Maeda Shizuka

Maeda Shizuka is a player character played by BionicSamurai.

Maeda Shizuka (前田静香)
Species:	Nekovalkyrja, Type 33
Gender:	Female
Age:	4 Years (Created June YE 34)
Height:	145cm (4' 9”)
Weight:	40.8kg (90lbs)
Organization:	Star Army of Yamatai
Occupation:	05A/C Technician ([[stararmy:occupations:armorer|Armorer / Starship Systems)]]
Rank:	Ittô Hei
Current Placement:	YSS Sakura II Plot

• Height: 145cm (4' 9”)
• Mass: 40.8kg (90lbs)
• Measurements: 28-26-33 28A

Build and Skin Color: Shizuka is slim, teen looking, and on the short side, with blue skin.

Eyes and Facial Features: Shizuka has bright red slender eyes that burn when angry and pierce when the gears are turning. She has normal length eyelashes and when she feels it is appropriate she will add fire orange eyeliner.

She has a heart shaped face with high cheekbones, a ski jump shaped nose, and smallish mouth. If she bothers to wear the eyeliner, Shizuka will also use either a light teal, black, or deep burgundy lipstick, depending on the situation and her mood.

Ears: Shizuka has the typical neko shape ears with fur the same colour as her hair.

Hair Color and Style: Her hair is a green so dark it might as well be black, though when light hits it at the right angle, there is a jade iridescence. Most of her hair is butt length that she wraps up into a flat disk-like bun when on duty, ties into a ponytail casually, or leaves hanging when staying in.

The exceptions to the above are her side-locks and bangs. The side-locks start above and ahead of her ears and go down to her jaw, terminating in a diagonal that follows her jawline. Her bangs, on the other hand, curve down and stop about a finger width above her eyebrows.

Distinguishing Features: Due to having an originally manufactured body, Shizuka still has her serial number on her foot.

Personality: Shizuka often comes across as quiet, polite, and dutiful with a slight chill when her tate-mae slips. At this point she seems to only be capable of polite and operational communication, which helps her function with others, but not always connect with them. The chill is the first to go as familiarity increases, however; then her social communication improves, to the surprise of most observers.

Inside, she is a shy girl who cares deeply about those whom manage to get close to her. She appreciates intelligence and the appropriate application of it, as well as the subjects that come from it - mathematics especially. Shizuka would, however, call music her lifeblood; something she immerses herself in as often as practical.

Through her education, training, and personal study, however; Ms. Maeda has grown to idealize the the warrior sage concept. This, along with her already intense loyalty to the Empire, has made her desire the “perfection” in such a precious balance. This balance calls her, voluntarily, to combat training as regularly as time management can allow, alongside her other interests.

• Likes: combat training, cannibalizing n/s parts to make serviceable ones, reading academic papers (especially mathematics and history), yakiniku, soba, sea food, dark rum, and most music (though traditional Yamatai folk music, orchestral, and symphonic metal really move her)
• Dislikes: whiners, people too close to her face, a dirty/unkempt living space (neurotic), mustard (the colour and the condiment), and being late (though others being late is not far behind).
• Goals: To be what he Empire needs, to walk the path that never ends, and to be an example in the process.

Ketsurui Zaibatsu

Waking into existence was the first and possibly the most confusing experience Maeda Shizuka has had to date. Because of this, the kindness, patience, and most of all intelligence of the technician guiding her through her first moments left the first deep lasting impression. In the end she asked him if she could use his clan name; but he was unable to give the permission, resulting in her taking an element while facing forward.

The embarrassment of her first misstep was built upon by further indiscretions during Socialization: improper questions, forgetting to bow often or deeply enough, speaking out of turn and with the wrong level of respect, missing honorifics. The young Neko soon clammed up, pushing herself harder to speak and act properly while burying her questions until she had free time to research the answers herself. This research brought her into more intimate contact with the history and culture of Yamatai, and what she learned made Shizuka more determined to socialize properly and fight for the Empire.

The research also brought her to science, how things work, mathematics, and the plethora of music that was available online. Soon the concepts, with music playing in the background, pushed her career desires towards Engineering - as well as being able to put back together the things she would, out of curiosity, take apart.

Basic's gruelling atmosphere was where Ms. Maeda's loyalist leanings grew. As she bonded with her section, she found herself most often in casual philosophical discussions with a tribute of Yamatai no Motoyoshi. After each talk, Shizuka found herself agreeing more and more with her fellow cadet which brought her from wanting to serve, to wanting to always improve how she served.

After Basic, the young Neko moved on to Engineering training where she parted ways with, what she realized, was the closest friend she had to that date. Though saddened that they had to part, Shizuka continued making sure that some form of combat practice was part of her after duty activities - with music, if she did it alone. The thing that impressed her later was that, after doing something physically strenuous, her homework, exam studies, and project work were easier to do, earning her top marks for graduation.

Maeda Shizuka was on the YSS Densetsu being interviewed with her crew mates to be; however she discovered through some information in her personal research that may hold more promise for her technologically inclined talents. Because of this, she applied for transfer to the YSS Sakura II Plot under the command of Kage Yaichiro, with whom she had a successful interview. In this new position she hopes to expand her technical knowledge and be part of what drives technology in the Star Army of Yamatai forward.

On her first full day aboard, Shizuka found out that she would be participating in some boarding training. Though she had many questions, of which she had asked too much, the young Neko managed to wisen up and acted on her orders rather than her curiosities.

Now out in her MINDY, the wide eyed Santô Hei is out in a training craft to work on taking a starship. Getting in was not too hard, and shutting down a number of systems seemed to work out well - despite a few volumetric engineers who got in the way. Now, however, Shizuka and the rest of her team are dealing with the craft about to self destruct, and the only thing she can do now is try to turn it off, or recommend they leave.

Unfortunately, the self destruct went off and the simulation ended on a not that did not sit well with the young Neko. Ordered back to the Sakura II, she soon had her armor put away and showered up for the briefing. Having worried she had spent too much time showering, however, the technician rushed to a wardroom still not quite filled with the necessary parties.

The debriefing ended up taking little time and instead of lingering, Shizuka stayed only long enough for the meeting to end and for her to finish eating. With that, the young technician returned to the armor bay in order to check over the equipment and think on what Rei meant by “thinking outside the box”.

Misunderstandings and Yuletide shenanigans long behind her; Shizuka has found herself dropped off on Hanako's World along with the rest of the crew of the Sakura II. Filled with shopping and late night issues of getting sleep, this young Neko spent a lot of time attempting and failing to manage her social expectations.

After a truly long leave on Hanako's World, Shizuka is almost completely ready to get back into space again. With her work, however, now more focused on Engineering rather than the Armory, and a promotion to Ittô Hei in hand, she has to rely on her recent Starship Systems training and a new Armorer, Ryugamine, Rukasu, whom had been transferred in to be under her leadership. The mission is to investigate a signal out in the middle of nowhere and find out what is going on.

During the investigation it was found that the signal was originating from a planet that was breaking apart from a black hole inside. An interesting object to science, but something to be extremely careful of in Shizuka's mind. Unfortunately not enough care was taken, or something truly intelligent is behind the dying world as the ship got caught in the gravity well and unable to escape. Even the attempt to land failed as they fell between the cracks and all time stopped all together.

Now the crew of the Sakura II are caught somewhere unknown - without help or possibly a way back. Dead and drifting, Shizuka's first goal was to restore ships power and functions with the hope that they had not purchased a one way ticket to oblivion.

Thankfully the system had only shut down in order to avoid problems with whatever they had just gone through. Fusion came up, Aether came up, all drive systems worked their way up to charge. It was all going rather well until they came under threat by a ship and needed anything available to get away.

It was brutal. Systems malfunctioning as soon as they could be brought online. The enemy had all sorts of countermeasures to ensure the Sakura II would be well and proper sunk. But a reprieve came in the form of fellow Star Army craft cruising in to rescue the beleaguered vessel.

The battle was completed with the enemy taken out and the well damaged ship helped back to Yamatai - or, that was what Shizuka had been told it was. Upon docking and the discovery of the new date, the repair of the Sakura II took time and afforded the senior technician some time to look over what was now a pulverized rump of the old Imperial Seat.

Once the ship had been repaired there was some resistance to the Sakura II leaving for its own time. The gracious hosts turned kidnapper and another small battle ensued before the crew could get on their way back to the time rip that brought them there.

Once everyone who was off ship re-boarded, that was the time they ran, as fast as they could until they reached the doorway home. There was much holding of breath when going through; but on the way, things went well, and a welcome reception greeted the Sakura II and her crew on the other side.

Shizuka has been trained in the use of civilian and military telecommunications equipment, including radio, FTL comms, video communication terminals, and the Nekovalkyrja wireless system. She is well versed in standard military radio operating procedures over the aforementioned equipment. She can also use both Nepleslian and Yamataian fluently for these purposes, as well as in polite and operational conversation, documentation, interpretation, and instruction/reading comprehension.

Shizuka has trained in methods of unarmed combat meant to move like water, but hit like stone. She has also been trained to use energy based weapons, knives, and power armour.

Due to the variability of combat environments, however, Shizuka has been trained to use both sets of combat skills in both Yamatai-like and micro-gravity conditions.

Shizuka has an intermediate user understanding of the Kessaku OS, found on all Star Army starships. This includes proficiency in data entry and retrieval, basic troubleshooting using the help menus, initiating/babysitting properly created patches and installs, and when to just let the Information Technology personnel handle the thing.

She also has training in the SPINE interface for direct control of vehicles.

Shizuka has had training in mathematics up to calculus, probability/statistics , imaginary numbers, and Maclaurin approximations.

Shizuka has been trained in the maintenance of the Star Army Environmental Suit, Type 28 (AMES), the Nekovalkyrja Service Pistol, Type 33, the Daisy M6 Infantry Power Armor, the Ke-M2 "Mindy" Series of Power Armor, the Type 30 Light Utility Truck, the Type 30 Surface Terrain Vehicle, and bladed/edged weapons and tools.

She also has a basic understanding of plumbing, electrical, electronics, and power regulation.

Shizuka has been trained to operate the Type 30 Light Utility Truck and the Type 30 Surface Terrain Vehicle.

Shizuka's curiosity has lead her to learn quite a bit about Yamataian History.

Due to her “sleeping environment requirements”, Shizuka has learned a few things about keeping a barracks or bunk area clean. She also knows what cleaners are best for what purposes and what not to mix together. This knowledge also carries through to how she cares for her uniform and fabric items of kit when doing laundry.

Maeda Shizuka has the following items:

• Ke-M2-2D "Mindy II" Power Armor or another armor designated by ship captain
  • Ke-M4-W2901 Light Armor Service Rifle (Tier 5 Medium Anti-Armor) with Ke-M4-W2902 LASR-SLAG
  • Star Army Butt Pack, Type 29 containing:
    • Type 31A Survival Kit

• Star Army Duffel Bag, containing:
  • Toiletry Kit
  • Environmental Suit
  • 2 Working Uniforms. Includes boots and gloves.
  • 2 Duty Uniform
  • 1 Star Army Cap, Type 32
  • 1 Star Army Coat, Type 32
  • 1 Ceremonial Sash
  • 2 Exercise Uniform (can also used as sleepwear)
  • Undergarments

• Star Army Utility Belt, Type 32, light-blue gray
  • Communicator, Type 29
  • Flashlight, Floating, Type 32
  • Nekovalkyrja Service Pistol, Type 33 with 2 BR-28E Battery Magazines (1 in the pistol and 1 extra)
  • Star Army Science Scanner, Type 31

• green sundress with sunflower print
• white sandals
• XXL T-Shirt, white with black lettering “cut the grass”
• purple one-piece swimsuit
• Bras
  • 1 mauve with white polka-dots
  • 1 alternating cyan and forest green stripes
  • 1 white with a sunshine yellow boarder
  • 1 violet coloured one
• Panties
  • white tanga with yellow trim and tiny yellow lace bow on the front
• Sets
  • solid bright orange set
• EM-G8 Type 33 Datapad (with RICE installed)
• Ulti-Tool Multiple Purpose Tool
• Chrome Egg

Maeda Shizuka is currently a Ittô Hei in the Star Army of Yamatai.

Even in Niflheim, there is heat enough for a spark…

Play start - August 18, 2013 (YE 35)

14-11-12: Updated based on information from bodyvisualizer.com