NOTE | |
---|---|
Dead by Ivan's hand. |
Hiro | |
---|---|
![]() |
|
Portrayed by ACTOR | |
Statistics | |
Fullname | Hiroshi Nishimura |
Birthday | April 12, 1840 |
Species | Vampire |
Age | 170 |
Height | 5'10" |
Weight | 180 lbs |
Eyes | Brown |
Hair | Black |
Occupation | Bounty hunter |
Table of Contents
|
Claim to Fame
Hiro is a relentless bounty hunter and skip tracer; while he's more than capable of targeting human fugitives, he specializes in out-of-control rogue vampires and drainer packs. He prefers to bring his targets in alive.
Biography
My name is Hiroshi Nishimura. And my life was not always this way.
The land of the gods — that is, Japan — has many myths and stories. Some of them are even true. I have no doubt vampires had come there before, but as always, they were forced to hide by the diligence of the various lords and vassals. When warriors are always seeking glory, a creature such as I might as well have a target painted on our head. That all changed in the year 1854, when Admiral Perry forced Japan to open its arms… and legs… to the world. Oh, I don't hold it against Perry — duty is duty. But, ever so indirectly, it was he who was to blame for what happened to me.
It was the year 1860. I was twenty years old, in my prime, but a mere ashigaru in the service of the Shogun. But still, my devotion had been noticed, my striving had not gone unremarked on. I was sent to Yokohama as port security. Oh, there were some old-timers who sneered at the thought of guarding foreign dogs; let them sneer! To do my duty, and do it well, would prove my worth.
Are you ill yet? Well… it wasn't a punishment. Our commander wanted us to /see/ these foreigners, to know what Japan might have to match themselves against. We needed to understand. I was probably selected because I was willing to do just about /anything/ if my commanding officer told me to. Jump off a cliff? I'd have been halfway to wherever before I even considered asking for extra information.
And it was there I died. A vampire, my 'maker', a foreign woman with hair of gold lured me into her embraces. Granted, I would've been entranced even without her glamour; blonde hair is not exactly common in Japan. When I disappeared during a 'bar brawl', I was sadly written off, one more soldier who'd run astray in Yokohama.
Her name was… is… Anna. And while she was firm, and even hard, she was not unfair. Her lords desired a native son, to help them understand Japan better. It was… difficult. For her and for me. It took her weeks to break down my resistance; at times I had to be chained up to keep me from running into the blessed light of the sun. But for all my devotion, I did not truly wish for death. I was too young, too in love with living. And so I guided her. I taught her Japanese, showed her how even now the land of eight million gods was changing. I grew to love her in time, for she was no rapacious bully like too many Western nations were. She was a farmer at heart, not a bandit, seeking new soil to plant her seed in.
Some seeds are good; others go bad. It was during this time I found my calling, so to speak. I was brought in to help apprehend a vampire that had gone feral, had discarded the notions of duty to his betters in favor of trying to live like some filthy oni. I knew the land better than he did; I knew the people better than he did. And it was only the explicit instructions from Anna that forced me to drag him back to Yokohama in chains, to face justice.
As I had commented before, my skills and devotion had not gone unnoticed. New chosen of Izanami came to Yokohama, to teach me Western ideas on pursuit, on tracking, on going unnoticed. I learned how to fit in, how to pass quietly. There were ninja clans in Japan that would've sold their souls and their daughters for the skills I developed and the abilities I possessed.
When Japan began to flex its muscles like it never had before, I knew it was time to leave. I took Anna, and those who would listen, and we fled Japan in 1938 for quieter pastures. A good thing too; the vampires in Japan had moved their court during World War 2 from Yokohama to Hiroshima. Sometimes, the gods have a horrid sense of humor.
In the aftermath of World War 2, Anna and I were forced to part. Her native Germany would need her gentle touch as it rebuilt, and I… was at loose ends. I wandered through Western Europe as the Soviet Union's Iron Curtain slammed down, and soon took ship to America.
In America, I began to ply my old trade again, tracking vampires who threatened our illusion. When the Great Revelation came about in 2003, I honestly thought I would be out of a job. I was actually making plans to head back to Germany! But… rogue vampires were still a problem, since mortals were ill-equipped to handle them. I had to put one down not a year ago, after she had killed a young man and damaged another mortal's mind. And the drainers? They might be human, but they were plentiful, often amplified with vampire blood, and well educated on dealing with us. At this rate, I am reminded of two sayings.
One is 'God put me on this Earth to accomplish a certain number of things. Right now, I am so far behind I will never die.'
The other, of course, is 'May you live in interesting times.'.
Character Details
Hiro is something of a dichotomy. He behaves with a kind of highly-controlled demeanour at most times, making him seem uptight and coldly rational. Despite a century and a half of kicking around, though, Hiro retains a great deal of congeniality. He simply prefers to keep a 'game face' on at most times, much in line with modern Japanese culture. He rarely dresses to catch attention, and in fact is happier if he /doesn't/ grab attention; it's an inconvenience in his line of work. That being said, the hunger often gnaws at this facade from underneath, and when it's strong it gives him the mien of a person trying to keep a tightly wound spring from releasing itself. At least synthetic blood takes the edge off.
At heart, Hiro is not a cruel man. He's not even a particularly violent man, save in the course of his duties. He prefers to give a target one chance to 'come clean' and surrender without a fight. If that fails, he uses precise amounts of force depending on his goals. He takes no pleasure in killing, and finds those that do to be more than a little distasteful.
Relationships
Name | Race | Relation | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Rose | Human | Friend | She's just hurt, not crazy |
Character Gallery
Logs
Title | IC Date | OOC Date | Quick Description |
---|---|---|---|
Dangerous Dealings | February 1, 2005 | February 1, 2010 | Finally able to locate him, Faith enters into what could be a dangerous deal with Hiro. |
Day 1 Training | February 2, 2005 | February 2, 2010 | On the first day of training, the pupil shows Hiro that he has gotten himself in deep. |
The Truth in a Claim | February 4, 2005 | February 4, 2010 | Daily training is held off when the master informs Faith of her current situation. |
Museum Madness | February 14, 2005 | February 14, 2010 | Hiro runs into Rose who is speaking with Guy |
Back to: Current Cast