Aizawa, Jasper - Vaizard

Jasper, the Vaizard
 


 
Mirrors

Name: Jasper Aelius Lorenzo Aizawa
Age: 585, appears as if in his early thirties.
Gender: Male
Titles and Duties: The Lightbringer, Fifth Division Acting Captain

Skin Deep

Height & Weight: 6'10, 180 lbs
Hair & Eye Color: Jasper has long black hair and dark brown eyes.
General Appearance:

One of Jasper's defining traits is his sheer tallness. Standing at a towering six foot ten, having inexplicably grown three inches in the past few months, he dwarfs many of his comrades, and would probably be much more intimidating if not for his lanky build. While having visible muscles upon his arm and torso, brought to fruition after hundreds of years as a swordsman. He is still quite thin anyways, near underweight thanks to his height. His appendages are strangely long as well, his hands hanging close to his knees, his fingers long and slightly bony.

Over the years, many alterations have been made to Jasper's body, whether these have been inflicted willingly or not though is a question up to interpretation. Multiple scars are present on Jasper's body- some faded, such as the multiple scars left by the blows inflicted during his fight (or beating by) Kyousuke. Some are very easy to see, and may be present for the rest of his existence, such as the point where Tova fired a Cero through his chest. There's also a spot upon his body that Jasper covers up, citing his reason for covering it as it being the place where the grievous scar of a wound remains. Yet, it is something much worse than that, a mark that could be a death sentence to all that wear it. The permanent tattoo of an owl inscribed upon his right arm.

Jasper has always worn his shihakusho, and took special care to make sure that it was the uniform of the Resistance, as he grasped tightly onto the concept that they were all still Shinigami (albiet it was helpful that he did this, as they had no material to make new uniforms out of), only changing the design of the badge they wore to a picture of a phoenix. He wears the emblem of the Omnitsukido upon his shoulder, as all other Shinigami of the Second do. However, his Gigai's style differs greatly from the stately appearance of his shihakusho. While he does attempt to keep up with modern fashion, his desire to look more stylish than the common man shows. He can usually be seen wearing some kind of blazer (his favorite a brown striped jacket) over a dress shirt, with black pants and polished shoes.


Piercing the Veil

Positives:

• Observant: Jasper is ever vigilant to what's happening around him. He can process and retain information well, and gather it from all sorts of places. Conversations, his immediate surroundings, movement of others around him- all of it can be used to gain an edge above an opponent. Jasper had to gain this trait very quickly post forming the Resistance, as in a world where anyone, anywhere, could be an agent of your demise, you need to always have the edge.
• Sociable: A trait he has had throughout his entire existence, Jasper has had a way not just with words, but with people. Although Jasper has developed a much more introverted personality as time goes on, his skills (and actual enjoyment of being with people) remain present, and if not slightly dulled by a few months of near total introversion in Germany, sharp. Jasper does not adhere to any kind of philosophy such as "shoot first, ask questions later" or it's opposite- he tends to take things on a case by case basis, a tactic which requires him to not just have a sharp sword but as well a sharp tongue. 
• Objective-oriented: Jasper has the know how and the want to get things done. When Jasper sets up a goal, he does not beat around the bush, he does not come up with excuses- he dedicates himself to the completion of that goal and gets it done. Jasper has always been "determined" to get a job done, but dabbling too much in the ideological and with what his actions said instead of did, as he did, simply slowed his progress in achieving goals. But no longer- Jasper focuses solely on the goal, nothing extraneous to it.
• Experienced: Even though he's existed for hundreds of years, Jasper hadn't gained a lot of the beneficial experience he needed until the past two years. As commander of the Rogue Acquisition Squadron, he gained invaluable information and learned how fugitives and rogues thought. When he became one himself as Commander of the Resistance, he applied that knowledge to good use, and learned new skills about the art of subterfuge, stealth, and more. So, when Jasper says something, it isn't based on some self-image of being wise. It's because he's been there, knows what he's talking about, and has the experience to back up that claim.
• Self-Controlled: Jasper is not one to give into temptation- in fact, ever since the rise of his Inner Hollow, he has learned that, many times out of most, he must deny himself to deny it. However, Jasper is not only controlling of temptation- when speaking with others, he keeps things that he would have before said to himself. He's learned to keep his more extreme emotions bottled up unless he needs to use them. Truly, to him, it sometimes feels like he must have monk-like control over himself to do these things, but really, he has just in a way "grown up" more.

Negatives:

• Calloused: But sometimes, there aren't any emotions left to show. Over the period of longer than a year in the World of the Living, without any of his previous family and friends, he felt quite lonely, but at the same time felt betrayed by them for not sharing his views at the time. But it was as well that he could trust a very few amount of people that has made him callous. Its not that he intentionally wants to be cold to people- its just at times, he feels incapable of showing actual emotions to some. This truly scares Jasper, as he believes that if the first step is losing some emotion, what is next?
• Aggressive: Jasper isn't wildly aggressive, starting fights at every juncture or yelling at anyone- his aspect of self control keeps that in check, and in fact gives him a kind of controlled aggression that becomes a part of his determination. But Jasper's learned to take a much more assertive stance, not to be submissive to anyone's will. Nobody is going to help him but himself. This attitude has contributed to his callousness, in fact, as his hidden anger and aggressiveness towards the world makes him more distant, all the same.
• Long-temper: Jasper is able to bottle up all of his emotions because of this trait, but its not necessarily good for his health. When Jasper keeps too much of his emotion and thoughts bottled up for too long, he will eventually just break down. Although this has only been done once before, with his deteriorating mental health, he may be soon prone to more.
• Arrogant: A side effect of Jasper's experience, he is quite arrogant. Even though he has experienced a lot in his travels, he doesn't know everything, even though sometimes he acts like he does. He attempts to apply experiences that he's had in the past and apply them to his new experiences, sometimes when they're damn near irrelevant. Jasper is also very confident in his abilities, which he has reason to be, but some may say that would be his downfall against a stronger opponent. So, even though he is arrogant, he has reason to be.

Addendums:

MBTI: INTJ

My Other Half

Zanpakuto Spirit: Fabianus. Jasper's constant pillar of stability and a being of timeless wisdom. Whether he is simply a projection from Jasper's memory or the man that mentored and protected him for practically all of his life, Jasper doesn't care- he's never questioned it. Fabianus is a man of few but carefully selected words. His point of view differs greatly from Jasper, especially after he's moved away from his blinding idealism. Fabianus has always believed in justice as Jasper did, however had different ideals regarding the greater good and especially respect for authority, something Jasper has never grasped. While Fabianus may appear to be a gentle old man in his advice to Jasper, there has always been a storm brewing within him- one that has been clear in his eyes ever since Jasper's battle with Minerva.
 
Fabianus has, however, retained his old appearance, with only a few slight changes. He continues to dwarf Jasper by a head, with an incredibly muscular body even in his old age. He wears his armor from his time fighting in the army of the Byzantine Empire- a golden plate mail armor that covers the entirety of his chest, with large silver shoulders that protect his shoulders. A detailed golden flower clasps his red cloak around his back. His legs are protected by a platemail skirt of the same coloring and pattern, while his knees and legs are protected by great boots emblazoned with two crosses- the symbol of the church he did not worship. Truly, in his attire, he is a warrior. The color of his medium-length hair and beard has regained color since after the fight, with brown now overpowering the patches and specks of gray in his hair. His eyes have changed their tint as well- instead of brown, they have become a mixture of amber and gold. 
 
 
Inner World: Jasper's inner world was a glimpse into the past for him, before he was even born. His inner world was a great Roman city that has no name, but obviously was of great importance. But since his battle with Minerva, it has changed into something more familiar to Jasper- the ruins of Constantinople after its sacking in which he died. It is completely empty, except for Fabianus and Minerva, of course. The city looks exactly the same as it was after the sacking, with some buildings intact thanks to Mehmet's greed, even though Jasper is very aware that it became the home for multiple other civilizations. The only thing that doesn't have char marks or any broken windows, though, is a locked room, the exact same one as in his old inner world. Why does it still exist, why is it here? These are questions Jasper would like to figure out.
 
Sealed Zanpakuto: Most Shinigami carry two-handed katanas as their sealed weapons- however, Jasper carries a wakizashi, or the one-handed counterpart of the katana. Although Jasper used to keep it concealed within the coat he wore over his shihakusho, he has since discarded it, and wears the sword openly upon his left hip. The only power his sealed zanpakuto grants him besides the ability to move it around much more fluidly than any other piece of steel due to his experience with using the weapon, is the aura of light around the sword when it is drawn that can slightly impede vision and provide a light source.
 
Shikai Appearance: Jasper's Shikai is in line with the image of what a Shinigami's zanpakuto should be. So, when he releases it, it looks normal- that is, if anyone would be able to see the blade thanks to the near-blinding light it emits. His Shikai's appearance reflects his mastery over light, with all of it being the color of pure light- a very bright white. The blade is an abnormally long 30 inches, extending Jasper's effective combat range. The blade is always razor sharp, never indicating even the slightest indication of dulling. The hilt is wrapped in a white cloth, tied off upon a silver chain that runs off the end. The chain is always hot to the touch, even Jasper's, and has a slight aura of bright silver, the color of Jasper's reiatsu. 
 
Shikai Ability:

"Defaeco, Fabianus."

Fabianus allows Jasper to manipulate light in a variety of ways to augment his ability in combat. His control over the domain of light is so precise, that the matter bends to his will in mid battle merely through the suggestion of his thought, following his movements, precisely, and shifting at the last moment to confuse his enemies. Whether through direct manipulation, or through coordinated techniques meant to bolster his combat prowess, Jasper's dominance over the light is quite the obstacle for any foe to overcome.
 



Fracture

Inner Hollow:

Appearance: 
Minerva, even Jasper begrudgingly admits it, has an attractive exterior. Her skin is pale, yet not sallow; she is slender, yet her curves are quite pronounced; her straight hair is a light blonde, yet it is a pale white that shimmers in the moonlight that dominates Jasper’s inner world when she dictates it be so. Her presence is a towering one, her pride and conviction that she is right is evident in her posture, with her protruding her shoulders out and her slender but long hands resting upon her hips. But one of her most distinctive traits is her eyes- while the scleras in her eyes are black, her irises are a vibrant violet, and they shine and flicker constantly. To practically anyone who has an affliction for the fairer sex, her form truly lives up to her name as a Roman goddess (her name being an irony that is not lost on Jasper, considering he used to worship her namesake hundreds of years ago).

Her attire, however, can be described in a more modest fashion, but still reflects her personality- prideful, yet efficient. Minerva wears a long, black dress that goes down to only slightly above her knees, as to not hamper movement- she wears no shoes or boots, as she feels that they simply weigh her down. She wears her hair in a ponytail, her naturally long bangs forcefully receded back as to where they don’t hamper her vision. Over all of that, she wears a white cloak with a hood that can cover her eyes that is connected to her by a string that she wraps over her neck. Yet through all of this efficiency, Minerva shows pride in her self image, allowing only the slightest extravagance, through wearing a silver circlet, the metal near white however, with a black gem in the middle of it, complimenting her pale skin.
 
Personality:

Minerva is at heart a staunch utilitarian- she believes on using whatever tactic or stratagem necessary to achieve a goal, no matter the emotional or physical cost to anyone. One would say that she lacks any morals or even a conscience, however this is not true. She believes in a greater good, but it is much different from the ideal of maximizing pleasure and minimizing pain that it is usually connected to utilitarianism- not that pleasure is far from her mind, ever. No, her idea of the greater good is much different. Her idea of such a seemingly abstract concept is a mixture between balance and order, as such things usually go hand in hand. Minerva believes that there is a natural order to things, a predefined hierarchy that is carefully balanced (such as the balance between Hollows, Shinigami, and humans). Her actions are always calculated in this way- the way that will keep the balance the most. This is where her trait of “doing the necessary, no matter what” shines, as Minerva is willing to do anything at any cost to keep that balance in check. However, because she believes that she is in the right, she has a great sense of pride in herself and what she does- a trait that she and Jasper share, although Jasper rejects she is anything like him, in any way.

Otherwise, Minerva is a beast of pleasure. After order and balance is preserved, her main interest is maximizing her own happiness and pleasure. She is beautiful in almost every way the definition can be construed for the superficial, and knows it. The way she speaks is delicate, and its own kind of seductive while remaining convincing. Due to this, Minerva is a lustful being, but this causes a very strange and scary mixture. While she feeds upon her own pleasure, at the same time to truly satiate herself, she must feed on the pain and fear of others- especially Jasper’s. She relishes on the fear that he will one day give into her and lose himself in the process, the burden of knowing that he has lost a little bit of who he was and continues to do so each day. But, at the same time, she recognizes that she must protect Jasper to protect herself, and cannot push him to the limits that would cause him to die. But, she gets her kicks in subtle ways, by influencing Jasper’s thoughts and actions, relishing his reaction after he realized what he’s done. And this seems to be the greatest pleasure she can derive.
 
Mask Appearance:

The mask that Minerva provides to Jasper is not very intricate or extravagantly designed. Its design is based off of functionality, and like Minerva, is a symbol of minimalism and efficiency while looking . The mask is barren and white, rounded out to cover all of Jasper’s face except his eyes. The only specific details on it is the large row of sharp teeth that go from one side to the other over Jasper’s mouth, and a small design that is under Jasper’ right eye.

When he summons his mask, however, his eyes’ sclera turn black and his irises purple, just like Minerva’s. His irises in fact look like they are rippling under the surface of his eye, like a great, stormy violet ocean. The fact that the mask hides almost all of Jasper’s facial features and changes the ones people can see- his eyes- gives him anonymity when using his mask, which keeps Jasper from being associated with the man behind the mask.

Mask Ability:

Minerva is a being that is willing to sacrifice anything, pay any cost to keep the order and balance of the worlds. However, meaningless sacrifice is never the answer to reach such a goal- with the right person; such costs can be negated to a degree. However, not many men are of such a caliber, and it is less their personality that determines whether they can be effective operatives in achieving their goals, as much as their skillset and their knowledge of it and their confidence in it. Jasper’s mask power gives him the skillset and knowledge of how to use it- but his confidence in it can only come from its use.

When Jasper dons his mask, it’s as if his senses are heightened, or he gained a new one. Things that would have taken careful investigation or wouldn’t have come to him at all before come to him at an instant. Subtleties are not lost on him, but become integral to discerning a course of action. He thinks and processes information faster, and it is as if anything that does not require excessive amounts of planning or thought becomes instinctual to him. By looking at his surroundings, he can tell how and where to move; when to strike his opponent, where to cause the most damage or decommission him the fastest, depending on what he needs to do; tracking a target over long distances and discerning where they’ve been. These are the skills that allows Jasper to, even though he may deny it, what he’s always wanted to be- a precise, destructive tool for something greater than himself.


Scars™

• Tova Diablo: What has happened to you? Whatever did, I can never forgive you for what you have done.
• Kyousuke Tsukimiya: I've sworn to kill you for what you did to me, but you're turning out to be more and more right as time goes on. Why?
• Gilgamesh: I was reactionary to your ascension, and that was the wrong move. But you still upset the balance and are a murderer- you must be removed.
• Lancelot Aizawa: Stay strong, uncle- I'm going to save you.
• Junko Aizawa: Mother, I can always forgive you, but can you ever forgive me? I'm sorry for the trouble I've caused.
• Jemukatashi Amai: Captain, just who exactly are you?
• Mana Aizawa: You're incredibly sharp and I do love you, but you're dangerous, and I'm not sure what plans you have for me.
• Daisy Mae: You helped me in my time of need, and showed me the way. For that, I am eternally grateful and in your debt.
• Kenshou Ine: Count your days, bastard.
• Ichigenka, : I know we were enemies, but we were the same. I may not show it, but I am sorry.
• Garra Desalmados: Where are you, and where's my tool?
• Tori Saio: You're a fair person, but I can tell you're dangerous when you need to be. I have no plans of making you angry.

Flashback

"Thus spoke the fluent daughters of mighty Jupiter... They breathed 
in me an inspired voice so I might celebrate what will be and 
what has been, and they bid me to hymn the clan of the blessed 
ones who always are and to sing of them first and last."
 
 
Born in the month of March, in the year 1428, in the once-great city of Constantinople, Jasper was pre-destined to be the witness to atrocities and travesties that no teenager, let alone man, should see.
 
The name of his parents has faded in Jasper's mind much like it has in time. Their names are probably known to none now, or changed after hundreds of years. In fact, Jasper can remember very few details about them. They looked like him, certainly, both of them having dark brown hair and eyes of the same color. He remembered that they were loving and nurturing, protecting. 
 
And he remembered they were pagans.
 
Their religion was practiced in secret cabals throughout the city, with groups usually no larger than ten people. For nearly nine hundred years now, Roman polytheists had been persecuted in place of Christianity, now the dominant religion of the western world. If the word god had come off your lips without multiple names coming after it a near-millenia ago, you would certainly be put to death. Now if names came after it, you could die. But executions for being a polytheist hadn't happened for hundreds years, Christianity was the norm now. But they still had to be careful.
 
In fact, due to them trying to make sure they wouldn't be caught, they became seemingly better Christians than those who actually practiced themselves. Genesis, Revelations, Psalms- they had memorized and on the ready enough verses from the Bible to practically write the book again. Jasper, before he had even grown beyond the age of six, knew that he would have to keep it secret. He had never heard the names of these gods before in public conversation- he'd probably be thought insane if he mentioned them.
 
But in the darkness of the night, away from the lanterns and the guard posts on the walls, they worshiped their true gods. Jupiter, Minerva, Juno, Neptune- these were the gods that had truly created the universe, gods that more reflected humanity and as well had faults of their own, went to war with each other. These gods, forgotten to time, certainly were the gods to believe in!
 
But who would remember the tales of the gods, with the scriptures destroyed or lost? Who would tell them of the origins of the universe, how the new gods rule today? Who would be that last prophet of the gods?
 
Fabianus.
 
A former soldier in the army of the Byzantine Empire, whose family had never forgotten those tales, and passed them down. He resided now in Constantinople, and taught the word of the poets, priests, prophets, and the gods. But he was more than just a teller of tales. Even beyond his secret telling of tales, he was a respected man in the community. Fabianus was a judge of sorts as his "true job", he called it, and a swordsmith to pay the bills He was regarded as a good, just man, someone who knew what justice truly was. And Jasper was intrigued. From the time he was a young boy, he would listen intently to whatever Fabianus had to say, and idolized him. And Fabianus took a liking to Jasper as well, seeing something in him that he had not seen in anyone except himself.
 
And from then, Fabianus took him under his wing. By the time he was ten, already Jasper was working with Fabianus, learning to become a swordsmith. He watched Fabianus tell his tales, sometimes even reciting tales Fabianus had told him to the group. He would watch as Fabianus was asked to settle disputes, looking at his logic and reasoning being combined with a sense of what is right and wrong seamlessly. And Jasper synthesized that into himself.
 
As he became a man, Fabianus became more and more proud of him. Fabianus and his family had become one- he was like a dear uncle that also acted as a father figure in his own way. While Jasper did love his father, he certainly learned much more from Fabianus than him, although Jasper would never amid this.
 
Move forward five years. Jasper has learned so much from Fabianus, and is now ready to start working upon his own. Already he is gaining respect in the community based on his own individual merit- especially his abilities as a swordsmith.
 
The day is April 2nd, 1453, and the cold but refreshing chill of the morning can be felt as the sun rises. Jasper sits upon a wall outside of Fabianus' shop, his feet dangling off a ten foot drop. He stares at his recent masterpiece, a sword emblazoned with a great emerald in the middle of the guard. He simply sits, watching the light of the rising sun glinting off the blade. He puts it down for a moment to look at the city that has raised him, with the great waters of the Mediterranean surrounding it, with a sort-of patriotic and wistful feeling rising within him. Despite him having to hide his religion from the city, he still loves it, and for some reason knows that he will spend the rest of his life there.
 
Fabianus leaves his shop, and sees Jasper sitting upon the wall. He walks up, the jingling of his armor breaking the silence, and he puts his hand upon Jasper's shoulder. Fabianus says something, and Jasper nods. They both walk back into the shop, the door slamming behind them as it always did.
 
Try to hear the silent ships move across the waters of the Mediterranean and the soldiers silently creeping along the plains, poised to strike. Try to see the soldiers move in a violent flurry, attacking Theodosius' wall. Try to feel the fear of the men who manned the walls, those poor men who lost their lives in a flurry of confusion.
 
Try to understand what was the beginning of the fall of the Roman Empire.
 
Sword in hand, armor shining, Jasper looked at Fabianus, confused. He simply put his hand upon his shoulder, looking onto the wall of the Ottoman forces attempting to lay siege to them. And for one for the first time in his life, Jasper felt the fear of death creep into him.
 
Two months, they fought. Two months, they were continually forced back by the eighty thousand soldiers versus their seven thousand. First the Wall of Theodosius, then the Wall of Constantinople. They came from the Bosphorous, and swung around into the Golden Horn by taking their boats over land, leaving the only defense of Constantinople- the boom protected them form naval attacks- gone.
 
There was no relief from the Venetians coming. It was only those over six thousand men left making the last stand for Constantinople. Fast forward to midnight, May 29th. The screams of the Janissary legion of the Sultan pierced the darkness, as they charged the last defensive wall that Emperor Constantine had created. There, Jasper stood, no longer a boy after the atrocities he had witnessed. When they screamed, he screamed back, the bloodlust in his voice clear. He had seen his family die in front of him. Fabianus stood next to him, a bandage where his left hand had been, staring at the once innocent boy in fear. What had Jasper become?
 
The Ottomans charged the wall, the Romans were pushed a little bit back, but killed many. They charged again, and the Romans were pushed far back, but they still killed many. This continued until the Ottomans were just outside the San Romano gate- there was nowhere left to go now except wall, and a far fall downwards into the Bosphorous.
 
Some men took this route as the faster way out. But not Jasper. Even though the wounds inflicted upon him were grievous, and with them he probably would have survived less than a fortnight, he ignored the pain. He stared at the gate, breathing heavily, waiting for the men to charge through once more. He saw the Emperor take off his regal gown, his armor shining in the morning light, and pick up a bloodied sword from the ground. Jasper heard the ladders being put up upon the wall, and heard the men climbing up. He looked at Fabianus, who he had been with for the entire siege, and suddenly the bloodthirst disappeared from his eyes. No, it was clear that this was the old Jasper- the good Jasper. And he muttered one last sentence to Fabianus:
 
"I don't want to die."
 
They broke the line at the moment. Jasper was forced forward by the wall of men behind him. He drew up his sword, meagerly, and deflected a few attacks. He saw a boy no older than he swing a sword at him, which Jasper parried and countered, slicing his head off. It rolled like a melon through the river of blood at their feet. Jasper continued to defend, counter-attack, maim or kill. Jasper cringed each time he attacked back. Why couldn't these people just let them be? But then Jasper saw it- an unmanned corridor, a way for them to escape. It would lead them down the wall, but maybe there was some way to climb down. It would be a better chance than staying in here. Jasper called out his name. But as Fabianus turned and saw Jasper, he was confused by the horrified look on his face when his voice had sounded as if it was relieved. But before he could ponder much longer, he was stabbed in the back by a soldier in his blind spot. Fabianus slid off the man's sword, standing on his knees and futility trying to get enough air to his lungs.
 
Jasper ran up to him, charging at his killer and dispatching him with one blow. He then turned, grabbing Fabianus and resting his head upon his kneeled knee. 
 
"Fabianus..." Jasper said, knowing the old man's death was about to come, and he couldn't stop it. Jasper knew it was his fault, he had forced Fabianus to turn.
 
"It's...okay. Just, one thing." Fabianus' voice was strained, and was getting quieter as it went on.
 
"Anything!" He yelled out to him, as if he was simply falling asleep and being loud would wake him up.
 
Fabianus then grabbed Jasper's hand tightly and brought his head to his ear. "Seek justice." he said, before immediately after going limp.
 
Jasper saw a man come at him from his side- he had no time to grieve. He rolled backwards, dodging the man, but bumping into one of his fellow soldiers, who flew into the sword of an Ottoman. Jasper looked in horror, but got up and started running. He ran and ran and ran, until he found the corridor he had planned to take. He ran through it, seeing the opening in the wall.
 
It was at that moment he realized how high up the end of the city was. He looked back to the battle. There was no way out in which he could live. Jasper only had two choices- die a coward, or die a hero.
 
Reluctantly, he chose the second. Running back into the fray, he saw a slightly wounded man upon his knees, about to be stabbed by a Janissary. Jasper jumped in front of his sword, taking the sword from his side, through his ribcage, into his lung. As the Janissary removed his sword, confused, Jasper stabbed him in the heart, and let go of the sword, the man falling on his back, sliding the sword out of his ribcage. Jasper yelled in pain as he did, falling back. He heard the man he had saved run back without thanking Jasper. He the warm blood cover his back as he laid down, and looked up into the sky. What a beautiful place to live in Constantinople was. No, how beautiful was it to live? And the sky over Constantinople, oh, the sky! How wonderful would it be to see his city from above, in the air. Air. Air, why couldn't he breathe? Not enough air, it was all escaping. He kept breathing it, but nothing. Drowning in air, drowning.
 
A darkness set over Jasper before he realized it, as if he was falling asleep. There was no last word, no definitive end to life. Just sleep.
 
And around him, as the emperor fell to his knees, a sword in his heart, an era, Jasper's era, ended.
 
Around him, the Roman Empire fell.
 
 
 
 
 
That sleep followed for what felt like days. Strange dreams followed- he dreamed he was a young boy, going off in misadventures. His mother and father were there, too, still alive, but looking much different. And there was another person there- a girl who he was very close to. He dreamed that he was a boy again- but Fabianus wasn't there. That was one thought that ran through Jasper's head throughout the dream. Where was Fabianus? If he was truly a boy again, why wasn't he alive?
 
And then, out of nowhere, he woke up. He stood in front of an entrance to a large house, of the likes he had never seen. Immediately after looking at it, he reached for his wound, remembering that he had just been stabbed. As he felt up the right side of his body, he noticed it was smooth. There was no indication that a wound had ever been inflicted there.
 
"Jasper? Jasper!" a voice that was exactly like one he had heard in his dream cried out. 
 
"Yes?" he said instinctively in a language that wasn't his. He covered his mouth. "What the hell?" he said once again in the same language, forcing his hand further upon his mouth. He looked behind him, and saw his dream mother, looking very concerned.
 
He fell back asleep right after that.
 
But for a much shorter time. As he awoke, he began to realize just who he was and what had happened. Memories over a hundred years old began to sharpen and coalesce with his memory as a human. He remembered who he was in conjunction with his human life. Jasper Aizawa, heir to the noble house Aizawa in the Soul Society. Everything began to come into place. Who he was then, but also who he was as a human. Confused about his dual identity, he panicked, trying to figure out which one he was.
 
It took him near half a day, but eventually he calmed down, and started to understand that he was the same person, had the same soul, except after he had died- not fell asleep, died- the nature of his soul changed somehow. He became the soul of the baby of Junko and Mokuba Aizawa, his parents, probably by coincidence of the time he died. He hadn't regained his old memories until now because he hadn't aged physically to the age he was when he died (or at least, that was the theory). It took him a little while longer for his pre-death memories to accept his post-death memories fully, but over the course of a few days, he was fine and functioning again.
 
Justice. The idea of justice began to consume him, Fabianus' last words ringing in his ears every day of his life now. He knew joining the Shinigami, following in the footsteps of his parents (?) would be the way to do that, of course. However, he wasn't necessarily old enough to join yet. Even though he had been alive for almost a hundred years, he was still mentally a fifteen year old. So, after a few years of waiting, he was cleared to enter the Academy.
 
To call Jasper ambitious would be an understatement. No, he was ferocious. He wanted his pick of any division, maybe even as a seated officer right off the bat! While he was an expert with his sword in the art of zanjutsu, thanks to his skill in his life as a human bleeding over into this one, he was only quite skilled with Shunpo, and horrid with the Demon Arts, his graduation almost hampered by that, with him only passing while being barred from the 3rd and 4th division. But Jasper didn't care- he still had all the others!
 
Of course, though, to lock in a place in a division for students, they would usually have to know the name of their Zanpakuto and subsequently unlock his Shikai. Many had attempted to do so through intense meditation, trying to gain access to their "inner world". Jasper, seeing the futility in this, decided to simply wait. But as he waited longer and longer for his Zanpakuto to appear to him, he got more and more worried. It was getting dangerously close to graduation, and he would soon have to apply for the divisions. He got on his knees and prayed to his old gods, please, that he could be given his Shikai so that he could deliver righteous justice.
 
His prayers were answered that night.
 
It was as if he were in a haze. He walked through the city, no longer bloodied or broken. Clean, neat, pristine. He saw a figure in the distance, simply standing there, waiting. It beckoned to Jasper, and he walked to it, at a very slow pace. But as he came closer and closer, his contours sharpened, details began to pop out. And before he had even seen the figure in its entirety, he knew who it was. Jasper walked up to it, and felt a smile uncontrollably spring from his face. The being touched his forehead with his left hand, and Jasper whispered one word.
 
"Fabianus."
 
And Jasper woke up in his bed, in a cold sweat.
 
"I'm back, my son." he could hear Fabianus say in his mind, and Jasper smiled.
 
He felt truly at peace with himself.
 
 
 
Jasper rose through the ranks of the Shinigami quickly. Joining the Second Division to "administer direct justice", he quickly became a low-ranking seated officer. For about two hundred years he stayed in that position, mostly leading small teams to dispatch hollows which were classified as a medium-level threat. However, after a spat with a powerful hollow in which he disobeyed a direct order and nearly died yet was still promoted, about a hundred years later he switched over to the 6th Division, being assigned the title of Third Seat and given the duties of leader of the Rogue Acquisition squad. For a decent amount of time, he led his team to acquire numerous rogues, and proved himself a competent officer within Jemukatashi Amai's own division.
 
But everything changed when Gilgamesh took over. Jasper was reactionary, not realizing that the best course of action would have been to destroy him from the inside until much, much later. He formed a Resistance with Kenshou Ine, who soon after left it, and aimed to fight Gilgamesh. But he didn't have enough men, and never would. He couldn't recruit anyone to his side, it seemed, and no one even payed attention to him until it was too late.
 
The Invasion of Hueco Mundo was what set it off. Jasper had barely escaped Kyousuke Tsukimiya, a man who had changed Jasper for the worse through his heavy interrogation and mind games, and his former division's clutches (thanks to his Captain) to participate in the battle in which he slayed Gilgamesh's lieutenant. That's when he, and the rest of the world, saw Tova Diablo die.
 
Jasper quickly used that as an opportunity to attempt to talk Tori Saio and Garra Desalmados into an alliance- however, it was a very half-hearted one, with the real alliance being made between Garra and him to help his uncle break free from inside of Gilgamesh.
 
But when Tova was revealed to be alive, but turned a bloodthirsty maniac, everything changed. Jasper, feeling it to be his duty, stood up to Tova, attempting to stop him. But Jasper was easily dispatched, and instead of letting Jasper die outright, he tainted his soul, giving him his inner hollow and changing the course of his life forever.
 
After gaining his inner hollow, Jasper hid in Germany, hoping that everyone would think he was dead and planning to blend in and be protected passively by the Quincy. But instead of finding himself succumb to anxiety in isolation, he met people who gave him strength, like Daisy Mae.  People who gave him a future he must live for, like his sister, Mana, and the rest of his family as well. He would fight this demon inside of him, and he would live.
 
Not knowing that his inner hollow was almost ready to fight him, he sought out Jemukatashi Amai, his old Captain, the man who had commissioned him to create the Resistance. Trying to tell the man his troubles, Jasper hadn't realized his entire personality had changed, that Jemukatashi was somewhere in there. As his anger grew after the man rebuffed him, he could not contain it all anymore. He exploded, just the opportunity his inner hollow needed, and began his fight with his inner hollow.
 
After defeating his inner hollow, Minerva, in a great battle within his mind, and after Jemukatashi subdued the hollow on the outside, Jasper arrived in the Soul Society. Searching for Gilgamesh, he instead found Kiriko Chinda, who reinstated him as a recruit in the Second Division.