Ren Aizawa
| Ren Aizawa | |
|---|---|
| 300px | |
| IC Information | |
| Full Name: | Ren Aizawa |
| Aliases: | Ren-san, Aizawa-san |
| Species: | Human |
| Gender: | Female |
| Age/Birthdate: | 16 (December 5th) |
| Height: | 5'6" |
| Hair Colour: | Black |
| Eye Colour: | Amber |
| Astrological Sign: | Sagittarius |
| Blood Type: | A- |
| Favorite Food: | Yakitori |
| Least Favorite Food: | Curry |
| Favorite Subject: | ...Magic |
| Least Favorite Subject: | ...Everything else |
| Character Theme: | Kaori Oda - True Colors |
| Dossier | |
| Organization: | Unaffiliated |
| Position: | N/A |
| School: | Infinity Institute (Grade 11) |
| Combat Rank: | C |
| OOC Information | |
| Source: | Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha |
| Chartype: | OC |
| Player: | Maxyrama |
Contents
Quote
"...I think I can help!"
Profile
Ren Aizawa has never quite lived up to the expectations of her accomplished family. A girl of zero renown, she's struggled with finding her lot for as long as she remembers. With a lifetime of mediocrity stretching out before her, Ren desperately wished for a miracle. Fortunately, someone was listening, and her prayers were answered. Deep within the confines of her new school Ren stumbles upon a beautiful ring. Except it wasn't just an exquisite piece of jewelry – it was Souverain Heraut, an intelligent device that grants the ability to embrace the magical energy within oneself and wield it fantastically. Officially forming a contract and becoming a mage-in-training, Ren has transformed from a dull schoolgirl to a majestic champion of justice!
Personality
On the surface, Ren does not seem any different from most teenaged girls. She certainly has the same worries as expected of her age group – most of which aren't too significant or potentially life-altering in hindsight. If anything Ren puts a large amount of stock into the opinions of her peers, remains prone to typical adolescent flights of fancy, conveys a near perpetual aura of youthful awkwardness, and in general doesn't always put her best foot forward. Again, nothing out of the ordinary for a self-conscious, still maturing high schooler in the scheme of things.
But peel back this superficial top layer and the /real/ Ren becomes exposed. The aforementioned over-reliance on peer views still remains; though added in are healthy doses of inferiority, loneliness, and desperation. Ren has always stood in the shadow of “superior” people. Her parents and most importantly her brother are irrefutable examples. Though they have not gone so far as to wave their greater acumen in her face, she still feels the sting. Paranoia seeps into the edges of her mind, eating away at the already shaky foundations, and brings her dangerously close to sliding down the slippery slope to self-loathing.
See, Ren's greatest weakness is empathy. She cycles through emotions like everyone else, except they hit her like a roaring tsunami, threatening to sweep her up and away. She simply /feels/ on a much deeper level. Everything sticks with her for much longer than normal. She internalizes every interaction she has and reflects on the outcome whether good or bad. Much thought goes into how differently it could have gone, the multitude of variables racing through her cerebral cortex. Something didn't go exactly as she would've liked? That just means she'll have to actively try harder to steer it towards the desired conclusion. There is a clear element of control she wishes to exercise over her life. As someone uncomfortable with the uncertainties of existence, Ren tirelessly works to make sure all the pieces fall into their optimal places.
Alienation becomes a common theme with someone like Ren. Fear of having her imperfections bared for others to pick at and critique naturally drives her into avoiding situations that will just exasperate the problem. Of course this behavior does /wonders/ for her social life. But it would be unfair to categorize her as anti-social. Ren just doesn't always seek out companionship. Though it's laughably easy for someone to force it upon her. In those cases she'll engage those who saw fit to address her, all the while remaining conscious of what is coming out of her mouth. It's akin to playing a game of social chess; making the right moves and avoiding saying the wrong thing. Should the focus shift to her being scrutinized however a ton of red flags will go up and Ren will start to backpedal. Abruptly cutting off in such a manner is undeniably strange but at the same time desirable to the alternative of being rejected for certain traits of her persona.
Basically, her actions all boil down to trust. Or lack thereof. When Ren looks back on her time growing up, she remembers the patronizing smiles and shared looks between her family while striving to relate to them. She wouldn't go as far as to say it was altogether intentional on their part. For all their hubris, her parents and brother are at heart good individuals. Though Ren cannot ultimately ignore how marginalized she is in their presence. From this sparks an implicit sentiment of animosity toward the so-called elite. She sees nothing wrong with making sweeping assumptions about these particular group of people, or how hypocritical it would be for her to take offense should the same be done to her. Pettiness comes to the forefront and tends to cloud her judgment, altering Ren into a moody mess of thinly-veiled acerbity. Gratefully she usually has the wherewithal to make herself scarce in lieu of doing something unbecoming. Usually.
Of course now with magic revealed to her and becoming a magical girl everything has changed drastically. Before she did not have the means to exert even the slightest bit of influence on the world around her. Ren's perception has been augmented, her mind unlocked; and nothing seems inconceivable. Magic allows her to kick open formerly closed doors and let her presence be acknowledged. Those who are not cognizant of her freshly granted abilities will no doubt continue to underestimate her – to surmise that she is very much still an underdog. And Ren? Won't clue them in to anything otherwise. She's grown accustomed to being so overlooked that continuing to play the part is sincerely fun in some cases. It's like her own little inside joke that she alone knows the punchline to.
On the hopes and dreams front, Ren's envisions a future beating back the armies of darkness. Heroic, huh? Though she has all of high school to get through before gallivanting off to distant lands to slay beasts Ren can assuredly profess that is the existence she endeavors to lead. She'd be an idiot not to specialize in the one thing she shows blatant competence in. A gross injustice, even! And it helps that she finds the whole shebang /fun/. Yes, while karaoke and shopping works for other girls, beating up monsters is Ren's form of letting her hair down. To say it brings her joy would be an immense understatement. Rather, it's virtually /cathartic/. All of her pent up emotions get released with each shot, stab, strike she delivers to her opponents. The battlefield is her element, and when within it Ren's entire mien distorts into something... something downright /primal/. All prey in sight will be obliterated, and there is no conceding. Ren is thorough. Scarily thorough.
History
Ren had the misfortune of being born an ordinary girl in an extraordinary family. Her parents were both top researchers in their chosen fields, while her older brother Yuu was found to be a child prodigy at a young age. Of course, many would argue the validity of determining a child's “worth” at such a young age. Though Mr. and Mrs. Aizawa would certainly contest any negative opinions on the matter thrown their way, being the outspoken geniuses they were. Ren was placed into a multitude of “early nurturing” activities as a result of her parents' ideals. It had seemingly worked for her brother – so logically the same should have been true for her.
Well.. not quite it turned out. Ren didn't seem to have any aptitude for the same things as Yuu did. She wasn't musically or artistically inclined or anything of the sort. Ren was overwhelmingly “average”, and seemed much more interested in being a child than living up to any grandiose expectations. Her parents were floored. How could this have happened? Though to their credit, they didn't outright shun her for not embracing what they tried to push onto her. At the same time however they certainly weren't wholly content. They even held out hope that their young daughter would still have time to “catch up” and hopefully find her niche.
Though Ren did nothing of the sort. Entering public elementary school (Juuban) she continued to do most of what was expected of her. Unlike her brother Yuu she didn't shoot to the top of her class or display any sort of advanced level of maturity. As time advanced and it became apparent she wouldn't be bringing home any medals every single day, her parents resigned themselves to loosening the reins somewhat. This had a fairly good effect on Ren for the most part, since she hadn't been completely oblivious to their feelings on the matter. With their focus off of her she was free to spread her wings and pursue the things she wanted to at her own leisure.
The novelty of having little obligations to her parents however began to wear off when she became a teenager. Yuu had been accepted into Ohtori Academy thanks to his academic (and the Aizawa's financial) prowess. Such an accomplishment became THE main topic of conversation for months. Having people come up to her to gush over her ~handsome brother~ and his status as one of the elite got old for Ren quite quickly. A bit of resentment started to build up as customary – though not quite enough for any sibling rivalry to take place. Ren knew Yuu was in an entirely different league than her. A league she couldn't even hope to break into with her lack of obvious talents.
Playing second fiddle to her brother continued to eat away at Ren well into junior high. It prompted her to even try her hand at joining a few clubs and sports. Still Ren found she held no real passion for either of them no matter how hard she tried to pretend otherwise. She yearned to be good at /something/. /Anything/. There had to be some unknown trait about her waiting to be discovered. Ren's gut instinct told her it existed – though gave her no clues as to what direction to take in finding it.
Fortunately enough, the timely invention of the Sister Schools Program would prove to be the catalyst Ren needed to jumpstart her otherwise humdrum life. Her class was taken on a school-sponsored trip to the Infinity Institute to give them a taste of what life in such an advanced establishment of learning entailed. Ren had no idea that during the tour she'd gotten the attention of one of the faculty members who had passively observed the gathered outsiders. And she definitely had no idea that a week later she would receive a formal recruitment package and invitation to join the esteemed charter school. Her parents of course were overjoyed... while Ren was rightfully puzzled. She hadn't expressed any intention to go to the Infinity School, so why had they given her a spot so readily?
She didn't have much time to ponder the motives behind the school's insistence she become part of their ranks. All the necessary paperwork was filed and her transfer from Juuban was complete. Leaving behind her old school for a brand new one wasn't easy, especially since she'd just made the transition to high school not long beforehand. All of this left Ren feeling very out of her element during those initial weeks at Infinity. The curriculum was varied, and intimidating. While the atmosphere of Infinity did not feel as “elite” as Ohtori, there was still a certain degree of prestige that she found herself struggling to live up to. The uniform got her looks of acknowledgment from people in public. Being an Infinity student meant something. Though it felt good to be looked at in such a way, Ren couldn't totally shake the feeling of being an imposter. What if others found out she wasn't as great as her fellow peers? She would surely be laughed at, and the school would realize it made a grave mistake and cut her loose! But nothing of the sort was in the cards for her. Ren owed her admission not to some random oversight doomed to a swift correction and a miasma of shame – rather, it was her own yet hidden talent, an inborn capacity for magic she could not know she possessed. It was this – this capacity for which she had been selected; this capacity for which her observer had been silently scanning the children. A close eye was kept on her, though interference was restricted. It was much more preferable to manifest magical abilities on her own instead of being pushed into it.
Not long after getting her bearings Ren felt herself suddenly afflicted with a strange compulsion. From somewhere within the school she could sense /it/ – waiting for her to come along and stake her claim. She tried ignoring what she felt in the beginning, chalking it up to her imagination. The draw towards /it/ only intensified, gnawing away at her thoughts so much that it became unbearable. So, without even knowing what she was potentially getting into, Ren heeded the call. The trail lead her deep into the school – deeper than she'd ever been. Finally she arrived at a darkened laboratory. Slipping inside she was met with many odd sights that made her question just what kind of place Infinity really was. With the calling at its strongest within the mysterious room, she eventually sniffed out the focal point – a solitary silver ring with an ornate gold stone in the center and strange runic symbols engraved within its band. Before she could stop herself she'd picked it up and immediately deposited it into her pocket, then made a hasty retreat.
Ren was floored for the most part. Why did she steal the ring? She wasn't a thief! Days went by, each one ending in a failed attempt to return it to the lab. It just seemed like doing so would've been a grave mistake. On the plus side the distraction the ring had been serving as seemed to lessen now that she had it within her grasp. Almost like it had been soothed as a result of being rescued from that musty room. And at times she swore the gem in the center would pulse faintly. Totally /not/ normal behavior for a piece of jewelry to exhibit.
All would be answered in the most spectacular way possible during her usual walk home. She was a bit later than usual thanks to stopping off at her favorite cafe. As she hurried to make it home before it got too dark, a scream cut through the air. Not typically someone who ran into potential danger, Ren shockingly found herself hurrying into the alleyway where the scream originated. What she saw made her blood run cold. A giant monstrous creature was looming over a passed out couple. It was unlike anything she'd seen before, and when it turned to face her the pit in her stomach swelled. She was going to be eaten!
No... That wasn't going to happen! As the monster jumped towards her, Ren intuitively raised her hands. A golden incandescent barrier of light formed in front of her just as the monster would've made contact. The beast roared as it was then pushed back into the rubbish bins lining the alleyway. Ren stood there, barrier still up, eyes wide with surprise. What... had she done that?! The answer – yes. But not entirely on her own. A voice began speaking out to her, and it took her just a few moments to realize it was coming from the ring, now inexplicably floating in front of her. In stunned silence she listened as it introduced itself as Souverain Heraut. Ren wanted to believe she was hallucinating. Although this was no fever dream. The talking ring was as real as the terrible monster currently struggling to get back upright. With the stark reality of the situation setting in, she /knew/ it was up to her to resolve it.
Souverain Heraut responded affirmatively to Ren's internal declaration. He could grant her the power she needed to subdue the creature. All she had to do was repeat the passphrase that had been buried within her subconscious the moment she first made contact with the ring – and the contract would thus be formed. The growls and furious snapping of jaws filled her ears as she closed her eyes and uttered those words of power.
- “A royal duty to defend against tyranny... To strike down chaos where it lurks... To become a shining beacon that beats back the darkness... SOUVERAIN HERAUT, SORTIE!”
A pillar of light immediately exploded into the sky, surrounding Ren completely. In the next instant her clothes melted away, and the floating ring expanded, unrolling into a shiny silver rod. The golden stone shaped itself into the “cap” of the rod, which soon took on the shape of a stately scepter. Floating in front of Ren still, the device launched forth several searing flares of magical energy that proceeded to conform to parts of her body. In a flash her barrier jacket was formed, providing Ren with protective armor fit for a monarch. Only once the last piece was in place did she finally reach out and take Souverain Heraut in hand, accepting her new destiny as its master.
Transformation complete, Ren stood proudly in the alleyway. She could feel the weight of the magic now at her fingertips. The monster didn't seem as scary, either. With Souverain Heraut under her command there was nothing to fear. Again the creature leapt at her, though this time Ren nimbly avoided it by flying backwards into the air. Not content with giving up its prey, the beast followed, and an exhilarating aerial roof top chase played out between the two opposing parties. Ren continued to avoid her opponent's blows, taking advantage of her smaller build to lose the perusing behemoth in a crack between two buildings just big enough for her alone to fit through. Emerging from the other side unscathed she slowed to a stop, panting heavily in response to the adrenaline rushing through her veins. She felt so alive!
Souverain Heraut spoke again, imploring her to use a spell to strike back at their enemy. Knowing continued evasion wouldn't bring an end to the fight, Ren complied, flying up higher to get a bird's eye view of the pacing monster down below. Relying on further encouragement from Souverain Heraut, she focused her magic into conjuring up a swarm of golden jewels in the air around her. Radiating with her spiritual heat, they sizzled and crackled with concentrated intensity. With a flourish of her scepter she commanded them to strike, each gem zipping off to cut through their intended target like a hot knife through butter. The beast roared in pain, crippled from the surprise strike. Ren clearly had it on the ropes now! It was time to finish this.
An elegant golden circle of magic appeared beneath her feet, spinning as preparations were made. Souverain Heraut declared himself to be shifting into Engagement Mode before the scepter morphed into a glittering rapier complete with a jewel-encrusted basket hilt. Thrusting it forward, tendrils of energy spilled forth, billowing around the blade ominously. Fully charged with power, Ren dove at the defenseless brute, letting out an echoing war cry. The moment the sword sunk into inky flesh a dazzling explosion of light lit up the entire block. And when it faded, the only thing left behind was Ren standing in a smoking crater.
Coming down from the battle was no easy feat. It took soothing words from Souverain Heraut to coax Ren into dispelling her transformation. The scepter disappeared, leaving the ring peacefully within her palm. Sirens started blaring in the distance, snapping Ren out of her trance enough for her to make a hasty retreat. She didn't stop running until she got home and up to her room, collapsing face-first onto her bed. As she lay there catching her breath she played out the tumultuous events in her head. Bringing the palm in which she clutched the ring to her chest Ren stayed curled up that way until eventually slipping into a quiet slumber.
The first act upon awakening the next morning was a thorough interrogation of Souverain Heraut. His answers were at times both vague and forthright. Using the term “Mage” to describe what Ren was, he commended the magical aptitude she displayed during the previous night's scuffle. A dedicated training regimen, he insisted, was what she was in need of, and vowed to teach her everything. Ren was taken aback. It was weird to be putting her trust in a talking magical device... but Ren's heart told her Souverain Heraut would not steer her wrong. And passing up the chance to nurture her emerging magical talents sounded like a bone-headed move to begin with. So with a steely gaze, Ren pledged herself to giving it her all.
Now with a noticeably brighter future ahead of her, Ren chooses to defend the interests of the common man, and beat back the forces of evil. Look out world, Imperial Chancellor Ren is here to make her mark!
Powers/Abilities
Ren relies on the innate magic produced from her linker core as well as Souverain Heraut, her chosen intelligent device which aggrandizes her abilities and aids in spellcasting. In the Path to Power sense, she possesses an Artifact (Souverain Heraut) with which she has a Contract (use magic to protect and serve the greater good). The artifact itself is rather steeped in stateliness, taking the standby form of a ring so baroque in aesthetics that it would be at home in a museum dedicated to lost treasures. The same florid display is just as prevalent in its activated (device) mode – a silver, bejeweled scepter. Her spells are focused through it, the intricacies of which are largely handled by Souverain Heraut. Lastly, there is a secondary active form that her device is able to shift into – Engagement Mode! The scepter twists itself into a snazzy rapier fit for pulse-pounding, heart-stopping melee action. The blade hums with power and will cut through most targets as though they were made of wet tissue paper. The attacks of this mode tend to have a higher mana expenditure, too. Gotta pay for that flashiness.
It also goes without saying that to use the full capabilities of her device Ren must be transformed into her mage armor, aka barrier jacket. In addition to giving her a pretty cool look, the barrier jacket strengthens her body and allows her to withstand forces that would severely maim a normal person. It even allows her to fly! Oh, and then there's the whole recognition inhibition deal that keeps her identity a secret. Yes yes, that's very important too.
So, what does her magic look like? Gems! Jewels! And other assorted pretty stones! Ren conjures these regalia and uses them to attack. She can bombard a chosen mark with them acting as high speed projectiles, command a swarm of lasers to shoot from an assembled array of ornaments, or surround a quarry with finery that explode into fireworks on her command.
Relationships
- The Family
- Mr. and Mrs. Aizawa (Parents): Ren's relationship with her parents is complicated. She both loves and respects them without a doubt (a mutual attitude essentially), and wouldn't want to bring shame upon them willingly. If she had to be truthful, though, part of her dislikes them for being so effortlessly perfect. Surely they have flaws, but what does that matter when they seem able to hide them adequately and put their best parts on display? Ren is so glaringly different from her parents that she may as well not even be considered their offspring. She's never been able to connect with them due to lack of shared interests. Although, her acceptance to Infinity has caused them to cast a favorable eye upon her for the first time, moving things in the right direction.
- Yuu Aizawa (Brother): Ren's thoughts on her brother are close to those regarding her parents. He's the eldest child who can pretty much do no wrong. The one who will carry on the family name and do great things with that big gifted brain of his. Yuu does get carried away, frequently getting absorbed into his own notoriety, and takes his position as her older brother seriously. Ren views him as an overbearing nuisance but does appreciate the concern he exhibits. Yuu is currently in his last year of high school at Ohtori, with entry into university on the horizon. Ren's entry to Infinity has had an effect on Yuu also, all but forcing him to perceive her as an equal. It's a development that's screwed with his head quite a lot, and has caused him to reassess the role he's played in Ren's life since they were children. Yuu perhaps never considered that his baby sister would spread her wings and become a swan. He's not sure he likes it.
- Friendly Sorts
- Souverain Heraut (Intelligent Device): Ren's only known the enigmatic magical device for a short amount of time, although the bond they share is remarkably solid. He instructs her on how to best utilize her magic, a talent she's actually taken to with promise, and in the process has shown there is more to her than meets the eye. Questions about his background before Ren came into the picture have yielded references to a previous master who is no longer alive; the details of which have not been revealed. As far as she can tell there does not seem to be any unspoken stipulations to the contract. Souverain Heraut only longs for Ren to bloom into a first-rate mage and will go to great lengths to make sure that goal is met – and even exceeded.
- Nanoha Takamachi: A very adorable, hard-working little mage girl. Ren has come to see her as a true ally in the struggle against bad things and will react appropriately should someone threaten the tiny redhead. Though she worries about her tendency to take nearly impossible tasks onto herself. Still, she seems to handle them well...
- Alyce Ducati: Works for the TSAB (Time Space Administration Bureau) but unfortunately has little jurisdiction here on Earth. Ren both respects and trusts her -- especially since she herself has ended up using the TSAB mage's apartment as an impromptu hospital more than she'd like to admit. Definitely considers her to be the magical backup they may need if things get dicey.
- Lera Camry: Another mage! And she goes to Infinity too! Pretty enthusiastic about the whole magical girl thing, though her device is a bit short with her and everyone else. Ren has made an effort to spend time with her, them being so close in age and all. Lera is yet another person
- Eri Shimanouchi: Stumbled upon her within the barrier of a particularly aggressive Familiar and ended up saving her life. After that it was only logical that they hit it off. Ren is especially worried about Eri's views on her own status as a magical girl. They've kept in touch and have become the best of friends. Ren will readily drop everything to help Eri-chan -- no question about it!
- Endo Naoki: An old classmate from Juuban that Ren ran into at the arcade. Turns out he's pretty cool. AND A MAGE. They've developed quite a close friendship since that initial meeting (certain disagreements aside), which only continues to grow... perhaps into something more? The future holds some interesting potential!
- Kinzo Hiroyuki: Met him during a witch fight he participated in. Once identities were revealed Ren realized he went to Infinity! They've chatted in the hallways upon seeing one another since then, with her considering him to be a pretty nice guy. She chooses to overlook the apparently dark past-life he used to lead -- he seems genuinely repentant and determined to be on the side of good. And that's all that counts.
- Runealy Waldia: A friend of Nanoha's whom Ren was meeting up with to hang out and consume very sugary snacks with. Except they got interrupted by a bratty witch on a broom that they were forced to subdue together. Very surprised (and pleased) that Rune is a magical girl (and a Princess!). Recently they've become closer after Ren witnessed the effects of the dark seal placed on the young girl and fought along with others to save her. Still owes her yummy snacks!
- Mamoru Chiba: A chance meeting at the Linden Baum Diner saw Ren blushing furiously as the tall, handsome Ohtori student chatted with her casually. All of that nervousness quickly dissipated when she found out he was the Chiba-san her older brother Yuu was friends with. He even invited her to a study group! What a nice guy!
- Mai Tokiha: During the same meeting with Mamoru, Ren met Mai, a waitress at the Linden Baum Diner. She and Mamoru seem to be close friends, so Ren had no trouble starting up a conversation with the high schooler. She recommended a dish that Ren ended up enjoying greatly which makes her good company to keep!
- Not So Friendly Sorts
- Fate Testarossa: Known only as THAT GIRL to Ren. She's confused as to why Fate is so aggressively hostile and obsessive when it comes to collecting the Jewel Seeds. And she doesn't like it one bit. Nanoha is overly concerned with understanding the blonde mage, who seemingly spurs all attempts at rational discussion. It's frustrating but Ren continues to take a passive stance on the matter for now. Also, Fate hits hard. Very hard.
- Jaren Zastava: He attacked Ren in the park one night and would've very likely killed her had it not been for the timely intervention of Nanoha, Endo, and Fate (though she was there for unrelated reasons to be honest). From what she was told after the battle, he claims to want to take something back he let her borrow. Ren has no idea what he's talking about and is rightfully worried about future attacks from the powerful mage.
Logs / Cutscenes
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