Shoujo Rebel

Awase, or Sailor Shadowselenite, is my pride and joy.  She was the first character I wrote that was actually GOOD, and she was the first character I wrote to make it into a hardcore (but not elitist!) Sailor Moon RPG: Missing Shard.  I'm so proud of her.  To this day, she's still my personal favorite character that I've ever written.  I think that, no matter how many characters I create, Awase will always hold a special place in my heart, simply because she was my first that was ever acknowledged as being great.

And let's face it - if she wasn't my favorite, she would imaginary kick my ass!

Civilian Form 

Name:

Hitokage Awaseru

Hitokage means “soul” and “man’s shadow”

Awaseru means many things, including “to overlap,” “to combine,” “to be opposite,” and “to face.” The name altogether means “to be opposite of one’s shadow or soul,” yet it can also mean “to overlap/combine with one’s shadow or soul.”  The name is a slight play on words; two things can be opposite yet overlap and combine to create one shadow, like an eclipse.

You can also call her “Awase,” which means joint together, opposing, or facing.

Age: 19
Birthday: July 23

Astrology Sign: Cancer-Leo cusp

Blood Type: B 

Likes:

Men – Not only is she attracted to them, she finds them altogether cooler than women.  Having grown up around men for most of her life, she’s that girl you always see hanging out with the boys.  She’s no tomboy, but she can hold her own in a group of men, partaking merrily with them in such activities as arm-wrestling and dirty joke-telling.  To her, men aren’t as fickle, catty, and competitive as women; sure, women are nice, but men are truly something to behold.  In her experience, they are open-minded, easygoing, and simpler to understand.  Plus, some of them are even cute!  Though she has very specific taste in men, she’s also a flirt even with old men, simply because she knows how their minds work; in her thinking, some men love it when a girl gives them some attention, and will happily pay such attention back, be it materially or with some conversation. 

Surprises – Life is full of them, and Awase knows how to deal with them well.  She has been dealt her fair share of bad surprises, to be sure, but surprises are what make life interesting.  She’s always up for the challenge of a new situation, and she’s also happy to take fun surprises like gifts.  If life remained the same, without shocks, it would never be interesting.  Though she may not be happy when a surprise happens (depending on the nature of the surprise), she’s definitely unhappy when nothing unexpected comes up in a good day or two.

Shade – Shadows offer so many lovely things.  From hiding places to cool air, the darkness of shadows within light is a relaxing yet intriguing vantage point for the rest of the world.  Whether it’s beneath a tree, watching the lovely, sun-sparkled meadow around her, or in an alleyway, stealing a kiss from her then-boyfriend, shadows provide nice places to go when Awase needs a little privacy.  Sure, she’s very social, but she does enjoy a little bit of quiet time every once in a while to recollect herself. 

City Life – Cities are always bustling and interesting.  Awase may like to relax in the alley, or she may enjoy shopping about merchant stands, or even meeting new people.  The city offers so many wonderful places to go, things to see, and people to meet.  It’s a great place to just have fun, and in the city, there are many people that don’t know you well enough to really speak badly about you.  Sure, she may be queen of Serenight, but she can always take a vacation to a city away from there, or even disguise herself if need be.  She loves the city’s excitement and the anonymity it offers.

Contrast – The world is beautiful because of its diversity, and differing colors, people, ideas, and worlds are what make places like Evalon so captivating to her.  Living in the world of shadow, she’s between two of the most beautifully contrasting forces; light and darkness.  It’s so fascinating to see that two forces work so interestingly together.  Put opposing elements next to each other, and Awase finds something strangely beautiful about it.  This generally affects quite a bit of small things in her life; she enjoys contrasting foods, contrasting colors, contrasting clothing – it’s fun to mix and match things, especially when they don’t seem like they’d go well together.

Other likes include smoke, sunshine during rain, pale colors, dirty jokes, autumn, girly stuff, sour food, pubs, and dreams

Dislikes:

Black and White Definitions – Awase may like watching things that are opposites interact, but she hates it when people try to define the world in terms of definite opposites.  Life is full of gray areas, and it’s foolishness to say that something is strictly good or evil.  Examples of this dislike include Awase’s hatred of the strict gender rules in Selenite that dictate that men and women are definitely one way or the other and Awase’s general distaste for opposing elements that are not around each other (i.e. a world with all light and no darkness).  Still, Awase does define human behavior as either strictly passive or strictly assertive, which is hypocritical given this dislike, but Awase attributes this hypocrisy to simple human nature.  This is an example of Awase’s “I’m Always Right” law. 

Wet Blankets – Life is fun and interesting!  Don’t take it for granted by refusing to try new things.  People normally known as “wet blankets,” or picky people who say no to just about any activity they’re unsure about, are really killjoys for Awase.  Try something new – don’t sit about all day doing the same thing!  The world was made diverse for a reason.  People who don’t take advantage of all the things the universe has to offer are wasting the little time they have in this life.  She’ll try to convince them to no end to try new things, especially if their decision affects her own ability to pursue something new and interesting.

Apology – Awase goes by the theory that if someone was truly sorry about something, they wouldn’t have done it.  In her mind, most things people apologize for don’t need an apology.  If you’ve hurt someone’s feelings or made a mistake that truly hurt them, just don’t do it again!  There’s no need to apologize, because all the other party wants is to make you submit in some way, to prove them right and you wrong somehow.  Do not back down; if you apologize to Awase, prepare for a scolding on why it was stupid to ask for her forgiveness.  In her mind, forgiveness is earned through more than a simple “I’m sorry;” if you’re really sorry, don’t do it again. 

Thrifty Customers – Since her father owns a potion shop, Awase has seen those customers that walk to every shop on the street to see who has the cheapest price; the ones who smell the potions before buying them.  A purchase is a purchase; if she told you that a potion does something, then don’t question her judgment!  She works at the store for a reason; she knows what she’s talking about.  Not to mention, her father’s potions are reputable throughout Jipusamu; if they’re priced higher than other potions, it’s because they do the job better!  Even as a queen, when she goes shopping now, she always seems to find that one customer that is a little too frugal, and she will not hesitate to obnoxiously try to convince the customer to go ahead and purchase the item.  Don’t hesitate – just buy the blasted thing!

Social Law – Manners are silly.  It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the same thing dictating that Awase should be spending her time with women is one of the things she despises the most.  She hates being boxed in, and nothing does this quite as well to her as society’s standards and rules.  “Don’t flirt too much, don’t speak to men too much (they’ll come to you), just be good and quiet, woman!”  Okay, so this has a lot to do with Serenight’s sotto voce sexism, but it’s caused her to feel bitter toward many social stigmas.  Even the pressure of being queen can get to her sometimes (though the power to change said social law, even a little, makes up for it in her mind). 

Other dislikes include people who fish for compliments, heat, gossip, and disorganization

Hobbies: 

Flirting – As said before, boys are wonderful.  Awase loves men, because in her experience, they’re pretty easy to please, and pretty generous.  She hangs out with them all the time; in fact, it’s rare to see her with a gaggle of girls, unless of course, they’re all close friends (as in, she’s known them for more than a month and they’ve never talked behind her back).  However, most of her friends are men.  Again, Awase may be picky in her taste of men she’d actually like to date, but overall she loves to flirt with them, simply in the hopes of getting something in return.   “Flirting” for her is simply the right words with the right inflection, and maybe teasing the man with a little physical contact if she feels he is inviting her.  Saying “Hey, handsome!” or “Have I met you before, or do I just wish I had?” with the right tone is her attempt at brightening a man’s day.  It’s also a great way to butter men up; sure, she may seem like she’s trying to cater to a man’s every whim, but the right man wraps around one’s finger so easily.  She loves to flirt with a man to earn his favor enough that he does something for her; something small, like buying her a drink or talking to her until her friend shows up.  Men like to think that Awase is enamored with them, but she hardly ever goes farther than flirting.  Relationships tend to be complicated for her, and her playful demeanor is usually just that; play.  It almost never means she’s actually attracted to the guy, and it’s even rarer that she goes farther than flirting.  Her flirting is really a manner of manipulation, and the way she sees it, if a guy thinks she’s seriously interested in him when she isn’t, it’s his fault, not hers.  Now, that’s not to say that Awase’s flirting is a one-way ticket to a man’s good graces.  Indeed, Awase tends to get a bit carried away with her flirting (as she does with almost everything), ignoring her intuition and sometimes making the men around her feel awkward.  See the Character Interaction section for more flirting fun!

Being a Girl – Yes, Awase loves hanging with the boys, but she is most definitely NOT a boy.  She loves everything about being a girl – from dresses to jewelry, being pretty is truly a delight.  She wouldn’t have such power over some men if she weren’t pretty, and she takes it to its full advantage.  Some men may think they are in some way superior to women, but they have no idea what they’re talking about!  It’s so delightful to get the attention of men, especially when you know that you have power over them. 

Arguing – Contrasting ideas, again, are cool in Awase’s book, and although she may seem angry when she’s asserting her point or scolding someone, a small part of her lives for it.  Arguing for oneself gives one the ability to keep being oneself in Awase’s thinking, and if you want your views to maintain their validity, then you’d best stand up for them.  She’ll argue ‘till the cows come home, and won’t quit until she at least has proven that she refuses to back down.  Though it seems to be a pain in her back, she loves to be in-your-face when it comes to standing up for her beliefs.   In fact, she’s excellent at arguing her point, often using rhetoric to come out right in many arguments (at least, “right” by her own standards).  Still, she does not win all arguments, though she seems to go on believing her opinion is correct even in the rare occasion that she is proven wrong.  Often, arguing is inevitable for Awase; she’ll start or get involved in intellectual conversations and soon begin a heated argument, usually unintentionally (unless she has a specific grudge against someone in the conversation).  Awase’s the type of person that argues all the wrong points with all the right reasons; when she is losing an argument and knows it, she’ll go on with backward logic in a desperate effort to win.  Even if she loses, she still thinks she has won, and of course she still thinks she’s right.

Ranbuno Kage, meaning “Shadow of the Dance” – This traditional Serenight art form involves many candles, a bright costume, a large but dark room, and lots and lots of movement.  It’s mainly performed by women, though some male Ranbuno Kage performers can be found in Serenight.  The candles are dipped in a magical potion from the extract of a Night Lily, which intensifies the flame’s flicker, causing the candles to emit light that moves rather quickly and abruptly.  During Ranbuno Kage, the performer makes abstract, exaggerated movements, including handstands, back-flips, and standard dance moves like pirouettes and layouts.  The combination of the flickering light and the quick, abstract movement make the shadow of the dancer seem like it is dancing about the entire room.  The art form is difficult, because not only does it require endurance and flexibility, but one must also stay within one spot while performing the moves; knocking over one of the candles that surrounds the performer’s immediate vicinity could easily cause a fire.  The bright costume is meant to contrast and balance against the shadow’s dark color.  Accompanying music is usually quick, in a minor key, and very dramatic.

Anyway, Awase loves doing this, because not only is it a great challenge, but it’s also a very popular art form.  She can get plenty of attention this way, and show off her skill.  It’s also a great way to train, toning her body and keeping her beautiful!  Even better, men in Serenight love a good dancer of Ranbuno Kage.

Goals:  Be the best Shadowselenite there ever was!  That much is obvious, but more importantly, Awase enjoys being queen of Serenight, and has big plans for the kingdom.  First and foremost, she needs to get flirting with the nasty noblemen so as to end the nation’s silly sexism that disallows both men and women from pursuing the careers they may desire.  Then, she plans on keeping the economy as prosperous as it usually is, followed by a little more flirting to get a few laws passed here and there when she needs them.  She also looks forward to meeting all the other lovely Evalonian senshi (she hears they have a plethora of knights for her flirting needs!).  Secretly, Awase longs for someone to have a long-term relationship with, and maybe even get married to, but she keeps convincing herself that she doesn’t need it, and that she’s too young for all that.

Good points: 

Outgoing – When you don’t step on her toes, Awase is very friendly.  She knows how to be charming and sociable, and is capable of interacting with many types well.  Sure, she’s got a vicious side, but unless you do something to upset her, she’s very pleasant.

Playful – Awase is rather humorous.  She loves having a good time, and will joke with anyone in an attempt to cheer them up with the added bonus of getting some attention.  Again with the flirty, Awase is a true entertainer to those who don’t go past her limits on a regular basis. 

Instincts – In most situations, be it social or combat-related, Awase can take punches and roll with them.  She’s a quick thinker, and can sense when something around her is awry.  This applies mostly to social situations, when she can tell that someone is unhappy with something she is doing, but also applies to some combat situations, like an enemy trying to sneak up on her.  The one thing it does not apply to, though, is flirting; when Awase flirts, she loses sense of what’s going on, getting caught up in all the fun she has when she does it.  She also finds it hard to believe that a man wouldn’t like her flirting because of course she thinks she is PERFECT IN EVERY WAY.

Assertive – In spite of the flirty façade, Awase is no pushover.  When she is being stepped on, she knows it, and lets the offender know, too.  She is decisive and very much in charge of herself, refusing to go down without a fight.  Respect her, or you will soon find her in your face and making sure you don’t do whatever it is you might have done again.  She never physically attacks people except in self-defense, but she’s rather efficient at using her words to fight. 

Loyal – Awase may seem like the last person in the universe who would be considered loyal (seeing as she’s basically the queen of sass and all), but once you’ve earned Awase’s trust, she will stand by your side to the bitter end.  It may be fairly difficult to actually earn that trust, but once you have, Awase will always stick up for you and help you out in a tight spot (unless you lose that trust by gossiping about her or doing something equally stupid, in which case she will hate you for life).

Flaws: 

Attention-Whore – From her flirting to her argumentative side, Awase seems to do almost everything for attention.  When the spotlight’s not on her, it SHOULD be, and she’ll become exceedingly playful to the point of being obnoxious to get it; if ignored, she starts being a royal pain, yelling at people to listen to her and whipping out the assertiveness.  Awase likes her attention, and though she doesn’t want people getting too close, she definitely wants to be seen/heard/the center of the universe. 

Arrogant – Awase may be beautiful and intelligent, but unfortunately for the rest of us, she knows it.  Awase is always right; you are always wrong, no matter how right you actually are.  To Awase, she is the best thing since sliced bread, and putting her in important positions (i.e. Queen of Serenight) only boosts her already-inflated ego.

Selfish – Looking out for herself before anyone else, Awase is self-centered.  When she does things, they’re usually out of some sort of selfish motivation or need, not because someone else wants her to.  She flirts for the gifts and the attention, and dances for the fame.  These are only two examples – this affects quite a bit of what she does!

Easily Aggravated – Awase hates it more than anything else when people doubt her abilities.  True, most people don’t enjoy it when you doubt their abilities, but Awase will take a derogatory comment about her “lack of talent” as an excuse to go on a tirade.  This causes her to take teasing the wrong way, and while she’ll hold herself back to little more than a grimace when the comment is made as jest, if someone tells her they truly don’t believe she can do something that she believes she is capable of, she will lose her temper and go off on them, to say the least.  In combat, this can lead to truly fatal situations; Awase will lose sight of what’s going on around her and focus solely on taking her opponent out, maybe even going into a blind rage.

Secretive – Awase may seem either all giggles or all scolds, but she’s been hurt a few times in her life by all the trash people have talked about her, and she doesn’t open up to people.  One may notice that, although she’ll speak quite a bit to others, she never actually goes in depth about herself or her past.  Few know much of her history, and even fewer know that some of her history is actually painful to her.  She has a layer of sensitivity beneath the flamboyant façade, and she’s rather untrusting of others, refusing to let them in all the way.

Appearance

Hair: A delicate, light gray (similar to those born on the southern border of Serenight, closer to Daimondo), Awase’s hair is fine and can reach halfway down her back.  She has no bangs with the exception of one strand of hair that falls from her forehead to her chin, tapering at the end.  She wears her hair down in a ponytail, with a white ribbon tying it together at a point just beneath her neck.

Face: Awase’s eyes are a slate gray, as are those of most of the people born on the northern half of Serenight (closer to Jasupaa).  If you were wondering, her mother was from the southern part of Serenight, while her father was from the north, giving her a mixture of lighter and darker gray.  Anyway, her eyes are slate gray, widely set apart with long, thick eyelashes and thin eyebrows.  Her nose is small and thin, and she has full, light coral lips.  Her skin is khaki in color, as most Serenighters’ (as they refer to themselves) skins are.  Her face is heart-shaped.

Voice: Loud, celebratory, and distinctively girly, Awase’s voice is a bright mezzo-soprano that is easily recognizable.  She’s great at grabbing attention with her loud voice, and it’s a great contrast to her quiet, sharp scolding voice.  Awase realizes that often times, speaking in a low, biting voice with sharp consonants can be more intimidating than shouting about, and uses this when she stands up for herself.  The loud voice is more for celebration, and she’s rather talented at “flipping the switch” between the two voices, so to speak.  As for normal discussions, she finds a happy medium, and unless she’s upset, she usually speaks with a smile and an upward inflection somewhere within her phrases.

Build: Though flirty, Awase has no supermodel body.  Sure, she’s toned from all the shadow dancing, especially in her legs, but she’s got almost no curves whatsoever.  Her thin frame includes a small chest and hips – hourglass figure is NOT what this girl has.  She’s tall, standing at 5’10”, and what she lacks in figure she makes up for with little playful gestures – a wink here, a hand on the hip there.  Speaking of hips – though she has next to none, her hips sway a little bit when she walks, even when not in the presence of a man.

Clothing: Awase wears the traditional dress of most unmarried women her age in Serenight.  This consists of a Kumadoru (to make up or to shade); a piece of wool that drapes around the woman’s shoulders similarly to a shawl, but instead of tying in the middle, is buttoned down at the front from the neck to the sternum.  Hers is usually dark gray with light gray buttons; beneath it, she wears a white, sleeveless skirt with a baggy upper half, a black belt at the waist and a black string necklace with a gray bead at the center in the shape of Shadowselenite’s symbol (see senshi symbol section).  This necklace is really the only thing that distinguishes a ruler in Serenight from someone else.  Her legs are covered to the ankle by the bottom portion of the form-fitting skirt (similarly to those really tight Chinese dresses) with a slit on the left from about two thirds down her thigh to the bottom.  Dark gray medieval shoes with pointed toes cover her feet. (http://www.revival.us/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=190)

Personality

Usual Moods: Awase is like a shadow – she’s playful, but never completely gives everything away about herself.  Flamboyant and attention-craving, she lives for social interaction, be it flirting or arguing.  Still, she is always cautious, whether in a social setting or any other situation.  After being subject to ridicule and scolding because of her flirtatious behavior, she closed herself in; in response to the gossip that many women of Jipusamu seem to enjoy in partaking about her, she decided that she should keep her eye out for trouble.  Awase’s mood when happy is simply fun-loving.  She is charismatic, and loves to act out for attention.  To be sure, she can be a bit irresponsible at times; she’s so self-centered that she can end up ignoring her duties, although this doesn’t occur too often.

Awase also has an intellectual side.  Usually this part of her doesn’t come out when she is flirting; her flirting is meant to be half joke, half doe-eyed request for attention, so she kind of plays on men’s trivialization of her intellect to manipulate them when she can (“Oh, she’s just a woman, what harm could she possibly do?” **insert flirty manipulation here**).  With casual male acquaintances, Awase usually just flirts because she doesn’t really care enough about them to actually hear their opinions on serious matters.  Indeed, she uses the fact that they don’t take her seriously against them, until she is blatantly disrespected, which of course results in her bringing out her aggressive side.  When she is arguing with them about intellectual topics or for respect, she is incredibly serious – even ferociously opinionated – and will lay the verbal bitch smack down when she is not respected for her opinions.  In this sense, she vehemently fights Serenight’s sexism, but when flirting, she almost plays into it.  It’s kind of odd, but the way Awase sees it, she’s using sexism to get what she wants – attention.  And if the men will give it to her, why should she be concerned?

Awase has various layers and sides to her, some that others see and some that they don’t.  She puts on a playful exterior to hide some of the sadness in her past (i.e. her dead mother and Jou breaking up with her), but when she’s disrespected, be it through gossip or someone insulting her to her face, her ferocious side comes out.  She’s never afraid to stand up for herself or others.

Beneath all the flamboyance and the ferocity, Awase is actually an extremely wary individual.  The disrespect that she’s faced in her life as a result of the gender rules she often breaks has led her to feel emotionally unsafe if she exposes too much of her personal life.  She realizes that she’s a confusing individual to many people, including herself at times, but she kind of likes it that way; she’s protected by those facades, and without them she’d be “naked” to those around her, and in Awase’s world, allowing others too far in leads to vulnerability to gossip and judgment.  Awase hides some of her insecurities behind her shadowy facades (mostly to avoid pity over her dead mother and gossip about her flirtatious behavior), and tries her best to show the world how amazing she is in spite of the fact that she’s unable to connect emotionally to most people.

Character Interaction: Around those she doesn’t know well, Awase puts on the flamboyant façade.  She’s humorous, energetic, and charismatic, flirting with men and trying her best to socialize with women.  Since she’s used to women gossiping about her, she tends to feel a bit awkward around them, but she won’t show it – that would only make her a target for more gossip.  Instead, with women, she puts a smile on her face and tries to talk about things she likes that men presumably wouldn’t care about, like fashion and Ranbuno Kage.  Hopefully, they won’t talk about her behind her back anymore, and in the meantime, she can get back to the men.  It’s important to note that Awase usually has more respect for women that are in important positions of power (like herself); she can relate to them more, and as the queen of a nation that looks down on queens, she appreciates other women being in power; basically, it’s a “We strong women have to stick together!” type of thing.  It should also be noted that, while Awase is very hypocritical in being wary of women when she herself is one, a large part of that is due to the fact that her kingdom is sexist and like it or not, some of that sexism does rub off on her.  She is also totally afraid of being gossiped about, because for most of her life she HAS been gossiped about and she really hates how it feels.  And of course, Awase’s got to compete with those girls for some hot men!

About those men, though; when Awase flirts with a man, it’s actually usually a strong inclination that she’s not attracted to him.  With a man she’s attracted to, she tries to get him alone to have a more in-depth conversation with him, trying to get to know who he is without giving away more than necessary about herself, and if she really likes him, she’ll ask him if he’d like to start a relationship.  Although it’s conventional in Serenight for the boy to ask the girl out, Awase proudly breaks that rule; after all, there are plenty of fish in the sea, but if you want one, you have to dive into the water yourself!

Again, when flirting, Awase is actually just trying to get something, be it attention, some nice present, or what have you.  It’s not that she’s trashy (although, to be sure, she’s deceptive, materialistic and manipulative); she just socializes easier when she has her sense of humor and flirtation in her arsenal.  She tries her best to make sure that most guys realize her flirting is just that, and won’t amount to anything, but of course, there’s always the one guy that will misinterpret it.  She tries to let this guy down gently, but sometimes it can lead to bitterness, which often results in the guy either accepting it willingly, or if he’s a really filthy person, spreading some nasty rumor about Awase.  Of course, if a guy is hopelessly enamored with her, and thinks she was serious, Awase brushes it off as his fault; clearly, he can’t take a joke.  Remember, in Awase’s world, Awase is always right!

On the other hand, if a guy really can’t stand all the flirty and he tells Awase politely to back off, she’ll of course stop.  However, that guy has got to be VERY careful how he rejects Awase; saying, for instance, “I’m really not in the mood right now, I’m sorry,” is a much better method than “You’re really in my personal space right now.”  In other words, if the guy can make it sound like it’s his fault that he’s not enjoying the flirting and not Awase’s, then he’ll be fine, because that fits into Awase’s “I’m perfect” theory.  Beware, though, of blaming Awase for the problem by saying “You’re…” because this will land you a one-way ticket to a verbal bitch smack the likes of which you’ve never seen before!

When someone angers Awase, her assertive side comes through.  She’ll give the person/people a verbal thrashing, scolding them with her aforementioned quiet voice.  She’ll tell them, in a rather threatening tone, that she doesn’t appreciate the things they’re saying or doing to her, and that they’d best stop.  If they continue, she’ll continue to scold them, becoming increasingly blunt the more they piss her off; she may even get in a fist-fight if they seem to want to push her buttons, and she is known for being unable to walk away from a situation (because that’s passive in her eyes).

Speaking of limits, there is one rule with Awase that, when broken, results in her temper emerging; treat her with respect.  This may seem simple enough, but if you insult her publicly or behind her back, then she will confront you about it.  This rule is actually a bit difficult to follow; if you jokingly say something that could be taken offensively (usually something belittling her ability in some way, such as calling her weak, etc.), she will become peeved.  Again, if said in a joking manner, she’ll glare at you in a way that says, “You’d best shut it,” but she only starts publicly reprimanding you if you continue.

Awase tends to be dramatic in many ways; from her flamboyance to her rage, she’s rather heavy handed.

Personal Interaction: Awase doesn’t really have many close friends, because she doesn’t let people get close to her.  Beyond the extravagant, rather confusing exterior of mirth and temper, she’s a good person.  It’s difficult, though, to penetrate the exterior, because Awase is afraid of letting some of her true self show.  She doesn’t want to risk being hurt by gossip after revealing too much of herself, and it takes a strong effort by others to truly get to know her.  However, with the game of hide and seek she plays with her personality, some people get fed up after trying to learn more about her than she tells.  She’s really a purposefully confusing person.  In a way, she’s actually anti-social; she loves interacting with people for the attention, but only when she can keep herself distanced far enough from others.

If you manage to befriend Awase, it means you’ve found a friend for life.  When people finally do manage to get past her shadows, Awase is a very good companion.  She’ll stand up for her friends, and when not in the public eye, will have meaningful conversations with them about life (usually her own; hey, she’s still selfish!).  She’s more than willing to help someone out with their problems, but doesn’t offer a shoulder to cry on; you fell, so you should learn to pick yourself back up!  She’ll offer plenty of advice, but not really much comfort; she’s brutally honest with her friends, at least about THEIR issues, and usually uses such issues as a means of getting on a soap box to express her own opinions about the problem, not necessarily helping the person.  Really, her advice shouldn’t be followed; it’s usually, like herself, heavy-handed and overly dramatic.  Even when she’s made a personal friend, though, Awase will not give all of herself away.  She won’t let them know about her history unless they ask her, and by the time they’ve befriended her, they may think that she won’t answer them anyway, or believe some lie she already told them before they were close.  Though she’s a good friend, she’s still self-centered and needs attention, and will whine about her current problems to anyone as a means of “venting;” she expects no comfort, just someone who listens.

As I mention herself, Awase actually doesn’t mind being alone every once in a while.  Sure, it means no attention, but that’s not to say that she doesn’t like some me time every once in a while.  Awase’s world is an exhausting one, what with having to win all the nobles over just to be able to breathe, along with the usual duties of being a queen, senshi, and renowned Ranbuno Kage performer.  She needs some time to relax every once in a while!  Each day, she likes to get maybe just an hour to herself, and when alone, can often be found pondering in some shady corner.  She likes to just observe some part of Serenight (usually a contrasting part, in conjunction with her likes).  She also tends to think about her past, and how she got to where she is.  This part is kind of complicated; it’s half self-satisfaction and half brooding.  She’ll think of the things she’s overcome, sometimes sadly, but most of the time just remembering them.  She rarely gets depressed over them, simply because she feels that the past is just that; the past, but she still likes to keep it in mind.  Awase also has a strange tendency to drift into daydreams when alone, usually about someone or something around her, just kind of creating her own story to think about.  Even she doesn’t quite understand why she does it; it’s just something she enjoys doing, an escape from her stressful life.

As for male friends (as opposed to acquaintances), Awase tones down the flirtatiousness, because she knows if she wants something from her friends she should just ask instead of trying to squirrel it out of them.  She also gets more entertainment from her personal friends in normal conversation than in flirting.  Of course, she will occasionally tease her male friends with a flirty remark or two, but nothing too serious.  It’s just her way of joking with her friends, and she assumes that her friends, after knowing her for a while, understand that she’s kidding.

Awase is actually a fairly intriguing person, when you get to know her, which is rather difficult anyway.

Way of Life:

Everyone is in control of their own fate and actions.  Since the world is a cruel one, this means that one must never be passive.  To be passive in Awase’s eyes is to give up one’s power over their own life; this is why she hates pity and apology, and anyone that offers either to her or asks it from her will lose her respect.  She knows she’s had it tough, but the last thing she wants is pity; pity is for the weak, the passive, who are controlled by others.

To avoid being passive and keep the attention she craves, Awase has developed a rather bizarre system of keeping herself a mystery to others; as long as she doesn’t let people too close to her, she will have control over how people perceive her.  She has no pity for those who think they are not able to change who they are or some bad part of their life; in her eyes, if you really, truly wanted to change something, you wouldn’t make such excuses.  It’s a bit hypocritical, really, because she hasn’t actually changed anything at all, she’s merely hiding her problems.

Another really important one; as long as you don’t give too much of yourself to others, you never expose yourself to be hurt.  If you rely on others for happiness, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment, and if you let others in, there’s always a chance that you’ll be hurt.  Awase’s overly cautious, and though she might be able to protect herself from being hurt by living the way she does, she’ll also never develop bonds, and this could be the downfall of one as social as she is.  Her very emotional inner being is being stifled by her outer facades, and sure, it won’t be hurt, but eventually she’ll have to either open up or live in constant fear of being hurt.

Ironically, in her efforts to protect herself, she’s being rather self-destructive.

History

Awase was born on a foggy day in Jipusamu during Serenight’s winter, to her potion merchant father Hitokage Shokujin (maximum eclipse of one’s shadow) and her mother Hitokage Utsusu (to reflect one’s shadow).  Her mother was a guide for people traversing Serenight’s terrain, but when Awase was 6, her mother was taken by surprise by lemures when guiding some travelers, and was killed when they outnumbered and overpowered her.  Thus, Awase grew up with a father and her brother, Tsukeru (to follow or shadow someone), who was 5 years her elder.  The death of her mother became something she would continue to try and hide from others, because she didn’t want to be pitied for it.

Awase was a naturally shy and somewhat moody girl for the first six years of her life, bad at making friends and rarely talking.  No one really understood why she was this way, though it might have had something to do with the fact that her mother was usually out and she was left with her equally aloof father.  Her brother was actually very outspoken and often poked and prodded her to talk more, to which she responded without a word.  This led to the two disliking each other, and their frequent fist fights and arguments created plenty of conflict for the parents.

As far as lifestyle went, the family was part of the upper middle class; with Utsusu picking flowers from the various forests she guided travelers through and bringing them in for Shokujin to extract potions from.  The two helped each other this way, and their respective incomes combined were enough to keep the family comfortably living in a two-story house in Jipusamu.

While alive, Utsusu taught her children the values of standing up for oneself.  She wore the pants in the family, and rarely lost an argument.  When Awase was teased for her shy nature, Utusu told her not to back down, and to tell those other kids to stop making fun of her.  Awase eventually learned to speak up for herself from her mother and she and her mother got along quite well.

When Utsusu died, Shokujin had more pressure on him than ever before; without enough money to support his family, he had to sell his house and move into his potion shop.  Now the three of them had much less space, lived a much poorer lifestyle, and each was forced to take more work in the shop.  Utsusu had brought in a lot of money as a guide, and now Tsukeru had to man the store while his father was out picking potion ingredients.  Tsukeru helped with more difficult tasks, like mixing potions and helping customers.  Awase did odd jobs, including clean-up and sorting potions by name.  She didn’t really like the work, but Awase knew she had to do it to help her family out.  After all, without them, she’d be nowhere!

As Utsusu’s death changed everything for the family, it also changed Awase’s relationship with Tsukeru.  The two realized that now that their father had it much harder by himself, they should make his life easier and get along more.  Well, it was more like Tsukeru decided and Awase agreed after he finally convinced her.  It was difficult for the first few months, but the two learned to comfort each other and their father during the two years of grief, struggle and adjustment after their mother’s death.

After the two years of grief, the family managed to become more cohesive than ever.  They were incredibly busy in supporting themselves financially, but they were very happy with each other.  Tsukeru and Awase’s struggle to get along had blossomed into a very deep friendship.  The two were inseparable; they always spent time playing and working together, cooperated very well, and were there for each other when they needed it.  Awase loved her family, and was always able to go to them for help.  She learned to tolerate the work; it was worth it for her father and older brother.

When Awase was 10, Tsukeru had an idea; since their business was slow, shouldn’t they advertise some more?  Shokujin agreed, and it was decided that since Awase was a cute little girl, she’d attract people to the store more easily than the others.  So, when she wasn’t busy with her odd jobs, Awase would call out on the street to come and buy their shop’s fine potions.  Sure enough, as the shop got more publicity from the cute little girl’s joyous shouts of “Our potions are the best in town,” business went up.  Her experiences in advertising for the store also led to the development of her charismatic personality.

With more business, of course, came more money, and when Awase turned 12, her father was able to buy one class for each child at local training centers; for Tsukeru, he bought a membership in a local dojo, and the young man began physical training so he could defend the store from burglars and the like (after all, Shokujin wasn’t as young as he used to be!).  Awase, however, wasn’t interested in fighting, and she decided instead that she wanted to learn how to perform Ranbuno Kage after she’d heard a performer of the art form speaking with her father about it.  Awase started lessons at a public Ranbuno Kage training center, and showed natural talent – her teacher even offered to teach her privately for an extra half-hour after her public classes ended.  By the age of 19, Awase was proficient in the art form.

But we’re not there yet!  Also at the age of 12, Awase’s interest in boys began to increase.  Having grown up with two men in the house, she understood boys more, and hung out with them more often.  Although this did not bode well within Serenight’s strict gender rules, Shokujin was generally okay with it; he trusted his daughter wouldn’t become romantically involved with boys.  Tsukeru of course supported Awase’s desire to do what made her happy.

At first, this interest in boys was seen as kind of cute within the community; “Aw, she thinks she’s a boy, how precious!”  However, as this trend continued for over a year, concern within Awase’s town began to arise.  When Awase turned 14, gossip suddenly spread like wildfire; what exactly was Awase doing with these boys?  She was getting closer to her age of maturity, 16, and she shouldn’t be lollygagging with those of the opposite gender!  Shokujin also became a bit worried, but Tsukeru assured him that Awase was trustworthy.

In a way, Tsukeru was wrong; at age 15, Awase became romantically involved with a boy named Kazasu Iroke (roughly, to shade one’s face with interest in the opposite sex or charm).  The two were together for about a year, eating meals together or walking together from time to time.  It soon became apparent to Awase, though, that Iroke wasn’t exactly interested in her – or any of the women she knew.  He spent time with her, yes, but they rarely did more than talk, and almost never about romantic feelings for each other; the farthest they got was one kiss.  Awase soon realized that Iroke liked men much more than women; he hung out with them much more often, and though no one but her saw it, she could tell that he had romantic feelings for them, simply from the way he spoke of them.  She found it humorous that she’d been in a “romantic” relationship with him, and it was the first time she also saw that she possessed rather keen instincts, better than those of the people around her and even, at times, better than those that she interpreted (Iroke himself didn’t seem to realize he was homosexual).

After Iroke and Awase were no longer in a romantic relationship, Shokujin asked her why she’d spent so much time with him.  When she admitted that they had been romantically involved, Shokujin became deeply offended, making her promise never to do such a thing that threatened her modesty again, and forced her to remain in the store for a month.  Tsukeru supported her, as always, telling her father that she should decide what she does, not society, but Shokujin declared that, as her parent, he had a right to decree what she could and could not do.  With this sudden loss of her power, Awase felt more than a little spiteful, and her assertive and rebellious sides began developing from this point.

For the next two years, Awase grew increasingly flirtatious with the boys she spent time with, partially as a rebellion to her father.  Suddenly, the boys she flirted with were repaying her attention, with equal interest and sometimes even gifts once she turned 16.  Now that she’d reached courting age, it was a bit more appropriate for her to be receiving gifts, but it was certainly not acceptable in society’s standards that she receive them from so many men.  Gossip became even worse around the community than it had been before; Shokujin’s daughter was receiving gifts for flirting with men?  This made her little better than a common prostitute to some of the community, and many women began giving her the cold shoulder.  With such harsh reprisal, Awase began to actually avoid many of the women in Jipusamu, and took the gifts as an act of rebellion against their discriminatory views.

When Awase was 17, she became romantically involved once more, this time with a young man her age named Bokasu Jou (roughly, shaded or obscured passion or emotion).  He was handsome, he was smart, and Shokujin surprisingly approved of him (after the two strived to convince him, and with a little help from Tsukeru); really, he was everything that Awase thought she wanted, but he had a nasty temper that her flirting didn’t accommodate.  The two split after six months of on-again off-again, when Awase was tired of having to change her behavior to suit another.  Insulted by the fact that he hadn’t ended the relationship, Jou began talking about Awase behind her back, telling people many of the personal secrets she had revealed to him.  Awase was disgusted that she’d told him so much and he gossiped behind her back, so she began to hide her personal life so she didn’t have to worry about gossip as much.

Later, when Awase was 18, the Shadowselenite Knight of the time announced that in a year, he would give up his position, and the tournament to decide the new ruler would start.  The poor man was nearing 50, and though he was among the nation’s favorite rulers in history, heart problems were becoming increasingly difficult to handle (must have been all the Double Gray Coffee).

Tsukeru, of course, was ecstatic; competing for the crown of Serenight was a secret dream he’d been having since he’d started combat training.  He signed up for the tournament right away, and his training became more intense than ever.  Awase was not at all surprised to find out that Jou also wanted to enter the tournament; he’d been training for even longer than Tsukeru had, and was rather fit.  Awase cheered Tsukeru on while secretly hoping that Jou would decide not to register after all (and that he keel over and die), but of course, her ex-beau did sign up and the tournament approached quickly.

However, Jou made a fatal mistake; on the last day that registration was open, he saw Awase on the street and told her he wished her brother luck, because he’d need it.  Awase was obviously angry, but to goad her on more, Jou foolishly told her that the only person who had less of a chance than her brother against him was Awase herself.

Of course, Awase’s “How dare you!” switch turned on, and such a comment ignited in her a desire to beat Jou down that could hardly be suppressed.  Obviously, she signed up for the tournament, and informed her brother secretly that night.  Tsukeru, while mortified, realized that he had to help her somehow.  He was certain she would lose, but he also had heard horror stories about previous female competitors being sabotaged and ultimately seriously hurt by the more misogynistic fighters.  For these reasons, he began training her intensively in the art of combat (other physical training wasn’t too necessary, because as a Ranbuno Kage dancer, she was well-built).  Awase entered the tournament under heavy criticism, especially from her father, who feared for her safety; and although she was almost secretly kicked out by the registrar, a bit of flirting did the trick with him, and she was able to stay in through the training and eventually – wait for it! – win the tournament.

Current Situation

Well, Awase is living it up as queen of Serenight, and loving every single minute of it!  She lives in the castle, and her family moved in with her, with Shokujin’s potions becoming the most popular in the kingdom and Tsukeru acting as her personal bodyguard.  While some of the nobles are still rather spiteful of the fact that a woman is in office, most of them melted when she flirted enough (they’re old men, and they’re mostly vulnerable).  She’s changed lots of the tiny kinks in the political ladder that stop women from entering important government positions, and is actually reforming the country quite well.  Physical training is still a daily thing for her; she’s actually a better queen than she is combatant, though she’s certainly a force to be reckoned with in either position.  As the most famous Ranbuno Kage performer in the nation, she’s often busy performing at venues, and spends her spare time (what little she has, anyway) visiting the cities, often in disguise and with a well-positioned Tsukeru somewhere to guard her if need be; there are still many that are offended by a queen presiding over the nation.

Kingdom

Serenight

Land:  Serenight is composed mostly of forests and valleys, with large cities and villages in-between.  A good chunk of the landscape is urbanized, with three large major cities (the capital being Jipusamu) and seven small farming towns.  The forests and valleys of the nation are filled with intriguing flowers and animals (listed below), and the forest canopies block out all but a little sunlight that the ground and flowers receive.  Speaking of sunlight, it’s not too prevalent in Serenight; the weather is usually rather cloudy and cool.  Rain isn’t uncommon, and autumn lasts for about half of the nation’s year; the leaves of most trees alternate from pale greens to gray during the second half of autumn.  Winter lasts about three months, and is famous for its fog and lack of snow.  In the spring, rain is even more common than usual, and flowers are often picked during this season.  Summer only lasts for about a month, and it’s uncomfortably humid with little to no rain.

People:  Serenighters have gray hair and eyes, but the tints of gray vary based on where in the country said Serenighters were born.  For instance, those born closer to Daimando possess lighter, paler shades of gray eyes and hair, while those born near Jasupaa have darker eyes and hair.  The darkest the features ever get is a dark slate gray, and the lightest they get is gainsboro.  The people of Serenight have khaki-colored skin with a slightly ashy tint; their skin tends to be dry, and lotions are a popular commodity.

Poverty is actually not very common in Serenight, due to its economic prosperity from trading so much with Jasupaa and Daimondo.  The government keeps the employment rate as high as possible, so that most citizens are generally happy (at least, that’s the intention).  With such economic success, the cities are very large and urbanized; they’re very popular tourist spots.

Two things are more important than anything else in Serenight culture; humor and tradition.  The two may seem contradictory in some ways, but really, they work together.  Most Serenighters joke every day, from teasing to practical jokes, and some visitors to the nation may find themselves a bit confused by all the joking.  Serenight humor is a bit different than the norm; most of it involves friendly teasing of some sort, and some people may be offended by the jokes that Serenighters play at each others’ expense (this depends on the newcomer, of course).

Gender:  Traditionally, men and women are separated into two distinct, equally important jobs; the men provide for the family, the women care for the family; the men bring home the potions’ ingredients, the women mix the potions, the men sell the potions, the women use the money to buy necessities for the family.  Make sense?  The men get the resources; the women use those resources.  Men in Serenight are also considered more appropriate for important government positions, and of course, men are believed to be the best option for the nation’s ruler.  This logic stems mainly from the fact that the first and only person to ever beat Sailor Seth, a major adversary to universal peace, was a man; Fireruby Knight.  While there have been a couple female Shadowselenites in the nation’s history, most have given up fairly early (a year or two in) simply because of all the pressure of everyone waiting for them to fail, as well as plenty of gossip.

Really, the nation is somewhat sexist, but not only to women; the expectation of men and women to do specific things makes the nation’s society equally prejudiced toward both genders.  Another example; women are generally considered more aesthetically beautiful than men, and men are considered less suitable for such occupations as Ranbuno Kage.  Men are also more prejudiced against than women when one of the genders doesn’t get married; if women get married, as long as they don’t interact actively with men then they are more pitied than ridiculed.  However, if a man doesn’t get married within two to three years after reaching his age of maturity, he is considered to be a wolf that only wants women for ugly purposes (i.e. sex) and doesn’t appreciate family life and settling down.  While some people are sick of these views, many consider them to be the base of Serenight society; Awase has her work cut out for her as a female ruler, but that never stopped her!

Speaking of Awase as queen, while people were at first outraged at the thought of a female ruler, slowly but surely the kingdom is becoming more accepting of Queen Hitokage.  This has a lot to do with the fact that Awase’s got great instincts as a ruler, and is acting subtly to change social law, maybe getting a noble at a dinner to agree with one of her opinions about gender equality (yay arguing and flirty!) or making a speech about the importance of men’s rights, to prove she isn’t biased for only women.  She also knows how to still behave in a ladylike manner so that the kingdom doesn’t hate her too much; in fact, her Ranbuno Kage helps a lot with this.  By performing a traditional art form that women are considered more appropriate for, Awase is complying with a gender rule, proving that she isn’t just a rebel in power (of course, that’s not why Awase still performs, but what they don’t know can’t hurt them!).  While she still has many enemies in the kingdom and has certainly not reached the level of popularity that the last ruler did, she is making progress.

Clothing:

Clothing is a very traditional part of Serenight.  As mentioned in Awase’s Appearance section, when women reach the age of maturity (16), they are expected to wear a Kumadoru, the traditional shawl-like covering (only in shape; the fabric is wool, and has no fringes) worn around the shoulders.  It’s not really a modesty issue; it’s more a simple sign to any men interested that “Hey, I’m single!”  Courting is another tradition; a man of maturity (again, 16) usually gives a woman he is interested in a small gift to subtly let her know that he’d like to begin seeing her more often.  This usually means a dating period begins (the length varies for the couple), followed by a proposal of marriage.  Men who have yet to court a woman wear a Kumadoru that reaches the waist, but that is loose enough to allow for free arm movement.  Once they have begun courting a woman, the man will unbutton all but the top button of the Kumadoru, and once the man and woman have married, they both remove their Kumadoru completely and only wear it again to other weddings.

Flora:

Night Lily – These lovely flowers open only at night, and are black with a dark green stem.  Like the poppies of “The Wizard of Oz,” they are notorious for putting to sleep unsuspecting travelers that happen upon a crop of them.   However, for this reason, their petals are often crushed and can be used as a sleeping powder; one sniff and you’re gone!  Be careful, and use moderation; the flowers have been known to contain addictive properties.

The extract of the Night Lily also has some valuable properties, and can be used as a potion to intensify flames (see Ranbuno Kage section).  Yet again, one must use it in moderation; the potion can cause a small fire to spread.  The only other known use of the potions is as a poison; drinking any more than a teaspoonful could very well cause vomiting, and even less can cause nausea.

Double Gray Beans – “Beans” is actually a misnomer; these are the seeds of the Dusk Trees (tall, pine-like trees with very pale greenish-gray leaves and brownish-gray barks).  The beans’ primary use is the main ingredient in Double Gray Coffee, one of the nation’s chief exports.  When roasted and ground enough, the beans produce a slate gray coffee that looks like some sort of indigestible muck, but that tastes very rich and smooth.  The coffee is known for its extremely strong flavor, and it tastes like something between espresso and mocha.  Most tourists to the nation will either avoid trying the coffee that looks like gray sludge or will ask for plenty of cream and sugar; the coffee is so strong that natives are famous for being among the few (aside from true coffee lovers) that can actually cope with it.  Natives like to tease those who don’t drink the coffee black (or gray, rather).

Sun-Moon Flower – Sun-Moon Flowers have alternating black and white petals (usually around six total) and gray stems.  This flower has one main use; its petals can be crushed into a fine powder and used as a detergent or soap.  Somehow, the petals have incredible cleaning properties, and can get out most stains.

The other use of this flower is surprisingly different.  The extract of the flower can be used as a truth serum, and is popular with the Security Council of Serenight.  The extract is tasteless, and can be easily dissolved in hot drinks (Double Gray Coffee, anyone?), but rarely dissolves in cold drinks.  The serum acts fairly quickly, affecting someone in about 10 minutes.  Still, if the serum is not fully dissolved into the drink, some light-gray fluid may be discovered by the target (this usually isn’t a problem, because as I said, it dissolves easily).

Fauna:

Lemures – Four words; scary beyond all reason (okay, maybe not beyond ALL reason).  These obnoxious creatures look like shadows and are known to hide paths, signposts – you name it, and if travelers need it, then that object might not be visible.  The creatures attack lone travelers often, and for this reason, a travel guide of the nation is a popular but difficult job to handle; if one person in a group wanders off too far, the guide could very well be blamed for it.  They’re quite dangerous, really, but most loud noise scares them off.  Extremely shrill screams and drums are two often-used weapons against these adversaries, but one still must keep one’s guard up; lemures are notorious for sneaking up on travelers before they know what hit them.

Midnight Spiders – Eek!  Actually, these spiders are surprisingly harmless.  Dim gray, furry, and six-legged, these creatures are about the size of a human fist; though large and unsightly, they really don’t hurt humans unless humans hurt them.  In fact, they try to avoid human beings; unless one routinely explores the valleys of Serenight, one will rarely see them anywhere.  Their large webs, however, tend to block important pathways, and breaking down the fragile webs will cause some resistance from them.  Although they aren’t poisonous, when one web or spider is seen, many more aren’t far off, and spiders can swarm a traveler in seconds if they’re not careful, biting at them and providing a general nuisance (as well as being really scary).  Like the Lemures, these creatures have an aversion to loud noises, and will run away from very shrill screams and drums.

Umbra Backs – Possibly the only cute creatures of the kingdom’s valleys, the Umbra Backs have white bodies with gray horizontal stripes along their backs and black eyes.  They start as cubs, and are distant relatives to tigers, with cat-like ears and sharp teeth and claws.  Easily domesticated, Umbra Backs rarely attack travelers (contrary to popular belief), and are a popular pet both in and out of Serenight.  Protectors of their masters, these lovely cats can defend against most other animals; an Umbra Back’s roar has been known to ward off many dangerous creatures in the kingdom.

Exports: parasols, night lily sleeping powder, double gray coffee, Ranbuno Kage dancers, sun-moon potion, detergent, Umbra Backs, chemists

Imports: weaponry, produce, fabric, lamps, cream, sugar, drums

Warrior Form

Symbol: http://symbols.com/encyclopedia/42/429.html, except the circle is filled to represent an eclipse of the sun.  The eclipse of the sun causes the moon to cast a shadow that touches Earth’s surface, thus I felt that a solar eclipse relates to two of the senshi’s spheres of influence.

Main Color: Light Gray (Hex #D3D3D3)

Secondary Color: Slate Gray (Hex #708090)

Transformation Phrase:  Selenite Elemental power, make up!

Transformation Sequence: Awase calls out her phrase, placing her right hand in front of her and actually letting go of the necklace, which floats in midair.  Her shadow suddenly grows and stands up, lifting itself from the ground to become three-dimensional.  She appears on the ground in its place, and the shadow seems to take her parasol from within itself (as if it were removing from its stomach a sword it was just stabbed with).  The shadow shades itself with the parasol, and makes a full 360.  As it turns, the part of the shadow that one may be looking at appears as a shadow, but once the turn is complete, Shadowselenite stands fully transformed in the shadow’s place; one suddenly realizes that the Awase on the ground has vanished, with her shadow back in her place.  She winks, her left hand holding the parasol which casually leans diagonally on her shoulder and her right hand behind her back at waist level.  With right foot crossed over her left one, she gives a playful smile, almost as if to say, “You’ll never know how I did that.”

Introduction Phrase: “Even you can’t hide from the shadows around you.  I’m the Soldier of Shadow, Sailor Shadowselenite; prepare to be eclipsed by Evalon’s might!” As Shadowselenite says this, she spins once completely, allowing the long strips of her bow to spin around her body as well.  Upon the word “prepare,” she points at her opponent with an outstretched right arm, while her left hand holds her parasol open over her head.

Outfit

Tiara: This is a standard tiara, with a light gray gem in the middle.
Neck Choker: A slate gray gem hangs from the standard choker
Earrings: The earrings are shaped like this symbol: http://symbols.com/encyclopedia/43/432.html.  Though the symbol represents the moon god, I thought it looked like an eclipse.  It also unites the time between two phases of the moon, and between two phases of the moon is the movement of shadows across the moon’s surface, at least that’s what it looks like in the night sky.  One of the arcs is light gray, while the other is slate gray.  They hang from her ears on black strings.
Collar: Shadowselenite’s collar is light gray.
Sleeves: The bubble-like sleeves are light gray, and the semi-transparent sleeves are white smoke.
Gloves: Black, reaching halfway up her triceps and ending in a light gray rim.
Center Bow: Center bow is light gray, with the gem in the center. Small angel wings sprout from the gem.
Skirt: Two thirds of the skirt is light gray, with a small band of black running across the bottom. Below this, at the bottom hem, is a smaller band of slate gray.
Back Bow: There are two bows in the back, one in slate gray layered over one in light gray.
Shoes: Light gray pumps (really, would you expect less from Awase’s senshi identity?) with closed toes and black rimming at the top.
Weapon: Parasol – Shadowselenite’s parasol is often underestimated as a weapon, but is actually used in one of her attacks and is fairly useful on its own; it has a sharp point on the end that allows her to stab at her opponents, creating rather nasty puncture wounds upon impact.  The surface of the parasol is surprisingly durable, able to withstand high-impact blows and almost never puncturing (although it’s inflammable).  She can use the weapon as both a shield and a strong offensive tool (but she can’t pull a Mary Poppins with it and float around ^_^;).  As far as appearance goes, when fully extended, the parasol reaches about two feet in height, and the surface opens up to about a one-foot radius.  Shadowselenite’s symbol is found circling the edge of the parasol’s surface, repeating and overlapping at the circle part of the symbol so that it looks like a bunch of circles connected by diagonal lines (think this; .^.^. etc.).  The surface is light gray, while the shaft is slate gray and the handle is black and curved to allow Shadowselenite to grip it more easily.  She can open and close the parasol at her own will, and if in the hands of another, the parasol will not open, but will immediately shut and remain so until Shadowselenite has it again.

Attacks:

Name: Shadow Soul Steal

Description: Shadowselenite closes her parasol and points it at her opponent, and shouts out, “Shadow Soul!”  As she says this, her shadow suddenly moves away from her, and starts running (still two-dimensional) toward her opponent’s shadow.  She then lifts her parasol, and upon yelling the word “Steal!” opens the parasol to shade her.  She closes her eyes, and her shadow overlaps her target’s shadow perfectly.

Effect:  This is Shadowselenite’s token manipulation power.  For about 20 seconds, she can directly mentally control her opponent’s physical actions, and her opponent can’t speak or resist, unless the opponent is very strong-willed.

Power Usage and Restrictions: This attack can easily be blocked or stopped by attacking Shadowselenite during the incantation or while she concentrates to control her opponent (she can’t move while performing the attack), or by dodging or obscuring the path between her parasol and the target when she points at them.  This power’s main restriction, however, is that it can’t be used in a place where Shadowselenite and her target have no shadow; in other words, it can’t be used in areas without light.  At night, this power is rather difficult to pull off, unless she and her opponent are standing beneath a lantern in the street or something.  In Jasupaa, you can forget about this power ever happening.  If used against a strong-willed target, Shadowselenite will have to work extra hard to control her opponent, and may only be able to keep her hold on the target for 10 seconds or so.  Also, if the target is hit at all during this attack, they won’t feel it, but Shadowselenite takes the pain for them instead.  That’s not to say that, if bruised, the target won’t feel it afterward, but in a way, Shadowselenite is protecting them from physical damage.  It’s important to also note that if she has them hurt themselves, she is actually hurting herself.  Finally, the attack can only be used twice per battle, and any more usage will find Shadowselenite out cold.

Name: Selenite Stealth

Description: Shadowselenite reaches out in front of her, hands splayed and upturned, and draws her hands toward her chest.  She twirls in a pirhouette and disappears, with her shadow left behind on the ground.

Effect:  Shadowselenite is now her own shadow.  She is able to move about as a shadow, allowing her to pass through the shadows of large structures like buildings completely unnoticed.  This power, as its name implies, is extremely useful for sneaking around, and it also has no verbal incantation, making it even more useful for such purposes.  Even more interestingly, Shadowselenite is able to physically attack other peoples’ shadows while in this form, which deals equal physical damage to them.  This allows her to hurt her opponents without endangering herself, and possibly without being caught.

Power Usage and Restrictions: This ability’s biggest restriction is the fact that Shadowselenite can only hold her shadow state for about 15 seconds at a time.  Another important restriction on this power is that while she is invulnerable to physical attacks in this state, Shadowselenite still takes damage from magical attacks, and once her opponent begins to be attacked, it isn’t much more difficult than looking to the ground and spotting her shadow to discover her and stop her.  If her opponent is in a shaded area or it is night and there is no light source out (in other words, if her opponent’s shadow is obscured by a larger shadow), then Shadowselenite will be left guessing as to where to strike to hit the opponent’s shadow.  Again, like her other ability, if there are no large shadows around to sneak through or if her opponent’s shadows cannot be seen, then this power is basically worthless, apart from evading a physical attack.  She can use Selenite Stealth in battle about three times, and two times if she has already used Shadow Soul Steal at least once.

Writing Sample

Awase had had it.  This time, she refused to let him get away with it.  That Jou would pay.

As she walked through the streets of Jipusamu toward the registration desk in the distance, she felt awkwardly isolated; the closer she got to the registration, the more she realized that she was probably the only woman signing up for this thing.  Fine, she thought.  All the better; men are nicer anyway.

She got in line for the registration, a fierce determination in her eyes.  Jou would see; she could not only kick his ass, but the asses of every single man in the damn tournament!  She refused to back down, and would prove to everyone just how moronic Jou really was.

Suddenly, the glaring eyes around her became almost deafening.  The many men around her had noticed the presence of a woman, and harsh looks told her that she wasn’t welcome here.  These men weren’t like the ones she’d flirted with from time to time; these men were a different animal, fiercer, more scathing.

Awase tried her best to ignore it, because she knew that if she caused a commotion here, she would be barred from registering.  She was young, but she wasn’t stupid.  People like the ones around her did not want her here.  A woman was unwelcome within the tournament, and people would use whatever excuse they could to keep her out.  She moved forward, determined not to let the looks get to her.

Three people were now ahead of her, but the stares were only getting worse, as murmurs about her could be heard between the men.  Trying not to show her rage, Awase wanted to think of something else.  Tsukeru would support her, she knew it; even her father would eventually be swayed – maybe only if she won the tournament, but he would accept it some day.

Finally, it was her turn.  The registrar didn’t even look up at her; he was probably sick of this job by now.  He began asking her information, but as she gave him her name, age, height and weight (the latter of which she lied about), the man slowly looked up at her, a look of shock in his eyes.

“You’re entering this tournament?” the man replied, stammering.

“Yes; is there a problem?” Awase replied in a particularly girly voice, but with a look in her eye telling him that he shouldn’t ask any more.  The man shook his head, looking back down to his papers.  As she turned to walk away, though, Awase heard a strange rustling of paper that she hadn’t before.

“Excuse me,” she said without turning around.  Suddenly turning on her heel, she walked back to the desk, kneeled on the ground, and looked the registrar in the eye.  Without even looking at the paper, she knew what he’d been doing; conveniently “losing” her information.

“I’m sorry to disturb you again,” she cooed in her most feminine voice, an innocent, pleading look in her eye.  “It’s just that, I know you must be a smart man; why, look at you!  You have the look of intelligence in those beautiful eyes!”  She gave a smile that easily had the man melting, clay in her hands.  “Now, you wouldn’t want to do anything stupid to hurt my feelings, would you?”

With that, she stood up, winked at the man that was now breathing heavily, and walked away.  There; all fixed.  He wouldn’t dare touch her paper now, and she WOULD be allowed into this tournament if it was the last thing that happened to her.

Weeks later, after vigorous training under both her brother and the classes meant only for tournament competitors, the tournament itself was a day away.  Panic hidden behind her usually confident face, Awase was training harder than she had any of the days previous.  Three days ago, the tournament judges had qualified her and nine other hopefuls for participation in the tournament, including Jou and Tsukeru, and though she was excited to finally have her chance at putting Jou in his place, most of her was terrified.  No one would ever really allow a woman to win; sure, she wanted to rebel against society, but this could very well be a dangerous undertaking.  Apart from the few women who’d actually won the title of Shadowselenite (Awase thought the number was three), every woman who’d ever competed had lost in the obstacle course, usually as the result of sabotage that the judges somehow failed to notice.

However, the next morning, as a crowd roared for the competitors, Awase’s determination was back; after the pep talk her brother had given her, she refused to back down.  She WOULD defeat her opponents, even if no one wanted her to.  She was the last to be called, right after her brother, and as she ran out into the stadium in response to her name, the cheers somehow felt dimmer.  The crowd died away, almost silent, but she tried not to let it get to her.  What did they know?

Although the competitors were given one hour for last-minute preparation, Awase felt it go by in one gut-wrenching moment.  She stared blankly at the lovely parasol she’d chosen a month before as a weapon (mostly because as she left the house for training she was already late to, it was the first thing she thought to bring and the closest thing in reach).  Would it really help her at all?

Finally, the tournament was underway, as the competitors took their places at the starting lines.  With a call of “Go!” from the tournament host, the 10 were off.  First was the pathway blocked off by walls and Midnight Spider webs; if they thought spiders would scare Awase off, they had another thing coming.  Willing herself to charge through, she let out a piercing scream; as a woman, it was one of the few advantages she possessed.  Ripping through the web, she could feel the spiders coming for her; many were already swarming the walls.  However, as she continued with the scream that even made some audience members cringe, the spiders slowly dissipated.

The second part of the obstacle course wasn’t as easy; competitors had to move across a path while remaining in the shadows.  If their own shadow could ever be distinguished, they’d be immediately disqualified.  This was harder than it sounded, for apart from the trees scattered about the stadium to make for a lightly shadowed path, the stadium lights allowed for one’s shadow to be easily discerned.

Taking care to stay beneath the trees, Awase actually found this rather easy, because as a Ranbuno Kage dancer, she was among the more agile in the tournament.  Rather, she would have found it easy, but she suddenly noticed herself feeling sleepier than usual.  She looked at the ground to find several Night Lilies in front of her, but not stemming from the ground itself.  Instead, as she peered to the crowd, she could easily see the source; people everywhere in the stadium, men and women, were throwing fistfuls of the deadly flower at her.  If she fell asleep now, she’d be disqualified; this was surely sabotage, but in spite of the few guards trying to stop the offenders, Awase had no protectors.  She held her breath, deciding instead to simply move on (she was falling behind), and ran through the trees, making sure to stay in the shadow.

She was now in seventh place, and the final obstacle was ahead; the tournament judges yelled out “Go!” and “Stop!” at seemingly random intervals, and competitors would follow their commands.  It may have seemed trivial and childish, but this was really a lesson in manipulation; in their training, they’d been told that only one who has been manipulated can manipulate others effectively.  They were being manipulated by the judges, and if they weren’t obedient, they’d be forced to start the course over from the very beginning.

After several disobeyed commands, Awase, Jou, Tsukeru, and two others were the ones left that hadn’t been sent back.  With a patient demeanor, Jou took first place, followed by Tsukeru, another man, and Awase.  She’d come in fourth, and though it was a slight disappointment to be so low in the ranks, she was simply happy she’d made it through to the next round.

With the second day came the second round, and though she’d been the target of much talk about town between the two rounds, Awase didn’t let it get to her.  She had a mission; to beat Jou, and that was what she would do.  She actually wasn’t so worried about this round; one mage couldn’t be too difficult, right?  Besides, magic had been her strong point during training; she could easily take a scrawny Parian down.

Her battle, however, proved to be more difficult than she’d thought.  As the people in the stadium watched silently to see the only woman stumble and fall, a female Parian stood in a light gray cloak, staring blankly at her in much the same way as the registrar.  With the call of “Go,” though, both women sprung into action with no hesitation.

As the mage gestured with her hands, Awase suddenly felt a pain rush at her chest; the woman somehow controlled invisible energy blasts!  Knowing another was surely headed her way, Awase opened her parasol, closing her eyes and focusing.  She felt her shadow come alive, and though it didn’t move, she could feel its power surging through the parasol’s surface.  Bracing herself for the blast, Awase stood strong, and though the mage’s invisible power sent her back a few feet, she was still on her feet, unscathed.

It was her turn now.  Rushing toward her opponent, Awase once again charged her parasol with shadow energy, and just as her opponent shot another beam at her, she leapt high in the air and let go of the parasol just as she was over the woman’s head.  Flipping in the air and landing to face the woman from behind, she reached her hands out toward the parasol, and before the mage knew it, she was stunned, on her knees and appearing dazed.  Shadow magic was taking its control on her, manipulating her mind into a state of twisted confusion.  Awase lifted her by the collar, dropped her and kicked her in the chest, sending her flying to the middle of the ring.  Just as she was about to hit the ground, though, the woman stopped in midair, and sent another beam straight Awase’s way.  Caught completely off-guard, Awase tumbled to the ground.  Somehow, she thought she saw a look of disappointment in the Parian’s face as she fell to the floor in a heap.  As the mage approached her, she began her declaration that Awase was unfit to –

Once she was close enough, Awase leapt to her feet and grabbed her opponent’s face, pure shadow surging through her fingertips.  As the mage shrieked out for mercy, shadow pulling and pushing her mind every way, Awase let go at last, and the mage blinked with a mix of horror and pride.  The woman turned to face the crowd.

“People of Serenight,” she shouted defiantly against some of the audience’s boos.  “I hereby decree that, for the first time in two centuries, a woman has proven herself capable of the Serenight throne.  Show her respect, for she is among the mightiest of opponents I have faced!”

And though few cheered, instead choosing to continue that evening the gossip from the days before, Awase felt proud.  She could do this; maybe she’d even win the tournament.  When she discovered that Jou would be her final opponent, she was sure; she’d definitely win.  She hadn’t entered this whole thing just to be axed by her rival, and she certainly wouldn’t let Jou off scotch free for his rude remarks.

The next day came, and with it, renewed confidence.  Past the blur of waiting for the battle to start, Awase stood opposite from Jou, who wielded his usual weapon of a maul (it figured that a person as blunt as he was would have a giant metal stick with a ball on top as a weapon).  Awase held her trusty parasol in her right hand, closed and ready to stab.  The tournament host simply nodded, the signal for them to begin.  Set across the top of the arena with supports at the ends, the gray, metallic beam the two stood on couldn’t have been wider than a foot.  This would be difficult for them both; what Awase possessed in agility, Jou made up for in sheer strength.  She would be able to move more easily, but Jou didn’t need to move; with a swing of his maul, he could easily thrash his opponent.

The two glared at each other for a brief moment, and then both moved in for the kill.  With the crowd going wild, Awase ran toward her enemy, but Jou quickly swiped at her with his maul.  Having expected this, Awase ducked, and lunged in toward him with her parasol.  She hadn’t expected him to dodge it so easily, leaping back on the beam.  As he raised his maul, preparing to smash it down as if it were a mallet, Awase quickly summoned up some magical energy.  Opening her parasol, she somehow blocked the maul with the shadow energy she had summoned; still, she felt some pain, and as if the maul had grazed her stomach, she was winded.  She struggled against the weight of the maul, and knew that she couldn’t hold out much longer.

Pulling a move off that few expected, Awase stepped off the beam, dropping out from beneath the maul and falling quickly.  Without missing a beat, she grabbed the beam’s edge, using her momentum to swing herself back up onto the top.  Of course, Jou lost his balance as she’d expected him to, and nearly fell.  He’d regained his composure by the time she’d resurfaced, but now had to lift his maul back up.  While her slow opponent drew his weapon back for yet another strike, Awase lunged once again to stab him in the leg.  Although it was only a flesh wound, not penetrating more than an inch, she could tell that the blow had done its job; Jou winced, staggering back and clutching the limb.

As she rushed in for the kill, Awase was shocked when she felt a shooting pain in her spine, as if someone had…kicked her.  Seeing that Jou was doing nothing but closing his eyes, and feeling punches raining down on her from nowhere, Awase looked to the ground to find that Jou’s shadow was moving, and slowly beating her own shadow down.  How he’d pulled this move off, she had no idea; she’d tried countless times before, when the instructor had taught them in the classes, but had come up with nothing.  He was now beating her to a pulp, and as she felt bruises forming, she had no way of knowing how to stop him.

Maybe, if her shadow…With nothing else to protect herself with, Awase shaded herself from the stadium lights with her parasol.  It had the desired effect; her shadow disappeared, and in its place was the circle of the parasol, protecting her from Jou’s invisible assault.  Clearly, he couldn’t tell what she was doing; he was in such a trance of concentration that he hadn’t noticed that his punches were no longer having an effect.

Walking calmly over to her opponent, Awase stopped just inches from his face.  “Jou darling,” she said calmly, awakening a shocked Jou from his stupor.  With a triumphant grin, she continued, “You really should pay more attention to me, not that silly stuff down there.”  Placing her hand on her still-shocked opponent’s cheek, Awase sent a good bit of shadow surging through him, dazing him further as she had the Parian mage.  “Then again, I guess you never really had a chance, did you?”  With that, she easily pushed Jou off the edge of the beam, shrugging as if it were all too simple.  Jou swiftly plummeted to the floor, stopped only by the netting protecting the loser from a painful death.

Awase turned to the crowd; the entire audience seemed in shock.  “Surprised? You shouldn’t be,” Awase shouted to the audience.  “I have won this tournament fairly; if anyone has a problem with that, though, I don’t really care.  I believe everyone has the right to follow their own dream; I have found mine, and I refuse to allow anyone to make me feel foolish or inferior in some way for achieving what I have.”

She looked to the current – no, the previous Shadowselenite, who seemed to be the only person in the stadium without a look of shock on his face.  The king smiled and nodded, as if he knew all along that it would happen.  “People of Serenight,” the ruler shouted to all who would listen.  “Let it be known that on this day, you have a new queen; Lady Hitokage Awaseru, the Soldier of Shadow, Sailor Shadowselenite!”

Awase smiled.  This would be the beginning.