Shimizu Raikou (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
pinktintedgamon) wrote2015-05-28 12:01 am
pinktintedgamon) wrote2015-05-28 12:01 am
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OOC Information
IC Information
The Shimizu clan, once retainers of the Hojo and through them the Tokugawa, was a samurai clan that stood on the edge, where the surface world and the world of Nabari met. It has always been their duty to maintain the balance between the two worlds, rather than become involved in the village politics between the four ninja villages. This was a tradition that stayed the same despite the way the surface world changed and advanced around them. For the Shimizu, strength was a guiding virtue, thus each clan head was chosen by a competition at arms, with the new clan head being the one who beat out all others.
This method remained true all the way through to Raikou’s mother becoming clan head. Korin Shimizu had been a Fuuma ninja that had married the previous clan head’s elder son, and then had raised through the samurai ranks with a disconcerting speed, until she was named clan head when Raikou was in middle school.
Ten years before the start of the series, she made the decision to keep the Shimizu clan from becoming involved when the heads of the three other clans headed to Bonten village, in order to attempt to kill the current possessor of the Shinra Bonshou (a scroll of limitless power and wisdom), stating that if the Shimizu attempted to compete for possession of the Shinra Bonshou, they could no longer claim the position of neutrality needed to maintain the balance between the two worlds. This decision angered many of the clan members, who were still discontent over an ‘outsider’ becoming clan head.
During the attempt of the clans to take possession of the Shinra Bonshou, events occurred that erased everyone’s memories of the time, leaving a ‘blank’ in its place where the conflict should have been.
Five years after that, while Raikou was in middle school, he had a close friend tell him about how her parents had been killed by some men from ‘a corrupt organization’ and confessed that she wanted to seek revenge. Raikou brought this to his mother, to see if there was some way he could use his training as a samurai to help her, and his mother denied his request – saying that it was the responsibility of the police to do so and not his place. She also warned him that ‘a katana is meant for judging and killing. Don’t ever think you can save someone with one.’
They’re words that stuck with him, but when he found out that his friend had been killed by that same organization a week later, they were words that branded hate in his heart – especially for his mother. Shortly thereafter, Raikou and Raimei officially inherited the clan’s most sacred possession: twin katanas named ‘gamons’. Raikou inherited Shirogamon, while Raimei Kurogamon, the two swords used to cast judgement on the Shimizu clan itself. The possessors of the gamon swords have the responsibility to monitor the clan’s own actions and bring judgement down upon any that go against the clan’s strictures… up to and including against each other should one of the gamon owners rebel.
Korin knew how Raikou felt, and she gave him that responsibility in order to make him understand the precarious position the Shimizu clan was slated to stand in. His uncle Iroku, however, used Raikou’s own hurt and anger to persuade him to his line of thinking – that the Shimizu clan needed reformation, that his mother’s insistence in keeping with the old traditions was holding them back from stepping out and providing real help to both sides of their world.
His uncle’s words sparked a fire in Raikou’s heart, and so when the dissidents moved to confront his mother, Raikou was standing with them. Because of his uncle’s schemings, Raikou was thrust square in the middle of adult greed and a clan power struggle he wasn’t prepared to deal with.
And it was in that confrontation that everything changed. His uncle, who had promised Raikou that they would stand against Korin without bloodshed, brought out Raikou’s terminally ill father, Soumei, during the confrontation and then proceeded to cut him down rather than face Korin, who offered to give him a second chance at fighting her for the position of clan head. In his anger, Iroku ranted and raved about how he could change the world with the Shinra Bonshou, then moved without thought to cut Raikou down as well, accidentally starting a fire in the process; however his mother jumped between the blade and Raikou at the last moment, taking the mortal blow for him.
Her last words to him commanded Raikou to take up his gamon to punish the people that did this… and to protect Raimei.
Iroku’s actions turned the Shimizu estate into a full-scale battle ground, with the smaller faction that supported Korin taking up arms against those that had stood with Iroku, and his mother’s words sent Raikou after his sword.
At fifteen years old, Raikou cut down every single remaining member of the Shimizu clan, ending with the death of his uncle, who begged for his life at the end.
Unfortunately, Raimei came home from her friend’s house in time to see her home burning down and her brother standing over her uncle, his sword dripping in blood, and his uncle pleading for his life to no avail. For Raikou… in that moment, he chose to protect his sister from the truth of that night, to keep the taint of greed from touching her and so he chose to let her believe he’d slaughtered their family. He told her he was leaving to join the Kairoushuu, and in the aftermath, Raimei went to live within the Fuuma village.
Two years after that, Raikou was sent out to punish a ninja that had been committing crimes in the surface world, and saved a young boy in the process – his partner in the Wakachi, Gau.
Three years later…
Raikou, now the leader of the Wakachi (Kairoushuu punishment forces), returned to the overgrown grounds of the Shimizu estate, after leaving the bodies of several ‘punished’ ninja in open places for the surface world authorities (the police) to find, each covered with a higanbana blossom on their corpse. These were messages, sent from him to his sister, Raimei, who also returned to their family estate on the fifth anniversary of their slaughter.
There, he hoped to confront her, to see if she was ready to hear the truth of the events that had resulted in the downfall of their clan. She made it clear, however, that she had her own perception of what Raikou had done that night – and why – and was unwilling to accept any other possibility of what had happened. It was then, that they fought and he cut his sister down, left her bleeding amongst the higanbana for her friends to pick up with the warning to stay out of the Nabari world. To add insult to literal injury, he took her katana – the inherited Kurogamon, the sister-sword to his Shirogamon – to reinforce his warning.
For Raikou, the attack had been shallow, careful to avoid major damage… and intended to remove his sister from a world he felt too dangerous for her to participate in when her mind remained so closed. In his own way, he was still trying to protect her from truths he felt she wasn’t ready to face yet.
Shortly thereafter, Gau convinced Raikou to tell him the truth of what was weighing him down and for the first time Raikou confided his own burden – with the promise that Gau would keep what he learned to himself, or face Raikou’s katana for punishment. So obviously, the first thing Gau did was hunt through all of the hospitals until he found Raimei, then told her, Miharu, and Kouichi the truth of what had happened that night, which prompted Raimei to return to the Shimizu estate to confront Raikou for a second time.
This time, however, Gau showed up at the last moment… and stepped in to take the swordstrike meant for Raimei. The wound Raikou inflicted on his only friend was deep enough to put Gau into a coma, but not enough to take his life and so he gave up his gamon and began to search for medical cures to help revive Gau.
While Gau was in a coma, Miharu defected to the Kairoushuu and Raikou began to accompany Yukimi, Yoite, and Miharu on missions – one of which took them to the Kouga village’s Alya Academy (an elite school that also housed a ninja academy). There there were supposed to meet with representatives from all of the ninja villages, but their true intent was to obtain that village’s secret technique called the Daya (a forbidden art that is a supposed medical cure all).
Their first night there, however, both the Kairoushuu group and the Banten one were attacked by Kouga ninja in their sleeping quarters and, in the ensuing battles Kouichi was shot in the chest before the remaining members of both teams were trapped together in an underground facility, with limited air, as ‘ingredients’ for use in making the Daya. Fortunately, they were released after Kouichi saved the headmaster from ninja from Kasa (a government program to combat the ninja villages) forces. Shortly thereafter, Miharu was entrusted with the Daya and the Kairoushuu returned to Tokyo.
After they return from Kouga, Raikou was reluctant to go with Yukimi in order to hunt down Thobari-sensei (Banten’s teacher/leader) after his disappearance with that village’s forbidden scroll, as he did not want to take that much time away from Gau while he was still in a coma – to the point that when Yukimi called him on his reasoning, he challenged Yukimi to a spar to see if Yukimi could beat him and make him go. As they spar, they argue factors of guilt and blame, until Yoite cuts in to tell Raikou to either do something or kill the deadweight that will drag him down – Gau. Raikou refused, argued more with Yoite… who then used his kira to knock Raikou out and go to the hospital where Gau was being monitored.
When he came to, Raikou started to rush out to the hospital, only to find Yukimi there waiting to take him to Gau… whom Yoite had awakened with the Kira.
With Gau returning to their team, they begin searching for Thobari in ernest… only to find that the head of the Kairoushuu, Hattori, had given the order to take Miharu into his personal care while Yoite joined Yukimi, Raikou, and Gau in the search. Rather than continue in his search for Thobari, however, Yukimi disappeared in order to search out the truth of Yoite’s history and Yoite went to free Miharu from Hattori’s imprisonment… thus putting both Yukimi and Yoite in direct opposition of the Kairoushuu.
During the time where Yukimi was missing Kasa – under Hattori’s orders – moved to eliminate both Kouichi and Raimei in Banten, as well as terminate Yoite and capture Miharu. Hattori also called Raikou and Gau to his office to assign them the task of finding Thobari rather than continue their Wakachi duties, which would have required them to go after Yoite themselves. As part of this meeting, Hattori returned Raikou’s gamon to him (after taking it from the Shimizu family estate where Raikou had left it) with the task of investigating and punishing Yukimi as needed.
Raikou and Gau eventually tracked down Yukimi and warned him that to help Yoite meant defying the Kairoushuu, but defy he did – which resulted in Yukimi and Raikou fighting, gun against katana. As they fought and argued, Raikou had his first real doubt about Hattori: ‘Here’s a man that cares so much about Yoite, the boy who saved Gau’s life, that he’d go this far. And I’m trying to stop him. Is that… the right thing to do?’ It was a thought that distracted him mid fight, allowed Yukimi to disarm him, and left him kneeling with the end of a pistol a mere inch from his eye. Gau’s own intervention, and the fearless way he picked up Raikou’s sword and stepped between the two, gave Raikou that moment of clarity as to what his path as a samurai needed to be. He took back his katana, and went through the motions of fighting Yukimi… all while filling his former mentor in with as much information as he could before Yukimi ‘beat’ him and escaped.
He made the decision then to ascertain Hattori’s intentions one last time before making the final decision as to whether he and Gau could leave the Kairoushuu or not.
Soon after, Gau and Raikou go to visit Hattori outside of the city, in order to bid clemency for both Yoite and Yukimi with the appeal that both had served the Kairoushuu with loyalty and honor so that they could take care of Yoite through the last days of his life. Hattori dismissed Raikou’s request as a ‘personal issue’ and then moved to reveal a room full of ninja already designated as Raikou’s replacement.
Their meeting was interrupted with the warning that Yoite was on the grounds and, upon hearing that Gau ran to Miharu’s room to let him know and help him escape. Raikou quickly followed and knocked out the guard trying to take Miharu before Yoite could reach them. Raikou and Gau managed to get Miharu to Yoite, then stayed behind to guard their retreat…
Personality:
Sample: Despite everything – the orders against Yoite, the orders against Yukimi, the sudden involvement of Kasa and his own changed role within the Kairoushuu – Raikou still had faith in Hattori. For five years, since the fall of his clan, he’s worked hard to support a man that, in his eyes, could bring a level-headed and pragmatic view to rule this inconstant world (both Nabari and the surface world alike). That’s why, after ‘losing’ to Yukimi, and extracting Gau’s promise to stay by his side, where he could better protect the younger man, he’d gone to Hattori’s home outside the city limits.
He’d appeared before Hattori, knelt with head bowed and fist pressed to the floor, a silent example of a vassal’s respect to his liege-lord, then looked up with a somber gaze, and then he’d traded the coin of his faithfulness to beg clemency for the dying kira-user and his handler alike.
And he’d thought he’d done so with a clear, concise reasoning.
“Yoite is an excellent shinobi that has done a great deal for the benefit of the Kairoushuu, which is why I would like to humbly ask that you remove the order to dispose of him. I would also ask that you please allow Yukimi-san and Miharu-kun time to care for him through his illness.”
What he was not prepared for (but perhaps he should have been, given the less than brilliant light that his master has painted his world with lately) was the cool look in the older man’s eyes as he turned to look at Raikou, nor the chill dismissive tone as he returned a request with a question of his own, “…May I take this to mean that you’re renouncing your duties as a Wakachi, Shimizu-kun?”
It was a question that had his head snapping up, his umber gaze lifting from their intent inspection of the tatami to stare imploringly at the man he’d offered his loyalty to so unhesitatingly, so long ago. This… had to be a mistake. A test, perhaps. And so he tried once more to apply logic and reason to a situation devolving all too quickly into insanity.
“What the Kairoushuu is trying to accomplish is something that will support the minds and hearts of people – with that being the case, I think it only right that we defend the dignity of our close comrades!”
And yet, despite his impassioned plea… it was like his words could not reach beyond the gap of missing memories for his former master, who turned away from him at those words, his gaze already far beyond Raikou’s reach. “The blank memory from ten years ago is throbbing. It’s coming and going faintly, and I cannot afford to ignore it. I apologize, but I don’t have time to listen to your personal issues. And furthermore, it pains me to say this but… I have already prepared your replacement.”
To that, Raikou could only watch in numbed disbelief as Hattori opened the sliding door to reveal a room full of shinobi – dressed from every walk of life on the surface world, and all with that hungry look in their eyes, that determination to become the new right hand of the leader.
Yoite’s timing could not have been more perfect, in his mad attempt of reaching Miharu, because before anyone had the chance to take that first step, the alarm warning of his arrival distracted them all – and Gau, ever faithful and close by – took that as a sign to leave his waiting post outside the main door to Hattori’s conference room and dashed to Miharu’s holding room. There he tried to help Miharu escape the guard, despite them both being overpowered… and it was in that moment Raikou struck down the guard and unsheathed his katana. In that moment, he’d chosen to let go of blind faith in someone else and place his fate, and his faith, in the path of the samurai he’d once abandoned.
The last thing he remembered is fighting his way down the halls of Hattori’s estate, of getting Miharu to Yoite, and then turning with Gau at his back to fight off wave after wave of shinobi as they tried to stop his friend’s escape. Body after body, Raikou cut them all down, one by one. Even so, he could feel Gau’s back pressed to his own, could feel the blood dripping onto his fingers from the guard of his blade as they found themselves surrounded…
Mindset: I think Raikou would face this death with calm acceptance. For him, it would mean an honorable death – and one that defied his mother’s warning, since he would have died helping two young men escape to their freedom with the katana she entrusted him with. Of course, it’s also a means of regret, because it’d mean that, in all likelihood, Gau died as well and so he’d failed his only friend in that respect – but the fact that he’d arrived here and Gau hadn’t, would make it acceptable.
Gau, after all, would be deserving of a nobler afterlife than Raikou. For him, he’s see this as an afterlife he deserved, given the sheer amount of blood on his hands.
G̶̶l̨͡i̵͢t̷c͝͠h̕é͠s̷̷͡: Something that he’s had to carry for five years is a crushing guilt over his own complacency in the death of his mother and father, along with all of the Shimizu blood on his hands. His mother’s disapproval and his sister’s hate – these are the things he has nightmares and hallucinations about on a regular basis.
One of his most glaring triggers is his over-protectiveness of both his younger sister, Shimizu Raimei, and his partner Meguro Gau, more so with the latter. He will not hesitate to deliver a swift and crushing 'punishment' for causing either of them harm or injury - and likely will not see reason until the rage that offense evokes recedes.
When he does break… he loses complete sight of himself. He’s been known to positively shred his targets (or the higanbana flowers that grow wild over where the Shimizu estates used to be) with his katana in a fit of blind rage, not stopping until well after the target is dead and he’s come to his senses.
It’s hard-pressed to get him to admit to his feelings, much less verbally acknowledge the pain that resides in his heart – especially when it comes to the hatred he'd cultivated for himself in Raimei's heart and the clan that he could not feel pride for, until the end.
More humorous idea for a glitch – he dyes his hair pastel pink, so it could easily glitch back to the blond that is the exact same shade as his mother and sister.
IC Information
Name: Shimizu Raikou
Canon: Nabari no Ou
Gender: Male
Age: 20 years in-game/at death.
History: No links, because the wiki is based on the anime and it deviates drastically from the manga.
Canon: Nabari no Ou
Gender: Male
Age: 20 years in-game/at death.
History: No links, because the wiki is based on the anime and it deviates drastically from the manga.
The Shimizu clan, once retainers of the Hojo and through them the Tokugawa, was a samurai clan that stood on the edge, where the surface world and the world of Nabari met. It has always been their duty to maintain the balance between the two worlds, rather than become involved in the village politics between the four ninja villages. This was a tradition that stayed the same despite the way the surface world changed and advanced around them. For the Shimizu, strength was a guiding virtue, thus each clan head was chosen by a competition at arms, with the new clan head being the one who beat out all others.
This method remained true all the way through to Raikou’s mother becoming clan head. Korin Shimizu had been a Fuuma ninja that had married the previous clan head’s elder son, and then had raised through the samurai ranks with a disconcerting speed, until she was named clan head when Raikou was in middle school.
Ten years before the start of the series, she made the decision to keep the Shimizu clan from becoming involved when the heads of the three other clans headed to Bonten village, in order to attempt to kill the current possessor of the Shinra Bonshou (a scroll of limitless power and wisdom), stating that if the Shimizu attempted to compete for possession of the Shinra Bonshou, they could no longer claim the position of neutrality needed to maintain the balance between the two worlds. This decision angered many of the clan members, who were still discontent over an ‘outsider’ becoming clan head.
During the attempt of the clans to take possession of the Shinra Bonshou, events occurred that erased everyone’s memories of the time, leaving a ‘blank’ in its place where the conflict should have been.
Five years after that, while Raikou was in middle school, he had a close friend tell him about how her parents had been killed by some men from ‘a corrupt organization’ and confessed that she wanted to seek revenge. Raikou brought this to his mother, to see if there was some way he could use his training as a samurai to help her, and his mother denied his request – saying that it was the responsibility of the police to do so and not his place. She also warned him that ‘a katana is meant for judging and killing. Don’t ever think you can save someone with one.’
They’re words that stuck with him, but when he found out that his friend had been killed by that same organization a week later, they were words that branded hate in his heart – especially for his mother. Shortly thereafter, Raikou and Raimei officially inherited the clan’s most sacred possession: twin katanas named ‘gamons’. Raikou inherited Shirogamon, while Raimei Kurogamon, the two swords used to cast judgement on the Shimizu clan itself. The possessors of the gamon swords have the responsibility to monitor the clan’s own actions and bring judgement down upon any that go against the clan’s strictures… up to and including against each other should one of the gamon owners rebel.
Korin knew how Raikou felt, and she gave him that responsibility in order to make him understand the precarious position the Shimizu clan was slated to stand in. His uncle Iroku, however, used Raikou’s own hurt and anger to persuade him to his line of thinking – that the Shimizu clan needed reformation, that his mother’s insistence in keeping with the old traditions was holding them back from stepping out and providing real help to both sides of their world.
His uncle’s words sparked a fire in Raikou’s heart, and so when the dissidents moved to confront his mother, Raikou was standing with them. Because of his uncle’s schemings, Raikou was thrust square in the middle of adult greed and a clan power struggle he wasn’t prepared to deal with.
And it was in that confrontation that everything changed. His uncle, who had promised Raikou that they would stand against Korin without bloodshed, brought out Raikou’s terminally ill father, Soumei, during the confrontation and then proceeded to cut him down rather than face Korin, who offered to give him a second chance at fighting her for the position of clan head. In his anger, Iroku ranted and raved about how he could change the world with the Shinra Bonshou, then moved without thought to cut Raikou down as well, accidentally starting a fire in the process; however his mother jumped between the blade and Raikou at the last moment, taking the mortal blow for him.
Her last words to him commanded Raikou to take up his gamon to punish the people that did this… and to protect Raimei.
Iroku’s actions turned the Shimizu estate into a full-scale battle ground, with the smaller faction that supported Korin taking up arms against those that had stood with Iroku, and his mother’s words sent Raikou after his sword.
At fifteen years old, Raikou cut down every single remaining member of the Shimizu clan, ending with the death of his uncle, who begged for his life at the end.
Unfortunately, Raimei came home from her friend’s house in time to see her home burning down and her brother standing over her uncle, his sword dripping in blood, and his uncle pleading for his life to no avail. For Raikou… in that moment, he chose to protect his sister from the truth of that night, to keep the taint of greed from touching her and so he chose to let her believe he’d slaughtered their family. He told her he was leaving to join the Kairoushuu, and in the aftermath, Raimei went to live within the Fuuma village.
Two years after that, Raikou was sent out to punish a ninja that had been committing crimes in the surface world, and saved a young boy in the process – his partner in the Wakachi, Gau.
Three years later…
Raikou, now the leader of the Wakachi (Kairoushuu punishment forces), returned to the overgrown grounds of the Shimizu estate, after leaving the bodies of several ‘punished’ ninja in open places for the surface world authorities (the police) to find, each covered with a higanbana blossom on their corpse. These were messages, sent from him to his sister, Raimei, who also returned to their family estate on the fifth anniversary of their slaughter.
There, he hoped to confront her, to see if she was ready to hear the truth of the events that had resulted in the downfall of their clan. She made it clear, however, that she had her own perception of what Raikou had done that night – and why – and was unwilling to accept any other possibility of what had happened. It was then, that they fought and he cut his sister down, left her bleeding amongst the higanbana for her friends to pick up with the warning to stay out of the Nabari world. To add insult to literal injury, he took her katana – the inherited Kurogamon, the sister-sword to his Shirogamon – to reinforce his warning.
For Raikou, the attack had been shallow, careful to avoid major damage… and intended to remove his sister from a world he felt too dangerous for her to participate in when her mind remained so closed. In his own way, he was still trying to protect her from truths he felt she wasn’t ready to face yet.
Shortly thereafter, Gau convinced Raikou to tell him the truth of what was weighing him down and for the first time Raikou confided his own burden – with the promise that Gau would keep what he learned to himself, or face Raikou’s katana for punishment. So obviously, the first thing Gau did was hunt through all of the hospitals until he found Raimei, then told her, Miharu, and Kouichi the truth of what had happened that night, which prompted Raimei to return to the Shimizu estate to confront Raikou for a second time.
This time, however, Gau showed up at the last moment… and stepped in to take the swordstrike meant for Raimei. The wound Raikou inflicted on his only friend was deep enough to put Gau into a coma, but not enough to take his life and so he gave up his gamon and began to search for medical cures to help revive Gau.
While Gau was in a coma, Miharu defected to the Kairoushuu and Raikou began to accompany Yukimi, Yoite, and Miharu on missions – one of which took them to the Kouga village’s Alya Academy (an elite school that also housed a ninja academy). There there were supposed to meet with representatives from all of the ninja villages, but their true intent was to obtain that village’s secret technique called the Daya (a forbidden art that is a supposed medical cure all).
Their first night there, however, both the Kairoushuu group and the Banten one were attacked by Kouga ninja in their sleeping quarters and, in the ensuing battles Kouichi was shot in the chest before the remaining members of both teams were trapped together in an underground facility, with limited air, as ‘ingredients’ for use in making the Daya. Fortunately, they were released after Kouichi saved the headmaster from ninja from Kasa (a government program to combat the ninja villages) forces. Shortly thereafter, Miharu was entrusted with the Daya and the Kairoushuu returned to Tokyo.
After they return from Kouga, Raikou was reluctant to go with Yukimi in order to hunt down Thobari-sensei (Banten’s teacher/leader) after his disappearance with that village’s forbidden scroll, as he did not want to take that much time away from Gau while he was still in a coma – to the point that when Yukimi called him on his reasoning, he challenged Yukimi to a spar to see if Yukimi could beat him and make him go. As they spar, they argue factors of guilt and blame, until Yoite cuts in to tell Raikou to either do something or kill the deadweight that will drag him down – Gau. Raikou refused, argued more with Yoite… who then used his kira to knock Raikou out and go to the hospital where Gau was being monitored.
When he came to, Raikou started to rush out to the hospital, only to find Yukimi there waiting to take him to Gau… whom Yoite had awakened with the Kira.
With Gau returning to their team, they begin searching for Thobari in ernest… only to find that the head of the Kairoushuu, Hattori, had given the order to take Miharu into his personal care while Yoite joined Yukimi, Raikou, and Gau in the search. Rather than continue in his search for Thobari, however, Yukimi disappeared in order to search out the truth of Yoite’s history and Yoite went to free Miharu from Hattori’s imprisonment… thus putting both Yukimi and Yoite in direct opposition of the Kairoushuu.
During the time where Yukimi was missing Kasa – under Hattori’s orders – moved to eliminate both Kouichi and Raimei in Banten, as well as terminate Yoite and capture Miharu. Hattori also called Raikou and Gau to his office to assign them the task of finding Thobari rather than continue their Wakachi duties, which would have required them to go after Yoite themselves. As part of this meeting, Hattori returned Raikou’s gamon to him (after taking it from the Shimizu family estate where Raikou had left it) with the task of investigating and punishing Yukimi as needed.
Raikou and Gau eventually tracked down Yukimi and warned him that to help Yoite meant defying the Kairoushuu, but defy he did – which resulted in Yukimi and Raikou fighting, gun against katana. As they fought and argued, Raikou had his first real doubt about Hattori: ‘Here’s a man that cares so much about Yoite, the boy who saved Gau’s life, that he’d go this far. And I’m trying to stop him. Is that… the right thing to do?’ It was a thought that distracted him mid fight, allowed Yukimi to disarm him, and left him kneeling with the end of a pistol a mere inch from his eye. Gau’s own intervention, and the fearless way he picked up Raikou’s sword and stepped between the two, gave Raikou that moment of clarity as to what his path as a samurai needed to be. He took back his katana, and went through the motions of fighting Yukimi… all while filling his former mentor in with as much information as he could before Yukimi ‘beat’ him and escaped.
He made the decision then to ascertain Hattori’s intentions one last time before making the final decision as to whether he and Gau could leave the Kairoushuu or not.
Soon after, Gau and Raikou go to visit Hattori outside of the city, in order to bid clemency for both Yoite and Yukimi with the appeal that both had served the Kairoushuu with loyalty and honor so that they could take care of Yoite through the last days of his life. Hattori dismissed Raikou’s request as a ‘personal issue’ and then moved to reveal a room full of ninja already designated as Raikou’s replacement.
Their meeting was interrupted with the warning that Yoite was on the grounds and, upon hearing that Gau ran to Miharu’s room to let him know and help him escape. Raikou quickly followed and knocked out the guard trying to take Miharu before Yoite could reach them. Raikou and Gau managed to get Miharu to Yoite, then stayed behind to guard their retreat…
Personality:
Mannerisms: He has an unshakable confidence in his ability, hard-won through a life-time's worth of training under the strict eye of his mother. Perseverance and endurance are two traits that his mother cultivated on a daily basis with an almost ruthless hand, providing her son with strength of will needed for him to climb the wall that she was and reach his full potential.
All of this can be seen in the way he carries himself – with a quiet, unconscious grace and dignity. There’s elegance to the way he speaks and moves that carry a reminder of older times, almost of responsible nobility.
Despite his best efforts, he is his mother’s son in that respect.
Habits : Raikou can use technology – in the sense that he knows the basics of a cellphone and a laptop, but he’s more likely to enjoy solitude, where he can review the files for his next assignment or read a book. He’s somewhat understated despite his clothes, and has a seemingly friendly demeanor – though more often than not, he uses that friendliness to keep people at a polite distance. He’s rarely outright rude, generally refrains from vulgarity, and has a low, calm tone of voice – more often than not a voice of reason despite the circumstances.
Interactions & Temperament : Raikou has a long fuse on a volatile temper. It takes a lot to make him flip from his usual calm, collected way of talking and interacting with others but when he does, he goes all out, relentless in his retribution.
While friendly on the surface, Raikou has a considerable sadistic streak in him. To this end, he’s not above using torture to get information from either an enemy or an ally, and will not hesitate to cut a person down if they stand in his way in the attempt. And through it all, he’ll do it with an unperturbed smile.
He can also be a good bit childish – if he doesn’t like the conversation, or even if he simply wants to annoy the person that’s speaking to him, he’ll simply pretend that he can’t hear them talking.
Morality : Raikou has a very definite sense of honor - despite the fact that he has seemingly dishonored his clan in both name and action. He will not hesitate to acknowledge a debt of honor, whether it is to someone who is either friend or foe, but more importantly, he will do all that is within his power to see that debt repaid in kind.
He can be exceptionally stubborn once his mind is made up. Once he’s come to a decision or resolved some form of belief, it takes an overabundance of concrete evidence to change that ideal. Factor in his guilt-driven necessity to take on challenges, hurts, and enemies on his own, to shoulder any true burden in order to protect his most precious persons, and it’s easy to see how he would occasionally crack under the pressure of too many emotions ignored and restrained.
QUOTES: "Once the truth passes through people’s hearts, it’s colored in excuses, lies, and misunderstandings… and twisted beyond recognition. But I really am sad to have Raimei hate me… I guess, somewhere in my heart, I wanted her to know how I felt, that’s why I did what I did the other day even though I knew it would be painful for both Raimei and myself. "
"…For now I guess we should sheathe our swords, and there’s no need to worry about this. I’m the one who… cut down my only friend."
"I felt that, by saving Gau, I had finally erased my past weakness and defeated our mother’s shadow for the first time."
"I dragged Gau’s pure heart into the blood-stained Nabari world. Now I’m frozen solid by the words my mother thrust at me all those years ago. Gau will not wake up because he blames himself and probably because he does not want to come back to me."
"If I let you go, I won’t be able to protect you from Kasa. I want to once more confirm the chief’s intentions since that desire is one thing I cannot concede, so stay with me [Gau]. Even if we stay with the Kairoushuu for now, we can still help Yoite and Miharu for now, so don’t go. For now… where your hands… your eyes… your voice can reach, I’ll be there."
"I had two paths before me with no chance of escape, so I chose one. That was all. Even if it turns out to be a mistake that leads me off the path of a samurai, I won’t regret it."
Powers/Abilities: Raikou is a fierce close combat fighter, specializing in kenjutsu and Aikido, who has the determination and resolve to keep fighting - no matter the injury - until he can no longer lift his sword.
He possesses a natural speed and agility that round out his skill as a samurai, enabling him to slip past a ninja's quick reflexes to deliver the killing strike – however he is still human. No supper strengths here.
One of Raikou's most glaring weaknesses is that as a samurai in a shinobi's world, he has no command of jutsu. He was born to a Fuuma ninja mother and a Fuuma-affiliated samurai of the Shimizu clan, trained with ninja, worked for the head of a ninja clan until the end, and was the Executive leader for the branch of that clan that was responsible for hunting ninja down and executing those that violate the clan's code of rule...yet he cannot perform a single ninja art.
Keepsakes/Mementos:
~A stack of mostly medical books. Example of titles: Regenerative medicine I & II, Modern medical advancement in the Nabari world, Chinese medicine, All-Purpose Medicine, Medical Benefits of Hot Springs, NOH, Fundamentals of String Theory.
~Higanbana flowers.
~His katana, Shirogamon.
~Protective charms.
~His weapon of choice outside his gamon is a three-section-staff, so this.
~String, for weaving Cat’s Cradle in his down time.
~Red ribbons to tie his hair back with.
~Throwing knives.
~All of the most fashion fail clothes (he has an actual peacock and rosebud sweater in canon) because this is a guy that wears sleeveless zipper vests, armbands on his wrists and upper arm, with jeans under hakama pants, two belts, sandals, and a sweatshirt tied around his waist to top the whole outfit off.
All of this can be seen in the way he carries himself – with a quiet, unconscious grace and dignity. There’s elegance to the way he speaks and moves that carry a reminder of older times, almost of responsible nobility.
Despite his best efforts, he is his mother’s son in that respect.
Habits : Raikou can use technology – in the sense that he knows the basics of a cellphone and a laptop, but he’s more likely to enjoy solitude, where he can review the files for his next assignment or read a book. He’s somewhat understated despite his clothes, and has a seemingly friendly demeanor – though more often than not, he uses that friendliness to keep people at a polite distance. He’s rarely outright rude, generally refrains from vulgarity, and has a low, calm tone of voice – more often than not a voice of reason despite the circumstances.
Interactions & Temperament : Raikou has a long fuse on a volatile temper. It takes a lot to make him flip from his usual calm, collected way of talking and interacting with others but when he does, he goes all out, relentless in his retribution.
While friendly on the surface, Raikou has a considerable sadistic streak in him. To this end, he’s not above using torture to get information from either an enemy or an ally, and will not hesitate to cut a person down if they stand in his way in the attempt. And through it all, he’ll do it with an unperturbed smile.
He can also be a good bit childish – if he doesn’t like the conversation, or even if he simply wants to annoy the person that’s speaking to him, he’ll simply pretend that he can’t hear them talking.
Morality : Raikou has a very definite sense of honor - despite the fact that he has seemingly dishonored his clan in both name and action. He will not hesitate to acknowledge a debt of honor, whether it is to someone who is either friend or foe, but more importantly, he will do all that is within his power to see that debt repaid in kind.
He can be exceptionally stubborn once his mind is made up. Once he’s come to a decision or resolved some form of belief, it takes an overabundance of concrete evidence to change that ideal. Factor in his guilt-driven necessity to take on challenges, hurts, and enemies on his own, to shoulder any true burden in order to protect his most precious persons, and it’s easy to see how he would occasionally crack under the pressure of too many emotions ignored and restrained.
QUOTES: "Once the truth passes through people’s hearts, it’s colored in excuses, lies, and misunderstandings… and twisted beyond recognition. But I really am sad to have Raimei hate me… I guess, somewhere in my heart, I wanted her to know how I felt, that’s why I did what I did the other day even though I knew it would be painful for both Raimei and myself. "
"…For now I guess we should sheathe our swords, and there’s no need to worry about this. I’m the one who… cut down my only friend."
"I felt that, by saving Gau, I had finally erased my past weakness and defeated our mother’s shadow for the first time."
"I dragged Gau’s pure heart into the blood-stained Nabari world. Now I’m frozen solid by the words my mother thrust at me all those years ago. Gau will not wake up because he blames himself and probably because he does not want to come back to me."
"If I let you go, I won’t be able to protect you from Kasa. I want to once more confirm the chief’s intentions since that desire is one thing I cannot concede, so stay with me [Gau]. Even if we stay with the Kairoushuu for now, we can still help Yoite and Miharu for now, so don’t go. For now… where your hands… your eyes… your voice can reach, I’ll be there."
"I had two paths before me with no chance of escape, so I chose one. That was all. Even if it turns out to be a mistake that leads me off the path of a samurai, I won’t regret it."
Powers/Abilities: Raikou is a fierce close combat fighter, specializing in kenjutsu and Aikido, who has the determination and resolve to keep fighting - no matter the injury - until he can no longer lift his sword.
He possesses a natural speed and agility that round out his skill as a samurai, enabling him to slip past a ninja's quick reflexes to deliver the killing strike – however he is still human. No supper strengths here.
One of Raikou's most glaring weaknesses is that as a samurai in a shinobi's world, he has no command of jutsu. He was born to a Fuuma ninja mother and a Fuuma-affiliated samurai of the Shimizu clan, trained with ninja, worked for the head of a ninja clan until the end, and was the Executive leader for the branch of that clan that was responsible for hunting ninja down and executing those that violate the clan's code of rule...yet he cannot perform a single ninja art.
Keepsakes/Mementos:
~A stack of mostly medical books. Example of titles: Regenerative medicine I & II, Modern medical advancement in the Nabari world, Chinese medicine, All-Purpose Medicine, Medical Benefits of Hot Springs, NOH, Fundamentals of String Theory.
~Higanbana flowers.
~His katana, Shirogamon.
~Protective charms.
~His weapon of choice outside his gamon is a three-section-staff, so this.
~String, for weaving Cat’s Cradle in his down time.
~Red ribbons to tie his hair back with.
~Throwing knives.
~All of the most fashion fail clothes (he has an actual peacock and rosebud sweater in canon) because this is a guy that wears sleeveless zipper vests, armbands on his wrists and upper arm, with jeans under hakama pants, two belts, sandals, and a sweatshirt tied around his waist to top the whole outfit off.
Sample: Despite everything – the orders against Yoite, the orders against Yukimi, the sudden involvement of Kasa and his own changed role within the Kairoushuu – Raikou still had faith in Hattori. For five years, since the fall of his clan, he’s worked hard to support a man that, in his eyes, could bring a level-headed and pragmatic view to rule this inconstant world (both Nabari and the surface world alike). That’s why, after ‘losing’ to Yukimi, and extracting Gau’s promise to stay by his side, where he could better protect the younger man, he’d gone to Hattori’s home outside the city limits.
He’d appeared before Hattori, knelt with head bowed and fist pressed to the floor, a silent example of a vassal’s respect to his liege-lord, then looked up with a somber gaze, and then he’d traded the coin of his faithfulness to beg clemency for the dying kira-user and his handler alike.
And he’d thought he’d done so with a clear, concise reasoning.
“Yoite is an excellent shinobi that has done a great deal for the benefit of the Kairoushuu, which is why I would like to humbly ask that you remove the order to dispose of him. I would also ask that you please allow Yukimi-san and Miharu-kun time to care for him through his illness.”
What he was not prepared for (but perhaps he should have been, given the less than brilliant light that his master has painted his world with lately) was the cool look in the older man’s eyes as he turned to look at Raikou, nor the chill dismissive tone as he returned a request with a question of his own, “…May I take this to mean that you’re renouncing your duties as a Wakachi, Shimizu-kun?”
It was a question that had his head snapping up, his umber gaze lifting from their intent inspection of the tatami to stare imploringly at the man he’d offered his loyalty to so unhesitatingly, so long ago. This… had to be a mistake. A test, perhaps. And so he tried once more to apply logic and reason to a situation devolving all too quickly into insanity.
“What the Kairoushuu is trying to accomplish is something that will support the minds and hearts of people – with that being the case, I think it only right that we defend the dignity of our close comrades!”
And yet, despite his impassioned plea… it was like his words could not reach beyond the gap of missing memories for his former master, who turned away from him at those words, his gaze already far beyond Raikou’s reach. “The blank memory from ten years ago is throbbing. It’s coming and going faintly, and I cannot afford to ignore it. I apologize, but I don’t have time to listen to your personal issues. And furthermore, it pains me to say this but… I have already prepared your replacement.”
To that, Raikou could only watch in numbed disbelief as Hattori opened the sliding door to reveal a room full of shinobi – dressed from every walk of life on the surface world, and all with that hungry look in their eyes, that determination to become the new right hand of the leader.
Yoite’s timing could not have been more perfect, in his mad attempt of reaching Miharu, because before anyone had the chance to take that first step, the alarm warning of his arrival distracted them all – and Gau, ever faithful and close by – took that as a sign to leave his waiting post outside the main door to Hattori’s conference room and dashed to Miharu’s holding room. There he tried to help Miharu escape the guard, despite them both being overpowered… and it was in that moment Raikou struck down the guard and unsheathed his katana. In that moment, he’d chosen to let go of blind faith in someone else and place his fate, and his faith, in the path of the samurai he’d once abandoned.
The last thing he remembered is fighting his way down the halls of Hattori’s estate, of getting Miharu to Yoite, and then turning with Gau at his back to fight off wave after wave of shinobi as they tried to stop his friend’s escape. Body after body, Raikou cut them all down, one by one. Even so, he could feel Gau’s back pressed to his own, could feel the blood dripping onto his fingers from the guard of his blade as they found themselves surrounded…
Mindset: I think Raikou would face this death with calm acceptance. For him, it would mean an honorable death – and one that defied his mother’s warning, since he would have died helping two young men escape to their freedom with the katana she entrusted him with. Of course, it’s also a means of regret, because it’d mean that, in all likelihood, Gau died as well and so he’d failed his only friend in that respect – but the fact that he’d arrived here and Gau hadn’t, would make it acceptable.
Gau, after all, would be deserving of a nobler afterlife than Raikou. For him, he’s see this as an afterlife he deserved, given the sheer amount of blood on his hands.
G̶̶l̨͡i̵͢t̷c͝͠h̕é͠s̷̷͡: Something that he’s had to carry for five years is a crushing guilt over his own complacency in the death of his mother and father, along with all of the Shimizu blood on his hands. His mother’s disapproval and his sister’s hate – these are the things he has nightmares and hallucinations about on a regular basis.
One of his most glaring triggers is his over-protectiveness of both his younger sister, Shimizu Raimei, and his partner Meguro Gau, more so with the latter. He will not hesitate to deliver a swift and crushing 'punishment' for causing either of them harm or injury - and likely will not see reason until the rage that offense evokes recedes.
When he does break… he loses complete sight of himself. He’s been known to positively shred his targets (or the higanbana flowers that grow wild over where the Shimizu estates used to be) with his katana in a fit of blind rage, not stopping until well after the target is dead and he’s come to his senses.
It’s hard-pressed to get him to admit to his feelings, much less verbally acknowledge the pain that resides in his heart – especially when it comes to the hatred he'd cultivated for himself in Raimei's heart and the clan that he could not feel pride for, until the end.
More humorous idea for a glitch – he dyes his hair pastel pink, so it could easily glitch back to the blond that is the exact same shade as his mother and sister.