Tsubine Koezuka [APPROVED, 0-2+]

» Name: Tsubine Koezuka
» Alias: Hanakou; Koe no Jin (声の刃; Voice of the Sword)
» Age: 959
» Gender: Female

» Association: This is a bit complicated. Currently, it can be said she has no ties. She's been missing for five years. However, listed below are some of her previous ties. (note, it has been five years since I have been here. I've probably forgotten quite a few ties to specific characters)

• Gotei 13: As she was pre-Gotei United, it's proper to assume that her ties would be with the Gotei 13, not them. She was a former Captain-Commander way back when, as well as serving as a member of Zero Division for about 400 years (give or take). She was most known for the period she was a simple Captain however, as that was during the Ender War in the early 21st century.
  
• Shadin Yuudeshi: Shadin was a close friend of hers also way back when. They stayed in contact during her tenure in Zero Division, though she rarely did visit.
  
• Zin Yuudeshi: Out of the Yuudeshi brothers, Tsubine was closer to Zin than Shadin. Tsubine personally trained the young man. She found his stubbornness to be an admirable trait. It was the main reason she even continued to train him. It is also notable
  

» Appearance Written: Age has treated this young woman well. Well, young is a very, very relative term. She's nearing a millenium of age, so it's not something she speaks much of. She has retained her silvery-white hair, though it has undergone major style changes over the years. Now she keeps it in an odd tail, decorated with a bladed hold. It's one of the things she tries to actually avoid getting soaked in blood. It may not be the smoothest or most well taken care of now, but with a week or two of work it'll be back to its normal luster. Her eyes have started to match her hair in some lighting. What were once a fierce blue are now fading into vibrant silver. The fading isn't complete, so her eyes sometimes appear blue, sometimes silver. More often than not though, it's more a muddled mixture of the two. Tsubine is a slightly above-average woman in height, standing at 5'7. She's got a figure to match her height, slender and toned from years of combat and training. Though with her scars, it's hard to tell which one is more likely to have contributed. Most notably, she has a scar under her left breast with a matching one on her back, in approximately a straight line from the front scar. She is more top-heavy than bottom-heavy, much to her back's chagrin.

Spoiler:

» Personality: There's a lot that can be said about Tsubine. She's made an impression on a lot of people, whether good or bad. For the most part, people see her as a prideful warrrior. She deal in honor, not backstabbing or thievery. She detests spies and their ilk. However, eradicating them is an idiotic thing. They're like rats—they have a purpose. Some people like them too. Just not her. However, don't think Tsubine is some sort of cavalier, issuing challenges to whomever she happens to be fighting. No, most are not worth an official challenge. Tsubine will cut down someone without a second thought. Their names don't matter to her. It takes someone truly skilled or powerful for her to offer her name in an official challenge. So far, she has enjoyed every challenge she has given even if she ended up losing.

As you can probably guess, Tsubine is also deftly confident. She may have occasional qualms about a particular outfit, hairstyle, or other change. Those are usually temporary with her regaining her confidence within a surprisingly short time. The fact is, she knows who she is. She knows her limits. She knows what she's good at and what she's bad at. Because she knows those, she can be confident in what she has. One of her proudest moments was entering that "zen" state where she feels that confident in herself. But don't think that she's without her insecurities. She has two main ones, both of which are out of her control. The first is her age. Tsubine hates the fact she's almost 1,000 years old and unwed. She feels old and that she's close to passing her prime. It's not uncommon for her to lie about her age. Only a few people who knew her back in the day know how old she actually is. What exacerbates her age insecurity is her memory. No, she doesn't forget things a lot. Instead, Tsubine has a hard time with names and putting those names to faces. She may recognize someone but not know half of a syllable of their name.

Tsubine is a woman of determination. The mere way she walks shows she is a step above the rest. This does not mean she is some prodigy or a genius. No, she really never was either to any prominent degree. Rather, Tsubine's walk, her air, her simple aura is that of someone who would bash into a tree with a sword until her hands bled profusely from splinters and blisters alike. She is a woman of her word. If she says she will learn an impossible technique by a certain time, she will do it. Something that Tsubine has finally found after the past five years is that she was lacking a goal. Tsubine found that she was living pretty day-to-day in a circular routine, not achieving anything worthwhile. Nowadays though, she finally has something she can strive to achieve. She actually knows what she wants, albeit it is a very long-term goal. She has no idea on how to achieve the goal, but she's going to damn well try.

The only thing higher than her determination is her devotion. If Tsubine cares about someone, then it would be like two people are competing on how much they care. Effectively, Tsubine is fighting with herself on who cares more about someone. Her friends and comrades-in-arms are all, for the most part, her most loyal companions. She will never betray them, nor will she lie to them unless it is a truth that would harm another companion. And even then, it takes hours for her to decide whether to do so or not. But there is one step above that kind of devotion in her life, and that's the devotion she gives to someone she loves. Not as a friend, but as a lover. Tsubine has loved only a few times so far, and none of it was a true love. If that person asks her a question, she will answer it as soon as she can to the best of her ability. There is no 'I don't want to talk about it.' She considers falling in love to be the intertwining of beings, and one must know about the other to do so. Although her devotion and determination are of high level, there is one innate problem with either. That is getting her to the point of that devotion and determination. Tsubine has trust issues. Whether from full-on betrayal, an amalgmation of lies, or just general distrust, she doesn't usually get close to people in the sense of calling them a "friend."

» Life Alive: Tsubine Koezuka was born as a new, tumultuous age was about to dawn on Japan. It did not help that she was also born in perhaps the worst area to be born into, though none would know that. At that time, many were honored to be born in the capital of Kyoto. Born to semi-respectable smith, Tsubine was not a disappointment. Although Japan was slowly turning into a country where women were second or even third-class citizens, Kyoto was the capital. Laws were still laws, and the laws on the books said she had many same rights as men. It was slightly frowned upon, of course, but Tsubine was tasked with helping with the business. She did not do much actual work, although the sound of a hammer on steel was always exciting for her to hear.

Then, the Ōnin War broke out in Kyoto. It was a succession war between the current Shogun, Ashikaga Yoshimasa, and his brother, Ashikaga Yoshimi. Yoshimasa had named Yoshimi heir in 1464, but in 1465 Yoshimasa was gifted with a son. This ended up causing strife between Yoshimi's retainer and Yoshimasa's wife. The two plotted behind the scenes and caused a quarrel between the two brothers. In Kyoto, the fighting was dreadful. No one tried to touch the Koezuka smithy, as both sides needed fresh steel. Tsubine's father tried to stay neutral, only wanting his city to return to peace. Tsubine was too young to understand.

The war raged on for a decade. During that time, many things changed in Kyoto. The city was burned again and again. Tsubine was nearly without home many times, but her family remained mostly unscathed. She was threatened occasionally for her father to lower prices or to even provide pieces for free. Anything produced in that manner was always cursed by him. As far as she knows, not a single person with a cursed blade survived the war. Then again, neither did she. The Koezuka smithy was finally destroyed by fire in late 1476. She burned alive, her hair becoming ashen as she died.

» Life in Rukongai/Early Shinigami: Tsubine was brought to the Soul Society by a Shinigami named... Well, to be honest, she forgot his name long ago. She was sent to a nice district in East Rukongai. It was a middle number, somewhere around 25 to 30. She forgot where she lived then too. Fact is, she didn't like it there. Tsubine always thought someone was out to get her. She felt like she was being stalked and watched as she walked down the street. As a beautiful young woman, it was to be expected to be looked at. This feeling, however, was different.

Tsubine told the family she was living with, they simply ignored her. They said it was just her imagination. They say many people who come to the Rukongai find families or at least close groups to live with. While this was true, Tsubine didn't much care for the people she found. It wasn't just them either. They were too calm, too jovial about everything. The fact that this was a nigh-immortal realm didn't settle with her. Tsubine felt she should be waiting for someone to come and burn down the shop they had. She'd have to pay someone off to stop it from happening—protection money, as it were. Of course, this never would happen. She was too close to the Seireitei for anything like that to actually happen. Living in Kyoto told her that even where the government sits, it is not safe for those that cannot fight.

Against her family's wishes, Tsubine started carrying around a dagger hidden within her clothing. For years, she didn't have to use it. As time went on, Tsubine noticed more and more people showing up. She hoped to one day find someone whom she knew in Kyoto. No such person ever came by. Instead, that feeling of dread just continued to grow. And then, she saw it. It was on a walk home. She had turned around to buy something (she's forgotten what it was, though it was probably food). It stood about a hundred yards back, at the crest of an alley. It was a bulking shape about a foot taller than she was. Its eyes were golden, whatever it was. And it stared at her. After five seconds of eye contact, it faded into the shadows.

Tsubine ran home, her heart pounding. She looked through every alleyway she passed. Once she made it home, Tsubine told the actual adults in the room about it. They laughed it off. They said she was working too hard, and that she needed to relax some. She was furious at them. Knowing no other alternative, Tsubine enrolled in Shino Academy. She thought she'd be rejected because she was female. The admissions officer looked at her after she presented her application. "Go on through. Next." A bewildered Tsubine was ushered through. It took her ten minutes to finally snap out of it.

In the academy, Tsubine was most skilled with Zanjutsu and least skilled with Kidou. Her skill with Zanjutsu was mostly because she understood the making of the sword better than most. She would point out flaws in the blades she wielded. When it came to taking an Asauchi, Tsubine took about a week longer than most until she found the best blade they had. It was tucked away in the back of a storage closet and needed to be cleaned before being used. However, it was her Asauchi. She trained with it more than she should have, sometimes even skipping on earlier lessons.

As Tsubine began branching out in her training, she was noted to have an aptitude for Hohou. It was an odd aptitude, as she couldn't cover the same amount of distance as other people, but she could make short steps much, much faster. Of course her teachers could still outpace her, but she was far more apt than other students. At the start of her fifth year, Tsubine was offered a student-teacher position. She assisted with Zanjutsu training, and she could give students specific tips based on the balance of their Asauchi. She was proud of being able to do such a thing.

Upon graduating, Tsubine was placed in the 13th Division to further assist in training. She was assigned to help with the 13th Division's training grounds, as well as to assist with the other Divisions' training grounds as well. Tsubine learned more about the Zankensoki here than she did at the academy. She saw how seated officers fought and used their arts. She saw more practical use of those skills rather than the theoretical. This led to her sometimes zoning out while watching a particularly exciting match, shirking on her duties in the process.

Some time after graduating, Tsubine began the process of trying to learn her Zanpakutou's name. No matter where she went though, Tsubine could not focus enough. Something always nagged at her. As many of her classmates attained Shikai, she was becoming more and more self-conscious about her ability to even attain such a state. One day, she threw her Asauchi at a rock in frustration. It bounced over the rock, and she sighed as she went to pick it up. Once she did, she noticed... there was a second, identical Asauchi lying near it. She picked it up too. The balance was identical, something that should be impossible. Thinking on it, Tsubine placed both in her lap. It spoke to her for the first time. "A rock, really? It took you that long to figure it out, and you only did by throwing me at a rock? Don't do that again."

Tsubine and her Zanpakutou spirit spoke almost daily to make up for lost time. It wasn't fun by any means, but she was determined to catch up (or even surpass) her other classmates. She treated her Zanpakutou spirit with perhaps too much respect, resulting in him getting a bit of an ego. Tsubine was engrossed by her Zanpakutou, and she would listen to him ramble on about how life worked (in his mind) and such. Because Tsubine was patient with him, the inner battle was not much an actual battle. Tsubine earned the respect of her Zanpakutou spirit by being respectful to him. The battle was more of a formality, as he had already decided to give her his name—and thus, she was able to attain Shikai.

» Notoriety:
Tsubine was the Fourth Seat of her Division by the time Sousuke Aizen declared his rebellion. She was just as shocked as anyone, but she had another concern. What would this mean for her? She had not seen much actual combat. However, she would soon enough. Tsubine was not put in the frontlines in Hueco Mundo. At the time, small pockets of Arrancar (under the direction of the Espada) were engaging in activities across the globe. One of these happened to be in the jungles of southeast Asia. Tsubine was deployed there as part of a small task force of seven Shinigami. She led the team as the highest-ranking member. They encountered the Arrancar almost immediately.

The entire squad was ambushed upon arrival, and most were killed in the initial ambush. Tsubine fought back as hard as she could. There were only three Arrancar, but all three were beyond her abilities, or the abilities of her squad. They fought hard, but in the end it was only Tsubine and one other, badly wounded member left. Tsubine took a blow beneath her left breast, which punctured her lung. As she collapsed, nearly dead, she could hear her Zanpakutou spirit yelling at her to move. She couldn't. But as she saw the three Arrancar stalk towards the wounded member, something inside of her snapped. She blacked out, only awakening two weeks later. The report from the surviving member said that Tsubine became... something inhuman. Despite her wounds, she stood as if nothing happened. Without even using her Shikai, she took on the three Arrancar with skill remiscent of the tales of Musashibou Benkei.

Tsubine was rushed back to the Seireitei, and was one of the first batch of people injured who got healing. Tsubine awoke to praise at the time. She was happy to have saved this person. However, she could have saved more if she were stronger. So, Tsubine took the time to train for Bankai. This was the first time Tsubine and her Zanpakutou spirit fought in earnest. It took her three tries, but she did eventually best him. She spared him, saying that she did not wish to harm him. She wanted his help, not to subjucate him. Tsubine was promoted to one of the few vacant Captain's positions at the time, earning the respect and even further praise from her peers and subordinates. It wasn't until a few years later that Tsubine was truly tested. A being known as Ender was about to launch an attack against the Gotei. Because of the rumors that Tsubine was a rather new Captain, Yamamoto decided to hold Tsubine back before allowing her to enter the battle. Yamamoto had decided that Tsubine would be the successor to the position of Captain-Commander. The Royal Family had signed off on that decision days before. When Tsubine was over the shock of becoming the heir to the second most prestigious name in the Soul Society, Yamamoto and Tsubine entered the battle.

However, the battle was short-lived. Yamamoto was quickly struck down by Ender but not before weakening the fearsome enemy first. Using her position given to him by Yamamoto, Tsubine ordered a full retreat. The Seireitei had fallen. It took months, but Tsubine and Shadin had formed an alliance with the Gotei's remnants as well as the Vizards. In a sudden attack, the alliance defeated Ender and his army, releasing the Gotei from his tyrannical rule. Tsubine took the time after the war with Ender to repay her debts with the alliance. The first was with Zin Yuudeshi, Shadin's younger brother. Tsubine had found the Hougyouku in Yamamoto's office after the war, and so she brought it to give to Zin. Tsubine arrived at Kisuke Urahara's shop and gave the Hougyouku to Zin. After that, however, Zin underwent hollowfication. Tsubine was expecting this, surprisingly. Tsubine fought the now-hollowfied Zin until the original Zin took control back. Zin talked with Shadin afterwards and that one deed was enough to clear her debts.

» Post-Captaincy:
Tsubine was given the post of Captain-Commander as an emergency measure. It wasn't the most accepted, but she did her best in the position. A few thought that because she was a woman she wouldn't be a good leader. That spurred her on more than most anything. She proved that she was strong by defeating challengers, eventually earning her a name as a woman not to be trifled with. Most notably during this time, Tsubine began to increase the budget on forging Asauchi. No more shoddy blades. Her goal as Captain-Commander was to repair the Gotei from the Ender War and to increase its defenses in smaller, more numerable ways. A new wall may have been a bigger, more noticable investment, but giving new Shinigami better swords was, in her mind, a better investment. That wasn't all she did though. She was beginning the process of undoing the barring of research on Vizards. After all, her student was one.

However, Tsubine was not meant to pursue that path. She was approached by a messenger, and she was given a meeting with someone higher up than she was. At the meeting, she learned she was being inducted into Zero Division. When asked why, it all came back to politicking. Tsubine was not a "proper" choice for Captain-Commander. She was just a temporary measure. However, they couldn't just send her back to a Captaincy, nor could they afford to retire her. She was too strong and too respected. So, they had to give her a promotion to usher in a new Captain-Commander. More importantly, it was one that was "properly" chosen. She had no choice but to accept, no matter how much it wasn't wanted.

So, Tsubine became a member of Zero Division. She was bored. Dear lord, was she bored. Nothing happend as time went on—at least nothing she could act on. In order to pass the time, she read countless volumes on martial arts and philosophy. Once she was tired of that, Tsubine spent a century working on forming two separate styles of martial arts—Tan-no-Ken-to-Tsu-no-Kiritori-Ryuu and Tsu-Naku-Kiru-Ryuu. Both were rather well-executed, but the skill required to master either was rather high. She didn't propose it to the Shino Academy for that reason. But even that didn't take long enough to fill her boredom. So, Tsubine spent more time searching for a state of "Zen." She wanted to attain something many swordsmen tried to get.

And then, in 4410, Tsubine had enough. She was tired of sitting by, doing much of nothing. She tried to be good. She tried to follow the rules of not going to the World of the Living. Tsubine started to get more involved with the World of the Living, the Soul Society, and other places where people she knew hung out. ...And then she couldn't get in touch with many of them. Most of it was because besides their phone numbers changing and phones themselves changing... half of the streets she used to know were long gone. She was able to see Zin and Shadin occasionally, but for the most part, she was unable to find most of the "old crew."

In 4412, Tsubine disappeared. It was sudden without any warning. Many people probably felt she died, but no, that wasn't the case. Tsubine actually fell in love. Tsubine doesn't speak on who this was. She decided to go to be a bit of a housewife for a while instead of her being a fighter. Overall, she was happy to do this. There was even a time she thought she would be a mother... And then, he died in combat. If she had actually fought alongside him, he would have survived. But he was insistent on making her stand by. Tsubine fell into a deep depression. After she recovered, Tsubine learned a lot about herself. Mostly, Tsubine learned she had to help with the world. She wanted to be able to actually step down from combat and settle down. However, that time isn't now. She's going to have to actually help now.

» Overall: As a former Captain-Commander, it is a simple fact that she is not an amateur. She is well-versed in combat (both in theory and the practical), and she has trained quite a lot over her lifetime. Below, only the skills that are worth mentioning (in one way or another) are listed.

» Speed & Agility: Tsubine was once one of the fastest people alive (or semi-dead if you want to get technical). As the years have passed on, this could either still be true or she's long-been outclassed. Most of her speed was in sharp movements rather than physical running speed however. Of course, this isn't saying her running speed isn't high. She just happens to be faster at swinging her sword than in a marathon.

» Natural Strength: Tsubine is mostly average for someone of her level of experience when it comes to physical strength. She's no monster who can lift buildings, but her strength is nothing to laugh at either. Most of her strength, however, comes from muscle memory. He sword swings are strong. Her punches are strong. She may still need to have someone else open the pickle jar. She has trained her muscles in such a way that unless she uses them in a combat situation, she's actually below average. In combat, however, she can be a force to be reckoned with.

» Focus: Tsubine has reached a state of Mukō (無空; Nothingness) that many swordsmen strive to achieve. It allows her to expertly focus when fighting, training. and any other activity that strengthens mind and body. She is also has this state when doing any form of painting or writing. She has keen eyesight, noticing details that others wouldn't. She may not be able to put the details into something coherent, but the fact is that she can find those details. More importantly, Mukō allows her to focus without outside distractions being a hindrance—while still being able to react to them if she feels it necessary.

» Weapon Skills & Zanjutsu: Tsubine was also considered one of the best (if not the best) swordsmen/swordswomen before her disappearance. She is the founder of two entire schools of martial arts—Tan-no-Ken-to-Tsu-no-Kiritori-Ryuu and Tsu-Naku-Kiru-Ryuu (iaijutsu and kenjutsu respectively). Both are rather punishing schools, with the former requiring high speed while the latter requires more focus and control. Both are described in detail below. Tsubine is considered one of the true masters of Zanjutsu as well, although her skill seems to be so high due to the fact her Zanpakutou remains a sword and does not become some unwieldy or odd weapon.

» Shunpo: In addition to her natural speed, Tsubine was considered one of the best shunpo practitioners in her day, although that skill has waned somewhat. Like her general speediness, Tsubine was more adept at short bursts rather than distance. Thus, Senka was a technique she was quite practiced with.

• » Utsusemi (空蝉; Cicada, referencing their molting): Way of Onmitsu, 3rd of the Shihō. It allows for a movement at great speed, leaving at least one tangible after-image behind. Tsubine's mastery of utsusemi allows for her to form several after-images.
  
  
• » Senka (閃花Flash Blossom): A special Shunpō technique where one moves to their opponent's back, directly attacking and sealing one's "Saketsu" and "Hakusui" in one strike (effectively cutting them off of their spiritual energy flow). The movement is so fast that an opponent may not be able to tell whether she was attacked from the front or the back and even an outside observer may find it impossible to tell what the movements are. Tsubine's skill with Senka earned her the title "Hanakou," (花后) meaning "Blossom Queen."
  
• »» Hanki Senka (反鬼 閃花, Reverse Demon Flash Blossom): Hanki Senka is an alteration to Senka, created by Tsubine during fights with people with heightened reaction speeds akin to her own. Hanki Senka follows up behind a failed (or failing) Senka. Effectively, if Tsubine notices a Senka will miss, be blocked, or countered, she continues the motion until the very last moment before performing another Senka. This usually puts her in front of someone, putting her in more danger than before. In concept, it is a simple ability, but it is one that requires years of practice to successfully perform.
  

» Tan-no-Ken-to-Tsu-no-Kiritori-Ryuu (単の剣と切り取り流; lit. Style of one blade and twin strike): Tsubine has her own style of Iaijutsu that she created on her own over the years. There is not another person in existance that uses or another person in history that has used anything remotely similar to this style. To begin with, one must know the principles of Iai. Iai is the drawing of the sword, followed by the cutting of the opponent, followed by the swinging off of the blood, followed by resheathing the blade all in a single move. Many different styles of Iaijutsu exist, but none are as remarkable as Tan-no-Ken-to-Tsu-no-Kiritori-Ryuu. This style takes the speed of it one step farther. The blade is drawn, cuts twice, and resheathed in a fraction of a second, giving her the appearance of never moving her arm. At the very least, it looks like a twitch to the trained eye. The only way it is seen is by a glint of light that represents the blade's reflection of light. This arc is lavender in color. However, the true purpose of this speed is to never let the opponent see how long Tsubine's sword truly is, giving them only the arc and sheath length to go by. When facing against opponents, there are three ways to win with Kendo and Iai. Those three ways are sen-no-sen, sen, sen-no-go, and go-no-sen. Sen-no-sen occurs when the enemy is unprepeared, surprised, or is otherwise showing a clear opening. Sen is when the opponent is about to attack, when she has focused her mind and body on offense and is therefore unable to defend. Sen-no-go is when the enemy is in the middle of her attack and has no way to protect himself. Go-no-sen, the final chance, arrives after defending against the enemy's attack, in the moment of vunerability before she recovers. Tsubine learned that those four methods are the only way to win a battle. With Iai, Tsubine can take all four of those. The speed of her strikes allow for her to take advantage of any of those, especially sen-no-go.

» Tsu-Naku-Kiru-Ryuu(津なく切る流; lit. Style of cutting without inquiring): Tsu-Naku-Kiru-Ryuu is her school of Kenjutsu. It is among the same vein of Tsu-no-Kiritori-Ryuu in that it requires an expert knowledge of one's own sword—or in this case, swords. Tsu-Naku-Kiru-Ryuu is unique in that it specializes in having multiple weapons out at once, with perhaps more available to be used. It has a unique flow to it, encouraging the user to drop and later re-obtain the weapons as combat dictates. Even more so, the style encourages the user to have multiple weapons available. Sword is stuck in a block? Drop it, draw dagger, stab. Think a fight may take a while? Drop secondary sword, pick it up later for a surprise attack. The style trains the user to use the least amount of energy possible in retrieving a weapon while also doing it in the fastest manner possible. Thus, one must know the weight, length, balance, and even wind resistance of their weapon by heart or else the style fails.

» Painting and Calligraphy: Although it does not help in combat in any way whatsoever, Tsubine is a talented painter and calligraphist. She tries to get others to practice an art like hers too, as she says it keeps the mind calm. Well, she seems to be a hypocrite as she swears like a sailor if something ends up wrong.

» Master Trainer: Tsubine is surprisingly a good trainer, if you can catch her eye. She has trained Zin Yuudeshi, a rather... stubborn student (to say the fucking least). If she can teach that hardhead anything, she is more than capable of teaching just about anyone else.

» Master Bladesmith: Tsubine may not do it actively anymore, but her blades are among the best made. She can tell the balance of a blade with a single heft, determining its weakest spots. Because of this training, she can give advice on how to properly wield the sword according to its balance.

» Equipment: Tsubine does have a various collection of high-quality weapons. Most of them are katana and wakizashi blades (some not even mounted), but she also has a surprising number of naginata.

» Sealed Zanpakutô Abilities: Tsubine's Zanpakutou has only one ability while sealed. Shōtenshō (衝天象; Opposing Image) is a special ability that allows her to fight when her mind does not wish to after it has given out. It is effectively her becoming an automaton to defend herself at the last moment. She must be on the verge of death for Shōtenshō to activate, and it is not a conscious effort. It is her Zanpakutou protecting itself. She could even be unconscious while her body is "possessed" by the idea of protecting herself, allowing her to fight even in the worst condition possible. In total, Tsubine's body and mind allow her to stay within Shōtenshō for approximately three minutes before she is comatose for approximately two weeks. She does not remember anything that happens whilst in Shōtenshō. Shōtenshō could perhaps be the embodiment of the Mukō state mentioned above.

» Zanpakutô Name: Shizen no Hōsoku (自然の法則; Rules of Nature); Shizen for short

» Zanpakutô Spirit Appearance: Shizen no Hōsoku takes the form of... well, a myth. It is either a Buddhist figure or an oni, depending on who was asked to describe it. Tsubine herself would describe it as an oni. It is a male figure, approximately twenty feet tall. His skin is dark grey with a stone-like texture. His glowing red eyes are too small for his face, giving them the appearance of two pinpoint dots. It has hair, black as night, pulled back into a topknot. It has a pair of elongated canine teeth that force it to have an underbite. Most notably, however, is that it has four arms instead of only two. Each one wields a sword, or at least has a sword ready to be drawn. The arms, as well as its garb, make many people think it is a Buddhist figure rather than an oni. Its garb appears to be that of some Buddhist deity, although it doesn't match any known interpretation.

» Inner World: Shizen no Hōsoku's inner world is modest Japanese temple with many Torii and small shrines floating around it on chunks of rock that float in an empty, perpetually-dusk (or dawn, it's rather hard to tell) sky. Cherry blossoms from rocks that have the giant trees do scatter about, giving it a very unique "rain" occasionally. The central temple, however, is where Shizen no Hōsoku makes his residence. Despite being modest on the outside, the inside of temple is much larger—comparable to an imperial palace over a simple temple. Most rooms are accessible by a single, long hallway that leads to the main sanctum. Inside there is Shizen no Hōsoku.


» Zanpakutô Appearance: Shizen no Hōsoku takes the form of a pair of katana. Besides the hamon (the wave-like pattern along the blade), the swords are identical. They are approximately 36 inches long, hilt included. The blade itself is only 29 inches long, but that includes the includes the tang. The tsuba on each is a an empty wheel with five curved "spokes." The hilt and scabbard are of a blue that matches Tsubine's own attire nowadays. The hilt starts a pattern. The pattern begins with a a golden shape that is best described as a stylized "E." It has two long points that extend about about two inches up the hilt, with a gentle "s" curve on both sides. There are four black stripes of leather along the hilt, each one bordered with small golden bands. The scabbard has an entirely different pattern to it. Each one starts off being mostly solid blue with what looks to be artistic splashes of yellow paint. As you go down the length, the yellow splotches increase until it is more yellow than blue.

» Shikai Release Phrase: [What is your shinigami's release pharse?]

» Shikai Name: Shizen no Hōsoku (自然の法則; Rules of Nature)

» Shikai Appearance: Shizen no Hōsoku does not change much upon release. Well, the base swords don't change. Instead they split into identical copies of themselves appearance-wise. The new swords appear beneath her current ones, already sheathed. Each blade is different in one way, however. Each blade has a different Kanji inscribed above the hilt (地, 水, 火, and 風). When drawn the one that is being focused upon (the one being actively used) has a glow to it. The color of the glow depends on the blade in question.

» Shikai Abilities: Shizen no Hōsoku is based around the godai (五大, lit. "five great") of Japanese Buddhism. The godai are the 5 elements that make of the world in all forms. Each element is said to represent a certain tendency in the world, whether it be in physics, in spirituality or even just in personality. Together they are said to explain the nature of things, of action, of societies, and of people. The five elements are: Ji (地; earth), Sui (水; water), Ka (火; fire), Fū (風; wind), and Kū (空; Void). Only Kū is unable to be used in her Shikai, as it is far too complex of a concept for a Shikai. Each of the following abilities are extremely difficult to fix by the afflicted. However, an outside force can usually easily remedy the affliction. In Shikai, these abilities cannot be used together.

• Ji: Ji represents the solid aspects of the world. A single stone is the most apt visualization of Ji—it is highly resistant to change. In a person, bones and tissue are usually associated with Ji. Ji is also associated with stubbornness, collectiveness, stability, physicality, and gravity. Ji's ability is a simple halt to what it cuts. The tissue, bone, nerves, etc. cut by the blade will halt. They don't die, they just stop doing anything. This means that a wound won't bleed and there will be no pain. However, it will not heal on its own either. Effectively, this wound is frozen at the point the wound occurred for 5 turns. Ji-inflicted wounds do not stack with one another. Ji is represented by a yellow glow.
  
  
• Sui: Sui represents fluid and flowing things of the world. Besides rivers as an obvious example, plants are sometimes used as an example of Sui. They change with the time of day, the year, the climate, etc. They adapt and grow, giving them association with Sui. Blood and other bodily fluids are associated with Sui. Sui is also associated with emotion, defensiveness, adaptability, flexibility, suppleness, and magnetism. Sui's ability is the only one that does not require it to have cut to have an effect. Sui draws forth a biological fluid (this does include blood, but is not limited to it) within 5 yards of the blade's tip. It cannot be pulled through solid objects, thus it cannot be pulled from a closed container. This also means it cannot be pulled from an undamaged human. However, a sufficient break in the skin can allow for the liquid to be removed. Sui gathers the liquid in a ball at the tip of its blade and can be held for what seems like hours before being dismissed—meaning the ball drops. Sui can gather up to half of a liter of liquid from a source per five turns. Sui is represented by a blue glow.
  
  
• Ka: Ka represents the energy that moves things in the world. Animals, body heat, and our metabolisms are all good examples of Ka. Ka is associated with security, motivation, desire, intention, and an outgoing spirit. Ka's ability is that it raises the body heat of the cut area, as well as five inches away from the cut, by 5 degrees. If cuts are close together, they do stack. An odd effect of Ka is that it increases the afflicted's metabolism by about 50% for 5 minutes. This does not do much but make someone hungry faster. The metabolism effect only stacks duration-wise, adding an additional five minutes to the remaining time of the last cut. Ka is represented by a red glow.
  
  
• Fū: Fū is slightly similar to Sui. The difference between the two is that Fū represents freedom of movement whereas Sui requires stability while it changes. Fū can, in some ways, be best represented by the human mind. As we grow physically, we learn and expand mentally as well, in terms of our knowledge, our experiences, and our personalities. Fū represents breathing, and the internal processes associated with respiration. It can be associated with will, elusiveness, evasiveness, benevolence, compassion, and wisdom. Fū's ability is slightly grotesque. Upon contact with a non-godai wound (meaning one not caused by Tsubine's Shikai, Bankai, or Shikokai), Fu causes the wound to expand by approximately 5%. This applies to bone fractures, cuts, or anything of the like. If this was a straight cut 1cm across and 10cm long, it would grow .05cm across and .5cm long. A wound can only be affected by Fū once. It can affect one wound per turn. Fū is represented by a dark green glow.

» Bankai Name: Shinseina Muttsu no Hōsoku (神聖な六つの法則; Six Divine Laws)
» Bankai Appearance: Much does not change about Tsubine upon release of Bankai. However, the swords do change. They stay a matching set of four, but their entire shape is changed. The blades are

» Bankai Abilities: Much of Shizen no Hōsoku is what happens when one element is the focus. However, Shinseina Muttsu no Hōsoku is what happens when multiple elements are used. Shinseina Muttsu no Hōsoku allows Tsubine to dual-wield abilities, using two different affixes at one time. This means she can use, for example, Sui and Ji's abilities at the same time. However, she can instead change the focus into mixing the two elements to create something entirely different. However, each element has an opposite, meaning it cannot be used alongside it (i.e. Ji and Fū, Sui and Ka). When they are used together, they create a Kongō (混合; Mixture). Each Kongō relates to both elements.

• Ji-Sui: When Ji and Sui are the chosen Kongō, both blades have a yellow-green glow. Ji-Sui's cuts increase the weight of the area around the cut (5 inches) by 5%. This effect does stack to a maximum of 250% (though that's 50 cuts). Ji-Sui can only affect someone twice per turn.
  
  
• Ji-Ka: When Ji and Ka are the chosen Kongō, both blades have an orange glow. When it cuts, the wound will scar over after approximately five seconds. This is different from Ji's ability, as the nerves still work (as best they can under a scar). The body usually registers the scar as "healed," meaning no further healing can be done at that point unless the healer is exceptionally skilled. Ji-Ka only scars once per five posts.
  
  
• Fū-Sui: When Fū and Sui are the chosen Kongō, both blades have a cyan glow. Fū-Sui causes energy to flow out of the wound caused. This also causes blood to flow out of the wound more than normal, and it does not stop until healed or sufficient pressure is applied. Fū-Sui can only affect one wound at a time, and it cannot switch wounds in the same post. Thus, it can only have an affected cut once per turn.
  
  
• Fū-Ka: When Fū and Ka are the chosen Kongō, both blades have a purple glow. A very small area (approximately 5mm) around a cut from Fū-Ka effectively becomes uncontrollable. If it's a finger that's nicked, the finger may start twitching about, unable to be stopped. This lasts for one turn. Areas affected by Fū-Ka are immune to further effects from Fū-Ka for 5 turns.

Alternative: In the event that Tsubine does not with use the swords' abilities, she can instead call upon Niō Kurikara (仁王倶利; Benevolent King Kurikara). Niō Kurikara is not a completely separate release. Instead, it summons something akin to her Zanpakutou spirit into the world around her. This being is Niō Kurikara. With his four arms, he can wield all four swords at once—which he does. This is a last-ditch effort, as she will be left without her Zanpakutou. Niō Kurikara does gain the ability to use any of the swords' abilities. They are treated as unreleased Zanpakutou. For effects that specifically target the release, they must target Niō Kurikara instead (e.g. if someone's Shikai seals a Zanpakutou on contact with the released Zanpakutou, they would only gain that effect if they struck Niō Kurikara).

» Shikokai Name: Rokudō Gōrin - Kurikara Tenshō (六道五輪・倶利伽羅天象; Six Realms Five Planes - The Divine Figure of Kurikara )

» Shikokai Appearance: Upon release of Rokudō Gōrin - Kurikara Tenshō , Tsubine does change to be more like her Zanpakutou spirit (as it should be). This mainly takes the form of her growing an additional pair of arms. These grow from her shoulder, putting her arms at the same location, just one could be called her "front arms" and the other her "back arms." She also has what can best be described as a sutra given form floating about one foot from her back. It is made of pure reishi. The sutra takes the form of a flower, but it is not solid. Instead, it is many different sutras written in Sanskrit that take are arranged in the shape of a flower. It is a rapidly-decaying flower, however, with it effectively marking the time limit of her Shikokai. Once it fully fades, any longer risks the Shikokai damaging her or her Zanpakutou.

» Shikokai Abilities: While in Shikokai, Tsubine loses all of her abilities from Shikai and Bankai. This is because her Shikokai is the embodiment of Kū. Her blades now glow with a bright silver instead. As her blades are now the embodiment of Kū, their cuts now sever bonds between things. This is most effective when severing limbs rather than a simple cut when it comes to a human. When the blade is pulled out of a small cut, it doesn't bleed as it is not registering that there was a flow of blood to a point further down the arm. There is no pain either. However, it cannot be healed by normal means. Normal time nor regeneration will not work, as the two parts of the wound will not register that there was a bond. It would be like an organ transplant—there is a decent chance of rejection. This is worse when it cuts an entire limb off. Using an arm as an example, the host body and the now-severed arm would be counted as having come from two separate entities. Again, there is a chance of rejection. Thankfully, this does not do such things as changing blood types or anything of that sort. All this ability does is make the wound tell its two halves that they were not part of a whole. Even though the pieces fit right, the body says it isn't what it is missing. Tsubine can only sever a bond once a turn. However, that is not the biggest limitation of her Shikokai. Tsubine can only affect one person at a time. This persists even after she seals her Shikokai. So, if Tsubine used her Shikokai on Person A five years ago and used it on Person B now the severed "bond" would be restored on Person A. This means that if, for whatever reason, they still have the severed limb, it could be reattached without any issue (unless the limb was in very bad medical condition). This is an Event-only ability.

Alright! So these are all of the notes I have for this app. This is Tsubine von Zarkonheinz [not the one mentioned in the Sugiura history, as that didn't fit with Tsubine], just retooled to give me a "fresh" start whilst still keeping Tsubine's old connections. Tsubine's old app is here. Because I have been gone for 5 years, there is a lot that changed. So it's easier to work with a somewhat fresh look on the character. I also realized that Tsubine has a lot of history. Instead of asking every time if a specific event worked, I'm going with what I had mostly. If it doesn't work, I'm glad to try to work something else in with discussion.

NOTE [6/26/2017]: Kyle approved Tsubine having Grandmaster in weapon's skill.

General Skills

• Durability: Advanced
  
• General Speed: Master
  
• Strength: Advanced
  
• Weapon Skill: Grand Master
  

Racial Skills

• Hoho: Advanced
  
• Kidou: Advanced
  
• Zanjutsu: Master
  
• Hakuda: Advanced
  

Will Skills

• Willpower: Advanced
  
• Mental Deduction: Advanced
  
• Pain Endurance: Adept
  
• Focus: Advanced
  

Ji

Sui

Fu

Ji-Sui

Ji-Ka

Fu-Sui

Fu-Ka

Alternative

Shikokai Ability