[CHAR] 「 Persona: Reflections 」

[Marlowe]

Shirasawa Asumi

NAME:
Shirasawa Asumi

AGE:
16

GENDER:
Female

ARCANA:
Lovers

APPEARANCE DETAILS:
Asumi is rather short for her age; she stands at just about 5'3" and has a regular figure. Her hazelnut brown hair is always seen in some sort of combination of half-done-up and half-done-down, such as messy ponytails or loose braids that circle her head. Outside of school, she dresses both comfortably and fashionably. Her go-to outfits during the winter months are often bright, fuzzy sweaters and colorful snow hats, while in the summer she's hardly seen wearing anything but skirts and sundresses. Her notebooks are covered with stickers and her schoolbag always seems to have one or two vinyl pins of cute animals on it.

PERSONALITY:
If one had to describe Asumi, they would probably say that she can be a bit "too much" at times. Whatever that means, she doesn't know. In reality, she's quite cheery, and it's hard to keep her down for long. She tries her best to deal with her problems as soon as they show up, and when she's done with them, she moves on like nothing ever happened. It's extremely difficult to get on her bad side, and because of this, she's known for making friends with practically anyone that comes along her way.

Once you get Asumi rolling, it's hard to get her to stop; she's quite the chatterbox, and will often spout multiple questions at once when it comes to something or someone that she's curious and excited about. While she might be a little over the top and extremely eager to please, she also displays a bit of a short temper when people bother her or the people that she cares most about. Asumi's also pretty tone-deaf in more ways than one, and can be a bit too oblivious for her own good. She's also notoriously nosy due to the fact that she wants to be involved in everything about her friends' social lives.

SHORT BIOGRAPHY:
Asumi's parents were never really around. Being doctors at one of the biggest clinics in Tokyo had its downsides, and one of those were that they could never really spend much time with their one and only daughter. Sure, they were always well-off and could go anywhere they wanted to on trips, but much of Asumi's earlier years were spent by herself. Someone always kept an eye on her when her parents away, which was pretty easy because Asumi was always a good girl; she often buried herself in books, lost herself in cartoons and television shows, and played with the family dog when her parents were away. Even though her mom and dad were constantly busy, she was proud of them nevertheless-- they were doctors, after all. They were helping people all over the city get better. She wanted to be just like them one day; when she grew up, she wanted to help the people or things that were hurting get better. It was when she was eight or nine years old that she decided that she wanted to be a veterinarian, and that was that.

She had just begun high school when her parents decided that perhaps the city life wasn't the type of setting they wanted to raise a teenager in. Things had become far too dangerous for their liking, especially for a girl her age. So, they packed up and moved out of the Tokyo. They decided that Fujihama was both close enough for them to commute to work and far enough away to prevent her from becoming wrapped up in the wrong crowd. Asumi didn't take the move too well; while she would always remain in contact with old friends, she feared that their relationships would fade with time. The young girl decided that she had to make new friends as fast as possible, or else she would be more lonely than ever before.

Luckily for Asumi, that went rather well. Her amiable nature, along with the fact that she was more than eager to please her new friends, granted her several of them. She was always there to help them study, always there to help them pay for their lunches, always there to help them through bad break-ups and horrible test grades. Yeah, she was a good friend, and that was enough for her.

The death of their Prime Minister had shaken Asumi up a bit too much for her liking. She's trying her best to move on from it, even going so far as to ignore the rumors that are currently spreading through Fujihama High School like wildfire.

TRIVIA:
- Asumi has a huge appetite and often eats more than one plate of food for lunch or dinner.
- She is among the top 10 students in her class.
- Asumi is very superstitious; she strongly believes that performing certain types of rituals will increase her luck during the day.

[Psyker Landshark]

Nakano Nagi

NAME: Nakano Nagi

AGE: 16

GENDER: Female

ARCANA: Chariot

APPEARANCE DETAILS:
Stands tall for a Japanese woman at 5'8. Toned, athletic figure with a decent amount of muscle in her arms and legs. Above average bust. Constant resting bitch face with a sullen stare.

Typically favors fashionable clothing with a punk or rebel flavor. Prefers dark suits with bright shirts for more formal occasions.

PERSONALITY:
Focused and driven at anything she puts her mind to, but with a chip on her shoulder. Nagi is a girl that has the drive and grit to excel, but no goal to work towards.

For as long as she can remember, Nagi has taken shit from both the local police and more civic-minded townspeople just for being the local yakuza boss's only child. As such, she bears no small amount of resentment for authority and polite Japanese society, choosing to blame them over her father being a criminal.

With her peers, Nagi tends to be reserved and sullen, not trusting most to not give her lip about what her father is. She's rather smart-mouthed and hot-tempered, not suffering insults lightly. Still, she has a few friends at school, and anyone who gets past her walls will find themselves with a loyal, dedicated friend that would go through hell and back for those associated with her.

SHORT BIOGRAPHY:
As the daughter and only child of the boss of the only yakuza game in town, Nagi was never under the impression that her father was anything but a criminal. Still, she didn't give a damn. He wasn't the one that ran out on her and her father with some big-shot businessman from Kyoto.

Her childhood was normal overall, she supposed. She had a loving father, a good amount of big brother types with her dad's goons, and a few friends over the years that weren't scared off by her family's reputation or the scary men that hung around her at times. She grew up tough, having learned to fight and defend herself from a young age with the help of her dad and his men to teach her. That, combined with the image she gave off meant that Nagi got herself into more than a few scraps over the years, putting her in trouble with local law enforcement on occasion.

Over the years, Nagi wanted nothing more than to help her father with his business as the local yakuza boss, but two things interfered: One, women are expressly forbidden from taking part in yakuza life. Two, her father made it clear that even had she been a son, he would never have allowed her to join up. All he wanted was for her to have a legitimate career and family, and so Nagi struggles to abide by his wishes, trying to find exactly what it is she wants out of life.

The prime minister capping himself on live TV? Who gives a damn, she's got her own problems. Of course, the curfew imposed recently has indirectly made it her problem. The sooner this clown show mandatory bedtime is over, the sooner she can get back to an enjoyable school life.

TRIVIA:
-Favorite food: sukiyaki
-Excellent student, top 10 in the junior class.
-Very good chef. Does most of the cooking at home, and is in the cooking club at school as well.
-Rumors:
-Originally wanted to join the karate club, but was rejected after one meeting.
-Reportedly beat the shit out of her last boyfriend over winter break for cheating on her. Whatever the truth is, he's not telling either.

Kinoshita Clan information

Established during the boom period of Japan in the 1980s, the Kinoshita-kai have been a constant presence in Fujihama for decades. Despite Japan's ever more stringent anti-yakuza laws, they've evaded most of the ordinances simply by being a small clan of only a few dozen members, unaffiliated with any of the major yakuza families in the big cities. Most of their income comes from small-scale protection rackets and construction work, which is why the local police tend to leave them alone. The current clan patriarch is Nakano Fumihiro, who has been in charge since the mid-2000s.

OTHER:
Voice actor: Laura Bailey
Theme song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jPjToHhMtw

[DJAtomika]

Tanimoto Akira

NAME: Tanimoto "Aki-Chan" Akira

AGE: 16

GENDER: Female

ARCANA: Sun

APPEARANCE DETAILS: Akira stands 1.63m (or roughly 5' 4"), placing her on the short side amongst her peers. Befitting her nature, she has a head of naturally straight red-brown hair that she keeps at neck length and dyed a fashionable shade of pink. Sometimes she ties her hair into a ponytail, in others she lets it down but with her fringe pinned to one side. Her eyes are light brown and she can be often seen either smiling or vibing to music.

If in school, she wears her uniform normally but accents it with her ever-present pair of headphones around her neck and a light blue hoodie with a fur-rimmed hood over her uniform jacket. When not in school uniform, Akira has her hoodie on over a light blue t-shirt, with slightly baggy, darker navy blue jeans and sneakers to match. Headphones mandatory, of course. Depending on the season, she changes her clothes out to suit the weather, foregoing the jackets in favour of simple t-shirts in the summer, or supplementing them with thick overcoats in the winter. And her satchel bag is never too far behind, slung over her shoulder and usually containing her laptop and notebooks.

PERSONALITY: Akira is a soft-spoken yet chirpy young lady, oftentimes being described as being "quietly joyful". Her enthusiasm for the things she loves shines through her presence in the band club. She's naturally soft in volume, often struggling to be heard over her louder peers, but her contributions to her friend groups and clubs are very much appreciated, and her peers are no slouches in letting her know that.

But just because she's soft-spoken doesn't mean she can't be intense or enthusiastic about the things she loves and cares about. Akira is often the first person to voice her displeasure with bad ideas, or the most vocal about things she likes and she can get louder if she's really annoyed with something. Her nature also doesn't mean she is shy or meek, on the contrary! Her friends know her as a bubbly, energetic soul who doesn't let her quiet voice dampen her spirit. Akira is a fast friend and supporter of their endeavours, even though she isn't very vocal about it.

SHORT BIOGRAPHY: Akira is a Fujihama native and, as such, she was born and raised in the small, sleepy town. Growing up here meant assisting her parents run their okonomiyaki stall just outside of Fujihama Mall and Akira's tiny form was a welcome and regular appearance there in her early years. Eventually she was sent off to kindergarten and spent her formative years with other kids her age, learning how to read and write, count and spell, among other things.

It was during her early teenage years that Akira gained her interest in music. YouTube was and still is a huge impact on her life and it was through the video media app that Akira first discovered old-timey jazz musicians like Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington, among others. It was a little odd for a thirteen-year-old her size to take such an interest in music that wasn't made during her time, but she was so into it, she begged her parents to buy her a trumpet so she could learn how to play. Her first few attempts were tragically doomed to failure but young Akira didn't give up, channelling her energy into YouTube tutorials, practising on the roof of her school so she didn't bother her peers and pouring hours and hours into her newfound favourite instrument.

Come her high school years, Akira immediately joined Fujihama High's band club to further her skills in trumpet playing and music in general. She grew to become one of the more prominently talented musicians in the school and she would often not be seen without her trumpet case in one hand. To attend a day at Fujihama High and not hear Akira's trumpet from the roof was a sure sign that the young lady was sick or busy with her parents at their stall near the mall. But those days were few and far between; her folks weren't struggling to make ends meet and their lives, although they weren't rich, were comfortable and peaceful.

Up until the Prime Minister blew his head off on live national television. That event shook the quiet of their small town and sent a feverish rumble of rumours through the townsfolk. What had happened? Why was the Prime Minister looking so weird just before he committed suicide? The students at Fujihama High talked about it in hushed whispers between classes and on their walks to and from school, even as life returned to a relative sense of normal. It worried Akira, having seen the morbid event on TV, but she tried to push it out of her mind in the days after. Instead, she focused on the upcoming school year, a new recital piece she had to learn and her own jazz practise, silently hoping that life would return to normal soon.

TRIVIA:

• Akira can regularly be found in the school's band room, chatting with friends about music or practising the club's latest musical piece. If she's not there, she can be found on the school's roof, freestyling or practising her favourites on her trumpet.
• Her other favourite haunt is Fujihama Mall, where her parents' stall is and a few of her favourite stores are.
• Her signature pair of blue and white headphones has her initials engraved on the headband.
• Her favourite genres of music are electroswing, future funk, lo-fi and jazz.
• Her favourite musicians are Kirinji, Caravan Palace, Louis Armstrong and Yung Bae.

[Zombehs]

Just a healthy teenager

NAME: Saboru Masashi

AGE: 16

GENDER: Male

ARCANA: Devil

APPEARANCE DETAILS: Of average height at 5'7, Masashi is rather athletic and sports a lean physique. He's not the sort to smile widely, but his features do make for a rather sharp grin. While he does have fancy earrings as pictured, his daily wearers are just plain, unadorned gold studs. Other than that though, he's not particularly fashionable and sticks to more plain clothing. The heat isn't much of a bother, so it's not too uncommon for him to be seen in long sleeves even in the midst of summer.

PERSONALITY: It's a shame that Masashi's focus and drive seems to solely be dedicated towards his practice of kendo. Thankfully the discipline does seem to extend beyond that at the least. He's punctual, dependable when called on, and not the sort to give up just because something is hard. Unfortunately, he doesn't reserve these standards for just himself and he most definitely looks down on people who can't keep up. Thankfully, it's usually his friends who manage to even rope him into helping out, so they're used to each other's behaviour. He's quiet and frank, but growing up in a small town like Fujihama means there's a few people that have grown on him. Or has he grown on them?

It's a sharp contrast with who Masashi becomes when he's all suited up. His kiai is loud, almost deafening so, and he's certainly far more aggressive. Like a man possessed with a fire burning hot in his chest, Masashi is not the sort to take things easy. If asked about the difference, he chalks it up on being unchained a bit. Being all aggressive in his day to day life doesn't really do anything but bring trouble, but in a match it's practically encouraged!

SHORT BIOGRAPHY: Born and raised in Fujihama, he's got no real strong feelings about his hometown even after 16 years of living in it. It's a nice and peaceful place to come back to, but there is awfully little to do when it comes to his passion. For that reason, he hopes to leave it on a more permanent basis once he's finished high school. He already travels to other prefectures and cities on a rather regular basis to attend various kendo competitions.

Sometimes he feels as if he may have been born in the wrong time period. Most people don't feel more alive than ever when weighed down by kendōgu with bokken in hand, but there's little that lights Masashi's heart up like so. The savage glee he feels at breaking through an opponent's guard and smacking them off their feet. Of course then he grits his teeth as he stops himself before the judge's disqualify him again. It's not winning that counts for Masashi, but it's a small comfort at the least.

He's had a rather regular and even privileged childhood growing up, so it's not like there's any issues stemming from there. His parents are both alive and well, and they run the Saboru Springs together. It's one of the hot spring ryokans in town that cater to tourists and he helps out when he has the time to. It's by no means an obligation to him, and part of the reason why he doesn't mind it. They were happy enough to allow him to pursue kendo as a hobby and then a passion, and are quite satisfied with the awards and accolades he has to his name. It's only right that he should at least try to repay that a bit.

He didn't see the gory broadcast live, but a friend has shown him the morbid affair. He honestly hasn't given it much thought. There were no doubt hundreds of trained professionals looking into what happened and why, and what's the point of thinking too hard on something that's so unconnected to him? His ability to care about the situation is all but used up listening to the grumblings and complaints of his friends as they bemoan the new curfew. Tourism has taken a bit of a hit as well, but his parents are rather optimistic that things will bounce back once everything's been sorted out.

TRIVIA:

• Below average in school, but only really excels in PT and English. Not really academically inclined and his main motivation for keeping his grades decent is to maintain club attendance.
• Masashi quite enjoys spicy food, and his tolerance for it is quite high. A bit of a wimp when it comes to bitter foods though, and the main reason why he spat ghost peppers out.
• May or may not have avoided a suspension thanks to his position and achievements as the kendo club's president.

[Lord Orgasmo]

Chen Akio

NAME: Chen, Akio

AGE: 16

GENDER: Male

ARCANA: The Emperor

APPEARANCE DETAILS: Chen stands at 176 cm, or just over 5 foot 9. He weighs about 64 kg, or about 140 pounds. He gets cold pretty easily, and often is seen in a hoodie, or at the very least has one on him.

PERSONALITY: Chen doesn't talk much around those he doesn't know, mostly out of fear that he'll say something stupid and embarrass himself. He may seem reclusive at first, but this is because he prefers to think things through before acting. Once he gets to know someone he becomes much more talkative and outgoing.

SHORT BIOGRAPHY: Chen was born in Yokohama, to a Chinese father and Japanese mother. The first 12 years of his life were much like many other children, with one exception. Chen spent much of his childhood in Chinatown, learning the language, the culture, and perhaps most importantly, the food.

Chen's father was more than happy to take him out to the nearby Chinatown, and his mother liked the walks, too. The Chinatown was lively, and Chen made many friends with the young kids who lived there. He even had a favorite restaurant called the Lunar Tiger. But, all good things must eventually come to an end.

While nobody died, or houses burned down, Chen's father had some unfortunate news. The Hospital he worked at was having him relocate to the town of Fujihama. It was a significantly smaller town than he was used to. It was almost... Chinatown sized.

The move to Chen wasn't as bad as he thought it would be, but was still a bit jarring, all things considered. All new places, all new faces, and a brand new school to go to. But things weren't so bad.

As the years passed, Chen grew to become more reserved, as he had more time to himself, and spent much of that free time on his studies. That's not to say he didn't spend anytime out on the town. His favorite place to hang out was at Wantanabe's. He loved learning the history on the model weapons up on the second floor. He never had enough money to buy anything, but showed his appreciation by buying a few of the cheaper items on the lower floor when he could.

The years passed peacefully, until that one fateful day. While Chen didn't see it live on TV, it was easy enough to find a video on the internet. Chen was so confused, much like many others. Was he blackmailed? Had he gone completely senile? Was he possessed by some angry spirit? Nobody knew for certain. Soon, the whole town felt... gray. Everything seemed less alive. The curfew, while somewhat annoying, didn't change much for Chen. It did seem to annoy most of his friends.

As the school year begins, Chen wonders just what life has in store for him in this small town.

TRIVIA: Chen speaks both Mandarin Chinese and Japanese. His favorite class is history. He also likes chess, and other strategy games.

OTHER: Chen's color is ed1c24

[PrankFox]

Sakai Kenzan

NAME:
Sakai Kenzan

AGE:
17

GENDER:
Male

ARCANA:
Justice

APPEARANCE DETAILS:
Kenzan has a runner's build, tall and long legged with more lean muscle to him than actual bulk. He keeps his hair shaggy on the top with an undercut, usually it's left pretty messy. He has reddish brown eyes and usually a rather disinterested expression.

Aside from his uniform usually he wears something comfortable and easy to run in. Most of the time track suits of various colors. He tends to keep things monochrome with whites, grays, and blacks, but occasionally a blue or red for a bit of color. Even on warmer days he prefers to wear pants and a jacket though in the winter he'll put on a heavier coat.

PERSONALITY:
Kenzan is reserved and quiet, mostly choosing to keep himself out of the main line of sight of anything that might be happening at school. He likes his personal space and isn't the most talkative, though he has been told he's a good listener. Though that might be because he's not really listening. He's very nearly an adult, but even still acts mature for his age, and is someone that is known to give good advice when it comes down to it.

He's distrustful of most other people, though that tends to skew towards the adults in his life, and isn't particularly interested in forming personal connections. He'll be polite when spoken to and isn't going to start any trouble over it, but he will attempt to extract himself from the conversation as quickly as possible.

If you can chip through the wall that he's built up over the years there's a caring and rather charming young man underneath it all. He wants desperately to find people he can trust, but the fear of someone leaving again makes him inclined to keep people at arms length. He has a strong sense of right and wrong and one thing that will push past that wall and get anger sparked is people lording themselves over others; treating someone poorly because of what they do or who they are. He's gotten in trouble more than a couple times for going out of his way to put bullies in their place, but it shows that there is something past the apathy and disinterest.

SHORT BIOGRAPHY:
The youngest child in the family, Kenzan grew up in the busy city of Tokyo where his father worked at the police department. His mother mostly used her time to work on home projects and sell the occasional bit of work if it struck one of the neighbors fancy. His early years were normal for a young boy growing up in the city. He had a number of friends that he would meet up with after school and played sports with, and could rely on his older sister Tomi to pick him up and walk home with him after she was finished with her drama club.

Up until the age of eleven he had what could be called a comfortable life with a family that loved each other. Unfortunately for the Sakai family his father died in a shootout with one of the local gangs, and as far as he is aware, the men who did it got away scot free. The loss devastated his mother, who had to return to work, and grappling with the loss of her husband and raising two kids meant that Tomi had to pick up the slack. Things somewhat returned to normal. He continued to hang out with friends, go to school, but it felt weird to be acting like nothing was wrong. Especially when he knew the police were doing nothing to try and bring the people who killed his father to justice.

His mother decided that she couldn't stand being Tokyo any more and so they left. Moved outside the city to Fujihama where she wanted to try and get a fresh start. The loss of stability pushed Kenzan into himself and he became more closed off, even to his sister. Eventually Tomi got fed up with the whole thing. The move had shaken her just as much, and since there mother was becoming more and more distant, she left to pursue her own life leaving her fifteen year old brother to deal with their mother alone.

Kenzan decided to keep his head down and just work through school as best he could in order to make sure he had the ability to get away from his mother, and he's almost there. Deep down he knows she's trying, but it doesn't stop the distrust of most of the adults in his life. He spends most of his time away from the house at the various hangout locations around the city, mostly Kudo's Bookstore since he knows he'll be left alone there. Either that or on a run with some kind of music playing as loud as he can bare.

The death of the prime minister didn't phase him nearly as much as some of the others, but it was certainly a point of intrigue. The thing that bothers him the most about the whole incident is the city-wide curfew that forces to be at home and deal with his mother for longer than he had to in the past. Still, Kenzan plans to just keep his head down as he always had and wait for it to blow over.

TRIVIA:
Hobbies: Reading, running (and other kinds of sports), music
Loves animals but doesn't like showing the caring side of himself
Doesn't particularly like school, but is good at it without really trying

OTHER: Not presently

[FalloutJack]

Enter Hakuro Kuroda

The Return of the Hatto-san!

NAME: Kuroda, Hakuro

AGE: 17

GENDER: Male

ARCANA: Fortune

APPEARANCE:

Kind of like this. It's a good picture, but not quite there. Hakuro is a young man (5'9"), seemingly of Japanese descent with light skin and short black hair. He is actually from Okinawa, originally, and he has grayish eyes. His build is fairly-average, but he does do alot of running, jumping, and climbing, per his usual outdoor activities that we'll get into later. The odd bruise, bump, or scrape would not be unusual a sight on him, though Hakuro would tell you himself that he could've been alot worse off.

Generally, his attire will be a mix of certain popular styles alongside the decidedly normal and mundane. Hakuro doesn't tend to stick out much on average, despite some decent looks, but that is because the usual thing that draws attention to him is the clothes he wears while traveling around and doing activities for the Hatto Ken Ko-to (Hat-And-Coat) website. He dresses in the hat and coat combo seen on traditional Japanese investigators, especially in shows. It's a theme that he adopted, and so people find him more recognizable when in-character than his normal street clothes.

PERSONALITY:

Hakuro does not live to just be his alter-ego, the traveling Hatto-san, but he has noticed that the eccentric behavior (which he does for fun and content) does tend to draw people in more than his usual self. It's not exactly something he wrestles with. It's more a case of something he's gotten into to alleviate boredom, a bit of harmless escapism. Well...sort of. Let's start at the beginning. When you're a kid and you don't get many permanent friends, you tend to feel isolated from society. The reason why will be explained more in history, but needless to say, Hakuro needed his imagination in overdrive to pass the time. This feeling was what led him to want to travel around and live away from home, reaching out to others, to know many more people and see many more things. He wanted to take it all in while he still had the chance. The eccentric behavior came later, mostly as a laugh, but it led to other things.

For instance, Hakuro tended to use his activities to investigate things around the areas he found himself in. Some of these were harmless, others might've gone a little too far, but no real harm was done. He'd lucked out. The point is that he likes to have his finger on the hub of what's going on, and that means sneaking around, picking up rumors and possible intrigue. He doesn't do anything terrible with it, but he has, on occasion, been the bearer of news, both good and bed. He has also been known to play jokes on others, and is generally giving because the life he leads has him comfortably well-off. Being morally-decent, but sometimes offbeat and up for a laugh, can lead to some strange and amusing situations...which is how he likes it.

SHORT BIOGRAPHY:

The reason for it all is quite simple. He was bored. There were other reasons, but boredom was the first to bat because of where he lived and how his life was set to be. Hakuro was born on one of the Okinawan islands, an area which is isolated from the island of Japan and, in fact, any mainland at all. It is a tiny speck on the Southern Hemisphere of the entire world, this island, and it is here that the Kuroda family owns a modest and marginally-successful inn resort. Mainly, it's a place to stay while you take in the beaches and the natural beauty and landscape of the island, but for Hakuro it was just home, as well as work. Fortunately or unfortunately, this place was his inheritance, meaning that once he came fully of age, he would have to run it.

That didn't weigh on him as much as you'd think. Not as a kid. No, as a kid, he began to wonder if the ocean might swallow him up before he got to see much of the world. (Imaginations will do that to you.) Hakuro had to get creative with activities to keep him amused, since the only friends he would have close by was any of the few people actually living on this island...and, of course, guests. That didn't leave him with much, but as his parents tended to notice these effects on him, they agreed to help him out. Once he was old enough to travel on his own, he could explore Japan and take in all the things that he was missing. As a rule, he had to keep up his education, though, and he couldn't put himself in financial debt, which includes bad trouble with the police.

It was one particular train trip, where he was in a hat and trenchcoat, that another passenger asked him what he was doing. He said "I'm traveling incognito.", to which the passenger replied "No you're not. You're traveling in hat-and-coat." as a joke, and they just got to talking during the ride. This led Hakuro to believe that this breakout journey for himself could be shared by others. They might find it entertaining. Why not? He did. So began the Hatto Ken Ko-to website, or The Traveling Hatto-san, as some fans called him. His antics as a character in video and podcast became...known. He wasn't super popular, but he had followers, people who enjoyed themselves. That was all well and done, of course, but he DID need a central area to continue his education.

This is where he entered the Fujihama area. It was small, relaxing, and out of the way. When he removed the hat and the coat, he wasn't recognizable because he seemed normal-looking without it. He arrived in town about a year before our current events, so Hakuro has been established as someone around town, though he spends time traveling up and down the train lines, sometimes, or catching a ride somewhere. It's his thing, just as rumormongering is his thing. He is one of the people who saved a recording of the Prime Minister's death, and every now and then, he puts his mind to it. What happened to him? Was he ragged because of something that was done to him? Or was this degenration something natural to HIM? Like with his travels and his other investigations, Hakuro wanted to know.

TRIVIA: Hakuro tends to equip himself like some sort of private eye. No gun, but a pen, notepad, cellphone for recording, and the like are usually on his person for these things. Another item he carries with him is an American quarter dropped by a tourist. He prefers to flip a coin whenever a decision that isn't easily resolved crosses his path, and just abides by the toss accordingly. It's quicker that way. He has an internet fan following of a few thousand people who like his exploits, as well, and...he doesn't like spiders.

OTHER: Hakuro has a VERY long contact list. His activities put him in contact with alot of people, here and there. Sometimes, when you need something, he might know someone to call.

Also, I could have any number of cool themes for Hakuro in general. I don't want to be stapled down to one. But for battles, I like to make this one as his default.

[Solace]

Munehisa Nara

NAME
Munehisa Nara (菜麗 旨寿, Nara Munehisa)

AGE
16 → 17

BIRTHDAY
2008-07-21 (21 July 2008)

GENDER
Male

ARCANA
I. MAGICIAN

APPEARANCE DETAILS

HEIGHT
5'6

HAIR COLOUR
Tea brown

EYE COLOUR
Royal blue

COMPLEXION
Slightly pale

BODY COMPOSITION
Lean

PERSONALITY
Munehisa can come off as a reckless idiot at times, but he knows when to be level-headed and serious when the situation dictates. A social butterfly, he loves to mingle with others and enjoys having a large network of friends. He tends to maintain an upbeat demeanor to boost his companions' spirits, preferring to be outspoken in his interactions. Munehisa has a stubborn sense of justice, willing to stand his ground when he or someone else is being wronged. A knack for speaking his mind can put others off due to his 'raucous' nature. His tendency to associate himself with many others has effectively lessened or emptied his pool of close relationships, as he struggles to open up to others about his insecurities.

SHORT BIOGRAPHY
Munehisa Nara was born in the Nishi-Azabu district in Tokyo as an only child. His father, Nobuhige Nara, is a high school science teacher. His mother, Rinako Uehara, served as a branch manager for Mizuho Bank, one of the banking corporations in the country. His parents' successful careers allowed their child to enjoy a relatively cushioned upbringing as he surpassed his father's academic expectations, though his earliest interest piqued in drawing after visiting an animation studio for a field trip.

The boy, motivated to become a storyboard artist, honed his illustration technique and started to post his creations on the Internet after being gifted with a personal computer. The evolution of his artistry was documented over the years on his online profile, garnering a steady following as Munehisa improved sketch by sketch. Maintaining his anonymity on social media, he would win numerous local art contests throughout his years of junior high school, dodging his fanbases' attempts at uncovering his identity. His passion and talent caught the attention from a particular judge who was an artist with connections to the animation industry, which led the man to offer him a mentorship that could eventually lead to an apprenticeship under his studio.

However, a nasty divorce between his parents followed after the authorities discovered that his mother had covertly embezzled bank funds in cooperation with the Yakuza for over a decade. This conspiracy threw his mother away into imprisonment, as well as his apprenticeship opportunity. Losing their house and reputation, the fifteen year old Munehisa followed his father as they relocated to the quieter Fujihama, where Nobuhige's job search finally came to an end after being accepted by the high school essentially out of pity. His father had turned into an alcoholic, further distancing the teenager as his studies dipped and he fell into more delinquent tendencies.

Munehisa eventually overcame his struggles with adjusting to a slower life, maintaining an outward appearance in an attempt to forget about his growing apprehension for the future and his seemingly fictitious 'friendships' going into his second year.

TRIVIA

• Academically average, out of neglect for his studies
• Always has a pocket sketchbook on hand; sometimes likes to poke fun at people through silly drawings
• Remains anonymous to his large following in the online art community
• Savant at first-person shooter games
• Notorious for idolizing his favourite female VTubers, insists that he is 'busy' on some days
• Bad with money
• Benchwarmer on Fujihama's basketball team ("It's by choice...")

OTHER
Munehisa's Playlist

[Fabricant451]

Ebina Hoshiko

NAME: Ebina Hoshiko

AGE: 15

GENDER: Female

ARCANA: Strength

APPEARANCE DETAILS: There's a saying that good things come in small packages but Hoshiko might as well be the antithesis of that; she's not small but she's also not going to be playing basketball anytime soon. Well, not professionally anyway. Really it's a roundabout way of saying that Hoshiko is of above average height, but often appears to be taller thanks in no small part to the fact that she has long, runner's legs and frequently wears shorts or athletic spats when not donning the mandatory school uniform. Her ash blonde hair is almost always unkempt but in such a way that it makes people wonder if she intentionally does it to make it look like she doesn't or if it's just naturally that way. The jury's still out on which one would be more impressive.

Though her hair is short, most of the time she has it covered by a variety of baseball caps. She has a standing collection of them and tries never to wear the same one twice in a row. From her favorite NPB teams (she's a fan of the Chunichi Dragons and the ORIX Buffalos) and MLB teams to just touristy hats or plain colored ones, the only question is which cap Hoshiko is going to wear on any particular day. Her eyes are a cloudy steel blue but nevertheless come with her piercing gaze; Hoshiko has a way of looking at someone with an intense focus that it's like she's reading their mind. Of course she can't read minds and it's mostly just because she thinks long and hard when doing it, but there can't help but feel like a bit of an intimidation behind her otherwise expressive, bright eyed wonder.

It's partly because of her leg benefit that her figure has a clear feminine slant to it. She's slender, but athletic, not quite a typical tomboy but not exactly the kind of nadeshiko type that some find to be ideal. She exists in a comfortably medium. The muscles she does have are confined to her arms, though she's much, much too lenient with hamburgers to have full tone on them. But don't let that fool you.

PERSONALITY: One of the great mysteries of Fujihama is how Hoshiko has even managed to get into high school let alone advance in the years. To put it plainly: Hoshiko is an idiot. Not in an insulting way, of course, but in a very publicly defined sort of way. Hoshiko's name is consistently near the bottom of the class during exams and on tests it's considered a good result for her if she scores above thirty points. Some say she only gets a pass because of her brother, others say it's because of her club activities having the staff look the other way. In truth, it's not like Hoshiko is some secretly brilliant kid, far from it. When she should be studying she's instead at the game center or the burger shop or at the batting cages (where she bats for free thanks to a deal she brokered with the owner). But her own personal motto is: "No struggle is worth freaking out about!"

To put it another way, yes Hoshiko is considerably worried about her academics and only barely scrapes by due to finding tutors who teach her the material in a way she understands (often with baseball terminology or hanging burgers over her head like a carrot on a stick) and because when the chips are down and she focuses, she is capable of more than she gives herself credit for. Whatever worry she has in life is not written on her face. She's always the loud kid in class, the confidently wrong kid, not quite the class clown but close enough to it that she'll take the title and wear it with pride. It is her boisterous and unflappable personality that has led her to having a decently sized social circle. Sure, there are those who find her brand of energy annoying and idiotic and they have let her know that but anytime someone insults her, Hoshiko just smiles, pats them on the shoulder, and invites them to hang out sometime.

But having a large social circle doesn't translate to having a core group of friends. Hoshiko at school surrounds herself with her peers, joking, laughing, playing sports, but at home her phone doesn't buzz with messages or chats. She might not show it, but Hoshiko is rather lonely; but she'd rather be the anchor of good vibes among her peers than drown herself in negative thoughts and loneliness. Hoshiko will be the first person to try and cheer someone up who is crying even if that means going to find the person who made them cry and yelling in their face without having the full information - like when she got in the middle of a girl crying from a 'break up' and yelled at the boyfriend despite the story being more that the boy rejected her love letter proposal.

Whether or not they have Hoshiko's back is irrelevant as far as she's concerned. People might think negatively of her loud, foolish, unambitious self, but they at least know her name. And that's more than can be said for many students.

SHORT BIOGRAPHY: Sometimes it sucks having a famous brother.

Plenty of people in Japan know about Ebina Habiki. He is, after all, one of the hot new rising stars in the tv-drama scene, having gotten his big break on a tokusatsu program and has since transitioned to romantic drama shows winning the hearts of middle aged housewives and young adults the country over. All focus went towards Habiki which is why Hoshiko lives with her aunt in Fujihama while her brother and parents live in Tokyo managing and being her brother's public relations expert. It wasn't that Hoshiko was unloved as a child, far from it, but her aptitude for traditionally male pursuits did her no favors.

After all, it wasn't as if there was room in professional baseball for a female player.

From a young age Hoshino loved baseball, starting from simply throwing a ball at a pitching wall in the park and working her way to a little league team where she was the pitcher. Her early days on the mound were met with bully boys saying the usual things. At first her response was to sniffle and cry which only made it worse. Her coach, the first person in her life who believed in her, told her the best way to show people up was to prove them wrong. The next time they bullied her she struck them out with a fastball down the middle. Once her little league days were done she had her most disappointing moment of her life, even moreso when her parents said they were moving to Tokyo without her because a girl like her wasn't 'meant' for Tokyo living. It was the day she was told that girls weren't allowed to play on the school baseball team. They could be managers, glorified equipment handlers, but not play. Hoshiko just smiled and said it was okay. She sat under a tree until the sun went down that day.

Her love of the sport never died, though, and if she couldn't play for the school she could at least play in her own time and support them in their efforts. It was the least she could do. Literally. At least until she found out that the school had a softball club. It was enough for her and it was a godsend because she was not cut out for cultural clubs after asking if the cooking club could cook burgers.

Some people do ask about her brother though she is never the one to bring up the fact that her brother is an actor, but her family name makes it a common enough occurrence. She doesn't exactly live in her brother's shadow (he was, naturally, top of the class when he went to school AND was president of his drama club) but it does cast a wide, wide surface which at times feels inescapable. Part of her feels as if people are expecting her to be as successful as young and more than one teacher has mentioned something similar when handing back a low graded test. Still, she doesn't let it bother her. She has other things to worry about. Like setting the high school at the game center or trying to throw a perfect game or, yes, cramming for a test because she needs at least a 50 to not have to take mandatory lessons. There's a lot on her plate and none of it is a burger but she'll take care of it in her own way.

No struggle is worth freaking out about, after all.

TRIVIA: -If it wasn't quite obvious, Hoshiko loves hamburgers. And baseball. But mostly hamburgers.
-One of the lowest ranked in her class but, naturally, excels at physical activities and classes. Absolutely vital for her class when they do sports fests.
-Secretly likes to draw but doesn't feel like she's good enough to do anything other than scribble. This is why her notebook has drawings instead of notes and might be why she is so low ranked academically.
-Secondary to burgers she loves yakiniku.
-Absolutely hates mice and rodents to the point where her normally unflappable façade crumbles in their presence.

OTHER:

[Serei2477]

Sonoda Kotone

NAME: Sonoda Kotone

AGE: 15

GENDER: Female

ARCANA: Star

APPEARANCE DETAILS: Kotone is a young woman who stands at 5'4 weighing roughly 115 lbs (52 kg). She has naturally wavy black hair that ends at her waist, pale skin, and sharp yellow eyes. She normally has accessories on and will always have her nails painted black unless she chooses to be a little colorful that day.

PERSONALITY: An aspiring death metal singer and guitarist. Kotone is a very laid-back individual who enjoys getting to know other people. She finds them interesting, and hearing their stories is one of her favorite past times. She enjoys things like cooking, poetry (for song writing purposes), video games, cybergoth, Death Metal, music in general, and has a morbid curiosity in true crime. This ties in to her interest of people; criminology fascinates her. Her curiosity has also made her unintentionally nosy and a detective enthusiast, which means she'll be happy to play detective if the problem at hand fascinates her (and to be like her favorite detective Sherlock Holmes).

Though Kotone is normally calm, cool, and collected, she holds a more joyous, energetic, and cutesy side to her that would have made her more suited for a career as a Pop idol rather than a Death Metalist. She refuses to acknowledge this because it ruins the image she wants and has set for herself.

Kotone's motto in life is "don't stress over the little things." She doesn't like to let the small things she hasn't done build up and stress her out. If she forgot to do her homework, she will shrug and say she will make up for it. If she managed to lose at a level, she will shrug and say that she just needs to get good. However, should the stress build up, Kotone will not know how to control it.

While Kotone is easy to talk to, she has been called an attention-seeker by classmates. A dreamer. In junior high, she's had classmates laugh in her face about her career goal because they thought she was kidding. Her choice isn't exactly the most stable, nor will it ensure success like a Science or Medical degree, but Kotone knows that her chosen path is the path destined for her. She'll just have to prove all of them wrong.

SHORT BIOGRAPHY:

Kotone was born to her mother, Aimi, and her father, Hotoshi, who had her after a night of rendezvous. Her parents were secretary and boss, respectively. No, this was no "other woman" situation, as dramas liked to portray. It was supposed to be a night of relieving "tension" away from the eyes and ears of their coworkers, nothing more, but it led to Kotone despite how careful they were. Aimi decided to keep her, despite Hotoshi explicitly saying he had no interest in being a father. The inappropriate relations had Kotone's mother moving departments to try and not arouse suspicion.

Things were normal up until Aimi became heavily pregnant and, once again, was reminded that Hotoshi had no interest in being a father. Aimi remained hopeful nonetheless. After they talked, Hotoshi agreed to be present in Kotone's life since it was also his fault that he was having a daughter in the first place. However, after the baby was born, Aimi quickly realized that "present" meant just that. Present. He would not help with the baby, feed her, or do anything. He simply provided funds when Aimi needed them. Just like he said, he had no interest in being a father.

The two co-existed for about 3 years before Hotoshi left for a job in America, leaving Aimi alone with her daughter. Since Aimi couldn't afford her home now that she had an extra mouth to feed, diapers to buy, and doctor appointments to attend, she was forced to move to the more unsavory side of Fujihama.

Since Kotone was a little girl, she expressed interest in music. Aimi decided to sign her up for music lessons with the hopes that Kotone would become a cute idol and take Japan by storm. Singing, dancing, instruments, being cute; Aimi made sure Kotone excelled in these things up until her daughter turned 13. Kotone had started developing a love for an entirely different music genre; Death Metal. Since then, Kotone discovered her passion, and expressed her dreams to her mother.

That day, something changed. Kotone didn't know what it was, but something was different. The atmosphere had changed and she wasn't sure why. She thought her mom might have been more stressed because of work recently. Aimi, at one point, smiled and verbally expressed her support for her daughter; she would just remind Kotone to keep studying hard and her options open in case her current choice didn't work out.

But Kotone was confident in her decision. Her gut told her that this path was the one for her, and though it wasn't something conventional or, you know, "normal", she wanted to pursue it. She put all her focus in singing, vocal growls, and her guitar, eventually forgetting the more traditional instruments she had learned. At one point, she had worked extremely hard and scrounged up enough money to get a CD with 3 of her original songs on it. Though the studio's service sucked, booking was a hassle, and the place too fancy for its own good, she managed to get her very own CD. It was the most precious thing she ever owned.

She managed to make copies, although a very limited amount, and sent them out to record labels to try and get a jump start on her dreams.

Though not receiving a response shook her confidence, Kotone remained hopeful. She'd have to try again... just as soon as she can find her CD.

TRIVIA:

-Kotone hates all sweets, but can stomach dark chocolate.
-She will force herself to eat any gross food someone makes for her just so she doesn't hurt their feelings. When she does like the food, Kotone is noticeably happier and readily able to compliment it. If she doesn't, she will say something along the lines of "I can tell you put a lot of love and hard work into this."
-Kotone can often be found at the Music club and Cooking club.
-Her ears hold multiple piercings and she has one on her tongue, but she wears only one in each ear for school.

OTHER:

-She really wants a pet bird at some point.