Name: Inori, Reihai
Nickname(s): Reihai has gone by many nicknames in the past, but has grown to prefer "Karyūkai" over the years. Now, "Karyūkai" is as much of a name to Reihai as her name itself.
Age: Looks to be around 22-24. Reihai looks a lot younger than she is, however, after many years of taking care of her body.
Sex: Female
Sexual Preference: Heterosexual - Married
Species: Shinigami
Affiliation/Position:7th Division; Captain
Personality: Describing Inori, Reihai simply is difficult. In fact, describing Reihai at all is difficult. Reihai is a woman of two halves that coexist in perfect juxtaposition, a woman of two extremes that have somehow chosen to lay side by side without blurring or attempting to overcome one another. On the first hand, Reihai is incredibly graceful. She exists in a state of constant grace and poise, holding herself with an incredible level of dignity and independence that one cannot help but admire. Looking at Reihai makes it clear that she is incredibly strong-willed and stubborn, but not so stubborn as to be petulant. She is firm and unbending, but manages to be so calmly and respectfully. Her incredible temperance and grace have, over the years, earned her the friendships of almost everyone she has met. There is something so alluring about Reihai that compels people to respect her, even if they do not like her. Reihai is a woman of principle, who adheres to a set of tenets religiously. She does not impose these on others, but makes it quite clear that she enjoys people who exhibit these qualities and asks that people respect her tenets whenever around her. This, however, is only one side of Inori, Reihai. Beneath the incredible grace is a fury that cannot be explained, a fury so consuming that were it not tempered with her sheer willpower it would consume her and those around her. Reihai loves battle. This desire to battle manifests as her immeasurable fury, and it can be seen as a controlled force whenever she fights. She lives for the thrill of combat and the adrenaline flowing through her veins as she takes her blades into her hands to do battle. She cannot explain the joy her fury brings her as she does not quite comprehend it herself, but she embraces this side of her personality as much as she embraces her gracefulness. It is the odd combination and juxtaposition of her incredible fury and grace that define her, and she is completely rigid and unbending when it comes to these two traits of her. Reihai is an altruistic person, often offering to help those who she is able to empathise with her vast resources and experience, but she is not capable of fully understanding the spectrum of emotion. She sees black, and she sees white, but fails to see the grey in between the two - any mixture of two opposite is completely foreign to her, and try as she might she simply cannot fathom how such a pairing can exist. Reihai remains polite and calm when she tells people that she does not understand them and therefore has no time for them as her experience cannot aid them, but can come off as distant and cold without intending to. Reihai is completely stuck in her ways and would never change for anybody: A woman such as Reihai would expect you to change for her.
Equipment:
Yanagi no Seiyaku [Willow Branch Restraints] - Thin bangles of Sekki-Seki stone wrapped in either black or white silk. The bangles are worn on Reihai's person, and she has a total of ten: four on each arm, and one on each ankle. These bangles suppress her reiatsu by a large amount, giving her the equivalent reiatsu of a fifth seat officer when all of them are worn. She has trained with these for hundreds of years, having obtained them from a fantastic inventor hundreds of years ago, and has grown so accustomed to them that her current strength is but a fraction of her true strength, and she is able to compete with captains somewhat easily.
Abilities:Reihai, being a captain, is expected to be at least proficient in all four of the basic shinigami arts. This is not the case. Reihai has honed her natural talents to a state of near-perfection, but at the cost of lacking in any other skill. It could be stated that she is better at her favoured proficiencies than most of the masters, but lacks severely - less proficient than even seated officers - in areas they also have competency in. However, it should be noted that her chosen skill has sufficed for her long, long years as a captain and she is most definitely not to be upset.
Zanjutsu Legend [S+ Rank]:Reihai's skill with the sword is nigh unmatchable (she has found one person capable of doing so), and her unorthodox style forms the basis of this skill. Reihai's swordplay is incredibly swift, incredibly graceful, and overall, unbelievably strong. Her ability to fluidly outmaneuveur and retaliate to up to 10 opponents has been demonstrated - frequently - and she does it without breaking a sweat. A few captains have lasted more than a few minutes sparring with her, but they have all noted that the longer the fight goes on, the more unbearable it becomes. Eventually, Reihai can overpower any opponent's swordplay. Every other member of the Gotei 13 knows of her incredible prowess with the sword, and it has often been used as a threat to be put to her sword.
Hakuda Combatant [E Rank]:Reihai has no knowledge of Hakuda in the slightest. She is unskilled in it herself (though this is not an indication that she is unfit - she is one of the most physically fit captains as her role and job demand it) and has no ability to defend herself from the onslaught of an opponent if stripped of her swords.
Kidō Combatant [E Rank]:Reihai understands the principles of Kidō, but is almost completely unable to use them herself. She has never tried to learn simply because Kidō do not interest her.
Hohō Combatant [E Rank]:Reihai's ability to perform the basic Shunpō is limited at best. She is able to move short distances somewhat easily, but no further.
Master Calligraphist
Zanpakutō Name: Inori no Tasogare [Prayers to Dusk]
Zanpakutō Appearance:In its sealed state, Inori no Tasogare takes on two individual blades. The first, affectionately nicknamed "Yanagi", is a katana with a completely black decor. The hilt of the katana is a smooth, charcoal-black wood with a thin silk string wrapping, woven around the hilt of the blade in intricate patterns. This silk is particularly smooth, and makes the blade considerably more difficult to grip than other blades. The Tsuba is not metal at all, but is in fact made of sheer obsidian, carved into a rectangular slab and hollowed out somewhat, leaving a thick, rectangular rim of the stone around the edges of the tsuba. The tsuba, aside from this, is completely unpatterened and completely smooth. The blade of this katana is a sharp contrast to the completely black tsuba and guard, however, being sheer white. This blade is, aside from its dazzling array of colour, completely ordinary. The blades of Inori no Tasogare, even when sealed, are fantastically sharp. The very edge of the blade looks almost menacing when light glints from it, seemingly "cutting the light in two". This is untrue, of course, but illusion seems quite real to those who do not know of how Yanagi works.
In a strong juxtaposition, the second katana of Inori no Tasogare - affectionately nicknamed "Hanatoki" - is precisely the same as Yanagi, except both colours are completely reversed. This gives the blades beautiful contrast, one that is reflected in Reihai's appearance.
Zanpakutō Spirit:The spirits of Inori no Tasogare are a pair of twins who look identical, except one is completely dressed in white, and the other completely dressed in black. They both have the appearance of a typical Geisha and each wield their respective sword, Hanatoki or Yanagi. The spirits do not speak to those they do not trust, and could even be described as unsettling given that all they do is stare at anybody except Reihai herself. The spirits have revealed much of themselves to Reihai, and as such she is in harmony with her Zanpakutō. In fact, the trio are so harmonic that Reihai mastered her Zanpakutō long before any of her classmates did. The Inner World of these spirits is a monochrome circular platform, with black and white buildings in various states of ruin littering it. The "edge" of the platform (the buildings can be seen stretching into infinity) is an ornate cage depicting a scene of flower petals being carried in the wind over a pristine lake, surrounded by willow trees. Amidst the ruins there are spirits of those from lost times who have died in wars, or are reliving their experiences in their wars. These spirits cannot be interacted with at all, and will completely ignore anybody trying to communicate with them. The entire world is eerily silent at all times, and aside from the two spirits stood on a white dais in the center of the main platform, no life seems to exist either.
Shikai Appearance:"Cascade into Twilight, Inori no Tasogare."
Upon speaking the release command, Reihai places the hilts of her two katana together and twists each of them ninety degrees. Her grey reiatsu flares for a brief second, and she pulls the blades apart, bringing an addition to the blades out with them: Half of the original hilt remains, but the remainder of it has stretched outwards into a "tuning-fork"-like blade, approximately as long as the blade itself. From this blade, the appropriately coloured silk spills forth as the blade moves.
Shikai Abilities:
Sekai no Kiri [Mist between Worlds] - Reihai perpetuates the rumour that she draws her power from a hidden world, pulling it through the mist between her world and ours in the form of silk. Yanagi, the White Blade, leaves a trail of Black Silk from its hilt. The Black Silk embodies the willows of the hidden world with its subtlety and grace, and dips into it [The Dangai]. This gives the Black Silk the property of being a barrier between worlds, and as such, when it is wrapped around an object or person, they cease to exist in this world and enter the hidden world briefly, while the outside world ceases to exist for them. There is, in theory, no limit to the time this can be held, but it is typically around sixty seconds before the barrier is drawn back into the mists and Reihai must draw it once more. Hanatoki, the Black Blade, leaves a trail of White Silk from its hilt. The White Silk embodies the flowers of the hidden world, vibrant but fleeting, and dips into the hidden world in a unique way. The White Silk could be seen as being unnaturally sharp. While this is true, it is actually not the case: The White Silk's edge cleaves the mist from whence it came, allowing it to separate the barrier effortlessly upon its edge. This allows it to cut almost anything bar Zanpakuto with perfect precision, and as such it is extremely deadly.
Tenraku-Kiji [Tumbling Silk]: An extremely potent zanjutsu technique founded on ancient principles. Reihai, in a burst of sudden speed, cleaves both blades in a circle around her. As well as slicing anything hit by the swords, several layers of white silk are summoned that funnel outwards and spread into a sphere, slicing through anything [almost literally] that it encounters. The technique's execution is almost blindingly fast, and only Reihai's sudden change in stance is noticeable to opponents not familiar with her speed.
Yūkei Kare [Withering Tangibility] - The extentions to Yanagi and Hanatoki are tangible, but are unable to physically come into contact with sapient beings: They pass through Reihai as if she does not exist, and though her opponents or allies as if they do not exist. This does not prevent their effects from being applied to individuals - they can still be cut by the white silk and transported by the black silk. She is unable to weave silk inside people.
Shōten Ikari [Tempered Fury] - Reihai's lust for battle is incredibly strong, but never strong enough to overcome her incredible temperance and grace. The longer she remains in combat, the more powerful and focused her strikes become, until such a point where her strikes are so strong and so precise that even fellow legends have great difficulty in stopping her attacks. In addition to this, Reihai is able to draw upon her reserves of incredible fury, ignoring a large amount of all pain inflicted upon her.
Shiroi-Kiri no Megumi [Grace of the White Mist] - Reihai is able to manipulate the white silk effortlessly so long as Yanagi or Hanatoki are touching it. This allows her to attack rapidly from a distance, or to defend herself against most attacks while subjecting herself to the least potential harm possible. This ability is blindingly fast in execution, and she has been known to be able to kill several foes at once in the time it has taken her to perform a sidestep, simply by cutting them with her white silk.
Hanadai [Flower Fees] - As the time that the silk remains in this world increases, so does its strength. The longer the black silk remains before it is used increases the duration of how long its ability can be used, and the longer the white silk remains in this world, the sharper it gets.
Tenmaru Kanzen [Perfect Heaven Circle] - By composing herself with a surge of Reiatsu, Reihai is able to enter into a pseudo-meditative state of extreme awareness. By forfeiting all sensory input outside of a thirty foot radius circle around her, with her as the centre point, she gains a vast increase in her senses within this circle. In this state, Reihai is able to move at speeds equal to a true master’s Shunpo. She is, however, unable to take more than two steps in any given direction without breaking the technique, and she can only use the technique on a flat surface.
Jigokumaru Kanzen [Perfect Hell Circle] - Similar in theory to the Tenmaru Kanzen, the Jigokumaru Kanzen focuses the area in which Reihai retains control of her senses into an even smaller area, and taps into her immense battle fury. By restricting her senses to a 5 foot circle around her, she sharpens her senses to levels otherwise unheard of, seeing the world - and most importantly combat - in such perfect clarity that most combatants would be unable to take it. By adding her immense fury to this sharpening of her senses, Reihai becomes a killing machine devoid of emotion for a brief period. The area in which the Jigokumaru Kanzen is to be used must be marked with a circle of white silk. Then, as the technique is activated, Reihai begins weaving silk with speed greater than all but the most absolutely powerful Shinigami can keep up with, and then controls it fluidly, essentially reducing anything within her small area to dust. This technique is extremely addictive as it taps into Reihai's fury and focuses her battle intent to inhuman levels, so it is unwise to use frequently. This technique shares the same restrictions as the Tenmaru Kanzen.
Bankai Name: Inori no Tasogare:Kōkai no Ryōiki [Prayers to Dusk: Realm of the Penitent]
Bankai Appearance:In order to release to Bankai, Reihai must stab both of her Katana into the ground (or the air should she be mid-air, unlikely as it is). Then, after a brief second, one line of black energy shoots from the white blade, and one line of white energy shoots from the black blade. These lines of energy then stretch out into a circle, moving symmetrically with each other, and as soon as the circle is completed the energies form a black and white sphere (black on top, white on the bottom) that encompasses Reihai and her opponent(s). Then, the sphere dissipates and all trapped inside of it vanish, to reappear in the Realm of the Penitent. The Realm of the Penitent looks exactly like the inner world.
Upon entering the Kōkai no Ryōiki, Reihai presses the edges of her two katana together, and they both merge to become a single katana, each "half" owning the appearance of the blade that made it. Red Silk spills forth from the blade of Inori no Tasogare while in this form.
Bankai Abilities:
Shisu Keiryū [Mortal Tether] - While inside the world of Kōkai no Ryōiki, nothing outside of the world exists, and you do not exist to the outside world. The only way to be released from the Kōkai no Ryōiki is to kill Reihai. Reihai herself, however, is not bound by this restriction. She is able to, for a second at a time, slip out of the Kōkai no Ryōiki once every five minutes. This does not return her to the real world, however, she is "in between" the two worlds.
Kōkai [Penitence] - While in the Kōkai no Ryōiki, certain laws apply that do not apply in the real world.
1: Upon entering, all objects are made devoid of colour, and all abilities not native to the world become devoid of colour while within the world. Coloured items are more powerful in the Kōkai no Ryōiki, and are exempt from the traditional rules.
2: Attacking your opponent while in the Kōkai no Ryōiki conflicts with the rules of the world, causing the attacker's blade to become weaker and more brittle, while simultaneously attacking their reiatsu. The more one attacks in the world, the more pronounced the effect becomes. Retaliation does not cause this effect. Should the user attack with their Zanpakutō's abilities, Hakuda or Kidō, they will instead suffer the full brunt of the world's retaliation, attacking their reiatsu and weakening them more than if the attack also affected their blade.
3: The longer one goes without attacking, the more powerful their next attack is. This stacks indefinitely, but as the laws effectively prohibit all initiations of attack only retaliatory strikes gain this bonus.
Kōkai no Ken [Sword of the Penitent] - Reihai's red silk and retaliatory slashes do not leave cuts on the opponent. Instead, a hilt and tsuba identical to hers are left on the hit area. As Kōkai's effect becomes more pronounced on the victim, a blade builds up from the hilt, eventually impaling the opponent. The blades cannot be removed, but with enough reiatsu the hilts can be.