Post by Amai Jemukatashi on Nov 13, 2011 10:40:00 GMT -5
[align=center]Shinigami
Sorry...Who Are You?[/align]
Name:[/color] Amai, Jemukatashi (Nick: Jem (closest friends and family), Katashi (most people, especially subordinates and enemies)
Age: 842
Gender: Male
Squad/Position: Sixth Squad / Lieutenant
[align=center]What Makes Us...Us?[/align]
Height & Weight 6 ft & 175 lbs.
Hair & Eye Colour Neck-length Black Hair / Blue Eyes
Noticable Difference
The first time one looks at Jemukatashi, and even after you have done your double-take, one may see a man with which one could divulge their darkest secrets; that is to say, he looks like someone that can be trusted. While one would not be wrong to think such, the question still remains as to what about simply looking at him gives this impression. As one who has experienced so much personal doubt and has come to terms with himself, an aura of assurance, strength and sanctuary surrounds him not unlike the frigid cold of the reiatsu that radiates from him when he exerts his power. In his crystalline blue eyes, one may feel they can see an inner light shining through; a light of righteousness and intelligence complimented by a strange feeling of calm. Framed with ebony locks and brows, he looks to be the quintessential pretty boy. The stereotypical rich noble out for a lay. For the most part, this first impression can be accurate – indeed, he would not be at all surprised if one called him promiscuous and he certainly cares about his physical appearance, though he would never consider himself at all conceited by any means. Rather, as someone who lives in the world of nobility, he understands the importance of appropriate dress and appearance. Still, as welcoming as he can be, if ever one falls victim to his temper, those same eyes that make one feel so safe can also look on one with such intense anger and judgment as to reduce one to the tiniest of insignificant insects. They can look on with such fury and rage as to make the toughest of men feel like children. While one would never get the sense of maliciousness from the man with the diamond zanpakuto, there is an undeniable lethalness about him if his wrath has been invoked. His bone structure is one of the only physical traits Jem shares with his blood brother – a strong jaw line, high cheekbones, pointed chin, and a small, discrete, unremarkable nose.
His physique, frankly, is impeccable. At exactly six feet tall and weighing a hundred and seventy-five pounds, a weight that has not changed for him in over six centuries, much of his mass is muscle. Engaging in regular and rigorous exercise, Jem possesses an anatomy that has been compared to a Greek god by more than one woman. Even with a smile that could tempt the fortitude of the most reserved woman, the shinigami’s body only adds to his attractiveness. With broad shoulders, rippling muscles at his arms, legs, chest and stomach, which boasts a hard-earned six-pack of abs, he has an impressive mix of a swimmer’s and an athlete’s build due not only to his favorite hobbies of swimming and hiking, but also his intense training sessions with in Squad six. More than simply possessing a body most men would envy, he is quite aware of his damned near flawless physique and it shows in how he carries himself. Walking tall and straight backed, his confident walk borders on being a cocky saunter at times, which is merely a result of his very laid-back personality that he wishes to show the world. Of course, when his temper gets the best of him, his posture and musculature can easily translate to intimidation.
When it comes to wardrobe, Jem has a rather neo-conservative style. When appropriate, he is known to fill the garb of an Amai noble well; a bukan sokutai with the hoeki no ho and all. He has his fare share of the standard black hakamas and kimonos and he prefers to wear black tabis when in that garb. Still, the noble, in his time away from his family, has developed his own unique sense of style. Most often he can be found in a shirtless wearing a form-fitting silk kimono, which flares out beneath his waist, with a crimson inseam. He also wears and an umanori hakama that is a bit thinner than normal, attempting to avoid anything that might seem extravagant. Indeed, though he certainly wears jewelry he tends to limit such to a single piece such as a diamond necklace, ring, or bracelet. He has no piercings or tattoos to speak of, never having found a reason to get either. Still, his simple style would never be construed as disheveled or rugged. Rather, most would observe him to have a clean-cut look most of the time, though he may sport a bit of facial hair or run a hand through his hair in lieu of a comb. On his feet, he most often will wear black tabis, but he is also a fan of black boots from time to time.
Positive Traits
Negative Traits
TMI?:
Personality:
Concealing a conflicted personality that is immeasurably more complex and delicate than most people will ever get close enough to reveal is a persona that most judge to be inviting, kind, and yet with a mind and eye that is as sharp as any. Yet as multi-dimensional as Jem truly is, upon first impression one will either love the man for his intelligence, sense of humor, and sincerity or hate him for his sarcasm, self-righteousness, and over-confidence. A hot-headed wit simmering beneath a cool surface, he will often bottle up his emotions until they have no choice but to explode from him, in however constructive or destructive a manner as they may, seemingly to emulate the calm visage of the diamond for which his zanpakuto is famed or the icy fury of his Coldfire in that regard. But while he is an expert brooder and maintains a harshly realistic, bordering on pessimistic, outlook of the world, he is rarely the one to kill the mood in a room. Indeed, he would much rather confront his problems directly than disseminating his mood to others, preferring to remove himself from the party, rather than bring it to a halt. Of course, every rule has its exceptions. There are buttons one could push to cause him to immediately snap – namely those things that involve family or love. Intensely passionate about the matters closest to his heart, Jem can become immediately confrontational and will not hesitate to throw the first punch if ever he feels attacked on those fronts.
Often forming opinions about nearly everything he observes, Jem tends to keep those thoughts to himself in most cases. With a personality that has grown to be passive aggressive, as opposed to outright aggressive, as was his problem as a youth, the Shinigami noble, ironically, tends to avoid fighting and physical confrontations outside of missions. Indeed, while he has no qualms about engaging in mental sparring, going back and forth and trading insult for insult, he fears becoming too angry for the sake of others. Indeed, he uses his quick wit and sense of humor as a coping mechanism for those things that truly bother him. It is not uncommon for Jem to feel burning rage beneath his skin and yet still make a slick remark about the situation, giving off a false sense of calm and collectedness. As a shinigami with zanpakuto that is both highly destructive and lethal, the noble fears losing control and destroying everything in his path. His memory of the first use of his power, and the petrification of a Hollow being by sheer accident and rage still gives him nightmares. It speaks to a facet of his persona that is truly gentle and considerate. That is, the Amai brother has an unswerving love and appreciation for those that manage to break past his walls of sarcasm, which, in reality, isn’t all that difficult. Indeed, the feat tends to more a matter of temperance and patience than skill. Yet once that barrier has been pierced, one finds Jem to be a man who will sit and listen through the rant of a close friend; a man who will go to great lengths for those he considers his friends. And while he can have a biting and vindictive sense of humor, and might often say something that could sting far more than he would intend, Jem is often inclined towards a type of considerate nature that will usually preclude him from speaking that harshest of things, even if those things are the truth. The thought that he might be responsible for hurting those he cares about is enough to make him think twice and a third time about what he says and what he does, granted he has not already reached the limit of his patience. Like the earth, which he has grown so intimately familiar with through his hiking, or like the special ability of his zanpakuto, Jem embraces all kinds of people. He is not the type to laugh at or be repelled by one who he does not find attractive, be that because they are obese, ugly, or whether they are sporting a bone mask. In his mind, they are still people with something unique to offer the world. Rather than judging by appearance, Katashi judges by actions. To his colleagues and friends, he is the one people seek out when they just need someone to listen to them; to younger, unranked shinigami in Soul Society, he tries to serve in a counseling or mentoring role whenever he can, understanding his lack of such a mentor as a child to be among the chief reasons he sank as far he did into delinquency.
The phrase that would describe Jem when it comes to matters of the heart is dramatic. Not in the sense that he likes or strives to keep his love life filled with strife so much as strife always manages to make an appearance. In a way, it’s his own fault. As the cliché goes, he simply loves too hard. Too passionately. To those he has given his heart, loyalty does not even begin to describe the length to which he will go to see them protected. The Jem that avoids conflict, when those he loves are in danger, will become the Jem to release his Shikai first and ask questions later. As very destructible as he is, the shinigami would place himself in the path of certain death if it means the survival of a loved one. As it happens, while the black-haired blue-eyed Amai brother has always been rather successful in the arena of courting women, he has always failed to maintain that relationship for very long. His own inner demons and fears, the ever-present danger of causing her through his status is one of the reasons for his consistent failure in maintaining romance. In fact, having successfully maneuvered through the tall walls to get closer to Jem, people often will find a metaphorical emotional cage in which he keeps himself, its key lodged firmly within his own psyche. That is, women who find their way to Jem’s heart will soon find that he begins to distance himself. He has been asked more than once whether it is his intention to be alone for the rest of his life; and while his immediate response is always no, and while even that thought inspires a misery he cannot completely grasp, the reality is that the sadness of living a life without love is far less nerve-racking than the utter horror that dreams of destruction and death give him.
In the fight for justice, Katashi has a very different look at ethics than many who call themselves shinigami. The phrase morally gray comes to mind. While Jem certainly is not violent and in general is against murder, he recognizes that there are times when ethics have to be put aside for the greater good. Among his chief problems with the shinigami’s methods is their policy of following every order without question. Not that he will not follow orders, but he does so realizing that what he is doing may defy his better judgement. That being said, Katashi is not at all a fan of chaos as such led to the decimation of his family. After all, what would become of the world if every Shinigami questioned every order they ever received? Certainly, the world would likely be overrun with all manner of dangerous Hollow and rogue Shinigami. Still, he has risen in the ranks specifically so that he could issue orders should the need arise. The diamond shinigami is fervently opposed to sitting idle while his home is attacked. Despite his aversion to Hollow, Katashi would join them in a heartbeat were Soul Society to ever decide to endanger his family. Such an attitude is revealing of his most core beliefs about what justice truly means. Jem does not believe that one who has committed atrocious murders should be given so light a sentence as imprisonment. Granted, there are worse things than death, but for the security and safety of the world, should not those who pose the greatest risk be eliminated? Should it not be done by any means necessary? Does not family transcend all else?
Beyond that, Jem is a rather temperate man. Simple in his pleasures, fascinated with the world around him, and passionate about those things in which he believes. So when you see him wandering through a tree-crowded forest, stopping to examine what is often a very boring bit of stone, Jem is a intricate piece of psychological artwork in his own right. A ticking nuclear reactor with a heart, and a willing soldier for justice.
Reiatsu:
Jemukatashi’s reiatsu invokes a feeling of awe in most. To behold it is to witness a dazzling white inferno glittering with flecks of every color at its edges. To feel his reiatsu is to feel a cold that runs down to the bone and a stiffness that has nothing at all to do with that cold. Just as the diamond to which he is so closely linked, those with significantly less reiatsu that him may have trouble cutting him should he release his reiatsu in battle.
[align=center]A Bond That Can't Be Denied[/align]
Zanpakuto Spirit:[/color]
The epitome of arrogance and superiority, Hyozanryu takes on the form of a giant dragon composed entirely of diamond. Were he to ever manifest himself in the real world, he would stand roughly fifty feet tall and would measure, from nose to tail-tip, 100 feet. His wingspan when fully extended would be 200 feet and strong enough to support his immensity. At the tips of the wings are long, wicked claws capable of piercing just about anything, including the very material from which they are composed – diamond. Running along his back are large, flexible yet razor-sharp spines, which continue down to the tip of his prehensile tale. Depending on his whim, he can use his tail as a spear or to entrap his enemies. On his head grows massive horns that give him a crown of sorts, which is appropriate considering the attitude he normally possesses. His body is covered in scales growing much likes seamless, plated armor. In essence, Hyozanryu is a massive, virtually indestructible, beast known for his wisdom and ability to make anyone seem rather dim.
Imposing as his mere form happens to be, there is even more to the physicality of this spirit. Approaching him is an action that must be permitted, lest the person wishes to be turned into a diamond statue. In other words, contact with his scales has a transfiguring effect upon everything. Indeed, the very ground upon which he walks transforms to diamond. Blades of grass become true, though diamond, blades protruding from the earth, which, itself, has become diamond. The ground upon which he rests becomes a bed of the precious gemstone, made much less sparse in the presence of this zanpakuto spirit. The petrification effect spreads for a 100 foot radius from the point of contact as long as the dragon’s scales continue to touch the original spot. Yet beyond the dangers of merely being the in presence of this dragon spirit, there are, of course, his offensive capabilities. True to the form he has taken, Hyozanryu has the ability to breathe fire. Yet these flames are unlike anything on earth. The fires from the maw of this noble creature are bone-chillingly frigid and, in fact, is not a true fire at all. Rather, he breathes blizzards of the only thing that makes sense – diamonds. Thus, when he decides to use this attack, the victim not only will experience a cold that will pierce just about any protective clothing, temperatures being colder than the tundra of Antarctica, but they will have to fight through powerful winds while being torn to shreds by miniscule blades.
In light of this, is there any wonder that this spirit is so unapologetically arrogant? He finds most of the affairs of the world to be disgracefully trivial. Indeed, he questions whether there is truly that vast of a difference between a Hollow and a Shinigami. Both have their faults and both are on the same basic trajectory, or at least that is how Hyozanryu looks at the world. Some arbitrary distinction between the two classifies one as evil and one as righteous, despite that both have caused widespread devastation when the need suits them. And that is really where Jemukatashi and Hyozanryu are most alike in their personalities. Justice is a concept and ideal into which both pour a tremendous amount of energy thinking about. The only problem, of course, is that they have a very unique perspective about justice. Rather than seeing justice as entirely black and white, they tend to see justice as something as a vast field of black and white where the grey dominates much of the middle ground. There, however, is where their similarities apparently ends. Where Jem is often polite, even if only for the sake of his family’s name, Hyozanryu is best described as impudent, brusque, and shamelessly undiplomatic. He sees no point in preserving one’s sense of so-called self-worth. In fact, it is his firm belief that if one’s sense of self can be altered by something as sincere as honesty, however it is painted, one likely needs some toughening up. The world is not a place that is kind to the weak and he will not stand for weakness in his presence. In a way, Hyozanryu’s personality is the true personality, or at least the suppressed personality, of Jemukatashi. While Jem might lie to himself about a person or situation, Hyozanryu will always demand and speak the truth, regardless of however harsh it might be.
In recent centuries, Hyozanryu has become far more active than usual. Typically, Hyozanryu spends quite a bit of time sleeping, just as a dragon of legend. For that reason, to release his zanpakuto, Jemukatashi must command him to awaken. That said, Hyozanryu has now made a habit of speaking in his mind even when such is not desired. There are times when Jemukatashi is acting on behalf of his family and does something he would rather not do, in which case he suffers the chastisement of this zanpakuto spirit. There are times when Jem would rather lie to himself than be honest and Hyozanryu is more than happy to remind him of the truth. All the insults that Jemukatashi would keep to himself, Hyozanryu will utter into his mind. During battle, this can be a particularly stressful when the zanpakuto is tempting him into doing something that might defy the orders Jem has been given. Still, the two have developed quite a bit of respect for each other over the centuries. Jem often visits Hyozanryu in his dreams having accepted the spirit as an excellent, though belittling, counselor. Sometimes in these dreams Hyozanryu will take on a human form – a dark-skinned man with brilliant-white hair that cuts off at the neck, much like Jemukatashi. His eyes are the same pale blue of his true form, but tend to have a bit more humor in them, which makes sense as his creation of such a form is indicative of his good will towards Jem.
Inner World:
Jemukatashi’s inner world is a blinding world of ice and diamond. The landscape is brighter than one thinks is possible, glimmering with precious stones beneath a blanket of snow. In some ways, simply from looking rather than experiencing the reality, it might appear as a dream. Yet one would be a fool to be so very naïve. Exposed to the elements, one finds themselves in a constant state of cold, which continued exposure might lead to freezing to death (or entering a coma in any of the other dimensions). The harsh, biting winds dry and crack the skin eliciting blood to mar this impeccably white scenery. The sky is a cloudless, sunless, yet blinding white from which an unrelenting blizzard tears itself during the hours what might be considered daylight hours (or whenever Jem is healthy and undamaged). In times where Jem is weakened, the sky grows black with a brilliant moon being the only source of light. Rather than snow, freezing rain pours from that same cloudless sky.
It would take one foreign to this world, such as a young Jemukatashi, quite some time to realize that the ground upon which they stand is not entirely dominated by snow. A cobbled path of diamond blends in perfectly with the surrounding white banks and blankets of snow and in the distance, a vast structure that looks like a castle from so far away gleams its majesty. The path is even and never rises or descends, cutting through hills as if he who had paved the road had simply had no desire to climb hills. The path is also straight, leading the traveler to the structure in the distance, which, once one had come close enough, is revealed to be something altogether different than a castle. Like most things in the world, it is made of diamond, certainly, but rather than walls, thick tree trunks whose branches intertwine hundreds of feet above one’s head create a barrier. The entrance is an archway rising a couple dozen feet, yet passing the entrance is intimidating to say the least. Pale blue flames blaze from the ground to lick the top of the tree-woven archway. Yet the flames are but a test of bravery. They do not burn, nor do they cut as the flames from the mouth of Hyozanryu. Rather, they are painfully cold and passing through the flames could make the unprepared or the weak lose their breath or pass out. Of course, once you have passed through the archway, you could still lose your breath merely from looking around.
Stretching on for four-hundred feet in diameter, one enters what seems to be a vast garden composed entirely of that same precious material that seems so very common in this world – diamonds. Yet strangely, unlike the trees that stretch to the heavens, the things within this garden are not rigid or stiff, though they are as dense as diamonds. Yet the grass and flowers sway in the wind. Smaller, independent trees grow sporadically from the ground, bearing fruit (that would, of course, be entirely inedible). Butterflies, though a bit larger than usual, flutter about the garden from flower to flower, gleaming whenever any sort of light hits their bodies. Large cats prowl and play near the perimeter, each taking turns guarding the entrance. One even might feel a snake slither past one’s foot and be shocked that it too gleams as diamond. These living things are composed of organic diamond and thus, function as their real-world counterparts, but simply are constructed of the indestructible gemstone. Once one comes to terms with this phenomenon, it is then possible to see that the garden is truly beautiful and extraordinarily tranquil. And at the center of it all lies the vast form of Hyozanryu, often in deep sleep. At other times, he takes on his human form and tends to his garden.
Sealed Zanpakuto:
Jemukatashi’s zanpakuto takes the form of a standard katana, with a blade two and a half feet in length. The hilt is also average length of eleven inches, able to be held with two hands or one. It is made of what looks to be white gold wrapped in pale-blue rayskin that create make-shift diamonds along the length of the hilt. The crossguard is also made of white gold and is in the design of a flaming sun. The pommel of this zanpakuto has a circle no larger than a coin made of diamond. It is incredibly clear and through it Jem is better able to focus kido techniques. Rising from the cross-guard of the blade is a design of a flying Chinese dragon made of yellow gold and diamond set seamlessly into the otherwise normal titanium of the blade. The additions of the gold would often result in a heavier blade, but the replacement of a bit of the metal with diamond, which is ten times lighter than steel, along with the use of titanium itself gives the blade the weight of any other steel-based katana. Jem carries his zanpakuto in a pure white scabbard made of spruce wood. The seal of the Awai family is directly at the center of the scabbard.
Shikai Appearance :
Once the release command is spoken, Hyozanryu transforms into another type of sword altogether. The blade grows fat as it metamorphoses from a katana into a scimitar. Now that it is more aligned with the nature of the zanpakuto spirit, the entire blade is composed of diamond, causing light to reflect and gleam from it (making blinding an enemy entirely possible). As beautiful as the sword might otherwise be, the wicked curve and added length of the blade make it all the more lethal. Indeed, the fact that the entire blade is composed of diamond makes for an incredibly light weapon that can slice cleanly through weaker blades. It is only due to the fact that its opponent’s blades are infused with reiatsu that they are not typically reduced to broken metal. Additionally, being composed of diamond, the blade is especially difficult to see, thus opponents must be especially careful if facing Jem in a situation where visibility is obscured. The hilt retains its length from its sealed state, but the rayskin has vanished altogether to reveal a hilt of white gold. The dragon that had been on the blade seems to have traveled to wrap around the hilt of the blade, its scales accented with yellow gold, but still made of diamond. The crossguard is still a flaming sun and is truly the only thing about the blade that remains untouched. Even the pommel grows a bit larger, to be a diamond-glass about three inches in diameter, helping him to focus his kido even more.
Release Phrase: “Awaken from your slumber and let the beauty of winter ignite, Hyozanryu!â€
Shikai Abilities:
Classifying Hyozanryu is a task in itself. Because of the cold it brings on, one might assume it is an Ice-based zanpakuto, but that would be a mistake. Rather, the fact that its abilities center on its ability to create and manipulate diamond, it might be more accurate to classify it as an earth-type, considering that diamonds are a product of the earth. Truthfully, Hyozanryu is a zanpakuto spirit that exists in a class all his own. The first thing to understand is that Jem prefers not to use the full abilities of his Shikai, so it is probably best to understand how he initially uses Hyozanryu’s initial release. Typically, he will only say “Awaken from your slumber, Hyozanryu!†Such will only transform the sword for limited use. Often, he will use the lighter weight of the sword in combination with his skill in shunpo to win his battles. When this fails, he will attempt to pierce his enemies. Doing so will activate the first ability of the zanpakuto – turning whatever the blade has pierced to diamond. Anything that Hyozanryu pierces for more than twenty seconds, which is admittedly a lifetime in a battle, will become solid diamond. From the moment it pierces anything, that thing will slowly begin to turn to diamond. If the blade is removed before the twenty seconds is up, the diamond will retract and the person will be left with only the cut to tend.
While such is a powerful ability unto itself, it is hardly practical in most battles with those who are well trained. Therefore, when pushed enough, Jemukatashi will activate the rest of the blade’s release by saying “Let the beauty of winter ignite, Hyozanryu!†From the crossguard of the sword, what looks like pale blue fire will erupt and surround Jem’s rear in a half-circle. The “flames†will rise to be roughly seven feet high, a seeming inferno. Yet the flames are actually thousands of tiny, razor-sharp diamonds made of diamond. Using the sword, Jem can direct these shards to attack an enemy. In the trail of the flames, a fragile thin layer of frost is left, the “fire†being so very cold, hence his name for it – Coldfire. The shards will cut whatever they attack to pieces. The true power of Hyozanryu’s Shikai is called “Saiban Inbo†or final judgement. The flames will seem to die down on whatever they are touching and, in a flash, encase whatever it was touching in diamond, trapping the enemy alive. Indeed, even with the initial release, Coldfire will automatically perform Saiban Inbo after three minutes of being in its released state. All this said, a being with Reiatsu exceeding Jem’s should be able to use a Hoho technique to escape this trap if they have enough skill (in which case, a hollow diamond statue would be left in their place).
[align=center]FLASHBACK[/align]
Background:
[align=center]CHILDHOOD[/align]
Over eight-hundred years ago, to the former head of the Amai family, Jemukatashi was born. A healthy baby boy with eyes like his mother and dark hair like his father, his parents loved him dearly. He was constantly watched and fawned over, given every luxury that babies never realize they have. His mother was assisted in his care by hired nannies and hired Shinigami constantly guarded him, though only one of his three bodyguards were capable of using a Shikai. Of course, such was hardly a problem considering that as an infant and child, he had hardly made any enemies. Indeed, such protection was only given because there were some very stupid people that might try to harm the Noble House of Amai. While there certainly were various attempts to kidnap the boy throughout his childhood, the attempts were always thwarted with such efficiency that Jemukatashi never noticed. Rather, the life of the young noble was most uneventful. He was kept from all injuries and was spoiled unashamedly. Anything he desired, he was given. It was in his childhood, in fact, that his fascination with diamonds began. While not all of his toys were made of the expensive gemstone, he had several pieces that were, which are currently locked away for such a time when he has his own child. It was his interest in the stone which gave him his nickname of “Jem†among his family (more specifically, his mother).
After roughly five years as a carefree infant, toddler, and then a small child, Jemukatashi’s home-schooling began. He was given lessons in the history of mankind as well as the history of Shinigami and Hollows. He was taught the core foundations of knowledge – literature, philosophy, civics, government, law, arithmetic, language, and science. From an early age, he excelled in these areas, soaking up knowledge as easily as crystal refracts light. As far as his mother and father had been concerned, he was their pride and joy and would bring much honor to the second-oldest family in Soul Society.
[align=center]ADOLESCENCE[/align]
Problems began to develop as Jem’s age reached double digits. At first, there was little that changed about his life other than the fact that he began to keep a journal, the emblem of the Amai family engraved in diamond for each journal he kept. The books were vast tombs, each five inches thick and large enough that, even today, he only has a few hundred, despite the fact that he writes in his journal daily. Yet everything else seemed to be the same. His home-school professors still reported a tremendous mental capacity and they struggled to keep him challenged. The only thing that changed were his father’s expectations for him. The, then, head of the Amai family had expected his firstborn son to resemble his own development. Namely, the fact that there was no sign of any significant spiritual power in the boy began to put a strain on their relationship. While Jemukatashi was far more concerned with learning geology, feeding his interest in precious stones, his father thought he ought to be training to bring out the spiritual power that he was certain lay within his child. He began to ask his son questions, such as if he ever had strange dreams of places that seemed too real or if he ever heard a voice whispering in his head. While his father made a point not to say how disappointed he was, Jem could feel it and see it in the man’s eyes. And, what was more, he could understand his father’s concern. Soul society largely operated on the basis of power. What would happen to the family if its head could not defend it against its enemies?
By the time he was eighteen, he had experienced all the turmoils of an adolescent. He had rebelled against the rules, snuck out of the estate without notice to spend time with girls and friends. Yet it was when he reached this age that his life as he knew it would be forever changed. He remembers hearing his father talking with another Shinigami, a man who Jem had grown up calling his uncle. While not such in blood, the man had always been there and was his father’s best friend. Their conversation was surrounding Jemukatashi. His father admitted that he was ashamed to have a son who showed no potential of ever filling the shoes of his predecessors. That same night, without a word to anyone, Jemukatashi packed away his journal, some money, a thick blanket, and a dagger from the family’s vault before leaving his home.
[align=center]THE RUNAWAY[/align]
In hindsight, Jemukatashi can admit that his actions were more than a little hasty. These days he shrugs the memory off as adolescent hormones raging. Still, he does not deny that for a few years, he abandoned everything to do with his family, including the name. For months, he lived in the wild, entering different districts only to buy food. He came to learn that fending for himself was far more difficult than he had ever expected. The world beyond the walls of the Amai estate was not kind to the soft or the weak. He learned quickly to the use the ceremonial dagger he had stolen, a gold dagger with diamond engravings of flowers along the blade, for his defense.
His first night alone had been scary. Having left in just after midnight, he had run and walked for miles before he finally stopped to rest. His bed had been the forest floor and his pillow was only a bit of the blanket he had brought, which wasn’t covering his body, balled up beneath his head. This, however, had only made him uncomfortable. The scary part had been the strange sounds he had never before noticed. Owls hooting in the night, bats swooping low out of nowhere, and wolves howling in the night. There was a moment when one such wolf had wandered into the clearing in which he slept. Jem had stayed perfectly still, pretending to the best of his ability to be dead or sleep. The wolf, apparently, had been uninterested. Jem felt that he was lucky that nothing had attacked him that night. He quickly learned how to build a fire, later buying matches to make the task easier. The light, he found, kept him warm and kept animals away while having the nice side-effect of making him feel safer. Not that he had ever been afraid of the dark, but something about the night and not having a home he was willing to return to made him more than a little anxious.
It was his pride that kept him from returning home. Why should the son that was so very disappointing become a further embarrassment by returning on his knees? For a few months, Jem lived in the wild. In that time, he learned the essentials of surviving. But he began to miss human contact. Every time he ventured into the different districts to buy provisions, he would feel a tug at his heart he eventually learned was loneliness. Thus, after six months of living in the wild, he made his home in district 79 when he began to go by the name Katashi. It did not take him long to realize the district he lived in was especially violent. Quickly, he learned to defend himself and developed a hardened exterior, finding that he was less likely to be attacked if he appeared to be particularly prone to violence himself. Katashi lived here for years, falling in and out of love with a score of women, discovering the hard way how easily he fell in love and how much passion he had in each relationship.
At the age of thirty-three, fifteen years after fleeing from his home, he was walking down an alley where he saw a gang of men mugging a young woman. Generally, he kept himself out of scuffles that did not involve himself. Indeed, the women of district 79 were often more than capable of handling their own affairs. Yet this woman was clearly not from the area. The clothes she wore were expensive and seemed to be at a disadvantage. Against his better judgment, he became involved. He attacked the man closest to him without a word and drew the dagger which had been his only weapon for years. With it, he parried the blows of the men while protecting the woman. Against five men, even he had to admit how lucky he was to be able to move quickly enough to defend himself without being cut. At some point, the woman had scuttled away to retrieve a sword the men had dropped. In the corner of his eyes, he saw her draw the sword confidently and cry, “Show them righteousness, Tsukuyomi!†The blade grew into a long staff with a crescent-shaped blade at the end. There was another phrase that the woman muttered, but that Katashi missed. At that moment, the shadows seemed to grow darker. With a gesture from the woman, who was obviously a Shinigami, the men were ensnared in ropes of the deepest black that had sprouted from their own shadows. In horror, he watched as they were dragged down into the ground. The alley was quiet and the woman sheathed her sword. As she approached him, the shadows covering her face, something about her sword’s name kept gnawing at the back of his mind. “Thank you for your help,†she had said to him. “You know, with reiatsu as powerful as yours, strong enough to slow down those men, you should become a shin…†She trailed off, stopping in her tracks just as the moonlight fell on her face. Then he realized why the sword’s name had bothered him so much – it belonged to his mother.
And just like that, he and his mother had been reunited. She told him that his parents had never stopped looking for him. They had wasted a small fortune in hiring people to search for him and they had both, recently, taken on the search personally. She begged him to come home to be with his family. Jem explained to her that he would not return somewhere that saw him as an embarrassment. It took much convincing, but she assured him that whatever his father had said had been born out of frustration and that nothing would ever make them love him less. Besides, she noted, it seemed he had come into his power at last.
[align=center]SHINO ACADEMY[/align]
His return home would have him grounded for several weeks, not out of punishment or as a rule, but simply because his mother refused to leave his side except for at night. They spent the time catching up. His father had been just as genuinely happy to have his son back, but did not spend every waking moment with him. Duties resumed for him as the potential heir. Only once life seemed to have returned to some semblance of normality, and they were sure he would not run away, was he finally enrolled at Shino Academy.
As usual, his time began with simple classes in foundational knowledge. While the classes typically took years for most, Jemukatashi breezed through them in less than a year, persuading the masters to give him finals often months in advance. His troubles began as the true training commenced. Zanjutsu was far more difficult than he would have expected. Still, he completed training in that regard in what he was told was average time – three years. Within that time, he became an expert with the blade, entering sparring matches with friends he made and tournaments put on by the academy. Once he was certified as a master of Zanjutsu by the academy, he was presented with his own sword – his own zanpakuto. Yet while most were given this by the school, Katashi was presented his sword by his own father. The head of the Amai family informed Jem that it had been forged when he was only six based on a drawing that he, himself, had drawn. It was breathtaking.
He continued his studies at the Academy, beginning lessons in both Hoho and Kido. While the training to develop his speed seemed to work, his development soon leading him to learn Shunpo within a couple years, Kido seemed to be a weak point for the Shinigami. For seven years, he worked hard at learning Kido, failing miserably many times over. Indeed, to keep his confidence up, and his skills with the blade proficient, he continued to enter Zanjutsu Tournaments, always placing in the top three positions, using his newfound skills with Shunpo if things became too difficult. Eventually, he learned the necessary Kido in order to pass into the final test of the Academy. A test of survival, Katashi found that he was not anxious in the least, considering his newly acquired skills and his familiarity with the wild. He was sent in with a group of two other Shinigami to investigate an area where several Hollow were reported to have broken into Soul Society. They worked well together and by sunrise had cleansed the area of the violent spirits.
They returned dirty and sore, but they returned. None of his team had achieved any new level of power, but they were commended on their efforts and each graduated and finally, after ten years of study, Jemukatashi was a true shinigami. By pulling some strings, his father was able to have his squadron placed in the Squad Six.
[align=center]SIXTH SQUAD[/align]
Decades passed for Katashi in the sixth squad. He began as an unseated officer of no particularly great skill, except with his ability in Shunpo. Some of the more experienced shinigami stressed to him the importance of learning his zanpakuto’s name. Over the years, he began hearing whisperings in his ear and have dreams of a frozen, glimmering landscape. Only when he was in his seventies did he finally learn that all of this was his zanpakuto trying to reach out to him. Accepting this, Katashi began to try meditation. It was during one such mediation, when he was halfway asleep, that he slipped into the frozen tundra dream once more. He found himself on a path made entirely of diamond surrounded on all sides by mounds of snow. Slowly, clutching his kimono to himself, he followed the path until he came to an enormous archway filled with blue flames. Somehow, he knew that his answers lay beyond so, bracing himself, he plunged into and through the flames. On the other side, his teeth chattered from the intense cold of the fire, but he soon stopped as he began to look around in awe at the splendor of the garden. Laying on the diamond grass with his eyes on Jem, the spirit of his zanpakuto breathed frosty breath through his nostrils. There was no opportunity for them to speak in that moment, however, as he was awakened by another shinigami who had come to relieve him of his duty.
Now knowing how to find his dragon within his mind, he began to frequently make a trip to his inner world, trying to convince the dragon to speak with him. After a couple weeks, the dragon began to ignore Jem and his pleas completely. Frustrated and angry, he took on the voice of his rank and commanded, “Awaken from your slumber, you great git!†That, at least got the dragon to open an eye. “It’s about time you learn some authority, youngling,†the dragon said matter-of-factly. He rose from the ground and stretched his great wings. “But you will do well not to insult me. The name you are looking for is Hyozanryu.†They were fast friends and Jemukatashi began to rely on the dragon for guidance, learning that even muttering to himself or thinking loudly would get him a response from the zanpakuto spirit. It took much training, but during a mission to kill rouge shinigami, where most of his team took damage, it was Katashi that saved the day. Forcing himself from the ground, angry that the shinigami had managed to defeat four of his squad, even if they were all unseated, he held his sword firmly in his hand before he said with fury, and praying that he understood the riddles his dragon loved to speak in, he said, “Awaken from your slumber and let the beauty of winter ignite, Hyozanryu!†His sword glowed with a white fire that refracted bit of light in every color before it transformed into a diamond sword before pale blue flames erupted from the crossguard and crashed down behind Jemukatashi, a cold, lethal inferno of miniature diamond blades. He had intended to point his sword at the shinigami and warn him to surrender, but the movement of the sword caused the flames to follow the point of the zanpakuto. Thus, the flames attacked the shinigami who screamed in pain as the flames cut him continuously. A whisper in his mind told him to say two words and with the following of that direction, the flames seemed to die down before there was a blinding white light. The shinigami he had been fighting was now screaming, trapped within a form-fitting coffin of pure diamond. The rest of the area was also diamond wherever the flames had touched down.
Since then, life had moved on. Jem has had other brothers born, which inspired Jem to ask his father to choose them as heirs rather than himself. Katashi had risen in the ranks of Shinigami, now serving as the lieutenant of his squad. He had mourned over the massacring within his family and had grown into a wise man with an intense loyalty to his family. The death of his mother and father were particularly difficult and he has only come to terms with their passing in recent years.
Sorry...Who Are You?[/align]
Name:[/color] Amai, Jemukatashi (Nick: Jem (closest friends and family), Katashi (most people, especially subordinates and enemies)
Age: 842
Gender: Male
Squad/Position: Sixth Squad / Lieutenant
[align=center]What Makes Us...Us?[/align]
Height & Weight 6 ft & 175 lbs.
Hair & Eye Colour Neck-length Black Hair / Blue Eyes
Noticable Difference
The first time one looks at Jemukatashi, and even after you have done your double-take, one may see a man with which one could divulge their darkest secrets; that is to say, he looks like someone that can be trusted. While one would not be wrong to think such, the question still remains as to what about simply looking at him gives this impression. As one who has experienced so much personal doubt and has come to terms with himself, an aura of assurance, strength and sanctuary surrounds him not unlike the frigid cold of the reiatsu that radiates from him when he exerts his power. In his crystalline blue eyes, one may feel they can see an inner light shining through; a light of righteousness and intelligence complimented by a strange feeling of calm. Framed with ebony locks and brows, he looks to be the quintessential pretty boy. The stereotypical rich noble out for a lay. For the most part, this first impression can be accurate – indeed, he would not be at all surprised if one called him promiscuous and he certainly cares about his physical appearance, though he would never consider himself at all conceited by any means. Rather, as someone who lives in the world of nobility, he understands the importance of appropriate dress and appearance. Still, as welcoming as he can be, if ever one falls victim to his temper, those same eyes that make one feel so safe can also look on one with such intense anger and judgment as to reduce one to the tiniest of insignificant insects. They can look on with such fury and rage as to make the toughest of men feel like children. While one would never get the sense of maliciousness from the man with the diamond zanpakuto, there is an undeniable lethalness about him if his wrath has been invoked. His bone structure is one of the only physical traits Jem shares with his blood brother – a strong jaw line, high cheekbones, pointed chin, and a small, discrete, unremarkable nose.
His physique, frankly, is impeccable. At exactly six feet tall and weighing a hundred and seventy-five pounds, a weight that has not changed for him in over six centuries, much of his mass is muscle. Engaging in regular and rigorous exercise, Jem possesses an anatomy that has been compared to a Greek god by more than one woman. Even with a smile that could tempt the fortitude of the most reserved woman, the shinigami’s body only adds to his attractiveness. With broad shoulders, rippling muscles at his arms, legs, chest and stomach, which boasts a hard-earned six-pack of abs, he has an impressive mix of a swimmer’s and an athlete’s build due not only to his favorite hobbies of swimming and hiking, but also his intense training sessions with in Squad six. More than simply possessing a body most men would envy, he is quite aware of his damned near flawless physique and it shows in how he carries himself. Walking tall and straight backed, his confident walk borders on being a cocky saunter at times, which is merely a result of his very laid-back personality that he wishes to show the world. Of course, when his temper gets the best of him, his posture and musculature can easily translate to intimidation.
When it comes to wardrobe, Jem has a rather neo-conservative style. When appropriate, he is known to fill the garb of an Amai noble well; a bukan sokutai with the hoeki no ho and all. He has his fare share of the standard black hakamas and kimonos and he prefers to wear black tabis when in that garb. Still, the noble, in his time away from his family, has developed his own unique sense of style. Most often he can be found in a shirtless wearing a form-fitting silk kimono, which flares out beneath his waist, with a crimson inseam. He also wears and an umanori hakama that is a bit thinner than normal, attempting to avoid anything that might seem extravagant. Indeed, though he certainly wears jewelry he tends to limit such to a single piece such as a diamond necklace, ring, or bracelet. He has no piercings or tattoos to speak of, never having found a reason to get either. Still, his simple style would never be construed as disheveled or rugged. Rather, most would observe him to have a clean-cut look most of the time, though he may sport a bit of facial hair or run a hand through his hair in lieu of a comb. On his feet, he most often will wear black tabis, but he is also a fan of black boots from time to time.
Positive Traits
[*:8beoqdiw] Observant – From years in the wild and centuries of life, Jemukatashi takes the time to observe his surroundings. Indeed, in battle, he will often fight without drawing his sword for several minutes, simply to gauge his opponent’s strength, using other skills to avoid being hit. This same trait means that he will notice small changes in people – from new hair styles ro a change in mood.
“Do I make you nervous? You’re sweating.â€
[*:8beoqdiw] Master Tactician – Possibly a result of how observant he is, Jem is able to calculate multiple scenarios in his head before selecting that which he feels is the best option. Fighting or arguing with him is like playing chess without the pieces.
“You’ve worn yourself out, it seems. Rest in peace, as they say.â€
[*:8beoqdiw] Relentless – Jem does not believe in giving up on anything. Once he has his mind set on something, no one and nothing will stop him from completing his task. To attempt such is to risk invoking his anger. It is this attitude that has led to him rising, albeit slowly, to the rank of Lieutenant.
“Give in? I’m not sure I follow you.â€
[*:8beoqdiw] Kind – It is against Jem’s nature to be cruel. Unless he has to, he will avoid harming another living creature and does not believe in torture at all. Beyond his duties, he is quick to flash a smile and will even cuddle after a night with a woman, even if he has to tell her that no, this does not mean they are dating.
“How are you feeling today? I know that you got hit badly with that cero blast.â€
[*:8beoqdiw] Lawful – Because of what he represents by carrying his surname around, Jem is careful to follow the law and enforce the law. Indeed, he has a tremendous sense of justice, even if it does not always align with that of his superiors.
“The law is the law and we will adhere to it until it changes.â€
[*:8beoqdiw] Respectful – This is not simply toward those of rank, but to all. While he might be a sarcastic person, those who do not know him beyond a cursory encounter would never see that side. He respect people of all types of beliefs, looks, and abilities.
“Of course, Captain.â€
[*:8beoqdiw] Charming – Coupled with a body and a face that any man would be lucky to have, Jem’s natural state tends to be flirtatious in nature in most people’s opinion. That is to say that he enjoys joking and often ends up fostering a crush without ever meaning to.
“Stop fussing with your hair. You’re beautiful.â€
[*:8beoqdiw] Honest – Jem has never been one good at lying and has never seen a reason that he should have to. Even when he does something he probably should not have, he will take responsibility and consequences for those actions.
“I’ve no rhyme or reason to lie to you.â€
[*:8beoqdiw] Noble – Being a noble has certain privileges, both for the noble and for those around him. He demands respect from everyone, even his superiors, regardless of circumstance. He may not expect them all to call him –sama, but he does expect that they show him due respect as a member of a noble house, however small. Beyond what he expects exists what others expect of him. He is able to push his weight around a bit when needed, or manipulate the fear that people associate with his family.
“My station demands certain things of me.â€
Negative Traits
[*:8beoqdiw] Over-Confident – What kind of shinigami waits to draw their zanpakuto while he’s being attacked? One that is so confident in his own abilities that he will put his life on the line. It’s not that he does not know there are those more skilled and more powerful than himself. Rather, he does not believe they are many. The others, he is quite sure he can crush.
“Tell you what. I won’t even release Hyozanryu for the first minute.â€
[*:8beoqdiw] Dutiful – Ever heard the phrase obsessed? The relentless and lawful nature of Jem means that he is also extremely dutiful, determined to carry out his mission. He will allow nothing to stop him from completing a task which he has accepted. It is a matter of honor.
“I was given a mission. I must complete it.â€
[*:8beoqdiw] Quick-Tempered – Conflicting with much of his typical persona is how very hot-headed the noble can be. He does not take well to insults and will retaliate with force should he feel the line has been crossed.
“Wait a moment. Awaken from your slumber, Hyozanryu! Now. Say that again.â€
[*:8beoqdiw] Sarcastic – Part of loving and living life is knowing how not to take things too seriously. For that reason, most of his jokes tend to be some version of sarcasm. It is never meant to be an insult, so much as this is how he responds to his best friends…and his enemies in battle.
“Oh, no, I was talking to the other Shinigami who’s hiding in the wall behind you.â€
[*:8beoqdiw] Noble – Being from the Amai family means that people often fear him with no real reason. In addition to that, Jem has grown used to being a noble., which means that he expects people to treat him as such. He can be easily offended if one forgets his rank when addressing him.
“You’ve forgotten yourself. Be careful not to forget who I am.â€
[*:8beoqdiw] Lawful – While he certainly has a will of his own, part of that will is in not defying the law. This means that those that are rebellious and break that law will have him to contend with, not to mention that any protection he might have offered will likely have vanished in that moment. That said, his faith in some laws has begun to weaken. Whether he remains such a lawful person is yet to be determined.
“No, I do not believe you are a menace. But you are dangerous and the law says you must die.â€
[*:8beoqdiw] Promiscuous – Part of being an Amai means trying to reproduce, considering how very low their numbers are. As a result, Jemukatashi has become quite promiscuous, sleeping with dozens of women from year to year. At the same time, he does not believe himself ready for a relationship, which leads to many misunderstandings with many women.
“Whoever said I wanted a relationship with you? Just have my babies.â€
TMI?:
Personality:
Concealing a conflicted personality that is immeasurably more complex and delicate than most people will ever get close enough to reveal is a persona that most judge to be inviting, kind, and yet with a mind and eye that is as sharp as any. Yet as multi-dimensional as Jem truly is, upon first impression one will either love the man for his intelligence, sense of humor, and sincerity or hate him for his sarcasm, self-righteousness, and over-confidence. A hot-headed wit simmering beneath a cool surface, he will often bottle up his emotions until they have no choice but to explode from him, in however constructive or destructive a manner as they may, seemingly to emulate the calm visage of the diamond for which his zanpakuto is famed or the icy fury of his Coldfire in that regard. But while he is an expert brooder and maintains a harshly realistic, bordering on pessimistic, outlook of the world, he is rarely the one to kill the mood in a room. Indeed, he would much rather confront his problems directly than disseminating his mood to others, preferring to remove himself from the party, rather than bring it to a halt. Of course, every rule has its exceptions. There are buttons one could push to cause him to immediately snap – namely those things that involve family or love. Intensely passionate about the matters closest to his heart, Jem can become immediately confrontational and will not hesitate to throw the first punch if ever he feels attacked on those fronts.
Often forming opinions about nearly everything he observes, Jem tends to keep those thoughts to himself in most cases. With a personality that has grown to be passive aggressive, as opposed to outright aggressive, as was his problem as a youth, the Shinigami noble, ironically, tends to avoid fighting and physical confrontations outside of missions. Indeed, while he has no qualms about engaging in mental sparring, going back and forth and trading insult for insult, he fears becoming too angry for the sake of others. Indeed, he uses his quick wit and sense of humor as a coping mechanism for those things that truly bother him. It is not uncommon for Jem to feel burning rage beneath his skin and yet still make a slick remark about the situation, giving off a false sense of calm and collectedness. As a shinigami with zanpakuto that is both highly destructive and lethal, the noble fears losing control and destroying everything in his path. His memory of the first use of his power, and the petrification of a Hollow being by sheer accident and rage still gives him nightmares. It speaks to a facet of his persona that is truly gentle and considerate. That is, the Amai brother has an unswerving love and appreciation for those that manage to break past his walls of sarcasm, which, in reality, isn’t all that difficult. Indeed, the feat tends to more a matter of temperance and patience than skill. Yet once that barrier has been pierced, one finds Jem to be a man who will sit and listen through the rant of a close friend; a man who will go to great lengths for those he considers his friends. And while he can have a biting and vindictive sense of humor, and might often say something that could sting far more than he would intend, Jem is often inclined towards a type of considerate nature that will usually preclude him from speaking that harshest of things, even if those things are the truth. The thought that he might be responsible for hurting those he cares about is enough to make him think twice and a third time about what he says and what he does, granted he has not already reached the limit of his patience. Like the earth, which he has grown so intimately familiar with through his hiking, or like the special ability of his zanpakuto, Jem embraces all kinds of people. He is not the type to laugh at or be repelled by one who he does not find attractive, be that because they are obese, ugly, or whether they are sporting a bone mask. In his mind, they are still people with something unique to offer the world. Rather than judging by appearance, Katashi judges by actions. To his colleagues and friends, he is the one people seek out when they just need someone to listen to them; to younger, unranked shinigami in Soul Society, he tries to serve in a counseling or mentoring role whenever he can, understanding his lack of such a mentor as a child to be among the chief reasons he sank as far he did into delinquency.
The phrase that would describe Jem when it comes to matters of the heart is dramatic. Not in the sense that he likes or strives to keep his love life filled with strife so much as strife always manages to make an appearance. In a way, it’s his own fault. As the cliché goes, he simply loves too hard. Too passionately. To those he has given his heart, loyalty does not even begin to describe the length to which he will go to see them protected. The Jem that avoids conflict, when those he loves are in danger, will become the Jem to release his Shikai first and ask questions later. As very destructible as he is, the shinigami would place himself in the path of certain death if it means the survival of a loved one. As it happens, while the black-haired blue-eyed Amai brother has always been rather successful in the arena of courting women, he has always failed to maintain that relationship for very long. His own inner demons and fears, the ever-present danger of causing her through his status is one of the reasons for his consistent failure in maintaining romance. In fact, having successfully maneuvered through the tall walls to get closer to Jem, people often will find a metaphorical emotional cage in which he keeps himself, its key lodged firmly within his own psyche. That is, women who find their way to Jem’s heart will soon find that he begins to distance himself. He has been asked more than once whether it is his intention to be alone for the rest of his life; and while his immediate response is always no, and while even that thought inspires a misery he cannot completely grasp, the reality is that the sadness of living a life without love is far less nerve-racking than the utter horror that dreams of destruction and death give him.
In the fight for justice, Katashi has a very different look at ethics than many who call themselves shinigami. The phrase morally gray comes to mind. While Jem certainly is not violent and in general is against murder, he recognizes that there are times when ethics have to be put aside for the greater good. Among his chief problems with the shinigami’s methods is their policy of following every order without question. Not that he will not follow orders, but he does so realizing that what he is doing may defy his better judgement. That being said, Katashi is not at all a fan of chaos as such led to the decimation of his family. After all, what would become of the world if every Shinigami questioned every order they ever received? Certainly, the world would likely be overrun with all manner of dangerous Hollow and rogue Shinigami. Still, he has risen in the ranks specifically so that he could issue orders should the need arise. The diamond shinigami is fervently opposed to sitting idle while his home is attacked. Despite his aversion to Hollow, Katashi would join them in a heartbeat were Soul Society to ever decide to endanger his family. Such an attitude is revealing of his most core beliefs about what justice truly means. Jem does not believe that one who has committed atrocious murders should be given so light a sentence as imprisonment. Granted, there are worse things than death, but for the security and safety of the world, should not those who pose the greatest risk be eliminated? Should it not be done by any means necessary? Does not family transcend all else?
Beyond that, Jem is a rather temperate man. Simple in his pleasures, fascinated with the world around him, and passionate about those things in which he believes. So when you see him wandering through a tree-crowded forest, stopping to examine what is often a very boring bit of stone, Jem is a intricate piece of psychological artwork in his own right. A ticking nuclear reactor with a heart, and a willing soldier for justice.
Reiatsu:
Jemukatashi’s reiatsu invokes a feeling of awe in most. To behold it is to witness a dazzling white inferno glittering with flecks of every color at its edges. To feel his reiatsu is to feel a cold that runs down to the bone and a stiffness that has nothing at all to do with that cold. Just as the diamond to which he is so closely linked, those with significantly less reiatsu that him may have trouble cutting him should he release his reiatsu in battle.
[align=center]A Bond That Can't Be Denied[/align]
Zanpakuto Spirit:[/color]
The epitome of arrogance and superiority, Hyozanryu takes on the form of a giant dragon composed entirely of diamond. Were he to ever manifest himself in the real world, he would stand roughly fifty feet tall and would measure, from nose to tail-tip, 100 feet. His wingspan when fully extended would be 200 feet and strong enough to support his immensity. At the tips of the wings are long, wicked claws capable of piercing just about anything, including the very material from which they are composed – diamond. Running along his back are large, flexible yet razor-sharp spines, which continue down to the tip of his prehensile tale. Depending on his whim, he can use his tail as a spear or to entrap his enemies. On his head grows massive horns that give him a crown of sorts, which is appropriate considering the attitude he normally possesses. His body is covered in scales growing much likes seamless, plated armor. In essence, Hyozanryu is a massive, virtually indestructible, beast known for his wisdom and ability to make anyone seem rather dim.
Imposing as his mere form happens to be, there is even more to the physicality of this spirit. Approaching him is an action that must be permitted, lest the person wishes to be turned into a diamond statue. In other words, contact with his scales has a transfiguring effect upon everything. Indeed, the very ground upon which he walks transforms to diamond. Blades of grass become true, though diamond, blades protruding from the earth, which, itself, has become diamond. The ground upon which he rests becomes a bed of the precious gemstone, made much less sparse in the presence of this zanpakuto spirit. The petrification effect spreads for a 100 foot radius from the point of contact as long as the dragon’s scales continue to touch the original spot. Yet beyond the dangers of merely being the in presence of this dragon spirit, there are, of course, his offensive capabilities. True to the form he has taken, Hyozanryu has the ability to breathe fire. Yet these flames are unlike anything on earth. The fires from the maw of this noble creature are bone-chillingly frigid and, in fact, is not a true fire at all. Rather, he breathes blizzards of the only thing that makes sense – diamonds. Thus, when he decides to use this attack, the victim not only will experience a cold that will pierce just about any protective clothing, temperatures being colder than the tundra of Antarctica, but they will have to fight through powerful winds while being torn to shreds by miniscule blades.
In light of this, is there any wonder that this spirit is so unapologetically arrogant? He finds most of the affairs of the world to be disgracefully trivial. Indeed, he questions whether there is truly that vast of a difference between a Hollow and a Shinigami. Both have their faults and both are on the same basic trajectory, or at least that is how Hyozanryu looks at the world. Some arbitrary distinction between the two classifies one as evil and one as righteous, despite that both have caused widespread devastation when the need suits them. And that is really where Jemukatashi and Hyozanryu are most alike in their personalities. Justice is a concept and ideal into which both pour a tremendous amount of energy thinking about. The only problem, of course, is that they have a very unique perspective about justice. Rather than seeing justice as entirely black and white, they tend to see justice as something as a vast field of black and white where the grey dominates much of the middle ground. There, however, is where their similarities apparently ends. Where Jem is often polite, even if only for the sake of his family’s name, Hyozanryu is best described as impudent, brusque, and shamelessly undiplomatic. He sees no point in preserving one’s sense of so-called self-worth. In fact, it is his firm belief that if one’s sense of self can be altered by something as sincere as honesty, however it is painted, one likely needs some toughening up. The world is not a place that is kind to the weak and he will not stand for weakness in his presence. In a way, Hyozanryu’s personality is the true personality, or at least the suppressed personality, of Jemukatashi. While Jem might lie to himself about a person or situation, Hyozanryu will always demand and speak the truth, regardless of however harsh it might be.
In recent centuries, Hyozanryu has become far more active than usual. Typically, Hyozanryu spends quite a bit of time sleeping, just as a dragon of legend. For that reason, to release his zanpakuto, Jemukatashi must command him to awaken. That said, Hyozanryu has now made a habit of speaking in his mind even when such is not desired. There are times when Jemukatashi is acting on behalf of his family and does something he would rather not do, in which case he suffers the chastisement of this zanpakuto spirit. There are times when Jem would rather lie to himself than be honest and Hyozanryu is more than happy to remind him of the truth. All the insults that Jemukatashi would keep to himself, Hyozanryu will utter into his mind. During battle, this can be a particularly stressful when the zanpakuto is tempting him into doing something that might defy the orders Jem has been given. Still, the two have developed quite a bit of respect for each other over the centuries. Jem often visits Hyozanryu in his dreams having accepted the spirit as an excellent, though belittling, counselor. Sometimes in these dreams Hyozanryu will take on a human form – a dark-skinned man with brilliant-white hair that cuts off at the neck, much like Jemukatashi. His eyes are the same pale blue of his true form, but tend to have a bit more humor in them, which makes sense as his creation of such a form is indicative of his good will towards Jem.
Inner World:
Jemukatashi’s inner world is a blinding world of ice and diamond. The landscape is brighter than one thinks is possible, glimmering with precious stones beneath a blanket of snow. In some ways, simply from looking rather than experiencing the reality, it might appear as a dream. Yet one would be a fool to be so very naïve. Exposed to the elements, one finds themselves in a constant state of cold, which continued exposure might lead to freezing to death (or entering a coma in any of the other dimensions). The harsh, biting winds dry and crack the skin eliciting blood to mar this impeccably white scenery. The sky is a cloudless, sunless, yet blinding white from which an unrelenting blizzard tears itself during the hours what might be considered daylight hours (or whenever Jem is healthy and undamaged). In times where Jem is weakened, the sky grows black with a brilliant moon being the only source of light. Rather than snow, freezing rain pours from that same cloudless sky.
It would take one foreign to this world, such as a young Jemukatashi, quite some time to realize that the ground upon which they stand is not entirely dominated by snow. A cobbled path of diamond blends in perfectly with the surrounding white banks and blankets of snow and in the distance, a vast structure that looks like a castle from so far away gleams its majesty. The path is even and never rises or descends, cutting through hills as if he who had paved the road had simply had no desire to climb hills. The path is also straight, leading the traveler to the structure in the distance, which, once one had come close enough, is revealed to be something altogether different than a castle. Like most things in the world, it is made of diamond, certainly, but rather than walls, thick tree trunks whose branches intertwine hundreds of feet above one’s head create a barrier. The entrance is an archway rising a couple dozen feet, yet passing the entrance is intimidating to say the least. Pale blue flames blaze from the ground to lick the top of the tree-woven archway. Yet the flames are but a test of bravery. They do not burn, nor do they cut as the flames from the mouth of Hyozanryu. Rather, they are painfully cold and passing through the flames could make the unprepared or the weak lose their breath or pass out. Of course, once you have passed through the archway, you could still lose your breath merely from looking around.
Stretching on for four-hundred feet in diameter, one enters what seems to be a vast garden composed entirely of that same precious material that seems so very common in this world – diamonds. Yet strangely, unlike the trees that stretch to the heavens, the things within this garden are not rigid or stiff, though they are as dense as diamonds. Yet the grass and flowers sway in the wind. Smaller, independent trees grow sporadically from the ground, bearing fruit (that would, of course, be entirely inedible). Butterflies, though a bit larger than usual, flutter about the garden from flower to flower, gleaming whenever any sort of light hits their bodies. Large cats prowl and play near the perimeter, each taking turns guarding the entrance. One even might feel a snake slither past one’s foot and be shocked that it too gleams as diamond. These living things are composed of organic diamond and thus, function as their real-world counterparts, but simply are constructed of the indestructible gemstone. Once one comes to terms with this phenomenon, it is then possible to see that the garden is truly beautiful and extraordinarily tranquil. And at the center of it all lies the vast form of Hyozanryu, often in deep sleep. At other times, he takes on his human form and tends to his garden.
Sealed Zanpakuto:
Jemukatashi’s zanpakuto takes the form of a standard katana, with a blade two and a half feet in length. The hilt is also average length of eleven inches, able to be held with two hands or one. It is made of what looks to be white gold wrapped in pale-blue rayskin that create make-shift diamonds along the length of the hilt. The crossguard is also made of white gold and is in the design of a flaming sun. The pommel of this zanpakuto has a circle no larger than a coin made of diamond. It is incredibly clear and through it Jem is better able to focus kido techniques. Rising from the cross-guard of the blade is a design of a flying Chinese dragon made of yellow gold and diamond set seamlessly into the otherwise normal titanium of the blade. The additions of the gold would often result in a heavier blade, but the replacement of a bit of the metal with diamond, which is ten times lighter than steel, along with the use of titanium itself gives the blade the weight of any other steel-based katana. Jem carries his zanpakuto in a pure white scabbard made of spruce wood. The seal of the Awai family is directly at the center of the scabbard.
Shikai Appearance :
Once the release command is spoken, Hyozanryu transforms into another type of sword altogether. The blade grows fat as it metamorphoses from a katana into a scimitar. Now that it is more aligned with the nature of the zanpakuto spirit, the entire blade is composed of diamond, causing light to reflect and gleam from it (making blinding an enemy entirely possible). As beautiful as the sword might otherwise be, the wicked curve and added length of the blade make it all the more lethal. Indeed, the fact that the entire blade is composed of diamond makes for an incredibly light weapon that can slice cleanly through weaker blades. It is only due to the fact that its opponent’s blades are infused with reiatsu that they are not typically reduced to broken metal. Additionally, being composed of diamond, the blade is especially difficult to see, thus opponents must be especially careful if facing Jem in a situation where visibility is obscured. The hilt retains its length from its sealed state, but the rayskin has vanished altogether to reveal a hilt of white gold. The dragon that had been on the blade seems to have traveled to wrap around the hilt of the blade, its scales accented with yellow gold, but still made of diamond. The crossguard is still a flaming sun and is truly the only thing about the blade that remains untouched. Even the pommel grows a bit larger, to be a diamond-glass about three inches in diameter, helping him to focus his kido even more.
Release Phrase: “Awaken from your slumber and let the beauty of winter ignite, Hyozanryu!â€
Shikai Abilities:
Classifying Hyozanryu is a task in itself. Because of the cold it brings on, one might assume it is an Ice-based zanpakuto, but that would be a mistake. Rather, the fact that its abilities center on its ability to create and manipulate diamond, it might be more accurate to classify it as an earth-type, considering that diamonds are a product of the earth. Truthfully, Hyozanryu is a zanpakuto spirit that exists in a class all his own. The first thing to understand is that Jem prefers not to use the full abilities of his Shikai, so it is probably best to understand how he initially uses Hyozanryu’s initial release. Typically, he will only say “Awaken from your slumber, Hyozanryu!†Such will only transform the sword for limited use. Often, he will use the lighter weight of the sword in combination with his skill in shunpo to win his battles. When this fails, he will attempt to pierce his enemies. Doing so will activate the first ability of the zanpakuto – turning whatever the blade has pierced to diamond. Anything that Hyozanryu pierces for more than twenty seconds, which is admittedly a lifetime in a battle, will become solid diamond. From the moment it pierces anything, that thing will slowly begin to turn to diamond. If the blade is removed before the twenty seconds is up, the diamond will retract and the person will be left with only the cut to tend.
While such is a powerful ability unto itself, it is hardly practical in most battles with those who are well trained. Therefore, when pushed enough, Jemukatashi will activate the rest of the blade’s release by saying “Let the beauty of winter ignite, Hyozanryu!†From the crossguard of the sword, what looks like pale blue fire will erupt and surround Jem’s rear in a half-circle. The “flames†will rise to be roughly seven feet high, a seeming inferno. Yet the flames are actually thousands of tiny, razor-sharp diamonds made of diamond. Using the sword, Jem can direct these shards to attack an enemy. In the trail of the flames, a fragile thin layer of frost is left, the “fire†being so very cold, hence his name for it – Coldfire. The shards will cut whatever they attack to pieces. The true power of Hyozanryu’s Shikai is called “Saiban Inbo†or final judgement. The flames will seem to die down on whatever they are touching and, in a flash, encase whatever it was touching in diamond, trapping the enemy alive. Indeed, even with the initial release, Coldfire will automatically perform Saiban Inbo after three minutes of being in its released state. All this said, a being with Reiatsu exceeding Jem’s should be able to use a Hoho technique to escape this trap if they have enough skill (in which case, a hollow diamond statue would be left in their place).
[align=center]FLASHBACK[/align]
Background:
[align=center]CHILDHOOD[/align]
Over eight-hundred years ago, to the former head of the Amai family, Jemukatashi was born. A healthy baby boy with eyes like his mother and dark hair like his father, his parents loved him dearly. He was constantly watched and fawned over, given every luxury that babies never realize they have. His mother was assisted in his care by hired nannies and hired Shinigami constantly guarded him, though only one of his three bodyguards were capable of using a Shikai. Of course, such was hardly a problem considering that as an infant and child, he had hardly made any enemies. Indeed, such protection was only given because there were some very stupid people that might try to harm the Noble House of Amai. While there certainly were various attempts to kidnap the boy throughout his childhood, the attempts were always thwarted with such efficiency that Jemukatashi never noticed. Rather, the life of the young noble was most uneventful. He was kept from all injuries and was spoiled unashamedly. Anything he desired, he was given. It was in his childhood, in fact, that his fascination with diamonds began. While not all of his toys were made of the expensive gemstone, he had several pieces that were, which are currently locked away for such a time when he has his own child. It was his interest in the stone which gave him his nickname of “Jem†among his family (more specifically, his mother).
After roughly five years as a carefree infant, toddler, and then a small child, Jemukatashi’s home-schooling began. He was given lessons in the history of mankind as well as the history of Shinigami and Hollows. He was taught the core foundations of knowledge – literature, philosophy, civics, government, law, arithmetic, language, and science. From an early age, he excelled in these areas, soaking up knowledge as easily as crystal refracts light. As far as his mother and father had been concerned, he was their pride and joy and would bring much honor to the second-oldest family in Soul Society.
[align=center]ADOLESCENCE[/align]
Problems began to develop as Jem’s age reached double digits. At first, there was little that changed about his life other than the fact that he began to keep a journal, the emblem of the Amai family engraved in diamond for each journal he kept. The books were vast tombs, each five inches thick and large enough that, even today, he only has a few hundred, despite the fact that he writes in his journal daily. Yet everything else seemed to be the same. His home-school professors still reported a tremendous mental capacity and they struggled to keep him challenged. The only thing that changed were his father’s expectations for him. The, then, head of the Amai family had expected his firstborn son to resemble his own development. Namely, the fact that there was no sign of any significant spiritual power in the boy began to put a strain on their relationship. While Jemukatashi was far more concerned with learning geology, feeding his interest in precious stones, his father thought he ought to be training to bring out the spiritual power that he was certain lay within his child. He began to ask his son questions, such as if he ever had strange dreams of places that seemed too real or if he ever heard a voice whispering in his head. While his father made a point not to say how disappointed he was, Jem could feel it and see it in the man’s eyes. And, what was more, he could understand his father’s concern. Soul society largely operated on the basis of power. What would happen to the family if its head could not defend it against its enemies?
By the time he was eighteen, he had experienced all the turmoils of an adolescent. He had rebelled against the rules, snuck out of the estate without notice to spend time with girls and friends. Yet it was when he reached this age that his life as he knew it would be forever changed. He remembers hearing his father talking with another Shinigami, a man who Jem had grown up calling his uncle. While not such in blood, the man had always been there and was his father’s best friend. Their conversation was surrounding Jemukatashi. His father admitted that he was ashamed to have a son who showed no potential of ever filling the shoes of his predecessors. That same night, without a word to anyone, Jemukatashi packed away his journal, some money, a thick blanket, and a dagger from the family’s vault before leaving his home.
[align=center]THE RUNAWAY[/align]
In hindsight, Jemukatashi can admit that his actions were more than a little hasty. These days he shrugs the memory off as adolescent hormones raging. Still, he does not deny that for a few years, he abandoned everything to do with his family, including the name. For months, he lived in the wild, entering different districts only to buy food. He came to learn that fending for himself was far more difficult than he had ever expected. The world beyond the walls of the Amai estate was not kind to the soft or the weak. He learned quickly to the use the ceremonial dagger he had stolen, a gold dagger with diamond engravings of flowers along the blade, for his defense.
His first night alone had been scary. Having left in just after midnight, he had run and walked for miles before he finally stopped to rest. His bed had been the forest floor and his pillow was only a bit of the blanket he had brought, which wasn’t covering his body, balled up beneath his head. This, however, had only made him uncomfortable. The scary part had been the strange sounds he had never before noticed. Owls hooting in the night, bats swooping low out of nowhere, and wolves howling in the night. There was a moment when one such wolf had wandered into the clearing in which he slept. Jem had stayed perfectly still, pretending to the best of his ability to be dead or sleep. The wolf, apparently, had been uninterested. Jem felt that he was lucky that nothing had attacked him that night. He quickly learned how to build a fire, later buying matches to make the task easier. The light, he found, kept him warm and kept animals away while having the nice side-effect of making him feel safer. Not that he had ever been afraid of the dark, but something about the night and not having a home he was willing to return to made him more than a little anxious.
It was his pride that kept him from returning home. Why should the son that was so very disappointing become a further embarrassment by returning on his knees? For a few months, Jem lived in the wild. In that time, he learned the essentials of surviving. But he began to miss human contact. Every time he ventured into the different districts to buy provisions, he would feel a tug at his heart he eventually learned was loneliness. Thus, after six months of living in the wild, he made his home in district 79 when he began to go by the name Katashi. It did not take him long to realize the district he lived in was especially violent. Quickly, he learned to defend himself and developed a hardened exterior, finding that he was less likely to be attacked if he appeared to be particularly prone to violence himself. Katashi lived here for years, falling in and out of love with a score of women, discovering the hard way how easily he fell in love and how much passion he had in each relationship.
At the age of thirty-three, fifteen years after fleeing from his home, he was walking down an alley where he saw a gang of men mugging a young woman. Generally, he kept himself out of scuffles that did not involve himself. Indeed, the women of district 79 were often more than capable of handling their own affairs. Yet this woman was clearly not from the area. The clothes she wore were expensive and seemed to be at a disadvantage. Against his better judgment, he became involved. He attacked the man closest to him without a word and drew the dagger which had been his only weapon for years. With it, he parried the blows of the men while protecting the woman. Against five men, even he had to admit how lucky he was to be able to move quickly enough to defend himself without being cut. At some point, the woman had scuttled away to retrieve a sword the men had dropped. In the corner of his eyes, he saw her draw the sword confidently and cry, “Show them righteousness, Tsukuyomi!†The blade grew into a long staff with a crescent-shaped blade at the end. There was another phrase that the woman muttered, but that Katashi missed. At that moment, the shadows seemed to grow darker. With a gesture from the woman, who was obviously a Shinigami, the men were ensnared in ropes of the deepest black that had sprouted from their own shadows. In horror, he watched as they were dragged down into the ground. The alley was quiet and the woman sheathed her sword. As she approached him, the shadows covering her face, something about her sword’s name kept gnawing at the back of his mind. “Thank you for your help,†she had said to him. “You know, with reiatsu as powerful as yours, strong enough to slow down those men, you should become a shin…†She trailed off, stopping in her tracks just as the moonlight fell on her face. Then he realized why the sword’s name had bothered him so much – it belonged to his mother.
And just like that, he and his mother had been reunited. She told him that his parents had never stopped looking for him. They had wasted a small fortune in hiring people to search for him and they had both, recently, taken on the search personally. She begged him to come home to be with his family. Jem explained to her that he would not return somewhere that saw him as an embarrassment. It took much convincing, but she assured him that whatever his father had said had been born out of frustration and that nothing would ever make them love him less. Besides, she noted, it seemed he had come into his power at last.
[align=center]SHINO ACADEMY[/align]
His return home would have him grounded for several weeks, not out of punishment or as a rule, but simply because his mother refused to leave his side except for at night. They spent the time catching up. His father had been just as genuinely happy to have his son back, but did not spend every waking moment with him. Duties resumed for him as the potential heir. Only once life seemed to have returned to some semblance of normality, and they were sure he would not run away, was he finally enrolled at Shino Academy.
As usual, his time began with simple classes in foundational knowledge. While the classes typically took years for most, Jemukatashi breezed through them in less than a year, persuading the masters to give him finals often months in advance. His troubles began as the true training commenced. Zanjutsu was far more difficult than he would have expected. Still, he completed training in that regard in what he was told was average time – three years. Within that time, he became an expert with the blade, entering sparring matches with friends he made and tournaments put on by the academy. Once he was certified as a master of Zanjutsu by the academy, he was presented with his own sword – his own zanpakuto. Yet while most were given this by the school, Katashi was presented his sword by his own father. The head of the Amai family informed Jem that it had been forged when he was only six based on a drawing that he, himself, had drawn. It was breathtaking.
He continued his studies at the Academy, beginning lessons in both Hoho and Kido. While the training to develop his speed seemed to work, his development soon leading him to learn Shunpo within a couple years, Kido seemed to be a weak point for the Shinigami. For seven years, he worked hard at learning Kido, failing miserably many times over. Indeed, to keep his confidence up, and his skills with the blade proficient, he continued to enter Zanjutsu Tournaments, always placing in the top three positions, using his newfound skills with Shunpo if things became too difficult. Eventually, he learned the necessary Kido in order to pass into the final test of the Academy. A test of survival, Katashi found that he was not anxious in the least, considering his newly acquired skills and his familiarity with the wild. He was sent in with a group of two other Shinigami to investigate an area where several Hollow were reported to have broken into Soul Society. They worked well together and by sunrise had cleansed the area of the violent spirits.
They returned dirty and sore, but they returned. None of his team had achieved any new level of power, but they were commended on their efforts and each graduated and finally, after ten years of study, Jemukatashi was a true shinigami. By pulling some strings, his father was able to have his squadron placed in the Squad Six.
[align=center]SIXTH SQUAD[/align]
Decades passed for Katashi in the sixth squad. He began as an unseated officer of no particularly great skill, except with his ability in Shunpo. Some of the more experienced shinigami stressed to him the importance of learning his zanpakuto’s name. Over the years, he began hearing whisperings in his ear and have dreams of a frozen, glimmering landscape. Only when he was in his seventies did he finally learn that all of this was his zanpakuto trying to reach out to him. Accepting this, Katashi began to try meditation. It was during one such mediation, when he was halfway asleep, that he slipped into the frozen tundra dream once more. He found himself on a path made entirely of diamond surrounded on all sides by mounds of snow. Slowly, clutching his kimono to himself, he followed the path until he came to an enormous archway filled with blue flames. Somehow, he knew that his answers lay beyond so, bracing himself, he plunged into and through the flames. On the other side, his teeth chattered from the intense cold of the fire, but he soon stopped as he began to look around in awe at the splendor of the garden. Laying on the diamond grass with his eyes on Jem, the spirit of his zanpakuto breathed frosty breath through his nostrils. There was no opportunity for them to speak in that moment, however, as he was awakened by another shinigami who had come to relieve him of his duty.
Now knowing how to find his dragon within his mind, he began to frequently make a trip to his inner world, trying to convince the dragon to speak with him. After a couple weeks, the dragon began to ignore Jem and his pleas completely. Frustrated and angry, he took on the voice of his rank and commanded, “Awaken from your slumber, you great git!†That, at least got the dragon to open an eye. “It’s about time you learn some authority, youngling,†the dragon said matter-of-factly. He rose from the ground and stretched his great wings. “But you will do well not to insult me. The name you are looking for is Hyozanryu.†They were fast friends and Jemukatashi began to rely on the dragon for guidance, learning that even muttering to himself or thinking loudly would get him a response from the zanpakuto spirit. It took much training, but during a mission to kill rouge shinigami, where most of his team took damage, it was Katashi that saved the day. Forcing himself from the ground, angry that the shinigami had managed to defeat four of his squad, even if they were all unseated, he held his sword firmly in his hand before he said with fury, and praying that he understood the riddles his dragon loved to speak in, he said, “Awaken from your slumber and let the beauty of winter ignite, Hyozanryu!†His sword glowed with a white fire that refracted bit of light in every color before it transformed into a diamond sword before pale blue flames erupted from the crossguard and crashed down behind Jemukatashi, a cold, lethal inferno of miniature diamond blades. He had intended to point his sword at the shinigami and warn him to surrender, but the movement of the sword caused the flames to follow the point of the zanpakuto. Thus, the flames attacked the shinigami who screamed in pain as the flames cut him continuously. A whisper in his mind told him to say two words and with the following of that direction, the flames seemed to die down before there was a blinding white light. The shinigami he had been fighting was now screaming, trapped within a form-fitting coffin of pure diamond. The rest of the area was also diamond wherever the flames had touched down.
Since then, life had moved on. Jem has had other brothers born, which inspired Jem to ask his father to choose them as heirs rather than himself. Katashi had risen in the ranks of Shinigami, now serving as the lieutenant of his squad. He had mourned over the massacring within his family and had grown into a wise man with an intense loyalty to his family. The death of his mother and father were particularly difficult and he has only come to terms with their passing in recent years.
Roleplaying Sample:
Katashi shifted his head slightly to the left, avoiding what might have been a lethal kido attack. This was sad, really. The captain of the sixth squad had been given orders from the Captain Commander to bring in a shinigami for questioning for Central 46. As was usual, it was preferred they be brought back alive, but it seemed this man was determined not to be brought in. And, on some level, Katashi could understand it. Most people that were brought into Central 46 never made it out. Indeed, if you were brought before them, your presence alone was typically enough to be sentenced to death. Yet if he wished to avoid his fate, it was probably best that he flee and hide, rather than stay and fight. Under the usual circumstances, Katashi might have given leadership of this mission over to one of the seated officers and given them a squad of unseated officers. But whether it was for boredom, or because of what the man was accused of, Katashi had taken on the mission himself with some of the better, unseated, officers.
The shinigami in question, however, was proving to be far more skilled than his file had indicated. He had yet to release his zanpakuto and yet three of the six officers he had brought with him had been rendered unconscious. Perhaps Katashi should have intervened, and, in some ways, he had been. None of his officers had ever died on his watch, and it would not happen now. So, rather than insulting his subordinates by fighting for them, he merely used his skills in Shunpo to save them from the worst of the attacks. The man’s kido skills were impressive, possibly better than Katashi’s even, and using them in combination with zanjutsu was proving to be effective. Still, until the man released his zanpakuto, something none of the officers with him could do, Katashi would remain on the sidelines. Besides, they were wearing him down, that much was obvious. Currently, the man was standing, breathing hard, his sword steady in his hands as he took in his surroundings. The shinigami sighed, standing tall and closed his eyes, bowing his head. Katashi rose an eyebrow – was he surrendering? After so much, was he truly going to resign himself to his fate at Central 46? Releasing a sigh of his own, Katashi looked down to the ground in disappointment.
“Sing, Yosuzume!â€
At those words, Katashi’s head snapped up in time to see the katana the man had held before transform into a long kriss sword. Before the lieutenant could respond himself, the man slashed is sword at one of the three officers. There was a light note that pierced the night. The sword had not touched the man, but its effect seemed to have started anyway. A look of absolute horror appeared on his face as he began to slash at the air around him, screaming, “Back! Get back!â€
“He’s experiencing his worst nightmare,†the shinigami explained. “Only he isn’t asleep, and if he allows it to kill him, he will die. Now, back off before you experience the same fate.â€
“Fall back,†Katashi ordered. They nodded their obedience and flash stepped away from the man. “I have to admit, I’m impressed.†The other shinigami scowled at him. “But if I were you, I would hope that officer does not die. I will become angry. Now, please, offer us your surrender.â€
The only response he received was a slash of the man’s sword. Unsure of what the zanpakuto’s power was, exactly, Katashi used shunpo to step behind the shinigami, drawing Hyozanryu in time to block a strike from behind. So the man was also quite intelligent. There was no way he had seen where Katashi had stepped to, so he had to have assumed where he would shunpo. It was a great guess. They engaged in battle for roughly a minute before they paused, sizing each other up. The other shinigami was growing weary and it was showing. The fight in him, it seemed, was still strong as he used shunpo and vanished for a moment before appearing before Katashi once more, slashing downward. The lieutenant lifted his sword to parry, but the two blades never clashed. Rather, light twinkled against the metal of the kriss sword and suddenly the world went dark. From the shadows, shapes began to step towards him. As they drew nearer, he saw the kimonos they wore, the emblems they wore, and he knew they were his family, slaughtered in a fight for power. They accused him, saying he should have protected them. He should have been the first-born son they had expected him to be. They told him he was a disappointment and that his life would soon end. One of them, his cousin, drew his zanpakuto and yelled his release phrase.
Do not listen to these phantoms, Jemukatashi. This is merely your guilt speaking. Banish these thoughts before you fail this mission. He is not stronger than us. The words of the dragon, ever wise, shook him from what he had not known was a state of sorrow-inspired shock. Suddenly, anger began to flood his mind and with a thought, he released his reiatsu. Its brilliance and its pressure banished the nightmares. When he looked around, he saw his own officers struggling to remain standing against the strength of his reiatsu and the officer that had been fighting nothing lay on the ground, unmoving aside from the rise and fall of his chest, which, thankfully, meant he was alive. The shinigami that owned Yosuzume looked at him as if he were a monster as Katashi allowed his reiatsu to recede.
“Impossible.â€
“You must not realize that illusions such as those can easily be fought off if your opponent possesses more than double your strength. It is the fatal flaw in illusion zanpakuto. But this ends now. Awaken from your slumber, Hyozanryu!†Katashi’s katana in a blaze of white light grew longer and curved itself into a scimitar before it grew lighter and lighter until it became transparent diamond. Locking eyes with his opponent was the only warning he gave before he performed a shunpo and slashed down. The other shinigami was only just in time raising his zanpakuto to block the blow. To his shock, however, Hyozanryu sliced cleanly through his blade, which audibly screamed. The diamond blade now rested against the throat of the shinigami. “Your blade is now useless. Surrender.†The man’s response was merely the lowering of his head and dropping his zanpakuto. “Bakudo 63: Sajo Sabaku.†Golden energy in the form of ropes wrapped themselves around the shinigami, locking tight. He looked to the two officers that still stood. “Carry your comrades back to Seireitei. I shall escort this one back myself.â€
“Yes, lieutenant.†They each grabbed two bodies and used shunpo to leave the area. Katashi sealed his zanpakuto at last, though he kept it drawn.
“Let’s go. And I am warning you now – attempting escape is now risking your inevitable death.â€
Katashi shifted his head slightly to the left, avoiding what might have been a lethal kido attack. This was sad, really. The captain of the sixth squad had been given orders from the Captain Commander to bring in a shinigami for questioning for Central 46. As was usual, it was preferred they be brought back alive, but it seemed this man was determined not to be brought in. And, on some level, Katashi could understand it. Most people that were brought into Central 46 never made it out. Indeed, if you were brought before them, your presence alone was typically enough to be sentenced to death. Yet if he wished to avoid his fate, it was probably best that he flee and hide, rather than stay and fight. Under the usual circumstances, Katashi might have given leadership of this mission over to one of the seated officers and given them a squad of unseated officers. But whether it was for boredom, or because of what the man was accused of, Katashi had taken on the mission himself with some of the better, unseated, officers.
The shinigami in question, however, was proving to be far more skilled than his file had indicated. He had yet to release his zanpakuto and yet three of the six officers he had brought with him had been rendered unconscious. Perhaps Katashi should have intervened, and, in some ways, he had been. None of his officers had ever died on his watch, and it would not happen now. So, rather than insulting his subordinates by fighting for them, he merely used his skills in Shunpo to save them from the worst of the attacks. The man’s kido skills were impressive, possibly better than Katashi’s even, and using them in combination with zanjutsu was proving to be effective. Still, until the man released his zanpakuto, something none of the officers with him could do, Katashi would remain on the sidelines. Besides, they were wearing him down, that much was obvious. Currently, the man was standing, breathing hard, his sword steady in his hands as he took in his surroundings. The shinigami sighed, standing tall and closed his eyes, bowing his head. Katashi rose an eyebrow – was he surrendering? After so much, was he truly going to resign himself to his fate at Central 46? Releasing a sigh of his own, Katashi looked down to the ground in disappointment.
“Sing, Yosuzume!â€
At those words, Katashi’s head snapped up in time to see the katana the man had held before transform into a long kriss sword. Before the lieutenant could respond himself, the man slashed is sword at one of the three officers. There was a light note that pierced the night. The sword had not touched the man, but its effect seemed to have started anyway. A look of absolute horror appeared on his face as he began to slash at the air around him, screaming, “Back! Get back!â€
“He’s experiencing his worst nightmare,†the shinigami explained. “Only he isn’t asleep, and if he allows it to kill him, he will die. Now, back off before you experience the same fate.â€
“Fall back,†Katashi ordered. They nodded their obedience and flash stepped away from the man. “I have to admit, I’m impressed.†The other shinigami scowled at him. “But if I were you, I would hope that officer does not die. I will become angry. Now, please, offer us your surrender.â€
The only response he received was a slash of the man’s sword. Unsure of what the zanpakuto’s power was, exactly, Katashi used shunpo to step behind the shinigami, drawing Hyozanryu in time to block a strike from behind. So the man was also quite intelligent. There was no way he had seen where Katashi had stepped to, so he had to have assumed where he would shunpo. It was a great guess. They engaged in battle for roughly a minute before they paused, sizing each other up. The other shinigami was growing weary and it was showing. The fight in him, it seemed, was still strong as he used shunpo and vanished for a moment before appearing before Katashi once more, slashing downward. The lieutenant lifted his sword to parry, but the two blades never clashed. Rather, light twinkled against the metal of the kriss sword and suddenly the world went dark. From the shadows, shapes began to step towards him. As they drew nearer, he saw the kimonos they wore, the emblems they wore, and he knew they were his family, slaughtered in a fight for power. They accused him, saying he should have protected them. He should have been the first-born son they had expected him to be. They told him he was a disappointment and that his life would soon end. One of them, his cousin, drew his zanpakuto and yelled his release phrase.
Do not listen to these phantoms, Jemukatashi. This is merely your guilt speaking. Banish these thoughts before you fail this mission. He is not stronger than us. The words of the dragon, ever wise, shook him from what he had not known was a state of sorrow-inspired shock. Suddenly, anger began to flood his mind and with a thought, he released his reiatsu. Its brilliance and its pressure banished the nightmares. When he looked around, he saw his own officers struggling to remain standing against the strength of his reiatsu and the officer that had been fighting nothing lay on the ground, unmoving aside from the rise and fall of his chest, which, thankfully, meant he was alive. The shinigami that owned Yosuzume looked at him as if he were a monster as Katashi allowed his reiatsu to recede.
“Impossible.â€
“You must not realize that illusions such as those can easily be fought off if your opponent possesses more than double your strength. It is the fatal flaw in illusion zanpakuto. But this ends now. Awaken from your slumber, Hyozanryu!†Katashi’s katana in a blaze of white light grew longer and curved itself into a scimitar before it grew lighter and lighter until it became transparent diamond. Locking eyes with his opponent was the only warning he gave before he performed a shunpo and slashed down. The other shinigami was only just in time raising his zanpakuto to block the blow. To his shock, however, Hyozanryu sliced cleanly through his blade, which audibly screamed. The diamond blade now rested against the throat of the shinigami. “Your blade is now useless. Surrender.†The man’s response was merely the lowering of his head and dropping his zanpakuto. “Bakudo 63: Sajo Sabaku.†Golden energy in the form of ropes wrapped themselves around the shinigami, locking tight. He looked to the two officers that still stood. “Carry your comrades back to Seireitei. I shall escort this one back myself.â€
“Yes, lieutenant.†They each grabbed two bodies and used shunpo to leave the area. Katashi sealed his zanpakuto at last, though he kept it drawn.
“Let’s go. And I am warning you now – attempting escape is now risking your inevitable death.â€
)
