Portrait of a Character – Takara Sato
Takara Sato, the treasure, is very important to the timeline.
Origins
I wanted Empress Hoshi to have just one daughter, and one pair of twins. Hence Takara and Takeo were born. Takara was to be the elder of the two. These would be the children fathered by Chip Masterson. The only child younger than them is Izo. Jun, Kira, and Arashi are older.
Portrayal
Zhang Ziyi as Takara-Sato (image is for educational purposes only)
Takara is played by Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi.
I wanted a very beautiful Asian actress who could believably be the person to continue Empress Hoshi’s dynasty.
Without Takara, the House of Sato falls. She ends up being the only one of the six royal children to reproduce.
Personality
Zhang Ziyi as Takara-Sato (image is for educational purposes only)
Privileged and beautiful, Takara is the apple of her mother’s eye.
While Hoshi has no problem allowing her sons to run wild, she takes more interest in Takara, and who Takara is marrying. Part of this is some sexism on Hoshi’s part. However, that works with how I write the Mirror Universe, as most women are in low positions there. Hence Hoshi particularly wants Takara to marry well. Takara Sato’s choices multiply during the alternate timelines in Temper.
Relationships
Tommy Digiorno-Madden
Sailor Mercury
During Temper, Tommy in particular is interested in Takara, who often dresses quite a bit like the Sailor Mercury anime character.
He is so interested that he threatens to fight Joss for her. Joss wisely bows out, telling Tommy that she does not interest him and doesn’t want to fight. However, Takara favors Joss. But this is mainly because he is the first-born of his family. And, in this alternate timeline, he is a baseball star, whereas Tommy is a common (to Takara) soldier.
Tommy’s wrath also extends to Charlie Tucker, son of Tripp Tucker and Beth Cutler, but Charlie is on the surface of Lafa II and doesn’t experience Tommy’s threats first-hand.
When the timeline is restored, they meet as children, in Fortune. And, later, Norri bequeathes her callidium-laden earrings to him, urging him to use them for dream contact.
I will explore this later, as the idea intrigues me.
Charles Tucker IV
Zhang Ziyi as Takara-Sato (image is for educational purposes only)
When the prime timeline is restored, Chip and Lucy are able to smuggle the twins to the forests of Lafa II. With Tommy and Joss gone back to the Prime Universe, Takara’s sole prospect is Charlie. Fortunately, they fall in love, and wed later, and become parents.
Their son, Charles V, marries the daughter of Takara’s half-brother, Ken Masterson, and Charlie’s sister, Betsy Tucker. That daughter is Denise Masterson (in the Prime Universe, Ken’s daughter is Kelly, and her mother is as yet unknown).
It is their grandson, Charles Tucker VI, who succeeds Jun and Kira as the Emperor Charles I. Takara’s family is presented to Hoshi on Hoshi’s deathbed, in Who Shall Wear the Robe and Crown? and Hoshi complains about the pollution of Tucker blood into the Sato genome.
In He Stays a Stranger, Takara helps to get her mother out of the Lafa System, in exchange for agreeing to return to the royal fold.
Theme Music
Her theme song is Tori Amos’s God.
Prime Universe
It’s impossible for Takara to have a Prime Universe counterpart. Her analogue is Marie Patrice Beckett.
Quote
“You already had the fight. Everybody got a prize.”
Upshot
I like Takara Sato, who has a kind of chameleon personality, depending upon which timeline she’s in. I’m not so sure where else I can feature her, though.
