Character Profile: Shima Sohma
A/N: I dearly apologise for this readers, but this chapter isn't a chapter. However, it IS important. This is the profile/background information for my female Fruits Basket OC, Shima, who will be playing a larger role in this story from chapter four onwards. It was too big to make into an author's note, so…I decided to post it as a full document for your convenience
Shima Sohma is an aspiring writer and Shigure's younger sister who joins his household shortly before Tohru, Kyo and Yuki begin their second year in high school. Though she is initially regarded as a side-character in Fruits Basket, she plays a major role in the events of After Story.
Physical Appearance
Shima is 162.5 centimetres (5'4), and is speculated to weigh somewhere around 53 kilograms (117lbs). She has long, black hair that falls down past middle of her back with a divided fringe similar to, but shorter than her brother's and brown eyes.
Shima prefers casual, comfortable clothing that's both durable and fashionable. She has a preference for skirts paired with either layered tops or shirts accessorised with cardigans or jackets. In the winter, she opts for dresses with stockings, only donning pants when she absolutely has to. Colour wise, she's been known to mix things up, but is typically drawn to pinks, blues and purples in varying shades. She tends to gravitate towards plainer styles and doesn't particular like wearing patterned clothing.
Personality
Shima is a gentle, reserved girl who tries to keep a positive outlook. She doesn't like when other people are down and will always do her best to make them smile when they are. She tends to be fun-loving and often joins her brother in making jokes when she's not scolding him. However, she's also shown to have a rather serious, secretive side due to her knowing the darker side of the Sohma curse. As a result, she forces herself to keep her emotions in check and has been known to suppress her own desires in favour of family interests. She is once described by Tohru as having a hidden sadness in her eyes despite her loving, happy smiles.
Despite her need to often swallow her own emotions, Shima is also shown to be rather loving and affectionate to those she cares about. She is unwaveringly loyal and can be rather overprotective over certain members of the family, especially Shigure. She absolutely hates seeing him or anyone else hurt and will go to the ends of the earth and back to make it right if she has to. With the affection, also comes a caring, motherly side, that she shows first in her worrying over Kyo, Yuki, Tohru and Isuzu and later on, the girls of the Flowering Trio, namely, Seiya. She offers advice when asked and always seems to be there when someone needs a hand and a shoulder to cry on. It's been speculated that this may be part of her way of dealing with being 'outside' the curse and could be a way for her to feel useful when she's lost in the shuffle of things.
Following the breaking of the curse, Shima begins to drop her more secretive, reserved side and begins showing her positive fun-loving side a bit more, revealing herself to also be a bit of hidden flirt.
Background
Fruits Basket
Shima is Shigure's junior by seven years and was the bane of his existence for the first five years of her life. Upon hearing of his mother's pregnancy, Shigure immediately decided to hate the child growing inside of her, a feeling that only got worse after Shima's birth. To him, she was a nuisance who was taking away his parents' affection. In his mind, he thoroughly believed that she was actually the family favourite due to her escaping the Zodiac curse and he became resentful, waving off her affections towards him and often shoving her around with nasty words when she came near him. However, despite all of his ill treatment towards her, Shima never wavered, offering her hand and a smile to him after a particularly bad day when he was twelve that finally brought him around. Since then, Shima and Shigure have been rather close. She is the one person he will truly open up to and the only one that he cannot make himself hurt or manipulate in any shape or form. Part of the reason that Shima clings to her brother is that he is her only real, true friend, as she had trouble making friends at school due to her living on "the inside" and having to follow the rules that disallowed outsiders. The other girls at school decided that, because she never invited them over, it meant that she didn't want to associate with them and thought herself above them. This led to her being left out of several parties and activities, thought she kept up cordial communications at school.
In her first official appearance Shima appears on the doorstep of her brother's house one afternoon and is greeted by Tohru, however, before she can introduce herself, Shigure walks by and is subsequently tackled and transformed by this girl who Yuki indentifies as "Shima." A brief conversation reveals her as Shigure's sister and a second-year university student who transferred to a local school after having trouble fitting in at her first choice. She declares that she is going to be living in the house, having been promised a place by Shigure the previous semester. However, he reveals that a lot happened and that since Kyo and Tohru moved in, there's little space, forcing Shima to share a room with her older brother after giving it a thorough cleaning.
Following her cleaning of her brother's room, Shima accompanies Tohru on a grocery shopping trip in an attempt to get to know her a little better. During this trip, Tohru learns that, not only is Shima not part of the Zodiac, but that she has her own set of troubles that come with being the "normal" sister of one who is cursed, including the awful treatment her brother inflicted on her years ago. However, before she gets too far into the story, Shima cuts herself off and tells Tohru not to worry about it. Later on, Shigure explains that Shima doesn't like talking about their strained past because she doesn't like thinking about her brother's cruel, cold side, since she knows that he can be warm and kind and doesn't want people to get the wrong first impression of him.
From that point on, she spends much of the series alternating between being an observer and a player in the main events of the story. She is revealed to be attending university alongside Kagura and is studying literature, her dream being to be novelist just like her brother, as she has been telling stories alongside him since she was young. Her history with Kagura goes farther though, as she, Kagura and Isuzu attended the same middle and high schools. However, despite Shima's constant attempts to form a true friendship, Isuzu has typically regarded her coolly, presumably because she was simply afraid of and confused by Shima's advances and kindness with her own history of abuse and Shima's closeness with her manipulative brother. As a result, Isuzu constantly pushed her away, even though, deep inside she actually appreciated and wanted to revel in Shima's affections. Despite the distance she puts between them, Shima still watched over and worried about her, even visiting her in the hospital against her wishes. It isn't until after Tohru manages to soften her heart that Isuzu finally begins to truly open up to Shima and see her as a true friend, one who was always there despite everything that happened.
Over time, she also watches as her brother single-handedly tries to break the curse and becomes increasingly curious over the secrets and plans that she knows he's harbouring, confronting him at one point and screaming at him for his actions and insincerity once she puts some of the pieces together, saying that he simply can't use people that way and that it tears her up when he does, because she knows that he can be better. That he can be truly kind if he wants to, because, after their initial strain, he'd always been nothing but kind and brotherly to her, except when he knew she needed tough love. But, he simply tells her to mind her own damn business and to stay out of his matters, which she eventually, reluctantly agrees too after mulling over it, realising that, even if he did want any sort of help, that she couldn't give it and that he needs to figure himself out. After that, she retreats into herself and becomes rather aloof and far more quiet than usual, as his reaction marks the first time Shigure has ever truly shown any rejection of her and her affections for years, leaving her feeling left out and useless. Her fears are later quelled when, after an altercation with Akito at New Years, he stands up for his sister despite Akito's wrath, showing her that, while he has to keep secrets from her, that she's always going to be dear to his heart. Shima eventually finds out after the curse is broken that all of his secrets and schemes were really partially for her benefit. That he did everything he did to free the two women he adores most in the world: The little girl who wanted nothing more than to make her brother smile, and the goddess trapped behind walls of pain and stigma who never got a chance to really be a person.
Following the breaking of the curse, Shima revels in being able to be held and comforted by her brother for the first time in her life, and shortly afterwards, is introduced to Akito as a woman. After learning this and listening carefully to her story, she offers a hand of friendship to Akito that the other woman reluctantly accepts. In the final chapter, they're shown out shopping together and engaging in playful banter to which Shigure comments that they're "Getting along as fine as ever" with the girls commenting that their tiff is just "part of being besties," signaling that, not only has Akito accepted Shima's friendship, but that they're close enough to be considered best friends.
After Story
In chapter two, Shima appears and is revealed to have graduated university and is taking the steps to becoming a novelist, however, the process is slow, and even with Shigure's help, she's regulated to writing short stories for small literary publications despite having already written a full novel. Her friendship with Akito continues and is as strong as ever. In fact, through flashbacks it is shown that she's responsible for helping to break the other woman out of her shell a bit more and has assisted greatly in making her more comfortable with her body and wearing cuter, more fashionable clothes, namely, flowy dresses that show off her shoulders.
Shima also proves herself to be as insightful as ever, as when Akito starts showing signs pointing to her infatuation with Tedachi, Shima is the first to notice and point them out. She is also the one to inform her that she's fallen in love and is the first one to know of the relationship, though she's sworn to an unspoken secrecy. As a result, she has insight to it that no one else does and is the first person Akito runs to when she needs advice on relationship issues. At times, she has also been put in charge of creating and covering up alibis for the couple. It is through Akito's words and her own help that Tedachi easily comes to trust Shima and becomes good friends with her, even if she and Minori prove to be a bit too much for him to handle at times.
Relationships
Shigure Sohma
When they were younger, Shigure resented Shima simply for existing. Even during their mother's pregnancy he was in denial and rather angry about the whole situation, something that only got worse once she was born on time and not possessed by the zodiac. Shigure got it into his head that she was the family favourite whom he had to fight for attention with and became rather nasty towards her, shoving her away when she tried to show affection and referring to her as "it" for several years despite his parents' and friends' scolding. However, their words were never truly in vain, as, when he was twelve and she was five, she approached him on the porch after a particularly bad day encouraging him to smile, because she didn't like to see her "Nii-San" so sad. She then offers her hand, and waits while he thinks things over and finally accepts it with a warm smile. When recounting this story to Tohru he tells her that, "I'm not sure what it was that clicked inside of me, but I realised in that moment how wrong I had been. Despite everything I had done to her…Despite spending all that time pretending she didn't exist unless it was to shove her away with nasty words or chase her off until she cried…She still stood there telling me to smile with an outstretched hand. And, when I took it, I finally saw how awful I had been to her. I had thought that she only existed to take away my parents' attention, yet, it was never them she wanted the attention from. It was me."
From that point on, Shigure and Shima became and have remained rather close. Neither of them have a great relationship with their parents due to them being away and working a lot, so they essentially clung to each other. Shima is the only person he will truly open up to and the only one he can't make himself intentionally hurt, even when it could work in his favour. She is identified as one of two women he adores most in the world, the other being Akito. Though he is generally kind to her, Shima is very much aware of her brother's darker, manipulative side and absolutely abhors that side of him, because she knows that deep inside, he's a decent person. However, she rarely says anything about it, feeling that it's not her place until he goes too far and is promptly lectured by her once she figures out his plans for Tohru. She is then told to mind her own business and backs off the idea for awhile, deciding that it's not her battle to fight.
Shigure has exhibited a protective hold over his younger sister at times, and is the first person she runs to when she's troubled. Because of the curse, they were forced to find other ways of affection beyond hugging, and, as a result, when she was younger Shima resolved herself to lying her head in his lap and letting her play with her hair along with having him brush out her hair on occasion, something that has carried over into their adult years. When Shima wants her brother to be with her, she'll refuse to brush her hair and will demand that only he can do it, something that confuses Kyo and Yuki, but is seen as adorable by Tohru.
Hatori and Ayame Sohma
Hatori and Ayame act as surrogate brothers to Shima, and were always willing to play with her when she was little and Shigure refused. Despite her brother's strong dislike of her, Hatori and Ayame found nothing wrong with her. In fact, in a flashback, Ayame calls baby Shima "endearing." However, Shigure's resentment did not escape either of them, and he was told several times by Hatori to get his act together and to stop acting selfishly because, "that little girl did nothing wrong, except love you!"
After the siblings' reconciliation, Shima remained close to Hatori in particular, but became increasingly irritated by Ayame over the years because of his overwhelming, regal nature. As a result, she usually regards him with annoyance and is often evading his schemes to dress her up in the outfits he has made, completely unaware of the fact that Ayame actually adores her and is jealous of her close relationship with Shigure, saying that he wishes that he could get at least a smidgen of the love she gives Shigure out of his own brother, and has asked Shigure on more than one occasion for advice regarding sibling relationships.
Hatori is the person Shima visits when she needs assistance or advice that her brother can't give, often because she's asking for advice regarding him. He is also the one to comfort Shima after Shigure dismisses her and her feelings about his plans for Tohru and the breaking of the curse. Hatori seems to share a connection with her on an emotional level as well, due to his observing her struggle in her awkward position of knowing the dark secrets of the family and being close to the Zodiac, but never truly belonging due to not being truly cursed. Yet, he knows she can't have a truly normal life on the outside either, because she is shunned by others due to her secrecy.
Isuzu Sohma
Shima is two years older than Isuzu and was in her third year of middle school when the other girl entered her first year. Though she had known of Isuzu and heard about her through Kagura, the two had never met until entering school together. During their time in school, Shima tried her hardest to get Isuzu to open up to her, knowing that she could really use a friend. However, frightened and confused by her kindness, Isuzu simply pushed her away, even though she secretly wanted to accept her friendship. She also believes that, as hard as Shima tries, she will never truly understand her or the other zodiac members' struggle, because, even though she grew up around them and the curse, she will always be an outsider. Plus, she may harbour some resentment over her because Shima is the sister of the ever-manipulative dog.
Despite Isuzu's cold attitude, Shima continued to worry about and watch over her though school and even after graduating. After Isuzu meets Tohru and begins to slowly accept her, she also starts to see the true kindness in Shima and begins to open up to her the way she wanted to all those years ago. Kazuma remarks that Shima and Tohru are her first true friends, and Yuki says that, when Isuzu found a mother in Tohru she also found a sister in Shima.
Tohru Honda
Shima and Tohru hit it off right away at first, as Tohru enjoys her cheerful air and happy personality. However, she quickly learns that there is more to Shima than she initially thought. Whilst out on a shopping trip, she learns that, not only is Shima not part of the zodiac, but that she has her own set of troubles that come with her position. It is then that she starts to see the hidden sadness in Shima's eyes and realises that, even though she seems happy, deep down inside, she harbours a hidden loneliness. Tohru then begins to sympathise with the other girl and the two start to form a layered friendship that is only made closer by their interactions with Isuzu, because it is Tohru's kindness that brings her around and allows her to see Shima's own kind nature.
Their relationship is later challenged when Shima learns of her brother's manipulative plans and abruptly pulls away from Tohru, not wanting to be caught in the middle. This puts a silent rift between the two girls for awhile until after Shima is able to make up with her brother and reconcile herself with staying out of his plans. She then apologises to Tohru and the two make up and continue their friendship, though Shima harbours guilt over hiding secrets that could affect her in the worst way.
After the break in the curse, the two remain friends and are in frequent contact after Tohru moves away with Kyo. They rarely see each other after that, but when they are together, they are able to pick up wherever they left off. When she begins to loosen up, Shima is also shown to enjoy teasing and flustering poor Tohru, often by making dirty jokes or sexual implications, as she gets enjoyment out of her naivety.
Akito Sohma
Shima spent the better part of her life being deathly afraid of Akito and her wrath. Though certain details were hidden from her, she began to develop her fears after hearing stories about how Akito had used and abused much of the Zodiac, including her own brother and Isuzu. Her fears are more than justified by the fact that Akito couldn't stand her for years and hated her simply for existing. In Akito's twisted mind, Shima only existed to cause trouble and was pulling Shigure away from her. She regarded Shima as an outsider and is shown mocking her more than once in the presence of her brother, who feels it better to simply let Akito rant, but does his best to keep the two women away from each other. Akito also mentions being disgusted by Shima's long, black hair, as any form of such hair reminds her of her hated mother.
Shima finally meets Akito during the New Years' celebration following her move into Shigure's house. After escorting her brother to the Zodiac banquet, Shima turns to head back down the hallway the same time that Akito is making her own way down the corridor, as the two cross paths, Akito reaches out and grabs Shima by the hair without warning, shoving her to the ground before continuing to jerk her around, screaming that she's nothing but an unwanted nuisance who's making her life miserable. She claims that her brother only stays with her out of pity and that he will never be truly bonded to her. That the true bond is with her. Shigure then intervenes and pulls the two apart, receiving a hard slap from Akito when he rushes to comfort his sister first. He then finally confronts Akito about her behaviour and tells her to stay away from his sister and to stop mocking her behind her back. While this revives Shima's relationship with her brother, it only makes Akito resent her more.
Later on, after the curse breaks, Shigure arranges for Shima to meet Akito in private, where she reveals herself as a woman and relays her tragic story. Though Akito expects Shima to retaliate, she embraces her instead and offers her friendship, realising that the only thing Akito really needs is a friend. From that point on, their relationship changes drastically as Shima becomes Akito's best friend. In After Story it's said that she was responsible for helping Akito change her image and for pushing her into wearing more feminine clothes. Shima also develops a habit of trying to push Akito out of her comfort zone whenever possible and fully encourages her in her romantic pursuits, teasing her along the way.