Post by kyozuki on Sept 21, 2008 23:36:14 GMT -6
Name: Kyozuki Kihira
Age: 17
Appearance: Kyozuki has a tall, almost lanky build – her face is more angular and pointed than most, especially in the chin. Her skin is typical for a member of the Water Kingdom, a deep, even brown, like powdered cinnamon. Her eyes are darker than usual, being the deep, rich shade of blue that the sea turns on a sunny day. She usually wears her jet-black hair unbound if she has a choice, letting it trail halfway to her elbows. Although, if she feels in a sophisticated mood, she will sometimes arrange her hair in a bunched and braided fashion that is relatively common in the North Water Tribe (similar to the late Princess Yue’s style, only less ornate).
Kyozuki usually wears a pale blue dress, sleeveless and reaching to the knees. Underneath this, she wears a dark brown jacket and pants, as well as a pair of fur-lined shoes. She also has a typical Water Nation fur coat that she pulls out when it gets particularly cold.
History: Kyozuki grew up in a normal North Water Tribe family – her father was one of the fishermen, while her mother was a waterbending healer of modest talent. The gift of waterbending bred true, and by age 11, Kyozuki was starting classes in healing. She showed promise, and her teachers often praised her on her delicate touch, but Kyozuki was less than happy. She loved waterbending – it gave her something to be proud of – but she still felt restless. She tried various things to fill the hole that she felt sure existed within herself: books, weaving, collecting seashells, making bracelets – she even tried fishing, without much success. Only her classes at the healing huts really satisfied her, and even they were sometimes a little lacking.
Eventually, she started experimenting with her own waterbending ability – pulling the water she used for healing into intricate shapes, creating a thin film of ice over the water behind a canoe when she was out at sea – small things, to amuse herself. This went unnoticed, since she never developed these self-taught skills enough to be considered actual attacks. And anyway, she didn’t see any harm in them, since they weren’t technically fighting techniques.
Then, after she turned 14, things took a turn for the worse. One of the other students at the healing huts, a girl by the name of Lin-Wei, chose Kyozuki as her next teasing victim. Aside from the standard set of taunts that adolescent children employ, Lin-Wei also loved to insinuate that Kyozuki didn’t belong in the healing classes. And these taunts hit a lot deeper than the others, due in no small part to Kyozuki knowing that she was not the most talented of benders.
One morning, Lin-Wei went just a little too far. While the class was waiting for the teacher to arrive, Lin-Wei started on Kyozuki again, but this time she finished her little taunting session by walking past Kyozuki, deliberately bumping her shoulder just to be petty. Kyozuki, already riled up, snapped completely, spinning round and pushing her tormentor square in the back. Lin-Wei ended up spread-eagled on the ground, much to the amusement of the rest of the class. Lin-Wei, now just as riled as Kyozuki, got up and aimed a slap at her victim, hitting Kyozuki on the cheek. Kyozuki came right back at her – but this time, instead of hitting back, she drew up a small glob of water and struck Lin-Wei in the face, soaking her completely.
Too late, Kyozuki realised her blunder. She stood there, staring at the soaking wet Lin-Wei, while the class stared at her, completely silent… and then the teacher arrived. Lin-Wei immediately told the whole tale – Kyozuki had attacked her (for absolutely no reason), but more importantly, she’d done it with waterbending. And with Lin-Wei soaked through, there was really no defence Kyozuki could give.
Her parents were horrified when they found out, and immediately forbade her from waterbending at all. Unable to consider a life without waterbending, Kyozuki stood her ground. The argument that followed was heated and protracted, with both the parents and the child refusing to budge. Harsh words were traded, and in the end, Kyozuki ended the argument by storming up to her room. Her parents didn’t have much time to relax, however, as she came back down shortly after with a pack over her shoulders. She was out the door and heading down the road before her parents could even say a word.
They finally caught up with her at the harbour, pushing a boat into the ocean. There, underneath the rapidly setting sun, they reprimanded, ordered, begged and pleaded with their daughter not to go through with this foolhardy course of action. Kyozuki was unrepentant but eventually, seeing just how distressed her parents were, she relented and agreed to come home, and to not use her waterbending skill at all outside the healing classes.
But things were never quite comfortable between Kyozuki and her parents after that, and though she kept true to her promise not to practice waterbending on the sly, she made up for it by immersing herself in healing classes, resolutely ignoring the rest of the class, who looked at her and whispered behind their hands. Also, she began learning things like sea navigation, preparing pelts, constructing fishing spears – all quite normal, innocent things for a member of the water tribe to learn. However, Kyozuki’s motives were anything but innocent. She was learning the skills she’d need to survive on her own, so that next time she tried to leave, her parents wouldn’t have any grounds to stop her. And then she’d be free use her waterbending how she wanted.
By the time she was 17, she felt she had mastered the skills she needed, and so she approached her parents about leaving home and striking out on her own. They weren’t too happy with the idea, and another drawn-out argument ensued, though with a lot less aggression than the last. This time it was Kyozuki’s parents that relented, and within the week, their daughter was leaving with her possessions in her pack and her regrets firmly suppressed.
Now, she wanders round as a “healer for hire”, dispensing her services where they are needed, and using her more clandestine waterbending skills to protect herself and make life easier when travelling – she is still no warrior, but if the opportunity to learn a new technique presents itself, she will take it.
Personality: Kyozuki, though not really a loner, isn’t the most gregarious of people. Waterbending fills up any gaps in her life that might exist (or so she thinks) and so she doesn’t spend too much time with ‘frivolous’ matters. Still, she is far from antisocial, and once her slightly aloof nature mellows, she can be quite companionable.
However, she does have one major fault. Her parents were very proud to be Water Tribe, as one would expect: however in Kyozuki, this pride turned into prejudice. Specifically, prejudice against benders other than waterbenders. The Fire Nation is of course the enemy anyway, and the agile, graceful nature of waterbending is at odds with the raw power of firebending, but she has a low opinion of earthbenders as well – she sees them as brutish and unrefined, throwing large clods of earth into the air and having the presumption to call it bending – she derisively refers to them as “rockthrowers”.
Age: 17
Appearance: Kyozuki has a tall, almost lanky build – her face is more angular and pointed than most, especially in the chin. Her skin is typical for a member of the Water Kingdom, a deep, even brown, like powdered cinnamon. Her eyes are darker than usual, being the deep, rich shade of blue that the sea turns on a sunny day. She usually wears her jet-black hair unbound if she has a choice, letting it trail halfway to her elbows. Although, if she feels in a sophisticated mood, she will sometimes arrange her hair in a bunched and braided fashion that is relatively common in the North Water Tribe (similar to the late Princess Yue’s style, only less ornate).
Kyozuki usually wears a pale blue dress, sleeveless and reaching to the knees. Underneath this, she wears a dark brown jacket and pants, as well as a pair of fur-lined shoes. She also has a typical Water Nation fur coat that she pulls out when it gets particularly cold.
History: Kyozuki grew up in a normal North Water Tribe family – her father was one of the fishermen, while her mother was a waterbending healer of modest talent. The gift of waterbending bred true, and by age 11, Kyozuki was starting classes in healing. She showed promise, and her teachers often praised her on her delicate touch, but Kyozuki was less than happy. She loved waterbending – it gave her something to be proud of – but she still felt restless. She tried various things to fill the hole that she felt sure existed within herself: books, weaving, collecting seashells, making bracelets – she even tried fishing, without much success. Only her classes at the healing huts really satisfied her, and even they were sometimes a little lacking.
Eventually, she started experimenting with her own waterbending ability – pulling the water she used for healing into intricate shapes, creating a thin film of ice over the water behind a canoe when she was out at sea – small things, to amuse herself. This went unnoticed, since she never developed these self-taught skills enough to be considered actual attacks. And anyway, she didn’t see any harm in them, since they weren’t technically fighting techniques.
Then, after she turned 14, things took a turn for the worse. One of the other students at the healing huts, a girl by the name of Lin-Wei, chose Kyozuki as her next teasing victim. Aside from the standard set of taunts that adolescent children employ, Lin-Wei also loved to insinuate that Kyozuki didn’t belong in the healing classes. And these taunts hit a lot deeper than the others, due in no small part to Kyozuki knowing that she was not the most talented of benders.
One morning, Lin-Wei went just a little too far. While the class was waiting for the teacher to arrive, Lin-Wei started on Kyozuki again, but this time she finished her little taunting session by walking past Kyozuki, deliberately bumping her shoulder just to be petty. Kyozuki, already riled up, snapped completely, spinning round and pushing her tormentor square in the back. Lin-Wei ended up spread-eagled on the ground, much to the amusement of the rest of the class. Lin-Wei, now just as riled as Kyozuki, got up and aimed a slap at her victim, hitting Kyozuki on the cheek. Kyozuki came right back at her – but this time, instead of hitting back, she drew up a small glob of water and struck Lin-Wei in the face, soaking her completely.
Too late, Kyozuki realised her blunder. She stood there, staring at the soaking wet Lin-Wei, while the class stared at her, completely silent… and then the teacher arrived. Lin-Wei immediately told the whole tale – Kyozuki had attacked her (for absolutely no reason), but more importantly, she’d done it with waterbending. And with Lin-Wei soaked through, there was really no defence Kyozuki could give.
Her parents were horrified when they found out, and immediately forbade her from waterbending at all. Unable to consider a life without waterbending, Kyozuki stood her ground. The argument that followed was heated and protracted, with both the parents and the child refusing to budge. Harsh words were traded, and in the end, Kyozuki ended the argument by storming up to her room. Her parents didn’t have much time to relax, however, as she came back down shortly after with a pack over her shoulders. She was out the door and heading down the road before her parents could even say a word.
They finally caught up with her at the harbour, pushing a boat into the ocean. There, underneath the rapidly setting sun, they reprimanded, ordered, begged and pleaded with their daughter not to go through with this foolhardy course of action. Kyozuki was unrepentant but eventually, seeing just how distressed her parents were, she relented and agreed to come home, and to not use her waterbending skill at all outside the healing classes.
But things were never quite comfortable between Kyozuki and her parents after that, and though she kept true to her promise not to practice waterbending on the sly, she made up for it by immersing herself in healing classes, resolutely ignoring the rest of the class, who looked at her and whispered behind their hands. Also, she began learning things like sea navigation, preparing pelts, constructing fishing spears – all quite normal, innocent things for a member of the water tribe to learn. However, Kyozuki’s motives were anything but innocent. She was learning the skills she’d need to survive on her own, so that next time she tried to leave, her parents wouldn’t have any grounds to stop her. And then she’d be free use her waterbending how she wanted.
By the time she was 17, she felt she had mastered the skills she needed, and so she approached her parents about leaving home and striking out on her own. They weren’t too happy with the idea, and another drawn-out argument ensued, though with a lot less aggression than the last. This time it was Kyozuki’s parents that relented, and within the week, their daughter was leaving with her possessions in her pack and her regrets firmly suppressed.
Now, she wanders round as a “healer for hire”, dispensing her services where they are needed, and using her more clandestine waterbending skills to protect herself and make life easier when travelling – she is still no warrior, but if the opportunity to learn a new technique presents itself, she will take it.
Personality: Kyozuki, though not really a loner, isn’t the most gregarious of people. Waterbending fills up any gaps in her life that might exist (or so she thinks) and so she doesn’t spend too much time with ‘frivolous’ matters. Still, she is far from antisocial, and once her slightly aloof nature mellows, she can be quite companionable.
However, she does have one major fault. Her parents were very proud to be Water Tribe, as one would expect: however in Kyozuki, this pride turned into prejudice. Specifically, prejudice against benders other than waterbenders. The Fire Nation is of course the enemy anyway, and the agile, graceful nature of waterbending is at odds with the raw power of firebending, but she has a low opinion of earthbenders as well – she sees them as brutish and unrefined, throwing large clods of earth into the air and having the presumption to call it bending – she derisively refers to them as “rockthrowers”.