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[kissfromarose]

OOC Information
Player Name: Pudding
Player Age: Twenty-one
Player Contact: rosiekisses
Player/Character HMD: Right here.
Other characters in game: N/A

IC Information
Character Name: Rosalina Nurumi
Character Age/Gender:
Physical Age: Twenty-five
Chronological Age: Three-hundred and thirty-two
Gender: Female

Canon Point: A few years after leaving the witch's house and being on the road.

Character History: Rosalina was born of the Northern Ookami– or Wolf-- Clan of the Makai. It was a highly feared and respected pack. The freezing conditions and harsh environment they lived in molded the best warriors that side of the Demon World. Rosalina was child of the beta, the second in command of the pack, and his lovely mate. It was a joyous, splendid occasion and the alpha himself initiated the newborn into the pack as was custom. She was their first child and all their hopes rested with her. Little did they realize just how much she would shatter their world.

It was subtle at first. There were little things that were... off about their daughter. Rosalina showed no aptitude for fighting. Being a girl meant nothing when it came to being a warrior. In fact, the beta's mate was one of the fiercest women in the pack. Still, Rosalina didn't seem to be particularly good at battle... or really all that interested in it. Instead, she wanted learn how to read and write. She wanted to explore. There were so many things she found wonder and joy in. Scholars did exist in this pack but that was reserved for the elders since they had done as much for the pack as they could as protectors and now imparted their knowledge onto their fellow pack mates. “It's just a phase,” the elders told her parents. Though they said that it did not appear to be true as she continued to grow and only become odder and odder amongst those in the pack.

It was her first trip to the market that ruined everything. Hand-in-hand with her mother, she “ooo”ed and “aaahh”ed at everything there was to see. Merchants were selling delicious looking fruits and vegetables. There were gleaming bobbles and fascinating things everywhere! Rosalina found a hard time keeping her hands steady though “tsks” from her mother kept her ( mostly ) in line. While her mother was distracted, the mischievous little wolf scampered off. It didn't take her long to find the slave market... and a human.

He was a male, probably in his 20s, with dusty brown hair and dark, dead eyes and completely nude except for the chains around his wrists, ankles, and neck. He looked to the tiny girl with disinterest. Rosalina, however, was wide-eyed and fascinated with him. Where was his tail and ears? Why was he so squishy looking? He looked so... different. 

“Rosalina, you rotten little girl!” her mother's voice called.
“Eep!” the girl squeaked, running behind the man to hide. He looked down at the sudden contact of her claws against his bare skin.
“You get away from him right this instant, young lady or I'll--”

There was a pause. It was only then that Rosalina's mother realized that there was a human in front her. He was a slave for sale, by the looks of it, but there was something unique about him. He didn't flinch as she drew in close, inspecting him. There was no fear in his eyes. He was smart. By showing no fear, he may just survive the Demon World yet. The alpha had mentioned wanting someone to help him with his duties... That trip to the market ended with Rosalina's mother getting everything she needed plus one human.

The human slave--Taylor, he was named--became the personal servant of the alpha. It was much better than anything he had hoped for and so there were no complaints on his part. It didn't take long for Rosalina to befriend him either. Though the alpha would try and shoo her away, she was the daughter of a good friend and had amazingly impressive puppy eyes. Rosalina loved talking to Taylor. He taught her English. Well, he only spoke English so she learned to be able to communicate with him. He told her stories of the human world. He lived in a place called Texas where it was much warmer than here and there was lots of open space. The more she spoke with him the more enamored she became. Years passed and she had come to love the idea of humanity, of being human.

It was her mother she spoke about it with first. “Why do we think less of humans?” was her opening question. Her mother tried to explain that it was because they were lesser beings. It devolved into an argument. The fight grew heated, loud, and accusations were tossed around. “Maybe if I'd like fighting more, but I don't-” or “I should have never bought that slave, he's been nothing but trouble!” Eventually it reached a boiling point and led to Rosalina screaming “Maybe I was meant to be human!” The look on her mother's face is something she'll never forget to this day.

It was a few weeks later her mother was found dead. Suicide. She'd slit her own throat. The crimson stained against the white snow is another thing that still haunts her memories. By then, she was the equivalent to a teenager. Her mother's death made her numb. So numb, in fact, that when Taylor was torn apart by her pack right in front of her eyes she didn't even bat an eyelash. Her father took it the hardest. Wolves mate for life, after all. Her mother was his first, and only, true love. He grew bitter, cold, and couldn't even look at his daughter. Rosalina had a suspicion that he blamed her. It wasn't until he tried to murder her that she found out she was right. 

It was under the guise of an “outing.” Something to take their mind off all that happened and to move on from it. They went down South a ways, where Spring was instead of their eternal Winter up North. Rose was sitting next to a riverbed when he struck. With a frightening force, he twisted her arm against her back and used his other hand to hold her head down underwater. She tried with her own free hand to pry his off but he was too strong. Her lungs burned as water began to fill them instead of air. She remembers screaming but no one could hear her. She thought she was going to die there. Suddenly, her father's weight was gone. Rosalina lifted her head, sputtering water as she coughed. Once her vision cleared, she saw the alpha wrestling her father to the ground. He screamed at her to run. There was a moment of hesitation before she did as her alpha commanded and fled. It was the last time she saw any of her pack.

For years, Rosalina wandered the Makai as a lone wolf. The young woman made her way by stealing and hunting any food she could find. She grew into a beautiful, strong ookami though that actually wasn't in her favor. Being a lone wolf gathered unwanted attention. It was one day, when she was the human equivalent of eighteen years old, that she was approached by a cloaked man in a tavern. He was a smooth talker, telling her how “lovely” she was and how rare it was to see a wolf from the Northern clans alone. Rosalina tried to lose him, but then he made her an offer to see the human world. Against all better judgment, she jumped at this chance.

It was a trap. As soon as they crossed worlds, she was surrounded by humans and thrown in a dungeon. The shackles that bound her were embedded with magic. Even with her strength, she couldn't break free. If she did, there were plenty of guards that were also magically inclined to stop her. Rosalina was quick to learn that she wasn't the only demon to be ensnared by these humans... and that she certainly wouldn't be the last. It was a fighting ring. These wealthy men had made a “game” out of capturing demons like her and pitting them against each other in combat. They bet on who would win and of course each of them had their champions. By sheer will and determination to live, Rose became her “master's” champion within a three decades. Essentially, she became a trained killing machine.

During her time in the fighting ring, she grew close to the man in the cell next to her. His name was Luke Johnson. He taught her Japanese and how to keep herself alive even longer in this fighting ring than she could have imagine. He had apparently been there years already. He was also a werewolf. “I was stupid,” he told her. Apparently he had been caught by wanting a little extra money. They'd offered and he'd accepted not realizing entirely what the agreement entailed. So, here he was, rotting away in a cage and fighting just to stay alive.

Luke was a fascinating person. He was in a band. It was still mostly underground before he got snatched away and doubted it still existed but his love for music remained. He was the lead guitarist and the vocalist. It was because of that he liked to sing to calm himself down before and after fights... and so did Rosalina. She discovered a love for music in that dank dungeon and they'd often sing to each to each other in tough times. 

Their relationship was deeper than love. They helped each other heal emotionally, physically, and mentally after fights. They were closer than any two people ever had been, she imagined. They knew everything about each other and touched each other in in ways they both never knew was possible. It was for this reason that when her “master” got bored with her as champion and planned to slaughter her Luke made the ultimate sacrifice for her. It was about two in the morning when it happened. Luke had allowed himself to get angry enough to force a transformation from human to werewolf. It was painful for him and painful for Rosalina to watch. Bones snapped and shifted into different places and she screamed for him to stop. He burst open his cage and promptly broke Rosalina out as well.

He gave her directions to a friend, a witch, and someone who could help her... and that was all he told her. Blood splattered against her face and body as Luke's head rolled to the floor. Everything goes black after that and all she truly remembers someone screaming. She thinks it was her. When she awoke, she was covered in blood and in a strange bed. “Ah, you're awake,” a woman's voice said calmly as Rosalina rose out of bed. “I tried to change your clothes but you growled at me in your sleep if I tried to touch you.”
“Where-?”
“Luke sent you here as his final act of defiance against that awful place. See for yourself why. Bathroom is down the hall and to the left if you want to clean up.”

Rosalina was sore. She also felt... disgusting. Caked blood hung to her body and made her feel heavy both physically and metaphorically with sin. She entered the bathroom, washed up, and once she took the time to actually see it gasped audibly at her reflection in the mirror. Blond hair replaced white. Ears on the side of her head replaced those that had been atop her skull before. Her eyes were brown, not golden and her tail was all but missing. 

She stormed towards the strange old woman who answered her before she could get a word out. “This is what Luke wanted. He managed to contact me before...” her voice trailed off and she shook her head. “He knew it's what you wanted. I only hope you use the gift wisely. It's not a permanent spell, of course. It wanes on the full moons and if you put yourself under too much stress you'll change back to your 'regular' self until you calm down.” By now, Rosalina had deflated. The only things she could get out were a small, apologetic “thank you” and a question about where she was.

Okinawa, Japan. Her “master's” base of operations had been nearby. It turns out, as the woman told her, that she had killed him. Her relief was short-lived though. Apparently, the man's son had found out just a couple of days ago about her father's death. Based on surveillance information he now knew she was murderer. Even though she looked different now, her basic features were the same. They would find her if she wasn't careful. “I've kept you safe as long as I can but, dear, you need to go and soon. They're not far. I'll give you my knowledge of the spell you're under, some supplies to get you through, and... a gift from Luke.”

The gift was a beautiful hand-crafted acoustic guitar, case and all. The witch taught her the spell that kept her appearing human. It wasn't difficult but she needed to recite it constantly mentally to keep the illusion up. With a brief farewell for the witch that saved her life, Rosalina fled. To where? Even she didn't know. She did, however, quickly find out that being a “roadie” was a great way to travel. By following bands, she got to elude her pursuers and learn how to play the guitar, improve her musical skills, and pick up a little bit of dancing as well. She was a natural, apparently, and quickly fell in love with American Pop music, J-Pop, and all those uplifting beats. It was her way of remembering Luke and preserving his memory. She sang for him, for her mother, and made sure to keep on moving and stay alive for the both of them. 

Rosalina started going simply by Rose. She adopted a “Japanese” last name—Nurumi-- to blend in. So far, she's kept safe and on the down low but how long that will actually last is to be determined.

Character World: There are many people in the world who believe that humanity is alone in their world. As one might have guessed, they are wrong. However, they are only partially wrong. Creatures like werewolves and vampires were human at one point. Just like many species, these “freaks of nature” are genetic mutations that have occurred throughout humanity's existence. While there are plenty more of these mutants to speak of, vampires and werewolves are the most “popular.”

So, why is humanity partially right then in thinking they are alone in the world? It's because the scariest things that go 'thump' in the night aren't actually from their world. While the human world is perfectly normal for modern day, there are still things lurking in its darkest shadows. The world that these creatures do come from is called many things across many different cultures. Some religious groups call it “Hell.” The closest name to being accurate would be the Japanese lore of the Makai – the Demon World.

This world is connected to humanity's at several different points. Though, as one can imagine, it isn't exactly easy to find let alone pass through these points. Only those with an aptitude for the supernatural ( shamans, 'witches,' etc. ) are able to even think about tapping into the other world and breaching the veil that separates them. It takes a lot of skill and determination to travel to the Makai. In fact, it usually requires the work of more than one person.

What of the demons? Don't they also try to cross the barriers that separate them and the human world? The answer, simply, is no. The Demon World is a primitive place. Things like electricity and running water that modern-day humans take for granted are reserved only for the most powerful demon lords. Many live off the land, hunting and gathering for food. However, most demons are content this way. It is survival of the fittest and has been for as long as just about anyone can remember. Hunting prey and killing those that are weaker is in demon blood, it is at their very core of who they are. They do not think of humanity or their world as being luxurious. Part of the reason why is because because most demons see themselves as superior to humans. Most demons are warriors with superhuman strengths and agility. Humans do not even provide them a challenge. In fact, humans that venture to the Demon World are usually either enslaved or slaughtered before they get a chance to do much else.

That is why humanity shifted from trying to get to the Demon World to instead bringing demons to them. By performing rituals, humans discovered that they could summon forth demons and enslave them with the proper incantations. It wasn't an easy task but after enough trial and error, a group of wealthy men scattered across the globe became rather proficient at summoning otherworldly creatures when they came together. They would capture these demons and pit them against each other for their own entertainment.

Character Personality: On the surface level, Rose is a complete contradiction. Most would believe that her life should have left her a much more cynical and bitter person. However, she's anything but. Or, at least, she's very good at pretending to be. It was something she picked up on fairly quickly. Letting people learn about her past, learn about her, led to nothing but ruin. So, instead, she found another approach. As long as you act fine, people will think you're fine. They won't get too close and in turn they can't be hurt. It's worked out ( mostly ) so far and she hopes to continue her intricate charade for as long as she possibly can.

So, at a glance, Rose is probably one of the nicest, kindest, sweetest people you'll ever meet. She's the epitome of a free spirit; this girl goes where the music takes her and enjoys every second of it. Other than her guitar, she really isn't attached to any worldly or material items. If she wants to pick up and leave, she will... and does so on a regular basis. Most everyone is completely oblivious to the fact that her constant traveling is a matter of life and death but she obviously prefers it that way.

A metaphorical ray of sunshine, this girl always has a smile on her face and a song in her heart. Bubbly doesn't even begin to accurately describe the amount of joy this girl seems to radiate. It can be a little overwhelming, actually, but is also rather endearing. It's a quality that not many people seem to have anymore. It's a shame that's it completely fake. Still, to others, nothing ever seems to really get under her skin or bring her down. Bad things happen, sure, but she tries to focus on the good in life and in everyone around her to keep her spirits up. It keeps her upbeat and those around her unaware of her true internal stuggles.

Even though most of her happiness is a facade, there are good things to think about. Sure, her past is dark and dreary and depressing. Her life is a constant proverbial game of cat and mouse. It would only take one mistake, one slip-up and everything could go wrong at any given moment. Sometimes, though, when she sits down and thinks about it... she realizes it's the first time in her life she's ever been truly free. There are no expectations of her as the daughter of the beta. There are no restrictions or limitations put on her like in the Makai. She isn't human but she appears to be and is surrounded by people who believe so and enjoy her. It's the first time she's ever felt truly at peace; it's the first time she's ever felt like she truly belonged somewhere. Her happiness isn't an entire lie, at least.

Underneath it all though, Rose is absolutely terrified. If she isn't careful, the people she's surrounded herself could find out her dirty little secret. While they're understanding about things like missing an important date or bailing on plans that's on a whole different level than finding out your friend is a monster. And that's exactly what she believes she is: a monster. She's a wolf in sheep's clothing, pretending to be a human when she could actually break them in a blink of an eye. If anyone found out... they'd hate her. They'd try to kill her, just like her father. Or so she's convinced herself. Humans wouldn't understand. Just as they enslave humans, humans enslaved her. She isn't about to let anyone have the chance to trap her again.

Being caught is also another constant source of fear. There's been a few close calls, definitely, but she's always managed to get herself out in the nick of time. Though she can't say the same for people who called her friend. As much as she tries to keep people at an arm's length, there have been those that have wormed their way into her life without her actually realizing. They found out bits and pieces of her "troubled" past and why she was always moving. Some of them lost their lives or were caught up in her problems unintentionally. It taught her the hard way that no one can get close. Not if she grows to about them; not if they want to live. It's why, nowadays, she doesn't actually consider anyone a "friend." She also doesn't let anyone get close enough to consider her a friend. She's nice enough, sure, but if you ask those who know her... they really don't know anything about her in the slightest. Though as long as she keeps her smile up no one really bothers to ask the personal questions. No one knows that there's ever anything wrong.

On top of it all, her time in the fighting ring didn't leave her without scars both physically and mentally. When she first started there, she was "bait." In the fighting ring, this meant she was used as a training dummy for other, stronger demons to hone their skills before a fight. Usually, demons in this position are of lesser class and die easily. They're expendable. Rose, however, had been underestimated. It was not out of any true reason that she managed to take these beatings and live. She had no reason to live, after all. In fact, there was more than once that she wished they would kill her. So, why did she live? It was simply because, despite her qualms with it and fighting it her entire life, being a warrior was in her very biological make-up. She was strong; she was a survivor whether she liked it or not.

Her strength was recognized and before long she was promoted to an actual fighter. It was in the ring that she learned to let her fight or flight instincts take over. It took a while, however, and she struggled with it for years. Eventually though it was like a switch that she flipped off in her brain. All she thought was "it's either me or them" instead of how she was ending someone's life, how she was becoming the bloodthirsty merciless monster everyone had always wanted. It didn't always work. She still had moments of self-loathing and wishing one of those fighters would kill her. Nevertheless, it was mostly efficient in keeping her sane through the long run. In the beginning, she probably wouldn't have cared if she died. It was just being mindless and ruthless that had successfully kept her living. There was eventually a reason that she did want to live though and that was Luke. He saw in her the wonderful person she had always wanted to believe she was and it was because of him that she wanted to survive and eventually escape that hellhole. And it was because of him that she did even if it was a greater cost than she could have ever imagined.

All of her life experiences is why she suffers from mild PTSD. Originally, it was from her father and then her days in the fighting ring made it worse. Being too close to water gives her panic attack. If she's ever pushed into water or forced into it, she quickly loses consciousness. Sneaking up on her is also highly unadvised. Because of her days as a trained killing machine, she will retaliate and violently if someone attacks her. Even if they didn't intend it, she may interpret it that way and then everything goes wrong. It's been the reason for her relocating more times than she's proud of. 

There's also the nightmares. Horribly vivid nightmares that haunt her on a regular basis. Make-up and being a superb liar has helped her cover up her troubles sleeping though. It's not like she needs as much sleep as humans do anyway. The nightmares are usually about drowning or those she knew who have died. She has sought help before but nothing seems to work. Nothing stops the terrible images that dance in her mind when she sleeps. It's something that, through the years, she's come to accept as just being part of her life.

Despite all this, the woman puts up one amazing front. She decided, long ago, that it was better that way. That way no one ever even begins to think of asking her about anything too close to home; no one ever has the chance to realize that she's more than your typical human twenty-something living life to the fullest. Her fears and worries are carefully kept under wraps. That isn't to say that she's fine. In fact, she's far from it. Rosalina was an extremely fragile psyche that is just a push away from being sent over the edge of insanity. It's why she keeps subtly keeps people away. She can't lose another person that she cares about, it's just too much to bear. She fights the creeping insanity though because of the people that have given their life for her. Not only Luke but others that learned what she was, why she was running and suffered the consequences to protect her. While she sees herself as nothing but a monster that's killed without second thought and has blood eternally on her hands, they saw something else. They saw something extraordinary in her that she can't; they saw something worth giving their very lives to save. To give up now, to let herself become the very thing she's always fought against, would be dishonoring their memory. It would be letting them down and having their sacrifices be in vain and Rosalina will do her best to avoid that as long as she can. It is, however, only a matter of time before something causes her to snap.

All these inner struggles are just that though. Inner. They're hidden behind a consistent smile and happy-go-lucky attitude that she does her best to maintain at all times. Nothing's ever wrong and the world is rainbows and butterflies for Rose. Or so she does her very best to convince everyone.

Character Abilities:
 -Superhuman strength. Though she appears “petite” demon strength often defies appearances. She's about as strong as three adult human men combined.
-Super speed and agility. She can jump approximately fifty yards but that is the farthest. At her fastest, she can appear as a blur to the human eye.
-Enhanced healing. She heals much faster than the average person. It depends on the severity of the wound, but generally her heal time is one third the length of an average human's.
- Small control over ice. Being an ookami from the Northern Clan of the Makai and living in a harsh, frigid environment they all have some ability to manipulate ice. It's very small and is about the equivalent of using an ice pack. She can freeze things if she really concentrates but it's still difficult for her.
Character Inventory:
- (1) Acoustic Guitar + Case strapped to her back
Samples:
First-Person

1.) Here is a sample from havenrpg.

2.) Here's another additional sample of a network post in case the first isn't enough.

[ The backdrop of the video feed is of a dark night sky with nothing but dim paper lanterns illuminating the area. There's a blond someone with their legs folded and a guitar in their hands. The angle of the camera cuts off right above their lips. There's a silent "1...2...3..." mouthed before a gentle melody is strummed across the network. ]

Fly me to the moon
Let me swing among those stars
Let me see what spring is like
On Jupiter and Mars ♪

[ The last notes hum in the air for a moment then Rosalina turns her head to look out at the inky black sky. There's stars there but the camera can't quite catch their light. ]

I used to lay out in the middle of nowhere some nights--usually during a Country concert since those guys like going into the middle of nowhere--and look up at the sky. I'd look for shooting stars or constellations and just wonder what it's like to be up there, y'know?

[ Her head whips back towards the camera, lips now pulled back into a wide smile to show off white teeth. ]

Has anyone else done that before or am I just weird?

Third-Person

Hiding what she was something that she worried about constantly but didn't really need to. Usually. Being a roadie, sometimes lifting heavy equipment was part of the job. That was her strength covered. Her speed was easily hidden since everyone moved at a fast pace when trying to set up. Her heightened senses was something she'd learn to cover up though every once in a while she slipped up. Mentioning that Charlie smelt of cigarettes when she knew he'd quite a week ago wasn't exactly a smart move on her part. Even so, things like this were easily dismissed. Rose was just good at her job, people said, and that was that.

It was a freak accident. Those happened sometimes and they were hard to detect or prevent. It was an electrical short and one that shocked Rosalina hard, figuratively and literally. It had given her third-degree burns on her fingers or so the crew thought. The next time they checked, they were only second-degree. The third time they checked they were first-degree. By the time all the commotion had calmed down and help was on the way, there were scarcely any burns at all.

"Rose, what... happened?"
"What do you mean, dude?"
"Your fingers are fine."
"Huh. They are! Well, look at that," Rose said as she turned over her fingers and looked at them in feigned curiosity. In reality, the woman knew exactly what had happened. Her body had healed itself even faster than she could have expected and, well, that was downright odd to a human. "I guess the burns must not have been as bad as we thought!" That caused a few raised eyebrows but no one commented further.

The ambulance arrived but returned empty. Rose was perfectly fine and back to work for the rest of the night. Once the show was over, they all said their good nights and went to their separate hotel rooms to get some sleep. In the morning, everyone returned to their stations... minus one. Rose had decided to sneak away in the dead of night. It was too close of a call. It was too suspicious. She couldn't chance someone finding out, she could chance them getting a lead on where she was.

It was always like this. It would always be like this. That had been ingrained in her brain a long, long time ago. Now, leaving like this wasn't even hard. It was just something that needed to be done. She got another job in the neighboring city easily. They hardly ever really checked over papers and really didn't care about previous job history. Good at putting a stage together? Then you're hired. It was as simple as that and just rinse, lather, and repeat over and over and over again.