Name: Izumi Soujiro
Age: 623
Visual Age: 30
Years since Entrance into the Gotei 13: 500
Gender: Male
Division: Rokubantai (6)
Rank: Captain
Appearance: Soujiro has short dirty brown hair and a pair of deep blue eyes that seem to want to tell a story from behind his caring and comforting smile. His hair often finds its way to the front of his face and he more often than not has to flick or blow it away. He has a slight hint of laughing lines at the corners of his mouth and his face is always clean shaven.....even though nothing grows there.
He is by shinigami standards average looking although he denies it constantly. With a frame that only reaches a height of 5 feet 10 inches. His skin overall looks is the typical fair skinned type. As such it's easy for people to spot him when he's drunk. He may not be the leading man on a night out but Soujiro is one of the best wingmen around. His friendly nature and average approachable looks make him popular within certain social circles in Soul Society.
He has an athletic body which is not very muscular but finely toned (he's secretly proud of this). He works out regularly and believes that he is one of the fittest and fastest captains around. His arms and legs are not those of a body builder but his agility and speed more than make up for his lack of strength. He weighs in at a poultry 169 pounds and compared to most of the other captains he is a small guy. His legs have a particularly unique shape about them that no one has ever seen. His calf muscles are much shorter than the normal man and fit in at just a bit larger than a large tennis ball. This leaves the remaining bottom half of his legs a skinny reminder of what could have been. When he was younger he was teased about this and someone at the academy managed to use bakudou on him when he was unaware and put him on display. There is only one other person at his rank who he still remember this.
When it comes to clothing Soujiro is not very complicated. In fact he has two modes of dressing (three including the gigai). The first being his mandatory shinigami robes which always give the impression that they have not seen an iron, EVER. The crunkled nature of all his robes baffles him but he has become accustomed to it and has even been featured in several Soul Society magazines. He wears his white haori with the number (6) Rokubantai printed on the back. Like most captains he wears this article of clothing with pride and does not bother to tie the front but rather leaves it to sway in his aftermath. He saw one of the other captains do this by mistake and thought it would be fitting for him. When he is in his office or in the barracks with no chance of him leaving for a while or if it is the weekend he wears a red robe with thick white pin stripes. He likes to wear his red robe without any shoes or sandals as the area which he would be walking in never produces dirt. he makes sure of this by assigning subbordinates to clean every nook and cranny of his office and make sure that his lawn surrounding the cherry blossom is always kept neat and short, clean of weeds.
His gigai appearance looks very much like him as all gigais do. When in the real world he wears a blue button up jacket that seems to fit him perfectly along with matching pants. The only hitch in this outfit is his preference for sports trainers when wearing any real world outfit. He claims them to be more comfortable than the sandals they wear in SS or the other shoes that can be found in the real world.
Personality: Soujiro is often seen smiling and has polite manners. Being a captain he finds it a prerequisite to be mannered and appropriate when you are in the presence of nobility even though he rarely follows this rule because when he is out of sight of squadron members Soujiro will kick back and try to move as little as possible. He enjoys relaxing above alot of things. He has been confronted about this, a friend from the academy once likened him to a former 8th squad captain, Zanshin Zaigou. Soujiro is fairly intelligent and will try to avoid a fight if possible because he'd rather be doing something else.
He is a keen observer and has a good eye for moments of opportunity. Often walking around the barracks and stalking his subbordinates for fun and catching them when they least expect it. This side of him is like a light practical joker that would seize the opportunity when it presents itself.
He is often sarcastic, hiding his true emotions behind his smiling face. The cause of this can be attributed to his past as a human and as a soul in Soul society. Being a writer he classes it as wit rather than sarcasm, claiming that sarcasm is the vice of those who forget to think. He is easily embarrassed by things which catch him off guard and is especially shy about showing his writing before he is ready to show it.
Soujiro is also a religiously moral man who will stand by his beliefs with firm resolve. It is rare that he changes his mind once he has made a decision but not without carefully thinking it over and analysing every angle.
He has a few pet peeves which drive him up the wall. He tends to be neat about everything that is off his person. As long as its not in a pocket or sleeve it must be presented in a neat and tidy manner that makes it easy to find. Even though his own dress code sometimes leaves more to be desired, this strict control over the neatness of his belongings and those of others around him is paramount. He also hates being awoken from a sake induced hangover prematurely. It is one of the few things he could get upset about. He rarely ever gets mad at someone and is always willing to listen and understand a situation before dishing out punishment. One could say his leniency is one of the main reasons he is loved so much by his subbordinates.
Because of his quirky and slightly lax attitude people often misjudge his character and find him to be unreliable but when he begins to fight he takes on a new level of seriousness as all the bottled up emotions spur him forward. The him that in battle is totally different from the one that is always cheerful and drinking sake. His eyes seem to get deeper and the look on his face take on a sinister angle.
He enjoys drinking sake with other captains and especially enjoys it in the afternoon because he says you can really get tanked. Despite his love for the beverage he is not a drunk and knows how to control his drinking. His refined belief that sake is meant to be enjoyed sober has kept him in check, but like all people he is susceptible to making errors. His relations with others are generally kept well as he has a multitude of respect for his subbordinates and his equals. He generally always tries to see the best in people and tries not to judge anyone without any solid evidence.
Fighting Style: Soujiro's primary battle style relies on speed. His advanced knowledge of shunpo leaves even the captains of the Gotei 13 rubbing their eyes in amazement. The shunpo allows him to be quick and decisive in his actions and as such he is always on the offense, hoping to end the battle before his manoeuvres have been. Naturally, he's a master at evasion and counter attacking so the very first moves of a battle he leaves to the opponent. Also because he doesn't want to reveal his massive speed advantage until he can find a clear opening. His utilization of shunpo is the basis of almost all of his close quarters attacks.
Apart from his supremacy in shunpo he is an excellent hand to hand comabatant and can defeat vice captain level shinigami with relative ease. He uses his knowledge of martial arts to disarm and disable his opponent before they become a serious threat. He is especially graceful when performing his close quarters moves and to the normal naked eye he is nothing more than a part of the wind. His strikes are quick and clinical, perfected over years of field testing and training, his technique is smooth yet seems jagged.
Background: "Life & Death (roughly 600 years ago)
When Soujiro was still a human he lived a life of solitude. He worked as an early type of fireman called hikeshi during the Edo period and was very proud of his work. His station was well known for tackling some of Tokyo's largest fires of the period all the while doing it with a minimum amount of casualties. He was a bonifide hero in his district and was praised by his neighbours quite often, much to his disgruntlement. Firefighting in old Tokyo – or Edo as it was called then – was a tough business. Given that the vast majority of houses and buildings were made almost entirely of wood, fires were frequent and very destructive at times. Displaying a grim sense of humor, residents referred to their flammable homes and buildings as “Edo no Hana” – “the flowers of Edo.”
He lived for his work and he was often asked why he preferred to be so isolated to which he responded, "Why torture someone everyday? They have the knowledge that this may be the last time they see you. I wouldn't want to put that kind of misery on someone." Needless to say he lost what little friends he did have afterwards but continued to work with the same team.
One fateful day, there were major fires due the eruption of Mout Fuji. Several departments responded to it but Soujiro's squad was always the first to arrive to attempt the rescue of those still trapped inside of their homes by the blazing infernos causes by debris falling from the volatile volcano. They were tasked with rescuing those who were still away from the lava. Everything was going well until he heard the cries of a woman stuck inside a double story building. He and his only remaining friend, Ken, attempted her rescue using a ladder and several hooks and entered through a second story window. The fire in the home was more severe than anything they had ever encountered. The doors to the ground floor remained open on and were spouting flames onto the second floor. Soujiro searched the room and found her in a corner behind a lightly burning support pillar which had already collapsed. He did not take into account that the floor beneath him would become fragile because of the fire when he picked her up and attempted to rescue her but the added extra weight sent both him and the woman plummeting through the floor to a fiery death.
He then became a plus and hung around the building for days after his death watching as his co workers mourned and eventually the building was restructured. It was not long before the resident shinigami came and sent him to Soul Society.
Rebirth
He arrived in West Rukongai, the sun beating down on him. A man splashed him with water and told him he had come to Soul society and that he had probably died in the real world as a human. Soujiro has no memory of this. He wanders through the various districts of Rukongai with the man who has refused to reveal his name. He earned his keep by assisting the old man carry around his wares, it seems he was a traveling merchant. In travelling with this man he learned that patience and diligence were the key to success, as well as a good amount of laughter to ensure a good life.
One day on the back roads of North Rukongai the two are held up by bandits. Soujiro gets beaten up for attempting to negotiate with them. They turn to the man who is kicked and beaten in front of his eyes. All of a sudden a burst of reiatsu erupts from Soujiro and the bandits flee. Soujiro goes over to the man who is near dying and hands him a small rare shard in the hope that he will use it get some money to live.
The Academy
After the death of the man, whose name he still did not know he joined the academy with the hope of exacting justice on those who prey on the innocent. He excelled at combining kidou and melee combat. After witnessing the power of 6th squad captain during a short academy demonstration of kidou and shunpo, he was awestruck and wished to attain his shikai and join the 6th squad but the latter came first. He showed exceptional ability with shunpo early on. These praises were nullified by his massive failure to use any semblance of incantation type kidou. He spent an extra year in the academy as a result and only managed to scrape past the kidou exam. Teachers were unimpressed by his lack of any interest in improving his incantations and predicted that he would only have a 12% chance of achieving shikai and that He was limited to being an unseated officer.
Rokubantai
He was drafted into the 6th squad and spent a several years as a low level shinigami until one day as he sat in his room he found the little precious shard the old man had given him. He did not want to go through the pain of losing not knowing. He spent the next year feverently training to achieve shikai but to no avail. He concluded that he was clearly not strong enough to even protect one life and as he stood over the grave he had dug for the man he heard a strange voice question his will to make a difference. Not knowing where the voice was coming from he drew his katana and demanded that they identify themselves, "My name is Hageshiime." He immediately realized that his Zanpakuto had finally spoken to him. He now wears the shard around his neck as a memorial to this man who he just refers to as "sensei". Even though he has not become a seated officer he is working on becoming stronger to protect those in need, to protect people like sensei.
Moeru, Hagishiime
A new determination filled his heart and he spent a few days in solitary training, mastering a Zanpakuto is about more than just knowing the name. He was then sent on a tactical reconnaissance mission in the real world. Upon arriving there he and his squad were immediately engaged by a hollow. Their orders were to assess the strength of the hollow. Soujiro had already surmised that it was more powerful than any of them could handle. The hollow approached Soujiro as he scampered to pick up his fallen katana, smiled and charged at him.
"Hagishiime," he whispered and a huge heat wave surrounded him as the hollow went flying into a wall. Soujiro stood there surprised that his desperate plea had worked. He looked down to his Zanpakuto and marveled at it released state. It had its regular shape but glowed a faint red. The hollow got to its feet and roared as it charged again, this time he was prepared as he shouted, "Hagishiime!". A blast of heat surrounded his blade and with a sharp whip like sound he dismembered the hollow's left arm. The hollow backed away clutching the stump where its arm was once attached.
He stood, the faint glimmer from his zanpakuto illuminating his face, as he looked up at the hollow,
"I must become stronger. To protect those in need. To protect sensei!" He appeared before the fallen hollow, his blade raised above his head and his eyes reflecting the fire of his heart before bringing it down in a fiery explosion. After this mission, Soujiro continued to train with relentless commitment, finally learning the names of the two additional abilities of his Zanpakuto, Moeagaru and Bakahatsu.
7 of 6
After word of his shikai reached those higher up he received and instantaneous promotion to 7th seat of the 6th squad. He delighted in this fact but also found that the missions he began to face were of a much more different calibre. He was glad to have attained shikai but he still had not mastered his zanpakuto and a few close calls against arrancar in the real world which he had been engaging in a group with several other shinigami. Soujiro trained relentlessly and began to improve his control over Hageshiime. He would often go to his inner world and converse with Hageshiime there.
He would often sit in silence, alone in the training grounds at night when it was most peaceful and concentrate on strengthening the bridge between him and Hageshiime. His inner world was a large expansive desert that stretched further than the eye could see. All around him was sand and wind, with the exception of a small castle that was built around an oasis. The castle gate was broken down and battered, rusted and a semblance of something of what once was. He walked in and felt the crunch of the sand beneath his feet. There was a massive pool in the middle of the court yard that was surrounded wonderfully by tropical trees that bent over at a wonderful angle and offered continuous coverage from the blazing sun. He put a hand to his face as he approached the pool, shielding his eyes from the blistering sun. There was a single sun lounger, in the shade and a figure sat in it. Locks of flowing red hair lapped over the side of the lounger.
"It's a shame you don't come hear more often. This is after all your inner world." she said.
"My inner world? In my real inner world there would be sake." She raised a cup which Soujiro took without hesitation. He gulped it, "Your water never tasted better."he said as he threw the cup over his shoulder. That night he spent a good spell of time conversing with Hageshiime. This improved his connection with his zanpakuto and his understanding about how her power worked improved, as did his control over his shikai which he had mastered. He continued to train irregardless knowing that no victory comes without sacrifice and eventually challenged Hageshiime in order to attain bankai to become the 6th Divisions Captain.
"This place is fantastically drab." said Soujiro. He looked around and let his searing blue eyes take in the scenery of his inner world. The arid sands of the desert that was within him depressed him at times.
"No time for talk, you know what you're here for," said Hageshiime. Soujiro drew his sword and charged at Hageshiime. He made zero contact and felt her hair slide across his face as she evaded him.
"I wonder though if you can defeat me." Their sparring sessions began, Hageshiime was as fast as Soujiro and much more graceful. All Soujiro saw for the first week was the trail of crimson hair. During the second week he began to be able to match her speed and at the end of week two he had managed to removed a small lock of Hageshiime's hair. Much to her dismay. Week three was no exception as the two continued their sparring, Soujiro improved, managing to scrape her her and there. In the week Hageshiime issued an ultimatum that if he didn't defeat her by the end of this week, she would definitely kill him. Soujiro pushed himself to the limit and managed to get in phenomenal sparring sessions one of which saw Hageshiime almost defeated. On the second last day, Soujiro managed to defeat Hageshiime and began to learn her bankai techniques.
Soujiro slowly rose up to the Captain Ranks upon receiving Bankai.
Wed Jan 02, 2013 5:26 am by 
