Character Survey (WIP)

[hakanai]

Body and Appearance
1. Describe the character's height and build. Is he heavyset, thin, short, rangy?
6'0" and slender; it's hard to get an exact idea of how slender beneath all the clothing he wears, but the term willowy definitely comes to mind.

2. How old is he?
Teenaged during his time with the Azai, definitely. KOEI messes around with years, time-frames and exact dates on a frequent basis so it's hard to be specific about his age at any one time after this part of his story in any version of the canon. The best you can say is that Yoshitsugu looks mid-20s. I decide on exact age depending on the point I take him from, if I app him to a game.

3. Describe his posture. Does he carry himself well or does he slouch?
He carries himself very well... unless he's feeling sleepy or uninterested, in which case he's probably going to lean back and slouch against whatever happens to be around.

4. How is his health? Is he fit or out of shape? Any illnesses or conditions? Any physical disabilities?
To get this out of the way immediately; this fictional Yoshitsugu does not have leprosy (his historical self didn't necessarily have it either, just an undefined illness historians have tried to diagnose but can't confirm). In fact the games outright avoid mentioning he has any kind of sickness at all, leaving the only possible hint in that direction in one of the drama CDs. That in itself is just him mentioning that he 'doesn't have many years left' without expanding on the point.

His canon appearance and abilities limit headcanon in this direction as well, but it doesn't feel quite right to spare him entirely. With that in mind, I tend to play Yoshitsugu as having an incredibly poor immune system and being very prone to getting sick. This can accommodate his drama CD comment as well.

Outside of that, he is a trained samurai and therefore quite fit. His physical strength and stamina levels don't quite match up to the average warrior, but he's no slouch at all and can hold his own.

5. How does he move? Is he clumsy, graceful, tense, fluid?
Super graceful; fandom often compares him to a cat and this works very well in terms of describing how Yoshitsugu moves. Always elegant, always sure of himself.

6. How attractive is this character physically? How does he perceive himself in the mirror?
He's actually incredibly attractive, even beautiful. What is visible gives you this impression but Word of God outright confirms Yoshitsugu is hiding a handsome face... as does the fact that clipping through his character model in the handheld games reveals a fully rendered face that is as attractive as said.

7. Describe his complexion. Dark, light, clear, scarred?
The tiny bit that is visible? Super pale, almost unbelievably so. This is obviously a reference to historical lore/rumour that says his historical self was almost ghostly white thanks to his illness, but in the case of fictional Yoshitsugu here, it's just, well. How he was born? XD

8. Describe his hair: color, texture, style.
Sleek, straight and long enough to reach half-way down his back. There's always a long lock of hair hanging down the middle of his face.

9. What color are his eyes?
A shade of grey so pale it approaches a (I hesitate to use the word but it's kinda necessary) silvery shade.

10. Does the character have any other noteworthy features?
The hair, eyes and skin are those only parts you can see when looking at his normal model. You might call his constant wearing of a facecloth as a noteworthy 'feature,' considering the fact that is never comes off and few know what Yositsugu looks like in his entirety.

11. What are his chief tension centers?

12. What is the character's wardrobe like? Casual, dressy, utilitarian? Bright colors, pastels, neutrals? Is it varied, or does he have six of the same suit?

13. Do his clothes fit well? Does he seem comfortable in them?

14. Does he dress the same on the job as he does in his free time? If not, what are the differences?

15. You knew it was coming: Boxers, briefs or commando?



Speech
1. What does this character's voice sound like? High-pitched, deep, hoarse?

2. How does he normally speak? Loud, soft, fast, evenly? Does he talk easily, or does he hesitate?

3. Does the character have a distinct accent or dialect? Any individual quirks of pronunciation? Any, like, you know, verbal tics?

4. What language/s does he speak, and with how much fluency?
Yoshitsugu is a native Japanese speaker. It's likely he knows at least part of one of the Chinese languages, perhaps whichever one was spoken by the area the Toyotomi traded with most at that time.

5. Does he switch languages or dialects in certain situations?
Nope!

6. Is he a good impromptu speaker, or does he have to think about his words?

7. Is he eloquent or inarticulate? Under what circumstances might this change?



Mental and Emotional
1. How intelligent is this character? Is he book-smart or street-smart?

2. Does he think on his feet, or does he need time to deliberate?

3. Describe the character's thought process. Is he more logical, or more intuitive? Idealistic or practical?

4. What kind of education has the character had?

5. What are his areas of expertise? What, if anything, is he interested in learning more about?

6. Is he an introvert or an extrovert?

7. Describe the character's temperament. Is he even-tempered or does he have mood swings? Cheerful or melancholy? Laid-back or driven?

8. How does he respond to new people or situations? Is he suspicious, relaxed, timid, enthusiastic?

9. Is he more likely to act, or to react?

10. Which is his default: fight or flight?

11. Describe the character's sense of humor. Does he appreciate jokes? Puns? Gallows humor? Bathroom humor? Pranks?
His humour is often rather dark; gallows humour comes under this umbrella but certainly doesn't explain all of it. It can be hard to follow or understand for many he tries it on, and is definitely rather odd, but so long as he gets a reaction, Yoshitsugu finds amusement in it.

You can expect a hefty dose of dry sarcasm and teasing from him as well.

12. Does the character have any diagnosable mental disorders? If yes, how does he deal with them?

13. What moments in this character's life have defined him as a person?

14. What does he fear?
Very, very little... or at least, if he does have fears, they are well buried or hidden behind a relaxed front. Yoshitsugu's approach of 'going with the flow,' coupled with his perceptive skills, are no doubt responsible for this. Certainly things like death, war and pain aren't things he demonstrates any kind of fear of.

Indeed, the only emotional vulnerability he showcases in canon at all relates to his inability to remain at both Mitsunari and Takatora's sides. If there is any fear in him regarding anything, it's probably related to them in some way.

15. What are his hopes or aspirations?

16. What is something he doesn't want anyone to find out about him?



Relationships
1. Describe this character's relationship with his parents.
Though not explicitly stated, the impression you get in the games is that Yoshitsugu (and Takatora) were war orphans, who for years had each other and nobody else. When he lost them is something I keep vague, and his associated memories with them the same.

In canon, however, he forms parental attachments to his first Lord, Nagamasa, and his wife, Oichi (something explicitly stated, as he at different times refers to Nagamasa as being like a father to his men and Oichi as being like a mother to him and Takatora). While the normal layers of the Lord/Vassal relationship exist within their bonds, there is a more tender one too. Both exhibit considerable faith in Yoshitsugu's wisdom and overall abilities and Oichi in particular shows a deep understanding of how Yoshitsugu is, which makes her practically unique within canon (not even Mitsunari or Takatora ever show this trait in full).

2. Does the character have any siblings? What is/was their relationship like?
Nope! He doesn't know any of his blood relatives.

3. Are there other blood relatives to whom he is close? Are there ones he can't stand?
No. See above.

4. Are there other, unrelated people whom he considers part of his family? What are his relationships with them?

5. Who is/was the character's best friend? How did they meet?

6. Does he have other close friends?

7. Does he make friends easily, or does he have trouble getting along with people?

8. Which does he consider more important: family or friends?

9. Is the character single, married, divorced, widowed? Has he been married more than once?

10. Is he currently in a romantic relationship with someone other than a spouse?

11. Who was his first crush? Who is his latest?

12. What does he look for in a romantic partner?

13. Does the character have children? Grandchildren? If yes, how does he relate to them? If no, does he want any?

14. Does he have any rivals or enemies?
Yoshitsugu doesn't seem to really form enemies on a personal level very often at all, but there is one exception: Kobayakawa Hideaki, whose betrayal at Sekigahara (though expected) causes Yoshitsugu to demonstrate a rare instance of genuine anger. He even labels him a monster/beast!

15. What is the character's sexual orientation? Where does he fall on the Kinsey scale?

16. How does he feel about sex? How important is it to him?

17. What are his turn-ons? Turn-offs? Weird bedroom habits?



Beliefs
1. Do you know your character's astrological (zodiac of choice) sign? How well does he fit type?

2. Is this character religious, spiritual, both, or neither? How important are these elements in his life?

3. Does this character have a personal code of morals or ethics? If so, how did that begin? What would it take to compromise it?

4. How does he regard beliefs that differ from his? Is he tolerant, intolerant, curious, indifferent?

5. What prejudices does he hold? Are they irrational or does he have a good reason for them?



Daily Life
1. What is the character's financial situation? Is he rich, poor, comfortable, in debt?
Started off... not poor, but not rich at all, being the lowest rank of soldier when he first began fighting in the wars. By the time the Toyotomi shogunate began, Yoshitsugu would most definitely be quite comfortably well-off with a good stipend and an estate of his own. Just looking at his canon armour and clothing is enough to tell you that much.

2. What is his social status? Has this changed over time, and if so, how has the change affected him?
His start in his storylines show him as a man of humble beginnings and basic means, beginning his career at the very bottom of the chain of command as a rank-and-file soldier. The talents he showcased alongside his friend Takatora got them noticed rather quickly, however, and they rather quickly became important generals within the Azai army (a rather huge feat carried out in a short space of time, when you consider it properly). With this would have came considerably greater social status.

This was furthered and maintained after the fall of the Azai, with Yoshitsugu becoming part of the Toyotomi and taking part in battles as a noted strategist... and then afterwards as one of the commanders of the Western Army.

None of his quick advance in rank really changed Yoshitsugu at all. His personality remains consistent throughout the series in practically every story, with any change in goals and attitude towards life being down to his personal relationships with Mitsunari and Takatora in particular, but also with Nagamasa and Oichi.

3. Where does he live? House, apartment, trailer? Is his home his castle or just a place to crash? What condition is it in? Does he share it with others?

4. Besides the basic necessities, what does he spend his money on?

5. What does he do for a living? Is he good at it? Does he enjoy it, or would he rather be doing something else?

6. What are his interests or hobbies? How does he spend his free time?

7. What are his eating habits? Does he skip meals, eat out, drink alcohol, avoid certain foods?
Canon doesn't really go into the food part. Yoshitsugu's constant wearing of his facecloth in the presence of others suggests most meals would be taken alone, however, unless it's the kind of food he can get in his mouth without moving said cloth aside (there's certainly gap enough).

What we do know for sure is that he has a very high tolerance for alcohol, as demonstrated in one of the drama CDs.



Associations
Which of the following do you associate with the character:

1. Color? Above all, white, but also certain shades of blue and purple.
2. Smell?
3. Time of day?
4. Season?
5. Book?
6. Music?
7. Place?
8. Substance?
9. Plant? Camellia, the kind with red petals in particular.
10. Animal? Butterflies, dragonflies, craneflies and cats.



END
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