[OOC] HMD / Character Information
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Bothered by how I RP Susumu? Want to comment on something I've done with the character? Click the link above to give me a piece of your mind, good or bad.
Character Information
Name: Yamazaki Susumu
Fandom: Peacemaker Kurogane
Gender: Male
Age: ...to be safe imma say 18.
Time Period: PMK Volume 5, chapter 25 (November 19th, 1867)
Wing Color: Black. LIKE A NINJA.
History: Historical Wiki, Peacemaker Version PMK Version 2
Since the wiki is kind of pathetic, I'll expand on his PMK background:
Family: Yamazaki Ayumu (sister)
Department in Shinsengumi: Intelligence & Medical divisions
Position in Shinsengumi: Supervisor and Shinobi / Physician
Yamazaki Susumu was born and raised in Osaka into a family of doctors and pharmaceutical specialists, this role acting as a ruse to conceal their secret. Later in life he (with his sister, Ayumu) became a ronin, traveling from Osaka to Kyoto, and joined the Shinsengumi, an elite police force that ruled the streets of Kyoto, Japan, during the 1860s. In the anime/manga depiction, Susumu is a ninja, a spy, and Hijikata's informant- the title he's given is "inspector" by a few people. Throughout the series his role consists of watching the actions of the Shinsengumi's enemies and keeping his superiors informed of the conflict situation as it changes. Most of his assignments are short-term, disappearing for days at a time, but a few - his impersonation of Sen, a female customer of Masuya's business, for one - have lasted pretty long-term.
He was raised to be a ninja from childhood by his father and his sister, Ayumu (his mother isn't mentioned), both ninja in their own right, and in his eyes a good deal more skilled than him. He was taught to set aside his feelings in favour of keeping up appearances, since ninjas don't need "useless emotions". Ayumu told him not to think of her as his sister, and she would do the same with him, to avoid getting distracted by familial bonds. Somewhere along the lines Ayumu grew out of these views and became more genuinely cheery and emotional, and despite her wishes, he didn't follow suit. Susumu remained a deadpan and effective ninja and spy for the Shinsengumi. After her death, Susumu developed more as a person, becoming more open to befriending and forming relationships with others. Despite this, he doesn't change much outwardly, and he's as devoted to his job as ever.
Lately his duties have focused more on medical studies, learning from Dr. Matsumoto how to be an emergency doctor for the Shinsengumi forces (bringing him closer to his historical role within the group). It's noted that he's very passionate about his studies. Historically and canonically, his time period is November 18th, 1867 - during the night of the Aburakouji Incident, when a rival faction attacks the Shinsengumi's base after their leader's attempted assassination.
Personality:
At first glance Susumu is kind of bland. He's always blank-faced and deadpan, calm and aloof, speaks when he's spoken to and sticks to the shadows of the Shinsengumi. He acts as the main ninja/spy of Hijikata's group, reporting directly to him on all enemy activities he discovers while on his various missions. He speaks to others for the sake of gathering and delivering information, and very, very little else; he never speaks unnecessarily or pointlessly, never talks for the sake of talking (eg. babbling about nothing like some people are apt to do). He doesn't participate in Shinsengumi group affairs unless he's ordered to, either. Overall he does what a ninja does best- stays out of the spotlight and stays out of trouble. He's considered to be mysterious even amongst the Shinsengumi; Ayumu says about him, "He's so used to acting like a stranger that he never shows his true self."
When one looks deeper, Susumu's "true self" has quite a few sides to him. On one side, he's kind of a bastard. When he thinks someone is being stupid, or incompetent, or is getting in his way, he won't hesitate to say as much, rather nastily at that. He'll toss off his kunai as a warning even if his target is another member of the Shinsengumi (aka Tetsu when he's being particularly stupid). After his second encounter with Tetsu he makes a point of saying that was the first time he'd been angry, which says something about his restraint and the effect Tetsu (and, potentially, someone similiar to him) has on his mental state.
Next, Susumu is actually pretty snarky. He can deliver a sarcastic comment or a snide jab at someone with the straightest face. His sense of humour is pretty jagged and indirect, and people are either confused or angered by it. It's more to amuse himself than others, not that he often shows it. He also has a tendency to do somewhat playful things, quietly and in the background, which are unexpected considering his usual behaviour. An example of this would be when he disguised himself as Tetsu for a meeting with a man and his daughter to quell rumours about Hijikata- afterwards, while Tetsu was objecting to being locked away, Susumu quietly put his wig on and off Tetsu's head to see if there were differences. He can also be pretty cheeky, such as when he harrasses and teases Tatsunosuke about Tetsu (eg. that she might be sleeping with Saya).
The most development he goes through is immediately following the death of his sister, Ayumu, who was killed while replacing him on a mission to spy on Masuya, as his hairdresser/concubine of sorts. Originally he'd never call her his sister, never admitting their familial relationship, besides his childhood- during his youth, she herself told him to throw away his emotions and feel nothing, in order to become a great ninja. Later on, realizing what she's done, it seems like she wants to go back on her words, which is what prompts Tetsu to try and become his friend and teach him how to be more human. Susumu rejects any attempt that Tetsu makes to get close for a long time, getting angry instead of welcoming it.
Because of her unexpected death, he's finally able to open up to Tetsu and share some of his feelings, even grieve with him. It's at this point that he shows concern for Tetsu's welfare and they both acknowledge one another as friends. From that point onwards, he definitely loosens up; he smiles more often, speaking freely with those he's familiar with, and joins the group more often. He even goes out during the Gion festival with Tetsu and his brother, though he acts like more of a chaperone for Tetsu than someone genuinely out to have fun. That's really just how he is. But he's also kind of a dork at times, tickling Tetsu or exchanging thumbs-up with him. WTF, Susumu.
Susumu's a very proud person; he's proud of his association with the Shinsengumi, to the point where he takes on a few of their samurai habits and beliefs, for better or worse. He even goes so far as to attempt ritual suicide because he was wounded and failed a mission, though luckily he was stopped from going through with it.
Strengths:
Physical: Susumu's a ninja, trained in the darker martial arts and accustomed to a very dangerous life. He can move quickly over rooftops, silent to the vast majority of people, the exceptions being those with training much like his own. He's been trained with the usual ninja gear- daggers (kunai), short sword. He can roof-hop with the best of them. He's also crazy acrobatic, and a strong swimmer; he swam upstream a river and stayed underwater while he was in danger, with a shoulder wound, in episode 7. ironically his historical self died via drowning
As a ninja, he has experience with disguise and deception; he can put on a kimono and some make-up and become a completely believable woman. Pretty much anything his superiors demand of him, he delivers, and he does so in as perfect a manner as is possible for him to attain. He's set the bar for his abilities pretty damn high, so he's always determined to meet (if not exceed) expectations.
Mental: He's very much a perfectionist; he devotes all his abilities, thoughts, and focus on a mission while he's working. He takes his job very, very, very seriously, and he doesn't take kindly to people getting in his way. He's also not easily ruffled; he can kill people, sometimes brutally if he feels it's necessary or they deserve it, without thinking twice. He's able to look his sister's killer in the eye and take his sweet time in dealing with him without killing him, even though he'd intended to kill him originally. He also knows when to call it quits; he doesn't fight till the end for honour or anything. He'll retreat if he knows he's outmatched or outnumbered.
This is both a physical and mental skill, but as stated above he's currently acting as the Shinsengumi's doctor, rather than spy and informant. He has both the physical training and the know-how of a novice but well-educated doctor of 19th century Japan- broken bones, simple to advanced wounds, basic surgeries, the like. He has the education, but more importantly the mental strength to deal with injuries and illnesses calmly and effectively, without losing his cool.
Emotional: Susumu has an excellent grasp on his emotions. He doesn't let himself get overwhelmed by how he's feeling, nor does he reveal any emotional weaknesses (eg. reacting to someone's death) to enemies or friends alike. The exception to this is Tetsu, with whom he grieves (via a rather painful handhold) after his sister's death. Basically he's not about to spill his guts to just anyone, which means he's protected from most emotional attacks - the less someone knows about you, the less they can use against you, after all. He keeps a straight face even when he feels like freaking out until he's in a safe enough place to lose it.
Weaknesses:
Physical: Despite all his training, Susumu is a ninja, not a samurai, and that means he's not as strong as the swordsmen he surrounds himself with. He focuses on speedy attacks and the ability to evade detection rather than gruntwork or physical strength. If he were to face a fully-fledged warrior with superior weaponry in broad daylight rather than the protection of night, he probably wouldn't fare too well. He prefers to fight his battles in the dark or not at all. He's also not the best ninja in the world; he spends more time in the series getting kicked around by the enemy ninjas than he does actually winning fights. This is mostly because he lacked the drive to be a good ninja, though, really. (Methinks he wanted to be a samurai. :|) Lately his focus has been his medical studies, as well, so he's probably a little out of practice, though he's not likely to let himself get too comfortable with life away from combat.
Mental: His perfectionism can also be his downfall; after being caught off guard and losing against a superior ninja on the enemy's side, he resigned himself to die via ritual suicide. His pride and honour didn't allow for him to do anything less, after all. It took a scathing lecture from his sister to talk him out of it and remind him of one very important thing: he's a ninja, not a samurai, and there's no easy escape like that for him. His occasionally floundering skill is a source of frustration for him, since perfection is the difference between life and death, a lesson he learned all too well when his sister met her unfortunate demise.
Emotional: Once again, the strength is a weakness. Susumu is pretty emotionally deadpan; almost everything he feels, he keeps it to himself, and there are practically no exceptions to this rule. His face is a perpetual mask of :| and it makes it difficult for him to make friends or speak freely with strangers. Also, the right kind of person can really make him snap and get angry with them, which can lead to all sorts problems. Finally, the fact that he's still adjusting to behaving more emotionally and making friends means he's awkward about it; his emotional fail and offhand remarks can be easily misinterpreted, and he never apologizes for anything, so...
- More of this will get expanded on if the need arises or if more information/headcanon comes up.
Bothered by how I RP Susumu? Want to comment on something I've done with the character? Click the link above to give me a piece of your mind, good or bad.
Character Information
Name: Yamazaki Susumu
Fandom: Peacemaker Kurogane
Gender: Male
Age: ...to be safe imma say 18.
Time Period: PMK Volume 5, chapter 25 (November 19th, 1867)
Wing Color: Black. LIKE A NINJA.
History: Historical Wiki, Peacemaker Version PMK Version 2
Since the wiki is kind of pathetic, I'll expand on his PMK background:
Family: Yamazaki Ayumu (sister)
Department in Shinsengumi: Intelligence & Medical divisions
Position in Shinsengumi: Supervisor and Shinobi / Physician
Yamazaki Susumu was born and raised in Osaka into a family of doctors and pharmaceutical specialists, this role acting as a ruse to conceal their secret. Later in life he (with his sister, Ayumu) became a ronin, traveling from Osaka to Kyoto, and joined the Shinsengumi, an elite police force that ruled the streets of Kyoto, Japan, during the 1860s. In the anime/manga depiction, Susumu is a ninja, a spy, and Hijikata's informant- the title he's given is "inspector" by a few people. Throughout the series his role consists of watching the actions of the Shinsengumi's enemies and keeping his superiors informed of the conflict situation as it changes. Most of his assignments are short-term, disappearing for days at a time, but a few - his impersonation of Sen, a female customer of Masuya's business, for one - have lasted pretty long-term.
He was raised to be a ninja from childhood by his father and his sister, Ayumu (his mother isn't mentioned), both ninja in their own right, and in his eyes a good deal more skilled than him. He was taught to set aside his feelings in favour of keeping up appearances, since ninjas don't need "useless emotions". Ayumu told him not to think of her as his sister, and she would do the same with him, to avoid getting distracted by familial bonds. Somewhere along the lines Ayumu grew out of these views and became more genuinely cheery and emotional, and despite her wishes, he didn't follow suit. Susumu remained a deadpan and effective ninja and spy for the Shinsengumi. After her death, Susumu developed more as a person, becoming more open to befriending and forming relationships with others. Despite this, he doesn't change much outwardly, and he's as devoted to his job as ever.
Lately his duties have focused more on medical studies, learning from Dr. Matsumoto how to be an emergency doctor for the Shinsengumi forces (bringing him closer to his historical role within the group). It's noted that he's very passionate about his studies. Historically and canonically, his time period is November 18th, 1867 - during the night of the Aburakouji Incident, when a rival faction attacks the Shinsengumi's base after their leader's attempted assassination.
Personality:
At first glance Susumu is kind of bland. He's always blank-faced and deadpan, calm and aloof, speaks when he's spoken to and sticks to the shadows of the Shinsengumi. He acts as the main ninja/spy of Hijikata's group, reporting directly to him on all enemy activities he discovers while on his various missions. He speaks to others for the sake of gathering and delivering information, and very, very little else; he never speaks unnecessarily or pointlessly, never talks for the sake of talking (eg. babbling about nothing like some people are apt to do). He doesn't participate in Shinsengumi group affairs unless he's ordered to, either. Overall he does what a ninja does best- stays out of the spotlight and stays out of trouble. He's considered to be mysterious even amongst the Shinsengumi; Ayumu says about him, "He's so used to acting like a stranger that he never shows his true self."
When one looks deeper, Susumu's "true self" has quite a few sides to him. On one side, he's kind of a bastard. When he thinks someone is being stupid, or incompetent, or is getting in his way, he won't hesitate to say as much, rather nastily at that. He'll toss off his kunai as a warning even if his target is another member of the Shinsengumi (aka Tetsu when he's being particularly stupid). After his second encounter with Tetsu he makes a point of saying that was the first time he'd been angry, which says something about his restraint and the effect Tetsu (and, potentially, someone similiar to him) has on his mental state.
Next, Susumu is actually pretty snarky. He can deliver a sarcastic comment or a snide jab at someone with the straightest face. His sense of humour is pretty jagged and indirect, and people are either confused or angered by it. It's more to amuse himself than others, not that he often shows it. He also has a tendency to do somewhat playful things, quietly and in the background, which are unexpected considering his usual behaviour. An example of this would be when he disguised himself as Tetsu for a meeting with a man and his daughter to quell rumours about Hijikata- afterwards, while Tetsu was objecting to being locked away, Susumu quietly put his wig on and off Tetsu's head to see if there were differences. He can also be pretty cheeky, such as when he harrasses and teases Tatsunosuke about Tetsu (eg. that she might be sleeping with Saya).
The most development he goes through is immediately following the death of his sister, Ayumu, who was killed while replacing him on a mission to spy on Masuya, as his hairdresser/concubine of sorts. Originally he'd never call her his sister, never admitting their familial relationship, besides his childhood- during his youth, she herself told him to throw away his emotions and feel nothing, in order to become a great ninja. Later on, realizing what she's done, it seems like she wants to go back on her words, which is what prompts Tetsu to try and become his friend and teach him how to be more human. Susumu rejects any attempt that Tetsu makes to get close for a long time, getting angry instead of welcoming it.
Because of her unexpected death, he's finally able to open up to Tetsu and share some of his feelings, even grieve with him. It's at this point that he shows concern for Tetsu's welfare and they both acknowledge one another as friends. From that point onwards, he definitely loosens up; he smiles more often, speaking freely with those he's familiar with, and joins the group more often. He even goes out during the Gion festival with Tetsu and his brother, though he acts like more of a chaperone for Tetsu than someone genuinely out to have fun. That's really just how he is. But he's also kind of a dork at times, tickling Tetsu or exchanging thumbs-up with him. WTF, Susumu.
Susumu's a very proud person; he's proud of his association with the Shinsengumi, to the point where he takes on a few of their samurai habits and beliefs, for better or worse. He even goes so far as to attempt ritual suicide because he was wounded and failed a mission, though luckily he was stopped from going through with it.
Strengths:
Physical: Susumu's a ninja, trained in the darker martial arts and accustomed to a very dangerous life. He can move quickly over rooftops, silent to the vast majority of people, the exceptions being those with training much like his own. He's been trained with the usual ninja gear- daggers (kunai), short sword. He can roof-hop with the best of them. He's also crazy acrobatic, and a strong swimmer; he swam upstream a river and stayed underwater while he was in danger, with a shoulder wound, in episode 7. ironically his historical self died via drowning
As a ninja, he has experience with disguise and deception; he can put on a kimono and some make-up and become a completely believable woman. Pretty much anything his superiors demand of him, he delivers, and he does so in as perfect a manner as is possible for him to attain. He's set the bar for his abilities pretty damn high, so he's always determined to meet (if not exceed) expectations.
Mental: He's very much a perfectionist; he devotes all his abilities, thoughts, and focus on a mission while he's working. He takes his job very, very, very seriously, and he doesn't take kindly to people getting in his way. He's also not easily ruffled; he can kill people, sometimes brutally if he feels it's necessary or they deserve it, without thinking twice. He's able to look his sister's killer in the eye and take his sweet time in dealing with him without killing him, even though he'd intended to kill him originally. He also knows when to call it quits; he doesn't fight till the end for honour or anything. He'll retreat if he knows he's outmatched or outnumbered.
This is both a physical and mental skill, but as stated above he's currently acting as the Shinsengumi's doctor, rather than spy and informant. He has both the physical training and the know-how of a novice but well-educated doctor of 19th century Japan- broken bones, simple to advanced wounds, basic surgeries, the like. He has the education, but more importantly the mental strength to deal with injuries and illnesses calmly and effectively, without losing his cool.
Emotional: Susumu has an excellent grasp on his emotions. He doesn't let himself get overwhelmed by how he's feeling, nor does he reveal any emotional weaknesses (eg. reacting to someone's death) to enemies or friends alike. The exception to this is Tetsu, with whom he grieves (via a rather painful handhold) after his sister's death. Basically he's not about to spill his guts to just anyone, which means he's protected from most emotional attacks - the less someone knows about you, the less they can use against you, after all. He keeps a straight face even when he feels like freaking out until he's in a safe enough place to lose it.
Weaknesses:
Physical: Despite all his training, Susumu is a ninja, not a samurai, and that means he's not as strong as the swordsmen he surrounds himself with. He focuses on speedy attacks and the ability to evade detection rather than gruntwork or physical strength. If he were to face a fully-fledged warrior with superior weaponry in broad daylight rather than the protection of night, he probably wouldn't fare too well. He prefers to fight his battles in the dark or not at all. He's also not the best ninja in the world; he spends more time in the series getting kicked around by the enemy ninjas than he does actually winning fights. This is mostly because he lacked the drive to be a good ninja, though, really. (Methinks he wanted to be a samurai. :|) Lately his focus has been his medical studies, as well, so he's probably a little out of practice, though he's not likely to let himself get too comfortable with life away from combat.
Mental: His perfectionism can also be his downfall; after being caught off guard and losing against a superior ninja on the enemy's side, he resigned himself to die via ritual suicide. His pride and honour didn't allow for him to do anything less, after all. It took a scathing lecture from his sister to talk him out of it and remind him of one very important thing: he's a ninja, not a samurai, and there's no easy escape like that for him. His occasionally floundering skill is a source of frustration for him, since perfection is the difference between life and death, a lesson he learned all too well when his sister met her unfortunate demise.
Emotional: Once again, the strength is a weakness. Susumu is pretty emotionally deadpan; almost everything he feels, he keeps it to himself, and there are practically no exceptions to this rule. His face is a perpetual mask of :| and it makes it difficult for him to make friends or speak freely with strangers. Also, the right kind of person can really make him snap and get angry with them, which can lead to all sorts problems. Finally, the fact that he's still adjusting to behaving more emotionally and making friends means he's awkward about it; his emotional fail and offhand remarks can be easily misinterpreted, and he never apologizes for anything, so...
- More of this will get expanded on if the need arises or if more information/headcanon comes up.