Guórén (old version)

Face-up artist(s):

Mewingstar (AlekInexelsis)

Date of acquisition:

November 18, 2016 (head)

Provenance:

Head purchased directly from Granado, body via ACBJD

Reason for choice:

I fell in love with Michael's sculpt at first sight -- his expression could be interpreted in different ways depending on the angle, which suits the character I had for him

Best Points:

Head: the expressiveness!

Body: one of my best posers, good resin for the price.

Worst Points:

Head: for some reason, Granado made his head smaller than the previous Solar System series, and this resulted in setbacks for finding a body to hybrid him with.

Body: it needs a change of stringing method to let its full posing potential shine (otherwise, relaxed leg poses and bent knees are very difficult to pull off); the neck size difference between Granado and Impldoll also means limited head mobility (but easily resolved with silicone KIPS or sueding)

I roleplay the same character in L5R. In that particular incarnation, he is named Ikoma Jinsuke.

Eyes:

SOULinAboxDOLLS Liberté

Wig:

Hand-ventilated by yours truly

Favourite colours:

Yellows and earth tones, touched with black

Fashion style(s):

East Asian traditional (hybrid of Japanese and Chinese), the occasional modern casuals

Key fashion accessory:

A belt accessory that is the pair to what his S.O. has.

Name story:

Guórén is actually his personal name, hardly ever used except by those who are close to him. It is written as 國仁 -- the character for "country" followed by "benevolence". His formal name, Jinsuke, is written as 仁助, "benevolent assistance."

Character age:

Mid-twenties, 23 at the start of the L5R timeline

Character gender:

Male, but with bisexual tendencies where his more genderfluid partner is concerned

Offsite roleplay:

This doll's character is not available for offsite roleplay.

EDO PERIOD TIMELINE
Relationship tree here.

Born Zhèng Guórén, Takashima Jinsuke was the adopted son of the eccentric Takashima Tarōzaemon, a childless samurai who taught him everything he knew about being in the Nagasaki police force. His birth mother was a Han Chinese native abandoned in Japan, while his birth father was an unknown Portuguese merchant who passed down his "barbaric" appearance to his son. Notably, he had grey hair streaked with white by the age of twenty, which made him appear older than he really was.

Despite not always seeing eye-to-eye with the elusive Ozaki Kaguya (also known as Adhara), matriarch of a criminal syndicate in the same city, Guórén's fate and heart became intertwined with hers. Although he entered an arranged marriage to a samurai lady, Arima Hanako, out of duty, husband and wife loved each other more like brother and sister than as lovers (with both of them engaging in separate extramarital affairs that either party happily ignored). Despite their persistent efforts, Guórén and Hanako's marriage did not produce any children. Instead, the mother of his children, the fraternal twins Kokiden (Takashima Koyuri) and Kokichi (Takashima Koremitsu), was Adhara.

L5R RPG TIMELINE
Relationship tree here.

Ikoma Jinsuke was born into the Lion Clan as the illegitimate son of Ikoma Tsubame and Moto Gelejian of the Unicorn Clan. After Tsubame's banishment to a monastery, her son was adopted by Ikoma Tarōzaemon, a minor historian. Although distrustful of Scorpion Clan samurai (like most of Rokugan), he fell in love with one: the unconventional Bayushi Kaguya, a rather unpopular courtier derided for her bluntness and lack of charm. Despite being quite open in her disapproval of the Lion Clan's militaristic view of things, she always treated Jinsuke fairly, even defending him from slurs that targeted his foreign appearance.

Jinsuke's quiet persistence and lack of arrogance eventually impressed Kaguya, and they began a love affair. Their bond was such, that when given the option by her first husband to be released from her preexisting marriage vows, she chose Jinsuke. With the aid of his adoptive father, Jinsuke made true on his promise to take her as his wife, and she joined his family as Ikoma Kaguya. Understandably, not everyone approved of their relationship. In particular, his old flame from the Matsu Berserker school took it upon herself to dole out unsanctioned punishment during a training match, irreparably injuring his right leg in her unbridled fury.

His maiming by a clanmate who ought to have been a comrade, and the surprising loyalty exhibited by Kaguya and other Scorpion allies, gradually changed Jinsuke's erstwhile black-and-white morals. Finally understanding the Scorpion creed of dirtying one's own hands so others will remain pure, and that innocence alone was not a sufficient shield against evil temptations, Jinsuke willingly took on the mantle of a shinobi of the Ikoma Shadows, joining his father Tarōzaemon in the ranks of the spies and saboteurs of the Lion Clan.

Quiet Strength by Yela Gatchalian-David, on Flickr


Adapting Arkose Wings by Yela Gatchalian-David, on Flickr


Matching Golds by Yela Gatchalian-David, on Flickr
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