Rindo

Rindo
Rindo's bust, by Moira
Creator	The Observer
Information
Full name	Rindo Igarashi (五十嵐 竜胆)
Species	Kitsune
Gender	Female
Occupation	Naturalist
Religion	Kerosite
Nationality	The Old Country

Rindo closes her dead eye and continues watching you stutter and stumble over your words with her good eye, the slitted pupil thinning to a line as her smile broadens. Finally, her ears fold forward and she shakes her head.

"You're pretty bad at acting normal. I understand it can be hard when faced with someone like me."

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Rindo is a naturalist who takes care of the shrine gardens by day and studies the flora of the Marches in the evenings. Her extreme disfigurement and blindness in one eye is the result of a fire which started in her bedchambers when she was thirteen.

Appearance

Rindo Igarashi stands at about five feet and two inches tall, which would make her perfectly average for a woman of her people. That height, though, has been augmented by the fact that she wears platform sandals, making her look a little taller than she actually is. One might wonder if she's self-conscious about her height, but that's unlikely given that she doesn't feel that way about any other part of her appearance. She's wearing what looks to you like white cloth wraps about her torso and long, pleated skirts that fall down all the way to her calves and ankles, a flame pattern embroidered in white about the hem — with how it opens at the front and how the entire ensemble is held together by knotted bands of cloth about her waist, there's a resemblance to the shrine maiden uniforms worn by Miko and Mai. Of course, the white-and-violet colours actually preclude her getup from being one, but nevertheless, the similarity's still there. Given how she's got a good eye for aesthetics, it's probably intentional to help her fit into her natural surroundings better.

The girl herself is thin and slender, with a smallish chest — you don't know how kitsune age exactly, but were she to be human you'd place her at roughly nineteen or twenty. Her lips are thin, her nose small, and the corners of her mouth are turned upwards in a cheery smile almost all of the time; her radiant white hair has been neatly clipped to shoulder-length save for a loose ponytail tied together with a violet length of ribbon, long enough to hang to the small of her back. Noticing you taking her in, Rindo's smile broadens just a bit on her small mouth and she tilts her head and wiggles her ears playfully. Several facial markings lie just above and under her eyes — they don't seem to be tattoos of any kind, but rather a natural quirk of her appearance. You certainly haven't seen them on any other kitsune, though, not those splashes of vivid red on the skin, and have to wonder just how rare they are in her people. She's also possessed of three tails — each one distinctly shorter, thicker, and brushier compared to the other denizens of the den.

That's where the pleasant side of Rindo ends. Past her nose, the left side of her body is a mangled mess, her pale and smooth complexion giving way to the deep red-brown of burn scars piled upon burn scars, leathery and warped, wrinkled and uneven with bumps and pits. Her face, her neck, her shoulder and hand — every exposed part of her body's left half is covered in the memories of a horrible happenstance made flesh. The scarred skin is pulled taut and thin, and her left hand appears gaunt and skeletal when compared to her right…

There are other signs of damage, too — even though fur's grown back over it, Rindo's left ear is slightly shorter than her right, the very tip split in two by a wedge of missing flesh. Her ears are tall but flat, enough for copious amounts of fluff to stick out of them, and like all foxen, are sensitive and possessed of a life of their own, twitching and wiggling independently of their owner.

And her left eye… ah, her right eye is unharmed, still a bright red rich with vivid colour and a deep slitted pupil. The left, though, its iris is glassy and bleached, all the red within having run out into the dead orb to turn it a light shade of pink. Even at a casual glance, the unsettling nature of Rindo's left eye is clear, with a deep-seated, instinctive revulsion to it — not just in appearance, but the way it simply doesn't follow her gaze when she looks at you. Instead, it simply does what it wants — dead, vacuous, and as empty as it is sightless.

Yet in spite of all that has happened to her and the injustices that must have occurred to leave this kind of mark on her body, Rindo Igarashi stands before you and your gaze, smiling and unafraid; perhaps a little self-conscious at being examined thus as evidenced by the slight blush on her cheeks, but not shying away from it, either.

History/Personality/Information of Note

Rindo was born to a lower middle-class family of foxes in the Old Country, and was immediately singled out moments after birth for not just bearing white hair and fur, but also brands of divinity on her face -- such markings of sacred lineage almost always appear in the head and branch families of kitsune high nobility, but in exceedingly rare cases have been known to surface in families that claim descent from them, of which Rindo's was one. Well, close enough to at least be plausible without outward accusations of infidelity and bastardry, anyway. The socially-approved method of dealing with such anomalies was to have the individual thus blessed marry into the clan which controlled the fiefdom they lived in, and as such Rindo was betrothed at a very young age in an arranged marriage to the nearest branch family of fox-nobles. This was an acceptable outcome for her and her family; given such expectations, her family received from their fiance's clan considerable privileges and a more comfortable life than they otherwise would have had, and Rindo herself received some measure of education in order to prepare her for her future standing in both a noble household and in the civil service.

However, when she was thirteen, a fire broke out in her bedchambers while she was sleeping, seemingly caused by a toppled lamp. No one else was hurt, but Rindo herself was considerably disfigured and left blind in one eye before being pulled out by her brother and a strange passing wanderer. The local magistrate was unable to find any evidence of foul play, especially since the helpful wanderer had vanished, and eventually ruled it a misadventure. Still, the damage was done -- the engagement was quickly called off, and the money and privileges dried up like thin spit on a hot stove. Still suspecting malice, although not knowing who, Rindo's brother suggested that she exile herself to the colonies, for the sake of her own life if nothing else; once she was recovered enough to be transported through the gate, Rindo was sent to the colonies to complete her recovery. upon her arrival, Komari took a personal interest in the heavily disfigured girl's case; taking Rindo's education in mind, she assigned Rindo to the shrine gardens, where she has been toiling away ever since under Miko's watchful eye.

After having spent years in the colonies, Rindo is quite genial and outwardly accepting of her disfigurement, stating that it's a relatively small matter given how some of the other figures in the colonies are broken far more deeply than she was when she first arrived.

Interactions

First Encounter

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The more that dead, sightless eye looks straight at you, the more the queasy sensation in the pit of your stomach grows. The uniform pinkness of it, as if the red of her pupil had exploded and bled out the entirety of its contents into the white — you just, you just, it's —

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The first time you travel through the square to the south of the Torii gate between the hours of 8:00 and 18:00, Rindo greets you and asks if you require assistance. One of your companions makes a not-so-subtle aside about Rindo's appearance, depending on who's with you, and you can react in a number of ways. Rindo gracefully accepts your response — and your companion's remark which she definitely heard — and excuses herself.

• Sympathise: You can't take it any more. Even though you just met, the mere sight of someone so badly disfigured so young hurts you deeply, and you can't help but feel sympathy for her. She has to know she's not alone, even if it's coming from a near-stranger.
• Do Nothing: Even though the mere sight of someone so badly disfigured so young is heart-aching, it's clear that Rindo is acting perfectly normal. Her life shouldn't be defined by her disfigurement, and you should act accordingly.
• Brush Off: You're not one for pity parties. Everyone starts from the same level with you, this girl doesn't deserve any extra sympathy just because half of her's been turned into bacon.

Subsequent Encounters

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You're able to find Rindo in the same location during 8:00-18:00. She greets you and Kiyoko if present, and you talk to her about a variety of topics. There are a number of talk scenes for each topic, and there are new scenes added for events such as The Princess Blade and Miko giving birth.

• Appearance: Examine the naturalist in detail.
• Chat: Spend some time getting to know this fox better.
  • Job: So, what exactly are her duties around here? Is she a gardener?
  • Shaping: Just what is this, exactly? You've heard the term before used in various contexts amongst the kitsune, but never managed to discern a precise answer.
  • Scars: Her body, it's... you understand if she doesn't want to dwell on them, but... how did she end up like this?
  • Recent Events: Discuss current events with the naturalist and get her take on them.
  • Gardens: Inquire about the state of the shrine gardens. Does it take a lot of work?
  • People: Discuss some of the den's denizens with Rindo. What does she think of them?
    • Herself
    • Kiyoko: (requires having freed Kiyoko)
    • Kinu: (requires having freed Kinu)
    • Miko & Mai
    • Komari
    • Kohaku
    • Nakano
    • Hitoshi
    • Kazuo
  • Pregnancy: Impending motherhood surely suits her, does it not? (requires Rindo to be pregnant)
  • Kits: How is she handling being a mother? (requires Rindo to have children)
  • Marriage: How's she adjusting to married life? (requires Rindo to have married Hitoshi or Nakano)
• Sex: Despite what Rindo looks like, the girl is beautiful, and you intend to show her that in the most intimate of manners. (requires being during 15:00 and 18:00)
• Request: She asked you to see her about something?/You're ready to help Rindo test her puppet prototypes. (during Artifice Testing)

Concubinage

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You're not interrupting anything, are you?

"Oh no, of course not. In fact, the matter the girl and I were just discussing would pertain to you, if you would choose to involve yourself, that is."

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If you've had sex with Rindo, have completed Artifice Testing, and either become a Kitsune, become the Champion of Hawkethorne, or become a Marcher-Baron or Baroness, an event with Komari and Rindo triggers the next time you visit the Den Matron. The clan conflict which caused Rindo's disfigurement and banishment to the colonies is potentially active again. Komari, Rindo, and Kiyoko (if in party) explain that if you extend your influence to Rindo by accepting her as your concubine, it would shield her while Komari resolves the situation. However, Komari also assures you that if you're not willing to take Rindo as a concubine, she will make alternate arrangements.

If you accept the offer, Rindo officially becomes your concubine. It's kept low-key, but your relationship with Rindo is formalised and Kinu, Miko and Mai, Kohaku, and Komari all have new talk scenes about your new squeeze. Rindo still works in the garden and lives in the den, but has a lot of new talks reflecting your relationship upgrade and the interest Kiyoko and Kinu have taken in her now she's attached to your household.

If you decline the offer then seven days later, if Kiyoko has been freed from the gem, the next time you travel to the den waystone, Rindo is marrying whichever of Komari's descendants that Kinu isn't engaged to — Nakano if you have Inari Kinu, or Hitoshi if you have Hime Kinu. Once they're wed, Rindo is quickly pregnant with her new husband, and she has new talks about her spouse and baby.

Sex

A small smile crosses Rindo's lips. "Well, [pc.name], if you're so eager to be a benefactor even for the likes of me, I won't say no. No wonder you're more than welcome about the den if you're serving yourself up like this."

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The first time you proposition Rindo for sex, she is hesitant, suspecting false sympathy or some kind of trick. Nonetheless, she excuses herself from her remaining work and the two of you have a tender and intimate sexual encounter. Afterwards, Rindo is available between 15:00 and 18:00 for further encounters.

If you have sex with Rindo, the next time you see her she's sitting at a bench, looking at a flower. You, Rindo, and Kiyoko if present have a talk about the scarred naturalist and her flowers, with an accompanying CG.

• Body Worship: Her body isn't beautiful despite her scars, her body's beautiful because of them.
• Take Comfort: Let Rindo take comfort in your body and soothe her spirit in the simplest way possible; still her tears, not her cries. (requires penis)
• Kiyoko Guidance: You have the oddest feeling in the pit of your stomach, as if you know someone's near and about to offer a threesome... (requires penis, Kiyoko must be in party)
• Miko Tease: For some reason, you have a sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach, as if impending doom is bearing down upon you at considerable speed...
• Foxfire Play: Rindo may have been burned once... but she isn't twice shy, is she? You know what can be done with foxfire, how sexual it can be, and she shouldn't fear it for what it can do... (requires being Kitsune)
• Pat Slut: The poor girl is really a sucker for headpats. Well, you're going to give her all the headpats she deserves until she cums from the sheer stimulation of being loved alone.
• Huff Fluff: Rindo's tails are thick and short, unlike most of the den's other denizens. Surely they must have a great quality to them for fluffing.
• Full Nelson: The poor girl can't be that heavy... you could just pick her up and plant her down straight on your shaft. (requires penis)
• Doggy Style: Or should we say, foxy style. Either way, mount the poor girl like an animal and drive her face straight down into the futon. (requires penis)
• Impregnation: Given that she's now your concubine, it feels like the right thing to do... (requires Rindo to be your concubine, and having a virile penis, one-time)

Pregnancy

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If you take Rindo as your concubine, other NPCs in the den become very interested in whether you'll be having a baby with Rindo. Also, the Impregnate is added to Rindo's sex menu. Rindo is guaranteed to become pregnant if you do the scene and see Rindo pregnancy for details. Her talks, talks from other den NPCs, and her sex scenes are updated to reflect Rindo's pregnancy, and it is a one-time pregnancy.

If you do not take Rindo as your concubine, and Rindo marries either Nakano or Hitoshi, she is quickly pregnant with her new husband and see Rindo NPC pregnancy for details.

Gallery

CGs

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Rait Visual Works Found in Rindo's Tranquil Gardens scene

Trivia

• Rindo's name is derived from the Japanese Gentian. While this species of flower is blue to violet-blue in Japan and Korea, violet variants exist in other parts of the world.
• It is very heavily implied in the game that Rindo is a Minamoto bastard, especially since the flower is borne upon the Minamoto clan crest.
• Some of Rindo's dialogue seems to be based on Sylvie from Life With A Slave: Teaching Feeling