Houmei Seiran (晴嵐 ホウメイ, Seiran Houmei)is the former 6th Division Captain and currently belongs to the Royal Guard. She gained her epithet "Kensei (剣聖, Sword Saint)" for her skills with a bladed weapon and is rumored to be immortal.
Houmei has the appearance of a young woman of 28 with long, dark greyish violet hair that is often tied up by a white ribbon. Her body type is athletically lean, although somewhat thin, and is desirable in its own right, her skin being pale; a real Japanese beauty. Houmei can most often be found wearing the Shihakusho. However, she wears traditional hakama associated with miko to formal events and within the confines of her own dwellings. Houmei has a few scars, all originating from years and years ago; one is on her stomach, another on her right calf and another on her upper back hidden by clothes or her hair. Her blood type is A and she is an Aries.
Houmei is staunchly loyal, firm, and unbending in her beliefs. She is the type of person who will not hesitate to cut down anyone unfortunate enough to get into her way, and is a firm believer in the Onmitsukidō's creed of not worrying about comrades in battle and instead striking the opponent from behind if one's ally is getting beat. Houmei is a strict leader and is very disdainful of those who choose to challenge her orders. Houmei is not arrogant, however, and chooses to remain humble until a power gap has been established. Even then, however, she does not become excessively arrogant. At the same time, she is quite peaceful when peace is called for, appearing gentle, warm, polite and caring. She likes calligraphy, poetry, flowers, and kendo, and dislikes insubordination and holier-than-thou attitudes. A stark contrast to her ominous behavior while fighting, Houmei is an avid reader and exceptionally intelligent.
Houmei was born to a man and a woman living in Japan in the Jomon era, owners and proprietors of a local shrine. The eldest daughter out of four, she was quickly designated to take on the roles as the Miko after her mother, and would be trained in these duties by her grandmother. Aiding her candidacy of the Miko was her latent spiritual power that manifested itself as early as two years old, showcasing as a purifying aura and the ability to see Spirits. Being an infant, Houmei couldn't differentiate humans from souls very easily unless one just so happened to walk through her, which never happened. Her family didn't notice her sense until a hollow attacked the shrine and she was witnessed looking directly at it, not shedding a tear.
By the time she was six years old, Houmei was forced to learn how to purify a Hollow when one attacked the shrine while her mother and father were away and her grandmother was ill. Reacting on instinct, she stole a sword from her fathers collection and faced it head on, trembling with fright but heart swelling with courage. In a fight that nearly cost her her life, Houmei emerged victorious, killing and purifying the Hollow just before passing out from blood loss. She healed over the course of three months, and once she was back on her feet, she begged her father to teach her the art of the sword. When he finally broke down, she began her training and was an accomplished swordswoman by the time she was sixteen, clinging to and eventually coming to own the very sword she had stolen from her father.
As time passed, her grandmother grew deathly ill and passed away, despite her best efforts. This in itself had a large impact on Houmei who was very close with her. This event undoubtedly marked the point at which she grew up completely. In time, she fully took over the duties as Miko of the shrine and fulfilled them thoroughly while continuing her studies. Not only swordplay, but reading, writing, mathematics, etc.
Houmei was twenty when she passed. Shockingly, she was not killed by Hollow but rather by illness. Without the proper medicine to treat her, the doctor was unable to save her; he gave her a week to live, but she clung to life for six months before dying, long enough to settle any affairs and see to her siblings. Upon dying, she became a wandering spirit, and looked over the shrine and the three families that grew from there. Her sisters married and had children, raising them in the shrine. Eventually, the second and third daughters moved out, only a few miles from the shrine leaving Houmei's withered father with his youngest.
The Seiran lineage was quickly assumed to have a guardian spirit, but each daughter knew, without a doubt, it was Houmei, despite never being able to see her. After centuries of solitude, after her sisters had grandchildren of their own and died, Houmei had become grim, fixed on the idea that she must protect the entire family from harm. The growing stress of taking care of a growing family began to wear on her, soon driving her to obsession and hatred for being subjected to such a duty, beginning the process she had long since drove away, Hollowfication. It began, but as luck would have it, she looked upon her grandnieces' face and a spark of purity blossomed within her, purifying her soul, chains and all.
Houmei came to the understanding that it was no longer her place to watch over, and after a hundred years of living as a spirit in the Human World, she departed to the Soul Society through means she has yet to figure out. Not the first to explore it, Houmei came upon dwellings scattered about the land, and moved through town as a ronin, offering services here and there for the occasional remuneration of clothing or other necessities. She fended mostly for herself and stuck to sleeping on the outskirts of town and used her solitude to grow stronger and stronger.
One night, a phoenix manifested itself before her late one night, illuminating the entire mountaintop she was residing upon. It spoke to her, telling her what it was; a red light shone from her sword, which, as it turned out, was a stray Asauchi that had somehow been left behind in her parent's shrine. It vanished shortly after, never revealing its name, not until it reappeared before her several months later. It was then that her Zanpakuto, Suzaku, manifested, unfolding before her very eyes, and with a simple command, she unleashed the weapon, drawing forth the power that had nestled in her soul for close to 200 years.
From that point forward, Houmei dedicated herself to roaming the Soul Society and mastering the abilities she'd been given, saving those less fortunate and punishing the wicked. Houmei soon came to be known as a savior but remained humble and kept her less-than-desirable personality bits from the eyes of the public. Within two years, Houmei mastered Shikai, and in ten years she unlocked Bankai and mastered it over time. Still, she remained in solitude until a man stumbled across her, hearing of her exploits, and offered her a job. The man, Kenshi Hatake, lead her to the Seireitei and positioned her as 6th Division Captain.
Although she accepted this job with the knowledge it would allow her to hone her skills even further and cleanse the world of such impurities as Hollow, Houmei found the adjustment to be difficult. Although she had latent qualities as a leader, she had to tap into them first and do that long before she could get used to living among others, an idea that she had long since grown out of. At first she found it very difficult, but over time Houmei began to accept others, most especially under the pretense of gathering information about the Soul Society.
First it started out as a project of her own, a hobby, but as she began documenting event after event, others began to flock to help her, and within several years she had amassed a collection of historical documents that had grown too large to fit in her office. Under her direction, the Daireishokario (大霊書回廊, Great Spirit Book Gallery) was drafted and built, becoming finalized several years down the road. Houmei continued her term as Captain of the Sixth, serving alongside her comrades. Houmei strove to become greater and greater, making a name for herself as unbending, a demonic priestess while in the midst of battle.
Soon, the Ash War broke out, the Time Rogues causing a ruckus in the stability that she was rather fond of. Over the course of the war, Houmei sustained damage, recovered from it numerous times and took down her opponents mercilessly, dealing a killing blow to a Time Rogue in a sacrificial move that would have killed anyone else. From that battle, whisperings of her being immortal had spread even further than her own division.
For her relative levels of power and her contribution of the archive to the Seireitei, Houmei was offered a position in the Royal Guard shortly after the war. She accepted, but found it painful to leave the Seireitei. Her sense of duty was so grand that she forced herself to leave so that she may protect the Spirit King from further harm. Upon arriving there, she took reign over the Southern Palace, making it her own. She has served in the Royal Guard for nearly 300 years since.
Posted: Thu Jul 18, 2013 4:51 pm
Suzaku (朱雀, Vermillion Bird):Suzaku, in its sealed state, is a katana with a length of 40 inches from end kashira to kissaki. The blade itself is 28 inches long and the tsuka is 10 inches long, wrapped in black tsuka-ito. The saya is black and has a black sageo to tie it to the belt. Suzaku has a built-in fail-safe; even while sealed the blade and saya grow very hot when grabbed, burning any potential thief. When released, Suzaku will attempt to initiate Phoenix Touch in the same situation, and while in Bankai, the weapon will engulf the thief in white hot flame, attempting to incinerate them completely. This applies to those who attempt to take it or knock it away, not when it is used to cut or strike the opponent.
Sealed Abilities:
Kagonotori (籠の鳥, Caged Bird) While sealed, a fraction of Suzaku's power leaks out, as if the wings of a bird through the bars of a cage. It grants Houmei her most basic ability; regeneration on a small scale, or healing through flames. When she sustains small amounts of damage, normal-colored flames spread across the wound and repair the damage within a second. This works on cuts, sprains, bruises, etc. With bigger wounds, Houmei would need to release her Zanpakutō in order to heal it.
Suzaku, as a spirit, manifests as a small phoenix able to ride upon Houmei's shoulder without being a hindrance. Fiery red in color, he naturally embodies the essence of a phoenix; Suzaku is immortal and as such a bit unique in terms of Zanpakutō spirits. He actually ages, dies in a fiery inferno, and is reborn from his own ashes. This cycles about once every 100 years. This form, however, is for convenience, and he can grow larger as needed. When using Jinzen-- while in Bankai-- Suzaku appears to Houmei as being roughly as large as the Chrysler building and emits a brilliant white light that he claims would burn out anyone else's eyes and kill them. Suzaku can manifest himself in the spirit realms by forging himself a corporeal form of flame. While like this, he gives off the occasional wisp of flame and is primarily harmless.
Shikai achieved:Yes.
Control level:Mastery
Bankai achieved:Yes
Control level:Mastery
Suzaku is released through the command phrase"Descend".Upon release, the blade changes shape, becoming a double-edged longsword with a blue tint to it and ornate design. It has two notches on either side of the blade, mid-length, and is incredibly sharp. This weapon is able to emit a bright light at Houmei's will, blinding the opponent. Her strength is increased, as well as her stamina, which is consistently replenished through the healing factor of the release itself. Suzaku is centered around the pheonix, namely holy fire & light for use in a number of ways, although it and all its facets are hers to control and hers alone. In its released state, Suzaku's flames become a brilliant shade of azure, indicating a temperature change. Suzaku's Caged Bird ability is increased several times over, with gashes and large open wounds repairing in the same time small wounds took while sealed, and other damage being repaired very quickly, such as paralysis and infection. Like her body, Suzaku is capable of regenerating damage it takes through blue flames.
Sesshoku no Ōtori (接触の凰, Phoenix Touch) Suzaku’s most basic ability is to generate an intense heat from any part of Houmei’s body, expanding to her weapon, clothing, and any objects she handles without burning them. This heat is a catalyst for incineration, which happens at a rapid pace. This heat reaches temperatures of 3,000°F and either melts through most materials like butter, or causes them to ignite. However, this temperature does not spread all over the place, merely it comes into effect at point of contact; it does, however, give off a degree of heat close to 400°F that can make most wary of getting near it. Generally speaking, those close to her in power can resist these effects the most. When small cuts are made, incineration occurs out to two centimeters from the wound sight, opening and infecting the wound with no effort. Severed limbs are completely incinerated and destroyed, making reattachment impossible. With extended contact and when used against much weaker opponents, Houmei can incinerate larger portions of the opponent, even their entire body with enough time or enough of a difference.
Hikisaku Daichi (引き裂く大地, Tearing Earth) Houmei makes a gouge on the ground (or similar surface), alighting it with searing flames that erupt skyward. She is not limited to a single swing, and can make as many as possible in the time frame given, which is often quite a few thanks to her skill. Whatever she draws is what extends to the sky. If she draws a square in the ground, a hollow, square-shape column of flames arises into the heavens; if she draws a simple line, then a line of flames does just the same. Houmei is not limited by distance with the technique. She can cut the ground 100 feet away with a pressure-induced cut carrying small traces of flame. Furthermore, if she etches something on surface that is upright, then the flames will surge in whatever direction the surface is turned. This technique is substantial enough to incinerate her foes, casting holy light at the same time to abolish shadows and combat darkness. In Bankai, it can reduce rock to molten slag.
Kiyomeru Hisaki (清める火先, Purifying Flames) Suzaku, through means of this technique, is able to burn what is normally not burned. This includes water, other flames and even intangible things or concepts such as sound or illusions; the Zanpakutō quite literally burns these as if they were tangible, leaving nothing behind. This is most often accomplished by Houmei cutting an incoming attack which upon contact with the sword, ignites and is incinerated. Houmei can use this ability to do away with Barriers & Kidō (up to #65), even hierro. This ability naturally comes into play during Suzaku's release stages, incinerating illusions and the concept of mind control before it ever reaches Houmei, via fire aura hanging in the air around her.
Seiyomon (聖世門, Holy World Gate) This ability utilizes blue flames that are otherwise harmless. When desired, they envelop Houmei, making her vanish from sight, and then spark at a new location, rebuilding her form from them. In this sense, it allows teleportation to any location she desires, be it short range or long range, but up to 50 feet away from her starting point. This process is extremely quick, instantaneous even, but has the draw back of letting off a blue light upon her arrival. This can be performed three times before a two post cool down is forced. Range increases to 100 feet in Bankai.
Amaterasu (天照, Heavenly Illumination) Playing alongside Houmei's Holy Fire abilities, she is able to control holy light particles generated from her own body. With this ability, she can summon forth a bright light from her weapon, palms, fingertips, etc, illuminating a space and blinding those that look upon it. At maximum output, this casts the battlefield in white, sparkling light that abolishes shadows and blinds those other than her. The light has no specific point of origin and always seems brightest coming from behind her, casting glare into the opponent's eyes. This is even more so effective against those with enhanced eyesight. Blinds the target for up to [2] posts before vision is restored, but blurry for [1] more post.
Tenrai Suzaku (天来朱雀, Divine Vermillion Bird)
Upon release, Suzaku changes shape yet again, becoming a white sword that is made up of three pieces: a double edged-blade and a separate hilt which are connected in suspension by a glowing orb located at the middle of the sword. It can be made to grow larger or longer by Houmei channeling reiryoku into it. While in Bankai, Houmei's Shinigami robes are dismantled and rebuilt of white flame, holding an inverted color design standard to the Shihakusho. The robes continuously let off flames with temperature exceeding 10,000°F, causing severe burns to whomever touches them. Upon contact, the robes grow increasingly hotter with each passing second, exceeding 15,000F after 5 seconds, at which point the person holding her will be incinerated, leaving nothing behind. Like the technique itself, this heat is not present in the atmosphere, but instead transfers with touch. This robe can create wings like that of the phoenix, allowing flight as desired.
The battlefield sets on fire, with white flames blanketing it, the crackling of the flames disorienting the opponent's sense of hearing and the heat (3,000°F) sapping them of their energy. The aura present in Shikai is increased greatly, still purifying and burning away illusions and such before they reach her. To wit, it is something of a barrier-space itself that gets rid of such things. Tenrai Suzaku’s flames are colored white, indicating another temperature change and gain qualities like that of Hell-Fire, more so than Shikai in that nothing can put them out. All Shikai abilities have the colors of their flames changed and have their power increased tenfold. Notably, the Caged Bird technique is now capable of reversing all damage sustained, but exceptionally large wounds require a single post in which the damage is being restored. A full body destruction in this state creates a [3] post lag in which her body is rebuilt. Phoenix Touch incinerates without leaving any byproduct & Purifying Flames can cleave through and destroy Barriers and Kidō of all levels.
Hakkōruzai (白光流罪, White Light Banishment) A powerful ability that forcibly evicts others from a fixed space. By stabbing Tenrai Suzaku into a surface, Houmei creates a sphere of holy light that spreads out from the Zanpakutō, expanding and washing over anything within reach. Those that are within a certain radius of the sword-- Houmei and chosen individuals excluded-- will find themselves forcibly displaced by the expanding sphere, which hits them with a physical force and flings them away as if shooting them from a cannon. The distance they are sent exceeds several miles, as such if they want anything to do with her, they would have to close the gap again. This technique can spread as large as the Central 46 Compound, or smaller if she wishes.
Seihiru (聖火流, Holy Fire Exile) Using [Tearing Earth] in conjunction with [White Light Banishment], Houmei designates a space by carving a boundary into the ground (or similar surface), which, like the original technique, alight with holy white flames. These flames, however, give off no heat and serve only as a visual representation of the boundary that cannot be circumvented without Houmei's express permission. If attempted, the intruder is met with searing heat and a barrier-like force that keeps them out. May easily be applied to [White Light Banishment]. This persists even after Bankai is sealed, but still requires her to donate reiryoku to it, making it unsuitable for a barrier to simply keep people out while she heals mid-battle.
Senumō Ōtori (千羽毛凰, Thousand-Feathered Phoenix ) From her flaming wings, Houmei is able to manifest countless fiery feathers in the rough approximation of Suzaku's sealed form, that act as such. Houmei is able to control them via kinesis, directing any or all of them at once to her discretion. Each feathered blade holds a cutting/piercing power similar to her own, only a little weaker. If necessary, they can be used for defense as if a blockade. Rather than relying singularly on Suzaku himself, Houmei takes advantage of the numerous feather blades created by the technique. She uses a variety of moves making use of a single blade or even multiple blades at the same time. She uses these weapons for various purposes beyond normal melee attacking, including use as projectiles, paths to walk on, pins to hinder her opponent's movements and for making multiple simultaneous attacks on the opponent. Houmei does not often resort to this style, but has never dulled with it.
Ōtorisu (凰巣, Phoenix Nest) While [Thousand-Feathered Phoenix] is active, Houmei arcs her wings and generates countless bladed feathers that obtain high speeds, cutting the air as they move through it. The bladed feathers are directed around the opponent, stabbing into the ground with the rough arrangement of a nest. As soon as impact occurs, a ring of holy fire forms around the 'nest' and converges towards the center in an instant, the entire layout erupting in a flaming inferno settled within the entire nest, that unleashes a phoenix-shaped burst of flame skyward, as if leaving its nest. This technique is strong enough to burn away high-level barriers and is hot enough to overpower the toughest hierro and incinerate the target completely afterwards, leaving nothing behind. Even avoiding the attack itself leads to disastrous results, as the intended target's body will spontaneously ignite from the ambient heat and burn them until they manage to put it out, which is difficult by itself. The devastation from this attack is mighty, able to level the area around the opponent to nothing but a crater of destroyed earth. Being that the flames are extremely hot and burn eternally unless Houmei retracts them, it is a permanent spot of incredible heat and power.
Tentai Shūchū (天体集中, Heavenly Body Convergence) This ability summons numerous wisps of flame from Houmei's bankai and shapes them into spheres of varying sizes composed of holy fire and white light. The spheres are automatically equipped with [Purifying Flames], allowing them to burn away anything around them. Houmei can finalize this ability instantly or keep the spheres lingering in the air until she's ready to use them. On her command, the spheres will converge upon the intended target with tremendous force in an attack composed of massive amounts of heat and purifying light, capable of abolishing shadows/ darkness and barriers, melting away armors and burning up fabric, leaving nothing behind but the tattered target who will undoubtedly suffer painful 3rd Degree burns. That is, assuming the target survives.
Anna Walker
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Anna Walker
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Posted: Thu Jul 18, 2013 4:53 pm
Grandmaster Sword Specialist As her chosen profession, Houmei has excelled in the art of swordsmanship, going well beyond human limits and surpassing others in her field. The road was long, starting from a basic human level and she hit many stops along the way, but managed to secure fame for her ability with a sword. Before the term Kenpachi was coined, she was as such, but was not around any Shinigami to give her this name. She has shown the ability to cause shockwaves on the ground or air even after slicing through a target, and is more than capable of cutting through another Zanpakutō, and making clear and concise cuts that bleed the target terribly. Her Zanpakutō is incorporated into her Zanjutsu, most especially her offensive, risky style that uses speed and explosive power to overwhelm the opponent. Despite the apparent recklessness of the style, it is not without fluid form. In fact, her moves are elegant and graceful, all the while deadly. Due to her many years of experience, she has had time to scour the earth and learn many, if not all, forms of sword combat, making her knowledgeable and compatible with each kind. Few rival her in this skill, if any.
Hitotsume: Nadegiri (撫で斬り, The First: Killing Stroke) This basic technique allows for a precision cut of extreme force and speed, it can casually slice through large, multi-story high opponents protected by steel skin. The opponent can be killed with one swift slash so precise, that they aren't even aware of until after it has taken place.
Ryōdan (両断, Bisection) A two-handed sword technique that has the practitioner bring the sword down with enough force that it can cut an opponent in half right down the middle.
Senmaioroshi (千枚卸, Thousand-Page Wholesale) A technique where multiple blade movements take place so fast that they can literally shred a target into pieces.
Senka (閃花, Flash Blossom) This technique is a special Shunpo technique where one moves to their opponents back, directly attacking and sealing one's "Saketsu (鎖結, Chain Binding)" and "Hakusui (鎖結, Soul Sleep)" in one strike. The movement is so fast that an opponent may not be able to tell whether he was attacked from the front or the back and even an outside observer may find it impossible to tell what the movements are.
Fūjinranbu (風塵乱舞, Chaotic Dance of Wind and Dust)
Kenatsu (剣圧, Sword Pressure) An ability limited to only the most powerful of sword masters; Kenatsu is a force generated by one's sword which can cut or otherwise damage an opponent without actual contact. When clashing with another, Houmei is still capable of cutting them with force thrown off the blade itself, even if it is being held back. The level of Houmei's Kenatsu is so great that she can slash an opponent with a sheathed weapon, and use Suzaku's sheath as a cutting instrument. The power and resulting damage is no more or less than it would be if she had hit them directly. Has a [2] post cool down between uses.
Satetsusen (刺鉄閃, Iron-Piercing Flash) Houmei performs a thrust with her weapon that is so quick and powerful that it creates a highly-compressed blast of air strong enough to blow a hole through a metal wall. If it doesn't cripple the opponent, it will certainly fling them backwards.
Hyakuretsu Habōki (百烈羽箒, Hundred-Strike Feather Duster) By swinging her Zanpakutō skywards, a rotating wall of wind accentuated by feathers is erected around her body, creating a shield that can protect against weak to medium attacks as well as strong water, fire, and wind attacks. It will also slice through anything in its path.
Tsukiyo Hōyoku (月夜鵬翼, Moonlit Night Phoenix Wings) Houmei first begins this attack by designating a target. Once this is done, Houmei will abruptly appear on the opposite side of the target that she had started and then begins to sheath her katana while a rising column of wind littered with feathers appears at the target's feet and proceeds to shred the target. The secret behind the technique is that Houmei uses her full speed to rapidly close in on a target, slash at them, then reappear behind them all in under a second. The slash made generates a brief vacuum on top of the target, thus drawing air upwards and at high speeds to cut the opponent to shreds.
Prodigious Intelligence/ Master Strategist Owing to the circumstances of her birth, Houmei was given the opportunity to learn how to read and write from a young age. Therefore, unlike some that hail from older times, Houmei has been able to do so nearly all her life. She was not born a genius, but she worked hard to accumulate knowledge and stay ahead of the pack in mental terms. This penchant for learning and knowledge lead to the creation of the Daireishokairo, and as Houmei oversaw the entire operation, she can be referred to as a walking version of it. She displays cunning insight to her opponent's movements and is adept at adjusting to her opponent's attack patterns and battle methods to better counter them.
Immense Spiritual Power Like other members of the Royal Guard, Houmei's spiritual pressure is overbearing and widespread when unleashed, often instilling fear in captain-level combatants, even making others uneasy. This is mostly because it is very rare for her to let it out, thus her colleagues know what's about to go down. It is certainly not the heaviest, but she has great control over it, able to paralyze combatants of lieutenant-level and lower simply by gazing in their direction. Her reiatsu manifests as, unsurprisingly, a flaming aura capable of reducing her surroundings to ash at full release and simply heating up the area around her when leaked out.
Immense Speed While she possesses little skill in Shunpo, Houmei is incredibly fast. Thanks to her raw power, her leg strength is sufficient to make up for her lack of shunpo, letting her move fast enough to instantly close a huge gap of space between herself and her opponent, and even seemingly disappear from sight. In battle, she can strike with incredible speed in rapid succession, making it highly difficult for her opponents to find an opening and counterattack.
Hakuda Practitioner Houmei rarely resorts to this form of combat, and as such she is not well versed in offensively using it. However, she is a keen observer and is capable of dealing with hand-to-hand combatants with her weapon, adapting to them in this way. All the same, she is still capable of taking on small fry with this skill, most especially thanks to her unnatural levels of strength, making even uncoordinated strikes debilitating.
Kidō Practitioner While she doesn't find the art useless, Houmei never displayed much proficiency for it and her skill is minimal at best. Despite this, she is still quite knowledgeable of many Kidō (all those available to anyone), owing to her experience and intellect. Her skill best lies in the lower-ranked Bakudō, which are quite formidable against lower-ranked individuals.
Hadō #1-99 Bakudō #1-99
Serene Grace Less an ability and more of a personality skill. Born into the Miko life, Houmei had to adapt to being a priestess and with it came the necessity of having saint-like qualities. Part of this was an unnatural serenity that persists no matter the situation. While she becomes heartless in battle, she remains perfectly calm and collected, unable to be affected by mental persuasion. Attempts to taunt, chide, illicit a reaction from her or generally try to persuade her simply fail to work, even through mythical means such as a Zanpakutō.
