Bashō Gunji

A wandering seadog on Crystal DC

History

Considering his status as an on-again, off-again wandering drunk and former pirate recently discharged from the Crimson Fleet (for reasons he claims to be medical), one would never guess that Basho Gunji had been born to a respected family of the Doman gentry.Before Basho was old enough to speak, his mother -- a free-spirited, eccentric woman desperate to escape an abusive marriage, oppressive parents, and the rigidity of high society -- fled the city of Doma with infant Basho in tow. They traveled far into the rural reaches of Yanxia, where no one would recognize her as the daughter of a certain well-known noble.Driven by a wide-eyed fascination with the untamed wild, and her romanticized vision of life outside the confines of "civilized" society, Basho's mother eventually led them all the way to the edge of the Azim Steppe. They found an unlikely home among a sympathetic Xaela tribe, where Basho's younger sister was born some years later. For a good part of his childhood, Basho had a peaceful life, knowing nothing but the ways of the nomadic hunter-gatherers that sang praises to the Dusk Mother and traveled by the shapes of the stars. The unique customs and values the tribe instilled in Basho would be kept alive in him for decades to come.A few moons shy of his 13th birthday, a series of events threw Basho's life into tumultuous uncertainty, and set the course for the rest of his life. With their whole support system killed off, Basho and his little sister attempted to survive on their own, but were eventually separated. The young au ra spent the following weeks searching for her, until a vague tip suggested that a child of his sister's age and likeness was boarded onto a ship at the Bay of Yanxia. Thus began Basho's seafaring life, as he saw piracy the easiest way to travel from port to port in search of her. As he came of age, though, a life of liquor, prostitutes, thrill-seeking, and failed relationships began to sap at his resolve to do anything more than to simply survive from day to day. His determination to find his sister lost in complete debauchery, poor decisions and bad luck throughout his twenties led him deeper down a road of regrets, until finally a bitter falling out with his social circle in Limsa Lominsa caused Basho to give up piracy for good.Although older and wiser, Basho is still led by the same reckless joie de vivre that has landed him in various predicaments over time. Old habits die hard, and now, they're at odds with his increasingly strong desire to protect what's good and beautiful in the world, and to make up for past regrets.

At A Glance

Name: Basho (legal name unknown)Age: appears to be mid-to-late-30sAlignment: Chaotic Good/Chaotic Neutral (usually tries to be Good)Languages: Xaela/Tribal dialect (mother tongue; fluent), Doman (conversational with limited vocabulary), Common (fluent with La Noscean accent)Good at: Socializing; persuasion; intimidation; singing; imitations/impersonations; heavy lifting; marksmanshipPoor at: Reading (illiterate); most kinds of combat; anything requiring agilityOccupations: Formerly: boatswain for the Kraken's Arms; quartermaster on the Rusty Claw; gunner for the Knights of the Barracuda, 1st Squadron (discharged). Currently takes up odd jobs.

Appearance: Frightfully tall and broad with a large gut, the red-skinned au ra is instantly spotted in any crowd. He has a weathered but full and handsome face, with softly sloped eyelids framed by laughter lines, and flat, rounded nose. His dark eyes are often twinkling with mischief, and a half-grin animates his partly paralyzed lips. He’s loud, charming, and loves being the center of attention, often telling outrageous tales of his “glory days” at sea, though no one’s ever quite sure if they’re true. His laugh is contagious, booming across any room, and he has an uncanny ability to make everyone feel like they’ve known him for years. He’s endlessly sociable and often found in taverns, buying rounds for strangers and making friends wherever he goes. While he might not be a model of responsibility, his knack for getting out of tight situations with a smile and a quick joke have earned him a reputation as a lovable rogue.His love of drink and aversion to work often get him into trouble, and while he may talk a good game, he rarely follows through on promises. His laziness and lack of ambition sometimes leave him dependent on others, but he’s so likable that people usually let him slide by.

Art by @graysinning on Twitter

First Impressions
When in a good mood, Basho takes it upon himself to lighten spirits of those stuck in his company, often making jests that are daft and droll. He persists even with some of the most stony-faced individuals -- sometimes even moreso with that sort -- and beams inwardly for every grin he succeeds in drawing out.
At times Basho can be a slave to his emotions, feeling the highs and lows with great intensity, and his attachment to whiskey has not been helpful in this regard. He tends to deflect tension and seriousness with humor, and is rough around the edges but generally outgoing and extremely generous, though he often has hardly a gil to his name (earning coin is difficult when the majority of your skills are useless outside of life on a pirate ship or the Steppe). Some of his odd quirks and talents are remnants of tribal life that he has stubbornly held onto. The man has a deep distrust of dogmatism, government authorities, and traditional concepts of "honor," choosing instead to follow his own personal morals, which at times do not agree with those around him. Basho seems to be always living in the moment, confident and cocksure when he honestly has no right to be.

Appearance & Traits
Stands just over 7 fulms tall with a broad and stocky build, deep red skin, and sun-soaked crimson hair usually kept long. While his size and strength cut an intimidating figure, he is a bit slow to react and cursed with a terrible sense of balance due to chronic vertigo. His coal-black eyes are surrounded by icy limbal rings, and a broad smile reveals slightly crooked teeth and a pair of crow's feet. Has a pleasantly warm bass voice, and is somehow able to impersonate both animals and people with eerie accuracy. Deaf in one ear. Hand is glued to his flask. Rarely seen without his chocobo, Faris, of whom he is oddly paranoid of losing sight.

Likes
Talking. Music. The outdoors. Air Force One at the Golden Saucer. Being useful. Card games. Animals, unless they get unruly. Singing. Sleeping in. Teasing people. Kids, until they get annoying. Fishing. The sun.Hates
Being cooped up or tied down. Thunder. Snakes. Sahagin. Hypocrisy. Narrow-mindedness. Apathy. Unnecessary violence.

RP HOOKS

(Kept vague on purpose. Not limited to the below!)- Piracy/Sailing
- Your character has connection with any of the following places: the Azim Steppe, Doma, Namai, the Ruby Sea, Limsa Lominsa, certain parts of La Noscea
- Your character is a healer; even better if they have knowledge of auri physiology
- Bar fights and/or drunken shenanigans
- You need a wingman for a night
- You just need a passerby or an extra to fill a small role for a scene!

Check out some shit I wrote here to get an idea of my general writing style. The text in black is a few paras from my own fiction, and the rest are parts of a RP with a long-term partner of mine (my entries are in blue).And here's a playlist of relevant music that captures some of Basho's life events and themes in general.

OOC

Hullo! I get along best with RPers who love revealing their OCs in layers slowly throughout our time RPing, who let their OCs act independently of our wishes, and who don't shy away from dark themes but also enjoy some humor. I've got a few long-term goals for Basho's arc involving him getting his goddamn life together, but beyond that, I've left things open enough that he can be influenced by/blend in with other people's characters and their own arcs.Regarding RP-related anxiety - I am super understanding. If you need to take a break or just stop an RP, I would never hold it against you.No preference for length of replies! I do love giving and getting lots of detail, but a pet peeve I have is when someone writes their character saying/doing about 5 things that my character would react to in a single reply :'D So my favorite are replies that are short in "time" elapsed but rich in detail.I do write romance and (very) occasionally will ERP, but only if it makes sense story-wise and we're being true to our characters. There is stuff I am into that Basho is very much not into and I don't just use him as a vehicle for my own kinks. (He has his own <.<)* Basho suffers from a serious mental disorder as well as addiction. I will ask you how comfortable you are with portrayals of schizophrenia and alcoholism before they come up (I respect that it's not for everyone). My goal is to bring as honest and as realistic a portrayal of these illnesses to the RP scene that I possibly can. I want to combat stereotypes and show that although these things might dominate many aspects of his life, in the end Basho is his own person and is not defined by his illness.Discord: bASHo#3467
Time Zone: Eastern US (EST)