Difference between revisions of "Shinsuke Kusagawa"

• Weapon: Sword Rapier - A heavier rapier that can be used both for pointwork and for slashing.
• Body: Designer Coat - A black coat from a fashionable Aristocrat boutique.
• Feet: Black Leather Boots - A pair of fine tall leather boots, which lace all the way up.
• Accessory: Ice-Blue Contact Lenses - The perfect finish to his impeccable wardrobe.

• Courage: 3 - He's Getting Better
• Diligence: 5 - Driven and Determined
• Expression: 4 - Extremely Eloquent
  • Charm: 5 - This Stat Is Now Diamonds
• Understanding: 4 - Favorite Subject: People
• Knowledge: 5 - (Polite) Know-It-All
  • Academics: 5 - Future Valedictorian

• Shinsuke's personal name means "true helper", but can be poetically translated as "sincere assistance".
• Shinsuke's family name, Kusagawa, means "grassy river". He finds the similarity between it and Itsuka's surname fascinating -- Mizuhara means "flooded plain".
• Shinsuke's father, Dr. Kusagawa, works at Tatsumi Memorial Hospital, where he may or may not now be appraised of the true nature of afflictions such as Apathy Syndrome. That's why they're in Tatsumi Port Island in the first place.
• Shinsuke dresses primarily in designer Gothic Aristocrat fashions, albeit somewhat understated. His iteration of the style is less crosses and lace and more leather and silk, and he tends to wear pieces that are more elegant and aesthetic than just 'out-there'. He has been known to just throw on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, but such occasions are rare. He always wears gloves.
• Shinsuke's ice-blue eyes are indeed colored contact lenses. His eyes are actually brown.
• Following a heated race, Shinsuke has been elected Student Council Secretary at Gekkoukan.
• Though he doesn't plan on becoming a music student when he gets to university, Shinsuke plays both piano and violin quite well. He has a decent amount of experience with other stringed instruments, primarily the cello, and also composes his own music.
• Similarly, Shinsuke has been fencing at the national level since middle school.
• Because he learned it from a British tutor (and from reading a lot of Sherlock Holmes), Shinsuke's English is the Queen's English, and he does have an accent (which is likely being amplified by Kay) when he speaks it.
• Shinsuke's favorite color, obviously, is blue.
• Shinsuke loves food. Especially food that conveys to him the personality of the one who made it.
• Shinsuke also loves people. He is genuinely interested in the people around him, but the people he's most interested in at the moment are those in Itsuka's group of friends. They are, after all, the ones who have been caring for her in his (unintentional) absence.
• Naturally talented, Shinsuke easily excels at all of his subjects in school. His favorites are the sciences, but he also enjoys literature and music.
• Shinsuke has a large library, most of which he's brought to the dorm. It includes classics of both the East and the West (a great deal of Western works, actually), as well as a fairly prodigious amount of manga.
  • Yes, that includes Captain Rebellion.
• Thanks to his father's position, Shinsuke has an inordinate amount of money at his disposal. He mostly uses it to buy clothes, books, and food.
• Shinsuke is an accomplished chef. Being alone 75% of the time and hating processed food will do that to you.
• Though he doesn't need the money, Shinsuke is now working as a pianist at Chagall Café. His main job is to look elegant, though he can actually play (thus eliminating the need for a recording or automated piano). Free cake is part of his salary.
• Shinsuke likes collecting things. Things, mind, not people.
• Shinsuke is fascinated by death. This is not limited to physical death, either.
• Shinsuke possesses remarkable empathy. This may cause him to develop the ability to sense Resonance at some point.
• Don't make Shinsuke angry. You won't like him when he's angry.

• Charm: "*kisses hand* My, Nekomata, but aren't you lovely!" - Shinsuke effusively charms the demon, which may provoke happy or interested reactions.
• Inquisition: "How fascinating! Please, tell me more about yourself!" - Shinsuke asks the demon a series of flattering yet pointed questions. May provoke happy, interested, or angry reactions.
• Veiled Threat: "I wouldn't want anything untoward to happen to such a fine demon as yourself." - Shinsuke sweetly warns the demon to stay the hell away from his loved ones. May provoke interested or frightened reactions.
• Clever Wisdom: "Impudent cur! Treat not with me until thou learnest a sweeter tongue -- or else find another who might speak for thee in thy stead, one more eloquent and accustomed to treating with humans. Oni, perhaps?" - Shinsuke sarcastically insults the demon. May provoke angry, interested, happy, or sad reactions. This contact is more likely to be employed if Shinsuke is currently under Kay's influence.

"You can never go back."

Profile: A new second-year student at Gekkoukan, Shinsuke is just as friendly and outgoing as his slightly older sister Itsuka. A perfect gentleman, he really seems to genuinely like people, including the group of girls that hovers around him. He doesn’t go farther out of his way for others than he needs to, even holding back a little so that there’s always something more for next time; after all, Shinsuke has always been good at making friends and influencing people. Still, there does seem to be something beneath the effortless honor student veneer; a wistfulness and a hardness that can sometimes be seen in his unguarded moments. Not that there are many. They mostly come when he is with Itsuka…and he refuses to talk about why they have different names, when asked.

Skills: Am I The Good Twin?, Knight In Shining Armor, The Good Son, Effortlessly Perfect, Requiem For A Dream, Strings And Piano, Out Of Eden, An Immortal Emperor In A Mundane Universe, Sister Complex, Rhapsody In Blue, Expects It To Go Well, And Says So, You Know, You’re Actually /Very/ Interesting, Death Drive, Fire In His Eyes, Sure, I’ll Help You With Your Homework, Just Don’t Touch My Stuff, None Of Your Business, The Earth Is A Character Gallery, The Sunlit Garden

Special: Saionji Special - When he feels that he has been insulted, Shinsuke takes a page out of Kay's book and backhands the one who offended him. The flame of his affronted rage informs the strike, leaving a nasty burn as well as a welt. Its name is taken from a character in the anime series Revolutionary Girl Utena who has a habit of doing this.

Shinsuke's Persona is Kay, seneschal and devil's advocate of the Court of King Arthur. He started out in the early Welsh tradition as a valiant, clever, and eloquent warrior with various fire- and water-related supernatural powers; the later tradition assigned him a wicked tongue and a decided contempt for anyone who didn't measure up to his exacting standards. Despite his villainous qualities, Kay was passing loyal to his comrades, particularly Bedivere and Gawain, and to his king (who was also his foster-brother). His pointed insults were his way of ensuring the quality of those who would call themselves Knights of the Round Table. As seneschal Kay was the master of the king's household, and was skilled in all manner of domestic tasks as well as those expected of a knight of his stature. He is also the only major knight who is not pledged to a lady, instead being more or less pledged to Arthur himself. That's not significant at all, though.

• SENSE: A feeling of safety and closeness, like sitting by the fire in a castle kitchen, and a distinct feeling of loyalty and solidarity.
• SOUND: The ring of steel against steel and the blowing of rain-soaked wind.
• SMELL: Spices and burning wood.
  
  

• 0. The Fool
  • Shinsuke has not established any notable Fool links.

• I. The Magician
  • Shiki Ichimonji: Itsuka's boyfriend and author of the acclaimed shounen series Captain Rebellion. Shinsuke finds his exuberance endearing, and his valiance worthy of high respect. Now that he and Itsuka are separated, however, their friendship is strained somewhat; Shinsuke knows the difficulties his sister faced in her relationship, showing his friend in a new light. He hasn't allowed it to impact the Eclipse Squad's teamwork, however, and the two boys are still foils for one another.

• II. The High Priestess
  • Maki Sonomura: Maki stopped by the Lucky 7 one day while Shinsuke was there getting a snack before club, where Itsuka introduced them. Shinsuke thinks she's a little odd, but likes her well enough -- after all, she apparently located him with her...Persona, or something...when he went to meet Itsuka for the first time in six years at Wakatsu. She does seem to be friends with both Itsuka and Shiki, and their joint endorsement is good enough for him.
  • Fuuka Yamagishi: Upon learning of his cooking skill, Fuuka asked Shinsuke to help her improve her own. He agreed to undertake the Herculean task and, with the (semi-distracting) aid of Seiichi Miyamoto, managed to help Fuuka create an edible dish! He is fairly certain it wasn't a fluke, given that Fuuka can apparently follow directions.

• III. The Empress
  • Mitsuru Kirijo: The leader of SEES made a deep impression on the newest recruit when they were properly introduced; Shinsuke himself was struck by her presence, but Kay immediately recognized her as a worthy queen. Because of this, Shinsuke has taken to referring to Mitsuru as "Kirijo-sama" or "my lady", treating her with the proper deference (which is partially supernaturally-influenced) and respect due a queen from a knight in her service. He's also informed her of his control issues, but didn't feel a great deal of support from the ice queen. He isn't sure who to go to for that now that his confidence in his leader has been shaken.

• IV. The Emperor
  • Akatsuki Enda: A night at a love hotel on Shirakawa Boulevard led to a kiss and a revelation Akatsuki never expected; the conversation that followed a week or so later actually strengthened the two boys' relationship. Now that he no longer needs to hide his sexuality from Akatsuki, Shinsuke has begun to loosen up. He was able to tell the older boy his true feelings for him, which aren't actually romantic love, and said feelings were apparently not only welcome but also quite touching. Shinsuke respects Akatsuki a great deal, and values the unique understanding they share.

• V. The Hierophant
  • Shinjiro Aragaki: For some reason, Shinsuke has no idea that Shinjiro can cook. This would not be weird except for the fact that Shinsuke spends a fair amount of time in the kitchen. How very odd...

• VI. The Lovers
  • Shinsuke has not developed any notable Lovers links.

• VII. The Chariot
  • Aigis: True to form, once Shinsuke learned that SEES' resident anti-Shadow tactical gynoid was, in fact, exactly that, he was instantly alright with her. It helped him immensely to know that her awkwardness, and his inability to read her, were the result of her inorganic nature, and he offered her his assistance as she integrates into human society -- especially important as she is now Gekkoukan Student Council President! More importantly, however, is that Aigis is the first and only person Shinsuke has discussed the matter of his parents' divorce with, judging that she wouldn't be likely to view it in the same stigmatised fashion that the average Japanese person might. (He was right, of course.) Shinsuke doesn't yet realise how much not talking about it has damaged him emotionally, and -- with any luck -- this encounter with Aigis will begin to help him open up in the ways he so very much needs.

• VIII. Justice
  • Shinsuke has not developed any notable Justice links.

• IX. The Hermit
  • Kotone Nakamura: Though they haven't spoken much since Shinsuke assisted in her rescue, the Secretary is glad SEES' resident moeblob seems to be doing well.

• X. The Wheel of Fortune
  • Takaya Sakaki: During a raid on the Karma Palace, Shinsuke nearly killed the Strega leader while under the influence of a Tentarafoo spell. This lead to a frank discussion with the rest of the Eclipse Squad that revealed Shinsuke's willingness to kill to protect what he loves.

• XI. Strength
  • Shinsuke has not developed any notable Strength links.

• XII. The Hanged Man
  • Shinsuke has not developed any notable Hanged Man links.

• XIII. Death
  • Seiichi Miyamoto: Seiichi and Shinsuke are decent friends now that they've had a few more encounters, and the music student was present at Fuuka's first successful cooking lesson. Shinsuke still finds Seiichi extremely attractive, but that wasn't really ever going to change. X)
  • Minamo Takagawa: Through a series of unfortunate misunderstandings, Shinsuke and Minamo do not get along at all. This fact didn't stop him from saving her life during a Shadow attack, and now she's a member of SEES...as well as Itsuka's new best friend. :|
  • Mamoru Yasuragi: Douche beat the crap out of Shinsuke's senpai. They met the same day, and apparently do not get along because they set one another off. Shinsuke may be taking advantage of this fact soon... :U
  • Riki Houjou: The Secretary of Seven Sisters High. He, Shirou, and Shinsuke have unofficially dubbed their trio the "Pocketwatch Secretary Club", due to their inexplicable discovery of one another's pocketwatches /and/ Council Secretary status at the same serendipitous meeting. Shinsuke finds Riki refreshingly intelligent and possessed of a wonderfully dry sense of humor.
  • Shirou Sekigawa: Yasogami High's Secretary. They met at the same time Shinsuke met Riki in the above serendipitous situation. Not only does Shinsuke enjoy Shirou's edgy attitude and wicked sense of humor, he also thinks the other boy is hot. Though he does wonder, admittedly, where that new scar came from...

• XIV. Temperance
  • Hitoshi Taniguchi: For various reasons, Shinsuke does not have a very high opinion of Hitoshi. He won't do anything untoward to the boy should they be in the field together, but otherwise attempts to keep his interactions with Hitoshi to a minimum.
  • Daiya Kagami: Through a crazy scheme Hinata cooked up, Shinsuke was present for the rescue of Akatsuki's probably unfaithful girlfriend. His knowledge of how unhappy his friend is with the situation has not inclined him favorably to the beautiful Sevens Vice President. Shinsuke has not gotten close enough to Daiya for anyone to realise that he is not affected by her aura of supernatural beauty (not that anyone consciously realises it exists, because that's part of the point). He won't interfere in their relationship -- he respects Akatsuki enough to stay out of it -- but he will be there for his friend regardless of what happens.
  • Naomi Suzuno: Shinsuke's first meeting with the Seven Sisters President was in the midst of an extremely emotional venture into the Abyss of Time. They'll actually talk soon, after the trauma wears off.

• XV. The Devil
  • Itsuka Mizuhara: Shinsuke's twin sister is his confidante, best friend, and occasional sparring partner. He loves her dearly and would do anything for her, partially in the attempt to assuage his crushing guilt over the way he treated her when they were children. This guilt has been magnified by the events of Himeru Namikawa's visit to the Abyss of Time, but they'll surely be alright in the end! Right?
• XVI. The Tower
  • Thora Kobayashi: Shinsuke was introduced to the famous Oni of Osaka by Itsuka, who promptly brought up intensely personal things about Thora in front of him. Internally Shinsuke was terribly embarrassed by this (and a little intimidated by her in general), but he handled it well and even told Thora something important -- "If you believe you're human, then you are" -- in spite of his embarrassment. He appears to have charmed Thora, or at least managed to impress her; she also appears to be enamored of his deliciously scented Resonance.
  • Mai Namikawa: The Disciplinary Committee chairperson tracked Shinsuke down at fencing practice one day and cut through his crowd of admirers to speak with her fellow Councilor. Shinsuke likes Mai quite a bit -- she's very different than the girls he's accustomed to -- and appears to have impressed (charmed?) her. At the very least, she seems to appreciate his willingness to dispense with charm when necessary. More recently, Shinsuke discovered Mai's feelings for Akatsuki...and accompanied SEES through the Abyss of Time to rescue her. Guilt-knifing and traumatising ensued, but she's still alive.

• XVII. The Star
  • Hinata Itoh: Shinsuke encountered the youngest Itoh sister one day in the dorms, and was promptly charmed by her earnest and outgoing nature. He made her lunch and ascertained the nature of her relationship with his sister, which seems to be a good one. Hinata seems to think of him as a prince. She soon discovered that he can also bake cookies and dance, and has begun calling him 'Shinsuke-chan'. He appears to be okay with this. <3~ More recently, Shinsuke came out to her...it did not go well. For either of them, really.

• XVIII. The Moon
  • Shinsuke has not developed any notable Moon links.

• XIX. The Sun
  • Shinsuke has not developed any notable Sun links.

• XX. Judgement
  • Shinsuke has not developed any notable Judgement links.

• Shinsuke
  • Sting, "Englishman In New York" Takes more than combat gear to make a man / Takes more than a license for a gun / Confront your enemies / avoid them when you can / A gentleman will walk but never run / If manners maketh man as someone said / He's our hero of the day / Takes a man to suffer ignorance and smile / Be yourself, no matter what they say
  • Shinkichi Mitsumune, "Dreaming Cells"
  • Shinkichi Mitsumune, "Nemuro Memorial Hall"
  • Shinkichi Mitsumune, "Scarlet Group's Dance ~ Reunion"
  • Shinkichi Mitsumune, "Abraxas In The Sunlit Garden"
  • E.S. Posthumus, Vishnu
  • Two Steps From Hell, Heart of Courage
  • BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger OST, Lust SIN

• Itsuka
  • Metallica, "Nothing Else Matters" (S&M version) So close, no matter how far / Couldn't be much more from the heart / Forever trust in who we are / And nothing else matters / I never open myself this way / Life is ours, we live it our way / Oh, these words I don't just say / And nothing else matters
  • Sting, "Fortress Around Your Heart" Then I went off to fight some battle / that I'd invented inside my head / Away so long, for years and years / You probably thought or even wished that I was dead / While the armies are all sleeping / Beneath the tattered flag we made / Had to stop in my tracks for fear / of walking on the mines I'd laid / And if I built this fortress / around your heart / Encircled you in trenches and barbed wire / Then let me build a bridge / for I cannot fill the chasm / Let me set the battlements on fire
  • Blue October, "Hate Me" Hate me today / Hate me tomorrow / Hate me for all the things / I didn't do for you / Hate me in ways / Yeah, ways hard to swallow / Hate me so you can finally / see what's good for you
  • E.S. Posthumus, Antissa

• Kay and Their Dissolution
  • Two Steps From Hell, Ironwing
  • Two Steps From Hell, War of Angels

• Shiki
  • E.S. Posthumus, Krosah

• Akatsuki
  • E.S. Posthumus, Indra

• Mitsuru
  • Within Temptation, "Ice Queen" On cold wings she's coming / You better keep moving / For warmth you'll be longing / Come on, just feel her / Don't you see her / You better believe
  • E.S. Posthumus, Manju

• Shinjiro
  • E.S. Posthumus, Kalki

• Hinata
  • E.S. Posthumus, Odenall Pi

• Seiichi
  • E.S. Posthumus, Menouthis

• The Dark Hour
  • Michael Jackson, "Thriller" It's close to midnight / Something evil's lurking in the dark / Under the moonlight / You see a sight that almost stops your heart / You try to scream / But terror takes the sound before you make it / You start to freeze / As horror looks you right between the eyes / You're paralyzed...
  • Apocalyptica, "Quutamo"

• Tartarus and the Shadows
  • Within Temptation, "Dark Wings" Why was I one of the chosen ones? / Until the fight I could not see / The magic and the strength of my power / It was beyond my wildest dreams / Dark wings they are descending / See shadows gathering around / One by one, they are falling / every time they try to strike us down / Don't you die on me / You haven't made your peace / Live life / Breathe, breathe

• Shadow Itsuka
  • Genesis, "Invisible Touch" She seems to have an invisible touch, yeah / She reaches in / and grabs right hold of your heart / She seems to have an invisible touch, yeah / It takes control / and slowly tears you apart x_x