PoP: Akeno

Ghaaaaaaa, for a guy I've been writing about for years, it took me a horribly long time to draw him >.< I haven't been able to draw a man I like for weeks now *shakes fist at hand* At least my shading is getting better =.=

Anyway.... Did a lot of 'tweaking' to his history.... A LOOOT to my normal cannon for him. In a way it felt nice considering how long I've been using him.

Note for mods: I placed him as a winery owner/assistant as alternate jobs for him. I figured these would be good positions for him seeing he grew up in a green house. It is up for you to decided ^.^ I will edit some things (as needed) for where ever you would like to put him.
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Name:
_{Akeno James Marks}
Age:
₂₆
Birthday:
_{Spring 8}
Job:
_{Winery assistant}
Race:
_Human
Marriage Item:
-Accept- '.........I haven't felt this way in a long time...... Thank you.'
-Decline- ' I'm sorry sweets, I just can't. We can still be friends though.'
_{Rose laced ramen: This is a ramen made with stock, noodles, green onions, pork, and roses.}
Loved Gifts: 'How thoughtful of you, Sweets. I'd love this!'
_{Fire flower, donuts, fried udon}
Liked Gifts: 'This is lovely sweets, thank you!'
_{leather gloves, pierced earring, curry udon, stew, red crystal}
Disliked Gifts: 'Err, I don't want to break your heart Sweets, but I could do without that.'
_{vegetable juice, salmon, holy book, tomato, boiled pumpkin}
Hated Gifts: '.........No..... Just get that out of here....'
_{Spinach, weeds, salad}
Magic:
_{Water: Water bomb}
Personality:
_{There is no denying that Akeno is a people person. He lives for interaction, making friends, and helping out. He has a rather big weakness for women too. He proclaims to be a gentleman, but the fact he has a bad habit of using cheesy pickup lines and calling all women a version of 'Sweets' or 'Sweety', doesn't mean he sets well with them all the time. He does at least stand up for them, and gets offended when he feels someone is disrespecting a lady or being anything less of a gentleman
He's active and playful, and despite his age, has never backed down from playing with kids or playing a prank There is a gentle side, particularly with children. He won't back down from helping or playing with them, though he does shy away from helping with their hygiene.}

History:
<sub>Akeno is no local by any long measure. He was actually born in a small town mile upon miles away. This is where his parents owned and operated a floral shop called 'Marks Flora'. It was where his parents sold fresh cut flowers that they grew themselves in a greenhouse out back to arrange and sell as well as potted plants. Akeno was 3, and the Marks were expecting another child when they decided that it would be best for them and the business to move to somewhere larger.

The family moved to the city where Marks Flora stands today, selling all that they had before, but in larger quantities, being able to grow more with a larger green house.
Akeno was a high strung child, running through the rows of flowers and plants, but he loved them. He would help his parents care for them every day, and he would sing and talk to them after his father told him they grew better when you did this. He was in love with all the flowers, roses in particular. Customers that would watch him tend them all agreed he had a magic with them,this is how he came to earn the nickname 'The Rose Master'.

When the youngest child was born, it took everything their parents had to keep those boys in line. From the day Maric was old enough to walk, the two siblings were getting into trouble. By the time they were 5 and 8, they had already been into every sort of trouble you can imagine a young boy getting into. They were peas in a pod, and inseparable

Akeno loved school for many aspects. He was a social kid and thrived on interacting with others. He made a lot of friends and always had someone to play with, but he was all the time getting in trouble for being a disruption.
While he thrived in socializing, his actual school work was another issue entirely. He failed horribly at all his core subjects, and in his early years, he barely scraped by. He would have failed grade school at some point if he had not met his friend for life, Kain Sevlow.

Kain was a quite boy living with his grandmother. He had been through some things as a young child that had made him withdrawn. The other kids on the playground would pick on him, but Akeno was never one for bullying. He stood up for Kain, and in turn, this made the boy loyal to the blue haired punk. The two became fast friends, both gaining from the relationship. Kain became less withdrawn, and Akeno actually learned how to calm down enough to study. The two together were able to work through their school years, helping each other survive. It's without a doubt that if Kain hadn't been there, Akeno probably never would have graduated high school.

The last few years of high school were some of the best. All the students had heard the epic sagas of his adventures at least a dozen times too. His name was known throughout the school, and there was no shortage of girls interested in him, but all the same, to many a surprise, he didn't go out with a one.
To be honest, he didn't have one that caught his eye. This changed though at one point when a transfer student crossed his path, needing help finding her way around the school. Her name was Jade, and with eyes as deep of a green as they were, no one had to ask why.

Akeno was all that willing to help her find her way around the school, and there were many days her and the two guys were found hanging out.
Jade and Akeno got along exceptionally well, and it was hardly surprising when the two started dating. Kain did slowly become a third wheel, but the two tried hard to keep their friend involved and would keep their relationship on the down low when the three were together.

Graduation marked the next stage of life. The three friends were all 18, and it was in this time frame that Akeno proposed to Jade. He had a secure job as a florist (there was no way he was leaving that place at that time), and she had an apartment. She agreed, so they planned to wed not that winter, but the one after that.
A ring and plans were not enough for the two though, they joked and teased about different ways they could show the world who they belonged to, but one joke did stick.... Tattoos. Akeno had joked she should get a blue rose to dignify him, and she took it to heart. She came to him one day with one on the underside of her wrist. She then insisted that he get one that stood for her before the wedding. He told her he would, but he would have to think of the design.

Days before the wedding and ill-fate stuck. The two were at their respective jobs when a bank robber went into where Jade was working, demanding money. Jade tried to protect another woman, but was shot in the process. Akeno was heartbroken at the news he had lost his love.

Akeno was in the dumps for months. He kept to himself a lot, wilting as many would say. There was one point his mother had thought he had driven off to commit suicide or something, but it turns out he had only left to get a tattoo, the one he promised Jade he would get.

It took ages, and tons of support from his friend and family, but Akeno rose back from the ashes after a year, becoming as cheery as ever. He was once again tending his flowers with an old passion, but at the same time they brought him pain. It at one point it became unbearable, the flowers had started to remind him of what he had lost, and he had to search for something else he could do with his hands.

Kain left the city at some point searching for another life, Akeno wished he could find something like that himself, he was still in that same city, walking the same streets.
It was like an answer to his prayer when a letter came in his mail. He was not sure how anyone heard about him, or why they chose him, but a mayor from an island town told him a story about how his village once thrived but was now diminishing, and was in need of help, his help. This was what he was wanting, what he was needing, this was his new chance at life.
At the age of 26, he packed up all his things and moved to the island to live there, hoping to bring love, 'happyness', and beauty.



Additional Info:
.:. There is two pieces of jewelry that Akeno wears at all times. A stud in his left ear the received because of his brother, and a locket he got from Jade with her picture in there.
.:. On the left side of his neck (normally hidden by clothes) is a tattoo of a jade sparrow flying
.:. Akeno is the self proclaimed 'Rose Master of love and Happyness' as he will tell anyone, may he work with flowers or not any more.</sub>