The One Eyed Bandit
rotworm
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Sayoko Akiyama
T H E B A S I C S
Name: Sayako Akiyama
Nickname: Sayako Hoshino
Age: 32
Height: 5'7"
Weight: 146lbs
Date of Birth: October 30th, 1983
Place of Birth: Japan
Gender: Female
Sexuality: Heterosexual
Appearance:
W H O A M I ?
Personality
Sayoko is someone who, after all they've done, and all the mistakes they've made, is just trying to make the best out of what they have now. The obsessive, ice-cold nature of her Investigator self is long since blow into the wind, replaced by a melancholic sense of resignation. She's passed the point where you'll find her lamenting about her past mistakes, or just how unfair the lot life has dealt out to her has been, and reached a place where she's just... Accepted it all. One where she realizes the foolishness of her past actions, and works to absolve them with what she does now rather than blaming them on circumstance.
Or at least, that what she'd call her ideal.
In truth, it's just something she seeks after. The reality of the matter, is that the Sayoko Akiyama, or Sayoko Hoshino of today, it naught more than a shell for the lone, lost green haired girl of her past. The 'direction' she seeks, is something still yet to be found. Where one would think the regular roaming of the Ghoul Vigil, who can be found fighting off any predators who seek to devour the wayward men and woman of the night as a being of of justice, it is, in truth, just something of guilt. Guilt to make up for her past actions, guilt to make up for her self-perceived 'betrayal' of Shizuka Hoshino. Or, perhaps, it's a still lingering sense commitment? The very same one that she felt during her years in the CCG Academy, that drove her to become an Investigator, to fight off Ghouls, in Shizuka's absence? In truth, both can probably be said to be true, the fact of the matter being that, no matter how hard she's tried, Sayoko is still living her life for people other than herself. Even if she doesn't realize it.
She's never really moved on from her past. She's only gone about trying to bury it beneath her attempts at living a reasonable life. She's covered it in as much dirt, stone, and grass and she can possibly muster, and turned her back on it for what she hopes to be forever. But it's still there. Eating at her, on the fringes of her mind, guiding her way of thinking and actions as it always has, however more subtly it may do so. To truly put it behind her, what Sayoko needs is a finality. Something, or someone, to help her put the closing words on that long, long chapter of her life. And, whether, that should ever come to pass, or should she be forever fated to aimlessly wander in the shadow of Shizuka Hoshino, is something nobody can say for sure.
That isn't to say though, that Sayoko is completely unchanged from the stoic girl of her youth. With her efforts to put her past behind her, she's also gone about making herself a considerably more 'open' person. Where her self of the past would spend her time locked away in her apartment, studying or pouring over documents, her self of the now is someone who, as mentioned earlier, is just trying to make the best out of what they have now. No longer does she wall off everyone and everything that approaches her, and no longer does she consider anyone who wants to become anything more than a faint acquaintance a bother. She'd opened herself up to relationships, to friendships, and being a part of a bigger whole, abandoning the ridiculous sense, no, need for absolute independence she once held in the past. Now she's someone who can be seen flashing a wayward smile or two, and someone who can be found showing genuine care and concern for those around them.
Though, as you might be guessing, she still hasn't fully made that transition. The part of her that stays clinging to days past stops her from ever getting as close to someone as she once was to Shizuka. A side that stops her from laughing and smiling from the very bottom of her heart. But, that wall, as with all things, can only stand for so long, and it's only a matter of time before the person, group, or anything in-between that breaks through it comes along.
Though whether that will be for better or worse, only time can tell.
History
A Common Tragedy
The greatest, most terrifying difference between a Ghoul, and the many fictional man-eating fiends that mankind has concocted, is that they are so flawlessly able to walk among us. Unlike the vampire, they can walk in the light of the sun, and unlike the zombie, they're able to walk about with their brain fully in-tact, and unlike the demon, no holy or scared items are able to keep them at bay. In other words, no matter where you are, and when it is, you can never really be safe. A lot of people though, overlook that. They think that just because the veil of night hasn't yet fallen upon them, and the warm rays of the sun still bathe the world, they'll be fine. That it'll be safe for them to take a shortcut through that alley. That it'll be safe for them to stroll down that nice, quiet back-road that nobody ever seems to use. Sayo and Hirako Akiyama, would learn that the hard way. On a day not unlike any other, they found themselves on a peaceful, romantic stroll with one-another. Their daughter Sayoko was penned up at the local day-care, and the two of them both having the day off. They were without a care in the world. So, imagine their surprise when they were killed. In broad daylight, during the time when they felt their safest, the time they'd felt free and ready to roam peacefully, they were killed. And they were eaten. Within only a few moments, they'd been pulled away from their only five years old daughter, and turned into some ravenous monster's dinner.
Death is a peculiar thing. While Sayo and Hirako were being killed and devoured, Sayoko was spending her day as she would any other. Had no idea about the events transpiring only a few miles away, and couldn't even take into consideration the idea that maybe, her parents might not be making it back that night. Which just serves to make it all the more cruel. Because to the young girl, her parents, for all intents are purposes, were alive. They were alive even after their souls had left the earth, and they were alive when someone finally came across their half-eaten, bloodied corpses. They were alive right up until the moment when a lone man, in a stark black suit approached the young girl.
And told her that they were dead.
To her, within only a moment her parents had gone from alive and well, to dead and eaten. Within a moment, she'd become an orphan.
And within a moment, she'd gone from a normal girl, to a ward of the CCG.
An Unexpectedly Happy Childhood?
Parents dead. Relatives nowhere to be found.
As orphaned as one could ever be.
On the day she found it her parents died, things seemed to Sayoko like they couldn't ever get any worse, and that they couldn't possibly get any better. After all, what was there to look forward to? She was destined to live out the rest of her youth in a loveless orphanage, she'd never again feel the loving embrace of her mother after a long, hard day, and she'd never feel the driving force of encouragement that her father spewed upon her whenever she was feeling down. Or at least, that was what she thought. Her first few days in the orphanage weren't something that served to betray her expectations, in fact, they met it wholeheartedly. The cold, clean walls of the facility radiated none of the pleasant, homely warmth that her home had, and the staff would, and could never come to replace her parents. But, even through that, an unexpected beam of hope would shoot into her life. It was true that she could never replace her parents, no matter how hard the staff tried, but, the same could not be said of something else. A sister.
Shizuka Hoshino. She was an orphaned girl, just like Sayoko herself, but, unlike her sad, solemn compatriot, she seemed to radiate a blinding aura of hope. It was overwhelming. Just how could someone, a person just like her, managed to go on like she did? She seemed to be wholly unaffected by the loss of her parents, something that regardless of the time since their passing, Sayoko couldn't even think of accomplishing. So, she spoke to her. She spoke to her and asked just how, she managed to be so happy, so exuberantly bright in the face of peril. Her answer, was a simple one. But a simple who that Sayoko couldn't understand. She cast it aside as 'cold' and 'weird', and all the other things that a child, afraid of what they'd beheld would say, and she went about to distance herself as far as she could from the peculiar girl. But, as fate would have it, Shizuka had other plans in mind. She recognized something, something beyond what the average kid would recognize. The source of Sayoko's spite, and that it was one of fear. A fear of something she didn't understand, or, perhaps, a fear of casting aside the memory of her parents like they were nothing more than a leaf in the wind. So, that radiantly bright girl called Shizuka Hoshino decided upon something.
That she would pull Sayoko out of her pit of despair. That she'd stop her from losing her life to a memory. Her thoughts, the resolve, was beyond that of any normal child, but, the young Shizuka Hoshino was anything but normal. Her process, was long and arduous. She worked her way towards her, invading her life, speaking to her even through the other girl's resent, and was rejected again and again. Sayoko gave no ground, oftentimes refusing to do so much as speak to her would-be friend. But, as no ground was given, neither was any yielded. Her force was unrelenting, every rejection only ever making her push harder and harder. She was an unstoppable force. And despite her resolve, Sayoko was nowhere near being an immovable object. So, eventually, she cracked. The two started eating together, sharing nothing more than the table, without a word to be said between the two. It was a small crack, but, it was all that Shizuka needed to push her advance. And so she did. And so the two of them became friends. After that first crack, it only took the young Hoshino weeks to get through to her quarry, prying open her sealed-shut heart, and fastening herself as her closest friend, and a sister by all bonds other than blood.
And until the end of her life, those bonds would remain steadfast and strong.
Thankfully, those happy days go on.
As Wards of the CCG, Sayoko and Shizuka were both sent to the Junior Academy in place of a normal school. For years they attended the Second Academy of the CCG, going about learning all the things that any pair of girls would while growing up. They laughed, they joked, and spent their afternoons chatting about the latest gossip going around the school. Looking at the two of them, or, any of the students of the Academy it was hard to believe that they were wards. Gone was the overpowering sense of despair that overran so many of their childhoods, replaced by a normality that they'd once thought unobtainable. The ultimate testament to time healing all wounds, one could suppose.
But even more astounding than that was one thing.
And as the years had passed that one thing had only become more and more apparent. That Shizuka Hoshino, was extraordinary.
The girl who Sayoko called best friend proved herself again and again. She blazed through every challenge presented to her, acing every test and paper her schooling presented to her with ease, and mastering nigh on every sport she chose to venture into within months. Not only that, but even biologically she was extraordinary. When the CCG ran their tests, those which served to scout out students compatible with the Quinx surgery, she excelled. Hers were among the highest ratings ever, making the mere average compatibility of others, such as the young Sayoko, seem like nothing in comparison. To all those within the school, it seemed like they could only ever serve to stand within her shadow. There were those adverse to it, turning their backs on the girl who trumped them time and time again. They did their best to exile her, pushing the legendary Shizuka Hoshino as far down into the pits of sadness as they could. Or at least, they tried. They pushed as hard as they could, but, could never get the inhuman girl to budge. They could never get her to do so much as return their resent.
She carried on with her everyday life, defeating her 'foes' without so much as the slightest form of intent. She continued to cast her shadow over the school and it's people, without resent or bitterness. And despite how many people turned on her for it, Sayoko stayed by her side. Even if she wasn't like her friend, the decidedly normal Sayoko Akiyama never once thought to abandon her. Ever if she couldn't she off the scathing, bitter comments like Shizuka could. Even if she couldn't preform to such as degree of outrageous perfection as Shizuka could. And even if she didn't hold the monstrously unflinching sense of hope that Shizuka did, Sayoko's loyalty never waned. Because she was OK with being in her shadow, and she was OK with never having a chance of surpassing her. As far as she was concerned, she owed Shizuka her happiness, and her life. So to follow her for the rest of her life?
That was enough for her to be content.
Then, despair finds it's way back in.
For Sayoko Akiyama, following her best friend was the only thing she'd ever considered doing. So not was it all she needed to be content... Not only was all she needed to be happy...
It was the only thing she had to be content about.
So, on June 28th.
On the day that Shizuka Hoshino died.
She lost everything.
We've talked about the oddities of death. How, someone isn't really, truly dead until the moment that their passing has been discovered. So, despite how Shizuka had fought, and despite how close she had come to escaping with her life, the blow of her decease had been just as swift and powerful as if she'd died within the space of a moment. How cleverly she'd fled, hid, and outwitting the Ghoul who hunted her was meaningless, the way she'd managed to oh-so cleverly set up traps and tricks to throw off her pursuer were all for naught, her last few moments of life amounted to nothing. Her one mistake, the mistake that had caused her her life, was the same as being executed on the spot, and even as she slowly, slowly bled out, cold and alone, she was unable to provide any comfort for those close to her. Her last thoughts, her words of advice, and loving smile were all nothing but dust in the wind, all of them lost and replaced with one moment. A moment of instantaneous death.
So, to call June 28th the day Shizuka Hoshino died may have been a fib.
In truth, to Sayoko Akiyama, Shizuka Hoshino died in the span of a moment, at 18:22 PM.
And so again, it only took one moment for her life to crumble into ash.
And from it, beginnings are found.
And that one moment, was one so profound that it's ripples still effect her to this day.
With the death of Shizuka, Sayoko was left without a person in the world. She'd never gone out of her way to become close to anyone other than her dear friend, and she hadn't even considered the possibility of her death. So, what was she to do? She'd never even thought about what she was going to do with her life. And the only path the she had imagined following was whatever Shizuka did. She needed something, anything to follow, but, this time, no light would shine down upon her. Nobody came to comfort her, and there was nothing left behind for her to do. So... She kept on the path she was already walking. She kept trying to live for Shizuka, the only way she could figure out how. To become an Investigator. To fill the void that Shizuka had left with something else. She'd always been someone who'd help everyone around her, someone who shone as a light bright, warm, and loving, even through the darkest of nights. So she'd try to imitate that. She'd make Shizuka Hoshino proud. Her life would be lived out trying to help people, to put down the beasts that had taken her friend from her. To stop them from repeating their acts, and to stop them from exiling anyone else into the loneliness that she'd been thrown into.
And that one moment, was one so profound that it's ripples still effect her to this day.
With the death of Shizuka, Sayoko was left without a person in the world. She'd never gone out of her way to become close to anyone other than her dear friend, and she hadn't even considered the possibility of her death. So, what was she to do? She'd never even thought about what she was going to do with her life. And the only path the she had imagined following was whatever Shizuka did. She needed something, anything to follow, but, this time, no light would shine down upon her. Nobody came to comfort her, and there was nothing left behind for her to do. So... She kept on the path she was already walking. She kept trying to live for Shizuka, the only way she could figure out how. To become an Investigator. To fill the void that Shizuka had left with something else. She'd always been someone who'd help everyone around her, someone who shone as a light bright, warm, and loving, even through the darkest of nights. So she'd try to imitate that. She'd make Shizuka Hoshino proud. Her life would be lived out trying to help people, to put down the beasts that had taken her friend from her. To stop them from repeating their acts, and to stop them from tearing any more lives apart.
It was only a matter of months before she reached her graduation, and, at the moment she took her freedom in hand, she traded it away. There wasn't a moment spent doubting herself, or the choice she was about to make. She sent her application in immediately, and a few more short months later, she stepped through the gates of the CCG Academy, and begun down both the path of a Investigator.
And the path of a Ghoul.
Determination, or obsession?
As she begun her training, she went in knowing one thing. She could never replace Shizuka Hoshino. Try as she might, Sayoko would never be able to play the role of a hero as well as her prodigious friend could have, she would only ever be able to serve as a consolation prize. Someone not to overwrite the role that Shizuka would have taken in her future, but someone who existed to do their best to imitate it. No matter how hopeless she thought it was. It was her responsibility to do that. She owed it to Shizuka, after all those years that she'd played the role of her own, personal hero. Right? She'd never be satisfied with the strength she had, with the power, skill and fame that she obtained. No, she couldn't be satisfied. Not until she was able to do the things that Shizuka would have been able to do. Right? And, she'd never be able to replace her like that. Right?
Right.
Letting herself become complacent. Letting herself feel like there was nothing else she could do. Letting herself feel like she'd ever done enough. She couldn't let any of those thoughts seep into her mind. There was no way she could betray Shizuka like that.
She could never let herself rest.
During her first years in the Academy there wasn't a single waking moment that Sayoko didn't dedicate to her training. She forwent everything else presented to her, pushing away anyone who'd try to reach out to the yet-again closed off girl, and abandoning any of the few acquaintances she'd had during her years in the Junior Academy. After all, she didn't have time for any of them. Didn't she? She needed to be her everything, everything into becoming an Investigator. She pushed herself to be all that she could be, pouring over every letter of her readings, and trained until her muscles burned. Her tutors praise her for her dedication, praises of her future only becoming more and more common as the days went on. But that still wasn't enough. Their praise didn't mean a single thing, after all, they had NO IDEA who Shizuka Hoshino was. No idea what she was! They couldn't even dream how amazing she'd been. So they would never be able to understand just how high she'd need to soar if she ever wanted to be worthy of praise. Somewhere so high that she could never reach. Not as she was, at least.
For a while, the thought had been at the back of her mind. One harking back to her days back in the Academy. The Quinx Surgery. Sure, unlike Shizuka, she hadn't had the highest compatibility... But she was still compatible. And her teachers seemed to have a high enough opinion of her, no matter how misplaced it may have been. So, she shouldn't have an issue going through with it right? Permissions shouldn't be an issue... So... Why not? The surgery was totally safe wasn't it? She'd still be a human, and she'd be able to pull herself closer to her ideal, even if it was only by a few inches.
Right.
So she'd go through with it, then.
Finally, divergence.
Her expectations would, easily, prove to be correct. Approaching the tutor that could be considered that closest to her with the prospect of entering the Quinx program, he was... Well, overjoyed may not be the best word. He wasn't adverse to her choice. She checked out in all the sectors presented to her, her compatibility was there, she was a successful student, in both academics and combat, and was even willing to forgo the compensation fee that they'd pay her for submitting herself to the treatment. And, with the scarcity of compatible subjects, and the even greater scarcity of willing compatible donors, the girl's offer wasn't exactly one that he could refuse lightly. But, still, she couldn't help but feel a bit of... Hesitance from him as he gathered and filled out the required papers. Like he, perhaps, wasn't quite sure as to whether he should allow her request to pass. That he perhaps doubted her. That he didn't trust her. But why? For what reason? Was it all just in her head, or was the feeling she sensed from him genuine?
Regardless, she'd gotten his approval, and, after going through the rest of the processes involved, her surgery was scheduled to take place in one month. And after that one month, her fate would be sealed in stone. The surgery went off without a hitch, every doctor and nurse involved carrying out their tasks with a practiced expertise, transplanting the steel-coated Kagune in the sedated Sayoko within a matter of hours. And as they did, she dreamed. She dreamed of a clean, white world, free of the sin and the tragedy of the one in which she lived. One where Shizuka still lived, and the rotten, blasted creatures that had taken her from her. An ideal world... One where she was able to talk and laugh with her friend yet again...
But, it could also last so long. That world of white could only stay for so long, before being replaced by the blazing white of the operation lights that lay above her head.
The surgery was finished, and her determination was forged anew. Seeing that world, had done it, it'd gone and bolstered her resolve to chase after Shizuka's shadow to an even more ironclad strength. And with that, it assured that returning to that place, would be an impossible feat. The surgery had strengthened her in more ways than one. Besides the Kagu- No, the Quinque that lay beneath her skin, she could feel the power of a Ghoul being pumped through her veins. She was could move more quickly, react faster, lift more... It was a little terrifying. Within her she now held a fraction of the power of a Ghoul. A fraction of the power that had killed Shizuka. Just a part of it, a part of that intox-, that vile strength. And she'd use it, to it's fullest she'd utilize it, she'd squeeze every last drop out of it and turn it against the Ghoul threat.
But, it wouldn't be enough.
It couldn't be enough.
It could never be enough.
And then,
Taking her enhancements in stride, Sayoko was able to push past the last few obstacles that lay in front of her. The enhanced strength and speed that lay within her body boosting her combative abilities to a point where she was finally able to reach the peak of her class, and the peak of the Academy. For the first time since she'd set out with her goal, she'd stood at the peak of those around her. She stood as close to Shizuka as she possibly could. Her hard work had finally paid off. Finally! She, for the first time, could think of herself as someone who Shizuka could be proud of! Even if it was just a little bit. And that felt... Outstanding. It motivated her even more, to be able to feel this way again, and to be able to know that Shizuka would be able to lay easily in her grave. But, she could only let her contentedness sit for so long. She was soon to graduate after all, to go out into the world as an Agent of the CCG, and to begin her extermination of the Ghoul threat.
And after the last few months of her years in the Academy passed, she did so. She broke out onto the scene as a second-class Investigator, Quinque in both hand and body, ready to put her all into her work. Ready to hunt without relent until she reached that fabled position of Special Investigator. And so she did. Her time was rarely wasted, always being spent in the pursuit of a case or honing her skills. While co-workers went out for drinks to celebrate their latest victory, she'd be locked away in her apartment, pouring over evidence for the next case, reviewing information from her last mark, doing everything she could to learn the patterns and habits of the Ghoul as a race. It was a cycle. Every case was a success, and every success was squeezed for every last bit of information that could be used to seek out more success. And for a whole two years, it was a cycle near constant, only one in every eight of the cases the woman took on ever turning up without results. And even among them, there wasn't a single case where her failure could be considered critical. There were never slaughters, and there were never tragedies, the bitterest of notes to ever turn up being wounds and minor misfortunes.
That is, until she encounter the case of the Ghoul 'Incubus'. A particularly nasty sort. Someone who would seduce woman, whispering honeyed words into their ears and hearts before guiding them back to some back alley or scrapyard. He'd call them on terms of passion, tugging at their heart until they finally gave in, until they finally trusted him enough to meet with him in the dead of the night. And then, he would devour them. And his rating, was S. Countless times he'd managed to illude the CCG, and even in the few moments that they'd managed to surround him, to cut off all his means of escape, he'd slaughtered everyone who they'd thrown at him. But, Sayoko... She was confident she could put an end to that.
She combed through his records, taking every last bit of information on the Ghoul that she could find and piecing it together. She tracked down every Investigator that had worked the enigmatic Ghoul's case and probed them of as many details they could muster. And, after that, she was as prepared as she could possibly be. She'd dug up every last habit, quirk and trait that the CCG knew about the Ghoul, and using that, she was able to find him. She tracked down the illusive Ghoul and his latest mark, and convinced the woman to play the role of bait. She called him out to an out of the way, quiet place where Sayoko would be able to face him evenly. Somewhere where she would be able to slay him without interruption. Confident in her abilities, she opted to face him alone, and so, when the time came...
It all falls down.
They fought. She battled with him evenly, her enhanced body allowing her to keep up with the venerated Ghoul, and her peerless preparation readying her for everything he had to offer. Every slight of hand, every sidestep, every stab and slash, she'd prepared herself for all of them. And yet, it was only enough to battle evenly with the much-storied Ghoul. He was one who had battled with the CCG countless times, and over those many times, he'd adapted. He'd adapted to learn their ways, how they fought and how they thought. And so he matched her. For every prediction Sayoko would make, he would equal it with one of his own. She would parry, and he would feint, she would strike and he would flee. The two of them were locked in an endless cycle, one of minor blows, never enough for either party to take enough of. It was a war of attrition. And one that was in his favor. As the wounds he inflicted upon her began to stack up, the ones that lay upon his own body would seal themselves within moments. And that war, went on for hours. Hours in which Sayoko's body became butchered and bleeding from the cuts and bruises that had gathered upon her body, it's much inhibited healing factor unable to keep up with the myriad of attacks she took.
And that made her desperate. Desperate enough to stop fighting as a human. She was on the verge of losing, of dying, and she knew it. She could tell by the way he moved, they way he attacked, becoming more and more aggressive and her body grew tireder and tireder. She could tell that he was moving in for the kill. She could tell that she only had a few more minutes left to live. And that made her desperate. So desperate that when he moved in, to deliver his final blow, she could only move on instinct. The instinct of something not human. The instinct of a Ghoul. She narrowly managed to avoid his strike, and instead of doing what any person would have done and fleeing, she move in. She rushed down the infamous Ghoul and did something, something that neither he or she would have been able to predict. She started to devour him. It was only a bite, a small chunk from his arm, an act born out of nothing more than pure, unadulterated survival instinct. But it was enough. Just that tiny piece of Ghoul flesh was enough to set her body alight, to send that lone, suppressed Kakuhou within her body into action. The wounds littering her body closed within moments, and the strength she'd expended throughout the battle came blazing back to her.
And after that moment, everything changed.
By the time morning came, there wasn't a trace left of the Ghoul Incubus. Sayoko returned untriumphant, telling of how her mark had escaped her like he had all the Investigators before her. But that was a lie. In truth, he was closer than any of them could have ever imagined. Inside the young investigator he lay, torn and shred within her stomach. She'd eaten him whole, flesh, bones, and teeth. It all happened in a blur. After that first bite, that first overwhelming bite, she'd flown into a flurry. Every blow she landed would be accompanied by a bite, and bite seeking out that amazing thrill that came whenever she ingested his inhuman flesh. Thinking back on it made her sick. Sick enough to want to vomit up the festering corpse that lay within her bowels. But something... Something stopped her. Something reared it's head through her illness and guilt. A single, damning thought.
But it worked, didn't it?
It was vile. She knew that. It was disgusting. She knew that. It was inhuman. And she knew that, too. But it was undeniable that it had worked. And it had worked so well. By biting into his flesh she'd experienced power, so much power, so much power that it made her training throughout the years seem like it had all been for naught. All all it had taken was one... One me... One meal... Just one. The prospect was terrifying. That there was a way for her, right in front of her, to grow stronger. And all she needed to do... Was eat.
It was vile.
She knew that.
It was disgusting.
She knew that.
It was inhuman.
And she knew that, too.
But it just had worked so well.
So she began to eat.
She began to eat, as a Ghoul.
Eat, eat, repeat.
At first, things started off small. She was still disgusted. Outside of that wild flurry of desperation that she'd felt during her battle with Incubus, she could barely stomach the tough, fresh meat of a Ghoul. She'd only ever be able to stomach one or two bites of the vile substance, and the vile practice before stopping herself. It was just something on the side. Right. It was just another way for her to steel her body. Just another way for her to reach her goal. Right, right, that was all it was. Because she knew how horrible it was, didn't she? That meant she'd be able to keep a handle on it, right?
Right, right, right...
So that meant it was OK for her to step things up a bit, right?
I mean, what was the harm in it? For her to just... Maybe... Start putting a little more time into it. To, say, take advantage of the fact that she was finally, after a year able to keep her fo-, ah, that disgusting meat down. There was nothing wrong with that, was there? It was just logical wasn't it? After all, what reason was there for her to just not take things to the next level, to not start hunting down another Ghoul or two in her spare time, just for the reason of eating them? There wasn't one, right? In fact, it would just be stupid to not do just that! Like, just taking an opportunity to get stronger, stronger than she'd ever thought possible, and throwing it away. That was exactly what not doing it would be like! And Shizuka, she wouldn't want that would she? She wouldn't want her to throw away a chance like this, a chance for her to finally be her equal away, would she? Right?
Y-yeah... Right.
So she started to eat more, and more.
And more.
And more.
So much that it would put a Ghoul to shame.
So much, that she wouldn't even noticed as her humanity started to slip away.
Within months, she'd started eating more than she had in the last year. She'd passed that point. She'd passed the point where she was just eating to get stronger, she'd flown past it and come to something new. Something inhuman. To eat, because she wanted to. She wanted to feel that rush that came whenever she devoured the corpse of another sentient being. Again, and again, and again. She needed to feel it again. And she didn't even need to feel guilty about it, did she? They were Ghouls after all. She didn't need to feel bad about killing them! They were monsters! No, they were even worse than that! So the same went for eating them, right? At least they were doing something useful this way, right. Haha. Right, right right right right right! And doing this, she didn't even have to eat normal food! In fact, she hadn't in MONTHS! She was saving so much on food, haha! In fact... She... She hadn't eaten in months had she? Nothing other than Ghouls, that is... Huh... That was weird... Wasn't it?
No, no... That was only natural... I mean, with all she was eating nowadays, stacking more food on top of that would just be excessive, right? Ah hah, right... But... She should probably still replace it, right? Er... Yeah, right. Just another meal or two a wee-, no, no, another meal or two a day, just to make sure she was getting enough food in her system... Yeah... Right... She needed to eat more... Still.
...Right. So she'd eat even more then. She'd eat as much as she absolutely could, just to make sure. She'd keep that up until one, fateful night. A night which she spent like any other, stalking the streets, hunting down any Ghoul who'd thought himself safe on it's darkened streets. Were she'd put her Kagune to good use, and slaughter them wholesale. Then, she'd approach their decimated corpse, and... Clean it up... Right... Or at least, that was the plan. As it had been the plan for god knows how long now. It was so routine to her now that she couldn't even remember. When she'd become the hunter, that is. And, it was so routine to her that wouldn't even notice... When she became the hunted. When she was finally tracked down. When they finally figured it all out. She wouldn't notice as she was followed, night after night after night. And she wouldn't notice when that last, fateful night came, and she was surrounded. She wouldn't notice, when the CCG set their trap, for the Binge Eater Ghoul, Cambion.
But, maybe that was a good thing. After all, if she had know about all of that while it was unfolding, what would she have done then? Would she came come back to her senses? Or would she have tired to work her way around it? To shake the off her tail, or to deal with them outright? Well, even Sayoko herself isn't sure of that. What she is sure of though, is that night, the night where her damnation had been revealed to the world, had saved her. That shock she felt when she was surrounded. When, as she was covered in the blood and gore of her victim, all those faces fanned out around her. All those faces of the people she knew. People who'd been in her class, people who she'd worked with, and people who she'd just seen around the office surrounded her. And as they encircled her red-drenched form, their weapons were drawn. The shock she felt was enough for her to lash out at them, for her to lash out at those people who she knew. Enough to make her battle them in a blood-crazed fury until their weapons all lay clattering and broken on the ground.
Epilogue
And that, was just enough to wake her up.
To make her realize just what was going on. Just what she'd been doing all this time. Just what she'd become after all this time.
After that night, the Investigator Akiyama, disappeared. After that night, she was never seen coming into work, hunting Ghouls, or doing something as simple as going for a walk. For all effects, she'd vanished. And so too, did the Ghoul Cambion, it's ravenous hunger dying off even more quickly than it had risen. The Ghouls it had driven into a terrified hiding began to once again prowl the streets in confidence, and the Investigators tasked with hunting it were suddenly left without leads. The only trace of either of them ever having existed, would be their files, stacked high upon eachother, intertwined forever more, so that every CCG Agent would know the threat they faced. The threat that Sayoko Akiyama, Cambion presented.
But that was it.
The Traitor Quinx became Sayoko Hoshino, and sunk into obscurity.
The Ghoul 'Vigil' began to wander the streets.
But Akiyama was gone, and Cambion, had vanished.
Triva
Goals/Aspirations: Her goals are simple ones. "To live a life simple and just, like Shizuka would have wanted"
Fears: Her greatest fears are abandonment, and losing those close to her. She's already been through the fires twice, and she isn't eager to do so again, so, she's closed herself off. Whether she's aware of it or not, Sayoko does all she can to stop others from getting close to her and forming bonds, so she'll never have to lose anyone again. But, with the way she tries to help anyone she can, there's no way she can keep that up forever, right?
Likes:
? Scavenger Ghouls
? Gardens
? For the most part, she's still fond of the CCG.
? Clothes that actually cover her skin
? Rainy days, the constant downpour is pretty soothing.
? Kids. Orphans especially.
Dislikes:
? Murderer Ghouls
? Crazy Axe Murderers, if ya know what I mean.
? The fact that she can't eat sweats anymore
? Those kinds of people who walk around dressed like they're at a bench in the middle of summer
? Fucking insects
O N T H E H U N T
Kagune Infomation
Kagune: Bikaku [Three Active Kakuhou] - Depicted to the right, Sayoko's current Kagune takes the form of what appears to be pair of 'skeletal limbs', each serving a distinctly different purpose. The outer, bulkier three fingered limb can be considered the 'brute force' half of the combo. Despite it's appearance, it functions much more like a gigantic maul or flail than it does an arm, it's monstrous size allowing it to attack with a far more immense force than that of it's smaller counterpart. The three fingers attached to the end of the limb can be used for gripping and clawing, but their large, bulky design prevents them from carrying out any terribly precise movements, trading accuracy out for brute strength. It's aforementioned counterpart, in contrast, can be considered the scalpel to the larger's 'cleaver'. Despite it's thinner design, the smaller of Sayoko's Kagune can be considered the 'defensive' half of the Bikaku. It's lightweight design allows it to move with a far greater degree of precision that the larger of the limbs, making it useful for intercepting incoming ranged attacks, such as those from Ukaku Kagune or Quinque, or deflecting punches an kicks from those able to make their way past it's cousin. That precision too, makes it an extremely effective attacking tool, combing with Sayoko's already impressive hand-to-hand abilities to unleash an unyielding torrent of attacks on anyone foolish enough to try to fight her face-to-face.
To note, despite their arm-like appearance, the 'joint system' of both arms of the Kagune is much more akin to that of a tail, allowing for a much greater freedom of movement.
In her time as a Binge Eater, Sayoko's body developed a total of six new Kakuhou. Currently, three of these are active, with her Quinx Kakuhou, which sits at three frames, and two regular ones having gone into dormancy.
Due to her former eating habits, Sayoko was once in the possession of a Kakuja, but it currently lays dormant.
Ghoul Infomation
Rating 'Cambion': SSS *One-Eyed Ghoul [Artificial]
Rating 'Vigil': A~ *Based on fighting abilities, Rank may rise or stay the same once proper data on Kagune has been attained.
CCG Codename A: Cambion
CCG Codename B: Vigil
Faction: N/A
Fighting Style 'Cambion': During the days she was dubbed Cambion, took full advantage of her nature as a Ghoul. She'd often outright tanking an attack that would cripple, or lead to several months in the hospital for her during her days as a human to land a hit. She'll often trade a blow headed towards one of her less-than-vital organs to land an attack, allowing an enemy to land their attack in order to draw them in close enough to throw out her own, or take advantage of the time it would take them to withdraw their weapon from an impaled hand or gut. This nigh-on-suicidal fighting style is something that has built up her resistance to pain, letting her clench her teeth and strike through an attack that would usually leave it's victim to reel back and scream and pain, exposing them to further damage. For course, this resilience is purely based source from discipline and experience, and a distraught or otherwise mentally unstable Sayoko is much less likely to be able to employ it than one fully focused on the battle at hand.
In hand with that, comes another significant more terrifying faucet of 'Cambion'. When facing Ghouls, Sayoko will actively eat away at her opponent during battle. Every chance she has, she'll tend to the ravenous hunger of Cambion, and take a mouthful of her foe. When biting away at them with her bare teeth, or tearing away at one's flesh with her Kagune, you can assure that whenever presented the possibility, she will eat away at you, and will do so without ever breaking her stride of combat, having worked it into her battle flow since long ago. Against humans though, this does not apply, her state of mind never having quite twisted enough to turn her lust for power onto her former race.
The overall style of battle Sayoko employs as Cambion can be described as a sort of 'organized chaos'. Focusing primarily on the use of her Kagune, Sayoko employs a nigh on unending assault, all faucets of it being put to use against whoever she's facing, much resembling an. Each individual limb can, perhaps, be described as moving as if it possessed it's own will, slipping in an attack at any opportunity presented to it, yet, at the same time working in unison with all it's brothers and sisters. 'Working together', they display an inhuman degree of co-ordination, blending together to form an unending assault of both attack, and defense, so much so that it could be called a pinnacle of 'Balance'. There isn't a single window that is left open, or unexploited when a fully-powered Cambion fights, making her an almost impossible enemy to defeat in single combat, and a still terrifying one, even when outnumbered.
Fighting Style 'Vigil': Where her fighting style as Cambion can be described as that of a Ghoul, while under the alias of Vigil, Sayoko fights as much like a human as she possibly can. She minimizes the use of her Kagune, instead relying on the experience in hand-to-hand, and weapon based combat she built up during her years in the CCG. Primarily, her means of offense comes in the form of boxing, delivering quick, precise strikes to stun and disorient her opponents so to force a retreat, or open a chance to end the encounter in one blow from her Kagune. To supplement this, she's fairly capable at dodging incoming attacks, bobbing and weaving out of them in much the same way that a professional boxer would avoid that strikes of their opponents, and mixing that with a more educated knowledge of battle techniques and fight tactics, owing to her having been educated in, and graduated from, the CCG Ghoul Investigator Training Academy.
The effectiveness of this though, is rather stunted. Owing it's origins to the days in which Sayoko fought with hand, Quinque, and Kagune, she's designed the efficiency of this fighting style to be centered around when all through of those are utilized, each making up for the more blatant weaknesses of the others in order to form as efficient a form of combat as she could possibly muster. In contrast to the 'organized chaos' of Cambion, controlled by the subconscious, a fully armed Vigil can be described as a 'perfect unity' between everything she has at her disposal, owing solely to thought, focus, and training.
Strengths:
- Sayoko's hyper aggressive, fighting style is something that leaves little to no room for the opponent. As such, she excels at fighting bulkier, 'bruiser' type opponents who are too sluggish to avoid her endless barrage of attacks, and types who prefer to fight at a distance.
- Her training at the CCG Academy, and her experience as an Investigator has left her considerably more well-learned that most Ghouls when it comes to the finer acts of combat. As such, she's able to employ much craftier battle tactics than most, putting her experience of fighting against a foe stronger than herself to good use.
- For the same reasons as above, Sayoko is much more familiar with how Investigator's think than most Ghouls, and is able to better predict their movements and actions as a result.
Weaknesses:
- When it comes to fighting humans, and Scavenger Ghouls, she absolutely refuses to kill, instead choosing to incapacitate them, scare them off, or flee herself. That practically rules out all lethal manners of fighting, which, in a battle against someone trying to kill her, presents an obvious problem.
- Against the CCG, Sayoko refuses to manifest her Kagune, for fear of revealing her true identity.
- Even against Ghouls she is hesitant about using her Kagune, as one recognizing it as that of the Cannibal Ghoul Cambion, wouldn't be a far cry from likely.
- During the end of her 'Eating Cycles', in which she is actively starving herself, Sayoko is considerably more vulnerable than she normally is, and someone who knows of this could easily plan an ambush or otherwise.
Eating Habits: It's not evident whether Sayoko's eating habits are sourced from a sense of morality, regret or fear, but one thing about them is evident. That she seeks to suppress her Kagune. You see, even among those who only eat the minimum of once every two months, Sayoko can be considered a sparse eater. She actively goes out of her was to avoiding feeding, be in on Ghoul or Human, until the last possible moment, pushing herself to go on without food until the point just before her starvation becomes so unbearable that she flies into a blood-lusted rampage. In doing so, she plays the 'long game'. With every day she's put her meals off, the formerly SSS Ranked Cambion has grown weaker, if only slightly. And with every time she puts it off, she's grown more and more tolerant of the overwhelming hunger that comes with being a Ghoul, being able to go without food for longer and longer as her practice went on. And over the course of five years, she's managed to push ever so close to her goal, the repeated, lengthening bouts of hunger, and the deprivation of RC Cells having forced a number of her Kakuhou into a state of dormancy, gating off a great deal of the strength that she's grown to be afraid of. This practice however, is something she has to be careful about, for, in theory, it would only take so for her to pass her limit, and cast all her effort over the years into the drain.
Mask: Even after living as a fully fledged Ghoul for five years, Sayoko has yet to actually obtain a distinctive mask of her own. Instead, she tends to just wear an old motorcycle helmet she came to own during her first year as a Ghoul, so not to build up some extravagant reputation that could serve to attract more attention that needed.
Scent: Something like a dried up rose.
- Sayoko's hyper aggressive, fighting style is something that leaves little to no room for the opponent. As such, she excels at fighting bulkier, 'bruiser' type opponents who are too sluggish to avoid her endless barrage of attacks, and types who prefer to fight at a distance.
"Today, I am without a face, and without a name. The Investigator Akiyama is gone, and the Ghoul Cambion has vanished."
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