“If I could take all those little orphans off the street, I’d do it in less than a heartbeat. They deserve a chance, a mother, a father, a hug, food in their bellies, and a moment to admire the night sky without wondering if they’ll even wake up tomorrow.”

♠

hair

Shoichi’s hair is straight and jet black. It’s silky and shiny, and he keeps it held back in a tight ponytail. His bangs frame his face.

eyes

Shoichi has maroon pupils and mono-lidded eyes.

skin

Shoichi has a deeper, darker skin tone than most like him. The texture is surprisingly soft but his hands are rather rough from years of making quick escapes from guards and playing instruments. He has a few scars here and there, but the most prominent one is on his face. It starts above his left eyebrow and runs diagonally across his nose and right cheek before ending at his jawline. This scar is rarely ever seen because he never goes out without either of his masks on.

height + weight

Shoichi is 6’1/185 cm tall and weighs 168lbs/76kgs.

tattoos

Shoichi has one tattoo, a black spade right on the nape of his neck at the edge of his hairline.

clothing

Shoichi is mostly seen in rather extravagant clothing and always with a mask. He is only ever maskless in his bedroom or when no one around knows who he is. His clothing varies depending on where he is, for he has two separate costumes as the court jester Hano and the Black Card. He also varies in appearance when he’s using his magic or illusions during undercover missions.

Hano costume

Shoichi’s “Hano” costume is a bit more on the playful side. There is no official design for this yet but you can see the inspiration down below. He wears a typical “jester-esque” costume with a white mask that goes over his face. It has accents that match his costume.

Black Card costume

Shoichi’s “Black Card” costume is very extravagant but much more sleek and formal in comparison to his “Hano” costume. There is no official design yet for this costume, but the “inspiration” photo down below is very accurate to the aesthetic/vibe I am going for: mysterious and formal. Shoichi wears a half mask and a suit beneath that covers up his chin, mouth, and nose. 

“No rest for the wicked, as they say. And I think I’m downright evil in the eyes of the snake.”

♠

traits

witty, eccentric, observant, calculating, compassionate | cocky, cynical, obsessive

Shoichi comes off as very confident in himself and his many abilities. He speaks rather eloquently and can either be entertaining or perhaps just full of himself depending on who’s listening. With his elegant speech comes his witty words and phrases, he’s able to make a quick comeback on the fly. Whether that’s to make an insult or jab or to make a silly joke depends on the situation. His quick words and unique perspective cause him to come off as eccentric or odd to most. However, he is truly a genius at his work. Shoichi takes note of small details that otherwise would go overlooked and can calculate far ahead into his plans. Believe it or not though, Shoichi is a very compassionate character. Although his actions may come off the wrong way, he always has good intentions in mind and does things for the good of others for the most part. On the other hand, Shoichi can come off as cocky with his overt confidence. The wrong person may become irritated with him. He can be a bit cynical as well when meeting new people. He is constantly paranoid and under the pressure of being found out, so he’s more apt to believe that someone is speaking to him to expose him and hold others at double arm’s length. However, he’s good at hiding that. Shoichi can also be a bit obsessive about small details and plans that may seem pointless to another. It stresses him out if things aren’t completely perfect, even the positioning of his collar may cause him to panic. No one usually sees this of him though, as he is usually calm and level-headed in front of others. 

likes

entertaining, nighttime, freshly baked bread

Shoichi has always been an entertainer at heart, and although he despises his upper-class audience, he enjoys the work that he does. He entertains whenever he can and it’s sometimes a question as to when he even sleeps with how often he’s working. Shoichi also likes nighttime, not just because most of his important work happens then, but because he enjoys the calm and starry sky. Lastly, he enjoys fresh baked bread. A bit more insignificant in comparison to the whole character, but it reminds him of a home…something he’s never really had. 

dislikes

diverting from his routine, the monarchy, being touched

talents

card tricks, acrobatics, the lute, and swing dancing

As if it isn’t obvious enough, Shoichi is good at card tricks. He knows practically any card trick ever created and has even made up some of his own that others cannot decipher. Shoichi is also a master at acrobatics and can bend and contort in ways that can be found entertaining. He is also quite fond of the lute, and happily plucks a tune when he is able. Shoichi is also very good at swing dancing and is often found on the dancefloor at the club Coronet with his childhood friends, Anya, Yue, Min, Arthur, and Haru.

Oh this world that I left you in

Has been tainted by your sin-

And as such I have now taken it upon myself

To reinstate the reign of laughter and in health I will return.

♠⠀

mental health

mediocre

Shoichi is good at putting up a facade of good health, but people who may know him in close quarters or in his personal space can easily see signs of mental illness. He is rather fidgety and needs everything to go his way. When things divert from his usual routine, it sends him into a full-blown panic, but only when he is unmasked. Although his room tends to be disorganized, he dislikes being dirty and it also makes him panic when he feels that he is dirty. He is usually a very fidgety and skittish man until he puts on either of his two masks. In an instant, he switches personalities. He’s very used to either being Hano or the Black Card, so “Shoichi” is almost hardly ever out to play. He’s forgotten that all these personalities are him, rather than them all being separate.  However, when he is playing as either Black Card or Hano, he is very confident and sure of himself. It is like night and day when he changes personalities.⠀⠀⠀⠀

physical health

good 

Shoichi is in very good physical health in comparison to when he was a child. He used to be very malnourished, but once he became more established as an adult with money, he was able to better take care of himself. It also helped once he got his job as the court jester. It doesn’t pay very well, but he has a roof over his head and food in his belly. Shoichi used to have problems with asthma as a child, but the issue has mostly faded away. However, he sometimes has asthma attacks during moments of great panic. The remnants of his childhood exist as a scar on his face from when a merchant slashed him for stealing food.

“You know, there are an infinite amount of ways to shuffle a card deck. You know what that means? That I have an infinite amount of ways to rip you apart.”

♠

combat

acrobatics 

Shoichi often uses his acrobatics to dodge his enemies and practically bounce over his battle area. It can be easy to lose sight of him because he’s so quick. He makes leaps and bounds and bends backward in ways that probably shouldn’t even be possible, making him a very unpredictable opponent. ⠀

strengths

evasion, sleight of hand, flexibility, wit

Shoichi is a master at evasion. He can easily dodge punches and attacks like it’s nothing. Shoichi is also quick with his hands and can pull out his cards and hide them in deceiving ways. Take away his cards, but it’s very likely that he managed to hide one up his sleeve without someone seeing. Shoichi’s flexibility comes in handy when squeezing through tight spots, literally. He can race across rooftops and jump through tight spaces to escape those who are after him. Lastly, Shoichi’s wit is unmatched.  He’s a quick thinker and is able to recover in conversation rather quickly.

 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

weaknesses

slim stature, weak to heavy attacks

Shoichi’s build is not intended for physical and head-on types of attacks. He takes a distant approach and hits from afar. When he does engage in one-on-one combat resorts to dodging and evasion before getting an accurate shot. Any sort of solid attack can send him flying and critically injure him, even if he casts a shielding spell or combo at the last second. Overall, his body cannot handle heavy attacks and his own physicality alone will not fare well against certain enemies. 

weapons and powers

black magic, illusions, "Psyrun"

Shoichi has named his deck “Psyrun”(sy-run), a mix of the words “psychic” and “rune.” Once just a regular deck of cards, Psyrun is a weapon of soul-shattering black magic. It was enchanted when he was 17 and he’s been using it as his weapon and perhaps even his familiar since then. He sometimes even speaks to it, claiming that it’s important to have that bond for greater power in the cards. Shoichi uses his magical abilities to create unique sets of spells to use against his enemies. Shoichi has also memorized and created sets of spells that he resorts to during battle. If all else fails, he’ll pick one at random and hope for the best.  ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

skills

pickpocketing, memorization

Growing up poor on the streets has made Shoichi great at pickpocketing. He is also great at memorization considering the spreads he’s memorized for battle to create great destructive combos for battle.

“Pay with their souls, or you'll pay with your head-

Try to escape me, and you'll end up dead!”

mother

Hana

28 | Deceased | Prostitute

Hana was a prostitute at one of the many taverns in the district. It was obviously not her intention to have a child, but things happened and she bore Shoichi, her only son. Despite the less-than-desirable circumstances, Hana did her best to raise her child while also staying employed at the tavern as more often a waitress in the tavern, and a prostitute on the weekends. However, it all ended when Hana fell sick of some unknown disease. It wasn’t long before she passed, leaving six-year-old Shoichi to fend for himself. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

father

Shoichi’s father is unknown. His mother worked as a prostitute above a tavern, and it would have been impossible to pinpoint who his father would be considering his mother’s many clients. His father is assumed to be human and Caucasian. What Shoichi doesn't know is that his father is a captain of the royal guard, a man he’s seen on many occasions. However, if it weren’t for that damned mask and his father’s damned helmet, they might recognize each other. His father is now married with another wife and two young children.

friends

Min, Yue, Haru, Anya, and Arthur have been Shoichi's friends since they were all children. They all grew up very poor and learned to survive together on the streets while their parents worked. However, despite being Shoichi's only friends, they have not seen Shoichi's face for years and have respected his wishes to be called Card, not Shoichi. Out of the five, Shoichi is closest with Min, who has had a romantic attraction to him for a few years, but the mask has always kept them apart.

Shoichi had a difficult childhood.  He was discovered lying beside his mother's decomposing body in her room two weeks after Hana died. The women of the brothel Hana worked at took pity on the boy and did what they could to watch after him, though it wasn't much considering most within the district were very poor. Shoichi was allowed to stay at the brothel as long as he provided work but still had to resort to eating table scraps and begging for pocket change on the street. This birthed his rage towards the upper class. It was always the men and women dressed in their fancy suits and dresses and hats that gave him dirty looks on the street or spat at him for simply existing. Many times they called him a street rat, and dirty and complained about orphans like him who lived on the streets. They’d kick his coin cans and laugh in his face. Shoichi was a sweet boy, but the high society conjured something within Shoichi that he could not quell.

 As Shoichi got older, he learned to pickpocket and steal from street vendors alongside his friends. For him, it was easier to slip into tighter spaces due to his smaller and slimmer frame, so taking from the merchants while they weren’t looking became more of a game than it was for survival, as important as it is. This didn't mean he got out unscathed, however, for Shoichi did get slashed in the face once by a merchant with a pocket knife for stealing his bread. 

For his twelfth birthday, Shoichi received his first card deck. It was on this day that he discovered his love for magic, tricks, and entertainment. He learned every card trick he could and entertained adults and children alike. Even though he garnered attention, many people still passed him by, laughing at his "silly acts" and that his dreams would amount to nothing. 

As Shoichi sat in the dirty streets with mud-caked cheeks and rats skittering by, a dastardly plan began to build within his mind. Though young, Shoichi knew that being a simple street act was not the extent of his capabilities. An elaborate plan began to trace its way across the confines of his brain, a master plan that would thwart the need for begging. He knew the districts of Xianham like the back of his palm and just who to go to. There was a witch down the way who would do anything if it was fair trade. With his trust deck of cards, he begged her to turn it into a weapon of black magic in exchange for his work. The witch abided and Shoichi became her guard dog who did her dirty work, which he was no stranger to doing. As he learned the ways of the witch and black magic, his card tricks became real black magic and illusion, and his once simple deck of cards became enchanted with a power unheard of. The deck of cards had a mind of its own, it seemed and coined the name "Psyrun" as he learned how to wield it. 

The passing of time only honed his skills, and he was already infamous by the age of 20 as a masked vigilante who stole from the rich to give to the poor. As his role for the citizens of Xianham grew, so too did his persona, and Black Card was born. The desire for rebellion rumbled beneath his feet, and though he did not lead it, he was the entryway to a new era and constantly helped the efforts to overthrow the government. But simple sabotage and interception were not enough. Shoichi would have to go to the heart of it.

It just so happened that the court jester of the king was thrown out and he was looking for another. For the first time ever, the king was widening his horizons to anyone with the skills to charm the king. Shoichi took on the challenge and blew the king away with his many skills, his wit, and his cards, all while wearing a new mask with the name of Hano. Sure, being the court jester is an honor, but...that isn't why he is there.

When the king doesn't look, Hano slips his journals. When the king is away, he goes through his logs. When the king needs advice, Hano feeds him what he would've never heard otherwise. When the king is too busy talking with useless politicians, he is poisoning his drink.

It has been five long years that Shoichi has juggled Hano and Black Card. Though he trusts the rebellion that grows, he refuses to show his face out of fear that he might be recognized or sold out. Because of this, Shoichi lives a lonely life. No one must know that the Black Card is Shoichi, because Shoichi is now the royal court’s jester. He worked hard to become such a prime entertainer, but it’s all a part of his plan to take over the monarchy and dissolve it with a slow-acting poison that is whittling away at the king's mind and body. 

Two masks, one man. Hano and the Black Card, and poor Shoichi. The act of bouncing back and forth between two personas that uphold an entire rebellion and dark secrets has caused two distinct entities to form, yet their creator has been forced into darkness. The constant question of who he even is anymore has poisoned his mind.

Shoichi has begun to fade. The masks have begun to crack.

Oh, all the power in the world could never save you now,

As the time at which your curtains called draws nearer, get ready to take your bow!

The age of reason is now drawing to a close!

And now I, the mere court jester, will his majesty depose.

I will tip the gilded throne, in me the people will repose.

Because I am the court jester, not all thorns come with a rose-

After all, I am the jester, and this future I propose:

Let the fool, let me, the jester, bring the olden tales to close,

Let the fool, let me, the jester, a new saga now compose.

Three of a Kind

[ Twilight Citadel by The Dragon Godfather ]

Hissing whispers of fear spilled out of Shoichi's mouth. He paced his room with shaking fists at his sides with nothing but the moonlight to guide his way. His long locks of black hair were ratted and sticking to the sweat that rolled down his cheeks.

"No, no, no, no, all that is meant to be will be alright and there is nothing that can change that! It'll be fine. I just need more time."

"But how can you be so sure?"

"Shut up, Card."

"Shut up? You can't say that to me. They love me. They love us. With us it'll be well."

"I said shut-!"

"No, Shoichi, it is you who need not speak. As if you ever mattered. Why on earth would we want to                                         hear from you, you dirty street rat? Hush. We need to discuss."

A twitch ran up Shoichi's spine. He shook his head, his fingers contorting as his voice bobbed up in down in his register, switching back and forth, back and forth like his ribbon spreads.

"I can help. I can help, I've got it, I understand-!"

"You could never understand. Not from where you sulk in the shadows. When was the last time you've                                           ever been worth anyone's time? You're nothing."

"Please, Hano, just listen-!"
"Don't Hano me!! As if you deserve it, haha! It's either us or failure. Why don't you go back to begging                                         for coins on the street? Or, even better, why don't you try on that pretty necklace of rope again, and leave the rest to-"

Shoichi let out a scream of agony as he flew his fist at his mirror. His scream was so loud that it made his own ears ring as the mirror shattered, sending pieces of glass everywhere and embedding into his sliced knuckles. Shoichi took a shaky step back as he stared at his own crimson eyes full of tears in the mirror, his reflection completely cracked. He gasped for air as blood dripped off his palm. Each shaky step backward was slow acceptance towards the inevitable, and he ended up hitting the wall behind him and sliding down, his hands covering his face with terror. The room was empty. It was always, always empty, with no other hand to hold but his own. As blood gushed from his knuckles and tears slid down his cheeks, he pushed his hands over his ears in a pitiful attempt to dampen the laughter that wasn't even there. Shoichi rocked back and forth, back and forth with the grandfather clock beside him ticking with each sway, an accompaniment to his ode of tearful whispers. Xianham needed him. There was no room for failure.

But no matter how hard he tried, the silence grew louder with each passing night.