Difference between revisions of "Enoha Koinose"

Revision as of 07:40, 21 November 2009

Profile

A relatively new employee of the Yomenaido Bookstore, Enoha is rare in that she came back to Inaba upon graduating from college, rather than continue on to greater things like so many from her generation. Yet, instead of bringing business or a family of her own, she is a single woman who works at Yomenaido Bookstore as a clerk, taking care of her divorced mother whose dementia made her unable to live alone. Having spent her school age years in Sumaru City, Enoha may not feel as connected as many do in Inaba, but her hard-working, gentle yet firm nature and surprising expertise at apprehending shoplifters makes her a notable person in the Central Shopping District. Yet, few remember the tragedy that ripped apart her family over a decade ago, or why Enoha's mother sometimes is found at night, searching for lost son...

Skills

The Princess That Grew Up, Yes My Persona Is Basically A Giant Fish, My Glasses Cannot Repel Fog, But They Definitely Add Style, On The Event Horizon Of Christmas Cakedom, Boomerang Generation, Big Sister Complex, I Graduated From College Now What, What Happens To The Little Sister When The MC Gets A Game Over?

History

Born in 1983, Enoha was an unexpected but welcome addition to the family, even if her arrival made their careers difficult to follow. Her father, Nobunori, commuted from Inaba to Okina City to work long shifts while her mother, Masako, owned a popular florist shop in Inaba. This busy schedule often left Enoha in the care of her older brother, Inohiko. While the responsibility was unusual for a young boy, his parents felt that, on top of helping them, it would teach the boy how be a proper adult. At first, it worked. An otaku, he found this new duty took away from his favorite past times. However, he slowly adapted, going on to form deep sibling bond with his baby sister.

When Inohiko reached this teens, Nobunori, fearing for his son's future, pressured him to focus more seriously on his school work and on his future. This made Inohiko retreat into himself until he shut himself up in his room, only opening up to Enoha and his best friend or leaving at night to stock up on snack foods at the local gas station. When Inohiko seemed sick one morning, no one really thought much of it until his attitude completely changed. Instead of meekly avoiding his father's demands, he rebelled, claiming he was 'chosen' by a greater force. He refused to say much beyond that, instead confiding to Enoha, now six years old, that he was leaving to a fantastic world in the TV and that, in time, he would come back for her. That night, Inohiko disappeared. A police report was filed, and Enoha's parents tore the countryside looking for their son. Enoha disappeared into her brother's room and left his TV on, avidly watching it for any sign of her brother until, at the stroke of midnight, she saw him. She returned to watch him the next night, but the events that followed forever scarred her memory. The next morning, Enoha was found passed out, surrounded by disturbing crayon drawings. When awoken, she reported having seen Inohiko in the TV, and, her mind having repressed what she saw, insisted he would come back to get her.

A year passed. Enoha's mother eventually closed down her shop, unable to bear the rumors that sprung up in town about her son, as well as determined to stay home in case her son came back. While this placed strain on Nobunori, he instead hid his pain in his work, disappearing for longer periods of time. As Masako still lived with the expectation of her son returning at any moment, she began unintentionally to overlook her own daughter. Enoha had to cope with the void in her life, all on top of going to her first year of school. However, Nobunori soon received a promotion. allowing him to not need to work so many hours. However, the position was only available in their main branch in Sumaru City, which was too far from Inaba to make it an easy commute. When presented with this news, Masako refused the very notion of leaving, citing that there was still a chance Inohiko could come back. She wanted to stay in Inaba in their house, so that if her son came back, nothing would have changed. Feeling guilt for forcing Inohiko to run away but not wanting his daughter to suffer from possible neglect, Nobunori made a compromise: he and Masako agreed to a separation, and, believing Enoha would have access to better schools there, Masako allowed Nobunori to take Enoha. Sumaru City was a shock for Enoha, but she believed this was another test from her brother; in response, she worked hard and became an excellent student. When they could, Nobunori and Enoha took trips to see Masako.

Time passed. At age eleven, Enoha had long since dismissed her remaining memories of the TV as simple nightmares. Bitter at her mother's continued refusal to see 'reality', she also pushed away the hope of her brother ever coming back. Like her father, she had to be strong and work hard. Even if she was destined to mediocrity, she'll have at least earned it, instead of living with false hopes. However, because of this, Enoha rarely engaged with other students, often unable to coax herself into doing anything that wasn't ultimately 'productive'. This led others to believe her to be 'quiet' or, at most, 'stuck-up'. Her father, not wanting his daughter to commit the opposite mistake of his son, forced her to enroll into an Aikido club, an activity he himself was interested in when he was her age.

When Enoha graduated to Seven Sisters High, it was through the Aikido club that she was goaded by her friends to try a little game which would, supposedly, reveal your future self. As ritualistic games went, it was rather disappointing, especially when it was the one time the serious Enoha had actually done anything to do with the supernatural. Then, Enoha later collapsed on her way home, having been gazing upon some resin figures in a store window that reminded her of her brother. What followed was a surreal conversation with a masked man, who explained that she had a true, more powerful self within her, one that could hold the potential to right the wrongs that occurred in the past, as well as prevent future tragedy. But, at the same time, it could lead her to a similar fate as her brother, should she not accept the consequences of her actions. What Enoha chose was up to her. When Enoha woke up in a nearby emergency clinic with a simple bump on the head, she wondered if it was all some strange dream.

Years passed. Upon graduating from college, Enoha obtained a job as an 'office lady'. While the pay was good, the company she worked under often took advantage of her eagerness to work, often having her work late into the evening. Then, one night, while coming home from a late shift, Enoha was jumped on by a group of drunkards. While she attempted to at least resist, one woman was hardly a match against a group too drunk to listen to common sense or pain. When one of them wedged her against a wall with held a knife to her neck while another attempted to reach underneath her clothing, her mind went blank and her persona, Koi-no-Takinobori, emerged.

When Enoha came to and saw the aftermath of her Persona's violence, she ran away in blind fear. When the morning news reported the incident, saying that several people were in critical condition following a mysterious act of violence, Enoha became afraid of herself. As each victim awoke with disjointed or little memory of what happened, she realized that, while she was lucky that no one remembered and that she escaped, her Persona was out of control, probably due to her repressed emotions. If she wanted to avoid another tragedy, she had to change her path in life.

It was soon after that that a new path emerged; Enoha's mother had been found wandering the streets that night, confused and searching for her lost son. When examined, a verdict was delivered: while her condition had improved the next day, her condition would only get worse as she got older, and she would eventually be unable to live by herself. Enoha then made a crucial decision; she would quit her job and move to Inaba to take care of her mother. Even if she was simply trading in one set of obligations for another, Enoha was certain that that masked man was correct: it was up to her to change her destiny. Only then will she come to understand herself, her family, and her future.