Yuyuko

Yuyuko Saigyouji
Quote:	"Oh my, I'm sorry... I must have dozed off."
IC Info
Race:	Human (Ghost)
Gender:	Female
Sexuality:	Lesbian
Age:	At least 1000+
Date of Birth:	She doesn't remember so far back.
Place of Origin:	Gensokyo
Height:	5'5"
Eye Color:	Scarlet red
Hair Color:	Pale pink
Bloodtype:	O
Sign:	Snake, Cancer
Hobbies:	Gardening, taking naps, pottery, Japanese poetry, eating food, flower viewing, sewing and weaving, dancing
Favorite Things:	FOOD (especially traditional Japanese dishes, such as onigiri, nabe, sukiyaki, and udon), flowers, enticing literature
Likes:	Socializing, naps, tea, parks and natural sanctuaries, poetry, art, literature, entertaining people, dancing, parties, all meals of the days especially extra ones, cuddling
Dislikes:	Being alone, bitter foods, sodas, messy food, poorly written stories, boredom, people trying to tell her what to do
Romantic Status:	Single
Romantic Identification:	Polyamorous
Religion:	Shintoism
Residence:	TBA
Occupation:	TBA
OOC Info
Source:	Touhou

Yuyuko Saigyouji is a freshly arrived immigrant to Yuriba, having just appeared in the summer of 2018. She is a wanderer by nature and has taken up to simply meandering about the island in search of entertaining things to do.

Description

A seemingly young woman stands before you. It is difficult for many people to not stare at this woman named Yuyuko Saigyouji at first glance, as she appears to possess an otherworldly beauty and grace that few can obtain even in long years of immortality. She is a delicate woman of average height, standing at around 5'5", with a skin tone as pale white as death. Her hair is a rosy pink, cut just past her shoulders, made of waves and slight curls at the edges. Messy bangs fall just above her eyes, curling and framing her face. A pair of thin, arched eyebrows follow below, accentuating her scarlet red eyes with sooty eyelashes. These eyes are rarely anything but amused, highlighting the distinctly rounded almond shape. Her nose is small and a bit flat, giving a "button nose" appearance. Her round, full lips meet most strangers with a gentle smile. Her features, overall, are almost child-like within her perfectly heart-shaped face.

Her long, elegant neck turns onlookers' gaze down to her ethereal form. She has a rather 'traditional' feminine beauty, often dressed in clothes that weave together traditional Japanese and aristocratic European themes. In a nutshell, Yuyuko is slender with a mostly hourglass frame, though very little of it is visible except when she disrobes. Her sizable breasts rarely show much else besides a cleavage in the majority of her kimono and dresses. From what you can see at least, she has a form that isn't toned but is simply soft, thin and small, most notably in both her elegant, long fingers and small feet. Her hips widen at the waist, alongside her round behind, and through the long slit of some of her kimono, you can see her pale, long legs.

Yuyuko often chooses clothes of soft colors that go well with the seasons. What people first notice is her blue mob cap, with a blue lace frill around the edge. At the front of this cap is an unremovable triangular sign of her status as a ghost, the hitaikakushi, with a red swirl design in some magical, permanent ink. A white veil hangs from the back of the cap with covers almost the entirety of the back of her hair. She is most often otherwise in a blue and white kimono. A simple white collar, haneri, is the first notable feature at the edges of the low cut toward her cleavage. Then the outer blue layer of the kimono is seen, adorned with various lace frills around the haneri, at her elbows like a brace, at the end of her sleeves, and then finally, down the right side toward the lower part of the kimono. The blue cloth is embroidered with a variety of butterfly and sakura blossom designs. At her waist is a midnight blue obi sash that is tied like a ribbon at her back. Through the slit of the kimono at the bottom, embroidered with lace, one can see the white robe layer underneath. And lastly, she wears lacquered zori sandals.

History

Long ago, the spirit world of Gensokyo used to be a region of Japan during the warring eras of its history, as the Hakurei Border did not originally differentiate between the two realms Creatures known in Japanese mythology as youkai and humans interacted on a regular basis in and outside of Gensokyo, albeit the relations were always very tense. For you see, youkai often had powers that humans did not. It was very common, for example, for the youkai to use that advantage as a means of terrorizing the humans of Japan. However, that would soon come to an end... Though that wouldn't be for some time.

Occasionally, though, there were humans who had relatively decent relations with the youkai. One of them was the famed noble poet Saigyouji Houshi, who was born during the Heian era of Japan as Satou Norikiyo. However, he changed his name to Saigyou Houshi as a pseudonym, as a reference to his western journeys into nature and the mountains. Many of the mountains that Saigyouji traveled through were also in the realm of Gensokyo. He was a friend of some youkai here and there, but the man was most inspired by the beautiful cherry blossoms that grew in the Gensokyo region. It was in this region, in a mountain city on a border of Gensokyo and the rest of Japan, that he and his small clan remained.

The first daughter he raised was none other than Yuyuko. Now, it was Houshi's goal in life to raise this child into a "true noblewoman," in hopes that she might live a more stable life than he. From the humans, she learned music, art, poetry, sewing, tea ceremony, the proper way to sit and eat, and all the tricks of the noblewoman's trade. However, from a few youkai, she also learned not just proper conversation, but ways to use conversation as a guide... in other words, manipulating others as well as ways to enjoy nature in all of its impermanence.

The Meeting of Yukari

Over time, Yuyuko became a beautiful young lady, with the honed skills of a geisha. She charmed everyone with her words and smiles, and her hostess skills were superb for those who enjoyed her company. However, in the prime of her life nearing her 20s, it was well-known news that the village where they stayed and all the members of her clan were slowly dying. The cause was clear: There was a wicked tree youkai, called the Saigyou-Ayakashi that bloomed in the gardens of Hakugyokurou. There were rumors that it took the lives of humans. And it was most certainly killing her entire clan, until it eventually killed her father. From that point, Yuyuko isolated herself. But soon, she met a very light-hearted youkai at just the right time. One day, Yuyuko was just sitting out and enjoying Gensokyo's scenery when all of a sudden a strange black gap appeared in the middle of the air. It was a youkai of borders, who introduced herself as Yukari Yakumo. Soon enough, the two of them became close friends. For a time, Yukari helped alleviate Yuyuko's feelings of isolation of reality and life. She restored a sense of happiness in the young woman.

Eventually, Yuyuko told Yukari of the Saigyou Ayakashi, and her father's death. The two agreed to work on sealing the cherry blossom tree forever, in hopes that no human would have to suffer its deathly essence. But Yuyuko's depression never really lifted. And as the anniversary of her father's death came within the next year, she climbed up the stairs that led to the Saigyou Ayakashi in full bloom. Slowly, the Saigyou Ayakashi drew her in.

She knew, at last, she would die here. But Yuyuko was prepared for this. Taking the tantou from under her sleeves, she would not let the youkai have the best of her. So instead of letting it kill her, she would use her body as the boundary to banish the cherry blossom tree youkai. As quick as she could, Yuyuko sacrificed herself right there. It was approximately an hour later when Yukari found her. Well, if there was anyone who understood why Yuyuko did what she did, it was Yukari. But she believed in her heart that Yuyuko did not deserve to die. And thus she created the Border between Yuyuko and Saigyou Ayakashi:

"The girl who bears witness to death, at the time of the Saigyou Ayakashi's full bloom, shall be bound by mortality. So that her soul may rest in peace within the Hakugyokurou, I will seal the cherry blossoms, and make it the barrier. My wish... is that she will never again reincarnate, and never again suffer pain..."

Ghostly Afterlife

Somewhere between existence and non-existence, she met with the Judges of the Heavens, the Yama. From them, she received her sentence: to rule over Hakugyokurou in the Netherworld, as that was where her Border of Life remained. Thus, she was entrusted to an administrator position over spirits--since after all, she could manipulate them to follow her should they disobey. So, Yuyuko became the ghost princess of Hakugyokurou, and its Lady and protector.

The beginning of Yuyuko's ghostly existence was confusing, and she seemed to wander between dreams and reality. Overall, she seemed to enjoy herself, despite getting lost in foggy memories of the past. Years passed, and Gensokyo also entered a very tumultuous time. It is rumored that Yukari and an army of youkai invaded the moon and failed... perhaps the youkai of boundaries wanted to teach the youkai a lesson...

At the same time, Yuyuko very quickly became more immersed in the ghostly life of the Netherworld. Her memories of her life before began to fade away. It had been at least 700 years into her death until she decided on a serious decision. Hakugyokurou had become a busy place, and Yuyuko needed someone to take care of the place, and perhaps herself, in the midst of things. Thus, with a little searching amongst the people of Netherworld and Gensokyo, Yuyuko made a pact with Youki Konpaku, the half-phantom half-human swordsman. The two were on friendly terms, and Yuyuko entrusted herself and Hakugyokurou to him. Youki was then the first Gardener of Hakugyokurou.

Now, being a Gardener was more than simply being one who cuts weeds. It was a high status in ghost world, as a Gardener is capable of cutting the cycle of transmigration--which sends a spirit to hell. Yuyuko, of course, must allow this to happen in the first place.

Years pass, the afterlife is swell. With the numbers of wars occurring in the living realm and with creation of the Great Hakurei Border separating Gensokyo from Japan, things become difficult. Yuyuko begins allowing many spirits residence in the living realm simply out necessity--Hakugyokurou and the Netherworld were getting crowded. After submitting a plea to the Yama, the Netherworld eventually gets a space increase, allowing more spirits to reside there. They say the Netherworld is bigger than Hell, and there's a reason behind that.

Eventually, after several centuries, Yuyuko meets Yukari face to face once more. Unfortunately by this point, Yuyuko had forgotten who she used to be, so they rekindled a new friendship--albeit it was bittersweet in the beginning due to Yukari's own memories. It was still, however, much like before, and they soon became close friends again.

Youki eventually retired, and his daughter and protege, Youmu Konpaku, took over the position. The Konpaku line was, in a way, indentured to the benevolent Yuyuko, and it certainly wasn't anything to complain about. Little did they know, however, that Gensokyo would bring to them a great many adventures... One of them regarding Yuyuko's own past.

Perfect Cherry Blossom

1000 years after her death, Yuyuko comes across a document describing the border between Saigyou Ayakashi and some girl. Curious, she sought out ways to unseal it, in hopes that cherry blossoms would bloom again. She asked Yukari to weaken the border between Netherworld and Gensokyo, so that she could bring spring unto the cherry blossom. Perhaps too lazy to care or too tired overall, Yukari did just that. Yuyuko immediately set out to work, absorbing essences of spring from youkai, humans, and the realm itself--in hopes of breaking the seal.

She was eventually stopped by heroic humans, but in the end, she came to realize a significant piece of her past. SHE was the seal on the Saigyou Ayakashi. Having come to terms with this realization, she then embraced the afterlife completely.

Between fighting drunk oni, saving the moon of Gensokyo, and returning delinquent celestials back to their homes, Yuyuko soon became actively involved in the affairs of Gensokyo. However, it was in her nature to always be curious. She is one of those Yuriban residents who found herself wandering too far from her gardens, until she realized she wasn't in the gardens of Hakugyokurou nor even Gensokyo any longer. With the tie broken between herself and Gensokyo, Yuyuko exists between worlds. Her powers over death and spirits seems to be non-existent. However, she retains her abilities as a ghost to fly and levitate, alongside her knowledge of danmaku spells that allow her to create energy blasts from her own source of magical energy. She can, at the least, create brilliant displays of non-lethal magic to be used as she wishes. But for Yuyuko to be free of the realm of death... What a sigh of relief. Seeking peace and another world to entertain herself with, the ghost princess wanders.

It is here where her story begins.