Shū Kasumiōji

Shū Kasumiōji (霞大路 愁, Kasumiōji Shū; most commonly referred to as “Lord Kasumiōji”, (Kasumiōji-sama) is the husband of and the current steward of the Kasumiōji Clan, making him second in command. Formerly a member of the lower noble Kannogi Family, Shū became an indentured retainer to the Kasumiōji when he was still a young boy. He was later adopted as an heir to the Kasumiōji and betrothed to Rurichiyo, whom he recently married. It was largely due to his efforts in exposing the Edagawa Clan Conspiracy some twenty years ago that the Kasumiōji, previously a lower noble family itself, was able to rise in prominence and become one of the Four Noble Houses. This has made him a man with many enemies, and while he prefers to keep to himself and may be somewhat pacifistic in his approach to clan affairs, his policy regarding both military and political conflict is usually to “strike first,” which tends to surprise those who affiliate themselves with the clan. Currently his attention has shifted to more personal matters, as he and his wife are expecting their first child. As such he has taken much of the responsibilities associated with leading the clan upon himself in order to lighten Rurichiyo’s load during her pregnancy, which leaves him with little spare time.

Regarded as one of the most skilled masters in the, Shū has been approached many times by the  and  alike, although he has always refused their requests that he join them. He is also the vessel of the god Ushiwaka, the left hand of the, having barely managed to escape the of nine years ago that had threatened to claim his life. Born with and the ability to see visions of the past via his dreams, Shū is considered to be a potential war hazard and as such his movements are closely observed by the Gotei 13, despite his supposed exemption from interference as a noble clan member.

Appearance
As Shū was born as a sickly child with a fairly weak constitution, his current stature is rather unimpressive, and he stands at just below average height. He has a lean frame with a long, straight, torso and proportionate limbs, and while he possesses some muscular definition, he remains rather thin and “bony,” with his clavicles, ribs and shoulder blades standing out sharply; visible beneath his skin. When he was younger he was much slighter and incredibly gaunt, but after becoming frustrated with his own frailty he began to train in order to gain more physical strength. While the results may not be exactly obvious, he has succeeded in increasing his natural level of speed and stamina, enough to where he is fairly competent in hand to hand combat. Mainly, however, he utilizes his to compensate for his lack of physical strength, tending to avoid direct confrontation unless absolutely necessary. Thus, while he has worked hard to overcome his physical shortcomings, he is still practical-minded and recognizes that it would be foolish to rely on such an undependable body in combat.

Shū does not consider himself to be overly handsome, and while it may be true that he appears average at first glance, on closer inspection many find that has a quiet, natural attractiveness that creates a sense of honesty without distraction. His face is symmetrical and his complexion clear and healthy, which greatly enhances his appearance. He has a small, rounded and subtly turned-up nose that blends well with his soft, triangular jaw line, which meets at a pointed chin. His somewhat prominent cheekbones serve to widen his face and add an air of elegance while his eyebrows are blunt and flat, matching his mouth, which is also flat with slightly thick lips. Shū keeps his auburn-brown hair at medium length, with thick, messy strands covering his square-shaped ears and reaching to his neck. He seems to put very little effort into taming it, and his style is rather haphazard, to say the least. This actually annoys Rurichiyo to a certain degree, although he is unaware of this since she has never mentioned it to him. It is likely he would change it in an instant if he knew, however, simply to please her.

His eyes are quite noticeable, as their piercing gray coloration instinctively draws the attention of others. Their shape is slightly rounded, and the ends turn down steeply. Since his eyelids are thick, when in a calm and relaxed state of mind they hood his eyes in a deeply pensive expression. However, most of the time his gaze is alert and searching, keenly accumulating fine details of visual data while seeming to eternally analyze those around him, as if trying to peer into their thoughts. His eyes are those of someone who has perhaps seen farther than he should have, and are haunted by knowing itself. This tends to unnerve most people who talk to him for any length of time, and he has noticed that they tend to avert their gaze to avoid looking directly at his eyes. In an attempt to improve his own manners he tries not to stare, but in his role as the Kasumiōji Clan’s steward, correctly gauging another’s intentions is crucial, and so in many ways it cannot be helped.

Unlike many of the noble class, Shū’s current attire is simple and somewhat austere in nature, plain in comparison to the elaborate costumes of his peers. He wears a simple white with wide, long sleeves and a dark green shitigai or lining. The sleeves have visible seams that border the cuffs, which recalls a kariginu in design. The color of his is also dark green, and like the Shinigami he utilizes basic straw  as footwear. Instead of a traditional he uses a thick red cord to fasten his garments, which has two loops and two strands that hang from the knot. On top of his hakama, both in front and at the back, he has a long half-skirt of white cotton with a design that utilizes the motif of the Kasumiōji— a crane in flight— printed at the bottom edge. His most portentous article, however, are the dark purple that he wears across his shoulders. They are connected in front by a gold tassel and attached to a square piece of cloth in the back, which is superciliously emblazoned with his clan’s mon. He also has vanbraces on his lower arms that match the epaulets in color, but they serve a more practical use in providing a place to hide various pre-made Kidō tags for spell-casting. The color of his hakama is interesting to note, because while purple is the color chiefly associated with the Kasumiōji clan, green is the color of the Kannogi Family, from whom he was disowned, although it is unknown whether this incongruence was intentional or not.

When Shū was a young boy his features were much softer, with a cordate jaw line, button nose and thick lips adding an air of delicacy to his countenance. He still wore his hair in the same careless and mussed fashion, but his clothes were much larger and looser than his current attire. This was most likely to hide his slight figure, which he was somewhat self-conscious of. His eyes seemed to be much larger and rounder, filled with what many took to be innocence and anxious hope. As the years passed their clear blue color faded until they eventually dulled to gray, perhaps signifying his growing disenchantment with life. His only other notable feature is the pronounced vertical scar that runs over his heart, just to the left of his sternum. It is normally silver in color, having faded over the years, but will turn black when Ushiwaka is awakened as the scar serves as the focus of the god’s seal.

Trivia

 * Shū's theme song, as stated by the author, is In the End by.