Takazumi Ryu
Ryu is the Steel Shogun's son and younger twin brother of Tomiko.
As the Shogun’s only son, he was raised with the full expectation he would eventually succeed his father to head the Takazumi-gumi. No expense was spared in his education to prepare him for his eventual role. Ryu also had a strict upbringing, suffering severe beatings when he failed to live up to expectations. Yet when he succeeded he was generously rewarded, and was able to command his father’s attention. He knew he was important, far more important than his sister, but he also knew it was the role he’d eventually fill that made him important, so he worked hard to be worthy of his inheritance and to not disappoint his father.
All his hard work was for naught and he was quickly displaced in his father’s eyes, however, when Tomiko discovered she could peer into the future. The Steel Shogun stopped lavishing attention on Ryu and began attending to Tomiko and her visions. Ryu at first suspected the visions were a sad attempt by his sister to garner attention for herself, but as they proved to be accurate time and time again, there was no doubt in anyone’s mind that Tomiko was uniquely talented. Ryu hated that he was no longer the center of his father’s attention and he resented his sister for taking away what he felt was his alone.
Yet there was very little he could do about it. He had no power of his own to sway his father back to him, and though he tried to question his sister’s visions, they were difficult to argue with. If he continued to deny her ability, he would only bring shame and dishonor to himself. No, he had only a few options at his disposal: have Tomiko married into another clan, or have her commit some act that would shame the family so much the Steel Shogun would have no option but to disown her.
Despite her abilities, Ryu knows Tomiko can never achieve greatness within the clan, as she is too weak and too unfamiliar with how the clan operates. Even at his young age he already holds the trusted position of So-Honbucho in his father’s household; everything and everyone in the house is his to control. In addition, he leads the Silver Oni, his own motorcycle gang of ambitious Japanese foot soldiers. It’s only a matter of time before he steps into the shoes of his father as oyuban of Takazumi-gumi.
Ryu is a handsome 22 year old Japanese man. He is 5’8” with a strong muscular build, black hair and brown eyes. He bears a number of colorful Yakuza tattoos on his arms, back and chest, but none that cannot be easily covered with clothing. As befits the important position he holds in the clan, he tends to dress very smartly, though his fashion sense does seem to be inspired by television cop shows from the 80s: dark wrap-around sunglasses, sports jackets with rolled up sleeves, white t-shirts, jeans, and slip on shoes.
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