his entire life, they are a sign of restrictions. And Ariel hates being restricted by anything.
  

Aspirations:

• He wants to get rid of the practice of slavery. As he was a victim of it, Ariel wants to put an end to slavery. He knows what slavery can do to someone's health. He himself faces many challenges concerning his health. Even though his days as a slave are over, they have made their testimony. Ariel can never forget those dark days.
  
  
• He aspires to become a musician. Ariel has a strong love of music. He finds it much easier to express his feelings through music, rather than words. Much to his chagrin, Ariel has difficulty articulating his feelings and his opinions.
  
  
• He wants to become stronger. Because he is a magician, Ariel's physical body is weaker than average. However, since he has a natural aptitude for using magic, Ariel wants to learn how to use magic to its fullest potential.
  

Phobias/fears:

• Ariel has a fear of other people. Or rather, a fear of becoming close to other people. Ariel's rude personality was actually created by him to push others away. It was originally meant to be a facade but as time went on, it became a permanent mask. However, somewhere beyond it, there still is a remnant of the former Ariel, who was gentle and kind to all.
  
  
• He fears being late. Though it may seem extremely irrational to fear to be late, Ariel has a reason for fearing such a thing. During his days as a slave, delay was not tolerated. At all. It was punished heavily if a slave was late, even if he/she had only a few minutes delay. Everyone was expected to be quick and prompt. Unfortunately, Ariel was such a person who was often late for things.
  
  
• He fears the dark. After being kept in a basement for hours, multiple times, Ariel can not stay in the dark for even short periods of time without having flashbacks.
  
  
• He is claustrophobic. In tight spaces, it is harder for Ariel to fight. He is extremely paranoid and if he can not fight, he becomes very frightened. If there is no way for Ariel to reach a more open area, Ariel will have a panic attack.
  

Face-Claim: trump, Kashin Em Demisleed
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Hazel
Height: 178 centimeters | 70 inches
Weight: 67 kilograms | 148 pounds

Appearance: Ariel likes to wear for practicality and comfort. Besides the fact that Ariel does not have a particularly high income, fancy clothes do not suit his interests. He could care less about looking even decently nice. True, such clothes were actually worn to show off wealth or nobility, but, a), Ariel wasn't nobility or wealthy, and, b) Ariel very much dislikes the hierarchical system. Him being at the bottom of it saw how unfair and unjust it was.

Albeit grudgingly, Ariel recently bought new and decent clothing. Despite his aversion to the color black, he wears a black coat over a collaboration of a plain gray vest and a simple, white shirt. His pants are also, surprisingly, black, as are his shoes. He wouldn't dare wear such hot clothing in Heliohapt. If he ever happens to travel to Heliohapt, he prefers sandals and a rolled sleeved white shirt.

His hair tends to grow quickly. Despite having only cut it a few months ago, his hair has grown rather long again.

Rukh Alignment: White Rukh
Special Features: N/A
History: Ariel was originally abandoned by his birth parents. He was found near a grove that was just off the edge of a poor village. A middle-aged married man found him and took him home. Until Ariel was 5 or 6, he lived with the man's wife and children. They all managed to fit into a one room house. It was often crowded and this tended to cause huge disputes among the children. Still, when winter came, nobody complained about the extra heat sources surrounding them. Often, it was the other way around!

Ariel's adoptive parents labored tirelessly to gain money to support their family. A new, wonderful job opportunity for his adoptive father arose in a large city. Because there was nothing they really had in the small, little town they resided in, the whole family, with only their clothes they were wearing as their possessions, moved to a prosperous and flourishing city.

All of them were both fascinated and overwhelmed. Since they came from a quiet and dirty little village, the environment of the huge city was a complete surprise. Little Ariel, who was 6 at that time, was probably the most fascinated. The child was extremely curious and immediately, once they entered the great city, Ariel, not knowing of the dangers of wandering off, did so.

He asked many of the residents and vendors questions, annoying most of them. He also unintentionally ended up getting in everybody's way. Finally, Ariel made a decision where he was 'jumping into the pot'.

While looking around, he spotted a group of people all in a straight line, following a tall man. Ariel's eyes widened when he noticed how dim their faces were and how tired they all seemed to be. Their clothes were also very raggedy, much like his own. The child scampered over to them and he asked them, "where are you all going?". A few of them turned their heads towards him, before walking away. Ariel wasn't one to be ignored like that. He tagged after them and asked repeatedly. Finally, when they didn't answer him, he decided to ask the man who was leading them.

The next turn of events went far too quickly for Ariel. He was captured and taken as a slave. He remembered hearing his parents' desperate calls before he was knocked out. When he came to, he found himself in shackles and chained.

He was first auctioned off to a tall woman. After some months at sea, they arrived at Heliohapt. At first, the woman did not treat Ariel terribly. She was very kind and quickly won the trust of the child. However, around Ariel's 7th birthday, her attitude towards Ariel changed drastically. Gone was the gentle manner of her. It was like she was a different person. Ariel was put to work as a servant in her large household. However, that was not the worst to come. After about a year had passed, Ariel, still warm and cheerful, was forced to labor in the fields, despite being only a child.

He worked for four years in the fields. He was punished for even small mistakes. He grew to despise the woman who had brought him there. Every day, as he worked, he could feel her eyes on him and the other slaves. She wore a particularly cruel smile. Though Ariel would never admit it, he was frightened of her. And hurt. He had thought he could trust her...

This would be the first of many betrayals that Ariel would experience.

After a few years, Ariel could no longer put up with the life he was leading. Making a desperate attempt, Ariel fled the fields where he worked in. He managed to escape but not without being chased. Ariel did manage to lose his pursuers after he boarded a boat heading away from Heliohapt. For about a year Ariel was searching desperately for his former family. In the end, he did find them and they were all reunited happily. That should have been the end to all of Ariel's troubles. But it wasn't.

During his search for his parents, the twelve-year-old had struck a deal with a mysterious man who had promised to help Ariel find his parents. His exact words were: "I'll help you find your parents, kid, but I'm going to want to be paid afterward!". Ariel had been too desperate to even think about the consequences. So when they did find Ariel's family, their reunion did not last long. Because Ariel had no money, he was made a slave.

He was sold off to a rich man as his personal servant. Ariel waited on the man in disgust. He hated his new master. The two argued often. Ariel was punished in return for talking back. Two times things became very physical. Ariel was punished severely afterward. The third time was the worst. In the end, Ariel's master kicked him out of the house and left Ariel to die.

Ariel still had his open smile and warm personality. Though he showed his bitter hatred openly towards his master, to others, he was a calm and sensible person. He made a friend, Yoshiki, who had been born in the Kou Empire. Unlike Ariel, his friend was not a slave. He came from a decently well off family. The two were about the same age and they often bickered between each other. However, their bickering was that of two friends. They grew to trust each other and rely on each other. They often aided each other in pranking Ariel’s master, who they both disliked greatly.

After having no place to call home, Ariel begged Yoshiki to take him in. But the other refused because Aurelius had ordered Yoshiki and his parents not to permit him to reside with them. Ariel still doesn’t understand why his old friend had followed those orders. But whatever the reason was, Ariel saw it as the betrayal of his formerly close friend. Suddenly, Ariel realized he was out there in the world, all alone, with nobody he could trust. He realized that those people whom he had put his faith into, ended up betraying him and leaving him. Wrought with misery, Ariel finally cursed his fate. In doing so, his rukh turned black. At the time, Ariel did not understand what the rukh were. He saw them, but he had no knowledge about them. He just thought they were abundant butterflies that flew around everywhere.

Ariel wandered aimlessly around the world. He was often captured by slave traders. He would also end up unintentionally cause trouble for many other people. He would spend a few weeks, up to a whole year, working as a slave and enduring punishment after punishment given to him by his masters before fleeing. His personality had also changed drastically. No longer was he cheerful or bright. He was very spirited as always, growling at his masters. However, he seemed to not care about his or anybody else's life. It wasn't until a chance encounter changed Ariel.

He had been running an errand for his newest master. Not really paying attention to his surroundings, Ariel soon found himself on the ground. When he looked up, he found himself gasping in surprise. The person who he had run into was none other that one of his younger (adoptive) brothers.

Things happened very quickly and soon Ariel found his debt to his newest master paid. He also found himself surrounded by his family. Ariel should have been content but he felt sort of off. Life started to move on but he did not. He couldn't forget what fate had thrown him through. His different behavior was not gone unnoticed by his family, either. They often tried to cheer him up, only to fail miserably. Then, his father died. On his father's deathbed, the two spoke to each other. The words of his father lingered in his mind for quite some time until Ariel finally relented. Due to his father's last words, Ariel finally accepted fate.  

But the damage had already been dealt. What Ariel had gone through would forever be implanted in his mind. He would forever be scarred by his time as a slave. Ariel would never allow himself to be pulled into the chains of slavery and he could never allow himself to trust another person ever again.

Soon after this, he left his family once more. This time, he had a purpose. He wanted to end slavery but first, he didn't want to be always a weak kid who couldn't defend himself. He had recalled overhearing a conversation going between two people. He heard them talking about magic. This sparked an idea in Ariel's mind. He decided he wanted to learn more about magic. Since the best place to do so was the country of magic, Magnostadt, that's where he decided to go to.

During his journey, Ariel asked many questions concerning magic. Some friendly people were quite surprised that Ariel had such little knowledge about magic. However, they were very willing to explain about it. A few of them were Magicians themselves. They taught Ariel a little magic. He was a very quick learner and grasped the basics very quickly. And so, as he approached Magnostadt's gate, he was confident that he would be allowed entrance.

Role-Play Sample: How long had he been here? On this ship? How long had it been since he had been dragged away from his family and knocked out? How long had it been since he had touched the silky green grass with his feet? How long had it been since his legs were free to jump and twirl and spin and run? Too long, he decided. Too long since he had seen his mother and father and his brothers. It had been far too long and Ariel wanted to go home. To go back to his family. To be in their warm care. He was only a child. He was confused and lonely and scared. The people around him were foreign to him. He could tell they were very scared. It made him scared in turn. He curled up in a ball and sobbed quietly. What was going to happen to him?

***

He no longer wondered what was going to happen to him. It was far too obvious. He would be made into a slave. Again. All of his instincts told him to try to escape. However, Ariel knew it was pointless. He had already tried to do so. He had failed. He was chained and shackled. He could not move much anywhere. If he did try to escape… Well, it probably wasn’t worth the pain

He glanced at the other people. They were all huddled up. Some were trying to stay strong and not cry, but Ariel could see the tears forming. Others were wiping tears away and sobbing. Ariel wasn’t. For him, it was all too nostalgic. He had already been captured once. He knew what his fate would be. For him, there was no point in crying. But he understood the others’ feelings. So very softly, Ariel comforted the others. He guessed many of them were surprised that a child of only twelve years old was trying to comfort them. But he guessed they were taking heart that a twelve-year-old was not crying. Many of them wiped their tears and smiled at him in gratitude. Despite the situation he had landed himself in, Ariel felt warm from the wordless thank you's conveyed by smiles.

Approved.

Code:

[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/G1B9w13.png[/img]
[img]http://i.imgur.com/kSnyGIq.png[/img]
[b]Country Affiliation:[/b] Magnostadt
[b]Race:[/b] Magician
[b]Tier:[/b] D-Tier (Novice)
[b]Class:[/b] Black Magician - (Strength Magic)
[b]Age + Birthdate:[/b] 26 | May 14
[b]Gender:[/b] Male
[b]Sexuality:[/b] Bisexual (Though he often adamantly denies being attracted to the same sex.)[/center]
[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/hkIne7W.png?1[/img][/center]
[b]Personality:[/b] Always, Ariel has been stubborn. He never took orders against his own wishes well as a young child and he doesn't today. Ariel has been instilled with a fierce fighting spirit since birth. He had actually been very sickly throughout his youth. Still, that did not keep Ariel from fighting. He often landed himself into lots of trouble. Even when others punished him for his rebellious behavior, Ariel never seemed to learn.

Because his main focus was always to survive and never really to impress anyone, Ariel has formed the habit of being extremely rude and not knowing when to close his mouth. He's terribly blunt and likes to pick at others. He is nothing like a gentleman. He'll shove people if they're in his way and he doesn't spare anybody his opinions. He likes to egg people on and agitates them. Ariel is an expert at gaining the ire of others.

Despite his outward apathy for others, Ariel is a very generous person who does go out of his way to help even random strangers. If somebody is just standing there doing nothing helpful, Ariel [i]will[/i] push them out of his way. But if that person looks like he or she needs help, he doesn't usually just stand there and he tries to aid them. If somebody is crying, especially if it's a child, Ariel will try to soothe that person. He knows what it is like to be alone and without anybody to comfort while he is crying. His actions often surprise people since he does things that most people do not expect from him.

It's extremely hard to make a bitter enemy out of Ariel and it is very difficult for Ariel to hate. He has a kind heart which rarely bares little ill will towards others except for annoyance. Often, Ariel has short bursts of tempers or an anger which rarely lasts a long while. However, every so often Ariel comes across people who are able to kindle a fire which is rarely smothered easily. Lasting anger or grudges do not come often and forgiveness comes even less often. Once Ariel has formed a grudge or hatred against someone, it is usually even harder for him to forgive said person.

For someone who seems to not know when to shut up, Ariel is very intelligent, especially when it is science that is the topic. And no, he's not very modest about this either, as he likes correcting people and smart mouthing everybody. And he wonders why so many people dislike him so much?

He has a talent for being very humorous. He does this both on purpose and without realizing it.

Ariel has a reputation of complaining. Excessively. He's always ranting about something and he rarely ever seems to be pleased. While this isn't completely accurate, Ariel does tend to act vbrattily. Ariel likes being in control and he hates when things don't go his way. Unfortunately, things rarely do ever go his way, which might contribute to the reason he's whiny in the first place. That doesn't make him any less of a hard worker. He's gotten too used to laboring hard to quit. If he doesn't have anything to work on, he tends to feel… kind of empty. One could say he is a workaholic.

[b]Likes:[/b]

[list]
[*][b]Peace:[/b]
Despite the fact that he gets into lots of fights and he argues with many people, Ariel only wants to live his life quietly. He has lived his whole life fighting others when all he really wants is rest from the ever growing cruelty and hatred of other people.

[*][b]Birds:[/b]
When Ariel looks at birds, he admires the freedom they possess. They can fly around in the sky without anybody holding them back. Ariel sees them as a sign of freedom.

[*][b]Young Children:[/b]
Ariel loves children. He envies the innocence of little children. It is also a sharp reminder of how he was once like them. Sweet and innocent.
[/list]

[b]Dislikes:[/b]

[list]
[*][b]War/Fights:[/b]
He strongly dislikes war and fighting. He understands the need to defend oneself against another person but he does not understand why countries and people stir up war. He finds war stupid and idiotic.

[*][b]Shackles/Chains:[/b]
He doesn't just dislike them, he hates them. As well as reminding him about the suffering he has gone through his entire life, they are a sign of restrictions. And Ariel hates being restricted by anything.
[/list]

[b]Aspirations:[/b]

[list]
[*][b]He wants to get rid of the practice of slavery.[/b] As he was a victim of it, Ariel wants to put an end to slavery. He knows what slavery can do to someone's health. He himself faces many challenges concerning his health. Even though his days as a slave are over, they have made their testimony. Ariel can never forget those dark days.

[*][b]He aspires to become a musician.[/b] Ariel has a strong love of music. He finds it much easier to express his feelings through music, rather than words. Much to his chagrin, Ariel has difficulty articulating his feelings and his opinions.

[*][b]He wants to become stronger.[/b] Because he is a magician, Ariel's physical body is weaker than average. However, since he has a natural aptitude for using magic, Ariel wants to learn how to use magic to its fullest potential.
[/list]

[b]Phobias/fears:[/b]

[list]
[*][b]Ariel has a fear of other people.[/b] Or rather, a fear of becoming close to other people. Ariel's rude personality was actually created by him to push others away. It was originally meant to be a facade but as time went on, it became a permanent mask. However, somewhere beyond it, there still is a remnant of the former Ariel, who was gentle and kind to all.

[*][b]He fears being [i]late.[/i][/b] Though it may seem [i]extremely[/i] irrational to fear to be late, Ariel has a reason for fearing such a thing. During his days as a slave, delay was not tolerated. At all. It was punished heavily if a slave was late, even if he/she had only a few minutes delay. Everyone was expected to be quick and prompt. Unfortunately, Ariel was such a person who was often late for things.

[*][b]He fears the dark.[/b] After being kept in a basement for hours, multiple times, Ariel can not stay in the dark for even short periods of time without having flashbacks.

[*][b]He is claustrophobic.[/b] In tight spaces, it is harder for Ariel to fight. He is extremely paranoid and if he can not fight, he becomes very frightened. If there is no way for Ariel to reach a more open area, Ariel will have a panic attack.
[/list]
[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/VI26GmH.png?1[/img][/center]
[b]Face-Claim:[/b] [i]bungou stray dogs,[/i] Nakahara Chuuya
[b]Hair Color:[/b] Light Auburn
[b]Eye Color:[/b] Hazel - with flecks of gold
[b]Height:[/b] 178 centimeters | 70 inches
[b]Weight:[/b] 67 kilograms | 148 pounds

[b]Appearance:[/b] Ariel likes to wear for practicality and comfort. Besides the fact that Ariel does not have a particularly high income, fancy clothes do not suit his interests. He could care less about looking even decently nice. True, such clothes were actually worn to show off wealth or nobility, but, [i]a),[/i] Ariel wasn't nobility or wealthy, and, [i]b)[/i] Ariel very much dislikes the hierarchical system. Him being at the bottom of it saw how unfair and unjust it was.

Albeit grudgingly, Ariel recently bought new and decent clothing. Despite his aversion to the color black, he wears a black coat over a collaboration of a plain gray vest and a simple, white shirt. His pants are also, surprisingly, black, as are his shoes. He wouldn't dare wear such hot clothing in Heliohapt. If he ever happens to travel to Heliohapt, he prefers sandals and a rolled sleeved white shirt.

Since returning from his trip to Heliohapt, he cut his hair to a more reasonable length.

[b]Rukh Alignment:[/b] White Rukh
[b]Special Features:[/b] N/A
[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/MOTZcz9.png?1[/img][/center]
[b]History:[/b] Ariel was originally abandoned by his birth parents. He was found near a grove that was just off the edge of a poor village. A middle-aged married man found him and took him home. Until Ariel was 5 or 6, he lived with the man's wife and children. They all managed to fit into a one room house. It was often crowded and this tended to cause huge disputes among the children. Still, when winter came, nobody complained about the extra heat sources surrounding them. Often, it was the other way around!

Ariel's adoptive parents labored tirelessly to gain money to support their family. A new, wonderful job opportunity for his adoptive father arose in a large city. Because there was nothing they really had in the small, little town they resided in, the whole family, with only their clothes they were wearing as their possessions, moved to a prosperous and flourishing city.

All of them were both fascinated and overwhelmed. Since they came from a quiet and dirty little village, the environment of the huge city was a complete surprise. Little Ariel, who was 6 at that time, was probably the most fascinated. The child was extremely curious and immediately, once they entered the great city, Ariel, not knowing of the dangers of wandering off, did so.

He asked many of the residents and vendors questions, annoying most of them. He also unintentionally ended up getting in everybody's way. Finally, Ariel made a decision where he was 'jumping into the pot'.

While looking around, he spotted a group of people all in a straight line, following a tall man. Ariel's eyes widened when he noticed how dim their faces were and how tired they all seemed to be. Their clothes were also very raggedy, much like his own. The child scampered over to them and he asked them, "where are you all going?". A few of them turned their heads towards him, before walking away. Ariel wasn't one to be ignored like that. He tagged after them and asked repeatedly. Finally, when they didn't answer him, he decided to ask the man who was leading them.

The next turn of events went far too quickly for Ariel. He was captured and taken as a slave. He remembered hearing his parents' desperate calls before he was knocked out. When he came to, he found himself in shackles and chained.

He was first auctioned off to a tall woman. After some months at sea, they arrived at Heliohapt. At first, the woman did not treat Ariel terribly. She was very kind and quickly won the trust of the child. However, around Ariel's 7th birthday, her attitude towards Ariel changed drastically. Gone was the gentle manner of her. It was like she was a different person. Ariel was put to work as a servant in her large household. However, that was not the worst to come. After about a year had passed, Ariel, still warm and cheerful, was forced to labor in the fields, despite being only a child.

He worked for four years in the fields. He was punished for even small mistakes. He grew to despise the woman who had brought him there. Every day, as he worked, he could feel her eyes on him and the other slaves. She wore a particularly cruel smile. Though Ariel would never admit it, he was frightened of her. And hurt. He had thought he could trust her...

This would be the first of many betrayals that Ariel would experience.

After a few years, Ariel could no longer put up with the life he was leading. Making a desperate attempt, Ariel fled the fields where he worked in. He managed to escape but not without being chased. Ariel did manage to lose his pursuers after he boarded a boat heading away from Heliohapt. For about a year Ariel was searching desperately for his former family. In the end, he did find them and they were all reunited happily. That should have been the end to all of Ariel's troubles. But it wasn't.

During his search for his parents, the twelve-year-old had struck a deal with a mysterious man who had promised to help Ariel find his parents. His exact words were: "I'll help you find your parents, kid, but I'm going to want to be paid afterward!". Ariel had been too desperate to even think about the consequences. So when they [i]did[/i] find Ariel's family, their reunion did not last long. Because Ariel had no money, he was made a slave.

He was sold off to a rich man as his personal servant. Ariel waited on the man in disgust. He hated his new master. The two argued often. Ariel was punished in return for talking back. Two times things became very physical. Ariel was punished severely afterward. The third time was the worst. In the end, Ariel's master kicked him out of the house and left Ariel to die.

Ariel still had his open smile and warm personality. Though he showed his bitter hatred openly towards his master, to others, he was a calm and sensible person. He made a friend, Yoshiki, who had been born in the Kou Empire. Unlike Ariel, his friend was not a slave. He came from a decently well off family. The two were about the same age and they often bickered between each other. However, their bickering was that of two friends. They grew to trust each other and rely on each other. They often aided each other in pranking Ariel’s master, who they both disliked greatly.

After having no place to call home, Ariel begged Yoshiki to take him in. But the other refused because Aurelius had ordered Yoshiki and his parents not to permit him to reside with them. Ariel still doesn’t understand why his old friend had followed those orders. But whatever the reason was, Ariel saw it as the betrayal of his formerly close friend. Suddenly, Ariel realized he was out there in the world, all alone, with nobody he could trust. He realized that those people whom he had put his faith into, ended up betraying him and leaving him. Wrought with misery, Ariel finally cursed his fate. In doing so, his rukh turned black. At the time, Ariel did not understand what the rukh were. He saw them, but he had no knowledge about them. He just thought they were abundant butterflies that flew around everywhere.

Ariel wandered aimlessly around the world. He was often captured by slave traders. He would also end up unintentionally cause trouble for many other people. He would spend a few weeks, up to a whole year, working as a slave and enduring punishment after punishment given to him by his masters before fleeing. His personality had also changed drastically. No longer was he cheerful or bright. He was very spirited as always, growling at his masters. However, he seemed to not care about his or anybody else's life. It wasn't until a chance encounter changed Ariel.

He had been running an errand for his newest master. Not really paying attention to his surroundings, Ariel soon found himself on the ground. When he looked up, he found himself gasping in surprise. The person who he had run into was none other that one of his younger (adoptive) brothers.

Things happened very quickly and soon Ariel found his debt to his newest master paid. He also found himself surrounded by his family. Ariel should have been content but he felt sort of [i]off.[/i] Life started to move on but he did not. He couldn't forget what fate had thrown him through. His different behavior was not gone unnoticed by his family, either. They often tried to cheer him up, only to fail miserably. Then, his father died. On his father's deathbed, the two spoke to each other. The words of his father lingered in his mind for quite some time until Ariel finally relented. Due to his father's last words, Ariel finally accepted fate. 

But the damage had already been dealt. What Ariel had gone through would forever be implanted in his mind. He would forever be scarred by his time as a slave. Ariel would never allow himself to be pulled into the chains of slavery and he could never allow himself to trust another person ever again.

Soon after this, he left his family once more. This time, he had a purpose. He wanted to end slavery but first, he didn't want to be always a weak kid who couldn't defend himself. He had recalled overhearing a conversation going between two people. He heard them talking about magic. This sparked an idea in Ariel's mind. He decided he wanted to learn more about magic. Since the best place to do so was the [i]country[/i] of magic, Magnostadt, that's where he decided to go to.

During his journey, Ariel asked many questions concerning magic. Some friendly people were quite surprised that Ariel had such little knowledge about magic. However, they were very willing to explain about it. A few of them were Magicians themselves. They taught Ariel a little magic. He was a very quick learner and grasped the basics very quickly. And so, as he approached Magnostadt's gate, he was confident that he would be allowed entrance.

[b]Role-Play Sample:[/b] How long had he been here? On this ship? How long had it been since he had been dragged away from his family and knocked out? How long had it been since he had touched the silky green grass with his feet? How long had it been since his legs were free to jump and twirl and spin and run? Too long, he decided. Too long since he had seen his mother and father and his brothers. It had been far too long and Ariel wanted to go home. To go back to his family. To be in their warm care. He was only a child. He was confused and lonely and scared. The people around him were foreign to him. He could tell they were very scared. It made him scared in turn. He curled up in a ball and sobbed quietly. What was going to happen to him?

***

He no longer wondered what was going to happen to him. It was far too obvious. He would be made into a slave. Again. All of his instincts told him to try to escape. However, Ariel knew it was pointless. He had already tried to do so. He had failed. He was chained and shackled. He could not move much anywhere. If he did try to escape… Well, it probably wasn’t worth the pain

He glanced at the other people. They were all huddled up. Some were trying to stay strong and not cry, but Ariel could see the tears forming. Others were wiping tears away and sobbing. Ariel wasn’t. For him, it was all too nostalgic. He had already been captured once. He knew what his fate would be. For him, there was no point in crying. But he understood the others’ feelings. So very softly, Ariel comforted the others. He guessed many of them were surprised that a child of only twelve years old was trying to comfort them. But he guessed they were taking heart that a twelve-year-old was not crying. Many of them wiped their tears and smiled at him in gratitude. Despite the situation he had landed himself in, Ariel felt warm from the wordless thank you's conveyed by smiles.