Post by lio on Dec 25, 2009 22:17:15 GMT -5
Name: Akahana Mori
Age: 155
Gender: Female
Personality:
Skill Level: Swordsmanship: Intermediate
Skill Level: Shunpou: Beginner
Skill Level: Hand-to-hand: Beginner
History/Background:
Age: 155
Gender: Female
Personality:
Akahana is generally happy-go-lucky and carefree. She is not the kind of person to cling to the regrets of the past because she feels that it is impossible for her to go back and change it. She chooses to live for the moment, and she tries to find the good in everything that happens. However, Akahana is quite the procrastinator, and leaves everything until the last minute, which causes her more stress than she would care to have at all. If anyone catches her dancing, then they catch her at her happiest moment.Appearance:
She is also definitely the mother-type. Akahana will almost-always put others' needs in front of her own, which wears her emotional stability down sometimes. However, she will always try and be there for those she cares for and considers friends, whether they need a shoulder to cry on or someone to tell them what they need to hear. She holds the qualities of honesty and loyalty in the highest of regards, and has a tendency to hold grudges against those who have wronged her. When she has wronged someone, Akahana tries to be the first to make amends. Whether she is successful in her attempts at reconciliation or not, she accepts the other's decision and moves on with her life, happy in knowing that she at least tried to fix things. Since meeting her zanpakuto's spirit, Akahana has shifted her sleep schedule so that she is most active at night, while sleeping for a greater portion of the day.
Akahana is approximately 5'2" and weighs 110 pounds, or close to. Her hair is a rich auburn color and is typically worn as long tresses in a pony tail, settled over her left shoulder. Her face is heart-shaped, its only distinguishing features being her large, expressive eyes that are the color of the ocean on a sunny day, and her lips, which are rather full and shaped like a heart, as well. Akahana's skin is particularly fair, as she intentionally avoids sun exposure, and she wears little make-up, which consists of light rouge on her cheeks and a pale pink lipstick.Zanpakuto Spirit:
Akahana wears the typical Shinigami uniform, with the addition of several pink sashes and an armband, each embroidered with red flowers and cows. One of the sashes acts as a belt for her robes, while the other straps her zanpakuto to her back; her armband is worn around her left bicep. Akahana is also always barefoot; she hates not being able to move her toes in her socks, while her sandals give her blisters, so she simply chooses not to wear them. The most distinguishing part of Akahana's clothing is the white and purple lily comb that she is almost never caught without.
Appearance: In Akahana's Inner World, Shoumurakari manifests herself as a sky blue heifer, with horns and hooves of sparkling black, as if they were made of polished obsidian. Her lips and nostrils, along with the tuft of fur on her tail and head, are a navy blue. Shoumurakari's eyes are lavender-colored, and are always sparkling in the moonlight. Beside her coat, her most distinguishing feature is a large spot on her forehead that looks like a crushed flower. Whenever Akahana sees her companion, Shoumurakari is always glowing gently, as the full moon's light reflects off of her pelt.Sealed Zanpakuto:
Personality: Much like Akahana, Shoumurakari is a rather happy and optimistic spirit, though her joy is less overt. Casual onlookers may consider her to be lazy, but she is, in actuality, nocturnal. Shoumurakari sleeps for most of the day, and is bothered little by her partner unless it's absolutely necessary. However, at night, she is quite active and is quite fond of going out for a late-night patrol or training session with Akahana. Shoumurakari also acts as a surrogate mother to her partner, consoling Akahana in her times of sadness and sharing her joy in victory, even giving out often-unheeded advice.
Inner World: Shoumurakari's world is in perpetual night, though it is not of an unnerving sort. It is calm and welcoming, with a moon that is always full and stars that are always shining. The landscape is a field of white lilies and lavender that never dies. Dotting the landscape are ponds that are crystal blue, and with the moon shining off of them, look like pools of light. Surrounding the largest of these ponds is a grove of fruit trees that produce apples, cherries, pomegranates, oranges, and lemons. Every couple of minutes, a breeze will blow across the field, carrying the scents of the flowers and fruits on its currents.
When sealed, Shoumurakari is a 23 inch-long wakizashi. The hilt is of a crimson color, with a short chain on which a small flower charm dangles. The hand guard is a rectangle with trapezoidal ends, giving the impression that Akahana's sword is an over-sized hypodermic needle. On either side of the guard are engravings that look like vines and lilies.Shikai Description:
When released, Shoumurakari turns into a 30-inch katzbalger. ( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katzbalger ) The blade then splits into thirds and are set approximately half an inch apart, with the outer edges being sharp and the inner edges being flat. The hilt is now turned so that it is set lengthwise into the guard, much like European swords. The hilt remains red, with the small flower charm still attached by a chain. Instead of the trapezoidal ends that its sealed state had, the ends of the hand guard narrow and curve into an S-shape.Shikai Abilities:
Name: Meihonba no Shoufu (Dark Home of the Harlot)Bankai Description:
Description: Akahana slashes the air above her head, creating a ripple of dark energy that expands in order to create a dome. This dome can comfortably be expanded to the size of a quarter of a professional football field, which is approximately 100 yards by 130 yards, though it can certainly be smaller. The area that is covered is cast into a starless night, with the full moon replacing the sun. The outside of the dome is completely black, however is not solid. If one tries running through the barrier to enter the dome, he will pass harmlessly to the outside of the opposite wall, and if he tries to jump through the top, he will be put out of a random side of the dome. This attack is mostly used to help Akahana with stealth in battle, as well as enable her to use her other two attacks during the day. As well, this ability is only used exclusively during the day, as it has no effect at night.
Limitations:
+1.The dome uses approximately thirty percent of Akahana's reiryoku. If Akahana pushes the area to its full range, which is double its original area, she loses an additional thirty percent of energy, in addition to the initial thirty lost. Any area in between causes her to loses only about fifteen to twenty percent of reiryoku in addition to the initial thirty. Not only is extreme fatigue a side-effect of forcing the dome to expand, but headaches and migraines are as well. If Akahana forces the dome to expand to its full range for too long, she is forced into a coma in order to recover from the strain, during which time the dome vanishes.
+2. The maximum amount of time that Akahana is capable of maintaining the dome at a comfortable range is about thirty minutes. By expanding the dome, Akahana is forced to concentrate more in order to maintain it, therefore drawing her attention away from battle, leaving her tactically hampered. If Akahana forces the dome to its maximum range, she can only maintain it for about fifteen minutes, with maximum concentration, before passing out.
+3. Despite the fact that attempting to pass through the dome's wall will send one to the outer wall on the opposite side of the dome, anyone inside of the dome is able to escape by running through the wall to the outside. Also, it is not completely impossible for one to enter the dome. If one is willing to create a tunnel through the ground, he may enter through the floor of the dome. As well, any large blast of energy is able to puncture a temporary hole in the wall, and remains open for about fifteen seconds, giving someone an opportunity to enter.
+4. The area has no shape of its own, and conforms to the landscape that it is used on. If used on a flat plain, then the dome offers her no real advantage in battle. Thus, it is normally reserved for forests or mountains.
Name: Meikachikomi (Dark Cattle Stampede)
Description: Akhana focuses approximately 25% of her reiryoku at the tip of her Shikai's blade. The condensed energy starts as a small violet sphere, but soon expands into a wall. Akahana slashes the air behind the wall, which signals for the energy to start surging forward. This rush of energy takes the form of heifers and bulls that are capable of breaking an enemy's bones as well as cutting and piercing the enemy's flesh. As the enemy is rushes forward, the wall diminishes in size until it disappears completely, signalling the end of the attack. It can take anywhere from thirty seconds to a minute for the full amount of energy to be used up.
Limitations:
+1. This attack uses approximately twenty-five percent of Akahana's reiryoku, and the damage that it inflicts is based largely on the strength of the opponent. If the opponent that Akahana faces is of a higher power tier than her own, he would be capable of dispelling the stampede with a swipe of his zanpakuto. If he happens to be struck, it is almost certain that he would be able to remain standing, sustaining only minor cuts or scrapes, if any at all. Those below Akahana's tier might have more problems dispelling the attack, but may more easily deal with the rush if they release their Shikai. Otherwise, the rush is somewhat narrow, and is easily side-stepped by Shunpo. As well, the stampede is only capable of moving about 100 feet before dissipating on its own.
+2. The power of this attack also varies depending on the time of day it is used. It is always strongest at night, even stronger on a night with no moon visible. It is weakest at noon. If used during sunrise or sunset, the power is approximately halved, being a little above half at sunset, a little below at sunrise.
+3. It takes approximately fifteen to twenty seconds for the wall to form. This gives an opponent a brief window to attack Akahana while the energy wall is being formed. As well, if the wall is attacked with an energy-based attack, such as cero, the wall will explode, causing a back lash of energy, causing a dehabilitating amount of damage to Akahana, mostly in the form of cuts and burns, that may count Akahana out of the battle. If an opponent were to physically attack the wall, it would disperse, cutting off the rush of energy prematurely, with little to no harm to either the attacker or Akahana. This gives the attacker a chance to catch Akahana off-guard and attack.
+4. The bulls do not think at all, nor are they capable of thinking. They only exist as a form of energy, and have no minds of their own. As such, they are not capable of chasing an opponent and only stampede in the direction that the energy wall is facing. Akahana is incapable of changing the direction of the stampede or of any of the cows.
Name: Sanmoris no Yobun (Three Lances of the Night)
Description: The three blades of Shoumurakari's shikai form are charged with Akahana's reyryoku, turning the blades almost pitch black. The blades can be discharged like spears either together or speparately, giving Akahana one to three chances to attack. The energy blades are capable of punching holes in walls anywhere between one and one-half feet in diameter, and are capable of leaving large cuts in an opponent's flesh. However, the wounds do not bleed much, but create pain that is proportional to the injury. The power of the blades is increased two-fold during the hours of 11 P.M. to 1 A.M. making them more difficult to disperse, while causing slightly more damage than initially inflicted.
Limitations:
+1. This ability uses about fifteen percent of Akahana's reiryoku.
+2. The wounds that the energy discharges leave may be deep, but are typically non-lethal.
+3. Depending on the strength of Akahana's opponents, the blades may leave no more than a scratch in higher-tiered opponents. As well, wounds, no matter what size they are, do not bleed profusely, but only trickle blood, so are easily mended.
+4. The blades are easily dispersed by high-tiered opponents, and are easily dodged by Shunpo. The power of the blades are weakened during the day, and are weakest at noon.
N/ABankai Abilities:
N/ASkill Level: Kidou: Advanced
Skill Level: Swordsmanship: Intermediate
Skill Level: Shunpou: Beginner
Skill Level: Hand-to-hand: Beginner
History/Background:
Akahana was born in the 15th District of West Rukongai to Kaibun and Yukaku Mori. The couple ran a small floral shop out of the ground story of their home where Akahana spent many days of her childhood drawing childlike pictures of the plants that were grown and sold there. The shop was well-known throughout West Rukongai and had many loyal clients that shopped there almost weekly, and it was the money from these customers that allowed Kaibun and Yukaku to give Akahana a well-rounded education, starting at the age of seven. It was several years later, during a basic biology course, that Akahana found a passion in studying the human body.RP Sample:
Shortly before Akahana's tenth birthday, Yukaku fell ill with tuberculosis, and as a final gift to her daughter, gave her the lily comb that she still wears today, as the lily was Yukaku's favorite flower, and would serve as a reminder to Akahana that her mother would always be with her. A month later, Akahana's mother died, leaving Kaibun to run the floral shop, with most of the family's money going towards the funeral. Shortly after, Akahana opted to drop out of many of her classes to help her father in the shop, taking only a basic physical sciences class and a writing class for primary school-aged children. Almost a year later, the money from the floral shop was able to recover the money that went into Yukaku's funeral costs, as well as start Akahana back in school, which she eagerly desired, though she would be a year behind her peers. Though it bothered her that she would not be with her own age group, Akahana returned to school.
Several years later, Akahana applied to take the Shinigami Academy's entrance exam and passed, but only by a few points. Because of this, she was placed into the lowest class of first-year students, which she begrudgingly accepted. During her initial training at the academy, Akahana showed little talent or promise in Shunpo or hand-to-hand combat, but showed a great deal of promise in kido, especially in the medical field, as well as a mid-level grasp of swordsmanship, which she had learned from her mother's brothers after Yukaku's death. From that point on, Akahana strived to cultivate her abilities in kido, as well as refine her sword-fighting skills. Outside of her core training at the academy, she took two courses in advanced biology to help her refine her healing skills, as well as a Flower Arrangement class, to help relieve the stress that her studies were placing on her.
Three years into her studies at the Academy, Akahana was contacted by the spirit of her zanpakuto, Shoumurakari. Though she had attempted for two and a half years to try and communicate with the spirit, Akahana had failed every time, and had almost come to the point of giving up. One night, after having fallen asleep at her desk while cramming for an exam over intermediate binding kido, a gentle feminine voice drifted into her dreams, calling Akahana's name. This dream persisted for several nights, each night a little piece of landscape revealing itself to her, starting with a full moon and stars, followed by lilies and ponds, and finally several fruit trees, but the owner of the voice never revealed herself. The voice, however, persisted and finally revealed that she was the spirit Akahana's sword, as well her name. On the fourth night of the dreams, Shoumurakari's voice recited a brief poem for her partner.
"Lavender winds blow, Full moon shine. Star-filled night, hide her secrets."
With that, Akahana was forced to wake up.
The following days were filled with much thought and pondering over the meaning of Shoumurakari's poem, yet, Akahana could make no sense of it. It was a dreamless week after her last encounter with her zanpakuto's spirit that the meaning of the poem finally clicked into place. While sparring during one of her zanjutsu lessons, the poem snapped into Akahana's mind. As if she had memorized it years ago, she recited the words of Shoumurakari's release command, unleashing her shikai form. The blade became double-edged, then split into thirds, becoming longer and slightly more difficult to wield. The opponent's blade slid in between two of the blades and with a quick twist, Akahana disarmed him, becoming the victor of their match.
Akahana began hearing Shoumurakari's voice more often, usually at night, and they began openly sharing their thoughts, and in Akahana's case, her problems and joys. Soon, the two began training together at night and quickly, their bond became immensely strong. In a matter of months, Akahana learned Shoumurakari's initial ability, and within a year, had become proficient in its use. Shortly before graduating from the Academy, Akahana was introduced to her zanpakuto's second and third abilities. Even after graduation, she is still working intensely to master the final two powers of her sword, though she has gained a greater degree of skill in using the second, and an extremely limited ability to use the third.
A silent sigh escaped her lips as she lay there, light spilling into her room through the thin paper of the sliding door. No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't sleep. Akahana's head tilted to the left, allowing her to look at her zanpakuto. As her eyes lingered on the sword, she could hear a voice drift into her head, gentle, kind, even loving, much like her mother's used to be.
"Can't sleep, can you?" Shoumurakari inquired, the voice echoing inside Akahana's head.
"No. You?" Akahana paused, waiting for a response from her partner, and then closed her eyes.
In what seemed like a matter of seconds, she found herself sitting in a pasture filled with lilies glowing gently in the light of the full moon. Next to her, a large blue heifer nibbled on a juicy red apple. A gentle breeze, scented with lavender and fresh fruit, lifted a lock of hair from her face, allowing it to settle on her shoulder. Gently, she caressed the cow's fur, allowing her fingertips to trace invisible patterns in the pale hairs.
"What's wrong?" Shoumurakari's voice spoke from the space just above the two. The cow's lavender eyes turned upward to look into Akahana's own, which were clouded with thought.
A few seconds later, her eyes cleared and met Shoumurakari's. "Huh?"
"Lately, it seems like you're distracted. Especially since your graduation, it seems as if you've checked out more and more. Either something's wrong, or you're just being lazy." The heifer took a bite from the apple she had been toying with, making a crunch that resounded through the field. Though her face had turned back to the ground, her eyes lingered on Akahana.
"To be honest," she started, her hand absent-mindedly stroking the top of the cow's head, "I don't think I've quite gotten used to being here. I mean, everything's practically the same, just no instructors, no do-over's. Everything is pretty much do or die now. It's not that I regret becoming a Soul Reaper, but it's sort of surreal. Yesterday, it seems that I stepped into my dormitory for the first time. Now, I'm here, a full-fledged shinigami." She sighed and patted Shoumurakari on the head. "It just seems like I missed something."
The heifer laid her head in Akahana's lap and nudged her gently in the stomach. "Well, you wouldn't be here if you hadn't worked hard and didn't deserve it. I mean, look at how much you've accomplished since you discovered shikai. You knew all three of my techniques before leaving the Academy. True, you were only proficient at using Kanari-Mukankaku, but still, you were at least capable of activating them." A gentle moo resonated from above the pair as Akahana scratched Shoumurakari's ear. "All I'm trying to say is, you're worthy of being a Soul Reaper. You worked hard. Now, look at where you got the both of us."
"I suppose you're right," Akahana said, laying back into the lush lilies and lavender. Slowly, the stars began to fade, the moon slowly following behind them.
