Rakuen App

PLAYER INFORMATION

Name: Kobayashi
Journal: N/A
Contact information: [AIM] MindtheSukima, PM this journal
Other characters: N/A
Do you need an invite code? No

CHARACTER INFORMATION

Name: Sakuya Izayoi
Age: 18
Subject taught: Only applies to characters over the age of 18.
Canon: CANON
Reims AU information
AU History for Sakuya
Sakuya Izayoi was not always the servant of a wealthy French family. Once upon a time, he was an orphan boy in the streets of Paris named Jacques. His mother had given birth to him without marrying and so she had never gotten documentation for him. Instead she raised him by herself, as best that she could despite their living in near-poverty. They had no close relatives or other relations, and so for the two of them, they really only had each other. Unfortunately, as happy as they were, from young Jacques' point of view, his mother was slowly wasting away. Eventually she came down sick and between being unable to afford a doctor and still doing her best to take care of Jacques without letting him know of her condition, she eventually died when he was still only six years old. She left him with two family heirlooms, a tarnished, brassy pocket watch and a serviceable but shineless knife that she hadn't been able to bear parting with.
After she had been taken away, there was a period of time where Jacques was simply by himself in their old apartment while the police and such debated what to do about him, an undocumented bastard child with no living relations. There was talk of social services and foster parents from the neighbors. The idea of having other people be his "parents" and replace his mother was a frightening one, as were many of the things he heard about the foster homes and legal proceedings to come. In the end, he made the decision to run away and strike out for his own. Though police and services tried to follow up on him and find him, with absolutely no documentation or existence within the official records, the boy with silver-white hair named Jacques was soon forgotten.
Jacques spent the next few years of his life living on the streets, among the alleys, never staying in one place too long. What started as a fear of being taken away and forced to live with a "fake" family slowly developed in a general distrust of other people. More logical than most, Jacques did his best to avoid others, at least those who weren't simply other homeless vagrants who generally left well enough alone, especially after Jacques showed them that the knife he had wasn't just for show. He survived by stealing and scavenging, bartering and thieving, threatening and mugging. Between his own experiences and a few of the homeless who were benevolent enough to give him some pointers, he became quite adept with his hands, learning pickpocketing, knife-work and more than a few sleight of hand tricks, ranging from benign coin tricks to a number of ways to cheat at cards. Eventually though, even this came to an end when he was about ten years old.

In an unfortunate altercation, Jacques ended up living up to the nickname he'd earned, "the Ripper" for his quick knife play, when in a pickpocketing gone wrong, he ended up murdering a drunk who had picked a fight with him for bumping into him and become extremely belligerent when he found out that it had been because Jacques was stealing from him. Unable to escape, he ended up killing the man. Panicking, he ended up fleeing the scene and across the city, eventually sneaking onto the grounds of a large mansion. He was found though and brought before the master of the house, however, the man took sympathy on him when he heard of Jacques' plight. A deal was struck: in exchange for his servitude, Jacques would be fed, clothed, housed and, most importantly, kept out of the eye of the police. Jacques, of course, agreed.

He was cleaned up, taken care of and quickly taught his duties. The old pocket watch was polished to reveal a golden finish, and the knife a silver one. It also happened that things came at a rather fortuitous time because the master of the house was leaving to conduct business across the continent in Japan and would need to take residence there, though the rest of his family would remain in France, taking care of the business they had there. Jacques filled in a personnel role that would be needed there, and the transfer out of the country would make it nearly impossible to track him for his crime. Documentation was made up for him so he would be ready to become a citizen of the new country and forever leave his sordid past behind. The last step was to leave behind his name. Chosen by his master so he wouldn't stick out on paper too much, he was given a name in the style of where they were headed: Sakuya Izayoi.

Thus began his life as a butler-in-training, eventually to become a valued servant of their family and worthy of caring for even the master's two young daughters once his training was finished under the master's overseeing. A completely new country, a new language to learn, a new setting to live in, everything was different. His master told him to consider it a new life for him, addressing him by his new name at all times. Jacques, now Sakuya, went along with it, but in many ways still considered himself to be who he was before. Still, he felt gratitude towards his new master, who treated him fairly and took care of him. Over time he grew to accept his new life more fully, leaving behind the boy who was Jacques and embracing his role as Sakuya. His education was seen to by a few tutors who indoctrinated him both in Japanese and his general education which he had missed out on all his life. Occasional visits were made back to France to visit the master's family as well as other acquaintances, which Sakuya was brought along with. It was during this time that he made acquaintances with a daughter of one such family, one Patchouli Knowledge. One of the first children around his age he ever had a chance to socialize with, he confided in her more than a little despite the brief time they ever had together. Over time though, those return visits became more infrequent and as Sakuya's responsibilities grew, he was often expected to serve a more business-like role on them or sometimes was left in Japan to help take care of things while the master was away.

When he was 13, Sakuya entered the Japanese public school system, finally having caught up enough in both education and language skills to enter middle school. His first time socializing with other children his age, Sakuya learned more than just academic things. With his white hair and elegantly handsome foreign looks, no matter how much he tried to blend in, he still stood out. For the first time it was brought to his attention that his name had a rather feminine kanji spelling to it, which earned him a fair amount of teasing, something not helped by his hairstyle and looks and the fact that he was a foreigner. This caused him some trouble at first, but his master helped him come to terms with it and learn how to ignore them, listening to him carefully and talking him through his problems. This was part of why he came to respect the man. So for his duty to him, he regarded school as part of his duties and endured, eventually becoming rather immune to the harassment. Between this lack of reaction and a few encounters after school were Sakuya quickly educated some of the rowdier bullies on the fact that his quiet passiveness did not mean he was weak - or unarmed - eventually led for it to stop.

Things became a little more complicated in high school. While Sakuya tried to move through his academic duties as neutrally and quietly as possible, simply seeking to complete his education so he might better serve the master he had come to devote himself to, he nonetheless continued to attract attention no matter how much he tried not to. The other students in his class were rather polarized about him, almost completely down the gender lines. Many of the girls liked him because he was handsome, foreign, unique looking, graceful and did well in classes - many of the boys hated him for exactly those reasons, and the fact that the girls reacted that way. More than a few girls tried to confess to him or give him love letters but all of them were met with disappointment when they found out he didn't hold those kinds of interests, too invested in his duty to his household and not feeling any real connection to his classmates. Despite turning them down - or in some cases because of it - the boys often bullied him, usually for the same reasons he saw in middle school, picking fights. Sakuya did his best to resolve these issues without relying on help from his household or the teachers, using the same reasoning and threats, but the problem remained a persistent one. It wasn't until partway into his second year that things came to a head and a fight got out of hand - once more in self-defense, Sakuya was forced to let his blade taste blood. This time it was a rather minor wound, but it was still enough to cause trouble that the boy couldn't keep it hidden. His master found out and though they were able to settle the case and stop it from becoming a public issue, the worst as far as Sakuya was concerned, had already happened: he had failed his master and caused this much trouble for him.

In the end, Sakuya was withdrawn from the school and completed the rest of the semester under personal tutors. Still, despite the trouble caused and the crushing sense of guilt Sakuya felt over it, his master still sympathized with him and did not punish him unduly. Instead he sought how to correct this problem. It was obvious that the same sort of treatment was likely to happen again if they simply enrolled him in a new school. Sakuya had no problems with dropping out of school entirely, abandoning traditional education and fully embracing his job as a servant, learning what he could when he could, but his master insisted on both him obtaining a full education but also facing his problems with other people rather than running from them. It was decided that this process might be easier if he was enrolled into an international private school where he wouldn't stick out as much. The school of choice? Reims Academy.

So it was that plans were made for Sakuya to be sent back to France and enroll at Reims. The process for his transfer and enrollment were lengthy and it wasn't until a good way into the second semester that he could make it. In the meantime, he engaged in further training as a servant as well as more tutoring to ensure that he was caught up and adjusted for the setting and curriculum. Eventually though, the day came and he set to enter Reims Academy. There was a certain nervousness about being there, not living with the household and master he has served for the past seven years, what he considered the entirety of his new life, but he aimed to do his best not to let the expectations placed upon him down again and, perhaps a little less enthusiastically, overcome his issues in more natural socialization with his peers. With this in mind, Sakuya aimed to complete his education and become the Perfect and Elegant Butler.
Since beginning his time at Reims Academy, Sakuya has learned to open up a little more to others, as well as to relax and not always be so focused on his duties and how to interact with people his age outside of formal situations, and what it means to have friends. He’s made a few, of varying degrees and formalities, as well as gotten the chance to deepen his bonds with those of his household.

Canon point: Mid-january, 2012, after Meiling’s birthday.

Personality:

Sakuya is, at his core, a very duty-driven person. He is very much a perfectionist in the things he does dedicate himself to, something rising from his need to be the best person he can be so as to best serve his master, the person who gave his life meaning. Still, as he's only a boy of 18 years, there's much he has left to learn and many things he is not good at. While of many of these can be brushed off as things he doesn't need to know or doesn't need to be good at, the things that he does feel he should be good at, but isn't, tend to be very frustrating and drive him to work as hard as possible to correct that flaw.

Normally, that kind of goal-oriented skills-driven motivation would cause him to come out as a rather cold person, but part of what was impressed upon him in his training as a servant was being able to talk to those he was serving and provide atmosphere. As a result, Sakuya tends soften that serious side of his, acting more with refinement than coldness, elegance rather than planning. He does a good job of using his natural grace to make his actions and mannerisms seem very smooth, neither too dark or too bright, rather instead blending in well, letting the spotlight fall on others. As such, he tends to come off as rather quiet, but he's actually very well spoken, good at holding conversations and without hesitation. A little smile here, an enigmatic look there, Sakuya strives to portray the kind of elegance and genteel one would expect of a fine butler, talking well with others and always with the utmost politeness.

Still, in most cases this is little more than a mask, the face he wears in social interactions. While he appears very sociable and polite, most of these interactions mean very little to him. Being able to interact nicely with others was a requirement of his servant status; actually deepening such interactions into meaningful relationships was not. As such, he never really bothered and so there are very few outside of his household to whom he feels much emotional connection. So while it's very easy for him to act towards someone in a friendly manner, he tends to hold them at arm's length and avoid letting it deepen any further than that. However, those few who do make it into the inner confidence of his trust and care are held very closely to him and his sense of duty and loyalty. In the end, though outwardly friendly, Sakuya holds little interest in other people, not out of any sense of superiority or condescension but simply because strangers hold very little meaning or value to him.

Still, these constructs of his duty-driven personality aren't flawless, and Sakuya displays very human qualities at times. He's a little bit of a show-off, sometimes a little too prideful, enjoying letting others see how skilled he is. He likes dry little jokes and puns or frivolous magic tricks - he knows a variety of sleight of hand tricks - and uses them to lighten the mood. When it comes to subjects he's not too familiar with, he can sometimes be a bit airheaded and jump to conclusions that are completely off the mark. And occasionally he can be a little playful, enjoying a harmless trick or teasing someone, perhaps even a bit flirtatiously. Still, these are just passing fancies to wile away the time. He's never had any sort of romantic interest in another person, so although there have been others who have had such designs on him, he has always focused on his duty and politely turned them down, never really having such interest in them.

Rare is the situation that cracks through those layers and makes him recall the times when he was just an orphan boy, living on the streets, a former life before he was who he is today. In those times, there's something dangerous about him, recalling a time when just surviving was a struggle. This more dangerous side, so quick to action and swift unmerciful retribution, rarely comes up though and he's very ashamed of it, as it goes against everything he strives to be now, so perfect and elegant.

In Reims, Sakuya for the first time since he became a servant faced the situation of living not with his household but with other children his age. While he did go to school in Japan before, he did not grow particularly close to any of his classmates, only ever seeing them as transient interactions that only existed at school. In Reims though, he saw them much more frequently, including when he wasn’t at classes. Interacting with other children his age in a more casual environment was a first for him, and had a profound effect. He learned how to talk more casually with others, and grew to have an interest in his classmates, coming to regard a number of them even as friends. He found reason to do what before he might have regarded as pointless activities, because it meant spending time with those he cared about. And perhaps briefly, came close to finding romantic interest in others. Still, in many ways he remained the same, and now still has much in the way to go to become a socially well-adjusted individual and a person who is more than just a dutiful servant.

Weapon:

Name:Killing Doll/Luna Dial

Form: A silver knife, about 8-inches including the handle, balanced for throwing; a golden pocketwatch with a flip-lid that reveals a partial face showing the inner intricate clockwork, it’s connected to a sturdy brass chain that can be extended or retracted in combat.

Upgrades:

• UPGRADE 1 Yo-yo
  
• UPGRADE 2 Ricochet: A thrown weapon or projectile is able to bounce up to three times with perfect angle reflection and without losing momentum. Does not bounce off players/weapons/bystanders.
  
• UPGRADE 3 Form Change
  
• UPGRADE 4 Agility Boost (Only usable as Luna Dial)
  
• UPGRADE 5 Stop (Only Usable as Luna Dial)

Lost memories:

• 1 What his mother was like
  
• 2 How to make good tea
  
• 3 His original name
  
• 4 What happened that caused him to be taken in by the Scarlets
  
• 5 The reason he transferred schools
  
• 6 Why he braids his hair
  
• 7 How to a tie a tie nicely
  
• 8 His best friend, Patchouli’s name and what she looks like
  
• 9 How to shuffle cards
  
• 10 What happened with Momiji and the associated lessons about social etiquette and not leading girls on by being fabulous and charming.

Sample:

Totally a stellar example of what a giant derpfail accidental charmer Sakuya is and how his mind couldn’t find the gutter with a GPS device and a tour guide
And something more normal if you want.