戯

Sex: ? Occupation: ? Age: ? years old One of the three mermaids who were said to have lived near Taishima about 400 years ago. She has since returned to her home, Ryugu. * * * After becoming unable to return to Ryugu, Sobae had ceased to show herself on the surface, even before members of the Somekawa line. However, upon noticing that they were approaching 400 years since the sinking of Taishima, she cautiously attempted contact with the current generation's inheritor of the family duty — a woman by the name of Mare Somekawa. Gradually, Sobae began to open up to her. After some time, they agreed on a secret signal and began meeting surreptitiously, growing closer the more they learned about each other. A strange sense of trust came to blossom between them, one transcending the boundaries of their respective species. Mare had originally resolved to remain single and never start a family of her own in order to devote herself entirely to her duty with Sobae. However, Sobae strongly opposed this, saying that Mare's life here would continue even when she was gone, so Mare should not deny herself a possible future with her own family. She had seen how happy one of her former compatriots had been upon finding love, and believed Mare deserved to know such joy as well if she wished to. Once Mare met the love of her life, Tosuke Minakuchi, Sobae was delighted for her, and offered her heartfelt congratulations upon hearing of their marriage. * * * In the days leading up to the Southern Sea Disaster, Sobae and Mare mistakenly concluded that the seal the Curse of the Raging Waves and to Rouge's entrance would soon be lifted. * * * The storm suddenly broke out, and Sobae immediately rushed to the Minakuchi's aid, reaching them just as they had fitted Yuza with a life buoy and gotten him off the boat. Frantic, she tried to take only Mare with her in a bid to escape the sinking boat, but Mare rebuffed her attempt. Instead, she and Tosuke pleaded for Sobae to help Yuza. Deep down, part of Sobae resented Yuza and Tosuke with all her being. Wrenching herself away from the sinking boat, Sobae headed to rescue Yuza, all the while resenting the boy for the tremendous love that Mare bore him. * * * When she found Yuza, he had been caught up in a whirlpool and has barely clinging to life. The next moment, she dragged the dying Yuza out of the whirlpool and, pulling a piece off her won tail, forcibly fed it to him. Whether the emotions driving her at this point were a desire to fulfill Mare's wish or hatred towards Yuza, even Sobae herself couldn't say. After carrying Yuza out of the reach of the storm, Sobae immediately went to rescue Mare. She finally found her after three long days of searching, but her efforts had been in vain — Mare's body was already cold. Sobae clung to Mare's body and wept. She laid Mare's body to rest on the seabed, and, hiding herself beside it, spent her days mourning, lost in the depths of despair. Several years later, the entrance to Ryugu was unsealed, and Sobae —now with no remaining attachments to the mortal world— made to return home by herself. Before doing so, she met with Mare's sister, thinking to reclaim the mermaids' relic from her. However, put off by the woman's blatant avarice, she found herself unable to muster any interest in her, and ultimately returned without reclaiming the relic despite knowing full well the misfortune it could bring. [Edited from in-game profile]