Difference between revisions of "Shinsuke Kusagawa"

• Weapon: Nightgarden - The Sword in the Stone, once wielded by Shadow Shinsuke.
• Body: Designer Coat - A black coat from a fashionable Aristocrat boutique.
• Feet: Black Leather Boots - A pair of fine tall leather boots.
• Accessory: Ice-Blue Contact Lenses - The perfect finish to his impeccable wardrobe.

• Courage: 1 - Better Part Of Valor
• Diligence: 5 - Driven and Determined
• Expression: 4 - Extremely Eloquent
  • Charm: 5 - This Stat Is Now Diamonds
  • Socialise: 2 - Scary Senpai
• Understanding: 4 - Favorite Subject: People
• Knowledge: 5 - Know-It-All
  • Academics: 5 - Future Valedictorian

• Shinsuke's personal name means "true helper", but can be poetically translated as "sincere assistance".
• Shinsuke's family name, Kusagawa, means "grassy river". He finds the similarity between it and Itsuka's surname fascinating -- Mizuhara means "flooded plain".
• Shinsuke's father, Dr. Kusagawa, works at Tatsumi Memorial Hospital, where he may or may not now be appraised of the true nature of afflictions such as Apathy Syndrome. That's why they're in Tatsumi Port Island in the first place.
• Shinsuke dresses primarily in designer Gothic Aristocrat fashions.
• Shinsuke's ice-blue eyes are indeed colored contact lenses. His eyes are actually brown -- cinnamon with gold flecks, to be precise. Lately he's taken to showing them off more.
• Though he doesn't plan on becoming a music student when he gets to university, Shinsuke plays both piano and violin quite well.
• Similarly, Shinsuke has been fencing at the national level since middle school.
• For various reasons, the most crucial of which is "because," any time Shinsuke speaks English, it comes out affected with an English accent. He's conversational, but not fluent.
• Shinsuke's favorite color, obviously, is blue.
• Shinsuke loves food and is an accomplished chef, owing to his having been alone most of the time for several years and his hatred of processed food. Whatever he might say, the root of his hatred is the fact that prepackaged, processed foods remind him of being alone.
• Shinsuke also loves people. So much.
• Thanks to his father's position, Shinsuke has an inordinate amount of money at his disposal. He mostly uses it to buy clothes, books, and food.
• Secret Skill: Shinsuke is an inexplicably good dancer, which may be related to his secret love of pop music.
• Shinsuke may or may not still work part-time as a pianist at Chagall Café.
• Due to a combination of psychic trauma (when Shinjiro Aragaki beheaded his Shadow) and physical trauma (at the talons of Kyo Enda), Shinsuke now has a thin scar bisecting his throat. Fortunately for his vanity, his usual fashions cover it.
• Nightgarden is Shinsuke's new sword rapier, acquired after Kyo Enda chomped his original blade to bits. Darkly beautiful, Nightgarden possesses an engraved fuller and an enameled hilt fashioned to resemble thorny black vines, which itself features roses with sapphire petals and emerald leaves. Once the sword of Shadow Shinsuke, the youth acquired it during the second raid on his dungeon. Its blade is suffused with a potent poison.
• Shinsuke is terminally unable to keep any sort of plant alive, and gardening is right out. This bothers him both because Itsuka has always been good at horticulture and because his Velvet Room -- and his TV dungeon -- are gardens. Way to drive the point home, Collective Unconsciousness.
• Like his sister, Shinsuke likes collecting things.
• Shinsuke is fascinated by death. This is not limited to physical death, either.
• A side effect of confronting his Shadow in the TV is, apparently, that Shinsuke no longer needs an Evoker to summon Personae. More importantly, it's solved his control issues.
• Shinsuke Kusagawa is one hell of a butler.

• Teatime: "How like you this cake? I find raspberry pairs nicely with the citrus in this Earl Grey, and its tartness offsets the heaviness of the cream." - Shinsuke inexplicably serves the demon tea and snacks, which may provoke happy or interested reactions.
• Morbidity: "I wonder...how similar is your anatomy to a mortal creature's? Would you be averse to letting me find out...?" - Shinsuke casually wonders aloud about the demon's more visceral qualities. May provoke happy, interested, frightened, or angry reactions.
• Snark: "Well, I suppose it can't be helped. I ought to have known better than to try and engage a Python in civil converse." - Shinsuke cattily insults the demon. May provoke angry, interested, or sad reactions.
• Brook No Argument: "Take us to your mistress. Now." - With a coldly authoritative gleam in his eye, Shinsuke issues orders to the demon. May provoke angry, interested, or frightened reactions.

"You can never go back."

Profile: Under construction

Skills: Am I The Good Twin?, Knight In Shining (?) Armor, The Good Son, (Far From) Effortlessly Perfect, Requiem For A Dream, Strings And Piano, Out Of Eden, An Immortal Emperor In A Mundane Universe, A Little Morbid, Also Kind Of A Romantic, Sister Complex, Everybody Lies (And They Do It All The Time), Rhapsody In Blue, Death Drive, Fire In His Eyes, Sure I'll Help You With Your Homework, Just Don't Touch My Stuff, None Of Your Business, Control Freak, The Earth Is A Character Gallery, Devil's Advocate, Has Thorns, The Sunlit Garden: Illusion

Special:

Shinsuke's Persona is Kay, seneschal and devil's advocate of the Court of King Arthur. He started out in the early Welsh tradition as a valiant, clever, and eloquent warrior with various fire- and water-related supernatural powers; the later tradition assigned him a wicked tongue and a decided contempt for anyone who didn't measure up to his exacting standards. Despite his villainous qualities, Kay was passing loyal to his comrades, particularly Bedivere and Gawain, and to his king (who was also his foster-brother). His pointed insults were his way of ensuring the quality of those who would call themselves Knights of the Round Table. As seneschal Kay was the master of the king's household, and was skilled in all manner of domestic tasks as well as those expected of a knight of his stature. He is also the only major knight who is not pledged to a lady, instead being more or less pledged to Arthur himself. That's not significant at all, though.

• SENSE: A feeling of safety and closeness, like sitting by the fire in a castle kitchen, and a distinct feeling of loyalty and solidarity.
• SOUND: The ring of steel against steel and the blowing of rain-soaked wind.
• SMELL: Spices and burning wood.
  
  

• 0. The Fool
  • Minako Arisato: The younger Arisato twin is on Student Council with Shinsuke, and they work together there. He occasionally finds himself baffled or bemused by her flirty nature, but considers her a friend nonetheless.
  • Joker: Joker likes Shinsuke's opinions. Oh god...

• I. The Magician
  • Shiki Ichimonji: RIP
  • Yosuke Hanamura: :)

• II. The High Priestess
  • Fuuka Yamagishi: Upon learning of his cooking skill, Fuuka asked Shinsuke to help her improve her own. He agreed to undertake the Herculean task and, with the (semi-distracting) aid of Seiichi Miyamoto, managed to help Fuuka create an edible dish! He is fairly certain it wasn't a fluke, given that Fuuka can apparently follow directions. They are on friendly terms, so it always embarrasses Shinsuke a little when Fuuka calls him "sensei".

• III. The Empress
  • Mitsuru Kirijo: It's taken a lot of time and personal development, but Shinsuke has reached the point where he is finally able to allow himself to address Mitsuru as "senpai" and not "Kirijo-sama". She means a great deal to him, and he trusts her. He also feels he ought to return his Evoker to her, now that he no longer needs it.

• IV. The Emperor
  • Akatsuki Enda: Their relationship has been rocky and complicated, but they've come to a good end. At least, Shinsuke has the feeling it's the end. He will always remember Akatsuki, and cherish not only his memories but also the lessons he's taken from them.
  • Sai Chiji: The only other Gothic Aristocrat Shinsuke knows, Sai seems to him to be sharp and no-nonsense -- traits he appreciates. Otherwise he doesn't know her that well; perhaps they should spend more time together.

• V. The Hierophant
  • Shinjiro Aragaki: Shinsuke respects his senpai a great deal, particularly due to Shinjiro's obvious culinary expertise (useful in rescuing Fuukas) and ability to dispense advice. That ability came in especially useful during a recent trip to Yakushima, where Shinjiro offered Shinsuke a gruff commentary on the youth's issues with Akatsuki Enda. They also spoke of TV dungeons, Shinsuke's being the first Shinjiro had attended since leaving his own...Shinsuke still wonders about what might have occurred there.

• VI. The Lovers
  • Yukari Takeba:

• VII. The Chariot
  • Aigis:
  • Chisaki Tohsaki: Shinsuke and Chisaki worked together on Student Council (she and Minako Arisato are co-VPs), and he visited her in the hospital after she lost a fight to Mamoru Yasuragi. This incident is the reason Shinsuke dislikes Mamoru, even if the Kasuga student and Chisaki are apparently now friends.
  • Yoh Yamagatani: Shinsuke vaguely knew Yoh from the dorm, but defending the boy when Hinata Itoh started lacing into him over an accidental insult paid to Masumi Hayashi apparently earned Shinsuke Yoh's undying well-regard. This is absolutely fine with Shinsuke -- Yoh may not be a genius, but his heart and loyalty to his friends impresses Shinsuke greatly. He's also apparently capable of accepting constructive criticism, which is also good.

• VIII. Justice
  • Arisa Shiratori: Though Shinsuke technically first met Arisa when they went to rescue Mai Namikawa from the Abyss of Time, the two princely teens actually interacted when they went to investigate the rumors of zombies in the Sumaru sewers. It may be too soon to tell if they'll actually end up being friends, subsequently.

• IX. The Hermit
  • Kotone Nakamura: Though they haven't spoken much since Shinsuke assisted in her rescue, the Secretary is glad SEES' resident moeblob seems to be doing well.

• X. The Wheel of Fortune
  • Takaya Sakaki: During a raid on the Karma Palace, Shinsuke nearly killed the Strega leader while under the influence of a Tentarafoo spell. This lead to a frank discussion with the rest of the Eclipse Squad that revealed Shinsuke's willingness to kill to protect what he loves.
  • Ran Itoh: They haven't spoken too much until recently, but Shinsuke finds he really likes the middle Itoh sister. She's sweet, caring, compassionate -- yes, a little derpy, but she's the sort of big sister anyone would be proud to have. It bothers Shinsuke that he includes himself in that number, given the fact that he...already has a big sister. :/a

• XI. Strength
  • Masahiko Irie: They met at a sushi bar in Sumaru, and Shinsuke attended a party Masa hosted a week or so later. Other than the fact that he's apparently acquainted with Fumiko Kohaku, Shinsuke doesn't know too much about him.
  • Thora Kobayashi: Shinsuke and Thora have a...complicated relationship.

• XII. The Hanged Man
  • Chidori Yoshino: Another Stregite. Shinsuke returned her disparaging comments in kind during a recent expedition into Tartarus.
  • Michiru Fukase: Michiru came with Thora to retrieve Shinsuke from the TV; otherwise, he doesn't really know her. Still, it's because she saw all of his issues laid out in a tableau that Shinsuke is willing to make her further acquaintance. They recently went shopping together, in fact.
  • Tohya Kidzuki: They met during Kyo Enda's dungeon. Unbeknownst to them both, they share a love of food.
  • Rui Onishi: It was to revive Rui during the fight with Kyo Enda's Shadow that Shinsuke switched Personae for the first time.
  • Masayu Tsuzuki:

• XIII. Death
  • Seiichi Miyamoto: Seiichi and Shinsuke are decent friends now that they've had a few more encounters, and the music student was present at Fuuka's first successful cooking lesson. Shinsuke still finds Seiichi extremely attractive, but that wasn't really ever going to change. A conversation they had recently settled Shinsuke's doubts on the matter of Seiichi's allegiances, and he was finally able to properly thank the musician for assisting in his rescue. Theme
  • Minamo Takagawa: Shinsuke and Minamo have historically not gotten along at all. Now that he's past many of his issues, though, Shinsuke feels he ought to reach out to his sister's best friend.

• XIV. Temperance
  • Naomi Suzuno: Shinsuke is fond of the Spencer heiress, holding her in high esteem despite the relatively few times they've spoken. He took a hit for her in Kyo's dungeon that resulted in his first KO, which proved mildly traumatising for the both of them.
  • Miwa Saitou: Since he contributed to her rescue, Shinsuke thought he ought to check on Miwa at the hospital. Over tea and cake (yes, really), they discussed dungeons and gardening.

• XV. The Devil
  • Itsuka Mizuhara: Shinsuke's twin sister. After the events of his TV dungeon, they still have a lot to settle between them...but now they might actually be able to. Theme

• XVI. The Tower
  • Mai Namikawa: Mai and Shinsuke get along rather well, to no one's surprise. Perhaps it's because they're both rigid disciplinarians and morbid to boot...

• XVII. The Star
  • Hinata Itoh: Shinsuke's best friend. <3~ Theme
  • Kasumi Horie: They aren't very well acquainted, but Shinsuke feels it's his duty to keep an eye out for his kohai nevertheless.
  • Hideo Aratami: Shinsuke's nemesis. Hideo has defeated Shinsuke in every single one of their three fights, the last culminating in Shinsuke's accidental trip into the TV. Now that he's been rescued, Shinsuke thinks it may be time to pay Hideo back...with help.

• XVIII. The Moon
  • Shinsuke has not developed any notable Moon links.

• XIX. The Sun
  • Kyo Enda: Akatsuki's twin brother and, apparently, what Shinsuke might have been had things gone a little differently. After aiding in Kyo's dungeon (which provoked a great deal of conflict in the Gekkoukan student), Shinsuke later aided in his actual capture -- though at the cost of his trusty blade.
  • Tatsuya Suou: As he is with most of Darkside, Shinsuke is only nominally acquainted with the Shinsengumi's leader.

• XX. Judgement
  • Nagisa Renge: They fought once and spoke once, and that's all...but Nagisa was human, and that -- for Shinsuke -- is reason enough to mourn her.
  • Shirou Sekigawa: Just...don't ask.

• BlazBlue OST, Lust SIN
  • Instrumental Track

• E.S. Posthumus, Vishnu
  • Instrumental Track

• Homestuck OST, Cascade
  • Instrumental Track

• Lacuna Coil, Not Enough -- Itsuka
  • I thought it was too late / I thought you disappeared / It's been a while since I believed in you / I used to have the strength / I used to just walk away / But now that I see you / It's not enough, it's not enough / I don't want to be saved / I want to go down with you / Together we can find a way to come back

• Lady Gaga, Judas -- Shirou and Lovers Reverse
  • I couldn't love a man so purely / Even prophets forgive his crooked way / I've learned love is like a brick, you can / Build a house or sink a dead body

• Ladytron, Destroy Everything You Touch
  • Destroy everything you touch today / Destroy me this way / Anything that may desert you / So it cannot hurt you / You only have to look behind you / At who's undermined you / Destroy everything you touch today / Destroy me this way

• Madonna, Into the Groove
  • Music can be such a revelation / Dancin' around you feel the sweet sensation / We might be lovers if the rhythm's right / I hope this feeling never ends tonight / Only when I'm dancin' can I feel this free / At night I lock the door where no one else can see / I'm tired of dancin' here all by myself / Tonight I wanna dance with someone else

• Prof. Elemental, Cup Of Brown Joy
  • And missionaries dismiss me for my single epiphany / The diff between him and me is a simple sip of British tea! / So when times are hard and life is rough / You can stick the kettle on and find me a cup

• Savage Garden, I Want You
  • Conversation has a time and place / In the interaction of a lover and a mate / But the time of talking / Using symbols, using words / Can be likened to a deep sea diver / Who is swimming with a raincoat / Come stand a little bit closer / Breathe in and get a bit higher / You'll never know what hit you / When I get to you

• Shinkichi Mitsumune, The Sunlit Garden
  • Instrumental Track

• Shinkichi Mitsumune, Invisible Rose
  • Instrumental Track

• Shinkichi Mitsumune, The Sunlit Garden: Illusion
  • Instrumental Track

• Shinkichi Mitsumune, Dreaming Cells
  • Instrumental Track

• Shinkichi Mitsumune, Nemuro Memorial Hall
  • Instrumental Track

• Shinkichi Mitsumune, Scarlet Group's Dance ~ Reunion
  • Instrumental Track

• Shinkichi Mitsumune, Abraxas In The Sunlit Garden
  • Instrumental Track

• Shinkichi Mitsumune, Poison -- Shadow Shinsuke
  • Instrumental Track

• Shinkichi Mitsumune, Possession -- Shadow Shinsuke
  • Instrumental Track

• Sting, Englishman In New York
  • Takes more than combat gear to make a man / Takes more than a license for a gun / Confront your enemies, avoid them when you can / A gentleman will walk but never run / If "manners maketh man" as someone said / Then he's the hero of the day / It takes a man to suffer ignorance and smile / Be yourself no matter what they say

• Sting, Fortress Around Your Heart -- Itsuka
  • Then I went off to fight some battle / That I had invented inside my head / Away so long for years and years / You probably thought or even wished that I was dead / While the armies are all sleeping / Beneath the tattered flag we'd made / Had to stop in my tracks for fear / Of walking on the mines we'd laid / And if I built this fortress around your heart / Encircled you in trenches and barbed wire / Then let me build a bridge / For I cannot fill the chasm / Let me set the battlements on fire

• Two Steps From Hell -- Heart of Courage
  • Instrumental Track

• VNV Nation, Rubicon
  • Tell me what to do / So I do nothing wrong / Something I can hope for / Something real that I can see / So nothing falls apart / So this does not end / I cannot return / I can't start again