Name: Kinoko Sanageyama
Age & Gender: 33, Male
Appearance: While he's not particularly tall, only standing at about 5'10", Kinoko is still a massive hulk of a man. His body is comprised of just over 220 pounds of pure, tightly corded muscle, and his thick-soled boots and bulky clothes only serve to make him seem larger.
Kinoko shaves his head every couple of weeks, so most of the time he only has a thin coating of black stubble covering his scalp, and his sharp, dark bronze eyes are typically hidden behind a pair of goggles, though he'll lift them up whenever he's talking to someone or outside. Going lower, the man's skin is a dark brown, tanned by long hours spent outside, and marred by occasional patches of scar tissue, most of which have long, exciting, and only very-slightly-exaggerated stories behind them.
Though you'll hardly ever find him without his navy jumpsuit, with its top half knotted around hi waist, his boots, and a pair of canvas gloves on, Kinoko typically prefers to keep his chest bare. He'll put on a shirt or jacket if he's going outside or helping out some of the Takahashi's customers, but if he's at home or in the garage, he'd rather just leave it off.
Kinoko's face is almost always set in some manner of smile, be it an excited grin or a content smirk. Such an expression suits the man well, softening his naturally hard features and giving him a warm, friendly air, one that he's more than delighted to maintain.
Personality: Kinoko is many things. Loud, brash, vigorous, loud, friendly, explosive, loud; one of the few things he isn't is subtle.
A man who believes that everything in life is best when done to its fullest, Kinoko will throw himself into anything and everything with an overpowering amount of passion. Be it his job, drinking, fighting, loving, exercising, or simply talking, he will do it with a seemingly boundless amount of vim and vigor. Anything less would not only be an insult to his friends and partners, it would be an insult to his very way of life.
Oddly, Kinoko describes himself as "a man without pride." He does not believe himself worthy of respect or adoration, and will suffer any insult against him with a healthy amount of cheer. However, should such remarks be directed towards his cars or The Takahashi Family, Kinoko's cheeriness will rapidly disappear. Just because he does not deserve respect does not mean that his work and compatriots do not as well. Quite the opposite, in fact, and Kinoko will do anything and everything within his power to ensure the honor of his charges and his friends.
History: Born the son of a factory worker and a housewife, Kinoko's childhood was a bit on the poor side, but certainly could have been far, far worse. His father brought in enough money to keep his family fed and moderately well-clothed, and the old landlord, even with his big, scary bark, was always willing to wait a month or two for the rent.
Growing up in the Japanese corner of town, Kinoko naturally fell in with boys, and occasional girls, of his own race. For them, playtime usually consisted of running amok through the streets and alleyways of Kurokuu, challenging any other roving gangs of kids to mock fights, and throwing rocks and death threats at any Italian or American punks who wandered too far from home. Having spent hours spent out and about in the city, it was no wonder that Kinoko learned early how to survive life in the metropolis.
As school was never really an option for him, most of Kinoko's education came from his father's seemingly endless well of practical knowledge. In addition, Gen made sure to teach his son the importance of honor and respect. The Sanageyama family could trace their lineage back to the samurai of old, and Kurokuu's clashing cultures did nothing to negate the honor of their heritage. Gen even went so far as to purchase a bokken for his son and instruct him in the art, just as his own father had done for him.
However, like most things in Kurokuu, it wasn't too long before Kinoko's life crashed around him. One evening, when he was out with his friends, robbers ransacked his home, critically injuring his mother, who died at the hospital, and killing his father in the process. The then 15 year old boy, devoid of any relatives wealthy or caring enough to take him in, had a choice to make: Go to the orphanage, or live on the streets. Driven by his father's lessons of pride and honor, he chose to make his own way on the streets.
Needless to say, such a life was anything but easy for a teenager, a young one at that. Kinoko needed food and shelter if he was going to survive, and nobody wanted to hire a waif off the streets. However, there were always some unsavory elements lurking in the streets who would take any poor sap they could get their hands on. Despite his initial reluctance, it was mere weeks before sheer necessity and desperation convinced Kinoko to throw his hat in with a gang of street crooks.
They were strictly small time, of course, more than content to get by with simple pickpocketing and mugging. On the off chance that they managed to get their hands on something actually valuable, they'd simply fence it to one of the pawn shops that operated across Temperance Bay. The gang had neither the manpower nor the drive to set up their own organization, and there wasn't really any need to; their current set-up made them enough cash to buy all the booze and cheap hotel rooms they needed, so why bother trying for anything bigger?
Kinoko, though his initial position was anything but respectable, managed to adapt to his new lifestyle. At first, he was plagued by doubts about his new occupation. There was no way this line of work was honorable, after all, and Kinoko could almost feel his father's disapproving glare on the back of his neck. However, as the money kept coming in, the boy started to question his parents' lifestyle; sure, they could say that they lived with honor, but in the end what had it gotten them? Meanwhile, he was getting all the cash and booze he could want. It didn't take him long to give up his father's principles and embrace the den of debauchery that was Temperance Bay.
All was well and good for a few years, but nothing good lasts forever. As he turned 20, Kinoko and a few of his compatriots were caught in the middle of one of their thefts. Lacking the funds or the connections to deter the long arm of the law, the crooks were sentenced to a good dime and a half behind bars.
Most people, quite understandably, would be less than happy with such a fate. So was Kinoko, at least initially. However, a couple years into his sentence, the prison introduced a new labor inititive: Something about working on the assembly of a new line of automobiles. Though he certainly hadn't been looking for it, Kinoko had just been introduced to his calling.
The delightful new machine, the brainchild of an engineer with some revolutionary ideas on mass-production, fascinated Kinoko, enough so that he spent most of his time trying to learn everything he could about it. Driven by his nearly insatiable curiosity, the man gradually became a practical expert on the construction of the vehicle and the magnificant engine that propelled it. Eventually, he became an all but permanent fixture in the prison labor yard, doing everything he could to spend a bit more time with the objects of his affection.
Although his sentence wouldn't be up for quite some time, thanks to his good behavior and remarkable work ethic it was only eight years before Kinoko managed to earn parole. When he got back out on the streets, he tried to find employment that could keep him close to his beloved machines. Sadly, nobody really wanted to hire a paroled criminal, especially one whose only education was from a prison yard. With extremely limited funds and nowhere to go, the man did his best to find someone or someplace to latch onto.
He found the Takahashi Family.
The clan's sense of honor and composure, so reminiscent of his father's teachings, resonated with something Kinoko thought he had tossed aside long ago. He'd already given up on ever being honorable himself, after all, but... But that didn't mean that he still couldn't do his best to live up to his family's heritage.
For the past five years, Kinoko has been faithfully serving the Takahashis, acting as their main mechanic and, when the need arises, muscle. In exchange for his service, they've given him room and board, companions, and, most importantly, an entity to which he can freely and happily attach his pride and honor. Until the family no longer has need of him, Kinoko will do his his best to further their interests. Such is his place in life.
Oh, and they also have really good sake and other assorted boozes on tap. That's pretty neat.
Notable Skills: Kinoko, thanks to his years of practical experience, is well acquainted with the inner workings of engines and cars in general. He may not be able to tell you the science behind every single part, but he can sure as hell tell you what it does, where it goes, and four different ways to fix it.
In addition, though he lacks any formal training or ranking, the mechanic is quite handy with a bokken. His arms are deceptively fast despite their bulk, and Kinoko can hammer his way through all but the most stalwart defenses with his sheer strength. And if his wooden blade doesn't happen to be at hand, a monkey wrench makes for a good replacement.
While he's perfectly fluent in Japanese, Kinoko's still learning English and only knows a few scraps of Italian. While he forces himself to speak in English most of the time (practice makes perfect, after all), it's clear that he's got a ways to go before he's fully mastered the language.
He's also really, really good at whistling.
Equipment & Property: Although he owns a ramshackle apartment a few blocks away, Kinoko's real home is the Takahashi mansion, specifically its garage. He's whiled away many a night among tires and toolboxes, doing checkups or making repairs, and he keeps a few extra jumpsuits and a blanket or two tucked away in some crates, just in case.
When it comes to smaller belongings, Kinoko owns a sturdy, tachi-style bokken, the approximate size and length of a katana. Normally he simply leaves it in the garage or gymnasium, but he will wear it through his belt if he's dealing with possible enemies.
Finally, though they technically belong to The Takahashi Family, Kinoko treats the group's small fleet of vehicles as through they were his own. Dent one at your own risk.
