wip Work In Progress Hero: Kuroko (10) - Darkehart

[Darkehart]

Just putting this here for any feedback people would like to offer me. I'm far from finished and I consider nothing to be set in stone at this time. Additionally, I have a really thick skin, so please don't hesitate with your criticisms. ^.^

 

Kuroko
Power Level: 10 (150/150PP)
Unspent Power Points: 0
Trade-Offs: ±X Attack / ±X Damage, ±X Defense / ±X Toughness (or "None")

 

In Brief: Grace does not equal weakness. Unarmed does not equal defenceless. Unpowered does not equal helpless.

Catchphrase: N/A

Theme: 

 

Alternate Identity: ??? (Public) or (Secret)
Birthplace: TBD

Residence: Claremont Dorms
Base of Operations: Claremont Academy
Occupation: Claremont Student
Affiliations: None yet.
Family: TBD

 

Description:

 

Age: "116" (DoB: 1992 - ten calendar years as a fox before gaining sentience, ergo this age combined "fox years" and human ones)
Apparent Age: 16
Gender: Female
Ethnicity: Japanese
Height: TBD
Weight: TBD
Eyes: limpid jasper with slit pupils
Hair: obsidian

 

Kuroko tends to dress in "traditional clothing" when she's not wearing a uniform, such as the outfit pictured above. When acting as a hero, she wears the Claremont Academy hero uniform with a white fox mask over her face. She keeps the mask handy in case she needs to perform an impromptu heroic deed when she's out and about.

 

History:

 

Sixteen years ago,  an American zookeeper was shocked to discover an infant girl in the enclosure of foxes they had visiting from Japan, while the famously rare naturally black Japanese fox named Kuroko that was the centrepiece of the exhibit was missing. The child displayed an uncanny intellect and behaved as if she were actually communicating with the foxes, who were in turn protective of her to the point of being aggressive to the zookeepers. At a complete loss for what else to do, the child was passed along to the government, where a local street level hero named TBD came looking for her, having heard about it from gossiping customers that were disappointed with the exhibit being cancelled. At his prompting, the infant revealed an ability to turn back into the missing fox, proving her identity. Kuroko eventually wound up officially adopted by TBD, who took her in and served as her only parent for her new human life. He taught her everything he knew about martial arts and ethics, the latter being rather difficult for Kuroko's non-human mind, though she eventually got the hang of it. Already getting on in years back then, TBD is fully retired now, so to further Kuroko's education and heroic training they moved to Freedom City and enrolled her in the Claremont Academy.

 

Personality & Motivation:
 

Kuroko is a gentle and quiet person, very respectful and studious and apparently rather boring and passive. Beneath this delicate silken facade, however, resides a heart of steel. The contrast is no deception; Kuroko genuinely values peace and courtesy, but won't hesitate to follow the example of the man she calls her grandfather and put a miscreant suddenly and painfully in his place. She considers grandstanding to be boorish at best, and prefers to simply do the right thing - that which would make the old man proud of her - and slip away silently before anyone knows that she's been there at all.

 

Powers & Tactics:

 

Kuroko relies entirely on her aiki-jujutsu, a pragmatic martial art designed for fighting armed, armoured, and potentially bigger and stronger opponents while unarmed and potentially unarmoured. The manoeuvres are subtle, frequently using the opponent's own strength against them and unlike the sports equivalent aikido, the style includes a number of painful strikes, twists, and locks designed to bring an end to the fighting as expediently as possible, up to and including techniques that are prone to making onlookers cringe in sympathy for the target. She uses this skill only when diplomatic or clever means to resolve the issue have failed.

 

Power Descriptions:
 

The only power Kuroko displays is an ability to transform from a human shape to that of a black-furred fox and back again. The transformation is accompanied by a concealing white light and a swirl of cherry blossoms.

[angrydurf]

Shapeshifter with a mentor and cowl like tendencies is a good basis and it seems like you have a solid base for the personality.  The only points of concern I really see are with regard to some of the visuals.  We're focused on the western comic book tradition, and while that tradition is full of (sometimes problematic) 'Mysteries of the East' it is a very different flavor than that of anime/manga and that is a distinction we maintain.  The 'Traditional Clothing' and swirl of cherry blossoms on transformation lean pretty well into the anime/manga visuals so some thought and adjustment might be warranted there.

 

For the garb I'm not really seeing why they would choose that over normal clothing an american teen would wear, at the very least some explanation might be in order of why a child raised in america by what one assumes is an american (or at least immigrant) would choose traditional clothing of a bygone Japan over jeans and t-shirts would be in order.  Likewise if the cherry blossom effect is part of the transformation some explanation of the relevance of that iconography to the characters particular backstory (lost Kitsune in this case) what is the significance of hte blossom to whatever spirit her family serves or is empowered by?  How did that come about?  What is its significance?  Is it just an illusion she's take to using because the character has watched one too many magical girl cartoons?

 

There is room also for a Kitsune type character like this either not of asian origin or who has a certain disconnect from that tradition and perhaps wishes to rediscover it?  (though that would beg the question of why she does not try to get to Japan instead of staying here.)