Interstellar App

[goateeocracy]

☆PLAYER

Name: Bennu
Contact: himewako
Other Characters: N/A

☆CHARACTER

Character Name: Kouen Ren
Age: 29
Species: Human
Canon: Magi
Canon Point: Chapter 282 (Note: It's unclear as of this chapter whether he's just lost use of his legs and left arm or if he's lost them entirely. For the sake of the game, I'm assuming he's just lost use of them and they were repaired when he was taken.)
Character Info: Fandom Wiki

Personality:
Kouen is a stern, uncompromising, driven man. He's the sort of person who naturally becomes a leader not out of charisma, charm, and affability, but rather through the force of his determination, his competence, and the respect he is able to command. It's easy to believe that Kouen will succeed because he's the sort that gives the impression that he won't accept failure from anyone, least of all himself. In reality, that isn't entirely true. He's actually far more accepting of the failure of others than you would expect because he sees his own relationship with success as a constant fight against every factor that might lead him to fail. Though he won't admit his shortcomings easily and will only do so under extreme circumstances, he's nevertheless very aware of them and constantly at work to compensate, correct, and counteract them. This isn't to say he's lenient on others, though, just understanding when they make understandable mistakes or failures. If someone errs through incompetence or a lack of skill he finds inexcusable for their position, he has no pity to spare for them.

Kouen's drive to succeed is constant. He knows what he wants and he wants it on his own terms and on his own schedule. The few times his volcanic temper has come to the fore have been over someone or something getting in his way when he wants something. His usual stern, stony mien can shatter entirely into fiery anger as he yells and rages at whatever gets in his way, but it's not something that happens very often at all. He can also revert to his usual composure once he's placated. Also, once he has what he wants, whatever means it took to get it is often of no use to him anymore. He's more than willing to set aside an alliance or a relationship after he's gotten what he wants out of it.

One thing Kouen seeks obsessively is knowledge. He's an avid student of history because he sees the knowledge of the past as the key to unlock true power over the present. He willingly allies himself with people he finds reprehensible, that he fears, and that he knows will betray him because he would rather have their strength where he can see and control it rather than turned against him. He willingly accepts the fact that the world is a brutal place and does not hesitate to be brutal in return. Even his political philosophy is something many would find terrifying. For Kouen, the way to unify the world under one rule is to obliterate all other cultures, suppress their history and individuality, and bring them under the control of one dominant philosophy with a place for everyone and everyone in their place.

Perhaps one reason why Kouen doesn't find his philosophy particularly terrifying is because it's almost paternal in a way. Kouen is extremely devoted to his family and takes his position as eldest brother very seriously, especially after the death of his father, uncle, and older cousins, and that sort of authority within the home probably colors his view of world politics. Kouen very much wants the best for his younger siblings and step-siblings, though he's often a bit too heavy-handed in bringing that about. His desire to keep Hakuryuu safe led him to use magic to suppress Hakuryuu's emotions, though he later makes amends for that by sacrificing three of his own limbs to repair Hakuryuu's. Truly, if you want to see Kouen's true face, watch him around his younger siblings. He still doesn't have much of a sense of humor, but they can still get him to relax a little and maybe even coax a smile out of him now and then. (Unless it's Koumei. Kouen is stuck playing Koumei's straight man more often than not. They make an odd comedy duo.)

There is another side of Kouen that only his family has seen. Were he to be defeated by any other opponent, he would no doubt remain proud and defiant until the end. However, when he is defeated by his younger cousin/step-brother, he shows a more vulnerable side than he would show to literally anyone else. He does not hesitate to show his shame and his sorrow for letting things become as they have. He speaks straight from the heart and willingly offers himself up as sacrifice so his younger siblings can be spared. Though you wouldn't expect it of him from the way he usually acts, he will not hesitate to show his love for his family even if it means abandoning his pride.

☆INTERSTELLAR

Genre Preferences: Rock, Heavy Metal, Country
Choice Instrument: Lead, Guitar, Bass, Violin/Fiddle
Rockstar Persona: Kouen looks every inch the bad boy, the sort of arrogant asshole you're sure trashes hotel rooms and raises hell wherever he goes. The sort of guy who must have come from the wrong side of the tracks, who started out playing in dive bars and fought tooth and nail to make a career, even if it meant sleeping on park benches to save up money for that last chance gig. It's a vibe he's really good at giving off and he's encouraged not to deny that sort of narrative if someone wants to build it around him, but it couldn't be further from the truth. In reality, he's from a pretty affluent family. His musical talent is the product of many years of lessons as a child and he never really wanted to be a professional musician to begin with. He has degrees in history and political science and was debating whether he wanted to go to grad school or law school when he got roped into playing with a friend's band and found himself with a recording contract instead. If it were left up to him, he'd be performing songs with complex lyrics filled with subtle, multilayered references to history and literature and that's generally what he writes when left to his own devices, but he knows that performing things that are more palatable to the general public are more likely to rank high on the charts. In that vein, he's also not terribly interested in genres of music that are particularly anti-establishment. He wanted to go into politics. He wanted to be the establishment, so he's perfectly willing to plan out his career so that he can have a second shot at that once his band isn't all that popular anymore.

Ideal CR: I'd like his band to be like his family, with him in the older brother or paternal position. He also works well as the serious, driven character who has to run herd on a bunch of flakes. He's usually the oldest guy in the group and I'm happy to keep him that way because it works well for him, but I wouldn't mind seeing him have to deal with not being the oldest grump in the room, too.

Writing Sample: On the Test Drive
Random Scenario Meme