Tsukimiya, Kyousuke - Shinigami

by **Tsukimiya** Fri Jun 01, 2012 11:34 am

Shinigami
Kyousuke Tsukimiya

Tsukimiya, Kyousuke - Shinigami Tsukimiyaportrait

Appearance

• Height | 180 cm
• Weight | 75 kg
• Hair Color & Style | Jet-black, a nondescript haircut that keeps it short enough to be out of the way
• Eye Color | Greyish-blue
• Overall Appearance
Kyousuke is of average height and weight—180 cm tall and weighing 75 kg—and though he's far from muscular, he has certain tone where it's expected on a swordsman; his shoulders, chest and upper arms show that while no bodybuilder, he can wield a sword competently. His build is lithe and supple, giving the distinct impression of being intended for speed and mobility rather than brute strength. Kyousuke's face is fairly plain; easy to forget but handsome to some. Although he looks honest at first glance, his grey-blue eyes—easily his most distinguishing feature—betray a detachment and intelligence capable of manipulation and deception. His hair is jet black and cut fairly short, and he shaves regularly. Kyousuke's face is unscarred, but his torso is riddled with a multitude of scars, testament to feats years past.

His posture gives him an air of humble nobility and calm, and while he does his best to blend in with his surroundings and keep a generally low profile, he possesses an indescribable charisma. This charisma mingles with the unavoidable feeling that there is something not quite right, something that sets him apart from most. The way he smiles, talks and carries himself hide his true nature, and while most are oblivious to what lurks underneath, some feel—on an almost unconscious level—that there is something amiss.

Kyousuke wears a one-of-a-kind mask created at his behest by a Twelfth Division researcher. The mask is chalk white with a pair of black, unemotional, almost disinterested set of eyes and mouth on it. It's made of synthetic Hollow-mask material, and if broken, can be reconstituted by applying reiatsu to any one of the pieces. The mask sees sporadic use and is intended as protective gear, and though when worn it garners him more than a few quizzical looks, he still keeps it on his person at all times as it is one of the few things he regards as a prized possession.

Apart from the mask, Kyousuke wears his Shinigami uniform with a certain dignified grace, keeping it unmodified and in immaculate shape. He is well aware of the fact that he is a soldier, and as such, his uniform is a largely functional garment intended for combat and hard use, but he sees no reason to let it fall into disrepair. His white haori is sleeveless and has pink lining, the emblem of the Fifth Division emblazoned boldly on its back.

Personality

Positive Traits

Discipline is perhaps Kyousuke’s strongest positive attribute, and for all intents and purposes he is the model soldier in this regard. He obeys orders unfalteringly whenever they come from above, and is quick to quell dissension in the ranks of those beneath him.
There are very few situations imaginable where Kyousuke would be at a loss for what to do. Able to keep his calm under all but the most dire circumstances, he acts assertively and remains cool and collected in order to deal with whatever may occur.
A strong sense of duty toward his division, geared perhaps more toward the role of the division than any sense of camaraderie with its members, is something Kyousuke possesses. Because divisional interests are so similar to his own, he believes it would be a sign of disrespect toward himself to neglect the division’s tasks or its members, as he recognizes the fact that they are all working toward the same goal.
Just as he is prepared to punish poor performance swiftly and with little mercy, Kyousuke is notorious for encouraging strong performance with generous rewards. He firmly believes that hard work deserves recognition, as recognition inspires more hard work.
Kyousuke isn’t one to hold grudges. Once someone has paid for their misdemeanor, the slate is wiped clean and they are essentially given a fresh start.

Negative Traits

Kyousuke is extremely impatient with others. He will often remind himself that patience is a virtue that he adheres to. While this is true when it comes to objects or things out of his control, as soon as it involves someone's intelligence or efficiency, his patience very quickly withers away. He will not let anyone else do something if he knows he can do it better or faster, and he is utterly incapable of teaching anyone anything. He takes too much knowledge or skill for granted, and while he's no wunderkind genius, he possesses a sharp intellect and is almost brutally practical.
Kyousuke has high expectations of everyone who serves under him, and does not tolerate failure. Though some would consider leniency in certain matters a requirement for anyone in a leadership position, Kyousuke believes that the work his division does must be flawless as not only is it of vital importance but also because poor work reflects poorly on both him and the division as a whole.
Kyousuke is highly manipulative, not to mention a pathological liar. While he is honest about his work, he is dishonest when it comes to practically everything else. He likes to keep secrets, he likes to keep people in the dark, and above all, he likes to know things that others do not.
Kyousuke possesses a complete disregard for the safety and well-being of others, and it is only his sense of duty to the division that keeps him from essentially classifying all its members as expendable. Those outside his division benefit from no such sentiments.
Though the list of people Kyousuke respects is short, the list of people he trusts is even shorter. He is deeply untrusting and as such there are very few people he can call true friends.

Habits

Despite the fact that his zanpakutō—like all others—never dulls, Kyousuke will spend hours tending to it, rubbing it down with oils, cleaning it, sharpening the edge with a grindstone, checking the fixtures, and polishing it. Kannaduki herself sees this as some sort of massage and is always particularly kittenish afterwards.
Organizing and reorganizing the extensive files he keeps in his office is a task that Kyousuke takes altogether too much pleasure in undertaking. His subordinates never openly question his motives, but it occurs almost once a week, and Kyousuke is in a noticeably better mood once it’s been done.

• Fears
For no apparent reason, Kyousuke fears large, open expanses of deep water. Naturally, this extends to travel by boat across said water, and though the fear isn't paralytic per se, he is extremely uncomfortable in situations that bring him close to open water. He can swim, but prefers not to, and will actively avoid any sort of water if at all possible. Ponds, moats, smaller lakes and rivers don't bother him as much as the ocean does.

• Goals
Kyousuke lives his life on a day-to-day basis, merely surviving to see the next sunrise is something he views as an accomplishment, especially given the fact that as a soldier his life is technically expendable. Long-term planning has never been his strong suit because he has never had anything to aspire to and because he doesn't want to make plans that aren't guaranteed to be carried out. He is content with his position, but should the opportunity present itself to do something different, he would make his mind up then and there.

• Overall Personality
Kyousuke's soul is split into three parts: himself, his zanpakutō, and traces of a third, unknown element. Together, these three parts combine to form his psyche, but Kyousuke is the ego, the first and dominant facet of his psychic apparetus, and as such, it is his personality that is dominant at all times.

Kyousuke himself is a sociopath, clinically antisocial. This doesn't mean that he's a social recluse—on the contrary, it means he is very sociable, but he always has an ulterior motive. He is superficially charming and amiable, extremely intelligent, highly manipulative, deceptive, detached and unemotional. He will go to great lengths to get his way, and cares very little about other people, with few exceptions.

Kyousuke remains calm under duress, partially because he feels no emotion, and partially because he takes a methodical, objective-based approach to problems. He is brutally efficient, analytical and calculating, and is very observant: he frequently extrapolates and deduces from small details. He is not a stranger to lying or falsifying information, and he frequently uses aliases.

Superficially, Kyousuke is charming, urbane, polite and relaxed, but this is a facade that he maintains in order to blend in and manipulate. He consistently pursues knowledge to satisfy his immense curiosity and desire to know everything, and as such he prefers to observe or discuss, avoiding direct physical confrontation. When he does find himself in a situation where physical force needs to be applied, he does so holding no quarter, and will use any means necessary to fulfill two basic objectives: one, to survive; and two, to get what it is he wants from his opponent.

Morally, Kyousuke is a utilitarian. He believes strongly in the idea that the ends justify the means, and although utilitarianism is typically based on the greatest benefit for the greatest amount of people, Kyousuke basis his morality on what will benefit himself and those close to him the most. As such, there is very little "right" and "wrong" in Kyousuke's view of things, there is only "more practical" and "less practical".

Abilities: Zanpakutō

• Zanpakutō Spirit
Kannaduki (神無月): Godless Moon
Kannaduki manifests as a petite, somewhat pale and dark-haired girl, beautiful in her feminine fragility. Her figure isn't childlike, but it isn't overly curvaceous, either. In a word, Kannaduki looks innocent, almost harmless in every way imaginable. Her eyes are ember-colored, and she is very temperamental, shifting easily between a wide range of emotions. The emotions play upon her features and can either detract or add to her considerable looks.

Kannaduki wears a shrine maiden's garb, a white kosode and red hakama, and her hair is unadorned, flowing freely down her back.

Kannaduki is the superego of Kyousuke's psyche, the second facet of Kyousuke's soul. She is highly emotional, being a representation of all the emotions Kyousuke does not possess or feel. While Kyousuke is detached and impassive, Kannaduki is socially apt, being able to offer insight into Kyousuke's relationships with other people, to discern their feelings and emotions and take them into consideration. As a contrast to Kyousuke's deception, Kannaduki is typically quite honest, and values subjectivity more than objectivity.

Her bond of trust with Kyousuke is considerable, and despite Kyousuke's reluctance to admit it, he is grateful for Kannaduki and the wisdom she provides. In many ways, the two are polar opposites, and because of this they value the relationship they maintain.

• Inner World
Kyousuke's inner world is a representation of his world view, it is the manifestation of his personality as the dominant facet of Kyousuke's psychic apparetus. Because he is in control, the internal dilemmas that he faces take place on his terms, in his mind.

The inner world is as much a reflection of Kyousuke's world view as it is of his psyche: he sees the world in shades of grey, stripping it of useless banalities such as emotion or morality and instead only grading things on a single scale, their usefulness. Similarly, he thinks and acts on the same scale, while being firmly rooted in the reality of his existence. As such, his inner world is a copy of the real world, but stripped of all color. Lush greenery and blue skies give way to innumerable shades of grey, light and dark become sharp whites and deep blacks. The only two sources of color in his inner world are its inhabitant, Kannaduki (Kyousuke himself remains black and white) and the enormous moon that floats silently in the sky at all times, matching the color of Kannaduki's eyes.

Kyousuke finds himself at ease in the expansive plane of his subconscious. The grayscale representation of the neutrality of his world view soothes him and strengthens his resolve.

• Sealed State
In her sealed state, Kannaduki takes the shape of a wakizashi. A relatively short, unadorned 40 cm blade joins the 25 cm sky-blue hilt, a black plum flower-shaped tsuba separating the two. Kyousuke keeps Kannaduki in a black, full-length katana scabbard tucked into his belt, creating the illusion that Kannaduki is longer than she truly is. As a result of this, Kyousuke draws deceptively fast and is able to engage at shorter distances and in closer confines than a standard-length katana would allow, where he employs a particular blend of swordplay and unarmed fighting techniques to defeat his opponents.

• Release Phrase | Okoridase, Kannaduki (怒り出せ　神無月): Fly into a rage, Kannaduki
• Ability
The simplest explanation of Kannaduki's ability is to say that it's an ability that enables simple replication, and by extension, force multiplication. While a similar effect can be achieved without release, what it essentially boils down to in such a case is using ridiculous speed to do something in rapid succession.

Kannaduki's shikai takes it one step further—doing something twice or more times, simultaneously. Two examples spring to mind: one, where a stabbing or thrusting motion is replicated, either for greater penetrative effect, or to come from more than one direction at once; two, where a swinging or slicing motion is replicated, to enhance the force of the compounded blow, in order to slice or even hit something with two or more times the force.

These two examples have both been adopted for use by Kyousuke, naming them Utsushidase (Reflect) and Tsukihanase (Thrust away/forsake), respectively. While the former will often generate simultaneous strikes from two or more directions, the latter will usually compound them and unleash a powerful cut or slam using either the edge or flat of the blade.

The secret behind Kannaduki's ability when released is that it manipulates dimensional space in close proximity to the sword, creating openings to parallel dimensions and worlds which can be manipulated in a variety of ways—most commonly by multiplying actions via "pulling out" duplicates.

• Shikai Appearance
Kannaduki's shikai form remains physically unchanged from her sealed state, making it impossible for an observer to discern whether or not Kannaduki has been released. Because of this, Kyousuke does not have to alter his method of combat even if Kannaduki is released, but can still enhance it with Kannaduki's abilities.

History
• Birthplace | Osaka, Japan
• Mother | Tsukimiya Aya, née Minamimoto
• Father | Tsukimiya Kensuke
• Siblings | None
• Other Relations | None of note
• Companion | None of note
• Overall History
Born in Osaka in 1917, Kyousuke grew up as an only child in the modest Tsukimiya household, inheriting very little besides his father's quick reflexes and physical fitness and his mother's considerable intellect. Kensuke, his father, a soldier and veteran of the Russo-Japanese war, urged Kyousuke to join the military, whereas Aya, his mother, wanted him to take advantage of his intelligence and study at higher institutions of learning. Though initially at odds with one another, Kyousuke's parents finally agreed to send him to university, which he attended until the outbreak of the second Sino-Japanese war in 1937. Fueled by nationalistic pride and influenced by the redoubled efforts by both his father and mother to persuade Kyousuke into joining the military, Kyousuke enlisted in the Navy, attending Officer's School and graduating as a junior naval officer.

During the following years, Kyousuke saw his fair share of combat and soon caught the attention of his superior officers, who noted that Kyousuke displayed the potential for higher command. Unwilling to let such a promising asset go to waste, he was stationed on the aircraft carrier Soryu in the beginning of 1942, where he participated in a number of successful operations. During the Soryu's final battle at Midway in 1942, Kyousuke suffered major injuries, and was thrown overboard as explosions rocked the carrier from within. In the azure waters of the Pacific Ocean, Kyousuke Tsukimiya drowned.

---

As Kyousuke's soul transcended the physical world and began to manifest itself in Soul Society, his memories from life sloughed off him like the skin of a snake. He awoke in the eighth district of Rukongai, where he stayed for several years passing the days by performing odd jobs, playing the part of a drifter in a loose sense of the word. He was by no means unhappy, but time passed in a haze as Kyousuke developed a serious case of insomnia, unable to sleep due to a constant sensation of somehow being incomplete. Days blurred into weeks, weeks blurred into months, and Kyousuke would try time and time again to fill the gap with various activities. Nothing kept his attention for very long: he would learn how to do something new and then simply grow tired of doing it. He did everything from plowing fields and building houses to calligraphy and acting as a bodyguard, but nothing could keep him interested once the initial euphoric thrill of learning faded and the insomnia, kept at bay by the new interest, came creeping back, now more often than not accompanied by hushed whispering.

The Shinigami, as uncommon a sight in the eighth district as they were, at first seemed mysterious, and the first time he laid eyes on Seireitei he was impressed by the grandeur of it. Kyousuke started asking around after that—what were the Shinigami? Why did they exist? Who became Shinigami? How did they become Shinigami? His questions were met with a mix of derision and adoration, and it soon became abundantly clear that the general populace held a wildly varying opinion of the black-clad enigmas. The insomnia now somehow kept at bay by this new, fervent interest that burned within Kyousuke, he made a decision: he would take the entrance exam and attend the Shinigami Academy. It seemed almost an inevitability that he would don the black uniform, that his existence was yearning to become something more than what he was. He sought out the Academy, and just as he did when he was alive, he enlisted.

The Academy welcomed him with open arms, and just as in life, he showed promise. He passed the exam with flying colors, and though the strength of his soul was far from remarkable at the time, he did indeed possess a higher than average spiritual pressure making him an excellent candidate for becoming a Shinigami. His studious nature, accompanied by the same insatiable lust for knowledge that had become a habit helped him quickly advance through the programme. His skill with a sword was lackluster at first, but during his second year, when his true zanpakutō manifested itself, he quickly developed a rough foundation of what would become a custom fighting style to suit the considerably shorter blade. A brutal mix of hand-to-hand combat, deception and swordplay, Kyousuke finally began to win his sparring matches, often resulting in heavy bruising on both sides and plenty of cuts to go around. Kyousuke's mobility was exceptional, and he would use this to his advantage to close the distance, putting himself as close to his opponent as possible, where he would unleash a barrage of slashes, stabs, punches and kicks.

Although Kyousuke was apt at combat, his kidō skills were found to be severely lacking. Only the simplest of spells were available to him, and he became prone to forgetting the incantations of the kidō numbered past the early twenties. This seemed to be contrary to his otherwise bookish attitude. Perhaps the problem was that he had not quite adjusted to the idea of "magic", and his practical mind preferred the intrinsic value of being rooted in reality to fantasy mumbo-jumbo. Whatever the case, his interest as well as his performance in kidō plummeted as his interest in the other aspects of being a Shinigami skyrocketed. The Academy instructors, in a remarkable display of leniency, let this slide, as Kyousuke was excelling in all other fields.

Three years after being admitted to the Academy—half the time of the average student—Kyousuke had completed his training and was ready to be assigned to a division in the Gotei 13. This is where things started to slow down for Kyousuke, as his superiors were having a difficult time assigning him to a suitable division. Staunchly refusing to be placed in Eleventh, he was assigned to the Second Division for some time, where he perfected his signature style of close-range combat. He retained the three core ideas of mobility, brutal efficiency and trickery, but shifted the focus from being heavily offensive—as it had been in the Academy—to maintaining a much more balanced harmony between offense and defense. He had realized that a using a such a short blade combined with an array of hand-to-hand techniques wasn't quite suited for overly offensive engagements, and in truth left him at something of a disadvantage unless he was able to stay close enough to his opponent. The primary strength of the style shifted from exerting a large amount of immediate force to the fact that it was unfamiliar, unpredictable, and highly adaptible to a wide range of situations. Naturally, it was weak at everything from middle to long range, but coupled with clever and creative use of flash stepping, Kyousuke found that he could cover his weaknesses sufficiently.

Though his performance as a member of the special operations division was unmarred by failure, it was clear after a decade or two that his heart wasn't in it, and as such Kyousuke and his as of yet nameless blade was transferred to the Fifth Division. Kyousuke took to Fifth like a fish to water, and thrived in the intelligence-gathering community. He eventually ended up specializing in intelligence directly related to Seireitei security, performing equal amounts of field work and analysis with ease. He maintained some of his connections within Second, and made a fair few new acquaintances in the Third, Tenth, and Thirteenth Divisions. He rose as far in rank as a Shinigami with no shikai could go, and then came to a very sudden stop. His personality could only take him so far, and for the first time since he had died, he found that his abilities—or rather, lack thereof—were the very thing holding him back rather than propelling him forward at breakneck speed. No longer making progress, his insomnia returned, and the altogether too familiar whispering along with it. Kyousuke didn't sleep for two solid years, the whispering coming and going with varying intensity. Near the middle of the 26th consecutive month of not sleeping, during a particularly sensitive surveillance operation in Tokyo, the whispering suddenly ceased. Kyousuke was so shocked that he completely lost his concentration and gave his position away. As the target of the operation bore down on him, he scrambled to his feet, reaching for the sword at his waist, pulling it clear of the scabbard a split second too late. Cold steel gouged into his flank as he twisted away instinctively, and though the wound wasn't fatal, he would be unable to defend himself properly. The sudden realization of his impending death hit Kyousuke like a freight train, and at that moment the world around him lost all color and ground to a halt. Dismissing it first as some effect of the blood loss on his senses, it wasn't until he heard a voice behind him that he realized that something was not quite right. The voice he recognized instantly as the same that had been whispering to him incessantly for over two years, and as he peered over his shoulder he caught a glimpse of a small woman wearing a white kosode and red hakama, her long, dark hair cascading over her shoulders. What caught Kyousuke's attention almost immediately was her eyes; they burned lazily like coals in a fire, glowing and shifting between deep oranges and bright yellows.

She smiled at him encouragingly, her melodic voice coming across clear as a bell. "Say it," she murmured softly, "Release me."

Kyousuke obliged. Color rushed back into the world, the girl with the ember eyes faded out of existence, and Kyousuke brought his blade to bear on his assailant. He managed to cough out two words that came almost instinctively to him as he thrust forward violently. "Okoridase, Kannaduki!" The blade punched through the other man's skull as if it were paper, sending bits of gore and chunks of gristle erupting out of the opposite side. It was as if a very heavy, very high-caliber round had been fired at point blank range at the man's head, and now his brains lay spattered on the ground around them. Eyes widening in shock and then glazing over, the man slumped onto Kyousuke, who shrugged him off, wincing at the pain in his abdomen. He looked down, and saw that his opponent's sword was still buried in his side. Kyousuke gritted his teeth and pulled it out carefully, almost fainting in the process, but managing to hold on to consciousness long enough to dispatch an urgent message to headquarters informing them of the situation. Inky blackness clouded his vision as he watched the hell butterfly flutter away from him, and he sank into unconsciousness with a contented smile creeping into the corners of his mouth.

Kyousuke learned later that the assignment had been a mistake and despite the fact that he had technically failed the task he had been given, no reprimands were handed out. Now possessing a shikai and being free from the insomnia once and for all, Kyousuke rose higher and faster through the ranks than ever before. He was averaging a promotion every three years after having been instantly raised to 10th seat upon attaining his shikai, and soon the day came when he found himself serving as 3rd seat. This lasted for some time before he was eventually notified that he was being considered as a candidate for the Fifth Division captaincy, much to his surprise. What concerned him wasn't that the current Captain was leaving, but rather the suddenness of it all, and the unexpectedness. Kyousuke's record was far from spotless, and there was of course the matter of his relatively young age. His bond with Kannaduki had never been stronger, and though he felt he was getting close to attaining Bankai, it would surely take a few more years. Still, the odds certainly seemed to be stacked in his favor as the selection process progressed, and eventually his name won out against the others. Some part of Kyousuke knew that he had been born for this division, but to lead it wasn't something he had ever expected to do. He knew the ins and outs as well as anyone, if not better, but did that really qualify him?

He could do nothing but accept the position, becoming the newest captain of the Fifth Division.

by Ravilin Asura Fri Jun 01, 2012 5:31 pm

Moving through to try-outs!

Tsukimiya, Kyousuke - Shinigami

Tsukimiya, Kyousuke - Shinigami

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