Aberrant: Dead Rising - Himiko Sara Hoshimitsu

[Himiko]

Himiko Sara Hoshimitsu's story really has to start with her grandfather, Makata Hoshimitsu, a samurai, or at least of the lineage of the samurai, since the class had been abolished in his grandfather's time. He disagreed with many of the policies of the Emperor, especially the idea of isolation bringing strength to his beloved home of Nippon.

Instead of letting the world come to Nippon and destroy his home, which seemed inevitable if they failed to adapt, he went to America to learn the ways of the foreigners and use their own weapons against them. He was accompanied on his journey by his twin brother, Tomara, a Shinto priest, both for his own spiritual guidance and strength so far from home and so that others from his land could receive the blessings of a proper priest in a land that spoke of religious freedom--as long as you chose a variety of Christianity.

Using his wealth and a shrewd business sense, he made many investments that soon payed off. Not all did, as there were many who found the idea of a prosperous Chinaman to be an affront to their sensibilities, never mind that he wasn't from China. Arriving during the great depression meant that he became a major player simply by having money to spend. He developed a reputation for being both ruthless and fair in his dealings, which served him well in later years as people began realizing that they profited the most from dealing honorably with him, for he would return the favor. He treated his workers better than most of his competitors, regardless of their nationality, and had workers who were happier and more productive for it. These together protected him from recrimination when Japan made the mistake of attacking America during World War II. He was far too well mannered to send an "I told you so" letter to the emperor.

He travelled a great deal during this time of his life, inspecting his various investments and learning about the land where he lived. During these travels, he met a young Navajo woman named Luyu, or White Dove, and fell in love. Soon they were wed, and he decided to stay in America most of the time for her sake, though he did still visit home occasionally. He built a mansion behind the shrine he had had constructed for his brother in Colorado, with a high wall surrounding both buildings. Remembering how bad things had gotten during WWII for his countrymen, and wary of the new threats of nuclear and biological weapons, he had extensive tunnels and bunkers dug underground, which he kept stocked with nonperishable foods and a variety of weapons, just in case. With the nearby Anima River, a gravity fed water system, and the means to filter the water thoroughly enough to remove even radioactive dust for years, he felt safer. He also made a point of building the place far bigger than he needed, big enough that his entire clan from Japan could take refuge there, along with his wife's family from the nearby reservation, if ever the time came that such was needed.

His new home was barely finished in time for the birth of his son, Takato Hoshimitsu. Takato grew up on stories of Samurai and legends of Navajo warriors, but he rejected his father's teachings, saying how much more money they could be making if they weren't so bound by honor. Makata kicked him out of the house, saying only, "You think only of today and tomorrow, never of the days and years after. My wealth flows from honor and patience, and until you learn the same, you will not be welcome here."

Soon penniless from a lack of self control and too much pride, Takato learned that pride does not fill an empty stomach. He found his way to New York city, just one of thousands of desperate people. He got a job as a dishwasher at a small Irish pub, where he caught the eye of the pub owner's daughter, Heather Quinn. It was some months before she even talked to him, as she had been warned away from the help. Repeatedly. With large blunt objects. By both her parents.

During this time, Takato stayed too exhausted to notice her interest. Instead he saw how the poorest people managed to scrape by on honor, dignity, and compassion. On the opposite end of the economic spectrum, he finally learned the lessons his father had been trying to teach him.

2 years later, Takato returned home with his wife, Heather, who was quite pregnant. When he humbly asked that they be allowed to live in his childhood home for the sake of his future child, his father welcomed him with open arms.

Himiko was born a few months later, raised as much by her grandparents and great uncle as by her parents. She was weaned on Shinto stories of the Kami, who live everywhere and in everything and of her ancestors who watched out for her and would guide her through her life. She was lulled to sleep by Gaelic songs of a land where the women were such formidable warriors not even the Romans dared to go there, and her mother's stories of the faerie who lived everywhere and in everything. She played to tales of the great warriors of the Dinei, as the Navajo call themselves, and the invisible spirits who lived everywhere and in everything.

As she grew older, she became convinced that there was a truth behind all of these legends, or why would so many cultures come up with essentially the same legends? For some reason the spirits chose not to show themselves right now, but that did not mean they weren't around or wouldn't come back. She studied martial arts with her sofu, or grandfather, becoming extremely adept at the sword. Her little brother, Liam, studied as well, but never seemed to quite have her knack.

Years passed, and Himiko decided to go to college, but instead of using the family's money, she decided to prove herself by earning the money her own way--by joining the army. For all of her time in the army, she cherished the memory of her first day at boot camp, when the drill sergeant had asked if anyone there thought they were strong enough to beat him. After he had wiped the floor with a burly blond man, she volunteered to fight him. She broke one of his arms in two places and had the other in a lock before he would acknowledge defeat by the shortest cadet in his unit. Oh, how she payed for that in extra work, but it was so worth it.

She returned home a few months before she was to start school, and a few weeks before rumours of a strange super-flu started circulating.

[Himiko]

Character appearance:

Height: 5'2"

Weight: 95 lbs

Eyes: Emerald green

Hair: Dark red with copper higlights

Himiko is a petite young woman of athletic build. While travelling beyond her home compound, she generally wears army fatigues with fully military kit, hoping that being obviously armed will cut down on how often she needs to needlessly fight. Besides, keeping guns handy is good for killing zombies.

She is generally composed and rather cheerful. Almost always polite, an undercurrent of steel challenges anyone to see this as weakness. She has no obvious meta-human traits to a casual inspection, other than being good in too many areas at once--too attractive to be so strong, too strong to be so agile, and so on.