Player Information
Name: soup
Age: 24
Contact: just PM me!
Other Characters: N/A
Character Information
Name: Ishigaki Koutarou
Canon: Yowamushi Pedal
Canon Point: Somewhere after Inter-high 42, after graduating.
Age: 18
History: Link! Though, since there's not much, I tied in a lot of his history into his personality section to add clarity.
Personality:
Ishigaki considers himself a respectful and patient man, someone with confidence in his strength with effective decision making. He's a person with deep feelings for those who enter his life and will always choose to grow from them. Although his hard road as a Kyoto Fushimi cyclist has shaped that, it has also made him reliable to the point of having high expectations forced onto him. Despite his good intentions, that pressure has made him lead to painful and questionable decisions in terms of receiving victory for his team.
"For now, I'll have to grind my teeth and endure." A statement he told himself in his first year of high school, and one that has followed him since. When he stepped into his cyclist club he had bright and expectant feelings, with plans on helping to build a team with newfound friends. Though, due to a graduated upperclassman in their club being involved with a violent enough fight to make the local news paper, city counsels decided to pull Kyoto Fushimi from the Inter-high that summer. Despite having a broken team, his captain manages to give Ishigaki a place in the Inter-high, doing so in hopes that their past incident doesn't snatch away his chance as a freshman. With the pressure of riding for his whole team, he regrettably made unnecessary movements and strained himself. The results he received were dispiriting, leaving him with the feeling as if he wasted all the advice given to him, and that his talents weren't fit for a road race. He ended that day sobbing for his team with promises to practice more than anyone, to push forward, and to become strong enough to carry Kyoto Fushimi to victory in the future. This was his first real step into finding himself as a person, and shows that he's a self-sacrificing person to a fault.
Regardless of his rough start, Ishigaki's hopeful personality was left unwavered, and he moved towards his goal with devoted love and respect for his team. Although he was nowhere near victory in his second Inter-high, his team placed notable results their first day in hopes to wash last year's regrets away and he was left optimistic. Though, it was only through previously experiencing the harsh bitterness of despair that he could build this fixed fortitude.
However, it's his third year when he becomes a captain that his strengths as a person are really tested. A first year, Midousuji Akira, challenges him for his spot as the team's ace, and Ishigaki is left defeated by a large margin. Ishigaki takes the loss hard, with their deal being if Midousuji wins, he's allowed to take over their team. Ishigaki then is stripped of any power he had as captain and allows Midousuji to take control. This demonstrates his morals as a person, because he's a man of his word, and can admit when someone's better than him-- that someone can help him accomplish his goals even if their personalities clash.
Even with Midousuji’s training being incredibly intense and cruel to the point of causing Ishigaki and his team emotional and physical pain, Ishigaki thought it was their best chance at any results for their future Inter-high-- and legitimately felt Midousuji could take them there. Although meaning well, his choice in that is a morally dubious one-- and that’s where Ishigaki’s flaws lie.
Nonetheless, his kindness still not only shines through for his team in other ways, it shines for Midousuji. Ishigaki was, and still is, one of the only people in Midousuji's life to give themselves a chance to see through Midousuji and find his pure intentions. He represents this in one of many ways by willing to exhaust himself to bring Midousuji to the finish line that means so terribly much to them both in Ishigaki’s last Inter-high, where they place notable results. Unfortunately, one year isn’t enough to unravel or even begin to fix Midousuji’s years worth of personal trauma, but Ishigaki does continue to attempt to reach through to him, and Kyofushi as a whole, even after his graduation -- his devotion unchanging.
Ishigaki goes on to Meisou University, where he currently stays. Due to being from a smaller area, Kyoto, he had trouble adjusting to the dramatic change in lifestyle in Tokyo. Under this newfound stress he struggles with showing that spontaneous and focused attitude he was so well known for, but through relying on his teammates-- something he preaches so much about-- he eventually listens to his own advice and pulls through. This goes to show Ishigaki does need others to lean on to function, whether that’s a pro or a con to his character.
Abilities & Skills: Most of Ishigaki’s talents lie in being an all-rounding cyclist, where his high endurance, both physically and emotionally, shows. He does have outside hobbies though, such as angling and basketball that he picked up before joining Kyoto Fushimi.
Inventory/Companions: Due to being from a very modern, non-magical world, there’s nothing of value other than the clothes on his back and maybe a bag with miscellaneous, useless items.
Choice: Vampire
Reason: With Ishigaki’s pride in his self-control and patience, I thought it would be fun for him to become a monster that can test that!