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darklightshades
EMAIL: cypress262@hotmail.com
MESSENGER(S): DW PM @ikorose
TIMEZONE: GMT + 11:00 (Eastern Australia)
AGE (b. year): 1986
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LINK TO RESERVE: Here!
CHARACTER
NAME(S): Gin Ichimaru
AGE: Gin has been around for at least 110 years in his canon timeline. I usually headcanon his true age to be around 125-150, given the vague facts concerning Shinigami ageing. It's not a real concern for him because he's still fairly young for a Shinigami, who can live for several centuries, and there was a period of time in his early life where it's implied that he wasn't really keeping track of it himself. Physically he looks to be in about his mid-twenties.
FANDOM: Bleach
BACKGROUND HISTORY:
Dedicated Bleach Wiki Character Page
Despite being a fairly major character in the series, quite a number of facts about Gin's history seem to have been intentionally left out or purposefully made vague by the Mangaka. The following summary contains a few assumptions of certain events and motivations where the Bleach canon hasn't explicitly spelled them out.
As a young boy, Gin was born into one of the poorer districts of the area known as the Rukongai ('Wandering Soul City') in the world known as Soul Society -- though 'born' may not be the most exact term because Soul Society is the realm of the afterlife. The people of the Rukongai are the souls of humans who have died in the Living World, though for the most part they don't remember their former lives and live out their new existence peacefully...or so the propaganda would have you believe.
Many people do live perfectly safe and happy lives in the Rukongai, but the poorer districts seem to attract the kinds of people who revel in more vicious, dangerous behavior, preying on those weaker than they are. Additionally, life in the Rukongai is exponentially more difficult for souls who posses spiritual power. Normal, unpowered souls have no physical needs in the afterlife, but souls with spiritual power feel the inexplicable need to eat. They can grow weak from hunger and presumably even die of starvation. In a place where the majority of the population doesn't require food, it's seen as a rare luxury item that the impoverished don't easily have access to, which perhaps helps to explain the increased crime rate in the poorer districts as the rarity of resources makes for a violent struggle between those who are merely greedy for the pleasure of food and those who need it for survival.
Possessing a great amount of spiritual power himself, Gin lived as a kind of scavenger and a loner until one fateful meeting with a young girl named Rangiku Matsumoto changed his life. He came upon her shortly after she had been attacked by a small contingent of Shinigami -- the Death Gods who had trained their spiritual power to be able to fight corrupted spirits (known as 'Hollows') and who were in charge of administrating both the ferrying of souls from the Living World to Soul Society and the protection of Soul Society itself. This event had a profound effect on Gin, prompting him to offer his hard-won food to Rangiku in a gesture that would soon have them living together as close companions for some time.
For Gin, however, it wasn't enough to simply save the person who would become his only childhood friend. Later, when by chance he came across the same group of Shinigami who had attacked Rangiku deferring to someone who appeared to be their leader, he made a decision to kill them all.
It might have seemed like an unbelievable threat, given that he was still only a boy at the time, but Gin's spiritual pressure was extremely powerful for his age. He managed to kill at least one of them before even making the decision that, in order to carry through with his revenge, he would have to become a Shinigami himself.
He thereafter attended the Shingami Academy where any souls could begin their training, if they had the capacity to learn and enough spiritual pressure. Gin possessed both these in spades, and became well known for the abilities of his Zanpakuto ('Soul Cutter Sword'), the manifested weapon used by Shinigami to destroy Hollows.
Zanpakuto are the physical manifestation of a piece of a Shinigami's soul and exist in the Shinigami's mind as a separate but inexorably entwined consciousness with their own name and personality. Gin's Zanpakuto is named Shinsou ('God Spear'), and has the ability to extend to one hundred times its length with impressive force that he can use to attack enemies from a distance. Gin was heralded as a genius by finishing the usual six year syllabus in only one year, and by some means of his own contrivance or perhaps good fortune, he also managed to attract the attention of the very man he most wanted to kill: the leader of the Shinigami who had attacked Rangiku.
The man's name was Sousuke Aizen, and at the time he was the lieutenant of the 5th Division of the 13 Court Guard Squads - the Militaristic order of Shinigami that rule Soul Society. In order to get close to him, Gin chose to become the man's closest confidant, assisting him with all manner of illicit activity including illegal scientific experiments, betrayal of Soul Society and rampant murder of both innocent Rukongai souls and other Shinigami. However, Aizen was an extremely skilled and intelligent Shinigami, possessing an unusually powerful zanpakuto specialising in illusions under which he already held sway over most of the most powerful members of the Court Guard Squads (including Gin himself, or so it's implied). Even with his innate potential Gin couldn't find a suitable opportunity to kill him during the century of association in which they collaborated.
Eventually Gin managed to rise up the ranks of the Shinigami Court Guard squads, becoming the Captain of the 3rd Division. By this time, Aizen had begun making final preparations to steal a powerful weapon from one of his few intellectual rivals -- a man named Kisuke Urahara who had been exiled from Soul Society (along with his weapon and all his research) through circumstances that Aizen himself had orchestrated. An elaborate plan was crafted to retrieve this item -- known as the Hougyoku -- requiring a great deal of secrecy and misdirection so that no one would realise Aizen's true goal.
In an effort to deflect suspicion, Aizen faked his own death under circumstances which seemed to allude to Gin being responsible, and under Aizen's orders Gin played the role of the Villain all too convincingly. This masquerade succeeding in distracting key members of the Court Guard Squads from more significant events that might have tipped Aizen's hand too early, allowing him to make off with the Hogyoku and depart from Soul Society with Gin and his other most trusted ally, Kaname Tousen.
His betrayal revealed, Gin discarded all rank and loyalty to Soul Society and instead became Aizen's confidant in Hueco Mundo: the world where the Hollows resided. Using the Hougyoku, Aizen managed to impart Shinigami traits onto regular Hollows, creating a powerful army of hybrids called the Arrancar with whom he would invade Soul Society with the goal of eventually destroying the Soul King.
The Soul King(described as more of a 'thing' than a person) acted as a sort of lynch pin holding Soul Society together, and with its destruction Aizen believed that he could tear down the corrupt foundations of Soul Society to rebuild something better under his own rule. Though never precisely shown whether Gin had any strong feelings about this goal, the fact that he aided Aizen with it for several decades with no apparent reservations seemed to suggest that at the very least he wasn't completely opposed to it.
Though his new rank in Aizen's army seemed high, Gin actually didn't play much of a significant role in the events leading up to the inevitable conflict between Soul Society and Aizen's army. When the battle finally broke out, Gin was frequently seen at Aizen's side but rarely engaged anyone directly. Aizen later made a point to note that Gin hadn't bothered to step in when Aizen was fighting off several powerful opponents. Gin, unperturbed by this potentially dangerous accusation, simply replied that he hadn't though Aizen had needed any assistance. At this point, Aizen had unlocked the true secrets of the Hougyoku, which had the power to manifest the desires of its owner into reality, and had fused it with his own body and consciousness, successfully bending it to his will and increasing his already unmatched powers beyond all imagination. Gin's claim was convincing enough even though the framing of the conversation suggested he wasn't really telling the truth.
On the few occasions during the war when Gin did engage others in battle, it was very plainly shown that he wasn't really giving his all. He's shown on one occasion brutally slicing an unaware opponent in half from behind, and later battled Ichigo Kurosaki -- a human/shinigami/hollow/quincy/all-the-special-powers hybrid who was considered by many to be the most likely person to defeat Aizen. Gin managed to fight him to a standstill seemingly without much effort, though Ichigo was already considerably disheartened by Aizen's taunts and apparent invincibility. In an act that might have seemed almost merciful, though performed in quite a backhanded fashion, Gin even attempted to drive Ichigo off, declaring him unworthy of defeating someone like Aizen if he couldn't even stand up to Gin.
Gin and Ichigo's battle was interrupted by Aizen's return. Having defeated all viable opponents, and with Ichigo in no state to fight, Aizen and Gin departed for Soul Society with the intention of sacrificing 100,000 souls to create a key to the Soul King's Realm. Once again, Gin seemed to be covertly delaying things by sending the gateway to their location astray, though he blameed Aizen for his error which Aizen indulgently accepted. On the way to their destination, they were accosted by Rangiku, who had followed Gin in an attempt to interrogate him for his true motives. Gin apologised to Aizen on behalf of his friend, requesting permission to take her aside to sort things out. Aizen allowed this (seemingly with some amusement) so Gin hastily carried Rangiku from Aizen's presence to a more isolated location.
Finally alone, Rangiku demanded to know why Gin chose to follow Aizen. He dismissed her questions easily, refusing to answer any of them, and played on her belief that he wouldn't seriously harm her to get close enough to threaten her with his sword, telling her that she was only in his way.
Her suspicion wasn't entirely unfounded, however. Instead of killing her, Gin knocked her out and obscured her presence with a spell before returning to Aizen's side. When asked what became of her, Gin convincingly replied that he had killed her, asserting to Aizen that he was someone completely cold-blooded, without mercy or feelings for others. Regardless of the truth of this statement, time was no longer on Gin's side. Should Rangiku awaken, or Aizen realise her continued existence, Gin's lie would revealed along with Rangiku's importance to him, which Aizen would have no reservations about exploiting.
Gin invented a casual excuse to lay a hand on Aizen's Zanpakuto, then completely took the man by surprise and stabbed him through the chest. Gin revealed that, of everyone in Soul Society, he was the only one who'd known that the weakness of Aizen's sword was to touch the blade before its illusions could take hold. He also confessed that he'd lied to Aizen about the abilities of his own Zanpakuto. Instead of his previous boasts about its length or speed, Gin explained that the blade contained a deadly poison that was released whenever it changed length, and informed Aizen that he's just left a significant measure of this poison in the hole he'd punctured in Aizen's chest. As the poison was activated to full potency, Aizen's body dissolved, releasing the Hougyoku that had been embedded in his flesh, allowing Gin to retrieve it and escape before Aizen could fully react to his mortal wound.
Anyone else would surely have died from Shinsou's poison, but although the Hougyoku had been physically removed from Aizen's body, Gin hadn't realised that Aizen's dominion over it would remain. This near-death experience and the brief fear that it evoked in Aizen allowed him to evolve to a new state of being of even greater power, and upon his revival he revealed that he'd counted on Gin's betrayal to achieve this end. Demonstrating a new ability to translocate himself directly into Gin's hiding place, the Hougyoku vanished from Gin's hand and reappeared in Aizen's body.
Perhaps Gin could have still made a run for it, as futile as the action may have been. Instead, Gin tried to reach for the Hougyoku again, believing it to be the key to returning the piece of Rangiku's spirit that was stolen in the original attack. It was a gesture that had absolutely no chance of success. Aizen simply tore the offending arm off, and followed up by definitively stabbing Gin through the chest.
PERSONALITY:
The first and most important thing to note about Gin is that the personality he chooses to present is a cunningly chosen, well-crafted act. Gin devoted his life to a single purpose: to kill the man who was responsible for the assault on his childhood friend. To that end, Gin decided the best way to get close to his target was to mould himself into the ideal accomplice: powerful, cruel and manipulative enough to deceive the people closest to him.
In Gin's own self-assessment of his personality, he describes himself as a snake who possesses 'no emotions' and who 'slithers around, searching for prey, devouring those who look tasty'. This is a bit of an over-simplification, because it suits him for others to assume he's someone guided only by his own bloodthirsty appetites, but he does frequently do his best to enforce this self-imposed act. He gives the impression of being someone completely lacking in inhibitions, who might follow any hedonistic impulse that crosses his mind, and this allows him to maintain a semblance of unpredictable behaviour that's actually guided by his own elaborate calculations to advance his own agenda. He is incredibly driven, once he's set his mind to something, but seems to favour the thrill of a challenge or the avenue of greatest amusement more than efficiency when it comes to attaining his goals.
Gin presents a smiling face to the world which completely eclipses any actual emotion on his part. He can seem friendly, even benevolent at times, but most people find him understandably unnerving because there's nothing warm or open about his manner at all. It's a false, misleading ruse that utterly obscures his true intentions. He tends to exaggerate pleasantries to the point where they become a mockery of any actual politeness, and is prone to sly, barbed comments aiming to hurt or insult others under the pretence of joking sarcasm. He seems to take a casual pleasure in taunting others, even when it serves no purpose other than his own entertainment. It all functions to demonstrate the playful sadism he wants Aizen to believe he possesses, and given how long and how thoroughly he's played the role it's not entirely unbelievable to think that he's come to enjoy it a little.
Although Gin's behaviour is often unsettling, it isn't because doesn't understand the kind of social norms which would allow him to integrate better. In fact, he's extremely good at reading people, particularly when it comes to finding out their motivations and fears, often turning those to his own advantage. His act is a deliberate means of keeping people at a distance, preventing them from getting too close to him, not only because he's an extremely guarded and secretive individual (a necessity to keep Aizen from guessing his true purpose) but because he knew that anyone perceived as being close to him would only be endangered -- by himself as much as his dangerous circumstances. He learned not to entertain any weaknesses through his attachments to other people, and was willing to abandon and betray even his closest of friends and loyalist of subordinates to ensure they wouldn't be used against him. As a result, though he's quite adept at forming superficial relationships, he finds it extremely difficult to convey sincerity or honest friendliness with any credibility, which is somewhat counter-productive to getting close to others.
Gin is extremely intelligent and is a natural schemer, always planning several steps ahead and usually with some kind of underhanded deceit involved to mask what he's really trying to accomplish. This often carries over to any sort of confrontation, where he'll often mislead or outright lie about his own abilities. He prefers not to reveal too much of himself, so when possible he'll avoid a battle or find means to cheat his way out of it. When pressed, though, he's a ruthless fighter: merciless and savage enough to make others think twice about engaging him. He has no compunctions about cutting down weaker or unaware opponents, and prefers to take down his enemies with brutal decisiveness.
It's been stated by one of his peers that Gin has a fear of death, a claim Gin didn't necessarily deny. One interpretation of this is that what he feared was dying before he accomplished his goal, but it's quite reasonable to assume the straightforward meaning as well. Considering how long he waited to strike at Aizen, given that the likely outcome in the case of failure would be his death, it's possible this was one reason why he hesitated to follow through on the act until his hand was practically forced. At the same time, Gin has been known to make reckless, life-changing decisions (choosing to save Rangiku, choosing to work for Aizen) with seemingly little thought of the consequences. On one hand, he's paranoid and over-cautious in his secretive ways, and on the other he makes almost wildly capricious choices. His inconsistency appears to be more of a permanent character trait than a series of pre-meditated acts.
Part of the reason may be because his moral compass is decidedly broken. He chose to avenge Rangiku at the cost of a huge personal sacrifice whilst committing acts that she would never have approved of -- irreparably damaging their relationship. There was nothing altruistic or righteous about Gin's decision for revenge. It was a purely selfish act, done for his own gratification because of his personal feelings for Rangiku, rather than because she would have wanted closure. Gin isn't guided by morals or the feelings of others, but rather by self-satisfaction and the drives of his own curious appetites.
As an aside, Gin also possesses a secondary consciousness in the spirit of his Zanpakuto, Shinsou. The actual personality of his Zanpakuto has never been revealed in canon, though several others have which prove them to be complete individuals with personalities and desires of their own that don't always necessarily coincide with that of their owners. The following, therefore, is a theorised headcanon for Shinsou to give some insight into certain aspects of Gin's personality.
Shinsou is not at all a pleasant or friendly Zanpakuto. Though Zanpakuto don't necessarily have only one form, Shinsou most often takes the shape of a large, powerful snake (an animal which is frequently used to make analogies about Gin in canon) and frequently acts like the basest, most predatory form of this creature. Ruthless, vicious, and perhaps even a bit simple in his single-minded hungers, Gin took a lot of influence from Shinsou when crafting the role he wanted to play for Aizen which is why it seems to come to him so easily.
Despite being a separate consciousness, a Zanpakuto is still a reflection of the soul of the Shinigami who possesses it. Shinsou represents the constant, gnawing hunger that Gin endured during his childhood in the Rukongai, consumed by an obsessive focus to pursue those things that might satisfy his appetites. He also represents the cold, lonely isolation Gin often felt due to being set apart by his genius and spiritual power, while at the same time manifesting the self-sufficient independence Gin has always demonstrated.
Often a Shinigami's relationship with their Zanpakuto is one of antagonistic co-operation (a Shinigami usually has to beat their Zanpakuto in some kind of contest, usually a battle, to gain their allegiance) that eventually evolves into a symbiotic respect. Gin's relationship with Shinsou is more of the former. His battle with Shinsou has always been fairly one-sided. Shinsou may be cunning, but he doesn't posses the same intelligence or ferocious determination as Gin.
Of the two of them, it's actually Shinsou who's most concerned with their mutual survival, because that instinct is one of the most deeply embedded in any living creature, and if Gin dies he too will cease to exist. He absolutely does not appreciate the changes Rangiku's presence wrought on Gin's motivations (or the weakness she represents to them). Likewise, Shinsou is rightly afraid of Aizen, knowing with the intrinsic certainty of a fellow predator that taking a bite out of someone like Aizen (however delicious it might be) would be inherently suicidal. That Gin entertains both these ridiculous notions frustrates Shinsou to no end, and unfortunately Gin's perverse enjoyment of other people's pain extends even to his own Zanpakuto, because Shinsou's irritation generally only encourages him.
Despite this, Shinsou has always grudgingly supplied his power and abilities to Gin's ends, ostensibly because he's forced to in order to keep them alive, but also because while they may disagree with their owner's wishes, Zanpakuto tend to remain sympathetic to their Shinigami's goals. They are two halves of a whole: Shinsou displaying the more honest (though arguably ugly) traits of Gin's soul, whilst Gin is able to craft the masks that would veil these less desirable traits and even control them...when it suits him to do so.
CHARACTER RELATIONSHIPS:
Sousuke Aizen
The relationship between Aizen and Gin is an obfuscated, convoluted conundrum -- much like the two men in question. On the surface, Gin plays the role of the loyal lieutenant, diligently sacrificing everything he has (his place in Soul Society, his friends and subordinates) to pursue Aizen's ends. On the other, he represents a dangerous, unreliable risk to Aizen's life, and yet in many ways this is his most important role.
Aizen and Gin have a unique understanding of each other. On Gin's part, this is because he diligently trained under Aizen and studied him with the intention of killing him, but either over time he assimilated too many of Aizen's ideals to find them inherently objectionable, or else even from the beginning he has never been very different from Aizen. They are both ruthless and calculating. They find it easy to deceive others, and have no moralistic compunctions about doing so. Both of them display a certain level of cruelty to others with little regard to the consequences, and have discarded the importance of other people for pursuit of their own interests. It's not so surprising, then, that they often commiserate over these things in a friendly, conversational manner that others would find completely objectionable.
Aizen is more frank with Gin than with any other subordinate, confessing his pleasure when his own palace is being invaded and not bothering to deny small acts of cruelty in toying with his own subordinates when Gin happens to point them out. In exchange, Gin is much less deferential and subservient to Aizen than any of the man's other minions. He displays no outward fear of Aizen, and is sometimes more irreverent than anyone else would dare to be. He never outright defies Aizen's orders, but often displays a certain amount of (intentional) negligence when carrying them out, such as letting himself be caught off-guard by an inferior opponent or failing to offer assistance when not strictly instructed to. Aizen gives Gin an unprecedented amount of leeway, often pretending himself to believe Gin's excuses though both of them are aware that they aren't fooling the other. They both seem to enjoy the elaborate challenge the other represents, and though neither of them would make the mistake of trusting the other, they seem disinclined to let their personal battle of wits end. Gin has more than a century to plan his attack on Aizen, and yet stays his hand and actually contributes to Aizen's eventual immortality, rendering his own goal impossible. Likewise, with the difference of power between them, Aizen could have destroyed Gin at the first hint of possible betrayal, but instead chose to keep him close and even told Gin the secret weakness of his Zanpakuto without which Gin might never have had a chance to defeat him.
Even at the end, when Gin finally makes his move, he doesn't display any personal malice or hatred towards Aizen. Only the same cheerfully sadistic front that Aizen appreciates as he gleefully explains how Aizen is going to die with a hole in his chest. Aizen's own fury at Gin's betrayal quickly burns out into appreciation that Gin has fulfilled the role Aizen kept him for, and he even thanks Gin after impaling him through the chest with one brutal, fatal blow. Though it's clear they appreciated each other, this fondness wasn't enough to prevent them from acting to destroy the other when their game finally came to an end.
Rangiku Matsumoto
Rangiku's importance to Gin is one of the most integral traits of his character, and yet at the same time there's so little context given to their history and feelings for each other that it's incredibly difficult to decipher their relationship. Most of the information provided is from Rangiku's perspective, which seems much more straightforward. Gin saved her from starvation and was her childhood protector, so even decades later she still feels connected to him even if she can't claim to understand him at all. Even in the beginning, Gin treated her with a secretive sort of detachment, often leaving her behind with no explanation of where he was going or when he would return. As they got older, and particularly after entering the Shinigami Academy together, he only became more distant, more inscrutable, and even though she accurately believes that their relationship is still significant to Gin in some way, she also knows better than to assume too much of it because Gin's erratic behaviour has taught her to expect disappointment.
In his own mind, Gin did this for her own good. Though he chose his path to avenge her, he neither expected nor wanted her to understand why he did it. He wasn't expecting her praise or her thanks, and displayed a surprising amount of selfless insight by knowing that the best way to spare her as much pain as possible was to keep her at a distance without making it obvious that he was doing so. In a way, he was preparing her not only for his absence, but the likelihood of his eventual death, ensuring that she would still be able to live on and find her own happiness without holding on too tightly to the memory of him. That act alone is enough to suggest that in some way he loved her, and loved her enough to let her go.
The nature of that love isn't explicitly stated. As Rukongai residents are made up of the souls of the deceased, they often form family units that are unconnected by blood, suggesting theirs could have been a familial devotion. Some of Gin's offhand reactions (saying he enjoyed being held as her captive, stroking her necklace intimately when she confronted him before his death) could indicate some romantic feelings that may or may not have been acted upon at any time. I personally headcanon that it was a little of both, but that Gin would much rather her find someone else because he would inevitably cause her too much pain.
Izuru Kira:
Kira served as the Lieutenant of the Third Division, Gin's direct subordinate, and is one of the few people seen not to treat Gin with distrust or fear. Gin once assisted in saving Kira from a Hollow attack, and it seems this event made a long-standing impression on him. He seems completely devoted to his Captain, protecting him from their peers when Aizen's deceptions cast suspicion on Gin's character. Part of this is due to Kira's own innate sense of loyalty to the Court Guard Squads, but even when he begins to have his own doubts about Gin's motives he still faithfully follows Gin's orders right up until his betrayal of Soul Society is completely undeniable.
Kira is initially completely shattered by the realisation of how completely Gin had abused his trust and loyalty, but later when full conflict breaks out between Soul Society and Aizen's army, Kira joins the battle as one of the most resolute fighters, showing no residual hesitation in taking on a former comrade. It seems that, much like with Rangiku, Gin knew how to handle Kira well enough that he would be able to go on without Gin's presence. Gin even remarks during one of Kira's battles (a fight Kira eventually wins against an Arrancar who is nominally Gin's ally) that he's glad to see his former subordinate is doing well. The remark seems completely genuine, suggesting that in spite of deceiving him, using him and abandoning him, Gin did have some sort of sincere feelings for Kira even if that didn't stop him from abusing their relationship.
STRENGTH OF HEART MOMENT SUMMARY:
Gin's strength of heart moment is at the point where his attempt on Aizen's life has failed and he has to face down the inevitable consequences of his betrayal. Not only does he have to face down the harsh reality of his own imminent demise, but also his failure to achieve the goal to which he had dedicated his life and for which he had forsaken everything. It's a crushing defeat, but Gin faces it down without fear or regrets, and his very last action is to reach one last time for the Hougyoku which he believes to contain a stolen piece of Rangiku's soul.
Then he gets his arm ripped off for his trouble, which is really very unpleasant, though not quite as much as the sword Aizen vengefully stabs through his chest. :[
POWERS
SAMPLE - THE AWAKENING:
Gin was pretty sure this wasn't what the afterlife was supposed to look like.
He would know, after all. No one was more familiar with death than a Death God. He'd travelled across more planes of existence than most other Shinigami, and so he was intimately familiar with the landmarks of each and the ways to cross between them. For someone who should have died (again, rather, since Shinigami were already dead) he should be nothing more than an empty soul lost between the worlds, waiting for reincarnation. Or he might belong in Hell. The possibility wouldn't have surprised him.
Instead, his surroundings didn't resemble anything he'd seen in his rather considerable experience. The space around him felt vast and empty, immersed in darkness except in the area right beneath his feet where soothing light was gently illuminating an enormous glass platform that seemed to float apart from the nothing beyond it. Standing at its centre, it took him a minute to fully absorb the elaborate design. Angular panels of black and white resolved themselves into a serpentine body of scales forming a wide loop around him. An Ouroboros, devouring its own tail. The realisation made one corner of his mouth curl in a mirthless, ironic twist.
The ground shuddered suddenly underneath him, as if it had only been waiting for him to recognise the strange symbol. Gin was too well trained for his muscles to tense in response, but where keeping his feet would normally have been a reflexive afterthought, he nearly staggered. His centre of balance was completely skewed to the left, and glancing down he found himself staring at the ragged end of his right sleeve as if he'd never seen it before. It ended shortly above where his elbow should have been. There was nothing beneath it.
He remembered losing the arm, of course. Almost absently his remaining hand came up to his chest, tracing a path down his sternum until it found the faint, upraised line of a scar just over his heart. It had obviously had time to heal, but he couldn't exactly remember when. The darkness felt oddly familiar too, draping over the edges of his vision where the light didn't penetrate like a comfortable, well-worn blanket. He hadn't had any reason to question it before, but now he was struck by the suspicion that he'd actually been here for some time; barely aware, half-asleep. It was only when he'd noticed the light from the platform that he'd actually come to his senses. The idea was an unsettling one that he was careful not to show on his face just in case he wasn't as alone as he appeared to be.
The shuddering lasted only for a few seconds, and movement flickering on the edges of his vision had Gin curling his fingers around an invisible hilt, but he'd already noticed that Shinsou's sheath wasn't tucked into the waistband of his obi. He kept carefully still as three circular pillars raised themselves up at equal intervals around the edge of the platform, each encased in that same alluring light. When both the trembling and movement stopped, and nothing threatening made a move to lunge at him out of the darkness, he turned with a casual air and took a few steps towards the closest pillar.
Of all the things he had expected to see, his old Lieutenant's badge folded for neat presentation atop the pillar's surface wasn't one of them. Having spent years under the threat of Kyouka Suigetsu's illusionary power, he might have doubted his own eyes, but he didn't think there was any reason for Aizen to hold him under thrall now, and especially not with a bewildering image such as this. The badge seemed to be radiating a welcoming heat, and almost without thinking Gin reached for it, lifting it up for a better view.
The path of Protection.
He almost recoiled from the strange voice, instinct kicking in only at the last moment to hide his reaction, and his heart lurching with painful hope before he realised that the voice didn't originate from that quiet place inside where his Zanpakuto's consciousness resided. It was more distant than that, like a whisper in the dark he could barely hear, and yet he couldn't trace it to any particular source. It just was.
To accept the pain in place of others. A shield to stand against all threats. Is this the power you seek?
Gin took a moment to digest those words, turning the badge in his hands, feeling the familiar weight of wood and cloth against his fingers. Then, with an audible scoff, he tossed it back atop the pedestal, turning towards the next one without an ounce of hesitation.
After that first curious find, he'd been careful to scour all trace of expectation from his thoughts, but somehow he was still stunned to see that atop the next platform was a familiar, cerulean orb. Even now, it struck him how harmless the Hougyoku looked, glittering with its own internal light even as it reflected the soft glow from the platform beneath his feet. This time he did hesitate, because there's no way it could possibly be here, presented so readily for him...but curiosity and a nearly forgotten longing were quick to overcome uncertainty. His fingers closed around the orb, and immediately he felt heat rushing through his vein with an excruciating intensity. He almost hadn't noticed the absence of his reiatsu until it was returned to him with sudden force.
The path of the Spirit. A power to manifest your desires. Inner strength and determination. Is this the power you seek?
The voice didn't manage to take him by surprise this time. Gin was adaptable, even in the face of incomprehensible circumstances. He wasn't sure if this was some strange pre-death hallucination –- a dream spurred by pain and fatal blood loss –- but even though he doubted there was anything significant behind these strange offerings he didn't want to make a choice before he knew what all his options were. He had a feeling he could only choose once.
It took a considerable test of his willpower to let the Hougyoku go, and the moment he did he felt the painful drain as his Reiatsu receded. He felt almost light-headed without the comforting strength of it to bolster his spirit, and hastily tried to shake it off and forget that uncomfortable feeling of yearning that twisted in his gut like hunger.
The third pillar was identical to the first two, but the sight of its contents made Gin give a more sincere smirk than the mask he normally wore. He'd wondered where Shinsou had gotten to. The small blade was barely the length of his forearm, but infinitely more deadly than it looked. He reached for it with a near sigh of relief, his fingers wrapping comfortably around the familiar hilt.
(Later, it would occur to him that the distinctive sweeping coils of Shinsou's guard were oddly reminiscent of the looped image of the Ouroboros in the glass panels of the platform.)
It didn't saturate him with the same blazing energy of the Hougyoku, but around him the world seemed to sharpen. The full extent of his reflexes had returned, filling him with that familiar sensation of coiled energy aching to be unleashed in a flurry of blood and destruction. Only the ingrained, decades-old lessons of patience kept that furious hunger in check.
The path of the Sword. Fearless strength and destructive power. Destroy all in your path. Is this the power you seek?
Shinsou was the obvious choice, of course. Gin had been deeply connected with his Zanpakuto even before he had chosen to become a Shinigami. Of all his talents, Gin was best at destroying things. Enemies and friends alike were cut down by blade and the sheer toxic power of his personality. Scathing wit and cutting intelligence, everything about Gin embodied the blade, which was a merciless, emotionless weapon made to achieve its ends and nothing else.
An easy choice.
And yet...
Gin cast a glance back at the pillar holding the Hougyoku. That, too, was an alluring choice. Strength of a sword, even a blade crafted from the soul of a Shinigami, was nothing compared to the strength of the mind. It took indomitable will to control the kind of spirit energy Gin had lived with all his life, and without it he felt somehow incomplete. Shinosu was a powerful weapon, of course, but without Gin's will to wield it properly it was no different from any mundane blade. That choice, too, would be all too easy to make. A power even greater than his sword, however much he might miss the comfortable weight of Shinsou at his side.
Finally he cast a glance at the first pillar he had investigated. His lieutenant badge was still there, sitting atop it in the crumpled pile where it had been discarded, looking even less impressive than it had at first. Momentarily abandoning the sword – because after all, he had time, didn't he? There was no need at all to rush – he wandered back towards the badge and picked it up again, concentrating hard on his senses now that he'd learned to anticipate the unexpected rush of a lost power returning to him.
The badge warmed in his hands, and he felt--
--nothing, actually. No heady rush of strength or speed, none of the heavy weight of his spiritual power returning to him. If anything, he felt distinctly bereft without the comforting presence of the previous two choices, strangely vulnerable in spite of the promised 'Protection' that accompanied this choice.
It made him laugh, the sound shattering the heavy still of the darkness in a way that seemed somehow taboo. It was probably meant to be a very serious decision, after all. The voice held the kind of significant gravity that suggested dire ramifications from this unusually trivial choice. Even if he was half-convinced this was all just a very strange vision his mind had conjured up to ease the pain of dying, some instinct compelled Gin to treat the moment as if there was something meaningful at stake. A choice with lasting consequences.
Is this the power you seek? the voice asked again, and Gin curled the ties of the badge between his fingers, giving the wooden insignia a casual toss.
“Sure,” he said aloud to the darkness, although he felt the voice would probably have known even if he hadn't chosen to vocalise his thought. “Why not?”
The badge suddenly evaporated in his grip, turning into a mist that coiled in his palm and then sank into his skin with an electric tingle that didn't feel quite like any power he was familiar with. For a moment, he thought he felt a strange shift as it spread down his arm and through his body, the feeling of something settling into place, but it quickly faded before he could completely discern what had happened.
He shrugged his shoulders in a loose, easy movement, dispelling the last of the odd feeling. Every sensible instinct might be despairing the loss of his Reiatsu and his Zanpakuto, but even though those powers were familiar, desirable, that was precisely why Gin had spurned them. He knew exactly where those choices lead, after all. A powerful sword often gave one an inflated assumption of their own physical prowess. 'Might made Right', as the saying sometimes went. The powerful ruled, the weak obeyed, but there was always some other power lurking to take you down and Gin didn't believe that overwhelming strength was the true means to accomplish ones goals.
Strength of will might seem to be a less bloody path to power. It was much more impressive, in Gin's private opinion, because determination could overcome physical shortcomings the same way enough practice could overcome a lack of natural talent. Dedication was a much more versatile skill than any endemic gift, and it was one Gin had learned to embody once he had accepted that even his prodigious potential didn't allow him to measure up to Aizen's level.
But if it was true that power corrupted, then power of the Spirit corrupted even more absolutely. The Hougyoku itself was proof of that. Aizen may have risen to untold heights of power with the unbelievable evolution the Hougyoku had given him, but despite that Gin hadn't felt inclined to point out that Aizen seemed no more satisfied than he had before implanting the weapon in his own body. Power as a means to its own end was pointless; it was an appetite that only became more pronounced with each feeding, and endless loop of lust for more that could never be broken.
Gin liked to think he was wise enough to have learned better. Then again, he really had no idea what impact his own choice had just made. It didn't sound like a path he was even remotely suited for, but it seemed safer to travel along a route of unknown destination then to go down a known path of self-destruction.
It would have been nice if the voice in the darkness would care to enlighten him, but when it spoke again it only said, You have chosen the path which you will walk. Now choose that which you will abandon entirely.
Gin arched an eyebrow at the darkness, which disappointingly failed to respond to his scepticism. He had been expecting some sort of catch, however, so it didn't vex him too much to find out he'd guessed right. A part of his mind had already been churning over the possible outcomes, so when faced with this new instruction Gin already had the basis of his decision formed in his head. He approached the pillar holding the Hougyoku with a steady step.
It wasn't because he couldn't abandon Shinsou, although perhaps on some level that was true. You couldn't discard half your soul, could you? Gin's motives weren't quite so sentimental, however. If anything, they were the very opposite.
Though he hadn't known its nature at the beginning, he had been chasing the Hougyoku for more than a century now. Its existence evoked a rare reaction in him, something that bordered on actual emotion, and that was too dangerous to keep. He'd also seen what that kind of power did to Aizen – the image of that white-winged, impassively merciless creature came to mind all too easily – and even though his reiatsu had been with him all his life, what good would it do him now? He'd already accomplished what he wanted. Choosing not to abandon the Hougyoku here wouldn't mean that Rangiku would get her soul back. It was just a burdensome reminder of the life he was already preparing to leave behind.
Is this your choice?
“Yes,” he said, although not so flippantly as before. He licked his lips, finding his mouth suddenly dry. This time he was ready for the orb to vanish from his grip, flying away to be lost in the darkness forever, but he wasn't prepared for the glass under his feet to suddenly shatter. There was nothing to catch himself on as the light from the platform abruptly faded out, and no way to save himself as he plunged into the depths of the black space beneath him.
SPECIAL ABILITIES:
Having chosen the equivalent of the Shield, and given up the Staff, Gin has adopted the path of the Warden, which...isn't really his strength, actually. Certainly it's nothing compared to the powers he gave up to make that particular choice, but Gin is perverse and he's also adaptable. He can find a way to make the best of any situation, even ones where he's at a distinct disadvantage.
By giving up the staff (The Hougyoku) Gin has lost the great majority of his spiritual prowess and can cast only the basic spells available in Penrose. Given that he was never particularly known to rely much on the Shinigami equivalent of magic (Kidou spells) he won't be at too much of a disadvantage because of this.
By not choosing the Sword as his primary strength, he's given up the exceptional physical abilities he'd possessed in canon, including superhuman strength and speed with his Zanpakuto. In fact, because he failed to choose the Sword, he won't even have his Zanpakuto, given that it's usually his first and last resort in battles. Shinsou is feeling especially sour about this, and will be completely outraged when Gin finds something else to wield in battle in the meantime.
In choosing the Shield, Gin has chosen to give up his existing strengths for a power that he won't fully understand for a while. He gains the Keyblade Armour as a protection against the Darkness, as other Wardens would, and (subject to mod approval) he has gained something else. The ultimate power of Gin's Zanpakuto is that the blade itself contains a poison that can dissolve any foreign material it comes into contact with. Gin gave up the sword itself, but instead the powers of his Zanpakuto now manifest inside his own body during battle. It takes something equivalent to the adrenaline rush of danger to activate, but when his life is on the line Gin's blood becomes completely toxic, eroding anything that comes into contact with it. Any weapon that manages to penetrate the armour (and his skin) will find itself disintegrating, making it difficult to land any sort of fatal blow. Not impossible, of course; there are plenty of ways to die that don't involve bleeding out, but generally it'll be a bad idea to pick a fight with Gin with anything sharp or pointy.
INVENTORY:
Gin will come out of the darkness with nothing but the clothes on his back (bloody and torn in places over wounds that have healed while he's been lost in the darkness). Numbered significantly among his missing affects are: Shinsou his Zanpakuto (lost when he refrained from choosing the sword during his awakening) and his right arm (torn off by Aizen slightly prior to his strength of heart moment). Under other circumstances, a skilled physician might have been able to reattach that for him, but instead he will just have to go without unless someone in Penrose has a solution for him.
NOTES/ASPIRATIONS
First of all, having burned every bridge behind him and severed his connection to every person he might have held a bond with, Gin is going to adapt to life in Penrose just fine. Even if a gateway to his original world were to open up, he wouldn't want to go back there permanently. There simply isn't anything left for him on his original world, though he might be curious to peek in and see how things are going.
Having Gin take the path of the Warden is by no means a typical choice. The description of his Awakening should make it clear that I'm well aware his choosing is contrary to his typical nature...which in essence is why I decided to take that route. Gin is a perverse and often contrary person. He likes to behave in an atypical fashion, and make decisions that leave others completely questioning everything they know about him. Choosing the Sword or the Staff would have been easy for him, but Gin isn't really the kind of person who chooses the easy path, and he definitely isn't one to take the route that's safest or even the one he would personally prefer. The fact that he's going to struggle with the directives of the Warden will make playing him more interesting, and certainly more challenging! :D
Much like Tarot cards have a contrary-yet-similar meaning when drawn in reverse, I picture Gin as the inversed interpretation of the Warden. Instead of protecting others out of a virtuous concern for their safety, he will eventually be driven to protect out of the purely selfish desire to defend people he considers to be his; his companions, his minions, his entertainment. He's had to abandon his life not just once but twice over. I'd like to see him finally coming to realise that his choice to do so wasn't as costless as he tried to convince himself it was. He isn't someone who makes sincere connections very easily, so seeing other people as actual friends won't happen without some pretty intense development...but he will be forced to form bonds nonetheless, and eventually he'll come to be quite possessive of them in ways he wouldn't have dared to be in Soul Society.
Gin's heart isn't exactly impervious. It's rather atrophied, actually, like a muscle that hasn't had much use, so I see him as someone who might be a bit more susceptible to the darkness. Only the protection afforded by his armour will keep him safer than he otherwise would be, and I'd like to see him acting in-game as a Finder because he'd see the finding of each new Drifter as a possibility to exploit. Someone he could imprint his own influence on before they come to Penrose, perhaps even imparting some sense of obligation towards him, because using people is what comes most easily to him. He might not necessarily exploit the people he finds in any fashion, but having that foundation would give him more reason to reach out to others and begin learning that actual, not-deceptive interaction can also be kind of fulfilling.
Finally, Gin has been masking his true self and intentions for the great majority of his life, and finally he can cast that aside...only such a thing isn't really so simple. There's no clear boundary anymore between who Gin is and who he pretended to be, so while there will be no abrupt changes in his personality, Gin might start experimenting a little with different behaviours, trying to figure out who he is now that he's no longer Aizen's Lieutenant. Rather than acting differently, it's more likely he'll express more extreme versions of his current personality, so he's likely to be more inconsistent and capricious than usual while he's sorting himself out.
I do want to note that I'm not aiming to fully redeem Gin. At his core, he's still a callous, immoral murderer and is just generally a fairly unsettling person even when he's behaving himself, but as a character with so many complicated and unexplored layers I feel there's a lot more he can be in the broad spectrum of the moral grey area in which he inhabits.
[As an aside, I've spoken with the Aizen player who is also apping this round to make sure our interpretations of the characters are on the same page and we have plans for making their in-game interactions work. ^_^b We have things sorted out quite nicely. Also, I should mention that I've copied part of the personality section from a previous application I've written (Currently found inhyapponzashi) so I can attest that I'm not plagiarising anyone if need be.]
NAME: Cy
PERSONAL JOURNAL:
darklightshadesEMAIL: cypress262@hotmail.com
MESSENGER(S): DW PM @
ikoroseTIMEZONE: GMT + 11:00 (Eastern Australia)
AGE (b. year): 1986
PLAYED CHARACTERS: N/A
LINK TO RESERVE: Here!
CHARACTER
NAME(S): Gin Ichimaru
AGE: Gin has been around for at least 110 years in his canon timeline. I usually headcanon his true age to be around 125-150, given the vague facts concerning Shinigami ageing. It's not a real concern for him because he's still fairly young for a Shinigami, who can live for several centuries, and there was a period of time in his early life where it's implied that he wasn't really keeping track of it himself. Physically he looks to be in about his mid-twenties.
FANDOM: Bleach
BACKGROUND HISTORY:
Dedicated Bleach Wiki Character Page
Despite being a fairly major character in the series, quite a number of facts about Gin's history seem to have been intentionally left out or purposefully made vague by the Mangaka. The following summary contains a few assumptions of certain events and motivations where the Bleach canon hasn't explicitly spelled them out.
As a young boy, Gin was born into one of the poorer districts of the area known as the Rukongai ('Wandering Soul City') in the world known as Soul Society -- though 'born' may not be the most exact term because Soul Society is the realm of the afterlife. The people of the Rukongai are the souls of humans who have died in the Living World, though for the most part they don't remember their former lives and live out their new existence peacefully...or so the propaganda would have you believe.
Many people do live perfectly safe and happy lives in the Rukongai, but the poorer districts seem to attract the kinds of people who revel in more vicious, dangerous behavior, preying on those weaker than they are. Additionally, life in the Rukongai is exponentially more difficult for souls who posses spiritual power. Normal, unpowered souls have no physical needs in the afterlife, but souls with spiritual power feel the inexplicable need to eat. They can grow weak from hunger and presumably even die of starvation. In a place where the majority of the population doesn't require food, it's seen as a rare luxury item that the impoverished don't easily have access to, which perhaps helps to explain the increased crime rate in the poorer districts as the rarity of resources makes for a violent struggle between those who are merely greedy for the pleasure of food and those who need it for survival.
Possessing a great amount of spiritual power himself, Gin lived as a kind of scavenger and a loner until one fateful meeting with a young girl named Rangiku Matsumoto changed his life. He came upon her shortly after she had been attacked by a small contingent of Shinigami -- the Death Gods who had trained their spiritual power to be able to fight corrupted spirits (known as 'Hollows') and who were in charge of administrating both the ferrying of souls from the Living World to Soul Society and the protection of Soul Society itself. This event had a profound effect on Gin, prompting him to offer his hard-won food to Rangiku in a gesture that would soon have them living together as close companions for some time.
For Gin, however, it wasn't enough to simply save the person who would become his only childhood friend. Later, when by chance he came across the same group of Shinigami who had attacked Rangiku deferring to someone who appeared to be their leader, he made a decision to kill them all.
It might have seemed like an unbelievable threat, given that he was still only a boy at the time, but Gin's spiritual pressure was extremely powerful for his age. He managed to kill at least one of them before even making the decision that, in order to carry through with his revenge, he would have to become a Shinigami himself.
He thereafter attended the Shingami Academy where any souls could begin their training, if they had the capacity to learn and enough spiritual pressure. Gin possessed both these in spades, and became well known for the abilities of his Zanpakuto ('Soul Cutter Sword'), the manifested weapon used by Shinigami to destroy Hollows.
Zanpakuto are the physical manifestation of a piece of a Shinigami's soul and exist in the Shinigami's mind as a separate but inexorably entwined consciousness with their own name and personality. Gin's Zanpakuto is named Shinsou ('God Spear'), and has the ability to extend to one hundred times its length with impressive force that he can use to attack enemies from a distance. Gin was heralded as a genius by finishing the usual six year syllabus in only one year, and by some means of his own contrivance or perhaps good fortune, he also managed to attract the attention of the very man he most wanted to kill: the leader of the Shinigami who had attacked Rangiku.
The man's name was Sousuke Aizen, and at the time he was the lieutenant of the 5th Division of the 13 Court Guard Squads - the Militaristic order of Shinigami that rule Soul Society. In order to get close to him, Gin chose to become the man's closest confidant, assisting him with all manner of illicit activity including illegal scientific experiments, betrayal of Soul Society and rampant murder of both innocent Rukongai souls and other Shinigami. However, Aizen was an extremely skilled and intelligent Shinigami, possessing an unusually powerful zanpakuto specialising in illusions under which he already held sway over most of the most powerful members of the Court Guard Squads (including Gin himself, or so it's implied). Even with his innate potential Gin couldn't find a suitable opportunity to kill him during the century of association in which they collaborated.
Eventually Gin managed to rise up the ranks of the Shinigami Court Guard squads, becoming the Captain of the 3rd Division. By this time, Aizen had begun making final preparations to steal a powerful weapon from one of his few intellectual rivals -- a man named Kisuke Urahara who had been exiled from Soul Society (along with his weapon and all his research) through circumstances that Aizen himself had orchestrated. An elaborate plan was crafted to retrieve this item -- known as the Hougyoku -- requiring a great deal of secrecy and misdirection so that no one would realise Aizen's true goal.
In an effort to deflect suspicion, Aizen faked his own death under circumstances which seemed to allude to Gin being responsible, and under Aizen's orders Gin played the role of the Villain all too convincingly. This masquerade succeeding in distracting key members of the Court Guard Squads from more significant events that might have tipped Aizen's hand too early, allowing him to make off with the Hogyoku and depart from Soul Society with Gin and his other most trusted ally, Kaname Tousen.
His betrayal revealed, Gin discarded all rank and loyalty to Soul Society and instead became Aizen's confidant in Hueco Mundo: the world where the Hollows resided. Using the Hougyoku, Aizen managed to impart Shinigami traits onto regular Hollows, creating a powerful army of hybrids called the Arrancar with whom he would invade Soul Society with the goal of eventually destroying the Soul King.
The Soul King(described as more of a 'thing' than a person) acted as a sort of lynch pin holding Soul Society together, and with its destruction Aizen believed that he could tear down the corrupt foundations of Soul Society to rebuild something better under his own rule. Though never precisely shown whether Gin had any strong feelings about this goal, the fact that he aided Aizen with it for several decades with no apparent reservations seemed to suggest that at the very least he wasn't completely opposed to it.
Though his new rank in Aizen's army seemed high, Gin actually didn't play much of a significant role in the events leading up to the inevitable conflict between Soul Society and Aizen's army. When the battle finally broke out, Gin was frequently seen at Aizen's side but rarely engaged anyone directly. Aizen later made a point to note that Gin hadn't bothered to step in when Aizen was fighting off several powerful opponents. Gin, unperturbed by this potentially dangerous accusation, simply replied that he hadn't though Aizen had needed any assistance. At this point, Aizen had unlocked the true secrets of the Hougyoku, which had the power to manifest the desires of its owner into reality, and had fused it with his own body and consciousness, successfully bending it to his will and increasing his already unmatched powers beyond all imagination. Gin's claim was convincing enough even though the framing of the conversation suggested he wasn't really telling the truth.
On the few occasions during the war when Gin did engage others in battle, it was very plainly shown that he wasn't really giving his all. He's shown on one occasion brutally slicing an unaware opponent in half from behind, and later battled Ichigo Kurosaki -- a human/shinigami/hollow/quincy
Gin and Ichigo's battle was interrupted by Aizen's return. Having defeated all viable opponents, and with Ichigo in no state to fight, Aizen and Gin departed for Soul Society with the intention of sacrificing 100,000 souls to create a key to the Soul King's Realm. Once again, Gin seemed to be covertly delaying things by sending the gateway to their location astray, though he blameed Aizen for his error which Aizen indulgently accepted. On the way to their destination, they were accosted by Rangiku, who had followed Gin in an attempt to interrogate him for his true motives. Gin apologised to Aizen on behalf of his friend, requesting permission to take her aside to sort things out. Aizen allowed this (seemingly with some amusement) so Gin hastily carried Rangiku from Aizen's presence to a more isolated location.
Finally alone, Rangiku demanded to know why Gin chose to follow Aizen. He dismissed her questions easily, refusing to answer any of them, and played on her belief that he wouldn't seriously harm her to get close enough to threaten her with his sword, telling her that she was only in his way.
Her suspicion wasn't entirely unfounded, however. Instead of killing her, Gin knocked her out and obscured her presence with a spell before returning to Aizen's side. When asked what became of her, Gin convincingly replied that he had killed her, asserting to Aizen that he was someone completely cold-blooded, without mercy or feelings for others. Regardless of the truth of this statement, time was no longer on Gin's side. Should Rangiku awaken, or Aizen realise her continued existence, Gin's lie would revealed along with Rangiku's importance to him, which Aizen would have no reservations about exploiting.
Gin invented a casual excuse to lay a hand on Aizen's Zanpakuto, then completely took the man by surprise and stabbed him through the chest. Gin revealed that, of everyone in Soul Society, he was the only one who'd known that the weakness of Aizen's sword was to touch the blade before its illusions could take hold. He also confessed that he'd lied to Aizen about the abilities of his own Zanpakuto. Instead of his previous boasts about its length or speed, Gin explained that the blade contained a deadly poison that was released whenever it changed length, and informed Aizen that he's just left a significant measure of this poison in the hole he'd punctured in Aizen's chest. As the poison was activated to full potency, Aizen's body dissolved, releasing the Hougyoku that had been embedded in his flesh, allowing Gin to retrieve it and escape before Aizen could fully react to his mortal wound.
Anyone else would surely have died from Shinsou's poison, but although the Hougyoku had been physically removed from Aizen's body, Gin hadn't realised that Aizen's dominion over it would remain. This near-death experience and the brief fear that it evoked in Aizen allowed him to evolve to a new state of being of even greater power, and upon his revival he revealed that he'd counted on Gin's betrayal to achieve this end. Demonstrating a new ability to translocate himself directly into Gin's hiding place, the Hougyoku vanished from Gin's hand and reappeared in Aizen's body.
Perhaps Gin could have still made a run for it, as futile as the action may have been. Instead, Gin tried to reach for the Hougyoku again, believing it to be the key to returning the piece of Rangiku's spirit that was stolen in the original attack. It was a gesture that had absolutely no chance of success. Aizen simply tore the offending arm off, and followed up by definitively stabbing Gin through the chest.
PERSONALITY:
The first and most important thing to note about Gin is that the personality he chooses to present is a cunningly chosen, well-crafted act. Gin devoted his life to a single purpose: to kill the man who was responsible for the assault on his childhood friend. To that end, Gin decided the best way to get close to his target was to mould himself into the ideal accomplice: powerful, cruel and manipulative enough to deceive the people closest to him.
In Gin's own self-assessment of his personality, he describes himself as a snake who possesses 'no emotions' and who 'slithers around, searching for prey, devouring those who look tasty'. This is a bit of an over-simplification, because it suits him for others to assume he's someone guided only by his own bloodthirsty appetites, but he does frequently do his best to enforce this self-imposed act. He gives the impression of being someone completely lacking in inhibitions, who might follow any hedonistic impulse that crosses his mind, and this allows him to maintain a semblance of unpredictable behaviour that's actually guided by his own elaborate calculations to advance his own agenda. He is incredibly driven, once he's set his mind to something, but seems to favour the thrill of a challenge or the avenue of greatest amusement more than efficiency when it comes to attaining his goals.
Gin presents a smiling face to the world which completely eclipses any actual emotion on his part. He can seem friendly, even benevolent at times, but most people find him understandably unnerving because there's nothing warm or open about his manner at all. It's a false, misleading ruse that utterly obscures his true intentions. He tends to exaggerate pleasantries to the point where they become a mockery of any actual politeness, and is prone to sly, barbed comments aiming to hurt or insult others under the pretence of joking sarcasm. He seems to take a casual pleasure in taunting others, even when it serves no purpose other than his own entertainment. It all functions to demonstrate the playful sadism he wants Aizen to believe he possesses, and given how long and how thoroughly he's played the role it's not entirely unbelievable to think that he's come to enjoy it a little.
Although Gin's behaviour is often unsettling, it isn't because doesn't understand the kind of social norms which would allow him to integrate better. In fact, he's extremely good at reading people, particularly when it comes to finding out their motivations and fears, often turning those to his own advantage. His act is a deliberate means of keeping people at a distance, preventing them from getting too close to him, not only because he's an extremely guarded and secretive individual (a necessity to keep Aizen from guessing his true purpose) but because he knew that anyone perceived as being close to him would only be endangered -- by himself as much as his dangerous circumstances. He learned not to entertain any weaknesses through his attachments to other people, and was willing to abandon and betray even his closest of friends and loyalist of subordinates to ensure they wouldn't be used against him. As a result, though he's quite adept at forming superficial relationships, he finds it extremely difficult to convey sincerity or honest friendliness with any credibility, which is somewhat counter-productive to getting close to others.
Gin is extremely intelligent and is a natural schemer, always planning several steps ahead and usually with some kind of underhanded deceit involved to mask what he's really trying to accomplish. This often carries over to any sort of confrontation, where he'll often mislead or outright lie about his own abilities. He prefers not to reveal too much of himself, so when possible he'll avoid a battle or find means to cheat his way out of it. When pressed, though, he's a ruthless fighter: merciless and savage enough to make others think twice about engaging him. He has no compunctions about cutting down weaker or unaware opponents, and prefers to take down his enemies with brutal decisiveness.
It's been stated by one of his peers that Gin has a fear of death, a claim Gin didn't necessarily deny. One interpretation of this is that what he feared was dying before he accomplished his goal, but it's quite reasonable to assume the straightforward meaning as well. Considering how long he waited to strike at Aizen, given that the likely outcome in the case of failure would be his death, it's possible this was one reason why he hesitated to follow through on the act until his hand was practically forced. At the same time, Gin has been known to make reckless, life-changing decisions (choosing to save Rangiku, choosing to work for Aizen) with seemingly little thought of the consequences. On one hand, he's paranoid and over-cautious in his secretive ways, and on the other he makes almost wildly capricious choices. His inconsistency appears to be more of a permanent character trait than a series of pre-meditated acts.
Part of the reason may be because his moral compass is decidedly broken. He chose to avenge Rangiku at the cost of a huge personal sacrifice whilst committing acts that she would never have approved of -- irreparably damaging their relationship. There was nothing altruistic or righteous about Gin's decision for revenge. It was a purely selfish act, done for his own gratification because of his personal feelings for Rangiku, rather than because she would have wanted closure. Gin isn't guided by morals or the feelings of others, but rather by self-satisfaction and the drives of his own curious appetites.
As an aside, Gin also possesses a secondary consciousness in the spirit of his Zanpakuto, Shinsou. The actual personality of his Zanpakuto has never been revealed in canon, though several others have which prove them to be complete individuals with personalities and desires of their own that don't always necessarily coincide with that of their owners. The following, therefore, is a theorised headcanon for Shinsou to give some insight into certain aspects of Gin's personality.
Shinsou is not at all a pleasant or friendly Zanpakuto. Though Zanpakuto don't necessarily have only one form, Shinsou most often takes the shape of a large, powerful snake (an animal which is frequently used to make analogies about Gin in canon) and frequently acts like the basest, most predatory form of this creature. Ruthless, vicious, and perhaps even a bit simple in his single-minded hungers, Gin took a lot of influence from Shinsou when crafting the role he wanted to play for Aizen which is why it seems to come to him so easily.
Despite being a separate consciousness, a Zanpakuto is still a reflection of the soul of the Shinigami who possesses it. Shinsou represents the constant, gnawing hunger that Gin endured during his childhood in the Rukongai, consumed by an obsessive focus to pursue those things that might satisfy his appetites. He also represents the cold, lonely isolation Gin often felt due to being set apart by his genius and spiritual power, while at the same time manifesting the self-sufficient independence Gin has always demonstrated.
Often a Shinigami's relationship with their Zanpakuto is one of antagonistic co-operation (a Shinigami usually has to beat their Zanpakuto in some kind of contest, usually a battle, to gain their allegiance) that eventually evolves into a symbiotic respect. Gin's relationship with Shinsou is more of the former. His battle with Shinsou has always been fairly one-sided. Shinsou may be cunning, but he doesn't posses the same intelligence or ferocious determination as Gin.
Of the two of them, it's actually Shinsou who's most concerned with their mutual survival, because that instinct is one of the most deeply embedded in any living creature, and if Gin dies he too will cease to exist. He absolutely does not appreciate the changes Rangiku's presence wrought on Gin's motivations (or the weakness she represents to them). Likewise, Shinsou is rightly afraid of Aizen, knowing with the intrinsic certainty of a fellow predator that taking a bite out of someone like Aizen (however delicious it might be) would be inherently suicidal. That Gin entertains both these ridiculous notions frustrates Shinsou to no end, and unfortunately Gin's perverse enjoyment of other people's pain extends even to his own Zanpakuto, because Shinsou's irritation generally only encourages him.
Despite this, Shinsou has always grudgingly supplied his power and abilities to Gin's ends, ostensibly because he's forced to in order to keep them alive, but also because while they may disagree with their owner's wishes, Zanpakuto tend to remain sympathetic to their Shinigami's goals. They are two halves of a whole: Shinsou displaying the more honest (though arguably ugly) traits of Gin's soul, whilst Gin is able to craft the masks that would veil these less desirable traits and even control them...when it suits him to do so.
CHARACTER RELATIONSHIPS:
Sousuke Aizen
The relationship between Aizen and Gin is an obfuscated, convoluted conundrum -- much like the two men in question. On the surface, Gin plays the role of the loyal lieutenant, diligently sacrificing everything he has (his place in Soul Society, his friends and subordinates) to pursue Aizen's ends. On the other, he represents a dangerous, unreliable risk to Aizen's life, and yet in many ways this is his most important role.
Aizen and Gin have a unique understanding of each other. On Gin's part, this is because he diligently trained under Aizen and studied him with the intention of killing him, but either over time he assimilated too many of Aizen's ideals to find them inherently objectionable, or else even from the beginning he has never been very different from Aizen. They are both ruthless and calculating. They find it easy to deceive others, and have no moralistic compunctions about doing so. Both of them display a certain level of cruelty to others with little regard to the consequences, and have discarded the importance of other people for pursuit of their own interests. It's not so surprising, then, that they often commiserate over these things in a friendly, conversational manner that others would find completely objectionable.
Aizen is more frank with Gin than with any other subordinate, confessing his pleasure when his own palace is being invaded and not bothering to deny small acts of cruelty in toying with his own subordinates when Gin happens to point them out. In exchange, Gin is much less deferential and subservient to Aizen than any of the man's other minions. He displays no outward fear of Aizen, and is sometimes more irreverent than anyone else would dare to be. He never outright defies Aizen's orders, but often displays a certain amount of (intentional) negligence when carrying them out, such as letting himself be caught off-guard by an inferior opponent or failing to offer assistance when not strictly instructed to. Aizen gives Gin an unprecedented amount of leeway, often pretending himself to believe Gin's excuses though both of them are aware that they aren't fooling the other. They both seem to enjoy the elaborate challenge the other represents, and though neither of them would make the mistake of trusting the other, they seem disinclined to let their personal battle of wits end. Gin has more than a century to plan his attack on Aizen, and yet stays his hand and actually contributes to Aizen's eventual immortality, rendering his own goal impossible. Likewise, with the difference of power between them, Aizen could have destroyed Gin at the first hint of possible betrayal, but instead chose to keep him close and even told Gin the secret weakness of his Zanpakuto without which Gin might never have had a chance to defeat him.
Even at the end, when Gin finally makes his move, he doesn't display any personal malice or hatred towards Aizen. Only the same cheerfully sadistic front that Aizen appreciates as he gleefully explains how Aizen is going to die with a hole in his chest. Aizen's own fury at Gin's betrayal quickly burns out into appreciation that Gin has fulfilled the role Aizen kept him for, and he even thanks Gin after impaling him through the chest with one brutal, fatal blow. Though it's clear they appreciated each other, this fondness wasn't enough to prevent them from acting to destroy the other when their game finally came to an end.
Rangiku Matsumoto
Rangiku's importance to Gin is one of the most integral traits of his character, and yet at the same time there's so little context given to their history and feelings for each other that it's incredibly difficult to decipher their relationship. Most of the information provided is from Rangiku's perspective, which seems much more straightforward. Gin saved her from starvation and was her childhood protector, so even decades later she still feels connected to him even if she can't claim to understand him at all. Even in the beginning, Gin treated her with a secretive sort of detachment, often leaving her behind with no explanation of where he was going or when he would return. As they got older, and particularly after entering the Shinigami Academy together, he only became more distant, more inscrutable, and even though she accurately believes that their relationship is still significant to Gin in some way, she also knows better than to assume too much of it because Gin's erratic behaviour has taught her to expect disappointment.
In his own mind, Gin did this for her own good. Though he chose his path to avenge her, he neither expected nor wanted her to understand why he did it. He wasn't expecting her praise or her thanks, and displayed a surprising amount of selfless insight by knowing that the best way to spare her as much pain as possible was to keep her at a distance without making it obvious that he was doing so. In a way, he was preparing her not only for his absence, but the likelihood of his eventual death, ensuring that she would still be able to live on and find her own happiness without holding on too tightly to the memory of him. That act alone is enough to suggest that in some way he loved her, and loved her enough to let her go.
The nature of that love isn't explicitly stated. As Rukongai residents are made up of the souls of the deceased, they often form family units that are unconnected by blood, suggesting theirs could have been a familial devotion. Some of Gin's offhand reactions (saying he enjoyed being held as her captive, stroking her necklace intimately when she confronted him before his death) could indicate some romantic feelings that may or may not have been acted upon at any time. I personally headcanon that it was a little of both, but that Gin would much rather her find someone else because he would inevitably cause her too much pain.
Izuru Kira:
Kira served as the Lieutenant of the Third Division, Gin's direct subordinate, and is one of the few people seen not to treat Gin with distrust or fear. Gin once assisted in saving Kira from a Hollow attack, and it seems this event made a long-standing impression on him. He seems completely devoted to his Captain, protecting him from their peers when Aizen's deceptions cast suspicion on Gin's character. Part of this is due to Kira's own innate sense of loyalty to the Court Guard Squads, but even when he begins to have his own doubts about Gin's motives he still faithfully follows Gin's orders right up until his betrayal of Soul Society is completely undeniable.
Kira is initially completely shattered by the realisation of how completely Gin had abused his trust and loyalty, but later when full conflict breaks out between Soul Society and Aizen's army, Kira joins the battle as one of the most resolute fighters, showing no residual hesitation in taking on a former comrade. It seems that, much like with Rangiku, Gin knew how to handle Kira well enough that he would be able to go on without Gin's presence. Gin even remarks during one of Kira's battles (a fight Kira eventually wins against an Arrancar who is nominally Gin's ally) that he's glad to see his former subordinate is doing well. The remark seems completely genuine, suggesting that in spite of deceiving him, using him and abandoning him, Gin did have some sort of sincere feelings for Kira even if that didn't stop him from abusing their relationship.
STRENGTH OF HEART MOMENT SUMMARY:
Gin's strength of heart moment is at the point where his attempt on Aizen's life has failed and he has to face down the inevitable consequences of his betrayal. Not only does he have to face down the harsh reality of his own imminent demise, but also his failure to achieve the goal to which he had dedicated his life and for which he had forsaken everything. It's a crushing defeat, but Gin faces it down without fear or regrets, and his very last action is to reach one last time for the Hougyoku which he believes to contain a stolen piece of Rangiku's soul.
Then he gets his arm ripped off for his trouble, which is really very unpleasant, though not quite as much as the sword Aizen vengefully stabs through his chest. :[
POWERS
SAMPLE - THE AWAKENING:
Gin was pretty sure this wasn't what the afterlife was supposed to look like.
He would know, after all. No one was more familiar with death than a Death God. He'd travelled across more planes of existence than most other Shinigami, and so he was intimately familiar with the landmarks of each and the ways to cross between them. For someone who should have died (again, rather, since Shinigami were already dead) he should be nothing more than an empty soul lost between the worlds, waiting for reincarnation. Or he might belong in Hell. The possibility wouldn't have surprised him.
Instead, his surroundings didn't resemble anything he'd seen in his rather considerable experience. The space around him felt vast and empty, immersed in darkness except in the area right beneath his feet where soothing light was gently illuminating an enormous glass platform that seemed to float apart from the nothing beyond it. Standing at its centre, it took him a minute to fully absorb the elaborate design. Angular panels of black and white resolved themselves into a serpentine body of scales forming a wide loop around him. An Ouroboros, devouring its own tail. The realisation made one corner of his mouth curl in a mirthless, ironic twist.
The ground shuddered suddenly underneath him, as if it had only been waiting for him to recognise the strange symbol. Gin was too well trained for his muscles to tense in response, but where keeping his feet would normally have been a reflexive afterthought, he nearly staggered. His centre of balance was completely skewed to the left, and glancing down he found himself staring at the ragged end of his right sleeve as if he'd never seen it before. It ended shortly above where his elbow should have been. There was nothing beneath it.
He remembered losing the arm, of course. Almost absently his remaining hand came up to his chest, tracing a path down his sternum until it found the faint, upraised line of a scar just over his heart. It had obviously had time to heal, but he couldn't exactly remember when. The darkness felt oddly familiar too, draping over the edges of his vision where the light didn't penetrate like a comfortable, well-worn blanket. He hadn't had any reason to question it before, but now he was struck by the suspicion that he'd actually been here for some time; barely aware, half-asleep. It was only when he'd noticed the light from the platform that he'd actually come to his senses. The idea was an unsettling one that he was careful not to show on his face just in case he wasn't as alone as he appeared to be.
The shuddering lasted only for a few seconds, and movement flickering on the edges of his vision had Gin curling his fingers around an invisible hilt, but he'd already noticed that Shinsou's sheath wasn't tucked into the waistband of his obi. He kept carefully still as three circular pillars raised themselves up at equal intervals around the edge of the platform, each encased in that same alluring light. When both the trembling and movement stopped, and nothing threatening made a move to lunge at him out of the darkness, he turned with a casual air and took a few steps towards the closest pillar.
Of all the things he had expected to see, his old Lieutenant's badge folded for neat presentation atop the pillar's surface wasn't one of them. Having spent years under the threat of Kyouka Suigetsu's illusionary power, he might have doubted his own eyes, but he didn't think there was any reason for Aizen to hold him under thrall now, and especially not with a bewildering image such as this. The badge seemed to be radiating a welcoming heat, and almost without thinking Gin reached for it, lifting it up for a better view.
The path of Protection.
He almost recoiled from the strange voice, instinct kicking in only at the last moment to hide his reaction, and his heart lurching with painful hope before he realised that the voice didn't originate from that quiet place inside where his Zanpakuto's consciousness resided. It was more distant than that, like a whisper in the dark he could barely hear, and yet he couldn't trace it to any particular source. It just was.
To accept the pain in place of others. A shield to stand against all threats. Is this the power you seek?
Gin took a moment to digest those words, turning the badge in his hands, feeling the familiar weight of wood and cloth against his fingers. Then, with an audible scoff, he tossed it back atop the pedestal, turning towards the next one without an ounce of hesitation.
After that first curious find, he'd been careful to scour all trace of expectation from his thoughts, but somehow he was still stunned to see that atop the next platform was a familiar, cerulean orb. Even now, it struck him how harmless the Hougyoku looked, glittering with its own internal light even as it reflected the soft glow from the platform beneath his feet. This time he did hesitate, because there's no way it could possibly be here, presented so readily for him...but curiosity and a nearly forgotten longing were quick to overcome uncertainty. His fingers closed around the orb, and immediately he felt heat rushing through his vein with an excruciating intensity. He almost hadn't noticed the absence of his reiatsu until it was returned to him with sudden force.
The path of the Spirit. A power to manifest your desires. Inner strength and determination. Is this the power you seek?
The voice didn't manage to take him by surprise this time. Gin was adaptable, even in the face of incomprehensible circumstances. He wasn't sure if this was some strange pre-death hallucination –- a dream spurred by pain and fatal blood loss –- but even though he doubted there was anything significant behind these strange offerings he didn't want to make a choice before he knew what all his options were. He had a feeling he could only choose once.
It took a considerable test of his willpower to let the Hougyoku go, and the moment he did he felt the painful drain as his Reiatsu receded. He felt almost light-headed without the comforting strength of it to bolster his spirit, and hastily tried to shake it off and forget that uncomfortable feeling of yearning that twisted in his gut like hunger.
The third pillar was identical to the first two, but the sight of its contents made Gin give a more sincere smirk than the mask he normally wore. He'd wondered where Shinsou had gotten to. The small blade was barely the length of his forearm, but infinitely more deadly than it looked. He reached for it with a near sigh of relief, his fingers wrapping comfortably around the familiar hilt.
(Later, it would occur to him that the distinctive sweeping coils of Shinsou's guard were oddly reminiscent of the looped image of the Ouroboros in the glass panels of the platform.)
It didn't saturate him with the same blazing energy of the Hougyoku, but around him the world seemed to sharpen. The full extent of his reflexes had returned, filling him with that familiar sensation of coiled energy aching to be unleashed in a flurry of blood and destruction. Only the ingrained, decades-old lessons of patience kept that furious hunger in check.
The path of the Sword. Fearless strength and destructive power. Destroy all in your path. Is this the power you seek?
Shinsou was the obvious choice, of course. Gin had been deeply connected with his Zanpakuto even before he had chosen to become a Shinigami. Of all his talents, Gin was best at destroying things. Enemies and friends alike were cut down by blade and the sheer toxic power of his personality. Scathing wit and cutting intelligence, everything about Gin embodied the blade, which was a merciless, emotionless weapon made to achieve its ends and nothing else.
An easy choice.
And yet...
Gin cast a glance back at the pillar holding the Hougyoku. That, too, was an alluring choice. Strength of a sword, even a blade crafted from the soul of a Shinigami, was nothing compared to the strength of the mind. It took indomitable will to control the kind of spirit energy Gin had lived with all his life, and without it he felt somehow incomplete. Shinosu was a powerful weapon, of course, but without Gin's will to wield it properly it was no different from any mundane blade. That choice, too, would be all too easy to make. A power even greater than his sword, however much he might miss the comfortable weight of Shinsou at his side.
Finally he cast a glance at the first pillar he had investigated. His lieutenant badge was still there, sitting atop it in the crumpled pile where it had been discarded, looking even less impressive than it had at first. Momentarily abandoning the sword – because after all, he had time, didn't he? There was no need at all to rush – he wandered back towards the badge and picked it up again, concentrating hard on his senses now that he'd learned to anticipate the unexpected rush of a lost power returning to him.
The badge warmed in his hands, and he felt--
--nothing, actually. No heady rush of strength or speed, none of the heavy weight of his spiritual power returning to him. If anything, he felt distinctly bereft without the comforting presence of the previous two choices, strangely vulnerable in spite of the promised 'Protection' that accompanied this choice.
It made him laugh, the sound shattering the heavy still of the darkness in a way that seemed somehow taboo. It was probably meant to be a very serious decision, after all. The voice held the kind of significant gravity that suggested dire ramifications from this unusually trivial choice. Even if he was half-convinced this was all just a very strange vision his mind had conjured up to ease the pain of dying, some instinct compelled Gin to treat the moment as if there was something meaningful at stake. A choice with lasting consequences.
Is this the power you seek? the voice asked again, and Gin curled the ties of the badge between his fingers, giving the wooden insignia a casual toss.
“Sure,” he said aloud to the darkness, although he felt the voice would probably have known even if he hadn't chosen to vocalise his thought. “Why not?”
The badge suddenly evaporated in his grip, turning into a mist that coiled in his palm and then sank into his skin with an electric tingle that didn't feel quite like any power he was familiar with. For a moment, he thought he felt a strange shift as it spread down his arm and through his body, the feeling of something settling into place, but it quickly faded before he could completely discern what had happened.
He shrugged his shoulders in a loose, easy movement, dispelling the last of the odd feeling. Every sensible instinct might be despairing the loss of his Reiatsu and his Zanpakuto, but even though those powers were familiar, desirable, that was precisely why Gin had spurned them. He knew exactly where those choices lead, after all. A powerful sword often gave one an inflated assumption of their own physical prowess. 'Might made Right', as the saying sometimes went. The powerful ruled, the weak obeyed, but there was always some other power lurking to take you down and Gin didn't believe that overwhelming strength was the true means to accomplish ones goals.
Strength of will might seem to be a less bloody path to power. It was much more impressive, in Gin's private opinion, because determination could overcome physical shortcomings the same way enough practice could overcome a lack of natural talent. Dedication was a much more versatile skill than any endemic gift, and it was one Gin had learned to embody once he had accepted that even his prodigious potential didn't allow him to measure up to Aizen's level.
But if it was true that power corrupted, then power of the Spirit corrupted even more absolutely. The Hougyoku itself was proof of that. Aizen may have risen to untold heights of power with the unbelievable evolution the Hougyoku had given him, but despite that Gin hadn't felt inclined to point out that Aizen seemed no more satisfied than he had before implanting the weapon in his own body. Power as a means to its own end was pointless; it was an appetite that only became more pronounced with each feeding, and endless loop of lust for more that could never be broken.
Gin liked to think he was wise enough to have learned better. Then again, he really had no idea what impact his own choice had just made. It didn't sound like a path he was even remotely suited for, but it seemed safer to travel along a route of unknown destination then to go down a known path of self-destruction.
It would have been nice if the voice in the darkness would care to enlighten him, but when it spoke again it only said, You have chosen the path which you will walk. Now choose that which you will abandon entirely.
Gin arched an eyebrow at the darkness, which disappointingly failed to respond to his scepticism. He had been expecting some sort of catch, however, so it didn't vex him too much to find out he'd guessed right. A part of his mind had already been churning over the possible outcomes, so when faced with this new instruction Gin already had the basis of his decision formed in his head. He approached the pillar holding the Hougyoku with a steady step.
It wasn't because he couldn't abandon Shinsou, although perhaps on some level that was true. You couldn't discard half your soul, could you? Gin's motives weren't quite so sentimental, however. If anything, they were the very opposite.
Though he hadn't known its nature at the beginning, he had been chasing the Hougyoku for more than a century now. Its existence evoked a rare reaction in him, something that bordered on actual emotion, and that was too dangerous to keep. He'd also seen what that kind of power did to Aizen – the image of that white-winged, impassively merciless creature came to mind all too easily – and even though his reiatsu had been with him all his life, what good would it do him now? He'd already accomplished what he wanted. Choosing not to abandon the Hougyoku here wouldn't mean that Rangiku would get her soul back. It was just a burdensome reminder of the life he was already preparing to leave behind.
Is this your choice?
“Yes,” he said, although not so flippantly as before. He licked his lips, finding his mouth suddenly dry. This time he was ready for the orb to vanish from his grip, flying away to be lost in the darkness forever, but he wasn't prepared for the glass under his feet to suddenly shatter. There was nothing to catch himself on as the light from the platform abruptly faded out, and no way to save himself as he plunged into the depths of the black space beneath him.
SPECIAL ABILITIES:
Having chosen the equivalent of the Shield, and given up the Staff, Gin has adopted the path of the Warden, which...isn't really his strength, actually. Certainly it's nothing compared to the powers he gave up to make that particular choice, but Gin is perverse and he's also adaptable. He can find a way to make the best of any situation, even ones where he's at a distinct disadvantage.
By giving up the staff (The Hougyoku) Gin has lost the great majority of his spiritual prowess and can cast only the basic spells available in Penrose. Given that he was never particularly known to rely much on the Shinigami equivalent of magic (Kidou spells) he won't be at too much of a disadvantage because of this.
By not choosing the Sword as his primary strength, he's given up the exceptional physical abilities he'd possessed in canon, including superhuman strength and speed with his Zanpakuto. In fact, because he failed to choose the Sword, he won't even have his Zanpakuto, given that it's usually his first and last resort in battles. Shinsou is feeling especially sour about this, and will be completely outraged when Gin finds something else to wield in battle in the meantime.
In choosing the Shield, Gin has chosen to give up his existing strengths for a power that he won't fully understand for a while. He gains the Keyblade Armour as a protection against the Darkness, as other Wardens would, and (subject to mod approval) he has gained something else. The ultimate power of Gin's Zanpakuto is that the blade itself contains a poison that can dissolve any foreign material it comes into contact with. Gin gave up the sword itself, but instead the powers of his Zanpakuto now manifest inside his own body during battle. It takes something equivalent to the adrenaline rush of danger to activate, but when his life is on the line Gin's blood becomes completely toxic, eroding anything that comes into contact with it. Any weapon that manages to penetrate the armour (and his skin) will find itself disintegrating, making it difficult to land any sort of fatal blow. Not impossible, of course; there are plenty of ways to die that don't involve bleeding out, but generally it'll be a bad idea to pick a fight with Gin with anything sharp or pointy.
INVENTORY:
Gin will come out of the darkness with nothing but the clothes on his back (bloody and torn in places over wounds that have healed while he's been lost in the darkness). Numbered significantly among his missing affects are: Shinsou his Zanpakuto (lost when he refrained from choosing the sword during his awakening) and his right arm (torn off by Aizen slightly prior to his strength of heart moment). Under other circumstances, a skilled physician might have been able to reattach that for him, but instead he will just have to go without unless someone in Penrose has a solution for him.
NOTES/ASPIRATIONS
First of all, having burned every bridge behind him and severed his connection to every person he might have held a bond with, Gin is going to adapt to life in Penrose just fine. Even if a gateway to his original world were to open up, he wouldn't want to go back there permanently. There simply isn't anything left for him on his original world, though he might be curious to peek in and see how things are going.
Having Gin take the path of the Warden is by no means a typical choice. The description of his Awakening should make it clear that I'm well aware his choosing is contrary to his typical nature...which in essence is why I decided to take that route. Gin is a perverse and often contrary person. He likes to behave in an atypical fashion, and make decisions that leave others completely questioning everything they know about him. Choosing the Sword or the Staff would have been easy for him, but Gin isn't really the kind of person who chooses the easy path, and he definitely isn't one to take the route that's safest or even the one he would personally prefer. The fact that he's going to struggle with the directives of the Warden will make playing him more interesting, and certainly more challenging! :D
Much like Tarot cards have a contrary-yet-similar meaning when drawn in reverse, I picture Gin as the inversed interpretation of the Warden. Instead of protecting others out of a virtuous concern for their safety, he will eventually be driven to protect out of the purely selfish desire to defend people he considers to be his; his companions, his minions, his entertainment. He's had to abandon his life not just once but twice over. I'd like to see him finally coming to realise that his choice to do so wasn't as costless as he tried to convince himself it was. He isn't someone who makes sincere connections very easily, so seeing other people as actual friends won't happen without some pretty intense development...but he will be forced to form bonds nonetheless, and eventually he'll come to be quite possessive of them in ways he wouldn't have dared to be in Soul Society.
Gin's heart isn't exactly impervious. It's rather atrophied, actually, like a muscle that hasn't had much use, so I see him as someone who might be a bit more susceptible to the darkness. Only the protection afforded by his armour will keep him safer than he otherwise would be, and I'd like to see him acting in-game as a Finder because he'd see the finding of each new Drifter as a possibility to exploit. Someone he could imprint his own influence on before they come to Penrose, perhaps even imparting some sense of obligation towards him, because using people is what comes most easily to him. He might not necessarily exploit the people he finds in any fashion, but having that foundation would give him more reason to reach out to others and begin learning that actual, not-deceptive interaction can also be kind of fulfilling.
Finally, Gin has been masking his true self and intentions for the great majority of his life, and finally he can cast that aside...only such a thing isn't really so simple. There's no clear boundary anymore between who Gin is and who he pretended to be, so while there will be no abrupt changes in his personality, Gin might start experimenting a little with different behaviours, trying to figure out who he is now that he's no longer Aizen's Lieutenant. Rather than acting differently, it's more likely he'll express more extreme versions of his current personality, so he's likely to be more inconsistent and capricious than usual while he's sorting himself out.
I do want to note that I'm not aiming to fully redeem Gin. At his core, he's still a callous, immoral murderer and is just generally a fairly unsettling person even when he's behaving himself, but as a character with so many complicated and unexplored layers I feel there's a lot more he can be in the broad spectrum of the moral grey area in which he inhabits.
[As an aside, I've spoken with the Aizen player who is also apping this round to make sure our interpretations of the characters are on the same page and we have plans for making their in-game interactions work. ^_^b We have things sorted out quite nicely. Also, I should mention that I've copied part of the personality section from a previous application I've written (Currently found in
hyapponzashi) so I can attest that I'm not plagiarising anyone if need be.]