Childhood illnesses? Any interesting stories behind them?
20. Childhood illnesses? Any interesting stories behind them?
Apart from extreme starvation as a youngster, Hiyori has not actually suffered a great deal of illnesses that are too interesting. Her body is surprisingly very, very resistant to a lot of infections. And it’s a good thing too. She has survived living in abject poverty, barely paper to cover her body in during some cold nights- -and yet as has made it through. It shows how resilient she is and how strong her reiatsu is.
However, her malnutrition from early on in her life still affects her presently. If she were to have been nourished and cared for appropriately at the age that she desperately needed it, Hiyori would be a lot taller and fuller-figured. As it stands, she is extremely small, barely tipping the scales at 26 kg even soaking wet. She dropped some of that weight even further in the Winter War after her bifurcation. Her muscles had almost started atrophying in her arms and legs until Hachi got healing kidou in them and she was put on a reishi-enhanced meal that enabled her to gain strength and muscle mass in her body once more.
In addition, the hollow inside can always enhance those feelings of starvation from her earlier days. Make her feel empty, hungry and low. She’s often happiest when there is an excuse for the vizards to indulge and feast - -her family around her. Her favourite foods. She feels full and warm and safe.
Perhaps the worst illness she has suffered is more in her head than in her body. Not many people can see it, but she used to only ever know how to be strong. She could not learn to be nice or sweet because being strong was the only way to get food. The only way to ensure you were not beaten bloodied in your sleep. The only way to make sure nobody hurt you or kicked you around. Constantly being kicked around, being treated like some piece of garbage, did not make for a happy childhood. But, she soon found a way out of that life. With Kirio and the Shinigami academy she found hope. A young, impressionable child poured all her hopes and happiness in Kirio’s lap. However, this intense attachment also cemented her need to be even stronger than before. The stronger Hiyori was, the more worth she had. If she were a strong shinigami, she would be valuable.
And so, all she knew was strength. To be strong. To punch people away and kick and fight and make sure nobody treated her like a doormat. But... she still has her heart?
A soldier with that kind of heart, also means that she felt everything immensely. Sensitive, emotional, attached-- young. She had all the emotions of a child and the job of an adult. Her responsibilities made her tougher, but it also meant that she made more and more reckless decisions. Took on even more responsibilities to ensure shinigami did not die under her watch. But this meant that she consistently performed the most dangerous missions. Consistently hunted and fought hollow -- and even if she was good at it, it did not mean the work was not overwhelming.
The stress did not help her become any more well-adjusted than she was. The more she rose in her ranks in Soul Society, the more she had to lose. Her friends, her rank, her position, her strength...
None of this have helped her temper. Because each new situation in her life, demands her to be strong.
And strong people don’t ever sit and cry- - even if sometimes she just wants to because it’s all a bit too much for her.











