Azura Mavi

Name: Azura Mavi

Age: 24

Gender: Female

Race: Faunus - Kiwi

Height: 5' 11"

Weight: 180 lbs.

Eyes: Blue

Appearance: Azura is a tall, slender young woman, with striking blue eyes, blue undercut hair, and a young-looking face. Without effort, Azura could pass of as a young 18 year-old, but she could look as young as 15 with effort. Due to her Faunus heritage, short, brown, bristly feathers cover her upper back and forearms. Her armor consists mostly of light leather pieces, though she does have metal reinforcements in certain places, especially around her chest and stomach.

Personality: Azura is a bubbly, loving, bright, and colorful young woman. She's never afraid to tell you how she feels about a situation, but will always try to put a humorous spin on things. Azura is adamant about respecting the lives and rights of both humans and Faunus alike. And while Azura is kind and sweet and caring with her friends, in combat she is an efficient force for nonlethal capture, with 37 captured bounties to her name.

Weapons/Abilities: Azura's main weapon is a handcrafted bō staff/dart rifle named Whisperwind. Usually, she has it slung across her back, in staff form. Used for close-quarters, non-lethal combat, it's a very effective weapon. But if needed, Whisperwind can transform into a silent dart rifle, capable of delivering medium-sized tranquilizer darts thunking into a target from a hundred yards. Her training allows her to handle Whisperwind with relative ease.

Semblance: Azura's semblance is rather fitting for a person with her skills. By focusing her aura, she can slow down her perception of time, allowing her to make quicker decisions in a shorter time. This ability has its limitations, however, as it can only be used in short bursts, and after extensive use, she must enter a comatose state lasting anywhere from eight hours to two days.

Backstory: Azura grew up in the small village of Aramoor, about two miles from the nearby village of Wavemeet. Growing up, she had no trouble making friends, and always had two or three friends walking with her around their village. When Azura was only thirteen, her mother vanished one night, never to return. And investigation was initiated by the local populace, and two hours later, Azura's mother was found, deep in the forest – in the process of being torn apart by Grimm. The local Huntsmen managed to drive the Grimm back, but even their most skilled healer couldn't save Azura's mother.

When her body was brought back to the village, they all mourned her. The village was small enough already and losing even one person felt like losing close family. The funeral lasted for two days, but it was Azura that took it the hardest. For months, she barely ate, and never came out of her house. Her friends would come over to visit, but over time, they stopped visiting.

Almost a year later, and Azura still never left the house. Her depression had gotten so bad that she was bordering on suicide. She had already begun to cut herself, and her arms were littered with scars. But Fate had more plans for her that day. While sitting in her bedroom, the razor inches from her jugular, she heard a commotion outside. It made her pause, since the commotion sounded different that others that had happened at festivals, or other events. Looking outside her window, she could see a group of townsfolk surrounding her old best friend – and a strange newcomer. At first, she didn't understand what the big fuss was – until she saw the pair holding hands.

Finally, overcome with curiosity, Azura stepped outside of her house. The sunlight was bright, and she found herself feeling joyful at its sight. A hush fell over the crowd as she approached, as she hadn't been seen in almost a year. Her pale skin, arm scars, and returning confidence was a shock to everyone. Parting like the sea, the crowd let her pass. Azura suddenly broke into a sprint, tears streaming down her face. She leapt at her friend, wrapping her in a huge hug.

Over the next few years, Azura spent more and more time outside of her house, eventually reconnecting with her friends and properly treating her scars. But on her right arm, she left some, as a reminder of what might happen if she ever fell into such a depression again. Eventually, Azura caught word that her best friend and the newcomer – who she learned was named Emeric, and was officially a member of the village – were going to be married that night.

Azura and her old friend group were to be the bridesmaids that night, and they were all given beautiful red dresses to wear. As Azura sat with the girls in wait, the village elder approached. She was an older woman, with the map of her years lined across her face. In one hand, she held her walking stick, and in the other, she held out a long rod. A note was attached that read, "For My Sweet Azura". Azura took it, remembering that her mother was to be a Huntress, before she decided to settle down and raise a family.

Azura inspected her mother's staff, noticing the geometric etchings and seams along the handle. Pressing a button, the staff began to transform, becoming a scoped dart gun. Feeling the grip, Azura could see the word "Whisperwind" etched into the metal. Looking up, she could see that the village elder held out a small satchel, which held darts, serum mixing ingredients, and cleaning equipment. Azura took it, feeling the worn leather, and the faint smell of sweat and danger reached her nose. Tearing up, Azura thanked the elder before she could begin to bawl.

Hurrying out with the rest of the bridesmaids, Azura quickly slung Whisperwind over her back. She almost cried again as she saw her best friend walking up the aisle, all dressed in glittering white. It seemed like the night would be one of bliss and happiness.

But this was not meant to be.

Just as the two finished their vows, a bolt of Dust energy shot through the crowd, striking Azura's best friend in the back. She didn't even scream as the energy engulfed her body, turning it into ash. The world went quiet as time began to slow. Azura's semblance had manifested in that moment, slowing her perception of time to save her life. She watched in slow motion as a massive group of strangers rushed into her village, firing Dust rifles at random into the village.

At first, she was completely numb. The bolts slowly whizzing around her were just noise, just light. The sight of her best friend burning away replayed over and over in Azura's mind. And finally, she snapped. A rage unlike anything she had ever felt before filled her mind. She lost control of herself, charging the nearest attacker with Whisperwind drawn. As she was beating up the attacker, she managed to regain some control and render the man unconscious.

Just then, her semblance deactivated, and time resumed its normal speed. Traumatized by what she had seen and done, Azura took off into the woods. Lost and dazed, she stumbled around for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, she reached the edge of Vale, where she collapsed out of exhaustion. And she would have died there, if it weren't for the kindness of a passing stranger.

Azura woke up the next morning lying in a warm bed. Her wounds were treated and bandaged, and a pot of hearty-smelling soup was boiling on the fire. Then, she noticed the man, sitting along the right wall, tinkering with her staff. Azura quickly tried to stand, but the pain of all those wounds forced her back into bed. The man stood, and rushed to her side. He daintily went to work rebinding her bandages. Azura was surprised by the gentleness of his hands, and was strangely calmed.

For the next few months, Azura healed under the gentle care of the man, who she came to know as Reolin. Eventually, when she was well enough, Reolin asked her to join his bounty hunting team. After some thought, she accepted, and Reolin handed Azura her staff back. It was damaged in her endeavor in the woods, and Reolin had spent the last few months repairing the staff to full functionality.

After that, Azura took small jobs, here and there. Mostly working part time, but eventually, she got accepted into a formal bounty hunting team, known as Team (To Be Determined). The members changed a few times, but the roster was always a max of four members. When Beacon was attacked, Team (To Be Determined) was assigned to different areas during the crisis. Before and after, Azura was tasked with keeping straggling Grimm from entering or attacking the city.