Post by Alexander V. Terada on Dec 25, 2014 5:50:06 GMT -5
Shinigami
The Basic Information
Name: Terada, Alexander Vülfne
Name Note: While his last name is now Terada, Alexander had previously, until relatively recently, used 'Vülfne' as his last, a name that he now keeps as a middle name and normally only refers to as 'v', as in Alexander V. Terada. He is not married, he has simply chosen to take the name of his adopted family in the Rukongai.
Current Visual Age: Mid-Twenties
Actual Age: 118 years
Gender: Male
Sexuality: Bisexual (recently)
1st Language: English, UK, slight Yorkshire accent
2nd Language: Japanese, Seireitei, Rukon District dialect, very slight 'foreign' accent
Current Position: Second Division, Fourth Seat
Alignment: Lawful Nice
Dexterity: Primarily right-handed, slightly ambidextrous due to use of two sword style
Appearance
Ethnicity & Country: Caucasian, British
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 71 kg
Hair: Alexander's hair is one of his more handsome features. Relatively short, dark brunette, with a mild clockwise swirl, it has always grown out in a thick, healthy collection with natural volume, despite the fact that he does little to maintain it, other than keeping it trimmed and clean.
Skin: Fairly smooth, slightly pale, no distinguishing marks or scars. While he did have a bit of trouble with acne when he was younger, it's all cleared up quite nicely now, leaving almost a baby faced complexion.
Eyes: Pale green, slightly hooded, very warm and emotive, these tend to be the part of his body that reveals all his moves in advance during combat. They are slightly sunken in his face, but the glasses he wears often conceal this fact.
Reiatsu Colour: A very pale, light gold
Reiatsu Feel: Alexander's Reiatsu has a warm and slow flowing feel to it, like a gentle breath on the skin. As his power and mood intensifies it becomes hotter and more fierce. Though it may still have a soothing feel to it at first, like the sun on a calm summer's day, it will eventually grow scolding and hard, like hot metal pressed on the skin.
Clothing: Standard, Shinigami uniform. He wears this even when off duty. Were it not for the age of it and poor quality, he'd wear the common clothes he'd once worn in the Rukongai. However, he prefers to look presentable, even during his time off. He's yet to buy himself anything new for his casual wear selection.
Gigai Clothing: White shirt, black and red striped tie, black overcoat and trousers. With a certain sense of 'humour' the people who provided Alexander with his gigai originally provided jeans and sleeveless shirt. Alexander has since made purchases so as to have an attire that better suits his tastes.
Glasses: Thin, rectangular frame, black, mild prescription for long distances, the design appears to be a rather cheap make. Though he has, due to battle, had to replace his glasses on a number of occasions, Alexander has never felt the need to invest in anything more than what is essentially needed for his eyewear.
Build: Pretty average build, very slightly skinnier and elongated than some. As is often the case with those specialising in sword fighting, the muscles along his forearms are well developed, however he's always managed, not just there, but across his body, to keep himself toned as oppose to having bulking, cumbersome muscles.
Posture: A rather good, upright posture, but a slightly more closed and defensive body language when interacting with others. Though he's originally from the Rukon Districts, Alexander has since been taught some of the finer points of higher class etiquette, and while he does relax it when in everyday company, when with someone important he'll make the effort and show off the proper ways of standing, sitting, eating and walking that one might see used by some of the nobler classes.
Description: Alexander is meticulous about his appearance. Whilst some Shinigami might be concerned, even consumed, by the desire for beauty and style, his concern is with appearing smart and presentable. Alexander always makes a fair effort to ensure that his uniform is in good order and that he arrives on time, clean-shaven. His hair is typically well kept and trimmed. Likewise, his Zanpakutou is well kept, maintained and polished.
It should be noted that his vanity seems more of a nervous disposition on his part. In no way does he look down on others who do not keep their appearance as meticulous. On one occasion, after missing his morning shave, resulting in the slightest, barely noticeable hair growth, he found himself feeling the need to apologize to his superior, 'for his appearance'. A common mannerism for him when nervous or ill at ease is to straighten out and carefully tuck in the various parts of his Hakama. During a fight or a spar however, Alexander would seem to accept that it is quite normal to become disheveled, though he typically feels the need to straighten himself out after battle, however briefly, and normally takes a moment or so to do so, doing so hastily, or even on the move, if he is required urgently elsewhere.
History
Pre-Seireitei Origins: United Kingdom
Seireitei Origins: Eastern Rukongai
Born: March 3rd 1899
Died: January 4th 1917
Human Family
Melissa Vülfne: Mother. Born Melissa Goodman, 1869. Married to Jacob Vülfne in 1891. Died 1941.
Jacob Vülfne: Father. Born 1868. Married to Melissa Goodman in 1891. Died 1957.
Graham Vülfne: Older brother. Born of Jacob and Melissa in 1894. Died 1918.
Samantha Vülfne: Older sister. Born of Jacob and Melissa in 1896. Died 1941.
Kate Vülfne: Older sister. Adopted by Jacob and Melissa in 1902. Born 1895. Died 1991.
Mathew Vülfne: Older brother. Born of Jacob and Melissa in 1897. Died 1982.
Thomas Vülfne: Younger brother, twin to Ashley. Born of Jacob and Melissa in 1904. Died 1945.
Ashley Vülfne: Younger sister, twin to Thomas. Born of Jacob and Melissa in 1904. Died 1931.
Rukongai Adoptive Family Relations
Aiyumi Terada: Age 60, with a visual age of 35 when Alexander first met her. She is now 158, with a visual age of 51. She is the owner of the house Alexander lived in and formerly primary carer to the two children of the house, Yukihira and Shiramine. Currently lives with Yukihira in the Eastern Rukon District. She always stuck Alexander as a very wise and patient lady, though quite frightening on those rare occasions when she comes to make her cold and rather stern rebuttals. There are more than a few unruly juveniles in the local area who'd been set straight by her.
Yukihira Terada: 'Little sister' to Alexander, despite actually being older than him. Born in the Eastern Rukon District, Yukihira was aged 37 when first met by Alexander, with a visual age of 6. She is now aged 135, with a visual age of 22 and is still living in the Eastern Rukon district. A rather kind and playful individual, her sense of humour always was and still is, rather teasing in nature.
Shiramine Terada: Little brother to Alexander. Shiramine was 9 years of age, with a visual age of 5, nearly matching his actual age. He is now 107, with a visual age of 21, and is now living, with his new wife and family, in the Southern Rukon District, serving with local, civilian law enforcement. His disposition is quite fiery and passionate, but tempered somewhat by a degree of self discipline. He was always an easy target for Yukihira and, to some extent, still is...
Claire Nakahara: Alexander's Ex-girlfriend, currently estranged. Last saw briefly during a meeting held just outside the Seireitei at the beginning of World War II. Parted with on relatively good terms. Current residence in the Northern Rukon District. Actual age to present date 253, visual age 29. Slightly elevated spiritual power. She'd been the type that was fiercely, almost jealously, protective of Alexander, even when her feelings were unknown to him and apparently unrequited. It took a while for her to win him over, since she was somewhat shy in showing her attraction to him, though he eventually caught on.
Seireitei Acquaintances
Ayato "Koroshiya" Kimura: First met during a fierce battle taking place outside the Eastern Gate, though somewhat briefly. Ayato was a member of the Second Division and trained Alexander in the proper use of Nitoryu. Somewhat more blunt then the people Alexander normally associates with, Ayato was none the less patient with his troublesome student.
Walkren Dekharr: A member of the Third division at the time, Walkren worked with Alexander briefly during a mission in the Outer Rukongai area, back when Alexander was still First Division. Though they mostly talked of the business at hand during the mission, the two of them seemed to get on well enough and it seems worked effectively together as a team.
Robert Mühle: Lieutenant of the Third Division when they met and Alexander was attempting to enter the Division. Holding some disdain for Alexander's defeatist attitude, which he had at the time due to some lingering trauma and after he'd lost his position in the First Division, Robert's approach was somewhat harsh, but effective. While Alexander saw him as a tormentor of sorts, not to mention a figure of suspicion, he does have him to thank for his Zanpakutou awakening and for the fixing of his resolve. He became for a brief period, a mentor of sorts for Alexander, helping to teach him some of the finer points of combat.
Shinoda Kasumi: First met when Alexander was just an Academy Student, Kasumi was mortal back then, and just a child. Upon meeting her again, this time in the Seireitei, both of them Shinigami now, he was surprised, to say the least. None the less, the two of them went out on mission, and seemingly got on well enough. Despite being younger, Kasumi was Alexander's superior at the time, being the Sixth Seat of the Second Division while Alexander had yet to even become an Officer. While Kasumi has since risen to greater heights within the Seireitei, a falling out more recently has prevented Alexander from benefitting from his relationship with the Seireitei's former Commander, now his Captain in Second.
Aeserninus Victoria: A soldier of the Fifth Division when Alexander first met her, she was somewhat dismissal of Alexander, perceiving him as a mere Scribe. At the time he was seeking a chance to fight on the battlefield. Having ignored her suggestion to leave and not be apart of this, he got his chance and got to see for himself the horror of that world... Afterwards she served as a counseling figure for this distressed and traumatised individual, a role he would get to play in turn for her at a later date. Alexander considers the two of them to be friends, of a sorts.
Nagisa Chinda: Captain of the Second Division at the time they met. Rescuing Alexander from certain death during The Invasion, Nagisa thus became an idolised, and slightly fancied, figure for Alexander. Following his assignment to the Sixth Seat of the First Division, Nagisa was the only Vaizard Alexander knew of. He would consult with her on the issue, and through her know what little he'd know about the phenomenon.
Other Acquaintances
Iko: A vile, but evidently intelligent Hollow with whom Alexander had a violent encounter. They left their fight largely undecided, both determined to destroy the next time they met again.
Freyleif Jökulsdóttir: Though he was unaware, at the time, of the far more significant and influential position that she would obtain shortly after they met, Alexander had the pleasure to encounter this young Quincy woman. Meeting in a remote lodge in the Swiss Alps, trapped together there by a vicious blizzard that would last the night, for the most part Alexander would find himself 'evaluated' by Freyleif. Uncovering his true nature and forcing him to reveal himself as a Shinigami, she would toy with him, eventually giving him a 'passing grade'. While he'd not learn much about her, despite having found himself in an extremely intimate setting with her, though one in which, quite unfortunately, very little actually happened, it would be safe to say that the sight of her - all of her, as it so happened, both of them willingly taking to a state of undress - would leave quite the impression on him.
Human Life
Born in Yorkshire, Alexander lived a pretty normal life up to the start of the first world war. From a large and extensive family, Alexander was born the fourth child of seven. He grew up in a comfortable home, and attended public school. The house was fairly large, but with an extended family, still slightly crowded. With the exception of one, the members of the family were all fairly close, both parents kindhearted, patient and encouraging. Out of all of his family he was closest to his older sister Kate, who had been adopted into the family about three years or so after he was born. Unfortunately, it was Kate who had difficulty fitting into the rest of the family. Though Melissa and Jacob were good parents, she'd come with a troubling past and was perhaps a bit too much for the Vülfnes to handle. Nonetheless, they gave her a good home, tried to raise her well, and it wasn't actually until after the first world war and Alexander's death that she became estranged to the rest of the family and left. Alexander was the only person out of all the Vülfnes that Kate got on well with and was close to. He was an intermediary of sorts between her and the rest of the family. In short, Alexander was the only person in the family that everyone got on well with. Alexander's personality made him the heart of the family, even when he was still young.
Skirting the line between lower middle to upper working class, the Vülfne line's roots in Britain went back as for as the days of the Viking raiders. Despite this long line and tradition however, during the rising tensions preceding the break out of the great war, it was decided that the pronunciation of the family name would be soften and changed to Woolna. Originally from an old Norse term meaning 'wolf's courage', the name Vülfne was considered to be too Germanic sounding by a few, outside and inside the family. The change was slight, subtle and made overtime.
Shortly before turning fifteen, a few months before the breakout of the war, Alexander Woolna found himself a part time job as an accounting assistant at the local bank. Little more than a filing clerk and occasional teller at the counter, he was nevertheless, a young boy with the appearance of a young man, dressed in smart clothes, with a 'proper' haircut, polished black shoes and the occasional ink stains on his fingers from holding a quill. Once war had broken out, with the exceptions of shoring up the buildings with sandbags, preparing other reinforcements for threat of bombings, increased responsibilities and workload due to reduced work force, his life continued pretty much as usual. However, his smart and mature appearance meant that he had already received a number of white feathers* in and about town by the time he'd turned sixteen, even though he was still under-age. With his older brothers already gone off to war, Alexander did what so many young men at the time unfortunately did. He lied about his age and enlisted.
Alexander's life continued from that point as it did for so many young men at the time, albeit only briefly. In the cold, mud and rain of the trenches, he spent his time kept awake by the constant sound of artillery. With rats scuttling across the damp rotting planks on the floor, and lice crawling on the single, worn blanket he had, the only tiny memento he had of a long forgotten home and warm parental embrace, Alexander spent some of his last hours cowering in fear before going over the top. In the cold and frozen mud of a long winter, a slip and slide on naked earth, and a shock wave from a not so distant explosion, caused by a mine set off by a close friend, meant Alexander spent his final moments tangled in barbed wire, watching the ever approaching stream of tiny impacts on the ground caused by the barrage of bullets being released by a distant machine gun...
It is perhaps fortunate that Alexander has little to no memories of his past life, like so many living in the Seireitei now. That said there will always be the tragedy of the forgotten blanket left lying in the mud, and that warm, but broken home, with one or more empty chairs now set around the wood burner.
*White feather, an informal rebuke at the time of both the first and second world war. As part of the increasing pressure and propaganda encouraging men to go to war, any young man not in uniform was to be given, by women for the most part, a white feather to mark and shame them with the accusation of cowardice.
Skirting the line between lower middle to upper working class, the Vülfne line's roots in Britain went back as for as the days of the Viking raiders. Despite this long line and tradition however, during the rising tensions preceding the break out of the great war, it was decided that the pronunciation of the family name would be soften and changed to Woolna. Originally from an old Norse term meaning 'wolf's courage', the name Vülfne was considered to be too Germanic sounding by a few, outside and inside the family. The change was slight, subtle and made overtime.
Shortly before turning fifteen, a few months before the breakout of the war, Alexander Woolna found himself a part time job as an accounting assistant at the local bank. Little more than a filing clerk and occasional teller at the counter, he was nevertheless, a young boy with the appearance of a young man, dressed in smart clothes, with a 'proper' haircut, polished black shoes and the occasional ink stains on his fingers from holding a quill. Once war had broken out, with the exceptions of shoring up the buildings with sandbags, preparing other reinforcements for threat of bombings, increased responsibilities and workload due to reduced work force, his life continued pretty much as usual. However, his smart and mature appearance meant that he had already received a number of white feathers* in and about town by the time he'd turned sixteen, even though he was still under-age. With his older brothers already gone off to war, Alexander did what so many young men at the time unfortunately did. He lied about his age and enlisted.
Alexander's life continued from that point as it did for so many young men at the time, albeit only briefly. In the cold, mud and rain of the trenches, he spent his time kept awake by the constant sound of artillery. With rats scuttling across the damp rotting planks on the floor, and lice crawling on the single, worn blanket he had, the only tiny memento he had of a long forgotten home and warm parental embrace, Alexander spent some of his last hours cowering in fear before going over the top. In the cold and frozen mud of a long winter, a slip and slide on naked earth, and a shock wave from a not so distant explosion, caused by a mine set off by a close friend, meant Alexander spent his final moments tangled in barbed wire, watching the ever approaching stream of tiny impacts on the ground caused by the barrage of bullets being released by a distant machine gun...
It is perhaps fortunate that Alexander has little to no memories of his past life, like so many living in the Seireitei now. That said there will always be the tragedy of the forgotten blanket left lying in the mud, and that warm, but broken home, with one or more empty chairs now set around the wood burner.
*White feather, an informal rebuke at the time of both the first and second world war. As part of the increasing pressure and propaganda encouraging men to go to war, any young man not in uniform was to be given, by women for the most part, a white feather to mark and shame them with the accusation of cowardice.
Plus Existence
Alex Woolna's existence as a Plus was relatively short and confusing. When he awoke in the stretches of no man's land, as many did that day, his initial thought was that a truce had been declared, and that he was, would be, among the wounded being collected on the fields. This lasted only for the briefest of moments however, with the clear memory of what had actually just happened coming back sharply to his mind. The artillery and guns were silent, there were people walking about, and while it didn't take long for him to conclude that he was dead, it took a bit longer to realize what he was seeing about him was not the result of any truce. Strangest among the sights he saw that day were a number of figures dressed all in black, making their way around the battlefield. He didn't recognize a single one of them, but from what little he could hear at a distance, they didn't seem to be speaking English or German.
It was as Alexander started to get back up to his feet that the artillery shells started to fall again. Obviously as a Plus, he could not be affected by such things, but he did at least flinch when the explosions started back up. It was almost enough to make him flee back towards the trenches, as he noticed a few people doing, but he had that clear certainty that he'd already left the mortal coil, and something about these strange people dressed in black had him transfixed. Whilst a few of the soldiers stayed, as he did, and some fled, as he almost did, the Shinigami had basically ignored the artillery. One of the figures in black seemed to give instructions to some of the others, in whatever language they spoke, and some of them broke off from the rest, calmly jogging off to the trenches after the people who had fled. Not entirely certain what was going on, he approached the Shinigami that appeared to be in charge.
He'd started with a polite 'excuse me' before realizing that the figure in black that he'd approached was a young woman, quite a beautiful one at that. It'd been awhile since he'd seen one, he hesitated. She said something to him, again in that same language from before that he didn't recognize. Though, with the ideas of Angels and Valkyrie buzzing in his head, it's questionable what good English would have done. Again, she said something to him in Japanese, it seemed like a question. He snapped out of it, but still didn't have a clue what she was saying. 'Sorry, I er... I don't,' he didn't get to say much else. The young woman sighed, saying something else in a tone that suggested that she'd given up. What she had said was, 'can you understand what I'm saying?', then upon her sigh 'of course you can't'. She gestured for him to stay calm down and stay there for a second. Having the briefest moment to calm himself, he noticed something that he hadn't before. On his chest... he looked down. There was this large plate of what looked like metal, and a chain... He hadn't noticed that the Shinigami in front of him had drawn her sword. The pommel of her Zanpakutou tapped gently on his forehead, a circle of light appeared beneath him. His last words before disappearing from this world and shifting to the next were 'wait, er, what is...'
It was as Alexander started to get back up to his feet that the artillery shells started to fall again. Obviously as a Plus, he could not be affected by such things, but he did at least flinch when the explosions started back up. It was almost enough to make him flee back towards the trenches, as he noticed a few people doing, but he had that clear certainty that he'd already left the mortal coil, and something about these strange people dressed in black had him transfixed. Whilst a few of the soldiers stayed, as he did, and some fled, as he almost did, the Shinigami had basically ignored the artillery. One of the figures in black seemed to give instructions to some of the others, in whatever language they spoke, and some of them broke off from the rest, calmly jogging off to the trenches after the people who had fled. Not entirely certain what was going on, he approached the Shinigami that appeared to be in charge.
He'd started with a polite 'excuse me' before realizing that the figure in black that he'd approached was a young woman, quite a beautiful one at that. It'd been awhile since he'd seen one, he hesitated. She said something to him, again in that same language from before that he didn't recognize. Though, with the ideas of Angels and Valkyrie buzzing in his head, it's questionable what good English would have done. Again, she said something to him in Japanese, it seemed like a question. He snapped out of it, but still didn't have a clue what she was saying. 'Sorry, I er... I don't,' he didn't get to say much else. The young woman sighed, saying something else in a tone that suggested that she'd given up. What she had said was, 'can you understand what I'm saying?', then upon her sigh 'of course you can't'. She gestured for him to stay calm down and stay there for a second. Having the briefest moment to calm himself, he noticed something that he hadn't before. On his chest... he looked down. There was this large plate of what looked like metal, and a chain... He hadn't noticed that the Shinigami in front of him had drawn her sword. The pommel of her Zanpakutou tapped gently on his forehead, a circle of light appeared beneath him. His last words before disappearing from this world and shifting to the next were 'wait, er, what is...'
Rukon District
Though he did in fact die, Alexander Woolna, once he had arrived in the Rukon districts and the memories of his life started to fade, his original name of Vülfne began to re-assert itself. On some level he was more familiar with the name he had when born and in his early life, as oppose to the one he had in his later, and somewhat shorter life. It seems, quite fortunate, that the happier memories of playing with his big sister Kate as a small boy survived in his head longer than any... less pleasant memories.
With the great war, exceptionally large death toll and plentiful influx of new arrivals, Alexander was far from alone when he arrived in the Rukon districts. Of course, the Rukon District had gone through problematic times like this before, with wars and battles and death, but never before on this scale. With some people of the delusion of still being at war, after death, and with people rejecting, adhering to or fighting to maintain command structures from the life before, there was plenty of conflict among the new arrivals. Even for those whose memories have faded since their arrival, the trouble could still come to them in the form of officers and men from an army and side they couldn't even remember (their own side or the enemy's).
Whilst a lot of Shinigami were sent to the Human World to deal with the vast increase of dead, some were left behind to try and prevent total chaos from breaking out in the Rukon districts. At both ends, in both worlds, there was of course, as there had to be, some level of compromise. In the Human World, there would be places where the Hollows were allowed to run rampant, where the cost of Shinigami lives would have been too high to hold the area. Alexander had been lucky to awake in an area where the Shinigami had arrived, after the bloodshed, but before the Hollows. Likewise, in the Rukon districts, martial law had to be declared. Local law enforcement were armed and reinforced by volunteers from other districts. Some of the more hostile and violent new arrivals were driven out to the most outer regions of the Rukon district. Makeshift barricades of wood, furniture, carts, were piled up to keep them out. Once banished from the streets, they'd be left to their own devices, to kill each other off, to be picked off by hollows, or to scavenge what they could to make new homes for themselves, in which case the barricades would be taken down much later on and it would become just another sprawling expansion to the Rukon districts.
On arrival in the Rukon District, Alexander became a calm voice of reason amidst some of the smaller disputes that occurred between recent arrivals in his local area. One of the more reasonable of the new arrivals, despite having retained most of his memories of his life (at least for his first few years), Alexander ended up working alongside some of the local law enforcement and soldiers trying to maintain order in the area. With a number of barriers to overcome, language and cultural, recent arrivals who were reasonable, acclimated well and were willing to try and help keep the peace, were valued. Over the years he managed to help with some mild disturbances here and there, a talker and negotiator rather than any sort of fighter. He didn't really stand out as anyone special, among a number of people who came forward to try and keep things calm. Life became pretty normal and unremarkable again for him a few years later, after the war and once things had started to die down.
During his first year in the Rukon District, Alexander met Claire Nakahara with whom he became intimate. A volunteer from the Northern Rukon District, there to try and help with the disputes taking place, she had been an English colonial in what is now the United States of America. Having been there in the Rukon long enough to have been adopted to a family, as Alexander would eventually be, and to have even taken their family name, she was a fluent Japanese speaker and in turn teacher to Alexander who, with her help, quickly picked up the language in a couple of years. Their relationship lasted for a long time, and there was even talk of marriage at one point. However, while they were close at first, after about four years they began to grow apart, and another year or so later, with the tensions in the Rukon District beginning to ease up, she left Alexander, returning to the Northern District.
After his first month in the Rukon District, Alexander was welcomed by a local family in the Eastern Rukon, where he had first arrived, and with whom he had first been given lodging by local enforcement, who had found him helpful and wished him to find somewhere to stay. It is most often the case in the Rukon districts, people who are not related by blood come together to form families. In this case, Alexander became a new older brother to Yukihira and Shiramine, a young boy and girl, who had been under the care of Ayumi Terada, an older woman, who had in turn been serving as mother and sole guardian to the two young children.
Whilst he was not a member of the family, to begin with, or even close to anyone in the household, this gradually changed as it became increasingly possible for him to communicate in Japanese, either by speaking it himself, or by being more frequently accompanied by Claire, who could translate. Eventually though, as he gradually and subtly became part of the family, it was discovered that Alexander had a knack for looking after the children of the household. Despite barely being an adult, and not even that when he first arrived in the Seireitei, coming from an extended family growing up, Alexander had good instincts and was well liked by the two children, who he was then subsequently put in charge of on a regular basis. This was, of course, a big leap forward for him to become considered a part of the family. Too old to be considered a child of the household, but too young to be the father or husband in the household, Alexander was 'older brother' to Yukihira and Shiramine, whilst simply Alex or, in more formal moments, Alexander to Ayumi.
Gradually moving further in towards the inner parts of the Rukon District, Alexander got a job in a local book shop and library where, among other things, he had been improving his otherwise fairly basic knowledge of the Japanese written language. For several years he lived peacefully, surrounded by books, working in a store, going home and looking after two children. Alexander dated for a bit, but nothing that led to marriage. For the most part he kept to himself, drank his coffee whenever he could get it, enjoyed the quiet moments he could snatch before returning home to the only people he was really close to and, of course, to two most energetic children.
As tensions rose in the Human world, in the anticipation of yet another world war, preparations were being made in the Rukon districts. They knew better what to expect this time and would be ready. As a concerned citizen, anxious to know exactly what sort of preparations were being made, he attended a number of public gatherings where authority figures gave nice speeches, to reassure the people, and called for volunteers to help with the surge of new arrivals that they might be expected to hold. Not really planning to volunteer himself for any of this, Alexander was mostly, like a few at the gatherings, just inquisitive to hear the things that were happening in the Human world.
Another curiosity to see were the occasional Shinigami, a few of which you might have seen in passing at these meetings. They'd mostly been there at the public gatherings for the sake of appearance more than anything else. Unlike some of the excited members of the crowd, in awe of the Shinigami, Alexander hadn't really given them much notice. As it happened though, this lack of interest failed to go the other way around. One of the particularly perceptive Shinigami in the group on tour, took notice of an exceptional spirit energy moving about casually among the crowd, a moving beacon glowing with gold in a crowd of otherwise grey figures. Not making a scene there and then, this Shinigami made some discreet enquires after the public meeting. Showing up and figuratively posing for the cameras, was boring work. Noticing and scouting out someone with the potential, a possible candidate for the Academy, while not exactly the height of entertainment, was better than catering for the needs of the Seireitei public image, at least for this particular Shinigami.
It was at work, rather than home, that a well-spoken Shinigami came to speak quietly with Alexander. As is his way, offering a cup of tea and a biscuit, Alexander sat down and had a very civil conversation with the Shinigami who discussed with him his potential, what it meant to have spiritual powers, and generally what steps Alexander could take next, if he so chose to take them. His need to eat, and the subsequent hunger he could feel from not eating, were a curiosity, but not one he'd really been concerned with to date, as he was doing fairly well for himself, at least by the standards in the Rukon districts.
The second world war in the Human World came and went, without anything remarkable coming up in Alexander's life. He continued to work in the book shop for quite a while, looking after his little brother and sister when he returned home. When the book shop eventually closed down, he got another job doing inventory at a warehouse, then after that a job minding the stalls at the local market place. Though he'd had quite a varied career by the time he'd entered the Academy, out of all the jobs he'd held, the one he'd had at the book shop was the longest. By the time he took the entrance exams for the Academy, which he eventually would, he was a book clerk, having once again found a job in a book shop.
Though he had spiritual powers, he wasn't really interested in going to the Academy, preferring to stay at home in his local area, with family. He had a vague recollection of having fought in some war long ago, of having done his part, and when it came down to it, he didn't like to fight. He certainly didn't want to become some glorified soldier. It wasn't until there was a series of attacks by Hollows in the local area that he decided to go away. Among the things he was told about people who possessed higher than usual spiritual powers, Alexander had been informed that his presence might attract Hollows and that his powers might grow over time, which would of course only increase the chances of Hollows coming his way. At the time that he'd been told this, and had made the decision to stay in the Rukon District anyway, it was not the case that Alexander had not trusted the Shinigami that'd come to him, but simply that Alexander was happy where he was. He had his little job in his little shops, earning enough money to get himself some bread and rice, with some left over to help the family. There were two young children, growing up, slowly but surely, he'd see them become grown ups in his time, maybe they'd look after him as he grew old, though strangely that seemed to be taking longer than it was for everyone else. His life was peaceful, in a far better part of the Rukon districts then some, why would he leave?
Before the attacks, which were scattered around the area, and by no means centralized on his location, the area Alexander lived in had been peaceful and free of attacks by Hollows. It was nearly a full forty years after Alexander had been told about his elevated spiritual powers, about sixty years since he'd died, before this brief season of attacks swept through.
Still, people had died, others were left grieving, mourning lost loved ones. Monsters had appeared and destroyed houses. His own family, although untouched, had been put in danger. 'Everyone would have been safer if I'd taken myself, my power, and the Hollows with it, far from here,' this is what Alexander thinks to himself as he re-built, alongside his family and other people he knew from the local area. Hollow attacks in that particular part of the Rukon District were largely random, and did not occur with great frequency. In all fairness, and likelihood, his elevated spiritual powers probably had nothing to do with the attacks that had occurred this one time during his stay in that part of the Rukon District. However, with none to argue with what Alexander was telling himself, he made the decision to leave. Not immediately, of course. There was still some rebuilding to be done, and leaving behind his whole life all of a sudden would've been hard.
Reluctant to leave everything he knew behind, Alexander decided to wait till the children had grown and left home. Eventually Shiramine left home, moving away to another district entirely. Yukihira decided to remain and take care of the gradually ageing Ayumi. There wasn't much of an excuse Alexander could find to stay, as desperately as he wanted to. Sure, Yukihira was still there, but she was a grown woman, a fine one at that, and technically she'd actually always been older than Alexander. 'The food will be better in the Seireitei', he'd tell himself, and he wouldn't have to do too much to get by, or so he'd heard. Although a military organisation, there was plenty he could do that wouldn't involve fighting.
He still stays in touch with family, writes, visits whenever possible, sends some money to help them out, when he can. Nearly ten years ago though, Alexander took the entrance exams for the Seireitei Academy, passed, and set off for his new life as a future Shinigami of the Seireitei.
With the great war, exceptionally large death toll and plentiful influx of new arrivals, Alexander was far from alone when he arrived in the Rukon districts. Of course, the Rukon District had gone through problematic times like this before, with wars and battles and death, but never before on this scale. With some people of the delusion of still being at war, after death, and with people rejecting, adhering to or fighting to maintain command structures from the life before, there was plenty of conflict among the new arrivals. Even for those whose memories have faded since their arrival, the trouble could still come to them in the form of officers and men from an army and side they couldn't even remember (their own side or the enemy's).
Whilst a lot of Shinigami were sent to the Human World to deal with the vast increase of dead, some were left behind to try and prevent total chaos from breaking out in the Rukon districts. At both ends, in both worlds, there was of course, as there had to be, some level of compromise. In the Human World, there would be places where the Hollows were allowed to run rampant, where the cost of Shinigami lives would have been too high to hold the area. Alexander had been lucky to awake in an area where the Shinigami had arrived, after the bloodshed, but before the Hollows. Likewise, in the Rukon districts, martial law had to be declared. Local law enforcement were armed and reinforced by volunteers from other districts. Some of the more hostile and violent new arrivals were driven out to the most outer regions of the Rukon district. Makeshift barricades of wood, furniture, carts, were piled up to keep them out. Once banished from the streets, they'd be left to their own devices, to kill each other off, to be picked off by hollows, or to scavenge what they could to make new homes for themselves, in which case the barricades would be taken down much later on and it would become just another sprawling expansion to the Rukon districts.
On arrival in the Rukon District, Alexander became a calm voice of reason amidst some of the smaller disputes that occurred between recent arrivals in his local area. One of the more reasonable of the new arrivals, despite having retained most of his memories of his life (at least for his first few years), Alexander ended up working alongside some of the local law enforcement and soldiers trying to maintain order in the area. With a number of barriers to overcome, language and cultural, recent arrivals who were reasonable, acclimated well and were willing to try and help keep the peace, were valued. Over the years he managed to help with some mild disturbances here and there, a talker and negotiator rather than any sort of fighter. He didn't really stand out as anyone special, among a number of people who came forward to try and keep things calm. Life became pretty normal and unremarkable again for him a few years later, after the war and once things had started to die down.
During his first year in the Rukon District, Alexander met Claire Nakahara with whom he became intimate. A volunteer from the Northern Rukon District, there to try and help with the disputes taking place, she had been an English colonial in what is now the United States of America. Having been there in the Rukon long enough to have been adopted to a family, as Alexander would eventually be, and to have even taken their family name, she was a fluent Japanese speaker and in turn teacher to Alexander who, with her help, quickly picked up the language in a couple of years. Their relationship lasted for a long time, and there was even talk of marriage at one point. However, while they were close at first, after about four years they began to grow apart, and another year or so later, with the tensions in the Rukon District beginning to ease up, she left Alexander, returning to the Northern District.
After his first month in the Rukon District, Alexander was welcomed by a local family in the Eastern Rukon, where he had first arrived, and with whom he had first been given lodging by local enforcement, who had found him helpful and wished him to find somewhere to stay. It is most often the case in the Rukon districts, people who are not related by blood come together to form families. In this case, Alexander became a new older brother to Yukihira and Shiramine, a young boy and girl, who had been under the care of Ayumi Terada, an older woman, who had in turn been serving as mother and sole guardian to the two young children.
Whilst he was not a member of the family, to begin with, or even close to anyone in the household, this gradually changed as it became increasingly possible for him to communicate in Japanese, either by speaking it himself, or by being more frequently accompanied by Claire, who could translate. Eventually though, as he gradually and subtly became part of the family, it was discovered that Alexander had a knack for looking after the children of the household. Despite barely being an adult, and not even that when he first arrived in the Seireitei, coming from an extended family growing up, Alexander had good instincts and was well liked by the two children, who he was then subsequently put in charge of on a regular basis. This was, of course, a big leap forward for him to become considered a part of the family. Too old to be considered a child of the household, but too young to be the father or husband in the household, Alexander was 'older brother' to Yukihira and Shiramine, whilst simply Alex or, in more formal moments, Alexander to Ayumi.
Gradually moving further in towards the inner parts of the Rukon District, Alexander got a job in a local book shop and library where, among other things, he had been improving his otherwise fairly basic knowledge of the Japanese written language. For several years he lived peacefully, surrounded by books, working in a store, going home and looking after two children. Alexander dated for a bit, but nothing that led to marriage. For the most part he kept to himself, drank his coffee whenever he could get it, enjoyed the quiet moments he could snatch before returning home to the only people he was really close to and, of course, to two most energetic children.
As tensions rose in the Human world, in the anticipation of yet another world war, preparations were being made in the Rukon districts. They knew better what to expect this time and would be ready. As a concerned citizen, anxious to know exactly what sort of preparations were being made, he attended a number of public gatherings where authority figures gave nice speeches, to reassure the people, and called for volunteers to help with the surge of new arrivals that they might be expected to hold. Not really planning to volunteer himself for any of this, Alexander was mostly, like a few at the gatherings, just inquisitive to hear the things that were happening in the Human world.
Another curiosity to see were the occasional Shinigami, a few of which you might have seen in passing at these meetings. They'd mostly been there at the public gatherings for the sake of appearance more than anything else. Unlike some of the excited members of the crowd, in awe of the Shinigami, Alexander hadn't really given them much notice. As it happened though, this lack of interest failed to go the other way around. One of the particularly perceptive Shinigami in the group on tour, took notice of an exceptional spirit energy moving about casually among the crowd, a moving beacon glowing with gold in a crowd of otherwise grey figures. Not making a scene there and then, this Shinigami made some discreet enquires after the public meeting. Showing up and figuratively posing for the cameras, was boring work. Noticing and scouting out someone with the potential, a possible candidate for the Academy, while not exactly the height of entertainment, was better than catering for the needs of the Seireitei public image, at least for this particular Shinigami.
It was at work, rather than home, that a well-spoken Shinigami came to speak quietly with Alexander. As is his way, offering a cup of tea and a biscuit, Alexander sat down and had a very civil conversation with the Shinigami who discussed with him his potential, what it meant to have spiritual powers, and generally what steps Alexander could take next, if he so chose to take them. His need to eat, and the subsequent hunger he could feel from not eating, were a curiosity, but not one he'd really been concerned with to date, as he was doing fairly well for himself, at least by the standards in the Rukon districts.
The second world war in the Human World came and went, without anything remarkable coming up in Alexander's life. He continued to work in the book shop for quite a while, looking after his little brother and sister when he returned home. When the book shop eventually closed down, he got another job doing inventory at a warehouse, then after that a job minding the stalls at the local market place. Though he'd had quite a varied career by the time he'd entered the Academy, out of all the jobs he'd held, the one he'd had at the book shop was the longest. By the time he took the entrance exams for the Academy, which he eventually would, he was a book clerk, having once again found a job in a book shop.
Though he had spiritual powers, he wasn't really interested in going to the Academy, preferring to stay at home in his local area, with family. He had a vague recollection of having fought in some war long ago, of having done his part, and when it came down to it, he didn't like to fight. He certainly didn't want to become some glorified soldier. It wasn't until there was a series of attacks by Hollows in the local area that he decided to go away. Among the things he was told about people who possessed higher than usual spiritual powers, Alexander had been informed that his presence might attract Hollows and that his powers might grow over time, which would of course only increase the chances of Hollows coming his way. At the time that he'd been told this, and had made the decision to stay in the Rukon District anyway, it was not the case that Alexander had not trusted the Shinigami that'd come to him, but simply that Alexander was happy where he was. He had his little job in his little shops, earning enough money to get himself some bread and rice, with some left over to help the family. There were two young children, growing up, slowly but surely, he'd see them become grown ups in his time, maybe they'd look after him as he grew old, though strangely that seemed to be taking longer than it was for everyone else. His life was peaceful, in a far better part of the Rukon districts then some, why would he leave?
Before the attacks, which were scattered around the area, and by no means centralized on his location, the area Alexander lived in had been peaceful and free of attacks by Hollows. It was nearly a full forty years after Alexander had been told about his elevated spiritual powers, about sixty years since he'd died, before this brief season of attacks swept through.
Still, people had died, others were left grieving, mourning lost loved ones. Monsters had appeared and destroyed houses. His own family, although untouched, had been put in danger. 'Everyone would have been safer if I'd taken myself, my power, and the Hollows with it, far from here,' this is what Alexander thinks to himself as he re-built, alongside his family and other people he knew from the local area. Hollow attacks in that particular part of the Rukon District were largely random, and did not occur with great frequency. In all fairness, and likelihood, his elevated spiritual powers probably had nothing to do with the attacks that had occurred this one time during his stay in that part of the Rukon District. However, with none to argue with what Alexander was telling himself, he made the decision to leave. Not immediately, of course. There was still some rebuilding to be done, and leaving behind his whole life all of a sudden would've been hard.
Reluctant to leave everything he knew behind, Alexander decided to wait till the children had grown and left home. Eventually Shiramine left home, moving away to another district entirely. Yukihira decided to remain and take care of the gradually ageing Ayumi. There wasn't much of an excuse Alexander could find to stay, as desperately as he wanted to. Sure, Yukihira was still there, but she was a grown woman, a fine one at that, and technically she'd actually always been older than Alexander. 'The food will be better in the Seireitei', he'd tell himself, and he wouldn't have to do too much to get by, or so he'd heard. Although a military organisation, there was plenty he could do that wouldn't involve fighting.
He still stays in touch with family, writes, visits whenever possible, sends some money to help them out, when he can. Nearly ten years ago though, Alexander took the entrance exams for the Seireitei Academy, passed, and set off for his new life as a future Shinigami of the Seireitei.
Seireitei (In character/threaded development, links are provided)
Alexander would spend almost six years studying at the Academy, this being the standard stay for most Shinigami in training. While, for the most part, his grades would be nothing special, mostly average, he would earn himself a slightly early graduation due to extenuating circumstances and a remarkable performance, on his part, during one of the many events that would shake the Seireitei. Becoming somewhat more reclusive once he'd entered the Academy, there wouldn't be anyone that he'd particularly find himself close to, at least, not until the last couple years of his stay at the Academy.
Mostly by chance, Alexander would find himself becoming acquainted with a young woman of high noble descent, by the name of Haru. While Alexander himself was only interested in pursuing his friendship with her, it would become quite obvious, quite quickly that she had found herself somewhat infatuated with him. It became common enough for Alexander to find himself invited, and sometimes reluctantly dragged, to all manner of social gathering and soiree which, for his level of standing, he'd unfortunately find himself ill equipped to involve himself in 'properly', his Rukongai upbringing and 'manners', not serving him all that well among these people. Still, despite that, though he would protest, half-heartedly, something of a recluse, and so not admitting it, Alexander was actually quite happy to be brought along, though it should be noted, perhaps not as happy as Haru was to have him.
Though a great amount of objection and attempts to deter them were laid heavily upon both Alexander and Haru, by her peers, Alexander would - partially because of his lower station, compared to her - find it hard to reject Haru's invitations. Likewise, quite disobediently, Haru would remain quite adamant upon having Alexander's continued presence and, because of her stubbornness, and in part because of how deeply disheartened they saw her become, on those rare occasions Alexander did manage to refuse her company, it was decided concessions had to be made. As such, Alexander was taken discreetly aside and reluctantly - on their part rather than his - instructed in some of the finer points of etiquette, including elocution. They found that, while still not quite happy with him being there, he scrubbed up, well enough.
Unfortunately, things would not end well. On the last night Alexander would see Haru, she would, with the help of some of her more sympathetic friends, who'd help to arrange thing not so subtly to get Alexander and Haru alone together, attempt to confess her feelings for him. Regretful Flee. While he'd been aware of her feeling for him, he'd mostly seen the situation as one of impending awkwardness, not entirely sure he felt the same way. However, on that night, when she was actually there, done up nicely, especially for him, he found that in the face of her attempted confession – he never actually allowed her to finish – all manner of feelings for her would emerge from inside of him. Confused and somewhat scared by this, uncertain of what these feeling were, or how safe it was for him to say what it was he was suddenly finding himself feeling there and then, Alexander found himself in a slight panic. Quickly making up some excuse, before he ended up kissing her, which he almost found himself doing, Alexander would flee. This would be the last time he'd end up seeing her, as she would be killed the next day.
The following day, Alexander would be on leave, and as such, was allowed to visit his family in the Rukongai. It was at this time that a great upheaval would arise in the Seireitei, the Revolution. Though not within the limits of the citadel when this occurred, he would nonetheless find himself involved, dragged into the effort to defend the walls of the city from a Hollow incursion. Stampede Upon The Eastern Gate. Only an Academy Student, he would find himself mostly overwhelmed. However, with some assistance, Alexander found himself surviving and, more than that, managed to slay a number of Hollows. It was this performance that led to his early graduation from the Academy.
In the aftermath, far from finding himself celebrating his entry into the ranks of the Gotei, Alexander would find himself recovering in the Third Division's hospital. When he heard the news of Haru's death, and following the trauma of his first battle, in which he was nearly killed and eaten, the recovery he'd have to undergo would be both psychological as well as physical. It's Okay - Part One. In time he'd find himself wearing the uniform of a Shinigami, attending the funeral of his lost love. It's Okay - Part Two.
After leaving the Hospital, Alexander found himself struggling to balance coming to terms with his most recent trauma and finding his place within the Seireitei. Though he would find mentors who would help advance his skills in Kido, Do Try and Pay Attention, and Zanjutsu, Lessons in Nitoryu, he wouldn't encounter anyone who could console him through his Post Traumatic Stress. It was during this period of Alexander's history that he would find himself in a life and death struggle with a Hollowfied Shinigami that would accost him during a routine patrol. Lost and Found. Victorious, but greatly injured, Alexander would lie on the verge of death for some time. He'd experience a hallucination, seeing Haru once more. This would help him on his psychological recovery, slightly.
After the fight, in the Third Division's hospital, Alexander would fall victim to a mysterious 'post-surgical infection'. While he would eventually recover, getting through the delirious fever and other symptoms, by himself, his own immune system fighting off an illness that the Doctors were unable to find any treatment for, the cellular degradation and 'rotting' of some of his flesh bore a worrying similarity to some of the 'unstable' physiological mutation undergone by his attacker. Further investigations would be undertaken, samples of Alexander's blood taken away for analysis. However, work on the research would quickly end up lost, only to be rediscovered by Alexander himself some years later.
It wasn't until Alexander encountered the Lieutenant of the Third Division, Robert Mühle, that he would come to any real breakthrough, in terms of both his mental well being and awakening his Zanpakutou. Journey Through the Dark. Drugged and taken away to Hueco Mundo, Alexander would be forced to fight a Gillian Proto-swarm. Faced with a horde of Hollows, he had to undergo a harsh process, put into a situation of sink or swim.
Following this, Alexander began to settle more easily into a role in the Seireitei. He would encounter Victoria for the first time, an age old combat veteran of the Seireitei whose friendship and wisdom would be invaluable to him. And Shattered Glass also Set Upon The Road. At this time he would also, much to his surprise, encounter Kasumi once more, who he had met briefly as a student during a field trip to Earth, Shinigami School Trip. It was saddening, in some ways, she had been human when they first met and now that she was Shinigami, it was upsetting to know such a small child had died.
While they seemed to be getting on well enough, a bump in the road would come along when the nature of their first mission turned dark. Only To Realise. Discovering a twisted laboratory and the Human test subjects within, Alexander took it upon himself to shield Kasumi from the worst of it. When it came to evacuating the survivors they'd found, Alexander would 'take care' of the ones that were beyond any help. Waiting until she was outside, getting the injured that could be moved away from the cages and underground facility, Alexander would, as gently as he could, end the suffering of those beyond any other kind of help.
Alexander and Kasumi would only meet one more time before the Invasion that would wreak havoc on the Seireitei. Lost in The Forest. Their exchange was brief, but it was long enough for Alexander to say all the wrong things and put in Kasumi the seeds of resentment. It wasn't until after the Invasion that those seeds would come to fruition, creating a divide between Alexander and the future Captain Commander. Residue.
During the Invasion, Alexander would find himself taking command of the helpless Clerks around him, and in general, in the absence of any other leadership, took the initiative securing the First Division. To Arms. His performance during the crisis would lead to his eventual promotion to Sixth Seat, with his having helped to establish a medical and supply route between the Fifth, Third and First Divisions. Navigator Truck.
After the invasion, Alexander would find himself promoted. Finally an Officer, Alexander would find himself exploring the responsibilities and duties of that role. A brief and somewhat salacious meeting with the future Queen of the Quincy, Freyleif, would mark the first of Alexander's steps outside of the normal. Ice Crystals on the Bone [AO]. While not leading to Alexander going directly against the Seireitei, it would lead to his coming out of his shell slightly and his becoming/acting as more of an individual, which would be needed for him to undertake his new assignments with vigour. Further developments would come as he met people inflicted with the taint of an Inner Hollow. Laying it Down also In Potentia. The duties of the Sixth Seat of the First Division being to find, assess and train those who either were, or would in time come into the category of Vaizard.
A consultation with Nagisa, the only fully established Vaizard that Alexander knew of, would allow him to know more about the condition. Masked Consultation. This would at least promote him to the more drastic measures he'd undergo to train one of his Vaizard students. Worn To The Bone. Another meeting with Victoria, who was now also an Officer and superior to him, would help him to solidify himself and settle him into his new role. Fire in the Night. Finally a meeting and group training session with the gathered masses of the First Division's recruits, would allow Alexander to make a start as a role model to those beneath him, and establish him in the eyes of others as an accomplished Officer. The Best and Brightest.
Mostly by chance, Alexander would find himself becoming acquainted with a young woman of high noble descent, by the name of Haru. While Alexander himself was only interested in pursuing his friendship with her, it would become quite obvious, quite quickly that she had found herself somewhat infatuated with him. It became common enough for Alexander to find himself invited, and sometimes reluctantly dragged, to all manner of social gathering and soiree which, for his level of standing, he'd unfortunately find himself ill equipped to involve himself in 'properly', his Rukongai upbringing and 'manners', not serving him all that well among these people. Still, despite that, though he would protest, half-heartedly, something of a recluse, and so not admitting it, Alexander was actually quite happy to be brought along, though it should be noted, perhaps not as happy as Haru was to have him.
Though a great amount of objection and attempts to deter them were laid heavily upon both Alexander and Haru, by her peers, Alexander would - partially because of his lower station, compared to her - find it hard to reject Haru's invitations. Likewise, quite disobediently, Haru would remain quite adamant upon having Alexander's continued presence and, because of her stubbornness, and in part because of how deeply disheartened they saw her become, on those rare occasions Alexander did manage to refuse her company, it was decided concessions had to be made. As such, Alexander was taken discreetly aside and reluctantly - on their part rather than his - instructed in some of the finer points of etiquette, including elocution. They found that, while still not quite happy with him being there, he scrubbed up, well enough.
Unfortunately, things would not end well. On the last night Alexander would see Haru, she would, with the help of some of her more sympathetic friends, who'd help to arrange thing not so subtly to get Alexander and Haru alone together, attempt to confess her feelings for him. Regretful Flee. While he'd been aware of her feeling for him, he'd mostly seen the situation as one of impending awkwardness, not entirely sure he felt the same way. However, on that night, when she was actually there, done up nicely, especially for him, he found that in the face of her attempted confession – he never actually allowed her to finish – all manner of feelings for her would emerge from inside of him. Confused and somewhat scared by this, uncertain of what these feeling were, or how safe it was for him to say what it was he was suddenly finding himself feeling there and then, Alexander found himself in a slight panic. Quickly making up some excuse, before he ended up kissing her, which he almost found himself doing, Alexander would flee. This would be the last time he'd end up seeing her, as she would be killed the next day.
The following day, Alexander would be on leave, and as such, was allowed to visit his family in the Rukongai. It was at this time that a great upheaval would arise in the Seireitei, the Revolution. Though not within the limits of the citadel when this occurred, he would nonetheless find himself involved, dragged into the effort to defend the walls of the city from a Hollow incursion. Stampede Upon The Eastern Gate. Only an Academy Student, he would find himself mostly overwhelmed. However, with some assistance, Alexander found himself surviving and, more than that, managed to slay a number of Hollows. It was this performance that led to his early graduation from the Academy.
In the aftermath, far from finding himself celebrating his entry into the ranks of the Gotei, Alexander would find himself recovering in the Third Division's hospital. When he heard the news of Haru's death, and following the trauma of his first battle, in which he was nearly killed and eaten, the recovery he'd have to undergo would be both psychological as well as physical. It's Okay - Part One. In time he'd find himself wearing the uniform of a Shinigami, attending the funeral of his lost love. It's Okay - Part Two.
After leaving the Hospital, Alexander found himself struggling to balance coming to terms with his most recent trauma and finding his place within the Seireitei. Though he would find mentors who would help advance his skills in Kido, Do Try and Pay Attention, and Zanjutsu, Lessons in Nitoryu, he wouldn't encounter anyone who could console him through his Post Traumatic Stress. It was during this period of Alexander's history that he would find himself in a life and death struggle with a Hollowfied Shinigami that would accost him during a routine patrol. Lost and Found. Victorious, but greatly injured, Alexander would lie on the verge of death for some time. He'd experience a hallucination, seeing Haru once more. This would help him on his psychological recovery, slightly.
After the fight, in the Third Division's hospital, Alexander would fall victim to a mysterious 'post-surgical infection'. While he would eventually recover, getting through the delirious fever and other symptoms, by himself, his own immune system fighting off an illness that the Doctors were unable to find any treatment for, the cellular degradation and 'rotting' of some of his flesh bore a worrying similarity to some of the 'unstable' physiological mutation undergone by his attacker. Further investigations would be undertaken, samples of Alexander's blood taken away for analysis. However, work on the research would quickly end up lost, only to be rediscovered by Alexander himself some years later.
It wasn't until Alexander encountered the Lieutenant of the Third Division, Robert Mühle, that he would come to any real breakthrough, in terms of both his mental well being and awakening his Zanpakutou. Journey Through the Dark. Drugged and taken away to Hueco Mundo, Alexander would be forced to fight a Gillian Proto-swarm. Faced with a horde of Hollows, he had to undergo a harsh process, put into a situation of sink or swim.
Following this, Alexander began to settle more easily into a role in the Seireitei. He would encounter Victoria for the first time, an age old combat veteran of the Seireitei whose friendship and wisdom would be invaluable to him. And Shattered Glass also Set Upon The Road. At this time he would also, much to his surprise, encounter Kasumi once more, who he had met briefly as a student during a field trip to Earth, Shinigami School Trip. It was saddening, in some ways, she had been human when they first met and now that she was Shinigami, it was upsetting to know such a small child had died.
While they seemed to be getting on well enough, a bump in the road would come along when the nature of their first mission turned dark. Only To Realise. Discovering a twisted laboratory and the Human test subjects within, Alexander took it upon himself to shield Kasumi from the worst of it. When it came to evacuating the survivors they'd found, Alexander would 'take care' of the ones that were beyond any help. Waiting until she was outside, getting the injured that could be moved away from the cages and underground facility, Alexander would, as gently as he could, end the suffering of those beyond any other kind of help.
Alexander and Kasumi would only meet one more time before the Invasion that would wreak havoc on the Seireitei. Lost in The Forest. Their exchange was brief, but it was long enough for Alexander to say all the wrong things and put in Kasumi the seeds of resentment. It wasn't until after the Invasion that those seeds would come to fruition, creating a divide between Alexander and the future Captain Commander. Residue.
During the Invasion, Alexander would find himself taking command of the helpless Clerks around him, and in general, in the absence of any other leadership, took the initiative securing the First Division. To Arms. His performance during the crisis would lead to his eventual promotion to Sixth Seat, with his having helped to establish a medical and supply route between the Fifth, Third and First Divisions. Navigator Truck.
After the invasion, Alexander would find himself promoted. Finally an Officer, Alexander would find himself exploring the responsibilities and duties of that role. A brief and somewhat salacious meeting with the future Queen of the Quincy, Freyleif, would mark the first of Alexander's steps outside of the normal. Ice Crystals on the Bone [AO]. While not leading to Alexander going directly against the Seireitei, it would lead to his coming out of his shell slightly and his becoming/acting as more of an individual, which would be needed for him to undertake his new assignments with vigour. Further developments would come as he met people inflicted with the taint of an Inner Hollow. Laying it Down also In Potentia. The duties of the Sixth Seat of the First Division being to find, assess and train those who either were, or would in time come into the category of Vaizard.
A consultation with Nagisa, the only fully established Vaizard that Alexander knew of, would allow him to know more about the condition. Masked Consultation. This would at least promote him to the more drastic measures he'd undergo to train one of his Vaizard students. Worn To The Bone. Another meeting with Victoria, who was now also an Officer and superior to him, would help him to solidify himself and settle him into his new role. Fire in the Night. Finally a meeting and group training session with the gathered masses of the First Division's recruits, would allow Alexander to make a start as a role model to those beneath him, and establish him in the eyes of others as an accomplished Officer. The Best and Brightest.
Personality
Description: While Alexander was, at first, quite a quiet and unremarkable individual, overlooked by most, his performance as a Shinigami of the Seireitei and now as an Officer, has helped him stand out a little more. For the most part, he's still the smart dressed, recluse who can mostly been seen sitting by himself, drinking coffee and reading a book, there are some who have come to know him a little better. He often seems quite uptight to those who are just meeting him... and actually, even those who have gotten to know him, he's still quite rigid, but he does have a softer more understanding side that a rare few people have gotten to see.
Voice: Normally a very soft and polite tone when he speaks, it does turn rather sharp and more nasal when on those extremely rare instances he raises his voice. In turn, his soft tone in normal conversation typically has a rather smooth and flowing rhythm to it, while becoming more broken almost stuttering when he has to speak loudly or shout. Typically his pitch is in and around mid-range baritone during casual conversation, however he is capable of producing up to mid-range tenor and high range bass, but rarely ventures out of the baritone range during conversation. The variance in pitch, when speaking or shouting is neither monotone or excitable, but instead pretty normal.
Likes: Hot springs, classical literature and music, warm food and drink, well mannered people, fireworks, orange, browns and golds
Dislikes: Cigarette smoke, cold or spicy food and drink (exception being cold drinks after a workout), alcoholic beverages, fighting, people who shout, white, blues and silvers
Favourite Food: Roasted duck
Favourite Drink: 'Real' coffee, black, one sugar. Peruvian blend is preferred if available
Allergies: Citrus fruits, consumption results in painful stomach cramps. The sight or smell of citrus fruits makes him feel ill. We have not yet seen the results of duck a l’orange. (It should be entertaining in a sadistic way…)
Hobbies and Interests: During Alexander's down time, he will typically sit down with a warm drink and a good book. However, he has also be known to dabble in the occasional game of Chess or Shogi, not that he has a particular talent for either. Though it might not be called a hobby, he may be referred to as having an interest in different types of tea and is somewhat knowledgeable on the subject.
Goals: Happy as long as he has warm food and shelter and doesn't have to work too hard, Alexander cannot be said to have any particularly strong aspirations or goals. That said, he wouldn't mind one day seeing himself, living with his family in the Seireitei, though he doesn't really do that much to work towards it. He could see himself happy in a nice big home, maybe with a rock garden, sitting down in his Shinigami uniform, on the outer porch looking over the garden, with a cup of tea next to him and the occasional chime of a Sōzu to fill the silence.
Positive Traits
"It doesn't matter what's happened to you in your past, I won't let anything bad happen to you."
Kind-Hearted- While there are people to whom he is not entirely endearing, those that he is not as fond of, people who are loud, rude or abrasive, unless this is a person who has committed some atrocity, or great injustice that personally affects him, or the people he knows, he would not hate them or despise them. Furthermore in the case of someone to whom there is a reputation of confirmed history of cruelty and crime, Alexander would normally make a judgement for himself, when he meets them, what sort of person he thinks they are, and for the most part he's a fairly good judge of character. Not one to bear any strong prejudice towards anyone, he is typically accepting of all types of people, quite open-minded and surprisingly liberal. Even if it was some loud guy who constantly bothered him and made him uncomfortable, without any great, unforgivable wrong done against Alexander or his friend(s), if something bad happened to that person, or was about to happen to that person, Alexander would not be the sort to think to himself, 'about time something bad happened to that guy', and if it was something truly terrible, he might even turn up to help or save said loud and obnoxious person, probably unexpectedly even.
"I think I understand... After all you've been through... I might have done the same."
Sympathetic- Alexander has a strong, sometimes obsessive desire to understand other people and their motivations, why they act the way they do, why they've done what they've done. In his heart, he does not quite accept that some people are just monsters. This is perhaps naive of him, and maybe there'll be someone out there who can provide him with a change of heart. In many cases he tries to put himself in other people's shoes, figuratively speaking, and is normally quite good at understanding other people's feelings.
"Hello, a packet of your finest Peruvian blend, please... Thank you.."
Polite - Diligent when it comes to saying 'please, sorry and thank you'. While not born a noble, and as such, not familiar with the finer points of etiquette, Alexander none the less makes an effort to be respectful and polite. Even when among his peers, but especially to his superiors, Alexander is always courteous. The basis for politeness in the 'western' orientated society, which Alexander originally came from, translated fairly well when he was introduced to society in the Rukon and Seireitei. From a time when 'Mr, Mrs, and Miss, Ms, Master, Sir, Lady, Your Lordship etc...' were still fairly common place, he had little difficulty grasping the concept of Japanese honorific. Though he knows well the correct usage of them, he is still a little bit too cautious when it comes to the dropping of honorific, even when dealing with people with which he is familiar and even close to.
"I won't lie to you, we are lost, I have no idea where we are."
Honest- Alexander is typically straightforward and direct, and dishonesty is not inherently in his nature. Even if it might get him into trouble, he is the type to come forward and tell the truth, facing the consequences, rather than trying to conceal anything from others. His opinion is that, when one makes a mistake, if you hide it, or simply get away with it, you won't learn and could make the mistake again in the future, with perhaps more severe consequences. That said, he has not to date faced the harsh reality of having committed a serious crime, not that he is the sort to normally do so.
"I'm sorry, Sir. It was my fault and I'm ready to face whatever disciplinary action you see fit."
Conscientious - Alexander's strong moral compass is part of the reason why he was in the Academy in the first place. Although sometimes it means he feels responsible for that are only partially his fault, or sometimes things that aren't his fault at all. He may feel a sense of guilt or regret and will subsequently the drive he'll have to correct the wrong will be strong. Part of why he is such an honest person as well, Alexander's strong conscious is one of his most powerfully defining and guiding traits and if anything in future is to lead him to great heights or great despair, it will be this attribute.
"You obviously don't know me or him very well. No, I'm not worried. I know he can do it."
Trusting - Normally one to give people the benefit of the doubt, Alexander tends to trust those around him and shows remarkable faith in those that he is close to. On those occasions when someone lets him down, he's typically quite understanding, and if it really couldn't be helped he normally takes a 'oh, just forget about, it's no problem' approach. However, unless it's something minor, when someone betrays his trust and deceives him, Alexander can be greatly upset or even enraged, losing his normally sympathetic and reserved nature to become more hostile.
"Hey little buddy... how about we leave the mean L.T alone and go get you some cool ninjas to see?"
Minder- Originally from a rather extended family, and then later, older brother and frequent carer for two smaller children in the Rukon, Alexander is surprisingly good with children, despite other character traits. With children, he is patient, attentive and encouraging, and far friendlier and forthright than he normally is with other people, readily stepping in to help and take over if he sees a comrade struggling with a child.
"No. If this is what it takes to convince you, then I'll stand back up every time you knock me down."
Dependable - Not typically forgetful and a man of his word, wherever possible, Alexander is normally quite dependable if he has agreed to help you with something. As an individual he takes his commitments to other people quite seriously, and will sometimes go to extremes to keep his promises. If you're close to him, he'll watch out for you, and if you're in trouble and need help, he'll be there. Whilst 'determined' might be a better term to describe this, it should also be said that once Alexander has made up his mind to do something, he will endure many things with an unbreaking will to see that it is done, and while he doesn't have much drive to move forward in life, he is adamant to not go backwards.
Negative Traits
"Wait! We don't have to fight. I'm sure we can just..."
Passive - When a combat situation arises, Alexander is not the quickest to jump into the fray, and takes a while to get 'warmed up'. As such, he rarely fights at full strength, unless both pressed and given the time to get up and running. Even in circumstances where his life and/or the lives of others are at stake, Alexander is normally pretty reluctant to do battle, preferring to find another way if possible, maybe find a way to talk his way out of the situation. Once the fights started, he'll still be somewhat hesitant until it is certain for him that there's no other way. This, of course, is not to say that Alexander is a coward, and in circumstances, say an invasion of the Seireitei, his first concern would be to arm himself and then run and find his friends.
"That does sound like an interesting evening, but I really wouldn't want to intrude."
Reserved - Though a rather quiet individual, it should not be said that he is antisocial, and although he is not often one to initiate any form of interaction, he is more than friendly when engaged. There does occur the occasional exception to this, his normal behavior, but only for those he feels a certain affinity for. Those of a well mannered, dignified disposition, he might well offer a tea or coffee and strike up a mild and unobtrusive conversation with. There have even been rumors of him extending polite invitations to a lady here and there, as well as romanticized stories involving candle lit dinners with fine wines and ruby steaks. However the fact that they are only rumours, and that nobody can actually make a claim to have spent such an evening with Alexander, might clearly indicate to someone taking an interest in Alexander how little he actually dates. (Also Alexander and wine, not a good mix). Nevertheless, this goes to show, how Alexander is normally quite particular about those he chooses to engage.
It should also be noted that Alexander does not normally act in this way when he is with family and the people close to him, in which case he is much more open. This trait of his was also a lot less predominant later on when he was living in the Rukon districts and had become a more integral part of the local community. It might simply be that, in order to be more open and sociable, Alexander requires a sense of security in regards to his social setting and standing with the community local to where he is. This, of course, has the downside that it then takes a long time for him to become part of said group or community, which would allow him to be more forward and open.
"Tomorrow... I'll get that application to become an officer filled out tomorrow."
Apathetic - Alexander's meekness, alongside his average abilities, means that he is not one to volunteer or to seek glory, and is often overlooked by others. He's typically lacking when it comes to aspirations for his own future. This aspect of Alexander's personality sometimes clashes with his 'Dependable' trait. When it comes to the longer term projects, he has difficulty disciplining himself so that he'll work on it everyday. This is only overcome when he's made a promise to someone else, or someone else is depending on him. On those few occasions he finds himself with desires to change or advance his career, it normally takes him a while to get around to doing something about it. In the meantime he'll relax or procrastinate, always managing to find something else to occupy himself.
"I'm sure someone else might have a hard time with this, but I'll be fine by myself."
Proud- Still unfortunately influenced by the British philosophy of the 'stiff upper lip', Alexander is typically not one to talk about his feelings or to allow any healthy outlet of grief or frustration. If things are bad, or you are parted from a loved one, you 'carry on' as the old British aristocracy might say. While he is kind and sympathetic, willing and able to listen to other people's troubles and supports them if needed, he seems unable to make himself open and depend on others in his darkest hours. With it all locked up, in his worst moments, pain and grief turning inward on him, the barrier of his own pride has on occasion led Alexander to become colder and less sympathetic towards the blights of others.
"I'd offer some of my spare change to help out, but I'm trying to save up for some real coffee."
Stingy- Although to some, Alexander’s typically shy nature might make him seem an ideal target for this, he is actually surprisingly firm when it comes to lending/giving others money. While it might not perhaps be appropriate to assign this attribute to him due to the occasional person who ‘try it on’ with him, and in turn refer to him as ‘stingy’ when refused, Alexander is still surprisingly tight-fisted even with close friends. Though he will make an exception, with friends only, if they are short of funds due to some unfair reason, in which case he will be quite generous in helping them out, if it is simply that they have not managed their finances very well, or blown it all on one thing, then he is surprisingly unsympathetic. In addition, Alexander makes a point of never asking anyone else for financial aid, as one might guess from his 'proud' attitude, even if him being out of pocket is someone else’s fault. While he does still send money back home to help his family, this is felt to be more a 'repayment' of a debt than anything else.
"I know that one day, everyone will go away in the end, either they leave or they succumb to the ravages of time."
Depressed - Though not permanently in this state, Alexander sometimes finds himself, usually in private, plagued by thoughts of despair. His general outlook of the future becomes pessimistic and he recalls all of the horrific things he's had to go through as a Shinigami and Officer. However, for the most part, he is able to function and perform his duties. Though an observant person might notice when Alexander is going about in a poor mood, in which case his attitude finds itself even more apathetic and reserved than usual, he usually hides his depression well. When he feels this way Alexander is also typically impatience, of an easy to agitate temperament, and has a tendency to take a more defensive and reserve approach to his tactics, also becoming somewhat apathetic, with the desire to pass up on his work early.
"I don't care how much of myself I have to throw away, I won't lose you."
Overly-Attached - Alexander possesses an indomitable desire to not lose the people he's close to. While this might not otherwise be seen as a negative trait, Alexander is the type to go as far as to compromise or even disregard his integrity and sense of morality, so as not to lose those close to him. Part of the reason it took such a long time for him to leave the Rukon districts and go to the Seireitei, even after the Hollow attacks in his local area, Alexander only left because he thought that he would have lost his family had he stayed. Even now, he tries to stay in touch with them as much as possible. When it comes to the people he cares about, Alexander has a very hard time letting go. One might also speculate, given how long it takes Alexander to acclimate and become a part of any group or community, or even for him to become close to a single person, that Alexander does not like to be alone, despite how much time one might see him spending by himself.
Neutral Traits
Mathematical
- Though times to demonstrate this trait have not frequently arisen, Alexander does have a fairly good head for numbers. When it comes to managing his own funds, it appears that Alexander has managed to retain what skills he had as an accountant's assistant, in some small part, successfully paying for his ‘essentials’ and saving up for ‘luxuries’ which encompass his expensive tastes.
Lightweight
- Alexander has a notoriously low tolerance for alcohol, which has been a source of some embarrassment a few times. It is an extreme condition, with sometimes even the fumes of strong beverages enough to make Alexander light headed. Though it takes very little to get him drunk, and passed the point of being able to remember what happened, it seems to take quite a deal more, perhaps even more than some people can take, to make him pass out. This only extends the list of embarrassing moments that others are able to tell him of the following morning.
Poor Liar
- It should not only be said that Alexander is an honest person, but when, on the rare instances he is required to lie or be in anyway dishonest, he is, unfortunately, not very good at it. Though not easily provoked, and normally quite a calm individual in the face of all save for his own embarassment, his ability to come up with convincing cover stories on the spot is somewhat lacking. To all but the most unobservant and socially inept, it is obvious when Alexander is lying. Not only does he give himself away with face, body language and voice, but when having to make something up on the spot, he seems to talk too much and rambles, often having difficulty sticking with one consistent story, and occasionally reiterates what he said earlier to completely contradict what he said earlier. For example:
"Of course, what I meant by 'I haven't seen him around lately' is that he was here, I mean earlier, but he left, just a few minutes ago, didn't say much, chatted for a bit, just small talk. No idea where he could have gone, probably just, you know, on his way to the main hall or something, I mean he was heading that way... by which I mean he went that way towards the barracks, so really he was going away from the main hall and erm, yeah, you should probably search there, I mean he didn't really say a word to me, just sort of rushed passed me and..." etc.
It is almost sometimes painful to watch him trying to lie.
- Though times to demonstrate this trait have not frequently arisen, Alexander does have a fairly good head for numbers. When it comes to managing his own funds, it appears that Alexander has managed to retain what skills he had as an accountant's assistant, in some small part, successfully paying for his ‘essentials’ and saving up for ‘luxuries’ which encompass his expensive tastes.
Lightweight
- Alexander has a notoriously low tolerance for alcohol, which has been a source of some embarrassment a few times. It is an extreme condition, with sometimes even the fumes of strong beverages enough to make Alexander light headed. Though it takes very little to get him drunk, and passed the point of being able to remember what happened, it seems to take quite a deal more, perhaps even more than some people can take, to make him pass out. This only extends the list of embarrassing moments that others are able to tell him of the following morning.
Poor Liar
- It should not only be said that Alexander is an honest person, but when, on the rare instances he is required to lie or be in anyway dishonest, he is, unfortunately, not very good at it. Though not easily provoked, and normally quite a calm individual in the face of all save for his own embarassment, his ability to come up with convincing cover stories on the spot is somewhat lacking. To all but the most unobservant and socially inept, it is obvious when Alexander is lying. Not only does he give himself away with face, body language and voice, but when having to make something up on the spot, he seems to talk too much and rambles, often having difficulty sticking with one consistent story, and occasionally reiterates what he said earlier to completely contradict what he said earlier. For example:
"Of course, what I meant by 'I haven't seen him around lately' is that he was here, I mean earlier, but he left, just a few minutes ago, didn't say much, chatted for a bit, just small talk. No idea where he could have gone, probably just, you know, on his way to the main hall or something, I mean he was heading that way... by which I mean he went that way towards the barracks, so really he was going away from the main hall and erm, yeah, you should probably search there, I mean he didn't really say a word to me, just sort of rushed passed me and..." etc.
It is almost sometimes painful to watch him trying to lie.
Zanpakutou
Zanpakutou Spirit, Bla Nord: Alexander, being the wielder of dual Zanpkatou, posseses two Zanpakutou spirit, the second of which however, has no name. The first Zanpakutou spirit, named Bla Nord, is an exceptionally tall and heavy built man, wearing what one might consider a Viking raider's typical dress. Bla Nord's facial features are effectively concealed by both his helmet and his hair, with the helmet incorporating a mask like visor, that casts the eyes in an unnaturally deep shadow. His head is furnished with long, messy, silver hair, both facial and from the scalp. His voice is exceptionally deep set, but soft, with a smooth rhythm. Made mostly out of linen and cotton, Bla Nord's clothes are thick and rough cut. A white under tunic, and dark grey over shirt and trousers, as well as his grey leather boots, Bla Nord's colours are typically monochrome. His mannerisms and body language are bold, strong and open, which is how one might also describe his personality. He is forward and loud, but warm and friendly, with an almost joyful and sportsman attitude to combat.
Alexander's other Zanpakutou spirit, takes the form of a mighty female wolf. The female part evident by her frequently been found nursing and raising her cubs in a small cave set in the roots of an enormous, anient oak tree found deep within the forest of the inner world, but never it seems, as one often finds, in the same place twice. Her fur is a pale silver and as an animal has no voice or name. However, Alexander has none the less succeeded in cultivating a close and understanding relation with this beast nonetheless. In terms of interaction with one another, Bla Nord often goes out on the hunt for the she-wolf in his forest, but more often than not finds himself unable to find her.
Inner World: Alexander's inner world is a vast, thick and untamed forest forever blanketed in a deep bed of snow. Somewhere in the centre of this forest is a grand Viking hall, where the fires are always lit, burning with blue flames. The heath is warm and the roasted elk is fresh. Bla Nord is the sole resident in this grand structure from ancient times, Alexander and anyone else, merely a guest there. Lining the walls are a range of old Viking weapons, of steel, wood and leather, hung up and on display. The floor appears to be paved with polished black stone, with faint veins of white and grey. Furs and leathers adorning the wooden, hand crafted, long benches, either side the great feasting table, as well as filling the old, but warm beds, all appear to be make from wolf skin and coats. In fact, despite the roast elk and other assorted meats, not wolf, it does appear that all the hunting trophies in this place are from various wolves and wolf packs. Oddly the head trophy, the prize hung above the head of the table, the place where the lord of the house, or in this case Bla Nord, sits, is a rather unremarkable and slightly worn wolf pelt, fashioned as a cloak or coat. When asked about this prize that looks more appropriately wrapped around one's shoulders, or hung up in the armoury, Bla Nord is surprisingly evasive about answering any questions pertaining to it.
Sealed Zanpakutou: The two Zanpakutou are effectively identical, with hilts approximately 12 inches in length, with a red linen wrapping. Fuchi and Habaki (the little collars immediately before and after the guard) are steel, but adorned with gold leaf. The guards are almond shaped, polished steel, approximately 3.5 inches long, 2 inches wide and about half an inch thick. Each sword is approximately 3'10" (117cm) in length, including hilts. Both blades have only the slightest curve, making them a little straighter than your average Katana/Zanpakutou, though the length already exceeds that of normal Katana. The sheaths for both blades are likewise, identical, with a polish dark wood finish/exterior, and a red linen Sageo (wrappings around the sheath to attach to the belt.)
Release Phrase: Raid, Bla Nord (Blue Norse)
Full Version: Cut Them Down! Lay waste to the land. Hew flesh and hear the whimpering of their women and children. Reave, slaughter, down to the last man. Raid! Bla Nord!
Shikai Appearance: When released the two Zanpakutou take on the appearance of a short shafted Viking axe and shield. The axe being an embodiment of the Giant Viking and the shield an embodiment of the Wolf. Surrounding the head of the axe and boss of the shield is a shimmering, but bright, blue energy that dances like a slow steady flame and smoke. Up close however, it has properties like water, flowing gently around intrusion with a rippling motion and is even cold and wet to the touch, despite the fact that it leaves no moisture behind on skin when removed. The shaft of the axe appears to be a light polished wood, possibly oak, and is approximately 2'5" in length with a dark leather wrapping around the lower half of the shaft. The back of the shield appears to be made out of a single plate of un-polished oak, with a single unwrapped iron handle in the centre for the hand hold. Its width appears to be approximately 2'11", and the shield is entirely circular. The front of the shield appears to be faced with a single stretch of pale grey leather, whilst the outer edges of the shield appear to be trimmed with a single strip of iron approximately 4" in width, which folded and riveted onto the circumference of the shield by iron bolts, is visible on both sides of the shield.
Shikai Power: Aside from the usual changes to one's fighting abilities and style brought about by the change of weaponry, it is possible to utilize the blue energy that radiates off the weapons for offensive and defensive purposes. Whilst most of the time it is a gentle flame, almost a haze that flows around the axe and shield, when agitated by the will of the user it can become like a surging torrent. Much like a powerful burst of water, the strikes are blunt and concussive, not sharp unless forced through a narrow opening. The attacks made from this surging energy are also harder to block with a blade. As with water, the energy is more likely to flow around a sword, and has to be parted with a powerful swing. The problem there is that many misjudge the approach to countering an attack from this weapon, trying to parry as one would against a solid energy wave front or a sword, being surprised or caught off guard when the energy turns out to have a flowing, liquid-like nature. When it comes to defence, the energy can surge forth from the boss of the shield to cushion and negate the power of incoming strikes before they even reach the solid surface of the shield. This seems to happen automatically, on it's own.
Roleplay Sample
Despite the fact that it had taken quite some convincing to get him here, Alexander had to concede that he was enjoying this little gathering. He couldn't say that it was the party food or the champagne that made this a pleasurable soiree. Drink was typically something that Alexander avoided, and even being near the food made him feel ill, too many things with a squeeze of lemon or lime on top. No, it was the company that made this a worthwhile gathering, though he did look somewhat prudish, walking around with just a glass of water (after all there was plenty of orange juice and lemonade if he didn't drink). The people, for the most part, were polite and considerate, and though this was to be a celebration, things hadn't quite 'kicked off' as he feared it might.
He did feel a little out of place. The just newly elected head of the student council, for whom this gathering was in honour of, was son of some minor noble and the young lady who had enthusiastically brought him here was of similar stock. Things had not quite been as he'd expected. Though he couldn't exactly refuse the invitation of the young noble miss, who'd escorted, almost dragged, him here, he'd been somewhat dreading attending the loud and bustling festivia of celebration that he'd imagined.
{What if she asks me to dance?}
As the thought occurs to him, the change in his expression is only very slight, but his eyes widen as his stomach sinks. He takes a sip from his glass. At that immediate moment he was alone, with her having gone off somewhere in the crowd, but she might soon come back...
"Uulna-Kuuun!"
...Like so. Alexander's body tensed up very slightly. The voice had been that of the young lady who had brought him here. He'd gotten used to a number of different interpretations people had come up with over the years, regarding the pronunciation of his name, Vülfne. 'Uulna' wasn't such a bad one. It was kind of, almost like, having a nickname. No, it wasn't being called this that bothered him.
{It's going to be some sort of fancy waltz, isn't it? Something complicated and intricate.}
He carefully puts down his glass and turns to where he'd heard her voice coming from. She was on approach, waving to Alexander with one arm and bringing along some man Alexander didn't know with the other.
{All right, maybe it won't be an invitation to dance. An introduction to someone she wants me to meet. I can do that.}
"I'd like you to meet my friend, Tsukabishi-san."
The one that'd been introduced as Tsukabishi was a white-haired young man, who looks about as old as Alexander. With a polite smile on his face, this new person he was being introduced to seemed amiable enough. They exchange bows.
"Alexander Vülfne, a pleasure to meet you."
Alexander bows again and when he straightens out again the other gentlemen has extended a hand and seems pleasantly surprised by the name.
"Vülfne? Sprechen Sie Deutsch?"
Having been asked if he spoke German, Alexander's response was a brief and polite monosyllable chuckle. He shakes the hand that had been extended.
"Ha, no, but it does sound rather Germanic, doesn't it? Actually it's from an old Norse term."
"Norse?"
"Yes, but unlike the name, I'm from England originally."
"I see. So, it's a family name from the... Human World."
There was a subtle subtext there, 'so, you weren't born in the Seireitei.' Something about his smile had changed slightly, become a little too fixed, and the voice seemed different as well. The handshake had slowed. Alexander carefully brought it to an end with a smile. Despite the realisations, that they'd both come to, regarding the other, in such an understated moment, neither one wanted to be blatant and both tried to show as little change of expression or mannerism as possible.
{You're some sort of noble born, aren't you?}
"Which part of the Rukon districts are you from then?"
{Yep.}
Just as Alexander opens his mouth to give his modest, but honest response, his female compatriot interjects.
"You know, Uulna-kun, I've been telling everyone how good with numbers you are."
"Really?"
It really was a surprise. He wouldn't have thought that exactly a fascinating topic of conversation or gossip among others.
"Really. I think it's marvelous. It's not every student that works out exactly how much they're going to spend each week and then has the discipline to stick with it."
"Not every student needs to of course..."
She seems to mostly ignore his remark.
"...and you always put some aside to send to your family, which is admirable, and still you somehow manage to keep enough to pay for those rich coffee blends you always seem to enjoy."
"Well, I wouldn't say that it's exactly a remarkable skill."
This was odd, to say the least. What was she up to?
"Don't sell yourself short, paying for all that you need, sending money home to help those still living in the Rukon districts, and still having enough to indulge in luxuries at the end of it. It's quite impressive, given how little they supposedly give ordinary students to live off of."
"Anyway, I've been thinking. The student council is going to need a new treasurer fairly soon and I thought I could introduce you to a few of our members, maybe get you nominated for the position."
This seem to come as a surprise to the young man who, to think of it, Alexander hadn't really been properly introduced to yet. Was Tsukabishi his given or family name?
"Haru-Sama, I honestly don't think it'd be appropriate..."
{Haru! That was her name.}
He'd been introduced and had heard her name once and hadn't dared asked her 'what was your name again?'.
{Also, Sama? I'd have thought she was younger than him.}
"Nonsense, it'll be fine as long as it's Uulna-kun. Being on the student council is a great stepping stone to go onto the First Division after graduation. I know you haven't chosen where you wanted to go after your final year yet, but I'd love it if we could end up in the same squad together. It'd be a perfect position for you as well."
"Thank you, I'm flattered really, but I'm already coming up to my final year. I have more than enough to get by with, and I'm sure if I really wanted to join First Division after graduating I could do so."
She waves a hand playfully as if to dismiss his comment as a joke.
"Don't be absurd, you'd be a great addition to the student council and I'm sure as a member we could go arrange for you to have some more help towards your living costs. In fact..."
Taking him gently by the arm, which he was getting fairly use to this evening, she picks up a glass and presses it into his hand. Not wanting to drop it, Alexander takes it, hesitating to say anything as she leads him on. Almost pulling him, but as usual, so far this evening, nothing so forceful, she 'escorted' him out to an opening in front of another of other students. There was a number of them gathered around a single one carefully trying, with some effort, to coax the cork out of a bottle with his thumbs.
{Champagne?}
Suddenly looking down at the glass in his hand, he sees all the little bubbles and notices the smell. Though not exactly a strong drink, even the slightest amount of alcohol has a bad effect on him. She'd picked up another glass of her own, and standing in front of everyone else, raising it, Alexander, too late perhaps, reads the situation.
"...Everyone!"
"Haru-san, I really don't think that..."
But he doesn't get much further than that. She gets the attention of the other guests at the gathering, some turning to face her just as the cork from the champagne bottle is finally liberated. Maybe fortunate, or unfortunate, or perhaps comical, is when the cork shooting from its former confines, moving at near un-seeable speeds, lands firmly and squarely in the centre of Alexander's forehead. Remarkably, based on how it behaves on collision, the small cork appears to have gained a spin, grinding for a few seconds, rapidly turning, drilling into place, with small plumes of grey smoke rising from the skin. A high pitch tortured whine fills the air. The skin around the point of impact is stretched, spiralling inwards. Alexander feels everything shake around him as the pressing projectile whirls in place after the initial hit. With the collision, small cracks seem to appear on his glasses. It is only after a second or so that the now, slightly compressed cork, ricochets off towards the ceiling, as his head snaps back. With the red mark fresh upon his forehead, the rest of Alexander's body follows the momentum of his head. His one free arm, for the young miss held his arm with the champagne in it, flailed, as one leg rose into the air. Saved from making it all the way to the floor, by the amiable Miss Haru, his body falls backwards. Calling out to him, she puts down her glass and without thinking places her hand gently on his chest, perhaps a bit more romantically than she'd intended or as appropriate for the situation. She quickly moves to loop her arm around him instead, attempting to help him back to his feet from his position now approximately a few feet from the ground.
"Uulna-kun!"
He did feel a little out of place. The just newly elected head of the student council, for whom this gathering was in honour of, was son of some minor noble and the young lady who had enthusiastically brought him here was of similar stock. Things had not quite been as he'd expected. Though he couldn't exactly refuse the invitation of the young noble miss, who'd escorted, almost dragged, him here, he'd been somewhat dreading attending the loud and bustling festivia of celebration that he'd imagined.
{What if she asks me to dance?}
As the thought occurs to him, the change in his expression is only very slight, but his eyes widen as his stomach sinks. He takes a sip from his glass. At that immediate moment he was alone, with her having gone off somewhere in the crowd, but she might soon come back...
"Uulna-Kuuun!"
...Like so. Alexander's body tensed up very slightly. The voice had been that of the young lady who had brought him here. He'd gotten used to a number of different interpretations people had come up with over the years, regarding the pronunciation of his name, Vülfne. 'Uulna' wasn't such a bad one. It was kind of, almost like, having a nickname. No, it wasn't being called this that bothered him.
{It's going to be some sort of fancy waltz, isn't it? Something complicated and intricate.}
He carefully puts down his glass and turns to where he'd heard her voice coming from. She was on approach, waving to Alexander with one arm and bringing along some man Alexander didn't know with the other.
{All right, maybe it won't be an invitation to dance. An introduction to someone she wants me to meet. I can do that.}
"I'd like you to meet my friend, Tsukabishi-san."
The one that'd been introduced as Tsukabishi was a white-haired young man, who looks about as old as Alexander. With a polite smile on his face, this new person he was being introduced to seemed amiable enough. They exchange bows.
"Alexander Vülfne, a pleasure to meet you."
Alexander bows again and when he straightens out again the other gentlemen has extended a hand and seems pleasantly surprised by the name.
"Vülfne? Sprechen Sie Deutsch?"
Having been asked if he spoke German, Alexander's response was a brief and polite monosyllable chuckle. He shakes the hand that had been extended.
"Ha, no, but it does sound rather Germanic, doesn't it? Actually it's from an old Norse term."
"Norse?"
"Yes, but unlike the name, I'm from England originally."
"I see. So, it's a family name from the... Human World."
There was a subtle subtext there, 'so, you weren't born in the Seireitei.' Something about his smile had changed slightly, become a little too fixed, and the voice seemed different as well. The handshake had slowed. Alexander carefully brought it to an end with a smile. Despite the realisations, that they'd both come to, regarding the other, in such an understated moment, neither one wanted to be blatant and both tried to show as little change of expression or mannerism as possible.
{You're some sort of noble born, aren't you?}
"Which part of the Rukon districts are you from then?"
{Yep.}
Just as Alexander opens his mouth to give his modest, but honest response, his female compatriot interjects.
"You know, Uulna-kun, I've been telling everyone how good with numbers you are."
"Really?"
It really was a surprise. He wouldn't have thought that exactly a fascinating topic of conversation or gossip among others.
"Really. I think it's marvelous. It's not every student that works out exactly how much they're going to spend each week and then has the discipline to stick with it."
"Not every student needs to of course..."
She seems to mostly ignore his remark.
"...and you always put some aside to send to your family, which is admirable, and still you somehow manage to keep enough to pay for those rich coffee blends you always seem to enjoy."
"Well, I wouldn't say that it's exactly a remarkable skill."
This was odd, to say the least. What was she up to?
"Don't sell yourself short, paying for all that you need, sending money home to help those still living in the Rukon districts, and still having enough to indulge in luxuries at the end of it. It's quite impressive, given how little they supposedly give ordinary students to live off of."
"Anyway, I've been thinking. The student council is going to need a new treasurer fairly soon and I thought I could introduce you to a few of our members, maybe get you nominated for the position."
This seem to come as a surprise to the young man who, to think of it, Alexander hadn't really been properly introduced to yet. Was Tsukabishi his given or family name?
"Haru-Sama, I honestly don't think it'd be appropriate..."
{Haru! That was her name.}
He'd been introduced and had heard her name once and hadn't dared asked her 'what was your name again?'.
{Also, Sama? I'd have thought she was younger than him.}
"Nonsense, it'll be fine as long as it's Uulna-kun. Being on the student council is a great stepping stone to go onto the First Division after graduation. I know you haven't chosen where you wanted to go after your final year yet, but I'd love it if we could end up in the same squad together. It'd be a perfect position for you as well."
"Thank you, I'm flattered really, but I'm already coming up to my final year. I have more than enough to get by with, and I'm sure if I really wanted to join First Division after graduating I could do so."
She waves a hand playfully as if to dismiss his comment as a joke.
"Don't be absurd, you'd be a great addition to the student council and I'm sure as a member we could go arrange for you to have some more help towards your living costs. In fact..."
Taking him gently by the arm, which he was getting fairly use to this evening, she picks up a glass and presses it into his hand. Not wanting to drop it, Alexander takes it, hesitating to say anything as she leads him on. Almost pulling him, but as usual, so far this evening, nothing so forceful, she 'escorted' him out to an opening in front of another of other students. There was a number of them gathered around a single one carefully trying, with some effort, to coax the cork out of a bottle with his thumbs.
{Champagne?}
Suddenly looking down at the glass in his hand, he sees all the little bubbles and notices the smell. Though not exactly a strong drink, even the slightest amount of alcohol has a bad effect on him. She'd picked up another glass of her own, and standing in front of everyone else, raising it, Alexander, too late perhaps, reads the situation.
"...Everyone!"
"Haru-san, I really don't think that..."
But he doesn't get much further than that. She gets the attention of the other guests at the gathering, some turning to face her just as the cork from the champagne bottle is finally liberated. Maybe fortunate, or unfortunate, or perhaps comical, is when the cork shooting from its former confines, moving at near un-seeable speeds, lands firmly and squarely in the centre of Alexander's forehead. Remarkably, based on how it behaves on collision, the small cork appears to have gained a spin, grinding for a few seconds, rapidly turning, drilling into place, with small plumes of grey smoke rising from the skin. A high pitch tortured whine fills the air. The skin around the point of impact is stretched, spiralling inwards. Alexander feels everything shake around him as the pressing projectile whirls in place after the initial hit. With the collision, small cracks seem to appear on his glasses. It is only after a second or so that the now, slightly compressed cork, ricochets off towards the ceiling, as his head snaps back. With the red mark fresh upon his forehead, the rest of Alexander's body follows the momentum of his head. His one free arm, for the young miss held his arm with the champagne in it, flailed, as one leg rose into the air. Saved from making it all the way to the floor, by the amiable Miss Haru, his body falls backwards. Calling out to him, she puts down her glass and without thinking places her hand gently on his chest, perhaps a bit more romantically than she'd intended or as appropriate for the situation. She quickly moves to loop her arm around him instead, attempting to help him back to his feet from his position now approximately a few feet from the ground.
"Uulna-kun!"
OOC + Notes To Myself
Action text is in this format.
"Normal speech is in this format"
"Onomatopoeia is in this format."
{Thought is in this format}
Red - cb0000
Gold - e6b116
Dark Gold - e66116
Sky Blue - 0988f7
Dark Blue - 4750ff
Green - 27ba11
Lilac - a16fa9
Player Alias: Fen
Desired Starting GP: Whatever you think I should have...
Were you referred by anyone: Google?
Other Characters: Not really, I did some stuff here over a year ago, but I'm kind of making a fresh start coming back here.