Post by Shoji Yoshimoto on Jan 30, 2022 5:41:09 GMT -5
-Opening-
Discord/Chatango Username (include nicknames): TheBlackVanguard
Password 1: Black Hole
Password 2: Moon Pray
Type: Strategist
Affiliation: Unaffiliated
Rank: 1
Desired Class: Class 8
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-Basic Information-
Name: Yoshimoto, Shoji
Age: 22
Birthday (Month/Day): February 7th
Blood Type: A-
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-Appearance-
Height/Weight: 5’9”; 152 lb
Physical Description
Faceclaim: Zhongli, from Genshin Impact
Shoji stands at five feet, nine inches, and at a weight of one-hundred fifty two pounds, is considered to be a fairly lean and athletic individual. His muscle mass is geared towards body weight resistance exercises and while he has a lot of natural ability, flexibility, and strength, these abilities are not necessarily translated to making him stronger, faster, or more agile than others. Rather, his muscle strength and tone is adequate to ensure that he has significant control over his own body mechanics relative to his height and weight. His hair is kept short, thought not particularly in any kind of organized fashion, with dark locks ending just past his ears. His eyes are hazel, though predominantly green. He does not have any particular marring, scarring, tattoos, or other identifying marks.
Shoji, like most people, dresses for the occasion. His workout ensemble consists of a traditional martial arts Gi that he keeps relatively well maintained, with a selection of belts that he’s acquired from his training. He has a pair of sandals specifically for wearing at the Dojo that he will occasionally wear around the house. His casual attire usually consists of either beige or black slacks or jeans that he will wear both outdoors and inside of his home, as well as a number of different loose fitting t-shirts and button-down shirts in order to complete his look. Sneakers generally complete his casual attire, though he prefers to go barefoot around his home. For dressier occasions, Shoji will lean towards layered attire, including well-pressed dress pants and slacks, black dress shoes for occasion, and a series of both white and colored polos and button-down shirts that he can wear out to gatherings. In colder weather he’ll complement this with a tailored jacket, though he has a number of lighter jackets and hoodies that he’ll prefer to wear if he’s simply traveling.
Shoji’s combat attire is especially chosen and worn in order to provide him a good balance of personal protection along with maneuverability. When training with his Quincy abilities, he prefers to wear an all-white Gi with golden accents in order to foster his mindset and correlate it with the same training mindset that he has when he is practicing martial arts. Outside of training, because of his affinity for darker colors, he will tend to wear tight-fitting outfits of either black, dark brown, or navy blue. These outfits usually are a combination of tight fitting or athletic tops worn in conjunction with looser slacks and dark sneakers that he can realistically throw a jacket or other clothing over the top of in order to allow him to be prepared for combat when he has to go out and about on the day to day. In colder weather, this doesn’t generally pose a problem, though in warmer weather he will often forego layers due to the heat and simply fight in what he has on at the time.
He tends to avoid dying his hair or accessorizing beyond basic amenities such as a watch and his Quincy cross, which he will (eventually) usually wear around his neck, or double-wrap around his forearm if he’s in the midst of combat.
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-Personality-
Dislikes
Hollows - Shoji despises Hollows from the deepest pits of his heart. Even if he were to learn of their pitiable nature, he believes that these monsters are the scourge of the Human World and should be eradicated and erased from existence. His stance on Hollows is incredibly aggressive and he harbors no feelings of pity or regret in destroying them instead of purifying them. They are responsible for the death of his mother and the injury of someone close to him, as well as the anguish of many others in the human world.
Spirits - Likewise, Shoji believes that spirits don’t belong in the Human World. Let them have their battle between good and evil in their own planes, but keep their conflict out of his home. While he tolerates plus souls that are lost and without guidance, as well as the Shinigami and other souls responsible for ferrying them to the afterlife, he despises the concept of Shinigami and other, more powerful spirits hanging around the Human World and would rather they go back to where they came from.
Bullies - Shoji is a kind soul at heart and takes direct offense to those who would use their strength, authority, or otherwise in order to make the lives of others more difficult or miserable. He is quick to stand up for others, especially those closest to him. The greater the difference between the one bullying and the one being bullied, the more likely it is that Shoji will intervene.
Heat - Heat is literally the worst. If it’s too cold, you can always put extra layers on, but if it’s too hot you can’t exactly take off your skin. He would rather it be cooler than warmer, and looks forward to a future where he can move someplace a bit colder throughout the year than Japan.
Dishonesty - Liars, cheats, and thieves have one place in the World, and that’s prison. While he has some tolerance for those who genuinely believe that a white lie here or there is grounds for using it, he feels very strongly that if you aren’t willing to own up to your actions, decisions, thoughts, or beliefs, then you shouldn’t have them in the first place.
Disloyalty - Traitors and those that turn their backs willingly on their allies and friends deserve whatever fate awaits them. He has no sympathy for those who actively turn not only away from those close to them, but against those close to him, and takes an act of betrayal to heart. He would sooner burn the bridge of a traitor than allow them to cross it again.
Cruelty - Cruelty and unnecessary punishment bring only harm in the short and the long term. He would rather someone suffer a fair punishment or a quick end for their injustices than to utterly demoralize or break them, and believes that people who seek out such an outcome have a special place reserved for them in Hell.
Recklessness - Shoji is a calculating man, and would rather pause to review all of the possible options available to him than jump headfirst into a situation, regardless of its severity. While no plan survives first contact with the enemy, having a plan and a framework to work within gives direction and he would rather have a plan than wade blindly into the unknown.
Noodles - Noodles just… they have a strange texture and he would rather not consume them. Nothing meant to those who do like them, they just aren’t for him.
The Color White - The only color white that he likes is that of the falling snow. He finds the color to be excessively overbearing, unnaturally ‘clean’, and believes that it brings unwanted attention. He simply prefers the aesthetics of darker colors.
His Father - Shoji’s relationship with his father is a complicated one. He loves the man and understands his worry, but finds his overbearing nature to be unnecessarily suffocating. While he would die for his family and while he loves his father very much, he can barely stand to be around the man for extended periods of time.
Likes
Honesty - Shoji values honesty as a core value and believes that an honest relationship is a strong one. He highly respects people that have the conviction to say what they believe and believe what they say, and whose actions line up with their stated values.
Communication - Shoji values communication as his second core value and believes in the phrase ‘Clear is kind, unclear is unkind.’ Good and clear communication is the cornerstone to any relationship and he believes that good communication can pave the way for greatness between two parties.
Physical Touch - Physical touch is Shoji’s primary love language, and it comes out in his habits. He’s a hugger, he’s a cuddler, and a hand on the shoulder is more reassuring to him than kind words.
Daylight - Shoji simply prefers the radiance and business of the day to the tranquil stillness of the night. He finds daytime and daylight rejuvenating and uplifting and requires ample sunlight through the course of his day in order to avoid a negative mood/
Nature - Likewise, Shoji likes to be outdoors in nature when he has the opportunity. He is more likely to spend time at a park or at the beach than he is inside of a museum or at an arcade.
Exercise - Shoji is a very active man who puts a lot of energy into his regular exercise routine. He prides himself on being in control of his body and works very hard in order to keep himself in good physical condition.
Art - Art is a form of expression of self and Shoji can often be found working with oils and water paints in his spare time when he isn’t training or working. While he isn’t the type to pursue art as a career, he has been working on his artistic expression since middle school and takes pride in his personal works. His digital works can be found easily enough online.
Calligraphy - Calligraphy is Shoji’s private form of cathartic meditation. He uses it exclusively to rest his mind and put himself at ease after a long day. Shoji does not keep any of the calligraphy that he works on and traditionally burns it unless he is making a piece for someone close to him.
Flaws
Avoidant Combatant - In a combat situation, Shoji has a very avoidant combat style and is more apt to retreat from a combat situation than to stick it out to the very end. He very much believes in the concept of retreating to live another day rather than fighting to the bitter end. The only exception to this rule is if loss in combat would result in the mass loss of life, or the loss of those close to him. Otherwise, he’s perfectly content to give up as much ground as is needed to avoid death.
Hesitant - Shoji’s desire to analyze and have a plan can often present in the form of hesitation when action is necessary. He prefers to take a ‘wait and watch’ approach to most things if possible, and not every situation provides room for that kind of hesitancy.
Loyal to a Fault - Shoji is relatively slow to trust, but once he’s formed a bond with someone close to him he will often follow them against better judgment. When faced with a moral dilemma, he will often assume the best of his friends and allies and stand up for them without hearing the other side.
Honest to a Fault - Shoji has an incredibly hard time lying to others, and can easily be prompted into telling the truth where available. For this reason, Shoji also prefers to know as little as possible about the dealings of his acquaintances and strongly believes in the concept of ‘plausible deniability’.
Stubborn - Once Shoji has his mind set to something, it is very difficult for him to backtrack on his words or admit that he was wrong. He will often follow a plan to failure before admitting that he’s made a calculation error or something similar. Likewise, if he finds that he stands on the wrong side of an argument, he requires significant time to come to his own conclusion that he was wrong, and will become very defensive if pressured.
Rejecting of Spirits - Shoji’s dislike of spirits does not lend itself to dealing with them. He has a very hard time being diplomatic with all spirits, good or bad, and would much rather they stick to their own world instead of engaging in any kind of diplomacy with them.
Habits
Invasion of Personal Space - Shoji has a hard time with the concept of personal space. He’s a hugger and will often reach out to touch someone’s shoulder when having a heartfelt conversation. While this is okay in close circles, he will also engage in this behavior with acquaintances, which can lead to some awkward and uncomfortable, although benign situations.
Thinking Aloud - Shoji will process things and think out loud to himself. He says that it allows him to think about things more clearly without getting distracted. This includes mumbling to himself during training, wearing his thoughts on his sleeve during social gatherings, and other similar scenarios.
Talking With His Hands - Shoji talks with his hands. When he communicates, he’s likely to use hand gestures - there isn’t much else to say here.
Daydreaming - Shoji often finds himself daydreaming about his future and the things around him. If given enough alone time he can often self-isolate in public and become detached from what’s going on around him.
Fears
Hollows - Along with his dislike of Hollow, Shoji finds himself mildly traumatized by Hollows altogether. While training and repeated exposure will likely mitigate this fear, he is aware that Hollow are generally bestial and monstrous creatures that are pushed forwards by their hunger. That, combined with their unnatural physiology and anatomy is enough to put anyone on edge.
Death - Shoji has a fairly strong fear of death, knowing what he does about the afterlife. He fears being unable to move on as a spirit and he fears the worst possible outcome - becoming a Hollow.
Losing His Father - For all of the grief that Shoji gives his father, he is deathly afraid of losing his last remaining parent. This leads to him rarely discussing his father and he will actively avoid giving information on his hometown or any other information that might lead people to his father.
Losing Those Close To Him - In addition to his parents, he is very afraid of making significant relationships with others, knowing that as he trains and grows stronger in his spiritual capabilities, he will also attract unwanted attention. He makes friends knowing that their lives will be at risk around him, and prefers to keep people at arm’s length as a result.
Goals
Heritage - Shoji wishes to learn more about his mother’s history and his Quincy heritage. He hopes that by traveling to Karakura Town and exploring the materials there and the town itself that he’ll find answers to who - or what - his mother was and what that means for him.
Organization - Shoji’s plan for the future is the eventual organization of a strictly human force, primarily of Quincy, that proves that they can police themselves without interference of spirits. While he will eventually understand the need for maintaining the balance of souls, he strongly believes that there has to be a way to keep Shinigami and Hollow from constantly endangering the lives of those living on Earth.
Safe Haven - Shoji hopes to one day provide a safe haven for those with elevated spiritual pressure who wish to be unbothered by spirits, primarily Hollow.
Alignment: Neutral Good
Overall Personality: Generally, Shoji is a calm, confident and social man who likes to be around others without making too many overly significant connections that might eventually become liabilities. He’s a kind and altogether gentle soul who will often lend a helping hand to the people around him. He makes a point to utilize his free time to volunteer around town and make the lives of other people easier. In a crowd, Shoji can often be found openly and actively socializing with others. He’s a natural extrovert who enjoys conversation both shallow and deep and believes that communication and language are a blessing given to humans so that they can learn from and build relationships with one another.
His first core value is Honesty. He believes very strongly that if he’s going to do something, he has to have the confidence to back up whatever that action is. In addition, if feels that if he has thoughts on a matter or that he has conflicting beliefs with someone else, that he should have the confidence to say what’s on his mind and stick to his guns rather than beat around the bush or speak in half-truths or lies in order to convince people to his side. He’s a man who does what he says he’s going to do and has a very hard time manipulating or deceiving others as a result.
His second core value is Communication. He’s a talker, and he maintains that he talks for a reason. In his opinion, the ability to communicate with words is heavily undervalued and that direct, clear communication is the best way to make connections and ensure that everyone is on the same page. He’s very direct with his words and, while he makes every attempt not to offend others, will often ask for clarification or speak his mind if given the opportunity. He’s very open with his intentions and makes a point to keep as few secrets as possible.
On the off occasion that he does find himself particularly drained socially, he will often retreat into his hobbies. It’s rare to see Shoji sitting with his thoughts for too long - he is far more likely to go out and get an extra class in at the Dojo or to be out hiking or exploring sights in and out of town than he is to sit at home alone. When he is at home with little else but his thoughts, he often will throw himself headfirst into his work, or will actively work on his latest art piece. If neither of those is available or alluring to him, then he’ll sit down and use his affinity for calligraphy to center himself, but he would much rather be outside and engaging with someone else than to be at home with nothing to do.
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-Powers-
Fighting Style: Shoji is not a front-line fighter by any means, but he also isn’t a pushover. The core of Shoji’s fighting style involves using his speed in addition with his elevated combat sense, intellect and sensory abilities to fatigue and overwhelm his opponent over time. With that being said, Shoji makes every attempt to avoid conflict where possible and tends to only engage in combat when he believes that he can win, or if there is no other option.
Shoji’s method of engagement dramatically changes depending on the power level of his opponent, though quick and volatile engagements are not his specialty. If he believes he holds an overwhelming power and skill advantage over his opponent, then he will make a point to engage as hard and fast as is reasonably possible for him. Swift utilization of Quincy Ginto and other energy techniques in conjunction with careful application of his bow when he needs to conserve his energy is utilized in complement with his speed and his natural battle analysis abilities in order to identify the most direct method of ending a fight, whether it’s by killing or maiming his opponent to combat’s end.
If he believes that he and his opponent are on equal, or are close to equal footing, then he will spend the initial rounds of combat creating an aggressive pacing in order to test the limits of his opponent and try to draw out their core combat style so that he can analyze it. If given the opportunity, Shoji won’t hesitate to take a cheap shot or a direct advantage and will often press said advantage mercilessly if he believes that it will give him a consistent upper hand. If he finds that he can’t end combat within the first few exchanges, then he will take a decidedly defensive approach and utilize his various abilities to weaken his opponent to the point that a decisive attack can be made.
If he is up against an overwhelming opponent, he will spend the early stages of combat focused entirely on analysis and avoidance. If he can use this time to study his opponent and focus on learning the strengths and weaknesses of their abilities, then he will use it. Against overwhelming combatants, his techniques have the opportunity to shine as they don’t require direct impact of his opponent in order to have effectiveness. He uses a combination of defensive tactics and attrition combat in order to whittle down and decrease his opponent’s effectiveness until he can find a decisive opportunity to attack, if available. If the outcome of a battle looks grim and the consequences of losing an engagement do not involve mass loss of life or the loss of life of those close to him, then he will retreat at the first available opportunity unless he is fighting alongside others.
Shoji’s combat style really shines when he is fighting alongside another combatant. Instead of utilizing his more aggressive bow properties, he focuses on using his unique properties in order to give his allies the opportunity to take more effective, deadly approaches of attack against their opponent. In the case that his allies are exhausting themselves, he may also deactivate the majority of his offensive capabilities in order to take on a more supportive role, shunting his reiatsu to those around him in order to increase their combat effectiveness.
Bow Release Overall Theme: Conduit; Reiatsu Catalyst/Inhibitor
Bow Release Properties
[Disclaimer: I’m not very familiar with the balance of the forums, and I had some confusion in regards to the wording of the Quincy property restrictions. I don’t view the three ‘Power’ abilities listed as being contradictory so much as they augment and complement each other, and are built to be used in conjunction with one another, so I believe they can be activated together. If this is NOT the case, please tell me, because I will need to revise the power and likely his fighting style. I am aware of the restrictions regarding how many Quincy properties may be active at one time.]
Class 6: Form Reiatsu Conduit
Shoji’s spirit bow form modifies slightly, solidifying and becoming an object with a durability equal to his highest OS. The bow elongates and becomes golden in color, gaining several elaborate patterns on both sides of the body of the bow. All arrows fired from his bow in this mode are golden in color. Carved into the bow are a series of slits which, depending on conditions, disperse excess Reiatsu (cinematic effect).
Class 5: Form Painted Arrow
Shoji’s arrows change form slightly with this property, becoming slimmer and very rear-loaded. This does not affect their speed or aerodynamics in any way. If his arrows strike something that is soulless or inanimate, they detonate on impact, splattering and creating a three (3) meter zone of impact, in all directions, with an irregular spread, almost like paint splattering on a surface. This residue, if it falls on something that has, or is, a soul, will stick to that object or being and persist for a number of posts equal to half the class of the arrow fired, starting at 1 post for a Class 8 arrow and ending at 4 posts for a Class 0 arrow. If they directly strike something that has, or is, a soul, then they will create an irregular, one-half (0.5) meter zone of impact on the target, effectively painting it with Shoji’s reiatsu. The residue duration is the same.
Targets painted with this residue may be searched for as though searching for Shoji’s reiatsu instead of their own, with the added benefit of treating their anti-stealth skill as one point higher if they have at least 150 in Energy Sensory (with or without techniques). This benefit increases for every 75 points in Energy Sensory after 150, to a maximum of 4 in Anti-Stealth. If someone already has a 4 in anti-stealth (before the benefit from this property), then they may use this in order to ignore the requirement of having a 2 in Focused Eye when searching for targets with a 4 in stealth. Shoji may also use this benefit when searching for those he has painted with his own arrows. When this property is deactivated, all painted surfaces dissipate after one post.
Class 4: Power Dispersion Arrows
When Shoji's arrows come into contact with a surface of focused or channeled Reiatsu, they are considered to be two classes higher than the level of arrow that was fired. While this does not affect the power and impact of the arrow when it strikes a spiritual entity, it does effect armor, shields, barriers, and most spiritually based techniques. [I.E. A class 4 arrow striking a hierro-like armor or barrier would be considered a class 2 arrow at the point of impact, but would be considered a class 4 arrow for damage purposes]
Arrows with this property may be used to clash with other Spiritual techniques, but if they overpower the opposing technique, both attacks are neutralized instead, if the result is determined by the class bonus offered by this technique.
If the arrow fired is a Class 2 arrow, then it is treated as a Class 1 arrow with the ability to overpower clashes, instead of just neutralizing them.
Class 1 Arrows also have the ability to overpower clashes, and additionally are treated as two classes higher (this is not the same as Class 0) than a Class 2 technique at the point of impact. If they impact against a Class 1 Technique, the OS of the technique is subtracted by Shoji's OS. If this leaves the technique with an OS equal to or lower than Shoji's OS, then both techniques are neutralized.
Class 3: Power Amplification Arrows
This property may only be activated if Painted Arrow is active. It is not an exclusive property. Painted surfaces may be targeted by others with spiritual-based techniques. Spiritual energy-based techniques that make contact with a painted surface may be treated, at the point of impact, as though they were used at a class equal to that of the painted surface, if the arrow class is higher than the technique class. For precise direct impact abilities, this effect is self-explanatory. For larger direct impact abilities that may consume a person’s entire form, then the technique is considered to be at a class equal to the highest class of painted surface on the target. For damage over time abilities that leave external lingering effects [I.E. Flames attached to the opponent] then this effect recurs for however many posts that the Painted Arrow is active, or however long the damage over time effect lasts, whichever is shorter.
Painted surfaces utilized in this fashion consume one post of duration every time they are utilized. This ability does NOT differentiate from ‘friend or foe’. Shoji’s arrows do not benefit from this ability, though his spiritual energy techniques do.
Class 2: Power Interference Arrows
This property may only be activated if Painted Arrow is active. It is not an exclusive property. Shoji may channel his reiatsu through his arrows, creating an effect that makes it difficult for others to focus and utilize their own reiatsu properly. All reiatsu costs on targets painted by Shoji’s arrows are increased by 10% per painted surface to a maximum of 100%. This includes, but is not limited to, reiatsu costs paid to techniques, releases, item activation, among others. Targets may incur twice the normal stamina penalty to perform their chosen action with half of this penalty, or may incur three times the stamina penalty to ignore the penalty entirely.
Class 1: Soul Soul Conduit
This property may NOT be used if Interference Arrows, Amplification Arrows, or Dispersion Arrows is active. Shoji may focus on channeling the energy absorbed by his Quincy Cross outwards instead of inwards. He may split this Reiatsu between any number of targets of his choosing, restoring their Reiatsu instead of his own. Targets who have their Reiatsu restored in this fashion may not exceed their Reiatsu cap. While this property is active, Shoji may NOT benefit from absorbing Reiatsu using his Quincy Cross as it cannot be split between himself and others.
Additional Tools or Techniques
The below technique was taught by Aika to Shoji as part of taking advantage of the beginning of his spiritual enlightenment. It is a rudimentary technique that Shoji often utilized in order to allow himself to read at night-time in lieu of the traditional flashlight.
{Spoiler}{Reiatsu Orb}
Class: 8
Technique Type: [Other]
Technique Element: [Light]
Technique Description and Effects: An extremely basic use of reiatsu to create an orb. Any reiatsu aware being can do it once they have at least 1 in reiatsu strength. The more reiatsu strength, the larger the orb. It's glowing, so it can be used for candle-light level illumination.
How to use technique: Stated above.
Drawback: None.
Class: 8
Technique Type: [Other]
Technique Element: [Light]
Technique Description and Effects: An extremely basic use of reiatsu to create an orb. Any reiatsu aware being can do it once they have at least 1 in reiatsu strength. The more reiatsu strength, the larger the orb. It's glowing, so it can be used for candle-light level illumination.
How to use technique: Stated above.
Drawback: None.
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-History-
Birthplace: Osaka, Japan
Current Residence: Tokyo, Japan
Memorable Figures: Yoshimoto, Shoichi - [Father] - Yoshimoto Shoichi is Shoji’s father and is a spiritually awakened human who has no notable abilities to speak of. Following his mother’s death, Shoichi has done his best to raise his son to the best of his abilities, writing him letters and generally worrying about Shoji ever since the passing of his wife. He is aware of his wife’s abilities and bloodline as a Quincy and laments that he could not do more to protect his family, but intends to do everything he can in order to support his son.
Yoshimoto (Mitsuhide), Aika - [Mother] - Yoshimoto Aika, born Mitsuhide Aika, was Shoji’s mother and is a mixed-blood Quincy of average ability. Over the course of her life, especially after the birth of Shoji, Aika’s intensity and zeal in protecting and propagating the legacy of the Quincy has waned considerably, along with her abilities. Aside from being his mother, Aika gave her life in order to allow Shoji, then a child, to escape from a Hollow assault along with her husband, Shoichi. He visits her grave in Osaka, Japan after the first snowfall of every year’s winter season, and on her birthday - April 19th.
Kurosawa, Katsumi - [Former Girlfriend] - Kurosawa Katsumi is Shoji’s former girlfriend and serves as one of the catalysts for Shoji pursuing his training as a Quincy. Following a severe injury she sustained as the result of a Hollow attack, Shoji chose to research more about his mother’s history and seek out those who could help him with his personal training to become a trained Quincy.
Satsuma, Akane - [Training Mentor] - Satsuma Akane is a woman in her thirties who is a known martial artist practitioner and instructor in Osaka, Japan. During his adolescence and early adulthood, Akane was responsible for training Shoji in various forms of general Kenjutsu, as well as helping him to become proficient in the art of Niten Ichi-ryu, as well as other basic forms of martial arts. While primarily used as a way to stay in shape, she is directly responsible for helping Shoji become the disciplined, hard-working and altogether stubborn and persistent man that he is today.
History:
The Soaring Son, A Quincy is Born
"Shoichi, come look! He’s standing!” Aika’s voice echoed through the house from her seated position on the floor. She held her hands out to the toddler in front of her. Her emerald eyes were locked on Shoji, her child of just over one year now, as he struggled to find his balance from his previous positioning crawling in front of her. “Quick! I think he’s going to try to walk!” Her voice echoed again with a renewed sense of urgency as she scooted herself on the carpeted floor closer to her child. “Come on, Shoji! You can do it!” She, like any mother, made sure to hover with her hands carefully outstretched for her child to fall into should he suddenly lose his balance like so many attempts before. Shoji, however, was focused on his task as though it was on this precipice that all of his future success and failures would be made.
“I’m coming, I’m coming!” Shoichi’s voice was heard amidst hurried footsteps as he approached the living room of their home, stumbling and nearly tripping over the baby gate that separated the living area from the kitchen of the household. Scents of spices and cooked vegetables followed him as he came into view, pacing quickly for the camera that they had on the mantelpiece for similar occasions. “Stupid - “ His words were cut off once he had managed to shake the baby gate free. His fingers wrapped around the device and he quickly went to turn the power on.
Shoji, meanwhile, was busy gripping fruitfully at the carpet in front of him, using it to anchor his body as he brought his legs underneath him. With a few uncertain rocks back and forth he pushed his weight up and off of the ground, now holding himself at an angle. All he had to do now was let go of the carpet and stand. With both of his parents cheering him on in the background, Shoji gave himself one final push. All of a sudden, the world seemed a few inches shorter. He smiled with uncertainty, gaining confidence once his parents had begun cheering and smiling around him. He stared at the giant camera lens that his father had focused on him, before wheeling around to see his mother and promptly losing his balance. He was sent right back to the ground on his backside, giggling without a care in the world. He’d done it.
“Did you get it? Tell me you got it.”
“I got it, honey, I got it! Don’t worry. Aww, Shoji! We’re so proud of you!” Shoichi lowered the camera once he was sure he had caught the entire moment and Shoji had begun crawling his way over to his mother. He grinned at Aika. “Look at our little boy go. Next thing you know you’ll be teaching him how to… talk to ghosts and use that bow thing.” While his voice was well-meaning, Aika’s demeanor changed after he had spoken. A frown came to her face briefly as she pushed one of Shoji’s toys closer to him, offering a sad smile when he looked up to her - enough to distract him and encourage him to keep playing while they talked around him.
“Aika? Was it something I said? I was kidding. I - “
“I know, dear. … I just - “ She paused, casting him a glance and then returning her gaze to her son. She reached out and ran her fingers through her son’s thin, dark hair and cooed sweetly to him before letting her hand come to rest on her lap again. “I’ll teach him what comes. … If he sees spirits… or ghosts, or whatever - sure, then I’ll start teaching him. But he doesn’t need to know what I do - what I used to do. He doesn’t need to know about… the ‘Quincy’. And he certainly doesn’t need to be off fighting battles against bloodthirsty monsters. Maybe one day he’ll want to learn, and then I’ll teach him, but I’m not going to shove it at him like my father did with me. He deserves better than that.” She raised her eyes to Shoichi. “I just want him to have a normal life.”
==/==
Yoshimoto Shoji was born the son of Yoshimoto Shoichi and Yoshimoto Aika on a February morning in Osaka, Japan in Osaka University Hospital. His birth was uncomplicated and he was sent home with his mother in excellent condition three days later. Growing up, Shoji suffered from delayed development, reaching many of his milestones several weeks (in some cases months) later than anticipated. Often, he was brought to a pediatrician by his mother, who appropriately reassured her that the development of children often differed from child to child, and that by the time Shoji was ready to enter his initial education with his peers, he would be caught up to speed. Despite this reassurance, it was often a point of contention between Shoji’s mother and father, with his father taking a decidedly worrisome stance on his son’s development and his mother encouraging and allowing Shoji to grow at his own pace, knowing that her son would be just fine going forwards.
In elementary school, Shoji had proven not only that he would catch up to his classmates, but quickly surpassed them in many different areas including reading comprehension, pattern recognition, and critical thinking skills. He would carry these particular traits going forwards throughout his schooling, consistently outclassing and outpacing his peers in his academic pursuits. Despite his achievements, much to his father’s dismay, his mother made a point to avoid any accelerated or advanced learning. Instead, she chose to augment the learning that he did in school with supplemental teaching and encouragement from home, allowing Shoji to read materials of his choosing, play with puzzles and create structures with building blocks in his spare time.
Near the age of seven, Shoji had begun to notice that he could see, though not interact, with spirits. While his father initially mistook this for a late phase of imaginary friends, further questioning helped his mother pinpoint his experiences to the supernatural. Reluctantly, due to her own family dynamics, Aika began giving Shoji rudimentary lessons on spirits and ghosts, making specific points to instill a sense of respect and hesitancy in order to temper Shoji’s natural curiosity when it came to his experiences. Along with these moments, Shoji had begun to notice his mother’s intermittent practicing with her Spirit Bow, though these moments were usually left with reverence and respect for his mother and not the same curiosity or belief that he might have had the same abilities. Aika made the decision that while it was in Shoji’s best interests to know and understand the spiritual world around them, he would be better off not learning anything further about his Quincy heritage and subsequently avoided the topic of training Shoji to become a Quincy in his own right.
Around the age of nine, Shoji’s family was assaulted by a hollow while on a picnic in Nakanoshima Park in Osaka, Japan. After determining that the hollow in question was too potent for her family to outrun without some type of distraction, and that she was no longer powerful enough or experienced enough to handle the Hollow by herself, she made the decision that she would sacrifice herself in order to protect her family. After a brief, distraught, and tearful exchange of goodbyes and encouragement, Shoichi left with Shoji while Aika distracted their assailant. The traumatic incident left Shoji with only the memory of his mother through teary, frightened eyes and a combined fear and hatred of Hollow and the supernatural. Going forwards, he did his best to avoid any type of interaction with spirits or ghosts, instead choosing to focus on his academics under his father’s tutelage.
Following his mother’s death, his relations with his father became strained going into adolescence. His father’s initial fears and worry quickly became overburdening, leading to Shoji advocating for and eventually leaving Osaka in order to pursue vocational education in Tokyo in the fields of computer engineering and business. While he still kept in touch with his father, visits had become fewer and fewer and Shoji found himself using his newfound freedom to pursue other avenues of interest, including martial arts for exercise and self-defense, calligraphy and arts, as well as a pursuit to learn Mandarin and South Korean while he was away. These pursuits would lead him to meet two other prominent figures in his life - his martial arts instructor Satsuma Akane, and his first significant girlfriend Kurosawa Katsumi. Additionally, Shoji would find his social circle rapidly expanding with his new freedom and his new pursuits. Despite this new workload in addition to his vocational studies, Shoji found that many things continued to come easily to him, his brain easily adapting and absorbing new information, allowing him to remain engaged and (more importantly) busy in his youth.
Shoji’s romantic involvement with Katsumi would later be described by both of them as a classic case of ‘right relationship, wrong time’. The two of them took to each other after sparring sessions at their local dojo and Shoji found the confidence in himself to invite her out for food on one fairly blustery afternoon. Lunch dates after their morning sessions became invitations to come over and eventually became a warm and comfortable romance between the two of them that would go on to last the next two years. Unfortunately, near the end of their adolescence, Katsumi would pursue higher level education at Kyoto University in the field of Law while Shoji made the decision to stay in Tokyo, where he would focus on networking and finding business opportunities related to his field. Their departure from one another included a very difficult and ultimately unsuccessful attempt at a long-distance relationship. While the two of them remain good friends to this day, they agree that until they both are more cemented in their fields, it’s best that they pursue their own paths.
A couple of years later, after Shoji’s twenty-first birthday, he and Katsumi had a reunion where they met up and discussed what each had missed in the others’ life while eating out at a cafe in Tokyo. During their reunion, there would be another significant Hollow attack - only the third or fourth that Shoji had heard of and the second that he had been part of in his lifetime. While both of them would eventually be saved by the efforts of a brave Shinigami, the attack left Katsumi significantly injured and requiring hospitalization for three months - over the course of which Shoji made a point to visit her regularly, dedicating at least an hour or two a day to visit. This attack would prove to be the major catalyst that Shoji needed to speak to his Father again, at length, about his mother’s past and what had happened exactly on that fateful day that he had nearly blocked out of his memory.
With new information about his mother’s origins and the Quincy, but no true starting point for himself, Shoji embarked on a journey to discover his own latent spiritual abilities as a mixed-blood Quincy. He would harness his spiritual ability and not only avenge his mother, but do whatever it took to ensure that others would not be affected by the rampage of the supernatural ever again.
