OOC; application
Character Name: Akihiko Sanada
Series: Persona 3
Gender: Male
Age & Canon Point: 18. November 19th, 2009 (after getting executed)
History: MegaTen Wiki
Abilities & Physical Abnormalities: Like other members of his group, Akihiko is a Persona user; that is, he is able to summon a manifestation of his psyche to physically fight in battle. At this point in game, he has the Persona Caesar, which is the ultimate form of his original personal, Polydeuces. His Persona's focus is in thunder-based magic as well as some status effects, and one or two healing abilities. Persona aside, Akihiko relies on his fists as his primary weapon. Obsessively Training since he was younger, winning numerous championships, and earning his place as Captain of the Boxing Team lend themselves to the notion that he's fairly skilled at it, too.
Personality: A quick glance in his direction and one could leave with the impression that Akihiko is a straight-faced, quiet young man. He appears generally impassive to the world around him, preferring to keep to himself. That lone wolf persona has served him well at school, but it doesn't quite fit the bill, either. Not anymore, at least. The growing up in an orphanage and losing his sister, Miki, in the fire that burned it down has left a lasting impression on him. It is that loss, that feeling of powerlessness and the inability to do anything to help or fight that drives him to become who he is.
For a while, Akihiko is all but obsessed with gaining more power and growing stronger. Not because he wants the glorified position of being powerful, but so he can fight for what he needs and protect what he must. It is this need for improvement that drives him towards boxing, which turns out to be just what he needs. In that sense, he can be very single-minded, drawing comparisons between real life and a boxing match. It's not so much that it's all he thinks about, but it's that athletics in general are something he understands well, which further supplements his comprehension in other situations as well. He makes a point to stay active and fit, which in turn gains him notoriety he really doesn't seem to care about. Odd, considering his dorm room is a proud display of every trophy he's ever won.
This has also earned him a growing fanbase, mostly of the female sex. Akihiko tends to ignore them, finding their squeals and idle praising to be more annoying than anything else. In fact, he can be downright cold--albiet unintentionally, he's just being honest--to them, but it seems they are an unshakeable bunch. He deals with it.
His life takes another turning point when he is approached by one Mitsuru Kirijo after a boxing match in junior high. It is then that he is given the chance to train outside of the ring: with his Persona. Both he and his best friend from the orphanage, Shinijro Aragaki, join the group "S.E.E.S.", cleverly disguised as a school club in order to fight shadows during the Dark Hour. For Akihiko, it's the perfect opportunity to train in an arena he never could before and gain a new sort of power to put at his disposal. But when one night goes horribly awry and Shinji's Persona goes berserk, an innocent person dies. The guilt causes Shinji to leave the group, putting some distance to their relationship that Akihiko was constantly trying to bridge over the years. While they stayed friends, it was never quite the same.
Akihiko blames Shinji as a deserter and uses his faults to further affirm his own ideas that he just needs to train more and gain more power in order to right the wrongs and not let these mistakes keep happening. So he dives headfirst into fighting Shadows, finding it an inconvenience when he can't do it when he wants. It is not until Shinjiro meets his own death after a short time back with S.E.E.S. that Akihiko realizes that he was wrong. What was originally intended to be an instrument to protect turned into a monster of his own; he became so taken with the idea of growing powerful that he lost sight of his original goal. Inspired by his friend's sacrifice, Akihiko learns that remembering and revering the past is one thing, but carrying it around as a burden will only hold you back. With this new resolve, he moves forward with new confident and the sense of purpose he had lost along the way.
Confident, but thoughtful, Akihiko understands his limits, but likes to test them. After all, how else are you going to grow? He finds a thrill in the fight and, while he knows the situation is definitely life or death, he still manages to find a bit of fun in it as well. Yet for all his poise on the battlefield, Akihiko can be socially inept in certain situations. Calm, every day chats are fine, and while some references go over his head, he is more or less your average guy. But when confronted with girls as girls, he turns into a puddle of awkward. That same champion boxer you saw in the ring? Yeah, he's gone. Akihiko will stutter and laugh awkwardly and then kick himself over his mistakes later. He half cares and he half doesn't; part of it is about the fact that he just doesn't really know how to talk to girls. Ironic, considering he has a horde that's willing to follow him.
Loyal to a fault and fiercely protective of what's important to him, Akihiko will go to the ends of the earth if that's what it takes. He is supportive of his friends and finds their strengths, but is also not afraid to let them know of their weaknesses, either. All in the name of self-improvement, which is his underlying motivation. If there's an opportunity to grow? Grab it, and don't let it go. Time is precious so it should be used as best as possible.
What are your plans for the character in-game? Punch things! No, really, he likes to punch things. It fills him with pride and joy and, consequently, trying to stop him from punching things makes one sad Akihiko. He would really, really enjoy the combat classes and, while he's not as study driven as some of his colleagues, he is generally a good student. This kind of schooling? Right up his alley of interests. Much more worthwhile than a Meiji era literature class. He would work his butt off for moving up in the world; those would be my plans.
Anything else? Would it be possible to have the translator and take English classes? I don't really see Akihiko wanting to rely on something that isn't his own skills, but at the same time, he can recognize when he doesn't have the abilities as things stand. Communication is important, so a translator would work in the meantime. Yes, no? Maybe so?
Questionnaire:
What do you prefer to be known as?
Akihiko Sanada.
How old are you?
Eighteen.
Do you have any history in combat?
It's become my life day in and day out.
If so, have you ever killed?
Unless you count shadows. But…there were deaths that could have been prevented.
i) How do you feel when you get involved in some project that calls for immediate and rapid activity?
Let's do it. I hate sitting around.
ii) Do you organize and initiate leisure activities?
Not really.
iii) What role do you take when working in a group?
Depends on the group. I used to prefer to work alone, but with the right people you can support each other's strengths and make up for each other's weaknesses. So wherever I'm needed, I guess.
iv) How talkative are you around other people?
Not…a lot. But…normal, I guess?
v) What three things would you want to have with you on a desert island? State your reasoning.
First, my Evoker, in case I needed to fight my way off or for survival. My cellphone so I could call for back-up if I needed it, and vitamin water so I could stay on my top game.
vi) Is it important to be liked by a wide range of people?
Not really.
vii) When the odds are against you, is it worth taking a chance?
Giving up is never an option.
viii) Do you consider yourself to be an impulsive person?
I know I can be in the right situation. It's something I've been working on changing.
ix) Would you agree that planning things ahead takes the fun out of life?
Going into a fight without a strategy is like going in blindfolded. But at the same time, you've got to be able to improvise when things don't go as planned. I don't think you can have it one way or the other.
x) Do you like surprises?
Depends on the surprise.
xi) Do you sometimes wonder if there is something wrong with you?
No. Not anymore.
xii) Do you consider yourself to be smarter than your superiors, and disagree with their decisions?
If they've earned my respect then I'll trust their decisions. I've made that mistake before and I'm not going to repeat it.
xiii) Lastly, how do you feel about cabbages?
…What?
Prose Sample:
It was after hours and he should have been in bed. The sound of is dormmate snoring was definitely not a lullaby, but it was not what kept him up. Everything was closed, he knew, except that place. That one place that he didn't have to worry about the written exam in the morning, or that he still didn't have a good grasp on the language. No, in that place he could leave the little translator behind; words weren't really needed there, after all.
After pulling his gloves on with a firm tug, Akihiko threw his jacket over his shoulder, giving one sweep of the room. No, he wasn't forgetting anything. With that, he slipped out the door as quietly as possible.
He always preferred the hallways at night, they were infinitely less crowded and quiet. Passing by a Garden staff member blocking the parking, he gave a nod of acknowledgement, though he knew not to expect anything in return. That was fine with him, he wasn't out looking for a good conversation, after all. Right then it was his fists that would do all the talking.
Tile turned to dirt and grass beneath his feet, the crunch of earth more comforting than he would like to admit. Looking up at the large wire fence, he couldn't help but grin. If there was one thing he liked about Garden, it was the 24-hour training facilities. And we weren't talking about dumbbells and weight machines, but actual enemies in real-time combat. What better way was there to hone your skills than on the very monsters you would have to fight outside?
And that night? He had a date with a dinosaur.
I've been waiting for this!