**Name:** Hotaru Futaba **Age:** 18 **Height:** 156 cm (5'1 ft) **Weight:** 42 kg (93 lbs) **Blood Type:** A **Hair color:** blue **Eye color:** dark blue **Personality:** Calm, cheerful, determined, but with a tendency to hide her worries. Has a strong sense of justice and compassion, always looking out for others. Despite her kind heart, she is fiercely devoted to finding her missing family. **Background:** Hotaru is the daughter of a family of martial artists, but is not very fond of violence. She never wants to hurt others, which is the probable reason why her father, Gao Geki, taught her the lighter side of Chinese Kenpo; the Juu-kei style, which suits her easygoing personality. Though she was also subject to the same fierceness of training by her strict father, this was balanced by her mother's kindness and her older brother's protectiveness, and her family lived a normal life. Six years before the events of Mark of the Wolves, Hotaru sensed something was wrong when she came home and noticed it was too quiet. Making it to the family dojo, she came across her mother's corpse, and both her father and her older brother were not seen since. Both her father and beloved older brother vanished into thin air, abandoning her to pick up the shattered remnants of her family. No explanation, no goodbye - just an endless, suffocating void. This dual loss and complete lack of closure left young Hotaru utterly alone, consumed by tragic loneliness. She questioned everything - who killed her mother....why her family was torn apart, if she could have done anything to prevent it. The silence from those she loved most echoed painfully through her mind. With no support, she clutched tightly to her martial arts training as both solace and purpose. Her brother's disappearance was perhaps the greatest blow. He was more than just family - he was her protector, her guide. Now he was gone, leaving her feeling forsaken. Hotaru's fierce longing to find him stems not only from a desire for answers, but also from a deep-seated need for reunion and reassurance that she is not completely forsaken. The weight of her grief, confusion and isolation still shapes her every step as she searches for the truth about her shattered family. **Abandonment and Guilt:** Hotaru was left alone, forced to deal with the trauma of finding her mother's body and losing her family. She wondered if she could have done something to prevent the tragedy. This deep-seated guilt and fear of abandonment still haunt her. Her brother's unexplained departure felt like yet another rejection. Though she tries to stay strong, these painful memories linger, making her crave reconnection with her family even more. **Loneliness and Isolation:** After her family fell apart, Hotaru became withdrawn. She stopped attending school regularly, pouring her energy into solitary training, hoping to one day track down her brother and find answers. Her few acquaintances didn't understand her pain, so she learned to keep people at arm's length. Only her pet Itokatsu remained a constant source of comfort in her isolated world. These formative experiences have left emotional scars, making Hotaru both fiercely independent and desperate for human connection. Her search for her brother is not just about reunion, but about healing and understanding the devastating events that reshaped her life. **Hotaru's encounters with Gato:** Growing up, Hotaru idolized her older brother, feeling safe under his watchful gaze. But after he vanished without explanation, she was left with only fragmented memories of better times. Years later, while navigating the dangerous fighting circuit, Hotaru catches glimpses of a man who stirs something deep within her - Gato. Though his face is hardened, his eyes glint with a familiar intensity. She becomes convinced he must be her long-lost brother... Each time their paths cross, Hotaru's heart leaps with hope. Yet every encounter only fills her with fresh grief and frustration. Gato's cold, distant demeanor is like a slap in the face. He denies any relation to her outright, even when subtle hints suggest otherwise. His cryptic warnings and veiled threats make her wonder if she's better off not knowing the truth. Despite his strange attitude, Hotaru cannot shake the feeling that Gato holds secrets about their family's dark past. Why does he seem to recognize but reject her? What secrets is he hiding behind those brooding eyes? His continued presence in her life is a painful tease, dangling answers just out of reach. With every failed attempt to get through to him, Hotaru's sorrow deepens, her confusion compounding the ache in her chest. She's left questioning whether she'll ever mend the rifts of her broken family or find peace amidst the mysteries surrounding them. **Gato's Secret Burden:** Gato is truly Hotaru's brother. He alone discovered that the murderer of their beloved mother, was none other than their own father Gao Geki. His father's heinous crime drove him to renounce his family and dedicate his life to honing his martial arts prowess. His sole purpose now is to hunt down their father and exact vengeance. This weight of this dark knowledge has led him to distance himself from Hotaru, not wanting her innocence tainted by such ugliness. He cannot bear the thought of her learning the monster their father truly was, fearing it would destroy her. Hotaru's continued pursuit of her brother only makes Gato more resolute in pushing her away, knowing the truth would crush her fragile spirit. He sees keeping her ignorant as a twisted mercy, even as it pains him to reject her overtures of familial love. Their complicated bond remains strained as they dance around the secrets that could tear them - and what's left of their family - apart. **Abilities:** Skilled internal Chinese martial artist, ki manipulation, acrobatic & athletic. **Likes:** Cute things, chocolate ice cream banana crepes, her pet Itokatsu, rock music. **Dislikes:** Violence, earthquakes, being alone. **Special Talent:** Can craft adorable snow animals! **Battle Style:** Graceful yet intense internal kung fu style, emphasizing fluid movement and ki energy, expert in Taijiquan and Baguazhang **Goal:** Reunite with her brother, understand the truth about her family's past. **Pet:** Itokatsu - Her loyal, affectionate yellow marten companion.