Hisana Kuchiki

OOC Information:
Name: Faetan
Are you over 15? Very yes.
Contact: RainaMoonsinger via AIM, or PM's

IC Information:
Name: Hisana Kuchiki | Lilly Oaks (reincarnated)
Canon and medium: Bleach (Manga) [OOC: Although there are no differences between the anime and the manga, as far as Hisana is concerned.]
Age: 29 (not sure how old she was before)
Preincarnation Species: Dead human spirit chick.
Preincarnation Appearance:
Any differences: None, except not hacking up a million lungs and being healthier in general. Her fingertips are also a little tougher and more calloused, after handling so many thorned roses.
Preincarnated History: In the human world over fifty years ago, Hisana and her baby sister Rukia died. Life was hard for them even then, and when they resumed their existence within the poverty of Soul Society's Rukongai, it didn't get any better.

They had no money, no water, nothing. It was a sad life on earth, and a sad life in heaven. Finally, broken, desperate and starving, Hisana abandoned her sister and fled. She justified it to herself, thinking that someone would surely take pity on a baby girl with no means to fend for herself. Rukia's chances were better if a kindly stranger believed there was no one else to take care of her. And Hisana would have a greater chance of survival as well if she didn't have to share her water and what little food she could scrounge up.

She fled, and didn't look back.

Though it's not told how Hisana crossed paths with Byakuya Kuchiki, it is known that the two of them were touched by a strange sort of destiny. She felt something for this quiet, proud man, something she'd never felt before. Everything about him humbled her. He was fascinating, like a brilliant star in her dark world. And when he took her as his wife, despite the protests of his family, he chased away that darkness and opened her eyes, and her heart.

One shadowy patch of regret stained her conscience, that of the fate of her little sister. Had she only persevered a little longer, gone without a little more, then Rukia too would have received this tenderness and care. Every day she searched the Rukongai, trying to find her and make amends for her selfishness.

For five years she raked through the dirty streets, with no success, and she began to weaken with a fatal disease. Finally she succumbed, losing her strength altogether. She apologized to Byakuya for being unable to return the love he'd given her, and begged him to look after Rukia. She passed away in the early spring, clasping her husband's hand.

Reincarnated History: Hisana's reincarnation lived a far better life than she had before. Her father was a smart and savvy businessman, and her mother an elegant socialite. Hisana, or Lilly Oaks as she was named, was well-educated in her early years, and groomed to interact with those in the higher circles. While her father wasn't a millionaire, he was definitely a cut above the upper middle class, and he lavished his wife and daughter with anything their hearts desired.

And then all those desires were sold in a multi-billion lawsuit against her father for embezzling, fraud, and unethical business practices. Her father went to jail. Her mother fled the country. Lilly went to a foster home, though she still kept in touch with her father through infrequent visits and letters. No one's heard anything from her mother, probably due to the pending criminal investigation to see if she played any part in Mr. Oaks's criminal activities.

Despite the hard fall from riches to welfare, Lilly weathered the incident with as much grace and dignity as she could muster. Public school was a big transition for her, but her good manners and kind nature ensured that she made it through without any undue harassment. Certainly there were questions, but she answered them honestly while humbly requesting that her peers not speak ill of her father in her presence.

Unable to afford college, Hisana plied her talents in floral arrangements in order to earn a living. She owns a small flower shop in the downtown district, and when the weather is good, she takes a cart to the town square to peddle bouquets to the desk jockeys and urbanites passing by.

Lilly is currently engaged to a man named Matt Carlson, and believes herself to be in love with him. Mr. Carlson, however, isn't quite the benevolent soul he makes himself out to be. There are rumors that Mr. Oaks, Lilly's father, has hidden away a fortune in a foreign account that he means to bequeath to Lilly should he pass away. Hoping to have a shot at what could be easy money, he wooed Lilly while secretly entertaining his mistress. Unaware of his unsavory intentions, Lilly agreed to marry Matt when he proposed to her two years ago. He has yet to finalize the wedding plans, however, as he wants concrete evidence of Lilly's inheritance before making any legal commitments to her. For now, at least, Lilly lives a comfortable life. Matt plays the gentleman, he pays her rent, and she's content to sell flowers and live a simple life.

First Echo: In the spring, Lilly received a special shipment of balloon flowers to sell at her shop. Lilly had only ever seen them in catalogues, and was delighted to peddle the beautiful blue flowers in her shop. But once she touched one of the delicate petals, she had a sudden flash of alien images dance before her eyes. There was a man with long black hair, a lavish oriental garden, and thousands of pink cherry blossoms scattered upon the ground. The flowers were a birthday present, his favorite...

...and she had to sit down because her head felt so light. Lilly had never been to such a garden before, and she'd certainly never met anyone so striking as the one she'd glimpsed. Lilly was forced to write off the incident as a forgotten memory of an old movie or some such, though at nights, she sometimes still dreamed of his face and could smell the cherry blossoms lingering when she awoke. She never told her fiance, unwilling to shame him with such foolish dreams lest he begin to suspect that she was attracted to someone else.

Preincarnation Personality: Hisana was a humble soul. She had no ego to speak of, and felt she didn't deserve the things she had. But what she did receive, she received with gratitude and love. Even in the living world she had little confidence, and little reason to make things better. It may have been that she was abused as a child, verbally or physically, and made to feel like she had no worth. She was unable to see herself as deserving of love and affection.

She'd always had something of a wistful air around her, and was often seen gazing at the sky with her pale hands folded in her lap. Hopes, dreams...she never entertained such things, believing that it was better to begin disappointed than to wish for a thing that would never be. She was pessimistic, even fatalistic, in her point of view.

And then she met Byakuya Kuchiki.

Something about him struck a chord deep inside Hisana, and it was unlike anything she'd ever felt before. Everything about him held her captivated. He was tall, graceful, proud...a prince-like figure bordering on near-deity. And when their eyes met, her heart stirred, and she longed to reach out for him. There was something lonely in his eyes, even in his countenance, that she could read as clear as day. There was unspoken understanding between them. One might say, for Hisana, it was love at first sight. But there was also admiration and respect. She felt entirely unworthy of him. And yet, he reached out to her. She could deny him nothing, no matter how worthless she felt at the time.

He loved her. And slowly, Hisana bloomed within the warmth of that love. She shed her self-scarring thorns, having found someone she could truly care for, someone who cared for her in return. Byakuya was her world, her very sun. He opened her eyes to the things that were good, and it was only then that she could reflect upon her actions with real honesty. She'd done her little sister wrong, and she felt awful about it. It was most likely this guilt that brought Hisana to her death, wasting her away. She tried her hardest to make amends, but was never able to do so. And so, she begged Byakuya to help Rukia, and asked him to keep their relationship as sisters a secret. She felt she didn't deserve such a warm title.

Hisana was a polite person, with that calm and even temperament that any lady possesses. There wasn't a mean bone in her body, not a single sharp word...unlike her fiery younger sister, Hisana was quiet and reserved. She needed very little training in the ways of nobility, and was a natural at her husband's side. Her actions were gentle, and her manner of speech was respectful and soft. She would never raise her voice, or her hand.

She was easily awed by gestures of kindness. And things of great wealth. And good food. Really, it was easy to make her eyes go wide with wonder. While she was not exactly innocent, she could at times come across as a little child-like in the way some things struck her where they might be no big deal to someone else. She held a particular fondness for sweets and tea.

Hisana was supportive of her husband in all that he did. She cared for him deeply, tending to his needs. Often she assisted in removing and replacing the Kenseikan in his hair, settling the scarf about his throat with soft affection. Though there were servants to do this, Hisana preferred to do it herself, as it was a way to show her gratitude and love. To the others she encountered, she treated them with respect as well, particularly the captains with whom Byakuya kept company. She served tea. She was a domestic goddess (or at least, tried to be).

Any differences: There are very few variances between Hisana's temperament and Lilly's. Lilly lacks the guilt that Hisana harbored, for she was never put in a situation where she would have to abandon a baby sister to survive. She's still a very humble sort of person as well as a refined lady, though the reasons for her refinement differ. Lilly admits to feeling sadness and disappointment in her mother's actions, feeling as if her mother cared more for her reputation than for Lilly's welfare. Still, she remains loyal to her father and still loves him. While she does care for her fiance and does her best to devote herself to him, her feelings pale in comparison to how Hisana felt for Byakuya during the five short years she'd spent as his wife.

Lilly's manner of speech leans more toward the formal side, particularly around people she doesn't know well. She's still as soft-spoken as she was in her previous life, and her expressions are subdued.

Obviously she likes flowers enough to seek her own business in selling them. She has a good eye for fashion, drilled into her by Tite Kubo her mother, but admits to feeling more comfortable in a pair of jeans and a nice blouse while she's at work. At social events, she dresses more primly with skirts and dresses, though she prefers to forego most jewelry if she can manage...save for her engagement ring, of course.

There are several things she enjoys -- with her upbringing, Lilly was exposed to many of the finer things in life, so she appreciates classical music, reading books on a rainy day with a cup of coffee or cocoa, and attending musicals/plays/operas/concerts. She has a few secret vices as well, such as a quiet fascination for soap operas. Lilly has also found that she enjoys new age music a great deal, and finds it relaxing to listen to when she enjoys a hot bath. Though Lilly is skilled at flower arrangements, her drawing skills are severely lacking. That seems to run in the family.

Though Lilly would never openly say that she dislikes something (that would be rude; her mother taught her to say 'It's not my favorite.'), there are a few things that she tries to avoid. She hates getting sick and being around hospitals, which drives her to load up on multi-vitamins and orange juice in order to keep her cold-resistance at an optimal level. She also doesn't like heavy metal, most rap, and most rock, admitting to feeling a little anxious when she hears it.

Her attitude towards people is almost always the same outside of the shop as it is inside: she's unfailingly polite, kind, and demure. Those who grow to know her to the point of being a friend might come to realize that Lilly does actually have a mild sense of humor and wit. She seems to express her humor with softly spoken understatements, such as a sighed "How inconvenient..." after facing a stressful ordeal. It keeps her spirits up, as she's more a 'glass half full' sort of person, even if she's not an outright optimist. She can handle most people's quirks and flaws, though she has a difficult time stomaching rudeness and bullies, and will ask such people to leave in a calm, firm voice if such troublemakers appear in her shop.

Lilly may not be outgoing, but she isn't shy either. More often than not, she's not the type of person to initiate a conversation, but will happily engage just the same if someone approaches her first. She's a kind person who actively donates to charity, and her extra flowers are given to the local children's hospital and assorted homes for the elderly. She's generous with her bouquets, and those who don't seem to be able to afford many flowers often get a few extra prized stems as a bonus. As a result, her profits are marginal, just enough to keep her living comfortably. Her chosen career is never going to make her rich, and that's fine. She prefers the peace that comes with flower arranging.

Abilities: Sadly, Hisana had little to nothing as far as powers go. She didn't know kidou, and had no combat skills. She was small, and relatively weak. She possessed a LITTLE spirit power, enough that she needed food in order to survive, but lacked the training that Rukia had to ever amount to much. Still, it's possible that she could be just as powerful as her little sister with the proper education and training, assuming she doesn't get horrifically sick and super dead again.

Roleplay Sample - Third Person: It was morning. Sunlight gently filled the window, escaping the eyelets of the laced edges, and casting its warmth over the smaller of the two bodies beneath silken covers. Hisana stirred, her long lashes squeezed together before they parted just slightly.

She could see him watching her, his dark hair pooled over the pillow and spilled over his neck, his cobalt gaze warm with affection. A small smile touched Hisana's lips, and her fingers stretched, aching for his. She never knew mornings could be so beautiful and warm. Her lips reflected his name, though her voice was still stuck in her throat, weighted with the remnants of fading slumber. His smile was just as warm as the sun slanted across her small form, warmer perhaps, and she drew herself close to him. She breathed in. She breathed out.

For several moments she rested with him, thinking of nothing else but the steady beat of his heart beneath her soft palm. Then, as one, they released each other and rose. It was a familiar ritual that Hisana loved. He dressed in his formal hakama while she drew her robe over her slim shoulders, tying the sash about her waist. She guided him to the finely-carved chair of mahogany, drawing his hair away from his throat with small, steady fingers. Gently she pulled the brush through his hair, chasing away each unruly lock until his hair fell in a sleek, black curtain down his shoulders. Carefully she threaded three thick strands through the Kenseiken, and caught his gaze in the mirror as he watched her.

A small smile graced her lips before her dark eyes fell once more to the task at hand. Once the tubes were settled, once the fine silken scarf was wound about his proud neck, they stood, embraced, and parted: he, for the 6th Division quarters, and she for the Rukongai. Until she could atone for her selfishness, Hisana could never be whole. Not even with the love of Byakuya Kuchiki.

Roleplay Sample - Network: [Lilly seems to be in good spirits. She still wears the polite, subdued smile that she always does, but there's a healthy flush in her cheeks, and an honest-to-goodness twinkle in her eyes.]

I wish to convey my gratitude to all of you who assisted in the tulip sale this weekend. We were able to meet our donation goal for Easter Seals, and even give a little more.

[With her hands clasped in front of her, she inclines her head deeply in respect and gratitude.]

The donation of your time, effort, and spare funds was gratefully received. Should you have need of my services in return, you have but to ask. Please visit my shop and feel free to take home a dozen flowers of your choice for no charge. If you are unsure what you would like, I might inform you that the roses promise to be especially lovely this summer.

Any Questions? Nope, thank you for answering!