Yukio is a thin, small young man. Only marking 130 lbs (59~ kg) with a height of 5'6". His overall form is androgynous at best, feminine at other parts. his face being the worst contender for 'strong' or 'manly'. Nothing chiseled, protruding or otherwise rough on this rather smooth and soft featured face. Set with bright blue eyes and black hair, a little past the should in length without the haori ribbon holding his hair in a high ponytail. Specific features include a mole under his left eye, ridiculously well kept lashes and teeth, and several pouches on his insides of his clothing.

He wears a Shinsengumi, a short coat styled over traditional Sagaru robes. A style of clothing usually reserved for warriors within the city state, it had been handed down to him by his uncle Sipoi. Hakama trousers set under it, covering the legs to the ankle where tabi cover his feet, snuggly fitting into a pair of sandals. Bridal gloves cover Yukio's exposed arms, a ring on each middle finger keeping the gloves secure. A intricate pattern of a lotus petal is painted in gold across each glove. Blue and white are an overarching theme in his entire look, taking an interest in the fashion of the attire personally and wearing it just about anywhere. Scarf included for when it's cold.

Yukio is typically carrying his Shamisen on his back, strapped when he's out and about. The Family sword around the belt of his robes, concealed mostly by cloth. Also under the cloth is the family sword he keeps to his side, held from his belt loops. He carries a set of writing utensils and mediums in a pouch to his side as well as having a small compendium of self translated words to his side. He's rarely seen not carrying these as life outside the Island is not kind on a foreigner who barely knows Common.

Yukio's body language is emotive when it wants to be. Extravagant movements to convey affection, honor, or respect are typical but his own reserved manner may cut him back on it if he's around a lot of people or fearful for embarrassment. He's not a good liar so what his body does often will tell his intentions on any matter. His face is usually set to gleeful smile, dread, or apprehension, all becoming very apparent when he sets those into motion.

Yukio's voice is soft and high pitched. His common has a severely noticeable accent to it when he tries speaking it, often times pausing awkwardly in places or emphasizing different syllables in words than most have made consensus to the people fluent in it.

Yukio's Shamisen: The Shamisen's strings are dyed a faint yellow, to contrast against the deep red wood of the thin neck. The skin stretched over the base is a light brown. The overall make is above average, nothing really special aside from the maker's slight errors in creation, but the wear on it shows ever so slightly. It's a hand-me-down from dad who used to play.  The Plectrum he plays with is in great condition, suggesting it's a newer acquisition.

Family Sword: Yukio's family sword is a katana of average length, average curvature, and of great make. The steel hardened sword has been used by his grandfather and father before him as a warrior. Fancy golden encrusted embroidery cover the black sheath with details of dragons and lotus trees. The handle laced with alternating tassel for grip. The blade's flat also have chiseled features of large temple sites and, again, lotus trees,  running along most the blade on both sides. The blade shows use but has been faithfully restored many a time with only minor defections between.


More Concept Art:

Yukio's an interesting bundle. Considering he was raised in Sagaru one would think he was cultured, set in olden ways, and perhaps proud. He's actually the least characterized native to the land, enjoying instead to take in new ideas, learn of many things and go out of his way to really think outside the strict box society put on him. The boy's parents raised him well enough, though they gave him liberty in thinking for himself a lot of the times. He's far too reserved to try and stand up as a voice himself for issues though, taking a back seat to louder minds. Generally, he's nice and wants everyone to get along. In principal he's a softy who'd rather go at it with radical ideas than tongue or blade. Yukio's not out to do anything more than make people think. And think he does, keeping his rather secluded mind open wide.

He's still beholden to a lot of the civil nature of the Twin Rivers. Customs which even he haven't bothered either questioning or finding offensive and tossing out. Slipping out of shoes in someone's residence? Check. And since he carries his father's blade it's perhaps ingrained a bit in his mind that he must offer the blade in way of showing pacifism to the owner. To bow to superiors. Though he was never considered a warrior by his city and has perhaps been too soft to ever be one his father had taught him many of the customs. There are events as to why the boy would disown his own culture however, rejecting that it was the only, better way to live. It seems a lot of times though he won't bother changing things entirely and just add new information and culture to suit what he feels is right by his own standards.

Yukio's wandering mind, full of ideas, is often times too chaotic for its own good. A classic example of someone with their heads in the clouds. There's rarely an off switch for the guy. Noise cues like clicking hands or stamping feet help slightly, but musical and written expression help formulate his expressions into clear ideas the most. Really, anything they could enjoy would get their ever running minds off track though. He lacks self control in this same line, finding himself gorging when he should otherwise not be. Being nosy when he mustn't be. Seeing issues where none lay. One could get paranoid overthinking the most mundane things.


Positive Traits:
+Generous
+Diplomatic
+Imaginative
+Open Minded
+Patient
+Amiable

Negative Traits:
-Skittish
-Reserved
-Nosy
-Self-Loathing
-Dependent
-Muddle-headed
-Decadent
-Needy
-Agoraphobic
-Insecure

Neutral Traits:
~Dreamy
~Obedient
~Unpatriotic
~Pacifistic
~Hypochondriacal


Likes:
+Tea
+Music
+Stories
+Art
+Nature
+Conviction
+Dreamers
+Complex Foods
+Pampering

Dislikes:
-Large Groups
-Dirt, dust and grime
-Feeling of Stickiness
-Darkness
-Silence
-Red Meats (Beef, pork, lamb, etc.)
-Violence
-Pranks

SOCIAL
Business|Apprentice: Raised as a port-side merchant, Yukio has some knowledge in running business, ordering shipments, and overall showcasing for a store. He even likes the prospect of overlooking management despite his skittish demeanor.

STEALTH
Sneaking|Apprentice: Sipoi, Yukio's uncle, unknown to him was teaching the boy the way of stealth and infiltration. While it does have something to do in the vein of Sipoi coming out as an Assassin it does come into play quite well when Yukio needed to slink out of Two Rivers'.
Acting|Novice: In the same logic as the above skill Yukio was taught how to dress and act the part. Most of this skill is not from practice but mere god-given attribute as Yukio can pull off an array of looks with how androgynous his young features are.

MUSIC
Shamisen|Apprentice: Yukio loves music, even when on the go. If one could not sit down Yukio could play the traditional Shamisen, the three string plucked instrument.
Koto|Apprentice: Yukio's main draw goes to the Shamisen, but he too likes to sit down and play the more complex Koto. The string set horizontal on a large plane. The boy usually sets up shop and plays as he thinks on ideas. Imaginative thought is helped through expressing himself with this.
Singing|Novice: Yukio's far too withdrawn to sing in public. He's got a nice and soft voice and will mostly only mutter to himself in private.

FINE ARTS
Writing|Novice: Yukio springs inspiration from his music, enough so to write his own twists on folk stories from the Twin Rivers. Most of what he's written has been in Ribasu, and plenty have not been super coherent. It's a form of expression like his music nevertheless, and he'll write when he feels up to it.

COMBAT
Swordsmanship|Novice: In terms of self defense Yukio was taught by his father and uncle. He's a terrible excuse of a warrior however, far too afraid of physical conflict to do most things.

KNOWLEDGE
Ribasu Language|Native-Fluent: The native language of the Two Rivers. Yukio grew up with it.
Common Language|Apprentice: Yukio wasn't instructed to learn Common until he some way into learning the family business from his parents as a merchant. He's got a basic grasp of the language, able to make out most simple words, phrases, and can even read most of it with some comprehension. His vocabulary when it comes to supplies is more impressive than his social thesaurus. His brand of common is thick with Two Rivers' accent.
History|Novice: Yukio has had a decent education growing up. Taught by his mother.
Botany|Novice: Yukio has had a decent education growing up. Taught by his mother.
Culture|Novice: Yukio has had a decent education growing up. Taught by his mother.
Math|Apprentice: Yukio has had a decent education growing up. Taught by his mother. Besides, this kind of helps when you're dealing with business.

Yukio was born in the 'calming' state of the Twin Rivers's Sagaru. A year's time just before the end of the civil war back in the mainlands. Xitians beforehand had meddled with the outset island nations. The opening of the dusk portals was something to early into his childhood for him to truly witness. It definitely didn't help the distrust between the nations however.. Tensions still held high in the states as the two main capitals pretty much held each other at knife point. He, alongside his older siblings, would be born into the lucky household of a Military officer and his merchant wife. The family was bigger than this though, the home also housing an Uncle and his adopted son from the mainlands. For the most part they were well respected as a household name in the state, having been one of the few officers to uphold the Sagaru during a time where political turmoil reigned from inside the establishment.

Yukio, from a very young age, was tutored like most of the children. Being taught applied maths and history by his own mother. Later, when he was able, took to start training by the sword and proper honor etiquette by his father and uncle. His brothers and even sister were given similar treatment early on. Though his eldest sister went quickly into talks of business with the mother when she came to the teen years. Most of the boys would take after the father as a warrior. That wasn't what Yukio seemed comfortable with.

Early on they recognized how skittish and prone to fumbling the boy was when handling practice swords. Even worse when facing the brothers in training sparring matches. The man of the house figured it was just because of him being so young. He'd grow out of it. But by the time he was twelve years old the boy was even less able to compete with his brothers competitively. The boys picked on him for it starting around here. So what was it the boy did then? During all of this he rather would take to being outside and admiring the nature around him. Yukio would ask to be sung melodies and hymns to put him to bed, or to wake him up and get him to focus. So, it seems father eventually found use in giving the boy his old Shamisen as he used to play. He'd teach the boy, instead of the warrior way, that of playing instruments.

This was during his free time though. Since the boy would rather not be suited to a warrior's life as his father before him Yukio instead pleaded to be taught the family business rather from his mother's side. There, he and his sister would start learning the more intricate steps of running the port shipments and the general supplies shop the mother ran herself. It was a much more comfortable prospect and he much enjoyed counting meticulously with the tune of himself humming, or keeping an eye on the store and playing his Shamisen to fill the place with some music, to being a warrior of any kind. He became so well adapted to the life that he made plenty enough to start buying his own materials at such a young age. Spoiling himself in the long run.

Yukio had a strange meet up with his uncle outside the city on a nature walk one time. Turns out he and the adopted son of his were out learning how to hide among the scenery. Yukio thought it would be a nice alternative to having directly face conflicts should anything happen. Taking up the third wheel, he promised as instructed to never tell his parents. The three, when Yukio would tell his parents he was heading out for a walk, would do this for a few years, alongside the time of him picking up the family business. It seemed this alternative to what his brothers were doing worked and, between the lot of five kids, he was actually praised for being the man of business.

Things started unraveling some time after that though. Yukio wasn't really thinking straightforward enough to realize that his uncle and brother had stopped training. And soon they weren't even around in the house. It wasn't until his father stormed through the front doors with the sounds of angered neighbors surrounding them. His brother and nephew were found attempting to assassinate several Government officials. A crime that goes severely punished for all interlopers in these lands. Why? Who? Yukio was frightened and didn't know what to do or how to react to that. Perhaps his father's status would alleviate some of the obvious agitation towards the people who 'harbored' such a assassin.

What was most damning was the fact few people laid claim to seeing Yukio out in the woods with the two deceased culprits. Fearful for their son's life the parents decided to send him off. It would take some convincing from his father to other higher ups to convince the people the son was taken care of in private while his mother prepared to pack his things. Shamisen, Koto, and his Father eventually relinquished his own Family sword and his warrior garb to the boy for luck and prosperity in an lien world outside their own. He wasn't to be seen again by others outside. So the young man would have to sneak out at night and wait till the morn for an early ship to come get him and send him off. And while the ship he got on was indeed correct he wasn't aware that it was making a detour someplace else before the mainlands.

You'd imagine his growing anticipation when he has to sit on a ship for months longer than what he thought it would take otherwise. He didn't realize the ship was making a round trip towards the Forbidden Lands.