Hunter
Name: Chiba Kasumi
Age: 16
Gender: Female
Regular Appearance:
Kasumi is a petite girl at 5'2", with unassuming features. Her hair is messy and black, with a bluish tint, and she ties it back while helping in her parents' cafe, but at other times leaves it loose. Her clothes tend towards the casual and comfortable. A few faded scars pepper her skin from a car accident, and she has a burn scar from a later incident with boiling water on the back of her left hand.
Transformed Appearance:
Abilities: When Kasumi transforms, Bunbuku the kettle tsukumogami becomes surrounded by three floating cups, like a tea set. Combining their magic, the two can brew three kinds of tea, all with different effects.
- Green tea: This tea is imbued with healing magic, helping those who drink it recover from wounds faster.
- Ginger tea: Gives the drinker a brief boost to magical and physical strength, lasting around a minute.
- Cherry blossom tea: Fitting the renewal symbolism of spring, this tea soothes exhaustion and replenishes stamina.
In terms of offense, Kasumi and Bunbuku can create bursts of steam that cleanse corrupt energy, weakening onryo and helping to exorcise them. This also works on residual curses left behind in an area after an onryo is sent to the afterlife.
Personality: A timid and reserved girl, Kasumi nonetheless tries to be helpful. Tries a little too hard, in fact, to the point that she can go about it the wrong way. She attempts to put up an air of calm composure, but most often ends up a flustered mess.
When around those she knows well, she opens up a little, showing a more cheerful side. She has a tendency to look up to others, and view them as role models. For all her admiration, however, deep down she has envy issues. She negatively compares herself to others, imagining what they'd do in certain situations and aiming to be more like them.
History: Some people are born blessed, others not so much. Kasumi wasn't, at least not in the way she saw as a blessing. As the second child to the owners of Chiba Cafe, she watched her older sister Kaori train to be the heiress. She tried to help out in any way she could, but Kaori outshone her in her confidence and skill with the public. Kasumi had always been timid, prone to frequent nightmares, and odd moments of panic when out and about as if a threat were nearby. This got her bullied, which didn't help her self-esteem any, making her even less able to measure up to her sister.
Even so, she admired her. And was distraught when, during what was supposed to be a family outing, tragedy struck. The massive storm whipped up without warning, despite the forecast having predicted clear weather. As heavy rain and wind swept through the area, a fallen tree smashed into the car. The girls' parents only received cuts and bruises. Kasumi fared worse with a concussion and a broken arm, albeit nothing she couldn't recover from. Kaori, however, was severely wounded, later passing away in the hospital.
Kasumi had always longed for the role of heiress, but now it was hers, she no longer wanted it. It should have been Kaori's. She tried nonetheless to fill her sister's shoes. Which was far from easy with the strange sense of dread constantly hanging over her, and the random misfortunes that happened every time she helped out in the cafe. One time, she spilled scalding water all over her hand. Another time, the oven malfunctioned, causing a fire that was thankfully put out quickly, but the repairs incurred massive costs. Shortly after the cafe opened up again, a customer took a bad fall, needing to be rushed to hospital.
Feeling as if the accidents were somehow linked to her, Kasumi expressed this to her grandmother, the original owner of the cafe who had long since retired. It was survivor's guilt and self-doubt, not her fault, her grandmother reassured her. To bolster her mood, she gave Kasumi an heirloom, as a symbol that she was fit to someday run the business. Her favourite tea kettle, its spout shaped like a tanuki head. A good luck charm, she explained, representing prosperity. She didn't believe in superstition, but if nothing else, its symbolism would make it a reassuring sight.
Every time she worked, Kasumi kept the kettle with her. Drawn to it in a way she couldn't explain, she'd talk to it, voicing her frustrations. And one day, while she was preparing food alone, it spoke back. Kasumi thought she was dreaming, or losing her mind. Even more bewildering was the tanuki-kettle's claim that a spirit haunted the building. Trapped, corrupted, lashing out, causing the bad luck. And Kasumi could fight back.
It was all a great deal to take in, but with the help of the kettle-spirit, who called himself Bunbuku, she was able to slip into a parallel dimension. There, her appearance changed, her old clothes and apron becoming a green kimono adorned with metallic patches and a leaf motif. That sense of someone else's presence, rife with hate and malice, became far stronger. Swallowing down her fear, Kasumi followed it until she came face to face with the spirit. Kaori.
This wasn't the Kaori she'd known. Cracks lined her skin all over, like damaged porcelain. Seething that Kasumi had never realised how much pressure she'd been under to be the perfect heiress, how it had been slowly destroying her and in the end it had all been for nothing, she flung forth several of the shards that made up her form. A desperate Kasumi shielded herself with her arms, steam pouring from her hands and from Bunbuku's mouth, dissolving the fragments and enveloping the screaming ghost.
Horrified at what she'd done, Kasumi at first couldn't bring herself to further harm her sister. It was Bunbuku who reminded her that this was the only way to protect her family, and to bring Kaori peace. Desperately apologising that she'd been too envious to notice her plight, telling her she'd always had faith in her, Kasumi sent forth a second attack. The onryo's form crumbled and evaporated, revealing Kaori underneath, as she'd always been. Free from the corruption, she admitted she was the one who owed an apology. They shared one last hug, Kaori's arms passing right through as she faded into flickering blue wisps, which rose and flew away before vanishing from view.
Since this first battle, Kasumi has since learned from research and experience that it's likely another onryo caused the freak accident that killed Kaori. She's only been a hunter for two months, but embraces her duty, for the sake of preventing other tragedies.
Likes:
- Tea
- Sweets
- Animals, especially dogs
- Relaxing music
Dislikes:
- Storms
- Public speaking
- Large crowds
- Bullies
Fears:
- Being separated from Bunbuku
- More misfortunes happening to loved ones
- Letting her family down
- The possibility that she may not be a good person, that her kindness may stem from a selfish desire for approval or to feel useful
Other: She likes to make her own tea blends, experimenting with flavours. Sometimes they work great, other times they turn out just plain bizarre.
Tsukumogami
Name: Bunbuku
Item: Tea kettle (morinji-no-okama)
Appearance: Bunbuku is a small cast-iron kettle, with a design based on a racoon dog. His spout is an elaborate tanuki head, much like this. When not pretending to be inanimate, his head and tail move as if they were hinged.
Personality: A mischievous being who tries to boost people's morale with his playfulness, although is just as likely to simply annoy them. He knows when to be serious, it's just in between those moments that he acts like a puppy. Kasumi, thankfully, finds it endearing.
Other: Has a habit of floating around chasing his own tail.
Hunter
Name: Hotaru Ukiko
Age: 17
Gender: Female
Regular Appearance:
At 5'7", Ukiko is tall for a Japanese girl, which adds to her air of confidence. She wears her dark-blonde hair in messy pigtails, and dresses in Gothic Lolita style with lots of frills, lace and ribbons. When in school uniform, she wears as many accessories as she can get away with. Her light brown eyes have a mischievous glint to them, and she often has a playful grin on her face.
Transformed Appearance:
Abilities:
Ukiko's combat power consists of spectral blue "flames", resembling hitodama, which she can launch at enemies. These flames are cold instead of hot, leaving trails of frost.
Aside from this, when transformed she always has a slight glow, which she can brighten to draw the attention of foes. When she does this, all enemy attacks will change course away from allies and towards her. Luckily she has a way to counter attacks - she can briefly create a lantern-shaped hardlight barrier around herself. This isn't foolproof, though, as enough force will break the barrier, and this ability has a cooldown time of several seconds in between uses.
Personality: Brash. Daring. Mischievous. Reckless. All these describe Ukiko and her tendency to seek out trouble before it finds her. Displaying fearlessness that borders on arrogance, she acts like every challenge is no problem for her, right down to taunting her enemies as she fights them. She likes hearing scary stories, and telling them. Folktales, horror movies, haunted house attractions, you name it - if it gives her the chills, it's right up her alley.
Of course, it's said courage is not the absence of fear, and this is painfully true in Ukiko's case. Not that she'll admit it. Behind her bold mask, she's constantly plagued with worries - of not being strong enough, of failing to defeat her foes, of letting someone down. The attitude she puts on is for the sake of overcoming said fear.
History: As a child, Ukiko was the opposite of who she is now - she was quiet and timid, due to the odd sensations and misfortunes that seemed to follow her. She was only comfortable around her best friend Aika, who'd bring her out of her shell and encourage her to try new things. For years, they were as close as sisters, until everything changed one evening.
They were both 12, on their way back from school, and Aika got her to explore the woods. There were rumours about the place, none of them good, but Aika wanted to prove they were false. As they ventured further in, Ukiko felt an overwhelming sense of wrongness, danger. She told Aika, who brushed it off - until something moved, manifesting to both of them.
Both girls turned and ran. Ukiko, in a state of utter panic, didn't look back until she was out of the forest. That was when she noticed her friend wasn't there. Desperate, she sought help.
Thankfully, Aika was found alive. It turned out a mysterious woman had discovered her injured and unconscious, and gotten her to a hospital. While she did make a full recovery, it was a slow one, physically and mentally. She had little memory of the incident, and deep gouges down her back that looked to be from an animal, but nobody could identify what kind. Worse, it was as if the creature had drained the liveliness out of her - she became withdrawn and depressed for months, verbally lashing out whenever Ukiko tried to help. For leaving her, for not even looking back. Something told Ukiko her friend's mental state wasn't solely a result of trauma.
Even after Aika recovered, both girls were torn up with regret over their actions, and drifted apart. A few years later, Ukiko's family moved to Agawa anyway. Ukiko took this as an opportunity to start anew. She wouldn't be that helpless coward any more. Slowly, she started to face her fears. She researched urban legends, the weaknesses of the beings they featured, the items that warded against them. She learned basic self defense. She started putting up a tough front. If anything like that happened again, she wouldn't let anyone else down. She'd do something, somehow.
That determination drove her to take part in a test of courage, which involved exploring an old house in a run-down district. She didn't want to, considering what had happened last time she tried something like that, but her friends were relentless, and she wasn't about to leave them behind. Jacket pockets stuffed with talismans, she followed. From the heaviness in the air, she expected another malicious spirit, and braced herself to drag the others to safety if she had to. However, she ended up encountering a different being first. While her friends' attention was diverted, a paper lantern came to life in front of her. She freaked, but the chochin-obake said there was no time to explain. A malevolent ghost, or onryo, had followed Ukiko here.
By combining their power, they were able to enter a spectral dimension. As terrified as Ukiko was, she hid it, and she and Burabura were able to take down the onryo before it could curse anyone. After the battle, and the tsukumogami's explanation of the basics, it all made sense. Aika's attacker had been an onryo, and the woman who'd brought her to safety had most likely been a hunter. Now Ukiko had the chance to be something other than useless, and make sure the incident wouldn't happen again. That was the day she cast off the last few traces of the scared girl she used to be, at least outwardly.
Likes:
- Horror movies
- Video games
- Playing pranks
- Spicy food
- Gothic Lolita aesthetic
Dislikes:
- Being helpless
- People with no sense of humour
- Hot weather
- Complete darkness (not that she'll admit it)
Fears:
- Being unable to protect someone
- Extreme darkness
- Powerful onryo
- Becoming an onryo
- Others finding out she has more fears than she lets on
Other: She has an embarrassing secret - even at her age, she still can only sleep with at least some light on. She's trying to overcome this, but her nightly duties mean she has to get as much sleep as she can, when she can.
She's part of the occult club at her school, which helps her gather information about potential hauntings. Sometimes the stories she hears turn out to be just that. Other times, there's a grain of truth to them.
Tsukumogami
Name: Burabura
Item: Paper lantern (chochin-obake)
Appearance:
When pretending to be an ordinary item, she resembles a ragged blue paper lantern. The rest of the time, she takes on a blue-green glow, with a large single eye and a tattered mouth.
Personality:
Much more stern and serious than most people expect tsukumogami to be, Burabura is often the voice of reason, in contrast to Ukiko's impulsiveness. As different as she and Ukiko appear to be, one thing she has in common with her is protectiveness - going by hints she sometimes drops, things may have ended badly for the last hunter she was bound to.
Other: Ends her sentences with -bura.
