NyxMaren
@nyxmaren.bsky.social
Neither man nor woman, but a force of nature. Great Value Baba Yaga. (Avatar and banner both by Dakota Curry)
yeah, given the way they received their education (through a global network of scholars and a foreign mentor), it was kind of a necessity, and now it's easy to leverage into rapport in their career as a journalist.
December 13, 2025 at 3:20 AM
yeah, given the way they received their education (through a global network of scholars and a foreign mentor), it was kind of a necessity, and now it's easy to leverage into rapport in their career as a journalist.
That being said, several characters have taken the time to learn sign language so Ayo need not rely on this solution with their closest friends
December 13, 2025 at 3:07 AM
That being said, several characters have taken the time to learn sign language so Ayo need not rely on this solution with their closest friends
Language barriers are rarely a problem in the story, thanks to some innovative technical solutions in Ayo's own case. They have Bluetooth headphones keyed to their phone, which reads their gestures and translates, or if the noise isn't a factor they can just play the sound from their phone speaker.
December 13, 2025 at 3:07 AM
Language barriers are rarely a problem in the story, thanks to some innovative technical solutions in Ayo's own case. They have Bluetooth headphones keyed to their phone, which reads their gestures and translates, or if the noise isn't a factor they can just play the sound from their phone speaker.
Ayo *understands* spoken and written English, Italian (Tuscan and Venetian), Spanish, Arabic (most dialects), and Mandarin, but can't converse in them.
December 13, 2025 at 3:04 AM
Ayo *understands* spoken and written English, Italian (Tuscan and Venetian), Spanish, Arabic (most dialects), and Mandarin, but can't converse in them.
She certainly does! She's not the most graceful at it (most of her efforts are practical, not performative), but she knows enough to get around, and to do so quietly
December 12, 2025 at 12:11 AM
She certainly does! She's not the most graceful at it (most of her efforts are practical, not performative), but she knows enough to get around, and to do so quietly
Cassandra doesn't have much time for fun, between school, family, and her side gig as a spy. But she's always enjoyed the challenge of getting into places she's not supposed to be, so she can occasionally be found practicing parkour.
December 12, 2025 at 12:04 AM
Cassandra doesn't have much time for fun, between school, family, and her side gig as a spy. But she's always enjoyed the challenge of getting into places she's not supposed to be, so she can occasionally be found practicing parkour.
Jamil, being an athlete, is rather the reverse. He spends a lot of his free time practicing soccer and teaching younger kids to play. Off the field, he's still pretty active, though he has to give his leg a break, so he tends to focus on upper-body activities like rock climbing.
December 12, 2025 at 12:04 AM
Jamil, being an athlete, is rather the reverse. He spends a lot of his free time practicing soccer and teaching younger kids to play. Off the field, he's still pretty active, though he has to give his leg a break, so he tends to focus on upper-body activities like rock climbing.
It's not really calling them by a different name, but Tobias Jericho (a billionaire with a chip on his shoulder) insists on calling them by their last name, "Saeed."
December 9, 2025 at 11:13 PM
It's not really calling them by a different name, but Tobias Jericho (a billionaire with a chip on his shoulder) insists on calling them by their last name, "Saeed."
To the residents of their new home city, Ayo's heroics, "mysterious" silence, and mastery of bridging tech make them "the Wizard of Cahokia," which their friend/instacart driver Clyde thinks is too long for a proper superhero name.
He instead proposes "Ace," for Ayo's flawless maneuvering.
He instead proposes "Ace," for Ayo's flawless maneuvering.
December 9, 2025 at 11:13 PM
To the residents of their new home city, Ayo's heroics, "mysterious" silence, and mastery of bridging tech make them "the Wizard of Cahokia," which their friend/instacart driver Clyde thinks is too long for a proper superhero name.
He instead proposes "Ace," for Ayo's flawless maneuvering.
He instead proposes "Ace," for Ayo's flawless maneuvering.
Over time, yeah. There's a lot of spoiler-y things wrapped in how she does, so the vague "yeah, it gets better eventually" will have to do for now
December 8, 2025 at 11:37 PM
Over time, yeah. There's a lot of spoiler-y things wrapped in how she does, so the vague "yeah, it gets better eventually" will have to do for now
At the current point in the WIP, Cassandra's illness is one of two reasons the trio can't go investigate the haunted house until tomorrow (the other being Ayo's illness and some very specific and stern instructions from their doctor, from that chapter-long diatribe I mentioned).
December 8, 2025 at 11:30 PM
At the current point in the WIP, Cassandra's illness is one of two reasons the trio can't go investigate the haunted house until tomorrow (the other being Ayo's illness and some very specific and stern instructions from their doctor, from that chapter-long diatribe I mentioned).
Specifically, it works kind of like radiation sickness, where it starts out almost entirely negligible, but builds up invisibly until her exposure level hits a breaking point. Then, she's wracked with chills, nausea, and sensory disruption. It can completely incapacitate her if she's not careful.
December 8, 2025 at 11:30 PM
Specifically, it works kind of like radiation sickness, where it starts out almost entirely negligible, but builds up invisibly until her exposure level hits a breaking point. Then, she's wracked with chills, nausea, and sensory disruption. It can completely incapacitate her if she's not careful.
She's also coming off a long string of W's in her career as a spy, so she has an inflated view of her own capabilities, especially compared to the other two leads. The problem is, she's been given oracular insight that, when she uses it (which she doesn't yet know how to control), makes her sick.
December 8, 2025 at 11:30 PM
She's also coming off a long string of W's in her career as a spy, so she has an inflated view of her own capabilities, especially compared to the other two leads. The problem is, she's been given oracular insight that, when she uses it (which she doesn't yet know how to control), makes her sick.
Jamil's very competitive, but he also takes his continued career as a soccer player very seriously, so he makes sure to stay well within the acceptable limits.
Cassandra is in a very unusual position: she's acquired abilities that come at a cost, and has not quite figured out what the deal is yet.
Cassandra is in a very unusual position: she's acquired abilities that come at a cost, and has not quite figured out what the deal is yet.
December 8, 2025 at 11:30 PM
Jamil's very competitive, but he also takes his continued career as a soccer player very seriously, so he makes sure to stay well within the acceptable limits.
Cassandra is in a very unusual position: she's acquired abilities that come at a cost, and has not quite figured out what the deal is yet.
Cassandra is in a very unusual position: she's acquired abilities that come at a cost, and has not quite figured out what the deal is yet.
Jamil and Cassandra each contrast this in different ways. Jamil, being a sports darling with a lasting leg injury from childhood, is in a similar boat with regard to knowing and pushing his limits, but he's a lot better about listening to his friends and teammates about it.
December 8, 2025 at 11:30 PM
Jamil and Cassandra each contrast this in different ways. Jamil, being a sports darling with a lasting leg injury from childhood, is in a similar boat with regard to knowing and pushing his limits, but he's a lot better about listening to his friends and teammates about it.
It's not often that Ayo gets their own assessments wrong. The one time they flub it in the book, it's because of a wrinkle they couldn't possibly have anticipated ahead of time. This leads to their doctor spending almost an entire chapter chewing them out for their remarkably thorough noncompliance.
December 8, 2025 at 11:30 PM
It's not often that Ayo gets their own assessments wrong. The one time they flub it in the book, it's because of a wrinkle they couldn't possibly have anticipated ahead of time. This leads to their doctor spending almost an entire chapter chewing them out for their remarkably thorough noncompliance.
Ayo's no theologian, but if you really, really drilled them on it, they'd say something to the effect of Hollowers being an invasive species, which is pretty accurate. Wherever they started, Hollowers were perfectly natural and normal, but now they're somewhere else, and they can do a LOT of damage.
December 8, 2025 at 12:41 AM
Ayo's no theologian, but if you really, really drilled them on it, they'd say something to the effect of Hollowers being an invasive species, which is pretty accurate. Wherever they started, Hollowers were perfectly natural and normal, but now they're somewhere else, and they can do a LOT of damage.
(also if you're wondering why I didn't use the word "Allah" in this thread, it's because I find that using that word in English-language discussions serves to unfairly exoticize and other practitioners of one of the world's largest religions)
December 8, 2025 at 12:27 AM
(also if you're wondering why I didn't use the word "Allah" in this thread, it's because I find that using that word in English-language discussions serves to unfairly exoticize and other practitioners of one of the world's largest religions)
To be clear, this isn't "Ayo is only good because they're religious." It's that Ayo's kindness is filtered through their faith and vice-versa, each affecting the other and being affected in turn.
December 8, 2025 at 12:27 AM
To be clear, this isn't "Ayo is only good because they're religious." It's that Ayo's kindness is filtered through their faith and vice-versa, each affecting the other and being affected in turn.
It's this belief in a universal, ultimately good God that gives Ayo the strength to believe that even the most monstrous person can become better. Not because there is a purpose for all things, not because God loves all things equally, but because there is God in all things.
December 8, 2025 at 12:27 AM
It's this belief in a universal, ultimately good God that gives Ayo the strength to believe that even the most monstrous person can become better. Not because there is a purpose for all things, not because God loves all things equally, but because there is God in all things.