a migration without end.
Basics.
Alias — KagehiraAge — Mid twentiesGender — It's complicated (he/him mostly, sometimes she/her)Heritage — Doman, LimsanOccupation — Newly unemployed sellsword, security at the Cloak & DaggerMotifs — Black cats, steel bladesPositives — Hardworking, curious, professionalNegatives — Short tempered, unfriendly, vainMotivations — Enough money for shelter, a nice meal, weapons and their maintenance. To become stronger to live another day.
Past.
CW: child abuse, endangerment and groomingAct I.Michiru Kagehira was born in Vylbrand to two Doman refugees who left at the first signs of imminent imperial invasion. Her mother was the successor to a matrilineal line of renowned samurai, and her father was a simple farmer. The two established themselves in Wineport as a guard and a laborer respectively, and the three were a happy family. Had things not gone awry, perhaps Kagehira would be in the wine business today.On what should have been a routine family trip into Limsa Lominsa, Kagehira found herself separated from her parents at the market. Not unusual, but as the hours went by without anyone searching for her, she knew something was wrong. When she reunited with them again, their bodies were long cold. Through what felt like fate at the time, a "family friend" found her and took her in. He even offered to teach her how to fight with a katana, provided she would apprentice as a contract killer. His reason was that kids were expensive to raise, but Kagehira's reason for accepting was far simpler: if she got stronger, no one could kill her, too.So began young Kagehira's years of training, becoming the mildly infamous young assassin known as Papillion. For years she trained, killed, and trained more, slowly forgetting to investigate the matter of her parents' murderers. Only as she got older and wiser did she began to question things.For one, what was a Doman samurai doing so far from home? And wasn't his timing too convenient to be right there as Kagehira was orphaned...? So an investigation was paid for behind her mentor's back, and the long standing grudge between her teacher's family and her own was discovered.Rival schools of swordsmanship and an heir so unscrupulous and petty he'd come overseas not only as a refugee, but for a challenge- a challenge that Kagehira's mother had grown too rusty to meet after years of peace, leading to her end. But the final piece of revenge? The chance to eliminate the Kagehira school completely by teaching its heir the rival sword style.A final victory over a dead woman and her family line, made even more savory by Papillion's inheritance of her mother's katana. Young Kagehira's vengeance never mattered— she was just a part of someone else's.So she paid back the favor and ended her mentor's sword style too, just as she'd been taught. With her mentor dead and her connections too, she shed the identity of Papillion and reclaimed her family name for her own.
Act II.Aimless, Kagehira wandered. He took jobs where they appeared, earning just enough to keep himself fed and sheltered. Subconsciously refusing to think about his past, he simply disguised himself as a man and switched to using knives in order to escape suspicion. After all, there were only so many people in Eorzea using a katana for murders.After taking up with a very eccentric employer, Kagehira found himself frequently traveling between his home of Limsa Lominsa and Kugane, a place that felt both like home and not. Doma was closer than ever, but Kagehira never made an effort to visit. Even knowing he wanted to return his mother's katana to the family grave, he still couldn't bring himself to go.So he wandered and built a life for himself not as "Papillon," but as just "Kagehira". As the days passed, he inevitably began to let others into his life. Not that he'd call them friends, never, but they were in. And that left a strange sensation in him that he couldn't name.After informally joining up with those he trusted into a small time yakuza family in Kugane, things were peaceful for a while. Almost long enough to set down roots, but one disastrous takeover later, he found his new home broken and himself wanted by a rival family.One blink, two— and he found himself awake in an unfamiliar room, with the sting of fresh ink on his shoulder. And that's when he realized something was terribly, terribly wrong. Every time he woke again, his hair would be longer, his tattoo more developed, and that was when he realized he was not alone.But he didn't have time to think about that. He had a life he had to try to live as best he could, on the few days he was tasked with living it, with only the most vague understanding of what had been occurring.Only when he finally woke to the cry of familiar waves and seabirds on Eorzean soil did he feel relief again. But finally, it was time to address the chocobo in the room: what was happening to him...?
Present.
Freshly returned to Eorzea after years abroad, Kagehira is at a loss for where to resume his life. With a stable, liveable income for the first time in a long time, he's as close to truly settling down as he's ever been. Renting rooms for a month or more at a time, no longer hopping from city to city due to work, he's no longer constantly on the move and unsure what to do about it.And that means his demons are catching up to him at last.
Hooks —ʚɞ He hasn't had to dwell on just how many lives he's taken to keep himself fed, and the excuses are wearing thin now that he's found work that pays without having to kill.ʚɞ Being back in Eorzea has reignited his love of grape wine, and he often wonders if someone like him can learn more without having to show his face back at Wineport.ʚɞ The young lord she ghosted is likely seeking information on her whereabouts. But does his influence reach as far as Eorzea?ʚɞ As an avid fan of good food, he'll often stop into random eateries if their posted menu is attractive enough.ʚɞ (More to come!)
Notes.
⋇ He only goes by his surname. If absolutely pressed to give a first name and unable to go without, he answers to "Michael." He grudgingly answers to "Papillon" in work related contexts, but would extremely rather not.⋇ He has a working knowledge of Doman. It's very clear to anyone actually fluent in it that he's not. His Hingan, despite not being fluent, is already almost better than his ability to interact with Doman. He doesn't want to think about why this makes him feel odd.⋇ His favorite alcoholic beverage is a good red wine from Vylbrand, and he's quite knowledgeable about wine.⋇ He is 5'5 with shoes, and is insecure about his height.⋇ He does not smile much. When he does, it seems to be a forced, polite gesture and little more.⋇ He appears more relaxed when wearing masculine clothing, but he doesn't dislike appearing feminine either. He feels compelled to choose one or the other, unaware there's a third option...⋇ He is very fond of blades, carrying anywhere between two to seventeen knives on his person at all times. He currently does not carry his katana, but continues to meticulously maintain it.⋇ He struggles to read, having never been taught past the basics of the Eorzean alphabet as a child. He is able to do a limited amount of sight reading, but has to phonetically sound out unfamiliar words. This has led to a fondness for bard performances and plays, allowing him to enjoy stories without needing to read them.⋇ Despite his general rudeness and foul mouth, he gets attached easily. Even believing that being sentimental will get him killed someday, he cannot help but care.
or...
the immortal butterfly.
Basics.
Name — Michiru!Age — Mid twentiesGender — Cisgender womanHeritage — Doman, LimsanOccupation — Contract killer, house securityMotifs — Black swallowtails (papilo bianor), unsheathed swords, lionessesPositives — Friendly, energetic, sociableNegatives — Selfish, superficial, short-sightedMotivation — Survive at all costs.
PAST.
CW: child abuse, endangerment and groomingAct I, BackstageDeath left its toll on the young girl. Raised as a blade, she found herself honed into one with her emotional range gradually lessening until there was nothing left but the desire to stay alive.Mistrust, doubt and questions weren't allowed to linger, either. She did was she was told to, and she was good at it. She was alive, and she would stay alive as long as she kept being strong enough to dispel any threat to her safety.Never mind that her mentor gradually stopped accompanying her on jobs while helping himself to a hefty fee as her "broker," she was alive. And that was all that mattered to her....yet, there were nights when her focus would break, and she'd find herself mired by thoughts that felt entirely unlike her. Thoughts like it was unfair that she was working so hard only for her money to get siphoned into a vanity project of her mentor's. Thoughts like the fact that her body ached, and that she was beset with cuts and scrapes and didn't ever feel safe sleeping at night. Thoughts that felt like weakness to her. Thoughts that sprouted into doubts, and doubts that grew into actions.When she found herself taking on her now aged and out of practice mentor, she felt an odd sense of calm. Like this was the right thing to do. And as she stood over his corpse, she had only one question: why did she do that?
Act II, BackstageThere were more and more days where Michiru would wake up the next day, or even feel she was waking up mid action, despite being able to remember what she'd been doing up until that point. An altogether strange sensation that should have had her panicking, but that she instead found herself deeply curious about.Simply referring to this other self as "the boy" and accepting that something had gone horribly wrong in her mind, Michiru found herself backseating more and more. Sometimes she'd wake up and found a day or two had passed, and while she could recall what had happened, it was as if someone else had lived her life for her. And in its own way, it was incredibly reassuring that she wasn't alone.But the boy's pace was just so slow, and he was so soft, and weak— what business did he have, getting attached to liabilities? If he kept that up, they were going to die in an incredibly stupid way. So when she "awoke" in the wake of a terrible battle, she immediately pivoted back into old habits. Staying alive was her number one priority, now and always.The rival family to her own shattered one would undoubtedly be searching high and low for her, keeping a sharp eye on the city's entrances and exits for a young, somber Doman man carrying a blade, dressed in a particular style. But that was the boy, and not Michiru.She would call it fate, then, that she caught the eye of a mid sized yakuza family's heir. It was easy enough to pretend, and as her lord's new mistress, she had everything she could want: a place to hone her skills, the familiarity of the rule of the strong, and commitment free intimacy. After all, her lord would one day get married to his betrothed to cement the allyship between their families, so there would never be true romance between them. She was his blade, and that was all there was to it.Until the marriage proposal came, anyways. The fool had fallen in love, threatening to either have him disowned or executed at best, and to take his entire family with him at worst. With that looming, Michiru made the easy choice of smiling, saying she needed some time to think about it, quickly pack her things and to step on the first boat headed back to Eorzea.
PRESENT.
In the relative safety of their new daily life, Michiru feels incredibly, almost painfully restless, something that has manifested in her taking up contract killing again. Complacency gets you weak, soft, and dead, after all, and although the boy never seemed bothered, Michiru knew that one day she could wake to find herself successfully tracked by the family that blamed her for breaking their alliance.So she continues to run as she always has, but she might not be able to, this time.
NOTES.
⋇ She only goes by her given name. She prefers not to divulge her family name, but to people who can connect her and her alter, she will claim they are twins.⋇ She prefers katana over knives, though she loves swords in general. Spending time looking over quality weapons at the market is her idea of a good time, though she doesn't really need more than one sword. Her dream is to one day have a blade custom made just for her.⋇ She doesn't care about food. In fact, there are plenty of days where she forgets to eat entirely. She also won't consume alcohol out of concern it will muddle her senses and leave her vulnerable.⋇ She is 5'5 with shoes, and thinks she's perfectly sized and cute for it.⋇ She usually has a smile on her face, and it seems genuine enough. The only time she's not smiling is on the job, and her lack of expression has been described as unnerving.⋇ She loves cute clothes, and will go out of her way to obtain them whenever budget allows for it. In particular, she loves dresses and skirts with a lot of volume, and something draped over the shoulders. Her favorite color is green, but specifically a slightly blue tinted emerald.⋇ She is a self professed romantic, with a strong preference for romantic plays and ballads. She also states she loves hearing about people's love lives, and will react with enthusiasm. (In reality, this too is a performance of femininity in a bid to appear like a normal human.)⋇ She is somewhat disorganized, and it shows in the way she ties her hair and arranges her outfits. She also isn't too good at maintaining her finances or rote tasks such as finding a place to stay for the night.⋇ Despite her general friendly demeanor and kind words, she does not believe in loyalty and will cut someone off without a thought if they prove dangerous to her.
or...
OOC info.
About the DID:First, I'd like to clarify that the Kagehiras canonically have Dissociative Identity Disorder, and that my intent is to be respectful about it. Please let me know if you feel Michiru veers too much into "evil alter" territory, as she fills the protector role with a great level of maladaptive coping and may be seen as murdering for fun. (I promise she's not.)Everyone with a dissociative disorder will experience it differently, and the partial portrayal of the Kagehiras' system is not intended to represent the full breadth of lived experiences that real people have. In particular, I'm interested in exploring the experience of a more separated system, and the ways each member copes with the role they were made to fill.Currently, they consider each other as separate and somewhere between unwanted roommate and sibling.
Hello, I'm Dean.I'm a guy in his thirties who likes to yap about his OCs, and who doesn't understand graphic design.Moving on, I have a no tolerance policy for intentional bigotry such as homophobia, transphobia, racism and ableism. I understand that people aren't born knowing everything and that mistakes will be made; as long as people are willing to learn and approach topics in good faith, I'm chill.I do not enjoy IC surprises. I understand taking a defensive stance against metagaming, but I have no desire to plot with a character only to find out there is something in their backstory that is firmly on my "do not want to RP with" list. If you prefer to deliver IC surprises, it is best we do not do in-depth roleplay.I strongly prefer RPing with low powered, "dirt farmer" type characters, characters who would not be out of place as a quest or job NPC— basically, the everyday folks of the XIV world. I love exploring the game's various settings and the ways the average person lives their lives within.Michiru, in particular, is currently not allowed to meet high powered characters; to follow the trajectory of her character, I'd end up writing a narrative where she discards her humanity for power which is interesting, definitely, but also not what I feel like writing.I'm most available on Discord, but am available in game as well by appointment.Thank you for reading, and please let me know if this site is inaccessible.⋇ Contact
In-game: Michael Kagehira (Brynhildr)
Discord: sanidine #3769
Bonus artwork of them if they were idols and also didn't share a body.