Mizushima Aoi

past

Aoi was born to Kiyoko and Hiroshi Mizushima in a small mer settlement just off the coast of one of Sumi's larger islands. As a young mer he was a curious, inquisitive little thing and, for quite some time, he loved nothing more than going exploring, worming his way into any nook and cranny he could find to see where it would take him or packing a knapsack of snacks to take with him when he ventured beyond the bounds of his village. His inquisitive, quirky nature (combined with his big blue eyes) often endeared him to the adult folk he encountered in his daily life but it also had a tendency to get him into hot water, mainly because, as both his parents worked hard to put food on the table, little Aoi was often left with his grandparents or the neighbours whilst they went on-shore and his temporary carers did not much care for the heart attacks they had when they realised he was missing.

Despite the fact that his parents were often away from home Aoi had a good relationship with both of them and, rather than resent them for their frequent absences, he simply enjoyed the time he had with them, no matter how brief, and would often cherish the treasures they brought back with them from wherever it was they had been. It wasn't as though he was lacking parental love anyway; he had a number of surrogate parents dotted around the neighbourhood and, as one of the few children in the village for the first 5 years of his childhood, it wasn't as though he wasn't doted on by most of the people he met anyway.

As happy as his rather solitary childhood was, Aoi was absolutely delighted when, on the tail end of his 5th year, he learnt he was going to be a big brother. From that point on Aoi was hardly ever found by himself. First, he spent most of his mother's pregnancy by her side, peppering her with so many questions she threatened to lock him in a cupboard; then, after the birth, he spent almost every waking moment with his little sister (whom he absolutely adored); and then, only a year later, he was finally old enough to start his schooling (something he both relished and resented - the idea of learning new things appealed to him, the idea of discipline not so much). It was whilst he was at school (a small, local one which brought together children from the surrounding area) that Aoi met Takumi, a young mer boy from a neighbouring village. The two became fast friends and were, for all intents and purposes, completely inseparable. They did everything together, whether it be trekking through the wilderness around the settlements or looking after Aoi's ever-growing family (all sisters, all thoroughly adored and spoilt to within an inch of their lives despite the general lack of funds) or helping Takumi's parents with their small kelp farm (or, more accurately, playing in it whilst Takumi's parents looked on despairingly). For 3 years they were completely caught up in one another and you could be sure if one was around the other couldn't be far away.

Of course, the two youngsters weren't just playmates, they were companions and confidants as well and they supported each other no matter what. Aoi was there for Takumi when his sister passed away during a gill rot outbreak when he was 8 and, in turn, Takumi was there for Aoi when Aoi's father died in a fishing accident when Aoi was 12.

Hiroshi Mizushima's death was a turning point in Aoi's life and it played a large role in shaping the person he grew up to be. Whereas before his family had been poor, with the loss of one of the bread-winners, they were now openly struggling to keep their heads above (the metaphorical) water. Kiyoko found herself having to choose between earning money to feed her family or taking time out to care for them and, as Aoi was the eldest of her children by quite some way at the time, he found that it fell to him to help his mother out with the family. After two months of watching his mother struggle to cope, of watching his sisters grow ever thinner, ever more unkempt, and ever more unhappy, Aoi came to the realisation that something had to change. Within weeks he had made the decision to leave school and become his family's full-time carer, freeing up his mother to take on better-paying work once more and providing his sisters with the love and attention they needed.

For several years, Aoi's life passed without much drama and he spent most of his time caring for his sisters (with Takumi at his side when he wasn't at school) whilst his mother was away on-shore. As he grew older, however, Aoi began to imagine a better life for his family, one where they would do more than barely scrape by and where his mother would finally get to enjoy the life he felt she deserved. It was around this time that he was first approached by a stranger on the streets, a person who claimed to be drawn to him because of his pretty looks and beautiful smile. Aoi thought nothing of it at the time other than a general sense of unease and disgust (he was still only a child at the time) but, after a few more such occurrences, he began to realise that it was more than just a fluke. Struck with the knowledge that other people thought him pleasing to look at, Aoi began to pay more attention to his interactions with others and soon discovered that he was both pretty and witty enough to attract attention from passersby. He didn't quite know what to do with his discovery, but he was canny and savvy enough to know that it could be used to his advantage should the opportunity arrive.

And arrive it did.

On Aoi's 16th birthday, on a rare day off from his familial duties, he was wondering around on-shore with Takumi when he was approached by a beautiful (if somewhat terrifying) elf. She introduced herself as Ileara, the mistress of a local entertainment troupe, and explained, rather bluntly, that she had seen Aoi from afar and thought he might suit life as an entertainer, that he had looks and spirit enough to become a success in a few years time, should he choose to take up her offer. Aoi was, of course, rather shocked at the offer at first but, as he was well aware that entertaining could indeed be a lucrative business, he didn't immediately reject her advances. After a few moments of careful deliberation (and some silent consultation with Takumi), Aoi decided to investigate further and asked if he could talk more with the mistress of The House of Comforts.

Within a month Aoi had been given a position as an apprentice in the troupe and was already earning more money than he had ever seen in his life (he sent almost all his wages back home to his family, where his mother, with Takumi's help, had taken up the role of carer). For two years, whilst he was too young to work as a proper companion, Aoi spent his days learning the gentle arts (he was particularly fond of singing and the subtle skill of conversation) and his nights serving drinks and food to the House's various customers. During this time he became extremely popular amongst both the clientele and his co-workers and, as a result, there was much anticipation surrounding his debut, with friends and strangers alike eagerly awaiting his 18th birthday.
Of the 18th birthday, little more can be said than this: it came and it went and Aoi, now fully matured, began his work at the House of Comforts in earnest.

Whilst it might be fair to assume that his personal relationships suffered during this time because of his new (and unique) job, this is not actually the case. Indeed, his relationship with his family remained much the same and, if possible, the bonds between the siblings became even stronger, as their love for each other grew with the distance between them. Furthermore, Aoi actually managed to enter into a romantic relationship with Takumi during his apprenticeship (to absolutely no one's surprise) and, whilst it was a casual affair at first with neither Aoi or Takumi being all that experienced in the game of love, it soon blossomed into something more. The two formalised their relationship in their 20th year and, since their wedding, the two have remained very much in love (although there are plenty of people who find their relationship hard to understand).

Aoi has been working at the House of Comfort for 6 years now and he is by far one of their most valued employees. He is in such high demand, in fact, that he can afford to be selective about the jobs and clients he takes on, a privilege he takes full advantage of as he splits his time between work and spending time at home with his family. Because of the nature of his work and the high regard in which he's held, Aoi often travels far from home (normally to the capital) for various high ranking events and it was during one of these stints in the capital that he met Jaeha, a young mer 4 years his junior. When the latter approached him and sought his help in becoming more confident and comfortable in his skin, Aoi didn't hesitate to agree and, although the two started off as mentor and pupil, they are now firm friends and, even though Jaeha has become more self-assured, Aoi still visits him whenever he is in the capital.