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Description

🎏 Basics

Name: Aoi Masora | 間宙青い

Age: 13
Birthday: July 26
Pokemon: Magikarp
Gender: Female
Ability: Swift Swim
Nature: Naive
Characteristic: Likes to run.

Moveset:
Splash
Tackle
Bounce *
Flail

*TM Given to her by her Jiichan

🎏Mahou

Wish: You can help him remember me, right?
Aoi's Jiichan remembers her.
Soul Gem:A gold gem mimicking the shape of a sailor bow, clasping her jacket together.

Power:

Permission from any RP partners will be requested before use on any other magicals.
[T1]Super-Sailor Picture-Pull
Through physical contact, Aoi can project a static image of an event she has witnessed into another's mind's eye. The image itself lasts up to one minute provided she maintains physical contact, and begins to fade when Aoi breaks contact. While using this effect, Aoi is unable to visually perceive the world around her as she focuses on projecting the single image and her vision will be hazy for a time equal to double the amount of time she was in physical contact with the person. She must wait three minutes after the haze fades before she is able to use this power again.
[T2] Mukashi, Mukashi
Through physical contact, Aoi can trap someone in one of their memories for a short period of time. Aoi can choose to 'fish' for a good or bad memory, and then the memory weighing heaviest on the mind of the target will be projected. She does not have precise control over which memory she projects. The memory is projected as phantasmal images centered around the target with faint noise audible only to the target and Aoi. The projection lasts as long as physical contact is maintained, for a maximum duration of 5 minutes, and takes 10 seconds to fully fade.
At Tier 2, while the target is in the memory they are either healed or hurt (corresponding to the good or bad memory choice) in small increments equal to the amount of time spent in physical contact.
Regardless of the length of contact, Aoi will be unable to perceive beyond the projected memory for the duration and will feel dizzy and light-headed afterwards for 5 minutes.

Weapon:

[T1] Koinobori
A large karp streamer that Aoi leads. Aside from being able to bonk enemies with the pole, the karp-streamer itself leaves a powerful stream of energy in it's wake. Aoi tends to swish it around a lot.
Ability:Super-Sailor Aoi's Special Attack!
Aoi charges up all her Koinobori's energy and unleashes it in one powerful blast. This uses up all of its energy, requiring her to run around for a long time to charge it before she is able to use it again.

🎏Personality
+Easily Content, +Enthusiastic, ±Childish, -Shy, -Easily Overwhelmed
Aoi is generally a happy-go-lucky girl. Before moving, she was content with the small life she lived in her fishing village. There wasn't any internet, no running cable, she could live off of renting the weekly movie or show from the rental shop and going fishing. She has never lived in the city before, so much of Mitakihara is still magical for her. The big city with all its luxuries (and drawbacks) are something that she marvels at, and something often taken for granted by those who live there. Aoi is very good at finding the 'magic' in little things around her and it doesn't take much to keep her satisfied with life.
Despite her shy disposition, she can be very outgoing and spontaneous when something (or someone) piques her interest. A lady with a pretty dress? Wow! A guy with a cool hat? Neat! When it comes to something that catches her interest, she will out her all into it. Schoolwork comes easy to her as a natural way to pass the time, excelling in history and literature as she sees it all as stories to be remembered. She knows her favorite shows line for line and will tell you just about everything she knows if you give her the chance. Don't be surprised if she starts to hop from foot to foot or waving her hands if she gets too excited!

Aoi doesn't act her age. For someone who is 13, she acts a lot younger. Part of it is just fun for her- its how she feels comfortable. If she's put into an environment where she can't act in this comforting manner, though, it becomes harder for her to function. Her childish nature also leads to her seeing and thinking the best of nearly everyone and everything, for better or worse. The same childishness that allows her to see the city as a magical place to be explored can also land her into trouble if she acts this way around the wrong people.

Despite her strides, Aoi is still fundamentally a shy person. When she can't instantly make a connection with someone her age, she becomes awkward. What do they talk about? It's better to not talk at all...staring blankly at people has long been a bad habit for when she clams up or finds herself unable to speak. When she sees something in another person that she can relate to, it's easier to make conversation, but without any bridge to start? She doesn't know them, and that's scary. Why bother talking if she doesn't already know they have something in common? And goodness, if they talk to her? About something she doesn't know? Well, then the tears might start flowing- depending on how overwhelmed she feels by the conversation. Aoi is the type of person who needs to see someone is like her in order to even initiate conversation, and her standards for likeness can vary. For some reason, though, adults are in a different (and largely safer) world for her, and she's not nearly as shy to ask for help or tug on a sleeve to garner attention when needed.

When there's too much going on, it's easy for Aoi to feel overwhelmed. Too many loud noises when she's not expecting it, large crowds of people much taller than her, these sorts of things stress out the little magikarp! When faced with an unknown situation and no guidance, if she can't immediately apply any of her knowledge to it the situation can easily end with her in tears.

Likes
movies, boats, the ocean
Dislikes
large crowds, being asked to talk, mean people
Fears
Not being able to protect her Jiichan

🎏History

Content Warning: Contains themes of Child Neglect and Dementia (Alzheimers)
Mio is a small waterside town in the Wakayama prefecture, hosting a dying fishing industry and most of Aoi's memories.
Born in the city, Aoi's parents had very little time or space to care for their child. It wasn't that she went unloved by them- but working white-collar hours in Japan barely left room for them to be together as a family. It was decided very early on that the two couldn't care for Aoi's needs on a daily basis, though neither wanted to give her up for adoption and possibly never see her again.

Which is how the Masoras ended up leaving Aoi in the care of Watari Masora, Aoi's grandfather.

Watari was an old-fashioned grump, still stuck in an era where outside of working the docks children were seen and not heard.

And growing up, Aoi was very much the perfect child in that aspect. The girl never spoke a peep out of turn. She was always praised for being polite, if incredibly shy whenever the two went out to the town marketplace. When she became old enough to stand on her own two feet, Watari took her out boating. He always stressed to her the importance of knowing your way at sea, and the elders of the town would joke that she could point out the constellations before she could ever speak to them.

They weren't wrong, though not in the way one might think.

Aoi was always a shy girl. With the town of Mio having a population numbering in the low thousands spread out across the expansive coast, the girl didn't see many people outside of her grandfather. Her 'Jiichan' was her whole world, taking care of her and raising her. Trips to the local movie rental store or market were spent with her quietly hanging onto his pant leg as she gestured her wishes. No one thought much of it. Aoi was, after all, an unusually small girl. In a village of big tough adults who spent their better years wrestling the ocean, her being intimidated was understandable.

She talked at home just fine.

"Jiichan! Movie!" Was the most common comment around the evenings, as old Watari would almost always heave a sigh as he grumbled but acquiesced. The evening routine would change based on what day it was, starting with the beginning of the week. A new movie would be picked up from the local rental shop, trading out the latest one with a half-hearted threat that they wouldn't get any movies next week if Aoi misbehaved (She never did. Jiichan never followed through because he had no reason to). Whatever movie they got from the rental store would be played, and the rest of the evening would be spent watching it. The rest of the week would devolve as Aoi quickly memorized the movies, swooning dramatically with the princess or pouncing on her Jiichan's back in time with a ferocious attack from a beast (this was, perhaps, the one time she misbehaved. Watari would later complain of back pain that would miraculously cure itself when Aoi guiltily asked if it was her fault). And of course, the cycle would resume the following week.

Days in Mio were spent on the ocean. Jiichan, as old as he was, could never give up fishing. Outings on the water were filled with his rants about her father, how he left the town for the big city and how Aoi should become a fisherman like him. Her eyes always sparkled as she watched him work, delighting as she helped pull up the day's haul.

Mio was a small town. Which meant going to school was a hassle. The closest one was in a more populated neighboring town, leaving Aoi with the arduous task of taking the train every day. It's not that she didn't enjoy the train.

But she did not at all enjoy school. The train was merely a precursor to her least favorite place in the world. People and faces she didn't recognize, by the dozens! The first day she was too shy to even speak. And the second. And third.

Efforts by the teachers or other students to get her to socialize went nowhere. She just…couldn't talk around them. Froze up and stared blankly at anyone who posed a question at her as she fiddled with the hem of her shirt. To even get by in class she was relegated to answering questions on the blackboard or on paper.

People wanted her to talk. And that expectation scared her. What if she said the wrong thing and everyone hated her? What if it didn't work out like in her shows, and everyone thought her weird? The longer this went on the more the scales around her mouth faded in color, and soon her hands. Had she been cursed?

Where was Jiichan when she needed him?

"No more school." It was as simple as that. Jiichan swept in to save the day, reminding her that her father also had discolored scales. Oh, right. She had grown so accustomed to seeing pictures of her dad (and the occasional in-person visits) that she didn't associate it with anything beyond her dad looking like her dad. It wasn't a curse! Staying home worked! She could talk just like before with her Jiichan, not freezing up and not being able to talk. The grumpy old man would brandish his teeth at anyone the school sent to check on her, insisting that she would receive a private education at home. A compromise was eventually reached- a teacher would check in weekly to administer tests and leave lesson plans, while Aoi would be allowed to remain at home provided the test results were satisfactory. It was a good compromise- even if Aoi did miss the opportunity to run to school with toast in her mouth like in her shows.

Aoi found herself falling into a nice routine- at age 6, she'd wake up and start the day with her Jiichan. They'd go out on the boat and she'd slowly grow accustomed to how to drive it, where the good fishing spots were, and how to cast a good line. Then, after lunch, they'd go back home and study study study! After dinner, they would end the night watching whatever show or movie that they got from the video rental shop that week. Once a week a teacher would come over and give her a test (which she always passed with flying colors), and on the weekends they would go fishing for the whoooole day.

It was perfect.

Her parents, however, did not like this. She didn't know how they found out- she never failed a test or got in trouble with the teacher, but one day they showed up and everything was scary. She did not like hearing them argue with Jiichan when she was supposed to be sleeping (she usually was, but the arguments woke her up). They wanted her to go back, encouraging her to talk to her classmates. She was a bright young girl! She was smart- early test results proved this easily.

'But it wasn't so easy!' She wanted to say.
'I can't talk to them! I just can't!'

And then the worst thing happened.

She found herself unable to talk to her parents. Words caught in her throat, squeaks and frantic gestures quickly turned to tears as she realized her voice wasn't working. First school, now home. Her vision was too blurry to see but it was easy to hear her parents talking again, Jiichan trying to intervene and an argument breaking out. Coddling her, they said, not caring for her needs, when was the last time she went to the doctors.

She did end up at the doctors.

Austim with Selective Mutism- words that caused the entire family to cause an uproar. The doctors reassured them all- while testing baseline testing for Autism happened around the age of 4, it wasn't uncommon at all to get a later diagnosis. If anything, this was still a very early diagnosis. She could barely talk during the doctor's questions, the expectations scaring her. Eventually she was coaxed into talking when one of the doctors had mentioned one of her favorite shows- which she was able to animatedly recite her favorite scenes without hesitation. The doctors explained to her parents that, compounding with her autism, living in a community of adults for most of her upbringing had stifled her ability to interact with her peer and further exacerbated her selective mutism.
Every word was like a magical incantation, a special spell that would unravel the curse that plagued her. Like a senshi sailor's transformation, the words washed over her and gave her strength- an explanation for it all and the power to carry herself on.
The rest was a blur- her parents apologizing to her and Jiichan, her Jiichan apologizing to her, and a lot more tears. Moreso of relief when she finally got her voice back to talk to her parents again.

Finally a second agreement was reached- she would have bi-weekly lessons in person with a private teacher, in addition to visiting a speech therapist monthly.

All was well once again.

The week would start with her waking up, going to the train station, and meeting in a private room with a nice teacher who would go over the lesson with her. Occasionally, she would encounter other kids in the hallways who greeted her. At first she would always default to blankly staring at them until they went away, unsure of what to do or how to handle them, but over time she learned to at least wave back. She would meet with the speech therapist after school, and they would talk about how her day went. Sometimes it would just be them, but sometimes there would be another kid. Those times were hard, but gradually she got used to speaking little by little. And then, at the end of it all, Jiichan would be there to ride the train with her back home.

Except one day Jiichan forgot to pick her up from therapy. It wasn't too bad- she knew her way home. She was 10, she was a big girl. He apologized for losing track of time once she got home, and she hoped their schedule would go back to normal.

But it got worse.

Small things turned bigger- forgetting where the keys were and locking them outside of the house for hours, forgetting to cook meals for the both of them, one time coming home from the market he even forgot where their home was. Of course, Aoi was a big girl and could lead them home, so everything was alright.

But things came to crescendo on her 13th birthday. She wanted to go out on a boat ride with her Jiichan- she was a teen now! She was old enough to drive the boat by herself!

Jiichan didn't let her. Which was okay! It was just as nice having Jiichan drive them around the lake! The sun was peeking over the horizon when the two set off in their small boat, ready for a fun birthday fishing adventure.

The next morning a rescue team was dispatched to retrieve them and the wreckage of their boat from the small island off the coast of the Mio shallows. Jiichan had forgotten how to use the boat, how to direct them through the ocean, how to get home, how to stop the boat-

Her parents were there within the day, getting the two transferred from the relatively small hospital in the nearby town to one in the city they worked at- Mitakihara.

She didn't see him for a few days. Aoi was too scared to open her mouth the whole while, too afraid to ask what may have happened- or perhaps scared that like that night of the accident, her cries would go unheeded. The young magikarp managed to escape the incident with no serious injuries, so her hospital stay came to a close quickly.

It was the day she was discharged that her parents took her aside.

Jiichan had something called 'Alzhimers'. Sometimes he would forget things, and he would probably forget more things but he still loved her. She already knew all that, of course- Jiichan was very forgetful lately and of course he loved her! He was her Jiichan!

It didn't brace her at all for the visit in the hospital room. Finally, after waiting for so long, it was nice to see he was alright. She tentatively approached.
"Who is that nice young girl?"
Not a hint of recognition in his eyes.

Aoi ran off crying harder than she ever did before. She couldn't say anything. Not even with the odd Sylveon found her and consoled her, even if it was just like something out of a movie when it told her it could grant her a wish and make her a magical girl. He would help her. She just needed to tell him what her greatest wish was.

" Please " she squeaked, barely above a whisper as she held her knees to her chest and rocked.
" Please, you can help him remember me, right? "

🎏Extras

🎏Aoi speaks with a heavy Kansai accent.
🎏She has a set of cards on a lanyard that she carries with basic phrases on it. In her magical form, she has a similar set of cards that directly translates what she's trying to say.
🎏Aoi has vitiligo, as does her father.
🎏Her favorite movie and TV show is Sailor Moon, the first season of which her Jiichan gifted to her on DVD.
🎏Aoi relocated to Mitakihara with her parents after her Jiichan was put in the hospital.
🎏Prior to the boating accident she was making decent progress, able to talk to her speech therapist and teacher with a bit more ease. However the trauma of the boating accident has caused a rather severe relapse to the point she rarely speaks in Mitakihara outside of her home or the hospital.

Description

🎏 Basics

Name: Aoi Masora | 間宙青い

Age: 13
Birthday: July 26
Pokemon: Magikarp
Gender: Female
Ability: Swift Swim
Nature: Naive
Characteristic: Likes to run.

Moveset:
Splash
Tackle
Bounce *
Flail

*TM Given to her by her Jiichan

🎏Mahou

Wish: You can help him remember me, right?
Aoi's Jiichan remembers her.
Soul Gem:A gold gem mimicking the shape of a sailor bow, clasping her jacket together.

Power:

Permission from any RP partners will be requested before use on any other magicals.
[T1]Super-Sailor Picture-Pull
Through physical contact, Aoi can project a static image of an event she has witnessed into another's mind's eye. The image itself lasts up to one minute provided she maintains physical contact, and begins to fade when Aoi breaks contact. While using this effect, Aoi is unable to visually perceive the world around her as she focuses on projecting the single image and her vision will be hazy for a time equal to double the amount of time she was in physical contact with the person. She must wait three minutes after the haze fades before she is able to use this power again.
[T2] Mukashi, Mukashi
Through physical contact, Aoi can trap someone in one of their memories for a short period of time. Aoi can choose to 'fish' for a good or bad memory, and then the memory weighing heaviest on the mind of the target will be projected. She does not have precise control over which memory she projects. The memory is projected as phantasmal images centered around the target with faint noise audible only to the target and Aoi. The projection lasts as long as physical contact is maintained, for a maximum duration of 5 minutes, and takes 10 seconds to fully fade.
At Tier 2, while the target is in the memory they are either healed or hurt (corresponding to the good or bad memory choice) in small increments equal to the amount of time spent in physical contact.
Regardless of the length of contact, Aoi will be unable to perceive beyond the projected memory for the duration and will feel dizzy and light-headed afterwards for 5 minutes.

Weapon:

[T1] Koinobori
A large karp streamer that Aoi leads. Aside from being able to bonk enemies with the pole, the karp-streamer itself leaves a powerful stream of energy in it's wake. Aoi tends to swish it around a lot.
Ability:Super-Sailor Aoi's Special Attack!
Aoi charges up all her Koinobori's energy and unleashes it in one powerful blast. This uses up all of its energy, requiring her to run around for a long time to charge it before she is able to use it again.

🎏Personality
+Easily Content, +Enthusiastic, ±Childish, -Shy, -Easily Overwhelmed
Aoi is generally a happy-go-lucky girl. Before moving, she was content with the small life she lived in her fishing village. There wasn't any internet, no running cable, she could live off of renting the weekly movie or show from the rental shop and going fishing. She has never lived in the city before, so much of Mitakihara is still magical for her. The big city with all its luxuries (and drawbacks) are something that she marvels at, and something often taken for granted by those who live there. Aoi is very good at finding the 'magic' in little things around her and it doesn't take much to keep her satisfied with life.
Despite her shy disposition, she can be very outgoing and spontaneous when something (or someone) piques her interest. A lady with a pretty dress? Wow! A guy with a cool hat? Neat! When it comes to something that catches her interest, she will out her all into it. Schoolwork comes easy to her as a natural way to pass the time, excelling in history and literature as she sees it all as stories to be remembered. She knows her favorite shows line for line and will tell you just about everything she knows if you give her the chance. Don't be surprised if she starts to hop from foot to foot or waving her hands if she gets too excited!

Aoi doesn't act her age. For someone who is 13, she acts a lot younger. Part of it is just fun for her- its how she feels comfortable. If she's put into an environment where she can't act in this comforting manner, though, it becomes harder for her to function. Her childish nature also leads to her seeing and thinking the best of nearly everyone and everything, for better or worse. The same childishness that allows her to see the city as a magical place to be explored can also land her into trouble if she acts this way around the wrong people.

Despite her strides, Aoi is still fundamentally a shy person. When she can't instantly make a connection with someone her age, she becomes awkward. What do they talk about? It's better to not talk at all...staring blankly at people has long been a bad habit for when she clams up or finds herself unable to speak. When she sees something in another person that she can relate to, it's easier to make conversation, but without any bridge to start? She doesn't know them, and that's scary. Why bother talking if she doesn't already know they have something in common? And goodness, if they talk to her? About something she doesn't know? Well, then the tears might start flowing- depending on how overwhelmed she feels by the conversation. Aoi is the type of person who needs to see someone is like her in order to even initiate conversation, and her standards for likeness can vary. For some reason, though, adults are in a different (and largely safer) world for her, and she's not nearly as shy to ask for help or tug on a sleeve to garner attention when needed.

When there's too much going on, it's easy for Aoi to feel overwhelmed. Too many loud noises when she's not expecting it, large crowds of people much taller than her, these sorts of things stress out the little magikarp! When faced with an unknown situation and no guidance, if she can't immediately apply any of her knowledge to it the situation can easily end with her in tears.

Likes
movies, boats, the ocean
Dislikes
large crowds, being asked to talk, mean people
Fears
Not being able to protect her Jiichan

🎏History

Content Warning: Contains themes of Child Neglect and Dementia (Alzheimers)
Mio is a small waterside town in the Wakayama prefecture, hosting a dying fishing industry and most of Aoi's memories.
Born in the city, Aoi's parents had very little time or space to care for their child. It wasn't that she went unloved by them- but working white-collar hours in Japan barely left room for them to be together as a family. It was decided very early on that the two couldn't care for Aoi's needs on a daily basis, though neither wanted to give her up for adoption and possibly never see her again.

Which is how the Masoras ended up leaving Aoi in the care of Watari Masora, Aoi's grandfather.

Watari was an old-fashioned grump, still stuck in an era where outside of working the docks children were seen and not heard.

And growing up, Aoi was very much the perfect child in that aspect. The girl never spoke a peep out of turn. She was always praised for being polite, if incredibly shy whenever the two went out to the town marketplace. When she became old enough to stand on her own two feet, Watari took her out boating. He always stressed to her the importance of knowing your way at sea, and the elders of the town would joke that she could point out the constellations before she could ever speak to them.

They weren't wrong, though not in the way one might think.

Aoi was always a shy girl. With the town of Mio having a population numbering in the low thousands spread out across the expansive coast, the girl didn't see many people outside of her grandfather. Her 'Jiichan' was her whole world, taking care of her and raising her. Trips to the local movie rental store or market were spent with her quietly hanging onto his pant leg as she gestured her wishes. No one thought much of it. Aoi was, after all, an unusually small girl. In a village of big tough adults who spent their better years wrestling the ocean, her being intimidated was understandable.

She talked at home just fine.

"Jiichan! Movie!" Was the most common comment around the evenings, as old Watari would almost always heave a sigh as he grumbled but acquiesced. The evening routine would change based on what day it was, starting with the beginning of the week. A new movie would be picked up from the local rental shop, trading out the latest one with a half-hearted threat that they wouldn't get any movies next week if Aoi misbehaved (She never did. Jiichan never followed through because he had no reason to). Whatever movie they got from the rental store would be played, and the rest of the evening would be spent watching it. The rest of the week would devolve as Aoi quickly memorized the movies, swooning dramatically with the princess or pouncing on her Jiichan's back in time with a ferocious attack from a beast (this was, perhaps, the one time she misbehaved. Watari would later complain of back pain that would miraculously cure itself when Aoi guiltily asked if it was her fault). And of course, the cycle would resume the following week.

Days in Mio were spent on the ocean. Jiichan, as old as he was, could never give up fishing. Outings on the water were filled with his rants about her father, how he left the town for the big city and how Aoi should become a fisherman like him. Her eyes always sparkled as she watched him work, delighting as she helped pull up the day's haul.

Mio was a small town. Which meant going to school was a hassle. The closest one was in a more populated neighboring town, leaving Aoi with the arduous task of taking the train every day. It's not that she didn't enjoy the train.

But she did not at all enjoy school. The train was merely a precursor to her least favorite place in the world. People and faces she didn't recognize, by the dozens! The first day she was too shy to even speak. And the second. And third.

Efforts by the teachers or other students to get her to socialize went nowhere. She just…couldn't talk around them. Froze up and stared blankly at anyone who posed a question at her as she fiddled with the hem of her shirt. To even get by in class she was relegated to answering questions on the blackboard or on paper.

People wanted her to talk. And that expectation scared her. What if she said the wrong thing and everyone hated her? What if it didn't work out like in her shows, and everyone thought her weird? The longer this went on the more the scales around her mouth faded in color, and soon her hands. Had she been cursed?

Where was Jiichan when she needed him?

"No more school." It was as simple as that. Jiichan swept in to save the day, reminding her that her father also had discolored scales. Oh, right. She had grown so accustomed to seeing pictures of her dad (and the occasional in-person visits) that she didn't associate it with anything beyond her dad looking like her dad. It wasn't a curse! Staying home worked! She could talk just like before with her Jiichan, not freezing up and not being able to talk. The grumpy old man would brandish his teeth at anyone the school sent to check on her, insisting that she would receive a private education at home. A compromise was eventually reached- a teacher would check in weekly to administer tests and leave lesson plans, while Aoi would be allowed to remain at home provided the test results were satisfactory. It was a good compromise- even if Aoi did miss the opportunity to run to school with toast in her mouth like in her shows.

Aoi found herself falling into a nice routine- at age 6, she'd wake up and start the day with her Jiichan. They'd go out on the boat and she'd slowly grow accustomed to how to drive it, where the good fishing spots were, and how to cast a good line. Then, after lunch, they'd go back home and study study study! After dinner, they would end the night watching whatever show or movie that they got from the video rental shop that week. Once a week a teacher would come over and give her a test (which she always passed with flying colors), and on the weekends they would go fishing for the whoooole day.

It was perfect.

Her parents, however, did not like this. She didn't know how they found out- she never failed a test or got in trouble with the teacher, but one day they showed up and everything was scary. She did not like hearing them argue with Jiichan when she was supposed to be sleeping (she usually was, but the arguments woke her up). They wanted her to go back, encouraging her to talk to her classmates. She was a bright young girl! She was smart- early test results proved this easily.

'But it wasn't so easy!' She wanted to say.
'I can't talk to them! I just can't!'

And then the worst thing happened.

She found herself unable to talk to her parents. Words caught in her throat, squeaks and frantic gestures quickly turned to tears as she realized her voice wasn't working. First school, now home. Her vision was too blurry to see but it was easy to hear her parents talking again, Jiichan trying to intervene and an argument breaking out. Coddling her, they said, not caring for her needs, when was the last time she went to the doctors.

She did end up at the doctors.

Austim with Selective Mutism- words that caused the entire family to cause an uproar. The doctors reassured them all- while testing baseline testing for Autism happened around the age of 4, it wasn't uncommon at all to get a later diagnosis. If anything, this was still a very early diagnosis. She could barely talk during the doctor's questions, the expectations scaring her. Eventually she was coaxed into talking when one of the doctors had mentioned one of her favorite shows- which she was able to animatedly recite her favorite scenes without hesitation. The doctors explained to her parents that, compounding with her autism, living in a community of adults for most of her upbringing had stifled her ability to interact with her peer and further exacerbated her selective mutism.
Every word was like a magical incantation, a special spell that would unravel the curse that plagued her. Like a senshi sailor's transformation, the words washed over her and gave her strength- an explanation for it all and the power to carry herself on.
The rest was a blur- her parents apologizing to her and Jiichan, her Jiichan apologizing to her, and a lot more tears. Moreso of relief when she finally got her voice back to talk to her parents again.

Finally a second agreement was reached- she would have bi-weekly lessons in person with a private teacher, in addition to visiting a speech therapist monthly.

All was well once again.

The week would start with her waking up, going to the train station, and meeting in a private room with a nice teacher who would go over the lesson with her. Occasionally, she would encounter other kids in the hallways who greeted her. At first she would always default to blankly staring at them until they went away, unsure of what to do or how to handle them, but over time she learned to at least wave back. She would meet with the speech therapist after school, and they would talk about how her day went. Sometimes it would just be them, but sometimes there would be another kid. Those times were hard, but gradually she got used to speaking little by little. And then, at the end of it all, Jiichan would be there to ride the train with her back home.

Except one day Jiichan forgot to pick her up from therapy. It wasn't too bad- she knew her way home. She was 10, she was a big girl. He apologized for losing track of time once she got home, and she hoped their schedule would go back to normal.

But it got worse.

Small things turned bigger- forgetting where the keys were and locking them outside of the house for hours, forgetting to cook meals for the both of them, one time coming home from the market he even forgot where their home was. Of course, Aoi was a big girl and could lead them home, so everything was alright.

But things came to crescendo on her 13th birthday. She wanted to go out on a boat ride with her Jiichan- she was a teen now! She was old enough to drive the boat by herself!

Jiichan didn't let her. Which was okay! It was just as nice having Jiichan drive them around the lake! The sun was peeking over the horizon when the two set off in their small boat, ready for a fun birthday fishing adventure.

The next morning a rescue team was dispatched to retrieve them and the wreckage of their boat from the small island off the coast of the Mio shallows. Jiichan had forgotten how to use the boat, how to direct them through the ocean, how to get home, how to stop the boat-

Her parents were there within the day, getting the two transferred from the relatively small hospital in the nearby town to one in the city they worked at- Mitakihara.

She didn't see him for a few days. Aoi was too scared to open her mouth the whole while, too afraid to ask what may have happened- or perhaps scared that like that night of the accident, her cries would go unheeded. The young magikarp managed to escape the incident with no serious injuries, so her hospital stay came to a close quickly.

It was the day she was discharged that her parents took her aside.

Jiichan had something called 'Alzhimers'. Sometimes he would forget things, and he would probably forget more things but he still loved her. She already knew all that, of course- Jiichan was very forgetful lately and of course he loved her! He was her Jiichan!

It didn't brace her at all for the visit in the hospital room. Finally, after waiting for so long, it was nice to see he was alright. She tentatively approached.
"Who is that nice young girl?"
Not a hint of recognition in his eyes.

Aoi ran off crying harder than she ever did before. She couldn't say anything. Not even with the odd Sylveon found her and consoled her, even if it was just like something out of a movie when it told her it could grant her a wish and make her a magical girl. He would help her. She just needed to tell him what her greatest wish was.

" Please " she squeaked, barely above a whisper as she held her knees to her chest and rocked.
" Please, you can help him remember me, right? "

🎏Extras

🎏Aoi speaks with a heavy Kansai accent.
🎏She has a set of cards on a lanyard that she carries with basic phrases on it. In her magical form, she has a similar set of cards that directly translates what she's trying to say.
🎏Aoi has vitiligo, as does her father.
🎏Her favorite movie and TV show is Sailor Moon, the first season of which her Jiichan gifted to her on DVD.
🎏Aoi relocated to Mitakihara with her parents after her Jiichan was put in the hospital.
🎏Prior to the boating accident she was making decent progress, able to talk to her speech therapist and teacher with a bit more ease. However the trauma of the boating accident has caused a rather severe relapse to the point she rarely speaks in Mitakihara outside of her home or the hospital.