Kisaragi
Oct 12, 2016 21:10:38 GMT -6
Post by Kisaragi on Oct 12, 2016 21:10:38 GMT -6
Name: Kisaragi
Class: Myrmidon
Age: 16
Birthplace: Sacae
Personality: For the most part, the young swordswoman is pretty stable and staid. Forced to mature early, she is thoroughly practical and fairly no-nonsense about most things, with a stellar work ethic and dedication to training that have done much for her over the years; it can make for a bit of a divide to see a teenage girl clad in decidedly feminine clothing speak as straight as she does, blunt and to the point in a manner that many adults fail to achieve. In general she defaults to a combination fo calmness and politeness that shows her solid upbringing; she does a good job of being a 'good' girl so to speak. But that isn't to say that she's ACTUALLY 100% serious. Beneath the surface lies the heart of a dreamer, or a 16 year old girl, pick your poison, and neither of is entirely conducive to a perfectly rational and realistic view of the world. Being surrounded by war stories and tales of heroism and valor left their mark as well. Sometimes the little Sacaen forgets to distinguish between fantasy and reality and lets herself get a little carried away with her dreams. It happens more when she's hungry.
Years spent aiding others have engrained it in her psyche, both out of duty and desire; Kisaragi honestly believes that if it is in her power to help others, she should, regardless of the work involved, and she likes helping others anyways so it's not a big deal to her. Not really something heavily philosophical that she thinks about often or could even articulate very well if she tried. It feels good, and she knows she's supposed to do it, so she does. She doesn't handle overt gratitude very well at all, seeing it as just the right thing to do not some huge favor. That's not to say she hates it. While she doesn't go searching for it, her father was the classical Sacaen in one thing, if not much else - never that big on overt praise. She's never really thought about it that way but Kisaragi is a bit hungry for praise and very susceptible to it as a result... and to some degree flattery as well, though she can usually distinguish between the two.
While the loss of her mother at a young age didn't affect her as much as it could have, the realities of life afterwards and her father's absence combined to cultivate a fairly strong sense of independence - the realization that SHE has to be the one to take care of herself because others won't always be there for her. Uunfortunately she was born with a stubborn streak a mile long, and the realities of her growth means that the two things became intimately entwined on a level that would actually be quite impressive if it wasn't incredibly aggravating for others to deal with sometimes. Kisaragi does NOT like being wrong, does not like accepting her own weaknesses, and refuses to give up - ever. Not necessarily a good trait for a would-be warrior who may some day face a situation where they are clearly outmatched. She can also be a bit soulcrushing to try to argue with when she thinks she's right - and she ALWAYS thinks she's right - though if she does realize her failing she will join the struggle against, well, herself to right matters. Kisaragi is aware of these flaws so she struggles to keep an eye on herself and catch her own mistakes to avert these sorts of issues, which means that she usually manages to keep herself in check, but she is by no means perfect.
Being a sixteen year old girl does come with its downsides, and volatile emotions are as much a result of that as her own natural tendencies. She defaults to positivity but it isn't that hard to get the girl riled up, and she is nothing if not feisty when pushed, though usually sugarcoated in false politeness... more or less. On the bright side, being in tune with her emotions gives her a fairly good ability to read and empathize with people, bolstered by her natural good will, making her easy to talk to and get along with for most. She isn't perfect, but Kisaragi genuinely means well and wants to help people, and that shines through her actions as well as her demeanor. She isn't and probably never will be much of a leader, but there is a sort of natural charisma to her that recognizes the value of others, and she is happy to include them in her little world.
Kisaragi isn't really much of a philosopher and definitely isn't the best person to discuss highbrow concepts with in articulate, carefully-worded debate, but she does have a strong sense of right and wrong, mixed with a justice boner a mile long. Partially a result of her natural idealism and immaturity, partially a result of a solid sense of morality, she definitely believes in righting wrongs when she finds them, at least if it's something she can understand and do. She doesn't understand politics and truly large-scale issues at all, or at least not well enough to be confident in her decisions there, but if she happens upon injustice in her personal life she will stand against it.
Backstory: There is a saying among some circles; a curse disguised as a blessing. They say: "May you live in interesting times."
Born barely a year before the Bandit War began in 1279, Kisaragi has a certain degree of understanding of what those seemingly innocent words truly mean, even if she did not truly grasp them in her earliest formative years. She was only six years old when the Bernese War of Aggression began, casting a shadow over their peaceful life in the plains; it did not take much longer for her father to begin teaching her the very basics, despite her tender age. Not something that Mother was especially fond of, but to the small girl, time with her father was a dream come true - tired of him spending too much time in the dojo rather than with her. She was eight when he finally cast aside the peace of his early retirement to wield his blade again in the defense of home and country. Less than a year later, her mother died of an unknown illness, leaving her alone.
But she was never truly alone, for while their family were technically outsiders in the village, her father, once a famed swordsman, had protected and trained them since his retirement some years back. He had built bonds. And so the little girl found that she did indeed still have a family, one that supported her in her father's absence. In return, she did what chores she could around the village, building a hale body and an appreciation for others that curbed her independent streak. She learned a measure of responsibility, taking care of the dojo, supporting those who still trained there and picking up something of the basics. When her father returned, she greeted him with a smile, not quite the same darling girl that he had left - stronger in both mind and body; forced to mature beyond her years, but no less happy to see him again.
It was somewhat of an uneasy reunion given how much had changed, but it did not take long for their father-daughter bond to rekindle, and he was happy to see that she was in some ways following in his footsteps. Over the next several years, she grew from a girl to a young woman, continuing her practice of helping others in the village while spending most of the rest of her time learning the way of the blade from her father. It was - idyllic, at least to her, even if a life of hard labor, combat training, and none too rare bokken-flavored bruises was not exactly what most little girls aspired to in their innermost dreams. She had a solid talent for swordplay - not a natural genius, but talent, mingled with her phenomenal work ethic and the harsh but effective training of a master, and so she blossomed quickly in the art.
But there were so many expectations. From her father - looking to an heir to his legacy. From the villagers - expecting her to run the dojo when her father eventually passed; to keep protecting them. And there was the matter of their clan. The Deva had once been a great clan, many years ago, before betrayal broke them. Few had survived, individuals scattered to the wind. They were no longer a clan, and yet those few each carved their own legacy in Elibe. It was difficult to even find a Deva who had not left their mark as a peerless warrior or uncanny tactician. Her father had never made a point of their name, but word spread, and she heard the whispers from those who did know of it. What it meant.
So she left.
Kisaragi did not fear her responsibility. She did not think to shirk it, even if it was only a rationalization to explain away doing so. She did love her father, respect his skill, and - while not quite able to be honest with herself about it - she did dream of following his path. If she had thought about it enough, perhaps she would eventually have realized that in her own way, she DID want to continue the legacy of the Deva. Certainly no child wants to be the evolutionary dead end - the disappointment in the family tree.
But she would do it on her own terms. Her own way. She had to prove, more to herself than anyone else, that she was not simply coasting, relying on her father's instruction, nothing more than a natural-born genius handed the world on the silver platter. She wasn't afraid of greatness, but dimly understood that as she was, it could consume her; it was something she had to grow into, and she could not do that protected from every side by those who cared for and loved her, who would never allow her to come to harm, who would do everything in their power to give her advantages that others might not have.
It is also possible that being a teenage girl with more stubbornness than sense had something to do with it.