Toyoshima, Japan

[Sarutari Kumiko]

Name: Sarutari Kumiko
Gender: Female
Age: 17
Occupation: Shinobi/sake server, brewer, and entertainer in the kura (something similar to a geiko)
Social Class: Shimin by birth, Nomin by lifestyle.
Special Items:
Naginata
Katana
A tanto hilt with no blade
Light blue, pink, and yellow silk Kimono
Cherry blossom hair comb
Samisen

Appearance: Kumiko has waist length black opal hair, and deep otter brown orbs. Her poise has a graceful and somewhat frail nature to it, but her eyes are as hardened as steel and muscles well toned for a Japanese women. She is also unusually tall for her gender and race, making her features sharp and limbs shapely. Her hands being her best attribute, with long delicate fingers, though their texture has roughened over the long years of labor as a sake brewer. She dresses more formal then her current class of Nomin, usually elaborate kimonos that would take a lifetime to save for.

Personality: She’s a quiet soul, with little interest in socializing unless its to keep from insulting guests. This does not in any way incline that she’s shy, her ice cold gaze will inform you of the discontent she holds for society. Though she is kind, polite, and clever to her family and few close friends. She doesn’t look down at anyone, and treats her maids with unusual kindness and understanding. Mostly because it was the way her father had acted. She holds a passion for many things, believing that all of life is a dance. She spends a lot of time deep in thought, but normally does something to occupy her body, such as sparring with her naginata or katana, playing her samisen, dancing, painting, or practicing her calligraphy. Though she appears disciplined in public, if you were to approach her out of her home town and insult her, she’d most likely react with passionate anger, with a single swift remark that will surprise even the most humbled of men. She believes deeply in honor, but thinks society has abused its understanding of the word, most confusing it with pride.

Her views on politics are even worse then they are for normal people, she cannot stand them. Her beliefs had died with the loss of her side during the war, of which her father and brother had fought in. Now she is more of a neutral, spying or assassinating anyone on any side so long as the money put enough rice on the table to feed what remained of her family. That was her honor, making sure they continued living. She had lost the rest of it along with her hopes long ago.

History: Kumiko grew up in Joukaku, her father being a great samurai warrior, her brother his apprentice. She spent her child hood going to school for art and music and theater, and in the later years being taught the art of naginata. The uneasy alliances was written all over the faces of outsiders, but her father always managed to come home with a smile on his face and peace in his heart. He was an honorable man and showed kindness to everyone. Her mother had died a few weeks after Kumiko’s birth, and she was raised by her father and their maids. She was shocked at the prejudice of their society when she’d first gone off into the city, but her father sat her down that night and explained to her the ways of social status. He wasn’t fond of it either, but he told her it was crucial to adapt to situations in order to better understand them and find ways to exploit weaknesses.

She was 15 when the riots broke into their city, her father was home for a short visit, her brother off in a training encampment. She was combing her hair and reciting a story to her father when they broke into the house. The second he heard the cracking of wood he’d picked her up and handed her off to the maid, instructing her to hide with Kumiko until the riot was over.

Her father was killed that day, and having no family left in Joukaku, she was sent off to live with her aunt and uncle in Chadana. They owned a Kura and a rice farm, and it was decided that she would live in the Kura, to help brew the Sake. For several years she toiled away without complaint, and after a long while, was finally returned to schooling. It was her uncle that taught her the way of the Shinobi, and the way of the sword. Her cousin made her, her own Katana. When she was sixteen her uncle took her to Toukou village where she found the group of rebels who had aided in the death of her father. She killed their leader and three of the other powerful members and started the building on fire without being noticed. She realized then, that after one’s drive for vengeance is gone, the world seems a lot emptier. Her purpose to keep going had passed now that the one thing she’d longed to do had been done.

So, she continued her training, and word passed around trusted groups of her true identity. Soon men and women were using her to gather information during the war, and she’d risked her life on many occasions to keep her reputation for getting tasks completed swiftly and clean. Eventually her aunt allowed her to serve the sake to their customers. A few of them had been friends of her father, and treated her as though she was still a shimin. Eventually she was allowed to entertain them with her music and dancing, like her older cousin. She was given her mother’s Kimonos and possessions, making her look like the shimin she once was.

After the war, she had fewer jobs outside of the kura, and because of the laws passed, she had to conceal her katana more carefully. Soon, she’d be able to reclaim her father and mother’s home in Joukaku as well as her honor as a member of a shimin family, but a part of her desires to stay with her family, and live out a common life. Though she still has no news of her brother, and presumes he died in the war as many others had.
Other: N/A

[Itonami]

Nice job with this, I really like the history part. I'd write more, but I have to leave for an orthodontist appointment. Approved! Have fun.

[Sarutari Kumiko]

Thanks! It was fun to write, though now that I read over again I can tell it was earily in the morning *laughs*