Keiko Kuchiki [Approved, 5-1] [Hazard Rating E]

» Name: Keiko Kuchiki (朽木 敬子)
» Titles: Bastard
» Appearance Age: Teens
» True Age: 17
» Gender: Female
» Sexuality: Homosexual
» Affiliation/Rank: Shin'o Academy / 7th Division Intern

» Height: 4'10 ft / 146 cm
» Weight: 86 lbs / 39 kg

Serious

Keiko doesn't have much in the way of humour, though there are things she can laugh at, mostly simple jokes or stories with unexpectedly funny endings told by her mother. In general, Keiko is a bit muted with her expressions, and a lot of nuance goes over her head in conversation. In her experience, people frequently say things they don't mean, or mean things they're not saying, and the complexity of conversation has cause Keiko to shy away from a lot of it altogether.

Misandrous

The majority of Keiko's experience with men is her two fathers. Her mother's husband, Kagemori Kuchiki, who hates Keiko and often expresses that verbally and physically, and her real father, Yoshimaru Shihouin, who fled responsibility over her. There's been kinder men in her life, but the majority of Keiko's time with males has birthed within her a pervasive fear, that androphobia mostly expressed within her direct family. Outside of her direct family, where Keiko has a bit more power and autonomy on account of her status, Keiko tries to distance herself from men as much as she can, and ends up directing that fear instead into anger and hatred, thereon manifesting as misandry. She tries to be polite and hold herself back in certain settings, such as the classroom, or when meeting important figures in Soul Society, but she still comes into trouble. For example, her zanjutsu instructor is male, and she's been asked if she'd like to switch to a class with a female instructor before, but that would hurt her pride to utilise her privilege in this manner.

Adventurous

Keiko is fascinated with adventure stories, peering into and conquering the unknown, and is a curious cat in general. she's willing to explore a lot of things, not just a location but topics and ideas as a whole, such as experimenting with some thoughts she's had for simple kido, or hakuda techniques. This curiosity leads her into trying a lot of new things, as Keiko believes first-hand, hands-on experience is the best way to learn things or form an opinion on them.

Childish

Keiko is at the age where shes tries to be more grown up, but ultimately, especially for a plus, she's still very young. She has some childish tastes, like a lot of sugar and cream in her coffee, but less literally Keiko's ideas of fun is a lot of playing around in the yard, tinkering around in her imagination, or listening to fantastical stories. She's not likely to easily admit these sorts of things and tries hard to maintain an adultish demeanor. She also detests people underestimating her, calling her a child, or treating her like one. There's a lot for her to prove, and she feels that others should take that side of her seriously.



Keiko was born into a status of immense privilege. Her mother, Kimiko, was a Kuchiki, born to the main branch. She was married to a man of lower-nobility, whom came into the his wife's family on account of their difference in status. But, her husband was not Keiko's father. Their marriage had a bit of affection in it, but it was arranged and mostly political. Instead, Kimiko had an affair with a man from the Shihouin household, and had Keiko out of wedlock. Their secret was discovered, and a rain of shame poured over the couple. It was especially a tumultuous time as the father fled from responsibility to the living realm. Kimiko's husband was unwilling to keep and raise a child that wasn't his own, but the outside pressure made sure he did. This was, after all, a union of two great noble families.

Noble society was very unforgiving to Keiko. She was met with affection, or at least courtesy and respect, but it was clear that this "love" was built on ulterior motives and recognition of her special status. She may not have understood exactly what these ulterior motives were in her youth, but a child's eyes are perceptive. In equal amounts, Keiko was met with scorn or pity out of being a bastard child, though most of this was influenced by Kimiko's competitors within the Kuchiki and the more chatty nobles of other families. As a result, Keiko grew up very shy and attached to her mother, an exceptional kind but subdued woman. So subdued, that Kimiko did little to defend Keiko from the frustrations of her husband. Out of guilt for her adultery, Kimiko felt as though she owed her husband, and that it was his right to abuse Keiko. This was all behind closed blinds, of course. Keiko was, after all, a golden goose.

Because of this status, Keiko was treated exceptionally well in public affairs, and she received the very best of amenities and education in public settings. The Shihouin took little responsibility for Keiko, so she was fully recognised to be under the Kuchiki custody, and her mother was far down enough in the main branch to mean Keiko's inheritance of the main family was far from likely, but there was plenty of potential political power to be had in a child of two great noble houses.

This sort of status served to further her sense of isolation, but despite feeling very complicated over all these differences of treatment and perspective from diverse angles, Keiko still attached herself to the Kuchiki name. Kimiko was the most loving and therefore loved figure in the child's heart, so by extension Keiko viewed her mother's clan as her true home. It helped that many Kuchiki elders treated her very well; more distant than her mother, with some sense of coldness and calculation in their eyes, but well nonetheless. On the other hand, Keiko grew to distance herself from any association with the Shihouin, going so far as to hate her paternal heritage. It wasn't helpful that her appearance and talents aligned well to the Shihouin, such that even a look in the mirror reminded her of who her real father came from. Keiko had darker skin, and in many tests, a potential found in subjects aligned to the stealth force.

Keiko tried hard to disassociate herself from any comparison to the Shihouin, but the joy Kimiko expressed when discovering Keiko's potential with subterfuge, hakuda, hoho, and more--Keiko couldn't help but try to do well in these subjects. This cognitive dissonance deepened when Kimiko gifted her a uniform akin to Onmitsukido garb. At this point, Keiko decided to just all in, even if she at first detested even the idea of it.

Keiko decided to enroll into Shin'o Academy. There was some resistance from others, mostly due to her age; most people fully expected the girl to receive formal shinigami training beyond personal tutorship, but Keiko was still in her teen years. Many found it more prudent to train her well enough to pass through the academy swiftly, with graduation being more of a formality than anything. Fortunately, Keiko received approval to enroll by the authority of some elder members, who looked at her determination with fondness and amusement. For them, and for Keiko's mother, they understood that Keiko's early enrollment was more of a challenge. Not just to the people around her, but to herself. At first it hurt her pride to study in the shinigami arts, knowing that she'd most likely walk down the path of the Stealth Force, but as a means to overcome this, Keiko resolved to simply become the best in their field. And, once she'd do so, she'd proudly claim herself a Kuchiki, and that being a Shihouin had nothing to do with it. In a way, to her, it was a way to overcome and stand above her father's side.

It's been a year since Keiko first enrolled into Shin'o. After classes and tutorship at home, Keiko does internship and volunteer work in Seventh Division, purposefully steering clear of Fifth Division.



Vizard Symptoms: Particularly when she becomes emotional, sometimes you can detect a seedling of a mutated spiritual signature from Keiko, like a hint of hollow energy.

Feline Transformation: Discovered in her early years. While playing with some roaming cats outside the yard of the Kuchiki Manor, one transformed into a humanoid form. At the time, Keiko wasn't aware of what a Kuchiki and a Shihouin was, so after conversing with the cats, she was taught to transform into one herself. Now that she's older and knows that this is a Shihouin art, Keiko adamantly refuses to use it. The girl aims to master the arts that the Shihouin clan performs well in to stand above them, but this technique in particular has so little purpose that she'd rather not even touch it again. That said, Keiko can still understand other cats, even without transforming.



Hoho: By far Keiko's most attuned subject of the shinigami fundamentals. It's only been a year since Keiko first enrolled into the academy, and she's completed all courses within Hoho ahead of time. Of all fundamentals, Keiko dedicates the most personal practice in this field.

Utsusemi: After many days of non-stop practice, Keiko has finally learned to create afterimages. They last very briefly, and she can create only up to two at a time

Kido: The subject Keiko has most difficulty with. Her troubles have nothing to do with manipulating her reiryoku--in fact, manipulating her energy comes fairly easily to her. Keiko has an issue with matching kido chants to the spell itself, and she often questions the chants in the classroom. As far as she's concerned, if you can focus on the actual manipulation of energy and formation of the spell itself, it seems redundant and superfluous to speak a kido into existence, as opposed to simply willing it. Reluctantly, Keiko follows the curriculum in class, but in private practice she prefers to exert her focus on chantless casting. As a result, Keiko is only a bit ahead in her kido classes, as she has no issue with execution, but doesn't do as well with the written tests.

Silent Incantation: Solely virtue of practice and adaptation to this method, Keiko has no issue casting any kidou she's capable of without an incantation. There's virtually no difference in the strength and quality of her kido with an incantation or without an incantation.

Bakudo: There's no issues with Keiko's other kido types, she just enjoys casting Bakudo the most. Bakudo feels the least straight-forward, not necessarily complex, but the execution of bakudo spells and the efficient usage of it feels the most nuanced, like you have to think more about how to use it well. To Keiko, Kaido and Hadō comparatively seem more straightforward, where there's more focus on the results of their casting. It's a personal preference, but as a result Keiko is most experienced with sealing and barrier spells.

Zanjutsu: The subject Keiko has the least talent in. It's not that she's bad at zanjutsu, but that she's just much better at the other subjects, and in comparison her swordsmanship seems lacking. Keiko puts a lot of practice in this as a result, so she's still well ahead of her year in zanjutsu courses. A few mishaps with the instructors has made practicing zanjutsu very frustrating for her, and Keiko is convinced--or at least tells herself--that it's not her which doesn't excel at swordsmanship as much, as it is the lack of competent teaching. Keiko frequently argues with the instructor mockingly and passive aggressively.

Hakuda: By far her favourite subject, and one that just feels the most fun and fulfilling to practice. Keiko has finished all courses in Hakuda to graduate shin'o simply out of personal passion with the subject, but she still comes to the academy for advice and instruction with the teachers, even taking opportunities to spar with them when able.



General Skills

• Durability: Beginner
  
• General Speed: Beginner
  
• Strength: Beginner
  
• Weapon Skill: Beginner
  

Racial Skills

• Hoho: Beginner
  
• Kidō: Beginner
  
• Zanjutsu: Beginner
  
• Hakuda: Beginner
  

Will Skills

• Willpower: Adept
  
• Mental Deduction: Beginner
  
• Focus: Adept
  

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