Akemi [Ready]

[Solaria]

Roleplay Type: World of Equestria
Name: Akemi
Sex: Female
Age: Very Old
Species: Okami yokai
Eye colour: Ice Blue
Coat: Varies, though typically some shade of grey or white. Soft, pleasing swirls and shapes of the contrasting color to her base shade often appear and fade at random throughout her coat.
Mane/Tail: n/a, not separate from her coat
Physique: Roughly the size of a normal pony on regular occasions, Akemi's very form is somewhat amorphous. Long strands of fur flow like mist about her, and she can seemingly alter her size at will (within reasonable limits).
Residence: Her ramen shop in Long Kong
Occupation:Restaurateur
Cutie Mark: None
Unique Traits: As a yokai, Akemi is quite magical by the very nature of her being. She has many talents, the most common of which being her ability to alter her shape. This is most often shown by her statue form when presiding over her noodle shop, as she never directly appears to run the operation. The okami can also be invoked at any location simply by speaking her name, though an object in the likeness of a wolf must be present for her to appear. Due to her long life, the yokai has also developed a very keen sense of character, which she calls her "eye of truth." While hardly foolproof, Akemi can often discern whether or not somepony is lying if they are not extremely accomplished at masking their emotions. Finally, one of her most fantastical abilities is one of bending light about herself so as to appear effectively invisible when disguise isn't enough. This only works with an external light source, and becomes more fallible the weaker the light is. In darkness it doesn't work at all, as Akemi herself glows faintly with her inherent magic.

 

History: As Akemi can count her own existence in various pony lifetimes, she doesn't often speak of days long past, preferring to stick with more recent occurrences. She moved to Long Kong from the areas surrounding Neighpon several years ago, having lost faith that the rise of technology would ever account for tradition and the old ways once it gained momentum.  The wild and natural places were slowly disappearing, and she became disillusioned. In the spirit of joining what she did not see how to defeat, the restless yokai spent many months roaming the bustling streets of the city. Often this was done invisibly, other times as a statue or flickering lantern. Simply watching, learning.

 

How could ponies, kirin and the like stand to be in such enclosed space? Were they not suffocating? It was a maddening conundrum to the okami. The air was heavy, the nights were loud. Just before the yokai lost hope, however, she met the mare that finally managed to change her stubborn perspective.

 

Akemi happened to witness an elderly pony while sitting passively in her statue form one evening. The granny was headed into a noodle shop with what seemed to be her grandfilly, both lugging bags full to bursting with ingredients. It seemed that she owned the ramen house. Something about the warm joy on the elder pony's face intrigued the yokai, and she hid herself from sight to follow the pair inside.

 

What she saw almost made her drop her invisibility spell in surprise, a rare thing for a creature usually so measured in temperament. It was one of the most traditional, beautiful interiors she had seen in a long time. Most definitely anywhere in Long Kong. Incense smouldered gently, chimes rang throughout, tasteful pots of bamboo were arranged about the restaurant. Everywhere Akemi looked, she was pleased. Enough so that she showed herself to the grandmare and her grandfilly the very next day.

 

Naturally they were surprised that something as elusive as a yokai would introduce itself, but after a short time the two wizened souls were chatting away like old friends. When it became apparent that Akemi was despairing that the traditional ways would disappear, the elderly pony shook her head in disagreement. She responded that while progression and change was inevitable, the things we treasure only stop being relevant when there is no one left to care for them. So long as one person remains, so too does the treasure.

 

The mare suggested that Akemi travel the world, see what it truly held beyond the fringes that the okami had inhabited for so long now. Perhaps she would find more clarity on such a journey. Sensing the wisdom in her friend's words, the yokai agreed to sojourn and return to tell the tale. She left Long Kong and traveled far beyond its borders.

 

Over the years, rumors would spread of a great wolf that would appear, seemingly full of boundless curiosity about each new location. Akemi held true to her word, and even began gathering rare and powerful relics that she came across. Word had it that she even visited Longri-la, the storied refuge of the Serpent Council. Whether or not claims that she has seen the inside of the Dragon's Heart are true, she has yet to reveal to this day.

 

After many summers, Akemi finally returned to the noodle house in Long Kong. She found her friend and her grandfilly still working, still honoring the ways. As promised, the okami regaled them with stories of her many travels. When the wolf finally finished speaking, she received a question in return. Had she found what she was looking for?

 

The yokai thought long about her answer. Yes, she decided. There were still many ancient wonders in the world outside the tiny bubble to which she'd confined herself. Upon relaying this thought, her old companion smiled. It was time they switched places, was her response.

 

Seeing Akemi's confusion, the wrinkly mare laughed and explained. She wasn't getting any younger, and she couldn't run the noodle shop like she used to. She wanted to see the wonders of the world one more time while she still had the chance. As a favor for the wisdom that she had bestowed upon the yokai many years prior, would she mind watching over the ramen house in the pony's stead? There was assurance that the grandfilly knew all the workings and could mostly run it by herself now, but it was always nice to have an elder hoof (or paw) guiding business.

 

So it came to be that Akemi presides over a traditional ramen restaurant in Long Kong, keeping a keen eye on her only employee whilst helping unseen through magic and illusion. She still travels, often leaving the business in her capable ward's hooves during her absences. Rumors of the Sage Wolf still grow, and now those seeking her could always come inside for a warm meal and possible answers to their burning questions.

 

 

Character Personality: Akemi is quite stoic, and often comes off as august and austere to those who do not know her well. Rarely is she caught off-guard to the point that she'll speak in anything other than a measured cadence, or even appear excited. That said, she is not emotionless, simply tempered by long years of wariness and exploration. She does become a tad more relaxed around those she knows well (though as her employee will tell you, this often doesn't do anything for her strictness).

 

The most enduring of Akemi's monikers is the Sage Wolf, due to her ages-old propensity to dispense sound advice to those who ask it of her. While rarely immediately evident or understood by those who ask, time and again her suggestions have proven fruitful. Even in her current "settled" location within Long Kong, she tends to act as an information broker for her friends who seek counsel at her ramen shop.

 

The yokai often favors company that appreciates the old ways, and individuals who seek knowledge to truly better themselves. Those who tell grand tales are very welcome in her home, especially those who are talented in the delivery of such stories. On the other paw, she does not lightly tolerate thugs and villains, which leaves her diametrically opposed to the Triad and various hooligans that associate with them. Rare is the occasion that a member of that collective has been allowed past her door, though it's not completely unheard of: she does believe in the concepts of yin, yang, and balance between the two.

 

Though she doesn't often talk about herself, Akemi enjoys reading ancient scrolls and listening to the guqin being played. She keeps a rock garden in her spare time, and to the lucky few that are actually invited to her home (not the restaurant itself), they find themselves in a glade of pristine natural beauty. How such a thing exists about a ramen shop in Long Kong is quite the mystery.
Character Summary:

Akemi is the embodiment of wisdom and tradition accumulated over many, many years of learning. A very well-traveled being, the yokai finds pleasure in upholding the old ways and finding how to fit them into an ever-changing modern world. She houses a collection of very rare and sometimes powerful relics in her mystical glade that she maintains above her noodle shop in Long Kong, and often dispenses advice to those who come seeking it.

 

Somewhat oddly for her kind, Akemi has over time seemingly forgone taking the guise of more common sentient creatures when out and about. She often appears simply as herself, a great wolf striding through the crowds. Her innate powers instill a mild protective glamour, in a way that only perceptive creatures or those actively looking for her will easily see her. Elsewise she is akin to a fleeting thought, drawing no more attention than any other might if one were to look at a crowd of complete strangers. To those she truly wishes to avoid, there is always her invisibility.

 

The Sage Wolf still actively travels to expand her knowledge, that she might pass it on to others. And while she won't actively admit it, she does dote on her employee in mostly unseen ways despite said employee's thoughts otherwise. In the end, Akemi is a caring, old soul who wishes for nothing more than for those she cares about to be at harmony with the world. To that end, she sees herself as a conduit to times nearly forgotten, ever ready to be the window into the past that looks upon the future.

[RainbowFoxxy]

Howdy!  How's this here app comin' along sugar cube? Ya'll need more time?

[Solaria]

Y.

[RainbowFoxxy]

More time needed for this one?  

[Solaria]

Yar, suppose I could summon mighty willpower to finish this today or something.

[Bellosh]