Post by Im Yong Soo on Jun 4, 2011 2:40:12 GMT -5
[/u][/size]His little whispers. Love me. Love me. That’s all I ask for. Love me. Love me.
►►Character Name
Nation ►
South Korea
Human Name ►
Im Yong Soo or Im Soo Yong, depending.
Age ►
Appears to be around early twenties, but is actually around eighty-three in human years. In fox years, he’s five hundred, and thus, has five tails.
He enjoys confusing people.
Gender ►
Male or Female, but born a boy.
Species ►
Kumiho
Legend states that after a fox manages to live up to one hundred years, it gains the ability to take on human form. The most popular form to take is that of a young woman in order to seduce men and feed off their energy, but a male form is also useful, particularly in trying to win a bride. Mischievous creatures, they like to play tricks on humans using magical lights and strange sounds, indicating the ability to perform minor illusions that have no substance, similar to the Kitsune of Japan.
Unlike the Kitsune, however, Kumiho have a reputation of devouring human hearts and livers to gain more magical power, and are thus generally feared in Korea. However, there are early tales of benign Kumiho that make a habit of aiding humans, or even kind but naïve Kumiho being taken advantage of by crafty persons. In the end, one has to make a judgment call.
Kumiho can be identified by the shape of their shadows and their foxish facial features—dogs are their natural enemy, and hearing one bark will instinctively trigger a shift back to their fox form. As foxes, the Kumiho have all their many tails, a reference to their name—every hundred years, the fox gains a tail until they reach the age of one thousand, possessing a total of nine tails. They can choose to either hide or display these in human form, along with fox-like ears.
Description ►
Rather proud of his Asian heritage, Yong Soo will be the very first to point out his decidedly Korean features, in particular his impishly young face, bright tawny eyes, and dark brown hair. As a male, he wears his hair short, parting it mostly to the left, but with long side-bangs and a signature fly-away curl. As Soo Yong, the Kumiho retains her hair curl, but gains a long braid, and looses some (but not all!) of her height. In both fox and human form, the Kumiho’s eyes retain a noticeable amber outline around the iris.
Due to rigorous exercise and martial arts experience, Yong Soo is actually fairly muscular along with being rather tall, while Soo Yong concentrates on retaining a cute, energetic appearance that gives no hints toward her actual strength. Never quite still, the Korean is as spry as a monkey and about as grabby, accentuating his words with broad sweeping gestures and expressive faces.
The Korean takes pride in his appearance, and would rather be clean than not, believing that presenting a good image works as a survival strategy. Clothes-wise, Yong Soo is rather given to the colors black, white, and navy, often wearing shirts with very long pale sleeves and a blue over-shirt or vest. As Soo Yong, she prefers warmer, brighter colors such as red, yellow, or even occasionally pink. Her clothes are much the same, but with a more feminine cut, and she is more willing to try new fashions as a girl. In spite of the fact that his sleeves almost always cover his hands, he remains very deft at handling objects with them, and has been known to often use them to conceal snacks and other odds and ends.
As a fox, Yong Soo is red-furred with black tips and a white underbelly. His eyes remain the same. All five-tails are present in this form. When taking on her pseudo-human form, Soo Yong tends to restrict herself to manifesting only three tails at once both to appear weaker than she is and for practicality’s sake.
The marks of his enslavement consist of two copper bracelets around his wrists and a copper torque around his neck. Yong Soo usually wears his clothes over them, only displaying them when he has no other choice.
He battered his tiny fist to feel something. Wondered what it’s like to touch and feel something.
Likes ►
- Korean food!
[/li][li] Stories![/color]
One can often find him with his nose in a book, quietly gasping with every plot twist or silently squeeing with delight when the guy gets the girl, or the girl gets the guy, or the guy gets the guy, or the girl gets the girl. Perhaps because of his own gender mutability, he doesn't particularly discriminate. Out of pride, he usually saves the really girly stuff for when he’s a girl—it makes no difference, but some people just can’t shut up about a guy that likes romance, and Yong Soo would really rather not bother.[/li][/ul]
[/li][li] Attention[/color]
[/li][li] Affection[/color]
[/li][li] Music and Dancing[/color]
[/li][li]Technology[/color]
[/li][li] Playing! [/color]
[/li][li]Family and Friends[/color]
[/li][li]Fashion[/color]
[/li][li]Showing Off[/color]
[/li][li]Learning Something New[/color]
Dislikes ►
- Over-Seriousness
[/li][li]Being Ignored or Shunned[/color]
[/li][li]Being Looked Down Upon[/color]
[/li][li]Pain and Violence[/color]
[/li][li]Hurting another’s feelings[/color]
[/li][li]Embarrassment[/color]
[/li][li]Powerlessness[/color]
[/li][li]Hopelessness[/color]
[/li][li]Getting Mistaken For A Kitsune or Non-Korean[/color]
[/li][li]People Getting Hung Up On The Gender Thing[/color]
[/li][li]Anyone Hurting His Friends or Family [/color]
Strengths ►
[li]Shifting between fox or human form
[/li][li]Changing genders
[/li][li]Creating insubstantial illusions, particularly “fox fire”
[/li][li]Refined animal senses[/li][/ul][/color]
[li]Determined
[/li][li]Enthusiastic[/color]
[/li][li]Cheerful[/color]
[/li][li]Crafty[/color]
Weaknesses ►
[li]Instinctive fear of dogs—their bark will disrupt their illusions
[/li][li]Can’t completely hide fox-nature as a human (shadow, some features)
[/li][li]Requires psychic energy to survive or perform magic—not “feeding” within a week will trigger a feral state
[/li][li]Cannot hide tails in fox form[/li][/ul][/color]
[li]Impressionable
[/li][li]Mischievous[/color]
[/li][li]Over-Affectionate[/color]
[/li][li]Attachment[/color]
Dreams ►
- Accomplishment
When you get down to it, the Korean’s goal in either form is to garner respect from others. Hard to do, when creatures are less than second-class. Still, Yong Soo is determined not to be discounted, and will strive to be the kind of wise old fox that would have done his old family proud. [/li][/ul]
[/li][li]Friends[/color]
[/li][li]Safety[/color]
[/li][li]Love[/color]
Fears ►
- Failure
[/li][li]Loss [/color]
[/li][li]Betrayal[/color]
[/li][li]Loneliness[/color]
Personality ►
When most people think of the word “kumiho,” the mental image that first comes to mind is usually a murderous shape-shifting seductress, an ancient demon fox hiding in the form of a woman. They remember stories of vicious creatures that lure young men to their beds, tear out their hearts or livers, and devour them for their gi. They hear of wicked magicks, cruel tricks fostered by years of malice and cunning. The kumiho is a monster, as any Korean could tell you.
One look at Yong Soo would have those Koreans completely baffled.
Loud, bright, and noisy, Yong Soo is an impulsive young fox in the prime of his life. He smiles often, and laughs even more, always up for a good joke and a new game. A sociable soul, he likes getting to know people, and hopefully finding a new friend or earning some laughs. He has a cheerful air about him, looking at the world as though the next new discovery is just around the corner. Insults appear to roll right on over Yong Soo’s head—in one ear out the other—and by virtue of his competitive streak, he meets most challenges with a ready grin. He almost always has a wide grin plastered across his face, even when he actually feels a bit sad, or worried, or annoyed.
He has the unfortunate habit of claiming to have seen or done something first, much to others’ annoyance, but by the same token he will also accept the blame for things that do not seem to be his fault. Yong Soo may do this for any number of reasons—to gain attention, to help a friend, or to avoid even worse trouble. There’s always a lingering suspicion in the Korean’s mind that he could have been responsible, and he will make plausible excuses to back it up. He loves feeling that people trust and depend on him, and wants more than anything for others to believe in him.
More often than not, Yong Soo is mistaken as a fool by those who don’t know him, but there is a very keen understanding and intellect hidden behind that grin, given to popping out at the most random of times. He has an intuitive sense of people that he doesn’t always show, and he actually reads the atmosphere fairly often, especially as a girl. It’s the only thing that saves him from really crossing lines and getting himself killed. At the same time, he often denies seeing the things he doesn’t like, deluding himself that it was something else. It’s easier that way.
As a girl, Soo Yong is still essentially herself, but she takes more efforts to be charming, appealing, and most of all cute. That’s primarily because, as far as Yong Soo is concerned, his girl form exists for a function—to attract humans and ensure his survival. As time has gone on, the Soo Yong form has shown many benefits—people tend to be more polite and helpful toward girls, she can look at romantic dramas without getting snickered at, dressing up is just fun—but overall, Soo Yong is like a mask Yong Soo wears or a role he plays—a reflection of himself, but not something that encompasses all of him.
In regards to being a “pet creature,” Yong Soo tries not to let it bother him—it’s a fact of life that he needs humans, and having at least one consistently around to provide sustenance will actually increase his chances to making it to a nine-tails, as long as he’s careful enough to not exhaust them. Does he sometimes miss his younger days when all he did was travel, meet new people, and make his own rules? Yes. But being a “pet” goes a long way in opening certain doors, and Yong Soo is enterprising enough to take advantage of those opportunities.
Yong Soo’s weaknesses are his compassion and his squeamishness. Yong Soo’s efforts to garner another’s good will can either run afoul into annoyance, or work too well by leaving him tied to another’s affections. Yong Soo’s emotions are genuine—he sincerely cares, and can be manipulated through this, even though he is generally aware of when that is happening. Yong Soo isn’t at all comfortable with handling violence—guns make him skittish, and actually dealing with a dead body and blood when he is “human-minded” would make him panic, and give in to a rash impulse. When he has formed attachment, he can even seem clingy or needy when threatened, betraying a kind of cowardice.
The only time the Kumiho acts anything like the rumors say he should is when Yong Soo has not had an opportunity to “feed” in a while—he becomes first agitated, even fretful, and a bit more pushy when it comes to getting attention. If he continues to be denied, Yong Soo will start getting desperate, switching to whatever form is the most appealing and employing any wiles he has at his disposal, possibly even begging. If even this fails, the Kumiho will enter a feral state, and become much more aggressive—it is advisable at this point to give him what he wants unless you wish to lose your liver.
Yong Soo has never reached the point of mindless murder, and he doesn’t wish to, so he tries to make a habit of feeding on a regular basis.
As a result, Yong Soo has been called a “pervert” more than once, and he will admit there is a grain of truth to it—he loves the way another person’s warmth and heartbeat feels beneath his hands (that and it’s funny to watch them squirm). While the Kumiho seems to be very open with exhibiting affection, sometimes in strange ways that don’t always translate well, Yong Soo can be a bit awkward dealing with people he actually has soft feelings for, easily flustered by them and a bit more clumsy. Nothing betrays the fact that he’s still a relatively young fox more than placing him next to someone he admires.
Off-beat but benign, the Kumiho’s desires are surprisingly simple given the volume of his character—Yong Soo wishes to do good in life, to learn more things, and to find a safe little place for himself in this world—a home he can call his own. He wants to have a family again—people he can trust and people who can trust him.
Because loyalty originated in Korea, you know?
[li]Sneaking up and “groping” people as Yong Soo, “claiming their breasts” no matter what gender the grope-ee is. As Soo Yong, this strange compulsion changes into simply glomping them and nuzzling their chest, though the intent is the same.
[/li][li]Frequent claims of “this originated in Korea, you know!”
[/li][li]He will call those he looks up to “Hyung” or “Noona” as a male, “Oppa” or “Unni” as a female, with the added suffix “nim” for very special people. For those younger than him, he will use the affectionate epithet of “Don-Saeng.” All of these mean brother, sister, and younger sibling.
[/li][li]When he’s alone, he’ll occasionally talk to his hair curl. He named it Sang Ki, and from certain angles, he swears it has a face. He’ll whistle to make it dance.
[/li][li]For some strange unknown reason, taking a picture of the Korean will almost always turn out well. He’s very photogenic, and the effect extends to whoever else is in the frame with him.
[/li][li]As an unexpected side effect to the torque (or possibly just a natural quirk), the Korean’s chest is sensitive to the point that he’ll squeak if you squeeze it in either form. Continued touching will make him flustered and squirmy, while making strange noises. Unless it’s part of “feeding,” Yong Soo and Soo Yong will both laugh nervously once they get away and try to dissuade attention.
[/li][li]The Korean is skilled in Tae Kwon Do, and enjoys sparring.
[/li][li]He doesn't really need them, but Yong Soo also keeps a pair of reading glasses in his sleeves, whipping them out whenever he feels the need to channel his "inner intellectual."
[/li][li]He likes to use his sleeves to carry things. It’s convenient.
[/li][li]Verbal tic: da ze.[/li][/ul]
[/color]History ►
Born within the bleak period in Korea’s history when Imperial Japan maintained a stranglehold on the peninsula, it is perhaps very lucky for Yong Soo and his brother, Sang Kyu, that they were not born human. Like all Kumiho, the twins spent the equivalent of the first one hundred years of their lives as foxes, a mere sixteen by human standards.
Yong Soo’s memories of his animal years are spotty, at best—an altogether thoughtless existence marked by sparks of intellect in the midst of raw, simple instinct. He knew that his twin and he were innately different than the wildlife he sometimes saw, feared, or hunted; he could recognize human speech, if not regard it, could cognate the energy that flowed through him in a tangible conduit, releasing it in a show of light and noise at the mere hint of whim.
But the Korean’s comprehension of the world mainly consisted of immediate, physical sensation. He recognized his family by scents and sound, and he knew their love by touch. Sometimes, he is still caught off guard by a phantom memory—the brush of his mother’s hand, the warm scent of his brother’s fur, the crunch of a beetle between his teeth. Even though this animal form is still accessible in the present time, Yong Soo never quite recovered that savage innocence, that simplicity in perspective that had been so natural to him then.
Somehow managing to elude the constant threat of discovery by hostile government officials and unscrupulous creature-hunting shamans, it was only by craft, determination, and sheer dumb luck that the Kumiho mother of the twin kits ensured the pair lived to the day they could shift into human forms, a day that Yong Soo officially remembers as the start of his life. From the moment he and his twin stood on two legs instead of four, and Yong Soo looked at his brother for the first time, he felt his mind open—shortly followed by his mouth.
“Wow, Hyung, you’re short. Guess that means I’m the big brother now, huh?”
That was how the first day of Yong Soo’s life almost also became his last. Once the parents managed to ensure that Sang Kyu was not about to commit fratricide, they began to instruct the twins in methods of survival in human society, the two human “fathers” the Kumiho Nabi had chosen for her mates covering socialization while the mother taught them their nature. In the span of six years, the twin foxes learnt the art of shifting forms and gender, of creating shapes in thin air, and of sensing humans for the health of their gi, the psychic energy all creatures held within them that the Kumiho required to survive.
They also learnt of its cost—while the lady Nabi had tried to avoid the problem by having two main mates, the gradual and continuous drain of life energy eventually wore the human males down within two decades of the twins’ births, a sad lesson for kit and mother alike that humans’ love never lasted.
As the time of occupation gave way to uneasy national division, the twins carved from their experiences vastly different understandings of the world. While Yong Soo opened up and flirted with the interesting creatures and people entering Korea at this point, listening with fascination their soldier stories of far-off places and worlds unknown with the wide-eyed wonder of a child, friendly to the point of instant sociability, his brother regarded any and all new influences with suspicion, paranoid almost to the point of overt hostility. Not surprising, given the fact that he and Yong Soo both were raised to keep hidden, to keep subtle, to keep safe—a lesson Yong Soo sometimes seemed to go out of his way to flagrantly disregard while in the guise of another gender, securely hiding in plain sight while his brother chaffed under the role.
Feeding for Sang Kyu was a loathed necessity—a trial of anxiety—as allowing anyone other than family that close to him was inherently repugnant not out of mere squeamishness alone, but by the fact that anyone with suspicion could easily expose them all to the nearest Magic User, and probably would in exchange for a way out of the poverty that was such an epidemic of the country. He sought people that were unlikely to remember his girl guise—drunks, playboys, soldiers passing through—and thus gained an even dimmer view on humanity in general.
Where Yong Soo managed to look forward to the outings as an opportunity to learn, his brother dreaded each one as at best a dull night, at worst a chance to get caught. With continuous practice Sang Kyu managed, with ill grace, to play the part required, but the constant sense of violation and the stressful fear of discovery slowly converted his initial aversion toward strangers to bitterest fear-fueled hatred, hinted at but never fully guessed by his twin.
Once they were weaned from trailing after their mother, the twins often ventured out in a pair. They often stayed together on their outings for safety’s sake, but sometimes they also separated for the same reason, meeting later in the night to go back home. One night, Yong Soo met his brother at the appointed place and time and found him gray-faced, silent, and strongly smelling of hastily washed blood. Concerned, the boy tried to get his brother to speak, but every attempt at inquiry was met with a firm but distracted rebuff until the Sang Kyu just flat out shouted at Yong Soo to leave him alone.
Surprised by the snap, Yong Soo stopped asking, and the twins continued their journey home in awkward, strained silence. The only words further spoken that night were heard as the twins lay in bed; Sang Kyu, in a rare moment of insecurity, softly pleaded in the dark for Yong Soo to promise not to go to their mother, offering a hollow reassurance in place of an explanation. Troubled, Yong Soo nonetheless gave his word, and worried himself to sleep.
The next morning, Sang Kyu was no more forthcoming about the reason for his moodiness the night before, but the signs of his altered state slowly dissipated throughout the day, the smallest slips noticed only by Yong Soo. As the week passed, the mood disappeared entirely—indeed, throughout the next month or so, the young man seemed to gain a boost in confidence. No more did he grumble about the necessary outings. Instead, he actually began to apparently enjoy them.
He loosened up when in Soo Yong’s company, aiding his “sister” when he could in getting “dates” before heading out of the bar on his own hunt with no signs of distress. When the siblings met up later, Yong Soo was mystified by the sense of playful snappish levity that had taken place of his brother’s previous sulking, and he saw less and less of the other shuddering with disgust or casting nervous glances over his shoulder. Tentatively, Yong Soo began to hope that feeding was becoming less of a burden for his twin, and that he could stop worrying for the other’s sake.
That all changed one balmy August night. The twins had ventured further than usual in their weekly outings, all the way to a town near the city, a favorite spot for local soldiers. It was a rowdy crowd that night, and while finding a willing man was laughably easy for Soo Yong, she didn’t much relish the idea of lingering long in the bar she had chosen. A bit heady from the alcohol and the “meal,” she wandered along the back alleys in the district, intending to meet her brother early and start heading home.
Suddenly, as she passed a particularly dark alcove, a breeze passed, carrying sharp, metallic scent that cut through Soo Yong’s buzz—mixed with the familiar musk of her brother’s fur. Panicked, the Korean rushed into the alley, heedless of the potential danger for herself in alarm for her twin, shifting into a male without thinking. Turning the corner, Yong Soo soon came upon a horrifying sight—at first glance, it looked like an alley animal nosing against a dozing drunk, but the wet tearing sounds following each time the creature abruptly jerked its head from the man’s stomach, red-furred muzzle dripping with blood, quickly dispelled that illusion.
In his shell-shock, Yong Soo couldn’t prevent the small croak of terror. Alert, the fox hastily lifted its head from the corpse, emitting a low growl of warning before realizing who had interrupted the meal. Yong Soo backpedaled, almost tripping over a stack of refuse, but couldn’t get enough control over his trembling legs to make them retreat. A moment later, a ripple of colorless fire swallowed the fox, leaving the kneeling, nude, and undeniably blood-soaked form of Sang Kyu.
Not taking his eyes off his sibling’s aghast face, the bloody twin stood, covering himself with his tail while wiping the blood from his mouth, blank-faced and stoic as he requested the other to give him a moment to change. The casual monotone caught Yong Soo off-guard, and he managed a stiff nod, watching his brother walk over and calmly retrieve a discarded shirt that, assumedly, belonged to the dead man, using it to wipe off his face to the best of his ability before also picking up his clothes.
Once Sang Kyu was dressed, he grabbed the still dazed brother by the arm, leading him out the alley and instructing Yong Soo to wait while he took care of the drunk, not staying long enough to catch the Korean’s slow, incredulous blinking. Later, the twins were walking the road out of town, an unusually silent Yong Soo having to be lead by his brother until he could get a handle on what he had seen.
Once they were out past where the streetlamps stopped, Sang Kyu began to explain himself—a few months ago, after waiting a foolishly long time to feed, the twin had made the mistake of choosing a worse man than usual, a predator of a different kind. To defend himself, he had been forced to extreme measures—the knife the human had been holding to the fox’s throat was the one Sang Kyu had used to slit him open.
Everything was a bit of a daze at that point, his twin explained, but while his mind retreated, instincts took over. His hunger recognized that the man’s gi was still harvestable, and after shifting into a fox, Sang Kyu ate the energy out of his would-be-murderer’s liver. The Korean couldn’t recall shifting back into a human form, or cleaning off, or much of anything until he met Yong Soo later, except for one thing—he was fuller than he had ever been in his life. A week later, Sang Kyu was still full—two weeks, and the hunger only nudged—three weeks, and it was the normal amount he was used to after feeding.
A full month for what usually lasted a week. It seemed too good to be true. Now, he didn’t need to make herself vulnerable every week—once a month and he was safe from discovery, their family that much safer, and it only took the price of a meaningless human’s life. It was the perfect solution.
It was shortly after Sang Kyu said that that Yong Soo found his own voice, fear and shock twisting into disgust and anger. The argument was fierce, with caustic, irrational epithets thrown on both sides; Yong Soo to this day regrets much of the things he said, but the one he wishes he could take back the most was calling his brother a “monster.”
Upon saying it, he knew it was wrong—the way Sang Kyu’s face closed, his body stiffened, and his dark eyes hardened against the threat of tears is a vision that haunts Yong Soo still. Before Yong Soo could say anything resembling an apology, Sang Kyu was gone, melted into the brush. Yong Soo searched for his twin through the night, but the other was not to be found. Eventually, regret heavy and cold in his stomach, the remorseful Kumiho turned his way home, hoping that the twin would somehow be there, waiting.
He wasn’t.
For several weeks, Yong Soo held out the hope that his twin would return, that he would have the chance to say he was sorry. In the meantime, he searched farther and farther afield on his outings, hoping to run into him, before war in the country stymied Yong Soo’s mobility. Shortly after the disappearance of his brother, further tragedy struck.
A few days shy of turning twenty three, the Kumiho returned from his weekly search and hunt to a broken home—windows broken, furnishings destroyed, possessions looted, and every wall spattered with hateful graffiti—Liver Eater, Man Killer, Demon Fox the only relatively tame names in his memory. He found his mother in the backyard—the beaten and bloodied body of a diminutive dead fox, nailed to the trunk of an old oak by her tails as a crude message of warning.
While he never figured out how exactly the villagers learnt the location of their den, Yong Soo would later learn that the superstitious fear had been roused by the murders his brother had committed. In their frenzy, the angry mob of villagers had destroyed the only family Yong Soo had left. In the numbness that accompanies personal tragedy, the Kumiho took down the corpse, giving his mother a proper burial along with his childhood.
For the next fifty years, Yong Soo wrestled with his grief. For a time he abstained from feeding—upon finding out how uncomfortably close he could become to a monster from that, he never did it again. For a while he entertained the idea of attempting those fabled trials a fox may take to become human, allowing him to die naturally and thus leave behind the world and its sorrow. He searched long and hard for a Buddhist wish jewel, gazed for ages upon the full moon, declined to eat meat for as long as he could handle.
All these efforts, however, he never followed in full-heart; he was too fond of the earth and its novels, too hungry for the wonders that humans would produce. Every time he contemplated ending his life, the Korean would be struck by the knowledge that he would never know what great thing could happen next; when even this failed, he was haunted by the reminder of his brother’s betrayed face, unamended, and lose his will. Eventually, Yong Soo gave up on giving up. Instead, he began to devote himself to living again—to seeing the emerging world his mother never had the chance to, where his brother still might live; to learning new things and technologies as they developed, and employing their convenience; to loving different media as they grew and took shape.
Yong Soo even managed to venture out from Korea, sailing east to a place he had always known as “the West,” taking temporary residence in a creature hub in Vancouver. In time, he became as fluent in English as he was in Korean, and learnt a thing or two about Canadian French—at least enough to romance Americans every time he crossed the border. Before long, however, the Kumiho found himself wandering once more, unable to rest in one place for long.
A drifter he remained for several years, sleeping within abandoned animal dens like a fox in the wilds, taking part in human society again once he woke. He became quite nocturnal in this time, relying on the dimness of the night to hide his foxish shadow as a trick of light. It was a free existence, if a rather lonely one—the only way the Kumiho even recognized the passage of time was the sixteen-year space between one tail and the next, one more closer to his ultimate goal—reaching a full nine-tails, as his mother had before him.
Yong Soo’s life would change again at the age of eighty-three—the night he made the mistake of attempting to charm a Magic User. The Kumiho had no idea about the gentleman’s nature until the User dispelled his illusions, ensnared the Kumiho in magic, and clasped the bindings above both front paws. The torque came later, once the Magic User learnt exactly what kind of beast a Kumiho was, and the next thing Yong Soo knew he was put up to market, an exotic potential pet for the rich.
Monster, how should I feel? Creatures lie here, looking through the window…
Roleplay Sample ►
It was all a circus, when you got down to it—the only difference was that here, the rich could buy the freaks.
Here, in this hidden little corner of market, the city turned a mostly blind eye, and good people happened, but generally by accident. No, the people who ordinarily came here wanted a show—they wanted to be thrilled, titillated, and in some cases, thoroughly terrified. Then they wanted to own the entertainment, take its teeth, and show it off to their friends in a show of power.
Yong Soo had no illusions on the market’s nature, the general disposition of its customers, or on what it meant to be a “pet” for those clients. But that didn’t mean he shouldn’t perform well, now, did it?
Yong Soo smiled out to the people his “handler” had gathered, lounging in such a way on the tall stool he had been given that his five swaying tails were clearly visible, with one foot propped on the seat and the other leg dangling loose to the ground. One hand pressed against his knee, balancing him as he leant forward, while the other draped across his knee.
The position showed the copper lustre of his bracelet bindings nicely in the spotlight, a color well complimented by the backless red shirt, matching pants, and darker crimson sash about his waist. The torque gleamed across the Kumiho’s collar bone, matching the inviting glint in his eyes as the showman continued:
“-a rare creature from the Eastern edge of the world, this cunning fox has had more than his fair share of worldly experience, however young he may appear—and this is a youth that he shall keep for a long time, ladies and gentlemen, though you wouldn’t know it from one night-”
Yong Soo’s mouth grinned, showing well-made white teeth, even as his ear twitched slightly. Really, did the guy have to make him all about sex, da ze? He was good at other things, too…but, then again, most humans just wanted that one thing, didn’t they? Yong Soo hid a sigh, idly flexing his fingers while the merchant continued to pander:
“-this Korean fox feeds off that kind of attention—and I mean that quite literally. You will find him a most willing partner—or should I say, her?”
Knowing his cue, Yong Soo tilted his head at a cheeky angle, closing his eyes and leaning his face up as he allowed his body to be swallowed in colorless heat. Mirages shimmered across his skin, making him softer, slighter, dancing up along his chest and down his legs. The shape of the body curved in places, smoothed in others, filling out into a neat little shape. A trail of fire laced down his spine, drawing the hair at the back his scalp into long black twisting tendrils, evening into waves.
When the fox’s eyes opened again it was with a female’s face, young and sweet. Soo Yong looked to the crowd, blinking innocently, before sitting upright and drawing up her legs, crossing them at the ankle and winking playfully as the people clapped.
“Such an obedient little thing, isn’t she?” the handler asserted confidently, prompting Soo Yong to at first pout, then grin mischievously in contradiction, whipping the tip of a tail to his rear. The handler jumped, turning to give her a dirty look, but the laughter the action prompted from the customers forced him to grit his teeth and bear the impudence, chuckling.
“Yes, yes, clever too,” he muttered darkly, before turning towards the crowd again, stage presence returning. “But do not be so swift to think that that is the extent of the Korean fox’s tricks! Indeed, most of you will find that the Kumiho is a master of illusion—watch now as she demonstrates—”
Finally! Something to do more than just sit and look pretty. Soo Yong lifted herself, swinging her legs down and bouncing upright, dancing forward on the balls of her feet until she took center stage. Shifting her body to the best angle, one tail curling along her thigh, Soo Yong waited for the lights to dim, slowly spreading her arms.
She rested a beat, building tension, before suddenly clapping her hands in the dark, tails flaring out as some in the first row jumped. Lacing her fingers slightly, the Korean drifted her hands apart, revealing a dim glow. A small flame, bright and pure, formed between her finger tips.
Allowing it to grow the few moments it required for the spectators leaning in to understand what had happened, Soo Yong slowly turned her palms up to cup the light in her hands, raising it near her mouth, breathing over so it fluttered. In the silence, one would swear they heard it crackle.
The Kumiho gazed into the crowd, brown eyes enticing and enigmatic in the flame’s reflection. Then, she blew the fire to life, letting her arms fall as the fire morphed into butterflies, scattering over the heads of the gathered in a pretty dance that met with awe, followed by applause.
Soo Yong giggled, standing straighter and smiling a little more brightly in honest pleasure as she bowed, allowing the butterflies to vanish as the lights came back on. Ah, but she loved impressing people, buyers or not. One day, she was going to impress them without being sold.
Too soon, Soo Yong was hastily bustled aside and forced back to her chair as the handler took center stage again, greedy eyes twinkling as he rubbed his palms.
“So, ladies and gents, shall we begin the bid?”
Here, in this hidden little corner of market, the city turned a mostly blind eye, and good people happened, but generally by accident. No, the people who ordinarily came here wanted a show—they wanted to be thrilled, titillated, and in some cases, thoroughly terrified. Then they wanted to own the entertainment, take its teeth, and show it off to their friends in a show of power.
Yong Soo had no illusions on the market’s nature, the general disposition of its customers, or on what it meant to be a “pet” for those clients. But that didn’t mean he shouldn’t perform well, now, did it?
Yong Soo smiled out to the people his “handler” had gathered, lounging in such a way on the tall stool he had been given that his five swaying tails were clearly visible, with one foot propped on the seat and the other leg dangling loose to the ground. One hand pressed against his knee, balancing him as he leant forward, while the other draped across his knee.
The position showed the copper lustre of his bracelet bindings nicely in the spotlight, a color well complimented by the backless red shirt, matching pants, and darker crimson sash about his waist. The torque gleamed across the Kumiho’s collar bone, matching the inviting glint in his eyes as the showman continued:
“-a rare creature from the Eastern edge of the world, this cunning fox has had more than his fair share of worldly experience, however young he may appear—and this is a youth that he shall keep for a long time, ladies and gentlemen, though you wouldn’t know it from one night-”
Yong Soo’s mouth grinned, showing well-made white teeth, even as his ear twitched slightly. Really, did the guy have to make him all about sex, da ze? He was good at other things, too…but, then again, most humans just wanted that one thing, didn’t they? Yong Soo hid a sigh, idly flexing his fingers while the merchant continued to pander:
“-this Korean fox feeds off that kind of attention—and I mean that quite literally. You will find him a most willing partner—or should I say, her?”
Knowing his cue, Yong Soo tilted his head at a cheeky angle, closing his eyes and leaning his face up as he allowed his body to be swallowed in colorless heat. Mirages shimmered across his skin, making him softer, slighter, dancing up along his chest and down his legs. The shape of the body curved in places, smoothed in others, filling out into a neat little shape. A trail of fire laced down his spine, drawing the hair at the back his scalp into long black twisting tendrils, evening into waves.
When the fox’s eyes opened again it was with a female’s face, young and sweet. Soo Yong looked to the crowd, blinking innocently, before sitting upright and drawing up her legs, crossing them at the ankle and winking playfully as the people clapped.
“Such an obedient little thing, isn’t she?” the handler asserted confidently, prompting Soo Yong to at first pout, then grin mischievously in contradiction, whipping the tip of a tail to his rear. The handler jumped, turning to give her a dirty look, but the laughter the action prompted from the customers forced him to grit his teeth and bear the impudence, chuckling.
“Yes, yes, clever too,” he muttered darkly, before turning towards the crowd again, stage presence returning. “But do not be so swift to think that that is the extent of the Korean fox’s tricks! Indeed, most of you will find that the Kumiho is a master of illusion—watch now as she demonstrates—”
Finally! Something to do more than just sit and look pretty. Soo Yong lifted herself, swinging her legs down and bouncing upright, dancing forward on the balls of her feet until she took center stage. Shifting her body to the best angle, one tail curling along her thigh, Soo Yong waited for the lights to dim, slowly spreading her arms.
She rested a beat, building tension, before suddenly clapping her hands in the dark, tails flaring out as some in the first row jumped. Lacing her fingers slightly, the Korean drifted her hands apart, revealing a dim glow. A small flame, bright and pure, formed between her finger tips.
Allowing it to grow the few moments it required for the spectators leaning in to understand what had happened, Soo Yong slowly turned her palms up to cup the light in her hands, raising it near her mouth, breathing over so it fluttered. In the silence, one would swear they heard it crackle.
The Kumiho gazed into the crowd, brown eyes enticing and enigmatic in the flame’s reflection. Then, she blew the fire to life, letting her arms fall as the fire morphed into butterflies, scattering over the heads of the gathered in a pretty dance that met with awe, followed by applause.
Soo Yong giggled, standing straighter and smiling a little more brightly in honest pleasure as she bowed, allowing the butterflies to vanish as the lights came back on. Ah, but she loved impressing people, buyers or not. One day, she was going to impress them without being sold.
Too soon, Soo Yong was hastily bustled aside and forced back to her chair as the handler took center stage again, greedy eyes twinkling as he rubbed his palms.
“So, ladies and gents, shall we begin the bid?”
OOC Section[/u][/size]
Alias ►
I go by Amu, Ko, Won-Won, Kumiko, and various other things. |D
Time Zone ►
Central Standard Time. I live near Kansas City, MO.
Contact Method ►
PM’s your best bet, if you want to get my Skype or Meebo. Other than that, ask around—I’m kinda everywhere. XD;;
Favorite Pairings ►
America x South Korea
North x South Korea
… Well, that’s pretty much all I’ve done. XD;; I’m pretty open, though, if you can sell it. <3
I’m pretty much WorldxWorld otherwise—I got my contradictory preferences (RussLiet, PruLiet, FrUK, etc.) but I try to keep an open mind. The only pairing that particularly bothers me is Japan x Korea, but I’ve seen even that done pretty well.
Mmmm…Mint Ice Cream.
Profile coded by Neko. Lyrics are from Monster by Meg and Dia. You are not able to use this profile anywhere else.
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