Difference between revisions of "Tatsuya Sudou"

• Weapon: Ancestral Katana - A beautiful and deadly weapon with a red and black silk-wrapped hilt, a tsubo that bears a lion and a dragon, and is engraved with the Sudou family's wisteria kamon.
• Body: Designer Suit - A three-piece suit, tailored to a perfect fit.
• Feet: Dress Shoes - Shiny shoes that, of course, go with the suit.
• Accessory: Eyepatch - To protect and conceal the empty socket where his right eye used to be, and also because eyepatches are badass.

• Expression: 5 - Loves to Monologue
• Knowledge: 5 - Fucking Genius
• Courage: 5 - He's a Goddamn Lion
  • Against His Dad: 1 - oh god make it stop
• Understanding: 3 - Actually Gets People
• Diligence: 5 - Obsessive and Monomaniacal

• Tatsuya's given name means "to be a dragon"; his family name contains the elements "by all means" and "wisteria".
• Tatsuya's missing right eye and the scar around it are a direct result of the first time Tatsuya Suou ever summoned his Persona Vulcanus.
• To conceal the empty socket and the scar when out and about, Tatsuya wears an eyepatch and a coat of the sort of makeup burn victims use to cover up their disfigurements.
• Like most evil geniuses, Tatsuya has a cat; his name is Fortinbras. He has slightly fluffy white fur, gold eyes, and is extremely sweet-tempered. His name is taken from Hamlet.
  • For his 29th birthday, Akari Hoshi got Tatsuya a new kitten. Playful and fearless, Laertes is black and possesses gold-rimmed green eyes. His name is also taken from Hamlet. Fortinbras is...not sure how to feel about him.
• Tatsuya's Guardian Dragon in Wang Long fortune-telling is the Red Dragon, which rules passion and is confident and adventurous. Tatsuya Suou's Guardian Dragon is the Light Dragon, with which the Red Dragon has poor affinity. IMAGINE THAT.
• Tatsuya is fluent in both English and German, languages that his mother taught him when he was a child. He is also fairly good with Latin.
• Though it's more focused than Kandori and Chizuru's, Tatsuya possesses a significant degree of mystical talent. In addition to being an accomplished astrologer, he is learned in the principles of alchemy (and the metaphysical practice thereof) and other such Western arts. Tatsuya is not actually that familiar with Eastern mysticism, despite being natively Japanese. And, of course, he can do a great deal with fire aside from the combat abilities provided by his Persona.
• Tatsuya and the rest of the Masquerade executives have offices on the executive floor of the SEBEC building in Lunarvale. Befitting his status as the CEO of the Masquerade, Tatsuya has a corner office; it's down the hall from Kandori's executive suite.
• The Japanese reading of his name, placing family name first, may be a play on words in English: Sudou Tatsuya --> "pseudo-Tatsuya", i.e. the false Tatsuya.

• Monologue: "All beings have broken dreams, things they would be willing to sacrifice anything to see achieved. Demons are no exception to this truth." - Tatsuya makes an inspiring speech. May provoke happy, sad, or interested reactions.
• Command: "Cease this foolishness and let us pass, demon!" - Tatsuya imperiously issues the demon an order. May provoke happy, sad, frightened, or angry reactions.
• Fascinate: "Look - isn't it beautiful?" - Holding out his hand, Tatsuya produces a small fireball that floats and dances above his palm. May elicit happy, interested, or frightened reactions.
• Intimidate: "Tell us where the chest is, or I'll rip your spine out!" - Tatsuya angrily threatens the demon. May cause angry, sad, frightened, or interested reactions.

"People live in a world of lies..."

Profile: Since childhood Tatsuya Sudou has been fascinated by fire; his intelligence gave him a short attention span, and that love of fire gave him the tools he needed to get himself into a whole mess of trouble. His father, the Foreign Minister, has been obliged to sacrifice a great deal to ensure that the Sudou family name remains untarnished despite his son's actions. Unfortunately, this involved committing his son to a mental institution for a time, where the voices he's heard since childhood grew more and more prominent in his mind. Now that he's out Tatsuya's been given a position in the NWO, where he resents the amount of supervision he's been placed under. His fingers itch to set the world ablaze the way his prophecy foretells but, for now, he's content to strut on his stage and do the Voices' will.

Skills: The Other Tatsuya, Raving Egomaniac, All The World's A Stage, And I Am An Actor Cast Eternally, Maybe I'm A Lion, I'm Surrounded By Idiots, You Might Want To Work On That Little Roar Of Yours, Daddy Issues, Likes Fire, And Setting Things On Fire, It's Just So Beautiful, No Really Just Look At It, When I'm Alone I Hear The Voices, They're Coming To Take Me Away Ha Ha!, Playing With Fire, Not Tatsuya Suou's Only Foil, Just The Most Awesome One, Get In The Car, I'll Be Fiddling As The World Burns, He's Not Crazy, It's Just Nyarlathotep, Okay He Is Actually Crazy, Mad Prophet, Dark Sun, Take Your Place Inside The Fire

Special: Pyromania - Tatsuya holds forth his hand and, through a combination of his occult talent and the raw force of his supreme will, ignites the very oxygen around him in a conflagration that consumes all it touches.

Hephaestus is the Greek god of the Forge, the earlier counterpart to the Roman Vulcanus. In an attempt to one-up Zeus for the birth of Athena, Hera conceived and bore Hephaestus by herself. From here the story diverges; one version has Hera casting her son from Mount Olympus for his ugliness, whereupon he was lamed when he hit the ground at the foot of the mountain; the second version holds that the one who cast him from on high was actually Zeus, who was angered by his wife's actions and by the boy's attempt to defend his mother from her husband's wrath. He was accepted back into the ranks at some point, of course, at which point he began to forge wonders for gods and mortals alike -- most notably, the armor and shield of Achilles.

• SENSE: A metered pounding like a hammer striking against an anvil (or the beat of a lion's heart) and intense heat, both of which are tinged by a dull ache, like that of a chronic injury.
• SOUND: The striking of iron against iron, the roar of flame, and the soft growl of a great cat.
• SMELL: Hot iron and a lion's musk.
  
  

• 0. The Fool
  • Tohru Adachi: Tatsuya and Adachi have met a few times, particularly when KNOWS was still operational. The Inaban detective knows that Tatsuya and King Leo are the same person. Tatsuya also finds Kyrie, Adachi's Shadow-projection, to be fascinating -- he, of course, doesn't know that Adachi and Kyrie are the same person. Aww, no fair! XD

• I. The Magician
  • Yosuke Hanamura: The ever-scheming ex-KDA member currently has it out for Tatsuya, having been asked (or duped into) taking down the formidable Masquerade CEO by one Rumika Shiratori. The two met for the first time at Okina Prison during a raid, trading warning shots before Tatsuya left Yosuke hanging and moved on to other targets. Further, Tatsuya actually openly stated, in front of witnesses, that Yosuke was right about something in the aftermath of the KDA's semi-successful raid on the Lunarvale mansion where Kandori and the Masquerade were holding Thora Kobayashi for treatment for her suicide disease. No one is really sure how to deal with this, least of all Tatsuya and Yosuke themselves.

• II. The High Priestess
  • Tatsuya has developed no notable Priestess links.

• III. The Empress
  • Tatsuya has developed no notable Empress links.

• IV. The Emperor
  • Akatsuki Enda: Tatsuya is familiar with Kyo Enda from the elder twin's time in KNOWS and continued association with the NWO, even if he isn't terribly active now that the youth program has ended. Since he became acquainted with the particulars of Kyo's file (and his psychological evaluation), Tatsuya has wanted to see if his twin brother was anything like him. To this end, he outright asked Akatsuki this...with predictable results.
  • Tatsuzou Sudou: DDDDDDDDDD:

• V. The Hierophant
  • Tatsuya has developed no notable Hierophant links.

• VI. The Lovers
  • Ginji Sasaki: The most public member of the Masquerade, Ginji is one of Tatsuya's most trusted associates; Tatsuya is one of the few people who is aware of the true motives behind Ginji's youthful predilections. He protects his witty associate with his trademark focused ferocity, and often engages in bouts of verbal repartee as much for the enjoyment of it as for its subtler aspects; that is, the visible signs of the friction that is to be expected between two powerful, charismatic men, regardless of their respect and affection for one another. Ginji's title in the Masquerade is Prince Taurus; his color is yellow.

• VII. The Chariot
  • Tatsuya has developed no notable Chariot links.

• VIII. Justice
  • Anise Thompson: Anise is the only member of disbanded KNOWS that received promotion to the Masquerade upon graduation. Tatsuya tested her combat skills himself and is pleased with her prowess, though he finds her bull-headed nature and tendency to blunder her way through the delicate and exacting mystic arts somewhat...frustrating. Her title is Countess Aries, and her color is violet.

• IX. The Hermit
  • Tatsuya has developed no notable Hermit links.

• X. The Wheel of Fortune
  • Chizuru Ishigami: Ever-cryptic Chizuru shares Tatsuya's love of cats and dedication to Takahisa Kandori; he values her advice, even couched as it always is in layers of double meanings and vague allegory. Tatsuya counts on that quirk of hers to mark his place in reality, for it is only in his nightmares that the fortune-teller makes perfect, unmistakable sense. She has been making more sense lately, now that they've actually had real conversations -- maybe this is a good thing?
  • Junko Kurosu: The eldest member of the Masquerade rescued Tatsuya from the Morimoto Sanitarium about a year ago for reasons that are not entirely clear. He views her as a sort of mother figure, reminiscent of but not replacing the loving mother he lost long ago. Junko's title is Queen Aquarius, and her color is green.
  • Jun Kurosu: :DDDDDDDDDD

• XI. Strength
  • Tatsuya has developed no notable Strength links.

• XII. The Hanged Man
  • Tatsuya has developed no notable Hanged Man links.

• XIII. Death
  • Seiichi Miyamoto: The newest recruit to the Masquerade, Seiichi was scouted and hired by Tatsuya to provide a way for the CEO to strike at Naomi Suzuno and Tohya Kidzuki without having to compromise his principles and do it himself. He has fully integrated Seiichi into the Masquerade and, thanks to a discussion on fathers and an early-morning phone call, trusts him a great deal already -- enough, in fact, to issue him a promotion (and commensurate raise) upon the conclusion of the KDA raid on Kandori's Lunarvale mansion. Seiichi's title is Count Libra, and his color is, predictably, black.
  • Shirou Sekigawa: Thora Kobayashi's boyfriend. Tatsuya stepped in to draw his attention away from Kandori when the CEO and Thora were engaged in a fight at Club Zodiac the evening he was released from Okina Prison. During the fight, Tatsuya gave Shirou a "warning shot" -- a slash across the face that the teen retains as a scar. Naturally, Shirou wants to kill Tatsuya now in addition to his stated goal of killing Kandori. This will not end well.
  • Riki Houjou: Scientist associate of Yosuke Hanamura and Fumiko Kohaku's boyfriend. Tatsuya grudgingly respects the boy after witnessing his performances consorting with demons in the Inaba Mines and keeping up with him at the Tanabata festival on behalf of Fumiko. He seems to have a good head on his shoulders, even if he has questionable taste in friends.

• XIV. Temperance
  • Naomi Suzuno: At their first actual meeting at Okina Prison, Tatsuya surprised and disconcerted Naomi by casually referencing "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock", a poem she knows well -- and found engraved into a blade she received from Takahisa Kandori while in KNOWS. Tatsuya finds himself both impressed with and intensely irritated by the Spencer heiress; while he likes and respects her for her talents and accomplishments, her association with Tatsuya Suou frustrates him and her defection from the NWO grates at him when he allows it to. He has recently discovered that she clashed with Anna Yoshizaka, the outcome of which has left him legitimately angry with her.
  • Dona Kimura: Dona's alter ego Daiya Kagami caught Tatsuya's notice when she replaced an NWO-allied doctor for the purpose of trolling Arisa Shiratori. Thanks to his prophetic dreams, Tatsuya knew to send her the MA-347 amulet she would need to come with him when he traumaported her away from being interrogated (in her disguise) by Akatsuki Enda, as well as when and where he would need to enter her borrowed office just in the nick of time to achieve this rather impressive feat. He is currently contemplating certain logistics related to the enhancement of a Shadow-Possessed individual...who is now the Masquerade's very own pretty pink Princess Pisces-slash-horrible bipolar Naomi-hating id monster. Just as planned.

• XV. The Devil
  • Gozaburou Gessou: The upstart hipster resigned his post, depriving Tatsuya of the necessity of removing him personally. Kind of disappointing, that.
  • Reiji Kido: Kandori's half-brother (?!), he landed a hit on Tatsuya's King Leo mask during the attack on the mansion, but Tatsuya pushed him to attack Thora's demon instead. Another would-be hero-slash-complete moron, as far as he knows.

• XVI. The Tower
  • Anna Yoshizaka: The former Sevens track star has intrigued Tatsuya ever since they first met, and he has quickly come to admire her spirit as much as he relies on her cutting honesty, cold efficiency, and soothing psychic presence. While he does enable her self-destructive habits, Tatsuya is of the belief that his influence keeps her from harming herself further. In part because of the actions of Naomi Suzuno, Anna admitted to Tatsuya that she has feelings for him that go beyond her devotion to him as the CEO of the Masquerade; though he hadn't consciously realised it until essentially the day she told him, Tatsuya realised he actually did, in fact, return her feelings. Whether or not the relationship can survive the many obstacles before it (not least of which being how broken they both are) remains to be seen, but if it does, it may well be good for both of them. Because of events that took place during the KDA raid on Kandori's Lunarvale mansion, Tatsuya realised that he actually loves her -- he was willing to do something selfless for her sake. He'll tell her soon. Anna's Masquerade title is Lady Scorpio, and her color is blue.
  • Takahisa Kandori: Tatsuya regards the CEO of SEBEC as something of a surrogate father, and as such is fiercely loyal to him -- not that they don't have disagreements now and again, of course. Now that Kandori is free (as a direct result of Tatsuya's efforts), he hopes things will return to normal with a modicum of disruptive violence and bloodstains on the carpets. Following the resignation of the interim CEO, Kandori's back in his rightful post.
  • Thora Kobayashi: The daughter of SEBEC's head geneticist, Thora was in KNOWS during its run. Her fiercely canine Resonance rubs Tatsuya the wrong way; her comatose brother and brilliant father are much less offensive to his senses. Tatsuya and Keldan are even friends. Still, Tatsuya agreed to mind Thora once he and Kandori orchestrated her abduction from Club Zodiac in the attempt to heal her suicide disease, and the sight of another animal-like human in a cage awoke a kind of kindred feeling in him. He still finds her Resonance grating but, after spending time with her, is actually able to interact with her without it driving him up the wall. Tatsuya was also instrumental in the banishment of the demon haunting Thora's dreams.
  • Himeru Namikawa: Tatsuya surprised Himeru on a mission into the Inaba Mines, where the two exchanged words. He persuaded her to leave, and is concerned about who sent her.

• XVII. The Star
  • Tatsuya has developed no notable Star links.

• XVIII. The Moon
  • Fumiko Kohaku: Kandori's "niece" and Tatsuya's "little sister", Fumiko is a SEBEC experiment and regards the Masquerade as her family. The little loli is utterly devoted to her uncle and big brother in particular, and would die for them without hesitation. Her simplistic worldview clashes occasionally with the harsh realities of the lives of her elders, but in general she's a happy and cheerful young lady. Tatsuya may promote her soon...
  • Akari Hoshi: Speaking of minions, Akari likewise views Tatsuya as a big brother; the Masquerade CEO gave her a way to indulge her dreams and fantasies by becoming Magical Warrior Maiden Ixquic, and (more practically) taught her about Persona and the basics of demonology. He set the demon Belphegor to watch over her as well, unsure that she should be left to her own devices. Tatsuya likes the attention, even if it's a little clingy.

• XIX. The Sun
  • Tatsuya Suou: The person responsible for the state of Tatsuya's face. He encountered the Sumaru University student for the first time since that terrible night when the Suou boy accompanied Naomi Suzuno to Okina Prison. Tatsuya believes that his doppelganger is the thrall of the witch he was instructed by the Voices to destroy by burning down the Araya Shrine nearly eleven years ago, and intends to kill him for his having ruined much of Tatsuya's face and life.

• XX. Judgement
  • Michio Magaride: The Sevens student proved to be indispensable at the Masquerade's raid on Okina Prison, and as such Tatsuya invited him to join the ranks as an executive. The CEO appreciates Michio's calm ability to handle delicate situations as well as his absolute willingness to "clean up the filth", as it were. He is also apparently allergic to cats. Michio's Masquerade title, taken from his moon sign, is Baron Sagittarius; his color is teal.
  • Nagisa Renge: Tatsuya met Nagisa through Seiichi, who retains ties to Strega. Concerned for his friend and aware that his boss might know of a way to help her, Seiichi arranged for them to meet. The waif, so like a little stray kitten, has touched the lion's heart. Now that it's clear that Nagisa will die unless a new solution is discovered, Tatsuya has taken on the task of discovering that solution. Neither of them realise just yet that they have met before, under very different circumstances, during a raid Strega conducted on a certain sanitarium...

• After The Fire, "Der Kommissar"

• Andrew Lloyd Webber
  • The Phantom of the Opera, "Overture"
  • The Phantom of the Opera, "Masquerade/Why so Silent"

• BlazBlue OST, "Susanooh"

• Disturbed
  • "Indestructible"
  • "Inside the Fire"

• E.S. Posthumus, "Anumati"

• Gustav Holst, The Planets, Op. 32 - "Mars, the Bringer of War"

• Kansas, "Carry On Wayward Son"

• Metallica, "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)"

• Nobuo Uematsu, Final Fantasy VIII OST - "Maybe I'm A Lion"

• Nonpoint, "In the Air Tonight"

• Shinedown, "Sound of Madness"

• Sting, "A Thousand Years"

• System of a Down
  • "Chop Suey!"
  • "Toxicity"

• Two Steps From Hell
  • "Flameheart"
  • "Invincible"

• Within Temptation, "Hand of Sorrow"