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source: Khaine
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Notes for Akiko Yamamoto
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Background for Akiko Yamamoto, alias Copperhead.
Mother - Dawnrunner (ranna-yoake)
Father - Laughingstar (hoshi-warai)
Born to a kitsune (Fox-Shapeshifter) mother and part of a litter of 3 she
lived a normal life (for a fox) until the age of 6 weeks when she first changed
her shape. Once this occured her mother gave her a human name and started
teaching her about human society. She ignored the fact that her human form
was elf. This teaching was done together with her siblings, whose appearances
were those of normal humans. By september she had been given her crash course
in japanese society and was then set up with a fake ID and some money. She
spent the next ten months mixing with high society and generally enjoying
the mischief she created. During this time she had little social contact
with other kitsune because it was an unwritten rule that you never had two
kitsune at the same social event. The havoc became to much and spoilt the
fun for both, as well as leading to an increased chance of discovery.
Unfortunately for Copperhead her appearance was more memorable than that
of other kitsune and so someone made the connection between her and the mischief
that seemed to follow her. This connection was made by the local Imperial
Marine Captain. Since his sense of humour did not include having his chop
sticks animated in public he used his connections to have her exiled to Yomi.
The next seven months were pure and utter hell with Copperhead surviving
on what she could hunt down, the small, the weak and the elderly. Only elves
were excluded because it felt vaguely like cannibalism. After enduring her
first breeding season without any comfort or company she made up her mind
to escape or die. After her first week of planning she discovered the flaw
in Yomi's fortifications. Different layers were geared toward different
meta-types through the use of race-specific low-drain anchored spells. She
wasn't one of the standard meta-types! She therefore made a break for the
main island and ran down the only connecting bridge. When she reached an
anchored slay elf spell she set it off as she passed by it and then pretended
to die and fall of the bridge. None of the guards paid any attention to the
fox that swam ashore.
The next year was spent purely in fox form, by day as well as by night. During
this time she tracked down a Yakuza Oyabun's retreat and then set up den
next to it. By the end of the year she had gotten to know the estate grounds
and the habits of the residents. At the start of the new year in january
her hormones got the better of her and when she saw the Oyabun go to a meditation
pavillion alone she forgot her caution and went and talked to him. In the
conversation that followed she made full use of the kitsune's reputation
for craftiness and tenacity with veiled threats while distracting the Oyabun
with tantalising views of her beautiful, naked body. In the end she persuaded
him to give her a loan of 20,000 n¥, a new identity and passage to another
country on the strength of her freely given promise.
Her first priority was to find a place to live. She did this with the help
of the DPI officer who spotted her when she first arrived at Sea-Tac airport.
It was after a dinner meeting with him and his wife, during which she used
magic to improve her appearance after a small accident, that she found a
job as a highly paid beautician-mage. The next five months were spent behaving
herself impeccably while she earned some money. When she paid back the loan
she included a thank-you and farewell note. She wanted to break off all her
contacts with the Yakuza since she knew that she was under the eye of the
law and didn't want to risk exile again.
Since then she has set herself up as a Talismonger and shadowruns for the
thrill and the havoc potential it represents. All of her initial runs were
either on the sunny side of the law or very quiet. Since then she is starting
to become bolder again but still wants to stay in the Stars good graces,
or at least not get on their bad side. She also wants to secure her position
so that she isn't at the mercy of others whims.
Twenty Questions :
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Copperhead is a Female of japanese-elven appearance. She is in fact a werefox.
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She is slightly below average in height and looks to be lighter than she
actually is.
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Her hair is naturally fox-red and fairly stiff. She has it in a wide mowhican
and clear of the ears which are clearly visible. It also goes fully down
her back to the base of her spine. This helps to hide her tail, which she
retains in her elven form. Her eyes are light brown to amber in colour.
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Copperhead tends to stand erect and her eyes are constantly on the move.
Due to her early training she takes great care to appear attractive and harmless,
since this was the standard way to deflect suspicion from herself while blending
into high society. She still appears this way unless people notice the
mischeavous twinkle in her eyes, which she normally hides with a pair of
sunglasses. Physically speaking she is very attractive.
-
She was born in a den in a forest in Akita province in the north of Honshu
island. After her initial life as a fox she was introduced to high society
in japan.
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Conceived on 10.1.2049 and born on the 1.3.2049.
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Both parents were were-foxes. The father had left the den after her fourth
week but she remembers him as being caring and a good provider. Her mother
provided for her until she was grown up enough to leave the den (six months),
at which point the mother used her contacts to provide her and her siblings
with fake ID's. It was also the mother who taught her about humans and how
to get along with them. Her brother and sister are still back in japan and
she hasn't had any contact with them since her exile. She has posted her
current location on a drop-point in japan and so her family, and other kitsune,
do know where she is, but kitsune are by nature fairly solitary.
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Copperhead has not yet started her own family since she has yet to find one
of her kind. She would like to have a family since she, like all of her kind,
adores children. She has currently adopted an abondoned elf-child.
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The education provided by her mother covered general behaviour in human society
and training in the magical arts. Copperhead is aware that while she knows
how to behave she lacks knowledge that many humans possess and this is one
of the reasons why she cultivates an air of innocence. Because magic formed
a basic part of her from the very beginning she considers it completely natural.
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In her short life so far she has worked as a beautician-mage and she still
works as a talismonger. The beauticians job was good because she met a lot
of people but she couldn't take advantage of the opportunities it represented
so the job bored her. The talismongering job is good because it will provide
her with a lot of magical contacts which will help her secure her position.
She also happens to enjoy creating things.
-
Politically speaking she doesn't care about national pride but is all in
favour of full integration into society of all the products of the awakening.
She is also very much in favour of protecting nature, especially the forests
and the prairies. Religion has no meaning to her except for getting closer
to her nature, fox.
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She sees no problems with killing but she is aware of the problems it can
cause and would therefore prefer to avoid it if possible. If nothing else
somebody can always be killed afterwards if necessary. Bringing them back
to life is much harder. She very much prefers to handle a situation without
involving herself in any violence. Involving others in violence is no problem.
Death is natural, as is survival of the fittest. In this case fittest is
very close to smartest. Saving others is acceptable if there is an advantage
to be gained. She will always strive towards a plan with maximum elegance.
Where promises are concerned if she sincerely makes one she will strive to
keep it. But it is a perfectly valid tactic to lie about making a promise
if it helps to advance a plan.
As far as sex is concerned it means nothing if it is with other foxes except
as some recreation. With humans it is very similar except that there is the
risk of her nature being revealed, which she tries to avoid as much as possible.
Nudity is only a problem because her tail becomes visible.
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Apart from securing her position in society and having a family she just
wants to live and enjoy herself. The fact that this involves manipulating
people is just the way things are. She is also running the shadows in the
hope of finding a mate.
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She runs the shadows for the thrill and for the contacts she can make. Money
has it's uses but is not important in itself.
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To the world in general she is an innocent, pretty and shy. To those who
know her or those she will have to work with for a while she will show her
intelligence, her ability to plan and her powers of observation. She doesn't
show her ruthlessness but she doesn't put much effort into hiding it. In
an argument she won't show an opinion immediately but will first way up all
the facts and viewpoints to come up with the most elegant plan. Then she
will start being very persuasive. Because she hides her nature she sometimes
comes across as either superstitious or as a back to nature nut. She certainly
will make use of superstition and others ignorance if it helps her. She has
a strongly developed sense of curiosity which sometimes will break her innocent
cover.
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She is good at planning, avoiding direct combat.
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While she can use electronics she can't understand how they work. She can
press buttons and look for certain messages but anything more intricate is
beyond her.
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She hates racism in all it's forms, as well as people who dislike magic.
She also hates the Imperial Marines and anybody without a sense of humour.
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She loves the forests and creating things. Whether it is making a plan, a
spell design or a focus she doesn't mind. She also enjoys planning practical
jokes and embarrasing situations. She prefers sleeping in her natural form,
fox.
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Birth Name : Hana-daiichi (First Blossom)
Old Name : Kaori Yamaguchi
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Current Name : Akiko Yamamoto (Akiko after Akiko Kano, Yamamoto after the
Yakuza Oyabun)
Street Name : Copperhead
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