OOC INFORMATION
IGN (In-Game Name):
ShrimpRP ← (applying on)
celexaprozac (main)
Halimede (alt)
What is your discord username?:
celexaprozac
What is your timezone?:
-7/-8 GMT Pacific Daylight/Standard Time
Describe your activity on the server:
Daily, often in excess of 12 hours, averaging 14 lately.. I first joined Feb 14 2025, and started playing daily Mar 1 2025. Current playtime displayed below!
Main:
Alt:
List your current roles on the server:
I am a Head of Department within the Professor Faction and presently serve as the only Lawyer Higher-up within the Government Faction. Aside from this, I maintain a position as the current radio host for the KHS/CC Journalism Club and the current CEO of Enchanted Quill Publishing.
[College][B&M]
[Fish]
[Goat]
[Rabbit]
Link any previous applications:
ACCEPTED;
https://schoolrp.net/threads/halimede-horticulture-professor-application.83013
https://schoolrp.net/threads/lawyer-halimedes-application.87612/
DENIED;
https://schoolrp.net/threads/srp-world-culture-club-celexaprozac.83823/
What position are you applying for (Maiden or Priest)?
Priest
What is your motivation for applying?
IGN (In-Game Name):
ShrimpRP ← (applying on)
celexaprozac (main)
Halimede (alt)
What is your discord username?:
celexaprozac
What is your timezone?:
-7/-8 GMT Pacific Daylight/Standard Time
Describe your activity on the server:
Daily, often in excess of 12 hours, averaging 14 lately.. I first joined Feb 14 2025, and started playing daily Mar 1 2025. Current playtime displayed below!
Main:
Alt:
List your current roles on the server:
I am a Head of Department within the Professor Faction and presently serve as the only Lawyer Higher-up within the Government Faction. Aside from this, I maintain a position as the current radio host for the KHS/CC Journalism Club and the current CEO of Enchanted Quill Publishing.
[College][B&M]
[Fish]
[Goat]
[Rabbit]
Link any previous applications:
ACCEPTED;
https://schoolrp.net/threads/halimede-horticulture-professor-application.83013
https://schoolrp.net/threads/lawyer-halimedes-application.87612/
DENIED;
https://schoolrp.net/threads/srp-world-culture-club-celexaprozac.83823/
What position are you applying for (Maiden or Priest)?
Priest
What is your motivation for applying?
I have long since been intrigued by Shinto since learning about it in grade school but rarely had occasion to look into it. Japanese culture never truly interested me otherwise, I often found the stereotype of those overly invested in Japanese culture off-putting, admittedly, but Shinto holds a special spot to me as an under-served and underrepresented religion. Those who know me know I advocate for and promote anyone or anything with a voice not so loud or a light not so bright. I believe myself to be knowledgeable enough to ‘represent’ this religion, to be many individuals first contact with it, even if in a digital game. I find myself more than capable and willing to not only perform in this faction, but to uphold and respect the culture as best I can. Not only do I see this as a chance to help educate and provide a model for others to base their understanding of Shinto around, but also as a means to further my own knowledge and experiences. A lot of my research has been cursory and conceptual, rarely delving into what practicing Shinto as a spiritual leader entails. While I am capable of doing this on my own most certainly, I prefer a learning experience where I have the opportunity to put the learned knowledge into practice.
IC INFORMATION
What do you currently know about Shintoism? Are you willing to learn more about it?
This knowledge is based on real-world Shinto and may not be accurate to Shinto as displayed on SRP.
Character Full Name:
Erin Katayama
Character Title:
What do you currently know about Shintoism? Are you willing to learn more about it?
This knowledge is based on real-world Shinto and may not be accurate to Shinto as displayed on SRP.
Answering the second question, first and foremost. I’ve already dedicated a fair amount of time to studying Shinto in my own time but also in preparation for these applications. It’s been a secondary effort of mine to regularly research Shinto since creating my first character who is a rare self-identified practitioner of it.
Torii, often painted vermillion, mark the boundaries of the sacred space, which is generally speaking, the Jinja itself, or the shrine. If you are there to pay respects to the Kami, you walk or follow the sandō, or the sacred path, to the sanctuaries. The custom is to walk across one side instead of the centre, similar to the gates, as the centre is said by some to be reserved for the Kami. There is no hard rule about this though. Many Jinja are built on higher ground, often thought to be done to denote the separation of the kami and the sacred space from the mundane world. Within many shrines is the Honden, the main hall, which contains the Go-shintai, which is an object that the Kami may inhabit, but is not the Kami itself. A honden is not a requirement for all shrines, as some Kami’s Go-shintai can be large natural objects, some inhabit a tree, or even in some cases, whole mountains and therefore cannot be contained within a building. These Honden are typically closed to the public however, whereas the Haiden is where the public engage with the Kami via rituals. Visitors to the jinja pay their respects outside of the Honden, in the haiden, where there is often a bell to ring attached to a large rope, and an offering box, though the order in which you do those two is not specified. While the Kami are often equated to gods, this is often not how they are perceived culturally. On the same side of the coin, many Japanese don’t consider themselves to be Shinto in the way that other religious individuals consider themselves to belong to a religion. Up to seventy percent of Japanese participate in Shinto practices or rituals, while only three to four percent consider themselves to actually be Shinto.
Purification, or generally referred to harae, is an important part of Shinto and you are expected to purify yourself before paying your respects to the Kami, typically the washing of the hand and the mouth, temizu or chōzu, which is performed at the chōzu-ya. Humans aren’t considered to be inherently impure, unlike sin in other religions. Generally pollutants are considered to be Kegare or Tsumi. Kegare relates to things that may afflict you such as debt or disease, and is often seen as a spiritual pollution. Tsumi pollution moreso relates to crimes and disrespect, or pollution generated via personal transgressions. Some things such as cars and land can be purified even, often with a haraegushi, which is a ritual wand that can be waved over objects in need of purification or fortune. Such acts are typically performed by kannushi, or the priests, though Miko, the maidens, are also capable of doing so. Finally, one of the most recognisable aspects of Shinto would be the shimenawa ropes, which are lengths of hemp rope or rice straw with shide, or cuts of paper often formed into zig zag shapes, like lightning, which is said to symbolise the Kami’s ability to descend to Earth.
There are many festivals, or matsuri, that occur within Shinto, the most recognised of which would be Hatsumōde, which is the first visit to a shrine in the Japanese New Year, with an estimated upwards of 70 plus percent of Japanese people participating in. In some matsuri, a Mikoshi, or for the closest approximation, a palanquin, could be paraded around a community, or even into the ocean in some cases as a form of purification. There are also some traditional food offerings made to the Kami known as Shinsen, the kagura dances which are typically performed by a shrine's Miko and is regarded as an offering to the Kami and is believed to please and entertain them. I am acquainted with some of the Kami. Specifically I am familiar with the 7 generations of Kami which came after the formation of Heaven and the Earth, the Kamiyonanayo. The first two generations of which are the Hitorigami, or the Kami birthed as individuals instead of male and female pairings, which describes the remaining five groups. The pair of Izanagi and Izanami are probably the most well known examples of the pairs of two, as they are the ones responsible for the creation of Japan. The Kami, while often conflated with Gods, are not such and are generally treated as revered spirits, forces, or ancestors within Japanese culture.
Torii, often painted vermillion, mark the boundaries of the sacred space, which is generally speaking, the Jinja itself, or the shrine. If you are there to pay respects to the Kami, you walk or follow the sandō, or the sacred path, to the sanctuaries. The custom is to walk across one side instead of the centre, similar to the gates, as the centre is said by some to be reserved for the Kami. There is no hard rule about this though. Many Jinja are built on higher ground, often thought to be done to denote the separation of the kami and the sacred space from the mundane world. Within many shrines is the Honden, the main hall, which contains the Go-shintai, which is an object that the Kami may inhabit, but is not the Kami itself. A honden is not a requirement for all shrines, as some Kami’s Go-shintai can be large natural objects, some inhabit a tree, or even in some cases, whole mountains and therefore cannot be contained within a building. These Honden are typically closed to the public however, whereas the Haiden is where the public engage with the Kami via rituals. Visitors to the jinja pay their respects outside of the Honden, in the haiden, where there is often a bell to ring attached to a large rope, and an offering box, though the order in which you do those two is not specified. While the Kami are often equated to gods, this is often not how they are perceived culturally. On the same side of the coin, many Japanese don’t consider themselves to be Shinto in the way that other religious individuals consider themselves to belong to a religion. Up to seventy percent of Japanese participate in Shinto practices or rituals, while only three to four percent consider themselves to actually be Shinto.
Purification, or generally referred to harae, is an important part of Shinto and you are expected to purify yourself before paying your respects to the Kami, typically the washing of the hand and the mouth, temizu or chōzu, which is performed at the chōzu-ya. Humans aren’t considered to be inherently impure, unlike sin in other religions. Generally pollutants are considered to be Kegare or Tsumi. Kegare relates to things that may afflict you such as debt or disease, and is often seen as a spiritual pollution. Tsumi pollution moreso relates to crimes and disrespect, or pollution generated via personal transgressions. Some things such as cars and land can be purified even, often with a haraegushi, which is a ritual wand that can be waved over objects in need of purification or fortune. Such acts are typically performed by kannushi, or the priests, though Miko, the maidens, are also capable of doing so. Finally, one of the most recognisable aspects of Shinto would be the shimenawa ropes, which are lengths of hemp rope or rice straw with shide, or cuts of paper often formed into zig zag shapes, like lightning, which is said to symbolise the Kami’s ability to descend to Earth.
There are many festivals, or matsuri, that occur within Shinto, the most recognised of which would be Hatsumōde, which is the first visit to a shrine in the Japanese New Year, with an estimated upwards of 70 plus percent of Japanese people participating in. In some matsuri, a Mikoshi, or for the closest approximation, a palanquin, could be paraded around a community, or even into the ocean in some cases as a form of purification. There are also some traditional food offerings made to the Kami known as Shinsen, the kagura dances which are typically performed by a shrine's Miko and is regarded as an offering to the Kami and is believed to please and entertain them. I am acquainted with some of the Kami. Specifically I am familiar with the 7 generations of Kami which came after the formation of Heaven and the Earth, the Kamiyonanayo. The first two generations of which are the Hitorigami, or the Kami birthed as individuals instead of male and female pairings, which describes the remaining five groups. The pair of Izanagi and Izanami are probably the most well known examples of the pairs of two, as they are the ones responsible for the creation of Japan. The Kami, while often conflated with Gods, are not such and are generally treated as revered spirits, forces, or ancestors within Japanese culture.
Erin Katayama
Character Title:
Erin spoke in a flat but polite tone, “I do not use any titles. They may refer to me by my name. If required, Miss is fine, though I feel my bones aching as I imagine being addressed as ‘Miss Katayama’” before she grimaced at the thought.
Character Age:
21
Character Marital Status:
21
Character Marital Status:
Her face and tone went flat and cold as she heard the question, immediately divorcing her own face from any expressed emotion. “Divorced, once. Dooooooooon’t ask me about it.”
Character Nationality:
“I am mixed Japanese and Chinese, if you need to know the specifics, Danbian, China. I do not know about the Japanese side, but I grew up in Aomori, or so I am told.” she said, returning to her previously polite tone, seemingly happy to have escaped further probing about the disaster.
Degree/Certifications (If applicable):
“I have graduated from high school and completed a two year degree in digital photography.” She shifted, seemingly unnerved by mentioning her degree. “I am still deciding between pursuing a Master’s Degree in Emergency Nursing or Creative Writing.”
Backstory
Erin’s story began as she arrived in Karakura; she does not remember much of her pre-Karakura days. She doesn’t quite know what it is that happened to her before then and she is not quite looking to find out, having enough unpleasantry still in memory. Her early days in Karakura were marked with anxiety and violence, never dishing out, just bearing unfortunate witness to. Family members fighting, bloodshed, broken knees. Her earliest memories in this wretched city marred with the violence the city is rife with, daring to indulge herself for protection as her family faltered in that regard. As she came of age, she joined a small up and coming gang, called Parabellum Bratstvo, on the recommendation of her aunt who was a lower ranking member. She served her time, guarded doors, bounced idiots who stepped to her gang but she never felt secure. A large fight came one day and weapons were all over the place, this was to most, to be Erin’s proving grounds, show them what she was made of, what type of legacy she wanted to leave. Her choice? She walked away. After her punishment was wrought upon her, she left, determining that this was not a life for her.
After leaving Parabellum, she found herself still weak and vulnerable. Deciding this was not how she wanted to live, not wanting to live in fear, she took up the mantle of her own protection herself. Standing up for herself and expanding this protective reach outwards, to others. Oftentimes working within her social circles to help protect people or save them from certain circumstances. Whether it be orchestrating search parties for kidnapping cases the police neglected to involve themselves in, or volunteering in the horrifically short-staffed nurses office, she was there to do the most she could for others, priding herself on this fact. During this time, she entered her first dedicated relationship, which ended in disaster as the violence of Karakura struck her once more. Most of what she remembers is a cold and dark blur of torture and shock, though upon review of her medical records after coming to she discovered her injuries were so severe that she was pronounced clinically dead. Three minutes thirty-nine seconds, such a seemingly insignificant amount of time in a world where years pass in 525,600 of them and yet to Erin, nothing would ever be the same again after them.
In the wake of this, and having absolutely no one left to support her, she made a promise to herself to never do anything that could even make someone think for a second she would do something deserving of this. She took up her cane and put down violence, swearing off of it for as long as she may live, which in Karakura is close to guessing blindly. It took months of physical therapy and recuperation to learn to walk without a limp, and even longer to learn to sprint, climb, and jump the way she used to. Even now, her abilities are limited, but her spirits remain higher than they’ve ever been. She’s found stability working as an author with a local publishing company, which she has since become the CEO of, and in newer, relationships with an expanded and enhanced outlook on life.
After leaving Parabellum, she found herself still weak and vulnerable. Deciding this was not how she wanted to live, not wanting to live in fear, she took up the mantle of her own protection herself. Standing up for herself and expanding this protective reach outwards, to others. Oftentimes working within her social circles to help protect people or save them from certain circumstances. Whether it be orchestrating search parties for kidnapping cases the police neglected to involve themselves in, or volunteering in the horrifically short-staffed nurses office, she was there to do the most she could for others, priding herself on this fact. During this time, she entered her first dedicated relationship, which ended in disaster as the violence of Karakura struck her once more. Most of what she remembers is a cold and dark blur of torture and shock, though upon review of her medical records after coming to she discovered her injuries were so severe that she was pronounced clinically dead. Three minutes thirty-nine seconds, such a seemingly insignificant amount of time in a world where years pass in 525,600 of them and yet to Erin, nothing would ever be the same again after them.
In the wake of this, and having absolutely no one left to support her, she made a promise to herself to never do anything that could even make someone think for a second she would do something deserving of this. She took up her cane and put down violence, swearing off of it for as long as she may live, which in Karakura is close to guessing blindly. It took months of physical therapy and recuperation to learn to walk without a limp, and even longer to learn to sprint, climb, and jump the way she used to. Even now, her abilities are limited, but her spirits remain higher than they’ve ever been. She’s found stability working as an author with a local publishing company, which she has since become the CEO of, and in newer, relationships with an expanded and enhanced outlook on life.
CHARACTER KNOWLEDGE / SITUATIONS
How does your character act around shrine grounds? How do they interact with guests and other staff?
How does your character act around shrine grounds? How do they interact with guests and other staff?
Erin has a baseline level of absentmindedness as she wanders the shrine grounds. Most of her time is spent traipsing aimlessly around its grounds, admiring the natural beauty. Though when she is not appreciating its splendor, she is likely peering at the CCTV cameras around, ensuring that she sticks within their vicinity in the event something goes wrong, hinting to some long lived paranoia inspired habits that just won’t die, much like her, to the disappointment of her ex wife.
Erin’s interactions with guests are distant, physically so at least. Her personal space is just that and she firmly believes this to be a reflection of shrine values. The entire shrine is the Kami’s personal space, it is to be respected. She is no Kami but the same principle applies. When this respect is given, her shining demeanour is what defines their interactions, her well-founded desire to serve and aid leads and defines her interactions. Where this isn’t respected, Erin finds herself tense and on edge, uneasiness and a tightly wound form defines her, much like an anxious dog might tense its body when sensing trouble.
As for her fellow shrine staff, Erin is unfamiliar with co-habitation with those she also works with, a similar unease would define her interactions with them during her transition period. Her unfortunate life experiences have left her as a woman who lives a life of quiet solitude most of the time, though as are all things, she too is malleable to the sands of time and change. As Erin finds herself increasingly more comfortable, her coworkers might notice her shoulders loosening finally, her stride more free, and her face more relaxed, more... like a person and less like a monolith of flesh and bones.
Erin’s interactions with guests are distant, physically so at least. Her personal space is just that and she firmly believes this to be a reflection of shrine values. The entire shrine is the Kami’s personal space, it is to be respected. She is no Kami but the same principle applies. When this respect is given, her shining demeanour is what defines their interactions, her well-founded desire to serve and aid leads and defines her interactions. Where this isn’t respected, Erin finds herself tense and on edge, uneasiness and a tightly wound form defines her, much like an anxious dog might tense its body when sensing trouble.
As for her fellow shrine staff, Erin is unfamiliar with co-habitation with those she also works with, a similar unease would define her interactions with them during her transition period. Her unfortunate life experiences have left her as a woman who lives a life of quiet solitude most of the time, though as are all things, she too is malleable to the sands of time and change. As Erin finds herself increasingly more comfortable, her coworkers might notice her shoulders loosening finally, her stride more free, and her face more relaxed, more... like a person and less like a monolith of flesh and bones.
You see a guest jumping around the roofs of the building and overall disrespecting shrine grounds, how would your character handle it?
Erin does not tolerate any disrespect of the shrine grounds, though her overall response depends largely on the individual in question and how she gauges their motives. Were it a younger child who simply wasn’t taught better, her approach would look something like the following:
“Hey kid, it’s not quite safe to be up there like that, why don’t you come down from up there, settle down with a nice cup of tea?” Her voice was soft as she spoke, walking up towards the ledge of the roof nearest to the child. She raised her arms up, offering to help the kid down.
Whereas the response to older students, adults, and generally more responsible members of the public would be much more firm and less understanding:
“The rules to the shrine are posted clearly at the temizuya, please return there and read them, and come back and do this over again.” Her speech trailed off into a breathy exhale as she stifled the urge to visibly express her frustrations.
“Hey kid, it’s not quite safe to be up there like that, why don’t you come down from up there, settle down with a nice cup of tea?” Her voice was soft as she spoke, walking up towards the ledge of the roof nearest to the child. She raised her arms up, offering to help the kid down.
Whereas the response to older students, adults, and generally more responsible members of the public would be much more firm and less understanding:
“The rules to the shrine are posted clearly at the temizuya, please return there and read them, and come back and do this over again.” Her speech trailed off into a breathy exhale as she stifled the urge to visibly express her frustrations.
Why does your character want to become a shrine maiden/priest? What do they wish to achieve?
(I will answer this question from an IC perspective as if in RP)
(I will answer this question from an IC perspective as if in RP)
“Honestly, I’m not too sure. I mean, I know why I think I want to join. The city is a living breathing hell and I miss fresh and clean mountain air. Safety is a belief I’ve given up on, long ago, but sometimes a comforting illusion is just that, comforting. While yes, as I said, safety is not an ideal I believe is tenable for myself, I do know this shrine offers itself as a safe space for many. I’d like to be a part of that ideal, to contribute to this sanctity and safety, even if I may not sit in the shade of this tree myself.” Erin’s voice went silent as she finished her answer, smiling politely and proudly, content with her own answer.
What are the core values of your character?
Erin’s self imposed duty to them triumphs over all, including her own preferences against violence, self-sacrificing nearly to a fault. She won’t throw herself quite into the firing line, but she will fight tooth and nail for that which she loves, and when she finds something she is passionate about, such as her job at the publishing company, she will dedicate her all to it. Loyalty is something that can be messily used to define her. Erin does not regard herself as a loyal person nor does being perceived as such motivate her, but the way in which she lives reveals an inconsistency here as loyalty is often something she exemplifies in stride.
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