Okita Souji
OVERVIEW
Full Name : Okita Souji Fujiwara no Koneyoshi Alias : Souji Gender : Male ( he/him ) Birth + Death : June 26, 1842 - July 19, 1868 Age : 26 years old Affiliations : The Shinsengumi Occupation : first division captain of the Shinsengumi Known Languages : Japanese ( fluent ), English ( limited )
DESCRIPTORS
Appearance : 5'6’’ / 168 cm – a Japanese man in his early 20s with a small but lithe built frame. Has long dark hair and dark eyes. Often seen sporting a traditional Japanese kimono / yukata, his pale blue haori ( customarily worn by the Wolves of Mibu, the Shinsengumi ). Okita Souji he carries around him his katana and wakizashi. Personality : is seen to have a care-free and friendly disposition ( one could even say too friendly ). He often is eager to meet new people, befriend them, and find his place among men. Although, admittedly, he seems to be restless and his energy unending. While Souji seems like an approachable soul, approach him with caution; one misstep with him could flare up his temper. Miscellaneous notes : diagnosed with tuberculosis and shows symptoms of a Bipolar Disorder ( although not properly diagnosed )
HISTORY
Born, orphaned and abandoned at a tender age, Okita Soujiro was left to the are of his sisters and extended family. The boy was carelessly raised and pass from relative to relative;; Souji did not find a family among kin nor was he able to see himself as something more than their obligation. This all changed when Kondo Isami took the young boy under his wing, tutored in him the ways of the samurai and the sword, and dubbed him ’OKITA SOUJI’
At a young age, Souji’s talent for the blade ( particularly the style of Tennen Rishin Ryu ) then emerged quickly and without halt;; he was deemed a prodigy and was supposedly defending his dojo’s honor and instructing classes at the age of 13. His primary reason for chasing after this gift was to do on Kondo’s teachings. His relationship with Kondo Isami would eventually lead him to other lifelong companions such as Hijikata Toshizo and Sannan Keisuke.
His relationship with Kondo Isami would also lead him to join the Shinsengumi, where he served as the Captain of its First Unit when Hijikata and Kondo rose to power.
The exploits and infamy of the Shinsengumi will forever paint the life of Okita Souji, but upon contracting tuberculosis, the swordman was forever hindered. The disease had originally gone undeclared, and though it was eventually by his superiors, it mostly went untreated. Souji was unable to follow his brothers-in-arms to the Boshin War and was left to ’ recover ’ in edo. That is, in his mind, he was left to die invalid and useless after all these years.
Okita Souji succumbed to tuberculosis on July 19, 1868. Just a day before he decided to commit ritual suicide rather than fall victim to the hands of this illness.
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