Kai Shimada likes this
Oct 19, 2024 5:29:23 GMT
Akihiko Shimada
17 January 1, 2003 STUDENT HUFFLEPUFF, SEVENTH YEAR PUREBLOOD ENGLAND/FUKUOKA, JAPAN | PERSONALITY: Akihiko is a product of his environment as well as the chains of the family he was born into. Serve. Obey. Protect. Those words were imparted to him by his father, who was bound by both the Wizarding Code and the Samurai's Bushido...despite being placed so highly in the Japanese Ministry to serve Shimada interests Disciplined and stoic, but never callous or miserly. Honorable, but not so much so that he's a slave to his honor. He understands that he needs to be both lion and fox, clever and wise, but forceful when necessary. He's a natural and authoritative leader who despite his youth, believes that the whole is better than the one, and that the needs of the many, and the family, comes before the need of the one. Of course, he isn't without flaws, as despite his clever trickery and patience, the dragon in his Shimada blood is still latent, and he has a rather explosive temper which bubbles when left unchecked. Though this manifests as firm and decisiveness most of the times, there have been several instances where he lost control of his temper and ended up getting into physical confrontations and honor duels because he felt the slight to his honor And though he cares little about blood supremacy personally, he espouses the same line as his family to give them face and because he sees it as his duty to be a paragon of Shimada virtues. His trickster-like nature allows him to adapt quickly to shifting circumstances, often playing others against each other to strengthen his own position, all while maintaining an outward appearance of honor and respect for tradition. Despite his youthful ambition, he holds deeply to the principles of Bushido and the Wizarding Code of Japan, which guide his actions and give him a sense of purpose, and though some may say it's illogical that he holds firm to these beliefs despite being part of a cutthroat clan, it's something he has yet to settle within himself, to be a slave to his duty to family, or bring dishonor upon his parents by choosing to forge his own path ASPIRATION: Though not a stakeholder of the Shimada's Dragon Sanctuaries, he nonetheless is expected to perform his duty to his family by becoming an executive to the clan's holdings, or serving the main branch's interest through his skills, much like his father did. Akihiko is currently looking for a position in either the Wizengamot, or the Department of Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, (In order to help his family expand their business westwards) | LIKES: - Calligraphy: Akihiko practices traditional Japanese calligraphy, finding the art both calming and a reflection of his control and patience. He often writes haiku or motivational quotes as a way to reinforce his ambitions. - Kendo: Like his romanticized view of the "masculine" Samurai of old, Akihiko took up the art of Kendo, or Japanese Swordsmanship, seeing it as a way to focus and refine himself physically, while also being a sign of great skill and discipline. He often spars with his cousins, wanting to prove that he's one of the best. -Shogi: Akihiko is an avid player of shogi, the Japanese strategy game, and uses it as a way to hone his tactical thinking. He often plays against elders to challenge himself and his brain, in order to learn how to better strategize. - Kyudo: The Japanese Art of Archery, Akihiko finds it therapeutic and a way for him to focus and meditate, he's an avid hunter too, using bow and arrow to strike his quarry from afar. He claims that a man needs to be good with Bow, Katana and his fists before he even so much as think to touch magical duelling, in order to better respect his opponents. -Dragon Training & Study: Of course, like every Shimada, Akihiko takes a personal interest in the care and training of dragons. He enjoys spending time at the family’s dragon sanctuary on Toshima Island, learning the nuances of dragon behavior and seeing it as a way to prepare for greater responsibilities within the clan. DISLIKES: -Muggle Technology: Akihiko dislikes Muggle technology, seeing it as unnecessary and disruptive to the purity of wizarding traditions. He has little use for anything that comes from the Muggle world and believes relying on Muggle tools is a sign of weakness. - Clan Dissent and Disobedience: Akihiko dislikes any internal conflict that challenges the authority of the Kanto branch, particularly from regional Shimada branches that seek more power. He sees such efforts as disloyal and undermining the unity of the family. - Lack of Respect for Tradition: Akihiko was born in a family that is rife with rituals and traditions, and he absolutely abhors people who act with impunity, without regard to their family, and who puts themselves before the interests of the whole. - Impulsiveness: Though he can be impulsive when sufficiently driven to the brink of rage, Aki dislikes people who seem to not think about the consequences of their actions. - Cruelty: While he understands the need for ruthlessness and pragmatism, hurting people for the sake of hurting them makes Akihiko incredibly uncomfortable and he finds such people to be distasteful. |
FAMILY MEMBERS. | Saburo Shimada (Father, 55, Pureblood, Senior Auror in the Japanese Ministry) Michiko Shimada (Mother, 45, Pureblood, Housewife) |
CHILDHOOD. | Akihiko was never supposed to be born. Saburo Shimada was in his late forties when Saburo was conceived, and his was a difficult pregnant wrought with pain and exhaustion, thrice his mother Michiko almost miscarried before of how sickly she became, but after seven grueling months, he was born. It seemed that the world wanted him gone however, as he was born when his mother and father was on a ship bound to the Philippines, as the Main Branch instructed Saburo to fulfill several business obligations in those islands, and unwilling to disobey orders nor abandon his heavily pregnant wife who nearly perished thrice, he elected to bring her with him on the journey. It was this exact time that a vicious storm raged however, which forced his mother to give birth to him early whilst the seas raged and thrashed. The storm stopped when he was born, and though two months early and sickly besides, he stubbornly resisted death, and his father reportedly said that a Tanuki, or a Japanese Raccoon dog associated with trickster spirits, constantly watched over him by their house's window. It was because of this and their family's close link with tradition that his father declared that Susanoo-no-Mikoto, the Shinto god of storms and trickery, watched over him. (This is mere superstition, of course. No one knows why he lived.) The rest of his childhood was relatively uneventful, he was raised by his father with the expectations of a Shimada-scion, no matter how distant from the Kanto-branch. His father instilled in him the values of Filial Loyalty, Honor, and Duty, as well as the ideal that Obedience to Family is above all. His father, a respected Auror, was well-respected by his community, as well as feared because of his surname, and though he didn't understand at first, his father swore to him that he will learn what it means to be both Shimada and Samurai. He was given lessons at home in Kendo by his own father, as well as philosophy, (usually while being tutored in Calligraphy or being taught Shogi.) and he noticed their cousin from the main branch visiting his father to talk shop, and while it was improper for him to listen, his father always introduced him and taught him the proper etiquette, often using him as the serving boy for their tea to give them visibility. Eventually however, school started. |
SCHOOL YEARS | While he expected to go to school at Mahoutokoro like his cousin Jiro, he was instead told that he was going to go to Hogwarts, as his father was instructed by the Clan Head to. He futilely resisted, only to be met with harsh rebuke from his father who reminded him that Family always came first. And that duty was duty regardless of how harsh. This event gave him a rather fatalistic outlook in life, and he felt resigned to his fate as he went to Hogwarts to study. The sorting hat seemed to pick up on his resignation and respect for duty, and beyond all odds, sorted him to Hufflepuff. He didn't care much about the foreigner's tradition though, and his first few years proved incredibly painful for him as he did not speak an ounce of English. However, his father's words fueling him, Akihiko painstakingly studied English and his lessons, finding refuge in learning and excelling (despite having little passion for most of the subjects and disliking most of the Gaijin) He was never the first person to approach other people, though he was customarily polite if he was approached, and he made a lot of surface level 'friends' because of this, though he enjoyed his time best whenever he played Shogi with his dormmate, or whenever he's at class and studying alone. Though he was acknowledged by the Kanto Branch and his father after achieving stellar grades, he knew that these were empty promises, and he had to temper his ambition to be something palatable for the family still. And before he knew it, seven years passed and he was about to graduate, though he'd never get the coveted White Robe, he did his best to excel and prepare himself for his duty to the family, having no desire to go against what is already planned for him. And upon reaching his manhood, he came back to Japan during Summer Break, where his father embraced him for the first time, before etching a tattoo of a dragon behind him, a sign of his blossoming into manhood, as well as a sign that he was one step closer to becoming what his father was, a useful tool and weapon for the Shimada. This jaded his viewpoint and turned him bitter, but he elected to hide it under a facade of stoicism instead, claiming that it was an honor to be properly marked and tattooed. |
ADULTHOOD. |
Special Situations
If the answer to the above question is yes, please provide details on their condition and ways in which they have adapted to a learning environment that is not typically friendly to those with disabilities. This is to reflect that you have considered this addition to your character carefully and planned for their success or failure.
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RP SAMPLE (200 words min.)
Gawain smiled warmly, noticing the slight bashfulness in Hina’s response. Her mumbled thanks didn’t go unnoticed, but he decided not to press her on it. "Deal," he said with a lighthearted grin, playing along. "Next time, you can be the one swooping in to save me." His tone was teasing, but there was sincerity in his words. He knew he made a friend today, and as much as he insisted that she didn't owe him anything, the fact that she insisted she did told Gawain lots about her. That she was reliable, that she wouldn't forget a good deed done. All those things made her a good person in his book!
When she asked about the inferi, he hesitated for a second, his gaze flickering before he answered. "Yeah... there’s a reason. Inferi... they only way they can be made is through murder. No other reason, yes? You can use the Killing Curse humanely, but murdering someone and then defiling their corpse to serve your needs?" He shrugged, his voice quieter now. "That is sacrilegious beyond belief. Something that needs to be fought." He sounded grave and serious, unlike his usual voice. "But that’s why I want to understand them. Knowing how to fight something is the best way to make sure you’re never caught off guard."
Gawain’s serious expression quickly dissolved into confusion as Hina leaned in with her tale about skeletons and the Tahitian sun god. His eyes widened in curiosity, brows furrowing as he tried to process what she was saying. This was the way to the Ravenclaw's heart, these secrets, culture, it interested him, enflamed a certain sort of curiosity within him that needed to get quenched. He blinked a few times, looking from her to the ground and then back to her with a bemused smile. This was quite interesting. "Wait... what? Skeletons... for the sun god?" He asked her again pointedly. "So is what's considered Dark Magic here sacred there? Does magic's nature change depending on the context on which it's used, that implies a lot of things, too, that it's the intent and not the means which matters more with magic," He said with a dreamy tone, his eyes clouding a little as he got lost in theorizing. However, he was snapped out of it when he noticed her fiddling with her robe.
He helped adjust her robe and listened as she spoke about dancing. "Cheerleading, huh? Welll...if it existed here, I can see you doing that. You’ve got the energy for it, and I bet you’d be amazing. You're extremely pretty too. As for Beater..." Gawain flexed his arm again with a playful smirk. Again. The minds of an adolescent teen. "Yeah, I suppose it suits me. But hey, I’ll definitely be looking for you in the stands cheering us on next game. It’s always good to have a bit of extra motivation."
When Hina mentioned feeling silly for going out in the storm, Gawain’s grin softened. "Hey, it happens. Everyone underestimates the weather sometimes," he reassured her. "Besides, you handled yourself pretty well up there. It takes guts to fly in those kinds of conditions." As if on cue, the thunder rumbled loudly overhead, making Gawain glance up with a chuckle. "See? Even the weather’s agreeing with me—next time, just bring a friend!" He wiggled his eyebrows, as if trying to tell her to bring him.
He shot her a supportive look, eyes twinkling with his usual cheerfulness. "But for now, you’re safe and dry. That’s what matters." He started, "About the Restricted Section, though. We're looking for The Dark Arts and their Bane, it's this book with a plain black covering, and the title's etched," He nodded. "It was placed in that section because the person who wrote it was a Dark Wizard who repented, so he decided to detail everything he knew about the Dark Arts, leaving nothing to the imagination...and how to best counter it," He rubbed his hands together. "He said he did that to make sure nothing is left to misinterpretation, but of course, some people would just look at the Dark Arts' part and ignore the countering part, yeah?"
He beamed. "We're going to get that book and we're going to learn how to destroy inferi!"
When she asked about the inferi, he hesitated for a second, his gaze flickering before he answered. "Yeah... there’s a reason. Inferi... they only way they can be made is through murder. No other reason, yes? You can use the Killing Curse humanely, but murdering someone and then defiling their corpse to serve your needs?" He shrugged, his voice quieter now. "That is sacrilegious beyond belief. Something that needs to be fought." He sounded grave and serious, unlike his usual voice. "But that’s why I want to understand them. Knowing how to fight something is the best way to make sure you’re never caught off guard."
Gawain’s serious expression quickly dissolved into confusion as Hina leaned in with her tale about skeletons and the Tahitian sun god. His eyes widened in curiosity, brows furrowing as he tried to process what she was saying. This was the way to the Ravenclaw's heart, these secrets, culture, it interested him, enflamed a certain sort of curiosity within him that needed to get quenched. He blinked a few times, looking from her to the ground and then back to her with a bemused smile. This was quite interesting. "Wait... what? Skeletons... for the sun god?" He asked her again pointedly. "So is what's considered Dark Magic here sacred there? Does magic's nature change depending on the context on which it's used, that implies a lot of things, too, that it's the intent and not the means which matters more with magic," He said with a dreamy tone, his eyes clouding a little as he got lost in theorizing. However, he was snapped out of it when he noticed her fiddling with her robe.
He helped adjust her robe and listened as she spoke about dancing. "Cheerleading, huh? Welll...if it existed here, I can see you doing that. You’ve got the energy for it, and I bet you’d be amazing. You're extremely pretty too. As for Beater..." Gawain flexed his arm again with a playful smirk. Again. The minds of an adolescent teen. "Yeah, I suppose it suits me. But hey, I’ll definitely be looking for you in the stands cheering us on next game. It’s always good to have a bit of extra motivation."
When Hina mentioned feeling silly for going out in the storm, Gawain’s grin softened. "Hey, it happens. Everyone underestimates the weather sometimes," he reassured her. "Besides, you handled yourself pretty well up there. It takes guts to fly in those kinds of conditions." As if on cue, the thunder rumbled loudly overhead, making Gawain glance up with a chuckle. "See? Even the weather’s agreeing with me—next time, just bring a friend!" He wiggled his eyebrows, as if trying to tell her to bring him.
He shot her a supportive look, eyes twinkling with his usual cheerfulness. "But for now, you’re safe and dry. That’s what matters." He started, "About the Restricted Section, though. We're looking for The Dark Arts and their Bane, it's this book with a plain black covering, and the title's etched," He nodded. "It was placed in that section because the person who wrote it was a Dark Wizard who repented, so he decided to detail everything he knew about the Dark Arts, leaving nothing to the imagination...and how to best counter it," He rubbed his hands together. "He said he did that to make sure nothing is left to misinterpretation, but of course, some people would just look at the Dark Arts' part and ignore the countering part, yeah?"
He beamed. "We're going to get that book and we're going to learn how to destroy inferi!"
OOC INFO
Alias: ken
Other Characters: Ethan Prince Miaoyu Lu Augustine Victoria Rookwood Harry James Potter Gawain Bones
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DO NOT REMOVE: Your application will be looked over as soon as possible. Please do not ask any of the admins to look over your application unless it has been two days (48 hours) since you've finished the application. You have three weeks to finish the application, or it will be archived. If this happens, you're free to apply again.
Other Characters: Ethan Prince Miaoyu Lu Augustine Victoria Rookwood Harry James Potter Gawain Bones
Activity Check:
The first 5 characters are free. No waiting period or any activity requirement.
6-10 characters require all active accounts to have a min of 25 posts and post ONE DIRECT roleplay link per character from the last two weeks based on the day this application is finished. As well as one week since your last created character.
11-15 characters require all active accounts to have a min of 50 posts and post ONE DIRECT roleplay link per character from the last two weeks based on the day this application is finished. As well as two weeks since your last created character.
16-20+ characters require all active accounts to have a min of 75 posts and post TWO DIRECT roleplay links per character from the last two weeks based on the day this application is finished. As well as two weeks since your last created character.
DO NOT REMOVE: Your application will be looked over as soon as possible. Please do not ask any of the admins to look over your application unless it has been two days (48 hours) since you've finished the application. You have three weeks to finish the application, or it will be archived. If this happens, you're free to apply again.
