oc questions - sora yumura
Does your character have siblings or family members in their age group? Which one are they closest with?
He was an only child. I mean, his parents didn’t exactly have time to have more children :\ so the closest person he has to this is Ibushi, who’s eleven years younger. They aren’t siblings, but they live together so it’s almost the same thing. He’s much closer to Ibushi than to any other cousins who are closer to his age.
What is/was your character’s relationship with their mother like?
Very good, for the brief period that they were alive at the same time.
What is/was your character’s relationship with their father like?
Same as with his mom.
Has your character ever witnessed something that fundamentally changed them? If so, does anyone else know?
It wasn’t a single event so much as witnessing the way Ibushi was emotionally neglected as a tiny baby. He was eleven by then but until that point, he hadn’t given much thought to how his aunt and uncle had treated him. They’d taken him in when his parents died and given him every opportunity he asked for. What more could he want? But seeing it happen to baby Ibushi really troubled him and made him rethink a lot of things (as well as making him decide to be there for Ibushi, since obviously no one else was going to). No one is aware of this except maybe his wife when he’s much older.
On an average day, what can be found in your character’s pockets?
His wallet, his phone, not much else. Maybe a couple of coins if he hasn’t gone home for the day and taken them out yet. He’s a pretty neat person. Not like Ibushi who carries everything under the sun in his pockets.
Does your character have recurring themes in their dreams?
Lots of bridges. And flying, except sometimes he realizes in the middle that he can’t fly, and then he starts to fall.
Does your character have recurring themes in their nightmares?
Just the falling nightmare, mostly. His other nightmares are many and varied.
Has your character ever fired a gun? If so, what was their first target?
Nope.
Is your character’s current socioeconomic status different than it was when they were growing up?
I mean, I’m not sure what “current” means really since I know what happens to him through his entire life, but I’ve been mostly talking about him like he’s in his mid-twenties, so the answer is that he’s maybe a little less rich than he was when he lived with his aunt and uncle, but he’s still doing pretty well. He’s going to be rich for his entire life, to be honest.
Does your character feel more comfortable with more clothing, or with less clothing?
More. As much as he can have without looking weird or getting uncomfortably warm. And in the summer, he might choose to just suffer through the heat.
In what situation was your character the most afraid they’ve ever been?
Oh, lord. Um. Here’s a secret: Sora is an anxious person deep down, less in the OU than in some AUs, but still to some extent. But when he’s actually in a crisis he does really well, it’s just in general that he’s scared. So in terms of situations when he’s scared at the time, he’s probably most freaked out when his wife gives birth for the first time. This long, drawn-out, fraught medical situation where she’s suffering and there’s absolutely nothing he can do...
In what situation was your character the most calm they’ve ever been?
Honestly, he’s that infuriating kind of person who’s most calm when he’s taking exams. He has that in-the-moment calm that I mentioned, and he never finds a question he can’t answer because... he’s that infuriating kind of person.
Is your character bothered by the sight of blood? If so, in what way?
Not really? He’s not like hardcore desensitized to violence but he’s not squeamish either. It’s just blood. If there was like tons of blood because someone was bleeding out, that would be more disturbing, but it would be the dangerous wound that was the problem, not the blood. And he’s never in a situation like that anyway, so... (At least not yet lol. Who knows what new torments I can devise)
Does your character remember names or faces easier?
He has an excellent memory for both. How can you be a diplomat and forget who people are... I’d say he remembers names slightly better but you’re not going to catch him out with either one of these.
Is your character preoccupied with money or material possession? Why or why not?
He likes sensual things, I suppose, if he’s given the opportunity to enjoy them without cost (”cost” here meaning not financial cost but the loss of time, face, power, leverage, &c.), but he doesn’t prioritize them. So the answer is no, not in themselves. They can make a statement, which might make them useful, since Sora is preoccupied with power rip
Which does your character idealize most: happiness or success?
Success. He’s not sure lasting happiness or even contentedness is a real thing. As he gets older he'll become happier, but he still won’t prioritize happiness over success.
What was your character’s favorite toy as a child?
He liked puzzle toys, but mostly he liked to read. He’s a nerd and he has always been one.
Is your character more likely to admire wisdom, or ambition in others?
Ambition. He does also admire wisdom? But ambition is the quality that makes those few people who have it shine. That said, his wife and most of his closest friends aren’t the most ambitious, so it doesn’t reflect who he chooses to become close to.
What is your character’s biggest relationship flaw? Has this flaw destroyed relationships for them before?
It’s ridiculously hard to get him to open up. Like, you’d better be in it for the long haul because I’m not talking about months, I’m talking about years. It hasn’t destroyed relationships because it’s stopped him from starting them to begin with. He trusts so few people that he’d never even had a girlfriend before he started dating his wife in college, despite knowing that society would expect it of him. And he only has a few real friends, all of whom were willing to put up with his shit from the start. He can perform the part of a good friend or boyfriend, but he’s just doing what he knows he’s supposed to do. Also, sometimes he needs a lot of affection, but he can’t quite bring himself to say so, even when his wife would be happy to give it to him. So he just suffers. It doesn’t cause problems in relationships, so it’s not as relevant to this question as how closed off he is, but it makes him unhappy. ...Honestly, looking back on this answer, it’s all just stuff he has issues with because he was neglected as a kid :\
In what ways does your character compare themselves to others? Do they do this for the sake of self-validation, or self-criticism?
He compares his actions to other people’s to see who got the best result and why, for self-analysis. It can turn up good or bad, but he usually does it when something hasn’t gone as well as he hoped and he wants to learn, so in practice it’s typically a form of self-criticism.
If something tragic or negative happens to your character, do they believe they may have caused or deserved it, or are they quick to blame others?
He thinks he probably caused it. He also thinks the good things that come to him are due to his hard work and natural ability. He has a nice, healthy internal locus of control.
What does your character like in other people?
He’s drawn to intelligence, wit, and a certain dark sense of humor. Things like moral character and integrity are nice too, but secondary.
What does your character dislike in other people?
He dislikes people who adopt stances he considers impractical, quixotic, or pointless. Included in this are a lot of more rigid moral stances and people who do things on principle even though no one is actually affected by it. It reads as self-righteous and counterproductive to him. Also lack of intelligence, shallowness, rigid demeanor... He’s picky.
How quick is your character to trust someone else?
He moves at a glacial pace.
How quick is your character to suspect someone else? Does this change if they are close with that person?
Suspect them of what...? Um, well, he has a clear idea of who his friends and loved ones are, so I guess it wouldn’t change? But whatever it is, he’ll probably care a lot less about what they did if he’s close to them. He won’t even make excuses for them, he just won’t care.
How does your character behave around children?
He’s good with kids. Ibushi stuck to him like a little burr when they were younger so he knows how to handle them. To some degree, he finds them relaxing, especially as his career grows more intense and the people around him are more powerful and constantly maneuvering (like he himself is, and does).
How does your character normally deal with confrontation?
Keep in mind that he becomes deputy ambassador to the UK at a young age and is eventually appointed ambassador. Dealing with confrontation is practically his job description. He does so by defusing it, or ideally by avoiding it before it starts. He’s a master of smiling and making agreements backed up by subtle threats (because you can’t properly negotiate without them, of course), and of extracting all kinds of concessions from you despite conceding nothing himself, while seeming reasonable and accommodating the whole time. Picture Ibushi turned up to 11. If push comes to shove and there’s absolutely no way to avoid open confrontation, he can be cold and ruthless and quite scary. With people he loves, he’s much the same except he drops the threats and the scariness. He doesn’t ever get heated.
How quick or slow is your character to resort to physical violence in a confrontation?
That is impossible to imagine, to be honest. He would try to defend himself if someone came at him first, but he’s not exactly trained and he’s a little underweight. Also, after a certain point he has bodyguards to do that for him.
What did your character dream of being or doing as a child? Did that dream come true?
He dreamed of going to England and studying literature there and then becoming someone politically powerful, mostly just because his family is the type to expect that and it seemed like a good way to protect his loved ones, assuming he acquired any besides Ibushi, and get the world to do what he wanted. It’s a cliche reason to want power except he didn’t have any nefarious goals in mind so much as just like... there were issues he felt strongly about, right? For example, the LDP’s domination of Japanese politics in what’s supposed to be a multi-party system (remember he is an anglophile lmao), the government’s shortsighted and stupid responses to the bursting of the asset price bubble, the international relations problems caused by most of their leaders’ unwillingness to just bend a little on the topic of World War II... These are the things small Sora worries about, along with making sure his grades are always the highest in the class/school/city/ideally prefecture and nation, making sure he’s learning English really well, and making sure Ibushi is doing okay. (And yes, although he isn’t a WWII apologist and recognizes that Japan did messed up things, his objections to politicians’ refusal to unambiguously admit it, drop Yasukuni Shrine visits forever, &c. are mostly pragmatic.) So, he thinks, if he could put himself in a position to influence those things and other issues that’ll undoubtedly arise, why shouldn’t he? ...The dream mostly came true except he studied history and politics in England instead out of a sense of duty to his family, he realized that he couldn’t go very far in Japanese politics without joining the LDP regardless of his own beliefs (he is that type of politician rip but like how can he effect the changes he wants if he’s stuck in some powerless minority), and he learned that even powerful politicians sometimes feel helpless. He did get to join the literature club at school, at least, so I guess that’s something.
What does your character find repulsive or disgusting?
Food, when he’s feeling anxious or unhappy. He gets an upset stomach. This is why he’s underweight :c. At all times: dirty/unhygienic surroundings and people who take power and use it to do gross things. That’s offensive to him on several levels lol
Describe a scenario in which your character feels most comfortable.
He’s at home with his wife. They’re sitting on the couch, leaning against each other and reading quietly together, but then he tells her something he just read, which starts a fun debate.
Describe a scenario in which your character feels most uncomfortable.
He’s in public, surrounded by strangers, the object of someone’s public and extremely embarrassing display of emotion. (I don’t know when or if this happens, but he would find it excruciating.)
In the face of criticism, is your character defensive, self-deprecating, or willing to improve?
Willing to improve, if he agrees with the criticism. Otherwise he’ll smile and nod and promise to do better, then ignore it.
Is your character more likely to keep trying a solution/method that didn’t work the first time, or immediately move on to a different solution/method?
Try it with a minor variation to see if it was just a fluke that it didn’t work, maybe try it again with a larger variation, then move on.
How does your character behave around people they like?
With the very few people he likes and trusts, he’s witty in a sarcastic way, free with his many opinions, and prone to complaining about things. He can also be very thoughtful, but usually only in understated ways that don’t require either him or the beneficiary to admit that he’s being nice. With his family (Ibushi, his wife, later his children) he’s more openly fond, but honestly he’s still pretty restrained unless he’s in private with his wife. If he enjoys someone’s company but they aren’t part of his small inner circle, he’s a bit wry in a distant echo of his tru snarky self, and there’s a chance he’ll give his honest opinion if the opinion’s not too unusual.
How does your character behave around people they dislike?
Honestly, you’d never know he dislikes you. He’s charming and courteous and he’ll make conversation with you as much as is necessary to be socially acceptable and keep up the facade. His close friends and loved ones will know something’s up if they see this happening because there’s just nothing there at all that’s real, but most people will never catch on. But good luck getting any genuine emotional responses out of him. Behind the mask his internal monologue is a constant stream of contempt and annoyance.
Is your character more concerned with defending their honor, or protecting their status?
Protecting his status, for sure. He doesn’t really think about honor. But if he did, he would say that either it’s intact or it’s not, regardless of the world’s opinion. Of course, the world’s opinion might be relevant to his status, in which case he might pretend to care...
Is your character more likely to remove a problem/threat, or remove themselves from a problem/threat?
Remove the problem or threat, I’m afraid. If you read that in a slightly ominous way you’re not wrong.
Has your character ever been bitten by an animal? How were they affected (or unaffected)?
I mean, maybe? He’s probably had bug bites or something? Nothing major.
How does your character treat people in service jobs?
With courtesy, of course!! I’m not sure he really notices them, but his default is courtesy. If he likes you a little, courtesy. If he thinks you’re scum, courtesy. If he barely notices you, courtesy. ...If you’re a close loved one, snark and complaints.
Does your character feel that they deserve to have what they want, whether it be material or abstract, or do they feel they must earn it first?
He feels like he has to earn it, but he also feels like he can and will earn it.
Has your character ever had a parental figure who was not related to them?
Not really. His aunt and uncle haven’t been great parental figures either. Distant, very critical, the type of people where you know they’re satisfied because they don’t have anything to complain about. He’s been kind of alone in this regard. :c That’s part of why he tries to take such good care of Ibushi (at least until he fucks off halfway around the world for college orz). He doesn’t want Ibushi to grow up without someone older to go to. He’s more of an older brother figure than a parent figure, but that’s the basic idea.
Has your character ever had a dependent figure who was not related to them?
Nope. Ibushi is his cousin and not really a dependent anyway.
How easy or difficult is it for your character to say “I love you?” Can they say it without meaning it?
It’s extremely difficult. He hardly even says it to his wife. He tries to let her know in other ways. He goes to more effort for his children when they're tiny and won’t get it if he’s subtle, but it’s uncomfortable for him. He could say it without meaning it, if he couldn’t avoid it for some weird reason, but it would actually be harder. Almost all the sense of nakedness and exposure (which is still there even though he doesn’t mean what he says? I don’t know, he’s just that private) without any of the connection. That’s not one of the ways he lies and puts on an act, anyway. He has some moral standards!! And also, it would feel invasive and skin-crawlingly uncomfortable for him to fake love. The real thing is scary enough :c. Faking friendship is as far as he’ll go.
What does your character believe will happen to them after they die? Does this belief scare them?
He doesn’t believe in an afterlife, but he doesn’t give it much thought one way or another. He’ll make the best life he can here. (That’s what he’d say if you asked him, but sometimes if he’s already worried about something, the anxiety will bleed over into random things like the fear of dying.)