Post by zhi on Dec 5, 2008 5:41:19 GMT -5
Name: Kasuga Abe
Age: Eighteen
Gender: Female
Group: Kyoshi Warriors
Nation: Earth Kingdom
Bender?: No
Physical Appearance: Kasuga could be described as rather plain, in general, perhaps what one may consider pretty average in appearance, possessing no particularly outstanding features. Reaching a respectable five feet four inches in height and weighing about one hundred and forty seven pounds, her body is kept in good shape by exercise and the thorough training methods employed by her group’s leader.
Kasuga’s feet are quite large, “Kyoshi Feet” as her mother likes to call them, of which she is actually proud, as they remind her of the Avatar to whom her Island home owes its existence and namesake. Her legs are strong and well toned, though not especially muscular as she still possess as a descent amount of body fat to soften out her figure and the like. Conversely, her hands are on the small side and somewhat dainty, the palms have been kept smooth throughout her training and continued warrior practice by her uniform gloves. Kasuga’s arms are long and inline with her legs, toned, though not greatly defined.
Her figure, overall, might be considered relatively attractive by general social standards. Rather broad, womanly hips and a well-developed bottom lead up into a slimmer waist giving her a somewhat bottom heavy look. She is a bit lacking in other departments, however, possessing a modest bust at best, further accentuating her slight “pear” shape. Moving up, she possesses slim shoulders, a rather long, thin, possibly “graceful” neck and it seems that she carries herself with good posture, especially when in uniform.
Kasuga’s face could be described as heart-shaped, her chin ending in a rather sharp point while it seems her face is widest at the hairline and temples. Her cheeks are gently rounded, giving her face a healthy and youthful appearance. Kasuga’s nose is on the small side and could be described as a “ski slope nose”, meaning it has a slight inward curve at the bridge then a bit of an up-turned tip. Her dark green eyes are close set, but rather large and youthful. However, they do tend to turn down and avoid eye contact with others easily, it seems and tend to reflect a shy uncertainty or worry in some situations.
Above her eyes arc thin, dark eyebrows, plucked and shaped to accentuate her Warrior makeup while in uniform. Her mouth is small with full lips that seem slightly puckered, they possesses a natural rosy hue that contrasts her rather pale skin tone over all. In general, her skin is relatively clear of marks and blemishes, though she does sufferer from oily skin, and as a result, outbreaks of acne upon her forehead, cheeks and around the sides of her nose are common. Additionally, a small scar runs down from the left corner of her mouth to her chin, the result of a childhood accident.
Reaching down past her shoulders, Kasuga has grown her thick, sepia brown hair out to accommodate two main styles. The first, her in-uniform hairstyle, is quite ornate and combines two decorative pieces into the arrangement. The hair is pulled up from the front, sides and back into a large, rounded bun at the back of her head, though, the hair that is pulled up is left somewhat loose so it bells out around her head at the sides and back somewhat.
The large, pillowy bun is held in place by a strip of dark green cloth and tied tightly to keep it together. Seated at the front of the bun, and just a bit forward of the strip, Kasuga wears an ornate hair comb made of wood painted a hunter green with bronze plating. Along with the comb, a long bronzed hair stick pierces the bun just behind the cloth strip, sticking out a good six inches on either side. When worn with her plated headband, little locks of hair that cannot reach the bun tend to creep out from the sides of it and frame her face, though; these extend no farther than three to four inches down the sides.
Her second hairstyle is reserved for when out of uniform and simply aims to keep her hair out of her face while maintaining some level of formality. As this style lacks the hair ornaments, it is far less time consuming to put up in the morning. Most of her hair is simply pulled straight back into a more compact bun bound with the same cloth strip. The rest of the hair is still allowed to bell out to the sides as with her uniform style, though it sags down in the back more so. The same little locks hang down and frame her face as with her in-uniform hairstyle.
Clothing/Armor: Kasuga owns several different outfits, but her main three have their specific times at which they are usually worn. One of the three would, of course, be her Kyoshi Warrior uniform and armor and the different decorative components that go with it. The other two outfits she possesses could be considered civilian clothing. These are simply her everyday outfits, worn around the village or when at home and the like, nothing terribly fancy, but presentable and keeping inline with the blue tones typically worn by the citizens of Kyoshi Island. Kasuga wears one of her two civilian outfits based upon the season and weather, the lighter outfit for spring and summer and a modified version with thicker, and sometimes fur-lined, articles in place of lighter ones for winter and fall.
All of Kasuga’s outfits begin in the same fashion, the first layer of each consisting of underwear. Beige colored cloth strips are used as chest bindings to keep her modest bosom in place and the like, not a particularly difficult thing to accomplish. Along with the wrappings, she wears a typical pair of linen underpants as well.
The Kyoshi warrior uniform is made up of multiple layers, the first, starting with a simple, tight fitting white linen sleeveless and collarless top. Over this, another shirt is worn, a light gray in color with a low profile collar and long sleeves. Along with the shirt, a pair of light gray, somewhat baggy, pants are worn, reaching down far enough to be tucked into the tops of her brown leather boots. The last piece of this second layer would be a pair of white cotton socks that seem to always be bright and clean, a new pair quickly switched for an old one after only a few days use.
Worn over the pants, and partially visible with the rest of the uniform, Kasuga wears an ankle length skirt, a myrtle green in color. The skirt is held up by a built-in semi-elastic band as well as a light gray waist sash that is tightly bound about the girl’s waist, though worn over the over garment (described below) as well. The sash is tied off with a small, low profile knot as to not bunch up beneath the rest of her uniform.
The next layer consists of a jungle green over garment, similar in appearance to a robe with the front portion of the dress bit cut out to reveal the skirt beneath it. The garment is folded over upon itself and up the right side with a high, tight fitting collar and long, baggy sleeves. Upon the sleeves, myrtle green bands run down their lengths to the wrists with golden insignias embroidered into the fabric between her elbows and shoulders. Worn over this robe-like garment, Kasuga sports the typical segmented armor used by all Kyoshi Warriors. With laminated wooden slats placed between layers of thick fabric, the vest offers decent protection without compromising on mobility or flexibility. The vest, a dark charcoal gray in color, begins a few inches below the collar bones and is held up by two shoulder straps leading up to two small wooden pauldrons, painted black and wrapped in the same dark charcoal gray cloth.
Synched tightly at the waist by a dark olive green sash, the armor is held firmly in place. Sticking out from beneath the sash, four flaps of the segmented armor hang down in the front and back and a similar flap at either side, providing some limited lower body protection. Upon her forearms, worn over the sleeves of the over garment, Kasuga wears a pair of dark charcoal gray leather bracers with small iron plates built into the tops for added protection. The bracers cover the forearms from just below the wrists to a few inches below the elbows. At the wrists, the hems of the over garment’s sleeves stick out somewhat and, upon her hands; Kasuga wears a pair of gray and white gloves that tuck in, under the bracers.
Strapped to her left arm, held on by a dark green band, a triangular bronze plate hangs down over the left bracer, extending down and past her wrist, partially over the top of her left hand. This plate may appear to be nothing more than an extra guard over her bracer, but when triggered, it folds out into a circular shield within seconds. Roughly two and a half feet in diameter, the shield is made of polished bronze plates that fold out into place, in the center; a small olive drab square has been added, giving the appearance of the Earth Kingdom’s national insignia. Though the shield is easy to deploy, Kasuga often finds it difficult to fold back up after use.
The finishing touch to her armor would be the bronze plated headband. Primarily a dark green cloth band, it is wrapped around her head and tied at the back, just below the large bun. The bronze plate is not particularly ornate but spans the full length of the front portion of the headband, stretching across from temple to temple. Attached at either edge of the bronze plate, two golden tassels with poofy tips hang down the sides of her face, falling down to just below her chin.
If the headband could be considered the final piece of the armor, the Kabuki style makeup would have to be the finishing touch for the entire uniform. Her face, ears, neck and every other piece of exposed skin are covered over in a white makeup mask while deep carmine eye shadow outlined with black arc over her eyes, leading back to her hairline. A crimson lip pigment is also applied to her small lips, vividly contrasting the pure white of her made up face. On the whole, the makeup is designed to intimidate an opponent, though, how well it truly works, Kasuga is uncertain, as she has never seen real combat as of yet.
Though she could simply shed the heavier pieces of her uniform and wear the green over garment and skirt casually, she prefers to maintain a small collection of clothing that allows her to blend in with the other citizens of her island home. In appearance, her civilian outfits are strikingly different from her warrior gear, most notably in color, as they come primarily in various shades of blue with the occasional white fur trim in the winter months as well.
Kasuga’s average civilian outfit begins with a short sleeved white linen undershirt and a pair of light, semi-baggy pants – cerulean in color. Over this, she wears a long sleeved robe/dress-like garment. Steel blue over all, the garment sports a collar and loose fitting sleeves that bell out slightly at the wrists, the dress portion extends down to her ankles, perhaps a bit lower, with a dark midnight blue square pattern along the bottom hem. Worn over the dress-like garment, Kasuga often wears a vest-like hanfu style article, a sky blue in color with dark midnight blue on the lapel hems. The hanfu vest garment has rather wide, though short, sleeves that fall to her elbows over the sleeves of the robe/dress.
About her waist, she wears a cobalt blue sash that fits over the bottom seams of the hanfu vest garment. Though, in a similar fashion to the way in which her armored vest’s flaps hang down from beneath the dark olive green sash, two curved flaps hang down, covering the sides of her thighs, from the sides of the hanfu vest. The two flaps are hemmed with dark midnight blue fabric and converge at the sash in the front and back.
When in her civilian attire, Kasuga tends to wear simple socks and a pair of small, brown leather shoes. Though they are not high-tops, she is still able to tuck the hems of her pant legs into the tops of them well enough. The shoes sport a small brass buckles and single leather a strap over the top to keep them on. Upon her head, Kasuga can often be seen wearing a small, circular, sky blue hat with cobalt trim around its edges. The hat is small enough to where it does not interfere with her bun, though tight fitting enough to keep her head warm. When worn tightly, it causes her already bouncy hair to bulge out around the sides of her head a bit more.
In the fall and winter months, Kasuga tends to switch out her small shoes for a sturdier pair of waterproofed leather boots, at times simply wearing her uniform boots as they are quite warm and well made. She also switches out the pants for a warmer, thicker pair as well as the hanfu vest garment, typically opting for a fur lined version. In the coldest months, she tends to wear a thick, white fur lined shawl with cobalt blue hemming around the edges, over her shoulders, tied at the front with a small blue cord. The hat to, she tends to trade in for a warmer version, usually sporting white fur trim around the edge.
Seasonal changes rarely affect her uniform and armor, however, and she tends to avoid switching pieces out. On the off chance in which she does, only the articles of clothing worn beneath the skirt and over garment are changed.
Weapons: Of the two weapons she has trained extensively with, Kasuga would probably say she prefers her Jingum over her fighting fans. The elegant sword has always stood out to her, catching her interest immediately when she first joined the group of young warriors. Made by the island’s master swordsmith at his forge in the heart of the largest village, Kasuga received the weapon after several years of practice with a wooden sword. Her skill with the weapon is quite high and she does feel some confidence in her abilities when using it.
Just over three feet in length, the Jingum’s slightly curved, thin blade is roughly twenty eight inches in length, made of a light steel and kept exceptionally sharp and highly polished. The handle portion of the weapon is about ten inches in length, made of bronze wrapped tightly in dark leather. The metal base of the handle and the hand guard are made highly polished brass and bronze respectively, appearing almost golden in color. The thirty inch long scabbard is made of hardwood with polished black leather wrapped around it. At the opening end and the very tip, the leather in pinched under and held in place by two bronze pieces of metal just as shiny and bright as the bass parts upon her sword.
Near the top, about four or five inches below the bronze part, a raised wooden piece sticks up with a small slot between it and the main body of the scabbard through which Kasuga runs a long, thin, but strong piece of dark olive drab cloth. The strip of cloth is then wrapped around her waist over the waist sash and tied tightly so that her sword is always within reach.
When it comes to her fighting fans, Kasuga can be a bit clumsy. Once, she even let a fan slip from her hand by accident, sending it hurtling through the air across the dojo where it finally stopped, partially imbedded in the far wall. Due to her less than exemplary skill with the fighting fans, Kasuga feels that she is less of a warrior than her friends and would likely jump directly to using her Jingum in a combat situation as she would feel considerably more comfortable with it.
At a little over a foot across as its widest point, the typical Kyoshi Warrior fighting fan is made up of twelve glossed and polished bronze slats with small holes in the between each, positioned about midway up their length. The smaller grip portion of the fan comes in a duller golden brown color. Kasuga possess two of these weapons, usually carried folded up and tucked under her waist sash, and though she makes a strong effort to improve with them when training, she is still not on par with her comrades when it comes to their use.
Besides her tangible weapon weapons, Kasuga has trained in unarmed combat as well, a style of martial arts that is similar in concept to the techniques used with the fighting fans. Mostly centered around using an opponent’s weight, momentum and strength against them.
Personality: Though one may expect a member of the Kyoshi Warriors to be a strong willed, confident and possibly intimidating individual, Kasuga could hardly be described as possessing any of these traits. In general, she tends to come off as rather meek and quite the follower, letting others, especially her little group’s leader, Yuuka, speak for her in most cases, simply going along with whatever is suggested for her or the group. Rarely one to speak out or speak up, Kasuga tends to go with the flow on most subjects and issues, simply following along. Amongst her Kyoshi Warrior comrades, she feels most at home and at ease, having come to know and trust each one well enough to alleviate any apprehension when around them.
To the average citizen, she may appear especially quiet and, at times, down right nervous when out and about alone in town. Never having been one for a great deal of special attention, she rarely wears her uniform or any Warrior specific items when not training or on-duty, as she does not feel she should be looked up to as an individual. Though she exalts her fellow warriors, she cannot do the same for herself and feels that they are all far better than she is, or could ever be. Kasuga has long since ceased voicing this opinion, however, as she received considerable flak for it from her friends.
When in the company of her warrior comrades, the only people she truly considers trustworthy friends outside of her family, Kasuga tends to open up, showing a more personable side. Compassionate and caring, she quickly feels compelled to help when one of her friends seems down about something, anything. At times she can seem very upbeat, occasionally bubbly, but when addressed with a harsh tone or confronted with a difficult or unnerving situation, she quickly retracts into her shell, returning to her usual quiet and distant nature. If faced with combat or the like, she would likely not take the time to think things through. Instead, she would surely fall back upon her training in such a situation, leaving little room for adaptation or improvisation. Kasuga’s confidence in her own fighting skill is rather low, but feels she has been trained adequately as, surely; her leader and friends could not have done poorly in helping her become proficient with the various weapons and techniques employed by the group.
To any stranger she may meet, she would likely be polite, though very reserved and possibly skeptical as well, as she isn’t quite used to being addressed or confronted by those she does not know. Coming from a small village, she is relatively comfortable around her fellow villagers, though still quite shy. Rather insecure, Kasuga tends to keep a great deal to herself. Few people outside of her family and close group of friends know of her love of art and other personal things of that nature. Even from them, she keeps secrets, however, and, at times, she feels rather ashamed of not being more truthful with her friends.
She looks up to her parents, brothers and fellow warriors greatly, feeling that they have all had a major positive impact upon her life and she is very grateful to have them. Yuuka especially, she idolizes, though would never admit it from fear (albeit, likely irrational) of being laughed at or the like. Kasuga probably doesn’t seem it right away, but she can be quite sensitive, occasionally taking scolding or the like the wrong way, though she has become used to her comrades and knows them well enough to not take offence at criticism.
Kasuga could not be considered an exceptionally intelligent individual; she seems to be a bit simple minded, sometimes a head-in-the-clouds type as well, requiring some effort to pull back in in order to focus on something. Complex ideas tend to confuse her and she occasionally brands herself as stupid and gets to feeling discouraged when facing some sort of academic challenge, though she is not dumb. Unfortunately, she does suffer from some self esteem issues, though her friends tend to help her through things when she gets to feeling down and she is usually able to get out of a rut quickly with this support.
Background: Nadeshiko Village, a small, tight-knit fishing community located northwest of Kyoshi Island’s main village, positioned beside a sheltered, crescent-shaped, bay along the western coast and lying at the edge of a dense pine forest which borders its northern edge, is called home by a population of near to one-hundred villagers. To the northeast of the village, before the foothills, one would also find several large orchards owned by wealthy families as well, their bountiful harvests of peaches and almonds arriving in the village often enough to act as a stable export to the mainland.
The village itself grew around the crescent-shaped bay with many of its shops and small storehouses positioned along the waterfront. Neat, well-built wooden docks, roughly twelve in all, stretch out into the small bay providing safe harbor and berths for the many fishing and merchant boats, large and small, that call Nadeshiko Bay home. Because of the bays small size and even smaller entrance, the boats and piers are protected from the harshest of storms as well as the ever-present threat of the Unagi who, most feel, will not venture into the small harbor.
Up from the waterfront, the homes of the villagers are arranged, many along the tree line to the north with the pine forest as part of their “backyards”. Most of the larger homes, those owned by richer folks, were positioned nearer to the heart of the town – the site of the village elder’s home and meeting place and future site of a dojo to facilitate the training of young Kyoshi Warriors.
Two young Nadeshiko villagers, Suzu Abe, a skilled carpenter and Miss Anda Hino, a kindly Earthbender and gardener, met like any other young couple in a small town might, at the annual fall harvest festival! Neither had really had the chance to get to know the other until that night, but, as both had lacked a date for the occasion, they more or less ran into each other and quickly clicked. The next day following the festival, the two sought each other out and soon were rarely seen apart after that.
When Suzu was twenty three and Anda twenty, the two were wed and soon purchased a small, two room home on the outskirts of the village with the thick pine trees behind it, their branches reaching out over the home like devilish hands or the like. A small path leading north from behind the home wound through the forest and up a small hill for some distance as well. Anda was somewhat apprehensive at first, fearful that Suzu had wasted their savings upon such an unstable little home, but he reassured her and, after a great deal of work and help from Suzu’s old master, the small, rickety, leaky-roofed shack was a four room two story place ready for the couple to start a family.
Within several months of settling into the newly renovated home, the couple soon learned they would be blessed with a child. Early in the fall, the Abe’s first child, a son they named Michio, was born. The fall and early winter months of that year saw a surprising increase in the workload for Suzu, mostly patching up roofs and working to get the village ready for the storms that would soon arrive and hammer the coastline. From mid-winter to early in the summer, typhoons often roared up from the eastern south sea, passing between the majority of the southern islands before moving up north and past Kyoshi Island, usually making landfall west of Gaoling in an uninhabited portion of the Earth Kingdom.
Though the typhoons rarely ever struck the small island directly, the edges of the storms often reached far enough south, as they passed by, to cause some property damage in Nadeshiko village every other year or so. Fortunately, the storms were not as strong as many had predicted, though Suzu was still able to amass a fair sum and the small family of three lived comfortably. Roughly one year later, Anda announced that she was with child once again and the Abe family quickly rearranged the house to make room for the new baby. Though there might have been financial concerns at first, it soon became clear that they could support another little one easily enough.
The next year around mid-summer, the family welcomed a second son into the world that they named Toru. Even from an early age, it seemed Michio was accepting of his younger brother and the two got along well, much to their parents’ delight. For two more years, the Abes lived well, Anda starting a small herb and spice garden out behind the house, its produce sold at the market in town for some extra cash, while Suzu worked about the village as usual. His high level of skill and eye for detail became well know and he was soon hired to make repairs to the various boats in the harbor on top of his usual work on buildings and the like.
When Anda discovered she was pregnant a third time, Suzu to, became a bit worried, though it seemed that the ample income from his work and Anda’s herb sales would likely be enough as long as nothing else came up. Thus, the new child was welcomed on one of the first days of spring and Anda was quite hopeful that the little girl would, like her, be an Earthbender, as most Earthbenders were said to be born in the spring and the like. The Abe’s wide-eyed child was soon given the name Kasuga. Baby Kas, as her parents liked to call her, often cried late into the night keeping the family awake into the early morning hours. Though, when held and allowed to sleep in her mother’s arms, she often went right to sleep with little trouble.
Having figured this out, Anda would often bring Kasuga to bed and, once the little girl was sound asleep, she would place her in her small wooden crib for the rest of the night. This often worked, though, at times, “Baby Kas” would wake to find herself in the crib alone and cry out in the night – a bit unsettling for the whole family. Despite these nighttime quirks, Kasuga proved to be a well behaved infant, it just seemed she had some sort of problem with the dark and being left alone.
Fortunately, as she grew older, she grew out of these quirks, albeit slowly. By the time she was three, she had her own little room upstairs, almost like an attic or loft. Though she still skittered downstairs, appearing beside her parents’ bed in the middle of the night when storms rolled in or the like, “Baby Kas” soon became used to her little room. Confident that, if any nasty scary things tried to get her, they’d have to go up the stairs and that would likely wake her parents or brothers.
When it came to her brothers, Kasuga was rather skittish around them, they were kind to her and surprisingly patient for as young as they were and the young girl soon came to respect and love them, but she always did seem to stay beside Suzu and Anda more than anyone else. When out in public, down by the waterfront shops or in the marketplace, she spoke very little and never left her parents’ sides, while her brothers were always far more inclined to run about, play and explore their surroundings.
She was quickly shaping up to be a quiet, cooperative and helpful child, taking on chores where she could, though rarely venturing outside of the family’s home and property as she had developed a bit of a phobia of the unknown. Over the years, Suzu and Anda began to worry about their daughter somewhat, she seemed to act so distant toward everyone outside of her immediate family, they encouraged her to make friends with the other little girls around the village, but she generally refused to speak around them, fearful of their reactions and feeling as if she had nothing in common with them. Most, when they realized she wasn’t one for talking, left her be and went about their own business and play without offering to include the Abe’s daughter.
Around the age of seven, however, Kasuga discovered something that caught her interest – art, drawing in particular. While out and about running errands with her mother, the two passed by a sketch artist doing pictures for anyone who might stop by and request one, just a little street side service one with a few silver coins could indulge in. Though she didn’t have a silver coin to her name, Kasuga was drawn over to watch the man work as he sketched a couple who had commissioned him with a lightning fast, but precise hand.
When the artist had finished the picture, the couple paid him and he turned over the image before they went off, back on their way. He had noticed Kasuga watching him and asked if she wished to commission him as well, she responded in a barely audible voice, explaining that she had no money, but rather, an interest. With a smile, the man explained some of his techniques and Kasuga listened intently. When her mother came out of a nearby shop and called to her, she reluctantly left the sketch artist. But, before she went to join Anda, the man presented her with one of his fine charcoal pencils to help get her started and she took it with many thanks, holding it in her hands like a delicate and valuable piece of finery until she and her mother arrived back home.
For a time, Kasuga was nervous about using the pencil, though begged her mother to allow her to purchase some good quality paper, hopefully like that which the sketch artist had used. Pleased to see their daughter taking an interest in such things, they allowed her to buy a small booklet of the sketching paper and Kas thanked them profusely. With her fancy pencil and fine paper in hand, she often slipped out the window at the front of her attic bedroom and up onto the roof where she felt she had peace. For a time, she struggled with ideas on what to draw, eventually just letting her mind wander, casually sketching up whatever or whoever she saw around her.
Soon, the first few pages were filled with crude sketches of homes, boats in the harbor and people who just happened to be walking by the Abe home when Kasuga was up upon her perch on the roof. Her first little works of art were definitely rough, though she improved over time and her parents always praised her work, displaying the pictures she felt most proud of around their house for any visitors to see.
Around that same time, Anda began to teach her daughter several valuable skills; mostly how to read and write simplified calligraphy characters. At first, Kasuga struggled with the calligraphy brush, finding it rather awkward to use – different from her charcoal pencil – but with time and practice she eventually got the hang of it. Though she had these new interests and the like, Kas still did not open up to others anymore easily than she had in the past, remaining quiet and reclusive for the most part. Over the next few years, Kasuga’s drawing skills continued to improve, albeit slowly, and she quickly became her own worst critic, constantly feeling that her pictures were not done well enough, and, at times, becoming downright discouraged.
Around the same time, Michio and Toru began to tromp about the village with a small group of boys, occasionally getting into trouble, though both were honest and typically owned-up to any wrong doings. Their rambunctiousness came home as well, though, and they often played small tricks on their younger sister. At one point, the boys sharpened and painted a small wooden rod like one of their sister’s pencils and slipped it in with her others. It took her a while to figure out why the pencil wouldn’t work and eventually broke it in half, finding no charcoal inside – much to the amusement of her older siblings. On another occasion, Michio told Kasuga a tale about the Unagi, describing how its long tongue could slither up onto land and into peoples’ homes at night and drag them into the sea.
Kasuga shook her head and told her brother she didn’t believe him, but that night and a few nights following it, she was kept from sleep by the story Michio had told her in such great detail, fearful that the Unagi’s tongue would slither in and try to take her. Eventually, she was able to put the story from her mind and got back onto a normal sleep schedule, but her brothers weren’t through with her yet. Late one night, with a lengthy and slimy piece of seaweed in hand, Toru slipped into his sister’s room and, finding one of her large feet uncovered, he dropped the terrible surprise upon her before ducking into the shadows behind her bed.
The girl awoke immediately at the feeling of the cold, damp thing upon her leg and kicked frantically, screaming like a banshee. Believing the seaweed to be the dreaded tongue of the Unagi, Kasuga leapt from her bed and ran to the corner of her little bedroom, huddling there and bursting into tears. Anda and Suzu were quickly on the scene, Toru was caught and both he and his older brother were punished, though both had quickly regretted their prank the minute they realized Kasuga had truly been scared half to death. Both eventually apologized and never did prank or trick their sister again, though it seemed she wasn’t immediately ready to forgive them.
For a few weeks following, she held deep mistrust for them but, after it became apparent that they wouldn’t do such things to her again, she did forgive and forget the incident. The family lived well enough and over the next year or so, the boys began to form opinions on what they wished to do later in life, Michio taking an interest in his father’s carpentry, while Toru dreamed of sailing the seas on a fishing boat. Kasuga, however, seemed content only with her drawings – something her parents felt would not make a decent career for their daughter.
At the age of ten, Kasuga’s life took an unexpected turn, shaped by decisions made in a village many miles away to the south by a group of talented young warriors. Plans were soon in place for the formation of Nadeshiko Village’s first ever Kyoshi Warrior unit, lead by a similarly aged girl by the name of Yuuka, the daughter of one of the orchard owners, and her overseer, an older girl named Aiko. Kasuga, in all honesty, could have cared less, but Anda, on the other hand, seemed quite excited and soon met with the Nadeshiko Village elder and the young Kyoshis seeking more information.
She soon spoke with Suzu on the subject, and both agreed that urging their daughter to join up would surely be good for her, it could help to give her direction, make friends and the honor alone of having their little girl join the ranks of the legendary Kyoshi Warriors made it all the more appealing. When Kasuga was informed of the plans they’d set up for her, she was shocked and outright refused, slinking off to her bedroom to hide. The Abes spoke to their daughter again and she eventually came around, mostly due to feeling guilty for responding in such a disrespectful manner when the issue had first been brought up.
Still extremely apprehensive on the whole when it came to the idea, Kasuga reluctantly accompanied her mother on a small trip up to the newly constructed training dojo, a structure Suzu had lent his carpentry skills to build, free of charge. When they arrived, four girls around Kas’s own age had already been recruited and were training under the guide of Miss Yuuka and her older overseer. Anda and her daughter observed the precise movements and Kasuga felt alright watching, it was rather interesting to her. Though, when the session ended and the girls came over to meet the two spectators, Kas quickly hid behind her mother.
The meeting was awkward and a few of the girls didn’t exactly know what to make of the Abe girl but her mother and the young leader helped to break the ice and Kasuga was soon separated from her mother, amongst the young warriors, getting to know them. When Kasuga and Anda left for home, Kas was feeling a bit better about things and the two soon returned to the dojo several more times over the next week until she felt comfortable enough around the group of girls.
Eventually, Kasuga was regularly making trip up to visit and watch (without either prompting from or the presence of her mother) and the time, at last, came when the group asked her if she wished to join them. Kas was still a bit nervous, but eventually accepted and promised to do her best. She was soon fitted for a uniform and armor and learned the significance of the various pieces and iconography they sported. Feeling so proud when in full uniform and makeup, she reported for her first day of training quivering with both excitement and nervousness.
That first day was a tough one for Kasuga and she felt quite discouraged, though returned the next day and received encouragement from her peers, convincing her to stick with things. The next few years with Yuuka’s Nadeshiko Village Kyoshi Warriors had both their ups and downs. Kas worked hard, the training proved to be more than she had expected, however, and she felt like giving up on several occasions, feeling she just wasn’t good enough. Each time, though, her fellow warriors reassured and worked with her when she struggled with a technique and she stuck with it.
Soon, she came to know each of her comrades well and quickly considered the girls within the group her best and only real friends outside of her family, trusting and looking up to each and every one of them. Yuuka and Aiko especially, she came to think highly of, though kept such feelings to herself.
As they were of roughly the same age, the young warriors reached the age of change at around the same time, though each handled things differently. Kasuga, who had always had limited contact with others outside of her family and, more recently, the Kyoshis, wasn’t exactly inclined to pursue the boys around the village whom she fancied.
Occasionally, she considered trying to approach one or two over the years but rarely got up the nerve enough and simply observed them from afar, never really speaking to the boys or about them with her friends much either. Many times, after the effects of a crush had “worn off” she would find herself wondering why she had even been interested in the first place, seeing how rowdy and wild some of the fellows could be. She eventually came to the conclusion that crushes and the like were silly and not worth the time spent thinking, wondering and hoping, and tried to quickly look the other way when some young man caught her eye.
Over the next few years, Kasuga divided her time between her training, outings with her friends, her drawing, and helping Anda around the house and garden whenever she could. No longer only meeting with the other Kyoshi’s simply for their daily routines, the young warrior soon found herself out and about with them, either as a full group or, at times, just with one or two of the others. As she had been reclusive for most of her childhood, Kasuga found such social outings – some as far from home as the other villages – somewhat frightening, but she usually folded to her friends’ wishes in most cases and went along with things. Often, she would return home feeling that the outings hadn’t been that bad.
As Kas worked hard to improve her clumsy fan skills, her brothers dove into their chosen professions as well. Suzu took Michio under his wing, naming him an Apprentice Carpenter. When Toru reached the age of seventeen, he found a position as a deckhand aboard a tuna fishing boat based out of Nadeshiko Bay. Following the “Unagi Incident”, as it had come to be known around the Abe home, Kasuga and her brothers had grown closer and she visited both when free time presented itself. She often found herself somewhat worried as well, when Toru’s boat would leave on fishing trips, peering over at the harbor whenever she went by, watching for him.
Around the age of sixteen, some changes swept the Nadeshiko Kyoshis. Kasuga and many of the others had proven themselves ready to put their wooden training swords and fans aside and have real weapons forged for them. On a bit of a field trip, the group ventured to the main village and each warrior received their Jingum and fans from the island’s well-known swordsmith. At about the same time as well, Aiko felt Yuuka was ready for the full responsibility of leadership and turned over the reins fulltime. Kasuga and her fellow warriors stood beside their leader, feeling she was ready, and leant their support.
Since then, the Nadeshiko Kyoshi group has worked and trained well together, maintaining the peace and protecting their little village as well as keeping sharp with their regular practice and continued training. Shocking news did eventually arrive one morning from the main village however, claims that the Avatar had appeared and was visiting. Before Kasuga, her more adventurous brothers, or the other Kyoshis could make the day-long journey south, however, word reached Nadeshiko that the Fire Nation’s banished Prince had shown up and chased the Avatar and his companions away after causing considerable damage to the village itself.
Following the incident, many of the island’s other Kyoshi units made the decision to travel to the Earth Kingdom to join their forces in battling the Fire Nation invaders. When the issue came up within the Nadeshiko Kyoshi group, Kasuga showed support for the idea of traveling over to help in the Earth Kingdom, siding with Yuuka and many of the others. A fair and thoughtful leader, Yuuka still awaits the definite opinions of several of the other girls leaving the issue open. Kasuga is more than willing to go with her friends wherever they may choose, though, she is still a bit nervous about things, having been no farther from home than the main village in the south.
Sample RP: Seated upon a small padded stool before her mother’s desk and mirror, Kasuga applied the traditional makeup worn by the Kyoshi Warriors as quickly as she possibly could. Though the wagon had yet to arrive, she was still worried with the time. She’d slept in that day and enjoyed a late breakfast before strolling down to the docks to see Toru off on his latest fishing trip, as she would likely not get the chance to see him again before the Nadeshiko Kyoshis left for the Earth Kingdom.
Though Kasuga was beginning to feel rather apprehensive about the whole overseas deployment idea, she’d already thrown her support behind Yuuka and couldn’t go back on her word now; such an idea was simply unthinkable in the girl’s mind. As she had done many times in the past, Kas would go along with her friends’ wishes without complaint, even if it was honestly frightening. What would they do? How far from home would they travel? And… were they really going to have to fight the Fire Nation’s Army? Such questions and more nagged at the young warrior’s mind as she prepared for her friends to arrive.
At least they weren’t leaving quiet yet, this small trip down to the village south of Nadeshiko, to visit Aiko and a few of the others there who had been instrumental in the creation of Nadeshiko’s Kyoshi Warrior unit, would help to put off their eventual departure for the Earth Kingdom, at least for a bit more. Kasuga had always been one to think of things in such a way, leaving was scary and she made an effort not to think about, though the worry and slight curiosity always seemed to creep back to the forefront of her mind. The one thing that helped to reassure her, however, was the simple knowledge that she would be with her friends, nothing could split them up and, together, they’d remain strong, even if Kasuga thought of herself as the weakest link.
For the young warrior, the motivation to go stemmed mostly from her loyalty to her friends. It was unlikely that the Fire Nation would bother with Kyoshi Island again. Personally, Kasuga had never really felt a strong sense of loyalty to the Earth Kingdom, she was a Kyoshi Islander before all else. She had heard some tales, but had no deep concern for the Earth Kingdom or its people, not that she was self centered or the like, she simply felt little connection to them and knew even less of their plight. But what was done, was done, even though Yuuka lacked definitive answers from several of the other girls, it was unlikely that they would resist the plan.
“Kasuga, honey! Your friends are here!” called Anda from down stairs. Kas squirmed upon the small stool, an unpleasant feeling tingling in the pit of her stomach. She was late and still not finished with the makeup. “I’ll.. be down in a minute mom! Tell them I’m sorry, I’ll be down soon!” she shouted down to her mother in a voice that didn’t seem well suited for yelling. Cringing for a moment as the tingly feeling became worse, she quickly, and somewhat sloppily, finished applying the deep carmine eye shadow before leaping off the stool and hurrying down the stairs, nearly tripping on the third step down.
“Here she is,” said Anda, as Kasuga quickly crossed the main dining and the living room, finding her mother at the door while Shiori waited outside on the porch, smiling as she approached. “I’m sorry for the wait,” said Kas, peering down at her feet for a moment then looking meekly back up at her comrade. “Yuuka’s waiting for us out in the wagon, are you ready to go?” the teal-eyed Kyoshi Warrior asked in a pleasant tone. Kasuga nodded silently and took a step over, hugging her mother tightly for a moment before stepping out onto the porch.
As she followed after Shiori, Anda called after the two young warriors, “I’ll have dinner enough for the three of you when you get back!” the Earthbending gardener said, waving to the group’s leader, seated on the driver’s bench of the wagon, before closing the door to the Abe home. Kasuga hoped her friends would stay for dinner when they got back to Nadeshiko, though she would understand if Yuuka couldn’t. The trip back out to the orchards was a bit time consuming.
Climbing up into the back of the wagon, she took a seat beside Shiori and they were soon off to visit Aiko and the others.
Age: Eighteen
Gender: Female
Group: Kyoshi Warriors
Nation: Earth Kingdom
Bender?: No
Physical Appearance: Kasuga could be described as rather plain, in general, perhaps what one may consider pretty average in appearance, possessing no particularly outstanding features. Reaching a respectable five feet four inches in height and weighing about one hundred and forty seven pounds, her body is kept in good shape by exercise and the thorough training methods employed by her group’s leader.
Kasuga’s feet are quite large, “Kyoshi Feet” as her mother likes to call them, of which she is actually proud, as they remind her of the Avatar to whom her Island home owes its existence and namesake. Her legs are strong and well toned, though not especially muscular as she still possess as a descent amount of body fat to soften out her figure and the like. Conversely, her hands are on the small side and somewhat dainty, the palms have been kept smooth throughout her training and continued warrior practice by her uniform gloves. Kasuga’s arms are long and inline with her legs, toned, though not greatly defined.
Her figure, overall, might be considered relatively attractive by general social standards. Rather broad, womanly hips and a well-developed bottom lead up into a slimmer waist giving her a somewhat bottom heavy look. She is a bit lacking in other departments, however, possessing a modest bust at best, further accentuating her slight “pear” shape. Moving up, she possesses slim shoulders, a rather long, thin, possibly “graceful” neck and it seems that she carries herself with good posture, especially when in uniform.
Kasuga’s face could be described as heart-shaped, her chin ending in a rather sharp point while it seems her face is widest at the hairline and temples. Her cheeks are gently rounded, giving her face a healthy and youthful appearance. Kasuga’s nose is on the small side and could be described as a “ski slope nose”, meaning it has a slight inward curve at the bridge then a bit of an up-turned tip. Her dark green eyes are close set, but rather large and youthful. However, they do tend to turn down and avoid eye contact with others easily, it seems and tend to reflect a shy uncertainty or worry in some situations.
Above her eyes arc thin, dark eyebrows, plucked and shaped to accentuate her Warrior makeup while in uniform. Her mouth is small with full lips that seem slightly puckered, they possesses a natural rosy hue that contrasts her rather pale skin tone over all. In general, her skin is relatively clear of marks and blemishes, though she does sufferer from oily skin, and as a result, outbreaks of acne upon her forehead, cheeks and around the sides of her nose are common. Additionally, a small scar runs down from the left corner of her mouth to her chin, the result of a childhood accident.
Reaching down past her shoulders, Kasuga has grown her thick, sepia brown hair out to accommodate two main styles. The first, her in-uniform hairstyle, is quite ornate and combines two decorative pieces into the arrangement. The hair is pulled up from the front, sides and back into a large, rounded bun at the back of her head, though, the hair that is pulled up is left somewhat loose so it bells out around her head at the sides and back somewhat.
The large, pillowy bun is held in place by a strip of dark green cloth and tied tightly to keep it together. Seated at the front of the bun, and just a bit forward of the strip, Kasuga wears an ornate hair comb made of wood painted a hunter green with bronze plating. Along with the comb, a long bronzed hair stick pierces the bun just behind the cloth strip, sticking out a good six inches on either side. When worn with her plated headband, little locks of hair that cannot reach the bun tend to creep out from the sides of it and frame her face, though; these extend no farther than three to four inches down the sides.
Her second hairstyle is reserved for when out of uniform and simply aims to keep her hair out of her face while maintaining some level of formality. As this style lacks the hair ornaments, it is far less time consuming to put up in the morning. Most of her hair is simply pulled straight back into a more compact bun bound with the same cloth strip. The rest of the hair is still allowed to bell out to the sides as with her uniform style, though it sags down in the back more so. The same little locks hang down and frame her face as with her in-uniform hairstyle.
Clothing/Armor: Kasuga owns several different outfits, but her main three have their specific times at which they are usually worn. One of the three would, of course, be her Kyoshi Warrior uniform and armor and the different decorative components that go with it. The other two outfits she possesses could be considered civilian clothing. These are simply her everyday outfits, worn around the village or when at home and the like, nothing terribly fancy, but presentable and keeping inline with the blue tones typically worn by the citizens of Kyoshi Island. Kasuga wears one of her two civilian outfits based upon the season and weather, the lighter outfit for spring and summer and a modified version with thicker, and sometimes fur-lined, articles in place of lighter ones for winter and fall.
All of Kasuga’s outfits begin in the same fashion, the first layer of each consisting of underwear. Beige colored cloth strips are used as chest bindings to keep her modest bosom in place and the like, not a particularly difficult thing to accomplish. Along with the wrappings, she wears a typical pair of linen underpants as well.
The Kyoshi warrior uniform is made up of multiple layers, the first, starting with a simple, tight fitting white linen sleeveless and collarless top. Over this, another shirt is worn, a light gray in color with a low profile collar and long sleeves. Along with the shirt, a pair of light gray, somewhat baggy, pants are worn, reaching down far enough to be tucked into the tops of her brown leather boots. The last piece of this second layer would be a pair of white cotton socks that seem to always be bright and clean, a new pair quickly switched for an old one after only a few days use.
Worn over the pants, and partially visible with the rest of the uniform, Kasuga wears an ankle length skirt, a myrtle green in color. The skirt is held up by a built-in semi-elastic band as well as a light gray waist sash that is tightly bound about the girl’s waist, though worn over the over garment (described below) as well. The sash is tied off with a small, low profile knot as to not bunch up beneath the rest of her uniform.
The next layer consists of a jungle green over garment, similar in appearance to a robe with the front portion of the dress bit cut out to reveal the skirt beneath it. The garment is folded over upon itself and up the right side with a high, tight fitting collar and long, baggy sleeves. Upon the sleeves, myrtle green bands run down their lengths to the wrists with golden insignias embroidered into the fabric between her elbows and shoulders. Worn over this robe-like garment, Kasuga sports the typical segmented armor used by all Kyoshi Warriors. With laminated wooden slats placed between layers of thick fabric, the vest offers decent protection without compromising on mobility or flexibility. The vest, a dark charcoal gray in color, begins a few inches below the collar bones and is held up by two shoulder straps leading up to two small wooden pauldrons, painted black and wrapped in the same dark charcoal gray cloth.
Synched tightly at the waist by a dark olive green sash, the armor is held firmly in place. Sticking out from beneath the sash, four flaps of the segmented armor hang down in the front and back and a similar flap at either side, providing some limited lower body protection. Upon her forearms, worn over the sleeves of the over garment, Kasuga wears a pair of dark charcoal gray leather bracers with small iron plates built into the tops for added protection. The bracers cover the forearms from just below the wrists to a few inches below the elbows. At the wrists, the hems of the over garment’s sleeves stick out somewhat and, upon her hands; Kasuga wears a pair of gray and white gloves that tuck in, under the bracers.
Strapped to her left arm, held on by a dark green band, a triangular bronze plate hangs down over the left bracer, extending down and past her wrist, partially over the top of her left hand. This plate may appear to be nothing more than an extra guard over her bracer, but when triggered, it folds out into a circular shield within seconds. Roughly two and a half feet in diameter, the shield is made of polished bronze plates that fold out into place, in the center; a small olive drab square has been added, giving the appearance of the Earth Kingdom’s national insignia. Though the shield is easy to deploy, Kasuga often finds it difficult to fold back up after use.
The finishing touch to her armor would be the bronze plated headband. Primarily a dark green cloth band, it is wrapped around her head and tied at the back, just below the large bun. The bronze plate is not particularly ornate but spans the full length of the front portion of the headband, stretching across from temple to temple. Attached at either edge of the bronze plate, two golden tassels with poofy tips hang down the sides of her face, falling down to just below her chin.
If the headband could be considered the final piece of the armor, the Kabuki style makeup would have to be the finishing touch for the entire uniform. Her face, ears, neck and every other piece of exposed skin are covered over in a white makeup mask while deep carmine eye shadow outlined with black arc over her eyes, leading back to her hairline. A crimson lip pigment is also applied to her small lips, vividly contrasting the pure white of her made up face. On the whole, the makeup is designed to intimidate an opponent, though, how well it truly works, Kasuga is uncertain, as she has never seen real combat as of yet.
Though she could simply shed the heavier pieces of her uniform and wear the green over garment and skirt casually, she prefers to maintain a small collection of clothing that allows her to blend in with the other citizens of her island home. In appearance, her civilian outfits are strikingly different from her warrior gear, most notably in color, as they come primarily in various shades of blue with the occasional white fur trim in the winter months as well.
Kasuga’s average civilian outfit begins with a short sleeved white linen undershirt and a pair of light, semi-baggy pants – cerulean in color. Over this, she wears a long sleeved robe/dress-like garment. Steel blue over all, the garment sports a collar and loose fitting sleeves that bell out slightly at the wrists, the dress portion extends down to her ankles, perhaps a bit lower, with a dark midnight blue square pattern along the bottom hem. Worn over the dress-like garment, Kasuga often wears a vest-like hanfu style article, a sky blue in color with dark midnight blue on the lapel hems. The hanfu vest garment has rather wide, though short, sleeves that fall to her elbows over the sleeves of the robe/dress.
About her waist, she wears a cobalt blue sash that fits over the bottom seams of the hanfu vest garment. Though, in a similar fashion to the way in which her armored vest’s flaps hang down from beneath the dark olive green sash, two curved flaps hang down, covering the sides of her thighs, from the sides of the hanfu vest. The two flaps are hemmed with dark midnight blue fabric and converge at the sash in the front and back.
When in her civilian attire, Kasuga tends to wear simple socks and a pair of small, brown leather shoes. Though they are not high-tops, she is still able to tuck the hems of her pant legs into the tops of them well enough. The shoes sport a small brass buckles and single leather a strap over the top to keep them on. Upon her head, Kasuga can often be seen wearing a small, circular, sky blue hat with cobalt trim around its edges. The hat is small enough to where it does not interfere with her bun, though tight fitting enough to keep her head warm. When worn tightly, it causes her already bouncy hair to bulge out around the sides of her head a bit more.
In the fall and winter months, Kasuga tends to switch out her small shoes for a sturdier pair of waterproofed leather boots, at times simply wearing her uniform boots as they are quite warm and well made. She also switches out the pants for a warmer, thicker pair as well as the hanfu vest garment, typically opting for a fur lined version. In the coldest months, she tends to wear a thick, white fur lined shawl with cobalt blue hemming around the edges, over her shoulders, tied at the front with a small blue cord. The hat to, she tends to trade in for a warmer version, usually sporting white fur trim around the edge.
Seasonal changes rarely affect her uniform and armor, however, and she tends to avoid switching pieces out. On the off chance in which she does, only the articles of clothing worn beneath the skirt and over garment are changed.
Weapons: Of the two weapons she has trained extensively with, Kasuga would probably say she prefers her Jingum over her fighting fans. The elegant sword has always stood out to her, catching her interest immediately when she first joined the group of young warriors. Made by the island’s master swordsmith at his forge in the heart of the largest village, Kasuga received the weapon after several years of practice with a wooden sword. Her skill with the weapon is quite high and she does feel some confidence in her abilities when using it.
Just over three feet in length, the Jingum’s slightly curved, thin blade is roughly twenty eight inches in length, made of a light steel and kept exceptionally sharp and highly polished. The handle portion of the weapon is about ten inches in length, made of bronze wrapped tightly in dark leather. The metal base of the handle and the hand guard are made highly polished brass and bronze respectively, appearing almost golden in color. The thirty inch long scabbard is made of hardwood with polished black leather wrapped around it. At the opening end and the very tip, the leather in pinched under and held in place by two bronze pieces of metal just as shiny and bright as the bass parts upon her sword.
Near the top, about four or five inches below the bronze part, a raised wooden piece sticks up with a small slot between it and the main body of the scabbard through which Kasuga runs a long, thin, but strong piece of dark olive drab cloth. The strip of cloth is then wrapped around her waist over the waist sash and tied tightly so that her sword is always within reach.
When it comes to her fighting fans, Kasuga can be a bit clumsy. Once, she even let a fan slip from her hand by accident, sending it hurtling through the air across the dojo where it finally stopped, partially imbedded in the far wall. Due to her less than exemplary skill with the fighting fans, Kasuga feels that she is less of a warrior than her friends and would likely jump directly to using her Jingum in a combat situation as she would feel considerably more comfortable with it.
At a little over a foot across as its widest point, the typical Kyoshi Warrior fighting fan is made up of twelve glossed and polished bronze slats with small holes in the between each, positioned about midway up their length. The smaller grip portion of the fan comes in a duller golden brown color. Kasuga possess two of these weapons, usually carried folded up and tucked under her waist sash, and though she makes a strong effort to improve with them when training, she is still not on par with her comrades when it comes to their use.
Besides her tangible weapon weapons, Kasuga has trained in unarmed combat as well, a style of martial arts that is similar in concept to the techniques used with the fighting fans. Mostly centered around using an opponent’s weight, momentum and strength against them.
Personality: Though one may expect a member of the Kyoshi Warriors to be a strong willed, confident and possibly intimidating individual, Kasuga could hardly be described as possessing any of these traits. In general, she tends to come off as rather meek and quite the follower, letting others, especially her little group’s leader, Yuuka, speak for her in most cases, simply going along with whatever is suggested for her or the group. Rarely one to speak out or speak up, Kasuga tends to go with the flow on most subjects and issues, simply following along. Amongst her Kyoshi Warrior comrades, she feels most at home and at ease, having come to know and trust each one well enough to alleviate any apprehension when around them.
To the average citizen, she may appear especially quiet and, at times, down right nervous when out and about alone in town. Never having been one for a great deal of special attention, she rarely wears her uniform or any Warrior specific items when not training or on-duty, as she does not feel she should be looked up to as an individual. Though she exalts her fellow warriors, she cannot do the same for herself and feels that they are all far better than she is, or could ever be. Kasuga has long since ceased voicing this opinion, however, as she received considerable flak for it from her friends.
When in the company of her warrior comrades, the only people she truly considers trustworthy friends outside of her family, Kasuga tends to open up, showing a more personable side. Compassionate and caring, she quickly feels compelled to help when one of her friends seems down about something, anything. At times she can seem very upbeat, occasionally bubbly, but when addressed with a harsh tone or confronted with a difficult or unnerving situation, she quickly retracts into her shell, returning to her usual quiet and distant nature. If faced with combat or the like, she would likely not take the time to think things through. Instead, she would surely fall back upon her training in such a situation, leaving little room for adaptation or improvisation. Kasuga’s confidence in her own fighting skill is rather low, but feels she has been trained adequately as, surely; her leader and friends could not have done poorly in helping her become proficient with the various weapons and techniques employed by the group.
To any stranger she may meet, she would likely be polite, though very reserved and possibly skeptical as well, as she isn’t quite used to being addressed or confronted by those she does not know. Coming from a small village, she is relatively comfortable around her fellow villagers, though still quite shy. Rather insecure, Kasuga tends to keep a great deal to herself. Few people outside of her family and close group of friends know of her love of art and other personal things of that nature. Even from them, she keeps secrets, however, and, at times, she feels rather ashamed of not being more truthful with her friends.
She looks up to her parents, brothers and fellow warriors greatly, feeling that they have all had a major positive impact upon her life and she is very grateful to have them. Yuuka especially, she idolizes, though would never admit it from fear (albeit, likely irrational) of being laughed at or the like. Kasuga probably doesn’t seem it right away, but she can be quite sensitive, occasionally taking scolding or the like the wrong way, though she has become used to her comrades and knows them well enough to not take offence at criticism.
Kasuga could not be considered an exceptionally intelligent individual; she seems to be a bit simple minded, sometimes a head-in-the-clouds type as well, requiring some effort to pull back in in order to focus on something. Complex ideas tend to confuse her and she occasionally brands herself as stupid and gets to feeling discouraged when facing some sort of academic challenge, though she is not dumb. Unfortunately, she does suffer from some self esteem issues, though her friends tend to help her through things when she gets to feeling down and she is usually able to get out of a rut quickly with this support.
Background: Nadeshiko Village, a small, tight-knit fishing community located northwest of Kyoshi Island’s main village, positioned beside a sheltered, crescent-shaped, bay along the western coast and lying at the edge of a dense pine forest which borders its northern edge, is called home by a population of near to one-hundred villagers. To the northeast of the village, before the foothills, one would also find several large orchards owned by wealthy families as well, their bountiful harvests of peaches and almonds arriving in the village often enough to act as a stable export to the mainland.
The village itself grew around the crescent-shaped bay with many of its shops and small storehouses positioned along the waterfront. Neat, well-built wooden docks, roughly twelve in all, stretch out into the small bay providing safe harbor and berths for the many fishing and merchant boats, large and small, that call Nadeshiko Bay home. Because of the bays small size and even smaller entrance, the boats and piers are protected from the harshest of storms as well as the ever-present threat of the Unagi who, most feel, will not venture into the small harbor.
Up from the waterfront, the homes of the villagers are arranged, many along the tree line to the north with the pine forest as part of their “backyards”. Most of the larger homes, those owned by richer folks, were positioned nearer to the heart of the town – the site of the village elder’s home and meeting place and future site of a dojo to facilitate the training of young Kyoshi Warriors.
Two young Nadeshiko villagers, Suzu Abe, a skilled carpenter and Miss Anda Hino, a kindly Earthbender and gardener, met like any other young couple in a small town might, at the annual fall harvest festival! Neither had really had the chance to get to know the other until that night, but, as both had lacked a date for the occasion, they more or less ran into each other and quickly clicked. The next day following the festival, the two sought each other out and soon were rarely seen apart after that.
When Suzu was twenty three and Anda twenty, the two were wed and soon purchased a small, two room home on the outskirts of the village with the thick pine trees behind it, their branches reaching out over the home like devilish hands or the like. A small path leading north from behind the home wound through the forest and up a small hill for some distance as well. Anda was somewhat apprehensive at first, fearful that Suzu had wasted their savings upon such an unstable little home, but he reassured her and, after a great deal of work and help from Suzu’s old master, the small, rickety, leaky-roofed shack was a four room two story place ready for the couple to start a family.
Within several months of settling into the newly renovated home, the couple soon learned they would be blessed with a child. Early in the fall, the Abe’s first child, a son they named Michio, was born. The fall and early winter months of that year saw a surprising increase in the workload for Suzu, mostly patching up roofs and working to get the village ready for the storms that would soon arrive and hammer the coastline. From mid-winter to early in the summer, typhoons often roared up from the eastern south sea, passing between the majority of the southern islands before moving up north and past Kyoshi Island, usually making landfall west of Gaoling in an uninhabited portion of the Earth Kingdom.
Though the typhoons rarely ever struck the small island directly, the edges of the storms often reached far enough south, as they passed by, to cause some property damage in Nadeshiko village every other year or so. Fortunately, the storms were not as strong as many had predicted, though Suzu was still able to amass a fair sum and the small family of three lived comfortably. Roughly one year later, Anda announced that she was with child once again and the Abe family quickly rearranged the house to make room for the new baby. Though there might have been financial concerns at first, it soon became clear that they could support another little one easily enough.
The next year around mid-summer, the family welcomed a second son into the world that they named Toru. Even from an early age, it seemed Michio was accepting of his younger brother and the two got along well, much to their parents’ delight. For two more years, the Abes lived well, Anda starting a small herb and spice garden out behind the house, its produce sold at the market in town for some extra cash, while Suzu worked about the village as usual. His high level of skill and eye for detail became well know and he was soon hired to make repairs to the various boats in the harbor on top of his usual work on buildings and the like.
When Anda discovered she was pregnant a third time, Suzu to, became a bit worried, though it seemed that the ample income from his work and Anda’s herb sales would likely be enough as long as nothing else came up. Thus, the new child was welcomed on one of the first days of spring and Anda was quite hopeful that the little girl would, like her, be an Earthbender, as most Earthbenders were said to be born in the spring and the like. The Abe’s wide-eyed child was soon given the name Kasuga. Baby Kas, as her parents liked to call her, often cried late into the night keeping the family awake into the early morning hours. Though, when held and allowed to sleep in her mother’s arms, she often went right to sleep with little trouble.
Having figured this out, Anda would often bring Kasuga to bed and, once the little girl was sound asleep, she would place her in her small wooden crib for the rest of the night. This often worked, though, at times, “Baby Kas” would wake to find herself in the crib alone and cry out in the night – a bit unsettling for the whole family. Despite these nighttime quirks, Kasuga proved to be a well behaved infant, it just seemed she had some sort of problem with the dark and being left alone.
Fortunately, as she grew older, she grew out of these quirks, albeit slowly. By the time she was three, she had her own little room upstairs, almost like an attic or loft. Though she still skittered downstairs, appearing beside her parents’ bed in the middle of the night when storms rolled in or the like, “Baby Kas” soon became used to her little room. Confident that, if any nasty scary things tried to get her, they’d have to go up the stairs and that would likely wake her parents or brothers.
When it came to her brothers, Kasuga was rather skittish around them, they were kind to her and surprisingly patient for as young as they were and the young girl soon came to respect and love them, but she always did seem to stay beside Suzu and Anda more than anyone else. When out in public, down by the waterfront shops or in the marketplace, she spoke very little and never left her parents’ sides, while her brothers were always far more inclined to run about, play and explore their surroundings.
She was quickly shaping up to be a quiet, cooperative and helpful child, taking on chores where she could, though rarely venturing outside of the family’s home and property as she had developed a bit of a phobia of the unknown. Over the years, Suzu and Anda began to worry about their daughter somewhat, she seemed to act so distant toward everyone outside of her immediate family, they encouraged her to make friends with the other little girls around the village, but she generally refused to speak around them, fearful of their reactions and feeling as if she had nothing in common with them. Most, when they realized she wasn’t one for talking, left her be and went about their own business and play without offering to include the Abe’s daughter.
Around the age of seven, however, Kasuga discovered something that caught her interest – art, drawing in particular. While out and about running errands with her mother, the two passed by a sketch artist doing pictures for anyone who might stop by and request one, just a little street side service one with a few silver coins could indulge in. Though she didn’t have a silver coin to her name, Kasuga was drawn over to watch the man work as he sketched a couple who had commissioned him with a lightning fast, but precise hand.
When the artist had finished the picture, the couple paid him and he turned over the image before they went off, back on their way. He had noticed Kasuga watching him and asked if she wished to commission him as well, she responded in a barely audible voice, explaining that she had no money, but rather, an interest. With a smile, the man explained some of his techniques and Kasuga listened intently. When her mother came out of a nearby shop and called to her, she reluctantly left the sketch artist. But, before she went to join Anda, the man presented her with one of his fine charcoal pencils to help get her started and she took it with many thanks, holding it in her hands like a delicate and valuable piece of finery until she and her mother arrived back home.
For a time, Kasuga was nervous about using the pencil, though begged her mother to allow her to purchase some good quality paper, hopefully like that which the sketch artist had used. Pleased to see their daughter taking an interest in such things, they allowed her to buy a small booklet of the sketching paper and Kas thanked them profusely. With her fancy pencil and fine paper in hand, she often slipped out the window at the front of her attic bedroom and up onto the roof where she felt she had peace. For a time, she struggled with ideas on what to draw, eventually just letting her mind wander, casually sketching up whatever or whoever she saw around her.
Soon, the first few pages were filled with crude sketches of homes, boats in the harbor and people who just happened to be walking by the Abe home when Kasuga was up upon her perch on the roof. Her first little works of art were definitely rough, though she improved over time and her parents always praised her work, displaying the pictures she felt most proud of around their house for any visitors to see.
Around that same time, Anda began to teach her daughter several valuable skills; mostly how to read and write simplified calligraphy characters. At first, Kasuga struggled with the calligraphy brush, finding it rather awkward to use – different from her charcoal pencil – but with time and practice she eventually got the hang of it. Though she had these new interests and the like, Kas still did not open up to others anymore easily than she had in the past, remaining quiet and reclusive for the most part. Over the next few years, Kasuga’s drawing skills continued to improve, albeit slowly, and she quickly became her own worst critic, constantly feeling that her pictures were not done well enough, and, at times, becoming downright discouraged.
Around the same time, Michio and Toru began to tromp about the village with a small group of boys, occasionally getting into trouble, though both were honest and typically owned-up to any wrong doings. Their rambunctiousness came home as well, though, and they often played small tricks on their younger sister. At one point, the boys sharpened and painted a small wooden rod like one of their sister’s pencils and slipped it in with her others. It took her a while to figure out why the pencil wouldn’t work and eventually broke it in half, finding no charcoal inside – much to the amusement of her older siblings. On another occasion, Michio told Kasuga a tale about the Unagi, describing how its long tongue could slither up onto land and into peoples’ homes at night and drag them into the sea.
Kasuga shook her head and told her brother she didn’t believe him, but that night and a few nights following it, she was kept from sleep by the story Michio had told her in such great detail, fearful that the Unagi’s tongue would slither in and try to take her. Eventually, she was able to put the story from her mind and got back onto a normal sleep schedule, but her brothers weren’t through with her yet. Late one night, with a lengthy and slimy piece of seaweed in hand, Toru slipped into his sister’s room and, finding one of her large feet uncovered, he dropped the terrible surprise upon her before ducking into the shadows behind her bed.
The girl awoke immediately at the feeling of the cold, damp thing upon her leg and kicked frantically, screaming like a banshee. Believing the seaweed to be the dreaded tongue of the Unagi, Kasuga leapt from her bed and ran to the corner of her little bedroom, huddling there and bursting into tears. Anda and Suzu were quickly on the scene, Toru was caught and both he and his older brother were punished, though both had quickly regretted their prank the minute they realized Kasuga had truly been scared half to death. Both eventually apologized and never did prank or trick their sister again, though it seemed she wasn’t immediately ready to forgive them.
For a few weeks following, she held deep mistrust for them but, after it became apparent that they wouldn’t do such things to her again, she did forgive and forget the incident. The family lived well enough and over the next year or so, the boys began to form opinions on what they wished to do later in life, Michio taking an interest in his father’s carpentry, while Toru dreamed of sailing the seas on a fishing boat. Kasuga, however, seemed content only with her drawings – something her parents felt would not make a decent career for their daughter.
At the age of ten, Kasuga’s life took an unexpected turn, shaped by decisions made in a village many miles away to the south by a group of talented young warriors. Plans were soon in place for the formation of Nadeshiko Village’s first ever Kyoshi Warrior unit, lead by a similarly aged girl by the name of Yuuka, the daughter of one of the orchard owners, and her overseer, an older girl named Aiko. Kasuga, in all honesty, could have cared less, but Anda, on the other hand, seemed quite excited and soon met with the Nadeshiko Village elder and the young Kyoshis seeking more information.
She soon spoke with Suzu on the subject, and both agreed that urging their daughter to join up would surely be good for her, it could help to give her direction, make friends and the honor alone of having their little girl join the ranks of the legendary Kyoshi Warriors made it all the more appealing. When Kasuga was informed of the plans they’d set up for her, she was shocked and outright refused, slinking off to her bedroom to hide. The Abes spoke to their daughter again and she eventually came around, mostly due to feeling guilty for responding in such a disrespectful manner when the issue had first been brought up.
Still extremely apprehensive on the whole when it came to the idea, Kasuga reluctantly accompanied her mother on a small trip up to the newly constructed training dojo, a structure Suzu had lent his carpentry skills to build, free of charge. When they arrived, four girls around Kas’s own age had already been recruited and were training under the guide of Miss Yuuka and her older overseer. Anda and her daughter observed the precise movements and Kasuga felt alright watching, it was rather interesting to her. Though, when the session ended and the girls came over to meet the two spectators, Kas quickly hid behind her mother.
The meeting was awkward and a few of the girls didn’t exactly know what to make of the Abe girl but her mother and the young leader helped to break the ice and Kasuga was soon separated from her mother, amongst the young warriors, getting to know them. When Kasuga and Anda left for home, Kas was feeling a bit better about things and the two soon returned to the dojo several more times over the next week until she felt comfortable enough around the group of girls.
Eventually, Kasuga was regularly making trip up to visit and watch (without either prompting from or the presence of her mother) and the time, at last, came when the group asked her if she wished to join them. Kas was still a bit nervous, but eventually accepted and promised to do her best. She was soon fitted for a uniform and armor and learned the significance of the various pieces and iconography they sported. Feeling so proud when in full uniform and makeup, she reported for her first day of training quivering with both excitement and nervousness.
That first day was a tough one for Kasuga and she felt quite discouraged, though returned the next day and received encouragement from her peers, convincing her to stick with things. The next few years with Yuuka’s Nadeshiko Village Kyoshi Warriors had both their ups and downs. Kas worked hard, the training proved to be more than she had expected, however, and she felt like giving up on several occasions, feeling she just wasn’t good enough. Each time, though, her fellow warriors reassured and worked with her when she struggled with a technique and she stuck with it.
Soon, she came to know each of her comrades well and quickly considered the girls within the group her best and only real friends outside of her family, trusting and looking up to each and every one of them. Yuuka and Aiko especially, she came to think highly of, though kept such feelings to herself.
As they were of roughly the same age, the young warriors reached the age of change at around the same time, though each handled things differently. Kasuga, who had always had limited contact with others outside of her family and, more recently, the Kyoshis, wasn’t exactly inclined to pursue the boys around the village whom she fancied.
Occasionally, she considered trying to approach one or two over the years but rarely got up the nerve enough and simply observed them from afar, never really speaking to the boys or about them with her friends much either. Many times, after the effects of a crush had “worn off” she would find herself wondering why she had even been interested in the first place, seeing how rowdy and wild some of the fellows could be. She eventually came to the conclusion that crushes and the like were silly and not worth the time spent thinking, wondering and hoping, and tried to quickly look the other way when some young man caught her eye.
Over the next few years, Kasuga divided her time between her training, outings with her friends, her drawing, and helping Anda around the house and garden whenever she could. No longer only meeting with the other Kyoshi’s simply for their daily routines, the young warrior soon found herself out and about with them, either as a full group or, at times, just with one or two of the others. As she had been reclusive for most of her childhood, Kasuga found such social outings – some as far from home as the other villages – somewhat frightening, but she usually folded to her friends’ wishes in most cases and went along with things. Often, she would return home feeling that the outings hadn’t been that bad.
As Kas worked hard to improve her clumsy fan skills, her brothers dove into their chosen professions as well. Suzu took Michio under his wing, naming him an Apprentice Carpenter. When Toru reached the age of seventeen, he found a position as a deckhand aboard a tuna fishing boat based out of Nadeshiko Bay. Following the “Unagi Incident”, as it had come to be known around the Abe home, Kasuga and her brothers had grown closer and she visited both when free time presented itself. She often found herself somewhat worried as well, when Toru’s boat would leave on fishing trips, peering over at the harbor whenever she went by, watching for him.
Around the age of sixteen, some changes swept the Nadeshiko Kyoshis. Kasuga and many of the others had proven themselves ready to put their wooden training swords and fans aside and have real weapons forged for them. On a bit of a field trip, the group ventured to the main village and each warrior received their Jingum and fans from the island’s well-known swordsmith. At about the same time as well, Aiko felt Yuuka was ready for the full responsibility of leadership and turned over the reins fulltime. Kasuga and her fellow warriors stood beside their leader, feeling she was ready, and leant their support.
Since then, the Nadeshiko Kyoshi group has worked and trained well together, maintaining the peace and protecting their little village as well as keeping sharp with their regular practice and continued training. Shocking news did eventually arrive one morning from the main village however, claims that the Avatar had appeared and was visiting. Before Kasuga, her more adventurous brothers, or the other Kyoshis could make the day-long journey south, however, word reached Nadeshiko that the Fire Nation’s banished Prince had shown up and chased the Avatar and his companions away after causing considerable damage to the village itself.
Following the incident, many of the island’s other Kyoshi units made the decision to travel to the Earth Kingdom to join their forces in battling the Fire Nation invaders. When the issue came up within the Nadeshiko Kyoshi group, Kasuga showed support for the idea of traveling over to help in the Earth Kingdom, siding with Yuuka and many of the others. A fair and thoughtful leader, Yuuka still awaits the definite opinions of several of the other girls leaving the issue open. Kasuga is more than willing to go with her friends wherever they may choose, though, she is still a bit nervous about things, having been no farther from home than the main village in the south.
Sample RP: Seated upon a small padded stool before her mother’s desk and mirror, Kasuga applied the traditional makeup worn by the Kyoshi Warriors as quickly as she possibly could. Though the wagon had yet to arrive, she was still worried with the time. She’d slept in that day and enjoyed a late breakfast before strolling down to the docks to see Toru off on his latest fishing trip, as she would likely not get the chance to see him again before the Nadeshiko Kyoshis left for the Earth Kingdom.
Though Kasuga was beginning to feel rather apprehensive about the whole overseas deployment idea, she’d already thrown her support behind Yuuka and couldn’t go back on her word now; such an idea was simply unthinkable in the girl’s mind. As she had done many times in the past, Kas would go along with her friends’ wishes without complaint, even if it was honestly frightening. What would they do? How far from home would they travel? And… were they really going to have to fight the Fire Nation’s Army? Such questions and more nagged at the young warrior’s mind as she prepared for her friends to arrive.
At least they weren’t leaving quiet yet, this small trip down to the village south of Nadeshiko, to visit Aiko and a few of the others there who had been instrumental in the creation of Nadeshiko’s Kyoshi Warrior unit, would help to put off their eventual departure for the Earth Kingdom, at least for a bit more. Kasuga had always been one to think of things in such a way, leaving was scary and she made an effort not to think about, though the worry and slight curiosity always seemed to creep back to the forefront of her mind. The one thing that helped to reassure her, however, was the simple knowledge that she would be with her friends, nothing could split them up and, together, they’d remain strong, even if Kasuga thought of herself as the weakest link.
For the young warrior, the motivation to go stemmed mostly from her loyalty to her friends. It was unlikely that the Fire Nation would bother with Kyoshi Island again. Personally, Kasuga had never really felt a strong sense of loyalty to the Earth Kingdom, she was a Kyoshi Islander before all else. She had heard some tales, but had no deep concern for the Earth Kingdom or its people, not that she was self centered or the like, she simply felt little connection to them and knew even less of their plight. But what was done, was done, even though Yuuka lacked definitive answers from several of the other girls, it was unlikely that they would resist the plan.
“Kasuga, honey! Your friends are here!” called Anda from down stairs. Kas squirmed upon the small stool, an unpleasant feeling tingling in the pit of her stomach. She was late and still not finished with the makeup. “I’ll.. be down in a minute mom! Tell them I’m sorry, I’ll be down soon!” she shouted down to her mother in a voice that didn’t seem well suited for yelling. Cringing for a moment as the tingly feeling became worse, she quickly, and somewhat sloppily, finished applying the deep carmine eye shadow before leaping off the stool and hurrying down the stairs, nearly tripping on the third step down.
“Here she is,” said Anda, as Kasuga quickly crossed the main dining and the living room, finding her mother at the door while Shiori waited outside on the porch, smiling as she approached. “I’m sorry for the wait,” said Kas, peering down at her feet for a moment then looking meekly back up at her comrade. “Yuuka’s waiting for us out in the wagon, are you ready to go?” the teal-eyed Kyoshi Warrior asked in a pleasant tone. Kasuga nodded silently and took a step over, hugging her mother tightly for a moment before stepping out onto the porch.
As she followed after Shiori, Anda called after the two young warriors, “I’ll have dinner enough for the three of you when you get back!” the Earthbending gardener said, waving to the group’s leader, seated on the driver’s bench of the wagon, before closing the door to the Abe home. Kasuga hoped her friends would stay for dinner when they got back to Nadeshiko, though she would understand if Yuuka couldn’t. The trip back out to the orchards was a bit time consuming.
Climbing up into the back of the wagon, she took a seat beside Shiori and they were soon off to visit Aiko and the others.