[hider=Shizuka Takashiro][color=cornflowerblue][h3][b][u]Basic Information[/u][/b][/h3]
[b]Name:[/b][/color]
[indent]Shizuka Takashiro
(高城　静, [i]Takashiro Shizuka[/i])[/indent]
[color=cornflowerblue][b]Other Names:[/b][/color]
[list][*][i]Shizu[/i] --- nickname
[*][i]Phantom[/i] --- callsign[/list]
[color=cornflowerblue][b]Gender:[/b][/color]
[indent]Dude, of course.[/indent]
[color=cornflowerblue][b]Age:[/b][/color]
[indent]23[/indent]
[color=cornflowerblue][b]Height:[/b][/color]
[indent]5' 9"[/indent]
[color=cornflowerblue][b]Weight:[/b][/color]
[indent]152 lbs[/indent]
[color=cornflowerblue][b]Home District:[/b][/color]
[indent]Greencrest Heights, Roseview[/indent]

[color=cornflowerblue][h3][b][u]Appearance[/u][/b][/h3]
[b]Hair Color:[/b][/color]
[indent]Premature Gray[/indent]
[color=cornflowerblue][b]Eye Color:[/b][/color]
[indent]Dark Brown[/indent]
[color=cornflowerblue][b]Ethnicity:[/b][/color]
[indent]100% Japanese![/indent]
[color=cornflowerblue][b]Physical Description:[/b][/color]
[indent]Shizuka has a small stature and slim build common among native Japanese; even the harsh military training he received after joining RAVEN didn't really help to put on much muscle and weight (hey, he just can't beef up as easily as the likes of, say... Stallone, for example). Originally fair-skinned (for Asian standard; still seen as "yellow" to all you Caucasian people) that later took on a slight tan from outdoor sports during his childhood days, and the tan becomes even more pronounced after he becomes a RAVEN agent. He has let the pompadour crewcut to grow out a bit more, now resembling a windswept pixie haircut, though he still keeps the fringes out of his dark eyes; the color has faded so much that his hair has pretty much turned all-white, and even the roots are more of gray than black (he just refuses to dye his hair to black). His heart-shaped face doesn't seem to appear to have aged much at all, still retaining the androgynous look. The "birthmark" that differentiates him from his twin is the small mole on the right side of his face, just below the lower half of his thin lips.[/indent]
[color=cornflowerblue][b]Attire:[/b][/color]
[indent]For Shizuka, he has only one golden rule when it comes to clothing: comfort over fashion. Partly due to his sporty nature, while the other was due to his ignorance for fashion bull - as far as he's concerned, as long as he isn't naked, who cares? Anything goes... but that does not include trying to force him into cosplaying.

On the job, instead of being heavily armored and equipped with bulky guns and retarded helmets like most agents, he wears a simple black stealth suit with minimal armory, such as army knives and small pistols/revolvers. When needed to, he may pack a sniper rifle on his back. After all, he is supposed to stay in the shadows (and out of everyone's way) and he's rarely on the front line; also, all the extra armors are just dead weight to him.[/indent]

[color=cornflowerblue][h3][b][u]Personality[/u][/b][/h3]
[b]Innate & Outward Personality:[/b][/color]
[indent]Shizuka is the complete opposite of his namesake: he's sarcastic, he's rude, and he's brutally blunt to a fault. Those parts of him have mellowed out over the years ever since he reconciled with Cindy - well, he has matured, and being nice (even if it's a faked one) can help to further his private agenda... which will be elaborated later. Otherwise, he's actually a pretty chill and laid-back guy; he's also wise beyond his age (not a surprise, honestly) - general, non-relationship issues, that is.

However, no matter how hard he tries, he still has a long way to go to overcome his innate awkwardness, to express himself in a better way; his eccentricity makes it even worse, for his thoughts are rarely on the same wavelength as others. It's difficult for most people to be able to keep up with his unpredictable pace, sometimes giving rise to misunderstandings that can range from amusing to hostile. While problematic when he has to listen to orders, his unorthodox ways have helped to save the lives of people (and later earning mouthfuls from his superiors).

While his social skills are still in a mess, during missions all those clumsy bullshits are immediately thrown out of the window - this is where the physical and mental discipline hardwired into him would surface. Whether it's his sharp senses or flexible adaptability... even his "gut feeling" - he has an extremely high survival instinct, and he'd use anything and everything in his possession to turn the situation in his favor. He may even go as far as condemning his emotions with cold logic, but thankfully he never wants to be the upfront leader in a group, preferring to leave this "troublesome job" for those [s]loud, extroverted show-offs[/s] charismatic type. However: while he doesn't despise those in power, he doesn't like the idea of being an obedient dog to authority - he puts his own personal interests above all else. As long as his personal interests aren't compromised, he may be willing to go along with any shitty plans the leader comes up with... if you can convince his lazy ass to budge, that is. I'd say Shizuka's alignment is Chaotic Neutral: he has a very realistic (at times negative) view of the people and world around him; for example, he doesn't believe in heroism and chivalry, even questioning that those ideals are simply excuses to kill people the majority perceive as evil without any proper trial, an irony to the idea of justice and law, but he also feels that some people just deserve to die - and they should continue to stay dead.

Relationship wise, Shizuka is (un)surprisingly a very family person - well, the biggest reason why he agreed to join RAVEN was to make use of his post to tap into some of the organization's resources to protect his family, especially his twin brother, Haruka, his closest next of kin (the opportunity to get his hands on those delicious guns is secondary). As for romance... On one hand, he has no whatsoever interest to pursue a romantic relationship at this moment; on the [i]other[/i] hand, he's getting somewhat annoyed at how Akemi and Daphne are teasing him that it's about time he starts finding a girlfriend. He isn't a sexual guy, and it takes a hell lot more than outrageous outward appearance, cringe-worthy flirting acts and lame pickup lines to tickle his sensual side - it's either you click with his erratic mind, or you don't no matter how hard you try. His circle of "friends" is very small - although he has opened up himself a little more than before, he still doesn't trust people easily. However, he has no qualms about making loads of acquaintances - some through normal, proper connections, while others with (a bit of) blackmailing.[/indent]
[color=cornflowerblue][b]Hobbies/Interests:[/b][/color]
[list][*][i]Sports[/i] --- He was a very sporty person back in his childhood days, so much so that he could never sit still for more than a few minutes without going into a fidgety state. From generic ball games to the more extreme kind like snowboarding, he had tried them all before. He's a lot less hyperactive now (patience is a virtue to be a good sniper!), and his job has kept him very busy, but he does hit the gyms sometimes, or some solo sports such as squash, or simply shooting some hoops.[/list]
[list][*][i]Travel[/i] --- 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. After joining RAVEN, he's given many opportunities to travel around US and the world (though mostly Asian countries) - and on official business, not vacation.[/list]
[list][*][i]Firearms[/i] --- Shizuka picked up this when he played some FPS games with Haruka for the first time when they were... still kids (let's not go into the details about game rating for children, yeah). He would find books or online articles on this topic and read about them, but whatever he had learned were only textbook knowledge. He had yearned for a chance to get hands-on experience with guns and rifles (and to a smaller extent, explosives) - which were later presented to him in two stages: first, by moving and settling down in America (where you can't live without a pistol in your pocket), and later by joining RAVEN.[/list]
[list][*][i]Biology[/i] --- After the "evolution" of his power during the Devil Disaster in Verthaven, he starts to take greater interest in understanding the human body, which is extremely useful to help him better utilize his new-found ability (and of course, an added bonus to all his other skill sets).[/list]
[color=cornflowerblue][b]Skills/Talents:[/b][/color]
[list][*][i]Language: Trilingual[/i] --- Shizuka's family had spent a lot of time traveling - plus his quickness to pick up new languages - so besides his native tongue he is also fluent in English (well, it is the language most commonly used across the world, duh) and Chinese (easier for him to master due to many similarities with Japanese). Because of this, he has also become the main liaison officer between RAVEN and the Metahuman agencies in Asia (China, Japan, the Philippines, etc.) for any joint assignments with the East.[/list]
[list][*][i]Combat: Close Quarters[/i] --- Besides judo (which he has now earned his third black belt), the military training he received in RAVEN has added a wide variety of CQC moves to his arsenal, including the use of daggers and batons. Unlike most agents who rely on brute strength and frontal assaults, he prefers to use feints and tricks before delivering lightning-fast surprise attacks.[/list]	
[list][*][i]Stealth & Reconnaissance[/i] --- Given his small build, his quick reflexes, and also the nature of his power (we'll get to that later), he's pretty much the top in this area in RAVEN... probably second only to Daphne.[/list]
[list][*][i]Sharpshooting: Sniper[/i] --- While his has interest in general firearms, he has taken a greater liking for rifles, in particular long-range sniper models (with assault types being a close second). He seems to be trying to maximize his usefulness - especially in relation to his power, range is an issue - but is that really the only reason behind this? ...By the way, he's actually a pretty good sniper. Maybe not the best (yet) but his shots have been improving at an alarming rate.[/list]
[color=cornflowerblue][b]Goals/Motivations:[/b][/color]
[list][*][i]Family[/i] --- As mentioned previously, Shizuka's main goal of joining RAVEN is to acquire the necessary skills and resources to protect his new family, especially his twin brother, whom he fears his enemies would be likely to go after to get their revenge. (The Mannequin is at the top of his hit list.)[/list]
[list][*][i]Self-Discovery[/i] --- Other than his awkward personality, the unhealthy mental and emotional growth caused by the lack of love and care from Asami also contributed to Shizuka's rather pessimistic view of the people and world around him, causing him to have little to no empathy for others. In this sequel, I plan to delve deeper beneath the seemingly normal cover of his family and show that you don't need sex, blood and drugs to showcase a twisted form of family, especially if it's psychological rather than the physical dark side. At the same time, how his new life at Baybridge is giving him that love and care he has always yearned for and helping him to learn how to feel for others better.[/list]
[color=cornflowerblue][b]History:[/b][/color]
[list][*][hider=Pre-Verthaven: Two Peas in a Pod]
[indent]Kamakura is one of the well-known spiritual spots in Japan: a small, humble city in the south of 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 - twin boys.

This was where Haruka and Shizuka's story begin.

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 punch bag 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 was 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.[/indent][/hider][/list]
[list][*][i]Verthaven: And the Rain Falls...[/i]
[indent]Little did the boys know that they only had a month of peaceful - almost boring - enjoyment before they were thrown straight into an apocalyptic disaster that completely changed their life. Shizuka had been getting the bad signs through his "gut feeling", but no one believed him, thinking that he was being a callous smartass... Of course, it didn't help that his less-than-friendly personality made people all the more [i]un[/i]willing to listen to him.

Then suddenly, people were getting killed left and right, including those whom they could become friends with if they had met under better circumstances; worse, the then-powerless Haruka was so close to dying not once but numerous times, even coming face to face with the Changeling Unit. After so much bloodshed and death encounters, It was truly a miracle that all of them managed to stay alive till the end - but this pure luck wouldn't be on their side forever, especially not after what Shizuka had done to help the NEST agents and the Verthaven teens to take down their foes, on top of saving their asses at times.

This wasn't the end of everything yet...[/indent][/list]
[list][*][i]Post-Verthaven: After the Days of Rain[/i]
[indent]The Devil Disaster had prompted the reshuffling of NEST - which was now known as DOVE and RAVEN. Together with the other two surviving teens Zhao Meifeng and Cindy Keagan, Shizuka was also scouted to join the new RAVEN by the then newly elected Chairman, Maximilian Cornell. He accepted the offer, making him the youngest recruit ever enrolled (and people started to call him an elite, though mostly out of spite); he began the Spartan-like military training once he and his new family settled down after being relocated to Baybridge. His training still continued on even after the two years of basics (that all RAVEN newcomers must go through), in particular to further develop his skills in recon on top of sharpshooting. Sometimes he would be sent along with Meifeng to the other states and assist her with fighting with both old and new foes: the Hands of Science, the Pure, the Allegiance... to name a few.

The events in Verthaven didn't affect him as much as it did to the other survivors since he's there only for a month and all (thankfully he didn't have any PTSD after going through a series of tests), but he knew he couldn't relax one bit and get his family into a similar kind of danger again. Call him paranoid, but who wouldn't after been through all that shit? While his job was keeping him real busy - including many business trips especially to Asian countries - he still made sure he set aside some time to be with his family, even helping out with the farm. (He and Daphne share an apartment which is much closer to their workplace, but he still liked to stay together with the whole family as much as he could.) Whenever he's back in Japan, he would try to at least meet up with his father, if Yuu happened to be back in their home country (once they even met in Malaysia by pure chance). He could care less about Asami, though.

Most of the ice around his aloof personality has melted off as he began to work hard to improve his social life, especially his relationships with the people whom he fought alongside with in Verthaven; though he's still as brutally honest as ever, he has learned to hold his sharp tongue back much better than before (no, he still had a dry sense of humor, just keeping them to himself). He had received praises for doing a great job connecting RAVEN with the Metahuman law enforcement groups in Asia - so much so that the Chinese and Japanese counterparts would only speak to him and no one else from RAVEN - but his laid-back attitude made his superiors reluctant to give much promotions (besides, he didn't want more work than he already had which would eat into his precious family time).

The real beginning would start from here... the day he was back from another uneventful official trip from China.[/indent][/list]

[color=cornflowerblue][h3][b][u]Relationships[/u][/b][/h3]
[b]Family:[/b][/color]
[indent][hider=][b][h3]Haruka Takashiro[/h3]| Inseparable | Brother | [i]"It's both my pride - and regret - to see how much he has grown over the years."[/i] |[/b]
[indent]Haruka is Shizuka's older twin, but very few people are able guess that correctly - not just because of Shizuka's white hair, but also how they always treat each other as equals, blurring the lines of seniority even between themselves. Even though Shizuka is no longer that overprotective of him compared to their childhood days, he still won't hesitate to put the well-being of his twin before anyone else'.[/indent]
[b][h3]Akemi Shinoda[/h3]| Close | Aunt | [i]"I swear that she's our real mother... and not the other woman."[/i] |[/b]
[indent]Akemi is the aunt of the twins (through their mother, where she's younger than Asami). To the boys, Akemi feels more like a mum than their own biological mother. Akemi is somewhat stricter with Shizuka - partly because of his difficult personality, and partly because she feels concerned about the various kinds of things he has to go through in his job as an agent fighting - at times even killing - rogue Metahumans.[/indent]
[b][h3]Daphne "Holly" Hope[/h3]| Close, Respected | Sister & Mentor Figure, Mission Controller | [i]"Holly and I have so much in common - almost like she's actually my long-lost sister."[/i] |[/b]
[indent]Daphne becomes a sister figure to the twins when Akemi took her in as her goddaughter. She often shares some of her wisdom to the boys - especially Shizuka - which earns their utmost respect for her. In RAVEN, she also acts as a mentor to him even when they aren't in the same department (more importantly, that their powers give them similar edge in stealth and intelligence gathering).[/indent]
[b][h3]Yuuichi Takashiro[/h3]| Good | Father | [i]"Pop's been working way too hard - for our sake. Not just the money to feed us, but also trying his best to hold all of us together... even though he knows that this 'family' is definitely gonna fall apart sooner or later."[/i] |[/b]
[indent]The twins' father; Yuu is a diplomatic agent representing Japan, and this job often causes his family to get relocated on a frequent basis, moving from one country to another all the time. He tries to squeeze out more time to spend with his children, but his wife Asami would always frown upon his desire to take days off work. Now, he tries to keep up to date about his sons through Shizuka, if they manage to cross each other's path during their frequent trips around the world.[/indent]
[b][h3]Asami Takashiro[/h3]| Mixed | Mother | [i]"I know she hates us as much as I despise her, but I don't get it... Why do we have to become like this? Why did she bring us to this world... only to make us suffer? What the hell is wrong with this bitch?"[/i] |[/b]
[indent]Although Asami is the (biological) mother of Haruka and Shizuka, she has never done anything for the twins - she was never there for them, never did what a mother should do to play her part in bringing up her children: to give them the care and love they needed, forsaking their psychological and emotional well-being for her own selfish goals, abandoning them so that she can climb further up the career ladder. Haruka has once commented about the eerie similar traits that Shizuka shared with their mother... only to receive blunt denial from the younger brother.[/indent][/hider][/indent]
[color=cornflowerblue][b]Dynamics:[/b][/color]
[indent][hider=][b][h3]Zhao Meifeng[/h3]| Good, sorta | Fellow RAVEN Agent | [i]"While she's the charismatic leader who leads before the pack, my job is to watch everyone's back... and drags her down to reality if she's rushing too far ahead. Hey, that kinda rhymes."[/i] |[/b]
[indent]Previously in Verthaven, the two of them didn't have much chance to really interact - even having rather low personal opinions for each other. They are now on friendlier terms; sometimes he's sent with her to the other Metahuman hotspots in America to assist her in raiding the bad guys' nests. Shizuka is a bit concerned about how she's pushing herself too far in these operations; he suspects that she still can't get over whatever had happened in Verthaven but he just continues to watch her back silently... for now.[/indent]
[b][h3]Cindy Gabrielle Keagan[/h3]| Good, sorta | DOVE Pilot | [i]"When she's okay she's pretty awesome and level-headed - y'know, the peacekeeper, the go-to for social-emotional enlightenment. Once she loses her balls, she has a surprising - and annoying - hysterical side, sometimes even worse than a baby."[/i] |[/b]
[indent]Compared to Meifeng's case, their initial relationship was much rockier, even close to outright hating each other. They have since reconciled and restarted their friendship bond anew; now on much better terms (there are occasional hiccups here and there, but they are usually settled as quickly as possible).[/indent]
[b][h3]Zhao Lihua[/h3]| Mixed | Meifeng's Mother | [i]"She may be a respected senior to most other rookie agents, but I'll never acknowledge her (probably). Pretty sure she has the same opinion for me anyway."[/i] |[/b]
[indent]Their opinions for each other have been at all-time low ever since their first meeting on the bridge between Chinatown and Knightdale Rows, even until now; after coming to Baybridge, they rarely have the chance to bump into each other (it's a good thing to him that she has resigned from NEST - he seriously didn't want to be her subordinate-turned-sacrificial lamb). For Shizuka, beneath all the hate he does have a shadow of respect for her professionalism as a former agent (she's so narrow-minded even for a supposedly veteran agent), but beyond that he simply sees her as an "obnoxiously vain woman with a swollen ego". Haruka has also been saying nothing but good things about her ever since he went to the Academy - did she brainwash his brother?[/indent]
[b][h3]Quentin Taylor[/h3]| Neutral | Senior Agent | [i]"His sense of justice is on par with Mei's... including their reckless stupidity too. Sssh, don't you dare tell anyone - especially him - that I said this. (I mean, I took some of his money!) Jokes aside, gotta admit that he's damn good with guns, yeah."[/i] |[/b]
[indent]Shizuka doesn't know much about him other than his relation with Reed, and his power to imprint Metahumans' powers and distribute them to other people. Based on the few interactions he had with him, he feels that Quentin is quite similar to Meifeng in many ways. Of course, he is still grateful for the lil' fortune he received from him (most of which is used to renovate their new home).[/indent]
[b][h3]Reed Taylor[/h3]| Neutral | Senior Agent | [i]"It's gonna take me some time to get used to that... power of his, but I trust Quentin's decision - that Reed will never become the second Luis, ever."[/i] |[/b][/hider][/indent]

[color=cornflowerblue][h3][b][u]Abilities[/u][/b][/h3]
[b]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 atoms 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]Non-Corporeal Physiology[/i] --- While in phased state, he is practically untouchable. With a bit more concentration he can make his body light enough to be able to walk on air.
[*][i]Cerebral Power Resistance[/i] --- His thoughts becomes highly erratic when he's in ghost mode, which makes it difficult to establish telepathic connection with his mind. He is also able to disrupt telekinetic links to the objects or the people he expands his power to (see next point).
[*][i]Limited Power Extension[/i] --- He can extend his ability to the clothes he's wearing and any object in his possession at the moment. He's now also able to expand his power to a maximum of four 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]Internal Analysis[/i] --- Any person or object he extend his ability to allows him to be "linked" to them, giving him insight to their internal structure.[/list][/indent]
[color=cornflowerblue][b]Limits:[/b][/color]
[list][*]Shizuka is unable to breathe while he's passing through the object (e.g. walking through walls), so he can phase continuously only for as long as he can hold his breath. As such, his power is highly dependent on his stamina - in order to keep his fitness level at its peak, besides exercising regularly he has sworn to stay away from cigarettes and alcohol.
[*]The denser the material is, the harder and slower for him to pass through. Forcing himself to phase through objects of very high density can cause him undesirable pain, at times also injuring himself. Also, he's unable to phase continuously through denser objects for a prolonged period of time without putting a lot of physical and mental stress onto himself.
[*]Although he gains cerebral power resistance when in phased state, it doesn't completely erase his presence and he can still be detected by very powerful clairvoyants.
[*]The accuracy of Internal Analysis is heavily dependent on his prior knowledge of the object or person he's feeling - the less he know about them or the more complicated they are, the lower the accuracy.[/list]
[color=cornflowerblue][b]Weaknesses/Drawbacks:[/b][/color]
[list][*]Shizuka's "natural" state is solid - that is, he has to concentrate in order to switch to ghost mode. Shock-inducing weapons such as taser or stun guns are effective to disrupt his concentration and snap him out of phased state.
[*]His power only allows him to pass through atom-matters (solid, liquid and gas); he isn't immune to energy-based attacks such as lightning. He also can't phase through electromagnetic waves and electrical currents, and trying to pass through systems still running on electricity will cause them to malfunction.
[*]Solidifying while in an object (applies to both partially - such his limbs - and his whole body) or switching off his ability before he has passed through the object completely may inflict serious injury (and a hell lot of pain, mind you) - in worst case scenario, even death. This is because the atoms of his body are immediately merged into the object he's trying to phase through... which is similar to how someone stabs you right into your vital organs, but on an atomic level.
[*]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 (nasty) elements is equivalent to a normal human trying to walk through a solid wall.[/list]

[color=cornflowerblue][b]Others:[/b][/color]
[list][*]Unlike most of the other player characters in this roleplay, Shizuka is not a citizen of US - he only holds American permanent residency (required in order for him to work for RAVEN), and he still has Japanese citizenship. Also, as his parents are diplomats, he and Haruka are both able to enjoy diplomatic immunity, but they have no wish to use that privilege unless absolutely necessary.
[*]Although he sometimes appears to be predominantly left-handed, he's actually ambidextrous.
[*]His most prized possession is the survival knife he took from NEST (now RAVEN) for the last stand against the Devil of Verthaven - and later the Changelings. Originally he had a pair, but he used up one by merging the blade into Luis' brain in order to save Quentin from a suicidal death. He has never used it since then, but he still brings it along on trips as a protection charm.
[*][hider=Quotes][list][*]"[i]I know this better than anyone - that it's impossible to save every single person in this world. Saving one life means another has to be sacrificed to fill in the dead role.[/i]" ---to himself and Daphne.
[*]"[i]Doesn't matter what powers we can have; if you can't control that power and let it controls you, you'll end up just like the Devil - drowned in her own uncontrollable power, and dragging all of us down with her.[/i]" ---to Meifeng.
[*]"[i]We can always buy a new house no matter how many times it gets destroyed, but family is irreplaceable. As long as the two of you are safe and sound, that's all that mattered to me.[/i]" ---to Haruka and Akemi.[/list][/hider]
[*][hider=Theme Song][youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5ps06Gk0ZM[/youtube][/hider][/list][/hider]
[hr]
[hider=Haruka Takashiro][color=salmon][h3][b][u]Basic Information[/u][/b][/h3]
[b]Name:[/b][/color]
[indent]Haruka Takashiro
(高城　遥, [i]Takashiro Haruka[/i])[/indent]
[color=salmon][b]Other Names:[/b][/color]
[list][*][i]Haru[/i] --- nickname, general
[*][i]Airhead[/i] --- nickname, Shizuka only[/list]
[color=salmon][b]Gender:[/b][/color]
[indent]Male[/indent]
[color=salmon][b]Age:[/b][/color]
[indent]23[/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]Roseview[/indent]

[color=salmon][h3][b][u]Appearance[/u][/b][/h3]
[b]Hair Color:[/b][/color]
[indent]Black[/indent]
[color=salmon][b]Eye Color:[/b][/color]
[indent]Dark Brown[/indent]
[color=salmon][b]Ethnicity:[/b][/color]
[indent]Japanese[/indent]
[color=salmon][b]Physical Description:[/b][/color]
[indent]Just like his younger twin, Haruka also has a small and slim stature common among native Japanese; while he doesn't have the athletic build his sporty agent brother possesses, the Academy's physical training has given him a much healthier hue and beefed him up a little, though he still can't get any tan even if he's under the sun a lot. His jet-black hair is naturally ruffled and unkempt, no matter how much he tries to straighten that mop of mess on his head. 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 the same heart-shaped, androgynous face and thin lips like Shizuka, but he does not have any birthmarks.[/indent]
[color=salmon][b]Attire:[/b][/color]
[indent]Smart-casual - unlike his laid-back twin, Haruka does put in effort to make himself look presentable (depending on the occasion, of course), but he is ignorant to latest trending fashion as much as Shizuka. He's mostly seen wearing combinations of dress shirts, jeans, and covered shoes.

At the farm, he simply goes with plain long-sleeved shirts, long pants, waterproof boots, and a hat or cap to shield his eyes from the sunlight.[/indent]

[color=salmon][h3][b][u]Personality[/u][/b][/h3]
[b]Innate & Outward Personality:[/b][/color]
[indent]Haruka is pretty much the stereotypical personification of terms like 'geek', 'nerd', 'bookworm', et cetera – and yes he is 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.

Correction: he [i]was[/i] once a geek, a nerd - or any other terms you can think of for this kind of character trait.

Increasing interactions after joining Academy 61 has given him the opportunity to break the ice; he also has to reach out to even more people while helping out with his aunt's farm (to everyone's surprise, since he seems more like the type who prefers to stay indoors). Eventually he has become much more comfortable facing and talking with strangers (better than Shizuka), though he still retains his rather polite/formal speech style. He does continue to value quiet times and his peaceful private space to take breaks from the social hubbub.

He has also learned to be more reserved about putting his trust in people he barely knew, but he still tries to see the good in them as much as he can. He also has similar hopeful view of the world as Meifeng - but for him it's less about heroism and more about Confucianism - as opposed to his brother's realistic (at times even pessimistic) outlook.[/indent]
[color=salmon][b]Hobbies/Interests:[/b][/color]
[list][*][i]Reading[/i] --- Haruka prides himself as an armchair traveler as opposed to Shizuka's passion for backpacking. 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.[/list]
[list][*][i]Music[/i] --- Besides reading, he likes listening to music, specifically acoustic covers and instrumental pieces. He has also picked up various instruments to learn how to play the songs on his own.[/list]
[list][*][i]High Places[/i] --- Mostly due to an effect from his ability, he enjoys simply standing or sitting on the rooftops or trees, letting the open breeze to blow into him.[/list]
[color=salmon][b]Skills/Talents:[/b][/color]
[list][*][i]Language: Trilingual[/i] --- Like his twin, Haruka is also fluent in Japanese, English and Chinese. In fact, he learns new languages faster than Shizuka.[/list]
[list][*][i]Gardening[/i] --- Largely due to him helping Akemi and Daphne out at the backyard-turned-farm.[/list]
[list][*][i]Innate Perfect Pitch[/i] --- He's born with this talent; coupled with his sharp hearing, he's able to play songs based on what he hears alone without the need of a music score.[/list]
[color=salmon][b]Goals/Motivations:[/b][/color]
[list][*][i]Family[/i] --- Haruka's reason is very different from his twin's; rather than about their current family in America, he's more concerned about their blood family - with Yuu and Asami. He doesn't want to give up on their original family like Shizuka, choosing to rebuild it from scratch.[/list]
[list][*][i]Social Life[/i] --- In the previous Verthaven chapter, it's unfortunate that I ended up degrading him to just being a support character to develop Shizuka. But I want to change that - now that he has a power, and with the nightmare of the Devil Disaster still deeply etched into his mind, he's finally able to do something to make a difference and help others in need, to prevent the tragedy from repeating itself again... but of course, he'll soon learn that Metahumans are no gods, just like what Daphne (and Shizuka) have said.[/list]
[color=salmon][b]History:[/b][/color]
[list][*][i]Pre-Verthaven: Two Peas in a Pod[/i]
[indent]I suggest that you should read Shizuka's sheet first as it contains more details (which I'm not gonna repeat myself here again).[/indent][/list]
[list][*][i]Verthaven: And the Rain Falls...[/i]
[indent]Verthaven seemed to be a promising place for the twins to finally settle down - Akemi was much nicer than their own mother, and they managed to make some "friends" around their age. Everything was smooth - he was starting to enjoy his new life in America - but that happiness didn't last long. Barely a month passed before the Devil's sludge army rose above the ground and razed the city, then his family was forced to run for their lives. He felt even more useless when he didn't have any powers like his twin, a hindrance to everyone else - until he met Jennifer Caspin, the first person he thought he could truly be friends with.

He could see all the warning signs, he could tell that something wrong - something terrible - had happened to the girl, but he was afraid to probe her further, afraid of the answer. He was upset when Shizuka suspected her for being the mole selling them out to the Changelings - he knew that all his brother had done was merely to protect him, but he couldn't help feeling guilty that his own life was saved on her forsaken life. It was even more ironic that his superpower only manifested after her death.

However, his brother was right: the only thing he could do to "repay" for being alive was to live on and keep moving forward, together with the memories he had made with those who had passed away in the terrible incident.[/indent][/list]
[list][*][i]Post-Verthaven: After the Days of Rain[/i]
[indent]After the twins and their new family settled down in Baybridge, Haruka was enrolled into Academy 61 to learn how to better control his power while his brother began his two-year basic military training with the newly formed RAVEN. The older twin worked really hard - he had been doing very well in the Academy and eventually graduated with flying colors, while Shizuka went on to do further training in his area of expertise. After which, Haruka decided to take up part-time degree course so that he could still help Akemi with the farm. Everything seemed so peaceful right now, but with his new power, he could feel it as much as Shizuka's "gut feeling" - that something else is stirring in the background... Something [i]bad[/i].[/indent][/list]

[color=salmon][h3][b][u]Relationships[/u][/b][/h3]
[b]Family:[/b][/color]
[indent][hider=][b][h3]Shizuka Takashiro[/h3]| Inseparable | Brother | [i]"I love him as much as I hate his crude sense of humor."[/i] |[/b]
[indent]The [i]younger[/i] twin brother; again, not many people can guess the seniority between them unless they explicitly say so. Haruka has stopped having weird unrequited feelings for Shizuka (which is basically worshipping him), and it's now no different from a normal sibling love. They are still very close though, and he simply ignores the strange looks people give them at their affectionate exchanges.[/indent]
[b][h3]Akemi Shinoda[/h3]| Close | Aunt | [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] |[/b]
[indent]The twins' aunt through their mother's side, who makes them feel more like a mum than their actual mother. Haruka gets along very well with Akemi - not just helping out with her farm, he also help with any repair work needed around the house.[/indent]
[b][h3]Daphne "Holly" Hope[/h3]| Respected | Sister Figure | [i]"It's good to have her around - to look after Shizu when I'm not available to put him on a leash."[/i] |[/b]
[indent]Daphne is like an older sister that Haruka never had until now - occasionally he would tease Shizuka that she is a potential girlfriend material to the younger twin, but Shizuka merely waved that off and bluntly stated that he has never looked at Daphne in [i]that[/i] way.[/indent]
[b][h3]Yuuichi Takashiro[/h3]| Good | Father | [i]"Dad isn't just a hard worker, but he also tries to be there for us even when it's quite impossible due to the nature of his job. I think he really needs a long break from his work - from what Shizu tells me about him, he no longer has the energy to keep running around like this."[/i] |[/b]
[indent]Haruka does love his father, but he has also wished he can spend more time with him, and rebuild their relationship from scratch. Right now he can only be kept updated about Dad through Shizuka, something he hopes to change soon.[/indent]
[b][h3]Asami Takashiro[/h3]| Mixed | Mother | [i]"While I don't have such deep resentment towards her like Shizu does, she didn't make me feel welcomed at home. I couldn't feel any love from her... almost like she's merely a stranger staying under the same roof as us."[/i] |[/b]
[indent]Haruka's relationship with their mother isn't as strained as his brother's; however, he is also uncertain about how he should feel towards Asami's outright objection at them. He feels that their mother must have a reason for acting this way towards the twins, and he really wants to get to the bottom of it - for any chance to save their broken family.[/indent][/hider][/indent]
[color=salmon][b]Dynamics:[/b][/color]
[indent][hider=][b][h3]Zhao Lihua[/h3]| Good | Instructor & Mentor | [i]"She has changed a lot since I last saw her - she isn't like the bitter woman back in Verthaven. She seems so much happier now, and we are even on good terms with one another."[/i] |[/b]
[indent]Haruka was surprised to see Lihua in the Academy, and even more so when he was assigned to train under her. She still had the same strict and no-nonsense attitude, but he knew that she was giving her all to help them to have better control over their powers. They still continue to keep in touch after he has graduated from the Academy.[/indent]
[b][h3]Zhao Meifeng[/h3]| Neutral | Lihua's Daughter | [i]"We don't really see each other much anymore - she is busy with her RAVEN work, and for me with school and Akemi's farm - but I guess we are still friends? I don't know."[/i] |[/b]
[indent]Haruka still think of Meifeng as a friend of sorts, but they barely have much chance to meet each other since Meifeng is usually out of town. He feels that they are something like distant friends, slightly above the level of mere acquaintances.[/indent]
[b][h3]Cindy Gabrielle Keagan[/h3]| Neutral | Meifeng's Friend | [i]"Same as Meifeng - I do see her as a friend, but I don't know about her."[/i] |[/b]
[indent]Haruka would see Cindy around a bit more, but again they were busy with their own respective life that they don't really sit down and have long conversations with each other.[/indent]
[b][h3]Reed Taylor[/h3]| Neutral | Quentin's Brother | [i]"I haven't seen him at all since the Devil incident... I heard from Shizu that his brother gave him Luis' power. That is all I know about him."[/i] |[/b]

[b][h3]Quentin Taylor[/h3]| Neutral | Reed's Brother | [i]"Same as Mr. Reed - didn't see him ever since Verthaven, so I don't really have much impressions about him."[/i] |[/b][/hider][/indent]

[color=salmon][h3][b][u]Abilities[/u][/b][/h3]
[b]Power Class:[/b][/color]
[indent]Elemental[/indent]
[color=salmon][b]Powers:[/b][/color]
[indent][i]Air Manipulation[/i]
Just like any elemental benders, Haruka is able to telekinetically control any gaseous matter (including water vapor), moving the air around him to his will - from as gentle as a light breeze, to as destructive as a tornado. Though using hand gestures allow him to move the air with better precision and control, he is also capable of manipulating through sheer concentration alone (of course, it'd just be crude, basic moves). The versatility of his power is only restricted by his own imagination and creativity, hence the list below is not exhaustible, just the more common tricks he employs:
[list][*][i]Flying[/i] --- Probably one of the basics he has to master in his power package - I mean, how can an air bender [i]not[/i] know how to fly? He can do this in two ways: either by "riding" on the wind (basically moving in the direction of the air current, similar to how birds fly minus the wing-flapping), or creating a small tornado beneath his feet to carry himself into the air. Currently he can only carry a maximum of two people to fly along with him.
[*][i]Wind Blades[/i] --- By packing the gas molecules closer together into very condensed air before swiping his hand outwards quickly, he can throw out an invisible arc with enough force to slice most generic furniture cleanly into half.
[*][i]Air Fist[/i] --- He can also encase the closely-packed air around his knuckles to form an invisible orb, where it acts as a protection around his fist while dealing more damage compared to an ordinary punch.
[*][i]Cyclone Shield[/i] --- He can generate a high-speed whirlwind around himself that can act as a spinning shield to knock out most things coming towards him (or at least get swept into the air funnel).
[*][i]Static Charge[/i] --- If the air around him is moving at a high enough velocity, he's able to cause them to induce static charge on top of its spinning destructive force.
[*][i]Weather-Seer[/i] --- No, he is nowhere powerful enough to actually manipulate the weather, but he's able forecast of the weather by feeling the change in air current around him. He can also make use of the same concept to find possible exits when he's trapped underground.[/list][/indent]
[color=salmon][b]Limits:[/b][/color]
[list][*]Range isn't a major issue to Haruka - going up to about twenty-over feet from his position if you really want a number of sorts - but his power is definitely much more limited when he's indoors or underground: there's only so much air he can control in these places (which means flying in such areas is impossible).
[*]Adding to the point about flying, obviously he can't fly up so high like airplanes - the most at the height of a nine-story building, and that's already pushing his limit. Even lower if he's carrying someone along with him.
[*]The larger and heavier the object, the harder for him to keep afloat in the air. Well, duh.
[*]Of course, as mentioned previously he's nowhere strong enough to move the clouds with his power, and therefore cannot control the weather. (No hurricanes, period!)
[*]While he's able to multitask a couple of tricks (e.g. flying and using wind blades at the same time), but that tires him out very fast than using just one at each time.
[*]The cyclone shield doesn't completely protect him from all attacks - it is possible for stray bullets to pierce through the whirlwind and still hit him.[/list]
[color=salmon][b]Weaknesses/Drawbacks:[/b][/color]
[list][*]Haruka's power doesn't make him immune to air-related disadvantages such as breathing problems, suffocation, gas poisoning, etc. Also, his ability doesn't contribute any changes to his human physiology (e.g. no hollow bones like birds to make his reduce his body mass to fly).
[*]His ability is not entirely dependent on telekinesis alone - it's also linked to/balanced by his emotions; hence, if he loses control over his feelings, his power may go berserk.
[*]Although he has an edge when it comes to execution speed, air is still the weakest among all other elemental-type abilities based on raw power. Using Air Fist as an example, same or similar trick in other elements obviously have a lot more destructive force than air.
[*]He can induce static charge but it's ultimately not part of his control, hence he can still be subjected to getting a bad shock as much as anyone else is who is near his charged tornado. If he forgets to disperse the charged air around him, he can be extremely prone to attract lightning strikes towards himself.[/list]

[color=salmon][b]Others:[/b][/color]
[list][*]Just like his brother, Haruka is also permanent resident of US but still holds Japanese citizenship. He enjoys diplomatic immunity due to their parents' job, but so far the twins have not used this privilege for any purpose.
[*][hider=Theme Song][youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ft1D1coUmOM[/youtube][/hider][/list][/hider]