Everything always comes with a price.
Normal || The Blue Spirit | The Track Team ||
Angry || YuYan Capture Aang | The Track Team ||
Emotional || Last Agni Kai | The Track Team ||
|| Name ||
Kumorimaru
|| Nickname(s) ||
None
|| Race ||
Demon
|| Specializes In ||
Demon of the Dead and the Wind
|| Age ||
"I myself do not remember when I came to exist..."
|| Gender ||
Male
|| Sexuality ||
Pansexual
“Humans, demons, spirits...all have great vices that irk me so.”
|| Face Claim ||
Kusuriuri||Ayakashi- Japanese Classic Horror
187cm||6’1
|| Weight ||
68kg||150lbs
|| Hair Color ||
Human|| Greyish-Blonde
Demon|| Platinum Blonde/White
|| Eye Color ||
Human|| Brown irises, white sclera
Demon|| Yellow irises circled with a large ring of red, black sclera
♔ || Skin Tone || ♔
Human|| Pale, sickly
Demon|| Brown
|| Build/Appearance/Preferred Clothing ||
•Human Appearance|| Kumorimaru doesn’t try much to pass off as a human. His pointed ears, his tattoos, and his purple colored lips tend to give him off when compared to any human-born person. What also makes Kumorimaru stand out is his flamboyantly colored kimonos and the purple bandana that he wears all the time. These kimonos tend to be of clashing colors, covered with many weird patterns- mainly those of circles and geometric patterns. Much to the intrigue of many, these patterns sometimes seem to move, though they should be stationary, as they are but prints on cloth. Underneath his kimono, Kumorimaru tends to wear black pants. He is of lithe build and tends to look slightly undernourished and sickly.
•Demon Appearance|| When in his demon form, Kumorimaru’s skin color changes to a dark brown, and his eyes taken on a bright red and yellow scheme. He gains more muscle mass and seems- at times- a bit taller than he usually is. His body is covered with bright golden tattoos that form circles on the back of his hands, face, and back. These tattoos are not stationary- rather, based on Kumorimaru’s movements, they move along with him. His normal, human-form yukata falls off to reveal a bright golden colored dress up, with red cloth holding it together around his waist and purple pants underneath. It shines with a sort of iridescence, yet at the same time many claim that the gold is but a dull, ‘hopeless’ gold though they themselves do not know why.
•Dagger|| Kumorimaru uses this while in the human world. It is a simple dagger with an extremely ornate handle and sheath. The blade itself is sharp and strong, made of a bright, shining material unlike any sort of metal. It is double-sided, and rather than looking like a dagger, the dagger itself looks more like a miniature sword. A carved head rests at the edge of the sword, it’s smile grotesquely twisted and warped.
• “Long Sword”| Nameless|| This weapon is unique to those similar to Kumorimaru. It is shapeless, weightless, and intangible to others except for Kumorimaru. It does not take shape in the real world, nor can anyone see it besides Kumorimaru and his kin. It is his nameless long sword- a representation of his own inner being. The blade of the sword is nonexistent, and appears as a red and gold mist. The wounds that Kumorimaru make, however, are deeper than that of the flesh.
• Paper|| Many people who come across Kumorimaru tend to think that these papers are spells and protection seals of some kinds. However, this is far from true. With his wind manipulation abilities, these papers become lethal weapons, able to deal as much damage as a dagger or sword made of the finest quality by the hands of the best blacksmith alive.
|| Abilities ||
• Wind|| Kumorimaru has considerable control of the wind while in the corporeal world. This is his main means of fighting while not in Yomi-no-kuni. Using his mind to direct the wind, Kumorimaru can control it and create almost anything he wants, from large winds to small gusts of comfortable breezes. While fighting, Kumorimaru tends to use his nails as guidance for the wind, and controls it so that sharp gusts of air blast at his opponents, fast and strong enough to cut into flesh. Other times, he uses it as an intangible umbrella, blowing rain away from where he stands both in the air and on the ground. Kumorimaru has thought of many ingenious ways of using his wind-manipulating abilities over the past centuries.
• Divine Punishment|| Kumorimaru is, in the most succinct terms, just like a shinigami- except he isn’t. Rather, shinigami only take souls to Narakara- the land of return and redemption. Kumorimaru serves for Enma Dai-O, ruler of Jigoku, the last level of Yomi-no-kuni. He drags people from the living realm to the deepest levels of Earth, invoking illusions of their darkest fears before sending them to Jigoku himself. Here, he reveals his demon form, his eyes invoking visions that no human nor spirit can shake off. The pass to Jigoku is none other than a stab in the heart by his long sword- a symbol that the humans’ soul itself has also come to an end. This power cannot be used based on Kumorimaru’s will, though. Unless requested by another human, unless pushed by great hatred, unless requested from Enma Dai-O, Kumorimaru’s demon powers are ineffective. They stay dormant unless of utter need, and this has occurred much more frequently over the past few centuries.
{Cold | Distant | Apathetic | Harsh | Direct | Intelligent | Jaded | Pragmatic}
Seven thousand years has left Kumorimaru with barely any personality anymore. Rather, he has grown extremely jaded and distasteful towards the world as a whole. His job has left Kumorimaru with less hope with the human race- and the frequent visits he makes to Jigoku weekly has left a numbness within his heart. He himself cannot pinpoint exactly what this feeling is, as he has long since forgotten many of the feelings he once felt in the past, at one point or another. Due to his circumstances, Kumorimaru has developed an extremely apathetic personality and outlook towards life and others. He holds no compassion for the living- especially the ones he sometimes interacts with to drag to Jigoku. His interactions with souls has defined how Kumorimaru interacts with the living as well, and he hasn’t been able to shake off his taciturn, serious personality ever since.
Many years of studying books, scrolls and people have left Kumorimaru with a sharp mind and a wealth of knowledge. Much that once was has been lost by the human race- but not by Kumorimaru’s memory. His studies have left Kumorimaru extremely intelligent and quick-minded in terms of dangerous situations and problems. However, his studies seem to stop in terms of interacting with other spirits, demons or humans. This is because Kumorimaru is extremely harsh and direct towards everyone he meets, and most people avoid him not just because of his weird appearance but also due to his stinging tongue. This has led Kumorimaru to develop a distance, silent attitude with talking with others. His mind, however, teems with comments and sentences whenever he listens to others though this does not show on his face. Kumorimaru does speak though- obviously- and what comes out of his mouth tends to be criticisms, or cold observations. He himself doesn’t feel one bit sorry or guilty about how he speaks. Once more, Kumorimaru feels as if talking and human emotions are only fickle details of life itself. The many centuries Kumorimaru has been alive has eroded his interest in the human race, and in the spirit race as well.
Kumorimaru has marked his entry into the Tsukiakari as a sort of change. Probably he is ready and willing to change for the better. Otherwise- Kumorimaru is not sure himself either- this is just another simplified way for finding more corrupt souls.
• Solitude|| Though Kumorimaru does not mind the companionship of others, he still leans more towards a silent, quiet life. He tends to move around alone, and likes to live by himself, as this, he claims, makes it easier for him to meditate and complete his job as a demon of Jigoku.
• The Dark| Night|| Obviously, as a yokai, Kumorimaru prefers the quiet darkness of the night. It is his abode- he was born from darkness. Kumorimaru has grown used to the dark, and now believes that it suits him much more than the bright day during which spirits and humans roam. As he cannot interact with the two species much, Kumorimaru likes the night during which he can interact with those of his own kind, or no one at all.
• Hikaru|| A small cat. Kumorimaru picked him up on the streets, alone, freezing and starving, right after Kumorimaru had signed up to join the Tsukiakari. Though Kumorimaru doesn’t understand why either, he picked up the young kitten and has taken care of it since then. Hikaru has been with Kumorimaru for around 2 years now, and is extremely docile and good-natured. Kumorimaru has also developed the habit of making clothes for Hikaru to wear on an almost daily basis. “He is like…a ray of light in my life.”
Nature || Walking ||His Demon Form || Writing || Poems || Drawing || Tea || Flower Appreciation || Animals || Noh || Sake || Kabuki || Yukatas || Meditation || Travelling || Smoking || Music
|| Dislikes ||
• Fighting|| This is a rather paradoxical for Kumorimaru. Fighting is one of the main components of his being- he was born to fight, torment and torture. But he himself dislikes fighting and feels distasteful towards anyone who indulges in the heat of fighting- as he did when he was a much younger, foolhardy newborn demon. To convince himself, Kumorimaru has tried to equate fighting with art, but it hasn’t helped him much, and he still continues to dislike fighting in its most basic form.
• Jigoku|| Though this is Kumorimaru’s home- though he was born and conceived here- Kumorimaru still harbors dislike towards the place. It is no wonder that he does, though, as the incessant screams of torment and hopelessness rage throughout the endless landscape of darkness and lava. He doesn’t feel any pity, nor does Kumorimaru hate Jigoku out of any sort of feeling within his heart- rather, it is a blatant annoyance that leaves Kumorimaru with nothing but dislike towards the place. Though over the past centuries he has grown used to Jigoku and his ill-feelings have died down compared to before, there is still an underlying feeling of annoyance whenever the echoing wails and screams of mercy reach his ears.
• Samurai|| “The age of the samurai is done. Thy kind hath filled itself with ranks of scoundrels, absent-minded devils- nevermore shall it return to it’s former glory.”
Thieves || the Sea || Lowly yokai || Temptresses || Hatred || Politics || News || Fanatics || Drunkards || Flamboyancy || Mandarines
|| Talents ||
• Medicine|| Kumorimaru is something like a traveling medicine maker. Rather than having a shop, he tends to just place his supplies in a wooden box, strap it to his back with cloth, and set off, walking throughout Edo. Not many tend to employ him for this use, however, since Kumorimaru has no sign on him to show that he is actually a travelling doctor. Few know this occupation of his- and they only know out of coincidence.
• Flower Assortment|| This is a particular habit of Kumorimaru, and he tends to leave an hour of his day out for flower assorting. His pieces can sell for rather high prices, and many nobles love to commission him to arrange a few pieces during large events or just as a centerpiece at home. The flowers that Kumorimaru uses for his pieces tend to be grown and picked by himself, though he tends to frequent a particular flower shop in the outskirts of Edo for any other flower he cannot grow or find.
• Xun|| Kumorimaru can not only play the Xun very well, but also creates and sells his own Xuns as well. Whenever he has time, Kumorimaru tends to roam Edo, a large wooden box on his back, in which he lines many beautifully colored and painted Xuns. Many people know Kumorimaru due to his widely popular Xun collection, and also his skill in playing the simple instrument as well.
|| Flaws ||
• Anger|| Kumorimaru is hard to move to anger. He tends to be in a constant state of mildness, walking around with nothing in his heart. However, when he is angered, it is rarely a ‘small anger’. Rather, Kumorimaru’s anger tantrums tend to be extremely long and destructive, as he tends to let his wind powers loose, wrecking havoc on everything near him. He himself cannot control his anger whenever he is moved into heat,
• Blunt|| He rarely keeps his comments to himself. Kumorimaru is extremely direct and straightforward with his words, rarely covering up whatever ill feelings or negative sentiments he has towards anyone, even Enma Dai-O. This bluntness with his speech also links to Kumorimaru’s ability to lie, which is, basically, zero. Thus, many people place Kumorimaru’s words at high value, as they know that he would not warp what he sees and what is true to please others, though this has also gotten him into considerable trouble in the past.
• Remorseless|| This has been one of Kumorimaru’s main aspects for the past centuries. He feels no remorse towards the souls he drags down to Hell, and less for the people who suffer due to his actions back on Earth. He does not feel anything to the cries of humans, demons and spirits alike. However, this seems to have been changing over the past few years, especially after he joined Tsukiakari- Kumorimaru cannot pinpoint why, but it is happening, or at least he feels as if it is.
|| Fears ||
Kumorimaru does not fear anything; His position within Jigoku, just like for all of his other kin, has crushed any sense of fear Kumorimaru may have had in his heart. When he was still human- for Kumorimaru was made from a soul- Kumorimaru feared many things, or so he believes and so he has heard. However, that time has long since passed. As the conjurer of many fears, as a messenger of the worst place imaginable, Kumorimaru feels unfazed by near everything and anything. The sights of tortured bodies and decapitated heads bring nothing to his heart; separated families and killed children do not stir anything within Kumorimaru. He is empty- an empty shell with no fears.
None.
Kumorimaru is all alone. He does not live with anyone, nor does he wish to at all. His solitude has become a normal part of his life- though Kumorimaru’s joining of the Tsukiakari has sort of broke his long trend of living and working alone. To an extent, Kumorimaru has tried to force himself to view the other members of Tsukiakari as distant relatives, but the human concept of ‘family’ has evaded him for many years. He finds it hard to conceptualize the idea of ‘kinship’ and wonders how relationships can be different, one way or another, just based on one’s own personal feelings and blood- something which Kumorimaru does not have.
|| Romantic Interest ||
“All that I have met…were crying for mercy, begging on their knees pleading to my 'consciousness'. None were of great value; none held any inner beauty.”
None.
“Life was…never kind to me.”
Kumorimaru remembers that he was created from a soul, but who’s soul he cannot remember. No one from Jigoku can tell him either, as within the contract of becoming a ‘soul reaper’, all past information of the soul is erased from all history. By this means, Kumorimaru never existed before he became a damned member of Jigoku, confined to a life of dragging people to the lowest level of Hell. When he came to exist, Kumorimaru only remembers opening his eyes to see nothing but the black and red caverns of Jigoku, the wails of the damned resounding in his new ears. A dread had filled him then- but had suddenly vanished as his soul was fully mutated into a member of Jigoku and a serf of Enma Dai-O.
From there on, his years blur together to form an incoherent mass of pictures and fragmented memories. Kumorimaru cannot really remember his life from before, and tends to rely more so on the scrolls and texts he comes across throughout his life. His lack of memories instills a sort of fear within Kumorimaru, a sense of loss within himself, and he cannot place his finger on the reason why he feels this way. Within his own mind, he believes that the inevitable erasing of memories within one’s mind is normal- but at the same time, he cannot say if this explanation makes him feel comfortable or not. Though his memories are lost, Kumorimaru has definitely grown over the years, perfecting the powers he controls to their finest level. He cannot say exactly how many souls he has dragged down to Hell, nor can he exactly say how many prices he has taken from people, but he can only be certain that the number is within the millions, if not billions, for human hatred and vice stay strong through Time passes by faster than water in a river.
Three centuries ago, Kumorimaru came across the then members of the Tsukiakari. Interested in what they were doing, sneaking around Edo in the lights of nothing but the moon, Kumorimaru had followed the three figures to their base and had revealed his presence quickly. “How farest thee, Good men and women.” He had started out, his eyes flashing in the light as he surveyed the mixture of yokai, human and spirit sitting before him. They had tried to subdue him, but Kumorimaru was fast, and had evaded their attacks. “I all but wish to join thine…gathering.” Though there had been much muttering and many doubtful glances, Kumorimaru was allowed into the group.
Since then, he started to settle in different cities, mainly within Edo. Whenever he felt like the time had come, Kumorimaru would leave the City and travel to another, staying there until whispers and weird glances started to show once more. However, after two centuries of such moving around, Kumorimaru finally decided to settle down in Edo, building his own hut in a rather secluded area before finally creating his Xun and flower arrangement selling businesses. Since then, he has claimed that he is his own son- with the help of some other friends from Jigoku- and has been living undercover ever since. Through mail and through prayer, Kumorimaru is summoned to his other job of dragging people down to eternal punishment. By bird, however, he is notified about his jobs for Tsukiakari. He now lives peacefully with Hikaru in his small hut, claiming that he is now the fifth generation within the ‘Tsubame’ family.
|| Other ||
Kumorimaru is also pretty good at making food- including udon and sushi- and tends to find jobs from time to time in famous restaurants within and outside of Edo.