Nekonote, Ai

Name: Ai Nekonote
Age: 16
Birthdate: July Fourth
Gender: ??? Agender.
Sexuality: ??? ? ? ? ? good luck
Rank: Genin

Village: Konohagakure
Clan: Nekonote
Element(s): Fuuton, Doton
Specialties: Kenjutsu, Fuuinjutsu
Special Characteristics:

Sensory:

Height: 5'1"
Weight: 90 lbs
Hair Color: Blue
Eye Color: Grey
General Description: For an extremely androgynous individual, Ai is pretty. Not exactly conventionally pretty, due to their gender being a mystery, but pretty all the same. Fair skin, sharp eyes, neatly kept hair; not to mention their clothing choices, suits and sweaters; anything that further accented their 'figure' while still being appropriate choices for combat and weather alike. Hair is a dark blue, fitting well enough with their skin tone while going hand in hand with their cloud-gray eyes to give off a 'stormy' quality. Their ninja toolbelt is kept on the left side of their waist, opposite of any sword sheathes they might have which would find themselves strapped to their right thigh. Finally, a pair of glasses hang precariously off their nose (blue just the same), though they don't seem to have any issue seeing without them; a fashion statement, maybe?


Personality:
First and foremost, Ai is dutiful. Raised as a Nekonote they were built from the ground up as someone fit to be a bodyguard, mercenary and assassin all in one. When given in order from a superior they will carry it out to the fullest, whether it clashes with their personal morals or not. (Which they have quite a few of.) They are loyal, fierce, and obedient. They are the picture of perfection for their line of duty and are often praised by the clan heads and employers for it. However... the problem of clashing morals still remain. Ai does not want to kill- it's messy, gruesome, and painful. They'd like to avoid it when they can, especially when it comes to people they've met and have taken a fondness to. Again, though, they have little choice; causing a series of night terrors and other mental complexes from the senseless murder they are required to endorse.

Under the hard, professional surface, Ai is actually quite kind and gentle. Good with children and the elderly, all living things alike, even fellow shinobi and enemies. They're known for taking helpful, relaxing missions, anything to help anyone with trouble and make their lives even easier. Despite their combat prowess they tend not to engage in fights outside of missions and orders, preferring to try to settle problems with careful words and planning. With that, they have a very strategic, secure mindset when it comes to the ninja life. Being not only rigorously trained throughout their life they are also a fencer by heart and practice, focusing more on waiting for the most opportune moment to strike; whether that be with words or with the sabre they carry.

Ai still carries shame, and will shy away from mentions of how they really are; sticking mainly to conversations that have to due with business, despite desperately wanting friends to talk to. They'd be able to, of course, if they just reached out; they're terrified of getting too attached, however, considering that their life causes trouble to those around them whether they want it to or not. They don't want people close to them getting hurt because of a fued between themselves and anyone in their line of work, nor do they want to have to end up hurting the person they're trying to protect. If someone would just push further past the "no, I can't, I apologize" Ai would slowly open up and accept them as a friend, especially if they feel that their new friend could take care of themselves.

In the end, they're a scared, sweet kid who tries their best to be grown-up and ruthless in an adult's world.

Likes:
Fencing: A rather unorthodox fighting choice for an assassin, Ai's fencing training was taken up on a whim after seeing a fight in action. It fits their in and out, finding an opportune moment to strike fighting style to a point (a sabre's, at that) and they are absolutely fond of it and proud beyond measure of their skill using it. Picking up the style was the only thing they've ever had to argue with their clan about, and are ecstatic that they won the right to practice it in the end.

Acknowledgement: Mainly the acknowledgement of their clan, contractors and Konoha as a whole. It's the main reason why they're so painfully loyal and persistent about doing what they must; they want the praise and attention. They understand that this is a childlike way of thinking and will not outwardly admit it to anyone, but it is one of their main motivating factors and they adore it.

Warmth: Simple enough, the temperature itself. Ai isn't a fan of colder weather. (not to a dramatic enough degree to effect their fighting in it, just on a comfort level)

Peace: They want to stop killing. They'd love to be free from the binds of their clan and war and just live a peaceful, calm life; which is completely unrealistic, and not something they're going to do anytime soon. At the very least they treasure every moment they get to enjoy peace.

Sweet liquors/meats: Speaks for itself, simple dietary preferences.

Dislikes:
Killing: Also includes the idea of death in general. Ai is pretty rational with their view on death; obviously they don't WANT to die, but they're not exactly terrified of it every second of every day. Alternatively, they're tired of having to kill. Even if it's legal, ordered killing- it sucks. They can fully understand it's the ninja way of life, but they didn't sign up for this, they were born into it and trained into the machine of loyalty they are now. In the end, they'll kill anyways, but they don't like to. They really don't.

Soda/vegetables: More basic dietary preferences. They're childish.

Embarrassment: Hand in hand with their like of acknowledgement, Ai hates being made to feel like they let anyone down; especially when it comes to public embarrassment. It's painful and they don't have the emotional capacity to cope with it.

Constant warring:: As they desire peace, they hate the state of chaos and disarray the shinobi world is put in. If they could, themselves, they'd do whatever it'd take to stop the fighting and aggression once and for all.

Being called a 'hypocrite': They KNOW. They don't want to kill, yet they do anyways because they're told to, and still feel bad about it in the end. They know they're hypocritical. Do not point it out unless you plan to sit and talk about it for awhile- or you're planning to start a fight.

GENDER: Don't tell them they're a girl. Don't tell them they're a boy. Don't tell them they're pretending. They identify as genderless, and it works just fine with their clans ideals- if not in their favor, as a gender neutral individual can pass as a great spy. They're lucky they're androgynous but it's still a struggle to get people to recognize it. Ai does not have a gender and will not settle for being told less. Do not cause issue.

Motivations:
Their pride to their loyalty and skill is the biggest motivating factor they have, not to mention the praise and attention they receive for working hard and doing what they're told to. If they can bring pride to their clan and maybe even to their village that's just enough for them; even outside the struggle for peace, which is obviously another big factor, they'd settle with being acknowledged. Their fencing of course plays a part as well- they've worked very hard on the art and the application since their early academy days, and will not hesitate to say they're the best person in their field at the moment. Friendships, while less than the other motivations, also drives them forward; maybe, just maybe, they'll meet some other people in this tough world who'll stick by them- and who they hopefully won't have to end up having to hurt.
They'd still like their freedom from this life, someday, if possible. They won't fight for it though... they're an assassin, through and through, and will stick by their clan unless their driven by another good reason.

Fears:
Someday their karma is going to come back to haunt them, or destroy them; either or. They're prepared for this inevitability, but they're scared shitless. They've done too many horrid things in their life, and will continue to do so for as long as they're told to, and they just know they've signed their own contract with hell- the whole Nekonote clan has, in the end.
Not to mention the honest, plausible fear that they'll get close to someone who will kill them or who they'll have to kill. They're terrified of who they've become, even if they won't openly admit it. They're terrified of pretty much everything. They're calm, straightforward and honest- except under the surface, where they're a trembling, loyalty-driven kid who has no choice but to follow their orders as they've been raised and pushed to.
They're scared one day they won't be able to carry out a kill order and will be put down, or worse, shamed by the entire clan and village they respect and have done so much for.

History:
The Nekonote are less a 'clan' than they are a military, disregarding bloodlines and the fact that they are an actual family. There is not kindness nor gentleness within their ranks- they exist for one reason, thanks to the leader, to be Konoha's "Guard Cats" and war with anyone that causes the village trouble. They are loyal, strong, and ruthless. That is how every member is taught, what is drilled into each head before they're allowed to receive the Buyougan kekkai genkai.

The 'beginning' of Ai's life did not begin until they were roughly seven years of age, the previous years holding no significant meaning. It was now that they were put through the training regiments, day after cold day, pushed to their limits and further; doing much more than the average pre academy students of their age. Their parents were stone hearted mercenaries like the rest of the clan, leaving Ai regularly in the hands of their trainer as they took about missions and requests. Ai didn't have room or reason to be sad, of course; every child dealt with the same thing, and every child lived through it to come out shining and worthy of the clan's acknowledgement.

It was at the start of their academy years that Ai developed further than before. Not only was now when they witnessed fencing firsthand for the first time and came to wish to do it, they also learned more about their gender preferences and settled on neutral; not feeling like the sex they were born with and blatantly stating that to their family and clan head the moment they thought it through. It wasn't too much of a hassle; no one cared, really, and it was a simple matter to adjust and remove the files of Ai's birth gender- removing that obstacle and causing it to turn into a mystery that will likely never to be solved. Pronounds were easy as well, addressing Ai as "they" instead of "he" or "she"; it only helped to distance them from any family bonds, which they didn't mind. They saw the clan as business in the first place.

When they mastered the first stage of the Buyougan and truly picked up a sabre for the first time, the years of training were finally seen to pay off; they were unstoppable by their peers within the clan, darting around the battlefield and excelling in any close quarter combat situations. Days were filled with parries and thrusts, further training up until they graduated from the academy and advanced as a genin. When they were thirteen they got their first assassination mission and carried it out perfectly- they didn't think much of it then. It was over the next three years that they slowly grew to loathe the act, despite their loyalty only growing stronger to keep up with that dislike. It became tiresome, even heartbreaking, and Ai's charade of impassiveness started to crack.

They had to kill a merchant from another village at one point, a simple old man who had no illbearings towards anyone. It was an order, and they fulfilled it, but they'll never forget the tears that fell from their eyes or the sound of the blood dripping from their sword that day. They started to feel disgusted with themselves. They'd never talk to anyone about these feelings, and no one seemed to have a problem that the Nekonote had become nothing but a den of coldhearted assassins. Obviously they never caused trouble for their own village, never doing anything shady that would hurt their relationship with any of the higher ups- their loyalty was never a question, absolute. That wasn't the problem.

The problem was this one coldhearted assassin was thawing, thawing painfully, had been thawing for years; and would continue to, until they burn up and turn to ash themselves.

RP Sample:
A flick of the wrist and the lady fell to the ground, a newly-created cut leaking blood from her upper arm. Ai heard the cry, of course, and heard the pleas for them not to do this. They had no choice. Not only was the woman a thief, a liar and a cheat, the orders from higher up gave them explicit directions to cut her down. They had no choice. Those words kept ringing in their head, face impassive but lips twitching as they tried not to frown. By now their hands were taught not to shake when afraid, but they could feel it slowly slipping through. The woman was a bad person, and even if she wasn't... they had no choice.

A glint of sadness flashed through the young assassin's eyes as their sabre thrusted through her neck, leaving nothing but the sound of gurgling and splattering blood to be heard throughout the forest and its trees.

They had no choice.

"I apologize."

Faceclaim: Naoto Shirogane; Persona 4