OOC: Character Notes
TST-specific, with oblique historical references thrown in to taste. Dammit, guys, don't make me bandwagon when I have this much homework ;A;
Family: Zou was the last of ten pregnancies his parents had, and the youngest of six children (though one of his sisters died while he was too young to really remember her). His father died of an incurable illness when he was still in utero, and his mother died of the same illness when he was five. His oldest brother, though blind, handled most of the duties of raising him. So yeah. Youngest of effectively-five, and orphaned. See where that "recognize me!"/"gtfo, I don't need you" thing comes from?
PS--All that stuff isn't me being a character abuser. It's me stealing directly from history. I think God must have hated poor Hijikata.
Coughing: Hijikata hates the sound of coughing. It's not just because of Souji, either...the illness that took his parents and sister from him was characterized by a wracking cough, and the experience of slowly losing his mother especially left him honestly very scarred. The sound of coughing fills him with helpless dread and rage at his lack of power to change things to this very day; when he has nightmares, they often involve people he love choking and drowning in blood. He hasn't told anyone, not even Souji. Everyone else would pity him, and Souji would fuss.
Booze: He can hold it, rather well. When he is drunk, unless there's something prompting him to react, he pretty much just acts the same as normal, but fuzzier about it. He likes sake and whiskey, but not at the same time.
Nicotine: A simple pipe, with the finest tobacco he can afford in it. He's been a smoker since his teenage years, and is almost never not smoking. Cigarettes and cigars strike him as unrefined and aesthetically unpleasing; he therefore avoids them.
Sex: Hijikata is a sex god. Ask any disease-free, attractive woman of age in any town he's visited, and you'll likely get confirmation (and possibly tokens of affection to bear unto him, accompanied by pleas for him to return and run away with them, like that would ever happen).
Honor: A big deal, but not in the way some people make it out to be. Hijikata has very...nonstandard views on what constitutes honorable behavior, and when honor is important. One must have priorities, and know when and what to sacrifice for them, mustn't one?
Pickled Daikon: He would live on it if Souji didn't see to it that he got actual meals.
Class: Class is not a matter of societal position; it is a matter of presentation and attitude. Hijikata always strives to be classy. He almost always succeeds.
Drag: Not a participant, but a fan when it's done right.
Poetry: PRAY no one ever finds where he hides his poetry book. Your ears will bleed, and your sides will hurt from laughing. Hijikata, bless his heart, is utterly godawful at poetry, but this does not stop him from trying. Constantly. The most recent pages are most likely full of dorkily bisexual love poetry that Souji must not EVER see or Hijikata will drop dead on the spot of embarrassment.
Hair: It is ridiculously long. I vaguely suspect 'Zou grew it out to piss off the more conservative members of his family.
Dreams: Hijikata is going to change things. Big things. They'll speak of his name a hundred years from now, and be awed at what he accomplished by strong will and intelligence alone. At least, that's his hope.
Emotions: He has them. He's just religious about not talking about or showing them, unless it's through his poetry or (sometimes, maybe) to Souji.
Sleeping Habits: Zou loves to sleep. He just...doesn't, not until very late at night. Then, he stays asleep as long as he possibly can. He looks very calm and relaxed when he's asleep; it's a nice change.
Sword style: He doesn't have one, as such. He cobbled his own together from bits and pieces of dozens of styles, resulting in a very well-rounded, strong set of techniques that no one school ever approves of.
Jobs: He had two before running off to Vohemar: One as shop-front eyecandy, and one as a travelling mana stone salesman when he got pissed off at his boss and quit the former.
Bellcius: Never attended the academy, since he was too busy traveling and trying to pull his weight with the family. He is, however, pretty familiar with the city, having been there often to visit the main branch and keep Toshirou looked after.
Pocketwatches:Over the years, he's been given several as birthday and Lunasa presents. He only ever uses the one; the others are in perfect, untouched condition. He will never comment on this, or mention the night it was given to him ten years ago.
Family: Zou was the last of ten pregnancies his parents had, and the youngest of six children (though one of his sisters died while he was too young to really remember her). His father died of an incurable illness when he was still in utero, and his mother died of the same illness when he was five. His oldest brother, though blind, handled most of the duties of raising him. So yeah. Youngest of effectively-five, and orphaned. See where that "recognize me!"/"gtfo, I don't need you" thing comes from?
PS--All that stuff isn't me being a character abuser. It's me stealing directly from history. I think God must have hated poor Hijikata.
Coughing: Hijikata hates the sound of coughing. It's not just because of Souji, either...the illness that took his parents and sister from him was characterized by a wracking cough, and the experience of slowly losing his mother especially left him honestly very scarred. The sound of coughing fills him with helpless dread and rage at his lack of power to change things to this very day; when he has nightmares, they often involve people he love choking and drowning in blood. He hasn't told anyone, not even Souji. Everyone else would pity him, and Souji would fuss.
Booze: He can hold it, rather well. When he is drunk, unless there's something prompting him to react, he pretty much just acts the same as normal, but fuzzier about it. He likes sake and whiskey, but not at the same time.
Nicotine: A simple pipe, with the finest tobacco he can afford in it. He's been a smoker since his teenage years, and is almost never not smoking. Cigarettes and cigars strike him as unrefined and aesthetically unpleasing; he therefore avoids them.
Sex: Hijikata is a sex god. Ask any disease-free, attractive woman of age in any town he's visited, and you'll likely get confirmation (and possibly tokens of affection to bear unto him, accompanied by pleas for him to return and run away with them, like that would ever happen).
Honor: A big deal, but not in the way some people make it out to be. Hijikata has very...nonstandard views on what constitutes honorable behavior, and when honor is important. One must have priorities, and know when and what to sacrifice for them, mustn't one?
Pickled Daikon: He would live on it if Souji didn't see to it that he got actual meals.
Class: Class is not a matter of societal position; it is a matter of presentation and attitude. Hijikata always strives to be classy. He almost always succeeds.
Drag: Not a participant, but a fan when it's done right.
Poetry: PRAY no one ever finds where he hides his poetry book. Your ears will bleed, and your sides will hurt from laughing. Hijikata, bless his heart, is utterly godawful at poetry, but this does not stop him from trying. Constantly. The most recent pages are most likely full of dorkily bisexual love poetry that Souji must not EVER see or Hijikata will drop dead on the spot of embarrassment.
Hair: It is ridiculously long. I vaguely suspect 'Zou grew it out to piss off the more conservative members of his family.
Dreams: Hijikata is going to change things. Big things. They'll speak of his name a hundred years from now, and be awed at what he accomplished by strong will and intelligence alone. At least, that's his hope.
Emotions: He has them. He's just religious about not talking about or showing them, unless it's through his poetry or (sometimes, maybe) to Souji.
Sleeping Habits: Zou loves to sleep. He just...doesn't, not until very late at night. Then, he stays asleep as long as he possibly can. He looks very calm and relaxed when he's asleep; it's a nice change.
Sword style: He doesn't have one, as such. He cobbled his own together from bits and pieces of dozens of styles, resulting in a very well-rounded, strong set of techniques that no one school ever approves of.
Jobs: He had two before running off to Vohemar: One as shop-front eyecandy, and one as a travelling mana stone salesman when he got pissed off at his boss and quit the former.
Bellcius: Never attended the academy, since he was too busy traveling and trying to pull his weight with the family. He is, however, pretty familiar with the city, having been there often to visit the main branch and keep Toshirou looked after.
Pocketwatches:Over the years, he's been given several as birthday and Lunasa presents. He only ever uses the one; the others are in perfect, untouched condition. He will never comment on this, or mention the night it was given to him ten years ago.