Meet the New Class – Student Number 12 – Takahashi Shizuko
1) Every night, Shizuko dreams of flying, soaring among the clouds with the endless sky above her and the ground far below. Sometimes there are others in these dreams, but mostly it's just her alone. Imagine her surprise when she entered Mahora for the first time and spotted several of those others on her very first day.
2) Every day in class, Shizuko stares out the window even though she sits on the wrong side of the classroom for it. She tries to pay attention to the teachers, really she does, but nevertheless, her gaze is always drawn outside, where she can see the treetops and the sky above them.
3) Shizuko loves the world tree. Naturally an athletic person, she climbs the world tree any chance she gets; she was elated to discover others shared her enthusiasm for it as well when she found that not only did the weird light-haired foreign girl with the face tattoos spend a lot of time there, so did Caro Shaw, from class, and at least half a dozen others she knew by face if not by name.
4) Shizuko is the only person she knows who can be friends with someone for months and not even know their name.
5) She is very tall, and this has always bothered her in a superficial sort of way that she knows is silly. She is also strong, far stronger than she looks at a casual glance. Her mother always told her she was born to be a warrior, and that it was a real shame she was born in this time, in this place.
6) The first time Shizuko realized she had a fan club was when she saved a younger girl who had tried to climb up the world tree after her and had gotten stuck. The half-dozen or so other girls waiting at the bottom of the tree all but mobbed her when she climbed down with the humiliated/exuberant girl hanging on her back.
7) Art is just fun, writing lacks spirit, but calligraphy is elegant; this was Shizuko's explanation for her choice of clubs to the disappointed leaders of the art and library clubs. Elegance is something she lives for; the stark beauty of a clear blue sky, the perfect symmetry of a hawk riding on the thermals high above, the fascinating artistry of it all when a girl's long hair whips out behind her in a strong gust of wind...these things define elegance to her.
8) Shizuko has a lot of spirit. Though she may not show it in the classroom, not even the longest school day can sap her vitality. Her usual pace is a confident, fast-paced stride. This is a trait she received from her parents, both of whom have big dreams they do their best to chase after.
9) Justice is important; Shizuko knows this. The wicked must be punished or otherwise prevented from harming the innocent. This was the motivating factor behind Shizuko's decision to kick a member of a particularly notorious motorcycle gang in the groin for harassing a girl from another school before she transferred to Mahora. Her mother was with her at the time, and after she stopped laughing, helped Shizuko to beat up the gang members when they came for retaliation.
10) In the very end, at the final battle, Shizuko couldn't help but grin, even in this trying time, as she mounted up for battle. This was the way she should live; she knew it down to the depths of her soul. The people out there fighting depended upon her for protection, and she would see that they had it if it was the last thing she ever did. She paused for a moment, holding her helmet idly, looking at it. A light breeze blew in and she smiled softly as it washed over her face. She handed the helmet back to the confused attendant. "I think I'll go without it, today," she says, smiling as she looks back out at the sky. She undoes the complicated bun holding her long black hair in place and shakes it out. She knees her mount in his flanks and he snorts his version of a laugh back at her, and they're off. She lets the wind run over her face, through her hair, and then they're moving forward and she reluctantly puts the magic wind barrier spells in place. The enemy is here; there is no time to waste. She raises her weapon and rushes to meet them. Even if she dies today, she has a feeling she'll find herself here again. To her, this is heaven.
Takahashi Shizuko
Born - 2/5/1995
Height - 5'11"
Calligraphy Club
Likes – Elegant, beautiful things
Dislikes – her height
Roommate – Sophie Rivers
Little Known Facts – She loves videogames, especially racing games and fighter plane sims
Titles: Student Number 12
Close Friends: Caro Shaw, Zazie Rainyday, Sophie Rivers
Enemies: None
Notes: Takahashi Shizuko was created for the sole purpose of bringing someone with a fancy-sounding name into the class; her personality and looks grew quickly from this, and she is now one of my favorite characters. Physically, she's based on every tall, pretty Japanese Ojou-sama type character I've ever seen, but her personality is something totally different. She is very tall, 5'11", and, for the sake of comparison, is built much like Tatsumiya Mana. She has long black hair and dark brown eyes, and looks oddly half Japanese in a very good way. She looks like she would be more at ease in an evening dress at a fancy party than standing on a rooftop or climbing trees, and while she could definitely pull off the former, she would much prefer the latter. Her personality is quite confusing to most people when they first meet her. She appears to be quite independent and self assured, and yet is skittish and likely to bolt when forced into conversation by someone she doesn't know. This, combined with her tendency to daydream and do random cloudgazing has given her a reputation as being rather...odd; the vast majority of people she meets dismiss her as having her head hopelessly stuck in the clouds, but once in a while she will do something or say something that will make those around her pause and wonder if they've underestimated her.
Appearances: First Appearance- Chapter 5 (Settling In)
Kamo's Negi Love Chart
Motherly - 10
Sisterly - 10
Friendship - 8
Crush - 1
Love - 0
H - 0
Kamo's Comments: "This girl's pretty out there, aniki. Something about her, though...I think you should make a pactio with her as soon as possible, just to keep her away from other mages if for nothing else."
Haruna's Stat Chart
Friendliness - 17
Courage - 19
Attractiveness - 17
Intelligence - 16
Athleticism - 18
Instincts - 19
Anger - 7
Loner - 14
Outgoing - 10
Popularity – 16
Attributes – Tall girl, distant, nothing is impossible, long hair, elegance, hidden strength
Haruna's Comments: "Okay, who broke the stat meter? This is getting ridiculous...! Now I don't get this girl, but then again, neither does anyone else.
Comments From The Rest
Takahata: "Shizuko-kun? She's a good girl; I am curious to see the adult she becomes."
Underclassman member of the 'We love Shizuko-sama, Yay~' Brigade: "Shizuko-sama is the best! Why? Well...um...she just is! She pretty and smart and so dreamy and and kyaa~ I love her so much I can't stand it!"
Classmate Suzuki Keiko: "Shizuko-san...she's very quiet and intelligent, but not the same way I am. I get the feeling she will be able to do anything she wants for a living when she gets older. She's...confident."