ENIGMA SYNDROME ( shindou rom ) (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
phenomerom) wrote2026-02-20 12:48 am
phenomerom) wrote2026-02-20 12:48 am
[ basic info. ]
QUICK INFO / FIRST IMPRESSIONS
NAME: Shindou Rom ( 神童ロム )
CANON: Mieruko-chan
AGE: Not stated in canon, and he also seems to not know himself. Assuming early 30's.
PROFESSION: Exorcist, YouTuber / influencer.
VISUAL: Kind of suspicious. Medium height (5'8" / 173cm) with a lean build. Sports unruly, shaggy black hair and a matching goatee; his right eye is always covered by his bangs, but his left eye is a bright teal, and underlined by heavy dark shadows. Usually dresses in a variety of showy goth outfits; a very sharp eye might note the slight peek of bandages under the hem of his sleeves, as he seems to always have his forearms covered in bandages.
AURAL: Has a slightly deep voice. Usually speaks at an easy lilt, smooth and at ease. (The type to use tildes on a regular basis.) Almost always speaks at a polite register, and always uses honorifics for everyone. Even setting aside the times he's hamming things up for an audience, there's the vague sense he's keeping some distance from people.
OLFACTORY: Clean but nondescript. Sometimes smells like incense or herbs.
DEMEANOUR: Uncanny -- a lot of people would describe him as 'weird' or 'creepy' upon first meeting him. Rom is unfailingly amiable when interacting with people (especially his fans), but most people will clock something unnerving in the intensity of his stare and the constant Cheshire smile he wears. Though it's rare that he actually does anything harmful, between his open talk of occult matters and his willingness to shill his products, he definitely gives off 'third-rate conman' vibes. For the most part Rom is more than happy to be seen as the local money-grubbing creep, and doesn't put much effort into countering that impression, but for the few people who he does decide to trust, he periodically shows a mellower, gentler, more human side.
CANON: Mieruko-chan
AGE: Not stated in canon, and he also seems to not know himself. Assuming early 30's.
PROFESSION: Exorcist, YouTuber / influencer.
VISUAL: Kind of suspicious. Medium height (5'8" / 173cm) with a lean build. Sports unruly, shaggy black hair and a matching goatee; his right eye is always covered by his bangs, but his left eye is a bright teal, and underlined by heavy dark shadows. Usually dresses in a variety of showy goth outfits; a very sharp eye might note the slight peek of bandages under the hem of his sleeves, as he seems to always have his forearms covered in bandages.
AURAL: Has a slightly deep voice. Usually speaks at an easy lilt, smooth and at ease. (The type to use tildes on a regular basis.) Almost always speaks at a polite register, and always uses honorifics for everyone. Even setting aside the times he's hamming things up for an audience, there's the vague sense he's keeping some distance from people.
OLFACTORY: Clean but nondescript. Sometimes smells like incense or herbs.
DEMEANOUR: Uncanny -- a lot of people would describe him as 'weird' or 'creepy' upon first meeting him. Rom is unfailingly amiable when interacting with people (especially his fans), but most people will clock something unnerving in the intensity of his stare and the constant Cheshire smile he wears. Though it's rare that he actually does anything harmful, between his open talk of occult matters and his willingness to shill his products, he definitely gives off 'third-rate conman' vibes. For the most part Rom is more than happy to be seen as the local money-grubbing creep, and doesn't put much effort into countering that impression, but for the few people who he does decide to trust, he periodically shows a mellower, gentler, more human side.
IN CHARACTER
PHYSICAL AFFECTION: Yes! For the most part Rom will just permit it with a curious look and little other reaction, as he isn't very used to receiving much affection, physical or otherwise.
PHYSICAL VIOLENCE: Yes! Rom is just a regular human when it comes to physical fights -- though he seems to have a high pain threshold, he's otherwise just some guy. If he thinks he's involved in a petty scrap, he might just take a few punches because he doesn't think it's worth escalating matters. In general he's reluctant to fight back against regular humans, but will fight to defend himself if he's in serious danger. Please ping me if you're interested in a serious conflict and we can talk out consequences and such!
RELATIONSHIPS: Yes, but it will probably be extremely slow-burn because Rom sees himself as markedly distanced from most people, and thus from any intimate interpersonal relationships.
PSYCHIC & PSIONIC INFORMATION: Not specifically psychic, but when it comes to spiritual matters, Rom is considered an insane freak prodigy in his canon. Intensely sensitive to spirits and aura, able to see and hear the sorts of ghosts and creatures that most other spiritualists can't. When it comes to cross-canon interactions, he'll probably be quick to sense anything 'off' about fellow spiritualists or non-human folks, even if he can't pinpoint exactly what he's sensing. Likewise, characters sensitive to things like spiritual power and aura can probably sense he has extremely high potential/power levels/something or the other.
MAGICAL INFORMATION: Though he has no innate magical abilities, Rom is able to craft tools to defend against malevolent spirits. The efficacy of these tools seems to depend on materials (salt, power stones, purified water, etc.) rather than any innate ability, and do require some lead-up time for him to make, but seem quite powerful once he has them on hand, permitting him to ward off or even dispel some pretty gnarly-looking spirits. However, without these tools, Rom is basically just a regular human.
MEDICAL INFORMATION: In okay health! However, under his stupid goth outfits, Rom sports some pretty extensive scarring that covers the entirety of his body, ranging from burns to gouges to slashes. Though it isn't clarified in canon, I play him as also having some pretty deep scarring on his right eye, hence his tendency to always hide it; though he still retains some of his vision on that side, it's worse than in his good eye. In general, Rom is quite shy about showing any of his scarring to people because it crimps his style, so neither of these will come up in casual encounters, but they sure are there.
OFFENSIVE SUBJECTS & TRIGGERS: No specific triggers; Rom has basically been subjected to seeing horrific shit 24/7 all his life, and thus is extremely hard to unnerve. However --
From a very young age, Rom was heavily shunned by his parents, who were terrified of his odd demeanor and the strange incidents brought about by his spiritual sensitivity. It's implied that, after several years of deterioration during Rom's early childhood, his parents finally hit a breaking point and committed suicide in the family home, essentially abandoning Rom and leaving him haunted by their ghosts for a while before he was rescued.
Obviously, this isn't something he'll be excited to talk about, but it will color his interactions when it comes to discussing things like family. I'll do my best to tread carefully regarding these subjects, but please let me know if you'd like me to avoid it altogether and I'll oblige as best as I can!
PHYSICAL VIOLENCE: Yes! Rom is just a regular human when it comes to physical fights -- though he seems to have a high pain threshold, he's otherwise just some guy. If he thinks he's involved in a petty scrap, he might just take a few punches because he doesn't think it's worth escalating matters. In general he's reluctant to fight back against regular humans, but will fight to defend himself if he's in serious danger. Please ping me if you're interested in a serious conflict and we can talk out consequences and such!
RELATIONSHIPS: Yes, but it will probably be extremely slow-burn because Rom sees himself as markedly distanced from most people, and thus from any intimate interpersonal relationships.
PSYCHIC & PSIONIC INFORMATION: Not specifically psychic, but when it comes to spiritual matters, Rom is considered an insane freak prodigy in his canon. Intensely sensitive to spirits and aura, able to see and hear the sorts of ghosts and creatures that most other spiritualists can't. When it comes to cross-canon interactions, he'll probably be quick to sense anything 'off' about fellow spiritualists or non-human folks, even if he can't pinpoint exactly what he's sensing. Likewise, characters sensitive to things like spiritual power and aura can probably sense he has extremely high potential/power levels/something or the other.
MAGICAL INFORMATION: Though he has no innate magical abilities, Rom is able to craft tools to defend against malevolent spirits. The efficacy of these tools seems to depend on materials (salt, power stones, purified water, etc.) rather than any innate ability, and do require some lead-up time for him to make, but seem quite powerful once he has them on hand, permitting him to ward off or even dispel some pretty gnarly-looking spirits. However, without these tools, Rom is basically just a regular human.
MEDICAL INFORMATION: In okay health! However, under his stupid goth outfits, Rom sports some pretty extensive scarring that covers the entirety of his body, ranging from burns to gouges to slashes. Though it isn't clarified in canon, I play him as also having some pretty deep scarring on his right eye, hence his tendency to always hide it; though he still retains some of his vision on that side, it's worse than in his good eye. In general, Rom is quite shy about showing any of his scarring to people because it crimps his style, so neither of these will come up in casual encounters, but they sure are there.
OFFENSIVE SUBJECTS & TRIGGERS: No specific triggers; Rom has basically been subjected to seeing horrific shit 24/7 all his life, and thus is extremely hard to unnerve. However --
(CW: familial neglect, suicide)
From a very young age, Rom was heavily shunned by his parents, who were terrified of his odd demeanor and the strange incidents brought about by his spiritual sensitivity. It's implied that, after several years of deterioration during Rom's early childhood, his parents finally hit a breaking point and committed suicide in the family home, essentially abandoning Rom and leaving him haunted by their ghosts for a while before he was rescued.
Obviously, this isn't something he'll be excited to talk about, but it will color his interactions when it comes to discussing things like family. I'll do my best to tread carefully regarding these subjects, but please let me know if you'd like me to avoid it altogether and I'll oblige as best as I can!
OUT OF CHARACTER
BACKTAGGING: Yes!
THREADHOPPING: For goofy/unserious network stuff, yes! Otherwise, ask please.
FOURTHWALLING: No thank you.
THREADHOPPING: For goofy/unserious network stuff, yes! Otherwise, ask please.
FOURTHWALLING: No thank you.
☆ code by kimmiserate ☆