Matsuri

You want to join! (Psychic/magical abilities/modern setting.)

Lurking, but interested.

•HAGAKURE•

Finally managed to get a CS done!

its late so I may have fucked up big time with backstory and spell checking

Kagura

:Name:
Kagura - she's only ever known her true name to be this.

:Age:
25

:Totem:
Peacock

:Appearance:
Kagura is quite the striking individual, looks and personality wise. She's been called names often associated with the word red (or anything similar of the sort) for as long as she can remember; having a head of wavy crimson hair and amber eyes doesn't help when you're trying to blend into a crowd. Her lithe and tall build come as a surprise to many, as she stands a head or a half taller than the average woman. If it weren't for the kimono, Kagura could be mistaken for a feminine featured man any day. But despite her outwardly appearances, she has a very strong and flexible body, her years training as a dancer under her carers paying off quite well. Kagura doesn't wear much else other than her simplistic dark grey kimono with red lining on the bottom of the sleeves and the kimono itself. She often wears a hooded cloak too, though it's noticeably thin due to her inability to stand hot weather.

:Personality:
Just like the hair on her head, Kagura is a fiery and confident individual, unafraid to speak her mind whenever. Brutally honest to the core, she doesn't know how to sugarcoat her words, so if it's a truthful opinion you want it's a truthful opinion you'll get. Her confidence comes with her almost child-like sense for adventure and excitement; an adrenaline junkie, if you will. While at times Kagura can be as laid back and easy going as any other mature twenty-five year old, once you get the hype and excitement pumping through her veins, the relaxed woman persona goes flying out of the window. Being as adventurous and carefree as she is, Kagura can have a bit of mischievous side... A simple warning for any future companions.

Sarcastic. A word Kagura is also often called, only a slot below the various shades of red she's been named over the years. It's a bit difficult to tell whether the woman's lying or not due to her excessive sarcasm usage. It may have gotten to the point where people in general just can't tell if she's speaking the truth or if she's just being her usual self.

You could see Kagura as the asshole who plays tricks for fun, gets herself into unnecessary dangers and is overall selfish; helping other people she isn't very familiar with isn't always her top priority. Or, you might see her as a fun loving human who's just a bit adventurous. Or you might see her as both. Either way, as long as you yourself don't get on her nerves, she really doesn't give a shit.

:History:
Kagura doesn't remember much of her early childhood. All that she knows is that in her early years she had been raised up by a group of female dancers that travelled from place to place performing for money; a group otherwise known as the Red Autumn Troupe. Renown for their unique and expressive dancing style utilising two fans, and their choice of kimono being exclusively red, the all-womens troupe brought the little girl up into their world of storytelling dance. It appeared that one of the members had realised the potential the red haired toddler possessed, and so the name 'Kagura' arose - 'God entertainment'.

Sure enough, she was a talented little girl. By the age of six she was already performing with the rest of the troupe. Her talents did not only lie in dance, however. Travelling oh so often came with its few bandit ambushes, so the ladies were trained themselves in self defense with their own fans. In fact, the fans they wielded both in their performances and in combat were Tessen, which proved useful for the women in such situations. Eventually, Kagura would come to learn of these fighting techniques for her own safety.

Kagura was still by the troupe's side until her twenties, having gone through countless hours of dance practices and literal fan fighting. But that one night when an evening dance went wrong resulting in a raging Kagura and many injured men, things would turn for the worst for Kagura. Off to the jail cells it was for the red head, and off to the jail cells she would stay for a bit.

:Strengths:

• Tessenjutsu - How could a fan possibly be useful in a fight? Well, give Kagura a strong fan with hard iron spokes and she'll find a way to disarm you and take you down in an instant. She's quick, she's flexible, and she can whack you with an object that feels like an iron baton to the face with great strength. While not a swordsman, her reflexes aren't short of one either. Kagura carries three red fans: one with normal iron spokes used mainly for hitting and performances, and two with pointed spokes used to cut things up pretty badly. Kagura doesn't have much of a problem dual wielding two fans at the same time, nor does she have a problem dual wielding two fans like it's just a regular graceful performance. Only difference is that this is much faster, and Kagura is most likely out trying to get rid of you for good.

• Dancing In The Rise Of Dawn - Based off traditional Japanese dancing utilising fans in their choreography, Kagura and the troupe she was previously with had come up with their own sort of style. The movements were slightly quicker, their red fans would be emphasised, and there was always a story to tell in each dance; but nevertheless, each dance must be executed with grace and sophistication. Kagura, being as young as she was when she was being taught, is now quite skilled in this art.

• In The Bushes - Kagura is just very good at hiding. From the old bush to a sixty metre tree, finding a hiding place or rather getting to one is this woman's speciality. A game of hide and seek is no sweat for her; you probably won't be able to find her, even if she is hiding in the bushes behind where you were counting.

:Weaknesses:

• Zero Limits - This can apply to a lot if things really. Kagura's adventurousness can often get the better of her, and her confidence can be interpreted as rude and impolite. Her anrgy moments are her also ugliest moments; stopping a raging red head isn't the easiest of tasks. Emotions just really turn the woman upside down a lot.

• Live Only For Yourself - While she doesn't 'mind' getting herself into fights and such - since it was her own decision after all - Kagura tends to stray away from other people's problems. She's used to worrying about herself and only herself, even going as far as to trick those around her if the situation calls for it. Heck, she'll even run away if something uncalled for happened. Although she isn't completely lacking in compassion, if someone else has gotten into a fight she most likely won't go out and help the injured person.

:Likes:
Give her a comfortable sleeping space and she'll shut up until she wakes up herself. Getting her out of bed won't be easy, the woman is a terribly heavy sleeper. Also, while some people point out her hair in a negative way, she takes pride in its colour, and even has her favourite colour as red. Dancing is a well practised hobby, and her singing isn't too shabby either.

:Dislikes:
Hot weather is Kagura's true enemy. She despises the heat and she actually overheats quite quickly, so constant sweating is common. Spicy food is a straight up stay away sign for her too. Funnily enough, while she can stand little insects like ants and beetles, anything slimy like worms or slugs will earn you one hell of a squeal.

IT'S BASICALLY JUST SAMURAI CHAMPLOO IDK

Is this still accepting characters?

STARLIGHT [1980s Coming of Age Sci-Fi]

Got a post up before I'm dragged into hell school tomorrow.

STARLIGHT [1980s Coming of Age Sci-Fi]

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The brownies were a success, at least. The curse of the dodgy oven had yet to take an effect on Val’s baked goods, and she mentally insisted that it stayed that way. As long as no one was hurling their insides out and everyone was tasting the familiar goodness of chocolate, the whole forest trek wouldn't have to be put on hold. If anyone tried to snatch more than one brownie, Val would simply swat their cheeky hands away.

“Remember everyone, one at a time. A lot of brownies all at once isn't healthy, so no sneaky snatching okay? Besides, might as well save some for later if anyone is in need of a quick energy boost.”

And with a few smiles and assurances that the brownies weren't going to be the leading cause of the group's death later, Val began her adventure into the sort-of unknown with her friends towards Kalispel Hill; Madcat’s station was but a day and a few hours walk away from now.

•••

For the years Val had lived in St. Stephens, Champlain Forest was one of the places she never thought she would ever set foot on. Maybe she would have gotten the chance on some school trip, but delving this far into a forest of colossal trees that looked like they were sitting through an eternal winter seemed far beyond Val’s expectations. The forest trail wasn’t lacking much greenery though, so the whole area didn’t seem completely dead. But what would be dead if Val didn’t do anything about it was herself; with the sky as clear as it was and the sun as hot as it is in the midst of summer, Val would come home looking like a shrivelled burnt cookie if she let her tan-free skin out any longer. Fishing one out of many small bottles of water and her dad’s bucket hat from her bag, she proceeded to protect herself from the burning heat and that glaring summer sun.

Phoebe’s guitar playing had done its job at setting a soothing scene as they hiked down the path, and it sure as hell put Val’s mind off from the terrible humidity and heat. Only eight minutes in and Val was already on her third bottle of water. Unfortunately, the water was not doing its job at keeping the girl the least bit hydrated, which was evident from her constant tripping over tree roots and twig scratches as the group made their way downhill.

Or maybe she just really, really needed to get out more.

Then, the sounds of rushing water resounded through the trees, and soon a fast flowing river came into sight. Val had already gotten a glimpse of the deep and murky depths of this aquatic foot trap, and the rushing water was so loud that it made her shuffle back a little. She hated loud noises more than anything, but all Val did was gulp. Despite the dangers, it wasn’t something that the girl would outwardly squeal over.

"It's completely safe, guys. Scout's honor," Debra informed the group, glancing at the old log that lay flat before them. Val gripped the straps of her bag, taking a small deep breath in.

"I think we can swim for it--who wants to swim for it?!" would be Phoebe’s first suggestion, a suggestion that was met with Val’s horrified eyes.

"You’ve got to be insane Phoebe! You’ll get dragged under the water in two seconds flat if you try to swim for it," Val replied in a concerned tone.

"I am sure that even a professional swimmer, like Steve Lundquist, won't be able to make it across this river," would be Noah’s reply.

"Noah’s right, I’m sure even the strongest of swimmers would have trouble getting their heads above the water to breathe here. I don’t mean to kill the mood, but considering the limited options we have here I think crossing the log would be a much safer choice."

Val didn’t like to snap at others, however it was times like this that she felt the need to step in, even if it wasn’t needed. An extra reassurance for the others, and herself.

"Plus, we wouldn’t want to get our snacks wet, now, would we?" she added with a small smile, making sure she didn’t sound too stern towards Phoebe. Val assumed that she wasn’t totally serious on swimming to the other side, but then again she was just trying to reassure herself that nothing terrible was going to happen to her, or anyone else that decided to follow.

"So..." Val continued, switching her gaze to the other people around her. "...who’s going first?"

STARLIGHT [1980s Coming of Age Sci-Fi]

Sorry that I just suddenly disappeared, but I've now got a post up for Val!

STARLIGHT [1980s Coming of Age Sci-Fi]

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All right. It wasn't going to be that hard. All Val had to do was tell a minor lie. Something as simple as that wasn't that hard to pull off, right? She'd done it before a few times. Well, maybe just that one time. And that one time wasn't even that severe either. Trying to get her parents to let their daughter sleep out in the wilderness with a bunch of teens? That was going to take some major convincing, if not a truckload of lies that Val would get trampled on if she somehow ever got exposed.

But for some reason, the truckload of lies seemed like the most appealing idea to Val.

By the time she had gotten home it was still light out, the sun beginning to make its journey below the mountain landscape. To her relief, Val could see none of the lights from the front view of the house on, a clear sign that nobody was home yet. She would quickly run inside, clean the place up just a little bit, and waited for night to fall. Perhaps her parents would come early enough to be able to discuss the whole forest camping matter.

But at least she would have time to plan out the biggest lie she would probably ever have to tell.

•••

Monday had come earlier than Val had ever expected, though she had already began secretly preparing and scheming for the hike ever since she had arrived at home on Friday evening. First came the scavenging; going on a trip like this in a summer dress - well, in one of Val’s summer dresses - was almost unthinkable. All she could find in the depths of her frilly wardrobe was her only pair of leggings that now barely passed her knees and an old skirt that now barely touched her knees. She had even managed to find a pair of old boots half a size too small for her ever growing feet, but they weren't that tight nevertheless. It looked like Val had hit the bizarre jackpot this time around.

But coming in second was probably the most difficult and ‘need to plan this whole thing thoroughly because if I mess up it's the end for me’ step for Val. She had decided to go and persuade her parents to let her embark on a sleepover to a ‘friend's’ house rather than on a journey to visit some isolated radio station. Although the task at hand would have seemed rather simple for anyone else she knew, for a person who literally hadn't lied in what seemed like forever, this was going to take some preparation. She knew full well that her mum would ask an endless amount of questions, despite the fact the person who Val was supposedly sleeping over at lived only a few streets away, so she had to have in mind which questions she would be asked and how to answer them without giving away the whole hiking trip.

Twenty minutes. Twenty solid minutes of having questions thrown at her that Friday night. Val had her fingers interlocking with one another behind her back throughout the whole persuasion process with her mother; and although Jocelyn was being very persistent and pushy at the idea of her daughter just going to a friends house for a night and a day, she eventually said the much wanted yes. But recalling the whole conversation on the day she was supposed to leave would be a mind sore. Still, she was freaking ecstatic on the inside, more excited than she had actually ever been before.

Due to a few complications with a dodgy oven, Val had arrived worryingly later at the Big Rock than expected of the girl. As the headcount began, Val's sweaty self ran in, slowing herself down so that she wouldn't crash into anyone. She had her back hunched, hands on her knees, panting and with her last minute ponytail sticking to her neck. The girl most likely hadn't looked this… bad in front of her friends ever since... Heck, she couldn't even recall such an event, like, ever.

“I'm…” she gasped, taking a deep breath before speaking again. “...here, Debra. I had… to deal… with some things… sorry that… I'm late…”

After regaining her breath and composure, Val tried to put on her brightest smile. The girl certainly wasn't late for no reason. Pulling out an old (but clearly washed) plastic lunch box, she clicked it open and displayed its freshly baked contents to the group.

“Brownies, anyone?”

Shine City IV: Romance Forever!

Yee finally posted. _{even though we're already on the second page and 29th post smh}

Shine City IV: Romance Forever!

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• Outside Club LUSH •

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Speeding cars. Flashing lights. Bustling crowds. Shine City lived on, and so did its people, shining brighter than the few stars in the slightly clouded night sky.

But not Aya, though. She had no idea why she was out this late.

Really, she didn't know. Everyone else seemed to be walking or perhaps speeding towards some sort of designated area. They had places to go, places to be. But Aya? She really didn't know. It was one of those nights again, those nights where she would stay up until three in the morning, where she would down as much caffeine as she could so she could actually keep herself awake, those nights where she just let her mind wander places because she probably had a bad day, and where the most unusual thoughts and people popped up.

It had been an odd few weeks. As the days hurried by, just like usual, just like always, Aya saw and felt the atmosphere around her to feel so monotonous and black and white that she could swear the colours around her were becoming dimmer by the day. That, or Shine City's epileptic seizure worthy lights had screwed up Aya's eyesight real bad. In a city full of colourful lights, colourful places and colourful people, everything sure was starting to look like a washed out photograph in her eyes.

Aya hadn't felt this down in a long while. She wasn't necessarily sad, just really… bored. Super bored. Extremely bored. All she had been doing was walking for the past hour, when her intentions of getting out of the house this late beforehand was to actually find something to do. She could have thrown herself into Club LUSH, spoiled herself silly with some drinks and merge into a delirious drunken wave of people on the dancefloor. Heck, she was now so near to the place she could hear actual music booming from the building. But Aya decided not to. She wouldn't remember anything the next day anyways. So what was the point of it all?

She really didn't know.

Leaning against the wall of the infamous club, out of sight from the entrance, Aya gazed up at the moon, glistening behind filters of grey clouds. Just when was the last time everything around her had felt this… dull?

She sunk down on a little ledge, feeling the obnoxiously loud music beat against her back. That was enough for Aya's ears today. No need to storm inside and have her eardrums explode from the overwhelming noise. Snuggling into her black hoodie for warmth, Aya brought her knees in, curling up into a ball and leaving her face barely exposed. Even from the other side of the wall she could feel the music slowly taking over her head, as if she was still in her silent bedroom with earphones plugged in. Her muscles eased up, and for some reason, her eyelids were fighting to keep themselves open. Aya would look up at the sky again, expecting it to look just as grey as it was a while ago.

The moon shone a brilliant white, unscathed by the late summer clouds.

Shine City IV: Romance Forever!

So I might be able to get a post up Monday evening or Tuesday

All these posts though guys please be kind to mine eyes