Ichimoku Ren

Hi there. It's Ren.

I guess I missed your call but feel free to leave me a message and I'll get back to you.



[ooc: State if IC or OOC.]

[Player name] Erin
[Age] 24
[Personal Journal] eiredragon1
[Other characters currently played]
Mille Feuille / Sorcerer Hunters / prettyhazknight
Maeve / The Dresden Files / ladyofwinter
Ran Fujimiya / Weiss Kreuz / woundedrose
Touma Hashiba / Yoroiden Samurai Troopers / sky_protector

[Character name] Ren Ichimoku
[Age] Unknown (over 400 years though)
[Canon] Jigoku Shoujo
[Point in time taken from canon] Post season two

[Background] A tsukumogami is an object that gains a soul after 100 years of being used. It is essential a spirit that can think and witness but is not human. Ren began life as a katana. He was used by many masters for a number of purposes. To gain money, to win love, to get power. He witnessed all of these things but could say nothing about it. He couldn't count how many lives were taken by his blade but he drank more blood than most could ever hope to count. All the while, he couldn't understand why humans would do these things. Why did they kill each other? None of it made any sense to him.

During a battle he was cast aside and left in a rock. While he was there, Enma Ai and her companion Wanyuudou came across him. She recognized right away that he seemed to be searching for something. What that was wasn't clear however she did offer to have him join her. Saying that he was bored where he was, he accepted and she came to pull him free. In doing so, he was gifted with the form of a breathtakingly handsome young man. A form he favored throughout the years.

Together with Ai and her other two companions (a woman named Hane-Onna later joined them), Ren helped to drag people to Hell when someone cursed them out of revenge. This went on for hundreds of years and he watched time pass and technology blossom. However, through it all, the need for vengeance continued on. It wasn't that unusual really and he would always become a witness or Ai's doll in the situations. As the former he was there to see why the person was sending the other to Hell. What had happened between the two to cause such hatred? As the latter, he became a blue straw doll with a red string wrapped around its neck. He would remain like this until his mistress called him back or until the person pulled the string so he could grant them their revenge. Either way, once the string was pulled it was his duty to aid in terrifying the person who was being dragged to Hell, to show them their wrong doings.

Things changed somewhat when a journalist started appear every time someone had a doll. Unable to figure out how this man knew where they were all the time, they favored little pranks here and there to stop him from convincing the targets to not pull the string. In time, they came to learn that the man always knew where they were because his daughter had a connection with Ai. She could see when Ai was giving the doll and when she was going to drag someone to Hell. Why they had this connection wasn't so clear though and it baffled the companions who could do nothing to stop it. In time they learned out why.

These two were the descendants of a boy from Ai's dark past. Because of this, Ren's mistress hated them and wanted her revenge. Using her powers, she attacked the journalist and his daughter causing the Lord of Hell to become displeased. Knowing that Ai had broken the rules, her companions could only watched as she was dragged into Hell. Unable to do anything, they watched and waited to see if their mistress would truly be alright.

As it turned out, Ai wasn't done. Sending the journalist to her home of eternal twilight, she took Wanyuudou to go after the daughter. With her, she gave her the Wanyuudou doll and started to try convincing her to send her father to Hell. Why? Because years ago he hadn't forgiven her mother and her mother had gone off, getting in a car accident that killed her. The girl resisted though, not wanting to do such a thing. But her anger continued to build.

In the land of eternal twilight, Ren and Hane-Onna found the journalist and talked to him. Eventually they also helped him to get back to his world. There they tried to stop Ai but were attacked by her power and cast aside. It was up to the girl and her father. Taking them to the scene of the accident, Ai forced them to watch it again. Rather than acting the way she expected him to though, the journalist admitted that it was all his fault and that it should have been him. In an amazing moment, the girl forgave her father. Able to come to terms with her past, Ai let them go and let go of her hatred to become Hell Girl once again with her three companions at her side.

Several years later and things continued on as usual. Names were written into Hell Correspondence and if the string was pulled then the four would drag the target to Hell. During the cases they kept meeting a strange little girl. As it turned out, Ai knew her and the girl, Kikuri, would only listen to what Ai had to say. However, she clearly wasn't human and would even help with the cases.

One such case brought them in contact with a boy named Takuma. A friend of the boy's father wanted revenge and was trashing their yard and making posters about how Takuma was the Devil's child. But, the boy had never done a thing to anyone or anything. Deciding to spare his family this pain, Takuma's father prepared to have them move. Sadly, the night that they packed, the friend shot an arrow into the house that hit the mother in the throat. She died right before the boy's eyes.

At the funeral, Takuma overheard who was at fault and told his father. His father went to talk with his friend while Takuma stayed him to call the police. Not knowing that his father was over there, he was surprised to see him in the window. Rushing over, he found that the friend had slashed his father's throat with a broken bottle. The man was about to attack him as well when suddenly someone sent him to Hell. The police arrived in time for it to look like Takuma did it though there was no evidence to suggest it. With Takuma's father in the hospital, Ai and her companions moved on.

But they were destined to meet this boy again. He was an outcast and the companions sympathized with him. Especially when they knew that the mysterious disappearances throughout the town were caused by someone that wasn't the boy. However, his name was always the way people pointed fingers to take the blame off themselves. One detective sided with Takuma though and his little sister as well. The sister went to talk to Takuma but ended up being kidnapped by Kikuri to go to the land of eternal twilight. Worried about her, the detective went to see Takuma and ended up searching the house with the help of some of the neighborhood men. To protect himself, one of these men started to attack Takuma but vanished right before the eyes of everyone there.

Things in the town got worse and worse. Ren and the other two companions found themselves overworked as they were constantly sending people to Hell in that one little town. And everything was blamed on Takuma. Eventually, the townspeople decided to put an end to Takuma to end the chaos. Ai, in the meantime, brought the sister back to the reality she belonged in and the sister found Takuma and brought him into hiding. All would have been well but Kikuri showed the people where the two were hiding. These people had already beaten the detective and hidden him away. Now they were taking these two to a lake where they tied them up and put them on a boat with a hole in it to drown them. What they didn't expect was for the detective to show up and save them. Unfortunately, as they were driving away, the detective was sent to Hell.

Ai and her companions watched as the children survived the car crash and walked along. Desperate to end it all, the sister decided to send Takuma to Hell. Because if he disappeared then everything would be alright again. Pulling the string, Takuma was sent. On the ferry in though, he begged to be spared.

Back in the other reality, Ren waited with Hane-Onna and Wanyuudou for Ai to return. They felt bad for the boy but there was nothing that they could do about it. But then Kikuri showed up to tell them that Ai had brought Takuma back and because of that she had been returned to a human body. Not only that but Kikuri was the human embodiment of the Lord of Hell. Distressed by the news, they searched frantically for Ai. But when they found her, she pushed them aside. She no longer recognized them nor remembered them. They were in their own personal Hell now where their mistress didn't know them.

Becoming witnesses, they watched as their mistress saved Takuma from being killed and was walking away with him. In that moment, she was struck down and beaten to death. All the while she had a smile on her face because it was finally all over. The moment she died, she burst into a cloud of glowing sakura petals that floated off.

Left to themselves, Ren and the other two decided to live their lives in this century. It would be a Hell all its own but why not? Each of them went their separate ways then to find a new way to live.

[Personality] When it comes to Ren's personality it can be very fluid. He is used to adapting his personality to fit a situation, to get closer to a given person. This allows him to lie flawlessly and make it hard for anyone to tell what the truth actually is. What one can be certain of is that he adapts himself to be easily forgettable. Just another face in the crowd. Since he never was human, he can be quite objective and neutral in most situations and can also generally avoid growing attached to those around him during his interactions. Of course, he can sometimes seem callous with how sensible he is about things since humanity can baffle him.

Humanity has been doing things that have no logic or reason behind them for years. This is something he is curious about and he has been known to go off on his own simply to observe how a situation unfolds. Though sensible about things, he does want to know why a person will do what they do. What makes a family bond so special? Why does this person want to save that one but kill another? At times he will question such things aloud as he ponders it, attempting to come to a full understanding of what is going on. Because of his curiosity, he often takes on a passive role of just standing by and watching. This can seem cruel but he doesn't see a reason to interfere in a situation unless that is his mistress' wish. Even if one person is torturing another.

That said, he has a strong sense of right and wrong and sympathizes with those that are right. When someone is hurt because they are weak, he frowns upon it. He dislikes how ugly the human race can be at times with their unnecessary desire to cause pain to others. Of course, he watches this all so he can see the full explanation for it, no matter how much he might dislike it. It takes a very rare situation for him to actually personally step in to change things. Ren has seen the worst of humanity as well as the horrors of Hell. Really there is little that can truly disturb him. And his only fear is to be unable to be there for his mistress. This is a fear he now lives with because Ai no longer remembers him. All the same, he still keeps a cool face.

To those around him that are not his companions, he comes across as a handsome young man who is polite and friendly. He's well-mannered and charismatic. Not only that but he's a heartbreaker. Men and women have fallen for him causing him to leave behind a trail of broken hearts. Really this is something that entertains him so he allows others to fall for him even if he feels no real attachment to them. He knows that he's pretty and, while he isn't narcissistic, enjoys being admired for that reason. This can include admiring himself and comparing himself to other attractive people around him. These good looks are useful to him and help him to get closer to people if he needs to. On the other hand, he does get a little down when he realizes that he's not the one being admired.

Around those he considers himself close to, he can still be cool and smiling but he also has a dry-witted sense of humor and cynical. Rare irritation can crop up but this is mostly directed towards Kikuri who can get on the nerves of just about anyone. Really he doesn't have friends though and considers Ai, Hane-Onna, and Wanyuudou to be his family. What he seems to want the most is companionship even if he doesn't seem to fully realize that for himself. With these three he is protective, especially of Ai, and doesn't want to see them harmed. No matter what they have his true devotion and loyalty.

It should also be noted that while he can be so cynical about humanity, he does seem to genuinely care for them. He treats them kindly and hates when a good person is sent to Hell. There has even been a moment where he rushed in to cover a daughter's eyes so she wouldn't have to see her mother hit the ground when her mother jumped off a bridge onto the street below. According to Ai, he does care even if he doesn't always do something to help another in the end.

When one sees Ren, one will usually find a pleasant smile on his face. It's rare to see him without it when someone doesn't know him well. It's a look that is very inviting and perhaps a mirror into that bit of him that cares so much. Cares enough to be the witness when no one else can see what happens.

Ren is a cool guy who is friendly to others. However, he's not human and never was human. Therefore, he spends his time watching passively to see what happens. But he is sure to give you a smile even in some of the darkest times.

[Abilities] First of all, it should be noted that Ren is not actually human. He is a spirit. An object that has a soul. Because of this, he doesn't age, doesn't become ill, doesn't need to eat or rest, doesn't die. It can also be implied that he can't get hurt. This is not to say he can't be defeated. Strong powers can bind him and can force him back. It's probably possible that he could be destroyed but why would he allow that to happen to his pretty face?

When he was a sword, Ren witnessed the world around him. Because of that, he can now witness anything, anywhere, anytime. By calling upon an eye that he can place anywhere, he can watch a scene unfold. This eye can only be noticed by others if he wishes them to notice it. On the other hand, some people might notice a feeling of being watched by another. This eye can be useful since he can place it on the back of his head to see directly behind him. It can also be used to create a beam of light that can cause harm to supernatural beings and knock out a human.

As a fighter, he is very capable and people have described him as fighting as if he has eyes in the back of his head. Really, this isn't so far from the truth. What people don't always realize is that he's also stronger, faster, and more agile than a normal human being. He can also teleport (for the sake of the game his ability to teleport between dimensions will be gone) from place to place.

To blend in, he can change his clothes with a simple thought. Plus, he is a skilled actor and convince people that he belongs in a situation, able to pick up on the skills of a profession easily. This allows him to spy on a target to gather more information as to why the hatred is so deep. Also, he can play the role of several different people (a teacher, a funeral worker, a construction worker) and have the ability to have people believe that he was a different person each time without them realizing that it was all the same person. (An ability he probably won't use in the City.) And, pictures of him tend to vanish so he won't leave a record on history. As in, someone takes a picture of him and the picture just...disappears. But he can also change into a blue straw doll. This can either be by his own will or by the will of Ai. Ai can also force him to change if she so desires to do so.

Another power that is important to note though it isn't likely to be played, is that he can transform into anything. A pile of money, another person. The reason this is unlikely to be played is because he does this when he is helping to terrify a person while dragging them to Hell. This is not really a power that he's displayed outside of this moment nor shown a desire to display.

[Other important stuff] Though Ren has the ability to travel between dimensions, he won't have that ability here. With that out of the way, he's likely to blend in with the world around him, making friends and getting to know people. He is the one who will watch what happens and to do that he becomes part of the world until it is time for him to move on to the next part of his life.

[Sample post]
[First Person]

[Ren pauses when he sees the little survey. Sure he could ignore it but he's seen young boys and girls having fun with these. Well, could be worth it to see if that's true, right? He decides to give it a go.]

- If you could go back home, would you? Why or why not?
Well, I did have some floors to finish clean so I suppose going home wouldn't be so bad. I am responsible for them after all. [Really it's not like he has anything left to go home to so it hardly matters.]

- What were you doing before now?
Heh. Actually cleaning those floors I just mentioned. Then again, you might mean here and if that's the case then I was just looking through my Dreamberry.

- If you were to describe yourself in one sentence, what would that be?
I am someone with the handsome looks of a devil. [He shrugs a bit. It's not like he really has much to say about himself. He could be whatever he wanted.]

- If I offered to save your soul for a price, would you go with it and why?
[This one makes him smile gently and almost sadly.] I'd have to decline. My soul has already been claimed.

- Would you consider yourself a hero or a villain? Why? Neither is an option as well, but still tell why.
I suppose that if neither really is an option then I'll have to pick that one. A handsome man like myself really can't be taking on the role of a hero or of a villain. I might steal away the attention from everyone else.

- You're asked to take someone out for a date. Do you agree? If so, describe what you would do. If not, tell why.
Mm...I guess I could say yes if she was really cute. It's not like I really have a reason to refuse her. So I'd take her to a nice restaurant and then a walk through the park to look at the stars. After that, we'd likely go back to her place for some...drinks. [A smug little look at that. He can't help that he's beautiful.]

- Murder. What is your opinion?
It's just another part of life. There's not much reason to get worked up over it.

- There is a cake in the rain. What do you do?
[He blinks.] I'm...not sure why there would be cake in the rain. But I guess I would leave it? It's not like I want it...

[Third Person]

He'd been out exploring when it had happened, a sudden rain that seemed to want to drown the land. People ran from it to hide in their homes but it hadn't stopped Ren. Rain was something he was used to and it was something natural that really couldn't do anything to hurt him. Honestly, what could actually hurt him in a place like this? And if nothing could hurt him then he could always continue to move through the storm to see how this place changed as water fell upon it and think of days long since gone. Days like when he'd been with his Oujo, Ai. He had to smile at that as his body became soaked, his skin feeling the moisture of the world around him.

Ai was someone who had saved him and had shown him that there was a world out there, a world all for him to try to understand. People were strange and somehow beautiful and also ugly. They could be so kind or so cruel and if he went with her then he could see it all. It was something he'd done willingly, wanting to learn about everything. Besides, there had always been something about her that had drawn him. Maybe it had been the sadness hidden away under a layer of no emotion at all. Hell he really had no way of knowing and it hadn't been something he'd ever really considered before.

Ren had been her companion and had come to know her and the other two as his family. Not that he ever shared this with them in a way that they could hear, of course. For some reason he felt it better to keep that to himself. If he ever said it so they could understand then it would somehow break the spell.

Stopping, he looked up at the sky as he realized that perhaps he should have told them. Would that have helped him to keep his Oujo from dying? Or keep them all from deciding to go their different ways? He really had no idea but there were times when he found himself longing to be with them again. As terrible as it was to have to watch people send each other to Hell and to see all the horrors humans could put each other through, it had been a home to him. That life had been what he'd known for so many years. Sometimes he still had no idea what he would do in this Hell without his Oujo there to guide him. This Hell where he would live forever just wanting to touch her again.

Humans had lovers and loved one another enough to become married. Couples. That wasn't the kind of devotion that he had for his mistress though. Yes, he loved her with every last fiber of his being but in a way that dictated that she was truly his everything. Life was an endless spot of grey that he could only barely brighten without her around. He could pretend that everything was beautiful but there was always that one little thing missing.

A noise alerted him off to the side and Ren watched as two men beat on another, ripping his clothes and stealing everything valuable from him. The man cried out for help again and again but no one came. Perhaps he could have gone to help him but what good would it really do in the end? There was no meaning to it for him and it was pointless. All he really wanted to do was watch and see if these muggers were caught and wasn't surprised at all to find that they weren't in the end.

Shrugging, he kept on walking, leaving that man to bleed to death. Using his power, he let an eye watch him on the wall, unseen and unnoticed. He heard the man swear he would have his revenge on them and Ren only wondered for a moment how he would do that without the Hell Correspondence website. Then he was closing that eye and turning off the road to head into a fancy hotel. Others might have picked other places to stay but he really did like the best of everything sometimes. Not because he needed it but because it was pretty to look at.

Besides, some of the worst people in the world were rich and they were the ones he watched the most. To see why they did what they did.

He was frowned upon for being dressed so casually and for dripping water all over the floor but he ignored that and just got a room then headed on up. Tomorrow he could really go looking for a job so he could have something more to do than wander about and watch people. He could only do so much of that before he got bored.

...He'd never been bored with Oujo.

Frowning, he flopped onto his bed and rolled on his side. There were some days when he wished that he could forget. Apparently this was going to be one of those days.

[Why do you want to play this character in Somarium?] Ren is the perfect neutral party. You can be evil or you can be good and he is not likely to step in one way or the other. The world needs someone who will simply observe and I think it will be interesting to see someone like that in the world of Somarium.
[Which rule was your favorite and why?] No playercest. I say this often. Yes, I do.
[Any questions?] Nope