Rina Io

Art by SpectralApparition / Colors by Durakken

Meaning of Name: “Melted/Song of Joy/White Jasmine” Nationality: American Planet of Origin: Earth Species: Human Race: Asian (Japanese-Korean) Family Father: Maro Io Mother: Hiroko Io Siblings - None Stats Age when abducted: 8 Birthday: November 5, 2009 Height: 4’ (121.92 cm) Weight: 51 lb.s (23.1 kg) Eye Color: Pure Hazel Hair Color: Black Blood Type: O Hobbies - Mahou Shojou Sentai Video Games

Rina was born to Maro and Hiroko Io, on the western coast of the United States. She was born after they immigrated from Japan when Maro accepted a position in the US. Maro was able to provide his family with a high class life with his job, but he never forgot to keep his home and work life in balance. When he wasn’t working he could often be seen with Rina watching and playing video games excitedly. And while he didn’t spend much time with his wife after the birth of their child she was happy. All of her desires were taken care of. She had grown to be accustomed to the wealth that his job brought to their family.

The relationship that Rina had with her father was very close. He introduced her to the genre of magical school girls and super sentai. They even loved the american versions, but they always considered the original Japanese superior. He even encouraged her to sing, dance, and voice act. He had a room built just for her to record lines and songs to play alongside any animation that they had.

On the other hand Rina had a rough relationship with her mother. She was mostly left to fend for herself while her parents were off living their own lives and when she interacted with her mother more often than not Hiroko was in a good mood. Hiroko was strict about various things, such as making sure Rina always looked appropriate and kept her room clean. Hiroko didn’t even mind when Rina messed up the house so long as when she was done she would clean it up, or if she found something to difficult she would ask her. From time to time though. Hiroko would come home in drunk or with friends of hers. They shunned her and so Rina learned to avoid them. The house was big enough and there was much to do. Rina wanted to connect with her mother on that instinctual level that all humans have to connect with others, especially their family, but the fact that she couldn’t was hardly a horrible situation for her. It just made her sad and lonely. Though, at the time she hardly noticed it.

When Rina was 6 years old, her father died in an accident. She never learned the details. All that she knew was that her father was never coming home again. At first things went on as usual. Their family had plenty of money, Hiroko had plenty of friends, and it wasn’t like Rina saw her father on a daily basis so her day to day life went on seemingly unchanged. What changed was only that there was never a break in the loneliness.

After some time had passed Hiroko would come home sobbing. For what reason, Rina didn’t know. It eventually turned to drinking and that to yelling at Rina. Day by day, the furniture and their belongings began to disappear. Rina didn’t understand. It was never replaced. It just was there one day and gone the next. Eventually her little recording studio disappeared. And then finally one day, Hiroko told her that they would have to move out of the house that Rina had known all her life.

It wasn’t just the Rina’s belongings, the furniture, and the house that was being sold, but all much of Hiroko’s things. She had once had a marvelous collection dresses and jewelry. It was now reduced to a few dresses and only costume jewelry. She got a job and an apartment where Rina was left alone all day once her tuition for her private school ran out. Hiroko couldn’t pay for her education any longer nor did she have much time to investigate public schools for Rina to go to. To Hiroko, Rina became nothing but a burden and a memory of her once happy life. She didn’t want her around any more than she was capable of taking care of the girl, but she kept the child fed at the very least.

Rina’s sad loneliness grew with the passing of the months. Before she had a myriad of things to keep her busy. To keep her from realizing just how alone she was in the world. The apartment that she was in did have a TV, but nothing on it matched anything that she liked. It was all too shallow. She could watch and play some old titles that she was able to keep when all their belongings were sold. Titles that no one wanted for whatever reason. She watched them over and over again. It helped her. Even if they weren’t the best of shows they helped remind her of better times. Of course, they also reminded her of better times and how bad her current life had become.

From time to time, Rina would grow bored with staying in the house alone and being that she was a bright young lady she knew that staying in the situation she was in doing nothing would likely mean more hardships. She would leave the apartment while her mother was out and attempt to locate friends, a job, anything that could help her situation. Short of going to an adult to tell them about Hiroko’s treatment of her. She knew that Hiroko did not mean to get them in this situation, nor did she want Rina to suffer, and Rina loved her mother. She didn’t want to hurt Hiroko so she just tried her best to be helpful. Sometimes, she would earn money by putting on shows for adults around their apartment. They were always so impressed with her ability to act and speak. One time her mother caught her and roughly dragged her away angry at her.

One day Hiroko took Rina out. It was an unusual event for her. Rina thought that maybe things were about to improve. Her mother had not taken her out anywhere in ages. Before she would to get clothes and other things. Hiroko loved to shop and even make up Rina, even though it always made Rina feel more like a mannequin than a daughter. It was still a connection with her mother and maybe this was the beginning of that connection returning. Maybe it could be the foundation of a new relationship between them. She thought all this, but soon found herself in a see of naked people being declared junk with her mother nowhere to be found.