Recolle History

[wordcarvings]

General History:

• The first son of Takao Hironari and Takao (née Kawaguchi) Chiharu and their fourth and youngest overall, Koutarou has three sisters. The Takao family is an old, traditional family that lives in an older part of Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan, and runs a martial arts dojo.
   
• His name means "grand, shining son" and his father gave the name to him because he had high hopes for him. And he was his long-awaited son. He started teaching Koutarou martial arts even before he could walk and was very set upon Koutarou's path.

• His parents arranged for a wife for him since he was young but he doesn't know if he's met her.

• Hironari has trained all his children in martial arts and they are all champions. Koutarou as well as his sisters; Ichiko (36, 30/9), Kayoko (33 34, 5/7), and Naoko (31, 7/1).

• He became very skilled at martial arts and won a lot of prizes, as well as a lot of recognition. He was expected to become as wellknown as his parents, and to take over his father's dojo.

• Koutarou didn't really have all that much interest in martial arts though, he was more interested in painting. His parents didn't think much of it at first and bought him sketchbooks and pens, but then it was less appreciated when he said that he wanted to be a painter.

• He often snuck out of the house to draw in secret after it was clear that his parents had other things in mind for him, and he wandered around much further from the house than he should.

• He secretly self-studied art while he lived in his parents' home, being forced to keep up with the martial arts every day.

• At 16, he went on his worst date ever.

• At 19 he got into Recolle University, having applied in secret, and moved to attend their Arts Program. He packed up what art supplies he could carry, and some clothes and whatever else was asbsolutely necessary that he couldn't buy in Recolle and left while his parents were out. They would have never let him go, though he did feel guilty about leaving without saying goodbye properly.

• His parents tried to convince him to come back at first but it didn't take long before he was considered a Disgrace and a Disappointment. He doesn't really talk about them or his martial arts past.

• He moved into a dormitory at the Recolle University campus.

• During his studies he part-timed at an art cafe, and once he got better at English, did some tutoring gigs teaching Japanese.

• His mother died from tuberculosis 3/19, a few days after Koutarou's 20th birthday. He went home for the funeral but has not been to Japan since. He was disowned at his mother's wake and was not in a good state of mind when he returned to school. He supposes that the engagement was canceled because of his being disowned.

• He met his girlfriend Ashlee Cirillo during his university days. She works at a restaurant and their anniversary is 12/20.

• He also gained some level of recognition as a painter during his university days and since he graduated, he has had enough commissions to get by without any trouble. He considers himself lucky thoguh he isn't too fond of having motives etc decided for him.

• He moved away from the dorm and lives in Birch Hills now. His girlfriend still lives in her dorm, but she stays at his place often when he's not in his atelier.

• He also has gotten himself part-time jobs as an art teacher at the university (once a week) and elementary school (twice a month).

• He has been hearing from his siblings, during the few times he talks to them, that his father has found a new woman some six years ago whom he has married.

• Sometimes he trains martial arts, but that's to stay fit. He also goes out running and to the gym.

• He always carries at least one, often three, sketchbooks in his bag, alongside pencils, id, keys, and various random things.

• He does not keep regular hours and sleeps whenever he needs and eats when he remembers to.

• Visits the animal shelter irregularly (because of deadlines and distractions) but a fair bit.

• His family is pretty low-tech, they don't have a tv or computer for example, and they only have the one old phone. His sisters does have cellphones these days though.

• He's dabbling in all kinds of art styles but focus on oils, ink, aquarelle, and a mix of Japanese and Western styles.

Played Characters Relations:

• Chuuya Nakahara: Koutarou's cousin who was adopted away after his parents died. They met in Recolle and Koutarou visits Chuuya's bar.
• Yuri Plisetsky: Koutarou's new step brother, a lot younger than he is. Koutarou doesn't know him by any other name than Yura and doesn't know that he has met him before.
• Kiyomitsu Kashuu: Met him during one of the times he snuck out of the house to draw in secret, way back in Japan.
• Hitori Togusa: Koutarou's roommate from his university days, and his oldest friend in Recolle. Also, his best friend.
• Gwendal von Voltaire: An acquaintance from the animal shelter. Koutarou thinks he's sort of cute.
• Mikoto Mikoshiba: Neighbour and friend, the owner of a flower shop. Koutarou thinks Mikoto does the best flower boquets. He's so cute. And so is his cat.
• Jack Dawes: While he was wandering the university as a student, Koutarou met Jack at Jack's department when Koutarou drew the departments robotics etc.
• Remus Lupin (John R. Lunise): A teacher at the university that he met while he was a student. He drops by to see him when he's at the school.
• Caelum Lunaire (Ainsley Menodora): A teacher at the elementary school where Koutarou part-times. He's gotten to know her a bit over time, and they're sort of friends.
• Yato (Yaboku Tomioka): A homeless guy that comes to hang out and do various art projects at Koutarou's atelier. Koutarou feeds him a fair bit.
• Shuji Miwa (Hizuru Miwa): The son of a teacher that Koutarou works with, as well as a boy he knows from visiting the bakery that he works at.
• Fai D. Flourite (Fiacre "Fai" Lachanche): A dear friend who once crashed and burned; Koutarou helped him out a lot back then.

Comments

random info not above

[wordcarvings]

- When he finds something he wants to draw, he gets very engrossed and doesn't notice his surroundings.
- He's also very kind and likes to help out.
- He wants to move to Crimson Crest since it's quieter and he could have an atelier at home there.
- He often draws portraits, both sketches and paintings, of his girlfriend, with and without her sitting down to model. Idle sketches while doing something else is common. Equality in his relationship is important, though he doesn't mind his partner taking charge. He spaces out and gets distracted a lot when he draws anyway, he probably needs it, he supposes.
- He often goes to the library or bookstores for artbooks and poetry. He also sits in on poetry readings. Sometimes he jots down poems. Mostly romantic ones. He doesn't really show them to people though; he's very much an amateur and all. They're not very good, anyway, so it's extra embarrassing.
- While he has a drivers license, he mostly walks, takes a bike, or (if he has to) takes the bus. He stops way too often to sketch something in the middle of the sidewalk.
- He still keeps up the martial arts to keep trained/fit but he doesn't show a lot of dedication or talk about the prices he won or recognition he had, or about martial arts in general.
- Also goes out running but ofc he gets distracted >_> he should just leave his sketchbook(s) at home but lolnope.
- His mother was distant and strict and all for the martial arts.
- He's not very close with his siblings and he doesn't talk to his dad at all but they're all in martial arts.
- His parents were in an arranged marriage.
- His calligraphy is absolutely gorgeous.
- Has an interest in music but doesn't play any instruments though he'd like to.
- Doesn't know much about sci-fi.
- Ashlee's favorite color is persian green.
- Older sister Kayoko makes the most bitter green tea ever.
- His grammar can get worse in times of distress.
- His accent gets heavier when he's upset or distressed.
- Visits the police station fairly often.
- Family doctor was Maeda, school's was Sakamoto.
- Listed as Togusa's emergency contact. Togusa is his, as is Chuuya.
- Togusa, Chuuya, and Fai have keys to his apartment. He also has a key to Fai's place.
- All his sisters are married with children. Ichiko married at 23, she has a 4 year old son named Itsuki, and a 2 year old son named Eichi, and a nearly 1 year old daughter named Chiharu. Her husband is 40 and is named Hiromitsu Minami. Kayoko married at 19 and has a 13 year old daughter named Nozomi and a 11 year old son named Naozumi. Incidentally, he's the heir to the dojo, since he's the first grandson. Her husband is named Koji Hisakawa. Naoko married at 22 and has a 8 year old son named Fumihiro. Her husband is named Daiki Kato. The husbands are all from families with generations of martial artists and all husbands have practiced or practices martial arts. Hiromitsu was instructor at Koutarou's father's dojo even when Koutarou was young, and is still working there. He was a student under him, too. Koji is a gym teacher at a junior high school and the karate club's advisor. He was also a student under Koutarou's father. Daiki wasn't a student under Koutarou's father, he was the student of Koutarou's father's greatest rival and friend, Takeo Kato. He works as a physical therapist and sometimes does videos on sotai etc.
- His older sister Kayako has been living in Recollé with her family for about a year without telling him, she's set to move back to Japan in a month and a half (mid-August). She got some illness or other that she needed to got to America to get fixed, and it's been taking until now. Her husband has been a guest teacher at a local middle school and he's not very popular.
- Koutarou likes spicy food, but it can't just be only spicy for the sake of it being hot