Lupo Vitruvio
From Inga no Kusari wiki
| Vitruvio, Lupo ♂ | |
|---|---|
 Unseated, 9th Division | |
| Date of Birth | 15th April, 1469 (543) |
| Place of Birth | Tuscant, Italy |
| Zanpakutō | Camazotz |
| Player | Farewell to Arms |
| Shinigami | |
Contents |
Appearance
From distance, everything about Lupo looks average. His brown, curly hair, amber eyes and average height (and weight) make up the perfect image that would accompany the word “average”. At a closer look however, it becomes clear that this creation of God is flawed. The growths of facial hair on the sides of his face (sideburns) extend from his ears, and abruptly stop near the corners of his mouth, making Lupo look like, as his name indicates, a wolf. But it does not end there. His nose fits his face almost uncannily, despite being both larger and wider than the nose of the average man. And what more, his nose is paler (for reasons unknown) than the snowy summit of a mountain. Alongside the unusual complexion, Lupo’s face (and given name) has given him much trouble in life. Lupo cares not for fashion, and thus holds to the standard shinigami uniform.
Personality
Lupo is somewhat of a loner. He has no interest in grand parties, excessive social contact with unknown people or the act of socializing just to socialize. He is often mistake for an anti-social hermit – which he is not. Lupo genuinely cares for the well-being of the citizens of Soul Society, but has a hard time showing it. Whenever exposed to the social sphere, Lupo will be polite, if perhaps a little curt, and attempt to aid just about if his skills could make a difference. People who see him will recognize the face of a kind man with a certain aura of sadness around him, and if they should choose to show him sympathy, Lupo will accept it with pleasure; his need for acceptance is stronger than his sense of pride. Those who know him will also use the term “reliable”, mainly because of his neediness.
History
Born into the Renaissance, Lupo observed as rapid changes within the social, economic and cultural spheres were shaking both the foundations of the Catholic Church, but also the ideas that were just recently considered as universal truth. Aristocrats, men and women of the common class and artists almost instantly, as they appeared, applied new theories and ideological viewpoints into their work, and Lupo, a boy who would grow into a fairly intelligent young man, derived from the development that a pragmatic approach was the way to go. Intelligence however, would not suffice when met with the refreshed requirements of the ancient Greek society; beauty was also appreciated. Now although Lupo was given his name due to an ominous dream that his mother had the day before he was born, he did in fact possess facial features quite similar to a wolf (see the appearance section for further information).
Pragmatism proved a far better tool than expected. Juvenile education posed no challenge to the young Lupo, nor did the private teachers that his parents occasionally hired – his father had formerly been a rather rich merchant in the past, and then enjoyed the riches of his labors, providing his family everything they wanted; for Lupo, this meant private teachers. At the age of 13, Lupo had reached an even more impressive level of knowledge, mostly due to the local library, but also because of his relationship with a certain scholar, inventor and sculptor widely recognized in southern Europe. His relation to other children at his age however, had taken a wrong turn. The younglings in the neighborhood began taunting him, calling him “wolf” whenever he passed, screaming to their parents for aid against this “monster”, referring of course to Lupo’s face. Whether they were jealous of his academic merits, or they just sought a source of laughs, Lupo was deeply hurt by it, and his social skills would never recover from the damage. Gradually, Lupo spent more and more hours at the library, unable to face the world that existed beyond the books and his good friend, the scholar. Locals would often see him glued in position, racing through several volumes of Cicero, Plato and the more unknown Lorenzo Valla – the excitement of reading and the worldviews presented in these books were like a dream in contrast to the world that he had grown accustomed to.
The scholar was not entirely ignorant his friend’s anguish. With the influence that he had in a Tuscany region, he spoke one of the major lords of Firenze into taking Lupo into his personal group of guards – the task of these guards was to investigate anything even remotely relevant to the well-being of the Lord and his business. The job consisted, normally, of searching out men who had abused the power given to them by the Lord. At rare occasions, Lupo (now 16) and his team would have to investigate murders of high-ranking officials and other acquaintances of the Lordship.
The time Lupo spent in the squad was nothing short of bliss for the young man of now 20. Summoning forth all the creative and logic skills he had earned through intensive reading and studying, Lupo became the prodigy of the group. His brilliant ideas were the end of many conspiracies targeting the Lord, and thus, Lupo was also rewarded with unimaginable treasure. His peers in the group did not see Lupo as the guy with wolfish features; they saw him as an equal. The almost non-existent confidence that had been shattered in the early days of Lupo’s youth, was now being reassembled, piece by piece – but just before the mirror of his confidence was rebuilt, something terrible occurred.
On one of his visits home, Lupo was startled by how little the village had changed. His observance was indeed correct, and as he entered the entrance of his family’s house, familiar faces appeared to greet him. 4 years had passed, but still, the children who had cried wolf, had not given up. They swiftly surrounded him, blocking Lupo’s path. With his renewed self-confidence, Lupo attempted to talk his way out of the situation; initially, he greeted them as friends and told them about his new job in Firenze. They refused to listen, and annoyed grimaces started to appear in their faces. “Wolf!” they cried, acting as if there was a monstrous creature approaching. The pieces of Lupo’s confidence broke down. Something within him snapped. It was as if all the burdens of his past and future melted down to that situation, as if Lupo himself was attacked by monsters. From within the bundle of papers that he was carrying, Lupo, redolent with fear and madness, his eyes flickering, unable to focus, pulled out a letter-opener. The boys, sensing the danger too late, froze with fear as Lupo made ready to stab his enemies. “Wolf! It’s the wolf! He is possessed by the devil!” one yelled. After years of name-calling, the parents of the boy, living directly opposite to Lupo’s family, did not care. A distant voice came in response: “Stop yelling, you fool!” Terrified to their bones, the boys tried to flee to no avail. Lupo’s mental breakdown brought forward all hate he had for these boys. Soon, they all lay dead in the uncanny shadows produced by the twilight facing the houses of the village. When Lupo finally awoke from his trance, he had a vague collection of the events that had unfolded minutes ago; being the weak soul that he was, he lost his mind again, now to grief and despair. With the letter opener, Lupo cut his own throat.
When Lupo awoke, he recognized, and accepted, the fact that he was deceased from the world of the living. After intense studies in philosophy, Lupo was not unfamiliar with the concept of afterlife, he even had some slight hopes that there was something beyond life, but this was something different entirely.There was no bearded old man welcoming him. No fluffy clouds, nor beautiful angels. With effort, Lupo managed to lift his upper body so that he could sit and watch the surroundings. There was white sand as far as his eyes could see. The sand seemed more like the substance of endless oblivion. As he scouted the, what seemed to him as, eastern horizon, some scattered houses came into view in the distance. For three long days Lupo walked. There was no pain, no fatigue that he was aware of, so the three days were spent thinking about his former life. At some points, his memories seemed almost erased, at others; it was a blur that made no sense. He remembered his death and his days in Firenze – his job was the one thing he wished to keep as a reminder that he had actually contributed in the unjust world. Finally, he arrived East Rukongai.
East Rukongai was hell. The inhabitants of the town could be divided into two groups: lifeless zombies who wandered the narrow streets of the town, and relentless criminals who sought instant gratification. Several crime syndicates seemed to rule the town, and there was no law enforcement whatsoever. There was no law to enforce. The city was enveloped in the shadow of death. His first meeting with Rukongai marks the lonely period of his afterlife that would last for about 20 years. For 20 full years, Lupo’s existence was static; he went from bar to bar, drinking without pleasure. Had it not been for his former skills, these 20 years would have been spent in vain – for Lupo used his ears and eyes to find a new path. He discovered the purpose of Soul Society, deduced himself through a jungle of rumors and found information that was secret even to those in Rukongai familiar with Soul Society. Why he did not enroll before 20 years had gone, he did not understand himself – maybe it was punishment for the misdeed that he had committed before killing himself. He enrolled in the Spiritual Arts Academy, aiming for a place in the 9th Division. The 9th Division became his reason for staying up at night, a powerful motivation that gave him strength to study the wonderful crafts of the shinigami. The more he learned about kidō and zanjutsu, the more he wished to learn. Soon enough, he became an unseated member of the Division. Lupo was thrilled, but sensed that there was something wrong with his newfound powers. He had not felt any increase in power during the final months of his time in the Academy. Troubled by this, Lupo consulted the 4th Division. To the surprise of the Division, and Lupo, they concluded that there was a mental boundary of some sort; Lupo could not grow more powerful before he was rid it. By pity, the 9th Division allowed him to stay registered with their Division, observing their work, at times aiding with investigation. For Lupo however, it did not suffice. His motivation to learn had disappeared, and for 500 years, he sat idly by as the 9th Division developed.
In 2008 CE, Lupo was consulted by members of the 4th Division who had discovered the cure for such a mental block – in no time, Lupo was cured of it, and felt again that his power could grow. He thanked the members of the 4th Division, promising them that whenever they were in trouble, he would do anything for them. Lupo, being one of the oldest and weakest members of the 9th Division, declared to his superiors that he was now back in action, apologizing for his passivity. Lupo’s adventures were about to begin.
Combat
Strengths
Comprehensive understanding (this does not mean that he executes any kidō-based attack flawlessly, quite to the contrary) of various techniques, combat-styles and other factors that may influence the outcome of a situation/battle. This large archive of information, gathered throughout 400 years, combined with Lupo’s never-waning intelligence, gives him countless opportunities when in battle. His skills (at least, in theory) with the sword (zanpakutō) are also above average, but if possible, Lupo does not reveal the sword at all during battle.
Weaknesses
400 years of doing nothing has slowed Lupo’s reflexes and mind. He is more often than not unable to follow the younger members of his Division, and in the early phase of his recovery, he has several weaknesses intertwined with battle. His process of thought is slowed considerably, making him vulnerable to enemies who strike before Lupo has analyzed the battle and decisive factors. His level of physical strength is unimpressive. Kidō attacks may also fail due to the lack of ability to focus for long periods at a time. In summary, through 400 years he has gained much knowledge – without any utilization of the knowledge during those years however, he stands before the considerable task of gaining the required experience.
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