Post by Sakura Kaori on Dec 19, 2012 12:49:28 GMT -5
[/center][/font]KAORI
PlayBy: Kasuga Ritsu, Silver Rain
feel my essence touch your bones
Name: Sakura Kaori (“Fragrant Cherry Tree”)
Alias: Lady of the Blossoms
Race: Inu Taiyoukai
Age: 437
Gender: Female
Orientation: Heterosexual
Occupation/Class: Daimyo of the Dewa, Sado, and Echigo Provinces
listen to vanilla overwhelming your senses
Physical Description: Human and youkai alike have commented on Kaori’s exceptional beauty and elegance, and more than a few suitors have made their wishes of courtship known to her. Rather unimposing at 5’9” tall, with smooth, silken skin and soft, feminine features, a simple smile can bring a sense of warmth to a place, a feeling of comfort. Her long hair is the color of ivory, her eyes the color of the most vibrant cherry blossoms. She dons kimonos of fine silk, handcrafted and decorated with intricate embroidery, though she forgoes the heavily layered robes one would expect of a noble lady of her rank.
Personality Description: As a Daimyo (and a female one, to boot) Kaori is expected to obey certain protocols of behavior and respectability, as well as to partake in political, social, and economic affairs concerning her governed provinces. This she does with grace and remarkable wit, enough to challenge the whole of her court and caution all who may seek to remove her from power. In the face of a challenger who poses a threat to her rule and her people, she is more than formidable in both presence and power. However, above all, she is patient. May the gods have mercy on those who are fooled by her easy manner.
In any instance other than when dealing with her court or unruly warmongers, one may see a side of her that beckons to intellectual curiosity. She is playful, kind, and generous, and her view toward humans is rather positive despite their perceivably lesser qualities. She has even gone so far as to name a human to her court. A scandal, to be sure, but one she has willingly endured in hopes of achieving better relations with her human subjects.
Likes:
- Teasing men.
- Pushing the court’s “buttons”, so to speak.
- Relaxing in the cherry blossom orchard next to her estate.
- Taking long baths in the hot springs.
Dislikes:
- Challenges from opponents weaker than she is.
- Her court’s occasional lack of faith.
- Needless killing, especially of her own subjects.
- Dealing with idiots, to put it bluntly.
Strengths:
- Patience to withstand the seasons.
- Physical strength and agility beyond human means.
- Speed to challenge sound.
- Silence likened to the quiet before a storm.
- Loyal to loved ones, to a fault.
Weaknesses:
- Level of playfulness which makes others doubt her maturity.
- Anger, though slow to arise, which can distract her from what is most important.
- Doesn’t always seem to take others seriously when her life is threatened.
- Slightly rebellious in nature, when given the opportunities.
- Hard to become close to, despite her benevolent disposition.
Powers/Abilities:
- Manipulation of pheromones, and (effectually) states of emotion, especially in males. The effects of these pheromones are not definite for each individual, and depending on the strength of the person’s resolve to resist (as well as any prior attraction they may or may not have, physical or otherwise), the effects may appear non-existent, or rather a simply pleasant scent may greet them. (Certainly, inu youkai are more likely to be affected than others.)
- Manipulation of her scent as though it is a physical essence, as if becoming her. This goes hand in hand with the manipulation of pheromones in general, only in this case, she is “becoming” her scent. Like a ghost with the ability to touch, she does not appear to the naked eye but is able to touch objects as if in her physical, corporeal body. While, yes, this does make unable to be physically harmed, it is only an ability she receives either when she is immensely attracted to another individual or when she is in heat.
- Gentling of negative feelings through the sound of her voice. Her voice has a naturally smooth, gentle tone, but it also has soothing capabilities of the supernatural kind, as if her voice becomes the sweetest sound the “target” could hear.
- Transformation into greater youkai form. This form is simply that of a large white dog reaching a height of three building levels, and the size has yet to reach fullness, something to come at an even greater age.
Weapons: Kaori has only one weapon: a naginata made using the fangs of both her mother and father, fused together into one blade. Aside from being a symbol of her lineage and right to rule, this weapon features an ability which protects Kaori from physical onslaughts through the manipulation of surrounding energy, creating force fields of varying levels of energy, usually determined by the severity of her concentration. The less focused she is, the weaker the force field.
It deals out a nasty rejection to any other user, slowly stealing life from any wielder not capable of tossing it to the ground after its initial acidic reaction to foreign hands. Being wounded by the weapon will also steal life, equivalent to the wound’s severity. Any life force sealed in the weapon will automatically be used by Kaori when next she touches the weapon, acting as a healing agent to help her regenerate more quickly.
History: Among the first youkai families to take possession of the Northern lands, the Sakura family was prominent and widely respected as one of the most influential of them all. The great taiyoukai lord was swift to act in all matters of war and conflict, and his lady was no less involved in the politics of the land. Their constant attention to both youkai and human settlements made their subjects more and more aware of their presence, and their fairness and consistency earned them unwavering loyalty. In short order, an advisory court was established, and in each major settlement, human and youkai, was appointed an individual among themselves responsible for all menial conflicts and seasonal reports.
Both of Kaori’s parents were attentive to her, from childhood into maturity, and she was included in the decision-making of many major affairs in an attempt by her parents to help her develop a full understanding of the responsibilities their positions entailed. The settlements, mostly consisting of humans, eventually came to recognize the younger inu youkai, as she often accompanied either her parents or retainers to the villages on ventures of intrigue (or was chased by said accompaniments in order to reel her back to the estate where her presence was generally required). Although dealing with politics was not Kaori’s favorite pastime, it was one she soon had to embrace.
Due to some inter-province conflicts that drew her parents out to the borders of their territory, Kaori was left in the place of her parents as the one responsible for running the provincial affairs with the assistance of the court. Years passed, and while there was no word of anyone pressing in on their territory, there was also no word of her parents. More than five years passed before the question of rule arose among the court members, and few of them had confidence in Kaori’s present abilities to rule, not simply because she was female but also because she had not proven herself as responsible enough in their eyes. Nonetheless, playing the court as her mother taught her to, Kaori was able to convince most that no matter what they though, she had the right of rule by birth.
The lack of faith led some members of the court to resign from their positions, and Kaori’s later acquisition of a human member of the court led a few more to do the same. Now Kaori’s court consists of half the number of members as there were when her parents ruled. However, she remains insistent that having a human as part of the court is important to continue positive relations with the human settlements that are abundant throughout their provinces. While those remaining do somewhat agree, they all remain hesitant to include their newest court member in their discussions and continue to treat him as a creature beneath their worth. This has become Kaori’s primary consideration over the past six years, the first amount of time known for a human to serve in a youkai court.
RP Sample: Sitting up in the tree’s branches, surrounded by its beautiful blossoms and fragrance, she found she could finally relax, if only for a few moments. She had only wanted a moment’s peace. That was all, and yet . . . she found it increasingly difficult to attain such a luxury. The court was mumbling amongst itself now, wherever they happened to be, talking of one burnt town or another, perhaps a robbery. She felt lucky to have delegated someone else to handle the more minor problems. How did her father handle all of those treaties and provincial complaints? A time was coming where it would be much more difficult to hold on to her rule, and while she felt prepared to face it, she also felt frightened by the unknown future.
Cool, smooth bark met her hand, and she leaned her head back to take in the scent around her. Her chest rose and fell, twice, three times now. She just could not get enough. Her cherry-colored eyes stared up at the vibrant blue of the sky above, and a soft smile rose to her lips. The wind rushed to gather her hair and send it flying off to left. Fallen blossoms got stuck in the thick locks of her hair, but she paid them no heed. She recalled a moment back when her mother was home, when they would sit in the orchard and make up great stories, fantasies and wonderful feats of accomplishment, many centered on her father. She could tell by the way her mother spoke that she adored him, that she loved him.
Over the years, though, Kaori found that the only way she would likely mate would be if the court truly forced her to find one. Despite their continued obedience, she knew they still doubted her abilities. The addition of a human to her court did not help matters, and she had lost more than one more court member that needed to be replaced. A light chuckle escaped her. She was happy to ruffle the feathers of those youkai in her court. It made her boring, daily routines that much more entertaining. She would fight any fight that came her way if it threatened her rule. She always did.[/size][/blockquote]
Just let me know if it all makes more sense. XD