dva
are you even trying?
b a s i c s
name ; dakota ren shimizu
nickname ; called danshi, or boy, by his family
age ; 26
gender ; male
sexuality ; bisexual
role ; the chef
l o o k s
height ; 6'2"
weight ; 183 lbs
body type ; thin - some muscles on his arms but otherwise scrawny
hair color ; deep brown
eye color ; dark brown
distinct features ; a pair of tattoos
c h a r a c t e r
dakota is a quiet, passionate young man. he is quite introverted and avoidant, but to the most devoted, loyal customers at his restaurant, he can be as caring as a mother. he calls cabs for those who are too intoxicated off of his bartender's drinks to even walk out of the door, and he feeds the extra food from breakfast and lunch to the dogs being regularly walked outside. due to events in his past, he has become quite timid and paranoid. he doubts himself and his worthiness to hold such a title as "head chef," but knows that he cannot stop his career. dakota tries to keep himself busy to keep the guilt and paranoia away, doing things such as running and watching hockey in his restaurant's bar to occupy himself. he hasn't left oakwood since some trips he took in college, but is comfortable staying where his roots have grown.
likes ; cooking, running, hockey, being busy, and the color blue
dislikes ; speaking in front of crowds, being alone, loud music, loud eaters, and the heat
quirks ; dakota is one to not make eye contact too often. he will glance at who he is speaking to, but then look away. during times of stress, he will feel his own fingertips. the pads are a bit burnt from years of cooking, leaving them rough. when dakota is thinking, he will pinch the front of his hair, twisting it at times, just to give a hand something to do.
secrets ; dakota has always struggled with a bit of an inferiority complex, but ever since his accident, he has slipped into a self-loathing depression.
m o r e
before high school ; dakota had been raised by his mother and father normally - his family was living quite comfortably, so he got what he wished for and did what he wanted to do. his passion for cooking started in his early middle school years, as he wanted to participate in his father's campaign parties, and prepared small appetizers or baked desserts for the guests. his father had always been proud of him, but his mother was somewhat distant from him. he never even suspected the secrets his mother kept from him.
during high school ; growing up in such a political home, he shied away from crowds at school to recover from the ones gathering at events for his father's lobby parties. in sophomore year, his father had pressured him to prepare to become the class president, though, making socialization somewhat inevitable. people praised him, calling his skill in campaigning "natural" when he won the class presidency, but it was everything but natural. he struggled writing speeches and overcoming his humbleness while creating promotional posters. he never let anyone know, though, as his father reminded him to "fake it 'till he made it" - he made it, it being the role as class president, but not it: the political charisma one needs to truly naturally win it.
after high school ; after opening up his own restaurant, his walls came down just a bit, as he began chatting with his regulars. he spends most of the time in his kitchen, being his own chef, and aspiring to be better and better every day. after accidentally forgetting an order to not put nuts in a salad, and giving the dish to an older woman with a nut allergy, consequentially killing her, dakota began questioning his capability of being the head chef of his own business. his father, of course, took care of the ordeal, but a thick blanket of shame still hangs over the man's head. he was reluctant to talk to the regulars anymore, in fear of them finding out his sin. now, dakota works silently in his kitchen, slightly paranoid over his own cooking. his fascination for his profession has an after taste of self doubt and guilt, thus making him uncomfortable during interviews with reporters recommending his restaurant. he dreads the reunion of his classmates from nine years ago, knowing that the grandson of the old woman he killed will be making an appearance.
r e l a t i o n s h i p s
family ; dakota was born to akira and masato shimizu. akira is a distant, petite japanese immigrant who moved here just several years before dakota's birth. she is somewhat neglecting of her son, as he is the result of an affair with her and another man. masato is the mayor of oakwood, connecting dakota to many opportunities to further his business' popularity. his father is very loving towards dakota, always offering to include him in community endeavors.
other characters ; to be determined ~
o t h e r
taken from another application's biography:
halfway through his freshman year in college, his father had finally asked if he would join their organization. luka sternly refused, shocking the russian patriarch. "mal'chik, you have no interest in continuing your family's legacy?" his father's words were filled with disappointment and tinted with anger. luka's skin began to crawl, his blood began to boil, and his teeth began to grind. words began to spill out of his mouth like the blood that had collected from him biting his tongue all these years - about how his status as a child prodigy had been in hibernation to them despite his best efforts to expand his skills in literature, how his birthdays were the only full days he got with them, how he had to explain to his friends for years that yes, of course he could go out 24/7 because his parents weren't even home to care ... he didn't want to be engulfed by the same fate that swallowed his parents.
