[hider=Shizuka Takashiro] [color=cornflowerblue][b][h3][u]Basic Information[/u][/h3] Name:[/b][/color] [indent]Shizuka Takashiro (高城 静, [i]Takashiro Shizuka[/i])[/indent] [color=cornflowerblue][b]Nickname/Alias/Etc:[/b][/color] [indent]Shizu; "The Gray/Silver/White-Haired One" when differentiating from his twin; "Ghostwalker", "Shadowrunner" or any other cool names he could think of; "Platina" by Daphne[/indent] [color=cornflowerblue][b]Gender:[/b][/color] [indent]Male[/indent] [color=cornflowerblue][b]Age:[/b][/color] [indent]17[/indent] [color=cornflowerblue][b]Height:[/b][/color] [indent]5' 7"[/indent] [color=cornflowerblue][b]Weight:[/b][/color] [indent]144 lbs[/indent] [color=cornflowerblue][b]Home District:[/b][/color] [indent]Chinatown[/indent] [color=cornflowerblue][b][h3][u]Appearance[/u][/h3] Hair Color:[/b][/color] [indent]Premature Gray[/indent] [color=cornflowerblue][b]Eye Color:[/b][/color] [indent]Brown[/indent] [color=cornflowerblue][b]Ethnicity:[/b][/color] [indent]Japanese[/indent] [color=cornflowerblue][b]Physical Appearance:[/b][/color] [indent]Shizuka has a small stature and slim build common among native Japanese; even the rigorous judo training didn't really help him to put on much muscle and weight. He has a slight tan from playing ball games outside with his peers. He has a pompadour crewcut to keep the bangs out of his dark eyes; he's often teased about the fading strands that sprang from his scalps when he hit puberty at age fifteen, and within a short span of two years he's left with only a few specks of black hair among the mass of silver. his heart-shaped, androgynous face gives him a naturally innocent look without having to act the part; he has a small mole below the lower right of his thin lips.[/indent] [color=cornflowerblue][b]Attire:[/b][/color] [indent]Due to his sporty nature, Shizuka usually prefers comfort over fashion - such as tee shirts (from plain to some that bear amusing-bordering-rude slogans), bermuda shorts or cargo pants, and a pair of sneakers. He does have a couple of smart-casual wear, but those are reserved for times when he absolutely can't go with his usual clothes.[/indent] [color=cornflowerblue][b][h3][u]Personality[/u][/h3] Innate & Outward Personality:[/b][/color] [indent]At first glance, Shizuka appears to be like his namesake: a quiet and mild-mannered boy. However, once he opens his mouth he's the complete opposite of his initial image: he has a snarky sense of humor - his sarcasm usually gets the better of his smart mouth, much to Haruka's irritation (because even he, the [i]older[/i] brother, is also one of Shizu's unfortunate teasing targets); it doesn't help that his jokes often stem from brutal honesty. Of course, while he may seem like a jerk, he still knows to take a step back if he realizes that he has gone a little too far. Ultimately he only wants to have fun with his peers, not to kick-start a stupid brawl - you can say that he's sort of awkward, not knowing how to express himself in a nicer, kinder way. Well, at least his social skill is (a tad - so he claims) better than his clumsy twin. He can be somewhat eccentric, especially since his thoughts are hardly on the same wavelength as others, which tends to leave others confused, unable to catch up with his unpredictable pace. Beneath the mundane facade, he's more than meets the eye. Once the smirk is dropped from his mask, the physical and mental discipline hardwired into him through sports and judo training will surface: his intelligence is on par with the studious Haruka - even better, as he is more quick-witted and adaptable with sharper senses and better control over his emotions. He is neither obedient to authority nor does he despise those in power, choosing to associate himself with whomever of use to fulfill his private agenda. Putting logic before feelings makes him seem like an aloof and somewhat cold person, but there are times he does have those rare impulsive episodes (usually concerning the worrisome, bully-magnet Haruka). He's no extrovert; rather than being the upfront leader of a group, he prefers to be the mastermind in the shadow. I'd say that Shizuka's alignment is Chaotic Neutral: Neutral, because he doesn't care who he sides with as long as his personal interests are not compromised; Chaotic, because he's a selfish individualist who views his freedom above all else (his twin is an exception), a mysterious factor who keeps his real thoughts only to himself. He's also a pretty lazy person - preferring to leave all the 'extra work' (as he calls them) to others to do while he simply watches from a corner - unless he feels [i]highly[/i] motivated enough for him to put in the effort, for instance his love for sports. Going deeper, Shizuka does have an actual soft side, which so far he only shows towards Haruka as he's the only closest, most trusted person he knows. Although he appears to be generally welcoming (if you ignore his rude comebacks - his way of greeting new people, like it or not), that doesn't mean that you have gained his trust - in fact, it's [i]difficult[/i] to earn his trust. He has known loads of acquaintances, but none he would consider as friends. Romance is out of the question - okay, his feminine appearance doesn't mean he has to be a gay, but with how he's so cautious about making friends, I'd say he's a demisexual: he feels no attraction towards anyone - no matter how gorgeous or seemingly desirable that person is - unless he feels a certain 'specific' connection with the person, and so far there's no one he has met who is able to click with his erratic mind.[/indent] [color=cornflowerblue][b]Hobbies/Interests:[/b][/color] [indent]Shizuka is a very active sort of person - he loves to be on the move, and he can't sit still on the chair for more than a few minutes without going into a fidgety state. He often throws himself into various sports ever since he could walk on his own: from ball games such as basketball to the more extreme kinds like snowboarding and also martial arts. Even while playing video games he would annoy Haruka to no end with exaggerated motions when only his fingers and hands are required to move the controller, not his entire body. Due to the nature of his parents' work, his family often has to travel around, moving from one place to another depending on where they are relocated to. Shizuka's limitless sense of curiosity and his physical restlessness give rise to his desire to go on a backpacking trip around the world on his own. He also begins to take great interest to broaden his knowledge on languages and cultures of other countries, which he finds useful to prepare for his backpacking dream.[/indent] [color=cornflowerblue][b]Skills/Talents:[/b][/color] [indent]Shizuka's family spent a lot of time traveling - plus his obsession with picking up new languages - so besides his native tongue he is also fluent in English (well, it is the language most commonly used across the globe) and Chinese (easier for him to master due to many similarities with Japanese). Although he dabbed into many different types of sports, competitive judo is probably the longest one he stayed on - he recently obtained his first black belt ([i]Shodan[/i], or 'First Degree' in English). Rather than the throwing and grappling techniques judo is widely known for, he favors employing strikes for self-defense, making up for his small size with speed and well-timed blows. (Striking techniques are generally forbidden in standard competitions as most of them can be lethal, but they are still practiced and allowed in informal randori.) His dexterity is definitely formidable for someone of his age, but don't expect god-like reflexes even with all the martial arts training - he's ultimately still a human being, just a tad more 'special'.[/indent] [color=cornflowerblue][b]Prized Possession:[/b][/color] [indent](None yet. May be updated as the In-Character progresses.)[/indent] [color=cornflowerblue][b]Quote(s):[/b][/color] [indent][i]"Who cares?"[/i][/indent] [color=cornflowerblue][b]History:[/b][/color] [indent][hider=]Kamakura is one of the well-known spiritual spots in Japan: a small, humble city in the Kanagawa Prefecture. Like most Japanese couples, Yuuichi Takashiro and his then pregnant wife Asami went to the shrines there to pray for their unborn child. Their prayer was answered - and it was more than what they had asked for. Asami gave birth to two peas in a pod - a pair of twin boys. And here's where Haruka and Shizuka's story began. Their parents, being diplomatic agents, had to constantly move from one place to another: when the twins turned three their parents' job relocated them to Shanghai; when they were six the family was posted to Singapore; when they were eight to France... Even their tenth birthday was forgone as they had to fly to Australia. They were not nomads per se, but to the twins, they never had a place they could actually call home. The boys were mostly left on their own, for their parents were so busy with their work that they could barely spent much time with their children - this was especially more so for the career-driven Asami. Initially they hired nannies and maids to look after the kids, but Shizuka would often drive them away with his pranks - he didn't like how they always fussed over him for every trivial matter, forcing him to wear the exact same clothes as Haruka, and how they kept comparing him pointlessly with his obedient brother. They might look the same, but they were still different! They might be still young, but stop suffocating them with their old-fashioned ideologies! Why couldn't these stupid adults understand? The parents then decided to send them to international schools, where they picked up an interest in multilingualism; with how the family was always moving about, they couldn't stay long enough to make any lasting memories and friends (a lot of their schoolmates also come and go just like them). For Shizuka, he was content with joining them as temporary playmates in ball games as long as he got to keep his body active, but Haruka hid himself away with books and computers, afraid to talk to anyone except his brother or when necessary. After a while, Shizuka begged his father to let him take up martial arts - and Yuu let him try judo. The physical and mental demand for competitive judo was more than most of the sports he had played so far, which motivated him to spend more time and effort into climbing up the belt levels, eventually earning his first black belt. Later on, Yuu suggested to enroll them into local institutions. The paperwork was a little more tedious compared to international schools, but the fees were much lower. More importantly, the change of academic environment gave the twins - though just a bit - a sense of settling down, which helped to make the recluse Haruka to take the first step out of his comfort zone, to face and talk to people directly. Of course, in whichever type of school they went to, Haruka could never escape the fate of being a magnet for bullies - he looked weak, nerdy...the very things that made him a perfect human punchbag for these delinquents. It was down to his younger brother to save his ass with his judo tricks - this did help to strengthen their brotherly bond, but Shizuka wasn't aware that his twin was taking his protectiveness beyond the realm of mere sibling love. Well, because Shizuka had a more pressing matter to deal with. His powers began to manifest after he turned thirteen: sometimes his fingers would pass through whatever he was holding; he also found out that when he put his hands through electronic devices he would cause them to short-circuit. At first the ability was more of a nuisance to him: he had little to no control over how he could turn the power on or off, resulting in awkward situations such as things falling out of his grip unexpectedly, or part of his arm disappearing through the wall. An incident where his hand didn't go through his phone completely and was temporarily merged with the device sent him into a very painful frenzy - this caused an accelerated development of his ability, in which he could now extend intangibility to his whole body. Only Haruka knew of his power, and they swore to each other to keep this a secret between themselves. As he had never undergone any formal training on how he could control his ability properly, he could be highly prone to unforeseen hiccups or accidental use of his power at times. As the boys became older, Yuu felt that he couldn't keep bringing them along on their business trips, depriving them the need of a proper school education and social interaction with kids of their age. He finally convinced Asami to place them under the care of their aunt - Asami's younger sister - Akemi Shinoda, who lived in the Chinatown area of Verthaven, a sunny city in the west coast of America.[/hider][/indent] [color=cornflowerblue][b][h3][u]Relationships[/u][/h3] Family:[/b][/color] [list][*][i]Yuuichi Takashiro[/i] --- father [*][i]Asami Takashiro (née Shinoda)[/i] --- mother [*][i]Akemi Shinoda[/i] --- aunt, Asami's younger sister (Force-Field Generation & Projection) [*][i]Haruka Takashiro[/i] --- older twin brother[/list] [color=cornflowerblue][b]Dynamics:[/b][/color] [indent][b]Haruka Takashiro[/b] | [b]Close[/b] | [b][s]Worrisome[/s] Idiot Brother[/b] | [color=cornflowerblue][i]"Bro's totally a bully magnet. How many times did I have to save his ass and kick[/i] more [i]asses? He's hopeless, but I'll always be stuck with him."[/i][/color] [b]Akemi Shinoda[/b] | [b]Good[/b] | [b]Aunt[/b] | [color=cornflowerblue][i]"She's like the complete opposite of Mum. I wonder if they are really sisters?"[/i][/color] [b]Trevor Obott[/b] | [b]Mixed[/b] | [b]First Contact[/b] | [color=cornflowerblue][i]"He[/i] is [i]a shameless pervert through and through, alright."[/i][/color] [b]Cindy Keagan[/b] | [b]Neutral[/b] | [b]Trevor's Friend[/b] | [color=cornflowerblue][i]"That brown - not black! - chick who has both brain and brawn."[/i][/color] [b]Meifeng Vuhong[/b] | [b]Uncertain[/b] | [b]Acquaintance[/b] | [color=cornflowerblue][i]"[s]Gorilla girl.[/s] Jokes aside, she seems pretty funny to hang out with."[/i][/color] [b]Daphne "Holly" Hope[/b] | [b]Curious[/b] | [b]Dat Interesting Lady[/b] | [color=cornflowerblue][i]"The way she talks is amusing, and there's this nice mysterious vibe I get from her. Finally someone who's close to my 'level'."[/i][/color] [b]Lihua Vuhong[/b] | [b]Mixed[/b] | [b]Meifeng's NESTie Mum[/b] | [color=cornflowerblue][i]"She does have the heart of a caring mother, but she seriously needs to get her priorities [/i]right[i]."[/i][/color] [b]Jennifer Caspin[/b] | [b]Neutral[/b] | [b]Acquaintance[/b] | [color=cornflowerblue][i]"She's almost like the girl version of Haru, except that she has enough sense not to trust people too readily - I can feel she's hiding something from us, but it's not my business to poke my nose into other people's secrets."[/i][/color][/indent] [color=cornflowerblue][b][h3][u]Abilities[/u][/h3] Power Class:[/b][/color] [indent]Super-System - Biological[/indent] [color=cornflowerblue][b]Power:[/b][/color] [indent][i]Intangibility - "Phasing"[/i] Shizuka can phase through solid matter and objects by passing his molecules through the spaces between the particles of the object which he is moving through. As such, he and the object that he's going through may temporarily merge without interacting; each is unharmed when he has finished passing through the object. (This is somewhat similar to the process of quantum tunneling.) [list][*][i]Limited Intangibility Extension[/i] --- He can extend his ability to the clothes he's wearing and any object in his possession at the moment. At current level he can also expand the phasing power to a maximum of two people at each time. In order for this to work, he has to maintain direct physical contact with the person or thing he's phasing along with. [*][i]Non-Corporeal Physiology[/i] --- While in phased state, he is practically untouchable. His thoughts also becomes highly erratic, which makes it difficult to establish telepathic connection with his mind. [*][i]Electronic Disruption[/i] --- Although he can pass through pretty much any material object (including living people), when he phases through an object with an electrical system, the process can disrupt the system's workings, causing it to malfunction.[/list][/indent] [color=cornflowerblue][b]Limits:[/b][/color] [list][*]Shizuka is unable to breathe while he's passing through the object (i.e. walking through walls), so he can phase continuously only for as long as he can hold his breath. [*]The denser the material is, the harder and slower for him to pass through. Forcing himself to phase through objects of higher density can cause him undesirable pain, at times also injuring himself. Adding to the point above, he is unable to phase continuously through denser objects for a prolonged period of time without putting a lot of physical and mental stress onto himself. [*]Solidifying while in an object (applies to both partially i.e. his limbs, and fully aka his whole body) or switching off his ability before he has passed through the object completely may inflict serious injury - in worst case scenario, death. [*]In phased state he gains telepathic resistance, but it does not completely erase his presence and he can still be detected by powerful clairvoyants. [*]He is still trying to figure out how to better utilize his power with his physical prowess, hence for now he only know how to use his ability mainly for defense, not offense.[/list] [color=cornflowerblue][b]Weaknesses/Drawbacks:[/b][/color] [list][*]Shizuka's "natural" state is solid; he has to concentrate in order to slip into a phased state. Disrupting the concentration would cause him to revert back to solid state. Weapons such as taser or stun gun are effective to snap him out of phased state. [*]His power only extends to phasing through atom-matter objects (including water and air), and it does not give him energy immunity. Hence, he can still be subjected to, say, fire- or lightning-based attacks. [*]Lead and Bismuth. Although he can phase through almost any solid matter, this two of the densest stable elements on Earth are pretty much a bane on his body. It's uncertain whether he would be able to phase through them at all, but he has zero intention to test that out, ever. As far as he's concerned, trying to pass through those two is equivalent to a normal human trying to walk through a solid wall.[/list] [color=cornflowerblue][b][u]Others[/u]:[/b][/color] [list][*]Although Shizuka sometimes appears to be predominantly left-handed, he's actually ambidextrous. [*]In order to keep his fitness level at its peak, besides exercising regularly he has sworn to stay away from cigarettes and alcohol. [*][hider=Theme Song][youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5ps06Gk0ZM[/youtube][/hider][/list] [/hider] [hr] [hider=Haruka Takashiro] [color=salmon][b][h3][u]Basic Information[/u][/h3] Name:[/b][/color] [indent]Haruka Takashiro (高城 遥, [i]Takashiro Haruka[/i])[/indent] [color=salmon][b]Nickname/Alias/Etc:[/b][/color] [indent]Haru; "The Black/Dark-Haired One" when differentiating from his twin; "Encyclopedroid", "[abbr=Glasses Guy]Megane[/abbr]", "Cinnamon Roll", and many other names Shizuka would call him for fun; "Harry Potter" by Daphne[/indent] [color=salmon][b]Gender:[/b][/color] [indent]Male[/indent] [color=salmon][b]Age:[/b][/color] [indent]17[/indent] [color=salmon][b]Height:[/b][/color] [indent]5' 8"[/indent] [color=salmon][b]Weight:[/b][/color] [indent]148 lbs[/indent] [color=salmon][b]Home District:[/b][/color] [indent]Chinatown[/indent] [color=salmon][b][h3][u]Appearance[/u][/h3] Hair Color:[/b][/color] [indent]Black[/indent] [color=salmon][b]Eye Color:[/b][/color] [indent]Brown[/indent] [color=salmon][b]Ethnicity:[/b][/color] [indent]Japanese[/indent] [color=salmon][b]Physical Appearance:[/b][/color] [indent]Just like his younger twin, Haruka also has a small stature and slim build common among native Japanese; however, he doesn't have the athletic build his sporty brother possesses, and he is paler than Shizuka. He has pretty much given up trying to straighten the mop of jet-black mess on his head, leaving it in a state that transits between flyaway to simply unkempt. He wears a pair of half-rimmed spectacles over his dark brown eyes that often seem glassy and lost, giving him a permanent bored look. He has similar heart-shaped, androgynous face and thin lips like Shizuka, but he does not have any beauty marks.[/indent] [color=salmon][b]Attire:[/b][/color] [indent]Haruka absolutely loves suits and uniforms, but he has enough sense not to wear them except for occasions that warrant such formality. Normally he wears smart-casual clothes - such as a sweater over a dress shirt or turtleneck, a pair of straight-cut jeans, ending with Chelsea boots.[/indent] [color=salmon][b][h3][u]Personality[/u][/h3] Innate & Outward Personality:[/b][/color] [indent]Haruka is pretty much the stereotypical personification of terms like 'geek', 'nerd', 'bookworm', et cetera - and yes he [i]is[/i] indeed one. Not just the glasses and his passion for reading (though they are part of the whole package) - he is almost like a walking encyclopedia, his vast knowledge is an accumulation of the books from all the time he spent in bookshops and libraries; also from articles and entries he gathered through the cyberspace. While he isn't as apt as Shizuka in using them practically, that isn't to say he only knows to recite them word for word like scholars in ancient times; he does know how to apply them in daily life, though in small ways. If only they can teach him how to face people - well, it's not something you can learn from just reading off papers or the screen, duh. It's not that he's overly shy about talking to strangers. It's the way he speaks to them - using the written style in a casual conversation? You get my point. (Maybe not that obvious for English, but there are differences between spoken and written Japanese/Chinese.) Even his body language literally screams awkward, for he often unconsciously goes rigid when he talks to someone face to face. No, he's not anti-social just because he's bad at communication and would rather stay out of the circle, he's simply an introvert who likes to have his own quiet space. Unlike his independent and sly twin, Haruka has a glass heart - he's too pure, too innocent that he tends to trust people too readily that when he's been betrayed he's too quick to spiral into a depressing state, much to his brother's woe. As such, Shizuka becomes rather protective of him and in turn he relies on his twin too much, developing a hidden possessiveness over his twin.[/indent] [color=salmon][b]Hobbies/Interests:[/b][/color] [indent]Haruka prides himself as an armchair traveler as opposed to Shizuka's backpacking passion. Unable to make long-lasting friendship with peers of his age due to the family being on constant move, he seeks refuge by losing himself in the worlds of books and cyberspace. While his brother is out sweating himself in sports, the older twin would lurk in local libraries and bookstores, burying himself among the piles of musty old volumes; or he would hang out in internet cafes, lost himself in the sea of information in the virtual world. Besides reading, Haruka is also into orchestral and acoustic music; the flute is the longest instrument he has been practicing on, because he likes the soothing tone of it.[/indent] [color=salmon][b]Skills/Talents:[/b][/color] [list][*]Similar to his brother, Haruka is also trilingual: fluent in Japanese, English and Chinese. [*]Haruka has innate perfect pitch.[/list] [color=salmon][b]Prized Possession:[/b][/color] [list][*][i][url=http://www.altusflutes.com]Altus[/url]-brand flute[/i] --- seventh birthday gift from his parents[/list] [color=salmon][b]Quotes:[/b][/color] [list][*][i]"[abbr=Shut up.]Urusai.[/abbr]"[/i] --- when he feels annoyed [*][i]"Not funny."[/i] --- whenever Shizuka tries to be funny[/list] [color=salmon][b]History:[/b][/color] [indent](See Shizuka's history. Why should I repeat myself again anyway?)[/indent] [color=salmon][b][h3][u]Relationships[/u][/h3] Family:[/b][/color] [list][*][i]Yuuichi Takashiro[/i] --- father [*][i]Asami Takashiro (née Shinoda)[/i] --- mother [*][i]Akemi Shinoda[/i] --- aunt, Asami's younger sister (Force-Field Generation & Projection) [*][i]Shizuka Takashiro[/i] --- younger twin brother (Intangibility - "Phasing")[/list] [color=salmon][b]Dynamics:[/b][/color] [indent][b]Shizuka Takashiro[/b] | [b]Inseparable[/b] | [b][s]Precious[/s] Idiot Brother[/b] | [color=salmon][i]"I really adore my little brother, maybe beyond the realm of a normal sibling love... Minus that smart mouth, that is."[/i][/color] [b]Akemi Shinoda[/b] | [b]Good[/b] | [b]Aunt[/b] | [color=salmon][i]"She is a lot kinder than Mum - sometimes the way she cared for us makes me wonder if she is our real mother instead."[/i][/color] [b]Trevor Obott[/b] | [b]Good[/b] | [b]Friend[/b] | [color=salmon][i]"He is interesting in a humorous way, but his dirty jokes are a bit...unnerving. It makes me feel bad about him being another victim of Shizu's rude teasing."[/i][/color] [b]Cindy Keagan[/b] | [b]Mixed[/b] | [b]Trevor's Friend[/b] | [color=salmon][i]"Sometimes I feel that Shizu could learn a thing or two from her to fix that mouth of his, but sometimes I feel like I need to keep my brother away from her... I don't like the way she looks at him - and I don't know why."[/i][/color] [b]Meifeng Vuhong[/b] | [b]Neutral[/b] | [b]Acquaintance[/b] | [color=salmon][i]"While I can try to do my best to keep Shizu in check, I'd really appreciate if she doesn't add more fuel to the fire. I feel that she might be a bit more difficult to deal with than Shizu's comebacks."[/i][/color] [b]Daphne "Holly" Hope[/b] | [b]Uncertain[/b] | [b]Akemi's Acquaintance?[/b] | [color=salmon][i]"She has this mysterious aura around her... I'm curious about how she met Aunt Akemi - are they just friends, or something more?"[/i][/color] [b]Lihua Vuhong[/b] | [b]Neutral[/b] | [b]Meifeng's Mum/NEST Agent[/b] | [color=salmon][i]"She is almost like our own mother, no-nonsense and strict - except that she actually does care about her own children."[/i][/color] [b]Jennifer Caspin[/b] | [b]Neutral[/b] | [b]Trevor's Friend[/b] | [color=salmon][i]"I think we didn't really talk to each other - all thanks to Shizu's stupid prank - but she might be someone I can relate with? I feel like I'm looking at myself in the mirror... Hang on, this sounds strangely creepy."[/i][/color][/indent] [color=salmon][b][h3][u]Abilities[/u][/h3] Power Class:[/b][/color] [indent]None.[/indent] [color=salmon][b]Powers:[/b][/color] [indent]Not applicable.[/indent] [color=salmon][b]Limits/Weaknesses/Drawbacks:[/b][/color] [indent]Not applicable.[/indent] [color=salmon][b][u]Others[/u]:[/b][/color] [list][*]Haruka absolutely loves ramen - not those disgusting, instant ones, mind you. [*][hider=Theme Song][youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ft1D1coUmOM[/youtube][/hider][/list] [/hider]