Maria Tachibana

Background :

Daughter of a Russian diplomat and his Japanese lover, Maria was born in Kiev in 1903. Since tensions were high between Russia and Japan at the time, her parents were never able to marry. In fact, shortly after Maria's birth, her parents were arrested as spies and all three of them were exiled to Siberia.

After the death of her parents, the young Maria fell in with the soldiers of the Russian Revolution. She was known as 'Kuwassarii' amongst the fighters there, so called for her ruthlessness and deadliness in battle. However, a mistake on her part led to the death of her captain, Yuri, whom she loved dearly. Wracked with guilt, she fled Russia in a self-imposed exile and eventually made her way to New York.

Once there, she came under the employ of one of the local mafia gangs, quickly working her way up their ranks. By the time Fujieda Ayame had found and approached her, Maria had been on the brink of becoming an assassin for the gang she was with. Perhaps seeing Ayame's offer of recruitment as a way to redeem herself -- and to learn to finally put the past behind her -- she accepted and left for a new life in Japan. Maria joined as the Hanagumi's team leader when the Teikoku Kagekidan was first formed in 1922. She and Kanna joined the group at the same time.

Her stint as team leader was short. Seeing that she was unable to keep the other members of the team from quarrelling with one another, she requested that Ayame bring someone else in to take up the reins as Hanagumi commander. Ayame did so, and when Oogami finally arrived to take his place as Captain of the team, Maria was made his second-in-command.

Personality :

Intense, introspective and moody, it would be sorely tempting to classify Maria as an 'ice queen'. She often acts cold and unemotional, preferring to rely on logic and strict discipline to win her battles. She tends to keep her true feelings tightly under wraps, thus giving people the initial impression of heartlessness. In spite of the facade, time and familiarity with the rest of the Hanagumi gradually reveal a sensitive and compassionate side.

Maria takes a very serious attitude towards her responsibilities in the Teikoku Kagekidan. As the Vice-Captain of the Hanagumi, she carries out Oogami's orders swiftly and efficiently. Even while she inwardly doubts her capabilities as a leader, she is gradually learning how to command the group. She has an excellent grasp of battle strategies and tactics. Maria is an expert with firearms and a deadly accurate shot with any handgun. Her weapon of choice is a custom modified Enfield MK1 Star revolver.

Maria is one of the more popular actresses in the Teigeki. She is often called on to act as the male leads in the Kagekidan's plays. As a result, she has a multitude of lady admirers who throng the audiences whenever she is onstage.

She loves to read, and during her free time she can be found in the library with her nose buried in a book. She cites Dostoyevsky and Tolstoy as her favourite authors.

With all the pain and hardship of her past, her dreams are surprisingly simple: to continue to be with her friends in this time of peace for as long as the circumstances in her life will allow.