Shinigami Template
Basic Information
Name: Sorahana Satoru
Age: 32
True Age: 1546
Sex: Male
Personality: Since his death changed his view on the world, Satoru has been an unfailingly kind man, always putting other people’s feeling before his own, even if he views his own as more immediate, or more important. It doesn’t matter to him who the other person is, they could be a regular inhabitant of either Rukongai or the real world, a fellow Shinigami, or even an enemy, if they are not in direct conflict, then he is willing to go out of his way to help them. He is also remarkably compassionate, and cares deeply for those he works with, especially those who are under his command. He hates seeing people suffer in any way, if it is undeserved, although he can discipline his subordinates without regret – he sees it as a means of making them better people, and ensuring that they learn from their mistakes and develop as a result.
Intelligent and resourceful, he can usually find a way out of any situation, relying on his wits and his judgement to get through life, rather than brute strength or manipulation. He is a very reasonable man, and, as a former diplomat, has a very polite, very soft tone of voice that can persuade many people to calm down and be reasonable themselves.
Morals are also a large part of who Satoru is – they define him, shape his actions and his words, and keep him on the path he sees is right. His strong sense of personal justice is well honed, and it has earned his a great deal of respect, as has his integrity and honesty. He will only ever lie if it would cause someone great pain to do otherwise, and he will certainly not lie for himself.
While he is usually quite cheerful, if sometimes distant, he can be cold and unforgiving if someone treats his subordinates badly. He also gets frustrated when he encounters laziness or a lack of motivation, but he never condemns people for simply making mistakes, or for being inexperienced and therefore unable to perform as well as he would want. He finds it difficult to confide in others, and when he is under stress, or has a problem, he often keeps it to himself. He recognises the fact that this is a weakness, but he can never bring himself to burden others with his problems. To the constant frustration of many of his friends, he will always attempt to shoulder each and every challenge he faces on his own, and never lean on others. Many times, he has been told by his closest friends to confide in others, and to unload some of his tension by discussing issues and problems with him. Every time, his response was 'Do not worry about me. I'm fine. Is there anything you want to talk about?' This response is typical of his attitude. Friends first, self second.
Satoru is a very helpful person, and is quick to offer his aid in the most menial of tasks, or the most serious. He enjoys making other people’s lives a little easier, and the satisfaction he gets from a job well done in reflected in his eyes and his voice. He also loves teaching other people and helping them to develop their skills. An added benefit of this of course, is that he gets better as well – after all, the best way to learn is to teach.
A particularly damning weakness of his is that he has a heavily burdened conscience. All throughout his life, he has led armies, taken lives, made decisions that destroy others, and ruin people's existences. This constant stream of guilt, the feeling of responsibility, pulls him down like a lead weight. At night, he invariably sees the faces of those he has sent to their deaths, and hears their voices, calling out, or speaking directly to him, asking him why they had to die, and he was allowed to live on. This fact means he is reluctant to kill if he feels there is an alternative, and he therefore sometimes hesitates before taking the life of anyone with personality - hollows, he has no qualms about killing, mainly because he knows he is doing them a favour by cleansing their souls, but also because they do not speak to him. They have no faces. However, an Arrancar, or possibly a rogue shinigami, he would perhaps hesitate before killing.
Likes: Spicy food, nachos, hot weather, beach parties, swimsuit models, body boarding and teaching.
Fears: Dying alone, losing people he knows, intense cold weather and snowballs.
Character Appearance
Height: 6’2”/188cm
Weight: 161lb/73kg
Physical Traits: Perhaps the first thing one notices about Satoru is his eyes. They are a gorgeous shade of brown, kind, compassionate, and caring. However, they are slightly sunken, giving him a permanently tired look. He is always worrying about something, and his work means he often has little chance to sleep. Darks shadows ring the coffee-coloured eyes, and the bags underneath are constant signs of stress and exhaustion.
His relatively short, dark brown hair is neatly cut, and always clean and healthy looking. Purely functional, he cares little for style or fashion, and this lack of interest is the reason he has not grown it longer. If it were simply a matter of looking good, then perhaps he would grow it longer, but as a Shinigami, and the head of a noble household, he feels he should be presentable, and in battle, it would just get in the way.
His countenance is strong and powerful, while managing to give off the air of approachability that he strives for, which is a rare combination. Most people would either look kind but weak, or strong and forbidding, but Satoru seems to be one of the few exceptions. He is definitely masculine, and his strong jaw, nose and mouth reinforce that masculinity. Handsome and wise looking, his cheekbones are fairly high, and his muscles are obvious, even in his face.
However, despite this strong sturdy visage, he is tall, and rather thin. His body is made up only of muscle, but there is not much of him. In fact, beneath his shihakushō, he is rather frail-looking. But he is definitely not. An apparent absence of muscle is an advantage in his case, because many people underestimate him. And he is not to be underestimated – he possesses enormous strength for one his size.
On his back he bears a huge tattoo in black ink – there is no colour to it. An angel in robes and armour, bearing a flaming sword in each hand, and a Halo of fire, it is an impressive sight, and if he were to remove his clothes, one would see it move as he moved. As the muscles in his back ripple, the angel seems to shift from its stationery position, an image of death, and yet of compassion, for upon its holy face is an expression of utmost love and benevolence.
He carries himself straight and with proud bearing, but he is quick to soften and, for example, bend down to help someone up. In fact, he constantly finds himself hunched over, picking up the papers or possessions of people who have fumbled their things.
His voice is deep and rich, laced with a dry humour and ironic wit, but full of compassion and caring. His tone is often gentle, and he is softly spoken, unless he needs to project his voice further, which he can do easily. However, he does not like to intimidate people needlessly, and so, he is generally quiet, though authoritative, and he will never shout at people.
Perhaps also notable is his scent. Deep and musky, and so definitively masculine, it is soothing to his subordinates, and useful for him in calming people down or reassuring them. He is quick to embrace people who are upset, and as they would generally be female, his smell is a great comfort.
Clothing: Satoru has not made any alterations to his uniform – it is, after all, a ‘uniform’, and as such, he believes, everyone should be wearing the same thing. The black shihakushō is well fitted for him, and he always makes a point of setting an example where ironing and cleaning is concerned – it is never dirty, nor is it creased, and this reflects the part of his character that likes neatness. When he is off duty, he usually wears a deep red kimono with a black trim, but he is very rarely free from the trappings of his position. He carries his Zanpakutou in the standard way, blade facing upwards, pushed through the left side of his obi sash, so that he can draw and cut in one fluid movement. However, sometimes, in order to throw his opponents off balance, he moves it to his right side, so that he can draw with his left hand. He is equally skilled with left handed swordplay as with his right, and he knows that most people are used to fighting right-handed swordsmen.
When Satoru ventures out into the real world, he dons a gigai in a dark suit, polished black shoes, and a long grey-black jacket with a high collar. He sees this gigai as being fairly inconspicuous, which is useful for him. He does not like to stand out from the crowd in the real world; if people are staring at him, it makes it harder to act in an emergency, without alerting the humans to something abnormal.
Accessories: None
Fighting Style
General Fighting Style: Satoru likes to keep cool and collected during a fight, and will generally only bring out his Shikai form if he absolutely must. Focussing on shunpo to get close to his opponent, and then striking them down quickly and cleanly, he specialises in flash steps and swordsmanship, although his bakudô is not exactly weak, even if it is not his strength. The only part of his arsenal that he feels is lacking is his hadô and physical strength, and he has only let it suffer because his zanpakuto and speed make up for it.
Strengths: Zanjutsu, Shunpô, Stamina, Speed
Weaknesses: Hadô, Hakuda, Strength
Zanpakutô & Kidô
Sealed Appearance: Kajinarashi appears as a simple katana, but with a deep, blood red saya, and clean, snowy white silk hilt and sageo. The ray skin is also white, with golden menuki that are shaped like long, thin flames. The fuchi, kashira, and kojiri are also gold, shaped in the same fashion as the menuki. Slightly longer than most at 1 metre 20 centimetres in total, it has an image of a phoenix as the tsuba, made of gold. Carved into the lower third of the blade is the kanji for 'Inferno'. The blade itself always has a mirror sheen that reflects light almost totally, and thus the blade looks a far lighter silver than most sword blades. It is almost white, but when it cuts through flesh, and the gore of his enemies spills out onto the metal, this reflective quality means that a scarlet tint is lent to the steel, as if it is impregnated with the colour of his opponents' mortality.
Spirit’s Name: Kajinarashi
Spirit’s Appearance: A huge male phoenix with a wingspan equivalent to a passenger jet, with feathers of flame, and a golden beak and talons.
Spirit’s Personality: As a reflection of Satoru’s soul, Kajinarashi is gentle, compassionate, and kind, and does not like violence, even though he is proficient to a huge degree. When Satoru needs information from him, he is abrupt, concisely stating facts and opinions, and telling Satoru what he needs to know. However, when they are not pressured for time, he often throws riddles and sarcasm, poking fun and seeming to grin mischievously all the while. It is perhaps due to the down to earth nature of Kajinarashi, or the fact that they are so alike, that means that his sword's spirit is one of the very few that Satoru feels he can open up to, and release some of his tension onto. He even possesses the same sense of humour, frequently pumping a dry irony into his voice to mock Satoru gently, his eyes twinkling mischievously all the while.
Inner World: When you step into Satoru's inner world, you find yourself standing on a golden disc roughly the same size as a football pitch. Surrounding this disc, flames reach up into the burning sky above, with fire falling like lightning bolts, and ash and embers falling like rain. Quite harmless to Satoru, this fiery atmosphere simply warms him slightly. When he is in turmoil, or his emotions are raging, the fire dies, and ice takes its place, with snow and hail falling instead of embers.
Kidou: Hadô 4 - Byakurai (White Lightning), Bakudô 4 - Hainawa (Crawling Rope), Bakudô 26 - Kyakko (Curving Light), Bakudô 30 - Shitotsu Sansen (Beak-Piercing Triple Beam), Bakudô 39 - Enkôsen (Arc Shield), Bakudô 61 - Rikujōkōrō (Six Rods Prison of Light).
Shikai
Call Out Command: Kogeru (Burn)
Appearance: Increasing slightly in length and width, the blade is wreathed in flames, and smoke pours from it. As it moves, it leaves a brief trail of fire behind it, and the air around Satoru heats up, becoming dry and hard to breath.
Abilities: With the obvious addition of fire on the sword, attacks that hit directly are slightly more dangerous than they would usually be. In addition, the blade becomes a little more difficult to see, as the fire trail left by it's movement blurs and obscurs its true location, although anyone with skill will not be put off by this. However, the true power lies in Kajinarashi's ability to release waves of flame in cutting motions, size and speed varying according to the slash. For example a short quick motion will only produce a small, fast travelling fire. However, a slow, wide sweep will send a broad arc of flames travelling at a slower pace (therefore doing more damage as it remains in contact longer). No activation phrase is required for this technique, the bond between sword and shinigami meaning that a thought can trigger it.
Boosts: 50% Resistance to fire, 20% strength and durability increase.
Bankai
New Name: [What's your zanpakuto's new name? Ex: Tensa Zangetsu, Senbonzakura Kageyoshi, etc.]
Appearance: [What does your bankai look like? Character appearance changes, weapon changes, etc.]
Abilities: [What abilities does your character gain]
Boosts: [Increases in your character's physical capabilities. Speed, Strength, Stamina, etc.]Back Drop
Background: Mortal LifeBorn in 1565, Tokugawa Satoru was the son of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate that stretched from 1600 to 1868. His father was much too busy to care for Satoru himself, and the raising of Satoru fell to his brother, Tokugawa Hidetada. However, Hidetada was not able to be around all the time, and besides, Satoru needed a friend and bodyguard, so he was given one. Kanmon Kairiku, born into a minor noble family, was assigned to befriend and guard him as a child. Six years older than him, it was always obvious to Satoru, who was a very perceptive child, that he was annoyed at having to babysit, and completely disinterested in having to look after him. This bestowed upon Satoru a compulsion, a need to prove himself to others, most specifically, Kairiku. Eventually, he seemed to have an effect on his guardian, and they began to spend time together willingly, and Satoru even got the impression that Kairiku was proud, maybe even happy, with his duty. Having no other friends, and no brothers or sisters of the same age, he relied on Kairiku for company and for the play that young boys need. He was never happy about having a set course in life; about his destined ascension to positions of power and responsibility. But he never complained, for he knew that it was for the good of the people. It was not his place to be selfish.
He was taught etiquette and social bearing from a very young age, only five when his first lessons began. However, he lost more than just free time when he started his lessons. He and Kairiku spent less and less time together as he lessons progressed, and when he was only six, his best, and only friend left to forge his own path. He would constantly despair over the course of the next few weeks, but never cried, and never let himself show weakness to his father, or almost anyone else for that matter. The only person he felt able to talk to about his situation was his older brother, and they became closer as he grew up. The lessons were boring for a young child, who wanted excitement, adventure, and sports, but nevertheless, they were important. This foundation was vital for his later life as the son of the Shogun.
After two years of these lessons, which encompassed respect, social structure, calligraphy, reading, and other such subjects, Satoru became a student of the art of war. He was to be the future head of one of the Shogunate’s armies, and as such, he needed lessons in personal combat, and strategy in the wider sense. In fact, one of his main sources of information, advice, and guidance was the book 'The Art of War' by Sun Tzu. As such, many of his strategies, and indeed, interactions with other people, were heavily infuenced by it.
His first lessons included unarmed combat, and the build-up of his physical strength, as well as constant strategic exercises. His brother taught him these first lessons, and his relationship with his brother became even stronger, with Hidetada’s title varying from Hidetada-sensei to Nii-san depending on the context of their meeting. Even though he was a child, he would be put through stress positions to build up his strength, and stringent exercise regimes to develop his stamina. As well as those, he would do exercises to build up his bone strength and skin toughness. For example, Hidetada filled a bucket with sand to start with, and Satoru would punch into it as hard as possible. As time went by, small stones were introduced to the mix, and they became larger and more jagged as time went by. As he built up the calluses and toughness in his hands, he was essentially hammering his fists into solid rock with virtually no effect.
Satoru began his second set of lessons a further two years later, aged nine, after unarmed combat had become memorised through constant sparring and training. He would fight all day, and with few breaks. He was not spared blows, and each strike delivered would hammer into him with full force. It taught him that if he slipped up, he would experience pain. It also sharpened his reactions. This new set of teachings was for speed, defense, and some basic strikes with the sword. When these exercises were also engraved in his mind, he began the third set. However, it was not all bad. His brother never got angry at mistakes, only for laziness, and he would always apologise after hurting him. When the sparring finished, even though he was exhausted, he would move on to more instruction, his brother telling him what he was doing wrong, and how to correct it, as well as helping Satoru to perfect his techniques.
He quickly mastered them, and was introduced to a third stage of instruction. Matsumo Tokaze taught him of the intermediate and advanced techniques utilised by a swordsman, and also of acrobatics that could be utilised during combat. These lessons were the most harrowing by far, as Matsumo was a harsh taskmaster, and cared little for the welfare of the Shogun’s son. He also taught Satoru something of double sword techniques and horse-riding, although these were ‘trivial’ and ‘unimportant to the wider view of combat’. He was a brutally efficient, and unforgiving man. But he was fair. Satoru afforded him a lot of respect, and he knew that a softer instructor would not be as good. He appreciated the teaching and the methods by which it was done, and the fact that Tokaze's style drilled it into him only reinforced this appreciation.
At age 17, still going through the training and fitness regime, he was an intensely handsome man, tall, with a perfect face, and a perfect athlete's body. He was charming, funny, and intelligent. It was only a matter of time before he was approached by girls. The only reason he hadn't been before was his isolation and training, but now, getting older and more mature, he was allowed more personal time. The lessons became less frequent, and he made new friends and acquiantances. Including the daughters of the noble families. There was one girl in particular that grabbed his attention; Okamoto Aya. Pretty, smart, and witty, she was also plagued by low self esteem. Smitten with her, and going against the advice of his brother, he spent every spare minute with her. Eventually falling in love, they were married just before Satoru was given his commission in the army - General Tokugawa.
His training complete at the age of 19, and with enthusiasm unmatched, Satoru was given command of the Seventh Army. Initially receiving little respect and cooperation from his staff, he quickly proved himself as a competent leader and skillful soldier. He won several conflicts against rebels and ronin, and was hailed as the ‘Crusher of Rebellions’ by many, and often he led the way in small combats himself once the battle was in full swing, using his training and skill to overcome enemies and swing the tide in many areas. His officers soon learned to respect his intelligence, creativity, and personal skill. In fact, there was probably no-one in his army that could match him in single combat, and even if they could, there was not a soul who would want to. Every one of his troops was loyal to a fault. His loyalty to them, and his treatment of them, ensured that they loved him. He always made sure to congratulate them, commiserate them, and spend time with them. He would have given his life to save them, and they knew it.
A few months after he was commissioned, he was recruiting in Edo, looking for new soldiers, new logistics officers, new supply officers; a lot of new troops to fight the rising tide of dissent in the southern regions. He knew that there were many people that wanted him dead, and many of them would take an active path to ensure it. Wearing armour underneath his kimono, and with two swords at his waist, he looked every inch the warrior - precisely the appearance he wanted to project. He hoped to discourage assassination attempts; but he made sure that hidden soldiers were stationed nearby, just in case. Halfway through a speech to the crowd, he heard a noise behind him, and whipped around instantly, tearing both swords from their sheaths as he turned. His soldiers leapt onto the stage he stood on, and instantly, the potential assailant stopped. He seemed familiar, and as Satoru's guards moved towards him, he spoke to Satoru, explaining who he was. It was Kairiku. He apologised for leaving all those years ago, and Satoru saw an opportunity present itself. He could recruit his best friend as a bodyguard. Putting forwards this offer was perhaps the best move he had made.
Five months had passed since he had left his country's capital, when news reached him that his wife, Aya, was pregnant with his child. An overwhelming joy suffused him, and he hurried back to be with her for the birth. For four months, he was the happiest he has ever been.
However, tragedy was soon to strike.
Minutes after the birth of Satoru's son, his wife began bleeding internally. Medicine was crude, and not sophisticated enough to handle such a situation. She passed away with her husband by her side, holding her hand and whispering in her ear. The tragedy worsened an hour later, when his child stopped breathing. A default in his growth had prevented the proper development of his lungs. With no way of saving him, it led to his death. On the same day, Satoru lost his wife, and new born child. In emotional lockdown, he left the city, and tore around Japan with his army at his heels, and his best friend and advisor at his side, supporting him all the way. He didn't stop fighting, battering the rebels' forces, and slaughtering his way through swathes of soldiers, taking out his anger on them.
But another disaster was to rip into his heart. His army depleted, his supplies dangerously low, he required urgent reinforcement and support. Leading the convoy to his position, Satoru’s brother, Hidetada, was killed by ronin in a mountain range near Edo, as he was travelling from Kyoto to the army's camp. Satoru was so furious, and felt so guilty, he believed it to be his duty to avenge his death. He swore to his army and to his father, that he would eradicate the filth of the rebellion from the country.
The rebels that remained formed allegiances, and it was with these forces that Satoru clashed, leading his army against the filth that was the Ronin, the Masterless Samurai. He killed many of these scum, and his reputation grew. Feared by rebels all over Japan, he was a legend. But this fame was not a good thing. There were many men that wished his death, and who would come to target him in the next few months. There were numerous attempts on his life, ranging from silent assassins in the dead of night, to poisons slipped into his food. Every time he evaded death, his friends and officers grew more and more nervous, more wary of strangers, open spaces, and foods.
But he would not bow to the pressure of his position. Insisting that he still appear in public, and show his face to the people that adored him, he attended events, fairs and parades all over the country, showing the assassins that he was not afraid of them. However, he would soon pay the price for his courage. Tokugawa Satoru was killed in 1586, aged 21, by a dishonourable archer whose arrow pierced his throat as he paraded through the streets of his country’s capital. Falling from his horse, blood fountaining from his severed arteries, he enjoyed one moment of peaceful detachment, and a sense of tranquility. The culprit was quickly apprehended and executed on the spot by his bodyguards, and Satoru died with his closest friend, his father and his brothers, who had come to watch his march through the city, by his side.
As a figure in black robes approached through the crowd, smiling slightly at him, he knew that he would be moving on to a better place. She glanced appraisingly at him, taking in the blood stained armour and cloak, and met his eyes with a fierce, but comforting gaze.
“Fear not. Soul Society is the home for all spirits.”
Soul Society Waking in Rukongai, Satoru initially felt confused, and disorientated, but he quickly found out everything there was to know about Soul Society, Seireitei, and souls themselves from the people around him. As soon as he woke, he started enquiring as to the nature of his new home. Acquitting himself well with the locals, he quickly settled in and found a house in which to live. He often gave less fortunate people shelter from the outside world, allowing them to stay in his home at night, even though it was only a humble dwelling. They were greatly appreciative of him, and he quickly gained a reputation amongst people as a kind, giving, and gentle man. But when he told people his name, they also feared and respected him as a warrior, and as someone of noble blood, although he always said that in Soul Society, all souls are equal. Carrying himself with pride, grace, and nobility, he was easily recognisable. However, his demeanour and bearing was no insult to the residents, and it gave him a silent authority over the lowlifes and filth of Rukongai.
Several of his former enemies also discovered his whereabouts, and gangs of former rebels pursued him through the streets of the eighty districts of Rukongai. He was often attacked by masses of sometimes armed men, when he was out for groceries, going for a walk, or even when he was at home. However, he defended himself easily, remembering the hand-to-hand lessons he had been taught, all those years ago. He was not armed, and had not taken steps to change that fact. As his reputation was further enhanced by his remarkable prowess in combat, it seemed to him to be selfish not to use his talents to help others. He often came across scenes of violence, crime or disturbances, and he broke up such fights wih ease, saving many a citizen of Rukongai from the brutal criminals that often plagued their existences. Eventually, his opponents learned that they had no hope of beating him in one on one fighting, and he used that to avoid any bloodshed or potential danger to innocent bystanders.
Five hundred years later, and he was still living in Rukongai, although he had moved up through the districts, into one of the areas with the best public behaviour. In this area he lived for a couple of months, going about his daily life. However, he still acted as protector and guardian to many other souls that he encountered, both in his own district, and those around him. He was showered in praise and thanks, and many people looked to him as a kind of policeman, righting wrongs, and helping others, though never overstepping himself, and never killing or seriously injuring anyone. His fame among the citizens of Rukongai was substantial, and eventually word reached the Shinigami, and the noble houses.
They found him on the fifth of December, five hundred and eighty-eight years after his mortal death.
A minor noble family, the Sorahana family, discovered the identity of the graceful stranger that had become part of the district, and upon making this discovery, took him into the household. The head of the Household, Sorahana Yuudai, was dying, victim of a debilitating disease, and his only son had died several years previously. He was adopted by Yuudai as the first in line to headship, much to the resentment of some of his new cousins and distant relatives. In fact, most of the family regarded him as a usurper, an invader into the family, and much to Satoru's, and Yuudai's, exasperation, he was constantly blocked and disrepected by most of the lower family members, and even some of the family's servants regarded him with wariness, jealousy, and even blatant dislike. He had to constantly fight his way through all the resistance he encountered. However, he still took a keen interest in the wellbeing of his new acquiantances, and insisted on reports from his old district in Rukongai - after all, he still cared about the souls that he had left behind.
Now Sorahana Satoru, he slowly, but surely, rose up in respect through the household, becoming more and more influential within his position as a noble, and more and more aristocratically linked, with diplomacy and formal events becoming the order of the day. His kindness, natural elegance, quick witted humour, and his compassion regarding the other members of his House ensured that he slowly began to change the minds of those who had previously doubted his character, and his ability as a noble. He had often been told he looked authoratative, graceful, and calm, and he used this appearance and bearing to his advantage on many occasions, and it gave him an edge over other people. He was after all now the vice head of a very influential family, and was soon to become head if his father did not get better from the disease that now plagued him.
However, this comfortable, but boring, noble-style life was soon to come to an admittedly welcome end.
Upon meeting with a vice-captain of Seireitei to discuss the nature of his father's illness, he felt as if all his energy had been sucked away. Feeling empty, tired, and with a discomfort in his stomach, it took him a moment to work out what was wrong. The conclusion came with a shock of confusion. He was hungry, and he had not felt that way for thirteen hundred years (for it was now 3103 in the real world). He wolfed down the bread offered to him, and felt ashamed immediately. It was not his, after all. As he apologised profusely, he was told that he could become a Shinigami if he so wished. Obviously, this was an offer he could not think to refuse, and so in 3109 he left Rukongai, and started preparing to join the Shinigami academy. It was a dream that few people, even nobles, could ever hope to realise, and he would have been a fool to refuse, but even so, he felt a slight twinge of guilt at having to leave his family, and at the fact that his ability to protect and oversee his former friends from Rukongai would be diminished. He knew that he was above them in social class, but he still cared, and the fact that he could no longer act for their benefit was his main source of sadness at his new situation.
After years of preparation later he is ready to start at the academy, and expected to advance quickly, for he had trained for nearly fifteen years in the first stages of his life and therefore has combative instincts that few others could share.
Side Notes: In case any of you have RPed with me under a different name - this is loosely based on one of my old characters - I'm not simply ripping off someone else's character.
RP Sample: Footsteps echoed throughout the Sorahana family house, pausing occasionally to be replaced by the quiet scraping of a door being slid open.
Sorahana Satoru was excited. For the first time in a long time, he was not bored with the duty and ceremony that came with being a noble. He was actually going to meet a Shinigami, for the first time ever. Certainly, he had seen the occasional black-clothed figures with their swords carried by their sides, but he had never actually met one. He reached another door, and was just about to slide it across when it opened, and a girl rushed through it, smashing painfully into Satoru's nose, and sending blood spurting downwards to land on the polished wooden floor of the family mansion.
The servant girl, who had stumbled backwards and fallen to the floor, gasped, her eyes widening with fear as Satoru stood over her, staring down at the prone girl, an expression of mild exasperation creasing his face.
"Next time, I would suggest you look where you're going." he said calmly, holding out a hand. She just lay there, staring stupidly. Grabbing her by the arm, and hauling her to her feet, he plucked the cloth she had been dusting with from her hand, and wiped the blood from his face. But it was pointless, as a renewed flow of scarlet demonstrated.
"My dear girl." he said in an amused tone. "I rather think you broke my nose. Wouldn't you agree?" he smiled broadly at her, and patting her arm gently. She squeaked with fright, and cowered as he raised his arm to brush his hair back, as if afraid of a slap. "My god, girl, you don't think I'd strike you, do you?" he eyed her interestedly, taking in the attractive features, and wide eyes. He'd seen her once before, but she had been laughing with some of the other servants then, happy and confident. Now, she was standing, head bowed, trembling. There was some of his blood on her forehead where she had crashed into him. He reached out, and carefully wiped it away with his thumb, before ruffling her hair, and sliding past her.
Making the rest of the trip with no interruptions, he arrived in the dining room, and stopped to adjust his appearance, and try to stem the flow of blood from his nostrils as he did so.
No luck, however.
Sighing, he slid the door across, and walked into the room, where his adoptive father, mother, and the shinigami vice-captain were waiting, talking together somberly. Glancing once at him, his mother gasped, and his father looked up. His eyes hardened, and he growled a question.
"Satoru, what's happened to you? And why are you so late for this meeting?" Satoru hesitated, before deciding to tell the truth.
"A servant accidently knocked into me." But there was no need for the whole truth. "Neither of us were looking where we were going, and she instantly stopped to try and stop the bleeding. No use though. She apologised profusely, of course." He eyed the Shinigami. Female. Short blonde hair. No zanpakutou? She must fulfill a non-combat role, then.
She turned at the word 'bleeding', and stood up at once, asking the question with her eyes.
"Go ahead." Satoru answered. "See if you can stop this bleeding. It's actually rather annoying." His father added to the conversation an introduction, gesturing with his hand towards the woman. "This, Satoru, is the fourth squad's Vice-Captain."
The Vice-Captain directed her hands at Satoru's nose, and said something that was eclipsed to him by the sudden emptiness that swept over him. His eyes widened, and he fell to the floor, gasping. The Shinigami went down with him, slowing his fall with gentle arms.
"What's happened!?" demanded Satoru's father, looking angry and confused. The Vice-Captain was silent, reaching into her kimono, to bring out some bread, and handing it to him wordlessly. "He is hungry." She replied, an answer which was met with shocked silence from Satoru's parents.
Ignoring these exchanges, Satoru wolfed down the offered bread and immediately began to feel better. However, when he finished, he was immediately horrified with himself. Apologising, he straightened and began to thank the woman, before receiving another revelation.
"This means that you could become a Shinigami yourself, if you so wished." She said, smiling warmly and placing a hand on his shoulder. Satoru grinned back. "I think, Vice-Captain, that I will accept your offer."
Sun May 20, 2012 12:57 am by 
