Name: Hideaki Ryouta (Surname, Given)
Age: 363
Visual Age: 38
Years since Entrance into the Gotei 13: 236
Gender: Male
Division: 7th
Rank: Captain
Appearance:
Though only managing to stand at an approximate five and a half feet in height, Ryouta still attempts to maintain an imposing figure. His body is "thick" with muscle and his eyes are kept in a perpetually sharp glare, complete with a complimentary stoic expression to finish the set. A thick, charcoal-colored goatee dominates his heavily scarred face, its conspicuously dark strands making his rather average complexion appear pale through comparison. His hair is swept meticulously from his face, its length pulled to the nape of his neck with an ornately designed hair clip before spilling to the mid of his back.
Though it appears he has opted to wear the standard Shinigami outfit, the damage done to it is quite extensive. The outfit's right sleeve has been completely torn off and large vertical slashes have been made through the back of his captain's haori. The rest of his haori, as if to compensate for the lost material, is of the lengthy type, the hem managing to reach down to touch his ankles while its remaining sleeve extends just past the tips of his fingers.
Personality:
Ryouta's interaction with others has remained fairly consistent throughout his years -- he largely avoids it. This isn't driven by a dislike of people, per se, but of a fondness for other, more personal pursuits. Why spend hours tripping over dialogue with another when he could be delving into a promising novel or, better yet, sharpening his blade on an enemy?
He fancies himself a rather intellectual type, capable of making great strides through the use of logic as well as bringing a good deal of information together to make sound decisions. He is slightly arrogant and thinks highly of himself, especially in matters involving tactical planning and the art of warfare. He is very reluctant to compromise but is very quick to admit when he is wrong.
As far as running his division is concerned, he is relatively impartial and lax with regards to the day-to-day lifestyle of his members but is incredibly unforgiving on official matters. When Ryouta issues a command, he expects it fulfilled, on time and without exception. Those who take a defiant stance or repeatedly fail the tasks he gives them often experience heavy punishments and -- arguably worse -- the ire of Ryouta himself. He is a man who heavily values results and cares less for the means one goes about to achieve it, giving his members a great deal of freedom in how to carry out a mission. Those who wish to be given strict commands -- and avoid making use of their own ingenuity -- typically do not last long in division seven.
Fighting Style:
Ryouta is typically reluctant to commit to a fight unless he feels he has an obvious advantage over the opponent. Though he is somewhat slow on his feet, he attempts to overcome this by being heavily reactive in nature, remaining largely stationary and relying on his intellect to expose and strike at enemies with brutal counter-attacks.
Though his preferences lie almost exclusively on armed combat, if the need arises, he does has a passable manner of proficiency in unarmed combat -- taking a genuine interest only in techniques that allow him to swiftly cripple an opponent -- and a moderate to high degree of skill in kido, particularly those of the destructive variety.
Background:
Ryouta's early years within Rukongai were arguably among the happiest of his lifetime. A naturally demanding and inquisitive child, much of Ryouta's time was spent either reading from his small collection of books or persistently -- and often illegally -- increasing its size with the reading material of others. Though initially ill-received by his peers for his impractical obsession, his amiable nature, coupled with his experience in thievery, managed to secure him a small niche of his own within the youths' community.
As Ryouta grew past his adolescence, the attachments he held towards the literary world slowly dwindled away with the ever-limited supply of new material. He grew increasingly taciturn and ill at ease, dissatisfied with the repetitive nature of day-to-day activity yet unable to decipher a solution. Even towards those he had once considered irreplaceable friends he grew agitated, pushing them further from him in his bid to rediscover his joy in a world that grew increasingly unappealing. He was almost thankful when his stomach first twisted in upon itself, bringing him to his knees with unexpected pain.
He had read of the phenomenon called "hunger" before, but no amount of details from any written page could have adequately described what he was feeling now. It intrigued and excited him, this unfamiliar sensation, but what intrigued him more was the future it now promised him. He had heard the rumors, seen their validity -- those who experienced hunger were prime candidates to become one of the shinigami, and Shinigami had access to much more than those of Rukongai had -- not only in terms of quality reading material, but in new opportunities in general. It wasn't at all difficult to come to a decision -- what did the present have to offer him that Seireitei did not? -- and he was well on his way the following day.
Ryouta's acceptance into the shinigami academy was far less of an milestone than he had originally thought, and already he was beginning to reconsider his admittedly hasty decision to join in the first place. Just as he was prepared to dip back into his apathetic lifestyle, he discovered another true joy -- combat. It was infinitely more complex than even the greatest of novels; even with the same characters, no two fights were truly the same. Those who fought were not forced into an outcome as dictated by the decree and omnipotence of the quill, but by their own hands and effort. And, truly, if Ryouta looked deeper still, were not people, themselves, but a complex tale written in the tapestry of life?
Armed with such a philosophy, his progress through the academy took on new form. Gone was his languid lifestyle, his contentment at being no more than an observer of others -- what he desired now was no more than progress within himself, of the full realization of his personal storyline so that he may partake in it with satisfaction. Though he readily shunned the acknowledgment of others, it was not long before he had made a name for himself among those with distinction and had risen to a relatively high seat within the seventh division.
It was here that Ryouta met the first person beyond himself he truly took notice of. The captain, a strict yet kindly man, seemed to carry within himself a quality that Ryouta felt an immediate kinship with -- the desire for astute observation. Just as Ryouta saw a hidden story within even the most mundane of events, so, too, did the captain see the potential of improvement within those around him. Though slightly baffled as to why the captain placed the betterment of others above his own progress, Ryouta nonetheless came to respect and admire him, both for his views and as a person. He was the first person he felt he could truly call a friend.
That is why, upon being told that his captain had stepped down from his position and Ryouta had been recommended for next in line, he was not nearly as pleased as he had originally thought he would be. He was advancing to a position beyond what he had realistically expected to achieve and, yet... was it truly worth the promotion to lose the time spent with his captain? Though Ryouta reluctantly accepted the offer and donned his captain's haori without a struggle, he soon relapsed into his cold, distant self and immersed himself heavily into his new duties.
It has been quite a while since Ryouta was made head of the seventh division, and the time has done a good job of numbing old wounds. The feelings of abandonment and neglect he had once felt for his captain have softened to one of muted admiration, and while he still has yet to take an active personal interest in those around him, he has grown to understand and appreciate his former captain's eye for the future.
Wed Jan 02, 2013 5:26 am by 
