Fukuzawa Kohaku (L/F) - Diva (Quirky + Curmudgeon)

Backstory

There once was a boy, growing in the kitchen of a noodle restaurant. The boy would sneak ingredients with which to feed the stray cats behind the store. One night, as the store neared closing hour, the boy found a shadowy serpent lurking, frightening the hissing cats. Taking a knife from the kitchen, the boy stood against the shadow valiantly to protect his animal wards.

What he saw crawling into the light, anyone else would have regarded as a horror. A circular maw of razor teeth, and lines of gleaming red eyes running down a wriggling primordial body. Along the creature's sides were the bony ridges of emaciated ribs. The boy saw what others would not: another starving stray. Over the following days, he fed and cared for the worm, which lived among the stray cats. In time they grew accustomed to the routine of its presence.

The boy and the worm spoke in broken tongues about the strange, wonderful and terrible world from which the worm had crawled. The boy shared stories about the mundane world in which he lived. They formed a bond, and swore to be friends forever. Then, one day, the worm was gone. And the boy never knew why. Not for many more years.

That boy went on to become the Fukuzawa Kohaku of today. A kind-hearted volunteer at homeless and animal shelters, who moonlights as the leader of a gang of young Awakened. They call themselves the Ideal Destroyers, or the ID for short. Their aim is to find those in need and help them to Awaken, while hunting and slaying dangerous monsters that prey on the weak and vulnerable- whether those monsters are human or from the beyond.

Family Members

Father: Fukuzawa Yoshio, CEO of the Tamagokawa Noodle Company
Mother: Fukuzawa Akie, stay at home mother of three
Brother: Fukuzawa Shouji, the eldest, 23 years old, chef at one of his family's restaurants
Sister: Fukuzawa Airi, the youngest, at 6 years old
Grandfather: Fukuzawa Toshio, founder of the Tamagokawa Noodle Company, former serial killer (deceased)
Grandmother: Fukuzawa Satomi (deceased)

>>Perks

Savant: Cooking (Free: Hobby) + Heavy Eater (Free: Awakened)

Kohaku's true passion is cooking. He has been cooking since he was little, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, who pulled the family out of poverty and obscurity. Creating that which feeds those he cares for fills Kohaku with a deep sense of satisfaction. The power of his Idolon flows through his cooking skills, allowing his meals to be especially healthy and energizing. In Zones, this can extend to preparing food from the supernatural creatures therein, enhancing the qualities of those who partake.

Athleticism x2 (2 Perks): Strength, Speed

"This is the true power of nutrition! Lesser beings who feed only trash to their bodies cannot understand the peak performance real food brings!"

Bancho (1 Perk) + Never You (Free: Social)

None of Kohaku's teachers take him for the sort to get into fights or lead a gang. By all appearances, he is a well-mannered if eccentric boy who helps in the school kitchen preparing breakfasts and lunches for the poverty-stricken who cannot afford them. In the mundane world, he has become an expert at maintaining his mask of normalcy. But viciousness and cunning flow deep in Kohaku's blood, a thing from another time, and he is only truly alive when he is on the hunt with his pack.

Goth (1 Perk) + Rage (Free: Mental)

Clad in black and always listening to black metal through his headphones, Kohaku wears the occult trappings of goth culture. He studies pagan faiths and witchcraft, and has experimented with a few psychedelics in his time trying to touch the spirit world.

Power of Love + SHSL Yandere (2 Perks)

For years, Kohaku has been trying to reach out to that strange childhood friend. Now that he and Tai have been reunited, Kohaku would tear apart anyone who wishes to see the Idea World sealed away once more. Make no mistake: Kohaku does not consider himself an ally to the demons and their tyranny, and does not seek to tear down the barrier. Rather, he would see it maintained in its weakened state, even if it means staking himself as an enemy to all sides.

>>Items

Custom Item: Cookware (Free: Quirky) + Object of Affliction: Kitchen Knife (Free: Curmudgeon)

Kohaku carries what amounts to a portable kitchen in his backpack. This includes several sturdy pots, pans and cooking knives. One of these knives in particular is Kohaku's 'hunting knife', the weapon he wields against supernatural foes. It has been stained in the blood of horrors.

Ouija Board (Free: Goth) + Tamagotchi (1 Item)

In one of his many attempts to reach the other side, Kohaku attempted to summon his old friend to inhabit this virtual pet toy. The ritual appears to have worked- in part. Some connection to Tai and to the Idea World exists within this Tamagotchi device, which Kohaku now uses alongside his Ouija Board, in his efforts to Awaken others by activating their Idolons or finding ones to attach to them.

Old Money (3 Items)

The Fukuzawa family are the owners of the wildly popular Tamagokawa restaurant and noodle brand. The business was founded by Kohaku's father, who inherited it from his grandfather, and its success has singlehandedly elevated their family out of poverty and debt. The Tamagokawa Noodle Company is known for its philanthropic reputation, giving back to local communities and struggling families.

>>Life Events

Mysterious Murders of XXXX

It was when Kohaku was still small, and his grandfather was still alive. He saw someone going into his grandfather's basement, a stranger. They never came out, and then he saw their face on the news the next day... Kohaku never really understood at the time. The truth is, his grandfather was a serial killer, using 'black magic' (drugs) to pacify and abduct his victims. Whether there were stranger things afoot, Kohaku has never truly found the answers. Unbeknownst to Kohaku, his father struggles with the same dark urges, which have plagued their line for eons.

Moon's Love

The boy never forgot the worm.

When Children go Marching

A day blessed by mystery, when Kohaku marched with the other half-Awakened and at last peered across the threshold of the shrine gates to find his missing other half. Not everyone who went to the shrines that day left on the same side of the veil.

>>Drawbacks

Wrong Birth + Under an Evil Star

Kiro no Kawa, the Crossroads of Rivers, is an ancient demonic spirit that once made bargains and pacts with mortals. One such mortal was Kohaku's ancestor, whose bloodline was cursed with the spirit's evil. Now the Kiro no Kawa seeks to reawaken its pawns dormant in the mortal world.

Taiyō o Korosu Mimizu, "The Worm Killing the Sun", Master-Destruction Idolon - Avatar Spirit Realmer

Backstory

There once was a worm. Like any other, it wriggled in the fresh soil. A bird plucked the worm into the sky, and it struggled to free itself. The worm was cut in half by the sharp beak of the bird, and the two halves fell. One half fell in the soil, but the other half fell into the windpipe of a boy. The boy was a Prince, the son of an Emperor, and his father called him the Sun of the future. The boy choked to death on the worm.

At the funeral, the worm and its young burst from the dead boy's stomach, having grown fat and well-fed on his royal guts. The horrified public dubbed it the Worm Killing the Sun. From this old folktale, cemented in the minds of many, the worm became more than a worm. It became a legend; an idea; a spirit.

But it was still only a worm, small and weak. And existence was a struggle. Until many generations later, the worm met another boy. It had crawled through the wall, in a place where worlds began to bleed together. This one showed the worm kindness and strength. Only a traveling exorcist found the worm, and heedless of its cries banished it back to its struggle, the warmth of love and belonging lost.

>>Normal Skills

Active Eidolon (Free: Avatar)
Absolute Resonance (Normal 1) + Heavy Eater (Normal 1) + Cogito Ergo Sum II (Drawback 2)

The boy's charity has helped the worm to grow up big and strong. Their bond is powerful, forged through mutual longing and reunion.

Beast II (Normal 2) + Freakish II (Discounted: Normal 1, Athleticism)

Tai is vast and powerful, large enough to coil and crush an Indian elephant.

>>Destruction

Character I (Ability 1) + Life Expenditure II (Ability 2) + Idea Slayer (Idolon 2)

By the nature of its legend, the Taiyō o Korosu Wamu is capable of killing even lofty things like gods and ideas. Just as the worm of the story was cut in two before it fell into the windpipe of the Prince, Tai's power swells in response to trauma.

>>Master

Transmutation III (Idolon 3) + Perfected II (Idolon 2) + Galatea (Idolon 1, Drawback 2)

Worms and insects are icons of evolution, and so Tai is capable of metamorphosing its body and surroundings, or consuming them to evolve and adapt.

>Missions

The Seven Mysteries
Paradise Lost
World Lost

The ID Gang Members

Uesugi Aida - Cool Guy (Popular + Rebellious)

In all honesty, if it weren't for his connections (his cousin works at a sleazy liquor store), Aida would have been an annoying loser. But Aida was the guy you go to at school if you want access to alcohol. It was his ticket to the big leagues, as a hardcore, real gangster. Aida views the delinquent life through a very romanticized lens, pushing the limits of what's proper as cool rebels. He's been friends with Kohaku since elementary school, and he's the first person Kohaku confided in about his forays into the Idea World. Together they started the ID, a noble gang dedicated to empowering the weak by Awakening the downtrodden.

>Perks

Suburban Daredevil
Social Skill
Street-Smart
Geeky
Power of Love
Supplier (Social Skill + Street-Smart)

Whether it's banned items, dirty manga, drugs or alcohol, Aida knows how to get his hands on what you're not supposed to have. Aida is between schools right now, after his booze-vending operations were uncovered by a narc and he got expelled from Higan.

Psychonaut (Suburban Daredevil + Geeky)

When it comes to drugs, he specializes in psychedelics. While Kohaku stopped using after reuniting with Tai, Aida is still a bit of a psychonaut, and using hallucinogens has made him surprisingly skilled in the trippier areas of the Idea World.

Super High School Level Best Friend (Social Skill + Geeky + Power of Love)

Blessed with a near limitless social battery, Aida is a force of personality. He's the peak when it comes to plucking someone's mind out of a stress spiral, and can slide his way into just about any social group as if he'd been there all along.

Awakened: Hub Transportation + Awakened: Wuxing (Psychedelics)

Aida is uniquely able to imbue technology with a connection to the Idea World. He uses this ability to create Idea-charged Tamagotchis. When a non-Awakened uses these Tamagotchis, they are temporarily able to interact with the Idea World, and have an increased chance to Awaken, especially if they are in danger on the other side.

>Items

Beautiful Clothes (Free)

Cleans up surprisingly well, when he wants to look upper class.

Reinforced Object (Free, Airhorn)

Aida fills his airhorn with chili powder, making it a menace to society.

Tamagotchi
Arcade Pass
Old Map
Forbidden Permit

>Missions

Paradise Lost
World Lost

Idolon: Tsuchinoko

Type: Avatar/Yourself

Tsuchinoko is a snakeskin-patterned house robe, with a pair of large red reptilian eyes on the collar. It is capable of moving around on its own. Tsuchinoko is born of Aida's childish idea of what it means to be hardcore and badass.

>Normal

Active Idolon (Free)
Cogito Ergo Sum I
Hub Transportation + Zona Oscura

Empowered by Aida's psychonaut experience, Tsuchinoko has become a powerful bridge between the real world and Idea World, and between Zones.

Toxic + Esoteric

Tsuchinoko is able to squirt venom from its eyes, and manipulate the venom. The venom can be used to create objects and living constructs under Tsuchinoko's control.

>Commander

Mind Link
Rise
Phoenix Up
Minions III

If someone is wearing Tsuchinoko when it creates a minion, the wearer's form is also duplicated as part of the minion. The duplicate has none of the wearer's abilities, and simply serves as a body double.

>Assault

Troubleseeker II
Monkey Wit
Dash
Wuxing III (Psychedelics)

By tapping into the raw mental energy that forms the Idea World, Tsuchinoko can warp the Zone it is in and create psychedelic effects. When in a Zona Oscura Tsuchinoko has created, this ability becomes more potent, such as warping reality to create higher-dimensional spaces.

Okabe Takeo - Boss Lackey (Rebellious + Two-Shoes)

A little slow on the uptake, Okabe (few people know his first name) is a born follower. There are barely any thoughts in his head. He's a gentler soul than his large size and ugly mug would suggest, but gives in easily to peer pressure and guilt trips, making him supremely impressionable. The type of person his cousin Tetsuya would call an NPC. Okabe got swept up into the ID rumors because he wanted to be special. When he entered the Idea World during his ID initiation, Okabe made a deal with a Tengu Yokai named Kokancho, with whom he switched bodies. Nobody is aware of this so far, as Okabe is sworn to secrecy as part of their pact, and Kokancho makes a game of keeping it a secret. Kokancho is a prankster and a tourist, who wants to experience all that the human world has to offer.

His nickname is Okay-Abe, with the implication that his cousin is the not-okay-Abe.

>Perks

Okabe:

Bancho
Clown-Smart
Street-Smart
Gross Eater
Happy-go-Lucky
Gluttonous (Ugly)
Super High School Level Fat Ugly Bastard (Bancho + Gluttonous + Ugly)

Between his large size, pallid complexion, shaved head, and fish-like eyes, Okabe somehow manages to be even uglier than his cousin Tetsuya.

Kokancho:

Subtle
Unpredictable
Chaos Bundle

Awakened: Parry + Awakened: Weapon Master

In Okabe's body, Kokancho retains his combat skills, particularly with staves and staff-like weapons.

>Items

Reinforced Tool (Free, Tire Iron)
Club Membership (Free, Competitive Eating Club)
Tamagotchi
Cursed Book
Janitor's Keys

>Missions

Paradise Lost
World Lost

>Drawbacks

Ugly (+1 Perk)
Inverted Mirror (+1 Perk)

Idolon: Kokancho

Type: Possession/Spirit Realmer

A Tengu with the appearance of a rotund, plucked penguin crossed with a vulture. He carries a staff adorned with blessed charms.

>Normal

Absolute Resonance (Free)
Magician +Weapon Master

Kokancho's staff acts as a conduit for his magic, allowing it to be controlled more effectively.

Beast I + Elemental III (Wind)

Though Kokancho's wings are short, stout and useless, he can manipulate the wind well enough to achieve a clumsy form of flight.

Active Idolon

With Kokancho and Okabe switching bodies, both halves are able to be active at once, giving the appearance of a normal Avatar Idolon.

>Assault

Patience
Ten-Breathes
Parry
Arsenal II (Talismans)

Kokancho can summon an array of paper talismans as hard and sharp as steel, and throw them as a physical ranged weapon.

>Support

Healing II
Vow of Aegis II
Lick Wounds