|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sat Jul 17, 2010 10:24 pm
███ ██ █ The Player » » »
I'm Kazu-chan. I've been on Gaia for several years now, though I did have a hiatus way back at the beginning a few months after I first signed up for the site. But since I've been back, I've pretty much been hanging out in the B/C community.
Outside Gaia, I spend a lot of my time with writing - when I'm not hit with writer's block or general laziness - playing video games or mmorpgs, and reading. I love creating new characters, which is probably why I seem to have hundreds of them.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jul 17, 2010 10:25 pm
███ ██ █ The Character » » »
o o o o o o o o o oName: Junko Takeba
o o o o o o o o o oAge: 16
o o o o o o o o o oHometown: Azhe
o o o o o o o o o oClass: Mage » Fire || Future Shaman
o o o o o o o o o oApproximate Height: 5'2"
o o o o o o o o o oBody Build: Small, lean, slender with curves
o o o o o o o o o oHair Color: Black
o o o o o o o o o oEye Color: Olive green
o o o o o o o o o oSkin Tone: Tanned
o o oThe Name » » »
Junko comes from the Japanese and can mean either 純 (jun) "genuine, pure" or 順 (jun) "obedient" combined with 子 (ko) "child." As Junko is a rather obedient child, the name seemed quite fitting.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jul 17, 2010 10:27 pm
███ ██ █ The Chosen » » »
Junko examined the small violet blossom, the first to bloom of her more recently planted flowers. It was small but beautiful and also delicate. Flowers could be destroyed far too easily, and the thought made her sad. She almost hated to pluck off this young blossom and cut its life short. But it looked, in all aspects, perfect. She wanted to add it to her album after pressing it. With a smile on her face, she carefully removed the flower from the plant. She hummed quietly as she flipped open the random book that she had brought out with her to the garden. Then she arranged the flower in the manner she wanted it on one side of the open book. After she had it in just the way she liked, she closed the book, careful not to jostle the delicate flower. Junko felt happiest when she was working in the garden surrounded by flowers. She always considered it a good day when she found something new to add to her album.
With the book clutched to her chest, Junko stood from her crouch. She wanted to hurry back to her room and stack more books on top of the one in which she placed the flower for better pressing results. She left the garden, ignoring the trail of dirt she left from her bare feet as she entered her home. Her mother would give her a yelling when she saw the tracks that Junko left. Then Junko would be forced to clean up the mess. But worrying about that would come later, after she finished with the more pressing matter.
As she wondered the hallways of her family's estate, Junko spotted a man exiting her father's office. It wasn't all that unusual to see strangers coming in and out of their home. Her father Masaru oversaw the affairs of the town where they lived. People came all the time to discuss various matters or to seek his approval before starting on projects. Her happy grin melted away to a polite smile as she nodded to the man who passed her. She glanced over her shoulder, frowning at the man's back as he headed toward the front door of their house. He looked nothing like anyone from their area, and Junko didn't recognize him as anyone from their town. Who was that man? Why did he come to see her father? The questions rolled about inside her head never to be answered, as it was not her place to ask about her father's work. Putting it out of her thoughts, Junko strolled past her father's office on her way to her room.
"Junko," Masaru called out when he spotted her walking past the open doorway to his office.
Junko flinched. She couldn't recall doing anything to disobey her parents. She always tried her best to remain as obedient as possible, especially when there was something she hoped to get as a reward for her good behavior. The polite smile slipped back onto her face as she turned and entered the office. "Yes, Father?" She stared at him with the most innocent face she could muster.
Her expression faltered when Junko noticed her mother sitting beside her father. Kimiko held a handkerchief, twisting it between hands. Her knuckles were nearly white from how tightly she held that handkerchief. That alerted Junko to the fact that something was wrong. It had to be something big because her mother didn't even seem to notice the dirt on Junko's feet or the messy trail left behind when she walked. Masaru wore a frown. His downcast eyes were shadowed. As the silence stretched on, Junko grew even more worried about being called in to her father's office. What happened while she was in the garden? Before she went outside, everything was normal. Now there seemed to be a dark cloud hovering over her parents.
"Is something-"
"Junko," Masaru said, interrupting her question. Junko bit her tongue to hold off asking anything more. Masaru sighed as he ran one of his hands over his face. He suddenly seemed aged and weary, like something had sucked away his life. "You," he said in an unusually quiet, hesitant voice, "were chosen."
"What?" Junko almost wanted to laugh at the statement. It was a bizarre thing for her father to say. She was chosen? It was ridiculous. But she didn't laugh. She merely stared at her parents as numbness took hold of her body. Chosen? Her? How? Why? It wasn't making any sense to her.
"You're to become a Sacrifice," Masaru explained more clearly, like his previous statement was too cryptic to understand.
Kimiko released a strangled sound as though holding back a sob. It was understandable that this news would cut so deeply into her. Even conceiving one child had been difficult on her. Having a second child was next to impossible. Junko never fully understood what was wrong with her mother's body to make it so hard for her to have children. It was one of those things that simply weren't talked about in their family. And now, the one child that she would ever have was being taken away from her. It was such a cruel twist of fate.
"N-" Junko tried to speak, but the word clung to the inside of her throat, refusing to be said. She never argued with her parents. She never disobeyed them. Even now, when she so desperately wanted to fight what her father said, Junko found she was unable. Her hands curled tight around the book she held, and she ground her teeth in frustration.
Fate was cruel thing. It cared nothing for the people that it constantly tossed around and sent into turmoil. Junko hated it. It wasn't fair. Again, any hope of choosing the direction of her life was snatched away from her, and she would be placed on this new, unchangeable course. What choice did she have? She couldn't fight against fate. She couldn't even argue with her parents. Obedience had a heavy price, sometimes forcing her to do something she really didn't want to.
With her head lowered and her gaze focused on her dirty feet, Junko whispered softly, "I understand."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jul 17, 2010 10:32 pm
███ ██ █ The Beginning » » »
o o oFamily Ties » » »
o Masaru Takeba
» Father to Junko
» Current Age of 41
» Married Kimiko when he was 23
» Masaru is a hard working man who grew up in a middle class family. Things in life didn't always come easy for him. He had to work much of his early life to survive. Even after he married into a noble family, Masaru still believed that all his hard work would pay off in the end. He wants to give his daughter the best things life has to offer, but he does not want her to become spoiled by an easy life. He refuses to have more than a few staff working in his home to help with maintaining it. Though he can be quite strict on his daughter, Masaru is a kind man who tries to do his best to keep everyone in his town happy, though that task can be difficult at times.
o Kimiko Takeba
» Mother to Junko
» Current Age of 38
» Married Masaru when she was 20
» Kimiko was born into a noble family. She lived a privileged life and was quite snobby in her youth. She cared little about the lower classes, feeling nothing about them was of concern to her. She did little work except in the gardens surrounding her house. It wasn't until her teen years when she met Masaru that her view on the world took a sudden turn. At first, she didn't much care for him, as he came from a lower class than her. But over time, she grew to know him better. He opened her eyes to what she had blinded herself to all those years. He taught her how to do things for herself, like how to cook. When they got married, Kimiko decided she didn't want her child to have the same poor outlook on lower classes that she did growing up. Learning to live with a much, much smaller staff in the house was a challenge, but one she was willing to live with to better the life of her child.
o o oFamily Life » » »
Living under her parents' rules and constant control over her life hasn't always been the easiest thing in the world. Many people might think that her parents are too strict on her. But she knows that her parents set boundaries as a way of protecting her. But at times, she really hates all their rules and can feel like she has no real control over her own life.
o o oFuture As a Sacrifice » » »
Junko is less than happy with the announcement that she is to become a Sacrifice. She hates that any control of running her own life is gone again. While her parents held control over pretty every aspect of her life, Junko still found some wiggle room under them. But being chosen as a Sacrifice, she believes any wiggle room is gone, and she will have no control whatsoever in how to live her life. But her obedience won't allow her to try to rebel against her fate. Junko is reluctant about becoming a Sacrifice and will find it hard to accept this new life. But given time, she might. Like with her acrobatics, she will put in the time and dedication to learning and honing the skills they teach her.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jul 17, 2010 10:33 pm
███ ██ █ The Form » » »Quote: » » » User Information
Username: Kazu-chan
Tier Level: ONE» » » The Sacrifice» General Information
Name: Junko Takeba
Age: 16
Hometown: Azhe
Class: Mage » Fire || Future Shaman
Weapon: Staff
» Detailed Information
Approximate Height: 5'2
Body Build: Small and lean
Hair Color: Black
Hair Style: Reference idea
Eye Color: Olive green
Skin Tone: Tanned
Expression: Serious or annoyed
Detailed Clothes Description: Artistic freedom
Weapon Description: Artistic freedom
Accessories: Artistic freedom» Personal Information
Personality:
From an early age, Junko learned that it was better to be obedient to her parents rather than rebelling against their rules. If she behaved, she would be rewarded with something she wanted. But if she acted out against her parents' wishes, she would be punished and her parents would take something important to her away until she started behaving again. In her one attempt to rebel against her parents constantly making decisions for her, Junko decided she wanted to take up acrobatics at the age of eight. Perhaps she was inspired by the passing thought of running away to join the circus after her parents took her to one. This only attempt didn't work as well as she hoped. Her parents weren't too happy with the request, but since Junko had been so well behaved, they decided they couldn't say no. But they were pleased to see how much dedication Junko put into learning acrobatics.
Junko is very diligent in whatever work she undertakes, whether it's working on her acrobatic skills to chores to studies. She takes it all very seriously and works hard on everything she does. She dedicates a lot of her time to learning and improving on her skills, no matter how difficult something is for her, such as cooking. Her mother feels cooking is a necessary skill for her daughter to have. Unfortunately, most of Junko's attempts at cooking come out as inedible mush. But she is determined in succeeding to make at least one edible dish.
Having grown up under her parents' control did have another effect on Junko other than simply encouraging her obedience. When thrust into places where her parents aren't there to dictate the rules, Junko often feels lost and disorient. She considers her first days attending a school to be one of her most terrifying moments. Until then she hadn't really interacted with children her own age. But with time, she can adapt to the new environment and become more comfortable with it.
While she appears very serious on the outside, like someone who doesn't often let her emotions show, Junko has a soft side for animals she deems as "cute." But what she thinks of as cute isn't simply just puppy dogs and kitty cats. She finds animals like spiders and snakes cute as well. She also has a love for flowers. Gardening is probably one of the few chores she actually enjoys doing. She loves all the colors and fragrances that flowers come in. She feels really happy when surrounded by an array of beautiful flowers. There is no great reason behind her love for them. Ever since she was little, she always had a great interest in flowers. She likes to pluck flowers and press them to keep in an album.
Junko doesn't often let the little things bother her. Her parents always expect her to be on her best behavior, so she lets the little annoyance slide away, ignoring them. But she has one pet peeve that really pushes her buttons. She can't stand when people crack their knuckles. The sound of it just grates on her nerves. It takes only seconds before she snaps at the person to cease with the obnoxious activity.
History: Junko is the sole child of Masaru and Kimiko. As the daughter of a nobleman, Junko learned quickly that she had to present herself in a proper manner when in public. Her parents encouraged her to act obediently by offering little rewards when they felt she deserved it. But her parents worried that giving her whatever she wanted simply because she was being obedient might make her seem a little spoiled. Her father wasn't born into the wealthy class and had to work hard most his life before married Kimiko and became a nobleman through marriage. Masaru wanted to instill some work ethic into his daughter to teach her that not everything would be handed to her on a silver platter. While they do have a staff to help maintain their home, Junko was given chores, such as cleaning her own room and helping with the cooking under her mother's orders and given her own little plot in the garden for growing flowers. Her mother was an avid gardener from the time she was a little girl, and Junko seemed to inherit that same love for flowers.
At the age of eight, Junko grew frustrated with doing everything her parents wanted her to do. She wanted to be able to do something she wanted for once. After her parents took her to see traveling circus that stopped by their hometown, Junko decided she wanted to learn acrobatics. She doubted her parents would ever let her, thus giving her the chance to play the "but I've been a good girl" card. Her parents weren't very happy with the idea, but they caved to the request, deciding it was better to give in then ruin their system of keeping their daughter obedient. They also suspected that if they said yes, Junko might get bored with it after only a few lessons. But Junko ended up loving acrobatics and became very dedicated to practicing it and improving her skills. Despite their initial unhappiness with the activity, her parents ended up proud to seeing their daughter working so hard at something she enjoyed.
Much of Junko's life has been sheltered. She attends a school with her peers but also has private tutors to help with anything she might not have understood at school. She works hard her studies, knowing it's better to get that done first to give her more free time later. The friends she makes have to undergo an approval by her parents. They worry about her and don't want to see her hang out with the "wrong" crowd who might influence Junko to participate in inappropriate activities. Masaru has never approved of any boy looking to date his daughter, so Junko has little experience in that area.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jul 18, 2010 7:16 pm
Kazu-chan hereby agrees to all disclaimers and copyrights to the
ideas and ideals set forth by Sacrifices of Ciphar and its staff.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jul 23, 2010 5:44 pm
Overall, you have a very concrete concept, but I'd love to see it expanded! I'm really liking what I'm seeing of Junko...but I'd like to, for instance, know more about her parents and what they're like...how they might influence her just beyond 'setting rules'.
I'd also like to see a bit more of Junko's personality, possibly hints of how she might react once free from the confines of her family duties. After all, she's going to be tossed in with a whole lot of new people who will rather expect her to be herself.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jul 24, 2010 4:07 pm
Thank you again for the help, Sephiros!
I've gone back and add/expanded on what you suggested.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jul 24, 2010 7:09 pm
I like the expansion you did, Kazu. I read it before it was even marked for crits and enjoyed it. It's even better now.
I think she will come into her own at some point. It might be difficult for her in the beginning but I think she will find her wiggle room again. Good luck in the contest.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Aug 01, 2010 8:07 pm
Thanks.
I think it will be fun to watch her grow and become more independent and learn to act on her own without some authoritative figure to control her. 8D;;
Does anyone have anymore crits?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
