OC Spotlight: Nuha // sfw

Saying that Nuha had a rough start in life would be an understatement. Her parents belonged to a people of bird shifters known as thajir, one of them a nightingale and the other a sparrow. They were desperately poor and alone in the world, barely scraping by in the slums of the capital. After their daughter hatched from a pale egg they did their best to provide for her, but the odds were cruelly stacked against them.

Nuha was born with albinism and an innate talent for light magic, both of which are usually met with prejudice and discrimination due to the fear of light harboured by the people of this underground world. As outlined in several previous spotlights, it's shadow and darkness that's safe and familiar, while light is associated with many a frightening thing. The jovial god of life is made from shadows, while the god of death shines with a pale light and the god of killing has bone white scales. Madness plagues the sun god and his realm is the hell that awaits immoral people in the afterlife. Liquid light is a useful light source but also a highly harmful and addictive substance. The incurable light disease brings insanity, suffering, and death in its wake, and dangerous shining monsters roam the desert. What's considered a fully lit room would look dim to a topsider, because people's eyes have long adapted to the darkness -- strong, bright, and sudden light can cause fear, discomfort, and even pain.

No matter how much Nuha's parents loved her, some of their neighbours thought her hatching was a bad omen and turned their backs on the little family. Desperate to care for their child, who was small and weak and often fell sick, her mom and dad got involved with a criminal gang known as the Shackles. These thugs ran the local trade in drugs and smuggled goods, stopping at nothing to enforce their grip on the neighbourhood. Speedy thajir like her parents were often tasked with delivering messages and small packages, so thankfully they never had to get blood on their hands, and the pay was enough to buy medicine for Nuha.

But then her mom and dad learned that the Shackles also deal with enslaving and trafficking people. Even with their situation being hopelessly dire, they refused to be part of something so horrible -- they would find another way to care for their child. In secret, her parents packed their few belongings and snuck away, trying to flee outside the gang's reach. Once the Shackles found out, they decided to make an example of the thajir family's disobedience, and sent thugs to hunt them down.

Her father gave his life to buy his wife and daughter time to escape. They managed to find a nook to hide in, but Nuha was still a small child and when her mother fell ill she didn't know what to do, except hug her tightly. Even as her life withered away, her mother hummed comforting lullabies and prayed to the gods to watch over Nuha after she was gone. A few days later the Shackle thugs barged into the little hideout, and found Nuha still nestled up next to her mother's cold corpse, too weak to cry.

Next evening, a certain elf named Renza  (aka Iskandar's future boyfriend) is weaving through the crowd of the capital’s underground market, where the local gangs trade in both illegal goods and lives. Having once escaped slavery himself, Renza had climbed through the ranks of the organisation known as the Scoundrels, criminals all but with a code of honour unlike the city thugs. The Scoundrels do not deal in trafficking and Renza is particularly passionate about abolishing slavery once and for all. He regularly uses his resources as the residing Prince of Thieves to rescue enslaved souls, which is exactly why he was scouting the market that day, face covered by a mask and his people watching from the shadows. Rumour had it the Shackles were preparing cages full of people to be sold, so he would have to act quickly. A little more recon work and planning, and his band of rogues would be able to descend on the Shackles to liberate their captives.

But when Renza saw a small child huddled up in the corner of one of the cages, her pale feathers all grey with dirt and her eyes hollow with fear, he couldn't let her wait even a second longer. The elf pretends to be a buyer, and convinces the Shackle overseer to sell him Nuha right then and there -- it was the fastest way to get her out without raising suspicion.

Renza gently takes her by the hand, and as soon as they're out of view, he cuts the slave collar from her neck. Crouched in front of her, the elf swears that he won't let anyone take Nuha's freedom away. The thajir child knows that she shouldn't just trust someone she's just met, but after going through living hell, Renza's kindness snaps her out of a state of shock and everything comes out at once. She clings to him in a desperate hug, crying quietly into his shoulder and shaking like a leaf. Perhaps some god had heard her dying mother’s plea.

From that day on, Renza is her big brother in everything but blood -- protective, kind, and wanting her to have a good life. First of all he brings Nuha to Yawende's, an entertainment venue for a wide variety of performance arts where he works part-time. He asks the owner to take Nuha in, and after taking one look at the sad child Yawende’s heart absolutely melts.

It's not the first time she has helped and protected someone in need, because Yawende has long used her influence to perform a lot of what would nowadays be called social work. The establishment, which is situated on the edge between a bohemian entertainment district and the slums, is something of a beacon of hope and harbour of safety for anyone who's down on their luck. Yawende can (and will) help people get back on their feet, build better lives for themselves, or deal with troublesome situations. Allegedly, her wide network of contacts stretches from connections in the Palace to having friends among the most powerful leaders of the Scoundrels; even when she's not able to help you personally, she'll definitely know someone else who can.

In Nuha's case, she needs the stability of a loving home, where the rest of her childhood will be happy and safe. Yawende considers finding an adoptive family for her, but everyone in the crew soon becomes so endeared by the shy little kid that they decide to let her stay. In other words, Nuha becomes the newest addition to the motley bunch of characters who live and work at Yawende's, with each of them having rooms on the upper floors of the building as well as shared living areas. Each performer has different responsibilities in keeping the place running, but they're more than just colleagues -- they're all found family to each other.

Naturally, it takes the thajir kid a little while to get used to the new environment and the new people. At first she clings to either Renza or Yawende, both of whom she seems to instinctively trust, but with time and patience she warms up to all of the others too. She realises that she can depend on them, that they care for her, and that she no longer has to worry about having food to eat, clothes to keep warm, and a cozy place to sleep. Nuha is (and always has been) very timid, anxious, and easily frightened -- as well as endlessly kind, sweet, and unselfish. Everyone is delighted to see her waddle around the venue trying to help with little chores or shyly showing the heartwarming drawings she's made of the others. They know she feels at home once she starts to smile and laugh more -- she might never be fearless and outgoing, but she's happy, and that's what matters.

The establishment itself is a popular hotspot with an ever-changing program and a nice selection of beverages, snacks, and lighter foods, attracting people from every walk of life and far beyond the immediate neighbourhood. Many of the acts are perfectly family friendly, while some of the nighttime performances are more or less raunchy -- but don't worry, the crew makes sure that Nuha doesn't see or know of anything inappropriate before she's an adult who can choose for herself. The venue is a favourite for fellow entertainers, poets, and lovers of culture, as well as for artisans, merchants, and other regular people who feel like a drink and a show. Sun knights, shadow guards, and soldiers from the army all love to spend their nights off at Yawende's, as do Scoundrels sneaking about town. Sometimes even aristocrats from the fancier parts of the city make a dignified visit, adding to the venue's reputation. It even happens that the snootier among these nobles implore Yawende to move her venue to a "more respectable” part of town, offering their sponsorship in return. She always staunchly refuses, though, because she won't turn her back on the people who need her most. If you want to see my troupe perform, you'll come to us.

Yawende herself is an andarahn in her forties, and she's simultaneously the boss of the establishment and everyone's mom. She's kind, supportive, and encouraging, yet firm enough to easily keep her troupe in line. Their respect for her is unquestioning and her presence is queenly and commanding, but in a warm and caring way -- plus she's incredibly protective of her people. She used to be a singer and dancer, and some say that she used to perform in aristocratic circles while others claim she was once part of the Scoundrels. Whatever the case she rarely takes to the stage anymore, focusing instead on running the place and helping those less fortunate than her.

The bartender is an orc named Mavuto. He has the seven foot tall body of a born warrior, but the heart of a small animal, and the disposition of a nervous dad. Mavuto is sweet and shy, so it took him a while to be comfortable as a bartender, since casually chatting with patrons didn't come naturally.  He still feels awkward at times, but allegedly makes some of the best drinks in the city, and finds security in knowing that the others will always back him up if necessary. When Nuha arrives at Yawende's he prepares a nook for her behind the bar, so he can look after her while the others perform; it's basically a play area with wooden toys he's whittled, and padded with blankets and pillows if she gets tired.

The elven twins I'Timad and I'Tidal are like a whole circus act concentrated in two people. They do acrobatics, stage magic, sleight-of-hand tricks, and comedy. When they're not on stage they host and wait on the guests, making sure that everyone is enjoying themselves, and may also provide energetic back-up drumming. In the family dynamic the two of them are the quirky cousins who always know how to cheer someone up with their antics, so they can always make Nuha giggle if she's feeling anxious.

Basima is a songbird thajir and primadonna who used to perform in the finest theatres of the city. She's about the same age as Yawende and the two of them have known each other for as long as anyone can remember. While Basima is universally adored for her voice and command of the stage, she is personally embittered and can come off as arrogant and judgemental. Perhaps there's good reason, though -- rumour has it Yawende helped Basima get away with murdering her abusive husband, after years of a horrible relationship. Either way, she's the vodka aunt who secretly cares deeply about her family, and as the only other thajir she bonds with Nuha through helping her with proper feather care (just as her mom once did).

Another andarahn named Qusay is the queer af uncle who does drag shows and makes a lot of the other performer's outfits. He's also the resident chef who prepares the snacks offered in the bar, and happily doubles as a bouncer when necessary (you'd think the duty of throwing out troublesome guests would fall on the seven foot orc, but it's just not within Mavuto's nature). He's not fantastic with kids, but makes it his personal mission to ensure that Nuha never has to go hungry again -- and crafts her a pair of earmuffs so she won't be overwhelmed by the noisiness of the venue.

The dancer Harsha, originally hailing from another underground city further south, is the chaotic middle kid of the family. He's passionate about performing and enjoys helping Qusay craft costumes, but is lazy when it comes to any other kind of work. Alas, his attempts to shirk his responsibilities often backfires into getting punished with boring chores and maintenance tasks, like laundry and dishes. Thanks to his experience with using fire magic he teaches Nuha to better understand her light, and as she starts feeling in control she fears her strange gift less and less.

With Harsha and the twins being so chaotic and Basima and Qusay both being drama queens, Layla regularly feels like the only other person besides Yawende who has her shit together. Layla is a dancer and burlesque performer, who's also responsible for promoting the venue, maintaining good connections with other entertainers, and planning the schedules and shows. She's like a big sister who’s confident and secure in her own skills, who owns every inch of who she is and who will take no shit.

As for the music that goes with each act, it's made by a curious monster that defies categorisation, known only as Scratch. They have many arms for playing many different instruments at once, and many mouths, each with a different voice. Every evening they crawl out from their nest in the attic, scurrying across the ceiling and walls rather than taking the stairs. Even with little direction or rehearsal they always seem to know what to play, and though they move and speak with a rattle their music is marvellous. Nuha finds them very scary at first, but then sees more and more of their oddly adorable side. For example, they used to steal snacks from the pantry until Mavuto started leaving food for them on the bar every night after the guests have all gone home. In short, they're very weird and occasionally creep people out, yet have a given place in the family as the resident cryptid.

And then of course there's Renza. He's also a dancer, but sometimes he's gone for weeks or months on end. With time, Nuha begins piecing together what he’s up to when he’s away from his fellow performers, because she’s as observant as she’s quiet and knows the secretive elf better than most. But she trusts his judgement, just as Yawende and the others -- even if he’s a criminal he’s different than the Shackles.

In short the people who live and work at Yawende’s is an eccentric group, but they all agree that Nuha is a precious bean who must be protected at all costs. This includes taking care of her health; the thajir girl has a poor immune system and easily gets sick. Soon enough she becomes a regular at a nearby clinic, whether she needs medicine for a simple cold or longer treatment after coming down with something worse. It's run by another acquaintance of Yawende's, a kirin rhaajim named Soha, the doctor who anyone in the crew goes to see if they get injured or sick. Soha himself is impossible not to love, but his husband Tha'ra usually makes an intimidating first impression. For some reason, though, the shy kid immediately takes a liking to both of them, and Yawende ends up regularly asking the pair to babysit Nuha. (If you're read the Tha'ra spotlight, you'll know that they are in fact two divinities disguised as mortals; Soha is a god of mercy and healing, and Tha'ra is the deity of vengeance, hunting, and killing -- but also of fatherhood and protecting children.)

Days turn into weeks, weeks into months, and months into years. Nuha goes from child to teenager, and as it so happens you can't grow up in a found family of dancers, acrobats, and entertainers without learning to perform. Dancing captivates her the most and she has long since been practising with the various crew members, learning from each of them and feeling her way to her own style. She dreams of joining the others on stage, but is as shy as ever and has terrible stage fright. Merely practising in front of empty seats before opening hours is quite terrifying, so even after she's spent years cultivating her skills she fears facing an audience for the first time ever.

In her late teens she finally dares to make her debut, in front of an audience that is soon absolutely spellbound by the aethereal girl. As a dancer, Nuha is graceful and otherwordly, weightless and delicate, like shimmering specks of light or a butterfly fluttering from flower to flower. Qusay and Harsha have made her an outfit of wispy pale cloth that floats and billows about her limbs, and Scratch plays a hauntingly beautiful melody on strings and flute. It's the kind of dance that makes you emotional, tugging on the heartstrings and bringing some of the onlookers to the verge of tears.

The applause that follows simultaneously makes her want to sink through the earth and leap with joy; in the end she stands dumbstruck, quickly bows to the audience, and flees backstage. But from then on she knows that she can do it. Sure, the thought of stepping onto the stage still terrifies her, but as soon as she's up there she can forget about the audience and all that remains is her and the music. She turns twenty before she dares to include light in her performances, though, even with the rest of the family encouraging her. Thankfully not even those among the audience who are superstitiously suspicious of light magic can deny that it looks gorgeous when her glowing fingertips weave abstract shapes through the air.

Performing and dancing aren’t the only things she’s learnt from her troupe mates over the years. I'Timad and I'Tidal showed her sleight-of-hand tricks that eventually led to pickpocketing lessons, which only added to Nuha's suspicion that the twins must have been con artists and petty criminals before joining Yawende's crew. In his turn, Renza taught her to pick locks, escape restraints, and move about unseen and unheard. When she had asked why, he said that he hopes she will never have use of such skills -- but if trouble ever finds her, it's better to be prepared.

All things considered, Nuha has always appreciated his teachings, because she doesn't want to be helpless or indefensible. It's easier said than done when you've never felt strong, though. She's short, petite, soft-spoken, and often feels like a coward, barely even knowing how to handle the unwanted attention of flirtatious patrons. More often than not one of the other performers step in to rescue her from such situations, but she will later be very glad that not even the overprotective twins kept her from meeting Jing.

One evening after finishing her act, Nuha finds herself face to face with a very tall shadow guard who had joined her friends in spending the evening at Yawende's. She's a raven thajir with wonderfully iridescent feathers, a gorgeous face, and an athletic physique ... but she also has an inherently intimidating aura, and Nuha's gay little heart nearly stops from the confusion. On the one hand she feels like the shadow guard might have come to reap her soul -- on the other, she might have just fallen in love.

A few minutes later the woman smiles a "see you tomorrow, then" and goes back to her table, but as Nuha returns to reality she can barely remember what they talked about. Some words and sentences stand out, though, like the name Jing, and how she had complimented Nuha's performance, then told her that she's pretty, and ... oh, gods, had she just agreed to a date?

It's not that Nuha regrets it -- on the contrary, it's the first time she's wanted to say yes to any such proposition. But she has no experience of romance and love, which renders her so nervous she can barely sleep. In the morning she begs Renza and the twins and the others for advice, with more or less useful results. Oh, if only there had been a few more days or weeks to mentally prepare -- she thinks about cancelling the whole thing, but ... she really doesn't want to.

Before she knows it the day has passed and Jing appears at the door. Nuha flutters to her room for her things, leaving the shadow guard to be vetted and judged by each member of Yawende’s found family. No matter the scary first impression Jing is polite, level-headed, respectful, and well-spoken, so Renza ultimately assures Nuha that everything will be fine and wishes her luck on her first ever date. (All that said he still tails the pair and runs a background check on Jing, just to be on the safe side.)

Nuha soon realises that Jing is feeling almost as shy and embarrassed as she, which makes it easier to gradually relax into the experience. What follows is a casual, wholesome outing, little more than a walk through town. There's no pressure, no grand spectacle, just picking up a snack and talking. Sure, Nuha fumbles her words, trips over the eye contact, and loses track of her own thoughts -- but she also smiles, and laughs, and has fun.

Meeting each other soon turns into a habit, with Jing's face becoming a familiar sight at Yawende's even before opening hours. There's so much about her that you wouldn't have guessed from her appearance, and the more Nuha gets to know her, the more it makes her stomach flutter. She learns that Jing likes poetry and calligraphy and romance novels, and might have been a scribe in the palace if she hadn't been encouraged to join the shadow guards. She still enjoys the art of writing, though, and bashfully brings the nightingale hand-written love poems of her own composition. Renza and the others are delighted to see Nuha so excited, to hear her talk about places she wants to go with Jing, festivals they could attend together, restaurants that they might eat at, things they could do -- anything, really, as long as she gets to spend more time with her.

Being with her expands the dancer’s world in several different ways. More often than not Jing comes to pick her up, but one day Nuha goes to meet the raven after work, which entails heading to the shadow guard barracks. Her colleagues are equally intimidating at first sight, but they all immediately adore Nuha and she soon realises that the half-orc Faiz is gentle as a teddy bear, the twins Ekundayo and Kayode are endearing dumbasses, and something about the stoic Hasukhara is oddly reassuring. She's also never been to the fancier parts of town before being invited to meet Jing's father, who works in the palace as a calligraphy master. She's terribly nervous about it, but he's nowhere near as formidable as his daughter ("ah, yes, Jing takes after her late mother") and Nuha soon feels at ease, drinking tea and chatting about art.

Not everything is roses and rainbows, of course, because falling in love doesn't magically cure Nuha's anxiety. Thankfully, Jing seems to instinctively know how to comfort and calm her, not least by shapeshifting into her monstrous raven form and shielding the dancer with her wings. Nuha buries her face against her feathers, listening to her heartbeat and feeling her warmth and soaking in Jing's calm presence until her own breathing slows back down.

By now, things like hugging and holding hands and cuddling and falling asleep next to each other have become second nature, though it sure had been a slow burn. More often than not Nuha sets the pace by initiating the next step, including their first kiss. The desire to have that experience presents her with an awkward problem, though, because even if she stands on her tippy toes Nuha just can't bridge the height difference between her and Jing. Instead she timidly asks "um, can you sit down?" and most of the awkwardness miraculously melts away when their lips meet. Something similar happens during their first time -- Nuha had expected to be hopelessly embarrassed, but the thrill and joy of getting so close to someone she loves matters more.

With thajir, you know their relationship is official once they exchange feathers. Jing comes to wear a tiny white feather as an earring, while Nuha hangs a huge and shimmering raven feather from her belt. Shortly thereafter, though, she almost loses it.

As with any entertainment venue, not every guest knows how to behave respectfully -- but there's bad, worse, and worst. Throwing out an unruly drunk is one thing, and banishing a creep another. Nobody had ever felt great about the masked thajir who started coming to Nuha's performances, flanked by hooded guards. Given his silk clothes and arrogant demeanor the crew concludes he must be an aristocrat, but nothing about him seemed particularly noble. He never did or said anything to warrant getting thrown out, though, not before a certain unpleasant night weeks after his first appearance, when he and his guards stay longer than any other guest.

The masked thajir catches Nuha off guard, but Renza immediately steps in to shield her from compliments about her "beautiful fragility." Renza coldly reminds the noble that they're closing for the night, but he ignores the elf and proceeds to propose to Nuha. After a moment of shock she stutters a refusal, but he tries to bait her with money and status, as if he could simply buy her. She once again says no, as firmly as she can muster, and the man smiles. "You misunderstand me. I'm not asking."

At that point, Renza isn't the only one who's come to her defense, because the twins have rolled up their sleeves and Qusay is more than ready to cut a bitch. If Jing had been there rather than at work, the man might not have survived -- as is, the troupe drive him off into the night and tell him to stay the fuck away from Nuha.

Next morning, Jing hears about the incident and immediately rushes to Yawende's. Nuha melts into her arms, still shook and frightened and asking the shadow guard to remain at her side as often as possible. Nobody takes it lightly and despite hoping that the man was all bark and no bite they focus on keeping Nuha safe. Jing or one of the crew members stay at her side day and night and especially when she’s out and about. Her performances are cancelled for a few weeks, until they've made sure the unwanted suitor doesn't sneak back in during a busy evening and until she feels comfortable standing on stage again.

Both Renza and Jing use their different resources and contacts to look into who the man might be, but he's been surprisingly good at covering up his tracks. Months go by without a trace of him and little by little, Nuha’s life returns to normal. She determines that she can't live in fear for the rest of her days, so Nuha and her protectors finally let their guard down.

The predatory admirer barely wastes a minute -- but neither does Jing and the Yawende family. When Nuha doesn't meet up with the shadow guard after work as agreed, they all realise what must have happened and take immediate action.

Spurred by urgency they finally learn the identity of the masked aristocrat. Jing sends a message to both her friends and the sentinels (aka the imperial police), but doesn't sit around waiting for them to arrive. As a shadow guard she is more than in her right to take matters into her own hands, and so she takes off towards the residence of the falcon thajir known as Yawan.

Nuha wakes up surrounded by a literal gilt cage, built into the corner of a luxurious room. At first she can't remember what happened, but a sweet scent still clings to her collar, and she recalls a brief struggle followed by drifting off into darkness. The cage is large and ornate, like a work of art, but a cage all the same. At first Nuha can only curl up in the corner, like she had so long ago when Renza first found her at the Shackles’ slave market.

A key turns in the door of the room and a man steps in, but this time he's not wearing a mask. Why would he, in his own mansion...? Yawan greets her with a welcoming smile, as if she should be happy to be there. I hope you like your new home, my dear. After all, you gave me plenty of months to prepare it for you. He goes on to talk about his plans for their marriage, what he wants her to wear, how lucky she is to spend the rest of her days singing and dancing for him. At first, Nuha is frozen with fear and shock -- then all of a sudden she grasps at her belt, and realises that Jing's feather is missing.

Before she knows it she's up on her feet and out of the corner, hands grasping the golden bars and hissing at the noble to give it back.

Yawan simply laughs. Oh, that ghastly raven feather? You will soon forget about whoever it came from -- in fact, you better. Let's not forget, he says, that raptor thajir like him once used to eat little birds like her. If she doesn't behave, perhaps he will change his mind and serve her up for dinner rather than for marriage. Food for thought, hm?

Once he's left, Nuha's heart beats like a drum, and she's so scared she almost forgets to breathe. But fear isn't the only thing that stirs in her, and all at once she realises that her hands have clenched into angry little fists. She's different now than what she had been so long ago when Renza first found her at the Shackles’ slave market. She's not as weak and helpless as that disgusting man seems to assume. Think, Nuha, think. What's around you? What can you use?

There's little in the cage itself aside from floor pillows and luscious plants, but she manages to wiggle her arm through the bars, to reach the outfit that had been laid out for her -- specifically, the jewellery. She rifles through it, looking for pieces of metal that would be long and hard and thin enough, and finally claws a few suitable pieces off of a broad necklace. Heart racing, she tries to remember everything that Renza taught her about picking locks, and though it feels like hours of anxious work it's all worth it when she can finally swing the door of the cage wide open.

Padding to the door, she hears the shuffling of guards right outside. The windows are covered with a tight lattice woven from metal threads, too strong to tear away with her bare hands, but after rifling through the room she finds a sturdy statuette that she can use to tear open a little hole. It doesn't need to be big, because at this point she shapeshifts into her small bird form and squeezes through.

Unfortunately, the windows lead to an inner courtyard covered by a glass ceiling rather than the actual outside of the house, so she's not free yet. There's no turning back now -- she scurries along, hiding in nooks and crannies to avoid the guards that patrol the place, afraid of being discovered but even more afraid of stopping. Wherever she goes the doors are locked and the windows are covered with thick glass panes or strong metal bars. Horrified, she realises that Yawan has spent the last few months making sure that not even a small bird would be able to escape his house.

All of a sudden she can hear a commotion behind her. The guards must have discovered that she’s escaped the room, and before long the corridors are swarming with people. Why are there so many armed guards at Yawan's mansion, anyway? Surely he can't have hired all of them just to serve as her jailors? Whatever the case, their presence makes it harder for her to keep moving and so she hides in the rafters, trying to decide what to do next.

Unbeknownst to Nuha, Jing has reached the mansion and is stealthily taking out one guard after the other. It only turns into an all-out fight once the raven overhears two of them talking about Nuha's escape -- at that point, Jing knows she has to move quickly. Jing is one of the best fighters in the shadow guard garrison, so none of Yawan’s soldiers stand a chance. With the skirmish causing such a commotion, Jing abandons the stealthy approach and shouts Nuha's name.

Nuha, in turn, abandons her hiding spot and zips past a few of the guards with a speed she never knew herself capable of. For a brief second she can throw herself around Jing's neck, but the fighting isn't over and not long after their reunion, Yawan arrives on the scene.

He's geared up for battle, as if Jing played right into his hands by coming to her lover’s rescue. Under that arrogant facade, however, he seems nervous to discover that Jing has already neutralised much of his forces, until only the elites that flank him remain. With a smirk he applauds Jing’s martial skills, though it's hard to tell whether or not he's serious when he offers her a job. You could be my wife's personal bodyguard.

Keeping herself between Nuha and the kidnappers, Jing starts listing all the laws the man has broken, and says it's not a matter of if he's sentenced to execution -- only when. As it turns out, he must have a death wish. Not only does he order his elites to attack -- he personally rushes at Jing, perhaps thinking that birds of prey like himself are naturally superior against a raven like her. Before long, Yawan and his guards all lay dead at Jing's feet.

Nuha can finally embrace her properly, burying her face against her chest, fingers twisting into the fabric of her clothes, teeth clenched in a confusing mixture of relief and stress and joy and fear and ... anger? All of a sudden she hurries over to the fallen Yawan and rifles through his clothes, looking for something she can't find and consequently kicking his corpse in the side.

In that moment, Hasukhara and Faiz arrive, having made their way over as soon as Jing's message reached them. Not that there had been much for them to do except deal with the guards at the front door and a few stragglers -- someone has already taken care of everyone else. For a brief (and oddly comical) second it looks to them as if Nuha is responsible for the thrashing of Yawan’s soldiers, even though the only effect of her kick is that she hurts her own foot.

She's practically bristling as she tells Jing that Yawan took her raven feather, and even though the shadow guard offers to simply give her a new one, Nuha insists that she wants that one back. They find it in his office, along with plenty of evidence of his illegal activities that the sentinels and the senate are gonna love to see. Hasukhara and Faiz offer to take over from there, so Jing can take Nuha away from that terrible mansion. There's going to be a lot of paperwork to deal with, but the dancer is safe and that's what matters.

Nuha spends the next few weeks in the shadow guard garrison -- which is admittedly a bit unorthodox, but under such circumstances the colonel in charge of the area (a werewolf named Ishmael) decides to allow it. It's safer than Yawende's, and makes it easier for the two thajir to stay close to each other. Whenever the raven is working a shift, her friends watch over Nuha. By now they're all like her second family and thanks to their protection she recovers from the ordeal with unexpected fortitude. In fact, as horrifying as the event had been, it made Nuha realise her own strength in the face of such a situation. Of course, she would much rather never have gone through it, but there's some comfort in knowing it didn't break her.

After an investigation has started uncovering Yawan’s web of criminal enterprises, Nuha returns home. Renza had not been in town for the kidnapping, or he would have rushed to his sister’s aid as fast as Jing. Now that it's over, however, he decides to show her the extent of the double life he's leading. Long story short, Renza introduces Nuha and the Scoundrels to each other, because the criminal organisation is full of people who can help ensure her safety -- not to mention a handful of new friends.

Most of them are absolutely endeared by the gentle nightingale and will happily help Renza protect her when necessary. But one of the Scoundrel Royals is a raven thajir named Nergui, and for some reason she loathes Nuha.

The dancer will later learn that Nergui used to be a shadow guard, and that her and Jing were lovers -- so she had immediately recognised Jing’s iridescent feather in Nuha’s belt. They broke up when Nergui became too unhinged, and shortly thereafter she deserted from the shadow guards. Years later she had resurfaced as the leader of the Scoundrel assassins, but something about her had always seemed... off.

Nergui finally steps beyond the point of no return, when she enters an agreement with the ghost of a mad king and tries to grasp power from those she considers unworthy thereof. Jing comes to lead the fight against her, backed by her friends in the shadow guard and trying to leave Nuha out of it as much as possible. Nuha insists on wanting to help at least a little, but it's not like she can fight. However, she figures out a way to use her magic to coat the shadow guards' weapons in light, which gives them an edge over Nergui's followers. But all of that is Jing or Nergui’s story, rather than Nuha’s.

Years later, Jing will become the new commander of the shadow guards. Nuha, who was born in the slums and narily escaped slavery, eventually becomes a palace dancer. She's primarily a performer, but also piques the interest of a couple of senators who are trying to enact social change. They think she has valuable opinions and insights, given her background -- Nuha never could have dreamed of such a life, nor of having a voice that anyone would ever listen to. But she still performs at her home venue every now and then, and uses her newfound resources to help Yawende help others. After all, home is where the heart is, and the heart is where your family is.

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bam! bird lesbians! and also a proper introduction of the crew at yawende's! and also a creepy asshole getting his shit kicked in! yay! here are some sketches of nuha & jing, and if you have any questions about this spotlight, just comment below! 

// art + nuha © me; jing © kubi.