Mieko Astillon [WIP]

» Name: Mieko Astillon (みえこ, Beautiful/Blessed Child)
» Titles: Mieko of the Wanderer's
» Real Age: 855
» Age Appearance: 17
» Gender: Female
» Orientation: Straight

» Affiliation/Rank:

Astillon Family: Being born from the sister of Rei Astillon, Kōjun (降順, Descending Moon), Mieko is, therefore, a member of the Astillon Family. While she may share a strong metaphysical bond with her kin, she is someone who rarely would forge much emotion and physical connections with her other family members outside of Kitarune, Henrex, Asahi, and Rei, as well as her parents. However, the one that had managed to get a large connection was Henrex. This eventually led to Henrex being largely protective over his cousin, in a fashion similar to how he acted with his sister, Kitarune. Ergo, Mieko has a rather strong bond with her family, one that will always show to hold strong, no matter what.

Tenjin: Her only love, and the one that she misses the most. There is a mixture of happiness of intense grief whenever this boy comes to mind. Mieko first met this boy in the forests of Japan, and it was love at first sight. Tenjin was the one who prompted her to sneak away from the mountain and follow him. He was the reason she became who she is today. Every time that she was with him, she was overwhelmed with immense happiness and comfort. But then, it was all crushed on the day that he died. Mieko had never been more grief-stricken in her entire life -- something that followed her to this day. Thus, this leads to the grief that comes to her mind. After his death, there is a great deal of the time where Mieko can sink into the depths of melancholy and depression at the thought of her deceased lover, as she still feels lost, vulnerable, and alone without him. This has infiltrated her dreams, giving her both pleasant memories, and horrid nightmares. Being such a large factor in her life, it's hard for Mieko to let the only person she loved, go.

Henrex Astllon: Her cousin, and the one who is closest to her -- her protector. Funnily enough, Henrex has been one of the closest people that Mieko has ever had. Ever since they were young, he has always been there, keeping her safe and making sure that her life was made the best it could be. He was the shoulder that she cried on when Tenjin died, he was the only person that she went to find some safety in the life that she lived. Thus, when the fire broke out, and Henrex's life was taken, it was just another blow. Ergo, the topic of her cousin is one with a lot of conflict as of now. There is happiness, sadness, and a whole slew of other emotions that rocket to the surface whenever she thinks about her cousin. But, one thing above everything else -- longing. She desperately wants to find and see her cousin again, and she will wander the ends of the earth to do so.

Adawolfa Burgstaller: Adawolfa, one of the few people that have been with her since the old days. Oftentimes, Mieko would accompany Henrex as he met with Adawolfa and Erchanhardt, and thus, she was also someone who befriended them. Over time, Adawolfa became very close to Mieko. Her pride, headstrong nature was what caused Mieko to begin to build a bit more confidence in herself. Ergo, as Adawolfa grew up, Mieko did as well. But, as she became more and more involved in the path of the ninja, her life as a secret kunoichi eventually lead her to build a mild disconnect with the girl -- much to both of their dismay. Yet, even after this moment of absence, Mieko still cares for Adawolfa and often feels a great deal of comfort and safety while she is with her, as her overconfident nature has been known to make her feel a bit more at ease, for reasons she has never been able to describe.

Hannah Chiza: This woman is...well, strange. The hatred for Shinigami, even with her explanation, is something that she doesn't fully understand. However, the kindness and tender nature that she shows while Mieko is in her presence is something that she adores more than anything. She was one of the very few people to judge her based on her looks after the scars of the past were inflicted. Thus, she has a large emotional attachment to her, often finding her as the person that she can confide to, the person that she can look up to outside of her cousin. So, while there is a great deal of fear that encompasses her whenever Hannah is angry, there is still the tenderness and warmth that she possesses that allows her to still feel a semblance of comfort while she's with her.

» Physical Appearance Description:

» Physical Appearance Image:





Personality


Shy: When it comes to regular conversation, there is one thing that Mieko does not like doing: talk. A quiet girl, Mieko is someone who prefers to listen and overserve, rather than communicate and socialize. Due to the bullying that she was subjected to for a good majority of her life on top of Wudang Mountain, Mieko was quick to learn when to keep her mouth shut. And, because of the constant barrage of teasing and hate -- turned into being "all the time". Mieko is one who will only really start talking when it comes to being alone with those she is close to or those that she trusts. Unfortunately, this leads to it being an extremely slim few -- that being Henrex, Erchanhardt, Adawolfa, Hannah Chiza, and certain members of the Vanguard.

They are the people that she believes will not judge her for what she looks like, or who she is. They have accepted her for who she is, and it is something that she cherishes with all her being. Ergo, she is someone that will avoid the possibility of being forced to talk at all costs. She is someone who habitually avoids and even grows anxious at the prospect of talking. She is a kunoichi -- a female ninja -- she is meant to be silent and subtle, and it shows in her actions. She will hide behind people she's close to keep the intolerable anxieties down, as she can barely stand the conflicting emotion and hesitation that floods her when it comes to something as simple as communication with others.

Affectionate: However, in contrast to her shyness, Mieko is rather affectionate to those that she's close to. This is mainly because Henrex, her cousin, was someone that protected her from the constant barrage of hate that people sent towards her. He was the person that she could look towards whenever she needed help and aid. Ergo, as her cousin -- and with who Henrex is -- it wasn't a surprise that Henrex and Mieko would be extremely affectionate with one another, with him usually doing so to console and comfort his shy, fearful cousin from the bullying.

Thus, Mieko has been known to show that with many people that she is close to. Whether it be affectionate hugs, hiding behind them (yes, that's a form of affection, shut up), or simply being near them, Mieko is someone to showcase that. This is, as stated before when she's alone with someone that she is close to, as she believes that she is safe, and no longer has to worry about the potential judgment of others that could come from something such as that. To her, and two certain other family members, affection is a way to show emotion in a way that words never could. For her? This is most certainly right.

Despises Appearance: While this was something that was out of her control, Mieko is not one that enjoys her appearance. As per the scars that encompass the entire right half of her body, which was the main target that people had for bullying her after the incident regarding it happened -- labeling her as a freak among her family, and often comparing her to that of various burnt objects. Thus, with this being a daily occurrence, Mieko was one to quickly despise and shun her appearance, often hiding her face with her hair, a hat, or something that would hide her disfigurement. This also often leads to her wearing her kimonos tightly, sometimes even getting them to be a size bigger than hers to fully cover herself, and avoid the bullying.

Ergo, she has -- for the most part -- given in to the torment, believing herself to be exactly what they called her: a freak. After all, what normal person would have some weird, fucked-up face like hers? Nobody, that's right. This is something that has also extended to something that not a whole lot of people tend to notice at times, her eye color. Mieko's eyes are purple, leading to even more torment and teasing from them, more comments about her being a freak -- now because of her eye color as well. So, with everything that's happened as a result of who Mieko is...it's hard to blame her for this self-hate.

Furthermore, this is something that has bred many self-confidence issues with the girl since childhood years and has stuck with her throughout her life. Mieko is someone who has a very hard time trying to think positively about herself, as the constant berating from others putting her down was something that, again, took a major toll on the view that she had towards herself. Ergo, she is extremely sensitive when it comes to any kind of remark towards herself in general. For example, if someone were to comment on her bust or waist, she would immediately hide the two as best she could out of fear and worry.

She has virtually no confidence in herself, and this can even show when it comes to her powers and skills as a ninja. If she messes up with a certain technique, even if it's just once, she panics and forgoes the attack entirely, leaving her to always be training and practicing in an attempt to make every single move that she makes perfect -- even if she knows that it won't happen. She's terrified of the judgment of others from potential screw-ups that she devotes herself to the training and honing of skill to keep the chance of failure as low as possible.

Kind: Similarly to her cousin, Henrex, Mieko is a kind person in her entirety. Rather than insult someone or hurt someone -- outside of having no other option, or being on a mission -- Mieko would rather show someone love and affection. She is just naturally prone to help people. Helping an old lady cross the street or help her with her luggage, she simply wants to do what is right. She is someone that wants to help people, and make them happy. As said before, this is something that she learned and adapted to from her cousin, Henrex. Ergo, this has caused her to act in a way that is similar to him. As of such, this has drastically altered the way that she would normally act around friends.

As a way to tie in with her affectionate nature, Mieko is someone that treats her close friends and acquaintances like they were family, often sticking close to them and showering them in affection, while also being one to receive such affection in return. Again, in likeness to her cousin, this causes her to feel a large sense of comfort and safety with her friends and family, oftentimes feeling quite the opposite whenever she is not with them, that being extreme paranoia, fear, and becoming a full-blown shut-in, her anxiety, and shyness taking the helm and keeping her from being able to fully communicate with others without the presence of those close to her.

Furthermore, this is something that has another trait added to it: mercy. Mieko, although she is a ninja, is physically crippled by this. Everyone deserves a second chance, don't they? This is a thought that goes through Mieko's mind whenever the plausible option of killing someone or not is set on the table. She is not someone who can bring herself to end someone's life. It's something that brings her too much guilt that she would have to live with -- something that only causes her mentality to become more and more fragile and broke. Ergo, it has become almost second nature to restrain herself in battle. The amount of guilt that would encompass her if she were ever to take a life, after so many that she's lost...it would destroy her, and make her mindset even more fragile.

Emotional: Again, in parallel to her cousin, Mieko shares the very same heart that Henrex does. But, in contrast to the other ninja, Mieko is someone who has significantly less control over that aspect. She is, in short, a massive crybaby. If something were to make her sad, she would become an emotional wreck, tearing up and sobbing like a baby. As a result of this, Mieko has become rather sensitive over the years. While this isn't as bad as it could be, she is someone who has a habit of getting pretty emotional at the small things, primarily when it comes to whenever she does something wrong. Mieko is incredibly fearful, always assuming the worst whenever it comes to her doing something wrong.

Whenever she is in the wrong for something, it hits her hard. This is due to an irrational fear that she has whenever she does something wrong, as a result of the bullying that she received during her younger days. Ergo, she is someone that has a large deal of fear through this mindset, as it is something that causes her to remember the horrible parts of the past, and the fear overpowers her, causing her emotions to overpower her composure. However, these are not incredibly long-lasting bouts, mainly because of how easy it can be to calm her down, and how short these bursts of emotions are.

Longing: As someone who's lived for a very long time, she is someone who has grown rather attached to the time and era that she's lived in. It was the era that she was born in. It's not surprising that Mieko wishes for those days to come back. For her, times were simpler, and there wasn't all of this loss and sadness that poisoned her heart. Her cousin was still with her, and so was Tenjin. Her love, and her cousin -- the two main people that meant everything to her. She desperately wishes to be reunited with them, and for them to be able to live in the days where everything wasn't as complicated and chaotic as it is nowadays.


Likes

• Chess
  
• Poison, and poisonous animals
  
• Music
  
• Drawing
  

Dislikes

• Fire
  
• Needles

The world of the samurai, ninja, and the old ways of Japan. That is the world that Mieko Astillon was born in. It was a world of life and love.

So, like most of her siblings, she was born in an age where she was taught the way of the samurai. But, there was a bit of a problem. Mieko, unfortunately, was not very naturally gifted with many things. Every time she tried to string a bow, the weapon would snap like a twig. Anytime she was given a bow already strung, the arrow would fly in the complete opposite direction of where it was aimed, and the bow would snap.

In swordsmanship, she was average but still outplayed by just about everyone in her class. This lack of skill, along with her physical deformation allowed her to be the prime target for the thing that even the old days of Japan had to deal with: bullying. It wasn't a very large class, making it was easy for the young girl to be singled out from the rest of the class. But, it would not be the traditional bullying that Mieko would be enduring.

Rather, they would take the class to their advantage.

A bunch of teens with weapons -- albeit mostly wooden, dull, or not freely able to be used -- and being trained to practically be living, breathing weapons. What could go wrong?

The nepotism of the sensei in the dojo would be what brought forth a good majority of this torment, as boys would often use excessive amounts of pressure in grip techniques in taijutsu, to the point where they would on the verge of breaking parts of her hand and arm, making the poor girl in large amounts of pain afterward. Punches would never be pulled, strikes would never be restrained. In their origami and haiku classes, there would often be hurtful exchanges of poems that would keep Mieko's name out -- but the girl wasn't stupid, she knew who they were talking about.

Every day, Mieko would come home in tears, hiding her injuries and sorrow as best she could. Her body, now covered with the bruises of their torment, ached and stung every time something was to brush against it, only causing the girl to break down crying, again and again, day after day. Each time she came home, there was only one question that she asked herself:

"What did I ever do to deserve this...?"

However, it wouldn't be something that would last very long. This bullying would be noticed rather quickly by her cousin, Henrex. Thus, as a result, it wouldn't be long before the daily rituals of pestering would be drastically decreased over the coming weeks. Henrex would walk with her to school, stay with her as often as he could, making sure to keep an eye out for anything in the classes that they shared, often with Henrex offering to be Mieko's partner in the case of sparring matches.

Yet, there would be times and days where Henrex would be unable to accompany her, something that only made it so much worse. As a way to "catch up" on the days that they weren't able to get a hold of her, they would end up abusing her further and further, leaving her with more bruises, welts, and marks all over her body. But, it wasn't enough for them. So, they got a hold of tantos, and, one night, they cornered the young Astillon and drew their blades.

Her screams rippled through the night.

For the first time that night, she came home with bloodstains on her clothes. At the sight of his beloved cousin with her clothes in near tatters, covered in blood, dirt, and tears, crying more than she ever had before, Henrex was furious. Comforting his traumatized cousin while their mother fixing up her wounds and clothes, his rage had reached a boiling point.

Putting his cousin to bed and assuring her that everything would be okay, Henrex went to confront the tyrants.

For a long while, her tormentors were entirely silent. They didn't lay so much as a finger on her. Each time they saw her, or Henrex, their faces went so pale, you would believe them to be ghosts. For quite some time, her torment stopped, and Mieko was free to live her life. It didn't clear her mind of the trauma that happened that night -- but she was able to at least give herself a small semblance of safety during this sudden, very well-appreciated peace. For once, she was able to try her hardest without any worries of being hurt or brought down by others.

With this, her progress in class was able to skyrocket. Her skills grew immensely, and she was soon able to become a competent samurai, able to begin catching up to those around her. Her hope was slowly being restored, and she began to feel comfortable once again. But, then came a problem. A mere month after the events took place, they started up again, worse than ever. Coming back home with even worse bruises and deeper cuts.

But, this time, there was little that Henrex could do to stop it. After the sensei was made aware of what he had done to the bullies, her cousin's pleas were ignored. The sensei would now turn a blind eye to the use of live weapons in the class, thinking that it was good to get practice in, as the difference between the wooden variants and actual steel was immense. So, one day, Mieko had enough of it all. As night fell, she took up her valuables and ran. She didn't care where she would run to, she just wanted to go.

So, she took off into the night, silently moving down the mountain and into the forests.

But, she didn't make it far before she was found out -- and not by her cousin. The bullies intercepted her as she made it down the mountain, stopping her right at the gate. For some reason, there was a deep sense of dread that she felt from this moment. Something felt...off about tonight. Something terrible loomed over them. Instinctively, she began to back away, wanting to get away from the trepidation that crept over her. But, they wouldn't let her leave.







Natural Skills

Unrestrained Speed:

Dokujutsu:

Ninjutsu: What would a ninja be without their training? A dead man or woman, that is what they would be. The shinobi have been around for hundreds of years, and these core concepts and skills have been the essentials for one to become a true shinobi. But, that is not the entirety of what the shinobi follow. While samurai have their seven virtues of bushido, ninja follow the code of niniku. Many people believe the ninja to be faceless, merciless assassins, but they truly are the opposite. While they are, in technicality, assassins for hire -- they prefer to avoid direct killing when it comes to missions and jobs, unless they are directly required to. Mieko, being a kunoichi from the Wanderer's Valley, has been trained in all of the arts of the ninja. While she is still trying to master the different techniques and skills that the ninja, she is very well versed in these abilities.

• Bōjutsu – stick and staff techniques
  
• Chōhō – espionage
  
• Hensōjutsu – disguise and impersonation
  
• Intonjutsu – escaping and concealment
  
• Kayakujutsu – pyrotechnics
  
• Kenjutsu – sword techniques
  
• Kusarigamajutsu – kusarigama (chain-sickle) techniques
  
• Naginatajutsu – naginata (polearm) techniques
  
• Seishinteki kyōyō – spiritual refinement
  
• Shinobi-iri – stealth and infiltration
  
• Shurikenjutsu – throwing weapons techniques
  
• Sōjutsu – spear techniques
  
• Sui-ren – water training
  
• Taijutsu – unarmed combat
  

Martial Skill:

Kuji-in: This is by far the most important lessons a ninja can learn. Back in the old days of the shinobi, magic was considered a myth, or legend. Anyone who was known to practice the supernatural, many would be mocked and seen as a joke among the samurai, and farmers. But, magic was very far from being fake. The Iga ninja, along with the Wanderer's Valley, was very well-versed in the practice of these abilities. The nine core hand seals, along with more information about Kuji-in, can be found here.



The Sixteen Fists: What are the Sixteen Fists? Well, they are a collection of various techniques that the shinobi have used for well over six centuries. These techniques, as shown by many shinobi during the Edo era of Japan and beyond, have been noted to have one main concept -- Use the entire body as a living, breathing weapon. So, with that said, it should be noted that users of this "style" of martial art are extremely unpredictable, and can often be seen using this kind of style to break through defenses, or, even more so, for surprise attacks to go through defenses. These are considered more advanced maneuvers with the fists and are not commonly used as such. While two of the following are concepts that one should be aware of when using this kind of style, these techniques should not be taken lightly. The techniques can be found here.

Dantian Form - Great Ocean Beast [Gold II]: Great Ocean Beast is a Dantian that grants the power of it's the namesake, the Ocean. Raging seas and crashing waves allow for a might beyond the usual of Qi and also grants a Dantian the scope of the very seas themselves. Vast, and broad, the usage of techniques is not a thing that should be paid any mind to one with a full Dantian, however, like the Ocean it is a long and arduous process to fill once emptied. The cavernous size also hampers the compression of Jing and results in a slow process from raw energy to purified energy. The work of many continuous hours, those who possess this Dantian develop a strong sense of patience.

Bone Corrosion Palm:

Gentle Breeze Sword:

Perish Blade:

Thirteen Lethal Strikes:



Dokuhebi-kō (毒蛇鋼, Venomous Steel):



General Skills

• Durability:
  
• General Speed:
  
• Strength:
  
• Weapon Skill:
  

Tai Chi Human Sheet

• Comprehension:
  
• Physique:
  
• Talent:
  
• Support Skill:
  

Will Skills

• Willpower/Determination:
  
• Mental Deduction:
  
• Focus:
  

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