HARVEST MOON

PERSONALITY:

On the outside Jaekyung maintains a rather headstrong charismatic facade - as to be expected of the local veterinarian. She often times finds herself cracking jokes or poking fun at something, but she also knows how to buckle down and be serious if the situation calls for it. Though most see her as the gorgeous vivacious town vet, there is a darker side to her that very few get the dishonor of witnessing. Given her history there is a sadness and guilt that eats her alive and causes her to retreat into the Savanna Woods where she could be found sulking due to her self-critical ways every once in a while. Because of this, she’s guarded and fears that someone will see past her smiles and see the sadness hidden behind her eyes.  

FAVORITE ITEMS:

( + ) paints, jewelry, raisins, and daisies.

DISLIKED ITEMS:

( - ) anchovies, octopus, clams, and tuna.

HISTORY:

(tw: miscarriage)

ACT 1; a blanket of snow draped over the crops of the simplistic village of yongdam and ice guarded the lakes the fishermen relied on; money and resources were especially scarce in the winter months, but that didn’t stop the arrival of a baby girl on the eve of the highly anticipated stocking festival. the girl was born to an older couple who had been trying for a baby for years after repeated failed attempts which often times led to grim outcomes. they would cherish this girl for the years to come.

ACT 2; a fisherman’s salary is a modest one; its unpredictability often led to arguments over finances. it also meant that life wasn’t to be lived in extravagance. when her father was away for work, the girl’s mother taught her from home. though, the girl was far more interested in playing outside with the family’s chicken and pet dog as if it were predestined for her to become a veterinarian. she’d disappear for hours and would often return with stray animals that she would try to convince her parents to take in. the answer was always no. the financial burden of taking care of the three person household was already heavy enough. any extra pets would be too expensive.

ACT 3; the fall of 2008 was a particularly difficult one. the girl was nineteen and at a transitional phase in her life. she began painting a few years prior as a hobby that ultimately led to a side job for her. but the girl couldn’t help but to feel trapped. she knew her parents didn’t struggle for years just to have her doomed to the same fate as theirs - poverty. she was faced with two dilemmas; would she stay in the village she was raised in or would she venture elsewhere to begin her own journey? her parents were growing old and she didn’t want to rely too heavily on them any longer. she knew her dependence on them was taking a toll on their health. her aging father pushed his body to the limits almost everyday to help raise money for the family and her mother’s arthritic hands couldn’t bare to knit another blanket. it was her turn to support them.

ACT 4; in the same year she left for veterinarian school in another city with the help of a hefty loan and her small amount of savings. to those other than her family who knew her from back home, she basically disappeared from the face of the earth. and in the time she was gone she had met a fine young man. the two hit it off almost immediately. their chemistry was intense. so much so that they eloped a year into being in a relationship with one another. with the girl, now woman, trying to remain focused on her studies and the young man already graduated and with a career, their marriage had began to get rocky. the two argued over any and everything right down to the color of their apartment’s walls. most of the arguments derived from the fact that he cheated on her with his secretary.= which deeply scarred jaekyung. was she not good enough? fast forward three years to the girl’s 24th year. the only thing that kept her marriage hanging together by a thread was the unborn child in her womb. she had gotten pregnant only to unexpectedly miscarry five months into the pregnancy. the two got a divorce shortly after.

PERSONALITY:

Jinah is someone who is very energetic and peppy. She is never seen without a smile. She loves working with people and is extremely patient. One of her bad points is how she holds things in. No matter how upset she is, she will not let it be shown and will attempt to keep a smile on, which in turn causes her to feel stressed out in the future. Another one of her bad points comes from her being outspoken, which is the fact that she has difficulty containing her opinions and thoughts in some situations. She is not afraid to say what she feels, though she will try to make more harsh things sound nicer as to not hurt people’s feelings, because that’s never her intention.

FAVORITE ITEMS:

( + ) Cakes and pastries (especially cheesecake), Coffee, Ribbons and bows

DISLIKED ITEMS:

( - ) Anything bug related, mushrooms of any kind, spicy foods

HISTORY:

(tw: domestic abuse)

“Jinah!”

The illuminating lights resonating from the stars in the night sky had her in a trance. It had always crossed her mind what exactly was out there in space. Every night, she would grab her guitar and sit out in the forest behind her rather large home in the countryside. The peaceful silence inspired her to write countless songs, lyrics flowing through her like nothing. However, some nights she would get distracted by the constellations littering the pitch black sky, and her guitar would get set to the side for a while. This was one of those times.

“Jinah!”

The cry shattered her focus, shaking her out of her trance. It was frustrating. She just wanted to get lost. It seemed like the only escape from the rather suffocating lifestyle she led. Sure, she had more than the other people in Yongdam, like a bigger home and more money, but it didn’t take away the suffocating feeling she felt every single day. She was expected to behave a certain way at all times, do things the way she was told to, wasn’t allowed to have her own opinion and if she tried, she would be hit. It was like she had a muzzle that was locked by a key only her father held. Her mother didn’t even dare defy him either, not unless she wanted to be verbally and physically abused. With a heavy sigh, Jinah attempted to fall back into the trance she was in a few seconds ago.

“Jinah! Don’t you hear me calling you?! It’s far too late for you to be out here. Come inside and eat your dinner. No more time outside tonight.”

Dinner? She couldn’t care less about dinner. All she cared about was the feeling she got when she was out here alone. The feeling of independence. The feeling of freedom. She didn’t even bother to try and protest. It was useless at this point. Her mother tugged her along and soon she was locked in the pastel pink colored prison known as her room. These windows weren’t windows in her eyes. They were bars to the cage that held in what she felt was her true self.

She lived like this for a few more years until finally, on her 21st birthday, her family had enough of the rivalry. It became too pressuring for them to live under a false sense of hatred toward another community simply because that’s how it was. Her parents packed up and decided to head to the more modern part of the country, away from all the negativity.

“Jinah, there is no way we are leaving you here alone. Get your things and let’s go. NOW!” She didn’t like being yelled at, but she held her ground. With a firm stare, Jinah shook her head at her furious father. There was no way she was leaving her home. Yongdam was the only place she knew and the only place she ever wanted to know. Even with the rivalry, there was no other place that was more beautiful to her.

Suddenly, she felt a sharp sting on her cheek. Nothing she hadn’t felt before, but for some reason, it hurt more this time. This was the last straw. The door to her room slammed shut and Jinah gathered everything she could, shoving it all into her bags before escaping to the nearby inn.

“Welcome to the Yongdam Inn, how can I—“, the receptionist stopped once she noticed the slight bruising on Jinah’s cheek, along with dried tears. “Is everything alright, dear…?” No, everything wasn’t alright, but she wasn’t going to give all the details. She would never tell anyone of this.

“Just… please give me a room. If anyone comes asking for Jinah, please don’t tell them I’m here… please. I’ll make it up to you, I promise!” Her voice broke a bit at the end out of desperation. The receptionist didn’t try hiding her concern, but she said nothing else and simply nodded, handing Jinah keys to a room before quickly shooing her. “Top floor, last room on the left. Go quick. You’ll be safe here.” With a shaky thank you, she sped up there as fast as she could and locked herself away. Her appetite was non-existent. She couldn’t sleep with all the anxiety she felt. All she could do was wait.

No one ever came. She could breathe again.

PERSONALITY:

Sohee has always been an ambitious child. Where there are restrictions and regulations that seem unjust, Sohee strives to take the barriers down, even if it means biting the hand that feeds. Throughout her life she has tried to make choices that would better herself (and the community, should it be seen fit). Sohee has always been able to positively influence the community, and who would want anything less from the granddaughter of the town’s beloved mayor? Kim Sohee is a woman of ambition, and no one close to her can say they’re surprised in the least that she’s going to be a lawyer.

As for her social skills, they could be better when it comes to making friends. Making business agreements and promises to the community have always been a piece of cake for Sohee, but she doesn’t have many people she can call friend because she has always occupied herself with work. But those who know her know she’s a bit of a workaholic, though, she genuinely cares for all people (and animals) in the community and even outside of her community. They know Sohee to have a heart as big as her ambitions, and always has a pep in her step and a smile on her face. They also know that Sohee’s schedules keep her very busy, and even the times she has penciled in for relaxing end up being time spent on working overtime (besides, who ‘schedules’ time to relax?).

Even with her never ending schedules, Sohee is an active member of the Harvest. That being said, she always pencils in time to visit the Harvest Lake and even the Harvest Shrine, bearing gifts for the goddess and prayers for those in her thoughts. If Sohee hasn’t visited at least one place of Harvest, then she feels her day is incomplete.

FAVORITE ITEMS:

( + ) silk scarves, sunflowers, horses, strawberries, peaches

DISLIKED ITEMS:

( - ) pretzels, dandelions, dandelion wine, milk, mice

HISTORY:

Sohee’s birth arrived three months ahead of schedule, and her parents weren’t sure if their youngest child would last much longer than a week. The doctor’s gave no sound advice, baffled themselves on how a baby could be so small and not make a sound or fuss at all. Her father, desperate for an answer, sought out the goddess at her lake and left a generous offering while he prayed for Sohee’s life. The goddess made no appearance or acknowledgement before him, and with a heavy heart he returned home, expecting his little girl to be blue in the face. But as he entered his home, he was greeted by the sound of a baby crying. The Kim family rejoiced, and they watched her grow over the years, always being wary of her health and thanking the goddess for her second chance.

Because of this, Sohee was brought up to be very involved in the church. After all, the Goddess gave her breath and the least she could do was show her gratitude by attending services. And it seemed, that as long as Sohee remained under the watchful eye of the goddess, she would never be ill. This being proved only once when Sohee’s family missed a service in lieu of going to one of the bigger cities to visit a friend that had recently transferred out there. Though twelve year old Sohee was enamored by the sights along the way to the city, she had become ill three hours after arriving, unable to attend any of the festivities planned. It was during this time that the Kim family realized that so long as Sohee stayed in Marigold, she would be healthy and full of life.

Of course, this left Sohee feeling cheated. She was, of course, thankful to the goddess for her life, but she wished to be able to roam free and go where she wanted, not be confined to one town and be stuck in a job that got her nowhere. As Sohee recovered, she couldn’t help but feel that perhaps her family had overreacted, as the doctor’s had claimed it to be nothing more than a common cold. Once they returned to Marigold, even going to Mt. Larkspur appeared out of the question for her “weak state”. Sohee felt she was being dealt an unjust deck, and sought to prove her independence from that day forward.

It was the week before Sohee’s fourteenth birthday when she first dared to visit the Mt. Larkspur’s lake, the weather was particularly cold and it snowed the entire walk there, but Sohee left her offering for the goddess and went back home, unbeknownst to her parents and still as healthy as she’d always been when in Marigold. It became a tradition for her to make the trek to the mountain with an offering, and she even began sneaking into Yongdam Village to leave presents at the Harvest Shrine, with her parents none the wiser.

PERSONALITY:

when he isn’t clean cut and neatly dressed in his work uniform serving customers or behind the counter experimenting on new recipes, you’ll find taekwoon at the nearest coffee or tea house reading or daydreaming, and maybe even both. however, his stoic demeanor and reserved behavior may cause those around him to misunderstand his personality as cold and aloof, by the fact that he does not speak much. taekwoon would comfortably prefer to stay within the comforts of his own mind than to delve into a conversation; he is not someone who can easily start a conversation on topics he is not interested in with others. that’s not to say he isn’t friendly, but he finds it difficult to express his thoughts to the people around him and some might even find it hard to know the true intention behind his rare spoken words, but what can anyone expect from someone who spends the majority of his time daydreaming of the many wonders of the world?

he is very meticulous and often times when there isn’t much of anything to do at work, or the day seems to be long due to the slow influx of customers, taekwoon will waste time making sure every tablecloth, napkin, and seat is arranged neatly to his liking, due to his natural conscious effort to be detail oriented. when he’s feeling particularly adventurous, however, if the head chef will let him taekwoon will rummage around through the ingredients in the kitchen in discovery of a new recipe. usually open minded, taekwoon enjoys exploring new combinations and flavors traditional korean food may create, and along the way he’ll stuff his mouth to the brim of making puffed cheeks.

a coffee and milk tea fanatic, taekwoon must frequent the tea house enough for his familiar face to send the workers in a scurry behind the counter to routinely prepare his weekly order–and it probably helps he’s one of the few customers who linger around for hours to drink his tea. in his free time, or days off from work, his tall, lean build can be found with hands in his pockets wandering the outskirts of town near the savanna woods exploring for new hidden trails, or simply to escape and learn more about the native flora and fauna. he also takes an eager interest in the history of the village by asking questions about the harvest goddess and the neighboring town, or staying holed up within his bedroom listening to the music that emits from the radio and staring at the collection of black and white photos his grandparents organize in albums.

FAVORITE ITEMS:

( + ) coffee, milk tea, black and white photographs, books, leaves during the fall time, certain flora that grows in the forest, sweets, homemade food, herbs, recipes

DISLIKED ITEMS:

( - ) wine, soju, any alcoholic drinks

HISTORY:

raised in a rather warm and loving household with two hard working parents who brought up three girls along with him, taekwoon was always taught the great value of work and a hard earned single won. it was a simple concept that his parents hoped to teach each of their children, because it had been the way they were raised back when each of them lived in Yongdam village as a child, the rural community making them strong and aware of the hard work it took to put food on the table for their families.

if it hadn’t been for the great incident of 1967 or the rivalry between either region, it might not have been the small push his young parents needed to work hard for a better future, to strive for living anywhere else but the village. fortunate enough, his parents were able to make the move to Busan many years later, and the urban lifestyle would prove to be a small challenge, adjusting to the change in atmosphere, the thrilling nightlife, the increase in technology, and jobs. taekwoon would be born here, oblivious to his parents true heritage until he came of age and his grandparents were introduced, his father’s parents having stubbornly chosen to stay behind to live out their remaining days in their hometown against their son’s will–although, his mother’s parents, on the other hand, had chosen to make the move to follow their daughter a decade later.

throughout his childhood when he wasn’t in school and the hot summer would hit, one would think that he would choose to stay within the boundaries of his port city to frequent the beach, however, taekwoon being the mischievous daydreamer he was, often begged his parents to let him visit his grandparents in Yongdam, especially after his first visit at age five; back then to a child, everything seemed much bigger than it really was, the forest, his grandparent’s traditional Korean home, and the hot springs near the mountain. it would be this way for as far back as he could remember and each time he’d return a little taller, until he eventually towered over either of his small grandparents, visiting them for months at a time during the summer before his interest of wanting to learn how to cook became more pronounced.

it started with something as simple as watching his parents make dinner or visiting the night markets to watch those behind the stands cook before he eventually got his hands on a skillet to toss in some tomato sauce and various ingredients, attempting to have his turn at making pasta, and it would turn out to be a disaster with minor burns and spills, not to mention the reprimanding he earned from both of his parents for almost creating havoc in the home’s kitchen. this would only be the beginning of many more accidents to come and it would always start out the same, daydreaming of owning his very own business, a restaurant preferably, and who knows the thoughts that his mind would conjure up but he’d be so determined to create something. taekwoon gradually would lessen the experiments in exchange for studying and reading as he aged into a young man, but it did nothing to quell the dreams he still harbored.

although he often created trouble for his parents, they raised their quiet, soft-spoken boy to be humble and caring for others, so much so, that when his grandfather fell ill in the village, his parents worried over how they would be able to transport a stubborn old man into the city, until taekwoon offered to move into the village and support his grandparents–at least until his grandfather was able to work again, the hard headed man would tell him. hoping his son wouldn’t be an inconvenience to his parents, his father helped him find a job as a waiter in the village’s han jeong sik to put him in an environment that might better suit him, and to ensure he wouldn’t spend all hours of the day reading in complete solitary. after warmly sending him off to Yongdam, taekwoon bid temporary farewell to his hometown Busan and welcomed the rustic lifestyle,

communicate: to start off, communication is essential! plotting a two way street that requires a back and forth from both parties. you absolutely cannot expect one person to offer all the ideas! it’s not up to one person to carry the conversation either; that’s not how brainstorming works, and it’s discouraging for someone to have to do all the work--they can feel unappreciated, like the other person isn’t interested in plotting with them. please avoid being that person: offer your own input, express enthusiasm, and show your plotting partner you’re just as into this as they are. 

(note: if someone’s suggesting an idea that is ooc for your muse, tell them! it can be frustrating, but they probably just didn’t realize. be honest and polite and things will work out). 

make open plots: the easiest way to get started with plotting is to make a plots page and link it somewhere on your blog! while this might not work out for everyone (for example, i have problems writing open plots for my muses), it’s a great base to have when you’re approaching new people. there’s no rule for what should go on a plots page. some people like to write a paragraph of wanted connections or plot ideas, others will list prompts, and some might just have a list of sentence starters. when you write your plots, try to make them general enough that they can fit a variety of muses--there’s nothing wrong with being specific, but you’ll have an easier chance of getting one filled if you’re willing to compromise and talk things out. 

post plots directly onto the dash: frankly, most of us don’t like to click on things. if you post your wanted plots directly onto the dash (above a read more cut), people are more likely to take notice of them and there is a higher chance of them getting filled! it also shows that you’re willing and eager to plot. even if nothing works out, it might spark a conversation or lead to brainstorming other plots together! 

read each other’s bios: this is something everyone should be doing regardless of whether you’re taking an open plot or brainstorming. read each other’s bios. not only is it common courtesy, i think it’s impossible to plot something if you don’t know anything about the other muse. making sure you have an idea of what your plotting partner’s muse is like makes it easier to suggest ideas and lowers the chance of veering into ooc territory. i know some bios are long, but try to avoid asking people to ‘tell you about their muses’ too--about pages are there for a reason! 

share contact information: a lot of folks don’t like tumblr im or don’t have access to tumblr im all the time which is fine, but there are tons of other ways to get in touch with people to plot! aim, twitter, and kakaotalk come to mind. if you’re not comfortable sharing your information, that’s fine as well, but a lot of members have specific rp twitters and aims for this reason! don’t hesitate to add fellow muns or approach them off tumblr. who knows, you might make a new friend, too! 

post/respond to open starters: or alternatively, post a ‘like this for a starter’ message! sometimes it’s hard to come up with a satisfying connection for two muses. with open starters, you can jump into something right away and see how the dynamic evolves! 

try to avoid one-off threads: it’s really easy to agree to threads that might only last for a couple of posts, especially when you can’t think of ways for your muses to interact. however, one-off threads that don’t have the capacity to grow into anything more aren’t... great for sustaining plots. if possible, try to aim for plots that have room for multiple threads. even if you don’t go through with all of them, it’s better to have that option! 

it’s not all about the shipping: shipping is fun! we all love shipping. and this is a harvest moon roleplay, so romance in inevitable. but shipping is not the end-all. i mean, even in the harvest moon games, it’s required to befriend villagers in order to marry your chosen bachelors (or in the recent games, at least!) please, don’t ignore other connections in favor of romance. friendships, rivalries, even relationships that are hard to define are just as important as romance! at its core, harvest moon is all about community. 

quality > quantity: you’re not going to be able to plot with everyone. it’s unfortunate, but in a directory with a lot of members, it’s impossible to have something going on with everyone. however, it’s not about the number of plots you have but the quality of those plots! if you have a handful of long-running plots that get you excited, that’s awesome. i don’t know about you, but i’d rather have a handful of plots with substance than thirty shallow connections which do nothing to help with character development. numbers are not everything! 

other things:

be flexible -- plotting changes and evolves as you toss ideas around (and even as you thread!). sometimes open plots don’t always fit the muses who are interested. a lot of things can happen, so it’s a good idea to give yourself and others some wiggle room! 

be receptive -- nothing’s worse than getting a lukewarm response or a brush off when you’re trying to plot with someone. don’t be that person who responds with one word and shows no enthusiasm. please don’t make your partners do all the work; it’s not fair to them.

be proactive -- there’s no law that says you can only plot with people when you welcome them. plotting can happen anytime, even when you’re both two months into an rp! don’t hesitate to approach people first. it might seem awkward at first, but if you have an idea or if you simply admire the mun’s writing or muse, talk to them!

be respectful -- don’t ignore people. really, it sucks when people don’t respond to your ims yet are posting on the dash. if it’s taking a while to get back to people, shoot them a quick message saying, ‘hey, i’m busy but i’ll get back to you soon!’ on the other hand, please recognize that people are busy with real life as well, so responses might be slow. please be patient! 

most importantly, please try to avoid bubble roleplaying. we all love writing with our friends. i get it. but the beauty of a directory is that you have the opportunity to make more friends and interact with all kinds of muses you might not otherwise get the chance to write with! 

the aim of this guide is hopefully to help you plot with a wider group of muns here at hmkrp! it can be daunting to figure out how to start approaching people you might not be familiar with, but trust me, it’s worth it. after all, everyone starts somewhere.