Post by Eun Lee on Jul 15, 2012 20:21:13 GMT -5
Lee Eun "The Kumiho"
The Wicked, White, Heart-eating Fox
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The Wicked, White, Heart-eating Fox
"The belief in a supernatural source of evil is not necessary; men alone are quite capable of every wickedness."
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Class: A neutralist Hybrid
Species: Arctic fox
"The arctic fox is an incredibly hardy animal that can survive frigid Arctic temperatures as low as –58°F (-50°C) in the treeless lands where it makes its home. It has furry soles, short ears, and a short muzzle—all-important adaptations to the chilly clime. Arctic foxes live in burrows, and in a blizzard they may tunnel into the snow to create shelter.
Arctic foxes have beautiful white (sometimes blue-gray) coats that act as very effective winter camouflage. The natural hues allow the animal to blend into the tundra's ubiquitous snow and ice. When the seasons change, the fox's coat turns as well, adopting a brown or gray appearance that provides cover among the summer tundra's rocks and plants." [National Geographic]
When he was younger, he was seen by many of the villagers as a malevolent spirit. He was thought to be a 'Gumiho' or a cursed fox demon who fooled men through shapeshifting and ate their hearts .
According to legends, a Gumiho was:
A fox-demon that could freely transform, among other things, into a beautiful girl often set out to seduce men, and eat their liver or heart (depending on the legend).
He never quite got where they got that idea because:
i.) He couldn't transform into a girl and only had one tail.
ii.) He never ate hearts or livers until he was forced to.
iii.) Emphasize on; He wasn't and never would be female.
Sadly, they wouldn't listen to any arguments from him. Quite frankly, he always liked eating berries, nuts, and bread when he was younger; but they wouldn't believe him when he said that. So every two weeks, in the middle of the night, he'd be hunted for and dragged to a temple where he'd be force fed the organs of animals. In the eyes of the humans, doing so would prevent him from going insane and slaughtering humans for his meals to satisfy his hunger.
After, he'd be kicked back out onto the streets again where he'd be given thirty minutes to hide and escape or risk being sacrificed the next day.
The first time he experienced this was especially bad:
띵동
Ding-dong,
문을 열어다오,
Hurry, open the door,
내가 왔단다
I have come for you,
숨으려 해도 소용없어
Trying to hide from me is futile.
In the middle of the night, with nothing but the moon in the sky, the soft sound of footsteps thudded across the street. The dirty, grey pathways were empty except for one lone figure, searching desperately for a place to hide. All the good men and women were asleep in their beds, already having drifted off into a land of comfort and dreams; all the good little children were tucked safe in bed as a boy ran and ran for his own dear life.
Thud...Thud....Thud..
Running back and forth along the empty corridors, the young hybrid panicked. Eyes wide with fear, the fox hybrid's heart thudded painfully in his chest. Beating erratically it shouted a loud rhythm, almost as if being played on a huge stereo to the sensitive ears of the child.
Bump.Bump.
Throwing a sharp glance behind him, his eyes caught sight of an incoming figure.
띵동,
Ding-dong,
어서 열어다오,
Hurry, open the door,
내가 왔단다
I have come for you,
도망치기엔 이미 늦었어
Breaking into an empty house, the frantic fox sped up his pace; ducking into the small room, the hybrid searched around for a place of refuge. Anywhere that could save him would do! He just needed to disappear. If he was caught...
Oh, he didn't want to know what would happen!
너와 눈
Peering through your window,
이 마주쳤어
Our eyes met out of pure luck,
겁에 질린 두눈
You're too frozen in fear,
가까이서 보고싶어
I want to see you up close.
Catching sight of a large box, he decided to hide inside and try his luck. He could hear the priest approaching closer and closer --his steps 'thump, thumping'-- with his white robes and rope. He really didn't know what the rope was for, but he was sure he didn't want to know. Sweat dripping down his face, he could feel the salty liquid seep into his mouth and slip down his throat.
띵동,
Ding-dong,
내가 들어간다,
I am coming in now,
어서 도망쳐
Hurry up and run,
술래잡기를 하며 놀자
Let us play tag and have fun.
Thump. Thump.
띵동,
Ding-dong,
내가 들어왔다,
Now I have walked in here,
어서 숨어라
Make sure you hide well,
숨바꼭질을 하며놀자
Let's play hide and seek and have fun.
The door opens.
쿵쾅대는 너의
The thumping of your footsteps
발소리가 들려오네
Can be heard throughout the house.
거칠어진 너의
Your ragged breathing
숨소리가 들리는듯
Is echoing around this room.
The hybrid’s breathing is shaky; his body is trembling. Eyes wide with absolute terror, he can hear the scary man coming nearer and nearer. How long before he comes upon him, the hybrid doesn’t know. His stomach churns and twists as the suspense eats him from the inside; a shaky laugh attempts to escape his throat. He’s nervous, every part of his body knows that.
He doesn’t like being the prey…
It’s not in his nature.
꼭꼭숨어라
Hide tightly.
머리카락 보일라
(I see you…)
Closer and closer, it's as if he can already feel the warm breath of his pursuer. He stiffens as his heart bangs in his chest, as if trying to flee and escape his ribcage.
A hand comes into view and the box's top is lifted....
꼭꼭숨어라
Hide tightly.
머리카락 보일라
(I see you…)
꼭꼭숨어라
You need to learn how to hide…
머리카락 보일라
(I see you…)
꼭꼭 숨어라,
Oh look, I can see your hair...
머리...
Name: Lee Eun
First name: Eun
Last name: Lee
Nickname(s): Lee (formal or stranger) Eun, Eu, (informal) G/Kumiho, Miho, Gumi, Gi, Poochy, White, Snow Fox, White Fox, the G/Kumiho; Pochi.
Dozing off by the soiled, fractured wall of the town’s small market square, a young hybrid napped contentedly under the sun. It was another uninspiring day in the rugged, bumpy town of Ijhyeojin (or at least in his opinion it was). Honestly, there was only so much excitement one could experience while doing the same routines over and over, day by day, so you couldn’t really blame him for being a bit ungrateful; could you?
(Well, yes you could.)
Still, it was the only way he could survive, and at the moment that had a bit more priority over his personal interests (more specifically; whether he was bored out of his mind or not).
At his back were a few weathered crates that he used for support, seeing that there weren’t really any bed or pillows to sleep on when one lived out in ‘the wild’ (if you could call it that).
Scrawled onto them in very red, shaky writing were labels that practically screamed ‘Do Not Touch’ and ‘Do Not Steal from’; he never really understood the point (“Would writing ‘Don’t take from this’ really stop people from taking from it? If one was hungry, then all the labels in the world wouldn’t matter.”) but sort of recognized the logic (at least, he thought he did). Gentle sunshine brushed against his face as the sounds of chattering came and went; by the sound of it, many people were preparing for their morning rounds.
Probably buying food and ration for their families to eat for lunch and dinner, or so he reckoned.
The scent of incense, flowers, raw meat, and bread mixed together in the air to form somewhat of a noxious stench; a very unpleasant aroma that signaled the presence of the religious fanatics giving another talk in the market square. He could already see them, with their grandeur robes of multi-color, speaking out to a sea of listeners and spouting absolute drivel in their ears. The fox hybrid had never been very fond of the aroma of incense (or the priests that ran the temples, but that was a tad obvious), seeing that it reminded him of the very same temples and the madmen who headed them as forementioned. He wouldn’t have held such a grudge against them, if they hadn’t taken the ‘liberty’ to harass him every two weeks for ‘feeding’.
As he recalled the gooey, cold texture of the animal heart being shoved forcefully down his throat, the hybrid shivered. It was such a horrid, disgusting sensation to him; one that led him to feel more than a bit guilty. He was a carnivore, yes; but that didn’t mean he liked going around consuming living being’s hearts and livers. Their flesh and meat? Sure! But their hollow, muscular organs that they lived and thrived on? He’d…pass. Hey, you could complain that they were practically the same thing; but he had standards. Being half-human, he did have a fair share of humane aspects to his behavior and diet! Though he admittedly was more in touch with his animal side (raw meat was something he’d eat without a moment’s hesitation), he could sense when he was crossing the line between hybrid and monster.
Back to feeding, no matter how hard he’d screamed and flailed they’d refused to release him until he’d finished that sickening, still beating organ to its last scrap. Their hands, which they’d covered with gloves, had been covered in a sickly vivid red; at one point, he hadn’t been sure whether the blood belonged to the slaughtered animal whose heart they were feeding him or his own.
Though he’d greatly hoped (and still did hope) that it wasn’t the latter.
And after that, they’d thrown him out into the middle of the street to run as fast as he could; they’d left him to be like a rabbit fleeing desperately from the predator coming closer and closer with each ticking second. Really, it was all a game for them; a sadistic, cruel version of tag where there were no safe spots.
And honestly?
He didn’t want to play anymore.
He could hear the screaming of the shopkeepers as they tried to convince passersby to buy their goods, and the chitter-chatter of the humans as they walked in tiny groups side by side. That was nice from the looks of it; even the humans had their own little packs.
Normally, foxes didn’t really hunt in those; they preferred to go alone and work at their own time and business. But humans… Humans needed company. Humans were social animals; and it was in their very nature to be so. They depended on one another for company, food, protection, and many other things. So when two natures collided, what option should one choose? To search for a pack; or to continue surviving on his own?
A faint rustling sound caught his attention as a shadow briefly passed across the bright sun. Opening his eyes, Eun was shocked to find a much younger boy grinning cheekily at him. In his hands was a furry, white tail that had only a while earlier been lying flat across the floor. “뫄 야!!!!!!? (Mwo ya!),” he gasped, standing up hastily, “What’re you doing?!”
“Your tail is furry.”
"정말이야?" he frowned, obviously bemused, "Seriously?" Cocking his head to the side, the fox hybrid rubbed at his eyes. " Mmm..." he muttered, " Now that I'm up, I can't go back to sleep."
"Then play with me!"
Shaking his head, Eun yawned. " Not now," he said with a tired smile, " Talk to me again at night."
"Oooh, really? We~ll, did'ja know that the robed men are coming. "
"What?"
"Better hide!'
A strong hand lifted him by the collar as the fox hybrid found himself dangling helplessly in the air."놔줘! " he shouted, flailing as he spoke, "Let go!"
"Ah....It seems I've found myself a little puppy." a deep voice resounded, " Those maniacs'll pay me good money for one of these." Flashing a helpless look to the child from earlier, Eun silently beseeched the boy to help him. Only, he was already gone.
At the moment, he didn't really have the ability to spring himself out.
As the man turned around with fox hybrid in hand, a loud noise drew Eun's attention to a disturbance behind him. What sounded like a monkey's shrieking pierced through his ears, creating a small headache from the highness of the pitch. Dropping the hybrid, the man swerved around to see what had emitted such a loud racket. As he looked at the back of the man, Eun was surprised to see a little boy clinging onto his back.
Biting down on the man's leg with his sharp fangs, the fox hybrid struck. Metallic blood filled his mouth as a spot on the man's grey pants were dyed a vibrant red. Jumping down from his back the monkey-boy grinned as he headed into a nearby alley.
Following quickly behind, the fox hybrid chased after the boy.
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As the turmoil ceased and the man had disappeared, the two street hybrids allowed weary breaths to escape them.
"감사합니다." Eun said cheerily, " thanks."
"No problem." the monkey boy laughed.
" That was fun, wasn't it?"
"Mmm..." Eun smiled wryly, " Maybe next time you want to take my place?"
"If you can learn how to climb, Pochi."
"Pochi?" the fox hybrid frowned, " That's not my name. "
"But it suits you!"
"Still," Eun commented, " the name's Lee Eun--"
"But I like Pochi better. Or would you prefer Poochy?"
"I guess if I had to choose just between those two, I'd take Pochi--"
"Then Pochi it is!"
"......"
"Hey, Pochi?
Would you like to join a group with me?"
"A group?" Eun repeated curiously.
"Yeah! Since I'm all alone, and it looks like you're all alone, then if we join together we won't be so alone! There's this guy who they say was the reincarnation of a wolf-guy, so maybe if we can get him to join too then we can make a super awesome team!"
"..... That sounds harder than you might think."
"C'mon! With my manly monkey charm and your feminine puppy charm, who can say no to us?"
"I'm a fox.... and a guy. Wait, feminine--?"
"That's settled then! From today on, this is the start of our brotherhood! "
Birthday:
His Modern/International Birthday: He's not sure. He likes to say both birthdays fall on Lunar New Year though.
His Traditional Birthday: Lunar New Year, a very important day in their country's former history. Too bad that it's dependent on the moon's rotation, meaning the date always changes. When Lunar New Year is over, it is said that everyone there ages by one due to the Korean age reckoning.
If it makes any difference, Lunar New Year falls in between January and February; so just pick a date in between those months.
Well out of all the days, he chose Lunar New Year (for both) because of the celebrations. In their ravaged and somewhat devastated time, Lunar New Year is one of the only days people can look forward to. It's reminiscent of their old home before the bombing took place ("the gods wiped away the unworthy"), and as such people put a lot of effort into making it grand. There are lanterns that fill the street and set the grey cobblestone alight with reds and oranges; there are fireworks that set the the sky ablaze with a multitude of colour. People wear hanboks (the traditional Korean dress often characterized by vibrant colors and simple lines without pockets.) and masks, which do allow some hybrids to go out without having to worry about being captured and killed. The masks can hide animalistic features of the face and the clothing is thick enough to cover a tail, wings, or feathers.
There are lots of things to look forward to, like food stands, dragon dancing, firebreathers and the like; really, it's a great distraction from everyday life! Though it doesn't last long (just about three days or so), it's quite entertaining to experience when one's in great need of celebration (or just seeking to see the more traditional side of culture).
While in the city of Three Houses, Lunar New Year isn't practiced. But, he likes to buy the ingredients on the day itself to make Tteokguk (a traditional dish that supposedly brings luck and adds one year of life.) for him and whoever wants to celebrate with him (currently, it's just been the seamstress). The dish consists of the broth/soup with thinly sliced rice cakes. The rice cakes are formed by pounding steamed rice flour while the broth can be made from beef, chicken, pork, pheasant, or seafood.
Being more specific:
Err.... note that he doesn't actually know how to cook anything (edible) aside from that. It was kind of tradition to steal a glance at people making the dish (or in another scenario: just steal the dish itself), so it was something he just grew up with.
There are lots of things to look forward to, like food stands, dragon dancing, firebreathers and the like; really, it's a great distraction from everyday life! Though it doesn't last long (just about three days or so), it's quite entertaining to experience when one's in great need of celebration (or just seeking to see the more traditional side of culture).
While in the city of Three Houses, Lunar New Year isn't practiced. But, he likes to buy the ingredients on the day itself to make Tteokguk (a traditional dish that supposedly brings luck and adds one year of life.) for him and whoever wants to celebrate with him (currently, it's just been the seamstress). The dish consists of the broth/soup with thinly sliced rice cakes. The rice cakes are formed by pounding steamed rice flour while the broth can be made from beef, chicken, pork, pheasant, or seafood.
Being more specific:
"The broth is generally made by simmering the main protein (beef, chicken, pork, pheasant, seafood) in a ganjang seasoned stock. The stock is then strained to clarify the broth and long cylinder-shaped garaetteok are thin-sliced diagonally and boiled in the clear broth. Garnish is added before serving; the garnish may vary by region and personal taste, but usual staples are pan-fried julienned egg yolks and whites, gim (Seaweed) and spring onions." [Wikipedia]
Err.... note that he doesn't actually know how to cook anything (edible) aside from that. It was kind of tradition to steal a glance at people making the dish (or in another scenario: just steal the dish itself), so it was something he just grew up with.
Owner:
He has no owner. Back in his homeland, hybrids weren't kept as pets. They were slaughtered and killed to appease the "gods who had wiped away the tainted men and women to restart a new, better world for their chosen." The thought of actually owning or even just coming into contact with one was seen as taboo and vile, no matter what status the person was. If you were a hybrid, you'd sooner be made into a fur coat than you would be taken in and cared for.
In the City of Three Houses, he either:
a) Poses as a human assistant of the seamstress thanks to his abilities in camouflage (it's not very hard with his outfit.)
Story: The young assistant of the seamstress came all the way from Korea to work for the blind, tired woman. With nothing in his pocket and no clothes except for the ones on his back, the poor boy sought after a better life in the City of Three houses. Back in Korea the people had suffered so much from the intense poverty that overtook the land, to the point where only a few very wealthy people manage to survive and flourish. So using the last of his money, the boy saved up and sold everything he had to catch an airship and reach what sounded like a paradise from the rumours that ran abound.
He currently works alongside the blind woman who was kind enough to take a chance on a poor and confused foreign boy. She then began to teach him everything he needed to know in order to assist her in her work.
While the woman sews clothes and creates beautiful garments, he's able to repair small tears and rips in pants, dresses, shirts, and the like. Strangely enough, there are months when he's rarely seen in the morning and only returns as night draws near with new cloths and linens to make clothes and dresses with.
b) Poses as a pet to the blind seamstress in fox-form during visits from her friends and the few family she has.
Story: A cold, frost-battered fox pawed its way to the door and scratched until she opened it. After being given some warm milk, the fox soon found a lovely companion in the seamstress.
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Though his original goal was to join the rebels as soon as he arrived in the city, he ...errr... got distracted. (Hey, in his defense, he's only been there for a few months). And while he isn't the seamstress' pet (he only stays in her house to rest and/or drop off the items he stole for her), he would honestly be saddened to see something happen to her.
He actually quite prefers living on a neutral side of things; he doesn't quite know much about both the people and hybrids of the City, but that isn't really something that worries him. He's an opportunist and is more or less waiting for the proper time to just jump in and choose a side.
In the end, his only owner would be himself. Why? Because really, that is the main person an animal like him will always strive and work very hard to protect. In the end, his role in the world's balance is to survive and not be turned into a fur coat (or at least, that's his view point of things.) As a thief, he works alone and in silence--without anyone or anything at his side to support him. While some may feel that such a life is depressing or lonely, it is the only one he knows and the only one he has.
House:
A house? Have it their way back home, and the only house he'd be living in would be a slaughterhouse. Being very blunt, that is pretty much the only place they'd ever allow him to go at his age. Since he's not a child anymore and has gone past their 'mercy limit' (as if they ever really had one), one step back into his homeland and it's off to the sacrificial table he goes.
Ability:
-Shapeshifting- He can shift back and forth between his normal and animal (fox) form. He often uses his animal form to escape when spotted, sneak past onlookers and occasionaly try his luck at charming prey, crawling into tiny spaces, and digging.
-Camouflage- a) seasonal b) blending
Expounded on above and below. But here's a small explanation of how changing colouration with the season works regardless:
"One of the biggest shifts in an animal's surroundings occurs with the changing of the seasons. In the spring and summer, a mammal's habitat might be full of greens and browns, while in the fall and winter, everything can be covered with snow. While brown coloration is perfect for a summer wooded environment, it makes an animal an easy target against a white background. Many birds and mammals deal with this by producing different colors of fur or feathers depending on the time of year. In most cases, either changing amounts of daylight or shifts in temperature trigger a hormonal reaction in the animal that causes it to produce different biochromes.
Feathers and fur in animals are like human hair and fingernails -- they are actually dead tissue. They are attached to the animal, but since they are not alive, the animal can do nothing to alter their composition. Consequently, a bird or mammal has to produce a whole new coat of fur or feathers in order to change color. In many reptiles, amphibians and fish, on the other hand, coloration is determined by biochromes in living cells. Biochromes may be in cells at the skin's surface or in cells at deeper levels. These deeper-level cells are called chromatophores."[HowStuffWorks]
There, science.
Blending on the other hand has to do with posing and acting as a normal human to avoid suspicion. Of course, there are some (actually, quite a lot of) things he can't change (as mentioned in the distinguishing features).
-Staff -The weapon he's used to using. He stole it from one of the priests in the temple before he hopped onto the boat and made his way here. Sadly, it's not a magical, mystical weapon of mass destruction.
It's as damaging as a rod of wood can be.
Then again, they say you can kill with anything if you really wanted to.
-Speed over power- What he lacks in strength and muscle he makes up for in speed and accuracy. This also definitely helps him when it comes to stealing and theivery.
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
Eye Color:
For an arctic fox, the most common eye colour would either be an icy, bright blue or a rich, almost caramel hazel. But it's important to take into account that having come from Asia, blue and green eyes aren't exactly very common. Yes, they can happen; but that's normally only acquired through 'genetic mutation' (not the superhero type of mutation.) Thus, his eye colour is just a simple very dark brown that verges (but appears to be when not in bright light) on black. Even when in fox form, his eye colour never changes.
Hair:
The arctic fox has the ability to adapt very easily to its surroundings. After all, it lives in some of the most frigid and places on the planet; if it didn't, it wouldn't even survive a day! Now an arctic fox has thick fur, which constitutes for Eun's thick, layered, and more or less long (for a male) snowy white hair (which he keeps either in a ponytail or down.) Within his hair are his short, thick ears which have very good hearing capabilities [" They have incredible hearing, aided by their wide, front-facing ears, which allow them to locate the precise position of their prey beneath the snow." [Defenders.org] ]. These ears definitely do wonders to someone who lives as a thief such as he. Now, he has thick fur along the bottom of his arm (his forearm), which no matter how hard he tries to get rid of them he really just can't. This is why he covers it with his sleeves when posing as a normal human in Three City. The fur on his feet help him walk on ice and snow a bit more easily without slipping, though his balance is a lot better when he just uses his fox-form.
He can hide his tail and the fur near the bottom of his arm and shoulders in the layers of his clothes and hide his ears with a hat or blend them into his hair. His fur and hair changes colour temporarily along with the seasons though (brown in the summer and spring and white in winter and fall), which is a bit harder to explain to people. Thankfully, he can shift the colours between white and brown whenever necessary for a very short period of time.
For example, he can make his fur and hair brown during the winter for a span of thirty or so minutes before reverting back to his original pigmentation and vice versa during the summer and fall. Any longer than thirty to forty minutes and he gets a terrible migraine and begins to shed.
Height:
"Arctic foxes have short, compact bodies and thick fur which changes colour from greyish-brown in the summer to pure white in the winter."
In terms of height, he's not very tall.
Standing at about 5'6, he isn't exactly....ferocious-looking or intimidating in appearance; he doesn't tower over anyone, that's for sure.
Weight: 140lbs.
Build:
He’s not very tall and not very muscular in appearance, so at the expense of being slender and quick he isn’t really a powerhouse when it comes to battles. He also has lean arms and legs with an average torso (and no abs. Sorry about that, but what can you do?) He’s not buff in the latter, but he’s not skinny either. All in all, he still has somewhat of a
Distinguishing Features:
[Snowy White Hair*]-
Admit it. White hair isn't very normal when one's only twenty-one, no matter how stressed they are. When it's summer or spring, it's much more easier to go around and blend in; brown hair is fine to see, after all! It's not very suspicious. But white? Yeah... good luck thinking of an excuse for that. Actually, he would get joked about it by some friends in the past.
They'd call him 'Snow White',
real original; right?
.... Admittedly, it was kind of a good joke-- but forget that.
He could claim albinism actually; he's already thought of that as an excuse. But then his eyes would be a dead give away, wouldn't they? Oh dear.... what to do. It doesn't help either that anyone with a good sense of smell might be able to tell that he wasn't a human or vice versa in animal form . You see, humans and animals smell very different from one another; and animal noses are designed to be able to track individual scents for recognition. So, that's kind of a hole in his disguise as a human.
[Claws]-
Ugh.... To the one who designed animals and gave them their traits, Eun would like to make a complaint.
Retractable Claws.
Cats had them, so why couldn't foxes? Yes, they came from the same line as dogs and wolves, but still. This was a little issue he couldn't really fix either. Even in human form his claws are always still present. Taking the place of a human's nails, his claws are long and sharp with a habit of pricking (in a best case scenario) people when he isn't careful. Good thing he wasn't an aunt, because that'd make pinching someone's cheek very...painful for the poor, unfortunate nephew/niece.
Yeah, every relative of his would end up looking like the slit-mouth woman.
They do help in stealing though. If it's too difficult for him to place his hands in the person's pocket for whatever reason, his next option would be to just use his sharp claws and make a long slit along their pocket as he passes his prey. The contents would then just fall out into his open, ready hand and bingo. Profit for the day.
Of course, that method would cause them to realise their loss a bit more quickly than the normal way.
And if it makes any difference, he hardly has a need for scissors.
[That fuzzy tail]-
It makes a good pillow.
Kidding. Somewhat.
It's used to keep warm mainly and help in his balance when running and climbing. That is all.
[His accent]-
While he can speak English quite well at this point, an obvious accent is still noticeable in how he talks (because nobody's bothered to correct him yet). At least in their town, English was a required language for everyone to learn (in the slight but not impossible case that they would have to band with the other people outside of their country and ask for help) and was taught in the market plaza by the priests. Those were practically the only times that Eun and his companions would listen to their long-winded speeches though.
Some of the sounds go as follows:
*Vowel sounds are hard to pronounce- ae, e, i, and the like. *Vowels are put at the ends of consonants (eg. stretch sounds like 'su-tu-re-chee') *Consonant sounds at the end of words and sentences are deleted (eg. t, d, ed, st, etc) *'F' is hard to pronounce and is substituted with 'P' *P sounds like 'B' *The first syllables of some words (especially when it consists of a consonant followed by vowels) and sentences are said either strongly/harshly/with force or extended (almost as if with emphasis to it) 'Di' in 'Ding' just sounds like 'De'. Actually depending on the sentence, I can sound like 'E'.
It's kind of...obvious that he's a foreigner actually.
Maybe someone will help him fix his pronunciation? He seriously doubts it.
Typical Dress:
Similar to traditional Asian clothes, in summary. Some of the things that the seamstress made for him were I.) a japanese-styled long white robe with a beautiful red lining and pretty detail and ii.) A short white robe to be placed over a red undershirt and pants . Too bad he couldn't keep the latter untattered and clean, but at least he wears it. The bottom is ripped up and falls across his a bit below his hip. When he plans on stealing something, he'll wear a dark cloak and mask as disguise to hide his face. The mask (seeing as it's the only one he has) is a Japanese fox mask given to him by monkey as a joke during one Lunar New year.
In a way, it's ironic.
Seeing that his whole personality, his whole act, his whole life,
is just a mask used to fool people into falling for his selfish traps
and empty words.
More than once, he's tried to break the mask; break the thing chaining him down to a life as a thief.
But he can never get himself to do so, seeing that he'll have nothing left to be if he does.
Orientation:
Ok, let's put this simply:
Would you want to be in a relationship with a thief?
A thief with an addiction to eating hearts and livers?
No. I didn't really think so.
But ok, he'll play along. If he were to say his preferences.... Well, he's too polite to do such a thing. Of course, that could just be a nice and more formal way of saying he doesn't know who he'd choose or what he wants. He's awkward around women, sadly, because he's hardly ever been around any (seeing that all his companions when he was younger were male); but because of that, it's also hard for him to look at men as anything but friends. He can see and acknowledge beauty but, first you'd have to get him to trust you before it became anything big. And if he did start to like you as more as a friend, well, the more distant he'd probably become as a result of it.
He doesn't want to hurt anyone, you see, and growing close to people like that will definitely do damage if things don't work out.
In the end, it'll probably be all up to how well he can get along with you or if you can earn his trust.
But really, he's not looking for relationships yet; never tried. He'd be open to one, probably, if the time and conditions were right; but it'd also be dependent on if you're willing to accept that he might not tell you anything about himself for a long while into it.
He's rather nice to the people he likes and respects regardless, and as long as you don't openly antagonise him, he'll probably treat you well enough even without any feelings of romance.
The main problem with him really is that he doesn't know how to react to signs of affection; he's used to being kicked onto the street and forced to survive on his own wits and resources. That's the key word honestly: he's USED to it. But love? Affection? No, he's never experienced much of it. He treats any ardent or blossoming emotions in him as temporary and passing, often never even mentioning his feeling to the one he's been smitten for. He loses a lot of chances, but he wouldn't risk an already stable enough relationship to fulfill some romance writer's dream scene.
But if the other person admits first...
Well, he wouldn't know what he'd do.
It's never happened, so he doesn't think about it.
Other Notes:
Face Claim: Amaterasu*/Chibiterasu from Okami
.
PERSONALITY
Age:
Twenty-one-years-old.
Likes: (at least 4)
[Festivals]- Oh, come on. Who doesn't like a good festival? With its fireworks, food, games, colours, everything? Sure he prefers the quiet to the loud blasting of music, but he's no killjoy! And if he didn't like festivals, he wouldn't have kept telling everyone that his birthday was on one; now would he? The way the drum blares to the music, the smell of smoke as fire crackers blast and explode in the air, ah... he loves it all! Along with those beautiful images, he also has fond memories of time spent with his old companions. For example: they used to sneak into the gambling houses to play a game or two, just for kicks. It was pretty easy, seeing that most people were already drunk out of their minds when they snuck in. With its floral wallpapers and smoky scent, it was definitely... a strange place to be in. Still, it was fun. Monkey would normally be the one to play (since his luck sucked) and the two of them would get a laugh out of it later.
Normally, they'd get a fair share of money whenever they went.
Of course, that was because they weren't drunk.
And monkey boy had a tail.
Still, Lee Eun would enjoy watching the women draped in their fancy costumes interacting so gracefully with their customers. (And by interacting, he meant pickpocketing from the completely pissed/wasted.)
[The Supernatural]- Yes, he's superstitious. Extremely superstitious if you want to be specific. But that doesn't mean that he's never tried messing around with the occult when he was bored. He's tried a few when he was younger, only to no avail. Some of them were:
*The Toilet Ghost- "This is a popular Korean urban legend about a ghost living in a toilet. The ghost most commonly dwells in squat toilets and appears by sticking its hand out of the bowl, it then asks you if you would prefer red toilet paper or blue toilet paper. You will have to answer the question and the door will be locked if you try to escape. If you chose the red toilet paper, the ghost will skin you alive and leave your body red with blood. If you chose the blue toilet paper, the ghost will choke you death leaving your body blue from suffocation." Laugh all you want, but he actually went to a public bathroom to try this. Repeatedly.
Needless to say, he was never offered the option of 'red or blue paper'. Closest he got to was hearing a low moaning, but he has a feeling that the urban legend is a no-go. Well, that is unless the 'toilet ghost' is a beggar with constipation.
*The Red Mask Girl/Slit-Moth Woman- "A boy was on his way back home when he heard a girl call him.
She was asking the boy: "Am I pretty?"
She was wearing a big red surgical mask but he could see she had regular features.
She seemed like she was a rather pretty girl.
So he answered "You're pretty"
She took off her mask and asked
"Am I pretty now?"
Under the mask, her mouth was cut off until the ears."
According to the story, if you again agreed that she was pretty, then she'd get a pair of scissors and make your face just like hers. If you said no, she'd take those scissors and stab you immediately (slicing off your head in the process). If you run, she'll hunt you down and slice you in two.
*Fan Death- "During summer, in an enclosed room (i.e. all doors and windows shut), an electric fan running directly on your body could kill you while you sleep. Elderly, children, and people sleeping drunk are at the greatest risk. To prevent this, either open a window a crack, or use a button on the fan that makes it either oscillate or shut off after a certain amount of time." He never got the chance to try it, but he heard about it from other people who supposedly lost a relative to a...fan.
And one he wants to try (but couldn't since they didn't have a house while living on the streets of Korea):
*One-Man Hide and Seek- Here's a summary:
"First, you must give your stuffed animal a name. Let’s say you have a teddy bear and you decide to call him Cuddles. Next, you cut Cuddles open and remove all his stuffing, replacing it with rice and a few of your fingernail clippings. After the stuffing/rice transfusion, you need to sew him back up. Use the needle and red thread making sure you have thread left over so that you can wrap it tightly around Cuddles’ body. You know, making him look even more sinister that he already looks.
At three am you take Cuddles into the bathroom and draw a bath. You hold Cuddles in both hands and say out loud, “For the first game I’m (say your name) going to be it.” Say this three times and then drop Cuddles into the water.
Here you’ll want to run around the house turning off all the lights. You’re allowed to leave the TV on, but only if it’s on a static-filled station. Close your eyes and count to ten. When you’re finished, open your eyes and grab the knife (or whatever instrument you have chosen) and return to the bathroom. Say, “I found Cuddles!” and proceed to stab him with the knife.
Congratulations! You won that game.
Note: In Japanese the word for “it” — in hide and seek and tag — is “oni” or “devil”. Knowing that fact makes the next part a little creepier.
Next, you say, “Okay, now Cuddles is it (the devil).” And leaving the impaled teddy bear in the bathroom (either in the water or on the floor) you quickly (yes, the instructions say “quickly”) hurry out of the room and hide quietly (yes, the instructions also say to hide “quietly”). It is very important that whatever you do, make sure you have your glass of salt water or sake with you in your hiding place.
Closets make excellent hiding places. So let’s say you’re in the closet. You remain there waiting and listening. All sorts of strange things are said to happen. Apart from sounds (footsteps and things being moved around) people have reported horrible smells, changes in temperature, and having the TV suddenly switch off or the volume change dramatically. Some reported the sensation of being touched or pulled on, others said that their household pets freaked out (cowered or cried out). Whatever happens, stay hidden for as long as you can or until sunrise.
The ending ritual is extremely important. You can’t just hop out of the closet at sunrise and announce that you’ve won. Let’s say it’s still dark, something has freaked you out and you want to end the game. Take as much salt water (or sake) in your mouth as you can, holding it there while you return to the bathroom. Don’t assume Cuddles will be where you left him. There have been people who find either him or the knife moved or missing entirely. Keep searching until you find Cuddles.
Once you find the bear, spit the salt water (sake) all over him and tell him three times, “I won!” That almost ends the game. As a final precaution it is imperative you burn the stuffed animal you used. Even though the game is over people have posted that they’ve become ill, gotten into some kind of accident, or continued to feel the presence of someone or something." [horrornews.net]
Popular in Korea after it was taken from Japan, it seemed/seems like an interesting game. Though, that could be because he's still young and curious about things like this. Supposedly, some replaced the knife with things like pens and pencils (seeing that it would also work due to being able to pierce). If the doll found you, it was said that it would stab you just like you stabbed it (and possibly take over your body). You think one horrible game of 'hide-and-seek' would be enough, but nope. He's still curious enough to want to dabble in this.
[Fluid motions]- Certain fluid and quick motions catch his eye and perk his curiosity.
[ Pul-bbang (풀빵)/ Sweet Custard Bread]- Often found sold by tired, worn-out vendors on the street, the 'Sweet Custard Bread' pastry is definitely something that can make someone's mouth water. It's a tiny Korean pancake dumpling stuffed with sweetened azuki bean paste/filling (prepared by boiling and mashing azuki beans and then sweetening the paste with sugar or honey) that's kind of similar to a tiny stuffed doughnut or creampuff. The thick, silky texture that flows into one's mouth as he bites into it? Eun finds that absolutely delicious.
[Gardens]- He enjoys visiting and taking breaks in undisturbed gardens; the scents of flowers and grass are calming, and it's one of the best places to watch the sunset or sunrise in. If there's one or two people there he'll hesitantly approach, but any more than that and he chooses to stay away. Well, that's unless the people there are children. Based on experience, he knows better than to go near one of the little
[People who're cocky enough to keep gems, necklaces, coins, and the like in their pockets]- Society finds them annoying, arrogant, burdenous scum; Eun finds them the perfect prey to steal from. His favourite ones though would have to be the ones that are so arrogant that, they refuse to even admit they were stolen from (because those looks of pity and the snickers they'll receive? Unbearable to their poor, unfortunate egos!).
Well, their loss is his gain.
Dislikes: (at least 4)
[The smell of (i.)incense and (ii.)human urine]- (i.) It reminds him of those priests....that temple... and those organs. The smell makes him noxious and causes him to feel like throwing up; when he breathes in incense he gets dizzy and starts to cough, almost as if he's choking. His throat feels like its closing up and his lungs feel like they're on fire; it becomes hard for him to breathe as his chest tightens and constricts. A migraine then throbs in his head as the effort to stay conscious becomes too much for him to handle. Normally, the sensation can be relieved by exiting the room with the incense; but, it is overall very uncomfortable for him to experience. The gravity of the sensation isn't automatically so horrible though; he has to be exposed to the incense for at least fifteen minutes before he begin to feel the symptoms fully. As time passes, that's when the feeling gets worse and worse.
(ii.) Foxes are territorial, so smelling urine is like posting a huge sign in bold letters with a big "F.Off".
[Hunger]- He's not a bad person... No, not at all; right? He can't be. It's the hunger that does this to him; the absolute agony that comes with starvation. No, not normal starvation... Starvation from his addiction. He has to eat one at least twice a week; at least one heart or liver from any animal or living being he can get his claws onto is enough!
Oh! If it weren't for them! If it weren't for those damnned priests then he wouldn't be in this mess! But they had to be stubborn, oh so stubborn about force feeding him those hearts and livers! It's their fault--their fault he's addicted! Their fault he goes insane without it! The starvation's creeping in, and alongside it is the darkness. Soon he won't be in control any longer. He won't remember a thing, just wake up drenched in blood with a corpse at his feet.
Last time it was a pig, then it was a cow. How long before he goes after a human?
And what would he do if-god forbid-he actually began to like the taste?
[People pulling at his ears or tail]- No, they're not fake; we get it. There's no need to try and rip them off while screaming " They're real, guys!!!!!" Next person who attempts to do so will discover that 'Puppy' can bite. Very hard.
[Not being able to read someone]- Oh, it's happened more times than he'll admit. Sometimes, he just really doesn't know what someone's going to do or how to present himself for them. When he experiences moments like that, it definitely aggravates him. How is he supposed to trick his prey if he doesn't know they're strategy and they're routine? Had they already outsmarted him before he could even make his move? Supposedly everyone had a pattern, so why was this person different?
When he sees people he can't quite read, it's very easy to see him grow flustered and impatient. Though he tries to not let his emotions affect his demeanor, extremely negative emotions come out very easily in how he acts. His tone will noticeably change from its usual (more or less) kind and gentle tone to a more irritable and strained one; his smile will be a bit more ferocious and forced as the conversation goes on in that way.
When he's flustered, that's the best time to strike at him and ask why he's being so suspicious/snoopy. The shock will cause him to be thrown off-guard and lead him to be overly defensive. His arguments and defense will sound noticeably weaker and his ability to weave stories for his own personal gain will greatly diminish. Chances are, he'll mix up backgrounds with another story he made in the past and suddenly try to recover ( to no avail).
Aspirations
He's goalless, remember? So as a result, he doesn't really have anything in mind. Still, if he had to think of things he'd love to accomplish at least once in his life, then this would probably be a few of them:
- A cure. He wants to find a way to stop his addiction of eating organs and be able to live without fearing moments of losing control due to hunger. Whether it be killing and taking his revenge on the priests who did this to him, or even just finding something important enough in his life to give him the strength to stop doing what his 'instincts' tell him to do. Any solution... but he needs people to help him discover what this solution could be.
-Try as much Western festivals he can. He wants to see how different it is from his homeland's.
-Maybe it sounds selfish, but he'd love to live in a world where humans and hybrids are equal; a world where he didn't have to steal for living. Maybe in such a world, he'd be able to form real relationships and long-lasting friendships; maybe there, he'd be able to stop forcing himself to grow callous with every thievery he accomplished. Though it does feel good when he succeeds, that small biting feeling of guilt still lurks there longer than the pride.
They wouldn't have to die anymore; they wouldn't have to starve on the streets; they'd be more than just scum on the sidewalk, desperately searching for food to eat the next day and wondering if they'd even find any. Maybe he'd even be able to stop changing himself to trick others for the sake of using them, and actually discover people who'd accept him for who he was.
An animal.
And a human.
Fears
-Not only does he loathe the addiction placed onto him by those stubborn religious fanatics, he also fears the very same 'curse' they'd forced onto the little fox thief. He knows his hunger is uncontrollable, that it causes him to do some.... unfortunate things to any prey he can find nearby; but at the moment, it hasn't been too much of a burden for him. With little to no connections, he hasn't had to worry about losing anyone particularly special. But now it's begun to sunk in that unless he could find a way to help himself, this little issue might grow to be a bigger problem as time passes. Sure, he didn't have connections; but could he survive through all those years of his life without any at all? At some point, he'd have to find companions...and then what?
Or in a less emotional point of view, people aren't stupid. Sooner or later, they'd have to begin to realise that all their livestock was dying. And with the same method of death: ripped up with claws, bitten, and heart/liver (depending on how hungry he was) extracted, could he really, honestly say that people wouldn't get suspicious? Camouflage helped in forming a disguise, but it couldn't hide evidence... could it?
- He fears enclosed spaces. Honestly, very few animals like to feel like they're caged and trapped with no escape.
"Claustrophobia develops as the mind makes the association that small spaces psychologically translate to some imminent danger. This typically occurs as a result of a traumatic past experience (such as being trapped in a dark, small space and thinking that there is no way out because the mind is not fully developed enough to realize there is a way out) or from another unpleasant experience occurring later on in life involving confined spaces. These two causes of claustrophobia both reject the common misconception that claustrophobia is a genetic disorder.
In fact claustrophobia is a conditioned response to a stimulus. It results from when an individual associates a tremendous amount of anxiety and a panic attack with a confined space. That event, the confined space, serves as a trigger or the stimulus, which is programmed into the brain. Because that stimulus is programmed into the brain, so is the response, which in this case, is a tremendous amount of anxiety. As a result, the confined space consistently triggers the same anxious response."
How it works:
"The amygdala is one of the smallest structures in the brain, but by far one of the most powerful. The amygdala is needed for the conditioning of fear, or the creation of a fight-or-flight response. A fight-or-flight response is created, when a stimulus is associated with a grievous situation. It is believed that a phobia’s roots are in this fight-or-flight response.
In generating a fight-or-flight response, the amygdala acts in the following way: The amygdala’s anterior nuclei associated with fear communicate with each other. Nuclei send out impulses to other nuclei, which influence respiratory rate, physical arousal, the release of adrenaline, blood pressure, heart rate, behavioral fear response, and defensive responses, which may include freezing up. These reactions constitute an ‘autonomic failure’ in a panic attack."
How would you feel if you were locked up, struggling to survive, when outside your cage was a world you could flourish and live in? If you had to see that it was so closely in grasp, but still blocked out by those horrid metal bars? While he doesn't suffer from severe claustrophobia, ( he can actually squeeze in tiny spaces and crawl through enclosed areas while in fox form) his only real triggers would have to be an actual metal cage or being locked up in a room (so yes, a mental asylum is out of the picture). When placed inside, he'll attempt to keep shoving and banging himself into the iron bars, even at the expense of getting severely injured or even bleeding.
-Tetraphobia- ......
Don't judge him.
"Tetraphobia is an aversion or fear of the number 4 (four). It is a superstition most common in East Asia. The superstition is held because the Chinese word for four (四, pinyin: sì), sounds very similar to the word for death (死, pinyin: sǐ). The Sino-Japanese and Sino-Korean words for four, shi in Japanese and sa in Korean, sound identical to death in each language."
If it's just one number 4, he'll live. But if it's something like '404', '444', '414' or the like, he'll probably pale and be silent for a while. To him, giving him a paper with the number '444' is like saying "go to hell." So, yeah. If you ever get him a gift, make sure not to give him four of something.
Scary, isn't it?
Strengths:
*His ability to steal
*Camouflage
*Speed
*Decent when it comes to singing and music
*Rather nice in personality on good days
*Eloquent and polite
*Cunning and intelligent enough to survive on his own (due to living on the street)
*Very flexible to change
*Loyal
Weaknesses
*Scatterminded
*Awkward around women
*Practically psychotic when hungry
*Addicted
*Culture-confused
*Remorse about a required life that in a way he sort of chose for himself
*Very wary about people getting close to him
* Tends to overanalyze things
*Can't really cook
*Overly-critical of himself to the point that it's extreme
*Confused about his true personality and who he wants to be
*Confused about his own motivations and what he wants to do
*Has a bit of a short-attention span
*Has difficulty forming lasting friendships (due to not knowing the proper way to act and react) though he wants to make them.
*Not truly calloused enough yet to be a true thief but not innocent and considerate anymore either
*Judgmental about appearance and first impressions
*Suffers from self-control issues
*Is the type to keep subtle grudges and only release/bring them up at a breaking, point which leads to it being solved only very late
*Can be hypocritical
*Is in denial about many things
*Can be bloodthirsty (but he won't accept or admit it)
*Can be violent (but he won't accept or admit it)
*Extremely defensive
*Both a habit and a flaw: He tends to bottle up problems and negative emotions (to maintain a competent image and convince both himself and others that he's fine).
*Opinionated and tends to believe greatly in his own ideals over those of others, no matter how selfish they may be.
*Impatient when he wants to know something and doesn't get the answer.
Habits:
- Every night, he drops off the cloth and linens that he stole (or purchased with his stolen money) for the blind woman who allowed him to stay in her home whenever he deemed necessary or desired a comfy place to stay. It wasn't really for anything (she never asked him to do so) but for the sake of repaying her for her kindness to him. He presents himself to those who question him as the woman's assistant who was asked to do some last minute purchasing before a long night of working. Though he doesn't always stay in her house for long, he does take naps there early in the afternoon before he sets out. Mornings are used to steal some gold and jewelry while evening are used for him to scavenge for food and relax underneath the night sky. It's also when he skulks around the area to familiarise himself with his surroundings.
- If you scratch him behind the ears, he either yips or sighs. Good luck getting close though, unless he finds you interesting/wants to use you. Anyone else who tries either almost gets bitten or gets backed away from.
-He hums or sings the same song the priests sang while chasing him when he hunts or attacks prey during his 'happy, starvation times/phases.'
- He's cautious around people bigger than him in size.
-He's very territorial. If you go near prey that he's going after, he'll become very competitive or harsher than normal (eg. flashes glares constantly, growls, mutters, uses direct eye contact, becomes impulsive and impatient with the original target and loses sense of subtlety, increasing tremendously the chances that he'll get caught. ) If the person is an ally or a friend, he's usually more benign and will avoid a direct fight. If the person is a stranger? He'll become very aggressive.
