Application for witchesreign

[noble_pride]

Name: Lex
Journal: evilwildlex
Contact: AIM - Katana Maid, email - evil_wild_lex AT yahoo DOT com


Character Name: Byakuya Kuchiki
Series: Bleach
Gender: Male
Age & Canon Point: Byakuya's age is never outright stated. However, it is known that shinigami have very long lifespans if they're not killed, and he was an adolescent 110 years ago. Physically, he looks like he's in his mid to late twenties. Canon point is chapter 423 in the manga, after Aizen's defeat.
Requested Sponsor: N/A He was probably sponsored with Diamond in the past.
Entry position (Cadet, SeeD, Instructor, other): Instructor (WTR 201 and WTR 202)
History: http://bleach.wikia.com/wiki/Byakuya_Kuchiki (minus the anime-only filler arcs). Using the wikipedia because it's thorough and Byakuya has a really, really long history and adding in a short blurb for a recent history with Garden.

Byakuya arrived via Time Compression three years ago. Upon arrival and realizing that he had no way to get home, he decided that he would claim to be twenty four and complete his Garden education as quickly as possible in order to give himself a chance to learn more about the strange world he found himself in. Decades of military experience helped him pass the SeeD exam on his first try. He spent some time as a SeeD for the chance to study the world directly. While he obeyed orders to avoid using special abilities people of the world would find disturbing, he found it somewhat frustrating and inefficient. When a teaching position opened up, he applied and got the job.

Abilities & Physical Abnormalities: Physically, Byakuya looks normal aside from the hair pieces he wears called kenseikan that symbolize his leadership of the head of the Kuchiki clan. He will pointedly ignore any comments about them resembling noodles.

As a shinigami captain, Byakuya has a number of abilities. He's capable of superhumanly fast movements called flash steps, he's proficient with kidou (which is essentially shinigami magic), and his sword Senbonzakura. When he uses the command "Scatter, Senbonzakura", his sword will release its power (shikai) and it looks like sakura petals floating around but is actually the blade broken up into many smaller blades to attack an opponent from multiple angles. The command Bankai is comparable to a sort of ultimate limit break. The sword appears to disappear into the ground, and in its place two rows of giant blades emerge from the ground on either side of Byakuya before scattering into many more tiny blades than the initial release.

There are quite a few kidou spells, but one that's worth mentioning because it's the one Byakuya uses most often is Way of Binding #61 - six rods prison of light. Six bars of light trap the target and immobilize them almost completely (they can move facial muscles but little else). Its effects are temporary although how long it lasts will depends on the power of the caster and the power of the person it's cast on.

Personality: Byakuya is a proud man with a strong belief in law and order. He will not suffer rule-breakers and fools, although he holds himself to extremely exacting and rigid standards as well. He believes that if he does not set an example that others will not see any reason to follow the rules. In the past, this has led him to see things in very black and white, absolute terms. After being faced with a situation that left him feeling deeply conflicted, his views have relaxed slightly. As high as his standards might remain, he can understand the difficulties one might face when a person's duties clash. After all, he had that experience when he was faced with the promises he made to his late wife Hisana vs. the promise he made to his parents to obey the laws of Soul Society. As a result, he has learned to show slightly more leeway than in the past, if there are extenuating circumstances. He is still as intolerant as ever of rule breaking that isn't the result of conflicting duty, though.

Byakuya is a calm and serious person. Not only is he dedicated to his responsibilities, but he also acts this way due to being from one of the four noble houses. His pride borders on arrogance, and there are very few people that he will acknowledge as being equal to him. There are even less people that he will acknowledge as being superior, although he shows the respect due when someone is. He comes close to being arrogant but isn't quite there because he can actually back up the majority of his claims. He is able to realistically assess his weaknesses in battle, how they might be exploited, and how he can best prepare himself for that possibility. His self-confidence is justified. He will never be accused of being too modest, though. He belives that he knows his place - which happens to be above most other people.

Byakuya possesses an understated sense of humour. It's easy to miss since he rarely smiles and never laughs (where others can see him anyhow), but it is there. This is shown at one point when his lieutenant (Renji) is asking him where he goes to get his hair done and he claims to use his sword, Senbonzakura to cut it. Although he's not obligated to attend lieutenant meetings for Renji, he does it because it amuses him. He even attends his adopted sister Rukia's shinigami women's association meetings for his own entertainment. It's also shown by his calm tolerance of the young 11th division lieutenant (Yachiru)'s antics. Since she is still a child, he puts up with her antics and has even been prepared with treats for her when she crashes meetings she hasn't been invited to.

Byakuya gets annoyed by rash, impulsive behaviour. Some of this is because it reminds him of himself when he was younger. When he was younger, he was hot-headed, impulsive, and more inclined to follow his heart than the rules. As he grew up, he calmed down, but it was Hisana's death that really caused him to emotionally shut down and become part of who he is today. For a long time, it was difficult for him to even look at Rukia, because she looked so much like her elder sister (Hisana). After finally telling Rukia the truth about why he had adopted her, he was able to begin recovering from his loss and developed a brotherly fondness for Rukia in her own right. Byakuya may be calm and collected, but attacking Rukia is a surefire way to provoke him into fighting and killing.

All in all, Byakuya is an honourable man. He's far from friendly, but is still capable of compassion and extreme dedication.

What are your plans for the character in-game? Byakuya will be a responsible instructor at Garden and able to go on SeeD missions if/when the situation warrants it. He will not approve of how the Disciplinary Committee is run and will likely make a suggestion to Headmaster Cid that they be required to report to a staff member. If needed, he will be that staff member. In fact, he might volunteer out of spite and to ensure that things are up to his standards of order and discipline. He'll probably get along quite well with Lightning as a co-worker.

Anything else? He is the master of linefacing. :|



Complete TWO out of the FOUR options.
i) IC Questionnaire (can be found on the application page)
ii) Prose sample (can be general or a response to the post's prompt).
iii) Bracket/Commentspam RP sample (can be general or a response to the post's prompt).
iv) Thread link

(As this questionnaire is entirely IC, your character is free to lie.)
What do you prefer to be known as? 6th Division Captain Byakuya Kuchiki, 28th head of the noble house of Kuchiki.
How old are you? Twenty seven

Do you have any history in combat? Yes. I was the captain of one of the thirteen protection squads.
If so, have you ever killed? Yes.

i) How do you feel when you get involved in some project that calls for immediate and rapid activity? That I will do my duty and that I must not allow myself to get distracted from that duty.

ii) Do you organize and initiate leisure activities? When my work is done and there is leisure time to be had, yes. I used to hold calligraphy club meetings at my family's estate.

iii) What role do you take when working in a group? Leader, unless there is someone higher in the chain of command.

iv) How talkative are you around other people? Not very. I say what is needed and little else.

v) What three things would you want to have with you on a desert island? State your reasoning. I cannot fathom a situation where I would be stranded in such a way. However, for the purposes of answering this questionnaire, my sword to defend myself, a radio with a suitably strong signal to request a boat, and a large bottle of drinkable water to ensure I remained hydrated.

vi) Is it important to be liked by a wide range of people? No. So long as I fulfill my responsibilities to the best of my ability, I could care less if I am liked by many.

vii) When the odds are against you, is it worth taking a chance? It depends on the reason. If it is for something important, then yes. It is possible to defy the odds on occasion if one is determined enough.

viii) Do you consider yourself to be an impulsive person? Not anymore. I was when I was an adolescent. I have outgrown that behaviour.

ix) Would you agree that planning things ahead takes the fun out of life? No. It is important to plan things to ensure that events run smoothly.

x) Do you like surprises? Not particularly.

xi) Do you sometimes wonder if there is something wrong with you? There is nothing wrong with me. I sometimes wonder what is wrong with others.

xii) Do you consider yourself to be smarter than your superiors, and disagree with their decisions? Rarely. Those who are my superiors have earned their ranks.

xiii) Lastly, how do you feel about cabbages? I fail to see how this is relevant to your other questions, but they are nutritious, I suppose.


Prose sample:

There were a number of things Byakuya missed about Soul Society. Not that he would ever admit to anything of the sort here. He didn't discuss Soul Society with people who had no business knowing about it. What he missed the most right now was the Kuchiki clan's spacious estate. Instructor's quarters were an improvement over the cadet quarters, and he no longer had to endure having a roommate. They still paled in comparison to the living space he was accustomed to. At the moment, he was in his office when a small female cadet came barrelling through the halls. At first she ran past his office entirely, but upon realizing there was someone there, she approached slowly and knocked politely on the door. The shouting that followed was less polite.

"Instructor Kuchiki! There's a fight in the hallways! Two guys are beating the crap out of each other, and a third is sitting on the ground holding his stomach!"

He had been ready to reprimand the blonde girl for running in the halls and for not waiting to be acknowledged before she spoke. When he heard what was happening, he stood up quickly. His question was a single word. "Where?"

A few minutes later, he had the names and cadet numbers of the two boys who had been fighting, the girl who had contacted him, and a third boy one of the two had attacked first. All three of the boys had injuries. The two that he broke up were even singed from flinging around magic. All in all, a disaster. He gave the cadets a flatly stern look.

"Explain yourselves. Starting with you, Cadet Titching," he said, looking at one of the two singed boys. "Then I will hear your story, Cadet Nagoya, then yours, Cadet Desmarais." Looking at the girl who had initially sought him out, he added, "After, I will hear your side, Cadet Niedrstehn."

It took some time and pointed insistence that they all get to the point and eliminate details that weren't pertinent, but he sorted out roughly what had happened. He summarized it for them. "So, Cadet Demarais, you were kissing Cadet Titching's girlfriend last night and he found out about it. Cadet Titching, instead of ending your relationship with your girlfriend and moving on, you attacked Cadet Desmarais in the halls without warning. Cadet Nagoya, you came to the defense of Cadet Demarais a minute later because he is your friend. Cadet Neiderstehn, you happened upon Cadets Nagoya and Titching fighting and ran to inform me."

"Yes, sir," they all murmured quietly.

"Then I will assign your punishments accordingly. Cadet Neiderstehn, while there would normally be penalties for running in the hallway, you were concerned for your fellow cadets and informing a staff member instead of trying to break up the fight yourself was the correct thing to do. You are dismissed."

Cadet Neiderstehn nodded her head and walked away quickly.

"Cadet Titching, you will have three weeks of detention. Cadet Nagoya, you will have two. Cadet Demarais, you will have three days of detention."

"Me? But I wasn't even fighting! Titching just started wailing on me!" protested Cadet Demarais. Titching and Nagoya both looked like they had things to say, if their stiff body language was any indication. To their credit, they kept quiet.

"That will be a full week instead since you have failed to show an instructor the appropriate respect, Cadet Demarais. While Cadet Titching's actions were his own, your own conduct was inappropriate and involved breaking curfew, since you were somewhere other than the Training Center after hours. Cadet Titching, you have the longest detention because you were not only fighting in the hallways, but you assaulted another student. Cadet Nagoya, while you were acting in the defense of your friend, you let the fight escalate to the point that you both used magic in the hallways. It would be within my rights to bring you to the headmaster and suggest your expulsion. However, tensions are high with the threat of Galbadia on the horizon, so I am showing some leniency. The three of you will serve your detentions after your injuries have healed sufficiently. I will inform the custodial staff that they will have some extra help keeping the cafeteria, locker room, and bathrooms clean in the near future. For now, I will see the three of you to the infirmary. You will remain silent and keep your hands to yourselves."