Post by Karasu on May 13, 2016 21:46:11 GMT -5
___ S H I N I G A M I ___
The Soul Reaper
On The Surface__
Name:Karasu Huīshén
Age / Apparent Age: 106 / 22
Gender: Male
Height & Weight: 6"ft 175lbs
Hair & Eyes: Black Hair/ Light red eyes
Physical Description: Karasu is a reasonably tall man, his physique is slender but he retains very defined muscular features. His skin has become a bit rough from his hard life, and it only adds to the sexual appeal of his figure. His hair is black and roughly medium length, just long enough for him to throw the back layers into a short ponytail. However it still frequently falls into his face. His eyes are a light red, and he wears the usual Shinigami Shihakusho. He wears the sleeves of his kimono very short, other than the usual shinigami garb, he wears a straw hat, and a ragged coat. His coat has two colors, with a dark blue covering his entire right shoulder and reaching down to the middle of his right ribs, it also reaches over to the middle of his left shoulder and about a quarter of the way down his back from his neck. From there everything else was a dirty baize. Old stitching in the sides and back of the coat show that it has many stories soaked into the cloth, and the shoulders are frayed into strips on both sides. He wears cloth forearm warmers that match the blue of his coat, with leather straps just above his elbows to stop them from flying off. On the right side of his face over his right eye he has a scar, and another resides just under his left eye on his cheek. These are scars he received from childhood.
Spiritual Description: Karasu's spiritual pressure exerts a heavy feeling of killing intent. People in his vicinity will often feel as if there a sword pressed against their throat, and have difficulty breathing. Those who have a Reiatsu of much lower level that Karasu will sometimes feel as if they have actually been stabbed or sliced with a sword while in his presence. Even if Karasu is relaxed and happy his Reiatsu will still feel the same, this is due to his life in the Rukongai. It was kill or be killed, and he had to kill. His Reiatsu doesn't feel cold or warm, or have a smell. It only expresses his killing intent, he often complains about it. His Reiatsu takes the color of a fiery orange/red in high concentrations, and will wisp off of him in a similar manner to afire.
What Karasu's Reiatsu feels like
Demeanor: Karasu's outward behavior is most frequently relaxed. He is a drunkard and often a fool. Saying or performing rude acts just to humor himself. However with that being said he can also be respectable, and a gentleman. His outward behavior is usually decided by the people he's around. If he enjoys talking with him them, he's a goof. If he respects them, he's a gentleman. If he doesn't like them, then he doesn't speak.
When Karasu battles, his outward behavior changes extensively. He becomes mostly introverted, only spending bits and pieces of time to converse with opponents. As fights grow longer Karasu's enthusiasm grows with them, and his bloodlust becomes more and more apparent as even in spars he'll take it too far. He does his best to keep himself in check but it's not always that easy.
Speech: Karasu's demeanor reflects in his speech, as his words are very relaxed and roll of his tongue smoothly. His mother described his tongue as 'the finest of silvers' when he was boy, and because of that he does his best to maintain proper speech. He doesn't frequently use slang, and when sober his words are very clear. Occasionally though, when he's drunk or just feeling frisky he becomes a tad vulgar. Openly hitting on women or making immature sexual remarks. His voice bears a deeper tone than most, but not so low that his vocal range is limited.
Behind The Eyes__
Personality: Ever since Karasu was a young boy in the Rukongai he was compassionate, he cared for the other boys his age and did his best to stand up for them against the threats and worries of their home. Money was scarce but Karasu was brave enough to face the odds, stealing where he needed to and getting beat down by an older man or two from time to time. He made as many friends as he could, believing that there was strength in numbers and that they had a better chance of making it through everything together.
Unfortunately a rough life lead to Karasu losing his friends and developing a cold attitude toward his enemies. He became merciless and sadistic, killing his enemies for the fun of it and never thinking twice about it. His thrill of the kill inspired him to become stronger., and set higher goals for himself. After every thing he's been through, he's closed himself off from others. He has a hard time opening up to people with his emotions, and instead internalizes them and prefers keeping to himself whenever possible.
Though he can't help it, Karasu feels that his emotional distance is a portion of the reason that he cannot find love. He finds himself lonely often, wishing he had a woman by his side to go through the strife and struggle with him. This has to lead to him being more sexual toward women with his actions, seeming more like a pervert than a man looking for a woman.
Karasu's considers himself brave, he believes bravery is the will to stand up for the weak, the will to face those stronger than he no matter what the cost, the will to look his curse in the fact and fight against it, the will to stand against the odds and try to come out on top. But he wonders if some times his ideas of bravery are actually bravery, or if it's merely Karasu putting himself in the most dangerous situations possible to justify his existence, to exhilarate him by standing on the thin line of life and death.
In truth Karasu's bloodlust and love for combat is seeded in the curse that lies within him. The traits of the curse having progressively fused into his own personality as the perils of poor life in the Rukongai battered him. Despite his love for the fight he still bears immense fear of the curse within him. Worried that it will consume him whole until there is nothing left of who he once was. This inspires him to fight the curse, to take control of his own life rather than be lead by another.
Positive Qualities:
Brave-
Karasu has always been willing to stand up for himself in the Rukongai, not only that but once he lived and made friends in the 72nd district he was willing to stand up for them too. He was willing to get beat for them, to bleed for them, and to make others bleed for them. He was willing to stand up against the horribly odds of the slum districts of the Rukongai and attempt to make life better for he and his friends families. Karasu feels that the greatest threat to his life is himself, and because of this he is brave enough to stand face to face with those strong enough to kill him with the flick of a wrist.
Friendly-
When he was a boy, Karasu would share food that he stole with the other children in the apartment complex that he lived in. He did this until they all got to know each other, then he began to teach them how to acquire food for themselves too. Making friends was a big part of Karasu's early life, with the loss of his father having his friends to help him made him feel better, even in his worst days. Not to mention their numbers helped them all to stay alive in the day to day life of the Rukongai. After the loss of those he held dear, Karasu maintains his friendliness. He always willing to share what's his, or even go without just to do something for a friend. He believes that to truly form a strong friendship action must be taken, to prove the compassion he has for those close to him.
Compassionate-
Despite the darker aspects of who he is, Karasu is a rather compassionate individual. He is more than willing to help those in need, and would give life and limb for his closest friends. His love for battle only adds to his feeling that the world lacks compassion. He believes that if compassion ruled the world, there'd be no need for bloodlust. His compassion for others extends from the way his mother took care of him in the Rukongai, doing literally anything she could just to feed her only son. This sparked a flame that would turn into a fire inside Karasu, inspiring him to help those around him as he was once helped.
Negative Qualities:
Merciless -
In combat, Karasu is merciless. He strikes with precision and efficiency, and is able to both maim his opponent to kill them quickly or slice them over time to kill them slow. Killing has always brought joy to Karasu, something he himself isn't proud of but something he refrains from denying as well. Those considered enemies will be killed regardless of race, age, gender, height, weight, or any other conceivable categorization. His combat methods are relentless, barely giving his opponents time to react, let alone fight him back. He'll dismember, decapitate, lobotomize, disembowel, and just altogether destroy his enemies.
Sadistic -
Not only does Karasu kill his opponents brutally and mercilessly, but he enjoys it as he does so. When he fights he is filled with joy, watching blood drip from wounds and hearing the sounds of a soul in pain excites him. It makes him feel even if for a moment that he has shared the pain of his life. He feel that their pain alleviates his, as if he passes it to them from his sword to their body. If not for his sadism he would refrain from killing his enemies slowly, but he enjoys watching the claws of death grip them slowly. His sadism is most apparent when he begins to banter with his enemies, threats of drinking their blood and talk of his desire to watch it seep from their wounds are just a few examples of his shows of sadism.
Distant -
Despite his friendliness and compassion for others, Karasu is very emotionally distant. The only person he usually discusses problems with in his Zanpakuto spirit. This is mostly because he feels like nothing more than a burden to those around him, when he was young he was head of the pack. He lead all of the other children and kept them alive. He felt if she showed them that he was hurting on the inside that they would turn from him, so he refrained. Now that's he's alone he feels that people will just be burdened by his feelings and struggles, so he keeps them to himself. Though he will listen to someone's problems for hours, when it's his turn to share people are met with short worded responses that lack depth.
Afraid -
Brave or not, Karasu is afraid. Afraid of himself, and afraid of his sword. Haiiro has told him stories of his time using his Shikai, and he has felt the emotion and heard the thoughts of what he becomes while it's active. He fears this darker side of him, worried that it will consume him and leave nothing left. Or perhaps he believes that this is his true self? And that fact only scares him more. Karasu is so afraid of his Shikai, that often he'd rather recieve injury than utilize it's form. Placing himself in more danger than necessary.
Lonely -
After the loss of his friends, Karasu became lonely. As he went through the academy he didn't really make many friends, so upon his graduation he felt more alone than ever. No one to talk to but himself, no one to drink with but himself, no one to laugh or cry with. Just him. This causes Karasu to be a tad too ambitious to form new friendships, trying his hardest to regain what he once lost. Even deeper than that, he desires a woman. Not a Rukongai rat that any man could sleep with for a payment or two, but a woman to love and to be by his side.
Strength Of The World__
Zanpakutō Spirit: Haiiro Kaen [Ashen Flame]; Haiiro is the spirit that dwells within Karasu's Zanpakuto, he is roughly eight feet tall and comprised of a never ending fire. His body circulates the fire, with certain parts becoming brighter and hotter while others flake ash, this effect alternates throughout his form and moves through all ranges of fire. He has goat like legs with silver hooves, and arms that reach down to his ankles. His forearms and hands are large enough to crush the body of a fully grown male in his palm, and each of his ten fingers bears a silver ring. Haiiro has intricate golden linework that spreads across his arms, chest, legs and neck. He also has large metallic horn-like protrusions that extend from his head on either side, each baring an earring-like protrusion that extend down from the horn. Haiiro Kaen's personality is very composed. His voice is low and rumbles throughout the temple when he speaks, he believes that logic and reason should always come before pure desire to shed blood. Haiiro has been wielded by several Huishen men throughout their lineage, and steadily attempts to work with them to break the curse. He does this through a special training method in the Inner world, Haiiro doesn't show it to Karasu, but he worries for his health and condition every time he utilizes the Shikai, afraid that the last of the Huishen will be corrupted by the curse, and the flame of Haiiro Kaen be extinguished forever. Karasu see's Haiiro as a father figure, he constantly takes any advice given to him by the spirit and keeps it close to his heart. Losing his father at an early age left him a bit hollow, and Haiiro came along to fill that space in his life. Karasu wonders what goes through Haiiro's mind some time, he always seems to be in deep thought about one thing or another.
Haiiro Kaen
Inner World: Karasu's Inner world is a large stone temple built into the summit of a volcano. It is covered in ash, with a steady cloud rising from the mouth of the volcano, the clouds in the sky are black with ash, and ash is always descending down upon the temple. The temple is massive, much too large for two individuals -Karasu and Haiiro- but that was how it formed. The valleys below the temple are also mostly covered in ash, with the exception being that veins of lava stretch from the base of the volcano outward for miles in every direction randomly connecting here and there. In the basement of the temple there is a pool of lava that Haiiro has Karasu meditate in when utilizing his Shikai. He says it is a symbol of Karasu's inner demons, and if he were to succumb to them he would burn to death in the pool. In actuality the Karasu that meditates within the lava pool is the embodiment of the humanity in Karasu, and the pool of lava represents the evil that is within him. When the Shikai is activating the lava pool bubbles due to exposure to the curse, increasing the likelihood that Karasu could succumb and lose his sanity. This training is meant to help Karasu fight the 'Red Oni' as Haiiro calls it, and to keep it at bay. With enough time Haiiro believes that Karasu can repress the Oni, and maintain his sanity even when his curse activates.
Karasu's temple [best picture I could find to represent it]
Zanpakutō:Karasu's Zanpakuto is an heirloom from his family line, however not in the manner that one might think. Instead of the sword passing down from hand to hand as the lineage grew, instead a special spell was placed on the Huishen boys at birth. This spell causes the Asauchi of any Huishen boys to develop in the same way, bearing the same soul. The sword takes the form of a standard Ōdachi when in it's sealed state. It's longer than a normal Katana, giving Karasu a bit of reach advantage over his opponents whom wield standard swords. The color scheme of the sword is ornamental, red and gold workings throughout. The drag is golden, and the throat of the sheath is golden as well. The body of it's sheath is a deep red, and about half a foot down from the throat is another golden ornament, used to assist in attaching the sword to a belt or anything else. The guard of the blade bears a loose diamond shape, a bit rounded along the edges and coming to flat points at the top and bottom, it too is decorated in gold. The hilt of the blade is solid black, with no other defining features. The pommel of the blade is golden as well, with a red tassel dangling from it.
Karasu's sealed Zanpakuto
When released, Karasu's sword doesn't change very much, it maintains the same shape and size in it's released state. However what does change, is the blade of his sword gets covered in a black ash. Small cracks in the ash of the blade reveal only a glimpse of the intense flames that are sealed within. However the most dramatic change that happens when using his Shikai is not the change in his sword, but the change in Karasu himself. When Karasu activates the shikai, Haiiro floods his body with Reiatsu, turning his skin a deep red and causing horns to sprout from his forehead. His hair grows to roughly three times it's natural length, reaching to the middle of his back. This is known at the Huīshén curse, and befalls any men in Karasu's lineage who wielded a Zanpakuto. The curse was quoted as reading, "Any male of the Huīshén will be cursed until the end of their lineage, if they ever wield a Zanpakuto they shall be turned into demons, and eaten from the inside." When Karasu is utilizing his Shikai, he is the most vulgar, sadistic, murderous and all around psychotic version of himself.
Release Phrase: "Turn them to ash, Haiiro." is Karasu's release phrase, the Shikai phrase only uses half of the spirits full name. Until Karasu is strong enough to learn the other half of his spirits name, he will be unable to use his bankai.
Zanpakutō Power: Karasu's Zanpakuto power is to "Turn things to ash" this is done through his Shikai coming into contact with another object. The flames sealed within the blade flow into the object upon impact, incinerating the Reishi or other form of molecular makeup of the target from the inside out. This will turn the target into ash, which is then returned to the blade. For example if Karasu were to strike a wall with his Shikai, a small ring of ash would expel from the back of the blade, followed by a large circular section of the wall turning to ash as well. Once the portion of the wall turned to ash, the ash would flow back into the blade. The size of what he turns to ash is dependent on how much Reiatsu he uses to unseal the flame from the blade and inject it into the target. Though he is unable to turn the entire body of spiritual beings into ash, he is able to disintegrate dismembered limbs. Wounds dealt with Karasu's Shikai are embedded with the ash from his blade, making them more difficult to heal than normal wounds.
Legacy Created__
Current Division:2nd Division
Snapshots:
1910 - Born in the Rukongai.
1912 - Family moved to District 72 of the West Rukongai
1914 - Father dies after brutal mugging
1915- 1920 - Lives life in the 72nd district, struggling to survive under the supervision of his mother
1920- 1925 - Begins training himself in the ways of the sword to protect his family and friends
1925- 1928 - Teaches what he can about swordsmanship to his friends, to help raise their ability to keep back attackers
1928-1930- Maintains defense of a small housing development in the 72nd district, things begin to look up for his family and his friends family
1933- Karasu's closest friend is killed before his very eyes, Karasu moves to the 71st district
1935- 1940 - Hones his skills as a swordsman in the 71st district, vows to become a Shinigami
1940- 1945 - Karasu begins to fight with the criminals of the 71st district, begins uncovering his sadistic nature
1947 - Learns about the curse on his family from his mother, vows to become a Shinigami anyway
1950 - Karasu decides he's tired of slaughtering the criminals in the lower districts, and moves to the 65th district
1950- 1965 - Karasu continues to hone his skills and protect his mother and friends that traveled with him, he continues to move from district to district, trying to get closer to the Sereitei and enlisting in the Shinigami Academy
1968 - Karasu's mother comes down with a serious sickness, causing Karasu to settle down in the 44th district of the West Rukongai for several years
1971 - Karasu's mother dies, the few of his friends that remain him join him to continue on their journey to reach the Sereitei and join the academy
1971-1980 - Karasu's journey continues, several of his friends abandon his quest and stay behind in various districts, calling him foolish. Karasu rests in district 30
1980-1990 - Now in the final 10 districts, Karasu is able to experience the large difference in life style between the highest number district and the lower numbers
1990- 2010 - the last 20 years of Karasu's life have been relatively peaveful, the lawful districts of the Rukongai allowed him to hone his sword skills without the need of slaughtering criminals. Though he missed slaughtering criminals. Finally after all of his hard work, losing his family and friends, Karasu was accepted into the Shinigami Academy.
2016 - Karasu has just finished the Shinigami academy after six vigorous years, he now looks for a squad of the Gotei 5
History:
Early Life; 1910-1920
Karasu was actually born in the 30th district of the West Rukongai, not the best of the best nor the worst of the worst. His life as a baby with his mother and father was ultimately peaceful, the district had it's crime but it was more managable than some of the other districts, and Karasu's family was grateful. Until his second birthday, when things began going wrong. The reason behind it was never fully explained to Karasu, but what he had been told was that an overpopulation problem had lead to the Shinigami having to move residents of Rukongai from the overpopulated districts to less poplated ones. Karasu's family was placed in the 72nd district of the West Rukongai, and things were horrible.
Ishijin was the name of Karasu's father, and he did everything that he could to keep his family safe. Ishijin did his best to keep the family fed and alive, and it worked for another two years of their lives together. However Ishijin was killed when Karasu was only four years old, stabbed in the chest and left to bleed in the street for a few pieces of bread. The loss weighed heavily on Karasu and his Mother Kushikura for the next six years as they struggled to survive the Rukongai. In his youth Karasu was unsure why so many drunken men woud come to their place of residence to see his mother, and he wondered why she would always bring him food after they left. Of course as he aged things began to come clear, but some things he kept to himself.
Ishijin was the name of Karasu's father, and he did everything that he could to keep his family safe. Ishijin did his best to keep the family fed and alive, and it worked for another two years of their lives together. However Ishijin was killed when Karasu was only four years old, stabbed in the chest and left to bleed in the street for a few pieces of bread. The loss weighed heavily on Karasu and his Mother Kushikura for the next six years as they struggled to survive the Rukongai. In his youth Karasu was unsure why so many drunken men woud come to their place of residence to see his mother, and he wondered why she would always bring him food after they left. Of course as he aged things began to come clear, but some things he kept to himself.
Middle Years; 1920 - 1968
At the age of ten, Karasu had began taking up petty thievery to help Kushikura maintain the household to the best of his abilities. She seemed to keep the killers away, and Karasu did his best to help with the food around the house. It was at this age that Karasu was able to steal a sword from a dead man in the street and begin training himself to use the weapon, he was tired of his mother always being the one to keep Karasu safe, he needed to keep her safe. Safe from the men of these districts. It was also during this time that Karasu was able to make friends within the Rukongai. Karasu lived in a small apartment complex-like building in the 72nd district and he would play with the other children that lived in the building, teaching them to steal to survive. It helped to take the weight off of things, having some time to unwind and not stress of the horrible things that happened here.
Eventually Karasu's training got him confident, he and the other children began to band together to turn away men that would come to see their mothers. The fathers that remained in the building were few and far between, something else that always perplexed Karasu. However as time went on it became harder and harder to get the men to leave of their own accord, they began to beat the children. Scolding them for acting out of line. One particular kid who got it worse than anyone else was Hiroka, Karasu would never forget what it felt like to be pressed against the cold wet mud, getting kicked and punched all over his body as he looked up with tears in his eyes to see Hiroka taking twice the beating, still screaming for the men to leave his mother alone. This was the day that Karasu really learned what it meant to care about someone, there was nothing he could do at the time.. but he would act when he could. From that point on Karasu spent most of his time with Hiroka, the two had each others back and became close friends.
Eventually Karasu went out on his own, acquiring swords for all of the teenagers that he lived with. Beginning to show them what little he knew as a swordsman, they all began to train together. Each furthering the next as they attempted to get stronger, wishing to see their suffering end. Their plans had worked, and now they began to fend off intruders by slicing into them. Even though they didn't take any lives, they were able to keep the men from coming back to see their mothers. This made them happy, but they all noticed that they were hungrier than usual when the men were gone. They did their best to steal all the food they could to keep them alive, but after two years of maintaining their home.. tragedy struck.
Hunger ravaged the families. Their mothers pleaded with them to let the men return, pleaded that the only way they could keep the children fed was if the others were around. Karasu hated this, but fact was fact. They decided to let a man through, the first one in some time. Karasu remained outside of the building as the man was in there, not wanting to know what was going on and also making sure no one else tried to come to his home. Suddenly he heard shouts and swords clashing, moving closer to the situation he saw Hiroka fighting with the man who had come to the building. They weren't far from Hiroka's family room, and the door was open. Looking inside Karasu could see the body of Hiroka's mother on the floor, the life had been choked out of her. Hiroka couldn't hold back, he had to fight the man. Karasu tried to help Hiroka, but ended up out of the fight when he slashed across the stomach. Hiroka did the best he could, but inevitably he was defeated. Karasu watched as his best friend was dismembered, chopped to bits before his very eyes. He snapped.
Taking up the sword that Hiroka had used before losing his life, Karasu fought them man again. The fight was long and arduous, before it was over Karasu was left with two deep cuts to his face. It didn't matter though, as Karasu decapitated the man that killed his closest friend. Taking his first life and getting the feel for it, just beginning to learn how sadistic he was. Once the man was dead, Karasu chopped his body into bits. Eye for an eye was how he saw it. While not all of the memories he had with Hiroka were great ones, having someone to endure the hardships with meant the world to Karasu. He looked up from the mutilated body of his victim to see his mother Kushikura, covering his mouth with tears streaming from her face.
This was a turning point for Karasu, he was in his 23rd year of life but he was still young. Though he did his best to be smart, and wise. He took Kushikura from the 72nd district and made his way with her and five other families into the 71st district of the West Rukongai. Things were not much different here, but it gave everyone a chance to get a fresh slate. No one knew who they were, and no one messed with them for awhile. They were able to find housing with a Kendo instructor, who allowed them all to live there for free and train them in the techniques of Kendo if they kept his house safe. This gave them more time to hone their sword skills, Karasu trained every day of his life. He had to stay strong, to protect his mother. He vowed to himself to become a Shinigami, to move his mother into the Sereitei where she would be safe. He wanted to keep all of his friends safe, but life doesn't always play out like that.
Karasu and had friends had began to decriminalize the 71st district with their swords, spanning out from the Kendo studio and trying to keep crime low as best they could. The bodies began to pile up as Karasu began to enjoy it, drawing blood from someone. Ending another person's life. Stripping from them the only thing they were able to hold on to for this long? Karasu loved it. As time went on he began to become more ruthless and tactical, not only killing his enemies but he began to kill them efficiently. Karasu had told his mother of his vow to become a Shinigami, she never seemed interested. It wasn't something that had been a big deal to Karasu at that moment in time, but Kushikura had something she wasn't telling him.
Finally he mustered up the courage to approach her with his feelings, he was upset that she was hiding something, and she understood that. So she told Karasu of a curse that was placed on his family, one that would bring the worst out of him as a person if he were to acquire a Zanpakuto. One that would turn him into a demon. Karasu held on to this for days, slaughtering members of the 71st district to help him clear his head. Finally settling that he would become a Shinigami anyway, and that a curse on his family was far too little to strike fear into him. Or so he thought.
After making his vow, Karasu decided that the only way he would ever make it into the Shinigami Academy was to cross the West Rukongai and get to the Seireitei. So having satisfied his desire to kill in this district and needing to get closer to the Sereitei Karasu and his rag-tag gang of swordsmen cut their was into the 65th district. The closer that they got to the Seireitei the more law and control that would come into place in the districts, Karasu realized this early on and knew if he didn't keep himself in check that his entire plan would go to waste if he were executed for breaking the law. They were usually able to find somewhere to stay by offering their services, either to clean or kill or build. They offered whatever they could to the people willing to house them.Years continued to pass, and Karasu continued to move through the districts, each one getting cozier than the last as they got closer and closer to the Sereitei.
As time went on the journey began to weigh on his friends and family, no longer were they able to find easy housing as more laws fell in place. Everyone was getting discouraged. The end goal meant less and less to them as they got closer and closer. Karasu hated it, but what he hated more than that was when Kushikura got sick. The sickness struck her quickly, and she was no longer able to travel within days. They had no choice but to rest in the 44th district and do whatever they could. Karasu tried everything to help his mother, medicines that doctors said would work, food that was said to cure the sick. Nothing worked and it drove him mad, he slept very little and spent most of his down time training with a sword and trying to keep his mind straight.
Three years after settling down in the 44th district, Karasu's mother died. On her death bed, the last thing that she did was recite something in a language that Karasu didn't understand, after reciting the words a smile crept upon her face, and she passed. He would not know until later in life what she did. He gave her proper burial, before leaving the district as quickly as possible. He didn't want to spend a lot of time in the district where his mother had died, he felt as though it was going to drain him of his will to carry on.
Eventually Karasu's training got him confident, he and the other children began to band together to turn away men that would come to see their mothers. The fathers that remained in the building were few and far between, something else that always perplexed Karasu. However as time went on it became harder and harder to get the men to leave of their own accord, they began to beat the children. Scolding them for acting out of line. One particular kid who got it worse than anyone else was Hiroka, Karasu would never forget what it felt like to be pressed against the cold wet mud, getting kicked and punched all over his body as he looked up with tears in his eyes to see Hiroka taking twice the beating, still screaming for the men to leave his mother alone. This was the day that Karasu really learned what it meant to care about someone, there was nothing he could do at the time.. but he would act when he could. From that point on Karasu spent most of his time with Hiroka, the two had each others back and became close friends.
Eventually Karasu went out on his own, acquiring swords for all of the teenagers that he lived with. Beginning to show them what little he knew as a swordsman, they all began to train together. Each furthering the next as they attempted to get stronger, wishing to see their suffering end. Their plans had worked, and now they began to fend off intruders by slicing into them. Even though they didn't take any lives, they were able to keep the men from coming back to see their mothers. This made them happy, but they all noticed that they were hungrier than usual when the men were gone. They did their best to steal all the food they could to keep them alive, but after two years of maintaining their home.. tragedy struck.
Hunger ravaged the families. Their mothers pleaded with them to let the men return, pleaded that the only way they could keep the children fed was if the others were around. Karasu hated this, but fact was fact. They decided to let a man through, the first one in some time. Karasu remained outside of the building as the man was in there, not wanting to know what was going on and also making sure no one else tried to come to his home. Suddenly he heard shouts and swords clashing, moving closer to the situation he saw Hiroka fighting with the man who had come to the building. They weren't far from Hiroka's family room, and the door was open. Looking inside Karasu could see the body of Hiroka's mother on the floor, the life had been choked out of her. Hiroka couldn't hold back, he had to fight the man. Karasu tried to help Hiroka, but ended up out of the fight when he slashed across the stomach. Hiroka did the best he could, but inevitably he was defeated. Karasu watched as his best friend was dismembered, chopped to bits before his very eyes. He snapped.
Taking up the sword that Hiroka had used before losing his life, Karasu fought them man again. The fight was long and arduous, before it was over Karasu was left with two deep cuts to his face. It didn't matter though, as Karasu decapitated the man that killed his closest friend. Taking his first life and getting the feel for it, just beginning to learn how sadistic he was. Once the man was dead, Karasu chopped his body into bits. Eye for an eye was how he saw it. While not all of the memories he had with Hiroka were great ones, having someone to endure the hardships with meant the world to Karasu. He looked up from the mutilated body of his victim to see his mother Kushikura, covering his mouth with tears streaming from her face.
This was a turning point for Karasu, he was in his 23rd year of life but he was still young. Though he did his best to be smart, and wise. He took Kushikura from the 72nd district and made his way with her and five other families into the 71st district of the West Rukongai. Things were not much different here, but it gave everyone a chance to get a fresh slate. No one knew who they were, and no one messed with them for awhile. They were able to find housing with a Kendo instructor, who allowed them all to live there for free and train them in the techniques of Kendo if they kept his house safe. This gave them more time to hone their sword skills, Karasu trained every day of his life. He had to stay strong, to protect his mother. He vowed to himself to become a Shinigami, to move his mother into the Sereitei where she would be safe. He wanted to keep all of his friends safe, but life doesn't always play out like that.
Karasu and had friends had began to decriminalize the 71st district with their swords, spanning out from the Kendo studio and trying to keep crime low as best they could. The bodies began to pile up as Karasu began to enjoy it, drawing blood from someone. Ending another person's life. Stripping from them the only thing they were able to hold on to for this long? Karasu loved it. As time went on he began to become more ruthless and tactical, not only killing his enemies but he began to kill them efficiently. Karasu had told his mother of his vow to become a Shinigami, she never seemed interested. It wasn't something that had been a big deal to Karasu at that moment in time, but Kushikura had something she wasn't telling him.
Finally he mustered up the courage to approach her with his feelings, he was upset that she was hiding something, and she understood that. So she told Karasu of a curse that was placed on his family, one that would bring the worst out of him as a person if he were to acquire a Zanpakuto. One that would turn him into a demon. Karasu held on to this for days, slaughtering members of the 71st district to help him clear his head. Finally settling that he would become a Shinigami anyway, and that a curse on his family was far too little to strike fear into him. Or so he thought.
After making his vow, Karasu decided that the only way he would ever make it into the Shinigami Academy was to cross the West Rukongai and get to the Seireitei. So having satisfied his desire to kill in this district and needing to get closer to the Sereitei Karasu and his rag-tag gang of swordsmen cut their was into the 65th district. The closer that they got to the Seireitei the more law and control that would come into place in the districts, Karasu realized this early on and knew if he didn't keep himself in check that his entire plan would go to waste if he were executed for breaking the law. They were usually able to find somewhere to stay by offering their services, either to clean or kill or build. They offered whatever they could to the people willing to house them.Years continued to pass, and Karasu continued to move through the districts, each one getting cozier than the last as they got closer and closer to the Sereitei.
As time went on the journey began to weigh on his friends and family, no longer were they able to find easy housing as more laws fell in place. Everyone was getting discouraged. The end goal meant less and less to them as they got closer and closer. Karasu hated it, but what he hated more than that was when Kushikura got sick. The sickness struck her quickly, and she was no longer able to travel within days. They had no choice but to rest in the 44th district and do whatever they could. Karasu tried everything to help his mother, medicines that doctors said would work, food that was said to cure the sick. Nothing worked and it drove him mad, he slept very little and spent most of his down time training with a sword and trying to keep his mind straight.
Three years after settling down in the 44th district, Karasu's mother died. On her death bed, the last thing that she did was recite something in a language that Karasu didn't understand, after reciting the words a smile crept upon her face, and she passed. He would not know until later in life what she did. He gave her proper burial, before leaving the district as quickly as possible. He didn't want to spend a lot of time in the district where his mother had died, he felt as though it was going to drain him of his will to carry on.
Late Life and Present; 1968-2016
After the passing of his mother Karasu stayed on the move. Unfrotunately his friends did not share his passion, and as the time passed Karasu found himself all alone, in district 30. At this point in his life he felt he could handle anyone in the Rukongai with his sword, but he had been encountering criminals less and less due to the increase in law and order in the upper districts. There was no longer any reason for Kurasa to stop moving, he usually only remained in one place for a few hours to sleep.
As he moved from district 30 to the last 10, time seemed to blend together. The journey became less about survival and more about reflection, Karasu had so much time alone that he really only spoke with himself in his thoughts. Other than drinking in bars with other Rukongai residents and basic interactions like that. Working on his sword skills became more peaceful, which was something he both loved and hated. He could have sworn that his sword called out for blood, but he did his best to ignore it as he made his way through the districts. If he were to succumb to bloodlust, especially in the last 10 districts he was sure that trouble would befall him.
Finally having reached the Sereitei, Karasu was able to make his way into the Shinigami academy, doing the best he could for six years as he was trained in the ways of the soul reaper. He was given an Asauchi, that turned into his Zanpakuto. Once Karasu learned the name of his Zanpakuto spirit - Or he thought he did anyway - he immediately discovered what his mother had done upon her death bed, the words she recited bestowerd upon Karasu the heirloom of his family. They triggered the spell that was set into the Huishen boys at birth, that would cause his Zanpakuto to develop in the exact way that it did, this was said to be the only zanpakuto that could break the curse that his mother had spoken of. His skin would turn red, horns would sprout from his forehead and his hair would grew to three times it's length. The change in his Reiatsu and personality was drastic, and he knew that this was what Kushikura meant when she spoke of the curse. During his time in the academy Karasu learened how to control himself with the aid of Haiiro, and developed a relaxed demeanor. His bloodlust is still very real though, and it sits just beneath the surface. Now that he has finished the Shinigami Academy, he searched for a Division to call home... a new family to replace his old one.
As he moved from district 30 to the last 10, time seemed to blend together. The journey became less about survival and more about reflection, Karasu had so much time alone that he really only spoke with himself in his thoughts. Other than drinking in bars with other Rukongai residents and basic interactions like that. Working on his sword skills became more peaceful, which was something he both loved and hated. He could have sworn that his sword called out for blood, but he did his best to ignore it as he made his way through the districts. If he were to succumb to bloodlust, especially in the last 10 districts he was sure that trouble would befall him.
Finally having reached the Sereitei, Karasu was able to make his way into the Shinigami academy, doing the best he could for six years as he was trained in the ways of the soul reaper. He was given an Asauchi, that turned into his Zanpakuto. Once Karasu learned the name of his Zanpakuto spirit - Or he thought he did anyway - he immediately discovered what his mother had done upon her death bed, the words she recited bestowerd upon Karasu the heirloom of his family. They triggered the spell that was set into the Huishen boys at birth, that would cause his Zanpakuto to develop in the exact way that it did, this was said to be the only zanpakuto that could break the curse that his mother had spoken of. His skin would turn red, horns would sprout from his forehead and his hair would grew to three times it's length. The change in his Reiatsu and personality was drastic, and he knew that this was what Kushikura meant when she spoke of the curse. During his time in the academy Karasu learened how to control himself with the aid of Haiiro, and developed a relaxed demeanor. His bloodlust is still very real though, and it sits just beneath the surface. Now that he has finished the Shinigami Academy, he searched for a Division to call home... a new family to replace his old one.
After leaving the academy Karasu was able to be recruited into the second division of the Gotei 5. Having more freedom now, he has been taking trips to the living world, learning more and more about it than the academy could ever teach him. Interacting with the ugly things called hollow, and meeting human spiritualists as well along the way. However, Karasu has learned quickly since his departure from the academy, that the curse he took so lightly has become much more of a weight on his shoulders... he is riddled with doubt and questions, worried of what will become of him.
Roleplay Sample:
Karasu walked at a leisurely pace, the beaten trail that he had used for a path had disappeared some time ago. Now he was just walking through brush on the forest floor. The trees around him were rather large, their height was commendable too. The tops of them barely allowed any light to pierce through, and with it already dusk there wasn't much to begin with. Karasu sipped from a canteen in his hand, the alcohol within slushing around a bit as he did so. Taking a quick sip he returned the cap to the canteen, letting it hang by his hip from the strap over his shoulder. His sword rested on his left side, as it always did, and with a bit of drunken stumble Karasu was able to remove it from it's sheath. He giggled a bit as he did so, he often wandered off like this, getting drunk and slashing whatever things were around where he ended up. The challenge of making his way home the next day was always appealing, so this had become a bit of a habit.
He assumed a loose Kendo stance, facing the nearest tree and with a furrowed brow. He wore a straw hat on his head, attached by a strap that held to his chin. Other that it was his usual attire, that was pretty much all he ever wore. With a grunt and a drunken swing, Karasu attempted to slash the tree, his sword bouncing from the bark and coming back at him. The blade cut a large triangular section of the hat out, though cut was a loose term as it was the flat side of the blade that tore through his hat.
He looked at the sword, confused for a moment in his drunken state. "Pssshh!" he laughed a bit at himself before turning abruptly serious, and slashing the tree a second time. This time he was able to cleave the tree horizontally, with a precise enough cut that the tree did not fall. At least not at the moment, he was sure something would come around and make the tree fall at some point. As he went to turn away and start walking back, he was hit in the chest by a strong wind, it blew through the entire forest and was quite surprising to the drunken Karasu.
He turned around to see the tree leaning back slowly, before picking up some velocity and crashing into the ground. A huge cloud of dust burst forth from the impact, coating the area and blinding Karasu a bit. He idly sliced his sword through the air, dispersing the cloud over him and allowing him to breathe and see better. He lifted his middle finger of his left hand up at the tree with a drunken laugh, and began making his way back home. He searched for another tree to slice along way, marking his path so he wouldn't get lost.
OOC__
Player Alias: Karasu is fine, Rasu is also acceptable.
Do you want a grade?: Yes. Hopefully 1,500 but I'll be happy with whatever I get
Were you referred by anyone?: No
