Welcome to Tokyo, Japan. January, 1991. The world has entered the technology era, portable phones, home computers, internet, video games. Japan quickly became the epicenter of the latest and greatest. Companies and factories flourished. Where money was, people followed. And while many rose to live a comfortable, happy, and delightful life from this new found money... Others did not. You see, money has this effect on people that can't be outdone. People will do anything for it. And when it starts slipping into the wrong hands, it's impossible to stop. Benethe the day time laborers and the double-shift workers, a seedy underbelly of syndicates exists. Narctics, black market, organized crime, money laundering, you name it and it's been growing as fast as the upper world economy. While many do it just to stay alive, there's those who make it their posh lifestyle. Either way, there's only one question. What would you do if the money was good enough?
JAN 29 2021: Welcome!! ƎLEMENT has been open for two weeks now and we're so happy to see such a bright beginning! If you're new feel free to drop into the discord and say hi before joining.
It wasn't... uncommon for Lee to be drunk. Certainly, drinking in excess had become more of his regular routine than he cared to admit. But how could he not indulge in the opportunity to get drunk at an arcade? The idea had worked its way into his brain when he passed by the establishment earlier in the week, noting the hours and the bar located inside. He had spent a couple weeks prior working out the controls for the DDR machine sober, before deciding tonight was the night he'd go full throttle and create a challenge for the masses to compete with him at. [break][break] Unfortunately, his escapade had not attracted many patrons who actually wanted to challenge him under the influence. Most of the crowd that had accumulated behind him were frustrated by how long he had hogged the machine, although Lee had tried to make it clear that he'd step down the moment some other person (also drunk, as that seemed only fair) defeated him on the dance pad. [break][break] Apparently he had been there so long without a challenger that management was informed. [break][break] He squints down at Yoshi. This guy seemed like he'd be pretty good. After all, he owned the establishment, right? "Tell ya what," he slurs in his accented Japanese. "If you beat me in a drunk dance off, I'll leave forever." He pauses, steadying himself on the railing as he sways in place. "But you gotta be drunk, man. Otherwise it's not level playing fields, ya feel me?" [break][break] In what universe was this ever going to end well?
If there was a soul on this planet that appreciated the mixed sensations of sweaty bodies, alcohol, heavy bass, and ear splintering screams, it was Lee Sangster alright. The show had gone without a hitch, as it often did. More and more, Lee found himself on the receiving end of many complements. Soon, he hoped, those would become accolades he could hang on his wall or display on a shelf - although for now, he was perfectly content to bask in the smaller-time fame he was quickly earning. It was safe to say it was going to his head a little bit. Lee felt like he was floating twelve inches off the pavement as he approached the bar. [break][break] Now, this was not the first time he'd been offered a drink post-show, and not even the first time in the short period in which he exited the stage and began to mingle amongst the patrons. Call it impulsive, but something about Leo's overall demeanor and delivery - blunt, he noted, without fawning at his feet - piqued his interest. He seemed the type of fan hard-gained, to say the least. "Hey man, thanks," he responds, acting humbled, although his ego was soaring. "I'd love a drink." [break][break] So much for all the other people who had asked him tonight. Leo was the lucky one. [break][break] It hadn't slipped his attention (despite the fuzzy high lingering in his head), that Leo had spoken perfect American English to him. There were a fair amount of foreigners in Tokyo - most of them tourists - but it was rare for one of them to come to such a locally-loved, under-the-radar venue like this. Either this man was a music aficionado (like him) or was living here (also like him). "Where you from?" he asked casually as he took a seat at the bar next to his chosen companion.
And this, this was why Lee enjoyed seeing Sachi so much. His grin probably couldn't get much wider, the way she always took his joking demeanor and ran with it. He loved it. The two of them could probably go on like that all night, if they weren't also planning on getting so blasted neither one of them could stand. [break][break] Or, rather, that was at least what Lee was planning to do. He had a good feeling Sachi wouldn't choose to be a designated driver, though. That was what cabs were for. [break][break] He accepted the returned compliment with just as little humbleness as one might expect, "I do wear the sweaty-disheveled look pretty fucking well don't I?" He looks thoughtful for a moment, a mischievous look darkening his smile. "Think I'm the hottest one here?" [break][break] When she offers him a drink, Lee doesn't think twice to accept the offer, "Sadly, I'm not that much of a bigshot yet, but I promise that when I'm the biggest thing since sliced bread that I'll get you as many complimentary drinks as you want. I'll even autograph your forehead." Or anywhere else she asked, to be fair. "There should be another group coming up, yeah. If you're game to stick it out I am. We can always hit another bar once the show's over, too."
The thrill of performance always makes Lee feel like he is floating twelve feet off the ground. The adoring eyes of the people had brought him to the gates of his own personal nirvana, while the way the band seamlessly made the songs flow - his songs - created a euphoria beaten by no drug (and trust that he's done a variety before tonight. It isn't their biggest, most bombastic show they've ever played by any means, but each venue brings certain crowds, and these intimate shows of only a few hundred had already started to become fewer and father between. [break][break] Soon, they would be signed, their name displayed amongst the Top 100. Or, that remained Lee's fantasy. Always hungry to be something, to be better than the day before, to be bigger than life itself. [break][break] But for as hard as he's worked to get here, Lee also remains humble enough to remember his friends that helped make his achievements mean anything. Without them, all of what he had would feel a lot emptier, probably. Or, at least, he liked to think so. [break][break] His eyes scanned the dispersing crowd after he left the stage, hoping to catch a glimpse of pink hair amongst a sea of people. He's grateful Sachi stands out in a crowd, not only because of the distinct hair dye, but also because of the way her voice carries when she gets pissed off about something. Despite the bassy tones of the music coming through the speakers and the dull roar of conversation all around him, Lee know's he's not mistaken. [break][break] She spots him before he spots her, though, running up to greet him with her usual contagious enthusiasm. A sneer works its way onto his face at her words, "Kneel before my great musical prowess!" He strikes a pose that can't possibly be played off as serious, but holds it for a significant enough amount of time for others to roll their eyes before finally breaking it, laughter overtaking him. "Sachi! It's been a minute," he finally greets back. "Lookin' hot as usual."
[attr="class","section intro"]This little shit here is Lee. He came to Tokyo from the USA at the age of eighteen and has never left the big city since. As he has been here for a long time, he is mostly fluent in Japanese, but also speaks English and Spanish. At the moment, he's trying to make it big with his band, Fatal Ingénue, and they're finally gaining some traction. Maybe you've heard of them?
[attr="class","section"]
Friends
[break] Lee is always interested in meeting new people, and social folks tend to find him entertaining and generally friendly. While sticklers for rules are pretty much always out of the question, Lee doesn't really go out of his way to step on people for the sake of stepping on people. He's a troublemaker, not a bully... most of the time. [break][break] He can change his colors at the drop of a pin, his attitude flowing and ebbing with intensity like ocean tides, so as long as your character is adaptable, they probably have a pretty good shot at being friends with Lee. He has a lot of varied interests besides just being an attention starved spotlight hog. Music lovers, space and alien fanatics, bird watchers, come at him. And if you can manage to have a longer standing friendship with Lee, he actually has it in him to be pretty philosophical, too. The guy's been through some shit.[break]
[break] Look, he loves attention, even bad attention. He goes out of his way to annoy people. While he's not usually malicious, he will push your buttons to no end, and that has gotten him in more trouble than anything else. [break][break] That said, strike a match and he's kerosene. Lee is explosively angry with all his unresolved trauma, and if you get on his shitlist you're going to know it. He doesn't like bullies, he doesn't like bigots, and he especially doesn't like to be undervalued. The worst kind of people are the kinds of people who refuse to see him. He can't stand anyone that won't bask in all his self-proclaimed greatness. [break]
[break] Okay, so, Lee's pattern with relationships is pretty toxic. It's not for a lack of trying. He has had terrible examples set and and even worse experiences with romance in his life, plus his preoccupation with abandonment runs so deep he can't stand the idea of being left - so he will ultimately end a relationship with someone prematurely, sometimes leaving without even saying anything. [break][break] Has he been in love? More damn times than he can count. And he hates himself so much for the way he behaves but he doesn't know how to stop. Mostly, he is fine with just sleeping around to pretend like he is staving off the loneliness he feels, but it never works very well and he almost always catches feelings despite himself. [break][break] In any case, he's always single with a big question mark. [break]
[attr="class","section intro"]This little shit here is Lee. He came to Tokyo from the USA at the age of eighteen and has never left the big city since. As he has been here for a long time, he is mostly fluent in Japanese, but also speaks English and Spanish. At the moment, he's trying to make it big with his band, Fatal Ingénue, and they're finally gaining some traction. Maybe you've heard of them?
[attr="class","section"]
Friends
[break] Lee is always interested in meeting new people, and social folks tend to find him entertaining and generally friendly. While sticklers for rules are pretty much always out of the question, Lee doesn't really go out of his way to step on people for the sake of stepping on people. He's a troublemaker, not a bully... most of the time. [break][break] He can change his colors at the drop of a pin, his attitude flowing and ebbing with intensity like ocean tides, so as long as your character is adaptable, they probably have a pretty good shot at being friends with Lee. He has a lot of varied interests besides just being an attention starved spotlight hog. Music lovers, space and alien fanatics, bird watchers, come at him. And if you can manage to have a longer standing friendship with Lee, he actually has it in him to be pretty philosophical, too. The guy's been through some shit.[break]
[break] Look, he loves attention, even bad attention. He goes out of his way to annoy people. While he's not usually malicious, he will push your buttons to no end, and that has gotten him in more trouble than anything else. [break][break] That said, strike a match and he's kerosene. Lee is explosively angry with all his unresolved trauma, and if you get on his shitlist you're going to know it. He doesn't like bullies, he doesn't like bigots, and he especially doesn't like to be undervalued. The worst kind of people are the kinds of people who refuse to see him. He can't stand anyone that won't bask in all his self-proclaimed greatness. [break]
[break] Okay, so, Lee's pattern with relationships is pretty toxic. It's not for a lack of trying. He has had terrible examples set and and even worse experiences with romance in his life, plus his preoccupation with abandonment runs so deep he can't stand the idea of being left - so he will ultimately end a relationship with someone prematurely, sometimes leaving without even saying anything. [break][break] Has he been in love? More damn times than he can count. And he hates himself so much for the way he behaves but he doesn't know how to stop. Mostly, he is fine with just sleeping around to pretend like he is staving off the loneliness he feels, but it never works very well and he almost always catches feelings despite himself. [break][break] In any case, he's always single with a big question mark. [break]
Height: 5'7" / 174cm [break][break] So he's not that tall, and if it weren't for the way he exuded confidence, Lee wouldn't consider himself anything special to look at either. Still, he manages a distinct style on and off stage. In his day to day life, Lee sports an attire that one could categorize as alternative preferring how it maintains a sense of comfort while still being a unique method of self expression. He is especially taken with the ever-growing-in-popularity Visual Kei aesthetic. [break][break] Despite tattoos being something of a taboo in east Asia, Lee does have a notable few that are hard to miss. A sleeve of corvid-type birds woven together between roses and thorny vines runs all along his right arm, while the alchemical symbol for air rests upon his left shoulder. These tattooed are accented nicely by his fit, though not overwhelmingly muscular body. He has a small collection of piercings as well - a black stud on his left ear, and snake bites. [break][break] Lee's natural hair is a curly, dark brown, but he has been known to dye his hair in bright, vibrant colors. [break][break] [break]
"I don't know."
At a glance, Lee appears to be an archetypal jester - always social, cracking jokes, shamelessly flirting, and getting himself into mischief. His first priority always seems to be having a good time and damning whatever consequences might follow, often leading the up and coming rockstar to situations that have highlighted his life with a reputation for trouble. To those that know him personally, they can attest that this behavior has long since been a part of Lee's personality since before he achieved any acclaim for his work, but has only seemed to worsen with the spotlight. Lee has a tendency to garner attention wherever he goes, and if he is not receiving an adequate amount of it, well, he will damn well make sure you've paid him your dues before the night is through. [break][break] There is a lot to uncover beyond Lee's surface level facade of basking in the spotlight - a depth which his die-hard fans and loved ones have come to understand. Something past all the wise-cracks and loser anthems about sticking it to the powers that be. Be it his poetic and prolific lyrics or those rare occasions where he can offer a life lesson to another, it's obvious Lee is a little more world-weary than one might expect. Unfortunately, beyond what one can infer from his more personal ballads that he releases to the public, Lee is not much of an open book, choosing instead to keep some matters close to the chest. While most would describe him as sincere with his feelings and earnest with gestures, he has trouble with vulnerability in a one-on-one setting, preferring the stage as his medium to letting his feelings out. [break][break] Unfortunately, this isn't always possible, as there are breaks between tours and times where Lee cannot be up in front of thousands of people, leading Lee to a repeated habit of bottling emotions and risk taking behavior. He has been noted as having explosive anger and mood swings by some people. In actuality, Lee has such trouble being alone that he has to find a way to deal with a cycle of self-loathing that has pervaded his life since he was a child. There is a long-rooted bitterness and cynicism that resides within the musician, usually coming to light as he sets himself up for failure repeatedly. Despite the fact that he is a loyal friend, he almost never allows himself to sustain healthy relationships with others, instead opting to purposefully burn his bridges and cut people off when they get "too close." This has led Lee to having a series of on-and-off again romantic relationships throughout his career that have blown up over the media, with none of them ending gracefully. It's not for a lack of affection or trying hard on his behalf. Lee actually falls in love very willfully and sincerely, but is too scared of being abandoned in the end, instead choosing to end things prematurely to avoid an eventual hurt he intrinsically knows will happen. [break][break] It can be difficult to get a read on how clever someone like Lee is in actuality given his deeply contradictory personality. His facade would have someone believe that he is a much more emotional person than he is calculating, but his level of musicianship dictates something of a prodigy. For the most part, Lee is noted to be impulsive, leading with his gut and not with much forethought. There are times, however, especially when he feels particularly wronged that he becomes petty, jealous, or prone to seeking out revenge, and at those times he is capable of manipulating a situation to his liking. [break][break] A rebel at heart, Lee does not like to be told what to do and is a staunch believer in his own set of principles. In other words, his stubbornness knows no bounds, and he'll often appear self-righteous or flat out arrogant because of this. However, when he knows he has made a mistake, he can be humble when admitting to his shortcomings. It's just actually getting him to see that he was wrong that poses a challenge. Lee does not like to face feelings of guilt, as he is easily overwhelmed by them. When faced with his own flaws, Lee tends to grieve much longer than necessary, never finding the time to forgive himself so that he might do better in the future. This completes a circuit of self-inflicted trauma, leading Lee to repeat the same mistakes over-and-over, giving more fuel to the fire of his growing problem with the way he views himself. [break][break] Unsurprisingly, Lee is passionate about what he does. Music is the air that he breathes, the blood that pumps life through his veins. A day without it would feel empty and meaningless. If he isn't performing, he is writing lyrics or melodies down manically throughout the day and night, forgoing sleep in the name of art. Get him talking about this or one of his other varied interests, like birds or the stars and space, and he will become animated in a way that isn't quite the same as he is on stage. In front of a crowd, he commands a group as though he's God sent to liberate his people. Compared to speaking about what's close to his heart though? Totally different. It's like speaking with a kid excited over a piece of candy on Halloween. In that way, Lee exudes a Peter Pan-like charm that people close to him are drawn to. [break][break] [break]
"Then what's the use of looking?"
It all started when the Sangsters moved to the smaller community from the big city in an attempt at a quieter life. Unfortunately, the town was all too aware that some things were out of place even upon their arrival, and unfortunately, Lee was the one to pay the price for it. Despite the supposed mutuality of his parents' relationship, many looked upon the father, an unsavory fellow by nature, with judgment, as it was very clear that he had conceived a child with the mother before she was of legal age. [break][break] Regardless, by the time Lee was born, there wasn't much that could be done. [break][break] For the most part his early childhood was happy. He was nurtured and loved by both his parents, although his father spent an exorbitant amount of time away from home, needing to go back into the larger cities to win money at the Casino. [break][break] Meanwhile, Lee's mother helped shape his love of music, starting with piano, and eventually gifting him a guitar. From there, Lee moved into whatever instrument he could get his hands upon. It became clear where his future would lead him. [break][break] Unfortunately, things began to unravel once he hit his teens. [break][break] With his parents never really asserting healthy boundaries with their own relationship from the get-go, a series of affairs began. Lee's mother would bring home other men when his father was gone - and though he knows now that there was never a faithful bone in his father's body from the start either, it began the messy whirlwind of terrible bullying he had to endure at school. Everyone around him knew. If it wasn't his dirty, swindling, rotten father that they were upset with, it was his whore mother... and they were all sure Lee was bound to turn out exactly like them, too. [break][break] Sure enough, Lee wouldn't just sit there and take that kind of treatment. He fought back, making enemies of classmates and teachers and community members alike. [break][break] At home, the situation escalated as his father began turning to alcohol to cope with the way he was being treated around town. Lee's mother did her best to just try and keep her head above water and her son out of trouble to little avail while not really addressing the growing problems in the family. Almost as though she were waiting for it to disappear. [break][break] In a way, she did get her wish. After months of drinking, screaming, and repeated police visits, Lee's father took the keys to his car and left for the final time. [break][break] His mother's relief was palpable, but Lee didn't know how to cope with the abandonment. Between that, the continued bullying at school, and his own reputation going to shambles with the amount of trouble he had caused himself, Lee was desperate for a way out. [break][break] So on one evening he made the decision to just go. He packed a single bag, took his dog, slung a guitar on his back and left. Didn't tell a single person. Just disappeared. Exactly like his father, but that's a pill Lee isn't quite ready to swallow yet. [break][break] He's had plenty of adventures since then, but to know all the details of that, you'll just have to ask him yourself.
