BLEACH: Imbalance

Red Thunder

A Warrior in a Garden
Original poster
LURKER MEMBER
FOLKLORE MEMBER
Posting Speed
  1. 1-3 posts per week
  2. One post per week
  3. Slow As Molasses
Writing Levels
  1. Adept
  2. Advanced
  3. Prestige
Preferred Character Gender
  1. Male
  2. Female
  3. Primarily Prefer Male
Genres
Fantasy, SciFi, Modern, Magical
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Interest Check | Lore |
In Character

Black as jet, the wings of the Hell Butterfly are the Shinigami’s messengers. Usually, there merely convey notification or orders of more routine fashion. But today, something is off. A veritable swarm of the creatures has descended upon the Seireitei, each bearing a command issued forth in gravelly but powerful words.


Fellow members of the Gotei 13,


I have grave news. For long centuries past, we have under the authority granted us by the Soul King kept Things in Balance. As Life enters the World of the Living, we have escorted the Souls of the dead from the earth’s encircling confines, granting them entry to the Soul Society. The Living stay where they are expected, as do the Dead, and the Hollow Souls that pervert this by preying upon them both are cleansed of their sins and are themselves escorted to their rest.

The balance has started to shift irreparably in the past year. Hollows have been appearing in the World of the Living from their haven in Hueco Mundo in greater numbers than before. Shinigami have encountered Souls on earth that were already escorted to the Soul Society. Most distressing, trips back to Soul Society for us are taking longer, with more effort needed, as if running up an ever steepening hill.

I have spoken with Central 46, and after briefed the Captains. They will be soon disseminating information and orders to each of your seated officers, that we may meet this disaster before it spells a permanent end of Existence itself.

I would that better times were ahead, but for the foreseeable future, we must all display the poise and strength of character expected of a member of the Gotei 13.

Signed,

Captain Commander Genryūsai Yamamoto


Message delivered, each Hell Butterfly floats away to wherever they go, leaving all in stunned silence as they consider the Captain Commander’s adminishment.

***

Hello! If you’re this far into things, clearly you are at least somewhat interested. Thank you for your interest! Let’s go over some things really quickly.

First: DA RULES
  • Read the Interest Check!
  • All Iwaku site rules must be followed.
  • Be courteous. Drama is for stories, and it has no place in the OOC.
  • No godmodding. I am fully aware that this RP is based on an animu and as such is of course unrealistic to major degree. However, this is still a dangerous world, and your character should fail, in small regard and large.
  • No bunnying, unless otherwise arranged. Let’s not tell people how their characters are acting or reacting without prearrangement, yes?
  • If you recall from the Interest Check, I want three paragraphs at least every two weeks, real life allowing. When it doesn’t, please let me know so I can accommodate. Too much inactivity will mean suspension and in time expulsion.
  • Don’t argue a GM judgement. I’m a benevolent god and am happy to entertain ideas, but in the end, my word is gold.

Second: the Character Sheet! You’ll find it below

Code:
[fieldbox="{Name, Division, and Seat position}, color, solid"]

[center][img]{Insert URL for pic of character -anything with a sexualized character WILL be kicked back automatically: if you need to verify first, send it to me and I’ll be happy to check}[/img]
[IMG]http://{Insert URL for pic of character -anything with a sexualized character WILL be kicked back automatically: if you need to verify first, send it to me and I’ll be happy to check}[/IMG][/CENTER]

•Name: {You don’t have to stick to Japanese names}

•Age: {should be between 150 & 500 years old; apparent age may vary}

•Gender:

•Height:

•Division:

•Rank: {2nd-5th seat}

•Appearance: {optional if picture included above}

•Personality: {should include three strengths and weakness of personality (not skills), underlined}

•Biography: {minimum of 3 paragraphs, though it doesn’t have to be long. Bear in mind: this RP will take place immediately after the incursion of Western civilization into Japan, otherwise known as the Meiji Era, approximately 1868 AD.}

•Skills: {this should include more mundane skills in addition to any skills relevant to being a Shinigami you want to include. Kido, Hada, and other combat skills should be similarly outlined. For Kido, just articulate capability; you don’t have to list each spell}

•Zanpakuto: {appearance and personality, if it’s developed. Pictures of both sword and avatar are preferred, but description is accepted, as of course is both. No Zanpakuto will be accepted if it is two blades.}

•Shikai Release: {again, if possible, include a picture. Also detail and underline up to 3 particular abilities it possesses. Be creative! But also remember to please not be OP about it. Again, no Zanpakuto will be accepted if it’s two blades, even in it’s released form.}

•Other: {if there’s anything else you feel you want to include, here’s the place!}

•Writing Sample: {I need to see how you will be writing for this RP. Give me a taste of your unique style starring your character! At least three paragraphs of decent length. Try for variety: description, dialogue, combat, any number of combinations!}
[/fieldbox]

Third: Be sure to have fun! I’ll stop accepting new characters on August 30th, with a planning start date to the RP of Sept. 6th, so you’ll have a bit of time to get this figured out! Best of luck!
 
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[fieldbox="Shinji Fujikawa, 12th Division, and 5th Seat, gold, solid"]
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Name: Shinji Fujikawa
Age: actual - 193 years / apparent - 23 years
Gender: Male
Height: 5’2”
Division: 12th Division
Rank: 5th Seat
Appearance: A modest height for his age, Shinji is perhaps not an impressive sight, though he gains an inch or two by keeping his hair pulled back to the crown of his head. On the thin side of athletic, his Shihakusho uniform is work loosely, due in double part to it being poorly measured as well as kept that way in order that he be thought larger than he is.
Personality: There’s few places Shinji truly feels at peace. Nervous in most instances, to various degrees, he has learned to at least hide this with a facade being overly friendly. It’s a mask that grows wearisome, and when it breaks, he becomes bitingly angry in an effort to save face with those to whom he is loyal. Determined to always do so, Shinji has been known to resort to underhanded efforts, and however well-intended they might otherwise be, it’s garnered him a negative reputation.
Biography: Shinji Fugikawa was upon his induction into the Soul Society adopted by the Fujikawa clan. A family of career politicians, Shinji was expected to follow in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, the latter of whom sat in prestige in Central 46. Training was implemented, and more than once Shinji found himself pacing the imposing halls of Central.
But when the time came to enter the political arena in earnest, he refused. For his entire time in the Soul Society, Shinji had been told that he was just like his adoptive father, a man he found distasteful for his flares of temper, willingness to alter the facts to support his being right, and false humility. Retreating from his family’s expectations, Shinji enrolled in the Shinigami Academy and was accepted immediately, due in part to his surname.
While he was no stand out, Shinji was no slacker either, and he graduated top-middle of his class. He was placed in 13th Division, where he rose steadily through the ranks to 5th Seat over the span of some fifty years. Having just achieved it, Shinji is still wracked by a fear of inadequacy, never mind a more primal fear of the Hollows that his familial insurrection had not in the least prepared him for.
Skills: Shinji is typical for a member of 13th Division in the way of his skill set. His swordsmanship is admirable, and his ability to perform Kido on the fly is sufficient to accomplish the average Hollow hunt; proficient is a good term. The same must be said for his skill with Shunpo, though he somewhat lacks both body-awareness and confidence necessary for Hakudo, the weaponless melee combat.
Zanpakuto: In its sealed state, Shinji’s Zanpakuto “Suna no Akuma” is a simple sword, with its only hint of uniqueness being the brass fittings on the edge of the hilt and the pommel. The spirit of the sword is merely an upright block of brown sandstone upon which writing is made with which it communicates with Shinji.
Shikai Release: Bury them, Suna no Akuma!
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When released, Suna no Akuma takes the form of an Egyptian khopesh, a single handed weapon with a curved blade. At will, it may turn whatever substance it is touching that bears little reiatsu to resist it to sand, from the ground an opponent may be standing on to an oncoming projectile. Having thus created it, Suna can manipulate it to some small degree, creating tactical advantages on the battlefield.
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[fieldbox="{Mikal, 10th, 2nd}, color, solid"]

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•Name: Mikal "Mike" Fournier

•Age: 392

•Gender: Male

•Height: 5' 9

•Division: 10th

•Rank: 2 (If allowed, if not that is ok)

•Appearance: N/A

•Personality: Observant, Dutiful, Reliable
Arrogant, Hot Headed, Merciful


•Biography: Mikal doesn't remember much of his living life, other than having a family that baked goods. Hence his diet is roughly just oatmeal, bread, and rice. His accent is very much similar to a French one due to his life, although due to hanging around others and learning English and common speak it has quieted down quite a bit. The only thing he retained from his past life other than bad habits of eating was his love of the western gunfighting.

He trains primarily with mock firearms when he isn't practicing his swordplay, kido, or hado. So much to the point when he was allowed to survey the living world throughout the years he'd often waste time in theatres watching movies, or reading comics. He's now addicted to manga, he has a stash hidden in the soul society.

Mikal has an ancestor in this current year that lives, the only link to his past life he watches closely, a woman named Rosalina who seems to barely be able to manage college. He hopes he can find something out from her, but it's been a couple of years. Nothing has changed yet.

•Skills: Master at baking, a good chef, and knows his spices.
Skilled with his knowledge of pop culture in the living world and secretly wants to be an actor, but he'll never speak up.
Adept with kido although prefers an up close and personal confrontation.
A good shot with a gun.


•Zanpakuto: The name is Jackal, the human/beast form is a genderless being that hails in robes with heavy chains on its hands. Underneath the robes is a body with belts of ammunition and his fingers are the guns. Jackal has long blonde hair and blonde eyes as a humanoid.

I couldn't really find a picture, the one that describes this the best is the bushido style sheathed blade in the character picture.

•Shikai Release: The hilt of the blade extends and bends at a light angle. The blade itself splits as a barrel forms out of the same steel, a chamber rotates into existence and the trigger falls at Mikal's finger. The feather chain also acts as a sash to holster it.

•Other: His Zanpakuto refuses to allow him to further gain anymore steps in his advancements unless he admits his own flaws at being a leader. This is why he may not have made it to anything higher yet than his current rank.

•Writing Sample: {A bullet wizzes past the troublesome rogue's head pelting itself into the tree at the further end of the park. "You don't wanna take another step. No one can see me but you, Mr. Ghost Whisperer." The man's legs froze with fear as he turned his head to face Mike, he witnessed the brown man dressed in his robes with a bit of a flair, sporting a duster and a cowboy-like hat with a tipped rim. He wore the 10th symbol on his shoulder, a blade with a smoking barrel at loosely in his right hand.

Mike's index finger tossed the weapon up again, the barrel pointing at the mans head this time.

"Well, what'cha having? A spirit filled bullet, or the joy of heaven?"

"Neither, look I'm sorry for trying to ruin his peace!" He shouted at him, the people in the park now looking very alarmed.

"You better be." Mike tipped his hat before the blade shifted with steam reeling in from other directions, it then looking like a katana that was well made and sheathed into a wooden stock. A little red ribbon sat loosely on it. Mike turned on his toe before launching himself into the sky, standing just above the park, the shaking man sunk before looking up. "Me amigo, you cannot understand what your words mean. Break a promise and you'll see grit of the western dust bucko." He said allowing his voice to sink deep into the pits of bass. His accent still having a French remnant made this all the more strange, a mixture of cultures, a mixture of many things but he was well aware.}
[/fieldbox]
 
[fieldbox="Minori Tachibana: 8th division - 2nd Seat, goldenrod, solid, Abril Fatface"]

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Basics
•Name: Minori Tachibana

•Age: Chronologically, 360; Physically, 32

•Gender: Female

•Height: 4'11"

•Division: 8th

•Rank: 2nd
Personal Info
•Appearance: Minori is a tiny woman with an extremely slight frame. With practically no bust and a set of slightly wide hips, it wouldn't be a stretch to mistake her for a young girl, a fact she has bemoaned. Often, she is seen wearing a fantastically embroidered robe underneath her haori, just parsed down enough to allow for range of movement and battle-readiness. Her hair is more often than not fashioned in a traditional style, usually done up and out of the way. Her hair, when loose, is almost waist-length, and if her hair is seen down, there is a real emergency afoot. Minori also wears traditional make-up as well, her skin pale as paper and eyes rounded off with red and black. It is a very rare occasion to see her without her 'get-up', as she calls it.

•Personality: Minori is, more than anything else, chipper to a fault. Enthusiastic, bright, and a whirlwind of energy, the lieutenant is known for her peppy mood and professionalism. It is not unusual to see her bustling around her headquarters, chattering away as she investigates. The little lady very rarely seems gloomy or downcast, always ready to share this piece of gossip or that piece of news. She is also energetic, often bouncing from one place to the next in a bustle to get paperwork done. Rarely does Minori seem out of breath or out of her depth, easily multitasking throughout the day. To top it off, Minori is a playful tease who loves to pick on the people she has a good rapport with. It isn't that she doesn't take things seriously - just that she won't if she doesn't have to. Her natural charisma ensures that her jests aren't taken to heart, though she can throw a few barbs now and again when she's in a bad mood.

However, Minori also has a habit of being incredibly private. Often, while in conversation, a person will realize that they did most of the talking, walking away from the discussion knowing little to nothing new about Minori. Her personal life is a heavily guarded secret, and most people only know that her family is of a noble house and nothing more. Her hobbies, her living situation, even the names of her parents are held close to the vest. While this would not be so bad, she is also frustratingly impartial, able to 'sell out' fellow Shinigami. It is no secret that Lt. Tachibana holds no allegiances, keeps no real 'friends' - only contacts. As such, the lieutenant hides a certain amount of loneliness. As part of Internal Affairs, she cannot let her personal feelings or relationships interfere with a possible investigation - not even from those within her division. Minori also has a bad habit of being flippant, sometimes not taking care of issues when they first arise and letting them snowball. She is managing well so far, but she is still working through prioritizing small issues as much as big ones.

•Biography: Minori was born to the noble house of the Tachibana, and she largely lived a charmed life within the clan compound. As she grew older, Minori became curious of the outside world, though she was more or less resigned to a political marriage to further her parents' allegiances. At around adolescence, she was acquainted with boy from a rival clan, the Wara, and they struck up a romance. Their tryst was considered anathema to both sides, and their meetings were soon conducted in secret in the outer districts of the Rukongai.

Seeing the plight of those living on the outskirts, the boy, Ame, took it upon himself to help them by supplying them in his spare time even when he and Minori were separated, though Minori thought this was a lost cause. However, his compassion only drew her closer to him. Even when Minori was engaged to another man from an allied clan, Minori continued to see Ame. At some point, she is sure, she was found out - and conveniently, Ame was shived to death in the Rukongai.

Distraught by his death, Minori went into seclusion and cut off the engagement to her fiance. Her family demanded some sort of answer, considering the insult she'd paid the other clan, and finally Minori said she would not marry - but instead join the Shino'o Academy to became a Soul Reaper. She had always had a strong reiatsu, befitting a noble house, and her mother and father allowed it. She passed through without much to-do.

She first began in the 3rd Division as part of a Recon team, and that first trip to the World of the Living changed her somehow. Tirelessly, she made longer and longer trips to the World of the Living, and finally, Aiji Miyamoto - then the 2nd seat of the division - intervened. Aware that she was putting subordinates in danger, Nori transitioned into the 8th division. Since then, she has climbed the ranks and held the position of Lieutenant for over a hundred years. It has been a point of contention with some of her superiors that she did not take the Captain seat when possible despite her obvious abilities, but Minori seems content to remain the 2nd seat for her own reasons.
Shinigami Skillset
•Skills:
Kido Spells: Bakudo (expert), #1-89; Hado (intermediate) #1-30
Other Skills:
Swordsmanship: Proficient enough for a lieutenant, though this is not her main focus.
Hakuda: An expert. She largely specialized in close quarter combat with other humanoids.
Kido: An expert. Her favorite is the basic kido genki, which she can perform discretely and from a distance to subdue others in sensitive situations.
Shunpo: Proficient enough for a lieutenant, though this is not her main focus.
Interpersonal Skills: Nori oozes charisma and often uses her personality and poise to disarm others (as well as calm angry 11th div offenders).
Networking: Nori has a large pool of friends from whom she pulls information on other Shinigami, mostly from the inner Rukongai and some in the outer districts.

•Zanpakuto: A katana measuring exactly 23.5 inches, Kuzue-biko is possibly the shortest of the unreleased Zanpakuto. The handle is lacquered black, with a black woven rope around the handle. The tsuba is of a peacock feather design in gold on black iron. The blade is the typical iron, with a one-sided blade. The Zanpakuto spirit is of a skeleton wearing tattered, though ornate, robes who laughs quite a lot and is especially mocking.

•Shikai Release: "Kuzue-biko, lengthen my gaze" - Upon the release command, Kuzue-biko becomes a bladeless nodachi hilt without a guard, made of carved whalebone showing a broken man crawling across the ground. Minori's Shikai ability is that the blade of her sword is actually its shadow, which appears as if there is a real blade attached to the hilt. Whatever the shadow-blade encounters - physical or shadow - it cuts or stabs as if by a physical blade. This extends to buildings, fixtures, and objects. As such, the blade is practically weightless while a shadow, and blindingly fast. However, because there is no physical blade, Minori does not have the ability to block attacks - only to dodge them.

Minori's shadow has the same ability as well - if her shadow were to punch somebody else's shadow, an injury would appear on the opponent's person. Minori is also omniscient within her own shadow, which includes telepathy. While an opponent is in her shadow, she can momentarily 'riffle' through the mind, but the shorter the interval, the less she gets. However, she cannot read more than one opponent at a time, as it is very disorienting.

When Minori steps into a shadow - such as that of a building - the nodachi's blade reappears at its full 45 inches in length. At this point, her shadowplay abilities are no longer in effect, and the nodachi can interact with other objects normally. While tangible, the nodachi is both much heavier and able to block attacks.

•Other: Minori cannot cook. She can barely make ice. As such, she has eaten at every single restaurant in the Seireitei, and she has a favorite dish at each. Additionally, because of her size and her high reiatsu, she eats like a truck.
Writing Sample
•Writing Sample: The streets of the Rukongai were oddly quiet at this time of day, but this was the 86th ward. It was not exactly known for its popularity or its bustle. The small woman had foregone her usual uniform for something marginally simpler, though anyone with an eye for fashion would recognize her outfit as still far more expensive than the norm in this part of the Rukongai. Her face was shaded by a large straw hat, and worn-looking souls parted before her as she seemed to glide through the street.

Finally, she stopped at a cart where another Shinigami happened to be ordering as well. She recognized his face - Morzai Uchaba, the 5th seat for the 4th division, a doctor. He was slight, with a thin mustache and long hair to his shoulders, obviously not the fighting type. Minori sidled alongside him and waited patiently for him to finish ordering.

"...and rice please," he tacked on, and the vendor nodded his head. The fish salesman turned to Minori, and he flinched momentarily at the presence of noble in his midst.

"I'll just have five of your soy fish on a stick," she said simply with a simple smile, gesturing with a sleeved hand. "If it's no trouble."

"N-no! Absolutely, absolutely," the vendor said, rushing to get both their orders.

Morzai looked down at the small woman with raised eyebrows.

"A little far from the Noble Houses aren't you?" he asked gently.

"Sometimes I like to go for a nice, long walk, and the courtyards get stuffy," Minori stated, tilting her head towards Morzai as if this were a secret. The doctor nodded his head in understanding.

"You yourself aren't exactly in your wheelhouse. That badge is for the fourth division, isn't it?" Minori asked, leaning to look at the armband with the character shi on it.

Morzai gave a wan smile in return.

"I need a bit of a walk myself. It's been very busy."

"Oh, I've heard," Minori said. "I have some friends who are Shinigami, and they say there was a big scuffle between the 6th division and the 12th over some... I'm not a bright woman, you know, so I'm not sure I understand all of it, but it sounds a lot like kidnapping? And from the 4th division's patients, too!"

"Oh, it's worse than that," Morzai mumbled, looking down at Minori. "We pride ourselves on protecting patients. And someone dropped the ball there."

"Oh, so the 12th division was the one who authorized all of this? How heinous..." Minori lamented, shaking her head as the vendor came back to give Morzai his box. "Though I have heard that there was someone on the inside who let the 12th division 7th seat into the building..."

Morzai gripped the box of food with a hold stronger than was perhaps necessary, and Minori gracefully waited for the vendor to come with her own food.

"You know, you look very familiar, Lady. Have I seen you before?" Morzai asked.

"Oh, I get around. I like to gossip, so you may have seen me here and there," Minori admitted gleefully, clapping her hands as the last of her own dish was prepared.

"Well... it was nice to get to meet you," he said as he turned to walk away, but he was abruptly rooted to the spot, a red light flashing around his form momentarily. His eyes widened, and Minori accepted her food with her left hand, her right still holding the sign for genki. She had performed it so quickly and discreetly, he had not even noticed her make the motions for the spell. She took a bite out of the fish, humming appreciatively. This stall was always a good pick.

"You haven't been doing so well financially, have you, Morzai? That gambling addiction is a hard one to kick. Unfortunately, that's no excuse. You're not an easy man to find, though I didn't think you would so brazenly wear your Shinigami uniform out in public so soon..." Minori said in the same chipper tone she'd kept throughout the whole conversation. "Ah, well."

"You..." he managed to grit out. Minori took his bento box delightfully.

"Let's put it this way," Minori stated, taking another indelicate bite out of her treat. "If you cooperate, we can make this all go away. I don't suggest you make me riffle through your mind. It isn't very pleasant for either of us."

Morzai looked down at the woman as she paid the stall owner, who was unaware of what was transpiring, for both of their meals, and she swallowed her mouthful.

"So, what will it be, Morzai? I can at least make it a comfy cell," Minori joked.

Morzai's nostrils flared, but that was about all he could do. Finally, he nodded.

Minori's grin was nearly predatory.

"Good boy."

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[fieldbox="Moji Tori: 4th Division-2nd Seat, Green, solid"]
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•Name: Moji Tori

•Age: 310

•Gender: Male

•Height: 7'2

•Division: 4th Division

•Rank: 2nd Seat

•Personality:
Despite his large size and undeniable presence, Lt. Moji Tori is generally considered a calm and caring individual among the Shinigami. For many, he acts as a kind elder brother who always has his friends safety as priority. His love for animals, books, and tranquil activities often fill his free time, but he does enjoy socializing with the other members of his Division whenever possible. While he generally prefers a more passive approach to conflict, he also recognizes that he is a Shinigami, and that at times combat cannot be avoided. He can only hope to minimize the damage and protect those he cares about.

•Biography:
Moji doesn't remember his life before the Soul Society. In truth, his memories are limited to a few experiences here and there. He remembers his mother's smile; the way she looked at him and ruffled his hair whenever he did something good. Whenever he thinks of this particular memory, it saddens him. He can often see her speaking to him, but can never remember what she's saying. It's a sad memory, but one he holds dear.

The rest of his life from the Academy on is all a blur. From training countless hours, to finding his niche with Kaido, to graduating to a full fledged Shinigami, all his memories seem to blend together as one.
His most major memory is that of promoting to the 2nd Seat. It was a proud moment for him, and one where he realized that everyone beneath him was under his protection and looked to him and the Captain to lead. Realizing this, Moji keeps this memory close, using it to propel him forwards in times of crisis.

•Skills:
-High Spiritual Pressure (Appropriate of a Lieutenant)
-Expert Kaido User (Healing Techniques)
-Expert Naginata User (Bladed Polearm)
-Average Zanjutsu User: (Moji's swordplay is above that of an average Shinigami, but below that of most Lieutenants and other Captains. As he is often a lead of one of the support Relief teams, he generally sees limited combat.)
-Talented Kido User: (Bakudo #1-#60) (Kido #1-#50)
-Average Hoho User

•Zanpakuto:

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Despite his large size, Moji's katana is actually a regular size, making it appear quite small in his large hands. With a silver blade and raven colored handle, his weapon is nothing to admire, but it does do the job required of it.

•Shikai Release:
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"Charge forth, Urugama!"

Upon release, Moji's Zanpakuto transforms into a large, wide bladed Naginata capable of generating powerful blasts of wind and manipulating the air around him to a certain degree. Wielding this weapon with incredible efficiency, Moji's combat abilities multiply exponentially, as he is much more skilled with the released form of his weapon than the base katana form.

Writing Sample:

With the last Hollow defeated, Tori and his team collapsed onto the ground, injured and exhausted. Their mission had been much harder than expected, and everyone was spent. Rising to his feet after a couple moments, Tori hobbled over to some of the other Shinigami that had been rendered unconscious and moved inside due to their massive injuries. Leaning on his zanpakuto for support, he dropped to his knees next to them. Shutting his eyes tightly, he began to focus, slowly working on their wounds, all the while speaking words of comfort and support to them.

"You fought well my friend. We are safe. Rest now. We will take care of the rest."

Noticing his actions, the other members of Tori's team split up, tending to those with more minor and manageable wounds. If the injuries were too severe for them to handle, they brought them to Tori. He was second only to Captain Unohana in terms of healing capabilities after all.

As he continued using Kaido to heal the wounded, Tori tried to assess the situation they were in. More aid was on its way, but he didn't know how long they would have to wait. They were in a dangerous location, with few routes of escape. In their current state, the group would not be able to go up against another round of Hollows, should they appear. As he finished taking care of the last gravely injured Shinigami, the 4th Divisions lieutenant collapsed against a nearby wall. Sweat from his brow and blood from his own wounds mixed together, dripping to the ground in a bloody pool. It had been quite a day. If only I could just take a nap, he thought to himself. That sure would be nice...And yet, everyone is looking to me to lead.

Rising to his feet with a grimace of pain, Lieutenant Tori addressed his team. "Keep working on those that are hurt. It's our job to take care of them."

Stepping outside the building, Tori's massive frame blocked the entire doorway. Polearm in hand, he glared out menacingly into the darkness. He would hold the entrance until help came, come hell or high water.

He had to.


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[Sydney Ansho: 11th division - 5th seat]


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•Name: Sydney Ansho

•Age: 200-ish? She's not actually sure but paperwork says she was purified by a Shinigami on September 28, 1731.

•Gender: Female

•Height: 5' 10"

•Division: 11th

•Rank: 5th

•Appearance: Sydney is 175 pounds of wiry muscle underneath a bit of softness. She generally keeps her long, red hair up or in a braid. As a matter of practicality she usually keeps her chest bound with sarashi. She has a rather large tattoo, it begins as a wave on her right shoulder that wraps around to her back. Covering most of her back is a shark with jaws open swimming towards her right shoulder chasing two large fish. On her left leg is a massive concave series of scars stretching from her hip to just above her knee. The scars are present on both the front and rear of her leg. She also has a series of scars running across the palm of her left hand roughly parallel with her thumb. There are also a few dueling scars on her chest, back, and arms.

•Personality: Sydney is a very direct person, often to a fault. She is crass and open, having no patience for people who put on airs. This attitude has helped cement her reputation as “a massive bitch”. Sydney has a very thick skin for verbal insults; she believes that if you can’t take it, you shouldn't dish it out.

Those who manage to tolerate this tactless attitude and befriend her will find that she is talkative, always having anecdotes or good natured jabs. She can be counted on to have the back of anyone she calls her friend. She is also VERY protective of children, especially hers. She also seems much harsher on the newer members of the 4th division than most in her squad. Likely residual anger from what happened to her husband.

•Biography: Sydney remembers little from her time as a human. The most vivid memories she has from that time are walking along white, sandy beaches in the sun, hearing the waves crash on the shore, the call of seabirds, sometimes the creaking of wood, and very rarely. . . explosions. She doesn’t remember exactly how she died, but she suspects that she fell off a ship and drowned.

She spent some time as an unattached soul, lost at sea before being turned into a hollow. According to the report filed when she was finally purified, she had been stalking the seas for a while. Mercifully, she does not remember her time as a Hollow since purification.

Ending up in the 45th East Rukon district, she survived as best she could. She tended fields, mended garments, made and sold reed sandals, anything to get a square meal. When she had worked her way to the broken down shack she still holds today, she began taking in orphans, offering them a safe place to rest and a meager meal in exchange for helping contribute to the home and family.

Chance brought her to meet Ryobei Ansho, a young member of the 4th division who she fell in love with. With his help, she managed to enter the Shinigami Academy and graduate (in the 30th percentile, but her swordsmanship was good enough for the 11th). The two of them were married soon after. His mild personality and calm mannerisms seemed to help temper her firebrand demeanor. Their first child, Haruna was born two years later. This relationship ended tragically 50 years ago with the death of her husband. His death drove her to improve, not only because she wanted to avenge him, she also needed the extra Officer's pay to support her family.

•Skills:
Master Swordswoman: Sydney's sword prowess is notable even among her squadmates. She can cross blades with equally ranked members of other squads and hold her own, if not win.
Hakuda Expert: Sydney is adept at hand to hand combat. She prefers Judo style techniques, using an opponent's inertial against them. She is also no stranger to dirty tricks, including biting, spitting, throwing sand, and pulling hair or ears. Her children also know that she wields a mean slipper.
High Spiritual Power: Sydney's spiritual pressure is roughly on par with the lieutenants of some of the other squads. When visible, it is a rich scarlet and turbulently plays around her body. The reason she has not advanced beyond her current rank is largely due to the strength of her superiors. She won't take the position of someone she can't best in combat.
Shunpo Practitioner: Capable of utilizing the shinigami's high speed movement techniques to a competent degree but she lags behind many of her peers. This lack of proficiency is one of the main factors holding her back from a higher position.
Kido Amateur: Sydney is versed in the standard Kido forms learned at the academy. This puts her on the level of unseated officers in other divisions and on par the majority of her squadmates.
Expert reed sandal maker: Making shoes was one of the things she learned how to do when she arrived in the Soul Society. It was far cheaper to find reeds than to buy shoes. Even now, she can still be found sitting in the barracks with a bundle of tatami weaving shoes for her children.

•Zanpakuto: Sydney's sword is an o-Wakizashi, resembling a shorter katana, with a handle wrapped in red silk underneath is a layer of white shagreen for additional grip. The tsuba is unremarkable.

The spirit when manifested is a massive female tiger shark named Senba. She measures over twenty feet long and moves through air as if it were water. The spirit itself is fairly sluggish most times, content to swim in the seas surrounding the tropical island of Sydney's inner world. But this docile appearance belies the ruthless nature of an apex predator. Sydney knows all too well that her Zanpakuto can be prone to swift action and violence, often without apparent warning. Communing with her Zanpakuto always puts Sydney on a bit of an edge, never knowing if the meeting will end in a bite or worse.
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•Shikai Release: "Rend, Senba" When commanded to Rend, the sword changes to a cutlass with a brass handguard and basket. The curved blade is shorter than the standard Katana and heavier toward the tip. The edge of the blade changes into a row of curved teeth, steel simulacra of those found in the maw of her Zanpakuto spirit. She is able to make the teeth run along the edge of the blade at great speed, turning the weapon’s edge into a parade of razor sharp steel.
Scourge of the Sea: Sydney swings her weapon in a wide arc, as a rope of red reiatsu extends from her weapon. This flexible rope extends 14 feet from the tip of her released weapon. She uses it like a whip, capable of cutting and snaring opponents if hit.
First Bite: Sydney swings her blade an launches 10 red projectiles resembling shark teeth towards her foe. The teeth fly in a straight line and spread out like a shotgun blast at a rate of one inch per two yards traveled. It is easier to dodge up close, but much more damaging. The effective range of this attack is about 60 yards, any further and the spread will be too wide to cause significant damage.
Oath of Blood: the Zanpakuto spirit demands blood in exchange for its power. If she releases the weapon and sheathes it without drawing blood, the spirit will be less cooperative. If she does it too often, she could lose her shikai techniques. Any blood will do initially, thus cutting herself in a nonvital area will usually appease spirit. Should she ignore this for too long (10 consecutive sheathings without blood), the spirit will require much more of her, manifesting and taking what it believes is owed. The spirit will rip a sizable chunk out of Sydney, with the possibility of lethally injuring her.

•Writing Sample:

Sydney entered the waiting room of the 4th division, loudly with two men in tow. The 5th seat was supporting a limping subordinate on her right shoulder the man's left foot was bent 90 degrees the wrong way. There were also bruises forming on his neck and a trickle of blood coming out of the corner of his mouth. Sydney's left arm was slightly off and there was a bit of blood on the corner of her mouth. Despite this, she dragged the second man by his right arm while his left arm was twisted in a position most unnatural. The left part of his mouth was puffed up and his left eye was black. "I can't believe a sissy like you wanted to be taken to the 4th before I reset my shoulder." She quipped, having dealt with muffled complaints most of the way here.

"Uh wuh i' oo hun brkn muh ah oo ukih bih." The puffy faced man responded incredulously, the other man snickered a bit. She had used these two men as examples when demonstrating different unarmed techniques to new recruits. The lesson was supposed to be harmless for all involved, but as is the way of things in the 11th division, things don't always go as planned. Punches became harder than necessary, holds were tighter than was probably safe, and grabs may have been twisted further than necessary.

"Yeesh, can't you say anything else besides 'wah wah wah, my arm's broken, and I'm too much of a pansy to wait thirty seconds.'?" Sydney asked before continuing. "I should have them wire your jaw shut." The officer sneered before turning her head to a young 4th division healer and barking "Oi! get me a place to set these two down!" The man tensed up and he raised his hands reflexively at her demanding tone. He regained a measure of composure and pointed a shaky finger at two seats near the door.

She dropped the two men like a sack of potatoes and grabbed her shoulder with her other hand. With a sickening *POP* she set her shoulder back into its socket. The 5th seat stretched her arm and made sure it had the full range of motion before reaching into her robes and pulling out a pair of forms. The papers bore the signature markings of the 11th division: dog-eared corners, warped spots, and a strong smell of sake. "Give these to your paper pusher, I'll be back for them in a few days." She said, shoving them into the young man's hand on her way out the door.
 
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•Name: Yasuke Noboru

•Age: 188(18)

•Gender: Male

•Height: 5'9

•Division: 9th.

•Rank: 2nd (7 Years in position)

•Appearance:


full

Description - Yasuke has the appearance of a young man in the final stages of adolescence. His eyes are stern and are the color of burning orange. His eyebrows are bold and thick. His body type is athletic and well muscled. He has some scars on his body that he wears with pride as a sign he's been through battle. His hair color is brown and his preferred hairstyle is an afro.

•Personality:
+ Committed | Polite(conditional) | Dilligent| Pragmatic | Confident
- Ill-temper | Distrustful | Pigheaded | Dour

Yasuke is a mature, committed and pragmatic young man who doesn't act as young as he appears. He's polite yet can have an ill-temper at times but only if he's irritated, tired or dealing with someone he isn't fond off. He conducts himself with integrity, refusing to anything remotely crooked. He's distrustful of hypocrites, manipulators, and liars, those of questionable morality. He also isn't too fond of being teased or insulted. Insulting his hair will get a foot in your face.

Yasuke is a man of action and loves a challenge or a good fight between friends. He shows little mercy to evil, his opponents are lucky he doesn't fight dirty a sit is beneath him. He's as pigheaded as he is confident and will tell you that himself. Yasuke is a thrill chaser, dancing with death causes him laugher at the end of it. Usually, Yasuke is a dour fellow walking around with a stern face. If Yasuke has any serious insecurities, it would be his fear of his own weakness and inabilities. Yasuke also dislikes laziness and people who avoid their responsibilities.

•Biography
Yasuke was raised in the 31st district of the Rukongai. He lived in an orphanage that was run by a woman named Tsuka. His area biggest problem was a gang or mafia if you will that controlled it. They taces the residents for protection and if you didn't play along, an accident was in your future. Yasuke remembers people being assaulted for being late on payments and a fire starting a few building over. These men were unofficial Kings of the 31st district.

One day Tsuke decided to not pay the tax. She could barely feed the children in her care and they didn't make it any easier. They responded with violence and eventually got their money from Tsuke. She was left with a broken arm and a bloody nose. The kids and Yasuke tired to help but only ended up getting tossed around themselves. Yasuke learned something that day, violence was a good way to influence people. Eventually, Soul Reapers came to the 31st district and set thing right. And of course, they used violence, the simplest language people could understand.

When the Soul Reaper came to save them from the gang that ruled over them, Yauske was inspired to join them one day and trained all his life until he was able to enter the Shino Academy. Yasuke wanted to serve the Soul Society in any way possible. He worked hard in the Academy and improve every day. Anyone who thinks Lieutenant Yauske didn't earn his spot is ignoring his dedication and hard work.

Skills:
Other Skills:
Spiritual Pressure (High) - He has a high level of spiritual energy that is relative to a Lieutenant. It has the color of blazing orange, similar to a sunset.
Zanjutsu (Expert) - He takes great pride in the art of the sword. It is a Soul Reapers main weapon and all of them should remain proficient in it.
Senmaioroshi (Signature Technique) - A barrage of slashes that shreds the target.
Hakuda (Adept) - Better with a blade, but still a threat without one. His hand to hand skills are nothing to be scoff at.
Hoho (Practitioner) - He's able to use flash step which allows him to travel long distances in a single step. Repeated use over extended periods of time will leave him out of breath.
Culinary (Expert) - Excellent Chef who food is the talk of the Soul Society. He loves talking about food and cooking it. He's happy to share with anyone who wants to try his masterpieces. He does like to experiment and is always looking for test subjects.

Kido (Practitioner) - He is decent in Kido but is nothing special in the field. Hado #1-30 Bakudo #1-20. He knows the low-level Kido spells.


•Zanpakuto:
SW-74.JPG
A 32 inch Katana with a white hilt wrapped in black cloth with a white sheath.

Spirit:
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He is much more stoic than Yasuke and crueler. He never smiles and doesn't laugh. He dresses like gentlemen and has a scar going down his eye and face. He's rugged in appearance and seems to bein in his late 30's or early 40's.


•Shikai:
The appearance of his Zanpakuto is inverted. White becomes black and black becomes white. The hilt of his Katana become golden as does the blade itself. The edge of the blade gleams with Reiatsu.

Release Command:
"Now Hone.."
分割線
Bunkatsu-sen (Dividing Line)

(1)
When Yasuke's Bunkatsu-sen is released it becomes able to cut through nearly anything with little force behind it. It cuts through average objects like stone, wood, and metal like butter, even when moving through the air you hear it being cut. Bunkatsu-sen gathers reiatsu on its edge giving it spectacular cutting power. Bunkatsu-sen ability is simplistic yet effective.

When facing other Zanpakuto it usually creates sparks on contact since such weapons don't break easily. As for Kido spells it all depends on the spell and user. It usually flys through Kido with ease. If a fireball is launched at him he can avoid it by splitting it and altering its direction entirely. Only things that are trouble for Bunkatsu-sen are low-mid level(#30 and up) spells from strong Kido users.

(2)
Know to few, Bunkatsu-sen has a second skill besides it extremely powerful cutting power. It is a Zanpakuto that is can influence time and space itself. This ability comes at a cost. It can freeze time for one second and allow Yasuke to deal lethal damge to a opponent if he wishes too, but Bunkatsu-sen is reverted back to it's sealed state for 8 hours afterwards. A move rarely uses unless pushed far enough. If anything, it's an underhanded skill.

•Writing Sample:
(1)
The sound of wood striking wood radiated throughout the courtyard and off the walls. Two Academy students were having a bout, both sweating profusely from going back to back with each other. They were both shirtless, each of their bodies covered in welts. The taste of salt was on their lips, both were panting and tied but neither fighter was ready to give up.

"You put up a good fight Yasuke. But I'm going to end this soon." His spiritual pressure rose and blue energy radiated off his body. "Come! Be strike down by your better! Lose honorably!"

Yasuke gripped his Kendo stick and raised his spiritual pressure to one point. "Don't order me around like some dog Miroku unless you want to get bit." Yasuke snarled at Miroku and dashed towards kicking up dirt behind him.

Yasuke entered Miroku's space within seconds as intended. He would parry Yasuke, disarm him and strike him down. He expected for then sticks to clash but instead Yasuke dove on to the ground and rolled behind. Miroku tried to turn around but felt two quick and heavy strikes to his back knocking him to the ground.

Yasuke than placed his foot on the back of Miroku's head and smile triumphantly as he kept his face in the dirt. "Where's all the tough talk now Miroku! The better Zanjutsu is mine, pay attention and weak ass might learn something!" Yasuke than felt a gust of wind and tobacco as an arm wrapped around his throat. He was lifted off his feet and thrown to the ground on his stomach. "Ah. Who in-"

"Quite you arrogant punk." Yasuke was cut off by an older and raspy voice. Yasuke raised his head from the ground and saw Instructor Utsushi standing over him. He was a balding gray old man smoking from a pipe of tobacco. He was frail, or at least looked to be but served as a member of squad 2 for hundreds of years. "Show some respect for your opponent, you fellow Soul Reaper." He then turned to Miroku and kicked him. "Get up. You are just as bad."

The two students stood up and waited for Instructor Utsushi to continue. "We must respect each other. You both fought well, yet spoiled it with your boasting. As punishment..." He paused and thought for a moment as he spoke from his pipe. "Run 30 laps around the academy, shunpo(flash step) is forbidden and if I find you using it will take 10 more laps." The two students tried to speak up. "Silence! Run! Do not waste my time with your meaningless words."

They circled the academy, head to head as if they were in a race. First, 10 laps, not a word was uttered between the two students. Yasuke had thought about his action and knew he shouldn't have let Miroku's words get to him the way they did. "Miroku." He said looking at him for only a second.

Miroku turned his head towards him. "What." He sounded bitter but Yasuke would push pass that.

"I must apologize for my action earlier. Your words angered me and brought out a side of me that was unacceptable. For that, I am sincerely sorry."

Miroku looked at him for a few seconds and smile. "Well, this is a surprise. If you are man enough to apologize to me then I should too. I'm sorry for try to rile you up in the first place. It's a known fact have the temper of a rabid dog. A fight between future Soul Reapers must remain honorable and a mutual respect must be kept."

Yasuke didn't return his smile but nodded his head in agreement. "Indeed. I will say this, you are my only rival at this school. You Zanjutsu is not a joke, and with a real blade, you might have taken my life.

"I would have. I foresee if we fought with real Zanpakuto we'd both be hidding for the living world."

 
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Arashi Nobuyuki: 2nd Division - 2nd Seat
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  • Name
    Arashi Nobuyuki

    Age
    429

    Gender
    Male

    Height
    6'2''

    Division
    2nd Division

    Rank
    2nd Seat

    Appearance
    Although not overly towering in height, Arashi can be easily spotted throughout many of his comrades in the 2nd Division. At first appearance he appears to be nothing special aside from his rank however when meeting him face to face he is always seen wearing what seems to be a ragged black blindfold at all times which begs the question by many of his colleagues as to how he is able to see whenever in battle or even walking around. Aside from this, Arashi can normally be seen also wearing a white and purple kimono over his shihakusho even if he does not slip his arms through the sleeves most of the time; while on his shoulders at nearly all times other than during combat is a small white fluffy creature who is normally wearing the same bit of kimono as well. Strangely enough the blue gem necklace he wears around his neck at all times holds a great importance to him for some reason that he refuses to reveal to anyone to the point that he will never allow anyone to even so much as touch it.
  • Personality
    Even with his rank being that of a Lieutenant as well as being the head of the Patrol Unit, Arashi is normally a rather quiet type of person. Although he will speak when it comes to his superiors and his fellow comrades when it comes to something important such as commands or calling out to assist one person or another with help, he rarely will speak outside of being professional. However, whenever he is found speaking to his little companion on his shoulders he can be overly kind and caring.
    Even during emergency situations or as well as a fight Arashi has been known to always keep himself completely calm focus so that he would not over panic himself and cause any possible mistakes. When actually told to speak to someone else freely by his superiors or someone approaching him to speak with him he can sometimes come off as rude due to his silence when truth be told it is mostly due to his inability of figuring out what to say and slight bit of shyness that he cannot bring himself to accept or speak up about. Those who have come to accept this about him and he has come to even become acquaintances with him have had the pleasure of finding out that he is also quite overly generous as well as a slight clean-freak.

    Biography
    Even during his time when he was still living, Arashi had nothing more than his father to care for him and even that hadn't been able to last long due to how his father was terribly ill to begin with and his mother had already passed away during child birth. It was out of pure luck that Arashi was able to survive for so many years as a newborn with his father's care before he had fully passed away as well. Being left with nothing more than himself as a child by this point in time, Arashi was forced to learn how to survive on his own and turn to stealing whatever he could just to be able to eat and drink. Each day that went by was like a trial just to test his ability to be able to see if he would be able to steal for his dinner or if he would have to go a night without food again.
    Eventually, Arashi had come to make a decision that he would regret as he ended up stealing food from a high nobleman and was immediately sentenced to be killed due to being caught. Because of his crime and without knowing so much as anyone who would defend him, Arashi had been killed because of his crime and sentenced off into the spirit world where he was luckily able to be sent to the Soul Society rather than be one day turned into a Hollow.

    Finding himself waking up in district 78 of Rukongai, just as he was in the world of the living he only found himself completely alone in nothing more than rags for clothing. At first, with the complete confusion of his new surroundings he had spent some time wandering around the district in hopes to get some answers only find rude citizens all around who either just ignored him or gave threats. Eventually, he came to at least find out where he was and what had happened before he had no other choice but to settle for a box behind a small shop as his new home for the time being. Having no other choice but to resort back to stealing even if he was dead now, he still felt hunger and thirst so he still needed to survive in the end.

    As he grew older with time, Arashi also had no other choice but to learn how to fight both with his fists and to use his surroundings or anything he could grab onto to use as a weapon. Of course, without any proper training and since he wasn't exactly being fed well he wasn't much of a threat to anyone really but it did make escaping with food much easier.

    With each day he had learned more and more experience of what life was like and the horrors that came with it; murder of families, children being tossed aside to be forgotten or beaten, gangs demanding protection money if not it meant death, rich snobby individuals talking down and treating lower class citizens as trash, and many other horrid sights.
    It wasn't until the fateful day that Arashi had decided to take up a rather dangerous task that he believed would possibly change his life forever if he were to succeed. Following a rather fat old man who had been from a higher class into the forest since he was being escorted back to his home after visiting the slums just to gloat and talk down upon the lower class citizens. Since it had been dark due to the time of day, Arashi had hoped that he would succeed all that much easier. However, right as he had planned to jump out and rob the man before he could do so, a strange creature decided to pop out first just to tear through the guards with ease before starting to focus it's attention to kill the fat man.

    Rather than allow the fat man to be killed, Arashi foolishly jumped out from the tree and threatened the creature with nothing more than a thick stick. Of course, this would be no match for the creature since it had been a Hollow though before Arashi could be fully struck down; a Shinigami had come rushing in just to easily take care of the Hollow before returning their attention onto the duo who were still alive. Arashi who stood there keeping a death grip onto the piece of stick and his eyes kept completely closed only slowly opened his eyes when he found himself still breathing. Seeing at first the black clothing before soon after the white coat that also came with it, he came face to face with none other than a Captain of the Gotei 13. None other than the Captain of the 2nd Division to be exact; Yoruichi Shihōin.
    Seeing the fact that Arashi stood his ground against a Hollow like that and still stood ready to fight and die for another, she invited him back to the barracks and fed him as well as clothed him since she was able to easily tell that he wasn't exactly with anyone considering he was wearing rags and looked like mere skin and bone.

    Eventually, once offered the opportunity to become a Shinigami, Arashi took up the offer hesitantly yet soon found himself working in the 2nd Division after acing pretty much all of his exams. After his close call with death, and from how much of the world he had seen both living and in death Arashi came to the decision to cover up his sight completely so that he would never have to be distracted from the horrors of the world with his eyes and allow the rest of his senses to allow him to move and act. With this, he was able to rise in the ranks quickly and before he knew it, he reached the rank of Lieutenant.
  • Skills
    Kido Expert - (Bakudo #1 - #75 ; Hado #1 - #63)
    Swordsmanship Expert - With his vision blocked and his strict self training methods to heighten his other senses Arashi has climbed up to the rank of Lieutenant yet his swordsmanship skills have clearly been shown multiple times that he is above many of the rest even if it might not be to a Captain's level.
    Hakuda Expert - As expected when being apart of the 2nd Division, Arashi was never singled out or given any easier training than the rest when it came to hand-to-hand combat. Yet again, although he might not be on the level of his Captain with his own self training he can easily be put a cut above the rest of his colleagues in the Onmitsukido.
    Shunpo Practitioner - Even with being in the Onmitsukido, Arashi was never the greatest at using Shunpo. He is still able to get by with what he is capable of doing without possible mistakes yet he is unable to make large distance flash steps without possibly tripping over himself or getting stuck somewhere by accident. Part of this is due to his blindfolds that he refuses to remove but as well as the fact he was never great at it to begin with.

    Zanpakuto
    [-Sword Appearance-]
    [-Soul Of Sword-]
    Within it's base form; "Yoarashi" is generally an average length and sized zanpakuto. However Yoarashi's personality compared to it's wielder; Arashi is very different to the point that it prefers to find stronger opponents all the time and only wishes to kill. This can be told by how the blade has multiple unknown markings along it from the hilt straight to the tip of the blade as well as to how blood seems to never remain fully on the sword itself but rather almost acts as though it absorbs the blood.

    Shikai Release
    [-Released Form-]
    "Scream Yoarashi!"
    Once the command of release for Yoarashi has been stated, the entire zanpakuto will end up vibrating rapidly as the hilt is replaced in mere moments with a much thinner and longer hilt while the rest of the blade will start to grow in size in both it's width as well as it's length. Along the blade the markings that are normally on it will start to spread out and slowly begin to appear like cracks along the entire sword while within the cracks is a crimson glow. The closer it reaches to the tip the more bright the glow becomes and less amount of cracks that are able to be seen. At the very tip the sword is completely bright red as well as the tip being the literally hottest point of the blade to the point that i can easily melt through metal, flesh and bone without much trouble.
    > Shapeshift - Being able to split apart the cracks and reveal the sword's interior form, the crimson glow is actually blood yet the way it moves underneath the cracks once the sword opens is similar to that of flames. Due to the substances it is made of underneath, the sword is able to shift into different shapes such as a large hammer, the pole and head of a spear, an axe, etc.
    > Heat - Only when the sword has not opened itself from it's cracks does the red tip of the sword actually heat up. The heat that it gathers increases constantly the longer it remains closed, it's heat is hot enough to be able to melt almost anything it touches as well as allowing it to cut through nearly anything with a perfectly 'clean' slice.
    > Underground Spikes - Jabbing the entire sword into the ground or any large solid object and releasing the cracks of the sword while it's within the ground or solid object allows the crimson substance to protrude out of the very same object or ground several feet away upwards in spike-like forms. The tip of very spike is heated the same just as when the sword is not open along with their deadly sharpness to the touch all over.
  • Other
    One of the passions Arashi has is his absolute love for cooking, even if he might be a rather quiet and secluded type of person he loves to be able to cook for any of the Gotei 13 squads. There are times when even members within his own squad will abandon their own lunches to go and ask if he could make them something if they are nearby the kitchen. This is also one of the very few times that Arashi will actually remove his blindfolds to make sure that every ingredient he grabs is correct and is completely fresh.

    Writing Sample
    Finishing off the last of the Hollows in the Fugai Forest, a silvered haired male stood several feet ahead of about four other Shinigami who were all completely out of breath and were attempting just to keep themselves standing by slouching over and keeping their palms on their knees. All the while the male only sheathed his own weapon before crossing his arms in silence just to await for the others to catch their breath before moving on. It wasn't until one of the four others came jogging over towards the silent male just to ask him a question while attempting to gather his words through every heavied breath he took.

    "Oh come on Lieutenant Nobuyuki! Aren't we done yet? This is the third time we've Patrolled the forest and the streets. That's gotta be the last of the Hollows, can't we head back to the barracks now and get some sleep..?" As the younger male questioned his superior who only turned his head slightly over his shoulder to allow the younger male see how he had his usual serious stern look upon his face the entire time.

    "No, we've got a job to do. Now if you're done resting, let's get moving." With that single phrase, Arashi immediately took a single step forward before instantly vanishing to flash step his way to the next area only to have the rest of his team exhaust in deep exhaustion before they all quickly followed right along their superior. Just as the entire group neared the last checkpoint for the patrol within the forest, there had appeared only be one Hollow remaining yet Arashi was no where to be seen out of the entire team. Believing that their Lieutenant might've just gotten himself lost due to his lack of sight with the blindfold and it being the dead of night, the three Shinigami came charging blindly in thinking that after they rid themselves of this last Hollow they would all be able to go back to the barracks and get much needed shuteye.

    Little did they expect as they came down upon the beast, it quickly spun itself around just to quickly reveal that it's right arm was much larger compared to it's left. Swiping towards the three who were all panicking at the sight that they were about to be hit and possibly killed due to their over exhaustion; in a mere split of a second the arm that was once threatening the lives of the three Shinigami quickly was severed in half at the wrist just to have it come collapsing down to the floor with a loud thud leaving the Hollow howling and screaming in agony. Before it could end up calling for more to come help it, a sword was jabbed straight into it's forehead just to have the screaming and howling come to a complete silence while it's corpse began to slowly fade away leaving the sword to just lay there on the forest floor.

    In the end, the only one left still standing aside from the three Shinigami who were all on their hands and knees was Arashi. Towering over the three who were still trying to register the fact that they were still alive, the male only shook his head for a moment before extending out an arm to assist any of the three to stand up. "Come. We're going back now."
 
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[fieldbox="Hinata Surehn ~ 2nd Division ~ 5th Seat, #999115, solid"]

•Name: Hinata Surehn

•Age: 210, appearance is early 20s.

•Gender: Female

•Height: 5'3

•Division: 2nd Division

•Rank: 5th Seat

•Personality: Hinata is a rather quiet individual, a hard worker who takes her responsibility seriously, seeing she heads the Reinforcement Unit; after all, if anyone one isn't trained properly, it's on her head. Whether in uniform or out she is polite and well-mannered, keeping a check of herself whether alone or before others. Brave on the field and cautious in decision, she also often finds herself guilt-ridden due to the people she knows have gotten hurt or killed whilst under her.

One of Hinata's personal motto is "If you keep practicing, you will get better at it." While this causes her to be a rather overworked individual, this also causes her to be rather strict with her underlings, creating resentment towards her, whether they know it's for their better or not. However, due to her stubborn nature as well as lack of tolerance towards those who in her opinion make molehills into mountains, she tends to ignore the complaints against her.

•Biography: Most people aren't lucky enough to find their family when they pass away and are sent to Soul Society. Hinata was lucky; she was able to find one of her brothers when she arrived in Soul Society, or rather he found her, saving her from the loneliness and pain that many feel when they have no one. Farmers whilst alive, in Soul Society Hinata and her brother Hakuro were orphans, living in the District 76, Sakahone. For a long time the two were somewhat satisfied with their lot in the afterlife, keeping away from the more dangerous sections of the Rukongai as well as the gangs that preyed on the weak. However, as time passed, Hakuro realized that he didn't want his sister to keep living in poverty. His eyes would linger on the Seireitei, wishing for more than they had, until one day at last he decided that he and Hinata would somehow become shinigami.

It was no easy task, but the two had strong reiatsu, and this was noted by the shinigami who would wander through Sakahone. Hakuro's strength and Hinata's speed were also witnessed one day when the leader of one of the many gangs in the slums tried to take a shinigami hostage in order to make his way to the Seireitei. Unfortunately for the gang leader, he was disposed of. Hakuro and Hinata however were given the rare opportunity to join the Shin'o Academy.

Life switched from survival to actual happiness for Hinata. From the start she proved she a fast little thing and handy with a blade. Bakudo and Hado were not her strong suit, unlike her big brother, but her speed and stealth had her winning most training fights. It also turned out that she, like Hakuro, were blessed strong kaido. Once they were trained and full fledged shinigami, it was only natural for them to be assigned to 4th Division.

Unfortunately, as fate would have it the brother and sister would finally be separated by his death. Hakuro and Hinata had been sent out along with a rescue mission to the living world were a swarm of hollows had attacked. While busy healing those who were injured, the hollows overwhelmed the shinigami. While Hinata was able to escape, Hakuro was unfortunately taken down and did not make it out alive.

Wracked with guilt, Hinata found it difficult to continue and was given time off to recuperate. Being strong of will, she soon deemed herself ready to return to her duties. However, she no longer wished to be in the 4th Division and requested Captain Unohana to transfer her to another decision. Knowing she had the qualities one looked for in a shinigami of the 2nd Division, it was decided that she would sent there.

Hinata found the rigorous life of the 2nd Division was the balm she needed to alleviate the pain of losing her brother. She worked hard, harder than most, easily rising into the ranks until she was promoted to 5th Seat and given the responsibility of heading the Reinforcement Unit.

•Skills:
Hoho- Hinata learned shunpo early on in her years in Shin'o Academy and is more than adept at travelling in such a fashion.

Kaido- While she may not be the best at bakudo and hado, Hinata has always been good at healing techniques and was able to hone her skills during her time with the 4th Division.

Zenjutsu- Hinata is skilled with the sword and other smaller blade weapons including daggers and kunai. Using her speed to her advantage, she is able to strike multiple times to disarm, injure and kill an enemy combatant.

•Zanpakuto: Named Hotaru, her Zanpakuto is a simple katana that doesn't look much different from anyone else's, aside from the inlay being a light blue.

Hotaru the Spirit looks much like Hinata herself, though androgynous in looks. His hair reaches his chin, and his eyes are a vivid yellow tinged with flecks of green. His attire is much like a shinigami, but sleeveless and trimmed with yellow.

•Shikai Release: Shine, Hotaru!

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From katana, the released form of Hotaro may seem rather simple, a ninjato which is then sheathed on Hinata's back, the perfect weapon for a seat of Second division who rely on their stealth and speed. That being said, in this state Hotaru has the ability to absorb reiatsu from people or objects and thereafter convert it into an energy blast. Another ability that Hotaru possesses is being able to use reiatsu it has absorbed in healing small wounds or restoring consciousness to someone who may have passed out

•Writing Sample: Sheets of water continued to fall upon Hinata, but that was to be expected as she remained seated below the waterfall, eyes shut and cross-legged, her zanpakuto resting upon her lap. The cold meant nothing more to her than a dampener for other sounds and feelings that might distract her from communicating with Hotaru, the spirit of her blade.

She had meditated like this countless times before, and in many different locations, but since that incident... it was not the same. She hadn't been able to speak with him, and she knew the fault was with her; she had allowed her emotions to cloud her soul. Coming to this waterfall had been a last effort to grasp that which she was failing to. It was a special place, so perhaps she would find him here once more...

Time passed, hours or perhaps days, but the shinigami did not move from her place. Hakuro had shown her this waterfall when she first attempted to learn the name of her sword...

"It's not me you need right now."

Her eyes shot open, and she found herself in darkness, but a comforting one, surrounded by fireflies. Her gaze didn't fall on the dancing sources of light though, rather the person who stood before her, brighter than the fireflies he was named after.

"Hotaru?" she called, reaching a hand out. "I do need you. I always need you."

"No, Hinata." His voice, as clear as a cloudless sky, was decisive as he looked down at her, expression kind but eyes hard. "What you need is to stop blaming yourself. I cannot help you with that, that's all on your shoulders."

"But-" she choked on the words "-he's gone."

"It was his choice," was the reply. "Would you deny him to live and die as he wished? If so, then perhaps you should blame yourself for being conceited and believing everything revolves around you and your wishes."

"That's- no... of course not..."

"Then stop your foolishness. You are a shinigami. Act like one."
[/fieldbox]
 
Fumeisha Yuki: 6th Division - 3rd Seat
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Name: Fumeisha Yuki
Age: Chronologically, 378; Physically, Late-Twenties/Early-Thirties
Gender: Male
Height: 5’9”
Division: 6th
Rank: 3rd Seat

Personality: Yuki is known for being rather short on direction and initiative, a somber, inconsistent shinigami -- to the detriment of his reputation as a member of the Sixth Division. For his part, Yuki thinks little of reputation, and even less of himself, being unconfident and self-deprecating, almost to the point of parody. His low opinion of himself and lack of self respect render him endlessly pliable, easily manipulated and taken advantage of.

His pliability, however, is the unfortunate byproduct of an overall kind disposition, gentle and with a natural, inborn tendency to uplift others rather than demean them. Possessed of a patient nature that allows him to connect amiably with most anyone, Yuki is furthermore an adept and stalwart ally to confide in. He is, however, not a Seated Officer merely for his sense of decorum and camaraderie; he is an unorthodox, creative shinigami, known for overcoming his perceived shortcomings with rashes of inspiration.

Biography: In lieu of any memory rising to correct him, Fumeisha Yuki always reasoned that he had found his way into North Rukongai proper by the grace of a colossal blunder. Some phenomenally, wretched thing on the outskirts of Rukongai, stumbling amidst the unlawful. And yet, he never fell, for in his days in the slums of Rukon District, there had always been someone to catch him as he stumbled, to make provisions for his inevitable blunders. Shugo, some rambunctious youth even slighter than he had been. Whip-smart, and faster than the snap of a firecracker. If that Shinigami had only seen Shugo in action, on one of his mad dashes or daring escapes, they would have picked him,

But no, the patrolling officer had picked Yuki. He remembered how stupid he must have looked that day, mouth agape, the stare of dull eyes boring into nothing at all. Yuki had done nothing, nothing save for, apparently, being possessed of a promising reiatsu pool. Neither Yuki nor Shugo knew the gravity of the choice that had been made, seemingly on the basis of nothing at all. He still remembered the blank, ponderous confusion written upon Shugo’s face as he had been pulled away. Days later, faced with the Academy and with the understanding of what had transpired, Yuki began to picture that visage contorting into one of bitter envy. In his mind, it would have been justified.

And so even as he overcame the entrance exam with aplomb, became Shinigami, and rose through the ranks, Yuki has found ways to convince himself that he has done nothing at all. That every success he has ever attained has been by the grace of some force, like the patrolling Shinigami, buoying him with some inscrutable whimsy. That he is, no matter what else may be hoisted unto his name, a blunder first and foremost.

Skills:

Swordsmanship: Below par.
Hand-to-Hand: Par. A capable martial artist, focused on subjugation through submission maneuvers or efficient striking.
Shunpo: Par. Possessed of a fairly proficient first step, of middling capability otherwise.
Kido: Exceptional, with proficiency nearing -- and, in the case of specific proficiencies, matching -- Lieutenant level. Yuki is particularly well-suited to Bakudo, specializing in a suite of sealing spells with a ‘gelatin’ motif, harmlessly retrieving targets through blobs of viscous mass. Capable of using mid-level spells without incantation.
Search and Rescue: Methodical, and adept at operating within the world of the living, Yuki is a capable search and rescue agent.

Zanpakuto: In its sealed state, Yuki’s zanpakuto -- Hachiko -- is a simple enough katana, twenty-four inches of curved blade, square guard, and a hilt lacquered red-brown. It bears only a singular conceit, a red tassel tied firmly around the hilt, its ends dangling softly.

The spirit of the zanpakuto is a large mass -- for it could not be reasonably described as a man -- back so horrendously gnarled that its body, craned forever forward, is as if some plateau with which small animals climb and trespass. Its skin is a muddy hue that darkens to black as it reaches the extremities, fingers and toes turned inwardly upon each other. The spirits right arm, its index finger with some kind of string -- the beginnings of a leash -- wrapped around it, reaches forever forward. Its eyes -- glossed over with the milky-white of blindness -- stare into some bleak horizon.

Shikai Release: Howl in lament, Hachiko.

Upon the release command, Hachiko separates and disperses into a myriad number of paper sealing tags -- o-fuda -- that converge to form a canine construct vaguely reminiscent of an Akita-inu, with the zanpakuto’s red tassel detaching to serve as its tail. Sprightly, quick, and of deceptive constitution, it seems to serve as an attack-dog, moving in accordance to Yuki's will. Hachiko’s shikai ability is to serve as a second point from which Yuki can launch his known kido spells. Yuki and Hachiko are able to launch spells simultaneously, allowing for theoretically double-efficiency, strategic versatility and creative application of various synergies.


Writing Sample:

”The Captain is ‘good’. I’m just adequate. Barely.

Each step that slapped against the desecrated ground of Northern Rukongai slum reminded him that. They. Just. Would not. Listen to him. Folk wanted things done, and for some reason, folk that wanted things done kept asking it of Fumeisha Yuki, which -- he turned the corner of a thatched roof building with a kicked-down door -- was simply not in their best interests. Other Officers. Good. Fumeisha Yuki. Barely adequate. Nearly a complete mess. Simply unfit for the handling of any responsibility that also needed to be accompanied by apparent trivialities like ‘efficacy’ and ‘efficiency’.

Chasing slumming miscreants was decidedly not in Yuki’s purview, being more search and pummel than search and rescue. The others just seemed to have a knack for piling duties unto him and -- aside from the whole ‘being barely adequate’ modifier -- while it made sense enough, what with him having no emergency excursion to embark upon, it was worrying. He could already feel the sweat gathering at the part of his neck where it was both itchiest and, simultaneously, the hardest to itch. The chase wasn’t quite so strenuous yet -- Yuki was simply too anxious by leagues.

Against his better instinct, Yuki stopped and stood stockstill as he watched the nearest degenerate run up the diagonal of a ruined cart before leaping at the apex, catching unto a thatched roof with the tenuous grips of his hands. He raised his eyebrow, almost appreciative of the hooligan’s efforts. The athleticism! The speed! And he had to chase a whole group of them just like him? Fumeisha Yuki allowed his mark to gain another yard yet of distance as he shook his head: way outside the realm of his capabilities, really.

Nonetheless, he deferred to his sense of duty and resumed his sprint towards the fleet-footed rapscallion. Nearing the cart his target had vaulted off of, Yuki stretched his palms in front of him, mumbling some wordless nothing, before allowing himself some brief tick of satisfaction; a series of barriers erected themselves like steps from the ground and unto the thatched roof. By the time he had ascended, the villain had gone farther and farther away.

“See… I’m no good.” Yuki sighed as he continued, his palms reaching out once more, “I’m too slow; I’ll never get-.”

Yuki swallowed the words as the next barrier, of a hue slimy green, erected itself horizontally in the space ahead of him. He leapt unto the platform, and took a breath as he bent his knees, legs sinking into it as the barrier gave, its surface bending and straining downward. Then, the barrier gave back, and Yuki’s legs straightened as he was propelled by the platform, its surface shooting back like a sling. He sailed through the air, which gave him plenty of time to think negative thoughts.

I just really wish they wouldn’t trust me with stuff like…

There was a thud as he landed, and a groan, and suddenly -- Yuki found himself standing over-top his adversary, having thoroughly triumphed.

Oh. I did -that one- quickly. Lucky. Fluke, probably.
 
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art by: Ibuki Satsuki.
Mai Himura 舞 緋村
Name: Mai Himura
Age: 170, but looks to be in her early twenties.

Gender: Female
Height: 5’2
Division: 3rd
Rank: 4th

Appearance: Mai appears to be tall, taller than she actually is. With her slim, but athletic build and long limbs an illusion of her stature is created. However, she is by no means short. Standing on average height the perceived height versus actual height is negligible.

Seemingly graceful and stern in appearance Mai deceives many with her looks and resting expression. There is nothing ladylike and gentle about this soul reaper, however and she will be eager to inform any of such as well.
Personality: Loud personalities have a lot to hide, they say. Whether they try to compensate for something they lack, or are hiding away behind a façade, it applies both true to Mai. While her appearance attracts all sorts of pretty words, her personality is far from catching such praise. The reasons for that mostly in the unfiltered way she behaves and speaks.

Yet, despite her wild manners Mai is surprisingly patient and passive when it comes to it. For all the jokes and threats she makes she takes comfort in standing at the lines and observing from the background. It is what makes her so well-suited for the third division, as sharp mind to collect information is always needed for a branch focussed on intelligence. Despite her jolly and irate attitude when in social company Mai takes her job and position with an unexpected zeal and seriousness. Making the two faces she wears privately and professionally standing in stark contrast to each other.

Despite the differences within her attitude and behaviour on and off duty Mai is consistent. She is and always will be a passive stream throughout her life and that of others, unwilling to engage and bind herself to a stage. For, if there is one thing the female hates more than anything, it is to lose independence and objectivity.

Biography: Mai woke up in Soul Society somewhere in the relatively peaceful twelfth district at the east side of Rukongai. There she found a careless existence within a big quilted family patched up from all sorts of strange souls that had found themselves alone. However as none were related and mostly stuck to each other for the sake of company there was an emptiness despite the many members of the Himura clan.

The Himura clan is a family of ‘borrowed’ time, the motto aptly sounding: ‘to borrow’. Meant as a temporary haven for lost souls to find their place within Rukongai and the Soul Society in its whole, the heads of the branch do very little to supervise the members unless they hurt the name. In much the same sense Mai was inducted into the family, the freedom allowing her personality to grow as it is today.

Friends came easy to the female. With her fearlessness for the crowd and quick wit she was a popular face in the neighbourhood despite her wild manners. There was no responsibility and no worry for Mai to carry and as such there was only room to play. It was also through these careless days that she found out early about her talents to become a soul reaper.

However, her careless days ended soon as the Himura clan showed its face. Watching how one of her ‘brothers’ had to leave the clan for his temporary stay had ended and the debt he supposedly had accumulated for his stay branded a fear within Mai, for she knew soon it would be her. The Himura was, despite offering a place and ‘family’ also ruthless businessmen, taking advantage of the lonely and ignorant. Deciding right there and then to cut herself away from the house she then threw herself into the Academy, claiming that a career as a soul reaper would do the image of Himura good and repay her debt to the family. It was an opportunity they took and granted.

And so Mai trained and became a soul reaper. Average at best, but determined. Her decision was made on a whim, and within her division she feels that she ended up much too similarly to the heads of Himura. However, she stays as Mai knows at this point no other way than this to be her fate.

Skills: Kido - [Bakudo, Kekkai and Fu] While trained in all types of kido Mai has in particular focussed herself on binding spells, seals and barriers, in which she thus naturally excels at due to practice. While considered capable, she has yet to attain a level where she can perform kido without an incantation.

Hoho - With her sword demanding her to be fast and flagrant Mai has poured a considerable amount of time and attention into studying the flash step, in particular the shunpo.

Zanjutsu - The most considerable of her skills next to the flash step. As a soul reaper (and in particular as a seated officer) she takes pride in her sword and tries to spent an equal amount of time training her sword as to studying hoho.

Hakuda - Trained, but by no means fine tuned. Mai will know how to hold herself in a hand combat, but only with thanks to her speed and in combination with hoho.

Zanpakuto: Sealed ‘Kaze no Yume’ looks like any regular katana. With a red hilt weaved into a diamond pattern it could be easily mistaken for a weapon wielded by a student fresh out of the academy, without any personalisation whatsoever to be found. However, the careful looker will see the tattoo on her back inscripted on the hilt. What was first, the inscription or her tattoo is a question she doesn’t answer but with a smile.

Mai has been unable to discern much of a personality from her zanpakuto. Other than utter vanity the spirit of her sword has outright refused to show itself in any other way than by letting itself be heard with mocking giggles. While the soul reaper has gone many lengths to get close to the spirit, such as tattooing herself, the sword has as of yet refused to show anything else but vanity, pride and giggles.

Shikai release: ‘Swing, Kaze no Yume’ - Scimitar - swirls appear on the blade as it becomes thinner and lighter to wield. Curving in, the tip dips down to the inside, creating a sword that isn’t meant to stab with, but to slash and cut. The scimitar is an ideal sword to slash at enemies while on the move, such as on horseback. It is also popular for sword dances, its light wield making it ideal for fast acrobatic dances unlike the slow and decorative dances with longswords.

The special ability of ‘Kaze no Yume’ finds itself in both origins of horseback fighting and dancing. As a sword meant to be constantly on the move at high speed the sword demands such an exhausting fighting style as well. To enhance that ability it will seemingly duplicate itself, looking as if there are multiple swords at play, or that it is the wind cutting the enemy. It is all an illusion, however. A play of the blade and it is what classifies ‘Kaze no Yume’ as an illusion type sword.

Other: Tattoo - Upon realising the form of her zanpakuto Mai has inscribed the same symbol of her sword on her shoulder blade. The story behind that is sentimental, which she doesn’t share with anyone, but did mark the start of her career. The symbol she wrote on her back is believed to be the old inscription of the character (kanji) ‘Heaven’, but none are quite sure.
“What’s that?” Chiyo touched the still sensitive skin, making Mai wince.

“A tattoo. And healing!” the words came out harsher and sharper than she had meant to, but the irritated skin was throbbing underneath the patch that covered the wound, burning furiously from the grace of Chiyo’s fingers.

“Don’t touch it, yet,” Mai mumbled, noticing the look on her adoptive sister’s face. The girl had meant no harm, Mai knew that, but after being stabbed with needles for hours the soul reaper wasn’t much like herself anymore. She was exhausted, battered and hurting, despite doing little more than lie on her stomach.

“The elders…” the female tried and Mai rolled her eyes. She knew she was going to get in trouble if word got out.

Swinging her left arm over Chiyo the soul reaper smirked, poking the nose of her sister and friend in jest. “Our. Secret. Okay?” she pronounced each word slowly, blowing into the eyes of the doe-eyed girl who couldn’t help but stare dumbfounded.

Turning her face away Chiyo pouted, eyes squinting ever so slightly to signify that she wasn’t pleased. “What is it?” the question came, vaguely presented but Mai knew her friend well enough to know what she meant.

Beckoning for the girl to follow Mai went into her room, checking left and right to make sure no one was around before closing the door and setting herself down to the floor. Crossing her legs her fingers immediately went towards the patch, peeling off the bandage to reveal what was underneath.

There, surrounded by irritated and swollen skin was a symbol printed, a deep red that stood out against her pale skin. Squiggly lines that seemed to bleed forming a figure, or a character. As a literate Chiyo recognised the kanji for ‘heaven’ in it, but also found it not entirely alike. However, from an artistic point of view it looked more like a human, about to be decapitated with a sword. Surrounding the symbol was a border, lining itself around its form.

Gulping Chiyo’s round eyes searched for Mai’s, trying to find a glimpse of emotion to catch a hint of its meaning. The soul reaper simply smiled, however.

“Terrifying you?” She could tell from the pale colour on her friend’s face. Taking out new bandage Mai started to cut the patches, gesturing for Chiyo to help her dress the wound and cover the tattoo.

“It may sound cheesy,” Mai smiled to herself as she turned her back. Her eyes sunk into her thoughts as her voice grew distant. The Himura house wasn’t her home since long ago, she had realised ever since she came to enjoy her holidays. “But it makes me feel more like a soul reaper, closer to my sword,” she explained, though she knew that Chiyo wouldn’t understand the significance a sword held to a soul reaper.
 
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Sumiko Sado
佐藤澄子
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O V E R V I E W


• Name: Sumiko Sado

• Age: 140

• Gender: Female

• Height: 5'5"

• Division: 13th

• Rank: 3rd


P E R S O N A L


• Appearance:

Sumiko is a thin-boned woman of average stature, the feminine curves of her body ample but modestly hidden under the folds of her robes. Her daily uniform is a quirky amalgamation of the standard black Shihakushō and her own personal touches that at times detract from her overall professional look. Her long, brown hair is sloppily piled atop her head and kept in place with various, colorful kanzashi, the style of which vary on any given day. On her days off Sumiko has a penchant for wearing brightly colored and elaborate kimonos, along with any other pretty bauble she can splurge her income on. Ever since her newfound fascination with the Chinese, she has been painting her nails robust shades of pink and red.

• Personality:

If not for the more negative aspects of her personality, Sumiko would have the finer makings of a leader, certainly someone able to hold a higher station responsibly. But at present, the 3rd seat shinigami is barely qualified to set an example for others. To her credit, she is an undeniably shrewd woman, the reasonings of her heart showing a wisdom well beyond her perceived age. She approaches things in life with an overly cautious spirit, afraid of taking unneeded risks and jumping into bad decisions, none the wiser. And indeed, she is afraid; behind her calm façade, Sumiko is a true coward at heart. She is the last to arrive at a battlefield and the first to leave; if not for her immense reverence of her captain, she would hardly show up at all, preferring to stay where it’s safe and out of reach from danger.

However, Sumiko does not let her true feelings show, not if she can help it. Intensely guarded, the young woman blankets whatever fear or concerns she has for others with a measure of false contempt. The more scared she is, the more confident she acts. The more love she feels for another, the more contemptuous of them she pretends to be. She feels that this strange dual-identity serves to protect her in the long run, as a person who truly knew the inclinations of her heart could take it as weakness. And she would never want to appear weak. But she certainly doesn’t mind looking lazy. Sumiko is a notorious shirker of duties, abruptly vanishing into thin air when an assignment is placed on her desk. It is, once again, the threat of looking incompetent in her captain’s eyes that force her to begrudgingly attend to her tasks--although whether or not they get done on time is another issue.

• Biography:

Memory stirs of a time before Soul Society. Sumiko was only a young girl when she was reborn into Soul Society, her previous life a fractured dream that swiftly faded away. She was fortunate to be directed to the more well-off districts of West Rukongai. It was there that she found housing with an older gentleman who went by the nickname of Time. Together they ran a food stall and sold steamed meat buns to Shinigami passing through the area. Not soon after working with him, Sumiko began to feel her first pangs of hunger. The visions of her zanpakuto spirit Hebi no Kami were soon to follow, making her life a living hell. The nightmarish images of her zanpakuto terrorized her every night. Hebi no Kami would try in vain to speak with her, only for her to awaken violently in a cold sweat, her terrified mind ejecting her from the communing. Sumiko had no way of understanding what her visions possibly meant, both too ignorant and fearful to accept that that monster could possibly be connected to her. Her partner Time recognized her growing reiatsu and encouraged her to go to Shino’o Academy to become a Soul Reaper, but she rebuffed all efforts.

A pivotal moment in her life occured when a small detail of Shinigami from Squad 13 passed through her district. Unbeknownst to her, it was the captain himself who stopped by her humble food stall. He was quick to notice her high level of reiatsu and emphatically encouraged her to attend the academy. She was mesmerized as he explained to her the merits of becoming a Soul Reaper, and how someone like her had great potential as one. All too soon he was gone; it was not until afterwards that Time explained to her that the man was one of the captains of the Gotei 13. A captain, of all things. She could not understand why someone of his status had deigned to converse with, encourage, even be seen with a nobody like her. He had kind eyes, she remembered thinking later that night, and an even kinder smile.

And so sealed her enamored fate.

Sumiko was gone by the next morning, off to join what she hoped would tame the beast within. It did the exact opposite; under the strict guidance of her instructors, her power grew exponentially, and the skills of her zanpakuto along with it. The fearful hate Sumiko had for her skills pushed her to commune with Hebi no Kami as little as possible and instead focus her attentions on Kido. This interest was noticed by the Kido Corps; in fact, she was considered a prodigy. It was widely thought she would join the Corps., given her clear affinity for the spells they utilized. But much to everyone’s surprise, at her graduation she requested to serve at Squad 13 instead. All inquiries into the matter were met with nonsensical answers. In truth, her sole reason was to be as close to Captain Ukitake as possible, a man she believed to be quite literally her savior. She was able to snag a ranked position straight out of the academy. Sumiko would have been content to remain in that position, but as her skills grew, so her ranking did as well, until she found herself in the 3rd seat ranking, where she has served for the past fifteen years.


A B I L I T I E S


• Skills:

Kido spells: Hado (expert) #1-88, Bakudo (advanced) #1-63

Hohō: Advanced, although cannot cover as great a distance as lieutenant-level shunpo.

Hakuda: Very low-tier, borderline beginner skill. Her weakest area. Should a hand-to-hand fight break out, she would prove entirely useless.

Zanjutsu: Proficient, as all Shinigami of her ranking should be. Sumiko fights nearly all her battles with two-handed maneuvers.

• Zanpakuto:

When contained, Sumiko’s sword is underwhelming in its appearance. It is a simple black-handled katana with a long iron blade, mimicking the Asauchi swords that Shinigami are given in the academy. There is no tassel, no minor decoration to even convey that the sword belongs to her or is even one that is developed. However, her blade is not to be underestimated. The Zanpakuto spirit that dwells within is a terrifying monstrosity. Hebi no Kami: A giant serpent with a mass of writhing smaller serpents, it resides atop a massive pile of human skulls and, in rare moments, speaks through them or intermittently through various snake heads. The heads move independently of one another. They are liable to attack just as much as they are to speak, as her zanpakuto is unnaturally eager to force new abilities upon her through combat. Sumiko must always be cautious while communing with it.

• Shikai Release:
“Strike with fear, Hebi no Kami”

At Sumiko’s command, her simple katana is transformed into a seven foot long spear. The body of the spear is carved to look like the elongated body of a serpent; on one end of the spear or “tail end” is a sharpened, two-feet long blade while down on the other end of the snake’s body sits a stone snake head with its mouth agape and fangs exposed. A set of jeweled eyes sit on both sides of the mouth, giving the illusion of two heads. These eyes glow an ominous red continuously throughout battle.

Hebi no Kami is already deadly versatile in spear form, but when Sumiko exerts enough reiatsu, she can use it to “crack” the rigidness in her spear and make it flexible and whiplike in its movements. This dual quality of her spear gives her an adaptive edge over her opponent and serves her well with multiple enemies at once.

It is the curse of Hebi no Kami to be damned by fear. Being cut by its blade is tantamount to being bitten by a venomous snake. The bite of the blade exudes a toxin that heightens the fear of the victim. This fear feeds Hebi no Kami and makes its attacks stronger; the more cuts, the more fearful and delusional the target becomes, and the stronger Hebi no Kami becomes. It is an endless cycle, stopped only by a merciful death.

There is a third ability to Hebi no Kami that is perhaps its strongest yet. Sumiko hasn’t the firmest grasp of it. From the filtered images that have flooded her mind, it involves transforming her spear into the very embodiment of her zanpakuto spirit. But Sumiko is afraid to attain this ability. To get it, she must battle her zanpakuto, and it might prove her deadliest fight yet.


• Other:

Sumiko is an avid sashiko stitcher. More often than not, she is found working on her fabric squares during her free time--and, unfortunately, during work hours as well. She also has a hearty appreciation for social gatherings and can be found at most Soul Reaper functions, whether invited or otherwise. There she displays her talent for playing shogi, or any other game that the guests happen to be playing.


S A M P L E


“Oh, look Gojou! The trees are in full bloom.” Sumiko gushed, clinging to the man’s arm unnecessarily. “Shall we stop for a break under them? I’ve brought snacks, you know.”

If Gojou was growing tired of her, he did a fine job of hiding it. Impatience rolled off the new recruit in waves, yet he still maintained a perfectly stoic composure. His jaw worked as he tried to dredge up a diplomatic response.

“No Sado-san,” He finally answered, for perhaps the hundredth time that day. “Maybe later. We still have to complete our mission.”

“Oh yes, the mission.” The 3rd seat waved her sleeved hand dismissively. “I’m sure that that can wait.”

A vein jumped in Gojou’s forehead. If not for her station, she was certain the man would have throttled her by now. Several hours earlier, Sumiko had inexplicably requested to observe his first mission into the World of the Living. She chalked it up to wanting to be useful for a change. It didn’t explain why she was dressed in civilian clothes without her zanpakuto tied along. Nor did it explain why she had spent the better part of their day derailing poor Gojou from doing any sort of constructive work, towing him along to sight-see and, at present, taking a leisurely walk through the woods.

As she dragged her hapless victim over to the line of blooming blossom trees, Sumiko swept an eye over the forest clearing. The area was free of humans. The 3rd seat had purposely chosen a walkway barely frequented by the city dwellers. It wouldn't do to cause a scene. She glanced at the sky, noting the darkening sunset with an ounce of satisfaction. Perfect, she thought to herself. They were just in time.

“Sado-san, with all due respect…”

“Hm?” Sumiko cut her eyes at him. Nothing respectful ever seemed to follow that phrase.

Gojou shriveled under her gaze. “With…with all due respect, it’s growing late. Shouldn’t we be going after that hollow now…?”

Well said. The pretty woman cocked her head to the side, studying him with a raised brow. “My, but you’re so eager to fight. If you’d like to get started, I won’t stop you. We're in the right position now.”

"The right position?"

Sumiko's grip tightened on Gojou's arm. Before the new recruit could say anything else, the pair vanished from their location, and not a second too soon; in the next instant, a giant limb smashed down where they once stood, a massive beast of a hollow revealing itself from the shadows. It let out a piercing roar as Sumiko and Gojou reappeared some feet away.

"Wha-What the hell?" The new recruit sputtered. Sumiko could only peer cautiously from around the man's back, her eyes narrowed. While she had been expecting the hollow to appear, it's sudden attack still caught her off-guard. It was a miracle that her flash step was as quick as it was.

She didn't know what was louder: Gojou's nervous breathing or the heavy pounding of her heart. Irritated by her own fear, Sumiko forced out a light-hearted laugh.

"So it appears my hunch was correct," She mused, causing Gojou's head to whip around wildly to peer at her. "Squad 6 reported a hollow that only appeared after dark, but would disappear if approached by more than one Shinigami. They asked me for help..."

In the foreground, the hollow roared once more and began to approach, snapping Gojou's attention back to it. Sumiko barely spared it a glance.

"Something told me the hollow would be attracted to us. I spent all day trying to get the silly thing to follow us...It's a good thing I left my zanpakuto at home."

"Wait a minute, you planned this?" Gojou sounded indignant. Sumiko only shrugged half-heartedly.

"But of course. Why else would I come along, on my day off of all things? Now come--" She held up a hand to stop anymore protests-- "We will talk later. For now, let's kill this thing quickly. My snacks are getting cold."

"Yes, Sado-san."



 
  • Bucket of Rainbows
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•Name: Setsuko Hayashi

•Age: 230, mid 20s in appearance.

Gender: Female

Height: 5'4

•Division: 9th

•Rank: 4th Seat

•Personality: Observant and meticulous, Setsuko seems to be the perfect fit for Seireitei's security force. A distrustful person by nature, she's become adept at watching people and scenarios, picking up the smallest details from what she can see. While often believed to be distant and maybe even cold by many, her squad mates, and those whom truly know her understand that she's simply a person that takes time to form connections.

Unfortunately, Setsuko does have a habit of being critical of others, and often it reveals itself in her speech, tone or even expressions, rubbing people the wrong way in the process. She tends to be vindictive, holding a grudge against those who slight her until justice has been served. However, it is this vindictiveness that contributes to her strong sense of justice.

•Biography: An only child, Setsuko lived with her father Haruto in the 60th District of the Rukongai. While nowhere near as dangerous and unruly as the districts above it, the 59th district had such a foul reputation that no one would even wear sandals for fear of having them stolen. Keeping a watchful eye of their surroundings and having an attention for detail didn't keep them from being robbed or attacked, but it reduced the number of times they faced such trouble. While her father was just as careful he was far more kind about it than his daughter. Often they'd be told they were as different as the seasons of winter and summer.

Both often dreamed and spoke of living in easier, better conditions, but Haruto believed that they could do so by bringing law and order to the 60th district. With enough hard work and time, they could reverse the sandalless 60th district and improve its living conditions. He reasoned that the best way to achieve his goal was to become a Shinigami, the embodiment of law and justice. Unfortunately, even he knew he had to get into shape before he could truly hope to become a Shinigami, and soon after him, Setsuko. They both had large Reiatsu, but not much else in the way of combat. Luckily, he had little Setsuko to cheer him on, but sadly his dream would be shortlived.

Not long after he succeeded in becoming a Shinigami, he was frequently sent out into the world of the living, often leaving for months at a time. On one such mission he never returned, assumed to be dead. However, word of her father's fate never got back to Setsuo, who for the longest time believed her father was simply on an extended mission. As she waited, her faith turned to doubt, and her doubt eventually into misery. She realized her father wasn''t coming back. As her heart filled with sadness a biting cold wind would blow around her constantly, her reiatsu leaking in response to her misery. Eventually, it became enough of a problem that Shinigami came to handle the issue. It was this encounter that lead to her becoming a Shinigami and finding out what little she could about her father's fate.

Determined to bring his dream to fruition, she worked tirelessly, improving her skills and climbing her way up the ranks of the Gotei 13's 9th division, where she now sits as its 4th seat. She takes her job of protecting the Rukongai seriously, and hopes that one day she can bring the law and order her father sought to the outer districts, starting with her home of 60.

Skills:
  • Shunpo: Sestuko is proficient in Shunpo. She's not going to blow anyone's mind with it, but it's enough for someone of her position.
  • Strong Spiritual Pressure: Setsuko's spiritual pressure is quite large. It's white in appearance and creates the sensation of a piercing and freezing cold wind surrounding her.
  • Kenjutsu: Setsuko is well trained in the use of her sword, her preferred method of combat. She's considered one of the better swordsmen of her squad.
  • Kidou: Her kido is below average, as she hardly relies on it. She can cast low-level Kidou without incantation, but middle-level kidou spells and up are beyond her grasp.
  • Hakuda: Setsuko is a skilled combatant without her sword. While she isn't a technical fighter, she's an intelligent one. Most of what she knows comes from living in the higher numbered Rukongai districts.

•Zanpakuto: Her Zanpakuto, Hyoga, is a slightly elongated Katana with a dark blue hilt marred with white. The guard is a simple oval shapes guard. Hyoga's spirit itself is a white, shimmering owl. (Like in her picture!)

Shikai Release: Bring forth the northern winds, Hyoga.
images


Hyoga is capable of creating and sending powerful winter wind filled with snow and ice towards its opponent. Whatever part of its target the wind makes contact with will become frozen and useless (i.e. an arm would be unable to move). What's more, should Hyoga make contact with the frozen target itself, it will shatter.


Writing Sample:

"Come on, this could be your lucky day! Keep your eye on the prize and win some Kan!" A man sat on a rotted wooden stool, a makeshift table before him as he shuffled cups around, a stone hidden inside one of them. "Come on, you've all got mouths to feed, don't ya? Don't go let em' go hungry!" He goaded the crowd that surrounded him into betting as he wore his most charming grin.

The swindler was worried they'd have to move down a district. Thanks to his sleight of hand, he and his cohorts had managed to snag a somewhat decent amount of Kan from the desperate people. It wasn't as much as he could make in a lower numbered district, but the people there were far less desperate. He'd have to leave soon, he didn't desire to have his earnings stripped away from him. "Come on! This could be your only chance to have something other than rice for dinner!"

"I like the sound of that," Setsuko spoke up as she walked through the crowd, a path cleared for her. Though the sight of a Shinigami was rare in these parts, these people knew her. Some of them had known her when she was much smaller. Others had seen her strolling through the district and greeting people.

The swindler felt panic rising in his belly, but it was soon subsided by anticipation. "Oh, a Shinigami! How exciting!" He was willing to bet she had far more money than any of these people. "Step right up! Just guess which cup the rock is under and you win!"

"Sounds easy." Setsuko smiled slightly and nodded her head, placing a few coins on the makeshift table. She blinked in surprise when the swindler moved immediately, lifting a cup to show her the rock before covering it and shuffling the cups.

He moved his hands quickly, but he only shuffled a few times before raising his arms. "Okay, the choice is yours!" He declared. "Choose carefully!"

Setsuko reached out and flicked one of the cups with her finger. The swindler raised the cup, revealing the rock beneath. "Congratulations! You got it!" He placed the same amount of coin on the table next to hers. "But...why don't we try again, eh? Double down?"

"....Sure." Setsuko agreed. "I don't mind taking more of your money." The game was played once again. This time the swindler shuffled the cups much faster than before, but once again, Setsuko chose the correct one, earning twice the amount she had on the table.

"Alright, alright...one more time! Let's triple the entire pot!" The swindler declared, a smirk on his face. "If you win, you get three times the Kan on the table! I hope you're not too sca-"

"Okay." Setsuko agreed readily, her slight smile still on her face. The surprise on the man's face almost caused her to smirk a little, but she kept her cool. "I think I'm pretty good at this game."

"Yeah...so far." The man was suspicious, but still, he started the game, shuffling the cups. This time, the cups moved so fast that the crowd surrounding them "Ooh'd" in awe, unable to keep up with his hands. Ever so subtly, he flicked his wrist, raising the cup and knocking the rock onto his lap. No response from the crowd signaled that he had succeeded in his gambit. "Alright...guess!"

Setsuko was quiet for a moment, allowing her smile to grow into a smirk. "You moved the rock from the cups onto your lap." She had seen it. His hands were fast, but her eyes were faster. She didn't wait for him to deny it. She swung her arm across the table, knocking over all three cups to reveal nothing beneath them.

The crowd started to grow angry upon the reveal, yelling and demanding their money back. "Wait, wait!" The swindler jumped up immediately, raising his hands.

"Don't speak. Just hand these people back their money and leave." Setsuko demanded. To show she meant business, she placed a hand on the hilt of her Zanpakuto, earning a shriek from the swindler. She watched as he wasted no time in removing his money pouch from his waist and started to hand the crowd coins, one by one, her smirk returning to a slight smile.

She had been watching him for a game or two from the back of the crowd, having caught his movements and patterns almost right away. While she despised his little scam, she understood he was simply trying to make a living. He'd likely gotten chased off from the lower numbered Rukongai and figured this was his best bet.

"It's a start..." She murmured to herself, her mind drifting to her father. She wasn't able to make the difference she and her father dreamed of yet, but it was a start. Once she was a Captain...then she could bring security to this district, and the many above it.
 
  • Bucket of Rainbows
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The time has arrived! The following seven individuals have been approved for participation in the RP! If your name is not on the list, feel free to send me a DM or PM asking why.
In order of CS publication:
@Doctor Jax
@Krag_Jorgensen
@Greenie
@Shizuochan
@Nemopedia
@Kuno
@SkittlesAndSpike
Congrats to those who made the cut! Best of luck to those who did not in your future endeavors, and feel free to lurk around Discord and the RP thread if you’d like to!

As I stated on Discord, we’ll be starting by 16th or 17th. I’ll tag y’all on the actual post as well as posting a notif on Discord.