Akira Kobayashi
From Inga no Kusari wiki
| Kobayashi , Akira ♂ | |
|---|---|
 Unseated, 8th Division | |
| Date of Birth | 3rd May, 1790 (222) |
| Place of Birth | Goodwick, Western England |
| Zanpakutō | Asauchi |
| Player | Linkisis |
| Shinigami | |
Contents |
Appearance
Akira is a large man who always seems to be smiling. He has short shaggy blonde hair, and dark turquoise eyes. His Shinigami uniform is slightly too large, and extends rather far down his hands. His posture is rather poor, and he is usually slumped over. This is due in part to his height: He stands 6’ 4’’, towering over some of the shorter Shinigami. His slouch is almost apologetic. He also usually will go around barefoot, and has large tough calluses on the bottom of his feet, although in other respects his feet look rather good.
Personality
Akira is a happy person at almost all times. He will attempt to add a light air to any situation, even in hostile or when hope is lost. He is fun to be around, and enjoys going out to drink with friends. During battle he also enjoys keeping it light, although if the opponent is uncooperative then he usually grumble and act more serious. He can be analytical when he tries to, although usually he will be too lazy. Contrary to his usual personality, Akira has a deep rooted fear of death, and as such dreads taking life-threatening risks, although this fact is little known throughout the Soul Society. He also dislikes rank and class discrimination, feeling it to be unfair to those who were born without either.
History
Born in a small village in England, Akira led an uneventful life to a point. His family was moderately well off, and his parents taught him the values of kindness and fun. He enjoyed playing with other children, and spent much of his time outdoors goofing around. Life was good, and it remained like that until Akira was a bit past twenty. He had been chosen to fight in the Napoleonic war, and was shipped of for some minor training before being sent to the battlefield.
The military was a horror to Akira. He spent two years in training to become a front line soldier, one of the men who lives was destroyed for little reason other than cannon fodder. The training was grueling, and Akira spent the time in misery. It only got worse when it turned out that he was actually good at what he was doing. His incredible talent was quickly noticed, and he was transferred to a separate unit where he was trained more thoroughly in advanced swordplay. He rapidly excelled, and after an additional three years of training was sent to the battlefield. The war was nearly over anyway, and Akira would most likely never see battle.
But he did. In a final struggle for a victory, the opponent attacked in the night. For long and confusing hours Akira was forced to slaughter one untrained farmer plucked out of their home after another. It was horrible, and Akira eventually broke down into a berserk rage until finally a lucky stab pierced him through the heart, and he died.
When Akira entered the Soul Society he was a changed man. he remembered little of his human life, even forgetting his own name. He spent most of the time hidden in his small shack, rocking back and forth on the floor muttering to himself. He was for all intents and purposes mad. He did have the occasional burst of sanity, where he would go out and eat and buy food. He was pitied by his neighbors, as through a stroke of luck he lived in the 37th Rukon, a respectable area, and they could afford to take pity on him. When sane, he would take long walks, and often just stare at nothing for hours.
Word of the man eventually trickled up to one of the respected houses of the 1st Rukon: Although not royal, they were well respected. An elderly couple who ran the more business affairs of the household decided to take him in and try to take care of him. They visited him, and persuaded him to come live with them, even giving him a proper Soul Society name: Akira, and their house name: Kobayashi.
They quickly grew fond of each other, and in the caring environment Akira’s episodes to gradually slow down. He began to fight again, mostly for fun, and his skill had traveled with him into death. His “foster parents” approved of this, as sword fighting was an honorable past time in the Soul Society. Eventually his attacks of trauma disappeared altogether, and he began to grow bored with his life. So his parents sent him to the Shinigami academy to learn the arts and become a Soul Reaper.
His academy life was uneventful. His rapids acceleration was due to hard work, and already knowing much of the basic swordplay involved: mostly he was involved in shifting his style toward the Katan as opposed to his old English sword. Eventually he was graduated, and moved to the eighth division, where is he is now.
Combat
Strengths
Akira is very adept in swordplay, due to his being a soldier in life. This mostly manifests in how he views his enemies: usually he is good at discovering what they are going to do next. His speed and strength are average: nothing horrible, but nothing to boast of either.
Weaknesses
Akira throughout much of his training during life used a typical English sword, whose skills, although useful, did not transfer perfectly over the use of a lighter, more fluid. Katana. Sometimes he will slip, and swing the sword too fast or too hard, throwing himself off by its lighter weight. This is caused by his time in the Academy: he took only minimal swordsmanship classes, which meant he spent little time modifying his technique to use a Katana. However, as he practices more this will slowly disappear.
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