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[forkouka]

♚ OOC
Name: Yaywon
Age: 23
Contact: ninjawon
Character In-game: Lenalee Lee (D.Gray-man)

♛ IC
Name: Soo-won
Canon: Akatsuki no Yona
Canon Point: Chapter 126
Age: 18
Gender: Male.
Species: Human.
Appearance: image!

History/Background: when the wiki disappoints you

Soo-won was born in the kingdom of Kouka. His father, Yu-hon, was the eldest son of the late King Joo-nam, making Soo-won a prince by birthright. However, due to Yu-hon’s younger brother Il’s ascension to the throne instead, Soo-won merely remained a prince and not a direct heir to the throne unlike his cousin Princess Yona; a fact that he happily accepted. With his father seemingly having no aspirations for the throne, Soo-won lived the first nine years of his life in peace and with no desire for the throne.

Instead, he became close friends with both his cousin Yona and Hak, an orphaned boy adopted by the Wind tribe. Despite differences in age (with Yona) and social statuses (with Hak), the three children became fast friends with one another. Soo-won also took it upon himself to care for Yona, especially after the death of her mother. And for a time, they all remained happy.

Soo-won was eight, close to nine years old when his father died. The death was said to be an accident, but Soo-won believed it to have been a murder at the hands of King Il. This incident changed Soo-won, enough for him to start planning revenge against King Il. By Soo-won’s own words, he had been waiting “ten years” for the chance to pay King Il back for the wrongs he had done, so it’s safe to say that he began his plans for vengeance at the age of eight. Not much is explained during those ten years. Soo-won remains close friends with Yona and Hak and a dutiful nephew to Il, never once revealing his true intentions to anyone around him (besides a select few). He starts exploring the capital city on his own and builds a network of intelligence information with a man named Ougi and also secures the loyalty of Han Joo-doh, the general of the Sky Tribe, and a man named Kye-sook (who later becomes Soo-won’s royal advisor.)

Things, or the canon itself, finally kick off on Yona’s sixteenth birthday. Soo-won attends the birthday celebration, gives Yona a hairpin as a present, and then murders King Il the same night. Yona inadvertently stumbles onto the scene, prompting Soo-won to explain the reason behind his father’s death and his intentions to secure the throne for himself. Yona flees, Soo-won’s guards give chase, and Hak interrupts long enough to figure out just how terribly Soo-won has betrayed them and flees from the castle with Yona. Instead of giving chase, Soo-won directs his attentions to securing the approval of the five tribes to become the next king, which he does by hiding the truth of Il’s death and Yona and Hak’s disappearances and presenting himself as the next best option for king. When Elder Mundok, the retired leader of the Wind Tribe, initially refuses, Soo-won cooperates with the Fire Tribe to physically pressure the Wind Tribe into accepting. Hak eventually asks Mundok to accept Soo-won as king, and Soo-won ascends as the eleventh king of Kouka with all five tribes behind him.

But not before hearing word of Hak and Yona’s deaths and seeing the evidence laid out to him by Kang Tae-jun, the son of the fire general. The news shocks him, but Soo-won carries out the coronation ceremony without pause. Now believing Hak and Yona to be dead, Soo-won focuses on uniting the five tribes into one powerful force in order to protect Kouka, having become weak, divided, and poor during King Il’s reign. His first order of business is to personally visit all five tribes territories. After hearing news of slave traders in Awa, an Earth tribe port city, Soo-won arrives just after everything is handled and in time to run into Yona. Seeing Yona alive after believing her to be dead after so long visibly shocks him, but he gathers himself long enough to hide Yona from Joo-doh and his guards. Then, after stopping Yona from trying to kill him, Soo-won bids her farewell.

His next appearance is in Chi’shin, the capital of the Earth Tribe, where Soo-won visits in order to see the Earth General Geun-tae Lee. His intention is to survey the land’s conditions and also secure Geun-tae’s loyalty. Geun-tae is noticeably unimpressed with Soo-won, dismissing the king as both flighty and incompetent, and is further annoyed when Soo-won arranges a “battle game” festival, where Geun-tae is forced to participate in a mock battle against Soo-won. The battle game itself is a farce, but it does end with Geun-tae realizing that Soo-won is far more than he portrays himself to be. Soo-won leaves Chi’shin, but not before helping solve some of the problems plaguing the tribe, and in so doing wins Geun-tae’s interest and respect.

Kang Soo-jin, the general of the Fire tribe, allies with Li Hazara, a man from the Kai Empire, with the intention of overthrowing Soo-won and claiming the crown for himself. Soo-won, having already suspected of Soo-jin’s betrayal, makes preparations by sending Geun-tae to ready reinforcements in case of battle. Li Hazara collects his troops and invades Kouka with the help of Soo-jin. Soo-won encounters them in battle and with the help of Geun-tae and Yona’s group defeats Soo-jin. Soo-won sees Yona and Hak, but does not interact with them. He appoints Soo-jin’s son, Kyo-ga, as the next fire general and forces Li Hazara to pay war reparations, give up a province to Kouka and submit to a peace treaty.

The next tribe Soo-won visits is the Water tribe where smugglers dealing with an addictive drug called nadai are doing business. He runs into Lili, the daughter of the Water tribe general Joon-Gi, and convinces her to hire him and his retinue as her bodyguards. (All while pretending to be a merchant named Won.) He runs into Yona and her group and despite the tense, curt interactions he has with Yona, the entire group manages to cooperate and foil a fleet of ships from Southern Kai as well as stop the leader of the drug smuggling ring. Hak single-handedly takes down the drug leader, then immediately tries to kill Soo-won. He is stopped by Jae-ha and the other dragons, and Soo-won escapes and heads back to Hiryuu Castle.

There, he calls for a meeting of the five tribes and announces his intentions to invade South Kai and take back previous Kouka territories. Soo-won heads into battle with the five generals and is victorious against South Kai. After, Soo-won focuses on the issue of nadai, which has started to affect more territories than just the Water tribe. He hears of Lili’s kidnapping and launches a rescue mission with all five generals to retrieve her from the country of Sei where she was taken. Once there, he finds out that Yona was taken with Lili as well. The generals and Soo-won as well as Yona’s group launch simultaneous rescue operations that end up merging together, finally ending with Soo-won and Hak cooperating with each other in order to rescue Lili. Despite Joo-doh’s desire to kill Hak, Soo-won orders his forces to retreat, but not before securing lord Keshibi of Sei’s surrender to Kouka kingdom.

The next time Soo-won appears is in the capital of Kuuto visiting Ougi, an information trader. He is followed by Lili and allows her to come along due to her insistence.

Personality: Soo-won appears both affable and charming at a first glance, especially through the eyes of Yona, the series’ protagonist. This impression is almost universal, even for those who don’t cherish him as much as Yona initially does. He’s warm and gentle with Yona, comfortable and lighthearted with Hak, and seems to possess a sort of light that manages to draw people to him unfailingly. A part of that attraction comes from Soo-won’s habit of interacting with others without ever judging their appearance or status, which is an indication of his clear and open mind. If anything, Soo-won judges others purely based on their actions and often comes away with a clear and genuine liking for whoever he speaks to. Even with Kang Soo-jin, who enjoys condescending down to him, and for the sketchy criminal element in the back alleys of the capital Kuuto, Soo-won has nothing but good things to say about both.

Of course, being warmhearted and approachable is a good thing, except when it’s… not. As Joo-doh and Geun-tae and sometimes even Hak notes with chagrin, Soo-won is a little too lax. He’s easygoing to a fault and overall, doesn’t strike terror or intimidation in people’s hearts at first glance, which is a bad thing to lack especially when you’re a king. There’s a sense of “can I really rely on this guy” that surrounds Soo-won when you first meet him, especially if he’s introduced as the King of Kouka. Joo-doh, his right-hand man, despairs of his lack of dignity and self-awareness as king, and even Geun-tae goes so far as to call Soo-won flat and unreliable upon first meeting him. His adversaries, such as Li Hazara, look at Soo-won and see a young king, an inexperienced man, and an untested individual if all he does is smile and drink tea all day.

And honestly? Soo-won has no problem with this. First impressions are just that, after all, and Soo-won understands himself best. He has time and the confidence to prove his worth to the people around him, and he likes using his air of seeming incompetence to his advantage. If it helps deceive his enemies, then so be it. If it catches his allies off-guard and makes them think twice about his capabilities, makes them really look at him, then so be it. That works out just as well. Because as much as Soo-won is warm and carefree and lackadaisical, he’s also cunning, pragmatic, and possesses a strength of will far stronger than the average person. He’s good at observing others, and often talks of his impressions with them bluntly and without sugarcoating, such as when he tells Lili that he finds nothing wrong with her desire to help those around her, even though she fled from her home, and when he pinpoints Geun-tae’s distaste for having to fight in the festival (both when they were younger and when in Chi’shin) instead of getting to train others for war.

As much as he might like to trip around in battle games for fun, he has no such habits in real life and will fight and kill if necessary. If there’s something that has to be done, then Soo-won is most likely the first person to suggest it. He doesn’t seem to be held back by fear or self-doubt, merely stating things as if they’re most sensible things in the world. When he sees an entire fleet of South Kai ships approaching the Water tribe, he merely states that they’ll have to “make them go back”, without once panicking or allowing himself to fear the consequences. The soldiers aren’t moving fast enough for his liking? Reveal Lili’s true identity as the daughter of the Water tribe general without her permission and jumpstart the rest of them into action. The daughter of the Water tribe general gets kidnapped? Well, he’ll just launch a rescue mission with himself and all five generals straight into the heart of enemy territory in order to save her. It’s not that he isn’t aware of the dangers (he’s too much of a strategist just to ignore how badly things might go), but that he is every confidence that things will work out.

His warmth comes from his fascination with the people around him, but as Hak notes, loving everyone equally also means that Soo-won doesn’t favor any above the rest.

Soo-won cares very much for Yona, the girl he’s cared for since childhood, and for Hak, the boy he’s admired the most, and for the general Kang Soo-jin and Elder Mundeok, whose military prowess and experiences are incredibly impressive. But caring doesn’t stop Soo-won from casting Yona and Hak aside like trash and irreparably breaking them in the process, it doesn’t stop Soo-won from defeating Soo-jin in battle and ruining his dreams of securing the throne for his children, and it definitely doesn’t stop Soo-won from threatening Elder Mundeok and his people if they don’t fall in line.

His love and attachments for the people he’s grown up with are overshadowed by his own desire, and that desire is a simple one: to make Kouka a strong nation again as it was in the past. That is his driving force in life, and as evidenced by his actions and beliefs, Soo-won will let nothing stop him from achieving his goal. That is why he murders his uncle, King Il, and casts his dead body on the floor in front of Yona. That is why he cuts ties with Yona and Hak and chases them out of the palace. And that is why Soo-won plunges the previously “peaceful” country of Kouka into war against the neighboring countries Sei and Kai, all for the sole purpose of gathering strength and unifying the kingdom.

It’d be simple to write Soo-won off as a man who views the world in black and white, that he doesn’t find anything wrong as long as it lets him achieve what he wants, and that he proceeds with his plans without once looking back. It’d be simple, but it wouldn’t be accurate. Soo-won doesn’t view the world in black or white. No one is right and no one is wrong. He doesn’t categorize people into any kind of moral category, because he understands that people are far more complicated than that. Instead, it’d be more correct to say that Soo-won sees the world as the country of Kouka, as a country that’s in dire need of saving from the corruption, greed, and violence both in and out, and thus, must be saved by all means necessary. If that means casting his friends aside, then yes, he’ll do it. If that means becoming king, then yes, he’ll do that too. He has no fascination for the throne itself, as he says to Kija when challenged. The throne is just a means to the end. He has no innate greed for power or for wielding power, which is why he doesn’t desire the Four Dragons despite their legendary strength. Soo-won respects power and admires it in others, but he has no wish to obtain it solely for himself.

Soo-won is not a man who doesn’t find anything wrong with his own actions. He acknowledges the gravity of what he’s done, he understands that he trampled Yona and Hak and cast them aside, and that he hurt them by doing so. When confronted by Yona in Awa, Soo-won states that it’s only natural for Yona to want to kill him. When seeing the breadth of Hak’s agony and despair, Soo-won doesn’t even raise a finger to defend himself. He knows he hurt them. He regrets hurting them. He felt himself waver and doubt on the days he spent in peace by their side. Despite stating that he was the Soo-won Hak and Yona never knew, he loved them still, and the pain of losing them still has a visible influence over him.

Still, it’s a testament to how strongly Soo-won wants to achieve his goal for the sake of Kouka, when all he does is allow himself to linger in past memories and have a few regrets, but pushes on in face of his actions anyway. At this point, Soo-won has made himself into the ultimate means to an end, cutting away what was once precious to him for the sake of the people, and acknowledging that a time will come when he will die due to his actions, but not one day before.

Skills/Abilities: Soo-won possesses no supernatural or magical abilities. He's an expert in swordsmanship, archery, and horseback riding, as well as close and long-range combat. He's also an excellent strategist for his age and is a natural leader. He's particularly skilled with assessing and evaluating the skills of others, as well as manipulating them in order to use them to their fullest advantage.

He's also demonstrated talent in business, such as assessing markets and economies. This all comes from having an in-depth knowledge of not only his homeland Kouka, but its surrounding countries. Besides that, he's as human as they come, and would die the same way as anyone else if mortally stabbed!

Magic Weapon:A palm-sized mirror set in an embroidered ornament. When activated with mana, the mirror becomes big enough to be carried with both hands and can absorb and reflect incoming spells. If mana is continually supplied, then the mirror can reflect that same spell it just absorbed with no added mana cost. At its lowest level, the mirror can only absorb one spells at a time. Based on the user's magical potential, the mirror cannot safely contain spells that are higher than its master's level. For example, if a Knight tries absorbing a two-bolt spell, then the resulting backlash will injure the user. With enough practice, the mirror can safely contain two spells for its user's disposal. The time limit for each spell is currently one hour. Once mastered, the time limit may extend to a day.

The mirror cannot absorb physical attacks, even from magically-imbued weapons. If hit, then it will go into a dormant state for an hour. Also, the mirror automatically reflects support spells, such as heals and barriers away from the user while activated.

Carrier: An eagle owl with dark red plumage. It's exceedingly short-tempered. The only things it enjoys in life is eating, slowly turning its head around at a 360 degree angle, and making sure his master lives long enough to feed it the next day. Its irritation manifests through hair-plucking, screeching, and head-sitting, all of which is only directed toward its master.