Post by Bixir on Feb 18, 2023 20:50:41 GMT
“No matter what the circumstances, no man can completely escape from vanity.”
Shūsaku Endō
Name:
Chikai Shigosen
Gender:
Female
Race:
Shinigami
Canon/OC:
OC
Visual Appearance:
Physical Description:
Chikai’s capricious nature has made it difficult for most to remember much about her, least of all her usual appearance. Most remember a fierce blonde figure of average height, usually not any taller than five feet and eight inches, or shorter than five feet and three inches. The luster of her locks is often up for debate, straying between strawberry blonde and bright as the morning day, if it isn’t another color entirely. Chikai’s hair is most often arranged as bushy pigtails, flowing down her shoulders like two halves of a splintered whole, At times Chikai may interweave them as a single ponytail, fold it inward for a pixie cut, allow her whole head of hair to flow down her shoulders, or other styles to complete whatever presentation she wishes to put on, to say nothing of color or depth. As a member of the Onmitsukidō, Chikai’s build is deceptive, her body at one moment seeming to be nothing more than that of a shrine maiden, and another proving to be capable of crossing blades with someone from the Eleventh Division. Her eyes are equally vexing, usually appearing as a striking baby blue, but have the tendency to change, even subtly, as a means of keeping her peers on her toes… or, just to mess with them. It’s usually the latter.
Clothing/Misc. Items:
Chikai’s attire is variable, as is her physique and demeanor. More often than not, Chikai does not seem to take her station that seriously, preferring to emulate the fashions of the world of the living over the shihakusho of Soul Society. This can take many different forms, from run-down tanktops and ripped jeans to extravagant fashion designer jackets and an assortment of jewelry about her fingers and face, and numerous other trends that elude most of her peers. Part of it is for this very reason, a means of teasing and perplexing others in a personal game, seeing who cares about what, how much, and why… least of all because it is Chikai who is doing this in the first place, relative to other Shinigami who have experience with the other side.
When she is appearing in a formal capacity, the “Golden Harpy” of the Second Division is clad in a skintight tunic and shorts that leaves little to the imagination, tied off at the waistline by a thin white sash. Fingerless gloves cover her hands at nearly all times, as do black-socked tabi boots, current duties notwithstanding. Chikai tends to eschew the shihakusho entirely, often citing its terrible fashion taste, never mind that it almost always gets in the way of her duties in the Onmitsukidō. She does, however, have one, and will wear it should her Captaindemand ask it of her.
Chikai’s uniform as an agent of the Patrol Corps is a far cry from her other identities. More often than not, Chikai is never seen in that station, given that the entire purpose of that group is to maintain anonymity and conduct intelligence. However, in those rare instances where she is permitted to reveal herself, Chikai is wearing a full-body suit, covering her from head to toe in the black silks of the Patrol Corps. Chikai’s uniform is distinguished from the norm by the red highlights throughout the fabrics and armor plating, though its most striking feature is the fox-like kabuki mask. It is a smiling vixen, splashed with blood-red paint in designs with meanings known only to Chikai and Hakujitsumu. This paint can be controlled by Chikai at will, moving like a living inkblot test upon her face, including making the entire mask a demonic red, or fading the illusion entirely.
[/span][/div]Shūsaku Endō
Name:
Chikai Shigosen
Gender:
Female
Race:
Shinigami
Canon/OC:
OC
Visual Appearance:
Physical Description:
Chikai’s capricious nature has made it difficult for most to remember much about her, least of all her usual appearance. Most remember a fierce blonde figure of average height, usually not any taller than five feet and eight inches, or shorter than five feet and three inches. The luster of her locks is often up for debate, straying between strawberry blonde and bright as the morning day, if it isn’t another color entirely. Chikai’s hair is most often arranged as bushy pigtails, flowing down her shoulders like two halves of a splintered whole, At times Chikai may interweave them as a single ponytail, fold it inward for a pixie cut, allow her whole head of hair to flow down her shoulders, or other styles to complete whatever presentation she wishes to put on, to say nothing of color or depth. As a member of the Onmitsukidō, Chikai’s build is deceptive, her body at one moment seeming to be nothing more than that of a shrine maiden, and another proving to be capable of crossing blades with someone from the Eleventh Division. Her eyes are equally vexing, usually appearing as a striking baby blue, but have the tendency to change, even subtly, as a means of keeping her peers on her toes… or, just to mess with them. It’s usually the latter.
Clothing/Misc. Items:
Chikai’s attire is variable, as is her physique and demeanor. More often than not, Chikai does not seem to take her station that seriously, preferring to emulate the fashions of the world of the living over the shihakusho of Soul Society. This can take many different forms, from run-down tanktops and ripped jeans to extravagant fashion designer jackets and an assortment of jewelry about her fingers and face, and numerous other trends that elude most of her peers. Part of it is for this very reason, a means of teasing and perplexing others in a personal game, seeing who cares about what, how much, and why… least of all because it is Chikai who is doing this in the first place, relative to other Shinigami who have experience with the other side.
When she is appearing in a formal capacity, the “Golden Harpy” of the Second Division is clad in a skintight tunic and shorts that leaves little to the imagination, tied off at the waistline by a thin white sash. Fingerless gloves cover her hands at nearly all times, as do black-socked tabi boots, current duties notwithstanding. Chikai tends to eschew the shihakusho entirely, often citing its terrible fashion taste, never mind that it almost always gets in the way of her duties in the Onmitsukidō. She does, however, have one, and will wear it should her Captain
Chikai’s uniform as an agent of the Patrol Corps is a far cry from her other identities. More often than not, Chikai is never seen in that station, given that the entire purpose of that group is to maintain anonymity and conduct intelligence. However, in those rare instances where she is permitted to reveal herself, Chikai is wearing a full-body suit, covering her from head to toe in the black silks of the Patrol Corps. Chikai’s uniform is distinguished from the norm by the red highlights throughout the fabrics and armor plating, though its most striking feature is the fox-like kabuki mask. It is a smiling vixen, splashed with blood-red paint in designs with meanings known only to Chikai and Hakujitsumu. This paint can be controlled by Chikai at will, moving like a living inkblot test upon her face, including making the entire mask a demonic red, or fading the illusion entirely.
Sexuality:
Bisexual
Goals:
Chikai’s duties are to her Captain, and the Onmitsukidō as a whole, yes. None of that is in question, for the principle of service and for what she stands to suffer by faltering under the stern Sui Feng. More than that, though, Chikai is interested in what she calls “The Game”. Its rules and terms seem to be known only to her, though what is clear to others is that, more than anything, it is the embodiment of her curious flirtations with the many worlds within her life, from the meticulous modality of serving Soul Society to the very society of the Seireitei and its outskirts, to how their kind have come to increasingly involve themselves with the world of the living, and things beyond that still. Chikai is playful with explaining this “Game” to others, framing it as a trivial thing one moment while hinting at sinister schemes of hers the next. It is hardly concrete or easily understood, more of a constant state of being than some ulterior goal that Chikai is steadily striving toward. In essence: it is the epitome of her character, fluid and implacable.
“In a closed society where everybody’s guilty, the only crime is getting caught."
Hunter S. Thompson
General Personality:
Chikai is an aggressively coy girl, who never seems to settle on anything at any moment. Her demeanor is constantly in flux, adapting to suit the situation at hand as she sees fit. She does not take much seriously, treating everything, least of all her duties as a Shinigami, as a big elaborate prank that only she is in on. Chikai is one of the most light-hearted of the Shinigami in Soul Society, a reputation that conflicts with her status as a ranking officer of the Onmitsukidō. She is infinitely more interested in getting to know others than fighting them, going to great lengths to avoid confrontation entirely… unless, of course, it means that she gets to push people’s buttons. Banter and witticisms are Chikai’s weapon of choice over everything else, even her Zanpakuto. If she can, if nothing else, have a good time while fighting for her life, or even while indulging the doldrums of the daily routine, Chikai will have found fulfillment. This has made her one of the most effective agents of the Onmitsukidō, able to unnerve and outright defeat her opponents without drawing a drop of blood, something that not even the Captain of the Second Division can lay claim to.
This fickle nature is not without its drawbacks. For as much as Chikai adores being the center of attention, or even a mild sideshow of attention, deep down she is not that comfortable with herself within that role. It is a heavy facade, mired in her perception of herself and how she believes that others have come to see her. It is in part a self-fulfilling prophecy, a girl confident in her belief that others do not see her for more than how she presents herself, an idea that continues to become warped in a society whose values are at odds with her identity. This is evident in how reclusive Chikai is, seldom making public appearances that are not carefully calculated, for humor, schemes, or similarly banal motives. More often than not, Chikai considers herself invisibile, not even necessarily because of her duties and persona (though those certainly play a part), but because of the perpetuation of her lack of connections with those around her… something that has always been very intentional.
These apparent conflicts and barriers have made it all but impossible for relationships to last, even within the Onmitsukidō. If anything, Chikai seems to get along least with her fellow Second Division Shinigami, going so far as to displace herself from her peers entirely. Part of this is that she sees most members of the Onmitsukidō as insufferable, and worse, boring, as their taciturn airs and overly disciplined sense of duty grate on her sensibilities in stark contrast. THe few friends that Chikai has managed to make have all been in other Divisions, some of whom are not even a part of the Seireitei. Indeed, Chikai’s circle of associates paints a picture that is far from ideal for an agent of the Patrol Corps, though none of this has gotten in the way of her duties, which, in spite of Chikai’s attitude, is nothing short of excellence. This particular contradiction stands out when Chikai’s closest friend (whether she knows it or not) is the painfully obtuse and altogether drag of a person that serves as the Third Seat of the First Division, Sasaki Tanaka. Why that is is known perhaps only to Chikai, though they have been fast… “acquaintances” for as long as either of them can remember… which is to say that only Chikai remembers. Poor Sasi can barely remember the people she talks to when it isn’t about business Dx
Her vanity and self-effacing foolishness aside, Chikai’s alienation - of herself, of those around her, and, truly, of Soul Society - is firmly rooted in a systemic distrust in all things, manifesting in her psyche from an early age. At times it shows itself through her aloof demeanor, treating no one and nothing with respect or sincerity as she dances around anything that does not humor her in the moment. To others, Chikai exudes a frigid indifference upon a situation, to the point that it seems no mystery that she ever cared about anything, or perhaps ever will. Chikai inexplicably held this notion long before Aizen and his followers ever left their mark upon Soul Society in recent memory, though that incident impacted Chikai as much as it did many others within the Gotei 13. Whether that was an affirmation of her nihilistic callousness, new doubts being sowed in herself and her way of doing things, or perhaps even supporting what had taken place, Chikai has been keen not to share such details with anyone; if not for her own sake, then for those precious few she actually respects.
For all of Chikai’s misgivings (and there are many, many to list), she has an unyielding sense of justice, within the Seireitei and beyond Soul Society itself. Her loyalty to the Onmitsukidō and the Gotei 13 is unflinching, and she would sooner take up hermitage than even consider turning away from this life. Were one to see her plainly, they would see that Chikai has no patience or respect for those who do not take their responsibilities within the Gotei 13 seriously. She is perhaps as rigorous in this devotion as even her Captain, ironclad in her pursuit of justice upon Hollows, humans, Shinigami, anyone, to the most brutal, efficacious extent. While acting in an official capacity, Chikai has no semblance of mercy or temperance, merely the resolve to execute the will of the Gotei 13 for the good of Soul Society.
Or so Chikai continues to tell herself.
“Knowing too much about other people puts you in their power. They have a claim on you. You are forced to understand their reasons for doing things… and then you are weakened.”
Margaret Atwood
History:
The Lie
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“Chikai Shigosen” was nobody. She wasn’t even Chikai. That name did not come until much, much later, and even then, that moniker was a personal fabrication. When she was found on the doorstep of a Rukongai orphanage, nothing was left with the baby, least of all a name or next of kin. Simple, perhaps, though the child proved to be anything but. She was a precocious, insightful, uncanny, insufferable thing. No one in that orphanage raised her with those traits in mind, nor was anyone capable of doing so. It had always been her, and her alone, that was responsible for this errant, cunning behavior. Errant, insofar as one defined law in the Rukongai. The girl understood, almost immediately, how little that meant down here, so far from the Seireitei, and even within the ivory walls of the Shinigami. Though Shinigami passed through every now and again, flexing their authority from a position of pride and hubris, the girl knew how little it truly mattered. Furthermore, how easy it was to run circles around them. It did not take long for Chikai to get the orphanage matrons eating out of her hand, and it took even less for her to achieve similar results with authorities outside of her “home”. She seldom observed curfew, and those misdemeanors were observed even less frequently by her supposed overseers. It was a strange farce, though it was one that was assured by nothing but the girl’s indomitable personality. It was only a matter of time before a girl like Chikai outgrew such a place, feeble as it was to contain minds like hers.
The girl was not entirely displaced from her youth. Though she liberated herself from the paper prison of the orphanage, she had never bothered to think further ahead than her next meal. Her circumstances had never necessitated it, and so she had never learned to see past the concerns immediately in front of her. Even with such shortsightedness, Chikai was never in danger. She had people who could provide her with everything that she needed, and more. The child quickly ingratiated herself to the criminal element of the Rukongai, amassing a small gang of followers from various walks of life. They attended her every beck and call, not the least of which was roping more and more people into her operation. On its face, Chikai’s gang was rather harmless, appearing as little more than a group of like-minded vagrants who looked out for one another, only taking what was necessary for the downtrodden to get by. Under the surface, however, was something much more sinister, belying Chikai’s true nature.
The enterprising youth was building a burgeoning syndicate under the noses of the Gotei 13. Chikai had always maintained a low profile, and when Shinigami began to make more frequent inquiries to the Rukongai in search of this so-called mastermind, she was capable of making herself entirely scarce so as to make them wonder if she even existed at all. This syndicate, which made a point of having no name by which to identify it, preyed on that line of doubt with its numerous avenues of business. Theft and the subsequent redistribution of resources was but the most (and seemingly only) apparent operation, leaning into the rumors of this being a disillusioned vigilante element within Soul Society. There were many other activities, though not as pronounced nor blatant, so as to maintain the air of mystery: there was, for instance, gambling rings, which were rather useful at exploiting the rare privilege within the citizens of the Rukongai, who pretended to be for the people but were anything but. So too did the syndicate engage in shakedowns, roughing up people who needed to be reminded of the true authority in the Rukongai, as well as forgery, vandalism, and the like. More than all of these, keeping tabs on others was Chikai’s personal favorite, as information was the most dangerous - and effective - means to hold leverage over others. This had been the girl’s specialty ever since she had gained her faculties in that forlorn orphanage. It was how she eclipsed that place, and it was how she came to eclipse the Rukongai as a whole. The girl was not necessarily ambitious for control, but her curiosity and boredom would always yearn for more.
In time, that yearning came to blows. Fatal blows, as the insidious growth of Chikai’s enterprise eventually attracted the attention of the Captain of the Second Division. No matter what Chikai thought of herself and her schemes, humble mastermind that she was, it was all for naught before a Captain of the Gotei 13. Worse, Yoruichi, whose entire business was rooting out secrets and misdirection. It was hardly a chase, if it could even be called one, when Yoruichi caught up with the spry girl responsible for all of this. Yoruichi was not expecting this, though she was no less strict for it. She took the girl to task, and rather harshly at that. However, at the hurried words of her Vice Captain, she stayed her hand. This mischief-maker had run circles around the Shinigami for years, from childhood into late adolescence, without so much as a single mistake that might unmake her work. Not only that, but she had never been actively malevolent, making sure to maintain this syndicate as a mark of pride than a play at anything greater. This girl did not lack determination nor skill in their ways. Not only that, the Second Division’s numbers had been waning as of late. If nothing else, it would make no difference if this precocious troublemaker washed out of the trials, as so many like her did… but Yoruichi had a feeling about this one; and those instincts were rarely wrong.
The Game
As it was for all fledglings who were permitted to the Seireitei, Chikai’s training was arduous. It was especially the case for her, a girl who was not only an orphan, but an orphan of the Rukongai. The Seireitei made no secrets its exclusive dynasties that presided over the Gotei 13. Even in the brief instances where Chikai crossed paths with her would-be mentor, Yoruichi seemed at odds with this philosophy, apart from many of her fellow Captains. It almost amused Chikai, though it also offered her some small comfort in knowing that she was among her like in this radiant nexus of hubris. Likewise, Chikai got along with very few of her class. She was impetuous, mercurial, and notorious for pranks. Yoruichi’s exposure and dissolution of Chikai’s ring in the Rukongai spread like wildfire, as did the announcement that she was going to be attending the academy as an up-and-coming Shinigami. This was around the time where Chikai officially took on the name of Chikai Shigosen. Though it was not her proper name - nothing would ever be - it was an amusing pseudonym that she gave herself, and it stuck. The deck was stacked against her in just about every way, and nearly everyone went out of their way to remind her of this fact, some more forcefully than others… save one.
Everything that Chikai was - estranged, nosy, playful, lax, chaotic - Sasaki Tanaka was not. She was a hardass, plain and simple, and much like Chikai’s maelstrom of a personality, the girl’s steely airs kept those around her at a distance. Chikai was not so easily swayed, and stuck by the girl’s side as frequently and annoyingly as possible. To most, it would appear to be a one-way relationship, and one couched almost entirely in aggression, if not outright bullying, with how often Chikai would force herself upon Sasaki’s space. Chikai didn’t see it that way, though. SHe saw much of herself in Sasaki - they were estranged girls, lost in their respective worlds, too apart from those around them to form connections that were expected of them. Though they were of order and chaos respectively, Chikai found a kindred connection between them that would never break. Whether Sasaki saw it or not didn’t much matter; Chikai would be spending time with her whether she liked it or not… and as far as she could tell, Sasaki never tried to get her to leave, so how against it could she have been, really?
To no surprise to either of the girls, Chikai and Sasaki both excelled during their time at Shin’o Academy, albeit in their own ways. Chikai would often be the one to be called in for discipline, while Sasaki was at times the reason for Chikai being disciplined at all. The latter did not seem to mind at all. Rather, she turned this cycle into “The Game”, something that Sasaki (and everyone in the Seireitei, for that matter) fail to understand to this day. Academic balderdash notwithstanding, their respective skills quickly gained the attention of the Gotei 13. They advanced quickly, more quickly than most students did. They quickly became the proverbial talk of the town, something that neither of them took to that well. Not even Chikai, whose usual penchant for attention was at odds with this superficial publicity. She had no interest in being anyone’s idol to gawk at, even if it was driven by envy. That envy culminated in a bittersweet nickname for Chikai, much like her own name: the Golden Harpy. If not for her singsong mockery of others, her feminine wiles, or her radiant personality, then certainly for the young woman’s affinity for the dramatic and silver-tongued. Perhaps it was because of that mindset (be it out of irony or misplaced duty) that she found herself assigned to the Second Division… but Chikai knew better. This was always going to be the outcome. Even if it hadn’t been Yoruichi who had brought her adolescence to an end, there was only one place in Soul Society for someone like Chikai. Unseen, and unheard.
The Will
The anonymity of the Onmitsukidō suited Chikai. She kept to herself, apart from her peers as frequently and playfully as possible. It was as if she had never met Sasaki, who had been shuffled off to divisions unknown. That suited Chikai just fine. She knew that the two of them had a bond, and she had a feeling that Sasaki knew as well, emotionless brick wall that she was. Their time would come. Until then, the Golden Harpy toiled, as all did in her position. It was work, and work was routine. The bane of a free spirit. She grit her teeth for it just the same, and persevered, just as she had at Shin’o. In some ways, Chikai reverted to how she had been in the Rukongai, before she had been involuntarily brought into the viper’s nest. Though she was no longer a leader (for now), operating within the Patrol Corps was not so different from her information extortion. Keeping tabs on others, spying and eavesdropping on her enemies’ words to impale them with when the time was right… it all bled together. It almost bled together too well at times. Chikai had always looked down upon the Seireitei and its culture, even when she was attending the Shin’o Academy. After she had been placed within the Second Division and began working her way through her duties, however, it became clear how monochrome the nature of the universe truly was. The cutthroat lifestyle Chikai had raised herself on was virtually indistinguishable from what she did now. It was funny, really.
When Chikai’s life was monotonous, it bled together for her, more easily than it normally did. This was the case for most of her work within the Patrol Corps. Most of the time, it was always the same, gathering information on one person of interest or another, then relaying that information to the Captain. And that was it. No substance, no charm, no innovation. It was maddening. Chikai’s mind often drifted while she was performing her duties, which had practically become second nature for her by the second week. Her wandering thoughts accumulated over time, coalescing into something more than the sum of its parts. When the Harpy found herself forced into a confrontation with a particularly loathsome Shinigami that had succumbed to a Hollow incursion in a curious way, her mundane Asauchi came against the monster’s form… and shattered.
When Chikai awoke, it was not in Soul Society. If the all-encompassing fog and weightlessness of her body, mind and soul did not make that clear, the giant floating kabuki mask orbiting her did. It taunted Chikai, much in the same way that she did others. It was disarming, and frustrating, to finally meet someone who could keep pace with her antics. The worst part was how little it bothered to explain to her, forcing the wayward Shinigami to make her own way through this place, whatever it was. She knew that she could not be dead… probably. Soul Society was that realm, and she had known it all her life… hadn’t she? The longer she remained in this ethereal place, the more she realized how much she did not know. She was naught but a lost child, desperately clinging onto anything and everything that made sense to her in this confounding paradox one called reality. But she would not break. Chikai only became more committed in her resolve to find her way out of this, and to make something of the nothing that she had started with, and the nothing that she had ended with.
Apparently, the giant mask found humor in that. In that moment, Chikai found herself before a massive tree, larger than anything she had ever seen in her life including the Seireitei itself. It dwarfed reason, laughing in the face of those who attempted to make sense of the unknowable. It was baffling. It was home. The mask revealed itself to be Hakujitsumu, the Spirit of her Zanpakuto. Chikai was more surprised than confused; even after she had been with the Onmitsukidō for years, her Asauchi had been little more than an overgrown toothpick, with no sign of coming any closer to manifesting as a fully-formed Zanpakuto. Chikai had never thought much of it, taking it in stride as a practical joke on how little she cared for the Gotei 13 and its pathetic sense of justice. Hakujitsumu too took this in stride, explaining that her Asauchi was never her Zanpakuto, and never would be. Hakujitsumu had taken root in Chikai’s mind the moment she had escaped from that orphanage, transforming her feeble impudence into a living will, completely unawares to herself, and even to the Shinigami who took her in. When Chikai’s physical will threatened to become undone by the strange Shinigami/Hollow monster, her mental will at last manifested as a proper Zanpakuto… though, fittingly, not as the Shinigami proper would define it. In fact, it seemed that Chikai’s affinity with her Zanpakuto was remarkably advanced. She did not need to communicate with the spirit of her weapon through Jinzen, nor did she seem to need to conduct Jinzen at all in order to communicate with Hakujitsumu directly. Their connection had been developing over the course of decades, their form of training more intimate and sincere than anything she had been taught at Shin’o Academy. Hakujitsumu explained his Inner World to Chikai, to which she may return any time she desires, for any reason… that, and that she was perfectly fine, sleeping soundly in the forest, in the waking world. And so it went.
The Truth
No one found out about what happened that night. The Golden Harpy had made sure that she had been alone, and Hakujitsumu had not sensed anyone while she was visiting him in his Inner World. Chikai doubly made sure that nothing was left of that anomaly, either. It was nothing like anything she had seen before, and she wasn’t about to tell anyone about it. Clearly something sketchy was going on, and she was going to get to the bottom of it. Not because she necessarily cared about the Seireitei and upholding the order, but because of the interesting opportunities pursuing it would provide. Burning away boredom with little “projects” like this was a large factor in how Chikai avoided going insane under Yoruichi’s prickly and playful leadership. That was not to say that Chikai did not respect her. She had rooted her out of the Rukongai and dismantled her operation, after all. Her power and authority was among the few in the Seireitei that the girl allowed herself to recognize… but it was still a tyranny, of sorts, people like Chikai beneath people like Yoruichi. Sui Feng didn’t exactly make life easy for Chikai and the rest of the Onmitsukidō, either. Such was the way of the Second Division, as far as Chikai was concerned. The most important thing was that no one, not even Chikai’s Captain, knew that her Zanpakuto had manifested. As far as anyone was concerned, she was just the infamous Second Division screw-up doomed to wield an Asauchi for the rest of her days.
The Golden Harpy didn’t get far with her search. Whoever, whatever that had been responsible for it had been very thorough. It was admirable, even if a little annoying. During this time, she drew the eye of Sosuke Aizen. The Captain of the Fifth Division was a bit of an enigma that even Chikai couldn’t stay away from entirely. His demeanor seemed split in a couple different directions, even if there wasn’t necessarily any proof to that. Just a feeling in her gut, and what Hakujitsumu fed to her. That curiosity eventually resulted in Aizen catching Chikai with her pants down, so to speak. She had gotten caught up in interrogating a suspect a little too passionately with Hakujitsumu, and when she turned, Aizen was standing there. He didn’t seem to mind her methods. Hell, he was impressed with how her powers worked, so unlike many of the Gotei 13. He offered to tutor Chikai in how best to wield her abilities, which she accepted in a heartbeat. She wasn’t sure how he could see through her like that, or how he knew the ins and outs of rare Shinigami powers like hers, but she wasn’t about to turn down an opportunity like that. Given what came to pass, perhaps she should have been more hesitant. Chikai’s pursuits into the strange Hollow/Shinigami anomalies finally paid off, though for far too little, and far too late. She had pinned down where most of the disturbances had taken place, and was making her way to an area that she was certain was going to have something happen there one night. By the time Chikai got there, however, other authorities of the Gotei 13 had arrived, and Captain Urahara of all people had been caught red-handed. Maybe she had been wrong after all...
Chikai didn’t apologize to Aizen, and she didn’t seek him out. He seemed to return the favor. WHatever had been happening with those incidents, she wanted nothing to do with it. It had become the kind of spectacle and intrigue that she wanted no part of. Leave the matters of treason and justice to those who cared about those things. Chikai laid low for a while after that, and though she tried to reach out to Sasaki about what happened, she was silent as a dreadfully boring tombstone. Which is to say, she was Sasaki. But Chikai could see how that series of events had shaken the girl’s resolve, if only slightly. The feeling was mutual. Sui Feng, on the other hand, was absolutely insufferable. Now that her precious Yoruichi had flown the coop, the Onmitsukidō had become an absolute hell. Even the slightest mis-step was met with severe discipline, or worse, a duel that one would be mad to refuse. Chikai was certain that the bitch was going to skin her alive sooner or later, but for reasons that eluded her at the time, that never came to pass.
Some time later (for most, upwards of a century, though if you ask Chikai she would insist on it not being more than a few weeks), Aizen came to her in the Central Courtyard in the dead of night, when she was on one of her sweeps. He looked slightly unnerved, and even that was enough for the Harpy to know that something was going on. The Rukongai had apparently fallen into disarray, after that group of outsiders had arrived. Chikai hadn’t been paying attention to those alerts, but it must have been important for Aizen to come to her like this. Though her curiosity trumped her sense of duty once more, Chikai set out for the Rukongai just the same. By the time the Harpy arrived, these so-called outsiders were nowhere to be found. She did, however, run into many of her old friends from her days there. Though Chikai loathed to admit it, she was happy to see everyone again, and even took the time to reacquaint herself with the streets while she saw to restoring order. It didn’t even feel like restoring order when Chikai was reconnecting with her former self through these people. Was this what it had been like for Yoruichi?... what it was like for Sui Feng? Even so, there wasn’t that much work to be done in the Rukongai. Hell, she didn’t even need to come at all… oh. So that was his game… Clever, clever.
When Chikai was able to return to the Seireitei, it was already over, and what had yet to pass was beyond her, anyway. Chikai didn’t mind; if anything, it meant that A) she had a chance to rest and B) had time to come up with an excuse as to where she was while all of this went down. None of it would be enough for Sui Feng, of course, but it was the principle of the matter. In this new Soul Society, no matter who was in charge of it, keeping appearances was going to be more important than ever before, and Chikai was nothing if not fashionable. AS it turned out, Chikai was far from the only Shinigami that had gone missing in action, or worse. She blended among these people with ease, and when Sui Feng came looking for her, Chikai was ready to join the slightly new order of things in Soul Society. Sui Feng even extended an invitation for Chikai to join the seats of the Second Division to both recognize her merits thus far and for a show of stability, though she turned it down. No matter how Chikai felt about the Gotei 13 and the Seireitei now (and not that much had changed, to be frank), she wouldn’t be caught dead being used as leverage, let alone by Sui Feng. The woman was great and all, but this Harpy bowed to no one. Ever.
Faction:
Soul Society, Second Division
Rank:
Unseated; Patrol Corps
Physical Abilities/Power:
Actress
The Golden Harpy is less warrior than most Shinigami. Her expertise lies in her ability to beguile and mislead others, chief among which is her presentation of what she wants others to perceive. Little of this, if anything, is done through Kido. Chikai’s skills have been known to fool Shinigami of Captain-rank from time to time, including her own Division Captain, the unflappable Sui Feng.
Body-Reader
In addition to her ability to perform, Chikai has a habit of reading people. Though this often plays out in how she interacts with others and changes her persona accordingly, it is applicable in how she reads the movements of others as well. Simply from a glance, she can determine how someone may fight, and upon further study, glean much more. This is all without using her Zanpakuto, which affords her insight that is leagues beyond most of the Gotei 13.
Hohō
Chikai subscribes to the oft-forgotten school of combat, “avoiding getting hit in the first place”. She practically dances around opponents with her agility, using misdirection and redirection of movement to maintain an edge on her opponents’ mobility. Under Sui Feng’s tutelage, Chikai has become an exceptional user of Shunpo, though she is far from anything resembling mastery. With that said, she can outpace most Shinigami of her rank, and even some Lieutenants if she is able to get under their skin.
Hakuda
Chikai’s direct means of neutralizing her opponents is through Hakuda. Sui Feng has made Chikai into a deadly assassin through her mastery of Hakuda, though the latter has made a habit of using these techniques to simply render her opposition completely incapable of recovery rather than outright killing them, a distinction that Chikai delights in reminding her peers of at every opportunity.
Taketonbo
Tsukiyubi
Takigoi
Tesshō
Kido:
Hadō
Chikai can cast Hado spells up to rank 10 without incantation.
1. Shō
4. Byakurai
12. Fushibi
31. Shakkahō
Bakudō
Chikai can cast Bakudō spells up to rank 20 without incantation.
1. Sai
4. Hainawa
8. Seki
9. Geki
9. Hōrin
21. Sekienton
26. Kyokkō
30. Shitotsu Sansen
”It is a fool's prerogative to utter truths that no one else will speak.”
Neil Gaiman
Zanpakuto:
Hakujitsumu
Customary for all Shinigami of Soul Society, Chikai keeps a katana on her person. Uncustomarily, her Zanpakuto is not tied to that blade. Hakujitsumu is one of the rare mental Zanpakuto, and has no tangible appearance save for its spirit form. Passively, Chikai has heightened insight, able to intuit things that would otherwise require impossible leaps of logic to come to startling conclusions about a given situation. This can range from something as simple as noting what one might have had for breakfast, to determining a hidden flaw in a fighting technique. Hakujitsumu is not without its demands. The more Chikai leans into this well of acumen, the heavier it will weigh upon her faculties. If she abuses her Zanpakuto, her senses can become dulled, resulting in increasingly debilitating migraines. The conclusions from Hakujitsumu may even become unreliable, induce ideas that were never there to begin with… or, if Chikai is to be believed, have yet to take place. To this day, Chikai’s Zanpakuto is known only to Sosuke Aizen, who secretly tutored her in its use.
Inner World
Hakujitsumu’s Inner World, to most, appears as a blank void, swathed in layers of a cerulean fog. What one sees beyond the veil is dependent on the individual, subject to their idea of home, a place in their mind’s eye where they feel truly safe and at peace. And yet, even though that image may form, it will prove impossible to reach that place. No matter how far or how desperately one moves in this Inner World, they will find themselves ever distant from that ideal. Only one who has mastered themselves, least of all the Shinigami wielding this Zanpakuto may find that furtive center through their state of mind. For Chikai, that center is an elder cherry blossom, veiled in a layer of azure film that covers everything within sight. The fog is rebuffed by this place, yet surrounds it like a cloak of pride. For Chikai, standing in this place, with Hakujitsumu or not, is one of the few ways in which she can experience complete emptiness.
Spirit
Hakujitsumu, in form and mind, is as fickle and formless as his Inner World. He may take a variety of shapes, depending on whom he is addressing. He peers into the souls of others, and reflects that which they wish to see… and that which they do not. His most prominent form, however, is his natural state: a massive kabuki mask, floating in the ether with a cheshire-like demeanor, most of all towards his Shinigami. He is an alien sage, speaking as cryptically as his own power.
“Open, Hakujitsumu.”
Shikai:
Chikai continues to distinguish her Zanpakuto from others in that she does not activate her Shikai through a weapon. Once she has sufficiently studied a target, she may draw in close and channel her Shikai through a specialized Hakuda technique. She applies her hand to the target’s crown and third eye chakras, and a subtle flash of light enters their body. This process of reishi manipulation allows Chikai to sift through her target’s mind directly, searching for any information that she is seeking. The density of the target’s reishi, and the degree to which they have secured the information in their mind, may slow the Shikai’s effects. If Chikai attempts to use this technique against someone with greater reishi than her own, Hakujitsumu’s effect will be significantly reduced, or may fail outright. Once Chikai has acquired the information that she seeks, she severs the connection, resulting in a mind spike that causes severe psychic damage to the target. This can be enough to incapacitate (or even destroy) lesser minds. Pending a great disparity in power, the target’s memory of the experience is erased, which may include the original knowledge that was “borrowed” from them.
Bankai:
Not Yet Achieved
