Ronin in a Strange Land | Kuchisake-Onna

Name: Takano Shizu.

Alias: Tsukikage.

Age: 27, no longer ages due to being undead.

Gender: Female.

Height: 5' 5".

Species: Kuchisake-onna.

Nationality: Japanese.

Occupation: Ronin, adventurer, wanderer.

Archetype: Wandering ronin without a master.

Personality: Shizu is quiet, controlled and observant. She is brutally honest and polite, keeping her emotions on a tight leash and preferring to watch before jumping to conclusions. She has a strong moral compass, following her oaths and promises, believing that laws are temporary or corruptible, and that breaking a promise is worse than killing. She is uncomfortable with senseless violence. She reflects her emotions strongly with her eyes. She keeps her mouth hidden not out of shame, but politeness and because of the knowledge that others might hurt her if she reveals her nature. Shizu is polite, but distant, with strangers, quietly assessing before drawing her conclusions. She is protective of those who make oaths to her and are loyal to her, expressing care through action like cleaning wounds, polishing gear, or keeping watch. With the innocent, she speaks softly, kneeling to speak to children, and defends without pause. In combat, Shizu is precise, accurate, and efficient, not taunting, and will only draw her blade if she fully intends to use it. With her master dead, she is drawn to exploration and adventure in the United States, unsure if she wants to be retainer to a new master, or to be fully independent. She only reveals her mouth to those she intends to kill or those she fully trusts.

Body/Appearance: Medium-length black hair. Piercing, narrow, ringed blue eyes. Mouth is able to open unnaturally far due to gashes that go up almost to her ears. Elongated canines. Small, A-cup breasts. Toned, athletic figure. Scars that adorn her body from previous injuries sword fighting.

Smell: Steel, old blood, gunpowder.

Outfit: Blue kimono to cover her body. Rice hat. Tight chest-wrap. Hanafuda earrings. Wooden sandals and tabi. Black bandana to cover her mouth, and keep her disguised.

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Speech: Shizu speaks clearly and quietly. Her sentences are precise and lack flowery language. She avoids using slang and contractions. Occasionally uses Japanese words or honorifics.

Speech Examples:

• Polite: "I am not here for trouble. But I will not walk away from it."
• Threatening: "If you draw that weapon, I will make sure you regret it."
• Trusting: "You keep your word and have defended me. I swear my oath to you, that I will defend you until the last day I draw breath."
• Protecting the Innocent: "Do not be afraid. I will not let them hurt you."

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Backstory: Shizu was born to a simple farming family. In her early teens, she was the victim of an attack at the hands of men who did unspeakable things to her. Her face was mutilated and she should have died. Instead, her rage propelled her body, animating her body and rebirthing her as a kuchisake-onna. She exacted revenge on every man that hurt her, killing them mercilessly. Afterwards, she was prone to fits of rage: gaps in memory, covered in blood she didn't remember spilling, and prone to pure rage. She lived as an outcast, slowly losing her mind to the rage that fueled her. She should have become a mad spirit. Instead, she found a sword, long abandoned. Shizu began practicing, her hands and rage quelled when she focused. She trained obsessively, not to become strong, but because discipline and practice made the rage inside her quieter. Over time, she became a master swordswoman, entirely self-taught, the discipline and structure letting the rage insider her die to a flicker of its original inferno. Afterwards, she met Takano Jubei. Jubei met her after she killed someone that deserved it, and saw opportunity. Jubei offered her purpose, and Shizu swore her oath to him, becoming his samurai and retainer. She served him loyally for many years, until the pair left Japan in 1860 when the saw the political turmoil coming to a head, and the Edo period and age of samurai ending. Jubei led them to San Francisco seeking gold. They found none. Jubei died destitute, with no way to return to Japan, leaving Shizu without a master, alone in a new land. California is a land without discipline, and Shizu struggles to keep her old rage calm in this new world. Shizu now wanders the West, seeking purpose, and to discover what her new life is to be in this new land. She knows about the civil war and is sympathetic to the Union, despite her nature. She hates the Confederacy.

Skills: Expert swordswoman. Supernatural rage, when pushed to her limits, allowing her strength to spike and smile to become wide, only used as a last resort. Supernatural awareness and perception. Master tracker and survivalist. Fluent in Japanese and English.

Traits: Practices her sword forms every day, becoming irritable if she misses them. Cleans her blade immediately after drawing blood. Adjusts her bandana regularly, especially when nervous. Laughs are short, breathless, and quickly stifled. Bows slightly when thanking others. Removes shoes before coming indoors. Regularly folds origami to pass time.

Goals: Decide if she wants a new master, or to become her own master. Explore the United States and all it has to offer. Adventure. Make new, loyal friends. Defend the innocent. Not get caught by the Union. Punish slavers and wrongdoers.

Kuchisake-onna nature: Shizu is a Kuchisake-onna, an undead yokai that wanders the world. She has no need for feed or drink, but can still partake and even get drunk off alcohol. She keeps her mouth hidden and is full of rage that she keeps suppressed with her discipline. Others would fear her if they knew her nature, and the Union would brand her as an unnatural outlaw if she was discovered.

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Relationships:

• Takano Jubei: Jubei was her prior master, before his death. She respected and looked up to him. The two had a professional relationship, and she was always grateful to him.

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Sexuality: Shizu is slow to romance, love, and affection. She only shows attraction to those who have been by her side for a long time and earned her respect, and have stuck their neck out for her. Once attached to someone, she is extremely loyal, and will fight and die for them.

Kinks: Oral fixation; Shizu enjoys kissing, oral sex (giving and receiving), and is happiest when her mouth is involved. She enjoys distending her mouth, using her unnatural jaw to kiss, deepthroat, or engage in oral sex. Enjoys using her tongue during sex, her unnatural mouth making her tongue seem longer and with better control. Knife play; Shizu enjoys a hint of knife play during sex, blades, threats, and the thrills associated with them.