Application
Senshi: Lord Tapio, (Irregular) Senshi of Arbor
Name: Onni-Akseli Silveira
Meaning: ”Onni” is the Finnish word for happiness and luck; ”Akseli” is the Finnish equivalent of Axel; ”Silveira” means ”forests” in Old Portuguese
Age: 24
Birthdate: 1 December
School/Occupation: Master's student at New York University
Major NPCs: Adão Silveira: Akseli's father, born in Maine into a family of Portuguese winemakers who left Portugal during the fascist era. Although the family continued their trade in their new home, Adão did not follow in their footsteps and went to college in Minneapolis for business, where he met Johanna. With his degrees in business, he worked his way up in a local grocery chain where he worked while he was in school and held a position in the corporate office. When Akseli was in eighth grade, he accepted a job offer for a higher position in a larger grocery company based in Boise, Idaho and moved there with his family. He continues to only speak Portuguese with Akseli when not required to speak English. The two have a good relationship and keep in contact, even though Adão still has trouble sometimes understanding exactly how Akseli sees things sometimes, not being able to completely comprehend his mental space. Akseli is more likely to ask his father for advice than his mother.
Aino-Johanna Lehtonen: Akseli's mother, who came to Minneapolis from Helsinki with her family when her father accepted a job offer. She met Adão at the grocery store where they both worked; he studied business at the university while she studied education. Johanna taught high school in a suburban school district while they lived in Minneapolis, and when the family moved to Idaho, she continued teaching in one of Boise's neighboring cities. Johanna always kept a sharp eye out for Akseli, while still allowing him to suffer some of the consequences of his choices. Like Adão, she continues to speak only Finnish with Akseli unless otherwise required. She continues to emotionally support him however she can; they are still close, but she feels that he has withdrawn from her since the incident in high school. Even knowing and understanding why, the pain from that change puts a slight strain on their relations–but not one she feels she can really talk about.
Erik Larsson: Akseli's friend from undergrad and his current roommate in New York. Extroverted and boisterous, Erik is in many ways Akseli's opposite, yet he is also likely the peer who has understood him the best. Part of this is because of his very respectful nature, but part of this also stems from a secret he is keeping, which is his bisexuality. The only man he has ever been seriously interested in is Akseli, but for reasons Erik doesn't understand, he does not want to act on this and has not, to date. Sometimes the angst this causes him is visible in their relationship and Erik's habits, but Akseli has never noticed, so it continues. Regardless of romantic desires, Akseli is also Erik's best friend and they spend a large amount of time together outside of school and home.
History (TW: allusion to assault)
Akseli grew up in suburban Minneapolis as an only child with his father, Adão Silveira, and his mother, Johanna Lehtonen. Each parent spoke their respective languages (Portuguese and Finnish) with Akseli individually, only using English when all three were conversing or when guests were over. This tri-lingual environment gave Akseli a good ability to listen for meanings beyond just words, but it also gave him the feeling that there were some dividing lines in his family's relations with each other. To a certain degree, this was true–communication between both sides of his family was difficult sometimes, though cordial, and there were always things that he could only easily talk with one parent about but not the other one. However, he would come to realize later on that the lines weren't as sharp or rigid as he'd imagined early on.
Akseli, although a naturally quiet child, never had trouble at school, where he earned good grades and got along well with his peers. (Having a teacher for a mother definitely helped him here as well.) His transition into middle school wasn't so smooth; his reserved nature combined with his generally pleasant, confident attitude made other kids at school wrongly think that he thought he was better than everyone else. This was very frustrating to Akseli, who began to respond to his tormentors with unbridled snark. Despite this, though, he had a few friends who were all very close to him. There was one other boy in particular who spent a lot of time with him; Akseli realized that he had ended up developing a large crush on him. Others might have seen and wondered about it, but he never said anything about it.
He never could, because around the time he came to this epiphany, Adão received a job offer from another grocery company in Boise, Idaho which he accepted, and the family picked up and moved.
Akseli was never really able to recover from the move. The other 8th graders in his new middle school didn't pay mind to his personality or nature. It took a while, of course, but what became his new problem was his rather obvious disinterest in girls. He wasn't against the idea of having female friends, of course, but there were a few girls who liked him and would try to get him to notice them, but he was totally oblivious because he was much more interested in the boys around him. This pattern continued into his freshman year of high school, and at that point there were already a lot of whispers that he might be gay.
He never discussed a lot of his social troubles at school with his parents. Although both Johanna and Adão are rather liberal-minded, he really wasn't sure what they would say if he talked about his problems getting along with most of his peers because it would lead back to the root cause that he was pretty sure he was gay, and so were a lot of other people. Partially from mixed attitudes in Edina (the Minneapolis suburb he lived in) and from the overall social conservatism in Boise, he just assumed that his parents wouldn't be so accomodating to that fact, even though he would find out years later that he was wrong about that.
It all came to a head when one of his more arrogant female peers tried vying for his attention, but to no avail. Frustrated and with wounded pride, she found a reason for both of them to enter a supply closet while working after school together on a project. While Akseli was looking for an item they needed, she tried to force herself onto him, but he repelled her. When she tried once more and was repelled once more, she became very angry and shouted ”What the hell? Are you gay or something?”. Before he could stop himself, he shouted right back ”Yes, I am, so leave me the hell alone!!!”.
She reported the incident, changing her story so that their roles were reversed (but leaving out the specific words that were shouted, of course). The investigation didn't come up with any substantial evidence that this was true, but Akseli was suspended anyway. This forced him to explain to his parents what had been happening. While their acceptance was a very big relief to him, he was still traumatized by what had happened to him. Johanna transferred him to the school where she taught; it was in one of the neighboring cities' school districts, so rumors circulating after the incident would be much less likely to follow him.
The rumors didn't come along, but the lasting effects of the incident did. He was not misogynistic, outwardly or otherwise, but he found that he could not trust his new female peers because he had no idea if they would try to do what the other girl did to him. Even unexpected friendly touch from his male friends gave him some pause. Overall his new school environment was quite welcoming, compared to where he came from, but he was just unable to cope with the new stresses he had been dealt.
He made it through high school and went on to university, though mostly from parental and societal pressure rather than having any real idea what he wanted to do with his life. He didn't plan it this way, but he ended up at his father's alma mater, the Universiy of Minnesota back in Minneapolis, and he decided to try studying journalism, because he noticed he was very adept at–and obsessed with–chronicling what happened in his daily life as accurately as possible. While he was returning to an area he did know and even some people he had known in the past, they knew nothing of what had happened to him while he was away and so he felt free from many of his trappings. He had heard and remembered that Minneapolis proper was a much more accepting place, so he decided to be open with his sexuality and began finally trying dating on for size–but he couldn't seem to last very long with the same person nor get too physically close. His aversion to touch had weakened, but it still often brought on a strong sense of unshakable anxiety.
The other thing from home he was able to leave behind was his parents' supervision with alcohol. Even though he had been drinking for a good portion of his life, he had never gotten drunk before he left home. But once he had, he noticed that his anxieties all melted away for a while when the alcohol's effects were active. He never became dependent on it to escape from his issues, but roughly once a month he would get monstrously drunk to try and gain some respite from his plagues. This got less frequent and less severe as time went on, but it's a habit he still continues to this day.
Despite his initial feelings and his excellent performance in his coursework, Akseli began to feel a mismatch with his chosen major. But as hard as he searched, he couldn't find anything else that really called to him, so he continued in journalism through graduation, and went on to begin a master's program at New York University. Luckily, his good friend and fellow journalism student, Erik Larsson, was also accepted at NYU, and so they both moved to New York. This would be good for him, he thought, since Erik was a very outgoing person, but also recognized and respected boundaries; he was the person he trusted the most out of all his friends.
Sharing a one-bedroom in New York wasn't exactly how he'd imagined their roommatehood going, but the economic advantage was inarguably strong. (Akseli's parents still supported him well, thanks to Adão's family income and his own, but he felt bad about relying on them and did what he could to keep costs down.) It certainly made dating interesting for both parties; Akseli did not make a habit of bringing men home, but Erik would sometimes bring the ”Girl of the Week” (as Akseli put it) home, which prompted Akseli to find somewhere else to spend time for the night. (He had overcome much of his discomfort with women, but he still couldn't handle unknown women in his living space.) Aside from this, though, this living situation still helps him to grow–having his closest friend around all the time gives him someone to talk to rather than keeping his thoughts always bottled up, and the relative lack of privacy has caused him to learn how to be more open, although he continues to hold onto his reserved nature.
Personality
Akseli's introversion is one of the first things people notice about him. He is more stereotypically Finnish rather than Portuguese in this regard; he is terrible at small talk (he wonders why you would talk about nothing to try to fill up silence rather than just let it be) and he often won't say anything unless he is being addressed or it would fit the situation. He tends to regard strangers with caution and suspiscion. But with his friends (who are mostly all quite close), he is much more relaxed and will participate in conversation and sometimes initiate it. In silence or in conversation, he is not as outwardly pleasant as he was when he was younger, but he is still far from gruff or sour. That said, he still has a quite confident air about him and when there is a task to complete, he will go right to it and take care of it, and speak very directly. Annoy him, and he will not hesitate to retaliate with extra snark.
A lot of his mannerisms are dominated by the aftereffects of his assault. The most noticeable one was his aversion to unexpected conscious touch, which has subsided for the most part; however, bad feelings can still well up when it happens, especially when a woman touches him. He discovered this extends to sexual touch too, although much less severely (strong discomfort rather than outright aversion). Because of his circumstances, he also has a severe dislike of lying and liars, particularly when a liar tries to throw someone else under the bus in order to escape. And while he is not an alcoholic, he is still prone to occasionally binge drinking in order to escape from stress and anxiety (though the one thing he will not abuse in this manner is his father's family's wines).
Being rather introverted, Akseli requires a lot of alone time and he will take whatever he can get. However, his preference is to go into the outdoors every once in a while to recharge; because of this, he is a very outdoorsy person and really loves to camp and fish. When fishing, he only keeps what he will eat, and when he has caught enough for his food needs, he will stop. He hunts much less frequently, but he follows the same principle when hunting; he does not kill the fauna for sport only and he abhors this practice. He is also a very adept archer; if his high school had had an archery team, he would have been on it and likely would have been the top performer.
Aside from his outdoor activities, Akseli is alo an avid reader of fiction and nonfiction alike. History (particularly the histories of Portugal and Finland) and historical fiction are his two preferred reading genres, although he keeps a wide palette. Reading the news is also an important ritualistic activity for him, partially out of interest in what's happening in the world and partially out of habit from his studies. He also makes time to journal every night before he goes to bed; he finds it helps him to decompress and keep him from having trouble falling and staying asleep.
Appearance
Akseli is about 5'9” and 180 pounds; part of this is from muscle weight, and part of it is from being naturally stockier rather than slender. His father's side mostly contributes to his skin tone: still undeniably light-skinned, but he tans rather than burns, and summer brings out a lighter olive tone. (He's also still rather prone to zits, but it's not always noticeable since they prefer to trouble his back rather than his face.) He prefers to keep his hair at a medium-short length, long enough to have short bangs, but short enough to not be weighty or unruly. It's normally seen in its natural auburn color, but once in a while he likes to play with blonde highlights, just to change things up once in a while. If one were to look right into his green eyes, one would get a sense that he is lost in thought and uninterested in what others are doing; if he were to return the gaze, the feeling would change entirely and the amount of focus would be rather compelling. Try as he might, he is unable to grow much more than stubble for facial hair, although it does come in rather evenly; he usually stays clean-shaven, but when he skips shaving in the morning for whatever reason, the scruff usually benefits from his appearance rather than detracting from it.
Akseli is always bewildered by how others refer to his general fashion sense as ”punk rock-ish” or ”hipsterish” sometimes; to him, it's just what looks best on him and how he normally chooses to dress. Tighter-fitting jeans (but not skinny jeans), a button-up shirt (often plaid) over a tee or sometimes a V-neck tee, zip-up hoodies in fall and spring months, and occasionally a knit beanie are his usual casual ensemble, and he has many permutations and combinations of elements to create several different outfits. He tolerates the cold rather well (which has always stumped his father), often not bothering with a coat until a few degrees below freezing. Hot weather sometimes brings about shorts and V-neck tees as default because it's too hot to wear anything else. Even in summer though, he will wear proper sandals rather than flip-flops. Stylish casual leather shoes are his usual footwear of choice otherwise; athletic shoes only get worn during athletic activity or when otherwise practical.
Jewelry does not play a large role in his style, but he does wear a single ring in each earlobe, each with a stylized cross on the ring, and an inscribed ring on each middle finger. The ring he normally wears on his left hand reads ”até ao lavar dos cestos é vindima.” (”the time to collect grapes only ends with the washing of baskets”), and the other reads ”niin metsä vastaa kuin sinne huudetaan.” (”the forest answers in the same way one shouts at it”). They were gifts from his parents for when he left home for undergrad, and wearing them gives him a sense of continued closeness and connectedness with his family.
Fuku
Tapio's fuku tends toward the practical end of the sliding scale, with a long tunic-style white shirt with loose (but not flowing) half-sleeves. The cuffs are forest green, with an intricate gold embroidered pattern over its surface. The neck contains a laced slit down the chest; this area is fortified with the same material and design as the sleeve cuffs, but as it rounds the neck it expands to a sailor-style collar that hangs down to the shoulder blades. The hem of the shirt is also cuffed in the same style as the cuffs and neck. Tapio wears a black belt over his shirt around his waist, and also has a black arrow quiver strapped diagonally across his back. He wears brown pants, made from a slightly heavier material than his shirt, which are tucked into black leather boots, not unlike those suitable for hunting. Brown leather gloves cover his hands, and a leather arm guard is secured his left forearm. A thin ring of green moss circulates his forehead. A choker of hemp cord and bearing a wooden bead, his transformation relic, remains around his neck.
While he is transformed, his hair becomes much redder than normal, though not bright red, much like the shade of rosewood. He retains similar earrings to those he wears in normal form. Tattoos of green, leafy vines appear on his arms; the source of the vines is his heart, and each finger bears the end of a tendril.
Transformation
Holding the wooden bead of his choker with his thumb and pointer finger, Akseli whispers ”Tapio, I breathe you in.” His choker flashes green, as does his heart, from where the vine tattoos first shoot out over his arms, followed by wood-brown fibers that weave themselves into his clothing. Finally, his boots, gloves, arm guard and quiver all appear. The last vestiges of the green light travel to his forehead to form the crown of moss before darting off into the sky.
Powers
”Metsälän jousi” - Tapio's longbow, his main weapon. It has the appearance of a sturdy birch branch with some leaves still attached. The arrows associated with it are fitted with sharpened stone arrowheads and fletched with what appear to be pine needles; they are produced by magic and as such are more powerful than mundane arrows. Both bow and arrows are summoned silently by making the motion of drawing the bowstring. Archery is second nature to Tapio, and his proficiency is undeniable; however, the nature of the weapon makes it not ideal for close combat situations, and as such, Tapio must rely on other strategies when space is limited.
”Arboreal Miasma” - This is an illusory maneuver. Tapio touches his moss circlet with his pointer and middle fingers and whispers ”Arboreal Miasma”, after which a small grove of illusory trees shoots up around him from the ground and release a thick fog from somewhere within their leaves. Tapio is able to see clearly and pass straight through the trees, but anyone else will perceive them entirely as real trees and as such can only maneuver around them while dealing with the reduced visibility from the fog. The area of effect is 100 feet around Tapio and it will last for roughly 10 minutes, long enough for him to escape or take a more advantageous attacking position. However, the trees only allow his body and personal effects to pass through; if he were to try to shoot through a tree, his arrows would only become lodged in the trunk. After the illusion dissipates, Tapio cannot safely use this again until 30 minutes pass; attempting to ignore this will do anything from fatigue him to causing him injury, depending on how much time has elapsed.
Guardian
Name: Kullervo
Species: Duck
Kullervo bears the spirit of a sorrowed man, undone in the ancient past by his own revenge. He never had an easy life, and it shows. He is quick to anger and is still rather unforgiving. In his past life, a slight against him would have necessitated (sometimes disproportionate) vengeance; in the present day, having died at his own hand in the past because he saw the unintended consequences of his actions, he has resigned himself to merciless snarking, sharp words and a shirty attitude until he grows tired of it. Despite his past deeds and his decidedly bitter attitude, he does posess more than a shred of decency and will protect the people who are important to him, regardless of exactly why they are important to him. He also has a soft spot for people led to plotting vengeance and will do what he can to advise against it.
Explanation
Tapio is the eastern Finnish god/spirit of the forest, who has several prominent roles in ancient Finnish/Karelian culture as well as in the Kalevala, the most important work of Finnish literature, a collection of rune songs from all over Finland and particularly eastern Finland and Karelia. In appearance, he fits the Green Man archetype, with a beard of lichen and eyebrows of moss; I didn't want to replicate that design exactly, so I took elements of this (the moss circlet and the vine tattoos are the most obvious, and then I tried to imagine a lot of tree-like coloration, aside from the white shirt), added it to common elements among many depictions of Kalevalaic characters (many of whom were actually ordinary humans, aside from being capable of magic) in art from Finland's period of national romanticism, when it was still a Russian territory and had begun awakening to the idea of a Finnish nation. The sailor collar is just my trying to keep this design tied into the world of Sailor Moon.
I chose a bow as his weapon because Tapio was the god that ancient Finns would pray to before going to hunt, and so I thought that would tie in very well. His other power is chiefly illusory rather than offensive; I did this because in the Kalevala, most male figures were all very gifted in magic, and a god's magic would be near insurmountable, and I wanted to tone this raw power down in order to keep the game interesting for me and for other players interacting with Tapio. Though not mythological in origin, I also thought a maneuver that would allow him to escape to a better position would be interesting because the most lethal sniper in modern history, Simo Häyhä (also known as Valkoinen kuolema, ”The White Death”), was a Finn fighting against the Soviet Union in the Winter War during the WWII era, and that tactic of escaping to an optimal position just displays such a base Finnish quality of practicality.
Kullervo is another character from the Kalevala, the only character in Finnish mythology who is irredeemably tragic within that narrative. In the Kalevala, he finds his family dead after taking his revenge on someone else and finally stumbles upon the corpse of his sister, who he had seduced earlier before he knew she was his sister, and who committed suicide after discovering this. After this, he asks his sword if it will kill him; it replies and essentially says that after all the blood he has shed with it, it only thirsts after more blood, regardless of whose it is, and then Kullervo throws himself onto his sword. Since the Guardians are another reincarnation of mythological figured who do retain some memories of past lives, I thought it would be very interesting to see it play out where Kullervo gets another chance and to see how his final tragedies continue to impact him. I chose a duck because they are very common animals to appear in Karelian folksong, and even though it wasn't on the suggested list of animals, I didn't think a duck in New York would be an unusual sight at all.
Writing Sample
Thud. The small rock fell back to the ground and skidded a couple more feet before coming to a stop. Perhaps one second passed before Akseli's foot reconnected with it, sending it flying another short distance on the sidewalk. It was a cool, crisp late autumn day in his neighborhood; he had thought about doing some more of his course reading, but he decided he needed a break. He thought about popping by Erik's cordoned-off section of the living room to see if he wanted to come take a walk with him, but he stopped himself when he remembered that his roommate was out with the Girl of the Week.
He sighed. Just as long as she doesn't come here later, he thought. He had still not met this person, and he really didn't care to, at least not today, much less in the apartment. With no idea whether he should plan for staying out for a while or not, he got the sense that maybe that would not be necessary today, and simply left, locking the door behind him. The way down the stairs to the exit and the street gave him enough time to continue wondering about it anyway, despite having made a decision.
But really, he thought, another Girl of the Week? It felt as if there were more of them lately. Something seemed odd with his friend...he just couldn't quite put his finger on it. While he ran through several possibilities, ranging from totally plausible to completely absurd (he likes me? Ha, there's just no way, he thought on the absurd end of the scale), he began kicking the stone. To an outside observer it looked like Akseli was wandering aimlessly, but he knew exactly where he was going. As he came upon it, he felt a twinge of longing for both Minneapolis and Boise and their abundant greenery and park lands like he always did when he set his eyes on the small park in their neighborhood.
Near the shore of a decently-sized pond, Akseli took a seat on a vacant bench and just stared out over the water, right at a towering tree. Heaving another sigh, he started to wonder whether he was becoming depressed again or if he was just bored with his coursework. It just never gave him the joy it used to when he'd started studying it in undergrad. From there, he started to wonder whether his journaling habit was just a hobby or if it was a compulsion for him to do it, because he did indeed write a detailed account of his day every night before he went to bed. He went back to wondering about Erik's behavior and all the crazy explanations for it. He could have continued pondering his life when he saw a duck fly down and land on the water's surface.
For a couple moments, it just swam around a bit, as ducks are wont to do on a body of water. However, Akseli saw that it stopped dead all of a sudden. The seconds crept onward as he stared at the completely stationary duck. Finally, it broke the stillness it created and turned around as if to face him. Its fixed gaze and unmoving posture began to unnerve him; simultaneously, he felt absolutely ridiculous for having a pang of anxiety awakened by just a silly duck. He began to get up to leave, but the duck quacked several times in an almost admonishing way as it left the water and took to the air. He couldn't believe he'd just imagined the duck's call as human speech.
Akseli stayed seated for a few moments after the duck was out of site. ”Mitä vittua?” he cursed in his mother's tongue. After a few more seconds of processing, he decided the order of the day would be to just return home and lock himself inside the bedroom for a while. And hope against all hope that no strange women would show up at any point that day. He really didn't want any more than he could handle that day.
Questionnaire
Name: Kalevi
E-mail: xxxxxxxxx
Homepage: -
Referred by: Game member posted in a LiveJournal community in which we are both members
Other RPGs: Not currently in any games, but this is not my first time RPing–just the first time in a long time.
Name: Onni-Akseli Silveira
Meaning: ”Onni” is the Finnish word for happiness and luck; ”Akseli” is the Finnish equivalent of Axel; ”Silveira” means ”forests” in Old Portuguese
Age: 24
Birthdate: 1 December
School/Occupation: Master's student at New York University
Major NPCs: Adão Silveira: Akseli's father, born in Maine into a family of Portuguese winemakers who left Portugal during the fascist era. Although the family continued their trade in their new home, Adão did not follow in their footsteps and went to college in Minneapolis for business, where he met Johanna. With his degrees in business, he worked his way up in a local grocery chain where he worked while he was in school and held a position in the corporate office. When Akseli was in eighth grade, he accepted a job offer for a higher position in a larger grocery company based in Boise, Idaho and moved there with his family. He continues to only speak Portuguese with Akseli when not required to speak English. The two have a good relationship and keep in contact, even though Adão still has trouble sometimes understanding exactly how Akseli sees things sometimes, not being able to completely comprehend his mental space. Akseli is more likely to ask his father for advice than his mother.
Aino-Johanna Lehtonen: Akseli's mother, who came to Minneapolis from Helsinki with her family when her father accepted a job offer. She met Adão at the grocery store where they both worked; he studied business at the university while she studied education. Johanna taught high school in a suburban school district while they lived in Minneapolis, and when the family moved to Idaho, she continued teaching in one of Boise's neighboring cities. Johanna always kept a sharp eye out for Akseli, while still allowing him to suffer some of the consequences of his choices. Like Adão, she continues to speak only Finnish with Akseli unless otherwise required. She continues to emotionally support him however she can; they are still close, but she feels that he has withdrawn from her since the incident in high school. Even knowing and understanding why, the pain from that change puts a slight strain on their relations–but not one she feels she can really talk about.
Erik Larsson: Akseli's friend from undergrad and his current roommate in New York. Extroverted and boisterous, Erik is in many ways Akseli's opposite, yet he is also likely the peer who has understood him the best. Part of this is because of his very respectful nature, but part of this also stems from a secret he is keeping, which is his bisexuality. The only man he has ever been seriously interested in is Akseli, but for reasons Erik doesn't understand, he does not want to act on this and has not, to date. Sometimes the angst this causes him is visible in their relationship and Erik's habits, but Akseli has never noticed, so it continues. Regardless of romantic desires, Akseli is also Erik's best friend and they spend a large amount of time together outside of school and home.
History (TW: allusion to assault)
Akseli grew up in suburban Minneapolis as an only child with his father, Adão Silveira, and his mother, Johanna Lehtonen. Each parent spoke their respective languages (Portuguese and Finnish) with Akseli individually, only using English when all three were conversing or when guests were over. This tri-lingual environment gave Akseli a good ability to listen for meanings beyond just words, but it also gave him the feeling that there were some dividing lines in his family's relations with each other. To a certain degree, this was true–communication between both sides of his family was difficult sometimes, though cordial, and there were always things that he could only easily talk with one parent about but not the other one. However, he would come to realize later on that the lines weren't as sharp or rigid as he'd imagined early on.
Akseli, although a naturally quiet child, never had trouble at school, where he earned good grades and got along well with his peers. (Having a teacher for a mother definitely helped him here as well.) His transition into middle school wasn't so smooth; his reserved nature combined with his generally pleasant, confident attitude made other kids at school wrongly think that he thought he was better than everyone else. This was very frustrating to Akseli, who began to respond to his tormentors with unbridled snark. Despite this, though, he had a few friends who were all very close to him. There was one other boy in particular who spent a lot of time with him; Akseli realized that he had ended up developing a large crush on him. Others might have seen and wondered about it, but he never said anything about it.
He never could, because around the time he came to this epiphany, Adão received a job offer from another grocery company in Boise, Idaho which he accepted, and the family picked up and moved.
Akseli was never really able to recover from the move. The other 8th graders in his new middle school didn't pay mind to his personality or nature. It took a while, of course, but what became his new problem was his rather obvious disinterest in girls. He wasn't against the idea of having female friends, of course, but there were a few girls who liked him and would try to get him to notice them, but he was totally oblivious because he was much more interested in the boys around him. This pattern continued into his freshman year of high school, and at that point there were already a lot of whispers that he might be gay.
He never discussed a lot of his social troubles at school with his parents. Although both Johanna and Adão are rather liberal-minded, he really wasn't sure what they would say if he talked about his problems getting along with most of his peers because it would lead back to the root cause that he was pretty sure he was gay, and so were a lot of other people. Partially from mixed attitudes in Edina (the Minneapolis suburb he lived in) and from the overall social conservatism in Boise, he just assumed that his parents wouldn't be so accomodating to that fact, even though he would find out years later that he was wrong about that.
It all came to a head when one of his more arrogant female peers tried vying for his attention, but to no avail. Frustrated and with wounded pride, she found a reason for both of them to enter a supply closet while working after school together on a project. While Akseli was looking for an item they needed, she tried to force herself onto him, but he repelled her. When she tried once more and was repelled once more, she became very angry and shouted ”What the hell? Are you gay or something?”. Before he could stop himself, he shouted right back ”Yes, I am, so leave me the hell alone!!!”.
She reported the incident, changing her story so that their roles were reversed (but leaving out the specific words that were shouted, of course). The investigation didn't come up with any substantial evidence that this was true, but Akseli was suspended anyway. This forced him to explain to his parents what had been happening. While their acceptance was a very big relief to him, he was still traumatized by what had happened to him. Johanna transferred him to the school where she taught; it was in one of the neighboring cities' school districts, so rumors circulating after the incident would be much less likely to follow him.
The rumors didn't come along, but the lasting effects of the incident did. He was not misogynistic, outwardly or otherwise, but he found that he could not trust his new female peers because he had no idea if they would try to do what the other girl did to him. Even unexpected friendly touch from his male friends gave him some pause. Overall his new school environment was quite welcoming, compared to where he came from, but he was just unable to cope with the new stresses he had been dealt.
He made it through high school and went on to university, though mostly from parental and societal pressure rather than having any real idea what he wanted to do with his life. He didn't plan it this way, but he ended up at his father's alma mater, the Universiy of Minnesota back in Minneapolis, and he decided to try studying journalism, because he noticed he was very adept at–and obsessed with–chronicling what happened in his daily life as accurately as possible. While he was returning to an area he did know and even some people he had known in the past, they knew nothing of what had happened to him while he was away and so he felt free from many of his trappings. He had heard and remembered that Minneapolis proper was a much more accepting place, so he decided to be open with his sexuality and began finally trying dating on for size–but he couldn't seem to last very long with the same person nor get too physically close. His aversion to touch had weakened, but it still often brought on a strong sense of unshakable anxiety.
The other thing from home he was able to leave behind was his parents' supervision with alcohol. Even though he had been drinking for a good portion of his life, he had never gotten drunk before he left home. But once he had, he noticed that his anxieties all melted away for a while when the alcohol's effects were active. He never became dependent on it to escape from his issues, but roughly once a month he would get monstrously drunk to try and gain some respite from his plagues. This got less frequent and less severe as time went on, but it's a habit he still continues to this day.
Despite his initial feelings and his excellent performance in his coursework, Akseli began to feel a mismatch with his chosen major. But as hard as he searched, he couldn't find anything else that really called to him, so he continued in journalism through graduation, and went on to begin a master's program at New York University. Luckily, his good friend and fellow journalism student, Erik Larsson, was also accepted at NYU, and so they both moved to New York. This would be good for him, he thought, since Erik was a very outgoing person, but also recognized and respected boundaries; he was the person he trusted the most out of all his friends.
Sharing a one-bedroom in New York wasn't exactly how he'd imagined their roommatehood going, but the economic advantage was inarguably strong. (Akseli's parents still supported him well, thanks to Adão's family income and his own, but he felt bad about relying on them and did what he could to keep costs down.) It certainly made dating interesting for both parties; Akseli did not make a habit of bringing men home, but Erik would sometimes bring the ”Girl of the Week” (as Akseli put it) home, which prompted Akseli to find somewhere else to spend time for the night. (He had overcome much of his discomfort with women, but he still couldn't handle unknown women in his living space.) Aside from this, though, this living situation still helps him to grow–having his closest friend around all the time gives him someone to talk to rather than keeping his thoughts always bottled up, and the relative lack of privacy has caused him to learn how to be more open, although he continues to hold onto his reserved nature.
Personality
Akseli's introversion is one of the first things people notice about him. He is more stereotypically Finnish rather than Portuguese in this regard; he is terrible at small talk (he wonders why you would talk about nothing to try to fill up silence rather than just let it be) and he often won't say anything unless he is being addressed or it would fit the situation. He tends to regard strangers with caution and suspiscion. But with his friends (who are mostly all quite close), he is much more relaxed and will participate in conversation and sometimes initiate it. In silence or in conversation, he is not as outwardly pleasant as he was when he was younger, but he is still far from gruff or sour. That said, he still has a quite confident air about him and when there is a task to complete, he will go right to it and take care of it, and speak very directly. Annoy him, and he will not hesitate to retaliate with extra snark.
A lot of his mannerisms are dominated by the aftereffects of his assault. The most noticeable one was his aversion to unexpected conscious touch, which has subsided for the most part; however, bad feelings can still well up when it happens, especially when a woman touches him. He discovered this extends to sexual touch too, although much less severely (strong discomfort rather than outright aversion). Because of his circumstances, he also has a severe dislike of lying and liars, particularly when a liar tries to throw someone else under the bus in order to escape. And while he is not an alcoholic, he is still prone to occasionally binge drinking in order to escape from stress and anxiety (though the one thing he will not abuse in this manner is his father's family's wines).
Being rather introverted, Akseli requires a lot of alone time and he will take whatever he can get. However, his preference is to go into the outdoors every once in a while to recharge; because of this, he is a very outdoorsy person and really loves to camp and fish. When fishing, he only keeps what he will eat, and when he has caught enough for his food needs, he will stop. He hunts much less frequently, but he follows the same principle when hunting; he does not kill the fauna for sport only and he abhors this practice. He is also a very adept archer; if his high school had had an archery team, he would have been on it and likely would have been the top performer.
Aside from his outdoor activities, Akseli is alo an avid reader of fiction and nonfiction alike. History (particularly the histories of Portugal and Finland) and historical fiction are his two preferred reading genres, although he keeps a wide palette. Reading the news is also an important ritualistic activity for him, partially out of interest in what's happening in the world and partially out of habit from his studies. He also makes time to journal every night before he goes to bed; he finds it helps him to decompress and keep him from having trouble falling and staying asleep.
Appearance
Akseli is about 5'9” and 180 pounds; part of this is from muscle weight, and part of it is from being naturally stockier rather than slender. His father's side mostly contributes to his skin tone: still undeniably light-skinned, but he tans rather than burns, and summer brings out a lighter olive tone. (He's also still rather prone to zits, but it's not always noticeable since they prefer to trouble his back rather than his face.) He prefers to keep his hair at a medium-short length, long enough to have short bangs, but short enough to not be weighty or unruly. It's normally seen in its natural auburn color, but once in a while he likes to play with blonde highlights, just to change things up once in a while. If one were to look right into his green eyes, one would get a sense that he is lost in thought and uninterested in what others are doing; if he were to return the gaze, the feeling would change entirely and the amount of focus would be rather compelling. Try as he might, he is unable to grow much more than stubble for facial hair, although it does come in rather evenly; he usually stays clean-shaven, but when he skips shaving in the morning for whatever reason, the scruff usually benefits from his appearance rather than detracting from it.
Akseli is always bewildered by how others refer to his general fashion sense as ”punk rock-ish” or ”hipsterish” sometimes; to him, it's just what looks best on him and how he normally chooses to dress. Tighter-fitting jeans (but not skinny jeans), a button-up shirt (often plaid) over a tee or sometimes a V-neck tee, zip-up hoodies in fall and spring months, and occasionally a knit beanie are his usual casual ensemble, and he has many permutations and combinations of elements to create several different outfits. He tolerates the cold rather well (which has always stumped his father), often not bothering with a coat until a few degrees below freezing. Hot weather sometimes brings about shorts and V-neck tees as default because it's too hot to wear anything else. Even in summer though, he will wear proper sandals rather than flip-flops. Stylish casual leather shoes are his usual footwear of choice otherwise; athletic shoes only get worn during athletic activity or when otherwise practical.
Jewelry does not play a large role in his style, but he does wear a single ring in each earlobe, each with a stylized cross on the ring, and an inscribed ring on each middle finger. The ring he normally wears on his left hand reads ”até ao lavar dos cestos é vindima.” (”the time to collect grapes only ends with the washing of baskets”), and the other reads ”niin metsä vastaa kuin sinne huudetaan.” (”the forest answers in the same way one shouts at it”). They were gifts from his parents for when he left home for undergrad, and wearing them gives him a sense of continued closeness and connectedness with his family.
Fuku
Tapio's fuku tends toward the practical end of the sliding scale, with a long tunic-style white shirt with loose (but not flowing) half-sleeves. The cuffs are forest green, with an intricate gold embroidered pattern over its surface. The neck contains a laced slit down the chest; this area is fortified with the same material and design as the sleeve cuffs, but as it rounds the neck it expands to a sailor-style collar that hangs down to the shoulder blades. The hem of the shirt is also cuffed in the same style as the cuffs and neck. Tapio wears a black belt over his shirt around his waist, and also has a black arrow quiver strapped diagonally across his back. He wears brown pants, made from a slightly heavier material than his shirt, which are tucked into black leather boots, not unlike those suitable for hunting. Brown leather gloves cover his hands, and a leather arm guard is secured his left forearm. A thin ring of green moss circulates his forehead. A choker of hemp cord and bearing a wooden bead, his transformation relic, remains around his neck.
While he is transformed, his hair becomes much redder than normal, though not bright red, much like the shade of rosewood. He retains similar earrings to those he wears in normal form. Tattoos of green, leafy vines appear on his arms; the source of the vines is his heart, and each finger bears the end of a tendril.
Transformation
Holding the wooden bead of his choker with his thumb and pointer finger, Akseli whispers ”Tapio, I breathe you in.” His choker flashes green, as does his heart, from where the vine tattoos first shoot out over his arms, followed by wood-brown fibers that weave themselves into his clothing. Finally, his boots, gloves, arm guard and quiver all appear. The last vestiges of the green light travel to his forehead to form the crown of moss before darting off into the sky.
Powers
”Metsälän jousi” - Tapio's longbow, his main weapon. It has the appearance of a sturdy birch branch with some leaves still attached. The arrows associated with it are fitted with sharpened stone arrowheads and fletched with what appear to be pine needles; they are produced by magic and as such are more powerful than mundane arrows. Both bow and arrows are summoned silently by making the motion of drawing the bowstring. Archery is second nature to Tapio, and his proficiency is undeniable; however, the nature of the weapon makes it not ideal for close combat situations, and as such, Tapio must rely on other strategies when space is limited.
”Arboreal Miasma” - This is an illusory maneuver. Tapio touches his moss circlet with his pointer and middle fingers and whispers ”Arboreal Miasma”, after which a small grove of illusory trees shoots up around him from the ground and release a thick fog from somewhere within their leaves. Tapio is able to see clearly and pass straight through the trees, but anyone else will perceive them entirely as real trees and as such can only maneuver around them while dealing with the reduced visibility from the fog. The area of effect is 100 feet around Tapio and it will last for roughly 10 minutes, long enough for him to escape or take a more advantageous attacking position. However, the trees only allow his body and personal effects to pass through; if he were to try to shoot through a tree, his arrows would only become lodged in the trunk. After the illusion dissipates, Tapio cannot safely use this again until 30 minutes pass; attempting to ignore this will do anything from fatigue him to causing him injury, depending on how much time has elapsed.
Guardian
Name: Kullervo
Species: Duck
Kullervo bears the spirit of a sorrowed man, undone in the ancient past by his own revenge. He never had an easy life, and it shows. He is quick to anger and is still rather unforgiving. In his past life, a slight against him would have necessitated (sometimes disproportionate) vengeance; in the present day, having died at his own hand in the past because he saw the unintended consequences of his actions, he has resigned himself to merciless snarking, sharp words and a shirty attitude until he grows tired of it. Despite his past deeds and his decidedly bitter attitude, he does posess more than a shred of decency and will protect the people who are important to him, regardless of exactly why they are important to him. He also has a soft spot for people led to plotting vengeance and will do what he can to advise against it.
Explanation
Tapio is the eastern Finnish god/spirit of the forest, who has several prominent roles in ancient Finnish/Karelian culture as well as in the Kalevala, the most important work of Finnish literature, a collection of rune songs from all over Finland and particularly eastern Finland and Karelia. In appearance, he fits the Green Man archetype, with a beard of lichen and eyebrows of moss; I didn't want to replicate that design exactly, so I took elements of this (the moss circlet and the vine tattoos are the most obvious, and then I tried to imagine a lot of tree-like coloration, aside from the white shirt), added it to common elements among many depictions of Kalevalaic characters (many of whom were actually ordinary humans, aside from being capable of magic) in art from Finland's period of national romanticism, when it was still a Russian territory and had begun awakening to the idea of a Finnish nation. The sailor collar is just my trying to keep this design tied into the world of Sailor Moon.
I chose a bow as his weapon because Tapio was the god that ancient Finns would pray to before going to hunt, and so I thought that would tie in very well. His other power is chiefly illusory rather than offensive; I did this because in the Kalevala, most male figures were all very gifted in magic, and a god's magic would be near insurmountable, and I wanted to tone this raw power down in order to keep the game interesting for me and for other players interacting with Tapio. Though not mythological in origin, I also thought a maneuver that would allow him to escape to a better position would be interesting because the most lethal sniper in modern history, Simo Häyhä (also known as Valkoinen kuolema, ”The White Death”), was a Finn fighting against the Soviet Union in the Winter War during the WWII era, and that tactic of escaping to an optimal position just displays such a base Finnish quality of practicality.
Kullervo is another character from the Kalevala, the only character in Finnish mythology who is irredeemably tragic within that narrative. In the Kalevala, he finds his family dead after taking his revenge on someone else and finally stumbles upon the corpse of his sister, who he had seduced earlier before he knew she was his sister, and who committed suicide after discovering this. After this, he asks his sword if it will kill him; it replies and essentially says that after all the blood he has shed with it, it only thirsts after more blood, regardless of whose it is, and then Kullervo throws himself onto his sword. Since the Guardians are another reincarnation of mythological figured who do retain some memories of past lives, I thought it would be very interesting to see it play out where Kullervo gets another chance and to see how his final tragedies continue to impact him. I chose a duck because they are very common animals to appear in Karelian folksong, and even though it wasn't on the suggested list of animals, I didn't think a duck in New York would be an unusual sight at all.
Writing Sample
Thud. The small rock fell back to the ground and skidded a couple more feet before coming to a stop. Perhaps one second passed before Akseli's foot reconnected with it, sending it flying another short distance on the sidewalk. It was a cool, crisp late autumn day in his neighborhood; he had thought about doing some more of his course reading, but he decided he needed a break. He thought about popping by Erik's cordoned-off section of the living room to see if he wanted to come take a walk with him, but he stopped himself when he remembered that his roommate was out with the Girl of the Week.
He sighed. Just as long as she doesn't come here later, he thought. He had still not met this person, and he really didn't care to, at least not today, much less in the apartment. With no idea whether he should plan for staying out for a while or not, he got the sense that maybe that would not be necessary today, and simply left, locking the door behind him. The way down the stairs to the exit and the street gave him enough time to continue wondering about it anyway, despite having made a decision.
But really, he thought, another Girl of the Week? It felt as if there were more of them lately. Something seemed odd with his friend...he just couldn't quite put his finger on it. While he ran through several possibilities, ranging from totally plausible to completely absurd (he likes me? Ha, there's just no way, he thought on the absurd end of the scale), he began kicking the stone. To an outside observer it looked like Akseli was wandering aimlessly, but he knew exactly where he was going. As he came upon it, he felt a twinge of longing for both Minneapolis and Boise and their abundant greenery and park lands like he always did when he set his eyes on the small park in their neighborhood.
Near the shore of a decently-sized pond, Akseli took a seat on a vacant bench and just stared out over the water, right at a towering tree. Heaving another sigh, he started to wonder whether he was becoming depressed again or if he was just bored with his coursework. It just never gave him the joy it used to when he'd started studying it in undergrad. From there, he started to wonder whether his journaling habit was just a hobby or if it was a compulsion for him to do it, because he did indeed write a detailed account of his day every night before he went to bed. He went back to wondering about Erik's behavior and all the crazy explanations for it. He could have continued pondering his life when he saw a duck fly down and land on the water's surface.
For a couple moments, it just swam around a bit, as ducks are wont to do on a body of water. However, Akseli saw that it stopped dead all of a sudden. The seconds crept onward as he stared at the completely stationary duck. Finally, it broke the stillness it created and turned around as if to face him. Its fixed gaze and unmoving posture began to unnerve him; simultaneously, he felt absolutely ridiculous for having a pang of anxiety awakened by just a silly duck. He began to get up to leave, but the duck quacked several times in an almost admonishing way as it left the water and took to the air. He couldn't believe he'd just imagined the duck's call as human speech.
Akseli stayed seated for a few moments after the duck was out of site. ”Mitä vittua?” he cursed in his mother's tongue. After a few more seconds of processing, he decided the order of the day would be to just return home and lock himself inside the bedroom for a while. And hope against all hope that no strange women would show up at any point that day. He really didn't want any more than he could handle that day.
Questionnaire
Name: Kalevi
E-mail: xxxxxxxxx
Homepage: -
Referred by: Game member posted in a LiveJournal community in which we are both members
Other RPGs: Not currently in any games, but this is not my first time RPing–just the first time in a long time.
Results
Great application, the verdict is Accept. Some clarification on powers is requested.
Detailed commentary follows. This application was reviewed by Em and Regina.
Civilian Info
+ R: Looks good!
+ E: Lovely to see some new cultural influences! What a great name, too. Love the thorough yet concise approach to the NPCs.
History
+ E: Having also suffered from a traumatic move to a conservative area from a liberal one (albeit in 5th grade, not 8th) I very much appreciate the inclusion of this detail.
- E: Interested to know how he and Erik became friends initially -- just sharing a number of classes due to the shared major?
+ R: Solid history, like it.
- R: A little curious as to where Akseli goes to spend the night when Erik brings home his girl of the week.
Personality
- NYC isn't exactly known for its fishing and hunting - where does Akseli go do indulge that hobby? How often does he go?
- Why does he like books so much?
Appearance
+ E: Very lovely description!
+ R: Zits! Why does no one ever talk about their character having zits? Bonus points.
Fuku
+ R: Looks good! No complaints.
Transformation
+ E: I like your choice of phrase a lot.
Powers
* What are the effects of being struck by Tapio's arrows? In what way are they more powerful than regular arrows? How any arrows can he conjure per day/battle/transformation? How quickly can he summon arrows, is there a recharge time? As they are magically summoned, do they disappear after impact? (If so, how long do they last?)
* It's stated Arboreal Miasma is an illusory maneuver, but that others besides Tapio perceive the trees as real. Are the trees merely perceived as real, or are they actual physical obstacles to others? (If someone were knocked into a tree, would they pass through it?) How does the illusion interact with objects already present in the area, like cars and buildings? (Does the range of effect ignore things like walls, causing the forest to appear both inside and outside a building?)
- E: Regina raises the question as to whether to powers might be too powerful for starting powers, but I'll leave that to your discretion, as I don't think the power levels are inherently problematic for someone who might very possibly be the only member on his team. My main questions/concerns are with the quantity and effects of his arrows, and the nature of the illusory trees.
Guardian
- R: I'd like to see more detail here, like what Kullervo thinks of Akseli, the whole senshi business, and the fact that he is now a duck. What does Kullervo get up to when Askeli isn't around?
Explanation
* What role does Tapio usually play in the stories and songs he shows up in? Are there any stories/songs that portray him as the main character?
* As you are the first senshi of your team, you have the privilege of determining your team name and any divisions/classes within your group. Please let us know what words should be used to identify your team.
+ R: Kudos on the Simo Häyhä shout out.
+ E: As something of a WWII buff, I like that inclusion. And duck is indeed a good choice! They're everywhere.
Writing Sample
+ R: Looks good. ^_^
Detailed commentary follows. This application was reviewed by Em and Regina.
Civilian Info
+ R: Looks good!
+ E: Lovely to see some new cultural influences! What a great name, too. Love the thorough yet concise approach to the NPCs.
History
+ E: Having also suffered from a traumatic move to a conservative area from a liberal one (albeit in 5th grade, not 8th) I very much appreciate the inclusion of this detail.
- E: Interested to know how he and Erik became friends initially -- just sharing a number of classes due to the shared major?
+ R: Solid history, like it.
- R: A little curious as to where Akseli goes to spend the night when Erik brings home his girl of the week.
Personality
- NYC isn't exactly known for its fishing and hunting - where does Akseli go do indulge that hobby? How often does he go?
- Why does he like books so much?
Appearance
+ E: Very lovely description!
+ R: Zits! Why does no one ever talk about their character having zits? Bonus points.
Fuku
+ R: Looks good! No complaints.
Transformation
+ E: I like your choice of phrase a lot.
Powers
* What are the effects of being struck by Tapio's arrows? In what way are they more powerful than regular arrows? How any arrows can he conjure per day/battle/transformation? How quickly can he summon arrows, is there a recharge time? As they are magically summoned, do they disappear after impact? (If so, how long do they last?)
* It's stated Arboreal Miasma is an illusory maneuver, but that others besides Tapio perceive the trees as real. Are the trees merely perceived as real, or are they actual physical obstacles to others? (If someone were knocked into a tree, would they pass through it?) How does the illusion interact with objects already present in the area, like cars and buildings? (Does the range of effect ignore things like walls, causing the forest to appear both inside and outside a building?)
- E: Regina raises the question as to whether to powers might be too powerful for starting powers, but I'll leave that to your discretion, as I don't think the power levels are inherently problematic for someone who might very possibly be the only member on his team. My main questions/concerns are with the quantity and effects of his arrows, and the nature of the illusory trees.
Guardian
- R: I'd like to see more detail here, like what Kullervo thinks of Akseli, the whole senshi business, and the fact that he is now a duck. What does Kullervo get up to when Askeli isn't around?
Explanation
* What role does Tapio usually play in the stories and songs he shows up in? Are there any stories/songs that portray him as the main character?
* As you are the first senshi of your team, you have the privilege of determining your team name and any divisions/classes within your group. Please let us know what words should be used to identify your team.
+ R: Kudos on the Simo Häyhä shout out.
+ E: As something of a WWII buff, I like that inclusion. And duck is indeed a good choice! They're everywhere.
Writing Sample
+ R: Looks good. ^_^