Noel Taylor
(ノエル・テーラ)
An RGG/Yakuza Dream OC
Birthday: November 21, 1989 (Scorpio)
Height/Weight: 5' / 145lbs
Ethnicity: French/European Mutt
Blood Type: AB+
MBTI: ENFP-T
Hometown: Monterey, CA, USA
Current Residence: Sotenbori, Osaka
Occupation: Bartender
Noel is an outgoing, open-minded young woman, who suffers from being constantly unfulfilled in her day to day life. She is a likable, sociable, 'light up the room,' 'heart on her sleeve,' type of person.She is a big dreamer, and a risk-taker, who is not afraid of change. Humble, honest, loyal and loving, but despite her good qualities, she doesn't think the highest of herself. The stress of wanting to be successful or 'good enough,' drives her to make changes others might view as drastic.Born and raised in northern California to parents who were never afraid to pick up and try something new. Due to her own life stagnating, and seeing her peers find success in employment, relationships, and life in general, she decides to do something drastic and move out of the country.
Post LAD/Y7 - 2020
Noel flies into Tokyo in January of 2020, and within a few weeks ends up in Sotenbori, Osaka working as a barback at a small cocktail bar, Kamohen.It's not long before a regular patron, one Majima Goro, catches her eye.Majima, now living as a civilian working in a security company run by Watase and Daigo, is pleased to see an old haunt still up and running. He initially keeps his distance from Noel by only ever being served and helped by the bar owner, Ueno Hiroyasu. After nearly two months, they finally properly interact, and instantly connect. He enjoys her positive and honest nature, and she likes his carefree, playful attitude.
“So... Taylor-chan is it?”
“Oh umm, yeah. Noel Taylor, so... Taylor.”
“Hm. Well, yer American, right? So Noel-chan then.”
“Huh? Oh. I guess technically, yes.”
“Why ya look so surprised? It's yer name, ain't it? That's how they do it over there, right?”
A few days after their first time speaking, Noel is released early from her shift, and ends up running into Majima at the nearby Poppo. After some fumbling, the two decide to get a bite to eat, and visit the arcade.They have a first date without realizing it, and it isn't until dinner they acknowledge there might be something between them. It's also over dinner when the reality of their age difference comes up.
"I don't think it matters much, but if you must know, I'm 30."
"Haw? Really? Thank god it's not... Ya look... I mean, ya act mature enough, so I didn't think ya were too young."
"I would certainly hope I was mature for my age."
"Look, I'm jus' sayin' I know yer a grown woman, ya get me?"
"That's good then. I'm not a baby... And you're what? 45?"
"Ya think I'm 45?"
"God, was I that off?"
"Ahh Noel-chan, I'm... I'm 55... Well, 55 goin' 56. Sorry ya've been hangin' with an old man tonight."
Noel, stubborn by nature, and tired of letting potentially good things slip away, decides later that evening that they should try anyway. Majima tries to tell her no, but she brushes his concerns off. They exchange numbers, and essentially start dating.A major point of contention, unbeknownst to Noel, is Majima desperately trying to figure out how and when to tell Noel about his past. He avoids becoming too intimate and close in their relationship out of fear of another good person he cares about leaving him. He often falls back on their age gap as the issue between them, when in reality, he's scared of the truth of his Yakuza past coming out.
WIP / Spoilers for Uprooted
During a date, it starts to rain, and Majima offers Noel his suit jacket. On the way to the train station, Noel sees the odd shapes and swirls of his Irezumi under his wet dress shirt. She continues the date as normal, but once back at her apartment, she caves and does the thing she was avoiding: She goes to Google.Uncovering articles about his arrests, the Tojo Clan, the dissolution, Noel is pretty shocked and a little lost of what to do next. The next week is pretty awkward, and Majima can't figure out what's wrong, but he's increasingly worried that he's upset her.An up and coming gang in Sotenbori have their sights on Noel for reasons neither her nor Majima understand. One night when Noel leaves work, she gets grabbed by a small yakuza family that were once affiliated with the Omi Alliance. They explain to her that she is a target to the other gang because they believe she has information that can end their operation.After knocking some heads, Majima gets to her and 'saves' her, though she was never really in danger. To Majima's chagrin, the leader acknowledges him as one of the greats in the yakuza world.Once Majima gets Noel back to her apartment, they have a heart to heart where Noel confesses she already knew about his past, but was waiting for him to tell her.
"I told you to trust me..."
"I do trust ya! I just--"
"Then why couldn't you tell me?"
"'Cause I... I just couldn't, okay? ... It's 'cause I'm... I'm--"
"Because you're what?"
"'Cause I'm scared, damn it! I'm fuckin' scared as shit ta lose ya, do ya get it?"
Since Noel knew for some time, and did what digging she could, she does understand that Majima's criminal past is just that: the past. Once everything is out in the open, Majima has no reason to be distant from her, and the two form a very strong bond.Throughout the rest of 2020, their relationship grows. Majima feels excited by life again, even as a civilian, and Noel has found someone who keeps her guessing and on her toes. They're playful, sweet, honest and open with each other, but also drive each other up a wall with their stubborn or silly antics.Majima gets to meet Noel's parents who take some time coming around to their age difference; they however don't know he's ex-yakuza, and Noel plans to keep it that way.At Christmas, Majima gives Noel a lover's knot necklace, and offers she think about moving in with him. Noel gifts Majima a pen as a symbol he create his own future for himself with her.
