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About Shiori:

Basics:

Name: Tonbo Shiori

Meaning of Name: Dragonfly Bookmark; guide

Age: 22

Marital Status: Single, the man she was betrothed to died in battle against the Dark a year before their wedding was supposed to be. Her parents have not yet found a suitable replacement. She is being allowed some small amount of say in this...probably why they're having such difficulty.

Romantic Status: Currently, none. And she's not interested in one. Shiori enjoys being able to devote herself to her studies.

Family:

Mother: Tonbo Cho

A sweet, gentle sort of woman. Cho married in from the Opal clan. She's the scholarly sort, though she's also known for dabbling a bit in politics...inasmuch as she's willing to host parties and knows proper etiquette and all that, more than having any real political ambition. She's fragile, though, and so her husband takes tender care of her. All three of the pregnancies she went through were difficult, and Kazuhiko has declared that he will not allow her to try any more for fear that it will cost her life. Cho isn't sickly, just very small and delicate.

Father: Tonbo Kazuhiko

Kazuhiko is surprisingly militaristic for a member of his clan. He prides himself on his ability in a fight, and is driven by the desire to ensure that his family not be injured by members of the Obsidian clan still seeking revenge. He seeks allies openly, to build his own personal forces. He is one of the leaders of his family, and is clearly in charge of the family's military forces, only outranked by the Clan Daimyo. He isn't, however, a completely heartless soldier. He has a soft spot for his little Cho, and for his girls, though he and Aki tend to have discrepencies. Kazu is a good man, if a bit forceful in personality to outsiders.

Sisters:

Tonbo Eiko-- Boisterous and loud. Eiko was married to a high-ranking member of the Citrine clan, of all beings, and fits in there perfectly. She has some of the small features of her mother and sisters, but is in general taller and a bit more muscled than any of them. Eiko is not likely to show up anytime soon, as she's virtually cut off all ties with her family other than the occasional note that she's still alive and having another child or some such. She has two children so far, at the tender age of twenty, she married promptly at fifteen as she was eager to be out of Peridot territory.

Tonbo Hitomi-- The exact opposite of her older twin sister, Hitomi is sweet, quiet, and delicate like her mother. She has even more beauty, and Kazu is nearly as protective of her as he is of his wife. Shiori joins in this, and while Hitomi is not spoiled, she's certainly quite sheltered. She's twenty and a talented water Shugenja already with tons and tons of promise in her abilities. She's been allowed more leeway as far as choosing a future husband, and is not yet married, though the choices are getting narrower by the day.

Brother:

Tonbo Aki-- Shiori's older brother. He's happily married and lives peacefully about as far from his father as possible while still staying in Peridot territory. Akii's more pacifistic like Shiori herself, but he's also more openly against military action. He doesn't appreciate the military, insisting that it only flames the fires of anger the Obsidian Clan has against them and brings their attention. The more the forces amass, the less he gets along with his father. He does, however, get along relatively well with Shiori and she looks up to him nearly as much as she does her own father.

Likes: Waterfalls, Rain, Hot tea, Cold climates (well, she did grow up in the mountains afterall), the Emerald clan, Tattoos

Dislikes: Expensive fabrics, money troubles, hot climates, small rodents, and tea ceremonies

Fears: Enclosed spaces-- this qualifies as a phobia. Shiori is -terrified- of being shut into a small area.

Hobbies: Meditation under a waterfall. She enjoys reading histories as well, and philosophies. Shiori tends to attempt writing her own bits of philosophy occasionally, but in secret, and she usually burns them in the end. Enjoys horseback riding in a more recreational sense on occasion. Also, quite talented with Origami.

Appearance:
Hair: Cut short, Shiori's hair is a deep ebony black. She shaved it when she first joined the Dragon Order of the Emerald Clan, but has since let it grow out a bit. She still prefers to keep it to about chin length, however. It's soft and wispy, often falling into her eyes if she does not put it back with a comb or two. Thin as well, making it blow about in even the slightest breeze. It drives her mad on occasion, and it's likely she'll shave it all off again someday.

Eyes: Soft brown, they're a bit pale for a brown shade, but otherwise stunningly normal. They're framed by thin, lightly curled lashes that do absolutely nothing to make them prettier. She...uh..doesn't care to wear any sort of makeup either, and so her eyes slip into a sort of nondescript area of her face.

Face: Elegant lines. Shiori's face gives off the perfect impression of, say, an elf, with exotic high cheekbones and defined, though not sharp, features. Her eyes are slightly tilted upwards as well, rather than being just almond-shaped. The woman's lips are petite and her mouth small to match the rest of her body. Her nose, on the other hand, is a bit on the pronounced side, and probably the most easily recognizable feature on her face.

Body: Tiny. As her people are descended from members of the Opal clan and the Emerald clan, Shiori is both short and lean. While her days in training have given her some small amount of muscle, she still leans more towards waif-ish than athletic, particularly as she enjoys the more scholarly pursuits of the monk training than the physical pursuits.

Distinguishing features: Not having seen battle so far in her life (though, as a Peridot it is quite inevitable that she will have to upon returning to her family) her body remains un-scarred. She does, however, have tattoos. The first is an arrowroot one which gives her some small ability to heal others. This tattoo decorates her left arm. On her back shoulder, next to her third tattoo is a tattoo of a hummingbird with flowers surrounding it. The third tattoo reaches from her right shoulder to her right cheek, the image of a bellflower, with the flower and its five petals sitting on her cheek. She also recently got a tattoo of a chinese-style dragon that goes across her back, from bottom to top on her left side with the dragon's head on her shoulder blade. This tattoo is the only one that is not in colour. On the lower back, beside the dragon, is a lotus blossom.

Clothing: Less is more. Shiori prefers to wear less cumbersome clothing, and given the Emerald's propensity for clothing which shows off skin and tattoos...well, it is safe to say that the majority of Shiori's clothing does both of these. It is rare that she is found wearing a shirt which has sleeves, and nearly as rare that she is found with one that does not show a bit of shoulder or stomach. More often than not, she simply has wrappings around her chest so as not to be completely indecent, and a pair of loose, baggy pants as is the style amongst her fellows. She prefers shades of green and gold, as those are popular in the Emerald territories where she currently lives. When possible, however, she wears blue or brown as well as gold, in honour of her own clan.

Personality:

Usual Moods: Primarily calm and balanced. Shiori is, to all appearances, at one with the world. She has a tendency to spout out words of (seeming) wisdom on occasion, and enjoys offering advice frequently. Shiori is not the sort to burst out in cheerful song, but neither is she the sort to brood silently in the corner. While not meek, Shiori tends to be quieter than most, and slower in her speech, as though she's mulling over her thoughts even as she's speaking them.

Character Interaction: Polite. Shiori doesn't go out of her way to start conversations, but when they happen, she takes a polite interest in whatever the other person begins talking about. She will voice her own opinions on the matters, or thoughts really. She's a terrible liar, though, so she tends to be sometimes painfully honest in her observations. It's not that she doesn't have tact-- she will avoid saying things that she believes will hurt others if possible, but if you ask her for an honest answer, you will receive it without any sugar coating.
Amongst those she is comfortable with, she drops some of the formality. She is more likely to smile and joke a bit, more likely to start a conversation. She is particularly interested in those varieties of people who are interested in some of the same things that she is, and loves to meet fellow monks in particular, though scholars have a place in her heart as well.

Personal Interaction: Shiori is even more tranquil alone than she is around others. She prefers quiet, easy pasttimes that help this sense of calm. Most of her days are spent in meditation or reading/philosophizing. She believes that she can unravel the mysteries of the world if she works hard enough to do so, and whatever future relationship she is in, the man may be in for a rather difficult time. Or not. She does, afterall, make time in her schedule to keep up with those whom she cares for, and is entirely devoted to said people. Shiori is loyal to a fault, refusing to see anything negative about those she loves, which is why she is often put between her brother and father to mediate. She's good at seeing both sides of an argument, and at mediation from a completely neutral standpoint...so long as someone she loves isn't involved, of course. She'll do her best even if they are, but finds it difficult at best.

Way of Life: Shiori believes in peace and tranquility. She sticks to the tenets of pacifism that many of her predecessors practice, and will not take a life unless by mistake. She will attack if attacked first, however, she does not believe in pre-emptive defense. Her focus is on the more positive, peaceful activities of life.

History:

Heritage: Shiori is, surprisingly, an actual line descendent of the Tonbo line. Her family can trace their history directly to the original Emerald and Opal couple that began it all. During the time when the Obsidian clan destroyed the original host of Peridot members at the base of the foothills, they were off on a diplomatic mission, and so were in luck. Ultimately, her family has consisted primarily of monks and water-based shugenja, and their ties lie strongly within the Emerald and Opal clans above all else. Her personal rank is as the second oldest child and oldest daughter of her family. It is only slightly possible that she may become a Daimyo, and this would hinge on not only her brother's passing over, but the passing over of a few cousins who also have strong ties to the original Tonbo lines. Her lack of political intention, however, makes it highly unlikely that she will find a place in the ruling class of her Clan. Unless she marries an ambitious man, of course, though she tends to shy away from that variety.

Home Life: Shiori's family life was...somewhat strict. Her father kept a tight ship, but cared deeply for his girls in particular, and so allowed some lenience in their interests. He and Cho both made sure a proper etiquette was instilled in all of the children's lives, though Eiko took to it least of all. Aki first started disagreeing with his father around age ten or so, when he was beginning to search out a school that would suit his learning abilities and talents. He ended up going the way of the scholar, and went to an Opal school to learn. It was there that he met his future wife, though his parents had originally had different, unofficial ideas. Still, it would cement the ties with Opal lands, which Kazu felt would boost their military as well. He took his wife to the very borders of Opal and Emerald territories to build his house and continue his learning. Shiori was promised at a very young age to a high-ranking member of the Emerald ruling family. Unfortunately, during his training he was sent on a mission to the Dark to prove himself and was Tainted and eventually killed. Shiori was devastated. She'd known him since childhood, and the two were good friends, though neither knew whether it would become a form of love. She begged her father to allow her to travel to Emerald lands for her schooling, and to become a member of the monk order, feeling that meditation would help to soothe her. It did. Her parents decided that she would be allowed some say in her next marriage arrangement, because of the tragedy involved with her first. Most of Shiori's leanings are within her order, but her parents continually try to convince her of the importance of a more political match. Eiko, on the other hand, was easily enough swayed and left home with no qualms whatsoever and a laugh.

Tattoo refs:

http://tattoo.about.com/library/graphics/humbird1128.jpg
http://bp1.blogger.com/_YGLQQZTHoU0/SBtppADM0CI/AAAAAAAACZQ/gMsgmaRKCUE/s1600-h/arrowroot.jpg
http://www.shortcourses.com/naturelog/creeping-bellflower-01.jpg
http://www.instablogsimages.com/images/2007/08/20/full-back-tattoo_18.jpg
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vtyo4Tlz_k0/R0Ysb9ZqtHI/AAAAAAAAAgU/TLp4zYuzol8/s1600/chinese+dragon+tattoo.jpg
http://pomac.netswarm.net/misc/DragonTattoo3.jpg

Reserved

Shiori attempts to figure out wtf to do with Ajiiel

Meeting Malas

Here

Ajii goes to the HQ

Here

Shiori tugged the little girl along, trying to get her to walk faster. For her part, Ajiiel was trying the best she could, but her balance was completely off-- this smaller form with its chubbier features was a lot harder to manipulate than the tall, slim being she had once been. Frustrated, she was about to plop down on the ground.
Kisala had insisted on a trip to the beach. She'd never been, but she loved boats and the idea of sailing, and such. Besides, she and Ajii both liked being outside in the warm weather.

Dartsmoore wasn't the sun and sand type. Never had been, never would be. She was also not the bikini wearing, skin bearing, sunny days at the seashore kind of girl. Were it not for others, she'd never set foot in such a place at all. Sadly though, there were others to worry about. Her ice-loving redheaded god had been having a wonderful time over the past while, playing in the snow and such. But her snakely toddler crimminal had not been as pleased. And now with the shedding of skin he'd started to have as his new growth set in, the woman felt she should reward him with a trip to a place he'd like.

Kahlua disliked the t-shirt, shorts and flip-flops he had to wear, and this strangely hot area. He was an ice god! He should not have to endure this heat and yucky sand! Clinging to Dartie's hand, he hoped she went into a cool cabana or something for drinks. He'd be able to get something cold with lots of ice in it, he hoped.

Bailey, on the other hand, was the happy one of the trio. His newly styled hair bounced happily as he attempted to skip in the sand. The boy'd never skipped before, even when he was fully grown. For someone who'd previously not even had legs, he was doing pretty damn good at this walking thing. Better then Kahlua, who tired fast and tended to want to ride piggyback when he got sick of attempting to walk. Bailey and Dartsmoore both had a feeling that the boy was just being spoiled and bratty and lazy, and so when he did want up, he didn't get it.

Cheerfully, the boy looked around, trying to figure out the first thing he could do. Dartie was watching him out of the corner of her eye, as per usual, but she'd let him walk by himself. This was his playtime afterall.


Ajiiel had been perfectly accustomed to the desert in her previous form-- though she'd needed technological help moderating her body temperature, given her reptilian biology.
Still, she enjoyed the temperature here just fine. It was her mother she was not enjoying. While the woman had decided to put Ajiiel and Kisala in swimsuits, she was wearing something more her usual fare, and was just starting to realize that she probably should have put sunscreen on Kisala. Her own skin and Ajiiel's were dark enough to take the sun, but Kisala was awfully pale.
She looked at Dart and her two boys as they walked nearby, and smiled,
“Hello….would you happen to have sunscreen on you?” she asked, grabbing Ajiiel so that the little girl could not suddenly dart forward and try to bite one of the children. She was eyeing the small shiny one with rather more interest than Shiori felt was safe for the little boy.

Dartsmoore blinked a few times. "No, I don't believe so. I passed some sort of boutique that tried to sell me such a thing, but I didn't know what it was for so I didn't bother getting any." she said, pointing back a ways to the small hut-like store.

Bailey looked curiously at the funny purple scaled girl. Grinning cheerfully, he walked over and waved to her.


"It's to keep their skin from burning," she motioned to the pale little girl splashing about in the waves already in the distance, "While I do not think I have to worry about Ajiiel or myself, I think that it would be best to put some on Kisala."

Ajiiel immediately thrust herself forward as Bailey came towards her, eyeing him carefully-- the shinyness was probably the only thing that kept her from biting him. "Llo."

Bailey blinked at her a few times and smiled. "Hoisssssss" he hissed, forked tongue poking out a bit as he tried to speak.


Ajiiel blinked, not so easily intimidated. She lunged as if to start biting him, but Shiori caught her and pulled her back, "No. No biting, Ajiiel."

The girl made an unhappy face, but didn't bother crying. She knew it wouldn't do any good to cry with Shiori.

The woman gave Dart an apologetic look, "Sorry. As near as I can figure out, Ajiiel's a little angry about her 'lot in life' and so she takes it out on everyone else." She let Ajiiel have a little bit of leeway and the girl headed back over to Bailey, though again she didn't look like she was ready to bite him just yet.

Bailey blinked a few times and attempted to do as he'd have done in his previous body, baring his fangs. Sad thing was, they were a bit more shrunken in this form so not as intimidating. Anyway, she prolly didn't care. But a threat was a threat. "hiiiiiiisss!"

Dartie shrugged. "Well, if she bites Bails, he can bite her back. And if he doens't, that's his problem."


Shiori was not used to parents being so casual about the idea that Ajiiel might bite their child-- most didn't want anything to do with the little girl after they found out she bit.

The girl made a face at Bailey, but decided not to bother trying to bite him again-- her mother was paying too much attention just now-- instead, she observed his shiny skin, poking him in the arm. "Shiny." she said.

Bailey blinked a few times. He was unfamiliar with that word. "Shy-nee?" he asked and looked up at Dartsmoore for clarification.

"Oshna." was the word from the woman before she turned back to Shiori. "I'd prolly be a bit more worried about him but he grew up once and managed to be bad enough of a crimminal to get stuck in a baby form so I highly doubt not knowing how to defend himself is a plausible excuse. Kahlua has an excuse but if Bails doesn't defend himself, it's his own fault."


Shiori blinked at this, looking at the child curiously, "Really? Ajiiel as well was once a criminal. She was a..." she searched for the word she had not been able to understand when Archie told her, "bounty hunter. And a thief." She looked at the little girl. She certainly didn't look like either of those things in this form..but she could believe it of her, with how inclined she was to violence even as a baby.

Ajiiel nodded, poking him again, "Shiny. You." She pointed to her own silvery-white scales, "Little shiny."

Dartsmoore looked down at Bailey. "No clue what this goofball did. That Archie guy didn't tell me much. I don't think he even wanted to give Bails to me....though I wouldn't blame him. He met me in a bar."

Bailey blinked and looked. "Ooh. Oshna...Shiny." he said, nodding with slight understanding. Looking at her scales he tried to think for a minute. Poking them he smiled. "Pretty."

Shiori smiled, "I don't know what a bounty hunter is, but I can certainly imagine she was a thief. She likes to take things around the house."

Ajiiel looked very pleased indeed with this pronouncement, and all traces of a desire to bite Bailey seemed to leave. "Pretty...me?" she asked. Darn the limited vocal skills of this body!

Bailey nodded. "Pretty." he assured her. Most of his race was silver, male, and tended to have black hair and white skin. So a purple and dark brown girl with scales was neat to encounter. He'd not even seen one of those during his...'time'.

"A bounty hunter seeks out people who've got bounties put on their heads and captures said people and takes them into the people offering the bounty to recieve payment."

Ajiiel squeaked delightedly, moving closer. When she heard what Dartsmoore said, she looked up at the woman. She remembered doing that. She wished she still could. She liked hunting things down, whether they were people or things. Kisala did too-- she'd had a treasure hunt with her little friends for Christmas before Ajiiel had been there, but she and Shiori had talked about it around her and she'd -definitely- been jealous of that.

Shiori nodded thoughtfully, "What is a bounty, though? And why would someone put them on their head?"

Ajiiel made a face. Her adoptive mother could be so naive sometimes. She refocused her attention on Bailey. "Shiny." she said again, smiling, then reached out to run her fingers through his ponytail. "Soft."

Dartsmoore snickered a bit at that. "A bounty is a term for a sum of money or items given as a prize for something. Bounty hunters get the people or items requested so as to obtain said bounty, which is usually large sums of money. When a bount is 'put on someone's head' it's a figure to speech to mean that someone wants that person captured or killed. I've got a friend whose a bounty hunter. That's how she met. Some idiot put a bounty on me for like a week."

Bailey was slightly amused and confounded by this. Playing with his hair wasn't a common action either. It'd been so ragged looking upon his capture because he didn't bother with it and neither did anyone else. Dartsmoore had been the first to actually take a notice of how bad of a condition it was in. "Fankoo." he said happily, reaching out to feel her hair

Ajiiel grinned at this response. She knew what the next question Shiori would have was...but she wasn't sure the woman would ask it. She returned her attention to Bailey, "Welk." she said softly. She would allow him to touch her hair-- which was really rather thick, but straight and sleek.

Shiori considered this. She wasn't sure -why- a person would want to have another person brought in for money, but...she had already asked enough questions. "Would you mind watching Ajiiel for just a second, so that I can get some sunscreen for Kisala?"

"If you take Kahlua to get some too. I'm sure if that girl needs some, Ice-boy does too." she said, indicating the slightly red-cheeked boy at her side. Kahlua was not fond of this climate one bit. He wanted snow! Or at least ice!

Bailey smiled happily and half pet the soft hair. "Smoof."

Shiori smiled, "How about it?" she said to Kahlua, "I'll get him something cool to drink too. With cheeks that red, he is probably a bit too hot."

Ajiiel almost sulked about being left behind. But, she'd rather stay here with the shiny boy anyhow. Maybe in a few years, she could sell him on the black market or something. ...or keep him around to compliment her. She liked that.

"Yeah probably. I was planning on taking him over to that shady bar area and getting him one of those sugarsnow things, but well, we got distracted." she said with a shrug, letting the child go.

The words "cool drink" registered in Kahlua's head, from having had several of them at lunchtimes and after playtime, so he rushed over to the funny woman. If Meima Dartie was allowing it, it was prolly safe.

Bailey had been in the process of feeling this girl's hair when he noticed something odd on his shiny arm and yelped in surprise and fear, yanking it back. His scales had been shedding a bit lately, leaving some blue-green patches underneath, but one of those seemed to have shed as well, leaving a bright red patch of scales upon his arm. They were a smoother, more powerful looking color then his regular scales, and stood out quite a lot. These new scales also seemed to be a good bit stronger, but still as smooth and lovely.

Open rp here