Post by kelitaboshiru on Apr 17, 2020 16:05:57 GMT -5
-Opening-
Member's Discord Name (include nicknames): Wan The Fluffmaster#7949
Password 1: Black Hole
Password 2: Moon Pray
Type: Weapon Master
Affiliation: Unaffiliated Arrancar
Rank: 1
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-Basic Information-
Name: Kelita Boshiru
Age of Death: 34
Real Age/Age of Appearance: 688/29
Birthday (Month/Day): 13/10
Blood Type: A
RP Sample (Optional): Crisis Emergence was a great power, able to smash and bash and crash through the things, matching Brutes for sheer force with it's immense girth and weight. But, unfortunately it was a demanding thing, and an hour into the march, she got the warning light that the power was running out, so it had to dismantle and return to the drone. A shame, because she liked being dah big stompi, but all good things had to come to an end. It's what made them good, after all.
Eventually they arrived at a place with a giant portal thing, which TONY scanned and then gave her the data extracted from it.
#The energy is the same as that stuff that the Demons put out when dying. Though, the scale of it is comparable to a Star's Core. That's kind of terrifying, actually# Egwene told Xytan, before looking up. Some guys she didn't know were fighting a large horde of demons, and a few stragglers sat between them. Not that they were much threat.
#TONY, load boomboxes and plot firing solution for X-221 Y-245 via paraballum# Egwene ordered, the railguns crackling to life as she took her stance, waited for the solution for a few seconds, and then the cracking BOOM of hypersonic travel launched the two things into the midst of the Deadeyes fighting with Gavin and his friends. And as an added bonus, the trajectory on which they traveled cooled down considerably as the pressure from their movement turned water vapor into mist.
At first it seemed like they were just projectiles, but then they realized an ionizing cache of particles that had a thermochemical pulse channeled through it. This simulated a 250 decibel noise through the cache of particles, and with no warning at all, the whole area around the Deadeyes lit up to several thousand degrees from the militerized physics that was the bulk of Egwene's arsenal.
#So, who's this Gavin guy anyway?#
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-Appearance-
Height/Weight: 5'5 130lb
Face-claim: Seaport Summer Hime - Kancolle
Reference Pictures:
Physical Description: Demure and (seemingly) delicate, Kelita stands five foot five, with pale, porcelain skin and long, white hair. This hair is very well looked after and can shine gently in the light as all good hair does, giving off an appearance of purity. Her styles change often, sometimes loose and sometimes up in a net. And sometimes in a pony tail or twin tails as she indulges in the modern culture she finds herself in. Kelita is the embodiment of traditional oriental beauty, able to attract the eye of man and woman with ease. And it is this assumption that allows her to get away with the fact that she is too pale to be alive, were it not fashion to use makeup to achieve such an appearance. And doesn't hesitate to use it if she needs to. Her chest sits on the upper edge of normality in terms of size, and she has a slender body that becomes one of toned muscle when a person draws close. The slender nature conflicts a little with her breast size but not so much as to be off putting. Soft blue eyes, and long legs topped with firm thighs are certain to draw in many a man - and woman - to admire her physique. It is well sculpted mix between that of a Geisha and that of a Warrior. A mix that has had a lot of effort put into it to keep it as it is. In all this it is easy to miss the blue eyes she has. Nothing special in and of themselves, but a bright colour none the less.
Kelita's voice matches her appearance, gentle and soft, it is a lullaby of delight to listen to, though this is merely vocal practice at work. When she needs to, Kelita can project a deeper, far more commanding voice that snaps like a whip, or wrap such a voice in acoustic velvet to ensure that she is heard and understood but not startle the person she is talking to.
Her clothing varies tremendously, and is generally whatever she cares to wear at the time, or whatever she needs to wear for her job, either way. She has developed an enjoyment for clothes that are covering without being constricting, so she can indulge in the fashion of her human life, so long ago. But she also has a few times when she likes to wear the modern world's clothing as well, so a good difference between the two.
The very few still living beings that knew her when she was alive would remark at the fact that she looks almost identical to that now. Whether through unconscious effort or just a firm believe in self, Kelita has retained all that she was in physical appearance. Because it was the appearance her mother gave her, and she would not disgrace her now, not even in death. The one thing she was not able to replicate was the tattoo of the Boshiru clan's Onna-Bushi. She wants to get it replaced, but finding a man who has such skill in the modern age would be a difficult thing. After all, the art of inkwork was not something wide spread in her era.
The remains of her mask are well hidden in plain sight as a small collar around her neck, in which her Hollow Hole resists. The only call out to the mask fragment not being a piece of fashion is it's perfectly smooth face without any clasp or lock that might allow the wearer to take it on and off. Though her long hair covering her back often allows her to get away with this. If her mask fragment being subtle and her hole being hidden is a symbol of her disdain of her heritage or just a coincidence, is not something that she is able say.
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-Personality-
Dislikes:
The Past: A woman of great honour and selfless pride, the knowledge that she wandered for uncounted years and brought such misery to so many innocent people is a crippling thing. She was not of her own mind - or indeed of any mind - and was driven by a base and eclipsing need, but this does little to soothe her heart's guilt.
Disgracefulness: In an archaic meaning, this is quite literal. Kelita dislikes people without grace or manual dexterity in their lives. While she understands some are born physically incapable of this, and has great sympathy for it, she prefers people that can, to have some degree of finesse in their life, and is irritated when she sees people barge and bash and shove like a common Ashigaru.
Shameful acts: To bring shame to one's self is to bring shame to one's ancestors. While this is separated from the flaw of Fumeiyo by scale, it is still something she looks down upon. The general difference being shameful displays are not always dishonourable displays. One might bring shame and honour in the same breath, though it is rare.
Fumeiyo: A truly vulgar word for truly vulgar deeds, Fumeiyo is the opposition and anathema to Meiyo. Meiyo is the belief of personal honour, to treat people with respect and grace regardless of social standing, and to face enemies with courage and conviction. Fumeiyo then, is the belief of dishonour. Amorality and a train of thought that will do anything to retain and improve one's way of life. Rarely do they face another on the battlefield, and when they do it is marred a thousand times by practices best left in the gutter.
Prejudice: To judge without knowledge shows a closed mind and a closed heart. While this Dislike is not quite as vehmerent as the others, it is still there. Only, more on the level of a pet peeve.
Villiany: A showcase of the many layers in which sits Kelita's morality, Villainy is different to shameful acts and dishonour. The third level of being naughty, Villiany goes beyond the other two, and is abjectly and unforgivably evil. While a shameful act can come easily from not reading the room or overestimating your capabilities, and dishonour means looking out for yourself first and foremost, Villiany is outright evil, and can not be excused or condoned.
Likes:
This New World: How could you not?! This new world is terrifying! While this might seem a negative to most people, Kelita finds herself enthralled by it. Few things in the world manage to scare her, and so when carriages of metal roar by, people pass on with entire band in tiny little boxes, or she gets to admire all the new foods that they have invented, she is delighted and enamoured by it.
Shinigami: A strange like for an Arrancar, but Kelita has good memories of the warriors now she has memories. They are honourable beings who serve their Shogun with unflinching dedication and ensure that the world is save. It was by the sword of a Shinigami that she was able to protect her Master's mansion till the coming of The End. As such, she will always be grateful to them.
Gracefulness: As one might expect from a woman who dislikes being disgraceful, Kelita enjoys the grace of life. A gentle step, and subtle tap, an elegant solution to a problem. It is these things that make Kelita happy to continue existing, as she favours the more subtle side of life. While there is little grace in the metal carriages of the modern age, it still exists, if one knows were to look.
Honour: Honour is a major part of Kelita's life, and she will devout great effort to it. When one acts honourable, they honour their ancestors and those who come before them. She holds great respect for those who hold respect for others, and is far more liable to go out of her way to assist those who are worthy of assistance beyond what is demanded by her own honour.
The desire to Learn: From an early age, Kelita had a thirst for knowledge. This grew as she got older, and while she peaked in reference to time available to sit down and further herself due to the boiling state of her age, she still had the desire, and was well on hand to ensure that anyone who wished to peruse it themselves had the requisite aid to do so.
Flaws:
Hollow Disgruntlement: Kelita doesn't like Hollows. Nor does she like that she is one. Arrancar get a much cleaner wrap considering their coherency and ability for morality, but she is not one that will be gentle when the topic of her nature comes up. Often, she dissuades Hollows of hunting innocent Pluses and has been known to dispatch them if she has to. It leads to strained relations with her kin.
Melancholy: One can not be a monster of condensed negativity that preys on the souls of the innocent for hundreds of years without it weighing on your - missing - heart and mind. Though she is a firm woman in many respects, this doesn't mean she is immune to introspection in the quite moments, nor does it mean that the face she shows is the face she is. Everyone wears a mask, even if she ripped her's off. This disconnect can be somewhat offputting on occasion, especially for people with emphatic powers or capabilities.
Bushido Dignified: While she died before Bushido was ratified and called such, the Way Of The Warrior has long been in culture, far before it was given a name. Emphasising sincerity, frugality, loyalty, martial arts mastery, and honour until death, this art tempered the violent nature of the Samurai with wisdom, patience, and serenity. Though it is a beautiful ideal and helped shape a caste of warriors who are well known for their adherence, it is a weight in battles against those who do not follow such a code.
Creatures who wish to take every advantage, therefore, have a leg up on Kelita who will endeavour to always follow the code and live in the way her father before her lived.
The Pale Mirror: What Kelita show is not what she feels inside. She likes to put herself forward as a noble and forthright woman, a sturdy bastion against the darkness and a beacon of hope to flock to. She enjoys people feeling comfortable around her, and yet this is now how she is. How she is, sits a deep shame and despair. A misfortune that must be righted over a lifetime a thousand times that of her living days. For she has brought shame to herself and her family such that if she does not expunge it, her entire line down till the end of everything.
Habits:
Gong-Fu: Though it sounds very close to the term Kung-Fu - which does not actually refer to a martial art but indeed any action that can be learned and mastered with time and effort - Gong-Fu could not be further from it. Instead, it is a special ceremony revolving around the preperation, pouring, and drinking, of tea. All females of Kelita's era were taught the intricacies of this, and she clings to it in the modern day as a part of her humanity that she hopes to retain. Though it is wishful thinking for the most part.
Sword Care: Another part of Kelita's attempts to be akin to her human self, she spends time every day maintaining her Zanpaktou. While it is not Shisuke and will not rust or degrade, it still gives her something to do that is something she has done in her human life. Thus, doing it now in her afterlife, allows her to maintain ties to it and be more human as a result. Even if it is just a deception.
Archaic Dialect: Kelita's words are old-fashioned and sometimes foreign to the modern person. While she will eventually pick up modern speech patterns and words, the current state of her linguistics leads to some misunderstandings from those who are now as old as she is. It is often fun to see confused looks on the faces of people her own nationality. The world grows up so much.
New World Delight: Often Kelita can be found admiring the new world she is in. Which, while does lead her to getting hit by a car or two, she chalks that up to part of the experience. She can often appear like a starry-eyed teen in the world, and occasionally overindulges in new food or the glittering arcade, and runs afoul of the people who are in charge of these. But that to, is part of the experience~
Fears:
Death: Not precisely her own, but rather the concept of it. What happens when she expires weighs on her mind. Will she be reborn? Will the Gods look upon her with pity and grant her new life? Or will she be thrown to the Yama Kings for her transgressions and tarnish the name of Boshiru for all time? It is an abstract fear, but one present all the same. This fear sits as the only fear Kelita can not simply maul into oblivion with her mentality, as it has no substance, and can only be attacked as if one tries to cut mist.
Goals:
Live: After so long, Kelita feels there is only one thing in life that she can do, and that is to life on. To be who she is, to ensure that her - missing - heart will go on and that if she does have to face the Yama Kings in the afterlife, she can do it with the knowledge that she has lived the best she can. While she might have interests own the line, they all stem from this sole purpose.
Alignment: Neutral Good
Aspect of Death: Sacrifice.
Overall Personality: Kelita is a Samurai who holds honour highly. Though this honour is most in play for her liege, she holds that warriors and the strong should treat the weak with grace. Through intense training and hard work, the Kung Fu grows strong within the warrior's soul, and they must ensure that others see this as a beacon of hope, not repression. Those who are above a person should endeavour to ensure that they have somebody to look up to, not to engender disdain from the flaunting of power. If the strong support the weak, then the weak may become the strong and from there, new allies are gained and the world benefits. A true warrior has no need to be cruel or to prove their strength, and to oppress and flaunt proves only your lacking confidence within yourself.
She supports the virtues of the warrior, (Righteousness, Heroic Courage, Compassion, Respect, Honesty, Honour, Duty and Loyalty, Self-Control, Filial Piety, Wisdom, and Fraternity) and makes sure to follow them whenever she can. They are extensive, and the world is forever in a state of flux, so no being, human or otherwise, can ever hope to be a shining example of every virtue. But it is from the effort to be that example, that greatness blossoms.
Ensuring she sticks to these codes, she can sometimes feel a caricature, a being that is following words rather than living a life. This is true to an extent as Kelita puts a great deal of stock in them now that she is an Arrancar, and ensures that if she ever has doubt in herself, these words that she lives by will help guide her into the light. While there are times she fully and naturally follows them, there are other times when she follows them stiffly and forcefully to ensure her adherence to them.
It is this strange force that makes her an interesting person to interact with when the guilt of her past isn't weighing so heavily on her heart and mind that she can barely stand to interact with people without being reminded of the innocents she slew like some deranged Oni. Though she has no set opinion of any race, there is a gentle wariness of the Quincy. She'd rather not get obliterated entirely, that would be the worst outcome. Shinigami hold the most respect, as she affiliates strongly with them, both being warriors who hold their Lord's word as their bond and ensure to protect the world from those who would see it broken.
This of course brings her to combat. As a warrior she does not shy away from it, and is ready to oblige the desire in anyone. Though this, like most things, comes with it's own set of rules. It is shameful to goad a person - weak or strong, through thrice as shameful to goad the weak - into a fight simply to show off your prowess. But at the same time, if a man or woman stands in your path with blade in hand, it is shameful to refuse such conviction. You must meet them headon with your full force, to respect their heart, and their soul.
There are days when she gets a bit wrapped up in this new world, delighting in the food and the clothes and the moving artwork that the humans have mastered. Or amazed by the metal birds that soar across the sky like the chariots of the gods. It is here that she is best to interact with, and here that she seems more like a person. She took her duties as a retainer seriously, but everyone needs a to relax sometime, and so this is the personality she shows when she can at least smother her baggage under the magic and majesty of the new world.
Ultimately, she has retained a great deal of humanity, and as such has some degree of reactionary mindset. As much as she keeps herself strictly to a code, any sufficient stimuli might overwhelm her and cause her to act emotionally. Only robots can claim true immunity to the call of their heart. Even if her's has long since dissolved.
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-Powers-
Fighting Style: Kenjutsu. As one might expect from a Samurai, Kelita's main form of combat revolves around the sword and it's arts. Auxiliary arts such as Kyujutsu and hand to hand combat are trained, as befits a Samurai, but they do not match the prowess of the blade and are rarely used. Hand to hand is only when bereft of a weapon, and Kyujutsu has the flaws of carrying a bow and quiver with her, not something that is always viable. Depending on requirements, Kelita may use Iaido or standard Ittoryu techniques in combat. Though she has been known to use Nitoryu techniques should the occasion call for it. Her strong Dynamic Vision allows her to judge the opponent and switch tracks should she need it to lay him low and claim victory.
She fight with a calm and focused mind, having no enjoyment of the bout but rather doing it because it must be done. A fight should not be started simply, but one started, should end only with injury severe enough that the opponent's vengeance need not be feared. This of course applies only to a true fight, sparring and training is not under the same rules, and should have no vengeance attached to it from the outcome. While sparring has been known to devolve into a true fight if one party has an abundance of pride and a lack of foresight, the two still need separating.
The Katana is not a blade that handles being wielded like warhammer as the western blades are, and so hacking and smashing and bashing is put aside in exchange for flowing and graceful cuts and slashes. Footwork for such a fighting style is imperative, and one must be ready to seize the moment and dispatch the opponent when the opportunity arises. While Kelita's Zanpaktou is far more robust than normal katana,s her fighting style is ingrained, and so she rarely blocks head on with it, instead redirects blows with the flowing grace of water.
Her hollow powers of Cero and Bala are generally ignored. Not only do they acknowledge her nature too much for her own liking, they are also strange and undesirable for her style. In totality, the essence of her mighty sword is a combination of applied strength and loose flexibility. While telling someone to grasp a the handle firmly yet loosely is something that might confuse a beginner of the art, but it is indeed how she fights her battles. Where she fights them matters not, for all foes may be engaged the same regardless of if she is in her homeground or a place beyond all knowledge.
Though mention of her Hollow powers brings up her Primera Etapa. From here, she doesn't quite mind it so much as it is heavily connected with her life, and that works to counteract the hollow ramifications of it's usage. It's release does not effect her combat style at all, but rather enhances how she fights without it, allowing her to release it in the middle of a fight and have no trouble retaining her flow in combat.
Zanpakutou Appearances:
Simple but elegant, it befits Kelita to have a Katana that has little embellishment or ostentatiousness. A weapon made by a skilled hand, but for the art of protecting others and slaying the enemy, it does not need to be anything more than it is. And Kelita is happy with this.
In her Primera Etapa, she does not change that much. Maybe a showcase of how tightly she grasps her humanity, or maybe just the nature of her power even before she ripped off her own mask. Her hair fills out, broadening into a large lion's mane, and her body swells, being donned in some white carapace that is so often seen in Arrancar's Etapa. This makes her seem broader and more feline in shape, but still keeps an immediately noticeable humanoid appearance.
Zanapkutou Release Names(Include both stage names, and call out phrases) "Roar, Shisuke"
Overall Ability: The Ressurecion of Kelita embodies her - missing - heart, and calls to the dead Lord who so stubbornly stayed with her till the end. It is a manifestation of the art of Bushido. When released, Kelita has a running tally of 'tokens' in which she can use to enact different strikes against the enemy, each one representative of a part of Kelita's heart.
Primera Etapa Overall Ability: Kelita's Primera Etapa grants her Meiyo tokens to spend on four different strikes. She starts the fight with 4 tokens, and recovers spend tokens at 1 every post, with a chance to buy additional tokens for reiatsu - though this scales with how many she has currently rather than how many she is buying, power is always harder to gain at the top, than the bottom. The costs are 100 reiatsu for every token she already has. This allows her to start a fight strong, and then brings it to a more tactical fight thereon, as a Samurai must start his fight with pride, and then temper it with wisdom. These tokens take the place of reiatsu costs for the passives.
Additional uses of these tokens allow Kelita to support her applies by gifting them a token that can be used in place of 100 reiatsu for any technique, or applying them to her enemies. In both cases, the possessor must fight according the code of the warrior, though they see different punishments for this. An ally that acts dishonourably merely loses any and all tokens they have in their possession. Where as an enemy who acts dishonourably immediately loses 200 reiatsu for every token they have applied to them.
1 token - Test The Depths: A strike that does little in the way of variance from a normal blow, it is instead one designed to further Kelita's understanding of her foe. Should the blow land, it will inform her the precise OS stat of the enemy, that she might prepare to fight them in earnest. Or flee the field should the monster be beyond her capabilities. Self-Sacrifice is one thing, but uselessly wasting your life brings shame.
2 tokens - Splitting The Shaft: A strike that allows Kelita to attack an enemy's energy attack and cut through it, so long as she can indeed do so For this strike, Kelita is able to cut up to twice her strength against a reiatsu based attack. Any higher and she is unable to cut it and the token is wasted.
3 tokens - Ouroboros Flash: As soon as the bout starts, it has ended. Using this strike, Kelita can make an Iaido draw that counts her speed three times higher than it is for the sake of this blow alone, allowing her to strike down a foe with incredible speed and hopefully end an encounter with minimal fuss.
4 tokens - Lion's Roar: A Samurai strikes twice, once for himself and once for his ancestors. This technique takes that concept to it's extreme, and when the tokens are spent, Kelita's blows are doubled in quantity, each strike hitting the enemy twice until the end of her turn. These second strikes are not impossible to defend against, but difficult due to the fact they come off the back of the original and they are hard to spot in the first place.
Zanpakuto Techniques:
These techniques are more freestanding and can have a reiatsu cost or a token cost depending on the choice at the start of the technique.
Flowing River Creek: However fast a man runs down a river, it is still behind him when he turns. This is a powerful technique that has a massive limitation, it can only be used when someone is using a stepping technique or high speeds( above 500) to avoid an attack by Kelita. When they do so Kelita is able to follow the exact movements of the stepping technique until it ends, equalling their speed and then continuing the attack that they were trying to dodge just before, this time locking out the ability for them to use a stepping tech to react to this.
Drawbacks: The most obvious drawback to this is that Kelita can only use this when the enemy uses a stepping technique or high speed dodge. For Kelita this also counts as a stepping tech for her limit for that post. Costs 100 reiatsu (or 1 token).
Kyudo Senpu: The Samurai is a warrior skilled not only in the sword, but also in the bow. Strange and esoteric techniques even allow the Samurai to throw arrows by hand, picking any discarded from the field and tossing them at the foe. Romanticising this, some writers depict the Samurai catching an arrow mid flight and throwing it back at the foe. So, Kelita takes this to heart and, when faced with ranged bombardment, utilizes Kyudo Senpu.
This technique may "grasp" the enemy's "arrow" and throw it back at them, effectively neutralising the attack and reflecting it in the same movement. Though it is not a perfect technique, as depicted below.
Drawbacks: As with Flowing River, this technique can't be used unless the enemy attacks with a ranged attack first. The technique uses the enemy's stat minus thirty (as some power is lost in the reflection) and Kelita must have the capability to react to the attack to redirect it. Additionally, as no man can catch a Ballista Bolt, Kelita has a limit on what she can redirect. She can redirect attacks that are at maximum twice her Strength. Anything stronger merely reduces the Offensive Stat by her Strength for final damage calculation Costs 200 reiatsu (or 2 tokens)
The Flesh Sheath: A Samurai will die for their Master, should it bring him victory on the battlefield. Should that master be a fool who stays despite certain death, it is the Samurai's duty to fall first on the field of battle. This technique is not one used lightly, as it is a technique that is far from gentle on her physique. This technique negates the damage (though not the pain) of a single strike as it effectively symbolises those who would die for the victory of others.
Drawback: The largest drawback is that (other than the pain of such a blow landing) the technique only revolves around the strike. Any action taken after the blow has landed is entirely on Kelita's personal capabilities, and if she is crippled or incapacitated or otherwise can't take advantage of the monetary window then this technique is merely just a very expensive, painful single-shot Hierro. Additionally, as much as they might wish it, and however great they are, a Samurai has but one life to lay down for his Lord. As such, this technique can be used but once in any fight.
Cost 300 reiatsu (or 3 tokens)
Other Techniques:
Birthplace: Mutsu Province, Japan.
Current Residence: Hueco Mundo
History: Born to a servant in the Boshiru clan, she was chosen at a young age to be a playmate for the young lord of the clan. This was by no means an altruistic move on their part but rather than of a tradition held for a long time. Kelita was ignorant to the ramifications of this and simply played with the young lord, being somewhat of a friend and somewhat of a handmaid for him. It bred an interesting dynamic that would sometimes be marred by tantrums and breakups. Though, merely that of a child and little more.
However, Kelita would set herself apart as more than just someone to make friends with. Born with a zeal for things that interested her and a surprisingly potent dynamic vision, she would sit on a step and watch the young lord as he went through basic training with the sword. And then as his time was taken up more by lessons, watch the others practice with the sword. From here she grew enarmored with the whole thing, and playtime became less about childrens games and more about playfighting with actual moves.
This extra training he was getting from Kelita brought him into view of the elders, as his rate of growth seemed swift from their perspective. Lauded as a genius, he didn't want to get Kelita in any trouble telling them that she liked the sword rather than delicate womanly things, and simply humbly played down his skill. Humility at a young age was another great sign and he was granted great freedom to live how he wished. With the undercurrent of unspoken agreements that he maintain his level of skill and mentality.
One day while playfighting, he found himself on his back, having lost to Kelita's superior manoeuvring. She was not a talented girl, but a girl who would put in thrice the effort to match the talent of her betters, filling her days with reading lessons so she could pour over scrolls and often being seen as a scoundrel from skipping her Gong-Fu lessons. Tea serving was lesser in comparison to kenjutsu, and it helped out her friend to boot. How could she not want to be the best she could be at it? Though, this loss brought the young lord into the same echalon of zeal that Kelita had, not wanting to fall behind his closest friend.
The two would carry on this clandestine practice for several years, Kelita growing into beautiful teenager while her Lord was growing into a fine young man. Though he tried, his attempts to catch up to Kelita were in vain, and she had grown to be almost the teacher in their relationship. Not that he did not improve at all, it was just Kelita improved faster. For everything the lord learned, Kelita learned two things, one from her own studies, and one from watching him enact his new piece of knowledge. Though he would not be left behind, nor would he catch up. Which was a hidden boon, as he was forever motivated to improve.
A few weeks after his sixteenth birthday, was when it all changed. There were, like all teenagers of her age, budding new feelings inside her. And inside the young lord as well, since he awkwardly gave her a nice bokken he had made himself, in some attempt to appeal to her preferences. She found it cute and endearing, and kept the bokken in her room. Few questioned it's presence and those who did questioned no further when she told them it was a gift from the young Lord. Though it came to good use when suddenly, in the middle of the night, three men burst into her room. Waking rapidly, Kelita retrieved her bokken and defended herself, leaving them bruised and bloody before they could wrap their heads around where she had gotten such skill from.
Calming down from the fight, her lord burst into the room, brandishing his ceremonial Daisho and scanning the room for the source of the ruckus. Though, as he saw the scene, he became confused. This confusion was not mitigated in the slightest when he saw that the attackers were two loyal retainers and his own sword teacher. Barely restraining fury for such apparent treason, he ordered - a clear view into her emotional state as he never tried to use his position on Kelita after one argument doing exactly that nearly broke her heart - Kelita to go bring his father immediately, and so she did.
Here, she learned finally, of the tradition. Kelita was the latest in a long line of servant women who had been paired with the young Lords of the clan. They were to grow close, and then the woman would be kidnapped by the clan's retainers, and then the lord sent on a diplomatic journey . In doing so, they would bring the ultimate test of personal gain vs duty. Could the lord put aside such a travesty and work for the good of the clan, or would they be ruled by their emotions? A test that Kelita had ruined by defeating her kidnappers.
From here, the secret lessons and source of the Lord's skill and fervour became known, though they did not punish Kelita as he thought they would. Instead, somewhat exasperated at the whole thing and slightly ashamed it had gone on under his nose for so long, he invited Kelita to join the family proper, as a Retainer. Which was an interesting and shocking turnout but she accepted gracefully and promised to act with honour however she might be able to. Wherever, she might be able to.
Coming out of the shadows and into the light was a strange feeling. No longer hiding, she was able to practice openly, and this gathered interest in her capabilities. Though, she also had to learn to have at least a veneer of proper ladyship, which meant Gong-Fu and etiquette training, two things she had been avoiding for a long time. Not so bad as it turned out, but still something she wasn't great at nor interested in. It was the field of battle where she desired to be, and where she excelled.
Being in the open allowed her direct practice with the sword teachers rather than just watching them and executing with her Lord. Plenty of training was still held with her Lord, but also with other experienced duelists. This new freedom increased Kelita's prowess further, honing an already sharp edge to make her a formidable opponent. With this skill, she accompanied her Lord out on diplomatic excursions, small military skirmishes, and generally was there for him in a way she could never be before. This new freedom was exhilarating, breathtaking and addictive.
Eventually, the Festival Of The Lion came. Held every three years, it celebrated the Boshiru's animal sigil and told tales of their past exploits, while shining a light on those who may go on to make future exploits. It was also when any retainer might compete for the privilege to wield Shisuke until the next Festival. The sword - which was technically Ken no Shisuke, but often simply called Shisuke - was a family heirloom of a man who had excelled on the field of battle and been given a moniker by his Damiyo. To wield such a masterwork of a blade was a great honour and a great boon in one. So it attracted many competitors. Some who wished to test their skill against another competitively, others who wanted to draw the eye of a pretty lady. And some that fought only to win the sword.
Kelita was going to stay out of the contest, but was pushed into it by her young Lord. Not wishing to spoil his mood, she obliged and entered into the fray. From her it was a lot of fun to fight with everyone who would come, but eventually nobody did anymore, and she had won. It took her a few moments to really get into what that actually meant. Not until she was handed the sword did she really clock to it. From there, she grasped it with tight hands and just stared for a long moment before smiling. This sword was a physical representation of her accomplishments to date...
Happy days were not here to stay, however, as the time of Warring States came to rise. At first it was merely political intrigue and social manoeuvring, but it grew further until it was true military conflict. Boshiru's estate was hit hard in the early days, the rivals of the clan coming together and launching an attack without warning. It was here that Kelita first used her new blade against the foes of her house, and it was a beautiful thing. The blade cut cleanly through a person, spilled blood and hewed bone with a swipe, allowing her to cut a bloody waltz through the battlefield. Not that she came out unscathed. The sudden attack had led few to be armoured, and Kelita was bleeding from several locations, as well as a general exhaustion of combat as the time went on.
Pulling back into the main courtyard, she saw her Lord trapped below the bulwark, and fighting for his life against the arrayed forces. If he could get a moment's reprieve he could retreat, but it did not seem like he was going to. That was, until Kelita jumped down from the courtyard, landing on one of them men and breaking her leg from the fall. Taking advantage of the surprise, she opened the leg veins of two of the other attackers and stood. She wouldn't be moving very far but could still protect her Lord. She ignored his orders to run, to retreat, to come with him, and instead gave her own. He was to survive this if no one else, and she would ensure it if she had to spend her life a hundred times.
Didn't work, as she expected. The stubborn man stayed with her as a fresh wave of reinforcements came barrelling down the trench. A half-dead woman and a foolish man were not enough to hold off a dozen Ashigaru, and so instead of spending their final moments on a futile act, her Lord took Kelita and kissed her deeply, spending their last few moments on the earth in a state of delight.
Then...she wasn't dead. Of sorts. It was strange, she was apparently alive but the surroundings had changed. From the look of the sky, a whole day had passed, but what was going on she did not know. Wandering about the place, she found that the battle had ended in Boshiru defeat, and now there were scavengers about the place. She tried to run them off with shouting, but the ignored her completely. In fact, one walked through her to get to his friend, which really startled her and brought her back to reality. A broken chain dangling from her chest was a new addition, and her clothes no longer damaged and bloody. She....she had died.
Quickly she looked around for her Lord, who had died with her. But, she could not see him. Though there were plenty of other people with dangling chains, as one might expect from a Battlefield, she could not see him. Though his father was there, so she went to him and tried to work this whole thing out. They had died, but not gone anywhere. The theory came about that maybe this was Yomi, and they would have to search for Ama-no-uki-hashi to take them to Takamagahara. The idea of just staying here forever, a shadowy mirror of their world they could not interact with, did not spark and delight in anyone.
So several expeditions were planned. Those who would stay here to protect the Lord and their Lands, and those who would go looking for Ama-no-uki-hashi to lead the dead to their afterlife. Though, the people who left were the lucky ones, as night came and the shades of the underworld came for them. Massive, masked creatures, they tore through the assembled people and it was only when a group of warriors in black robes came that the massacre was stopped. It eventually ended poorly for the black clad warriors, as the number of hollows were too much and they ended up dying were they stood before they could fend them off. However, they had given salvation to the assembled forces, as though they died, their weaponry remained. And it was this that was claimed.
Kelita and the warriors fought side by side against the shades, and that was life. The shades came, men and women were eaten, and everyone suffered. The chains they wore dissolved at differing rates, but always with great pain. Slowly, the advantage of numbers dwindled, and disbondancy took them, the chains dissolving faster and faster. When one fateful night came where the Lord himself was butchered, all was lost. The few who survived were lost entirely to the despair, and Kelita had to fight them.
The now-hollows were quick to turn on each other, incredible eclipsing hunger driving them beyond all other feelings. The fight raged on, with Kelita killing those that came for her, and those who came for the others, until there was nothing left. Heavily wounded, exhausted in mind and body, and unable to find anymore solace, she fell to her knees, and died again. This second death did not lead anywhere, and instead it destroyed her. Turning her into the very monster she had fought, there was no mind to cry at the injustice, nothing to scream but scream in hunger. A driving need that pushed everything else out of her body and turned her into a monster.
Time became abstract and strange from that point. She hunted, she fed, she fought. Innocence was a long forgotten concept, and there was only food. Everything was a target and nobody would ever get any leniency. That was life. On Earth, and in the endless deserts. It simply passed, on and on and on until one day when a large fight Kelita was present for broke out. Instead of eating each other however, the Hollows fused into each other, melding and growing and twisting into a giant form that stomped about the deserts like a Kami. Time here, grew even weirder. As not only was their the everpresent need to sate her hunger, but there was a hundred different thoughts in a hundred different tongues all speaking at once. All warring, all battling, all trying to push each other down and claim dominance.
This was no fight Kelita was going to be found wanting for, and she actively snapped and snarled against all the comers, fighting with every scrap at her disposal while leading the charge for food to sate themselves. Crushing and smashing and dominating, Kelita raged through the mind of the Gillian, striking with fervour and becoming completely completely numb to her surroundings. Victory was hard fought, though she became the dominant personality in the Gillian with time and force of will, leading the giant body in a catastrophe swath across the Forest Of Menos until finally, one day, she found herself small and singular again.
Delighted that the world had finally started to make a bit of sense, she ate some more people and then went through to the World Beyond. She had not been there in a while, as a Gillian she could rarely step through, but now she could consume to her heart's content! Though, while chasing down one meal, she passed by a strangely reflective surface. This surface showed her a monster, a creature she hated to the very bottom of her missing heart. It drove her mad with anger, and she thrashed around, screaming and raging and then finally grasping her mask and ripping it from her face.
This had an effect she wasn't expecting, and suddenly everything she had been and everything she was rushed back into her. Given her old form again, she was left in a world so many years beyond her she could not count them all. Here, she was forced into a deep melancholy as her actions were shown to her. There was a delightful new world in front of her, but the past weighed heavily on her, so she could only explore it and find passion here on some days. Others, were simply spent in mourning of her existence. At least the accursed hunger had abated...
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