Toaster Tales

After about 3,000 years, the second member of the Combat Class is finally here: Tsubaki Sakaki!

Features:

Demigirl

She/They

Sexuality

Nationality (Japanese-Moroccan)

Blasian

14 Years Old

4’10”

Family:

Layla Bakkali (Mother)

Gorou Sakaki (Father) (Deceased)

Rami Sakaki (Older Brother)

Likes:

Playing the violin

Writing

Indie Rock

Madoka Magica

K-POP Demon Hunters (for obvious reasons)

Cold foods (ice cream, popsicles, gelato, etc)

Fish (as pets and as food)

Euphoria (to make herself cry)

Dislikes:

Overly bright colors

Christian parodies of normal songs on TikTok

Kids’ content (bad experiences)

“Revenge” mangas (the plot always goes out of control)

Carrots

The Kool Aid Man (don’t ask)

Euphoria (it makes her mad)

Personality:

Most of the time, Tsubaki keeps to themself. They tend to shut down around strangers, and they have a generally tough time talking to people they aren’t already close to. Despite this, Tsubaki is VERY talkative around her friends, She’s passionate about musical composition—of which she obviously got from her dad, and she’s skilled in playing both the acoustic and electric violin. Tsubaki can occasionally get tunnel vision concerning their goals, leading to them neglecting their other responsibilities—and even themself—on some occasions. She can also be somewhat bratty and spiteful towards people whom she perceives as having wronged her, and she has a hard time letting go of grudges. This also extends to people who’ve wronged her family and friends.

Backstory:

     Before Tsubaki was born, their parents were well renowned musicians in Rabat, Morocco, with her father, Gorou Sakaki, specializing in live music and her mother, Layla Bakkali, specializing in soundtrack design. They decided to move to Paris for a change of scenery, which was when Layla found out that she was pregnant with her second child, Tsubaki. She and her brother grew up surrounded by their parents’ love and music. Naturally, Tsubaki gravitated towards the violin—both acoustic and electric—and soon started a small band with two of her friends, Rosalee Périer and Jorani Sothear, which the three named Viola Blackout. Viola Blackout hadn’t been very well-known, mostly getting gigs at small events and such, but they’d still gathered a surprisingly dedicated fan base.

     However, there was bound to be competition, which came in the form of Kitty Section. They’d initially seemed like just another mediocre student band until their popularity suddenly skyrocketed and outshined  Viola Blackout’s two years of work. For the first time, Tsubaki feared for the band’s stability. While the bands didn’t interact much, their few encounters left a rancid taste in Tsubaki’s mouth. The group would gleefully yap about how their band was “built on nothing but hopes and dreams”, ignoring that half of their members, Juleka and Luka Couffaine, were children of two famous musicians themselves. While all three members of Viola Blackout were somewhat unamused by Kitty Section’s overly optimistic demeanor, Tsubaki’s disdain grew into disgust. Both of their parents had built their careers from nothing, and now, their father’s health had started deteriorating from a heart condition in a country where he was essentially a nobody. Viola Blackout eventually stopped interacting with Kitty Section, with Tsubaki’s resentment towards Juleka and Luka festering. However, they soon found what could be their ticket to regaining recognition: François DuPont’s Autumn Music Festival.

     As Viola Blackout’s main composer, Tsubaki pushed themself to their limit trying to make the perfect piece.. A week before the festival, they turned to their father to advice. To Tsubaki’s surprise, he actually asked to help with the composition. He hadn’t composed or even held a violin in years, so helping her finish the piece reignited his pride and hers alike. Tsubaki’s confidence rose upon finishing the piece, and when she shared their finished piece with Rosalee and Jorani, all three felt confident that they were bound to make a comeback. That is, until the festival actually came around.

   The girls poured their souls into their performance, but instead of applause, they were met with yelling and booing from members of the infamous “Akuma Class”, accusing them of plagiarizing Kitty Section’s newest song out of “jealousy”. Even when Tsubaki explained that her father had co-written the song, the crowd dismissed her since few knew Gorou Sakaki outside of Morocco. The situation ended in a massive fight, and Viola Blackout was disqualified without any real proof. Tsubaki couldn’t bring herself to face her father, opting to spend the night in Jorani’s house. She eventually had to return home, where she was met with devastating news: their father had died of a stroke not too long after seeing the music festival incident on live TV.

      After that day, Tsubaki just shut down. They shut themself off from their friends, music, and her social life as a whole. Losing her father left her feeling like a ghost, and while a part of her wanted to go back to being with Viola Blackout, she could barely look Rosalee and Jorani in the eyes out of shame for her perceived failure. All that remained was hatred—for the Akuma Class, for Kitty Section, and especially for Juleka Couffaine. What right did that spineless little twat have to hide behind her classmates as Viola Blackout was treated like liars without any proof? Tsubaki never interacted with Juleka directly, but she found herself getting a kick out of seeing the guitarist fail even as their personal health deteriorated. When Tsubaki’s mother confronted them about not taking care of themselves, Tsubaki tried to protest, but Rami snapped. He exploded, saying how painful it was for him and their mother to watch her waste away over some kids. He yelled about how their father would be horrified to see her giving up on music, especially when his last piece was made WITH HER.

     The two got into a nasty argument, but after a few days of the silent treatment, they reconciled, with Rami apologizing for his harshness and Tsubaki admitting he was right about their father’s legacy and her mental state. She would apologize to Rosalee and Jorani for ghosting them, and the three would slowly but surely reform Viola Blackout. While some diehard Kitty Sections fans disavow them, many of their own fans were overjoyed to see them return. Over time, Tsubaki felt their passion reignite, but their hatred for Kitty Section—and especially Juleka—still bubbled beneath the surface.