Kei Kusanagi [Shinigami] [Finished]

Name: Kei Kusanagi 草薙 敬 (Written last name first in Kanji. It is important to note it is a very feminine name)
English Translation: Kei, when written like that, means Respect, and Kusanagi is a common name meaning "Grass cutter"
Species: Human
Race: Shinigami Rokubantai Taicho (6th Division Captain)
Gender: Male
Date of Birth: 07/19/1868
Appearance Age: Mid 20's
Actual Age: 149
Organization and Rank: Gotei 13

Height: 5'1"
Weight: 135 lb
Hair color: Raven black
Eye color: White
General Appearance:
General
While most might see Kusanagi as a very feminine looking man, it comes with no great effort to determine he is making no effort to look that part. Dressing and moving quite naturally masculine, it seems his appearance is strikingly different from his behavior. With pale skin, and fair complexion, it's no question that Kei spent his life in doors, and did not take much preference in being in the sun. He has deep black hair, common among the Japanese, and a thin frame. His limbs are long and thin, with only a little definition to the muscle. While his body is small and frail in appearance, his voice is somewhat shocking at first sound, a tone that is just a hint too deep for his appearance. Over all, Kei keeps himself quite well kept, keeping his uniform in good condition, and hair neatly pulled back, always the height of effort to make sure he is presentable.

Head
A small birthmark adorns Kei's cheek, looking like a brown spot with a hint of a swirl though barely noticeable unless looking closely, rare for his complexion though and large enough to note. A more defined feature, and one that draws much more attention, are his glassy, milk-white eyes. While easily the first thing one might notice on him, it is more likely that one would never notice these eyes as him opening them is rarer than a blue moon. A more noticeable feature for most is Kei's hair. Black as the midnight sky, and tightly bound into a ponytail which is pulled through a metal rod that lifts it back a good six inches before dangling loosely behind his back, a rough estimate might say his hair is waist length when let down. This hair style, while considered feminine by some, does frame his face well to demonstrate a more manly look, though the astute might see a small hair pin with a tiny flower pinning the hair to the pole.

Uniform
While standard in appearance, Kei's shihakusho does differ slightly in some noticeable, and some less noticeable ways. To begin, the black kosode and hakama do seem fairly standard, with the exception that his kosode seems to have a much thicker fold on the sleeves, giving them more weight and resistance to minor tears. The same is true with the hem of the hakama, thicker around the bottom to prevent minor tears. While this detail may go unnoticed by most, it might not be so hard to ignore that his white hakama-himo has two simple black eyes printed, one on the end. Each eye bears a tear, and a sword drawn inside the eye near the top left of the pupil. This symbol does not seem to directly correlate with any major name or family though. The symbol appears once more on his tabi, on the outside edge of each one, and once more on the handle of his zanpakuto, as if copied from his blade to his uniform for some reason. Another strange note is the zanpakuto itself. While most zanpakuto seem to take the standard shape of a katana, Kei's sheath, while as long as a katana, is completely straight.

Accouterments
Generally speaking, one might notice the rod holding Kei's hair as one of his only additions to his uniform, though there are notable additions. First and foremost, his neck is adorned with a very small metal loop which almost appears like a collar, but is too small to draw much attention. From it hangs a tiny metal chain that just ends with nothing hanging from it. On each of his wrists, when they are pulled far enough from his sleeves, bear leather straps with metal clasps holding them in place, and in each one is a single metal rod which comes to a point. While they seem too small to be used as thrown weapons, and too thin to use as melee weapons, they do seem sharpened to a fine tip, and not hollow to keep any kind of poison either. A strange addition to an otherwise normal appearance.


Redeeming Qualities:
Collected
In most situations, Kei does not act rashly. Preferring to consider the consequences, he is not likely to act without good reason, especially if it harms another being. He stands firmly by his decisions, but makes them so carefully that none could claim they came without thought. If one needed advice, Kei is definitely the type to trust for it, as he would not provide 'what you want to hear' advice, but rather, what he thinks is the most important thing to consider.

Loyal
While sometimes his actions seem to be strictly to benefit himself, those that find an ally in Kei will find themselves in a good position. He stands up for those he trusts, and will verbally or physically fight for any who meet his requirements. While he would never be predictable in some situations, Kei's stance of protecting those he considers allies is always the same, at all cost. Whether it be punishment for breaking rules, to taking injuries in combat, Kei will never leave allies to fin for themselves.

Patient
Kei's patience is like that of a saint. He holds no grudge nor does he ever bear his teeth. Kei's blade leaves it sheath only when all other options are exhausted. Some might even be surprised to know he asks every Hollow he's ever fought to surrender so they may be purified in peace. While this patience does backfire on him, Kei never once seems to be at a loss when this happens, willingly taking any penalty for his patience, it is a virtue after all.

Negative Qualities:
Stubborn
Kei makes decisions based on lengthy planning and thought, but this has the flaw of leaving him unlikely to change his mind. Once he has made a decision, it will likely be the act he attempts. This drive leaves little wiggle room, unless new information can influence him, the given information will likely be all but exhausted for consideration in his mind. This can, at times, make him seem very unsympathetic, or even uncaring, when involving the lives of those who haven't met his high standards.

Standards
Like a teacher, Kei grades people who talk with him, only he does so silently. He puts everyone on an imaginary chart in his mind, and determines who is worth considering an "ally" and who is simply fighting for the same thing he is. As such, Kei thinks of the Gotei 13 as a collective of like-minded people, and among those people some allies come and go. Those who he doesn't call an ally, are otherwise not good enough yet. Despite not looking down on those people, there are some who might take offense to being considered 'not good enough'.

Distant
Due to his nature of seeing friends as only "allies", those who are actually allies, IE the Gotei 13, are considered neutral as a standard. Those who prove themselves, however, are sometimes considered more trustworthy than others, though this puts many off. Being considered a neutral point of contact may be insulting to some, though Kei does not consider it an insult. Rather he sees people as having to prove themselves, including himself. Those that don't see him as trustworthy simply haven't seen proof yet, in Kei's eyes.
Likes:
Apples
While a simple fruit, apples are by far Kei's favorite food. Usually apples are present at every meal, either a single apple, or apple slices, sometimes applesauce. It seems he has taken a fancy for the sweetness they offer, and definitely appreciating them as a snack, even applejuice is considered preferable over Japanese teas. In the winter, finding Kei without a cup of hot cider is about as likely as finding him making brash decisions, some think he may be addicted.

Mahjong
While some might think a blind Mahjong player would be severely outmatched, Kei will always accept more Mahjong players to his table. With only the simple rule that everyone calls every tile they discard so he knows what's on the table, Kei is able to play with the same win/loss consistency as any  sighted player, even going as far as to say a really experienced sighted player.

Lilac
Kei's mother grew lilacs. Simply put, they are a very notable scent, bringing back happy memories of his childhood of sitting by the garden listening to his mother hum, and smelling the beautiful lilac smell on the breeze. While never once having the chance to see a lilac, he is familiar by touch what their shape is, but his real enjoyment is their smell. Beside his bed there is always a well taken care of lilac, and a small charm bracelet, presumably from his mother, as a photo would serve no purpose for him.

Dislikes: What does your character dislike? Please have at least three.
Pickled Vegetables
While many Japanese love these sour goodies, Kei sees them as a waste of food. He claims that the taste is rancid, and that the very idea of masking what would otherwise be a delicious taste should be considered a sin. Furthermore, with his heightened sense of smell, anyone who has recently eaten pickled food may find themselves distanced from Kei, as even the scent on someone's breath is enough to drive him away.

Three String Shamisen
Also known as the Japanese banjo, Kei finds this sound to be irritating at best, and droning and boring at worst. He finds himself shuttering at the sound every time he hears it, and claims that the instrument would be good to scare of mice, but not much else. While some traditional Japanese music is quite nice to Kei, this particularly popular instrument ranks exceptionally low on his list.

Sympathy
While normally a nice person, Kei considers any form of sympathy for his blindness an insult. Anyone who claims they 'held back', will find him striking even more precisely at them. As a shinigami, and as a person, Kei does not see his blindness as a weakness, as it's all he knows. Born blind, he considers himself normal, even when some do not. Blind is a term that he says, "Sighted people make up to distinguish themselves from us without sight."

Personal Habits:
Lights
While not technically a 'habit', Kei has a horrible time knowing if lights are turned on or off. As such, it's not uncommon for them to be on or off at weird times. On all night or turned off during the day, usually it depends on when a sighted person was around last that dictates if a light is on or not. Generally speaking, when alone, Kei doesn't waste the time or energy trying to remember to turn them on and off, so he leaves them off. However, if a guest comes over and turns them on, it isn't uncommon for them to stay on for a few days after. He does not consider it rude to be reminded, but does find it amusing at times.

Goals:
Short-term Goals: None yet
Long-term Goals: Be respected as a Captain
General Personality:
General
Kei does not have a general warmness to him, but isn't exactly cold either. Some might consider him more of a lukewarm individual. Easy to approach, but hard to make friends with, he is like a game of chess. Anyone could just walk up and ask for advice, or strike up a conversation, but most will find he is quite distant. The very few who find friendship in Kei will see that he is actually a very caring person, but has never really been the type to show his emotions openly. While those who spend time around him will know when he's happy, sad, or angry, the subtle differences are not likely to be easily spotted by others. A bit of a mediator, Kei is very strong when it comes to negotiation and ending arguments. He has a strong grasp of communication skills, and instead of just saying how someone is wrong in their argument, will show in an understandable way, or concede his point.

Toward Shinigami
While there is always a kinship in other shinigami, Kei would simply tip his head if a shinigami turned up dead. No one disputes that Kei is loyal to the Gotei 13, but toward individuals there is little warmth. Some find his friendship, and to those it would be a much more wrenching moment to hear a friend has passed away, though it is very likely Kei would not show much emotion to those he didn't also consider friends. Instead, he would bottle his emotions as best he could, and release them in private. Shinigami will always say he's welcoming to communication, but don't expect him to be anyone's friend.

Toward Enemies
It makes more sense for a tactical minded person like Kei to reason with his enemies, or strike before they know what hit them. One might find Kei to be more respectful to enemies than even allies, working to right their wrongs. Even with mindless hollows, Kei is likely to ask them to bow their head for konso rather than be struck with his blade. While rumors are that some have complied, there is no hard evidence of this. It would seem to some that Kei dislikes fighting physically, and chooses to do so with tactics, but when pressed, Kei is ruthless in combat. He has no sympathy, and fights to win.

Toward Superiors/Subordinates
With a name that when written uses the same character as the word Respect, it should come as no surprise that he shows said respect to those who outrank him. Often bowing before and after communication with superiors, Kei definitely knows his place. While some might see it as kowtowing like a dog, Kei will say to those that even a dog is just a wolf that knows when it's up against a dragon it's best to bow than to bear fangs. Likewise though, he expects the same respect from any who are under him. Any who he outranks will be harshly judged on how much respect they show.

Something Special: While previously mentioned, Kei is blind. As such, he has an extremely acute sense of reiatsu, and is able to 'see' people based on their spiritual pressure. Even when people hide their pressure, he can detect it's signature, which allows him to function as if he had sight. This makes him immune to all sight based attacks, but also unable to detect minute features on people without touch.


Zanpakutō Name: Sanhan-Mehabi 三個-眼蛇
Zanpakutō Name Translation: Roughly translates to Three Eye'd Serpent

Sealed Zanpakutō:
Unlike most Zanpakuto, Sanhan-Mehabi is a straight blade known as a Ninja-to. It has the length of a katana, and a standard black sheath with steel rim and base. Hanging from the sheath is a small chain which has nothing attached, and the last link looks dented. The handle seems fairly regular, black folded cloth over wooden grip to keep a strong ergonomic feel with a rectangular handguard. On the handle, a simply eye logo that appears to be crying with a sword in it's upper left pupil, probably the symbol used by Sanhan-Mehabe itself. The blade, when drawn, has a unique look to it, as even the steel of the sword is black in color, with two shiny blades, as Sanhan-Mehabe is sharpened on both edges. Along the length of the blade is a silver inlay of a serpent with an eye in it's mouth.

Release Phrase: "Shi ni tsuite sasayakimasu, Sanhan-Mehabi" ("Whisper about death, Sanhan-Mehabi")

Shikai Appearance: What does Shikai look like? While at first nothing seems different, one might find that looking at Sanhan-Mehabe in it's released form is very difficult to do. Though the blade does not seem to change in any way, some might find Kei and his blade to be a bit harder to stare at, almost claiming it to be uncomfortable to look at.
Shikai Ability: Movement is near impossible to interpret for most, as it just seems like Kei is standing idle. In truth, light no longer bounces off of him, and instead stops. This means that only every few moments does he 'refresh', and can even seem to vanish if he moves outside of someone's vision before this happens. A strike by Sanhan-Mehabe will instantly refresh vision of Kei to the person struck, but as everyone sees him in different places, this allows him to move among groups of enemies while they swing wildly in all directions. Kei's blade scrambles the light by spreading reiatsu among it, meaning even reading his reiatsu is very difficult, but much more likely than relying on sight. With Kei blinking from pose to pose, the sight is so disorienting that it gives a motion-sickness to some, and completely disorients others. Additionally, anyone who is struck with the blade directly, causing a wound, will see the effect grow dramatically worse, until the point of completely being unable to see Kei at all depending on relative strengths.

Bankai Name: Hebino no saigo no kotoba (Serpent King's final word)
Bankai Appearance: This is a relative view, as the appearance of Kei's Bankai can vary depending on where one is in relation to it. The reason for this is it's natural appearance is an orb that reflects in all directions, roughly the size of large house. Those trapped inside will see everything in all directions, to the point that sight is overwhelmed and extremely disorienting. This distorts everything that is inside of it, making things grow and shrink in odd ways, and making nothing hidden, while hiding everything in it's disorienting appearance. From the outside however, it just looks like a steel ball bearing with rope tied around it and four iron pillars fastening it to the ground.
Bankai Ability: While at first it may seem that the bankai is meant to disorient sight, it actually disorients all senses. Causing sound to echo strangely, the sense of touch to be completely delayed, and the feeling of gravity to disappear, Kei's Bankai is the ultimate method of disorienting. While inside, there is no way possible to determine how far one is from the side, giving the impression of vastness, but additionally, whichever way one orient's their head is the orientation of gravity they will feel, allowing people to stand in any direction on thin air. The mirror also has the unique property of reflecting everything that hits is, but also allows Kei to move from any angle. He may, in a sense, become his own reflection. This means someone might see Kei striking at them, but as they lift their sword to block it, he reflects himself to change so he's actually moving away from them instead, and will be striking from the rear just as quickly. The disorienting sensation is vision based, which is why Kei is immune to it, but closing one's eyes still allows for Kei to strike from any angle, giving him a huge advantage over most sighted people.


Spirit Appearance:
General
Sanhan-Mehabe may sound like a single entity, but in truth it is two. Sanhan-Meshi and Habeshi. (Three eyes-shi and Serpent-shi). Sanhan-Meshi is a woman dressed in black, with an empty sheath on her back and wearing no shoes, while Habeshi is a young girl who remains deathly silent, and seems to be lost in thought at all times. The young girl seems to be wearing a thick metal collar which is connected by a thick chain, and held by a big metal loop by Sanhan-Meshi. Sanhan-Meshi seems to be the one who is in charge at all times, while Habeshi only seems to even move when Sanhan-Meshi does, or when a fight must occur with Kei.

Sanhan-Meshi
The young woman is dressed in an all black gown which is absolutely covered in the eye symbol that shows on the handle of Kei's blade, a white sash that looks like a tattered shinigami's hakama-himo tied around her waist, with the eye symbol like on her gown. She wears no shoes, and is always carrying a large ring which is chained to Habeshi. Her voice is calm, almost beautiful, with a feminine means of speaking and a ladylike respectfulness in it. She has no markings, though she does seem to have eyes which resemble a snake's.

Habeshi
Habeshi is more of a child in appearance, a girl wearing a similar black gown and no shoes. Like Sanhan-Meshi, instead of regular eyes, she has a snake's eye, but only one. The other is an empty socket, though usually remains closed. Her expression is almost always somber, like she's in deep thought of something. Usually seated at Sanhan-Meshi's feet, she doesn't move much unless need be.

Spirit Personality:
General
The two seem to be very different in their personalities, however they seem to have a certain respect for each other. The chain between them is never severed, and even serves as a weapon or shield in combat, though they never once come loose no matter what. The chain is as part of them as their arms, and can not be dropped. The two seem to regard Kei as ignorant to his own potential, though they express this very differently. While Sanhan-Meshi seems more sisterly and friendly toward Kei, when she does speak, Habeshi seems to think of Kei as a waste of space.

Sanhan-Meshi
Sanhan-Meshi seems to act like Kei's older sister, patting him on the head, teaching him lessons about herself and how to use the blade effectively, and most importantly, what it is to be a shinigami. She uses the vast nothingness as a home, and views Kei as a vessel of understanding that just needs to be filled with knowledge. Sanhan-Meshi represents the left side of a brain, reason, understanding, and logic. She speaks with formal Japanese, and is very courteous. Other zanpakuto would likely only commune with Sanhan-Meshi, and would see her as a fit warrior who's kept her blade at the ready should it be needed.

Habeshi
Habeshi on the other hand is like a wild animal. Rarely on two feet for more than a moment, she is usually either sitting or jumping into combat. She thinks Kei is wasting time at all times, and thinks he should 'hurry up and get stronger'. Habeshi represents the right side of the brain, passion, art, and emotion. She speaks with broken Japanese, slurring words and speaking in slang. If another zanpakuto had the misfortune of speaking with Habeshi, she would spit insults and threats, demand their blood, and curse them.

Inner World: Unlike most inner worlds, Kei has none. There is literally nothing, a vast nothingness. Black doesn't describe it, literally nothing, as nothing could represent his view of the world, he has no view to use. As only a shinigami would ever see their inner world, it stands to reason Kei's is exactly what he could see of it anyway.

History:
Birth
Born in rural Japan at the start of the Meiji era, Kei was born without sight. When born, the doctor originally believed Kei to be a girl with a deformation, and so he was declared a girl. Kei's mother called her son Kei, but when the doctor went to cut the chord, he found he was mistaken. Asking his mother if she would change the name, she simply said no, Kei was beautiful no matter what gender he was. Kei was severely underweight, but was pronounced healthy despite this, and was sent home soon after. Kei did develop rather quickly, he was born a week early and fortunately had a strong immune system developing. His mother was very healthy, and because of her breastfeeding him, he became healthy too. Kei's father was in the military, and with foreigners first landing in Japan, he was never around. As such, he would send money home for Kei and his mother to live on while he served his duty to Japan.

Childhood
While being born blind did restrict Kei significantly as a child, he seemed to struggle more with the idea of being able to see than with the idea that HE was the one who was different. His mother was very loving, so she would take care of him, playing with him and letting him spend time in the garden with her while she tended to the fruits and veggies. She also grew lilacs, something Kei took a fascination to as the smell was much nicer than the food, but they weren't edible. He got scolded a few times from plucking them, then one day his mother told him that lilacs were like the fairies of the garden, protecting the fruits and veggies from the bugs and bees. As such, Kei regarded them as beautiful for their work. Kei's mother spent much of their time together teaching Kei about the world, and guided him very closely.

Adolescence
As a young boy, Kei was always very close to his mom, but he never really had a chance to interact with his father. During a skirmish, Kei's father passed away, but Kei just didn't know him at all and felt nothing about the news about his passing. He'd heard about him, but with no interaction he just did not feel like he lost anyone. Being raised by his mother now, Kei grew to be responsible, always helping around the house where he could, making trinkets to sell, mainly hand carved games like Mahjong pieces and dice, shogi pieces, etc... He knew well how to make money at a young age, letting people take pity on his blindness and buy his wares.

Adulthood
As an adult, Kei found it more and more difficult to get the pity he got as a kid, and turned to gambling. He was actually quite lucky, and kept his head above water until the local gangs approached him, and offered to pay him to win for them. They would pay him well, but warned he would need to win big. Taking the job, he lied to his mother and told her he was working at a bar. She wasn't young any more, so she stayed at home mostly and trusted him. Now affiliated with a yakuza, he would gamble huge amounts of money, taking a large portion for winning often. The local leader would take him under his wing, and teach him a valuable lesson saying, "Your blindness is your strength, allowing you to not see fear." This really resonated with Kei, for the first time someone told him his blindness wasn't a weakness, but a strength.

Loss
After losing a huge amount of money one night, Kei went to apologize to the boss. He was drunk, and fell to the ground in a stupor. When he woke up, the boss was sitting beside him. "Do not worry about your loss, it has been repaid", he was told. When he went home to his mother though, he learned how. His house was burned to the ground, his mother was dead. For the first time, Kei was alone. Grief for his actions swept over him, but he realized, the only place he had left to go with the yakuza. Returning to the boss, he apologized, and begged to be able to stay. Kei was given a sword, and told, "Next time you're too drunk to win, you will kill yourself with this blade." Kei gave up alcohol, vowing never to mess up again.

Death
All good things must go, and one night during a gambling session with a few other local yakuza affiliations, a fight broke out. Kei hurried to hide behind some of his fellow members, but it turned out he planned wrong. The members he hid behind were the ones from an opposing yakuza, and they turned on him, and slit his throat. In his final breaths, he felt a hand on his hair, then a soft touch to his forehead, "Don't worry", he heard, "It doesn't hurt, just close your eyes." He woke up slowly, laying in a street, startled by the sound of children asking each other who he was. A woman's voice came, "You weren't far behind me." Unlike almost everyone, Kei was reunited with his mother. She had been in the Rukongai only a month, but had found a place to stay, and work to bring in money.

Rukongai
Quickly adjusting to his life in the Rukongai, Kei found it was time to leave his mother. Wishing her well, he said, "It is time for me to move on mother. I never had a chance to live like a real man." She would give him some trinkets, things to act like photos for a blind son, and wish him the best. After a few hours of emotional goodbyes, Kei set out to live for himself for the first time. He kept walking until he found himself in a fairly well to do city, and found work tending a shop that sold candy and sweets to nearby children. He learned where everything was, and scared children by carrying a wooden sword, which his boss spread rumors that he was a blind samurai who could strike at any time. Needless to say, no kids ever dared robbed the candy shop.

Seireitei
After years of working in the candy shop, a shinigami was in town. The shinigami heard the rumor about the blind samurai, and while investigating, Kei confessed that it was just to drum up business. The shinigami, feeling cheeky, decided to "challenge" the samurai, and let him win so that the kids would never question it. Kei, having not ever held a sword, even a wooden one, lifted the wooden blade up. A second was given to the shinigami. During the duel, the shinigami noticed he could go faster and faster, and Kei was still able to tell where the attacks were coming from, very impressive for a blind man. He was still going slow, but the fact was, the blind man was able to keep up with a nearly human-speed swing, even if he was a bit awkward with how he blocked. Being impressed, the shinigami brought him to the Seireitei, where he would begin working as a shinigami.

Academy
During his time in academy, Kei struggled in most things. For a while, it seemed his selection as a shinigami seemed to be a mistake even. He didn't accelerate at any particular path, but it was clear he was determined. One day though, he was asked to spar against a rather friendly opponent. There  was a brief discussion before hand, just a means to pump each other up. Kei only spoke briefly, and wished the best to his opponent, but before he grabbed his wooden blade, the opponent said one thing that sparked Kei. "You seem to see where people are, but you seem to listen for their movements. Why not rely on that second sight you have for a change?". Kei stood in silence, he stood motionless, sword in his hand. Had he reacted as if he could see where people were? He never did that when he was alive, but suddenly he was able to so clearly that people noticed it. Kei lifted the blade and stood, taking it in a reverse stance, blade behind him ready to parry. A teacher spoke out against it, "Kei, you're not fast enough to parry", take a forward stance. Kei had made up his mind though, "One time", he said, lowering himself to the ground, "Just one time." The opponent smirked, and charged, accepting Kei's challenge with gusto. It was all he needed to begin succeeding.

The following years, Kei did quite well in academy, while not excelling to any great excess, he did catch up to his peers, and even show true skill with a sword. Not only that, but his movements became more and more fluid as well, demonstrating how he adapted sensing reiatsu with relative ease due to a lack of sight. His instructors grew quite impressed at his sudden advancement, he'd learned to use his disadvantage as an advantage, and not only that, used it to great success. While Kei still struggled with social aspects of academy, he did at least keep himself labeled as a higher score holder in the more relevant fields. Though one day he found himself quite gravely afraid, and no one could even explain why, no one except Kei. While he didn't have the words for it, he felt strong reiatsu, a Captain sparring. Normally they were far enough away that people in the academy wouldn't be keen enough to detect their reiatsu, but Kei was a special case, and he felt it quite well. An absolute ocean of reiatsu left him feeling blinded in a whole new way. "This... is what a Captain is", the only thing he could fathom to explain it.

Loss
During his time working in the Seireitei, Kei would visit his mother less and less. He became busy with his work, and spent very little time doing things for himself. As a result, his grip and communication with his mother began slipping. One day though, when visiting his mother, he was told that she had moved. No one could tell Kei where, so he went to find a note left for him. "To my son, live your life and do great things. I will always root for you", written in braille. Kei simply folded the note carefully, and took it with him. He lost his mother once more, but this time he wasn't sad. She had severed the tie that bound them, so he could move on for real. There was a lonliness in his heart, but it was matched with pride, as he knew his mother believed in him enough to do this.

Adjusting Period
Even though Kei had finally shown his true colors, he did not seem to find much in the way of companionship in the academy. Judging most too harshly, he was often approached and told that he should branch out more socially. Taking it upon himself to meet people, Kei tried hard to branch out, but with everyone he spoke with, he found a certain emptiness to the words exchanged. Sure they spoke of happy things, but Kei always felt like they avoided talking about things they saw, or about the academy. One guy made a passing gesture about how Kei misses out on 'seeing the hot chicks', but Kei meerly smirked and replied, "Usually they let me touch them so I know what they look like", then walked away to let that stew. While Kei didn't see the man as a friend or ally, he did at least respect he'd make a joke about Kei's blindness, something he could reply to more naturally.

Graduation came, and Kei was scouted for the sixth division. His distance from friendship meant he was able to make the hard judgements that needed to be made, his sword skills could be honed, but most importantly, Kei seemed to have a very strong grasp of the laws all Shinigami must follow. Despite a lack of ability to read the laws, his lack of vision made his ability to retain the knowledge astounding at such a fast pace. While none of the books were available in braille, some women in the academy would sometimes offer to read to Kei as they had a motherly instinct, and some guys would do it to look good for those women. Kei didn't care who read to him, he enjoyed the knowledge regardless, even when the guys would ask him to let them read to him in a public place. When Kei joined the sixth division, he expected to be met with harsh critizism, a blind man seeking to uphold the law, some would definitely look down on that.

Our Name
Training began to build in Kei's schedule, soon even resting became a form of training. Reaching out with his mind he found himself able to map out further and further each week. He could pinpoint many people, and even sense which direction they were all facing. Kei was growing quite fluent with his senses, relying on them like sight. "Did you forget to listen?", he'd sometimes think to himself, like a mantra to remind himself how useful his hearing was, but somehow he didn't feel like it was a natural thought. "Did you forget to listen?", it would come more and more each week, until one day he heard it audibly, whispered in his ear. An unfamiliar voice, when suddenly Kei realized he was not able to detect anything at all. Standing up, he called out, "Hello?", he was again scared. Never had he suddenly felt so lost. He was in the barracks, and now there was nothing, except two people, for as far as he could sense, "Someone help me please...", he called out, scared he was losing consciousness.

"Did you forget to listen when we said our name?", the voice came again, and now it was clear, Kei was dealing with someone else whispering the thought to him. Kei reached for his blade, but found it was gone, only the sheath remained. "If you listen, you'll be able to find me", the voice said, then he could sense the woman approaching, and the sound of a chain. Soon a hand touching his head softly, patting him and rubbing his hair comfortingly. "Le'z jus' hurry 'im up already!", a growly voice came before Kei felt teeth sink into his ankle. Shouting out in pain, he instinctively grabbed the chain, pulling. "Sanhan-Mehabi", he cried out and pulled the blade out of his sheath, realizing he was standing alone in the barracks. He slid a finger along the blade, it sung it's praises, Kei knew he had found the blade's real name.

Shinigami
As a shinigami, Kei didn't struggle to fall into line, however the ideals of the shinigami always did have a bit of a confusing thought to Kei. First off, the divisions didn't always seem to agree on course of action, but this was to be expected, but the idea of purifying hollows that wanted to fight made Kei question if it was the most efficient means. While on detail duty in the living world, filling in for someone and giving him a chance to adapt to the new advancements that had come about in his time in Rukongai and Seireitei, Kei was fortunate enough to find a unique situation. He had taken the custom of offering peaceful konso to any hollow he encountered, but for the first time it seemed he was in a fight with a hollow that seemed intelligent enough to even consider the idea of peace.

The hollow was small, not much bigger than a human with the shape of a hawk. It flew over head, but this didn't matter much to Kei as he could easily walk on air. As the bird landed near Kei, opening it's huge maw to taunt him, Kei would simply tilt his head. "If you plan to fight me, you would have attacked by now", he said, adding, "But really, you want to find peace for yourself." Kei crossed his arms and sat down, then said, "I can bring you the peace you seek without a fight if you simply risk trusting me." The offer was punctuated by pointing to the base of his blade, indicating his intentions. The bird watched him, waiting for the trick to be unleashed, but no trick remained. While most hollow seemed quite unintelligent, it seemed some had grown quite smart, and this was one of the later.

The bird approached, the humanity in him still not fully quenched with hatred. "Will you... promise to bring me to my family?" Kei shook his head and honestly replied, "I can't tell you where you will wind up, it isn't up to me to make that decision. However, I can promise a chance." Kei rose to his feet and reached out to place his hand on the bird's wing, a rare connection between hollow and shinigami. "Are you ready to make that journey?" The bird lowered it's head, tears streaking it's face, "I might go to hell, but I can't say no at a chance." Kei rose the blade up, and planted it softly to the bird's head. A glow surrounded it, and as it began to sink into the glow, it took on a human form, clasping it's hand in reverence. Kei's report was brief, claiming the fight had ended before it began, and the hollow was not going to be a problem.

Research
Upon return to the Seireitei, Kei found out that his means of reporting only the main details of the mission, and omission of the crucial detail of a peaceful resolution, was frowned upon. Not because it was peaceful though, because he did not disclose the details immediately. After confronting the third seat of the sixth division, it became clear he had broken the rules, and Kei was offered punishment in the form of imprisonment. Kei served his sentencing of three months for omission of crucial details, but during the time could only wonder how they knew about it. It wasn't until after three months of solitude and personal reflection and meditation that he would have an answer to that question though.

Kei didn't know, but his actions were noticed by the 12th division. No shinigami had ever tried to bargain with a hollow, and none especially were expected to succeed. Kei was approached by members of the 12th division, and asked about his konso of a hollow, a rare opportunity to study a facet of hollows never before witnessed. Kei explained the situation, then offered his blade to be studied, which came up with no results that were unusual, at least any that were explained to him. Kei would take it as meaning it wasn't as odd as they made it out to be, and would continue his tradition of at least offering to every hollow, no matter how mindless they seemed. The research was then classified, only the 12th division and the Captain-Commander would have access to even know about it, common with unusual findings.

Ranks
Time seemed to change, move faster, clocks would spin rapidly in Kei's mind. He couldn't tell when it was day or night anymore, he just knew training and sleep, food occasionally. It didn't take long before he was noticed for his dedication, and watched carefully. The sixth division didn't have a leader, but other divisions kept an eye on the newer members, and made recommendations for promotions. Kei was recommended for one such promotion, and took a seat on the more elite list of seated officers. Kei took a few members of the division who had followed in his footsteps and joined after him, training them the basics of the division, but was often called out for being a bit strict. He didn't let up though, encouraging the members that if they worked with his strict training they would become much better. Those who followed didn't take long joining the officers, proof of Kei's effectiveness as a leader.

With no Captain or Lieutenant, it came to a vote, and Kei was one day put in charge as the Lieutenant. He was given the right to lead the division with the stipulation that he would earn a Captain's seat when the other Captains could all agree on it. Expecting Kei to try to individually impress the Captains, they waited to see how he would approach them, but they would find themselves waiting longer than expected. Instead, the time was better spent writing books in braille, slowly and meticulously copying all of the sixth  division handbooks to braille by dictation, but writing two of his own and dictating them to be written in print. The first was called "The Seven Strikes" and the other "A Path to Peace", which entailed the methods of fighting an opponent not only with combat, but with strategy, the second explaining how to use meditation as a means to train. Kei didn't just teach people how to fight, he invented whole new ways.

Rokubantai Taicho
Kei had spent much time in meditation, but one day it was interrupted by a butterfly landing on his cheek. Passing a message to him that he was needed, Kei went to speak with the Captains, who stood waiting to greet him. They explained to him that he had shown much skill, but as he hadn't unlocked the ability to use his bankai, he wasn't technically eligible to be a Captain. Kei did not dispute this, he had focused a lot of his time learning to fight with his shikai, but hadn't done any training for his bankai, though he had shown an interest in learning it eventually. Kei was told, as a special exception, he would be granted the right to take the title of Rokubantai Taicho, but he would need to focus all of his efforts training himself to unlock bankai.

Initially, Kei politely refused the offer siting, "If I am not leading the unit, then no one is, no one can. There is too much to do to ask my peers to take over in my absence". To that end, one Captain simply replied, "Then you'd better hurry up and learn it quick", before throwing the white haori at Kei. Turning his back, Kei replied, "I accept your offer then, but I will not wear this haori until I feel I've earned it." Kei slung the haori over his shoulder, then took off to train. He asked to take time away from the shinigami, so he could train in unfamiliar places, a request that was approved.

Bankai?
Deep in the most rural woods Kei could scout, he found himself sitting alone meditating, asking for his spirit to help him. Two weeks of motionless meditation, Kei felt his body weakening, succumbing to exhaustion, he was dying. Despite the resilience of being a shinigami, the lack of water, the heat, the motionlessness itself, it all began adding up. Before long, Kei found himself unable to even detect the trees around him, the rock he was on, or even the ground. He assumed he died, laying motionless, waiting for consciousness to vanish. "Little brother, you're so pathetic like that", a voice finally came. Kei had no sister, but recognized the voice, and the sense of who was near. He slowly rose to his feet, and turned to ask, "Why didn't you help me when I asked for it?", still not even sure he was still alive. The younger voice replied, "'Cause who begs a sword ta' protect 'em eh? Don' you have enough protection jus' havin' us eh?"

Kei drew his blade, truly taking time to admire it's steel. He didn't know how unusual it looked with it's black sheen, double edged blade, he didn't see how rare the shape was, and never took time to appreciate how his spirit was familiar with him yet he was so distant toward them. "Teach me to fight with you then, I will help myself." For the first, and only time, Kei heard the chain drop to the ground, the girl was let loose, "Then you will fight us", the older voice said, and before he had time to reply they both vanished. Kei slid his blade behind himself, a stance he'd grown to favor. It made his strikes hard to predict, his movements less restricted, and his defense did not suffer much as a result. Kei felt both energies surrounding him, then striking at him many time from all angles. He struck out in vain, it seemed like a losing battle. "Open your eyes Kei, where are we?", the older voice cried out.

"Bankai!"
With each strike, Kei felt himself growing more and more aware. He wasn't holding a sword, he was holding his ally, his only true companion. Kei stopped swinging the sword, and began working as an ally should. He began moving further and faster than he thought even possible, and soon he even noticed he moved faster than he thought he could, surrounding both people by himself. How was it even possible? Though no matter how fast he went, the girls were too fast, but it seemed they were slowing down. Soon Kei knew their every move, but just couldn't land any hits, and it wasn't long before he could predict their movements. Finally, a moment came, Kei changed direction, and struck from beneath the older sister, "Shit!", came the younger's voice, and Kei felt connection.

Hebichi held the blade, the younger sister's hand quivering as blood soaked both edges, but the blade was stopped. Kei gasped for air, sinking to the ground. He could still feel the area, but couldn't explain it. The area seemed to slowly vanish before Kei fell limp, unable to move. "I can't... do it", he said, "Not yet..." The younger girl moved to sit on Kei's back, tearing his belt to bind her hand, "Stupid, how long have ya been doin' it already an' ya didn' even realize it?" Kei felt dizzy, but then the older voice spoke, "Wear your haori with pride brother." Kei woke up, he was wearing the haori, having adorned it in his sleep, and stuck unable to move at all. It was a solid day before Kei could even stand, all his energy was exhausted, but he knew he had learned his most powerful attack yet. When Kei returned to the Seireitei, he demonstrated his bankai to the Captain-Commander, and to two other Captains, enough that they would verify his accomplishment, he was officially deemed a fit Captain.

Major Events Timeline:
07/19/1868 - Birth as a human
04/2/1889 - Death
09/28/1909 - Became a Shinigami in training
09/28/1913 - Graduation
11/14/1919 - Temporarily imprisoned for withholding information about a mission, served three months with no incident
12/14/1922 - Accepted the fourth rank in the sixth division
07/18/1962 - Accepted Lieutenant rank
03/23/1992 - Accepted Captain rank


Roleplaying Sample:
Click, bang, smack. The sound of a dozen sheathed blades moving in perfect unison. Kei stood motionless, his sword in his sheath, hand resting on the handle. Every time even the slightest error could be heard, he'd tilt the blade sideways to smack against the frame of the doorway. The men behind Kei, newer members in the division, were doing drills. While Kei was strict, he was by no means rude. He was pushing them through their drills, but expecting them not to slack. None of them questioned his abilities though, any mistakes they saw, he'd somehow hear or sense. Some mistakes, intentional tests of his ability, some simply laziness on a particular movement. Kei punished the unit as a unit, not the individuals, expecting one hundred perfect repetitions of everyone in unison. For such a short set of steps, this was not too demanding, but it made the weak links stand out so others would push for them to keep up. Kei was always great about delegation, and this was a way to make the unit step up and train each other.

As the sun rose that morning, a butterfly landed on his shoulder. A message delivered, Kei turned his head slightly, "You will keep going until the drills are perfect", he said, before walking off. The butterfly landed on his back, and rode with him, they did seem to enjoy his company, probably due to the scent of lilac that always seemed to linger on him. Kei walked with purpose, moving quickly down the road, it was hard to think of a blind man having such accuracy, but with his heightened senses, maneuvering the Seireitei was easy. Coming to the meeting hall, Kei took position, not the first to arrive but definitely before some, he would stand motionless, listening to the others bickering about who's fault it was. As others claimed how each other was to blame for the accident, Kei's mind went elsewhere. Instead of thinking, 'Who's at fault?', his mind went to 'Who will take responsibility?'. Having been completely unrelated to him, Kei knew he was in the clear, but his mind wandered over each of the others, surely one of them would be punished for injury of the students in the academy, that type of thing never went unnoticed.

Standing silently, he suddenly placed a hand on the man to his left and asked, "Who all is planning to be here?", beginning to sense more and more people's spiritual pressure entering the room. He thought the meeting was a bit more specific, but it seemed more were involved than he'd initially expected, leading Kei to wonder just what happened to those students. How could he know they died? The information was sealed so quickly it was no wonder Kei was left without any clue. Not only did he not know they died, he didn't know the investigation had already taken place and concluded it was an accident, this whole meeting was more of an informative one on who would be punished and how. This was definitely not the day he was planning when he left bed that morning.

Alright, firstly, welcome, again. I'll be grading your application tonight.

Firstly, up in your physical description section, you wrote "Eye color: White (more on this later)". Is this a mistake, or were you referring to your character's full description? In the case of the latter, you can remove the parenthesized section.

Secondly, your Zanpakuto affects the senses, making it what we call a "flavor" effect. This means, it's effectiveness will probably vary depending on whom you're using it on and the situation. Flavor effects like this are harder to use in RP, but I personally like them due to their uniqueness. Just keep in mind that you may run into some issues with future RPs, but nothing a simple conversation with your partner can't fix.

Lastly, this application was rather... Short. While most of your stuff is well written, your history is very sparse, only a paragraph in each section. I know you're only about 150, for a short history is to be expected, especially if your character hadn't participated in many activities. However, your history doesn't mention much about your life as a Shinigami. If you're struggling to think of mention worthy topics, we recommend talking about life at the Academy, bonding with your Zanpakuto, becoming a Seated Officer, becoming a Captain, anything that you're noted to have a habit for. Kei's supposed to have after to Konso Hollows before; you can describe him doing this in your history. Another thing you can do is write another character, a member on the site, into your history. We recommend using Approved Characters, so you could write about meeting someone or your relationships with the other characters, like Lieutenant Sabiruchi Tsuyosa, Captain Oshime Baozhai, or Captain Taiyo Pekku to name a few.

Now, you don't have to do anything in your history, but it's strongly recommended. I can approve you for a Lieutenant Tier (That'll determine your general strength and number of Skills, you'll still have a Captain Seat as a Character), but if you do those additions or a second Staff Member approves your application as well, I will give you a Captain Tier, allowing you higher Skills to start with.

Just gonna jump in here and add something to what Sabre said.

You might also wanna look at the unapproved characters, such as myself, as a lot has actually happened since you're character became a Shinigami.

OK made some edits:

1) History length beefed up with some more details about life as a shinigami (total word count of the application is close to yours now :D)

2) Changed eye color to just "white" as yes, it was just because he's blind

3) I liked the ideas of what to write, and thanks it did help. However, the idea of including someone in a pre-written history never works for me. I don't like the idea of being written into someone else's history without it being RPed, and equally don't like to force others into mine. I kept it vague, though I did have to take some liberties with the Captain-Commander role to make some of it make sense, though the things I did were things any Captain-Commander would be expected to do.

With that said, I hope this demonstrates more of an appropriate tier for a Captain character.

Alright, after reading your edits, I can give this application a Captain Tier. You can put your Skills below. As a Captain Tier, you may have up to seven Skills, with a base level of Intermediate, but no Skill may exceed Expert. You may refer to this page for help.

Skills
Armed Combat: Master
Bakudo: Intermediate
Hado: Beginner
Hoho: Intermediate
Kaido: Untrained
Reiatsu Perception: Master
Spiritual Combat: Master
Shunko: Untrained
Unarmed Combat: Beginner

Santen bogyo (Three Point Defense) - While fighting, Kei will take one of two forms. In Santen bogyo, he carries his blade behind himself upside-down. While it's name may sound like a primarily defensive stance, it actually is quite the opposite, relying more on difficult to read strikes. Santen bogyo refers to the way the strikes are started. When a strike comes from a regular swing, one can predict if it will be overhead, from the side, or brought from below, whereas Santan bogyo can strike from below, side, head but all look about the same initially, reducing the time one has to block or dodge. This does come at a minor loss of defensive capabilities however.

Furu Pointo Boei (Full Point Defense) - Conversely, Furu Pointo Boei is more of a defense and riposte method of fighting, relying on keeping the sword blade horizontal, with both hands on the handle at about waist height facing the opponent, and lowering the body down to reduce striking area. This method of fighting makes landing a blow very difficult, as the sword will be ready to block. This stance is much more traditional, but allows for strong riposte attacks to answer for heavier incoming attacks.

Tenmirasutoraiku (Ten Mirror Strike) - While flashing around the battle field, Kei lifts his sword to different places, then begins running quickly around his opponent. As he blinks to new spots, he appears to be striking from ten different places at the same time, and only one is true. However, since he can copy his stances over and over on each pass, it isn't necessarily the last one. People struck with this attack will double the number of attacks seen each time they're hit due to the nature of the shikai (Up to roughly 40 before they begin to lose full sight of Kei).

Sora ni Ushinawareta (Lost into the Void) - Kei watches carefully after a standoff, then as the opponent blinks, he uses shunpo. Due to the nature of his shikai, even the most observant will not be able to follow his movement, so waiting for Kei to make the first move might wind up with a sword from behind the neck.

Miradansu (Mirror Dance) - This beautiful display of fluidity allows Kei to strike from many angles in one rapid string of attacks. As he seems to fall from all angles toward all angles, he comes from what seem like random directions, growing faster and faster until he is barely visible at all. This continues for a brief while, or until he is struck or strikes his opponent, amplifying the effect on further passes.

Sen ken (1,000 Swords) - Giving up entirely on defense, Kei makes one final desperation strike. Throwing his sword toward the middle of the bankai, it begins reflecting on all sides. Kei then begins sword dancing, allowing him to throw swords from all angles, which is really him throwing just one but using his bankai to increase the speed it travels through reflections. Because the sword is in his hands only for brief moments, any well aimed strikes will almost definitely hit Kei, but any movement made will almost definitely result in severe injury or impalement from anyone of equal or less strength. The biggest weakness of this attack is the energy drained from Kei while using it being more than double needed to maintain the bankai, meaning this will almost inevitably end his bankai.