Gaku Kurobane
From Condemnations
| |
| Gaku Kurobane | |
| Character Journal: | hurricaneride |
| Nationality: | Japanese-American |
| Occupation: | Amateur Boxer Executive Pâtissier |
| Powers: | Aerokinesis Hydrokinesis Elemental Immunity |
| Portrayed by: | Yusuke Yamamoto |
| Writer: | Frankie |
Contents |
∝ Statistics
• birth name — Kurobane Gaku
• kanji — 黒羽町岳
• english name — Gabriel (Reluctantly)
• age — 23 24
• birth date — October 21, 1985
• height — 6'
• weight — 148lbs
• hair — Auburn
• eyes — Hazel
• gender — Male
• sexuality — Heterosexual
• languages — English [Native], Japanese [Fluent], French [Advanced Conversational]
• theme songs — Between The Bars Elliott Smith & Sleep To Dream Her Dave Matthews Band & Tourniquet Man The Mars Volta
∝ Character Information
back-story
Born in Yokohama, Japan, Gaku wasn't really introduced to the country until much later in life. When Gaku and his twin, Hiro, were only a year old their parents decided to move to Manhatthan. It was there that Gaku was raised, and in his head he might as well have been born there. His family was almost made for the city, the way it moved too fast to really take notice of anything. It was perfect for a couple that wasn't ever really a couple.
Gaku and Hiro's parents were friends for years, and when it came upon the time in their lives where they would be forced to marry by their respective families they decided to help each other out. The facade worked well enough, because they both loved each other more than they would ever love anyone else. When the twins were born they both knew that they loved their children enough to keep it all up, and for years they thought they had everyone fooled.
Growing up with a father who hid his sexuality for a time wasn't that bad, because for the most part Seiichi really was good at keeping it all under wraps. Both parents showed up together everywhere necessary — school events, sporting tournaments, parent-teacher conferences. They were always supportive and kind, and they loved their two boys enough to give up their own romances for a good long time.
At a young age Gaku took up an interest in boxing. He had always been quieter than his twin, always the good boy that never really took up any strong interests in anything, so when even the slightest glimmer showed in his eyes at the idea of becoming a boxer? His parents jumped to it on getting him lessons. He took to it incredibly well and quickly. Within his first month studying the fighting sport his instructors signed him up to local tournaments, and by the end of his first year studying he was put into the Golden Gloves tournament — which he won.
It was amazing, really. Seeing what everyone expected to be the typical nerd and bookworm turn into something far more suited for his twin. But somehow it fit Gaku perfectly, and he continued with his interest to the degree of thinking of it as a professional career. He got injured in the final rounds of the National Welterweight Championship at 16, however, and found himself being forced to stay home and entertain himself in other ways. Gaku became addicted to television, to one thing in particular — the Food Network. He found himself wanting to try it all, but not just to taste. He wanted to be able to make things like that, to garner the same sensations out of others with his creations as those on television did.
His father, a tennis instructor, was able to get him quick internships under some of the top pastry chefs in the New York area. Gaku didn't question why his parents afforded him the chance, yet again, to jump at something new — he just went to it and stuck to it like he had boxing years before. Things were falling apart behind the scenes, but Gaku was too busy learning techniques and tips to pay attention. So when his parents told him about their divorce it was way more of a shock than it really should have been. For years he and Hiro had known their parents were not in the same kind of love with each other, but they hadn't ever actually anticipated a divorce.
Thankfully, their parents still loved the twins more than they were tired of their facade so they kept the divorce relatively low-key. It was quick and easy and they were sent to live with their father in Japan for the majority of the year — spending occasional holidays and vacations with their mother. It wasn't soon after their journey to Japan that Gaku and Hiro saw their father come to life with himself, finally embracing what he'd been tucking away for years. When they moved in with his lover it was an awkward transition, but one thing made it easier for Gaku.
He fell for the daughter of the man, Yuiko. Unlike his brother Gaku had never tried to take time away for relationships or anything of the sort, and when he started to develop feelings for the girl things were incredibly new. But it worked, and for years they stayed together in secrecy. He went to school, continued his internships when visiting New York and his mother, and eventually got a degree in baking. When the Outbreak hit there were a lot of decisions that needed to be made, and a lot of things that were surprising. The most surprising, after powers and undead of course, was the day that Yuiko approached him to abruptly put an end to their relationship.
2009 was a crazy year after that, with Gaku trying to keep things together to not let anyone find out what had happened. He had the excuse of the world for when he did get a bit down and out, and through it he started to get a type of acceptance of things. The attacks, the abilities, all the new dangers; all of it was incredibly frightening and exciting in some ways. By 2010 Gaku had decided things were settled enough, as settled as they would be in coming years, and wanted to put his education to good use. He moved to Paris by the spring and started working as a pâtissier at the hotel Plaza Athénée.
in-game events
- june 13 2010 — Went to the International Classical Music Night.
- june 23 2010 — Got the Aerobios, Inc. vaccine to avoid any chance of becoming an infected.
- july 10 2010 — Went to Tokyo to help Yuiko celebrate her daughters birthday.
- august 05 2010 — Flew over to New York a few days early to go around the city and hang out with friends.
- august 08 2010 — Participated in a Charity Boxing even held in New York. He won his match (KO in the 10th round) and later on became a man.
- august 10 2010 — Helped where possible during the Second WWD while stuck in NYC.
- september 05 2010 — Thanks to cupid he fell in love with a sous chef for approximately 24 hours.
- october 24 2010 — Worked the concession stands at the Beautiful World Concert by providing the food and some workers.
- october 31 2010 — The world went to Hell and back.
- december 24 2010 — The Christmas Special, On A Winter's Night.
personality
Gaku has always been what everyone calls a "nice guy". He doesn't like to think he lets himself get walked all over, and for the most part he doesn't, but his backbone isn't always as incredible as he'd like to think. He's genuinely kind, and doesn't really have the capability to fake anything he says to people. When he's happy, he's happy. When he is disappointed or sad, he wears it just as easily as he does a smile. He tries to cover it up, to try and seem like it's less obvious that he is what he is, but for the most part it's an incredibly vain task.
He's what most people would see as a bleeding heart. Gaku cannot for the life of him ignore someone in need. Be it a stranger on the street that is having trouble carrying their groceries, or a loved one who simply needs a shoulder to cry one. Gaku doesn't like the idea of letting people have to deal with things on their own despite his habit of trying to do it himself. If someone can really count on him, no matter the costs or question, Gaku feels he's accomplished his own task of trying to become a good person. It isn't a hard thing for him to do, though, since he doesn't ever really do anything bad or wrong at all.
Between he and his brother it has always seemed that Hiro got the ability to be much more outspoken. Gaku might have his own opinions, his own views and ways of doing things, but he doesn't actually like being the center of attention. He leaves that to others better equipped for handling people, because he's always felt that he's not naturally good at being what people need around. He tries his hardest, though, so he never lets himself become sullen about that self-viewed flaw.
∝ What He's Got
aerokinesis — The ability to mentally direct air particles giving him total control over the element of wind and it's actions. Gaku can carry words across the wind, silencing an area or hearing conversations from far off distances, compress air into small bursts to disrupt equilibrium or push hard enough to cause rupture wounds with concussive force. He can generate flight by gliding himself on the currents of wind, make fields of air currents to deflect projectiles and the sort, or generate bursts of wind from his person that can move with enough force to cut steel. Gaku can also make whirlwinds and tornadoes fall under his command, generating and dispersing them at will, or make a vortex of wind that removes all oxygen in a concentrated area to suffocate others or eliminate fires. A unique aspect of this ability that Gaku has developed is the ability to seemingly solidify the air into weaponry, though the solid appearance is just a rapid and continuous flow of air with incredible force. Because of this, when Gaku impacts something with these weapons they are ripped and torn apart instead of simply stricken.
hydrokinesis — The ability to manipulate and generate water in all it's phases and forms (shifting it with ease through solid, liquid and gas phases) to a fine degree. Gaku can manipulate water wherever it may be, even in a physical body or the atmosphere, and generate it out of nothingness. He can accomplish any form or task with water imaginable, by either solidifying it, dispersing it through the atmosphere, and even summoning oceans out of nothing. He can use the water as a type of physical form, to hold onto and lift objects too heavy for his own form, or solidify it to the point of being as sharp as needles and blades to cut through flesh. He can remove the moisture from anything he wishes, including a living body, and in turn imbue the pure properties of water into living creatures to heal them of any injuries and pain. He can break his body down to water molecules to teleport anywhere in the world, and the totality of his abilities allow for him to make enough water in any location to generate waves with enough force to crush any known man-made object, or even make typhoons.
elemental immunity — Gaku's body is incapable of being effected by any and all elements and their properties. He can walk through fire, be struck by electricity in the middle of an ocean, and even exist in the middle of a harsh winter storm without feeling any change to his body or it's temperatures. Even in the elements purest forms he cannot be harmed, except for possibly being pushed aside by the force behind an element (like being thrown back by the force of lightning), but not the element itself.
∝ Relationships
family
Asako — His mom.
Seiichiro — His pops.
Hiro — His twin brother.
Hikaru — His pops significant other.
ex girlfriend
Yuiko — The only girl he's ever loved, and for that she will always be the most special person to him. They kept their relationship a secret for a long while, and only Hiro ever found out about it which was awkward. She broke up with him pretty out of nowhere and he never really understood why, but he loves her enough to know she has her reasons. His move to Paris was mostly because he couldn't take being so close to her without being with her, even if they didn't live in the same home anymore. Now that he's been talking to her more, and they went as far as to sleep together, Gaku is a bit more confused on what can come of them. He wants to be with her again, and knows she loves him, but he's not sure how to manage working it out that way.
friends
Lucille — An old friend from New York who was a friend growing up. They stayed friends over the years in New York and developed similar interests in time, and recently they got back in touch now that they both live in Paris thanks to his running to the classic music night. He's glad to have a good friend in a foreign land!
Robert — The package deal when you get to know Lucille. Robert is more on the side of the spectrum that Gaku is most comfortable in, but Gaku is always finding himself in awe of his talent. Even if Gaku laughs a bit at the idea of an old friend now having to avoid fangirls and the such.
Shinji — A friend that Gaku made while living in Tokyo. He's got no idea what he does for a living, but that kind of stuff never really comes up or matters anyway. He's a nice guy that Gaku has always felt he could trust, so their friendship doesn't seem anything surprising to him at all. His flirting with women doesn't bother at all, 'cause c'mon. Hiro :\
acquaintances
Siobhan — Missing A female boxer from some of the tournaments he was in back when he was still doing it. He remembers her being there at his last big tournament when he broke his ribs, suck-tastic. Man, that sucks..
Michelle — A florist in Paris that he purchased some items from to try and add more color to his new apartment in the city. She seemed really genuinely nice.
Yvonne — She's eaten at the restaurant once or twice since he's been there, and she had a quality to her that made Gaku want to be kind. So, he gave her some stuff for free despite her protests.
∝ Random Notes
— Back in New York he interned under Florian Bellanger and Jean-François Bonnet.
— Won two of the New York Golden Glove titles when he was boxing as a pre-teen.
— After that he came in second for the National Welterweight Championship for the Golden Gloves tournament.
— Stopped boxing when he broke a few ribs in the last match of a tournament. Since then it's just a big hobby of his.
— Lost his virginity to Yuiko when he was 23 years of age.
— Has never dated, kissed or hardly even thought about any woman but Yuiko in his life.
— But he knows way more about sex than necessary thanks to his overly sexual brother.
— Doesn't really like going by his English name. He only chose Gabriel because of it's Biblical meaning.
— The Doors will forever be his favorite band of all time and Elliott Smith is pretty cool.
— His personal favorite snack has to be Imagawayaki and probably always will be.
— Instead of taste his tongue is a bit more sensitive to texture and as such simply can't enjoy certain types of meals.
— For regular cuisine he has a bit of expensive taste, though he prefers seafood above all else. Yuiko's cooking holds a special place, though.
— Has always hated having to wear a jockstrap so he only does it for boxing—otherwise he is a boxerbriefs kind of guy.
places he's been.
— Yokohama, Japan (birthplace)
— New York City, New York (residency 86 - 03)
— Tokyo, Japan (residency 03 - 09)
— Paris, France (current residency)
