Nairobi "Sevyn Evans" Mukendi
They/them
Nairobi was raised in Bumba in the Congo Region with a large extended family, including the informally adopted Malaika and her brother. When they were a child, the artificial intelligence known as the Mainframe sent microscopic technology to fuse with Nairobi's body. They grew up as close friends with Malaika.
In the late 2190s, Nairobi was recruited by the Antistasi to join the Sivylla—a group of other teenagers who the Mainframe fused with technology. Miraculously, Malaika was also part of this group. During this time, the group discovered side effects of the technology: enhanced abilities. Nairobi discovered that their capability was a powerful memory. They could recall events, facts, languages, motor functions with astonishing accuracy. After the Mainframe events, they returned to Bumba.
At the beginning of "Death's Mending Touch," Nairobi lived in Bumba as a metalworker, photographer, and journalist. They didn't see Malaika in person often, but they videochatted to catch up at least every few months. When the deceased Bian appeared around the world, the Antistasi called Nairobi and the other Sivylla together to address this. After reuniting with Bian, the group decided to work with the Antistasi part-time under a new team name: the Enforcers.
This section includes major spoilers about "Death's Mending Touch." Please read the book first, unless you want the ending spoiled.
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In 2241, shown in "When Truth Cowers," Nairobi took on the alias Sevyn Evans to join the Truth or Dare round that Cai joined. They joined with the aim of protecting Cai, as Cai's aunt and Nairobi's friend, Tera, requested.
Appearance
Nairobi was born a human. They're a Black enby with dark brown skin and dark brown eyes. Their recent ancestry was primarily Bantu.
At the beginning of "Death's Mending Touch," they were lean and 5'11". They liked styling their long, tight coils of hair into sculpted ponytails.
At the beginning of "When Truth Cowers," they were in their sixties. They lost their pinky, so they wore a metal prosthetic. Their public appearance as Sevyn Evans included wearing a binder; a wig with short, dark brown hair; facial hair; and altered facial/body features.
Personality, Behavior, Et Cetera
In Nairobi's younger age, as shown in "Death's Mending Touch," they didn't hesitate to use their sharp mind to hide insults in metaphoric phrases. Making light fun of the people they cared about was their love language. It was especially pleasant to hold embarrassing memories over their friends' heads.
Their metalwork trade made them lean from how often they tested armor. They also enjoyed being a ghostwriter for journals, using their voice to prod about matters in secret. They learned several languages, including Swahili, English, Russian, Ukranian Sign Language... really, they tried learning any language they could, but particularly those that their friends spoke.
Their favorite dish was pelmeni due to a specific heartwarming event where Klara and Diya introduced the dish to Nairobi. They had to eat a lot of food to keep their brain processing as quick as it did.
They were nonbinary, bisexual, and polyamorous.
As of "When Truth Cowers," they mellowed out a little. They had some mischief in them, but when they were compelled to be responsible, their mental energy focused more on watching out for other people (rather than coming up with humorous quips). They knew just how impulsive they were at Cai's age—they wouldn't let Cai go through it alone.
Relationships
Prior to "Death's Mending Touch," Nairobi loved their family, but especially their mother and Malaika. They flirted with Malaika for years, but with how quiet Malaika could be, they never directly spoke their feelings out of fear of being rejected. They might've gotten jealous of Will because of Malaika's noticeable crush on him. Then Nairobi started liking him too, which complicated things.
When reuniting in "Death's Mending Touch," Nairobi's crushes started back up again. They acted somewhat flirty with them, enjoying the reunion and silently hoping that they'd reciprocate. The entire group knew about the three of them before the three of them did.
By the time of "When Truth Cowers," Nairobi was strongly connected with all of the Enforcers. They married Will and Malaika. They unintentionally became a mentor figure for Cai, Analisa, Lian, Daraja, and Eric.
Trivia
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Nairobi's birthday was June 21, 2181
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By the time of "When Truth Cowers," they're married to Will and Malaika
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Some of Nairobi's personality was inspired by an alto with amusing quips
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In "When Truth Cowers," Nairobi wasn't eating nearly as much as they needed to for their enhanced ability to function properly. With the stress of the situation on top of it, they weren't thinking as clearly as usual
