CIVILIAN . LANTANYA, NANTAN

Nantan Lantanya

Compassionate. Devoted. Lonely.

Nan

Thirty Four

26 May 1978

Male

He's never had the time for casual dating, but he's a little bicurious.

Civilian

Nantan is a prosecution attorney at Wright Law Offices.

Personality

Determined: If a stranger were to look at Nantan from afar, they would think he was rigid, strict, and perhaps a little overly formal. After all, Nantan takes his role as a prosecution attorney very seriously. He doesn't take the lives of others for granted. However, his aloofness is actually attributed to how seriously he takes his job. Although he originally became an attorney to find his parents, Nantan now makes being a lawyer his first priority.

Athletic: Every once in a while, Nantan feels the urge to get outside and do SOMETHING, anything. During these times, he goes into his walk-in closet, which he has dedicated to hiking equipment and camping tools, and grabs his supplies. He then drives for about 1 to 3 hours, out of the city limits, out to the mountains. When he finishes a particularly taxing case, Nantan typically heads out to the mountains for a possible camping trip, where for once he enjoys the natural solitude nature gives. Once in a while, he might call another hiking enthusiast and they might try a particular risky hike together, but Nantan doesn't mind-he still has his precious Junya~

Hidden:Nantan has difficulty admitting his negative emotions to himself and others. As a lawyer, he is particularly good at putting on a front or a mask in order to separate himself from the case. But after years and years of hiding away from his feelings, from his past, and from his alcoholism, Nantan's started separating himself from his troubles and often denies that he really is as insecure as he feels. As a result, he can be found in a good nature, and often laughs at himself and awkward situations in order to hide from everyone involved that he feels embarrassed or ashamed.

Lonely: Being as how Nantan never knew his real parents, he has always felt a little lost, and as such has always been afraid that he'll have no one to care for but himself. After he left the reservation, Nantan was away from everything and everyone he ever knew. Although he COULD, technically, call Yuyutsu from a cell phone, he would never know what he could say; without news of his parents or any reason to give up on his quest, there would be nothing to be said but empty words. He misses them, yes, but his curiosity of the world is stronger. Even still, he has had difficulty settling in with those in LA, even though he has been here since he was 19. He's never had a girlfriend (or boyfriend) mainly because he's always been more preoccupied with studies. However, now might be a great time as he has a house all by himself, with the only obstacles being his unruly schedule and himself.

Impulsive: Now that Nantan's an adult, he is able to experience all sort of things by himself, such as alcohol. However, he hasn't had anyone there to tell him when to stop. As a result, he has a habit to splurge: although his hiking gear is higher end, he has difficulty holding back when he sees new equipment. His impulsiveness isn't limited to just objects, though: Often, the cases he takes on are often taken without prior thinking, relying only on how he feels about the current evidence. His impulsiveness carries over into his personal relationships with those he trusts: he sometimes has a habit of crossing over boundaries, analyzing others and prying into their past.

Reserved: Nantan doesn't really have walls, to be quite honest. The reason he doesn't is because he tries so hard to seclude himself from his negative feelings that he often doesn't even know how he feels anymore. As a result, he can often seem distant at times, despite his warm disposition. He seldom talks about his life with Yuyutsu with others, often just leaving questions with the answer: "I grew up on an Indian reservation" with a nonchalant shrug.

Intuitive: Nantan credits his success as a lawyer to his gut feeling. Although evidence is always the most concrete answer as to what happened, sometimes it doesn't provide the whole picture. When this happens, his main goal is to infer what he can from the suspect's and the victim's behaviors. In addition, he prefers to fill in the blanks with logic, often taking seemingly worthless evidence and looking at it through the eyes of all parties involved: how the suspect claims to see things, how the victim claims the suspect saw things, and how the witness says the suspect saw them, as well as vice versa. He typically relies on the external evidence to be eyes for him.

Patriotic: Nantan takes great pride in a lot of things in his life. Though he doesn't talk about it often, Nantan takes great pride in his heritage as an Apache Indian and some of his strongest beliefs come from his conviction and pride in the lessons and life Yuyutsu gave him. As a result, he tries to implement some of those core beliefs in his life, such as his belief in Yusan, despite his separation from the tribe.

Analytical: With those he is close with, he lets down his guard and shows others his true morals and his flaws. However, with this lowering of walls comes a keener inspection of others, which often results in a rare-but there-cocky assumption on how to fix their lives. This trait often gets him in trouble, however, as he has a habit to analyze people. It's a great tool to have when he's trying to ascertain the truth in a case, but it's a bit of a problem when people start calling him a cheapskate magician for his skills.

Superstitious: As Nantan grew up, he was fascinated with his grandmother's myths and legends about the Apache culture. She used to always tell him about the Du-Yin, or the spirits of the moon, earth, and sky, who would be Yusan's faithful protectors. Her fond portrayal of the Du-Yin as benevolent spirits compelled Nantan to spend time in the peacefulness in nature as a result. Though he doesn't necessarily believe the earth will talk to him, he does believe it is a living entity, always growing and always protecting him. It's why he feels so at ease when outdoors.
However, Nantan's superstitious beliefs aren't all happy or peaceful. As a counterpart, his grandfather taught him about the demons, who were often portrayed as shadows who led humans to famine or destruction. This belief helped shape his desire to help others in need and become a prosecution attorney.

Companionable: Though Nantan is truly a lonely person, he still loves the company of others, even if he's not able to say anything important. It's why he has many acquaintances, even if he doesn't have many "friends". His spirit of communion most likely originates from the Apache belief in community, which focuses on celebrating the progression in life for each tribes-member. As a result of his upbringing, he has a strong sense of teamwork, even if he is a bit of a loner.

Appearance

"Nantan has never been one to brag. However, he can't help but feel a little proud of his appearance , even if it is all just good genes. Starting from the top of his head, Nantan's biggest (and most secret) prize would be his hair. Falling to about his chin, his soft, wenge colored hair is often pulled back with the lucky hairband his grandmother gave him when he was 17. (the option was to either cut the hair, or pull it out of his eyes.... we know what he chose). He also has Hazel eyes, resulting from the mixing of his Spanish and Apache genes. He inherited a larger nose from his mother's side and a smaller mouth from his dad.

At 5'11, Nantan clocks in at 165 pounds, give or take, and is reasonably healthy. As he finds joy in exercise, he has a wiry build, with slightly visible muscles. Horseback riding has developed strong thigh muscles, and he goes to the gym every once in a while when he knows he won't be able to get a free weekend.

Nantan isn't one to show off his body; nor is he fond of tight-fitting clothing. As a result, his go-to during the weekends is often a loose fitting shirt and a pair of jeans or shorts. When he has to dress up on the weekend, he often wears a nice button up shirt that stops around the elbows, and maybe a nice pair of black jeans. He owns three pairs of non-work shoes: Sneakers, hiking boots, and some black converse that he keeps nice and clean in case he goes to a club.

He often dresses business casual for work, reserving a tie and hair gel for those days when he has to leave the office to see a client. When it comes to those court days, though, you can bet that Nantan will be in his best business attire, with a custom-tailored blazer, a tie, hair neatly gelled back, and with a nice pair of shoes to match.

Nantan has a tattoo on the upper right part of his chest, right underneath the shoulder blade. As a kid, he used to always draw it and pretend it was the symbol of the reservation. Though he knows now that there's no correlation, he still feels a strong connection to his childhood and Yuyutsu when he looks upon it.

MISCELLANEOUS

As the adopted son of an Apache clan leader, Nantan learned how to speak Chiricahui rather fluently at a young age. Though it has been about 17 years since he spoke it fluently, he can still speak it to some degree. He can remember simpler phrases and word structures, but couldn't write it for you if you asked.

Nantan is an alcoholic. Although most alcoholics are known for their need to slam drinks down frequently, Nantan is an alcoholic because he doesn't know how to cope with loneliness without it. His reliance on alcohol can be attributed to many things; Perhaps it was because his 21st birthday present was fine wine, which he grew a penchant for; perhaps it's because the feeling of a wine glass in his hands keeps him from reaching for something more. Whatever it is, he has developed an emotional dependence on wine and liquor.

He's a stomach sleeper and prefers to sleep in a normal white t-shirt and briefs.

He considers his hairband "lucky" because he has had difficulty with hair ties. To start, he originally threw the hairband away, claiming that a hair tie would do better. However, it mysteriously ended up on his bed the next day, even though he dumped in a trashcan across the reservation. Shrugging it off, he started school the next week and started using hairties. However, that started to backfire on him. When he used a hair tie, one of two things would happen: Either his hair would catch on the band, or his fine hair would start breaking. No matter how many times he tried to put his hair up, no matter who tried to put it on him, it would either snap or slip down and destroy his hair. Disdained, he began to use the hair band, which would, oddly enough, make his hair seem as if it grew faster. When he came back home for a break, his grandmother asked him about the hair band and if it worked, all with a secretive smile.
Nantan swears she might just be a little magical. Just a little.

He doesn't like showering. He does it because he's professional, but he prefers to feel more natural. He's not a messy person; he would just prefer to be outside than being inside. One example would be that he spends a portion of each of his vacations going camping.

He once adopted a cat from the pound. Although it seemed like a good idea at the time, he found out that the cat refused to eat normal cat food. Desperately trying to please Jordan the Tabby, he bought fresh tuna. Jordan complied, finally agreeing to eat, but unfortunately Nantan had to race to the hospital on account of hives developing on his skin. After the visit to the urgent care ward, Nantan found out that 1)he was allergic to sea food, and 2) Jordan ran away.

He rides a night bus: although he does have a decent car with decent mileage, he prefers to ride a bus to his house. Although he loves nature, there is no environmental reason for this: he prefers to watch people and study those who ride the bus. He views it as a daily routine to keep his mind in shape.

When Nantan was in his early twenties, he began to realize that he was his own man with his own rules. As a result, he went through a small moment of freedom where he did everything he thought was legal. For his twenty first birthday, a couple of room mates not only gave him wine, but also brought him to a strip club. While the strip club wasn't his style (it was rather shady, and he felt like he was going to be mugged), the wine was a beautiful present. He also tried smoking, but he soon stopped after realizing how much it would affect his athleticism.

Nantan owns a horse named Junya. Junya is a black mare, with a gentle personality. If he can't gather people to go on a hiking trip with him, Nantan will often bring his precious Junya. His buddies often joke about how he should stop considering himself single and just marry his horse already. (Nantan finds this suggestion....disturbing to say the least.) Nantan loves Junya dearly, but cannot visit her more than about once a month on account of the stables being about an hour away.

History

Nantan Lantanya had had a modest upbringing on an Apache reservation in Oklahoma. He lived with his adoptive father, Yuyutsu, in their small little house on the left half of the reservation, where his clan resided. A small house, the walls were adobe, with modern appliances such as a stove, a refrigerator, and air conditioning. It's funny, for a clan chief, Yuyutsu lived rather modest, claiming that his position as head of the clan meant that he had to live as those he represented.

Nantan's existence was a mark of scorn itself. His mother, Cocheta, was a proud and rather selfish woman, who possessed a quick temper and an even quicker tongue. As a result, she was the center of attention of the boys (especially Yuyutsu), who found her beauty breathtaking, and the center of contempt by the council, who found her to be unruly. Cocheta was different than the other girls: although she would cook and sew for the elders of the tribe, and would go to the school on the reservation on a regular basis, she longed for something more. All of her dreams and prospects were fueled by her wish to explore the outside world. However, the clan Brakyul, the chief at the time, refused to let her leave, claiming that she was too immature to understand the consequences of leaving her family and the privileges the reservation offered. As she new Irked and disappointed, she went home to her parents, only to receive bittersweet news: because of her attitude problems, her parents had arranged that she would marry the future tribes Chief, Yuyutsu Hyamon. Although he was 10 years older than her, he was tall and handsome, as wells as strong and kindhearted. She reluctantly went along with her parents' plans, on one condition: that their honeymoon be off the reservation. They had arranged for the marriage to be in August, eight months later.

4 months went by, and the clans chief came down with a mysterious illness of the blood. By May, Brakyul, who was Yuyutsu's father, died at the young age of 58. As a result, Yuyutsu became the head of the tribe at the young age of only 36. As a result, Yuyutsu was swamped with his sudden responsibilities, as well as his grief over the loss of his father. The wedding, as a result, was put on a hiatus. Cocheta, however, was getting impatient. Her youth was slipping away, and she had never seen the outer world. Over a year went by, and they were still betrothed. At the age of 27, she had no child, no husband, nor a stable position. She still lived with her parents, spending little to no time with Yuyutsu.

And so, when Cocheta saw him, she grew desperate.

His name was Reynaldo, she was told. He had come by the reservation as a contractor when the tribe's construction workers wanted to expand the reservation. He was a contractor, and he began coming once a week or so to survey the land. From the moment she saw him, she fell in love. Although Yuyutsu had been kind to her, she had never felt passion for him, only an understanding and appreciation of what he could bring her. Yet, as cliché as it sounds, all she felt was a want for something more. But when she saw him , with his straight, light brown hair, his slightly olive skin, and his large nose, she felt such and attraction; his haughty arrogance intrigued her, attracting her insatiable hunger for the unknown. She began following him around, trying to help him as much as she could. They'd make small jokes at first, only sharing quick dialogue and small smirks. Yet, after 2 months' worth of visits, the two seemed to be inseparable, fueling the gossip of the other women. Yet, Yuyutsu, still unaccustomed to the burden of his father's death and the subsequent duties it left on him, could not see the love between the two.


It was in October that year, about 2 years after his father's death, that Yuyutsu finally got the news: Cocheta had left soon after the contractor had. The two moved away; no one knew where. They said something about "moving west", to a place where maybe Reynaldo could make Cocheta's dreams come true. The only reminder of the event was an infant with Cocheta's parent's doorstep with a card reading

His name is Nantan Lantanya. Sorry I couldn't be a better daughter, but the clan life isn't for me.

-Cocheta

. Nantan's grandparents were furious with her. Not only had she left the community and the sanctity of home, she had managed to leave their elected leader wife-less. But that wasn't the worst of it. She had had the audacity to name her child Nantan, a reverent title that only the most important of leaders were gifted with. The only reason why they didn't rename him at once was because they had no legal right to change the name on his birth certificate.

Nantan's grandparents, being well into their 70's, were at a loss with a young boy. Their days of parenthood were far behind them, and they only wanted to enjoy their golden years as elders. Realizing this, Yuyutsu took the young boy in as an infant and raised him as his own in the absence of Cocheta. Although it pained him to take in the kin of his former wife, he did so anyway, as he felt that as clan chief it was his duty to do the best he could for any tribes member, no matter how small or lost.

Nantan had never grown up under the delusion that he was similar to the others. From his appearance as a boy with lighter skin and reddish-brown hair, to how the council looked at him, Nantan was different. It was rarely ever mentioned, but the adults who knew of the scandal always tried to push him harder, stating that "You're better than your mother." As such, he learned at the age of 9 that he was adopted, and that he was a stain. However, he found this rather motivating. Because of this, he was careful of how he acted around others, hoping that he could prove to be responsible. Whenever he would play pranks with the other boys, Yuyutsu would look away with a hurt look, reminding him without words that he could be better, that he was smarter than that.

As long as Nantan could remember, Yuyutsu had pushed him to surpass all of the other children. As a result of his strict learning, Nantan became more respected by the other boys of the reservation. When they would have an argument, Nantan would be the one to resolve it, almost always ending in a negotiation of some sort. He never had it harsh, per se, but he never took shortcuts because it was not "the honorable way". Looking back on it, Nantan figured that Yuyutsu was trying to raise him proper, and he thanked Yuyutsu for it.

When Nantan turned 14, Yuyutsu took Nantan aside and told him that he was going to go to a private school outside of the reservation. Yuyutsu told Nantan that he had saved money for him because he knew that Nantan could achieve much more than Clan Chief. Although Nantan was confused at such an offer, the little voice in his head screamed for a chance at something new, for confirmation that everything he had known was real and not just a dream. And so Nantan said yes, both with uncertainty about leaving behind his father and with nervousness about the world outside.

Nantan went to a private school about 30 miles away from the reservation, where he learned how little he really knew. He struggled for the first semester, but quickly caught up, eventually earning his way into advanced classes. That being said, Nantan's social skills were rather behind. Those who he talked to in school often made jokes about his heritage, using slurs to refer to his ancestors. There were times he'd want to turn back, when he missed being raised as an average Apache boy. But, no matter how hard he tried to convince himself to turn back, to leave, he just couldn't.


At the age of 19, Nantan's grandmother had died, leaving him the soul benefactor in her will. Despite his immediate return, though, his grandfather was unhappy with him, telling him to go back. He was still bitter about the absence of both his daughter and his grandson and, with a hard look, told Nantan to just go. Hurt and confused, Nantan took the money and left the reservation to go to university, grateful that UCLA had accepted him. As he progressed through school, he changed his major twice, starting with business relations and changing it to an English major. When neither one of them worked, Nantan switched to law, where he found his calling.
After 6 years of hard work, Nantan graduated and became a prosecution attorney's assistant, working his way up from the coffee boy to eventually a paperwork monkey. At first, he moved into a small apartment in the outskirts of LA, commuting to work by the bus. However, he moved to a small a decent sized house closer into the city when he was given a chance at a case and proved Lane Undwight guilty of the murder of his landlord. As a result of the case, Wright Law Offices offered him a job opportunity, with a starting salary of about $58,000. Although it's only been about two years, the doubling of his salary has made life much easier, giving him a bit of a breather when it comes to paying off student loans.

With this salary, Nantan hired a private investigator, hoping to find his real parents. However, this private investigator has proven unreliable, and honestly Nantan has given up on finding his parents or the runaway investigator.

Roleplayer Information

RYAN-TAN~;; Also plays the bananaphone (loljk no one)

PREFERENCE;; If the chance arises, I would love to have Nantan claimed.

FACE CLAIM;;Shadow of the ColossusWander