Name: Hasegawa Naoki
End Game Title: Nature's Placid Medic
Nicknames: He goes by Hasegawa. Close friends and confidants can call him Naoki. No nicknames.
Age: 30 years
Gender: ♂
Class: Apothecary
Home country: Hoshido
Appearance: link
Hasegawa is well built, albeit a little lanky. He has long limbs, and a tall stature, but despite his lack of physical exercise, he has decent muscle tone. Upper body strength may not be his strong suit--save for in his arms enough that he can use his yumi effectively--but being that he's on foot often, he has a good amount of stamina and maneuverability. Being quick on his feet has saved him and his supplies on many occasions.
He has a warm complexion and a scruffy sort of appearance, not being clean shaven and spending a lot of time on the road. His hair is the color of mint, and he often tracks the scents of similar herbs with him wherever he goes. Occasionally, he also tracks animal fur or feathers. He's usually seen with a tranquil expression or a smile, rarely frowning or scowling.
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Personality: Naoki has a very gentle disposition, opting often to avoid conflict to the best of his ability. Surprisingly, he's got quite a stubborn streak, and he's a lover not a fighter, but that doesn't mean he isn't capable of defending himself if need be. Unfortunately for him, the need is there more often than not. He always experiences pangs of grief and guilt after taking a life, but he knows deep down that if he hadn't fought, it would be him who laid dead. That knowledge alone gets him through the inner torment. He closes himself off to others, and keeps his emotions to himself. Consequently, he suffers alone and it does weigh him down frequently.
The apothecary is peculiar in many ways, even to others of his profession. Rather than focusing on selling his concoctions and materials, he instead chooses to offer his aid free of charge, healing the sick and injured caught in the midst of warring factions and left to die. Not only this, but he also proffers his talents to woodland creatures, farm animals, and the pets of young villagers. In fact, he has quite the tender spot in his heart for animals of all kinds and feels an overwhelming amount of pride and happiness seeing one get better thanks to him. He is actually somewhat absent-minded at times, and is prone to napping in places he perhaps shouldn't.
Perhaps born of his love of animals, he has adopted a rather dangerous wandering spirit, spending more of his time off the beaten path. Normally, he would just say if spotted and confronted about it that he was in search of elusive herbs or the like, but truthfully, he is often searching for creatures in need of his assistance. Soothing injuries and restoring the health of both man and beast reminds him of the conflict between nations, but also allows him to focus on the glimmer of hope nearly smothered by it all. One person
can make a difference.
Of course, like many--if not most--people on both sides, he wishes that the war could end. But, he is a realist when it comes right down to it, and he realizes that things are not so simple as just ending the fighting. There is a gaping wound in the Hoshido-Nohr relationship, and it will take much to cure it. Even then, it will leave a scar, but he knows that scars fade with time. He hopes to be a part of this healing process.
Biography/history: Hasegawa was born in a small, secluded Hoshidan village near to the outskirts of Izumo. His father was a merchant who spent much of his time travelling between villages to sell his wares and support his family. As a result, Hasegawa saw very little of him and grew up with his mother as his main influence. An only child, he received much of his mother's attention, and he often helped her around he house. She noticed early on his adoration for nature, watching as he played in the field outside their village, cavorting with the wild life and closely examining plants.
Eventually, his parents told him of the news that they were expecting another child, and young Naoki was glad to be an elder sibling. When his sister was born however, she was incredibly sickly. She fought hard to stay alive, and her brother helped her whenever necessary. They were inseparable as the years went by, and Hasegawa began focusing more and more on discovering the healing properties of the herbs and flowers growing around their humble home. His intention was to become knowledgeable enough to cure his sister of her affliction, but as a child himself there was little he could do no matter how much he studied.
One day, she fell very ill, and Hasegawa was perhaps concerned most of all. He was ashamed that he could do nothing for her, but she would just smile and assure him that he is helping just by staying with her. Their bond was strong, but when their parents called a visiting apothecary to save her, all he said was that it was too late. She passed in her sleep that night, and Hasegawa hasn't quite been the same since. He feels that he lost a part of himself with her death, but he also gained something. Because of her, he swore to devote his life to the healing of others.
Life went on for him, and he began seeing less and less of his father. Eventually, he just never came home anymore. Naoki didn't think ill of him, however. He realized that he was stricken with grief from his sister's death just as much as he was. Deep down, he believed that his father just couldn't bare to be in that house anymore. He saw the change in his mother as well.
Taking it upon himself to support the household, he began walking the path between Hoshido and Izumo, gathering herbs along the road and selling them to apothecaries and villagers alike. It was a meager income and the travelling was extensive, but for him it was worth it. Each day he earned new knowledge, but eventually his mother told him that he needed to take up a weapon. Peaceful as Hoshido was, there were thieves and cutthroats there just as there were anywhere. And she told him she couldn't bare to lose another child.
Taking her words to heart, he saved up what he could from his transactions and bought himself an old bow. He trained with it on his own whenever he had the time. It wasn't long before he had to put it to use.
On his way home one night, he was assailed by a lone brigand out for his day's profit. At first, all the brute did was prod Hasegawa with his dagger, demanding his coin. But, Hasegawa refused. The man made to swipe at him with his blade, but the boy ducked out of the way. Jumping back to put some distance between them, he nocked an arrow and let it fly. A soft, wet *thunk*, and Hasegawa opened his eyes to witness that it had embedded itself in the brigand's throat, and he crumpled to the ground, lifeless.
The sight was burned into Naoki's subconscious for a long while after that. He had taken his first life, and even though the man was out for blood, he couldn't help feeling terrible about it. Instead of letting it keep him down, he hoped to let it make him stronger. Yes, he had killed someone. But, he was still alive. He would make the best of the time he had bought himself with the other man's life.
When he was old enough to go out on his own, Naoki gave to his mother all the gold that he had earned, and vowed to visit her often. He went on to continue perfecting his craft, polishing his knowledge of medicinal herbs, and saving as many lives as he could, while taking as few as he could get away with. And he did visit with his mother whenever he could, up until she fell ill herself. He reached for his medicine without hesitation, but she laid a hand on his, asking him to let her go so that she could see her daughter again. With a heavy heart, he agreed to let her pass peacefully.
It has been a decade since he buried his mother, and he has never wavered. On the contrary, he trains and studies even harder than ever before. He has wandered far, establishing a rapport with the Wind Tribe village, and even Mokushu. He sees the effects of the war everywhere he goes. He knows nothing of the tension between Corrin and his noble siblings nor of what is about to unfold, but nevertheless the urge to help end this conflict is ever growing in his heart.
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Weapons: Brass Yumi
Items: Concoction
Azura's Salve
HP Tonic
Other: Hasegawa has no religious beliefs and lives in the here and the now. Monks and the like enjoy trying to get him to know the gods, but he has no interest in worshiping invisible deities. Though he does believe strongly in the concept of karma, to him it is merely a matter of 'what goes around comes around' rather than something involving any sort of divine intervention.
