Adstringendum Application

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Name: Hugga

Personal Journal: possibleapocalypse

 

Contact: On file!

Other Characters Played: Fran (froghat)

 

Are you 18 or over?: Yes!

Canon: Nabari No Ou

Character: Gau Meguro

Timeline: Chapter 50 of the manga, shortly before Yoite is erased by the Shinrabanshou.

Personality:

In a word, temperamental. Known for changing moods depending on the person, time and level of mess in the immediate surrounding area, you’re still most likely to see Gau in either of two modes: loud or fawning over Raikou. These two are not mutually exclusive, with “loud” usually winning over. Still, to say that he is limited to these two defaults is completely false- if anything, Gau is a master at displaying a wide range of emotions depending entirely on who he’s with and where he is. Standoffish to those who disrespect him or make fun of him, kind to those he’s indebted to and humble to those above him in the world of Nabari, he’s capable of flipping from mood to mood almost instantaneously. Unlike most ninjas of the Nabari world, Gau is anything but stealthy and controlled- he’s direct and hot tempered when it comes to things he’s passionate about. Still, this doesn’t mean Gau is an unkind person by any means- he’s considerate and cheerful to those who are kind to him in return.

Devoted to a fault, Gau is a “yes-man” through and through to Raikou, the samurai he serves under. From doing detailed background checks on victims to taking hair samples from their corpses, Gau is absolutely loyal to Raikou’s actions and orders to the point of willing to take punishment for any fault. Being completely devoted to him due to a sense of thankfulness and love for saving his life and his constant protection respectively, Gau has somewhat of an inferiority complex due to his inability in a fight and skills restricted to paper and housework. While he gets temperamental when called out on this by others, privately he admits his shortcomings and worries about his usefulness to Raikou.

Perhaps because of this, Gau hosts an incredible work ethic that is shown through going above and beyond what is asked of him, such as incredibly detailed research reports and constant chidings of those who don’t work up to his speed. Even after coming out of a coma he had been in for weeks on end, Gau plunged himself right back to work with gusto to make up for lost time. He keeps meticulously detailed notes of daily happenings in the Nabari world, compiles reports of backgrounds at a request and generally keeps up the “intelligence” side of the Wakachi with devotion and great pride in his work. As such, Gau has a somewhat uptight personality and will launch into lectures if someone isn’t acting in the proper manner he thinks they should, such as yelling at Yukimi for his lack of work ethic or his messy apartment. When he has no personal conflicts against them, he will follow rules and expectations set for him to a T and expresses great frustration when they’re not met by himself or others.

Despite being the ever-loyal assistant to an assassin by trade and part of a world that holds betrayal as its core, Gau holds a strong emotional core of morality and idealism. Unlike others in the world of Nabari who plan to use the Shinrabanshou for their own greed and gains, Gau sees the potential for positive world change through its use. It’s for this reason that he joins the Kairoushuu: he wants the world to be changed for the better rather than for his personal desires. Still, he sees Miharu as the human holding the Shinrabanshou rather than the power itself and objects to anyone seeing him as less than a person, speaking to Gau’s strong sense of morality. Whenever there’s conflict that can be avoided, such as the falling-out between the Shimizu siblings or the fight between Raikou and his superior Yukimi, Gau can be trusted to throw himself into the fray in order to try to help make amends between the combatants and bring peace.

He does this to the point of self-sacrifice and punishment; even if the cost is his own life he will seek to resolve conflict. This particular piece of his personality is highlighted during the battle between the Shimizu siblings, wherein Raimei thought that Raikou had killed their entire family out of greed when in reality he put down a coup against the leader, their mother. Despite being directly ordered not to tell Raimei the truth by Raikou, Gau feels a personal responsibility to end their fight and bring happiness to them once more, showing both his morality and idealistic thinking. His tendency to place moral actions above duty is also displayed in his relationship with Yoite, a member of the Kairoushuu who eventually defects. Though initially standoffish and abrasive towards the boy due to his disrespect of Raikou, Gau displays great sympathy towards Yoite after he brings him out of his coma and effectively saves Gau’s life. Even if an order is placed for Yoite’s immediate capture by the leader Gau so respects and Raikou remains loyal to it, Gau feels the need to help him out of a personal sense of honor and makes his wishes clear to Raikou, speaking to his sense of ethics above all else.

Background:

Gau’s introduction to the world of Nabari began some time (either a 6-9 months or over a year, it's unclear) previous to the beginning of the main story. After his mother, his last living relative, was murdered in a random act of violence by a criminally insane man three years previously, Gau sought out revenge and attacked him, becoming quite injured in the process. Fortunately, Raikou happened to be passing by and in a reversal of his pledge not to get involved with the affairs outside the world of Nabari, kills Gau’s attacker and takes the boy under his wing. From there, joins the Kairoushuu, a group dedicated to using the Shinrabanshou (a power contained in a boy named Miharu Rokujo) to create a perfect world and the organization that Raikou works under.

When Gau is introduced to the main story, he and Raikou have been completing assigned assassinations of criminals for the Kairoushuu. After each kill, Raikou leaves behind a spider lily as a signature. This catches the attention of his sister Raimei, who has sworn revenge against him for his slaughter of their family clan. She realizes that he’s in the area, and plans to confront him.

As Yoite, user of the forbidden art Kira, has joined the Kairoushuu, Raikou and Gau meet him during a meeting with the leader of the Gray Wolves, Hattori. After scolding him for his failure on his previous mission, Gau gives Hattori a report on their most recent mission while giving information on possible traitors in the area. After chastising Yukimi on his performance as well, Gau gives an impassioned speech on how he believes that they Kairoushuu represent justice, and how his work in the Wakachi is an extension of it. He is then told by Yoite that he’s lying, which angers him.

When Raikou confronts his sister for the first time, Gau is left behind to work on Wakachi paperwork. While he’s working, he gets into conversation with Hattori on how Raikou joined the Kairoushuu: After leaving his home clan, Raikou slaughtered allies of his former clan and presented their blood as proof as his loyalty. Questioning why Raikou would have had so much faith in the Shinrabanshou being reborn to grant his wish and being told that he had no reason for joining. He is then told of an incident 10 years ago, wherein the Shinrabanshou appeared and yet no one remembers it. Gau concludes that the missing memories are due to the Shinrabanshou itself. In their confrontation, Raimei is felled by Raikou and he returns to Gau only to find that Yoite has disappeared.

Later, after discussing their next mission, Raikou departs suddenly and Gau finds himself troubled on how to confront him about his past seeing that the samurai is clearing suffering from it. Seeing that Gau is worried about him, Yukimi advises him to ask Raikou about his troubles directly. Gau wonders if he can be the strength that Raikou can rely on while they take on another mission. However, during a routine assassination, Raikou begins to have visions of his family’s past that distract him from the fight. Gau rushes into the fight to disarm the target, only to get beaten up. Raikou snaps into a fit of rage and mauls the man, leading Gau to realize that the memories of the past are haunting Raikou to the point of harm. He then decides to resolve the situation between the siblings himself.

Gau travels to the hospital where Raimei is being treated for her wounds and quickly (as noisily) finds her group. Introducing himself as Raikou’s assistant and part of the Kairoushuu, he states that he’s there on his own wishes and therefore the group should not be blamed. He then says that he knows the truth of the Shimizu’s family history. When questioned whether or not he has proof or not, he offers his own life as the proof, and Miharu agrees to let him tell his story. The truth, Gau explains, is that Raikou’s uncle killed his mother and father in a coup to take over the Shimizu clan, and Raikou slaughtered him and his cohorts in an act of revenge. Raimei saw his killing of her uncle and said uncle’s cries for help, and to protect her innocence and love of her family, he took the blame for himself and posed himself as if he was the betrayer. He leaves, telling Raimei that he’s going to join the Kairoushuu and ends Gau’s story.

Raimei runs out of the hospital and Gau attempts to follow her but is stopped. Gau recalls when Raikou first told the story to him and his emotional reaction, followed by Raikou’s firm stance on keeping it a secret from his sister- even at the cost of their relationship. He warned Gau to never tell at the cost of him raising his sword against Gau. After remembering this, Gau runs after Raimei.

The Shimizu siblings fight and Raimei attempts to reconcile with Raikou. Feeling that he’s too far gone to rejoin her he slashes at her to kill, but Gau has stepped in front of her just in time to “receive his punishment” for telling the secret he was supposed to keep. As he lays there bleeding, he tells his wish for the siblings to put the past behind them and to become a family again. He slips into unconsciousness and remains in a coma for quite some time.

Much later, after Miharu and Yoite have joined the Kairoushuu and have gotten the forbidden art Daya, Gau is shown to be perfectly healthy and completely recovered, but still will not wake from his coma. Raikou makes frequent visits to his hospital bedside, expressing deep worry that Gau will hate him for rendering him unconscious. At the same time, Miharu’s teacher and mentor Thobari has gone missing. The group goes to fetch Raikou at his surface world job, only to find that he refuses the order to go with them. Yukimi asks if it’s about Gau, and realizes that Raikou has no idea what to do about him. In a spar with Yukimi, Raikou reveals that he feels guilty for bringing Gau’s “noble and pure” heart into the bloody world of Nabari, and that he blames himself entirely for Gau not waking up. Yoite becomes frustrated at this and says that he will end this himself. Knocking Raikou out, he goes to the hospital and forcibly wakes up Gau with Kira.

When Raikou wakes up, he runs to the hospital only to find that Gau has already woken up. Gau says that in his unconsciousness, he felt that he was going to where his mom was but felt something pulling him back. He heard Yoite’s voice and felt him pulling him to the surface, and realizes that it was something that he wanted the entire time. He then reaffirms that he wanted to see Raikou and to stay by his side with a smile.

Gau leaves the hospital and comes home to Yukimi’s filthy apartment. Miharu and Yoite arrive, and Gau figures it’s appropriate to celebrate the former’s birthday as well as his own recovery with cake. Giving Yoite a piece of cake, Gau thanks him for saving his life. The group then launches into investigation about Tobari’s whereabouts and they decide on using Miharu as a way to draw him out. Due to having a significant amount of work in the surface world, Yukimi assigns the task to Raikou and Gau. Walking with Raikou, Gau tells him that he wants to help Yoite and asks Raikou if he can help as well.

Later, Gau meets up with Yukimi outside of his highschool to give him a comprehensive report on Hattori as part of a private investigation. As he leaves, he tells Gau to take care of Yoite as they work together to find Tobari. Gau then calls Raikou, who is with Yoite and arranges to meet. Unfortunately, Yoite leaves to find Miharu. When Yoite does find him, they come in conflict with Hattori and promptly flee. Hattori orders for the capture of Miharu and the death of Yoite.

Raikou and Gau are told of their betrayal by Hattori and Gau is shocked to hear it. They are also told that Kasa, the national intelligence agency, is being sent to track them down. While Hattori tells the two that their primary mission is to find Tobari, it would be beneficial if they discovered anything about Yoite as well. Yukimi calls them, expecting Yoite to be with them, and Raikou lies, saying that he is. Raikou then tells Gau to go back to their apartment. Hattori then asks Raikou to run a background check on Yukimi and to target him if he betrays them.

While performing the background check, Raikou and Gau break into Yukimi’s car to see if there’s any hidden information. Yukimi asks where Yoite is, and Raikou tells him the truth of his betrayal. Gau questions Yukimi’s motives concerning Yoite and in a roundabout way says that he wants to protect him. Raikou offers Yukimi a chance to join them in a different path- one that can both remain loyal to the Kairoushuu and help Yoite. Yukimi expresses his reservations, Raikou states that he won’t let him go, and to escape Yukimi points a gun at Gau’s head. This angers Raikou to the point of him saying that he will destroy Yukimi at any cost.

Yukimi and Raikou battle while Yukimi tells him his past. Yukimi identifies with Yoite and wants to protect him, and Raikou realizes that perhaps it’s wrong to fight him when his wishes align with Gau’s. When Yukimi corners Raikou, Gau steps in between them, begging them to stop their fight. Raikou realizes his error and resolves to do the right thing, even if it’s against Hattori’s wishes. Yukimi tells him the location of Miharu and Yoite before he leaves.

Turning back to Gau, Raikou realizes that he paid no attention to the boy’s feelings. When asked, Gau says that he wants to help Yoite, even if it goes against the leader’s wishes as well. He also states that he doesn’t want to leave Raikou or the Kairoushuu either. Raikou tells him to stay by his side and that there must be a way to help Miharu and Yoite while remaining in the group. Gau happily complies.

Gau and Raikou travel to Hattori to ask him to call off the execution of Yoite. Hattori refuses to listen to their concerns and reminds Raikou that he’s easily replaceable. Gau, who is listening in from outside, hears that Yoite has appeared and he rushes to find Miharu. He warns him of what’s happening and learns that they plan to “store” the Shinrabanshou somewhere else. He gets in a confrontation with the messenger and Raikou appears to knock him out, revealing that he plans to follow his own path even if it means abandoning the Kairoushuu. Gau follows Raikou in his battle against the Kairoushuu’ backup ninjas, and just before Miharu uses the power of the Shinrabanshou to erase Yoite from existence, Gau is pulled into Adstringendum.

Abilities/Additional Notes:

None! Gau is a completely normal human being, to the point of being somewhat useless in a fight. He is skilled with an abacus and can read brail, however, and is also exceptional at data-gathering and compiling reports.

Sample RP:

“It’s filthy!”

He hadn’t been in the city for long, but Gau had felt that the short time he had stayed at the clinic was taking advantage of their hospitality. Though he certainly wasn’t qualified to take on the monsters that roamed the city (as he had found out by an encounter with one of the rabbits), overstaying his welcome wasn’t the right thing to do either. Then again, sticking close by wouldn’t hurt, and in his mad dash to find shelter immediately after exiting the clinic he was pleased to find an empty apartment not far away. After knocking –Just to make sure no one really was there, even if the emptiness of this city said there was probably not- and walking up the long, decrepit staircase, he chanced upon a room that actually had a door left-

…only to find that it was in absolute chaos.

Clothes were strewn across the place, books, pieces of wood and glass following the pattern set by them. Both of the two windows were broken, the ceiling was peeling off and Gau could easily spot at least 20 spots of carpet damaged by water.

Well, he hoped it was water and not, say, the blood of the former occupants.

“This is disgusting! It’s no better than that chicken-head’s place! Even if the world has ended, there’s no excuse for the occupants before this!”

Gau stormed across the room, muttering many more comments of distaste and picking up any debris that wouldn’t cut him the entire way. They were unceremoniously tossed out the broken windows (after looking down to see if anyone was in the way, of course) and Gau quickly resumed his rapid tidying up of the place.

“I can’t have this place so messy if Raikou-san-“

Like something hard and heavy hitting his head, a sensation all too familiar when he went off on a tangent, Gau stopped his own words in their tracks with his breath petering out afterwards.

For his own comfort, there was no “if” in the question of Raikou’s arrival. For what seemed like forever he had been by the man’s side with constant devotion, affection and diligence. Even if he still attended school, his world revolved around his duties for the Wakachi, and by extension, Raikou. It was a sudden, disorienting change for the possibility of having nothing to do if Raikou didn’t come to exist. For the short time he had been here, he’d seen that maintaining some sense of normalcy in this crazy world is what kept people composed. Expecting Raikou to come any day now, strolling through the front door like he always did, rather than accept the possibility than he may never do so was Gau’s way of keeping some part of home, normalcy, with him.

For the first time since his mother’s death, Gau was truly alone in every sense of the world. Worlds apart from any sense of stability or the routines that ironically guided his chaotic life following an errant samurai, it wasn’t a fact he thought he wanted to dwell on. He didn’t know how to deal with himself alone.

“….When Raikou-san comes, he must come home to a clean room.”

Though it was said with all the conviction he had, the sentence was certainly less animated than the rantings before. As he continued to clean up the cluttered yet empty room, he kept his mutterings to muted mumbles to avoid the surprisingly and unpleasantly lonely echoes the loud accusations produced.