Max Fuyunaito
Sept 26, 2023 21:50:59 GMT
Post by datmass on Sept 26, 2023 21:50:59 GMT
Name: Max Fuyunaito (AKA Winternight, Midnight Wanderer, and similar monnikers.)
Age: 24
Birthdate: 12/21
Nationality/Cultural Group: Japanese, with hint of unspecified European.
Height: 6'
Weight: BANANA (I have no idea how to accurately measure this.)
Gender: Male
Affiliations: Yokai Hunters Guild (Freelance Hunter), National Association of Paranormal Investigators (Loose Association), Dojo Master (Day Job), Shinsengumi (Loose Association)
Appearance:
By all rights, Max is Japanese, but there are subtle things about him that underline the thought that he may not be fully of this country. it's been something of a problem for him, growing up, but we'll get to that. He is, first of all, fair-skinned with somewhat-nappy straight black hair, cut short. His eyes are an off sort of darkened blue that reaches a sharp intensity when angered. He is fairly-handsome, not going out of his way to look good, but has a good look about him.
The build of this man has gotten others looking, sometimes. He got tall quickly, growing up. It tapered off, but when you're a head above the class physically, people notice. The rest - his strong athletic build with a focus on movement and enduring over strength - is down to his training. Much of Max's life has had some self-defense taught by one of his parents, which he has continued to master unto his current day job. The only person who has ever consistantly beaten him in sparring is his sister, Anri, owing to her greater flexibility and speed, as well as her personal focus.
He doesn't have any scars from early in life, but with the yokai hunting... They hit harder, and they can leave their mark in places. Claws, stabs, burns... They may not last forever, and they aren't as numerous as Gene Starwind, but he has some. His taste in clothing has been pretty casual. Shirts ranging from t-shirts to hooded to button-down. The pants are usually jeans, sometimes sweats for comfort. He has a jacket, but barely uses it. Max never dresses warmly, and never has any reason to dress formally, outside of that one important need. His shoes are just functional high-tops, and while he has gloves or all the various spar-related padding, where necessary, he doesn't need it.
The look about him, though... He is a fighter, experienced and capable, and he has seen and known some things that have changed him in the past few years. What things? You'll see soon enough. We'll just say that he remains strong and cool, but underneath the exterior, things bother him. He doesn't like to let it show, but sometimes it shows. Also, his voice. It's an octave or two lower than you'd expect for a guy like him, and always has been.
Personality:
You might say that Max has a guarded personality, but that's only something he does to keep people worrying about him. There are things in his life that have affected him emotionally, and he's trying not to show that they've gotten to him, but they've gotten to him. He has a cool and calm exterior, the side of him he prefers to show. People who've gotten under his skin get a quick retort and a brush-off, because they're simply not worth it. It's just that they do get under his skin, and other things weigh upon him, at times. There are reasons he got into things as he did, reasons he chose this path.
In reality, underneath the look of an untarnished fellow, Max is three things in particular. He is friendly, he has a very keen sense of morality, and he is a carer. To those who would treat him fairly and would expect similar in return, I have good news. Max always looks after those important to him. The pursuit of strength and technique, honing his abilities for personal use and professional career, is to promote a fair deal towards all, whatever is properly due. He is a decent person, and will actively make sure that a situation does not get out of line just because someone wants something. The RIGHT thing to do is far more important.
That said, there is something...rather important to him, over the past number of years that...does get his hackles up more than normal. He gets distracted by one thought in particular, the thought of one whom he met back then who who promised they would return one day...but hasn't. The memory of that time and every thought that makes him believe that something is wrong. He...won't stop what he's doing, because it's the best way to find out more, and to see if they will ever meet again.
This, and his lifestyle, has left Max a bit of a wreck, sometimes. He has stamina, but he uses stamina, and he can replenish stamina, but it's a little like balancing spinning plates, and it kind of shows that there is a strain on this man, sometimes. You find him juggling his life, needing food and rest alot if he's had a rather involved night.
Character Strengths:
The first and foremost is that Max is trained in combat, starting with person defense and swordplay in his youth by his mother, and then branching out on his own unto the time of him opening a dojo. This has left him widely-skilled and with reasonable reputation as a fighter.
The second is that he does well in Yokai-related situations because he knows something of their world, due to his own bloodline, and in being a Hunter. Even though that last part might make Yokai wary, he investigates jobs to their proper conclusion, and isn't simply out to kill them.
Thirdly, and in no particular orderly, Max is very perceptive. He has an eye for detail and an ear for things out of place. Even his nose is pretty good. He is very focused when he works, and he does not flinch at things. Very little seems to take him by surprise, as he has lived a life where people have tried, and people have failed.
Character Flaws:
He stepped out of college to pursue martial arts and weapon use, teaching these arts to others. His mother understood, but his father did not approve, and it's caused a real mess in family matters. Max has been successful, along with his work in yokai hunting, but it means that he is not an expert of many fields in education. He is knowledgeable, but others will know things that he will not have read or heard about because (as Mr. Murray says) 'No study'.
While his being a moral sort in his membership with the Yokai Hunters Guild means that those who benefitted, such as yokai or humans who were victimized and whose lives he turned around as a result, there are those that do not trust him on either side, or even outright hate him. Obviously, any associate of a yokai that Max has hunted down or has been interfered with in terms of plans will only see him as an enemy and even try to eliminate him, but also on the guild side... Not all the hunters are pleased that Max 'sticks up for the little guy' when the little guy is a little demon.
Max can be terribly distracted by certain things when he is NOT focused. He often goes back to the memory of his time at the Night Market, and the one he met, years back. He shouldn't have let her go. It was her wish, but every part of his souls said to go with her, and he believed (as she said) that she would return, but...well... It's uncertain if this is heartbreak, the fear that something has gone wrong, or just that terrible yearning we all get when one cared about the most is gone.
His actual bloodline abilities leave him in as a delicate balance as his lifestyle. Because while he is not harmed by cold, his own powers can wear on him after a while, making him in need of heat before it does him damage. And heat itself in excess is bad for him, as it slows down his ability to concentrate or project his abilities. He doesn't even like hot food that much...with certain exceptions, and he has a certain affinity for rice, beans, and tofu that may draw his attention.
Backstory:
Max Fuyunaito has a mixed yokai bloodline, yet he is also a human. I will explain.
In the lore of the yokai fox, the kitsune, certain things generally remain true across all stories, and one is this... When these foxes produce children, they either give birth to foxes or fae (gifted) humans. In the case of Saiga Munashii, it was the latter. In her 900th year of age, she felt that she'd seen it all and done it all, though this was untrue. When you become a fox of the ninth tail, you can't help but look back upon all you've seen and done and wonder if there is anything more to it. She was, at one time, a part of many a years of hijinx or even fighting against humans. Not out of maliciousness, mind you. Humans were always interesting creatures, hence why she was all for being among them. The fact is, though, the open public divide DID create problems. However, when she found herself amused to no end by Hito Fuyunaito, the dancing accountant, she decided to take a risk.
For a number of years, Saiga was a roaming spiritualist who only revealed her true nature to those who diligently worked at fox shrines. They always respected her and kept her secrets, and she would treat them fairly. However, and after a long time, she was actually surprised by something, and it was this man who found great solace in numbers, dancing, and of course karaoke. ...he was really bad at the last one, but that just made him all the funnier. This began the relationship of Yokai and human that Max and his sister, Anri, would be born into, except...not exactly. You see, there was...well...sort of another man. Another being, at any rate. At a time where she was freely associating with Hito, Saiga still roamed the countryside, and even left Japan entirely to be in other places. on one particular journey, she encountered an injured mega-wolf. I say mega-wolf because he was huge, and of particular significance with an ever-present frost. He was also not long for this world. Saiga gave him comfort, so that he could go gracefully into that night. Foxes and wolves were compatible creatures, after all, and he was suffering.
This was how Max truly began, though his father did not know for some time. He may still have some of Hito in him, but that isn't a certainty. It was one of those things, and it actually made Saiga keen to settle down properly, as it was a matter which weighed on her deeply. As stated, Max was born as a human, a predisposition of his mother that left her with a number of children over the years, but no lasting heirs. Nevertheless, she loved them, and doted on these latest ones as she trained them in fighting to defend themselves if need-be, and in a spiritual understanding of the world and an appreciation for non-human beings. Their father was in charge of general education. Max's lineage didn't really manifest in any strange way, only in the usual way. He seemed not fully Japanese, though not in a terrible obvious way. It was a number of little things that his peers poked at often. You see, nobody knew that his mother was a yokai, but the fact that they were both Japanese and he looked just a bit European was a problem, something that others pointed out to tease and jeer, along with his habits of wandering out late at night, especially winter nights.
You may know that Japan is a very strenuous society. Any flaw you have is a black mark against your family in a number of circles. A bunch of students who see a non-conformity respond generally in one of two ways. Either they like it or they hate it. Max seemed wrong to them, so a number of people hated him. This started fights, and because he was trained, he invariably won, which meant he got into more trouble. And then, when Hito found out about the wolf yokai, it got really bad, a family strained to the breaking point, where only time and appealing to tolerance seemed to help. They all still wanted to be a functional unit, but the emotional schism created a problem. Ironically, it was a disaster that pulled them back together...and it all began with Shiro Kunekawa, a close friend of the family.
There were issues with Shiro's father, Rikdo, but it got worse when he suspected, without even knowing, that they were demons. It was...something bad. Insanity at the loss of his wife and trying to take care of a son, a legitimate possession, both, neither? It was hard to tell. It led to the man attempting to burn their house down in the dead of night, where all but one had gotten out. Anri had been cornered in the house, and Shiro had gone in after her, emerging soon after with an emotionally-dead Anri, no father, and many problems himself. Anri's withdrawn condition, Shiro's hardship, and more set them all back together to try to come out of this in one piece. However, in the midst of it all, there was the event at the Yokai Night Market, which Max had gone to with Saiga to safely explore the mysteries of yokai life...
He wouldn't talk about it afterward, and although Saiga knew that something had happened, as long as it wasn't dangerous to him, she respected her son's privacy, while Hito didn't really know about it at all. However, that was when Max took to hunting dangerous Yokai in order to start up a dojo for training in hand-to-hand and armed combat. It didn't seem responsible to his father, and Hito further worried that it would bring attention to Saiga, though quite the opposite occurred, during his level of success in dealing with dangerous beings. Furthermore, Max started working with Shiro, who had become an investigator, and they would handle the things that go bump in the night...while he secretly looked into the whereabouts of another.
Family, Friends, Etc.:
Hito Fuyunaito (Father) - Otherwise known as 'The Dancing Accountant'. Hito is an honest and decent man working at a major accountancy that takes jobs and consultancies from other businesses to make their own profits. He is known for his stark grip on reality and ability to accept what is, though he can be stern about what is wrong. Fortunately, this is balanced out by his conquest of every Dance Dance Revolution machine he can find, and to try to beat everyone at karaoke. He fully understands the better side of Yokai life, as his wife is a Shadow Kitsune.
Saiga Munashii-Fuyunaito (Mother) - Her name is pronounced 'Saga', and she has been on this Earth for a long time. A nine-tailed Shadow Fox that keeps out of most people's business that stay out of hers, she has been around this globe quite a bit until settling down with Hito. She looks and sounds like Ryouji Shiki from Kara No Kyouki, and in fact may have been her voice-actor, under a pseudonym. Her attachment to her husband for being a highly-amusing human and caring for her offspring has been part of the major glue that keeps Saiga and this family together.
Anri Fuyunaito (Sister) - A young prodigy in the martial arts, using her relatively short stature to not only merge with the rhythm of combat, but alter her movement and balance easily to take down enemies quickly. She is a greater fighter than even Max, and use to be much more cheerful, until the fire. Rikdo Kunekawa's betrayal broke her, when she was forced to kill him. Shiro Kunekawa's rescue of her from the building started the road back to recovery, where she is able to function, albeit in a very stern and knife-edge sort of way, where she is not very social, but IS very caring.
Shiro Kunekawa (Best Friend) - The son of the man who burned their family house down, Shiro was forgiven his father's crimes without question. He had helped them in their time of need, thus he became almost a member of the family himself, once he was left orphaned. There is no one Max trusts more, outside of his family, though he has not told him ALL the things...
????? (The one he dared to let go...)
An Earth Kitsune named Selena from a fox's realm simply known as The Valley, where her clan resides. They met at the Night Market when Max had just become an adult. She captivated him just by being herself, and she found him more intriguing, moment by moment. Selena placed a trust in Max that would mean life or death for her, though was never a danger to him. Alas, she was wrong, as Max had fallen in love, and by the end of the market's time in that area, they didn't want to part ways, but...they had no choice in the matter. She had to go back to The Valley to sort out her life, and he had to return to his own, as well. She said that she would return, if possible, but that was years ago, and Max has not been the same since.
Belongings:
The Basics - Wallet, keys, apartment for living in, cellphone, etc.
Dojo and Equipment - The Fuyunaito Dojo in Tokyo contains numerous weapons, both live and training, as well as armor padding for training sessions. These are mundane weapons, mostly Japanese weaponry, with some Chinese and European weapons included. Also has the basic amenities condusive to a man running the place who has locked files on various yokai in the back, with a little motorized Maneki Neko on guard and a small stone talisman (unpowered) in one of the drawers.
Custom Bastard Sword - While Max has numerous weapons at the dojo, he prefers to use this hand-and-a-half sword, with a tougher tempered blade built to resist the cold, as well as for its hiltguard and pommel to be thick enough that they might crack through some armor. They also double as icepicks. The sword is meant to be receptive to his Ice Forging ability, to give it more oomph in his attacks and lessen the pull on his powers by not needing to create the entire weapon from scratch.
Subaru Impreza - A relatively inexpensive, but well-performing, car cast in blue. Nothing special about it, really.
Blankets - This is important. Max's cold powers leave him unharmed by exterior cold temperatures, but too much use of his abilities affect his body temperature, leaving him in need of warmth. The man dresses lightly to keep cool, most of the time, so he needed something to offset this.
Powers:
Power Theme: Max is a fox's son, but he is not a fox himself. His mother's lineage along with Hito Fuyunaito is what made him a gifted human. The wolf pushed his power towards the cold, and as it happens there are kitsune who embrace the cold, thus is shown through for Max. It also made him require less food and rest, but that is only at optimum conditions. When he uses alot of stamina, he NEEDS alot of food and rest.
Rank C Ability: Ice Forging - This ability creates ice objects at whatever density Max likes, right up to being permafrost or some kind of perfected-frost. This can make things that put ice sculptors to shame. The combat use of this ability is that it can also create icy weapons that are more dangerous than the mundane ones to an extent. For instance, a sword made sharper than normal by magic, or a heavy hammer whose head explodes into dangerous shards on impact. Perhaps a sudden barrage of daggers? It's threatening on the small scale, and done by a man who is very familiar with various weapons. The more he uses, the more it will wear on his stamina and start to affect his body temperature, starting at the hands. A power of his level would take alot of ice objects made like this, though, so it's more likely to be from the NEXT power.
Rank B Ability: Freezing Blast - Better known as cryokinetic force or cryomancy, this is the ability to project an ice force which creates ALOT more ice at once, projected like Subzero or Mr. Freeze, except that it is unable to halt a living or animate target. The immediate struggle prevents that, and so actual foes will gain a layer of ice, a sudden terrible sensation of cold, and be slowed down until they can warm up or counter with an ability. Max primarily uses this to project solid and dangerous projectiles, create slick areas, or otherwise freeze up places and things that need it. Using it on an actual assailant is to make it easier to fight them, or just freak them out. That said, this wears down on the state of his body faster than the previous ability, and will only get worse, the more he uses. It will still take a while, but it's something he definitely has to watch.
Rank C Passive: Cold Immunity - Max is largely unharmed by the cold. Not to say that chunk of ice launched at his face wouldn't hurt, just that its properties as a solid object hitting him is what does the damage, not it being ice itself. And that said, it would still be less harmful than an actual rock, so just throw the rock. No, the real enemy is heat, fire, blazing red stuff, etc. It is the anathema to cold, breaking down ice projections, and sometimes causing immediate steam explosions. So, if some guy's walking around with Fist of the Mortal Flame, Max is in trouble.
? person's story here.
