souji "why enka?" okita (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
tuberculosis) wrote2013-10-11 08:07 pm
tuberculosis) wrote2013-10-11 08:07 pm
Entry tags:
application;
Applicant Info
◎ Name: Aly
◎ Journal:lastalia
◎ Contact:![[plurk.com profile]](https://plurk.com/favicon.ico)
elympios
Character Info
◎ Character's Name: Souji Okita
◎ Character's Canon: Hakuouki
◎ Character's Age: 25
◎ Canon Point: January 1868/early chapter 4, Okita route (right before discovering Kondou’s been shot)
◎ Background/History: reimeiroku translations; route summary; my own wordy history + extended personality;
◎ Is the character a hacker and/or do they have a sixth-sense? No.
◎ Personality:
If there's a constant that always rings true for Okita Souji, it's that his personality is not one that is easily pinned down or figured out. In meeting him, it's easy to get the impression that he doesn't like you — maybe that he doesn't like anyone. He'll smile with cold, teasing eyes and toss around death threats in the way that most would offer reassurances. While that's true at the very surface, there's so much more that lies beneath.
Okita was given his cynicism at a young age, the result of the death of his parents and semi-abandonment of his sister (due getting married and being unable to care for him). And while most would have showed an inkling of sadness as he was left in the hands of Kondou Isami and the Shieikan, Okita remained serious and secluded. Unable to grasp the worth of his own life or existence, he simply didn't care. He claimed he wasn't lonely, that he didn't miss his sister because she abandoned him. This event in and of itself caused Souji to close his heart off to others, going as far as to believe he wasn't good-natured enough to believe in a sister that deserted him. No, he quickly became more interested in proving others around him wrong. So what, his parents died? His sister left? He's in the hands of a man who was a complete idealist and often didn't seem to understand the ramifications of his actions when dealing with children? The other pupils of the Shieikan bully him?
None of that mattered, not in the typical sense, to Souji. He had one need, and that was to prove that he wasn't just some pathetic or pitiable kid. He didn't want or need that in the slightest — at least, that was what he thought. So in addition to the training he was receiving at the Shieikan, he let the kids hit him — he did it to learn their moves, to learn how to dodge, avoid, and strike back in a way that would prove that he didn't need their pity, nor their praise. Just to prove that he was capable all on his own. When he did so — during a practice match with the older pupils... that was the beginning of Souji's transformation. Kondou proved to Souji at that time that his warmth wasn't just words said to appease him, but a genuine feeling of affection. He'd never experienced that for Kondou at all, and it opened his eyes to a purpose for his life. He wanted to see Kondou happy. He wanted to exist to protect him, to be useful to him.
He continued on at the Shiekan, quickly proving that he was prodigal with his use of swords; by the time he was fifteen (six years after coming into Kondou's care and training at the Shieikan), he was an assistant instructor. When Kondou became a master of the Shieikan, Okita was appointed head of the dojo, historically.
Souji's love and devotion to Kondou is completely unparalleled in every sense of the word. From that point in his childhood until Kondou's death many years later, nobody was to speak ill of Kondou in his presence. Doing so would be little more than a death sentence, given both Souji’s love and protective nature with regards to Kondou. The first person he killed was a member of the Roshigumi (the predecessor to the Shinsengumi, in which Kondou was one of the commanders), who'd planned to kill Kondou. He bloodied his hands for that sake, and did so with no regrets. Even in later times, he went as far as making a child cry after they insulted Kondou. There is absolutely nobody more important in Souji's life than Kondou, and he has no issue in expressing how important his commander and older brother figure truly is.
It's the very human aspect of things in life that Souji has the most difficult time grasping. Growing up when peaceful times were coming to an end, living in a dojo, and being around violence on a near constant basis jaded him further on top of his mounting cynicism. Not only was he protected and watched by Kondou, but also by Kondou's right-hand, Hijikata Toshizou. This isn't without its merits, but caused many problems for Souji; Hijikata's tendency to be firm in conjunction with his protectiveness was stifling to Souji. Combine that with how much Kondou relied on Hijikata, and Souji could feel very little else but jealousy.
Having worth and purpose is not something Souji has an easy time with. If he couldn't be useful to Kondou, what use was he at all? As things grew and changed, relationships shifted and Souji was left with a deep loneliness that he hid from the world. It was easy enough for him to mask: flippant attitudes, a lot of teasing (bordering on sadistic at times — such as forcing Nagakura to drink way too much in order to get a confession out of him). It was hard to get a grasp on what he was thinking or feelings, which was how he liked it. At the beginning of his time with the Roshigumi, though, his feelings and displaced beliefs began to spill over. His jealousy of Hijikata's relationship with Kondou often ended in vitriolic words (all laced with a smile, of course). He had his outbursts, and his desire to be needed. He even allowed Serizawa Kamo manipulate him a bit in order to ultimately get what he wanted (the opportunity to kill; he had his own bloodlust, especially after seeing Saitou and Nagakura bloodied after an altercation on Kyoto's streets). But once Souji made his first kill, it was as if he'd lost his sense of humanity. His understanding of the value of human life isn't one that comes easily. After an incident involving a group of insulting sumo wrestlers (in which he and Serizawa fought, while the others tried to avoid bloodshed), Souji couldn't understand at first what he'd done wrong. Kondou reprimanding him intensely left him completely bewildered.
So much so that he felt that his only way to make up for what he'd done with involve committing seppuku. He'd messed up, he believed — violated the code of Bushido, disgraced the Roshigumi. Everything was wrong, but he still didn't really have an understanding - even if he began to grasp of other's lives, he didn't see the value in his own. Laden with self-deprecation, he still wasn't sure what his purpose in life was. The entirety of his time before the formation of the Shinsengumi was riddled with Souji's troubles.
By the time Chizuru comes to live with the Shinsengumi, it seems more as if Okita has found his place. His rebellious recklessness has calmed into something more controlled. His heart is still very closed off to others, but he seems to have a better sense of self and the value of life around him. It doesn't stop him from killing, though only when necessary — however, he's very quick to make jokes regarding killing, which is easy to perceive as a lack of appreciation for life. He does this as commonly as Chizuru, maybe even more so than he did with Ibuki; it reaches a point where even Chizuru knows that what he's saying is in jest.
Despite this, his relationship with all of the Shinsengumi members is very distinct; there is a deep trust that he has with his comrades. For all of his jealousy of Hijikata (which comes out in his pleasant-sounding but venomous words very often ("Isn't that your job as the demon commander?" and other similar statements), they are nothing short of being just like brothers. Only in a relationship like that can Souji recite all of Hijikata's terrible haiku (which he memorized) and live to see another day. Kondou is always on a pedestal for Souji, which never changes. Even Saitou isn't immune to Souji's influence. They're often seen together, whether it's practicing in the courtyard, cooking, or caring for injured cats named after their commander (courtesy of Souji, of course); even the way they can fight in unison on patrol together is very telling of the bond they share. His bond with Nagakura, Harada and Heisuke isn't as prevalent - though there is plenty of teasing and ribbing that goes on amongst them, and they all worry for each other when one is injured.
There are also the two other big players in his relationship with others: Cats and children. During his time in the Shinsengumi, namely at the Yagi house, Souji would often play with the neighborhood children (including Yagi's sons). There were times he'd pay less attention to his own duties so he could play hide-and-seek (much to the chagrin of Sannan and Hijikata both). In a time of bloody war and massacre, he seems to get great joy out of playing the role of "Sou-chan," the not-so-scary guy that can give the kids a fun time. It's not until he gets sick that he acts unnecessarily cruel (much in the way he may act towards one of his fellow Shinsengumi captains) as a means to try and push them away. After a particularly cruel moment, a child runs away crying: while he explains to Chizuru it's because they were disrespecting Kondou, he also mumbles out that "at least they won't come here anymore," almost as if he was protecting them from the increasingly dangerous headquarters as well as his highly infectious disease.
Souji can be analytical, namely with the people who are around him. Though he doesn't always understand the politics of their situation — after all, he's more of a loyalist to Kondou than the shogunate when it comes down to it — he can read people very well. Like the others in the Shinsengumi, he didn't like Itou, he never truly forgave Serizawa for his treatment and disrespect of Kondou, and every encounter with Kaoru left him cautious. He's more interested in the fight than the result, and he's always willing to put his life on the line to fight for what he does believe in.
Never giving up on those principles is something that is consistent for Souji. After being informed that he has tuberculosis, he still refused to give up, despite knowing he was just given a death sentence. He vehemently opposed leaving the Shinsengumi, stating outright that his life has no purpose without fighting for and alongside the Shinsengumi. So long as he could stand — so long as he could wield a sword, he would fight. He'd say it over and over, even after hacking a lung up full of blood. "I can still fight." Giving in to disease was not an option, nor was telling anyone else. When Chizuru overheard, he immediately called her out to establish two things: That he wouldn't give in, and not to tell the others. That desire to not be pitied still lingered from his childhood in every respect. He went as far as trying to laugh off his disease as a joke in order to prevent her from worrying.
Even when he wasn't being pitied, he still felt as if he was being left behind, though. Those feelings from a few years earlier were resurfacing as his ability to fight rapidly diminished. But his will, his desire to fight, to live for his cause couldn't be stopped. When things got bad, he could barely stand, let alone hold a sword... and that was when he had to make a decision. It was either give up — be killed by a fight he couldn't win, let the disease kill him, or become a monster to protect the things that were important to him (which included not only the Shinsengumi, but now Chizuru as well, who'd become part of their ranks over the course of time unofficially). With the promise his tuberculosis would be cured, he drank the Ochimizu — a liquid that could turn man in a vampire-demon like creature called a Rasetsu. In doing so, he lost a piece of his humanity. Gaining a lust for blood as his chemical makeup changed was something that altered Okita's personality permanently.
He was able to stand and fight again, even coughing less — though it did not actually cure his tuberculosis, which would slowly kill him alongside the power of the Rasetsu, which draws from one's life force in order to give extra power, endurance and heightened healing. He didn't think it mattered though: He was longer human. He was a monster. Prior to this, he'd told Chizuru not to be involved with him; Souji knew all along about his own instabilities, insecurity, and true lack of a decent moral compass made him a bad person to be around. Or so he thought. But the one thing even Souji couldn't predict was how Chizuru would crawl into his heart and change everything.
Cracking Souji's shell and getting into his heart is difficult. The aforementioned need to push people away, to prove people by his own means and find himself is something that's hard to get past. He's stubborn, he's an asshole, he's full of snark and he will absolutely not hesitate to troll you if the opportunity arises. Even when someone starts to crack the surface, he can't really stop the cocky statements ("You're saying I'm so damn good-looking that you've gone and fallen in love?"). But what it all boils down to is that Okita Souji needs someone or something to protect. Those who make their way into his heart will get nothing but determination and loyalty from him.
If taking his lover's route into consideration, this is plainly obvious. He goes through absolutely every length he can to stay with Chizuru and protect her. But what's more surprising that that is the revelation of how gentle his heart is underneath that cold, uninterested exterior. Everything from his means of protecting her to the way he holds her and confesses his feelings proves that in the big scheme of things, the one thing Souji really needed in his life was someone who could see through him. Kondou and Hijikata, while both caring with their best intent, never saw eye-to-eye with him on certain things. They never understood how deep his feelings were and how his intentions affected his every last action. Chizuru never fell for it, though. She pushed him to his limits, forcing him to understand himself and in turn allow her to understand him as well.
And really, for a guy with so much blood on his hands, for having a reputation of being of of those most vicious guys in the Shinsengumi, he's a real softy underneath it all. Fully knowing his time with Chizuru was limited to the remainder of his life force, he gave up fighting and left with her to be in a place where they could live peacefully. "I love you so much. So you’ve gotta believe this next part…Even if we get separated someday, my heart will always belong to you." What a sap. Though his canon point will not necessarily reflect this softer side of him, it still lies there, waiting for the right moment to be revealed.
◎ Powers/Abilities:
At his point in canon, Okita has the power of Rasetsu, something akin to a cross between a demon and a vampire. When using the abilities of Rasetsu, his eyes turn red, his hair turns white, and two things happen to him. The first is increased power and speed, and is inhuman in the sense that it's of a demon's capacity, but not completely infallible. It puts him on par with the pure-blooded demons of his canon, but even humans with exceptional fighting skills (given Okita's excellent skill in battle to begin with) could take him down. The other is accelerated healing, which can heal any wounds near-instantly, unless the weapon that causes the injury is made from silver.
There are drawbacks to the use of his abilities, however. A direct blow to the heart is deadly, regardless of the type of weapon used. In addition, the use of the abilities is drawn from his own life force, therefore using it in excess comes with shortening of his life span; when it’s completely used up, he will turn to dust and cease to exist. Though it can heal wounds, it cannot cure illnesses, which is problematic in a sense for Okita. Having tuberculosis, it’s reversed and greatly slowed the deterioration of his health. When he drank the ochimizu, he was bedridden and barely able to stand, and only about a half a year away from the point where he died historically. Afterwards, he was able to fight and act as normal, even telling people he was cured (though he knew we wasn’t).
The final, and most notable effect of becoming a Rasetsu is bloodlust. The vampiric tendencies happen every so often, causing him to automatically shift into that form. Not consuming blood causes him a great deal of pain and discomfort, though it will eventually pass. Each successive instance of bloodlust increases the desire and need for it though, making it one of his greatest weaknesses.
◎ Weapons & Other Special Inventory: katana, wakizashi, shadow dagger (acquired in previous game)
CEREALIA-Specific
◎ Element: Air
◎ Sense: Scent. Because of Souji’s abilities as a rasetsu, his senses are hightened — but his sense of smell is the strongest of those, as proven by his sensitivity to the smell of blood under nearly any circumstance.
◎ Seven Character Traits: ( positive: loyal, skillfull, witty ) ( negative: devious, impulsive, obsessive ) ( neutral: complex )
Samples
◎ First-Person Sample:
a; b;
◎ Third-Person Sample:
The dampness in the air sent a chill straight down his spine as he quietly slid the door open and stepped onto the engawa. Winter had crept up on him quickly this year, hadn’t it? It seemed as if it was only days ago that the humid, oppressive heat of summer had weighed heavily on his chest. Yet, now it was the cold that sat sharply in his lungs. The realization had sunk in rather abruptly — things had been worse this year than the previous ones, even by his own standards.
One cold after another, leaving him nearly incapacitated, unable to patrol — unable to do all of things he set out to do. He couldn’t protect anyone that way, and Okita knew that to his very core. His fingers clasped tightly around the hilt of his katana, eyes narrowing at the scenery that surrounded him.
"Ha. Hahaha…" A soft rumble of self-deprecating laughter erupted from his throat after a moment, defeat taking the forefront. It wasn’t as if he couldn’t see the terrible irony that surrounded his situation. Souji had willingly given up his humanity in a sad and desperate attempt at clinging to life a little bit longer. Even if it meant he was only going to prolong the inevitable, he wanted to hold on until he could accomplish what little he set out to do.
Would he even be able to do that? He didn’t know. Surely, the effects of the ochimizu had their benefits, though it seemed that lately, it did very little for masking the still present tuberculosis he wished to mask. Somehow, with the use of evasion and crafty wordplay and timing, he’d prevented any excessive worry — or even knowledge, that he was aware of — relating to it. But that couldn’t hold it off forever. Funny, how something so potent could also be so useless.
But perhaps this wasn’t time for that. The bare laughter subsided, but he opted to remain where he was, only taking a seat. It sent another chill through him, of course; The near-freezing wooden planks could easily be felt through his clothing. Still, Souji didn’t make any attempt to move, or even find something warmer to wear. It would only get colder as the sun lowered in the sky and daylight gave way to the moon’s glow, but he didn’t care. He had little appetite to sit and eat, and frankly, he wasn’t sure he was much in the mood to deal with the impending interrogation that would follow.
It always ended this way, with his gaze fixated on sky. Alone. Quietly pondering and contemplating. At least, that was how it seemed, though the vague memory of a time before he acted this way had a familiar warmth to it. He still kept a close eye on his comrades, of course, but that didn’t stop him from spacing, edging a distance between himself and everyone else.
Necessary, he believed it to be. And that was okay, because he still had nights like this, where the roar of laughter, bickering, and general rowdiness from the nearby rooms was in earshot. At this rate, he’d be gone soon, right? So it was for the best.
◎ Is your character retaining any previous game memories?
Souji will be retaining his memories of ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
havenrpg, which encompasses approximately nine months of time. Though the extreme horror setting took its toll on Souji in some ways, his personality remains largely unchanged. Most of the things that have affected him are purely physical, or left him with knowledge he previously would have been blind to.
In a physical sense, he has a few visible traits that differ than if he’d been pulled directly from canon. He’s thinner and a bit more gaunt as a result of the minimal resources to nutrients, and he also possesses a tattoo across his chest that reads “DEFECTIVE” as the result of one of the experiments he was forced to deal with during his time in Haven. In terms of knowledge aquired, it’s pretty vast. He’s well aware of the existence of many worlds and timelines; Souji knows there are Shinsengumi who differ from him in everything ranging in appearance to the basics of the surrounding world. He knows of alternate histories of his own country, as well as the existence of worlds that are absolutely nothing like what he ever would have known before. He also knows the basic outcome of his future, of the Shinsengumi’s future, and even what becomes of Japan thanks to having made many acquaintances from our modern world.
Souji has a familiarity now of the basic jamjar set-up — the notion of familiar faces either not remembering him or knowing an alternate timeline isn’t something that surprises him anymore. Landing in a new world, people he knows suddenly disappearing… these are all things that Haven taught him to “accept” as a normal way of life, regardless of how he personally feels about it (he hates it, of course). He also has a basic working knowledge of some more modern amenities, such as electricity, plumbing, and simple cell phones. Death doesn’t faze him much either; he’s died four times in Haven. He’s witnessed the people important to him die, he’s seen many others that shouldn’t have been given another chance to live come back in less than a week’s time with no consequence.
None of this has shaken his personality much, however. If anything, it only serves to fuel his more extreme sides — he befriended a few like-minded individuals that share his beliefs on how to deal with problems, and those people have really only encouraged some of his more reckless and negative traits in a way that wouldn’t have been touched on if his Shinsengumi friends had been around to stop him. It means he’s a little less tolerant of people who try to control his or others’ lives on a cosmic scale, and he’s regressed to being more willing to draw his sword to cut down anyone who he perceives as a threat to him. He’s not above torture, though mostly he just wants to take down anyone who prevents him from getting back to Japan to being with Kondou… especially if they do things to threaten, harm or kill the people most important to him.
◎ Name: Aly
◎ Journal:
lastalia◎ Contact:
Character Info
◎ Character's Name: Souji Okita
◎ Character's Canon: Hakuouki
◎ Character's Age: 25
◎ Canon Point: January 1868/early chapter 4, Okita route (right before discovering Kondou’s been shot)
◎ Background/History: reimeiroku translations; route summary; my own wordy history + extended personality;
◎ Is the character a hacker and/or do they have a sixth-sense? No.
◎ Personality:
"If there's someone who decides fate, he must've hated me a lot."
Okita was given his cynicism at a young age, the result of the death of his parents and semi-abandonment of his sister (due getting married and being unable to care for him). And while most would have showed an inkling of sadness as he was left in the hands of Kondou Isami and the Shieikan, Okita remained serious and secluded. Unable to grasp the worth of his own life or existence, he simply didn't care. He claimed he wasn't lonely, that he didn't miss his sister because she abandoned him. This event in and of itself caused Souji to close his heart off to others, going as far as to believe he wasn't good-natured enough to believe in a sister that deserted him. No, he quickly became more interested in proving others around him wrong. So what, his parents died? His sister left? He's in the hands of a man who was a complete idealist and often didn't seem to understand the ramifications of his actions when dealing with children? The other pupils of the Shieikan bully him?
None of that mattered, not in the typical sense, to Souji. He had one need, and that was to prove that he wasn't just some pathetic or pitiable kid. He didn't want or need that in the slightest — at least, that was what he thought. So in addition to the training he was receiving at the Shieikan, he let the kids hit him — he did it to learn their moves, to learn how to dodge, avoid, and strike back in a way that would prove that he didn't need their pity, nor their praise. Just to prove that he was capable all on his own. When he did so — during a practice match with the older pupils... that was the beginning of Souji's transformation. Kondou proved to Souji at that time that his warmth wasn't just words said to appease him, but a genuine feeling of affection. He'd never experienced that for Kondou at all, and it opened his eyes to a purpose for his life. He wanted to see Kondou happy. He wanted to exist to protect him, to be useful to him.
He continued on at the Shiekan, quickly proving that he was prodigal with his use of swords; by the time he was fifteen (six years after coming into Kondou's care and training at the Shieikan), he was an assistant instructor. When Kondou became a master of the Shieikan, Okita was appointed head of the dojo, historically.
Souji's love and devotion to Kondou is completely unparalleled in every sense of the word. From that point in his childhood until Kondou's death many years later, nobody was to speak ill of Kondou in his presence. Doing so would be little more than a death sentence, given both Souji’s love and protective nature with regards to Kondou. The first person he killed was a member of the Roshigumi (the predecessor to the Shinsengumi, in which Kondou was one of the commanders), who'd planned to kill Kondou. He bloodied his hands for that sake, and did so with no regrets. Even in later times, he went as far as making a child cry after they insulted Kondou. There is absolutely nobody more important in Souji's life than Kondou, and he has no issue in expressing how important his commander and older brother figure truly is.
”There are things more fearsome than killing... such as not being needed by anyone."
It's the very human aspect of things in life that Souji has the most difficult time grasping. Growing up when peaceful times were coming to an end, living in a dojo, and being around violence on a near constant basis jaded him further on top of his mounting cynicism. Not only was he protected and watched by Kondou, but also by Kondou's right-hand, Hijikata Toshizou. This isn't without its merits, but caused many problems for Souji; Hijikata's tendency to be firm in conjunction with his protectiveness was stifling to Souji. Combine that with how much Kondou relied on Hijikata, and Souji could feel very little else but jealousy.
Having worth and purpose is not something Souji has an easy time with. If he couldn't be useful to Kondou, what use was he at all? As things grew and changed, relationships shifted and Souji was left with a deep loneliness that he hid from the world. It was easy enough for him to mask: flippant attitudes, a lot of teasing (bordering on sadistic at times — such as forcing Nagakura to drink way too much in order to get a confession out of him). It was hard to get a grasp on what he was thinking or feelings, which was how he liked it. At the beginning of his time with the Roshigumi, though, his feelings and displaced beliefs began to spill over. His jealousy of Hijikata's relationship with Kondou often ended in vitriolic words (all laced with a smile, of course). He had his outbursts, and his desire to be needed. He even allowed Serizawa Kamo manipulate him a bit in order to ultimately get what he wanted (the opportunity to kill; he had his own bloodlust, especially after seeing Saitou and Nagakura bloodied after an altercation on Kyoto's streets). But once Souji made his first kill, it was as if he'd lost his sense of humanity. His understanding of the value of human life isn't one that comes easily. After an incident involving a group of insulting sumo wrestlers (in which he and Serizawa fought, while the others tried to avoid bloodshed), Souji couldn't understand at first what he'd done wrong. Kondou reprimanding him intensely left him completely bewildered.
So much so that he felt that his only way to make up for what he'd done with involve committing seppuku. He'd messed up, he believed — violated the code of Bushido, disgraced the Roshigumi. Everything was wrong, but he still didn't really have an understanding - even if he began to grasp of other's lives, he didn't see the value in his own. Laden with self-deprecation, he still wasn't sure what his purpose in life was. The entirety of his time before the formation of the Shinsengumi was riddled with Souji's troubles.
"If you try to escape, we'll kill you."
By the time Chizuru comes to live with the Shinsengumi, it seems more as if Okita has found his place. His rebellious recklessness has calmed into something more controlled. His heart is still very closed off to others, but he seems to have a better sense of self and the value of life around him. It doesn't stop him from killing, though only when necessary — however, he's very quick to make jokes regarding killing, which is easy to perceive as a lack of appreciation for life. He does this as commonly as Chizuru, maybe even more so than he did with Ibuki; it reaches a point where even Chizuru knows that what he's saying is in jest.
Despite this, his relationship with all of the Shinsengumi members is very distinct; there is a deep trust that he has with his comrades. For all of his jealousy of Hijikata (which comes out in his pleasant-sounding but venomous words very often ("Isn't that your job as the demon commander?" and other similar statements), they are nothing short of being just like brothers. Only in a relationship like that can Souji recite all of Hijikata's terrible haiku (which he memorized) and live to see another day. Kondou is always on a pedestal for Souji, which never changes. Even Saitou isn't immune to Souji's influence. They're often seen together, whether it's practicing in the courtyard, cooking, or caring for injured cats named after their commander (courtesy of Souji, of course); even the way they can fight in unison on patrol together is very telling of the bond they share. His bond with Nagakura, Harada and Heisuke isn't as prevalent - though there is plenty of teasing and ribbing that goes on amongst them, and they all worry for each other when one is injured.
There are also the two other big players in his relationship with others: Cats and children. During his time in the Shinsengumi, namely at the Yagi house, Souji would often play with the neighborhood children (including Yagi's sons). There were times he'd pay less attention to his own duties so he could play hide-and-seek (much to the chagrin of Sannan and Hijikata both). In a time of bloody war and massacre, he seems to get great joy out of playing the role of "Sou-chan," the not-so-scary guy that can give the kids a fun time. It's not until he gets sick that he acts unnecessarily cruel (much in the way he may act towards one of his fellow Shinsengumi captains) as a means to try and push them away. After a particularly cruel moment, a child runs away crying: while he explains to Chizuru it's because they were disrespecting Kondou, he also mumbles out that "at least they won't come here anymore," almost as if he was protecting them from the increasingly dangerous headquarters as well as his highly infectious disease.
Souji can be analytical, namely with the people who are around him. Though he doesn't always understand the politics of their situation — after all, he's more of a loyalist to Kondou than the shogunate when it comes down to it — he can read people very well. Like the others in the Shinsengumi, he didn't like Itou, he never truly forgave Serizawa for his treatment and disrespect of Kondou, and every encounter with Kaoru left him cautious. He's more interested in the fight than the result, and he's always willing to put his life on the line to fight for what he does believe in.
"Whether my life is long or short, there are only a few things I can do. To kill those who oppose the Shinsengumi is all I want to do. Especially if I'm dying. Should I spend the time I have doing that?"
Never giving up on those principles is something that is consistent for Souji. After being informed that he has tuberculosis, he still refused to give up, despite knowing he was just given a death sentence. He vehemently opposed leaving the Shinsengumi, stating outright that his life has no purpose without fighting for and alongside the Shinsengumi. So long as he could stand — so long as he could wield a sword, he would fight. He'd say it over and over, even after hacking a lung up full of blood. "I can still fight." Giving in to disease was not an option, nor was telling anyone else. When Chizuru overheard, he immediately called her out to establish two things: That he wouldn't give in, and not to tell the others. That desire to not be pitied still lingered from his childhood in every respect. He went as far as trying to laugh off his disease as a joke in order to prevent her from worrying.
Even when he wasn't being pitied, he still felt as if he was being left behind, though. Those feelings from a few years earlier were resurfacing as his ability to fight rapidly diminished. But his will, his desire to fight, to live for his cause couldn't be stopped. When things got bad, he could barely stand, let alone hold a sword... and that was when he had to make a decision. It was either give up — be killed by a fight he couldn't win, let the disease kill him, or become a monster to protect the things that were important to him (which included not only the Shinsengumi, but now Chizuru as well, who'd become part of their ranks over the course of time unofficially). With the promise his tuberculosis would be cured, he drank the Ochimizu — a liquid that could turn man in a vampire-demon like creature called a Rasetsu. In doing so, he lost a piece of his humanity. Gaining a lust for blood as his chemical makeup changed was something that altered Okita's personality permanently.
He was able to stand and fight again, even coughing less — though it did not actually cure his tuberculosis, which would slowly kill him alongside the power of the Rasetsu, which draws from one's life force in order to give extra power, endurance and heightened healing. He didn't think it mattered though: He was longer human. He was a monster. Prior to this, he'd told Chizuru not to be involved with him; Souji knew all along about his own instabilities, insecurity, and true lack of a decent moral compass made him a bad person to be around. Or so he thought. But the one thing even Souji couldn't predict was how Chizuru would crawl into his heart and change everything.
"This feeling... It feels like my heart's about to break, but... I'm happy?"
Cracking Souji's shell and getting into his heart is difficult. The aforementioned need to push people away, to prove people by his own means and find himself is something that's hard to get past. He's stubborn, he's an asshole, he's full of snark and he will absolutely not hesitate to troll you if the opportunity arises. Even when someone starts to crack the surface, he can't really stop the cocky statements ("You're saying I'm so damn good-looking that you've gone and fallen in love?"). But what it all boils down to is that Okita Souji needs someone or something to protect. Those who make their way into his heart will get nothing but determination and loyalty from him.
If taking his lover's route into consideration, this is plainly obvious. He goes through absolutely every length he can to stay with Chizuru and protect her. But what's more surprising that that is the revelation of how gentle his heart is underneath that cold, uninterested exterior. Everything from his means of protecting her to the way he holds her and confesses his feelings proves that in the big scheme of things, the one thing Souji really needed in his life was someone who could see through him. Kondou and Hijikata, while both caring with their best intent, never saw eye-to-eye with him on certain things. They never understood how deep his feelings were and how his intentions affected his every last action. Chizuru never fell for it, though. She pushed him to his limits, forcing him to understand himself and in turn allow her to understand him as well.
And really, for a guy with so much blood on his hands, for having a reputation of being of of those most vicious guys in the Shinsengumi, he's a real softy underneath it all. Fully knowing his time with Chizuru was limited to the remainder of his life force, he gave up fighting and left with her to be in a place where they could live peacefully. "I love you so much. So you’ve gotta believe this next part…Even if we get separated someday, my heart will always belong to you." What a sap. Though his canon point will not necessarily reflect this softer side of him, it still lies there, waiting for the right moment to be revealed.
◎ Powers/Abilities:
There are drawbacks to the use of his abilities, however. A direct blow to the heart is deadly, regardless of the type of weapon used. In addition, the use of the abilities is drawn from his own life force, therefore using it in excess comes with shortening of his life span; when it’s completely used up, he will turn to dust and cease to exist. Though it can heal wounds, it cannot cure illnesses, which is problematic in a sense for Okita. Having tuberculosis, it’s reversed and greatly slowed the deterioration of his health. When he drank the ochimizu, he was bedridden and barely able to stand, and only about a half a year away from the point where he died historically. Afterwards, he was able to fight and act as normal, even telling people he was cured (though he knew we wasn’t).
The final, and most notable effect of becoming a Rasetsu is bloodlust. The vampiric tendencies happen every so often, causing him to automatically shift into that form. Not consuming blood causes him a great deal of pain and discomfort, though it will eventually pass. Each successive instance of bloodlust increases the desire and need for it though, making it one of his greatest weaknesses.
◎ Weapons & Other Special Inventory: katana, wakizashi, shadow dagger (acquired in previous game)
CEREALIA-Specific
◎ Element: Air
◎ Sense: Scent. Because of Souji’s abilities as a rasetsu, his senses are hightened — but his sense of smell is the strongest of those, as proven by his sensitivity to the smell of blood under nearly any circumstance.
◎ Seven Character Traits: ( positive: loyal, skillfull, witty ) ( negative: devious, impulsive, obsessive ) ( neutral: complex )
Samples
◎ First-Person Sample:
◎ Third-Person Sample:
One cold after another, leaving him nearly incapacitated, unable to patrol — unable to do all of things he set out to do. He couldn’t protect anyone that way, and Okita knew that to his very core. His fingers clasped tightly around the hilt of his katana, eyes narrowing at the scenery that surrounded him.
"Ha. Hahaha…" A soft rumble of self-deprecating laughter erupted from his throat after a moment, defeat taking the forefront. It wasn’t as if he couldn’t see the terrible irony that surrounded his situation. Souji had willingly given up his humanity in a sad and desperate attempt at clinging to life a little bit longer. Even if it meant he was only going to prolong the inevitable, he wanted to hold on until he could accomplish what little he set out to do.
Would he even be able to do that? He didn’t know. Surely, the effects of the ochimizu had their benefits, though it seemed that lately, it did very little for masking the still present tuberculosis he wished to mask. Somehow, with the use of evasion and crafty wordplay and timing, he’d prevented any excessive worry — or even knowledge, that he was aware of — relating to it. But that couldn’t hold it off forever. Funny, how something so potent could also be so useless.
But perhaps this wasn’t time for that. The bare laughter subsided, but he opted to remain where he was, only taking a seat. It sent another chill through him, of course; The near-freezing wooden planks could easily be felt through his clothing. Still, Souji didn’t make any attempt to move, or even find something warmer to wear. It would only get colder as the sun lowered in the sky and daylight gave way to the moon’s glow, but he didn’t care. He had little appetite to sit and eat, and frankly, he wasn’t sure he was much in the mood to deal with the impending interrogation that would follow.
It always ended this way, with his gaze fixated on sky. Alone. Quietly pondering and contemplating. At least, that was how it seemed, though the vague memory of a time before he acted this way had a familiar warmth to it. He still kept a close eye on his comrades, of course, but that didn’t stop him from spacing, edging a distance between himself and everyone else.
Necessary, he believed it to be. And that was okay, because he still had nights like this, where the roar of laughter, bickering, and general rowdiness from the nearby rooms was in earshot. At this rate, he’d be gone soon, right? So it was for the best.
◎ Is your character retaining any previous game memories?
havenrpg, which encompasses approximately nine months of time. Though the extreme horror setting took its toll on Souji in some ways, his personality remains largely unchanged. Most of the things that have affected him are purely physical, or left him with knowledge he previously would have been blind to.In a physical sense, he has a few visible traits that differ than if he’d been pulled directly from canon. He’s thinner and a bit more gaunt as a result of the minimal resources to nutrients, and he also possesses a tattoo across his chest that reads “DEFECTIVE” as the result of one of the experiments he was forced to deal with during his time in Haven. In terms of knowledge aquired, it’s pretty vast. He’s well aware of the existence of many worlds and timelines; Souji knows there are Shinsengumi who differ from him in everything ranging in appearance to the basics of the surrounding world. He knows of alternate histories of his own country, as well as the existence of worlds that are absolutely nothing like what he ever would have known before. He also knows the basic outcome of his future, of the Shinsengumi’s future, and even what becomes of Japan thanks to having made many acquaintances from our modern world.
Souji has a familiarity now of the basic jamjar set-up — the notion of familiar faces either not remembering him or knowing an alternate timeline isn’t something that surprises him anymore. Landing in a new world, people he knows suddenly disappearing… these are all things that Haven taught him to “accept” as a normal way of life, regardless of how he personally feels about it (he hates it, of course). He also has a basic working knowledge of some more modern amenities, such as electricity, plumbing, and simple cell phones. Death doesn’t faze him much either; he’s died four times in Haven. He’s witnessed the people important to him die, he’s seen many others that shouldn’t have been given another chance to live come back in less than a week’s time with no consequence.
None of this has shaken his personality much, however. If anything, it only serves to fuel his more extreme sides — he befriended a few like-minded individuals that share his beliefs on how to deal with problems, and those people have really only encouraged some of his more reckless and negative traits in a way that wouldn’t have been touched on if his Shinsengumi friends had been around to stop him. It means he’s a little less tolerant of people who try to control his or others’ lives on a cosmic scale, and he’s regressed to being more willing to draw his sword to cut down anyone who he perceives as a threat to him. He’s not above torture, though mostly he just wants to take down anyone who prevents him from getting back to Japan to being with Kondou… especially if they do things to threaten, harm or kill the people most important to him.