Post by Annabel on Nov 20, 2010 17:22:01 GMT -8
Uchiha Itachi
[/b]i want you to know he's not coming back[/color]{ look into my eyes; i'm not coming back }[/font][/color]
[/center]
so knives out, catch the mouse
[/color]{ don't look down, shove it in your mouth }[/font][/center][/color]
full name Uchiha Itachi
nicknames N/A
age 22 (June 9th)
gender Male
sexuality Unimportant
occupation Part-time teacher; works in the History department
if you'd been a dog, they'd have drowned you at birth
[/color]{ look into my eyes; it's the only way you know I'm telling the truth }[/font][/center][/color]
Physical Appearance He is fairly tall, with fairly long dark hair restrained in a ponytail. While not particularly strong or muscular, he has a sort of strength about him; more of an aura suggesting he's not the kind of person you'd like to fuck with. He needs glasses to read, and fears that his eyesight is becoming worse in recent years. He also wears a ring on his right hand, and a thin necklace with three additional rings hanging from it. Both pieces are mementoes to his family. He is rather pale and often appears ill, though he rarely complains. He has very pronounced tear troughs under his eyes, giving him a tired appearance.
Personality He may appear intimidating, but in all truth he is a very gentle person, whose hobbies include watching sunsets and drinking soothing cups of tea. Itachi is a mild, quiet sort of person who can often be found sitting in reflective silence at the back of the staffroom on his own, though he can often be found stepping in to resolve a nearby argument if it is disturbing him. Generally, he doesn't make much of an effort to interact with others, seeing them as troublesome. With that said, he is fiercely devoted to those he does care about, particularly his younger brother, Sasuke; however, recent events have made him considerably more withdrawn and difficult to get to know.
Others are often unnerved by his deadpan appearance; he rarely smiles and nobody in the staff or student body -- with the probable exception of his younger brother -- has ever seen him cry or lose his temper. This is probably due to his avoidance of social situations that would vex him; if somebody irritates him, he tends to simply ignore or avoid them and does not instigate conflict. This is shown in his teaching style; he is a part-time History teacher, and has an uncanny control of his students. While not necessarily strict, Itachi makes sure his students know that he does not have time for nuisances in his classes, and has a stern, rather unnerving manner of speaking to those who act out of line.
In social situations, he is something of an enigma; he rarely gives cause for his actions, and refuses to explain himself even to those he is closest to. He will avoid asking for help, even when he desperately needs it, and has to be "caught out" before he will admit anything, believing that it would be detrimental to others to worry about him. His secretive nature and avoidant behaviour makes him a rather frustrating person to be around, let alone befriend.
Itachi has experienced a great deal of sadness in his life, but one mightn't know it to look at him. He deals with grief in his own way; silently, without disturbing others. Since the death of his parents, he has taken on something of a parenting role to his younger brother, and often fusses over him. However, he is painfully conscious that he will not be able to be by his brother's side for much longer, which contributed to his decision to begin teaching at the school Sasuke attended. Since the death of his parents, he has adopted a somewhat fatalistic philosophy and is increasingly obsessed with the idea of death and the transcience of life.
Strengths
Mediator - A lover of peace, Itachi is an excellent mediator and will often step in to regulate conflicts amongst students or fellow staff members. He is usually able to do this quickly and efficiently in order to resolve conflict; but if he is confronted himself, he may return the favour in a very cold, cynical manner.
Wise - He's often been described as "old before his time" and thinks about things much more deeply than others his age. Academic knowledge combined with a naturally perceptive mind make Itachi wise. This also contributes to his teaching ability, as he is able to ask thought-provoking questions and instill new ideas in his students.
Devoted - He is selflessly devoted to those he cares about, especially his brother, even if he may have some odd ways of showing it.
Flaws
Bitter - He has seen many unpleasant things in life, and in spite of his stoic front it has affected him greatly. He has very little faith in anyone or anything, and can be resentful and self-piteous.
Aloof - To the point where he is virtually unable to form close friendships, and is frequently misinterpreted as -- to be blunt -- a great big jerk. Itachi has a habit of pushing away those who he thinks are being intrusive; unfortunately these same people are often the ones who are simply concerned for him and want to help him.
Blunt - While he doesn't really mean to be offensive or caustic, he is brutally honest to the point where he can often seem cruel or condescending. He's particularly brutal towards those who are needlessly arrogant or self-critical.
Drink? Occasionally
Smoke? He has in the past
Drive? Yes
Drugs? No
Partying? Every now and then, though he's not particularly social
Family
Uchiha Fugaku[/color] (father, deceased)
Uchiha Mikoto[/color] (mother, deceased)
Uchiha Sasuke[/color] (younger brother)
Residence
The rather ostentatious Uchiha mansion, with his brother, Sasuke.
History
[/SIZE]
Itachi's beginnings were relatively simple. Born to a judge and a lawyer (father and mother respectively -- they had met during a particularly long court case, and the rest was history), he grew up with both a healthy respect for justice and with the notion that it was best for him to be seen and not heard. Being incredibly rich (the Uchiha family had been nobility in feudal times, and had retained its high status to this day) his parents frequently had guests of various statures, and liked to show off their little son who quickly developed a reputation for being incredibly astute and well-mannered for his age. When his younger brother, Sasuke, was born, Fugaku and Mikoto worried that Itachi, who had long been an only child and center of attention, might become jealous.
This was not so. Itachi was absolutely enchanted by the new baby and quickly became a very competent little child-minder, much to his parents delight. Before long, Itachi was trying to teach his brother words, showing him his toys and helping him to walk. So the family was happy, and continued to be so for many years. Itachi grew into a bright, talented teenager, and began to excel astoundingly academically; he finished intermediate when he was only ten, and entered highschool when he was turning eleven. Meanwhile, he helped maintain a friendly atmosphere at home. The Uchiha family was, in short, very happy.
Of course, that was until -- ironically enough -- the court in which the Uchiha parents worked was torched by a convict on parole, who had been sentenced by the duo years previous. The perpetrator was never brought to justice -- by the time police arrived on the scene, he was leaning out a broken window laughing amidst billowing flames. Then he put a gun to his head.
Itachi was amongst the crowd who watched, helpless, as the firefighters struggled to quench the flames and break down the courtroom doors, which the criminal had barricaded from the inside. By the time the rescuers reached Fugaku and Mikoto, they had already been burned to death after the criminal had tied them both to the judge's lecturn so that they would not be able to escape. Itachi could hardly even recognise them when asked to identify the bodies, being able to do so only by his parents' wedding rings. Personnel at the scene noted how eerily calm the young man was, and for a brief time he was suspected of involvement with the incident. However, investigation soon showed Itachi was innocent.
Itachi's care of his brother now became full-time, as the two had little choice. Besides, Itachi was nearly an adult at this point, and friends and extended family persuaded social services that the brothers would be fine. This didn't bother Itachi, who had minded his brother often even before his parents' death. Throughout this time, he made sure never to cry or lose his temper in front of Sasuke so as to give him no further cause to worry. The parents' bedroom became an unofficial shrine for the brothers, though they would never visit it at the same time. Itachi would even buy flowers to lie on the pillows where his parents heads would never rest again. He took to wearing his father's old ring, a decision which irritated his brother; this was also the time when he brought his necklace. The three rings suspended from the necklace, to him, represented his father, mother and brother respectively, and it became a ritual of his to thumb each of them in turn before he slept at night. He worried about his brother, who had been profoundly changed since losing his parents.
But life did not stop for death, and as the years passed, the memories became less painful; not that anything could erase from Itachi's mind the smell of burning flesh and hair, nor the image of the man who had slumped forward onto the broken window, dripping black blood down the outside of the courthouse. Just as he was coming to terms with this, though, another tragedy occurred.
While driving home from work one night, Itachi was involved in a car accident with a drunk driver. The other man was killed on impact. Itachi wasn't quite so lucky; he wound up in hospital, where his injuries were found, fortunately, to be external only and non-fatal. What would prove fatal, however, was the blood transfusion he then required.
He noticed nothing wrong for the first few months. Then a cold came that would not go away on its own. Then another. Another. Another. His GP recommended a blood test to screen for glandular fever or other possible illnesses. None of these were found. What was found was an abnormally low count of white blood cells in Itachi's system. Further testing confirmed the worst; at merely 21, Uchiha Itachi had received contaminated blood in a transfusion, and was HIV positive.
Immediately, Itachi dropped out of the law school where he had been receiving brilliant grades for the past several years, and sat and qualified for a minor teaching degree. His motivation was his younger brother; there was no cure for his illness, he knew, and therefore no time he could afford to spend wasting away in law school, where it was almost certain he would be unable to keep up with the workload once his disease progressed. He no longer had the time to become a lawyer like his mother or a judge like his father; and if he was going to die, as he was now sure he would, he planned to remain as close to Sasuke as he could. A sympathetic head-teacher accepted his resume and he began work as a part-time relief teacher at his little brother's school. Unfortunately, Itachi's pride -- and perhaps his fear, too -- prevented him from fully explaining the situation to Sasuke, who certainly knew he had been sick, but not the full extent of his illness. His younger brother vocally disapproved of him giving up his dreams for what looked suspiciously like no good reason.
Itachi currently has no intention of informing him -- or anyone else -- of his condition until he has absolutely no choice.
so knives out; cook him up
[/color]{ squash his head, put him in the pot }[/font][/center][/color]
What makes your character (or interpretation of the character) unique, original, and worth having on the site? I find it difficult to answer this without saying "well at least I didn't make him a rapist". I think with Itachi there is a fine line as he can be made either overtly bad or overtly good; I feel like my Itachi is truly neutral and that this portrayal is close to the original character.
Role Play Sample
Three pills a day, every day, for the rest of his life.
He supposed it could have been worse; it could have been something with needles. He never did like those. Needles had got him into this mess after all. From time to time, he wondered how the person whose blood was used in the transfusion must have felt. Probably they thought they were saving a life; they should have been, really. He wondered if they knew now what was lurking in the blood that had been drawn out of their veins and pumped into his. Probably -- they would have gotten sick before him. He wondered if they feel guilty. He wonders if they should feel guilty. It wasn't their fault if they thought they were doing a good deed, except for the fact that because they had, Uchiha Itachi's days were numbered.
He liked to think he didn't dwell on it, but it probably wasn't true. He had so much to do; there was his parents' estate to manage and a job to hold. Then of course there was his brother. The thought of him made his heart break; Sasuke was already so altered by the loss of their parents -- all he could think sometimes was what would be left for his brother when he, too, was gone. The doctors couldn't tell him how long he had; it varied, they said, on antiretrovirals, but they would be able to tell him after his health deteriorated further. He wasn't sure he wanted to wait that long to find out, but he supposed that he had no choice. All there was to do in the meantime was ensure that he was with his brother as often as possible. Sasuke had told him that becoming a teacher at his school was "weird" and "creepy" among other things, but he supposed he couldn't expect him to understand a situation he hadn't, and wouldn't, explain. Sasuke knew he had been having a few health complications; that was it. He didn't need to know any more than that -- not yet, anyway. He was still coming to terms with the death of their parents, and Itachi couldn't bear to drop another bombshell on him now.
Today was a slow day, and there was nobody but him in the staff room as he swallowed his pills with a paper cup of water. There was no sense in worrying about everything, he was sure, as he stuffed the empty pill-card back into the pocket of his wallet. He would just have to take the days one at a time and see what life would show to him. Life, and death, too, would be what he made of it, so it was best to keep his mind open. He ignored the click of the door as one of the Japanese teachers entered and headed over to pour herself a glass of water. He nodded at her with the air of someone who has just ingested candy rather than life-saving medications.
Three pills. Every day. Forever.
But forever was subjective; and in fact, for him, forever might not even take that long.
Password *****
i want you to know he's not coming back
[/color]{ he's bloated and frozen, still there's no point in letting it go to waste }[/font][/center][/color]