Taichi

Taichi’s hands always smelled of river fish and damp rope. A frog merchant on the lower docks of Waterfall City would often watch them mend nets, their rice hat shielding them from the spray but not the dreamy look in their eyes. They were a good worker, but their spirit was always climbing the stone stairs toward the main city. That all changed the day Hiro came through. It wasn't a legendary battle, just a quick scuffle with some mercenaries by the great fish statue. But the sheer joy and power in Hiro's movements ignited something in Taichi. The merchant saw it happen. One moment, Taichi was just another dreamer. The next, they had found a direction. These days, they're always training, always pushing. The old merchant just sighs. 'They still have stars in their eyes,' they say, 'but now they're trying to pull them down from the sky.'