❝Everyone is poisonous, no matter the person. Intentions, good or ill; they all carry parasites that may or may not manifest into something else. That is not a risk worth taking, even if the person in question is myself.❞
花 -a last flower- | Asa-Chang & Junray
∞ Full Name ∞
Higure Norio
"Don't address me by any other name, please."
∞ Nickname ∞
Sometimes dubbed ”Rio” by close relatives.
"Don't address me by a stupid nickname, please. "
∞ Age & Year ∞
Sixteen & Sophomore
"Just a few more years of school interactions to survive…"
∞ Gender ∞
Male
"As clearly stated in all my medical files, if I may add."
∞ Sexuality ∞
Demisexual
”I don’t do touching. Ever. Just… no."
∞ Nationality ∞
Japanese
"I have never met a relative of a different nationality, nor do I believe I have any exotic heritage… So far, fully Japanese."
∞ Face Claim ∞
Art by Kana and Mokuzu
"…What? No, I’m not taking the mask off!"
∞ Height & Weight ∞
Standing at 5”5 and weighing in at 115bs, Norio is pretty average, if not a bit on the skinny side.
"Hm, I haven’t grown for at least a year… is that bad or good?"
∞ Hair color/Length/Quality ∞
Dark, noir black hair of medium-to-short length, with inconsistent and clumsily cut bangs. Usually unkempt and unattended to, hair is naturally straight when Norio is bothered to fix his bedhead.
"As long as my hair doesn’t become a nest for lice…"
∞ Eye color ∞
A bright steel grey, Norio’s irises have little other colour in the mix. On rare occasions, a vague hint of blue can sometimes be seen.
" People must be imagining the blue, I can’t imagine where I would pick that recessive gene up from."
∞ Distinguishable Facial Features ∞
It is unknown whether or not Norio has any specific facial features due to the mask he constantly wears. It is highly likely that, like the rest of his body, Norio has no markings on his face, however there are various rumours regarding his face. One of the most popular stories include having razor sharp teeth, having a bird-bill as a mouth, having an elephant trunk as a nose and, the classic, having no face at all behind the mask, a paradoxical theory in itself
"One day I will find where those rumours stem from and stop them!"
∞ Birthmarks/Scars/Tattoos/Piercings ∞
So far Norio has yet to leave a permanent mark on his body, and with no birthmark to speak of, the only alteration done to his body would be various piercings in his left ear. However, even then, he is cautious of said ear piercings, fearing infection if not treated with the utmost care.
"Well, I don't think there is any marks on my body... Is there?… … …There is, isn't there?!"
∞ Physical Description ∞
At first glance Norio does not seem extraordinary, appearance wise, and even beyond a first impression, that is the truth. Norio looks like any other average Japanese teenager, albeit a bit underweight. It is evident by his physical appearance that Norio has never been an athletic as he has little muscle on his person, appearing frail and lanky. Due to a lack of exposure of the sun Norio’s skin is abnormally pale and, perhaps, unhealthily so. Overall, Norio looks quite fragile and sick in appearance, even if that is not a case.
"I might look like it but, really, I’m really not sick… yet."
∞ Habits/Quirks ∞
✦ His Mask: Norio is rarely seen without a medical mask over his face. He believes by wearing said mask it will further prevent contracting germs or the like.
✦ His Organisation: Norio prefers everything in their right place, in an orderly and neat fashion, and will never hesitate to organise anything and everything if presented the chance.
✦ Constant Sanitation: Norio always carries around spray-bottles of sanitisers, using enough during the day to warrant bringing around a couple of bottles everyday.
✦ Dealing with Anxiety: When feeling anxious or nervous Norio has the habit of tracing various shapes on the palm of his hand with his finger. He is unaware that he does this, even when others tell him so.
✦ Dealing with Others: Does not touch others, does not stand close to others, does not touch others’ items, does not touch others’ food, does not like others’ touching him, does not like others’ standing close to him, does not like others’ touching his food… In short, does not like anyone touching anything he can potentially touch. The closest interaction beyond conversation you will get with him is eye-contact.
"There is a logical explanation for each and every one of these… I hope…"
∞ Likes ∞
♥ Spicy food
♥ Cleaning and organising
♥ Mathematics and shapes
♥ Abstract and modern art
♥ Classical music
♥ Hospitals and hospices
♥ First-aid kits, plasters, bandages and disinfectant
♥ Medical masks and gloves
"I suppose these things… are pretty cool, yeah."
Dislikes ∞
✖ Germs, diseases and ailments
✖ Medication, needles, IVs and tablets
✖ Sweet food
✖ Dirt, mess and disorganisation
✖ Public places and transport
✖ Most sports
✖ Sight of blood
✖ Dangerous or spontaneous situations
"Life would be much easier without most of these things, there is no denying it really."
∞ Talents ∞
✔ Mathematically Adept: Norio is quite able in the field of mathematics, enjoying numbers, formulas and charts perhaps too much.
✔ Organising Genius: Despite his “quirks” and the possible complications of this ability, there is no denying Norio’s skill of organising things efficiently, quickly and with ease.
✔ Basic Medical Knowledge: Although not always a reliable source, Norio is quite experienced in dealing with injuries or illnesses, with a good grasp of first-aid and medication.
✔ Music Player: Norio is capable of playing both the violin and the harp, along with the ability to read musical sheets and notes. However he will rarely play, instead preferring listening to others.
"I’m not really that great at these stuff… just stuff I have fun doing."
∞ Hobbies ∞
✔ Cleaning
✔ Playing instruments
✔ Observing art pieces
✔ Filling out sudokus
✔ Collecting first-aid and medical supplies
[color=#7A5518"Not really interesting, but undoubtedly fun."[/color]
∞ Fears ∞
✘ Nosemaphobia: Norio does not entertain the idea of getting sick anytime soon, however it is less about the concept of dying from ailments, moreso being ill to begin with that terrifies him.
✘ Mysophobia: Norio has a somewhat extreme paranoia in regards to germs and what they could possible infect or, more importantly, how they could potentially infect himself.
✘ Agoraphobia: Norio is not extremely afraid of leaving his home, or places beyond his comfort zone, however he still has anxiety leaving his familiar haunts. His first year in the academy proved disastrous, as he battled to grow used to the facilities. Despite this, however, anywhere beyond school grounds or his own domain causes him anxiety and paranoia.
✘ Intimacy: Norio fears intimacy, in both physical and emotional form. Physically because he can contract viruses easily from others and vice versa, emotionally because of bad experiences being intimate with others in the past.
"It is not a fear if it is out to kill you; that is just being rational and realistic."
∞ Flaws ∞
✘ Obsessive: Although never obsessive over people, Norio has quite an obsessive behaviour, causing him to go to extremes in most cases. For example, everything must be in the right place and ideally nothing should make contact with him. It is either no interest whatsoever in an activity or an extreme interest in an activity, for better or for worse.
✘ Weak Disposition: Norio can go about living his life with little complications, however he can easily get sick and is not the most athletic individual. He is easily physically overpowered, and does not have a high stamina tolerance.
✘ Uptight: Admittingly Norio was, once, much more uptight, he still takes a lot of things seriously and literally, never one fond of joking. He does not take it lightly when people invade his space, touch him or address him in a boisterous manner, to which he usually irks others by his aversion to said interactions with a snappish response.
✘ Distant: Norio is only capable of interacting with others on a small scale in conversations. Otherwise Norio tends to create a distance between himself and others, only engaging as minimally as possible, to the extent that his daily interactions are usually cold and vague.
✘ Rule Abiding: This sounds less of a flaw, more of a strength… if you overlook the fact that, by rule abiding, Norio often lectures those who do not abide to the rules, as such, coming across as condescending and judgemental, even if that was not his intentions.
"What others may find to be flaws, others may find admirable, I suppose."
∞ Secrets ∞
⌛ Norio would enjoy playing with kids, if only they were not so messy; after growing up with younger cousins, Norio find children endearing… as long as they keep their sticky fingers away from him.
⌛ Despite his disdain for sweets, Norio has a stash of lemon drops in his room, as if he was expecting a guest to give the sweets to.
"…Is this an attempt at blackmail?"
∞ Unnatural Ability ∞
Norio noticed his ability at a young age, however, it was only when he was older was he able to pinpoint the aspects of his ability. Norio is capable of healing the wounds and injuries of others, from cuts and bruises to organ failure and blood clotting. This all sounds too good to be true, which is correct; by healing others, Norio leaves his own system vulnerable of contracting an ailment. It is unknown how seriously hurt or ill Norio can potentially become in the process, since the most serious illness he contracted was the measles as a child, however he does know that the more complicated an injury is, the chance that Norio will be infected increases. Said infection or illness does not necessarily have to be the ailment the person he is healing has, however, once he is sick, Norio is almost like a hypodermic needle, passing whatever illness he has to others quickly without fail. It is rare that he passes on anything serious, however it has happened before that his ability went out of control.
"So. Yeah. Do me a favour and take a step back, thank you."
∞ Clubs ∞
♦ Student Council: Despite his aversion to others, Norio does enjoy the tasks given in Student Council… as in, he prefers to sort through the files, taking notes, calculating costs; Norio usually involves himself in record-keeping and sorting only.
♦ Music: Norio usually prefers listening to others play however he is also capable of joining in, playing the harp or the violin.
♦ Art: Although he is not the best artist, Norio enjoys entering the Art club, even just to look at other’s art work or sorting out the art equipment.
"I am capable of enjoying things in a social manner… briefly and in small doses."
∞ Sports ∞
♦ Track and Field: Although not the fastest or enduring runners, and although Norio will never become an essential part of the club, he is not quite the worse overall capable of a couple of laps at least.
♦ Tennis: Again, not quite the best in the club overall, Norio is capable of a good match or two if he is up to it.
"I suppose it’s by taking part that counts… no matter how bad you may be at it."
∞ Personality ∞
Norio is quite a simple being, even if said being usually irks those around him to no end. By himself, initially meeting with someone, Norio comes across as cold and distant, as he has little clue on how someone may react to his behaviour, almost testing the waters.
Otherwise, Norio is a paranoid, hygiene-obsessed hypochondriac and is not afraid to go to any length to provide a clean and healthy environment for himself and others. As such, Norio is capable of being testy and impatient to those he interacts with, having little time for those who make him uncomfortable to a certain degree.
Often, if one irritates him enough, that is the only interaction available from Norio; a hostile one, where he rarely trusts or tolerates said person. This tends to be an awful lot of people as Norio’s requirements for normal interactions, such as keeping a distance from him and not touching him, are quite strict and, daresay, not the norm. As such, Norio does not have many people he enjoys being around, causing him to be quite pessimistic and doubtful towards others. Overall, Norio comes across as a stuck-up, impatient kid who seems more interested in other people's germs than the people themselves.
Regardless, there is more to Norio beyond his obsessive personality; he is capable of listening and helping others in need and, even if in protest, rarely leaves someone who requires assistance to struggle by themselves.
However Norio gets quite flustered and embarrassed if someone acknowledges any help he offers, and often would deny any good intent or involvement, sometimes in curt retaliation.
"…Don’t look at me like that, there is nothing wrong with how I am!"
∞ Romantic Interest ∞
None
"As far as I’ve been told, at the very least."
∞ Most Precious Person ∞
Probably his grandfather, over anyone else. Although his parents were never harsh or cruel to Norio, they were still never there for him throughout most of his life. It was his grandfather, although busy with his own children and the rest of his grandchildren, that assessed Norio’s situation and tried his best to provide a normal and supportive environment in the absence of his parents. It is unknown how he would react, knowing of Norio’s ability, however Norio himself seems convinced the elderly man would be understanding if ever told.
"Hm…"
∞ Family ∞
◘ Higure Airou & Kaguya: Norio’s absent father and mother. Presumingly off constantly working, causing them to be away from their only son. It is unknown whether this is true or not, however, after fourteen years away, the initial excuse seems to be fading. It is unknown why they would abandon their son however it is certain that Norio’s ability has nothing to do with their absence. Rumours suggest they fled the country and their responsibilities, too caught up in their romance to care much about the product of said passion.
◘ Higure Benjirou: Norio’s grandfather and current guardian. Although his grandfather himself cannot care for Norio, due to old age, Norio’s grandfather was instrumental in placing Norio under the care of a supportive household, one of Norio’s many aunts. Quite busy keeping his other children, boisterous and daring in nature, in check, Higure Benjirou makes sure that all his grandchildren and children in his facility are taken care of, no matter who they may be. Norio greatly respects his grandfather, even if he has trouble expressing said gratitude.
◘ Higure Beniko: One of Norio’s many aunts that takes care of him, by the request of her father. Despite this, however, Beniko is a caring single mother with three other children of her own. Beniko has a cheerful demeanour, and although not quite cracking Norio’s character, she presents a warm atmosphere for Norio to reside in. Even though Norio is not her child, Beniko treats Norio as her own, even upon the tragic death of one of her own children, causing her great grief, to which she still tries to remain as a strong mother figure.
◘ The Higure Clan: Although it would be impossible for Norio to list everyone in his family, the Higure clan is still a tightly-knitted family, despite many of the members constantly getting into trouble, from white-collar crime to delinquent behaviour. To sum Norio’s family up simply; he has six uncles and five aunts, with each aunt and uncle at least having a child or two, with at least four of said aunts and uncles being grandparents themselves. In short, Norio comes from a large family.
"… …"
∞ History ∞
Born to the happily married couple of Higure Airou and Kaguya, two years into their son’s, Higure Norio’s, life, the smitten duo decided that a child was too much responsibility and left him off with the Higure family to travel the world by themselves. The Higure family, infamous for their general rowdy and delinquent behaviour, did not find it odd that another member of their family had been abandoned by others, and Norio’s grandfather, Higure Benjirou, promptly welcomed the young boy into the family. Placed under the care of one of his aunts, Higure Beniko, Norio grew up as a normal child for most parts, and most viewed him as such. Even Norio was oblivious to how potentially extraordinary he was, never making the correlation between his physical contact with a sick or injured person and their healing process. Until this day not even the adults or the children Norio grew up with ever found out, even his beloved grandfather.
Nonetheless, as a young child Norio began to suspect the properties of his ability, to heal others with physical contact, however found the concept ridiculous and immediately discarded it. It was only when something went terribly wrong that Norio’s eyes were opened to the reality. When the chickenpox was circulating amongst the community, Norio unwittingly made contact with his cousin whilst Norio himself was ill. By doing such, Norio unsuspectedly passed on a lethal dose of the virus to his cousin. Before anyone even figured out what was occurring the child died, the lethality of the virus Norio gave to his cousin escalating beyond natural convention.
No one suspected that this was an odd twist of fate, a careless mistake done by Norio who never realised that he was, in a way, a hypodermic needle, capable of passing on and almost poisoning others unintentionally. With the family grieving, in the ignorance of what truly happened, Norio began distancing himself from others as soon as he reached his pre-teenage years, and be the time he was an adolescent, not even his respected grandfather saw much of Norio beyond his own bedroom. Norio began to develop an increased interest in hygiene, germs, cleaning; anything that could buffer himself and others from contracting any illnesses. His isolation began to spiral out of control as he stayed in his room for days, his paranoia and anxiety increasing day by day, and Norio eventually stopped attending school in fear of catching an ailment.
A solution came in the form of an invitation to Ryouichi Academy, along with a representative from the academy visiting the paranoid teen, explaining to him that his ability was not quite as dreadful or as fearful as he thought. His family, happy enough to send Norio to what seemed to be a highly esteemed school, sent him off to the academy, along with Norio eventually agreeing, finding the invitation as a small silver lining.
Although he had a difficult time adjusting in his freshman year in the academy, now in his sophomore year, Norio has become much more mellow… or rather, as mellow as he can muster.
"I’m only going to tell this once, and once only, so you better be listening…"
∞ Thoughts on Others ∞
♦Sora/Sore♦ "I have seen her around the Student Council meetings, but I cannot figure her out. Sometimes she knows what is going on, other times she is just oblivious..."
♦Dei Furoris♦ "A member of the Student Council, it's admirable that he can remember everything that is going on, but something feels off about him. Otherwise, he comes across as ordinary, I suppose."
♦Michelle Oscars♦ "Michelle is in the same year as myself, isn't she? I guess she is good in the Music club... although, one time, she did get rather angry when someone addressed her by her name... for some reason?"
♦Haruki Shinobu♦ " ...I know him from the Art club? Yes, his pieces are alright. Outside of the club, however, I would not have known of him."
♦Saito Harada♦ "Ah, the senior who plays the guitar and sings. String instruments are alright, I guess..."
♦Kaori Harada♦ "I have a feeling I have seen her around, but I don't remember where... She is the one who wears all the colours, is she not?"
♦Charlie Rae Stewart♦ "Oh, the atheletic, tom-boy junior. You usually hear about her because all the sport activities. I don't really know much beyond her appearance though..."
♦Vince Leroy♦ "He's another athelic one, people usually talk about him and soccer activities. Don't know much about him either, although, for a person who runs around and sweats all day he is well-kept, hm..."
♦Yasuo Kuwabara♦ "Again, the name comes up pretty often around the school when the subject of sports comes up, seen him once or twice. I do not have much of an interest i sports, so I never really looked into it."
♦Viola Amantius♦ "She is the happy one. Or the suspicious one. She has yet to bother me, so who knows."
♦Kageno Hikari♦ "I do not believe I really met the person. He looks kind of laid-back, but it is hard to tell..."
♦Josiah Goodson♦ "He is the tall senior... It is hard not knowing him, he kind of sticks out in the crowd..."
"I have surprised myself on my knowledge of other people, hm..."