The Clever Flame, Saiko Komon
BASICS
Name: "I have many names, most of them nicknames or titles. But I suppose, for sake of convenience, you may call me Tomoe. Chiba Tomoe. I think it's cute." He smiles softly, perhaps a bit mischievously. "Others seem to like it, as well. Short, easy to remember. Many of my titles are sentences long," he brags, just a bit vain. He wears his name as most Japanese do, with the surname first and his given name last.
Age: Tomoe chuckled quietly, genuinely amused. "Can I just answer with very old? Or need you look at my tails?" Chiba is five hundred and thirty four years old, with a graceful array of five tails to accentuate it.
Race: "The race of the clever, the swift. The race of the fox." Tomoe is a kitsune, and an old one at that.
Faction: "I give my allegiance to the family that has served my needs the greatest in the past centuries. And with them I will stay until the day I have died. I have sworn myself to the Terajima."
Role: "I suppose I should feel honored that I have the title of saiko komon. I think it is supposed to be a compliment towards my wisdom? In any case, the oyabun is the only one who is freely graced with my advice. Others must pay a hefty price."
Complexion: Pale, clear-skinned. His is the skin of a young royal, clear and without touch of the sun.
Body Type: Short and slight. He has many times been mistaken for a young girl. It amuses him.
Height and Weight: As a fox, he stands at 2'4" at a weight of 12 pounds. As a human, he is 5'2" at a weight of 102 pounds. He likes the smaller size, though has been known to disguise himself as a large, burly American when he doesn't want to be found.
Distinguishing marks: When he gets drunk, he loses control over one tail that sways with his drunken mirth. What's most distinguishing about him as a human, though, are his small eyebrows. It also must be pretty obvious that he wears such large kimonos in such a modern age. And his small stature doesn't exactly help him "blend in." As a fox he has five tails. The only thing about his appearance he can't control while posing as a human are his golden eyes.
Apparent Temperament: Tomoe, a zenko kitsune, is loyal to his oyabun. He appears quiet and stately, but is in actuality a prankster. He performs harmless tricks on various people, regardless of their position. It's hard to pin these pranks on him, however, because he is learned in the art of keeping a straight face. Despite these silly tricks, he's a generally calm person. He likes to speak in esoteric riddles, but will speak directly if the situation calls for it. He is rarely seen without an amused smile. He hardly ever appears agitated or sad, as he sees those as signs of vulnerability and weakness. He does occasionally feel sad or upset, however. It's also pretty strange that he rarely blinks, but maybe that's just me?
He's not lazy, but he treasures comfort above all else. If he's not in the lobby of the bordello, he's most likely reclining in the sitting room, smoking and sipping sake.
Hair and eyes: His black hair is long and straight, and there is never a strand out of line. Capped by short, black eyebrows, his slitted, golden eyes are a telltale sign of his inhumanity. His vanity keeps his hair shiny and soft, but he is often frustrated with his inability to hide the strangeness of his eyes. He feels that gold isn't a color that suits him.
Facial features: Feminine and delicate. His eyes, already small due to his Asian heritage, are often kept at half-mast (partly to look relaxed, but mostly to cover the color of his eyes. Which people can see despite his efforts). He allows the small bump of an Adam's apple on his slender neck so he doesn't look completely feminine. His lips are a soft pink and perfectly bowed.
Wardrobe: Many large kimonos, usually layered. On a casual day, he'll wear them in pinks and light greens, soft colors to imply a relaxed day. When asked to dress formally, he wears dark blues and golds to call attention to his so-called "nobility." What he doesn't know, however, is that most people just roll their eyes. Yes, you're old, we get it already!
When travelling, he changes into a hakama that actually fits. But no matter what he's wearing in any situation, he always wears many jeweled rings on his fingers and his pearly hoshi no tama around his neck. He tries to protect his precious "star ball" within the many folds of his kimonos, securely against his chest.
PERSONALITY
Almost in spite of his age and wisdom and "nobility," Tomoe is a trickster above all else. He feels like it is his responsibility to lighten the mood, even if just with jokes or his small pranks. He is a hopeless romantic and loves reading trashy romance novels. He will even let his boys go if they've fallen in love with someone. Surprisingly, he is still a virgin, looking for that special "someone." But that doesn't stop him from making veiled innuendos. And despite the fact that he enjoys dressing like a woman and owns a gay bordello, no one knows if Tomoe is actually gay or not. He flatters men and women alike, flirting with an eerily straight face. Though he sometimes lets a small smile to sneak through, revealing his amusement. And although he wears womanly clothing, he clearly identifies as a man. He doesn't like the softness of a woman's body. Though he really loves their pretty clothes.
He thrives on the mental discomfort of others, but likes to make sure everyone is physically relaxed. He is a mother-hen type, protective of his own and cautious of strangers. He generally stays inside of his brothel, watching out for his boys and smoking. He likes it when they have meetings at his brothel; the place is extremely comfortable and lavish. It also makes him feel a bit more important.
He hatehatehates technology. He doesn't understand it. It frustrates him and he usually sets it aflame. However, due to necessity, he keeps an old Nokia brick for when he needs to be reached.
Speech: Tomoe has a very quiet voice, and usually speaks with an educated vocabulary. His voice is smooth and in a deep tenor, signifying his gender. When drunk, however, he's loud and slightly annoying. He tends to be a know-it-all when he's had a bit too much sake. When he's frustrated and thinks he's alone in a room, he curses in Japanese. It amuses those who hear it; it's strange to hear such coarse language from such a conservative mouth. His soft voice is usually taken as an indication of weakness, but those who think so are quickly proven wrong.
Pet Peeves: DOGS. And ignorant, loud people. Technology is high on this list, as are people who try to teach him to use it. He dislikes dog owners, as they usually smell like the damn beast.
Favorite color: Pink suits him best, though his favorite is a dark blue. Despite his dislike of the color gold, he thinks it goes smashingly with the blue.
EQUIPMENT
Specialty: Tomoe owns a brothel, and is a keeper of information. He rarely freely gives out advice anymore, but when he does, you'd best take heed. He is skilled with his fox fire, but rarely uses it. He's more reliant on quick, quiet fights.
Fighting Style: Though he usually uses trickery to take advantage of his opponents, Tomoe is skilled at knife-throwing. When he feels overpowered, however, he uses his fox fire to either lead opponents astray or to burn them alive.
Preferred Weaponry: Small knives tucked into his sleeves.
Weaknesses:
- Dogs: They cause him to drop his human form and run like a bat outta hell. They terrify him, simple as that.
- Hoshi no Tama: It basically carries his soul. Legend has it, if a kitsune is separated from the talisman for too long, he may die. Tomoe doesn't know if this is true, nor does he want to find out.
- Sake: Though he isn't a lush, Tomoe loves getting drunk with friends. And maybe strangers.
- Technology: It makes him upset and emotionally volatile. And dangerous. With fire.
Inventory: He carries a little pouch of leaves and small "found" trinkets around his waist as a human and a fox. He carries his old Nokia in the sleeves of his kimono. He wears many jewels on his fingers and his tear-shaped hoshi-no-tama around his neck. He keeps his hoshi no tama in his mouth when he's in his natural form.
Minor Ability: Possession of people, trickery of the simple-minded, and various other small magics. He's extremely knowledgeable. He's good with medicines and bandages. He also has expert control over his fox fire and illusion-casting. In shadows or in the night, he can become virtually invisible.
Additional Guise: He has many small disguises when trying to sneak around, though he mainly keeps to his appearance of a feminine boy. His other main appearance, though used MUCH less than his usual guise, is of a large, dirty American man.
Hobbies: Loves to eat. Also loves shiny things. He plays biwa in his spare time. He "finds" little shiny things in people's pockets (such as marbles, coins, rings, etc.). He likes giving Sahen the wrong names when advising him on a bet.
Likes:- Shiny things. They amuse him so much.
- Fried tofu. It's just so delicious! If he didn't watch himself, he'd gain about twenty pounds from eating that alone.
- Intelligent conversation. He really can't stand idiots.
- His boys. They are his children, his little castaways. He makes them beautiful, wanted.
- Smoking. He even sometimes dabbles in opium, though never too much.
- Witty jokes. He pretends he doesn't, though, because he has the weirdest laugh. I do not! He really does.
- Luxury. It makes him feel respected. Not to mention it's comfy as hell.
- Idiots. Oh my God. Damn ignoramuses who can't seem to look up a fact before arguing it are the worst.
- Abusive/unfaithful husbands. Out of respect for his mother, who was a wonderful mother and died a normal fox in a fight with Tomoe's father, Tomoe likes to think of himself as a protector of the hurt. Despite how it might hurt his business, if he finds out one of his clients is married, he gives an "anonymous tip" to the wife of where her husband goes when he says he's playing pachinko.
- Dogs. Terrifying, dirty beasts. With those teeth and spittle... *shudder*
- Uncooked tofu. Just. It's so slimy!
- Hunters. Dirty, terrible men who steal the skins of animals.
- Technology. It's confusing and stupid. And it always changes! Why bother even trying to keep up with it? *grumblegrumbledamnyoungsters*
- People mocking his age. Respect
your eldersthe elderlythose with more power than you! - Currency. "How many coins to a paper? Oh, forget it, I'll just trust my boys to count it."
Agenda: He started out with the yazuka for convenience in his travels. When he settled in his brothel, he quickly climbed in ranks. His loyalty is fortified by centuries of fellowship. Also, it's pretty fucking nice to have whole gangs at your beck and call.
Where they hail from: The countryside of the Iwate prefecture is where Tomoe was born, but the kitsune seems to have origins all over Japan.
Relations: None, besides his mother who died centuries ago. He doesn't know what happened to his father, or his siblings. Though his brothers and sisters seemed pretty ordinary. They probably died normal foxes, pelts for the happy huntsman.
Notable Experiences: Tomoe was born in the countryside of the Iwate prefecture, from where he derived his human surname. On his hundredth birthday, he transformed into a young girl and hitched a ride to the coast of Miyako. There, he started out as a simple pickpocket. He learned much about people, cooking, and the rest of the world. He quickly learned to read and used his knowledge to burn through literature in his spare time. He eventually set up shop as an advice-giver.
He enjoyed listening to the tales of foreigners. He learned of the European Renaissance and devoured the Greek literature. He learned philosophy and poetry and devoured epics and dramas. He ignored science for the most part, as it confused his spiritually-based mind.
He despised the Industrial Revolution, as the smog it produced was suffocating. He lived in the countryside for about a century until the tools of industry became more refined. Then he resumed travelling the cities of Japan, where he learned of Communism. He decided the concept was sound, but people were too crooked for it to work properly. He was very sad when Hitler killed himself. He had such a brilliant mind, despite the fact that he was insane.
In his travels, he learned as much as he could and tricked many people. He often practiced his magic, and three times was obligated to grant a human a wish. The first was for wealth, and he used his illusive powers to make stones and sticks look like pearls and bars of gold. The second asked for power, and he carved a stick out of wood and gave it to the man. "It will be a strong sword in your times of need." It saved the man's life many a time. The third human, a woman, asked for advice on how to conceive a child. He replied, "Wait for the moon to grow fat. Then you will conceive." The woman birthed twin boys, and lived happily.
During his travels, he learned that advice was a way to pay, and started giving it out less freely. He frequently came into brief contact with the Terajima clan while he travelled, and eventually became their main source for information and advice. He later joined their ranks for the sake of convenience.When he finally settled in Osaka, he set up a brothel and quickly ascended in rank. He now sits as the saiko komon.
