Ritsuka for scorched.
Out of Character Information
player name: Rav
player livejournal: raventsukino
playing here: No.
where did you find us? A friend.
are you 16 years of age or older?: Yes.
In Character Information
character name: Ritsuka Aoyagi
Fandom: Loveless
Timeline: The night of Seimei's escape. Vol 10.
character's age: 12
powers, skills, pets and equipment: He is a Sacrifice - meaning he can order/call his Fighter (Soubi) through their bond. Also, being part of a team means that when he and his fighter are taken into a spell battle, his purpose is not only to give his partner orders, but to take the damage dealt to his fighter for him. Be it physical or mental, the goal of the fight is to immobilize the sacrifice and make them unable to give orders. This gives him a pretty high pain tolerance. But, by himself, he is very weak and vulnerable. Having a high pain tolerance really doesn't do him much good without any actual fighting skill. He's completely dependent on his fighter when it comes to battles. Without Soubi, he is just an average 12 year old boy... with cat ears.
Non-canon abilities: Since it's his job to take the damage dealt to his fighter I would like the mist to give him a small ability to heal. Nothing too fast, but smaller cuts will heal in a minute or so while deeper cuts or broken bones will mend in a day or so, just so he isn't too easy of a target without Soubi around.
canon history: Due to events still unknown in the manga, Ritsuka has no memories prior to the age of 10. It is believed something tragic had occurred, something that also left his mother insane and violently abusive. It is also believed that his brother was somehow tied to these events, but there is still no solid proof of this.
Little of what Ritsuka can remember of his childhood is happy. Though he has been told that, before his memory loss, he was a very cheerful and social child, after his memory loss he became distant and withdrawn. This of course only agitated his mother's condition to the point where she'd beat the boy, claiming he wasn't her real son and making him feel as if the person he is now had somehow taken her real son away. She'd also played cruel tricks, disguised as apologies for hurting him, such as making foods that he both liked and disliked and then watching him eat to see if he'd choose the ones the "real" Ritsuka would eat. If he'd choose wrong he'd be beaten. However, it was impossible to remember which foods were safe since she tended to get mixed up and often got the answers wrong herself. Still he tried to humor her and viewed her illness as an excuse for her behavior. He even believed that he had in some way taken her true child away and would often attempt to act like him for her benefit. His father was of no help either, often leaving the house when his wife would start to have one of her episodes.
Still, things weren't always bleak at the Aoyagi house hold. Ritsuka's older brother, Seimei, was a constant safety line for him. He'd protect his little brother by letting him stay in his room or stepping in whenever their mother would corner Ritsuka. He looked up to his brother a great deal and loved him more than anything, so blinded by his adoration he was completely clueless to Seimei's sadistic and cruel side. Often he'd ignore strange incidents - Seimei coming home with blood on his clothing, his pet fish mysteriously dying, and even having gifts sent to him by others thrown out because his brother didn't want him to have them. He shrugged it all off believing that his brother was a kind and gentle person, and that everything he did was for Ritsuka's benefit.
So when news of Seimei being murdered reached him, the boy was not only devastated but confused! Who would want to hurt someone like Seimei? The time following his brother's death went by in a blur and Ritsuka was left angry and alone. It wasn't until he started school again that his life really started to come back together. On his first day at the new school, he met a girl named Yuiko Hawatari, and the two didn’t have a good start. She tried everything to be friendly to Ritsuka, but he wasn’t impressed and thought she was a complete idiot. His opinion of her lessened even more when he found out that the only reason she had spoken to him was because her friends had dared her to and because she thought he was “hot”. The meeting ended with poor Yuiko in tears. Still she continued to try and be his friend. It really did annoy him, but in time her bubbly personality and genuine kindness softened him and made an actual impact on him. Though he’ll never tell her, he now views her as a close friend. He started making her read books since, as he's said, he can’t stand idiots; he has even gotten her to stop talking in the third person. Though he can still be harsh with her, he has grown to care about her and truly wants her to better herself.
Later after his first day of school he met a man named Soubi who claimed to know Seimei. At first Ritsuka thought he was just some pervert or a kidnapper, but when he mentioned Seimei’s name the boy instantly took to Soubi. The two spent the day “making memories". (This really wasn’t as bad as it sounds. It’s really just Ritsuka taking a bunch of pictures.) This is when Soubi took the time to explain just what a fighter was and what the name “Loveless" truly meant. He then kissed Ritsuka, which once again left the youth ready to write Soubi off as some creep. But not long after, another fighter/sacrifice team named “Breathless" attacked the two of them in an attempt to capture Ritsuka and bring him by force to a place called the "Shichisei Gakuen" (Seven moons Academy). The battle was short and Soubi’s words were proven true. Ritsuka was still skeptical about Soubi as a whole, but this man was the key to finding out more about Seimei’s murder. With his new strange fighter, Ritsuka was lead down a path he has since loved and regretted.
Things with Soubi are often confusing and conflicting for them; the man would show romantic interest in him and Ritsuka, having problems with intimacy and adults, would often grow frustrated or flustered with him. At first he believed Soubi was just teasing him and at times he still believes this to some extent, so he denied any romantic feelings he may have had in return. There is also the fact that Soubi seemed to want Ritsuka to treat him like an object or to punish him. This of course went against everything the boy believed in and would cause further awkwardness. Still, the more their bond as fighter and sacrifice grew, the closer the two of them became and Ritsuka started to find himself actually missing and worrying for the man whenever he was gone.
It isn’t until another fighter and sacrifice team named “Zero” appeared that Ritsuka began to realize just how much he cared for Soubi. Unbeknownst to Ritsuka, Soubi had been fighting on his own, which is dangerous for a fighter to do since without their sacrifice their own powers are cut down by nearly half. When Ritsuka found out, he was hurt and upset. Soubi had been keeping things from him, not just injuries but information. He tried ordering Soubi not to lie to him anymore, but unfortunately it was an order Soubi could not follow.
Things continued to be tense and rocky for the two but these concerns had all come to a pause when further clues about his brother's killers finally surfaced. While following a lead to the Shichisei Gakuen, Ritsuka met Soubi's friend Kio, who bluntly revealed to him Seimei's true nature. Of course Ritsuka was unwilling to accept this without proof, so he took Soubi aside and ordered him to undress. In doing so Ritsuka saw the scars left on his body due to Seimei’s cruel treatment and Ritsu’s abusive training of his fighter. With the undeniable proof standing before him, Ritsuka was shocked. Things about Seimei started to finally connect with him and he could no longer deny it. Seimei had been fooling him the whole time. Soubi claimed that it was just a way to be marked as Seimei's fighter, but Ritsuka was still deeply upset by it.
Still, he loved his brother and wanted answers, so they continued their journey to the Shichisei Gakuen academy. Upon arriving they were forced to leave Kio outside (since only fighters and sacrifices were allowed inside) only to be separated as part of an ongoing test in the school to see if Sacrifices and fighters could find or call to one another without being heard. It was supposed to be a fairly routine event, but then the school was attacked by two men. The attackers broke into the school and easily took out any guards. There was instant panic and, but even with the chaos Ritsuka successfully called out to Soubi and the two the two were reunited quickly, just as one of the school's attackers approached Ritsuka. His name was Nisei and he said he was Seimei's true fighter. This only further confirmed the suspicions that Seimei’s death was in fact staged.
The two battled Nisei and even without his sacrifice the battle was taxing, but they eventually won, leaving Nisei unconscious as they go to track down the other intruder, who they now believed to be Seimei. Following after team "zero" they find a message written on a wall in blood for Ritsuka reading: "Ritsuka, I'm Back.” With this Ritsuka finally had proof that his brother was alive and the attack was Seimei's doing. Zero, having gone ahead, had Seimei cornered in a library and for the first time, Ritsuka and Seimei were finally reunited. Now one would have expected anger and rage from him, but instead, Ritsuka was thrilled to see his brother alive and well. Lies and recent revelations put aside by his joy, he embraced him and forgave him for it all. Still, even with his forgiveness he wasn't completely drawn back to his brother. He wanted the boy to turn himself in; this of course Seimei took as rejection from Ritsuka and ordered Soubi to shatter through a window and help him escape. Soubi did, to team Zero's shock, but surprisingly not to Ritsuka's. He knew how persuasive his brother could be and didn't blame the fighter for what he did.
Of course this didn't stop Soubi from blaming himself once the encounter had come to an end. Branded as a traitor, Soubi was in a state of self loathing and slight shock. It worried Ritsuka to no end but he continued to try and calm Soubi. It hurt him to see his fighter so upset and even more to hear Soubi call himself a traitor. Eventually Ritsuka gets Soubi to rest, but the man was still in a worrisome state the last time Ritsuka's seen him.
personality: To say this boy is complicated is an understatement. In the beginning it’s said that Ritsuka was a happy little boy. He made friends easily and was very outgoing, and seemed to prefer fun over academics. It wasn’t until the “death” of his older brother Seimei that things took a sudden turn. Ritsuka became withdrawn and distant. Though his grades improved greatly, life no longer interested him without Seimei and the only thing keeping him tethered to life was the guilt he felt over leaving his mother alone.
For a time Ritsuka was thought to have two personalities, but in reality he was only being polite to adults and people of influence to keep from being asked too many questions. He’s even perfected the art of fake smiling if only to keep people from always telling him needs to smile more. Around children and anyone else he might have viewed as useless he’d remain cold or simply ignore them. It wasn't until he met a girl in his class named Yuiko that he started to soften a bit. She was annoying and Ritsuka to this day still thinks she can be an idiot, but her kind and loyal nature got through to him, even if it was slight. His real awakening didn't fully start until he met a man named Soubi. With a promise to aid him in finding his brother's killer, he gave the boy something worth living for again.
With Soubi he’s also been given something to care for. Even at such a young age, he’s stepped up to the role and has slowly started opening up to people again. His gentler nature has started to surface, although the man can frustrate Ritsuka to no end, he still genuinely enjoys Soubi’s company. He’s able to concentrate on more things, though his brother is still on his mind an unhealthy amount of the time (which he’s recently discovered was his brother’s intention the whole time). Still, another aspect of his personality is his capacity to forgive and take high amounts of emotional pain. Though heartbroken by the discovery of his brother's faked death and his truly violent nature, Ritsuka still forgives him and loves him. He was even willing to accept him if he promised to reform. He has trouble trusting people and forming bonds, so he hates dishonesty and being lied to like most people. But he’ll often make excuses for his loved ones’ actions, namely his abusive mother and his brother, no matter how unforgivable or cruel they may be.
Ritsuka is a pacifist at heart, so when bullied he'll often ignore it or turn the other cheek. When teasing him, he'll show annoyance towards you for the lack of maturity and call you an idiot or simply walk away. Unless the teasing involves touching of any kind which often leaves Ritsuka speechless and flustered. Having grown up in an abusive household he has grown very tough skin toward both emotional and physical pain. It also leaves him with very little respect for anyone that would hurt another in any way. In fact the only thing that will get him truly angry is bearing witness to abuse towards a friend or loved one. Though he'll never raise his hand in anger towards someone, this doesn't stop him from shouting and possibly throwing something. He can be hot headed when it comes to seeing people in pain (even ones he doesn't know personally) and has no qualms verbalizing his disapproval, even at the expense of his friendships with others.
With his small amount of patience towards immaturity, his finicky eating habits and dislike for foods that involve too much chewing, some people have said his behavior is almost similar to a grumpy old man's, which is odd for one so young. In spite of the impression he gives, Ritsuka isn't always overly mature. Like any child he has some childish things he likes, such as video games. His brother would often buy him the latest console or game from his favorite series and he shows some skill with console games when he's forced to play to gather information on his brother's death. He can also have his fits like any child, mostly when his personal space is invaded or when he's just being stubborn about not wanting to try something he's unfamiliar with, namely new foods. He'll often give Soubi a hard time about what he cooks for him and will even flat out refuse to eat it. He loves junk food, to Soubi's dismay. Sweets, meats and most of all McDonald's are some of his favorites. Junk food is one of the only things he doesn't over think and just enjoys when he can.
Now when I say one of the few things he over thinks? I mean it. The child is very into philosophy or any books with a philosophical undertone. The kid thinks too much and questions most everything, though not out loud since he doesn't want to annoy or upset anyone. He's often thinking or daydreaming in class. Unfortunately they aren't very happy thoughts most of the time. His mind is always active and if it's not, he'll find ways to make it active. His main thought is about his lost identity. See, he has no prior memories before the age of 10. So he'll often wonder about what happened to make "the real Ritsuka" leave. He also worries that when the "real Ritsuka" returns, he will be forgotten.
This leads me to the final bit about this quirky child, his hobby in photography. Ritsuka views this as a way to record his memories and will often take pictures with people. Strangers, friends, his psychologist, anyone really. He calls it "making memories" and in doing this he hopes to leave at least a remnant of who he is now. Though with recent events he has been more focused on finding his brother and about being a good sacrifice instead of on his identity issues. All in all, Ritsuka is a kind person willing to take a hit or 12 if it keeps the peace as a whole and even with all that's been thrown at him, he still manages to be the most emotionally stable character in his series.
Why do you feel this character would be appropriate to the setting? The world of Loveless can often be a dark and dangerous place, so even at the young age of twelve, Ritsuka has faced plenty of hardships. Being part of a Fighter/sacrifice team he is often thrown into spell battles; as the sacrifice his purpose is to take the damage dealt to his partner. In fact, the very goal of a spell battle is to immobilize the sacrifice through physical bonds or injury. Some spells will also play psychological tricks on their victims, making them hallucinate or even shut down some of their senses.
Even when out of a spell battle, Ritsuka home life isn't much better. He endures abuse at home from his insane mother. Misaki's mental illness often causes her to have violent and irrational outbursts both verbal and physical, all of which she will take out on her son. So physical and mental torture is nothing new to him.
Writing Samples
Network Post Sample:
Both from his time over at badfic-manor:
Here and Here
Third Person Sample:
A small glimmer of light trickled in from the window, cascading over the slumbering boy's eyelids. It wasn't very bright, but it was enough to make him stir and let him know somewhere in the haze of sleep that it was time to wake up. The small cat ears twitched, then fell back, pressing lightly against his hair before the rest of his body stretched out against the mattress. His mind still slightly clouded from sleep, it took him a moment to notice that the bed was a lot roomier than it had been before he'd fallen asleep. His arm moved out in the vain hope that he'd feel something, or in this case someone, but there was nothing.
"Nm?" He finally opened his eyes and glanced at the space beside him. "Soubi?" Not seeing his fighter still in the bed instantly startled him out of his hazy state; he sat up in the bed, glancing around the room for any trace of him. "What...?" It was at this time Ritsuka realized he was in a completely different room. The bed, the walls, the very scent of the place: it was all different. The air was so heavy and thick, the room was sparse and looked like something from and old museum exhibit. This wasn't the academy and - apparently - he'd been moved without even realizing it. Okay, that last bit wasn't so hard to believe since he'd always been a heavy sleeper, but still, Soubi had been beside him, there's no way he'd let anyone take him. His ears and tail are both pressed closely to him now and he was at a momentary loss of what to do. 'Don't panic. That won't get you anywhere... just try and call for Soubi.'
"Soubi!" He cried out louder, trying to keep his voice firm, but when he felt nothing from their bond his resolve started to fade. "Soubi, come here!" He tried again and waited for the man to appear. Ten minutes or so passed and Ritsuka was growing more anxious. "Soubi, where are you? I need you..." He said one last time, hearing the tremble in his own voice. What was happening? How did he get here? Was this Seimei's doing? The questions buzzed hectically in his mind until he shook his head furiously. Something had to be wrong, Soubi wouldn't just ignore his calls like this! Not now, not after ever all that had happened. A small inkling of doubt tried creeping its way in when a thought of Seimei and his power over his fighter returned, but the boy let out a frustrated growl and chased it off.
"No. He wouldn't. Something must be keeping him from me," he declared aloud firmly and dropped his fist to the mattress. It was then he felt something press into the side of his hand. "Huh...? A phone?" He picked up the electronic and looked it over curiously. It started to record and connect to some kind of network, almost as if inviting him to speak. 'Well, it's useless to just sit here and worry.' Clearing his throat he held the phone up and spoke calmly as he could.
"Um, morning, my name is Aoyagi Ritsuka..."