Shirako Kazusagi

"Even without legs I can still kick your ass!"

Appearance
Shirako Kazusagi (白子  和兎)  is an albino rabbit Faunus eighteen years of age. She has ultra-pale skin, reddish-pink eyes with deep red pupils, and thick white hair cut into a choppy bob. Her rabbit ears are short and leaf-shaped with white fur inside. Her face is round, and she has a somewhat flat nose and no noticeable lips or eyebrows. Her figure is a muscular lower build.

Shirako is a double below-the-knee amputee and wears prosthetic legs to walk. On ordinary days she chooses to wear black-red-pink ombré running blades fixated to black plastic sockets. For special occasions she wears plated ivory colored heeled prosthetics.

Her battle garb consists of a white jumpsuit with grey fingers and padding along the sides of the ribcage down to the hips. Over the jumpsuit she wears two layers of short-sleeved, waist-length robes. The under robe is red, and the top robe is white with her emblem on her left-side breast. The two robes are secured with a broad white obi tied high across the bust. She also wears a red sash tied around her waist.

Personality
Shirako is an outwardly stingy yet silent person, and doesn’t easily trust others. She habitually carries herself in an air of cynicism and strangeness to make others avoid her. Most of her social behaviors are ways she “tests” new people. As a result, Shirako doesn’t have any long-standing friends.

Among people she’s more familiar with, Shirako is the observer in the group. She doesn’t feel the need to say something unless it needs to be said. Though disconnected at times, she does care for the wellbeing of those she respects.

Her free time is usually spent alone, often either running, dancing, reading, or meditating. She is a person determined to always improve herself in athletics and academia.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Garamond","serif"">Her view of the world is discerning yet passive. She identifies moral flaws in society rather easily, but has no motivation to try to change anything. She believes that trying to change or inspire an entire population is a waste of effort, and to instead focus one’s energy on improving at the individual level.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Garamond","serif"">Shirako is highly confident with her morals and abilities. When challenged, she will passionately defend herself. She also despises when others doubt or pity her because of her handicap. Sometimes her pride can get the best of her, and if it bothers her enough, she will lose her cool and angrily go out of her way to prove anyone wrong.

<span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Garamond","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:"TimesNewRoman";mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">In combat situations, Shirako is a focused fighter and not much of a team player. Part of her believes relying on a team to be a show of weakness. Thus, her first concern in battle is always her own safety.

History
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Garamond","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language: EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">Shirako was born and raised in an outlier community in Atlas. As a young child, she was often bullied by neighborhood children for her race and appearance. Resenting going outside, she occupied her secluded days with her elder brother, who entertained and educated her until he left for Atlas’s junior huntsman academy. She admired her brother, and his absence deeply crushed her. She spent days at a time isolated in his room, only emerging to eat or spend small moments with her parents when they returned home from their jobs. Shirako’s mother and father tried encouraging her to socialize with other children, but her fearful stubbornness and their busy schedules nulled any progress.

<span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Garamond","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language: EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">It wasn’t until she received a letter from her brother that she had a change in motivation. He informed that he would be visiting for a day soon and lightheartedly ordered Shirako to play outside so she would be strong enough to have a sword duel with him. For the first time in months Shirako left her sanctuary. She ventured into a nearby wood to play alone, but accidentally walked into a group of kids’ secret hideout. They surrounded, mocked, and chased her deeper into the wood. Before any of them realized it, the children were cornered by a Beowolf. They all panicked and ran, but Shirako, battered and exhausted, stumbled to the ground, and the monster lunged towards her. Her kicking feet were caught and crushed in its mouth. The Beowolf would’ve eaten her then and there, but a hunter suddenly dove in and slayed the beast – her brother.

After the incident, Shirako underwent surgery to amputate her lower legs. Emotions brewed within her during the rehabilitation years, and out of spite she sought to grow stronger against the bullying and oppression, both from other people and her fears. Becoming a huntress was the perfect way she felt would display her determination to the world.

Weapon
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Garamond","serif"">“Lunar Grace” – Shirako is outfitted with a custom set of prosthetic legs for combat, nicknamed “Luna-Legs”. The bulk of the legs are greyish-red in color and taper to red colored blades in the front and back. The prosthetics are held in place with a special helical woven mesh inside the sockets that expand when exposed to higher temperatures (namely, Shirako’s body heat), and metal braces that secure around her thighs. The legs have no feet or joints, so while the risk of mechanical malfunctions is at a minimum, mobility and stability are also inhibited. Shirako makes up for this weakness with her semblance.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Garamond","serif"">As backup, Shirako is equipped with a short ninjato sword with a red blade and a black bound handle. She keeps the sword sheathed and suspended at her left side from a red sash tied above her hips. <h3 class="MsoNormal">Semblance <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Garamond","serif"">“Orbital” (hyper-equilibrium) – Shirako’s semblance augments her sense of balance and equilibrium to a point where she appears to glide or levitate. She uses her semblance quite often to maneuver and perform feats that would otherwise be inhibited by her prosthetics. In battle, Orbital is used to steady her poise and landings, dodge quicker, and perform nimble acrobatics. In its full use, Orbital will make it seem as though gravity has a slow effect on Shirako. <span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Garamond","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:"TimesNewRoman";mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">Since she has used her semblance on a regular basis for many years, the strain on her aura has become very minute. Her physical strength is more likely to be exhausted before her aura during a typical mission.

Fighting Style
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Garamond","serif"">Shirako’s fighting style primarily consists of martial arts and kicks to attack with her prosthetics. With the help of her semblance, she is extremely nimble and swift in combat, avoiding and countering strikes with relative ease and executing acrobatic strikes. She especially favors attacking mid-air by launching enemies to perform piercing dive-kicks or sweeping roundhouses. The aerial techniques are very helpful when in team attacks.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Garamond","serif"">In a team attack, sometimes Shirako herself is used as a weapon. Since her hands are almost always free, another teammate can lock hands with her and swing her around to clear the surrounding area. This move can also be done solo with a pole. <span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Garamond","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:"TimesNewRoman";mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">Shirako is limited with ranged attacks. She wields no projectile weapon and little defense armor-wise against them. Her only counter against oncoming projectiles is her agility to avoid them.

Misc.

 * Shirako’s aura is white.
 * Shirako has type O blood.
 * Lunar Grace was designed to be as adaptable and inexpensive as possible without losing combat efficiency. Shirako is saving money for a more desired pair of cybernetic prosthetics with transforming mechanisms that allow for retractable blades.
 * Shirako’s acute equilibrium inspired her to learn how to dance. While exploring different styles, she developed an interest in ice skating as well. Fellow ice skaters she practiced with called her Snow Bunny.
 * Shirako is not ashamed of her albinism and chooses to wear only white, black, and red to accentuate her appearance instead. Ironically, though, most of her garments cover a lot of skin to protect against sunburn.
 * She owns many parasols.
 * She loves the night time. She would choose to be nocturnal if society wasn’t daytime oriented.

Trivia

 * Shirako is an allusion to the Moon Rabbit.
 * The kanji for Shirako Kazusagi’s name [ 白子 和兎 ] translates to “albino harmonic rabbit”.