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Post by soyokaze on Dec 9, 2010 23:22:37 GMT 1
[/i][/right][/font][/color][/blockquote] ----------------------------------------------
Send us a blindfold, send us a blade,
Tell the survivors help is on the way.
I was a blind fool, never complained,
All the survivors singing in the rain,
I was the one with the world at my feet,
Got us a battle, leave it up to me...
----------------------------------------------- // Basic Information ; [/i][/right][/font][/color] Full Name?! // Soyokaze Ryuumi 「 Zephyr of the River Dragon 」 ; Alias?! // Ryuu-kun/Ryuu-san ; // "The guy with nice writing" ; // Zensho-cho 「 Leading Calligrapher 」 ; // Bishie-boy ; Gender?! // Male Date Of Birth?! // 18th of December ; Date Of Death?! // Not Applicable ; Age?! // 400 | Four Hundred ; Aesthetic Age?! // 20 | Twenty ; Place of Residence?!// Kyuubantai Taichō’s Quarters, Kyuubantai Barracks, Seireitei ; // The Soyokaze Manor, North-Eastern district of Seireitei, Seireitei; Division & Rank?! // Kyuubantai Taichō 「 Ninth Division Captain 」 ; Weapons?! // 天の巻き物 | Ten no Makimono 「 Heavenly Scrolls 」 ;
// 竜の玉 | Ryuu no Tama 「 Dragon’s Jade 」;
// Physical Appearance ; [/i][/right][/font][/color] [WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS?! ][/blockquote][/color][/size][/b][/url] [/center] Credit to Hakuouki (Hajime Saitō)
Ryuumi is strangely not much like his brother in physical appearance; though both men are stunningly handsome, they are good looking in different ways. Ryuumi bears a noble, untouchable air about him, and dresses to match. He stands tall at 6’1’’, weighing in at around 165 lbs. He’s of medium build; not ripped, but lean and toned.
His dark hair is a dark shade of violet, often appearing as black under low lighting circumstances. He keeps it swept to the right side in a low ponytail, tied with a white ribbon. His bangs usual hang slightly in his face, having a tendency to cover up his right eye. Though it might seem that he is concealing some hidden power, *insert Neji themesong* he’s... not. It’s just how his hair falls. His eye coloration varies in different lighting conditions; however, they keep in the range of a deep blue to a lighter, piercing blue-gray. These are accented by slightly slanted eyebrows, giving the young man a more serious look than his expression is meant to relay. The skin tone is pale; (not surprising for someone who tends to keep to the shades of pavilions in the indoors) but has the occasional flush of pink, especially after the consumption of one too many sips of sake.
His captain’s attire is nothing too out of order on the Gotei’s standards; he wears the traditional shitagi and kosode, hakuma-himo and hakuma, tabi, and of course, waraji. His Haori however, is dyed a azure blue, its traditional black diamonds exchanged for a zigzagging white outline on the sleeves. Accenting it are two ribbons of white silk, along with the flowing white scarf that never seems to part from his neck. Both accessories are a sign of his nobility, and his position as the head of the Soyokaze household. He also has a large black oriental dragon tattooed on his back, it’s head on his left shoulder, while it’s tail curls around right side of the base of his back. In its right hand is a large pearl, which contains the Kanji characters for ‘Equity’ and ‘Honesty’.
On his right hip are two swords - his Zanpakutō and a shorter blade; a Wakizashi to pair it. Though he is not a dual wielder, it’s been tradition for the members of the Soyokaze family to wield the Daishi. It literally means “big small”, which is for the Katana (bigger blade) and the Wakizashi (shorter blade). The Katana is used in normal combat, and the Wakizashi is really a last resort weapon, more often used for Seppuku than for combat.  // Personality ; [/i][/right][/font][/color] // Silent dragon ;
Even in the presence of those he feels comfortable with, Ryuumi tends to be the least talkative of the group; his experiences as a child have a heavy influence on this. His replies are not limited to single words, but they are well phrased (always good to avoid handing out blackmailing opportunities) and (usually) well thought out. Of course, this doesn’t stop him from voicing his opinion, nor does it hinder his capabilities as head of the news department of Seireitei or as the Kyuubantai Taichō; it simply means he takes in as much information as he possibly can while limiting his output. All summed up, one could say that Ryuumi is taciturn.
// Sake... the doorway to hell and back ;
Unfortunately for Ryuu, his taut tongue is quite easily loosened after a few bottles of sake. Seeing as he was the more obedient type of student back in his days at the academy, his experiences with alcohol are very limited; which really doesn’t help to the fact that he clearly missed out on the ‘hold you liquor’ gene. He’s quite wary of this ‘weakness’, but usually overestimates his ability to turn down the offers of drinks (after the initial “Kampai!” of some the meal). Of course, looking up to his unaffected-by-alcohol brother Rikichi doesn’t do any good either.
// Idolization... of the ‘wrong’ person ;
Even as a young boy, Ryuumi has idolized his only sibling; Rikichi. There was something about his daring, rule-breaking, womanizing, sake-chugging, lazy-good-for-nothing ways that simply struck the ‘hero’ bell in little Ryuu’s head. As much as mother and father despised and were disappointed in their eldest son, Ryuumi’s pride for his older brother was enough to block out all of Rikichi’s faults in the family... until he was kicked out and disowned. Even while his idol was gone, Ryuumi strove to be the man Rikichi was ...(and he failed miserably at it) To this day, his admiration for Rikichi is huge, and because of this, he has a tendency of asking and taking advice from no one other than dear ol’ Onii-san.
// Serious... serious... *SRSFACE* ;
As the head of one of the noble families of Soul Society, it’s expected that the head of Ryuumi has his serious face on almost all the time, with the exception of a few well placed glares, kind smiles, and appreciative looks. He hides behind this expression, only unmasking his real emotions under extremely stressful events, intensive feelings, or very close friends/relations. So far, the people on that list would be ... three people. His now desceased lover, his elder brother, Rikichi, as well as one of his best friends, Gobantai Taichō - Jun. This seriousness and calm is reflected in his encounters with the enemy - it takes quite a bit to really agitate him.
[/color] // Dragon? That guy’s as timid as a rabbit! ;
Though he’s been assigned as the head of the family as well as the Taichō of his squad, his leadership and unwavering confidence is but show that he’s been taught to play. Inside, Ryuumi is pretty timid, and even very slightly insecure. This has also been due to his upbringing. The constant demands of perfection, overachievement, as well as high speed advancement make his ego not... the greatest. He’s not had much chance in his life to accomplish things at his own pace, nor be ‘his age’. Urges to rebel were pushed down with overwhelming schedules, impossible demands, and sky-high expectations. He’s especially timid around those he finds attractive, though he does attempt (and fail) to hide his shyness. Sadly, a beet red face and stammering doesn’t usually help with the hiding.
// Women. Females. Fangirls. (Read: Run Ryuumi. Run faster. Heck, start Shunpo-ing) ;
As if getting assaulted with marriage proposals (arranged by his parents) wasn’t bad enough, the poor chap’s got a slew of fangirls both at home and at work. Of course, when he does find someone he thinks would be his ‘dreamgirl’, he’s struck with the paranoia of seeing if she’s in it for the money, for the fame, or for his body. (Funny that a guy would ever think that something like that is bad, eh?). Having big titles like Editor, Taichō, and ‘Head of a noble family’ = incessant attempts at blackmail, more women hanging off him than he needs (or wants), constant threats at financial crisis, and a big goldmine of STRESS for the hardly-past-legal man. Because of this, he does what he can to avoid women (but is inevitably dragged into having large amounts of contact with them, thanks to *cough* JUN AND Rikichi *cough*). Because of this (and his other weakness to being ‘wanted’ and ‘Ooo. Pretty eyes’ as well as some genes he shares with Rikichi, he does tend to accidentally end up in beds that... aren’t his.
[/color] // Loyal to the very end ;
Sure, it takes a while for others to earn Ryuu’s trust, but once he’s won over, he’s not afraid of setting his life on the line for a friend. In dire situations, the young man is more likely to stay behind as a sacrifice for the rest of the group to arrive safely to their final destination. Because of this, the worst thing that could possibly happen in a friendship of his is betrayal. Also, the importance of his duty towards the Gotei 13 is only under the devotion he holds for those he seeks to protect.
// A True Warrior ;
Honest, noble, and a true gentleman, Ryuu’s a cavalier till the day he dies. He wouldn’t cheat in a fight, even if it would give him the upper hand in the situation. Even if it’s the enemy, he doesn’t participate in name calling, and avoids vulgarity as much as he possibly can. Rather than throw back an insult, he’s one to ignore the comment and just get on with whatever he’s doing. In dire situations, he lets his actions speak for themselves.
[/color] // Old-styled ;
Even with the constant jokes and teasing from Rikichi, Ryuumi is intent on keeping the ways of the old. Even on excursions to the human world, he wears his Yukata or his Kimono is possible. (Sadly, this makes him look like a lost cosplayer >_>). The only instrument he will write with is a brush. Thankfully, he’s not so strict on inks, being fine with the alreayd-mixed variety, as well as the more traditional ink stick ones. He does try foreign foods though he’s a bit reluctulant to do so. (This usually gives Rikichi a chance to blame the alcoholic-not-supposed-to-be-there-taste on ‘foreign delicacy’). Strangely, Ryuumi is interested in history and tradition of other places, especially China. Where Jun has a strong appreciation for cardgames, Ryuumi dominates the tile games (like MahJong).
// Motivation from a ... strange cause? ;
Seeing as Rikichi has such a huge emphasis on Ryuumi’s life, it’s only natural that he wants to be acknowledged by his Onii-san. Every ounce of effort he’s put into schooling, every struggle he’s gotten out of, every title he’s earned - has been to make Rikichi proud. Unfortunately, this doesn’t happen very much, and instead, he’s not taken seriously by his older brother at all. Rather, he’s teased quite a bit for his hobbies, and is treated more as a walking ATM machine than anything. Of course, a few things are encouraged - drinking strong liquor, trying ‘new’ dishes, playing Mahjong (and giving the revenue to Rikichi), as well as tagging along for the bar-hopping. (He makes a horrid wingman). It seems pretty childish, but there’s one of the reasons why he wanted to become Taichō.
[/color] // THE LIKES ;
» Rikichi, Jun, Gotei 13, Kyuubantai.
» Setsuri no Daishō.
» The wintertime.
» The darkness / nighttime, stargazing.
» Lacquered boxes.
» Hair ribbons.
» Formal Attire (traditional), silk.
» Brushes, Ink, Manuscripts, Scrolls.
» Calligraphy classes, ink painting, Tea ceremonies, Mahjong.
» Rivers and Lakes - bodies of water in general.
» Water lilies, Bonsai trees.
» Larks, felines.
» Silver and jade jewelry on women.
» Cloudy days, light showers, breezy days.
» Stir-fry and Pan-fried food, Lychee, Red bean ice cream.
» Homemade Bentō (He usually makes them) .
» Herbal tea, Matcha green tea, Ice wine, Sakura sake.
» Cleanliness, Tranquility.
» White, purple, green, blue, as well as the colors in between.
» Flute, string instruments, piano.
» Black dress shirts, flowing scarves.
» Ebony flooring, tatami mats.
// THE DISLIKES ;
x Vulgar language.
x The Desert, warm climates, hailstorms.
x Noisy areas.
x Fangirls, cougars.
x Ballpoint pens.
x Arranged marriage proposals, matchmaking.
x Bagels, vinaigrettes, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries.
x People that hurt or insult his companions.
x Snakes, spiders, worms, bugs and creepy crawlies in general.
x Guns and canons.
x Neglect.
x Not being taken seriously.
x Plaid.
x Modern architecture.
x Hollow & Arrancar.
x Death.
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Post by soyokaze on Dec 9, 2010 23:24:47 GMT 1
[/i][/right][/font][/color] // Once upon a December... ;
The night was cold, and the moon shone in the heavens above as thousands of white snowflakes rained down on the manor. The madam of the house was currently in labor, and just outside the birthing chamber sat two men; or rather, a man and a young boy. The man was the master of the household - father of the boy, and husband of the woman inside. The boy wore a slightly worried look lined with curiosity. Noticing the child’s expression, Takase quickly reassured him that his mother would be fine, and it was only a matter of time before his brother came into the world that was Soul Society.
His words were true - about five minutes after, the cry of a baby was heard ringing shrilly throughout the halls
of the Soyokaze household. After two hours of intensive pain, Kimiko could finally catch her breath. A maid nearby was attending to the newborn babe; and another was wiping the sweat from her brow as her robes were changed and the area was cleaned up. A few more minutes passed, until at last, Takase and her son, Rikichi, were allowed into the room. The baby was brought back to his family, cleaned up and wrapped up in a turquoise silken blanket.
“ What’s his name going to be? ”
“... Ryuumi. This child’s name shall be Soyokaze Ryuumi.”
// Looking up to an older brother ;
The first few years of sibling-ship weren’t the most eventful. In fact, they were more likely to be annoying. ...Extremely annoying even. After all, the young Ryuumi’s cradle was found in the room right next to Rikichi’s, and the infant wasn’t exactly the quietest at night. Of course, this thankfully progressed as time went on, and little Ryuumi was finally able to be speak, crawl, walk, and grow a headful of hair. He turned out to be more like his mother than Takase, with her blue eyes and her dark violet hair. Strangely, instead of developing a strong sense of attachment to his mother, the child sought the attention of another individual. This individual was... Rikichi. This attachment only grew with time, and by the time Ryuumi was four, he was almost never seen without his brother. Sadly, like a child had to be coaxed from their blankie, Ryuumi had to be separated from his endless hours of adventure for more ‘important’ things (or say they claimed at the time) like his schooling.
At the age of five, the academic basics were introduced to him; things like hiragana and katakana, as well as simple kanji. The young Plus seemed to have a strange calling for the written characters, as well as the execution of brush strokes. It was... art! It amused and amazed him to no end when he experimented with different pressures and inks, different textured paper, dipping his own fingers into the inkwell... fingerpainting eventually became finger calligraphy, which then became structured, artistic cralligraphy. ... done with a brush. It was then he developed the slight obsession with calligraphy.
To the youngest Soyokaze, his writing brush was the Katana he wasn’t allowed to wield... yet.
Of course, that ‘yet’ meant at least another few decades, so for the time being, it was really all he had. As his writing skills were polished up, so were his other skills. Kenjustu, Hakuda, Reiatsu control; all these were taught by a hired instructor. During his time learning at home, his brother had gone off to the Shinigami Academy, off to the world of uniforms, more rules, swinging swords and blowing things up. Dear little Ryuu was more worried of the prolonged separation from his Onii-san. So, to pass the time and get his mind off of what his brother could possibly be doing (thank god he didn’t know) and the boredom that would ensue if he didn’t think of that, the boy studied for longer periods of time, practiced more of his Kenjutsu, Hakuda, and of course, his calligraphy. // One less in the family ;
His time-killing activities paid off as he grew and his skills were honed. Of the few times he’d been paid a visit from ol’ Rikichi, almost every single one was after an extensive argument with the higher ups - ... parents. When he inquired of the issue at hand, Rikichi had simply brushed it off and changed the subject. As for questions to mom and dad, they’d started ranting on and on about how Rikichi was a bad investment and a failure in the family, apparently not worthy of carrying the name of Soyokaze upon his back. A couple more years passed and the situation only seemed learn toward the path of bad endings. Takase had intensified his younger son’s studies, and the household were now expecting Ryuumi to be the set heir of the family; the ‘pride’ of their noble house.
Ryuumi now had the physical appearance of a fourteen year old - hitting the high notes of puberty and dealing with the onslaught of the ‘fun surprises’ that accompanied the timeframe. Rikichi’s visits were a rare occurrence, and the boy had learnt to distance himself from others, being worn down by the ‘etiquette’ and the constant reminders of ‘family succession’ and ‘bearing the name of a noble family’. The last he’d heard from his brother was when he’d gotten a seat within his division. Naturally, Ryuu had congratulated his sibling, happy for his success. The family on the other hand, saw it as a failure. Tension only grew, and any mention of the elder of the two children was brought up as often as warning of being useless was.
Ryuumi’s world was darkened - the person he once idolized so much was being diminished to nothing but an insignificant existence, someone to compare the worst to. It only got worse when Rikichi found someone of his own. The boy had the chance of meeting her once ; she was a beautiful, intelligent woman. In fact, she seemed perfect for his brother, with only one flaw - she was a commoner. Ah - the generic love stories where love was forbidden. Actually, it was quite fitting for someone like his brother; after all, the man did work in the news and writing division. Lots and lots of drama for his life. Of course, when Takase and Kimiko were presented with their daughter-in-law to be, they were... well. Disappointed. They’d expected a lovely, noble girl - not some random woman off of the streets of Rukongai. The result? Lots of yelling, screaming, and the eventual disowning of Rikichi. // Go earn yourself a living ;
To say the least, Ryuumi was not impressed. At all. Thankfully, his rage was not given the chance to develop and expand, as he was promptly shipped off to the Shinigami Academy to become a ‘real leader of the family’. Now, one would think that a child at that stage would go through a rebelling phase. However, Ryuumi did the opposite - instead of neglecting his studies, he let all the effort he could muster flow into his time at the academy, hell bent on making his brother proud and reinstating Rikichi’s name as a part of the family as soon as he had the power to do so.
The Academy. The place that now housed the young nobleman teemed with aspiring Shinigami; most came from Rukongai, ranging anywhere from the slums to the districts that were well off - which of course, flavored the student population with a variety of personalities and backgrounds. Ryuumi, being the quiet little thing he was, spent most of his time out of class practicing the various arts that was part of the curriculum. Kid&333;, Kenjutsu and Hoho, he excelled at with much distinction. His proficiency with Kenjutsu was simply results of the training that he’d been provided with at the manor - most of his spars were won with the initial draw of the blade. He was well known of his quickness, whether it was getting the grasp on techniques and Kid&333; or simply putting the said techniques to use. The family reputation rose, and Ryuumi was soon acknowledged as a prodigy.
Father and mother were very pleased with the results; Ryuumi on the other hand, could care less of how they felt. The key point though, was that when parents were pleased, they often forked over a good sum of money, which Ryuumi proceeded to hand over to Rikichi - if there was any way that the young Shinigami felt he could help making amends between family, financial support was one of them. Of course, Ryuumi didn’t really know the salary of Zan-fukutaichō. That’s right - fukutaichō. In addition to his new seat, Onii-san had adopted a new name for himself, casting away any reminder of noble life; much to his younger brother’s dismay. There wasn’t much legal connection between the two, but the bonds they shared were enough to keep them brothers. As for Rikichi’s response to his ‘prodigy’ status? A simple hair ruffle and something along the lines of not becoming a stuck-up rich bishie boy.
Taking that ‘encouragement’ the wrong way, Ryuumi worked even harder over the next two semesters, ditching his extra-curricular activities and pouring every ounce of his concentration on his tasks. If a professor gave him one set of Kidō to learn, he’d go out and train them till he didn’t have an ounce of Reiatsu left, then go ahead and memorize next week’s set. He worked in a manner that would make a slave driver lose his job, and his hard work was not unrewarded. He was fast-tracked through the classes, clearing the tests with flying colors. His set course load for the six years was accomplished in two, and he was ready for the graduation at the end of the year.
[/color] // Empty Eyes ;
As the last few months of his schooling crept closer, Ryuumi’s workload only got larger, and by the end of it, it was all application and no more theory. Pen and paper were set down, along with his beloved calligrapher’s brush. Seeing as he was the leading student in the calligraphy class, he was the one to write out the names of the graduates on the scrolls for both the alumni record and the diploma. Being the ambitious person he was , Ryuumi set out to complete the task given to him. He was offered help, but declined it, thinking that if he managed to accomplish such an arduous feat, Rikichi would surely acknowledge his success.
There was a mere 3 hours left before the due date, and still the alumni scroll to fill out. After three days without sleep, the poor guy was just on the verge of losing his mind. Yet, despite this, his hand was somehow still dipping the brush in the inkwell, writing out the prescribed script, and blotting off the excess ink. Perseverance could only do so much, and finally, last brushstroke done, he ceased to struggle against the sleepiness that weighed down his eyelids.
He woke up in a study, tatami mats lining the floor, and walls of oriental paintings rising to the roof. Everything he could see was monochrome - they were varying hues of gray, if not completely black or white. He slid open a door, finding himself in front of a massive pond, the water black as the ink he used. White koi fish broke up towards the surface from time to time, darting between the elegant water lilies that dotted the area. All was amazingly peaceful - so peaceful in fact, that he didn’t notice the swirling clouds above part. What he did notice was the huge dragon that slid down from the heavens. Scared to pieces , Ryuumi could only hope that it was a dream gone horribly wrong. The young man stood still - paralyzed by both awe and terror, until the creature settled in front of him, the strokes of ink that made it’s form pulsing, silver eyes glaring down at him.
“Soyokaze Ryuumi...you have finally come to see me.” the landscape was filled with the sound of the deep, imperial voice.
The Shinigami simply stared some more at the dragon - not sure how to respond, and not completely sure that this was still but a ‘dream’. He slapped his arm for confirmation. The pain was there alright - the ends of his nerves tingled, and yet, the dragon was still in front of him. This unfortunately, was no dream.
Ignoring his antics, his Zanpakutō spirit continued on. “You are to be my new master, and yet... I see no ambition in your eyes. They are as empty as a blank canvas.” To this, Ryuumi wanted to retort that he did have a goal - to impress his brother, and be like the his one idol. Then, he thought of truly, how empty that goal was, and so, kept quiet.
“You do not seek to become something great - you seek to become someone else. Is that what you want? To forever be the imperfect shadow of another?” Again, the spirit was granted no response. “No answer? Silence is only so valuable. In this world, it is not the currency .” The ink dragon faded into the surroundings, the ink that made it up melting into the pond, as the ‘scroll’ that was Ryuumi’s inner world was littered with nothing but the darkness.
Ryuumi panicked for a moment, before finding himself in a circular room. Shelves lined the walls, making a catacomb of scroll filled panels. “Until you find your own story, you can never write yourself a future. Seek me once you think you have your scroll. If you fail, do not think you may ever advance in your life.” The thunderous voice echoed in the massive library, leaving Ryuumi stuck with confusion and unease. // The rest is unwritten ;
A pile of discarded open scrolls were strewn on the floor, and of the hundreds upon thousands of shelves, there was but a dozen cleared. Hands on his face, Ryuumi closed his eyes in fatigue, frustrated with the situation he was in. By now, it was clear to him that he’d somehow stumbled upon his Inner World - which was indubitably a good thing. However, his lack of answers to his (rather frightening) spirit’s questions left him with a task that seemed impossible. Tired of staring at the printed pages, Ryuumi crouched down next to one of the shelves, deciding he’d give himself a bit of a break...
After all, his whole life had been to fulfill his destiny as the heir of the Soyokaze Clan, somehow keep the bonds with his brother, somehow become more like his brother, and... and nothing else. For a minute, things started to unveil themselves to the young man. His whole life had not been to accomplish things he necessarily wanted to complete - and he’d not once thought about developing himself for the sake of more knowledge and more power, but rather, he tried to do things to impress others or satiate their demands.
Looking back at himself, Ryuu realized that there was something very off about that whole situation. He was supposed to live his life the way he saw fit, and while doing that aid others, and be happy when he achieved goals he had for himself. He wasn’t supposed to let others write the story of his life. Soyokaze Ryuumi was not some biography that any person could write up. He was his own person, and it was time he picked up the brush and wrote out his own story - time to take the reigns out of another’s hands and truly, write his future.
It was at this point that he realized the progressive halt in his life at the academy and so on. Sure, he’d studied day and night and every second he had to get to where he was (Well, not literally, seeing as he was in a massive library ... mind.... thing at the moment) but the academy had no more knowledge to offer him, and it was really only up to himself to find a path - a resolution to his slight ‘obstacle’.
With new goals in mind, the youngest Soyokaze stood up, ready to tackle the task he’d been given once more. He’d decided to look for that scroll, and find it, even if it took him all of eternity. Reaching for the next scroll on the shelf, he noticed something he hadn’t before.
Behind the scroll, there was a purple silk fabric, rumpled and folded. Placing the scroll he had in his hand on the pile of others, he pulled at the newly discovered treasure - a bag, containing one scroll, and a beautiful brush to go with it. Thinking he’d finally found the scroll, he hurriedly opened it, only to find an empty canvas. Disappointment began to creep through his thoughts, until suddenly, they were halted by one sentence. He finally understood.
“It is up to me to write my own future. I hold the pen to my own story.”
Clenching the scroll in his hand, he called to his spirit, his task complete. Closing his eyes, he let out a sigh of relief and satisfaction. Once he opened them, he found himself at his desk, at home once again.
“Thank you for your guidance... Setsuri no Daishō” // Blue skies turn to gray ;
The nipping gusts of winter rounded the corner, chasing the remnants of the autumn from Seireitei. The dew that once beaded on the windowsill was replaced with the spidering traces of frozen mist, making the world a cold, cold place. Ryuumi had come home for the holidays, and Kimiko had mentioned a certain something that had him a bit ... antsy. A surprise. That’s what she’d said the day before. With the talk of picking a new head for the clan, Ryuumi could only guess the ominous future that laid in wait for him. He didn’t feel old enough - he didn’t necessarily feel worthy of ... of - robbing the position from his father either. Sure, it was something that was ‘handed’ down, but ... it didn’t feel like that. It didn’t feel like it was being ‘handed’ down to him. That was what really didn’t go with him. As much as his father wasn’t exactly his main idol, the man had played some role when it came to influencing his life. He was his father after all.
The thoughts sat in his mind, pacing back and forth, back and forth while the young man was paralyzed by the nervousness. When it was finally time for the arranged ‘meeting’ the unexpected happened. Instead of what he’d thought was happening, he was presented with a lovely young woman, also from a noble family of the Seireitei. Her eyes were a deep emerald green, and she was simply... beautiful. After exchanging salutations, his parents spoke of the marriage that was to be arranged between the two. Of course, it was Ryuumi’s choice as to whether he’d take her as his wife - and seeing as he was still a bit overwhelmed with this and that, he decided to get to know her better before deciding on the whole marriage aspect.
One day after coming home from the barracks, and he was already engaged.
Life moved fast for Ryuumi during the short break he had. In fact, it moved much faster than he wanted. Every moment he spent with his new fiancee was a moment he wished could last forever. She was perfection to him - his admiration for Rikichi was temporarily set aside, and all his attention was focused on the wonder that he’d be able to spend the rest of his life with. She was a kind, intelligent woman, calm, quiet, and so understanding, he sometimes felt that she knew him better than he knew himself.
Many a day was spent by her side, and she marveled at his art, both painting and calligraphy.
They sat in his study one day, and she noted seemed to notice something, to which she asked a simple request.
“Why are your skies always so gray? ... Paint me a blue sky, Ryuumi.” This naturally surprised Ryuumi, as a traditional kind of painter, the only inks that he used were black - skies were given their gray tint by lightening the ink with water. However, just for her, he cast aside his black inks for that once, and set out to buy blue inks to paint her the landscape she wanted to see.
// A so, the flowers wilt away... ;
He could never answer her question - and now, he’d never be able to tell her. He’d released Bankai one second too late - and now, he’d lost everything. Even as the love of his life breathed her last breaths, he couldn’t bring himself to say anything. His tears spoke for themselves. Despite the pain, the woman had a smile on her face; her shaking hand reaching up to his face in an attempt to brush away the moisture from his eyes. With a quiet voice, she spoke, and Ryuumi sought to
Ryuu... paint the skies blue for once - be happy. [/color] // ;
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[/color] // ;
// ;
[/color] [/color][/font][/size] [/td][/tr][/table] [/CENTER] |
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