Application - Entranceway

[nagachika]

Name: Gaacha
DW username: gaa
E-Mail: thegaathing@aol.com
IM: trafalgarlol @ aim, Gaacha#5781 @ discord
Plurk: vicinity

Other Characters: N/A

Character Name: Nagachika Hideyoshi
Series: Tokyo Ghoul (Manga)
Timeline: Chapter 136: Concealed Prison. Just before meeting Kaneki in the sewers.
Canon Resource Link: Here.
Character History:

Nagachika Hideyoshi is a minor character in Tokyo Goul. He is the best friend of the protagonist of the series, and his role is one of support. Being the ‘token human character’ of the series, someone for the main character to root him to the world of humans which he has lost due to tragic events in his life. Nagachika lives in a world plagued by demi-human creatures called ‘Ghouls’, a subspecies that hunt and feed on humans in order to live. Living in the 20th ward of Tokyo--a relatively safe place with few ghoul ‘attacks’, Kaneki and Nagachika live a relatively calm University Student life; but all that changes when his best friend becomes the subject of experiment for a depraved doctor, turning him into a half-ghoul.

While in the series his best friend, now ‘half monster’, does his best to hide his new nature away from his friend--in order to protect him from being killed and eaten--it’s very clearly shown that not only is Nagachika fully aware of his best friend’s plight, but he even drops subtle hints that the other isn’t ‘eating well’, and he should ‘do something about it’. He even goes so far--in the short stories the artist has written on the side of the manga--to join the University’s occult club in order to ‘prove’ to them that his best friend isn’t a ghoul. Making excuses for him, hiding snacks in his bag--and even going so far as to ‘locate’ an actual ghoul in their midst to misdirect their looks away from his best friend. All in order to protect him from inquiries or accusations of the ghoul half that Kaneki is hiding.

In the turn of the series where Kaneki disappears after the raid on Aogiri Tree’s base, Hideyoshi goes so far as to join up with the CCG--The Commission of Counter Ghoul--in order to conduct his own private investigations to where his best friend may have disappeared to. He takes a special interest in the ever-growing dangerous ghoul nicknamed ‘Eyepatch’, he goes through great lengths to subtly gain the favour of higher-up CCG members. Climbing from his position as ‘Errand Boy’ to an assistant to some very high-class Ghoul Investigators, furthering his research to find his friend. Wherein he actually tells those he’s working with that he knows his best friend is the ‘Missing Patient’ in the Dr. Kanou case that the CCG has been working on, though he doesn’t tell them what he suspects about ‘Eyepatch’ being Kaneki.

Through all of this, his feelings towards his best friend doesn’t change despite how things have, and he still acts the supporting role of best friend and anchor to the human world to the other--even when Kaneki has completely separated himself from Hideyoshi in order to ‘protect’ him. He would do anything to find his friend, even if it means sneaking his way behind enemy lines in order to find him.


Abilities/Special Powers: He's pretty ordinary. Being the token human character in a series full of monsters with crazy abilities does that. Though he's a very capable hand at deducting things for himself, in a way that professional detectives though. But hand in hand with this ability, he also plays a lot of things off casually, which makes it hard for people to imagine he's as smart as he actually is. Basically, hiding behind that dumb smile and silly attitude lies a someone who's leagues more intelligent than he lets on.

Third-Person Sample:

The building was a confusing mess of rooms. Nothing was really in an easy order, but given that the blonde had grown up in a place as large as Tokyo, figuring out a city--it's living quarters--wasn't going to be a huge task.

What was going to be a task was figuring out, for his own personal(mothering)reasons where exactly it was his best friend was staying. He knew the boy's issues, his desire to keep much of his life a secret. So it wasn't as if Nagachika was about to blatantly tell Kaneki Ken that he knew he'd been avoided when asking about where the other lived.

There were far too many rooms to search them one by one, to figure out where the other lived without being caught snooping around, so of course: What else to do but start with what you knew? And that meant poking around the floor he’d first seen his friend hanging around in. Kaneki wouldn't be there; and he knew it--but perhaps there was a reason why he'd been near this one. A friend lived here, perhaps. Maybe someone who would protect Kaneki's secrets, too.

While Nagachika was very subtle about his 'Sherlock-like' habits, it's hard to stay hidden when it's clear you're snooping around a floor your room didn't belong in, and when you were so blatantly ‘new in town’. He hadn't seen anyone yet, but it wasn't long before he caught eyes with a peculiar blue-haired individual.

Act natural. Smile that wide, cheery expression that usually helped people think too suspiciously of him.

“Heeeeeeey! Sorry, sorry--you live here, yeah? I was just lookin' for a friend of mine; I guess he isn't around, huh.”

As easy as that.


-----


“I’m telling you Kiitachin Kaere--it was her.”

Leaning in with his hand cupped to his mouth, Hideyoshi is whispering as low as he can into his friend’s ear, a very convincing tone. Tone was important, because otherwise, how would they be totally impressed with what he saw? A wide gesture with his hand is made after he leans away, a nod of his head enthusiastically. Whether or not his pal is going to shoot him a skeptic look or not, he’s going to keep trying. A surge of glee rises in his throat, and he can’t help but to feel excited. They can keep that skeptic look on, because he’s really going to knock their socks off with the next part of his (admittedly dumb) little story.

Hideyoshi’s eyes hood low, and he waves his hand again, trying to get just a little bit closer as he goes in for details. “You see, I saw her in the shopping district--you know, the GU here in Nerima? --Oh, I know, GU, of all places, for an idol, I was shocked, too.” He leans back in his chair, flapping a hand as a little laugh escapes from between his teeth. A snap of his fingers as he taps the table with his pointer finger. “But that’s just it, see. She’s an idol, and she gets all her clothes designer made. The ones she wears on stage, yeah?”

And time for the grand finale, he decides, almost jumping out of his seat. You gotta’ have a big finish, or you’ll never be convincing, see? “And that’s how I knew it was her! Her face was just too recognisable, but then I figured it out! She shops on the cheap because she needs plainclothes to hide in while she’s not on stage!” He crosses his arms, a wide grin spreading across his face. A proud, proud expression given, and he’s waiting for his friend to give him the proper response. He can feel it rising in his chest, making him feel far too impatient for an answer. Come on, call him a genius, he deserves it! For…

...You know. Recognising pop idols in a crowd and living to tell the tale or something.

“Oh, and before you ask, yes. I did walk up and talk to her, but she totally gave me the cold shoulder. I didn’t even get to ask her on a date before she was walking away from me, it was totally cold…” and his shoulders sag. Well, you win some, you lose some, right?



First-Person Sample:

[Good day, Wonderland, your communicators will crackle to life today with the image of a recognizable sunflower-haired man who waves a hand and grins like an idiot. Haven’t seen him before? Well, maybe his face will be hard to forget eventually.

He waves, of course, a common courtesy before his voice lights up over the communicator--and he holds up something that looks like it's seen better days. A set of old--definitely worse-for wear--set of speakers with a single audio port. It looks like someone tried to clean the caked dirt and whatever gunk that had been on them hastily, and the side of one is definitely cracked.]

Goooooooood morning Wonderland! I hope you all slept good. Know I didn't. I've literally been up for a good few hours trying to get these things working. For those of you who have no idea--they're speakers! You know, they make sound when hooked up to something properly...

'cept, ya see, the issue today is that they're not making any sound. They crackle a bit when hooked up to my music player, but other than that, they're pretty rough.

Anyone any real good at this sort of thing?