A very adorable portrait of two of my favorite OCs for the rp forums, featuring Michael the human swordsman who has adopted Yuni, the little mud wasp girl, as his sister in life. This artwork was done by the awesome talents of the artist, D-idara: http://www.furaffinity.net/user/d-idara/

The tale behind the coming together of Michael and Yuni is that in their world, bugs and humans in fact live on opposite sides of their world of Tethys. Where humans rule in the northern mountain lands, bugs rule the southern jungles. Both races are in fact very reclusive and keep to their own. So, the fact that a human is with a bug is something... miraculous to every other furry. Wherever Michael goes with Yuni, eyes watch them go by. Minds are blown away.

"Is that a human there? Is that really? What is he doing beyond his borders?Humans keep to themselves, don't they?"

"You're seeing things friend. Quit gawking and get back to work - Whoa, you're not seeing things. And does that human have a bug with him? What in the world...?"

How Michael came to actually adopt Yuni as his family is that he, long ago, was one of the more skilled sell swords in his northern kingdom of Norlinth. He was quite strong, able to take on contracts by himself that would have needed numerous warriors to complete. One such mission involved him hunting down slavers in his territory, which he did as well as accomplished. Yet, instead of take the slavers hostage, he killed them; believing that his choice was for the better. The slavers were too dangerous to leave be. They had hurt many, enslaved dozens, killed others.

The cost for Michael in killing the slavers without a second thought was that Yuni, the latest hostage of the slavers, had to watch it all. Michael hadn't noticed her. Not until he'd done the deed of killing. In turn, despite him rescuing her, she was afraid of him. Her fear brought him back from his arrogance and he vowed to be a fighter of honor, not hatred. Yuni helped him become valiant. He, in turn, as he older brother figure, has helped her learn how to use a sword.

Michael and Yuni travel together on the road now, side by side, hand in hand. Together, they have seen many landmarks, survived many tight situations, helped one another grow ever stronger. Michael fights for what is right while making a living as a mercenary. Yuni, meanwhile, learns of the world under his care.

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It was a most intense if not crazy spectacle that Michael found himself in. During his last month of coming to this city of Zeneth, he'd known that the martial tournament was going to be a most popular thing amongst everyone here. However, the said tournament was an epic event it would seem. The streets were literally packed, inch for inch, hardly any breathing room, for the disguised human to make his way through the crowds of excited people.

High noon was nearly upon the city. It was a bit understandable why everything was so busy, why the street was so packed, why there were so many excited smiles shared between everyone and there was a most visible energy felt in the air. Merchants were showing off their wares in earnest, dancers were dancing with renewed vigor, musicians were playing with gusto and children were - quite laughably - almost trying harder than ever to get into trouble as they ran, laughed, played in the summer sunlight of this fine June day.

Speaking of children, hoisting her off of the ground beside him and placing her onto his back as if she were a chimp, Michael took extra care in keeping his eye on Yuni. The little mud wasp girl could act shy at times. However, during events like this where there was SO much happening at once, she got easily excitable. And the last thing he, as a human, and she, as a insect, needed was people being suspicious of them.

Michael was here for the martial tournament; to win the first round today with his skills, his know how, his strength. Winning it would solve his issues of not having enough gold in his pockets. For a time anyway. Still, knowing their rations were running low, not wanting to take to begging or anything else darker to gain himself some coin, the human was intent on getting into this contest of arms. He wasn't alien to this sort of event, mind.

As a sell sword whom had wandered Tethys with Yuni for the last two years, he was used to these tournaments. He had entered many and won almost all of them. Only be some small fluke had he been bested... by the best. Today though, he would win this contest of strength. Today, he would get some money and buy himself as well as his little sister something good to eat for a change.

"How are you doing Yuni? Are you doing okay?" Michael got around to inquiring form his little companion, the little girl who held easily onto his clothes without trouble. Being a wasp, Yuni's fingers were a tad spiny, giving her easy means of holding onto things like cloth. She had virtual hooks on her palms for latching. "I suppose we should have been ready for this much excitement, right? Zeneth is only one of the more profitable harbor cities in the west. This kind of busy must be normal for everyone."

"I'm okay. Seriously. Thank you, Michael." Yuni replied in his ear, buzzing her wings with happiness at knowing he was looking out for her. Where many kids would have been irritated to be doted over so much, the wasp girl didn't at all mind the human asking about her condition. She was a bit shaken by all of this activity. They'd been out on the road so long, this city atmosphere was very different. "It's no big deal. We've been out in the country fro so long, you know. It's time that we got back into the routine of how city life works, no?"

"Well said. Yes, this is good practice for us. This is a grand way for us to become familiar once more with how the ways of the city are so much more tense, busy, crowded than the ways of the forest or rivers or mountains, eh?" Michael replied with a chuckle, smiling back at his bug girl as he made his way along. The human actually found it a bit relieving now. All of the city bustle, anyway. People didn't notice the hooded human nor his hooded sister moving along. "This is all actually going better than I forethought, Yuni. Usually, we have to deal with all kinds of stares or accusations or guards trailing us. We're actually the last thing on everyone's minds here. We're almost invisible."

"Yeah, you can say that again. I think one of the people actually ran into my stinger by himself and didn't even flinch." Yuni giggled, looking devious, "He just kept right on walking. Didn't yelp or anything. He must have been made of stone or had his mind on something else completely."

"Yuni, that's not funny. Don't joke like that, you little troublemaker. You didn't really sting anyone around here, did you?" The human questioned of the wasp girl, pushing his way through several giggling vixens looking to sell him colorful flowers. He didn't have time for that. Sorry. He needed to enter into the tournament, quickly. "Be honest with me. Don't you give me those puppy dog eyes either. I know just how innocent you really are, dearest."

"If I did sting anyone, I wouldn't have done so without reason. You know that, Michael. You've come to learn of that for the last few years." Yuni admitted, smiling gently. She was being honest. Although... her smile was a playful one too. "Okay, okay, no, I didn't sting anyone in this city. But someone did bump into me, I swear. Nothing came of it though, obviously."

"Good. Thank you, Yuni. All we want to do in this city is get to the tournament, win this first round and get our just due of gold. That way I can resupply us and even get us a room possibly." The human explained gently, reach back over his shoulder and squeezing one of her hands brotherly. That was his usual sign of showing her he cared, of showing he was really her older brother. Ever since that snowy night where the snow had been turned red, he cared for her. She cared for him. "And about the tournament... what do you think? Have you seen the competition? I swear, I saw a naga getting ready for the event."

"Maybe you did, maybe you didn't, big brother. However, be it naga or dragon or wolf or bear, I believe in you. Humans haven't survived in this world without reason. You haven't won the past competitions by pure luck." Yuni giggled, speaking truthfully. She wrapped her two arms around his neck, hugging him reassuringly as her antenna flicked across his face. Her antenna were like her hands, uniquely feeling him in ways only she could understand. "And you're not scared of anything, silly. I don't sense you being afraid right now. Merely happy."

"I am always happy when in your company, little sister." The human chuckled, smiling over his shoulder at his adopted relation. She beamed back at him as added, "And you are happy when with me, yes?"

"That seems like a silly question, doesn't it? Of course I'm happy. Why else would I still be with you after all of this." The wasp girl laughed, her voice bright with life. She was, honestly, happy. She'd always been. "Why wouldn't I be happy... with my older brother? The man who saved me and allowed me to live on?"

"No need for such flattery. I am simply glad we have each other. That is all that needs to be said. Not things from the past." The human chuckled, feeling heartened. He squeezed his little sister's hand again as he continued to make his way through the crowds, "So come. Let us not focus on the past but the present. You think that I, your older brother, will win this thing for us?"

"Yep. I do! You'll win this, just like you've won the many others before." Yuni stated back without hesitation, smiling her best thus far. She nuzzled his cheek, snickering, "But you planned to win from the start. You will win. You don't need me to say so. And I'll watch you do it from the sidelines, like every other time."

"Of course you will. Here we go." The human said to his little bug sister. He saw the desk where the entries were checking in and registering. Thus, nodding to himself, walking towards the said desk, Michael wondered of Yuni one last time, "Who should I register myself as, Yuni? What name should I give myself this day? What title?"

"Big Brother." Yuni giggled, grinning happily. She hugged him again, "Big Brother fro parts unknown. My Big Brother who can fight anyone, who can accomplish anything, who makes me happy every day and night."

"Big Brother it is then, Yuni." Michael happily if not warmly replied, nuzzling her back as she hugged him tightly. They really did care for each other. And today, for their sakes, he would win this first round for them; so as to eat, to sleep in a good bed, to be happy for a day. "Big Brother it shall be."