[Application] Arisume Marikō <6th Division>

[reggin]

Name:
Arisume Marikō (F)


Age:
Marikō died at the young age of 16. Her current age in Soul Society is 48.


Appearance:
Marikō, or Rikō for short, stands 166 cm (about 5'6") and weighs between 110-115 lbs. She has a modest build with a slightly svelte figure, and a complexion the color of very pale, creamed coffee. Her long, dark brown, wavy hair is usually seen banded with a very long ribbon or scarf, the color of which could either be lilac or lavender; the said ribbon/scarf is sometimes used to tie her hair up in a ponytail or a bun.

Rikō's face is somewhat oval-shaped with a slightly-pointed chin. She has almond-shaped eyes with long lashes, her irises the color of dark chocolate. Her brows are quite thick and arched; she has a mole on her left eyebrow. Her sharp prow of a nose also has a tiny mole on the bridge. She has a small mouth with lips the color of pale strawberries, the lower lip a bit more plump than the upper one, giving her a pouty appearance.

Rikō's fingers are long and slim, her hands smooth yet firm. She has slender arms that give the impression of being skinny, when in fact she is not; her arm muscles are actually toned. Her legs, which are quite long, have nicely-muscled calves; she is, however, disappointed of her large thighs. She has modestly-sized breasts and her hips are quite broad, accentuated by slightly-plump buttocks.

Rikō wears on her ears a pair of stud earrings with lavender gems, and a silver chain with a moon-shaped pendant hangs around her neck. The said ornaments have been given to her as gifts by her adoptive parents in Soul Society, and she wears them everyday as a sign of her respect and love for them.

Marikō is a quiet and serious person who would rarely talk to others unless spoken to. Often seen with a book in tow, she usually prefers being alone, so much so that she appears reclusive at times.

Yet Rikō is polite and impartial; underneath the serious demeanor is an overflowing love and concern for others. She appears snobbish at a glance but it's really her seriousness manifested in her face; she has been known to flash her pearly whites every so often.

Rikō's subdued/withdrawn nature, however, does not mean she is apathetic and unresponsive; when something or someone is wrong, she will not hesitate to show her emotions and air her opinions regarding the matter, at times with lashing fury. She also has a protective nature, as displayed by her love & respect for her family and friends. She is not judgmental but has tendencies to be biased, particularly when the situation/person involved is against her beliefs.

Rikō likes reading books and writing poetry, and spends some free time cooking and baking. She is obsessive-compulsive by nature, as demonstrated by her excessive neatness and orderliness, and tends to get upset when someone messes up her belongings. She has a penchant for sakura tea and spicy stuff, loves the colors lilac and lavender, and prefers citrusy-scents. Being health-conscious, she frowns upon fatty and salty foods (except cheese, her favorite) and dislikes sake and any form of liquor.


Biography:
Marikō's arrival at Soul Society was at a side street in Junrinan, waking up hungry and disheveled beside some empty crates. She had forgotten how she had died, although she clearly remembers meeting a shinigami and being sent to Soul Society. However, she was able to retain some kind of memento from her previous life: her school ID. This she had been carrying in her pants pocket upon arrival. She has been keeping the ID ever since, serving as both a reminder and a proof that she had once lived in the real world.

Upon waking up at the side street, Rikō had immediately decided to seek refuge and shelter from anyone willing to help, and went around Junrinan asking for assistance and information. She had found good benefactors among the shop owners, who provided her some sustenance and a place to sleep, asking only her name. Some proprietors even gave her a few change of clothes. In return for their kindness, she would help out at the shops, cleaning the shelves and sweeping the floors.

After several months, an elderly couple who owned a general-merchandise store decided to adopt Rikō as their daughter. Arisume Nizūru and his wife Zetsumi had been childless, and they fell in love with her personality. They offered her a place in their home, even going so far as suggesting that they would have her educated. Rikō had agreed to their proposal, and had decided to adopt their surname as her own; she treated the couple like her own parents.

Being an obedient and responsible girl, Marikō had put it upon herself to do the chores at her new-found home. She had also volunteered to help out in minding her parents' store, which was located several streets away from their house. She had reasoned out that being quite old, the couple could no longer look after their shop by themselves. Nizūru and Zetsumi gave in to her request, realizing that her presence at the shop would mean that Zetsumi can stay at home and rest most of the time.

Within a year, Nizūru was able to train Rikō in the ways of doing business in Junrinan, and how to deal with their patrons and fellow shopkeepers. The old man also had lengthy discussions with her regarding their life in Soul Society, providing her some historic background. He was also able to explain to her the different types of people she would most likely encounter in Rukongai, and had given her a rough layout of Soul Society's geography.

By the time Rikō turned 18, her father was already confident in allowing her to mind the shop alone. She had grown accustomed to living in Junrinan, even getting acquainted with her parents' friends and business associates. Rikō was also able to gain the confidence of Nizūru's existing clients, and in a few months was able to have her own regular patrons.

One of her father's frequent customers happened to be the very same shinigami who had sent Rikō to Soul Society. On their first encounter in Soul Society, the shinigami was not able to recognize her, and Rikō had almost fainted due to the shinigami's strong reiatsu. Nizūru had almost panicked, but Rikō's condition did not seem terrible, and so he made sure that his daughter would recover.

Once Rikō was able to recover from her near-fainting condition, she had related to the shinigami about their initial encounter in the real world. Recognition had dawned on the shinigami, and she inquired about Rikō's life in Rukongai. Rikō had then told the shinigami of everything that happened to her ever since she arrived at Soul Society.

Upon hearing Rikō's story, the shinigami was convinced that Rikō should join the Academy and train to become a shinigami, and offered Rikō and Nizūru her recommendation. Rikō had initially felt excitement, but told the shinigami that she would discuss the matter first with her mother Zetsumi.

At first Rikō's mother would not hear of it, but after much persuasion from her husband, Zetsumi had finally agreed to let Rikō enter the Academy on the condition that she would do so only upon reaching the age of 21. Rikō had immediately assented, thinking the condition was reasonable enough for all of them: she would have enough time to prepare for her entry into the Academy, and her parents would have enough time to find and train a keeper for their shop.

Three months before Rikō turned 21, however, Zetsumi was suddenly afflicted with a chronic illness and had required full-time care and medication. Ever the affectionate daughter, Rikō had nursed her mother to near-complete recovery, delaying her application for entry into the Academy for more than a year.


Division being applied for:
6th Division


Zanpakutō appearance:
Rikō's zanpakutō blade is about 48 cm (about 17 inches) long, with the width about 3.5 cm; the blade is curved and double-edged, resembling a tsurugi, but the length is similar to a kodachi.

The tsuka (14 cm long) is colored black with bands of lavender, as is with the scabbard. A lavender-colored tassle with a moon-shaped silver charm hangs from the end of the tsuka.

The tsuba is shaped like a six-pointed star (much like the Star of David), and is silver-plated on the edges. The blade itself has a crescent-moon outline etched on each side near the tsuba.

She usually carries her zanpakutō on her left side with the blade faced upward, much like a katana; she normally draws it with her right hand and often wields it one-handedly.

[reggin]

Sample Mission: (Part 1)

"Arigatō gozaimasu!"

Arisume Marikō made a deep bow towards the customer as she expressed her gratitude; the client then bowed to her in return. "Do come back again, oku-sama," she smilingly said to the customer.

As Rikō accompanied the lady towards the door, helping her with some of her purchases, Nizūru looked upon his daughter with fondness and admiration. It has been nearly a year since he started teaching and training Rikō with the goings-on in their store, and already the girl has been able to manage inquiries and orders without constantly asking for his assistance. A few more months and he'll be able to leave the shopkeeping to Rikō.

Nizūru's musings were slightly interrupted by his daughter's loud voice. "Irasshaimase! Glad to see you again, Machiro-dono," greeted Rikō as she made a deep bow. The newcomer made a slight bow of acknowledgment towards her, patting her affectionately on the head as he straightened up.

"Dōmo, Rikō-chan, but I'd like to speak directly with your father," Machiro told her. Rikō nodded and stepped aside to allow the man some passage to get to Nizūru. She looked at the two men for a few moments, then proceeded to the back room to make some tea for all of them.

As Rikō was leaving the room, Machiro called out to her and said, "By the way, Kazuniro told me he plans to stop by later this afternoon. He said he plans on inviting you to go on a picnic by the river. What do you say to that, Rikō-chan?"

Rikō just shrugged and smiled at Machiro before going on to the back room. Machiro scratched his head and turned to Nizūru. "I just didn't get what she meant by that gesture. What am I going to tell Kazuniro now?"

Nizūru looked at Machiro for a few seconds, his eyes glinting with suppressed mirth, before replying, "I think you should just tell your son to stop by this afternoon and find out for himself if my daughter would be inclined to accompany him."

Machiro was one of Nizūru's regular patrons; he was a carpenter who lived three streets down the Arisume shop, and often ordered his carpentry needs from them. While Nizūru doesn't really keep reasonable stocks of lumber and other hardware in the store, he could usually procure them from the suppliers upon Machiro's request. The two men have been good friends, more so ever since Nizūru and his wife Zetsumi adopted Rikō. Machiro's son Kazuniro has since been a good acquaintance to Marikō, which seemed to make Machiro think of romantic notions between Rikō and his son.

As the Machiro and Nizūru were discussing their business by the counter, another customer appeared at the doorway, this time a woman. Nizūru noticed her and called out to his daughter; he noted that the newcomer was a regular client as well, but who only visited the shop every summer.

Inside the back room, Rikō had just finished making tea and was arranging the pot and the cups on a tray. Upon hearing her father's voice, Rikō hastened to pick up the tray and went out into the shop's main area. Rikō saw the newly-arrived customer, noting that she was a shinigami, then went to Nizūru to put the tray on the counter beside him. Afterwards, Rikō made her way towards the client to accomodate her.

As she approached the shinigami, Rikō suddenly felt dizzy; she tried to shake away the dizziness, but to no avail. Her vision wavered, and she felt herself stumbling to her knees. The shinigami, who looked familiar to Rikō, stepped forward to give assistance to Rikō, offering her right arm for support. It was then that Nizūru noticed what was happening, and excused himself from Machiro to rush to Rikō's aid.

"What's wrong, Rikō?" Nizūru asked his daughter, his voice laden with concern. He reached out and placed his left arm across Rikō's shoulders, then grasped her right arm with his right hand. With the help of the shinigami, Nizūru led his daughter to a nearby stool and let her sit down, while Machiro brought over a cup of tea and handed it to Rikō.

Rikō took the cup gratefully and emptied half of the contents with a single gulp; her dizziness had somewhat subsided, but she still felt weak. She turned to her father and said, "I don't know why, Otōsan, but I suddenly felt drained of energy when I got near her. It's like a strong wind rushed at me when I approached her, and then it felt like all my strength got sapped."

Nizūru looked at the shinigami with a puzzled look on his face and wondered, "Why could that be?" He turned to his daughter and stated, "Are you sure you ate enough for breakfast? You've often been hungry ever since you arrived here at Junrinan, so I was thinking that could be the reason why you feel faint just now."

Rikō could only look at him in confusion. She finished the remaining tea in her cup, then handed the cup to her father. "I'm not sure, Otōsan," Rikō replied to her father's query. "I'll admit that I often feel hungry, but I don't know if that's the reason why I felt dizzy. After all, I ate most of the food that Okāsan prepared for breakfast."

"Anyhow, at least you've been able to recover some strength now," Nizūru said to his daughter. "Maybe you should eat some of the food that your mother packed for lunch. If you ask me, I think she cooked enough for eight people."

Riko nodded her head in agreement. "I guess I should," she said to her father. "Maybe you're right, Otōsan. I must have already used up all that energy from the food I ate this morning."

The shinigami cleared her throat, startling Nizūru and Rikō; she faced the old man and said, "I think I have an idea on why your daughter fell to near-fainting state when she came near me."

"But, of course," Nizūru said apologetically. "Your knowledge regarding this matter is most welcome. Gomenasai, we've been rude to you somehow; we should have been attending to your needs. I do recall that you're a regular customer here, but I've been having problems with recalling names lately. May I ask who you are?"

"My name is Shimazawa Hikumi, a shinigami from the Saishuu Gotei Thirteen," replied the customer. "Sumimasen, but I only come here every summer." She made a cursory bow, then asked Nizūru, "You said your daughter has often felt hunger ever since she arrived? Does that mean she's not your real daughter?"

At this, Rikō flushed a little, but responded to the shinigami's question on her father's behalf. "Otōsan is my adoptive father; he and Okāsan took me in and considered me as their own daughter after I arrived here in Soul Society," she stated. "And I have reason to believe that I came from the real world, and that you were the shinigami who sent me here." Rikō then took something from inside her kimono and showed it to the shinigami.

The shinigami took the object that Rikō had presented and gave it a brief scrutiny; it was an old-looking identification card, slightly worn-out. At the top was the name of the school, printed in large, bold letters: Yanomaji International School. Underneath the school's name was a picture of Rikō in pigtails, with the name and other pertinent details printed beside it.

"Kōdaruchi Marikō," noted Shimazawa Hikumi. "That's your name in the real world, isn't it?"

"It must have been," Rikō replied to the shinigami. "I was carrying that ID when I first arrived here, inside one of the pockets of the clothes that I was wearing then."

Shimazawa nodded her acknowledgment, then frowned in concentration. "What did your clothes looked like?" she inquired further, handing the ID card back to Rikō.

Rikō took a deep breath before answering. "Well," she began. "I was wearing a coffee-colored turtleneck sweater, with a plain white shirt underneath it, and pine-green corduroy jeans. Oh, and I was also wearing a dark red parka, as well as a pair of hiking boots."

Shimazawa look a bit confused, but nodded again, nonetheless. She hadn't spent a lot of time in the real world, so she was not familiar with the terms that Rikō had used to describe her clothing, but the shinigami recognized the colors that the girl had mentioned. "I think I remember now where and how we met," Shimazawa said at last. "You were the girl I rescued from a Hollow in the real world. It was chasing you through a forest."

A slight gasp of surprise came from Nizūru's direction. He and Machiro had been listening intently at the discussion that took place between his daughter and the shinigami, their faces a mixture of awe and bewilderment. Now Nizūru looked at Rikō and asked her, "You were attacked by a Hollow? How come you didn't tell me and your mother about that?"

Rikō shook her head and replied, "I don't remember anything about that anymore, Otōsan. All I could remember was the face of the shinigami who sent me here, as she raised her sword and touched my forehead with its hilt's end."

Shimazawa bobbed her head in confirmation. "That's usually how it is with souls sent here," she said. "They don't have any memory of their past lives, and even if they do, those memories would likely be residual. Anyway," she continued, facing Nizūru. "going back to my initial inquiry, you said your daughter often gets hungry?"

Nizūru nodded in agreement. "Yes, she does, Shimazawa-dono," he replied. "How could that be when a lot of people here at Rukongai don't feel any hunger at all?"

"Most likely, it could mean that she has the potential to be a shinigami," Shimazawa declared.

"A shinigami?" said a deep, baritone voice from the shop's doorway. Startled, everyone looked at the source of the sound; a young-looking man was standing by the door, carrying a box with both hands.

[reggin]

Sample Mission: (Part 2)

"Oh, it's you, Kazuniro," Machiro called out to his son. "What brings you here early? I thought you said you plan to stop by this afternoon?"

Kazuniro motioned to the box he was carrying. "I decided to bring something for Rikō to snack on," he explained. "I thought she might be hungry."

"How long have you been standing there, anyway?" inquired Nizūru.

The young man shrugged and replied, "Not long, sir. Maybe half an hour, or even less." Kazuniro then stepped forward, handing the box to Rikō, who bowed to him gratefully. "So, why do you say that Rikō has the potential to be a shinigami?" he asked Shimazawa.

"Because souls that have potential naturally have a much stronger soul pulse, or what we call reiatsu, than those who don't," Shimazawa elaborated, looking at Rikō. "Having a stronger reiatsu means using up much more energy, which needs to be replenished, hence the reason why a soul with potential is often hungry."

Marikō and the others slowly nodded their heads, trying to understand everything that Shimazawa had told them.

"In my opinion," Shimazawa continued, facing Nizūru. "Your daughter fainted upon coming near me because she must have used up her energy trying to neutralize the effect of my reiatsu which, of course, is very much stronger than hers."

"So you're saying that Rikō can be a shinigami?" Kazuniro, who was now standing beside Rikō, inquired further. "Pardon me, but I just want to make things clear." There was a note of sadness in his voice, and he involuntarily placed his arm across Rikō's shoulder.

Shimazawa smiled at the young man. "That rather depends on her," she replied. "She'll have to take the examinations first, of course. Once she passes those, she'll be accepted into the academy and start her training, which is another thing to overcome."

[blackheartz]

Where's your personality section?

[reggin]

Uhm, well I kind of got it mixed with the appearance... Gomennasai, Ren-san pointed it out to me already thru Skype, so I'll do a little editing Tenshi-sama...
----------
**[Application] Arisume Marikō <6th Division>**



Name:
Arisume Marikō (F)


Age:
Marikō died at the young age of 16. Her current age in Soul Society is 48.


Appearance:
Marikō, or Rikō for short, stands 166 cm (about 5'6") and weighs between 110-115 lbs. She has a modest build with a slightly svelte figure, and a complexion the color of very pale, creamed coffee. Her long, dark brown, wavy hair is usually seen banded with a very long ribbon or scarf, the color of which could either be lilac or lavender; the said ribbon/scarf is sometimes used to tie her hair up in a ponytail or a bun.

Rikō's face is somewhat oval-shaped with a slightly-pointed chin. She has almond-shaped eyes with long lashes, her irises the color of dark chocolate. Her brows are quite thick and arched; she has a mole on her left eyebrow. Her sharp prow of a nose also has a tiny mole on the bridge. She has a small mouth with lips the color of pale strawberries, the lower lip a bit more plump than the upper one, giving her a pouty appearance.

Rikō's fingers are long and slim, her hands smooth yet firm. She has slender arms that give the impression of being skinny, when in fact she is not; her arm muscles are actually toned. Her legs, which are quite long, have nicely-muscled calves; she is, however, disappointed of her large thighs. She has modestly-sized breasts and her hips are quite broad, accentuated by slightly-plump buttocks.

Rikō wears on her ears a pair of stud earrings with lavender gems, and a silver chain with a moon-shaped pendant hangs around her neck. The said ornaments have been given to her as gifts by her adoptive parents in Soul Society, and she wears them everyday as a sign of her respect and love for them.


Personality:
Marikō is a quiet and serious person who would rarely talk to others unless spoken to. Often seen with a book in tow, she usually prefers being alone, so much so that she appears reclusive at times.

Yet Rikō is polite and impartial; underneath the serious demeanor is an overflowing love and concern for others. She appears snobbish at a glance but it's really her seriousness manifested in her face; she has been known to flash her pearly whites every so often.

Rikō's subdued/withdrawn nature, however, does not mean she is apathetic and unresponsive; when something or someone is wrong, she will not hesitate to show her emotions and air her opinions regarding the matter, at times with lashing fury. She also has a protective nature, as displayed by her love & respect for her family and friends. She is not judgmental but has tendencies to be biased, particularly when the situation/person involved is against her beliefs.

Rikō likes reading books and writing poetry, and spends some free time cooking and baking. She is obsessive-compulsive by nature, as demonstrated by her excessive neatness and orderliness, and tends to get upset when someone messes up her belongings. She has a penchant for sakura tea and spicy stuff, loves the colors lilac and lavender, and prefers citrusy-scents. Being health-conscious, she frowns upon fatty and salty foods (except cheese, her favorite) and dislikes sake and any form of liquor.


Biography:
Marikō's arrival at Soul Society was at a side street in Junrinan, waking up hungry and disheveled beside some empty crates. She had forgotten how she had died, although she clearly remembers meeting a shinigami and being sent to Soul Society. However, she was able to retain some kind of memento from her previous life: her school ID. This she had been carrying in her pants pocket upon arrival. She has been keeping the ID ever since, serving as both a reminder and a proof that she had once lived in the real world.

Upon waking up at the side street, Rikō had immediately decided to seek refuge and shelter from anyone willing to help, and went around Junrinan asking for assistance and information. She had found good benefactors among the shop owners, who provided her some sustenance and a place to sleep, asking only her name. Some proprietors even gave her a few change of clothes. In return for their kindness, she would help out at the shops, cleaning the shelves and sweeping the floors.

After several months, an elderly couple who owned a general-merchandise store decided to adopt Rikō as their daughter. Arisume Nizūru and his wife Zetsumi had been childless, and they fell in love with her personality. They offered her a place in their home, even going so far as suggesting that they would have her educated. Rikō had agreed to their proposal, and had decided to adopt their surname as her own; she treated the couple like her own parents.

Being an obedient and responsible girl, Marikō had put it upon herself to do the chores at her new-found home. She had also volunteered to help out in minding her parents' store, which was located several streets away from their house. She had reasoned out that being quite old, the couple could no longer look after their shop by themselves. Nizūru and Zetsumi gave in to her request, realizing that her presence at the shop would mean that Zetsumi can stay at home and rest most of the time.

Within a year, Nizūru was able to train Rikō in the ways of doing business in Junrinan, and how to deal with their patrons and fellow shopkeepers. The old man also had lengthy discussions with her regarding their life in Soul Society, providing her some historic background. He was also able to explain to her the different types of people she would most likely encounter in Rukongai, and had given her a rough layout of Soul Society's geography.

By the time Rikō turned 18, her father was already confident in allowing her to mind the shop alone. She had grown accustomed to living in Junrinan, even getting acquainted with her parents' friends and business associates. Rikō was also able to gain the confidence of Nizūru's existing clients, and in a few months was able to have her own regular patrons.

One of her father's frequent customers happened to be the very same shinigami who had sent Rikō to Soul Society. On their first encounter in Soul Society, the shinigami was not able to recognize her, and Rikō had almost fainted due to the shinigami's strong reiatsu. Nizūru had almost panicked, but Rikō's condition did not seem terrible, and so he made sure that his daughter would recover.

Once Rikō was able to recover from her near-fainting condition, she had related to the [I]shinigami[/] about their initial encounter in the real world. Recognition had dawned on the [I]shinigami[/], and she inquired about Rikō's life in Rukongai. Rikō had then told the shinigami of everything that happened to her ever since she arrived at Soul Society.

Upon hearing Rikō's story, the shinigami was convinced that Rikō should join the Academy and train to become a shinigami, and offered Rikō and Nizūru her recommendation. Rikō had initially felt excitement, but told the shinigami that she would discuss the matter first with her mother Zetsumi.

At first Rikō's mother would not hear of it, but after much persuasion from her husband, Zetsumi had finally agreed to let Rikō enter the Academy on the condition that she would do so only upon reaching the age of 21. Rikō had immediately assented, thinking the condition was reasonable enough for all of them: she would have enough time to prepare for her entry into the Academy, and her parents would have enough time to find and train a keeper for their shop.

Three months before Rikō turned 21, however, Zetsumi was suddenly afflicted with a chronic illness and had required full-time care and medication. Ever the affectionate daughter, Rikō had nursed her mother to near-complete recovery, delaying her application for entry into the Academy for more than a year.


Division being applied for:
6th Division


Zanpakutō appearance:
Rikō's zanpakutō blade is about 48 cm (about 17 inches) long, with the width about 3.5 cm; the blade is curved and double-edged, resembling a tsurugi, but the length is similar to a kodachi.

The tsuka (14 cm long) is colored black with bands of lavender, as is with the scabbard. A lavender-colored tassle with a moon-shaped silver charm hangs from the end of the tsuka.

The tsuba is shaped like a six-pointed star (much like the Star of David), and is silver-plated on the edges. The blade itself has a crescent-moon outline etched on each side near the tsuba.

She usually carries her zanpakutō on her left side with the blade faced upward, much like a katana; she normally draws it with her right hand and often wields it one-handedly.

[reggin]

Sample Mission: (Part 1)

"Arigatō gozaimasu!"

Arisume Marikō made a deep bow towards the customer as she expressed her gratitude; the client then bowed to her in return. "Do come back again, oku-sama," she smilingly said to the customer.

As Rikō accompanied the lady towards the door, helping her with some of her purchases, Nizūru looked upon his daughter with fondness and admiration. It has been nearly a year since he started teaching and training Rikō with the goings-on in their store, and already the girl has been able to manage inquiries and orders without constantly asking for his assistance. A few more months and he'll be able to leave the shopkeeping to Rikō.

Nizūru's musings were slightly interrupted by his daughter's loud voice. "Irasshaimase! Glad to see you again, Machiro-dono," greeted Rikō as she made a deep bow. The newcomer made a slight bow of acknowledgment towards her, patting her affectionately on the head as he straightened up.

"Dōmo, Rikō-chan, but I'd like to speak directly with your father," Machiro told her. Rikō nodded and stepped aside to allow the man some passage to get to Nizūru. She looked at the two men for a few moments, then proceeded to the back room to make some tea for all of them.

As Rikō was leaving the room, Machiro called out to her and said, "By the way, Kazuniro told me he plans to stop by later this afternoon. He said he plans on inviting you to go on a picnic by the river. What do you say to that, Rikō-chan?"

Rikō just shrugged and smiled at Machiro before going on to the back room. Machiro scratched his head and turned to Nizūru. "I just didn't get what she meant by that gesture. What am I going to tell Kazuniro now?"

Nizūru looked at Machiro for a few seconds, his eyes glinting with suppressed mirth, before replying, "I think you should just tell your son to stop by this afternoon and find out for himself if my daughter would be inclined to accompany him."

Machiro was one of Nizūru's regular patrons; he was a carpenter who lived three streets down the Arisume shop, and often ordered his carpentry needs from them. While Nizūru doesn't really keep reasonable stocks of lumber and other hardware in the store, he could usually procure them from the suppliers upon Machiro's request. The two men have been good friends, more so ever since Nizūru and his wife Zetsumi adopted Rikō. Machiro's son Kazuniro has since been a good acquaintance to Marikō, which seemed to make Machiro think of romantic notions between Rikō and his son.

As the Machiro and Nizūru were discussing their business by the counter, another customer appeared at the doorway, this time a woman. Nizūru noticed her and called out to his daughter; he noted that the newcomer was a regular client as well, but who only visited the shop every summer.

Inside the back room, Rikō had just finished making tea and was arranging the pot and the cups on a tray. Upon hearing her father's voice, Rikō hastened to pick up the tray and went out into the shop's main area. Rikō saw the newly-arrived customer, noting that she was a shinigami, then went to Nizūru to put the tray on the counter beside him. Afterwards, Rikō made her way towards the client to accomodate her.

As she approached the shinigami, Rikō suddenly felt dizzy; she tried to shake away the dizziness, but to no avail. Her vision wavered, and she felt herself stumbling to her knees. The [I]shinigami[/], who looked familiar to Rikō, stepped forward to give assistance to the fallen girl, offering her right arm for support. It was then that Nizūru noticed what was happening, and excused himself from Machiro to rush to Rikō's aid.

"What's wrong, Rikō?" Nizūru asked his daughter, his voice laden with concern. He reached out and placed his left arm across Rikō's shoulders, then grasped her right arm with his right hand. With the help of the shinigami, Nizūru led his daughter to a nearby stool and let her sit down, while Machiro brought over a cup of tea and handed it to Rikō.

Rikō took the cup gratefully and emptied half of the contents with a single gulp; her dizziness had somewhat subsided, but she still felt weak. She turned to her father and said, "I don't know why, Otōsan, but I suddenly felt drained of energy when I got near her. It's like a strong wind rushed at me when I approached her, and then it felt like all my strength got sapped."

Nizūru looked at the shinigami with a puzzled look on his face and wondered, "Why could that be?" He turned to his daughter and stated, "Are you sure you ate enough for breakfast? You've often been hungry ever since you arrived here at Junrinan, so I was thinking that could be the reason why you feel faint just now."

Rikō could only look at him in confusion. She finished the remaining tea in her cup, then handed the cup to her father. "I'm not sure, Otōsan," Rikō replied to her father's query. "I'll admit that I often feel hungry, but I don't know if that's the reason why I felt dizzy. After all, I ate most of the food that Okāsan prepared for breakfast."

"Anyhow, at least you've been able to recover some strength now," Nizūru said to his daughter. "Maybe you should eat some of the food that your mother packed for lunch. If you ask me, I think she cooked enough for eight people."

Riko nodded her head in agreement. "I guess I should," she said to her father. "Maybe you're right, Otōsan. I must have already used up all that energy from the food I ate this morning."

The shinigami cleared her throat, startling Nizūru and Rikō; she faced the old man and said, "I think I have an idea on why your daughter fell to near-fainting state when she came near me."

"But, of course," Nizūru said apologetically. "Your knowledge regarding this matter is most welcome. Gomenasai, we've been rude to you somehow; we should have been attending to your needs. I do recall that you're a regular customer here, but I've been having problems with recalling names lately. May I ask who you are?"

"My name is Shimazawa Hikumi, a shinigami from the Saishuu Gotei Thirteen," replied the customer. "Sumimasen, but I only come here every summer." She made a cursory bow, then asked Nizūru, "You said your daughter has often felt hunger ever since she arrived? Does that mean she's not your real daughter?"

At this, Rikō flushed a little, but responded to the shinigami's question on her father's behalf. "Otōsan is my adoptive father; he and Okāsan took me in and considered me as their own daughter after I arrived here in Soul Society," she stated. "And I have reason to believe that I came from the real world, and that you were the shinigami who sent me here." Rikō then took something from inside her kimono and showed it to the shinigami.

The shinigami took the object that Rikō had presented and gave it a brief scrutiny; it was an old-looking identification card, slightly worn-out. At the top was the name of the school, printed in large, bold letters: Yanomaji International School. Underneath the school's name was a picture of Rikō in pigtails, with the name and other pertinent details printed beside it.

"Kōdaruchi Marikō," noted Shimazawa Hikumi. "That's your name in the real world, isn't it?"

"It must have been," Rikō replied to the shinigami. "I was carrying that ID when I first arrived here, inside one of the pockets of the clothes that I was wearing then."

Shimazawa nodded her acknowledgment, then frowned in concentration. "What did your clothes looked like?" she inquired further, handing the ID card back to Rikō.

Rikō took a deep breath before answering. "Well," she began. "I was wearing a coffee-colored turtleneck sweater, with a plain white shirt underneath it, and pine-green corduroy jeans. Oh, and I was also wearing a dark red parka, as well as a pair of hiking boots."

Shimazawa look a bit confused, but nodded again, nonetheless. She hadn't spent a lot of time in the real world, so she was not familiar with the terms that Rikō had used to describe her clothing, but the shinigami recognized the colors that the girl had mentioned. "I think I remember now where and how we met," Shimazawa said at last. "You were the girl I rescued from a Hollow in the real world. It was chasing you through a forest."

A slight gasp of surprise came from Nizūru's direction. He and Machiro had been listening intently at the discussion that took place between his daughter and the shinigami, their faces a mixture of awe and bewilderment. Now Nizūru looked at Rikō and asked her, "You were attacked by a Hollow? How come you didn't tell me and your mother about that?"

Rikō shook her head and replied, "I don't remember anything about that anymore, Otōsan. All I could remember was the face of the shinigami who sent me here, as she raised her sword and touched my forehead with its hilt's end."

Shimazawa bobbed her head in confirmation. "That's usually how it is with souls sent here," she said. "They don't have any memory of their past lives, and even if they do, those memories would likely be residual. Anyway," she continued, facing Nizūru. "going back to my initial inquiry, you said your daughter often gets hungry?"

Nizūru nodded in agreement. "Yes, she does, Shimazawa-dono," he replied. "How could that be when a lot of people here at Rukongai don't feel any hunger at all?"

"Most likely, it could mean that she has the potential to be a shinigami," Shimazawa declared.

"A shinigami?" said a deep, baritone voice from the shop's doorway. Startled, everyone looked at the source of the sound; a young-looking man was standing by the door, carrying a box with both hands.

[reggin]

Sample Mission: (Part 2)

"Oh, it's you, Kazuniro," Machiro called out to his son. "What brings you here early? I thought you said you plan to stop by this afternoon?"

Kazuniro motioned to the box he was carrying. "I decided to bring something for Rikō to snack on," he explained. "I thought she might be hungry."

"How long have you been standing there, anyway?" inquired Nizūru.

The young man shrugged and replied, "Not long, sir. Maybe half an hour, or even less." Kazuniro then stepped forward, handing the box to Rikō, who bowed to him gratefully. "So, why do you say that Rikō has the potential to be a shinigami?" he asked Shimazawa.

"Because souls that have potential naturally have a much stronger soul pulse, or what we call reiatsu, than those who don't," Shimazawa elaborated, looking at Rikō. "Having a stronger reiatsu means using up much more energy, which needs to be replenished, hence the reason why a soul with potential is often hungry."

Marikō and the others slowly nodded their heads, trying to understand everything that Shimazawa had told them.

"In my opinion," Shimazawa continued, facing Nizūru. "Your daughter fainted upon coming near me because she must have used up her energy trying to neutralize the effect of my reiatsu which, of course, is very much stronger than hers."

"So you're saying that Rikō can be a shinigami?" Kazuniro, who was now standing beside Rikō, inquired further. "Pardon me, okasan, but I just want to make things clear." There was a note of sadness in his voice, and he involuntarily placed his arm across Rikō's shoulder.

Shimazawa smiled at the young man. "That rather depends on her," she replied. "She'll have to take the examinations first, of course. Once she passes those, she'll be accepted into the academy and start her training, which is another thing to overcome."

[blackheartz]

Hello there reggin. Your sample chapter is by far, the best one I've read in my time in BARPG. Detailed and very well thought out. I don't think I need to talk about grammar as it seems to read smoothly. Other than that, you have a good variation of common words which makes it more interesting to read than the usual he, her, and stuff like that. The sample chapter shows your writing capabilities as I could relate to the story very easily without having to think much. That's a sign of good things to come.

It's very good, and more than ready for a final application.

[reggin]

DOMO ARIGATO GOZAIMASU, Tenshi-sama!

Your kind words have definitely made my day.