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[ Khu Ioduan ] Rutile | Application
May. 5th, 2030 01:55 pmChangelog:
Added pronouns for Rutile.
Noted canon update to chapter 71.
• Player Information •
• Character Information •
[ Note on pronouns ] There is some room for interpretation regarding the pronouns used by the gems. In Japanese they are referred to with strictly and strongly masculine terms, but exclusively present as femme, to emphasize that their society has no concept of gender. This is due to the strict gendering in the Japanese language. Because English syntax does not have the same gendering that Japanese does, this technique of contradictory gender signals falls short. It is thus more appropriate to use ambiguous pronouns such as they/them in English.
[ Spoilers through Chapter 65. ]
"For the sake of science, public benefit, and my own personal research."
Rutile is a gem of medicine, their practice grown in a world of unceasing struggle for survival. Extraordinary patience and attention to detail are the words of the day: without these traits, Rutile could not fill their critical niche in Lustrous society. They are the most skilled at reassembling bodies from thousands of unrecognizable shards, and at carving and attaching prosthetics from the material at hand. Their meticulous documentation of medical experiments, discoveries, theories, and general gem physiology date back millennia, and their unwavering devotion to the task of maintaining the Lustrous' health has ensured that Rutile's words are respected and heeded by everyone.
Though Rutile cares deeply for the other Lustrous, they have personal stakes in developing their skill as a medical practitioner. On a surface level, they are devoted to the progression of their field, to learning more about the properties of minerals and how they interact with each other and their constituent inclusions, in order to better care for their fellow gems. They are also fascinated by physiology in general: though their hands are steady, their mind is quick about wanting to dissect anything that catches their interest, including other gems, and often suggesting this as the solution to any problem. Rutile is aware of death as something that happens to living things, but as an immortal inorganic creature, the death of plants and animals is not something that concerns them. This occasionally makes the other Lustrous uncomfortable, as Rutile is known to wander around with a manic grin and scalpel in hand.
Their other stake in their profession is highly personal. Rutile was not always a doctor: originally they were a soldier, with a partner and a patrol like so many other gems. Their partner, Padparadscha, was born with the unique condition of being full of holes: eventually this caught up with them, and Padparadscha has been in a comatose state ever since, temporarily waking only when Rutile can find the right combination of material that will revive them. It was this process of studying, documenting, and experimenting with different mineral combinations that made Rutile a skilled physician. It was at this time that Rutile took up a general medical practice, retiring from the field in favor of maintaining the other gems and researching how best to revive Padparadscha permanently. They have not fought since.
Working on Padparadscha, although technically Rutile's secondary goal, has a way of commanding their existence. It creeps into their journals about unrelated surgeries, keeps them awake during winter hibernation, and strongly affects their decisions and sense of self--in Rutile's estimation, they are not worthy of their profession if they cannot fix Padparadscha, their greatest challenge and greatest failure. Padparadscha is also their greatest weakness: losing their body is enough to shatter Rutile physically and emotionally, causing them to revert back to the fierce and violent nature of their youth, drawing comments that they are scarier than the Lunarians and "back to how they used to be". Their bio in the official translation of Volume 5 points out that they "used to be quite cocky".
Normally, though, Rutile is polite and formal, though not unapproachable. As a member of a strongly collectivist society and one of the more senior gems, it often falls to Rutile to care for the juniors both physically and mentally. Rutile is no replacement for Sensei, the gems' father figure and leader, but they will often give kind advice or reassurance to the Lustrous who need it and ensure every gem has a chance to be included in group events. It's not beyond Rutile to be frustrated when certain gems end up in their clinic multiple times a day, but the frustration comes from a place of concern and desire for them to be more careful. They refuse to mince words when a scolding is warranted. Rutile is often the first person juniors go to with a question about the world, though how helpful they are depends on how relevant the question is to their work.
Still, Rutile is not always so above it all. Though they "seem like a perfectionist," they are actually "quite laid back" (Volume 3 bio). They gently mock the more senior gems and love a good fight with their peers, delighting in victory and even basking in the frustration they cause others. They also have no qualms about playing around with the juniors from time to time, though their presence is not always wanted. Rutile's worries are confined to the small hours of the morning, when the other gems have gone to bed; it's not fair to burden the juniors with the problems of adults, and their fellow seniors have enough to grieve. But though Rutile is light-hearted and occasionally jovial, they don't like to take what they dish out. The fastest way to irritate them is to accuse them of being a quack.
[ Summary ]
Average gem height, with two-toned auburn and yellow hair cut in an asymmetric bob and matching eyes. Never seen without their lab coat and long, black gloves. Their skin is not true skin; they dust over most of their limbs with powder to appear more humanlike. According to their Volume 3 bio, has sexy legs.
Abilities:
[ Physiology ]
Being constructed entirely of titanium dioxide (TiO2), perhaps with additional iron, niobium, and tantalum, Rutile is resistant to damage from anything at or under Mohs 6 (steel knives and weaker). TiO2 is commonly formed in high-temperature and pressure environments; its melting point is 1855°C, beating the temperature of lava by 600°C. Thus, while Rutile is brittle and can be cracked or shattered, it is rare that this happens, and they cannot be burned or melted. In fact, any temperature short of 1855°C has no damaging effect on Rutile. That said, gems have some amount of sensitivity to external stimuli, and can detect changes in texture and temperature in trace amounts.
Gems do not require sustenance, produce metabolic waste, age, or fall ill. They don’t technically require sleep, either, although the inclusions in their body run off of sunlight*, and without a significant amount of it they will shut down. If there is a significant lack of light during a season, they will choose to hibernate rather than struggle with exhaustion all season. In temperate climates, this is a non-issue. Rutile in particular is prone to sleeping issues, such as waking up from hibernation. During sunny seasons, they often work late by the light of bioluminescent jellyfish and have been known to sleep during the day. It is possible that Rutile's troublesome circadian rhythm is due to TiO2's UV-scattering capabilities (it is a common component of sunblock).
Inclusions are a significant part of Lustrous physiology. These are imperfections spread throughout their bodies that hold memories and personality traits and determine whether a gem will be compatible with alternative materials (such as for prosthetics). Because of this, losing pieces is a major concern for gems: even small shards could potentially carry crucial memories, the loss of which would be devastating. The loss of limbs is even riskier a prospect. Rutile typically avoids coming into contact with things that could break them at all costs.
Note also that because gems don't breathe, it makes no real difference whether they are underwater or above it. That said, salt water is abrasive, and they avoid swimming without an anti-salt resin coating if they can. Strong acids, of course, can dissolve TiO2 much as they do anything else.
*Bioluminescence from luciferin reactions can be substituted when working at night, but is not as effective. It is likely that standard artificial lighting would be no more sufficient for gems than it is for growing plants.
[ References ] Rutile (WebMineral) | TiO2 (PubChem) | Rutile (Wikipedia) | Luciferin
[ Medical and Scientific ]
In their society, Rutile is a skilled doctor, prolific geologist, and occasional chemist. They are noted for their skill at reassembling whole gems from tiny shards, for transplanting limbs and other appendages (including heads), and creating prosthetics out of atypical materials (finding a way to attach quartz agate (Mohs 7) to phosphophyllite (Mohs 3) without damaging the latter). They are intimately familiar with the properties of various minerals and how they interact to support the Lustrous's physiology.
Rutile is also responsible for procuring the powder and resin the gems use to protect their polished surfaces. They are intimately familiar with the flora of their homeland, though not to as great an extent as the fauna, and a decent hand at compounding materials.
[ Combat Skills ]
Rutile has been retired for several millennia, but before settling down as a physician, they were a formidable combatant. Though they have a Mohs hardness of 6, their former partner Padparadscha had a Mohs hardness of 9, a mismatch in strength rarely seen in gem strike teams. They are also extremely fast, being able to leap high and far. Their agility and mid-rank strength are their greatest assets.
Nothing too special. They leave most of their belongings in their clinic.
1 x Forceps
1 x Small Hammer
1 x Small Chisel
1 x Pen
1 x Small Notebook
Talent Preferences: Alteration, Restoration, Destruction
• Writing Sample •
Added pronouns for Rutile.
Noted canon update to chapter 71.
• Player Information •
Name: Chloe, she/her
Age: 21
Contact:![[plurk.com profile]](https://plurk.com/favicon.ico)
weirdcuneiform, this journal
Other Characters Played: N/A
Most Recent AC Link: N/A
Age: 21
Contact:
Other Characters Played: N/A
Most Recent AC Link: N/A
• Character Information •
Name: Rutile, they/them
Canon: Land of the Lustrous | Houseki no Kuni
Canon Point:Chapter 65 Canon updated to chapter 71
Age: Approximately 2500-3000; appears as a young human adult.
Type of Character: Canon
References:
Canon: Land of the Lustrous | Houseki no Kuni
Canon Point:
Age: Approximately 2500-3000; appears as a young human adult.
Type of Character: Canon
References:
[ Canon ] Land of the Lustrous (Wikipedia) | Rutile (HnK Wikia) | Gems (HnK Wikia) | additional manga screencaps
[ Land of the Lustrous: Brief Summary ] In the post-apocalyptic future, mineral life forms (the "Lustrous") fight for survival against the Lunarians, ghostly beings from the moon who capture them and turn them into jewelry and weapons.
Personality:
[ Note on pronouns ] There is some room for interpretation regarding the pronouns used by the gems. In Japanese they are referred to with strictly and strongly masculine terms, but exclusively present as femme, to emphasize that their society has no concept of gender. This is due to the strict gendering in the Japanese language. Because English syntax does not have the same gendering that Japanese does, this technique of contradictory gender signals falls short. It is thus more appropriate to use ambiguous pronouns such as they/them in English.
[ Spoilers through Chapter 65. ]
"For the sake of science, public benefit, and my own personal research."
Rutile is a gem of medicine, their practice grown in a world of unceasing struggle for survival. Extraordinary patience and attention to detail are the words of the day: without these traits, Rutile could not fill their critical niche in Lustrous society. They are the most skilled at reassembling bodies from thousands of unrecognizable shards, and at carving and attaching prosthetics from the material at hand. Their meticulous documentation of medical experiments, discoveries, theories, and general gem physiology date back millennia, and their unwavering devotion to the task of maintaining the Lustrous' health has ensured that Rutile's words are respected and heeded by everyone.
Though Rutile cares deeply for the other Lustrous, they have personal stakes in developing their skill as a medical practitioner. On a surface level, they are devoted to the progression of their field, to learning more about the properties of minerals and how they interact with each other and their constituent inclusions, in order to better care for their fellow gems. They are also fascinated by physiology in general: though their hands are steady, their mind is quick about wanting to dissect anything that catches their interest, including other gems, and often suggesting this as the solution to any problem. Rutile is aware of death as something that happens to living things, but as an immortal inorganic creature, the death of plants and animals is not something that concerns them. This occasionally makes the other Lustrous uncomfortable, as Rutile is known to wander around with a manic grin and scalpel in hand.
Their other stake in their profession is highly personal. Rutile was not always a doctor: originally they were a soldier, with a partner and a patrol like so many other gems. Their partner, Padparadscha, was born with the unique condition of being full of holes: eventually this caught up with them, and Padparadscha has been in a comatose state ever since, temporarily waking only when Rutile can find the right combination of material that will revive them. It was this process of studying, documenting, and experimenting with different mineral combinations that made Rutile a skilled physician. It was at this time that Rutile took up a general medical practice, retiring from the field in favor of maintaining the other gems and researching how best to revive Padparadscha permanently. They have not fought since.
Working on Padparadscha, although technically Rutile's secondary goal, has a way of commanding their existence. It creeps into their journals about unrelated surgeries, keeps them awake during winter hibernation, and strongly affects their decisions and sense of self--in Rutile's estimation, they are not worthy of their profession if they cannot fix Padparadscha, their greatest challenge and greatest failure. Padparadscha is also their greatest weakness: losing their body is enough to shatter Rutile physically and emotionally, causing them to revert back to the fierce and violent nature of their youth, drawing comments that they are scarier than the Lunarians and "back to how they used to be". Their bio in the official translation of Volume 5 points out that they "used to be quite cocky".
Normally, though, Rutile is polite and formal, though not unapproachable. As a member of a strongly collectivist society and one of the more senior gems, it often falls to Rutile to care for the juniors both physically and mentally. Rutile is no replacement for Sensei, the gems' father figure and leader, but they will often give kind advice or reassurance to the Lustrous who need it and ensure every gem has a chance to be included in group events. It's not beyond Rutile to be frustrated when certain gems end up in their clinic multiple times a day, but the frustration comes from a place of concern and desire for them to be more careful. They refuse to mince words when a scolding is warranted. Rutile is often the first person juniors go to with a question about the world, though how helpful they are depends on how relevant the question is to their work.
Still, Rutile is not always so above it all. Though they "seem like a perfectionist," they are actually "quite laid back" (Volume 3 bio). They gently mock the more senior gems and love a good fight with their peers, delighting in victory and even basking in the frustration they cause others. They also have no qualms about playing around with the juniors from time to time, though their presence is not always wanted. Rutile's worries are confined to the small hours of the morning, when the other gems have gone to bed; it's not fair to burden the juniors with the problems of adults, and their fellow seniors have enough to grieve. But though Rutile is light-hearted and occasionally jovial, they don't like to take what they dish out. The fastest way to irritate them is to accuse them of being a quack.
[ Summary ]
Rutile is a professional and something of a workaholic, often in their clinic round the clock to reassemble the Lustrous or pursue their own personal projects. They identify deeply with their role in society, attaching their self-worth to the quality of their work, but for the most part keep their insecurities to themselves. Although prone to criticism, they care deeply for the other Lustrous and have a kind word for every harsh one. Far from the stuffy academic the more restless juniors think them to be, Rutile still finds time to poke fun at their peers and elders, and to have a good laugh. In their youth they were violent and single-minded in their ferocity, but they have mellowed with age and experience, channeling that energy into a singular devotion to their work that spans centuries.
Appearance:
Average gem height, with two-toned auburn and yellow hair cut in an asymmetric bob and matching eyes. Never seen without their lab coat and long, black gloves. Their skin is not true skin; they dust over most of their limbs with powder to appear more humanlike. According to their Volume 3 bio, has sexy legs.
Abilities:
[ Physiology ]
Being constructed entirely of titanium dioxide (TiO2), perhaps with additional iron, niobium, and tantalum, Rutile is resistant to damage from anything at or under Mohs 6 (steel knives and weaker). TiO2 is commonly formed in high-temperature and pressure environments; its melting point is 1855°C, beating the temperature of lava by 600°C. Thus, while Rutile is brittle and can be cracked or shattered, it is rare that this happens, and they cannot be burned or melted. In fact, any temperature short of 1855°C has no damaging effect on Rutile. That said, gems have some amount of sensitivity to external stimuli, and can detect changes in texture and temperature in trace amounts.
Gems do not require sustenance, produce metabolic waste, age, or fall ill. They don’t technically require sleep, either, although the inclusions in their body run off of sunlight*, and without a significant amount of it they will shut down. If there is a significant lack of light during a season, they will choose to hibernate rather than struggle with exhaustion all season. In temperate climates, this is a non-issue. Rutile in particular is prone to sleeping issues, such as waking up from hibernation. During sunny seasons, they often work late by the light of bioluminescent jellyfish and have been known to sleep during the day. It is possible that Rutile's troublesome circadian rhythm is due to TiO2's UV-scattering capabilities (it is a common component of sunblock).
Inclusions are a significant part of Lustrous physiology. These are imperfections spread throughout their bodies that hold memories and personality traits and determine whether a gem will be compatible with alternative materials (such as for prosthetics). Because of this, losing pieces is a major concern for gems: even small shards could potentially carry crucial memories, the loss of which would be devastating. The loss of limbs is even riskier a prospect. Rutile typically avoids coming into contact with things that could break them at all costs.
Note also that because gems don't breathe, it makes no real difference whether they are underwater or above it. That said, salt water is abrasive, and they avoid swimming without an anti-salt resin coating if they can. Strong acids, of course, can dissolve TiO2 much as they do anything else.
*Bioluminescence from luciferin reactions can be substituted when working at night, but is not as effective. It is likely that standard artificial lighting would be no more sufficient for gems than it is for growing plants.
[ References ] Rutile (WebMineral) | TiO2 (PubChem) | Rutile (Wikipedia) | Luciferin
[ Medical and Scientific ]
In their society, Rutile is a skilled doctor, prolific geologist, and occasional chemist. They are noted for their skill at reassembling whole gems from tiny shards, for transplanting limbs and other appendages (including heads), and creating prosthetics out of atypical materials (finding a way to attach quartz agate (Mohs 7) to phosphophyllite (Mohs 3) without damaging the latter). They are intimately familiar with the properties of various minerals and how they interact to support the Lustrous's physiology.
Rutile is also responsible for procuring the powder and resin the gems use to protect their polished surfaces. They are intimately familiar with the flora of their homeland, though not to as great an extent as the fauna, and a decent hand at compounding materials.
[ Combat Skills ]
Rutile has been retired for several millennia, but before settling down as a physician, they were a formidable combatant. Though they have a Mohs hardness of 6, their former partner Padparadscha had a Mohs hardness of 9, a mismatch in strength rarely seen in gem strike teams. They are also extremely fast, being able to leap high and far. Their agility and mid-rank strength are their greatest assets.
Suitability:
Rutile is endlessly curious about the world, and living in a realm like their native universe where science never advances and things never change does them no justice. Aifaran is a land full of astonishing new creatures, people, and cultures with vast amounts of knowledge to share--and Rutile has the time to learn all of it. It will take Rutile some time to adjust to living around organic beings, but once they do, they are certain to involve themselves heavily with exploring the archipelago, particularly spaces that are difficult or dangerous to get into. After some studying, they'll probably also want to get involved with the medical community again, expanding their care to species other than the Lustrous.
It will also be a massive opportunity for character development on Rutile's part: although they are fairly self-sufficient, they've never lived without the support or company of the other gems, and learning to define themselves without that community will be one of the greatest challenges they face--one that I am eager to explore.
It will also be a massive opportunity for character development on Rutile's part: although they are fairly self-sufficient, they've never lived without the support or company of the other gems, and learning to define themselves without that community will be one of the greatest challenges they face--one that I am eager to explore.
Inventory:
Nothing too special. They leave most of their belongings in their clinic.
1 x Forceps
1 x Small Hammer
1 x Small Chisel
1 x Pen
1 x Small Notebook
Talent Preferences: Alteration, Restoration, Destruction
• Writing Sample •
[ In Person - Prose ]
Even on a rare cloudy day, the selys’s scales stand out from the surrounding foliage. Though not quite so bright as the ones in the city, its adamantine lustre is brilliant. A brief twinge of nostalgia—for home, for company—makes Rutile put down their careful notes and crawl over to the selys, hanging back a careful distance so as not to scare it away. They lie on their stomach and fold their arms under their chin, watching the serpent slink toward the water. Rutile softly admires, "Aren’t you quite the specimen? I wonder if you look like me on the inside, too."
The child sheepishly scratches their head, glancing at the city just visible in the distance. "Well, it's just, I gotta get back in time for dinner, and it's getting kind of late, and you're just sitting there. I thought this would be more fun."
"You're not having fun?"
"Well... no." They pause a minute, then say, "Actually I'm bored. And hungry."
The child is short and vaguely human-like, with hair that flops over their forehead and ears and a perturbed expression indicating that their manners stop where their hunger begins. Their pout once again reminds Rutile of Phosphophyllite, and Rutile knows they've been defeated.
"You're rude," says Rutile, but they get to their feet and check their coat again for mud, and then stretches out a hand to the child. "But you're right. We don't want your family to worry."
"I don't want dinner to get cold," the child says as they take it.
"That either."
Even on a rare cloudy day, the selys’s scales stand out from the surrounding foliage. Though not quite so bright as the ones in the city, its adamantine lustre is brilliant. A brief twinge of nostalgia—for home, for company—makes Rutile put down their careful notes and crawl over to the selys, hanging back a careful distance so as not to scare it away. They lie on their stomach and fold their arms under their chin, watching the serpent slink toward the water. Rutile softly admires, "Aren’t you quite the specimen? I wonder if you look like me on the inside, too."
The selys doesn’t deign to reply.
Rutile’s ability to lie still is unparalleled by other denizens of Aifaran. As the breeze tugs at their clothing and hair, as insects run across their gloved fingers and clouds pass overhead, Rutile’s position never changes, their eyes never blinking. When the sun is gone like it is today, it’s almost like sleeping: letting consciousness take a backseat to presence, barely registering the passage of life around them. Slowly the selys slips away and dives with a small splash into a nearby creek, the displacement of several white flowers the only evidence they were there to begin with.
Rutile sighs and pushes back up to their knees, brushing mud off the front of their clothes. They pick one of the flowers by the bank, examining it closely. "If only you were what I was actually looking for. I wouldn’t have to get my lab coat so dirty."
They pick the petals off the flower one by one, tossing each in turn into the water, and finally throwing the stem after. A honeybee, upset by the displacement, buzzes around Rutile’s face. They catch it with one hand and examine it through the space between their fingers.
"You’re the same as ever. I’ve at least got that, I suppose. Maybe you can help me figure out why I’m so determined to find something that likely doesn’t exist."
Because you’re a quack, says Phos in Rutile’s head—not the pensive Phos who returned from the moon, but Phos from a hundred-odd years ago, so tiny and brazen and with nothing to show for themselves but personality. Even that memory is a pleasant one, as insulting as it is. Back then, everything was so much simpler.
"Quack or not, I don’t have anything better to do." The honeybee tries to sting Rutile without success. They let it go.
Several yards away, Rutile’s guide—a small kedan child who’s kept nicely to themselves throughout the afternoon—calls out to them. "Hey, um, Rutile?"
The child sheepishly scratches their head, glancing at the city just visible in the distance. "Well, it's just, I gotta get back in time for dinner, and it's getting kind of late, and you're just sitting there. I thought this would be more fun."
"You're not having fun?"
"Well... no." They pause a minute, then say, "Actually I'm bored. And hungry."
The child is short and vaguely human-like, with hair that flops over their forehead and ears and a perturbed expression indicating that their manners stop where their hunger begins. Their pout once again reminds Rutile of Phosphophyllite, and Rutile knows they've been defeated.
"You're rude," says Rutile, but they get to their feet and check their coat again for mud, and then stretches out a hand to the child. "But you're right. We don't want your family to worry."
"I don't want dinner to get cold," the child says as they take it.
"That either."
