Kenshi

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Akihiro (Scenesys ID: 8793)
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Profile
Full Name: Sato Akihiro
Gender: Male
Species: Mutant
Theme: Original (OC)
Occupation: Cook
Citizenship: United States/Japan
Residence: Xavier's School
Education: High School Graduate
Status: Shelved
Groups:
Other Information
Apparent Age: 19 Actual Age: 19
Date of Birth 4 July 2009 Actor:
Height: 178 cm (5'10") Weight: 70 kg (155 lb)
Hair Color: Black Eye Color: Dark-Brown
Theme Song:

Profile

A likeable young man by most accounts, Sato Akihiro - Aki for short - is an alumni of Xavier's School. He excelled there as a scholarship student and has since decided to continue on the premises while working as cook and in cooperation as security. A skilled martial artist and swordsman, a learner, and an accepting soul who'd doubtless be the first to oppose a bully. Aki's casual in his way and wields a humorous wit, though his usually amicable personality is colored at times by abnormal quirks. Interestingly, when it's not concealed, Akihiro can be seen to wear a peace knotted sword on his back. Never without it, it seems like.

Current Player Approved: N/A

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Description

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Description:

Although his features are rather on the mature side, it's still obvious that this young man is in his later teens. He stands at about five foot ten, with an athletic frame of healthy weight. His physique implies some sort of physical labor or training, though not to excess, save perhaps for a light scar here and there. The youth's skin is a dark caramel hue, pairing well with the very long, silky mane of stick straight black hair he has. He almost always binds his hair largely away from his face, whether topknotted at the back of his head, braided, or simply tied. The epicanthic folds at the peaks of his dark brown eyes mark his Asian ancestry.

He dresses fairly simply, and not much in an unusual fashion for a teenager. Rather on the casual side, actually. For a top, what's visible is a loose, dark grey hoodie stitched with a coiling gold dragon in the Japanese style. Black windbreakers serve as his pants, with their generous cuffs draping over feet clad in simple sandals. Other than a hoop piercing his right ear and a featureless silver band on his ring finger, he doesn't wear many adornments on the regular.

On a more unusual note, he's toting a scabbard suspended against his back by a durable strap. Sad scabbard looks well cared for, as does the carefully and quite beautifully knotted hilt protruding from therein. Must be one of those cosplayers or something, surely.

History

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History1:

Sato Akihiro was born on July 4, 2009, in Manhattan. Coming into the world under the fireworks of liberty, the first child of a Japanese family to be born on American soil, it seemed a sign of an auspicious future to his traditionalist family. He was certainly no problem for them growing up. Attentive to his studies as a student who actually wanted to learn, and a gregarious person ever eager to acquaint himself with new faces. It's unfortunate that so much of who he is was held back in those times by the often overwhelming expectations of his family. Image and tradition were everything to his parents and especially his grandfather, the first immigrant of them all.

In an effort to satisfy the expectations of his family, Aki took up many traditional hobbies to balance the scales against his American habits. He found himself to be a gifted calligrapher and very much enjoyed practicing Kendo with his grandfather. When he passed on, the family katana was left to Akihiro in recognition of his devotion as a student. He treasured it as both a memento of his grandfather, harsh as he could often be, as well as a family relic dating back centuries. When in safety, he continued to practice swordsmanship with the weapon.

A few months following his thirteenth birthday, Akihiro suffered a mortifying turn of events when he discovered he was a mutant. He was practicing with the family katana, as he did every day, when he cleaved cleanly through a wooden post as though it were paper. He felt the cut, what's more. New senses began to rise to the surface through the sword, and before long, tertiary abilities which all seemed to further integrate the katana as a part of his body. Things became especially strange when he began hearing old ancestors through the sword, something he didn't know how to control at the time. One day, a relative centuries dead contributed his talents as a tracker to finding a friend at the mall. It just happened without intent. That was something else, Aki recalls.

Akihiro knew that his family would never, ever approve of a mutant in the household. He'd be seen as something alien and impure during discriminatory times in America. That's why it all came to the breaking point when he was practicing one day, his father seated nearby while he cleaned his personal firearm. After finishing up, the old man carelessly tested it and neglected to remember a chambered bullet. It fired and Akihiro moved with inhuman speed to deflect it the slug harmlessly into the dirt. The jig was up. Furious at his deception, and how he had now 'failed' them as a son, the family treated him almost like a phantom who happened to be in the house. They couldn't kick him out, but they could shun him.

Aki decided it was time to get out around then. It's the way the wind was blowing. He searched and searched until one day, an answer came looking for him. Bolivar Trask's Sentinels were on the loose, and one of them had identified Akihiro as a mutant. Remembering the tracker from so long ago, Aki managed to channel him again, using his talents to turn the tables from prey to hunter. It would figure that somebody with a smartphone was out there (aren't they always?) when he leapt off of a nearby building and impaled the Sentinel in the neck with his sword, letting the blade cut all the way down as he slid to the ground. His hoodie mostly obscured his face, but not quite entirely for some.

Using a combination of mutant abilities and technological prowess, witnesses to the footage at Xavier's School identified the young man who had downed one of the deadly machines. Good grades, strict family, well known for his personality. The family life, the telepaths sensed, was more the troubling part. If they were ever to catch wind of his public display (even though it was necessary), who knew what would happen? Two members of the faculty appeared at his door one day, as if by magic, presenting him with an offer of a fully paid scholarlyship to Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters.

The family all but shoved the acceptance papers into Akihiro's hands, and when representatives of the School arrived to pick him up, they'd generously already packed for his departure. It was distinctly apparent that he wasn't wanted and this was the Sato family's golden ticket to getting rid of him. Fortunately, Akihiro wanted out just as much. It was a necessity regardless, because now that he'd been caught on tape displaying such combat prowess as to destroy a Sentinel, the wrong powers that be would doubtless seek him out to influence his course in life.

Since arriving at the school a short time ago, Akihiro's been a very engaged student. His studies aside, he participates in the arts, welcomes other new students, works around the school to earn extra money, and even runs an extracurricular Kendo class. The faculty has allowed him to keep his katana on his person at all times, anywhere he goes, so long as he doesn't draw save with staff permission or under emergency circumstances (his room being an exception). So far, Aki's been very faithful to his promises regarding said terms. He looks forward to his senior year at Xavier's, and perhaps the future holds much more than that for him, given his talents.

Personality

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Personality:

Akihiro seldom has a problem with anyone and would much rather get along than not. Most people who really know him would say he's a likeable young man, a gregarious type who's easy to open up to. Recognizing how frightened he was when he was first revealed as a mutant, he makes a point of welcoming and befriending (if he can) new students of a similar mind. He'll probably make a good, inclusive teacher one day, if that's the path he chooses. Akihiro has a protector's mindset and spirit. If he sees someone being bullied, he'd probably be among the first to stand up and oppose. The whole discrimination against mutants thing, it's bull, that's what he'd say. Politicians using hate as an excuse to get their names on TV. So long as he can remain at Xavier's, Akihiro treasures the acceptance and diversity found there. It's a rare sanctuary for young mutants like him in a crazy world.

Abilities

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Agility:
Akihiro possesses superhuman agility which renders him capable of extraordinary acrobatic feats, to say nothing of enhancing his swordsmanship. Dodging, flipping, jumping, balance, lightning fast strikes and parries, swift climbing. There are many examples of how his agility, no doubt inspired by his bonded sword's need for an agile wielder, could be useful.

Bladesense:
Owing to his symbiotic relationship with it, Akihiro can sense through his katana in limited ways. If he taps it against something else, he can literally feel how brittle or sturdy it is by the resonance along the blade. It's a great way of sniffing out secret doors or weak points in an enemy's defenses. The flow of air currents around the blade is also tactile for him. This helps him with fighting blind or tracking invisible opponents.

Akihiro can't see, hear, or smell through the sword at this point. He's devoting a lot of effort into sight, mostly to cut down further on ambushes.

Deflection:
When using his katana, Akihiro can deflect projectiles. He does this on an instinctive level, despite bullets generally traveling faster than the eye can see. It'd be fair to say that, at his current level of skill, Aki could deflect five bullets in rapid succession (or blasts of energy and other forces). He has to take about ten seconds before he can repeat the feat, less if he doesn't push it that far, but that short period is a menace. It only takes a split second gap for him to be gunned down, and so he generally deflects only as absolutely necessary to reduce the spacing between use.

Spirit Notes:
The following notes explain the skills conveyed by the "sword spirits" Akihiro can currently channel. It may expand as his explorations of the katana's memory unveils new personalities hidden therein.

Ancient Personalities

* THE TRAPPER
Skills: Archery, tracking, laying traps
Personality Quirks: Direct, patient, appreciates success in simplicity

* THE COURTIER
Skills: Calligraphy, Etiquette, Subterfuge
Personality Quirks: Graceful, formal conduct, plotter and schemer

Feudal Personalities

* THE ASSASSSIN
Skills: Poisons, Stealth, Vulnerable Points
Personality Quirks: Adept actor, clever, remorseless (potentially dangerous)

* THE SAMURAI
Skills: Armor Use, Ceremony, Swordsmanship
Personality Quirks: Appreciative of the arts, courageous, honorable to a fault

Modern Personalities

* THE PILOT
Skills: WW2-era Avionics, Gunnery, Strategy
Personality Quirks: Occasional war-related PTSD, alcoholic coping, sense of humor

* THE CRAFTSMAN
Skills: Japanese Tradition Lore, Sword Repair, Swordsmithing
Personality Quirks: Strong Japanese traditionalist, curmudgeon, quality obsessed (swords)

Sword Spirits:
The term "sword spirits" is more a personal nickname for this ability than anything. More academic minds at Xavier's prefer to label it as memory cognition or perhaps some sort of postcognition emerging from the telepathic aspect of his link to the blade. It's all fancy talk describing his ability to channel past owners of the family katana. When he does this, Aki isn't channeling an actual spirit. Rather, he's acting as a conduit for the memories, personality quirks, and skills of particularly impactful and willful ancestors who owned the sword. These qualities were imprinted upon the blade and can be called upon, more productively to utilize their skills in time of need. There's no real limit to how long Akihiro can retain a channeled persona, but the alien sense of having someone elses' opinions and ponderings overlaid upon his own makes short term the option of choice. There are other downsides, as well (see weaknesses).

Akihiro doesn't yet know the "spirits" by name, or even how many there are, with the sword being ancient. He has his suspicions about who's older than who, though. Akihiro instead identifies those he's aware of by their talents: (Ancient) the Trapper, the Courtier, (Feudal) the Assassin, the Samurai, (Modern) the Pilot, the Craftsman. Aki believes the last may be his grandfather, who continued the art of swordsmithing in modern Japan before retiring in America.

Symbiosis:

Akihiro's predominant mutation is total symbiosis with an unliving object, one he happened to be holding during his first manifestation: a storied familial katana passed down across centuries. The mutation is both biological and telepathic, automatically reworking man and weapon to be as one on both levels. He was made to be, in effect, a literal natural with the already familiar sword. When he wields it, he does so with the ease of outstretching one's arm, as it's no different to his brain. This is skill on a level a grandmaster might envy, for it goes beyond mere training and into co-existence. Akihiro doesn't just use the katana, he senses and understands through it on some levels, at times even delving back into the strongest emotions and skills of past keepers.

The establishment of the symbiotic state has also changed the katana itself. When on his person and effectively in bio-telepathic sync, the blade is far more durable than ordinary steel, channeling his sheer force of will to alter its molecular structure. It cuts through conventional armor with relative ease, and strikes through a Sentinel's armored plating with sufficient force applied. Extraordinary metals such as adamantium stand the best chance of destroying the katana, though even that would require several solid strikes to notch the weapon (and a notch is not beneath consideration in how it affects him).

His mutations exist seemingly to compliment the symbiotic 'bond' and to encourage its success. Perhaps yet more will manifest in time, as he's still quite young. If some great force should ever destroy the sword, it's anyone's guess as to what physical and mental impact this would have on Akihiro. He could be freed to form a new symbiotic relationship with something else, but given the serious consequences of mere separation from the katana, death is an equally likely outcome.

Skills

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Aikido:
When he's not tangling with a katana, Akihiro is an adept student of Aikido. This Japanese martial arts style is focused upon defending oneself against one's attackers while also protecting the attacker from harm. Very suited to his personality.

Arts:
Akihiro enjoys the creative arts and has made them a part of his life for may years, generally leaning in favor of his Japanese heritage (but not exclusively so). He's an adept calligrapher, and from that branched a painter. Akihiro also enjoys the academic arts. The study of history and philosophy as it pertains to human rights, politics, and war feels very much relevant to his life.

Athlete:
Akihiro's athleticism is something he enjoys finding new ways to use in combination with his swordsmanship. He's taken gymnastics, done rock climbing, learned how to best maintain a healthy physique, and so on.

Bilingual:
Akihiro comes from a home of Japanese parents, his parents and grandfather having been the first generations to live in the States. Although Akihiro is his family's first American born child, he was raised to speak Japanese fluently alongside English.

Charisma:
Akihiro's a very charismatic individual by nature, some would say. Agreeable and amiable at the outset, with little in the way of judgement to his attitude, he suffers little trouble approaching new faces and making their acquaintance. Sometimes, it's an effective skill for getting into someone's head and understanding them better. The breaking down of barriers not with powers, but with a friendly word.

Cooking:
Akihiro is a gifted cook and has been since he was young. No doubt, this is partly owed to his talent with a blade, as knife skills are in high demand in the kitchen. Artful as he may be with traditional Japanese dishes such as sushi, he equally enjoys preparing traditional American fare and foods one might find on the food carts at Tokyo's heart. His ramen is a particular talent. Perhaps surprisingly, Aki also enjoys baking and incorporates it into what is now both career and hobby.

Driver:
Akihiro has a driver's license.

Education:
Akihiro is an alumni of Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, having received a full scholarship to live and study there when he was sixteen. He is now pursuing an online college course with an aim toward a degree in the Culinary Arts, when not at the university.

Swordsmanship:
Akihiro is quite literally a natural with a blade. A sword's become an actual part of his body, after all, and its purpose accompanied the joining. Commanding skill beyond that of a grandmaster due to both this unusual mutation and lifelong practice, he wields blades (obviously, his katana most of all) with effortless and deadly fluidity.

Swordsmithing:

Akihiro gained practical experience with swordsmithing by studying under his grandfather. Supplementing this with the channeled Craftsman persona, he can sufficiently care for his katana and repair damage done to it.

Resources

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Alumni:
Akihiro had the privilege of receiving a scholarship to attend Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters when he was sixteen. It covered his tuition in full, as well as room and board on premises. This truly did represent an academic opportunity for him, and more privately, safety from both increasing dangers at home as well as mutant hatred.

Finances:
Akihiro receives room and board covered as part of his scholarship to Xavier's School. He also earns about five hundred extra dollars per month helping out around the mansion, assisting with maintenance of the grounds, and for adding to the school's cultural atmosphere by teaching a student extracurricular Kendo class.

Image Inducer:
Akihiro has been given an image inducer by Xavier's faculty. This device allows him to conceal the fact that he is carrying his sword and its scabbard, thus allowing him to go out into the world without fatal separation from the object. However, the inducer does not prevent the perception of the sword by metal detectors.

Katana:
Akihiro possesses his familial katana, with which he has a symbiotic relationship, on his person or very close by at all times. The weapon is a beautifully preserved pre-Sengoku era blade, passed down through countless ancestors. A side-effect of the bio-telepathic changes extended through the blade is its enhanced sharpness and durability. It's very difficult to damage save by remarkable metals such as adamantium, which can notch it and wear it down. It can cut through conventional armor with relative ease, and through the likes of a Sentinel's armored plating with sufficient force.

That the weapon is now a part of Akihiro's body means it must be cared for that much more. He must religiously maintain it via the traditional methods, and repair damage as necessary, said damage likely perceived by him as wounds of varying severity.

At most times, the katana is worn peace knotted and cannot be instantly drawn. He has maintained this practice since it was requested of him at first attendance of Xavier's School and is faithful to it. Only in privacy, with authorized sparring partners, or during emergencies or security operations may he draw without the permission of Xavier's senior faculty.

Weapon Permission:

Akihiro has special permission from Xavier's School to carry his katana with him at all times. To do otherwise, thus keeping him in a constant state of physical illness, would be rather torturous. That being said, Akihiro is no less expected to handle the weapon with utmost care and responsibility. It remains in its scabbard at all times unless permitted otherwise by faculty, or under emergency circumstances (such as to protect himself or other innocents under attack - he can make judgment calls within reason).

Akihiro honors those expectations out of recognition that his peers could accidentally suffer harm even by innocent displays of skill. Only in his room or in sanctioned training areas may be draw without consequence.

If Akihiro breaks the rules, then his special permission can be temporarily revoked and the sword taken away, if faculty deems that necessary. One would generally think that Xavier's staff would keep distancing to a minimum, so as to not make Akihiro too ill, and only for so long given the illness will not abate save by returning the sword. The punishment nevertheless remains a possibility ever on his mind.

Weaknesses

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Inducer Reliance:
Due to the increasingly serious consequences of being separated from his sword by distance, Akihiro carries it on his person at most all times. This has led to a reliance upon the use of an image inducer provided by Xavier's, a device which visually conceals the sword with scabbard, allowing him to go out into the normal world. Aki doesn't need to use the inducer while at Xavier's, but things such as carry permits don't exactly work for swords, which means he's become increasingly reliant upon the inducer as he's gotten older and branched out more into the world.

Notably, the inducer is also not a perfect solution. It does solve a copious amount of problems, but he still has to take care to avoid things which can see through it, such as metal detectors. Taking a commercial, public plane will basically never happen again in his lifetime bar some mutative or technological advancement enabling him to better conceal the weapon.

When out in the world and unexpectedly separated from the inducer's assistance at a bad time, Akihiro is forced to wrap the sword or conceal its presence in whatever way he best can.

Separation:
Just as Akihiro's symbiotic relationship with his katana presents many benefits, so too does it carry dangers. The blade is a part of his body, biologically and telepathically, and so being more than a few feet away from it at any time inflicts consequences.

When separated by more than a few feet from the katana, Akihiro is essentially rendered physically ill. He suffers increased physical weakness with increased distance, his focus is off, he suffers from sluggishness, and so forth. It's rather like having a case of the flu which doesn't end, save by return of the sword to an acceptable distance.

When separated in excess of ten feet from the katana, the consequences become considerably more serious. Foot by foot, it becomes more and more like a limb is being ripped off, as perceived by his body. Simply being separated by the distance of a large room could be so painful as to render him unconscious, perhaps even to cause shock and the possibility of death.

Shunned:
Akihiro's highly traditional family has, in its prejudice, shunned him for being a mutant. They called him a bakemono, a monster, after he instinctively performed a clearly superhuman feat with his katana in front of them. It was a lapse in control which cost him contact with his family and his place in the familial hierarchy. They were all but ready to push him out the door when Xavier's School, aware as it was of his situation, sent him the scholarship offer.

He may be in many ways American, the first member of his family born on US soil, but much of the other half of his heritage still holds some importance. It pains Aki to this day that his family has cut off contact, inheritance, relationships, everything allowed by law. On a cultural level, his family considers him a bad memory now cast off, and he has to find a way of coming to terms with the fact.

Spirit Downsides:
The ability to channel prior owners of his katana going back centuries, into the pre-Sengoku period, is a diverse and useful aspect of Akihiro's mutations. Unfortunately, it's not without its downsides. He can theoretically choose and channel one particular ancestor for as long as he wants. The longer he does, though, the more their personality and views assert themselves over his own. It's a slow process, but it's enough that he doesn't tend to hold on to those echoes for long. Better to utilize their talents and let go than to lose himself in the echoes. Most people have unappealing flaws, and those who've left their mark upon the sword are no exception.

Weapon Damage:

Akihiro's katana is extremely difficult to damage, accounting for its altered state rendering it superior to ordinary steel. It is not, however, beyond damage and destruction. Setting aside the fact that total destruction of the blade might well kill Akihiro, damage has its own downsides.

When the katana is notched, that nags at Akihiro as if he had suffered a consequential physical cut, usually felt on either arm at random. One notch isn't going to cripple him, but several could well leave his arms feeling like they've been diced.

In order to address this problem, Akihiro must regularly care for the sword in the appropriate ways, and repair damage by way of the traditional forging methods. Once he's filled the notches with new metal, the sword adopts it and alters it to match the same state as the rest of the blade. Negative effects then abate.

Logs

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Eggs ala Warren January 12th, 2021 Breakfast with the students turns into a impromptu call with the Avengers.

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