Seichou Matsumoto

Bio

AKA: Dean Kiyoharu, Dean Matsumoto

Status: Alive

Birthday: 12 February 

Age: 29 (current), 15 (great war), 17 (official entrance to PS), 25 (became dean)

Height: 178cm (5 ft 8)

Weight: 61kg (134 lbs)

Blood type: AB-

Likes: Tea, books, karukan 

Dislikes: Loud people, unnecessary violence

Ability: Black Gospel

Ability namesake: Black Gospel

Job: Researcher, Dean of Yokohama/Japan

Affiliation: Paulownia Court (Tsukishinkai-Ya)

Appearance

Seichou is a slim man of average height. He has dark brown hair, usually pinned back either partially or fully with kanzashi, and iridescent eyes that shift between colours. He has one set of snakebite piercings and ear piercings. 

Normally, he wears a white turtleneck, navy button-up and brown slacks under a patterned dark blue and gold hanten withdark brown heeled ankle boots. He wears rectangular prescription glasses with a golden chain, and his hair is pinned back with a black and gold kogai in a bun, with the ends loose. He also wears a gold chain with a ring attached to it around his neck, alongside multiple other necklaces and thin black gloves with god thumb rings. 

When appearing as Dean, he wears a black dress shirt with lapel pins connected by two thin gold chains, and tight black trousers over white and black boots, with a black and white waistcoat over the top. On top of this, he wears a long black overcoat with gold patterning on the back in gold, and a gold connecting chain across the front. He wears his hair down, with the braid strung through a chain. His usual glasses are replaced with round glasses with dark red lenses and a gold chain, while his lip piercings are changed to small gold hoops and his earrings are changed for fancier ones. 

Personality

Seichou is a polite and well spoken individual, who is respectful to those around him irregardless of who that person may be. He does not reveal his own feelings on any given matter, unless asked, maintaining full professionalism. This politeness, however, is not to be overestimated. As Togawa recalls, ‘He knows how to twist people to make them break’. While he can be polite, he is just as capable of using words to caution potential enemies against doing anything to him, and in order to prevent different organisations from fighting within his premises. In addition to this, he is also exceptionally good at reading others, and is able to tell their next move very quickly, allowing him to get under his target’s skin very quickly.

Behind his calm persona, Seichou often comes off as slightly aloof. He takes his role as Dean seriously, and will resort to extreme methods to fulfil his duties if necessary, such as using his ability’s full power against them. When working, he is determined in his goals, pursuing them with thoroughness and cunning, but he also takes his time, working methodically to ensure no loose ends are left behind. He works tirelessly until the situation is resolved, despite any personal cost. 

While manipulation is rare from him, and he only uses it as a last resort, he will often use it to its extreme when necessary, to the point that his coworkers are unnerved by him. His grim fascination with watching people unravel makes him detached from people; he does not express outward hate or fear of anyone, regardless of how reprehensible a person is. This has allowed him to negotiate with people who others find it difficult to stand, and to take an unbiased stance on situations. 

Prior to being granted admission to the Paulownia Court, Seichou was much more brash in using his ability. He would use it to blackmail others, knowing that people are afraid of their secrets being exposed. He also refused to use his ability to help others- a trait that he still has at present- as he believed it would bring more harm than help. Despite this, he would still help those he cared most about covertly- either not using his ability, or using it very slightly, and he would help others if it meant that he could hurt someone who wronged him. 

Nowadays, he tends to operate on a quid pro quo basis, only going out of his way to cause havoc if somebody else harms him first, and he rarely helps others beyond the scope of his duties- except for those he has a longstanding loyalty towards. Above all else, he is loyal to the Chancellor, and will almost always act in her best interest over anyone else’s. The only exception to this is those who are personally close to him, like Ranpo, Nakai or Togawa. 

He protects the people closest to him fiercely, despite his less than benevolent methods of doing so, and goes out of his way to help them, no matter the cost to him. Above all else, his loyalty is to those who value him, even if they have a different affiliation or values, and he will strive to do anything he can to aid them when they need it. He is, at heart, caring of those around him, and enjoys providing guidance to those who look up to him.

Ability

Name: Black Gospel (黒い福音)

Forces anyone within the range of his smoke to tell the truth. If a target attempts to lie, they will face a backlash. 

Truth Inducement 

Skills

• Specialised knowledge
  • Seichou is knowledgeable about how abilities interact with their users, allowing him to find ways to weaken either the user, the ability or both with relative ease. 
  • He has a degree in neuropsychology, and a degree in history.
• Multi linguism
  • He is fluent in both Japanese and English, and uses both in order to communicate with customers such as The Guild. He also uses this in order to read files in English, or translate them into Japanese.
  • He has been shown to be capable of reading other languages as well, such as Russian and French, but his proficiency in these is unknown.
• Weapons proficiency
  • Due to having a non-combative ability and being a frequent target for attack, Seichou is able to use several types of weapons at a high level.
  • He is able to throw his kanzashi with a high level of accuracy, even from a long range. Higuchi Ichiyo notes that his level of long-range accuracy is comparable to some of the best in the Black Lizard. 
• Poison proficiency
  • He has a high level of knowledge about poisons, which he uses in coordination with his kanzashi in order to fend off attackers
• Encoding
  • Seichou uses a symbol-based code to encrypt physical files within the Tsukishinkai-ya, as well as a number of other methods for more sensitive documents. This makes it difficult for anyone to steal and read them, as they would be unable to decipher them. 

Background

He was born in Mameda, Oita, where he grew up for several years. His parents hid many things from him during his childhood, causing him to discover them on his own and lose trust in those around him. His ability developed when he was seven years old, causing his parents to reveal many things that they had tried to keep quiet. They moved to Shizuoka shortly thereafter, and began to isolate Seichou, believing him to be a cursed child. Eight years later, at age 15, Seichou met Natsume Soseki after seeing Natsume transform and subsequently using his ability on him. Natsume offered to help Seichou control his ability and remove him from his family, who had long since stopped caring about their child. Seichou agreed and went with Natsume to Yokohama, where he finished his education under Natsume’s tutelage. After he turned 17, Seichou was asked to meet with Murasaki Shikibu, who spoke to him and offered Seichou the opportunity to join the Paulownia Court.

Upon being made an official member, Seichou began to establish the Tsukishinkai-ya as a way of collating centuries of lost ability research. Three years later, he was made a co-Dean alongside Natsume, which he remained until Natsume retired, at which point Seichou was made Dean officially, following an incredibly harsh scourge in which he lost an arm, both legs and several bones. 

Timeline

• 29 y ago 
  • Feb 12: Seichou is born
• 22 y ago
  •  Ability developed 
  • Moved to Shizuoka
• 14 y ago
  •  Met Natsume
  •  Left Shizuoka, moved to Yokohama
• 12 y ago
  •  Officially joined Paulownia Court
• 10 y ago
  •  Met Ranpo while helping with the ‘Chemical X’ case
• 9 y ago
  •  Became co-dean of Yokohama/Japan
• 8 y ago
  • Met Nakai and took him in
  • Met Togawa and took her in
• 7 y ago
  •  Started dating Ranpo
  •  Began talking to Poe online
• 6 y ago
  •  Seichou is badly injured in a scourge in the Kuril Islands
  • Natsume retires
  •  Seichou becomes Dean of Japan (Yokohama)
• 4 years ago
  • Seichou and Poe meet at a charity gala
• 7 months ago
  • Met Ota
  • Asked Nakai to check Ota’s past
• 6 months ago
  • Questioned Ota
    • Allowed Ota to stay

Etymology

Matsu (松): Pine tree

Moto (本): Book

Sei/Kiyo (清): Pure

Chou/Haru (張): Lengthen

Namesake

Matsumoto Seichou (松本清張)

Japanese mystery novelist and writer who broke new ground by incorporating elements of human psychology and ordinary life. His exposé of corruption among police officials and criminals was a new addition to the field. The subject of investigation was not just the crime but also the society affected. He served as the president of the Mystery Writers of Japan from 1963 to 1971, following Edogawa Ranpo’s death. He published over 450 works, but very few have been translated into English.

Trivia

• Much of Seichou’s personality is modelled after Inspector Imanishi (今西) from ‘Inspector Imanishi Investigates’ (砂の器)
  • Both are presented as thoughtful and sincere
  • Both are rooted in a deep sense of Japanese traditionalism
  • Both have a great sense of duty/responsibility
• He’s bilingual and speaks fluent English- the same as his counterpart
• He is referred to as ‘Dean Kiyoharu’, with Kiyoharu being an alternate reading of the kanji used for his given name, Seichou. Kiyoharu was also the author’s real name, with Seichou being a pseudonym.
• The real Matsumoto also loved Karukan, and ordered it specially from Kyushu
• His ability Black Gospel (黒い福音) is named after the 1961 novel based on the BOAC stewardess murder. The novel was split into two halves, with the first focusing on the buildup to the murder, and the second pertaining to the actual investigation. 
  • The ability itself is more reflective of all of Matsumoto’s works and their incorporation of human psychology and socially-oriented detective fiction that helped expose real world corruption both in Japan and other countries
• He’s horrifically bad at using technology, leading Nakai and Togawa to jokingly call him ‘Old man’, despite being only 5 years younger than him
• Togawa and Nakai are both legally his children, due to him adopting them in order to get them into school after they came into his care
•  He cried at Cars
  • He refuses to admit that he cried at Cars
• He goes to bed extremely late, usually around 3am, causing him to be extremely grumpy in the morning any time before 10am. Nakai, Togawa and Ranpo all learnt this the hard way.
• The kogai that he wears is half of a set: the matching kushi belongs to Ranpo
• He regularly works with police and government agencies to interrogate criminals due to his ability
• His cane is for chronic pain and balance issues
• He speaks with a slight accent from his dialect
• He has a ragdoll cat named Nerikiri
• He had his arm and several other parts of his body replaced after an explosion

Relationships

Appellations

Hideo Nakai

Seichou first met Nakai when the latter returned a lost folder to them after finding it on the docks. Nakai, who was curious about the scientific terminology used in the paper, asked Seichou to teach him. Seichou agreed, and took Nakai under his wing. They met up three times a week for several months until Nakai revealed that he was an orphan from the slums, prompting Seichou to take him in full time. Their relationship became more familial over time, with Nakai seeing Seichou as a parental figure and a trustworthy mentor, while Seichou sees him as a bright yet cheeky student and younger brother- a member of his chosen family. 

Masako Togawa

Seichou first met Togawa working at a bar he frequented, where she was singing at the time. She served him regularly, and he would answer any questions she had about his work, which he would bring with him. Eventually, he found out that she was a runaway and offered to let her stay with him in exchange for helping with odd jobs at the Tsukishinkai-ya. In the same way that Seichou and Nakai’s relationship developed, Togawa slowly assimilated herself into the ‘family’, becoming a younger sister figure to Seichou, with him being a pseudo parent to her, and a protector. 

Yoko Ota

Seichou’s first meeting with Ota happened at three in the morning when she collapsed on his apartment staircase, begging for refuge. Seichou, seeing her desperation, offered to let her stay for a while and do odd jobs, but requested that Nakai check her background quietly. When Nakai couldn’t find anything, and Togawa also came up empty, he proceeded to ask her himself, to which she responded by trying to run. Taking this as an admission of guilt, Seichou, along with Togawa and Nakai, trapped her, and forced her to tell the truth.

After hearing her side of the story, Seichou apologised for the harshness of his actions, but also reprimanded her for not owning up in the first place. At present, the relationship between them is still close, with Ota respecting Seichou’s values and being grateful to him for giving her a second chance, and him seeing that she truly does feel bad about her past actions, however, there is still a rift. 

Ranpo Edogawa

The pair technically first met when Ranpo was sent to find Natsume Soseki to help obtain a skilled business permit, although at the time, Ranpo was not aware of Seichou’s presence, and thus the first time the pair actually spoke was not until two years later, when Ranpo became involved in a case at a lab in northern Yokohama. Seichou, who helped Ranpo solve the case, found that Ranpo was an incredibly interesting person to talk with, and the pair ended up keeping in contact. Over the next three years, they became extremely close friends, as their individual abilities to see through anyone other than eachother allowed them to understand one another completely. 

After three years of close friendship, and several months of pining, Ranpo confessed his feelings to Seichou, who agreed to go on a date with him. They began dating officially shortly after, and decided to not tell others about their relationship due to fears of people’s reactions. This didn’t last long with Nakai and Togawa, who discovered the more-than-platonic nature of the relationship by accident only six months later. Both promised not to say anything, and for another three years, only those two knew of their relationship. Three years later, Seichou gave Ranpo the kushi comb (part of a set with his kogai), solidifying their relationship, and Ranpo moved in with Seichou. At present, the two live together and have been dating for seven years. While legally, it is impossible for them to get married, they have a civil partnership certificate and matching rings as of just under a year prior to canon. They see each other as equals, and each as the only one who can fully understand the other. 

Murasaki Shikibu

Murasaki is Seichou’s boss, and the one who offered him the opportunity to join the Paulownia Court. As such, he has a great deal of respect for her, seeing her as a benevolent figure. However, he is also one of very few people (even amongst deans) who knows the truth about Murasaki, and her situation. As such, he takes it upon himself to help her as much as he can, going out of his way to research new ways to keep her power at bay. She also greatly enjoys his company, as Seichou is unafraid to speak his mind, even if he does so politely, and he often has a different perspective on matters. 

Natsume Soseki

Natsume is Seichou’s mentor, who originally helped him make connections within Yokohama, and taught him since he was fifteen years old. While at first, their relationship was purely that of student and teacher, Natsume has become something akin to a weird uncle to Seichou over time. When Seichou was offered a place in the Paulownia Court, it was partially thanks to Natsume’s recommendation and high praise, as well as his own hard work. As such, Seichou is extremely grateful to Natsume, and will obey what his teacher tells him, usually without a second thought. 

Edgar Allan Poe

Seichou first discovered Poe seven years ago while looking into ability users whose abilities had some kind of a spatial warping function, and after finding out more about Poe’s ability, contacted him. The two spoke online for several years, often discussing Seichou’s research or Poe’s novels, and they proofread each other's work, forming a professional and platonic relationship along the way. The two did not meet in person until four years after their initial contact, when both of them attended a charity gala. Since then, they have only met in person a handful of times, while continuing to speak online and review each other’s work. However, Seichou did not inform Poe of his relationship with Ranpo, nor did Poe feel the need to name the rival he was writing for as Ranpo. 

Mary Shelley

Seichou first met Mary 10 years ago, when she was visiting from France with Genet. They didn’t get along at first, however this was partly due to Genet, as well as Mary not being able to understand Japanese well. However, this changed after the two worked together in a scourge where Seichou sacrificed himself in order to protect others, including her. Feeling somewhat guilty for his sacrifice, she replaced his missing limbs and helped majorly in his recovery. Since then, they get along well, due to a mutual respect for each other’s work and a mutual shared goal of helping Lady Murasaki. Mary has helped teach Nakai biology (both ability related and high-school level), and in return Seichou has helped teach her Japanese, and given Christina and William help in their respective studies. Whenever Seichou visits England, he tries to visit her and bring her snacks from Japan. 

H. P. Lovecraft

Seichou first met Lovecraft 10 years ago at the annual expo on Standard Island. He was curious about Lovecraft’s ability and ended up discussing ice cream flavours with him. While they rarely meet or speak, in-person or otherwise, Seichou enjoys Lovecraft’s company and finds him interesting to talk to- which is more than he can say for many of the other Deans.