Name: Kokoha Hisaishi Age: 17 Gender: Female Appearance: Kokoha is a bit of your stereotypical highschool gal. Fashionable, popular, upbeat and it can typically show in her appearance. Long blond colored hair, typically seen wearing the latest modern fashions outside of school. Jewelry and looking 'mega-fabulous' is just par for the course...at least, as far as she's concerned. Personality: As one might expect from her general appearance, it also plays a lot into her general demeanor. Truthfully? She's a selfish gal who doesn't give others the time of day, outside of her close circle of friends and even then if she doesn't wanna do something she won't. She likes what she likes, and only does what she likes. Can be something of a bully, though she honestly doesn't do it intentionally half the time since she rarely thinks before speaking. At least her grades tend to be above average and she takes the magical girling thing fairly seriously despite her constant complaints about how girls should not be put into this sort of danger.
This, contrasts slightly, perhaps to her love of more occult things. Her ideal friday night is actually curling up and watching some cheesy dumb horror movie...or on occasion egging her friends onto joining her in a haunted location to film it for her various social media accounts.
Her thoughts on her magical girl transformation is rather mixed. On one hand? She thinks its pretty cute. On the other? Why the hell does she have to be here? Why the hell can't she just blast them with a giant hammer or something? She can become easily agitated, especially when fighting shades due to her lack of consistent offensive options since she plays more of a support role most of the time. Skills: -Any good gal knows best way to get on peoples good side is to be able to cook! -Want a free Tarot reading? No? She didn't want to give you one anyways. -Want her to do your hair? Nails? Makeover? She's gotchu fam. -No you can't stare at her thighs, even if she knows they look good. What? looking good IS a skill! -could probably talk your ear off about urban legends, cryptids, and some mythology. Brief Backstory: Living in the lap of luxury can give one quite an edge in life, and Kokoha is not any different in this regard. Her father, a wealthy writer, journalist, and TV personality made it far in life with his career, making enough money for him, his wife, and Kokoha to have quite the rich lifestyle. Going to an all-girls school, being something of a spoiler princess, and generally being her parents golden child...well, its easy to see perhaps, why she turned out the way she did. A selfish girl who takes what she wants, does what she wants, and doesn't have much of a problem stepping on others toes. For all intents and purposes, everyone knows Kohoka as a popular, attractive, highschool girl.
At home, though? Well...you know what her father made a living writing? Investigating? Being a TV personality for?
Writing and hosting shows and traveling for various conspiracy theorists, urban legend, and similar such topics. This has, well, colored Kokha's own tastes a lot even if she doesn't wanna admit it and thinks its mega cringe to believe this stuff in public. While she doesn't believe in obviously unscientific can definitely be disproven things...well...Aliens? She believes in em. Bigfoot? Definitely. Urban legends? You bet your lipstick she at least, in some part believes in it. Not that she'd ever admit this...and she'd probably make fun of you a bit for believing in it too.
Eventually, though, all good things must sometimes come to an end. About three years ago when he was out doing a shoot for a segment on a TV show where he was going to announce a new book...the plane, crashed. An engine malfunction, apparently. His body was never recovered and Kokoha could be said to have never quite gotten over it, and her mother eventually started going out less and less.
So, when she first became a magical girl? Hell yes! This just proved everything about every urban myth and legend right as far as she was concerned. But also, hell no because this meant she was going to have to go around beating up things with magic! Totally uncool! And they didn't even give her something she could just whack things to death with! What's up with that crap!? All she had was her fathers old Tarot Deck! Guh, this is making her more pissed off just thinking about it...
Magical Girl Appearance:
As a magical girl, her attire is fairly...traditional witchy looking. A pointy hat, dark colored hair and bright blue eyes replace her usual blond hair and hazel colored eyes. A frilly dress may not be her usual sort of attire, but hey, at least its cute?
Concept: Tarot Archetype: Arcana Abilities: Kokoha's abilities, are loosely based off the cards of her favorite Tarot card deck. Each card produces a wide range of individual effects from barriers, a small bit of healing, to those with offensive capabilities. Many though, are for more utility and support purposes. You could say, its a bit ironic that a selfish girl that has never taken the time of day to really get to know others very well takes a more support role typically.
The cards must be 'drawn' to be used, often taking a few seconds of setup in order to use them, and she may only use two at a time without having to 'draw' another from the deck unless otherwise specified like the Death Arcana.
The fool - The zeroth card in a deck. The card which has unlimited potential and the start of a journey. In her deck, depicted as a carefree girl standing near the edge of a cliff, about to fall into an unknown journey. This card itself does nothing, and is always present no matter what even in her untransformed state. Acts as the catalyst for other cards, triggering the magical girl transformation.
The Magician - The first card in a deck. The fool meets a powerful magician on their journey, helping them achieve the first part of it and acts as a guide. When drawn, allows the user to manifest blasts of pure magical energy. Can be sustained as beams of bluish-white light, or fired as more rapid-fire blasts of bluish-white 'bullets' of energy. A very basic offensive card.
The High Priestess - The second card, and second meeting. The fool meets a priestess, who tells the Fool of the dangers of the world and how to avoid or find them. When drawn, allows the user to feel the presence of shades and negative emotions in a wide radius in order to track them.
The Empress - The third meeting. A kind empress shields others from harm that the Fool unknowingly brought about. Once drawn, allows the user to create a powerful barrier spell onto others at the cost of leaving oneself open.
The Emperor - The fourth meeting. A powerful Emperor tells the Fool that no amount of protecting others matters if one can not protect themselves. Once drawn, allows one to place a powerful barrier in front of oneself.
The Heirophant - The fifth meeting. A wise sage teaches the fool of the world, as well as the joy of teaching itself. Once drawn, allows the user to share their magical energy with any number of allies present, giving them a substantial boost to power and energy reserves.
The Lovers- The sixth meeting, where the Fool meets a pair of lovers. The peaceful tranquility and bliss of love washes away negative emotions. Once drawn, allows the user to place down a protective zone that heals minor wounds, disperses negative emotions and feelings and chases away lesser shades.
The Chariot - The Seventh meeting whereupon the fool learns to steel their determination from all negative thoughts. Once drawn, negates mental interferences in a small area, and destroys illusions in the area.
Strength - The meeting of the Eighth. No amount of determination can help if ones body is weak. Once drawn, strengths ones body as long as the card is drawn making the user physically strong.
The Hermit - The ninth. Some foes, however, can not be met head on. One must find other routes and inspect one self. Enhances the users speed and agility for as long as it is drawn.
The Wheel- The tenth. Even so, luck sometimes refuses to allow one victory. If drawn, allows the user to see roughly two seconds into the future. It does not allow time to change fate, merely potentially defy it.
Justice - The Eleventh. Justice can be cruel. Justice can be harsh. The fool learns that sometimes, one must mete out justice themselves. Once drawn, the card takes the form of a sword that cuts evil in twain.
Hanged Man - The Twelfth. The fool learns that sometimes, to save something, you must sometimes be willing to sacrifice everything. Once drawn, immediately begins to overloads ones magic reserves, multiplying it exponentially. Once critical mass is reached, releases the pent up energy in the form of a massive shockwave from the users body. Almost certainly will destroy most things in a large radius - including the user. Without immediate medical treatment, there's a good chance the user won't survive. The selfishness of such an act, however, makes this incompatible with Judgements Trumpet.
Death - The thirteenth. Staring at the precipice of death, the Fool decides that perhaps, she must change in order to better oneself. Determined to continue their journey, they set out with newfound determination. Once drawn, the card does nothing by itself. However, if activated it can immediately be swapped for any other Arcana without needing to draw it.
Temperance - The fourteenth. Upon the fools journey, she learns that in all things, there is moderation. Desire must be tempered with reason, and reason must also be tempered with passion. Once drawn, allows one to use chains to bind and restrain foes.
Devil - the Fifteenth...but all the same, rejecting sin and evil as unnatural will only bring ruin and misery to those pure souls who know not how to deal with it. Once drawn, the card will pull upon all the negative emotions and desires the user possesses, manifesting a powerful shade that will indiscriminately attack anything in its vicinity. Taking the form of a massive, many armed, horned demon. Once killed, the user will strangely also find themselves free of any negative thoughts and emotions...one must be careful not to over-indulge.
Tower - The sixteenth. A card of sudden upheaval, change, and chaos. Once drawn, allows the user to counter weaker spells and physical attacks by absorbing them with a barrier contained in ones hand. It will then, retaliate appropriately as either a strike of lightning for magical attacks or a phantom blade for physical attacks.
Star- The Seventeenth. The fool watches others lose all hope after the chaos ensuing from the tower. Yet, when others are at their darkest, one must sometimes shine even brighter. Nearly taking all of ones magic in the process, creates a shining star overhead. All who see will feel a gentle warmth as their fatigue is washed away and their magical energy refilled.
Moon- The eighteenth. The fool nears the end of her journey. Behind her, a lifetime of adventure, and ahead...who knows? They are beset by the fear of what could be. Once drawn, allows one to manifest and use minor illusions, such as a fake attack or an illusory doppelganger feint.
Sun- The nineteenth. At the precipice of defeat from fear, a warm hand guides them forward. Once drawn, allows one to manifest a fire-based magical attack as either traditional fireballs or in another manner. A fairly straight forward offensive card.
Judgement - The twentieth. At the end of their journey, the fool stands in front of a being that judges all...and judges them for every action upon their journey. Once drawn, the card must be paired with either the Magician, Justice, Devil, or the Sun. Once they have been paired, judgements trumpet shall be hers, and shall sound the judgement of a foe. Judgement enhances the aspects of one into what can be called a 'finishing move'. Using any of these will typically mean the user is pretty drained afterwards, and not all can really be use effectively in any given situation.
Magicians Astral Spark - Coalescence's all magical energy within the user to a singular point in front of them...and then unleashes it in a torrent of stars towards the target, bombarding them with innumerable magical projectiles along with a massive stream of magical energy. Do you seek self enlightenment, power above all else as the magician?
Judgements Truth - The combination of Justice and Judgement. Justice's disappears from the users hand, before reappearing some distance above the user, now gargantuan in size. The blade will swing down upon the foe in front. The weight of the blade alone would crush most things. Works best out in the open or in larger indoor spaces...or if collateral damage isn't a concern. Do you seek to become an arbitrator of justice, regardless of what you may have to do?
Coronal Ejection - The combination of Judgement and the Sun. A pillar of sunlight smashes into the foe from above, setting them aflame and smashing them into the ground where their sins and negative thoughts will be quite literally, burned away. Will you become an emissary of righteousness, standing against the dark even if alone?
Devil's Revelation - The combination of Judgement and the Devil. This...is not an option one should consider easily. Instead of just taking the negative emotion from the user, it will drain all negative emotions from everywhere around it effectively creating a very power, very dangerous Shade that must be dealt with eventually. The user themselves will often be engulfed in this tempest of negativity. Or perhaps...the Devils Temptation shall prove your destiny.
The World - Finally, passing judgements trials...the fool stands at the top of the world. A lifetime of journey and learning behind her. Here, at the top, what does she contemplate? This card, unfortunately, can only be drawn by one who has 'completed' their own journey. Whatever that means...well, who knows. It does, however, allow one to use all the other Arcana without needing to rest or draw them individually, letting very briefly all be used without restriction.
Kokoha, however, has no idea what this means and she can not use this card.
Personality Nico is, for lack of a better term, plain. She's friendly enough, if a bit standoffish to the people around her. She has a healthy amount of friends, diligently attends class, has average grades and feeds stray animals on the weekends. She sounds a little boring, and in truth she might just be a bit too plain for her own good, but most of it is putting on airs.
Truth is, she wants to be a bit more carefree. Break out of the shell she built around herself, feel the breeze through her hair as she darts around and maybe, hopefully, get a boyfriend some time. Luckily for her, she has another persona with which she can act on these repressed urges (not counting the boyfriend): that of her Magical Girl self.
She feels liberated in transformation, and makes this known through her boundless energy. Her act as a transformed girl makes her curious, bubbly, maybe a little bit of an airhead even... but most importantly, she's straightforward. If she wants something, she goes for it. If she has something to say, she says it. When transformed, all the mental roadblocks that prevent her from confessing her feelings just seems to vanish.
The true "Nico" is most likely between these two personas: one not as plain as her untransformed self, but also one not as freewheeling as the pink cat-girl menace. Coming to terms with that is still something she has to figure out for herself in her middle school years.
Skills Nico knows how to take care of small animals and seems to be a natural empath for them, able to get along easily even with stray cats or dogs.
Brief Backstory As said, Nico is an ordinary girl most of the time. She's an only child, fawned over by loving parents. They're strict with her when they need to be, and may be a small part of the reason she's not allowed to attend anything other than an all-girls school, but they still love her. As long as Nico's grades are okay, which they usually turn out to be, they wouldn't dare make her life (much) harder than it needs to be. Nico was never allowed a pet while she grew up, even though she loved animals from the bottom of her heart, because the owner of the house they rented had a "no-pets" policy. To make up for it, her parents would often take her to a zoo, or cat café, or any other place with a lot of animal friends. She not only got experience handling small animals, but she's grown to really care for them too.
But Nico knew there was more she could do, still, for her animal friends. She also knew that she didn't like putting on airs toward the people around her, despite having no real reason to do so. Nico never had much of a reason to be shy of others, but she just... was. She wished she could be less... that. Less shy, less reclusive, less indecisive. A wish that, in a clumsy manner, would find its way to be indirectly granted.
One night, only three weeks prior to the start of this story, a fairy visited her. It told Nico she had the potential to be so much more than she was now, that she had the power to become a magical girl. Of course it's not like she believed it right away, no normal person would. But when the fairy gave her time to think, and when it asked again later, Nico felt a swelling in her chest. She knew this was a one-time chance and, just maybe, she could do some good. Naïve, sure, but there was more to it: If she could have an alter-ego as this "magical girl", maybe she could learn to be more open with others. That's why she accepted: in this kind of miraculous double-life, she felt like she might grow as a person.
Though... maybe the cat-like powers she got could've been a little less on-the-nose.
Magical Girl Appearance
(source) (Not pictured: Long, pink tail sticking out of her uniform. She can control it freely.)
Abilities Nico is slippery, just like a cat. She's extremely light on her feet, able to run on all fours with ease and able to scale most walls with finesse and speed. She has no long-ranged capabilities; Nico relies entirely on pink claws that jut out from between her knuckles... or the edge of her fingertips, whichever strikes her fancy at the time. She naturally gravitates to a hit-and-run style of fighting. She can create a small barrier with her hands to ward off tiny projectiles, but it's not particularly resilient as Nico relies more on speed and dodging rather than blocking the enemy's attacks.
One interesting ability of hers, though, is the ability to create clones. They're not true clones; they're more like a mirage. An animated image, able to move and emote, but which shatters upon the slightest touch. They're also not intelligent; only able to follow simple directives that Nico thinks of at the time, such as running, acting confused or any other manner of things. It's said that a cat has nine lives, and each clone could be counted as one of those- it's probably a coincidence, though, that she can only create nine of them. Any more and it strains her focus far too much, needing too much magic power and concentration to maintain their form.
Personality: Setsuko is a calm and confident person, her gentle and soft spoken disposition belies her intelligent and more intense side. She dislikes seeing people struggle with things, so she enjoys being helpful, also being careful not to overstep her bounds. She has a habit of getting over excited when video games or anime are involved, however. Of course, being an Otaku, having become a magical girl is like a dream come true for her.
Skills: Computer Whiz - Familiar with various applications/programs and being able to type at 70 wpm, Setsuko's the go to girl if you need anything done on the web. Skilled Gamer: It's no secret that Setsuko's an avid video game lover. Her favorites are JRPGs and fighting games, both of which she's highly skilled in. Often speedrunning the rpgs and placing consistently high in underground tournaments. Anime Encyclopedia: Whether it'd be the new hit Shounen, or some obscure OVA made by a now defunct studio, chances are Setsuko's seen or heard of it.
Brief Backstory: Setsuko lived a simple life, her parents the owners of a local eatery in the Akihabara district. Being raised in the epicenter of Otaku culture, it's no surprise that she became one herself.
Often frequenting arcade machines to play the latest fighter or buying the latest manga, she spent her days in leisurely consumption of pop culture.
Surprisingly, her obsession did little to affect her grades, often always in the top ten of her class. However, it did affect her social life. Not having too many friends, Setsuko mainly turned to games and anime to occupy her time. She actually did happen to have one notable childhood friend, who'd been with her through thick and thin. At this point in their lives they lived in different districts, but often kept in touch using various online services. They often played different online games together in addition.
Setsuko and her friend also enjoyed delving into various mythologies, most notably the Asian mythos of the Four Gods. Of them their favorite was Suzaku, the fire bird of the Southern Sky. Her friend even bought her a scarlet feather charm as a present. Unfortunately, that would be the last time she would hear from her friend.
A broadcast when out stating that the bus she was riding on got caught in a landslide, after excavators retrieved the vehicle there were no confirmed survivors. Heartbroken, Setsuko when into a downard spiral and began to shut everyone out. She couldn't even bring herself to play their favorite games anymore.
At that point, a fairy of all things came to visit here, much to her shock. It was then she was given abilities akin to pyrokinesis, and she saw that she could also give herself fiery appendages similiar to a bird. Taking it as a sign to honor her lost friend, she happily decided to live out her fantasy as the extravagant fire bird of Akihabara!
Abilities: Her powers and abilities are based on the aforementioned divine bird. She is able to bombard enemies with a shower of fireballs, let loose streams of flame, and can even create flame pillars and walls. In addition, she has been given greater agility and reaction speed in her transformation. Of course, she can even fly by generating wings made of fiery feathers, and talons to deliver powerful kicks and slashes.
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. Urban legends, horror movies, haunted houses, 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 terror - 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.
Skills: Knows a lot about urban legends and stories of supernatural occurrences, as they can be hints at where to find shades. She's also good at bolstering people's mood with her bravado - when she's not annoying the crap out of them, in any case.
Brief Backstory: As a child, Ukiko was the opposite of who she is now - she was quiet and timid. 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, something moved in the distance. Leaves crunched, as if something was chasing 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 Tokyo 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, and the weaknesses of the beings they featured. 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 was what got her chosen as a magical girl. Once Ukiko had gotten over her bewilderment at a fairy appearing to her, offering her the power to fight shades, it all made sense. The attacker in the woods had been a shade, and a magical girl had saved Aika's life. Now Ukiko had the chance to be something other than useless, and make sure the incident wouldn't happen again. She took it right away. That was the day she cast off the last few traces of the scared girl she used to be, at least outwardly.
Magical Girl Appearance:
Concept: Ghosts
Archetype: Chochin-obake (ghost lantern)
Abilities: As is fitting for a spectral magical girl, Ukiko can float, and become invisible for a few seconds at a time. She can also become immaterial and phase through solid objects, although not through shade attacks since shades aren't exactly corporeal beings, or energy attacks if she were to get into a fight with another magical girl - using this ability several times in a short span of time is also a significant drain on her magic reserves.
Her offensive power takes the form of ghostly flames, similar to hitodama, which she shoots at enemies. These flames are blue-green, and cold instead of hot. A chochin-obake familiar accompanies her, able to breathe this same fire. Together, they can combine their attacks for a powerful finishing move.
Appearance: Himeko stands at approximately 5'9"/175cm, with straight, dark hair falling to her shoulder blades, and black-rimmed glasses. When not wearing her traditional shrine maiden uniform, she tends to wear colourful, long-sleeved clothes and long skirts.
Personality: A cheerful and upbeat girl that exudes energy, this young miko is the face of her family's shinto shrine, always greeting the (dwindling) visitors with a bright smile. It's probably fair to say she's popular with the local elder populace. And while her cheery, friendly disposition isn't an act, she also tends to keep some emotional distance from others.
While a tad subdued outside of her magical form, Himeko is a rather playful young lady with a fondness for pranks. While that won't normally manifest outside of a jokingly reproachful response, when she transforms, her demeanour practically becomes that of a prankster. Himeko utilises her magic to its' fullest potential, purely to perform a little friendly trolling with other magical girls. Even when battling Shades, she's likely to sit back and playfully toss a few spells here and there, especially with a low number of tails.
While Himeko would hardly call herself kind, she certainly won't withhold a helping hand if someone requires it - even outside the realm of magic, sometimes a worshipper simply needs a cute young lady to talk to, after all! Himeko may assume the worst of another's intentions, but she can't let that stop her from simply doing what she feels like. It just so happens her whims trend towards assistance - and teasing, there's plenty of that.
Skills: Thanks to her upbringing, she has great knowledge of the various shinto gods, shrine maintenance, and gotten quite good at housekeeping.
Brief Backstory: Himeko's childhood isn't all that remarkable. She began helping out at her family's shrine when she was ten years old, but other than that, there was nothing all that special about her life. She was a lot more subdued and quiet as a child, however. She didn't have any apprehension about speaking with her peers, and indeed could be quite chatty when prompted, she just never initiated those conversations. And over time, such interactions became less and less common, until she was eventually seen as a loner that preferred to be by herself. That in itself would have been fine with her... if it weren't for how bad the other schoolkids were at hiding the badmouthing she would receive, being perceived as cold and snooty, or somehow above everyone else, just for living at a shrine. And then those same kids would put on friendly smiles and politely ask her for this or that... it's probably no surprise that Himeko decided to keep to herself after that.
When she was 14, whilst sweeping the grounds in the early morning, a fairy appeared before her. While sceptical of the whole situation, she tentatively agreed to become a magical girl... and took to it pretty well. Battling against the Shades was certainly an unnerving prospect, but after a couple of years of experience and acclimating to her abilities, Himeko's more jubilant aspects became more pronounced. And now, with five years of experience and not a single major incident under her watch, the cheerful trickster is just as happy as ever to fend of any Shades. Still needs to learn interactions within a school do not necessarily constitute the collective attitude of humanity, though.
Magical Girl Appearance: The Beautiful Madam Kitsune. When transformed, her hair takes on a blonde/orange mix, eyes taking on a golden hue. Her canines even become little fangs! In a massive deviation from her 'civilian' version of the uniform, her hakama is blue.
Concept: Fox
Archetype: Tamamo-no-mae
Abilities: Himeko's power corresponds to the number of tails she has active. When initially transforming, all she has is a single, delightfully-fluffy tail, and thus her offensive capabilities are quite limited. Every nine minutes spent in her magical form allows her to manifest an extra 'tail' - a wand she cloaks in a magical aura to mimic an extra tail. Once she reaches nine tails, her full power is finally at her disposal... until she has to revert the transformation. And speaking of wands, the tobacco pipe she often wields is actually one (worry not, kids, the smoke is all special effects), and only seems to have that shape out of Himeko's preference; she can alter it and her other wands into whatever shape she so chooses, albeit larger objects would be miniaturised. Shape-shifting: A skill with not much use for general Shade-slaying, and thus mostly utilised for pranks. Himeko is able to alter her appearance somewhat, even becoming a doppelganger of someone else, though how thorough, long-lasting and ultimately convincing the transformation is, is dependant on her active wands. Foxfire: Her bread-and-butter offence magic; mystical blue flames. Once again, more wands are required for this magic to be potent, but it gets the job done in 1v1 scenarios. And as her active wands grow more numerous, the more powerful, wide-reaching and elaborate her flames become. Killing Stone's Curse: Himeko's strongest technique, only available once all of her tails are active. Himeko summons a massive, miasma-spewing stone, spreading poisonous fumes around the area. While a tad indiscriminate in regards to potential targets, Himeko can at least limit the debilitating effects of the curse by standing atop the stone and praying. It's also possible for the stone to be shattered by opposing forces that do not wish for a poison-spewing stone to remain... at which point, the true terror within the stone is unleashed. A massive surge of magic erupts from the broken stone, much like Himeko's blue flames, shaping into the form of a monstrous fox, and lunging at Himeko's target for a blast of concentrated magic power.
Personality: A rather bookish type of person, Shizuka is a quiet and shy girl that usually keeps to herself most of the time, lacking confidence in herself and in her worth as a person. She enjoys learning and reading more than most other hobbies, and would happily chat away the day talking about her favorite books to those with similar interests.
Her reserved nature however does mean that she doesn't believe very much in herself, often looking to her peers as being "better" in every way than her. Her inferiority complex may also be why her Magical Girl form doesn't have much offensive capability, and instead carries itself as a ranged fighter and scout-type. Deep down, she wants nothing more than to be acknowledged by others, to stand as her own person, and
Skills: Fond of reading and research, Shizuka is the kind of person that can substitute for a Librarian any day of the week, capable of finding the resources needed to answer questions of any kind. She's also made a hobby out of night photography, fascinated by the night sky now more than ever after gaining her powers.
Brief Backstory: Shooting stars make wishes come true.
That's how its supposed to work.
Always and always, its supposed to work.
Shizuka lead a relatively normal life a long time ago, up until around age seven, when she was hospitalized for an extended period of time. It wasn't anything as dramatic as a debilitating disease or crippling sickness, but she was weak enough to have to spend a majority of her adolescence in and out of the hospital. It was there that she substituted the friends that no longer visited for books, replaced the games she couldn't play with others with her imagination.
By the time she reached high school, she had lost every friend she'd had a connection with due to simply falling out of touch, the girl had wound up completely isolated from those around her by mere circumstance. It wasn't as if she was picked on. It was more that she was outright ignored, a foreign outlier to the majority that kept to herself due to believing nobody would want to associate with her to begin with.
Her lightless life would change one night, as she took a long detour coming home from school. Long enough for the sun to slumber and the stars to come out. There, she would spy a shooting star for the first time in her life. It was then and there that she laid her hand on her chest and wished with all her heart, greedy enough to plead for friends, courage, and a dream.
The fairy that would contract her would overhear and contract her, granting her wish with newfound power, a place to defend, and comrades that she could relate to on some level.
Because after all, shooting stars make wishes come true.
Abilities: Shizuka's powers stem from the distant light of the countless stars of the universe or...something like that. As such she is capable of generating light, and flying using her propulsion boots. Her primary form of offense comes in the form of a satellite that manifests when she transforms, hanging in low orbit above wherever she transformed. The Satellite itself serves as an observational "eye in the sky" that transmits visual data to Shizuka.
This satellite is also capable of deforming and coming to Shizuka itself, taking on the form of her "Big Dipper Cannon" that takes over her right arm, firing concentrated bullets of energy at targets. Turning it into either state takes at least a few minutes, making it impossible to quickly switch between.
* Personality: Mio has always been in the background, unassuming and quiet as she does what is needed of her. When people do notice her, she comes off as someone who’s lethargic, her voice almost inaudible when she speaks in tired mumbles with some words dragged out along with a few pauses, as if she’s gathering her thoughts. Mio is used to being a doormat and she has difficulty standing up for herself or her abilities as a result, always downplaying them. Mio is, without a doubt, very creative. She sees opportunities in the smallest things and creates new things with them. Whenever she’s designing a new outfit or drawing, her normally sullen eyes have a fire to them, one that’s not normally seen.
Mio isn’t shy, not by any means. She’s just used to being the one who listens and one whose words are disregarded. As a result, she doesn’t say much other than a quip or a sarcastic remark when she feels like they’re needed which is almost always. If not, she can wait. After all, actions speak louder than words, which is very much the case with her. It’s rare for her to display emotions other than being tired or blank and keeps everything bottled flr the longest amount if time. She tends to do as much as she can to be helpful and ties her self-worth to how useful she is. Need a pen? One will appear when she passes by. You cold? She’ll silently turn down the AC. It’s been half-jokingly called Chronic Hero Syndrome by her sister. She’s helpful to a fault.
* Skills:
Even though it doesn’t seem like it due to looking tired and sleepy all of the time, Mio is actually very good at sports, that’s her second best talent. Ball sports, gymnastics and hiking, to be specific
* A skill she developed ever since she was little, her talent lies in designing outfits, sewing and drawing. While her sister takes credit for it, she is the reason behind her success. Her designs could’ve given her the same opportunities as her sister if she showed them off.
* Music is comforting. Letting out those bottled doesn’t show it off (Like all the rest of her skills) but keeps her musical talents close to her heart. She’s really good for someone who’s self taught.
* Brief Backstory: Ever since she was little, Mio has always been compared to her older sister, Sayaka. Being the daughters of a model and an actor made their family very popular and the standards were high fir the public. They had to be the perfect family. Of course, Sayaka was the golden child; beautiful, smart and perfect in every way. Everything Mio wasn’t. But that never separated them. They were closer than two peas in a pod when they were younger.
Mio at first tried to keep up to her parent’s standards, to be just like her sister in order to get her time in the spotlight but she was disregarded, ignored and belittled for everything she did, every little mistake. The only thing she could do was make outfits and that wasn’t enough. The media didn’t even know she existed. Soon enough, her sister started to drift away from her too, the fame getting to her head. Sayaka pretended she didn’t exist, not wanting to be seen with her and barely gave her the time of day, a stark contrast to when they were younger. But she never gave up, she tried to earn her parent’s love and her sister’s approval by trying to stand out, taking up sports and gymnastics, doing her best in class but still, nothing changed. She came to believe that the reason was due to her not possessing the same ‘desirable’ talent her parents wanted and for being useless and tried to make herself as helpful as possible. Whenever it was too much, whenever she felt like cracking, she’d find the tree she and Sayaka used to play under, climb up and sing or play any instuments within her reach. And she felt better.
It didn’t take much for Sayaka to take advantage of her. Mio’s designs were undoubtedly very good and yet, under the pretense of helping her, Sayaka stole her sister’s designs and presented them to her mother, earning all the praise and glory. It only made her more popular and launched her career as a teen model. Her mother was ecstatic. Mio was angry. And they had their first argument in years which ended when Sayaka called her a worthless sister who she wished had never been born. Mio, heartbroken, went to her tree and played a few melodies with tears running down her cheeks. Unbeknownst to her, a Shade formed from her anger and sadness, making her feel worse. Before she could be hurt, however, a Magical Girl saved her and gave her a much-needed hug before disappearing into the night.
Mio wanted to be like that too, a hero. Soon after, she was approached by a Fairy and decided to help people too, in a different way.
* Magical Girl Appearance:
* Concept: Phantom Thief
* Archetype: Arsene Lupin
* Abilities:
Her abilites are based off the infamous gentleman thief, giving Mio the ability to blend in the shadows, make brief illusions of people and objects that dissapear once touched and the uncanny ability to easily swipe things from people’s hands or other places. She also has enhanced agility, stealth, a smooth and charming silver tongue and the ability to leap great heights. Weapons wise, she has a double pistol that only harm Shades and a pendulum that acts a bit like a very stretchy yo-yo.
Personality Yui is a very shy, calm and soft spoken person who absolutely dislike confrontation. This very tranquil persona of hers makes it so Yui is generally... left alone, for better or worse. She does not mind the solitude as it allows her for more time to do her favourite hobby; Gardening. She is well mannered and polite in general, but also a little clumsy both socially and in general. Despite all of this and appearances, one of Yui's biggest traits are Hope and Compassion, and even if she may not be at a stage where she can share it with others just yet, at least she can with her plants.
Skills As far as skills go, Yui isn't exactly a shining star out of the lot. Her obvious talent is with gardening and plants in general, and also extend to animals to a degree since she tends to be calm and soft. Apart from that, she seems to be adept at stopping confrontations. She herself might not have noticed it, but she always try to mediate if and when she can and if people actually let her speak out. Maybe it's due to her aura of calmness, but she was able to stop her fair share of bad blood between peoples.
Brief Backstory Yui is an orphan. She never met her parents or knew who they were or why she was orphaned, but also never really wanted to think about it or know. She loved the kind old lady that raised her, whom Yui always called Grandmother. She loved her upbringing, their small house and her small garden in the backyard. Those were what really mattered.
She's had a few good friends along the way, but for some reason they always seem to eventually just... drift away. And Yui never really minded it too much, which worried her Grandmother a lot. She had good grades, never got into trouble and never run late but...a girl her age should have friends and go out and play, but instead Yui took care of their garden. What Grandmother didn't know was that Yui had been visited by a Fairy in that very Garden only a few weeks ago. At first, the young girl didn't believe it but there it was, amidst the flowers. The fairy told her about the Shade and humans negative emotions. She spoke of Hope and of Yui's fundamentally good and selfless nature. It also spoke to Yui about personal growth and going out of one's way to help others. That was when she was chosen to become a Magical Girl, and when a whole different personal journey began.
Magical Girl Appearance
Concept Life
Archetype Sakaki 榊 , Always Thriving Evergreen
Abilities Yui's abilities, like flowers, grow with time. Still new to all of this, she only mastered a few abilities. Her abilities take the forms of flowers and their meanings, and her garden still has space to grow.
Tulips
Perfect Love: A Tulip Bulb of a pale pink colour grows around someone and mend their wounds as long as Yui channels it.
Cheerful Thoughts: A yellow transparent tulip manifests around Yui and act as a protective barrier.
Roses
Passion: A Purple Rose that grows continuously and quickly near Yui and can be controlled and used as thorny binding ropes and whips.
Devotion: A rose with a thick shaft that slowly grows out of the ground around someone with a beautiful Burgundy rose bulb that sprouts on top, dripping pollen that soothe souls and bring weariness and sleepiness. To Shades, if caught, it would dissipates the negative emotions they strive from and make them disappears if exposed long enough.
Daisies
Happy Steps: A translucent Daisy appears briefly beneath Yui's feet, allowing her to skip through to air, but only up to a few times for now.
Appearance:Obviously, she's not Japanese. And at 185cm... well, Abigail finds the local notion of a tall woman quite amusing, to put it mildly.
Personality: It would be easy, from her manner of dress and demeanour, to come to the conclusion that Abigail is... well, a gentle pushover. Maybe someone a bit too exuberant at trying to make friends, but more of a calm background voice in a crisis. This is half true; she is very calm in a crisis--or as a magical girl. But very much in a dominant, "someone needs to take charge" type of way, her bearing all "Protecting People Is a Duty". That also tends to show through if dealing with bullies.
Skills: Abigail is talented with languages and looking after dogs. She's also rather good at mathematical problems... in the more complicated sense, since her mental arithmetic often leaves something to be desired. If frivolous spending of money on friends was a skill, it's also one of hers.
Brief Backstory: A British girl from a wealthy background, Abigail nevertheless had high potential as a magical girl. Unfortunately, she wasn't the only one in the area... which, obviously, wouldn't be a bad thing most of the time. Except for the part where this lead to two girls who mostly lived in the countryside having to contend with a comically small number of Shades. She was, however, willing to take suggestions from where to go for higher education from a fairy and narrow it down to locations that would make some sense to travel abroad for--and thus wound up in Tokyo. Of course, arranging to bring your dog with you makes things a bit more complicated, but it wasn't like she wanted to leave her behind anyway...
Abilities: Abigail's abilities are, obviously, tied to the items and skills typically associated with King Arthur. Of course, as a starting point, this only leaves her with two, and one of those via a loophole:
The Sword in the Stone: The sword that Abigail currently uses and a wonderfully straightforward piece of equipment. It's a sword that magnifies the force of its impacts more and more the longer a fight drags on--but it can also be damaged, and it doesn't get any tougher as this happens. She's quite concerned about what would happen if it were to break, as Abigail has the idea that it won't just be fixed next time she transforms.
Cavall: A hound with the strength and speed to bring down magical boars, Abigail can't summon it (or its compatriots)... but she does happen to own a dog herself. The result, then, is that Lucy transforms alongside her. Although, actually getting to the fighting if they were separated is a matter of some time. She also seems vastly more intelligent than a normal dog in this state.
Passively, of course, as a magical girl whose archetype is so physically inclined, she's also reasonably physically advantaged. And knows how to wield the sword. That would otherwise be quite the problem.
Personality: Energetic might be a little bit of an understate when it comes to Shun. She is like what would happen if you bottled lightning and turned it into a girl; constantly in motion, never able to sit still for long and constantly, always cheerful. This combined with her endless confidence makes it easy for her to make new friends as she is willing to approach anyone and everyone at least once, but it also makes flighty as she tends to commit to plans with people without thinking and over-booking herself.
She can reckless, as well as tactless, as she has a habit or acting and speaking before thinking and getting herself into trouble, but is more often than not able to escape trouble using the same traits that got her in trouble in the first place. This lack of consequences has left her somewhat over-confident, or at least with the impression that things will always work themselves out in the end. Although, this attitude has been put to the test somewhat recently.
Skills: As a capable soccer player and a member of her school’s team, Shun was athletic even before gaining her new abilities. She has good situational awareness from her time on the pitch and is used to working together with other people for a common goal.
Backstory: A simple child from a simple family, Shun always considered herself to be the typical teenage girl. Her parents worked average jobs, she was an only child like most of her classmates, she hated studying and always left her homework to the last minute; typical high school stuff. The only thing that really made her stand out from the crowd was the fact that she played soccer on the school team; well, that and the fact that she was really good at it. Good enough that her team had a shot at making it to nationals for the first time in years.
It was something that she was proud of; even though she was only playing the sport because she loved it, even though she would have kept playing even if she terrible at it, it was nice to actually be good at something she cared to be good at. She didn’t buy into any of the talk about her being a future star, a future pro, since she knew that there were better players than her out there; still, if that kind of talk kept her teams spirits up then let them dream for her. If they were able winning then that just meant they could play together longer.
They won the final match of the regional tournament, earning their school a spot in nationals for the first time in a decade, but during the final ten minutes of the match Shun was hit by a bad tackle that left her with a sprained ankle. Hardly the worst injury, but it meant she would be out of commission for the first match of nationals. The team was disheartened, but Shun wasn’t; all they had to do was win one match without her and she’d be able to join them for the rest. No big deal. She waved them off from her crutches as they boarded the bus to their first match.
They lost, of course.
Shun didn’t blame them for it, though they all felt devastated. She had got them to nationals and didn’t even get to compete, but she had no hard feelings about it, the other team was just better than them. The same couldn’t be said for the rest of her team however; no matter how much she tried to put a brave face on things, she couldn’t help but think that maybe he team blamed her for being injured , for letting them down. That hurt more than the disappointment or her ankle.
She began to distance herself from the team and from soccer in general. Even after her ankle had healed she didn’t hop back on the pitch or even touch a soccer ball. Some of the spark that made her love the sport had been lost. Then the fairy appeared and she suddenly had a lot more to worry about than just her school team’s feelings.
Magical Girl:
Concept: Archery
Archetype: Sagittarius
Abilities: - Enhanced speed and agility. - Enhanced vision; increased range, able to see in the dark and has enhanced visual acuity. - Can summon an ornate bow to her hands and is granted the knowledge and skill to use it effectively. Though it doesn’t come with arrows, it instead shoots arrows of pure star light. - Is able to pinpoint her opponent’s weak spots.
Name: Kana Asakura Age: 16 Gender: Female Appearance: Personality: Kana is an odd mix of a what you would call a samurai and a delinquent. Outwardly she comes across as a calm and stoic person, though she also tends to have a very delinquent like speech pattern and actions. She is an extremely determined individual and comes off as very intense at times, though she’d still a just person and will defend the weak, when it comes down to it.
Skills: Kana is a expert martial artist and street brawler. As the heir to the Asakura dojo, she uses the martial arts style known as “The That Quells the Seas and Silences the Storm” or in less mouthy terms, Asakura Style Karate. Asakura Style Karate’s originates from the Asakura family’s samurai route, due to being a group of traditionalists the form has seen less changes compared to modern Karate, keeping it’s battlefield routes and effectiveness, even keeping weapons handling as part of it’s training.
Motorcycle driving: She has both the license and the image to drive one around. She uses a chopper style bike to get around, it may seem masculine, but she’s always been a bit of a masculine kind of person.
Brief Backstory: Kana’s mother died when she was young, she died giving birth to her younger brother, but both did not make it. Her father and her didn’t know how to deal with that grief and how to properly connect to each other, so he tried the only way he knew how, as the head of the dojo and the heiress. The strict training, only caused the rift to grow between them. As a response Kana became a delinquent in middle school lashing out at everyone and terrorizing those who got in her way, using the martial training she was given.
One day, she saw a student bullying another meeker student. Normally she would have just walked away, but the bullying student has pissed her off earlier, so she punched them out, but before she could leave, the bullied student called out to her and then shot out a rapid fire string of word, which Kana could barely understand, but somehow she got caught in the pace of the other student, who revealed her name to be Kaori.
Kaori became Kana’s only and best friends, their friendship caused Kana to soften just a little, if only so she doesn’t actively starts fights on her own, though she would still raise her hand to protect her best friend if she needed to. They were inseparable, At least until High School. Kaori and Kana started to become distant and Kana didn’t know why. Kaori all of a sudden was really busy and tended to cancel plans and just disappeared out of nowhere and Kana decided to find out why.
Kana tailed Kaori in secret, finding out that she was heading to an abandoned area of town. When she finally stopped Kana finally found out her secret, as she transformed in front of her eyes to combat monsters. Kaori was a magic girl and unfortunately Kana was caught in the middle, even worse this wasn’t a normal Shade either, this was a very powerful Shade, that had enough power to direct other Shades, something that Kaori didn’t realize. The battle didn’t end well, especially since Kaori took a serious injury when the shade realized Kana was there and Kaori got in it’s path to protect her, though she managed to cause a big enough distraction for Kana to drag Kaori out of there.
Kana tried her best to get her friend to the hospital. She had to leave her motorcycle behind to trail Kaori stealthily and their phones didn’t have reception to call an ambulance. The only other person or rather thing around was something that introduced itself as Kaori’s Fairy who was currently trying their best to lead them to the hospital, only for the minor Shades to catch up to them. Surrounded, the fairy gave her a way to save herself. As it turns out Kana did also have potential, but Kaori prevented the fairy from recruiting her in an attempt to protect her, but without any other choice she accepted. Kana transformed and dispatched the Shades handily and got Kaori to a hospital… but it was too late.
Kaori’s death was deemed to be a work of a brutal slasher, as no one would believe that it was a monster made from negative emotions. Kana went to Kaori’s funeral, not just to grieve, but to quietly slay the Shade that would be created by the emotions of grief. She decided that she was going to take up the position of a magical girl and protect the city in Kaori’s place.
Magical Girl Appearance:
Concept: Heavens Archetype: Susanoo
Abilities: Kana’s Archetype is based off the Kami Susanoo, god of the storm and seas. In her transformation she gains access to the sword, Ama no Habakiri, which only seems to be a very sharp sword for now. Her physical ability is also increased in transformation.
As Susanoo is the kami of the seas, Kana gains the ability to create and manipulate water. Along with the ability to breathe underwater and other needed abilities to thrive under water, such as underwater pressure resistance and the ability to sense vibrations in water.
Appearance: See below; stands at about 5'6". Originally her hair would change colour when she transformed, but it ended up turning prematurely white leading it to have the same colour no matter what form she's in. Despite how much this makes her stand out, she doesn't even bother trying to hide it anymore.
Personality: Whilst once cheerful and optimistic, Naoko has become jaded and cynical, finding it difficult to see the bright side to any given situation. Despite this, and despite wishing she'd never became a magical girl in the first place, she still fights to protect others in the hope that she can at least prevent what happened to her happening to them. She tries to dissuade other girls from becoming magical girls, but will not judge them harshly for going through with it; after all, the power to protect what's important to you is hard to resist, even if said power fails you when it matters the most. Whilst usually acting stoic, deep down Naoko is filled with self-loathing, blaming herself and her supposedly "cursed" Archetype for the death of her partner even as she desperately tries to find out what actually happened that fateful night. She is very guarded with her thoughts and emotions, and whilst she will fight alongside others with little hesitation she isn't likely to open up to them much. Still, she will do whatever she can to help them and to ensure they come to as little harm as possible, as whilst her idealism is mostly dead she's still fundamentally a good person who just wants to protect others however she can.
Skills: During highschool, Naoko was a member of the school's kendo team and still knows her way around a sword even when untransformed. She's also perfectly fluent in English, as it was her best subject, and is a fantastic cook.
Brief Backstory: Naoko used to be an idealistic magical girl, previously being one half of a duo who shared the same Concept and fought as champions of justice and defenders of goodness. She used to have a partner, an equal who she trusted and relied on, whom she shared a deeper bond with than could be called just "friendship". Once, in what seemed a lifetime ago, she was happy. This all ended one day three years ago, when her partner's life was suddenly taken from her, snatched away by an unknown enemy. On that day Naoko's world fell apart, and when she was unable to find whatever killed her and exact her revenge she began blaming herself; after all, her Archetype was clearly cursed, the bloodthirsty nature of it bringing about ruin and despair for anyone who wielded it. With this in mind, she became more and more hesitant to draw on its power directly, and with everything reminding her of what she lost even after two years she decided she had to leave Tokyo almost immediately after graduating. But after spending a year travelling across Japan, trying to come to terms with herself and clear her thoughts, she was brought to a realization: the only way she could come to terms with everything is by going right back to where it began. Still somewhat hesitant, she made her way back to Tokyo, hoping to finally come to some kind of closure about the events of three years ago.
Archetype:Muramasa. Due to Muramasa's swords being considered to be cursed, bloodthirsty bringers of ruin, Naoko has convinced herself that her Archetype is to blame for the death of her former partner and thus is extremely hesitant to directly draw upon its power.
Abilities: The abilities confered by Naoko's Concept are rather simple but effective. She is able to summon a seemingly endless amount of katanas, as well as altering the form and shape of them to certain degrees. Her swordsmanship also gains a notable boost in proficiency, shooting straight past "world class" and into the realms of legend. Despite this, however, she also tends to just launch her summoned swords as projectiles at her opponents.
Naoko's extreme hesitance to call on the power of her Archetype means little is known about what it can actually do, other than it apparently involving "fire, blood and steel".
