[ Trigger Warnings: Eating disorders implied throughout app, abuse and murder mentioned in history ]
Name: Kaede Maeda
Age: 31
Birthday: June 11th
Gender: Male
Species: Hybrid; Kaede is primarily human but has unknown supernatural blood somewhere in his heritage
Class: College
Subject/Work: Theatre Arts
Appearance Description:
5'11" 120lbs
To say that Kaede is underweight would be an understatement. However, he's grown used to disapproval and questioning and so he hides it rather well. He prefers billowy clothing such as poets' blouses and flared slacks. On days that he's feeling exceedingly 'large' he's been known to wear a waist cincher underneath his clothing to further slenderize his gaunt figure. Thanks to his low weight, his build is extremely lithe and thin, what muscle tone he's managed to maintain clings desperately to his willowy frame. Years of gymnastics and contortionism ensures that what muscle he does keep is very lean. His facial features are angular thanks to his build, not necessarily unhandsome, simply...sharp. He wears his hair long, usually in a high ponytail, and has dyed the locks a variety of deep jewel tones over the years — nowadays it's a dark sapphire. His height and his blue eyes he contributes to his mixed blood.
As for piercings and tattoos, Kaede has a couple PINNA and AURICLE piercings in each ear, as well as a tongue piercing. He also has a BRAND situated in the center of his back, in between his shoulder blades.
To say that Kaede is underweight would be an understatement. However, he's grown used to disapproval and questioning and so he hides it rather well. He prefers billowy clothing such as poets' blouses and flared slacks. On days that he's feeling exceedingly 'large' he's been known to wear a waist cincher underneath his clothing to further slenderize his gaunt figure. Thanks to his low weight, his build is extremely lithe and thin, what muscle tone he's managed to maintain clings desperately to his willowy frame. Years of gymnastics and contortionism ensures that what muscle he does keep is very lean. His facial features are angular thanks to his build, not necessarily unhandsome, simply...sharp. He wears his hair long, usually in a high ponytail, and has dyed the locks a variety of deep jewel tones over the years — nowadays it's a dark sapphire. His height and his blue eyes he contributes to his mixed blood.
As for piercings and tattoos, Kaede has a couple PINNA and AURICLE piercings in each ear, as well as a tongue piercing. He also has a BRAND situated in the center of his back, in between his shoulder blades.
Personality Description:
+ Affectionate
+ Encouraging
+ Friendly
+ Loyal
+ Protective
+ Supportive
- Brooding
- Guilt complex
- Inferiority complex
- Secretive / avoidant (about his past & issues)
- Self-conscious
- Self-destructive
The best way to describe Kaede is loving and caring towards others and hateful towards himself. To acquaintances and friends he can often come across as almost motherly, making sure they're well taken care of, while simultaneously neglecting his own needs. In a sense he's built a friendly wall around himself, too busy helping others to really help himself.
+ Encouraging
+ Friendly
+ Loyal
+ Protective
+ Supportive
- Brooding
- Guilt complex
- Inferiority complex
- Secretive / avoidant (about his past & issues)
- Self-conscious
- Self-destructive
The best way to describe Kaede is loving and caring towards others and hateful towards himself. To acquaintances and friends he can often come across as almost motherly, making sure they're well taken care of, while simultaneously neglecting his own needs. In a sense he's built a friendly wall around himself, too busy helping others to really help himself.
Powers:
Two SoulsUnbeknownst to Kaede, he's a twin. His twin died in the womb and was reabsorbed into his body. However, unlike traditional 'vanishing twin' syndrome, the dead fetus wasn't the only thing to transfer to Kaede — he carries his twin's soul with him and it could be considered an entirely separate personality. He's the opposite of Kaede in many ways — sarcastic, loud, brash, gluttonous, violent and fiercely protective, willing to do anything and everything to protect his brother and those his brother cares about. When he takes control of the body it causes Kaede to experience blackouts and lapses in memory.
Kaede hasn't come to terms with his twin's existence yet and views it primarily as a nagging voice in the back of his mind — dubbing it his 'dark passenger'.
Currently Kaede's twin is so suppressed that he can only shift his way into the body's 'pilot seat' if/when Kaede is in mortal danger.
Magicked BrandThe brand situated between Kaede's shoulder blades is a construct resembling a lock. It keeps his twin's soul suppressed, making it harder for Kaede to lose control of himself. The lock can be loosened or opened if a skilled magic user manipulates the brand.
Species Abilities:
ResilientUnlike default humans, Kaede is resilient to injury and sickness and heals at a faster rate. Bruises fade within a couple of days and broken bones set within weeks. This is not enough to make him immortal, as sustained damage will still kill him.
Biography:
Kaede likes to think that he has a good memory; however there's no denying that there's holes, dark, dank and full of the smell of viscera.
He grew up, no memory of his parents, given away too early for him to really form any attachment to them. One of many munchkins in an orphanage, communal life was all Kaede had known. Despite being raised with a gaggle of other kids, he never really felt at home, or really attached to anyone until he met another new arrival at the orphanage — a boy he came to know as Desi. Something about the youth drew Kaede in, and after a little persistence, he found himself a best friend. He had never felt devotion before then, held no particular love for the orphanage matron nor the other rowdy children that he shared space with. But to Desi he stuck like glue, genuinely enjoying the other's company and wishing only to spend all his time with his playmate.
Such plans are destined to go awry however, especially with such things as schooling involved. Separated by classes (and classmates), Kaede struggled to maintain his bond with Desi. Soon the only time he had with the other boy was back at the orphanage, and even then...Things felt...Different. He wasn't sure when the change had happened, he only knew that something was wrong and he wasn't sure how to fix it. While he endeavored to fix whatever wrong may have occurred, nothing seemed to help. While he didn't exactly want to let go of his friend, he found himself powerless to keep him around, and he wasn't equipped with the sort of personality to try to make the other teenager stay.
High school became an empty experience for Kaede. He had other friends, sure, but it wasn't the same. By the time he graduated he was itching for a change. Instead of going off to college, which was naturally the suggestion of both his teachers and his guidance counselor as 'the only choice for such a bright young man', Kaede instead set off on his own. With little more than the scant cash earned from his part-time jobs over summer break and the clothes on his back, he set out to make something of himself. Wageslave jobs weren't exactly appealing to him so he turned to alternate methods. Eventually that lead to him performing on the street corners outside his apartment complex, which was how he met Benji.
You're talented, the man had said with a winning smile, How would you like to get paid regularly for your charm? Well he could scarcely pass up an opportunity like that. Thus he became a part of the Cirque des Monstres, a local performance troupe lead by Benji himself. There were six performers, seven including their leader. Unlike his experiences at the orphanage, Kaede truly felt as if he were a part of something. His fellow artists were soon viewed as family, though like most families their were problems. Benji was possessive and controlling, hiding it under the guise of 'only wanting the best for you lovelies'.
Unwilling to disappoint the man, subconsciously fearing that perhaps the reason Desi pushed him away was due to some unknown failure, he committed fully to Benji's desires. Which included styling himself differently and striving for unattainable goals regarding his appearance. Despite the fact that he was quite flexible and caught onto contortionism and gymnastics quickly, and thus already rather lean, he was still too...large. He looked to his troupe sisters for help and they taught him the tricks of the trade, so to speak. In doing so he became closer with them, falling under their wing.
And so their little family continued, guided by Benji's influence. Outwardly they were a rather successful group, managing to book some theatres full. However beneath the surface things weren't going so well. Benji wanted more, to fuel the extravagant lifestyle he was funneling the troupe's funds in to. One night Benji targeted Katherine, one of the dancers that he had gotten close to. Things got pretty bad in the condo that evening, the scent of blood filled the air. Katherine lay on the floor, battered and beaten and something in Kaede...just cracked. One moment he was standing, staring blankly at what was going on, and the next he was on the move, hurdling his body into Benji's.
Everything went in slow motion. Crimson flooded his vision. The scent of bile filled his nose.
The room went black.
The next thing he remembered was waking up and seeing Katherine's bruised, haunted face staring down at him. He was in a fresh set of clothes and vaguely smelled of soap. "What--" he had started to ask, but she silenced him. "Kae, baby, you gotta go--" "Why--" Which only elicited a conflicted expression and a frantic "Benji's gone--you--you gotta go, baby, okay? Take this bag and go--" Katherine had to practically push him out the door, and though he tried to return to them over the next couple days, they were simply...gone.
Kaede was alone again...With nothing to do besides try to move on. He went back to school. Tried to put everything behind him. But the missing time didn't stop the guilt, the nightmares, nor the phantom sensation of blood on his hands or the scent of it stuck in his nose. He did his best to ignore it, and eventually became quite a good actor, able to smooth over his issues and conceal them. 'Superficial' became the name of the game at college, as he had the tendency to push people away and bury himself in work to smother everything else out.
Despite Kaede's best efforts however, a colleague named Liam slowly began to worm his way into Kaede's heart. There was something very curious about the male — he seemed to recognize the lurking darkness in Kaede and was quick to listen and soothe Kaede's fears and paranoia. Slowly, they started dating and shortly after their relationship developed into something serious, Liam convinced him to move with him. Immigrating to Manta Carlos was quite the culture shock to Kaede, but Liam insisted it was healthier for him. Here, he didn't have to worry about being strange or weird — and there were ways to help him with his "problem".
It was in Manta Carlos that Liam gave Kaede his brand and it was then that their relationship slowly fell apart. Liam had hoped to make Kaede feel safe, make it easier for him to open up, but it only partly worked. Their breakup was messy and hard, leaving Kaede adrift on an island of strangers, with only his work to keep him occupied.
He grew up, no memory of his parents, given away too early for him to really form any attachment to them. One of many munchkins in an orphanage, communal life was all Kaede had known. Despite being raised with a gaggle of other kids, he never really felt at home, or really attached to anyone until he met another new arrival at the orphanage — a boy he came to know as Desi. Something about the youth drew Kaede in, and after a little persistence, he found himself a best friend. He had never felt devotion before then, held no particular love for the orphanage matron nor the other rowdy children that he shared space with. But to Desi he stuck like glue, genuinely enjoying the other's company and wishing only to spend all his time with his playmate.
Such plans are destined to go awry however, especially with such things as schooling involved. Separated by classes (and classmates), Kaede struggled to maintain his bond with Desi. Soon the only time he had with the other boy was back at the orphanage, and even then...Things felt...Different. He wasn't sure when the change had happened, he only knew that something was wrong and he wasn't sure how to fix it. While he endeavored to fix whatever wrong may have occurred, nothing seemed to help. While he didn't exactly want to let go of his friend, he found himself powerless to keep him around, and he wasn't equipped with the sort of personality to try to make the other teenager stay.
High school became an empty experience for Kaede. He had other friends, sure, but it wasn't the same. By the time he graduated he was itching for a change. Instead of going off to college, which was naturally the suggestion of both his teachers and his guidance counselor as 'the only choice for such a bright young man', Kaede instead set off on his own. With little more than the scant cash earned from his part-time jobs over summer break and the clothes on his back, he set out to make something of himself. Wageslave jobs weren't exactly appealing to him so he turned to alternate methods. Eventually that lead to him performing on the street corners outside his apartment complex, which was how he met Benji.
You're talented, the man had said with a winning smile, How would you like to get paid regularly for your charm? Well he could scarcely pass up an opportunity like that. Thus he became a part of the Cirque des Monstres, a local performance troupe lead by Benji himself. There were six performers, seven including their leader. Unlike his experiences at the orphanage, Kaede truly felt as if he were a part of something. His fellow artists were soon viewed as family, though like most families their were problems. Benji was possessive and controlling, hiding it under the guise of 'only wanting the best for you lovelies'.
Unwilling to disappoint the man, subconsciously fearing that perhaps the reason Desi pushed him away was due to some unknown failure, he committed fully to Benji's desires. Which included styling himself differently and striving for unattainable goals regarding his appearance. Despite the fact that he was quite flexible and caught onto contortionism and gymnastics quickly, and thus already rather lean, he was still too...large. He looked to his troupe sisters for help and they taught him the tricks of the trade, so to speak. In doing so he became closer with them, falling under their wing.
And so their little family continued, guided by Benji's influence. Outwardly they were a rather successful group, managing to book some theatres full. However beneath the surface things weren't going so well. Benji wanted more, to fuel the extravagant lifestyle he was funneling the troupe's funds in to. One night Benji targeted Katherine, one of the dancers that he had gotten close to. Things got pretty bad in the condo that evening, the scent of blood filled the air. Katherine lay on the floor, battered and beaten and something in Kaede...just cracked. One moment he was standing, staring blankly at what was going on, and the next he was on the move, hurdling his body into Benji's.
Everything went in slow motion. Crimson flooded his vision. The scent of bile filled his nose.
The room went black.
The next thing he remembered was waking up and seeing Katherine's bruised, haunted face staring down at him. He was in a fresh set of clothes and vaguely smelled of soap. "What--" he had started to ask, but she silenced him. "Kae, baby, you gotta go--" "Why--" Which only elicited a conflicted expression and a frantic "Benji's gone--you--you gotta go, baby, okay? Take this bag and go--" Katherine had to practically push him out the door, and though he tried to return to them over the next couple days, they were simply...gone.
Kaede was alone again...With nothing to do besides try to move on. He went back to school. Tried to put everything behind him. But the missing time didn't stop the guilt, the nightmares, nor the phantom sensation of blood on his hands or the scent of it stuck in his nose. He did his best to ignore it, and eventually became quite a good actor, able to smooth over his issues and conceal them. 'Superficial' became the name of the game at college, as he had the tendency to push people away and bury himself in work to smother everything else out.
Despite Kaede's best efforts however, a colleague named Liam slowly began to worm his way into Kaede's heart. There was something very curious about the male — he seemed to recognize the lurking darkness in Kaede and was quick to listen and soothe Kaede's fears and paranoia. Slowly, they started dating and shortly after their relationship developed into something serious, Liam convinced him to move with him. Immigrating to Manta Carlos was quite the culture shock to Kaede, but Liam insisted it was healthier for him. Here, he didn't have to worry about being strange or weird — and there were ways to help him with his "problem".
It was in Manta Carlos that Liam gave Kaede his brand and it was then that their relationship slowly fell apart. Liam had hoped to make Kaede feel safe, make it easier for him to open up, but it only partly worked. Their breakup was messy and hard, leaving Kaede adrift on an island of strangers, with only his work to keep him occupied.
Additional Information:
★ Likes
Dancing & all sorts of music
Fitting in small places
Giving back rubs
Performing
Strawberries
★ Dislikes
Darkness
Doctor's appointments
His belly
Horror movies
Mirrors & scales
★ Extras
Kaede is an exceptional actor, able to settle easily into various roles. He's also a gifted contortionist, able to flex and bend his body into a bunch of different shapes and sizes.
Kaede's self-image issues are rooted rather deeply, causing him to have a warped view of his body. He struggles with eating, not wanting to gain weight, and often purges what he does consume.
Fluent in Japanese & English
Dancing & all sorts of music Fitting in small places Giving back rubs Performing Strawberries★ Dislikes
Darkness Doctor's appointments His belly Horror movies Mirrors & scales★ Extras
Kaede is an exceptional actor, able to settle easily into various roles. He's also a gifted contortionist, able to flex and bend his body into a bunch of different shapes and sizes. Kaede's self-image issues are rooted rather deeply, causing him to have a warped view of his body. He struggles with eating, not wanting to gain weight, and often purges what he does consume. Fluent in Japanese & English