Difference between revisions of "Miwa Saitou"

"Oh, are you asking me my advice? Well, I think it's always possible to go too far. Simplicity is best."

A third-year student at Seven Sisters, Miwa Saitou started at the school in her first year, having then only recently moved to Sumaru from Nagaoka to live with her father. Despite starting her last three years of school in a new location, she's managed to create a fine reputation for herself. She's known foremost for her devotion to the school's music club, and in fact holds the first chair cellist position. Miwa is also known for being reliable, even under pressure, and a good listener; add in a sense of style, good grades, and you've got a girl who seems to embody the ideal young Japanese woman.

Core of Power Corona, Is it a Mommy or a Daddy Complex?, Here is the Key (But Don't Unlock the Door), Tamaso Ma Jyotir Gamaya, Morning Prayer, Guardian Spirit?, My God it's Full of Stars, Questionable Taste in Men, Magic! Wheel of Light~, Hands on the Altar, Endure the Rain, Bend with the Wind, Upended All the Same, Stars in Her Eyes

Daughter of Miyoko and Kouhei Saitou, Miwa was raised and grew up in Nagaoka. However, in the October of 2004, the city was rocked by the mid-Niigata Prefecture earthquake, and her mother was killed when their house partially collapsed. In the months following the disaster, her father took a job in Sumaru, supporting his daughter from afar while she lived with her grandparents. In early 2007, once he was finally financially secure once again, Miwa went to live with her father in Sumaru, starting her first year of high school in a new city. Currently she is in her third and final year.

Equipment:

• Weapon: Jitte - A baton-like weapon with a single pronged tine. It was once popular for police in the Edo period.
• Body: Cotton Shirt - A simple pink cotton top, accented with knit ornaments on the hem and around the collar.
• Feet: Black Flats - Plain black women's shoes, made to be both fashionable and easy to walk around in.
• Accessory: Chrysoberyl Choker - A simple black choker, accented with a chrysoberyl catseye pin. Cannot be unequipped. Usually.

Social Stats:

• Courage: 1 - Prone to Worry
• Diligence: 4 - Dedicated
• Expression: 2 - Well Spoken but Demure
• Understanding: 3 - Compassionate
• Knowledge: 3 - Studious
  • Occult: 4 - Is that a copy of the King in Yellow?

Contacts:

• Fortune-telling: "Say, would you like me to tell your fortune? I can find out if we're compatible." Like it says on the tin. Miwa tells the demon's fortune.
• Plead: "Aaah, no, no, please don't hurt me!" Miwa pretends to be scared of the demon and begs for mercy.
• Occult: "I'm wondering, are you familiar with the concept of sympathetic magic at all...?" Miwa attempts to impress the demon with her occult knowledge.
• Praise: "Oh, Apep, you're such a wise demon! I can learn so much from you!" Miwa sings the praises of the demon, hoping to get it in a better mood.

Multi-contacts:

• Princess and Knight: (Miwa + Tohya) Miwa pretends to be terrified of the demons, before Tohya swoops in to defend her. This may invoke interested or fearful reactions.
• Don't Be So Rude!: (Tohya + Miwa) Tohya is terribly rude to the demons before Miwa shows up to tell her to be nicer. This may invoke interested or angry reactions.
• Fashion Hour!: (Miwa + Naomi) Miwa and Naomi team up to give a demon fashion advice! This may lead to a joyful or angry reaction.
• Nice Girls Do It Better: (Naomi + Miwa) Naomi and Miwa team up again, this time to seriously sweet-talk the demons. May lead to a joyful or fearful reaction.
• The Perfect Boyfriend: (Kyo + Miwa) Kyo tells the demons he won't let them lay a finger on Miwa. She does nothing but stand there while he does all the talking. May invoke fear, anger or interested reactions.
• Paternal Instincts: (Shinjiro + Miwa) Shinjiro fusses over Miwa's well-being, while she quietly insists she's fine. May invoke interested or angry reactions.

NPCS of Note:

• Kouhei Saitou (Death Reversed): Miwa's father. A salaryman and an often-absent parent who works very late, Miwa and he have a very strained relationship. Has a very subdued personality.
• Miyoko Saitou (The Star): Miwa's deceased mother. Highly idealized by Miwa.
• Miki "Micchan" Hisakawa (Strength): A close friend of Miwa's. Kind of ditzy and over-talkative, but a steadfast friend in spite of all the upsets their relationship has had.

Trivia:

• Miwa's legal name is, in fact, Miwako. Like many young women, she's dropped the -ko suffix because she feels it's childish. Her first name can be translated roughly as 'corona child' and her surname, 'equal wisteria'.
  • It's also a slight nod to a singer by the same name (different first name kanji, though).
• Her father's first name is written 黄平. It can be read as 'yellow peace'. Similarly, her mother's first name was written 美夜子. It can be read as 'beautiful night child'. This is an intentional nod towards her Persona.
• Her username on most websites is tenshikourin2304. Literally, it means 'advent of angel', but the kanji of 'kourin' is the same as her first name. The numbers are also significant: they're the day and year of the earthquake.
• Miwa plays the cello; despite her hobby, she has no interest in becoming a music student.
• Miwa's other hobby is plant terrariums. The apartment she lives in has very little room for large plants, and certainly no garden like her grandparents had, so she's tried to bring a little greenery to her home by carefully tending tiny plants in bottles and jars.
• Her dream is to own her own small business.
• Her favorite color is pink. This is sort of obvious.
• She is an adequate cook; no gourmet chef but can follow a recipe and can improvise without killing a man.
• Her favorite foods include: mizuyoukan (red bean paste block jelly), brown rice curry and kiritanpo (grilled rice-skewer soup). Her least favorite foods include anything deep-fried and greasy.
• Her homeroom is 3-A.
• In Wang Long fortune telling, she is a Black Dragon.

• 0 - The Fool
  • Tohru Adachi: "Respect" - A detective in Inaba. He helped stop a criminal who stole Miwa's purse. She's been very impressed by his survival in Mikage-cho in spite of not having a Persona.
• I - The Magician
  • Shiki Ichimonji: "Regeneration" - A first year at Gekkoukan High. Miwa has ran into him and Itsuka several times. A rather foolish boy, but not without spirit and energy. Dating Itsuka, apparently. A member of SEES and a Persona-user who uses an Evoker.
• IV - The Emperor
  • Kyo Enda: "Submission" - A fellow senior at Seven Sisters. A popular senior and Student Council President. Has a twin brother, Akatsuki. Miwa and he have begun dating. Miwa is head-over-heels in love with him. Has, as she's found, a bit of a temper; of late, she's been taking care not to upset him again. He was badly injured by Rena Kinukasa while attempting to rescue his brother. She's since promised him that she'll stay out of trouble. A Persona-user.
  • Akatsuki Enda: "Nonaction" - A senior at Gekkoukan High. Kyo's twin, a handsome and charming young man like his brother. It seems their parents separated years ago which is why they don't live together anymore. He and Kyo seem to be on poor terms with one another. A member of SEES. She's found he has access to the private boards of the Darkside of Sumaru, although this seems to be a recent development for him. Rena Kinukasa kidnapped him to get at his brother; he was rescued. A Persona-user, like his brother.
• V - The Hierophant
  • Shinjiro Aragaki: "Discipline" - A senior (???) at Gekkoukan High. A member of SEES (?) and a street-smart Persona-user who uses an Evoker. He is very familiar with the Dark Hour. Has been helping Miwa learn how to better control the power of Persona. He has expressed his concern about what her friends (Naomi and Tohya) have gotten themselves into.
• VI - The Lovers
  • Tohya Kidzuki: "Understanding" - A senior at Seven Sisters High, and Miwa's classmate. A Persona-user and a former delinquent, who seems to be striving to do better in school; she scored very well on her second semester finals, actually! Hard work paid off. Miwa and she became good friends after being stuck and surviving in Mikage-cho together. She's learned about some of Tohya's past and as a result, has become closer to her. She's still worried about her being in KNOWS, but has faith that Tohya will leave if things get truly horrible for her. She's been asked to help Tohya by staying safe; for some reason, she's felt terribly guilty about this. Dona Kimura has cursed her, and Miwa is struggling to resolve this. Currently, Tohya is the only one who knows Miwa's biggest secret.
• XIV - Temperance
  • Naomi Suzuno: "Harmony" - A second year at Seven Sisters. A transfer student, and the heiress of a wealthy foreign company CEO. Joined the Music Club. Despite technically being her senpai, Miwa feels that Naomi is more like someone her own age; they've become fairly good friends. Apparently a member of KNOWS, much to Miwa's surprise; she's since learned why she's with the group, and has faith that Naomi will leave when the time comes. A Persona-user.
  • Dona Kimura: "Discord" - A second year at Seven Sisters. A known witch/occultist. Miwa dislikes her and finds her exceedingly creepy; she also fears that Dona somehow has guessed at her secret. She learned Dona cursed Tohya.
• XV - The Devil
  • Itsuka Mizuhara: "Change" - A first year at Gekkoukan High. Miwa has run into her and Shiki several times. A nice, helpful young girl. The brains of her little group. A member of SEES, and a Persona-user who uses an Evoker. She and Miwa have become friends.
• XVI - The Tower
  • Himeru Namikawa: "Self-Bondage" - A first year at Gekkoukan High. Miwa has run into here now and then several times, among which her first Tartarus expedition with SEES, as well as in Mikage-cho. A recent mission into the depths of Tartarus, though, led to Himeru attacking Miwa's friends; Miwa found out the rational for it, along with what drives Himeru. She doesn't know how to help guide Himeru, and can only express her sympathy and hopes for a better future, for the time being. She is also, Miwa has found, a regular on the private boards on Darkside of Sumaru. A Persona-user.
  • Thora Kobayashi: "Misjudgment" - A first year at Yasogami High. Apparently at one point some sort of delinquent. Works part-time at a forge. She was apprehensive about her until Thora made a present of a new weapon to Itsuka in Miwa's presence. A Persona-user.
• XVII - The Star
  • Hideo Aratami: "Apprehension" - A first year at Kasugayama High. Miwa and he have crossed paths several times, for better or worse. Has become a very different person after being possessed by his Shadow, and was transferred to Kasugayama from Sevens as a result.
• XIX - The Sun
  • Tatsuya Suou: "Trust" - A fellow senior at Seven Sisters. Miwa's run into him under odd circumstances. A very stoic and tough guy; she can see why a lot of girls crush on him. He seems to have leadership qualities. She no longer believes he's interested in her, as she believes his affections may lie elsewhere. Has proposed a Sumaru-based group (the Shinsengumi) to help defend the city against its supernatural elements. A Persona-user.

Miwa's Persona is Ratri, the Vedic goddess of the night. Sister to Ushas, the goddess of the dawn, she was invoked to protect those who must brave the dangers that lurked in the darkness, and to light the way with her many stars. She was also the bringer of the morning dew. However, despite her general benign depiction, Ratri possesses a grimmer aspect: she is not only the protector against the hazards of night, she is also those very same hazards.

Like most Persona users, Ratri grants Miwa an extra but subtle supernatural boost. She has a vague awareness of whether it's night or day, even away from windows or any sight of the sky. Something is also relaxing about her presence to Spotter-class Persona-users; they may feel as if they can find what they are looking for more easily. She's also as a result incredibly easily felt by other Persona users with even the slightest talent for detecting resonance, as she seems to 'bleed' resonance.

Miwa can also detect the presence of Shadows (and other supernatural threats) with Ratri. However, as Ratri is not specialized for such detection, her ability is very weak, worse than even an average non-specialized talent, such as Teddie. She can only 'feel' them for about fifty yards from her exact position, and furthermore only at night. Without focus and actively searching, she can only sense a general presence, without any sense of position. She cannot engage in combat while actively searching.

To other users, her resonance centers around the concept of a lamp in a dark room. Depending on the sensory details favored by the one detecting, how this translates may vary. She may sound like the low hum of a lamp with the occasional soft cry of a night bird; smell like a lamp that's been on too long, ozone mixed with the smell of night air after a long rain; or simply burn like a lantern in the darkness.

Recently, Miwa has begun to be able to detect resonance from other Persona-users, but it's limited to those she knows well or those who are rather overbearing in their supernatural presence.

• Logs:
  • Witching Hour - Miwa discovers the secret of Port Island. Shinjiro lends her a hand and insight. (Miwa Saitou, Shinjiro Aragaki) IC: Aug 30th, 2009 (Mar 3rd, 2010)
  • Pyro Granny visits the Internet - Three Seven Sisters High students meet a sweet old lady. But could there be more to her than meets the eye?! (Yeah.) (Hideo Aratami, Miwa Saitou, Tatsuya Suou) IC: Sept 4th, 2009 (Mar 6th, 2010)
  • The Promise - Miwa meets up with Kyo for the evening at his house and makes a Very Important Promise. (Kyo Enda, Miwa Saitou) IC: Oct 30th, 2009 (OOC: May 1st, 2010)
  • I'll see you on the other side - Getting ones bearings in hell is a tricky thing. Thankfully, immediate danger can paradoxically make it a little easier. (Miwa Saitou, Tohya Kidzuki) IC: October 31st, 2009 (OOC: May 2nd, 2010)
  • Words make the delusion real - A reunion between boyfriend and girlfriend after she returns from Lunarvale/Mikage-cho does not go as (Miwa) planned, to say the least. Dysfunction junction occurs. (Kyo Enda, Miwa Saitou) IC: Nov 14th, 2009 (OOC: May 17th, 2010)
  • Tatsuya's Angels?! - Tatsuya talks to Miwa after school. Supernatural matters and the need for Sumaru to have its own defense squad are discussed. (Miwa Saitou, Tatsuya Suou) IC: Nov 23rd, 2009 (OOC: May 25th, 2010)
  • After the last dance - Miwa runs into Shinjiro after the charity ball, and is quite startled to see how different he looks. (Miwa Saitou, Shinjiro Aragaki, Tohya Kidzuki) IC: Dec 23rd, 2009 (OOC: June 24th, 2010)
  • A Long Winter - The cold door of Caina is opened, and what secrets lie in its dark depths are finally brought into the light. An important decision is made. (Akatsuki Enda, Arisa Shiratori, Himeru Namikawa, Miwa Saitou, Naomi Suzuno, Shinjiro Aragaki, Tohya Kidzuki, Thora Kobayashi) IC: Jan 11th, 2010 (OOC: July 13th, 2010)
  • Renewed morale - After being attacked by Naomi's masked nemesis, Miwa recovers in the hospital. Naomi and Tohya find out, and cut school to visit her. (Miwa Saitou, Naomi Suzuno, Tohya Kidzuki) IC: Feb 18th, 2010 (OOC: Aug 28th 2010)
  • An injured hero - After being injured by Rena Kinukasa, Kyo ended up requiring further treatment at the hospital. Worried about her boyfriend, Miwa visits him there. (Kyo Enda, Miwa Saitou) IC: Feb 23rd, 2010 (OOC: Aug 30th, 2010)

• Cutscenes:
  • Fifth Anniversary - Not all anniversaries are happy ones. (October 23rd, 2009)
  • I'm Sorry - Sometimes promises are broken... (November 5th, 2009)
  • Milestone - A visit to the Velvet Room results in some insight and a gift. (December 13th, 2009)

• Apocalyptica - S.O.S. (Anything But Love) "Twisted Relationship" (Lyrics)
  • Dare me to leave you, tell me I'll never forget.
• E Nomine - Mondengel [Moon Angel] "Ratri" (Lyrics)
  • Angel of the night, who is made from dreams: wake up, the fire is kindling.
• Etro Anime - Summer Rain (Lyrics)
  • But I think too much and I'm left to blame, feeling strangely the same.
• Florence and the Machine - Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up) (Lyrics)
  • Here I am, a rabbit hearted girl, frozen in the headlights.
• Poe - 5 1/2 Minute Hallway (Lyrics)
  • But there's only so far I can go, when you're living in a hallway that keeps growing.
• Poe - Terrified Heart "On Mom" (Lyrics)
  • I'm just going to sing a little song and maybe... maybe you'll pick up.
• Repo! The Genetic Opera - Let The Monster Rise "The Shadow - Daddy Issues" (Lyrics)
  • Didn't you say that you'd protect me? Didn't you?
• Sarah Brightman - Eden (Lyrics)
  • Did you ever think of me, as your best friend? Did I ever think of you, I'm not complaining.
• Shinkichi Mitsumune - Illusion ~ Malice's Pupa
  • Instrumental track.
• Splashdown - A Charming Spell/Remix "The Shadow" (Lyrics)
  • More sinned against than sinning, please, you're not above my suspicions. You're lamb and serpent just like me...
• The Birthday Massacre - Lover's End "Bluebeardesque" (Lyrics)
  • Calling for the other, searching for her lover. Secrets she discovers drain her face of color.
• The Crüxshadows - Ariadne "Love's Aftermath" (Lyrics)
  • And what your life has failed to grant you, live to claim, and claim to live.
• Tsukiko Amano - Doll "On Tohya" (Lyrics)
  • I want you to smile; even an odd answer is fine by me.
• Universal Hall Pass - Quiet Use of Charm (Lyrics)
  • Of all the roads that stretch in their wake before me, I long to rise above all the seas that toss me to say hello! Hello and welcome!
• VAST - Thrown Away "On Dad" (Lyrics)
  • There's a sun, there's a ground under my feet, there is almost nothing in between.