Shinju

Stop regretting the past and fearing the future. Today is all you have. Make the most of it. Make it worth remembering. Stereotypes Some are good. Some are bad. They won't remember me, so why care? Lightning people... a funny name for a people only united in what they fight against. I get along with few. Walking corpses, the ones who couldn't find balance in life. I feel bad for them, really. Half-spirit, half-flesh, Inari-Okami's presence on the earth. What can I say other than I love 'em? Background Hoshimaya Shinju is the daughter of a first generation immigrant couple, one from China, and one from Japan. They grew up just another of the poor families trying to make do in Chinatown, Shinju learning to deal with life on the streets from a young age. Even with this urban roughness, though, she always kept an immense wonder for the stories her mother told her of her homelands and traditions, instilling upon Shinju a respect and longing for the olden days in the land of the rising sun. As she grew, this blossomed into a study of Asian religions, particuarly Shinto, as well as the skills of the shinobi of the ancient dynasties. With sheer determination, she honed her skills between menial jobs at the fish market, she became a master of her own right... but that was only the beginning. It was a night like any other when the animate "tattoo" known as Ryu found her, slithering onto her body in all his colorful, gold-scaled glory. He opened her eyes to a brand new world, one familiar, yet one she could only dream of before... flowing chi, natural magic, and the spirits beyond. She could feel all of it, and after the initial shock passed, she was thrust forth into a new quest in life. Protected from the eyes of the public, law, and those even worse by the blessing of the dragon, she became a ronin vigilante, living in the moment, always moving. Until, that is, the Kami saw fit to bless her with the central shrine of Chinatown... the only bastion of natural land within it where the spirits and people can have some semblance of how things used to be. But fixing it up, protecting it, and by extension Chinatown as a whole is but another endless quest . Contacts Hannah I don't even know where to START with her. In the rare chance I feel like we're on the same plane of existence when talking, I still can't figure out her deal. Levi The cool one. The one that makes sense and doesn't take no nonsense. She's helped me a lot, so I only hope I can pay her back. Akio Oh, the soft blackness of the night, the beast in a sea of pasty humans. My only wish is that he would stop being so damn busy all the time. Kaori Another Shinju, how funny. She's cool, apparently good with a sword, too... I'll be the judge of that one! Xiu The only real "lightning person" buddy I have. We come from different worlds, yet the same... I can be myself around her, and Ryu seems to like her, good 'nuff for me! Viktor Computer guy, saved his ass once when he took a wrong turn to the residential houses of Chinatown. Maybe I should talk to him more. Ken We definitely got off on the wrong foot. Sometimes my rudeness bites me in the ass harder than a giant beast man. Jai-lin Am I the only one who can tell she's weird? Like, weird weird. Talks about the world like she knows every inch of it. Zan For being a proper dragon, I've had surprisingly little interaction. Gotta find him again sometime! Kuznitsa Alchemy... but more than that, SWORD MAKER! They've got some weird technique, I should see how they do it! Taro About the only one who knows how to treat the Kami and the Shrine without me having to teach them! It's refreshing, I tell you. Also: FOX! Gallery Vital Stats Race: Mage Tradition: Orphan Avatar: Questing Faction: Shen Full Name: Hoshimaya Shinju Date of Birth: 9/21/2000 Apparent Age: Twenty Nature: Cavalier Demeanor: Survivor Height: 5'4 Notable Stats Dexterity Intuition Crafts Melee Arcane Acrobatics Camouflage RP Hooks Chinatown Vigilante: Gangs overstepping their bounds? Vulnerable tourists getting mugged? Fishy supernatural things going on? All things Shinju pays attention to in her nightly trots around the streets and the roofs above. Hengeyokai Friend: Shinju has a soft spot for Hengeyokai, respecting their half-spirit natures. They tend get through her normal rudeness, and is open for letting them help her take care of the natural spaces she watches over. Shrine Priestess: As the Guji, or head priest, of the Shangye Shinsha shrine, she's able to organize all kinds of religious rituals and community events. She can provide charms, fortunes, and other sacred goods and materials for personal use as well. Sword Master: Shinju is among the best in the world at the art of Melee, particularly the art of the blade. Favoring Iai, the art of drawing the sword, she loves nothing more than to hone her technique against obstacles and others. Sparring Partner: Want someone to fight with, either hand to hand or with melee weapons? Look no further! The hotheaded priestess often drags others to the dojo or the land behind the shrine office to spar with. Spirit Worker: As a Mage, her paradigm is focused around the nature religion of Shinto. In both her personal life and her duties as a priestess, she works with the spirits closely. Properties Shangye Shinsha Shrine The grounds of the shrine are one of the biggest still "natural" lands in the city, the place a haven both physically and spiritually from the hustle and bustle outside. As the mysterious Guji and owner of the grounds, Shinju keeps special watch over it and the secrets it holds. White Lotus Dojo Across from the shrine grounds, also in the Shangye district, is the White Lotus Dojo—the premier place for those looking to learn, practice and hone their skills, as well as for those in Chinatown needing a well-kept Gym to train their bodies. Logs 2023.05.18 PRP: Installation Troubles 2023.05.19 Trad Mage Meetup 2023.06.21 Rooftop Debate 2023.06.25 Bathing Ritual 2023.06.25 Sanctimonious Trust 2023.06.26 Waffle Megalomania 2023.07.03 A Foxy Spar 2023.12.27 Tea and Magicry 2024.1.13 Shen Introductions 2024.1.21 New Year's Shrine Festival