Abarai Renji [Approved for trial until 7/17]

lieutenant/red pineapple || male || heterosexual || non-rogue || sixth division
twenties || unknown || unknown

APPEARANCE

PERSONALITY

A true free spirit, Abarai Renji could be considered everything that his Captain and the Sixth Division is not. Words and appearances have very little substance to the Lieutenant who, while he may be clumsy with his speech and the manner in which he carries himself, always lets his actions and sword speak for him. When Zabimaru is in hand, none can question the loyalty or skill of Renji though his rash and often impulsive actions in combat do raise a few eyebrows on occasion.

Perhaps it was the hardship of growing up in Inuzuri or his experience in the Eleventh, but Renji is a Shinigami that can truly be said to enjoy life to its very fullest. He can be rather boisterous around his former academy classmates and senpai, Izuru, Momo, and Shuhei and doesn't make a secret of enjoying sake and taiyaki and long naps under shady trees.

However, while his paperwork and possessions in his personal space appear to be messy and the man's speech and general manner is coarse, there is something about the eagerness and exuberance of the Shinigami in a division full of men whose lives are dominated by protocol that can be seen as refreshing. The Lieutenant has learned in time to keep his enthusiasm under control somewhat in official situations, but the overriding air of exuberance remains in the Lieutenant. He undertakes tasks (except, of course, paperwork) with excitement, viewing them as more of a pastime than a job. Any sense of self-restraint he might have picked up in the Sixth Division, though, dissolves as well when he enters combat. Whereas many might think of fighting as a "dirty job" that has to be done for the protection of Soul Society and the human world, Renji's former membership in the Eleventh comes to the forefront in that he actively enjoys battle, whooping and shouting and putting all of his passion and fire into battle.

Again, reflecting his experience with Captain Zaraki, orders in combat are, to him, only absolute in as much as he can follow them while still protecting himself and his friends. Of those two, however, his friends are decidedly the higher priority for the former Rukongai orphan; the Lieutenant would not hesitate to jump in and protect a friend in danger, unless of course that person would not appreciate their fight interrupted such as Ikkaku. Still, even that isn’t absolute, and varies depending on the person involved; there are some, such as Rukia, whom he would defend with his last breath even should they ever request or demand him not to get involved.

Renji is not without his faults. He is known for being quite lazy (a "slacker" would probably the appropriate term), preferring to nap or go drinking with his friends instead of doing the work his Captain has assigned for him and very messy--a general lack of neatness in his handwriting and uniform. He is brash and hot-tempered, an ill-thought-out comment easily capable of irking the Lieutenant and creating a heated exchange, or at the very least being on the receiving end of a rather intimidating glower. He has a tendency to speak or act first and think later, and his impulsiveness can often get him into trouble, sometimes in the form of a physical brawl--which is very much frowned upon by the other Captains (aside from Zaraki, of course).

While he fully accepts his origins and background growing up in the slums of Rukongai, at one point, Renji feared his “common-ness” would deem him unworthy to retain contact with Rukia when she was adopted by the Kuchiki family forty years ago. Renji considers his decision to let Rukia go and remove himself from her life to be his deepest regret, and his greatest fear now is somehow alienating or losing her again. In light of Aizen’s betrayal, he does not want to again be in a position where he cannot hope to defend Rukia on his own--Renji fears being weak, and the desire to be strong, to grow stronger, is one that defines much of his life.

Perhaps the most notable and admirable of Lieutenant Abarai's traits, then, is his ability to stay true to himself. Even in the approximately forty years he has been a shinigami, he has never once forgotten his origins or what he believes in and fights for. He bears his Lieutenant's badge with pride and wields his Zanpakutou as if every battle were life or death, even against the most minor of Hollows. He will not back down from a fight, nor will he back down from pursuing something important to him, even when ordered, as seen by when he faced down his Captain's Bankai to have the chance of being able to help Rukia. Loyalty is entrenched into his being, though he is not afraid to challenge his superiors over something that he believes is wrong, fully willing to accept whatever punishment is due for his insubordination in the aftermath once his friends and his ideals are safe. While his rank is important to him, he knows from a hard life in Rukongai that it means absolutely nothing without being able to share it with those that are close, and will without hesitation defy orders to protect a friend who's life is in danger even if by joining the battle he would be likely to accomplish nothing other than getting himself killed as well.

HISTORY

(Optional, so I'm skipping it.)