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[b]Name:[/b] Heiwa, Senkō (née Kagayaki) [Peace in a Flash of Light]

[b]Nickname(s):[/b] Hikari no Hikari [Light of Lights]

[b]Age:[/b] 2,493 / 934 [Looks to be approximately 32]

[b]Sex:[/b] Female

[b]Sexual Preference:[/b] Heterosexual

[b]Species:[/b] Shinigami

[b]Alliance:[/b] C.O.R.E (Central Operations Realms Elite) - Wife of the Shidō

[b]Appearance:[/b] Senkō is well known for being a beautiful woman. While not born of her Husband's line, she shares a trait of his family in that her hair is a glorious auburn in colour, a mix between bright orange and sunset red so vivid that her long, flowing hair melts into the sunset sky whenever she walks beneath it. Her hair is almost always forged into angel curls, tempered with the heat of a sun to truly allow the hairstyle to remain both fluid and rigid simultaneously, and to cement her locks in a state of permanent beauty. Her hair reaches down to just below her shoulderblades in length, at its apex, and will often spill forwards past her shoulders to frame her ample bosom and her soft facial features. Even upon looking at only her hair, Senkō can easily be distinguished as an extremely beautiful woman. Her facial features are common for one with her hair colour (which is completely natural), in the sense that her skin is extremely pale. It has held onto the almost pallid look it obtained upon her death, and is almost milky-white, though it does not carry any of the unhealthiness it had upon her death. Her skin is suffused with a beautiful light that seems to emanate from within her very core, and lights up her entire body as if she had been set aflame. She has high cheekbones and thin, shaped eyebrows - though these are less auburn and slightly more blonde - as well as a small, petite nose. These are complimented by a full, but not overly so, set of lips. Senkō's lips have a perfectly well-defined cupid's bow, so much so that her lips are an instantly striking part of her face. Her lips are often coated in a thin layer of red lip-stain, though little is needed due to her natural colour, and it is often worn simply out of habit. Senkō's eyelashes are longer than the average woman's, with this length being augmented by a coating of deep black mascara. Her irises are both a brilliant turquoise, offering an awe-inspiring juxtaposition of softness among her harsh and lively hair.

Senkō's body is not one to be ashamed of. She has the correct balance of muscle and fat, enough to fill her out but not enough to skew the natural proportions of her body. This makes her slightly more weighty than the average woman, but she holds her weight well. Her bosom is ample, but not restricting or overly in-the-way, and is well complimented by the outfits she can traditionally be seen wearing. Her entire body is free of blemishes, something she claims to have obtained from being burned alive, as she puts it: "Fire has a way of purging all of your sins and imperfections - worldly or otherwise.". This lack of flaws in her skin allows her to wear more revealing outfits than most would, and she enjoys doing so frequently. Her favourite dress is the colour of her husband's Zanpakutō while in Shikai, reveals a small amount of cleavage and ends almost abruptly at halfway down her thighs, affording her a chance to show off her slender legs and arms, while leaving some aspects to the imagination. This is, mostly, for the benefit of her husband - but she takes other onlookers' lurid gazes as a compliment (though what her husband has to say about this is strictly between those that would lust after her and his blade).

[b]Personality:[/b] "I did not volunteer for the flame."

Senkō is a woman with conviction. She is entirely focused on one thing at a time, and cannot bring herself to rest until she has finished what she has started. This has led to many sleepless nights, to the disdain of Kokoro, and often causes her to be narrow-minded in her endeavours. She frequently fixates upon goals, and dedicates every fibre of her being to their completion. This has lead to an "absurd" list of priorities, one that can change at a moment's notice should Senkō set her considerable willpower into completing a task. She has, somehow, managed to maintain a number one priority even among her mess of priorities, and that is her husband, Kokoro. It could be said that being married defines Senkō, as she has been known to impulsively drop anything she is doing to attend to the needs of the man she married - be they real or imagined. Frequently will Senkō suddenly stop, and vanish - only to return moments later and act as if she had never left, suddenly realising that she has something higher on her list of priorities than what she was presently doing. This, much to the ire of most people, happens more frequently than she would like to admit. While this is still somewhat rare, it happens enough that several people do not keep their hopes up when it comes to finishing a conversation with Senkō.

Senkō's personality was born much of the flame that consumed her while she was alive. She is spontaneous, lively, and almost fierce in her compassion. She knows care only for her husband, and is significantly less attached to everyone and anyone else in the world. This does not make her cold - by no means is she cold - but she does not put nearly as much stock in anyone as she has Kokoro. Several people - especially those who have not known her for very long - may well consider her to be both irritating and blase about things she does care about. This spontaneity and sudden dropping of things she was doing have also led several people to believe she is less intelligent than she is. Nothing could be further from the truth: Senkō is vastly intelligent, but often lacks the concentration to correctly use it in the way genuises do. Her vast intellect requires much upkeep, and does not flow naturally from her like from some - Kokan, Nejire being the prime example - and some people have chosen to look down on her for this. This has not affected her in any way, shape or form however, and she continues to work as hard as she always has to acheive. Only a fool is completely sure of themselves, however, and Senkō knows she has room to improve. She understands that she could be more empathic, disciplined and focused but simply does not prioritise this improvement over most other things, leaving her little time to concentrate on herself. Her almost literal "burning desire" to help others leaves her with little room for herself, which she does not mind. It should be noted that Senkō is extremely protective and overbearing to those beneath her while they are near the top of her list of priorities.

In addition to her other traits, Senkō enjoys almost nothing more than playing the traditional housewife. She has frequently stopped fighting people to check on a roast in the stove or pour tea, and allows trivial things such as this to cloud over everything else in her mind. There are those that appreciate this, however, and their completion brings a sense of satisfaction Senkō could not obtain anywhere else. She has learned that there is joy even in self-sacrifice, and chooses to make her own joy from the joy of others.

[b]Equipment:[/b]

[i]Kōshitsu no Kekkon Yubiwa [Imperial Wedding Ring]:[/i] The ring signifying Senkō's marriage to Kokoro. It is a simple golden band, with an inlaid "plait" of diamonds stretching across the entire outside of the band. Inside is an engraving, stating: "Sunset.", in reference to the time when the pair met. This wedding ring, while a constant reminder of Senkō's undying loyalty to her husband, also serves as a suppressor for her Reiatsu, which lights up an appropriate number of diamonds based on the amount of her reiatsu she is suppressing. When all the diamonds in her ring glow (the same colour as her hair), her reiatsu is completely unnoticeable, and she can pass off as having none (though finer sensors would perhaps detect her has having the slightest amount). Normally, Senkō keeps approximately half of her reiatsu sealed within the ring, which leaves her with reiatsu comparable to that of the average captain.

[b]Abilities: [/b]

[i]Hohō Expert:[/i] Senkō is speedy enough to be classed as a captain, but, it is far from her strongest ability. She can keep up with one not specialised in speed, but is not nearly speedy enough to keep up with the captains who have devoted themselves to being speedy. A lieutenant, however, would be unable to keep up with Senkō simply for the difference in power.

[i]Zanjutsu Master:[/i] After having rigorous training with her husband - one of the greatest swordsmen to ever have lived - Senkō is understandably brilliant at the art. She is a true master of swordsmanship, and is easily able to outpace captains with her technique. She could quite easily overwhelm several opponents of captain level, striking fluidly and with a power that someone of her stature should not have.

[i]Kidō Master:[/i] Senkō is easily as skilled as the more potent Kidō users in Seireitei, having mastered the art to enough of an extent to be considered worthy

[i]Hakuda Expert:[/i] While not her forté, Senkō is somewhat skilled at Hakuda. She could, if needs be, deflect the average captain's Hakuda blows, but would be unable to strike back with enough force to actually cause damage to her opponents. She could, however, easily best a lieutenant in the art of physical combat.

[i]Vast Reiatsu:[/i] Senkō's reiatsu is exceptionally large, even for a captain. She commands an extreme presence because of this when she is not suppressing her Reiatsu, and is normally easily noticeable over vast distances if only for the sheer amount of energy her existence gives off. This makes her rather powerful on the battlefield, as one might imagine, and she is most definitely a force to be reckoned with when she is not tending to her duties as a wife.

[i]Master Cook:[/i] Senkō's skill within the kitchen, as a housewife, is second to (almost) none. She has been cooking for years upon years, and has gained a vast culinary expertise so expansive that she can cook, almost literally, anything. She is a master of the culinary arts, all in all, and will challenge those who would attempt to claim her title as the best chef.

[i]Malevolent Force of Opening Windows:[/i] Senkō's ability to open windows defies all logic and understanding. Whenever she is in a house, be it her own or someone else's, or barracks, or anywhere with windows, by the time she leaves all windows will inexplicably have been opened. Even windows that were thought to be sealed are somehow mysteriously open, as testament to Senkō's incredible skill as a housewife.

[b]Zanpakutō Name:[/b] Gekkeiju no Kōyu (月桂樹の香油, Balm of Laurels)

[b]Zanpakutō Appearance:[/b] In its sealed state, Gekkeiju no Kōyu is a Nodachi. The blade of the Nodachi is exactly 5 feet long, and while the edge is extremely sharp, the actual "metal" of the blade is extremely dull, so much so that it absorbs light into its being as if it were black. This is not true, of course, but the illusion it gives off is fairly convincing. The Tsuba is made of a single, enlarged laurel leaf - exactly thirteen centimeters in length, and four in width at its widest points. This leaf is, despite what its nature may imply, extremely strong, enough that by hooking a single finger beneath it Senkō could draw it from its sheath. The leaf is completely free of creases, and is formed to be the epitomy of a perfect laurel leaf, in shape and in nature. The hilt is a simple metal, the same colour as the blade, but has lovingly been wrapped in both laurel leaves and the individual fibres of laurel leaves, tied together to make a "twine" of sorts that is criss-crossed across the hilt to keep the leaves in place and form a more comfortable grip. Thusly, the hilt of the unsealed blade is both comfortable and practical, allowing Senkō the maximum amount of grip and comfort.

The sheath of the blade is also quite interesting: While, from a distance, it could look like a standard sheath, this is largely untrue. The sheath is made of hundreds upon hundreds of laurel leaves, each tied together with the same "twine" as on the hilt, to form a protective layer around the Zanpakutō itself. These leaves have been thoroughly infused with Senkō's reiatsu, and are able to disperse into the wind to effectively "draw" the blade at her will, even when in its sealed state. There is also a long string that ties the Tsuba to the end of the sheath, one that enables Senkō to carry the sword on her back as it traditionally is.

[b]Zanpakutō Spirit:[/b] The inner world of Gekkeiju no Kōyu is a stunning sight: Kept in a perpetual sunset at Autumn by the spirit that resides in the world. The sun hangs low in the sky at all times, its rays shining into valley upon valley of laurel trees, and the leaves that hang from the trees flouresce with an auburn radiance at all times, almost glittering with a flame that does not exist. The laurel leaves are constantly burning with an ethereal flame, the flame being the reflections of light through the reiatsu-infused smoke that is flowing throughout the entire world. While there are valleys upon valleys of laurel trees that constantly "burn", these are all fashioned in a circle that surrounds a giant bonfire. The wood that the bonfire burns from is unclear, though, it is constantly charred beyond recognition. The flames of the bonfire are not the traditional hues of orange and red that one might expect from flames. Instead, the flames are a mix between a shimmering gold and the colour of Senkō's hair, much richer than any normal flame could ever hope to be. The flames dance around the wood, catching leaves in the air and adding them to the pyre as they do so, and form intricate shapes, intricate forms that can never be truly understood or deciphered. All points, regardless of where they are, are equidistant to this bonfire while one is within the world of Gekkeiju no Kōyu. At any time, you will find yourself just as far away from the bonfire as you were ten steps ago, and the mischeivous spirit very much enjoys confusing those who enter its world with this fact. The bonfire is the physical incarnation of the spirit that guards the world, its dancing forms extentions of its unknowable will. The spirit is much like Senkō herself, but has been disciplined by many years and has honed everything about herself to a razor-fine point. While not in the bonfire, Gekkeiju no Kōyu manifests as a being of pure flame - the same colour as her bonfire - and takes a roughly humanoid figure. Where her eyes would be the flames lighten, but there is no mouth. Instead, her speech comes from every leaf in the entire valley, from each particle of smoke. Her voice reverberates throughout the entire world, gently shaking it but not disturbing it, as gentle as the breeze but as harsh and as suffocating as the smoke that it embodies. The paths on the ground are, literally, fire. The pure golden flames are cool to the touch, and seem to form wherever one walks in the world. The flames will, over time, begin to crawl up one's body - first to the legs, then to the chest, down the arms and finally over the face. As soon as the body is fully engulfed in flames - a thoroughly disorienting experience - they simply rescind into the ground once more. The smoke that permeates the air is both acrid and somehow not, breathing it in is to breathe in the very essence of flame, but not to be scorched by it. It smells strongly of a unique fusion of bay leaves, sandalwood and jasmine, and is as much the wind as the wind itself is. Burning leaves can be seen being carries along the currents of the smoke, highlighted by the rays of the sunset, to create glittering trails wherever the eyes can follow. Like all things in Gekkeiju no Kōyu's inner world, the smoke is ephemeral. Sometimes it will flow past you, clinging to you and caressing your every sense, and at other times it will simply be gone - and its very presence will seem as if it were fleeting. The entire world exists within a single moment, and each moment experienced in the world of Gekkeiju no Kōyu is unique; oddly beautiful and awe-inspiring. 

[b]Shikai Appearance:[/b] Reject Death, Gekkeiju no Kōyu. [死拒否, 月桂樹の香油 Shi Kyohi, Gekkeiju no Kōyu.]

Upon uttering the release command, the leaves that make up the sheath of Gekkeiju no Kōyu scatter into the wind, and Senkō must swing the Nodachi in a complete and uninterrupted circle around herself: Something easily possible with her swordsmanship skills. The blade glows, for a brief second, with her auburn reiatsu. This is the key to her Zanpakutō being released, and as she continues the fluid swing around herself laurel leaves appear within the nodachi's form and suddenly float into the wind, kept in orbit around Senkō while she continues to move. Very quickly, almost the entire blade is reduced down to an oblong exactly one leaf thick, and four feet long. The hilt shrinks to accomodate the smaller blade, as does the Tsuba, and a flurry of laurel leaves are left around Senkō's form.

While in Shikai, the nodachi that is the sealed form ceases to be, becoming a blade exactly one leaf thick, and made of the laurel leaves that give Senkō's Zanpakutō its namesake. This blade is extremely sharp, and boasts one of the highest cutting powers in Seireitei if only for its form. The true beauty of her Shikai, however, is the fact that the "paper-thin blade" she boasts is constantly alight in the auburn flames that the leaves are coated in in her inner world.

[b]Shikai Abilities:[/b] Upon releasing her Shikai, Senkō's reiatsu is (obviously) increased, and her spiritual pressure becomes more intense than it normally is, almost to the point of causing lieutenants to simply choke if they are too close to her. When Gekkeiju no Kōyu is released, the majority of Senkō's reiatsu is converted into laurel leaves, except for the reiatsu in her ring, and she becomes surrounded by a seemingly infinite flurry of laurel leaves. These leaves are physically unable to move within one foot of Senkō at any given point without her direct consent, and will be repelled by her unless she wills it so. These leaves are somewhat sharp, but cannot be used to the extent that Senbonzakura could be. They lack the offensive capabilities of Senbonzakura, but are very powerful defensively, allowing Senkō to essentially shrug off most Hakuda and Kidō attacks that she can keep up with by shielding herself with the leaves. Rather than be the normal shade of green laurel leaves are, these leaves are the same colour as those of her blade and in her inner world, but do not glitter with the auburn flame like the blade does. Releasing her Shikai does not convert any reiatsu stored within the Kōshitsu no Kekkon Yubiwa to laurel leaves, however, releasing reiatsu from it while in Shikai will create more leaves.

[i]Hankō [Defiance]:[/i] Normally the conversion of one's reiatsu into another form would lessen the user's spiritual pressure. This is the opposite case for Senkō: The more laurel leaves that are touching an opponent, the greater her Spiritual Pressure becomes, and none of it fades from her conversion of her reiatsu into leaves. She can choose who to affect with her almost monstrous spiritual pressure, and can choose whether or not a victim feels the pressure at an increased level if her leaves are present upon their body.

[i]Hi o Senjō [Cleansing Flame]:[/i] The nature of Gekkeiju no Kōyu is not inherently harmful. The leaves that the blade creates are intended to heal, not harm, and their presence alone is enough to soothe wounds. By "burning" leaves that are attached to an opponent, the reiatsu from the leaves is gradually consumed and heals whomever Senkō wishes, at a rate appropriate to the number of leaves burning on the being. These leaves burn with a silver flame while healing an opponent, with the flame becoming more and more golden as the victim's wounds decrease. 

[i]Shizukana Hi no Gishiki [Rite of Tranquil Flame]:[/i] Senkō is able to burn the laurel leaves with an azure flame, creating a protective barrier around an area where the burning leaves are physically touching. This barrier expends almost no reiatsu over time, but will suffer losses when it takes damage. As an added effect, all Kidō within this barrier (if it is spherical or hemispherical) are strengthened by its presence: especially healing Kidō.

[i]Iyashi Hai [Soothing Ashes]:[/i] When any of Senkō's leaves burn, they leave behind an auburn ash. This ash has powerful curative properties, acting as a powerful painkiller, antibiotic and antidote if inhaled, or aiding the recovery of wounds that it is rubbed into. However, these ashes have purpose twofold, and are able to augment Kidō when they are present at their casting. This is especially powerful for fire kidō, but does consume the ashes like their ingestion would.

[i]Kenshin-En [Selfless Flame]:[/i] Whenever the leaves are exposed to foreign reiatsu, Senkō may have them burn with a black flame, consuming both the victim's reiatsu and the reiatsu of the leaf burning it. This obviously consumes the leaf, but affords Senkō some leeway in the event of attacks reaching her.

[i]Gekkeiju no Todoku [Reach of the Laurels]:[/i] Senkō is able to form any shape from the laurel leaves that surround her, usually simple blades, by making a grabbing motion near laurel leaves. These "blades" are easily as hard as her Zanpakutō blades, and can be dispersed and reformed at will. This gives her already potent Zanjutsu skill an extra edge, something that truly crowns her as a true master of swordsmanship.

[i]Junkyō no Tsumi [Sins of the Martyr]:[/i] Senkō causes the leaves on an opponent to burn with a dark red flame. This causes an effect quite opposite to the norm of Gekkeiju no Kōyu - every wound that the victim has ever suffered gradually reopens, every sensation of pain is violently relived as the flames continue to burn. The longer these flames burn upon an opponent, the more the effect compounds. These leaves do leave behind Iyashi Hai, but the ash will only aggravate wounds and dampen the victim's reiatsu.

[b]Bankai Name:[/b] Gekkeiju no Kōyu: Uchimitsu [月桂樹の香油：内光, Balm of Laurels: Light from Within]

[b]Bankai Appearance:[/b] To enter Bankai, Senkō must flock her remaining laurel leaves to the blade of her Zanpakutō. Upon meeting the blade, each leaf will be surrounded by the same flame that consumes the Zanpakutō in Shikai, and the blade will reform as a much larger sword, still one leaf thick, albeit made of laurel leaves set alight with an auburn, glittering fire. This blade is extremely powerful, and boasts one of the highest "cutting powers" in Seireitei while in Bankai. Upon the blade being formed, Senkō must swing it in a complete circle around herself, leaving a trail of the flames, which then fully releases the bankai. In a flash of auburn, Senkō's reiatsu is all but gone to all but the very best of sensors and a much, much larger mass of the leaves are created. Senkō's appearance changes somewhat while in Bankai, and one can see a glow the colour of the flames behind her eyes and, should one look at her from a distance, throughout her entire being.

[b]Bankai Abilities:[/b] In Bankai, Senkō gains even more leaves than she did in Shikai, at least quadrupling the original amount that she had, and repleneshing any that were consumed. Her physical strength is increased while in Bankai, as is her ability to use Kidō.

[i]Honō ni Hankō [Defy the Flame]:[/i] While Senkō's spiritual pressure is already extremely powerful while in Shikai, in Bankai her spiritual pressure becomes so monstrously powerful that even captains are hit by its sheer weight. While it does not choke them like it would a lieutenant, it is certainly a very noticeable effect. While any of Senkō's abilities are active - that involve her leaves burning - this spiritual pressure is amplified should she focus it onto a person proportionately to the amount of burning leaves. Should but a few leaves be burning, with intense concentration Senkō can immobilise Shinigami of even Captain rank, and with many more burning she could completely halt someone of equivalent power to herself.

[i]Tsuranuki-Kō [The Light that Pierces]:[/i] Whenever Senkō's leaves are physically on a Shinigami, be it clothing, their body or otherwise, their reiatsu is increased to 1.2x its normal level. This scales upwards, with the second leaf giving them a total of 1.4x their normal reiatsu, a third 1.6x and so on and so forth. For each leaf on an opponent, the same glow that Senkō has in her eyes will appear and grow on whomever the leaves are touching. Whenever a Shinigami has five times their total reiatsu by this effect, their reiatsu becomes too high for their body to handle, and the glow becomes so intense that the victim literally disintegrates themselves from the force of the reiatsu within them, instantly killing them.

[i]Hikari Eien [Light Everlasting]:[/i] Every strike of her blade that hits a Shinigami, or whenever the Iyashi Hai is applied to a Shinigami, leaves a sheer white glow that effuses throughout the Shinigami's very being. The more strikes they suffer, or the more the Iyashi Hai is applied, the stronger the light becomes. This light, while Senkō maintains her Bankai, will never leave, and based on the amount of light effused within the Shinigami, Senkō's abilities are more powerful against them. This applies both harmfully and beneficially.

[i]Akegata no Hikari [The Light of Dawn]:[/i] Instead of burning her leaves, Senkō may instead add to the glow that the Hikari Eien effuses within a being. This leaves behind a special kind of Iyashi Hai, one that is silver instead of auburn, and causes vastly more healing depending on how strong the Hikari Eien is within the recipient.[/center]