Character Profile: Mizu (DREAM)

[This post will not include *major* spoilers for Dream. It will include fun facts and trivia that won’t necessarily make it into the novel.]

Copyright © 2020, D.C. Canipe

Basic Stats

Sex: Female

Gender Expression: Feminine, but tomboyish. She loves traditionally feminine things, like looking pretty, doing her hair, and having frilly, “girly” clothes like dresses, but she is also an incredibly skilled fighter. She’s tough in battle, but gentle with her friends.

Pronouns: Her/She/Hers

Age: 17

Race/Ethnicity/Culture: Japanese Koi Mermaid

Mizu was born in Ningyotoshi, the merfolk kingdom that lies beneath the waves that surround Japan. The culture of the Ningyotoshians is quite similar to that of the Japanese. In fact, its tradition for Ningyotoshians to turn human when they come of age, and step out onto the land. There, they will mingle with the humans, learning that they aren’t so different. And if they choose to stay, they can, but most of the merfolk of the kingdom go back and forth in secret.

Height: 5′0″ 

Body type: Mizu is thicc. She has never seen a problem with her weight, but being able to hear peoples’ thoughts, she’s always known that she was different. Chubby since she was but a girl, she’s always thought of herself as cute and bubbly, but people like Blackheart are always quick to remind her that most people think her squishy tummy and jiggly thighs are disgusting.

Appearance: The girl is beautiful, with purple eyes and long, luxurious, shimmering black hair. She is a bit pale, because she has spent most of her time in Halcyon within a trance at the bottom of the sea, trying to establish a psychic connection with Dante. In her mermaid form, she has fin-like ears, three gills on each side of her neck, and a thick, scaly, sparkling tail that looks exactly like that of an orange, black and white koi fish. When she’s in her human form, she loves wearing cute sundresses and always carries her parasol to protect her snow white skin from the harsh rays of the sun.

Tattoos/Piercings: None at all. She has never been interested in them.

Relationships

Family: Mizu’s parents never paid her much attention. Even when she was developing her powers as a child, they weren’t very impressed. Now she looks at Theodore like a brother, and has grown close to the other victims of Penumbra.

Sexuality

Orientation: Heterosexual

Attraction: Mizu is attracted to intellect and intelligence. Well read? She probably has a crush on you. 

Skills: She can read peoples’ minds, and can receive visions from the past, present, and future through her giant pearl. Once she establishes a connection to a certain person’s mind, a ‘channel’ opens up between them, and they can communicate by thought. [Telepathy]

Mizu also knows a bit of mermaid magic, but not much. She didn’t have much time to learn it as a child, as she was helping Theodore protect Dante from Penumbra. This magic is more powerful when she is in her koi form.

Being from one of the hidden kingdoms, she was trained in the art of swordplay since she was a child. Her weapon is a whalebone katana which she keeps inside of her parasol, but she only uses it when she is in her human form.

Hobbies: Mizu likes painting with watercolor. She also loves reading.

Personality and Character

Mizu is the member of the team that comes up with the battle plan. She always finds out the enemy’s weak spot, and learns exactly how to go about defeating them, simply by watching how they fight. 

She is brave, and selfless, but shy and a bit awkward when she’s around boys that she’s attracted to. Loves helping her friends.

Despite her ever-present smile, there is a dark loneliness within her. 

Goals/Dreams/Aspirations: Mizu wants to become the royal seer of her kingdom, and serve her Emperor. Once everyone is safe outside of Halcyon, she wants to journey home, and continue her training as a psychic. 

Beliefs: As a Ningyotoshian, Mizu follows many different Suijin, or Japanese water deities, such as Funadama, the goddess of the sea, and Seiryu, the Blue-green Dragon.

Fears: Being stuck in Halcyon forever. Being too afraid to open up to her friends. Failing them.

Insecurities: Her weight, but only when Blackheart reminds her that it’s ever so disgusting to him. Other than that, she sometimes feels as though her depression is annoying.