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[slaythemoon]

→ IC
□ Name: Ichigo Kurosaki
□ Journal: slaythemoon
□ Series: BLEACH
□ Canon point: post chapter 542 after the reforging of his broken swords.
□ History: http://bleach.wikia.com/wiki/Ichigo_Kurosaki#History ...and right on down into plot, excluding anything marked as "Anime Only" and ending at the line "After a burst of heat, Ichigo stands with his new Zanpakutō, which is now comprised of two distinct blades, and acknowledges both his Quincy powers and the real Zangetsu as being his Zanpakutō.[469]"
□ Personality: Stubborn, hot-headed, short-tempered, and impulsive, yet caring and considerate despite his outward appearance, Ichigo is generally a lively individual, though he can be serious when the situation requires it and at times, can get downright depressed if things go bad. Usually any major changes to his mood are caused by something big, and the moment that hurdle's been cleared, he's back on track as his usual self. Because of his “tough-guy” image that he's spent years to acquire and perfect, he's usually seen with a scowl on his face... not that it's an accurate representation of who he is.

Ichigo's entire being revolves around protecting others. As a child, he heard his father mention that the name “Ichigo” [written with the kanji 一護 (一 being one and 護 being protect)] meant "one who protects", and so he decided that he wanted to protect his mother, which extended to his sisters after they were born, and from there expanded even further to include his friends and the people around him. Ever since hearing it, he's pushed himself very hard to live up to the meaning behind his name. He wanted to protect his family, so he ran himself through and became a Shinigami. He wanted to protect his friends so he jumped headfirst into danger and charged into two separate worlds with an army of five at most at his side. He wanted to protect his town so he blindly jumped through an experimental Garganta that very possibly might not have entirely stable to get back in time. He wanted to protect that girl standing along the river and rushed down to the water's edge... but he couldn't protect his mother when she went after him.

Masaki's death when he was 9 hit him hard, and for years after, he held the belief that it was his fault. It wasn't until Rukia came along that he had a chance to confront the real culprit and finally acknowledge that what happened to his mother wasn't really his fault... but because he wasn’t strong enough, he failed. That failure gave him the strength to continue on in hopes that he could make it up to her by becoming strong enough to someday avenge her, but the pain stayed with him and pushed him to try harder so that nobody else on his watch would ever have to suffer like he and his family did.

Despite being the lively sort, he isn't the sort to buy into the popular crowd. He's worked hard to build up a reputation for himself (part of his whole 'tough guy' image), and as seen in flashback when he entered high school, that reputation was to the point where Keigo not only knew who he was, but was terrified of him despite Mizuiro pretty much seeing through it to who he really was almost immediately. Because of that reputation, Ichigo doesn't care about someone's popularity, he cares WHO someone is, and this can be evidenced in his choice of friends as his closest are pulled from the ranks of the "odd" kids, from the freakishly tall gentle giant Chad and the standoffish sewing machine Ishida, to the quirky and bubbly Inoue and the dead-and-loving-it Rukia... even Keigo and Mizuiro. They aren't the popular or perfect, but they're the best friends he could ever ask for, and when he considers someone a friend, they immediately fall into the category of "people I want to protect".

Speaking of which, Ichigo is incredibly loyal to and possessive of his friends and family, a fact never shown clearer than when it's revealed to him (post canonpoint) that Ishida has sided with Yhwach. When asked what he intends to do about Ishida, Ichigo simply states that whether Ishida has a good reason or not, "I'll kick his ass and take him back". The fact that Ishida has changed sides isn't near as important as getting his friend back. He really doesn't discriminate, and even if the person happens to be an enemy, he tries his best to see the reason behind why they would do whatever it is they're doing, even if he doesn't see it until after the fact. This does NOT apply to actual battle times, though.

In battle, all nicety goes out the window. He will trash-talk an opponent, go for blood, and exact revenge on the behalf of any injured party; the closest thing his personality can be likened to in these times is "an eye for an eye". If his opponent displays any behavior that Ichigo sees as deplorable (such as when Yammy called his fellow Espada 'trash', or when an enemy attacks their own allies), he has no qualms with beating on them. While he'll fight for all that he's worth, he draws the line at cheating, so if a fight can't be fought in a fair and legitimate manner, he wants no part of it. He'd even refused aid from his inner Hollow because it would tip the scales unfairly in his favor. If he's going to lose, then he wants to lose by his own power and if he's going to win, he won't accept aid that will be seen as an unfair advantage.

There are times when he falters, though. If he loses a major battle, he has a tendency to slip into a depression and self-loathing (usually stemming from his guilt over failing in protecting whoever it was he was trying to help) and his performance suffers. Fear is another stumbling block, as evidenced by his fear of his Hollow resulting in his inability to properly do a hollowfication, which resulted in his getting beaten on by Yammy in Hueco Mundo. With Tsukishima, he literally turned and ran away, letting fear, anger, and his own powerlessness get the best of him. When Ginjo stole away his Fullbring abilities, desperation set in and he actually broke down in tears, demanding that they be returned, but unable to do anything to retaliate. In times like those, it takes a strong push (or a sword through the back) to get him back on track, but it can be done.

Actual battles aside, he will get physical if provoked. He states early on that his hair gets him into trouble because upperclassmen pick fights with him over it, and because of his short temper, he won't back down. Hair color isn't the only reason he gets into fights, but regardless, when he's pushed -or if someone he cares about is pushed- he won't hesitate to take the other person down. He's even been shown to take on several people at once and come out with minimal injuries to himself while the others end up on the ground. In early chapters, he beat up a group of guys to get back Chad’s necklace, but not before calling a hospital and asking them to send several ambulances to their location. In the beginning of the arc from which he’s taken, he beats up a group of thugs who came to the school looking for him because he’d “knocked out too many teeth” when one of the guys had tried to mug someone while he was nearby. Although he took martial arts as a child, this prowess is largely in part due to his father’s strange habit of waking and greeting him a little too over-enthusiastically with a flying tackle or kick that have kept his reflexes honed in order to avoid him.

Ichigo learns very quickly, though it has to come by doing and not so much by seeing or reading, and is pretty high up there in terms of his class rank -not quite the top, and his grades have slipped a bit in his last year of high school, but he's still up there in the middle of the pack. He's not stupid by any means, but he has his own way of doing things that tends to have others side-eye his ability to think things through. He's also something of a fail when it comes to remembering names and faces, though those he interacts with more often are easily remembered while others are not, and really doesn't have much "love" for authority figures -he refers to them just like he refers to everyone else: by name/nickname/some other "cold" address. Titles are something he doesn't use often, but some tend to fare better than others in that department: Ukitake is "Ukitake-san", Byakuya is "Byakuya" (though he'd prefer otherwise), and Yamamoto is "gramps" (the guy doesn't even get a first name, just a label!). In terms of sexual situations, he seems to have matured over the course of the series, as at the beginning (age 15), he was a blushing, flailing mess when Yoruichi changed from feline to naked woman in front of him, yet prior to his canon point (age 17), he only seemed a little uneasy with a faint blush when his boss pressed his head against her breasts in an effort to comfort him, and when faced with Orihime's new look later on, insisted it was indecent, but didn't have near as big a panic as he would have had two years prior.

Perhaps the best examples of how he treats people of varying degrees of friendship can be found among the rag-tag group of people he keeps close or considers allies.

Sado (or Chad, as Ichigo calls him) is one of his closest friends. The two of them have been hanging friends since middle school, having met through an incident involving a group of thugs in which Ichigo pretty much got the shit kicked out of him and Chad came to his aid. Later, Ichigo came to Chad's rescue when Chad was attacked by the same group of thugs, and the two of them formed a pact of sorts: "You keep doing your thing, and don't fight for yourself, but, fight for me, and I will fight for you. If you put your life on the line to protect something, then I'll put my life on the line to protect it, too." Of the group, Chad is the first of them that Ichigo is able to sense without actually trying, a testament to the bond of friendship between them. While at times, he gets wrapped up in his whole 'protect all the things' attitude and keeps trying to stand in front of Chad to protect him, Ichigo eventually learns (by force) that Chad doesn't need his protection, instead fighting alongside him as equals. They're sort of an odd pair in that Chad's quiet demeanor balances out Ichigo's in-your-face attitude, but at the same time, there isn't anyone who suits them more than each other.

It’s a little difficult to begin to explain his relationship with Orihime without at least a small mention of Tatsuki, who is both Orihime’s best friend and Ichigo’s childhood friend, as the two are seldom apart in canon (when they’re in the human world). Tatsuki is the one who brought Orihime into Ichigo’s world, and through her, their interactions began. Over the course of the story, Orihime became someone more important to him. She went from a friend of a friend to someone he would consider ‘nakama’, and someone he was willing to risk his life to save. Her ability to utilize the fairies that reside in her hair clips was given a push due to Ichigo’s own reiatsu leaking out and affecting those around him. He was more than willing to rush into Hueco Mundo to save her when Soul Society seemed to have given up on her, and not only went through hell in order to reach her, but after a fatal blow at Ulquiorra’s hand and hearing her calling to him as his life faded fast, he pushed himself to stand again, allowing the Hollow inside to come out…all because she called him –because she needed him and if he didn’t stand, he would fail to protect her. He cares very much about her, would give his life to save her, and only recently was made to realize that Orihime had developed her abilities to the point where she was able to handle herself –the way she was able to turn Ginjo’s attack back on him when he attacked while she was healing Ichigo’s wounds left him more than a little surprised by her growth. He doesn’t seem to look at her the way classmates do, which is as some sort of beautiful creature, but as a best friend. He sees her for who she is, even if his own view is sometimes a little clouded by his own desire to protect those around him.

With Ishida, their friendship began as something of an intense rivalry…but only really on one side. Ichigo didn’t know who he was, what he wanted, or why any of it mattered, only that Ishida’s attempt to get some sort of recognition could have had a very bad outcome. The two of them butted heads quite often, even through Soul Society, and it seemed as though they were quite good at getting snarky and antagonistic with one another. As time passed, their interactions grew less centered around rivalry and more an actual friendship, though the snark and digs at each other were still present. He was able to step back (though forced) to allow Ishida and Chad a chance to show that they could fight every bit as well as he could, but if he hadn’t had some sense of trust in their abilities, he wouldn’t have been able to do it. When Ishida was injured at the beginning of the Fullbring arc, Ichigo was in a panic, concerned for Ishida’s well being, and wanting to make sure the other was all right. It bothered him that everyone around him was still putting their lives on the line whereas he couldn’t, and he outright stated in canon that he hoped Ishida wouldn’t get in trouble for responding to Hollow emergencies. Ishida is one he trusts to cover his back, to fight by his side, and keep watch over the others when he isn’t able to. The fact that he’s willing to trust Ishida with those things without a second thought speaks volumes for their friendship, even when they snip at one another, and the way he insists on "bringing him back" after finding he's sided with the enemy backs it all up.

Rukia is another of those whom he seems to trust, almost without hesitation, and she’s right up there in his inner circle of friends. When his family was attacked in the beginning, it was Rukia who offered him the means to save them from being devoured…and gave him the power to help others that he so desired. She had “saved” him, so when she was taken back to Soul Society to await punishment for giving her powers to a human, he didn’t think twice about jumping through Urahara’s gateway and into Soul Society. He states several times that it was because of her that he was able to become what he was, and her face is the last seen when he recalls the times when he was proud to call himself a shinigami. He respects her and although they also have their antagonistic moments, she’s one of those ‘nakama’. While they tend to have a more back-and-forth relationship in terms of bickering yet working together than any of the others, just like with Ishida, he would trust her with his back, his life, and the lives of those he cares about.

The one that has seen some of the most change is how he sees Byakuya. Initially, Byakuya was the brother of whom Rukia almost seemed frightened and cowed before. He was the emotionless jerk who was willing to put his sister to death just to save face because of familial pride. It wasn’t even so much that Ichigo hated him as it was he didn’t understand him and wanted to get answers as to WHY he was the way he was. He refused to believe that pride was worth more than family and wanted to know why Byakuya thought otherwise, butting heads and clashing swords with him to the point where he forced himself to learn Bankai in order to keep Rukia from suffering and stop Byakuya from allowing the execution to go on. Following the events in Soul Society, he treated Byakuya just like he treated everyone else: as a friend, despite the fact that to Byakuya, Ichigo seemed to be more of an annoyance than anything else. He respects Byakuya in his own way, and while he may not be Byakuya’s favorite person, it would appear as though he’s gained a twinge of respect from him as well.

Shinji, on the other hand, was one of those unsavory types in the beginning who he didn’t really trust at all, but needed in order to be able to control the Hollow inside himself. He accepted Shinji’s offer of aid to train with them, but he wasn’t doing it for the sake of Soul Society. Ultimately, that was what convinced Shinji and the others that he was worth a shot, because they had no real love of Soul Society either. During the fight against Aizen, when Shinji and the others show up to fight and tell the Captain Commander that they’re on Ichigo’s side, not Soul Society’s, it says a lot for the relationship they’d built almost entirely off-screen/off-chapter. Ichigo treats Shinji and the other Vaizards as friends and comrades, acknowledging their skills and their aid, and they treat him the same.

Keisuke Urahara is something else entirely. In general, Ichigo seems to trust him very much, even before knowing anything about him. The man saved his life after his initial encounter with Byakuya and Renji left him dying on the ground and trained him to restore his Shinigami powers when there seemed to be no reason for him to do so. Upon their return from Soul Society, even though Ichigo elbowed him in the face after getting (what he was told was) the reason for why Uruahara withheld information, it didn’t last. Keisuke was who he went to for everything from information to a means of entering Soul Society and Hueco Mundo, and even thought the man was a cast-off from Soul Society, he didn’t turn his back just because Ichigo had some affiliations. It’s easy to say that of all of the Shinigami, he probably puts the most trust into Urahara, even if they’re not close as friends, because it’s through him that Ichigo could get to where he needed. Urahara could have told him “no” and left him to his own devices, but he didn’t –he was there when they needed him, and his information and assistance has served the group well in their adventures.

It’s also worthwhile to note the way he addresses people. This is in part due to Japanese society, and in part due to the fact that he has a rude speech pattern. It can also show just how close he really is to the other in terms of friendship. Among those in the living world, Tatsuki is addressed by her given name, as is Keigo and Mizuiro, but Orihime (Inoue) and Uryuu (Ishida) are not. Chad is also not, but this is because while his given name is Sado, Ichigo heard it as “Chado” and no amount of correction could fix it, so it stuck. In terms of showing friendship, Ishida is close to Ichigo, but not quite as close as the other guys. Orihime is one of those who began as a friend of a friend, and while it could be taken as respect, it could also be that there’s a small separation there just like with Ishida –friends and nakama, but not BEST friends.

Among those from Soul Society, it varies. Rukia is one whose given name was immediately adopted, as was Renji, Byakuya, Toshiro, Yoruichi, Yumichika, Yachiru, and Hanatarou. There are a whole slew of others as well, while the rest are by Family name, such as Ikkaku, Urahara, Ukitake, Kyoraku, and Unohana (the last four are some of the only ones to receive the respectful “-san” at the end). Kenpachi is actually a title that he goes by and not a name…and Genryusai is just “gramps”. The reasoning behind this is most likely age, experience, societal norms, and his own preference. While Ichigo generally kind of sucks with names, the fact that he remembers them at all says they’re someone he acknowledges in some form.

He's not without his quirks, though. While he's very much got the whole shounen hero routine down, he's also got a few things about him that wouldn't exactly be on the radar unless someone knows him well.

The most obvious of these is his choice in clothing. He has a tendency to broadcast the syllables that comprise his name in his wardrobe, such as clothing with the numbers 1 (ichi) and 5 (go) on it (he doesn't like being told his name is cute, either, since "ichigo" can also mean "strawberry"). His coloring is such that he could probably wear a burlap sack and make it look good, but he'll wear everything from whites to pinks to blues to blacks and back again -for a boy who's considered a punk by a lot of his peers, he has oddly good fashion sense, with a preference for close or tight-fitting clothes. Even in his school uniform, he accessorizes as much as he's able without breaking the rules.

Because of his own abilities, Ichigo harbors a strong dislike for psychics, palm readers, feng shui, and other types of people who make a living by claiming they can see or hear spirits when they're really just frauds. Despite this, his family used him as a high-spec psychic medium early on. His favorite foods are spicy things and chocolate, and he admires William Shakespeare. Also, while he used to take martial arts lessons, he stopped the day he finally managed to beat Tatsuki and since then, has never accepted her offer of a rematch, the reason left unknown.

In the Fullbring Arc, Rukia states that even after everything he's been through, Ichigo hasn't changed. He's exactly the same as he was in the beginning -still stubborn, short-tempered, strong-willed, and protective, but also just as caring and compassionate, if a little rough around the edges.

□ Age: 17
□ Gender: male
□ Appearance: Standing at about 5'11" with a lean build, short and spiky orange hair (it’s natural, not dyed), brown eyes, and typically wearing an expression that has his brows knitted, Ichigo somehow manages to weigh in at only 145lbs. He likes tight-fitting clothes, can usually get away with wearing just about anything and not looking too ridiculous, and has a tendency to incorporate the number 15 into his wardrobe. Beneath the clothes, he's in peak physical condition, built solid and incredibly agile/flexible, with sharp reflexes.

Despite the fact that Kubo conveniently forgets them 90% of the time, official artworks (and earlier manga chapters) have shown that Ichigo has scars over each shoulder from Renji's Zabimaru, as well as one in the middle of his chest with a twin on his back and one lower down his stomach just above his navel that also has a match on his back, both from Byakuya's Senbonzakura. These were acquired while in his spiritual body, but because he was put right back into his physical one immediately afterward due to the fact that he was dying, the injuries showed up on his body and thus scarred over like any other wound. They don't show up when he's outside his body in Shinigami form.

Supplemental Images:
- http://images6.fanpop.com/image/photos/32800000/Ichigo-kurosaki-ichigo-32884675-1161-1600.png (color)
- http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a268/hagane_no_pride/b011_zpsed5f683b.jpg (some of what's underneath the clothes)
- http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a268/hagane_no_pride/bleach-1586642_zps30b95fb5.jpg (from earlier chapters, but one of the few times in the manga that his scars are visible outside a few other pieces of official art.)

□ Abilities/Powers: As a human/Shinigami/Quincy hybrid, Ichigo's not quite your run-of-the-mill guy. Ever since running himself through with Rukia's zanpakuto and stealing her reiatsu, he's been able to detach his soul from his body via two separate means -a replacement soul and being forced out. Whether inside or outside of his body, his abilities and powers are listed below.

Anything marked with an asterisk (*) is restricted to his Shinigami form and can't be used fully/at all when in his body.

Fighting skills: Ichigo's been trained in the martial arts since he was a child, and when he wasn't doing that, he was (unbeknownst to him at the time) being 'trained' by his father who is the world's most loving and caring daddy... and has the strangest way of showing it. Physically speaking, he's in peak condition and is not afraid to use his skills to stand up for those who can't defend themselves for whatever reason.

Strength: Without his Shinigami augmentation, Ichigo is still quite strong, owed to the fact that he's been training for how long in martial arts and Daddy Attacks. With his Shinigami augmentation... he’s that character in a fighting game that you never want to play against because they’ll kick your ass in seconds.

Intelligence: Yes, you heard right. He has a brain! And he uses it, though sometimes it really doesn't seem like it. He's usually near the top of his class in terms of grades (and he keeps them up even while running around town as a Shinigami), and he's able to come up with his own tactical and defensive concepts as well as plan and adjust for attacks on the fly during combat.

"Sixth sense": This is essentially an extrasensory perception that Ichigo was born with due to his parentage. Because of it, he's able to see and interact with spirits (and hollows) as though they were flesh and blood, as well as detect the spiritual presence of others. In the earliest chapters, it's mentioned that his family made use of his abilities to pass him off as a high-spec medium. It's also because he can see and interact with spirits that Ichigo was teased by kids in school, and is also why he dislikes things such as psychics, feng shui, and other people that make a profit by lying about things they can't really see.

*Reiatsu: >9000, Energizer Bunny. I really wish I was exaggerating. A Shinigami's reiatsu is their life force, and essentially the source of their power. The more they have, the stronger they are and the longer they can keep going...and Ichigo is Captain class at under 1/4 power. When fully charged, he's a monster. That doesn't mean he's got the power to use it to his full potential, just that it's there. It's also been commented on as being "heavy", which means that in his spirit form, he's kind of dangerous because it's suffocating to weaker souls.

*Swordsmanship: He was taught the basics by Urahara, but the majority of it comes from the idea of "if they hit me, they'll kill me, so get them first". He learns it by doing, not by instruction. Combined with his other abilities, he's a lot stronger than one would think, but he lacks finesse and definitive skill. This is marked as being more for his spiritual body due to the fact that his sword is a zanpakuto and thus only useable when in said spiritual form.

*Shunpo: A technique that allows the user to move faster than the eye can follow. The fewer steps taken to cover the same amount of ground, the faster one is and the harder it is to follow their movement. How he learned it is unknown, but most likely through his own experimentation during the process of acquiring Bankai. He's rather good with it, able to keep up with stronger Shinigami, but he's no Byakuya or Yoruichi.

*Shikai - Zangetsu: Because Zangetsu is a constant release type, there is no command to enter its shikai state. All zanpakuto have some sort of ability in this state and Zangetsu is no exception. Its signature shikai ability is the Getsuga Tensho which releases a highly concentrated slash of reiatsu in either a crescent moon shape or a wave. It's also the only ability Ichigo has, but he's grown rather adept at utilizing it, using it for everything from blocking incoming blasts of reiatsu to offensive attack.

*Bankai - Tensa Zangetsu: Unlike other zanpakuto who get bigger and flashier when their Bankai form is released, Tensa Zangetsu shrinks from its large cleaver-esque shikai into a nodachi (it's literally as long as he is tall) by compressing the reiatsu into a compact form. This compression of reiatsu diverts the energy that would have been expended through a large flashy blade elsewhere and allows Ichigo to remain in his bankai state for longer because it uses less energy to maintain. It also enhances both his strength and speed as well as his reiatsu itself which is reflected in the strengthened Getsuga Tensho.

*Blut (Blut Vene, specifically) - The only Quincy ability it's ever been revealed for him to have. Blut itself is an ability that grants the user defensive and offensive capabilities beyond that of a normal human. The variant that Ichigo has canonically used is Blut Vene, which is the defensive version. There's no real explanation of how it works, but it appears to essentially utilize one's reiatsu via the network of veins and arteries in the body to minimize damage taken, cause potentially lethal wounds to be far less so, and stem the flow of blood from a wound.

□ Personal Items: His Substitute Shinigami badge and his shihakusho (shinigami uniform)

□ First Person Sample: [audio]
[ It's not often that he does this, addressing the City's network, but this is a question he's actually rather curious about. Especially now that he's pretty much doomed himself to needing his powers back. Unfortunately, he's never been good at seduction or suggestiveness, and he probably wouldn't even know how to do them if they bit him on the ass. Because of this, his tone is a bit more annoyed than it would be otherwise, with a bit of hesitation and a hint of embarrassment added to the mix. ]

So what do you do when you have something you need to get back, but you're pretty sure you qualify for whatever constitutes as 'underage' here? Last time, I messed this up pretty good, so I really don't know the answer, but this time...

[ There's a pause as he considers what he's saying. Does he really want to announce this? Then again, if everyone here has to have sex, then it'd be considered common knowledge that he'd have to as well. This isn't secret underground bankai training, crazy Arachnidman fullbring training, or special trip to the Soul King training. It's just sex, and it just happens to be the only way to regain that which he lost. ]

I don't really have much choice this time. There's something I need to get back, but I don't know if my age is gonna constitute a problem. I mean, technically I'm seventeen, but if I go by this place's calendar, I'd have been eighteen a few days ago... yeah, screw it, this is confusing. All I want to know is if it's possible for someone who's underage to get back things that were taken from them or if I'm gonna have to wait until I'm technically legal for that to happen.

[ Another pause, and he almost ends it right there, but something makes him stop. ]

Oh, and if Asano Keigo is still here... can someone let him know I need to talk to him? I kind of owe him an apology.

□ Third Person Sample: http://theloonybin.dreamwidth.org/28694.html?thread=16910102#cmt16910102 <- Test Drive thread