Carmine is a 7'1, 400-something-pound kittyman who loves Rai very much. He's an herbalist by trade and has a shop that is nearly always closed. Because he'd rather be out in the forest staring at lichen or in the streets treasure hunting.

Carmine was born in Setsura to two mothers: Kiera and Mareen. Kiera was a Sanga and passed that on to her son. She also died of illness when Carmine was around 7. After this, Mareen took Carmine and left to her home village in the mountains, where she deteriorated mentally and blamed everything on her son who is, personality wise, a spitting image of her dead wife. She also discouraged him from using his Sanga abilities because hearing him sing the songs Kiera wrote was too hard.

Growing up, Carmine didn't really have friends. The other cats his age were intimidated by his size, and if not that, then repelled by his kitty autism. He was always a romantic and dreamed of a life with a partner who loved him. His dreams kept his head above water but it also disconnected him from reality.. He lived in this emotional pit until he was 17 aka the second he felt like he could live alone. Honestly he just walked out the door one night and never came home. Coincedentally, the Void started soon after.

He made his way to Ransen where he was taken in by an aging herbalist with no family (Claudia). She taught him the trade and was a more positive feminine influence in his life. Claudia discovered Carmine's repressed abilities and encouraged him to try again, despite his overwhelming need not to. She passed when Carmine was in his mid 20s.

Carmine always had a romantic idea of Touga/Sanga relationships and as such hes tumbled through a few failed ones. Around 5 or 6. Things just didn't work out and after the last one he gave up for a few years.

Present day, Carmine lives a slow-paced life. He is also 35. (Or basically 10yrs Rai's senior.). He takes special orders and opens for regulars around once a week but other than that he has nothing going on. Besides his personal trecks into the forest/city explorations. Also he fights with a staff primarily but has daggers (meant for herbing but whatever)

The shop is a two-story building with the front/lower being concrete (aka Two-Canes material) and the back/upper being wood.

The first floor has a kitchen, a guest room and a living room. The kitchen has a window that opens out into the community where people can request medicine. The living room used to be for merchandise but Carmine repurposed it after Claudia's passing. (Honestly only older cats come to the shop these days anyway. The regulars.) The guest room was Carmine's old room. Now its more of a storage area but there is a bed in it.

The second floor is just Carmine's room. Where he keeps his hoards of trinkets and other such necessities. The bed is the nicest thing he owns. Sleeping is his true passion and he will sleep over 12 hours if theres nothing keeping him up.

Carmine and Rai meet in the aftermath of Asato's good ending, for no reason other than i rlly love Asato and want him to be happy. Carmine actually met Bardo before he met Rai. Though its a supplier/business relationship with little depth until he gets more entangled w Rai. They're both big cats with a relaxed demeanor I think they'd get along...........

Anyway. The Void is eroding into nothing and the world is everyones oyster suddenly. The woods are safer. Monsters and Devils still exist but there aren't patches of evil land. They meet at night in the woods. Carmine is singing to reveal glowing fungi, Rai is in the middle of tracking someone down. Rai is intrigued by the massive Sanga and interrogates him.Carmine takes his questioning as a sign of care and pets him on the head, earning him a bite (and future scar). Rai's pride is bruised at the idea of looking up to Carmine, physically, so he frequently speaks to him while walking ahead.

Before they really know eachother Rai finds himself drawn to Carmine as a place of comfort, but doesn't verbalize that. Carmine is worried he's obsessing over someone just because he's lonely so he tries to keep a bit of distance. Eventually that becomes too hard. They're both pretty mentally ill obviously? But they balance each other out. Rai gets Carmine out of bed when hes depressed, and Carmine can physically subdue Rai with enough effort- if he starts losing control of himself.

When they get closer they don't label their relationship. If you asked, Rai would say they're partners and Carmine would say they're lovers. Rai isn't officially moved into Carmine's space but he does spend a lot of time there. And keep some of his stuff there. Deeper into their relationship, when it becomes harder to deny it, Rai does move in with Carmine. But it's not like he has to be committed or anything. It's just practical. I don't think he fully drops his guard until Carmine proposes. Because Carmine has dreamed of a wedding since he was small.......hauu

pet rai - world where carmine is a morally dubious surgeon instead of a lax herbalist. most easily noticed by carmine having an ahoge/rai acting like a kitten

housecats - world where carmine is a coddled housecat and rai is his recently-adopted-from-the-streets bestie.