Narumi Gen

 

  OPEN SEASON  

                     

APPLICATION

OOC

NAME: Leigh
AGE: 33
CONTACT: jhope
CHARACTER(S): Broca (Arknights)

IC

NAME: Narumi Gen
AGE: ~27 (no specific canon age)
CANON: Kaiju No. 8
CANON POINT: The end of chapter 88
CRAU: N/A
OTHER: N/A

SUITABILITY: Narumi is an adult man who has seen plenty of brutality and understands well how fragile and short a human life can be. Admittedly that's because he's a military combatant who specializes in fighting giant monsters, so he's seen more dead soldiers than he has sex dungeons, but he's not a particularly easy man to rattle.

He's always been fairly adaptive, and extremely driven in his goals. While the setting of Golden Peacock will force him out of his usual comfort zone and not utilize the skill sets he actually posses, he'll still play along if for no other reason than to avoid a statueing. After all, there's no chance of him getting back home to protect people if he allows himself to turn to stone.

ABILITIES: Narumi has fancy little kaiju retina contacts that allows him to see the electrical impulses sent from the brain to the body, and effectively guess in advance the next move that a living creature makes in battle. At its optimal use it allows him to see changes on a molecular level (literally changes in electrons according to him) that lets him predict the movements of inorganic matter as well. However, without a specific combat suit that is covered in these kaiju eyes, it's unlikely he'd be able to achieve results to this extent. (He also does not have these contacts at GP at this time)

This same combat suit previously granted him superhuman strength, speed, and endurance when using it, though even without it he's still a highly trained combatant who has a mastery of firearms, blades, and hand-to-hand combat.

VICES: Immaturity: Narumi has a pretty impressive list of accomplishments at a fairly young age. He is the captain of the first division of Japan's Anti-Kaiju Defense Force, one of the few members of this force to have been selected for a specialized combat suit that makes use of unique kaiju abilities, and is considered the strongest soldier in the force.

All of this makes it all the more disappointing that he is probably also the most childish member of the entire defense force. Off the battlefield the man is a bit of a mess. He junks up his office like it's his own apartment with a plethora of figurines and games, as well as all the packaging they were shipped to him in (which he cannot be bothered to throw away himself). He even has the gall to get upset when his subordinates expect him to do things like clean up, or show even a single degree of professionalism. He is horrendous about shirking the more administrative parts of his duties, plays video games while on the clock, and sometimes has to be very literally dragged into meetings he doesn't want to attend. His own record is littered with truancy and tardiness, and if it weren't for the fact that he's as capable in battle as he is, there is almost no chance he would even still be on the force at all, much less leading an entire division.

Impulsivity: The ability to think quickly on his feet can be a handy thing for Narumi to have in a fight. Quick decisions have to be made when dealing with monsters that move at speeds beyond the capabilities of a normal human. Instinctively following through with attacks likely saves his skin on a regular basis.

It's just a shame this doesn't help him in any other aspects of his life. Quick and pithy comebacks when arguing with rivals don't help him much when he's not stopping to consider that he's embellishing or even flat out lying about his own accomplishments, and that those lies are something people can call him out on both immediately and brutally. He's also quick to speak his mind, no matter how shocking or upsetting someone else might find it, and readily picks verbal fights at a moment's notice. On top of all of that he is tragically bad with his own money. The reason (in part) that his office is such a junk heap is because of the online purchases he will rapidly blow an entire paycheck on. He does this with no regard to what other payments he might need to make in the very near future, and has had to stoop to begging his subordinates for loans before, with no signs of him learning his lesson in the future.

Competitiveness: The immaturity and impulsive nature all come to a beautifully disastrous head with Narumi's competitive nature. Like most of his traits this isn't an inherently bad thing in battle, and has been used by commanding officers to motivate him into getting stronger.

And yet...

And yet outside out of the battlefield, it just makes him a real pain in the ass to deal with.

Every soldier who is part of the defense force is the cream of the crop, and have all earned their position both through talent and incredible amounts of effort and hard work. They deserve all the praise and admiration they earn for their achievements, and yet Narumi absolutely can and will hold a grudge against the few that have managed to show him up in hyper-specialized areas. Gen is an impressive all-rounder when it comes to combat, and is at the top of the leader board in most measured aspects in the defense force, but he still reacts poorly to people who hold very specific number one spots. He's greedy, and wants to have all the acclaim for himself, and sometimes even a little hostile towards those who keep him from what he wants.

It's not just the defense force he wants recognition from. Narumi is the kind of man to keep a close eye on his social media follower count, and ego surfs to make sure he is getting credit for the Kaiju kills he makes, while huffing and puffing when someone else is given praise by the general public that he thinks should go to him instead.

VIRTUES: Reliability: As difficult as Gen can be in most aspects of his life, he does know when to shelve his childish behavior for later. When things get serious, so does Narumi. Kaiju are a very real threat in his world, and he does not play around when it comes to eliminating those threats. While he may snap and snarl at other divisions of the defense force during quiet moments, in the heat of a Kaiju attack he will readily cooperate with whoever he needs to in order to neutralize the monsters. As bad as he is at the desk work aspects of his job, he excels in the field work, and is the first to throw himself into the line of fire to protect others.

Regardless of how churlish he acts in his personal life, he is a soldier who has dedicated his life to the service and protection of the people of Japan, and that isn't a duty he takes lightly.

Intelligence: To be blunt, Narumi's usual demeanor and goofier, lax behavior makes him come across like a fool. Everyone from his commanding officers to his subordinates have at some point sighed over Narumi's seeming idiocy, and to be fair in some ways he is a bit of a dipshit.

But he's not actually stupid. The man has a sharp mind and a shrewd analytical ability that really shines when he's put under pressure. The abilities granted to him by the military allow him to see information others cannot in order to read the upcoming moves of the monsters he's fighting. This sort of skill, impressive though it is even in a vacuum, would still be utterly useless without someone quick witted enough to immediately interpret the data input he's getting, and to then determine how to act on it. What's more, he's shown an aptitude for quickly picking up on traps or tricks used by more cerebral kaiju, and can change tactics in an instant to try and account for them.

While Narumi thrives in these high pressure environments, he can apply his brain at other times if he sees fit to. He's decent at gauging the capabilities of others, can read between the lines as well as the next guy, and in rare moments even shows a modicum of emotional intelligence when dealing with soldiers who are really going through it.

Bravery: Narumi is remarkably brave to the point of recklessness. His job requires him to put himself in danger for the sake of people who cannot defend themselves, though he tends to take things just one step further. Thanks to his great strength, most of the battles he fights are brutal curb stomps where he barely breaks a sweat, but when things get tough, Narumi gets less cognizant of his own safety.

There is not a moment of hesitation on his part to rush into a dangerous situation if there's a chance he can do some good, and the only thing that will make him draw back is the need to protect others. The man regularly faces down monsters that dwarf him in scale, and doesn't bat an eye as he pulls off risky maneuvers including tapping into powers that risk literally shutting down his brain if used for too long.

He's not unaware of the potential harm he faces with the job he's taken on, he just doesn't let it stop him from doing what needs to be done.

SURVEY

▶ I REGULARLY MAKE NEW FRIENDS.
▷ 1 Narumi is something of a gadfly. He's goading and obnoxious, ready to pick verbal fights, and quick to tease with little regard for how it will make the other person feel. His personality is difficult at the best of times, and people tend to respect him for his strength as a leader and a combatant rather than who he is as an individual. Even the general public, who he actively protects from monsters, like to make fun of how gauche his behavior can be.

This is all to say that no, Gen does not easily endear himself to others.
▶ SEEING OTHER PEOPLE CRY MAKES ME WANT TO CRY TOO.
▷ 2 Narumi is not without empathy, and when someone is visibly upset and crying he treats that moment with the gravity it deserves. Feeling for someone going through a difficult situation is different from wanting to cry with them though. If there is help that he can offer them in that moment he'd rather do that than shed a tear.

▶ I OFTEN MAKE A BACKUP PLAN FOR A BACKUP PLAN.
▷ 3 It's a mixed bag with Narumi. The ability to adjust on the fly is a key part of his job, and he's usually winging it at any given moment, but that doesn't mean he's ill prepared. He trains hard and keeps aces up his sleeve to pull out when he needs to. He's not so much a plans on top of plans kind of guy, but he will assess threats as carefully as he can before deciding what level of "fuck it we ball" he can go into a situation with.

▶ I USUALLY STAY CALM, EVEN WHEN UNDER A LOT OF PRESSURE.
▷ 5 It takes a lot to shake up Gen. The man can keep a level head in even some of the most extreme situations. In the middle of a life of death battle he's carefully observing and analyzing the situation, and that ability not to sweat the gargantuan stuff plays such a key part in his continued success.

Paradoxically, small and unimportant things can have him giving into theatrics and acting like the world is against him. It's really only under a lot of pressure that he keeps his calm.

▶ I AM VERY SENTIMENTAL.
▷ 3 While Narumi might have some questionable spending habits, keepsakes are not necessarily something he feels a great need to hold onto. He's not the sort to keep old photographs or meaningful gifts tucked away somewhere. That said, he's not without sentiment either. His memories, experiences, and growth are all things that matter a lot to him, and he's still chasing after the approval of a dead man.

▶ EVEN A SMALL MISTAKE CAN CAUSE ME TO DOUBT MY OVERALL ABILITIES AND KNOWLEDGE.
▷ 1 For better or for worse, this man's ego is a mile wide. Mistakes made will bother him still, especially when any mistake he makes may have more far-reaching consequences than the mistakes of your average Joe. Even with that weight on his shoulder, he does not let that shape his opinions of himself, or doubt that he can accomplish going forward. The safety of too many people rides on his competence and abilities, and regardless of what happens he keeps his chin held high and does not forget this fact.

▶ I AM MORE INCLINED TO FOLLOW MY HEAD THAN MY HEART.
▷ 4 Narumi has a fairly analytical mind. He keeps a clear and level head when making the best call he can in the heat of the moment, and while he'll follow a gut instinct when something feels wrong or alarming to him, it's not his first go-to. He expects to see proof of people's capabilities rather than granting leeway based on likes or dislikes as well.

▶ I AM PRONE TO WORRYING THAT THINGS WILL TAKE A TURN FOR THE WORSE.
▷ 2 If he was prone to this kind of worry, he probably wouldn't be able to continue functioning. Sure, with the proverbial axe hanging over his head constantly there's almost no way he can't imagine things going wrong, but danger is easier to throw yourself head first into if you believe that everything is going to work out for you. Narumi really does think he will overcome whatever odds are thrown his way, and does not dwell in the worst case what-if scenarios.

▶ I ENJOY WATCHING PEOPLE ARGUE.
▷ 3 On occasion Narumi might enjoy an argument, but it depends on who is arguing, what they're arguing about, and if the person he's siding with happens to be winning the argument. Any argument that is not relevant to him though? Big pass.

In all honesty, he'd rather be an active participant in the argument anyway.

▶ I TEND TO AVOID DRAWING ATTENTION TO MYSELF.
▷ 1 Absolutely untrue. He loves attention. He craves public adoration. This man literally keeps track of his follower count on social media, and gets upset when it goes down. He is a glory hound in every sense of the word. He lives for the moment of recognition, and will be chasing after that kind of high his entire life.

▶ I OFTEN DO THINGS AT THE LAST POSSIBLE MOMENT.
▷ 5 He's not exactly Mr. Prompt and Punctual. He puts off tedious things he doesn't want to do, and the only reason he's on time for meetings (or even there at all) is because his vice captain literally forces him to attend. Hell, he even shows up dramatically late to Kaiju fights half the time, but that's mostly because an action series needs an impressive entry rather than Narumi intentionally waiting to jump in.

▶ I FIND IT EASY TO EMPATHIZE WITH A PERSON WHOSE EXPERIENCES ARE VERY DIFFERENT FROM MINE.
▷ 3 He doesn't really put a lot of effort into understanding the people around him if there's no reason he can see for doing it. Gen can easily get lost in his own world and his own needs, but he does know how to pull his head out of his ass when he needs to. There is a hint of some emotional intelligence in there, and when he needs to actually use it he can manage pretty well without fumbling.

▶ I BECOME BORED OR LOSE INTEREST WHEN THE DISCUSSION GETS HIGHLY THEORETICAL.
▷ 3 Depends on the nature of the theoretical conversation. Are you talking string theory and advanced astrophysics? That may be out of Narumi's wheelhouse, and he'll tune out quickly before potentially even literally walking away. Are you talking what-if theories about battle tactics? Now you've got his attention, and he'll stay focused the entire conversation.

▶ I RARELY FEEL INSECURE.
▷ 3... or maybe 2 & 4? His ego is a balloon, usually swollen and floating high above everyone else, but so very, very easy to pop. His core views of himself cannot and will not be shaken, but it is the easiest thing in the world to rile him up. Just reminding him of the areas that he's less strong in than others is enough to induce some yapping. Not even areas of weakness, just areas where someone else happens to be a little stronger than he is.

▶ I AM STILL BOTHERED BY MISTAKES I MADE A LONG TIME AGO.
▷ 2 There aren't a lot of things from Gen's past that haunt him. There are some goals he never quite managed to meet that might grate at him, but by and large he doesn't have many regrets that he hangs onto, certainly not big ones.

At least... not ones from a long time ago. The mistakes he's made in more recent times are the ones that weigh the heaviest on him, because they're the ones that have had the most brutal consequences.

SUIT REQUESTS: Clubs: Because Narumi's greatest assets and weaknesses both seem to lie in this suit. Despite all appearances, he is smart guy whose true strength lies in his ability to assess and analyze. A suit that plays more off of mental aspects would dig at his strongest weapon, and also really inflate already existing negative traits like his recklessness.

Diamonds: In this case I think Narumi's lack of regard for the health of his own body might make this suit an interesting pick. He will fight even with broken bones and internal bleeding, and genuinely puts his body at risk of shutting down with some of the absolutely nutso choices he makes. On a less extreme level he's also the kind of guy to stay up to horrendous hours playing a new game, and suffer consequences for his lack of sleep. He really treats his body like it doesn't matter, so a suit that focuses on the effects of the body seems fitting.
RANK REQUESTS: Anything but two is fine by me! I've already got someone at rock bottom though, so something different to play with would be fun.
SAMPLES: His TDM top level, which includes his aggravation at not being recognized, his child-like excitement for video games, and even a moment of being able to get serious about what him being off the battlefield might mean for the people back home.

TDM thread with Falin where he gets to show off fast reflexes, his lack of chill, and his disinterest in the possibility of other people potentially getting hurt.

Unsettling Scenarios Meme where Narumi and another member of his canon fight monsters, and Narumi's better able to show how he handles a serious, stressful situation.