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[dilemmic]

♚ OOC
Name: Dynast
Age: 25+
Contact: dynast / storywise
Character In-game: N/A

♛ IC
Name: Makoto Sako
Canon: Devil Survivor 2
Canon Point: End of Day 6, prior to the route split
Age: 26
Gender: Female
Species: Human
Appearance: Link.

History/Background: Link. As I'll be taking her from the game canon, please ignore the anime-side writeup as characterisation is slightly different between the original game and the adaptations.

Personality:
Makoto Sako: The Soldier

Daichi: "Ah, that cold, reaction, the militaristic curtness...I missed this."

The easiest thing that defines Makoto is her cold soldier persona. It's the first front that people will meet when engaging with her, and the one she is most comfortable with presenting to the world. In fact, although it is difficult to argue that she is both cold in and outside her job (for canon events do not allow her to leave official pretense as she is always on the job), it's quite possible that Makoto's identity has been so entirely restructured around her soldier persona that they might as well be the same. She mentions it herself -- that it has been a while since she's engaged with people outside her organisation (henceforth named "JP's"), and that she finds it difficult to talk with them on a casual basis. Unsurprising, considering how much of her time revolved around work since she joined JP's.

Indeed, to the squads under her leadership and the public, Makoto appears formal, cold, and almost to a point, heartless. After all, she has no problems telling a woman looking for help for an injured friend to look for a medic tent -- not because she is incapable of helping, but rather because there have been separation of responsibilities and JP's has determined that their non-medic staff should focus their attentions elsewhere. While this does not reflect her own personal beliefs (though they may well reflect Yamato Hotsuin's own), she puts it to practice with no complaints. Efficiency is highly valued in a soldier, and Makoto has no shortage of it.

But while efficiency may make a good grunt, but it does not make for a competent soldier. Alongside her flexibility, decisivity and efficiency, Makoto is also fiercely independent and determined to see things through, even if it means having to put herself in danger to complete her goals. There's a scene in the game where a JP's soldier refuses to go to a demon-infested area because of how dangerous it is - and Makoto takes it upon herself to go instead. It's not something she has to do considering her poisition as serving officer on the field- she could've redirect another personnel to do so, but that would've taken time and resources-- two things that are preciously scarce in the current environment. She doesn't hem and haw when it comes to her missions (though she might outside of official capacity) and is capable of taking a decision and sticking to it, even if she has to face the consequences later. Her accountability comes into focus when she brings the whole team to Fukuoka against Yamato's orders to let no one see the Void encroachment; she steps up later when the group re-convenes and states succcinctly:

Makoto: "Yes... I have committed what amounts to treason against JP's. To prevent any more distrust within JP's... I ask that you discipline me accordingly now."

It's not even a question of who's in the right or the wrong, for she places all the blame on herself precisely out of her sense of accountability and loyalty to JP's. In the militaristic JP's, the ability to follow orders is a basic requirement - and to have done something that goes against that is, as she said, tantamount to treason. And even if Yamato would not view it as such, she definitely did.


Makoto Sako: Secret Sympathiser

But while it's easy to assume that Makoto's personal sentiments correspond to that of her soldier persona, her Fate events show otherwise. She regularly questions the decisions she makes when dealing with the civilian population and the ethics behind it -- so much so that it's pointed out by several parties including Ronaldo, the man who worked directly against Yamato's ideal for a merit-driven society. The desire to help is strong within her, and she's uncharacteristically soft-hearted when it comes to helping others. It's something inherent in her and she shows this even near the start of the game when she brings in the main trio to JP's HQ to treat Io's twisted ankle. JP's, being a highly classified government organisation, is not accessible to the public but she sees absolutely no reason not to help them as they had assisted her in the battle to reseal Sensouji Temple.

However, as Yamato's vision for JP's directly goes against her own beliefs, she is not against helping out others on the side while doing her job. At the end of her Fate level 5 (where I will be taking her from), she puts it quite succinctly:

Makoto: "You two, get out of here. Don't worry, I'll save everybody else."
Panicked Man: "B-But aren't you JP's...?"
Makoto: "...I just do what I think is right. That's it."

As long as it doesn't jeopardise her mission and her work at JP's, Makoto believes that there's nothing inherently wrong in helping and saving everyone. That's her true heart's desire, and she goes on to further prove so in the game sequel Record Breaker -- that while she might understand the idea of leaving (the weak) behind to progress, she cannot agree to it at all. But if so, the question always arises: Why does she remain with JP's despite her clash in ideals?

Makoto: "During my student years, I was a synchronized swimmer..."
Makoto: "But I was hit by a car, and had to quit. During that time, I was deep in despair."
Makoto: "...That was when JP's contacted me."
Makoto: "They gave me a second life, and a reason to live again."
Makoto: "I'm not going to quit JP's. It's just not possible."

Her debt to JP's for giving her a new reason to live is something that Makoto can never forget, and it's what keeps her loyal to the organisation. It isn't even a matter of threats or bribing - Yamato tells her frankly once that he has no reason to keep dissenters within the ranks and consequently that she is free to do as she likes and she still remains. In fact, Makoto will join Yamato's merit-driven faction in all three routes leading to the ending of the game even though she may have reached maximum Fate level (i.e. coming to terms with her struggle to want to help the weak), indicating that she sees her personal beliefs of lesser importance than her debt.


Makoto Sako: Flaws and Friendship

All this paints a very poised, noble picture of Makoto and indeed, that is what most people will see since she spends very little time engaging with others. However, when away from work-related things, Makoto comes off not as perfect as her veneer might seem. Here is a young woman who still yells and chases after a friend in a panic when said friend peeks and runs off with her personal diary, who gets easily flustered when teased about liking someone else. Outside her job scope, Makoto acts more immaturely about her personal affairs, and seems almost childish at times. She chalks this up to having been part of JP's for so long, but it's hard to believe that JP's is solely responsible for the so-called stunting in this aspect.

And yet, one thing is certain: Friendship is very important to Makoto. She reaffirms this in Record Breaker when Otome overtaxes herself:

Makoto: "I want to tell me when you're troubled, or scared, or worried. Don't ever hold back. I'm your comrade...and your friend."

Perhaps it's because of her lack of contact with the civilian public that she lacks friends, but when she does, she remains steadfastly by their side. It probably reminds her of the time when she too had a normal life - one that is clearly far out of her grasp now. But it's this attitude that gains her comrades who're willing to fight by her side and she by theirs.

Skills/Abilities:
Powers: Demon tamers in the DeSu2-verse are individuals with a decent amount of spiritual energy. They don't necessarily have to be very talented in magic (as even normal citizens have said spiritual energy), they merely have the aptitude to form contracts and pick fights with supernatural things...like demons and administrators of the universe, for instance.

On a more micro level, Makoto's stat growth favours strength and magic (and vaguely, a little vitality) over agility, so she can be quite the damage dealer once she's on the battlefield.

Skills: As JP's exists as a supernatural police force and works closely with the Japan military force (SDF) - it can be assumed thus that Makoto is familiar with the workings of both SDF and Tokyo police forces as she canonly has to deal with them during the events of the game. This includes endurance, agility and strength training, self-defense and quite probably some knowledge of their command hierarchy.

She's also an accomplished synchronised swimmer, although her prowess may not be as great as that when she was at the peak of her career. Normal swimming would pose no issue for her, in any case.

Magic Weapon: (randomised) A steampunk water pistol that turns water into bullets of ice when fired. The user must load the pistol's water container and channel mana into the weapon to use the ice bullets. Otherwise, it works like an ordinary water gun! Bullets may freeze an area within a 6-inch radius upon weapon mastery.

Carrier: A local variant of a Kijimuna. When it sees an octopus or anything resembling one, its hairs will spike up and begin trembling uncontrollably. Feeding it crab should calm it down.