Post by layla on Aug 26, 2011 10:04:50 GMT -4
~Character Info~
Name: Yuuko Ichihara
Series: xxxHolic/Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles
Gender: Female
Age and year/Age and job: 28/Teacher (Divination)
Appearance: Yuuko is tall, considerably so even for a woman. She’s usually recognized by her long limbs, equally long straight black hair and rather elegant… nay… elaborate taste in clothing.
<a href=” images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110314071050/tsubasa/images/7/71/Yuuko23ob5.jpg”>Image here!</a>
Personality:
Calling the Dimensional Witch an enigma is an understatement all to itself though sometimes her manner could easily be referred to more as eccentric rather than enigmatic. Her first impressions may leave you flabbergasted, depending on the situation. To her customers, Yuuko puts on the face one would expect from a fortune teller: giving advice that is both vague and relevant while keeping a grave face and an even graver manner while talking about human nature. Her assessment of other human beings can be rather critical, being able to see the dark side, the self-centeredness and ability of humans to wish for both joy and sorrow for themselves.
Yuuko firmly believes in the Inevitable, a little something she refers to as hitsuzen. This, as she has stated time and time again, is the thought that there is no coincidence in this world. Only hitsuzen. Everything is inevitable: the people we meet, our actions, the paths we take. Everyone who comes to her shop is inevitably drawn to it. After all, the only ones who can see her shop are those who need a wish granted. These wishes however aren’t your run of the mill “I want a million dollars” wishes. These wishes are deeper than that. Deep down inside, what do you really want? Happiness? Freedom from the chains that bind you? Hope? Those are the things she grants. However, prices vary according to the wish. She can take something as simple as a child’s high chair to causing a person to relive a murder they committed each time they’re caught on film. Her method of granting wishes seems unbiased. As long as the customer can pay the price, she will grant the wish no matter what the customer’s motives or purpose are. It merely is just a business to her. This practice ties back once more to hitsuzen: if the customer can enter the shop, then it was inevitable. Those who have no reason to enter the shop can neither see nor enter it.
However, to those who know her a little better, Yuuko gives of a different sort of air. Perhaps one can call her lazy, an incurable drunk, selfish and bossy. Of course, this is mostly if you're Watanuki. The shop sees her lying around on a divan with (usually) a drink (sake, shochu, whatever catches her fancy at the moment) or her pipe. She isn’t shy about getting others to do things for her, not hesitating to order Watanuki to make her dinner or run errands. The witch also seems to be a fan of obscure old manga seeing as she occasionally references them. (Doraemon and Macaroni Horenso just to name a couple)
Despite her possibly being hundreds of years old for all we know, Yuuko has a bit of an immature side to her. She won’t hesitate to whine and she does, quite often when complaining about the heat, dinner being late, there not being enough sake… it seems she whines about every single thing that causes her inconvenience, heightened when a hangover comes in. Of course, whether this is her genuinely whining or merely doing it to rile up her poor hapless part-timer is completely up to her. This is due to the fact that she keeps her motives to herself, no one actually knowing why she does what she does until the last minute.
She also seems to have a flair for the dramatic, seen in her rather opulent choice of housewear (complicatedly decorated kimono, things with several bazillion accessories, robes that show more skin than necessary), as well as her entrances (right behind Watanuki, from the patio window of an apartment room four floors up). But if one looks deeper, then one can see that this side of her personality (the constant drinking, the near bullying, the overworking) was merely a façade kept up to shield Watanuki from the gravity of his own situation. Her true manner toward her part timer is caring, almost motherly at some point but this is something not easily seen straight off the bat. It seems that this face of hers is something between the two of them, almost intimate knowledge between student and mentor so to speak. Bossing him around, however, had seemingly become part of the system, so to speak.
Canon history:
Admittedly, we are given hardly any information concerning Yuuko’s life and her past before meeting Clow Reed but I will attempt to put together a cohesive summary of what we know about her background.
The earliest point we see her come into the picture is mention of her and Clow meeting the Mokona from the world of Cefiro and creating Mokona Modoki (Larg and Soel) after him. The two were to be prepared for a very important event which would take place in the future and thus educated by both Clow and Yuuko in various disciplines. After some time, the Mokonas drift into a deep sleep, only to be awakened when the time is right.
The next we hear of her is during the events of xxxHolic and Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle. Enter one Kimihiro Watanuki, a boy who can see spirits. Yuuko manages to snag his services as a part time worker in her shop which grants wishes after some rather effective sales talk. Some time after, the Tsubasa group arrives at her shop and the two Mokona are awakened for their task at last. This sets into motion the events of the two intertwining canon. Along with the occasional customer and various other supernatural occurrences that involve her, Watanuki and his friends, the witch occasionally entertains calls from the Tsubasa party via Mokona-cam.
Now here’s where things get a little fuzzy.
At some point, Yuuko is pulled away from the shop due to Fei Wang’s scheme and her being an individual who had undergone the same fate of Clow Country whose time had been stopped. The only semblance of a farewell she gives is in a dream Watanuki has where she says the words “The dream must end” before disappearing into little butterflies. Now that her time had begun to move once more, she finds herself dying. She releases the real Sakura and Shaoran from the tube where they had been trapped. It is here where we discover that her time was initially frozen thanks to a wish made by Clow Reed for her to open her eyes as she lay dying the first time around. At her last moments, she explains to the Sakura and Shaoran clones their backstories and pays for one final wish: that the clones be reincarnated. Having fulfilled her duty, her time comes to a halt and she dies for real.
Back in Japan, Watanuki continues to search for his mentor but to no avail. It is only in another dream where he encounters Yuuko at the moment of her death. It is in this dream where he vows to wait for her in her shop until her return
~AU Info~
AU history:
Born into the respectable pureblood family of Japan’s Amamiya clan, Yuuko was aware of her magical abilities from the start. She started as an empath until her level of psychic ability bloomed into full blown future sight by the time puberty kicked in. Her precognitive abilities grew to be the pride of the clan and it was only a matter of time until her initial letter from Hogwarts came in. It was during her initial stint at Hogwarts that she met with a young Clow Reed. Finding herself charmed by the older student’s manner and brilliance, she found herself choosing to stay by his side in hopes that doing so would lead to something interesting.
The two kept correspondence even after graduation, acting as consultants for magical needs and even just for day to day conversation. If asked, she would call her relationship with Clow as a childhood crush that didn’t really go anywhere. However, she’s managed to keep herself busy having set up shop where she used her magical abilities to supposedly grant wishes for muggles. Anything that was within their power to have, she could grant.
But then, a second letter from Hogwarts came to her shop. The school’s new headmaster was in need of a Divination teacher and who better to take the position than one of the strongest psychics around? Packing up shop and leaving her adopted daughters Maru and Moro in the care of the Amamiya clan, Yuuko decided to haul herself back to school. Taking up a cushy position in the hallowed halls of Hogwarts seemed far better than acting as a mystic for mugglekind. After all, the letter arriving was inevitable, wasn’t it?
House: Considering how she seems to be a font of magical knowledge as well as her insights into humanity, I think Yuuko would have worked very well as a Ravenclaw when she was a student. (Possibly the head of the Claw house, if that position hasn’t been filled yet?
)
Magical Strengths and Weaknesses: Her largest strength is in divination and aural reading. With these skills combined, she can manage to read a person right off the bat. However, she can’t brew a single potion to save her life… or anyone else’s for that matter.
Wand: 10 inch, cherry, Mokona fur. Okay, I lied about the last one… maybe. Unicorn hair, for serious… unless Mokona fur is a possible core item?
Other:
- I see her occasionally breaking the school rules just to go her own way. :/a Feel free to have Clow call her out on that EVERY SINGLE TIME even though she’s probably not gonna listen. XD I’m thinking calling classes off because she’s feeling lazy, smoke in the divination tower from an opium pipe, conducting class completely smashed, that sort of thing.
-Also, Yuuko is the queen of TL;DR.
-If I’m imposing on Clow’s AU history then, I’d be happy to write a new one. I’d just like to think he was a very vital part of her existence no matter what universe they’re in.
~Player Info~
Name: Layla
Other characters you have in the rp: Nada!
~Sample~
She paced the room, her robes swishing behind her as she did. It was rather toned down, compared to the first day of class: a long dark purple number with a tinge of emerald green around the end of the hem which swept behind her slim legs and beaded high heels. A light tinkle accentuated each step thanks to the golden anklets adorned with small bells. There was a more derisive tinkle as she stopped and turned on her heel to face the crowd of students before her. “Divination” The witch began, tapping her cheek with a finger once. This was near purred out as she studied the wash of eyes on her. That smile was near predatory.
Yuuko sank back into a long couch she’d placed in front of the room. Around her, students were seated around small tables on cushions and the occasional armchair. She crossed her legs, trying to watch their reactions as she drew out her usual kiseru and tobacco, filling and lighting it without taking her eyes off the students. “Divination is a curious thing.” She began. “Many have yearned for the power to see into the future and some of those who have the ability yearn for the power not to. Seeing is a two edged sword. On one hand, nothing surprises you anymore. On the other hand, your fears will only double. Your fear of death, your fear of impending failure, your fear of losing everything important.”
There was a pause as she took a drag from her pipe, letting out a slow stream of smoke from her lips a moment after. “Humankind longs for the ability to See. This is because most fear things they can’t control. But then, there are rules to follow with Divination. Not everything comes handed to you on a silver platter just because you can use magic. But let’s set that aside for now.”
Another moment passed as she drew the pipe away from her lips. The kiseru was set down gently on a nearby table as she pulled herself up. “SO! Who wants to go down to the kitchen and get some supplies so we can hold a Start of Term party?” she suddenly asked without missing a beat; the mysticism slipped away and was replaced by the biggest grin as she pressed her hands together with that sudden declaration.
Name: Yuuko Ichihara
Series: xxxHolic/Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles
Gender: Female
Age and year/Age and job: 28/Teacher (Divination)
Appearance: Yuuko is tall, considerably so even for a woman. She’s usually recognized by her long limbs, equally long straight black hair and rather elegant… nay… elaborate taste in clothing.
<a href=” images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110314071050/tsubasa/images/7/71/Yuuko23ob5.jpg”>Image here!</a>
Personality:
Calling the Dimensional Witch an enigma is an understatement all to itself though sometimes her manner could easily be referred to more as eccentric rather than enigmatic. Her first impressions may leave you flabbergasted, depending on the situation. To her customers, Yuuko puts on the face one would expect from a fortune teller: giving advice that is both vague and relevant while keeping a grave face and an even graver manner while talking about human nature. Her assessment of other human beings can be rather critical, being able to see the dark side, the self-centeredness and ability of humans to wish for both joy and sorrow for themselves.
Yuuko firmly believes in the Inevitable, a little something she refers to as hitsuzen. This, as she has stated time and time again, is the thought that there is no coincidence in this world. Only hitsuzen. Everything is inevitable: the people we meet, our actions, the paths we take. Everyone who comes to her shop is inevitably drawn to it. After all, the only ones who can see her shop are those who need a wish granted. These wishes however aren’t your run of the mill “I want a million dollars” wishes. These wishes are deeper than that. Deep down inside, what do you really want? Happiness? Freedom from the chains that bind you? Hope? Those are the things she grants. However, prices vary according to the wish. She can take something as simple as a child’s high chair to causing a person to relive a murder they committed each time they’re caught on film. Her method of granting wishes seems unbiased. As long as the customer can pay the price, she will grant the wish no matter what the customer’s motives or purpose are. It merely is just a business to her. This practice ties back once more to hitsuzen: if the customer can enter the shop, then it was inevitable. Those who have no reason to enter the shop can neither see nor enter it.
However, to those who know her a little better, Yuuko gives of a different sort of air. Perhaps one can call her lazy, an incurable drunk, selfish and bossy. Of course, this is mostly if you're Watanuki. The shop sees her lying around on a divan with (usually) a drink (sake, shochu, whatever catches her fancy at the moment) or her pipe. She isn’t shy about getting others to do things for her, not hesitating to order Watanuki to make her dinner or run errands. The witch also seems to be a fan of obscure old manga seeing as she occasionally references them. (Doraemon and Macaroni Horenso just to name a couple)
Despite her possibly being hundreds of years old for all we know, Yuuko has a bit of an immature side to her. She won’t hesitate to whine and she does, quite often when complaining about the heat, dinner being late, there not being enough sake… it seems she whines about every single thing that causes her inconvenience, heightened when a hangover comes in. Of course, whether this is her genuinely whining or merely doing it to rile up her poor hapless part-timer is completely up to her. This is due to the fact that she keeps her motives to herself, no one actually knowing why she does what she does until the last minute.
She also seems to have a flair for the dramatic, seen in her rather opulent choice of housewear (complicatedly decorated kimono, things with several bazillion accessories, robes that show more skin than necessary), as well as her entrances (right behind Watanuki, from the patio window of an apartment room four floors up). But if one looks deeper, then one can see that this side of her personality (the constant drinking, the near bullying, the overworking) was merely a façade kept up to shield Watanuki from the gravity of his own situation. Her true manner toward her part timer is caring, almost motherly at some point but this is something not easily seen straight off the bat. It seems that this face of hers is something between the two of them, almost intimate knowledge between student and mentor so to speak. Bossing him around, however, had seemingly become part of the system, so to speak.
Canon history:
Admittedly, we are given hardly any information concerning Yuuko’s life and her past before meeting Clow Reed but I will attempt to put together a cohesive summary of what we know about her background.
The earliest point we see her come into the picture is mention of her and Clow meeting the Mokona from the world of Cefiro and creating Mokona Modoki (Larg and Soel) after him. The two were to be prepared for a very important event which would take place in the future and thus educated by both Clow and Yuuko in various disciplines. After some time, the Mokonas drift into a deep sleep, only to be awakened when the time is right.
The next we hear of her is during the events of xxxHolic and Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle. Enter one Kimihiro Watanuki, a boy who can see spirits. Yuuko manages to snag his services as a part time worker in her shop which grants wishes after some rather effective sales talk. Some time after, the Tsubasa group arrives at her shop and the two Mokona are awakened for their task at last. This sets into motion the events of the two intertwining canon. Along with the occasional customer and various other supernatural occurrences that involve her, Watanuki and his friends, the witch occasionally entertains calls from the Tsubasa party via Mokona-cam.
Now here’s where things get a little fuzzy.
At some point, Yuuko is pulled away from the shop due to Fei Wang’s scheme and her being an individual who had undergone the same fate of Clow Country whose time had been stopped. The only semblance of a farewell she gives is in a dream Watanuki has where she says the words “The dream must end” before disappearing into little butterflies. Now that her time had begun to move once more, she finds herself dying. She releases the real Sakura and Shaoran from the tube where they had been trapped. It is here where we discover that her time was initially frozen thanks to a wish made by Clow Reed for her to open her eyes as she lay dying the first time around. At her last moments, she explains to the Sakura and Shaoran clones their backstories and pays for one final wish: that the clones be reincarnated. Having fulfilled her duty, her time comes to a halt and she dies for real.
Back in Japan, Watanuki continues to search for his mentor but to no avail. It is only in another dream where he encounters Yuuko at the moment of her death. It is in this dream where he vows to wait for her in her shop until her return
~AU Info~
AU history:
Born into the respectable pureblood family of Japan’s Amamiya clan, Yuuko was aware of her magical abilities from the start. She started as an empath until her level of psychic ability bloomed into full blown future sight by the time puberty kicked in. Her precognitive abilities grew to be the pride of the clan and it was only a matter of time until her initial letter from Hogwarts came in. It was during her initial stint at Hogwarts that she met with a young Clow Reed. Finding herself charmed by the older student’s manner and brilliance, she found herself choosing to stay by his side in hopes that doing so would lead to something interesting.
The two kept correspondence even after graduation, acting as consultants for magical needs and even just for day to day conversation. If asked, she would call her relationship with Clow as a childhood crush that didn’t really go anywhere. However, she’s managed to keep herself busy having set up shop where she used her magical abilities to supposedly grant wishes for muggles. Anything that was within their power to have, she could grant.
But then, a second letter from Hogwarts came to her shop. The school’s new headmaster was in need of a Divination teacher and who better to take the position than one of the strongest psychics around? Packing up shop and leaving her adopted daughters Maru and Moro in the care of the Amamiya clan, Yuuko decided to haul herself back to school. Taking up a cushy position in the hallowed halls of Hogwarts seemed far better than acting as a mystic for mugglekind. After all, the letter arriving was inevitable, wasn’t it?
House: Considering how she seems to be a font of magical knowledge as well as her insights into humanity, I think Yuuko would have worked very well as a Ravenclaw when she was a student. (Possibly the head of the Claw house, if that position hasn’t been filled yet?
)Magical Strengths and Weaknesses: Her largest strength is in divination and aural reading. With these skills combined, she can manage to read a person right off the bat. However, she can’t brew a single potion to save her life… or anyone else’s for that matter.
Wand: 10 inch, cherry, Mokona fur. Okay, I lied about the last one… maybe. Unicorn hair, for serious… unless Mokona fur is a possible core item?
Other:
- I see her occasionally breaking the school rules just to go her own way. :/a Feel free to have Clow call her out on that EVERY SINGLE TIME even though she’s probably not gonna listen. XD I’m thinking calling classes off because she’s feeling lazy, smoke in the divination tower from an opium pipe, conducting class completely smashed, that sort of thing.
-Also, Yuuko is the queen of TL;DR.
-If I’m imposing on Clow’s AU history then, I’d be happy to write a new one. I’d just like to think he was a very vital part of her existence no matter what universe they’re in.
~Player Info~
Name: Layla
Other characters you have in the rp: Nada!
~Sample~
She paced the room, her robes swishing behind her as she did. It was rather toned down, compared to the first day of class: a long dark purple number with a tinge of emerald green around the end of the hem which swept behind her slim legs and beaded high heels. A light tinkle accentuated each step thanks to the golden anklets adorned with small bells. There was a more derisive tinkle as she stopped and turned on her heel to face the crowd of students before her. “Divination” The witch began, tapping her cheek with a finger once. This was near purred out as she studied the wash of eyes on her. That smile was near predatory.
Yuuko sank back into a long couch she’d placed in front of the room. Around her, students were seated around small tables on cushions and the occasional armchair. She crossed her legs, trying to watch their reactions as she drew out her usual kiseru and tobacco, filling and lighting it without taking her eyes off the students. “Divination is a curious thing.” She began. “Many have yearned for the power to see into the future and some of those who have the ability yearn for the power not to. Seeing is a two edged sword. On one hand, nothing surprises you anymore. On the other hand, your fears will only double. Your fear of death, your fear of impending failure, your fear of losing everything important.”
There was a pause as she took a drag from her pipe, letting out a slow stream of smoke from her lips a moment after. “Humankind longs for the ability to See. This is because most fear things they can’t control. But then, there are rules to follow with Divination. Not everything comes handed to you on a silver platter just because you can use magic. But let’s set that aside for now.”
Another moment passed as she drew the pipe away from her lips. The kiseru was set down gently on a nearby table as she pulled herself up. “SO! Who wants to go down to the kitchen and get some supplies so we can hold a Start of Term party?” she suddenly asked without missing a beat; the mysticism slipped away and was replaced by the biggest grin as she pressed her hands together with that sudden declaration.
