Post by Mitsu on Jan 3, 2023 10:28:26 GMT -5
Oumurasaki Sumire
Discord Username: The Supreme Gaiety#5352 (Mitsu)
Password 1: Kitai's Debt
Password 2: Sanctus Teamwork
Type: Mystic
Squad: 4th Division
Rank: Unseated
Basic Information
Name: Oumurasaki Sumire
Age of Death: 19
Real Age/Age of Appearance: 202 | Mid 20s
Birthday (Month/Day): April 4th
Blood Type: O-
RP Sample (Optional): N/A
Appearance
Height/Weight: 5'6" | 145lbs
Physical Description: Sumire is an individual that some might describe as pretty, or even beautiful, though in his field he doesn’t really focus on accentuating his looks or drawing the eyes of others all that much. His stature is short than the average man his apparent age, giving him an almost diminutive air. He has a lithe figure, and apparently lacking musculature which is befitting of a doctor, however he is also a swordsman and thus the evidence of his training can be made plainly visible by flexing.
Sumi's skin is pale to the point of being pallid, giving him the appearance of someone constantly in a state of mild sickness despite being of perfect health. Sumi's hair falls around his shoulders and in bangs framing his face, and is a curious gradient that goes from deep black at the roots to a light violet at the tips. He often keeps his hair pulled back into a low ponytail to keep his face clear.
His facial features are soft and delicate, his bone structure being of a type that lends him a look of innocence. His eyebrows are naturally thin and perfectly arched, being a dark black coloration rather than the same ombre of his hair. His eyes are a breathtaking shade of purple, the color of lavender plants or amethysts, and are completely lacking any discernable pupil. His lips are full, if a bit prone to frowning, and are the most expressive part of his face, next to his eyes. It is nearly impossible for him to conceal whatever emotions he is feeling, his eyes or mouth telegraphing his mental state like neon signs.
Sumire possesses a number of scars, most of them owed to his time in and out of medical facilities than any misadventures he’s had in his lifetime. The most noticeable of these are surgical scars: one along the right side of his rib-cage, another along the inside of his left calf and a large one beginning at his sternum and moving down to his celiac plexus. He also possesses a singular tattoo, decorating his right side lengthwise are the words "primum non nocere".
Sumi’s sense of style is very relaxed and casual, preferring comfort over looks in this regard. Despite this, he doesn’t usually wear loose clothing as it can get in the way if he ever needs to perform operations at a moment’s notice. He can be seen carrying a bag of medical supplies at most times for this same reason. His shihakushō is mostly standard, however with the addition of kyahan over his socks and a kimono he wears over it all with a butterfly wing pattern upon them.
{Shihakushō}
{Casual Attire}
Personality
Overall Personality: Sumire has been a bookworm since he was alive, and has carried that well into his afterlife. He is quieter by nature and very much the studious type, a book on one medical topic or another never far from his hand, and medical research never far from the front of his mind. That being said, he can be more than a tad bit awkward, due to being more in tune with words on a page than he is with the complexities of human interaction.
Sumi has a certain pride in his knowledge and training, which often combines with his quiet to give an air of aloofness to him. Though he is prideful, he tries not to let his pride blind him when it comes to certain situations, he can be seen as extremely condescending due to his overly blunt statements. He sees no point in mincing words with others, and most often speaks his mind without any care for how others may react to it.
He sees others as they are without giving compliments or encouragement where none is due, and he compares them to what their potential could be over whatever they might be showing him in that moment. And for those who fall short of his expectations he does not spare them his disparaging comments. Despite this, he has a great capacity for caring, as evidenced by his profession. This makes him an excellent doctor as he takes the wellbeing of his patients extremely personal.
Sumire is prone to entering a mental state which he has dubbed “doctor mode”. It is usually prompted by Sumi needing to treat a patient, or during intense study on any given research project. Within it, he is hyper-focused on the job at hand and cares even less about the intricacies of interpersonal relationships. When addressed, he speaks in almost exclusively long, drawn out medical or scientific terms, theories and explanations.
He also enters this mindset in battle, though it has a different effect. He instead focuses on protecting his allies, whomever is in the most danger or the most essential to their cause in that moment, or if they aren’t present quickly dispatching his opponent so that he can return to them. Whatever his mission, he always carries it out with great efficiency, behaving almost like a machine rather than a living breathing person.
Curiously enough, despite how little he cares about how his words affect those around him, when he does speak it is with a smooth, sensual grace that cannot help but captivate those around him. Because of this he both stands out and blends in, the difference between the two being determined by how deeply he is immersed in his doctoral mindset.
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Dislikes:
- Obnoxiousness: There are some who are overly excitable, boisterous or just plain loud, and Sumire accepts that somewhat grudgingly. There is a line between loudness and obnoxiousness, and that line comes when one is told that their volume or energy is distracting and doesn't correct said behavior. Sumire can't stand obnoxious individuals, as they make it near impossible to get his work done.
- Uncleanliness: Sumire lived in an almost sterile home as a human, to protect their delicate constitution and ensure a cutdown on his illnesses as much as possible. Dirt and grime is also a sign of an unsanitary space and someone in his field of work requires a clean space less he compromise his patient's health. Thus any sign of uncleanliness sparks a deep seated discomfort within him, especially if it is present in his own personal spaces.
- Ignorance: Knowledge is the one thing Sumire had in life that could not be tainted by the sickness of his body, so he clung to books. To not know something, to be ignorant, is an experience that unnerves him to his very core and he will do whatever it takes to alleviate this feeling. He also has a pointed dislike for those who do not actively try to expand their own knowledge, and anyone who lets themselves live in ignorance just because its comfortable.
- Entitlement: Those that feel they are owed something, be it because of their station or their power, without having earned it are among the lowest of the low. While he was better off in life, he never got the chance to earn things for himself and in his afterlife he has done nothing but earn his own way, so he has little respect or patience for those who expect to be handed whatever they want whenever they want it.
- Questions: It is not that Sumire dislikes being asked questions, he doesn't like having them. A question denotes a lack of knowledge and understanding, and it is something that he cannot abide within himself. If he has a question, he needs it answered as soon as possible and if others are incapable or unwilling to provide the answer, he will go looking for it himself.
Likes:
- Composing: Music was one of Sumire's loves in life, as it was easy for him to enjoy it from the comforts of his bed. One of the many things he learned was how to read and compose music, as well as play a bit. He is trained in the shamisen, and upon enterring the Soul Society has also learned to play the cello.
- Horticulture: Plants were an additional thing that Sumire studied in depth during his bouts of sickness, as he often liked to walk the gardens with his mother and would at time even tend the plants alongside her. He has a fondness for the "misunderstood" plants, such as those who appear dangerous or are poisonous and keeps his own small garden of them in the 4th Division.
- Cooking: One of the joys Sumire found after entering the Soul Society was that of cooking. While he lived, his mother prepared all of his meals and most of what he ate was designed to be easily digested by someone as sick as he often was. In the last years of his life he had been able to eat more normal foods, but upon entering the afterlife they learned the joys of cooking and eating a large variety of different foods.
- Rain: Time spent contained within doors for his own safety fostered within Sumire an appreciation of the weather, and Sumire loves the rain in particular. Rainy days are perfect for some of Sumire's favorite passtimes, such as playing his cello or reading. He will always prefer a light rain to wintery snow or even clear summer days.
- Study: Reading was the most consistent of Sumire's pass times, and it has continued to be his favorite into his afterlife. He doesn't just like to read, he loves to read with a purpose and this is most commonly done when he is studying. His favorite subject of study is anything related to medical practices.
Flaws:
- Detached: Sumire had little contact with anyone in their living life, outside of their mother, so they never really developed good social skills. As such he seems more like a watcher in most things than a participant, and it gives him a rather detached air. It also makes talking to others rather awkward, as heis never entirely sure how to do so correctly.
- Blunt: Another result of Sumire not socializing in life is his apparent lack of tact. He isn't oblivious to how his words may effect others, however for the most part he doesn't care. He doesn't understand the need to mince words when something is important, especially to spare someone's feelings. He is capable of being "gentler" in his manner of speaking, but he will always try to tell the truth as plainly as he can.
- All-Knowing: Sumire knows a lot, and he knows he does, and so he tends to make sure everyone else knows he does as well. Sumire isn't the type to talk at length without being prompted, however if asked specifically about one of his fields of expertise he will talk at length about it until the topic is changed or until he exhausts topics to discuss. However due to the breadth of his knowledge, it takes a rather long time for him to run out of things to talk about.
Habits:
- All Schemes to Know: When it comes to knowledge, Sumire is as voracious as a freshly born Hollow. Everything is a subject to study, and Sumire loves to study. They will ask questions and inquire about anything that they think they need knowledge on, and this is especially true when treating a patient. Everything is a subject to be studied, something to know, and Sumire has a desire to know as much as humanly possible.
- Everything is Science: Just as everything is knowledge that Sumire desires, everything can be broken down into a scientific process and tackled as such. Or at least that is what Sumire believes. In truth, his tackling of things as a scientific process tends to lead even more to Sumire's awkward nature, as treating people more like subject than people can often cause one to seem less human.
Fears:
- Failure: While Sumire was alive, nothing much was expected of him because of his chronic illness. In death he found himself setting expectations whether they be for his goals or for his wants. With the second chance given to him in his after flife, he feels a pressure to make something of himself in order to not waste the opportunity he was given, and he fears failing in that.
- Powerlessness: Being sick all of his life and being unable to do anything to better his health has instilled in Sumire a fear of being powerless. There is no way to actively fight a sickness, one simply has to rest and let their body do its work, and this form of idle powerlessness is something that Sumire wishes to avoid as much as possible.
- Dementia: His mind is the one thing that was relatively healthy while he lived, and near his death he had a glimpse of what it would be like to lose his mind while in bouts of delirium. Sumire fears losing that one constant above all things, as without his mind he loses all aspects of himself and thus would well and truly die.
Goals:
- Heal All Ails: Sumire knows it is almost impossible to heal all sicknesses in everyone, but he wants to be a force of healing and restoration within the Soul Society. One of his biggest goals is becoming a leading force within the 4th Division, if not the Captain of it.
- Help the Helpess: Sumire wishes to help as many people as he can, not just Shinigami in the capacity of a 4th Division member, but also as a simple denizen of the Seireitei. He wants to find ways to improve the living situations of people in the outer districts of the Rukongai, and while he knows it will take work he is fully willing to put in that effort.
Powers
Fighting Style: Sumire is, first and foremost, a doctor, and thus he doesn't favor fighting head to head with other combatants. He prefers a position where they do not have to physically fight at all, standing at the back of combat and providing support when necessary or even casting spells to hamper his enemies or aid his allies as best he can. It is because of this that one rarely finds him handling combat situations or missions alone, as not only is it antithesis to his position as a member of the 4th Division, but it also doesn't lend itself to his comfort.
However, one should not take Sumire's reluctance to match someone head on as the inability to do so. No one knows the position of vulnerability a medic is in better than Sumire, and thus he has trained tirelessly to lessen if not eliminate this vulnerability. While he may not be as physically strong or spiritually overwhelming as more combat oriented Shinigami, he does possess several things that are dangerous when employed correctly: speed, intelligence and knowledge. This allows him to use his wits in order to match other combatants blow for blow while lessening the danger to himself.
Sumi has studied the anatomy of not only humans and humanoids, but also Hollows and other Spiritual enemies. He uses this knowledge not only to treat his patients, but also to combat his enemies by striking at weak spots he is familiar with. If his knowledge should come up short, or even fail, due to an enemy's unique or strange anatomy then Sumire is more than capable of eliminating this disadvantage by simply watching his quarry. After all, he has a doctor's eyes and can pick out any target's weaknesses and strengths if given enough time.
This ingenuity and knowledge is all tied together by Sumire's sheer ruthlessness. If he were not one for helping, rather than harming, Sumi would make an exemplary member of the Second Division. He has no compunctions against fighting dirty, and often use his knowledge to maim or even cripple an opponent if he cannot kill them outright. Their medical training also allows them to employ the use of poisons and other toxins to whittle down their opponent slowly but surely. To fight Sumire head on, or at least to attempt to, is to enter into a battle of attrition that is difficult to win.
Zanpakuto Spirit Appearance: Yakubyōgami takes a form that is much less menacing than their abilities imply. They take the appearance of an androgynous individual with dark hair and eyes, with pale skin that makes them look prone to sickness or as though they have not seen the sun in many years. They are tall and rather thin, though are draped in baggy-formless clothes that hide most of their body. Their lips are cracked almost perpetually, with dark circles under their eyes, while the skin on their hand peels.
While Yakubyōgami strikes a rather unimpressive image, the most notable feature of their body is the large pair of butterfly wings that emerge from their back. These wings are cast in shifting shades of purple, and when extended release shimmering scales in his area that tend to take the form of smaller butterflies that flit off into the distance. These wings are several times Yakubyōgami's own size, and when fully extended are capable of blocking out any view behind them, or wrapping fully around their body if they so desire.
Yakubyōgami is a soft spoken spirit, only speaking when they feel Sumire desires or would benefit from their opinion. They most often offer their insight in medical affairs, especially if it concerns a poison, toxin or disease, as that is the Zanpakuto's sphere of knowledge and influence. Other than that, they are mainly silent unless Sumire himself starts the conversation up. If the conversation is initiated, Yakubyōgami is happy to participate for as long as one wishes to talk.
{God of Pestilence}
Inner World: The Inner World of Sumire's Zanpakuto takes the form of a large expansive world, cast in an eternal night. The sky is filled with light colored clouds and a moon cast in a whimsical lilac shade. The ground of this world is covered in a thin layer of water, reflecting the light of the moon and the stars in the sky. At the center of this world is a massive wisteria tree, at the foot of which Yakubyōgami usually rests. Within the branches of the tree are a seemingly endless number of butterflies that inhabit the world, each carrying a thought or memory from the Zanpakuto or Sumire himself.
{The Butterfly Realm}
Zanpakuto Appearances: Yakubyōgami at first appears at first glance as an ordinary uchigatana. It possesses light lavender-colored hilt wrappings and a tsuba in the shape of a butterfly, trimmed in gold and colored a deep wisteria. When drawn, however, it is revealed that just above the hilt of the weapon, it loses its blade which is instead replaced by a sturdy rod and tipped with a stinger-like blade. The strange shape of the weapon renders it less efficient for slashing and more so for piercing and stabbing. It sports a deep purple scabbard, wrapped with lighter violet cords for ease of transport.
Due to the nature of Yakubyōgami's Shikai, it does not have a conventional appearance due to losing its primary physical form. It does, however, manifest in a light purple miasma that hovers around Sumire and follows his movement. While within Shikai, his veins take on a mild grey color, and deepens to a near-black around his eyes. All of his bodily fluids take on a purple-sheen, and even his breaths produce a light purple mist that billows out to join his miasma. A facsimile of the weapon's sealed form is shaped of a dull purple metal-like material for Sumire to continue to fight in combat.
This is still true of Bankai, as Yakubyōgami is enhanced rather than given a new form. In this state, the veins within Sumire's extremities and around his eyes have taken a deep purple coloration, while his lips have changed to a similar lilac color as though deprived of oxygen for a time. The miasma that surrounds Sumire has taken a form reminiscent to a cloak around him, and shifts into a shape resembling butterfly wings when they move. He retains the facsimile of the weapon in order to facilitate combat.
Zanpakuto Release Names:
- Spread your ills, Shihyakushibyō Yakubyōgami (四百四病疫病神, lit. "Four Hundred Four Diseases of the God of Pestilence")
- Infect without limit, Chōkeijijōgakutekikai Yakubyōgami: Jajinhojū (超形而上学的界の疫病神・邪神宝珠, lit. "'Pataphysical Realm of the God of Pestilence: Wicked God Wish Granting Jewel")
Overall Ability: Yakubyōgami's power is known as Patient Zero (我慢強い, Gamanzuyoi; lit "Strongly Suffering the Unbearable with Patience and Dignity") and in simplest terms it turns Sumire into a carrier of a countless ailments, illnesses and diseases. This power manifests not only diseases that affect the physical form, but also the mental and spiritual ones as well, allowing this Zanpakuto to pose a danger even to those with a condition that grants them perfect health or the ability to resist illness. While he is a carrier of these diseases, they are dormant within his body and only activate when he desires them to, thus they do not hinder him in any way while using his Zanpakuto.
Sumire is capable of transmitting any of the diseases within his body to another individual by means of contact with his physical form, such as skin to skin contact, or his Spiritual essence, such as being struck by one of his Kido, however this is not the most dangerous aspect of the Zanpakuto's power. The true danger of the Zanpakuto, and its ability, lay in Sumire's ability to manipulate the properties of any of the diseases within his form, amplifying their effects, modifying their properties or even producing new and more powerful strains of said diseases to combat foes.
Due to being the origin of a great many diseases, this ability also produces microorganisms such as bacteria, pathogens, viruses and, of course, diseases, within their body that they are capable of producing and manipulating via the power of this Zanpakuto. The degree of manipulation available to the Zanpakuto when it comes to these microorganisms is dependent entirely on the level it is being used at.
Shikai Overall Ability: The ability of Sumire's Shikai doesn't expand too much upon the ability of the Zanpakuto itself. It allows Sumire access to their power of disease production and manipulation, enabling them to spread contagion with their very presence without it being any danger to themselves. Due to Sumire carrying diseases of the body, mind and even the spirit, any sort of contact with Sumire or something produced directly by Sumire can lead to exposure to infection, with any target being susceptible to these diseases due to the nature of the power.
Sumire's ability to manipulate the diseases within his body is expanded to the ability to manipulate disease in general. So long as he has come into contact with a target, whether physical, spiritual or if he possesses the means to do so mental, he is granted access to the diseases inhabiting their form and thus gains the ability to manipulate these diseases as he sees fit. Sumire is capable of not only manipulating the diseases to become more deadly, but also nullifying or modifying their effects on the body. Through this, Sumire is capable of producing "beneficial" diseases that can empower his allies as well as diseases that can kill his enemies.
The ability to manipulate disease outside of his own body expands to microorganisms that exist outside of it as well. This has a lesser restriction, as Sumire can manipulate any microorganisms in his vicinity, so long as they are not present within another being, with impunity. He is capable of mutating these microorganisms to carry out different effects, or creating synthetic ones if not many are present in the area, and altogether using them as extensions of himself in combat. This ability to command these microorganisms also grants Sumire the ability to sense and identify them, even on the nanoscale, allowing him to manipulate them inconspicuously for his own cause.
Bankai Overall Ability: Within Bankai, Yakubyōgami's power is increased several times over. Sumire's diseases become more powerful, potent and virulent, allowing them to be even more of a danger to living organisms. The restriction of these diseases to only effecting the organic, the mind or the soul is removed, allowing Sumire to produce diseases they are capable of infecting and destroying even inanimate objects around him, destroying buildings with their plagues just as easily as they destroy a living body.
Yakubyōgami's Bankai allows Sumire to designate ailments upon one's condition, such as injuries or even states of being such as Hollowficiation, as diseases and thus be able to counteract them. The power of this Zanpakuto excels in Sumire's role as a healer, as he can employ this power to heal injury and even restore fatigue. This power can also hamper, if not cripple, Sumire's opponents by suppressing the nature of their very being as the power of his Zanpakuto attempts to "cure" them.
The ability of "Patient Zero" also expands in scope, no longer being limited to the physical, mental and spiritual. Their diseases are now capable of affecting the metaphysical and 'pataphysical as well, being capable of "infecting" the laws of the world around them. Their diseases also gain the ability to be transmitted through more unsubstantial means, such as through senses, information sharing, ideas and even one's own behavior. The manipulation of diseases indeed allows them to "infect" the listed vectors of transmission as well, altering a person even more thoroughly when affected.
The most powerful capability of Yakubyōgami's is the ability to create diseases within reality, also known as Phenomenon (事象, Jishō). Phenomenon are occurrences that are anathema to the nature of the world, just as disease is anathema to the body of a living organism. Sumire is capable of creating his own phemonena, inflicting these "diseases" onto reality, or is capable of designating events, effects or injury that wouldn't normally be under the purview of his Zanpakuto's power as diseases and thus something to be cured. The nature of this power allows Sumire to manipulate the world around him on a limited scale, yet with a powerful scope, making his Zanpakuto truly a "god" of disease.
Zanpakuto Techniques: None Yet.
Other Techniques:
{Hohō}Technique Name: Shunpo (瞬歩, Flash Steps)
Class: 7
Technique Type: Kidō
Technique Element: None
Technique Description and Effects:
A movement technique that allows the user to move faster than the eye can follow. The focal point that determines the basis of this technique is speed. As speed is the main point of the technique, the method is best characterized by how fast one can get from Point A to Point B in the least amount of steps. Training and skill are what determines how fast a user of Shunpo can move. Those of little skill in the technique or those who haven't used it for an extended amount of time would obviously be out of practice, causing those individuals to be considerably slower. This requires the use of more steps to move the same distance and become tired more easily in a shorter amount of time. A single step magnifies speed for that step by ten times. Shunpo uses fifty Reiatsu per step. This one is automatically learned in the academy. All Shinigami know this when created. This technique does not take up a technique slot.
How to use technique:
Focus of Reishi around the feet area and launch off into a single blurring step. It is not unlike teleportation in appearance, but it is simply extremely fast movement. It is often used to gain an edge in a single moment of combat or to dodge incoming attacks.
Class: 7
Technique Type: Kidō
Technique Element: None
Technique Description and Effects:
A movement technique that allows the user to move faster than the eye can follow. The focal point that determines the basis of this technique is speed. As speed is the main point of the technique, the method is best characterized by how fast one can get from Point A to Point B in the least amount of steps. Training and skill are what determines how fast a user of Shunpo can move. Those of little skill in the technique or those who haven't used it for an extended amount of time would obviously be out of practice, causing those individuals to be considerably slower. This requires the use of more steps to move the same distance and become tired more easily in a shorter amount of time. A single step magnifies speed for that step by ten times. Shunpo uses fifty Reiatsu per step. This one is automatically learned in the academy. All Shinigami know this when created. This technique does not take up a technique slot.
How to use technique:
Focus of Reishi around the feet area and launch off into a single blurring step. It is not unlike teleportation in appearance, but it is simply extremely fast movement. It is often used to gain an edge in a single moment of combat or to dodge incoming attacks.
History
Birthplace: Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan
Current Residence: 4th Division Barracks, Seireitei
Memorable Figures: Amakuni Kiku (Mother, Deceased); Beniame Sakura (Mentor, Deceased)
History:
{Disease Spreads like Wings}Amakuni Kiku always had a soft spot for lost causes and those in need. It was because of this that she studied the ways of medicine as much as she could. She was from a well off family within her prefecture, not nobility but still decently wealthy, but she never felt the superiority that others in her position did. She felt that all living creatures were equal, and that she should offer them help in any way she could.
Her heart went out to those who were ailing but could not afford the medical assistance from more practical channels, so she used what little power and influence she had to open her own clinic. Its services were free, and she enlisted the help of other like minded men and women to keep it stocked and to help run it. Those they helped were skeptical at first, but soon word covertly spread of the kind woman and her good works, and her clinic became a safe haven for those with nowhere else to turn.
Their work was not without its dangers. Less and less people being sick or falling ill was a difficult circumstance to miss, and Kiku’s disappearances while she worked were also difficult to cover, however as her network of healers grew and formed a routine of who worked and when it became easier. They also got into a routine of moving their clinic and dispersing the information about its new location to prospective patients, less the law enforcement discover them and their doings.
It was as she was running her clinic that she found the love of her life, one Oumurasaki Yukari, at the end of one winter. He was a soldier of decent renown, injured in a fight that he would much prefer to keep away from the eyes of official healers. There were several cuts and bruises from what Kiku assumed was a result of some brawl or fight, and they were all easily taken care of or hidden. As she worked, he commended her knowledge and her work, and she complimented his bravery but disparaged his thoughtlessness in being hurt. The connection they formed was almost instantaneous.
Yukari offered his help with the clinic, in keeping it safe from ruffians but also in helping them to know if anyone was catching wind of them. Their close proximity in working with one another allowed them time to nurture their burgeoning relationship, and before long they had devised a plan for Yukari to approach Kiku’s father propositioning for her hand in marriage under the guise of some deal or another. They were married, and Kiku with child, before the summer was out.
As Kiku neared the end of her pregnancy, Yukari was drawn away by skirmishes breaking out across parts of their prefecture. He never returned to his budding family, and Sumire was born to a grieving mother. Kiku still did her best to give her son all the love and affection he deserved. He was born a slighter child, with a pale complexion and skin that was always slightly cool to the touch. It was unnerving, but did not dissuade Kiku in the slightest from loving and caring for her only child.
Sumire’s physical appearance was a bit of a precursor to his bodily disposition, as his health and immune system were more than a bit compromised. He was prone to bouts of sickness that would leave him bedridden for a good deal of his formative years, never leaving his home and forever under the care of his mother. Kiku’s knowledge of medicine, as well as help from the healers she decided to call in, kept Sumire alive and at least somewhat comfortable, though it was still a sad existence as a child.
After he turned eleven, Sumire’s health stabilized more and he was able to leave his room with more frequency. He was often still kept within the walls of his home, but he didn’t complain as he could explore the gardens with his mother’s supervision, and even visit the library. It was in this library that Sumire found a safe space, losing himself in the written word readily and happily. His favorite weren’t the stories, or even the books on history, it was the few medical books he could find. He wanted to learn to be like his mother, to help heal those like him.
Hope seldom survived sickness, however, and after nearly a decade of stable health an illness swept through their home village. It was hard on those who were of good health, but absolutely devastating to those like Sumire who were more compromised. He was once again restricted to his bed, to be loved over by his mother. Even as the illness ran its course, he showed no signs of bettering, his body finally reaching its limit after fighting for nineteen long years. Oumurasaki Sumire died with an apology to his mother on his lips.
Sumire remembered a kind face and a tap to his forehead before he awoke within a comfortable home that he definitely hadn’t died in. The architecture was different, the layout wrong. He did not know where he was, but one thing he did know was that he felt good. Not just good, he felt healthy. He had never lived a day where a cough wasn’t far from his lips, or where a chill didn’t overcome him every now and again. Now, there were no aches from sickness, no ever present buildup of phlegm within his chest. He could breathe without pain.
He exited the building he had woken up in and found himself in a slum of some sort, which was odd to say the least. He soon found other people and was informed, much to his surprise, that he had indeed died and was now a resident in the afterlife. The Rukongai of the Soul Society, within the 76th District Sakahone to be exact. The information, while surprising, wasn’t distressing to Sumire and he simply decided that he would live his afterlife as he couldn’t live his life.
His plans were altered a bit when he found the living conditions his fellow district members held. There were many sick souls, which Sumire found to be a terrible twist of fate. To die and go into the afterlife only to be subjected to the same ills of the living seemed like a form of cosmic torture in his eyes, especially as one who had been sick for more than half his time in the Living World. He had medical knowledge, and though he didn’t know how much would transfer from normal humans to souls, he set out to help those of his district as much as he could.
Sumire wasn’t the only person looking to help the poorer districts, he found, as he came across a joint outreach effort between the 4th and 12th Divisions working with the people within Sakahone and, as he heard it, in other districts. He volunteered to assist them, and gained training in more standard medical practices in order to do so. His proximity with the Shinigami allowed him more insight into their demeanor with each other, and he found that many and more of the medics of the 4th Division didn’t trust the scientists of the 12th or their motives.
Sumire’s work had drawn the attention of one of the leaders of this effort, a woman named Beniame Sakura. She stated that, despite his lack of any sort of official Shinigami training, he possessed a soul with an abundant presence of Spiritual Energy. She taught him the basics of Reiatsu control and the simplest of healing techniques she could, and Sumire was capable of employing both with greater ease than any novice Sakura had ever seen. And she told him as much, imploring him to look for work as a Shinigami of the 4th if he had the inclination.
They did their work for nearly four decades, Sakura teaching him the art of Kaido slowly but surely and Sumire getting to know his district and the Shinigami working there intimately. It was frustrating as much as it was enlightening, however, because no matter how much they healed and administered medicine to those in the district their illnesses only seemed to stagnate, if not worsen. Looking into it more deeply, Sumire found that it was because the 12th Division was supplying not medicine, but unsanctioned experimental drugs and using the souls of the Rukongai as lab rats.
He brought this information to Sakura, and she shared his sentiment on wanting to put an end to these horrid practices. It was the discovery of the 12th’s lies that finally convinced Sumire to join the Shin’o Academy to begin training to become a Shinigami themselves. Sumire knew that he couldn’t assist Sakura in confronting the 12th without having at least some knowledge of Shinigami and how they work. Not only did he graduate a the top of his class, but he managed to do so in two years, a feat which Sakura seemed to find impressive.
He was taken in as a member of the 4th Division and went to Sakura with his plans to confront the 12th. Sakura, during the time he had been in the Academy, had been gathering information and found that many of the members of the 12th participating in the outreach effort were unaware of the true nature of their “medicines”. They were told to hand them out and record the effects, not the exact particulars of what they were giving people. One individual was behind the continuing sickness: a seated officer of the 12th by the name of Fujii Aoma.
Sakura gathered the other members of the 4th, as well as Sumire and went to confront Aoma and his 12th Division members. They presented their evidence, and many of the scientists were appalled and vowed to act as witnesses against Aoma while those who were aware of this wrongdoing stood down and offered themselves up to Sakura in order to be turned in for their misadventures. The one scientist who did not give in was, of course, Aoma.
He attacked Sakura, and Sumire launched to aid her in the fight despite being rather fresh from the academy. The other medics weren’t at all combat oriented, so Sakura and Sumire matched him on his own. While the man’s Shikai was more oriented towards experimentation than anything Aoma revealed a unique drug that allowed him to enter a more frenzied, almost bestial state. The difficulty of the fight was increased as the man took on the features of a monster and laid into them.
No matter Sakura’s skill and knowledge, facing off against someone with such power was a challenge. Sumire’s assistance made it much easier, and if it weren’t for their joint effort they wouldn’t have defeated Aoma. His defeat, while ensured, came at the cost of Sakura’s life. The doctor had thrown herself in front of a blow meant for Sumire and allowed the man to land the fatal strike on the rogue scientist. The remaining Shinigami made their reports, and the proper members of the 12th were sanctioned.
After his mentor’s funeral, Sumire was inspired to do his utmost to help enough people for the both of them. Sakura thought he would be an exemplary healer, and he would dedicate himself to proving her right. He also wished to ensure that everyone in the Soul Society got the care that they needed and deserved, free from the clutches of those who might prey on their vulnerability. He wanted to make this afterlife a healthier, better place.
Her heart went out to those who were ailing but could not afford the medical assistance from more practical channels, so she used what little power and influence she had to open her own clinic. Its services were free, and she enlisted the help of other like minded men and women to keep it stocked and to help run it. Those they helped were skeptical at first, but soon word covertly spread of the kind woman and her good works, and her clinic became a safe haven for those with nowhere else to turn.
Their work was not without its dangers. Less and less people being sick or falling ill was a difficult circumstance to miss, and Kiku’s disappearances while she worked were also difficult to cover, however as her network of healers grew and formed a routine of who worked and when it became easier. They also got into a routine of moving their clinic and dispersing the information about its new location to prospective patients, less the law enforcement discover them and their doings.
It was as she was running her clinic that she found the love of her life, one Oumurasaki Yukari, at the end of one winter. He was a soldier of decent renown, injured in a fight that he would much prefer to keep away from the eyes of official healers. There were several cuts and bruises from what Kiku assumed was a result of some brawl or fight, and they were all easily taken care of or hidden. As she worked, he commended her knowledge and her work, and she complimented his bravery but disparaged his thoughtlessness in being hurt. The connection they formed was almost instantaneous.
Yukari offered his help with the clinic, in keeping it safe from ruffians but also in helping them to know if anyone was catching wind of them. Their close proximity in working with one another allowed them time to nurture their burgeoning relationship, and before long they had devised a plan for Yukari to approach Kiku’s father propositioning for her hand in marriage under the guise of some deal or another. They were married, and Kiku with child, before the summer was out.
As Kiku neared the end of her pregnancy, Yukari was drawn away by skirmishes breaking out across parts of their prefecture. He never returned to his budding family, and Sumire was born to a grieving mother. Kiku still did her best to give her son all the love and affection he deserved. He was born a slighter child, with a pale complexion and skin that was always slightly cool to the touch. It was unnerving, but did not dissuade Kiku in the slightest from loving and caring for her only child.
Sumire’s physical appearance was a bit of a precursor to his bodily disposition, as his health and immune system were more than a bit compromised. He was prone to bouts of sickness that would leave him bedridden for a good deal of his formative years, never leaving his home and forever under the care of his mother. Kiku’s knowledge of medicine, as well as help from the healers she decided to call in, kept Sumire alive and at least somewhat comfortable, though it was still a sad existence as a child.
After he turned eleven, Sumire’s health stabilized more and he was able to leave his room with more frequency. He was often still kept within the walls of his home, but he didn’t complain as he could explore the gardens with his mother’s supervision, and even visit the library. It was in this library that Sumire found a safe space, losing himself in the written word readily and happily. His favorite weren’t the stories, or even the books on history, it was the few medical books he could find. He wanted to learn to be like his mother, to help heal those like him.
Hope seldom survived sickness, however, and after nearly a decade of stable health an illness swept through their home village. It was hard on those who were of good health, but absolutely devastating to those like Sumire who were more compromised. He was once again restricted to his bed, to be loved over by his mother. Even as the illness ran its course, he showed no signs of bettering, his body finally reaching its limit after fighting for nineteen long years. Oumurasaki Sumire died with an apology to his mother on his lips.
Sumire remembered a kind face and a tap to his forehead before he awoke within a comfortable home that he definitely hadn’t died in. The architecture was different, the layout wrong. He did not know where he was, but one thing he did know was that he felt good. Not just good, he felt healthy. He had never lived a day where a cough wasn’t far from his lips, or where a chill didn’t overcome him every now and again. Now, there were no aches from sickness, no ever present buildup of phlegm within his chest. He could breathe without pain.
He exited the building he had woken up in and found himself in a slum of some sort, which was odd to say the least. He soon found other people and was informed, much to his surprise, that he had indeed died and was now a resident in the afterlife. The Rukongai of the Soul Society, within the 76th District Sakahone to be exact. The information, while surprising, wasn’t distressing to Sumire and he simply decided that he would live his afterlife as he couldn’t live his life.
His plans were altered a bit when he found the living conditions his fellow district members held. There were many sick souls, which Sumire found to be a terrible twist of fate. To die and go into the afterlife only to be subjected to the same ills of the living seemed like a form of cosmic torture in his eyes, especially as one who had been sick for more than half his time in the Living World. He had medical knowledge, and though he didn’t know how much would transfer from normal humans to souls, he set out to help those of his district as much as he could.
Sumire wasn’t the only person looking to help the poorer districts, he found, as he came across a joint outreach effort between the 4th and 12th Divisions working with the people within Sakahone and, as he heard it, in other districts. He volunteered to assist them, and gained training in more standard medical practices in order to do so. His proximity with the Shinigami allowed him more insight into their demeanor with each other, and he found that many and more of the medics of the 4th Division didn’t trust the scientists of the 12th or their motives.
Sumire’s work had drawn the attention of one of the leaders of this effort, a woman named Beniame Sakura. She stated that, despite his lack of any sort of official Shinigami training, he possessed a soul with an abundant presence of Spiritual Energy. She taught him the basics of Reiatsu control and the simplest of healing techniques she could, and Sumire was capable of employing both with greater ease than any novice Sakura had ever seen. And she told him as much, imploring him to look for work as a Shinigami of the 4th if he had the inclination.
They did their work for nearly four decades, Sakura teaching him the art of Kaido slowly but surely and Sumire getting to know his district and the Shinigami working there intimately. It was frustrating as much as it was enlightening, however, because no matter how much they healed and administered medicine to those in the district their illnesses only seemed to stagnate, if not worsen. Looking into it more deeply, Sumire found that it was because the 12th Division was supplying not medicine, but unsanctioned experimental drugs and using the souls of the Rukongai as lab rats.
He brought this information to Sakura, and she shared his sentiment on wanting to put an end to these horrid practices. It was the discovery of the 12th’s lies that finally convinced Sumire to join the Shin’o Academy to begin training to become a Shinigami themselves. Sumire knew that he couldn’t assist Sakura in confronting the 12th without having at least some knowledge of Shinigami and how they work. Not only did he graduate a the top of his class, but he managed to do so in two years, a feat which Sakura seemed to find impressive.
He was taken in as a member of the 4th Division and went to Sakura with his plans to confront the 12th. Sakura, during the time he had been in the Academy, had been gathering information and found that many of the members of the 12th participating in the outreach effort were unaware of the true nature of their “medicines”. They were told to hand them out and record the effects, not the exact particulars of what they were giving people. One individual was behind the continuing sickness: a seated officer of the 12th by the name of Fujii Aoma.
Sakura gathered the other members of the 4th, as well as Sumire and went to confront Aoma and his 12th Division members. They presented their evidence, and many of the scientists were appalled and vowed to act as witnesses against Aoma while those who were aware of this wrongdoing stood down and offered themselves up to Sakura in order to be turned in for their misadventures. The one scientist who did not give in was, of course, Aoma.
He attacked Sakura, and Sumire launched to aid her in the fight despite being rather fresh from the academy. The other medics weren’t at all combat oriented, so Sakura and Sumire matched him on his own. While the man’s Shikai was more oriented towards experimentation than anything Aoma revealed a unique drug that allowed him to enter a more frenzied, almost bestial state. The difficulty of the fight was increased as the man took on the features of a monster and laid into them.
No matter Sakura’s skill and knowledge, facing off against someone with such power was a challenge. Sumire’s assistance made it much easier, and if it weren’t for their joint effort they wouldn’t have defeated Aoma. His defeat, while ensured, came at the cost of Sakura’s life. The doctor had thrown herself in front of a blow meant for Sumire and allowed the man to land the fatal strike on the rogue scientist. The remaining Shinigami made their reports, and the proper members of the 12th were sanctioned.
After his mentor’s funeral, Sumire was inspired to do his utmost to help enough people for the both of them. Sakura thought he would be an exemplary healer, and he would dedicate himself to proving her right. He also wished to ensure that everyone in the Soul Society got the care that they needed and deserved, free from the clutches of those who might prey on their vulnerability. He wanted to make this afterlife a healthier, better place.
