Nine

“Use a godsdamn coaster.”

Nine
Alternate Names	Alexandre Viron
Pronouns	He/Him
Species	Human
Division	Contingency (Formerly Outerworld)
Role	Housekeeping
Height	5’5” / 165cm
Age	42
Birth Date	Flourish 16, 1188
Zodiac	Impulsive Moth
Aspect	Light (born) / Law (corrupted)
Family	Aurora (daughter)

Nine is a human currently working in the Contingency Division. As part of housekeeping staff, he may no longer be participating in regular expeditions or excursions, but he still takes his work very seriously.

Appearance

Nine is a human male on the shorter than average side, somewhat stocky with toned muscles from his years of doing more intensive physical work with the Outerworld Division. He is missing his left ring finger, which is the meaning behind his pseudonym. Due to Law corruption, Nine is blind in his right eye and part of his hair has lost its pigmentation. He has olive toned skin, brown eyes (although one is now hazy) and black hair that is beginning to turn gray in places besides the patch of white. Other notable features include a widow’s peak, a hooked nose, and a scar through his left eyebrow. Nine is typically clean shaven unless he has overworked himself to the point of neglecting his facial hair.

In terms of dress, Nine is almost always seen in long sleeves in order to hide the various scars along his arms. While working, he often wears an apron tied around his waist, and depending on the job, may also wear gloves and a mask. He is very particular about stains and imperfections in one’s appearance, even having been known to excuse himself and others from many a situation in order to address a perceived flaw.

Personality

In his youth, Nine was considered to be brash, reckless, and impulsive, often finding himself involved in fights and other unscrupulous activities. After leaving the Outerworld Division, however, he considers himself to have given up most of his “bad habits.” Whether it is cooking, cleaning, or maintenance, Nine is studious and takes pride in his work — sometimes to the point of perfectionism — and does not handle criticism well. To the uninitiated, he appears harsh and aloof; should one find themselves in his good graces, they are likely to be treated to small kindnesses like an extra slice of bread with their meal or a pair of knitted socks on a special occasion. Still, he is not one to seek out companionship or readily share personal information, and will feign ignorance should any of these favors be addressed.

Biography

Nine was abandoned by his parents at a young age, forced to live on the streets in the northern slums until he was old enough to register with the guild. After joining and completing the required educational courses, he continued his usual habits in the pursuit of revelry, often earning reprimands and demerits from higher ups. He was, however, a considerable force in combat — particularly in situations where the use of magic may be detrimental or even impossible — which soon earned him a place within the Outerworld Division. During this time, he met a woman who was infatuated by his rebellious spirit and carefree attitude, resulting in a whirlwind romance and unplanned pregnancy. The relationship was tumultuous, as the new mother wanted nothing more than a stable father for her child, yet Nine stubbornly refused to be tied down.

His final deployment with the Outerworld Division led to Law corruption that cost him partial eyesight. Upon returning to the guild, he handed in the necessary forms to apply for a transfer, feeling grateful to have even returned at all. Now seeking a slower pace in life, he was assigned to housekeeping within the Contingency Division, where he soon came to be known amongst the other staff as a stickler for perfection — even going to extremes such as sorting laundry by different shades of the same color. Although somewhat difficult to work with, it could not be said Nine was lax in his new job, and he eventually came to settle into the caretaker role, albeit reluctantly at times. However, he made no attempts to contact his family upon returning to the guild, instead assuming they would believe him dead after such a dangerous deployment with the Outerworld Division. It has been seven years, and occasionally a letter addressed to an unfamiliar name will appear amongst the guild’s mail, only for Nine to hand the envelope back to the courier to return to sender.

Abilities

Nine is ambidextrous and specifically trained in the use of blades, growing attached to a particular hunting knife he keeps strapped to his thigh and calls “Ten,” using it and his learned proficiency to win both bets and fights alike. It has been quite some time since this weapon was wielded in battle, however, and is now the bane of even the hardiest kitchen vegetable.

Born with a Light aspect yet no one throughout his youth to instruct him on properly harnessing the power, Nine is rather reluctant to use magic after one too many mishaps over the years. He prefers settling matters with physical strength.

Nine possesses many practical domestic skills, including but not limited to: sewing, knitting, cooking, gardening, weapon maintenance, and basic first aid. While he can technically also bake, his confections unfortunately come out of the oven a different flavor or texture than intended.

If a task involves extensive reading or numbers, this is the only time Nine will most likely pass the work on to someone else. His penmanship is notorious for being nearly illegible.

Relationships

Odin

“Bright kid. Too bad she got stuck with me that day.”

For a brief period, Nine and Odin were part of the same squadron within the Outerworld Division, even coming to learn they both shared roots in the same neighborhood as children. Not long after the incident that led to their Law corruption, he applied to be reassigned to the Contingency Division, but the two remained friendly despite no longer working together. This makes Odin one of the few people who he has allowed to remain close to him, and thus she is more clearly able to notice the contrast in his behavior before and after his “retirement.” He feels responsible for not better protecting the younger girl since she sustained more intensive corruption injuries than he did.

Rin Kazashi

“She’s an odd one, but — she knows what she’s doing. Should’ve trusted her a long time ago.”

Another colleague from the Outerworld Division, Nine used to consider Rin strange for how much respect she shows not only to him, but everyone around her. He would typically brush off her and her formalities, until his division transfer when he realized she was one of the most genuine people he had encountered in the guild. Their newly reciprocated bond was further strengthened once he came to understand their similar shared values, and he now makes sure to always greet her when passing by.

Korin

“I see a lot of myself in him. I’d tell him to slow down a little, but I’m hardly the one to be telling others shit like that.”

Nine and Korin, in many ways, are too similar for their own good. One would imagine their matching temperaments would make for fast friends, but it was only after discovering their shared past in the northern section of the city that the walls began to come down. Now, thanks largely to Odin’s introduction, Nine is often an indirect contributor to the siblings’ Valhalla Project, and Korin returns the favor by personally running small errands for him.

Eleanor Valentine

“Nothing like that bundle of energy to remind me I’m getting old.”

Ella’s boundless optimism has a way of spreading to those around her, and the normally stoic Nine is no exception. When Ella asks him for a favor, he is more inclined to agree than if the question came from someone else, which often results in him ending up in situations quite unlike his day to day life — such as preparing an impromptu batch of cookies or sharing a table for sampling tea. She intends for these activities to serve as a break from his usual chores, but that does not mean their time spent together is not mutually beneficial, particularly when it comes to teaching one another improved kitchen skills. If Nine allows himself to think too deeply about their relationship, he may begin to wonder if he would be doing similar activities with his own daughter in another lifetime.

Hanzekihel Oulieus

“You can’t teach an old dog new tricks — but he sure is trying.”

Hanze’s pursuit of aetherial study and Nine’s particularly lacking aptitude has created a sort of teacher/student relationship between the two. Although Hanze is not particularly renowned for his patience as a mentor, Nine is the perfect test subject to merely advise on how to harness one’s aether without causing detriment to themselves or others. Their private lessons are sometimes cut short by an unexpected presentation of Hanze’s curse — which either results in Nine assisting the boy to his room, or appearing to be scolded for his lack of studiousness by a child.

Freyja Lest

“Watch out for her. But… she did once save my life.”

Nine is wary of both Freyja and her work, particularly due to his past issues with substance abuse and his resulting distrust of medicine. He finds her knowing gaze unnerving, to the point of occasionally growing paranoid she may know more about him than he has admitted. However, her medical knowledge is undeniable, and for a man with seemingly no fear, Nine is in fact afraid of what may happen to him should he leave his Law corruption unchecked.

Ogrymnnir

“Good guy. Don’t have to try too hard around him.”

Nine and Ogrym can regularly be found sharing a table in the corner of The Hearth’s tavern when on break from their usual duties. They are never seen speaking to one another, yet regard each other highly. There seems to be a silent bond of brotherly respect between them.

Ari Lancaster

“Asshole doesn’t know how to care about anyone but himself. But, in a way, I guess he’s lucky he’s never had to go through something that so thoroughly rocked his foundation.”

At one point, Ari was the closest thing to a friend Nine considered himself to have. Both fueled the other’s impulse and ego, living recklessly with no strings attached. After the trauma of corruption, though, Nine’s perspective changed, and Ari no longer had an equally audacious companion. They rarely interact now, both still feeling scorned by the other’s perceived betrayal.

Felicity

“She’s better off without me. Both of them.”

Nine’s estranged lover and mother to his daughter. When they first met, Nine had been part of the guild for some years and was still a bit of a rogue agent, but it was this “bad boy” persona that initially drew her interest. Their passionate affair was cut short by the pregnancy, which began to drive the untamable man further from the young woman rather than closer. During this time, the lovers became silent at the best of their meetings and quarreled at their worst. Approximately three years later, Nine was involved in the accident that led to his corruption; it was this point where he ceased all contact with Felicity, letting her believe he had been killed in action.

Trivia

• Voice Claim: Erik Braa [Listen Here!]
• No one in the guild knows his real name except upper level administration, and only then are they granted this knowledge for clerical reasons. To everyone else, he is merely known as Nine.
• His finger was lost when he was a teenager, after attempting to steal a ring from a particularly wealthy traveler who happened to have a vindictive side. Now, when asked for details concerning the incident, he vaguely responds, “Debt.” Missing the ring finger is also intended to allude to his poor luck in terms of romantic relationships.
• Since giving up smoking after his division transfer, Nine has adopted a new pastime: painting ceramic miniatures. He has a shelf of finely detailed animals in his room, practically the only personal possessions to signify his pristine quarters are even in use.
• The physical manifestation of Nine’s corruption is loosely based on Waardenburg syndrome. After sustaining corruption, not only did he lose sight in his right eye, but he also lost most of his sense of smell.
• Nine is represented in shorthand by the “🔪” emoji, in reference to his favorite weapon, Ten.