Archived:Ronin Yosef

Personality
Ronin is a shy but energetic boy. He often loses himself in his excitement. Having grown up with a traveling circus he is used to continuous energy and motion so he has difficulties sitting still. He is very fond of his Tiger Cub Nina who he has been with since she was born. In some ways they have rubbed off on each other and both act like the other species. This leads Ronin to be very friendly but loud and he has a mysterious habit of meowing at people from time to time.

History
Parents Meet:

Ronin's father Luka was a performer with a traveling circus. He was a high wire walker and also juggled swords sometimes for the more late night crowds. One evening while he was on the high wire he thought he spotted a flash of Red(?) hair in the crowd that stood out among the browns and blacks of the normal people who came to their shows. Later that evening he was juggling swords for a group of women when the woman with red hair whom he'd seen earlier came walking towards him. She was a lovely woman and looked almost like a Gypsy. Like the one from his favorite Disney Movie "The Hunchback of Notre Dame". As he finished his act with the swords, all of them stabbing into the ground around him in a perfect circle he bowed, never taking his eyes off the woman with the beautiful hair and eyes. As the other women left he approached the woman with red hair and held out his hand. She sat hers in his and he kissed her hand like a gentleman. He introduced himself and she replied in kind. Her name matched her beauty, Lilyanna. He took her about the circus asking her why she seemed so interested in him. When they reached the tiger cage with the lovely white tigers she told him is was his skill with animals despite being a tight rope walker. Of course he had no idea what she meant until he held out his hand to pet one of the tigers idly. How had she known he had such a way with the beasts? But no matter considering the beautiful woman was reaching for the cage herself. On instinct he reached forwards and pulled her away and against him. He warned her the animals were dangerous but she just laughed and kissed him on the cheek thanking him despite the lack of danger. He blushed at his brashness and released her. But she stayed close.

The hour was late so Luka invited her to stay the evening in his personal camper. She agreed and he led her to his humble little area of the camp. As he led he inside he told her he would let her have the bed and he would sleep in the little couch that he had in the main part of the camper. She smiled softly and asked him to share the bed with her so she could thank him properly for the excellent tour, the show, and saving her. He quietly agreed and they spent a glorious evening together. When he awoke she was gone. Concerned he ran outside looking for her and spotted a piece of paper fluttering on the tiger cage. He ran over and found an infant with snow white hair laying with the female tiger. He was unharmed and seemed rather happy with the tiger. And the tiger herself seemed to enjoy the infants company. The note explained that the child was his and that the reason she knew he was so good with animals was the fact that she herself was a goddess and had a way with animals as did all of her children. She explained that someday the boy might need protection so she had left a pair of bracelets on the child that would grow up with him. Along with a small pendant that too would grow up with him. She also told him if things became too difficult for the boy and too dangerous that he should go to New York. That he would be able to find refuge there in a camp with other children like him. And that someone would guide the boy into camp. Taking things in stride despite his shock Luka took the child and named him Ronin.

Childhood:

Nothing of import happened before the age of five other than the fact that his father and him traveled a lot and Ronin spent lots of time with the tigers.

Age 5-6:

Ronin was getting much older now and was finally old enough to start doing things inside of the show. Because of his way with the tigers and his size they decided it would be fun to have him ride the tigers like horses. So of course naturally he agreed and his father said no. But Ronin promised he would be safe and careful with the tiger and make sure that he wasnt hurt. His dad, reluctantly, agreed that Ronin was old enough to decide if he could handle the tiger or not. So Ronin went to the tiger cages to see his favorite tiger, Miyanna. Of course the lovely beast was all purrs when Ronin showed up as he and the tiger had grown quite fond of one another since the boy was put there by Cybelle with the tiger. As Ronin approached he spoke softly to the tiger letting her know his intentions. The boy had a slight frame and weighed next to nothing so he knew it would be no trouble for the big beautiful beast to lift him on her back. The tiger crouched before him as if understanding his motives and he climbed aboard. Miyanna lifted him into the air and paraded around the pen showing that she trusted the little demigod. As they came to a halt his father clapped slowly from outside the cage. Apparently no one had ever gotten Miyanna to parade like that. Smiling Ronin climbed down and pet Miyanna under her chin. He made sure to pet her mate too as he left and returned to the tent for preperations for that nights festivities.

That night he and Miyanna were the talk of the show as he rode her around the ring at full lope. Of course most were afraid for the boy and others excited at his talent. He spoke to a few of the older adults on his fathers request. But he soon returned to his fathers camper to sleep as the excitement had wiped the boy of any energy. The shows continued like this every evening with Miyanna even throwing in new tricks for the audience. Ronin was thrilled at the closeness he and Miyanna were achieving. But then Miyanna wasn't able to play anymore before she was to have cubs. Despite this Ronin was still in the shows helping out and announcing to each new crew the expectation of new members to their family.

Age 6-7

Ronin and many of the other circus performers wept in the woods near there camp as they said fair well to their beloved Miyanna. She had died giving birth to three beautiful cubs. Two had been the orange of their ancestors but one lonely runt cub had been white with black stripes like its mother. Ronin ferociously refused to give up the cub once he saw the life fade from Miyanna. Now he wept freely for the Tiger he had grown up with. Holding her cub close to his chest his tears fell on the little tigers head. It looked up and licked the boys chin as if to try and make him feel better but this only made the boy cry harder. As the rain began to fall he was corralled back to the tents where he curled up on a table and cried. The little cub, finding this weird being unconsollable just curled up next to it to keep it warm.

At sometime Ronin fell asleep and when he woke up found the cub still with him. He pulled it close to himself and cried some more. As he calmed down he began to the the little cub about its mother. It didnt understand but the cub had imprinted on the boy so it mewled at him because it was hungry. Ronin vowed to care for the cub and so he did. He fed it and took care of it helping it to grow big and strong. He named the little cub Lilo after the character from a movie he had seen. The little female cub seemed to enjoy the name and responded to it well. Before long he had the cub to where it knew its name and he could call her from across the camp and she would come running.

Age 9-10

Ronin was much older now, 10 years old in fact, and his little Lilo was not so little anymore. She was the runt however and could still be confused for a strange coated house cat. He and her spent all their time together. He was training her for a new circus act and she was responding well to his direction. They decided they would debut it that night in the circus ring. The audience was packed and Ronin was peeking from behind the curtain. Lilo too, down between his feet, seemed to be watching the crowd. They took the stage and Lilo performed marvelously responding to each of Ronin's commands with precision. As Ronin bowed Lilo took a step back from the crowd. A woman had stood up to clap and Lilo was watching the woman closely. Ronin snatched up Lilo and took off back behind the curtain. Not soon after they had slipped out of the tent the woman from the crowd did too. She was, changing, before Ronins eyes into an ugly woman with a robotic leg. She turned and saw Ronin and called to him before running towards him. Ronin dropped Lilo and they both ran Ronin on two feet and Lilo on her four paws. Ronin kept running and running but he could hear the woman behind him.

As him and Lilo rounded a corner they ran into another woman like the first. Screaming he took off again this time he dropped to all fours. The ground was harming his hands and as if on cue the bracelets transformed into claws that had pads over his palms. Using these weird things to his advantage he and Lilo quickly picked up the pace. As they rounded yet another tent they ran into a boy and a girl. They both jumped back and as the two women came round they seemed to pull swords out of thin air. Lilo spun and hissed and Ronin spun too using the claws to keep him in place. He watched as the two older kids took out the women with their strange swords. He remembered the note he had found about some woman named Cybelle in his fathers journal. He had asked his dad and he had promised to tell him when he was older. As the two teens approached Ronin he stood back up on his feet. The claws reverted back to bracelets and the two teens looked at one another. They asked if he knew about his mom and Ronin told them no. But he knew that his father had spent a night with some woman named Cybelle. They both nodded to each other and took him outside of the camp to inform him of his birthright as a demigod. And they told him about Camp Halfblood in New York. They told him where the camp was located in case he ever wanted to come or if the circus ever made a circuit near the area.

Ronin wasn't ready to leave home yet however and refused to go with them. They told him he should be safe considering the only reason those women, empousi they called them, had shown up was because they had come to see the show. He smiled and thanked them for helping him understand himself a bit better. They too smiled and said no problem and vanished off into the night. Ronin was in shock about it all and that was why he hadn't asked more questions. That night he talked to Lilo about it all. She just curled up with him and he felt better as he and her lay underneath the tree. The scratches on his hands sealed up and he soon fell to sleep.

When he woke up he told his dad about what happened and his father, relieved to finally talk to his son about it, told him the story of his own mother. Secretly that night the boy wept for the woman he never knew but that was all. He began training himself and Lilo to fight these new monsters. He had no way to protect her like his weird claws protected him so he taught her more evasion and harrass while he trained himself in stealth and harrass. A couple of downright assassins they were turning into.

Age 11-14/making it to camp.

There skills were put to the test multiple times over the next few years. The monsters became more and more ferocious but since Ronin and Lilo knew each camp like the back of their hands they were able to outrun and hide from each monster that came their way. However one night they ran into a monster outside of one of their camp sites. They were on the road again heading towards New York. Ronin would be turning 15 in a few days and they wanted to go visit the big apple for his present. So the band had decided to do a show near Long Island first. They hadn't even set up the first tent when Lilo took off running. Ronin knew the signal and he too took off into the woods nearby. The monsters that came after them resembled giant dogs. Two of them were coming and Ronin knew that he and Lilo couldn't stand up to them. He was still small in size and Lilo too seemed to have stunted growth as she was little bigger than the largest housecat. As they entered the woods Lilo and Ronin both climbed trees to stay out of the reach of the dogs. As they ran from branch to branch Ronin remembered the camp.

They evaded the dogs for several days, having needed to return to tell his dad where he was going. And on their way back towards the camp that Ronin had already scouted a branch broke under his and Lilo's weight. It had been chewed at by termites and their added weight had snapped it. As they fell Ronin snatched Lilo close to his chest and took the full force of the fall to keep Lilo from getting hurt. It knocked the wind out of him and in between stars he saw the dogs creeping closer. Lilo stood between them and the struggling Ronin and one of them swung as her. She jumped back and hissed angrily before sending her own swipe and just agitating the big monster. It swung again this time knocking Lilo back. A long scratch ran the length of her flank. Ronin, still seeing stars struggled to stand and snatch up Lilo. As he ran he heard the monsters barking behind them. He dove into the camp just as they monsters were going to catch them. Gasping for air he laid Lilo down. As he finally lost the stars in his vision he saw the damaged to Lilo and screamed for help. Several teens turned to look and saw the boy and his damaged pet. They came to help him and tried to seperate the two but Ronin would not leave Lilo so they took them both to the infirmary where they were both patched up from the fall and Lilo's long scratch.

Sometime later a boy came by with a collar. Lilo and Ronin were both laying in bed and as he handed it to Ronin he explained that it worked the same as his accessories and would grant the young tiger a armor to wear seeing as the two seemed to fight together. Thankfully Ronin took the collar and put it on Lilo. The boy smiled and left. After a couple of days Ronin and Lilo were cleared to leave and they both headed to Cybelle cabin. Ronin already knew his mothers name and after a couple hours of settling into the lounge in the cabin he was claimed by his mother.