Post by harmony on Aug 26, 2010 19:15:03 GMT -4
Shinigami
General Info
Name: Gigi (G's pronounced like the g in “mirage”)
Gender: Female
Age: 214 – visually ambiguous, could be anywhere from 15 to 20
Division: 6
Rank: Captain
Physical Description:
Looking at Gigi from a distance, it is hard to miss the choppy mane of white-blonde hair that tops her head, cut short and chunky, and shot through with streaks of red. From there, a quick glance reveals that her body is long and angular, inherently androgynous in build. She lacks a defined waist: her shoulders, hips, and waistline are all equal in length, depriving Gigi of any real curves. She is nearly flat chested and has a skinny, prepubescent look to her, making her visual age difficult to determine. Her feet are slightly larger than they should be, and she is often coupled with an earthy smell. More often than not there are smudges of dirt visible on her otherwise milky skin.
Gigi carries herself with a seemingly unstable attitude, walking with a bounce and disconcerting sway, and often sits in a sprawling manner, her posture suggesting that she feels she owns whatever room she sits in. She often throws herself to the ground with complete abandon, perfectly content to prop herself up on one elbow, or sit in a hunching, unladylike way, her legs folded as though she were attempting the butterfly stretch. Her gray-blue eyes (which are too far apart,) shift about her surroundings in a quick, alert manner, similarly to a rodent, though lacking the expected sense of paranoia. There is a cool shine to them, almost reptilian in their impersonality but always bright with a sense of good humor. Her nose and lips are both larger than normal: her nose is wide and flat while her lips are full and pale, often turned up at the corners in an ironic smile, and ready to pull back to reveal a boyish grin.
While off-duty, Gigi hardly wears much of anything, usually settling with a cut-off shirt, trimmed a few inches above her navel and short light-weight shorts. Beyond that she is naked, preferring herself barefoot and bra-less rather than restrained unnecessarily. If she had it her way, Gigi would go through life in the nude, and still attempts to get away with it at times. More often than not, she strolls the halls in nothing but a cut-off shirt and a pair of underwear. She tends to wear primary colors, attracted to the boldness of red and blue juxtaposed.
Her Shinigami uniform isn't much better. She has taken complete advantage of the freedom her higher rank has afforded her and similarly to Shimizu Rin, the 13th division captain, Gigi took the liberty of heavily altering the clothes she wears. Her captain's Haori resembles a poncho, draping from her shoulders and ending below the belly button, diamond-like in it's shape. It is fastened on the left shoulder by a single knotted string, as Gigi enjoys dramatically casting it aside before the start of a battle. (It makes her feel powerful!) Underneath the poncho, the top of her uniform is sleeveless, tying instead at the back of her neck like a halter top, leaving her shoulders and back bare. The pant-legs have been trimmed and hemmed to resemble a pair of cuffed shorts, which end at the middle of her thigh. On her feet she wears a pair of wooden getas, the elevated sandals characteristic of classic geisha costume. With her approach there is always the tell-tale clacking sound of her geta's on the ground, a trademark that Gigi is proud of.
Personality:
STRENGTHS
- Decisive, abrupt. Is not afriad to act
- Unafraid of conflict, able to keep herself emotionally detatched from most situations
- Usually able to bring out the fun in any situation, enthusiastic and never speaks of defeat
- Perceptive of Motives, able to quickly assess most situations and see where everyone is coming from
- Good at speaking bluntly, telling people the unaltered truth
- Flexible, adaptable, desires change over stagnation, extremely good at thinking outside the box
- Extremely physical
- Is pretty aware of everyone's limits, knows who to trust with what
WEAKNESSES
- Sometimes makes rash actions, is attracted to dangerous situations, is bad at avoiding harm, may not be entirely responsible with people who depend on her
- Can appear cold to a more sensitive or emotional person. Can sometimes be the cause of unnecessary conflict, Can appear too aggressive (not in an angry way.)
- Takes serious situations lightly. Can sometimes overlook the importance of whats really at stake for the sake of making everyone smile
-Pursues change unnessessarily. Is extremely fickle and bored easily of repitition. Cannot be trusted to finish what she starts, nor to follow the original plan
- rarely thinks by herself
- Rarely offers up any form of verbal praise or affirmation for her friends or subordinates. Assumes everyone knows they're doing a good job.
QUIRKS
- Pack rat
- Alcoholic
- Extremely Prone to Stress
- Plays with play-doh constantly
- Suffers from Insomnia, Neglects bathing, Never notices when she's hungry - eats like a bird
- Enjoys taking things apart, building things, trying to fix what isn't broken (loves technology, but is actually very bad at dealing with it)
- Is actually very vain
- Tries Yoga when she becomes too too stressed
THE DARK SIDE ( when depressed )
- Drinks constantly
- Is mean in a very purposeful way, says terrible things to people she cares about
- Sleeps constantly
- Seeks complete solitude, but expects everyone to come find her
- More prone to physical Aggression
- EXTREMELY Attracted to bad situations
- Becomes very dark and sinister. Mumbles negative things to herself, just loud enough for everyone else to hear
---> Fixing a depressed Gigi is as simple as buying her something to take apart, or offering to spar her and then really whaling on her. The excitement and physical strain will generally snap her out of it long enough to see that she's being everything that she hates in other people, and will usually take steps to reverse what's going on. The awkward thing is she might try and talk about her feelings afterwards, which never happens, so don't piss her off when she talks or she'll revert right back into Dark Gigi.
OUTWARD
-Fun-loving, exciting -- energetic and enthusiastic, gets involved in every little thing
- Less likely to share negative emotions. She is most likely to act, somewhat likely to think analytically, and least likely to make decisions based on emotion
- Can appear cold to others emotions. Is highly perceptive but does not understand how sensitive people can be, tries to cheer people up by presenting facts and speaking practically and bluntly
- Does not take other people's feelings into account when making a decision. Makes decisions based primarily on what feels right, and somewhat on makes the most sense
- Can be aggressive, does not mind being the center of attention, easily takes a leadership role as she can be extremely decisive and abrupt, and is unafraid to cause conflict - conflict does not affect her internally
- Fickle - rarely sticks to original plan, can be disloyal to friends, does not affiliate herself with the establishment of soul society directly, is afriad of commitment
- Enjoys phisical activity more than simply hanging out
History:
[-HUMAN LIFE-]
Gigi was born in late 18th century Japan to a pair of young french merchants, Jean and Camille Deniau. Japan was experiencing a period of isolationism, But Jean managed a small, low-profile business in one of Japan's minor port cities, dealing in japanese prints and other handicrafts. The Deniau family was the only French family for many cities surrounding their own, though Jean grew acquainted with a few polish merchants, who were not so rare as the French and English. He sold Kimonos, prints, and other merchandise to Polish ships, and Camille ran a small French bakery in the front of their house. There was a high demand for Japanese silk and prints in Europe, so Jean's small business was not often subject to any major financial troubles beyond the usual ups and downs involved in working for oneself.
The couple had already been living in Japan's port city for some time before the arrival of Gigi, and Jean had made himself at home there, immersing himself in the culture of Japan. He took to the Japanese language much faster than Polish, easily bilingual in French and Japanese. His knowledge of the Polish language remained -until the end of his life- at an intermediate level, as he never found a need to learn the Polish language in all of it's complexity. Most basic phrases sufficed for the business that he ran, and instead he took pleasure in cultivating relationships with the Japanese families that frequented his shop. Many became very close friends as they seemed to sense a genuine admiration and respect for their world.
Gigi was born in the year 1796, and her young inexperienced parents provided for her in a worried sort of way, fussing over her every hiccup, cough, and tear until she turned two, which was accompanied by the arrival of a younger sister, Perrine. With the birth of Perrine, Jean and Camille found it appropriate to relax their watch on Gigi, who took full advantage of their sudden indifference and immediately began venturing outside, eager to experience all that was foreign to her. By the time she was four, she had made friends with Makoto, a Japanese boy who lived nearby, and the two played outside often. Her Japanese was poor, but they enjoyed each others company nonetheless and often amused themselves with war games, swinging sticks at one another and screaming. As they got older, their games became a bit more sophisticated, usually involving forts and imaginary armies.
Her mother taught her how to cook and sew, and Gigi liked to watch her mother's hands as she worked. She thought they were the most beautiful hands in the world and she sometimes had chills, watching the way her fingers smoothed a wrinkled dress, or mended a tear. She looked at her own hands, and wished they would be as beautiful as Camille's. Her mother spoke not a word of Japanese, and Gigi wondered to herself, in a sad sort of way, if her mother wanted to go back to France.
Gigi enjoyed being around her father most of all. She liked watching him trade with the other merchants, and loved to help in the shop, even if it was by sweeping the floors. She marveled at the eloquent way he spoke Japanese and drank sake with his friends. His strong arms, pale and blue-veined like hers, held her before she went to bed and she listened, content, as marvelous stories rolled from his lips like little polished marbles. He told her stories of the brave Samurai warriors. He told her about honor, about the way a Samurai would rather burn down his own house than see it taken by the enemy. When her father told her such things, he would smile, and benevolent wrinkles at the corners of his eyes appeared, and Gigi thought she would die from happiness.
When Gigi turned six, Makoto took her to a small clearing outside of town. “It's haunted” He said, and Gigi peered into the reeds and tall grass with wide eyes. It was the site of a battlefield, from ancient times, when the samurai dominated Japan, and Gigi entered the clearing in a cautious sort of way, pretending she was one of the warriors in the heat of battle. She could almost hear the screaming, and she picked up a stick, an expression of grave solemnity marking her face. If only her father could see her. In fact young Gigi looked rather humorous, being so small and so serious, but she fancied herself the most terrifying warrior in the world, and when she heard Makoto approaching from behind she whipped around to face him, “Eef you are 'aving a foot very closely you weel be a few missed heads, mon ami.” ( Meaning: “If you take another step, I'll cut off your head” ...Her Japanese was very poor)
Unfazed by such convoluted speech from his friend, Makoto charged, tackling her to the ground, and the two laughed as they wrestled in the dirt. They returned to the clearing often after that day, and it wasn't long before Gigi started seeing ghosts. Some were young and sad, blue and hazy in the air, while others seemed not to notice her at all. She was never frightened by them, only mystified. Makoto could not see as well as she, but he believed they were there because he could see shapes like fog, vague and airy as they glided through the meadow.
In the year 1806, only a few months after Gigi's tenth birthday, a deadly disease struck the surrounding villages of Gigi's home. It was a form of small pox, and it spread quickly, proving fatal for almost all who caught it. There was no known cure, and rumors spread almost as quickly as the disease, rumors of demons and magic. Worried for his daughters' safety, Jean ordered Gigi and Perrine to stay indoors until the disease passed. This was futile however; within weeks, the disease had reached their port city, spreading quickly between families. Her father brought news everyday of the families that were infected, including Makoto's, and eventually brought the disease itself into the house with him. What Jean perceived as a bad headache shortly turned into a crippling fever that would keep him in bed for 4 days, followed by a rash in his mouth that soon spread over the rest of his body.
Gigi's little sister, Perrine, was the first to show signs of sickness; her body was racked with the fever her father experienced, and sweat broke out across her body, trailing down her arms and stomach like streams. Her mother grew frantic and rushed between the two, worried for her husband and daughter. They had no doctor in these troubling times: while Jean was respected for his business, he and his family were considered outsiders, and Japanese families were given first priority. Gigi was ordered to stay in her bedroom until the disease passed, but she knew it wouldn't. Makoto was dead, her sister and father would soon follow. She didn't want to be left alone. So, one night after her mother had gone to bed, Gigi snuck out of her room and wandered to her sister's bedside. Even in the darkness, she was horrified by what she saw - a red, angry rash covered her sister's entire body, and small hard bumps had begun to appear, blistering over her skin like a burn. Gigi put a hand to her sister's cheek, and ran a finger over her scabbed lips. Perrine stirred, but said nothing, and Gigi leaned down and kissed her on the mouth, whispering "Je t'aime, Je t'aime, Je t'aime," tears rolled down her cheeks, and she began kissing Perrine all over her face."Take me with you."
"I will," responded Perrine, as her eyes closed and she fell back into her world of dreams.
The week following this event was spent in her room, waiting for the first signs of sickness. None came. She sat in bed, paced her floor, looked out the window, and practiced her calligraphy. Time moved like a snake on the edge of a coma, winding slowly in circles, over and over the same minutes until suddenly it was the next day and Gigi still felt fine, and the snake called Time continued to weave around itself, muscles slow and dull with impatience. Gigi hated waiting.
During the second week, Gigi heard her fathers voice through the walls of her room and she pressed her cheek to the door, wanting to be with her family. Was her father getting better? She couldn't know. She tried to sneak out at one point but was startled by a scream from her mother and a heavy slap across the face.
"You don't come out until I say you can! Do you understand?!" her mother yelled, and Gigi stumbled back into her cell, watching, dejected, as the door was slid shut with surprising force. Her fathers voice continued to permeate the walls, and eventually she could hear his laughter. He was recovering for sure. She imaged her family, gathered around Jean as he told his pearlescent stories. He'd be telling them in French, because her mother was listening, and He'd call Perrine "mon tresor" (my treasure) and kiss her button nose that was small and sweet, and her mother would laugh and call them fools as her smart skipping fingers would hem a skirt. Gigi wanted her family so badly it stung her throat and she felt a headache coming....
Three days later the headache remained and Gigi lay in bed, silent and sweating, knowing that it had finally taken hold. She would die. She hadn't told her mother, but any day now, she knew Camille would enter, delivering her breakfast, and find Gigi covered in little lumps. She felt sorry suddenly for her mother, who was losing her family. "I have been selfish," Gigi thought to herself, "What will mama do here in Japan, without us." But her mother never came in, and the house was silent again, and Gigi stared up at her ceiling, feeling her fever rise on and on until she could hardly keep her eyes open. Something terrible had happened.
Jean came in the next day and Gigi felt her heart jump at the sight of him but the way his face looked held her smile at bay and she listened as he explained to her that her mother was sick and needed rest, that he would take care of everyone and bring Gigi her meals from then on. Camille was dying. He was trying to sound optimistic but Gigi heard the crack in his throat and saw the wet way his eyes looked and she began to cry, salty tears stinging the rash that chapped her lips and cheeks and Jean came to her side, holding her close so her back felt twisted and painful, but she didn't care. She screamed into his strong arms until her voice died and he stroked her hair and whispered poetry to her until she fell asleep.
Time passed as a blur after that day. Gigi drifted in and out of consciousness, never truly knowing what time it was anymore. With each hour it seemed like the rash had gotten worse, the lumps on her skin were spreading, and her whole body burned. Sleep was her only comfort, but even then her dreams were of demons and voices she didn't recognize. They told her her mother was dead. They suffocated her in embraces, and touched her skin, and then it all went black. She woke up at one point and saw the shape of Makoto on the foot of her bed. He was blue and translucent, and he looked at her with sad watery eyes. "Your mother's dead, Gigi... I think I'm dead too." Gigi hadn't the strength to answer, but she lifted a hand, and Makoto held it, his skin cold and light like a cloud. "I'm afriad," said Makoto, but Gigi couldn't hear him. His voice was distant... the whole world was growing faint and blurry...
[-WANDERING SPIRIT-]
- looks all over for her mother, can't find her.
- sees that there are hundreds of spirits wandering around, like her
- Also notices hollow and shinigami
-remains near the house, happy to watch perrines recovery, happy to see that her father wouldnt be alone
- receives her soul burial
[-RUKONGAI-]
- Ends up in a relatively safe district, gets a family
- runs into Otanashi, a boy from her city
- The two stick together for a little bit
- Gigi finds a small band of kinds that steal and hurt people for no reason
- She joins, and Otanashi becomes afriad of her
- She stays with the group for a little over a year, rarely coming home to her family, but instead sleeping in a shack witht he rest of the group. She gets promoted to a high position, but she really doesn't care too much, she finds it funny
- Another gang is formed and the two start warring. At this time, Gigi is nearly 12
- She gets bored and defeats the leader of her own gang and then leaves. A younger kind named Aiko (female) leaves with her, explaining that she had no family, and that if Gigi was leaving she wanted to be with her
- Her family takes Aiko in, and Gigi remains living there for another 2 years before leaving in the middle of the night, leaving Aiko behind, and all the money she'd stolen
- Travels to another district
[-ACADEMY-]
[-GOTEI THIRTEEN-]
Additional Info:
Gigi still has some French influence in the way that she speaks despite the fact that she hasn't actually spoken french with anyone in over a century. Her thoughts are almost completely in Japanese, and she has -for the most part- managed to drop the heavy accent she arrived in Rukongai with. She is fluent in Japanese to the point that she doesn't often have to ask people what words mean (though she still runs into foreign words now and again,) but her sentence structure when speaking can be awkward and circular, and often peppered with strange word usage. This trait becomes much more pronounced when she is compromised in some way, usually when she is stressed, drunk, or angry, in which case her accent is more noticeable, and she is more likely to throw in random french words if she can't think of the Japanese fast enough.
Below is a bit of a guide to the way she speaks, though this is more for my own benefit to use as a personal reference.
[-NORMAL-]
**Gigi often addresses people with a strange mix of French terms of endearment and Japanese honorifics.
Example:
-Refers to subordinates, and sometimes her fellow captains as “mon petit”
-“Mon ami” and “mon comarade” for friends
-Often leaves encounters with “Au revoir”, while reserving “Adieu” for her enemies, indicating that the parting will be more permanent
**She uses verbs awkwardly, also tends to say “have, had, having” unnecessarily before adjectives or nouns that refer to her current state
Example:
“I am having confusion with our problem”
“I have regret in yesterday's happening”
“I am learning you to drive”
“I don't hear what you are saying about”
**Often ends statements with “no?”
Example:
-“The day is having much beauty, no?”
**Uses “for” in front of why and which, and “for to” to express “in order to”
Example:
-“For why are you having such trouble?”
-“I went to the living world for to have a rest and a time to see the city”
**Superlatives are expressed with “much” or a “very” in front of them
Example:
-“This is much good” rather than “this is better”
[-UNDER STRESS-]
**Gigi's French accent:
-zee/s instead of the/this
-“ee” to replace most “i” sounds
-unable to pronounce the “h” sound
**Her sentences become generally more garbled and roundabout, usually resulting in statements that are unnecessarily long and confusing.
Example of Gigi's speech when stressed in some way:
“I am 'aving no worry of 'ow you are seeing my speak. Fault exists for you eef eet ees much too very 'ard for your many small brains!” (“I don't care if I'm difficult to understand, it's your own fault for being so stupid”)
Zanpakuto
General
Name: Zephyrine
Spirit Description:
[-ZEPHYRINE-]
Zephyrine takes the form of a small white spider monkey with a red spiral on her forehead. Like most spider monkeys, Zephyrine is extremely long in the limbs, especially with her arms: when she walks on her hind legs, her hands drag behind her on the ground, and when she sits she looks almost like an abandoned Muppet creature; her arms and legs piled awkwardly on top of one another. She is very fast however, able to climb and jump in an astounding way, using her tail like a third hand. Her round eyes are completely red, void of any pupils, though they have a faint pink circle in the middle that somewhat resemble irises. Her stare is crystalline and calm, though her attitude is anything but. She is easily excitable, like her master, and is prone to leaping away at random, usually hoping that Gigi will follow. Her mind is all over the place, like a child's, though she lacks the abrasiveness and domineering attitude that Gigi sometimes exhibits. She can be chatty at times, unafraid to throw in not-entirely-welcome interjections during Gigi's conversations with her fellow Shinigami, and often gives suggestions to situations that don't entirely concern her. She is very sweet however, innocent and affectionate, and shares Gigi's views with the importance of conserving life. She comes from a gentler, more childlike place in Gigi and works as a good balance for her.
[-INNER WORLD-]
Sealed:
When in her sealed state, Zephyrine takes the form of an average-length katana, sheathed at Gigi's left hip. The only remarkable feature about Zephyrine in this state is a chain of red pony beads dangling from the hand guard: an addition made by Gigi. The sheath is a deep warm burgundy color, and the handle and guard are both black.
Shikai
Activation Phrase: Pierce the Sky, Zephyrine
Appearance: When released, Zephyrine changes from a katana to a form of kusarigama with two sickles (kama) connected by a long chain.
Abilities:
Bankai
Activation Phrase: Bankai!
Appearance:
Abilities:
Shinigami Techniques
Additional
Other Characters:
None
Roleplay Sample:
