Asasakijima, Seijirou [APPROVED, 2-1+]

Basics

Name: Asasakijima, Seijirō 「浅東島 清次郎」
True Age: Approximately 360
Gender: Male
Personality: Seijirō is a warrior first and foremost. A once-peaceful merchant, he realized that peace did not occur without action. He learned that words have no place in a time of wars. Words, to him, are nothing but venemous lies. Actions are what drive him. Actions are all he can believe in as even a feint is still an action with some meaning behind it. An assassin can get up close to you by saying sweet lies, and he can still pull out a blade and slash your throat-all while smiling the same. Yes, Seijirō abhors speaking. And that is why he has taken the role of a mute. He speaks nothing, but he still makes grunts and such. Sounds, noises, and all of that can not lie, unlike speaking. He'd rather hear the beat of war drums than the bellowed war cries of a nation.

But wouldn't a warrior need to speak to report to his lord? That is why Seijirō does not speak using his voice. Instead, the warrior speaks using written words. Seijirō has not only devoted his time to memorizing the entire collection of Kanji in both on'yomi and kun'yomi, but he also self-taught himself English. He can understand the pronounciation of those words, and-if he wanted to-he could speak both Japanese and English near-fluently. In that aspect, he is great for being a diplomat. This is also because he also can easily use a calligraphy brush to near-superhuman levels in not only speed, but flow and accuracy. He published many anonymous haiku, most of which are recognized as the pinnacle of haiku writing. He writes on many things, from life and death to ripples on a lake. He is a keen observer, allowing him to see things that are taken for granted and truly appreciate them.

Nothing Seijirō does is for nothing. Even if the mission failed, he will gain something. Some small tidbit of information, a new skill, something to make sure that it wasn't all-for-naught. He won't assist a random stranger asking for help. He will assist the one not asking. He will assist the one screaming. This goes back to his views on voices. Seijirō carries a notepad with him to direct other people to assist the person who was asking for it. He will, however, assist those he knows if they ask for help. This most definitely includes people he works for. He knows how painful seeing an ally not assisting can be, and so he makes sure that none of his allies see him not helping.

Seijirō never aims to injure. Injuries mean nothing. For as long as someone is still alive, they can still attack. They can still lie. That is why Seijirō aims to kill. Every strike must be capable of killing instantly. Every strike must be capable of making sure that another lie ever spews from that person's mouth. Seijirō also never treats someone as unarmed. As long as someone lives, they are armed. They can grab even the most common thing and turn it into a weapon. Even a loaf of bread could be deadly. However, he is not someone who fights just to fight. No, it's slightly more complicated than that. Seijirō fights for others that will bring about peace. He knows there is no everlasting peace. And he also knows that it would simply be too ironic for him to be the one to bring about peace for him to be able to do it himself. Thus, Seijirō supports those he feels can do that.

General Appearance

Appearance: Seijirō is handsome. No, he is more than handsome. Seijirō has a light complexion, especially for a Japanese male. He could almost be mistaken for a Caucasian, or at least a half-Caucasian. He has a lean, slightly muscular build. It is well-hidden underneath his clothing. He has many scars across his chest, all of them jagged and intersecting one another. On his back, there is a faded scar that traces his spine. Unlike the others, this one is smooth, created by a single strike from a sharp blade. There is also another scar on the outer edge of his right arm. It too was created by a sharp blade, although this scar was moreso torture than the rest.

Seijirō's hair is a lucious black that sometimes appears to be a deep brown in certain lighting. He sweeps the front bangs to the left. He does so to make sure a strong draw will not brush his hair into his eyes. Yes, Seijirō is left-handed. He can write just as well with his right hand, but he can not weild a sword with it anymore. Where his hair parts, there is a bundle of hairs that stick up, forming what is known as an ahoge. Other than two bundles that drape across his neck to his shoulders on either side, most of Seijirō's hair is actuall swept back. Seijirō's eyes, on the other hand, are aimed directly forward. Their sharp, steel blue is just another sign of his coldness.

As for clothing, Seijirō does have a unique outfit. Nothing about it—save for the color scheme and some stylings—is that of the Shinigami traditional uniform. This isn't to say that he isn't identifiable as a Shinigami. From a distance, the uniform does indeed look like a standard uniform. He wears something reminiscent of Shunkō's keisen. The main difference is that Seijirō's keisen-like garb does indeed have a back. The Hakama-like pants are also more flared, but it is essentially the same. His undershirt, however, is unlike the keisen's. It is a western-style high-collared shirt mixed with the keisen's undershirt. It buttons with tiny silver buttons until his mid-waist, and from then on it is more like the keisen's. It has legs, making it seem like footie pajamas without the feet. Seijirō keeps the top four buttons un-buttoned to make sure he can breathe and move properly. In cold or dusty conditions, he can button it all the way up, making the areas more bearable. And even under that, does Seijirō wear more. He has a traditional kimono underneath the undershirt. It is blue and rather soft, but it is made of a material not too unlike kevlar. It is woven in tight loops arranged like chainmail. It can stop most physical arrows, and it is sort of a last means of protection.

Over that all, he wears a mantle. It drapes around his arms, normally hiding all but the very tip of his Zanpakutō and his hands. The design on the buttons for the mantle is very intricate. To keep it together, a black fabric strap is positioned between two buttons. The buttons are metal, but are dyed to be a deep amesthyst in color. The designs are that of a lily, and both are exactly the same. The mantle also has a rather flared collar. The collar itself is only slightly shorter than the flared collar of the undershirt, but it has two decorations not too unlike the buttons. They are made and painted the same, but the design is different. Cut out from the metal are two circles-a larger one on top, with a smaller one at the bottom. Seijirō also wears a pair of lightly-armored kote gauntlets. However, these were-custom made. Instead of being armored more on the forearm, Seijirō's are mainly armored on the back of the hand. This allows him to put more distance between him and the strike when deflecting it. Lastly, Seijirō still wears his waraji. They are made of the traditional rice straw, but they have one major difference. Inside each of the thickly wound strands is a filament of a strong metal. This reinforces them and keeps them from breaking.


Appearance Age: Approximately mid-twenties.
Height: 181cm
Weight: 78kg

Natural Abilities

Unreleased Abilities:
Kidou: Seijirō is not that talented with his Kidou overall. He only knows up to 44 on Hadou, but is even worse with Bakudou, only learning up to 26. When casting, his are always weaker as he never speaks an incantation. However, the fact that he learned all of these so far without an incantation at all is not something to scoff at.
Zanjutsu: This is where Seijirō shines. His skill in Zanjutsu is of course not up there with a Captain's. However, it is above that of the other Lieutenants. It can be said that his "way" of using Zanjutsu is among the most agressive, as he never uses it to injure. All of his strikes are aimed to kill within two further strikes, if not with that one strike.
Hakuda: Hakuda is Seijirō's second strong suit. A swordsman's body is also their sword. However, his "way" of using Hakuda is not effecient in the slightest. Whereas most would use it as a fighting style on its own, Seijirō uses it as a "push back" so he can go back to using Zanjutsu.
Hohou: Seijirō is not too terrible with Hohou, specifically Shunpo. With Shunpo, he is limited to very short distances. However, he is above average in his overall speed in covering those short distances.
Zanpakutō: Gessekai is a blue katana totally 40.25 inches (102.235cm) in length. The scabbard is a shade of blue near Royal Blue. The tsuba is circular. The texture on the outer edge is like a snake's (or a dragon's) skin. The design on the inside of the Tsuba is a pair of large overlapping circular voids. Thus, the Tsuba is attached only by two triangular outcroppings. The Kashira on Gessekai extends almost to the Tsuba. It is a dragon, with the lower jaw being the clip for a hidden chain kept within the handle. The design is in gold-like color, though it is more like brass. The cloth is not evenly spaced, and instead is tightly wound with no spacing in the center.
Zanpakutō Release Phrase: Eclipse 「食する, Shoku suru」
Other Weapons: None.

Zanpakutō Spirit

Zanpakutō Spirit Name: Gessekai
Zanpakutō Spirit Appearance: Gessekai is insectoid in appearance. It looks like a fusion of a butterfly, a mantis, and a firefly. Overall, the shape resembles none of them. It has two pairs of small, wasp-like wings on its back. Instead of legs, it has two beetle-like wings folded around the end of its body. It has two "arms" which are closer to being a pair of knives molded into a body than arms. The butterfly's aspects come from the eyes along its "shoulders" and "chest." On the shoulders, there is a large black void with two eyes, one violet and the other a dark green. They aren't actually eyes, but simply defense mechanisms much like a butterfly. However, the chest has a similar pattern. Those eyes are, however, real. They are bright green and crimson. The "head" of the creature protrudes above the eyes. Beneath the eyes, there's a large, glowing red sphere.

Zanpakutō Spirit Personality: Gessekai doesn't speak much. It's not that it can't speak, but that it's mirroring its owner. It finds value in why Seijirō no longer speaks. It agrees that it is a mature, yet unrealistic, view. However, he also understands that there is a time to speak. Seijirō does not understand that yet, but Gessekai does. Gessekai knows that sometimes, a voice can prevent action that would be otherwise unpreventable by another action. He also knows that it reminds Sejirou that he is human. Part of what he does is to make sure that Seijirō doesn't go off-the-wall and destroys his Gessekai on accident. The other part is so that Seijirō doesn't destroy himself on accident. Gessekai finds there is much promise in this young man, and will do anything to help Seijirō to get on the 'right path.'
Zanpakutō Spirit's World: Gessekai's inner world is a twisted, natural beauty. The main attraction is a large tree, much taller than most skyscrapers. There is no ground, only a vast, starry sky around it. Outside of the tree, there is little to no gravity. In essence, the tree is a "planet," or rather the "root" of a planet. The bark of the tree is a healthy dark brown. There are many branches at the top, all covered in luscious, green leaves. The inside of the tree is like a forest of pipes. The tree itself is closer to a hollow trunk with thousands upon thousands of healthy trees inside. There are branches, but no leaves inside. It is not a place someone could wildly swing a sword in. The only light comes from large, bulbous protrusions from the trees. When broken, they deflate and secrete a highly flammable, yellow, honey-like liquid. The top of the tree is covered in branches and leaves. The leaves are in a triangle-like shape. The main difference is that there is another "point" at the bottom, which gives it a unique four-sided shape. The roots extend out from the tree to incredible distances. There are many main roots that are large enough to build a suitable four-lane automobile tunnel through.

Shikai

Shikai: Gessekai 「月世界, Moon World」
Shikai Appearance: (See below)
Shikai Abilities: Gessekai is strange when it comes to a Zanpakutō. Instead of being able to use all three abilities at once, Gessekai can only use one per release. It depends on what chant after the release phrase as to which one is used.

Nami no Tadayou 「波の漂う, Drifting Wave」: Used with the add-on phrase "and wane" 「と衰える, to Otoroeru」. Nami no Tadayou changes the shape of his Zanpakutō by extending and curving the blade to where it forms a spiral. The dragon on his Zanpakutō's handle will raise its jaw, revealing a clip and will snap onto Seijirō's armband. The clip is attached to a chain kept within the handle. This allows Seijirō to throw his Zanpakutō and still be able to control it somewhat. The reason it is known as "Drifting Wave" is because the spiral is not that solid. If thrown or swung with enough force, it uncoils and acts much like a whip.

Konsui no Fukai 「昏睡の深い, Deep Trance」: Used with the add-on phrase "and shine" 「と輝く, to Kagayaku」. Konsui no Fukai reverses the blade on his sword. This means the blade is on the inner curve whereas the blunt edge is on the outer. However, that is merely a lie to confuse the opponents. There are actually now two blades. One is within the other, giving him a rather ingenious way of attacking. The reversed blade will extend when enough force is put into a swing, revealing that it is hollow and connected to the end of the inner blade by a short but sturdy chain. This gives him a one-two strike within a single slash.

Michiyuki 「道行, Pathfinder」: Used with the add-on phrase "and disappear" 「と隠れる, to Kakueru」. Michiyuki is the second most drastic appearance change. The length of the blade is not altered. The blade's "position" is not altered. No, there are simply more blades, as well as the lack of a Tsuba. To be more specific, there are numerous, thin blades that "split" from the original blade after the Tsuba is cast off. There is minimal distance between each of the blades, making it impossible for a sword to be caught between them. However, there are so many that it looks like a single, solid, slightly angled blade. However, it is not. The blades are spaced so close together that it is more like a shaving razor than a sword. The entire length of the chain stored within Gessekai's hilt is wrapped around Seijirō's arm.

Bankai

Bankai: Getsuruitō 「月涙刀, Moon Tear Sword」

Bankai Appearance:
Bankai Abilities:

Umi no Kagerou 「海の蜉蝣, Ephemeral Sea」:
Tsuki ga Hikari 「月が光, Moonlight」:
Tsuki ga Noboru 「月がのぼる, Moon rise」:

Past & Roleplay Sample

Character Background: Seijirō's story begins happy. He was born to a family in the height of the Tokugawa shogunate. His family were not daimyo. There were not samurai. They were not farmers. They were not bandits. They were boatwrights. They built only fishing boats, but they were the only ones in their village that did so. The village itself was rather new. It had been founded as an informal village not forty years before Seijirō was born. The village was located along the coast of modern-day Ōfunato in Iwate. The mount ranges made it ideal for a fishing village. Bandits would have trouble getting to the town, but so would traders. Thus, the village was mainly self-sufficient.

Seijirō was a rather unremarkable child. He helped with the duties around the house when he was old enough to. He wasn't educated outside of what he needed to know to survive and to build ships. He didn't have ambitions of becoming a Samurai. He wanted to continue his father's business for generations to come. In fact, he would have if he could. The man known as Seijirō Asasakijima would have been another nameless pillar that kept Japan as a country. However, his time was cut tragically short. Four years after marrying the daughter of a cooper, the tragic fate of that portion of land was about to happen. The village, as well as Ōfunato today, is situated fairly close to an undersea volcano. There are occasional rumblings and small earthquakes... but none was like the day when the village disappeared. A rather large earthquake hit the area, causing a rather large tsunami. A villager from another part of Japan said it was their fault for not being "under the protection of the Shogunate." The tsunami was funneled in by the narrow bay, leaving no traces of a life there behind. Skeletons still litter the mountains behind Ōfunato, waiting to be unearthed.

But that isn't the end of Seijirō's story. Far from it. Seijirō, like any normal person, only physically died that day. His soul still lingered on. Of course, any large amount of Plus being produced in one location normally would send off alarms for the Soul Society, so it was almost natural that there was a quick response. Seijirō was not fully told what was going on, as it's still something most people would not be able to handle upon death. After the konsou was performed, Seijirō was somewhere in the Rukongai, though he had no idea where he was. He had no idea where to go. He had no idea who he "was" aside from his name. It was a new start for him.

Society wasn't much different from what he was used to, albeit it was much, much larger. However, the main difference was that Seijirō had no "purpose." He couldn't build boats like he used to, even if he wanted to. Instead, he became a merchant. He sold fruits and such while working for a man who was getting bored of his job. Seijirō needed money, and this was the only way to get it. There was the option of stealing it, but Seijirō was told that the Shinigami would rip him to shreds if he tried to. He eventually began sharing a house with the man, who was almost becoming a father figure to him. Seijirō learned tricks of the trade from the man. He learned who to sell to and who not to. Who to advertise to and who to try to push away.

Then, the man gave Seijirō the funds to buy the materials for another stand. Yes, Seijirō was expanding this man's business. After building his own stand in a nearby district, Seijirō's first time on the job solo was a massive failure. It wasn't so much that his marketing techniques failed, but rather than there were no customers like the ones he had seen in the other, lower-numbered district. This prompted Seijirō to think outside the box. There was another stand across the street which sold hand-woven baskets. After closing shop one afternoon, he introduced himself to the owner. He was a man who looked tougher than he actually was. The man was almost too friendly, and after Seijirō was done explaining his situation, offered to help. The other man said his secret was a pretty face, and had his son bring his daughter, Miyako, in. His daughter was, indeed, quite beautiful to Seijirō's eyes. She had long, black hair cut in a "hime cut." She was slightly paler than most and was definitely skinnier. However, her gentle face made her seem alive in the world full of the dead.

Seijirō eventually befriended the daughter. Her father approved of the young man, since he was able to swallow his pride and ask for help. The trio of the father, Miyako, and Seijirō eventually boosted business to the point to where the new stall far surpassed the original one. The owner of the original stall was pleased, since he was getting more and more income thanks to Seijirō. Seijirō celebrated the fifth straight year of success by proposing to marry Miyako. He did so in front of both her father and her. Her father said it was bold to blatantly ask someone that, but he agreed since he did approve of Seijirō. Then it was Miyako's choice. She had seen something in him, and said that she had seen something, but never said what it was. That something prompted her to agree. The two had a small ceremony two months after that.

Seijirō and Miyako were a regular, happy couple. Seijirō's investor and Miyako's father put up half of the money for the couple to have a house of their own. It wasn't much, but it was enough for them to be happy in. They kept up a rather happy lifestyle for nearly fifty years. Then, Miyako's health took a turn for the worst. What she had was never identified. It was something that "ate up her organs" and prevented her from eating or breathing correctly. She wouldn't die from it, but it would cause her excruciating pain. However, she would still work. She would still try to help around the house, no matter how painful it was to her. Seijirō hated seeing her in pain. Her gentle face was warped to something writhing in agony. That's when Seijirō's love for her overtook his morals.

Seijirō had heard that there were doctors that could help this sickness, but they were far too expensive. So, Seijirō took out a loan with a group of rather... shady people. They were the only ones who would give out such large amounts after all. There was one condition, and that was that they were to never come to his home. Seijirō hired the doctor, whose treatments made her pain disappear. The disease was still there, but there was no more pain from it. Seijirō was so relieved. Of course, he kept up with his payments to the group. But even after he paid it off (including interest), they still kept asking for more. Eventually confronted them and explained that he had. The leader agreed. Seijirō was very relieved to hear... such a lie. Oh, it was such a lie, but Seijirō didn't know that.

In fact, the leader did not agree. The leader decided that it was time to take something more... valuable. Two nights later, Seijirō was tied down in the middle of his sleep. He was only awoken by Miyako's screaming before it was muffled. The shady group from before had tied Miyako up in front of him, and the leader was standing there with a short knife. Seijirō yelled that he thought this was dealt with, that he had paid everything off. He screamed that the boss had agreed. And the boss simply said "Did I say that? Then I guess I lied." Seijirō pleaded that he'd pay them any amount of money they wanted if they let Miyako go. The boss simply said "You should have done that in the first place." and then slit Miyako's throat. Being as sickly as she was, it wasn't long until his wife was dead where she had fallen. Seijirō did not suddenly gain powers. He did not go into a rage and kill them all. He broke down. He denied it happened. He cried. He yelled. He screamed. He struggled. The boss took the same knife and cut Seijirou's back, as if to reach into his spine. With one final stab, he left the knife embedded in Seijirou's right hand. He whispered in Seijirou's ear "Your debt is now clear. I look forward to doing business with you again." The group of murderers left into the night.

Thankfully, a neighbor heard the scream and called a group of strong men in to make sure that Seijirō wasn't murdering her or anything. They broke down the door, and saw the gruesome scene. Seijirō was silent by the time they came in. He was crying, but there were no words. He was no longer screaming. Seijirō had experienced just how terrible a lie could be. He vowed never to speak another word. Seijirō wrote down what happened on paper and presented it to the men, who then alerted Shinigami about it. They untied Seijirō, who closed Miyako's eyes and held her tightly until her body was nothing. Seijirō joined the next class of Shinigami, vowing a sort-of revenge.

All during his time in the academy, he trained. He learned the responsibilities of a Shinigami. He learned what humans are, what Plus are, etc. He did not have much of a social life, but someone who doesn't speak at all rarely does. And because he didn't have that social life, he was able to train more. He needed to train more. His right hand has some lasting damage, causing him to have to switch to using his left hand. All of this was to make sure those... thugs were never going to do what they did to another person. During his fifth year in the academy, he learned that the shady group and its boss had been wiped out. They had caused problems with a Shinigami, who then had to use lethal force to stop the group. Thus, Seijirou had no "purpose" in being a Shinigami. Seijirou then realized that no matter what he said or if they were apprehended, groups like that would always exist unless they were killed off. And that's when he sharply changed his style. He was no longer trying to bring these groups to justice. He was trying to kill. That's what he changed his style to—the way of death.

After graduating, he was placed into the Second Division, thanks to his skill with a sword. It wasn't so much that he was better, but moreso that he was more aimed to kill. He was not put into the Omnitsukidou, but as a regular member of the Second Division. By this time, he and his Zanpakutō had already created a silent bond. By the time most people with the capabilities to achieve Shikai had, Seijirou was still lacking. This was because it was still a silent bond. It wasn't a proper communication. Eventually, his spirit became fed up with Seijirou not progressing and took action himself, bringing Seijirou into his own world. It took many days, but Seijirou was eventually able to catch the flying beast. On the tenth anniversary of Miyako's death, her father presented Seijirou with Miyako's family mantle, saying it would be better off in his hands. Seijirou's overall outfit changed over time. The mantle was rather difficult getting permission for, which is why he is only allowed to wear it when not on a mission. The large-collared shirt and underlying garb were allowed because of their functionality. The main part of the uniform was changed to fit the "style" of the rest of his attire. All of the clothing was provided by Miyako's family and his former investor.

• Name [x]
  
• Appropriate Age [x]
  
• Gender [x]
  
• Appearance Present [x]
  
• Appearance Described in Appropriate Length OR Picture is Visible [x]
  
• Appearance is Not Claimed [x]
  
• 15 sentences for personality [x]
  
• History is 15 sentences [x]
  
• Powers are not Godmod/Overpowered [x]
  
• Powers are described reasonably enough [x]
  
• Application/RP Sample is not in First Person [x]
  
• RP Sample Present (Omit if this is not the first character) [x]
  
• RP Sample is 15 sentences [x]
  

Comments/Notes:Soifon: FINALLY, SOMEONE USEFUL.
Tier:Approved, 2-1+ :3