OOC; Application
Character Name: Seiji Date
Fandom: Yoroiden Samurai Troopers; taken right after the group’s first defeat of Arago.
Age: 14
Species: Human
Gender: Male
Sexual Orientation (if applicable): Generally uninterested, but presumably straight.
Physical Appearance: Seiji Date, despite his young age and rather unimpressive height (standing at about 5’5”), cuts an intimidating figure. This is mostly due to his piercing violet-grey eyes, even though his right eye remains hidden behind his wild blond hair (purposely so, as Seiji is not one who enjoys intimidating others simply by looking at them). He has an athletic build, which comes as much from his kendo training (stemming from when he was a child) as his time spent fighting the Dynasty.
Seiji also has a handsome face, and his expression is often a calm one; this stays with him in most circumstances (except for the rare occasion that he’s driven into a frightening rage). Although he does tend to show his feelings, they often appear subdued; an expression behind a mask. He prefers dressing neatly, often wearing traditional Japanese clothing or slacks and a nice shirt and rarely-if ever-simply throws on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.
Personality and Traits: The defining personality trait of Seiji’s appears to be his apparently never-ending calm. Due to his meditation and practice of the bamboo flute, Seiji has learned self-control and restraint. He also speaks formally when not around his friends, a trait gained from his strict family life. Although he was rebellious when he was younger, this has mellowed, mostly because of his grandfather’s influence. Seiji has more than proven himself as a mature, responsible individual who thinks things through-something that has proven valuable in his circle of friends, especially given certain of his comrades’ incredibly rambunctious tendencies.
Despite his natural composure, Seiji can be driven into a blind and frightening rage. This can be triggered by anything from cheap shots to harming his friends and loved ones. When this occurs, Seiji’s usual self-control is, of course, nowhere to be found, and he is willing to even forgo his manners in punishing the subject of his wrath. While he never sinks to the level of his opponents, he can temporarily lose himself in anger, and this, depending on what his foe has done, can range from simply knocking the enemy out or outright attempting to destroy him or her.
Seiji views children and other non-fighters as a burden and a distraction in dangerous situations and often talks down to them in these instances or outright dismisses them in an effort to get them out of his-and harm’s-way. While he does have good intentions behind it, he also tends to condescend, and this irritates the very people he’s trying to save-and in more than one instance, leads to them following him anyway.
Canon Background: Seiji Date has a distinguished lineage. He is descended from no less than the great ‘One-eyed Dragon’ of Japan, Masamune Date. His father is part of the police force where Seiji lives and a kendo practitioner who married into the Date family and took his wife’s name. His mother is second only to Seiji’s grandfather in the family dojo in terms of fighting. Seiji began his childhood as a sickly, pale boy, leading his parents to dress him up as a girl with the belief that girls were easier to take care of. He didn’t remember this, but his elder sister by five years, Yayoi, did-and kept a picture. While she, too, had an interest in kendo and was brought up to be formal and polite, this didn’t always extend to her younger brother, and she teased him often. Humorously (and unfortunately for Seiji), his younger (by two years) sister, Satsuki, didn’t exactly help on the teasing front, even treating her older brother as her dress-up doll. This has led to Seiji growing up with a dislike of talking to girls, if not disliking girls in general.
Even as a child, Seiji had intimidating eyes. His sharp, focused gaze would often make his friends at school cry upon seeing him, saying that he looked scary. This led Seiji to begin covering up his right eye. Despite this courtesy, Seiji was a rebellious child and often refused to adhere to the strict etiquette of kendo, which he disliked. In order to teach him self-control and restraint, his grandfather made him meditate and study bonsai and music (in the form of Seiji’s bamboo flute). In time, Seiji grew into the (mostly) calm individual his friends know today, and he eventually grew to enjoy kendo.
During the second summer of junior high, Seiji (who was by now the kendo champion for Northeastern Japan) was challenged by Shingo, a rival who had been unable to attend the tournament. Despite Seiji’s misgivings, his strict grandfather forced him to fight. When Shingo found himself losing to Seiji’s superior swordsmanship, he threw dirt in Seiji’s face, temporarily blinding him in his left eye. Seiji, angered by the other’s cheating, knocked off Shingo’s face protector and rendered him unconscious. As punishment for the huge breach of etiquette, Seiji was sent to the basement by his furious grandfather-and it was there that Seiji discovered and inherited Korin, the mystical armor that had long been a legend of the Date family, as a result of his courtesy. Because of this inherent virtue, Seiji had spared Shingo and drawn attention to himself to shield the other even though he was angry, as Shingo would have been banned from kendo had his indiscretion been discovered. It was due to this that Shingo was spared even after he awoke and told Seiji’s family the truth.
The next spring found Seiji, now the warrior of light, fighting alongside several other bearers of magical armor against the demon lord Arago and his Dynasty. Despite being separated and deceived time and again by the demon and his four warlords, Seiji and his friends, collectively known as the Samurai Troopers, managed to bring the Dynasty low and-apparently-destroy it. Whether it is truly gone or not, however, remains to be seen…
Strengths/Abilities: Even without his armor (and the and no-dachi that comes with it), Seiji is an impressive fighter and therefore a kendo champion even at a young age. His mastery of the blade shines through even when he’s only able to wield a wooden sword. His experience fighting the horrors of the Dynasty means that he faces most situations with an almost unshakeable calm (dinosaurs notwithstanding), and his cool-headed thinking often leads to him getting the proverbial jump on foes-even if he has to sacrifice himself to do it. Despite his age, he’s an exceptional driver who even enjoys racing.
With his armor, Seiji is another story entirely. His armor is nigh-indestructible, along with the sword that comes with it-and he can channel light energy through his sword, both to heal others and to attack (in the form of Rai Ko Zan-Lightning Strike-also known as the Thunderbolt Cut). He has the ability to breathe underwater and in space while wearing his armor, and he can speak and fight in these conditions. While on land, he can move as easily with his armor as though he were simply wearing clothes. In addition to this, he possesses an “under-armor” of sorts which affords him a modicum of protection.
Seiji also has a decent sixth sense and, while meditating, is able to sense current or past events. This also extends to dreaming.
Weaknesses/Faults: Seiji has a tendency to remain detached even when he shouldn’t, looking at certain situations coldly. On the rare occasions that Seiji is drawn into a blinding rage, he can become a liability if his opponent remains calm (and is able to withstand the fury of his attacks. When it comes to non-fighters, Seiji tends to (somewhat irritably) dismiss them, often outright telling them that they’re simply going to end up in his way and generally regarding them as a burden. Seiji is also perfectly willing to sacrifice himself “for the good of the team”, thus putting himself directly in harm’s way so as to either ‘snap his friends out of it’ or to buy them time to make their attacks or escape.
Items Brought With Them (anything aside from the clothes on their back): Seiji has a backpack with traditional kendo practice clothing (keikogi and hakama), a towel, his Korin sphere, a shinai (wooden kendo practice sword), his bamboo flute and a few bottles of water.