Luceti Application
May. 4th, 2013 12:18 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fiftywinsPLAYER
Name: Anne.
Journal Username:mint.
E-mail: gentlesweetsong at gmail dot com.
AIM/PLURK: busshelterwindow on AIM, and![[plurk.com profile]](https://plurk.com/favicon.ico)
gentlesweetsong.
Current Characters at Luceti: N/A.
CHARACTER
Name: Maito Gai.
Canon: Naruto.
Gender: Male.
Age: 30 at his canon point.
Wing Color: Spandex green!
Canon Point: Gai will be whisked from the battlefield, where he has been fighting alongside Kakashi and the Ninja Alliance against Madara, Tobi, and the Juubi. That'd be chapter 628.
Canon Point Explanation: This is the most recent canon point available for Gai, and allows him to be aware of the fact that one of his students recently died on the battlefield (namely, Neji Hyuuga).
History: The Naruto Wiki is as good a source as any, I reckon!
Personality:
Gai looks towards the future.
From a very young age, Gai has been exclusively focused on strengthening his body, honing his abilities, and serving his village, Konoha. He is a shinobi who (much like his pupil Rock Lee) has had to rely on hard work rather than any innate abilities, but even as a genin, he proved to have the determination and perseverence necessary to make up for any lack of talent. There were no shortcuts for Gai, and to be honest, that's the way he likes it. Always setting his goals just a bit out of his reach, and always formulating severe penalties if he cannot meet these goals, Gai lives his life by his "rules": if he cannot accomplish a task he set for himself, the punishment will be difficult enough that something good will come of failure: if he cannot complete a thousand push-ups, he'll have to run five hundred laps on his hands. It seems needlessly masochistic, but it's not quite what it seems. If you live life according to Gai's rules, there's no such thing as disappointment. There's no such thing as failure. There's simply improvement, wherever he can find it.
Sure, he's a bit eccentric. In fact he's very eccentric - something that has been clear from the get-go. Around Konoha he's known for his spandex, his bowlcut, his eyebrows, but perhaps most of all for his incessant yelling about youth and tearful displays (which may or may not feature participants, willing or otherwise), as well as his unlikely rivalry (and subsequent challenges) with Kakashi. Although everyone's quite used to the sight of Gai hopping down the street on his index fingers to push himself to the limit, it's clear that he's still viewed as somewhat of the village idiot. And indeed, compared to his rival and friend Kakashi (and many of the other shinobi in Naruto) Gai might at times come across as someone who doesn't take his profession all that seriously. Silly, over-the-top, dramatic and (dare we say it?) campy in his attitudes and affectations, Gai can definitely be a clown. But he's a jounin, and he didn't attain that rank by crying underneath waterfalls. Graduating the Academy at age seven, and attaining the rank of chuunin at age eleven, Gai has had to work hard every step of the day, and his frustration with his rival Kakashi is tangible during the flashback filler episode of the anime. But current Gai has had twenty years to come to terms with the fact that he'll have to work three times as hard as any bloodline shinobi to achieve the same level. However, that doesn't make him any less of a ninja, and in fact, doesn't it make his achievements all the more impressive? Gai does his utmost to convey this attitude to his pupils, particularly (of course) to Rock Lee, who struggles with a complete lack of aptitude for genjutsu and ninjutsu, and who must rely on taijutsu exclusively. And even despite Kakashi's superior talent and sharingan-given abilities, Gai holds no grudges. He even has no issues giving piggyback rides to his worn-out rival.
After all, when the going gets tough, the tough get going - and Gai is tough. That's what it truly means to look towards the future: Gai doesn't get bogged down by hurdles or mishaps. He simply plows through, bowling over his enemies with zeal, never once allowing himself to be limited by his body or mind. If his village or his comrades are on the line, Gai will stop at nothing. In fact, his sheer refusal to acknowledge the possibility of things legitimately going wrong for him at all can lead to him acting rather rashly.
As a jounin (it isn't quite clear whether Gai was ever part of ANBU), Gai has taken (and still takes) his share of missions, S-rank and otherwise. The last few years he's been focusing on training his three students, Tenten, Neji, and Lee, in addition to this. Although two-thirds of his team is rather embarrassed by him every now and then (with the other third, Lee, simply adoring Gai-sensei) it's clear that the job of teacher is well-suited to Gai. He does his best to assist his students in their development as shinobi, and it's clear that even despite their being so different, Team Gai sticks together. It's not obvious yet how Neji's death has affected Gai - although he does tell Lee that there have been "enough tears", it's to be expected of someone like Gai to take this kind of attitude while the battle is still raging. With how responsible Gai feels for his team's well-being, it's not unthinkable that Neji's untimely passing will hit him hard once he gets the opportunity to grieve.
Strengths
Physical: Gai is strong, quick, and possesses immense stamina. He is able to use ninjutsu (as proven by the fact that he can summon turtles) but is, at the heart of it, a taijutsu expert, meaning he uses his body as a tool rather than projecting his chakra. One of his techniques involves the opening of the Eight Gates that protect his muscles from intense usage: by opening these Gates, he gets an intense power boost. However, this boost comes at a price (see Weaknesses).
Mental: Gai has a lot of confidence in his own abilities as a ninja, and is endlessly optimistic about the future. His endless prattling about youth and how amazing it is might be annoying to those around him, but it's just another symptom of Gai's faith in the possibilities life offers. Gai's seen his share of hardship (he's a professional shinobi, after all), but he never allows this to bog him down. He's upbeat enough to provoke a "this isn't at all like you" from Kakashi when he does get a bit down. Gai is resilient, persevering, and unapologetically so.
Emotional: Gai has been shown to be eccentric, and he's frequently admonished by others - but he's been shown not to care one bit about this. Gai does what he does and he is what he is, and no one's going to change the way he approaches life. Gai is unabashedly Gai, and it works for him!
Weaknesses
Physical: Gai suffers from hay fever and seasickness. The opening of the Gates, mentioned as part of his Strengths, is not without its toll either: the Gates allow Gai to override the mental constraints on his muscles and use them to their full potential, but after this his muscles will be severely damaged. The 7th Gate of Wonder has been shown to cause such strain on Gai's body that he is unable to be touched without suffering intense pain. Opening the 8th Gate would cause his death.
Mental: Gai has a lot of difficulty remembering people, only remembering Kisame after fighting him three times (and finally defeating him) despite Kisame being quite the recognizable half-shark half-man Akatsuki monstrosity. In addition to this, Gai's unremitting confidence and faith in himself sometimes slip into the delusional. When faced with his "true self", Gai's inner self (really just Kisame masquerading as this inner self) berates Gai that it doesn't do for a middle-aged man to go on and on about youth when his youth has indeed passed, and Gai is visibly shaken by this suggestion. Youth is a way of life to Gai, and he seems unable (or unwilling) to come to terms with the fact that his youth certainly won't last forever. In fact, he's been shown to be winded when trying to keep up with Lee - yet Gai's still as convinced of his own youth and its virtues as he's always been. Indeed, while Gai's enough of an able shinobi not to let his preconceived notions trip him up on the battlefield, in his personal life he seems quite hard-headed in his convictions.
Emotional: Gai cares deeply about his comrades, and perhaps even moreso about his students. This had led to him teaching Lee several forbidden techniques (such as opening the Gates), despite the danger these techniques present to Lee himself. He's a dedicated mentor, but perhaps too dedicated - in his attempts to do right by those in his care, he sometimes endangers them (although, of course, considering their field of expertise is indeed the battlefield, this approach cannot entirely be rejected). In addition, Gai has been shown to be extremely emotional, often devolving into tearful displays (especially when Lee or Kakashi is present) of intense joy, shame, sadness, or relief.
Anything else?: N/A. Gai will be leaving his assortment of weaponry and turtle summons at home.
SAMPLES
First Person:
When you got up this morning, didn't you feel like today was an important day somehow?! If that's how you felt, you were certainly not alone! Aren't we all in the springtime of our youth?! This is the time to make the best of it! [ An important day somehow? There's not a lot to see except the blinding white of Gai's teeth, and when he finally remembers not to shove the journal halfway into his mouth and holds the thing at arm's length, it becomes clear that he's standing at the foot of the mountain. ] However, if you did not wake up in such a fashion, allow me to awaken these feelings of passion in you!
[ It's reminiscent of those cheesy morning exercise TV programmes, and Gai has tied his forehead protector around his actual forehead for a change, to keep his hair out of his face. He looks every inch the energetic sports coach and jogs in place for a moment (the image wildly shaking) and then stops, giving his audience a thumbs-up. ] Have you done your warming up?! Run in place with me! Pretend that you are racing against the you of yesterday! [ He unceremoniously drops the journal to the ground and there's a close-up of some grass as well as the grunting and huffing of Gai apparently racing against the him of yesterday. ] Never, haa- never think that you've hit the high point of your ability!! That's the number one secret to achieving a peak physical condition like myself! That's the number one secret to remaining youthful!
[ The journal's picked up again, and there's Gai again, grinning widely. ] Are your muscles warmed up? If you are near a mountain, do as I do! If you are not, a flight of stairs is an adequate substitute! Don't go easy on yourself! I won't go easy on myself, either...!
[ And then, horror of horrors, he positions the journal against a tree trunk and actually begins his attempt to scale the mountain. While hopping. On his hands. Barely audibly: ] Today is an important day after all! It is the first day of an even better youuuuuuaaahhhh-
[ And then something that sounds very much like a grown man tumbling downhill. ]
Third Person:
The sunlight's bright enough to blind him when he first opens the curtains of his small apartment, but rather than shielding his eyes, he simply squints and grins while he waits for his eyes to adjust. It's still a strange situation, and if he could choose he'd much rather be back at the battlefront, protecting those who are dear to him - but he's been informed that life back home won't go to hell just because he's been taken captive. At any rate there's certainly something good that's come of the whole thing. His eyes, now used to the unrelenting sunlight, take in the view that's growing more and more familiar by the day. A strange land. A strange town. Strange people, too. And yet there's his team - his entire team - and they're all here, and in good health. More or less. Physically, at least. Sort of.
Gai doesn't pretend to understand it. He doesn't get it in the least. But if it's a gift horse it's not an entirely unappreciated one, and he'll run to the end of the world and back if it allows him to see his three wonderful students together again. In fact, he reckons as he stretches his arms above his head, joints popping, he'll do exactly that.
He stumbles into his jumpsuit, makes sure to slip into his weighted leg warmers, and pulls on his sandals. The barrier - every few weeks he makes it a point to run to the nearest point of it to his house. It's a two-hour run, which is perfect to start the day, and he can pretend it's useful beyond its obvious physical benefits, and that he's really just charting whether the barrier's in the same place still, or whether it's been shifting around.
Jogging downstairs he chugs down an unholy smoothie of egg whites, flax seed, and assorted greenery, wipes his mouth, and then he's at the door. It's still early - barely six o' clock - and while he's still getting into the rhythm he's already planning to meet up with his students at ten. Two hours to the barrier, two hours back, and then time for another training session with his beloved trio. He's not entirely sure if they've been training as diligently in his absence, and he knows better than to ask (Lee, definitely, would probably be offended at the implication) so he's quietly decided to up the ante on their training to make up for any lost time. It's strange - he does feel weaker here, but it's the kind of weakness he associates with being much younger, and having so much potential and so much to be won ahead of him. The kind of weak he was before he became stronger. It's an energizing thought, and he decides to do a high knees drill to make the most of this energy, huffing and puffing and enjoying the fresh morning air and the burn in his muscles alike.
After all, if you start at zero, there's so much more to be gained! Before long he's out of the civilized part of Luceti and finds himself in the woods. If he closes his eyes for a second he can almost pretend he's home again (before opening his eyes again to avoid crashing into a tree). Almost. Because home is currently torn apart by war, and home is destruction and death, and fire and blood and anguish.
A bird sings on a nearby branch, and doesn't even fly away as he passes it. He knows he should be upset. Oh, he knows it. He knows he should be looking for a way out. And yet, somehow...
He inhales. Leaves crunch underneath his sandals.
Name: Anne.
Journal Username:
mint.E-mail: gentlesweetsong at gmail dot com.
AIM/PLURK: busshelterwindow on AIM, and
Current Characters at Luceti: N/A.
CHARACTER
Name: Maito Gai.
Canon: Naruto.
Gender: Male.
Age: 30 at his canon point.
Wing Color: Spandex green!
Canon Point: Gai will be whisked from the battlefield, where he has been fighting alongside Kakashi and the Ninja Alliance against Madara, Tobi, and the Juubi. That'd be chapter 628.
Canon Point Explanation: This is the most recent canon point available for Gai, and allows him to be aware of the fact that one of his students recently died on the battlefield (namely, Neji Hyuuga).
History: The Naruto Wiki is as good a source as any, I reckon!
Personality:
Gai looks towards the future.
From a very young age, Gai has been exclusively focused on strengthening his body, honing his abilities, and serving his village, Konoha. He is a shinobi who (much like his pupil Rock Lee) has had to rely on hard work rather than any innate abilities, but even as a genin, he proved to have the determination and perseverence necessary to make up for any lack of talent. There were no shortcuts for Gai, and to be honest, that's the way he likes it. Always setting his goals just a bit out of his reach, and always formulating severe penalties if he cannot meet these goals, Gai lives his life by his "rules": if he cannot accomplish a task he set for himself, the punishment will be difficult enough that something good will come of failure: if he cannot complete a thousand push-ups, he'll have to run five hundred laps on his hands. It seems needlessly masochistic, but it's not quite what it seems. If you live life according to Gai's rules, there's no such thing as disappointment. There's no such thing as failure. There's simply improvement, wherever he can find it.
Sure, he's a bit eccentric. In fact he's very eccentric - something that has been clear from the get-go. Around Konoha he's known for his spandex, his bowlcut, his eyebrows, but perhaps most of all for his incessant yelling about youth and tearful displays (which may or may not feature participants, willing or otherwise), as well as his unlikely rivalry (and subsequent challenges) with Kakashi. Although everyone's quite used to the sight of Gai hopping down the street on his index fingers to push himself to the limit, it's clear that he's still viewed as somewhat of the village idiot. And indeed, compared to his rival and friend Kakashi (and many of the other shinobi in Naruto) Gai might at times come across as someone who doesn't take his profession all that seriously. Silly, over-the-top, dramatic and (dare we say it?) campy in his attitudes and affectations, Gai can definitely be a clown. But he's a jounin, and he didn't attain that rank by crying underneath waterfalls. Graduating the Academy at age seven, and attaining the rank of chuunin at age eleven, Gai has had to work hard every step of the day, and his frustration with his rival Kakashi is tangible during the flashback filler episode of the anime. But current Gai has had twenty years to come to terms with the fact that he'll have to work three times as hard as any bloodline shinobi to achieve the same level. However, that doesn't make him any less of a ninja, and in fact, doesn't it make his achievements all the more impressive? Gai does his utmost to convey this attitude to his pupils, particularly (of course) to Rock Lee, who struggles with a complete lack of aptitude for genjutsu and ninjutsu, and who must rely on taijutsu exclusively. And even despite Kakashi's superior talent and sharingan-given abilities, Gai holds no grudges. He even has no issues giving piggyback rides to his worn-out rival.
After all, when the going gets tough, the tough get going - and Gai is tough. That's what it truly means to look towards the future: Gai doesn't get bogged down by hurdles or mishaps. He simply plows through, bowling over his enemies with zeal, never once allowing himself to be limited by his body or mind. If his village or his comrades are on the line, Gai will stop at nothing. In fact, his sheer refusal to acknowledge the possibility of things legitimately going wrong for him at all can lead to him acting rather rashly.
As a jounin (it isn't quite clear whether Gai was ever part of ANBU), Gai has taken (and still takes) his share of missions, S-rank and otherwise. The last few years he's been focusing on training his three students, Tenten, Neji, and Lee, in addition to this. Although two-thirds of his team is rather embarrassed by him every now and then (with the other third, Lee, simply adoring Gai-sensei) it's clear that the job of teacher is well-suited to Gai. He does his best to assist his students in their development as shinobi, and it's clear that even despite their being so different, Team Gai sticks together. It's not obvious yet how Neji's death has affected Gai - although he does tell Lee that there have been "enough tears", it's to be expected of someone like Gai to take this kind of attitude while the battle is still raging. With how responsible Gai feels for his team's well-being, it's not unthinkable that Neji's untimely passing will hit him hard once he gets the opportunity to grieve.
Strengths
Mental: Gai has a lot of confidence in his own abilities as a ninja, and is endlessly optimistic about the future. His endless prattling about youth and how amazing it is might be annoying to those around him, but it's just another symptom of Gai's faith in the possibilities life offers. Gai's seen his share of hardship (he's a professional shinobi, after all), but he never allows this to bog him down. He's upbeat enough to provoke a "this isn't at all like you" from Kakashi when he does get a bit down. Gai is resilient, persevering, and unapologetically so.
Emotional: Gai has been shown to be eccentric, and he's frequently admonished by others - but he's been shown not to care one bit about this. Gai does what he does and he is what he is, and no one's going to change the way he approaches life. Gai is unabashedly Gai, and it works for him!
Weaknesses
Mental: Gai has a lot of difficulty remembering people, only remembering Kisame after fighting him three times (and finally defeating him) despite Kisame being quite the recognizable half-shark half-man Akatsuki monstrosity. In addition to this, Gai's unremitting confidence and faith in himself sometimes slip into the delusional. When faced with his "true self", Gai's inner self (really just Kisame masquerading as this inner self) berates Gai that it doesn't do for a middle-aged man to go on and on about youth when his youth has indeed passed, and Gai is visibly shaken by this suggestion. Youth is a way of life to Gai, and he seems unable (or unwilling) to come to terms with the fact that his youth certainly won't last forever. In fact, he's been shown to be winded when trying to keep up with Lee - yet Gai's still as convinced of his own youth and its virtues as he's always been. Indeed, while Gai's enough of an able shinobi not to let his preconceived notions trip him up on the battlefield, in his personal life he seems quite hard-headed in his convictions.
Emotional: Gai cares deeply about his comrades, and perhaps even moreso about his students. This had led to him teaching Lee several forbidden techniques (such as opening the Gates), despite the danger these techniques present to Lee himself. He's a dedicated mentor, but perhaps too dedicated - in his attempts to do right by those in his care, he sometimes endangers them (although, of course, considering their field of expertise is indeed the battlefield, this approach cannot entirely be rejected). In addition, Gai has been shown to be extremely emotional, often devolving into tearful displays (especially when Lee or Kakashi is present) of intense joy, shame, sadness, or relief.
Anything else?: N/A. Gai will be leaving his assortment of weaponry and turtle summons at home.
SAMPLES
First Person:
When you got up this morning, didn't you feel like today was an important day somehow?! If that's how you felt, you were certainly not alone! Aren't we all in the springtime of our youth?! This is the time to make the best of it! [ An important day somehow? There's not a lot to see except the blinding white of Gai's teeth, and when he finally remembers not to shove the journal halfway into his mouth and holds the thing at arm's length, it becomes clear that he's standing at the foot of the mountain. ] However, if you did not wake up in such a fashion, allow me to awaken these feelings of passion in you!
[ It's reminiscent of those cheesy morning exercise TV programmes, and Gai has tied his forehead protector around his actual forehead for a change, to keep his hair out of his face. He looks every inch the energetic sports coach and jogs in place for a moment (the image wildly shaking) and then stops, giving his audience a thumbs-up. ] Have you done your warming up?! Run in place with me! Pretend that you are racing against the you of yesterday! [ He unceremoniously drops the journal to the ground and there's a close-up of some grass as well as the grunting and huffing of Gai apparently racing against the him of yesterday. ] Never, haa- never think that you've hit the high point of your ability!! That's the number one secret to achieving a peak physical condition like myself! That's the number one secret to remaining youthful!
[ The journal's picked up again, and there's Gai again, grinning widely. ] Are your muscles warmed up? If you are near a mountain, do as I do! If you are not, a flight of stairs is an adequate substitute! Don't go easy on yourself! I won't go easy on myself, either...!
[ And then, horror of horrors, he positions the journal against a tree trunk and actually begins his attempt to scale the mountain. While hopping. On his hands. Barely audibly: ] Today is an important day after all! It is the first day of an even better youuuuuuaaahhhh-
[ And then something that sounds very much like a grown man tumbling downhill. ]
Third Person:
The sunlight's bright enough to blind him when he first opens the curtains of his small apartment, but rather than shielding his eyes, he simply squints and grins while he waits for his eyes to adjust. It's still a strange situation, and if he could choose he'd much rather be back at the battlefront, protecting those who are dear to him - but he's been informed that life back home won't go to hell just because he's been taken captive. At any rate there's certainly something good that's come of the whole thing. His eyes, now used to the unrelenting sunlight, take in the view that's growing more and more familiar by the day. A strange land. A strange town. Strange people, too. And yet there's his team - his entire team - and they're all here, and in good health. More or less. Physically, at least. Sort of.
Gai doesn't pretend to understand it. He doesn't get it in the least. But if it's a gift horse it's not an entirely unappreciated one, and he'll run to the end of the world and back if it allows him to see his three wonderful students together again. In fact, he reckons as he stretches his arms above his head, joints popping, he'll do exactly that.
He stumbles into his jumpsuit, makes sure to slip into his weighted leg warmers, and pulls on his sandals. The barrier - every few weeks he makes it a point to run to the nearest point of it to his house. It's a two-hour run, which is perfect to start the day, and he can pretend it's useful beyond its obvious physical benefits, and that he's really just charting whether the barrier's in the same place still, or whether it's been shifting around.
Jogging downstairs he chugs down an unholy smoothie of egg whites, flax seed, and assorted greenery, wipes his mouth, and then he's at the door. It's still early - barely six o' clock - and while he's still getting into the rhythm he's already planning to meet up with his students at ten. Two hours to the barrier, two hours back, and then time for another training session with his beloved trio. He's not entirely sure if they've been training as diligently in his absence, and he knows better than to ask (Lee, definitely, would probably be offended at the implication) so he's quietly decided to up the ante on their training to make up for any lost time. It's strange - he does feel weaker here, but it's the kind of weakness he associates with being much younger, and having so much potential and so much to be won ahead of him. The kind of weak he was before he became stronger. It's an energizing thought, and he decides to do a high knees drill to make the most of this energy, huffing and puffing and enjoying the fresh morning air and the burn in his muscles alike.
After all, if you start at zero, there's so much more to be gained! Before long he's out of the civilized part of Luceti and finds himself in the woods. If he closes his eyes for a second he can almost pretend he's home again (before opening his eyes again to avoid crashing into a tree). Almost. Because home is currently torn apart by war, and home is destruction and death, and fire and blood and anguish.
A bird sings on a nearby branch, and doesn't even fly away as he passes it. He knows he should be upset. Oh, he knows it. He knows he should be looking for a way out. And yet, somehow...
He inhales. Leaves crunch underneath his sandals.
