Headcanon. [Takasugi]
Everything You've Ever Wanted to Know About Takasugi (Maybe).
Takasugi Shinsuke.
Body and Appearance
1. Describe the character's height and build. Is he heavyset, thin, short, rangy?
170 centimeters tall (around five feet and seven inches), with the wiry build of a fighter who has, either by circumstance or ambition, bled down to the barest essentials. Those who know him best can probably wax poetry on how the burn of his ambition is physical enough to determine exactly why he's built the way he is.
2. How old is he?
Canon isn't clear-cut about ages, but my guess is that Takasugi's around 26-29 years old.
3. Describe his posture. Does he carry himself well or does he slouch?
Tall and confident. 'Dignified' might not really be the right way of putting it, but there's a certain bearing to Takasugi that commands attention.
4. How is his health? Is he fit or out of shape? Any illnesses or conditions? Any physical disabilities?
As fit as someone who survived a devastating war and some time in prison can be. He's missing an eye (his left), but he's trained away any disadvantage that this might've given him in a fight.
5. How does he move? Is he clumsy, graceful, tense, fluid?
Fluid whether he's on the battlefield or off of it, with an indolence that is easy to mistake for laziness. He can go eerily still at times, when something has caught his attention, He can also move remarkably fast on cue, much like a snake when it's striking out at a target.
6. How attractive is this character physically? How does he perceive himself in the mirror?
Incredibly attractive, even with the missing eye and that too-damned-sharp smile. There's only one word that can begin to describe Takasugi, and that would be magnetic: his features only increase the pull. And he knows it.
7. Describe his complexion. Dark, light, clear, scarred?
A little tanned and clear.
8. Describe his hair: color, texture, style.
A bit on the long side, although it's still well off of the nape of his neck, and tousled. It's a strange sort of black that borders on being purple/violet, and it's thin, which might be strange to some (it's easy to think that he has thick hair, given the way it looks). He just happens to have a lot of it on his head.
9. What color are his eyes?
The one he still has left is a deep moss green.
10. Does the character have any other noteworthy features?
It's impossible to miss the fact that Takasugi always goes out in public with bandages swathed over the left side of his face, completely concealing the scarred up eyelid of his left eye. The eye itself is gone.
11. What are his chief tension centers?
Around his mouth, between his eyebrows and his shoulders.
12. What is the character's wardrobe like? Casual, dressy, utilitarian? Bright colors, pastels, neutrals? Is it varied, or does he have six of the same suit?
Traditional and Japanese to the core, with elegant designs for the kimonos he chooses to go around in - he always chooses colors and patterns that flatter him, regardless if they're bright or dark, pastel or neutral, metallic or otherwise. He pulls out all the stops, it seems, on his appearance. One's looks can be an effective weapon, after all.
13. Do his clothes fit well? Does he seem comfortable in them?
Yes, like second skin. He'd be just as comfortable naked, with company.
14. Does he dress the same on the job as he does in his free time? If not, what are the differences?
Yes.
15. You knew it was coming: Boxers, briefs or commando?
Fundoshi or briefs~
Speech
1. What does this character's voice sound like? High-pitched, deep, hoarse?
Low and deep. There's an edge to it, both from one too many years of smoking and from the insanity he wrestles with on a regular basis.
2. How does he normally speak? Loud, soft, fast, evenly? Does he talk easily, or does he hesitate?
Soft, even and sensual, occasionally punctuated by quiet little laughs or sharp, dangerous moments of rage. Hesitation is not common to him, and he embodies the 'speak softly and carry a big stick' philosophy.
3. Does the character have a distinct accent or dialect? Any individual quirks of pronunciation? Any, like, you know, verbal tics?
Accent neutral. People will notice, off the bat, that he doesn't use slang. He doesn't swear all that often either - he saves that for dramatic effect.
4. What language/s does he speak, and with how much fluency?
Japanese with complete fluency, Chinese with confidence (from school), Korean with confidence (from personal study), and Portugese, Dutch and English, initially from contact with foreign sailors and later from obsessive study. He's also picked up some Amanto dialects - one must know thy enemy, correct?
5. Does he switch languages or dialects in certain situations?
No, he wouldn't. He's a bit of a purist in that direction... you don't BLEND languages together. That's just uncouth.
6. Is he a good impromptu speaker, or does he have to think about his words?
He's an incredibly good impromptu speaker. Having to think about what to say next isn't something he's had to experience very often.
7. Is he eloquent or inarticulate? Under what circumstances might this change?
Frighteningly eloquent, even when he's caught up in his moods or in his insanity, even if he's being fucked hard by his current partner of the evening. It's next to impossible to rout this one in verbal parley, even if you happen to be, on the off-chance, someone more inteligent or wittier than himself.
Mental and Emotional
1. How intelligent is this character? Is he book-smart or street-smart?
Both - Takasugi is, in fact, nothing short of brilliant. He's one of those blessed few who just absorb information of all kinds with the same sort of ease that people have with breathing.
2. Does he think on his feet, or does he need time to deliberate?
Definitely the kind who can think on his feet and respond immediately to almost any situation he's given. Furthermore, the response he has is often the correct one.
3. Describe the character's thought process. Is he more logical, or more intuitive? Idealistic or practical?
Previously, Takasugi used to restrict himself to some sort of logic, and was stubborn about believing that he was cool and calm and untouchable, ever capable of making the good and right decision. This changed after the fallout after the war and his own breakdown. He now relishes in the fact that his intuition and instincts are sharp, and relies primarily on them to get him through any situation. He then backs this up with his own intellect, for maximum benefit.
4. What kind of education has the character had?
Takasugi's family, I think, bounced him back and forth between different private tutors - the best that money could buy for literature, philosophy, math and swordplay. The young lord, however, did not take to ANY of them, and as such, they did not last very long... that many of them did not know how to handle a child that temperamental and brilliant certainly didn't help things. Things only changed after he became a part of Shouyo's school. It was that man's teachings that make Takasugi who he is at present.
5. What are his areas of expertise? What, if anything, is he interested in learning more about?
Swordplay, wielding a variety of other traditional weapons (especially if they're blades, or possess some sort of short edge), strategy and philosophy. He's also picked up all sorts of skills and disciplines over the years, as he makes it a point to learn whatever he needs to in any given circumstance.
6. Is he an introvert or an extrovert?
The best way of describing Takasugi would be asocial. People fascinate him the way that microbes might fascinate scientists through a microscope, but he ultimately doesn't care for any of them. They're toys to him, or stepping stones, or means to an end. He'll never let anyone past the layers he's shrouded over himself ever again.
7. Describe the character's temperament. Is he even-tempered or does he have mood swings? Cheerful or melancholy? Laid-back or driven?
He's best described as a pendulum, swinging from the highest highs down the lowest lows. There is NO balance in Takasugi, although in some way, not having that stablity is precisely what keeps him together. He reacts on the fly, it seems, quickly and swiftly and sometimes violently, and it recedes just as fast as it came around.
8. How does he respond to new people or situations? Is he suspicious, relaxed, timid, enthusiastic?
Calm and easy and pleasant, mostly. He's one to measure the benefits and cost of any situation, although most won't be able to see past the smile he gives to everyone. He's the kind of man who knows you on the get-go, in just one look and perhaps a minute or so of keen observation.
9. Is he more likely to act, or to react?
Act, always and ever.
10. Which is his default: fight or flight?
Fight, fight, fight.
11. Describe the character's sense of humor. Does he appreciate jokes? Puns? Gallows humor? Bathroom humor? Pranks?
Dry, witty and definitely on the dark side. Jokes and puns are well and good, provided that they're intelligent.
12. Does the character have any diagnosable mental disorders? If yes, how does he deal with them?
To put it bluntly: Takasugi is completely, utterly, totally insane. He's the idealist who was forced to stand by and watch as everything he knew and loved was taken away from him. He's the man who, after fighting that hard and this long, still lost. He's the one who broke under the strain. He's the one who was left behind.
Canon has insinuated Takasugi's currently obsessed with destroying everything, because a world that took Shouyo and his comrades away from him doesn't deserve to live. He is also apparently driven by his rage and his need to avenge the spirits of the comrades he lost during the war: he's pushed on by the voices of the dead, so to speak, to be the beast that can't stop baring its fangs at whatever stands in its way. A closer look at the events, however, indicate that Takasugi's goal may not be so villainous. He may, in fact, be after the "real" enemies of the government - the shadowy council of Amanto that currently rule Edo. Of course, getting to them entails a whole lot of sacrifice, and maybe even cutting his own comrades down.
13. What moments in this character's life have defined him as a person?
The first defining instance was meeting Shouyo, the man who made him who he is. The next was likely losing him.
The one after that was probably when his comrades abandoned the cause, and Takasugi quietly decided that it was time to end everything.
14. What does he fear?
He has nothing to fear now. He only exists to destroy, and would either welcome the blade that attempts to end him before this happens or the one that cuts him down when everything is finished.
15. What are his hopes or aspirations?
Hopes and aspirations are things for men, not beasts.
16. What is something he doesn't want anyone to find out about him?
If we're to stick with what the canon has currently given us, Takasugi has nothing to hide. If we go for the idea, however, that he's actually out to unseat the shadow government at all cost, then this is probably what he's trying to conceal from everyone else, especially the people who used to be his comrades. Following this scenario, it's possible to say that he would want them out of the way precisely because he doesn't want to have to fight them.
Relationships
1. Describe this character's relationship with his parents.
It doesn't matter. They're dead.
2. Does the character have any siblings? What is/was their relationship like?
None.
3. Are there other blood relatives to whom he is close? Are there ones he can't stand?
None.
4. Are there other, unrelated people whom he considers part of his family? What are his relationships with them?
Shouyo was the father he never had, but that doesn't matter anymore.
5. Who is/was the character's best friend? How did they meet?
Best friends and rivals, actually: Sakata Gintoki and Katsura Kotaro. He met the two of them at Shouyo's school, and after some serious childhood clashes, the three were eventually inseperable. They balanced each other out precisely because they were all so different, and thus compensated for whatever the other lacked.
Those are the basic details, anyway. Words can't really describe, accurately, the complexities behind the relationship Takasugi has with Gintoki and Katsura. Perhaps the closest analogy one can think of is to regard them as each other's limbs, hearts and lungs. They really can't function without each other; to attempt to do so would be devastating. Even with all the insecurities he has and the way he lashes out at them, Takasugi couldn't bear to cut these two out of his life. He does, of course, end up trying to chase after them to the bitter end.
Losing them embittered Takasugi, and all of the positive feelings he previously had for them turned for the worse. It's unclear on whether he really wants Gintoki and Katsura dead or if he's just giving them that impression to drive them away. He has, after all, avoided contact with them since the Benizakura arc.
It is unclear on how Sakamoto and Takasugi are with each other at present. They have not interacted in canon yet.
6. Does he have other close friends?
The closest one can get to a friend for Takasugi now would be Kawakami Bansai, his right hand man. Canon is unclear on the connection between these two, but watching their interactions and taking the fact that Bansai calls Takasugi "Shinsuke" indicate that they likely have a very interesting relationship. Bansai may, in fact, be the only person Takasugi can come close to trusting now.
7. Does he make friends easily, or does he have trouble getting along with people?
Takasugi can charm whoever he wants with ridiculous ease, but he feels nothing for no one now.
8. Which does he consider more important: family or friends?
Neither matter.
9. Is the character single, married, divorced, widowed? Has he been married more than once?
Single, and will never get married.
10. Is he currently in a romantic relationship with someone other than a spouse?
Romance, for Takasugi, isn't necessary. You fuck who you have to, use who you have to. Commitment is pointless.
11. Who was his first crush? Who is his latest?
He doesn't get crushes. He'll be open about being attracted to someone, but once that's up, it's gone and forgotten.
12. What does he look for in a romantic partner?
Not lookng.
13. Does the character have children? Grandchildren? If yes, how does he relate to them? If no, does he want any?
No and no.
14. Does he have any rivals or enemies?
As of the current timeline in Gintama, Takasugi has become Gintoki and Katsura's greatest enemy. It's clear that should they cross paths again, they will fight.
15. What is the character's sexual orientation? Where does he fall on the Kinsey scale?
Solid 3-4, although it'd be better to say that Takasugi is pragmatisexual. Basically: if it's useful in some fashion, fuck it. Male, or female, it doesn't matter. They just have to be attractive. They have to be worth his time.
16. How does he feel about sex? How important is it to him?
Sex is a biological need to him, just as much as eating, defecacting, urinating or passing wind are. He'll fulfill this need when he has to, and make it as pleasurable as he can for himself. And he's a sadist, mind you.
17. What are his turn-ons? Turn-offs? Weird bedroom habits?
Will and can do just about anything that might be fun, and Takasugi's definition of 'fun' is pretty twisted.
Beliefs
1. Do you know your character's astrological (zodiac of choice) sign? How well does he fit type?
It's not possible to check up on Takasugi's Chinese Zodiac sign since the dates in Gintama are vague, so we'll go for the zodiac. As he was born on August 10, he'd be a Leo.
Yes, it fits him very, very well.
2. Is this character religious, spiritual, both, or neither? How important are these elements in his life?
Definitely neither, and they're not important to him at all. He lives in the now and the concrete and the tangible.
3. Does this character have a personal code of morals or ethics? If so, how did that begin? What would it take to compromise it?
It's hard to determine exactly WHAT Takasugi's personal code is. Perhaps the best way to look at it would be to consider him a twisted shadow of a samurai: one in form with many of the codes intact, but without the fundamental belief in a deference to a higher order. He IS his own order - he makes his own way. He's also one to believe in the laws of nature, as a beast ought to. Survival of the fittest; the strong are always the ones on top, and the weak must either bend or be destroyed.
He's an uncompromising man by nature: always has been, always will be. It's his beliefs or bust; he won't bend them for anything, even if it breaks him.
4. How does he regard beliefs that differ from his? Is he tolerant, intolerant, curious, indifferent?
People can think whatever the hell they want, especially if it's amusing. Human contradictions are fascinating.
5. What prejudices does he hold? Are they irrational or does he have a good reason for them?
Takasugi's got a grudge against the world. Nuff said.
Daily Life
1. What is the character's financial situation? Is he rich, poor, comfortable, in debt?
Raking in the dough, and willing to spend whatever he wants for his creature comforts. The rest of the money goes to the Kihetai and their revolution.
2. What is his social status? Has this changed over time, and if so, how has the change affected him?
He's the leader of the Kihetai again, after being dragged through the dirt and losing so much. He is, perhaps, the greatest threat that Edo can possibly face now, made greater yet by his new alliance with Kamui of the Harusame.
3. Where does he live? House, apartment, trailer? Is his home his castle or just a place to crash? What condition is it in? Does he share it with others?
He lives on the flagship of his force, and he keeps it in excellent condition.
4. Besides the basic necessities, what does he spend his money on?
Sake, tobacco, cloves, hashish, opium, really lovely clothes, exquisite pipes/musical instruments/antiques/artwork, the occasional heavy-hitting drug, and sex toys.
5. What does he do for a living? Is he good at it? Does he enjoy it, or would he rather be doing something else?
He's the leader of the Kihetai, he's very, very good at it, and he enjoys it to the fullest.
6. What are his interests or hobbies? How does he spend his free time?
Outside of keeping himself sharp, he has a fondness for reading, playing the shamisen or koto, fucking around and pitting people against people in much the same way that children pit beetles against beetles.
7. What are his eating habits? Does he skip meals, eat out, drink alcohol, avoid certain foods?
He likes his sake, but not nearly as much as he likes his pipe. He does try to make a habit out of eating three meals a day and he's a small eater. Clean flavors are the best for him. He despises sweets.
Associations
Which of the following do you associate with the character, or which is his favorite:
1. Color? Gold
2. Smell? Tobacco and cloves
3. Time of day? Midnight
4. Season? Winter
5. Book? Ryu Murakami's In the Miso Soup
6. Music? Industrial and trip-hop
7. Place? A quiet room overlooking the water
8. Substance? Fine sake
9. Plant? Lycoris flower / higanbana (spider lily)
10. Animal? Snake
END
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