IC Information:
Name:
Toshie Ukiyo
Secondary Name:
Yuurin
Description:
Asian decent, long black hair with plenty of colorful additions and braids, 5' 3", athletic build, amber eyes.
Delicate of presence is she; this svelte young woman is but a wraith in form with her sinewy build and asian features. A wealth of sloe-black hair descends to about mid-back, but it is not left alone at that. Oh no, tiny plaits in blonde and scarlet accent here and there and beneath the jagged cut the majority of her hair is a distinct undercurrent of yet more of that dramatic red. A bead here, a barrette there. It is all just one organized chaos. Feline-lilted eyes with irises of seemingly sundered amber are rimmed with thick, dark lashes and set well above dimpled cheeks. A sinewy sylph by all accounts with muscles borne of an active life and a silent grace well tamed.
Bird's Description:
Shen, Altai Saker Falcon, 18 inches, grey plumage.
A raptor of uncommon presence, this falcon is drawn with a
plumage of grays. Feathers of typically ash grey color most of her foot and a
half size, giving hint to her Altai breeding. White colors lower upon her, but
she is bespeckled with spots of darker gray that seem to form stripes upon her
flanks. Curved beak and dangerous talons, her dark eyes reflect an inherent
intelligence that sets her apart from the rest.
History:
Toshie Ukiyo, the youngest of two, was brought up in Hong
Kong. Her parents, both of Japanese-American descent, were full American
citizens. The reason that they were at Hong Kong was because her father was a
freelance advisor and a private-sector member of the diplomatic corps for the
United States. She grew up with three different cultures influencing her life;
Americans of a Japanese descent but living in an area that while protected by
the UK was still Chinese. Born in Hong
Kong, both Toshie and her brother grew up there as well as attended a private
school.
Toshie was immersed into the athletics programs, showing an
early aptitude for tumbling and gymnastics, much to the amusement of her
parents. Besides her school classes, she also tried some martial arts training.
Her parents helped to encourage the girl in her activities, but soon the girl
was beginning to center upon one activity and was making a name for herself in
gymnastics field at her age category. At twelve she was already placing in
various meets. After begging and pleading with her parents and that of her
coach, she was given leave to continue her studies in the martial arts with the
possibility that such a discipline will actually help give her more familiarity
in the gymnastics field.
Around the time of when Hong Kong was given back to China,
her family moved back to the United States, living in New York. Toshie's father
once more had taken a job that was idea with his unique background, but this
time working for the United Nations as yet another private advisor. Toshie was
enrolled in a private gymnastics academy that also schooled their students in
the city. As an early teenager, the girl was winning titles at various meets,
even qualifying for the nationals. As she attended the national tournament,
there was the possibility that she could also qualify for that year's Olympic
team. She actually managed to qualify as a substitute in case one of the other
girls where to be injured. But as these things happen, a poor dismount from the
parallel bars caused her to twist her ankle and put the girl out for the year.
Not a permanent injury, but one with enough seriousness to it to sideline
Toshie.
Left to her own devices, Toshie took the time that was away
from training and conditioning and began to explore everything that she missed.
As rebellious a teen as any, she began to explore things for herself, leaving a
pair of rather strict parents reeling. She would come home late, and promptly
be grounded for the rest of the week. The arguments began to happen more and
more frequently as Toshie chafed under their parenting. Instead of looking like
the straight-laced young lady she once was, the girl experimented with her
clothes and hair, almost outrageously at times. And seeing as her parents
didn't like it at all, she decided to do even more things to drive them crazy.
At sixteen, she had already participated in under aged drinking, got hauled in
once for shoplifting, ran away from home a couple of times only to be found and
drug back a day or two later. It was only a matter of time before she tried a
couple of illegal drugs, but nothing to bring on a habit.
At Toshie's current age of seventeen, her and her parents'
latest fight was sparked by a demand from her mother. Either shape up or get
sent away to boarding school. Far away. Toshie cursed her mother soundly and
ran away for the last time, scared more than anything that her mother meant
what she said and the girl would actually get taken away from the fun and
friends she had now.
A week out on her own, and having no more friends with the
patience for her to crash with, that was when Nainokami claimed Toshi as one of
her own. A little lightheaded from a lack of anything of substance in her
tummy, the teenager was settled down in a fairly vacant area near the docks.
Just sitting there, throwing rocks into the water, and all of a sudden a flurry
of feathers, and there sitting beside her is some bird. Not a pigeon or
anything of the sort, but this thing actually looked like one impressive raptor
with his slick plumage and intelligent eye. She didn't startle, but looked at
the bird on his perch, the bird looked at her. /Yuurin/. The name flashed
bright as day in her head, searing into her mind. At the same time, there was
something of an afterglow of a kanji upon her left thigh. After muttering a
couple of curses under her breath, Toshie eyed the bird a little closer, but
seemed to understand something was different now.