Yasuke
Mr. Daniel Joshua Albiston (a.k.a. Yasuke)
Written by: Null Kit
We're all familiar with the archetype of a Street Samurai, of a criminal mercenary more machine than man and a talent for killing tempered only by a code of honor that seldom makes sense to anybody other than the samurai themselves. In most cases, the term 'samurai' is used mostly metaphorically, but once in a while you come across one such combat specialist who actually practices the samurai code of Bushido, or at least a version of it compatible with the career-criminal lifestyle. Yasuke is one such person, an enforcer for the Aoyama-Gumi Yakuza-clan who embodies the shadow's interpretation of Bushido to the absolute best of his ability. Loyal to his superiors past reasonable expectations, refuses to lie or break his word, and shows a marked dislike for collateral damage, Yasuke prides himself in the standards he feels he lives up to as a warrior. Of course, all of this does nothing to assuage the man's true nature: Beneath the polite words, the diplomacy and the glowing respect of his oyabun is a ruthless enforcer of the Yakuza's desires, who will not hesitate in the slightest to cut you down the moment you are considered a liabilty to the Aoyama Gumi.In Yasuke's defence, it's not like the people who frequent these parts of the matrix are much better.
Well yes, but when have we ever claimed any moral highground?
Physical Description
General Physical Condition
Yasuke's physique was what you would expect of an athletic male in his late twenties with a history of petty-crime, before his surgical enhancement curtesy of his new employers The Fudo clan do most of their cyberware work in-house, so finding the exact specs of Yasuke's chrome has proven difficult, but careful monitoring of wireless info-sharing between implants (Yaks are somewhat notorious for their negligence in hushing such chatty 'ware), I've managed to identify the following:
- UO Doorman MKIV rating-2 Cybereyes
- x2 Kurabokko Oni Cyberarms
- Barghest Precision Machining PX114 Biomonitor
- Kurabokko Gashadokuro Aluminium Bone-Lacing
- Ares Nightwitch Rating 2 Wired Reflexes
Mental characteristics
Personal history
In a quaint subversion of conditions common in the formative years of inner-city gang members, Yasuke's upbringing was a surprisiingly supportive and accomodating one. Born Daniel J. Albiston under parents Janet and Rochelle by means of artificial-insemination, Daniel grew up in an upper-class house supported by his parents' shared income of co-managing the EvoLutions lifestyle-store branch in Raleigh.
Ooooh, that brings me back. In spite of being a pretty big Evo subsidiary, EvoLutions was one of the few businesses I remember that wasn't a front for something shady. Same it went out of business, but we're about to read up about that, it'd seem..Unfortunately, while the Albistons were very dedicated to nurturing their child with a sense of altruism and fairness, they could not teach him the skill they collectively lacked: Suspicion. The family had acquired a well-earned reputation as being easy marks, not only believing every sob-story they were given in exchange for a handout but going so far as to 'give the benefit of the doubt' and continue giving money out of their pockets to the grifters they knew were not the starving victims they claimed to be. By the time Daniel had reached fifteen, his upper middle-class lifestyle had been downgraded to living from subscribing to charity-lists as his parents' well-intentioned generosity led to numerous break-ins at EvoLutions, subsequently costing them theiir job and greatly harming their future employability prospects. Daniel was left with a choice: Continue to hold onto his parents' values of honesty and fairness, even as his meals risked lapsing in nutriition and frequency, or forsake everything he was raised to believe in and begin attaining resources through less scrupulus means. In retrospect, his decision was obvious: Daniel chose to take from others, but justifying it within the values he grew up with in an admittedly impressive series of mental gymnastics. So long as he remained honest and convinced himself that the people he targetted were unscupulous and undeserving of their wealth, he could do what he felt was necesarry to support his parents and still end the day with a clear conscience.
It sounds pretty robin hood, but it took a few shaky drops into criminal activity before Yasuke would get the hang of his newfound perspective on morality. A lot of his early victims were definitely targets of opportunity and not the villains deserving of punishment he kids himself into thinking they are.Daniel's iniitial foreys into criminal activity were, understandably, petty and unworthy of boast. Muggings, burglary and the occasional debt-collection on behalf of an actual somebody in Raleigh's underworld would be the foundations on which Daniel would begin to find his skills and refine his techniques, but it wasn't until an actual organised-crime syndicate came to his neighborhood, in the form of the Aoyama clan of Yakuza. Part of Daniel's rationalisation for what he did was one that depended on a moral high-ground, on there being 'worse' criminals who deserved punishment instead of someone committing crime out of desperation such as himself, and so when a legitimate criminal group began setting up shop in one of the businesses in his dingy corner of the sprawl, he took his machete and marched over to make good on the promises he made himself. And he was subsequently beaten to a pulp. Despite the single death and multiple serious injuries he had caused them (or perhaps because of them), Daniel was initially spared the painful death he had surely earned from the yakuza, and asked the simple question of what the hell he thought he was doing attacking a group of armed and experienced career-criminals with nothing but a machete. His answer must have been amusing to the presiding Oyabun, who relayed the story to Aoyama Fudo himself, who decided to drop in personally and exchange words with Daniel himself. I have yet to learn of the exact words spoken in that conversation, and have only second-hand reports to work with. What we do know is that Fudo was able to convince his captive of the 'honorable virtues' of the Yakuza, as well as telling him the tale of the historical Yasuke, a retainer of Oda Nobunaga within the Sengoku period of feudal Japan. Evidentally, these words took root in Daniel, who soon after sworn service to the Aoyama-Gumi. The next time Daniel would be seen, he would be scarcely recogniseable as who he once was: Clothes recieved from a charity-bin were replaced with a tailored suit, his natural physique was augmented with high-end cyberware (most of it courtesy of Kurabokko Metahuman Technologies with some unique cosmetic add-ons), and the modest collection of weaponry was put aside in favor of a pair of blades hand-forged with a monofilament edge. Daniel Albiston had completed his transformation into Yasuke.
Nobody knows for sure what Janet and Rochelle think of their son's new profession, but considering they've been seen at their old upper middle-class haunts of recently, we can probably take a guess...
Employment
Currently works full-time underneath several of Aoyami Fudo's businesses as a 'security consultant'.
Accomplishments & Achievements
Yasuke's many notable kills are of surprisingly common knowledge to Raleigh's underworld, as in accordance with his romanticised view samurai the man has poems commissioned around them. Of special note is his recent execution of William 'Irongrace' LaLeary, a literal one-man gang in the barrens that even the more numerically-superior and heavily armed gangs prefer just to give a wide berth.
Relationships
History
Whenever Aoyama leaves the safety of his territory, his pupil Yasuke follows him like a shadow. In spite of the demographic differences, the two appear to have a substantial rapport with oneanother, as Yasuke practically sings praises of his master and Fudo himself isn't slow in complimenting the skills of his student.
Alignment
Lawful Neutral
Current Location
Year of Birth
2051
29 Years old
Spouses
Siblings
Children
Pronouns
He/They
Eyes
Brown, prosthetic
Hair
Black, Curly
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
Dark
Height
5'8''
Weight
171 lbs.
Aligned Organization
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