OOC INFORMATION
IGN (In-Game Name):
Zrle (Main)
Xrla (Alt)
Zr1e (New Alt) – Applying with ^^
What is your discord username?:
zerlaa
What is your timezone?:
EST
Describe your activity on the server:
I am online daily on my main account and just returned to being extremely active after a break. I also have a break from university, which allows me to focus entirely on SRP! When I return to university, I will still be committed but will have a different amount of time than I currently do. I am not super active on my alts as I have nothing to do with them, but I will be more active with roles!
A current timetable of activity that is subject to change when I return to school (in January), but I am fully ready to be committed to SRP even when my schedule changes.
Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
Completely free! | SRP VB practice 5-6 pm! | Completely free! | Completely free! | SRP VB practice 5-6 pm! | Completely free! | SRP VB practice 5-6 pm! |
List your current roles on the server:
Zrle — [Grade-12][Volleyball] ── Main account
Xrla — [College]
Zr1e — [Grade-7] ── Applying with, brand new account ^^
Link any previous applications:
Pending
Art Teacher Application
Accepted
Language Application - JSL
Third Language
Language Application - French
Language Application - Greek
Language Application - Korean
Denied
Art Media Application
Language Application - Korean
What position are you applying for (Maiden or Priest)?
Maiden
What is your motivation for applying?
For starters, I have been around SRP for over 4 years; I have always tended to stick to friends and not apply myself, only really joining the sports faction. As I have gotten older, I am more interested in seeing what other avenues SRP offers and the experiences and memories they can bring. I have loved meeting people on SRP and have met some of my closest, now irl friends on the server. I also currently have a teacher application, which I should wait for the response for; however, Shrine has been the role I have wanted to apply to for as long as I can recall, so I do not want the opportunity to pass. In the past, I went as far as finishing the entire application, but I never got around to posting it due to nerves. I want to join the Shrine to keep pursuing this idea that I held onto for so long but never got to in the past.
As for why Shrine specifically, I have wanted to be a maiden for a long time, it is one of the most intriguing roles. On SchoolRP, it’s almost entirely “realistic” roleplay; characters are meant to adhere to a standard of realism, with “normal” human physical traits. I mention almost entirely, as the one exception I have found for this is the Monastery. This is where the naturalism of the rest of the server blends with culture and myths. Kami and ghosts appear as event team characters, and you can roleplay with the supernatural. For most players, these interactions are minimal, but Priests and Maidens are called to interact with them more regularly. Such interactions currently are my biggest motivator. Along with that, the Shrine is in a beautiful location, rich with lore, and consistently runs events for the server, all of which are additional interests for me!
What do you currently know about Shintoism? Are you willing to learn more about it?
I have done my own research, as I am interested in the religion. However, I am 100% interested in furthering my knowledge and adjusting to adhere to SchoolRP’s ways of Shintoism.
Shinto, or “the way of the gods,” is a religion that is heavily followed in Japan, with slight variations depending on which prefecture of Japan one is situated in. It revolves around the worship of Kami, or gods. A polytheistic religion, there is not just one Kami that is widely accepted, instead, each Kami has a unique title that they rule over. In Shintoism, people make prayers to local Kami, as well as those they personally believe in. Many of the Kami often relate to agriculture, farming, and protection. The widely accepted number of Kami is said to be 8 million, as it is always synonymous with the effect of being infinity, so in Shintoist beliefs, it is common to believe that there is no limit to the Kami. The main form of worship for Kami is done through monasteries. There are countless Monasteries, all with different levels of priority, and often households will even keep a minor shrine to give prayers and offerings. At formal monasteries, shrine priests and maidens upkeep them, and they make sure to pray and worship the Kami with rituals and dances.
I have read both the Karakura Lore to know the history of the Monastery and the Folklore Kodoma of Karakura. Reading these documents has helped me to understand the Monastery history of Akatera Monastery and Kisune Monastery and how they were both burnt down, as well as to know the current Monastery, Shinsei Seinaru Monastery, and its subsequent lore. As well as the lore of the Shrine Maiden, who became a spirit out of the goodness of her own heart.
In addition to reading lore documents on SchoolRP forums, I have also done external research on wiki pages and individual real Shinto forums.
IC INFORMATION
Character Full Name:
The woman greeted in a bow before replying softly. Her appearance indicated a sincerity, her tone was almost monotone, however it still held warmth despite all to it.
“Hello, you may call me Kinami Sakae.”
Character Title:
Kinami seemed to pause momentarily. Perhaps she wasn’t expecting the question, or perhaps she did not know how to reply.
“Any way you wish to refer to me is alright; however, Miss is the most proper title for my position.”
Character Age:
Once again, her lips turned upwards in a friendly smile.
“I am thirty-seven as of April.”
Character Marital Status:
Like a quickly changing day, her expression was stumped again as she stuttered to find her words.
“I-. .I do not see how this would matter. However, I am single.”
Character Nationality:
Kinami calmed herself with a breath, acting relaxed as she proceeded with the questions.
“Japanese, native of Karakura… I was born and raised here but moved briefly to Tokyo when I was ten to live with my father. I have returned since.”
Degree/Certifications (If applicable):
Even though she was saying something sad, she appeared listless, not entirely leaning into her emotions even as she over-explained. One could possibly pick up her sensitivity about the subject and her lack of a degree.
“Unfortunately... I was only ever able to care for my father when it was time for university.”
Backstory
Kinami, while pessimistic, is quite a bright woman to speak to, offering kindness wherever she can. As a young child, Kinami Sakae was taught by her parents to always try to carry herself with kindness and grace. Neither of her family was all that remarkable. Her mother stayed at home while raising her and teaching her all that she could hope to know before tragically passing when Kinami was just ten. Left in the care of her father, Endo Sakae, she fell into a listless attitude in her grief. To get her away from the memories of her past, they moved from Karakura to Tokyo, Japan. In hope of guidance, Endo began to involve himself in teaching her how he navigated life, always with a warm smile. As no easy task, being a single working father raising his lonely daughter, Endo fell to quoting Shinto beliefs, hoping to instill a moral compass with religion and replace some of the longing that Kinami clung to. Of course, her father believed in Shintoism and Kami himself, but he was never devoted enough to try and push himself into being a priest. With love and devotion to Kami, the girl grew from an adolescent to her early adult years. With that, the gap she felt with no mother had been filled with her commitment to Shintoism and a goal to become a Maiden.
However, hard times had fallen yet again when she was in her early twenties. Endo had fallen ill, finding a home within the nearby Hospital. To cover all costs, Kinami abandoned her dream of becoming a maiden in favor of working menial jobs, often several at a time, with no college education to back her into higher pay. When her father succumbed to what had bound him in bed, Kinami held onto her lower positions until all debt was paid. Alas, when all was left, the woman found all she had was her belief, and to turn a new page, her dream was re-envisioned.
“To become a Maiden.”
CHARACTER KNOWLEDGE / SITUATIONS
How does your character act around shrine grounds? How do they interact with guests and other staff?
The girl, clad in a simple kimono dipped in a deep bow. A braid cascading down her back fell forward, pointing to the stones below. As she rose, her expression looked kind, a genuine smile on her face.
Kinami is always a bright face, though it often tends to be surface-level. She truly tries to be positive for the people around her, despite her natural disposition. She finds that manners and helping others matters most, so she always walks with poise. Whether someone is a guest or another staff member, it affects her little finding the respect she offers to be the same. Neither social nor introverted, she seeks out company in her duties, though she always uses honorifics. Along with her tidy appearance, grace inside and out is her pride.
Though she treats everyone nearly the same, she finds with guests she is always more formal, a deeper bow, a more soft smile. She never presumes anything about the guests that step into the Shrine, having endless stories of their own. She simply hopes to guide them to the best of her ability. So she remains quiet, a whisper of aide.
Kinami shares a more genuine side with those she knows, and other staff members get a smile that shows her joy for the world. Though the bow remains the same, perhaps the warmth in her voice adds to her welcoming. She searches out her peers to talk about the Kami or just the days everyone is having. Sakae values maidens and priests as a sort of newfound family that she doesn’t have outside of the grounds of the Shrine.
You see a guest jumping around the roofs of the building and overall disrespecting shrine grounds, how would your character handle it?
As Sakae wanders across the stones between the buildings of the Shrine, her eye catches on the roof where a kid, perhaps only eighteen of age, lept across the roof of one of the monastery buildings. In such a disrespectful display, even the quiet Kinami furrowed her eyebrows and pursed her lips. The act of wearing an expression of anything but a smile was unlike her. Despite her meek attitude, the woman mustered up the courage to follow her faith and guide the citizen who had stepped into the shrine grounds in a poor attitude. As she approached, her head bowed slightly, a sign of greeting even if the other was undeserving.
“I will have to ask you to leave the premises of the Shrine. This is a place of worship to the Kami, not a playground.”
Sakae held her stance, a polite expression on her face present, but that did not stop her from being firm. As the citizen seemed to not listen, Kinami sought out another staff member to aid her. Though she was sure of her position, she would not lay hands on someone else to force them away due to her own principles. Finally, when the Monastery was freed of the disrespectful air that was brought, the woman could resume her cheerful demeanor.
Why does your character want to become a shrine maiden/priest?
From losing her mother at an early age, she was taught the Shintoism principles by her father. Though she found herself surrounded by other opportunities for study, she found the devotion she was brought through the loss of her family was a solace that other avenues could not bring. Along with that, she was consistently brought to shrines to pray and was brought hope in every encounter. As a young girl, she viewed maidens as a connection to the beloved Kami.
Spending her time in many shrines growing up, one fond memory possibly sparked her interest in becoming a maiden. . .
A young girl – at most a young teenager, she sat alone on the stairs leading up to one of the many shrines in Tokyo seeming possibly lost. Perhaps it was just the sway of the wind that brought down pink blossom petals or the will of a Kami, but the sound of footsteps approached. Before Kinami could particularly process, a red and white-clad woman was beside her. The two sat silently for a while as the sun drew down its rays to press onto their expressions. “Amaterasu Ōmikami. . . The Kami of the sun and the chief deity of Shinto.” The woman said, finally garnering the attention of the young Sakae.
Kinami collected her knowledge and pieced together the fact that the woman was a shrine maiden. “I’ve. . heard of her.” A hesitancy wavered in her voice as the young girl spoke, so the Maiden continued.
“I do not know what troubles you. However, sometimes it’s nice to live in the present. The sun will rise every day, as Amaterasu wills it. Even if all else is different, even if you feel lost. Look to the east as the morning draws near and the west as the day closes, and there will be the sun.”
Perhaps she was too young. However, Kinami could not recall what happened after, had she spoken to the Maiden longer or gone to seek out her father she did not know. Though, she always remembered the words that were spoken. . . The words that comforted her as everything changed around her. When she had no one to call family, no home to call hers, she knew the sun would rise again, the same as it did every day before. The solace she found within the words of a Maiden prompted her to want to do the same. Sakae intends to guide others to follow the Kami for guidance and reassurance, the way others did with her, so she started her journey to become a maiden.
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