Saffron

The Black Sheep...

For the most part, Kuri and Caspian produced normal, well adjusted offspring. As children, the siblings all got along quite well, but as they grew Saffron gradually began to have interests that were... A bit different from those of siblings. Where Meraki was content to learn baking and cooking from his parents, Saffron had no interest in such things. He was always outside, playing in the dirt and studying flowers and herbs. He'd grind up insects, old bones, even the soil itself just to see how it broke down. Meraki grew increasingly uncomfortable with the odd findings Saffron would bring home - and when Saffron eventually learned of the existance of potions after his mother gave him a tea to soothe his throat, it was the beginning of the end for their relationship. The young boy began spending many hours in Zhishi's library, visiting local herbalist and botanists, and soon began mixing potions of his own. Due to his inexperience, however, there was little magic or power to these concotions - instead they were typically putrid, slushy drinks that accomplished nothing short of a stomach ache. 

The final straw between the siblings came when Saffron insisted that Meraki try a "brand new" potion - which the brother had insisted would soften his fur prior to a big date. Meraki drank it with some well-founded wariness, as he quickly fell ill with stomach cramps and the strange liquid tinged his skin green for over a week. His relationship with the cute shiji he'd been courting never recovered from the incident... When he finally felt well enough to apologize to her for missing their date, she told him that her brother creeped her out and she couldn't stand to be around them. 

Initially Meraki said nothing to Saffron, stewing quietly in his own rage and self-pity, but when his younger brother approached him yet again with another "potion" Meraki had had enough. "No more!" He'd shouted, knocking the drink from his brother's hand. Meraki had always been tall - and Saffron had always been short - and Saffron would never forget his brother towering over him that day, telling him that he was useless, that he'd never have enough magic to make worthwile potions, and that he'd be better off if he "just learned to make cakes and left [Meraki] alone."

From that day on, Saffron didn't bother Meraki with his creations. He didn't mention them again to Kuri or Caspian either, instead locking himself away in his room and testing them on himself... For better or worse. Although Kuri worried and tried to mend the brother's relationship, Caspian calmly assured her they would grow out of it and her loving words continued to fall on deaf ears. As the years passed, Meraki became quite a confident young man, but managed his social standing largely through the mockery of his brother. Instead of being ashamed of him, he became part of a large circle of bullying that mocked Saffron ruthlessly. He'd confirm rumors and spread half-truths that made it nearly impossible for Saffron to form relationships with any other "normal" growing Shiji-Long. 

But Saffron still had his own sort of charisma and he managed a small group of loose friends, largely other 'weirdos' that looked up to him for his knowledge. He realized during this time that other people were quite easy to manipulate and that there was a lot of power in confidence, even if it was unfounded. He became rather bossy during this time period and never really formed any deep relationships with anyone in his group, but he did learn a lot about himself and his preferences during this time nonetheless. 

The Hunt for Magic...

Years passed and through a combination of his own research, many experiments, and the tutelage of others, Saffron became an extremely skilled potionmaker. He travelled often, collecting ingredients, studying, and making a number of connections along the way - as well as his fair share of partners. But with time came wisdom and a portion of that wisdom brought a level of self-awareness: Meraki had, to some extent, been right. Saffron didn't have magic and potions without magic would only do so much. Sure, you could soothe a throat, calm an aching belly, quiet a tumultous mind... But the real power, the strongest and most interesting of potions, and those which had permanent effects... Those all came from magic. There were ways to siphon crystals into potions to embue them with power - and that was the most commonly used method - but crystals were an expensive, finite resource. 

No, crystals wouldn't do. Saffron needed his own magic. Something endless, boundless, which he had complete control over. 

Elemental magic. And what better element for potions than water?

He returned to Tianshu, seeking out the largest (and primary) home of the Moli Clan. After some negotiations and the standard paperwork, he was granted membership. Though he stayed in Tianshu for some time, he found that many of the scholars there were interested only in history or languages and he opted instead to journey to a small gathering of Moli members in the lifestream delta who were there to study the magical waters in the area. Multiple cycles passed for him this way, emersed in his studies within the delta - before a chance encounter with Yixin led to his wish being granted. Through the waters of the Delta, Yixin embued Saffron with elemental magic. 

Real Potions...

Once his wish had been granted, Saffron quickly realized he had a new problem: control. Magic wasn't something one was immediately, magically a master of. It took years of study and practice. Saffron remained in the Lifestream Delta with his colleagues, friends, and occassional 'acquintances' - but he spent far more time fussing with the powers newly contained in his body than he did studying the springs that surrounded him. Another cycle passed before he returned to potion-making... But much like the ventures of his childhood, not everything went according to plan. It was during this cycle that multiple mishaps stained his fur a vibrant purple; a magical and permanent change that he wasn't particularly bothered to remove. Using what he'd learned from that particular potion, however, he created a similar potion which allowed him to paint permanent magical symbols on his body as well, with the intent that they'd help him focus his magic more deeply... And perhaps, just a bit, because he rather liked the look it gave him. He focused on the ancient eye symbol of the Moli clan and when all was said and done, he was quite pleased with his results. 

More lifecycles passed with Saffron eventually taking the lead over the small group of scholars and outcasts in the delta. While his 'bossy' tendencies could sometimes make him a bit hard to deal with, many members of the group were introverted enough that they didn't mind having someone to tell them what to do, and Saffron seemed confident in every choice he made. 

And although he was happy, in time he felt a yearning for the comforts of society once more... And said his goodbyes to the ragtag swamp group. 

Reunited...

During the hundreds of years that had passed, Saffron tried not to think of his brother. Occassionally, Kuri would write to him and he'd write back... But that was the most exposure he'd had. He never visited and he'd not spoken to Meraki since he'd left Tianshu. Although Saffron himself had changed quite a bit, somehow he didn't expect Meraki to follow suit... So it was a great surprise when he bumped into his brother one day in the market only to find that the confident, cocky sibling he'd once known was now withdrawn and humble. So much so, in fact, that Saffron almost didn't recognize him at first. But Meraki recognized Saffron - who physically ran from their encounter, eventually ditching his brother through a winding, dark alley. 

Although Saffron went out of his way to avoid Meraki in incoming days, it wasn't long before the elder brother found him. Meraki stammered apologies, but Saffron wanted little to do with him, quoting Meraki's own words back at him after all those years - "Why don't you go bake a cake and leave me alone?" But Meraki insisted, begging his brother to help in any way he could. Saffron declined him, but wasn't inclined to seek him out to return it when a bag of bi showed up on his doorstep a week later. Saffron's home was small, little more than a rented room in an old building, and he was struggling to find the right customers for the types of potions he preferred to make. When Meraki saw that the coins had not been returned, it began a ritual - Saffron would receive them every month at the same time... A small stipend - and apology - from the brother. Sometimes he would include other things, which Saffron rarely took (mostly baked goods). 

Present Day...

Saffron still lives in Tianshu, in the same tiny apartment and with the same 'unofficial' arrangement with Meraki. From time to time the two meet up, but the result is always the cold shoulder from Saffron. On rare occassions, Meraki is able to get some food to the brother by claiming (truthfully or otherwise), that it is a gift from Kuri. Saffron makes a small amount of income via an underground seller for his potions, however that seller takes a hefty cut of the profits and the income is meagre indeed - making Meraki's 'donations' his primary source of living money. Although he visits the Moli clan building from time to time, he's garnered a bit of a reputation as an oddity due to some of his personal preferences, disregard for traditional potion-making methods, and stained fur. 

All of this means that, for the time being, Saffron is a bit grumpy and more than a bit lonely. Although he's done little to seek them out, he is secretly hoping for the right shiji to finally fall into his life: his soul mate. Surely if such a thing truly exists, what better place to find them than in the bustling hub of Tianshu... Right?