"...Prepare yourselves then for the fang of west, scoundrels! Within my hand is Excalibur, the judging blade!"
Name:
Makoto
Alias/Titles:
THE ROMANCER (self-proclaimed)
THE ROMANCING SWORD (also self-proclaimed)
DER (German: "The") RIPPER VALENTINE (self-proclaimed; also, stolen)
"Wielder of the Legendary Sword of the West"
"That Golden Monkey Guy"
Kizaru
Idiot
Age:
23
Gender:
Male
Profession:
Ally of Justice
Swordsman
Protector
Wanderer
Homeless
Likes:
+ His sword
+ His clothes
+ Heroes and heroism
+ Fantastic stories
+ Myths and legends
+ Ninja-rolling
+ Sweet foods
+ Friendliness
+ Respect
+ Learning new things
+ Cold, refreshing baths
+ Shooting stars
+ Wild animals
+ Strength
+ "Justice"
Dislikes:
- Spicy foods
- Dirtiness
- People prying him
- Crime
- Deaths
- Others' suffering
- Deep ideas
- Arguing with others
- Showing weakness
- Betrayal
- Inaction
- "Evil"
Bio:
Makoto is a hot-blooded youth who hails from an unspecified village in the more rural areas of Japan. More specifically, the surrounding areas. He was never quite enlightened on the details of his birth, only that he was apparently the child of a traveling merchant who had come to Japan from across the sea, and a local girl. The merchant apparently disappeared later on, from what he was told. Soon after the girl gave birth to him, Makoto was given away to a matronly woman who lived as a 'chronicler' in a dingy shed deep within the wilderness, and whom many believed to practice witchcraft.
Seeing past the shame that led to the girl's family disowning him, and the truth that he was born and thus rightful to continue living, the woman gave him the name "Makoto". She would continue taking care of him until her death from illness when Makoto was only thirteen years old. Makoto was never able to learn even the woman's real name, but her memory lives on inside him as his one and true mother.
Growing up on stories of the gallant, of heroes and warriors long past, Makoto had nurtured dreams to become an enforcer of justice and good since his days as a young teenage boy. And after living by himself for another four years, the day came when he was visited by a bedraggled, traveling man who was missing both his arms. He only sought shelter at the shed at first, but after a string of events that concluded with a brawl that Makoto may never forget in his lifetime, the armless man began to live with him. Over the next two years, the armless man revealed that he was once an established swordsman, but refused to teach Makoto anything about the sword, due in part to the new ruling by the shogunate against all swordsmen.
Much more surprising, however, was the revelation that he had known Makoto's mother. Shortly after this was brought to light, the armless man left Makoto for parts unknown. Wanting to learn more about the man, and more importantly, his mother, Makoto left home for the first time in years to pursue the former swordsman.
Destiny, perhaps, had different plans. On one point in his travels, as Makoto continually (and cautiously) refined his prowess and strength, he was approached by a strange, old crone whom reminded him plenty of his late mother. Imploring on his sense of righteousness and wish to uphold 'justice', the crone led him into a series of dark tunnels in the side of a barren hill where even light dared not follow. Inside, on the deepest floor, he was shown large skeletal remains. Plunged into the spinal bone of the skeleton was an aged sword. The crone claimed to Makoto that the skeleton was that of a giant's, or oni, and that the sword was what brought it death. On the crone's request, Makoto walked forward... and pulled the sword out of the giant's skeleton.
Nothing happened. The old woman, however, showed to be pleasantly surprised. She brought Makoto and the sword home, where she restored the weapon to its prime state. It was then that she revealed the sword's name to the young man; "Honō-Gasai no Yatsuei". Then, she revealed to Makoto that in the next few years to come, a "demon blade" will descend upon the country and wreak havoc across the land. She asks him to find this "demon blade", and destroy it. To accomplish his task, she would grant him the giant-killing sword, but warned that he must take care not to ever be caught by the shogunate. And with delusions of grandeur in mind, so did Makoto began anew his journey across the land.
After facing numerous hardships, continually avoiding the authorities, meeting all sorts of people (including a like-minded vagrant claiming to be from the greater mainland of China, from whom he stole and occasionally uses the moniker "Der Ripper Valentine"), and gaining his warrior's attire from a designer who had looked to making a special piece of clothing, he finally discovers that the mention of the "demon blade" points him towards the outlaw island of Ritenkyo. Here, a new chapter in his story begins.
Weapon(s):
His only weapons are the relatively featureless sword, Honō-Gasai no Yatsuei (which, in his romanticism, he espouses instead to be the mythical sword of western lore, the Excalibur of Arthurian legend), and himself. He is quite capable in unarmed fighting, and seems to possess a special sort of ability dubbed an "eidetic muscle memory", which allows him to replicate moves and techniques made by his opponents, though not perfectly or on the first try.
Fighting Style:
"Justice-style!"
Makoto has never received any formal training in combat, and learns through experience. He employs a mixture of actual martial arts, swift street fighting, common swordplay and instinct whenever involved in a fight. As a "hero of justice", however, Makoto completely abhors cheating and instead faces his enemies in a fair fight. He still would employ a "strategic retreat" if caught in a pinch, though.
---[-]---
I'm very sorry I took a while - I've been caught up in some things the past few days. Plus, getting through to the new Iwaku was somehow problematic an effort to my computer.
