Nöelle

🌿 The Gentle Spirit of a Blessing

Hatched amid the glow of yuletide celebration, Nöelle emerged from the safety of her egg into the chaos of the world with mistletoe blooming throughout the long, silken strands of her sage-green mane. Her parents were overjoyed; magic is ausipcious enough on its own, but mistletoe is a rare and powerful omen. From her frist breathe, she was told what a blessing she was - that her magic was a gift meant to be cherished, cultivated, and proudly displayed. 

Some spoke of her with a hint of playful teasing; others with genuine reverence. Many whispered that she must have been "touched by Qing;" the elder known best for his love, affection, and cultivating the gentle bonds between Shiji-Long. CHildren blessed with plant magic are often seen as tender spirits, but for Nöelle, the mistletoe carried far more... Particular associations. 

Ferility. Romance. Blessed unions. Kissing traditions drawn from ancient solstic rites... All of these expectations had surrounded her as long as she could remember. 

As a child, adults told her she'd "break hearts some day," while fellow children taunted; "Don't stand too close - she might make you fall in love with her!" Through these constant remarks, a lifelong narrative was written across her prescence without a single stroke of her own pen: she would be flirtations, enchanting, and effortlessly reomantic. 

But... She wasn't. 

She was simply herself - and the older she grew, the more she longed to live free of those assumptions. 

🕊️ A Life of Expectation

Nöelle is undeniably friendly - warm, approachable, and at times playfully tomboyish. She isn't flirtations by nature, yet even the simplest kindness is often misread as something more. The expectations ofh er cling to her like a shadow, trailing behind her like molasses dragged through freshly fallen snow. 

Several of her closest friendships dissolved after the other person developed romantic feelings she never invited - or worse, because they assumed she should welcome their advances. Over time, she learned to laugh things off instead of correcting them, subtly pull away the moment interest appears, or freeze entirely when affections turn personal. And on the unfortuanate occassions when someone pushed past her boundaries, she found herself trapped in interactions she desperately wanted to avoid. 

Her hesitation towards love isn't rooted in a fear of intimacy though - in fact, she's grown painfully accustomed to it - but rather in the knowledge that intimacy so often leads to the loss of otherwise meaningful platonic bonds.

Her longest relationship was one she chose to finally "give a chance." A popular, charismatic Shiji-Long who was heavily praised for his looks and charm. Adored by everyone around her, they insisted the pairing was inevitable. So... She tried. But the man had never loved her. He loved the idea of her: the fantasy of a naturally romantic, endlessly nurturing partner. The more she tried to rise to his expectations, the more she felt herself drowning in them, withering away into someone else's daydream. In the end, she had to break the relationship off simply to reclaim herself. 

Since then, Nöelle avoids romance almost entirely - often, to the point of avoiding friendships with men entirely. Her safest, most treasured relationships are with women: ideally with those who are already soulmated or adamently straight. These friendships allow her to breathe, to exist without the weight of expectations, and to be simply and wholly herself.