sharktrash: (damn it // teeth)
OOC INFO
Name/Handle: Dem
Pronouns: they/them
Contact: PM, [plurk.com profile] jigglyballs
Reserve?: yup!

IC INFO
Name: Squalo Superbi (he usually just goes by Squalo though)
Journal: [personal profile] sharktrash
Canon: Katekyo Hitman Reborn!
Age: 22-23
Species: human

Canon Point: ch398
Condition: Arrives alive and healthy, which is surprising to him because he just had a giant hole in his chest a second ago! If possible I'd like him to keep a scar from it though.


History: Wiki link but it barely covers anything so strap yourselves in:

We know nothing about Squalo's childhood or parents, aside from the fact that he originates from Italy and his family had mafia relations, since he was attending a special school for mafia kids (same one as Dino). It is also mentioned that he was a child fencing prodigy. As a teen he quickly became famous for his bloodthirst and skill with the blade (during this time he also traveled the world challenging swordsmen and learning their techniques in order to create his own style), and by the time he reached 14, he was already scouted by the Varia, the elite assassination group for Vongola Familia. Around this time, he also met Xanxus, Vongola's current boss' (adopted) son for the first time in some kind of mafia gathering, and was immediately drawn to him ("his rage", as he so eloquently put it. Love loyalty at first sight).

Squalo agreed to enlist to Varia in exchange for a duel with their current boss, Sword Emperor Tyr. Nobody thought much of it but he did the impossible and killed the guy (yup, only at 14. He cut his own hand off to do it), and therefore became the prime candidate to become Varia's next boss. Instead of taking the position, though, he gave it to Xanxus, who subsequently became the boss of Varia with Squalo as his right hand man and the Second Sword Emperor. Xanxus already harbored the ambition to eliminate Vongola's Ninth boss and secure the position for himself, and Squalo swore loyalty to him, also promising not to cut his hair until that plan becomes reality. (Because growing your hair out is something you do for your boss.)

Very soon after that, Varia staged a coup, trying to assassinate the Vongola boss. It ultimately failed, and resulted with Xanxus being frozen in magical ice for eight years while the rest of the Varia stagnated, most likely having to deal with constant surveilance on their asses at least (I'm genuinely surprised they were not all shot, but apparently wiping out your own assassination squad is too much trouble). It seems as though most of their non-restrained efforts were put into waiting and trying to find ways to free Xanxus, as at least Squalo doesn't seem to have improved much over those eight years, his strongest move still being the one he used in his duel with Tyr. Also, he's become the Rapunzel we know today during his time, because he takes his dedication to his boss Very Seriously.

It's not very clear if it was Varia or some outside forces that managed to free Xanxus from his prison, but it finally happened, and Varia rejoiced. Or, more like, immediately moved to carry on another betrayal, this time aiming to eliminate both the Ninth and his chosen successor, the manga's protagonist Sawada Tsunayoshi from Japan. They somewhat followed protocol this time, that is, forging the Ninth's will (after sticking him into a machine that runs on a person's life force and using it as a lackey) which resulted in their and the protagonist's groups having a series of strictly supervised duels over the seven Vongola rings of the Sky Flames. (Yeah, you got it, they were arc villains).

Anyway, they somehow managed to eventually lose to a bunch of pre-teens, but after trying to take the rings by force, it turned out that the rings did not accept Xanxus and he almost died after putting one on (the official version is that he had no blood relation to the Ninth, but with how much he looks like Second, it's hard to believe. Most likely the Esteemed Ancestors still hovering inside the rings decided that he's too much of an asshole and they'd rather have Tsuna as a successor).

After that, they were all taken back to Italy, and for some reason, once again not dealt with in any consequential way (perhaps the Vongola decided that having their asses handed to them like this would finally Calm Their Tits, and it seems to have done just that). They proceeded to work for the Vongola and even aid the new generation at times, although Xanxus harbors resentment for Tsuna for the rest of the series, usually not even showing up at Vongola ceremonies that involve him. So they kinda go from villains to neutral. Never exactly to "good", and that's in a manga where the 'good' guys are friggin mafia.

Squalo takes his own loss a bit better; despite of almost dying (from falling into water and being torn into by a fucking SHARK) and spending some time in a wheelchair, he makes a full recovery and eventually forms something of a mentor-student relationship with the kid that defeated him.

A lot of other weird shit happens to the main cast, and everyone (including the Varia) receives memories from the battle their future selves fight ten years in the future, which is also where the whole Squalo teaching (and beating up) Yamamoto originates from (mostly offscreen). In the end, it ends well, though Squalo almost dies again as he shows up onscreen only to volunteer to stay behind and hold back a Big Bad while the protagonists get away.

He almost dies once more toward the main storyline's end, having his heart pierced by a zombie-like enemy who cleans the floor with Allied Team's five strongest fighters, in an attempt to shield Xanxus from harm. He Gets Better, although he will not be aware of this ingame as that's the point I'm taking him from.


Personality:

Pros:

- Ambition. Pride in all its varieties is really both Squalo's flaw and strength and the biggest reason he ticks the way he does. It's what drives him to push himself, to succeed, to protect his family and teammates and to sneer in the face of danger and/or death. Sure, he's a thrill seeker and seems to seek out fights like an addict would another dose, but a big part of it is the potential rush it will give him if he wins, further asserting his superiority.

- Loyalty/dedication. Squalo is absolutely and fiercely loyal to his boss, despite the fact that he's treated like trash on a good day. He is pretty much a knight in that regard -- although he has no qualms about fighting dirty and finishing off people who are on the ground already. He made an oath not to cut his hair until he saw Xanxus become the leader of the most powerful mafia family in the world, and he kept it for eight years after the other was imprisoned, making sure to keep their assassination squad up to mark in the meantime. Even when he discovered the truth about Xanxus' heritage and that he will never be a true successor, Squalo did not abandon him, and knowing full well it was against the current law, tried to help him take Vongola back by force. Twice. And, of course, he still hasn't cut his hair, though a reasonable person would argue that his promise can no longer be fulfilled and this perseverance is unhealthy at the least.

- Valor. Squalo is brave, and while part of it might stem from his confidence (detailed below), he also has just a little bit of disregard for death. He enjoys the thrill and glory that comes with battles, and he also likes the danger - he doesn't cower, doesn't run away from fights, and certainly doesn't run because he's scared. He's willing to make sacrifices for (what he considers to be) the right thing, displayed both when he cuts off his own hand to beat the Sword Emperor, and in the future, when he stays behind to fight an opponent that's basically an unknown force of nature, knowing he's unlikely to win or even survive, so the protagonists can flee.

- Confidence. It rather ties in with ambition/pride so I'm not going to expand on it terribly, but Squalo has a lot of faith in himself - a lot more than needed, to be honest. And it's not just lip service; he's worked hard to be where he is, and he's good at what he does. He's part of an elite team, he's been considered a fencing prodigy since he was seven, and he's defeated the Sword Emperor at fourteen - he likes to think that he hasn't slowed down since then. While he does not need validation from any source, there's certain implications of perfectionism seen when he chides his teammates for acting unprofessional, and he appears familiar with mafia formalities because there's nothing worse than bringing shame to your family with sloppy assassinations, half-raw steak or clumsy footwork in the ballroom. When he does something, he knows that he will succeed - and has likely put in some work to make sure that he does.

- Adaptability. One of the core qualities expected from an assassin in this series - the ability to react to circumstances and change their own way to best benefit from it. It's mostly explained as being able to read through another person's moves in the heat of battle and be able to recreate and improve them, reacting and strategizing on the fly, but it can also refer to social situations and keeping a (relatively) low profile when needed.

- Tactical thinking. This one's a bit unexpected, which is why I'm adding it in. Squalo might come off as the loud, brash type who bashes heads in first and asks questions later. That is not incorrect. There is, however, more to it than meets the eye. He can think before he acts, and he does it frequently enough (he just also often decides that violence is the best course of action, or at least the perks outweigh the cons). He is intelligent enough to de facto lead an assassination squad with a near perfect rate of mission success, and to quickly see through (or "read") his opponents' moves in the middle of battle - something shown several times in canon. His team also refers to him as "strategy captain" in the future arc, and he seems to be the one who planned their mission to take over a fortified enemy base with several times their numbers - successfully.


Cons:

- Arrogance. Each member of the Varia is design to represent one of the Seven Sins, and Squalo's is Pride, focusing of course on its negative aspects such as arrogance, vanity, narcissism and the like. Like Xanxus, he has a tendency of insulting and berating everyone else around him, especially when he's irritated, and he cares little for any critique on himself or his boss even if it may be well-found.

The most literal instance of it being a fatal flaw is during Squalo's initial story arc, where he's drummed up to be The Best Sword Master In The World and subsequently defeated by a Protagonist Kid, as it happens. There's a bit more than Power Of Plot going on there, however; Squalo consciously sabotages himself during the fight due to his overconfidence and completely underestimating his opponent. Because he's so convinced of his own superiority and because he prefers a challenge, he resorts to playing a game of cat and mouse, and instead of battling seriously, he limits himself to using only the same attacks as his opponent (after calling the particular sword style pathetic and outdated, no less), allowing him to eventually land a surprise hit to his head. In addition to this, when his Nice Opponent offers to help him out of the flooded battle arena, Squalo blatantly refuses, again out of pride (though he calls it tainting his "honor"), and is near-fatally mauled by a giant shark as a result.

- Violence/bloodthirst. Squalo will gladly solve minor annoyances by stabbing, hitting or otherwise lashing out at the source, and he's also not much for peaceful negotiations, even if he's capable of it to some extent. The violent way is more fun and usually faster, after all. It's likely he enjoys fighting as much as he does because it allows him to channel out all the destruction that he wants, and he's not above just randomly breaking things to make a point. He also clearly enjoys the aspect of killing and has on more than one occasion talked about "slicing up into ribbons" which is likely his preferred method of murder.

- Temper. Doesn't spell good news in addition to the above. Squalo is fairly easy to rile up or enrage, and he has tendency to react with violence, even if he's better at controlling himself than some other members of his squad. He is, however, also prone to just yelling a lot, which is slightly less deadly but honestly probably just as painful because his voice is LOUD.

- Impatience. He's bored easily when he doesn't have things to fight or yell at, and he hates waiting or spending time on unexciting tasks. His body language and facial expressions often indicate someone slightly manic or at least ready to tear into throats.

- Abrasiveness. Squalo has a really loud, grating voice and doesn't seem to be capable of whispering, which is not something particularly beneficial to an assassin. He also doesn't mince words and can be considered rude as a result - in fact, in the novel, his teammate comments at him being bad at hiding things or lying.

- Spitefulness/pettiness. Saying he doesn't like people messing with him would be an understatement. He can harbor a grudge for literal years (in the novel, he doesn't kill a traitor presumably so Xanxus can deal with him himself upon his return, which does lead into a much more painful death for the guy involved), and then there's all the little fights the Varia get into with each other over the peskiest things; food, whose turn it is to babysit a younger member, how to better deal with an issue and so on. There's one teammate Squalo shares a particular mutual dislike with, and aside from the numerous snide or insulting verbal remarks, he outright offers him to another family during a confrontation (but they don't want him either).


Inventory:
- the clothes he's wearing (full set of the Varia uniform, including coat and gloves)
- his artificial hand/prosthetic (will be functioning as a normal hand for the most part, no hidden tricks or anything, but obviously it's hard and he has no sensation in it. if it would be okay to let it stay a little bit stronger than his real one that would be cool, but up to you!)
- three pocket/sleeve/boot knives

stuff from his pockets (if applicable):
- satellite cellphone (is/will soon be dead)
- wallet (with a fake ID, a couple credit cards and some paper/coin euros in it)
- dental floss
- chewing gum (mint flavored)
- some strangulation wire


Powers/Abilities:
In canon, he has an ability called Rain Flames (think like chakra in Naruto, or bending in Avatar). It's a specific type of a wider power group that specializes in numbing/absorbing other types of Flames or energy, which extends to the human body e.g. coming in contact with Rain Flames can make it go calm and eventually numb. (At high enough level it stills everything to the point of death, but Squalo is not shown to have that kind of proficiency with it, and usually just uses it to supplement his weapons.) It does allow him to also summon a flying shark to do his bidding as a sort of soul manifestation/magic weapon.

In game, I assume he simply won't be able to activate Rain Flames at all, although if "dampening" is an option, we could say that he can make people feel numb or sleepy but he needs to be in direct physical contact for it? I'm good with either of those options. He also obviously won't be able to summon any sharks. The power is fairly recent to him and therefore not a huge part of his identity, so he isn't really going to need to adapt, although he might occasionally feel like something is "missing" from his entirety.

...Not sure if I'm supposed to list non-supernatural abilities like swordsmanship, swimming or cooking? Let me know if it's needed and I'll expand this section!


TDM Sample:
Toplevel with comments!
sharktrash: (Default)
OOC Info
Name: Dem
Age: 27
Contact: [plurk.com profile] jigglyballs / dem#5598
Current Characters: -


IC Info

Name: Squalo Superbi *
* his full name is only used once in the series, and he usually just goes by "Squalo". His name order is also a mystery as there is conflicting evidence from canon sources; this is my guess estimate after researching which part of his name is an existing surname in the real world, which happened to be Superbi(a).
Canon: Katekyo Hitman Reborn! (commonly abbreviated to KHR)
Age: 22 (may be 23 at canonpoint)

Appearance: [1] [2]
He's six feet tall and lean, though he has more strength than you'd guess looking at his stick-like form. As expected of assassin, he's more about precision strikes than strictly speed or brute strength, though he's got plenty of those as well. His movements are usually quick and a bit sharp, though in calm environment he may look relaxed or even lazy. He tends to be paying attention even when it doesn't look like he is, and has his guard up at almost all times. He gesticulates with his right hand a lot when speaking.

He usually wears all black (though he'll probably exchange leather for something lighter in Hell), with occasional accessories in white, red or blue. Very notably, his hair (all of it, and I do mean all) is pure white, and his complexion is somewhat pale compared to his other Italian colleagues. He likely sunburns easily. His eyes are light gray. His left hand is mechanical and he often wears his sword attached to it.

Finally, his voice is extremely recognizable. It's very loud, yet sounds somewhat hoarse and scratchy, like someone yelling through unclear throat. It's implied that he's incapable of whispering, and his "inside" voice is roughly equivalent to shouting.

Canon Point: ch398, mortally wounded by Jager
Background: Wiki link!

Personality:
The first thing to note is that Squalo is meant to embody the sin of Pride. With that comes the whole bouquet of traits: arrogance, narcissism, superiority complex, rudeness, thirst for GLORY! and the almost complete inability to feel shame. He's described as violent and he loves fighting, so much that he'll actually seek to prolong the battle if he finds the opponent challenging or interesting enough. While he enjoys his own superiority, showing off and playing are some of his favorite things - which lost him his main onscreen battle against a protagonist; he opts to play cat and mouse and restrict himself rather than take his opponent seriously; after losing he prefers death to accepting the other's help claiming it would taint his honor, though he ends up miraculously surviving anyway. He lives for murder and mayhem, and while he does strive to win at all costs, a good fight is its own reward. He even enjoys not being certain whether he is going to live or die before a particular fight.

His dedication and loyalty to Xanxus is fierce and absolute, despite the fact that he's treated like trash on a good day. He is pretty much a knight in that regard -- although he has no qualms about fighting dirty and finishing off people who are on the ground already. Rather than titles or positions, it is Xanxus' anger and raw power that he finds so "captivating", and even having that wrath turned on him only means that he gets to see it clearer, from up close. He did not turn away even when he discovered the truth about his boss' heritage, and knowing full well it was against the current law, tried to help him take Vongola back by force. Twice. He still believes that Xanxus will one day be the heir and refuses to cut his hair short before that happens. There's an interesting twist here however; while he is commonly described as "loyal", he did in fact betray his actual Family Don in favor of Xanxus, which means that he's willing to pick and choose what he considers honorable.

Despite being intelligent enough to work as a Strategy Captain in the future, he is extremely impatient and impulsive, and seems to find it hard to be still for a longer periods of time (even his facial expressions for the first half of the series look like someone overdosed on coffee or high on cocaine, with a semi-permanent twitch in his cheek to boot). He can latch out with sadistic violence at the slightest provocation or none at all (he beats two teens half to death because they got in his way of killing a third), and will forgo pleasantries and tact if given the chance. He can be extremely petty downright to almost childish, though deadlier, when he dislikes someone. He definitely has a strong presence and is generally very IN YOUR FACE, that impression further fuelled by his loud voice and cocky demeanor.

Aside from his general volatility, however, Squalo can also be described as a perfectionist. He tries to keep the Varia under control, often annoyed by his certain coworkers' irresponsibility, (most of the time) will hold off of killing random people, and adhere to protocol where necessary. He is likely well versed in all sorts of mafia-ey formalities, from discussions to silverware, and is generally good at what he bothers to do, because looking stupid is simply unthinkable; he wouldn't bring shame to his familia with sloppy assassinations nor with clumsy footwork in the ballroom. Likewise, he is able to remain professional and hold calm conversations; surprisingly enough regarding his usual temper, he's also capable of shedding off insults with little reaction - both because he's used to it thanks to Xanxus and because as Pride, he can automatically discard it as untrue and not worth getting riled up over. That's not to say that he won't occasionally lose his temper over complete shit, of course; prod him enough and he will explode.

Squalo is the only Varia member who dares to call Xanxus out on his shit and generally talk back to him. This proves that he is not, in fact, as whipped as it might look at first sight; he is the one who allowed Xanxus to be his boss, and he happily stands by that decision, however he will occasionally remind everyone just why he is the second in command around here. At the same time, he does often resign himself to running errands and whatever other mundane orders Xanxus might toss his way. It may have something to do with the fact that he was present when Xanxus was defeated by his supposed father which led to his imprisonment; more than likely Squalo feels responsible for "failing" his boss and putting up with his shortcomings is his way to make up for it, which suggests a certain level of guilt.

Weaknesses/Temptations: Oh boy, it's probably harder to keep him on the road of redemption than to lure him away.
- Xanxus. He expects him to show up in Hell as well, might as well wait here and not ascend to some other place, right?
- BATTLE AND GLORY!! Just give him a promising fight and he'll run into it headfirst.
- good drinks and good food, like, you can literally lure him off the stairway to heaven with a tasty fish on a rod i do not lie
- challenges! he may not give a lot of fucks on what others think of him, but turning down a challenge, unless it's completely dumb, is the way of cowards and pussies.
- anything that isn't "boring". adventure, hoes, demons that used to be ancient roman gladiators, fancy swords...
- bloodthirst. put a shark and an injured fish in the water, you know what happens.

Sins: Considering he does not have that much screentime, a bunch of these will be speculation, but we have a solid fact that he's feared across the world as a murder professional, works in the mafia, and started out as a thuggy tween, so:
- murder (in the hundreds or even thousands, considering he's been active for about a decade)
- property damage (notably a LOT of that)
- vandalism
- torture (including senseless maiming, kneecapping, etc)
- arson
- theft
- intimidation
- extortion
- accessory to attempted patricide
- illegal imprisonment
- kidnapping
- conspiracy
- treason
- mugging
- armed robbery
- perfect hair
- encouraging minors to crime
- breaking and entering
- grand theft auto
- parking violations
- jaywalking
- disregarding speed limits
- disregarding traffic rules in general
- possession of fake IDs, licenses, etc
- driving/piloting without appropriate license
- owning exotic animal without license
- lying by omission (notably once or twice only)
- dealing in stolen goods (notably, never drugs)
- breach of the peace
- public disturbances
- breaking noise ordinances just by talking
- kicking small animals and/or babies
- beating up kids
- disrespect for authority
- disrespect for elders
- disrespect all around
- snuff with swords
- illegal fishing
- littering
- vainglory
- pride
- wrath
- gluttony (indulgence)
- sloth (indifference to suffering)
- lust (for power)
- <...>
- not regretting anything from above
- failing Xanxus

Powers/Abilities:
Swordsmanship. He is arguably (one of) the best sword users in his universe, due to both extreme natural talent and honing his skill through hard work. He has encountered and defeated countless sword styles in the process of creating his own. Him being left-handed also makes his swings harder to parry for most fighters. Because this is anime, he's also able to use his sword (admittedly, rather heavy one) to cause contusion damage through resounding shockwaves after contact. He can quickly analyze and even learn opponent's moves just from seeing it, and counter them with something better even in the middle of fighting.

Physical abilities. Brutal sword slams aside, he can throw a mean punch and take people out by dropkicking them in the head. However his strength is by no means superhuman within the universe, so it's basically meant to be something anyone able could accomplish with enough training. He is also extremely fast, sometimes being no more than a blur when he fights and changing positions or circling the opponent almost instantly. Notably, he is also extremely durable, able to get through injuries and repeated serious head trauma without lasting consequences.

Assassination. As an elite assassin, he's also knowledgeable about the human anatomy and the weak/vital points, and probably knows at least 101 ways to kill someone with a pencil, even though he prefers the blade. Basically, he's Really Good At Killing, even if he's only got his bare hands to do it. Breaking necks would be relatively easy for him as well. He should also have at least working knowledge of using various tools from knives and stabby things to strangulation wire, as well as firearms, though he's likely not very proficient with those.

Instinct. He's drawn to the smell of blood like a hungry shark, pretty much. He might sense fear and/or killing intent in other people (unless it's drowned out by his own because boy that shit's tuned to 100 24/7). It's also noted that he can also see through illusions to an extent, and fairly quickly tell them from the real thing.

Rain Flames. Flames are the magic of the KHR-universe, you know, like chakra and stuff. His particular flame's attribute is "tranquility", and it can neutralize other flames or even paralyze human body parts. Specific rings are needed to actually emit those flames (Squalo uses the Varia Ring of Rain), with the exception of extremely rare Flame of Wrath. Despite the flame's calm nature that is so unlike Squalo's, he's very capable of using it for destruction, especially through his summon, or Box Weapon (see below). Depending on the amount of Flames used, Squalo can cover his hand, his weapons or an entire area with it. Naturally, the more intense usage, the shorter he can keep it up before needing rest.

Most notably, Rain Flames can:
- numb and/or paralyze body parts it touches, or enters via wounds; it can range from flesh "falling asleep" to complete unresponsiveness of muscles in that area, and therefore can be lethal if used on such organs as the heart or the brain. (I don't know if this needs nerfing at all, but if possible we could keep the paralyzing effect while removing the numbing, aka body parts becoming unresponsive but still receptive to pain.)
- cancel or soak up other kinds of magic or energy, including Flame blasts or barriers as seen here, effectively nullifying it. Out of universe it's possible it will work on different kinds of energy than Flames (my theory that connects both this and the effect it has on organic materials is that it works by neutralizing Flames and electric impulses (like the ones in the muscles), therefore theoretically can temporarily "kill" small electric appliances as well) but that will obviously be up to each individual player's discretion and I intend to have an opt-out post for this.
- he can summon them into the shape of a shark, which is known as a "Box Weapon" (which formerly needed a separate box to be used but now resides in his ring instead). Grande Pioggia Squalo (Heavy Rain Shark), Alo for short, is sort of like a soul familiar/Pokemon for fighting that can manifest up to eight meters long. As the name suggests, it's GIANT FLYING SHARK covered in Rain Flames which, despite what the Flame's attribute might tell you, is said to have one of the highest raw destructive power out of all Box Animals. Basically, she has enough ramming strength to run down walls. That aside, there's also jaws, shark skin (even touching this shark can result in spurting blood in contact area, think really aggressive sandpaper or something,) and Rain Flames that cover her whole body, having the same properties as mentioned above. Squalo can also ride on it, though it's not clear if he could take anyone else with without them experiencing the numbing effects from the contact to the flame.

Let me know if you feel anything needs toning down (in some past games, there were restrictions on Alo's size being that of a dog, maximum radius for Rain Flames exertion, etc).

Items:
➥ his prosthetic left hand/arm. Considering the canon's advanced technology it is likely a blend of metal and space age polymers and has relatively high functionality (he can pick up and hold small objects with it, for example) as well as being significantly more durable and stronger than a normal hand.
➥ his Varia ring, which allows him to use Rain Flames.
➥ his sword blade. Not broken if possible, but I'm not against taking it as it looks in canon point (in pieces) as it probably wouldn't fit in a duffel bag otherwise. He will be upset.
➥ not sure if this counts as clothing - a device that looks like an electronic wristwatch (as seen here). It won't turn on.
➥ pocket knife & wire.


SAMPLES

Network:
rage
text

Log:
loss and introspection
playtime with shit son


Profile

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Squalo Superbi // KHR!

May 2023

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