Who are you?

PERSONALITY TRAITS:
Empathetic, Impartial, Open-Minded, Courageous, Level-Headed, Cautious, Selfless, Pessimistic, Self-Conscious, Self-Blaming

PERSONALITY:

One of the biggest changes in Dakila's personality as a result of the war is that he went from having a "glass half full" mindset to a "glass half empty" mindset. In the past, he entered the battle of Gaozo Island¹ with a blind optimism that they were going to win. That blind optimism is what made it harder for Dakila to accept the reality that they didn't only lose the battle miserably, but also the fact that so many lives were lost in the process. Hence, he developed a pessimistic attitude as some sort of defense mechanism. By expecting a negative outcome from the beginning, he can mitigate the feeling of disappointment when the negative outcome comes to fruition. Although being pessimistic somehow helps him reduce his own conscious anxiety, it isn't received well by those around him since his pessimism is detrimental to the morale of the entire team.

Despite the fear and anxiety he constantly feels, Dakila shows courage when the situation calls for it. However, Dakila doesn't think that he possesses this trait since he's always equated courage as the absence of fear, and Dakila has a lot of fears because of the war. He fears the sight of blood, he fears the thought of putting everyone in danger because of his decisions and actions, he fears losing people he cares for, and he fears the thought of being the reason why someone else lost people they cared for. But it's precisely because he's afraid that he's able to take action to protect the people that are important to him.

Another drastic change in Dakila's personality because of the war is how Dakila's confidence in himself has transformed into an unhealthy self-consciousness and a self-blaming attitude. Until his decisions result in positive outcomes, he will continue doubting himself and whether or not the decisions he makes are the right ones. But even if his decisions result in the best possible outcome, the inner voice inside his head will find a way to convince him of his incompetence even if the evidence to the contrary is already right before him. And as soon as problems come up, Dakila will place the blame on himself even if these problems are caused by external factors. This trait of self-blaming ties with his low self-consciousness. He thinks that mistakes could be avoided if only he were more competent. He's made it an unconscious habit to measure his competence with the number of mistakes he makes, instead of the achievements he's accomplished.

Due to his experience fighting in a war, Dakila has also become cautious of his surroundings. If Dakila senses danger, he won't engage and will retreat. This isn't to save his own skin; he simply values the lives of others. Ever since his parents died and a close friend of his was captured by the Fire Nation, he's made it his duty to protect the people he cares about and he takes this duty very seriously. When it comes down to it, Dakila is quite selfless. He will lay down his life without hesitation if it means saving the people around him. Although his selflessness comes from wanting to safeguard the well-being of others, it's also because Dakila believes he's less deserving of any and all good things in life, including life itself. He believes that the only way for him to compensate for the events that transpired in the battle of Gaozo Island is for him to sacrifice his life despite the fact that none of those events is his fault. In this case, Dakila's selflessness isn't entirely a good thing since it means he's willing to neglect himself even if, in his mind, it's for a good cause.

Dakila's cautiousness also extends to his decision-making. Prior to making a decision, he'll identify problems that may arise from choosing a decision and create solutions to these potential problems. This is because he derives security from having a sense of control over things. On one hand, being prepared means that risks are mitigated. On the other hand, there are events that are simply out of anyone's control. But even when unexpected events arise, Dakila's level-headedness enables him to come up with plausible solutions under pressure that are both logical and objective.

Although Dakila is extremely meticulous when it comes to approaching obstacles, he shows open-mindedness to the opinions and suggestions of others. Of course, these suggestions will also have to undergo careful evaluation by Dakila. If the suggested idea happens to be better than his, he'll give due praise. Or even if he disagrees with the suggestions, the important thing is that he made a conscious effort to listen to and show consideration for the other party's ideas. Dakila's willingness to listen also makes him a good communicator. If disagreements within a group arise, he'll hear everyone's stories before coming up with an appropriate response. He's impartial in his judgment and won't show prejudice against or bias towards a certain individual's beliefs and opinions.

The reason why Dakila is able to understand the perspective of someone is because he is empathetic, which is a trait that was also further developed as a result of the war. He's highly attuned to the emotions of others, both the good and bad. When someone is suffering, Dakila will share their pain as if he went through their experience first-hand. He wants the other party to feel that they are cared for and that their emotions are validated. Furthermore, Dakila doesn't just express his emotional concern, but he also acts on his concern. He observes and reads between the lines and silences to figure out what it is the other person needs and provide them that.

¹ Will be elaborated in the background.

BACKGROUND:  

Dakila was born with the warrior spirit of his non-bender father, Kalun, who was one of the Commanders of the Southern Tribe's military. At a young age, he looked up to his father for fighting bravely in the war and thought of the war as something noble. He wanted to exhibit the same courageousness, determination, and enthusiasm of his father and be looked up to by the people of his tribe. In his mind, the only way to achieve that is to participate in the war himself. Thus, he expressed his desire to become a warrior and partake in the training to become one. His mother, Manaru, disapproved of Dakila's decision, insisting that he should remain in the tribe and enjoy his youth instead of taking part in a war that may potentially end his life. As one of the few waterbenders in the Southern Tribe with healing abilities, Manaru was sent to the front lines, even though it was never her desire to participate in it, to provide aid to the other warriors when they suffered an injury. She has witnessed the death of numerous warriors and knew that that would be too much for a mere teenager to handle emotionally and mentally. Kalun, however, believed that it would be an honor for Dakila if he were to become a warrior and help lead their tribe's army to victory.

Even before joining the formal training for warriors-to-be, Dakila had already begun his own training together with a kid named Hakku under the tutelage of Kalun. Dakila has known Hakku, along with his twin sister Kyara, at a young age since both of their parents happened to be acquainted with one another. At the age of nine, Dakila's waterbending abilities first manifested during a sparring match with Hakku. Since then, Dakila has learned basic waterbending techniques to help defend himself through Manaru. At the age of fourteen, Dakila finally began his formal training along with Hakku. Due to the diligence that Hakku and Dakila displayed in their training as well as their quick improvement, they were acknowledged by the Chief of the Southern Water Tribe as competent warriors. By sixteen, Dakila and Hakku, under the command Kalun, were sent to Gaozo Island² in the Earth Kingdom. Dakila can finally participate in the great war and show what he is capable of. However, he was faced with the harsh realities of the war and realized how naïve he had been the entire time. He initially saw the war as a way to demonstrate whatever heroic qualities he had hoped possesses. But war isn't a game; it put numerous lives at stake. After one year of fighting in the front lines, a particular incident left him with psychological scars that he is still currently unable to move forward from.

Defending the Gaozo Island was an incredibly important task for the Water Tribe warriors because the Fire Nation army planned on using it as a land base for the invasion of nearby Earth Kingdom villages. The warriors took on a defensive position in the battle by digging elaborate tunnel systems to prevent the Fire Nation from advancing, which was a process that took the water tribe warriors half a year to complete. For a few months, the Water Tribe warriors were successfully able to hold off the Fire Nation soldiers. Dakila optimistically thought that his first battle would end in victory. However, Dakila and the other warriors ended up focusing too much on what went right with their plan and didn't realize that they were heading straight down a pitfall. Up to that point, the Fire Nation had already invaded numerous villages and accumulated a large number of resources. Resources that neither the Water Tribe nor Earth Kingdom warriors had. Just when the warriors thought that they were successful in defending the island, they found themselves trapped in an encirclement of Fire Navy ships that sent out a large number of firebenders and tundra tanks. The sheer strength of the tundra tanks allowed Fire Nation soldiers to break through the Water Tribe's defenses without constraint. With all escape routes blocked, the Water Tribe warriors found themselves trapped on the island. They no longer fought to win, but rather to survive. When Dakila saw so many of his colleagues getting injured and killed at once, he began to feel nauseous and unable to focus on the fight, not realizing a sword was being aimed at his back. He only snapped back into reality when he heard the voice of his father. But he responded a little too late as his father had already taken the blow for him, unable to be saved. Afterward, the only sound Dakila could hear was his own voice crying out his father's name.

After an hour, the Earth Kingdom Navy finally arrived as reinforcement and attacked the encirclement of Fire Navy ships from the outside to create an escape route for the Water Tribe warriors. However, too many lives were already taken away. As warriors began retreating, an Earth Kingdom warrior had to carry Dakila onto their ship since he also suffered numerous injuries. Dakila remained unaware of his surroundings until he heard Hakku's cries from a distance. As the Earth Kingdom ship began sailing away, Dakila saw Hakku being dragged away by Fire Nation soldiers. His body instinctively moved so he could go back and save Hakku, but an Earth Kingdom warrior held on to him, stating that there was nothing he could do to save him due to his severely injured state. Then why aren't you helping him? He wanted to yell out, but the Earth Kingdom warrior's fear-stricken expression was already enough of an answer. The only belonging of Hakku's that the other Water Tribe warriors managed to salvage was his spear. First, he lost his father. Second, he lost Hakku. My mother should be safe, right? When Dakila asked the whereabouts of his mother on the ship, none of the warriors could look at him in the eye and give him an answer. Their deafening silence already told him what he didn't want to hear. As much as Dakila wanted to blame everything that happened to someone else, Dakila thought that the only person he could blame for the events that transpired was himself. If he could have kept calm long enough, maybe he could have defended himself from the attack so his father wouldn't have had to. If he was strong enough, maybe he wouldn't have suffered so many injuries and he could have saved Hakku. If he was capable enough, maybe his mother wouldn't have felt the need to come along with them just to protect him, and maybe she would still be alive. That night, Dakila fell asleep to the sound of his own cries.

Once they arrived at the Capital City of the Southern Water Tribe, Dakila saw that Kyara was one of the people who awaited their return. Unfortunately, she was the last person he wanted to see since he had to be the one to share the news about what happened to her brother. When Dakila finally told Kyara about her brother’s capture, she became frantic, but he couldn't provide her with any sort of comfort because he also lost so many people he cared for in the war and he was caught up in blaming himself for their losses. Although Dakila managed to recover from his physical injuries after a few months, the emotional and mental trauma he suffered from the war was permanent. When Dakila attempted to resume warrior training, he couldn't waterbend properly because his hands wouldn't stop shaking and he starts breathing heavily. Not to mention, the mere sight of the color red made him feel nauseous. Due to his unstable emotional condition, Dakila had to be left behind when their troops began sailing off to Earth Kingdom territory once more. He thought it was for the best. Although the thought of losing people scared Dakila, what scared him even more was the thought of taking someone's life and being the reason someone else's family would suffer the same grief and trauma he was going through.

At the same time Dakila was grieving, Kyara was also suffering emotionally due to his brother's disappearance. Even though Kyara's parents took Dakila under their roof, the two found it difficult to communicate normally with one another since his return. Dakila couldn't find himself to face since he's convinced himself that he abandoned Hakku and is the reason why he was captured. Kyara, on the other hand, still found it hard to face him knowing that Dakila could have done something to prevent her brother’s capture, even if she knows deep down that he isn't to be blamed for what happened. Although Kyara made it seem like she was coping well on the outside, she was actually repressing so much hurt and anger but never opened up to anyone about it. After someone accidentally broke Hakku's spear, the only remnant she had of his brother, the emotions Kyara had been bottling up to that point finally exploded and all she could see was red. Her waterbending began to spiral out of control and only her parents were able to calm her down. By the time she calmed down, the damage had already been done. Many people were injured, including Kyara's parents. Seeing the hurt in Kyara's expression was what brought Dakila's latent healing abilities to the surface since knew all too well how much it hurts to see your loved ones suffering. Although Dakila was unable to manifest his healing abilities since the incident, it gave him another purpose in life. Instead of taking lives, Dakila will devote himself to protecting and saving lives so no one would have to lose their lives needlessly in an unnecessary war.

Hence, after Kyara told Dakila that she wanted to travel to the Northern Tribe to help get her bending under control and look for her brother, Dakila decided to go with her. He made a promise to himself that this time, he will save Hakku. Before that happens, he'll protect his sister, Kyara, with his life. And to protect Kyara, he'll have to hone his healing abilities in the Northern Water Tribe and find a way to overcome his psychological trauma from the war so he can freely waterbend once more.

² Fictional island located on the southeastern waters of the Earth Kingdom.

TRIVIA:

☯ His name translates to great, eminent, and distinguished.
☯ He is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. His symptoms include: 1.) he keeps on having nightmares on the battle of Gaozo Island; 2.) he experiences severe physical reactions while waterbending--heavy breathing, trembling hands--since it reminds him of the lives he's taken away; 3.) he is trying to avoid waterbending due to the previously mentioned reason; and 4.) he shuts down when someone tries to talk to him about it.
☯ After his experience in the war, he wants to use his waterbending as a way to protect the people he cares for. If necessary, he'll use waterbending to immobilize his opponents (ie. freeze them). As much as possible, he wants to avoid injuring others. (At the moment, due to his trauma, he is unable to waterbend freely.)
☯ Kalun gave Dakila a scimitar that he made himself on the day they were set to leave the Southern Water Tribe. It's Kalun's way of congratulating Dakila for becoming a warrior and acknowledging him as such. After the death of Kalun, Dakila has refused to wield the scimitar in battle since he is afraid that it might break. He only carries it around with him because it reminds him of his father.
☯ One of his hobbies is stargazing and counting stars since it's what helps him fall asleep. This is because he's hyperaware of his surroundings, in case there may be enemies nearby, so he has to distract himself before falling asleep.
☯ Kyara gave Dakila a yin-yang pendant that she crafted herself as a good luck charm on the day they were set to leave the Southern Water Tribe. She chose the yin-yang symbol because despite having opposite personalities, it's precisely because of their opposite personalities that the two complement each other and are able to make up for their flaws.
☯ Despite being a native to the Southern Water Tribe, Dakila isn't very fond of the sea prunes stew which happens to be one of the tribe's staple cuisines. He only liked Manura's sea prunes stew recipe. Hence, another reason why he isn't so fond of the dish is because it reminds him of his late mother.
☯ His favorite snack is a blubbered seal jerky. He always seems to have a stash on him.
☯ He knows how to play a djembe and is quite fond of music festivities.
☯ He's the best person to handle the finances since he's thrifty (For the most part. He'll definitely spend it on blubbered seal jerky and a Tsungi horn if he ever comes across one since he'll want to learn how to play).

RELATIONSHIPS: 

☯ Father - KALUN (45 at time of death) / Commander / Strict, Restless, Warmhearted, Selfless / 10/10

In the eyes of Dakila, his father is the bravest warrior of the sea. With numerous victories under Kalun's name, Dakila wished to be just like his father and worked hard to gain his approval. Due to Kalun's strict nature, however, Dakila always ended up being criticized for the smallest mistakes he did. As a result, Dakila thought that his father didn't deem him worthy of becoming a warrior. This was far from the truth. In the eyes of Kalun, his son is the reason why he's fighting to live for another day. It didn't matter to Kalun whether or not Dakila would decide to become a warrior just like him since he knows how big of a responsibility it is to fight in a war. Regardless of what Dakila wanted to be when he grows up, Kalun decided to support him. Thus, when Dakila decided to become a warrior, Kalun figured that the best way to support him in his decision was to not go easy on him. After all, war isn't easy. If Dakila decided to become a warrior then he needed to commit to that decision and not give up midway. Despite all the scoldings he gave Dakila, Kalun recognized him as a competent and compassionate warrior. The scimitar Kalun forged on his own to give to Dakila is his way of showing that. After his father died and Dakila decided that he doesn't wish to fight any longer, he thinks that he's let his father down by giving up and failing to keep his word. It's the reason why a part of Dakila is holding himself back from further honing his healing ability. But if Kalun were still alive, he wouldn't think that way about Dakila at all. Kalun knew how hard Dakila fought in the battle at the Gaozo Island. If Dakila thought that he was meant to fulfill a different purpose, then Kalun would have still supported him.

☯ Mother - MANARU (43 at time of death) / Healer / Empathetic, Patient, Worrier, Conflict-Averse / 10/10

Despite not undergoing formal healing training, Manaru is considered as one of the few gifted healers in the Southern Water Tribe. Her gift was considered to be one of the tribe's most valuable assets in the war and was sent to the front lines along with the tribe's warriors in hopes of reducing the number of casualties. Although she put on a brave face, the truth was that the war scared her. But she had to pull herself together because she didn't want her people to die. When she gave birth to Dakila, however, Manaru finally decided that her days in the front lines were over so can spend her time with her son as he grew up. A part of her had hoped that Dakila wouldn't grow up wanting to become a warrior. To her dismay, that's exactly what Dakila wanted to be. She tried to forbid him from partaking in the training but becoming a warrior was a decision Dakila wouldn't change his mind on. Although she worried for him, Manaru could not deny that she was extremely proud to have a son who was just as valiant as his father. To help Dakila better defend himself, she taught him various defensive waterbending techniques. At the time, Manaru didn't think that her son also possessed healing abilities as it was rare for men to display that ability. When the time came that Dakila would be sent to battle, Manaru decided to join the front lines once more so she can keep Dakila safe. Although she would never find out about Dakila's healing abilities and his decision to follow in her footsteps as a healer, she'd nonetheless be proud of him.

☯ Best Friend - HAKKU (17 at the time he went missing) / Warrior / Righteous, Brave, Stubborn, Strategic / 10/10 [collab with Susan15]

If Hakku isn't with his twin sister, you can bet your life that he's with Dakila. The two of them developed a deep bond due to their shared ambition of becoming full-fledged warriors and leading their tribe to victory in the war. They frequently sparred with one another and constantly motivated each other to improve their skills. If they weren't sparring, they'd be seen penguin sledding outside the city's ice walls. Both of them were also initially ecstatic to know that they'd be joining in the fight at Gaozo Island since it meant that their competence was acknowledged by the leaders. Throughout the course of the war, as Dakila's will to fight gradually deteriorated after seeing so many of their comrades dying, Hakku was the one who kept his motivation up. Dakila admired how Hakku's warrior spirit never wavered and seeing him give his all in the fight was what pushed him to continue fighting. Although Hakku has helped him all throughout, Dakila wasn't able to extend that same help when Hakku needed it. Seeing Hakku being dragged away and him being unable to help is what haunts his nightmares every day and the guilt of practically abandoning him continues to weigh him down. But Dakila still believes that Hakku is alive somewhere and, along with Kyara, he wants to find and save him. Until they've found Hakku, Dakila swears that he'll keep Kyara safe in his stead.

☯ Best Friend - KYARA (19) / Brave, Practical, Impulsive, Stubborn, Short-tempered, Righteous, Quick-thinker, Empathetic, Good-hearted / 10/10 [collab with Susan15]

The two naturally became acquainted because of Kyara's twin brother, although the two didn't get along easily at first. Kyara is reminiscent of ocean waves in the middle of a storm, whereas Dakila is reminiscent of a river calmly flowing downstream. But regardless, the river always reaches the ocean. Dakila's level-headedness can help calm down Kyara's quick temper, Kyara can help convince Dakila to just go for what he wants to do and stop trying to overanalyze his decisions, and Dakila can also help Kyara open her mind to changes instead of being so stubborn. Their contrasing personalities complement each other. As a result, the two were able to get along well over time to the point that Dakila considers Kyara as his closest female friend. Although their relationship would enter rough waters from time to time due to disagreements, they were always able to mend their relationship after talking it out. When Kyara decided to leave their tribe and head to the north so she can get her bending under control, Dakila went with her to keep the promise he made to himself that he'll keep Hakku's sister safe from harm. Dakila also knew how quick-tempered Kyara is, so he's there to hold her back when she happens to pick a fight with Fire Nation soldiers they come into contact with.

☯ Close Friend/Training Buddy - KIYIRA (20) / Blunt, Decisive, Impatient, Confident, Ambitious, Combative, Judgmental, Independent / 7/10 [collab with petitreveur]

Dakila will first meet Kiyira when he and Kyara get lost on their way to the Northern Water Tribe's Capital City at night. He'll come across a small and isolated igloo where Kiyira is staying and decides to ask her for directions. Instead, Kiyira will invite him and Kyara to stay for the night and head to the city first thing in the morning to avoid the arctic creatures lurking about at that time. Dakila will reveal that he and Kyara both come from the Southern Water Tribe and that the reason why they left is for him to learn to heal and for Kyara to get her bending under control. When Dakila states his intentions of learning how to heal, however, Kiyira gives him an incredulous look to which he initially takes offense. Dakila will only find out why she gave him such a look after finally meeting with the waterbending masters to ask if they can learn healing from them and witness first-hand their prejudice. Although they accept Kyara's request, they deny Dakila the same treatment. Kiyira already knows from the beginning that this is going to happen considering the Northern Tribe's strict adherence to tradition. Thus, Kiyira will meet up with Dakila in secret and offer to teach him healing on the condition that he teaches her combative waterbending techniques. They'll end up learning from one another and become good friends in the process. Although they won't become masters overnight, their improvements within a short span of time should come as a shock to the waterbending masters since it disproves the Northern Tribe's ideology that only men can fight and that women's abilities are limited to healing.