Personal Message
( the mun )
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( external links )
unavail. due to revamps
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ooc!!
❁ basics: dami/seohyang, she/her, gmt+7
❁ writing style: 3rd pov, multi para
❁ activity: currently 5/10, would mostly reply to threads during weekends. i tend to have low social battery (these days) but i'll hop on the ooc chat sometimes.
❁ plotting: plotting preferred. do pm me for plotting! i'm not the best at coming up with initial ideas but i won't throw you under the bus and willing to brainstorm! so if you can, do come up with an idea or two and i will try to respond the same way!
notes!!!
❁ no poking please! i'd always remember about threads (due to being guilty of replying slow),,, so yeah.
❁ disclaimer: i am not my character, if we establish drama do separate ic and ooc.
❁ i have no triggering topics atp but during plotting process, do express any triggers our thread might have and i'll do the same.
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to do's :
[ ] move profile to padlet, for easier viewing
[ ] revamp epilogue
temp. tracker
active
— hyunjun @ post system : replied
— haewon @ yoon residence : to reply
— juyeon @ bookstore: replied
— shinbi @ maehwa place: starter posted!
finished
status pending
— hyunjun @ outskirts (post-war) : replied
not active/closed
monologues/self prompts
— post system, letter to juhyang pt. 1
— @ notion, [tw] serial killer incident
— tavern, "with love always", a farewell to dongju
— come morning light, you and i'll be. .
— walking in the halls of the past ( tentative title, writing. . . )
— to where her spirit wanders (headcanon)
— casting pearls before swine :: im sibs mono
Description
the im,
house of the birch tree
scroll down for family info,
right for seohyang's profile
house of the birch tree
scroll down for family info,
right for seohyang's profile
( about the family )
❁ ⸺ a sangmin clan of merchants and traders based in inje, gangwon. mostly known to trade ginsengs to neighbouring lands' merchants. the ims are known to be one of the richest merchants though there remain rumours of how it came to be; mainly smuggling ginsengs and selling them for higher prices. on the sidenote, the ladies of im are also known to be quite loyal to the royals (and unmarriagable) due to the fact that they are or were common palace ladies. the current head of the house is im baekho, leader of merchants in inje.
( members of the family )
❁ ⸺ current members:
father im baekho (npc), the head of the house and leader of merchants in inje. he's known to travel and sail, hence, is not always present around the house.
aunt im jiho (npc), a former gungnyeo of the king who acts as head of the house in father im's absence.
im soohyang (npc), the second daughter of the im and a gungnyeo. as she is a palace lady, she resides at the palace and only able to come out under permission.
son, the first and only son of the ims.
im seohyang, the youngest daughter of the ims and known to be the only marriagable one amongst the ims daughters.
❁ ⸺ past members:
yoon nalbi, the im children's mother who passed away of illness. she is remembered as a benevolent figure yet one who'd always fiercely stand her ground.
im juhyang, the eldest daughter of the ims who was a gungnyeo but relieved of her position when she became ill and passed away not long after her return to the house. she is remembered as a diligent woman of few words who gets work done.
( rumours vs hidden truths )
❁ ⸺ the ims, in contrast to the rumours of smuggling ginseng, they have long been an informant to a group of silent rebels (consisting of different classes) and exchanging informations near and far for a good cause: mainly to abolish the class system. they are also known to help the less fortunate sangmin and cheonmin for their taxes.
❁ ⸺ the sagongs, seohyang's birth parents were the head the rebels which, im baekho believes, eventually lead to their deaths. seohyang is still in the dark about this as her adopted father witnessed seohyang's condition as the aftermath and did not want to trigger her emotional wound deep inside.
❁ ⸺ more lore to be added
(im baekho and lore of the im family is inspired by im sang ok and hong gyeongrae)
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scroll down
❁ ⸺ a playlist
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( im seohyang )
played by jung chaeyeon
full name
im seohyang
previously sagong seol
seohyang means daphne odora, a species of flowering plant. in korea, the plant is poetically called "churihyang"―a thousand-mile scent―referring to the fragrance of the foliage.
other name(s)
hyanggi, hyang-a
typical nicknames mostly called by close ones
my little snowflake
called and given by her adopted mother
grim reaper
this is a title the people around the neighbourhood at her hometown calls her in hushed voices. she has heard them calling her that once during the time juhyang passed.
date of birth
february 14th, 1845
(given, her actual birthdate is unknown)
age
twenty-three
rank
sangmin
occupation
royal physician assistant and herb collector
orientation
demiual, demiromantic
appearance
hair
dark brown
eyes
clear and warm, a light caramel shade though the orbs glow amber when hit by light
scent
woody and earthy notes, with an accent of green leaves and wild-flowers, and hint of ginseng or any herbs she recently worked with.
mien
despite a dreary past and gloomy rumours that surrounds her, there is an air of innocence and gentle demeanor that she exudes.
height
165 cms
weight
49 kgs
personality
typings
blood type o
infj
chaotic neutral
positive traits
curious
empathetic
free-spirited
observant
detail-oriented
realistic
loyal
negative traits
impulsive
indecisive
self-sacrificial
too rational
restless
perfectionist
repressed
residence
currently seohyang resides in the im residence at the outskirts of hanseong.
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likes
her father, winter, snowy birch forest, learning, injeolmi, smol forest animals, astronomy, traveling
dislikes
being useless, her aunt, recklessness (an irony as she too exhibit the personality)
fears
loss. small, closed spaces
habits
typing...
hobbies
collecting big sisters, skywatching
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( tl;dr )
The youngest daughter of one of the richest merchant in Hanseong. She was brought up to pass the gungnyeo ( from hear on written as court lady ) selection by her aunt but her father was strongly against it despite her older sisters already court ladies. With the freedom to choose, Seohyang paved her way in becoming a physician—the realization of her goal stemming from having watched her mother and eldest sister succumbing to illness when she could only do nothing but watch.
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continue scrolling down for background, scroll horizontally for timeline.
( !!! warning: description of loss, implied terminal illness, arson, death, blood; won't be too descriptive but just in case, read at your own discretion. plus, all this is not edited yet. pardon the wordings >< )
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( prologue )
M ama," the girl pleaded, hands clutching her mother's with all her might as if it could hold back the very soul slipping out of the latter's body.
"Papa is on his way back, Mama," she whispered in between silent cries. Broken were the promises of sending her ill mother with a smile and to not shed a single tear—to not crumble infront of the expected fate.
Truly, despite all preparations, it was not easy to face losing a beloved soul.
Her shoulders shook as her mother's hand began to lose strength. Im Seohyang held the cold hand as she put it against her warm, tear-stained cheek and begged once more,
"Please, don't leave me alone, Mama."
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一
Not a single soul questioned the sudden existence of a small girl in the house of the Im. Words from Im Baekho had been enough to silence them and treated her as if she was his own daughter: "An unfortunate event caused my wife's relatives to pass, hence, we decided to adopt their child as our own." The weight of respect and trust the villagers have in Baekho dispels any of their assumptions and doubts.
At age seven, the little girl was officially registered and named as Im Seohyang, the youngest daughter to the Ims.
During the first few months used to adapt, the girl bore a blank stare and had little to no appetite. She'd wake during early hours, hammering the door of her room and waking up the family members from their slumber. She'd often had fevers following the sleepless nights where nightmares would come visit.
It was consultations from a physician and her adopted parent's constant care that slowly restored Seohyang into a happy little child that she used to be. Im Baekho would come home bearing herbs to lift her ailment and gifts so that his other children would offer to teach Seohyang to play with. Yoon Nalbi made a wooden doll to counter her nightmares and stayed with her as she sleeps, Seohyang's small fingers weaved into her adopted mother's. Inseparable.
By her first winter as an Im, Seohyang had found her genuine smile as she chased the falling snowflakes with her siblings. Round cheeks tainted rose, her little feet tread through the piling snow and she approached Yoon Nalbi with a winter flower in her hand. "This is for you, Mama," she beamed.
Oh, how far you've come, dear child, Mama Im mirrored her smile. The older woman's pale hand peeked from the heavy blankets she was wrapped around. She hopes she could see her smile a thousand times more before it disappears like how the snow would as spring approaches. A fit of coughs came over the mother of four before she smiled once more, "Thank you, my little snowflake."
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二
What was not questioned by the villagers was questioned by her own family. The abundance of affections her father showers Seohyang irked her Aunt. Especially so when her father adamantly refused her aunt's plans of preparing her for a gungnyeo selection.
Why do you favour her over the children you birthed?
Is she a secret child of yours, oh brother?
Which relatives of yours passed, Yoon Nalbi?
She has robbed you enough of your attention, wealth and time. Do you think she'll grow to thank you when all you do is keep her close and protect her from harshness of the society?
Im Baekho, you are a fool!
Yoon Nalbi, you are an even more fool!
Through thin walls, her aunt's voice reached her ears. It was all her aunt spoke of during her annual visit. She'll huff out of the house, making sure to throw a disgusted look at Seohyang before she took her leave. Every night, after her aunt gone, her mother would hold her hand in silence. Every pats she received as if saying,"Everything is alright."
For a couple more of years, her aunt attempted to prepare her as a court lady but her father was relentless. Eventually Im Jiho dropped the topic and peace settled for a while. Dark clouds, however, loomed over once again. Yoon Nalbi's health deteriorated as Seohyang turned ten.
Like how Nalbi nursed her when she was young, Seohyang began to intensively took care of her mother. She no longer tagged along with her father in his trips. Night and day, she'd run to the physician if her mother had a fit and would wait for her father to come home with more medicine.
She was eleven when her mother succumbed to her illness. In the dead of night, silence settled as Yoon Nalbi let out her last breath. Seohyang's quiet sobs the only company as the ill woman was soul taken away.
Im Baekho arrived at dawn to her motionless wife and Seohyang beside her with her hands locked in her mother's.
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三
Would it be possible to get used to loss? Seohyang wished it to be true; how time would heal.
After her mother's death, Seohyang took interest in medicine and herbs. She frequent the physician clinic with questions and left with even more. She would travel with her father and forage herbs she learned from the healer to bring it back to his clinic. By sixteen, she officially became a herb collector of the local physician all the while learning of varying illness and its healing methods.
Yet all those knowledge did not do enough to prepare her for another ill soul.
Her eldest sister came home with an illness she had managed to hide. Seohyang tried, with the assistance of the healer, to cure her sister with her limited knowledge. She wasn't going to let another beloved go this time. Alas, her efforts bore no fruits as it was too late for Juhyang. What she could only do was help ease the pain before she left.
Murderer.
Cursed.
The grim reaper.
In hushed voices, the titles spread like wild fire. The villagers pity the Ims; they said it was a wrong decision to adopt the little girl. Her aunt wanted her father to disown her. Soohyang blamed her for everything.
Yet her father protected her still. He closed her ears. He gritted his teeth to the rumours. He held her tight and thank her for sending his beloved wife and eldest daughter go when he couldn't.
So Seohyang forcibly build herself back up just so her father will not worry leaving her alone. She put a smile as a barrier and kind words as arrows. She picked up the pestle and mortar her father gifted her and continue to study medicine.
All for her father.
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四
She is now three and twenty, a physician assistant to a royal physician. A healer to both the physically ill and emotionally tired ones. A wildflower that will relentlessly fight the harshest of storms. A lady worth more than diamonds to a gentleman who will become her everything.
Perhaps.
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( epilogue )
Revamping. . .
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( timeline )
198X
The youngest daughter of one of the richest merchant in Hanseong. She was brought up to pass the gungnyeo2 selection by her aunt but her father was strongly against it despite her older sisters already part of gungnyeo. Her eldest sister had fell ill and was relieved of her gungnyeo position but shortly passed after. Witnessing that, she was partly grateful her father doesn't want her to be a gungnyeo due to how gungnyeo could never marry and would serve the royals for all her life. She remain thankful of the freedom to go anywhere and able to marry anyone she would like.
