Name: Nakahara Suzuko; Suzie (Anglicised); Emerald Maiden (Hero Name)
Age: 19
Gender: Female
Appearance:Spoiler (click to show/hide):
Background: Suzuko's outfit and heroic identity is inspired from her own family's history. Her family had ties to a sacred shrine not far from the family home and it was believed the guardians of the shrine long ago were blessed with gifts of heightened spirituality that put them in tune with the world and people around them. While other kids her age were enthralled with the adventures of real life super heroes that were appearing around the globe, Suzuko enjoyed her grandfathers tales of these spiritual guardians of ages past so much that she found herself dreaming of them. Of their beliefs, struggles, triumphs. Of what living with them would be like even in the most mundane of times.
In her mind at night she was a girl her own age, living in the shrine that now stood as little more than a tourist attraction. In time these dreams grew more vivid... and much darker. Nightmarish creatures would appear within them with greater regularity, and she witnessed them carry out disturbing and often times perverted acts upon their victims. She knew as if on instinct that their end goal was to reach her and do the same, and that this one thing was something all of these spiritual guardians were determined to prevent happening at all costs.
It was around this time she discovered her gift of Spiritual Infusion. Someone about Suzuko's very essence of being seemed to have the capacity to flow out of her and into the people and objects she touches. She could float balls and pencils in the air after holding them, or sense her mother's mood when she held her hand. Despite her family's storied legacy, her displays of these gifts were not received well by her parents - afraid that their aberrant daughter would cause them to the be source of rumours and gossip in the local village. Even her siblings turned on her for it, driven either by envy or desire to appease their parents. Only her grandfather seemed to accept her for who she was, though sadly he passed away not long after the discovery of her gifts.
This would not be the end of his influence on her life, however. Unexpectedly, one birthday, it was revealed to her that her grandfather had left her a gift only to be given to her now. A box that she opened in private. Inside was a letter, one filled with love and warmth that made her feel like she was speaking to her grandfather once again after all this time, but also one that explained all the strange things that had been happening to her. Yokai, Oni and darker spiritual forces were all real. But so were those that fought them. Even among the heroes the rest of the world new about and fought crime there were those whose abilities were linked to the spiritual world. Suzuko was like them. More than that. She was the reincarnation of one of the greatest of them.
Her dreams were all memories and pieces of information from her past life making their way back to her. Long ago a great evil spiritual force almost claimed her body and soul and with it would have had the strength needed to invade the mortal world. In a last ditch effort to stave of evil and buy time for the world to find another solution, Suzuko's past self cast her soul out of her body entirely, infusing it within her bloodline. Over the generations, the fragments of her soul would gradually pull together again until finally she would be reborn. The fabled Emerald Maiden.
Suzuko wished to take to this identity quickly. Her powers had already grown to the point that she sensed malicious spirits every so often and much desired to put her abilities to use in tracking them down and banishing them. However her parents had made it clear she was to bury that part of herself deep down. She didn't even try to explain what was in her grandfather's letters to them. They would only destroy them and take away what else was in the box. An outfit, similar to that of shrine maidens, and a collection of strange jade looking orbs that seemed to resonate with her spiritual infusion even more so than the typical object. She hid this from her parents and did as she was told until finally she had the opportunity to live her own life. Though her parents were sad to see their youngest daughter move so far away, they were pleased enough by her academic prospects to let her study abroad in the States. It was a big change for her life, one that she felt no small amount of apprehension about, but it finally allowed her to don her new outfit and make use of her gifts, joining the many masked and caped crimefighters of the world.
Perks:
Infusing Spirit: Suzuko's gift allows her to infuse her will into objects she touches. This allows her to move it Telekinetically. Through training over the years she has learned to strengthen this ability and may yet achieve even greater heights with it. She can manipulate multiple small objects with relative ease, though the larger mass and weight of the object causes greater strain on her, taking a higher degree of focus and forcing her to defuse from other objects should she already have infused with too many.
Empathic Touch: Living beings cannot be controlled telepathically as they have a will of their own. However Suzuko can still infuse with them. After touching an individual she can sense their emotional state, get a clearer idea of their intentions and feel what they feel. While not mind reading, it is very useful for telling if someone is lying, cluing Suzuko in on ulterior motives someone might have, and reading the aggression of an enemy to give her a heads up on when they might next attack in a fight.
Gifted Student: Perhaps because of her social struggles, Suzuko always performed well academically. She was a diligent study and her grades showed her hard work. She is a very quick learner and has strong puzzle solving capabilities which helped earn her an international scholarship for an American college.
Spiritual Sense: In tune with the spirit world, Suzuko can sense the presence of malicious spirits, letting her know if there are any in the area or if there are any mortals with a lingering spiritual mark on them suggesting they may be influenced by spiritual energies. This sense manifests as an uneasy chill that grows in intensity the stronger or more numerous the presence.
Flaws:
Emotional Feedback: Suzuko's empathic abilities aren't as simple as reading the emotions and intentions of those she touches. As it involves infusing her target with a piece of her own mind she feels their emotions and intentions as vividly as if they were her own and it can nudge her own mood in certain directions. Strongly willed individuals that are for some reason aware of how her abilities work might even be able to turn the tables on her and influence her more directly, or even force her ability to activate by grabbing onto her while she's unprepared. Similarly, individuals with psychic abilities will have an easier time dominating Suzuko should she use her power on them.
Tradition Conforming: Despite moving far away from home, Suzuko's rural Japanese upbringing still has a strong sway over her. She came from a very traditional household and was raised to respect the authority of her elders, carry out her duties when asked and speak when spoken to. As a result, she has a hard time standing up to figures of authority, particular if they are male, and often comes across as very meek in typical social situations.
Spiritual Beacon: Just as she can sense malicious spirits, her strong spiritual energy can also draw spirits towards her and makes her appealing prey to any powerful enough spiritual entities she comes across.
Eye-catching: There's nothing wrong with being pretty. But Suzuko is definitely on the introverted side and gets flustered quite easily by any sort of attention. Unfortunately for her, she looks exceedingly beautiful and can't seem to stop drawing attention. Often of the kind that won't take 'no' for an answer.
Turn Ons: Sub/dom play, blackmail, hypnosis, rape, gangbang, bondage, drugged/drunk sex, humiliation
Turn Offs: Gore, vore, pedo, death, insects and arachnids, scat
America was... different. Much different from the world you knew.
Perhaps it wasn't fair to compare life in a sleepy little Japanese hamlet to one of the biggest cities in America. Compared to where you grew up, Chicago might as well have been Tokyo. Everyone seemed to have somewhere to be and knew exactly how they'd get there - a stark contrast to how you felt in the first few hours after you arrived at the airport. Intelligent young woman that you are, however, your advanced planning and diligent English practice manage to see you whisked away from the gates of O'Hare in the back of a taxi and well on your way to the University of Chicago, your home for the next four years of your education.
It was an interesting choice of school. Very competitive, given its ranking in the world, and smacked right in the middle of the American interior. It was about as far away from home as one could manage. All the better for fulfilling your ambitions away from the prying eyes of your parents. Not only because the University of Chicago was a distant learning institution where you could practice your abilities without fear of parental intervention, but because of the very city it was attached to: Chicago was an ailing place. Even in the age of caped crusaders battling against those who would prey on the innocent, Chicago remained a flashpoint of criminal activity, both mundane and super. If there was any place for the Emerald Maiden to cut her teeth in the world of crimefighting, it would be right on the banks of Lake Michigan in the good ol' US of A.
The pamphlets mailed off to your home back in Japan indicated that the first few days of the semester would be dedicated to orientation: you would have time to familiarize yourself with the campus, your dorm, your professors, and classmates all before it was time to get to work at your studies. A fortunate enough thing, given your intentions of vigilantehood. Perhaps you'd even have time to go whizzing through the city skyline looking for baddies to bust before the first round of classes started packing your itinerary. With idle fantasies of what might be buzzing through your mind, your taxi pulls up just outside the dormitories. Without much adieu, you find yourself, and your luggage, deposited in front of the building which will play host to you until you graduate.
"You'd think they'd have someone to come take our bags, with how much we're payin' in tuition, huh?"
You don't have all that much time to collect yourself before someone calls out to you. A cursory inspection reveals the voice in question belongs to a young woman not much older than yourself, if significantly taller. She's dressed a little skimpy, with a loose t-shirt that seems to hang off her shoulders enough to show a bit of her brazzier, and a pair of denim shorts that hide little of her long, long legs. Chicago is much colder in the fall than you're used to, but maybe the natives aren't so bothered, though with her short blonde hair and glowing tan, she reminds you more of the classic 'California Girl' than anything else.
The girl, who had been carrying a not insignificant amount of her own luggage along the sidewalk sets down one of her heavy suitcases and extends a well-manicured hand out to shake. The smile she shoots you is dazzling with how bright and earnest it seems. Perhaps this was the fabled American hospitality?
"Name's Molly! Molly Beckner. It's a pleasure to meet ya!"
Molly, albeit with less clothing
Spoiler (click to show/hide):
