Reims Application
( fandom student application )
PLAYER INFORMATION
PLAYER: Kobayashi
AGE: 22
CONTACT: MindtheSukima on AIM
PERSONAL LJ: kobayashi89
CHARACTERS PLAYED: None
CHARACTER INFORMATION
NAME: Sakuya Izayoi
CANON: Touhou Project
CANON REFERENCE: http://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/Sakuya_Izayoi
AGE: 17
GENDER Male/Male (Canonically Female/Female)
YEAR IN SCHOOL HS2
ENROLLMENT Sakuya is being sent there by his masters, who are of a wealthy family.
APPEARANCE: Sakuya is a slim male with blue eyes and average height, coming out to about 5'8". He has good looks that border on being feminine, a trait not exactly helped by his effeminate name nor by how long his silvery-white hair is when he doesn't tie it back, falling almost down to his shoulders. Usually he does though, as well as having a braid in front of each ear. Though he's occasionally had some trouble from others over it, he's never done a thing to fix it since it really doesn't bother him.
He always dresses impeccably, generally wearing the collared shirt, tie, vest and slacks that make up his uniform wherever he goes. On the few times he does dress informally, his idea of "casual" still only goes as far as wearing a collared shirt and slacks that are a little more colorful and a little less formal without the tie - you wouldn't catch him dead in a T-shirt and jeans.
Similarly, Sakuya always holds himself with very proper posture, never slouching or hunching over. He tends to move with a fluid grace and poise, always sure of foot and elegant in movement. Rather than attract attention though, his smoothness helps him avoid it, not really drawing the eye particularly unless one is looking for it. He's adept at blending in to the background despite his unusual hair color and with how quietly and quickly he can move, often surprises people when he approaches them from behind.
He almost always has on him the golden pocket watch that is a memento of his late mother; it's fully functional and he checks it often despite usually being able to rattle off the time with unerring accuracy even without looking at it. As well, he keeps his other keepsake, a balanced silver knife with a black leather grip, close by, but always out of sight. Having snuck it onto the campus, he usually keeps it locked away in a box he keeps hidden in his room, or when he feels the need to have it on hand, hidden under his clothes. Because it has more value to him as a sentimental piece than as a weapon, he is extremely reluctant to let it be seen by anyone else lest it be taken away by the school authorities.
PERSONALITY: Sakuya is, at his core, a very duty-driven person. He is very much a perfectionist in the things he does dedicate himself to, something rising from his need to be the best person he can be so as to best serve his master, the person who gave his life meaning. Still, as he's only a boy of 17 years, there's much he has left to learn and many things he is not good at. While of many of these can be brushed off as things he doesn't need to know or doesn't need to be good at, the things that he does feel he should be good at, but isn't, tend to be very frustrating and drive him to work as hard as possible to correct that flaw.
Normally, that kind of goal-oriented skills-driven motivation would cause him to come out as a rather cold person, but part of what was impressed upon him in his training as a servant was being able to talk to those he was serving and provide atmosphere. As a result, Sakuya tends soften that serious side of his, acting more with refinement than coldness, elegance rather than planning. He does a good job of using his natural grace to make his actions and mannerisms seem very smooth, neither too dark or too bright, rather instead blending in well, letting the spotlight fall on others. As such, he tends to come off as rather quiet, but he's actually very well spoken, good at holding conversations and without hesitation. A little smile here, an enigmatic look there, Sakuya strives to portray the kind of elegance and genteel one would expect of a fine butler, talking well with others and always with the utmost politeness.
Still, in most cases this is little more than a mask, the face he wears in social interactions. While he appears very sociable and polite, most of these interactions mean very little to him. Being able to interact nicely with others was a requirement of his servant status; actually deepening such interactions into meaningful relationships was not. As such, he never really bothered and so there are very few outside of his household to whom he feels much emotional connection. So while it's very easy for him to act towards someone in a friendly manner, he tends to hold them at arm's length and avoid letting it deepen any further than that. However, those few who do make it into the inner confidence of his trust and care are held very closely to him and his sense of duty and loyalty. In the end, though outwardly friendly, Sakuya holds little interest in other people, not out of any sense of superiority or condescension but simply because strangers hold very little meaning or value to him.
Still, these constructs of his duty-driven personality aren't flawless, and Sakuya displays very human qualities at times. He's a little bit of a show-off, sometimes a little too prideful, enjoying letting others see how skilled he is. He likes dry little jokes and puns or frivolous magic tricks - he knows a variety of sleight of hand tricks - and uses them to lighten the mood. When it comes to subjects he's not too familiar with, he can sometimes be a bit airheaded and jump to conclusions that are completely off the mark. And occasionally he can be a little playful, enjoying a harmless trick or teasing someone, perhaps even a bit flirtatiously. Still, these are just passing fancies to wile away the time. He's never had any sort of romantic interest in another person, so although there have been others who have had such designs on him, he has always focused on his duty and politely turned them down, never really having such interest in them.
Rare is the situation that cracks through those layers and makes him recall the times when he was just an orphan boy, living on the streets, a former life before he was who he is today. In those times, there's something dangerous about him, recalling a time when just surviving was a struggle. This more dangerous side, so quick to action and swift unmerciful retribution, rarely comes up though and he's very ashamed of it, as it goes against everything he strives to be now, so perfect and elegant.
In Reims, Sakuya will now for the first time since he became a servant face the situation of living not with his household but with other children his age. While he did go to school in Japan before, he did not grow particularly close to any of his classmates, only ever seeing them as transient interactions that only existed at school. Here though, he'll see them much more frequently, including when he isn't at classes. Interacting with other children his age in a more casual environment will be a first for him.
COMPUTER APTITUDE: He knows how to use them, but anything like hacking is beyond him.
WEAKNESSES (OPTIONAL): Sakuya generally avoids opening up to others or relying on others. He tends to take things upon himself and try not to burden others. This often results in him overworking himself or bottling up problems and not letting anyone else know. As mentioned, he can also make rather airheaded assumptions about things he knows nothing about. Science is, and forever will be, one of those things he Just Doesn't Get. Also as mentioned, despite these playful or friendly interactions with others, he's rather distant, so he tends not to make many close friends. His way of keeping how he acts and how he actually feels separate in his mind sometimes leads him to assume others do as well, so he's sometimes unaware when others read into his actions as having more sincerity and depth than he actually intends, or when others extend to him more heartfelt feelings but he sees them as just part of the game of sociability.
AU HISTORY:
Sakuya Izayoi was not always the servant of a wealthy French family. Once upon a time, he was an orphan boy in the streets of Paris named Jacques. His mother had given birth to him without marrying and so she had never gotten documentation for him. Instead she raised him by herself, as best that she could despite their living in near-poverty. They had no close relatives or other relations, and so for the two of them, they really only had each other. Unfortunately, as happy as they were, from young Jacques' point of view, his mother was slowly wasting away. Eventually she came down sick and between being unable to afford a doctor and still doing her best to take care of Jacques without letting him know of her condition, she eventually died when he was still only six years old. She left him with two family heirlooms, a tarnished, brassy pocket watch and a serviceable but shineless knife that she hadn't been able to bear parting with.
After she had been taken away, there was a period of time where Jacques was simply by himself in their old apartment while the police and such debated what to do about him, an undocumented bastard child with no living relations. There was talk of social services and foster parents from the neighbors. The idea of having other people be his "parents" and replace his mother was a frightening one, as were many of the things he heard about the foster homes and legal proceedings to come. In the end, he made the decision to run away and strike out for his own. Though police and services tried to follow up on him and find him, with absolutely no documentation or existence within the official records, the boy with silver-white hair named Jacques was soon forgotten.
Jacques spent the next few years of his life living on the streets, among the alleys, never staying in one place too long. What started as a fear of being taken away and forced to live with a "fake" family slowly developed in a general distrust of other people. More logical than most, Jacques did his best to avoid others, at least those who weren't simply other homeless vagrants who generally left well enough alone, especially after Jacques showed them that the knife he had wasn't just for show. He survived by stealing and scavenging, bartering and thieving, threatening and mugging. Between his own experiences and a few of the homeless who were benevolent enough to give him some pointers, he became quite adept with his hands, learning pickpocketing, knife-work and more than a few sleight of hand tricks, ranging from benign coin tricks to a number of ways to cheat at cards. Eventually though, even this came to an end when he was about ten years old.
In an unfortunate altercation, Jacques ended up living up to the nickname he'd earned, "the Ripper" for his quick knife play, when in a pickpocketing gone wrong, he ended up murdering a drunk who had picked a fight with him for bumping into him and become extremely belligerent when he found out that it had been because Jacques was stealing from him. Unable to escape, he ended up killing the man. Panicking, he ended up fleeing the scene and across the city, eventually sneaking onto the grounds of a large mansion. He was found though and brought before the master of the house, however, the man took sympathy on him when he heard of Jacques' plight. A deal was struck: in exchange for his servitude, Jacques would be fed, clothed, housed and, most importantly, kept out of the eye of the police. Jacques, of course, agreed.
He was cleaned up, taken care of and quickly taught his duties. The old pocket watch was polished to reveal a golden finish, and the knife a silver one. It also happened that things came at a rather fortuitous time because the master of the house was leaving to conduct business across the continent in Japan and would need to take residence there, though the rest of his family would remain in France, taking care of the business they had there. Jacques filled in a personnel role that would be needed there, and the transfer out of the country would make it nearly impossible to track him for his crime. Documentation was made up for him so he would be ready to become a citizen of the new country and forever leave his sordid past behind. The last step was to leave behind his name. Chosen by his master so he wouldn't stick out on paper too much, he was given a name in the style of where they were headed: Sakuya Izayoi.
Thus began his life as a butler-in-training, eventually to become a valued servant of their family and worthy of caring for even the master's two young daughters once his training was finished under the master's overseeing. A completely new country, a new language to learn, a new setting to live in, everything was different. His master told him to consider it a new life for him, addressing him by his new name at all times. Jacques, now Sakuya, went along with it, but in many ways still considered himself to be who he was before. Still, he felt gratitude towards his new master, who treated him fairly and took care of him. Over time he grew to accept his new life more fully, leaving behind the boy who was Jacques and embracing his role as Sakuya. His education was seen to by a few tutors who indoctrinated him both in Japanese and his general education which he had missed out on all his life. Occasional visits were made back to France to visit the master's family as well as other acquaintances, which Sakuya was brought along with. It was during this time that he made acquaintances with a daughter of one such family, one Patchouli Knowledge. One of the first children around his age he ever had a chance to socialize with, he confided in her more than a little despite the brief time they ever had together. Over time though, those return visits became more infrequent and as Sakuya's responsibilities grew, he was often expected to serve a more business-like role on them or sometimes was left in Japan to help take care of things while the master was away.
When he was 13, Sakuya entered the Japanese public school system, finally having caught up enough in both education and language skills to enter middle school. His first time socializing with other children his age, Sakuya learned more than just academic things. With his white hair and elegantly handsome foreign looks, no matter how much he tried to blend in, he still stood out. For the first time it was brought to his attention that his name had a rather feminine kanji spelling to it, which earned him a fair amount of teasing, something not helped by his hairstyle and looks and the fact that he was a foreigner. This caused him some trouble at first, but his master helped him come to terms with it and learn how to ignore them, listening to him carefully and talking him through his problems. This was part of why he came to respect the man. So for his duty to him, he regarded school as part of his duties and endured, eventually becoming rather immune to the harassment. Between this lack of reaction and a few encounters after school were Sakuya quickly educated some of the rowdier bullies one the fact that his quiet passiveness did not mean he was weak - or unarmed - eventually led for it to stop.
Things became a little more complicated in high school. While Sakuya tried to move through his academic duties as neutrally and quietly as possible, simply seeking to complete his education so he might better serve the master he had come to devote himself to, he nonetheless continued to attract attention no matter how much he tried not to. The other students in his class were rather polarized about him, almost completely down the gender lines. Many of the girls liked him because he was handsome, foreign, unique looking, graceful and did well in classes - many of the boys hated him for exactly those reasons, and the fact that the girls reacted that way. More than a few girls tried to confess to him or give him love letters but all of them were met with disappointment when they found out he didn't hold those kinds of interests, too invested in his duty to his household and not feeling any real connection to his classmates. Despite turning them down - or in some cases because of it - the boys often bullied him, usually for the same reasons he saw in middle school, picking fights. Sakuya did his best to resolve these issues without relying on help from his household or the teachers, using the same reasoning and threats, but the problem remained a persistent one. It wasn't until partway into his second year that things came to a head and a fight got out of hand - once more in self-defense, Sakuya was forced to let his blade taste blood. This time it was a rather minor wound, but it was still enough to cause trouble that the boy couldn't keep it hidden. His master found out and though they were able to settle the case and stop it from becoming a public issue, the worst as far as Sakuya was concerned, had already happened: he had failed his master and caused this much trouble for him.
In the end, Sakuya was withdrawn from the school and completed the rest of the semester under personal tutors. Still, despite the trouble caused and the crushing sense of guilt Sakuya felt over it, his master still sympathized with him and did not punish him unduly. Instead he sought how to correct this problem. It was obvious that the same sort of treatment was likely to happen again if they simply enrolled him in a new school. Sakuya had no problems with dropping out of school entirely, abandoning traditional education and fully embracing his job as a servant, learning what he could when he could, but his master insisted on both him obtaining a full education but also facing his problems with other people rather than running from them. It was decided that this process might be easier if he was enrolled into an international private school where he wouldn't stick out as much. The school of choice? Reims Academy.
So it was that plans were made for Sakuya to be sent back to France and enroll at Reims. The process for his transfer and enrollment were lengthy and it wasn't until a good way into the second semester that he could make it. In the meantime, he engaged in further training as a servant as well as more tutoring to ensure that he was caught up and adjusted for the setting and curriculum. Eventually though, the day came and he now enters Reims Academy. There is a certain nervousness about being there, not living with the household and master he has served for the past seven years, what he considers the entirety of his new life, but he aims to do his best not to let the expectations placed upon him down again and, perhaps a little less enthusiastically, overcome his issues in more natural socialization with his peers. With this in mind, Sakuya aims to complete his education and become the Perfect and Elegant Butler.
SAMPLES
INTRANET/1ST PERSON SAMPLE
[The video clicks on to the calm and composed face of a handsome young man who is staring rather intently at the camera] Is this thing... ah, alright. [His rather light accent is hard to place, a bit French, a bit... Japanese? He doesn't really look Asian... of course, who knows where that silver-white hair came from.]
Haven't had occasion to use the webcam on this before... in any case, an acquaintence of mine suggested I offer my services here. My name is Sakuya Izayoi, Highschool Second Year, and for those of you of similar grade or lower, I'm offering free tutoring services in any of the core requirement courses except the sciences. In fact, if anyone-
[A pause]
Well, anyway, if you think you might need that kind of help, you can leave me a message on the intranet, email me at sizayoi@3mail.com or I can be found in the boy's dormitory common room most weekday afternoons after classes. Otherwise, it is a pleasure to meet all of you and I hope we can have a good rest of the school year together.
[He then starts typing on his laptop, changing it to-]
[Generic Private Filter to Patchouli Knowledge]
[Something in that serious, business-like look of his softens, just a little. It's rather imperceptible, except maybe to the one this message is for]
Well, how was that, Lady Patchouli? I did as you suggested... though really, you're a much better teacher than I. I suppose I have the time on my hands but... I don't really see why you suggested me offering this sort of thing.
[What am getting to know people? Sakuya was perfectly fine just worrying about himself. It's a little sad when the shut-in is giving you tips on how to meet people.]
[/Filter]
LOG/3RD PERSON SAMPLE
A butler was perfect. A butler was composed. A butler was cool.
A butler should not be freaking out over a chemistry midterm coming up on Monday.
Unfortunately, that is exactly what Sakuya found himrself doing, which was probably a good indication of why he was still a butler-in-training. No, he hadn't made a scene, no, he hadn't gone around begging for help or resigning in failure. As far as everyone else knew, Sakuya was just as well prepared for the chemistry midterm as he was for the tests in every class he took. But now that the roommate was out and he could set down to studying? Sakuya was, for lack of a better term, freaking out.
It wasn't anything quite so drastic as what it sounded like, but for those who were familiar with the cool, competent attitude that the butler normally tried to project, it was quite obvious how much this was bothering him. For one thing, he couldn't stay still. Flipping through pages of his chemistry text restlessly, getting up, pacing around the room only to sit down again and jot feverish notes and then erase them, he was anything but cool and composed.
Science simply didn't make sense to him, and unlike video games, American football and astrology, it was not something he could simply brush off as unnecessary to his continuing education. And really, everyone said math and science went hand in hand and while the former made perfect sense to him, the latter... did not. Which was frustrating, because it didn't make sense that it didn't make sense. Yet time and again, various rules, names of obscure biological functions and formulas for chemical reactions never failed to completely evade his grasp.
Of course, the obvious thing to do was to go to one of the tutoring centers or ask another person in his science class for help... but the idea of burdening another with his own troubles was simply not one to be entertained. No, the solution to this was simply to man up, buckle down and start studying like there was no tomorrow. Sakuya refused to let this get the best of him and make him cry for mercy.
It was several hours of minimal progress later that he had to admit he needed perhaps a little mercy. A slight flush of shame on his cheeks, Sakuya was just glad there was no one else around to see the mess of crumpled papers and half-opened books with pages disheveled around him at his desk. At this point, there was really only one option, since failure was not one of them. He got out his cellphone and dialed...
"Hello, Lady Patchouli? It's me, Sakuya. Yes, I'm sorry to bother you at this hour and I am truly ashamed to be imposing on you, but I think I may need your help with something..."
HAVE YOU READ THE FAQ? Yes, rabid wombat
PLAYER INFORMATION
PLAYER: Kobayashi
AGE: 22
CONTACT: MindtheSukima on AIM
PERSONAL LJ: kobayashi89
CHARACTERS PLAYED: None
CHARACTER INFORMATION
NAME: Sakuya Izayoi
CANON: Touhou Project
CANON REFERENCE: http://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/Sakuya_Izayoi
AGE: 17
GENDER Male/Male (Canonically Female/Female)
YEAR IN SCHOOL HS2
ENROLLMENT Sakuya is being sent there by his masters, who are of a wealthy family.
APPEARANCE: Sakuya is a slim male with blue eyes and average height, coming out to about 5'8". He has good looks that border on being feminine, a trait not exactly helped by his effeminate name nor by how long his silvery-white hair is when he doesn't tie it back, falling almost down to his shoulders. Usually he does though, as well as having a braid in front of each ear. Though he's occasionally had some trouble from others over it, he's never done a thing to fix it since it really doesn't bother him.
He always dresses impeccably, generally wearing the collared shirt, tie, vest and slacks that make up his uniform wherever he goes. On the few times he does dress informally, his idea of "casual" still only goes as far as wearing a collared shirt and slacks that are a little more colorful and a little less formal without the tie - you wouldn't catch him dead in a T-shirt and jeans.
Similarly, Sakuya always holds himself with very proper posture, never slouching or hunching over. He tends to move with a fluid grace and poise, always sure of foot and elegant in movement. Rather than attract attention though, his smoothness helps him avoid it, not really drawing the eye particularly unless one is looking for it. He's adept at blending in to the background despite his unusual hair color and with how quietly and quickly he can move, often surprises people when he approaches them from behind.
He almost always has on him the golden pocket watch that is a memento of his late mother; it's fully functional and he checks it often despite usually being able to rattle off the time with unerring accuracy even without looking at it. As well, he keeps his other keepsake, a balanced silver knife with a black leather grip, close by, but always out of sight. Having snuck it onto the campus, he usually keeps it locked away in a box he keeps hidden in his room, or when he feels the need to have it on hand, hidden under his clothes. Because it has more value to him as a sentimental piece than as a weapon, he is extremely reluctant to let it be seen by anyone else lest it be taken away by the school authorities.
PERSONALITY: Sakuya is, at his core, a very duty-driven person. He is very much a perfectionist in the things he does dedicate himself to, something rising from his need to be the best person he can be so as to best serve his master, the person who gave his life meaning. Still, as he's only a boy of 17 years, there's much he has left to learn and many things he is not good at. While of many of these can be brushed off as things he doesn't need to know or doesn't need to be good at, the things that he does feel he should be good at, but isn't, tend to be very frustrating and drive him to work as hard as possible to correct that flaw.
Normally, that kind of goal-oriented skills-driven motivation would cause him to come out as a rather cold person, but part of what was impressed upon him in his training as a servant was being able to talk to those he was serving and provide atmosphere. As a result, Sakuya tends soften that serious side of his, acting more with refinement than coldness, elegance rather than planning. He does a good job of using his natural grace to make his actions and mannerisms seem very smooth, neither too dark or too bright, rather instead blending in well, letting the spotlight fall on others. As such, he tends to come off as rather quiet, but he's actually very well spoken, good at holding conversations and without hesitation. A little smile here, an enigmatic look there, Sakuya strives to portray the kind of elegance and genteel one would expect of a fine butler, talking well with others and always with the utmost politeness.
Still, in most cases this is little more than a mask, the face he wears in social interactions. While he appears very sociable and polite, most of these interactions mean very little to him. Being able to interact nicely with others was a requirement of his servant status; actually deepening such interactions into meaningful relationships was not. As such, he never really bothered and so there are very few outside of his household to whom he feels much emotional connection. So while it's very easy for him to act towards someone in a friendly manner, he tends to hold them at arm's length and avoid letting it deepen any further than that. However, those few who do make it into the inner confidence of his trust and care are held very closely to him and his sense of duty and loyalty. In the end, though outwardly friendly, Sakuya holds little interest in other people, not out of any sense of superiority or condescension but simply because strangers hold very little meaning or value to him.
Still, these constructs of his duty-driven personality aren't flawless, and Sakuya displays very human qualities at times. He's a little bit of a show-off, sometimes a little too prideful, enjoying letting others see how skilled he is. He likes dry little jokes and puns or frivolous magic tricks - he knows a variety of sleight of hand tricks - and uses them to lighten the mood. When it comes to subjects he's not too familiar with, he can sometimes be a bit airheaded and jump to conclusions that are completely off the mark. And occasionally he can be a little playful, enjoying a harmless trick or teasing someone, perhaps even a bit flirtatiously. Still, these are just passing fancies to wile away the time. He's never had any sort of romantic interest in another person, so although there have been others who have had such designs on him, he has always focused on his duty and politely turned them down, never really having such interest in them.
Rare is the situation that cracks through those layers and makes him recall the times when he was just an orphan boy, living on the streets, a former life before he was who he is today. In those times, there's something dangerous about him, recalling a time when just surviving was a struggle. This more dangerous side, so quick to action and swift unmerciful retribution, rarely comes up though and he's very ashamed of it, as it goes against everything he strives to be now, so perfect and elegant.
In Reims, Sakuya will now for the first time since he became a servant face the situation of living not with his household but with other children his age. While he did go to school in Japan before, he did not grow particularly close to any of his classmates, only ever seeing them as transient interactions that only existed at school. Here though, he'll see them much more frequently, including when he isn't at classes. Interacting with other children his age in a more casual environment will be a first for him.
COMPUTER APTITUDE: He knows how to use them, but anything like hacking is beyond him.
WEAKNESSES (OPTIONAL): Sakuya generally avoids opening up to others or relying on others. He tends to take things upon himself and try not to burden others. This often results in him overworking himself or bottling up problems and not letting anyone else know. As mentioned, he can also make rather airheaded assumptions about things he knows nothing about. Science is, and forever will be, one of those things he Just Doesn't Get. Also as mentioned, despite these playful or friendly interactions with others, he's rather distant, so he tends not to make many close friends. His way of keeping how he acts and how he actually feels separate in his mind sometimes leads him to assume others do as well, so he's sometimes unaware when others read into his actions as having more sincerity and depth than he actually intends, or when others extend to him more heartfelt feelings but he sees them as just part of the game of sociability.
AU HISTORY:
Sakuya Izayoi was not always the servant of a wealthy French family. Once upon a time, he was an orphan boy in the streets of Paris named Jacques. His mother had given birth to him without marrying and so she had never gotten documentation for him. Instead she raised him by herself, as best that she could despite their living in near-poverty. They had no close relatives or other relations, and so for the two of them, they really only had each other. Unfortunately, as happy as they were, from young Jacques' point of view, his mother was slowly wasting away. Eventually she came down sick and between being unable to afford a doctor and still doing her best to take care of Jacques without letting him know of her condition, she eventually died when he was still only six years old. She left him with two family heirlooms, a tarnished, brassy pocket watch and a serviceable but shineless knife that she hadn't been able to bear parting with.
After she had been taken away, there was a period of time where Jacques was simply by himself in their old apartment while the police and such debated what to do about him, an undocumented bastard child with no living relations. There was talk of social services and foster parents from the neighbors. The idea of having other people be his "parents" and replace his mother was a frightening one, as were many of the things he heard about the foster homes and legal proceedings to come. In the end, he made the decision to run away and strike out for his own. Though police and services tried to follow up on him and find him, with absolutely no documentation or existence within the official records, the boy with silver-white hair named Jacques was soon forgotten.
Jacques spent the next few years of his life living on the streets, among the alleys, never staying in one place too long. What started as a fear of being taken away and forced to live with a "fake" family slowly developed in a general distrust of other people. More logical than most, Jacques did his best to avoid others, at least those who weren't simply other homeless vagrants who generally left well enough alone, especially after Jacques showed them that the knife he had wasn't just for show. He survived by stealing and scavenging, bartering and thieving, threatening and mugging. Between his own experiences and a few of the homeless who were benevolent enough to give him some pointers, he became quite adept with his hands, learning pickpocketing, knife-work and more than a few sleight of hand tricks, ranging from benign coin tricks to a number of ways to cheat at cards. Eventually though, even this came to an end when he was about ten years old.
In an unfortunate altercation, Jacques ended up living up to the nickname he'd earned, "the Ripper" for his quick knife play, when in a pickpocketing gone wrong, he ended up murdering a drunk who had picked a fight with him for bumping into him and become extremely belligerent when he found out that it had been because Jacques was stealing from him. Unable to escape, he ended up killing the man. Panicking, he ended up fleeing the scene and across the city, eventually sneaking onto the grounds of a large mansion. He was found though and brought before the master of the house, however, the man took sympathy on him when he heard of Jacques' plight. A deal was struck: in exchange for his servitude, Jacques would be fed, clothed, housed and, most importantly, kept out of the eye of the police. Jacques, of course, agreed.
He was cleaned up, taken care of and quickly taught his duties. The old pocket watch was polished to reveal a golden finish, and the knife a silver one. It also happened that things came at a rather fortuitous time because the master of the house was leaving to conduct business across the continent in Japan and would need to take residence there, though the rest of his family would remain in France, taking care of the business they had there. Jacques filled in a personnel role that would be needed there, and the transfer out of the country would make it nearly impossible to track him for his crime. Documentation was made up for him so he would be ready to become a citizen of the new country and forever leave his sordid past behind. The last step was to leave behind his name. Chosen by his master so he wouldn't stick out on paper too much, he was given a name in the style of where they were headed: Sakuya Izayoi.
Thus began his life as a butler-in-training, eventually to become a valued servant of their family and worthy of caring for even the master's two young daughters once his training was finished under the master's overseeing. A completely new country, a new language to learn, a new setting to live in, everything was different. His master told him to consider it a new life for him, addressing him by his new name at all times. Jacques, now Sakuya, went along with it, but in many ways still considered himself to be who he was before. Still, he felt gratitude towards his new master, who treated him fairly and took care of him. Over time he grew to accept his new life more fully, leaving behind the boy who was Jacques and embracing his role as Sakuya. His education was seen to by a few tutors who indoctrinated him both in Japanese and his general education which he had missed out on all his life. Occasional visits were made back to France to visit the master's family as well as other acquaintances, which Sakuya was brought along with. It was during this time that he made acquaintances with a daughter of one such family, one Patchouli Knowledge. One of the first children around his age he ever had a chance to socialize with, he confided in her more than a little despite the brief time they ever had together. Over time though, those return visits became more infrequent and as Sakuya's responsibilities grew, he was often expected to serve a more business-like role on them or sometimes was left in Japan to help take care of things while the master was away.
When he was 13, Sakuya entered the Japanese public school system, finally having caught up enough in both education and language skills to enter middle school. His first time socializing with other children his age, Sakuya learned more than just academic things. With his white hair and elegantly handsome foreign looks, no matter how much he tried to blend in, he still stood out. For the first time it was brought to his attention that his name had a rather feminine kanji spelling to it, which earned him a fair amount of teasing, something not helped by his hairstyle and looks and the fact that he was a foreigner. This caused him some trouble at first, but his master helped him come to terms with it and learn how to ignore them, listening to him carefully and talking him through his problems. This was part of why he came to respect the man. So for his duty to him, he regarded school as part of his duties and endured, eventually becoming rather immune to the harassment. Between this lack of reaction and a few encounters after school were Sakuya quickly educated some of the rowdier bullies one the fact that his quiet passiveness did not mean he was weak - or unarmed - eventually led for it to stop.
Things became a little more complicated in high school. While Sakuya tried to move through his academic duties as neutrally and quietly as possible, simply seeking to complete his education so he might better serve the master he had come to devote himself to, he nonetheless continued to attract attention no matter how much he tried not to. The other students in his class were rather polarized about him, almost completely down the gender lines. Many of the girls liked him because he was handsome, foreign, unique looking, graceful and did well in classes - many of the boys hated him for exactly those reasons, and the fact that the girls reacted that way. More than a few girls tried to confess to him or give him love letters but all of them were met with disappointment when they found out he didn't hold those kinds of interests, too invested in his duty to his household and not feeling any real connection to his classmates. Despite turning them down - or in some cases because of it - the boys often bullied him, usually for the same reasons he saw in middle school, picking fights. Sakuya did his best to resolve these issues without relying on help from his household or the teachers, using the same reasoning and threats, but the problem remained a persistent one. It wasn't until partway into his second year that things came to a head and a fight got out of hand - once more in self-defense, Sakuya was forced to let his blade taste blood. This time it was a rather minor wound, but it was still enough to cause trouble that the boy couldn't keep it hidden. His master found out and though they were able to settle the case and stop it from becoming a public issue, the worst as far as Sakuya was concerned, had already happened: he had failed his master and caused this much trouble for him.
In the end, Sakuya was withdrawn from the school and completed the rest of the semester under personal tutors. Still, despite the trouble caused and the crushing sense of guilt Sakuya felt over it, his master still sympathized with him and did not punish him unduly. Instead he sought how to correct this problem. It was obvious that the same sort of treatment was likely to happen again if they simply enrolled him in a new school. Sakuya had no problems with dropping out of school entirely, abandoning traditional education and fully embracing his job as a servant, learning what he could when he could, but his master insisted on both him obtaining a full education but also facing his problems with other people rather than running from them. It was decided that this process might be easier if he was enrolled into an international private school where he wouldn't stick out as much. The school of choice? Reims Academy.
So it was that plans were made for Sakuya to be sent back to France and enroll at Reims. The process for his transfer and enrollment were lengthy and it wasn't until a good way into the second semester that he could make it. In the meantime, he engaged in further training as a servant as well as more tutoring to ensure that he was caught up and adjusted for the setting and curriculum. Eventually though, the day came and he now enters Reims Academy. There is a certain nervousness about being there, not living with the household and master he has served for the past seven years, what he considers the entirety of his new life, but he aims to do his best not to let the expectations placed upon him down again and, perhaps a little less enthusiastically, overcome his issues in more natural socialization with his peers. With this in mind, Sakuya aims to complete his education and become the Perfect and Elegant Butler.
SAMPLES
INTRANET/1ST PERSON SAMPLE
[The video clicks on to the calm and composed face of a handsome young man who is staring rather intently at the camera] Is this thing... ah, alright. [His rather light accent is hard to place, a bit French, a bit... Japanese? He doesn't really look Asian... of course, who knows where that silver-white hair came from.]
Haven't had occasion to use the webcam on this before... in any case, an acquaintence of mine suggested I offer my services here. My name is Sakuya Izayoi, Highschool Second Year, and for those of you of similar grade or lower, I'm offering free tutoring services in any of the core requirement courses except the sciences. In fact, if anyone-
[A pause]
Well, anyway, if you think you might need that kind of help, you can leave me a message on the intranet, email me at sizayoi@3mail.com or I can be found in the boy's dormitory common room most weekday afternoons after classes. Otherwise, it is a pleasure to meet all of you and I hope we can have a good rest of the school year together.
[He then starts typing on his laptop, changing it to-]
[Generic Private Filter to Patchouli Knowledge]
[Something in that serious, business-like look of his softens, just a little. It's rather imperceptible, except maybe to the one this message is for]
Well, how was that, Lady Patchouli? I did as you suggested... though really, you're a much better teacher than I. I suppose I have the time on my hands but... I don't really see why you suggested me offering this sort of thing.
[What am getting to know people? Sakuya was perfectly fine just worrying about himself. It's a little sad when the shut-in is giving you tips on how to meet people.]
[/Filter]
LOG/3RD PERSON SAMPLE
A butler was perfect. A butler was composed. A butler was cool.
A butler should not be freaking out over a chemistry midterm coming up on Monday.
Unfortunately, that is exactly what Sakuya found himrself doing, which was probably a good indication of why he was still a butler-in-training. No, he hadn't made a scene, no, he hadn't gone around begging for help or resigning in failure. As far as everyone else knew, Sakuya was just as well prepared for the chemistry midterm as he was for the tests in every class he took. But now that the roommate was out and he could set down to studying? Sakuya was, for lack of a better term, freaking out.
It wasn't anything quite so drastic as what it sounded like, but for those who were familiar with the cool, competent attitude that the butler normally tried to project, it was quite obvious how much this was bothering him. For one thing, he couldn't stay still. Flipping through pages of his chemistry text restlessly, getting up, pacing around the room only to sit down again and jot feverish notes and then erase them, he was anything but cool and composed.
Science simply didn't make sense to him, and unlike video games, American football and astrology, it was not something he could simply brush off as unnecessary to his continuing education. And really, everyone said math and science went hand in hand and while the former made perfect sense to him, the latter... did not. Which was frustrating, because it didn't make sense that it didn't make sense. Yet time and again, various rules, names of obscure biological functions and formulas for chemical reactions never failed to completely evade his grasp.
Of course, the obvious thing to do was to go to one of the tutoring centers or ask another person in his science class for help... but the idea of burdening another with his own troubles was simply not one to be entertained. No, the solution to this was simply to man up, buckle down and start studying like there was no tomorrow. Sakuya refused to let this get the best of him and make him cry for mercy.
It was several hours of minimal progress later that he had to admit he needed perhaps a little mercy. A slight flush of shame on his cheeks, Sakuya was just glad there was no one else around to see the mess of crumpled papers and half-opened books with pages disheveled around him at his desk. At this point, there was really only one option, since failure was not one of them. He got out his cellphone and dialed...
"Hello, Lady Patchouli? It's me, Sakuya. Yes, I'm sorry to bother you at this hour and I am truly ashamed to be imposing on you, but I think I may need your help with something..."
HAVE YOU READ THE FAQ? Yes, rabid wombat