![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Entry tags:
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:
Tatsuma Sakamoto | Gintama | Reserved
Contact Info: plurk @ manscaping
Other Characters Played: None currently.
Requested apartment: House 1! In either Travis’ or Jesse’s room. Or Dug from Up, if that's happening... But, if that doesn't work out, there's nothing to worry about! Let's see how this goes.
Character Name: Sakamoto Tatsuma
Background/History: Sakamoto was born to a booming mercantile house in Tosa, the home of his historical counterpart, Sakamoto Ryouma. Unlike some of the other characters in the series, much of Sakamoto’s personality and history is pretty much identical to the figure he was based on in history, with a few exaggerated quirks.
Timeline-wise, the first time the protagonist encounters Sakamoto, he sails onto shore with a other recruits to join the Joui resistance against the Amanto. In Gintama the Amanto are aliens from outer space, who have invaded Japan to take advantage of its resources. The samurai put up quite the resistance, but their ideals and sheer strength of heart were no match for the advanced technology of their opponents. During his time at war Sakamoto acted as more of a financial advisor than a soldier (although he did his fair share of fighting too) and preferred to dabble in negotiations to acquire supplies for the war effort.
Sick of seeing his friends die, Sakamoto decided to follow his heart and pursue his dream of acquiring a spaceship and running a business that would benefit both humans and Amanto. After leaving the war Sakamoto tried his luck at making business deals, only to be tossed in the ocean as a result of failing miserably. He was picked up by a pirate ship and tossed in the back as one of the human slaves who was going to be sold; Sakamoto claimed that he would buy the ship, not even batting an eyelash about the dangerous situation. He won the support of the other slaves by teaching them that anyone could be a merchant regardless of circumstance. By bartering for small things the slaves have scavenged, such as alcohol and a sassy old woman’s pickled radishes, Sakamoto is able to bring people together by lifting their spirits and making them laugh. It is implied that prior to his arrival, the slaves were never this rambunctious—Sakamoto’s stupid antics may have been the first things to make them laugh in a long time. The pirate captain blames him for making the slaves “unfit for sale,” though she too is sold on his mission to sell happiness. A pirate’s life is a lonely one, and Sakamoto makes it a point to walk the plank with her after she gives him and the other slaves a key to escape. Sakamoto organizes a resistance effort with the other slaves, and eventually overpowers the other pirates, throwing them into the sea and flying off with their ship. In the process, he gives all the slaves jobs on his Kaientai, and the captain of the pirate ship becomes his closest friend and a person he treasures more than any precious jewel. They set off together, on a mission to rid the Amanto and humans of their petty squabbles, by making negotiations through trade.
He currently is the captain of the Kaientai and is quite commercially successful.
Personality: Sakamoto Tatsuma is a stupid person. Guaranteed to be the loudest guy in the room, with a laugh that’ll haunt you for hours on end, you’ll probably meet him after his alcohol-addled self has stumbled into you, or even worse: after he has used you as a temporary replacement for a barf bag. Make no mistake, this is one of the ways he marks his closest friends. Sometimes. It might be advisable to wear a raincoat. Don’t have the money for one? He’ll buy you something expensive.
Unfortunately, the details listed above are just a few of the factors that contribute to this curly-haired merchant’s idiocy. He is a living embodiment of the phrase, “There’s no limit to positive thinking.” If he’s bleeding, he’ll just say it’s tomato juice. If a threatening monster climbs out of the sand, he’ll dismiss it as a figment of his imagination. Even if his optimism sometimes borders on denial, Sakamoto loves life and all of the wonderful things that it brings. Sakamoto often believes in pursuing what may seem to be impossible- He tries to keep his outlook positive, and often ignores negative and disparaging comments. Even if you’re a pretty girl who he’s proposed to (despite knowing you for all of two minutes) he’ll keep trying no matter how many times he’s rejected.
Speaking of women, the man is quite passionate about them as he has a habit of sneaking off to cabaret clubs when his diligent Vice Captain isn’t looking. His foul mouth and dirty mind rears its ugly, pubic hair-covered head even in times of crisis. In the midst of what appeared to be the fall of planet Earth (which was entirely his fault), he casually admitted that he would rather have been riding a hot blonde than dealing with this mess. Women aren’t his only passion, however, as he has many- Despite the outlandish things he says, girls are possibly the least favorite of his favorite things. He has always loved spaceships and supposedly possess the ability to pilot them as if they were an extension of his own body. Seeing as he gets motion sickness and has crashed every vessel he has ever piloted in the series, he definitely treats spaceships like his limbs, which also clumsily crash into everything. Nevertheles , he has been able to marry his two truest loves in the form of his profession. Two things he cares for more than anything else are the art of selling things and keeping peace by doing so.
Sakamoto is a skilled merchant, although his competence is often veiled by his typical buffoonery. Even so, regardless of his charisma and ability to perceive the very thing a person’s heart desires most, he is still reckless in this aspect of his life. Labeled by his comrades, Vice Captain, and others as a swindler, Sakamoto’s questionable business practices can be traced back to his days as a teenager. He had a habit of rifling through the bags and pockets of his fellow soldiers, pooling together the stolen money for war supplies. Without the negotiations of this particular bastard, the army would have been out of gear, out of food, and out of luck. What this says about his personality is that, despite his cheerful nature and gentle heart, he is definitely an “ends justifies the means” sort of guy. Also, even with the silly face he puts on for the world to see, actions like these imply that there’s a lot more to him than what he chooses to let people see.
Sakamoto was reputed as one of the Joui’s best soldiers, earning the nickname of “The Dragon of Katsurahama,” but he never fought with a sword. Instead, he used merchandising to save his sorry behind for the whole conflict. He may have been a valuable asset to those soldiers, but Sakamoto learned very quickly that he was fighting the wrong war.
The battle he currently chooses to wage is no longer one of misery and carnage (he left that long ago, sick of seeing his friends end up in unrecognizable pieces), but one that consists purely of commerce. A self-proclaimed pacifist, he believes that his role as a leader involves protecting the lives of others before his own, and performing every act with his duty at the back of his mind. Although a world, nay, a universe without conflict is his seemingly unachievable dream, all of his actions are unmistakably linked to this cause. What may appear as a simple smile and a couple of seemingly innocuous words may lead to something far grander than just that, for despite the village idiot act, Sakamoto is good at his job. There is a fearless quality to his leadership as well, because he continues to trudge on without looking back, determined to accomplish his goals. This is one of the reasons that he rarely ever talks about the past, or bothers to reminisce- In order to reach a destination, you must only move towards it. Looking over your shoulder does nothing in this case.
Sakamoto may deal in transactions that are arguably worth the economies of some smaller planets, but the things he’s really learned to treasure are living things. In once instance when faced with the destruction of the Earth, he confesses that he doesn’t really care for the planet, but the people who inhabit it and the beautiful bonds they share. He’ll “sell you a bag or whatever with a smile on [his] face,” but the most valuable currency to him, more so than any precious substance or amount of money, is happiness.
And this is why Sakamoto is such a fool- He has seen how cruelty and corruption manifest in living things, and yet he is stupid enough to believe that in pretty much every case the good outweighs the bad.
Abilities/Powers: Sakamoto is a gifted swordsman although he never uses a sword anymore. He now carries a gun and is supposedly a skilled marksman, as the author stated that he loves trying new things and is good at adapting to new technology.
He also possesses a tremendous amount of brute strength which is rarely ever observed, although he once headbutted a man while being handcuffed and sent the other flying into the wall with sizable damage. As Sakamoto rarely ever shows this ability of is, it is questionable as to whether this is the extent of his physical prowess or simply a small portion of it.
Sakamoto’s greatest weapons are his words. He uses his perceptive skills as a merchant to determine what one desires most, and will often negotiate to get himself out of a situation without spilling a drop of blood.
Although his optimism can be a fault as well, it’s another strength- No matter how bad the situation is, he will continue to keep smiling and doesn’t give up easily.
Items/Weapons: A pistol, a bullet refill, and a flask
Sample Entry: A merchant and a policeman walk into a brothel...
An invitation for murder
Sample Entry Two: The water tastes of salt and iron. He lies still in the ocean, which changes from blue to red, and every wound on his body burns, from the cracked skin on his feet to the deep cuts on his back. Injured flesh will become scar tissue in time, hidden beneath an overcoat and an off-white kimono, behind an overcompensating grin and bellowing laughter.
Pain reminds him that he is alive. He is no longer a soldier, now he is just a merchant and he prefers it that way. Unlike most samurai who become attached to their blades, he detests the symbol of his misery for the past few months. His blade, bloody and worn from the heat of battle, lies somewhere in the woods, forgotten. He sees no harm in running from battle. That’s how he arrived here after all.
These are not the waters he knows. The sand of this beach isn’t the sand that had been wedged between his toes when he frolicked as a child, concocting nonsensical plans to propel himself into the night sky. This was not the place he had sailed from with a ship full of naïve men, all dead now, their bodies lying in the ground. There was no use in returning to Tosa, as he could say nothing to their families.
What a shame. War is no place for young people, no place for those with kind hearts, no place for anyone. Everyone loses, which is why he has left it in hopes of doing things more practically. People and Amanto both are greed, selfish, lustful- Materialistic. He has learned that much, though it is something he has always known of his own kind.
He’ll make use of that. First, however, he must allow the water cleanse him of his sins. The act is a figurative one, but in a few minutes he rises from the water to the sound of gulls chirping. Much to his (stupid) surprise, the yukata, straw hat, and geta he cast off his shoulders along with his apprehensions are gone, swept away by the waves.
“Hah? Where’d my clothes go? Oh! I know. One of the locals must have taken them for drycleaning. I just have to walk to the nearest Laundromat.”
There are no people for miles. The folks who used to live here have disappeared. Whether they have fled or passed on is uncertain. Good luck young traveler. If you try and approach someone in your current state (ie, nude) there will be more bruises on your body soon.
-> ACCEPTED