Akemi Sato
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| Full name | Akemi Sato |
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| Date of Birth | October 17th, 2506 (Age 22) |
| Birthplace | Beaumonde |
| Parents | Kenji Sato & Izumi Namasaki |
| Children | None that I know of... |
| Specialization | Punkiness |
| Gender | Male |
| Eyes and Hair | Brown Eyes, Red Hair |
| Height and Weight | 6'1", 70kg |
| Status | Awesome |
| Education Information | |
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| Employment History | |
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"There ain't no rest for the wicked, money don't grow on trees; I got bills to pay, I got mouths to feed, and there there ain't nothing in this world for free. Oh no I can't slow down, I can't hold back. Though you know, I wish, I could. Oh no there ain't no rest for the wicked... until we close our eyes for good." ~ Cage the Elephant.
Description
Akemi is lean, tall and possessed with an undeniable air of confidence; a constant air of being up to no good. He's handsome enough but yet holds himself not with style and sophistication, but a little bit more like a thug. His hair is a russet colour bordering on the red, tossled and wild - he gives that impression in general. His eyes are dark with flecks of brown and always seem to be expressing something, full of activity. While he wears a form hugging black silk shirt and a bead necklace with the shirt undone quite low, not quite to his navel, and with the long sleeves bunched up. Blue jeans, a little frayed at parts, on his long legs with black business shoes on the bottom. None of the items matched, each like it belongs to a different outfit. More accurately, they all belonged to different people when he stole them. There's a hint of tattoos underneath his shirt and up his sleeves, as well as something else, but it's not very visible unless you take off his shirt.
Personality
On the outside, Akemi is all swearing, posturing, jokes and dealing. On the inside... well he's still all about those things, but there's also a kind heart that values his friends and wants to be a good person. He's the sort of guy who can't stand hurting innocent people or seeing them get hurt.
Akemi is also a shameless flirt, often hitting on two or four girls at a time even when they're within earshot of each other. Without pausing. He loves women, and he wants them to love him! In fact, he just assumes they all do anyway. You know, by default.
Loves
- Women: Particularly sassy ones that aren't too meek but aren't complete bitches, who enjoy a good joke. These are his very favorite kind.
- Money: He likes cash because it makes him feel successful. He'd pile it up and just stare at it with pride. Doesn't even need to spend it.
- Takoyaki (Fried Squid Balls): His mom made it, one day he wants to learn to cook it. It requires a lot of special gear though.
- Sweets: He can talk about sweets all day. He doesn't care if people call him girly. Parfait, Crepes and other sweets. He's definitely got a sweet tooth.
- Cartoons/TV: He'll sit and watch cartoons. He also watches bad TV shows and turns off the volume, doing his own voice-overs and plots. He likes to do this with friends.
- Adrenaline Junkie: Bar fights, high speed chases, hurtling towards fiery death moments. Staring death and danger in the eye. And spitting in it, and managing to come back from the brink.
- Business: ... As long as it doesn't interfere with good business. He tries to keep these two as separate as possible. He loves securing a good deal.
- Shitting People: He loves winding people up, seeing how far he can take it then trying to diffuse the situation. The latter is optional. There's a reason the Yakuza used to call him the Red Tanuki.
- Nicknames: He usually gives someone a nickname upon first seeing them, even if it's a once off meeting. And if it doesn't fit, he might go through a few more until he finds the one that's juuuust right. And then you've got it, forever and ever.
- Cold, Mid-strength Beer: It's got to be not water, not harsh and always cold. He likes it refreshing and tasty!
Dislikes/Hates
- Betrayal/Double-Crossing: Anyone who poses as a friend or kindred spirit then fucks you sideways. Not the 'overcharging' kind but the kind with malicious intent. If he does something wrong, that he can understand. But otherwise, he's not a happy camper.
- Bigotry: Against gender, sexual orientation, race or otherwise. He may make jokes at his own expense about being Japanese or about other's denomination, but they're always jokes. He is intolerant of intolerance.
- Unnecessary Cruelty/Slavery: It seems odd given his Yakuza roots, but he hates when the weak are persecuted. He'll put his life on the line for someone he doesn't even know. There is a very clear line in his head on who is innocent, and who deliberately got themselves involved in a bad situation.
- Curry: He doesn't like it. Many Japanese guys do, he loathes it. In fact, most Indian foods as a whole.
- Alliance Zealots: Holier than thou kinds who'll arrest you on trumped up charges just because you looked at them sideways, or that the Alliance can do no wrong because it's the Alliance. He doesn't mind if they're protecting people, but those that use their power for the sake of using it or believe the end justifies the means bug the crap out of him.
History
A Forbidden Romance
Akemi is the grandson of the boss of the Onibanshu, Tarou Sato, a Yakuza group based on Beaumonde (Oni is a Japanese Demon, Banshu is another name for the Harima Province of Japan on the Earth-That-Was). He was born to the only son of Tarou, Kenji, who was a tough negotiator and jokester. He was also known as 'Demon Wolf Kenji', because once you were in his sights he never backed down or let you go. His mother, Izumi Namasaki, was an honest girl who worked at a Takoyaki Stand that Kenji worked protection for. His father would constantly look for reasons to stop at Izumi's stand to the point Izumi assumed his father loved Takoyaki.
It was the opposite. Kenji hated Takoyaki with a passion, often taking it away in a container and giving it to one of his underlings one street over or throwing it away. One day Izumi found him throwing away the Takoyaki and confronted him about it, at which point he confessed his feelings thinking she would never reciprocate them as the son of a Yakuza boss. Young Kenji was stunned to find she felt the same way, they soon took to seeing each other at secret rendezvous points around the city as not to draw attention. She became pregnant and gave birth to Akemi.
Kenji and Izumi managed to keep the secret for an incredibly long time, until Akemi was six. His father was betrayed by his trusted second, Fujitaka, who told Tarou about his family and where they were hiding. Tarou was furious that Kenji had hidden Akemi from him in an attempt to have his son born free of the Onibanshu, ordering them all kidnapped and brought before him. A family friend, One-Eyed Yoshi, secretly rang Izumi and gave her a heads up - but there wasn't enough time to escape the apartment. Izumi ordered young Akemi to hide in the closet. When one of the thugs came in she killed him by stabbing a Takoyaki stick into his throat, but she was subdued and carried off. Akemi disobeyed his mother ran out of the closet and tried to fight one of the thugs, but was captured as well.
Kenji grabbed a katana and a gun and cut his way into the Onibanshu headquarters, but was eventually taken down as well by sheer numbers. They were all brought before Boss Tarou. He ordered Izumi killed in front of their eyes, then went to work on Kenji. Kenji told his son not to watch, but Tarou ordered his men to force his grandson to witness the price of betrayal.
Rather than show submission, however, his father kept strong to the end. Every time Tarou told him to beg for forgiveness, Kenji told him "Kuso Kurae!" (Japanese: Eat Shit), repeating these words many other colorful insults again and again. Eventually Tarou himself got up and stomped Kenji's head into a pulp in front of young Akemi. He then ordered Akemi to recieve the traditional Yakuza tattoos of the Onibanshu clan at the young age of six.
Initiation
Traditional Yakuza tattoos are not done with an electric pen, but with a sharp piece of bamboo dipped in ink and repeatedly stabbed in the skin. It is a process that may take hundred of hours and is incredibly painful, something that makes grown men scream. Akemi received these tattoos despite his incredibly young age (though only the primary Oni skull on a large portion of his back and other detailing around it; the remainder were done over the next ten years.) Despite passing out a number of times Akemi survived this torture, being one of the youngest Yakuza ever officially sworn in to the Onibanshu. He was forced to drink Sake with his grandfather Tarou to seal his brotherhood and put under One-Eyed Yoshi, his father's friend who warned Izumi of the impending attack.
One-Eyed Yoshi had sworn a vow to Kenji to take care of Akemi should something happen, knowing Tarou would be unlikely to kill his only grandson should something happen to him. He upheld this vow and protected Akemi from what he could, but still teaching him the ways of the Yakuza. Akemi always remembered his father's final words, "Kuso Kurae", and vowed always to stand his ground, death over life in submission and servitude. He grew to have a very punkish attitude even for a Yakuza, constantly bucking authority and challenging fate even in situations others may run or try to keep a low profile. He worked dealing, collecting, roughing up and protecting people for the Onibanshu. Eventually he became known as 'Akatanuki' or 'Akatan', which is a combination of 'Aka' (Red) and 'Tanuki' (Mythological Racoon Fox). The Tanuki is well known for playing tricks, disguise and shapeshifting who likes to fool people to make them seem stupid or funny (-Tan is also similar sounding to -Chan, an affectionate suffix).
It was a nickname he liked, because Tanuki were also known for having incredibly big kintama (Balls) that one could rub for luck. (There are statues today of Tanuki in Japan that you rub the balls for good luck). He soon began introducing himself as Akatan to various people for this very reason.
Despite having a rough childhood, Akemi found brotherhood with others in the Onibanshu who he could happily call friends. But he never forgot about his grandfather Tarou or Fujitaka, who betrayed his family.
Bloody Turning Point
Akemi finished his schooling as soon as possible and worked for the Onibanshu full time, but the deeper he got the worse the jobs he received were. Once he was released from Yoshi's watch he was forced to work directly under Fujitaka, who had taken his father's place in every role but successor. Fujitaka wanted Akemi dead but couldn't make a move on him without drawing the boss's ire, so he punished him in different ways to make sure he screwed up.
During one of the many yearly festivals that the Yakuza had dealings with (Yakuza have traditionally had strong ties to Japanese festivals) Akemi was told to go kidnap up a daughter of a family that owed the Onibanshu money. When he arrived at their house he found out the debt belonged to the family's son who had wracked up the debt gambling then fled the area. In lieu of him, they expected his family to pay - specifically his sister, working the debt off in a brother. The girl (whose name was Yumi) rather than being scared hurled insults at him and constantly called him a 'bad man' (this wasn't the most colorful insult she used) to which Akemi couldn't really disagree. Rather than go through with it Akemi decided to help Yumi and her family escape and take the fall, preferring to die rather than sell someone into sexual slavery.
Using the sewers he managed to get them to a space port, but once he paid for passage and they boarded they found out the crew had been paid off by Fujitaka, who was waiting for him on the ship. He had sent him on the job knowing that he would try something like this, now able to use it as an excuse to have Akemi punished or even killed. He had Yumi and her family tied to the afterburners of the ship (despite the crew's complaints, as this wasn't part of their original deal) and had them ignite the engines as Akemi watched, roasting them alive.
Fujitaka brought Akemi back before the boss, who ordered Akemi cut off his hand for the act of betrayal. Akemi told his grandfather "Kuso Kurae!", drawing his wrath until One-Eye stood in and offered to take his place, saying a grandson without a hand was no use and that as his mentor he was responsible for his failures. Tarou agreed (since he needed an excuse to appease the clan) despite Fujitaka's anger, on the condition that for Akemi's insult Yoshi would need to kill himself instead. Yoshi, a deeply honorable man, did so, but not before telling Akemi to 'regret nothing, and that he would tell his father when he met him what an honourable young man he had become.'
Akemi cried just as hard as he did the night his mother and father were killed, having lost his second father to the same two men. As long as he stayed within the Onibanshu, he would never be free of them - he resolved himself towards finally escaping Beaumonde and the mafia's influence.
On the Run
Biding his time, Akemi made what connections he could being incredibly wary of Fujitaka's gaze. At the age of sixteen he managed to sneak off on a job near the spaceport and hid himself in a ship's cargo container filled with just enough food to survive the trip. Or what he thought was enough. He had to sneak out of the container several times to steal food from the ship's larder, sneaking out when they landed on the next planet.
Akemi kept moving from planet to planet, both legitimately earning passage or illegitimately travelling as a stowaway. He spent two years on the run before he realized nobody had come after him - either Fujitaka had decided to interfere to gain leadership or his grandfather had decided to cut his losses. Either way, as far as he could tell, he was finally free.
He spent time working doing similar jobs to those he had done for the Onibanshu as well as legitimate jobs, even if they were small fry stuff. Unsure what to do with himself Akemi drifted about like a leaf on the wind, taking any opportunity that presented itself that seemed like fun.
A New Life
Akemi ran into a shrewd, savvy blonde businesswoman on Paquin called Cecilia who offered him a job selling gear for Impax Industries. Once she shot him, kicked him and dragged him onto her ship of course. It's about par for the course.
... He's been shot a few times since then.
Other Pictures (See Below)
