Oh Such Grace, Oh Such Beauty
Name: Taichi (Tai) Nawabe
Age: 17
Star Sign: Pisces (March 14)
Report Card: D
Background: Born in Osaka as the middle child to an upper-class family, he's never wanted for much. Thus, his extensive criminal record surprises many. Petty theft, simple assault, vandalism-- Taichi's been charged with it all. He's mellowed out a bit, though, since his forced enrollment at a local boarding school. But with frequent, sustained memory loss, Taichi doesn't have to find trouble; trouble finds him.
Appearance: Taichi is of a fairly tall stature, although much of his height is hidden by perpetual slouching. His hair is a bit scruffy, especially near the back, where the ends are dyed a striking platinum blond. He bears a light mocha complexion, in part due to excessive time spent outdoors.
Personality: Taichi blows hot and cold, depending on his mood (and memory). Generally kind and good-natured, he can channel "asshole" at the drop of a hat. And when he speaks, it's in a rougher, slightly rural dialogue. But for all of his harsh mannerisms, Taichi is a bit of a dandy, with his secret love of good food and Shakespearean theatre.
Notable Interests: Shakespeare. Soymeat. Hockey.
Strengths: Meticulous. Intuitive. Athletic. Bilingual. Intelligent. Savvy. Devoted.
Weaknesses: Memory Loss. Childish. Possessive. Unchaste. Temperamental. Superstitious.
Overnight Bag: Camera. Wallet. Gum. Cards. Dice. Cellphone. iPod. Keys. Clothes. Sunglasses. Toiletries. Mousse. Lip Balm. Vitamins. Home-Packed Lunch. Fried Soybeans. Dried Squid. Pocky. Tic-Tacs. Energy Drink. Switchblade. Shakespeare Anthology. Condoms. Plush Toy (Rosencrantz). Nintendo DS. Pokémon Diamond. Family Photograph. Rollerblades.
Family:
Hiroto Nawabe: Taichi's father, a wealthy land-owner and chief proprieter of a local gambling house.
Jun Nawabe: Taichi's mother, a woman of refined tastes. In her free time, she practices flower-arrangement and keeps their home clean to the utmost. Although she claims to abhor violence, she's been cited as turning a blind eye to her older son's more unsavory occupations.
Haruka Nawabe: Taichi's older sister. A college student, who no longer lives at home.
Jinta Nawabe: Taichi's younger brother. A favorite of his mother, he is well-mannered and soft-spoken.
Hiroshige Ando: Classmates and cousins. They are fond enough of each other, but not especially close.
Hecate: A sleek-furred feline of his own upbringing, as is evidenced by the creature's modified physical appearance.
Rosencrantz: An old plushtoy, his absolute most favorite possession.
Extracurricular Activities:
Automechanics: Your typical grease-monkey. As someone who enjoys working with his hands, Taichi can often be found hanging around the shop, tinkering. If it has wheels, he can fix it-- for a price.
Hustling: Taichi works part-time for his father, tending bar and keeping rowdy customers at bay. His gambler's spirit serves him well; on weekends, he spends his time at the tables, earning himself a small fortune.
Rollerblading: One of his preferred methods of travel; a no-brainer recreation.
Hockey: Hands down, his favorite sport. Street or ice, it doesn't matter.
Smoking: Taichi almost always has a pack of cigarettes or a cigar in his leftbreast pocket, and is known to requent hookah bars.
Classroom Behavior: His desk may as well be empty.
Teacher Observations: "Taichi can often be found staring off into space. He rarely, if ever, participates, and his grades reflect such a staunchly apathetic approach as this. He is a smart boy, of this there is no doubt... I only fear his blatant disregard for school policy will cost him a bright future."
Chosen Subject: Mathematics
Student Relationships:
Hideaki Yuasa: A dysfunctional pair. Taichi's 'best friend' and closest confidant. [Under Development]
Mami Hanasaki: A girl he's somewhat close with, simply due to frequent association. Taichi is always having to repair her bicycle and enjoys teasing her for her dismal skills. [Under Development]
Rei Matsumo: A fellow gang-member, he thinks of her as a sort of kid sister. [Under Development]
Tomoyo Gentoku: Once good for an occasional fuck, now little more than a blip on the radar. They sit near each other in class, and Taichi can't even remember her name.
Suzuka Otomo: Similar interests keep them in regular contact; Taichi can talk to her and be friendly without feeling persecuted for his eclectic tastes. Though weekend calls are generally the extent of their out-of-school interaction, Taichi has considered inviting her to various social functions and/or the theatre.
Kaoru Ishibashi: They frequent many of the same clubs and hotspots, so partying with Kaoru is nothing unusual. Conversely, their classroom interaction is fairly limited. Either way, he comes across as largely immune to her bitchy mannerisms.
Ryuichi Nakano: Not anyone Taichi would innately gravitate towards, they met by chance when both ditched school to see a local production of Shakespeare's Macbeth. The peculiarity of this encounter led to Taichi recognizing Ryuichi in class the next day, which then sparked the discussion that led to their genuine friendship. Taichi appreciates his laidback mannerisms, and-- being superstitious himself-- is inclined to actively participate in some of Ryuichi's stranger hobbies. They don't often interact in school, being that they run in vastly different social circles, but when both are absent on the same day, it is safe to assume they are together. Wednesday is a pretty official day for them to play hooky.
Miyuki Ishida: Outed to him by a friend as being 'in the business', Taichi has specifically approached her looking for morphine and other opiates. Unable to continuously supply them, she mostly peddles him antidepressants and ritalin. There are times, however, when they are able to cut a 'special' deal.
Seikou Ishida: A casual acquaintance, made only out of necessity. Their interactions are almost solely classroom-based; they don't talk much, otherwise. Still, they remain on good terms-- if only because Taichi hasn't paid him enough attention to form a real negative opinion.
Sayuri Ono: Their relationship is a bit random. Being the type of person that he is, Taichi will have undoubtedly spoken with her in the past-- though details of their conversations may be blurry, as he doesn't hold any real interest in her. There may even be times where he sees her in his peripheral and totally blanks out: calling her Satsuya, or taking ages to remember her as 'the chick who writes'.
Taylor Takahashi: As a youngster, Taichi was not especially aware of her existence. She was pretty, she was foreign, end of story. Over the years, he has changed her blown-out tires and performed some superficial engine work.
Ryo Ikeuchi: Indifferent at first, Taichi gradually came to loathe the boy. Their morals are fundamentally different, as demonstrated by the frequency with which Taichi intervenes on behalf of Ryo's victims. He'll use his superior brawn to restrain and humiliate the other, or knock him around some if he tries to pick a personal fight. Attempts at bullying Mami, however, are met with swift retribution and a distinct lack of mercy.
Itsuo Tateno: Just another face in the crowd. They rarely have reason to interact. Taichi has no clue who he is at any given time, apart from 'classmate'.
Kentaro Fukushima: Another mild acquaitance. They politely acknowledge one another's existence.
Kinuka Asano: Their interactions are limited to Suzuka or Kaoru's presence. Taichi mostly finds her unbearable, the kind of loud and obnoxious girl who, while pretty, he wouldn't fuck for anything less than outrageous compensation or the chance to totally humiliate her.
Hisa Aimono: Like most people, Taichi can't stand her. He gave her cigarettes once in an attempt to appease her and make her leave him alone, but this backfired and she got punished. The liability of which has made him wary of her presence. While he has surprisingly managed to avoid blowing up in her face, Taichi has no qualms about mocking her or being cruel behind her back. Her nickname for him both flatters and annoys him.
Ichi Kiyoshi: The "pokémon kid"... Taichi once spent a whole lunch period hanging over his shoulder watching him play and asking him questions. Curiosity sufficiently sparked, he went out and bought a DS the very next day. The two occasionally link up to battle and trade, though they don't talk much otherwise. At least Taichi knows his real name now.