#lore sheet

Overview

Name: Aida Guerra

Nicknames: Mi Gato Grande/My Big Cat (Leo). Perra/Bitch (Bonnie). Ciela/Sweetie (Emelia).

Age: 21

Race: Human

Gender: Female

Orientation: Hetero

 Family and Friend History

Isadoro (Grandfather): He was Aida’s mentor first and grandfather last. When she was a little girl, Aida had nothing but the utmost respect for her abuelo. The man was a ruthless trainer and made sure to emphasize just how important being a yokai hunter was to their family. That they were the only thing protecting people from the dreadful influences of unchecked mysticism.

As soon as Aida expressed her need to quit the “family business”, their dynamic changed. He turned hostile and highlighted any mistake she made, no matter how minor. Luckily, the old man has a disdain for the big city and rarely puts in the effort to visit when the family splits, let alone call.

Gloria (Mother): They are not close. For the first few years of Aida’s life, Gloria acted out her yokai hunter duties, leaving Aida alone with an increasing number of younger siblings. She was Aida’s biggest supporter during her training, and glorified her own hunting experiences to make the family business more desirable.

When they moved to New York, the woman signed up for nursing classes. She threw all of her time and energy into getting her degree and license, neglecting the rest of her family in the process. After she graduated, the amount of debt she needed to pay off coupled with the financial stress of keeping a household of seven people alive coerced Gloria to work overtime in the graveyard shift. This pushed the responsibility of keeping the younger children alive onto Aida.

Diego (Father): Like her relationship with her mother, Aida has resentment towards him. Though he is willing to listen to her, he does not have the courage to stand up for his daughter. This becomes very evident when Aida doesn’t want to be a hunter anymore.

Unlike his wife, Diego is under no obligation to continue hunting yokai, which he is grateful for. Before marrying into the Guerra family, he was raised by a nymph yokai in disguise; fleeing only when the creature finally revealed herself to him. However, he only agreed to become a hunter in order to be with Gloria. Eventually, he practiced under his mother-in-law in the field of spiritual healing and awareness.

Unfortunately, his particular spiritual skills couldn’t pay the bills in the real world, and he was forced to pick up multiple odd jobs to keep up with finances; leaving the household responsibilities to Aida and her siblings whenever he was away.

Emelia (Aunt): The pinnacle of “The Fun Aunt” and Gloria’s younger sister by two years. She has a habit of disappearing for weeks to months on end, only to return with one of three things: A broken heart, a hangover, or an empty bank account. Every so often, she will arrive with two out of three; but if she ever came home with all three “gifts”, she would stay at home until she had recovered. Yet, she always treated Aida and her siblings with respect. In fact, she was the only adult that gave the children the guidance they needed. Despite the woman’s sporadic absences, Aida feels closer to her than her own mother.

It’s not until the middle of a heated family argument that Emelia reveals a secret: she has been turned into a succubus. In a manic rage, Abuelo disowns her, which forces the woman-turned-yokai to flee. However, her banishment is the main catalyst that forces Aida’s family to turn to New York for sanctuary from their enraged Abuelo.

Carmen (Grandmother): Like the rest of her family, Aida’s abuela kept busy with her own work. The woman was a renowned healer, and unfortunately passed away a year before Aida’s first hunt. Since Diego had to take over the three-day long ritual in the woman’s absence, he is blamed for Aida’s sudden aversion to hunting.

Bonnie (Bestie): Aida’s “sister from another mister” and partner in crime. She shows Aida the ropes in terms of true thievery and is the brains behind their dynamic duo. As soon as Aida turned eighteen, she moved into an apartment with her and the two were inseparable ever since.

Orlan (Brother #1): Aida’s oldest-younger brother by two years. He was very excited to become a yokai hunter as he trained alongside his sister under the hard mentorship of Isadoro. When the family is suddenly uprooted to New York, he has a burning hatred for his sister, as his training is halted to focus on a more ‘normal’ teenaged upbringing. This tension worsens as he blatantly undermines his sister’s authority whenever himself and their other siblings are put under her charge. His attitude is also a contributing factor for Aida’s immediate leave when she turns eighteen.

Montae (Brother #2): The middle child of the troupe and four years younger than Aida. He knows he gets lost in the sea of family drama and takes full advantage of it; mostly so he can continue to play video games and scroll mindlessly on social media in peace. However, he is quick to pick up on Aida’s ‘sticky fingers.’ To him, it’s all harmless and serves to fulfill selfish wants. He’ll take extra snacks and drinks from bodegas, or snatch up a new set of headphones from a corporate-owned store. He genuinely doesn’t mind the move to New York.

Rosa and Riki (Brat 1&2): The twins and youngest of the family; they are eight years younger than Aida. They were both very young when the family moved to New York, so they don’t have a huge attachment to the old family home. With them being the youngest, their parents spoil them whenever they are around, which only fuels their mischief-seeking nature. They tend to join in Orlan’s plans to undermine Aida’s authority without hesitation. Plus, they each get a sick pleasure at watching their oldest sibling get in trouble anytime she failed to keep the peace in the household.

 Mystic Weapons/Items

Gauntlets: Clawed at the tips to go with her tiger motif. They shoot out bursts of energy with each punch. This heats up the metal to excruciating temperatures if she throws too many out in quick succession. She does not come into possession of these until after meeting the turtles.

Yokai-Repellent: A silver cuff piercing on her right ear with a little ball at the end. It’s a family heirloom, gifted to her by her Aunt Emelia as ‘congratulations’ after her first hunt. It wards off yokai with a terrible odor that only the creatures can detect. Works best on a full moon but doesn’t work at all on the night of a new moon.

The Night Shawl: A blue piece of fabric that makes whatever it covers invisible. Since she only has half of it, it doesn’t cover her whole body and looks more like an oversized scarf. Still, it’s enough to conceal parts of her body, which can turn the tide of a fight when she needs it or keep herself hidden.

 Other Signature Items

White Tiger Mask: Made by Bonnie’s tech guy, Kenny. When he made Bonnie’s in the shape of a rabbit, she requested he make hers to resemble a tiger. Though it’s initially given a cutesy appearance, she asks for a more realistic design when Donatello becomes the new ‘tech guy’ so it’s closer in appearance to the yokai she killed.

Silver Dagger: A family heirloom passed down for generations in her family. The blade itself is made of pure silver and the hilt is carved with her family motto, “Al amparo de la luna protegemos.” (Under cover of the moon, we protect). It’s typically only used during a hunter’s initiation hunt; however, Aida keeps it to feed her guilty conscience.

Septum Piercing: A gold ring that she rarely changes out. It has no mystic benefits, but she never leaves the apartment without it.

Generalization

A descendant of a long line of yokai hunters. Under the tutelage of her grandfather, Aida became a very skilled fighter and was expected to be among one of the greater hunters in her family’s line. However, when she returns victorious from her first hunt, she is forever changed. For the first week she feigns joy and participates in the celebrations with her family; but the moment night falls, she is restless with guilt. With the help of her aunt, she voiced her desire to end her hunting career.

Unfortunately, the rest of her family was less receptive. With Isadoro backing her, Gloria insisted that her daughter would ‘get over it’ and would eventually learn to love hunting. A heated argument ensued, during which Emelia revealed that she had become a succubus; a trait she had inherited years ago.

The following fight between Aida’s aunt and Abuelo opened Gloria’s eyes to how far gone the patriarch had fallen. Unable to trust the experienced hunter anymore, her parents moved her and her siblings to New York to start a normal life.

Trying to live that normal life, however, left Aida restless and rebellious. And, with her new disdain for her parents, she became desperate to find her aunt. She had hoped the large city would make it easy to find yokai that could help her quest. Unfortunately, the concubine population was sparse thanks to the city’s insomniac reputation.

Her parents tried to keep her busy by making her the caretaker of her four younger siblings. This only fueled her contempt[SF1]  for her parents, and the growing realization that she had been manipulated by the adults around her. Eager to flee their grasp the moment she turned eighteen, she turned to thievery.

Eventually, she befriended a fellow thief named Bonnie, and the two became literal partners-in-crime. With her hunter background, it didn’t take long for Aida to realize that Bonnie had succubus blood in her. Hopeful that the woman would know her aunt—or someone else that had heard of her kin—Aida insisted that they hang out. When she discovered that her fellow thief knew nothing of the concubine world, their bond had already solidified, and Aida remained by her side.

The moment Aida turned eighteen, she moved into a small apartment with Bonnie, and began to figure out who she really was as a person. Theft became a full-time job for her, sending funds to her family so they could stay afloat. In the meantime, she became a serial dater, never going on more than two dates with the same guy; convinced that her past and family history would be too much for any actual romantic interest to accept.

 Timeline BT

5-14 years old: The most formative years of Aida’s life was spent training to be a formidable hunter, keeping up the Guerra reputation for their ruthlessness. Her first five years were spent perfecting the basics; proper stances, how to breathe, how to punch and kick without breaking her own tiny digits in the process. Most importantly, she was instilled with the reason why her family did what they did.

That yokai were dangerous monsters, ready to eradicate the human race if given the chance.

Along with the typical schoolwork, her Abuelo taught her the different kinds of yokai that were out there. More specifically, what their weaknesses were and what abilities they possessed. As she got older, her Abuelo’s training became more intense. Every session was filled with talks of life-or-death scenarios, how if all else failed, she needed to resort to more primal ways of fighting; claw at the enemy, bite them, rip chunks off of their being if possible.

To do whatever it takes to survive.

With each passing year, her body grew stronger, and her mind more resilient. When she was twelve, she was given a silver dagger and for the next two years it was all her training focused on. The moment she turned fourteen and with the sudden passing of her Abuela, her Abuelo pushed the limits of her training. Some nights she was hardly able to sleep from how sore she was, and unable to do much else the next day except soak in an ice bath and rest (which was only made possible due to her father and mother’s insistence until her Abuelo backed down).

But it all came to a head on her fifteenth birthday…

15 years old: Her birthday was the last time the world felt right to her. They celebrated, feasted, training was cancelled, and her mother gifted her the family dagger. The next day, she started the ritual. With her Abuela deceased, her father had to be the one to guide her in meditations, cleanses, and blessings. Once the sun had set on the fourth day, she ventured forth on her first hunt.

Her mother had hinted at where she might find some yokai; an abandoned warehouse had been turned into a less-than-legal party spot. It had been easy enough for her to get in, passing as a party-goer once she had snuck inside. Most attendees were humans, but there were a handful of yokai in disguise scattered about the place. There were more than she anticipated and her mind reeled on which one she should go for. That was until she saw the byakko—a brilliant white tiger yokai. It was perfect. Her family had a long streak of impressive first kills; and what was more fearsome than a tiger?

She followed her prey out of the warehouse and waited until they were down a dark alley before making her move. She caught the yokai off guard and plunged the family dagger right into his throat. But as she watched him die in the alley, there was no sense of victory, or overcoming of evil that she had come to expect. Instead, she was met with a numb, cold sensation. Her mind wiped clean of any thought or emotion. Once his eyes glassed over, void of a soul, she took a shuddering breath and with it, took his yokai power.

When she ran from the alley, the terrible realization dawned on her…

She was a murderer.

After that, her family crumbled. Only her aunt had supported her desire to end her hunting career. It caused Abuelo to erupt in a manic rage, leading to Emelia’s revelation of her concubine secret before she fled from the family. The outburst compelled Gloria and Diego to part from the family home and move to New York.

16-17 years old: The first few years in the big city were a major adjustment for Aida. Though she still struggled with her guilt, her parents had no time to console and understand her due to real life obligations. As if to keep her busy, she was expected to care for her siblings, who rebelled against her at any given opportunity with Orlan’s encouragement.

Guilt and night terrors prevent her from sleeping, prompting Aida to sneak out at night frequently. It’s during her nightly outings that she uses her hunting skills to become a thief. At first, it was out of boredom. Then, she stole valuables to sell to a fence in order to save up for her eventual split from the household. It’s doing this time that she encounters Bonnie for the first time, having accidentally broken in to the same place as the other woman. After much persistence on Aida’s part, the two became literal and metaphorical partners in crime. Aida revealed her family’s history quickly but withheld her own burden of taking a life since her newfound companion was part yokai.

18-21 years old: As soon as she turned eighteen, Aida moves in with Bonnie using the money she had saved up during her early years of thievery. It’s during this period that their game really steps up. She acts as the muscle of their partnership and grew an affinity for pick-pocketing people. Whatever extra funds she is able to secure, she sends to her family to help them with their financial debts.

It’s during this period that Aida starts to explore who she truly is as a person. This also leads to the start of her serial dating. She enjoys the rush and looseness of a new date, but could never truly commit to any one guy due to her complex history. In the midst of it all, she keeps her ear to the ground for any hint of her aunt’s well-being.

Fun Facts

Loves warms colors as they best compliment her complexion. Once she starts gaining affections for Leonardo, however, she uses blue accents in her wardrobe more often; usually in the form of jewelry or nail polish.

Finds little amusement in magic shows and tricks. This is because she can literally see through the illusions thanks to her hunter training. In some cases, she even knows exactly how the trick is being pulled off.

Before moving to New York, she only had her ears pierced; and even then, it’s the conservative lobe piercing. It’s not until she moves in with Bonnie that she acquires the rest of her piercings with the septum being her first and favorite modification.

Was only allowed to watch movies or TV if it had something to do with fighting. This is where her love for wrestling comes from and would watch Lou Jitsu movies with her dad and siblings as a form of bonding.

Yokai Hunter Lore

General Information: There are different lines of yokai hunters scattered throughout the world. They started off as peace keepers, keeping the more power-hungry yokai at bay from harming their weaker, non-mystic human counterparts. Over time, their mission objective became skewed, now seeing all yokai as deviant monsters that needed to be eradicated.

A hunter needs a strong will and keen perception above all else. This is due to the belief that most yokai are illusionists, manipulators, and overall tricksters. Having a strong willpower and sense of perception gives the hunter a greater chance of seeing through illusions and tricks. 

First Kill: A hunter’s first kill is regarded as an indicator of how well they will do in the future. The more fearsome the prey, the more successful a hunter is destined to be. It is expected for the first hunt to take days, if not weeks to complete. Should a hunter be unsuccessful on the first attempt, it is seen as an omen not just for the individual, but for the bloodline they belong to.

Ritual: The Guerra line is infamous not just for their ruthlessness, but for being the creators of The Ritual. It is a long, three-day process performed prior to a new hunter embarking on their first hunt. It includes fasting from all sustenance except water, hours of incense and smoke meditations, an energy cleanse, and blessings on the final day. Once the ritual is performed, the hunter is able to inherit a power from their prey after killing it. This is what gives the hunter an advantage in future missions.

Speculations: A hunter with poor willpower can succumb to madness due to the haunting spirit of their first hunt. However, there is no definitive proof of this. Some even believe this to be an excuse to ostracize hunters plagued by a guilty conscious, thereby keeping a family bloodline ‘clean’ of those that want to break away from their familial fate.

 Guerra Family Powers

Isadoro: Venom. Killed a naga and can now produce the same deadly venom from his canines. With the help of his wife, he extracts the venom once a month to coat his weapons and make anti-venom.

Gloria: Brute Strength. Killed a minotaur and gained its inhuman strength. Over the years, she has mastered how much she can use without overexerting her body. Should she use too much too quickly, severe damage can be done to her body.

Diego: Calming touch. Performed a mercy kill on a beached Bitan and gained a form of its healing abilities. Will use it to try to calm heated arguments, panic attacks, depressive episodes, etc. Though has to be careful when using them on his wife as she quickly picked up on what he was doing.

Aida: Gusts of wind. Killed a white tiger yokai during her first hunt. She refuses to use the power as she swore off hunting shortly after returning home.

 Yokai Hunter Aida

Before Turtles: Was originally proud of what her family did and what she was training for. After her first hunt, however, it dawns on her just how wrong her family’s values were. This causes a huge rift in her relationship with the adults in her life (with the exception of her Aunt Emelia); feeling that they had manipulated and brainwashed her into believing that murdering living beings was perfectly fine since they were so vastly different from humans. She struggles to rediscover herself and connect with her younger siblings so that they don’t suffer the same fate.

After Turtles: Is able to come to terms with what she has done. Feels that she has better control of herself and her skills. Though not perfect, she is slowly fixing her relationship with her family with Leonardo’s help.

Relationships With the Turtles

Leonardo: Their relationship was like a game of tug-o-war. Some days, they had a mutual understanding of friendship with one another. Other days, one of them hinted at the desire of wanting something more. Though, the game was mostly Aida’s doing. At first, she played into his natural, flirtatious charisma. But as time went on, she realized she wanted to be more to him. And each time she came to the conclusion, she convinced herself that it couldn’t happen. He was too good for her. Everything he did, no matter how chaotic or mischievous, he did for a good reason. Whereas everything she done was out of selfishness; even her family’s bloodline was… too much.

How could a mutant, made by a yokai but born of a human man, ever be content being with a murderer?

Donatello: A little strained at the start, if only because she was protective of her friend. However, Aida tried to play wing-woman for her partner-in-crime. Despite his soft-shell, the guy was like a brick wall. He was standoffish to her most days, though he lightened up when they were all in a group. Still, she could sense that he had his guard up at all times around her, and it left Aida frustrated most days. It wasn’t like she had broken into his home and stole objects from him and his family…

Oh, wait…

One day, they had a breakthrough. And, after a few drinks, he became the first person outside of her family that she revealed her secret to.

She had murdered someone.

Michelangelo: To Aida, he is the perfect little brother. When she first meets him, she is completely infatuated with just how adorable he is. Unfortunately for him, Aida has a bad case of ‘cute aggression’. Which, at the start, was great for their rivalry. Once things had cooled to a truce, followed by friendship, she redirected that aggression towards any brother that would playfully pick on him. Truly, she became the embodiment of the phrase “I’ve only had Michelangelo for a few hours, but if anything were to happen to him, I will kill everyone in this room” coupled with “Michelangelo can do no wrong.”

Being the mischievous little brother that he is, he sometimes takes full advantage of this; causing mayhem on purpose to rile any of his three brothers up before going to Aida for ‘protection’. The moment the slighted brother backs off, she makes sure to tell Michelangelo that she knows what he’s doing. And that, if he keeps doing this, he’s going to need to pay up for her services in the form of a homemade meal of her choosing.