Hikari Yakuhoshi

Physical Appearance

• Waist-length raspberry colored hair with majenta side strands that trail past hips
• Magenta eyes
• Fair skinned with a slight yellow-ish tan tone 
• Somewhat tall in height
• Medium to somewhat large breasts
• Physically fit with athletic build and strong muscles
• 3 piercings per ear

Clothing Style

Hikari typically wears dresses that blend medieval style with Japanese Kimono styles (although the place she is from is not Japan or medieval Europe and is only themed after a little of both, so there are some differences), each one having varying degrees of one or both influences. Usually her dresses fold across in a typical Kimono style, along with having wide sleeves and dragon/phoenix themed designs. She prefers warm or brighter natural colors, usually yellows and greens and sometimes reds and oranges. She also typically wears a shorter dress styled between a medieval tunic and a short Kimono under her more ornate dress, this one having more mobility and freedom for her limbs. In terms of footwear Hikari only wears sensible flats when she's on the move. She'll only wear less practical sandals for formal occasions before immediately changing out of them.

Hikari doesn't accessorize too much aside from a simple tiara and simple gold earrings. Her most common outfit is a golden dress with jade green trim and red dragon and phoenix designs (see refs for specifics).

Personality

Hikari is a headstrong and confident woman who prefers to take on challenges on her own. She doesn't appreciate being underestimated or dismissed because she is a woman, and she would assert her independence at every turn and purposely trained herself in combat and swordplay to fend for herself. Hikari is very straight-forward with both her approach to problems and her speech, and she's viewed as an elegant and eloquent yet assertive and respectable princess/queen. Despite the fact that most royals, including her parents, have issue with her boldness and unconventional behavior for a lady, her subjects tend to find her admirable and very loyal to her kingdom. She holds herself as a strong royal with a demanding presence, but she's much more stubborn and cynical about petty traditions, especially the ones intent on restricting her behavior. She tended to be moody and uncooperative in her youth and into her early adulthood, but she's obviously mellowed out after marriage and ascending the throne, since she has far more personal freedom.

Aside from her self-asserting nature, Hikari in general is a very graceful and serene woman. She is protective of her subjects and friends, and she has a strong sense of justice. She also is very clever and intelligent, and she prefers to know the facts rather than taking the word of others whom she does not trust. Her respect and trust must be earned, and she doesn't really take orders from anyone who doesn't prove themselves to her or give her proper reason to take them seriously. She is capable of cooperating with others, but she prefers to take charge of situations when she isn't working with someone she trusts enough to follow. She's more reasonable in non-combat situations, but in combat she doesn't rely on anyone else unless they prove their competency first. Hikari tends to be very set in her ways at times and doesn't like to admit when she's wrong or ask for help too easily. However, she never lets her pride get in the way of doing what's best for her people.

When around her friends or those close to her, or just people she doesn't necessarily need to act proper and prim around, Hikari is calm and friendly. She tends to be very mellow when in one-on-one interactions, and she has an appreciation for genuine relationships, nature, and animals. She's very fond of both dragons and phoenixes, and she has a knack for interacting with them while also showing them the proper respect and distance when needed. She takes great care to do what she can to maintain the balance of her kingdom's environment, and she also enjoys walking through the gardens or going out horseback riding. Hikari can be a little teasing yet protective toward the few who grow close to her, and she finds children especially endearing and enjoys interacting with them, either in the castle town or her own children later on.

Her closest relationships seem to be with her husband, Shinda, and Kaji, whom she was previously arranged to marry. Due to their age difference, Hikari and Kaji never thought of each other in a romantic sense, yet they have grown to be very strong platonic friends, and she thinks of him as her little brother. They have both a playful relationship and can also have rather intelligent conversations with each other considering how studious Kaji is. Shinda and Hikari love to spar with each other to keep things exciting, and although Shinda does have many more years of experience than her due to his long lifespan, she enjoys the challenge he provides and views it as the best way to improve. Their sparring matches are frequent and usually playful while still intense, and when they're not focused on swordplay Hikari can coax him into being affectionate and sometimes a little goofy with her too. Due to the treatment he received from Yashana while enslaved by her, Shinda is very hesitant and uneasy with having intimacy, so Hikari tends to be very gradual and gentle with him to make sure he's comfortable.

Abilities

• Fyre rifting - rank 5/5
• Mastery over swordplay, particularly with katanas
• Skilled at hand to hand combat and various weapons
• Skilled at riding horses and the various dragons/phoenixes of the region

Strengths

• Disciplined, confident, and focused
• Graceful, strong, and meticulous
• Protective, generous, and compassionate
• Resourceful, independent, and headstrong

Weaknesses

• Stubborn, competitive, and confrontational
• Tends to refuse help unless absolutely necessary
• Slow to trust, insists on working alone, and doesn't rely on others
• Not easily impressed and hard to earn her respect

Backstory

Hikari had little memory of her childhood in Dracone which her parents attributed to a traumatic experience with a Phoenitian attack. She grew up as the lovely and coveted princess of the kingdom with many suitors flocking to woo her, which she took no interest in. On numerous occasions she was kidnapped from the palace, only for her to make her way back home with her own power rather than waiting for a prince to rescue her and take her hand in marriage, as the old kingdom laws stated. This could be topic of conflict between her and the king and queen, since they expected her to be more demure as a princess.

At the age of 24 she was arranged to marry the young prince of Dracone, Kaji Honoha, to forge a peace between the long-conflicting kingdoms. Although both were reluctant to proceed with the wedding due to their lack of choice in the matter and also the age difference between them, the two gradually became close friends through their interactions. During this time, Hikari also met a vampiric samurai, Shinda Shihaisha, on the castle grounds and befriended him after the two crossed blades. Before the wedding, Shanan forces attacked both kingdoms in the night in an attempt to capture the two heirs, although Hikari was able to fend the captors off. Against her parents wishes, Hikari set out to rescue Kaji when she heard his parents were unwilling to negotiate for his safety. Shinda accompanied her on her quest, and she was successful in freeing Kaji. The Shanan forces set a trap for her while attempting to escape, but she was able to avoid being caught in the collapsing prison caverns with Shinda's help.

Upon returning home Hikari was shocked to hear from Kaji that the two young heirs were switched between Dracone and Phoenitis during their childhood. Hikari was unable to remember the event due to the traumatic nature of being kidnapped by her own subjects and forcibly exchanged. This meant Hikari was actually the princess of Phoenitis, and to avoid being forced into marriage with Kaji anyway she confessed she was already rescued by a Dracone prince and decided to marry him instead. This prince was Shinda, and although uncertain about the consequences he accepted and took her hand in marriage.

Hikari rules over Phoenitis as queen and handles all public matters in place of Shinda to avoid the citizens knowing of his vampiric nature. The two are currently raising their young, triplet princes to carry the kingdom into the future.  

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