THE SHINIGAMI APPLICATION
Name: Seralin Hathenway
Real Age: 3,091 Years Old
Gender: Female
Personality: Seralin is a tactical woman. This trait of hers is something she takes on and off the battlefield. When fighting, anything in her environment or a person's flaws, weaknesses, strengths, ability/technique limitations, and overall level(s) of power are something she takes into account inside her mind, something she would quickly formulate a plan from considering information she knows, or even steps to take into account for factors she is uncertain of. If a strike isn't something she is one hundred percent certain on, she wouldn't risk to make the move. In everyday life, this little bit of her pushes her to learn of someone's likes, dislikes, habits, character traits and flaws, as well as how rounded of a person they are to her, allowing her to better handle a situation either through conversation, or action.
She feels that those who are in a position to help those in need, should. Whether this is to help someone who is homeless find shelter or even helping said person get on their feet financially, to something as little as getting a hungry child something warm to eat and something cool and clean to drink. She feels it is the duty of all those who have more than enough for themselves should help those who aren't in the same situation.
Seralin respects all things, living and nonliving, equally. She will show great respect for someone she thinks as a friend, and show that same respect towards a complete stranger. Anything fragile she owns she handles with outstanding care, and she shows this respect for a tough, durable item that she does not own.
No matter the situation or how her emotions rage inside her, she keeps her mind and body calm so as to not make careless mistakes. She gained such focused control through her many years in solitude, coming to a complete understanding of herself emotionally. To Seralin, everything has his, her, or it's place, and that's where that person or thing should be. She keeps anything in her care where she can easily find it, not get buried under other things, not get broken, and to keep her work area in a state of overall cleanliness.
What was stated above are Seralin's positive traits. Here are the negative aspects of her personality.
Seralin is a bit paranoid, this trait having developed from leaving the Soul Society. It is something like a sixth sense to get a head start on anyone that was sent to track her down. The slightest sign that a Shinigami is in the area, and she will be seen packing her things to either head for a location to hide out, or to leave the area entirely.
No matter how much she trusts someone, she will never share her feelings. It is not the fault of anyone in particular but she does this to punish herself, thinking that because she doesn't even know who she used to be before joining the Shinigami, she doesn't deserve to share how she feels. This can cause her to bottle up certain emotions, meaning that at times she can be known to snap when especially irritated.
A subconscious fear that came about from her death as a human, Seralin suffers from Minor Claustrophobia. This fear of closed, or tightly packed spaces is something that, at most, causes her minor discomfort. Either through sweating when a group of people are near her, or giving small shivers inside of a room that seems to be boxing her in. She is able to keep control of her actions though, and force herself through the situation without help if needed.
Nyctophobia, the fear of the dark and/or night, was something she carried over from her childhood. She cannot handle being outside at night unless she has a portable source of light in her hands that illuminates at least ten feet around her, like a strong lantern or candles. She will avoid areas entirely that are too dark, and would need the support of someone to hold on to or a strong light source nearby if she is to go into a slightly dark area. At night, she does not fall asleep until she is certain that her source of light is strong enough to illuminate enough of the room to see at least the entire length of her bed.
Ataxophobia, the fear of untidiness, was something Seralin obtained when she had lost the memories of her name and birth date. Thinking that she had forgotten from her lack of effort to keep things in order, she strives to keep her work areas and personal areas in tip-top shape.
Now comes Seralin's Likes and Dislikes, in that order.
Influenced by her nyctophobia, Seralin has a liking of brightly lit areas. An area that is bright fills her with comfort, and a bright sunny day fills her with joy. She likes animals. From the texture of their fur/shin/scales to their habits, to the way they live without anyone telling them what to do or how to live. So not only does she like the animals themselves, she envies their freedom. On the topic of freedom, Seralin likes children. She is no pedophile, since it is the innocence of kids and how oblivious children are to the world that she likes. Along these lines, she also likes humans as a species. A single dominating race that doesn't have worries outside of maintaining their own individual lives.
Ever since becoming a Soul Reaper, Seralin has always loved Kido and it's intricacies. Like riding a motorcycle for a cyclist, Kido was something that requires her entire focus. Nothing else matters to her mind when she is focused on working or developing a new Kido. It is what drove her to finishing her Shōkan-dō, or Way of Summoning. Something that was always good for clearing her head was reading about famous human myths and legends. The stories and theories always fascinated her. Reading and studying historical facts is something she enjoys as a hobby on her off-time when she is alone. she figures that expanding her already vast knowledge couldn't possibly hurt.
There are only two physical things she likes to keep around her. One is something she can't exactly leave without anyway, her flower-styled body tattoo. It is her one link to her very foggy past that she can never seem to place. The second is Egyptian Musk Incense, the scent something she has grown to enjoy from her many, many years in Egypt.
CHARACTER APPEARANCE
Height: 5’ 4”
Weight: 121 lbs. 8 ounces
Physical Traits: Seralin has long earthy brown hair, flowing like a waterfall. Her locks reach down to just barely lick at her shoulder blades. Her eyebrows are a slight shade darker than her hair, crowning bright hazel eyes that have an experienced and childish shine. Despite all the time she will spend outside, her skin remains a bright and untanned. She's pretty flat chested, unsure of what her measurements are since she could care less about her bust. Or lack thereof. As if to make up for not being more top-heavy, she has a curvaceous backside which leads to slender, smooth and tight thighs and calves.
When in her gigai Seralin will dress for whatever season it is, and for whatever region she currently finds herself in. In the summer, she will wear a mix of long skirts and jeans with bright tees, or summer dresses. In the spring she favors more long skirts and long sleeved shirts. In the fall she will wear a lot of the same, taking to wear a jacket as the days get colder and colder. In the winter she will always wear a coat while outside, a long black trench coat that she likes to wear to keep her whole body warm in the cold season. Otherwise, she likes to wear a lot of thick jeans and sweaters. For Christmas, she will pick out a new ugly Christmas sweater to wear.
When not in her gigai, aka when in her Shinigami form, Seralin wears the typical Shinigami's black shihakusho, white undergarments, with wooden and straw sandals upon her feet. To prevent chafing, she wears socks inside of the sandals. She wears socks in sandals. Lastly, is her Captain's Hiori. It is kept neat and wrinkle free, though was customized to only have the left sleeve to allow ease of movement for her right arm. Her Hiori is greatly outdated, coming from a time when there were many other Squads.
THE COMBAT INFORMATION
Strengths: Speed, Spirit Energy, Spirit Pressure, Kidou
Weaknesses: Hoho, Strength, Durability
Ability Name: Atlantean Body Tattoo
Ability Description: Seralin’s body tattoo, which is spiritual in nature, gives her a small bit of protection against attacks using spiritual energy. Examples being Heilig Pfeil(Quincy Arrows), Bala, Kidou and even some Zanpakutou abilities that use raw Spirit Energy(like Ichigo’s Getsuga Tensho). This ability is passive and drains none of Seralin’s own Spirit Energy to work. The amount it makes it weaker is by 2 tiers (Hadou number 30 cast from someone that is ranked 1-3 will be as damaging as if it was cast by someone who was 2-1).
Unique Ability
- ”Unique Kidou”:
Sealed Appearance: - Spoiler:
Zanpakutou Name: Chikyū no Hōseki (Earthly Gems)
Call Out Command: “Dig yourself from the earth, Chikyū no Hōseki!”
Boosts: Base Level Stats
SHIKAI
Appearance: Seralin's Zanpakuto remains the same in terms of shape. The blade of her Zanpakuto changes material entirely, however. The metal shimmers before crystallizing and sections of the blade becoming one of five well known gemstones; Ruby, Sapphire, Garnet, Amethyst and Diamond. The colors constantly shift across the surface of the blade.
Ruby Burst: A short ranged attack, Ruby Burst releases a blast of fire within 4 yards in every direction. The heat of this attack can reach up to 1650 degrees Fahrenheit, the max temperature which a Ruby can take. This ability has a 2 post cooldown, and is as strong as a level 45 Kido.
Sapphire Spear: While it lacks Ruby Burst's capacity for raw damage and definite range of impact, Sapphire Spear makes up for this by having more range and speed. Sapphire Spear is an ability in which Seralin releases a spear-like projectile made entirely of ice from anywhere along the length of her sword's blade. This ability has a 1 post cooldown, and is as powerful as an average Cero.
Crushing Garnet: For this ability, Seralin would have to rely upon her hand-to-hand skills. Crushing Garnet forms stone or hard earth(whichever is available) over either or both of her hands, which she can use for thick gauntlets to help shield her from blows or enhance a physical strike to a target. This ability has a 1 post cooldown, and is as strong as a strong Cero.
Amethyst Lash: This ability is the one of Seralin's two defensive Shikai abilities. To use this, Seralin would have to first charge her blade with the right enough spiritual energy. Once set, she forces the energy to form along the blade's edge. The attack forms into what looks like a long and slim purple tentacle. It doesn't take much to form, needing a second or two at most. Once formed properly Seralin would release the attack with a swing, sending the tentacle to wrap around and bind the target. This ability can only be attempted once per post.
Diamond Barricade: This is Seralin's ultimate defensive ability while in Shikai. She tries to avoid using this when possible so that the ability doesn't get too well known or expected. This ability would, as the name implies, create a 2-foot thick barrier of diamond to protect her from one attack. She controls the size of the barricade only while it’s being made, and once set cannot be altered. This ability can only be used once per post, and is strong enough to block attacks up to a level 50 Kido.
Boosts: x2 to all stats.
BANKAI
New Name: Tengoku no Hōseki (Heaven Gems)
Appearance: Seralin's Zanpakuto would take to a new form entirely. Her Shikai would break apart, most of the zanpakuto fading away until all but the sword blade is left. The remaining blade breaks apart into five pieces, each one being a seperate gemstone. All five are rough and come to very sharp points, like spearheads. The diamond alone has a dull glow to it, lighting up a short five foot area in white light. The five hover around Seralin, able to be manipulated with control over her Spiritual Energy and intent. As with all Zanpakutou, it is still a sword and as such, she can call one over to her hand. Much like Byakuya’s Zanpakutou, the one she calls to her will take the shape of her usual Zanpakutou, though it will be the color of whichever gem she decides to hold. Her normal Shinigami garb is temporarily replaced by thick blue robes, much like one would expect of a mage or scholar of fantasy. She retains all her Shikai abilities when ascending. The gems not being used in hand can be used as ranged projectiles.
- ”For the robe. Ignore accessories, staff and the one wearing them in the image.”:
Blazing Vortex: This ability comes from the Ruby gem. For this attack, roaring flames would pour out in the shape of an expanding cone in the direction of the target, reaching out to a max of fifty feet and reaching a max radius of ten feet. Seralin is partial to using this ability with the Ruby gem moving, having flames rushing in from all sides. This ability has a 3 post cooldown, and is as strong as an average Gran Rey Cero.
Frozen Sky: Seralin sends her Sapphire gem up into the sky, gathering clouds to form above them. Once enough of them are overhead, a hail of sharp pointed icicles would rain down at the target's location to pelt it/them with icy spikes. This ability requires an open sky, as such it cannot be used inside a building. It has a 4 post cooldown, and is as strong as a strong Gran Rey Cero.
Dominating Earth: This Garnet ability is a defensive ability. Seralin sends her Garnet gem slamming into the ground, the gemstone radiating Spiritual Energy into the stone below. She uses this link to send hands made of stone rushing up through the earth to grab tightly onto the legs of her target in order to bind them in place. This ability requires open ground, and can only be attempted once per post. This ability is as strong as a level 60 Kidou.
Submissive Lashes: The Amethyst gem would be able to create a writhing purple tendril covered in a numbing poison. Lashing out, it would numb whatever limb it strikes to the point of nearly losing nerve control. This ability can only be used once per post. The effect last three posts, with a three post cooldown after the effect has worn off.
Diamond Skin: This ability is her second Defensive ability for Bankai. This ability is rather simple, however super effective. Her Diamond gem covers her in a 1 inch thick layer of transparent diamond to protect her from physical harm. This ability has a duration of 2 posts, and has a 3 post cooldown. This ability is comparable with a strong Hierro.
Boosts: x3 to all stats.
TOUKAI
New Name: Hōseki no Hashira (Gemstone Pillar)
Appearance: Her appearance changes depend on the aspect she embraces. For each gemstone she will have her body coated in the smooth mineral, covering every bit of skin, regenerating on its own if damaged. Her Bankai robe is replaced with her standard Shinigami attire. She chooses the aspect by bringing the desired gem to her hand, and holding it close to her chest followed by activating her final release.
-Ruby Aspect Abilities- In this state Seralin retains use of Ruby Burst and Blazing Vortex.
- Spoiler:
Ability Name: Raging Stream
Ability Description: Like a flamethrower this ability allows Seralin to release a steady stream of flames at her target. The stream of fire can only go up to a max of 60 feet and each second the stream of held steady is equal to level 20 Hadou in damage. While it may not have a cooldown, using it for too long will very quickly drain her reserves of Spirit Energy.
Ability Name: Sun’s Blaze
Ability Description: For this ability Seralin focuses a great quantity of flame along one of her arms. With a swipe of said arm, the flames are released as one massive wave of bright yellow flame. The flames will reach up to 50 feet high, 230 feet across and spread forward up to 300 feet. This ability is as damaging as a level 80 Hadou, and has a 3 post cooldown.
Ability Name: Aura of Heat
Ability Description: A passive ability active from the moment she activates Toukai as her Ruby Aspect, Seralin’s body radiates a constant stream of heat. Anyone who is within five feet of her for more than a few seconds will start to get first degree burns, which after a few more seconds turns to second degree burns. For every 5 feet of distance between Seralin and anything around her the time it takes to burn is increased by a few seconds, up to a total of one minute since the aura’s radius is maxed out to 60 Feet. After second degree burns the target will start taking damage equal to Hadou 10 once every post when exposed.
-Sapphire Aspect Abilities- In this state Seralin retains use of Sapphire Spear and Frozen Sky.
- Spoiler:
Ability Name: Frosted Chains
Ability Description: For this ability Seralin uses her Spirit Energy to create multiple chains of ice that are aimed at the target to wrap around them, binding them still if successful. It is as strong as a level 60 Bakudou, lasts 3 posts and has a 1 post cooldown.
Ability Name: Glacier Grenade
Ability Description: For this ability Seralin forms a massive sphere of ice between her palms. The sphere starts off at 4 feet in this stage fully formed. Upon being thrown, the four foot wide sphere increases its size to be 10 feet. Upon landing the massive ball of ice explodes, sending out large shards of ice in multiple directions. This ability is as destructive as a Gran Rey Cero within a 40 foot radius, and has a 2 post cooldown.
Ability Name: Aura of Frost
Ability Description: A passive ability that is active from the moment she activates Toukai as her Sapphire Aspect. Seralin’s body radiates an aura of freezing cold up to five feet. Anything within that five foot radius will freeze after half a minute of exposure, a small bit of Frostbite affecting a living target after a minute. Once affected with Frostbite, every half a minute of exposure will cause the Frostbite to spread, and takes damage equal to Hadou level 10 through the affected area once per post when exposed to the aura.
-Garnet Aspect Abilities- In this state Seralin retains use of Crushing Garnet and Dominating Earth.
- Spoiler:
Ability Name: Ground Kick
Ability Description: Seralin focused energy into one of her feet before kicking down to the ground, the energy mixing with stone and soil before shooting out of the ground from under the target, signaled by the shifting of the ground from the moving rock. The attacking earth is always in the form of a foot, kicking up at the target. The force behind the attack is equal to a level 75 Hadou and has a 3 post cooldown.
Ability Name: Overwhelming Boulder Toss
Ability Description: Seralin raises one of her hands and sends out spirit energy into any bit of rock and stone nearby. Once saturated with her energy she pulls it in to gather above a raised fist, forming a massive boulder that is 30 feet around. Once formed she would throw the attack at the target. It is as strong as a level 75 Hadou, and has a 3 post cooldown.
Ability Name: Aura of Strength
Ability Description: This is a passive ability of Seralin’s while in her Toukai’s Garnet Aspect. Her Spiritual Energy and Pressure radiates strength, giving a +1x Boost to Physical Strength for Seralin and anyone she considers an ally within 100 feet.
-Amethyst Aspect Abilities- In this state Seralin retains use of Amethyst Lash and Submissive Lashes.
- Spoiler:
Ability Name: Call of the Abyssal One
Ability Description: Seralin places a hand of the ground and releases some of her Spirit Energy, spreading it around her up to 60 feet. Within this area sprouts a mass of writhing purple tentacles that will aggressively lash out at anyone close but Seralin. Their physical strength is equal to a level 5 Hadou for each tentacle, and up to 5 tentacles can reach any given target at a time. This lasts 3 posts, and has a 1 post cooldown.
Ability Name: Gaze of Subjugation
Ability Description: Seralin focuses a large amount of Spirit Energy between her hands roughly 4 feet around, forming a large black sphere with a purple glow. The orb gains a sickening red iris and once formed fully is tossed up, left to hover in the air. Seralin then points to her target and speaks the ability name, activating the eye. The eye expands up to 10 feet, it’s gaze moving to the implied target. It has 2 posts to get a lock, otherwise it disperses and the energy returns to Seralin. Once it gets a lock on the target it releases a massive wave of Spiritual Pressure meant to pin a target down and keep them from moving. This is as strong as a level 89 Bakudou, and has a 4 post cooldown.
Ability Name: Aura of Shadow
Ability Description: This is a passive ability Seralin uses while in her Toukai’s Amethyst Aspect. Her body is covered in a sickly, rippling aura of Shadow. Once every 4 posts Seralin is able to create a clone of herself in her place to take an intended hit. The clone only survives long enough to take that one hit before dispersing, having no sentience and being unable to move. The Clone can effectively protect Seralin from anything from a level 60 Hadou and below, anything above and she will take only 3/4 of the damage.
-Diamond Aspect Abilities- In this state Seralin retains use of Diamond Barricade and Diamond Skin.
- Spoiler:
Ability Name: Timeless Wisdom
Ability Description: This ability makes any Kidou that Seralin does stronger, as if she has added experience than the level she is currently at. (2 added tier bonus for Kidou abilities, example: Hadou number 30 while casted from someone from Seralin at 1-1 would be as strong as if she was 0-4)
Ability Name: Emotionless Clarity
Ability Description: This is a passive ability preventing any and all attempts from affecting Seralin’s mind in anyway, blocking off even Seralin from her emotions. Her mind remains clear and shielded from outside manipulation.
Ability Name: Aura of Protection
Ability Description: This is a passive ability that Seralin has active the moment she activates Toukai in her Diamond Aspect. Seralin’s Spirit Energy and Spirit Pressure radiates Durability, offering stability where there might be a flaw. This gives a +1x Boost to Durability to Seralin and anyone she considers an ally within 100 feet.
Boosts: x4 to all stats.
Seralin - Posts : 4
Join date : 2019-11-24
BACK-DROP History: - ”Beware, Long History”:
-A Beginning Just Like Any Other-
Seralin's story begins just like any other. It was an unusually warm Spring morning when the little bundle of joy was handed over to her parents after being birthed into the world. She was fairly average for a newborn. She was too weak to kick for the moment, besides the fact it was too warm in her cotton blanket to risk flailing off, but she made up for her lack of physical movement by releasing cries that people outside of her home could hear. That is, until she was tuckered out and she was placed to rest inside her hand carved crib.
What wasn't usual though, was that while she slept, the island was rocked by the quakes of a volcanic explosion. While the island shook, as if invoked by The Divine, it did not sink. The Atlanteans all cheered in their rebellion of their gods, not knowing that their ruin is already set into motion. It would not be now, it may not be tomorrow, but their doom is set in time from their defiance many years ago.
When she had woken from her slumber, she was greeted with her mother feeding her milk direct from her mammaries. She took her time, adjusting to the new food source that didn't come from a cord right to her stomach. When she is finally finished, her lips detach from her mother and she gives a satisfied burp. Well... she gives a satisfied burp after she is brought up to her mother's shoulder and her back is patted, helping out the air bubbles. Nothing trickled out... this time. She did not cry for now, she was feeling quite content. Instead, she was able to relax in her mother's arms, cuddling her tiny humanoid form within the embrace of her parent's limbs. The warmth was refreshing to her for when night fell upon Atlantis, the temperature dropped.
It wasn't long before nature called though, and she alerted her mother to the sudden dampness in her soiled fabrics with a cry of displeasure. Her mother acted quickly, removing the dirty garment, cleaning up her daughter, before wrapping a new cloth around the baby Seralin.
Her first few, normal moments. This is how Seralin's life would be for the first two years of life. Of course, add on to that her father teaching her the basics of math and language as soon as she could have her attention held for long enough.
At the age of two years, Seralin was admitted to a local school within their city on their grand island. As she was walked the five or so blocks she watches from far off as a lone boy, about her age, works for his 'missing' parents to rebuild a crumbling cathedral. She was told by her parents about The Divines and how her parents say that she should respect the gods unlike the rest of society. However, she should keep an open mind about everyone and to be a good person to all just because it was how she was, not how their religion said to be.
She didn't know what her parents really meant by that, but she knew that when she was able, she wanted to help the boy out.
School would have to come first, though.Her parents stop ten feet from the twin stone doors, which were open for all arrivals to the school. She was given a special paper with her room number and the teacher's name, as well as her own down at the bottom. She walks down the silent corridors, taking in the dull gray stone and wood halls of the temple of education. She didn't like it one bit. Her parents always made learning fun, but here it just seemed like some penitentiary. Where she was forced to take any knowledge she was given and force it into her mind for the next course.
That was not how she wanted to learn.
She didn't have much of a say in this, though, so with an open mind she walks into her classroom, goes right up to her teacher, and holds out her special paper for the teacher to observe.
The wizened old man with the glasses takes the slim sheet and looks it over with his nearly faded eyes through comically thick reading spectacles. He smirks a bit, seeing who he has in his class. She didn't understand it at the time, but she was the child of two people who were respected for their smarts. Announcing her to the class, he directs her to her appointed seat before starting up the class since it was full.
Looking around, she notices that her fellow classmates were noticeably... taller then herself. Sure, she was in an advanced class, but she didn't know that she was put in a class where while she was only two, the rest were ages six to eight.
Her class passed by rather smoothly, and Seralin seemed to like the class. Her actual class was nothing like what the school's looks let on. If anything, she was a bit ashamed for having judged the school by it's dull appearance.
She was on her way home now, alone. She looks out as she passes the cathedral again, seeing that same boy from before through one of the shattered windows. As open-minded as she was she decides to walk over and gaze in at the boy, who was currently twacking away with a hammer on a nail for one of the many church benches. Neither of them knew about fixing things, but with how the male child before her was determinedly hitting away at that nail made her feel like he was a professional. She steps away and rushes home. Putting away her books properly, she scutters along to her father, who was currently reading up on current events with a frown on his face.
She hops up onto his lap, and starts talking to him about the boy she had seen at the cathedral. His frown leaves his face, and he noticeably cheers at her talking already about helping someone else. She talks to him about possibly teaching the boy how to properly use tools, and fix the cathedral.
While normally he would say yes, he wanted to turn this into an educational moment for his daughter as well. So, under the promise that she will focus diligently on her studies when not helping at the cathedral with himself and the boy, she is to study as much as she can. He knew that she would eagerly agree, that and she would have done so anyway. He was just glad for the reassurance.
They go back to the cathedral to see the boy still hitting away at the nail with the hammer.
As Seralin watches, her father goes over and starts the first of many lessons he would give the child about fixing up the cathedral into the pinnacle of its beauty.
-Seven Years, Six School Years Advance-
Seralin, as promised, studied like her small life depended on it. Her growing knowledge soared swiftly, and at the age of nine, was attending class with people nearly twelve years older then herself. She was the genius of her generation, and was the talk of the entire island let alone their secluded city.
However, while she also studied she also helped still when she could with the boy's cathedral. He grew alongside her. While he didn't learn as much in school, his body was already starting to be formed out of hard work and a long day's labor. He still had some signs of his baby fat, but he was still young. It was expected. However, he was stronger then the other kids his own age. Using all of your free time for construction, and with the project being the largest structure of the town, it tends to show after a few years.
With school, Seralin was most of the time looked down upon by those around her in her class. Sure, the teachers gave her so much praise that she was left beaming on the way back to her home. However, her older classmates ridiculed her for being so young but in their advanced class, which they took years to get into. Sure, it was mainly out of jealousy, but it didn't stop them from making the occasional rude comment.
It never went past that, though. They knew better then to do anything else. That, and they knew it just wasn't worth it. Their local hub of the Scholar's Association had taken a keen interest in her mind's well being. They wouldn't want such a powerful and influential group causing them problems.
Seralin had been approached by the group many times, with offers of scholarships for more advanced schools in distant cities, but always she turned them down. Either for the reason that she didn't want to leave this city until she has learned all she could from it, or that she was still too young to leave her home. After all, she was still a child, and had a childhood to live.
They respected her wishes, knowing that she will seek them out when the time was right for her.
-Eight Years Later, With Many Changes-
Eight years pass, making Seralin seventeen. She ended schooling back at the age of fifteen, and has been doing her own local studies of all she can access at the library of her city. That, and the Scholar's Association has been letting her use their own scrolls and books to study from. While her physical body was fit, she was strongest in her mind.
Her friend of the cathedral had finished his project finally and the cathedral's final brick would be put in within the week. The only reason it would be so long was that he was hosting a celebration to the cathedral's completion. It was to be a source of great merriment, but it is also a cause of great worry. While Seralin had gotten a stronger intelligence, he had gotten a stronger body and will. He would continue with this.
For two months before this was decided, their island's government had banned the worship of The Divines. Saying that religion was the source of all their misfortunes. Of course, with a target to blame the masses supported this. Well, all but the outer ring of cities. They had always worshiped The Divines, and accepted the good with the bad. They did not question their religion, and remained firm in their beliefs.
Their city was glad for the rebuilt cathedral, but worry about publicly announcing it's reopening. Sure they wanted to be able to go back into it, but they worried more for their currently tyrannical government stopping them, destroying the cathedral, or worse killing of townspeople.
That is where Seralin and her parents come in.
They were well known members of the community, and used their city's influence to keep the news contained simply to the city. What the government didn't know wouldn't hurt them. Even though her friend wanted nothing more then to outwardly open up to anyone in any city, things just weren't calm enough yet.
Plenty of times Seralin had to stop and drag the muscular and bulky man back into the city from going on a 'pilgrimage' to the other cities, much to the amusement of the townspeople. Then, after dragging him back, would have him read up more on the history of the church, or reread their holy book. If he was going to be a priest after all, he would need to know every word in their holy book before preaching his first sermon.
The week would draw to its end, to the day of the event. The final brick was placed in a glass box, up on a stool at the top of the steps for all to look up and see.
While in secret her friend may have gotten a certification to teach their religion, nobody knew of this. So when he walked out of the two stone doors of the cathedral dressed in a city's High Priest garb, everyone was shocked and joyful. They had their cathedral back, and they had their new religious leader.
Seralin wasn't too into religion, but knew how important it was for everyone else and more importantly, her greatest and only true friend. While her friends through school and family cared for her, it was her knowledge they cared for the most. Her parents loved her for her, but it was different than her relationship with her childhood friend.
So when she proposed marriage to him after coming out, the crowd was given a second startling event to witness. He agreed, so long as doing so wouldn't limit her from doing as she wanted. He didn't want her to think she would be pinned down.
While she wouldn't mind remaining in this city, she did have plans of traveling around to learn more. So, that day would hold not just the cathedral's opening ceremony, but also a wedding ceremony later that very same, historical day.
After all, how else could one ever forget their wedding day, and the day they were trapped to die?
While the cathedral's opening held a larger crowd, Seralin's wedding was no less active and lively. The sweetest wine flowed through glasses and lips as much as words did, and sugary pastries were abundant in massive amounts. The finest silks were pulled out to decorate the cathedral's interior, tables were set up to hold the feast, and the local musicians were performing at their peak. Strangers, friends, family, it didn't matter who came- so long as they had a good time. After the two were wed, they were sent away by Seralin's parents to a seperate basement chamber to 'consummate their love'.
These underground tunnels were meant as an escape route back when the cathedral was first built, and that purpose remained. These tunnels would not flood, even should the seas swallow the island. Granted, there would also be no way out. The tunnels had water and food stored up for ten years if rationed properly, and kept in proper storage.
Their timing was lucky for when they were locked in, something Seralin's parents had always done to newlyweds in their family as a joke, the island rumbled with distress. Wildlife all started to flee for the island's center, though it would not save them. The island itself, instead of being flooded like it had before, started to sink itself into the vast seas. The volcanic eruption back from Seralin's birth had started the process of damaging the island's stability, unknown by the Atlanteans upon it.
Now it started to sink, slowly but surely, into the waiting maws of the ocean.
-The Ten Years-
Seralin and her new husband had been left inside their shelter, their new home now, since water now kept them from escape. So, they did as anyone in this situation would. They would try to survive as long as possible. It would be all they could do. They didn't know what was going on, besides the fact that the oxygen filters were on overdrive, funneling air from the water above.
So, they assume that this is simply a flood, and all they would have to do is wait.
However, time isn't their greatest friend. Many times, the solitude of just those two together start to affect them, and they reach a snapping point after two months. While Seralin was certain help was going to come, her husband wasn't so sure. He thinks that it was The Divines finally acting upon the Atlantean's arrogance in challenging their authority.
They fight, but realized eventually how futile that was.
Instead, they simply do their best to pass the time, knowing in the back of their minds that no matter what, they were stuck there.
So, Seralin had her husband give her a full floral body tattoo using a special ritualistic ink. This ink, used only on the most prominent members of society, was rumored to go on with your soul to the afterlife and shield one from harm in their passing. There was never much on hand since it was rarely ever used, but with this situation there wasn't anyone else to use it on.
So there was plenty for their own tattoos.
Seralin's was a full body floral tattoo which went from her back and spread to her arms, legs, and chest, of lilies and lavender. For nearly ten years, they lived like this. Simply surviving with their limited supplies, and adding as they could to their respective tattoos. Seralin was Twenty Seven now, her lover the same age. In that time, they made love many times as well, but never had a child. They knew the folly of even trying.
What would be the point, when it's life would end not too long after it had begun.
They simply wait now, for either dehydration or starvation to take them first. Seralin lays beside her husband, her hand tightly in his. They simply remain still, silent. Talking would simply dehydrate them quicker. She was feeling weak as it was, since their fresh water ran out the day before, and the last of their food spoiled.
Her husband was a bit skinnier than he was those many years ago, but he was still had an impressive build. His eyes don't leave hers for a moment, wanting her to be the last thing he sees. It was the last romantic thing he could spare. Movement was beyond his massive limbs. So, Seralin did that for him.
She rolls herself sluggishly up onto her husband's frame, and lays on his chest, gazing deep into his eyes. Leaning forward, she captures his lips for what is undoubtedly the last time. Hand tightly in his still, she smiles sadly as she stares down at him. Her voice gone, her lips make out 'I love you' before she faints forward on her lover's still body. Whether through heartbreak or coincidence, they both faint and pass at the same moment, their spirits floating up in peace to an afterlife which would keep them apart for time eternal.
-The Afterlife's Cruelty-
It wasn't long after the two had passed on that their souls had woken up in a new location, wearing some foreign clothing. Rather, two different locations. They were surely in the same afterlife. However, while her husband was in the Northern Rukongai: District 50, Seralin had been placed in the Southern Rukongai: District 70. Though their hearts may have still been connected in death, they were miles and miles apart.
Intent on her first objective to find her husband, Seralin would try to set out immediately to try finding him. She knew he was up there with her, and there must be some authority figure that could help her.
The key word here was 'try'. For no matter where she went within her district, there was near-constant fighting. Men, women and children were seemingly in a blood rage, and used whatever they could get their hands on to kill whoever was close by. It sickened her to see such an atrocity, and considers for a moment if she truly did get sent to some peaceful afterlife, or if instead she was delivered to some cruel purgatory.
Of course, all of this meant that she too was being attacked. For what, she had not the slightest idea. She had just arrived, she had not wronged them in any way. She had no intentions of doing so, either.
She avoided who she could, using her small frame to her advantage to simply slip by anyone who was close by her. Sure, she had a few close calls when some blades skimmed her arms or legs, but otherwise she was just fine and would live. She just wanted, and needed, to find the one she came to this afterlife with.
Her husband was thinking along the same lines, and was faring much better with how he was put in a better district. Already he had in some report with who he learned were the Shinigami; souls who monitored the Rukongai and maintained the balance of the Afterlife that he was looking to find his wife, and was told that while it could take months, they would have their patrols in the other districts keep an eye out for her.
Too bad that there were no patrols beyond district 69.
Neither of them stopped, though. Seralin, despite being stuck in District 70, was still making her way closer and closer towards 69. However, she was finding it hard to take time to simply relax a bit, let alone sleep with all the fighting. If she was to go to sleep, someone would surely try cutting her throat. So she remained awake, using whatever rubble was around to hide herself behind for a few seconds to catch her breath, before she started for the next district again. Day or night, the fighting seemed to never stop.
It would take her a solid week of adjusting and running, but she did eventually make it out of that damned district. However, she was exhausted by doing so, and she started to feel both hungry and thirsty. She had no currency with her, so she wasn't sure she would be able to buy anything.
She really needed to find someone that could tell her what was going on.
After having napped in the outskirts of District 69, Seralin would make her way into the rundown slums. While it was noticeably better then where she came from, things here were still exceptionally ill off. What little buildings there were looked like they could collapse at any moment. Small fires were lit to light the streets in large metal bins assumed to be for trash. And while she could pick up the scent of cooking meat on the wind from a house nearby, she knew that this place was too poor for anyone to afford meat from any livestock. While her stomach rumbled, it also turned from the thought of cannibalism. She would have puked right there, if not for where she woke up in. Besides, it would only dehydrate her more, and she still had places to go.
She was in District 69 though, so the ocasional Shinigami were able to be seen, sticking out like a sore thumb. She eventually tracked one down, and through a conversation in length about where she was, they were about to point her over towards the next district before a second Shinigami shown up. This one was carrying a sheet of paper with names of people who they were looking for.
She gave her own name, seeing if she was on that list. As luck would have it, she was fifth from the top.
A feeling of elation hit her like a tsunami wave. Her husband was searching for her too. There was no warmer feeling in her chest then when she came to that conclusion. With her found, she was to be brought into what she was told was the Seireitei to answer a few questions for their reports before being brought to her husband. She was quick to agree, wanting to see her lover's face again and hear his voice. That, and she longed to speak of their language again. She could understand the language of this afterlife well enough to speak it, it's not what she grew up with.
She was escorted by the one Shinigami who she found before back towards the Seireitei. Apparently, his shift was over for the week, and he was to head back anyway. She didn't mind, and she wasn't focused on that. For the entire week long march back her stomach keeps rumbling and her mouth continued to feel drier than a desert. She was assured though that once they got back, that she would be given something to eat and drink.
Eat and drink she did. For once they entered, she was taken first to what she assumed to be some sort of food distribution area. Men and women in the same black foreign garb were in lines, being served food from people behind counters. The Shinigami who guided her here lead her through the line before taking her to a table, where she first tested the taste before devouring all that was on her plate.
She seemed to fit right in, as that was what everyone else was doing.
Once finished, the Shinigami took her tray and disposed of it into it's proper bin before guiding her to their next destination, the Shinigami's squad office.
She was told that there were thirteen squads that make up the entire Seireitei, and she was being lead to be handled by Squad Five. She didn't know what significance this had, but gave a nod of her head regardless. She was brought into a room to sit before a small square table, where a few men were busy writing away at some sheets of paper.
One of them looks up seeing Seralin, and assuming the nature as to why someone from the Rukongai could be there, starts to go through the normal routine questions: "What is your name?" "Date of Birth/Death?" "What district were you found in?", that sort of thing. She didn't find any of this hard, and she answered honestly. She was in a strange location, and knew next to nothing. Respect was the only thing she had to give, and knew it would go a long way.
In this situation, it did, because the man seemed to expect her to give him a hard time. Once he was finished, he sent her on her way to be escorted to her husband.
She was so close, that she could already imagine starting back up together with him. A second life with him.
She was about to step out, her leg about to cross out of the Seireitei, before she was roughly pulled back. At that moment, some alarm started to blare out across the area as a large white stone wall slams down to the ground before her. Not knowing what was going on, she looks up to her escort to notice that he is heading towards the wall, an especially wide area which was being lifted up from the outside. A giant of a man seemed to be lifting it, though the task seemed to require great effort even to the large muscled man. Shinigami started pouring out of the gate, heading for the North Districts.
Not one to simply sit behind in any situation, Seralin had followed. She wasn't nearly as fast, but she was able to at the least keep them in sight. Something she wishes that she almost hadn't done.
She skids to a stop just outside of District Fifty's borders, eyes opening in terror. Masked beasts with holes in their chests were attacking and slaughtering the entire district. The Shinigami were fighting the beasts back into what looked like a mouth-like black abyss, but the damage had already been done. Nothing will ever make her forget the vast number of dead souls she seen at that moment. One of which was her husband, who she rushed to.
His clothes were ripped and shredded, hanging by small threads on his mangled body. While he wasn't cut completely in half, there was only an inch of his flesh holding his torso to his hips. While the wound was rough, it clearly wasn't done by the work of sharp talons or claws, but instead the jaw of his hunter. A bite was literally taken right out of his side. Whether through the miracle of a massive adrenaline rush, or through extreme willpower, he was not dead. He forced air into his lungs despite the agony it caused, and kept himself going despite the blood loss.
She remained kneeling there, her hand over his bloody digits, clinging to his hand as if trying to anchor him down, and prevent him from dying again.
To prevent him from leaving her alone again.
What could be assumed to be the medics of the Shinigami soon after quickly rushed over to aid them, whether her husband was living or dead no longer registered inside her already strained and stressed mind back from where she entered this afterlife from. Her raw emotion gathers inside her lungs, and an unknown energy wells up within her body's core. She releases it all in one long, blood chilling cry which resounds across the field. The energy stored up was also released, making it seem like it was her shouting that created the sudden strong gust. Emotions have always been something to unlock one's power and potential.
Of course, such an exertion makes her faint not too long after, falling to the side of her husband who even in her unconscious state, refuses to let go of her lover's still warm hand.
-The Choice-
When she finally woke up a week later, Seralin seen that she was inside what seemed to be a medical ward. She wasn't wrapped in anything, and her garb had changed, but she could not seem to remember why it was she was in that room to begin with.
However, moments like those never last.
As quick as running full on into a brick wall and just as painful, the memories of what had happened that lead to that moment flooded her mind, and she could feel tears form at the corners of her eyes. Her lips quivered, despite how hard she tried to hold back her sobs. So close to him, only to find her husband half eaten by some... masked abomination. As the tears slide down her cheeks, her resolve- which had been strong up until that point, had completely shattered like a glass cup being pelted by a stone, or dropped on the hard and unforgiving ground. She brought her arm up to cover her face, and wept silently into the crook of her arm for what felt like hours to her, but was only a few minutes in this new world around her.
She did eventually calm down, though her eyes were puffy and red. Her nose was stuffed up, and her head was killing her. She was still upset, but she just ran out of tears to cry. For the moment that is. Someone walked in and delivered a tray of food, but she paid no mind to it. She could not focus on sustenance for herself. The smell of the meal under the lid did not stir her forward, and she remains still, staring at her own feet. She didn't know how many minutes or hours had passed, but eventually someone came and received the untouched tray of food. They gave a small shake of their head as they walked out, soon replaced by someone else. It was some blue haired girl, this time. She happened to catch a glimpse out of the corner of her eye.
The girl was speaking to her, but the words were lost to her. Seralin did not budge, simply looking down at her feet without care. The girl talks a bit more, seeming to repeat herself a few times. She might have been asking questions. She asked one final time, being loud now in an attempt to break Seralin from her lack of attention, but she did not even flinch from the sudden loud noise causing discomfort to her head.
The blue haired female leaves, stomping her feet, and is followed by someone in a white overcoat of sorts. She wasn't sure what it was, but she was certain that this person held some high ranked station to have something so large and grand to differ them from the other Shinigami. The man walked over and sat by her feet. At this, Seralin cast her bloodshot gaze up to the male's kind teal orbs. The man instantly frowned, seeing only the emotions of sorrow and loss in what he assumed were normally bright and enlightening eyes, full of wisdom for all who knew what to ask. That brightness was replaced by only a dull shimmer now, and he would not let her leave his division until he healed her up both physically, and emotionally.
He asks for her name, to start. She replies honestly, though in a whisper so soft and cracked that he knew she had been crying for a long while before he was called to here. However, hearing her full name gave him an idea. He came to the conclusion as to what she was so distressed about, and a smile quickly brightens his features. Her head tilts a bit, not understanding quite yet.
"How would you like to see your husband's recovery?" Her heart skipped a beat at that. 'Recovery... from that...?' Her eyes gain back the slightest flicker, and her pleading look quickly blocked out her previous lack of good emotion. If they were so skilled that they could restore him and help him recover from how he was hurt, then the people before her were surely gods. She stood up on shaky feet and did her best to follow the man out, who guided her over to a one-sided window to her husband's recovery room. She looked in, and while she was glad that her lover was still alive, she wasn't as sure about all the machines they had hooked up to him.
Instantly the man in the coat started to explain to her that, while he would make a full recovery, it could take a great many months until that time comes. She did not mind in the least. Her lover was alright, and going to be alright, so that's all that mattered to her. She walked back alone to her room, where she met someone who was waiting for her.
It was the woman from before, the female Shinigami started talking to her about possibly attending what she was told was an academy for the Shinigami. She told Seralin about how any soul with enough of this Rieryoku, or spiritual energy, could learn to control their power and become one of the Shinigami. Otherwise, someone who couldn't control their power could become a hazard to loved ones around them. Instantly, she of course thought of her husband, and from that moment there was no need to think. She signed right up.
She was scheduled to be picked up and escorted in two weeks time.
-The Academy Life Begins-
When it came time for her to enroll in the academy, Seralin did not feel nervous. She was guided through some sort of entrance exam to determine what level classes she would have. From what she heard, she would be taking normal Zanjutsu, or sword classes as well as normal Hoho/hand to hand combat classes, while she would be in advanced Hakuda and Kido classes.
Things started out rough for her, just as it did other students, but she was the newest to this realm in her class. As with anyone else she took a history class, and that class was what she found the most interesting, next to that of her Kido lessons.
She adjusted quickly, and quickly became a quick teacher's pet doing whatever she could to be a sponge for knowledge, even in her swordsmanship and hand-to-hand classes. Everything she learned helped her to better understand a bit more of this new place.
However, just as in her human life, she went through the academy silent and ignorant of the people around her. She had no friends in the academy, though the fact she remained out of school events and didn't talk to anyone meant she also didn't have any enemies. That was just how she liked it. This gave her enough time to, on her own time, advance her Kaido skills. She wanted to be able to help her husband after he recovered, and to do that she would need to be able to use advanced Kaido to heal him.
So, when her second year rolled around, she was put up into even more advanced classes, classes usually reserved only for the high ranking nobility. Of course, this brought her a lot of attention from students and teachers alike, as well as Squad recruiters.
Squad Five, most proficient in Kido, stepped forward to try having her sign up for their squad first. She shot them down, telling them she already knew what squad she wanted to join.
Eleventh, Twelfth and Sixth squad recruiters stepped forward next, and just as before she rejected. Claiming she knew where she wanted to join.
Her second year would come to an end, with all but the Fourth Division recruiter stepping forward. Simply put, she didn't have to. She knew who Seralin wanted to join, and for who it was for.
For her third year, her teachers recommended her to take the end of course exams and try to graduate early, but she remained insistant that she finish the normal six years inside the academy. She wanted to learn all she could there, after all.
So, she simply remained taking advanced classes, nothing she couldn't handle.
For her remaining three years, that is what she did. Everything in her classes was implanted firmly in her mind, so when her time for the exam came around she passed the top of her class. When asked which squad she was going to apply for, most assumed she would go for the strongest squad, Squad One. However, she went with Squad Four, stating that her reasons were her own.
While everyone mentally questioned the decision, they did not vocalize their opinion. So, she was given a week to pack up her books from her dorm and move into the Fourth Division's barracks.
She did just that, and when the day came she was sent through a squad evaluation to see where she and the other recruits stood in the squad.
While she did exceptionally well, she was by far not the best, and she was still rather new. So, the squad's Captain as she had learned, made her the squad's Fifth Seat. This was a choice she was quite content with. While they did do paperwork, she would have free time to not just work on Kaido, she could read and study any material available to her rank.
Seralin - Posts : 4
Join date : 2019-11-24
- Spoiler:
-200 Years, Shikai's Awakening-
Seralin was taking her sweet time, studying the vast material available. One thing caught her interest, though, and it was something she wasn't sure about doing in the academy, and that was unlocking the potential of one's Zanpakuto Spirit through Shikai, and later on Bankai. While Bankai was beyond her at this point, something she was certain about, this Shikai interested her, so she wanted to speak to her captain about it.
In this time, she had helped heal and save the lives of 200+ people, mostly idiotic Squad Eleven members who went to extreme in their fighting.
With her time in the squad, she was able to pick up on just what type of society this Gotie 13 was, and it was something she didn't quite understand. While the squads had a rivalry, they still at the end of the day would spend time drinking together at the local pub. Then there was the relationship between the squads of Twelve and Four. Neither of them liked each other, and would mostly remain silent if they were to get near each other. However, should one side say something, the other is quick to criticize, which would escalate into a full blown fight.
There were plenty of people who didn't trust each other, just like the Captains themselves.
She didn't pay it much mind, despite it being a curious thought. Instead, she went to her captain to talk about her Zanpakuto.
She addressed her concerns, wondering how one could even talk to their sword, let alone unlock some alternate form from it that granted access to a unique power.
Her captain quickly decided to help her understand, by showing her his own Shikai. She could not remember what it looked like or what the name was to this day, but she remembers that at the time, she was shocked by the display.
She was told of a cave to the north under Sokyoku Hill that she could use for trying to unlock her Shikai, as other members of his squad did. Just as he himself did. She did not need to be told twice, and she took off for that destination right away.
Besides, any day now and her husband would be released from intensive care, so she wanted to have something great to show him when he came out.
She stepped into the cave and was hit by the musky smell of the damp area. She was not bothered by it, so she walked deeper inside, and sat herself near a rather tall stalagmite. Her legs crossed like instructed in what she read, she places her Zanpakuto with the flat of the blade upon her lap and closes her eyes, clearing her mind.
She was told by her captain that it could very well not happen for a few days, and even then it might sound like nothing but a faint whisper but this was the only way to unlock Shikai, and that was to hear the voice of her Zanpakuto.
She felt silly, doing such a thing and expecting a tool to talk to her mind.
"Who do you think of as a toy, bitch?!" Rang a rather fiery feminine voice in her head.
Her eyes shoot open, and she looks around for where the voice came from. However, when she opened her eyes, she was not in the cave she sat in but was on a smooth stone platform. She blinks a bit, taking in the sudden change before her. Looking forward, she sees five different territories though couldn't make out a single 'sword spirit' through some dense fog. "So, she has come to us, at last." Rang a smoother male's voice.
She watched as the fog cleared, and revealed five beings she could only describe as being divine spirits. They could not possibly be her Zanpakuto Spirit, or Spirits.
"Listen to that, the bitch knows how to flatter on top of insult." Came the fiery voice from before. It belonged to the one she noticed to be made entirely of flames.
"Easy, let us see if she can even hear our names." Came the angelic looking one in the center. The second voice that she heard from just a moment ago. "It is nice to finally see you face to face, our master. We are-"
Seralin finished the statement for them. "Taberu Hōseki." She whispers, and all five seem to give a pleasant shiver.
They all give a smirk. Well, those that could. Only one seemed to have the lips to do so. "It seems we have a great mast-"
She stopped him from finishing that statement, telling him that nobody is his master, that instead partners with the same goal. She then gives her own name, walking up to each one and shaking their respective hand/leafy appendage. Their link wouldn't last though, for as soon as she gave her name in kind, she woke up back in the cave with a gasp, and looks around. She quickly sees that on her lap, her sword was in a new form. While it was the same shape, she took notice that the length of the blade was no longer made of metal, but not it was made of five precious gemstones.
They seemed to be ever shifting, though never mixing and merging, just remaining firmly together and moving about. She stands, blade in hand and walks over to the cave's entrance, taking her time to examine the sword with the light. No, not her sword, her partner in it's new form. She could not understand why but she felt more at peace with the blade, closer to it.
She would not keep it up for long though and quickly seals back up her blade, knowing she would need to excessively train with it before she has it understood, let alone mastered. Just having her sword release active for that short bit of time felt quite draining to her inexperienced body.
With this news though, she rushes back to tell the news to her Captain. Of course, she waited until he had a free moment, and once he did she showed him her newly acquired Shikai. He seemed impressed, giving her head a pat and congratulating her before moving on to something else that needed his attention.
She too had things she needed to do, like paperwork for the day and she had patients to heal for the day. She was given plenty of choices to choose from, since the entire Eleventh Division decided to have a sparring day.
This was still one of her grandest and more memorable days, though.
-Another Day, Another Miracle-
A couple days would pass from then, with each and every day Seralin made monstrous advances with learning more about her Zanpakuto. She not only trained in using the abilities she gained from Shikai, but she also learned as much as she could about her sword spirits. Their personalities, likes and dislikes, as well as what aspect of her power they represented.
She was in the middle of the training grounds, practicing one of her Zanpakuto's abilities when she was interrupted by a messenger asking that she return to the main barracks, that the captain wished to speak with her.
She went back swiftly, thinking something went wrong with her husband's condition.
She barged into her captain's office and quickly took a seat, clearly worried about what he could wish to see her about.
He chuckled a bit, casting away her worry instantly. Apparently, he asked that she return so that she would be the one to escort her husband into one of the recovery rooms. This she accepted without hesitation, to which her captain nodded and sent her off to accomplish the task.
When she entered her husband's room, she was all smiles at seeing her husband there, alive, mostly restored though still heavily bandaged. She walks over to his side, placing a hand over his. There isn't much to be said, as he cannot speak yet, but they do share an intimate glance. She would get to her task, placing her husband in a wheelchair before wheeling him out of the intensive care unit.
She sets him up in his new room with an IV of water, enriched with various vitamins to help with healing. The healing division didn't only heal with Kido, after all. She helps him relax onto the bed, and changes his bandages. With a kiss to his forehead, she leaves him to rest and adjust, and gets back to her duties as a Fifth Seat.
This entailed paper work, and helping as she could with healing up the injured within the squad.
-285 Years, 1 Promotion-
Over the next 285 years, she was never promoted or demoted. However, this year she was able to be promoted up to Fourth Seat. It took so long because she purposely held back to not have advanced in rank. She wanted to read as much as she could and study what was available before taking on a new rank, with more material available to her. Of course her work load increased, though she always made time to visit her husband and take time to both train herself harder and study.
In fact, her captain had taken to helping with her kido training, thinking that she could use a few pointers. She took what was said to heart, and used it to advance both her skill and interest in the art of Kido.
She keeps her work up, but slowly has been losing interest in being a Shinigami, and just wanting to live a life of peace with her lover. However, she knew by now through her studies that she couldn't just simply retire. She is expected to serve, marriage or no, until she dies and becomes part of the Seireitei. That wasn't a life that she wanted for her and her life partner.
She was starting to doubt ever having been a Shinigami.
Being a Fourth Seat allowed her access to tombs, scrolls and books in which she could learn more Kido. She studies to keep her mind off other things. While she does still visit her husband, it is only to talk with him about what's going on outside the room, and what's on her mind. He is the only one that she trusts with her thoughts.
He has been able to talk for a while, and did so to offer words of encouragement to his wife. Telling her that what she was doing was the right thing, and that he supports her entirely. She is thankful for those words, for they keep her trying her best.
It is another hundred years before she advances again, with no real changes from what has happened before. She is able to obtain new knowledge as a Third Seat, but she feels even less motivated to remain within the Gotei 13. It wasn't that she disliked the organization, but she just didn't feel as excited for this work as she started out before.
There were other Hollow attacks, like what happened before to originally get her into this, but she always went in with the rest of her squad after the fighting was over, to heal up the injured. While she didn't mind healing those who were hurt, in fact it gave her great joy, but she also wanted to fight as well.
Her blade had yet to taste a Hollow's blood.
She didn't take long in learning what she could as a Third Seat, and when the next squad evaluation came around, she took her chances at becoming Lieutenant.
For this, she has to face the current Lieutenant in a spar, challenging them for their position.
She didn't take long, as she had put every bit of her skill into ending the fight as swiftly as possible. She was celebrated, even by the one she defeated, for her promotion. However, the next day she was cursing under her breath. Her workload doubled, and her responsibilities as a healer felt like it tripled.
However, there were just as many perks. She had more access to advanced Kido, and other research materials available for her rank. It would take her quite some time to study and completely master what she has at her disposal.
-The "Accident"-
A couple years into her position, and Seralin has adjusted entirely to the work she is given. If there was ever a low point for motivation though, this was it. Sure, she kept everything up, but she just didn't see any real purpose in it other then the pay. However, she had no need for the money, since she couldn't spend it on anything but alcohol, special food, and various pieces of equipment, but she seen no point in it. Instead, she funneled her pay into her husband's recovery.
He was the only one she really held full conversations with, these days. While she did talk to her captain when she needed to for paper work, it stayed just business. She noticed that he started to treat her differently, but it was nothing that she paid any mind to.
Many years pass, a total of 400. She was on her way to visit her husband as usual after her day's work, when she noticed that the door to his room was already open. Odd, since she was his only visitor.
Everyone knew that nobody checked up and helped him except for her. She had ordered it to be so to everyone under her so this was quite a surprise. Of course, as soon as she looked in she was shocked with yet another surprise, and painfully so.
Her husband was lifeless in his bed, his slight movements from the rapid and unceremonial slashes from her captain's sword. Blood spattered all along the walls, and one of the many gashes gave a sickening spray towards the door when hit, sending blood into her face. A shaky hand reaches to her Zanpakuto's hilt, though as soon as it grips down her movements are methodical, focused and unhesitant. She rushed forward with a scream full of fury, calling the attention of many squad members who happened to be nearby.
Right away, alarms went off for an emergency and even members from other squads were being called in.
Her Captain, hearing her cry and feeling her spiritual energy, quickly evades and jumps to the other side of the room, spouting out nonsense about this being her fault, for not choosing him over her husband.
She paid no mind to it, just like anything else he had done. She was too filled with rage to hear anything said to her. "Feast on the mountain's heart, Taberu Hōseki!" Releasing her Zanpakuto's Shikai, she attacks her former Captain while he was in the middle of talking. She ends him quickly before allowing him to make his sword release. She knew she wouldn't stand a chance if she did.
With the blood of her Captain and her husband now staining her face, she kneels down at her husband's lifeless side, her sword falling from her hands as she rests her head on his chest one final time. She knew it wouldn't be too long before he entered the cycle of reincarnation.
It had happened so quickly, so suddenly. It was trauma that has affected her to the core. Even after so many hundreds of years, what she seen when her husband was first attacked by those Hollows was still taxing on her mind.
What she had seen here, was the straw that broke the figurative camel's back.
Her mind snaps, and subconsciously her mind locks away the memories of who it was she was married to, where it was she exactly grew up, who she used to be, and the names of everyone she had met up to this point that was influential to her until now. It would drive her insane otherwise.
She kept by him regardless. Though her mind locked away her knowledge of the man before her, who was starting to slowly fade away into spirit particles, she had a gut feeling that he was someone who was important to her, and her remaining tears dried themselves at the corners of her eyes before they could fall.
All 200+ Shinigami in her squad looked on at her in a mixture of awe, shock, and surprise at what had happened.
Squad 4 has just had a shift in leadership and power.
-The Newest Captain-
It wasn't a happy face on Seralin's face as she accepted her Captain's Haiori, nor is it a sad one. It was a mask of pure indifference. She honestly didn't know what to feel. She thought that she should feel... something, about this promotion. However, she couldn't figure out why she would have killed her own Squad Captain. That, and she kept feeling like something was missing, and her heart kept telling her that she should be upset with this choice.
She took on the mantle of duty regardless. She couldn't just leave her squad without a leader. At least, not for now.
She took her place beside her new equals, staring blankly to the area before her and listening to all that was said. Like a machine, waiting for information about it's given duties. When the meeting came to an end, she went right back to her barracks, intent on getting right to her new duties.
To start, she had her bedroom remodeled. She couldn't remember what she was paid as a Lieutenant, but she was now shocked with a sudden increase in her already reasonable pay. She made her room to hold only the basics, keeping the walls a plain white. However, she also paid for remodeling for the rest of her squad's bedrooms to be made a bit more luxurious.
The squad accepted her quickly, though for the life of her she couldn't understand why. Didn't she take away their previous captain through her own blade?
Nobody brought up or talked with her about that topic, and it often annoyed her. She was a grown woman, and could handle talking about it. After all, it couldn't have been that bad. She probably just blacked out. That's how she sees it.
Eventually, it didn't really matter to her anymore. Her duties quickly took her focus. That, and she wanted to obtain her second sword release, something all the other Captains had.
She wanted her Bankai.
She started her Bankai training only a week into her station with the help of her fellow captains. As they were helping train her though, she kept seeing their looks of pity. It frustrated her that she couldn't figure out why they gave her that look. Either way the training kept going along, with the Squad Five Captain of the time teaching her whatever Kido she didn't know, up to number one hundred. She considered it an honor to be taught Forbidden Kido, since it was only shared with those who had the respect of the Kido Corps Commander.
While her Kido training only took a simple few years, her Bankai training took up to fifty. She felt more complete once she earned her second Zanpakuto release. She focused more on her work, from that point. However, she couldn't shake the feeling she had since she became a Lieutenant. She didn't belong here. That, and she kept feeling an unexplained sadness whenever she walked by a certain room within the medical ward.
In those fifty years of her training, and the fifty after, things seemed to finally calm for her. She had fallen into a routine of her work, and constant training. However, she still felt off, and the feeling kept growing over that long period of time. That, and eventually she avoided that one medical room entirely.
She began to think about leaving since things seemed to be more calm. While she did her job exceedingly well, she just didn't feel at home with it. Every day of her routine just made her feel out of place. This wasn't what she wanted to do. She wanted to see the world, to experience the history of the World of the Living as she was now prone to calling it. However, she knew enough of the Seireitei to understand they would never approve of her simply leaving on a whim.
That's exactly what this was, a whim.
That night, her and her Zanpakuto talked within her mind-scape, discussing possible plans of 'escape'. Sure, she wasn't technically being held there against her will, but she also couldn't leave legally.
They knew as much about the Seireitei through her studying, and each one of her Aspects had their own plan. Her Ruby Aspect told her that she should simply fight her way out, though was quickly hushed by her Sapphire Aspect's plan, which was to take a more peaceful route to walk out casually before going into hiding. She could use her rank to slip out, after forging her own papers. It wouldn't even get her a second glance.
Her Garnet Aspect was in agreement with this idea, though kept caution in Seralin's mind about possible second options should things turn violent.
Her Amethyst Aspect chimed in with the thought of sneaking out, using Kido to hide herself before escaping through her own Senkaimon.
With the input of the Diamond Aspect, she decides to go with Sapphire's plan with a little added touch of her own. She would forge her own dispatch papers, and with them escape to the World of the Living through a monitored Senkaimon to avoid suspicion while behind her would be left behind a distraction of her choosing.
That was going to be the hard part.
While she was certain that the plan, if carried out right would be flawless, she wasn't certain how she could cause a disturbance big enough so all eyes, even those of the current Central 46, would be off of her. Ruby and Garnet were the first to suggest a fight, something including violence. Sapphire was the voice of reason, and recommended starting a decoy using a gigai, and one of the mod souls currently in testing.
Amethyst and Diamond gave the suggestion that she could use Kido, something that would cause a bang which she could set off as she leaves from a great distance. Big, flashy, and something that couldn't be traced to her. For the time being, that is. The Seireitei of that time wasn't advanced enough to register who's reiryoku was used, just how strong it was. Their monitors and sensors just were not sensitive enough at the time.
She would work it out within the next few weeks. She decided to act through a few tactics at once. She knew that the Eleventh Squad members had no love for her own, and would exploit that. Through one of the Squad Eleven members, she spreads a rumor that her squad thought theirs was weak, for ending up in their medical ward so much. When the man returned to his squad, it wasn't a shock to her that they decided to try and 'teach the squad four losers a lesson'.
As this went on, her squad and the Eleventh facing off, she slipped out through the cover of the fight to where she would set up a small explosive, right next to repair supply storage. She then heads out, forged papers in hand, towards where one of the guarded areas for entering the World of the Living was. She showed her papers, and as expected, she was let go without so much as a turn of their head.
Of course, plans don't always go according to plan.
She set off the explosive, making the storehouse start to burn but her rieryoku was tracked right away, so as the Senkaimon closed behind her, she could hear gasps from the Captains and Seated Officers at seeing her leave. They were too late though, she was already gone, her plan complete.
She couldn't rest, though. Pulling out a small sphere from her pocket, she activated the orb with a burst of her Reiryoku, creating a quick Gigai for her to slip into.
She didn't know where in the world she popped into, though right now she didn't seem to care. In her new and highly limited body, the female was now left to her own devices, the entire world before her there for her disposal.
She just needed to know where to begin.
Before her escape could be tracked by the radars of the Shinigami, she quickly slipped into her Gigai and took to the streets of the town she had entered. Asking the closest person by her, she learns that she was in the city of Alexandria. She was in Egypt.
As good a place as any to start, she figured.
She would need to gain some sort of currency to begin. However, just as she had assumed from her memories of Atlantis and her schooling in the Shinigami Academy, the male humans of the World of the Living looked down upon females.
Well, most of them.
There were a few that seemed to hold some shard of respect for her, but they were what she heard were called 'commoners' and 'beggars'. She was not new to such a thing, as the Rukongai had such a class system, but women and men were equal there. Here, women were seen more as... property. Someone given to a man to give him a family.
Another issue she found, this time not with the people, was the sun beating down upon her. The clothes of her Gigai, while keeping her cool, left some of her skin open for burning. The first few days before she was able to get herself covered enough, she had an annoying itch to her skin. She would have gotten sunburn by then normally, had she need a normal human.
She had to move quickly, as she knew that the Shinigami would be trying to hunt her down swiftly. She did know that funds would be needed to get what she needed, but she didn't have the time for that luxury. To her astounding luck, she was able to sneak herself onto one of the carts heading out of the city. She assumed it was some sort of trading caravan, going from city to city to sell their wares as well as pick up other things up as they travel along.
Good thing, too. She could feel the familiar signature of a Senkaimon opening up back in the city, which makes her do her best to suppress her spiritual pressure.
She doesn't see any black figures heading their way, so she assumes that she was in the clear for the moment. She doesn't take any risks though, and keeps both silent and unfelt by all. She needed to remain hidden from those she hitched a ride from too, after all. For the time being at least. For now though, she needed to try and remember as much of the Egyptian language as she could, back from before she had died.
While her mind had drifted, hours would have passed. Eventually, she is taken out of whatever memory she could vaguely remember from the cart coming to a sharp stop. She was no fool. Either she had been found out, or they were about to be attacked by marauders, thieves, or a rogue group of that sort.
She doubted that, as she was certain there would have been more commotion then what she could hear. That, and she could hear the crunching of sand getting louder from someone's undoubted approach to the cart. She could not risk being slowed down by the caravan's suspicions, anyway. So, after grabbing a handful of supplies she takes off in a firm sprint back towards where they were coming from. She may have been in a false body that was like a human's, but she was still physically tougher than the average man and woman.
The sun was low, so she didn't have to worry about the outrageous heat, but she knew that it would soon get bitterly cold, so she would need to hurry her way back to the city for shelter. She could sell these things in her arms for whatever she could, and use that currency to get on her feet. Whatever it was wrapped in the brown and rough fabric, it had good weight to it.
She kept running for as long as her feet would take her, and she couldn't hear the heated screams and curses of the traders from further back. At which point, she walked until she felt that she wasn't too fatigued. The desert winds were already starting to nip at her already sensitive skin from the blaring sun. She didn't want to risk catching some stupid sickness on her first day back in the living world. That, and the thought of losing her gigai to the cold just because she was careless was a less than pleasing thought.
She was luckily able to make it to town, where she took to some empty and narrow street since all the town's local merchants seemed to be sleeping. She would have to wait until morning to do anything worthwhile.
-Getting On One's Feet-
The next morning, it didn't take long for her to sell whatever it was she had. She soon found out after unwrapping what she had stolen that it was gold. She traded it off for whatever currency it was they used, and it looked like quite a lot. she had to get herself a small satchel to hold it at her shoulder. Next she started looking around the town for shelter. She would need it if she was to ever get started with her goal.
She took the entire day, excluding time to eat, drink and relieve herself, to search for such a place. It would need to have lots of room to hold the information she would place within it.
She did find one, near the center of town. It wasn't where she would have liked it, but she would make due. She had to spend half of her current funds on the place, and half of what was left from that remaining total on the basic essentials for furniture. Next, she got whatever she could for food that would last. Mainly a roll of cheese, some dried and salted meats, and a large pot of grain to make bread from.
With that all done, she went to sleep early in a warm and comfortable bed, instead of the hard stone road outside. She had a lot to do tomorrow to get herself started, after all.
When she had woken up, she had taken care of what she needed to before she started with learning about the local customs and culture. It was where she would have to make her starting point, locally. So, where better to go then the religious heads of the city?
That is, that's what she had hoped until she was turned down at the temple doors since she was both an outsider and a woman. She would have loved nothing more then to shove those very words down their throats in the form of her fist, but she didn't have time for that now. Instead, she decided she would instead start from the bottom. So, she started talking with the beggars. Most seemed happy to talk to her, since normally everyone looked away from them with disdain.
Next, she spoke to the slaves. While she found the thought of slavery repulsive, she was not one to speak. Where she remembered growing up had slaves, after all, no matter how much she disliked it.
They were just as welcoming, since she was talking to them like they were actual people instead of tools for whatever purpose their masters had for them.
She learned a lot this way, from those who could look directly from the bottom, and be regaled with stories of people at the top of their caste system. Every bit of which she took both mental and physical notes on, using a quill, ink and papyrus which she spent her last few coins on. This would become a great source for her to write a proper book on this society.
She couldn't spend all day talking, though, even if she wanted to. She needed a temporary job so she could afford her writing supplies, after all.
So, she started walking around to whatever local shop their was, offering her services for cleaning, sorting, and whatever other needed jobs were available. She was shot down many times, until she came across a man that allowed her to earn a few coins fetching water when it was needed while the shop was open. It would consume a lot of her time during the day, since she would have to be there from it's opening in the morning to closing in the afternoon. She wasn't even sure what job it was for, just that she needed to fetch water.
A simple task, but in a desert, water was highly important. She got a livable wage off of the task each and every day. She had time, that much she knew. The Shinigami had already searched hear anyway from a few hours ago.
So, with this she starts to slowly gather the needed information for her current research topic: Egyptian Lore. To her knowledge, she knew of also the Greeks, Asians, and the people of the Middle East. Of course, this implied she would eventually have to leave her home here inside Alexandria. Eventually, after roughly two months of talking and storytelling, she had obtained as much research notes as she could from the commoners, beggars and slaves, her next goal were the priests. She also hoped she could eventually be able to speak to the nobility and the Pharaoh himself, but she knew such a thing was too far of a reach. For now, at least.
So, notes in hand, she went back to the temple. With her new material, which she had copied back at her dwelling, she shown them what it was she had collected. Their faces held shock at her swift findings, and seeing what she had so far about their culture, they quickly took it upon themselves to teach Seralin. 'Better from us, then the common rabble.', one of them had told her. So, every day after her task of fetching water she would go to the temple for another four months, learning what she could from the priests. Eventually, they just had nothing else to teach her about their people. Well, their perspectives, anyway. So, her sights were set next upon the nobility, family to the Pharaoh. Every day after her tasks she would wait outside the mighty building sheltering the family, hoping she would meet one coming out.
She was blessed a few times as one or two would come out at a time, and as they talked to her they easily loosened their lips about how they thought their society worked.
She found their views quite common, it was like Atlantis in that regard. The nobility thought it was their money that kept things flowing, while instead it was their workers who toiled all day that kept their lives comfortable. She kept her recordings up regardless. It was all still vital to her research, after all. After all, there was still the rare one noble who thought that the workers should be shown a bit more respect, even if only for their workload.
This little bit lasted six months of that same repeating routine, making her time spent inside Egypt a total of a single year. She only gained small tidbits of information, so it was expected. It mattered not for Seralin, she was a patient woman.
The oddest thing happened about a week after she had finished with the nobility. A servant of the Pharaoh himself was sent to her door, asking that she attend an afternoon meal with the nobility. She accepted of course, understanding that for such a thing to happen to anyone not of royal blood, let alone a female outsider, was unheard of in this culture. So, she readied herself right away, rubbing some soft smelling lavender oil upon her feet for the occasion as a show of respect. She had picked it up not long after hearing how clean and good smelling feet were respectful when going to someone else's home.
When she arrived at the large structure, she was guided into a grand banquet hall- a large dining table placed in the center of the room. The table is half filled, with some other walking in from other doorways entering the hall. She is guided to a seat reserved for her beside the Pharaoh's grand chair. Not long after her arrival, she noted how servants were getting their betters some food, and the one that guided her in was doing the same for her. She was not used to be waited on. She had always gotten her own food. So, she did just that. She walked up and gently taken the plate from the servant, starting to fill her own plate. She knew how much she could eat and not anyone else, that was for sure. Many gasps filled the chamber from her act, which she readily ignored.
She finished, and was heading back when she noticed a pair of curious eyes from the last man to arrive, her host. She took her seat, setting her plate down on the table before her. She explained why she acted as she did, that it was her stubborn Atlantean upbringing. They all gave another, more surprised gasp. An Atlantean had graced their city, and they were so oblivious to it?
They didn't speak a word though, and instead just decided to ignore her previous outburst.
Like that, her and the Pharaoh began to talk. At first it was topical, mainly about her heritage, but soon turned to the research she was doing. She explained her goal, which was to collect lore on all the nations she knew of to exist.
While he was shocked at such a task, it was something he couldn't help but feel excited over her saying. For her to have such a goal was... inspiring, to say the least. As such, he wanted to shed the best light about the people, though assured her that he would spare no details to make it as honest as possible, something she readily agreed to. So, as he talked, her plate went on ignored as she took up writing what the man was saying, word for word.
Only after they were done talking did she take the time to enjoy the perfectly cooked food. So much so, it made those still at the table to observe their conversation chuckle in amusement. After though, she gave a bow and proper thanks for the time she was granted, to which she was kindly given a farewell, wished good luck, and escorted out to her home.
At her house, she took right away to getting what she had written before onto clearer paper, and written neatly as well as orderly. She gathered her notes, every single piece of paper, and started to pack them up in large jars sealed with wax, cloth and string, keeping it air tight. As she accumulated money, over another half of a year, she was able to move on for Greece. She had her dwelling sold, only taking along what she needed. If she did not need to take something, she sold it off for funds.
Thus, she found herself leading a cart being pulled by a camel across the desert sands, Greece as her destination. After, she hoped to then see if there were any new locations beyond Greece, if she did not already learn of them during her stay. As the slow transition from sand to solid soil, to firm hard ground was made, the temperature noticeably lowered down to where it was much more comfortable to feel, and the sun was not quite so bright in the sky. After all, the clouds kept it away most of the time. Even then, the sun wasn't as brutal in this location anyway. So, she started to shed some of her wrappings. Mainly from her arms, head and legs. Her robes still kept her body from sight.
After nearly two and a half months of travel, including stops to get water and food as well as to sleep, she would arrive in the city of Delphi. At its outskirts she was greeted by farmers who pointed her to the center of town, where she could arrange for shelter. That is exactly what she did, where she bought a small shack in exchange for selling her camel.
She set up right away, leaving her cart in back and setting her jars in a corner inside. It was a proper house, but it wouldn't be her home for more then a few years at most.
She got right to work, setting out to talk to the town beggar. Shockingly, she only had found one. A lone beggar, sitting out in the streets.
She repeated the process in this city that she did back in Alexandria, though this time she was able to earn better pay helping out the farmers.
For two years she stayed, her skin showing a slight tan from her work. In this time, she had multiple excursions to the surrounding cities. She had seen the many monuments and customs of Greece, which added to her collection of Greek Lore. So, with money back in her pockets, she set out from her current location for Italy on the next ship out. She had her jars packed, with her Greek Lore papers packed up inside of two large wooden chests sealed by a single lock each.
She went to the Latium area. It was an area where the Greeks and Italians weren't currently fighting over. That, and she heard they spoke an odd language there. Latin. It was something she felt would be interesting to learn. When she landed, she right away got herself settled in the cheapest house available, and got herself to work.
This was the cycle she would fall into, continuously up until the turning from B.C. to A.D. She had heard talk of a rising faith in Europe, the Catholics and Christians were rising in numbers from converts each and every hour of the passing days. She went on to record the Holy Crusades, as she heard them called, keeping track of this sudden rise.
While she wasn't one for religion, she was shocked that an order was so dedicated to their cause that they would go to war to convert a culture.
However, she did not judge, and she kept everything down to paper.
Seralin found herself unsure what to do after that, as she was quite loaded with information since she had been from Europe, to Asia, and everywhere in between.
She really didn't like when she was in Russia, it was way to cold for her tastes. She preferred a more tropical environment, but she wasn't about to complain since she still had a goal.
Either way she was still at a loss. That was, until she heard talk of those seeking religious freedom in a place called the "New World". She half wondered if that was implying one of the other continents she had heard about while back in the Seireitei, but quickly decided she would find out for herself. She was able to give some funds towards the pilgrims, as they called themselves, for a spot on their ship. She explained that she wanted to simply have fresh material to write about. They didn't care, all they liked was that there was someone willing to aid them, no questions asked.
She remained calm and traveled down below with the dark skinned slaves. She knew of them, that they were slaves from some country in Europe. It was currently a big deal to have a slave, but she felt that would change soon. People were starting to come to the conclusion that slavery was a bad thing. However, that wouldn't happen quite yet.
So when the ship the Mayflower landed, she was glad to find a new culture she could learn from. These Native Americans as they were dubbed by the settlers were unique in that they didn't build up cities, but seemed to live in a symbiotic relationship with nature. She could appreciate that, considering they weren't going down the road her kin, and their ancestors, did.
She immediately took to learning of their lore, ignoring the settlers now. They needed time to refine themselves now in this new land, anyway.
So over the next two years she lived among them, learning their ways and their culture, as well as myths and legends. She was shocked to hear that their shamans and chiefs of old had foreseen the arrival of the settlers, who quickly became colonists as they started forming port cities.
By now, she went back and forth between the two diverse people, keeping her records. She knew that someone was about to snap, as tensions between the two differing cultures clashed multiple times.
She stayed out whenever they fought, and for a couple more years she remained just out of reach from them, but just close enough to observe the battle the natives were losing. It wasn't their lack of numbers, but their poor weapons and the taxing sicknesses that came over from the boats.
Eventually, she was able to settle and observe as the natives soon started to either be converted to their way of life, or forced out of their lands. She settled down in a state near the north, a forming state called Massachusetts. A little town called Salem.
Things started off fine, it was far from the fighting. However, she noticed that the people in this forming town held no trust of each other. They settled too quickly, and tried for form instant friendship just to get along. It was bound to break.
Break it did, when she herself was accused as well as a number of other men and women of being witches. She knew of their religion's dislike of witches, since it was assumed they needed to form a contract with a demonic being dubbed The Devil, Lucifer, Satan, Fallen Angel. She found the idea ridiculous since she held no qualities of such, that it was the accusations of naughty girls wanting to shift the blame.
Of course, she went into detail as to how she could not have possibly been a witch. She could work no magic. She drank an entire vial of holy water, and even went for a swim inside their local pond. She shown through the tips of her forefingers that the fire of a candle would burn her. If she was a witch, surely she couldn't do such things?
She seemed to dodge a bullet, but many others didn't.
She named the bloody event the Bloody Salem Witch Hunt in her notes. Not all that great sounding, but it got the point across. Of course, when the news spread that all the previous accusations were false, they all came together and punished the girls responsible. Lovely how such information had a knack for bringing people together.
So, she decided it was against her best interests to stay, and moved down south a bit. She was able to relax for some time, a couple more years, before she was able to watch and record a now grand Thirteen Colonies rebel against their ruling British Empire.
Of course, where there was death so were Shinigami, so she was sure to stay out of things for as long as possible, instead just making sure to learn of what she needed to. She didn't want to be found, after all.
She always watched from afar and kept to herself. After that war finished, and the new few came and passed, she watched the nation grow even larger. She recorded the progress made with their railways and inventions. Of course, she also watched as they advanced in weaponry. She disliked that they were finding more efficient ways to kill each other, but understood how important it was. The one with a bigger and better gun was safer off, as it were.
She got to relax for a bit, traveling around the new country and observing it's growth. Of course, she kept it all recorded. However, no good thing lasts forever. She had decided to leave for Europe again to record any changes in their culture when another war had broken out. It was one of the bloodiest she had seen thus far. A war on a scale that could only be described as both grand, and terrible. It was a world-wide war, World Was One.
She kept out as always, but cut it close a few times at being caught by the Shinigami. They were crawling around everywhere, with all the death being brought about.
However, she always managed to shake suspicions and escape to a new location before the mistake could happen again.
Eventually it was in Berlin, Germany that she ended up settling, and opening up a bookstore.
Women had more privileges in these times, but she still had gotten less than formal complaints from more of the... outspoken men of the community. She figured that she could always do her part to help educate the populace properly by having books available for purchase. And while she did good business, it wasn't for the books on her shelves. It was for the discriminating newsletters which were on a metal wire rack on the far wall. That was one of the conditions for her getting this store.
She hated to help sell such childish and rude propaganda. She liked the Jewish community, they always were interested in her books and were by far the most peaceful people she knew in that town. However, that was where the first hammer struck.
Anyone who was not German started to slowly lose their rights. First it was ownership of bikes, then getting prohibited from plays, and it even went so far as to add an early curfew for anyone who wasn't German. She didn't really mind, as that didn't affect her shop.
She would look outside her shop to see all the Jewish-owned shops get the Star of David taped, painted or scratched into their windows. Things seemed to be getting worse, and she knew it would eventually break. 'I'll give it a week, things might cool.' She thought to herself, but only two days later she awoke to hearing the sound of windows being smashed. She hurried down to her shop, seeing that they tossed in some of those homemade molotov cocktails. The German citizens were trying to burn down her book store, the books of her shop slowly starting to burn with the wooden building.
She quickly rushed back and made sure that her safe-room for all her records were safe. It was a sturdy stone room, one she had installed for security reasons. She was someone who would rather be safe than sorry. Afterword she ran out of the now burning building, making sure others who had escaped were uninjured. After, she marched up to the rioting Germans out in front of her store whom she starts to give a firm but still respectful talking to.
They ignore her, most calling her names until one man dared spit in her face.
That man gotten a punch that cleared the crowd away back to their homes, and made the man's hopes of chewing his meals for a week shatter. Much like his now broken jaw.
She attempted to rebuild, but the city's councilmen had prevented her from allowing her a business. She tried to even go behind their back and build anyway, but they replied with force, threatening her with getting sent to jail if she did not do as they said.
She accepted, as she didn't want her recordings confiscated. As such she packed up and left, leaving Berlin behind for France. She was sure she would be appreciated there.
She settled there for a time, built up a new store and established herself as a shining member of the community. Time would continue passing, with news coming out of Germany getting more and more drastic. She wasn't sure of the news being relayed to her, but from what she heard Germany had started invading Poland and France. As such, she started right away to evacuate to England. She had records to protect, after all. She did not have room for risks.
Seralin was a smart woman. While she was sure she could end this if she simply left her Gigai, she did not want the attention it would get her from the Seireitei. It was harder and harder to keep out from their sights as it was. She knew their scanners and reiatsu monitors were highly advanced by this point, with how many years had passed. So, she again could not afford the risk.
She did not settle this time, since a war seemed to be breaking out. People were calling it some sort of 'Lightning War', by a man named Hitler. She knew of the man, as he became Germany's leader back when she lived there. She didn't care either way. She would adapt, as she always did.
Eventually, after news that America's Pearl Harbor was attacked by Japan, one of Germany's current allies America joined in the war, instantly turning the war's tide in their favor. She was glad for this, she would have hated to find somewhere new to go to.
As soon as France was retaken, she ended up moving back in with the war ending not too many weeks after. It was expensive to rebuild, taking nearly all of her previous wealth, but it was well worth it. Books were still an important part of people's lives, after all.
There was a grand celebration when they heard that the war had ended, with wine flowing like water from a fountain in every classy establishment that was able to rebuild in time. Heck, she watched as people got themselves wasted out in the streets since there wasn't enough room inside.
She stayed to herself, having a single glass of wine before resting. She had work tomorrow, after all. She couldn't risk a hangover. She could not risk any memory loss from too much alcohol. She had forgotten too much already that she still couldn't remember.
After the second World War she had experienced, she was able to finally settle down for a bit. However, she was itching to see Japan. She hadn't been there in a couple hundred years. She wanted to see how they had changed, and how they would change from their loss.
So, she packed up. First boat she could get for Japan, she took. She couldn't stay in France for much longer, anyway. People would start to question her unaging features, and she didn't need that.
With her mind made up, she settled down within Japan. If she was correct, it was within the city of Karakura. She felt more at ease within the city limits then she had anywhere else, she had noticed. She didn't know if it was because the country was on a smaller bit of land then the rest or if it was simply the highly accepting community, but she just felt more relaxed.
At the same time, she took note that there was more Shinigami activity here then there was anywhere else. That is, when there wasn't some war somewhere else keeping their focus.
Otherwise, she found it the perfect place to settle, even if just for the time being. It was at the end of a normally empty street that she opened up her current book store, in a house that had only recently been restored. She was told that before here, there was only two known owners and both left without even filing complaints. She cared not, whether it was a haunting or for their own personal reasons. Unlike most humans, she knew better about the supernatural. Hell, she was part of said supernatural.
Despite it's renovations, it still looked a bit dimmed even in the brightest of sunlight. She thought it was probably the paint, or maybe the light absorbing a lot of the light. Darker woods tended to do that sometimes when treated the right way. She liked it.
So her store, Tamashī no Bungaku which read as Literature of the Soul, was open. Inside, she stocked up on a wide variety of books like any book store would. She spanned across multiple genres, even having a special wall in the back just for any special new manga that came out each week/month.
For a few weeks, she was able to settle nicely. She knew, though, that her life wouldn't keep her path peaceful. She knows that, eventually, she will be pulled into a conflict to pay for her actions so many thousands of years ago. She just tries to prolong the inevitable.
Side Notes: Roleplay Sample:
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Seralin
Seralin, The Self-Imposed Exile (W.I.P)
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