The Lightning Strike of Justice: Ismyrn Galatti
My birthday is the last day of March and to honor myself I am posting one of my own favorite OCs every day of March: The OC Jubilee.
Barsamin was silent for a moment. “... Because I like Houri more than I like anyone else in that old castle,” he confessed.
Ismyrn looked up and down the path, from side to side, feeling anxious as she might suddenly be attacked. She realized she was nearly shaking, and she did not want Barsamin to notice that. She would have him only notice her courage. Talking, she needed to keep talking. “She is a bit young, and promised as a bride to the fire, from what I hear.”
Barsamin hit her in the back. Distraction accomplished. “Not like that,” he said hotly. “She’s the only one around here who isn’t using me for something! Katarosi is using me for babies and Oseni is using me for money and my mother is using me for politics–”
“And Luzcrezo is using thee to look upon,” Ismyrn added helpfully.
“... What?”
Ismyrn sighed in disappointment. He truly was that unpracticed in even the barest knowledge of romance. He couldn’t notice even the most blatant flirting. “Beautiful, Bars, he thinks thee beautiful, and would like to see all of thy beauty. In a bedroom. Is that blunt enough for thee?”
One could have heard a single snowflake fall in Barsamin’s silence. “... But I’m a boy,” he said at last.
“I thank thee for the report, Commander of Spies!” Ismyrn told him. “I never would have supposed.”
Don't let the "thou" thing mislead you: Ismyrn della Sylvan Galatti is not some sort of nerd who's read a lot of books, but she does understand two essential points of science: sword sharp, princess soft.
Ismyrn was a very normal little girl from a very normal family: not rich, not poor, no special fate hanging over her. She merely happened to be playing with Erasmin Arcocelli in the much richer girl's garden when they were both kidnapped together, with Ismyrn's parents as coincidental casualties. Both girls were returned alive after being given up for dead, but Ismyrn could have sworn that Erasmin was dead. And Erasmin doesn't seem to remember much. And Erasmin has lost her fiery temperament. And no-one believes Ismyrn about what they saw and who they met while they were abducted: The Undying God of Strength, languishing alone on a rock in the sea for eight hundred years.
She was adopted by master swordsman Rodomond Veraldo and quickly proved to have more interest and aptitude for the blade than his own son Luzcrezo. This sparked a bitter one-sided rivalry: Luzcrezo feels that Ismyrn is what his father really wanted in an heir, not some artist who carves figurines like him. Luz vehemently denies that Ismyrn is his sister, but the two of them interact as only siblings could. Including unwisely commenting on each other's love lives.
Ismyrn is, you guessed it, fifth queer character in a row, extreeeemely gay. When she stepped out of that carriage and saw Katarosi, a ray of light descended from heaven and she knew: a princess. A real princess. Life's true calling: unlocked. Who needs representative democracy when there are real princesses to swear to defend with body and soul?!
At first, Katarosi can't stand her, but is quickly won over by Ismyrn's bravery after fearing that Ismyrn had died trying to save her little sister. They are thereafter extremely obviously in a lesbian relationship, while Katarosi is married. Everyone knows about it. And everyone knows Ismyrn has killed a god to defend her girl and by gods she'll do it again.
She immediately feels a kinship with Barsamin of Chald, and eventually she understands that their mutual experiences with grief and vengeance have caused them both to grow into prime candidates for the Aspect of the Storm. She does not want or trust divine power, even though others repeatedly push her to forcibly take the star from Barsamin and put it to better use. She thinks she has the willpower to resist any god, but... but man, have you ever noticed that Clarion is like, really pretty? Yeah.
As she came near to the door, though, someone else came out, a western girl – not one she had seen before, with freckles and clear-sky eyes and hair the color of new flame. She wore a billowing dress of palest blue, a motif of lace clouds along the hem, and a braided belt drawing in the pleats at her narrow waist. She carried bolts of cloth in three colors, a pouch of coins newly half-empty clutched in one delicate hand; she looked around and did not see something she had expected and frowned ever so slightly and this, this was terribly wrong and Ismyrn needed to fix it.
Ismyrn's downfalls are her hot-headedness and excessive confidence in her own abilities. She also never expected to have a kid on her plate and perhaps swears in front of toddlers more than is strictly advisable.
Before she could dispute this, Aleth slipped and tumbled with a shriek. She rolled off the roof and fell into the waiting arms of a woman who wore big boots and a sword and a rather displeased frown. “Auntie Izzie,” the little girl hailed her savior.
Ismyrn Galatti glared up at the child still clinging to the roof. “Ravelin della Miracola Galatti, get the HELL down from there!”
Ravelin shrank away. “But Mama…”
Ismyrn stomped her foot. “FEET ON THE GROUND. You almost got your cousin killed!”
When Ismyrn finally got her chance to hit Rashk with a sword before he keeled over of old age, he seized his last opportunity to be a colossal dick and give her an ominous fuckin' prophecy about her own death as divine retribution for cutting down an unarmed man on holy ground. Oh, come on, he was just mad, he didn't really mean it. Right?
Katarosi is insecure that Ismyrn really likes other girls better, and Ismyrn is insecure that she is nothing significant in her lady's eyes. But their impossible child, Ravelin della Miracola Galatti – Daughter of the Miracle – is the proof that sometimes a loving family is a fallen queen, a lady knight, and their junior archaeologist who broke time.
Vibe music:
Spear of Justice (Undyne's battle theme)
Song of Storms
Ismyrn and Undyne are definitely on the same wavelength, and her battle theme is in waltz time (1-2-3-1-2-3) which is pretty crucial. As someone who is called to the Star of the Storm, even if she rather pointedly avoids it, Song of Storms is also very on-brand - and again, in waltz time.