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Feb. 10th, 2020 01:26 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
herowalksaloneKazuya Takeda
Hero of Shin Megami Tensei ｢真・女神転生｣
Very Brief Canon Summary - More in the above Wiki link
October 1992. Kazuya Takeda is a regular Japanese high school student living with his mother and pet husky, Pascal, in the Kichijouji district, west of the metropolitan center of Tokyo. After a night of strange dreams, he wakes up to see a strange message posted to the local BBS: Demons are beginning to invade the world! In order to survive, you must utilize their powers. Attached is a program that will allow you to do so, and fight for the future of humanity. Kazuya, out of curiosity, downloads the file, titled the Demon Summoning Program, and loads it into his arm terminal computer, or COMP. Once he leaves his room, he meets up with his mother, who tells him to get some coffee but be careful, as the police are out in full force for some reason.
Thus begins Kazuya's journey from a normal life into a nightmare. Demons do begin appearing, with their first casualty being a classmate torn to shreds in a local park. Kichijouji becomes blocked off from the rest of Tokyo, but with the help of two allies, they are able to survive. Eventually, they confront a Lawful demon mimicking a politician who sends nuclear missiles to destroy Japan in an attempt to prevent the powers of Chaos from growing stronger. Only through the magic powers of a young woman are the three heroes able to survive by being teleported to another realm...
2022. The three heroes are sent back to Tokyo, destroyed by the nuclear attack thirty years ago, to fulfill their destinies. One hero is to side with the Lawful Mesians and become their messiah, while another is to become a champion for the Chaotic Ring of Gaia. In the end, Kazuya and his destined partner, the Heroine, must decide if they wish to assist the Mesians in their efforts to bring their God to the world, the Gaians in their efforts to co-exist with the demons, or resist both and carve a new pathway for the remnants of humanity that have survived through everything.
Canonpoint Details
This Kazuya is a Neutral-aligned Hero taken from around the Haniel/Echidna arc, before gaining access to the Cathedral. He has been asked by the Law Hero to kill the demon mother snake Echidna, and by the Chaos Hero to kill the holy angel Haniel. Kazuya has yet to do either, held back by a hesitant sadness and loyalty he still has towards the other heroes. The Heroine has had to pick him up after the other Heroes left him behind, and so she is the real driving force to him right now. Without her, he is lost in uncertainty. However, I am willing to play him from any canonpoint, from pre-hell-breaks-loose Tokyo to the post-SMTI leader of Valhalla timeframe. I have played most other Shin Megami Tensei games, so no need to worry about spoilers on my behalf.
A Note on My Kazuya
Kazuya is a silent protagonist, and therefore has little personality or choice within his canon. As such, a good amount of his personality and internal workings come from my headcanon, and how I've interpreted his growth and reactions to the atrocities he has been put through. I have developed and written Kazuya's voice for several years now, and he is hopefully solid enough to stand on his own.
A Note on Names
Kazuya's name is semi-canonical, but the kanji chosen are not -- I don't think any were ever assigned. The kanji 一也 mean "to be one." His last name, Takeda / 竹田, means "bamboo field." It is also non-canonical and was chosen solely as a common Japanese surname that has no significance. My personal non-canonical names for the other heroes are: Ryuusei (Law Hero), Yami (Chaos Hero), Akiko (Heroine). This is how he will refer to them unless otherwise prompted.
I will try my best to use updated game terminology from official English-released SMT sources, but I do have a tendency to use terms such as Mesia/Gaia, Jakyou, Makai, etc. that come from the Aeon Genesis fan-translation of SMTI.
First Impressions
●Visual. A ragged, armored-up Japanese teenager who looks as if he's experienced a lot. His brown hair is shaggy and falls to about eye-height. His eyes are also brown. The most noticeable (because it looks odd and out-of-place) aspect of Kazuya is his COMP arm terminal and its related tech. The COMP is on his left wrist and looks outdated, with a yellowing keyboard with fat, chunky keys that looks like it's from the nineties. The red and blue cords that reach from it to the eyepiece over his right eye also look old but high-tech at the same time in a cyberpunk way. He carries his sword in a sheath on his back, and his pistol is holstered around his waist. Has a tired smile but a gleam of seriousness and strength in his eyes.
●Aural. Kazuya is Japanese, so it's his native tongue. He will be familiar with Japanese high school level English, but is rusty with it as he hasn't heard or studied it in months. He can converse with supernatural beings using his COMP, and it will normally use a mechanical voice when translating his speech into something the other being can understand. The voice may be turned into sounds such as whistling or beeps for those who react to such.
●Olfactory. Kazuya's armor and clothing likely smell of dirt and sweat, and perhaps even a little bit of blood. He will smell the same if he's been unable to shower. Working plumbing doesn't quite exist after the apocalypse, much to the chagrin of many.
●Demeanor. Kazuya stands tall when faced with others, and exudes a silent strength and determination. He would rather seem intimidating at first to stave off any confrontation before it begins. He is an observer and less of a speaker, but he is quick to arm or defend himself if he senses trouble coming. On an unrelated but still important note, Kazuya is a dog person.
●First Interactions. One's first interaction with Kazuya will depend on what role they are playing when he meets them. If someone is in trouble, he will do his best to help them out somehow. This may be by taking on the threat himself, or by becoming a distraction so they could get away, or by going to find assistance. If Kazuya spots someone unknown from afar, he will hide in the shadows and watch them before deciding what to do. He'll likely end up ignoring the person anyway, but not without learning about them first. If someone approaches him, he will listen carefully and remain quite still until the threat has diminished. He will choose to use as few words as possible in each situation.
Kazuya Externally
●Trying to Survive. There are a few external defense mechanisms that Kazuya has picked up from being in survival mode. The main one is his tendency to remain quiet, both in a conversational and in a stealthy stick-to-the-shadows way. Kazuya is a man of few words at first, but as he becomes more familiar with others, that will change. Kazuya also contemplates heavily, always doing his best to plan ahead. He rarely does anything without thinking on it first and thus can be slow to act when not in a life-threatening situation. He is the polar opposite of the typical loud-mouthed, rash hero.
●Wary. Due to being suddenly thrown into a dog-eat-dog world of death and destruction where one must fight for their survival with every step, Kazuya has grown into a person who is initially suspicious of everything. At this point he would rather observe others first before approaching, and he is quick to put up his guard or even reach for his sword when asked questions. He is still reeling from the betrayal of his two closest allies, whom he still considers brothers to him, and therefore is unlikely to want to make friends. Once someone has proven themselves as a reliable ally, however, he will trust them on the battlefield but it will take longer to get any personal information out of him. Additionally, he has zero interest in romance. He is particularly cynical of any type of organized religion, including its followers. This cynicism and distrust leaks into a strong dislike of any kind of leader who is cocky and self-assured, the type who would be willing to sacrifice many to achieve their goals -- Kazuya has no desire to be trampled underfoot and made a pawn to their selfish schemes, nor does he want anyone else to suffer that fate. Those are the kinds of people he is standing against as the Hero.
●Dependent. Kazuya would be loathe to admit it, but he struggles with independence. Before his life literally went to hell, Kazuya was a typical teenager who had no desire to stand out or be known. He was a conformer and a momma's boy, content with following others' leads. Kazuya was a team player moreso than one who would rather go off and do his own thing. After the apocalypse, Kazuya found solace in having two friends who were right there with him, striving with him against the impossible. When they left him behind, thankfully the Heroine was there to pick him back up and show him the way. Kazuya often likened her to a beacon of light, cutting its way through the fog in his brain and being his guide. As she is no longer around, Kazuya is trying his hardest to overcome this, but mostly because he has to and less because he wants to. Even so, the idea of forming an alliance or joining a group of fellow survivors/strugglers will be begrudgingly appealing to Kazuya. It will then be up to him to weigh the pros and cons of following such an action.
Kazuya Internally
●Heroic. Kazuya is aware that he is destined to be the Hero of the current war between angels and demons. Because of this, he tries his hardest to accept that fact and be the Hero he's meant to be, though he does feel it's overwhelming. If it wasn't for the presence and gentle pushing of the Heroine, he would be consumed in anxiety and despair. But he realizes that he has to be the one to overcome this for the rest of humanity, so on the surface he tries to be strong and brave for them. He also wishes to stand out as righteous in comparison to the Mesians and Gaians -- he doesn't want the snooty holier-than-thou attitude that the Mesians have, nor does he want to be an untrustworthy self-serving opportunist like the Gaians. He is willing to do his best as a detached third-party protector who swoops in and saves the day, then leaves without a word.
●Secretly Sinking. He will hide it to the best of his ability behind his heroic persona, but Kazuya is struggling to stay afloat with everything that's happened to him. His mother, the only parent left to him, was eaten by a demon which he had to slay. His pet husky, Pascal, turned into a demon Cerberus in order to protect him. The first incarnation of the Heroine sacrificed herself to protect Kazuya and the other Heroes while nuclear ICBMs were falling on Tokyo due to his confrontation with the American ambassador. He is convinced that he initiated the Great Destruction, wiping out Tokyo and most of its inhabitants, and he feels guilt for what he's done. Truthfully, Kazuya was not the reason that ICBMs fell on Tokyo -- they were meant to wipe out the demon menace that began when a scientist accidentally opened a link from Earth to the demon realm -- but he still feels that it's his fault, even if it's in the slightest way possible. If it wasn't for the other Heroes and the Heroine, he would have given up long ago. Unfortunately, the other two Heroes abandoned Kazuya for the Mesian and Gaian factions, and now he is alone with a great sadness weighing on him.
●Holding On. Even so, Kazuya is determined to persevere because he has to fix what he caused. He knows his role as the Hero is his purpose and his penance. He has decided to fight for the future of what's left of humanity, even though that pits him as an underdog against the forces of heaven and of hell. He is stubborn in his resolve to prove the strength of humanity against all supernatural forces, and is thus much more willing to rise up against angels and demons than fellow humans.
Kazuya and Confontation
●On the Defensive. Kazuya is a fighter, and would rather defend what he believes is right than give in and follow an untrue path. Unfortunately, this leaves him at a disadvantage, as he has no superhuman powers or uncommon strength himself, but has always relied on contracted demons and the Heroine's magic to assist him in battle. Now that he is alone, he is much more willing to size up his opponent before choosing whether or not it's worth risking his life to fight them. After dealing with so many demons in combat, he has a decently honed ability to discern his opponent's strength. Kazuya realizes that avoiding conflict when he is able is just as important a part of survival than rashly thinking one is able to take on anything just because they are the Hero. Heroes die too; their destiny doesn't make them immortal. Words can be as accurate and deadly as a sword, so he will tend to rely on negotiation first in any confrontational situation.
●Fights Effectively. If Kazuya has decided that battle is the best or only option, he will try to fight as effectively and quickly as he can using what he's picked up from observing his opponent. He is not one to draw out fights, but will go for the weakpoint as hard and often as he can. The sooner the threat can be neutralized, the less he has to put his life on the line to combat it.
●Dislikes Zombies. Kazuya has a dislike for any creature that has been reanimated, from the traditional corpse to liches and skeletons. This does not apply to spirits or apparitions, or any other incorporeal creature. It's not necessarily a fear -- while he does freeze up upon seeing one, it does not paralyze him outright. He will eventually choose to side with or against the creature, depending on different factors that include but are not limited to: the zombie's level of sentience, its appearance and how obvious its zombification is, its perceived level of strength, and its motives. This decision will come after a long period of observation and deliberation, and until it is made, Kazuya will likely stay as far away from the zombie as possible. This hesitance stems from an incident in a town that was solely comprised of reanimated corpses disguised as normal humans. The necromancer behind this wanted to kill Kazuya, but his friend bravely sacrificed himself in his stead. The friend's soul was ripped from his body and his likeness was transferred to several of the corpses in the town via magic, turning things into a nightmare for Kazuya. This scarred him quite a bit and still affects him to this day.
Battle Abilities
●Battle Abilities. After defeating hordes of demons in order to survive, Kazuya has developed a proficiency in sword combat and using a gun. He is around the strength level of a trained warrior. He does not have any supernatural physical or magical powers. He has a non-magical katana-like sword and a pistol with magically-altered bullets that cause paralysis on him at all times.
COMP Abilities
●COMP Abilities. Kazuya has an arm terminal personal computer, or COMP, attached around his left wrist. The wrist portion is comprised of a keyboard and built-in microphone. The COMP is attached via two cables to an eyepiece and earpiece that acts as its monitor and speaker, allowing Kazuya to hear and see as a digital overlay what's happening with his COMP at that moment. The eyepiece usually rests above his right eye, but he can lower it when he needs to access its information. This COMP is equipped with a Demon Summoning Program that allows him to see and analyze demons, as well as speak and listen to them. The program is able to interpret both human and demonic speech, allowing for seamless conversation and negotiation. As angels, fae, spirits, and all types of supernatural creatures count as "demons" in his world, Kazuya is able to see and speak with all of them with no issue.
Furthermore, the Demon Summoning Program is able to replicate an ancient ritual allowing for Kazuya and a consenting demon to enter into a contract, granting him the ability to summon them into his presence as an ally. This requires the use of a spiritual material called Magnetite to allow them to materialize on the human plane, but Kazuya currently does not have any access to Magnetite and therefore cannot summon any demons. The only demon he has stored in his COMP at this time is the Cerberus that his pet dog Pascal transformed into.
In Character
●Physical Touch. Kazuya will shy away from touch until he is comfortable with the other character. If they are a shoulder or hand patter, then he will likely just take it since it will be brief, but he will keep it in mind for next time. If they are a hugger and want to force him into a hug, he will try to stop it before it happens. If he can't, he may try to push them away or take it, depending on their relationship.
●Physical Affection/Relationships. Kazuya is not interested in anything romantic. He has had little to no romantic contact in the past and is thus inexperienced with kissing or anything sexual, so don't expect him to want to try. He will likely catch flirtation, but try to ignore it or pass it off. He will use force to get away if anyone tries to kiss him.
●Fighting/Injury/Death. Kazuya will try to get out of fighting if at all possible, but if there is no other alternative, he will take up arms against someone. If the scene calls for it, injury may happen. We can discuss it. Death is a no unless we have some crazy plot going on in which he'll come back somehow.
●Mind-Reading. Kazuya is a normal human and has no resistance to psychic powers, so his mind is an open book to anyone who can get in there.
Out of Character
●Backtagging. Of course!
●Threadjacking/Threadhopping. If the situation could call for it, like a mingle post where someone could overhear him speaking with someone else and jump in, sure!
●Fourthwalling. No. He doesn't need to know that he's a video game Hero, as this is all very real to him.
●Cross-Canon/Assumed CR. Yes, bring on the cross-canon fun! That's the entire reason for panfandom RP, right? Assumed CR is also okay, but I'm open to discussing details if you would prefer.
Information
● Name. Kristina
●Timezone. EST (UTC -4 from March-October, UTC -5 from November-February)
● Tagging Speed. I will try my hardest for at least one tag a day, usually in the evening.
● Plurk. darkestsilver (it's private, but add me and I'll add you back.)
●Other. Feel free to PM this account for any further information, or just to reach out.
transilience