Kiku Kamishirakawa/Homura and Makoto Takuma/Homura
Indie, Canon Divergent, Yu-Gi-Oh! Vrains Canon and OC dualmuse
Canon verse tied to Cardrisen and Duelrisen
Loved by Lita/Pom
SLOW ACTIVITY
Other places you can find me:
☆ 10 Days of Anime Endings by: Hanakumamii ☆
♫ ♩ ♫ ♭ ♪ Day 05. Ending with Dramatic Theme ♫ ♩ ♫ ♭ ♪
Zetsuen no Tempest 「君に届け 」Boku Tachi no Uta ↪ Sako Tomohisa
▮ This is an independant rp blog for Kiku Kamishirakawa and Makoto Takuma, a canon and an OC from Yu-Gi-Oh! Vrains. Their portrayal largely follows canon, with both of their default main verses being set in post-canon.
▮ This blog is also semi-selective and OC/AU friendly. This means while I may be slightly picky with who I interact with, it's nothing against you and all only for my own comfort.
▮ For the time being, this blog is incredibly SLOW ACTIVITY! It may take me a while to get back to you, but I will! <3
▮ Mun is regularly slow with replies due to poor health. I am chronically ill and my health often makes getting to replies easier said than actually done, but this is by far not a reflection of how strong my muse is or how much I want to be here; sometimes asks and memes are easier to manage and all I can do for a bit. It may take me some time to get back to you, but unless I lose a thread, I will get a reply back! All I ask is to please be patient with me <3
▮ My portrayal follows the sub version of Vrains, and will not use terms or names from the dub. However, since Vrains is still considered to be recently finished, info found here can and may change over time as my headcanons and portrayal do.
▮ This blog's canon is heavily tied to Duelrisen's Takeru, and set in Vrains - Primaily post-canon. While Mako has verses in the other series aside from Sevens as well, I will automatically default to post-canon Vrains without other plotting. This means there is a canon, and canon relationship, in place for both girls on this blog I am unwilling to change; while Mako and Kiku are married to Takeru and have kids with him as of several years post-canon, and begin their relationship(s) with him during canon, their worlds do not revolve around Takeru and they have a fair bit in their lives they're focused on for themselves, including Kiku's desire to be a nurse and Mako's struggles with herself and her desire to be a teacher. They can and will speak of Takeru and their family like anyone would about someone they're close to and has had a heavy influence on them, and I'll be happy to tone down their already small amount of talk of them if requested to, but I will not completely remove Takeru, Hiko, and Sumi and their relationship, or their influence on the girls, from their canon. Please do not ask me to.
▮ This blog's canon is set in the Fireflower verse, in which Mako moves to her countryside hometown pre-canon and remains there until leaving for Den City shortly into canon's season 2, and returns post-canon, where she remains with Takeru and Kiku until all three move to Den once more at 19 as a family of their own. I will automatically default to this canon unless otherwise requested/plotted, but if you wish for a thread set in a primarially Kiku-focused setting (i.E. 'Bright Bloom' for a Pre-canon Kiku with less Mako involved) or a primarially Mako-focused one (I.E. 'Firestarter' for Mako in Den with less Kiku involved), feel free to request their respective verses. Please remember, however, Kiku's more Entrust-focused verses see her never leaving her hometwon even post canon and requires she be sought out, be it in Link VRAINS or offline.
▮ While I will not change my canon, I'm totally open for plotting something within it that works for us both, even if it involves literally smashing two dimensions together! However, also know that I will not be pushing this canon onto anyone else; the girls will regard every portrayal as someone new to meet, and I do not expect anyone to treat my girls the same and others (I.E. Any other Yusaku isn't expected to treat them the same as another portrayal of Yusaku would).
▮ Do always, however, feel free to send asks about things around here for clarification! This canon's had a lot of development both on and off-dash, and I'm always happy to explain things!
▮ This blog's verses section is set up in three sections: Shared: These are verses that include both Mako and Kiku on equal ground - quite literally shared as both being major players. This includes this blog's overall canon and any AUs that run on this same idea. Of important note is that the same main events from the girls' singlemuse canons still take place here; please check out those entires for a clearer idea of their shared canon if needed!; Mako: Verses that feature Mako as the main player, though may see Kiku having a more minimal role regardless as her closest friend. These verses include Mako's 'singleship'/Solarflareship verses - AKA Mako's single muse canon - and any AU Kiku isn't involved in, including Artificial Phoenix.; Kiku: Verses that feature Kiku as the main player, though may see Mako with a minimal role as her closest friend aside from Takeru. These verses include Kiku's 'singleship'/Entrustshipping verses - AKA Kiku's single muse canon - and any AU Mako isn't involved in. Please know that Kiku's 'single' canon keeps her in her hometown post-canon, rather than leaving like she would in the girls' primary, shared canon for Den City.
▮ Basic rules also apply: No godmodding. No killing my muse without prior planning. Do not force things on me, or send me hate of any kind, anon or not. These are blockable offenses for me.
▮ Furthermore, I don't follow strict reblog karma! However, I do ask that you don't treat me like a meme or image source and soley reblog one (or both) from me with no other attempts to interact - Please send me a meme or two occasionally if you're reblogging several. Treating me as a meme/image source with no attempts to interact aside from this may result in a block.
▮ I'm not particularly fond of writing out duels due to how long a single turn can be. Heavy planning in advance is required if writing one out is unavoidable, but I'd much rather talk about the details and winner/loser with a time skip, or playing the duel itself out on a website that'd allow it.
▮ I'm aware my writing can get long and I don't expect anyone to match my length, but I do ask that you don't reply to a multi-para with two or three short lines.
▮ Please do not take things from this blog, in any form. I've put several years' worth of work, growth, and love into Mako and Kiku; please do not take it, in any form. I can and will hardblock for this. This includes taking and rewriting or rewording my headcanons under the guise of 'inspiration' without first asking permission; I do not tolerate theft of things from my blogs. If inspiration strikes you from one of my HCs or something here, talk to me!
▮ Unless Mako's made it known herself or we've planned it out ahead of time, your muse shouldn't know the connection between Mako and Alanna. She keeps her player account secret for personal reasons, even to the point of using a different deck offline to hide her, so this is a no-go unless plotted out beforehand.
▮ I am autistic. If you have a problem with me, or something I've said or done, please come talk to me off-anon. It's more than likely unintentional. <3
▮ I frequently practice having main rp partners. There are people I'll turn to first and foremost when speaking of/referencing a particular muse, and are formed through long time, frequent interaction both IC and OOC. Becoming a main with me is just as easy as interacting with me, honestly!
▮ On the flip side, I have no problem with doubles and I'm more than happy to interact with you!
▮ At the moment, I have a single exclusive in Duelrisen's Takeru. This means that as much as I thank others for their interest in my girls, I am uninterested in interacting with any other portrayals of Takeru Homura/Soulburner and his ignis Flame aside from hers, with either of my muses. Kasa is the only exception to the doubles rule in any form.
▮ Furthermore, Kasa's Takeru is also a major part of the girls' canons, both as their best friend and their ship partner. While they have their own lives to live and things they enjoy on their own, his role in their lives is undeniable and he may come up in conversation sometimes just as they'd speak of their families and jobs, whether or not it's in their particular ship verse. If any of their talk makes you uncomfortable, please come talk to me and we can work something out, within reason.
▮ Mako and Kiku are both heavily tied to another blog I run - That of my multimuse, Cardrisen, which not only holds the portrayals of close friends of theirs, but also that of the OCs Akahiko Homura and Ksaumi Homura, Mako's son and Kiku's daughter with Takeru, respectively. Though I'll more often than not use Cardrisen to reply if I need the muses there for threads, there may be times Hiko and/or Sumi may (rarely) appears as sort of NPCs here in the girls' replies. When this happens, be it for the kids or anyone else from that blog, threads will be tagged with 'LINKED - Cardrisen'.
▮ This blog is also heavily tied to my own Spellrisen, as one of the muses there (Rei) and her twin brother (not on Spellrisen) are Mako's cousins. The Spellbound verse is a share canon between both blogs, however.
▮ Occasionally, there may be times development might seem to jump ahead by leaps and bounds with certain partners. This is because development is happening with them off-dash, and being applied here. I will never do anything pertaining to your muse without checking it's okay first, nor force anything on you.
▮ My muses are singleship (Kiku) and incredibly selectively mutliship (Mako), and I am currently not accepting any further (romantic) ships.
▮ As this blog's canon is set in Vrains, the girls are ship-exclusive with ▮ Though this blog's main ship, Fireflower, sees Mako and Kiku both eventually marrying Takeru and starting a family with him together, the ship is not a true polyship. The girls have no romantic interest in each other despite it, and instead share a bond far deeper than that of family, seeing nothing at issue with sharing a husband, family, and life together regardless.
▮ I do have NOTPs I ask to please not be brought up around me, for personal reasons I won't go into. This includes Disaster (RyokenxTakeruxYuaku), Recoil (RyokenxTakeru), Perenial (KikuxAoi), KengoxTakeru, and EmmaxAoi, as well as any ship involving an adult and minor (i.e. KusanagixYusaku). I don't require them to be tagged - Just not brought up in conversation with me, please. Mentioned in threads as your ships is fine, ooc conversation past 'these are my ships' is not.
▮ However, while I'm not looking for more ships at this time and would prefer the girls make more friends, basic shipping rules still apply: Don't auto-assume a ship is going to happen without prior planning/talking, there must be chemistry between the muses, I reserve the right to drop forceshipping threads, etc.
▮ I am semi-selective, and may not follow everyone back, unfortunately. This is due to the fact I have heavy anxiety I'm trying to deal with, and a cluttered dash tends to be a source of it - But please don't take this as a sign of me not wanting to thread! I do! I just need to keep things neat, for sanity's sake~
▮ The first thing I do on interacting is read your rules and about pages. I do occasionally go back and re-read these as well to keep myself up to date on them, regardless of if we follow each other or not. If we're threading, I'll be reading them.
▮ Starter calls are a rarity from me, because of the aforementioned anxiety, but I do love memes! The easiest way to start things with me is to drop into my inbox whenever I have one posted, or just send me a message!
▮ I generally don't like to unfollow once I've hit that button, but the easiest way to get me to drop you as a whole is to post unneeded ooc drama, vagueposting, stealing, attacking others, and not tagging things of importance (I.E. spoilers, triggers, etc.).
▮ I reserve the right to drop things or unfollow if I feel uncomfortable at any point.
▮ Despite the girls' being canonically underage and their current canon verses following them into adulthood, as well as I as mun being 21+, there will be no NSFW of a sexual nature here. I'm completely fine with this topic and it may be referenced to whenever applies, but the act itself won't be happening on this blog itself. That remains private and off-dash.
▮ I'm fine with most other touchier themes with a little plotting, from trauma to violence, but please throw me a message before including them, and I'll do the same for you. While I'll probably be okay with it being included, comfort is key and having super heavy themes suddenly appear out of nowhere, especially on certain topics, can be a bit unsettling.
▮ PLEASE tag any images and heavy talk of things on fire or covered in smoke, specifically landscapes and buildings, as Not For Poms. I'm all right with superpowers and things like Takeru's flames and fireplaces, but I cannot at this time handle amything past that, ESPECIALLY realistically.
▮ Likewise, if you require anything to be tagged, please let me know!
▮ For further blog/muse specific triggers, please see the 'triggers' section.
▮ While it's not often it comes up, possible triggering themes on this blog include having a large item falling on a person (i.e. a statue in a museum), being alone, death of a loved one, lack of parental involvement, and overcontroling parents.
▮ Please be aware Mako suffers from heavy social anxiety and Autophobia, or a fear of being alone, caused by having parents too busy to be home as much as they needed to be and a lack of way to get to them as a child, resulting in her largely raising herself and needing to be a mature adult long before she was ready. These aren't actively worked on until she's 16, and while Mako tries her best to stay upbeat and positive and does begin to attend therapy as an adult, these are still mental illnesses she struggles with on a regular basis and does still affect her.
▮ Please also be aware that Kiku suffers from heavy stress as a teen as a result of having overcontrolling parents determined to run her life for her. While this doesn't outwardly affect her as much as Mako's autophobia and anxiety, it's still a weight on her shoulders she's unable to actively break away from until her early 20's - And even then, it still causes problems in terms of her self-worth for some time after.
▮ Though Mako tries not to actively show her breakdowns or a flare of her mental illnesses - or even cry - in front of others including her close friends and family, commonly shown symptoms are social withdrawl, clear as day nerves and worry of bothering/insulting/hurting others, fidgeting while in silence and making noises to break it, curling nto herself, scrambling for something to make noise, seeking out a loved one to simply be near, refusal of situations that would leave her alone and in a silent place, and a rush to put on headphones and music and losing herself to it for a time.
▮ At worst, Mako can and will suffer from a complete breakdown, including a severe panic attack that requires help from a loved one to pull her out of, though this is rare and only occurs when left alone in a silent area for an extended period, with no means of breaking free or source of noise/distraction. She can and will hide herself away into a corner whe one happens, usually curling into a tight ball and crying in fear and panic, and only react to a loved one who knows how to break through her frazzled mental state.
▮ If any of these themes/topics are triggering to you personally, it may be best to avoid bringing them up around either of them altogether.
▮ 95% of the artwork and icons used here are not mine. I try to keep credit attached as much as possible, but if I reblog something that doesn't have credit and you know who it belongs to, lemme know and I'll add it in!
▮ Most of Mako's icons were found from various icon posts around tumblr, but all of Kiku's were cut, edited, and cropped by both myself and Soulburnings. Please do not take them without asking!
▮ I don't give out the raws of my icons, unfortunately, apologies!
▮ My blog's theme was editied for me by Kasa; please do not take things from it, either! And infinite thanks to her, always, for it~!
▮ Howdy! I go by Lita and/or Pom and/or Pomberry, and I'm the mun here! I'm 21+ and usually near my computer, so I'm almost always about somewhere! My mun FC's a mix of Jaden/Judai Yuki and Final Fantasy's Tonberry, so if you're looking for my ooc posts, you'll find them marked with icons of one of them~!
I'm autistic and have made writing both my hobby and the thing I enjoy doing most often. Aside from that, I'm also a crafter and enjoy drawing,though writing is where my heart lies and has for most of my life. I've also been into YGO enough for the last 20 years to have amassed quite the card collection, and I have no intention of stopping as long as I can keep playing the game!
I've been rp'ing here on tumblr for about seven years now, across a wide range of blogs and fandoms. I've been here in the YGO rpc for a few years now, though, and I hover most about the GX, ARC-V, and Vrains sides of things, usually running OC blogs - Though I do have a few for canons within ARC-V and Vrains, as well. Of course, my other active blogs can always be found under the 'other blogs' tab in my navigation, too!
Honestly, I'm just a complete goober wanting to have fun, and I'm totally harmless, I promise~!
And yet, despite their closeness and desire for more of the same, different still managed to rear its head and cause the split of their group. With Mako and Takeru moved off to Den city for school, it was up to Kiku to continue her role of peacemaker and keep their trio united - something that came with its own difficulties, but also managed to pull her from her own comfort zone and bring her to the city to visit, unaware of the messes they'd gotten themselves into both in and outside of Link VRAINS. Determined to see their relationships grow stronger, Mako and Kiku came to terms with shared emotions... And, together, began a relationship with Takeru that would continue on to their move home and a chance to let old demons lie with their fight laid to rest.
Now adults and in college and moved back to Den City as a married trio, Mako and Kiku do their best to navigate Den and work towards their dream jobs of being a teacher and nurse, respectively. Even with the addition of their kids, the world seems brighter with every passing day - Just as long as they keep their heads held high and eyes on the sky!
Now if only they could lay all new demons to rest, too...
For further information on each girl's respective story, please see their singlemuse verses. The events mentioned there are still present here, as well.
Spellbound
Fandomless AU.Moving back home to Japan was meant to be relaxing to Mako, and for a time, it was - She'd been reunited with her cousins, Rei, Ren, and Rin, made an incredibly good friend in Kiku, and even something of a rival in Takeru. Things were shaping up to be 'normal' for the first time in her life, and even putting up with the local gangs couldn't ruin that, no matter how frustrated Kiku became over having to keep an eye on both Mako and Takeru when it came to getting into fights!
But Mako's bickering wih Takeru soon gets to be the least of the girls' concerns, especially when Kiku learns of her friend's choice to be a punching bag for a local gang to keep them away from herself and Takeru, and Takeru's own gaining of a rival in another local boy, including frequent bickering with Mako's cousin, Ren. Though she's thankful for Mako and Takeru's choices to protect her and try to put an end to the local bullying issues, she can't help but worry; why can't they just let adults take care of it?
It isn't long before typical high school and teenager related issues are added to by... Perhaps oddness wouldn't be most's first choice of words, but for Mako and Kiku, it explains it perfectly. Talk of magic, glimpses of a girl with fox ears, feeling stronger with Mako nearby... Something is off in their world, and they're not sure how to handle it - Let alone what's going on in the first place. But how do they deal with that when they still haven't the time to study for their next exams, or a chance to buy more bandages for Takeru and Mako's next fight?!
Phoenix Rising
The daughter of a wealthy and powerful man, Kiku and her guardian, Mako, are used to a lavish life, albeit one contstantly hinted to them is never their own. For Kiku, her position means eventually being married off to another wealthy family to promote good ties, and for Mako, it means either following suit as a protector of leaving the family as a whole, neither of which she'd have a say in. For both, it was a path neither seemed to care for, yet could do nothing about.
But when Kiku's father returns home from a battle with a 'mock phoenix', their world is turned upside down as the 'phoenix' is thrust into her - and Mako's by default - care. Collared, unable to speak, and seemingly seething in anger, he's a feisty bundle of trouble they can barely keep their eyes on, but there's just something about him that seems to strike a specific chord in them both... Just who is this 'phoenix'? How was he captured - Why?
And why does being with him feel so freeing to them both...?
Phoenix's Fire
A Priestess of the Temple of the Red Flame and the knight assigned to protect her, Kiku and Mako are used to the quiet inside the temple's walls. Despite Mako being a transfer and not raised there as Kiku was, the pair are tight and close friends, dedicated to their training and worship to their deity, the phoenix god, while further strengthening their friendship.
Eventually, the girls attract the attention of the phoenix himself, finding themselves claimed by the fiery deity. A claim that turns their world completely on its head; bound to Soulburner, they slowly begin shirking their temple duties more and more and slipping away to see him whenever possible, provided they can get to their hideaway without being followed. No longer dedicated to the temple, they turn to dedicating themselves to the god in question... And their hearts and lives.
Unfortunately for them, the world views the gods completely differently then they do, forcing both knight and priestess to keep their ties to Soulburner hidden while simultaneously showing him more of it. For this world is not kind to girls with their heads lost in the phoenix's fire, no matter how wrapped in it they may be...
Fallen Feathers
Final Fantasy 7 AU. The world is never as it seems, and for Mako and Kiku, that realization comes far sooner than either would have liked. Working as a teacher and a nurse, respectively, they see no problem with holding jobs ultimately overseen by Shinra Power And Electric Corporation - That is, not until Mako comes to befriend the uncle of one of her students. A SOLDIER and overall good guy, Kunsel is different from everyone else she's met, including husband Takeru, and quickly becomes a full family friend, but it doesn't take long for either Mako or Kiku to realize the odd 'hints' he's droping are insider information meant to keep them all safe. Information that hints the company is a terrifying monster not to be messed with, and worse... They can't deny he might be right.
Further befriending Kunsel's best friend, Zack, and Zack's fiance, Sera, the girls settle into life as the company of SOLDIERs, on the outside content and happy within their lives. In secret, however, they watch over Zack and Sera on Kunsel's request, quickly losing their trust in Shinra; just what is the company up to? Is Kunsel's attempt to bring them down from the inside even worth trying? Is AVALNCHE, an anti-Shinra group they've heard of, capable of doing the same?
They're not sure and even terrified of what could happen, but there's no way they can sit back and let the family they've made be hurt.
Firebound
Moving to Japan and the town she was born in was a choice that changed everything for Mako. Though it brought her friends and a stable life closer to her cousin and her family, it also brought into her life a stubborn, frustrating soul named Takeru, a boy she found herself constantly at odds with no matter what she did... Yet every glimpse he granted her of the fiery heart and soul within, sparking inspiration to get up and live her life rather than coast through it.
Two years in their hometown seem to simply fly by, and at the end of them, Takeru's change and choice to move to Den City spark a want in Mako to find her own path. A realization that with the city's better school system and grander everything, perhaps the path she wanted to walk was there - and with that thought in mind, she moves to the city as well, intending on finding the place she belongs. But even though she's able to quickly find her footing, gaining work and an escape in the world of Link VRAINS as well as a friend in Takeru after a chance reunion in the city, among others, she can't help but wonder... What is it about Den City that drew any of them there? Is the network as safe as SOL Tech claims? Just what secrets does this city and its massive network hold?
Covers Vrains Pre-Canon and canon.
Fire In My Heart
Three months after the end of the fight, Mako returns to Hibana, both to be with Takeru and Kiku, and on Kiku's request to have both her friends home with her once more. Without an apartment to return to, however, she moves into the Homura household with Takeru and his grandparents, not only continuing their relationship, but furthering it. Through it, she's finally able to find her footing in a town she's come to call home, deciding to follow her path towards becoming a teacher with the first step of taking a job at a local daycare.
Mako continues to log in to Link VRAINS, choosing to keep Alanna a secret, though no loner alone: With Kiku's choice to begin her own account, Alanna's now more outgoing and active nature, matching Mako's new offline outlook, has turned her into the perfect 'tour guide' for the other girl. On her own, she's gotten herself far more active both inside Link VRAINS and in the real world, seeking to follow the path she's found towards a bright, shining future.
One step at a time... She'll get there, soon enough.
Covers Vrains post-canon, through to about age 18/graduating from high school.
Firestarter
Default Main Single-muse Verse. With the passing of the years comes change, and before long, Mako finds herself not only graduating from high school, but moving on to college for a degree in teaching. But she's not walking her road alone, either - Now married to Takeru, she's grabbed onto a bright future and refuses to let it go, stepping into it with a family and friends she never thought she'd have.
Even Link VRAINS is something new and exciting these days, filled with a light and warmth once missing from the virtual world. Events are plentiful and dueling AIs have been introduced, providing challenges based on Link VRAINS heroes and popular decks alike - Decks Alanna is all too eager to tackle and see herself get stronger from. Should another problem arise, she wants to be sure she can protect the family she's come to find, no matter the cost.
But when she comes to find she's pregnant at the age of 20, her world is turned on its head; it's time for a whole new adventure, and she's got no idea what's coming next... No matter how excited she is for it!
Covers from the age of 18 and on, with the birth of her son, Hiko, at age 21.
Heartbound
ARC-V. Maiami City had always felt like the right choice. Not too big, not too small, and full of things to do, it was the perfect place for Mako to find here she belonged. And after several months to settle in and look around, joining LDS was her next stop - the city's biggest and most popular dueling school. With all the classes it offered, it had to be good, right?
Little does she know, her biggest dueling test wouldn't come from her new school, but the star of a smaller school across town: Yuya Sakaki, of You Show Dueling School. Introduced to Pendulum summoning and making a friend in the boy, Mako's beginning to question her choices... Does she stay in LDS, or move to You Show? Just who is Zarc, and why does he have a dragon so simmilar to Yuya's? Does she open her own restraunt alongside their mutual friend Michio, or look for another path to follow? Maybe she's tripped into something bigger than she can handle...
...Nah.
Lightbound
Duel Monsters. As the daughter of a pair of archaeologists, Mako's more than used to ancient cultures - and more than tired of being alone while her parents work, prompting a move to Domino, Japan, to be coser to her cousin's family. A normal life, with a normal school and a chance to make friends sound right up her alley, especially when it means being close to Rin!
But rumors circulate around Domino of shadows and strange people in the city - Rumors that sound far too much like the various curses her parents used to speak of when she'd been little. The curse of the mummy, curses of the pharoahs, people going missing after digs... Hadn't she left all that nonsense behind when she'd moved?
Apparently not, though she could honestly do without it coming up while she has an algebra test to study for!
Artificial Flame
Fandomless AU. The newest programmer at SOL Technologies, Mako finds herself assigned to a project known as Codename: Soulburner, an attempt by a small team to bring a simple program to life through artifical means. Warned that their result would likely end in failure regardless, she spends months working, keeping an eye on the being they were creating.
The result was Soulburner, an elaborate AI/Android with the capability to pass as a human, complete with emotions, free will, and the ability to feel. Unfortunately for Mako, she's finding herself growing more and more attached to him by the day, especially when she starts getting to know him.
But when she realizes SOL never intends to set him free as promised, Mako takes it upon herself to risk everything and release him from his tank. The result causes her to be demoted to 'Soulburner sitter', barely holding onto a job at all and forced to lie to convince him he's human, but it's his fiery nature - and then the sudden lack of it at the drop of a pin - that confuses her; guilt runs strong and fuels her desire to keep him safe, but it's also leading her to notice there's something more to the project she's not being clued in on. Something deeper and secretive... Is there any hope of him being able to lead a regular life as promised, or will the attempt to create artifical life end in disater?
Just what is Project: Heatleo...?
Exclusive toDuelrisen.
Budding Chrysanthemum
Hibana, a quiet, seaside, country town, is all Kiku's ever known. Focused on her schoolwork and trying to decide what she wants in her life, she's motivated and determined, constantly taking new jobs to try and show her family she's capable of doing things on her own.
But regardless of her jobs and family obligations at her parents' harbor-side fish shop, she finds herself keeping after her best friend Takeru just as much. Unmotivated and closed off, the opposite of her eager social butterfly status, she's frequently chacking on him and trying to nudge him into actually attending school with her... Which he usually doesn't, much to her dismay. Rather, he doesn't do much aside from nap at the pier, and yet Kiku's quickly finding she likes that bit of peace he and their chats over the sunset bring her...
She's not sure where her path is going to lead her, but one thing's for certain: It's going to be on her time, in her way.
Covers Vrains pre-canon and Season 1.
Blooming In Sunlight
Alone in Hibana with Takeru away in the city, Kiku is slowly coming to realize the countryside may be her home, but it's far from perfect. Her attempts to please everyone as well as herself are slowly beginning to backfire, while her parents' control is steadily growing tighter, starting to choke off any semblance of freedom Kiku thought her future would have... And she can't stand it.
Chats with her friends in the city have given her enough strength to put her plan into motion, and she begins by starting a fund for her own apartment. A delivery job even grants her a glimpse into how the local clinic works and runs, and ever so slowly, she starts to wonder about where her path is leading her. Hibana may not be as perfect as she once thought, but maybe, just maybe, it holds her path anyway...
Quietly looking into her options, Kiku begins taking steps towards her own change - And her own freedom, no matter what it takes to achieve!
Covers Vrains season 2 and 3.
Shining Flowerfalls
Regardless of Takeru's move to the city being to settle his own demons and reclaim his future, the strength and fire that drove him sparked one in Kiku, as well. Reunited with her friends, Kiku is walking her own path, with her own choices, and leading her own life, stading up to her parents and putting her foot down on the matter. Unwilling to spend her life selling fish, she's well on her way to saving for her own apartment... And with her friends back in town, she has the support needed to finally, fully, break free and look for a college to start heading towards a carrer as a nurse.
Content on her new road, Kiku allows Takeru to convince her to join him in Link VRAINS. Unlike her companions, she doesn't see the point in hiding who she is and happily forgoes any kind of fancy avatar or name, simply logging in as herself and quickly coming to find the very Soulburner she's been low-key following is the very boy she's called her best friend most of her life - And now, her fiance, someone she couldn't be prouder of!
With a deck gifted to her by friends in hand and those same friends standing by her side, Kiku walks her own path with her head held high. There's nothing in either world she'll allow to pull her down - This is her road and her life, and nobody's going to take that from her!
Covers Vrains post-canon through to high school graduation.about age 18.
Bright Bloom
Default Main Single-Muse Verse. Though forcing herself out of her parents' tight control strained her relationship with them, it allowed Kiku to finally set out on the road for real, graduating high school and moving into an apartment of her own with Takeru - A boy who had started as her childhood friend, and by the time she settled into college courses for nursing, become her husband. The wedding opens the doors to mending ties with her family, but Kiku isn't so quick to forgive, especially with exams and various prt time jobs crowding her plate!
Link VRAINS quickly becomes a place for her to cool down and relax with both Takeru and Mako, though she still doesn't duel much. To her, the virtual world has become a safe haven and a place to smile when the real world prevents them from spending as much tme together as they want, and for that alone, she'll treasure the world, and the freedom it brings, forever.
But when months of trying to start a family finally sees her pregnant at 25, Kiku's forced to slow down and re-evaluate her life as she starts a new job in a Hibana clinic. Still, as cautious as she knows to be, she's excited - Just what is this future going to bring~?
Covers post-canon, from about age 18 onwards, with the birth of her daughter at 25.
--
--
Name: Makoto Takuma (Homura)
Age: 16/26
Nationality: Japanese
Height: 162cm (5'3")
Hometown: Hibana, a rural fishing community in the country
Currently: A student living with her fiance in her hometown/A first-grade teacher living with her husband, best friend, son, and 'daughter' in Den City
[ + ]
Loyal, Friendly, Determined
Dependable, Humble, Generous
[ - ]
Stubborn, Headstrong, Insecure
Self-Critical, Anxious, Over-Thinking
▮Very much an older sister figure, Mako is warm and friendly, loving to see those around her smile. To that extent, she'll go out of her way for others to be sure of just that, even coupling it with an intense dislike of bullies and fighting on behalf of a stranger if she sees them cornered. Loyal to a fault, she can easily be found by the side of those she loves, giving them all the support in the world and lending them a hand – Though no matter how curious she may be into something pertaining to them, she refuses to pry, and would rather let them come to her if she's meant to know.
For most of her life, Mako's allowed herself to live in fear. Suffering from autophobia and social anxiety and living largely on her own for most of her life, the fear of pushing away the few friends she managed to make was a controlling factor in how she viewed both herself and the world around her. She'd keep her nose in a book, trip over her words, rarely ever argue, and made herself as small and unimportant as possible, as much as possible. Though she wouldn't hesitate to laugh and support her friends, she was also prone to second-guessing herself and her choices, backing out of things in worry she'd bother someone.
After having how her fears control her forcibly pointed out to her by her best friend, she makes the decision to face them and fight through to her own brighter future, refusing to allow them to continue holding her back. Now determined to walk her own path in her own way, she's become more bold, shying back from things less and less. And while it still takes a fair bit to trip her temper, she isn't above fighting for both her place and in defense of her loved ones, giving her all to protect them without a second thought.
With her choice to change her entire life and start anew, she's come to find herself far more in tune with and listening to her instincts. Though she can't explain the odd feelings, they help to guide her, bolstering her faith in her choices when her anxieties re-emerge and try to drag her down. Despite needing occasional reassurance that she's doing well from those close to her, Mako's now very much a friendly and helpful girl more likely to extend a hand in friendship and helpfulness than she is to bite or shy away... Provided those she's reaching out to don't mind having a literal sunbeam for a friend!
▮ Standing at 5'3”, Mako has a fairly light, feminine build. She has a light layer of muscle built up from her active lifestyle, and her skin is of a slightly tanned tone. Usually hidden from view by clothing on the back of her right shoulder is a diagonal scar about two inches in length, and somewhat paler in color.
Her hair is golden brown in color, and often worn loose, falling about to her waist. Two shorter sections frame the sides of her face, the ends of which lay against the top of the front of her shoulders, while the rest of her bands part in the center, swept to either side and tucked or, on a bad hair day, pinned out of the way. If she ties her hair back, it's most commonly into a braid or a ponytail. Her eyes are a bright, vibrant shade of violet.
Mako usually defaults to a wardrobe of comfortable and practical, tending to fall back on things like jeans and sweatshirts. She tends to avoid anything too snugly-fitting or revealing if she can help it, staying with things that grant a slightly looser fit and free movement. Her usual turn-to outfit is a pair of blue jeans, dark colored t-shirt, and a dark purple zippered hoodie over it, though she's also not above lounging in a pair of sweatpants, as well.
While she doesn't often do jewelry due to frequently forgetting about it, she has a small selection she never takes off: A set of three necklaces layered to hang one just bellow the other of a silver seashell studded in orange and red gems at top, half of a yin-yang pedant in dark blue opal with a bright red opal spot, and a small silver angel wing bearing a garnet, pink saphire, and blue tourmaline at the end of the wing's rib. She often wears a golden egyptian cat on a crescent moon pendant as a bracelet, and gold and garnet engagement and matching wedding rings given to her by her husband.
She also wears a black carbonite and blue opal ring on her opposite hand from her wedding and engagement rings, a match for Kiku's pink opal and Takeru's fire opal, as well as a pink braided bracelet bearing a small charm of a pink and blue butterfly - A reference to Kiku.
She can often be found with a duel disk on her left arm, as well.
▮ Mako loves cooking, and taught herself to do so at a rather young age. Instead of living off frozen TV dinners, she chose to get books and look up videos on how to cook things herself, taking the time over the course of years to hone her skills enough to be a rather good cook. On top of keeping her and her friends fed, it's a great way to clear her mind, and an activity she'll turn to when troubled for a bit of relaxation.
She also enjoys reading and can frequently be found with either a book in her possession, or with her nose in one, especially when she's alone. If her nose isn't in a book, it's likely in a video game – Two things she can easily get lost in and let the rest of the world melt away. Unfortunately, this also has the downside of her getting too lost in them and missing signs of danger, like being too focused on a book while walking and wandering past a 'do not cross' sign, or missing her bus stop due to playing a game.
While she tries to keep her backlog small, her games collection contains a wide array of games, ranging from long, story-driven plots to shorter, 'fluffier' games, like Cooking Mama and Minecraft. One of her more notable games is Beat Saber; originally bought solely to be a counter to her autophobia alongside DDR, Mako's managed to gain a fair amount of skill at it, and easily gets lost in the songs she plays. She stil fully believes she isn't good enough to participate in local tournaments, but she can still easily hold her own without problem – And be caught humming her chosen song for hours after!
As much as she hides her softer games, Mako loves sharing her collection with her friends, and further teaching them how to play, if they're interested in them. If they break her controllers, though, she's gonna make them pay for them-
Mako collects small crystal figurines and adds to her display of them once or twice every few months, though she's often moving them around her room to make room for her cat, Floof – A rescue she adopted off the street. Sweet and playful, she's always making sure Floof is happy and comfortable, spending lazy evenings alone playing with him the moment he so much as purrs at her. Unfortunately, moving back to her hometown has meant Floof's 'adoption' by one of her closest friends, Kiku, though she's still often able to keep him for the weekends.
While living in Den City, Mako holds a job at Cafe Nagi, working the truck's grill under Kusanagi's watchful eye. On moving back home to Hibana, she finds work in a local daycare, tending to snacktime and kids needing to be watched in the afternoons, until their parents return home from work.
As an adult, Mako is a first grade teacher at Den City's Elementary School.
▮ Life has rarely been 'normal' for Makoto. As the daughter of a pair of archaeologists, she remembers nothing of the town she was born in, only the various temporary apartments and motorhomes that come with traveling with her parents. Every new dig and assignment came with a new place to stay and something new to learn from all over the world, making each move an adventure.
Yet life was far from glamorous. Despite the ability to learn things most would never get the chance to, her young age, coupled with her parents' busy schedule and digs frequently deemed too unsafe for her to visit, meant staying home alone quickly became the norm. Being homeschooled did little to help with that, and though she was often able to explore the various towns and cities their family stopped near, loneliness often settled in and stuck to the point even calling her cousin, Rin, and visits from her parents' colleagues and friends did little to help ease it.
Though she could usually find things to keep herself occupied, be it by learning to cook and duel or going into town, nothing could ever quite get rid of the weight of knowing she spent the majority of her days alone. The silence of her temporary homes soon became a hated sound she'd do anything to avoid, and Mako quickly learned how to counter it through noise, always on the lookout for something, anything, to take away the knowledge she was, essentially, raising herself among a world of silence.
Finally hitting the point she couldn't stand it anymore at the age of 14, Mako raised the problem to her parents on a rare day off. To her surprise, they agreed the lifestyle she'd been leading was unfair, and despite having brought her along with them in hopes of learning and growing together as a family, things had long since changed. Her schooling had begun to suffer without the time to dedicate to it, and with work growing increasingly more demanding of her parents' time, they had little of it to spend together.
With that, the choice was made: Mako would return to the small town she was born in in Japan on her own, putting her closer to Rin and giving her a single, solid place to call home. Even if she'd still be alone, she'd be able to attend school and live a life like normal kids, albeit with her parents sending money and supplies, and visiting when able. It wasn't exactly ideal, but still far better than the lifestyle she'd been leading.
For two years, returning to Japan was the change she'd been looking for, allowing her to make friends and find the inspiration she needed to finally start moving in her life. Along with that inspiration and believing one of her friends to have the right idea, at 16 Mako further moved to Den City, choosing to no longer sit and coast through life, but find her own path and direction. Doing so further brought a job and more friends, but also deepened her bond with one in particular... A friend who would soon after call her attention to the fears she allowed to control her, giving her the courage to break free of them and change her world completely.
With her new outlook on life, Mako's focus shifts - While she still intends on following on her path, working towards her own future and what she wants in her way, she also turns to aiding her friends as much as possible. Despite not knowing much in the least and keeping herself in a sideline role, she decides to become a shield for them and help protect them in their fight, providing whatever aid she can. After all they'd done for her, protecting them is the least she can do - Even if it means putting herself in danger to see to it they stay safe.
Three months after their fight's end, Mako moves back to her hometown of Hibana, settling herself into a far quieter lifestyle. Taking a job at a local daycare is just the first step towards her new dream of becoming a teacher, and with it, a choice to start looking into college that'll allow her to someday attain that dream. At this point, it's just a matter of holding her head high and keeping her eyes firmly set on the future-
And come ten years later, she's attained that goal, as well and doing a great deal of growing in the process. Now married to her best friend and the mother of a hyper five year old, she's finding new strengths in the every day, holding her head higher and higher with each that passes. Content and happy in her life, Mako continues to aim for that bright future... And now, she no longer has to fear being alone, for she's found her home.
▮ Mako suffers from both social anxiety and autophobia. The former causes her to frequently overthink things and try her hardest to avoid bothering others, while the later is a fear of being completely, totally alone and oftentimes triggered by absolute silence, resulting, at worst, in an emotional and mental breakdown and driving her to seek out comfort in the form of her family and/or best friends. While she is actively working on both of these, fighting off her fears and working to be braver, and has multiple ways to combat them, she still from time to time has obvious slips back into them.
▮ Confirmation of her pregnancy at age 20 leads to Mako beginning therapy, as well as recieving an official diagnosis for her anxiety and autophobia, granting her an even stronger ability to work harder still on both.
▮ She absolutely loves decorating for every major holiday, and usually tends to go overboard. Ever seen an apartment lit up brighter than the christmas tree in it? Just look at hers!
▮ While she has no formal training, Mako's able to hold her own decently well in a street fight. While she's able to stand against two, possibly three opponents before getting overwhelmed and likely won't actually win, it's not stopping her from trying to help someone stand up against a bully, or even from sassing bullies into starting something.
▮ She enjoys sports from time to time and tries to stay active if she can, occasionally joining in on a game of soccer or volleyball if she's not at the arcade or busy with other things. Unfortunately, her stamina isn't the greatest, granting her only an hour or two of play before she needs a break.
▮ On quiet days with little to do and nobody to spend them with, it's easiest to find Mako in the local arcade for hours on end. It doesn't matter the game or how many players, she'll happily bounce between each one the arcade has to offer over the span of an entire afternoon, trying to beat her own personal high scores.
▮ If she's not off playing games, the second easiest place to find her is roaming around the bookstore, with the park and beach a close third.
▮ Though Beat Saber is a rhythm game initially picked up as a counter to her panic attacks on her cousin's suggestion, Mako's gained a fair bit of skill with it, and often plays both online and off. She doesn't think her skills are all that good and avoids local tournaments, but the game is steadily becoming something she enjoys more and more, and slowly learning she can talk about as such.
▮ Due to traveling the world with her parents from a young age, Mako's dabbled in multiple languages. She's only fluent in Japanese and English, though she knows key phrases in multiple others - the majority of which boil down to 'can you help me find my parents' and 'where's the bathroom?'.
▮ Mako enjoys building various decks for fun, largely because she's found a series or archetype she likes and wants to test out. While she's dedicated to her current deck and won't ever set it aside for anything else, she still loves to learn about other playstyles and even builds decks for friends and family, including one for her cousin and, with Takeru's help, one for Kiku.
▮ Her initial duel disk is a slightly older, rounder model, created some time before the sleekness of current models, but well after the removal of needing phsyical cards to use. However, its age resulted in a glitchy mess of an AI Mako simply put up with until her 21st birthday, when a close friend gifted her a new duel disk of his own making. White in color with golden lights to detail it, it's nearly her entire forearm in length and has the ability to either use phsyical cards on a regular card field, or remain completely digital - And she'll never say she doesn't treasure it.
▮ Out of a desire to keep her Link VRAINS account a secret, Mako runs a second, completely separate deck for duels offline: that of a Thunder Dragon build.
▮ After alligning herself with the recently reborn ignis at 16, Mako slowly begins to distance herself from her Thunder Dragon build, and ultimately retires them at 20. Instead, she replaces it with an alternate deck to run alongside her Stall Burn: That of the beatdown style Datascapes, building off three present in her Fireshield build for the previous 4 years. It's a deck she doesn't turn to anywhere near as often as her main, but exists as a counterpart - Fireshield to defend, Datascape to attack, both to protect.
▮ Prior to her current deck, Mako ran a Lightsworn build focusing on a more beatdown style of play. This build featured cards she'd been collecting since her childhood, along with her first ace and a card that still remains incredibly close to her heart: Soul of Purity and Light.
▮ Alanna's speed duel skill within Link VRAINS, Light Shield, halves the damage she takes from a single attack. While her skill is active, she gains a faintly visible pair of fluffy white wings trimmed in gold, and sees them vanish in a flurry of feathers once her skill is used up.
▮ Mako has displayed an ability to see duel spirits while logged into Link VRAINS, though it's limited to cyberse monsters, and only those of either her own deck, or the decks of her closest companions. Despite this ability allowing her to form close bonds and hold conversations with the spirits in question, she's quickly learned to keep it a secret and won't speak of it - or to them - unless she's completely positive she can trust those she's around, especially considering she has no idea how to explain it, or what caused it.
▮ Mako's FC is Aika Fuwa, while Alanna's is Asuna Yuuki.
▮ Mako has a voice claim of Sailor Saturn (reference clip).
▮ In hopes of not attracting attention to him, Mako has a third, temporary version of her avatar she uses to follow around her son, Hiko, down the line. Dubbed Solar, this version is fully intended to keep her family out of the public's eye and especially off Hiko as a five year old boy with no clue who his parents' online personalities are. Regardless of the need for secrets having long since past, she wants to keep him safe and keep his bedtime stories something mystical.
Account Name: Alanna
Deck Type: Fireshield, Datascape
Ace Monster: Rasterliger; Apollousa, Bow of the Goddess; Datascape Fox - Xianxian; Datascape Phoenix - Fengfeng; Salamangreat Almiraj
Play Style: Stall Burn; Beatdown
Skill: Light Shield
▮ Mako's discovery of Link VRAINS came not long after she moved to Den City, and with it, the creation of her own player account, Alanna. Originally intended as an escape, Alanna granted Mako the ability to be everything she couldn't offline. Bold, outspoken, and impulsive, Alanna was a sense of freedom, a chance to express herself without fear of anyone she knew being offended or bothered, or questioning the 'wallflower' she tended to be otherwise.
For some time, Alanna stayed as such, finding friends in the VR world and beginning to take steps to conquer her fears with their urging, albeit mainly her fear of flying... And usually with poor results. Being unable to 'conquer' even her D-Board usually resulted in a huffy refusal to ever try again and amused companions, though she'd try again later in private - a routine that would continue until Mako's choice to change her life around.
With offline change came online, and Alanna's impulsive nature slowly began to even out, albeit just slightly. More determined and brighter, her focus has shifted more towards getting stronger on her own and proving to herself she's able to stand on her own two feet under her own strength, rather than relying on anyone else. Though she lends her help to Soulburner and Team Playmaker as a whole, making herself available to help should they - or anyone, honestly - need it, Alanna's focus is largely on herself and making herself better, dedicating her strength to those she cares for as their shield and guardian, as well.
No longer willing to let life pass her by, she takes the initative to learn more about Link VRAINS and explore more, working on her skills as a duelist a little more each time she logs on by seeking out opponents, be they actual duelists or AI. This even extends to her D-Board; though she's still not exactly good at riding it, Alanna eventually learns how to keep herself steady and balanced enough to stay upright on it... Though getting off is both a completely different story and a show to watch!
...Until someone laughs. Then she's flinging her board at people.
Name: Kiku Kamishirakawa (Homura)
Age: 16/26
Nationality: Japanese
Height: 165cm (5'4")
Hometown: Hibana, a rural fishing community in the country
Currently: A student living with her fiance in her hometown/A clinic nurse living with her husband, best friend, daughter, and 'son' in Den City
[ + ]
Hard Working, Capable, Friendly
Brave, Gentle, Supportive
[ - ]
Stubborn, Bossy, Busy
Restless, Fretting, Perfectionist
▮ Hard-working and determined, Kiku is a girl who doesn't often stand by and take things lying down. Constantly keeping herself busy, she's often working multiple part-time jobs on top of working with her parents, believing if she wants something, then she needs to earn the money for it through her own hard work. Determined to be independant and stand on her own two feet and lead her own life, she keeps herself focused on what she needs to do and her deadlines, be it for her jobs or her hobbies, and rarely lets herself miss them.
However, Kiku is also warm and supportive, and loves spending time with her friends even more. Though her spare time is usually limited, she'll spend every second of it with her friends if possible, be it in lazy conversation over a hot drink or bouncing about her hometown's shopping centers looking for a bargain. Her friends mean the world to her, and if she can see them smile over something she's said or done, why wouldn't she? After all, smiles mean they're happy - And she couldn't ask for anything more for them!
Unfortunately, though, she can also be a fair bit stubborn, and frequently butts heads with her two closest friends. As much as she wants the best for them and will support them until the end of time, there's no changing her mind once it's made up, and she'll stand her ground on her decisions. She wants what's best for those around her, and if it means stopping to argue with a stubborn boy he needs to go to school when he refuses, then she'll do it without hesitation. Likewise, Kiku can and will fret rather easily, making herself more than obvious about it despite actively denying she does in the first place.
She's further capable of holding a grudge, though it's rarely seen. It's safe to say if Kiku holds a grudge against someone, they've more than earned it, as she's far more likely to forgive and forget otherwise.
Still, Kiku has a generally soft air about her, a desire to please everyone in her life, and a softer touch, both for friend and stranger alike. As a social butterfly, she's known around town and enjoys that fact, though also refuses to let others walk over her. A butterfly at heart, she's one with wings of steel - And she's not afraid to let that be known.
▮ At 5'4", Kiku is a petite girl with a rather thin build to match. Due to her active and oftentimes busy lifestyle, she bears the barest hint of a layer of muscle, with skin just barely on the tanned side.
Her hair is a raven black with a dark blue highlight, and while it falls to about mid-back when loose, keeping a bit of a wave to it, she perfers to keep it braided and pulled over her left shoulder. The loose end of her braid usually flare out into four very distinct points and lays against the front of her shoulder, while a small curl pokes free from the right side of her neck, up against the base of her head. Her bangs hold a bit of an M-shape, and fall over her right eyebrow and a slight bit of her left. Her eyes are a soft shade of honey brown.
Kiku is most commonly seen in her school uniform, though she's also partial to a modest wardrobe. Unwilling to wear anything tight-fighting or too short, she rather enjoys knee-length and longer dresses and skirts, and occasionally decently-fitting jeans and sweaters. Her favorite and most common go-to outfit is a sleeveless, knee-length pale yellow dress topped with a brighter yellow cardigan, though she's also partial to a pair of lounge pants and matching t-shirt when she's home and has no intention of leaving her room for the day.
Despite jewelry rarely being in the forefront of Kiku's mind when she'd getting ready in the mornings, she has a vibrant amethyst and diamonique butterfly ring she rarely takes off of her left index finger, as well as a gold and garnet engagement and wedding ring set that never leaves her left ring finger, given to her by her husband. On her right ring finger she further wears a black carbonite and pink opal ring, a match for Mako's blue opal and Takeru's fire opal.
Occasionally, she wears a pair of white flowered hairclips normally saved for special occasions, and a pale yellow teardrop-shapred pendant necklace that glows in the dark. She generally wears a lilac woven bracelet, as well, bearing a charm of a tan ferret face, a sign of her connection to Mako.
She can also sometimes be found with a duel disk on her left arm, as well.
▮ Unlike most people she knows, Kiku's rather fond of keeping herself busy. Be it with work of hobbies, she's always off doing something - Though one of her biggest hobbies and loves is gardening, and she can be found far too easily most of the year tending to a small garden beside her house. Half of her garden is dedicated to growing fruits and vegetables, changing with the seasons, while the other holds flowers of the brightest, boldest colors she can find. While she's very much in love with her namesake - Chrysanthemums - even she knows they won't grow year-round, and spends time at the start of every season picking out new blooms to add in place of the old, though with space for the old to grow back in the next year.
It's also easy for her to get lost in the world of celebrities, often caught skimming through and buying magazines simply to read about their lives. While she recognizes there's a limit and won't go any further than swooning over them like a typical teenage girl, it's yet to stop her from hanging posters on her wall or reading just about anything she can get her hands on when it comes to her favorites!
Her interest also falls in the medical field, to the point she'll notice herself watching doctors and nurses whenever she's at the local clinic to study how they do things. Despite the fact she's not actively studying the medical field, she's learned enough between clinic trips and tending to her best friend to be able to take care of mild injuries without much trouble, and how to care for others when they're sick. It's steadily becoming more and more interesting to her, though, and she can't help but linger on medical programs on TV...
Kiku won't actively admit to it, but she's also becoming a small bit of a gamer herself, preferring to keep to casual games, and only usually with friends. Her favorite at the moment is Minecraft, albeit commonly with a multiplayer file she'll otherwise check in on at least once a week alone for a couple hours to play around with.
While she's not as into dueling as others she knows, she occasionally peeks into the goings-on of Link VRAINS, developing a very minor interest in its celebrities - Especially Soulburner. However, his true identity is something she only discovers after creating her own player account and logging in alongside her friends, and only makes her all the more willing to explore this new world alongside them. Having a deck in hnd they built for her, with her in mind, totally helps, too!
Kiku's held multiple jobs in her life, though her most common one is working in her family's fish shop by the harbor, doing anything from stocking shelves to manning the register. While she's there more often than not, usually requiring someone to walk her home after dark and spend time with her on slow, boring days, she's also held - and frequently goes out and gets - a wide array of other part time jobs, ranging from working in the local bakeries to stocking shelves at a market. If it's part time work, she can do it, and she needs to earn the money for something, she'll take it!
As an adult, however, Kiku holds a job in a local clinic as a nurse, loving every second of her job and the ability to help others.
▮ The daughter of a fisherman, life in Hibana is all Kiku's ever known. Peaceful and quiet, she began learning how her parents' shop, where they sold the fish her father caught, ran at a very early age - Though being a child meant 'learning' was more 'running and playing', even if it quickly taught her the store's layout and when and where people would be, so as to not get in their way. Coupled with visits from an out of town friend, she wasn't sure she'd ever want her life to change.
Unfortunately, whether or not it did was a choice completely out of her hands. While the age of six brought her friend to town to live with his grandparents, it also marked the year her family turned 'helping out at the store' into actually learning how to run various parts of it, much to her slowly forming frustration. Games of hide and seek among containers of ice and crabs fell by the wayside in favor of stocking shelves and keeping an eye on the back room's stock, her parents determined to start setting her on the path to a brighter and better future - Their future.
Even escape to her best friend was quickly becoming no longer an option; despite his move to town, Kiku steadily came to realize the boy she'd once known had fled, replaced with one determined to distance himself from everyone. Though initially hurt by his desire to pull away, she eventually accepted the turn their lives had taken, and settled into the place he offered beside him. She'd never ask what had happened to cause his sudden personality shift and he'd not explain, but she'd made up her mind: She'd not let him go through it alone. Not as long as she could help it.
As the years passed, Kiku's priorities began to shift away from the games of her youth, though not entirely by her own hand. While school became more of a focus, she lacked any real idea of what to do with her life, choosing instead to keep after her best friend and keep herself busy with varying part time jobs. Always antsy with nothing to do, she was constantly looking for a new hobby or an activity to keep her moving about, and turned to earning her own money for the things she wanted, gaining a sense of independance... And when she did finally choose to wind down and relax, it was oftentimes beside Takeru, watching the sunset from the pier.
Yet no matter what she did, he choices were wrong, according to her parents. Unwilling to see her side of thngs or even listen to her, it was decided her friends and the world she walked through every day - especially Takeru - were going to lead her into a life of delinquency, and for that alone her life's path had been chosen for her, by them. Ignoring just how much of a hard worker she was on top of everything she tried to say, the choice was made: She would graduate high school and get a full time job at the shop with the family, and that was it.
Frustrated with having her hobies deemed trivial and being the only one with any faith in the boy who'd become her best friend after their hatred of him became known, she slowly began to buck her parents' choices for her, no matter how small her fighting was. Trying to convince them and make them see her side of things rarely went according to plan, and Kiku began to focus on her own independance even more, buying even the smallest item with her own, hard-earned money. If they wouldn't listen to her, she'd just have to show them... Unfortunaely, though, to no avail.
At 16, her world found itself abruptly turned upside down with Takeru's choice to move to the city. While she wouldn't question him and even encouraged his choice, being alone afterwards hit her like a ton of bricks - Doubly so when their mutual friend of two years left, as well. With no support to back her up, Kiku slipped ino a funk for a few weeks, following her parents' desires to the letter.
It took a phone call from both friends to snap her free of her sullen mood and re-examine her life - And, more than displeased with how it'd been going, to finally stand up to her parents and fight for her freedom from underneath their thumb. Though the fight largely backfired, it would only be the first of many, Kiku refusing to let anyone run her life but herself, her foot firmly put down over the matter.
While her parents still actively fought her on it, seeing her 'rebellion' as something caused by those she spent time with and the local gangs, she's countered by beginning to save a chunk of her pay towards getting her own place and working twice as hard to show her family she can lead her own life. It takes several months to even begin convincing her mother, but by the time her friends reutrn from the city, she's well on her way with the elder woman's (not very freely given) respect earned.
Three months after Takeru and Mako's return, Kiku looks into colleges for becoming a nurse, deciding her medical skills are something she'd like to make a carrer out of. She's still yet to earn her parent's blessing, or her father's respect on the matter, yet she doesn't care - She's found her path, and there's nothing that's going to knock her off it, not even her parents trying their hardest to fight her at every turn.
And come ten years later, she's succeeded in making that goal a reality. Married to her best friend and the mother of an infant daughter, Kiku's achieved her dream of becoming a nurse, finding work in Hibana's local clinic and breaking free to live her life, her way, on her time. She's even finally earned her parents' blessing after all but storming her way almost completely from their life, and recently begun taking steps on the path to working things out with them, one small step at a time.
Blessed with constant smiles and a strength found in both herself and her family and loved ones, Kiku continues walking her path towards a bright and happy future - Especially now that she's learned to hold her head high, and found the best home to come back to.
▮ While Kiku doesn't duel much, she runs an Aroma deck built for her by her best friends, with her love of gardening in mind. She's not quite sure just yet how to really play the game, and definitely not like them, but that's not stopped her from counting her deck as a prized possession, making her smile every time she looks at it.
▮ Still, Kiku's discovered herself a favorite card: Aromage Rosemary and her synchro version, Aromaseraphy Rosemary.
▮ Just like her namesake, Kiku's favorite flower is a chrysanthemum! Whenever they're in season, she's either growing them in her garden or keeps a vase of them on the windowsill of her bedroom, where she can look at the every day - And if she can't get chrysanthemums, then she'll fill her vase with a mix of the most vibrant purple and blue flowers she can find. Anything to give her room an extra pop of color and reasons to smile.
▮ While she loves the pier, especially at sunset, she's very much fond of the beach as a whole, and loves to wander along the shoreline both early in the morning, and just after dusk. There's a sense of peace that comes with those two times, a feeling of being in a completely other world, that she just can't really get enough of...
▮ Kiku hates fighting. It doesn't matter if she's been brought up around it and the local gangs of her hometown, she hates the senselessness of it, and the fact that one tiny slip, or one hit to the wrong area, could rob the world of a life... And that's never more obvious wth her than when a loved one fights. Just because she understands doesn't mean she has to like it.
▮ She can speak fluent Japanese, and nearly fluent English - She just has to sometimes stop and remind herself of words before she replies to someone in the later!
▮ Though she doesn't realize she wants to be a nurse until later on, Kiku keeps a moderately-sized first aid kit on her at all times. She never knows when someone's going to need a little patching up, and it makes her feel better having it on her on the off chance she gets hurt, too.
▮ Kiku regularly gets some of the highest scores in her class, with her favorite (and best) subjects being math and history.
▮ She loves shopping, and keeps a note in her phone's callendar of what stores have sales when. Being a social butterfly usually helps her find the best deals, but keeping her away from them is about as easy as keeping a fish from water!
▮ Kiku won't admit it, nor will she ever let herself be found doing it, but occasionally on rainy evenings, she'll put on a show in her bedroom. Dressed up in her bathrobe and PJ's, she'll turn on music videos and put on a 'fashion show' before breaking into song into her hairbrush - A moment of silliness she'd probably crawl into a hole for a year over if anyone found out!
▮ Whenever she's nervous, fretting, or fussy, she tends to pace and fiddle with anything she can get her fingers on, usually the hem of her shirt. Despite the fact he'll actively deny she frets even when she's in the middle of it, it's usually easy to tell - But calling her on it is also usually a bad idea, too. Not unless you want a huffy butterfly on your hands.
Takeru Homura
Mako's fiance and best friend, though they've not always been as close as they are now. For several years after meeting, the two could barely stand each other - between Takeru's closed-off nature and dislike of everyone not Kiku, and Mako's own hiding within her own fears, getting them to actually talk, originally, was like pulling teeth. Thankfully, with Kiku's help, that was a path they'd slowly get off and beging wandering down first the road of friendship after meeting again in the city, then into a relationship on their own, tightening their bond by the day.
Mako knows incredibly little about the reason behind why Takeru moved to the city, despite lending him her help in his fight and even partnering with him, and doesn't question it even after moving back to their hometown and in with him and his grandparents. As far as she's concerned, if she's meant to know she'll know - Though it hasn't stopped her from picking up on hints of something lying under the surface as they headed into their engagement, preferring to keep those observations mostly to herself and focus on the brighter future laid out ahead of them.
A future that leads to their marriage at the age of 19, and later at 21, the birth of their son, Hiko, seeing them move back to the city for their family's future. Though their road began with bumps and rocks galore, it's led them into a tight and unbreakable bond Mako's sure she couldn't ever do without. Takeru is someone she trusts with her life, and looks forward to facing the rest of both the highs and lows of their road with, for the rest of their days.
Rin Namira
Sweet, kind, and bubbly, Rin is Mako's cousin, and one of just two reasons she moved to Japan in the first place. Always close, the two have spent most of Mako's life stuck to phone calls and emails between Rin's busy schedule with the occasional visit home, and finally moving back has allowed them to be closer and do far more together.
This has never been more true with Mako's further move to Den City, plopping her right in Rin's back yard and giving the girls an excuse to do anything and everything together. Able to further deepen their bond, Mako wastes no time in tugging Rin around and involving her in much of her life, wanting to keep her family up to date and as close as possible, much to RIn's probable amusement. Even if she can't tell her everything, exactly, Rin is involved in just about as much.
Even Mako's move back to Hibana hasn't done much to dampen their relationship, with her taking frequent trips back to the city for a 'cousin's day out' or simply to be there in support of Rin. She hopes she can get Rin to come visit her hometown, someday... There's so much more she still wants to share, and she wants her favorite cousin to be as involved - and as loved - as possible.
Flame
Meeting Flame was a bit of a surprise, as it came long before Mako had any clue of Soulburner's true identity. Despite his spooking her as an eye in a duel disk during a regular conversation, an actual, real meeting came shortly after discovering who her friend was (and vice versa), as well as real friendship. Flame quickly proved hard to not befriend, and became a part of the small family Mako'd made for herself in Den City even faster with his wisdom and kindness, helping to guide her as well - Albeit to a lesser degree than his origin.
Flame's passing is something that absolutely crushed Mako, and for a long time, she refused to deal with his loss, instead dedicating herself to helping Takeru through it. It takes Takeru gifting her Salamangreat Almiraj and reminding her of how Flame would want her to stay safe for her to finally break and face the truth... And the heartache.
Mako honors Flame's memory by trying to apply his guidance and advice to her life and hold her head high, as well as support Takeru in his stead to the best of her ability. To her, the Salamangreats are a piece of Flame's spirit, watching over them... And Almiraj will always be her connection to an ignis she'll forever miss, and forever love.
Shoichi Kusanagi
Though Kusanagi is one of Mako's first friends in Den City and her boss, he's also someone Mako quickly learns she can turn to whenever she's in need. Kind and supportive, he offers her work not long after their meeting, giving her somewhere other than her apartment and school to spend her time. Doing so has further allowed her a reason to get out and see the city rather than stay cooped up at home, and for the two to deepen their bond on a near-daily basis.
Kusanagi's warmth and having a younger brother of his own quickly allows him to take on an older brother role to Mako as well, one she accepts wholeheartedly. Whether it be at work, inside Link VRAINS later on, or on their own, he's never failed to be there when she needs him, and vice versa. His various nicknames for her, with the most common soon becoming 'Maki-Roll', are a source of smiles, and she finds herself wandering to Cafe Nagi even on her days off, solely to spend time with him.
Even though distance with her move home has put a damper on their ability to see each other in person, it hasn't done much to halt their relationship, with Mako calling occasionally just to say hello. To her, though it may not be by blood, the man is very much her older brother, and she'll have it no other way.
Kiku Kamishirakawa
Kiku is the first friend Mako made on moving to Hibana, and with her warm smile and sunny personality, even faster her first best friend, as well. Frequently together, Kiku wastes no time in showing her everything there is to see across their hometown, and how to survive it on an every day basis, using their time 'touring' as a chance to deepen their friendship to a level even greater than that of family.
Though she was left behind in Hibana on Mako's move to Den City, their friendship continues to grow by the day. She never has to be there in person to play middle man between Mako and Takeru, nor to make her friends smile and brighten their day, even with how little knowledge she has of just what's going on in the city itself. Keeping her in the dark to what's really going on is key, for her safety, but Mako sees no reason to do so with the rest of her life, and includes Kiku in everything, otherwise.
In fact, Mako's return to their hometown is partially on Kiku's request, and between it and the braided girl adopting her cat, Floof, as to avoid more trouble for the Homuras, their friendship has resumed its normalcy and allowed them to spend much of their free time together. Closer than sisters, Kiku is a part of her life Mako refuses to give up, and someone she plans on standing beside for the rest of their days.
In their Fireflower verse, their road has led them to a future neither ever would've thought they'd have: A family. Their relationships with Takeru have grown into a marriage, and further into a family, and by the age of 26, both girls have found themselves with a bond tighter than that of family and raising two kids together with their husband. Even now, Mako sees Kiku as her ultimate confidant and closest friend, and refuses to ever give her up - Her bond with Kiku is one she'll treasure, forever.
Akahiko Homura
Akahiko, nicknamed Hiko, is Mako's son with Takeru. Born when they're only 21, he steadily grows into a bright, bubbly and happy boy, fueled by the same fire she's determined drives his father. His innocence and sweetness never fails to amaze her... Nor just how much Hiko loves his lions and his dad, to the point he can rarely be found without one or the other, or at least humming the soundtrack to The Lion King!
However, it's also Hiko's bravery and dedication that constantly awes his mother. As a diabetic, his having to deal with a medical routine he honestly hates and choice to take change of his own health at a mere five years old never fails to catch her - The same as his choice to protect them, taking after both of his parents and their dedication to their family without a second thought. For someone so young, there's a great deal of strength in him, and Makonever fails to find herself learning from him.
Regardless of what every day brings, Hiko is a spot of sunshine she loves having around, and that is something she's convinced will never change.
Kasumi Homura
Kasumi, Sumi for short, is Kiku's daughter with Takeru and a young girl Mako sees as her own niece. While still just a baby, Sumi is very much a warm and sweet child who's often reaching for her parents and aunt in hopes of not only gaining attention for herself, but obviously to make them smile, as well. Oftentimes offering her toy bunny to her loved ones, Sumi's made it no secret she likes being around a happy family, even if Mako doubts she understands what she's doing is what's causing it. Still, it hasn't stopped Mako from spending time just carrying Sumi around in her arms to talk to her, something both girls seem to love whenever she's allowed to babysit.
In their Fireflower verse, Mako instead sees Sumi as her adoptive daughter, as she, Kiku, and Takeru are in a relationship together. Regardless, there's little that changes otherwise, though Mako does catch herself spending more time happily sitting with their tiny firefly, if only to make her babble in glee!
Salamangreat Almiraj
Gifted to her by Takeru after Flame's passing, Almiraj is the sole Salamangreat in her deck. Though he's easily the weakest monster in her deck with his 0 attack points, his true strength lies in his small, but fiery, heart, and his desire to protect at all costs, much like the two duelists who've owned his card, and his creator.
But it's not just his fellow monsters he's vowed to protect, either. As the first spirit to make himself known to Mako in full, Almiraj often tries to mimic Flame in his support and mannerisms, frequently draping himself over her shoulder for a free ride and squeaking as a means of communication. Regardless of his inability to actually talk, Mako's noticed he tries to keep both her and Takeru on the right path as best as he can... Even if Takeru lacks the ability to hear him, as well, resulting in a sad rabbit squealing by her ear for pets she rarely ever denies him. For Mako, Almiraj feels like a piece of Flame that's never left her side, though she's never seen fit to say as much to anyone else, either.
Almiraj's fire is one she knows will never burn her, and through it, she's never hestated to call upon the small techno-fire rabbit, be it in a duel or simply to spend time with.
Progleo & Rasterliger
A pair of light-attribute, cyberse link lions, Mako met Progleo and Rasterliger deep in Link VRAINS' main city's alleyways only after hearing Liger 'calling out' to her. While initially wary of them, as their creator was the recently defeated light ignis, Lightning, she couldn't help but take them in after hearing their story and realizing they'd been abandoned by that very same ignis long before.
Even so, it takes some time for Mako to form a bond with the grumpy Liger and hyperactive Progleo, though once they do it's very much an ubreakable one. The second and third spirits to reveal themselves to her after Almiraj, Liger becomes her source in learning of Cyberse world and its fall, though not much more than that. His admittedly overprotective nature, however, comes to be a bit of a problem when he forms an intense dislike for the rest of her friends and a hatred of Salamangreat Heatleo he makes rather well known - Or rather, a more tsundere approach to the fire-attribute lion nobody but the light lions themselves are able to ignore.
Combined with Progleo's innocence and playful nature, clueless to the crimes of his creator, Mako's been able to form a tight bond with both lions she loves more than she can ever say. No matter how protective they are or how much they might bound about and/or grump over things out of their control, she can't help but love them and decide to keep them as part of her family, even passing their cards down to Hiko once he's old enough to care for them as she does.
Yusaku Fujiki
Though Yusaku isn't exactly the easiest person in the world to talk to, it didn't stop Mako from running into him rather often. Originally bumping into one other at Cafe Nagi, where the extent of their conversation remained 'would you like a coffee refill', she slowly began finding him in more and more places - At school, around the city, and even online, though she'd not know him to be the frequently irritated Playmaker until well after discovering Soulburner's identity.
But actually talking wouldn't be something that'd come any too easily, and through that, Mako often avoided doing so until being urged to by Takeru. With them sharing mutual friends in the fiery boy and Kusanagi, Mako made the choice to give interacting with him a bit more effort in hopes of befriending him... Only to be introduced to a Yusaku-branded roadblock nearly every time. Despite this and her anxiety keeping her at an arms' length distance from him for the most part, Mako's yet to stop trying, wanting to remain on his good side, regardless of if friendship is in the cards for them.
Even after returning home, Mako tries to stay in touch with Yusaku, albeit with absolutely no reply despite her occasional messages. Still, she tries once in a while, leaving something in support of him - He might be stubborn and closed off, but she still can't help but admire his drive and dedication, and hopes he's doing well, whereever he's gone off to.
Aoi Zaizen
A friend of Takeru and Yusaku's first and foremost, Aoi has slowly come to be something of one to Mako, as well. While the two girls are far from close and don't even begin speaking on the regular until shortly before Mako and Takru's wedding, they've managed to attain a level of a relationship close enough to friendship both have felt the word fits.
As an employee of SOL's security department, Aoi is one of the two Mako turns to for answers about Link VRAINS, while generally just seekingout the brunette for an afternoon coffee. Conversation is usually awkward, but it's nothing thy can't overcome - Mako's positive in a couple years, they'll be the best of friends!
Er.... Maybe just friends. Hopefully.
Earth
Although Mako wasn't present for the death of the ignis, she'd heard enough from her time around Team Playmaker to know of and be horrified by their fates, with Earth's being one of the worst. So when the small, socially awkward AI made himself known on a floating island some time later... She just hopes he won't hold her shock against her!
Regardless, Earth's kindness and awkwardness has made him relatable and easy to get along with, and Mako's found herself quickly forming a bond with him, even trying to make up for her earlier lack of aid by lending him her hand and deck as a guardian. Knowing he and the others have a second chance at life is more than enough for her to want to work with them and make sure they attain the peaceful life they deserve, and she's resolved to both keep their secret and make sure nothing intterupts that chance.
Mako's currently retained her position as 'guardian' for a good four years by the time she's 20, and it's her connection to Earth that inspires her to build a Datascape deck - All the better to protect him and the others with alongside her initial Stall Burn. No matter what it takes, she'll see to it their life remains peaceful and safe, just like the one she's come to find for herself.
Masquerade
Sarcastic and definitely well on his way to being a theater major once he hits college, Masquerade is a dramatic soul Mako fully regrets meeting. Under the guise of helping someone within Link VRAINS, Mako, as Alanna, is tricked into a warehouse and held captive, only to be forced to duel her way out of the darkness against Masquerade... Though frankly, learning he's only 14 doesn't quite help, either.
Still, dealing with him doesn't stop once she's moved home, either, and while their fighting does eventually even out into bickering, Mako is still convinced he just needs a good slap across the face with a written copy of Hamlet!
Yuya Sakaki
Heartbound. With Yuya's grades slipping due to being away from the dimension as a whole, it was Mako assigned by the school to be his tutor before their next big exams. However, she hadn't expected introducing herself as such to lead them quickly into a friendship, though Yuya's smile and sunny personality made it incredibly difficult to keep her focus on work from even day one!
Bonding over Duel Monsters, the two quickly formed a friendship outside of their required tutoring sessions, and his welcoming her to You Show has allowed her a chance to watch him dueltain, as well - A show she wouldn't ever miss if given the option. Even shopping together and trips around Maiami become a complete blast in no time at all, be they planned or not, and their bond is very much a tight one Mako treasures.
But Yuya is very much a source of confusin after she meets Yugo and Yuto, as well; just how do these boys know each other? Why do they have similar looks to them, and how are they oftentimes showing up in places she was so certain Yuya would be...? How is it his dragon is held by another, too? Just what is the connection in Yuya that ties everything togehter?
...Mako's not entirely sure she wants those answers.
Yugo
Heartbound. Yugo's napping on a public bench was what originally drew Mako to him, though she'd never expected trying to lend her umbrella to a boy about to be rained on would spark the beginnings of a friendship, either. Warm and easily excitable, Yugo reminds her much of a puppy - That is to say, constantly bouncing around and exploring like the world presented to them is something new and always exciting. He's even had no problems referring to his deck, and his favorite dragon in it, like it's his best friend, and Mako absolutely loves the sunshine he brings to her life simply by bouncing into her day.
And yet, Yugo has also never ceased to confuse her, as well. His talk of other dimensions and dueling on motorcycles is something Mako would expect from grand stories and fairy tales, yet he speaks of them like they're real, even insisting on the matter when she tries to counter with the impossibility of it all. As much as she wants to believe it's nothing but stories made up by a boy with too much time on his hands, just as she'd done as a child herself, there's just something about the way he insists on it she can't quite get past, let alone understand. On top of his mentions of Yuya like they're twins while also denying any relation to the boy... Just who is Yugo, and is allowing herself to get so close to him a dangerous idea...?
Yuto
Heartbound. Though there's a lot about Yuto that eludes Mako and she has no intention of ever questioning him on it, friendship with the far more serious boy came surprisingly easily. Meeting in You Show on one of her trips there to find Yuya for a tutoring session, she was instead granted a chance to catch the very end of one of Yuto's duels and a chance to speak with him - And though she shied back on more than one occasion, Yuto quickly proved to be nice to talk to.
Serious and blunt yet gentle, his mention of both Yuya and Yugo has left her far more than confused; aside from having similar features as them both, just what ties does he hold to them? He doesn't seem the type to get along well with Yugo, and yet he spoke of him like they were friends... No matter the asnwers, Mako honestly hopes to get to know Yuto better, valuing his input and loving every chance she gets to talk to him. Even if he doesn't look it, there's something comforting about this boy...
Michio Mokota
Heartbound. A suggestion from a mutual friend led Michio to stop and introduce himself to Mako on pocky day, complete with offering to share a bit of the treat with her. Touched by his kindness, she caught herself opening up to him long before she ever realized it, and th two quickly stumbled into a friendship that only continued to grow with each and every meeting.
From that day on, meetings became more and more frequent, be it to swap recipes or simply head out for dinner, until the two slowly inched their way into a relationship. Deciding to work in a kitchen together ater graduating, Mako's found herself spending much of her spare time with her boyfriend around his kitchen when she isn't with Yuya, Yugo, Yuto, or dealing with her own chores, either lending him a hand or learning a few tips and tricks. Growing a a couple's been slow, especially when paired with Michio's naturally stubborn attitude, but they'll get there... Just one slow step at a time.
Katsuya Jounouchi
Lightbound.'Getting off on the wrong foot' has never applied more than it does with Mako and Jou. An easy target for Jounouchi the bully, Mako frequently finds herself poked and taunted by the blonde teen, though not without fighting back. At any given time they could be found eyeballing one another and huffing, irritating one another into sheer frustration.
Underneath it all, however, Mako's fully aware of how his 'gang' treats him, and can't tand idly by while they treat him like dirt. it's brought her into his path more often, but she's determined to do something about it... But can she? Or is it just a pointless hope?
Soulburner
Artificial Flame. An AI born from a project she was a part of, Soulburner is an innocent, sweet soul Mako very quickly found herself befriending, even long before he could even speak to her. Gentle and eager as a puppy, he's always been there to make her day brighter with even something as simple as a smile, and between that and his release date from his isolation tank being continuously pushed back, Mako took it upon herself to hit the release button and let him into the world.
Doing so, however, has only given them more questions than it has answers. Forced to lie to him to prevent him learning he's not as human as he claims, Mako's ordered to keep him within the lab - Yet that hasn't stopped them from growing closer as friends. From finding a place to stay and making it their own, looking for a path to take together... While it's also left her to question the truth behind his creation. Just what Project: Heatleo, the full project behind it all, is for, why it needed Soulburner, why he holds coding triggered by anger as well as a black box of locked code she's never seen...
Despite her questions, Soulburner is someone Mako would give her all to protect. Regardless of if he's human or not, he's proven to be a gentle guy with a heart of gold, and above all else, she plans to see him suceed and gain the freedom he deserves.
No matter what it takes.
Yusaku Fujiki
Artificial Flame. A programmer part of Project: Heatleo, Yusaku had a heavy hand in creating Soulburner's code and developing it. Despite gaining 'legend' status among much of SOL Tech's programming staff, for reasons unknown to them all, he was somehow removed from the team - creating an opening filled by Mako not long after.
The legend himself later becomes a key part of Mako's job when she releases Soulburner from his tank, though it's much to his obvious disapproval. Not bothering to hide how stupid he thinks she is for doing so, he offers his help through online messages on her pleading, though Mako's sure he knows something about the project kept from her. There has to be a reason he left, and as one of the code's creators, he has to know what's locked away behind the wall she'd been told not to touch, right?
If he does, Yusaku's not telling, and Mako's not really fighting him on it just yet. She just hopes he can tolerate the two of them long enough to help her find answers... And maybe, just maybe, get Soulburner out from SOL's thumb before something happens to him.
Takeru Homura
Fighting With Fire. Stubborn, closed-off, and frustrating, Takeru usually shows up right when Mako doesn't want him to - That is, right when she's fresh from a fight with the local gangs and beaten down, never holding back a snarky comment on how stupid he finds her. Even their regular meetings in town are a source of them butting heads as often as possible every time he triggers her irritation in return, be it through arguing or actually fighting, albeit keeping their physical altercations to the back alleyways.
Yet despite their frequent fighting, Takeru's drive, determination, and strength has become something Mako admires in him. As irritating as he is to her, she loves the chance to watch him fight and the fire in his eyes, regardless of if it's against her or one of the more local gangs. Still, telling him that is completely out of the question when he's nothing but a stubborn, stuck up jerk-
Or rather, it'd simply be easier to say if their frequent fighting hadn't started giving way to makeout sessions and gentle touches hidden away from public eyes - and more importantly, from the prying eyes of their opponents. While actually saying she finds him attractice is easier said than done, Mako's quickly finding herself lost to a thug she's never thought would mean so much to her... Or be so easily used against her.
Soulburner
Phoenix's Fire. Everything her training had taught her and every lesson from the temple did little to prepare Mako for the truth: That the phoenix, the very god the temple she resided in worshiped, was little different from the very humans they lived among. Warm and charming, his interest in befriending both Mako and Kiku won them both over rather quickly, forming a tight trio that somehow managed to keep his existence among humankind a secret... Though Mako is completely unaware of how they managed to do it in the first place!
Eventually moving their meetings to an abandonded cabin in the woods after Soulburner's nearly caught trying to visit them has allowed for them to have the peace and time they need to grow closer, slowly sliding into a relationship. With Soulburner, Mako no longer feels the need to keep up a strong front as a knight; though she's still determined to protect her priestess in Kiku and her god in Soulburner, being able to relax in his arms and listen to the animals outside their cabin eases her determination to be seen as strong, and allows her a chance to be herself. To be simply Mako - A girl who's won the favor and heart of Soulburner alongide her best friend Kiku.
And regardless of what the temple or her training's told her, standing with Soulburner is where Mako fully intends on remaining. With her allegiences switched from them to the phoenix and her best friend, Mako's slowly begun pulling away from the temple as a whole - She'd rather go back to spending her days beside a fiery bird who gives her strength and a smile, anyway!
Takeru Homura
Meeting at the age of four, Takeru has been Kiku's best friend for as long as she can remember. Regardless of the things life's thrown at them, Takeru has always been someone Kiku trusts with everything - From every secret to her hopes, dreams, and even her life, Takeru is the first to hear it, and oftentimes the only, despite his originally closed off nature. Always there and always supportive of her, however, she's never seen any problem with their relationship growing closer by the day, even when it started to come with cuddles and holding hands, as well.
It wouldn't be until Takeru's choice to change him life around and move to the city that she'd realize she'd fallen in love, though that was also a discovery she'd wait several months to share with him, both out of hopes she'd not interrupt anything he had going on, and that she'd be able to persue a relationship despite being stuck under her family's thumb. Willing to wait for him, she turned her attention to her own fight for freedom - A fight that would be fueled by Takeru's support and offerings of strength, though whether or not he knows just how much he's done for her, even Kiku isn't aware. All she knows is that she'd never have been able to do it without him, and is beyond thankful for his place in her life.
Upon his return home, their relationship is finally able to take flight, first with a confession, then an engagement later on in the year. Steadily, they've been making up for lost time, much to Kiku's utter glee, and she's been given a chance to learn even more about the boy she's called her best friend for the last 12 years... THough ever so slowly, she's been catching hints there's more to him and she's ever thought, despite her unwillingness to push him on the matter. If their road should lead to her learning more, then it will - She won't force fate's hand.
Instead, said hand leads them later to a marriage, and at the age of 26, the birth of their daughter Sumi. Being with Takeru has meant a life much like a rollercoaster with its ups and downs, but it's given her the one thing she never thought she'd have: A life and a family she loves, lived out by the side of her best friend and closest confidant. Her road has given her a place she wants to spend the rest of her days... Caught in an inferno named Takeru Homura.
Makoto Takuma
Though Mako has only been a part of Kiku's life for going on three years, nothing has been able to stop them from forming a bond closer than that of family. The first one willing to step in and introduce herself to Mako, Kiku was more than willing to play tour guide to the transfer, sharing not only her knowledge of their hometown, but also of everything Mako wasn't used to as a regular student. But tour guide soon turned to friends, and further to something akin to sisters in ittle time at all, and by the time Mako chose to follow their mutual friend to the city, the two girls had a bond deeper than they could put words to.
Even with the distance between them, it did little to come between their friendship, Kiku ensuring that she spoke to her best friends at least once a week. Whether or not they were together in person had little to do with their meetings, and the two continued even their weekend movie nights, albeit through video calls rather than each others' living rooms. Kiku even found herself continuing to play middle man between Mako and Takeru - A sense of normalcy that while she needed, Kiku has yet to admit helped to drive her in her own fight.
And with theirs complete, Kiku pleaded with Mako to return to Hibana, overjoyed to find her request granted and both Takeru and Mako back by her side in only a matter of weeks after requesting it. Their time together has resumed as if they'd never been apart, and Kiku's never been happier - She has her sister, her best friend, home again, and she won't ever let them be apart again. Not when she definitely can't drink an entire jumbo milkshake on her own!
In their Fireflower verse, their road has taken them even further: To that of being actual family. With their relationships with Takeru leading into marriage with him for them both, they've formed a tight-knit family and by the age of 26, settled into a comfortable life with their children and husband. Sharing a bond tighter than that of family, Kiku refuses to give Mako up for anything - She's become her absolute best friend alongside Takeru, and she'll treasure her forever.
Akahiko Homura
Akahiko, nicknamed Hiko, is Mako's son with Takeru and a boy Kiku sees as her own nephew. Bright, bubbly, and warm, he reminds her far too much of his father at his age - Albeit with a love of lions the elder never really shared. He's so warm, in fact, Kiku can't help but be drawn to Hiko and his hyperactive nature, wanting to protect and support him much the same as his father does before him. His innocence and kindness is a breath of fresh air, and Kiku absolutely loves to babysit whenever the family is in Hibana, taking the chance to spoil him as much as possible.
In their Fireflower verse, Kiku instead sees Hiko as her adoptive son, as she, Mako, and Takeru are in a relationship together. Even so, it doesn't change just how much she loves Hiko and his warmth, aside from allowing her to see him and his brght smile every day, instead. Always available to their little lion, shes free to let him pull her around on advantures far more often - just as long as he doesn't get them stuck on another tiny dry spot in the middle of a rushing river again while reminding her how much cats hate water!
Kasumi Homura
Kasumi, Sumi for short, is Kiku's daughter with Takeru. Though she's no more than a baby, born to a pair of 26 year olds, Sumi is a brilliant spot of light Kiku had never thought she'd ever have in her life; always soft and sweet, she catches herself simply sitting by her daughter's crib on the regular, amazed at the tiny life the world's seen fit to give her. Sumi seems to have inherited her mother's love of making others happy, as well, and while even Kiku doubts the infant knows just what she's doing by offering up her bunny to her parents, she knows one thing: The goal is to see them happy, and she's always succeeding.
Kiku very much treasures Sumi and can't see her life without her, though she's also just as worried; will she continue to be a good mother? Will Sumi grow up safe, healthy, and happy? Kiku isn't sure, but she's got faith in their family to pull through everything and anything... Just as long as they do it together. As long as they do, she's positive Sumi'll be a happy little girl, and that's all Kiku could ever ask for.
Soulburner
Phoenix's Fire. Everything her training had taught her and every lesson from the temple did little to prepare Kiku for the truth: That the phoenix, the very god the temple she resided in worshiped, was little different from the very humans they lived among. Warm and charming, his interest in befriending both Mako and Kiku won them both over rather quickly, forming a tight trio that somehow managed to keep his existence among humankind a secret... Though Kiku is completely unaware of how they managed to do it in the first place!
Eventually moving their meetings to an abandonded cabin in the woods after Soulburner's nearly caught trying to visit them has allowed for them to have the peace and time they need to grow closer, slowly sliding into a relationship. Residing in the cabin has given Kiku a chance to live a life outside of the temple's walls for really the first time, and she's coming to see the world for what it is: An open adventure full of excitement and brightness the temple's tried to tell her doesn't exist. Combined with Soulburner's gentle touch easing her out of her shadow, she's slowly realizing perhaps, just perhaps, her life isn't meant to be lived within those walls... But out beside the phoenix who's claimed her heart and shown her a world she'd never known existed.
Slowly shifting her allegiences from the temple to Soulburner and her best friend, Mako, Kiku is slowly working her way out of her shell, keeping an eye on the two she considers her family along with it. Her place is with them, she's found, and the life and world she's been shown - And she'll give anything to stand with her phoenix and see him at his happiest, always.
