where's my pager?

task 002.

&&. is that ( tao okamoto )?? no, it’s just ( fumiko ). she is a ( crown princess ) of ( japan ).she is ( 32 ) years old and her birthday is the ( 29th ) of ( june ) which makes her a ( cancer ).  she is ( intelligent & amiable ) and ( diligent & frank ) but, unfortunately, also ( uncertain & passive ). those traits just make her a ( ravenclaw ) and in scientific terms an ( enfp ). she is ( straight/questioning ) and the plaza’s ( logistician ).  her theme song is ( still ) by ( the japanese house ). her interests include ( gardening & knitting  ). she practices ( shinto ) and is a supporter of ( constitutional democratic party of japan ). her quirk is ( leaving her phone in random places because she’s used to having a pager ) and favourite quote is ( you cannot change fate. however, you can rise to meet it, if you so choose.  ) from ( princess mononoke ) because ( it’s one of her favorite movies ). last but not least she ( does ) believe in true love.

biography.

after world war ii and the subsequent allied occupation, the imperial family lost significant power as a parliamentary constitutional monarchy was installed. a lesser branch of the original family was placed on the chrysanthemum throne, and in line with the post war reforms that granted women the right to vote and ensured equal pay in the workplace, absolute primogeniture was written into the constitution as well

while the throne is largely a ceremonial position, emperor akihiko (one of the youngest to take the throne, at 32) won the loyalty of many civil servants and future government leaders by being extremely liberal with his donations and scholarships for educational pursuits. this habit was continued by his son, emperor takehiko, and his granddaughter, empress masumi (the first female imperial reign since 1771) leading to the imperial family retaining a degree of influence that was unintended by the written constitution. they do not make decisions for their people, but...they have sway with the ministers.

the family does keep the tradition of using no surname (though it’s not uncommon for children to use the surnames of their consort parent for legal purposes outside the country) -- they’re the imperial family after all, they are known

fumiko is neither the eldest, nor a son and for a long, long while could not understand why her mother was so very delighted that her first child, her inheritor, would be a boy. or why masumi had all the time in the world for her older brother, masahiko’s questions but none for her, or her younger sister, tamiko. (the law might have decreed masumi was empress, but only she and the emperor-consort seiji understood how much harder she’d had to work to accomplish feats similar to her father).

nonetheless, crown prince masahiko, princess fumiko and princess tamiko were close growing up, though the girls spent more time with their father than their mother due to the nature of her work. the importance of education was impressed upon them, but in true royal fashion, they were expected to learn instruments and build at least one artistic skill as well: fumiko chose calligraphy. 

she always had a steady hand, and given her position as a second-born princess, was confident her royal duties would never be significant. her mother’s attentions seemed to indicate as much. so it wasn’t entirely out of the blue when she expressed her desire to pursue medicine and surgery. her father had been pleased, her mother less so, but seiji cajoled masumi into letting her study in europe for her undergraduate degree

he wasn’t around to convince the empress by the time fumiko applied to medical school in america, but by then the empress hadn’t seemed to care much either. her younger sister always begged her to visit more often, but the palace hadn’t felt like home after the funeral.

somehow the crown prince -- perfect child, perfect older brother that he was -- found time to visit her every few months, even if it was for scant days at a time. she should have noticed when he started dining with her classmate, but med school kept her so busy. it’s her younger sister who asks if their older brother is dating. it seems too absurd to consider at first, and they both giggle at the idea of him being married. 

fumiko decides to take a year between med school and training to serve in a global non-profit medical initiative to provide medical services to low resource/low income areas. the life is fast paced, exciting and meaningful. she didn’t realize how a perfunctory visit to the best children’s hospital in istanbul to learn new procedures and request supplies would change her life. 

she returns to europe for her residency, and while long distance might not have suited many others, access to a private jet makes the distance much shorter. a couple hours flight isn’t difficult to manage when you’re in love: anything and everything seems possible then.

the restaurant aslan chooses is just fancy enough to let an anticipatory buzz flow through fumiko’s veins -- they’ve been together four years, things between them have been good, sure there was a good chance she’d have to give up her career to fulfill her duties if married to a crown prince, but that didn’t mean she had to stop championing for access to medicine, right? she swallows the doubts that sat on her tongue like a bitter pill. (it’s all moot anyway when he doesn’t produce a ring before dessert.)

it’s hell organizing a transfer for her residency, but between her broken heart and her brother’s impending wedding, it makes the most sense to come home (and her title smooths the way). in all the time fumiko had spent away, she hadn’t realized how old her mother had become. empress masumi was still imposing, but for the first time fumiko could see the withered lines near her mouth and eyes and when she takes her mother’s hands, they seem so unbelievably delicate, like parchment.

her older brother takes her out for lunch the day she completes her general surgery residency -- her younger sister has organized a lavish party in the evening -- congratulates her effusively, but there’s a strange look on his face. she laughs when he says he and his wife were expecting, tells him not to worry, everything would be fine. she can tell from the automatic tilt of his lips, that her reassurance had done little to alleviate his troubled brow. (later she’ll know she said the exact wrong thing.)

it starts at the press conference for the pregnancy announcement. part way through, her older brother’s breath grows rapid, he looks lost, confused, like a child. though security rushes the journalists out, rumors quickly spread about the crown prince’s panic attack. that on it’s own wouldn’t have been damning. 

in the months that follow, none of the family members notice the shaking hands, or the decanter in his office being refilled with increasing frequency. her younger sister points out at dinner once that masahiko was sweating and trembling. he dismisses her, citing stress and the empress snaps at her daughter that she wouldn’t understand his burdens. admittedly, fumiko heard about all this from her younger sister later -- she had been in surgery.

it comes to a messy end with the car accident. they don’t know who connects the dots between the alcohol levels in his blood, the bar cart in his office, the pills discovered in his bathroom, to the press conference that was cut short. story after story is printed about a man who carried too much on his shoulders and failed. she reads them and wonders how she didn’t know. the public reads them and wonders if he should inherit the crown. 

the throne has to go to her, though her mother’s younger brother masaaki and his first born son takeo would be more than a little pleased if she proved to be an unsuitable heir; but her elder brother promises her from the hospital bed that her mother would prefer fumiko over her cousin. her mother says nothing, but nods in agreement. 

their team runs a hastily spun pr campaign, rebranding her lack of public presence in years before as shyness, using her career as a stepping stone to the throne -- a princess who saved lives sounded much better than a surgeon who had avoided her family -- before announcing the birth of the (ex) crown prince’s child and his abdication in one conference at the beginning of 2021. (no matter how many times he repeats it is the best decision for my family, the country knows the truth.)

as far as anyone knows, crown princess fumiko of japan is the least politically experienced heir on the royalty scene, though her sense of compassion for humanity does her credit. in the grand total of six months into her role as crown princess, the only initiative she has led is a mental health awareness and acceptance campaign which received mixed reactions given her brother’s scandal, but in general, is seen as too minor a step to reassure anyone in particular of her qualifications. (beneath the surface, the seed of distrust germinates; the imperial family was meant to hold strong, not falter)

but the reality is this: fumiko had been ready to give up her profession for love or so she thinks, but now that she must for duty, she views the throne as an unanswered question, a call she’s not sure she should follow. (and her mother, ever watching and ever disappointed it always seems, cannot tell her she is worthy either.) 

info.

personality wise, fumiko is...well she’s the consummate doctor. she’s patient when she listens, explains her thoughts clearly, tries to give hope where she can and comfort where she cannot 

but all of this hinges on honesty, on transparency; it doesn’t suit political theater, she cannot say one thing and mean another

working in medicine has also desensitized her to issues that are possibly taboo (bodily fluids are less skeevy when they end up on your scrubs frequently) and being out of the public scene has amped that habit up even further

she’s quiet on matters she knows little about, does not recognize the privilege that has afforded her the opportunities she has, nor who had to bear the burden that allowed her this lifestyle (...until quite recently)

being good at studies is expected, but fumiko’s true joy is working with her hands. she likes gardening, isn’t great at knitting but enjoys the dexterous exercise it provides

but more than that, she does not hesitate to throw herself into duties others might deem beneath them

super annoyed by the pr campaign, doesn’t like how it positions her as a delicate flower, a bud close to blooming. she’s not shy, just uncertain in a new environment

there’s no reason to call her doctor now, but fumiko preferred it over your highness

fumiko is used to being good at things, having spent a lifetime learning them. feeling unprepared for her position leaves her feeling off kilter most of the time

aside from calligraphy, fumiko kept up piano for most of her life

she’s hesitant to involve the japanese military anywhere -- despite their large budget, they are a self-defense force, a distinction that matters to the people; unless japanese lives are in danger there is little incentive to deploy troops anywhere

p good at swerving matchmaking attempts, first by being absent, second by being busy (and third, because it’s hard to fall in love again). time (and largely interest) isn’t quite in her favor to find a suitable partner and promptly produce an heir….but her younger sister, tamiko is unattached and young, and fumiko is keeping an eye out for her

rumor has it a famous designer created a whole collection inspired by her haircut in uni (she is mortified about this)

she calls/texts/video chats her older brother, masahiko, very frequently, that’s why she’s looking at her phone all the time -- probably overcorrecting for her lack of attention to his needs before

has a rather notorious sweet tooth, keeps a candy dish on her desk and loves trying candy from anywhere and everywhere

arrived late bc she’s been catching up with all her new duties (and is still mulling over whether she wants this role, whether there’s not another way), plus like hosting the olympics is a Thing (her favorite events are always the gymnasts)

plots.

she knows the city well, but probably not as well as she should -- but she’s happy to play tour guide as best she can!

friends from uni (i’ve not picked where exactly she attends her undergrad, or where she was doing the first half of her residency but this would be europe specific)!

all the health clinics pls, she is v passionate about access to healthcare

mentors! she’s new to the whole heir to a throne thing pls help

negative rships! fumiko isn’t the best with royal etiquette and has a tendency to be frank without always being tactful so maybe she caused offense somewhere, or maybe you’re a scorned ex of her brother so have to keep up loyalties or smth idk

idk, she’s new, she’s uncertain, she’s open to learning and developing her style of leadership, so anything u have in mind pls lmk!

will be posting wc’s for her younger sister (tamiko) and cousin (takeo) soon!