application

[sideboobs]

PLAYER
Player name: Roppie
Contact: themongers
Characters currently in-game: N/A

CHARACTER
Character Name: Suì-Fēng (born Fēng Shāolíng)
Character Age: ~250 years young, give or take some decades
Canon: Bleach
Canon Point: Post-timeskip, pre-Thousand Year War arc.

History: Bleach Wikia
Personality:
Suì-Fēng is the Second Division Captain of the Gotei-13 who has a reputation for being cold and unkind. Though she has indeed earned her description through short-tempered interactions and a life-or-death perspective she projects onto her subordinates, she is also demonstrated to be unerringly loyal to her duties and allies. So steadfast is she in her commitment to the Gotei-13 that she pushes herself as much as she pushes others, and her ability to contain her colorful emotions underneath becomes compromised when the subject of her loyalty is threatened.

Her origin is important to understanding the crux of her character. Those born to the lower noble Fēng family are born with a specific purpose; traditionally servant to Clan Shihōin as assassins by joining the Onmitsukidō’s Executive Miltia, those in the family who do not pass the test for entry are disowned. This reason for being is ingrained into Suì-Fēng’s mentality to the point of decaying sensitivity even to tragic familial losses. She reflects, "Of my five older siblings, two died on the first mission, then two more on the second, then in the sixth mission, the last one died as well. I felt sad somewhat, but more than that, I felt ashamed of their incompetence."

It was Suì-Fēng’s nature to work hard and do well for her cause, but Yoruichi Shihōin ignited her motivation. Meeting Yoruichi was, in her words, “like looking at a goddess.” The princess of the Shihōin Clan was the embodiment of nobility, beauty, and power. On top of that, her genuine kindness and humor shook Suì-Fēng into feeling warm affection, and not just that cold and empty rigidness pictured of the perfect assassin. Yoruichi’s attention, her tutelage, and serving as her bodyguard meant the world and the sun and the moon and the stars to Suì-Fēng, because her feelings for her were beyond admiration. This was beyond schoolgirl glee of senpai noticing her today. She worshipped the crap out of that woman.

Then, one day, Yoruichi was gone. Abandoned her titles, abandoned her.

Fast forward to today, and no one would guess that she was once so starry-eyed and eager to please. Motivated by Yoruichi’s betrayal to her loyalty, Suì-Fēng doubled up on her vitamin gummies so that she would not only replace Yoruichi in Soul Society, but also surpass her in skill.

Imagine Suì-Fēng chopping off her hair, as fictional women do when they are about to evolve into a more badass version of themselves, as we pause to iterate what exactly this transition means for her. Here is a laundry list of her titles shortly after Yoruichi scoots:
• Captain of the Second Division of the Gotei-13
• Commander-in-Chief of the Onmitsukidō
• Corps Commander of the Executive Militia
• While we’re at it, grandma I guess dies at some point and she becomes 9th Head of the Fēng Family

Since I stated before that one of Suì-Fēng’s defining traits is her sense of dedication, we can already suppose that the effect of Yoruichi’s disappearance is not quite that she will never trust again! Rather, her pledges her loyalty to the Gotei-13. Wholehearted dedication is in her blood, after all. It is because of her strict sense of duty that she is actually introduced as one of many antagonists to the protagonist Ichigo’s cause. Indeed, not only should Rukia be executed upon order of the Gotei-13, but also those who assist Soul Society’s intruders in their attempt to free her should be punished by death. In her introductory passage, she spells it out to her vice captain:

"I have no interest in whether it is right or wrong. All I care about is executing orders as a captain of the Gotei 13. All who get in my way are my enemies. All enemies must be slain. That is all that matters. That goes for you too, Ōmaeda. Don't forget where your loyalty lies. If you get in my way, you too will become my enemy."

Yet, Suì-Fēng is not completely devoid of her own perspective. She is cognizant that the Gotei-13 errs on the side of righteousness; however, ultimately she views that the purpose of the Gotei-13 is to ensure that they, and Ichigo, and countless others, survive against greater threats. She is prepared to die for the Gotei-13, but she fights so that she and they and others will not.

Her strong loyalty shapes her daily function in many ways. No one would conceivably describe Suì-Fēng as a slacker; she performs at her best, and she constantly pushes her limits in order to be her best. Like a student devoted to her studies, Suì-Fēng is devoted to perfecting her combative abilities in order to effectively fulfill her role. Instead of dwelling on her setbacks, Suì-Fēng finds ways to not only overcome them, but also render them insignificant. When she loses an arm, she simply uses the other. When she loses her greatest power, her bankai, she peaces out to run one-armed pushup reps on top of a mountain and perfects her Shunkō so that it is limitless. Such an accomplishment this is that she actually thanks the Quincy who steals her bankai, for then she was more motivated than ever to increase her ability.

As a soldier of high rank, her head is set so well on her shoulders that she also has a reliable mental capacity for battle. Suì-Fēng has a cool-under-fire approach to adversity. Though she occasionally taunts her enemies, she also evenly pities them for not seeing the speed of her attacks. She may prolong a battle in order to understand her adversary’s larger group, or let him think he has the upper hand in a battle in order to deceive his perception of her abilities. Her keen eye for detail quickly finds clues to effectively deal with threats in an unfamiliar space. Tellingly, she will even temporarily set aside a personal grudge, for example against Urahara en route to the Soul King Palace, in order to achieve a greater cause.

(But really, she hates that guy for his part in Yoruichi’s peacing out and will try to screw him over at any chance she can find.)

Finally, her devotion to the Gotei-13 affects her as a leader. According to the recruitment brochure for the Second Division, the squad is perfect for those who seek a strong female role model; however, recruits are warned that Suì-Fēng is a “taskmaster.” Time and again she is shown being a Miss Abby Lee Miller towards her subordinates, especially her vice captain (he has it coming though, being her antithesis: a spoiled, gluttonous, lazy oaf who gets crumbs in her hair). She explains to an an enemy, "I have never liked squad camaraderie. I feel that for training purposes, a measure of antagonism between superior and subordinate is essential." Citing the development of her men and women as just cause for hostility, it is clear her end goal is that the Second Division is the best that it can possibly be for the Gotei-13.

So that’s it! That’s Suì-Fēng, a certified badass who keeps her soldiers at arm’s length and is just focusing on herself…

Except for those moments where she totally loses it.

Coming back to Yoruichi, when Suì-Fēng engages her in an embittered battle of speed and subterfuge after 100 years of separation, pure bottled-up pain is her motivation. The whole confrontation is almost like a show to her former master, this see-what-I-can-do pissing contest, amidst her attempts to destroy her. Though it seems the altercation is in her favor, the good guy Yoruichi winds up schooling her in the very end, to Suì-Fēng’s utter confusion, and it rattles Suì-Fēng to her core. Not only did this woman betray her, but she also cannot even exact her revenge with all of her dedicated practice and her fuel after 100 years?

"I was extremely disappointed in you! I hated you! I cursed you! I swore to arrest you one day with my own hands! Then to surpass you, I struggled.. gained strength... I will never forgive you, Yoruichi! For betraying my respect and trust I will never forgive you! Why... Why... Why didn't you take me with you, Yoruichi-sama?"

After the troubling loss forces her to talk herself through what she bottled up over the past 100 years, she collapses at Yoruichi’s feet and cries like a child, reminiscent of the girl she was inside when she knew her as the princess Shihōin. This was the woman who violated the very core of Suì-Fēng’s existence, and that was too much to process.

Suì-Fēng lets her emotions get the best of her when, similarly, another respected leader vanishes from her life through death. In front of the remaining captains, she lashes out at the messenger who relays Byakuya and Kenpachi’s incapacitation: “Stay back! I don’t want to hear that now! Don’t you understand? The captain-commander passed away! What else do we have to hear next?” Suì-Fēng has such strong reverence towards respected leaders that their compromise, through exile or death, seems to be the most surefire way to send her into a meltdown.

Though she does not show the kindness her leaders have shown her outright, Suì-Fēng is shown to care for her subordinates. Ōmaeda is a pest and a punching bag for sure, but she values him enough to urge him to run from a battle when she knows he is outmatched. Even more tellingly, through actions and most certainly not through words, ultimately she trusts him enough to work together in certain battle situations. She masks her trust with quick criticism and abuse, of course, but that goes back to her philosophy as a leader—a degree of antagonism is essential for training purposes.

As for other allies, like her fellow captains and vice captains of the Gotei-13, she really is quite kind to them as long as they fulfill their duties and show respect to their leaders. Her reaction to Byakuya and Kenpachi's incapacitation mentioned earlier is an example of her caring for her colleagues, and so is her angered reaction to Momo's (second) stabbing at the hands of Aizen. Later on, she also thanks Momo for her healing efforts, and asks for Renji and Rukia's forgiveness for Ōmaeda's obligation to his sister (in this moment, Renji remarks that she has gotten kinder, and Rukia retorts that she was always kind).

Forgetting all about her primary motivation, that dead horse I have kicked plenty, she is generally an evenly-spoken character, but has hot impatience for disrespect. She detests disregard towards authority and tradition. Presently, she has reaffirmed her affinity for Clan Shihōin, particularly Yoruichi but its other members as well; Yoruichi is once again on a pedestal, and her obsession renders her totally uncool and her division headquarters into a cat paraphernalia collection haven, which actually is cool, so it evens out.

Inventory:
• Her zanpakutou, Suzumebachi
• Steel sash
• Her captain's uniform
• A small plush toy of a black cat, its stuffing flattened and material worn from hugging it while she sleeps.

Abilities:
• Shunpo: "Turn around and only an afterimage remains withal." Suì-Fēng is uniquely fast, utilizing shunpo to travel from point A to B using the least amount of steps. She can use the technique to leave behind an afterimage of herself, or in fact many. In addition, her talent with speed is essential in the art of masterful assassination. In the series, she is ranked about the third-quickest character, behind Yoruichi and Tenjirō.

• Hakuda: Also uniquely talented in hand-to-hand combat; combined with her speed and reflexes, it's difficult to land a hit on Suì-Fēng.

• Shunkō: A way of using pressurized kidō as both an offensive and defensive mechanism, a violent wind with a wide radius circulates around her right arm to both damage her opponent and repel oncoming attacks. Since this technique inevitably tears off the back and sleeves of a uniform, Suì-Fēng sports a backl-and-shoulderess uniform, and thus, sideboobs. Later on, past the canon point where I am pulling her, she is able to cycle the kidō around her entire body into an infinite loop, like a whirlpool.

• Kidō: Though she seldom uses kidō outside of the context of shunkō, she can summon spells that use spiritual power and willpower to excute via incantation.

• Swordsmanship: Instead of a full-sized katana for a zanpakutō, Suì-Fēng uses a wakizashi. She tends to grip it a little differently as well, holding it with the blade towards the outside of her fist; plus, she carries it horizontally on her back instead of at her waist. She's unique like that, like a snowflake.

• Enhanced strength and endurance: Suì-Fēng can lose an arm and keep on fighting the good fight. She can get thrown into walls with such force that it crumbles, and also cause structures to fall with her own strength. Basically it takes a lot to incapacitate her, certainly more than it would a human.

• Spiritual energy, and manipulation thereof: Suì-Fēng possesses a great amount of spiritual energy, essentially a physical pressure specific to her; in addition, as an assassin, she is able to contain and hide it (normally shinigami can detect one of their own from far away by recognizing the presence of their spiritual energy). It can also be used to maintain elevation in mid-air.

• Shikai: "Sting all enemies to death." By uttering these words, Suì-Fēng's zanpakutou transforms into a gauntlet on her right arm with a stinger-like blade for the middle finger. In this form, Suzumebachi can be used for her Death in Two Steps ability: stabbing her victim stamps a flower-shaped crest on his or her body, which secretes poison. By stabbing this same area a second time, the poison rapidly spreads throughout the rest of the body, and her victim dies. Removal of the stamp is only possible by Suì-Fēng's will.

• Bankai: Called the Hornet Thunder Whip, Suzumebachi transforms into a gold and black missile launcher twice her size. Attached is a protective plate for her face, which has a wide enough slit her her to see through and aim. Launching a missile creates a massive explosion, its force so powerful that she normally needs either a steel sash or the dead weight of her vice captain to anchor herself for the recoil. Ideally her limit of use is once per three days, but she can use it more than once in succession if she has to. She doesn't like using it much, as it offends her pride as an agent of the Onmitsukidō: it's too large to hide, too heavy to move, and too flashy for an assassination.

Flaws:
• Suì-Fēng's style of leadership is totally not suited for everyone. It's great that she can challenge herself so much, but her treatment of subordinates can end up being more degrading and discouraging, and less productive to others.

• She could be easily manipulated by her obsession with Yoruichi.

• In fact, her whole attitude towards leadership is rigid. Granted, she openly accuses the newly appointed captain-commander Kyōraku of having no shame when he once calls on big bad Aizen for help, so it's not quite as if she blindly falls into another's footsteps... but generally speaking, she is willing to sacrifice her own moral compass to follow the orders of a leader she does trust. Whether or not that's a flaw is subjective (is morality relative??? etc.), but the point is, it could lead her into trouble.

• Suì-Fēng is kind, but also detached and distinctly focused, while her leadership style is most overt; so, her lasting impression on others tends to be that of a cold grouch. She tends not to forge close relationships with others, caring about them from a distance while focusing primarily on her own self-improvement. Some recognize this, but many do not—and, well, it pays to have friends.

SAMPLES
Action Log Sample:
[Suì-Fēng feels a little foolish squinting her eyes suspiciously at a tomato, but she certainly wouldn't look at the little red fruit this way without cause.

In her daily desperation to escape from Hadriel, she circuits the shadows, observing the mysterious city's nooks and crannies despite the sinking feeling she has that this world might not even be connected to Soul Society, at least tangibly in a way even Urahara Kisuke himself could manipulate. She also hates the bad taste in her mouth she gets when she acknowledges that much credit to the miscreant. Left to her own devices to search for answers, she keeps her eyes and ears and spiritual energy especially keen for anything, even just the slightest little clue... and it doesn't even take that to know that a tomato cannot roll on the ground without at least the gentle nudge of a hand.

Yet, it remains approximately two meters behind her wherever she goes. Most troublesome of all, she senses nobody nearby to call out.

So finally, she gives in. After doublechecking to make sure nobody is watching, she draws her zanpakutou and delivers a swift, clean attack, splitting the produce in two.]

Hmph.

[It's a noise of disgust with herself that a mere tomato would cause this much paranoia. But as she sheathes Suzumebachi, another tomato rolls out from behind the walls of a nearby dilapidated building, this time demonstrating its free will.

Then so does another. And another, until what seems like an army of tomatoes with horrifying faces and grating laughter emerges.

She stomps on the nearest one before it can bite her ankle (gross!, she thinks) and leaps for high ground. A sea of red soon floods the avenue, and she has little time to wonder what they are or where they'd come from as they continue to swarm in her direction. Hurriedly, she looks briefly at her phone to find immediate S.O.S. messages to the network, and knows what she must do.]

Shunkō... [She casts off her captain's coat along with her dignity; had the rest of the underground city not been threatened, she would have simply sliced and diced the little monsters into a sauce. Instead she uses the force and velocity of a ferocious wind circulating her right arm to tear them to pieces all at once, tomato chunks splattering her surroundings and self, and begins a swift and obligated charge into the next part of town.]