Headcanons; Takumi + Archery
{ One of the main reasons Takumi took up archery was Mikoto. He’d seen her wield a bow several times, and he always thought it was amazing to watch. Since he wanted to take a different path than Ryoma, too, he decided he’d follow in his mother’s footsteps. }
{ When he first started archery, he actually wasn’t all that great at it. It’s a sport that requires patience, and as a kid, he lacked it more so than he does now. He tried using bows that were too big for him right off the bat, so he had to swallow his pride and settle for a small bronze yumi to start. He wasn’t bad, he just had a lot of trouble striking the center of the target for a little while, but his drive and determination are what helped him pull through to become the archer he is today. }
{ When he isn’t training with the Fuujin Yumi, he’s usually using a steel or silver bow. He wants to prove to himself every once in a while that he can shoot regular bows, too, and they require a lot less concentration, making this activity pretty soothing for him. }
{ He does use archery practice as a stress relief, too. It’s his strongest skill, and especially if he’s using a regular bow, he can kind of zone out and think a little while practicing, which really helps him clear his thoughts. }
{ He used to do a ton of push-ups as a kid, just to make his arms stronger so he could move onto bigger bows quicker. }
{ He actually knows how to make his own bows. Mikoto knew how to do this as well, and Takumi learned from her over the years. }
{ He does feel the need to compete with other archers, whether he realizes it or not. He’s the type who’d see some fantastic archers/snipers in battle, then afterwards go out training to see if he’s that good. (He is really, really good, he’s just insecure about it a lot). }
{ When the Fuujin Yumi first chose him, he couldn't believe it. he didn’t think he was skilled enough, nor worthy to wield a divine weapon, so it took him a while to get used to using it. At one point, he was extremely careful with it because he was worried he’d break it somehow. }
{ Despite his insecurities, he is one of the best archers in the army, even in the Revelation route. Some Nohrian archers try to watch him on the sly to pick up tricks from hiom to make themselves better archers. }