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Applications Two
APPLICATIONS ARE CLOSED!
The next application opening date is Friday 16th January, 7pm EST.
The next application processing date is Friday 23rd January, 7pm EST.
IMPORTANT: PLEASE POST YOUR APPLICATIONS HERE ON THE NEW APPLICATION PAGE
We're so glad you're thinking of joining us in Haven, where we are all safe.
In order to apply for a canon character, please fill out the information below and post it in a comment in this entry. For an OC, please apply using the OC information. Please do not link to applications, all applications must be posted here. Please do not delete your applications; if you do not want it to be seen, you can request for it to be screened after a decision is made.
You may apply for two characters every application round, to a total of six characters. Only two of these may be from the same canon, and they cannot be too familiar with one another. Please make sure to mark the header of your comment(s) with RESERVED or NOT RESERVED, as well as the character name and canon. App challenges are not allowed currently.
Try to remember spelling and grammar are important, and in app length quality and not quantity is what matters. All parts of the application must be your own work, plagiarism will not be tolerated, though you are welcome to reuse your own old applications.
If you are asked for revisions, please don't panic! It doesn't mean the mods don't like you, only that we probably need more information before making a decision. If you are asked for revisions, you will have one week to supply them.
Applications are open on a monthly cycle, where they will be opened on the second Friday of every month for a week, and then processed on the third Friday of the month, before being closed again.
We now have a test drive community athaventest which is continuously open. Posts there may be used in lieu of a sample in the application. You may also link posts, logs, or threads from other games and memes in lieu of samples, though we ask that they be no more than one year old. As of November 22nd 2014, samples cannot be "where am I" intro posts. The reason for this is that we often find it hard to gauge characterization from those, as most people when immediately in a new surrounding are confused or frightened.
While we encourage players who have dropped to re-join us, we do not encourage the continual rapid dropping and re-apping of the same character in a short time period. You are welcome to request specific housing, and all attempts will be made to accommodate that request, but it may not always be possible.
To see what we are looking for:
Canon Characters:
Sample Application (Faith Lehane)
Sample Application (Iroh)
Original Characters:
Sample Application (Mors)
Sample Application (Vera de Barr)
Sample Application (Malkus Iverwelling)
Previous Game History:
Sample Application (Abel Nightroad/Mayfield RPG)
Sample Application (Bolin/Discedo)
The old application post can be found here if you would like to look through past accepted applications.
Applications will be open on the following dates (from 7pm EST):
12th-19th December
16th-23rd January
Applications will be processed on the following dates (at 7pm EST):
19th December
23rd January
To apply for a canon character, please fill out this form:
To apply for an original character, please fill out this form:
HAJIME SAITOU ★ hakuouki ★ RESERVED
I've never seen anyone about to stay on their feet after taking a hit from me.❞
❝You, too, are the first to not be taken down by my initial attack.❞
RELATIONSHIP: Okita Souji.
He finds a lot of comfort and complacency remaining at Hijikata's side, but as mentioned before, despite everything he feels he considers their official relationship impersonal. Unlike Souji and Kondou who also share a close and affectionate relationship, Saitou doesn't share that with the vice-commander and so there are things he can't expect nor would he ever attempt to expect in terms of their relationship.
And he's fine with that, especially because he's found what he can't have with the person he admires most in someone that is different and yet so very like him. For Saitou, Souji makes him feel normal, but to a point that it's casual and everyday interaction. Souji's someone who understands him—and even on the occasions he does not, makes no attempt to invade his more personal boundaries—and accepts him for everything he is and everything he is not. They don't need to talk, they just seem to understand the right way to handle one another through silence and words aren't necessary. And that is a comfort he doesn't receive from anyone else and no one can replace Souji in that manner.
Both of them have rather warped perceptions on their purpose in life and their value, both willing to live as and die as weapons; for Souji it's Kondou, for Saitou it's Hijikata. In order to make their hopes and dreams—their goals—become a reality, they're willing to take to the shadows and do what they must to protect them and drive them forward in the only support they feel they can give, which is via their blades. Of course, because they both think the same way, they never criticize or question one another. It's who they are and that mutual understanding gives them a very strong and real bond.
Socially, however, they can also be seen as what are more typical displays of affection in friendship. Saitou gets teased by the other quite often ( but no one is even close to being victimized as much as Hijikata is in that category, so... ) but tends to take it in stride, even if in a dull sort of way by not humoring him. Their personalities also do very well to fuel one another into ambitions and desires not normally sparked by others around them. In particular, they're very competitive with one another and greatly enjoy the challenge they present to one another. Before they met, they'd never known what it was to be challenged and when faced with the obstacle of an opponent who wouldn't go down in one strike, it flared a very excited nature in the both of them at the opportunity suddenly available. When they train, it's very obvious that while they fight to win, they also fight to never let themselves fail the other in terms of being worthy of the other's attention. It's healthy competition ( something being emotionally healthy in this canon is pretty rare, so this is a BIG DEAL ) and keeps them oriented with some type of purpose ( even if a very 'silly' one comparatively ) beyond making themselves in living killing machines.
❝There's no need to panic if the first strike doesn't succeed.
A skilled swordsman will think of the next step.❞
MISC.
Saitou's loves cats. As in really really loves them and is destined to become a cat lady. Actually, if he already could be one, he would, but he can't so he's going to have to wait a little longer.
He also likes things that are cute, although he's very shy to admit such.
Abilities/Powers:
Physical Skills. There are discrepancies as to which style his sword skills are learned from historically, but since it's not information that is going to affect his abilities one way versus another ( especially without use of a weapon freely ), the only thing that is really needed to be mentioned was he was referred to as a master rank. He's one of the best swordsmen in the Shinsengumi and the fact that he's left-handed makes him unusually more unpredictable than normal.
In Hakuouki, Saitou is shown to be particularly skilled in Iaijutsu, which is "a combative sword-drawing art". It is not labeled as necessarily aggressive like many other combative arts, however, as it also is used as a defensive style through the use of counter-attacks. Saitou is more often shown demonstrating the offensive side of iaijutsu, particularly in his attempts to school Ibuki Ryunosuke in the manner of how it's performed and why it is performed the way it is.
In terms of martial arts, Saitou's style is said to most likely be Sekiguchi Ryu ( which as an overall style outside of jujutsu includes iaijutsu under its disciplines ). How good he is as hand-to-hand isn't elaborated on, but I'll assume he's better than average and quite able to take care of himself in most encounters if necessary, unless facing a particularly skilled opponent.
Supernatural Abilities ( rasetsu ).
Saitou's taken an elixir known as the ochimizu in his world. The ochimizu was more or less intended to create super soldiers for war. Soldiers that could self-heal and have superior strength, speed, and stamina. However, like most experiments, the ochimizu isn't without its 'side-effects'; the individual starts to crave for the consumption of blood and the longer they resist, the more likely they are to fall into insanity. Of course, in the past most individuals who take the ochimizu have gone insane without much ability to retain their humanity, making them into rampaging indiscriminate killers that need to be disposed of. The first rasetsu to give hint that the ( at least, immediate ) onset of madness was not absolute was a ronin that managed to lure Saitou and Ibuki Ryunosuke into a false security that he was not the rogue rasetsu they were looking for. However, the ronin succumbed shortly after due to his own blood being shed, thus revealing his identity and was disposed of.
Serizawa Kamo took the ochimizu in retaliation to a group that was sent to assassinate him. Serizawa was the first to show further potential with the ochimizu, in which he was able to retain his state of mind and when he lost it was able to be reasoned back into regaining some control ( by Ibuki's efforts ) before he was taken down successfully by Hijikata.
While experimentation of the ochimizu was both a secret within the ranks of the Roshigumi/Shinsengumi and being done at the orders of the shogunate, test subjects were limited to those who violated the Shinsengumi Code via means punishable by death ( which was usually desertion or treason ). However, as time passed, the ochimizu was eventually taken by some of the captains of the Shinsengumi for various reasons.
Like other rasetsu, Saitou does have enhanced vitals ( superior strength, stamina, dexterity, agility ) to that of a regular human but also has the ability to automatically heal from injuries. He does suffer from the bloodlust, however, and the longer he staves off feeding on blood, the more likely he is to snap. He pushes himself to the greatest possible limit in terms of drinking blood, only doing so when absolutely necessary, but you won't see him flinching in disgust if he gets some during a fight.
Like the drinking of blood, other weaknesses of being a rasetsu are also very vampire-like. For one, sunlight drains them quickly, making them weaker in daylight and requiring extra exertion to complete even a 'normal' routine, especially with the enhanced desire to sleep and be nocturnal, instead. Silver is also able to nullify their regenerative abilities, making wounds created with such as dangerous as any weapon would be to a human and requiring similar recovery time.
The only way to kill them ( if not with a silver weapon and having them bleed out ) is to stab them through the heart or behead them.
While they do have supernatural abilities like vampires ( and like the demons from their world ), the ochimizu does not grant them these powers. Instead, it feeds on the individual's lifeforce, concentrating it together to allow things such as rapid recovery and to be able to execute the superhuman qualities they demonstrate. As a result, using their rasetsu form shortens their lifespan, as it's only taking the individuals potential and concentrating it together to do things superior for a shorter period of time rather than live out the length of time they were originally intended to have. In addition, that amount used and consumed each time varies between individuals, as well.
When in his rasetsu form, his eyes turn red and his hair white. It can be brought on consciously or due to withdrawal from blood taking over and threatening his ability to control himself from seeking out blood indiscriminately.
**note.3** Although at some point between the events at Toba-Fushimi and temporarily taking over the responsibilities of the Shinsengumi for Hijikata Saitou also becomes a rasetsu the complete details of why he did and how are not noted. The only thing that is clear is that Saitou didn't do it with Hijikata's knowledge, as the other was stunned when he found out. In Saitou's route, the events play out slightly different than Hijikata's, so his reasons for taking the ochimizu there conflict. Timelinewise, I'm going to assume that by his canon point ( which is a month after Toba-Fushimi ) that he's taken the ochimizu, although I have no yet quite decided on the reasoning, thus I'll be keeping it vague unless it becomes a key point necessary to be revealed and then I'll have to come up with something that makes sense with everything.
Items/Weapons:
1. His daisho set ( katana & wakiszashi
2. 'Shinsengumi uniform': light blue haori & headguard.
3. Cleaning set for his sword.
Sample Entry:
v i d e o s a m p l e
[ he really dislikes this concept, that there is a way to contact others in the city deriving from a foreign item that's been forcefully put into their heads. it's suspicious to him, making him even wonder if it's worth continuing to go through efforts to have conversations in person to keep things personal.
not that it matters because until he's told to do otherwise, he'll continue as one would be expected to on where he speaks and how.
for this particular topic, however, he supposes it can't hurt to use this method. besides, it's not as if he's going to waste time looking for someone to ask in person. it's very clear he's displeased, from the rather stiff way he sets the two items he's holding down on the kitchen counter. ]
I fail to understand how this makes any logical sense. I was assured that this... [ saitou trails off, picking up one of the items he had set down, which is a closed can of pears, eyeing it critically. ] could be opened with... this. [ and here he picks up a manual can opener (complete with a turn crank) by one handle, it slipping open uselessly, but he pays it little mind. ]
But, I don't see how it's supposed to break into something that is relatively seamless without a sharper edge. [ and while he's saying that, he goes to prove his point by angling the front metal part of the tool to smack into the top without so much as a dent in the can opening.
he's really frustrated, apparently he really would like to have these pears opened, already, but how is he supposed to do anything productive with things made that don't work like they are supposed to? ]
Sample Entry Two:
One. w/ Hijikata Toshizou.
Two. w/ Yukimura Chizuru.
-> ACCEPTED