Name: Mei Takahashi
Nicknames/Alias: N/A
Age: 16
Gender: Female
Nationality: Japanese-American
Hometown: San Francisco, California, U.S.
Date of Birth: June 4th, 2003
Height: 5'5"
Weight: 120 lbs.
Status: Legacy
Weapon of Choice: Bo staffMagic: Nature Magic
Being a descendent of the House of Lepidos, Mei's magic manifests as control over the natural world. In essence, she can manipulate non-human biological life, specifically plants and animals. However, her control over each differs greatly; she can manipulate vegetation to a much greater extent than sentient life. For instance, she can force plants to grow or shrink at will and exaggerate their physical traits. Animals, however, can only have their consciousness manipulated, rather than their physical bodies. Mei could calm a rampaging bear, but she could not force it to grow bigger paws or fangs. She also cannot heal plants or animals under her control, or give them unnatural traits; Mei can only change what is already present. For example, she can change the size of a rose's thorns, but she cannot force a blade of grass to
grow thorns. In addition, dead matter cannot be reanimated; she could not bring an animal back to life or revive a dead tree.
Strengths: ● Kind
● Fearless
● Loyal
● Compassionate
● Motivated
Weaknesses: ● Anxious
● Gullible
● Insecure
● Secretive
● Overly competitive
Fears: ● Betrayal
● Isolation
● Failure
● Emotional intimacy
● Rejection
Personality:Mei Takahashi is a bright young woman who would do anything for the people she cares about. She tries not to take herself too seriously, and is always willing to lend a hand to people who need it. While she's proud of her Legacy status, she's the last person to hold it over someone else. Given her status as part of the House of Lepidos, she's an environmentalist at heart and cares deeply for the natural world. Mei is very fond of both plants and animals-especially given her brand of magic-and has some self-taught botanical and zoological knowledge. Despite the pride she takes in her family, she often feels a great deal of pressure to meet the expectations placed on her. She is hyper-aware of her own shortcomings, and while she does her best, she often pushes herself too far to perform. Mei isn't always aware of this, and can sometimes become self-destructive when she becomes overly stressed.
Mei is rather sensitive, though she rarely shows it. She prefers to handle problems-particularly of the emotional variety-on her own, and can occasionally seem a bit secretive. Despite this, she's always willing to listen to others, tending to become the "mom friend" of any given group. She has a difficult time receiving criticism from her peers, but she does respect the opinions of her superiors, and always seeks to improve. Mei is reluctant to ask for help, often feeling like a burden when she does so. Mei is very friendly and accepting of others, sometimes to a fault; she can be far too trusting of people who don't deserve it, and she is easily taken advantage of. On the other hand, however, she greatly enjoys competitions, which reveal a more merciless and self-centered side of herself that prioritizes victory above all else. She exhibits this competitiveness both in the classroom and in combat, with an intense drive and ambition that can be somewhat unexpected of her.
Likes: ● Learning
● Competitions
● Music
● Sparring
● Praise/approval
Dislikes: ● Extreme temperatures
● Littering
● Arrogance/selfishness
● Messiness
● Apathy
Backstory:Mei Takahashi grew up in a luxury high-rise condo overlooking San Francisco. Her parents, both wealthy and renowned Reapers, had high expectations for her the moment she was born. From a young age, she was given every opportunity to succeed due to the wealth and power of her family. At the same time, however, a lot was taken away from her; while her parents loved her deeply, they steered her every move toward becoming a Reaper in their stead. As a result, much of Mei's free time was dedicated to training and preparation for her future occupation. Athleticism was greatly emphasized in her childhood; gymnastics and martial arts took up most of her life. Her more passive interests, such as piano and singing, were sidelined in favor of more "practical" activities.
Despite this, Mei understands the selflessness and importance of being a Reaper. She never had the naivety that most other children have of the world, as her parents educated her on the existence of Demons at a very young age. She knows all too well about the cruelty and inhumanity of their kind, as well as the significant role that Reapers play in keeping them at bay. As she matured, she stopped complaining about the brutal sparring sessions and academic pressure her parents put her through; by the age of 13, she almost began to enjoy it. At that point, she no longer needed prompting to study or exercise, instead taking it upon herself to improve. When this earned much approval from her parents, she intensified her training, as well as her proficiency with magic. She spent as much time hunched over a book or computer as she did on a sparring mat, studying botany and animal behaviors to enhance her control over both.
Despite being prepared, Mei still felt uneasy the day of her 16th birthday. Now that she was old enough to attend the School of Death, her parents were ready to ship her off to the academy to begin her "formal" training. The existence of other Legacy students-like herself-almost intimidated her. Whatever pressure was on her before was now even more extensive, given the rigor that the School of Death was known for. Still, her parents were confident in her ability, sending her across the ocean without a second thought. Mei could only swallow her fear and brace herself for whatever challenges awaited her.
Hobbies/Interests: ● Gardening
● Music
● Reading
● Jogging
● Zoology
Other: Mei's first language is Japanese, but she is fluent in English, having grown up speaking Japanese at home and English at school.
