Mamiko Yamaguchi - Nineteen - Snow Monkey

Name: Mamiko Yamaguchi
Nicknames/Alias: Koko
Age: Nineteen
Pronouns: She/her
Shift Type: A- Snow monkey
Occupation: Student

Appearance: Koko has deep brown, mono-lidded eyes surrounded by short, dark lashes. She has a small, round face with a button nose and big ears that stick out from beneath black hair cut into a blunt, messy bob. Her skin in pale, and dusted with light freckles on her cheeks, nose, and shoulders. Mamiko's teeth are bright white and she is always showing them off because she is constantly grinning, and she has full pink lips. As for makeup, the nineteen-year-old uses minimal. She gives herself a swipe of eyeliner and mascara, and then calls it good. Naturally, her skin is pretty clear, so she needn't use much else. Small gold hoops pierce her ears. She is thin and short; she lacks much of a chest or hips, and has a boyish build. Her feet are big and clumsy though, and she's always tripping over them. Generally, Koko dresses practically- sneakers, shorts, a jacket- but she loves bright colors and she tries to look at least a little fashionable. 

Shift Traits: Koko's shift is a snow monkey, or a Japanese macaque. She has thick, silvery brown-gray fur that poofs out around her salmon red face. Her big eyes are a bright gold, and her nose is flat and wide. Her jaw juts out quite a ways from her face, with her long, sharp canines sticking out from her mouth slightly. Her ears are large and set on the sides of her head, but they are covered in fur and hard to see. She is medium-sized and strong, with a muscular build. She has wide hands and feet, which are hairless. Japanese Macaques don't have much of a tail, only a short, furry stub. These monkeys are very social and hands-on, both of which reflect in Koko's day-to-day personality. Snow monkeys are very intelligent and problem-solving, and so is Mamiko.
Faceclaim: Art found on pinterest by Emidraw

Personality: Mamiko is predominantly very bubbly and social, and she loves meeting new people and making new friends. On the other hand, she's also blunt and doesn't care what anyone else thinks. Rebellious and constantly in pursuit of wonderful experiences, Koko does what she wants without second thought. Her adventures sometimes get her caught in places she's not supposed to be, and cause her unnecessary problems. She's quick-witted, and a problem-solver though. Despite being so laid-back and practical, she is acutely aware of others' perceptions of her, albeit she doesn't let that govern her decisions. She’s hardworking both in school and her musical passions, but sometimes her ambition makes her a bit abrasive and sarcastic towards others, competitors especially. She can be her own worst critic- she stresses herself out and gets frustrated when practicing or studying, and her clumsy, forgetful nature doesn’t help. Koko knows how to channel her irritation, so she's generally not physically aggressive. Her worst traits come out when she's hungry or tired. When she’s not under pressure, Mamiko is silly and fun, and she relaxes by exploring the city with friends. She's quite unpredictable though, so you'll never really know exactly what she's doing until she does it.

Likes: 

+ Redbull

+ Watermelon Twist bubble gum

+ Singing

+ Growing all kinda of plants

+ Eating

+ Flowers

+ Bright colors

Dislikes: 

- Being alone 

- Being hungry

- Forgetting

- Monotony

- Wearing her glasses because she thinks they make her look like a librarian

Fun Facts:

~ Carries a stuffed penguin doll called Penny from Japan in her bag with her everywhere

~ Has a pet black duck named Soba

~ Sucks at singing

~ Rides a kelly green moped 

~ Plays violin, cello, guitar, ukulele, flute and piano

~ Speaks fluent Japanese, English and Spanish

~ Favorite color is sunset orange

~has a small tattoo of a baby snow monkey on her back

History: Mamiko was born in Yoshino-cho, a small village in the Nara prefecture of Japan in 2006. Her parents  both loved her dearly, but couldn't love each other. Her father, a killer whale shift, had violent outbreaks and was abusive towards her mother. He was kind to his children, but Mamiko was too young to remember much of him or her life in Japan. The only image she could recall of her homeland was the endless groves of beautiful pink cherry trees that grew native in her village. When she was three, her mother fled to America with her and her older sister by two years, Kiyoko. Neither of the girls wanted to leave because they weren't old enough to understand the problem. The last pieces of Japan the Koko carried with her were her stuffed penguin from her grandmother and a pressed cherry blossom that she kept in a journal in her room.

They lived in San Francisco, California for 4 years, scraping by with what little they could. The girls learned English quickly out of necessity, but still fumbled often. Mamiko felt stupid. They adopted nicknames to better fit in with their fellow American children- Koko and Kiki. During this time Mamiko struggled to make friends, but she learned early to keep her head up and deal with her problems.

After adjusting for a while in America, Koko and Kiki's mother decided that she wanted better for her shifter daughters, and so once again they left their country, this time moving to just outside Sofia, Spain. It was hard for both children, especially Kiyoko, to once again rip up their tender roots in their new home and leave, but their mother had made up her mind. Once again, they had to learn Spanish out of necessity, but it was a little easier to learn a language the second time. Living in the college town was expensive but they made it work, and both girls had access to high quality schooling and other resources. Their mother opened a ramen house, and both girls worked there without pay from when Koko was nine and Kiki was eleven. When Koko was twelve, she found an injured duck outside of the ramen house and snuck it home to nurse back to health. She named him Soba, a type of Japanese noodle, after the location she had found him. Eventually her mother found out about him, but he was too attached to set free, so she het her keep him.

Throughout the whirlwind of her messy life, Koko found solace in music, and quickly picked up whatever instruments she could get her hands on, mostly borrowed or loaned. Koko became well-versed in musical language, while Kiki excelled in science and math. Kiyoko was awarded a prestigious scholarship to the University of Sofia for her academic achievements, and two years later, Mamiko received one for her talents on the violin and piano.

(Kiyoko will be adopted out)

Player: Abby

Age: 17

Timezone: PST

Discord ID: #1248

Character: Mamiko Yamaguchi

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