Post by ataru on Nov 1, 2010 23:35:35 GMT -6
::Tanaka Ataru::
Type: Original Character
Age: 17
Gender: Male
Sexuality: Hetero
Crushes: None
Face Claim: Chris Velding from Symphonic Rain
Description:
Ataru inherited both short stature and a refreshingly peaceful green gaze from his father. His deep emerald eyes can be almost mesmerizing when met for too long... now if only he would leave them open for any length of time. Unless he's walking and concentrating on the path in front of him it's rare to see Ataru with his eyes open. Not sleeping, but focused on a world that is not visual.[/size]
This habit of shutting out the world around him, coupled with his height which brings him only up to the chin of most others his age, makes him quite easy to overlook. His build is slender, perhaps even weak-looking. His skin is pale and suggests that he should get out more often. His movements aren't specifically graceful or ungraceful, and he has no real eye-drawing physical tics or habits, though whenever he's reposing with his eyes closed, off in that other world beyond sight, often the careful observer will see a hand or foot, or perhaps his head, moving to some rhythm that only he can hear.
Oddly, for one who seems so withdrawn, Ataru has a stunning smile full of warmth and sunshine which reflects dazzlingly in his beautiful eyes. A rare treasure worth being sought after.
Personality:
Saying Ataru enjoys music is an understatement. He loves the musical world so much that it has become the world he lives in. Often he will shut his eyes and stop living in the visual world, existing instead in a world of sounds and rhythms. One can imagine that this would get him in trouble during, say, school classes as he often appears to be sleeping. However his teachers soon discovered that he had a sharp mind and a keen focus even if he wasn't keeping his eyes on the board.[/size]
This habitual retreat to the world of sound made it a little hard for Ataru to make many close friends, though. His way of showing friendship was to drag someone to his room and sit listening to music with them. Why talk about life? he thought. Why run around in the loud and unorganized sounds of the city and the laughs and screams of children playing? Why not relax in the soothing embrace of melody. Wasn't that everyone's dream? Though one or two of his childhood friends learned to appreciate the music, they could never quite get to the same level as Ataru and often they would find excuses to not visit him, fearing the long, boring sessions of sitting silently in his room doing nothing but listening.
Ataru believes in his own genius. He knows for a fact that the gift that dwells inside him, the gift for music, is something that could change the world and people's hearts if he could only master it and bring it out in its full glory. His muse sits before an alter upon which he sacrifices everything. Nothing, to him, is more important than letting people hear the 'perfect song', which is dwelling ust beyond his reach within himself. If he could just work a little harder, dedicate a little more time, learn a little more, he could unlock that door. That thought drives him and separates him from everyone else. Though he is friendly and caring... in that he wants people to be 'happy' even if he doesn't bother finding out the personal needs of another person... he believes that, more than friendship, the gift of his song would be a blessing to all those around him.
The side of him that was taught to be nice and friendly and outgoing by his jolly parents seems to be deep at war with the side of him that wishes to dedicate itself to the music. Sometimes when he plays for others and they compliment him he smiles shyly and bows, laughing with them and talking amiably... and sometimes his eyes flash severely and he says that he's not nearly good enough yet. Sometimes thoughts of 'maybe I should try talking to everyone, and going out when they ask me' struggle against thoughts of 'when I finally master this music and share it with everyone... that will be the best gift I can give, and everyone will be happy, more so than if I wasted time hanging out with them right now'.
Unfortunately much of this internal struggle goes unnoticed by those around him, who instead see him as a slightly awkward but amazingly talented boy whose expressions range from stunningly open smile to stunningly arrogant glare.
History:
Ataru's mother, Amami Wakaba, was a bit of a black sheep, but in a good way. Since their family wasn't some old, rich Japanese clan it wasn't really expected that she'd marry too well, but her choice to marry a worker at a small bakery who also happened to be a Mormon, came as a bit of a shock. Tanaka Watabe, Ataru's father, was not only a good man but a jolly and friendly one too... though he was much more concerned with making friends than making money. Wakaba's father was against the marriage mostly due to Watabe's lack of desire to improve his situation. However, after several years the turmoil calmed down and the family was mostly fine with the strange choices of Wakaba.[/size]
In fact, once Ataru was born his maternal grandfather showed great interest in his growth. It was apparent from a young age that Ataru had a gift. It wasn't any stretch to call him a genius, especially when it came to music. Members of the Mormon church are exposed to a large amount of beautiful music, even from an early age, and Ataru's grasp of melody, rhythm, and even note reading evolved much faster than in any other child his age. His instructor at church started giving him organ lessons on the electric organ at the old church building, and soon he was playing so well that he actually took the place of the old organist who was getting on in years and wanted a break from the position. Eventually he grew past the point where his church instructor could help him with the music and she instead suggested to his family that he be taken to a professional instructor.
The music professor they found for Ataru was good, the perfect man to handle the blooming talent inside of Ataru. After a few piano lessons he realized that this boy was bound for more than just a single instrument career, so he started him learning various other instruments. After a few years he set up a recital so Ataru could showcase his skills to friends and family in not one, but a handful of instruments including the flute, violin, and piano. The Tanaka family were tickled pink by their son's amazing talent, but had not yet realized how central it would become to his life. They hadn't begun to understand that their son, young as he was, had already chosen his path in life and was chasing after it with all his strength. The one who did see that was the Amami family head, who came to watch the performance as well. He saw Ataru as a rising start that would bring honor to the family name and become something all of them could be proud of.
From them on each birthday and at Christmas Ataru would receive an instrument from his grandfather and letters and calls of encouragement. His grandfather often told him that there was nothing more important in life than using your talents to become something everyone would remember. This clashed a little with his parents' values, which placed friends and family above all other pursuits, but to Ataru his grandfather's words rang true. He wanted to share his gift with everyone because he knew how beautiful music could be. He knew what a blessing it was to the heart to hear a wonderful song. So he began to study more intensely, and began to try to develop his own music.
This is when the change in Ataru's demeanor started to happen. Before he was friendly like his father, though he did have the little problem of assuming everyone would enjoy music as much as he did, but he tried his best to get along and make new friends. He would accept praise and play requests and generally share his gift with others. However, after the change he stopped smiling while he was playing. Instead he would shut his eyes and play with an expression of intense concentration, often twisting into frustration.
"If it makes you that upset, maybe you should stop..." his mother once suggested, still thinking that their son was at a time in his life where he could choose his path. She didn't realize he had already chosen it and was now running at breakneck speed down that path.
"No!" he had yelled, one of the only times he had ever raised his voice to his parents whom he loved. "It's not the music, it's me! I need to be better! The music that's in my head won't come out like I want because I can't play well enough yet!"
And that became the theme of his practicing.
Somewhere in the middle of this, a little before he underwent the change, Ataru's cousin and he began to exchange letters. This was probably first suggested by the Amami grandfather so that the rapidly growing Ataru could encourage Kazunari in his own life. For whatever reason they started writing, and Ataru recognized that his cousin was much like him.
'We both have a muse inside us, like a bird in a cage wanting to get out. We should both work hard, you with your writing, me with my music, to let our muses out so they can fly free,' he wrote once, waxing slightly more poetic than normal, mostly thanks to Kazunari's own poetic way of writing.
Often he would take the poetry his cousin sent him and attempt to put it to music, sending back the sheets of notes and promising that some day he'd complete a symphony based all around Kazunari's poetry and let his cousin hear it someday. Even after his personality change his letters remained in their old style; encouraging and light hearted. It could be said that Kazunari was the one who saw the most of Ataru's self that got buried when he began to take his music perhaps too seriously.
Finally, as he reached his mid-teens, a crossroads was reached. His music instructor suggested to his parents that he move away from their little village in search of a larger city that would offer him more opportunities to practice and learn. This wasn't too strange a concept, as children would often move away to attend certain high schools. The only thing that worried them was that the town he would be moving to would not have a church building near enough for him to attend. This became even more complicated when they brought up his future as a missionary when he turned 19.
Though it was always his choice there was a lot of pressure on him to go, taking 2 years of his life to serve the God he believed in. To not go would be going against the word of the Prophet and would be tantamount to turning his back on his religion. To go, however, would mean sacrificing his music, as a two year break would be impossible to surmount. His parents suggested that this was a fair trade, as he could always pick music back up, but he understood within himself that he would never get the pro career he always dreamed of if he took such a long break. Though he loved his father, the thought of squandering his talent getting some small job was suffocating. His own pride told him he could do better than that. So he decided to put off the decision, sacrificing even it to the all-consuming deity of music he served. He threw himself into his music and studies with little attention for anything else.
When he received word that his cousin would be coming to live with him it was like a ray of light into the darkened chaos of his uncertain heart. He missed being with his parents, but couldn't face them until he had made a decision. He loved his church and his God, but he didn't want to hear the whisperings of the spirit telling him to throw away his dreams and serve. So, in his cousin, he would have something close and neutral, demanding nothing, forcing no decision. He could happily enjoy the company of his cousin without needing to be one thing or the other. Unfortunately, he was so far buried in his musical studies by this time that it was hard for him to break out of his shell and reach out to his cousin. So, within him dwells a yearning to become closer to the only relative he can touch right now, fighting valiantly against the suffocating darkness of obsession.
Controller's Information
Nickname: Ataru
Age: 23
Gender: Male
Seen the Anime/Played the Game?: Yes
How Did You Find Us?: When I was stalking you I noticed through your window that you logged onto this site.
Sample RP:
It's brilliant!
Sunohara had to spend a moment just sitting back and admiring his own genius. It really was the perfect plan. Just as the jaws of despair had begun to nibble at the depths of his soul, a shining ray of radiant invention had bloomed within him. He had seen the light.
It was heading toward the end of the year. Another year poor and alone, despite his best efforts to win the affection of any of the girls at school through his suave and charming manners (or what he assumed to be such). Without cash, without a love life... it was as if his life went on from day to day without purpose.
But no more! The time had come to seize destiny by the horns and ride it! He would, with the throw of one proverbial stone, down the twin birds of bachelorhood and poverty. Not only that, but he would be doing a community service as well. He couldn't help but pat himself on the back for that little extra, too.
And so he stood back, gazing in self-congratulatory awe at the booth he had erected among the other vendors of the festival. It had taken what little allowance he had left just to buy the spot, so the booth itself was little more than a table and a sign, but that's all he needed. Doubtless he'd make back all his initial investment and then some. Enough to not have to worry about money for a while.
Okay. Time to put his game face on. Rolling his head and shrugging his shoulders as if warming up for a sports meet, Sunohara took his place behind the table. He pulled out a mirror, checked his hair and face, making his normal cheesily suave smile. Perfect. This face was going to net him a fortune.
"Alright ladies," he said, mostly to himself in preparation, "Co~me get some."
He kicked back in his chair, folding one leg across the other. Above his head the sign read:
KISS THE BISHI: 500 YEN