Moriko Byrne

"It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see." - Henry David Thoreau. Moriko Byrne Fifteen · Female · Japanese/Irish · Traditional Japanese Wood Carving Hair: Her hair is a middling brown, similar to the color of milk chocolate. It's dark at the roots but lightens as it reaches the tips due to much exposure to the sun. She keeps her hair short, usually at chin length, though when it gets to be too hot, she will cut it shorter. Her hair is very soft and fluffy, perfect for running fingers through (which she does often when distracted, thinking, frustrated, or distressed). Her hair is styled to have a chopped look to it. She doesn't ever use product in her hair, barring washing it with shampoo. Eyes: Her eyes are wide with a slightly upturned almond shape. They are a bright, unusual shade of teal (mostly a light blue with a hint of green). Her gaze can be considered a bit unnerving to some, for it is steady and unflinching when she looks a people. There's just something in them that seems a bit... untamed. Face: Her face is round with a slight curved squareness to her jaw. Her cheeks are quite round, giving her a younger appearance than her actual age Body: At a height of 4'10", she is rather short. She's also fairly thin, with only a few actual curves. This includes her bust size, which is quite small (around a low B ). With her round face, wide eyes and short stature, many people often peg her as much younger than her 15 years. Her skin is currently tan, for she is outside more often than not. Many small freckles appear on most of the parts of her body that gets exposed to sunlight. This includes a light dusting of them on her cheeks and over the bridge of her nose. But if she remains indoors or out of sunlight for some time, her skin turns very pale. She has been mistaken as a young boy a few times due the the clothes she prefers to wear. Clothing: She likes loose, slightly baggy clothing. She usually wears colorful t-shirts or tank tops and cargo shorts in the summer. Shoes are something she only wears when she absolutely has to. So, in the warm parts of the year she's either barefoot or in sandals (never flip-flops). She also rarely wears bras, due to her dislike of them. In the winter, she usually wears cargo pants or jeans and long-sleeved shirts that are more muted and/or earthier in color. She switches over to plain running shoes or hardy hiking boots depending on how cold it is. All she normally wears to keep warm is a thin jacket, switching over to a heavy coat only in the coldest weather. Surprisingly, she has a love of scarves. She enjoys the cold and can stand temperatures that most people find freezing. Style is something she rarely considers, though she has an understanding of matching and does have some stylistic preferences. But she definitely cares more for comfort and usefulness over style when choosing her clothing (large pockets are a must). For her school uniform, she chose to go with the pants over the skirts appearance General: Because Moriko grew up in an environment that wasn't near large amounts of people, she's come to be wary of them. Anyone she meets for the first time she usually keeps at arms length until she can be sure she can trust them. She'll open up after a time, showing her more rambunctious and playful side to people she's come to know. She's a very active girl in the sense that she loves to always be moving. Traditional classrooms are a bit difficult for her to sit through and she'll often start to fidget when attending them, annoying the teachers to no end. She's intensely curious and can be a bit impulsive at times; a drive that's often led her down paths rife with trouble. Moriko doesn't have much experience with reading and understanding people outside of her immediate family, and always feels awkward around strangers. Mostly, it's because she really doesn't know how to respond and what to do in social situations. Her acute lack of social skills has gotten her in a bit of trouble in the past. She's learned to sit back; to watch and listen before speaking and acting. She finds it's sometimes better to just be in the background in order to slip away as soon as possible, so as not to cause trouble. Things Moriko Enjoys: She loves animals and nature (learning about and experiencing both). She especially favors dogs, wolves and cats, having more personal experience with these animals in particular. Eating and trying out new foods/drinks is a favorite pastime of hers. She is NOT a picky eater by any means. In fact, she's usually seen eating some kind of snack or other. It's been thought that her metabolism is extremely high due to her rather active lifestyle. Quiet, soothing sounds. Such as the wind through a tree's leaves, falling rain, wind chimes, clean laundry flapping in a breeze, etc. Being outside. She can't get enough of it. Specifically, she loves to explore the woods/forest and is not afraid to just walk into them. Even ones she's never been to/in before. She can stay days outside, away from "civilization" and be completely content. Things Moriko Hates: Places that are jam packed with a lot of people. Having not been around large groups of people very often, they make her extremely nervous. Animal abuse of any kind. She understands and accepts that at times one needs to protect themselves from animals. But to willfully hurt an animal, with little to no provocation just to see them in pain, is NOT something she will simply stand by and watch. Hunting for food is also acceptable, but NEVER for sport. Loud and sudden noises. Especially anything that is man-made. For example: fireworks, guns firing, and any crowded city sounds (traffic, lots of people talking all at once, jet engines/airplanes etc). She LOATHES being the center of attention. Moriko's Habits: She tends to run her fingers through her hair without realizing it. She also nibbles on her lower lip when nervous or anxious. She has a habit of keeping track of all exits and entrance ways of whatever room/building she's in. When nervous, she seems unable to stand still. She'll shift from foot to foot, flick her eyes around, rub her fingers together continuously and hunch her shoulders. If she has room to pace, she will sometimes start doing that as well. She doesn't always know that she's doing these things, but will be instantly annoyed at herself when she does notice and try to stop. Moriko's Positive Traits: Fiercely loyal to those she gets close to. An attentive listener. A quick learner, if what she's learning is mostly physical. Moriko's Negative Traits: Can be extremely stubborn. She's a bit socially inept and can be blunt to the point of rudeness at times (and not realize it until later). She doesn't always speak up when she's hurt (emotionally or physically) and will choose to hide it instead. This stems from her dislike of being the center of attention, coupled with not wanting to be a bother. Extra Info: Due to her extended stay in the woods, away from other humans, she got into the habit of not regularly speaking. So she has trouble expressing herself with words. But she is, in fact, quite expressive through sounds and body language. Her hearing is quite acute and her sense of smell is pretty sensitive. She can also usually sense when she is being watched/stared at. On top of that, she also has great stamina and pretty quick reflexes. After a few incidents while she was in the woods, she has an intense fear of guns and explosives. She also has a healthy wariness of bear/wolf traps. Having grown up in a household with her Japanese mother and grandmother, she is fluent in both Japanese and American English (which she speaks with a slight Irish accent due to her father's influence). personality History: Moriko was born and raised in the United States. Specifically, she was raised high in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Her parents, both artists, became very successful in their respective niches. To focus on their art and to be closer to their inspiration, they bought land in an obscure valley and built a home high in the Rockies, away from the hubbub of daily human life. Her father was a modern supernatural novelist. Her mother was a traditional Japanese woodcarver. Both her parents specialized in the myths and lore of their respective cultures and reflected it in their art. When Moriko was still a baby (her brother was around 5 years old), their grandmother moved from Japan to live with them. Her parents would always take their children out in the woods on little "adventures" as part of their schooling. Both having a great love and appreciation for nature, they fostered these emotions in their kids by teaching them about the animals and plants in the area. From her father, Moriko learned how to hunt with bow and arrow, fish, create traps, and properly prepare her catches. From her mother and grandmother, she learned how to tell what plants were poisonous and/or edible, how to read the weather, and how to create shelter. She learned how to track and to survive in different weather and conditions. By the time Moriko was 10 years old, she could competently live on her own in the forests of Colorado almost any time of the year. Moriko grew up on the stories of the old Celtic/Irish myths and lore from her father, and the ancient Japanese tales and legends from her mother and grandmother. She adored the stories, the magic of the old ways and the many gods and creatures created vivid scenes in her mind. At Moriko's prompting, her mother started teaching her how to carve wood when she was around 5 years old. At first, it was just minor whittling under strict supervision, but after a time, she began to carve her own little statues. It soon became clear that she had a talent for it and her mother dedicated a little bit of time everyday to teach her daughter her beloved craft. Both children were home-schooled by all three adults up through middle school. Her brother was sent to a private all boys high school in Japan when he came of age. He only came home during major holidays and school breaks. This left Moriko home with only the adults. When her parents became absorbed with their work, and her grandmother's lessons were over, she would flee to the outdoors. She took any chance she could get to be outside. Their family had quite a few animals on their land, but her favorites were the small pack of 5 wolf-dog hybrids. She would free them from from their enclosure and vanish into the woods with them, playing with them and exploring the surrounding land. She would even venture off of her family's property, going far into the forests with and without her pack. But she would always come romping home around nightfall in time for dinner. She would be filthy and tired, but happy. Then those happy times came to a sudden end. One gray and dreary day, in what would have been her 8th grade year, she came across a wolf den. It was freshly dug and obviously in use. Observing it, she saw a female gray wolf belonging to a pack that had recently moved into the area. This could only mean one thing. Pups! Excited, Moriko ran all the way back home. It'd been a while since wolf pups were born near to their home. She had to show her family! Her father and grandmother were busy, but her mother agreed to go with her. She was having a bit a trouble with a piece she was working on and needed a break from it. As they progressed through the woods, the wind began to pick up and clouds began to lower. Concerned, Moriko's mother mentioned perhaps coming back another time. It had been raining pretty heavily throughout the week and it looked like it was going to start again. But Moriko insisted, saying it wasn't much farther. A light drizzle started. As they were crossing a narrow stream, Sayuri noticed the sudden rise in the water level. Moriko was almost to the other side when she heard her mother's cry. "Run! Climb up as high as you can, as fast as you can!" Rushing clumsily through the water, her mother caught up with her and started helping her climb up the steep bank. Scrabbling at the muddy soil, Moriko managed to drag herself up by the roots of a nearby tree. Turning around to face her mother, she reached her hand out to her to help her up. "Hurry!" Desperately she grasped her mothers hand, tugging with all her might, and it seemed like she'd make it. Then her mother slipped in the mud. "Mom!" The water hit like a sledgehammer, tearing up loose rocks, soil and trees. Her mother's hand was ripped out of hers, the force almost taking her with it. Recoiling away from the water, Moriko fearfully climbed the roots of the large tree and embedded herself in them. It wasn't long before the rush of water calmed down, but the damage was already done. Her mother's body was found two days later. After the funeral, her father withdrew from the world, hiding in his work office. He came out only to eat and occasionally take care of his hygiene. Sometimes, he'd shuffle around the house, a vacant and lost look on his face, as if he was looking for something. Then he'd retreat once again back into his office. Her brother, just starting college, turned cold towards her. He blamed her for their mother's death and she couldn't really argue with it. It was her fault, after all. He ended up coming home only very rarely. Only her grandmother tried to help her through her grief, but she too was grieving the loss of her daughter. So Moriko did the only thing she knew. She escaped to the forest. Where she used to come home every night, she started returning every other day. Then it'd stretch for a whole weekend. Then she was gone for a week. For a little less than a year, she lived in this manner. She'd lose herself in the woods, her hybrid-wolf pack her only companions for days. She only came home to replenish supplies when she ran out and for an occasional change of clothes. Her grandmother began to worry. Moriko, never much of a talker to begin with, spoke less and less each time she came home. And the time she stayed out in the woods began to lengthen. She completely stopped ALL of her lessons and would only help her grandmother with chores around the house before vanishing again. But at least she came home regularly. Then Moriko started to stretch her time out to 3 weeks. This frightened Masami greatly. How would she know if her granddaughter was alive? Cell phones didn't work up here, only landlines! With Moriko's 15th birthday fast approaching, she decided to do something. Enough was enough! When Moriko came home the week of her birthday, Masami caught her. She'd pleaded with Quinn and he'd snapped out of his sorrow long enough to agree to her request. Sitting Moriko down, they discussed her future with her. Masami wanted to send her to the same all-girl's high school that her mother had gone to. Where she'd learned her beloved craft and grew into the wonderful, gentle woman that she'd been. Masami had a few connections with the school and had remained in contact with them throughout the years. She could request favors and pull some strings to get her granddaughter in. Of course, they could afford to pay the fees, and would. The favors were more for keeping tabs on Moriko, but her granddaughter didn't have to know that. Hesitating, Moriko thought about it. Since her mother wasn't around any longer to teach her the craft, this would be a good opportunity for her to learn it. Perhaps even from the same teachers her mother had. Also, it was a place her mother had spent some time in. They had family in Japan that could help her out if she really needed it. But the forest called to her, too... For the past year, she hadn't really thought much about her future. She had lived in the moment, simply surviving in the woods. She'd taken things day by day, living as a wild creature would and trying not to remember. Maybe it was time she started thinking again. In the end, she agreed to her grandmother's wishes. Family/Relatives: Father: Quinn Byrne Mother: Sayuri Byrne (Deceased) Grandmother: Masami Shimizu Brother: Connor Byrne Aunt: Face Claim: 地味子 (Jimiko) from Original Character by やますた (Yamasuta) - Moriko Byrne background Grade Level: First Year Major: Traditional Japanese Wood Carving. Future Plans: She wishes to follow in her mother's footsteps and become a renowned traditional Japanese wood carver. Where her mother specialized in the human form and mythology, she wishes to specialize in animals and nature (with mythology as well). One of her main goals is to establish her own style and to see if she can come up with a unique way to breathe new life into the ancient art form. Housing: She lives in the dorms. -x- Alias: Fae extra

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