Name: Yukiko Shimizu
Nickname: Slayer of Stupid, Incompetent and Disappointing Minions
Age: 121
Gender: Female
Weapon(s): Metal bracers for face punching.
Personality: Yukiko could best be described as a lone wolf. She is slow to trust anyone, and suffers from acute paranoia due to constantly being on the run. Cynical and unlikely to be swayed by kind words, she can be a tough person to get along with. She has seen the worst of human behavior, and isn't much surprised by brutality or malice. Yukiko is soft spoken, preferring to forgo attachments and keep acquaintances at a distance. She does not understand friendship very well, having little experience with it.
Most of the time, she is very masculine, displaying little to no feminine behavior on the surface. This is best evidenced in her choice of attire (or lack thereof). In spite of this, she has a duality to her behavior. Yukiko has a penchant for girlish things, more than happy to take the time to stop and adore wildflowers and cute animals. She actually hates insects, to the point of being scared to death of them; the very sight sends her into a hapless frenzy where she might try to thrash one with her sword or run the hell away.
Yukiko pulls no punches in her fights. She readily slashes at her opponents in whatever way she sees as best fit for the job. Her style usually consists of wild swings; though not amateur in the least, she doesn't cripple herself by falling into a predictable fighting style. When the situation calls for it, she is able to calm down and focus her attacks, but she rarely likes to resort to this method, preferring to overwhelm her opponent with brutal strikes instead.
Physical Appearance:
- Spoiler:
Standing at a rare height of seven feet, Yukiko is a woman of great stature, but little flesh. She is skinny to a fault, though this is attributed to her lack of nourishment over the years as a rogue. Most of her mass is muscle; she has an unhealthy lack of body fat. Her face is androgynous, taking on both feminine grace and masculine rigidity. She sports black eyes and short cut hair, the style of which is straight but unkempt and rough.
Yukiko is perhaps one of the least concerned women when self-image or modesty is involved. Preferring to remain topless, she usually only wears aged Shinigami hakama. Though this habit has been met with bafflement, and in some cases, proposition, such reactions are usually scoffed at, or met with hostility in the latter case.
As an odd accessory, Yukiko wears a necklace of teeth. Each tooth belonged to a strong foe he had battled in her past, be they Shinigami, Hollow, or otherwise. How she goes about removing them is up to speculation, as not all of these entanglements ended in the death of her foe. Her zanpakuto is tied around her shoulder and slung behind her back with a thin, light blue sash.
Bio: Rape.
That's what lead to her entry into this world. Born in the 80th district of southern Rukongai, Shimizu Yukiko was a bastard child. Her parents were a helpless new plus fresh from the living world, and a nameless rat who dared to call himself anything of greater constitution than hell spawn. Her poor mother had barely come out of soul burial before being apprehended by a gang of wretches who proceeded to have their way with her. Luckily, a righteous Shinigami had been patrolling the district that day.
He was an honorable man, personally volunteering to police the 80th south Rukon district; something that was unheard of. No one cared about the denizens there! Yet, he, perhaps having originated from such an area, was all too eager to come and help. Needless to say, when he arrived, he got to work right away. The very first crime he discovered was the sin that resulted in Yukiko's conception. The valiant Shimizu Sanjuro of the Eleventh Division, as she would later learn was his name, had come to her mother's rescue just before the unruly ruffians were about to dispose of her like a used object.
Safety had graced Yukiko's mother like a godsend. Providing her shelter in a far off shack, separated from the 80th district commons, Sanjuro took it upon himself to postpone his mission and ensure this woman's safety. It wasn't long before the two fell in love. They lived peacefully, undisturbed for months. Eventually, with his lover's pregnancy to consider, Sanjuro resolved to stay with her for the long-haul.
When Yukiko was born, the Shinigami couldn't have been happier. Sanjuro quickly forgot his duties to the Gotei Thirteen, and eventually, he stopped reporting back all together. He devoted himself to raising his new daughter. When she was old enough, Yukiko was soon taught the art of combat. Her doting father saw to it that while he showered her with unconditional love, she would be able to defend herself from the horrors of reality. Yukiko gained a lot of practice with her sword, taking to it like ordinary children would to a toy. The girl developed a penchant for fighting and, unbeknownst to her father, would venture into the 80th district proper and regularly brawl with its denizens. Needless to say, her father quickly found out about her adventures due to the injuries she would often bring home. He didn't approve openly, but inside, he was proud; though her mother was cross about it.
One day, her happiness was swiftly and brutally brought to a close. After returning home one night, when she was about fifteen, Yukiko never noticed the shapes that followed her in the shadows. She had an argument with her mother when she returned. Yukiko had once again returned bruised and battered, and her mother was noticeably upset about it. She scolded her daughter about her violent and reckless behavior, and in the end, the girl ran out the back door, sobbing and screaming about not being understood. When Sanjuro came in to see what the commotion was, he tried to calm Yukiko's mother down and reason with her. He never got the chance to sort out the mess. The door was broken down as armed assailants stormed in. Sanjuro commanded his lover to flee while he held them off, and reluctantly, she escaped unhindered.
When Yukiko was found by her mother, she was confused as she was dragged along further into the wilderness. They ran and ran until she finally forced her mother to stop and tell her what was going on. The parent then collapsed to her knees while embracing her daughter and crying her heart out, begging Yukiko not to leave her too.
After she calmed her down, Yukiko led her mother back to the house, where they discovered the mutilated corpse of her beloved father-figure. Sanjuro had been murdered by the assailants. Suddenly, she heard her mother from behind her silently crying; she was expecting this. She then told Yukiko the truth about her birth, how Sanjuro wasn't her real father. The world collapsed around her as she learned the ugly truth. She was a bastard child; the daughter of bandits. The very same bandits who she and her mother suspected were the perpetrators of her father's slaughter. They had come back for revenge.
Yukiko stormed into the hideout of the gang of thugs who allegedly killed her father. She showed no mercy. Every last one of them fell to her practiced blade; she had surpassed her father in skill and carried out her vengeance.
Having nothing left in her eyes, she bid her mother farewell and left for the Seireitei; she wanted to enroll in the Shinigami Academy and follow in Sanjuro's footsteps. In doing so, she hoped to become everything her loving father had hoped for her to be. Yukiko was a quick learner when it came to Zanjutsu; she easily placed top in the class. Though she lacked the finesse that most students displayed, she lost to no opponent short of a skilled instructor. She fared well in Hakuda, her experience from the hell that was the 80th district shining through. Yukiko was decent at the art of Hohō; her footwork left something to be desired, but she managed to pass the class. Kidō was by far her worst subject. She could barely form the most basic spell.
Time passed, and Yukiko came close to graduation. During the brief vacation that came once a year, she took the time to visit her mother back in the 80th district. Her mother, needless to say, was delighted to see her. They had a pleasant reunion, right up until the moment where the older woman collapsed on the spot. Panicked, Yukiko rushed her parent to the nearest clinic as fast as her legs could carry her. It was there she learned that her mother was very ill, and that at this stage, only the esteemed doctors of the Fourth Division would be of any help to her. Yukiko brought her mother with her on the return trip to the Seireitei, and with special permission, had her admitted to the emergency room.
There, she learned the truth. In order to obtain a usable medical history, the surgeons ran a genetic test on her mother. The results were many things: shocking, wonderful, tragic. It turned out, that her mother didn't get pregnant with Yukiko until sometime after she started living with who the results said was her biological father. Shimizu Sanjuro was her dad after all. His blood flowed through her veins. Yukiko cried her heart out at this beautiful, yet bitter revelation.
Yukiko spent the remainder of her time in her dormitory while she awaited her mother's recovery. She was soon approached by the Second Division. They wanted to know about her father? How did they even know-
The results. They had gotten word of the family connection! But why did that matter to them? Unless... Yukiko's heart began to beat rapidly as a sinking feeling came upon her. Sure enough, the messengers were well aware of Sanjuro's demise. They were the ones who ordered it! His negligence in reporting had led to the command of his execution! Sanjuro had been declared AWOL, and hunting parties had been sent to track him down. The assailants that slaughtered her center of happiness, her dear, beloved father, were the very Shinigami she was about to join.
She was then informed of the situation of her mother. She was dead. They had pulled the plug. They hadn't even bothered to treat her! She had been labelled an accomplice just because of her relation to a criminal of the Gotei Thirteen!
Her mouth dried at their next words; everything suddenly became clear to her.
"So you see, Shimizu-san, we have orders to take you into custody, with force, if necessary." The two Shinigami shifted uncomfortably as she stared them down. They could feel the malice radiating off of her. It occurred to them that, yes, force would indeed be necessary.
"Godless bastards!" Yukiko reached for the Asauchi rested beside her door frame, and before the two messengers could blink, their lives faded. Blood splattered onto her Academy shihakusho as her blade ripped through their torsos. Yukiko could only stare for minutes as the two Shinigami's lifeless bodies fell limply to the wooden walkway.
Breath returned to her, as the reality of what she had just done struck. At first, she panicked. But then, she realized what she had to do. Yukiko packed the old clothes she had worn from her days in the 80th District, a worn yukata and hakama. She dragged the two bodies into her dorm room, thanking her luck that it was late and she was in a relatively lifeless section of the Seireitei. She made short work of the freshly spilled blood, erasing any immediately noticeable evidence of the crime she had just committed. She stole the shihakusho of one of the Shinigami, the one closest to her size, and exchanged her garb for it.
As subtly as possible, she made her way to the Senkaimon. There, she camped out, waiting for an opportunity to make her move. Luckily, today was the day that a large expedition was to depart to the living world and go on patrol. Yukiko traversed down to the street, nonchalantly slipping into the crowd of Shinigami. On the other side, the defected Shinigami split from the group with the same stealth she displayed before; she soon vanished from the radar of the Gotei Thirteen.
Yukiko prepared herself to enter the world, alone. She knew life would be hard for her from then on. Running from the ravening gaze of the Gotei was no easy task. The first few parties were easy enough to handle, but all too soon, the enemies grew tougher. No mercy would ever be given to her, nor would any justice. She was the daughter of a traitor, and now, a murderer of her own volition.
Eventually Yukiko began to run out of places to hide. The Shinigami were persistent. It was then that a man wearing a broken mask proposed a deal to her, recognizing her potential for power. She would act as an enforcer within his ranks, and in return, he would provide her assylum from the Shinigami that pursued her.
The Arrancar, as Yukiko later learned his kind were called, was attempting to establish his own power base to subvert the will of the Espada regime. What his true intentions were, Yukiko never discovered. Soon after he began to establish a base of operations, one of the Espada caught wind of the development and immediately moved to strike it down before it could become a problem. Yukiko was the sole survivor of this attack, having been in the world of the living during the assault. When she returned to Hueco Mundo to find her only shelter had been razed, she knew peace would never find her.
Ages passed, and Yukiko spent most of her life fighting, honing her power, and living amongst Hollows. The constant exposure over many long days and nights awakened a power hidden within her. It was her Inner Hollow. Its power greatly augmented her ability to defend herself and survive constant attack. The more she used her mask, the more she became like a Hollow. Her very nature eventually became all too similar to the Arrancar.
Zanpakutō
Name: Esuka
Zanpakutō spirit: Once portrayed as a Yamato Nadeshiko of ice and snow, Esuka has forgotten her original name in favor of a new one adopted from a close relationship with Yukiko’s Inner Hollow. Where her original name had a meaning, her new one does not. Her once long and extravagant kimono is now cut as if it were a summer outfit; the top only covers her chest, leaving her shoulders and midriff bare. The hakama are short, acting more like a miniskirt than anything else. Esuka’s personality is somewhat reserved, but she is not above making comments in jest of her wielder.
Sealed form: Esuka takes the form of a stylized nodachi. The hilt wrappings, cap, and saya are all shades of light blue, while the tsuba is a cross with a ring intersecting the prongs; the tsuba appears to be composed of bone. A short ice blue strip of cloth is tied to the end of the hilt.
Shikai
Call out phrase: Hunger
Shikai description: Esuka’s released form takes on the appearance of a large cleaver-type sword, with heavy modification. Rather than a knife shape, it is molded into a form reminiscent of a talon; its metal appears exactly like ice, and is easily as long as Yukiko is tall. The front edge of the blade is serrated with downward pointing teeth, designed to rend flesh from bone more than slice. Wrapped around the tang of the ice sword is a navy blue linen cloth, secured on both ends by small, menacing looking skulls. The tang ends in a harpoon-like blade point.
Ability: Esuka is a Zanpakuto that has been greatly influenced by Hollow power; it is brutal in nature. Any blood spilt by its blade (note that it must have left the body) freezes instantly before slowly gathering into a cloud of frigid air surrounding the wielder. This frozen blood may subsequently be used multiple ways.
Techniques:
Shimo (Hoarfrost) – Yukiko swings her sword in a wide arc, blasting all of the accumulated shards of frozen blood around her. These shards triple in size before shattering into shrapnel once again, designed to maximize the potential to draw blood rather than kill anything outright. This ability’s magnitude is dependent on the amount of frozen blood at her disposal. These shards must once again make their way back to be used again.
Muhyou (Rime) – Yukiko supercharges the shards of frozen blood around her to create a strong, makeshift shield. It is capable of mitigating strong attacks for a short period of time before crumbling, after which all shards of blood are obliterated and cannot be used again.
Bankai
Bankai name: Hyougakotsu Esuka (Glacier Bone Esuka)
Bankai description: Hyougakotsu Esuka’s blade is 30% larger than the shikai stage, with longer teeth and hooking point at the end. The tang has grown much longer, making the entire weapon much more like a naginata cleaver. Attached around her torso is a large ice-sculpture mockery of a rib cage and spine, triple the size of a human’s. At each shoulder bone is a crude cylindrical structure that constantly emits two things: a steady, if slow flow of half frozen bloody slush, and plumes of bluish green smog.
Ability:
Shimo (Hoarfrost) – Augmented by the flow of blood slush gushing from the structures of Yukiko’s bankai, Shimo is now much deadlier than before, shooting large chunks of spikey ice boulders in all directions like cannonballs.
Muhyou (Rime) – A stronger version of the shikai technique, this shield can mitigate great amounts of damage for a short period of time, but all of the icy blood is obliterated afterwards. Additionally, using this ability stops slush flow from the shoulders for two posts.
Samuigumo (Cold Cloud) – The bluish green smog emitted from Yukiko’s shoulder pipes acts as an inhibitor to foes who inhale its fumes. Reaction time is noticeably slowed; in other words, while perception of attacks is not hindered, the ability to act on these perceptions is.
Inner Hollow
Name of inner hollow: Escarcha
Personality: Escarcha possesses much the same personality traits as Yukiko herself. A source of great strength and power over her many years of loneliness, Escarcha and Yukiko share a symbiotic relationship rivaling that of the one between Shinigami and Zanpakutou.
Appearance: Escarcha appears like color-inverted Yukiko whose outfit and accessories mirror Yukiko’s own.
Hollow Powers: Due to Yukiko’s extensive attunement to her Hollow self, she is capable of using a number of basic Hollow powers, including Garganta, Cero, and Sonido while masked.
Bajo Cero (Sub Zero) – Yukiko’s cero takes an unusual form. Rather than a red beam of destruction, it is a similarly size beam of flash freezing power. Bajo Cero possesses the same output and destructive capacity of a normal cero, but instead of burning, it freezes. Associated medical risks such as frostbite are highly likely for a victim
Hollow mask: Yukiko's hollow mask is not elegant. Rather, it appears to be inspired by some feral, otherworldly beast. It fits over her head like a skull, allowing her hair to peek out from beneath it. The upper jaw is wider than usual, possessing a row of sharp teeth. The lower jaw is its most striking feature, protruding greatly under the mask. It is bulky, crude, and lined with massive, jagged teeth. The eye holes are thin, only allowing for horizontal slots of view, but given their proximity to her face, do not hinder her. Overall, the mask is reminiscent of some feral primate. Upon using the mask, Yukiko's Seijuu increases by 3 points.
Role-play sample: It had been some time before she had done any mercenary work. Still, Yukiko could not deny that the job had its benefits.
She had come upon a small village in a rather undeveloped, if spiritually aware, community in Africa. The natives there were unbothered by her appearance, both choice of dress and otherworldly quality; the former because the women there lacked tops as well, and the latter because they were very familiar with the spirits of the dead.
Recently, the village had come under attack by a band of renegade Arrancar. These individuals were not part of the Espada faction currently controlling Hueco Mundo, rather, they worked alone and in the name of some “Wrathgod Taco,” if she recalled the name correctly. All the Arrancar sounded alike. Hernandez this, Jose that. Why couldn’t they have unique names like hers? The attacks had been simple enough to thwart initially; the shamans of the village were well versed in spiritual combat, and bravely defended their home in times of crisis.
Lately, however, the Arrancar had grown in number and power. Their attacks on the village grew bolder and more frequent, and soon the natives were seeking aid from others. Yukiko happened to stumble across them at this time, and offered up her services for food and shelter. The villagers were more than happy to please a harbinger of death, and requested she cleanse their land of the evil that haunted it. Presumably they were referring to the Arrancar.
This was how she found herself staring up at the gaudy castle crudely built into the mountainside.
“Seriously?” Yukiko heaved a great sigh as she shook the disappointment from her thoughts. These guys were clearly amateurs or something. It was bad enough that they were trying to imitate the grand palace of Las Noches, but to brazenly paint cartoonish pictures detailing their alleged conquests over the Espada with space-age weaponry had almost compelled her to puke.
Sure enough, there were countless Arrancar inside. Each was about as strong as a guy off the street who picked up a metal bat. There were literally thousands of them. Each and every one was a zealot, fanatic to the point of throwing themselves at her to be killed in an effort to slow her down or make her trip over their corpses or something. After what seemed like hours, Yukiko had finally made her way to the throne room of Wargod Taco.
“Congratulations! Allow me, Wargod Taquestia, to grant you a title befitting the amazing achievement you just performed! Henceforth, you shall be known as the Slayer of Incompetent, Stupid and Disappointing Minions!” Acting as if this were some epic confrontation instead of the woefully anti-climactic skirmish it actually was, Warlord (Taco?) Taquestia lunged at Yukiko, only to find his way to the Soul Society shortly after being purified.
At least it was a break from the bloodthirsty monsters that came for her daily in Hueco Mundo, or the relentless Onmitsu who were hell bent on disemboweling her in the world of the living.
-
Stats:
Rank - ADV-2
Hankou - 12
Reiryoku - 10
Hakudo - 10
Seijuu - 13
Bukijuu - 14
Hoho - 12
Points Earned: (+1 Hoho)
Total - 70
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