Post by sugichan on Jun 14, 2012 14:57:37 GMT
Takasugi Shinsuke
Basic Information
Age: 21+
Gender: Male
Sexuality: Pretty asexual, and is more likely to use any kind of flirtation as an exercise of power and control rather than an expression of fondness.
Rank: Rogue
Canon/OC: Canon
Canon World/Face Claim: Gintama
Cbox Name: Butterfly Samurai
Other Characters: Jaspar West
Powers And Abilities
Strengths:
Sword fighting: Takasugi is incredibly adept with a sword. He is far stronger than his scrawny demeanour suggests, which was proved in the Benizakura arc, when threatening Nizou who had been overcome by a demonic bio-mechanical sword; striking a blow (albeit blocked) that caused the defender to tremble and shake.
Leadership skills: Insane and twisted as he may be now, Takasugi still continues to show great leadership skills. From his origins in the Joui war, leading the volunteer Kiheitai, to the modern day version of the group; now intent on causing the destruction of Edo and all who live in it.
Intelligence: Takasugi has a great tactical mind and comes up with thick, intricate plots to achieve his goals.
Weaknesses:
Poor health: Takasugi is almost always seem smoking a pipe. Addicted to opium, the health consequences that come with this take a toll on the once great warriors body; including a relatively weak heart and insomnia.
Insanity: Takasugi was assumed to have lost his mind in the war after losing his eye. He began to hate and eventually this hate consumed him and left him deranged.
Cruelty: Speaks for itself. Takasugi is ruthless and will never hesitate to punish those that go against him. He has often betrayed his old war friends to help him in his aim of ultimate chaos and destruction. He merely wants to see the world burn, just to quench the demon inside him.
Weapons And Equipment:
Takasugi is rarely seen without his pipe and wields a shirasaya for his blade. It is also speculated that he still carries around an old book his mentor gave him and his classmates, as a child before the war.
He is also occasionally seen playing the shamisen and has been known to don a sedge hat to keep the sun off his pale skin.
Personal Information
Personality:
Takasugi, as discussed in weaknesses, is cruel and ruthless. His heart battle hardened and his mind driven to insanity; Takasugi retains little of what his old friends knew of him. He is still as cunning and deft as ever, merely sways towards chaos rather than freedom and unity like he once did. He is not a man you would want to mess with. The very air about him seems to chill.
History:
During his childhood, Takasugi, Gintoki and Katsura shared a class lead by Yoshida Shouyou. Though often seen looking bored in class, their tutor was a man he deeply admired.
After the government murdered their beloved teacher, Takasugi, along with Gin and Zura, rose up and joined the Joui Patriots in their dying throws.
During this period he created, and lead, the Kiheitai group; a band of volunteers that followed him devoutly as they fought every battle with vicious ruthlessness and bitter dedication.
His left eye was stabbed out during a key battle in the war, but not much else is currently known about his past and those that know him are more preoccupied with the threat he holds in the present.
Takasugi has plotted many attempts to destroy the country, and has very nearly succeeded several times. He rarely does the work himself though, and is more likely to manipulate those around him.
The first time Gintoki came across Takasugi again was during a festival period, in which he managed to stir up the revenge driven heart of an old mechanic to attempt to assassinate the Shogun.
Takasugi returned to Edo after this event to stage a military coup to overthrow the government. This time, he manipulated the song of a famous swordmaker to create him a bio-mechanical sword: the Benizakura. He implanted the sword into a man known as Nizou the Butcher who then began to wreak havoc on the city. His work was only undone by Katsura (who was assumed dead) planting multiple bombs in the sword factory on board the ship. Katsura then joined Gintoki on deck and fought off Takasugi’s new allies: the infamous Harusame Space Pirates...
Another plot involved the Shinsengumi, when Takasugi used the Shinsengumi advisor Itou Kamatarou as his own personal pawn to cause chaos in the ranks; with great effect. Nearly the whole group fell into disarray and conclusively lost many members in the subsequent fighting. The only reason the group didn’t tear themselves apart was the Yorozuyas (and Okita Sougous) interference in the assassination of Kondou Isao; the leader of the Shinsengumi.
More recently, Takasugi teamed up with the Captain of the Fourth Division of the Harusame Space Pirates to kill the Admiral, and assumedly take control of the Harusame Space Pirates as a whole.
Sample Post
Takasugi lifted the rim of his battered sedge hat to let the morning sunrise hit his face. His green eye struggled to adjust to the change in light; the warmth of the colours seemed so strong and intense as they washed over the City of Edo. He couldn’t help but compare the sunrise to the fiery red sunsets he normally watched over. There was something fresh about the dawn; something irritatingly hopeful, whilst the sunset seemed to set the land ablaze with violent hues and shades of red and oranges; whole towns bathed in the blood of the passing day as it sank- defeated, beneath the horizon.
The man sighed to himself, not out of despair or angst; merely boredom. It was so quiet, so calm of the morn and his body ached for chaos; for conflict. His gaze drifted to the floor by his right.
Empty.
Normally, a monk would sit there in silence; head down and serenely focused on the passing of those wandering by.
Now, he was alone as he gazed upon the skies, arms gently folded upon the rail of the old bridge.
“Why haven’t you burnt already?” he whispered to nobody in particular, turning once more to the empty space beside him and quietly scoffing, before turning his back on where a memory once sat.