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“It may be near when it seems so far,
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.”
GENERAL INFORMATION
Name(s): Takeo Mizuchi
Nickname(s): Takeo, Big sis
Age: 17
Gender: Female
Birthday: October 31
Sexuality: Heterosexual
Rank: D
Guild: Gryphon Quill
Tattoo: Between Takeo's shoulder blades. The tattoo is ocean blue.
Face Claim: Misaka Mikoto - A Certain Scientific Railgun
Reference: N/A
APPEARANCE
Height: 5'5"
Weight: 120
Hair: Tawny, more on the orange-brown side of things
Eyes: Sapphire
Description: Takeo is somewhat short for her sex, she has slightly tanned skin and deep sapphire eyes, a gift from her mother, like her tawny orange-brown hair. She is slender and not overly muscular, though it is clear that she takes care of her body, as it is somewhat toned. She normally keeps her hair cut short with its length stopping around the nape of her neck, though she will sometimes grow her hair out to shoulder length, depending on her mood. She prefers to wear long sleeved shirts and pants. She sticks to darker, more neutral colors like blues, browns, and black. As long it’s not too burdensome, she will dress in a long-sleeved dress when the occasion calls for it, though she normally wears a look of disdain on her face when forced to attend big social gatherings. She gets self conscious about her body when she is standing in front of a mirror naked, because she has thin, white spider web-like scars on her arms, stomach and back, as a result of her torture in the past.
PERSONALITY
Personality: Takeo is not exactly frigid to be around, but she takes her sweet time warming up to people, and tends to defensively wall herself off from others, with the exception of her twin Mellow. She can open up to him instantly, and doesn’t feel as weird being around him. She is able to tolerate Lenneth, to an extent, and will occasionally talk with him about some things, but she is rather guarded around him, as to not shock him too badly with the details of her past life. Takeo has very strong, and often incorrect opinions on the world, and can be quick to voice them and harsh to those who don’t think the way she does. Takeo, because of her torture in a circus, does not tolerate older men, and has developed a phobia of them. She will not stay near an older man and will actively run from them, even if it would be awkward for her to do so.
Takeo, after being a victim for so long, desires to appear powerful and confident in all she does. She actively trains to become stronger so that she never has to be afraid of facing what happened to her again. She will sacrifice almost anything to get her power. She likes to read self-help books on the subject of confidence, autonomy, and assertiveness. She also reads books on martial arts and trains alongside Mellow to add the most variety possible to her fighting style. What she reads, she puts into practice.
In combat, Takeo is quick to intimidate the foe, be that with her words or fighting stances. She rarely backs down from a fight, and only retreats from a fight if it is the most sensible course of action, though she will, inevitably, be hard on herself for needing to run away. She is fierce and hopes to end the fight in the first couple of hits. When she has to prolong the fight, Takeo will strategize on her feet, while either defending herself in her water dome or while dodging as many attacks as she can. She is a competitor who rarely gives up in a fight and is quite capable of standing her ground.
Takeo will put herself in harm’s way to protect her family, especially Mellow. When they are engaged in combat, Takeo works with her twin completely in sync with his actions or attacks. During these fights, Takeo may appear slightly softer toward her foes, but this would be the biggest mistake they could make about her. She will still coldly cut down whoever is in her way, especially if they threaten the people she holds dear.
Motivations: Takeo is motivated by her pursuit of powerm so that she never has to go through or watch someone else go through what she did ever again. She is also motivated by her family to keep moving forward in her pursuit of a better life.
Fears: Takeo is afraid of small, dark spaces, and she fears losing those she cares about most.
Likes: Takeo likes ice cream and the ocean/waterways.
Dislikes: Takeo dislikes older men and arrogant people.
Positive Characteristics:
• Acrobatic (+3): You have excellent body awareness and coordination.
Explanation: Character can perform flashy moves such as back flips, cartwheels and various other moves when dodging an attack.
• Agile (+3): You are particularly flexible and poised.
Explanation: You can dodge an attack up to B Rank, so long as it is feasible for you do to so (AoE excluded). Usable once per thread.
• Diehard (+2): You can remain conscious after attacks that would fell others.
Explanation: Allows for 1 A-Rank spell to be shrugged off. Damage is still applied, but no pain is shown. Limit of once per battle.
Negative Characteristics:
• Aloof (-1): Your manner is cold and unapproachable, distancing you from friends and strangers alike. Your preternatural intelligence lends itself to viewing others as slow-witted and a waste of your precious time. Your charisma is lowered.
Explanation: You can't act nice to people and you can't make friends easily.
• Ambitious (-1): You crave power. Money is nice, but being in charge of other people is your favorite thing. You are likely to be brought down by attempting a risky grab for power and failing. Even when deals are risky you will give in and agree most of times.
Explanation: You will attempt to overthrow friends or foes alike when the opportunity rises regardless if it seems like it's not possible.
• Dark Secret (-1): You have some sort of secret that, if revealed, would make you an outcast amongst your society and companions. While this secret is on your mind at all times, it will come up in topics only once in a while, but when it does, watch out! Takeo's dark secret is that she's attracted to Mellow in an incestuous manner, so any joking around about Mellow and a significant other will cause Takeo to be completely immersed in her thoughts about her feelings toward her twin.
Explanation: You must think about your dark secret at least one out of ten posts. When things that are relevant to the dark secret are brought up you can't stop thinking about it.
• Derangement/Insanity (-3): Due to circumstances beyond your control, you are permanently insane. You may have a congenital brain disorder, or perhaps you saw something mortals were never intended to lay eyes upon, and it drove you mad. Choose a Derangement/Insanity for your character from the lists below. Though the list is by no means exhaustive, the following options are ones that have been presented in game terms and that have definable--and most times numerical--penalties.
o Phobia: A character afflicted by a phobia persistently fears a particular object or situation. She realizes that the fear is excessive and irrational, but the fear is disturbing enough that she avoids the stimulus.
Explanation: Character is unable to face anything that has it's fear. If you're afraid of spiders and someone uses spider magic, you flee. In this case, Takeo has a phobia of older, middle aged men.
• Intolerance (-1): You have an irrational dislike of a certain thing. It may be an animal, a class of person, a situation, or just about anything at all. Note that some dislikes may be too trivial or ridiculous to count--a dislike of Bavarian-crème-filled donuts or mechanical pencils, for example, has no real dramatic value and will not be allowed. In this case, Takeo is intolerant of whiny women, who she thinks of as crybabies.
Explanation: You must act very disgusted and displeased when your dislike comes into play.
• Judgmental (-1): You form opinions quickly and change them very slowly. You also have a tendency to judge people on their appearance. A man dressed as a pirate, no matter how gentlemanly, is a scoundrel and a dog as far as you is concerned. A man covered in mud is a peasant, and a woman wearing revealing clothing is a prostitute. In this case, Takeo is judgmental of greasy looking, shoddily clothed men, and decides that they all must be some kind of criminal.
Explanation: You must act very disgusted and displeased when your dislike comes into play.
MAGIC
Magic: Mystic Arts of Ryujin
Type: Caster
Classes: Offensive, Defensive, Supplementary
Element: Water
Description: Offensively: Takeo forms pressurized water around her fists and punches with them, or shoots out jets of pressurized water from her palms. Eventually, she plans to be able to shoot out geysers and use boiling water attacks against her enemies.
Defensively: She creates a water dome around herself and people in her party. As she works with this magic, the thickness of the walls of water around her increases.
Supplementary: Enter the finesse of the Mystic Arts of Ryujin. Takeo can bend the water around her and use it like a whip, or if she applies magic to her feet, she can shoot herself into the air using a burst of water. She can also hold orbs of water in the air, causing the light passing through them to cast rainbows around the area and potentially daze enemies.
Weaknesses: Because it’s water, Takeo’s defenses cannot hold forever, and certain attacks, like piercing attacks will still go through her water dome. As for attacks, the pressure in the water will weaken over time, making the blows less effective.
HISTORY
History: From an early age, Takeo was inducted into the Cult of Ryujin, but still managed to cause mischief with her twin, Mellow. Below is her story thus far.
” …And to the water we shall return.” A woman, face worn with taught lines on her cheeks and forehead, robed in white with a veil covering her hair stared sternly at the line of young girls in front of her. One of them was to be chosen, and only one stood out among the rest, though that fool girl would rather spend her time trying to wriggle out of the nunnery through a window. The woman sighed and cleared her throat. Some of the girls shifted nervously back and forth on their feet, while others followed the Headmistress’s gaze and snickered. The woman moved her hand, and the class quieted down.
“Takeo Mizuchi.” The woman’s voice echoed through the room, despite its whisper-like volume.
Takeo turned her head back to look at the Headmistress while her hands groped along the outside wall, searching for Mellow’s hands. If he could just pull her out in a second, she wouldn’t have to hear this lecture. Again, for the fifth time that morning. “Yes, Headmistress?” Her voice was light and innocent. Not that it would help her any.
“Recite the verse. You no doubt are aware that one of you gets to meet our heroine become deity—at least to us, the mystics, who follow her teachings--Ryujin today. I doubt in a thousand years that it will be you.” A hint of a coy smirk lifted the woman’s right cheek.
Takeo pushed herself back into the classroom and shook her head at Mellow, mouthing out the words “Sorry. Next time.” Before facing the Headmistress’s stern gaze with a serious demeanor. “As you wish.”
The girl stood next to her classmates and brushed her hair out of her face. She hated how her hair reached down to her back, and vowed to cut it short one day. “Long ago, there was only the dark void of nothing. Then, Ryujin, in all of her might and wisdom protected the town in a huge water dome, and then from the dewdrops, we were born because of our heroine’s sacrifice. From the water of Ryujin we were born, and to the water we shall return.” She began to walk back to the window, wanting to see if the grubby boy she called her twin was still there, when she heard clapping echo through the room. It made her ears ring and her cheeks flush.
“Well, I say that surprises happen every now and then. The rest of you may go. There’s next year for you.” The woman seemed to glide over to Takeo and grabbed the girl’s arm. Takeo froze. Normally, any other day, she would have struggled, but murmurs of “Smartypants.” “I bet she cheated.” And, “How did she recite it perfectly?” caused Takeo to lower her head in shame. “Pay them no mind. Come.”
Takeo followed the Headmistress out to the rocky area behind the nunnery. The walked until the rocky area turned into a cliff and Takeo could see the ocean and hear the waves angrily pounding against the rocks below. The girl felt as though her heart beat in sync with the waves. “Headmistress, it’s—“ Takeo felt herself falling to the rocks below, reaching upward for the Headmistress’s unmoving, emotionless face. The girl twisted her body around to at least face her death bravely “Mother Ryujin…please, I know I never pray to you like I should, but please don’t let it hurt.”
“TAKEO!!”
She closed her eyes. Mellow. She didn’t even get to tell him goodbye. Tears welled in her eyes, and she found herself crying and shaking in the arms of something warm. She opened her eyes and found herself floating just above the surface of the water. A woman held her gently to her chest. “R-Ryu—“
The woman nodded and set Takeo gently down into the water. “Focus, my daughter.” Ryujin breathed in. An orb of water appeared above her head, twisted into various geometric shapes, then burst into tiny droplets like rain. “Focus your magic. Reciting helps; that’s why you were chosen.”
Takeo scratched her head, still amazed that her five year old self had been saved by her the person she considered to be her deity, and then a weight filled her. “Everyone else, what if they think I’m…dead?”
“That’s the point. I will train and raise you now as my own.”
Takeo nodded and closed her eyes. She began reciting the words she would come to despise with wonder and glee until she started to feel her magic flow from her. She attempted to form an orb of water above her head, but only ended up sputtering on salt water that fell on her due to her inability to remain steadfast. It burned her throat for the first time that would lead to a thousand before she got it just like Ryujin did that day.
***
“Again, daughter!”“I’ve been at this for four years, mom. I think I have the basics down by now,” Takeo said then snorted. She concentrated on the rain and on the small pool of water at her feet and breathed in, until she felt her mana building within her. “Now!” She released the water, not in an orb, but in a jet stream at the tree marred with claw scratches. She happened to hit the tree dead center, causing the wood to shatter under the pressure. The rotted tree toppled over with a satisfying crash.
“Now, we can move forward to this…”
Takeo watched Ryujin preform the Mystic Art, not sure where to start with it, and found herself looking in the direction of home. They had never gone too far away at any given moment. She missed her family, most of all Mellow. Takeo groaned when she felt the rough side of Ryujin’s hand against her neck. She wished that learning this Mystic Art was as effortless as cutting her hair or reciting that verse had been.
Takeo focused her mana again, this time, seating herself under a small waterfall. She closed her eyes and had begun releasing her power to form the geyser like Ryujin had when the bells began to sound. She groaned and grit her teeth, pushing onward with the release until she felt Ryujin tap her shoulder her and realized that they needed to move toward the noise.
Raiders. They had been a typical occurrence, or so Takeo had heard, as of late. Her stomach dropped when she noticed that the greasy, rag wearing men had surrounded Ryujin. “Mom!” She hissed, “this wasn’t a great plan.” Reluctantly, Takeo jumped into the crowd with Ryujin. She readied a punch by enveloping her hand with pressurized water. She slammed one of the raiders full on in the face, then swept the one behind her with a kick, but there were too many raiders backing up her foes. She released a jet stream that would blow away a line of raiders, but the chance of destroying a mythic figure and her handmaiden were too much of a jackpot not to put one’s life on the line for, so another line formed, no matter how often she knocked them back.
Takeo looked to Ryujin, and noticed that she was tiring, too. “Ma, why’d we have to do this today? Couldn’t we have gone to the hot spring instead…y’know, with ice cream for lunch?”
“I must protect the village. It will be your duty soon enough.”
Takeo started to chuckle, but then stopped when she heard a loud screeching pierce her ears. She dropped to her knees and gripped her head. The sound startled the raiders enough that they stopped advancing. Takeo regained her senses and punched a couple more, targeting their openings and tipping them off balance, so that they fell back. But, she quickly knew what had happened when Ryujin let out a shuddering sigh.
“It’s time for you to complete your training, young one.”
Takeo shook her head as she limped to Ryujin’s side and fell to her knees. If only she had more capacity for mna. The raiders stood motionless, even they had enough respect to watch an elderly woman of clear importance pass. Takeo buried her face into Ryuji’s robes. She couldn’t stop the tears. “I-I can’t…I haven’t mastered the Mystic Arts yet th—“
“You must do this, Takeo.”
Takeo. Ryujin had called her by her name instead of daughter. The pre-teen moved back a step. Even she knew Ryujin’s time was at hand, for the legendary heroine became more transparent and blue embers filled the air. “Mom, I’ll miss you.”
“Focus and recite. Like that first time.”
Takeo kept her eyes open and focused her power while she recited the old verse over and over until her throat dried out and her voice cracked. With each breath in, it felt as though she had begun to absorb Ryujin’s energy into her body, and once the flow of power faded, Takeo held felt dizzy.
“Come with us or die, brat.”
Takeo shook her head. Intense pain crawled through her throat to her chest and spread throughout her body. It was like ten thousand pinpricks stabbed her at once. She blacked out from the pain.
***
Eight years. Takeo hardly recognized her grown up features in the full length mirror in her room at Gryphon Quill. She touched her singed hair and brought her fingers to her nose and still smelled the charred wood on them. She discarded her “clothes” that the circus master had been “kind” enough to give her. They were little more than gray strips of rags that she had long since grown out of. She traced one of her scars with her finger and shuddered. The one on her arm had been the first, when she refused to give away the location of Ryujin’s home. The ones across her stomach, nearer to her breasts were from the dozens of times she’d refused to let the men have their way with her, and was promptly beaten and demoralized anyway. Most nights, she had begged for death to take her, the way she had killed her mother, but even Death turned a blind eye. A few times, Takeo dreamed of Mellow, but that only happened on the nights when a stranger would show up to her display cage—right before she was stuffed in her crate for the night—and handed her ice cream. The stranger seemed so familiar, but she thought she saw a guild tattoo of some kind on the man’s arm, and just knew it couldn’t have been her twin brother. Then, one night, when she had been sealed in her crate, a fire broke out. In desperation, she prayed to Ryujin and then remembered.
“Um, Takeo Mizuchi?”
She held her breath to keep the smoke out of her lungs and recognized the voice from long ago. She leapt from the crate, not thinking about her appearance after being nearly naked for so long. She only noticed when people stared. “Mellow?”
She noticed his stare and blush all at once before covering herself with a hand and grabbing the new clothes he held out to her. “Go away, perv. You've been staring at me like the others do, 'cept you did it for two weeks. Why would want to look at someone like me…”
“You’re not ugly, and if I'm such a perv, why would I have brought you clothes?” Mellow bent down and kissed the confused girl on the forehead. "Besides, I have a mischief to ask you."
Takeo looked away from Mellow and tried to hide her blush. Her heart fluttered slightly at the mention of mischief. Like they were five again. She placed her hands on her hips "What is it?"
She followed Mellow to a place with food. Actual food, not the scraps from her tin dish. Takeo fidgeted with her sleeves, as she wasn't used to so much fabric on her skin, but she was glad it hid her scars. She caught herself staring at Mellow, not sure what to say, and then the tears started falling. She brushed them away with her hands and forced herself to stop. "I'm sorry. I can go, if all you had in mind was a meal. I can fend for myself."
"No. Stop. What do you think I broke you out for?"
Takeo stared at Mellow, shocked.
"Come on, there's people I want you to meet." Mellow dragged Takeo out of the restaurant, despite her protests that eventually turned into whimpers, which gave way to silence.
Takeo's jaw dropped when she saw Lenneth, and she could barely contain herself. "Who knew you'd grow up to be...who knew you'd grow up!" She muttered something under her breath about being the short one in the family, and tried her best not to let her disappointment show.
Then, Mellow whisked her away to see Zane. At some guild called Gryphon's Quill. She noticed Mellow seemed so happy to have her here, so she asked to join, and was inducted. She never wanted to leave her twin brother again, but she also wasn't sure how to adjust to the feeling of being a part of something more.
For the first time, Takeo felt like he was ready to begin her life from the waves that had surrounded her. She decided to try her best to deal with things as they are.
Last edited by Takeo Mizuchi on Thu May 12, 2016 3:12 pm; edited 3 times in total
