bio
Family // Relationships *IP* // Verses
Name: Mariko Fujimoto [ 藤本, 真理子 ]
Age: 20
Birthday: April 21 (Taurus)
Orientation: CisHet (she/her)
MBTI: INFP
Morality: Chaotic Good
Sins: Gluttony
Virtues: Diligence
Languages: Japanese, English (conversational)
Height: 5’0”
Shape: Hourglass
Hair: Strawberry blonde
Eyes: Amber-Brown
Marks: A couple small scars on her feet and hands from her outdoor excursions as a child, birth mark on her outer right thigh
Skills: Cooking, sewing, heavy lifting
Occupation: Convenience store and manga café clerk
Location: Tokyo (verse dependent)
Interests/Hobbies: Reading (mainly Classic English literature and Fantasy), taking care of her indoor plants, book shopping/hoarding, sweet and spicy food, herbal tea
Miscellaneous Facts:
Takes the sentimentality of homemade cooking very seriously.
Used to be a tomboy as a teenager but is now drastically more feminine.
Has the tendency to daydream at inappropriate times.
Wears contacts in public, glasses at home.
Can carry objects heavier than most girls her stature.
Loves puns. Tell her one, and she’ll likely friend-marry you.
Will be your bodyguard if having harassment issues.
Personality:
Mariko is a rather absentminded girl with a no-nonsense attitude she isn’t afraid of showing. She values honesty above everything, and doesn’t dare sugar-coat her thoughts, intentionally or otherwise. This makes her come across as cold and insensitive, though most of the time, she means well.
Although aloof upon first encounter, she likes meeting new people, and possibly befriending them, seeing as she’s selective with bringing others into her social life (what little of it she has.) Having been on her own long enough, she can’t help but act in such a way. She has a difficult time opening up with someone she’s getting to know but depending on the person, she puts effort into letting them know that they have her full attention in order to gain their trust.
Once she comes out of her shell, her timidity is replaced with a kindlier (less in words, more in actions) and easygoing behavior. Having been brought up in a male-dominated household, she lacks the emotional intelligence typically contributed by a motherly figure. Therefore, she struggles with being open with her emotions, and instead, reacting defensively whenever someone tries to get personal with her. Along with that, she has a tendency to resort to her old tomboyish mannerisms she developed after her rambunctious brothers, and ex-motorcycle gang leader of a father. This includes masculine speech and body language, and country bumpkin slang (the Japanese variety).
Background:
Mariko was born in a small mountainous village in Gifu, raised in an old farmhouse passed down from many generations. As a child, she would spend most of her carefree days outside, whether it be playing in the streams and forests, or helping her relatives with the daily chores around their vast homeland. She grew up with strong family values; so for the most part, she invested most of her time on familial relations as opposed to bonding with other children her age.
Having grown up in a male-centered household with her single father, along with two rambunctious brothers, Mariko picked up on a few of their masculine mannerisms, making her a rather tomboyish girl all the way through her school years. Constant roughhousing with her siblings mainly started with them egging her on with their antics. This, along with the heavy lifting that was expected of each family member (living out in the country where you had to chop your own firewood and harvest your own crops offered no excuse for lazing around), aided in developing her ridiculous muscle strength to the point where she could lift her brothers (yes, both at once) with ease.
After graduating middle school, Mariko, by the suggestion of her father, reluctantly connected with her mother, Hanako, in Tokyo, and made the move to her luxurious studio apartment, a drastic change in environment. It took years of growing accustomed to the city life, as well as getting over the bumpy start of their reunion but eventually, the two settled into a tolerable relationship while maintaining the combined tea house and nursery run by Hanako. There were conditions that the woman insisted upon unless the girl wanted to get kicked out, one of them being to abide by her "dress code" that consisted of frills and short skirts in order to attract a certain customer demographic. If it wasn't for its generic appearance, the "cafe" could pass for a hostess bar, the last place for an easily influenced underage girl to work at.
High school, like any other school year, was about the same results for the introverted girl: Few friends, yet close relationships. She wanted nothing more. Yet the numbers were massive compared to her smaller schools back in her village; so that caused her to further sink into her little world for the sake of preserving her energy. She was at least thankful for the few people who genuinely cared about her, and brought her out of her shell whenever they could. Those sweet memories, as short-lived as they were, would never be forgotten.
Since graduation, Mariko’s relationships have slowly drifted away. In spite of this, she wanted to be closer to her peers, as well as a change of scenery from her mother’s cold and dismal apartment; so she moved into a dorm as soon as she registered for college, with the financial help of her mother's boyfriend/sugar daddy who showed more concern for her than her own parent. During her studies, she had received some useful insights on people and subjects of interest (English Literature and Mythology) but socially, she was still lacking in that department.
However, that success wouldn’t last. Hanako’s rich boyfriend whom she had been relying on for money had broken up with her after growing tired of her greed and mistreatment of her daughter, leaving both women no choice but to close shop. While Mariko remained in the city, her mother grew cold feet, and took off to seek her own fortune (and romance) elsewhere, selling off her fancy apartment, and disappearing without a trace.
Having been abandoned a second time by her mother left a bitter taste in her mouth, and all Mariko wanted was to return to the warm, nostalgic comfort of her home in the countryside. Yet, something kept her from giving into that easy path. A growing flame of determination to prove herself more stable and responsible than her flighty mother urged her to stay in the city, and make a living for herself. Packing whatever necessities she could fit in a backpack, the young girl took to the streets in search for work while spending the nights in affordable cyber cafes and capsule hotels to speed up her savings.
Basically homeless, Mariko finds peace in the simpler life she had made for herself, considering it a refreshing change from the cold and wasted space of her mother’s apartment. She landed two jobs, one at a convenience store, and eventually the other at a manga cafe, the same one she had been frequenting as a temporary home.
Yes, her life was indeed peaceful but it didn’t come without its faults. Loneliness played a heavy role, and it only grew heavier with time. Her only connection would be through letters to her father whom she would write to regularly to ensure she was alive and kicking, leaving out any "unfavorable" details. The yearning, silent desperation for a connection, any kind, as long as there was someone to help her get through the cold, harsh world would be nice….. but she wouldn’t dare admit to such a thing!
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