Gensoukyou:Saras Couesii

Anatomy
Beings that a few people were confused by Saras's anatomy, I shall explain it.

Being an angler fish youkai, naturally Saras shares a lot of traits with said fish. She has a glowing lure that protrudes from her forehead ending in a glowing "bulb" that glows different colors depending on her mood. Likewise, this lure also changes in the way it attracts. So far, the attractions seen are:


 * Yellow - Curiosity: This is the default color.
 * Red - Pity: Often seen when Saras is wounded as a manner of natural survival instinct, trying to attract people to help her.
 * Blue - Helpful: like the above, this will attract and persuade people to help Saras if she is timid or having a hard time with something
 * Pink - Romance: A rare lure to see, will occur when/if Saras finds attraction herself in someone.

Her body itself actually comprises only of her torso and head. Her legs and arms are both made up of spiritually bound, murky water. Without these watery limbs, she would be just the flesh and bone that makes up her torso starting from just above where her thighs would be, up. Her skin is naturally moist, but has a habit of drying out if left out of the water for too long. For some reason, the water of her limbs do not help with her moisture. She also has gills as well as a working lung system, but can sometimes have trouble switching between the two.

As far as her limbs go, they are comprised of compressed, murky water giving them a look and feel of flesh with smooth skin due to surface tension. They are also, of course, a bit slippery to the touch and even a bit slimy.

Despite popular believe, Saras actually smells of a sweet algae, which is something she enjoys to bathe herself in or eat from time to time so that she wouldn't deter possible prey. She may hold some manner of fishy smell, still, but it's not too unpleasant.

Background
In 1858, a young girl by the name of Kaisui was born to a poor, poverty stricken family in the town of Esashi. This girl adored the sea that she lived by, and would visit it every day she could. At times, she would even sleep on a futon she'd put on the seashore, gazing up at the stars or over to the fish that would occasionally leap out of the water.

In the year 1870, her father had resorted to gambling in order to pay for some house closer to the water. Sadly, this only put him in debt. After a night spent laying by the see, the young girl Kaisui returned home to find that it was no more than ash, her parents nowhere to be found. The young girl, by now only age 12, knew not what to do at this time, so she ran to the only other place she knew as home - the sea - where she wept under the docks of a nearby port. It was here she would make her home for the next year.

In 1871, Kaisui had found interest in a steam powered warship docked at the local port. It had clearly seen battle before, and was like no ship she'd ever seen before. It was powered by steam and masts, which she had only seen ships of the latter variety. Ever curious, the young girl found her way onto the ship just as a typhoon warning had cleared out the dock's crewmen. When she entered the ship, though, it was not long before it would be destroyed by this same typhoon, with her inside. She died of drowning in the coal ridden waters within the boiler room...

As the young girls body drifted from the ship, it went deeper and deeper into the ocean, and into a nest of sea devil eggs. These eggs hatched as the young girl's corpse met the fate of becoming easy meals for these young fish. Only picking at the cut or torn flesh of the body, most of the fish grew up and left the body, but one did stay behind. The smallest of her kin, this young fish preferred the free meal over the instinct telling her to hunt - a meal to last a while. Her teeth grew stronger than the rest of her sisters that had left her without a second thought as the tore deeper into the flesh, her only growing more as she ate... and she lived longer...

In the year 1891, this angler fish would meet its fate when it was caught in a deep sea net along with the rib cage and remains it would call her home. As it was brought to the surface, the humans aboard were shocked to find such a large fish among the remains, but also a bit terrified at the thought. They considered killing the beast right there, but were cut short when one of the men aboard the ship claimed to have other plans in mind for such a lovely creature. Before the rest of the fishermen could respond, the man before them grew large, black wings and slew them all with a single harpoon and turn the ship into rusted dust. The man, now revealed to only the dead as a demon, took this fish carefully in a tank of water, quite interested in its odd, fearful design and would take it back to his home - a cavern underground where the fish would swim in a small river that flowed with corrupted, murky water. It took a while to adjust to this, much more quickly than the demon had thought though. He had expected to have to take this fish into cleaner water, but was surprised to see that it was not needed. The fish, though, still felt pain from its new prison...

"Cryptopsaras couesii" the fish heard itself called... The demon had done his research on such a creature... Though the fish knew so little of what he spoke, but still somehow could understand... was this to be her name? Crypto... Saras... Cow... sii... Such a difficult name, the fish thought, but in no such real language. The only part of it that stuck was Saras Couesii... Saras Couesi, Saras Couesii, the fish would repeat these sounds in its mind, trying to distract itself from the pain it felt from the waters. The water did not smell of home... it smelled sweet, but it burned whatever nostrils she had as it did her flesh. The water was dark at that... the algae that grew on her lure had changed to a light blue, at that. It scared her... but her hunger moreso. Though, this hunger would not last long before she found a great number of small fish, swimming towards the mouth of the river. These fish she followed, and soon she'd find herself in the well that provided the water of the cavern... dark... deep... She liked this newfound place as she ate the fish that would swim towards her lure so alluring. Even the water did not hurt as much as before, though she did not realize it was because her body was adapting to the corruption and filth that flowed in the water. This was home now... so she was determined to make the best of it.

The demon looked for the fish that he found so interesting, but sighed to find it not and gave up several years after, focusing on his task at hand. The fish, now having taken the name of Saras, lived in the well of the cavern for the next hundred years, feeding on the unfortunate fish that found way into her lair. The demon knew not, but as the creatures and flora of his forest changed, so did the fish he'd thought lost to the corruption as it really was lost. The fish continued to grow throughout her lifetime, and changed with the fish that she ate. Her body even grew limbs, even if they weren't so. Hands that formed from the murky water and attached to the spirit she'd formed. She'd grown hair atop her head, and her body, though still without physical limps, developed a more humanistic appearance. She'd kept her grey, slimy skin, and the lure atop her head, so to her nothing had really changed.

This all lasted for a while, until the last part of her transformation had come about. At last, her mind had finally caught on the the changes that were occurring as she noticed the legs formed of murky water below her body. She'd known not the name, but she knew the nature of what she was - she was a youkai. Moreover, she'd become the young girl that had died in the murky waters left by the typhoon all those years ago... Saras Coursii. Not the girl's name, but it was all this youkai knew as she'd started to weep over a death she really knew nothing about. In her weeping, the stone wall of the well she found herself in cracked open, releasing a large portion of the water into the river that flowed through this underground forest, sweeping her with it. It all seemed to familiar... crashing water moving her every which way... She knew only one reaction when she was tossed onto the river's bank, and that was to run. Her legs, formed of the murky, corrupted waters, quickly pushed her up and through the forest. She'd never even walked on land before, as a youkai, let alone run, but instinct compelled her to make her way to what she saw as an exit... and so, she made her way up the stairs, and out of this forest, confused and scared...

Personality
Nearly blind during the day, Saras is naturally more docile during the light of the day as she is more vunerable. She's easily frightened by things she doesn't recognize at first glance, but at the same time she finds it hard to run away from the things that she is so scared of, even running head first into the possible threat in confusion. Aside from this, she can also be rather kind in this state, though perhaps only to try and persuade whatever people to not hurt her.

At night, Saras can see quite well, and even better with the light of her lure acting like a lantern. During this time, this youkai is a bit more hostile as she looks for a meal to lure into her clutches. Unfortunate for her, this usually only results in bugs or small animals. It is also at this time that she is less likely to run away from someone even if they clearly can not be eaten, or are willing to harm her, as she would fight back at such aggression.

Aside from all this, Saras is just the same kind girl that Kaisui was at heart. If you were to befriend her, you'd find that she is a bit ditzy and easily distracted or intrigued by things. This also extends to any sort of situation, even sometimes getting distracted by her own lure. Not to mention she loves the water. Though, this is obvious as she actually requires water to live comfortably. She can usually be outside of the water for a while, but her skin tends to dry out like this and she could even pass out if left without for long enough, especially in the sun.

Manipulation of Polluted Water
When Saras became a youkai, she embodied the murky water she'd found herself in and even died in, technically, being part of Kaisui's spirit. As a result, she is able to pollute and manipulate water at her will. Not to say she has to pollute, per se, but she usually does so for her own benefit.

An example of her ability, though a naturally occurring one, is her arms and lower body (waist down) that is made up entirely of dark, yet still clear, water. These limbs are actually made of strongly compressed water, so much so that they even simulate a body temperature and have a stiffness to them, like flesh. This compressed water can be released and manipulated, usually being used to capture prey and drown them or poison them within a watery grave, free for her to eat.

Hypnotism
The lure that hangs from Saras's forehead does more than just catch one's attention, she can even use it to influence, or even control, in some cases, other beings and animals. Though it works best on simple minded beings, it can still be used with some affect on unsuspecting people. If she were to try hard enough, she probably could entrance someone.

Major

 * Character::Rinraku no Chamena Ko: Though hesitant at first, Saras has accepted Chamenako as a sister of sorts, even like a little sister. She cares for her and enjoys playing with her. She has even taught her how to swim.


 * Rinraku no Youjin Kageki: Though she's rather wary of calling him a father, Saras enjoys the parental comfort that Kageki offers her.


 * Character::Shinki no Mikoto: Saras views Shinki about the same way she views Kageki; being hesitant to call her mother while enjoying her caring.


 * Character::Kasen Ibara: Kasen helped out Saras by caring for her wounds once so she is quite fond of her.


 * Character::Tamako: Like Kasen, Tamako has also helped the young youkai by giving her clothes to wear, so she is viewed on the same level as Kasen.