Adira Ueno

A strong body starts with discipline and health!

Adira Ueno is a character in Modernstania, mediocre boxer with some pep in her step by day, daring do good vigilante by night! Bubbly, yet calm, and with a deep sense of justice, she wants to discover the truth of her Parent's disappearance, and keep her town safe. Big fan of large meals, and always has a tune in her head!

## History

### ***Bēru No Chitsujo*: The Order of The Veil**

The dissipation and eventual loss of magic affected everyone, and while the west handled it in its own special way, the East was a little... *different.* You see, between the Oni, Youkai, Kitsune, and every other shaman and wizard that plagued the land, Japan was practically flooded with magic, and with magic came, opportunity. The Order of The Veil was arose in response to the rampant magic, warriors that specialized in combating mysticism by harnessing the might of their bodies, and slowly, a strong clan was formed under that notion... until the magic began to disappear, much to their chagrin.

Now you might be wondering, why would an anti-magic clan be angry at the fact that magic was gone? Well, the answer was simple... No one needed protection from magic, so they were out of the job! Now, in an effort to maintain their importance, the *Bēru No Chitsujo* decided to send whispers among the officials and powerful men of Japan, of a "prophecy" whispered by one of the last Oracles.

*"The ebb and weave of fate and time is fickle, and though now we may see a decline, this is far from the end. The day will come where the Arcane and Divine will once again return en'masse, and it will be then, that the Bēru No Chitsujo will be there to save thee from thine own* *demise"*
Surprisingly, the ploy worked, allowing The Order of The Veil to remain in power, from the shadows of course, for the next 500 years. They would propogate the lies by having "Witch Hunts", and other false leads to keep everyone on their toes. Which leads to the soon to be parents of Adira, Arata & Ayame Ueno. You see, unlike most of the other zealots in the family, they didn't believe it was right to train a child from a young age to believe their entire existence was to fight in a grand shadow war. So, when Ayame discovered that she was pregnant with Adira, a tense conversation was had, and a decision was made; One that would shape the very essence of Adira's future.

### ***Coming to America***

It was the final month of Ayame's pregnancy that the final piece of their escape plan came into play. You see, small sordid rumors of an occultist in Manhattan had reached the elders, and they decided to send some scouts in order to confirm suspicions. Arata & Ayame, who had kept their relationship & pregnancy hidden at the time, both volunteered for the mission. Unaware of the ploy that they were pulling, the Elder

   accepted, giving the couple the final key they needed to escape, a convenient excuse.

It wasn't easy, of course, cutting ties from the Veil after landing in the U.S, deaths were faked, people were framed, and a false trail was created, sending the Veil as far away as they could. Thusly, Adira was finally born to them, and the family finally had a chance to raise their child normally. And raise her they did, Adira learning several important from her lessons, and inheriting their philosophy of right and wrong, something that would shape her decisions in the future.

It was picturesque, in a way, the peace that followed, allowing them to happily raise their child free from the clutches of the veil, I mean, it's crazy right? It's not like magic would ever start coming back right? right?

### ***Preparation? Preparation for what?***

It was on Adira's twelfth birthday that her parents first heard whispers of the Vale... and magic. They didn't want to believe it, that the hogwash they had been fed had even an ounce of truth to it! But... the lingering doubt remained, and doubt could slowly become fear, if left unchecked. Scenarios played in their heads, of a city ravaged by Arcane wrath, of them falling in battle... of them unable to protect their daughter. It was then decided, albeit begrudgingly, that they would teach her the martial arts that they themselves were taught, but *only* in for self-defense, and had Adira swear to never openly show her skills
Adira was more than happy to agree, and eagerly listened to every lesson that was shown to her. She took to martial arts like a fish took to water, and every mastered stance and punch brought a happy smile to the girls face. But more than that, it was the act of her parents bequeathing their knowledge to her, and their trust she would use her skills correctly, that filled her to the brim with pride and happiness. It was more than simple Martial Arts, of course. Deductive reasoning, tactics, the arts, strategy, everything was a viable lesson to teach the young girl. It was near end of her final year in school, that they began to tell her stories of magic and mystic arts, of monsters that had once prowled the land, and of a clan that existed to fight them. At first she though them to be fantastical fairy tails, but began to wonder as to why they barely told them to her now, perhaps they held more truth than previously thought...

The next seven years seemed to pass in a flash, and were the most treasured of her life. It seemed that nothing could impeded the mood that seemed to set itself into her very soul!

### ***The Disappearance of Mr. & Mrs. Ueno***

...That was until the day of her graduation, of course. Now, Adira was always a happy person, as many would tell you, but she couldn't help but frown when her parents faces were not anywhere in the crowd for her to see. She didn't blame them though, in fact, she though of everything from traffic, to late night work, to family emergency (A bit iffy, as she had never heard of other family). It wasn't until she got home, however, that she her happy facade finally cracked, showing true sadness. The house she had grown up in, where all her precious memories were made, empty, without a single trace of anyone having ever lived there. The only sign that anyone had been there being a small suitcase, with a single note placed upon it.

*To our dear Tiger Lily,*
*We could never begin to explain how much it pains us to leave as we have, but know this, your father and I left only to keep you safe. Know that we care for you, and wish the best for you, and know that us leaving is the best way to do so. Keep with your training, and stay vigilant, things aren't as they seem. It pains me to not say goodbye, but know that your Father and I love you dearly, and are always looking out for you. If you ever find yourself in a position where all you can do is fight... open the case, it will help you.*
*Love, your Mother & Father*
It was on that day, June 4th, 3016, that Adira's parents went missing from her life, with nothing more than a cryptic message to remember them by. Unable to stand the sight of her empty home, she took what savings were left to her, and made the move from Brooklyn to Manhattan, hoping beyond anything else, to find signs of her missing parents.

### ***Birth of The Bakeneko***

The next eight months passed by in somewhat of a blur for Adira, who only had the thought of her parents keeping her going. Her funds getting lower, her stomach emptier, and spirits at an all time low, Adira was all but about to give up. She refused to open the suitcase, for what reason?

       She couldn't really give one, maybe opening it might mean accepting that they were actually missing? The days blended into one, leading to one faithful night. It was all happenstance, in hindsight, that she had heard two unruly fellows talking of acquiring special "cargo". Normally she would have ignored it, but something in their tone, something *wrong,* caused her to look into it. She learned of a meeting place, and the number of people, and after some internal debate, decided to finally, open the suitcase. Inside was a ceremonial garb worn by warriors, not at all armor, and a Japanese mask of a *Youkai*, a Bakeneko, to be precise. On that night, with her apparel fully equipped, The Bakeneko was born to the streets of New York.

Traveling to the thugs meeting spot, Adira made a harrowing discovery. The cargo in question had been *young women*, kidnapped, and sold for lecherous reasons. Seeing this brought about a fury in Adira, and relit the fire in her soul that had been cold for so long, and with righteous power, struck down the thugs, freeing the women in the process, and left in the dead of night before anyone knew any wiser. It was then that Adira had an epiphany, an idea that would consume her for many nights to come.

*"Mom and Dad... they're gone, and moping isn't going to bring them back. I can't just sit by and feel sorry for myself anymore! No more, from this day forward, Adira Ueno isn't going to sit back in her pity puddle! I can fight, I can help people, so why don't I do that! Mom and Dad, they must be in danger, they must be a part of something bigger, magic... Argh! No time to think about that, I have to work with what I know!"*
## Appearance

Standing at an "intimidating" 5'1 (her words), Adira has trouble standing out in a crowd, mainly because she can't be seen in one! With long black hair tied into a ponytail, attire that shows more than enough skin, and the ever present smirk, Adira strikes something of a confident figure. She has an athletic build, one that could be akin to a runners, with small, well-defined muscles evident. Her body though, is littered with old cuts, bruises, and scars, courtesy of her nighttime hobby. Recently, she acquired a tattoo of a sakura tree on the left side of her stomach, an homage to her heritage, if you would.

Now for the most part, Adira's eyes are always semi closed, constantly in an "eye-smile" state. Many who know her attribute it to her lax personality, thinking nothing past that. However, when she dons the guise of The Bakeneko, things change considerably. She opens her eyes in their entirety, allowing others to peer into her crystal like orbs, a trait that was common among members of the Veil

## Personality

### Adira!

* Bubbly
* Loud Voice
* Relaxed disposition
* Hungry?
* Yea! Definitely Hungry!

Adira is something of a social butterfly, seeking to befriend everyone within a five mile radius of hers at all times. She loves meeting new people and learning about them, and her number one winning strategy is to invite them for a meal. After all, what kinda person doesn't like free food! She can be compassionate and sweet, yet can sometimes be rather, well, *intense* for those who are not used to her. And god forbid if you are anti-social, because she will drag you tooth and nail out of your shell

### Bakeneko!

* Angery!
* Contemplative and Broody
* Rough spoken

The Bakeneko is a composed, imposing figure to those who cross their path. With an intimidating aura, and the skills to back it up, The Bakeneko is a professional. Short, choppy sentences, and harsh physical actions are the name of the game, and Bakeneko is a master of the game. Though if something totally unexpected were to occur, just a *tad* bit of Adira might find itself slipping through. Hey, nobody's perfect, right?

## Friends

While Adira would say everyone she meets is her friend, she counts people who know her "secret" in another field entirely, those she can trust to watch her back, and Vice-Versa.

## Enemies

While Adira truly wishes the best of everyone, she isn't Naive enough to acknowledge when someone is directly opposed to her, or a danger to others. Those people she keeps in a list at all times.

## Aspirations

First and foremost, Adira wants to find out more of her parents disappearance, wanting to know more of the circumstances as to why they went missing. She wishes to become a hero that can keep New York safe from things it cannot comprehend or understand, while maintaining her

    own sense of right and wrong, helping anyone and everyone she can along the way

Aside from that... Adira wants to make it big! Call her greedy, but she can't help but imagine herself one day resting in the bed of a penthouse, getting calls from several important people asking her for her opinion! But seriously, getting herself in a position where she can better help even more people would be nothing short of wonderful for the girl... it totally has nothing to do with the idea of pretty suits and fancy restaurants with mouth watering meals, not at all! Though at the current moment, here's hoping she can get rent paid!