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 Posted: Thu Feb 02, 2012 9:55 pm
Name: Hoku Yan-Zi
Aliases/ Nicknames: None (yet)
Age: Died in the early 1700’s (approximate early teens) Estimated current age is 325yrs
Height: 5’5
Race: Shinigami
Rank: None
Physical Description: Hoku is slender, toned, and well equipped with feminine attributes. Her natural body is a clean slate of ivory with a head of white/silver long, thick hair that she sometimes wears it back in a high ponytail to keep it out of the way with bangs cut to the center of her eyes. She often claims the white hair is her birthright (that she was born with it) yet many would assume it was due to her age. She’s round faced with a sharp chin and is rarely ever seen without crimson lips. Her sharp green eyes normally express her sarcasm more than her own words do. She has tribal tattoos on her upper arms, wrists, and thighs (the result of her hooligan days). Hoku has naturally strong, sharp nails and she’ll use them to her advantage when in a tight situation and feels the need to fight dirty. Her uniform is somewhat modified as she prefers to wear a white Chinese style garb with a thick red obi (tied in the back) instead of the normal white juban (undershirt) and will sometimes go without the shihaksho jacket at all, but wears it when she feels chilled enough. Her voice sounds somewhat posh because she speaks in an British accent when speaking English. Hoku suffers from an unknown type of eye disorder and is mostly colorblind. She can only see white, black, red and hues of purple while everything else is a monotone shade of gray.
Special Accessories: As stated above, Hoku usually is seen wearing a white Chinese style garb with a thick red obi and black silk slippers. To protect the integrity of her knuckles, she also wears black hand wraps when fighting or training.
Zampacto: Xiāofáng māo (Fire Cat) The spirit of the zampakuto resembles a white, tiger-sized feline with black stripes and large green eyes. Its personality is overall short fused, bratty, and proud which makes the two clash quite often. Xiāofáng māo cares for Hoku to a certain extent (the way a cat often feels toward its master) and often helps carry the burden of her anger.
Sealed form: Normal short style steel Chinese Dao about 3ft overall length- Consists of a black braided grip and a pair of tussles dangling from the gold ring-shaped pummel. The guard, also gold, is round with a flame pattern around the boarder. The wooden scabbard is lacquered black with a gold locket and cape. Hoku wears it across the small of her back tucked into the bow of her obi.
-Shikai not yet achieved
Summon/Release phrase: “Xiāofáng māo- ignite your eternal rage!”
Shikai powers: In a burst of flame, the Katana transforms into a Kusarigama- a short handled scythe with a 5ft chain attached at one end and a large spiked iron mace (about the size of a large cantaloupe) connected to the other, which Hoku can use to do a great deal of damage with her skilled handwork. The chain can extend as far as her mind wishes it but the longer the chain grows, the smaller the mace becomes. This is also an elemental type Zanpaku-to which reflects Hoku’s ferocity when she’s fighting. When she snaps, a blue fire ignites around the mace. The angrier she gets, the larger the flame grows.
Skills/Abilities:
Graceful/Nimble: Hoku is quick with about her wits and reflects it in her feet as well with dance-like movements and is flexible to boot.
Dexterous: She is skilled with her hands and can often be found flipping a pencil or quill around with her fingers. Both skills were a great advantage to her when she was a thief as her hand dipping into a pocket to steal change was a fish diving in water.
High tolerance to heat and flame: Explains itself. On the opposite end she dislikes being cold.
Spoken Languages: Chinese- Her native tongue and speaks it when she's angry
English- Prefers to use this language above all.
Japanese- Acquired through studies when she entered Soul Society. Doesn't speak it very fluently yet.
Kidou: Hoku isn’t the greatest at performing kido but it was enough to pass at minimum.
Bakudou:
1. Restrain (Sai)
4. Crawling Rope (Hainawa)
8. Repulse (Seki)
9. Strike (Geki)
9. Disintegrating Circle (Hourin)
Hadou:
1. Thrust (Shou)
4. White Lightning (Byakurai)
11. Bound Lightning (Tsuzuri Raiden)
Specialty: 31. Shakkahō (Red Fire Cannon)
Personality: At first glance, Hoku is an elegant, classy sort of woman until someone makes her angry. Equipped with a short fuse, Hoku’s temper is equivalent to the heated wrath of a thousand menstruating housewives.
Hoku generally has an aura of strong womanliness and expresses it well when she walks, speaks, and gestures. In the eyes of another, she’s cynical, negative, and an all around b***h. She calls herself a realist, one who says it like it is, and doesn’t regard outside opinions that may impede her own. Being one to favor her solitude, she prefers to have her space, quiet, and rarely gets involved with affairs that don’t concern her. Armed with a proud attitude she will refuse to salute to any authority figures if she deems them incompetent, nor will she stand for anyone talking down to her; especially if they’re male. Hoku often comes off as a feminist as she despises most males and often shows an array of tolerance toward other woman- if they don’t piss her off first. When socializing with those she dislikes, she can be straight forward of her opinion about them thus resulting in harsh insults and heavy sarcasm. When around those she is content with, she reveals a perky, expressive and lady-like manner. Since Hoku will rarely back down anything that challenges her competitive side, she loves to spar and play chess. Her pride often gets in the way of what is right and wrong, however she dislikes any injustice and will lend a hand when she feels that it is needed. When others place their trust in her, she can be loyal as hell, but tends to hide it often behind a mask of cynicism.
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Posted: Tue Feb 07, 2012 12:04 pm
Biography- Hoku's Journal 1722- Day 1: I arrived today in my new home by rickshaw. The man who drove the cart had met me hours before at the gate to the afterlife. Much to my disappointment, this world was gray and livid. Luckily, the servant who tended to me had been wearing a garb of red. He was easy to see from miles away. Unfortunately, the man’s skin and hair was also like that of the surroundings. During my travel, I noticed that everyone else also looked this way. I took notice that my own hands were void of all pigmentation. In fact, they were nearly white.
I averted my attention from the rest of the world when I arrived at my destination. The mansion is exquisite. It is very large, decedent; much like one of the elaborate manners seen in rich neighborhoods of the orient. The details were set in the right places from the gigantic stone lion-dogs that guarded the steel gates to the glistening trim around the hem of the roof. It is very much like the summer home my family used to visit just outside of Beijing. Sadly, this was no longer the earth I was originally intending to make my debut on. This was soul society- in the upscale first district.
My family, The Yan-Zi clan, had been residing here after death for centuries. Many would say that I was fortunate to lose my life at a young age so that I could grow up here. Certainly for many, living in such accommodations would be true heaven. I was already feeling a pang of homesickness- my family back on earth had resided in Wales, England. I loved the countryside and the posh mannerisms of the people there. That is where I learned to speak English. I even attended a private academy. That life was now over. Though I was no longer in a real physical body, my stomach ached.
Meeting me at the gate was my great grandmother- a short, petite sort of woman. She looked the same after death as she did in life. I had seen the paintings. Beside her stood my Uncle- a taller, lanky sort with a very thin face; very much like a snake. He had died during a war. I was unsure of how it transpired as I was too young at the time to understand. Both of them were dressed in what looked to be the finest of robes. As I approached, they did not move; not even an inch. There was no open arm, affectionate reception here. My family had always been this way. A few feet away, I knelt down upon my right knee and averted my eyes to the ground. I stated my name and reason for my presence. They knew who I was, but sill expected this formality. Great grandmother spoke, telling me what an honor it was that I was a member of the household. She then told me to rise up and follow them inside. I took a glance at my uncle, who merely nodded as he turned away. The two led me into the household.
Within a few feet of the entryway, a couple of house maids removed our shoes and replaced them with silky, very comfortable black slippers. They also delicately removed our coats and other outdoor wear that wasn’t needed within the house. Beyond the foyer lay a brilliant, hall with a ceiling that seemed to go on forever. It was all just a void of gray hues. There was no furniture in here- just a few pedestals with pottery and sculptured art pieces. The eyes of past family members watched us through their frames hung upon the walls. I felt the sense of being watched. As if they were all gazing inside of me; judging me.
From the hall, we entered another room. Though this one was a bit smaller, there were furnishings of decorative upholstery positioned on a lovely floral rug. A fireplace stood at the back of the room; shrouding the room in a warm red glow. I stood transfixed on it for a moment. The way the red flames danced about was nearly mesmerizing.
My Uncle, in a very abrupt tone, told me to have a seat as he offered a hand to one of the couches. I was ordered to wait while the two vacated the room. I had so many questions yet I did not dare speak. I began to dread my presence here even more.
Moments had passed before I heard a sound. I rose my head to see two people being led into the doorway by a servant. One was a man who was tall and slender with a strong jaw and sharp eyes like a hawk. The other was a woman who was much shorter with a round face and wide lively eyes and full red lips. Her painted eyelids, milk-white skin and rosy tinted cheeks was like that of a beautiful porcelain doll. When her eyes fell upon me, she held her dainty fingers to her cheeks as her expression lit up. “It really is her!” she exclaimed in a hushed tone. “I can’t believe our baby is actually here!” The man beside her nearly let out a grunt but didn’t say a word.
I stood up, unable to believe it to be true. For the first time in this bland gray world, there was a glimmer of happiness I was able to hold on to. No longer caring of family etiquette, I rushed to them and wrapped my arms around both of them. Caught up in the moment, my parents held me too. Of all the luxuries in the world, this is the one I yearned for the most.
-End of entry
-1922 Day 2
I love my new bedroom! It wasn’t long after I reunited with my parents that I began to feel exhausted. I wanted to learn more about them and everything else but they assured me that we had all the time in the world now. My rest was more important. They were as caring as I remembered them to be. A maid led me up to my room. I could feel the glimmer in my pupils the moment I laid eyes on it. Sunlight poured through two enormous windows, illuminating a large canopy bed draped with a velvet comforter. Nothing else in the room mattered to me at first. The bed makes the bedroom, right? I had flung myself onto the fluffy mattress of heaven and even bounced upon impact. The pillows, the kind with the tassels on the corners, cradled my head so perfectly that I was fast asleep before I knew it. I didn’t even hear the made as she followed me in, and closed the drapes.
I awoke, unsure of what time of day it was. All I knew was that my stomach was paining me dearly. I felt it clench as I sat up. After absorbing it for a minute or two, I got up from my heavenly cloud and headed for the window. After pulling open the drapes, I gazed outside. To my amazement, I was fortunate to have a lovely view of the garden- tree and shrub surrounded plaza with a pond in the very center. I turned away from the gray outside and admired everything around me. I was still unable to believe that I was surrounded by such colors. Nearly everything was shades of red and purple. I wondered if having such colors in this world was a sign of luxury. Hardly any of the village folk beyond our district wore them. I quickly located a vanity and observed myself in the mirror. I looked the same as I did when I was alive- Long, shiny black hair, round face, light colored eyes and ivory skin. I stared at myself for a moment in attempt to remember my own eye color but nothing really came to me. Just two orbs of light grey stared back at me with no hints at all.
That was when the stomach pains returned. Letting out a hushed groan, I was surprised to see a maid enter the room at that moment looking very terrified. I wondered why until she asked me if I was alright and apologized profusely to me that she was not tending to me as I awoke. The tentative woman, who was no taller than me with curls piled on top of her head. I felt somewhat sorry for her, considering the condition she appeared to me in. I advised her that there was no problem. She assisted me in dressing, as awkward as it was, and even helped me pull the knots out of my long hair. No further inquiries about the pains within me were mentioned. I wondered if everyone went through this whenever they first entered Soul Society.
I made my way downstairs back to the main room where I met my mother and father again. The room was empty, still glistening with the red glow from the fire. From there, I made my way into a room on the left in which I was dazzled to see a full lounge with another flaming mantle. Books lined the walls and cushy furniture and a desk resided near the center. Seated at the desk was my father. His back was turned to me yet upon hearing my entrance, he turned to me with a smile. He beckoned me with a greeting of the day (which was afternoon) and gestured me to come over. Leaning over the desk, I viewed a lovely drawing of a lily he had skillfully drafted with ink. I praised him, wishing I had the sort of talents he possessed. With that, he led me to the place where he obtained his inspiration. Moments later, I was in the garden surrounded by lilies. Although most of them were the same hues as the rest of the world, a few red flowers stood out from the rest. I marveled for a moment before he explained to me how the flowers had gotten there. Pointing to the red ones, he told me that they were planted to represent those who had died in combat while serving as shinigami. The last of our clan was my great, great grandmother, who was among one of the top ranks. I wondered what a shinigami was and before I was able to ask, my uncle stepped out onto the terrace and engaged into a hushed conversation with my father. Feeling somewhat left out, I gazed out beyond the garden to get a full view of a city that rested among the horizon.
-End of entry
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Posted: Tue Feb 07, 2012 8:29 pm
Alright. I know I'm known for long drawn out break downs of profiles and such but I feel quite lethargic and stuff tonight, plus your profile seems alright so I'll make this short.
For age, please specify an actual age. Not everyone likes doing math to try and figure out how long your character has been around haha. Even just an approximate age would do well.
You may want to rethink your shikai a bit as having a mace the size of a large watermelon would be extremely heavy, and the mechanics of swinging something like that around leave something to be desired. Couple that with the scythe and you're asking for something to get caught. However if you have your heart set on something like that feel free. I've seen people use set ups like that and do it very well, I'd just be wary. Is the only effect of the shikai that it catches fire on the mace or are there some other effects?
For now I would like you to take out both martial arts. If you wish to have them you can plead a case to the Captain of the Seventh Division (Tez Tickle). If he says no though you will have to train for them just like everyone else.
Lastly you get kidou up to number 11 as well as one specialty kidou, either Bakudou 26 or Hadou 31
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Posted: Tue Feb 07, 2012 9:06 pm
Changes made. I changed the watermelon to a cantaloupe. heart I imagined it to be about the size of her head. I've used this zanpakuto before so I assure you she's quite good with it. Maybe someday you'll find out. I plan on adding pictures to this when they're finished.
Thanks, love. Please, don't work so hard on my account.
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Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2012 3:04 pm
Sorry I didn't comment on this sooner (especially since you're now in my squad). This profile is officially approved.
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