Akira Hinosai, née Luca Castabella (Vizard Hopeful TT)
Jan 26, 2023 23:46:23 GMT -5
Celes Castellanos, Ishikawa Seiji, and 4 more like this
Post by Akira Hinosai on Jan 26, 2023 23:46:23 GMT -5
☢ Opening ☢
Discord: ya girl Amphie
Passwords: Kitai's Debt, Sanctus Teamwork
Class/Rank: Class 8/Rank I
Squad: 12
Type: Spirited
☢ Basic Information ☢
Name: Akira Hinosai
Real Age/Age of Appearance: 20, 16
Birthday: 02/28
Blood Type: B-
RP Sample: Any Luca thread prior to this
☢ Appearance ☢
Height/Weight: 5'5"/120 lbs
Physical Description:
Luca is a short and fair skinned young man, somewhat androgynous in appearance. As of his rebirth, he has a lean, somewhat effete build. His body is largely devoid of visible fat or muscle. He is a head shorter than he previously was. Coupled with his physique he is neither lanky nor ungainly. He moves with agile and graceful steps. He has little body or facial hair to speak of. Before making his debut as a shinigami trainee and protege to Ken’ichi Shihoin, he had a number of alterations made to his appearance to throw the Vandenreich, and Central 46 off his trail.
He has fine, delicate facial features which makes him look younger than his years. This is in line with his cover identity as a rukongai born soul, slow to age. His “natural” hair color is black, though it is bleached blonde, falling to his shoulders in thick feathery tresses. His hair is somewhat floofy unless effort is taken to tie it back. He has wolfcut bangs. His eyes are large and expressive though they are an unexceptional foggy gray color. He might be described as boyishly handsome.
However, much of his appearance is malleable. As part of his new identity he very frequently makes use of makeup, color contacts, wigs and hair dyes to mix up his appearance whenever the mood strikes him. He most always wears some bright attention grabbing color contact, with a violet color being his go to choice for most occasions. He takes efforts to never been seen with his “natural” eyecolor.
His fashion sense is largely restricted by the shinigami dress code. Still, he finds ways to express himself despite the completely unreasonable restrictions placed on him. Many of his fingers have gothic rings. Silver, with morbid imagery. Death’s head symbols, crosses, and moons are all par for the course. On both wrists he has silver chain bracelets. He sometimes wears belted arm bands, and a studded leather choker or occult looking talismans.
His shihakusho is somewhat open, showing more of his chest than is considered tasteful, and both sleeves are removed. These modifications show off the long sleeve mesh top he wears under his uniform. His nails are painted black and he has numerous piercings, alternating between them as he sees fit. As a member of squad 12, he frequently wears a pair of retro-style motorcycle goggles, either over his eyes, around his neck, or on his forehead. Eye safety is important.
On missions to the human world where a gigai is to be used, Luca’s fashion is far less restricted. A common outfit is a sleeveless band tee, plaid button up and then a bomber jacket, distressed baggy jeans and black combat boots. Layers are removed as weather demands. Luca really misses being able to dress however he wanted. In spite of his otherwise flawless appearance, his fingers and palms are calloused from playing the guitar, and with swords. He also wears fingerless gloves for maximum grip and manual dexterity. They also look cool.
He has fine, delicate facial features which makes him look younger than his years. This is in line with his cover identity as a rukongai born soul, slow to age. His “natural” hair color is black, though it is bleached blonde, falling to his shoulders in thick feathery tresses. His hair is somewhat floofy unless effort is taken to tie it back. He has wolfcut bangs. His eyes are large and expressive though they are an unexceptional foggy gray color. He might be described as boyishly handsome.
However, much of his appearance is malleable. As part of his new identity he very frequently makes use of makeup, color contacts, wigs and hair dyes to mix up his appearance whenever the mood strikes him. He most always wears some bright attention grabbing color contact, with a violet color being his go to choice for most occasions. He takes efforts to never been seen with his “natural” eyecolor.
His fashion sense is largely restricted by the shinigami dress code. Still, he finds ways to express himself despite the completely unreasonable restrictions placed on him. Many of his fingers have gothic rings. Silver, with morbid imagery. Death’s head symbols, crosses, and moons are all par for the course. On both wrists he has silver chain bracelets. He sometimes wears belted arm bands, and a studded leather choker or occult looking talismans.
His shihakusho is somewhat open, showing more of his chest than is considered tasteful, and both sleeves are removed. These modifications show off the long sleeve mesh top he wears under his uniform. His nails are painted black and he has numerous piercings, alternating between them as he sees fit. As a member of squad 12, he frequently wears a pair of retro-style motorcycle goggles, either over his eyes, around his neck, or on his forehead. Eye safety is important.
On missions to the human world where a gigai is to be used, Luca’s fashion is far less restricted. A common outfit is a sleeveless band tee, plaid button up and then a bomber jacket, distressed baggy jeans and black combat boots. Layers are removed as weather demands. Luca really misses being able to dress however he wanted. In spite of his otherwise flawless appearance, his fingers and palms are calloused from playing the guitar, and with swords. He also wears fingerless gloves for maximum grip and manual dexterity. They also look cool.
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☢ Personality ☢
Dislikes:
Bright Lights: Luca is very sensitive to bright lights, and seeks to avoid contact with them whenever he can. This isn’t because he has darkvision or anything, he is just prone to sensory overload. As a human he managed this by being mostly nocturnal and wearing sunglasses whenever he could. He tries to keep these countermeasures as a shinigami as much as his duties allow. Fortunately, Squad 12 and the impossibly deep labyrinthine labs have been more than accommodating.The Powerless: “They’re the lowest scum imaginable. Like ants building a colony, blind to the unknowable gods who could eradicate them if they wanted.” Luca feels nothing but contempt for those without the ability or potential to shape reiatsu. He sees in them a terrifying notion of what he could have been if his mother wasn’t attacked by a hollow: insignificant. They’re slaves to fate, unable to fight or do anything that matters until they die. Luca finds that idea terrifying and rather than empathize with their position, he instead directs these feelings as hatred. There is also the matter of his feelings of isolation growing up. Even his own parents were incapable of seeing his worth, and Luca projects this on any powerless person he sees: blind, stupid, worthless.
Paperwork: The absolute worst part about being a shinigami. Paperwork: the bane of Luca’s existence. This should come as no surprise. After all, Luca became a superhero so he wouldn’t have to do homework. He doesn’t have the patience for being a desk jockey. All he can do as he stares at a stack of papers is pout and wish he was doing anything else. To the best of his ability, he shuns paperwork, putting it off as late as he can, and pawning it onto as many others as he can. Seriously, how can there be this many trees to cut down to make all this paper? Where does it all come from? Hell?
Being called Cute: “I am not cute, I’m DEADLY!” Luca was many things, but cute? Come on. He never had to worry about such insults to his pride before. After all, his old body was just sort of average. Not ugly, just…average. He stood out of a crowd, sure, but it wasn’t because he was the next coming of Bjorn Andresen or anything. Luca’s new body however…Let’s say he has some issues with how people see it. One might think that being seen as cute might be a good thing. That person would be dead wrong. He absolutely refuses to allow anyone to call him cute, like he’s some stupid kid, no matter how old he looks. The ONLY person he will allow to call him cute is Ken’ichi, and even then never in public.
Bad Endings: Ever since he was a kid, Luca felt deeply uncomfortable whenever a movie or book would end on a sour note. The unfairness of it. The finality, the powerlessness he had as an audience member. There were many unpleasant feelings it stirred within him. As someone who watched way too many movies and read way too many comic books, Luca views his life as a story. The idea it could just end on such a bad note with him failing in his goals gives him a kind of existential crisis.
Being Ignored: No blade cuts as deeply as the cold indifference of silence. This is one thing Luca absolutely can’t abide. It makes him feel like he’s a kid in school again not having his value recognized, and when he feels that way, he becomes consumed by rage. Even bad attention is better than no attention, and Luca is more than willing to provoke others if that’s what it takes. At times, this can backfire and blow up in his face
The Gotei 13: This might seem a bit odd, considering Luca is dating a shinigami, and is now a shinigami himself. Luca may act like he no longer cares about morals and principals, but on some level he remembers the horrible atrocities the soul society has committed. He keeps his mouth shut about this one, less he alienate Ken’ichi or draw too much attention to himself. In his heart, Luca is very much human. He will refuse to harm innocent mod souls, and his loyalties may be tested sooner rather than later
His Height: Beggars can’t be choosers, but why, WHY did Luca have to give up his greatest trait? Being tall lent so much credence to his overall aesthetic. He could lean down to face people, and make fun of them for being short. If this is some sort of cosmic joke, Luca is not laughing. On top of all the problems that come with assuming a new life, Luca has something of a Napoleon complex. His height is a sore subject for him, and he fears he won’t be taken seriously because of it.
Feeling Powerless: Luca’s new body is frail. Such raw unfettered power was replaced with the faint flicker of potential. He might have all his memories, but what good are they if his body is so weak? Luca knows he will struggle with basic things he never had to worry about as a powerful fullbringer. It’s agonizing to know you are capable of so much more, but to be betrayed by your own body. Luca uses this pain to push him ever farther. One day, he will never be powerless again.
The Vandenreich: A bunch of nazi assholes. Being discovered by the Vandenreich was the beginning of the end for Luca. He took pity on Aia, and this proved to be a grave mistake, one which he paid for with his life. He was too weak to bring himself to do what had to be done. That weakness will never stop him again . Luca has had enemies before, but none to which he was ideologically opposed. The Vandenreich is a cancer on the world that must be removed by any means necessary.
Likes:
Rock Music: Luca has had a fascination with music since he was a child. While he never stuck with learning a musical instrument, Luca retained his love of the art. Rock music stands above the rest as the shining pillar of awesomeness to Luca. Anything that makes him feel like kicking ass and gets his blood pumping with sick guitar riffs is good enough.
Reading: Luca’s guilty pleasure is pulpy science fiction and fantasy paperbacks from the 70s and 80s. There’s something so dreamlike and surreal about them that Luca connects with. He’s familiar with all the tropes and applies them to his view of the world and people in it. He preferred books to people as a child, and while that may have changed now that he’s in contact with people that have powers, he’s still an avid reader. He will never publicly admit to liking this stuff however. He claims to not be into that nerdy stuff despite everyone knowing better.
Learning: Luca has always seen himself as a sort of intrepid explorer, always pushing the boundaries of what is known.Even if he isn’t what people would call erudite, neglecting his studies for most of his time in school, he still delights in expanding his understanding of the world. His area of expertise may be narrow, but it runs deep.
Fighting: Luca was put on this world for one thing and one thing only: to kick total ass. After all, the ability to fight and partake in the long war in the spirit world is the only thing that matters. Everything else is just a distraction from that end. At times Luca can be almost single minded with his love of battle, neglecting his other needs or getting distracted daydreaming of battles he has yet to fight. The raw, unfettered high he gets from battle is better than any drug.
Ken’ichi Shihoin: Luca’s meeting with Ken’ichi changed the course of his life forever. There might have been some ups and downs, but Luca wouldn’t trade it for the world. Sure, Ken’ichi is clueless, painfully oblivious, and flamboyant…but that’s what Luca loves about him. Out of everything Luca discovered during his adventures, nothing was so precious as Ken'ichi. Luca found that after meeting him, life seemed dull without Ken'ichi in it. This is Luca's first love, and he loves deeply
Making new friends: Luca is an extrovert by nature. Despite his claims of being jaded and world-weary, he does really enjoy meeting new people, learning from them, and expanding his horizons. This isn’t to say he’s mushy about it. He keeps friends at arms length, and isn’t one to be overly nice or anything like that. Still to hear new stories, and more importantly to insert himself into the stories of others is a deep seated passion of his.
Fashion: You know the phrase “You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone?” That’s how Luca is with fashion. He sort of took the ability to freely express himself for granted and spent much of his adult life going with the “athleisure” look. Not that there’s anything wrong with tracksuits, mind you. He struggles to express himself through the draconian shinigami dress code and has a wide collection of accessories to make the uniform his own.
Gritty Action Movies: Unsurprisingly, Luca is quite a film buff. He has a particular weakness for the gritty blood filled romanticism of westerns and gangster films. As a young boy prone to escapism, he connected with the outsider narratives, and desperately wanted to make his own way in the world. Of course, sometimes the subtext of such films would escape him, such as when films showed the holes in these sunny interpretations of the lifestyle. Luca is prone to give out action movie one liners. He views himself like a cool protagonist in a horror movie, an underdog going up against unfathomable evils, like his personal hero RJ MacReady
Mecha Figurines: Chicks may dig giant robots, but that isn’t why Luca collects them. This is another smokescreen he has set up to further differentiate this new identity from the old Luca. Make no mistake, he always liked giant robots as a concept. Now, as a shinigami, such trinkets are hot collectors items. Possessing a collection of this nature isn’t a mark of shame, but a badge of honor. It proves you go to the human world so often you can afford to make pit stops to get gundam figures. Whether this is actually true is another matter entirely. For now Luca is oblivious as ever and will absolutely bring up his collection in casual conversation, hoping to win social currency.
The Masquerade: Luca takes great comfort in the veil of secrecy maintained by the spiritually aware races. It makes him feel special to be included in something so exclusive. Moreover, he doesn’t trust humanity with the knowledge of the soul cycle. He has a certain mistrust, bordering on misanthropy when it comes to his former race. He believes their knowledge would disrupt everything as they found some way to game the system and make hollow hunting a boring 9 to 5 job with laws and shit. Fortunately, that will never happen now that Luca is a shinigami, right?
Flaws:
Inferiority Complex: Despite his rockstar superhero persona, Luca sees himself as the perpetual underdog. He has an awful opinion of himself deep down, and desperately craves approval from those around him. His own parents gave up on him, he spent his adolescence without many friends to speak of besides the literal spirits of the dearly departed (and even those left him all the time) He grapples with his self worth and struggles to find a place in the world. He wants to be acknowledged like he never was in the human world. He is willing to do anything for validation of some kind, even if it means sabotaging relationships or doing grossly immoral acts.
Manchild: Luca didn’t grow up because he never had to grow up. While every child has outlandish wishes and desires at some point, it’s expected they grow out of them. Luca stubbornly refused and held onto his dreams. After all, he actually had superpowers, unlike the other kids who had to grapple with what was possible and what wasn’t. His isolated upbringing resulted in him entering karakura with the emotional intelligence of a bratty 12 year old. As he was beaten down by the world, he only doubled down on his childish and simplistic beliefs. Likewise he is prone to violent outbursts of anger if he feels upset, and has few ways to regulate his emotions besides blowing things up. He spent his upbringing being overlooked and mistreated by those around him. Now he seeks to make up for those years by living every day like it’s summer vacation.
Impulsive: Luca is ruled by his emotions, rather than the other way around. He isn’t one to think too much before taking action. This can lead him to making incredibly poor decisions on a whim simply because he didn’t bother to think of the potential consequences. This is best demonstrated in his fight with Ailene in which his desire to correct a perceived insult ended up waking up a sleeping dragon and nearly resulted in his death. He is so enticed by potential short term gains that he is ultimately blind to the bigger picture sometimes. At times these consequences can be disastrous for Luca and those around him. He certainly doesn’t want to hurt others, but he just can’t help himself.
Selfish: Luca isn’t one for grand ideals or moral codes. To some extent he has always been self interested. His goal is to have his greatness recognized by the world after being shunned for most of his life. While he feels empathy for others, at his core he is morally flexible and self-serving. When he spared Aia, he may have felt a degree of pity for her. He may have been uncomfortable with the idea of killing a girl, but his main reason was ingratiating himself to Kazura Uzaki. When it blew up in his face, the lesson he took from it was that in the future he shouldn’t extend mercy and empathy to those who don’t deserve it. After making some big mistake because he failed to consider the consequences, he does feel bad, but at the end of the day he is going to keep going down this path. He views himself as the perpetual underdog who stands separate from others, lacking some intrinsic trait that others were freely given. He is completely ok with taking what he feels he is owed, using whatever methods will result in this end.
Stubborn: Luca is often too proud to admit he’s wrong until it’s far too late. When faced with defeat, he doesn’t reexamine his beliefs, he doubles down. He wants to be the best, and nothing can stop him. As long as he draws breath, he will try and grasp for more power. Even despite all the brushes with death he has had, he remains undeterred from his goal. Any lesser man may have given up, but not Luca. He’s determined even if it means he dies. It already has, considering he is a soul and not a human. Still, he refuses to stop in his quest to become the strongest.
Closed off: Few people know the real Luca. Even Luca isn’t sure who the real Luca is. Sure, he can be charming and make friends, but he finds it difficult to be vulnerable around others. He is closed off from even himself, as he pushes down thoughts and emotions he’d rather not feel. This causes Luca to feel more alone, as at his center there is a black hole. The only thing Luca knows for sure about himself is that he wants to matter, and to do this he needs more power. He doesn’t know who he is, and neither do those around him. This can make it difficult to stop his downward spirals as he struggles to prove himself, resulting to whatever underhanded means get the job done.
Manchild: Luca didn’t grow up because he never had to grow up. While every child has outlandish wishes and desires at some point, it’s expected they grow out of them. Luca stubbornly refused and held onto his dreams. After all, he actually had superpowers, unlike the other kids who had to grapple with what was possible and what wasn’t. His isolated upbringing resulted in him entering karakura with the emotional intelligence of a bratty 12 year old. As he was beaten down by the world, he only doubled down on his childish and simplistic beliefs. Likewise he is prone to violent outbursts of anger if he feels upset, and has few ways to regulate his emotions besides blowing things up. He spent his upbringing being overlooked and mistreated by those around him. Now he seeks to make up for those years by living every day like it’s summer vacation.
Impulsive: Luca is ruled by his emotions, rather than the other way around. He isn’t one to think too much before taking action. This can lead him to making incredibly poor decisions on a whim simply because he didn’t bother to think of the potential consequences. This is best demonstrated in his fight with Ailene in which his desire to correct a perceived insult ended up waking up a sleeping dragon and nearly resulted in his death. He is so enticed by potential short term gains that he is ultimately blind to the bigger picture sometimes. At times these consequences can be disastrous for Luca and those around him. He certainly doesn’t want to hurt others, but he just can’t help himself.
Selfish: Luca isn’t one for grand ideals or moral codes. To some extent he has always been self interested. His goal is to have his greatness recognized by the world after being shunned for most of his life. While he feels empathy for others, at his core he is morally flexible and self-serving. When he spared Aia, he may have felt a degree of pity for her. He may have been uncomfortable with the idea of killing a girl, but his main reason was ingratiating himself to Kazura Uzaki. When it blew up in his face, the lesson he took from it was that in the future he shouldn’t extend mercy and empathy to those who don’t deserve it. After making some big mistake because he failed to consider the consequences, he does feel bad, but at the end of the day he is going to keep going down this path. He views himself as the perpetual underdog who stands separate from others, lacking some intrinsic trait that others were freely given. He is completely ok with taking what he feels he is owed, using whatever methods will result in this end.
Stubborn: Luca is often too proud to admit he’s wrong until it’s far too late. When faced with defeat, he doesn’t reexamine his beliefs, he doubles down. He wants to be the best, and nothing can stop him. As long as he draws breath, he will try and grasp for more power. Even despite all the brushes with death he has had, he remains undeterred from his goal. Any lesser man may have given up, but not Luca. He’s determined even if it means he dies. It already has, considering he is a soul and not a human. Still, he refuses to stop in his quest to become the strongest.
Closed off: Few people know the real Luca. Even Luca isn’t sure who the real Luca is. Sure, he can be charming and make friends, but he finds it difficult to be vulnerable around others. He is closed off from even himself, as he pushes down thoughts and emotions he’d rather not feel. This causes Luca to feel more alone, as at his center there is a black hole. The only thing Luca knows for sure about himself is that he wants to matter, and to do this he needs more power. He doesn’t know who he is, and neither do those around him. This can make it difficult to stop his downward spirals as he struggles to prove himself, resulting to whatever underhanded means get the job done.
Habits:
Swearing: To put it diplomatically, Luca experiences the world vividly. He doesn’t get very mad. He gets fucking furious. He doesn’t feel pleasantly surprised. He feels abso-fucking-lutely hyped To put it plainly, Luca swears like a sailor. As part of his whole “bad boy” aesthetic, he seldom finishes a sentence without some expletive or other. He doesn’t really know how to express himself without excessive profanity, and so he seldom tries to.
Pommel as an armrest: Some shinigami wear their sheaths on their backs. Others go for the hip. Luca is team hip all the way. Hip firing to the max, baby. Luca is often seen resting his palm or forearm on the pommel of his zanpakuto. Being reminded of the presence of his blade at all times serves as a source of comfort for Luca. it also serves as an answer to the age old question “WHAT DO I DO WITH MY HANDS?” It also makes Luca feel like a cool noble with a rapier in the renaissance days.
Flexing the fingers of his sword hand: Luca’s not traumatized at all. Still, it’s a nervous tick of his to always be ready for combat. When he feels nervous it is a source of some comfort to know that his hand muscles are ready to grip the sword that he is always touching. After all, it wouldn’t do to get jumped simply because his fingers were numb and not ready to grip his zanpakuto for dear life.
Breaking shit: Luca's not great at building things. However he is excellent at tearing them down. There is such a powerful catharsis in the art of destruction. Slicing things with his sword, punching things, stuff like that. When Luca gets really mad, this helps him calm down. Burning shit, bashing shit, cutting shit. Really just breaking shit in general. Luca’s a bit of a renaissance man of destruction. Everyone deals with stress differently. This has got to be healthier than bottling all that shit up.
Theatrics: In another life, Luca was a thespian. Then again, he’s a thespian in this life too, but that’s not important. Somewhere within Luca is the most obnoxious theater kid imaginable. He’s prone to cool hand gestures, poses, and over the top flowery language. In classic Luca fashion Luca believes this makes him look cool. In reality…Not so much. Still considering he learned his social skills from old movies, it could have been far worse!
Checking his reflection: Another smokescreen, or at least that’s what he tells himself. Luca always carries a compact mirror to make sure his makeup and presentation is flawless. Even knowing what a compact mirror is deducts points from his masculinity, sure, but being a secret agent is all about making compromises. His makeup can mean the difference between life and death when he’s pretending to be a completely different person. Besides, the old Luca didn’t even bathe but once a week. Surely this person couldn’t be Luca! Right? Besides, it isn't as though he cares about his appearance now or anything. That would be stupid!
Fears:
Losing himself: Luca Castabella is dead. That’s what everyone believes, and it’s what everyone must keep believing. Now Luca must assume a new life, a new face, and a new identity He’s done all that before, but it hits far differently when there is no real identity for him to return to. Now, Luca must lie and manipulate those around him every day, so that his plot with Ken’ichi isn’t discovered. Every day he risks losing sight of his real purpose, and why he even does any of this. He finds that idea deeply terrifying and struggles to reconcile who he was and who he is becoming. Losing Ken’ichi: Out of anyone he’s ever met, none have come so close as Ken’ichi Shihoin. While the two may have realized their feelings for eachother, that isn’t the end of the story. Having never really been in such a relationship before, Luca is incredibly clingy and needy. He views this as justified considering all he gave up to be with Ken’ichi. To get dumped now would be the ultimate betrayal. Worse than that, it would make Luca look like a total idiot! Of course, Ken’ichi being oblivious and insensitive as he is is bound to cause all sorts of wacky hijinks. In more serious terms, Luca has serious issues with abandonment. When he befriended a group of pluses as a child, they were one by one taken from him. Luca fears the same thing will happen to those he holds dear.
Being Discovered: Luca is playing a dangerous game. If his nature as a vizard is discovered, he will have nowhere left to run except Los Noches. Even that isn't a sure bet. Not only that, if the Vandenreich discovers his death was faked, they will do everything in their power to make it real.Even the denizens of hell want to claim him. He has cheated death many times, but no one cheats it forever. Luca knows better than anyone that he is walking a knife’s edge. If he falls again, he may not get back up again. No one cheats death forever. No one hides who they really are forever. Luca lives as a fugitive fearing capture. The idea of being made to answer for his actions unnerves Luca.
Goals:
Regain all that he’s lost: He may not regret faking his death. After all, it saved UE and allowed him to do what really mattered to him: being with Ken’ichi. Of course, as a side effect he lost all of his progress on the path to power. He is effectively back at square one. While this makes it far easier to maintain his cover, and he now has the potential for far greater power, he is anxious to become as strong as he can as fast as he can. He imagines people who knew Luca seeing him now as a weakling and fear of that embarrassment fuels him to strive ever higher.
Become worthy of Ken’ichi’s hand: Luca isn’t one for long term planning, least of all in romance. Marriage is untold years away, if things go that far. Even so, there’s just one lingering fear in Luca's mind. Ken’ichi is a scion of the house of Shihoin, the Kenaki, genius scientist, and Lieutenant of Squad 12. He is one of the most powerful men in Soul Society. Luca is just some kid from California whose mom almost got splatted by a hollow while she was pregnant. Ken’ichi has a story, and Luca doesn’t. Still, Luca wants to win fame and glory with his new identity so that maybe someday he can stand as Ken’ichi’s equal. From there, Luca hopes that they can do whatever they want, whenever they want. No one will be able to stop them.
Experience everything the Shinigami have to offer: Luca is determined to make the most out of his situation. So many people experience so little of the universe. Luca was a superhero, and now he’s a nigh immortal ghost samurai. So many secrets to unlock, from kido to hakuda. Not to mention his latent zanpakuto spirit and his now supercharged inner hollow. Luca still has some of the childlike wonder at learning and seeing new things. His new position will provide him with wonders and terrors beyond imagining, and that is awesome in Luca’s mind. The Soul Society is his playground, and he's going to explore it to his hearts content.
Actually learn how to play the guitar: Not all of Luca’s goals are matters of life and death. In the subtle art of assuming a new identity, it can help to pick up new skills your old self never had. It makes your cover more believable. Luca never had any musical talent to speak of. Sure,he played the guitar a little bit when he was 10, but now he’s actually going to learn. Even if it isn’t high priority, Luca would like to be better. After all, how cool would a rockstar shinigami be? Very cool. That’s how cool.
Become worthy of Ken’ichi’s hand: Luca isn’t one for long term planning, least of all in romance. Marriage is untold years away, if things go that far. Even so, there’s just one lingering fear in Luca's mind. Ken’ichi is a scion of the house of Shihoin, the Kenaki, genius scientist, and Lieutenant of Squad 12. He is one of the most powerful men in Soul Society. Luca is just some kid from California whose mom almost got splatted by a hollow while she was pregnant. Ken’ichi has a story, and Luca doesn’t. Still, Luca wants to win fame and glory with his new identity so that maybe someday he can stand as Ken’ichi’s equal. From there, Luca hopes that they can do whatever they want, whenever they want. No one will be able to stop them.
Experience everything the Shinigami have to offer: Luca is determined to make the most out of his situation. So many people experience so little of the universe. Luca was a superhero, and now he’s a nigh immortal ghost samurai. So many secrets to unlock, from kido to hakuda. Not to mention his latent zanpakuto spirit and his now supercharged inner hollow. Luca still has some of the childlike wonder at learning and seeing new things. His new position will provide him with wonders and terrors beyond imagining, and that is awesome in Luca’s mind. The Soul Society is his playground, and he's going to explore it to his hearts content.
Actually learn how to play the guitar: Not all of Luca’s goals are matters of life and death. In the subtle art of assuming a new identity, it can help to pick up new skills your old self never had. It makes your cover more believable. Luca never had any musical talent to speak of. Sure,he played the guitar a little bit when he was 10, but now he’s actually going to learn. Even if it isn’t high priority, Luca would like to be better. After all, how cool would a rockstar shinigami be? Very cool. That’s how cool.
Alignment: True Neutral, leaning Neutral Evil
Overall Personality:
To the outside observer, the man once known as Luca Castabella appears to be a prodigious, but immature shinigami. He is a rare talent, proving to be a quick study. This combined with the patronage he has received from the Shihoin family have given him quite the ego. Akira is often seen as self-absorbed, vapid, and hotheaded. He has a hard time putting others before himself, and is sometimes cruel without meaning to be. Despite his placement in Squad 12, he isn’t much of a scholar. Instead he seeks to master the art of zanjutsu under Lieutenant Ken’ichi Shihoin. He seeks to prove himself to his mentor, often seeking out adventure if it makes him seem cooler.
While he can be a dedicated student, much of his attention goes to things he finds fun. If an aspect of his duty doesn’t strike him as exciting, he will refuse to do it as often as he can. He is not above leveraging his position to make others do paperwork, for example. Luca in general isn’t one who cares much for rules. He’s more than willing to cut corners if it suits him. He was absolutely that student selling human world contraband in his academy days. Emotionally, he is stuck at 12 years old. He isn’t one to accept responsibility easily and is prone to making all kinds of excuses for his shortcomings.
Again, this is what Luca is to the outside observer. It’s a front, a smokescreen to keep Luca’s true identity as an inter-realm fugitive and vizard abomination. Beneath the performance, Luca retains his memories from his old life. Far from growing bitter that he lost everything, he is instead choosing to revel in this new role. He’s making up for his years in the human world by doing everything he never got to do while growing up. In a sense, he is living out his childhood dream at long last. His powers are acknowledged and he can just live as himself at all times. Everyone around him has powers like he does so he doesn’t have to hide who he is. With the confidence he has from Ken’ichi and his inner hollow, he is more comfortable expressing himself through his fashion and engaging with his dorky interests.
Therein lies the eternal contradiction. Luca hasn’t gained some deeper understanding about himself. He’s instead hidden deeper behind masks and personas. He isn’t “free” to be himself. He has a new name. He has a new body, completely unrecognizable from the old one. His true identity and past must always be kept secret. His nature as a vizard can never be disclosed with anyone. The slate has been wiped clean. The version of himself Luca has become is without the human frailty and weakness that Luca resents in himself.
By “freeing” himself, he’s become more restrained than ever. Deep down, Luca loathes himself. He hates who he was, he hates who he is, but he doesn’t interact with these feelings in a healthy way. He killed his past rather than face it. Now he’s free to author a new first chapter. The lanky kid from California who liked to dream big is dead. He may as well have never existed. Now Luca’s past can be as exciting as his future. He was never bullied and ignored by those around him. He never had parents to stifle him and hold him back. Akira can be the troubled ethereal pretty boy who dresses however he wants (within uniform regulations) who isn’t afraid to stand out, and comes home at night to his dreamy mysterious lover.
Luca is someone with a flexible code of ethics. He is forgiving of the worst crimes, unless they apply to him personally. He doesn’t like killing people unless they are faceless monsters. At times he seems to be motivated by “not making himself feel bad” as opposed to any strongly held moral code. He loathes the shinigami’s genocides, but can look past those who are complicit in this regime simply because he wants to. He knows his lover Ken’ichi has, in the past, murdered children when ordered to do so. Luca doesn’t seem too bothered by this, and forgives him. It’s hard to say for sure what he believes in. Still, there is something to be said for his belief in others. Luca wants to see the best in people not because it’s what they deserve, but because it’s what they need. This remains true even if he doesn’t understand it. Misplaced or not, Luca gives compassion because he has compassion to give.
Luca doesn’t really know who he is. He’s put up so many walls and assumed so many roles that it’s hard to tell what he really has when they’re stripped away. He represses things he’d rather not feel. He doesn’t understand why he does things. He acts without thinking, or he acts in service of his simplistic and childish goals. Luca is someone defined by the power he wields. The only thing he knows for sure about himself is that he wants to be extraordinary, and if he must be ordinary, he may as well be dead. Luca doesn't want to live if he cannot be special. Luca is forever the intrepid adventurer, chasing a treasure that is forever just over the horizon. Just a little further, and he'll get it. Except he never does. He never will.
Luca is, at his core, a scared and emotionally stunted child. He grapples with ideas of self worth and the nature of his existence. He desperately wants approval and love from those around him, but is unable to open up and really connect with people. Even now that he’s rid himself of weakness, he is genuinely devoted to his patron and lover Ken’ichi. Luca shows a softer side of himself to his boyfriend, and is unwaveringly loyal, supportive and devoted to him. Of course, he is prone to show his affection in inappropriate ways, delving into risky behavior if it helps the Shihoin’s interests or gets Ken'ichi's attention. Even now that Luca seems to be going down a dark path, he isn’t entirely closed off from others or from who he used to be.
Luca is temperamental and high strung, prone to extreme displays of emotion depending on what provokes him. He is deeply sensitive, and lacks social skills. This can make him seem abrasive and snarky even when he doesn’t mean to be. Of course, he is abrasive and snarky, make no mistake, but still. He has a hard time saying what he feels in any given situation. He is a personality of extremes and contradictions. He is sensitive, and he is tough as nails. He wants to connect with others but has a hard time letting them close. He is cruel and he is kind.
☢ Powers ☢
Fighting Style:
Luca’s fighting style is in a state of flux. Many of his old strategies simply aren’t compatible with his new body. Willpower? Gone. Combat Cutback? Nope. Dragon? Nada. Even soul command is lost to him. However,Luca attempts to learn and follow the shinigami combat doctrine. As Ken’ichi’s protege, Luca has a more regimented and concrete understanding of melee. The end result is a more disciplined fighting style. It is a far cry from the brute strength and paltry tricks he relied on as a fullbringer.
This isn’t to say it’s a seamless transition, however. Luca sometimes forgets he isn’t in his old body and overestimates his strength. Being somewhat of a hothead, he can also lose his temper and throw away strategic advantages to face the enemy head on. Luca sometimes struggles to adapt to no longer having soul command and other former staples of his fighting style. Still, he is adaptable, even if he makes mistakes sometimes.
As a fullbringer, Luca could find it difficult to manipulate reiatsu unless it was in broad strokes. He could step like nobody’s business, but when it came to the more technical aspects of reiatsu, he struggled. Luca seeks to rectify this by acquiring an encyclopedic knowledge of kido, as he has no release to count on at the moment. Luca hopes to use his knowledge of kido and bakudo to remain an unpredictable and adaptable fighter who is hard to pin down.
Luca’s strength in his new body is middling at best, but coupled with his sleight build, he aims to land a barrage of attacks rather than a single haymaker. Luca takes advantage of his speed in melee by launching attacks after his enemies overextend themselves trying to land a hit. Luca is reliant on getting into a rhythm in melee as a result of his more standardized training. This can leave Luca prone to being disoriented if he is hit and his attacks interrupted.
Luca retains his ability to think on his feet and come up with new strategies on the fly. He is capable of learning potential weaknesses of his opponents through limited information and acting on it to great effect. His powers of observation and quick-thinking can certainly make up for his lack of strength, as it can make him a very tricky foe to beat. Luca is also skilled at performing sneak attacks and using the environment to his advantage. If his stamina fails him, he can attempt to hide and regain his composure or come up with a new strategy.
Even if he lacks the raw power he had at his height, Luca remembers all the lessons he’s learned. This experience serves as the bedrock of his new fighting style. For example, he has learned to never hold back. Once Luca feared hurting or even killing those around him. This new Luca has no such compulsions. While he isn’t looking for people to kill, he understands that he will be made to kill and is absolutely willing to.
Luca tries to use his speed to sway back from his opponents, effectively “kiting” them. This allows him to lead them into traps or keep them off balance. However, Luca is especially vulnerable to situations where his speed is negated. If he is grappled, speed no longer matters, and Luca will struggle to adjust his strategy before he is too damaged. Still, Luca is a dogged fighter who can force himself to keep going despite grievous injuries.
Luca’s new body and position in Squad 12 makes it easy for foes to underestimate him. Luca tries to use this to his advantage by using their preconceived notions against them. Those who underestimate Luca should do so at their own peril as he is a technical opponent capable of adapting with the flow of combat.
Zanpakuto Spirit Appearance(Optional): Mikaboshi takes the form of a robotic humanoid. It is an imposing figure clad in violet crystalline armor. It has two green eyes, but an otherwise featureless face. Altogether its appearance isn’t unlike that of a mecha. A decepticon that never was. It has two large geometric claws with a pixelated gradient over them. It speaks as though it were communicating through an old radio, with a static effect.
{Mikaboshi}
As Luca's understanding of his Zanpakuto grows, Mikaboshi's form shifts to reflect the greater ability to manipulate these primal forces. When Luca achieves Bankai, Mikaboshi sheds its armor plating taking a much more humanoid form. At this stage, Amatsu Mikaboshi appears as a young man around Luca's age with snow white hair and slate grey skin. His horns and glowing eyes make him resemble a cross between a drow and a devil. What armor from his previous form remains seems to float around him. Even so he is mostly unarmored. His arms are encased in primamateria, making them appear much bigger, ending in large glowing red claws. While posessing an attractive face with sharp features, Mikaboshi's face almost seems to be locked in a cold sneer of unquestioned superiority. It does not walk, but floats around Luca's inner world. Likewise, the static baratone of its robotic form gives way to a more youthful and clear voice.
In this form it is surrounded by an oppressive red aura of gasseous prima materia which it can command to attack any who get too close, namely Luca.
{Amatsu Mikaboshi}
Inner Hollow Appearance: In line with Mikaboshi, Eavesdropper, or “Eve” is an artificial humanoid. Its main difference is that instead of resembling a mecha, it resembles a life-sized porcelain doll. It has onyx black eyes, and short red hair. It has visible ball joints on its shoulders, and clear lines of articulation wherever a doll would have those. It doesn’t wear clothes, as it has a featureless sexless body. It is cracked in numerous places. Its movements are stilted and unnatural, though this shouldn’t be confused for a lack of coordination. Unlike most vizards, Luca already has a working relationship with his inner vizard. While initially cold and calculating, seeking to manipulate Luca into letting them take control, they have since mellowed out and decided to bide their time. Having access to all of Luca’s memories, what they know of the world is filtered through Luca’s eyes. Still, they are a distinct personality almost opposite to Luca, advising caution and patience. More than anything, Eve wants to experience the world on her own terms, no longer being an eavesdropper. She cares for Luca, in her own way, but knows that they will eventually fight, and she intends to win. She tries not to think about that, and takes a sort of “big sister” role to Luca, trying to keep him out of trouble and providing wry commentary.
{Eve the Inner Hollow, formerly nameless}
Inner World(Optional):[/b] Luca’s inner world takes the form of several disparate chunks of earth floating in space. It is in the middle of a nebula, somehow lit from below giving the entire place a dark alien vibe. These “islands are without any plant life, and are frequently struck by bolts of red lightning. Beyond them are smaller rocks.These reddish-brown islands have no sign of plant life. Islands are created and destroyed all the time. At the deepest point in the Inner World, there is the largest island. On it, a single grey tower is visible from anywhere in the inner world. There is fire from atop the fire, almost like a lighthouse of sorts. It is clearly old, but solid and unwavering. Inside there are a number of stairs leading to nowhere, and in the middle of the tower is a brutalist throne made of fused oily black stone. This is where Luca’s zanpakuto (and occasionally inner hollow) sit.
Mask Appearance: Luca’s mask as a proper vizard is an evolution of the gas mask he had as a fullbringer. When hollowfied, Luca’s mask is a featureless matte grey cyberpunk face-covering of sorts. Rather than having eye holes or a mouth, Luca’s mask has vague shapes of different color and intensity appear in the masks display to represent his emotions. One would think this would obscure Luca’s vision, but in reality it doesn’t.
{Mask ref}
Zanpakuto Appearances: In its sealed state, Luca's zanpakuto is a relatively conventional japanese blade. It best resembles a Ninjato.19 inches in length with a hilt that can be effectively wielded with one or two hands. Its main distinguishing features is its minimalistic and modern aesthetic. Towards the hand guard it has a fuller incised all the way through. The blade itself is matte grey, save for the white tempered edge. The blade is straight, unlike a katana, possessing a simple single edged shape. The hilt has a black rubber handgrip, further enforcing the brutalist aesthetic of the blade. The handguard is simple and rectangular, with the same dull steel color of the blade proper. The only flare added to this blade is the two ribbons through the pommel. One flies the standard of house Shihoin, the other shows the thistle of squad 12. These ribbons are purely decorational and may be removed if needs be.
Zanpakuto Release Names(Include both Shikai and Bankai names, and call out phrases): Remake the world, Mikaboshi! Usurp the Heavens Amatsu Mikaboshi
Overall Ability:
Mikaboshi's ability is centered around the creation and manipulation of primordial chaos. By focusing on an object, Luca can strip away all its defining characteristics, turning it into “Prima Materia”: The First Element. Prima Materia can best be understood as the base form and precursor of all matter. It is essentially “nothing”, and therein lies its power. Because it is “nothing” it can become anything. Physically, Prima Materia as created by this release is a translucent, chromatic, gel-like liquid in which all colors swirl inside it.
As previously mentioned, it can become “anything” This is achieved through Luca’s spiritual connection to the mass of prima materia that he creates. It is an extension of his zanpakuto and he may achieve a sort of soul command. He may impart properties onto the Prima Materia and use it to achieve anything he might like. He can draw it towards him, and give it rigidity and durability as to shield from an attack. Just the same he can increase his range by creating a wave of prima-materia shrapnel to rain down on his opponent. While the applications for this power are many, they are not unlimited. Once Luca gives a unit of Prima Materia any property, it is “stuck” He cannot use a unit of it intwo a sword but then turn that sword into a robot.
This isn't to say it can only be used once. If Luca were to create a wall of prima materia, it can be used until it is shattered, it just can't be made into something else. In its purest form, Luca's manipulation is raw and untempered. It lacks much of the fine manipulation needed to create something with many moving parts. Luca can only create ten gallons of prima materia per post. Luca creates Prima Materia by using his zanpakuto to strip away all defining characteristics of an object, returning it to the state of Prima Materia. He does this by slicing the object he wishes to destoy. He destroys objects in incriments of 1 cubic foot. 1 cubic foot creates one gallon of prima materia which he can then use as a base resource for his assorted techniques. One unit of prima materia equals one gallon of prima materia. The two can be used interchangeably.It costs 50 reiatsu per gallon and he may only create up to 10 gallons per post.
Shikai Overall Ability: In Shikai, Luca's ability to create and manipulate Prima Materia is potent and refined. He may swirl it around him in a wave as a passive way to protect against attacks without even assigning new form to it. The durability of his prima materia scales with his OS. Prima Materia structures Luca creates are considered "infused" with it. Thus, any hit they land on an enemy implants more and more prima materia. This lies innert in their system until Luca sees fit to shape it. Given the trace amounts that actually make it into his enemies body with every hit, this isn't very much. He can't destroy them by having a tree grow inside them. He can however cause the prima materia to harden or he may recall it, pulling it out like a reverse ballistics test.
Bankai Overall Ability: [Insert Here]
Zanpakuto Techniques:
{Heavenly Armory}Technique Name: Heavenly Armory
Technique Class: [Class of the technique, followed by TTP cost. Insert here.]
Technique Type: [Shikai/Bankai: Single/Multi target attack]
Technique Element: [The soul of all elements]
Technique Cost: [50-150 reiatsu for 1-3 prima materia counters.]
Description: [The first and most straightforward application of Mikaboshi's talents is the creation of weapons. Anything too complex to be raw prima materia but too simple to be machinery applies here. Luca can create and manipulate these weapons telepathically. In regards to these, his skill with them is skilled off of Weapon Skill: Prima Materia as all forms prima materia can take are part of his release. At any given time, Luca can telepathically control up to 8 weapons, including his zanpakuto itself. Being extensions of his zanpakuto and controlled by Luca's immense spirit, these blades use Luca's OS to determine cutting power. These weapons are also weightless. However, any weapon can only be controlled if Luca is within 50 feet on it. If Luca is knocked out of this range, his blades will clatter to the ground.
1 unit of prima materia creates one small sized weapon. 2 creates a medium weapon or multiple smaller weapons. 3 creates a large weapon or multiple medium weapons.
For reference: An example of a small weapon would be a tanto. A medium weapon would be a katana. A large weapon would be an odachi.
Technique Class: [Class of the technique, followed by TTP cost. Insert here.]
Technique Type: [Shikai/Bankai: Single/Multi target attack]
Technique Element: [The soul of all elements]
Technique Cost: [50-150 reiatsu for 1-3 prima materia counters.]
Description: [The first and most straightforward application of Mikaboshi's talents is the creation of weapons. Anything too complex to be raw prima materia but too simple to be machinery applies here. Luca can create and manipulate these weapons telepathically. In regards to these, his skill with them is skilled off of Weapon Skill: Prima Materia as all forms prima materia can take are part of his release. At any given time, Luca can telepathically control up to 8 weapons, including his zanpakuto itself. Being extensions of his zanpakuto and controlled by Luca's immense spirit, these blades use Luca's OS to determine cutting power. These weapons are also weightless. However, any weapon can only be controlled if Luca is within 50 feet on it. If Luca is knocked out of this range, his blades will clatter to the ground.
1 unit of prima materia creates one small sized weapon. 2 creates a medium weapon or multiple smaller weapons. 3 creates a large weapon or multiple medium weapons.
For reference: An example of a small weapon would be a tanto. A medium weapon would be a katana. A large weapon would be an odachi.
Controled weapons move at a speed of 600. This extends to projectile weapons, as even the projectile is part of Luca's release. If he creates a bow, he can change the arrow's trajectory mid-air as even the arrow is part of his release. Luca can slot in small amounts of Prima Materia to create new ammunition for ranged weapons. As extensions of his zanpakuto Luca may use these weapons to fulfill the requirement of slashing an object to destroy it to fuel his release. However, as the connection to his zanpakuto becomes more conveluted, this process is less efficient. Slicing an object with one of these weapons destroys 1 cubit feet at a speed of 400 rather than the instantaneous speed of Luca's zanpakuto proper. This means opponents may interrupt creation of prima materia through clashing with the blades before the object is destroyed. ]
{Water of Life}Technique Name: Water of Life
Technique Type: [Shikai]
Technique Element: [The soul of all elements]
Technique Cost: [50-200 reiatsu for 1-4 prima materia counters.]
Description: Prima Materia contains the potential for all forms of matter, even organic matter. As such, Luca can perform healing miracles on himself. He may even use this ability to heal himself by slotting in prima materia into the afflicted area. This closes wounds by having the prima materia become whatever it needs to be in order to set the body back to the way it should be. However, in Shikai, this is limited to just setting broken bones, mending torn flesh, and stopping internal bleeding. He cannot replace organs if they suffer enough damage. The cost of the technique depends on the severity of the damage can only affect one part of the body at a time. If Luca has a cut on his chest, healing it will not fix his broken arm. He will have to spend another unit of prima materia to do that. The cost of the technique depends on the severity of the damage. 1 unit of prima materia can heal cuts, set a broken bone and ease muscle strain. 2 can stop internal bleeding. 4 can regrow a limb or an organ entirely.
In bankai, this technique extends further allowing Luca to regrow organs, and limbs. Likewise, the prima materia doesn't immediately go inert when his release ends. Instead, it slowly rots away causing Luca's body to slowly fall apart but giving him time to seek advanced medical attention before immediately dying. However he is largely unable to fight in this state.]
Technique Type: [Shikai]
Technique Element: [The soul of all elements]
Technique Cost: [50-200 reiatsu for 1-4 prima materia counters.]
Description: Prima Materia contains the potential for all forms of matter, even organic matter. As such, Luca can perform healing miracles on himself. He may even use this ability to heal himself by slotting in prima materia into the afflicted area. This closes wounds by having the prima materia become whatever it needs to be in order to set the body back to the way it should be. However, in Shikai, this is limited to just setting broken bones, mending torn flesh, and stopping internal bleeding. He cannot replace organs if they suffer enough damage. The cost of the technique depends on the severity of the damage can only affect one part of the body at a time. If Luca has a cut on his chest, healing it will not fix his broken arm. He will have to spend another unit of prima materia to do that. The cost of the technique depends on the severity of the damage. 1 unit of prima materia can heal cuts, set a broken bone and ease muscle strain. 2 can stop internal bleeding. 4 can regrow a limb or an organ entirely.
It should be noted that this technique is more of a quick-fix than true healing. Parts of Luca's body that are patched up with prima materia are more suceptible to strain. Use of techniques that tax parts of the body currently healed by prima materia. After 5 posts of strain, the prima materia used in that part of the body returns to an inert state and seeps out of the wound like blood. This 5 post of strenuous usage timer can be shortened by further damage being applied by an enemy. Damage delt to these areas can effectively count as a post of strain, and if enough damage is done, the old wounds reopen along with any new wounds from the damage dealt.
Also unlike true healing, Luca's prima materia becomes inert and disappears when his release ends for whatever reason. This means he still has to pay for healing. Likewise, if he relies too heavily on this technique his body will be far worse off and he may enter critical condition as all of his wounds reopen. Given his self destructive nature, this usage can be as dangerous to Luca as his enemy.
In bankai, this technique extends further allowing Luca to regrow organs, and limbs. Likewise, the prima materia doesn't immediately go inert when his release ends. Instead, it slowly rots away causing Luca's body to slowly fall apart but giving him time to seek advanced medical attention before immediately dying. However he is largely unable to fight in this state.]
{Stella Signata}Technique Name: Stella Signata
Technique Type: [Shikai/Bankai]
Technique Element: [The soul of all elements]
Technique Cost: [200-400 reiatsu for 4-8 prima materia counters.]
Description: Likewise, Prima Materia can also create complex webs of circuitry and steel. From nanobots, to drones, to battle droids, this technique has immense versatility. Like when creating weapons, these machines are classed into 3 categories. Small, medium, and large. The last only being accessible during bakai. An example of a small summon would be a drone or nanobot. A medium would be a humanoid battledroid. a large would be a reasonably sized mech.
4 prima materia can create 1 medium size machine or multiple smaller size machines. 8 Prima materia can create a large machine or several medium machines.
The durability of these robots scales off of Luca's OS
These machine summons are not truly sentient. Upon creation, Luca can give them a command which they must fulfill as best as they are able. However, these commands must be simple and direct. No multistep instructions. No contingencies.This means Luca must choose his words very carefully, as he only has one shot to direct them. If the opponent is clever enough, they can use the rigidity of these summons against them.
Small machines have an untyped sp of 300
Medium Machines have an untyped sp of 600
Large Machines have an untyped sp of 1000
The stats for summons are based on their size. Flexibility with these stat totals can represent the versatility Luca has with this technique.
Drawbacks: [cost, inability to reuse prima materia counters.]
Technique Type: [Shikai/Bankai]
Technique Element: [The soul of all elements]
Technique Cost: [200-400 reiatsu for 4-8 prima materia counters.]
Description: Likewise, Prima Materia can also create complex webs of circuitry and steel. From nanobots, to drones, to battle droids, this technique has immense versatility. Like when creating weapons, these machines are classed into 3 categories. Small, medium, and large. The last only being accessible during bakai. An example of a small summon would be a drone or nanobot. A medium would be a humanoid battledroid. a large would be a reasonably sized mech.
4 prima materia can create 1 medium size machine or multiple smaller size machines. 8 Prima materia can create a large machine or several medium machines.
The durability of these robots scales off of Luca's OS
These machine summons are not truly sentient. Upon creation, Luca can give them a command which they must fulfill as best as they are able. However, these commands must be simple and direct. No multistep instructions. No contingencies.This means Luca must choose his words very carefully, as he only has one shot to direct them. If the opponent is clever enough, they can use the rigidity of these summons against them.
Small machines have an untyped sp of 300
Medium Machines have an untyped sp of 600
Large Machines have an untyped sp of 1000
The stats for summons are based on their size. Flexibility with these stat totals can represent the versatility Luca has with this technique.
Drawbacks: [cost, inability to reuse prima materia counters.]
{Angel of Violet Light}Technique Name: Angel of Violet Light
Technique Type: [Shikai/bankai]
Technique Element: [The soul of all elements]
Technique Cost: [100-400 reiatsu for 2-8 prima materia counters.]
Description: Luca can even use his zanpakuto to create suits of armor. This prima materia armor scales with Luca's OS in terms of durability. This armor does not impede Luca's movement as it is specifically formed around his body. The durability of this armor scales with Luca's OS allowing him to face off against opponents in close range despite his lackluster strength. Luca may choose to armor his entire body or only parts of it. Armoring one part of his body costs 100 reiatsu. A full set of armor costs 8 prima materia counters. This armor, while potent isn't without weaknesses. Sustained damage will damage the suit and compromise its damage preventing capabilities. In Shikai, Luca is incapable of reparing the armor until it is all destroyed. Repeated attacks with higher OSes degrade it by 25% per area per hit. The armor has a durability of 1.5 times Luca's OS. Attacks from an OS greater than or equal to 1.5 times Luca's OS breaks the armor section immediately.
Drawbacks: [cost, inability to reuse prima materia counters.]
Technique Type: [Shikai/bankai]
Technique Element: [The soul of all elements]
Technique Cost: [100-400 reiatsu for 2-8 prima materia counters.]
Description: Luca can even use his zanpakuto to create suits of armor. This prima materia armor scales with Luca's OS in terms of durability. This armor does not impede Luca's movement as it is specifically formed around his body. The durability of this armor scales with Luca's OS allowing him to face off against opponents in close range despite his lackluster strength. Luca may choose to armor his entire body or only parts of it. Armoring one part of his body costs 100 reiatsu. A full set of armor costs 8 prima materia counters. This armor, while potent isn't without weaknesses. Sustained damage will damage the suit and compromise its damage preventing capabilities. In Shikai, Luca is incapable of reparing the armor until it is all destroyed. Repeated attacks with higher OSes degrade it by 25% per area per hit. The armor has a durability of 1.5 times Luca's OS. Attacks from an OS greater than or equal to 1.5 times Luca's OS breaks the armor section immediately.
Drawbacks: [cost, inability to reuse prima materia counters.]
Other Techniques:
Technique Name: Bakudō #1: Sai (Restrain)
Technique Class: 7 - 10 TTP
Technique Type: Kidō - Bakudō.
Usable By: Kidō-users.
Technique Element: N/A.
Technique Cost: 25 Reiatsu.
Description: Causes the target's arms to lock in place behind their back.
How to Use: Physical contact is required from the hand of the caster to any part of the body of the target.
Incantation: Incantation increases the strength behind the technique by 10%. (I.E. A reiatsu strength of 100 would instead be valued at 110 for this technique.) ("Man, shaped by Divine hands, revert to the form before limbs, clutch at your own throat and be afraid!")
Drawbacks: Reiatsu cost.
Made By: Unknown.
Reserved?: No.
☢ History ☢
Birthplace: Santa Monica, California
Current Residence: Squad 12 Barracks, Seireitei
Memorable Figures:
Abaddon
Ailene Haschiro
Raphael Laurent
Ken'ichi Shihoin
Alastor
History:
{Spoiler}{California Dreaming}
As far back as Luca could remember, he was able to see ghosts. There was never a moment of first contact that stuck out in his memory. Nor was there an event that shattered his idea of normalcy. In fact, Luca was certain he’d seen dead people before he even understood what death was. His abilities were probably how he learned what death was, well before most children. Then again, Luca wasn’t like most children. Weirdness seemed to follow him wherever he went.
From a young age, Luca had been a solitary boy. He preferred to escape into his own little world as opposed to playing catch or whatever boys his age were supposed to do. He had learned early on that he had little in common with other children. Instead he became his own best friend. In truth, however, he was never alone and his friends were far from imaginary. Luca was surrounded by an entourage of lingering spirits. They were glad to have someone notice them, even if that person was a small child. As his parents worked long hours, Luca was instead given the affection he needed from these wayward spirits. They were a diverse bunch, a revolving cast of misfits from all walks of life. Some benevolent, others…less so.
His entourage of ghosts acted as a sort of extended family, communally raising the boy as best they could, trying to find some purpose in a bleak unlife where they couldn’t interact with their loved ones. Luca was closer to these spirits than he was with his own parents. With their busy lives, they were content to plop the young Luca in front of a tv so he would stop bothering them. That was most of the interaction he had with them after he no longer required constant supervision as an infant.
As he grew older, his parents realized two things about him. First: he had a very overactive imagination. Secondly: he had an inexplicable fascination for the macabre and morbid. While other kids had imaginary friends, Luca peered beyond the veil of mortality to speak with the dearly departed. At first they thought they would simply wait for him to grow out of whatever he was going through. As he started school, he attracted a small following of children curious about his supposed powers. Of course, to the adults watching him, these weren’t true friends. They liked Luca not for who he was, but what he could do.
Other kids didn’t believe Luca. They mocked him for being a liar and weirdo. As Luca endured the first few years of public school, his social status decreased. More students caved to the smug skepticism they thought made them seem more grownup. Now Luca was singled out and with few friends to protect him. The self-serious teachers of post-kindergarten grade school found him irritating and delusional. He maintained a steady C average through the third grade, where trips to the guidance counselor became routine.
Luca didn’t raise too much trouble at home, so his parents paid no mind to his fantasies. Even as the bullying at school grew worse, Luca took solace in the ghosts around him. Luca also turned to comic books and movies to live vicariously through other great people who didn’t fit in. Luca knew he was destined for greatness, he just had to discover his powers. One day, Luca acted on the suggestion of a ghost in his retinue and struck a particularly cruel boy with a rock.
Far from feeling guilty, Luca reveled in his status as a grade school vigilante. Though his career would be short lived as he was soon dragged away to the principal’s office. As he had attacked another student because a ghost told him to, his parents could no longer ignore their son's behavior. Luca narrowly managed to avoid expulsion on the condition he received psychiatric help.
In the coming months, Luca was brought before more therapists and doctors than he bothered to count. Each one told him in different ways that his fantasies weren’t real and that he wasn’t special. Of course, they phrased it differently. Some acted like they were his friend, but none of them understood him. He wasn’t delusional. The ghosts were desperate to be seen by someone, anyone. He couldn’t abandon his friends, could he? At home, his parents forbade him from talking to himself. It seemed like the world was against the 9 year old Luca. It was at this lowest moment that he realized why superheroes had secret identities. So, he crafted the most devious plan his child brain could muster. He would simply lie.
He would tell his parents that he didn’t see the ghosts anymore. He would placate his parents and therapists. A few therapy sessions later, Luca was given some diagnoses and considered good to go. He remained isolated from his classmates, but with certain adjustments made to his schooling his grades improved at least. His parents were content with his progress, and once more turned their eyes away from their young son. Once more he was free to do whatever he wanted so long as he didn’t make too much noise.
As Luca entered adolescence he would find himself at a crossroads. His ghost family had dwindled down over the years. He didn’t know exactly where, but suspected it was to some kind of afterlife. No one haunted the world forever, eventually everyone had to pass on. That didn’t make it any easier for Luca.. It was the saddest thing imaginable to lose his friends and be unable to confide in anyone about it. Luca knew no one would care. From then on, Luca closed himself off completely. He threw himself into discovering violent and bloody movies that appealed to his teenage sensibilities.
Luca wanted more than anything to escape his boring life. He always felt like there was greatness within him, but he hadn’t the faintest idea how to discover it. He pretended not to notice any more ghosts that he saw, deciding he was done with that heartbreak. He was a listless and moody teenager who felt like any day chapter one of his story would begin. One day while looking out the window in class, he saw something that altered his world forever. It was some kind of grotesque monster engaged in a melee with a black robed figure. As if by instinct he looked around, but none of the students noticed it. The teacher continued droning on like nothing happened.
It was then that Luca realized something. He was on track to become some boring nobody in a world that contained actual monsters. He was done waiting for greatness to find him, and he decided to find it himself. Luca had seemingly changed overnight from a slovenly daydreamer into an unstoppable force. After years of never really applying himself, Luca found something worthy of his talents. Even if it cost him his life, he had to learn more. Back when he talked to ghosts, he heard them talk about monsters that ate ghosts. Luca had always thought it was something they made up to scare him.
There was a war that no one could see except Luca. He didn’t want to be some background character in someone else’s story. He was determined to learn everything he could about the afterlife and the nature of his power. He poured over occult texts and websites hoping to find some mention of the creatures he witnessed. After he lost patience for that, Luca decided to progress to field study. That consisted of patrolling the streets at night trying to find monstrous white-masked things. Armed with a baseball bat he broke into abandoned buildings that were supposedly haunted all over town, until eventually he found something.
He stumbled into the nest of a horrible spider crab looking monster. A normal person might have felt fear, Luca only laughed. He had prepared for this. He had armed himself with a baseball bat, and several crude approximations of molotov cocktails. That always worked in the movies when it came to monster slaying. To say this fight went poorly for Luca would be a gross understatement.
Though he managed to ding the hollow a couple times, his human strength wasn’t enough to do more than bruise it. His molotov cocktails proved more effective. Right as Luca struggled to light the last one he had, an arc of flame erupted from the lighter and scorched the hollow’s face. Even that wasn’t enough as Luca had to be bailed out by the very same black robed figure he saw before. Luca was yelled at for being so stupid, but he didn’t care. Somehow his lighter, an ordinary trinket from his dad’s junk drawer, had acted as a flamethrower. That was a superpower. Luca had superpowers. Not just seeing ghosts, either. Something he could use to fight ghosts. Luca would not be able to replicate this feet, but that didn’t matter. He committed himself harder to training his mind and body against supernatural threats. This caught the ire of many at Luca’s school who looked down on him. Luca might have ignored them once, but now he was willing to stand up for himself. He got his ass kicked, but that didn’t matter. He really was special, and he was done trying to be unnoticed.
Luca would begin practicing hema, studying a variety of weapons that would be deadlier than a baseball bat. He tried to talk to shinigami and ghosts to gather information. This was how he would learn of Karakura Town. The backwater slice of Tokyo was apparently some kind of supernatural hotspot. Humans there were often born with powers and countless other wonders and terrors beyond imagining haunted the streets. Finally Luca had a goal. If he could meet others like him, he would finally have people who understood him!
Luca’s days were spent pouring over language books and practicing with sword and spear. He swore to himself that he’d never be powerless again. His parents seemed ambivalent towards his desire to spend a year abroad. That was to be expected. That was always their reaction. Although later, Luca would hear his mother crying about how she had failed as a mother. His father tried to console her, but even he couldn’t find anything nice to say about their son. Luca only listened outside their door and tried not to cry himself.
In the end, they never understood him. How was he supposed to tell them anything when they would just think he was crazy? In their eyes, Luca was just the worst traits he had. A despondent stoner with a mean streak and no social skills. A future gas station attendant. They would always see him as a loser, so Luca decided he was done with normal people. When he became a superhero in Karakura he would never have to think of them again.
As far back as Luca could remember, he was able to see ghosts. There was never a moment of first contact that stuck out in his memory. Nor was there an event that shattered his idea of normalcy. In fact, Luca was certain he’d seen dead people before he even understood what death was. His abilities were probably how he learned what death was, well before most children. Then again, Luca wasn’t like most children. Weirdness seemed to follow him wherever he went.
From a young age, Luca had been a solitary boy. He preferred to escape into his own little world as opposed to playing catch or whatever boys his age were supposed to do. He had learned early on that he had little in common with other children. Instead he became his own best friend. In truth, however, he was never alone and his friends were far from imaginary. Luca was surrounded by an entourage of lingering spirits. They were glad to have someone notice them, even if that person was a small child. As his parents worked long hours, Luca was instead given the affection he needed from these wayward spirits. They were a diverse bunch, a revolving cast of misfits from all walks of life. Some benevolent, others…less so.
His entourage of ghosts acted as a sort of extended family, communally raising the boy as best they could, trying to find some purpose in a bleak unlife where they couldn’t interact with their loved ones. Luca was closer to these spirits than he was with his own parents. With their busy lives, they were content to plop the young Luca in front of a tv so he would stop bothering them. That was most of the interaction he had with them after he no longer required constant supervision as an infant.
As he grew older, his parents realized two things about him. First: he had a very overactive imagination. Secondly: he had an inexplicable fascination for the macabre and morbid. While other kids had imaginary friends, Luca peered beyond the veil of mortality to speak with the dearly departed. At first they thought they would simply wait for him to grow out of whatever he was going through. As he started school, he attracted a small following of children curious about his supposed powers. Of course, to the adults watching him, these weren’t true friends. They liked Luca not for who he was, but what he could do.
Other kids didn’t believe Luca. They mocked him for being a liar and weirdo. As Luca endured the first few years of public school, his social status decreased. More students caved to the smug skepticism they thought made them seem more grownup. Now Luca was singled out and with few friends to protect him. The self-serious teachers of post-kindergarten grade school found him irritating and delusional. He maintained a steady C average through the third grade, where trips to the guidance counselor became routine.
Luca didn’t raise too much trouble at home, so his parents paid no mind to his fantasies. Even as the bullying at school grew worse, Luca took solace in the ghosts around him. Luca also turned to comic books and movies to live vicariously through other great people who didn’t fit in. Luca knew he was destined for greatness, he just had to discover his powers. One day, Luca acted on the suggestion of a ghost in his retinue and struck a particularly cruel boy with a rock.
Far from feeling guilty, Luca reveled in his status as a grade school vigilante. Though his career would be short lived as he was soon dragged away to the principal’s office. As he had attacked another student because a ghost told him to, his parents could no longer ignore their son's behavior. Luca narrowly managed to avoid expulsion on the condition he received psychiatric help.
In the coming months, Luca was brought before more therapists and doctors than he bothered to count. Each one told him in different ways that his fantasies weren’t real and that he wasn’t special. Of course, they phrased it differently. Some acted like they were his friend, but none of them understood him. He wasn’t delusional. The ghosts were desperate to be seen by someone, anyone. He couldn’t abandon his friends, could he? At home, his parents forbade him from talking to himself. It seemed like the world was against the 9 year old Luca. It was at this lowest moment that he realized why superheroes had secret identities. So, he crafted the most devious plan his child brain could muster. He would simply lie.
He would tell his parents that he didn’t see the ghosts anymore. He would placate his parents and therapists. A few therapy sessions later, Luca was given some diagnoses and considered good to go. He remained isolated from his classmates, but with certain adjustments made to his schooling his grades improved at least. His parents were content with his progress, and once more turned their eyes away from their young son. Once more he was free to do whatever he wanted so long as he didn’t make too much noise.
As Luca entered adolescence he would find himself at a crossroads. His ghost family had dwindled down over the years. He didn’t know exactly where, but suspected it was to some kind of afterlife. No one haunted the world forever, eventually everyone had to pass on. That didn’t make it any easier for Luca.. It was the saddest thing imaginable to lose his friends and be unable to confide in anyone about it. Luca knew no one would care. From then on, Luca closed himself off completely. He threw himself into discovering violent and bloody movies that appealed to his teenage sensibilities.
Luca wanted more than anything to escape his boring life. He always felt like there was greatness within him, but he hadn’t the faintest idea how to discover it. He pretended not to notice any more ghosts that he saw, deciding he was done with that heartbreak. He was a listless and moody teenager who felt like any day chapter one of his story would begin. One day while looking out the window in class, he saw something that altered his world forever. It was some kind of grotesque monster engaged in a melee with a black robed figure. As if by instinct he looked around, but none of the students noticed it. The teacher continued droning on like nothing happened.
It was then that Luca realized something. He was on track to become some boring nobody in a world that contained actual monsters. He was done waiting for greatness to find him, and he decided to find it himself. Luca had seemingly changed overnight from a slovenly daydreamer into an unstoppable force. After years of never really applying himself, Luca found something worthy of his talents. Even if it cost him his life, he had to learn more. Back when he talked to ghosts, he heard them talk about monsters that ate ghosts. Luca had always thought it was something they made up to scare him.
There was a war that no one could see except Luca. He didn’t want to be some background character in someone else’s story. He was determined to learn everything he could about the afterlife and the nature of his power. He poured over occult texts and websites hoping to find some mention of the creatures he witnessed. After he lost patience for that, Luca decided to progress to field study. That consisted of patrolling the streets at night trying to find monstrous white-masked things. Armed with a baseball bat he broke into abandoned buildings that were supposedly haunted all over town, until eventually he found something.
He stumbled into the nest of a horrible spider crab looking monster. A normal person might have felt fear, Luca only laughed. He had prepared for this. He had armed himself with a baseball bat, and several crude approximations of molotov cocktails. That always worked in the movies when it came to monster slaying. To say this fight went poorly for Luca would be a gross understatement.
Though he managed to ding the hollow a couple times, his human strength wasn’t enough to do more than bruise it. His molotov cocktails proved more effective. Right as Luca struggled to light the last one he had, an arc of flame erupted from the lighter and scorched the hollow’s face. Even that wasn’t enough as Luca had to be bailed out by the very same black robed figure he saw before. Luca was yelled at for being so stupid, but he didn’t care. Somehow his lighter, an ordinary trinket from his dad’s junk drawer, had acted as a flamethrower. That was a superpower. Luca had superpowers. Not just seeing ghosts, either. Something he could use to fight ghosts. Luca would not be able to replicate this feet, but that didn’t matter. He committed himself harder to training his mind and body against supernatural threats. This caught the ire of many at Luca’s school who looked down on him. Luca might have ignored them once, but now he was willing to stand up for himself. He got his ass kicked, but that didn’t matter. He really was special, and he was done trying to be unnoticed.
Luca would begin practicing hema, studying a variety of weapons that would be deadlier than a baseball bat. He tried to talk to shinigami and ghosts to gather information. This was how he would learn of Karakura Town. The backwater slice of Tokyo was apparently some kind of supernatural hotspot. Humans there were often born with powers and countless other wonders and terrors beyond imagining haunted the streets. Finally Luca had a goal. If he could meet others like him, he would finally have people who understood him!
Luca’s days were spent pouring over language books and practicing with sword and spear. He swore to himself that he’d never be powerless again. His parents seemed ambivalent towards his desire to spend a year abroad. That was to be expected. That was always their reaction. Although later, Luca would hear his mother crying about how she had failed as a mother. His father tried to console her, but even he couldn’t find anything nice to say about their son. Luca only listened outside their door and tried not to cry himself.
In the end, they never understood him. How was he supposed to tell them anything when they would just think he was crazy? In their eyes, Luca was just the worst traits he had. A despondent stoner with a mean streak and no social skills. A future gas station attendant. They would always see him as a loser, so Luca decided he was done with normal people. When he became a superhero in Karakura he would never have to think of them again.
{Spoiler}{Karakura Disco Dancer}
So Luca left behind California. At first, Luca struggled to find the supposed supernatural side to Karakura, but when he did, he jumped in headlong and never looked back. Through his meeting with Amare Mori, Luca was introduced to Kazura Uzaki and inducted into UE. For a time, Luca was finally happy. He was advancing his powers at breakneck speeds and was finally surrounded by people who were extraordinary. More than that he had a place he belonged, he had a purpose. Though not every being who calls Karakura home is as harmless as the pre-menos hollow.
Luca would eventually meet a powerful Quincy named Abbaddon. Far from befriending or agreeing to train Luca, he instead used his strong spiritual pressure to crush Luca and then threw the youth into a garganta. Luca would awaken in the Menos forrest, where Abaddon threatened to leave him. Powerless against skyscraper sized hollows, Luca was deeply distressed by this. Realizing how powerless he really was, he began to despair. Having accomplished what he set out to do, Abaddon brought the boy back to Karakura.
The two would cross paths later that day, when one such menos entered the human world. Luca and Abaddon, through fate or happenstance were forced to work together. Although scared, Luca fought admirably, being able to use his soul command to turn the tide against the monster. However, this failed to impress the old quincy, who still rebuffed Luca.
Feeling an overwhelming sense of failure, Luca vowed to never be weak again. Some time later, Luca would meet a fellow fullbringer named Raphael Laurent. The two would strike a friendship and would later become allies at Uzaki enterprises. Luca would continue fighting hollows, and attempting to gain Uzaki’s trust and approval.
In an attempt to gain a promotion, Luca traveled to Tokyo proper to investigate a possible Arrancar living at a university. This arrancar, Ailene Haschiro would at first be amicable to Luca who was curious to expand his knowledge of the greater spiritual world. As Ailene explained that arrancar were conglomerates the results of hollows who overcame their animalistic nature and achieved great power. Luca began to feel inadequate, as he was just a human. Luca misdirected this as anger by calling out Ailene for “insulting” him. Neither were willing to back down, so they agreed to fight it out.
Having portaled to an uninhabited location, they would begin their duel. Luca accidentally wounded Ailene seriously, and forced her to release. Her release was a massive plague dragon and for a second Luca stared in wonder and horror before she utterly destroyed him. Luca would survive this as he was taken back to UE by Ailene so he would be haunted by his failure forever. As Luca recovered, his inferiority complex reached new heights. Believing he had to ascend past humanity if he ever wanted to become important, he contacted his friend Raph for a daring heist on the soul society…
The plan was simple. Get in, steal as much shit, learn as much shit, and maybe blackmail the shinigami. Raph was willing to go along with Luca’s plan, though he had his share of doubts. After a rigorous training session, the two began to concoct the plan. They would need to acquire a backdoor senkaimon. Luca had scoped out an outfit of soul traffickers willing to do business, and Raph would find a way for them to cloak their energy signatures so they could better pass as shinigami.
After a brief stint working at a butler cafe the two would meet again with fake shihakusos and katanas. The elicit senkaimon placed them far from the walls of the seireitei, placing them nearly 80 districts north of their goal. Still the two ran, knowing the shinigami would come looking for them. For weeks they traveled with a band of actors, performing seditious anti-shinigami plays until one Kaen Youji found the two. Believing them to be shinigami performing what amounted to minor treason, he decided to intervene.
As Luca and Raph made a run for it, Luca gave raph the portaling device so he could escape. However, Kaen proved quicker and captured Raph as Luca managed to slip away. Another shinigami, one Ken’ichi Shihoin, was drawn to the readings of an unregistered interdimensional crossing, and would meet one of the conspirators. Raph would tell them what they wanted to know, and was allowed to leave.
Luca would spend several days making the final leg of the journey on foot. He didn’t know that his next move was anticipated by the two shinigami who were waiting for him at the gate. These two sought to prevent an international incident that would cause the Captain Commander to destroy UE for its perceived attack on the Seireitei. Although Luca did his best to scope the gate out before entering, he was ultimately caught by the gate guardian. Though Luca used his immense strength to break free, he didn’t make it far before Ken’ichi Shihoin apprehended him. The jig was finally up.
Luca was brought to a secure location and questioned. He explained his manifesto. The shinigami were evil murderers who deserved to be taken down a peg or two, and humans were objectively weak and he wanted to evolve. While Kaen and Ken’ichi were sympathetic, it was the former who offered a deal to Luca.
Luca was allowed to stay in squad 12 as a test subject. He would spend time with Ken’ichi and the two would strike up a friendship, though both were too dense to call it that. Luca was infused with concentrated hollow essence to supercharge his fullbringer powers. The catch was that for it to work, Luca had to be pushed to his absolute limits. KEn’ichi and Luca would sparr, where Luca was repeatedly pushed back and disheartened until he finally lunged at Ken’ichi, who would accidentally wound Luca mortally. Fearing he was about to die, Luca experienced a hollow takeover as his wounds closed and he began to attack Ken’ichi with new vigor.
Though Ken’ichi was certainly winning, the fight would end when Luca removed his hollow mask and collapsed. As Luca recovered Ken’ichi and Luca would begin to discuss the events of the previous days. All the while the inner hollow tried many times to manipulate Luca into allowing it to take control. Finally things settled as the inner hollow realized it had to co-exist with Luca if it wanted to survive. Luca and Ken’ichi would share a heartfelt moment before parting ways, with Luca being given a spirit phone as means of contacting Ken’ichi. Thus ended the great seireitei heist.
Some time later Luca tried to settle back into his life in Karakura. However his relationship with Raph was strained to the breaking point over Raph’s perceived betrayal. The two would fight, but Luca found himself unable to kill his friend, only striking him with such intent when it became clear he had no choice. However, this fight would attract Raph’s brother, who sought to collect Raph and take him back to the vandenreich. Luca protected Raph and brought him back to the hospital, but the two were effectively done.
After meeting Ken’ichi, his life in Karakura seemed boring and unfulfilling. However, trouble would yet again find Luca when he caught the eye of a vandenreich captain, Aia. Believing Luca to be a hollow or arrancar, she would attack him, forcing Luca to defend himself. Using his increased strength and lessons from Ken’ichi, Luca would defeat Aia handedly. In the end, Luca found himself unwilling to kill her, instead taking her as hostage.
Around this time, Luca would also catch the eye of a demon by the name of Alastor. ALastor offered Luca power and a place at his side, but Luca saw through this. He called Alastor’s offer of power “eternal stagnation” and Luca offered his pity to the man. This would prove to be the wrong move as in a rage, Alastor dragged Luca to hell. As Luca succumbed to despair, his inner hollow took control and successfully bargained for both of their lives. They were let go, although at the price of one of their eyes. Luca would reawaken later, remembering none of the situation and forcing his inner hollow back, greatly harming them in the process.
However, Luca would regain his memories of the situation as he found the place he met Alastor was burned to the ground. Luca would feel a psychic connection to Alastor that would inform him of the sanctus attack on Soul Society. Using Amare Mori’s magic powers as means of transportation, Luca wanted nothing more than to keep Ken’ichi alive. Throughout the battle, and as he found Ken’ichi, Luca realized what he wanted out of life. He loved Ken’ichi and couldn’t go back to the boring world without him.
The two would confess their feelings for eachother and kiss on the battlefield. After the battle reached its conclusions, the two realized that while they both deeply cared for eachother, neither could leave to join the other. They shared a bittersweet goodbye with their future uncertain. In a twist of fate, Luca’s imprisonment of Aia implicated UE and brought them into conflict with the Vandenreich. Luca, realizing he might have doomed his friends, opted to make the situation right no matter the cost.
He took Aia and framed himself as a lone actor who acted without UE’s knowledge. Because of this, the blood feud would end with Luca’s death rather than all of UE’s. Luca would ultimately “fake” his death and be reborn in the Rukongai where he was taken in by Ken’ichi Shihoin. As far as the Vandenreich or anyone else knew, Luca Castabella was dead. Luca, now being a soul, was given the choice to become a shinigami and finally be able to be with Ken’ichi, which he accepted.
Ken’ichi would use his resources as a noble and lieutenant of squad 12 to fast track Luca through the academy and set him up with a new identity and entirely new body. This way neither the vandenreich nor central 46 would learn his true identity. Given Luca’s inner hollow, it was deemed likely he was a vizard. Luca would volunteer himself for study by Ken’ichi in exchange for having his secret kept. Luca has lost everything, but he has found love, which is something he didn’t have before.
So Luca left behind California. At first, Luca struggled to find the supposed supernatural side to Karakura, but when he did, he jumped in headlong and never looked back. Through his meeting with Amare Mori, Luca was introduced to Kazura Uzaki and inducted into UE. For a time, Luca was finally happy. He was advancing his powers at breakneck speeds and was finally surrounded by people who were extraordinary. More than that he had a place he belonged, he had a purpose. Though not every being who calls Karakura home is as harmless as the pre-menos hollow.
Luca would eventually meet a powerful Quincy named Abbaddon. Far from befriending or agreeing to train Luca, he instead used his strong spiritual pressure to crush Luca and then threw the youth into a garganta. Luca would awaken in the Menos forrest, where Abaddon threatened to leave him. Powerless against skyscraper sized hollows, Luca was deeply distressed by this. Realizing how powerless he really was, he began to despair. Having accomplished what he set out to do, Abaddon brought the boy back to Karakura.
The two would cross paths later that day, when one such menos entered the human world. Luca and Abaddon, through fate or happenstance were forced to work together. Although scared, Luca fought admirably, being able to use his soul command to turn the tide against the monster. However, this failed to impress the old quincy, who still rebuffed Luca.
Feeling an overwhelming sense of failure, Luca vowed to never be weak again. Some time later, Luca would meet a fellow fullbringer named Raphael Laurent. The two would strike a friendship and would later become allies at Uzaki enterprises. Luca would continue fighting hollows, and attempting to gain Uzaki’s trust and approval.
In an attempt to gain a promotion, Luca traveled to Tokyo proper to investigate a possible Arrancar living at a university. This arrancar, Ailene Haschiro would at first be amicable to Luca who was curious to expand his knowledge of the greater spiritual world. As Ailene explained that arrancar were conglomerates the results of hollows who overcame their animalistic nature and achieved great power. Luca began to feel inadequate, as he was just a human. Luca misdirected this as anger by calling out Ailene for “insulting” him. Neither were willing to back down, so they agreed to fight it out.
Having portaled to an uninhabited location, they would begin their duel. Luca accidentally wounded Ailene seriously, and forced her to release. Her release was a massive plague dragon and for a second Luca stared in wonder and horror before she utterly destroyed him. Luca would survive this as he was taken back to UE by Ailene so he would be haunted by his failure forever. As Luca recovered, his inferiority complex reached new heights. Believing he had to ascend past humanity if he ever wanted to become important, he contacted his friend Raph for a daring heist on the soul society…
The plan was simple. Get in, steal as much shit, learn as much shit, and maybe blackmail the shinigami. Raph was willing to go along with Luca’s plan, though he had his share of doubts. After a rigorous training session, the two began to concoct the plan. They would need to acquire a backdoor senkaimon. Luca had scoped out an outfit of soul traffickers willing to do business, and Raph would find a way for them to cloak their energy signatures so they could better pass as shinigami.
After a brief stint working at a butler cafe the two would meet again with fake shihakusos and katanas. The elicit senkaimon placed them far from the walls of the seireitei, placing them nearly 80 districts north of their goal. Still the two ran, knowing the shinigami would come looking for them. For weeks they traveled with a band of actors, performing seditious anti-shinigami plays until one Kaen Youji found the two. Believing them to be shinigami performing what amounted to minor treason, he decided to intervene.
As Luca and Raph made a run for it, Luca gave raph the portaling device so he could escape. However, Kaen proved quicker and captured Raph as Luca managed to slip away. Another shinigami, one Ken’ichi Shihoin, was drawn to the readings of an unregistered interdimensional crossing, and would meet one of the conspirators. Raph would tell them what they wanted to know, and was allowed to leave.
Luca would spend several days making the final leg of the journey on foot. He didn’t know that his next move was anticipated by the two shinigami who were waiting for him at the gate. These two sought to prevent an international incident that would cause the Captain Commander to destroy UE for its perceived attack on the Seireitei. Although Luca did his best to scope the gate out before entering, he was ultimately caught by the gate guardian. Though Luca used his immense strength to break free, he didn’t make it far before Ken’ichi Shihoin apprehended him. The jig was finally up.
Luca was brought to a secure location and questioned. He explained his manifesto. The shinigami were evil murderers who deserved to be taken down a peg or two, and humans were objectively weak and he wanted to evolve. While Kaen and Ken’ichi were sympathetic, it was the former who offered a deal to Luca.
Luca was allowed to stay in squad 12 as a test subject. He would spend time with Ken’ichi and the two would strike up a friendship, though both were too dense to call it that. Luca was infused with concentrated hollow essence to supercharge his fullbringer powers. The catch was that for it to work, Luca had to be pushed to his absolute limits. KEn’ichi and Luca would sparr, where Luca was repeatedly pushed back and disheartened until he finally lunged at Ken’ichi, who would accidentally wound Luca mortally. Fearing he was about to die, Luca experienced a hollow takeover as his wounds closed and he began to attack Ken’ichi with new vigor.
Though Ken’ichi was certainly winning, the fight would end when Luca removed his hollow mask and collapsed. As Luca recovered Ken’ichi and Luca would begin to discuss the events of the previous days. All the while the inner hollow tried many times to manipulate Luca into allowing it to take control. Finally things settled as the inner hollow realized it had to co-exist with Luca if it wanted to survive. Luca and Ken’ichi would share a heartfelt moment before parting ways, with Luca being given a spirit phone as means of contacting Ken’ichi. Thus ended the great seireitei heist.
Some time later Luca tried to settle back into his life in Karakura. However his relationship with Raph was strained to the breaking point over Raph’s perceived betrayal. The two would fight, but Luca found himself unable to kill his friend, only striking him with such intent when it became clear he had no choice. However, this fight would attract Raph’s brother, who sought to collect Raph and take him back to the vandenreich. Luca protected Raph and brought him back to the hospital, but the two were effectively done.
After meeting Ken’ichi, his life in Karakura seemed boring and unfulfilling. However, trouble would yet again find Luca when he caught the eye of a vandenreich captain, Aia. Believing Luca to be a hollow or arrancar, she would attack him, forcing Luca to defend himself. Using his increased strength and lessons from Ken’ichi, Luca would defeat Aia handedly. In the end, Luca found himself unwilling to kill her, instead taking her as hostage.
Around this time, Luca would also catch the eye of a demon by the name of Alastor. ALastor offered Luca power and a place at his side, but Luca saw through this. He called Alastor’s offer of power “eternal stagnation” and Luca offered his pity to the man. This would prove to be the wrong move as in a rage, Alastor dragged Luca to hell. As Luca succumbed to despair, his inner hollow took control and successfully bargained for both of their lives. They were let go, although at the price of one of their eyes. Luca would reawaken later, remembering none of the situation and forcing his inner hollow back, greatly harming them in the process.
However, Luca would regain his memories of the situation as he found the place he met Alastor was burned to the ground. Luca would feel a psychic connection to Alastor that would inform him of the sanctus attack on Soul Society. Using Amare Mori’s magic powers as means of transportation, Luca wanted nothing more than to keep Ken’ichi alive. Throughout the battle, and as he found Ken’ichi, Luca realized what he wanted out of life. He loved Ken’ichi and couldn’t go back to the boring world without him.
The two would confess their feelings for eachother and kiss on the battlefield. After the battle reached its conclusions, the two realized that while they both deeply cared for eachother, neither could leave to join the other. They shared a bittersweet goodbye with their future uncertain. In a twist of fate, Luca’s imprisonment of Aia implicated UE and brought them into conflict with the Vandenreich. Luca, realizing he might have doomed his friends, opted to make the situation right no matter the cost.
He took Aia and framed himself as a lone actor who acted without UE’s knowledge. Because of this, the blood feud would end with Luca’s death rather than all of UE’s. Luca would ultimately “fake” his death and be reborn in the Rukongai where he was taken in by Ken’ichi Shihoin. As far as the Vandenreich or anyone else knew, Luca Castabella was dead. Luca, now being a soul, was given the choice to become a shinigami and finally be able to be with Ken’ichi, which he accepted.
Ken’ichi would use his resources as a noble and lieutenant of squad 12 to fast track Luca through the academy and set him up with a new identity and entirely new body. This way neither the vandenreich nor central 46 would learn his true identity. Given Luca’s inner hollow, it was deemed likely he was a vizard. Luca would volunteer himself for study by Ken’ichi in exchange for having his secret kept. Luca has lost everything, but he has found love, which is something he didn’t have before.
