#(行逢りば兄弟 ～ no man is an island)

[haisai-haitai]

*

Woodpecker Children’s Home

Minor Characters (from Mika’s past edition 6/6?)

*The little house’s official name in modern human AUs, because I like to make references to their original selves. Otherwise it didn’t really have a name in the ancient days

**I’ve tried searching for the Okinawan word for youkai, like the kijimunaa are tree spirits and there are other supernatural creatures, but idk I just can’t find one? The closest thing I’ve found is from my wordbook: yanamun (“demon, evil spirit, apparition; villain; a bad thing”) which well literally breaks down to “bad thing” so no… And then there’s bakimun (cognate to bakemono; “monster, ogre, goblin, witch”).

***part one, two, three, four, five (although this, part six, is pretty much unrelated to the other ones)

Tan-mee

たんめー

Nicknames/Alias:

Tanmee actually. The word itself means “grandfather” however it’s said a toddler started this. They called him something like tana/tanan/tantan (apparently imitating a woodpecker’s knocks), then either that child when they were older, or other children, affixed -mee「前」to it (a respectful honorific meaning “before; previous”) thus creating tan-mee.

Tui-gwaa「鳥小 (とぅいぐぁー) “birdie, little bird"」

Taarii …or at least the children would like to call him “father”

Real name: unknown… kind of. It’s some whistle-chirp.

Species: Okinawa woodpecker bakimun

Looks: Straight wine-red hair, shoulder-length and tied in a low ponytail, straight bangs, and two thin chin-length locks that framed his face. Black eyes, with a tired but kind expression.

The eponymous woodpecker who takes in those in need (mostly children).

More about him will be in a different post.

THE CHILDREN

Most had an affectionate nickname during their stay; these ended with -gwaa or -ngwa (a diminutive suffix in Okinawan; think like - chan for Japanese). For some this was the first name they ever had; others had a name before they arrived. They usually leave with a different name.

Nee-ngwa

苗小 (ねーんぐぁ); "sapling"

Species: Okinawa or Ryukyu flying fox

Admission: deformed/underdeveloped wings, cleft lip; uknown/undecided arrival

Looks: Hair worn in two low side ponytails. She always wore a bandanna over her nose and mouth

The oldest (an adult) of the little house, and de facto "eldest sister.”

Tan-mee would sometimes leave her in charge if he had to take care of something.

Seemingly mute, but she does talk/whisper as she’s passed on information/tales from the past - regarding what she has witnessed, and what the children who were at Tan-mee’s when she arrived had told her.

She willingly keeps on the bandanna even though she’s been told it’s fine to not wear it.

Ami-gwaa

雨小 or 雨子 (あみぐぁー); “rain" or “drizzle, light rain”

Species: half-human, other half is something along the lines of a water or rain sprite/nymph/spirit

Admission: likely for being a halfling; entrusted into Tan-mee’s care as a toddler

Looks: Straight black hair, different locks in braids but with plenty of hair still loose. She had ice-blue eyes with cloudy-gray ring in the middle.

About 8 or 9 years old when Mika showed.

She was very caring but could sometimes demonstrate a cocky wisecracking streak. A confident and responsible girl.

She was Shirunna’s buddy, and was the first to braid Mika’s hair.

She made wunai-tiisaaji (kerchief made by a sister and presented to her brother to keep him safe while on a journey) for Kaaroh (a light blue one) and for Mika (a red one).

Chii-gwaa

釣小 (ちーぐぁー); "fishhook"

Later Name: Chiigani (fishhook)

Species: human

Admission: around the age of 5 or 6 was accidentally separated from family and lost in the woods; was found by Tan-mee

Looks: Straight black hair, a bit spiky. He had a very squinty eye, that half the time was closed.

The oldest boy at the time, so de facto "eldest brother.” About 12 or 13 when Mika showed, and ‘assigned’ to be his buddy. A happy and dependable brother.

Shirunna

蜆 (しるんな); “basket clam"

Species: demon(*?)

Admission: runaway, abuse, fear of men; found by Ami-gwaa around the age of 7 to 10

Looks: Light hair that draped over her face. Light eyes with partial heterochromia.

Incredibly timid and nervous due to trauma, clung to Ami-gwaa who she also spoke through.

About 9 to 11 years old when Mika showed, whom she eventually and very slowly partnered up with to work through some of their troubles together.

Kaa-ngwa

川小 (かーんぐぁ); "river"

Later Name: Kaaroh (both rivers)

Species: Ryukyu scops owl bakimun

Admission: fell from nest, broken wing; saved from a river by Tan-mee as a newborn

About 3 or 4 years old when Mika showed.

A chipper little boy who left a few years later to travel around the coast.

It appears that his nest may have been attacked, as he had a damaged wing. He was originally a mortal owl, but the night after he was saved he turned into a youkai out of grief.

Miitsichi

三月 (みーつぃち); “three moons” March

Nickname: Chijuu (a person with curly or wavy hair)

Species: dog bakimun

Admission: stray, abuse, ill; brought in after collapsing near the house at an estimated age of 9 to 12

A stray dog, of poor health mentally and physically when found. Eventually recovered enough to reveal a boy that was lively, sharp, and feisty.

He left a few years after Kaaroh, but returned decades later.

Ohsa-gwaa

青葉小 (おーさぐぁー); "leafy vegetables"

Species: half-human

Admission: being a halfling + medical complications; left on a path near the little house at the estimated age of 6

Looks: Undecided, but hair was tied in a ponytail that leaned more to one side. Had one leg.

A happy boy who was a little slow, who ended up in Tan-mee’s care after Mika but before Juu-gwaa.

Tan-mee suspected that someone else must have been caring for him, before (for reasons unknown) he was left on a path near the little house.

He suspected the boy had a weak heart from how he tired after a while of playing. He eventually passed away.

Juu-gwaa

尾小 (じゅーぐぁー); "tail"

Species: human

Admission: born with a tail, abandoned out of suspicion/superstition; found by Tan-mee as an infant, likely left in the forest to die

Looks: Dark brown hair and dark eyes

A human baby boy who ended up in Tan-mee’s care a couple of years after Mika showed. It looked like he was becoming a good kid.

*When Mika returned decades later, all "the children” he had known had left Tan-mee’s with the exception of Ami-gwaa. It’s known that Chiigani lived to become an old man with grandchildren; he had passed by the time Mika returned to the island. The size of the house varies across years, and it was rather small when he returned

Saajaa

鷺 (さーじゃー), “white heron"

Species: human

Admission: albino, nearsighted as side effect; undecided/unknown arrival

Looks: Light hair either very light blond or white, and pale blue eyes which looked red/violet under certain lighting conditions. Wrapped a cloth/sheet around his self to protect himself from the tropical sun. 

A very helpful boy, always willing to try his best.

Fuu-gwaa

福小 (ふーぐぁー); "good luck"

Species: demon(*?)

Admission: deaf; unknown/undecided arrival

Looks: Short brown hair and hazel eyes

Younger than Saajaa. She was calm and willing to approach people.

Yuuna

大浜朴・黄槿 (ゆーな), "sea hibiscus"

Species: human

Admission: found wandering in the forest in her mid-teens; unknown/undecided reason

Looks: Long brown hair, tied half back. Dark eyes.

A young lady who ended up in Tan-mee’s care a few years after Mika’s return.

(*?) = I haven’t decided if they have human blood too yet, so they may be full-blooded demon or half or idk. Also I haven’t decided what kind of demon they are.

[haisai-haitai]

*

FC for minor characters that I didn’t include in the posts about them well I mean I could go back and edit those posts and probably will one day but some of those were complex posts my guy ...what

For Hakujou, worthy FC - Azee of Gundam: Iron-blooded Orphans

For Remi, worthy FC - Lady Moonlight of Karakuri Douji Ultimo

For Ji-ning, worthy FC - Doumeki of xxxHolic

For Tan-mee, worthy FC - Kazuma “Shishou” Sohma of Fruits Basket

For grown Ami-gwaa, worthy FC - Sakurako Kujou from Beautiful Bones: Sakurako’s Investigation

***their bolded names link to their posts

[haisai-haitai]

*

Minor Characters (from Mika’s past edition = 5/?)

.

part 1 + part 2 + part 3 & part 4

these characters are demons/youkai/yāoguài - not human. characters are from China.

At Sea Saga ‣ 咲ちゅるでーぐ Arc。

4.)  Yīng

瑛  "luster of gem, crystal"

Species: Chinese dhole

A young lady from a Chinese circus troupe. The Cì Tóng crew enjoyed their performances and due to many of the crew’s unfamiliarity with currency, they tended to “over tip.” That drew the attention of Ying and many others of her family, which started a conversation between them all. They even invited and/or dared some of the crew to try/learn their tricks.

Ultimately Ying and others of the troupe joined the crew.

Later on, due to an accident in a rock fall one of her arms had to be amputated.

4.5 -- The Troupe::  A handful of others from the troupe, a mix of gals and guys, but they tended to be on the younger side. Ying was their de facto leader.

‣ (clever title tbd) Mini-arc。

The Chéng’s::  Not part of the crew. Cheng the son was a boy the captain met during his time missing. The boy talked to him a lot, even though he didn't respond. Later on, after escaping, he found the mother to tell her the unfortunate news. The young man was in such bad shape however, that she insisted he stay until he recuperated his strength. He stayed with for a couple of months, until he found the whereabouts/what had happened to his crew.

‣ (poetic title tbd) Arc。

**Characters who are not part of the new arc= Bone, Eeka, Naabeeraa, Biao, The Gillies, miscellaneous

5.)  Jì Nìng

寂寧  “still, desolate” and “peaceful”

Nicknames:

Kǔhēichá / Hēichá / Chá 「苦黑茶 / 黑茶 / 茶, lit. "bitter black tea" / "black tea" / "tea"」

Xiǎo Jìng 「小靜, “calm”」 by old master

Species: a jiàn tsukumogami (kind of)

Height: 5'8"

Joined while Xinyue was missing, he was quickly promoted to First Mate, although was demoted to Second Mate once he returned. He had searched for the captain because he'd heard he was strong.

He was originally a sword, and after his first master (as far as he remembers beginning to gain sentience) was killed in battle he laid there unable to do anything for years. Eventually a swordsman came along who heard his spirit speaking, and then extracted his soul from the sword and give it a body.

He's a grim and stoic individual, who nonetheless chose the captain as his new master. He seemed determined to help the dog become something better and live up to his potential

5.5 -- The Baiyue::  A couple of members from Yue tribes of the south; the expansion of the empire in the recent century or two had left them a little displaced. Some angrier fellows had heard of the crew and thought it would be a good opportunity to get some vengeance, even if it was kinda small scale. 

Appearances::

百 】-  Ying had long brown hair that she kept tightly bound during acrobatic feats. She also had two big red spots that started at the corners of her mouth. She was lithe of body and well toned.

戲 】-  Most of the troupe have marks that resemble different parts of clown make-up. Somebody has the tears, another a circle on their nose, someone else with the line down the eye, and another with spots on their eyes, etc

劍 】-  Despite his staunch ethnocentric behavior, Ji-ning did not wear his hair up (although he used to). His hair was cut in a forward-slanting chin-length bob, and curiously enough one side was shorter than the other. He had steel gray eyes. The sword was ordinary.

[haisai-haitai]

*

Minor Characters (from Mika’s past edition = 4/?)

.

part 1 + part 2 + part 3

**characters from the first three parts who are not part of the new arc let me pretend that this is a guide book okay shhh = the Leader & Hishi.

these characters are demons/youkai/yāoguài - not human. some characters are indigenous to taiwan and for the sake of my own sanity speak Amis, and others are from china.

At Sea Saga ‣ 咲ちゅるでーぐ Arc characters。

1.)  Remes

Amis for “blood” 

Alias: Dānzhū 「丹朱 (dan ju); “vermilion”」

Species: undecided endemic species of Taiwan

Remes was overall friendly and with a sense of humor, which spared the crew long enough to show them their situation: they were shipwrecked.

The crew took refuge in his village, and eventually he joined as Co-Navigator because of his familiarity with local waters.

He mostly joined because he found their antics amusing, and didn't want them crashing again also the stuff they took was nice.

When the captain disappeared Remes returned home along with his comrades, that is until the man came back.

1.5 -- The Tribe::  A few of Remes's peers joined too. They mostly listened to Remes and used him as a bridge to the captain. Some became Doc’s assistants.

2.)  Biāo

颮  “whirlwind”

Species: yāoguài

Biao was aboard the second ship ever robbed by Deegu (they took the whole ship actually), but he was spared and shanghaied by the crew upon learning that he was the navigator.

After communication difficulties, he was coerced into becoming another Co-Navigators, this time for maneuvering between the waters of China and Taiwan.

He also served as the crew’s Chinese language teacher by force, and provided everyone’s alias as well as the translated crew name: Cì Tóng 「刺桐 (tsyh tongr)」

It is suspected that he somehow helped in the captain’s capture as he was treated favorably by the Traitor...

2.5 -- The Riffraff & Rabble::  Random assortment of members of various ages and species that joined across the years. The youngest ones were recruited in an arguably misguided attempt to give them agency and safety. Some were already on the wrong side of the law. The traitor was among them.

3.)  Doc / Chūn

椿  “ailanthus / Chinese mahogany”

Nicknames: Doc

Species: yāoguài

During one fine heat wave, the crew went looking for a doctor. Eventually they came across Lǎo Chūn, and pleaded for his assistance.

Admittedly he accepted because of their payment, even though it was from questionable sources. They came for his aid a handful of times more and convinced him to be the crew’s doctor.

He continued his practice on the mainland until it became too dangerous for him and he had to go to their hideout.

He was a patient old man and would sometimes give advice or talk back.

When the captain was captured, he left with Remes to Taiwan, resigned to stay there until his return.

3.5 -- The Gillies::  About a dozen or so flying fish yaoguai. They were merfolk-like but small, no longer than three feet, and served as underwater look-outs and as reconnaissance.

Appearances::

血 】-  Remes's (as well as the rest of comrades) overall appearance, unfortunately, is still undecided.

圖 】-  Biao wore his hair up, otherwise his overall appearance is still undecided.

醫 】-  Doc looked like a wise old man, he wore his light/graying hair up and had a small mustache and goatee. 

[haisai-haitai]

*

Minor Characters (from Mika’s past edition = 2/?)

.

part 1

these characters are demons/youkai from okinawa with names in okinawan and not japanese. in their creation some characters had placeholder names/nicknames, and many have a second chinese name they adopted; bolded will be the name i use in narration/when speaking of them.

At Sea Saga ‣ 舟子ぐぁーしー  Arc characters。

4.)  Asatti

あさってぃ ・「明後日」 “day after tomorrow”

Nicknames:

Nagamun  (lit. “long thing”) *taboo substitution for habu snake

Andajuusan Habu  (oily snake) fuck superstition by Mika ❤

Alias: Lǎnyóu 「欖油  “olive oil”」

Species: hon habu (yellow spotted pit viper)

Height: 5'7"

Asatti was part of the gafasaa-warabaa, or “The Delinquents” as the Leader dubbed them. It could be said he was the leader of his trio (which included Riichi & Naabeeraa).

The Leader appeared in the nick of time before Asatti’s beheading; he and his group were the next to join the JOS as it was a better alternative to being executed.

He and Naabeeraa are oddly friendly with the rail bird Riichi, despite them being pit-vipers.

Asatti was among the most agile and quickest of the Squad, and developed a bickering relationship with the dog pretty much at first sight.

Quite the randy snake, known to delay killing prey to fool around if they were attractive enough.

Also a very determined wingman he's gotchu bro. 

5.)  Riichi

りーち ・「荔枝」 “lychee”

Alias: Shānlì 「山荔  “mountain lychee”」

Species: yanbaru kuina (Okinawa rail)

Height: 5'1"

The fact that he was part of the trio despite being what would normally be lunch for habu’s is the primary reason why the Leader saw them as having the potential of upholding the “pillars of justice.”

Riichi was apparently a body of warmth for the cold-blooded pair, as both would curl up next to him on either side at night.

A cheerful birdie who has much better social skills+compassion than the snakes. However the time he's spent with them has made him overcome his instinctual fear and become less squeamish. 

The missing third of Asatti's maturity.

6.)  Naabeeraa

なーべーらー ・ 「糸瓜」 “sponge gourd”

Nicknames:

Niibuyaa  (sleepyhead) *local name of this snake maybe also a euphemism?

Alias: Sīguā 「絲瓜  “silk gourd”」

Species: hime habu (dwarf lancehead snake)

Height: 5'3"

Naabeeraa was part of The Delinquent trio and joined the JOS alongside them, but was a habu-duo with Asatti for a long-time beforehand.

Befitting of her nickname, she could be apathetic and unmotivated, and definitely harder to rile up than Asatti. However she could and would deal with things with swift violence.

Naabeeraa would be tied with the other habu for agility, but the left side of her body was heavily scarred - especially her face, collar and arm. What exactly happened is unknown.  

The other missing third of Asatti's maturity.

Appearances::

波】 -  Asatti had shiny dark green hair bordering black that reached to his collar. There were scales on his joints, such as the elbows and knees. The entire back of his hand was scaled too. As a pit viper, he had the heat-sensing pits on the lower outer corners of his eyes and those were also surrounded by scales. 🐍

鶏】 -  Riichi had brown neck-length hair and round eyes with red irises. *worthy FC - Toboe of Wolf's Rain 🐓

布】 -  Naabeeraa had long waist-length, greenish-gray hair that was stiff, and long sidelocks that framed her face. There's less hair on the front-left of her scalp. She also had scales on her joints and the backs of her hand. Her heat-sensing pits were under her eyes and surrounded by scales, although the left one is damaged. 🐍

[haisai-haitai]

*

Minor Characters (from Mika's past edition = 1/?)

.

these characters are demons/youkai, and from okinawa - thus their names are in okinawan and not japanese. in their creation some characters had placeholder names/nicknames, and many have a second chinese name they adopted; bolded will be the name i use in narration/when speaking of them.   *chinese names will be written in pīnyīn

At Sea Saga・ 舟子ぐぁーしー  Arc characters。

1.)  Leader of the J.O.S.

しーどぅ (shiidu) ・「指導者」 “leader”

Species: Ryukyu long-tailed giant rat

Height: ~5′4″

Original founder of the “Ocean Squad of Justice” (JOS = Justice Ocean Squad)

A foolishly energetic and optimistic man, he long had the aspiration to one day go out and create a group that would uphold justice. These dreams were generally turned down by his family and his old friend Bone, but the day finally came when he decided to do it for real (and Bone followed him to make sure he didn’t get hurt).

Even though he was the leader, he was actually quite useless when it came to actually “enforce” justice since he couldn’t fight and wasn’t strong or fast... 

Eventually the day came when in an attempt to uphold justice and protect another he got hurt in such a way that he would likely be unable to walk properly again, if at all. He was taken back to his home village.

2.)  Bone / Nanachibushi

ななちぶし (nanachibushi) ・「七 ち 星」 “seven stars” as in the big Dipper

Nicknames:

Funi  (lit. “bone”)

Magii  (big guy)

Alias: Dà Gǔ「大骨  “great bone”」

Species: uni (Okinawan oni)

Height: 6′6″

Bone lived in the same village as Leader and when he decided to head out to uphold justice, he “joined” to make sure he didn’t get hurt.

This makes Bone the first recruit of the JOS, as such he had the position of First Mate

He was also in charge of the anchor since he was the only one strong enough to pull it.

He was the tallest and among the strongest members of the Squad. 

Bone was a man of few words, but reliable and always looked out for everybody. He would break up any squabbles by throwing them overboard to cool off, and overall tried to maintain peace.

3.)  Hishi

ひし ・「環礁」 “atoll; shore reef”

Species: Hawksbill sea turtle

Height: ~5'2.5"

Hishi was struck with a hammer during the construction of the squad's boat, “The Water Piglet”, while heading out to the open sea after visiting shore.

Hishi assisted greatly with the design as he'd seen boats during his journeys at sea. This, along with his vast knowledge of navigating around the coast and Open Ocean resulted in the the Leader begging him to join. He begrudgingly became the Navigator.

Kaaroh would eventually serve as his apprentice.

He was among the oldest of the Squad next to the Leader and Bone, perhaps even older. He was a grumpy turtle who nonetheless had a helpful-streak he and Bone were the only real adults of the crew.

Appearances::

鼠】 -  Leader's overall appearance, unfortunately, is still undecided. 🐀

鬼】 -  Bone was a broadly-built humanoid, and due to some island dwarfism, was smaller than mainland Japanese oni. He had fulvous-colored skin with swirling black markings, and wore his black hair long and in twin braids. His horns were along his hairline and he had a widow's peak. He wore a long, faded-black, sarong that went to his ankles that had splashes of white ash (representative of the night sky and stars). This was replaced with a genuine black cloth with a white polka-dot pattern when he went to China. He loosely wore a beige/light yellow sash as a scarf. 👹

亀】 -  Hishi had straight hair in seaweed-colored tones; since he frequently swam in the ocean it was usually messy. Thanks to Leader, it's in a slanted-forward bob-cut. He wore a shorter sarong that reached mid-thigh, and it was blueish/greenish colored. His back was covered by shell scales, and his skin had sparse brown speckles which were also scales. Hishi's upper lip was partially beaked, and his eyes were shaped well like a turtle's. 🐢