Taki | World Anvil

Taki

Tales of Justice
View in World
New York City
Thursday, October 1st, 2009

Campaign & Party

Grip of the Mind Thieves! Campaign

Knights Vigilant

Bronze Tempest Moon Trickshot Taki Sahara
Campaign Page
Party Page
Run by Kummer Wolfe
Played by
Jarissa

I taught myself to read at 4 years of age because I was impatient. I decided the available books were not the story I wanted to read, and wrote a story, at 5.
It was pretty awful.
I mean, I was five, that's not going to be a coherent plot anyhow! But still. It was awful. I was astounded to realize that good stories don't just burst off the page because I apply a crayon. I went back to reading for a while, but sometimes I was looking at what made one book a good read while another was merely a way to pass the time.
Here we are, twoscore and change years later, and I think I am starting to really grasp how a plot is different from a narrative which is not the same thing as a roughly chronological sequence of scenes?
Building worlds certainly makes for a better story!
 
My native language is American English, with several regional contributions as I moved around a lot in my early years. I can communicate tolerably well in a couple of other languages, if the other converser is patient and of good cheer. I'm familiar with several specialized vocabularies in the greater category "Nerd" and I know the responsibility for being understood is mine.
(I also sometimes have trouble understanding spoken words because I'm missing a bit of the hearing register in the middle. Maybe that's why I use the "Maximum Verbosity" setting in written communication! Sorry.)

Other characters

 
Kara: What was that noise? What was that?! That sounded like that Ivy person's whip! You said that couldn't really exist! What was that?

Taki: {in Japanese} Not now, Granddaughter. Busy!
— Early days before the Knights Vigilant chose a team name, when Kara still worried that the protective invader was entirely too amused by a certain arcade game
Gender
female
Eyes
brown
Hair
black
Height
5 ft 7 in

Mentality

Personal history

Kara Sesseran


 

In spring of 2001, Kara Sesseran -- a mostly homeless, mostly illiterate "Blind Fortune Teller" known for using a superhero-themed tarot deck with Braille markings -- so impressed a customer with one of her readings that the customer paid for Kara to attend a four day convention of psychics in the superpowered age. Kara was delighted to get a bath and clean, less worn clothes even if it meant she would have to put up with a bunch of strangers either trying to prove that she is not blind, or else assuming that she is dull-witted along with her disability.


 

It went pretty well, actually.


 

Oh, absolutely, some attendees treated the malnourished, nervous woman like a thing or a potential project. Most, however, were too busy asserting their own veracity to really notice the quiet girl who always managed to be near the snack buffet.


 

One of the seminars particularly hit Kara hard: the speaker taught a practical method of meditation, of using one's psychic ability to examine that same ability's origins and how it best functions for the particular individual. Kara had never listened more intently to anything in her life. She even considered approaching the speaker afterward ... which would have required that she use her eyesight.


 

(Kara has always been able to see. She does not know that she has visual processing disorder, because when she was very young no one in her life had ever heard of any kind of sensory processing disorder. As an adult, she "knows" that she is falsifying blindness by wearing a gauze bandage over her face whenever there is a chance that someone might look in her direction. Also, of course, she refuses to be examined by a doctor even if someone else offers to cover the costs. She is terrified of anyone with the power to inhibit her freedom of movement.)


 

When the convention ended, Kara exchanged what little contact information she could with a few of the other attendees. She then made her way to one of her least favorite hideouts: an empty office in the Kingsbridge Armory. It was cold, drafty, and spooky, but she could expect to be left alone for a few days. Kara made herself as secure and comfortable as she was able, then tried out the meditation described in the seminar.


 

When she awoke, Kara was not alone.


 

 

Taki


 

The woman who now goes by "Taki" had a very different name in a period of time which she would probably call "the Kamakura Period". She has pleasantly agreed with suggestions that she may have lived in the early thirteenth century. On the other hand, she has also pleasantly gone along with people saying that she must be describing "the Sengoku Period" which would place her in the latter half of the 16th centery.


 

Taki does not much care whether other people know who she was, or when she lived. She is not going to help anyone figure out what her "real name" could have been, even though she will cheerfully admit that "Taki" is, in fact, typically a boy's name ... and that she gleefully confiscated it from the video game series called "Soulcalibur" when her descendant wandered through a video arcade.


 

Was she truly a monster hunter? Probably she was some kind of specialist in dealing with metahuman threats.


 

Was she truly something like a samurai or an onna bugeisha? The evidence is in favor: she knows how to use a few appropriate weapons, she prefers a rigorous daily exercise regimen and argues with Kara about whether indeed all fingers must remain sensitive to delicate texture changes (for reading Braille) when she would like to get hold of a proper bow. She is fairly good at accounting. She knows how to cook things Kara had never eaten. She is frustrated that Kara does not know how to read English, nor draw or paint, nor weave nets.


 

Taki would quite like to know what the hell happened to Kara's family, who had a duty to educate her. Kara will not allow the topic to be even lightly discussed.


 

If one of their "clansmen" (meaning the members of the Knights Vigilant supergroup) were to ask, Taki would say that she is here because Kara is her last living descendant. If Kara passes from this world, Taki's connection to it will dissolve, and her legacy ends.


 

(No one has ever asked.)


 

Does that mean Taki had children? It must, but she does not think about such things.


 

Does something bad happen, to the world or to the souls of Kara and her ancestors, if no descendant lives?

Well ... no one has thought to ask Taki that, either.

Accomplishments & Achievements

(( Character sheet updated on 08/05/2020 to add HP award from Laboratory of the Ivory Talons! ))

Known Languages

Kara can read Braille. Taki speaks and reads Japanese, though her vocabulary is sometimes very off.

Personality

Motivation

Upholding the Good

Social

Current Residence

New York City

View
Thursday, October 1, 2009

Souls and Swords

by Taki

I am now known as "Taki". I am one of the Knights Vigilant.

 
I haunt my only remaining descendant.

 
I first lived in the Kamakura Period. For much of my adult life, I was a demon hunter: I sought out aggressive, predatory beings with great personal power that were active threats to the people of my liege's domain.

 
In my first life, sorcerers bound sounds of power into a physical compact form to store them, and then freed the energy again to get a result at the chosen time. I think Dr. Overmind has been devices from Science Judge to absorb energy -- from sound, from motions -- to store into a battery. If I am right, there will be many collection devices built into his suit: in his shoes, in his elbow and knee armor. And that would be feeding these gauntlets, which my descendant is using to fuel the souls dependent on it.

 
What I have not yet said is that I think a strong absorber will be inside a melee weapon, too.

 
I do not want people to quote that arcade game at me.

 

 
WHAT did she do to my space? It's all out of alignment!

 
Taki took charge while the blue glowing rings were transporting Dr. Overmind and her to a spot inside a van. I think this is the STAR Labs van that showed up on the train tracks?

So while she, and Statesman and Tesla Coil who were already in the van, carry Dr. Overmind off to the north platform to see what is going on with that big containment vault thing ... I will try to figure out who really made this thing.

 
Taki saves Statesman from an "evil spirit" who tries to invade him. He glowed red for a second! Whatever this evil spirit is, it has mental powers. He (I think?) asked in mental or spiritual speech if Statesman is a god -- that's usually a way to imply "because I am!" but not outright say it. He's trying to convince Statesman to believe it! But he is also trying to steal Statesman's body, which is not going to be allowed to happen.

Taki also thinks that we have seen all these colors of flower crystal ink ooze stuff but there should also be white. She thinks it will help to seal away the malevolent powers. She is not explaining this very well!

Moon Knight goes to get Horus, and sends Loki toward us with the Silver Ninja and the White Lady and the Red Tempest. Taki thinks that false memories have been put on at least the White Lady to convince her that she was a different person. Taki talks the White Lady through remembering a favorite food here in NYC that the "Sharon" person would not remember eating. And that leads to being able to project the false memories (and some energy beams) at Dr. Overmind!

Taki's Journal Ordered oldest to newest

  1. The People's Glorious Twenty-Fifth of May
    24 May 2019 06:53:58
  2. Grip of NOT DEMONS Mind Thieves
    September 23rd, 2009
  3. Keepaway
    20 Feb 2021 05:28:02
  4. Sleuth and Rescue
    Monday, September 28th, 2009
  5. Canister Clues So Far:
    Monday, September 28th, 2009
  6. Coffee Date
    Thursday, October 1st, 2009
  7. Museum of the City Rebooting
    Thursday, October 1st, 2009
  8. The Sphynx Trap
    Thursday, October 1st, 2009
  9. Follow up on clues!
    Thursday, October 1st, 2009
  10. Underground
    Thursday, October 1st, 2009
  11. Magic Eight Ball says Try Again Later
    Thursday, October 1, 2009
  12. Pier 99
    Thursday, October 1, 2009
  13. Keepaway
    Thursday, October 1, 2009
  14. Balloons over Central Park
    Thursday, October 1, 2009
  15. The Villain's Lair
    Thursday, October 1, 2009
  16. Ten of Discs
    Thursday, October 1, 2009
  17. Nine of Blades
    Thursday, October 1, 2009
  18. Queen of Masks
    Thursday, October 1, 2009
  19. Souls and Swords
    Thursday, October 1, 2009

The major events and journals in Taki's history, from the beginning to today.

The People's Glorious Twenty-Fifth of May

It took me a couple of 404s to Enter the Session, but now here I am! I noticed when I first read [i]Night Watch[/i] by Terry Pratchett that the negotiations to write the new government actually site the twenty-[i]fourth[/i] of May. And yet! Everyone s...

06:45 am - 24.05.2019

Poison Ivy's first encounter with Knights Vigilant

Achievement unlocked: another accomplished supervillain thinks of the Knights Vigilant as "Cinnamon Rolls surprisingly still alive"

05:48 am - 11.07.2020

Grip of NOT DEMONS Mind Thieves

My name is Kara. I read fortunes. Taki wants me to practice my "scribing". I think that means using this program that Moon Knight found for me. One of the Spectre Corp companies makes it, and they needed a test subject. They want to sell it to people w...

01:12 am - 22.08.2020

Sleuth and Rescue

[p]It has been a few days since the confrontation in Central Park where we rescued the city workers who had been Mutated.[/p] [p]We are using our subtle skills to investigate the events of last Wednesday when the orange-glowing-eye thing was instigated...

01:57 am - 05.09.2020

Canister Clues So Far:

[ol][li]Message 1 on some cannisters: "A skill at doing a specified thing, typically one acquired through practice"[/li] [li]Message 2 on some cannisters: "In ancient times, Pliny the Elder considered this to cover anything around him, including living t...

04:58 am - 05.09.2020

Coffee Date

[p]This is a rare afternoon for us, because Taki is supposed to meet Bronze Tempest for coffee so that a corrected headset can be given over. Normally I would do it! But Bronze Tempest is not yet all the way on board with joining the team, so Taki is tryi...

01:53 am - 03.10.2020

Museum of the City Rebooting

Taki said I should "call the Sorcerer" and that is exactly what I am doing! ...

12:24 am - 17.10.2020

The Sphynx Trap

[p][url=https://www.worldanvil.com/hero/log/post/462d7ad3-76eb-47a9-bebb-083d20576b71]My card symbols so far[/url][/p] [p]I have finally gotten in touch with Loki Orinson, who lets me know that Tesla Coil has been captured while he and Loki were invest...

01:12 am - 31.10.2020

Follow up on clues!

[in]While I am glad that Apothecary Fu is well, it sure did take a lot of note comparison for the Knights Vigilant to feel sure about leaving there for the summons by Detective Kozu![/in] [in]At this rate, they are going to scare away @33a03a65-3fc7-4b81...

02:09 am - 14.11.2020

Underground

Taki snuck up the stairs to meet the approaching Golden Lotus before they could get very far down the stairs. ...

01:20 am - 09.01.2021

Magic Eight Ball says Try Again Later

[in]Taki was doing so very well! She had the slice of white bellbottom, she tucked that away, all good.[/in] [in]But then she overshot her disarm attempt. Disco Boy jerked back, knocking over a "ka jar" in the process.[/in] [in]Now she and the idiot are...

01:55 am - 23.01.2021

Pier 99

[articleblock:4aaf2950-8c02-4e44-ad39-da57153f7bbf] [in]We need to finish officially arresting these miscreants and we need to go to Pier 99 once they are in police custody.[/in] [in]The Disco Boy in the sparkly white clothes is "Zigzag" and is expl...

01:54 am - 20.02.2021

Keepaway

Reminder: the code phrase is "Racquetball"!...

05:28 am - 20.02.2021

Keepaway

The code phrase was "Racquetball!" for when I warn everyone (via comms) to duck! But not everyone listened. Taki has the diorama and is using it to start a game of "keep away" that will hopefully distract any Mesmerized City Workers who are not alre...

12:46 am - 15.05.2021

Balloons over Central Park

We have agreed to go back to our Superbase to look at the information we've acquired, including the crossword answers that Loki and I have been discussing. Since that will require us to cross Central Park, on the way Bronze Tempest could bounce on the dro...

12:30 am - 12.06.2021

The Villain's Lair

While Taki is busy with this current fight against a Science Court Bailiff, I'm going to try doing a more complicated super-reading than I normally use. Mostly this is the version that takes too much of my time and concentration. But we did not expect to ...

12:46 am - 26.06.2021

Battle Brothers

What was I ... Ohhhh right! Taki sent this one guy upward because he said he used to be a tag team duo with Khonshu. ...

12:24 am - 10.07.2021

Nine of Blades

What was I dictating a second ago? Oh, right! [quote]Overmind has a very [b]punchable[/b] face.|[s]Kara[/s] The Fortune Teller[/quote] ...

12:24 am - 07.08.2021

Queen of Masks

[in]There are moments when I think I identify with the Queen of Masks card more than any other. I'm not busty and purple haired and standing halfway in a waterfall, sure. I have more sense than that. [/in] [in]None of the traditional meanings apply to me...

12:41 am - 21.08.2021

Souls and Swords

In my first life, sorcerers bound sounds of power into a physical compact form to store them, and then freed the energy again to get a result at the chosen time. I think Dr. Overmind has been devices from Science Judge to absorb energy -- from sound, from...

01:11 am - 11.09.2021

The list of amazing people following the adventures of Taki.

Hruthgar

BrooklynBabe27

Paging Doctor KILLJOY
Chip

Played by
Jarissa

I taught myself to read at 4 years of age because I was impatient. I decided the available books were not the story I wanted to read, and wrote a story, at 5.
It was pretty awful.
I mean, I was five, that's not going to be a coherent plot anyhow! But still. It was awful. I was astounded to realize that good stories don't just burst off the page because I apply a crayon. I went back to reading for a while, but sometimes I was looking at what made one book a good read while another was merely a way to pass the time.
Here we are, twoscore and change years later, and I think I am starting to really grasp how a plot is different from a narrative which is not the same thing as a roughly chronological sequence of scenes?
Building worlds certainly makes for a better story!
 
My native language is American English, with several regional contributions as I moved around a lot in my early years. I can communicate tolerably well in a couple of other languages, if the other converser is patient and of good cheer. I'm familiar with several specialized vocabularies in the greater category "Nerd" and I know the responsibility for being understood is mine.
(I also sometimes have trouble understanding spoken words because I'm missing a bit of the hearing register in the middle. Maybe that's why I use the "Maximum Verbosity" setting in written communication! Sorry.)

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