Ritsu Kageyama (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
esperimental) wrote2017-02-19 11:51 pm
esperimental) wrote2017-02-19 11:51 pm
Entry tags:
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
recolle app
PLAYER
YOUR NAME: Eli
18+?: Y
CONTACT:![[plurk.com profile]](https://plurk.com/favicon.ico)
173ELI | Discord: healspls#0307
CHARACTERS IN GAME: --
RESERVATION LINK: Here
YOUR NAME: Eli
18+?: Y
CONTACT:
CHARACTERS IN GAME: --
RESERVATION LINK: Here
CHARACTER: CANON SECTION
NAME: Ritsu Kageyama
AGE: 13
CANON: Mob Psycho 100
Ritsu on the TDMNAME: Ritsu Kageyama
AGE: 13
CANON: Mob Psycho 100
CANON HISTORY: Here, below is a more comprehensive version.
Introduced as a kind, responsible younger brother with the air of maturity befitting an elder sibling, Ritsu succeeded in all things he put his hand to, and always offered his brother an ear willing to listen if he was troubled. He was smart, he was handsome, he was popular; a schoolmate noted with some melancholy people truly weren't born equal, as all the blessings had been poured onto him who shone brightly with promise, and not his brother, plain and ordinary as can be, struggling with school and frequently collapsing on his quest to become buff to impress his crush. Not leaving a mark anywhere, his elder brother Shigeo earned the nickname "Mob" (a "mob character" in Japanese being slang for indistinguishable) while Ritsu proceeded to be one of the most popular students in school while only a freshman. Mob didn't feel anything about this comparison that he knew existed, and was simply proud to have such a remarkable little brother, but Ritsu did. Contrary to what everyone else would think... Ritsu felt infinitely inferior to Mob.
The cause of this deep-rooted envy was that his brother had psychic powers, and Ritsu did not. Ritsu had asked his big brother before when they were children, if he thought he could someday also do these amazing things like bend spoons, make dogs float, and contain water in the air... Mob smiled brightly exclaiming of course, because they were brothers. Years later, and still not an esper, all the things he's ever done felt worthless to him, Ritsu would trade it all to switch places; he was even vaguely irritated to know Mob disliked his power, not realizing it was all because Ritsu himself got hurt by it long ago. It wasn't that he wanted everything, it's just that he wanted the one thing he could never accept was impossible for him to attain. For both better and worse, it turned out it really wasn't impossible. He met his first ghost, a strange balloon-shaped entity at the base of the Kageyama household's fence, a spirit named Dimple who had previously tied himself to his brother with the hopes to use him in his quest for godhood. Seeing this excited, naive boy who finally grasped the first fruits of his lifelong dream, Dimple said he could make him reach his brother's level and Ritsu took the bait, letting Dimple possess his body so he could better control his powers.
He practiced in secret for a while, away from his brother's sight and skipping some meals. To what extents Ritsu went in his perfectionist streak really showed, and he tested his hypothesis that his power must grow when he feels spikes of negative emotions. Ritsu continued on the Big Cleanup project with student council president Kamuro, who knew Ritsu was so well-loved and trusted that if he played along, the students would believe anything. He planted evidence of crimes on delinquent students to ostracize them from their classmates entirely, punishing them far worse than their initial faults merited. The toxicity of scapegoating scraped away at him, and as his guilt grew, so did his power, and Dimple noticed his character changed for the worse. He liked being untouchable. When anyone tried to confront Ritsu, alone or in numbers, he used his psychic powers to knock them all out, smiling wide, laughing aloud at how they never stood a chance. Kamuro began to suffer from being associated with him, and wanted to call it quits. Ritsu mused to Dimple but didn't dwell too much on how "their puppet broke".
What snapped Ritsu back to reality was his brother's discovery of his actions, and that he wholeheartedly believed he was better than what he had become. Ritsu wanted to fight Mob, feeling it would finally destroy the inferiority complex and fear he had of his brother for all this time. His big brother refused; and it was here one could really see which brother was the elder, and which was the younger. His acceptance stung more than any of the wounds he would have gotten if Mob did battle him, he could only stand in stunned silence as his brother asked for the gangs' forgiveness for his little brother hurting them, bowed to the ground. ... That, and then Ritsu's abruptly ambushed and kidnapped by an esper organization called Claw right there, and he realizes how small he still is compared to other espers. Long story short, against all odds his brother along with Dimple and Mob's rival-turned-friend Teru, rescue him before the dawn of the next day, and Ritsu began to sob after his brother hugged him, crying how he hadn't even been allowed to properly apologize yet.
Mob realized something too, that after the accident when the entity inside him made him afraid of his powers, Ritsu had always offered to listen if he was troubled, but he had kept turning him away by saying it was nothing. Not wanting him to get hurt again, that was what had happened instead. Mob would finally let him in, and Ritsu knew that after years, they were proper brothers once more, and the smiles he returned to his brother finally genuine. Meanwhile with the student council, he and Kamuro both own up to the error of their ways, Kamuro deciding that as it was his idea to begin with and that he roped Ritsu into it, he was willing to take the brunt of the backlash. The two had mended their own relationship thereafter, both having healed their bonds with their respective older brothers, and Ritsu supports Kamuro when the vice-president says that even after stepping down of his own volition, he should run for re-election again, having changed, both believed Kamuro could be renewed as the student council president they needed.
Skip some time forward, and Ritsu meets a dangerous individual who ends up saving his life. Yes, a contradictory statement, because it was the same redheaded punk who had effortlessly knocked him out the first time he met him while he tried to escape when he was kidnapped. An esper his age by the name of Shou Suzuki, Ritsu had apparently impressed him the first time around with his fearlessness bordering on stupidity, he could accept nothing less to stop his father's world conquering plans once they were set into motion. Well, and also, he was the bait for his pacifistic big brother to come help with that, so that's fine. Shou had apparently been working against his own father's designs to put espers on top of the rest of the world for a while, finding recruits for his cause, and Ritsu was the one he considered the most promising even with being a new esper. Unlike anyone else he had encountered before, Ritsu almost immediately, and truly considered Shou a friend after hearing him out, and Shou himself thought it was ridiculous that Ritsu still had lingering feelings that he would never become as strong as his brother; Shou believed he had the potential to even surpass him. The reason for how quick Ritsu was to trust Shou is then revealed, he admitted to him he knew what kind of feelings Shou must have had, to be related to someone with such great powers, and even with allies it would be up to no one more than themselves, that if their morals went astray it was their own greatest responsibility to set their family straight. They put a lot of faith in each other, fought back-to-back, and became partners. Boyfriends, fam.
Many details, violence, and a father's defeat later, broccoli happened... and then it was gone. Which is not extremely relevant to Ritsu's character, so, to be continued, as the manga goes along!
CANON PERSONALITY:
People are fond of geniuses, and even more so if they don't brag too much, "It's the company you keep, yada-yada", and yet, Ritsu never really knew how to chat with people. He was decent enough at making small talk and serious debates, but wouldn't really call those who were drawn to him friends; half the time, he'd forget their names. He's too serious most of the time, so some jokes do fly over his head, with his own rarely seen sense of humor being dry and curt. Popular but hard to get close to, Ritsu was a mystery that only made his fans at school swoon more. Vice-president Tokugawa of the student council had more opportunity to observe him and his downplaying of his achievements however, and flatly made a remark that he shouldn't try to imitate his brother. It shocked him with how easily he was read, giving him the defiant resolve to go to the Awakening Lab to earn psychic powers even if he had simply been mistaken to be Shigeo.
Once someone sees past his public "ideal boy" face, they can see Ritsu's character balances a curious weight between maturity and immaturity. Contemplative and intelligent, he learns quickly and always plans ahead. Deadpan and blunt, he points out people's bad qualities to their face more often than he holds back his tongue. There's something to be said about being brainy and being a brat, in that way he's fairly stereotypical. The kid didn't feel genuine about his natural gifts before, but received a great (and sometimes excessive) amount of confidence in himself after his esper awakening, and challenges many things head on even when knowing he could and probably would lose. So long as he kept his wits about him, he felt he could turn the situation around, or at least serve his purpose while someone stronger directly dealt with the bigger problem. His impulse control tends to not be too terrible, unless the few who are closest to his heart are threatened. ... Actually, otherwise, Ritsu's not enough of a Good Samaritan to help most complete strangers out if it'll take him more than fifteen minutes, sorry. He's not actively trying to be unpleasant, it's just hard to get him to care.
The culmination of Ritsu's esper abilities taught him something else as well, now that Ritsu had what he'd wanted since he was small, he realized what he maybe most truly envied was his brother's steadfast devotion to his goals, as compared to his own lack of direction. But it was a start that he could now support his big brother with no jealousy attached, he was still young, and isn't even in high school yet for Pete's sake, he'd have time to contemplate where he wanted to go next. Life was never boring either, now that he saw ghosts, met with other young espers like himself, and took down a gigantic organization with a friend who burned down his house. Some things to note on the cuter side are details in Ritsu's personal profile omake! These included trivia as much noticeable details that weren't as previously concrete because of lack of screentime in arc absences (he... doesn't like his brother's mentor much). One of Ritsu's weaknesses is his apparent jumpiness, and when actually thrown off his composure he has to take some time to recover and pretend that didn't happen, resulting in spikes of self-consciousness. He also HATES gross bugs. Prank him with a roach and he'd probably try to kill you-- and promptly fail because he can't focus his powers.
There's a lot of unexpected darkness in Ritsu's character for someone introduced to be assumed as the token nice, supportive normie family member; ONE put an incredible amount of care in writing existing sibling complexes, of inferiority and inescapable comparisons, as well as the effortlessness of forgiveness, showing that Mob truly was the elder brother. However, there is a lot of unexplored territory beyond Ritsu's jealousy and power aspects, especially in regards to his difficulty making bonds with others, to the point it is commonly assumed Shou's the first true friend he's ever made. That's why I want to roleplay him pretty much, his character development's got a long way to go. As much as I love him being an awful child, I'd be excited to make an alternative to the canonical method of his change, as well as potentially go further, whether in a better direction or worse.
SKILLS/ABILITIES:
HUMAN SKILLS
ESPER ABILITIES
Introduced as a kind, responsible younger brother with the air of maturity befitting an elder sibling, Ritsu succeeded in all things he put his hand to, and always offered his brother an ear willing to listen if he was troubled. He was smart, he was handsome, he was popular; a schoolmate noted with some melancholy people truly weren't born equal, as all the blessings had been poured onto him who shone brightly with promise, and not his brother, plain and ordinary as can be, struggling with school and frequently collapsing on his quest to become buff to impress his crush. Not leaving a mark anywhere, his elder brother Shigeo earned the nickname "Mob" (a "mob character" in Japanese being slang for indistinguishable) while Ritsu proceeded to be one of the most popular students in school while only a freshman. Mob didn't feel anything about this comparison that he knew existed, and was simply proud to have such a remarkable little brother, but Ritsu did. Contrary to what everyone else would think... Ritsu felt infinitely inferior to Mob.
The cause of this deep-rooted envy was that his brother had psychic powers, and Ritsu did not. Ritsu had asked his big brother before when they were children, if he thought he could someday also do these amazing things like bend spoons, make dogs float, and contain water in the air... Mob smiled brightly exclaiming of course, because they were brothers. Years later, and still not an esper, all the things he's ever done felt worthless to him, Ritsu would trade it all to switch places; he was even vaguely irritated to know Mob disliked his power, not realizing it was all because Ritsu himself got hurt by it long ago. It wasn't that he wanted everything, it's just that he wanted the one thing he could never accept was impossible for him to attain. For both better and worse, it turned out it really wasn't impossible. He met his first ghost, a strange balloon-shaped entity at the base of the Kageyama household's fence, a spirit named Dimple who had previously tied himself to his brother with the hopes to use him in his quest for godhood. Seeing this excited, naive boy who finally grasped the first fruits of his lifelong dream, Dimple said he could make him reach his brother's level and Ritsu took the bait, letting Dimple possess his body so he could better control his powers.
He practiced in secret for a while, away from his brother's sight and skipping some meals. To what extents Ritsu went in his perfectionist streak really showed, and he tested his hypothesis that his power must grow when he feels spikes of negative emotions. Ritsu continued on the Big Cleanup project with student council president Kamuro, who knew Ritsu was so well-loved and trusted that if he played along, the students would believe anything. He planted evidence of crimes on delinquent students to ostracize them from their classmates entirely, punishing them far worse than their initial faults merited. The toxicity of scapegoating scraped away at him, and as his guilt grew, so did his power, and Dimple noticed his character changed for the worse. He liked being untouchable. When anyone tried to confront Ritsu, alone or in numbers, he used his psychic powers to knock them all out, smiling wide, laughing aloud at how they never stood a chance. Kamuro began to suffer from being associated with him, and wanted to call it quits. Ritsu mused to Dimple but didn't dwell too much on how "their puppet broke".
What snapped Ritsu back to reality was his brother's discovery of his actions, and that he wholeheartedly believed he was better than what he had become. Ritsu wanted to fight Mob, feeling it would finally destroy the inferiority complex and fear he had of his brother for all this time. His big brother refused; and it was here one could really see which brother was the elder, and which was the younger. His acceptance stung more than any of the wounds he would have gotten if Mob did battle him, he could only stand in stunned silence as his brother asked for the gangs' forgiveness for his little brother hurting them, bowed to the ground. ... That, and then Ritsu's abruptly ambushed and kidnapped by an esper organization called Claw right there, and he realizes how small he still is compared to other espers. Long story short, against all odds his brother along with Dimple and Mob's rival-turned-friend Teru, rescue him before the dawn of the next day, and Ritsu began to sob after his brother hugged him, crying how he hadn't even been allowed to properly apologize yet.
Mob realized something too, that after the accident when the entity inside him made him afraid of his powers, Ritsu had always offered to listen if he was troubled, but he had kept turning him away by saying it was nothing. Not wanting him to get hurt again, that was what had happened instead. Mob would finally let him in, and Ritsu knew that after years, they were proper brothers once more, and the smiles he returned to his brother finally genuine. Meanwhile with the student council, he and Kamuro both own up to the error of their ways, Kamuro deciding that as it was his idea to begin with and that he roped Ritsu into it, he was willing to take the brunt of the backlash. The two had mended their own relationship thereafter, both having healed their bonds with their respective older brothers, and Ritsu supports Kamuro when the vice-president says that even after stepping down of his own volition, he should run for re-election again, having changed, both believed Kamuro could be renewed as the student council president they needed.
Skip some time forward, and Ritsu meets a dangerous individual who ends up saving his life. Yes, a contradictory statement, because it was the same redheaded punk who had effortlessly knocked him out the first time he met him while he tried to escape when he was kidnapped. An esper his age by the name of Shou Suzuki, Ritsu had apparently impressed him the first time around with his fearlessness bordering on stupidity, he could accept nothing less to stop his father's world conquering plans once they were set into motion. Well, and also, he was the bait for his pacifistic big brother to come help with that, so that's fine. Shou had apparently been working against his own father's designs to put espers on top of the rest of the world for a while, finding recruits for his cause, and Ritsu was the one he considered the most promising even with being a new esper. Unlike anyone else he had encountered before, Ritsu almost immediately, and truly considered Shou a friend after hearing him out, and Shou himself thought it was ridiculous that Ritsu still had lingering feelings that he would never become as strong as his brother; Shou believed he had the potential to even surpass him. The reason for how quick Ritsu was to trust Shou is then revealed, he admitted to him he knew what kind of feelings Shou must have had, to be related to someone with such great powers, and even with allies it would be up to no one more than themselves, that if their morals went astray it was their own greatest responsibility to set their family straight. They put a lot of faith in each other, fought back-to-back, and became partners. Boyfriends, fam.
Many details, violence, and a father's defeat later, broccoli happened... and then it was gone. Which is not extremely relevant to Ritsu's character, so, to be continued, as the manga goes along!
CANON PERSONALITY:
People are fond of geniuses, and even more so if they don't brag too much, "It's the company you keep, yada-yada", and yet, Ritsu never really knew how to chat with people. He was decent enough at making small talk and serious debates, but wouldn't really call those who were drawn to him friends; half the time, he'd forget their names. He's too serious most of the time, so some jokes do fly over his head, with his own rarely seen sense of humor being dry and curt. Popular but hard to get close to, Ritsu was a mystery that only made his fans at school swoon more. Vice-president Tokugawa of the student council had more opportunity to observe him and his downplaying of his achievements however, and flatly made a remark that he shouldn't try to imitate his brother. It shocked him with how easily he was read, giving him the defiant resolve to go to the Awakening Lab to earn psychic powers even if he had simply been mistaken to be Shigeo.
Once someone sees past his public "ideal boy" face, they can see Ritsu's character balances a curious weight between maturity and immaturity. Contemplative and intelligent, he learns quickly and always plans ahead. Deadpan and blunt, he points out people's bad qualities to their face more often than he holds back his tongue. There's something to be said about being brainy and being a brat, in that way he's fairly stereotypical. The kid didn't feel genuine about his natural gifts before, but received a great (and sometimes excessive) amount of confidence in himself after his esper awakening, and challenges many things head on even when knowing he could and probably would lose. So long as he kept his wits about him, he felt he could turn the situation around, or at least serve his purpose while someone stronger directly dealt with the bigger problem. His impulse control tends to not be too terrible, unless the few who are closest to his heart are threatened. ... Actually, otherwise, Ritsu's not enough of a Good Samaritan to help most complete strangers out if it'll take him more than fifteen minutes, sorry. He's not actively trying to be unpleasant, it's just hard to get him to care.
The culmination of Ritsu's esper abilities taught him something else as well, now that Ritsu had what he'd wanted since he was small, he realized what he maybe most truly envied was his brother's steadfast devotion to his goals, as compared to his own lack of direction. But it was a start that he could now support his big brother with no jealousy attached, he was still young, and isn't even in high school yet for Pete's sake, he'd have time to contemplate where he wanted to go next. Life was never boring either, now that he saw ghosts, met with other young espers like himself, and took down a gigantic organization with a friend who burned down his house. Some things to note on the cuter side are details in Ritsu's personal profile omake! These included trivia as much noticeable details that weren't as previously concrete because of lack of screentime in arc absences (he... doesn't like his brother's mentor much). One of Ritsu's weaknesses is his apparent jumpiness, and when actually thrown off his composure he has to take some time to recover and pretend that didn't happen, resulting in spikes of self-consciousness. He also HATES gross bugs. Prank him with a roach and he'd probably try to kill you-- and promptly fail because he can't focus his powers.
There's a lot of unexpected darkness in Ritsu's character for someone introduced to be assumed as the token nice, supportive normie family member; ONE put an incredible amount of care in writing existing sibling complexes, of inferiority and inescapable comparisons, as well as the effortlessness of forgiveness, showing that Mob truly was the elder brother. However, there is a lot of unexplored territory beyond Ritsu's jealousy and power aspects, especially in regards to his difficulty making bonds with others, to the point it is commonly assumed Shou's the first true friend he's ever made. That's why I want to roleplay him pretty much, his character development's got a long way to go. As much as I love him being an awful child, I'd be excited to make an alternative to the canonical method of his change, as well as potentially go further, whether in a better direction or worse.
SKILLS/ABILITIES:
HUMAN SKILLS
- Academics - Ritsu effortlessly scores perfectly on several of his tests, and is considered one of the brightest minds among middleschoolers in his nation, acing the national exam. He is able to speak with adults as an intellectual equal, oftentimes veering into rudeness when he doesn't like them.
Athleticism - Ritsu doesn't necessarily have a passion for sports, but is said to do well at them, and he's fit enough so that he scored among the top 10 in the school in their marathon run, only behind upperclassmen explicitly in sports clubs.
Allure - Even without knowing how to really talk to people for extensive periods or make friends, Ritsu has many fans who like to admire him from a distance, and several students have a romantic interest he doesn't reciprocate. It makes each Valentine's Day vaguely distressing.
ESPER ABILITIES
- Ghost Sight - A passive ability so to speak, all espers are able to see and speak with ghosts, but they are sparsely placed in series canon aside from the evil ones (but not all are bad, some are just lonely or minding their own business). According to Dimple, they are likelier to manifest when dying with a grudge, something that ghosts can smell. It is ambiguous if all ghosts are from people or if some are just monsters. Ghosts are able to cannibalize each other to become stronger.
Telekinesis - Ritsu is able to make things float, and apply psychic force onto them, his earliest demonstration being the classical "bending the spoons" trick. He can apply this push or pull to people as well, forcing them to the floor or to a wall. During a particularly heated moment he even began choking someone bullying his brother with the guy's own tie with telekinesis. Though Ritsu is a powerful esper enough so that normal people cannot stand up against him in a fight, he is still the weakest among the main character espers due to his inexperience and has no specialized psychic techniques.
Jump Boost - Implied twice so far, Ritsu has entered a home through a second-floor window and stood at a high post to look cool
Exorcism - With application of psychic power, ghosts can have their tie to the current world severed by espers. This can be done by both violent means and peaceful ones, with the former being the more regularly seen in-series due to said ghosts being malicious and attacking first.
Psychic Barrier - One of the basic esper techniques. A barrier can be placed by espers so that physical attacks cannot directly harm them. This can be shattered by other espers, and presumably other magical and superhuman abilities in the context of a crossover. Majority of espers cannot hold up a barrier and attack at the same time.
Defense from Possession - Another passive esper ability is that they have naturally higher defenses against being possessed by evil spirits. They can however willingly welcome a ghost into their body if they want to (Ritsu does this in canon, but Dimple is by then too weakened to control him, foiling his plan to hijack his body). Stronger spirits might be able to break past this defense.
CHARACTER: AU SECTION
AU NAME: Ritsu Kageyama
AU AGE: Turning 13, July 2nd (canon birthday)
PHYSICAL DIFFERENCES: Some inches shorter, more babyfat, hair not as wild, is a growing boy! Mostly the same, just looks appropriately younger.
No matter how hard their family searched, Ritsu's big brother was never found. In the three years that followed, they never fully recovered, his parents holding a hope that he would someday show up at their door, a small sheepish smile on his face to say sorry that he worried them. So they've left his room and belongings untouched, still celebrating his birthdays without him. Ritsu wasn't as optimistic. What began as love turned into resentment, both at his brother's abandonment, and at his own inability to fill the crater in their family's hearts that his departure created. He regressed in his social development, never letting anyone see the bitterness at his core while he succeeded in all the things he was talented in. It was the least he could do, to make his parents happy and for them to cheer him on. For every logical reason, he should have let go and moved on because he looked down on his parents' optimism, but he did not; so his frustration's vice-grip continued to fester.
What would Ritsu even do, if he met him again? Scream at him? Hold onto him and never let go? Apologize even when he was the one who got hurt? They were brothers, weren't they? ... Did he ever try to forget him, too?
Recollé's offer of a scholarship isn't entirely surprising with his track record, but the enthusiasm his parents had was unparalleled. Despite the best of his efforts, they could tell what Ritsu saw in his everyday was stale, and his dad chimed that an entirely new country could be the breath of fresh air their little boy needed. Ritsu wasn't so sure. They already lost one son, and they were willing to send away their other? But he couldn't disregard that it maybe, just maybe would have given him a new perspective; some nights where he didn't blankly regard the empty room next to his. A family friend and professor in America by the name of Nikolai Lumiere (voidedmemory) takes him in, and he adapts to his new life with some disappointment. He expected too much from a simple environment change, and all that's happened is now he's in a constant bad mood someplace new.
Even if he was fairly decent at making fake pleasant faces when the situation called for, some weeks in, a stranger noticed his unhappiness, and shook his head at the boy's wasted potential. After some (bad) guesses as to why Ritsu was in the state he was, the stranger arrogantly said he could read him, that it must be because he must be tired of himself--and that one actually resonated. What did he want to be to begin with? Who was he trying so hard to impress? He wanted to be anything but what he's always been. And the man said he could always start with toppling down what he hated. Circumstances matched, as he was elected as his class's representative. This is where his present story begins, a lonely boy who destroys others as well as himself. Under the guise of creating order, with a malicious partner in the student council, Ritsu put a great many things he wanted to eliminate on his list, one being the most ironic: Bullies who abused their power over others.
* All included cross-canon character relations are with the players' discussion and permission.
The biggest differences from canon can be summed up as:
AU NAME: Ritsu Kageyama
AU AGE: Turning 13, July 2nd (canon birthday)
PHYSICAL DIFFERENCES: Some inches shorter, more babyfat, hair not as wild, is a growing boy! Mostly the same, just looks appropriately younger.
AU HISTORY:
Ritsu has always been a bright boy, wise beyond his years, and happy to learn new things. He had built up a good amount of confidence, and it led him to often speak his mind about things in a frank manner. Ridiculously gifted in too many things, older people and other kids always spoke well of him, but he would shake it off with a smile and say that since it took no effort from him, he hadn't earned any praise yet, not really. There were so many dream jobs he thought of pursuing, he couldn't decide on just one. His caring big brother believed in him though, and Ritsu would exclaim he believed in him too, even if said big brother seemed to be drifting at his own pace most of the time. As much as their mother compared them, Ritsu didn't ever feel like he was superior to his brother, and he loved him very much.
Being more assertive than his big brother, Ritsu couldn't idly take it when a trio of highschoolers took their lunch money, thinking the little kids were easy targets. He started shouting at them to give back their money, and targeting Ritsu for being a mouthy brat, things took a turn for the worse when his big brother was knocked into the way of oncoming car. Struggling free, Ritsu narrowly manages to push his brother out of the way just in time to take the hit for him, sending him to the hospital with several broken bones.
After the accident, his big brother is overcome with guilt and runs away from home the following night. His parents left the hospital room after receiving a call from grandmother, and continuing on to frantically calling the authorities. Ritsu's heart began collapsing against itself, believing that he was somehow the cause of this for instigating the fight instead of turning his head down. He had to find him, reassure him, tell him it wasn't his fault. In the chaos he slipped away to search somewhere, anywhere, for where his big brother could have ran, but was stopped by Emu (mightybros), a medical student. He struggled, tossed his arms and flailed his legs, screaming and uncaring of how many people were staring and the searing pain through his small body. That was the last, distinct time Ritsu remembered crying; wailing so loudly in the hospital that after that they had been exhausted, he had no tears to shed anymore for years to come.
Ritsu has always been a bright boy, wise beyond his years, and happy to learn new things. He had built up a good amount of confidence, and it led him to often speak his mind about things in a frank manner. Ridiculously gifted in too many things, older people and other kids always spoke well of him, but he would shake it off with a smile and say that since it took no effort from him, he hadn't earned any praise yet, not really. There were so many dream jobs he thought of pursuing, he couldn't decide on just one. His caring big brother believed in him though, and Ritsu would exclaim he believed in him too, even if said big brother seemed to be drifting at his own pace most of the time. As much as their mother compared them, Ritsu didn't ever feel like he was superior to his brother, and he loved him very much.
Being more assertive than his big brother, Ritsu couldn't idly take it when a trio of highschoolers took their lunch money, thinking the little kids were easy targets. He started shouting at them to give back their money, and targeting Ritsu for being a mouthy brat, things took a turn for the worse when his big brother was knocked into the way of oncoming car. Struggling free, Ritsu narrowly manages to push his brother out of the way just in time to take the hit for him, sending him to the hospital with several broken bones.
After the accident, his big brother is overcome with guilt and runs away from home the following night. His parents left the hospital room after receiving a call from grandmother, and continuing on to frantically calling the authorities. Ritsu's heart began collapsing against itself, believing that he was somehow the cause of this for instigating the fight instead of turning his head down. He had to find him, reassure him, tell him it wasn't his fault. In the chaos he slipped away to search somewhere, anywhere, for where his big brother could have ran, but was stopped by Emu (
mightybros), a medical student. He struggled, tossed his arms and flailed his legs, screaming and uncaring of how many people were staring and the searing pain through his small body. That was the last, distinct time Ritsu remembered crying; wailing so loudly in the hospital that after that they had been exhausted, he had no tears to shed anymore for years to come.No matter how hard their family searched, Ritsu's big brother was never found. In the three years that followed, they never fully recovered, his parents holding a hope that he would someday show up at their door, a small sheepish smile on his face to say sorry that he worried them. So they've left his room and belongings untouched, still celebrating his birthdays without him. Ritsu wasn't as optimistic. What began as love turned into resentment, both at his brother's abandonment, and at his own inability to fill the crater in their family's hearts that his departure created. He regressed in his social development, never letting anyone see the bitterness at his core while he succeeded in all the things he was talented in. It was the least he could do, to make his parents happy and for them to cheer him on. For every logical reason, he should have let go and moved on because he looked down on his parents' optimism, but he did not; so his frustration's vice-grip continued to fester.
What would Ritsu even do, if he met him again? Scream at him? Hold onto him and never let go? Apologize even when he was the one who got hurt? They were brothers, weren't they? ... Did he ever try to forget him, too?
Recollé's offer of a scholarship isn't entirely surprising with his track record, but the enthusiasm his parents had was unparalleled. Despite the best of his efforts, they could tell what Ritsu saw in his everyday was stale, and his dad chimed that an entirely new country could be the breath of fresh air their little boy needed. Ritsu wasn't so sure. They already lost one son, and they were willing to send away their other? But he couldn't disregard that it maybe, just maybe would have given him a new perspective; some nights where he didn't blankly regard the empty room next to his. A family friend and professor in America by the name of Nikolai Lumiere (
voidedmemory) takes him in, and he adapts to his new life with some disappointment. He expected too much from a simple environment change, and all that's happened is now he's in a constant bad mood someplace new.Even if he was fairly decent at making fake pleasant faces when the situation called for, some weeks in, a stranger noticed his unhappiness, and shook his head at the boy's wasted potential. After some (bad) guesses as to why Ritsu was in the state he was, the stranger arrogantly said he could read him, that it must be because he must be tired of himself--and that one actually resonated. What did he want to be to begin with? Who was he trying so hard to impress? He wanted to be anything but what he's always been. And the man said he could always start with toppling down what he hated. Circumstances matched, as he was elected as his class's representative. This is where his present story begins, a lonely boy who destroys others as well as himself. Under the guise of creating order, with a malicious partner in the student council, Ritsu put a great many things he wanted to eliminate on his list, one being the most ironic: Bullies who abused their power over others.
* All included cross-canon character relations are with the players' discussion and permission.
The biggest differences from canon can be summed up as:
Espers do not exist, so this power is not his goal
His big brother does not remain in his life
His emptiness is not from an inferiority complex
He remains in his Big Cleanup arc personality
His big brother does not remain in his life
His emptiness is not from an inferiority complex
He remains in his Big Cleanup arc personality
AU PERSONALITY:
Ritsu is most succinctly a version of himself with an aborted lesson in humility because he doesn't get beaten up and kidnapped, or have a brother to forgive him for saying such terrible words, and apologize in his stead for acting so foolishly. He has many acquaintances, but no one he would truly consider a friend. Most of his current hatred is defined by his severed connection with his brother still not knowing which of them was more to blame; and on that note, Ritsu also loses his canonical fondness for TV dramas, due to the trope of long lost relatives hitting too close to home. He shares a similar disdain with all other stories with these improbable reunions.
Being a private person, it's hard to imagine he'd be the type to easily adapt to Retrospec, much less be a very pleasant person on it; he'd sooner just be answering questions and be a general smartass. But when he finally crosses over that barbed fence keeping him from getting attached to people again, Ritsu will have significantly less confidence in not knowing for sure they're doing alright, and may turn out excessive in his concern for their well-being even when nothing is wrong. It's not to the point of sending them messages, lord knows he's got too much pride for that, but he would appreciate seeing their status updates that they're just fine. This is an assumed force of habit that may develop out of his AU self's fear of abandonment, and may still change depending on how he further develops his social life in Recollé. Should things continue with his pushing others away, Ritsu would likely avoid usage of Retrospec almost entirely, continuing to devote his time to his cleansing of junior high evils.
His determination in the elimination of bullying runs to such an extent that he doesn't acknowledge that he himself has become worse than the ones he is putting down in many ways. Unlike his canonical counterpart feeling guilt to the point of feeling ill, this Ritsu barely bats an eyelash at his moral extremes, which is thanks to the fact that so far, he has not stooped so low as to frame them for things they have not done, but the possibility to develop towards that is entirely possible since this anger is pseudo-personal.
Ritsu is most succinctly a version of himself with an aborted lesson in humility because he doesn't get beaten up and kidnapped, or have a brother to forgive him for saying such terrible words, and apologize in his stead for acting so foolishly. He has many acquaintances, but no one he would truly consider a friend. Most of his current hatred is defined by his severed connection with his brother still not knowing which of them was more to blame; and on that note, Ritsu also loses his canonical fondness for TV dramas, due to the trope of long lost relatives hitting too close to home. He shares a similar disdain with all other stories with these improbable reunions.
Being a private person, it's hard to imagine he'd be the type to easily adapt to Retrospec, much less be a very pleasant person on it; he'd sooner just be answering questions and be a general smartass. But when he finally crosses over that barbed fence keeping him from getting attached to people again, Ritsu will have significantly less confidence in not knowing for sure they're doing alright, and may turn out excessive in his concern for their well-being even when nothing is wrong. It's not to the point of sending them messages, lord knows he's got too much pride for that, but he would appreciate seeing their status updates that they're just fine. This is an assumed force of habit that may develop out of his AU self's fear of abandonment, and may still change depending on how he further develops his social life in Recollé. Should things continue with his pushing others away, Ritsu would likely avoid usage of Retrospec almost entirely, continuing to devote his time to his cleansing of junior high evils.
His determination in the elimination of bullying runs to such an extent that he doesn't acknowledge that he himself has become worse than the ones he is putting down in many ways. Unlike his canonical counterpart feeling guilt to the point of feeling ill, this Ritsu barely bats an eyelash at his moral extremes, which is thanks to the fact that so far, he has not stooped so low as to frame them for things they have not done, but the possibility to develop towards that is entirely possible since this anger is pseudo-personal.
SAMPLE