Post by Kanako Izumi on Mar 14, 2014 4:32:47 GMT -5
School Attending: Lulim/ Le Rim
Age/ Year in School: (choose one below)
15/Fourth Year
~ Appearance ~
Face Claim: Chifuyu Orimura (Inifinite Stratos)
Hair Color: Black
Hairstyle: Kanako's hair is consdierably long, falling to waist length when unhindered by styling. It's her pride and joy and the very thought of cutting it shorter terrifies her. Mostly she'll keep the longer locks tied back in a simple ponytail while a few bangs and side locks are mysteriously shorter than the rest and frame her face.
Eye Color: Brown
Height: 5'4"
What kind of clothes does you character wear when she's not in uniform? When she's not in her Lulim uniform Kanako still commonly wears clothes that are almost uniforms in their own right. Since she's currently training to be a nun her clothes are of a style that she might wear once she graduates from school. Solid colors, simple and unremarkable are the rules of the day for her blouses or turtlenecks, long skirts and shoes. Clashing rather obviously and loudly with her simple clothing are the numerous pieces of flashy costume jewelry that Kanako owns and likes to incorporate into her daily wear. Not enough to really get in trouble but still enough to express herself.
What Clubs is you character involved in? You may choose "none" or a maximum of three from the list below.
Is kind of an apprentice to the nuns on campus, studying what's necessary to pursue a future as a nun herself. So she likes to joke that she's in the 'Nun Club'.
Other - Archery: Yes
Is your character on the Student Council? - Yes, though she has a basic council position with little actual authority or responsibility. She uses her 'official' position to help out as kind of a liason between the nuns and students when it's needed.
If yes, what does your character think of the student council president, Naomi Shizuoka? Her feelings on the president are a mixed bag. On the face of things she thinks Naomi is a nice enough person who's clearly capable of doing her job well and therefore represents their school well. She has a free spirit about her that is enviable and encapsulates the independent spirit of Lulim nicely. But it's exactly that tendency to just do what she wants that gets on Kanako's nerves. Not because she disapproves of it, but because she envies it. Training to be a nun is a conflicted dream because she has to follow a set of rules that don't allow her to do everything she's tempted to do. Because of those limitations she gets annoyed that other girls can be more free. This inner conflict takes the form of her outwardly getting upset if it's been a rough day, she's fighting very strong temptation or for some reason Naomi's presence just gets to her.
Please explain your character's personality in 200 words or more: Kanako always carries herself with a gentle, mature bearing that she hopes will eventually be serene in its simplicity. She never hurries herself unless there's an emergency, always takes time to stay after class to help clean up and is known to shoulder others' burdens to help those in need. Her first love is her school, so she's dedicated herself to working pretty hard at helping Lulim continue to be a special place to study and lvie. Often she's the first one to arrive in her class and the last one to leave, usually barely making it back to the dorms in time to beat the curfew. Rules exist for good reasons and she has a very hard time breaking them or even giving such actions her thoughts. At the same time she wants to help as many people as she can and believes that one person's suffering is hers as well. If she must break a rule for that person's sake then she will do it unerringly and pray for forgiveness later.
Causing conflict in her life is a strong desire to express herself while also being taught to always be humble as a servant to others. She has a hard time often because her natural inclinations are to do things that are fun, rather than following the guidelines that have been set out for her. Kanako actually has a very creative side which manifests itself best through sculpting and pottery, but she's never shown her work to anyone. If it is in the public eye she won't take credit for it. For now she's convinced that this is all just a phase that will pass through strong dedication to her course and devotion to that course. At least, that's what she has to keep telling herself. Actually she's naturally kind inclined to be a little bit teasing towards others. Nothing harmful, but just enough to get them flustered. This is the kind of temptation that she fights daily, but often gives into. Frustration from the conflict of her perceived duties and her natural inclination towards 'selfish' temptations makes Kanako have a secretly short temper. It's covered by her clenching her fists increasingly tightly and speaking in German or praying in order to calm her nerves, but it is most definitely there.
The one way she's been able to compromise herself is by wearing her costume jewelry with every outfit no matter how plain it is intended to be. After all, when she gets to be pope, she'll get to wear a fancy hat and a nice ring so it's not out of the ordinary.
What does you character think of the Etoile position as a whole? At it's core a grand tradition of Astraea Hill that brings pride to the schools and gives everyone something big to look forward to every year. Girls of their age are impressionable and having a strong positive pair of role models is an excellent idea. There is a romantic tone to it which Kanako has a hard time dealing with because while she personally supports love in any form, the doctrine of the faith she's trying to serve has been kind of against that sort of love. All the same she believes Etoile is a very important, sacred tradition of the three schools.
Does your character want to be an Etoile someday? As a member of the 'Nun Club' she wouldn't dream of it! Someone on her path should be humble and never seek to place themself above others in any way. Besides she'd need a partner and honestly that would probably lead to more than simple friendship which she doesn't think she's supposed to do. What scares her is that deep in her being she knows she'd rather be happy with someone like that than be confined by rules. So Etoile is another temptation facing her path.
What does your character think of Kagami Hiruko and Maiko Suzumi, the current etoiles? Like the Lulim student council president the new Etoiles are the cause of mixed feelings in Kanako. Importantly they are a wonderfully matched pair who are an example to all the schools. Ms. Suzumi is a graceful lady who is reputed to help out all her sisters on campus, Ms. Hiruko is reputed to be a kind but shy soul who blesses the lives of those who know her. But the fact that they are happily together in what sure looks like love makes Kanako think about those temptations which inform her opinion of Etoile as a whole. For that reason when any talk of the couple turns from their basic traits to conversations about love, Kanako gets frustrated and annoyed.
What does your character think of the other schools? Miator has hallowed history and traditions and she's sometimes asked why she didn't attend it instead of Lulim. She likes the classical look and feel of it, but doesn't think she could survive with an additional set of stiff rules placed on her. Spica also has proud traditions and Kanako appreciates that about them as well as how well they represent her beloved Astraea Hill in competition against other schools in athletics.
~History~
History before Astraea Hill:
Kanako grew up in the same environment as her little sister Ruri, though her experience was slightly different. The same-sex couple next door were a constant mystery, which she really wanted to look into for herself. Everyone said they were terrible and a bad influence, but Kanako didn't see it that way at the time. However her parents' constant disapproving comments about them scared her out of so much as saying hello. She was never able to handle punishment for disobeying even the smallest rules very well, even it it was just a proverbial slap on the wrist. Guilt builds up very easily and quickly on her conscience, so she tended to follow her parents' wishes to the letter.
As the second oldest daughter, she was always looking up to the eldest, Haruhi. Kanako always worried about being in Haruhi's shadow so she grew incredibly competitive to make sure she was noticed. In the meantime she was kind of an overachiever at school, teaching herself German from materials borrowed from the library. Bizarrely she picked up a Schwabian accent in the process, which sounds strange both to Japanese and German-speakers alike. Her grades were always good and so was her relationship with Haruhi despite her fears of being overshadowed. Despite all the distractions of school and helping look after her younger sisters, Kanako's thoughts drifted to the neighbors. She struggled to see why they were bad people, but went along with what her parents said because that's what she was expected to do. It did get her thinking about her own family then, though, and why they hand't heard anything about their mom's side of the family. At least not about her mother who Kanako thought must still be alive. So faced with that mystery she asked constantly about their grandmother until they got a meeting with her.
The woman was very nice and all, but Kanako tried to remember what her parents and neighbors said about people like her. They were bad. Much as she hated to do it Kanako forced herself to dislike the woman, though she spent several times crying over it when she was alone. Outwardly she still wanted to be the good girl who never disappointed her parents. So she went along with their line to the point of talking like them around her younger sisters. She confided a bit in Haruhi, but then came an opportunity to get into a well-known private school: St. Lulim. Her parents supported her desire to go there, but 'suggested' that she look in on Ruri while she was there.
During her first year on campus she struggled to find a way to avoid temptations, which she had been told were bad. Talking with the nuns extensively convinced her that the answer was to follow their example and become one herself. Well, that and the brilliant idea she had that her becoming pope would allow her to do much good for all people. Outwardly she has not disclosed this agenda because she's afraid it might be taken the wrong way. In her heart she's still not totally sure whether what her parents said was right or not, and she hopes to some day discover the answer. Meanwhile she's seemed kind of out of place at Lulim because of her 'Nun Club' activity, though she also joined the archery club at Spica because after trying it she found it helped calm her nerves quite a lot.
Other notes: Kanako looks old for her age, so she's regularly mistaken for a sixth year. If she gets to try on an actual nun's habit she can be mistaken for the real thing. She also likes to sprinkle German words into daily life, even though it confuses people a lot.
Sample Post: It was normally a little hard for girls from one school to get into another without the invitation of one of its students. Kanako felt fortunate that she was working so closely with the Sisters, since she could use it as an explanation for going to Miator. Much of the older religious structure of Astraea Hill was near the oldest of the schools after all. If she just so happened to cross paths with her younger sister on the way that was a bonus. Her parents had been bothering her in letters to tell them how Ruri was doing, so she really needed to see for herself. If there was anything she didn't want to do it was let down her parents. Now she just needed to remember which class her dear sibling was in and she could 'happen' to be nearby.
That was when she noticed a pair of girls walking by, hand in hand. Immediately the black haired 'Nun Club' member was observing their body language, their expressions. Was this just a case of a pair of friends strolling along? Or was there more to it? She could see the demure smile on one girl's face, the bashful blush in the other's cheeks and she knew. There they were walking along, happy as could be and free to do what they wanted to ensure that happiness. Whereas Kanako had to follow her path and avoid such temptation. Not like she was interested in girls.. or was she? She did have a habit of thinking certain ones were really pretty, beyond simple admiration. No! Such a thing wasn't allowed by her field of study or by her family.
Kanako clenched her fists together, fingernails digging into her palms as she fought to control the anger at such frustrating realizations. That alone wasn't enough so she started singing lightly in German. By the fourth line of 'Auferstanden, Aus Ruinen' she was calmed once more. Now she just had to remember why she had come to Miator of all places. Nun training business? No, the letters! That reminder in place she knocked on the first year class' door and cleared her throat.
"St. Lulim fourth year Izumi Kanako. I'm here to see my schwester.. I mean.. sister, Izumi Ruri-san," she informed the girl nearest the door as per school tradition. This might be a long day, she realized.
How did you find our website? I have several characters here already - it's Maiko!
