Ryugazaki Rei

[Name]: Sammi
[Age]: 27
[Contacts]:
♦ DW:
♦ AIM:
♦ Plurk: aliquot
[Timezone]: EST
[Other Characters]: None



[Name]: Ryugazaki Rei
[Canon]: Free! - Iwatobi Swim Club
[Age]: 15-16, High school freshman...exact age not established.
[Gender]: Male
[Canon Point]: Whatever episode is out when this is read (Probably episode 8).

[History]:

http://free-anime.wikia.com/wiki/Rei_Ryugazaki

As of right now, there hasn't been much backstory for Rei. What we know so far is that he is a high school freshman at Iwatobi and is in the same class as Nagisa. He had initially joined the track team but with Nagisa's incessant prodding and upon seeing the 'beauty' in swimming, he was convinced to become the fourth member of the newly founded Iwatobi Swim Club.

Unfortunately, Rei cannot swim. Each member of the swim club tries to teach him their respective styles to no avail until Rei realizes he hasn't tried the butterfly. It turns out that is the only stroke that Rei is able to swim without sinking like a 'hammer'.

[Personality]:

Rei is obsessed with only doing things that he deems beautiful. To him, beauty can be found in calculations, theory, and exactness. This is why he initially joins the track team. He is shown performing the pole vault in track practice, and doing many calculations before attempting a jump in order to get just the right angle, speed, etc to be successful. He refuses Nagisa's initial inquiries about joining the swim club stating that he doesn't think swimming is beautiful (he also refuses probably because he can't swim, but he doesn't disclose that at the time). He believes that splashing about in water just isn't practical for beings who evolved to exist on land.

He agrees to go to a joint swim practice between Iwatobi and another school after Nagisa tells him that Haruka's swimming is, in fact, beautiful. Rei only agrees under the condition that he will not swim. Unfortunately, the captain of the other school's team realizes that he is not in a swimsuit and, well, to make a long story short, he is forced into a suit, and put up on the block for a time trial practice and STILL hasn't told anyone that he can't actually swim. When the whistle blows, he has beautiful starting form on the block...and promptly belly flops right into the pool and sinks. When put on the spot, Rei will take his theory and calculations to the grave with him rather than say he isn't able to do something. He'd rather belly flop in front of a bunch of swimmers instead of just admitting beforehand that he can't do it. He even says he wouldn't admit he couldn't swim because it "goes against [his] sense of beauty."

Haruka's swimming is the only thing that makes him realize that there is more to beauty than calculations and theory. Haruka has something that Rei does not, and Rei wants to experience it. Rei wants to be 'free'. This is something Rei struggles with, as the world cannot be accomplished completely through theory and learning alone. He often says he has mastered the theory of some task, and fully expects himself to thereafter be able to perform said task perfectly. This is not the case, and he is constantly learning this.

Rei is a very driven individual. After failing at three styles of swimming, he still has the determination to try the last remaining one, butterfly. Thankfully, that is the one stroke he is successful at. Occasionally, this drive of his gets him in trouble, however. The team went to an island to practice long distance swimming in the ocean and Rei was the weakest swimmer. Because he was determined to catch up to the rest of the team, he spent the night, while the rest were sleeping, swimming by himself in the ocean. He gets caught in a big storm and almost drowns before the rest of the team comes to his rescue.

This incident also shows how much he values his team and friendship. He doesn't want to ever be the reason their team loses something, even though everyone else has been swimming much longer than he has. Additionally, at a regional competition where Haruka lost to his rival, Rin, Rei was the first one to be concerned with how long Haruka had been gone after the race (sulking), and insisted on retrieving him in order to cheer for their other team members. He truly believes that they are in this as a team no matter what happens, and they should all support each other.

[Abilities / Strengths & Weaknesses]:

Strengths:
-Can swim butterfly
-Smart, at least in the practical, book smart type of way
-Can cook

Weakness:
-Would rather outright fail than ADMIT he will fail
-He is a scaredy cat in creepy situations
-Can get a bit dramatic...

[Limited Powers]:

None.

[Other Important Facts]:

His character is often symbolized by a butterfly.

[Samples]:

♦ Thread:
http://reallybadeggs.dreamwidth.org/715.html?thread=1078219#cmt1078219
http://reallybadeggs.dreamwidth.org/715.html?thread=1071307#cmt1071307
http://reallybadeggs.dreamwidth.org/715.html?thread=1109963#cmt1109963
http://reallybadeggs.dreamwidth.org/715.html?thread=1178827#cmt1178827

♦ Post:

Day 10

I am proposing to become the navigator, chef, and doctor of our new little ship. I have mastered all of these techniques and would clearly be the best fit for these duties.

Additionally, I propose that we paint our boat a soothing color such as green as to not elicit any unwarranted emotional responses from others we come in contact with.