Post by Michi, Isamu on Mar 2, 2012 1:09:37 GMT -5
Name: Michi, Isamu | 道 勇
Age: 25 (170)
Gender: Male
Birthday: February 13th, 1842
Deathday: September 24th, 1877
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 169lbs
Eye color: SkyBlue
Hair color: Charcoal Black
Division: 11
Rank: 3rd seat
Constitution
-Strength: 23
-Endurance: 20
Dexterity
-Agility: 15
-Accuracy: 15
Zanjustu
-Attack: 25
-Defense: 15
Kidou
-Hadou: 5
-Bakudou: 5
Perception
-Intelligence: 15
-Concentration: 10
Presence
-Charisma: 26
-Leadership: 26
Appearance:
[X]
Not very tall, though quite muscular, causing his body weight to be slightly above average, and also making him a poor swimmer. His skin is hard, and his palms have thick calluses made from the years of holding a sword. When not holding onto a blade, Isamu finds himself tapping his fingers or touching things he shouldn't, just to keep them busy. His skin bears it's fair share of scars, several on his back, a few on his arms and an 'X' on his face that have been given either by battles or training...or stupid accidents.
His hair is a bit shaggy, and his bangs seem longer than the rest of his great black mane due to the removal of his topknot. The unkempt style makes his hair flair around his head similar to a lion, making his appearance more wild and imposing. His bright eyes stand out even more against the darkness, turning his gaze into one that can either strike fear or inspiration with great ease.
Isamu has a kind face, one that moves through all the emotions of man with ease, showing empathy to all who need it, and wrath to all who deserve it. Admittedly, he's not very good at hiding his emotions and how he feels, but what he is good at is using his own expressions to convey a message even without words.
His voice is usually a languid one, seeking to promote a peace and tranquility with his words, so whatever message he tries to send is heard without prejudice. He can easily expel his voice so he can be heard across the wail of battle, but still, miraculously, sustain whatever emotion he tries to express with his voice.
Isamu didn't go crazy with the modifications to his shihakusho. The black is still black, and the sash is still white, but for the upper body, his right sleeve is full length, while the left is cut off at the shoulder, leaving only the white shitagi to still be full length for that arm.
Isamu's sword rests in his obi on his left side.
Personality: A natural leader, speaker, and friend. Isamu was born with the natural ability to talk to people, to work with people, sway crowds and lead men. When he speaks, people listen. Unfortunately he's never really been one for plans, and would rather trust in the hearts of men than their minds, and believes through teamwork and strength, any obstacle can be overcome.
Isamu's very rarely without a smile, though what that smile says can vary greatly from time to time. He's happy, understanding, and selfless. He won't hesitate to help someone less fortunate than himself, but is humble enough to not rub a higher position in their face.
Like the wild lions mane of hair he has, his heart reflects something similar. A powerful will that refuses to break down no matter the pressure placed upon it. Stubbornness some call it, pride, or sheer hotheadedness. He can't help but oppose any rule or law that doesn't seem to coincide with his own moral code. Though he understands full well that people have their own way of doing things, he refuses to abide by a way someone else wants him to be. Luckily, the laws of the Seireitei are just what he needed. Something based on honor and pride, unchanging for excess of two thousand years, it's the perfect structure for himself to act in. Very rarely has he had an issue while dead, but while living, it was a bit of an issue.
That rebellious attitude has gotten him in trouble, and technically also got him killed. His stubbornness tends to lead him into situations that can cause harm to himself, or others. His unwillingness to back down is almost self destructive in nature. Maybe, somewhere deep down, he wants to die. Though he may fight with a blend of attack and defense to strike down hordes of enemies, and though he may do his best to assist anyone he can, it seems like he's waiting for the day he can die in battle.
Though he will be brave and courageous in front of others and inspire others to victory, the seeking of danger is that part of him that wants to die in battle, and though he revels in victory, losing to a worthy opponent is the highest honor he hopes to achieve. Simple defeat is never met with tears, but a respectful smile and a nod of acknowledgement, be it in a competition or simple practice, maybe the one difference his code has to that of the samurai is that he does not find dishonor in being defeated or captured, for it simply means he has the chance to die in battle once more, or slay his enemy.
Isamu's quick tongue is always at work, even during battle, be it through rallying cries or simply jabbering to his enemy, or even himself, he loves to talk, though finds he's bad at keeping secrets.
Strengths: A great leader, great speaker and great soldier, Isamu was born to be on the front lines, leading his men to battle. He fights with passion and strength, and speaks wit the same. Confident, charismatic and noble, he's got the qualities of a leader.
Weaknesses: But all leaders have their failings. His confidence can, and is often, mistaken for arrogance. His bravery as foolhardy and his relentlessness as simple disregard for his own well being. And it's true. He moves forward, thinking little of the long term or the consequence of his actions, and seeks glory through battle for both himself and any troops he may have along side him, regardless of rank. He feels fear when the chance presents itself, and feels remorse, but never has he felt regret, and he will never understand it until it comes for him in whatever form it pleases. His ability with kidou is under par, and his finesse is lacking in favor of force, substance over style.
Sealed Zanpakutō: Not (quite) Applicable. Once upon a time when Isamu's Zanpakuto was sealed, it looked like an average katana. It was two shaku in length with no special markings on the oval, bronze colored tsuba.
Zanpakutō Spirit: Shinseina hirogari no kami, or Mugen as she does not like to be called, comes in the form of a young woman with blonde hair and fair skin. Her eyes are a vibrant green and her face is fairly pleasant to look at, despite it's constant sad expression. Her entire left arm is covered in a thick armor that seems to be used for defense, while her right one has a similar golden armor but seemingly more sleek and possibly offensive. Her robes seem similar to a shinigami's shihakusho, but the lower portion starting at the obi is more intricate, layered with red and then black, held tied with thick ropes that loop around a similarly stylized golden crest to her arms. Around her entire body is a sort of halo of blue reiatsu that simply radiates off her, semi-independent of her own thoughts, giving her an extremely powerful appearance
Shinseina hirogari no kami walks, talks and moves with an absolute purpose and an unwavering certainty, similar to her master, but her expression, while his is one of happiness, is one of sadness; sadness that her master seems to be deaf to anything she tries to teach him. She refuses to battle him until he can understand her heart, and will not teach him until his eyes are opened.
[X]
The inner world is something out of a science fiction novel. To describe it all would be to describe the universe, for that's what it is. As Shinseina hirogari no kami's name is, Isamu's inner world is infinite. It has no borders that he could ever reach, and no limitations to the shifting and changing it undergoes. When he first entered his world, the universe was less colorful, less full of life. But as time went on, and his strength grew, so did the inner world. Stars and galaxies formed, twisting nebulae glowing vibrant colors painted the black backdrop gorgeous hues of every color in the spectrum. To be in the inner world is to be in the expanse of space without feeling the cold of it. It is always worm and always inviting.
Though the nebulae and galaxies may be far in the distance, and their light a ways away, there have been times where Isamu has entered close to a solar system, or in an asteroid field.
Shikai Incantation: Not Applicable. Name: Shinseina hirogari no kami (神聖な広がりの神 lit.God of the holy expanse)
Shikai Category: Constant - Combat
Shikai Range: Short
Shikai Description: Shinseina hirogari no kami comes in the form of a shirasaya. The blade itself is three and a half shaku, and the hilt is one, giving the blade a total length of almost 4'5", each shaku being 11.93 inches. The sheath of the blade is made of the same sort of black, unblemished wood as the hilt. It seems to give off no reflection or glisten despite it's cleanliness, and that is due to the surface of both the sheath and the hilt being both porous and mildly adhesive, giving the sheath the ability to stick to his clothes and not fall off (unless pulled) and giving his hands a surface they can easily grip without fear of slicing them over the blade, unless the hilt is covered in a sufficiently slippery substance.
The blade itself is balanced in a way that makes it easy to use despite it's grand size, and when the blade is fully inserted into the sheath, the balance difference between the hilt and the blade is the only way to tell it from the top and bottom, as it is made so perfectly there is no space between the hilt and mouth of the sheath.
Shinseina hirogari no kami's cutting edge is without markings or designs. It's cutting edge is gracefully curved, an the temper line perfectly follows that curve. Other than the strange qualities of the hilt and the sheath, which can also seem to reappear and disappear at will (due to it's non combat nature), it woudl appear to be a normal sword, despite being the released form of Isamu's zanpakuto. The only outstanding combat benefits it brings is the increased range over most katana style blades, as well as the ease with which it can cut.
History: Honor, discipline, respect. Brought up on the bushido code, Isamu was the child of a well respected samurai in his time. Though not world famous, he was respected by friends and loved by family, he was an excellent father and husband, and the perfect role model for the young Isamu who could have been easily subjected to the incoming influence of the west.
His father never had a hate for the west itself, or their traditions, but imposing them upon the Japanese was too much for him to handle. His father partook in rebellions against western influence, trying to keep the east as it is. It was not a good time to be a young boy in such a troubled land, and when his father died during battle, it became even harder still.
To become a samurai was something not easily attained at the time, especially with the threat of the end of the samurai way on the horizon. The boy had to grow up quickly, and understand what it was his father had been fighting for. It wasn't just the way of the samurai, but he fought for his life, and his ancestors lives, and the lives of his child and hopeful grandchildren.
So he trained for revolution, to battle with tooth and nail, blade and bone against the west's crushing hand, and he fought in the battles that culminated in the Satsuma Rebellion. During this time he met someone who was of just as great of an influence as his own father. Saigo Takamori was so influential, so kind and with a presence that was so empowering, Isamu could only hope to be like him. He did his best to act the way he did, carry himself in the way he did, and if not for Saigo, Isamu may have seen the end of the rebellion and lived into the Meiji period.
Even living through the siege of Kumamoto Castle, and the battle of Tabaruzaka, Isamu met his fate like the last of his brothers-in-arms at the battle of Shiroyama. A blade piercing his flesh, and a knife slicing his topknot from his head in a sign of disrespect for his traditions, he was left to bleed out on the grass while the sounds of muskets echoed throughout the air.
He heard the footsteps of the soldiers. The trampling of the stampede and the thunderous chorus of the rifles that struck down that final charge. He heard it all before he died, but was too weak to partake, and maybe, even though he has no memory of this past life, he carries that weight of his shame with him. Of course, he could never admit that even if he did know.
Then he awoke. In the way one realizes that they are dreaming, and suddenly the images around them seem strange. A Dream never starts in the beginning, and like that, he simply found himself in the soul society. Not that it was difficult, of course. It resembled his life that he had loved and died for, and even without memory he felt naturally at home in this strange land.
And becoming a samurai once again came to the forefront of his mind. Honor in battle, combat and the thrill of death is what he felt his bones call out for, and he had to obey. He didn't know how long it had taken for him to come to the conclusion, but once he did, he reached for it with all his might. The rukongai was lovely, reminiscent of his old home, he was drawn to the white walls of the seireitei, and living so close to them every day made his body long for what laid inside. Whispers from the rukongai souls told of stories of heroes, and of might and of valor unmatched; it was what he needed.
Though he didn't get the best grades in the academy, he pushed himself for greatness. His determination and courage what what compelled his instructors to send out letters of recommendation to several squads, including squads three, eight, and 11. Partly due to his natural combat talent, and mostly due to his great leadership skills and charisma that he had inherited from his idol,
even failing miserably at kidou his spot in the 11th division was secured. On the front lines of combat; his heart soared at the thought.
Then came his first trip to his inner world as he was graduating. Words couldn't describe the view, the expanse of stars and galaxies, celestial bodies that he would never be able to fully comprehend the size of sat what seemed to be inches away in this void. The woman who stood among the stars watched him with sad eyes. Isamu knew this was his spirit, and he must subdue it to learn it's name, and although the learning of her name came easily, the control of her was something far beyond his grasp, so far that he can not even reseal her power, which may have been a problem if she had even given him any instruction on how her power even functioned...or whether it existed at all.
Every encounter with Shinseina hirogari no kami was accompanied with either silence or few words, as though she hated the presence of her master. Lucky for Isamu, the 11th division wasn't to struct on released zanpakuto policies.
The eleventh division didn't seem very strict on anything, actually. To Michi, they were a band of brothers, and they all had each other's backs at all times. They laughed together, fought together, and Michi hoped that if they were to die, they would die together, thought the prowess his division displayed on their first group outing was exceptional.
42 hollows had been attracted by some sort of force into the human world. The pressure of their collective reiatsu's was enough to cause a physical disturbance so great that even the non spiritual humans could feel it. Prolonged exposure, according to squad 12, could have been enough to cause the corruption of the souls of the humans while still living. Squad 11, as law demands, were first on the scene. And it was a scene. It looked to Michi like hell on earth; he had read about hollows and their forms and abilities, but seeing them up close was something else. Horns, teeth, and faces of bone white with what looked like war paint smeared across those chilling masks. Their screams and wails were enough to send shivers down his spine. Shivers of excitement.
He and four others from his squad were the only ones sent to deal with the threat. The battle was long, and not without it's injuries, jagged hollow teeth bit deeply into his flesh, and claws of a demonic strength tore through skin of his allies, but none of them fell, while the hollow's numbers fell rapidly.
Members of the relief division, division eight, appeared on the scene three ours into the battle, in an attempt to relieve the members of squad 11 from the burden of battle, but when they arrived, only six hollows remained. It was Michi who took control of the five man cell and led them into battle. His confident grin and commanding voice led the four others to defeat the enemy force with no casualties, and led to him meeting someone who would be his long term friend, Bujuro of squad eight.
Needless to say, his first operation was a success, and after returning home with his brothers in arms to the praise of his squad, he knew he had found a home that he would love, and a system that he would follow to the end of his life. So he continued, battles with hollows either alone or in small groups persisted, his combat skills were challenged but have yet to be found wanting. He needed a challenge, more hollows, or stronger ones; menos maybe, or if he was lucky he'd battle an adjuchas. But when the whispers of Arrancar and the old gods reached him, he felt the same chill down his spine that he had when he first heard about those some 90 years ago.
25 years of life, 30 years in the rukongai, 6 years in the academy, and 109 years of shinigami life, Michi still wouldn't be able to fathom what would come next.
RP Sample: A giant diamond. It seems as though all types of minerals can be found out in space, and the diamond that rapidly reflected and bent the light from the stars around it was at the very least 300 meters across, at it's widest point. Isamu stood on what he considered to be the top, and on the opposite side was the warrior woman; Shinseina hirogari no kami.
He had come for a meeting, a meeting Isamu knew would end in combat, but a meeting none the less. Maybe this time his words would reach her and she would respond in turn.
"Mugen, I-"
"I see through you," she cut him off. Isamu's smile shifted into one of acceptance, and his stance moved to mirror it. In his right hand, his vibrant blue reiatsu began to form into a mimic of Shinseina hirogari no kami's shikai state. The steel glistened against the starlight as the blade phased into existence.
"Then it comes down to another battle, haha," he'd gone through this routine so many times, it had lost it's emotion, it's passion; this was just another mundane part of his cycle.
Until the diamond split in half. It was cut perfectly down the center with a single swing of Shinseina hirogari no kami's own copy of herself. Her blade split the massive structure, and parted it, and Shinseina hirogari no kami ran at a speed Isamu could have never imagined. It took all of Isamu's skill, and luck to bring his own sword up vertically to save his head from being detached from his body. The clashing of their swords sent an echo through the boy's flesh, and paralyzed his entire body with the weight of it.
"This time, I will kill you," she spoke in a tone he had never heard before, and as her blade began to bite into his metal and split his steel, he felt an unfamiliar feeling creep up his spine and replace his usual smile. Fear.
Final Acceptance: I've read the rules, but i still don't know what goes in this space. I can't exactly put the link to my bio in my sig when it hasn't been accepted yet.