Name: Takeshi Ryuujin
Race:
ShinigamiSquad:
2High Concept Aspect: "Cloak and Dagger"
Takeshi is a reconnaissance specialist, so he always has to maintain some degree of secrecy. His job usually has him sitting and observing a specific location for days at a time, which means that he could easily be jeopardized if the smallest detail got out. To make sure that doesn't happen, he never talks about a mission, even after it's done. He also dodges any question asked about his job. He does so...mostly because he hates answering questions about it. Yes, not talking about it protects him and many of his secrets, but that's just an added bonus to not answering stupid questions. Unfortunately, due to his secretive and, on occasion, very important job, he sometimes has to lie. Not because he wants to or enjoys it, but because he believes it protects the people around him. Others may view him as untrustworthy, but he'd rather have his teammates alive to tell him that.
Trouble Aspect: "All men are not created equal"
To put it bluntly, Takeshi has no people skills. He treats everyone exactly the same, whether it be men, women, superiors, etc. Hell, he'd call the captain-commander a "bro" if he ever got an audience with him. He doesn't seem to understand that everyone is not equal, as he was raised to believe otherwise. This leads to a lot of conflict, because there are many in the world that do not like being treated the same as the man/woman next to them. Although he's trying to learn how to differentiate between the many shinigami, at this point he just talks to everyone the same way: with terrible jokes and awkward silences.
Appearance:
Takeshi has messy, black hair that almost completely covers azure eyes. When light hits them a certain way, it almost looks as if they're glowing. The rest of his facial features accentuate the fact that he's some kind of eastern Asian, although it's hard to tell which one specifically. Physically, he is very fit and muscular, especially for someone that specializes in gathering intelligence. His muscles aren't bulging or anything, but they're reasonably sized for a male that's 5'11" and about 160lbs. They're clearly visible even when he's not flexing, and his abs are partially visible. (something he affectionately refers to as, "my four pack") Not many people know that he's muscular though, as he's almost always wearing the entire shinigami uniform. The baggy clothing does nothing to show off his physique, but he doesn't seem to mind. In addition to the uniform, he wears a tattered, black scarf that he's had for years.
Personality:
Takeshi is a nice, caring guy who is empathetic to the plight of those around him...when he's not in public. When around other people, he puts on a tough guy routine for no apparent reason at all. He may not want others seeing him as weak and emotional, even though he tells everyone that he's, "that new toilet cleaner in 2nd Division". His drastic personality change while out in public also applies when he's out on missions. This is for a more practical reason, though. He doesn't want his teammates and the people under him to question his competence, so he makes sure to act emotionless before and during a mission. Another reason is if someone gets injured/dies, he wants to be there as the only point of stability for many of his subordinates. "If they saw their leader cry, all hell would break loose" is how he usually explains it to himself. It's not easy for him to put on such a big act, but he'll do anything if it means completing the mission and keeping everyone focused. Speaking of the mission...he is very goal-oriented. Whenever he's "downrange", so to speak, his main objective is always to complete the mission. It's never, "protect the civilians" or "follow the rules first". It's always, "finish the mission. We'll sort out the casualties later". Public Relations people hate him, but you can't say he's not efficient.Character Relations:
Personal Effects: Rucksack, digital camera, radio to relay information, extra batteries
Essential Equipment: A camelbak filled with water, MREs (two for every day he has to be out on the field and three more, just in case), map, compass, knife
Unique Items: A tattered, black scarf that has been a part of his uniform since the academy days.
Your Stories
Background: Where Did You Come From?
Takeshi's origin story is pretty sad, in a disappointing kind of way. When he was 18 years old, he was killed...in a video game store. There was some kind of psycho going around the neighborhood, and he just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. He ended up getting shot and then burned to death because the building he was in got set on fire. Once he died, he lingered around the area for a while. He wasn't sure what to do with himself, because he didn't know much about shinigami, hollow, or the soul cycle. In fact, the only thing he knew about shinigami were that they sent dead people to unknown places. Which is why he avoided them whenever possible, preventing him from passing on to the afterlife.
Eventually, he became a hollow. He spent years going up the ranks, eventually becoming strong enough to turn into an arrancar. Although he never became an espada, he was still a fairly "good" arrancar (if you could call them that). After many years, he died again. And through the soul cycle, eventually ended up in Rukongai. He led a fairly boring life for a while, doing nothing other than sleeping, eating, and stealing to get more food to eat. Through years of theft and general laziness, he learned to master the art of stealth. He was so good at it, in fact, that he came to the attention of some shinigami in Squad 2. They came to visit him one day, and he gladly accepted the invitation to be enrolled in the academy...on one condition. "As long as I don't have to do any of that kidou stuff. Freakin' fairies."
Aspect: "The most noble fate a man can endure is to place his own mortal body between his loved home and the war's desolation."
Rising Conflict: What Shaped You?
During his time in the academy, he tried to lay as low as possible. He made few friends and fewer enemies. There was absolutely nothing that stood out about him and he made sure to keep it that way. He was actually so low-key, that half of the students just thought he was mute. Takeshi didn't mind it all that much, because no one would ask him how he managed to get in in the first place.
His academics stood out about as much as he did. He was average in every subject given to them, except for one: intelligence gathering. He excelled in stalking, finding, and retaining intelligence. He was actually so good at it that he was the substitute whenever the teacher was gone. That's why he was chosen to lead the class in a live reconnaissance mission. It was to be the final exam and to pass, they had to go into Hueco Mundo and spy on a group of low level arrancar for a few days. Since he was leading the way, Takeshi went in first and cleared the way for everyone else. Once they were in, a perimeter was set up and they waited for the arrancar to come.
A few days passed, and everyone was getting impatient. Eventually, the instructor told half of the class to get up and move to a different position. Takeshi, knowing how foolish an idea like that was, told the students to stay put. The instructor argued with him for a few minutes, before yelling, "I'm in charge around here! Get back in your lane, or I wi--" His threat was cut off by a cero blast to the face. The arrancar had been approaching as the two argued, and heard the man yell. Now they were right on top of them and...reasonably pissed off. Takeshi ordered the shinigami to scatter, as the portal back to the academy wasn't up yet. Everyone that could, began to run...except for him. He stood his ground to make sure the others could escape.
After days with no food and little water, Takeshi eventually made his way back to the academy. He looked like he hadn't slept in days, and his clothes were torn with bloodstains all over them. He also wore a black scarf that had mysteriously come into his possession. A few days later, he was chewed out by the commandant of the academy for, "failing his duty as a squad leader and getting the instructor killed". To which Takeshi responded by smirking and saying, "What duty, sir? I'm just a student." then leaving for his classes.
Aspect: "'Delinquent' means 'failing in duty.' But duty is an adult virtue"
The Story: What Was Your First Adventure?
Guest Starring:
Aspect:
