Post by aerynne on Jul 7, 2009 18:15:18 GMT -5
Character
[/u][/size][/center]Name: Setsuko Umi
Age: Fourteen.
Gender: Female.
Pokemorph: No.
Appearance:
Setsuko has a round face, with a slightly pointed chin. Her skin is pale and has a peach tinted, off-white hue to it, as opposed to a rose-colored glow. She has very few freckles, though they can be found in obscure places such as the back of her neck, her shoulders and her ankles. Her body is very pampered and well trained. The young woman could hardly be described as muscular, but she can support her own weight with grace and accuracy. Her movements have the potential of being very agile and are admirably balanced. From her regular footwear, Setsuko's feet have been trained for many years to have flat bottoms. This quality as well as her adjusted physical temperament to be ready to adapt her feet's positioning allows them to be extremely flexible. Setsuko will often even paint her toenails (to match her fingernails) despite the fact that they are so often covered.
Her preferences for casual make up are simple, dark lip stick (and not gloss), powder foundation, red, purple or green eyeshadow, mascara, maybe eyeliner and always painted nails. When formal wear is required, her mother has encouraged her to take on the guise of a geisha, with bright red lipstick, lip liner, white face paint, rouge and eyebrow penciling in addition to regular mascara, eye liner and her painted (or in this case perhaps even manicured) nails. This body art compliments Setsuko's qualities quite nicely, as she feels it does anyone's features. She always ensures that she has time to prepare herself in these ways so that she does not have to face being plain in front of others. It can also be mentioned that with such a routine, her cuticles are always tended to and her skin is always moisturized. The final physical attribute that requires so much attention is her long brown hair, that is usually sprung up into such tight ringlets that it appears rather short. Nevertheless, it is pinned in place no matter what fashion she choses to adorn and often smells of citrus fruits or plum blossoms.
Her style is varied, yet based in an obvious interest / heritage. Her regular outfit includes a silken dark turquoise kimono, it is only so long as to finish just above her knee and is even slit at the hips to allow for further mobility. To save her dignity she wears this with black nylon stockings and uses this garment to justify her limber movements that can include climbing trees and craggy rock walls. Her feet are protected in these activities by black and dark turquoise tabi style boots, they are firm and yet flexible allowing Setsuko full use of her limber foot muscles. This common outfit also includes black satin gloves, which she claims is to sheath her arms in the rain but is truly a girlish accessory.
If the weather is warmer and Setsuko has time to bask in the sun then she carries herself in a slightly different way, adorned by a long pleated cotton skirt that is orange in color and is fixed by a matching belt. This outfit includes a white cotton sleeveless top that leaves Setsuko's freckled shoulders open to any breeze that might drift by. She wears white and gold tabi style boots in this warm weather outfit as well, though this is for comfort, and if ever it should get too hot and Setsuko is dressed in this collection, she simply goes barefoot. Additionally she will still usually wear gold banded white gloves simply for fashion's sake and will also often choose to accessorize herself with her mother's gold beaded necklace that sports an opal sun.
Colder weather warrants a thicker hide and Setsuko can be found wearing the same gold banded gloves and boots as are in her warm weather outfit, but under these circumstances the young woman will certainly not take them off. Furthermore, she has cotton layered nylon pants to wear to both keep her warm and repress any water whether frozen or fresh from her legs. She also has a white woolen sweater in a very plain pattern that does littler more than insulate, and lastly a black water resistant jacket with a fur tipped hood to keep the wind from her face.
The last outfit Setsuko can be found in is an elaborately stained silk kimono of traditional length and layers. It is used only for formal occasions or gatherings and is very rarely seen upon the girl. She sports white tabi and wooden sandals on these occasions and owns a variety of uchiwa fans with which to identify herself uniquely when at gatherings of so many similarly garbed women.
Personality: Obedient and playful is an odd mix, but Setsuko has had to formulate the rest of her personality around these two major traits of herself. The young woman has always followed the wishes of her mother, and generally this has required a lot of sacrifice from her playful childhood desires. Setsuko has therefore learned to amuse herself. She is very poor at conversing with others, outside of a formal situation, where her nearly regal charm and wit can be brandished in the smallest of comments and her manners are clearly displayed in every physical action. Setsuko wishes she was versed in making friends but whenever the opportunity arises to meet someone outside of the community her mother keeps eye on, she never knows what to say.
For these reasons, Setsuko can get very connected very quickly to any she may meet who do not seem set off by her offset personality. Internally she knows that she is not the best of friends with someone just because they played hopscotch together or shared a quick conversation on a book at a coffee shop, but the sensation of being connected to others through simplistic acts such as these overwhelms the young woman and she will reminisce about these people as if they had been so close. She has the same fondness of pokemon, and unlike the visage she must worry about portraying to people, her mother has no such rule for these tamable creatures. In fact her mother has encouraged pokemon training, but never did provide Setsuko a pokemon for her own despite ensuring simple lessons on their abilities.
Setsuko holds authority in high regard, and so has dreamed silently of becoming a Pokemon Breeder for many years in respect of her mother's wishes. Breeders not only have the tendencies of saving pokemon in a less dramatic way than Rangers, but then usually raise the creatures and train them to the best of their abilities. They are also unburdened of appearing weak or unintelligible for not having specific gym badges or ribbons the way Trainers and Coordinators are. Setsuko's instinctive mothering qualities were greatly enticed by this life path. Her ability to pursue it at this time in a community her mother would have never known, is bittersweet.
There are a great many other things that one might want to know about Setsuko, most of which can be discovered by interacting with her or reading her history, but other less discussed characteristics are going to be mentioned at this time. Such as the fact that her favorite colors are blue and purple, her favorite pokemon are ones that demonstrate nobility (such as Girafarig and Growlithe), her favorite foods are chicken and noodles, and what she values most in a person is the ability to present their honesty with reserve. Meanwhile her least favorite colors are yellow and brown, her least favorite pokemon include Treeko, Bidoof and Hoppip (but Setsuko could not set aside a reason why), her least favorite foods are brussels sprouts and fish, and what she dislikes most in a person is their selfishness.
History: Setsuko would not remember this, but when she was a babe cradled in her mothers arms and a warm fleece blanket, was the first time either of them ever saw the Kimono Girls. Her mother watched them dance with such elegance that she was stunned by their synchronization and how simple they made their movements look. Further still, a trainer had come in to disrupt their casual performance for the sake of battling the Kimono Girls, and though the women did lose, they lost with such grace and battled so sincerely that this too was inspiring of the women. Had she not been so old or so burdened by her child, Setsuko's mother would have pursued the dream of joining their ranks for herself. As this was not the case, this was the moment that she set the dream for Setsuko instead.
***
The light fell across the floor, a hard and lazy substance not bothering to pierce the orange window curtains beyond one's most basic need for sight. It was hot and the room was filled with giggles and the light tinkling sound of metal make up containers. Setsuko stayed her hand above a chain of pearls, but she dared not touch the jewels as they did appear so precious. Akiko hummed appreciatively and reached across Setsuko with a delicate hand and greedily snatched the pearls. Setsuko had only recently met Akiko, they were each apprenticing beneath one of the Kimono Girls, their challenges in life were almost identical, including their doting mothers and strict mentors. However, unlike Setsuko, Akiko's family had much less income and this is what assured the value and importance of these pearls.
Setsuko blushed as Akiko's hands brushed her skin, attaching the chain to her neck. They were both so beautiful, and aware of it. Setsuko looked to the vanity mirror at which they sat and marveled in it for a moment. The two girls smiled and Akiko cocked her head upwards and sideways in a childish way for one three years older than Setsuko. Masa sat as a Vulpix and obediently silent batted at Akiko's daemon that was perched as a Chatot and snickering as he hopped from side to side. The moment itself was perfect, and appropriately ended with a bang as Akiko's mother threw open the door with an enraged look upon her brow. The young women were separated, and Setsuko sent home so that the rivals would know that that is what they were. The two women were going to be in competition with three others to place amongst the Kimono Girls as those to hold and represent the two newly discovered forms of Eevee's evolutionary possibilities, Glaceon and Leafeon. Setsuko's mother was just as displeased to have found what her daughter had been up to and had the child's father enforce the importance of professional relationships when it came to real world responsibilities.
***
The carpet smelled of powerful cleaning supplies. Setsuko sat up and took a deep breath, repressing her tears as she rubbed the carpet burn on the side of her face and reached for the encyclopedia. Her hair had tumbled down and her mentor was watching from the doorway; her mother was watching from the sofa. The young woman hurried as best she could with the posture the two were looking for in herself as she hurried to the mirror hanging from the wall. She produced several hair pins that rest atop her belt and tightened the hold on her hair further, this was perhaps more painful than the fall she'd just suffered. When her curls were secured, Setsuko made to balance the large book atop her head and started on her course again.
She was to walk to the table and then seat herself in the graceful manner of a geisha without loosing balance of the book. Setsuko hated her mother in this moment, for not realizing or caring how she pained. Her father, a cargo manager from Olivine, certainly cared not if his daughter was beautiful to anyone but himself ... but to Setsuko's 'handsome' mother from Cianwood, her belle from Ecruteak would do what she never could, even if she had to lose herself in the process. The young woman performed her task flawlessly with this thought in mind and refused to look at her mother as she applauded, her mentor sighed in the background.
***
The wind sighed through the trees and Masa trembled with the same exasperation. He floated as a Ghastly between the branches, rolling his large eyes, "Setsuko ..."
Her eyes darted in his direction, but she did not change her direction or action as she held her arms outstretched and walked across a sturdy tree branch as one would a tightrope one step at a time. As the branch narrowed in girth, Setsuko jumped to the following tree, landing on one bended knee. She took her gloved hand from the trunk of her landing space and swept back her hair, smiling at Masahiro. "It's not that dangerous ..." she pouted. Her daemon frowned.
"We don't need to end up barging in on a sleeping Pidgeotto," he insisted, floating in a circle around Setsuko's head. She bat him away and dusted down the end of her deep blue kimono with a disbelieving look, her dark lips pouting profusely. The young woman did know that her daemon was right, and sighed as she stood and then stepped off the tree, landing, though this time not so gracefully, so that her knees buckled. Setsuko knew how Masa hated having to dive down after her.
She caught her daemon and held the ball of gas in her arms, allowing for his head to turn around and admire the moonlit evergreens. "Thank you for coming out with me," Setsuko teased.
"Yeah ..." whispered Masa, "no problem..."
***
A ceremony was taking place; Setsuko's make up was applied much more accurately and artistically than it had been in that perfect moment with Akiko so long ago. There was applause and whistles echoing inside the dance theatre and from beyond the glass Setsuko could see her rival and another young woman being given their Eevees and their task of evolving them appropriately to take their place in the dance theatre. She didn't cry now, not for this. Her fingertips were cold against the window and her eye was watchful as her gaze twinkled praise and admiration, and sadness. The young woman had failed her mother, just as her mother had recently failed her. Setsuko's father was once again away on business, despite how she needed him now, despite how she needed someone to support her ... now that her mother had passed. The young woman had never known she was sick ... that she was so sick. She was too young to know, and too hurt to ask the doctors about what it was her mother had been keeping from her.
The medical site in Cianwood had smelled of death and illness ... its recuperative prowess had been questionable since Setsuko and her mother chose to travel there. She had thought it had been for more training before the final tests amongst the Kimono Girls, and had had no idea what their real destination was until they'd arrived. Setsuko had failed the test. She had used a borrowed Ledyba to fail terribly in battle and had stumbled while preparing tea, two huge errors made by none of her competitors. No one blamed her, but Setsuko had failed in learning to form a relationship with her mother and in gaining the right to take care of the woman, and she would not take their pity. Now, she had failed her mother's memory too. Setsuko needed a fresh start ... with an old, comforting dream.
She held her hand above her mother's golden pearls and decided then, that she would move away from these bittersweet memories and pursue a life as a Pokemon Breeder.
Masa sat upon her shoulder, a Minun at the moment. Setsuko did her best to smile reassuringly at her daemon, and appreciated the nuzzle as he pushed the top of his head up against her cheek. 'At least one constant would be a good thing,' she thought as she walked in full garb down the road to her empty house.
Career: Pokemon Breeder.
The Daemon
[/u][/size][/center]Name: Masahiro - Masa for short
Favorite Form's: Ghastly, Quilava, Aggron and Vulpix.
Appearance:
Like Setsuko, Masahiro takes on different guises to suit his needs. The daemon's preferred and most common appearance is that of a Ghastly. However when he is feeling compassionate or feels that Setsuko needs some light in her life, he will take on the guise of a Quilava. In addition to that when he wants to build up his ego and appear protective or aggressive, his preferred look is that of an Aggron. Lastly, when Setsuko must present herself in a kimono for serious events, Masa will dress up as well as a noble Vulpix. The daemon has no defining characteristics when in any state, but his modesty in this has always pleased Setsuko and abashed him.
Personality: Masa is a bold daemon, demonstrated by his defensive behavior in regards to his reserved host. However having learned from and with the girl, he will usually hold off speaking until spoken to and can thus appear as timid as Setsuko, when really if one were to get him talking, unlike Setsuko, Masa might never run out of things to say. He is very opinionated and concerned about the world around him and how it might negatively impact Setsuko. His own spirit breaks for her, but Masa has a hard time identifying with his own sadness, as he often felt alienated by Setsuko's lifestyle. Now that they are on their own, Masa is slowly gaging how extroverted they can be by Setsuko's readiness to move on. In the meantime, he has a fondness of baby pokemon and fully supports Setsuko in her interest of becoming a Pokemon Breeder. Masa is less classy than Setsuko and isn't afraid to speak his mind, though he will bite his tongue if his thoughts are too vulgar. This is simply due to his approach to enjoying the world around him, and his attempts to have others enjoy it as well. It can also be noted that in this regard, he and Setsuko take turns being each other's voices of reason.
