Contact Information:
AIM: MateoT1986
Email: gladius (dot) lucix (at) gmail (dot) com
I'm not on AIM very often, and I only have internet at school, so the email is probably a better contact than AIM.
Name: Marius Lucius Rutilius [First, Middle, Last]
Age:
At Death -- 18 years.
In Soul Society -- Approximately 4500 years.
Appearance -- Late 30's.
Persona: Marius's best trait is his near unfailing loyalty, to his nation (currently Soul Society) and his comrades in arms, as long as the comrades prove trustworthy. If he is betrayed, however, he would be among the first to pay back the betrayal. On the other hand, if he needs to work together with a known enemy against a larger threat, he does so willingly, adhering to the maxim, "The enemy of my enemy is my friend." To Marius, a temporary alliance is as important and well respected as a lifelong friendship.
Patria Marii Roma est, et lingua patria Latina est In other words, his homeland is Rome and his native tongue is Latin, and, even after his many, many years in Soul Society, he has not forgotten this. He still uses the same oaths and curses he learned as a soldier, and, when excited or angry, lapses back into Latin.* His sense of humor is also quite a bit out of date; he often finds strange things funny, and doesn't always get jokes right away.
After four-and-a-half millennia of experiences, Marius's memory is not all that it could be. Anything more than a few hundred years ago is likely to be lost to time, without something related sparking a connection. Combine that with the fact that he doesn't feel the need to play up the fact that he was around during the events (ooc) of the anime and manga (/ooc), and you can see why his older memories don't come into play much.
* Whenever I give something in Latin, I'll provide a translation either in the text of the chapter, or as a foot note. I may include some of his more commonly used phrases in the profile.
Physical Stature: Marius's short cropped, dark hair is beginning to gray. He keeps his face clean shaven, following the same morning routine he did while enlisted in the legion. His face is open and friendly when not on the battle field, but hard and calm in combat.
Marius is quite short, about five feet (150 cm) tall. He isn't very muscle bound; rather, his muscles are lean and well toned. His right shoulder is tattooed with "SPQR," from his days in the Legion. Even though his is getting very old, even for Soul Society, and he looks it, Marius still feels as healthy as the morning before he died.
Marius keeps his hakama and gi clean and pressed. After every mission, he repairs any cuts or tears, then cleans and washes it himself, by hand. He has removed a small section of cloth on the right shoulder, however, to reveal his "SPQR" tattoo.
Desired Division: 13
Zanpakutou: Marius's zanpakutou looks like a wakizashi. The guard is shaped like a circle, and is otherwise unornamented. At the end of the hilt, there is a small knob, just slightly larger in diameter than the hilt.
Biography: Marius was born on what is now the Italian Peninsula, about a day from Rome. He grew up as the son of a farmer, but wanted to be a Legionnaire when he was old enough. He had seen them traveling through town quite often, on their way from the more southern cities to defend Rome and spread her glory. Whenever he would play at sword fighting with his friends, Marius would imagine that he was a legionnaire. Then, when he was 17, he said goodbye to his family and friends and left for Rome, to join the Legion.
After the basic training, the cohort to which Marius was assigned was sent to Gaul (now France) to root out a barbarian warlord making trouble for Roman citizens there. When the cohort was about a week's march from the target and making camp for the night, the barbarians started sending out raids. The raids harassed the camp every night until they started packing up to march for the day, and started again after they were settled in for the night. The legionnaires on guard were able to drive them off each time, with little appreciable damage. When they finally reached the camp of the barbarian warlord, the commander posted double guard with half shifts. Fortunately, the guards' presence warded off a major assault by the barbarians. That morning, battle was joined. That day, Marius fought. That day, Marius died. It haunts his dreams to this day.
Marius has lived in Soul Society for the past 4500 years. He has seen more than most souls, much more. He speaks with many new arrivals to Rukongai to see what goes on in the material world. During the [Great Hollow War], Marius was not able to serve at the front, but he did what he could; he served food in the mess tent and helped carry and care for the wounded. He was lucky to make it through alive.
During his time in Soul Society, Marius attempted many times to become a Shinigami. His Reiatsu was never strong enough, though, until the reopening of the Academy after the War. A few minor run-ins during the War had strengthened his reiatsu enough that Marius could manage the coursework. Training twice as hard as his more gifted classmates, he made his way to the top 20% of his graduating class.
Stats:
Reiatsu: 100
Zanjutsu: 40
Hakuda: 15
Hohou: 25
Kidou: 20
Connection: 0
Sample Chapter, Word Count: 1704
AIM: MateoT1986
Email: gladius (dot) lucix (at) gmail (dot) com
I'm not on AIM very often, and I only have internet at school, so the email is probably a better contact than AIM.
Name: Marius Lucius Rutilius [First, Middle, Last]
Age:
At Death -- 18 years.
In Soul Society -- Approximately 4500 years.
Appearance -- Late 30's.
Persona: Marius's best trait is his near unfailing loyalty, to his nation (currently Soul Society) and his comrades in arms, as long as the comrades prove trustworthy. If he is betrayed, however, he would be among the first to pay back the betrayal. On the other hand, if he needs to work together with a known enemy against a larger threat, he does so willingly, adhering to the maxim, "The enemy of my enemy is my friend." To Marius, a temporary alliance is as important and well respected as a lifelong friendship.
Patria Marii Roma est, et lingua patria Latina est In other words, his homeland is Rome and his native tongue is Latin, and, even after his many, many years in Soul Society, he has not forgotten this. He still uses the same oaths and curses he learned as a soldier, and, when excited or angry, lapses back into Latin.* His sense of humor is also quite a bit out of date; he often finds strange things funny, and doesn't always get jokes right away.
After four-and-a-half millennia of experiences, Marius's memory is not all that it could be. Anything more than a few hundred years ago is likely to be lost to time, without something related sparking a connection. Combine that with the fact that he doesn't feel the need to play up the fact that he was around during the events (ooc) of the anime and manga (/ooc), and you can see why his older memories don't come into play much.
* Whenever I give something in Latin, I'll provide a translation either in the text of the chapter, or as a foot note. I may include some of his more commonly used phrases in the profile.
Physical Stature: Marius's short cropped, dark hair is beginning to gray. He keeps his face clean shaven, following the same morning routine he did while enlisted in the legion. His face is open and friendly when not on the battle field, but hard and calm in combat.
Marius is quite short, about five feet (150 cm) tall. He isn't very muscle bound; rather, his muscles are lean and well toned. His right shoulder is tattooed with "SPQR," from his days in the Legion. Even though his is getting very old, even for Soul Society, and he looks it, Marius still feels as healthy as the morning before he died.
Marius keeps his hakama and gi clean and pressed. After every mission, he repairs any cuts or tears, then cleans and washes it himself, by hand. He has removed a small section of cloth on the right shoulder, however, to reveal his "SPQR" tattoo.
Desired Division: 13
Zanpakutou: Marius's zanpakutou looks like a wakizashi. The guard is shaped like a circle, and is otherwise unornamented. At the end of the hilt, there is a small knob, just slightly larger in diameter than the hilt.
Biography: Marius was born on what is now the Italian Peninsula, about a day from Rome. He grew up as the son of a farmer, but wanted to be a Legionnaire when he was old enough. He had seen them traveling through town quite often, on their way from the more southern cities to defend Rome and spread her glory. Whenever he would play at sword fighting with his friends, Marius would imagine that he was a legionnaire. Then, when he was 17, he said goodbye to his family and friends and left for Rome, to join the Legion.
After the basic training, the cohort to which Marius was assigned was sent to Gaul (now France) to root out a barbarian warlord making trouble for Roman citizens there. When the cohort was about a week's march from the target and making camp for the night, the barbarians started sending out raids. The raids harassed the camp every night until they started packing up to march for the day, and started again after they were settled in for the night. The legionnaires on guard were able to drive them off each time, with little appreciable damage. When they finally reached the camp of the barbarian warlord, the commander posted double guard with half shifts. Fortunately, the guards' presence warded off a major assault by the barbarians. That morning, battle was joined. That day, Marius fought. That day, Marius died. It haunts his dreams to this day.
Marius has lived in Soul Society for the past 4500 years. He has seen more than most souls, much more. He speaks with many new arrivals to Rukongai to see what goes on in the material world. During the [Great Hollow War], Marius was not able to serve at the front, but he did what he could; he served food in the mess tent and helped carry and care for the wounded. He was lucky to make it through alive.
During his time in Soul Society, Marius attempted many times to become a Shinigami. His Reiatsu was never strong enough, though, until the reopening of the Academy after the War. A few minor run-ins during the War had strengthened his reiatsu enough that Marius could manage the coursework. Training twice as hard as his more gifted classmates, he made his way to the top 20% of his graduating class.
Stats:
Reiatsu: 100
Zanjutsu: 40
Hakuda: 15
Hohou: 25
Kidou: 20
Connection: 0
Sample Chapter, Word Count: 1704
The dream had come again.
It had been a few months since the last time. He had realized it earlier that day. A small corner of his mind, unnoticed in the tumult of the dream, wryly wondered if that idle thought had brought the dream to him that night.
He was there again; the field where he had died. It was the same day -- the same dark clouds hiding the sun, the same still air leaving the stink of the camp lingering around them, the same enemy arrayed against them. It was dawn. The battle would soon begin.
As it did every time, the dream skipped ahead. It was about noon, as far as he could tell. The clouds still filled the sky. The air was as still as it had been that morning, with the odor of blood, sweat, and death filling the air. He was on the front line, trying to the barbarians while keeping them from doing the same to him. He caught a glimpse of what appeared to be a black and white robe. At the time, he had ignored it. Now, he knew what it had been. A Shinigami was on the scene, performing soul burials for the slain.
The moment's distraction was enough, however. A barbarian's spear struck true, Marius died quickly, the point piercing his heart. It was always disturbing, remembering his death. The next thing he knew, he was standing there, watching his body fall. Glancing up, he saw hundreds of people simply milling around. Some watched the battle, others wept, and some stood staring in disbelief. A few continued fighting, no more than wrestling, even after death. One thing all those gathered had in common was about a foot and a half of chain hanging from their chests.
Suddenly, something fluttered past his eyes. Once he could focus on it, he saw that it had been a butterfly, as black as night. Now that he had noticed it, he started to notice the rest of them. There were dozens of the butterflies flying around. They all were flying away from the man in the black and white robes, as if they were messengers, carrying fresh orders from the Senate. The man in black and white went among the gathered mass, which Marius guessed were the spirits of those who has died in that battle. From what he had seen that day, Marius had assumed that the man was a god of death, a rather minor one to be doing the work of collecting the souls.
Without warning, a hole opened in the air itself. A monster wearing a bone white mask came out, followed by another. More holes appeared, each spewing forth more of the monsters. Marius happened to catch a glimpse of something else strange about the beasts; each had a hole through its body at about mid-chest level. Those still living paid the beasts no heed, but the dead saw, and reacted. Some fled, and others attacked. Those that attacked were quickly consumed by the monsters.
The death god swore, and spoke to what Marius assumed was a magic talisman of some sort. After the talisman responded, the death god put it away, and readied his sword. It was a strange blade, finely crafted, yet unlike any sword that Marius had seen. The death god charged one of the monsters, cleaving through its mask with his sword. The beast dissolved, like a lump of clay in a strong current. With an animalistic roar, two of the other beasts turned on the death god. One looked like a great cat, with hands instead of front paws, standing half way erect. The other stood completely erect, with tentacles in place of arms and legs. As they closed on the death god, he took a step and disappeared. When Marius could see him again, the death god was behind the monsters, and had sliced off one of the second one's tentacles. Then, with one motion, the death god had delivered the killing blow to both. They dissolved as the previous monster had.
Marius had been distracted, watching the death god dispatch the monsters. He hadn't seen another of the beasts approaching him. Fortunately, it roared before trying to consume Marius. He had enough time to block the beast's mouth with his shield. He hadn't even realized that he still held it, as well as his sword. None of the other spirits had the weapons they had wielded in life. Resolving himself to do what he could to help the death god, Marius attempted to replicate his tactics. When he tried to strike the monster's mask, however, his sword bounced off, doing nothing but dulling the blade.
Once he saw that his sword was useless, Marius decided that discretion was the better part of valor. Figuring that the death god was the only one that could help him, Marius worked his way toward the robed figure. Blocking the beast's bites as best he could, he slowly backed toward the death god. Not being able to watch the monster, the death god, and the ground, he tripped over a rock in the field. As the monster's mouth descended towards him, Marius awoke, as he did at that point in the dream every time.
As Marius returned to consciousness, he recalled where and when he was. It was the same every time. Once he was in the battle during the dream, he lost all recollection of what he had learned since then. What he had seen of Shinigami, Hollows, and Soul Society only returned with the end of the dream. Each time, he recalled his thought from that day exactly.
Marius got up and walked over to the teapot in his dormitory room. Drinking teas was a habit he picked up from a Japanese acquaintance in the first of his four and a half millennia in Soul Society. It had nearly become a tradition, having a cup of tea after waking from the dream. The other part of the tradition began soon. Once he started sipping his tea, he started to recall the rest of what happened that day.
He had gotten close enough to the Shinigami that the Hollow attacking Marius was the easiest target. Approaching quickly, the Shinigami took a running leap, bringing his zanpakutou down on the Hollow's mask, purifying it and sending it beyond.
The Shinigami spoke without turning toward Marius. "You would be safer if I sent you to the afterlife," he said to Marius impassively.
"No," Marius replied. "I want to help."
"There is little a newly dead soul can do. You saw what happened to your friends that tried to fight the Hollows."
"There must be something I can do," Marius pleaded.
The Shinigami looked over his shoulder, and saw that Marius held his sword and shield. His eyes opened slightly, and he said, "Maybe you can help. Come with me, and protect the souls while I dispatch the Hollows."
"Yes, sir," Marius said, and followed as best he could as the Shinigami ran towards the closest Hollow.
Marius was barely able to keep up with the Shinigami, without the Shinigami even using shunpo, but they reached the next Hollow before it could eat its victim. Marius pulled the soul out of the way as the Shinigami attacked the Hollow. Positioning himself between the Hollow and the soul he had pulled out of harm's way, Marius half turned to tell the soul to stay behind him. He was startled to see that it had been a barbarian's soul that he had saved. The barbarian was a good bit larger than Marius, but understood that Marius was better equipped to deal with the situation, and stayed behind him.
While the Shinigami dealt with the Hollow, Marius scanned the field, watching for more threats. He saw four humanoid figures approaching at a run, disappearing then reappearing closer than they could have run in the intervening time. Once the Hollow began dissolving, Marius pointed out the approaching figures for the Shinigami.
The Shinigami squinted at the approaching figures. "Good," he said with a smile. "The reinforcements have arrived. This should be over quickly."
Marius brightened at this. "Does that mean the souls are safe?" he inquired.
"As soon as the Hollows are all purified, yes," the Shinigami replied.
----------
"You're up early. Was it the dream again?"
The voice of his roommate broke Marius out of his reverie. "Yes, it was, Liam," he replied. "I wonder if there's any reason that it's come again now."
Liam got out of his bed and poured himself a cup of the tea Marius had made. He was about as tall as Marius, considered short now, though Marius had been average height in his time.
Liam shrugged. "Maybe you're just nervous because Graduation is coming up. The final examinations are only about a week away."
"That is possible," Marius said with a nod.
Liam drained his cup of tea and poured himself another. "Since I'm up, I'm heading down to the practice dojo. Meet you there when you're done?"
"Sure," Marius replied, continuing to sip his tea.
As Liam left, Marius's thoughts drifted back to the battlefield, not yet done with the memories...
----------
The Hollows had all been dispatched, and the Shinigami were wrapping up the operation. Most were sending the souls on to Soul Society. One was tending to a comrade's wound, a lucky hit on the Hollow's part. Marius and the Shinigami he had helped during the battle were standing to the side, talking.
"So, deus mortis, such as yourself, protect animi, such as, now, myself, from cavi, which are those monsters that came to eat everyone," Marius said, trying to take in what the Shinigami was explaining to him.
The Shinigami nodded. "That's pretty much right. The words used in Soul Society are a little different, but that's pretty close to the right meaning."
"Oh, yes, and animos ad Mundum Animorum mittetis. Does that about cover the duties of the dei mortis?" Marius added, looking like he grasped the concept.
Again the Shinigami nodded. "Yes. I think you have it," he replied with a smile.
Marius smiled back. "Alright. Animos mundi defendere, deus mortis ero."
It had been a few months since the last time. He had realized it earlier that day. A small corner of his mind, unnoticed in the tumult of the dream, wryly wondered if that idle thought had brought the dream to him that night.
He was there again; the field where he had died. It was the same day -- the same dark clouds hiding the sun, the same still air leaving the stink of the camp lingering around them, the same enemy arrayed against them. It was dawn. The battle would soon begin.
As it did every time, the dream skipped ahead. It was about noon, as far as he could tell. The clouds still filled the sky. The air was as still as it had been that morning, with the odor of blood, sweat, and death filling the air. He was on the front line, trying to the barbarians while keeping them from doing the same to him. He caught a glimpse of what appeared to be a black and white robe. At the time, he had ignored it. Now, he knew what it had been. A Shinigami was on the scene, performing soul burials for the slain.
The moment's distraction was enough, however. A barbarian's spear struck true, Marius died quickly, the point piercing his heart. It was always disturbing, remembering his death. The next thing he knew, he was standing there, watching his body fall. Glancing up, he saw hundreds of people simply milling around. Some watched the battle, others wept, and some stood staring in disbelief. A few continued fighting, no more than wrestling, even after death. One thing all those gathered had in common was about a foot and a half of chain hanging from their chests.
Suddenly, something fluttered past his eyes. Once he could focus on it, he saw that it had been a butterfly, as black as night. Now that he had noticed it, he started to notice the rest of them. There were dozens of the butterflies flying around. They all were flying away from the man in the black and white robes, as if they were messengers, carrying fresh orders from the Senate. The man in black and white went among the gathered mass, which Marius guessed were the spirits of those who has died in that battle. From what he had seen that day, Marius had assumed that the man was a god of death, a rather minor one to be doing the work of collecting the souls.
Without warning, a hole opened in the air itself. A monster wearing a bone white mask came out, followed by another. More holes appeared, each spewing forth more of the monsters. Marius happened to catch a glimpse of something else strange about the beasts; each had a hole through its body at about mid-chest level. Those still living paid the beasts no heed, but the dead saw, and reacted. Some fled, and others attacked. Those that attacked were quickly consumed by the monsters.
The death god swore, and spoke to what Marius assumed was a magic talisman of some sort. After the talisman responded, the death god put it away, and readied his sword. It was a strange blade, finely crafted, yet unlike any sword that Marius had seen. The death god charged one of the monsters, cleaving through its mask with his sword. The beast dissolved, like a lump of clay in a strong current. With an animalistic roar, two of the other beasts turned on the death god. One looked like a great cat, with hands instead of front paws, standing half way erect. The other stood completely erect, with tentacles in place of arms and legs. As they closed on the death god, he took a step and disappeared. When Marius could see him again, the death god was behind the monsters, and had sliced off one of the second one's tentacles. Then, with one motion, the death god had delivered the killing blow to both. They dissolved as the previous monster had.
Marius had been distracted, watching the death god dispatch the monsters. He hadn't seen another of the beasts approaching him. Fortunately, it roared before trying to consume Marius. He had enough time to block the beast's mouth with his shield. He hadn't even realized that he still held it, as well as his sword. None of the other spirits had the weapons they had wielded in life. Resolving himself to do what he could to help the death god, Marius attempted to replicate his tactics. When he tried to strike the monster's mask, however, his sword bounced off, doing nothing but dulling the blade.
Once he saw that his sword was useless, Marius decided that discretion was the better part of valor. Figuring that the death god was the only one that could help him, Marius worked his way toward the robed figure. Blocking the beast's bites as best he could, he slowly backed toward the death god. Not being able to watch the monster, the death god, and the ground, he tripped over a rock in the field. As the monster's mouth descended towards him, Marius awoke, as he did at that point in the dream every time.
As Marius returned to consciousness, he recalled where and when he was. It was the same every time. Once he was in the battle during the dream, he lost all recollection of what he had learned since then. What he had seen of Shinigami, Hollows, and Soul Society only returned with the end of the dream. Each time, he recalled his thought from that day exactly.
Marius got up and walked over to the teapot in his dormitory room. Drinking teas was a habit he picked up from a Japanese acquaintance in the first of his four and a half millennia in Soul Society. It had nearly become a tradition, having a cup of tea after waking from the dream. The other part of the tradition began soon. Once he started sipping his tea, he started to recall the rest of what happened that day.
He had gotten close enough to the Shinigami that the Hollow attacking Marius was the easiest target. Approaching quickly, the Shinigami took a running leap, bringing his zanpakutou down on the Hollow's mask, purifying it and sending it beyond.
The Shinigami spoke without turning toward Marius. "You would be safer if I sent you to the afterlife," he said to Marius impassively.
"No," Marius replied. "I want to help."
"There is little a newly dead soul can do. You saw what happened to your friends that tried to fight the Hollows."
"There must be something I can do," Marius pleaded.
The Shinigami looked over his shoulder, and saw that Marius held his sword and shield. His eyes opened slightly, and he said, "Maybe you can help. Come with me, and protect the souls while I dispatch the Hollows."
"Yes, sir," Marius said, and followed as best he could as the Shinigami ran towards the closest Hollow.
Marius was barely able to keep up with the Shinigami, without the Shinigami even using shunpo, but they reached the next Hollow before it could eat its victim. Marius pulled the soul out of the way as the Shinigami attacked the Hollow. Positioning himself between the Hollow and the soul he had pulled out of harm's way, Marius half turned to tell the soul to stay behind him. He was startled to see that it had been a barbarian's soul that he had saved. The barbarian was a good bit larger than Marius, but understood that Marius was better equipped to deal with the situation, and stayed behind him.
While the Shinigami dealt with the Hollow, Marius scanned the field, watching for more threats. He saw four humanoid figures approaching at a run, disappearing then reappearing closer than they could have run in the intervening time. Once the Hollow began dissolving, Marius pointed out the approaching figures for the Shinigami.
The Shinigami squinted at the approaching figures. "Good," he said with a smile. "The reinforcements have arrived. This should be over quickly."
Marius brightened at this. "Does that mean the souls are safe?" he inquired.
"As soon as the Hollows are all purified, yes," the Shinigami replied.
----------
"You're up early. Was it the dream again?"
The voice of his roommate broke Marius out of his reverie. "Yes, it was, Liam," he replied. "I wonder if there's any reason that it's come again now."
Liam got out of his bed and poured himself a cup of the tea Marius had made. He was about as tall as Marius, considered short now, though Marius had been average height in his time.
Liam shrugged. "Maybe you're just nervous because Graduation is coming up. The final examinations are only about a week away."
"That is possible," Marius said with a nod.
Liam drained his cup of tea and poured himself another. "Since I'm up, I'm heading down to the practice dojo. Meet you there when you're done?"
"Sure," Marius replied, continuing to sip his tea.
As Liam left, Marius's thoughts drifted back to the battlefield, not yet done with the memories...
----------
The Hollows had all been dispatched, and the Shinigami were wrapping up the operation. Most were sending the souls on to Soul Society. One was tending to a comrade's wound, a lucky hit on the Hollow's part. Marius and the Shinigami he had helped during the battle were standing to the side, talking.
"So, deus mortis, such as yourself, protect animi, such as, now, myself, from cavi, which are those monsters that came to eat everyone," Marius said, trying to take in what the Shinigami was explaining to him.
The Shinigami nodded. "That's pretty much right. The words used in Soul Society are a little different, but that's pretty close to the right meaning."
"Oh, yes, and animos ad Mundum Animorum mittetis. Does that about cover the duties of the dei mortis?" Marius added, looking like he grasped the concept.
Again the Shinigami nodded. "Yes. I think you have it," he replied with a smile.
Marius smiled back. "Alright. Animos mundi defendere, deus mortis ero."
Glossary of Words:
deus mortis -- (plural: dei mortis) Shinigami (literally, "god of death" )
animi -- (singular: animus) souls (I plan to use this term to refer to Plus souls.)
cavi -- (singular: cavus) Hollows (literally, "holes" )
Full Sentences Translated:
"Animos ad Mundum Animorum mittetis." -- "You send souls to the World of Souls." In other words, Soul Society.
"Animos mundi defendere, deus mortis ero." -- To protect the souls of the world, I will be a Shinigami.
deus mortis -- (plural: dei mortis) Shinigami (literally, "god of death" )
animi -- (singular: animus) souls (I plan to use this term to refer to Plus souls.)
cavi -- (singular: cavus) Hollows (literally, "holes" )
Full Sentences Translated:
"Animos ad Mundum Animorum mittetis." -- "You send souls to the World of Souls." In other words, Soul Society.
"Animos mundi defendere, deus mortis ero." -- To protect the souls of the world, I will be a Shinigami.
