Tag Archives: 30 day challenge

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30 Day Challenge (Day 09)

Day 9:

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How are they with technology? Very adept. Hakuba picks things up quickly, and isn’t at all afraid to learn the latest in technological advances. He also always has to have the latest iPhone even though it’s ridiculous. 

Are they specially qualified in any particular field? Would they be considered at the top of the field? He’s a super high school level detective. I have him focused on homicide, with a special interest in cold cases, especially where drugs were involved. 

Have they ever been publically acknowledged for anything? (Ex. Nobel Prize) Hella. Hakuba has been in many newspapers and probably won a lot of awards on a local level. 

Is there anything they’ve deliberately sought to improve at? TONS of stuff. Hakuba is obsessed with learning, and is constantly looking for classes to audit and tutorials to read, even though he really doesn’t have time for it. A prime example would be the summer he begged his mum and Baaya to send him to a camp in Paris to learn culinary arts and came home with kickass cupcake making skillz. 

Do they speak more than one language? He does! He’s fluent in English, Japanese, and French, and he’s trying to pick up the other romance languages on the side, starting with Spanish. He’d like to learn Mandarin some day, too, but who knows.

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30 Day Challenge (Day 10)

Day 10:

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Relationships and history:

What is their family history like? How does it affect them? 
On the paternal side, the Hakuba family is small, but industrious. They take pride in blazing new trails in whatever field interests them and own their accomplishments duly. Each member of the Hakuba family is expected to take life’s reins in their own hands and be in control of your own destiny! …as long as you fit into society and are fully Japanese and respectable and not poor, etc. etc. etc. 

The maternal side is actually quite similar, though they have a much larger focus on family. And while they are also rich, snooty, proud people, they don’t really care where you come from so long as you don’t cause a scandal. Oh, and you should probably be Catholic, too, but Grandmum Wickham isn’t going to ask for your records so it’s fine if you lie about it. Heaven help you if you do something that requires it, though, because she will claim ignorance and throw you to the wolves…

All of this makes Hakuba extremely conscious of his conduct in society because he doesn’t want to get ire from either side, which is so easy to stir. As frustrating as it would be to deal with bad press for himself, he is WAY more concerned with not wanting his parents to have to deal with the backlash on either side for something HE did or didn’t do. Alas, in order to be a great, self-made man, you have to take risks that can easily bite you in the ass, so there’s really nothing he can do but be perfect 24/7. No pressure, right?

How do they feel about their family? 
Even though he and his father have a very strained, one-sided relationship, Hakuba greatly admires his father and becomes more and more like him each day. He would like him a lot more if Hakuba Sr weren’t such a flake, though he does understand that it’s due to the excessive tunnel vision and dedication to  the Japanese police force that keep him so occupied. 

He has very tense feelings in regards to the paternal grandparents, meanwhile. Almost every interaction with them has been unpleasant and markedly distant. He claims he would be content to never have to see them again, but I think that’s a lie, and he really wants to make them proud. Somehow. If that’s even possible.

Hakuba and his mother get along very well, though, and they’re close despite the turbulence and his reluctance. He has no siblings, but adores his four uncles, and is able to put up with his overbearing and controlling grandmother without much difficulty. 

And, though Baaya isn’t family, technically speaking, Hakuba is closer to her than anyone else. So much love and adoration for her! 

How does their family feel about them?
Hakuba Sr couldn’t be prouder of his son, even if he doesn’t really know how to express this in a way that Saguru will accept. He’d do anything for him (if he had the time), and will ALWAYS love and accept him for who he is, even the controversial parts, though he sort of hopes he never has to deal with that because… 

Grandparents Hakuba, as mentioned in previous posts, still don’t even recognize Hakuba Sr and Marion’s marriage, let alone his ‘bastard’ halfer son. They don’t consider him part of the family, at least officially, though I strongly suspect that they are aware of Saguru’s achievements and accomplishments and are just waiting for him to stand up to them before they finally relent and accept him…

Marion loves Saguru to bits and pieces and thinks he’s just the greatest and should move back to England and be happy. She often fights with her mother about it, though, since Grandmum Wickham seems to think that Hakuba should come back, settle down with some nice girl, have tons of kids, take over the world… which is exactly what Marion thinks, but that makes her mad because no one should control his life and he should be free to do what he wants but he should probably want to do x, y, z anyway because CUTE GRANDKIDS~!  

His uncles adore him and treat him like a little brother, and just like having him around. 

Baaya worries about the young master constantly, since she knows more about what he’s going through than anyone else, and just… does all that she can to support and comfort him within appropriate means. Like insisting that she drive and regulating his cigarette supply…

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30 Day Challenge (Day 08)

Day 8:

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What are some of your character’s more notable merits and flaws (including physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, etc.)? How did they develop? How has this helped or hindered them in the past?

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Merits:

  • Physical: Hakuba, despite being on the thin side for his height and body type, is strong. I’m not sure if it’s the stubbornness or what, but he’s got crazy endurance; definitely more of a marathon runner than a sprinter. This is why he’s got those amazing thighs, though. He jogs every morning he has the chance, and will play tennis for hours at a time when able. As Spider said, the detective is persistent~ (yes, please imagine Hakuba and Spider playing tennis against each other in those cute little shorts, it’s an amazing visual.) 
  • Mental: Like many INFJs (which is what I’ve typed my interpretation as), Hakuba is very good at connecting even obscure and abstract pieces of information together and using them to come up with some very unusual solutions. He manages to maintain a ridiculously successful balance between Occam’s Razor and intense hypothetical deductive/inductive reasoning for the problems he faces, and it’s served him very, very well… even if most people can’t follow the logic train along with him most of the time, since it probably left 3.22~ days ago, before anyone knew there was a need for it.
  • Emotional: Despite popular belief, Hakuba cares immensely for people, how they feel, what’s going on in their lives, what motivates them, what pains them, etc. He’s a humanist and he’s far too invested in idealist attitudes for it to be healthy, but it makes him very compassionate. He won’t show this openly, of course, but underneath all of that armor, he’s a bleeding heart who invests a good deal of his time attempting to make the world a better place, even if it’s just providing some semblance of closure, one case at a time. 
  • Spiritual: Sort of related to the previous topic, Hakuba tends to be fairly open-minded about most things, even if he doesn’t say so. He’s already straddling the line between the Western and Eastern world, and has to admit that he has strong ties to both, even though he’ll identify as a Christian first and foremost. His travels and experiences with a huge variety of people have made him more pliant when it comes to accepting different ideas and beliefs. This extends, even, to things of a supernatural nature. Of course, he applies logic to it, preferring to approach it from a scientific angle, but in the end it becomes more of a matter of “well, we can’t disprove that it exists, so I suppose that it might,” rather than “we can’t prove it’s real, therefore it cannot exist.” He feels it best to err on the side of caution, anyway. 
  • Etc: This is really just reiterating from the above, but I’ve wanted to put this into writing for a long time. Thus: unlike some other detectives, Hakuba refuses to see someone as nothing but a criminal. A crime is an act that a person commits, but it is not who they are. "So a person steals something,“ he says, "but does that negate the entire rest of their existence? What of their other talents? Hopes? Dreams? What of their families and friends? Recompense is in order, certainly, but a person’s life is far more complex to base their worth or value on their crimes alone.”

Flaws:

  • Physical: Hakuba could probably go on and on and on about his “flaws” when it comes to his body, but let’s talk about how he doesn’t take care of himself. He tries, from time to time, but he’s just not consistent enough. It’s only a matter of time before his lack of care turns into hypoglycemia and then diabetes. He pushes himself too far, too fast, and doesn’t give his body enough rest or the calories that he needs. Also holy crap cut down on the drinking, man… your liver is not industrial strength like you seem to think it is. 
  • Mental: Depression and anxiety are something that he has severe struggles with. I realize that this is more of a disease than a flaw, but I’m listing it here, anyway. He’s high-strung and easily gets worked up, and since he’s very privately introspective about his thought process, he often comes off as being very cold, callous, calculating, and cruel. It’s usually just that by the time he’s forced to relay information that he doesn’t want to share, it’s been boiled down to its most precise and harsh form, and that often presents itself like a slap in the face. 
  • Emotional: Hakuba tends to be very reactive to people when it comes to expressing his emotions. Again, he’s intensely private about his thoughts and feelings (except when it comes to harmless – and oftentimes pointless – trivia), so he will share or not largely based on how others around him conduct himself. He’s a veritable chameleon in most situations, changing himself so that he’s able to drift from scene to scene without being noticed unless he wants to be. This is a double-edged sword, though, and he doesn’t even realize that he does it. On the one hand, if someone is polite and civil toward him, even in an intense situation, he will respond in kind. On the other, if someone blows up over something that he sees as insignificant and yells or gets violent, Hakuba is very quick to SNAP and pull out the big guns (in the form of words specifically designed to tear the person apart) in retaliation. Hence the whole thing with Heiji during the Koushien.Though, this does mean that if you’ve seriously hurt him, he’ll be very receptive if you act submissive to him. He finds it exceptionally difficult to be intentionally rude to someone who is being kind to him, which… often leads him right into trouble. 
  • Spiritual: Double-standards abound. It’s fine for everyone else to be godless heathens, and sin is just a social construct (within reason), but he holds himself to an incredibly high standard and easily finds reason to loathe himself for any occasion. Basically, he believes he’s going to Hell, there’s no saving him, and he deserves to suffer, while everyone else, he’s quite sure, will be just fine and dandy in heaven or nirvana or in their next lives, and are perfect sunflowers just the way they are.
  • Etc: Hakuba is far too good at explaining away behaviors and justifying things as long as he has any sort of reason to. As such, he has far too many little ‘Boscombe Secrets’ lying around, and if it were to come to light, he would… uh… probably be an accessory to far more crimes than he even wants to think about. Oops.

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30 Day Challenge (Day 07)

Day 7:

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Where does your character live? Why did they choose it, and how did they acquire it? How do they handle intruders (graciously? violently?)? Describe the space.

Hakuba spends his time divided between two different houses in two different countries as his parents are separated. 

Most of the time (prior to coming to tumblr), Hakuba lives with his mother in London. They have a large estate that backs up to acres of preserved woodland. The house itself is a mansion and very European in design. It’s been in the family for many years; his mother, Marion, grew up there. If she has her way, Saguru will inherit it some day, as well. There are stables, a lot of dedicated staff, gardens, a menagerie of animals (mostly different kinds of birds), ponds, etc… all very lavish and well maintained and grand. Grand entryway and stairs (instead of having its own ballroom), very large library, and so on. It’s excessive and good for hosting events. Hakuba is very fond of it.

In Japan, he lives with his father in a different estate. This one is still very large, but not nearly as grandiose as the one in England. Also European in design (built to accommodate Hakuba Sr’s wife’s tastes), it has polished marble floors, large, spacious hallways and rooms, a drawing room, very nice kitchen, underground parking area with fancy cars, garden area, and so on. As the residents are only the Superintendent General, his son, and Baaya, the only staff needed are a cook, two maids, and then the grounds crew that come once a week to maintain the place. It’s usually very quiet.

As far as intruders go… both have measures in place (surveillance footage, alarms, locks, security guards, etc.) and are typically dealt with by them instead of the residents. 

…that said, it seems that Kaitou Kid has figured out how to sneak through the security at the Hakuba Estate on more than one occasion, and Saguru himself has been able to circumvent the measures in place to come and go as he pleases in the middle of the night without getting caught. (Perhaps this is related…) 

Most intruders are questioned and turned away unless deemed threatening in which case they are brought down town and treated severely. They take the protection of Hakuba Sr very seriously. 

Kaitou, though, is typically welcomed with open arms by Saguru, which… may be problematic. Huh. 

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30 Day Challenge (Day 06)

Day 6:

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Why do they have their resources? How long have they had them, and how have they served the character over time? (Ex. Contacts, money, political power, fame, etc.)

Hakuba’s parents both come from “money” families. His father’s side is well-established and near noble, with Hakuba Sr himself being the number one ranking officer in Japan. While Saguru isn’t included in the inheritance for this, his father makes more than enough to provide for his needs (and often dips into his own family funds to add to the savings accounts for his son, but that’s hush hush). Also from his father, the younger Hakuba has made several contacts in the police and private investigatory circuits, all of which he abuses as he sees fit. 

His mother’s side is also old money and near-noble, but in a different sort of scope. Saguru receives full benefits from this and is included in his grandmother’s will to receive a substantial inheritance (though she’d like for him to be married and provide heirs, conditionally). Saguru has made several social connections this way, as well as personal relationships that he can call upon for favors when needed all throughout Europe. 

A lot of his contacts, money (that he actually uses), and fame, however, come from his own hard work in the field, both in England and in Japan. Detectiving! Meeting people! Footwork! Solving cases! 

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30 Day Challenge (Day 05)

Day 5: Resources and abilities

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Where did they learn their abilities? 

Most of the things that Hakuba knows he learned either in school or from professionally taught classes and tutors after school and during the holiday breaks. No real shortcuts here; just good, honest hard work. Fortunately, his family has had the funds to back up his many intellectual pursuits. 

If they have an income, where does it come from?

Although still in high school, Hakuba does quite a bit of work on the side. Most of his income comes from the private consulting work that he does as a detective. He collects monthly retainers as well as per-hour fees, all of which is billed and invoiced at the end of the month. It’s worth noting that he also works with the police force for a set amount of hours per week (depending on school), but all of that is an unpaid internship, anyway. 

Do they have a job? Do they like it? How do they feel about their co-workers? 

As mentioned previously, yes, Hakuba has a job. A couple of them, really. He enjoys the consultant work quite a bit; actually more than the police work if he were to be honest. But he has decided to ignore that part. Still, working as a police officer’s assistant (in the homicide department, of course, working with other investigators) definitely has its perks. Which includes his co-workers.

Hakuba, for the most part, genuinely enjoys the company of the officers and respects them and what they do. He doesn’t feel entirely like he fits in, per se, but they’re kind enough to him… though he can never be sure if it’s because of his own conduct and merits as a detective, or if it’s because he’s the son of the Superintendent General.

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30 Day Challenge (Day 04)

Day 4: Favorites and habits

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What are some of your character’s hobbies? What do they do with their time?

When not working on cases, Hakuba is usually looking for cases, going to class, or reading. To say that he reads a lot would be an understatement. He’s also an active austringer, and hunts with Watson as he can on weekends. Other non-reading activities include jogging, tennis, archery, the shooting range, camping, hiking, and fencing.  But mostly reading.

Favorite color? Blue.

Favorite music artists? The Beatles, Muse. Queen, Lady Gaga, Maroon 5, Carla Bruni.

Movies or TV shows? All of James Bond, The Bourne Identity (original miniseries), anything Sherlock Holmes, Ocean’s 11, The Italian Job, Amelie, Moulin Rouge, City Lights, My Fair Lady, The Holiday, Dr Who, Monty Python, The Pink Panther.

Books or authors? Black Beauty, and anything by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (OF COURSE), James Herriot, Charles Dickins, Anthony Berkeley Cox.

Actors? Sean Connery, George Clooney, Harrison Ford, Audrey Hepburn, Annette Funicello, Nicole Kidman, Grace Kelly, JIMMY STEWART. 

Political stance? Are they active in politics or do they not care? Hakuba’s a pacifist, though active in politics only inasmuch as his mother asks him to be… which is still a lot. He helps with charity benefits and writes PSAs for things on occasion… but is more focused on helping people deal with lying. greedy bureaucrats than fighting them himself (that’s Marion’s forte). 

What are some of their pet peeves? People not paying attention to procedure. He understands that there are times when you have to circumvent the rules to get things done, but it should at least be acknowledged. Breaking the law should be done intentionally, not by accident, geez. Also, he dislikes when people are unnecessarily loud and aggressive. But mostly it’s the ‘did you even think about how this would effect others?’ thing that bothers him the most.

What sort of gifts do they like? Small tokens of affection that say “I know you enough to know what you like, I wanted to give you something to prove that to you.” and “This reminded me of you, which is great because I love thinking about you.” And notes… little notes. He loves those.

What is their favorite time of day? Favorite weather? Season? Dusk/Drizzling/Spring

Where do they like to spend their time? His office, the library, or the police office.

Favorite food? Favorite drink? Hot drinks, soft drinks, or alcohol? Chicken Cordon Bleu/Tea/Hot (though he does like scotch and cider).

Favorite animal? Horse!

Do they have any pets? Do they want any? He has two dogs in London (Mycroft and Irene, Golden Retrievers), and his Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Watson.  He’d love to have more, though right now might not be the best time since he travels so much. One day, though, he’ll get horses. 

What relaxes them? Tea, good conversation, reading, tea, alcohol, tea, cigarettes, more tea. 

Do they have any bad habits? Alcohol, cigarettes, sleeping around at those charity benefits… uhhh…  Oh, and working too hard. 

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30 Day Challenge (Day 03)

Day 3:

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Choose a different time period and describe what your character would have been like in that time period.

Let’s step back into 1885, where after having seen The Mikado, Marion decided to marry that young, travelling Japanese police man, oh so serious and oh so exotic. Soon after, they had a son – Saguru James – who was greatly influenced by the various movements at the time.

Just before the turn of the century, he left home and traveled to Paris, the place that he loved most, intent on seeking out, living, and writing about the bohemian lifestyle.

Truth! Beauty! Freedom! Love! All such wonderful things that Hakuba wanted – no, NEEDED to explore and experience! 

…and then he met a can-can dancer with a secret double life, and everything changed. 

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30 Day Challenge (Day 02)

Day 2:

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How do they usually dress? What do they wear to sleep? Do they wear jewelry? 

Hakuba normally wears suits, dress slacks, dress shirts, ties, etc. Very formal, very businessy. Even when he’s being casual, it’s very nice slacks and polos, or short-sleeved collared button up with tie and sweater vest. He’s a fan of layers. 

For sleep, it’s pajama bottoms or just his boxers, depending on the situation and how comfortable he feels. In situations with other people, it’s pajama bottoms or sweat pants (gasp) and a loose dress-shirt. Yes, with buttons still. 

Jewelry… yes. He has a silver cross that he wears on a chain around his neck, underneath his clothing. He also carries a silver pocket watch with an engraving of a crest with a horse on it. 

Is there anything about their appearance they wish they could change? 

Sometime he wishes that he weren’t a ‘halfer,’ though that’s less to do with having issue with his appearance and more with societal stigma at his mixed heritage. He’s generally fairly pleased with how he looks. The scars going away would be nice, though. 

How would they look as the opposite sex?

Shorter, with mid-length, thick, curly/wavy hair. Always a bit rosy in the cheeks. School uniform or skirts and blouses and still very formal. Ties. Still all of the ties. 

Actually, I bet he’d look kind of like Kureha Touka from Shining Wind, whatever that is. (Google search revealed lots and lots of very cute pictures.)

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What do they smell like? Why (do they wear the scent or does it occur naturally)?

Vanilla, sandalwood, fresh laundry, tea. Think very clean, earthy/home. He does wear cologne, but only a little. 

Do they have an accurate mental picture of their appearance (how they see themselves versus how the world sees them)?

Physically? That depends on where he is. He knows that he’s handsome and that his features are considered desirable, at least by enough people that he feels confident about it. He has a lot of fangirls, basically. In Japan, though, he wonders if it’s just that he looks ‘exotic’ rather than actually appealing, as his appearance really does make him stand out which is generally a Bad Thing™.

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30 Day Challenge (Day 01)

Day 1: Basics and cosmetic

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Age: 17 (depending on who he’s played with)
Date of Birth: August 29th
Hair color: Sandy Blonde
Eye color: Brown (chocolate/caramel/butterscotch/honey – very warm)
Skin color/nationality: British/Japanese (mostly pale English complexion) 
Accent (if any): British (English), Just a liiittle bit too formal Japanese
Height: 5’11"
Weight: 174lbs
Tattoos: None
Piercings: None
Birthmarks: None
Disfigurements: None
Scars: Around two dozen marks on his lower back from a firepoker (welts, scrapes, a few deeper gashes) from 7+ years ago; various small nicks and scrapes over his body, but all fairly faint. 
Do they have any nicknames? Where did they come from? Guru (Janus & Emi came up with these independently), Holme-tantei (media), Haku-kun (various Kaitos), Schatz (Janus), Saguruliostolopolous (Emi), Young Master (lol Baaya)

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