Futaba

Futaba never painted their own face. That was the work of the children. They were a quiet cane carver in The Crystal Highlands of Armaria, preferring the company of spinning monoliths to other chimps. One day, a band of young ones, deep in a game of pretend war, drafted Futaba as their fearsome enemy. Before a protest could be formed, their cheeks were smeared with bright berry juice and clay. Their shocked expression was mistaken for a battle cry. So, they played along. They brandished their cane, stumbled theatrically, and allowed themself to be "vanquished" with triumphant giggles. The game became a ritual. The children seek them out, reapplying the paint and telling tales of their next great adventure. Futaba's intense look is just the sheer effort of not laughing. The paint always washes off in the rain, but the joy it brings never does.