application for adstringendum take two
Name: Ivy
Livejournal: ivellinus
Contact: plurk: milordivy / AIM: hpfreakir
Other Characters Played:
Are you 18 or over? Yes!
Canon: Bleach
Character: Kyoraku Shunsui
Timeline: 423 Post war
Personality: The first thing anyone notices when they see Shunsui is undoubtedly his flashy dress. The man is known for wearing a pink, flowery kimono over his captain's haori, and for going barefoot in his sandals. Naturally his style is a reflection of his personality. Shunsui is a charming and romantic sort of fellow who likes to tease people and talk casually with most everyone. He is carefree and and as back as a man can get. Some would call him plain lazy, which in all honestly isn’t entirely untrue. When a person gets to be as old as Shunsui, they are allowed certain freedoms. Freedoms like, making subordinates do most of the tedious and time consuming tasks he can get away with passing on. At least he doesn’t sit around doing nothing while the people around him work. On the contrary, he’s always been a lover of naps, smutty works of fiction, and socializing with the ladies. He’s a go with the flow type of guy and has always been more than capable of entertaining himself. As a notorious flirt and all around friendly guy, Shunsui is easily one of the most sociable of the shinigami, despite being in the upper half of the age bracket.
This mature man's unusual and bright wardrobe and natural ability to chase the ladies most certainly stem from the charming romantic in side of him. This unusual captain is not one to take beauty for granted. Shunsui adores nature, but he is particularly fond of flowers and beautiful women. But like any old and wise man he understands beauty is in the eye of the beholder he has a type. Shunsui dresses to impress, though not according to anyone’s standards but his own. The elegant and flowery kimono he wears over his captain's haori contrasts sharply against the working man's straw hat he wears. Each piece of his wardrobe makes him stand up that much more. Even with his love for the finer things in life, Shunsui manages to stay manly. He’s one of the strongest captains in the Gotei 13, and he also has very rugged features. More than anything it is his quiet confidence and kind nature that make him a true man’s man. He also likes to tease people, whether they are other captains, subordinates or flirtees, no one can escape him.
Shunsui loves to play with people and he relies on his clever wit to do it. His style of teasing is like that of an old man's. He likes to see others flustered and is usually relatively innocent about how he goes about it, sure he can be suggestive, but he's not a creepy pervert... He's just a loveable one. It doesn’t hurt that he knows how to get a person flustered. In his defense, a man his age needs a good chuckle anyway, and Shunsui simply makes sure to get his daily fix. Nobody suffers at the hand of his teasing like his subordinates, Ise Nano in particular, he does like it when she bites back. Even though it hurts sometimes. It is interesting to bring up now that Shunsui had a very different relationship with his former Lieutenant, Yadomaru Lisa. He flirted with her of course, but she reciprocated, and may very well be the only woman who could bring a blush to his face.
Shunsui has a habit of talking casually. He’ll refer to his lieutenant by her first name, calling her Nanao-chan most of the time. The Captain Commander is often referred to as old man by Shunsui. He calls him “Yama-ji” which is a shortened version of his surname and the word grandpa. The reason for this is most likely because he was raised to speak extra politely growing up in a house of nobles, something which he isn’t proud of or even brings up.
All playfulness aside, one of Shunsui’s greatest strengths is his intuition. He’s very skilled at reading people, he’s no human lie detector, but his instinct his killer. Shunsui’s unusual appearance and kindness could give him the look of someone who doesn’t care, but he’s very good at listening and observing. He is no telepath, and was surprised by Aizen Sousuke’s betrayal like everyone else was, but his suspicion grew after his “murder” was investigated thoroughly. He is a smart and very perceptive man, not to mention an excellent judge of character. Aizen had even aroused his suspicion some hundred years earlier, though it was nothing to persue seriously. The former fifth division captain is also proof that even a shinigami as old, wise and clever as Shunsui can have the wool pulled over his eyes. Captain Kyoraku has never been a suspicious or paranoid man. In fact it has always been the opposite; he has always been a fun loving and optimistic man. He uses his people reading and people charming skills to make friends and later tease them. That’s much more fun than constantly being on the alert for a rat.
He is as light hearted as they come, but that doesn't mean he is without a serious bone, or a few for that matter. One could assume that Shunsui's subordinates are the ones who see most of these moments, but that is simply not the case. All it would do is worry them after all, and Shunsui probably knows better than anyone that a worried squad makes for a reckless and scared squad. This is not to say that Shunsui coddles his subordinates, he just keeps things more positive and upbeat. It’s wouldn’t be a stretch to call him that guy who can find the silver lining. Positive reenforcement and friendly interactions are the best way to lead. It also doesn’t hurt that he has a reputation for being wicked powerful, even if intimidating his subordinates is the last thing he wants to happen. Nanao has spent more time with him than any of his other subordinates, and gets to see a little more of his serious side because of it, but he still shields her. When she was being crushed by Yamamoto’s rieatsu Shunsui was very quick to whisk, despite the fact that he had allowed her to follow him to the field of battle. Nanao was witness to part of his showdown with the Captain Commander, but it was his best friend, and closest confidante, Ukitake Jyuishiro who was by his side.
The one person who gets to see Shunsui in every kind of light is Ukitake Jushiro. They grew up together, and have served together for centuries. The time they spent together aside, Shunsui is very fond of his old friend and would most certainly refer to them as platonic soulmates. They bring out the best in each other, and there isn’t a single soul Shunsui is more comfortable around. They balance each other, but they also have a great time together--he is particularly fond of Ukitake’s gentle sense of humor. If ever Shunsui has to bear his soul, it’s guaranteed that the bearee will be Ukitake. He would not discuss what's troubling him with his subordinates; sure, he might drop a hint here and there, but for the most part he prefers to unload on his best friend.
As much as he has leaned on the captain of the thirteenth division, he also makes sure to be a rock for him too. Ukitake’s pain is Shunsui’s pain, and there is nothing he wouldn’t do for him. He was also very close with his subordinate Lisa, closer with her than he is to Nanao. But of course, they were no where near as close as he is with Ukitake.
The easiest--though still very hard--way to pull out Shunsui’s serious side is on the battlefield. This is truly where he displays his prowess and sets an example for his subordinates. It’s not just about power though, he is also very honorable and nobel in character on the battlefield, no matter who his opponent may be. No matter how strong he becomes, Shunsui will likely always despise fighting. He’s a lover, and a pacifist by nature. His occupation may seem strange considering how much violence can be involved, but he does it to protect souls in Sereitei and humans alike. Because of his extreme distaste for violence it takes an awful lot of pressure for Shunsui to fight at his full strength. Hell, if he can, most fights he won’t even take seriously or lift a finger, his battle with the young human, Yasotoru Sado is one such example. Rather than accept his challenge, Shunsui offered the teenage boy a drink. Wasn’t that nice of him?
Shunsui doesn’t become really serious until he and Ukitake standoff against their master and Captain Commander. This is one of the only times Shunsui is seen releasing his zanpakuto, and for good reason too. He remained calm, and confident throughout the standoff, not backing down even an inch. It was pretty lucky that this particular fight was interrupted though, because the outcome is up to debate.
Despite the fact that he is revered for his strength and exceptional swordsmanship, Shunsui doesn’t like to show off. He prefers evasion, and also taunting to really putting his weight behind a fight. In fact, his fight with a very high ranking Espada, Coyote Starrk started off in a very similar and casual way. Despite the lackluster beginning to this battle Shunsui went in with serious intentions for winning--he hated fighting, but it was a war after all. Still, it would be grossly uncharacteristic for him to use up even a fifth of his power at the start of any battle. Shunsui was able to move around and dodge Starrk’s attacks with out even losing his hat or kimono. It was during this fight that Shunsui was able to display his awesome ambidextrous capabilities; he even proved that after a little slip up, his right and left hands could be just as strong. Literally, he corrected his own mistake mid battle. Of course, he might have not been able to do this if Starrk hadn’t pointed out the mistake in the first place. It is definitely fair to say this is one of the tougher battles of Shunsui’s very, very long life.
As Starrks attacks became more powerful and underhanded, Shunsui was began feeling more and more pushed back, but Starrk was feeling the pressure too. He really wanted to see Shunsui’s bankai and unleashed his Resurreccion form, which finally prompted the captain to release his zanpakuto. He was still far from using his bankai at this point, but his best friend, Ukitake joined the fight anyway. Maybe it was because Starrk was no firing ceros of like they were nothing, and maybe it’s because he wanted to even the numbers, but in all honestly it was probably for both reasons. Shunsui needed the help too, but he and Ukitake were eventually knocked down a couple of buildings, but that was only after more arrancar joined the battle and they were outnumbered. At this point the visores Love and Rose took over the battle against Starrk, but they too became over powered. Shunsui rejoined the battle before Starrk could do any damage and nearly cut of his head. Interestingly enough, Starrk pointed out that it wasn’t very like Shunsui to do that, to which he simply replied the Espada had no room to judge. They battle it out for a while longer and it is eventually ended thanks to the help of his shikai’s special abilities.
The aftermath of war is never pretty, but victory in the end was sweet. Shunsui was wounded, but he healed up nicely, and also ditched that hot, and stylish captain’s haori. Too bad the Captain Commander wasn’t so pleased about this.
Background: A long, long time ago Shunsui was born into a noble family but he was never much for the family lifestyle or their traditions. To put it simply, he preferred to chase ladies and have a good time -- he was a real social butterfly. That didn't stop Captain Commander Yamamoto for spotting the potential in Shunsui. Because of this “potential” he was sent against his will to the Shinigami Academy, and surprisingly it wasn’t all bad. He met his best friend Ukitake Jushiro, and developed great skills during his time. He became one of the first captains in the Gotei 13 along with Ukitake, Unohana, and Yamamoto himself. He's been a captain for well over 200 years and is easily one of the most powerful shinigami.
Long before Ise Nanao was his lieutenant, Yadomaru Lisa was. These two got along alright, and they certainly had a little more in common. She was strong, sharp, and had a nice sense of humor. However, she was also nosy and brought out the more serious side of Shunsui, he may have even been forced to scold her on occasion.
Lisa was known to eavesdrop on captain's meetings. She decided to spy on an emergency meeting to discuss the disappearance of the squad nine's investigation team (to check on the disappearance of others x_x ). Yamamoto suggested the Kido captain and lieutenant go on an mission to investigate, Shunsui interrupted stating it would be unwise to send the both of them. He then suggested that his own lieutenant go on the mission and calls out for her, thus revealing that she was spying the entire time. Lisa agreed to go on the mission. A lot of stuff happened that involved Aizen, mainly the hollowfication of his lieutenant. Shunsui sent her on that mission, and feels a certain amount of guilt for it. After the hollowfied shinigami had been rescued, it would be one hundred years before he saw her again.
One hundred years later Shunsui was called to a captains meeting when Soul Society was invaded by humans, Kurosaki Ichigo and his friends. Aizen Sousuke was 'murdered' a short time afterward.
Shunsui ended up meeting Yasutora Sado in a shower of petals provided by his lieutenant at his request. Right of the bat he stated that he doesn't like to fight and offered Sado a drink. Sado refused because he was a minor, and asked the captain to step aside. Shunsui also refused. He was able to effortlessly deflect and dodge all of Sado’s attacks and delivered the final blow a short time after seeing how determined the boy was. Sado was not dead, much to Shunsui's surprise so he instructed his lieutenant to send for people from squad four to heal him. The important thing is he was impressed by Sado's tenacity and never really intended on killing him.
A short while before Rukia's execution Shunsui told Nanao that he would be getting in trouble with the Captain Commander, after she assured him she would stand behind him no matter what. On the day of the execution Shunsui was there early, waiting for Jushiro to show up so that the two of them could stop the Sokyoku and save his subordinate, Rukia. He did all of this without even a hint of hesitation. Before Yamamoto could cause a scene on top of a scene, Shunsui snatched his friend to flashstep to a more suitable location. And so the battle between student and master was about to begin. Ukitake and Kyoraku VS. Yamamoto. The big one.... Well actually the battle ends up stopping before it begins, since the news of Aizen Sousuke's betrayal was delivered at the exact same time. Priorities shifted, and the three captains headed back at light speed.
The shock of Aisen’s betrayal was not lost on Shunsui, but he and the other shinigami could do nothing to prevent his escape. And so began the war against Aizen and his arrancar.
When Aizen invaded the fake Karakura town, Shunsui automatically wondered who the highest ranking Espada was, and wouldn't you know he ended up fighting against the Primera, Coyote Starrk. A long battle of might and words ensued. Neither one of them began with their full strength. Out of desperation to win, or perhaps because he really wanted to see his bankai, Starrk began relying on underhanded tactics to gain the upper hand. For a good while Shunsui was able to fight without losing his hat or damaging his kimono, an incredible thing to do when the amounts of blades and ceros are considered. It was amazing that Shunsui was able to get Starrk to release his full power without even releasing his own zanpakuto, but that didn’t last very long as Starrk’s resurrección form proved to be extremely powerful. It was at this point that Ukitake intervened. It was a bitter fight, with both Shunsui and Ukitake unleashing their zanpakutos. The two captains fighting alongside soon become outnumbered as more arrancar join the battle, and end up falling down, hard. The good news was, that neither one of them ended up showing their bankai. Shortly after this the Visored join and take over the fighting. Shunsui is even reunited with his former lieutenant for a brief and sweet moment.
As the visoreds are starting to be overpowered by Starrk, Shunsui uses his shikai’s special abilities to sneak up on Starrk using the shadows. They fought for a little while longer, but Shunsui ultimately proved victorious.
Somtime after that Aizen is captured, and Shunsui is healed from all injuries sustained by the battle before. But he lost his captain’s haori too, but that was a very small and insignificant occurrence. It sure got the Captain Commander all riled up though.
Abilities/Additional Notes: Shunsui didn't become a captain for nothing, the man has mad skills, in fact he was one of the first captains ever.
He's a fantastic swordsman and in fact is one of the only one who uses two of them ( a tachi and wakizashi ). It helps a great deal that he's ambidextrous. At one time his left was always the stronger arm, but now he is able to put equal amounts of strength into both arms. For the most part, Shunsui keeps his wakizashi sheathed unless it's absolutely necessary. And it takes ten times more than that to get him to release his shikai.
Squad eight’s leader can endure a lot. It's not an exaggeration to say he could be ripped apart and might survive, he's pretty durable as far as Shinigami are concerned (probably as far as Tite is concerned too), and he is incredibly strong both physically and emotionally. Also, not to brag, but Shunsui might as well be capped out on reiatsu, his is something mighty powerful. He is no Yamamoto, but this is the true source of his power, and the reason he is as strong as he is. All of the training helped too of course.
Here's a breakdown of some of the shinigami's abilities, and Shunsui's mastery of them. Also below is detailed information about his Zanpakuto.
Kido: He is a kido master, and although he doesn't prefer to use it as a tool for fighting he has been know from time to time to do just that. Kido are the defensive and attack spells used by Shinigami.
Shunpo: Shunsui is a flash step master too, in fact he's able to take way larger steps than most captains, even Yamamoto compliments him on his speed. Basically he can travel miles in a matter of seconds. It is very unlikely that he is as fast as someone like Yoruichi, the flash master.
Zanpakuto Katen Kyokotsu Roughly translating to flower heaven bone of madness, Shunsui's zanpakuto is an interesting thing. For starters his is the only two bladed zapakuto other than Ukitake's, but even then his blades are completely separate. Katen Kyokotsu is a tricky one, and she won't come out to shine unless she wants to, meaning that Shunsui is slightly limited some of the time. It's only part of the reason he prefers not even to use his shikai. She's a stubborn and temperamental old girl, that’s for sure.
Shikai Flower Wind Rage and Flower God Roar, Heavenly Wind Rage and Heavenly Demon Sneer is the release command for his zapakuto's shikai, in this form they appear as two giant scimitars, though they still act as a tachi and wakizashi together. His zapakuto a few known abilities. The downside? There are certain rules to using these abilities, Shunsui and his enemy are both subjected to these rules. They never said it wasn't fair, just lots of fun~
BushogomaShunsui rotates with his blades in opposite directions and sends blades of wind toward his opponent, like a spinning top and engulfs them in a tornado like funnel.
Kageoni This might be Shunsui's sweetest move. The name translates to shadow demon, and it's just that. It makes it possible for fighters to manipulate the shadows, and Shunsui being the master that he is can hide himself in the shadows, and also use them to attack others. The only rule to this game, the one who's shadow is stepped on loses. Shunsui isn't one to make mistakes like that easily.
Irooni This one here translates to colorful demon, and it's pretty interesting. The best way to explain this is by example. Shunsui would call out a color, and depending on how much of that color he and his opponent are wearing the amount of damage can very. He can call out a color neither of them is wearing and deliver a fatal blow that would only do fatal damage. He can also call out a color like white against an espada and inflict major damage even if it only appears to be a minor wound, however Shunsui can be equally as damaged should his opponent have the chance to counter.
Sample Journal Post: [ Shunsui figures there is no sense in wasting time on lengthy introductions. He knows he can recognize some of the other people here right of that bat, and that automatically makes him worry less. Familiar faces could be like a beacon in rough or unusual times.
He turns on the device smiling warmly with the camera focused on him. ]
Good evening, Adstringendum. What a pleasure it is to join all of you in this... quaint city. [ Definitely not the word he's looking for. ] I can already tell that there are some familiar faces here. Surely one of you will be kind enough to offer an old man shelter for the night?
[ He looks down at his Kimono with frown before displaying it for the camera. ] I've also gotten my favorite kimono dirty. [ GASP. ] It's only clothing I know, but it's special to me as it was a gift from a woman very near and dear to my heart. [ He sniffles a bit, laughing shortly at himself. ] I wear it everyday for her and I regret to say that this isn't the first time I've gotten it dirty. [ He sighs. ] The sweet young woman I'd usually go to can't possibly be here.
Perhaps someone here can help me out, or at lest point me in the right direction. [ He waves a hand dismissively. ] Ah, but that was pretty rude of me, wasn't it. Asking for help when I've only just arrived. [ He fancies himself an actor. ] And not even introducing myself. It's embarrassing. [ And an act. ] But not too late.
It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance Adstringendum, my name is Kyoraku Shunsui.
Sample RP: Sitting quietly, Shunsui turned his gaze to the sky, staring at the early evening stars beginning to shine. He was with a friend who had zipped off after a monster. It was a monster Shunsui was more than confident that Ukitake could handle. Still, he kept his senses alert, keeping an extra close beat on his friend's reiatsu. He could tell an unexpected and small visitor was approaching, but made no sudden move. It was only a child, a regular human child.
"Hey mister!!" Shunsui smiled at the child pulling on his kimono without a care. "I saw your friend run off with that monster!"
"Did you now?" He continued smiling, while the boy frowned and shook his head.
"Aren't you gonna go after him!!?" The boy tugged a little harder on Shunsui's kimono.
"He doesn't need me." Shunsui's smile widens.
"Why do you wear this girly thing?" The boy asked loudly.
"Why do you ask so many questions?" He asked back.
"'Cause you're weird." Of course. Kids will be kids.
"Maybe you're weird. did you think about that?" Shunsui replied flatly before adjusting his hat. He looked down with wide eyes when the boy started reaching for his swords.
"Hey there, kiddo, what do you think you're doing?" He adjusts his kimono and haori so that they are covering his swords.
"You shouldn't try to take things like that without asking, especially when someone's attached to them." Shunsui didn't mind children, he even placed a large hand on top of the boys head. "Why don't you let me take you home? Your mom must be worried."
"No!" The boy screamed right away, jerking his head out from under Shunsui's hand.
"Maybe I'll give you a demonstration sometime if you let me take you home." He offered with his fingers crossed behind his back because he totally will not do that.
"OKAY!" He was easily excited and climbed up onto Shunsui's shoulders. "My place is this way!" he points to the east. Ahh the chance to meet a beautiful mother, it might be a good day. "You can do it when you get to my place!"
Oh. He would have to get himself out of that lie without upsetting the mother he had already begun picturing in his head.
"Sit here for a minute, though. We've got to wait for my friend to come back first. Why don't you tell me your name?"