Gauntlet Application
Character Information
Name: Rukia Kuchiki
Fandom: Bleach
Age: Estimated to be in the 80s; looks to be around 15.
Gender: Female
OU, AU, or RU: OU
Assignment: IACC Uesugi
Appearance: Here. She’s about 4’ 8” (144 cm) and weighs 73 lbs (33kg).
History: Rukia had a tough childhood, surviving on the streets with a small group of friends. Living day to day was a matter of survival. She became friends with Renji Abarai, who was part of their group. Over a period of 10 years, Rukia and Renji were all who survived out of their group. Rukia suggested they apply to the Shinigami academy, given their spirit potential, and to seek a better life. It was here when head of the noble Kuchiki Clan, Byakuya Kuchiki, adopted Rukia as his sister. Despite the new relationship, he remained incredibly cold to her, barely glancing at her over a span of 40 years. Nonetheless, Rukia remained loyal to him, giving respect and wishing for his approval.
As she moved on from the academy, she was accepted into the 13th squadron, where she was trained in the use of her Zanpactō by the Lieutenant Shiba Kaien. His laid-back and cheerful personality earned Rukia’s deep respect and admiration for the man, possibly including a small school-girl crush. She looked up to Kaien’s wife, also, as someone she wished become. Things changed radically when Kaien, enraged by his wife’s murder by a Hollow, rushed blindly into battle. Rukia and her captain watched as right before their eyes, the Hollow possessed Kaien’s body and charged towards them. The captain told Rukia to run and she followed his orders. However, she felt as if she was running out of selfish fear rather than duty. She feared the consequences of acting in such a manner, and turned around to fight so as not to be considered a coward. The ordeal ended when Rukia stabbed the possessed Kaien through the chest, her sword going directly through him. With his last few breaths, he apologized for making her do such a thing, and thanked her for doing so.
It was his death that caused a great amount of emotional grief and pain. She cried over the loss, but hardened when returning the body to the Shiba family. As the years progressed, she grew from the slightly uncertain and moody girl from before, and into a calm, collected, and experienced fighter. Still, she never fully got over his death. Despite the circumstances not being her fault, she still blamed herself and had repeated nightmares about the incident. Because of her actions, she came to view herself as a terrible, selfish person.
It was a mission to the human world that changed everything. Upon meeting a human boy, Ichigo Kurosaki, Rukia made a quick decision that could save their lives, as well as Ichigo’s family: to temporarily give him some of her abilities as a Soul Reaper. This did not go entirely according to plan, as Ichigo mysteriously took all of her power rather than some of it. Rukia prioritized what needed to be done as part of her job and showed up at his school the very next day, insisting he take over her Soul Reaper duties until she could regain her powers. Minor incidents happened with various hollows, though there was an incident where a mod soul was accidentally given instead of an artificial soul. Towards the end, when they were finally able to apprehend him, Rukia took the mod soul, thus saving his life. A decision she may partially regret at times, given his perverted and annoying nature.
It was apparent she never belonged in the human world, however, and had already overstayed her time there. In order to protect Ichigo and Kon, she left a note advising them to lay low and to save themselves, while she escaped in an attempt to keep them from getting involved. Ichigo did not listen and followed her anyways, which resulted in her being taken back to Soul Society by her childhood friend Renji, as well as her older brother.
She was held as a prisoner in Soul Society for nearly a month, in which she calmly waited out what seemed to be her last days until the execution. Despite her situation, she felt sorrow for what seemed to be Ichigo’s death, due to her interference with him. Rukia had resigned herself to her fate, keeping firm resolve to quietly wait until the end. A small spark of hope was gained at the news that Ichigo was still alive, although she remained largely uninspired.
Ichigo saved her at the last minute from her execution, and also destroyed the weapon that was to be used in the ceremony. One of the captains, Aizen, then stepped forward revealing his plan- that the entire execution and set up had been orchestrated by him and his co-conspirators. A special object known as the Hōgyoku, a substance with the ability to dissolve the line between Shinigami and hollow, was hidden inside of Rukia’s soul. Aizen’s entire plan was to retrieve this item, and did so using a special technique found in the research of its creator.
Although Rukia at first decided to stay in Soul Society, she did return to the living world a short while later once her abilities had been recovered. There she helped Ichigo and her friends in minor battles against the Arrancar- new enemies created by Aizen. When her friend Orihime was captured and taken to the land of the hollows, Hueco Mundo, Rukia and her friends went there in order to rescue her.
Personality: On one hand, she is outspoken, stubborn, and a bit too proud. Essentially Rukia is a dead spirit who has moved onto Soul Society, who then trained to become a Shinigami. As a Soul Reaper, it is her duty to protect the lives of the living, as well as guide the dead in passing on. It is something she takes very seriously, willing to put her life at risk to save a human she doesn’t even know. She focuses on what needs to be done, rather then dwell on her personal feelings on things. She can come across as rude sometimes, and perhaps bossy. Rukia is tough, strong, and stubborn. And not one to let an idiotic comment slide, either. She is a fighter, both physically and mentally. It is clear she has ‘0% Idiocy tolerance,’ at times easily angered or offended, particularly if her drawings or hidden love of bunnies are involved.
At the same time, she has a softer side as well. She has times of weakness, just like anybody else, and isn’t immune to emotional damage. She can be gentle, concerned, and deeply caring, despite her typical attitude. Rukia cares deeply about her friends, lending support in battle and emotionally when needed. She can be too hard on herself at times, and can dwell too much on her weaknesses. She is not as open about her problems as she could be, tending to keep them bottled up inside and endure it alone, though it isn’t the best for her.
Her social skills could use improvement. Throughout the years, she was never one to have many friends. Rumors were common about her, which she simply endured. Even her close friends have curious relationships with her, often involving varying degrees of arguing or conflict. This does not lessen the strength of these friendships, however, and she will put others before herself if need be. She doesn’t always say what she’s thinking and won’t always show how much she cares. When she does, it isn’t usually outright said, but shown in small, different ways.
Although physically she appears to be around 15 years of age, in reality she is somewhere in her 80s. Often she will speak maturely and with a clear head, sometimes the voice of logic among more hot-headed persons. She has a particular grace you would not expect compared to her temper, which is usually expressed in forms of violence to the offending party.
Strengths: As a Soul Reaper, she is equipped with a Zanpakuto- a ‘soul cutter’ katana that is used to defeat Hollows (evil, corrupted spirits). Zanpakuto’s have names of their own, and embody something resembling a spirit inside of it. The owner can communicate with the Zanpakuto to a certain degree, and even see its physical manifestation, though it is not a regular occurrence. Rukia’s sword is called Sode No Shirayuki- Sleeve of White Snow. It is an ice-based weapon which, once released from its dormant state, can unleash different ice attacks upon an enemy. Most noticeable is the physical changes made once the sword is released, and at the will of its owner. The first attack involves a large circle on the ground to encase whatever is in its ‘domain’ in ice, earth and sky. The second attack is a blast of ice sent in a particular direction at a foe. The third ‘dance’ is reserved for when the blade itself is broken, and is quickly reformed with ice.
Soul Reapers also are skilled in basic swordsmanship, training through sparing and duels in order to improve stance, footing, the ability to deal with an opponent's style, and brute strength. There are also the areas of martial arts and ‘flash-stepping’, a technique used by Soul Reapers to move almost instantly from one point to another nearby. The last area of training, however, is ‘Kido’- Demon Arts. Kido is the study and use of various spells, ranked in number due to difficulty and effectiveness. They are broken into the categories of ‘Destructive’, ‘Binding’, and healing spells. In order to use a Kido spell, the name must at least be said aloud, although adding the full title and incantations greatly improves the power of the spell.
Although Rukia is unseated in her division, she has shown to be strong enough to be a seated officer. While her swordsmanship is better than the average Shinigami, Kido is an area she is more comfortable with, being able to say level 60 spells, and even able to combine two spells at once if necessary. Canonly Rukia’s shown to have skill in healing Kido, able to heal at times fatal wounds on others within a limited amount of time. She has shown some knowledge in the areas of basic martial arts and use of flash-steps, although she is far from a specialist in these areas. Experience has hardened her, and she is not unused to battles against larger or difficult opponents.
Weaknesses: As she was sent to Soul Society as a baby, she has very little experience as a human. Thus, many aspects of the living world confuse her. Many types of technology not yet in use in Soul Society can be mind-boggling to her, such as subways, television, guns, or even juice boxes. She is also vulnerable to physical weapons that are not of spiritual nature after being brought on board, as is anyone else.
Sample:
Rukia looked around in alarm, a hand going to her side out of habit. The motion made her slightly dizzy. She turned her head to see Sode No Shirayuki leaning against her bedside.
“What…?”
It was a great deal of information to take in. The last she could remember was waiting along the sidelines as Ichigo fought the Espada known as ‘Yammy.’ Now, it seemed as if she were in a different world altogether. The surreal nature of it was closer to a dream or nightmare. Was it an illusion of Aizen’s? Was it merely an attempt to disillusion her and others for his means?
She looked around the sparse room from her bed, slowly sitting up. No… She could not sense the abundance of spiritual pressure felt in Hueco Mundo, or of Soul Society. It felt like the living world.
Rukia’s gaze drifted to the starry window next to her. She was not sure what to make of it. Vaguely, she recalled a similar image from one of the living world textbooks. Could it be… ‘Space’?
Her conclusions only led to more questions that filled her thoughts. How could she be brought from Hueco Mundo to the living world? Perhaps Aizen had moved them in a bid to divide their forces. It was impossible to predict his movements, or know the reasons behind his actions. Still… It seemed unlikely.
Much of what she saw and heard was unlike anything else she knew of the living world. What little she had learned seemed of no use. Stranger still was their ability to see her without the use of a gigai. Bringing a hand in front of her face, she made a clenching motion with her fist, the movement somewhat delayed due to her recovering state. No, she was in her natural spiritual form. How were the humans able to see her?
The man’s words were another enigma of their own. It was difficult to tell what was the truth and what could be methods of manipulating her for their own gain. There was no telling what they could have known of her and her abilities. At the very least, the situation explained seemed make sense.
Now, she was left with a decision. She could avoid joining their forces altogether, which would make keeping the existence of Shinigami and other spiritual beings a secret. Past experience had taught her how easy it was to grow too comfortable, and to become attached to those around her. Her top priority was to return to the others. She could not abandon them.
Playing the part of a civilian would not be difficult. At the same time, it would help distance herself from others. She had been foolish in her time in the living world. She would not make the same mistake.
At the same time, her abilities could be of use in finding her way back. It was still possible to play the part of a human and remain distant from the others. To blindly trust those of the ‘ship’, as it was called, would be careless. She would need to proceed carefully and remain on guard.
Violet eyes drifted to the starry picture beside her.
Name: Rukia Kuchiki
Fandom: Bleach
Age: Estimated to be in the 80s; looks to be around 15.
Gender: Female
OU, AU, or RU: OU
Assignment: IACC Uesugi
Appearance: Here. She’s about 4’ 8” (144 cm) and weighs 73 lbs (33kg).
History: Rukia had a tough childhood, surviving on the streets with a small group of friends. Living day to day was a matter of survival. She became friends with Renji Abarai, who was part of their group. Over a period of 10 years, Rukia and Renji were all who survived out of their group. Rukia suggested they apply to the Shinigami academy, given their spirit potential, and to seek a better life. It was here when head of the noble Kuchiki Clan, Byakuya Kuchiki, adopted Rukia as his sister. Despite the new relationship, he remained incredibly cold to her, barely glancing at her over a span of 40 years. Nonetheless, Rukia remained loyal to him, giving respect and wishing for his approval.
As she moved on from the academy, she was accepted into the 13th squadron, where she was trained in the use of her Zanpactō by the Lieutenant Shiba Kaien. His laid-back and cheerful personality earned Rukia’s deep respect and admiration for the man, possibly including a small school-girl crush. She looked up to Kaien’s wife, also, as someone she wished become. Things changed radically when Kaien, enraged by his wife’s murder by a Hollow, rushed blindly into battle. Rukia and her captain watched as right before their eyes, the Hollow possessed Kaien’s body and charged towards them. The captain told Rukia to run and she followed his orders. However, she felt as if she was running out of selfish fear rather than duty. She feared the consequences of acting in such a manner, and turned around to fight so as not to be considered a coward. The ordeal ended when Rukia stabbed the possessed Kaien through the chest, her sword going directly through him. With his last few breaths, he apologized for making her do such a thing, and thanked her for doing so.
It was his death that caused a great amount of emotional grief and pain. She cried over the loss, but hardened when returning the body to the Shiba family. As the years progressed, she grew from the slightly uncertain and moody girl from before, and into a calm, collected, and experienced fighter. Still, she never fully got over his death. Despite the circumstances not being her fault, she still blamed herself and had repeated nightmares about the incident. Because of her actions, she came to view herself as a terrible, selfish person.
It was a mission to the human world that changed everything. Upon meeting a human boy, Ichigo Kurosaki, Rukia made a quick decision that could save their lives, as well as Ichigo’s family: to temporarily give him some of her abilities as a Soul Reaper. This did not go entirely according to plan, as Ichigo mysteriously took all of her power rather than some of it. Rukia prioritized what needed to be done as part of her job and showed up at his school the very next day, insisting he take over her Soul Reaper duties until she could regain her powers. Minor incidents happened with various hollows, though there was an incident where a mod soul was accidentally given instead of an artificial soul. Towards the end, when they were finally able to apprehend him, Rukia took the mod soul, thus saving his life. A decision she may partially regret at times, given his perverted and annoying nature.
It was apparent she never belonged in the human world, however, and had already overstayed her time there. In order to protect Ichigo and Kon, she left a note advising them to lay low and to save themselves, while she escaped in an attempt to keep them from getting involved. Ichigo did not listen and followed her anyways, which resulted in her being taken back to Soul Society by her childhood friend Renji, as well as her older brother.
She was held as a prisoner in Soul Society for nearly a month, in which she calmly waited out what seemed to be her last days until the execution. Despite her situation, she felt sorrow for what seemed to be Ichigo’s death, due to her interference with him. Rukia had resigned herself to her fate, keeping firm resolve to quietly wait until the end. A small spark of hope was gained at the news that Ichigo was still alive, although she remained largely uninspired.
Ichigo saved her at the last minute from her execution, and also destroyed the weapon that was to be used in the ceremony. One of the captains, Aizen, then stepped forward revealing his plan- that the entire execution and set up had been orchestrated by him and his co-conspirators. A special object known as the Hōgyoku, a substance with the ability to dissolve the line between Shinigami and hollow, was hidden inside of Rukia’s soul. Aizen’s entire plan was to retrieve this item, and did so using a special technique found in the research of its creator.
Although Rukia at first decided to stay in Soul Society, she did return to the living world a short while later once her abilities had been recovered. There she helped Ichigo and her friends in minor battles against the Arrancar- new enemies created by Aizen. When her friend Orihime was captured and taken to the land of the hollows, Hueco Mundo, Rukia and her friends went there in order to rescue her.
Personality: On one hand, she is outspoken, stubborn, and a bit too proud. Essentially Rukia is a dead spirit who has moved onto Soul Society, who then trained to become a Shinigami. As a Soul Reaper, it is her duty to protect the lives of the living, as well as guide the dead in passing on. It is something she takes very seriously, willing to put her life at risk to save a human she doesn’t even know. She focuses on what needs to be done, rather then dwell on her personal feelings on things. She can come across as rude sometimes, and perhaps bossy. Rukia is tough, strong, and stubborn. And not one to let an idiotic comment slide, either. She is a fighter, both physically and mentally. It is clear she has ‘0% Idiocy tolerance,’ at times easily angered or offended, particularly if her drawings or hidden love of bunnies are involved.
At the same time, she has a softer side as well. She has times of weakness, just like anybody else, and isn’t immune to emotional damage. She can be gentle, concerned, and deeply caring, despite her typical attitude. Rukia cares deeply about her friends, lending support in battle and emotionally when needed. She can be too hard on herself at times, and can dwell too much on her weaknesses. She is not as open about her problems as she could be, tending to keep them bottled up inside and endure it alone, though it isn’t the best for her.
Her social skills could use improvement. Throughout the years, she was never one to have many friends. Rumors were common about her, which she simply endured. Even her close friends have curious relationships with her, often involving varying degrees of arguing or conflict. This does not lessen the strength of these friendships, however, and she will put others before herself if need be. She doesn’t always say what she’s thinking and won’t always show how much she cares. When she does, it isn’t usually outright said, but shown in small, different ways.
Although physically she appears to be around 15 years of age, in reality she is somewhere in her 80s. Often she will speak maturely and with a clear head, sometimes the voice of logic among more hot-headed persons. She has a particular grace you would not expect compared to her temper, which is usually expressed in forms of violence to the offending party.
Strengths: As a Soul Reaper, she is equipped with a Zanpakuto- a ‘soul cutter’ katana that is used to defeat Hollows (evil, corrupted spirits). Zanpakuto’s have names of their own, and embody something resembling a spirit inside of it. The owner can communicate with the Zanpakuto to a certain degree, and even see its physical manifestation, though it is not a regular occurrence. Rukia’s sword is called Sode No Shirayuki- Sleeve of White Snow. It is an ice-based weapon which, once released from its dormant state, can unleash different ice attacks upon an enemy. Most noticeable is the physical changes made once the sword is released, and at the will of its owner. The first attack involves a large circle on the ground to encase whatever is in its ‘domain’ in ice, earth and sky. The second attack is a blast of ice sent in a particular direction at a foe. The third ‘dance’ is reserved for when the blade itself is broken, and is quickly reformed with ice.
Soul Reapers also are skilled in basic swordsmanship, training through sparing and duels in order to improve stance, footing, the ability to deal with an opponent's style, and brute strength. There are also the areas of martial arts and ‘flash-stepping’, a technique used by Soul Reapers to move almost instantly from one point to another nearby. The last area of training, however, is ‘Kido’- Demon Arts. Kido is the study and use of various spells, ranked in number due to difficulty and effectiveness. They are broken into the categories of ‘Destructive’, ‘Binding’, and healing spells. In order to use a Kido spell, the name must at least be said aloud, although adding the full title and incantations greatly improves the power of the spell.
Although Rukia is unseated in her division, she has shown to be strong enough to be a seated officer. While her swordsmanship is better than the average Shinigami, Kido is an area she is more comfortable with, being able to say level 60 spells, and even able to combine two spells at once if necessary. Canonly Rukia’s shown to have skill in healing Kido, able to heal at times fatal wounds on others within a limited amount of time. She has shown some knowledge in the areas of basic martial arts and use of flash-steps, although she is far from a specialist in these areas. Experience has hardened her, and she is not unused to battles against larger or difficult opponents.
Weaknesses: As she was sent to Soul Society as a baby, she has very little experience as a human. Thus, many aspects of the living world confuse her. Many types of technology not yet in use in Soul Society can be mind-boggling to her, such as subways, television, guns, or even juice boxes. She is also vulnerable to physical weapons that are not of spiritual nature after being brought on board, as is anyone else.
Sample:
Rukia looked around in alarm, a hand going to her side out of habit. The motion made her slightly dizzy. She turned her head to see Sode No Shirayuki leaning against her bedside.
“What…?”
It was a great deal of information to take in. The last she could remember was waiting along the sidelines as Ichigo fought the Espada known as ‘Yammy.’ Now, it seemed as if she were in a different world altogether. The surreal nature of it was closer to a dream or nightmare. Was it an illusion of Aizen’s? Was it merely an attempt to disillusion her and others for his means?
She looked around the sparse room from her bed, slowly sitting up. No… She could not sense the abundance of spiritual pressure felt in Hueco Mundo, or of Soul Society. It felt like the living world.
Rukia’s gaze drifted to the starry window next to her. She was not sure what to make of it. Vaguely, she recalled a similar image from one of the living world textbooks. Could it be… ‘Space’?
Her conclusions only led to more questions that filled her thoughts. How could she be brought from Hueco Mundo to the living world? Perhaps Aizen had moved them in a bid to divide their forces. It was impossible to predict his movements, or know the reasons behind his actions. Still… It seemed unlikely.
Much of what she saw and heard was unlike anything else she knew of the living world. What little she had learned seemed of no use. Stranger still was their ability to see her without the use of a gigai. Bringing a hand in front of her face, she made a clenching motion with her fist, the movement somewhat delayed due to her recovering state. No, she was in her natural spiritual form. How were the humans able to see her?
The man’s words were another enigma of their own. It was difficult to tell what was the truth and what could be methods of manipulating her for their own gain. There was no telling what they could have known of her and her abilities. At the very least, the situation explained seemed make sense.
Now, she was left with a decision. She could avoid joining their forces altogether, which would make keeping the existence of Shinigami and other spiritual beings a secret. Past experience had taught her how easy it was to grow too comfortable, and to become attached to those around her. Her top priority was to return to the others. She could not abandon them.
Playing the part of a civilian would not be difficult. At the same time, it would help distance herself from others. She had been foolish in her time in the living world. She would not make the same mistake.
At the same time, her abilities could be of use in finding her way back. It was still possible to play the part of a human and remain distant from the others. To blindly trust those of the ‘ship’, as it was called, would be careless. She would need to proceed carefully and remain on guard.
Violet eyes drifted to the starry picture beside her.