but you go on, and on.

+permissions post.

heartdissonance — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 18:16:46 GMT

Shijima Kuro'okano of Nabari no Ou.

oocly:

1). Backtagging: YES, I am so okay with this. Worry not! Prod me if I've forgotten something, too! Whatever you'd like to continue, man.
2). Threadhopping: Am cool with this.
3). Fourthwalling: Um, please talk with me!
4). Canon puncture: No thank you.
5). Offensive subjects: If your character would ICly say something offensive, I won't take up issue.

icly:

1). Hugging this character: lmao, if you like, though she might smack the hugger.
2). Kissing this character: The head or the cheek is fine, although she might react strangely. If, for whatever reason, your character wants to kiss her on the mouth, please let me know first. c:
3). Flirting with this character: Sure! She won't get much of it, or will say 'creepy,' though.
4). Fighting with this character: For certain.
5). Injuring this character: I'd want to talk it through, since TDS will hinder her regenerative abilities. I'd probably be cool with it though.
6). Killing this character: That'd take extensive plotting!
7). Using telepathy/mind reading abilities on this character: Please let me know first! But I'll likely be game for it.

+character expression meme

heartdissonance — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 21:02:24 GMT

The Character Expression Meme
Character: Shijima Kuro-okano
Journal: heartdissonance
RPG: sirenspull

.happy.	.sad.	.angry.	.scared.

.disgusted.	.surprised.	.flirty.	.sexual.

.confused.	.shy.	.playful.	.rage.

.hurt.	.guilty.	.bored.	.laughing.

.sarcastic.	.tired.	.wtf.	.pride.

.sympathy.	.evil.	.innocent.	.in love.

YOUR	FOUR	FAVORITE	ICONS

WANT TO DO IT TOO?
Snag yourself the coding here.

+survey meme

heartdissonance — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 21:53:03 GMT

a billion things: cat bonus round.

Body and Appearance
1. Describe the character's height and build. Is she heavyset, thin, short, rangy? She's around four feet and six inches tall. She's thin - weighs too little, as do so many characters in this series - her body seems very delicate, to be truthful. Little and light.

2. How old is she? Around two hundred.

3. Describe her posture. Does she carry herself well or does she slouch? Ahaha, her slouch. Her posture is often really terrible, and she has a habit of swaying around on her feet - sometimes her walk's more like a drunken stagger. She certainly can stand up straight, when she feels like it, but it's obvious she prefers not to.

4. How is her health? Is she fit or out of shape? Any illnesses or conditions? Any physical disabilities? Perfect health, what with being immortal and all.

5. How does she move? Is she clumsy, graceful, tense, fluid? She can seem quite clumsy, because of her posture and wiggling, but she is very, very graceful. Cats always land on their feet.

6. How attractive is this character physically? How does she perceive herself in the mirror? Ah, not many people comment on that in-series... closest I can think of is Miharu saying that she looks similar to the spirit of the Shinrabanshou, who's said to be quite lovely. I think Shijima's appearance would be perceived as pretty cute, though her hair is often unkempt. Honestly I don't think she cares one way or the other. She chose her appearance, for the most part, so she must be all right with it.

7. Describe her complexion. Dark, light, clear, scarred? Not a single scar on all of her body. She's just a little paler - and a bit 'pinker' toned - than Miharu.

8. Describe her hair: color, texture, style. Long, long hair, though curiously, it has a tendency to change lengths quite a bit. (I'm going with the idea that it's because she changes forms so often, and doesn't get all the details exactly right every time.) It's completely devoid of any pigmentation. It's very thick, and wavy; she always has it free-flowing, and it gets in her eyes a lot. She doesn't take care of it herself, very well, so if someone doesn't brush it for her, it's going to be pretty messy.

9. What color are her eyes? Yellow, like this.

10. Does the character have any other noteworthy features? Her canine teeth are a little sharper than they ought to be. She pretty much always has bows on her clothing.

11. What are her chief tension centers? Her hands, maybe; her face, too. She actually doesn't appear tense all that often, though.

12. What is the character's wardrobe like? Casual, dressy, utilitarian? Bright colors, pastels, neutrals? Is it varied, or does she have six of the same suit? Girlish. She dresses like a little girl might. Little skirts, and sometimes little shorts, and lately she's taken to thigh high stockings, too. Often when she's wearing a dress, it's very flowy. She always has long sleeves, though that honestly may be the weather speaking... She says that Kouichi is the one who picks her clothes for her, by the way.

13. Do her clothes fit well? Does she seem comfortable in them? They do fit her well, and she seems comfortable enough in them. She doesn't have very much regard for potential upskirt shots, though.

14. Does she dress the same on the job as she does in her free time? If not, what are the differences? Well. Now that she's not attending the Alya Academy, she certainly doesn't wear the uniform any more, but she still wears little skirts and things. I guess this is sort of hard to say... Okay, how about this: when she's 'working' as Shijima, she dresses in a similar fashion often, but obviously it's very different from when she's Shiratama, since cats. Don't really like clothes.

15. You knew it was coming: Boxers, briefs or commando? MIHARU'S SHORTS. :|

Speech
1. What does this character's voice sound like? High-pitched, deep, hoarse? A little girl's voice with an eerie background too it. It's feminine, but not exactly high; a little throaty, perhaps. She's got a very, very slight lisp.

2. How does she normally speak? Loud, soft, fast, evenly? Does she talk easily, or does she hesitate? It varies. Pretty often she speaks softly and evenly, but if her temper flares or she becomes excited, her voice comes much more harshly, and she's louder. She isn't a hesitant speaker.

3. Does the character have a distinct accent or dialect? Any individual quirks of pronunciation? Any, like, you know, verbal tics? No, her speech - well, the way she speaks, anyway - is pretty direct.

4. What language/s does she speak, and with how much fluency? Japanese, of course, and English, in Siren's Port, but I suspect that after two centuries of being alive and considered a Chinese mythological beast, she can speak a good amount of that, too.

5. Does she switch languages or dialects in certain situations? No.

6. Is she a good impromptu speaker, or does she have to think about her words? She seems pretty good at just running her mouth when she wants to.

7. Is she eloquent or inarticulate? Under what circumstances might this change? There's a strange case in Shijima in that she's... very eloquent, but the way she speaks - in Japanese, at least - is just weird; she ends up using a whooole bunch of words and particles and things that she doesn't actually need to. I try to carry this over in English by having her speak confusingly, or talking too much instead of getting straight to her point.

Mental and Emotional
1. How intelligent is this character? Is she book-smart or street-smart? She's quite intelligent; she's read a lot and seen a lot, in the years she's been alive. She isn't a genius, but she's had so much time to learn.

2. Does she think on her feet, or does she need time to deliberate? Much of the time she thinks on her feet. She can be pretty impulsive, depending.

3. Describe the character's thought process. Is she more logical, or more intuitive? Idealistic or practical? That also depends. Generally she's logical and practical, but she also trusts her intuition very heavily. Her practicalities can blur into cynical idealism and outlandish doomsday feelings, at times.

4. What kind of education has the character had? Years and years of reading through things. She attended school for a short while, but studied the students more than the classes.

5. What are her areas of expertise? What, if anything, is she interested in learning more about? She is interested in learning about everything. Kouichi once says that her interest is inexhaustible. If there is something, she probably wants to know it. Of course, different things take priority, so she'll choose between if necessary, or will dismiss lesser opportunities, but she's just so hungry for knowledge - especially when it comes to humans and matters of the heart. Her areas of expertise are the Tenpenka technique, and, comparatively, the Shinrabanshou itself.

6. Is she an introvert or an extrovert? An extrovert, I think. She can certainly be hammy, or put on performances, and as much as she dislikes people, she dislikes being alone even more.

7. Describe the character's temperament. Is she even-tempered or does she have mood swings? Cheerful or melancholy? Laid-back or driven? So mood swingy. More often than not she's careless and casual, and she loves to mock people, but she can lose her temper at strange provocations, and a melancholy atmosphere definitely isn't impossible for her to achieve, either. She's sort of an 'I've got all the time in the world' person, so with a lot of things she's pretty laid-back, but she knows when to show drive, too.

8. How does she respond to new people or situations? Is she suspicious, relaxed, timid, enthusiastic? Suspicious and crabby, a lot of the time. She can warm up surprisingly quickly, though.

9. Is she more likely to act, or to react? React.

10. Which is her default: fight or flight? Fight, definitely fight. She enjoys it.

11. Describe the character's sense of humor. Does she appreciate jokes? Puns? Gallows humor? Bathroom humor? Pranks? Haha she's so mean. She loves to just mess with people, or make fun of them. Sometimes she can just get cruel with it. If she's not fond of you, she'll probably have great fun with hurting your feelings.

12. Does the character have any diagnosable mental disorders? If yes, how does she deal with them? Nothing's been stated in-series, but, um... She's incredibly morbid, there is probably something up there. It's likely she could be classified as a sadist. lol what is coping though

13. What moments in this character's life have defined her as a person? Her 'creation' by the Shinrabanshou; her meeting with Kotarou Fuuma; the moment she held control over Tenpenka; meeting Akatsuki Rokujou; the deaths of Akatsuki and Asahi Rokujou; very likely her heart to heart with Miharu Rokujou.

14. What does she fear? Being completely alone.

15. What are her hopes or aspirations? T-To die. :(

16. What is something she doesn't want anyone to find out about her? How frightened she can be of total loneliness.

Relationships
1. Describe this character's relationship with her parents. They're dead, she doesn't remember them much at all.

2. Does the character have any siblings? What is/was their relationship like? She was part of a litter of kittens, of course, but she probably didn't know them well and doesn't care to think about them now.

3. Are there other blood relatives to whom she is close? Are there ones she can't stand? No, she pretty much outlived them all ahaha :(

4. Are there other, unrelated people whom she considers part of her family? What are her relationships with them? Miharu Rokujou is her 'family.' I think she loves him, as much as she's able. She's willing to harm him if necessary, but she's willing to go to great lengths to help him, too.

5. Who is/was the character's best friend? How did they meet? Kouichi Aizawa, the other Hakutaku; her bird. They were both 'created' around the same time, and they've been together ever since. She relies on him for companionship, and secretly, for comfort. She won't call him her friend, but really it's what they are.

6. Does she have other close friends? It's hard to say, since she's such a lover of grey areas. In canon she certainly doesn't, but in Siren's Port, Miles Edgeworth and Big Boss are the people she likes best. Abel, when he was here, was someone she also had heart for.

7. Does she make friends easily, or does she have trouble getting along with people? She's pretty bad at making friends because she's very rude. If people end up tolerating or liking her anyway, she just insults them a lot.

8. Which does she consider more important: family or friends? Probably ambivalent as far as that goes.

9. Is the character single, married, divorced, widowed? Has she been married more than once? Single single single forever.

10. Is she currently in a romantic relationship with someone other than a spouse? Nnnnnnooo.

11. Who was her first crush? Who is her latest? She probably did end up with a crush on someone decades and decades and decades ago, who knows, but I'd be hard-pressed not to say that I think she had feelings for Miharu's father. It doesn't seem like she's fully gotten over it. Despite, you know, him having been married with a child and then having died ten years ago.

12. What does she look for in a romantic partner? Honestly, probably someone to take care of her. She doesn't want a romantic partner, though.

13. Does the character have children? Grandchildren? If yes, how does she relate to them? If no, does she want any? Nnnnooooooo.

14. Does she have any rivals or enemies? She's a potential enemy to like everyone.

15. What is the character's sexual orientation? Where does she fall on the Kinsey scale? I don't even know if she cares, man. :/

16. How does she feel about sex? How important is it to her? Again, doesn't caaaare.

17. What are her turn-ons? Turn-offs? Weird bedroom habits? I HAVE NO IDEA I've only ever considered like one sexy scenario with her, ever, and now I'm embarrassed.

Beliefs
1. Do you know your character's astrological (zodiac of choice) sign? How well does she fit type? I HAVE NO IDEA WHEN SHE WAS BORN ;_;

2. Is this character religious, spiritual, both, or neither? How important are these elements in her life? Probably neither, really.

3. Does this character have a personal code of morals or ethics? If so, how did that begin? What would it take to compromise it? Her personal code basically amounts to 'do whatever I need to.'

4. How does she regard beliefs that differ from hers? Is she tolerant, intolerant, curious, indifferent? She can be curious. I think she can also be disdainful, or just indifferent.

5. What prejudices does she hold? Are they irrational or does she have a good reason for them? She's prejudiced against everyone. Irrationally.

Daily Life
1. What is the character's financial situation? Is she rich, poor, comfortable, in debt? Comfortably poor!

2. What is her social status? Has this changed over time, and if so, how has the change affected her? She doesn't have much of a social status. She's sociable when she feels like it.

3. Where does she live? House, apartment, trailer? Is her home her castle or just a place to crash? What condition is it in? Does she share it with others? 'Home' is just a place to crash, and so she has multiple homes.

4. Besides the basic necessities, what does she spend her money on? Whatever the hell she wants.

5. What does she do for a living? Is she good at it? Does she enjoy it, or would she rather be doing something else? She lives for a living. Doesn't care much for paying jobs.

6. What are her interests or hobbies? How does she spend her free time? Her hobbies are spending her free time making fun of people and rolling around.

7. What are her eating habits? Does she skip meals, eat out, drink alcohol, avoid certain foods? She likes fish, of course. She likes meat in general, though; isn't as fond of vegetables. Doesn't care much for alcohol, picks onions out of her food. If someone offers her food, she'll eat it.

Associations
Which of the following do you associate with the character, or which is her favorite:

1. Color? white
2. Smell? o-old blood and baking soda ;;
3. Time of day? evening or nighttime
4. Season? autumn
5. Book? sweet hearts by melanie rae thon; i'm a dork for that book but it does sort of seem like a shijima book. :/ creepy.
6. Music? the 'alya academy' track from the series' soundtrack; U2's crumbs from your table or mysterious ways; rilo kiley's science vs romance.
7. Place? somewhere cold and snowy
8. Substance? hair
9. Plant? dandelions; white camellias
10. Animal? .......cat

END
Get the HTML here so you can do it yourself.

+answering machine

heartdissonance — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 22:08:42 GMT

[Click.

Breathy huff.

It hangs up.]

+contact / info

heartdissonance — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 22:06:41 GMT

mun; rinna / rinnakins
aim; buono buono ooh / unitamente / pata pata tsuuu
lj messaging on this account is open.
comment here, to get in touch, if it's more convenient.

--

in-game character notes;

⌈tbc.⌋

--

journal layout;

THANKS RUSSIA ;w;

+character info

heartdissonance — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 22:04:27 GMT

Player Information

Name: Rinna
Age: eighteen
AIM SN: popecats
email: rinnachu@gmail.com
Have you played in an LJ based game before? yep c:
Currrently Played Characters: Alois Trancy.
Conditional: Activity Check Link: For Alois.

Character Information

General
Canon Source: Nabari no Ou
Canon Format: manga
Character's Name: Shijima Kurookano, as a girl, and Shiratama, as a cat. It can be assumed that neither of these are her original name.
Character's Age: Unknown. At what would pretty much be the very least, 150 years old. It's likely that she's somewhere around 200. Appearance, however, pegs her as an adolescent girl (or a year-old cat, depending).

What form will your character's NV take? This thing. She will chew on it.

Abilities
Character's Canon Abilities: One of Shijima's most defining characteristics is her immortality. She cannot die, no matter the cirumstances; old age, after around two centuries, certainly hasn't killed her, nor have any gruesome injuries - the same goes for the effects of Tenpenka. The secret art and pride of the clan of Fuuma is an extraordinary shinobi science: it is, basically, shapeshifting. Tenpenka allows the user to manipulate their body's own cells; recreate, rearrange - from what we've seen, most anything is possible, provided a person can control the technique well enough. However, Tenpenka's drawback is the inevitable misalignment of cells: a user, no matter who, will eventually lose just a fraction of their grasp on the technique, and the fumbling between cells will kill them. Shijima herself has surely suffered these effects, yet here she is today.

Her healing abilities are not quite instantaneous, but her body does completely repair its wounds, whether they're small or include the loss of a limb. It's important to note, however, that when she did regain an arm she'd lost, she reattached it herself, simply tying it on with a bandage, before the body reaccepted it. In theory, she could simply recreate a limb using Tenpenka, but it would be much more taxing. Furthermore, Kouichi, with the same regenerative ability, was able to heal a gunshot wound through the chest just fine. Granted, it took a couple of days for his scar tissue to fade; it's possible that Shijima's arm would have regrown on its own, but reattaching it manually was a quicker and more convenient way to go about things.

Physical limitations far outclass a human's, in Shijima's case. She has the sensory abilities of a feline, and she has a general agility that can be pretty remarkable. She's also incredibly stealthy; this is owed not only to her cat habits, but to the fact that she's spent years training as a shinobi. Her strength is indeed somewhat surprising, considering her small body; she's been known to drag and toss two fully grown men, using one hand for each. However, she generally relies on the power of her teeth and jaws, and her claws.

She's much more defenseless in her cat's body. It's harder to catch, but it's likely not as durable, making it more difficult for her to act quickly. In that state, she doesn't have very many ways to be aggressive, with her flimsier claws and a more limited range of motion.

Gogyou-jutsu - the shinobi art that utilizes the elements - is also something she can perform, though it's not prominent with her. She often attracts animals while in her human form, even those she'd otherwise eat. Apparently she can understand them just fine.

And, despite her lack of social skills, she's sort of really 'wise' after two centuries, so she's pretty good at reading people, too.

Weapons: A white-hilted katana, swiped from someone she'd been just about to impale.

History/Personality/Plans/etc.

Character History: Japan's Edo period ran from the year 1603 to 1868, and Shijima's birth took place during what's only stated to be 'the later part' of this time. It's likely, by now, for her series does take place in the present day, that not even she remembers the exact date she was born on, but personal speculation places it somewhere around 1800, give or take a few years.

She's the result of an experiment - a mixture of both medicine and what's most easily, yet inaccurately, described as magic. The Shinrabanshou is, in her world, a manifestion of godlike wisdom. All things in nature is what it means, and it's exactly that. Understandably, this 'forbidden art' is highly coveted, since mastering the technique would allow the user to warp reality completely to their own desires. The Shinrabanshou creates a god out of man; if an individual can manage to withstand the crushing amount of knowledge weighing down their mind, anything will be under their control.

It's this that Shijima's born from.

The second-to-last known keeper of the art was a man hailing from a family of medical practitioners. His interest in regeneration and longevity drove him to experiment with the Shinrabanshou, once he was confident with his hold on it. Even so, tampering with human bodies only killed the subjects - frustrated, and intent on finding answers, he used his power to transfer the 'heart' (and therefore mind, intelligence, and thoughts) of a human being into various animals. The animals' bodies, at first, withstood the overflow of wisdom, and their more advanced thoughts would help to forward the doctor's research in these areas.

Shinrabanshou's influence, however, is overwhelming to all who've set it into motion, and not only did many of the experiments die, but the user of the art, as well. It wouldn't appear again for nearly two hundred years.

Two of the lifeforms remained. One owl, and one cat, yet neither with the heart of an animal. They couldn't integrate back into the societies of their respective species, and they were unable to speak with the humans their minds resembled. They wandered. For at least a hundred years, they wandered, staying among the trees and watching villages. Sometimes they died, without ever really doing so. Sometimes they went years and years without breaking their bodies.

What is most important, however, is that they stayed together, side by side with a mutual understanding. If they parted, it was never for a large span of time (and it was usually Shijima who did the leaving). If they parted, they would always go back to each other. Decades kept them close.

After perhaps a century, or maybe a little longer, the two, in their travels, came across Kotarou Fuuma, a child of his surname's clan. He was young, but exceedingly intellectual, and Shijima, in her own curiosity, suggested to her owl companion that they approach him. Unable to speak, Shijima simply held a brush in her mouth to paint out a note to him.

Fuuma, though so small, was fascinated by the creatures, and he led them to his clan's pride: Tenpenka, the art of reforming cells. An ultimate disguise. And, in some cases, a source of longevity - keeping the body fresh and free from age.

The owl learned the art first. Fuuma was delighted with what he saw standing before him - a man, or an imitation thereof; someone who could speak with him, tell him the story of these creatures. From this came an alliance that would last for around another century. Shijima, at the time refusing to fully utilize Tenpenka for herself, walked by the owl-man's side for several more decades. They traveled, and learned, and they awaited the resurfacing of the Shinrabanshou. By then, they were desperate; they simply wanted to die.

Ten years ago, the owl had appeared as a small boy - no more than a toddler. Simply biding his time as a child, he was adopted into a family, and took the name Kouichi Aizawa; from there, he would grow up in Banten village, which was small and unassuming, and a nearly defunct ninja faction. It was because of Shijima's own luck, just a couple of years earlier; as a cat, she'd crept into a little house, snatched a bite to eat, and intended to be off. It was that simple.

Of course, it didn't stay that simple. Akatsuki Rokujou, the owner of that house, found her and smiled at her and said, 'Ah, so you have a human heart, don't you?' It was chance, perhaps, that she'd run into a man who came from a family of those able to interact and understand animals especially well.

Taken on as his housecat, she stayed close to him, and observed. From there, things escalated. Akatsuki's wife, Asahi, was revealed to be exactly what Shijima had been searching for all these decades. As the keeper of the Shinrabanshou, Asahi held the possibility to end Shijima's life. It was this idea that the little cat became enamored with. Her life with the Rokujou family seemed fated, and Shijima believed that she would be able to die, as she wished. She waited.

They had a child, Akatsuki and Asahi. He was called Miharu, and he was the light of their lives, the most precious thing they could imagine. Still, Shijima waited. Still, she watched. He grew up normally, with an incredibly loving family, with no overlay of shinobi fright, with no influence of the Shinrabanshou. He carried Shijima - Shiratama, she was called - about like a ragdoll. He drew sloppy things and he scuffed his knees. It was an entirely natural family.

Shijima waited.

It took four years for news of the Shinrabanshou to surface among other ninja. At first, the situation wasn't seen as desperate; Asahi was ever the optimist, and though she called a friend of her family's all the way from Ireland to help her, she was sure that his assistance would pull everything together neatly. Black Kumohira worked to create what they called Zekuu; its knowledge would safely extract the Shinrabanshou from Asahi and cast it aside. Black's grandson, Thobari, participated sullenly. All would be well, Asahi promised. Nothing would happen.

Everything bad that could happen, did. Asahi was attacked before Zekuu could be performed. Akatsuki and Black were killed as they tried to protect both Asahi and Miharu. Thobari, left in charge of the four-year-old child, was not able to keep everything steady, on his own. Miharu, killed in the crossfire, was resurrected by Asahi's Shinrabanshou - an unforgiveable sin, as Thobari calls it, and one that overwhelmed and killed her. Thobari and Miharu were left with no one. Shinrabanshou had taken Miharu's body, instead. All of their plans had failed.

Shijima and Kouichi watched the entire thing.

However, the effects of the Shinrabanshou were strong, and no person in existence can remember a thing from that night - barring Thobari Durandal Kumohira. He is left with the memories of the Rokujou's deaths, and he is the only one who knows what Asahi held inside of her.

Another decade of biding her time as a housecat is what it took, for Shijima. She stayed with Miharu and watched him grow, and observed Thobari from afar. And, when the Shinrabanshou awoke within Miharu once again, her plan pitched forward once more. The cat would disappear for days at a time, and later, we find out why: She had contacted the leader of another shinobi village, the Kouga, and enrolled in their academy as one Shijima Kurookano. There, her mission was to study, both 'what people will sacrifice,' and 'what is important to humans.' Dull, perhaps, but very informative.

When Miharu himself made his way to the school, Shijima fought against him and his companion, Yoite, appearing to be intent on using their bodies to create Kouga's forbidden technique, Daya. Of course, her ulterior motives later made themselves clear: her defeat at the hands of the Shinrabanshou caused her to withdraw, but she appeared shortly after, holding the knowledge of the same forbidden technique in her hands. She said that Kouga's leader had entrusted the book to her, and it was his last will for her to pass it on to whomever she saw fit. And, with a smile, she left the book to Miharu, playfully refusing to answer the many questions she created.

Kouichi met her in a secluded area, as they were set to leave. It was then that she revealed, to the audience, her inhuman nature, falling against him and downsizing into a cat. And, from there, she took the road back to Banten, her 'home.'

Aside from appearances as Shiratama and occasional meetings with Kouichi, she wasn't seen again for a while. Still, some time later, the situation in the world of Nabari again became dire, and when Miharu was kidnapped away by an enemy faction, she was a participant in the team who set out to rescue him. It was very much a life or death situation, for many of the people involved, and the part Shijima played certainly helped to save Miharu's life. The Shinrabanshou was, after all, what she was most concerned about. (Affection for Miharu did not help this case.)

Though the battle was won by Banten's affiliates, the exertion caused Yoite's death, and Miharu awakening the Shinrabanshou fully, used it to essentially erase Yoite's existence - and every memory having to do with him. Once again, Shijima's mind was altered by what had created her.

Perhaps a little surprisingly, after that incident, she kept her human form much more often. A team of Banten-affiliated shinobi was assigned to re-completing Zekuu; it was imperative that Miharu be separated from it. Shijima worked with this team, using her own knowledge of the Shinrabanshou's workings to move things along. Though embittered, she promised to support Miharu in his decisions and to help him be free of the secret art.

After Zekuu's completion, Shijima met with Kouichi, approaching the art's site of performance in order to watch the scenario unfold. However, a supposed immortal called Inasa arrived— and though both Shijima and Kouichi seemed to have ties to him, they had no idea that this person was truly Kotarou Fuuma in disguise. After it was revealed that Fuuma had been trying to acquire the Shinrabanshou himself for years, and that he was the reason the Rokujou family had been murdered, the two true immortals found themselves disgusted with his betrayal, and moved to retaliate. It was Thobari, however, who felled him, and the immortals seemed fated to continue to watch.

—Until Shinrabanshou made her appearance, that is, while Zekku tried to draw her out. Shinra seemed pleased to greet her 'children' once more, while the immortals were both wary of and needy for their 'mother.' When they seek to speak with her is when Shijima will be coming back to the Port.

Point in Canon: Chapter 63.

Character Personality: Though it perhaps directly contradicts the fact that she takes a human form when it's necessary, Shijima isn't generally a person to present herself as something she's not. She's a fan of half-truths, and if she does lie, it's often something that's absurdly and intentionally easy to see through. Despite the body of 'Shijima Kuro'okano,' she never directly refers to herself as human. Indeed, she doesn't take great pains to come across as such at all: her habits are still instinctively and indisputibly feline. If she's irritated or tired, she'll flop right down onto the ground, and if she's chasing after someone, she prefers to trap them in corners, as she would a mouse. To the people around her, she's incredibly eccentric, but for what she was born as, she's only doing what any normal cat would. Even her apparent youth is given away by her lazy words; she often refers to the humans she interacts with as children, or speaks to them in terms used only by elders. She'll tack the honorific '-kun' on to the end of a thirty-year-old man's name (when it's generally used for younger boys, or, more rarely, someone who's solidly a junior of another adult), and she's even been known to refer to herself, flatly yet jokingly, as 'Granny Me.' Her efforts at concealing her status as an inhuman immortal come through mainly in teasing remarks, where she'll taunt a person with the lack of a straight answer. When asked, by Miharu Rokujou himself, 'Do you know anything about the Shinrabanshou?' her answer was a smile and the far too vague, 'I know. And if I don't know, I do know some advice for it. See you.' Having been created by Shinrabanshou herself, Shijima most certainly knows more than most other characters in the series, but she keeps her secrets as she sees fit.

Despite her loose nature and nonchalant air, so much of Shijima's self is made up of her own stitched-together statements and the built up assumptions that those around her freely make. She fills the role required of her at the time, be it antagonistic or helpful; her drive is her own wish, and she's desperate enough to realize that wish in whichever way is possible. This can, unfortunately, make her very difficult to trust. Unless she's confident that her service to any person will best lead her to pursue her own interests, she's likely to drop an alliance as she sees fit. Furthermore, she'll do no more than exactly what is required of her. She is, at her core, an observer, a 'bystander,' in her own words. No matter the holding her own feelings have in the matter, she almost always refuses to interfere with outside events: if something cannot be used to forward her own personal interests, she won't have a hand in it. Of course, everyone's going to slip up a couple of times in their lives, especially if that life spans a couple of hundred years. She's been known to nudge things along here or there, in order to satiate her own curiosity.

Kouichi, most likely knowing her best of all after two hundred years at her side, says of her, 'You have very contradicting moods!' Her response is irritation at having such a thing announced, but she certainly doesn't deny it; 'My contradictions are most important! Understand?' Such moodiness can be common with her, if she's not filling any role aside from her own natural habits. As herself, rather than 'a student' or 'a housecat,' she's bitter, perhaps spiteful, and prone to violent rages when she finds others unforgivably foolish. For her, the end surely justifies the means, and she wants her end very badly. Repeated denials of her wish do not dissuade her. She's intent on finding death. It is her obsession, her greatest love, and may well be the defeat of any morality she holds.

Much of her loneliness, admittedly, is self-imposed. Kouichi Aizawa has been her only constant companion, and even he, at times, she can alienate. Her enjoyment of his company is genuine, though, and she teases him mercilessly, as if they were childhood friends. Other people can, at times, be subject to this: Miharu, Yukimi, Thobari, and even Kotarou Fuuma haven't been exempt. Miharu's late father, Akatsuki Rokujou, was also a person for whom she seemed to care a great deal— in her own way, she mourns his death, and she looks to have firm respect for his memory, and was affectionate to him while she was alive. Her reminiscences of Akatsuku are one of the only things to make her smile softly and fondly in-series, in fact. Her heart goes out to people from time to time, even if she wants to quell it and keep it to herself. 'I am an existence that is neither cat nor human,' she says, spitefully. She's decided that mingling doesn't suit her. Personal relationships are foolish, in her eyes, and she considers most people children, or stupid, or both. Humanity as a whole is something she says she dislikes - it isn't quite true, and she's cold or even hot-headed when she tries to hide affection she doesn't want seen, and despite everything, she's fascinated by them. More often than not, though, she'll simply mock or manipulate. Shijima's brutally blunt, many times to the point of being rude, and doesn't care to be otherwise. It's possible that, should she put effort into it, she could be a very sociable girl; however, it's clearly not something she'd like to do.

Shijima is volatile, she's untrustworthy, and she's very bitter thanks to a world's worth of losses, but above all else, she is weary. All she wants to do is finally rest. Until then, she'll simply do as she pleases, for the most part. That's her nature. With the arrogance of a cat and, the wisdom of a granny, and the moodiness of a teenager, Shijima manages to mesh age groups and instincts that never should have crossed.

Character Plans: Rearriving in the Port will be a jolt to her— more time will have passed here than in her own world, but 'missing' the opportunity to finally meet with Shinra will be infuriating to her. She'll be testy about the ties she's made, and this may involve her with certain anti-AGI shenanigans - if only peripherally, and to forward her own observations.

Appearance/PB: Four and a half feet tall, man.

Writing Samples

First Person Sample [High, high, high; the feed comes from up high in a tree. Shijima was not fond of the new arrival procedure, and had taken off almost instantly. Ridiculous, she'd thought. Really annoying. Really unnecessary.

Those things apply to the situation in general, not just the newer setup.

She's in no way pleased. Not a single bit, and the leaves rustle around her as if to reflect her agitation. She's got patches of dried blood on her face and in her long white hair, and her clothing isn't in the best shape, but of course she doesn't look injured. Shijima Kurookano never bothers to look injured.]

I'm being toyed with. [Her tone is pretty venomous.] Shinra, or stupid machine, what are you playing at... So I can't take to the nest, can I? It's been a little while since I've set foot here, I know that much. How many of you have killed each other?

[A bitter jab - she feels like striking - and then she scoffs while looking sideways. That's enough for now, she supposes, and clicks it off.]

Third Person Sample
She arrives and is nauseated.

More than ill, she feels, Shijima Kurookano is infuriated, and that's almost instantaneous. This dirt; she knows this dirt. She knows this stupid air. A moment as she breathes it in—

"Bird."

No answer. Kouichi isn't anywhere directly nearby, at least. Other people are - greeters, she doesn't want to deal with them - and Shijima frowns deeply. Very deeply. "Shinrabanshou," she says, then. "Shinra." Then she's up, swaying and slouching and shuffling along, hair all askew— most things about her are amiss and she rubs her fingers together so that long-dried blood will flake. Greeters near her:

"Young lady—"

"Mother," Shijima says loudly, as a last resort; will Shinrabanshou respond? Does Shijima really have to beg?

It doesn't do anything, the greeters mistake her call for a child without her parent, and Shijima wants to cut into all of them right now. Too furious. Her NV— well, there it is. She fingers it. She stares at people for a beat. She hates everything right now.

Shijima whirlwinds away and secretly feels terribly sorry for herself.

heartdissonance — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 10:35:29 GMT

cat.

snark.

rarely panties. shorts, though.

immortal, regenerative. basically no matter what.

digs up gardens. sorry, can't help it.

naps.

birds are silly.

remembers the early 1800s, somewhat. it's fuzzy by now.

no, you're right, she pretty much does look like she's twelve.

a bystander.