[BiTPR2] Renewed Revolution: Spirit World V

[Kuroimaken]

[At the Gates]

"We don't often get visitors like you. Much less from the Mortal World, or carrying wounded with them." The giant offers in as relaxed and 'indoorsy' voice as he can.

When someone is twelve feet tall, it can get pretty hard to not sound like he's bellowing at the top of his lungs to those much smaller.

"I expect you have good reason for... knocking unannounced."

______________________________

[Command Division HQ]

"Forgive my bluntness, but in well over three hundred-something years of service to the Gotei, I have not once seen the Royal Guard come to us for tea and shooting the breeze." Koutarou replied. "But such talk is not fit for the outdoors, much less because it would be improper to have my superior officers standing. Would you care to follow me into the headquarters proper?"

The Commander-General gestured towards the building. "You are all cordially invited." Funny he should stress that word in that particular way. Perhaps he found it odd that the Ki-rin Empress was the only one apparently missing from the entourage, but felt it discorteous to point it out?

[strawberryman]

[Soul Society]
(Command HQ)

Kusuma has a hand resting on the hilt of his zanpaktou, sizing Koutarou up quietly.

...when suddenly a blaring string of expletives sounds from one of Engineering's drones. "If it isn't one %$## %$!@ @@%& thing %$$@ **** ****** ** ** *****" ...the drone appears to be bleeping Chouko's voice out on it's own as her face shows up on a small screen situated on its 'face'. Kusuma looks to the drone with a bit of a muted befuddlement. The drone looks between Koutarou... then Masamune and Kusuma, then Koutarou again.

"Geez, give us some time to respond, boss-man. An unidentified cylinder popping in an destroying the Shakonmaku? Don't you remember the last few UFOs we had? I mean I know I'm the last person that should be givin' you **** about this but don't be so reckless, man."

"...what manner of homunculus is this?"

Chouko looks back to Kusuma. "It's a drone, silver fox. Guessing you're from Zero? More great news, we have the regional supervisors comin' in for their unannounced visit ready to drop our health code rating to a C-." Kusuma blinks owlishly, unsure if he should be laughing or not.

"...Silver fox? I've never heard that name..."

(Momoka's House)

Momoka was just putting some tea on when she suddenly stops, looking out towards the Seireitei with a troubled expression. Gwyn stops her conversation with Setsurou about all manner of likely embarrassing things for Momoka to raise an eyebrow.

"...'sup, sis?"

[Hueco Mundo]
(The Hive)

Nielle makes a sudden, rather unpredictable spinning motion out of nowhere as Nuala moves to counter with her kick, attempting to buffet and batter the fullbringer with her tail.

"Don't you understand you're not wanted here!?"

[Dorizzit]

[Seireitei]
Outside the Southern Gate

"He needs help. Let us in or..."

Naito trails off, reining in the aggression with an obvious effort of will. Naito looks down, breaking eye contact with the guard.

"Just let us in. Please."

[Draken]

[Hueco Mundo]
(The Hive)

"Young lady, you have no business deciding who can and can't come here! This is your grandfather's place and I am his servant. And this mortal is my guest!"

Clovis has yet to make his position revealed. By the sounds of it, he may be in one of the room's corners, probably looking for a stairwell that has not collapsed.

[Kuroimaken]

[Seireitei]
Outside the Southern Gate

"He needs help. Let us in or..."

Naito trails off, reining in the aggression with an obvious effort of will. Naito looks down, breaking eye contact with the guard.

"Just let us in. Please."

"I cannot let you in without authorization. But I can call someone who'll see to your friend." Strictly speaking, protocol would say he flat-out deny Naito's request. But these are very unusual circumstances.

The giant pulls a comically oversized reiphone (but normal-sized for him, at least) to call the nearest hospital in Seireitei.

_______________________

[Back at Command HQ]

Koutarou reins in the urge to facepalm. He doesn't normally begrudge Chouko's unusual latitude and temper, but this is a place where he ought to tread carefully.

"Gentlemen, this is a member of Orchestra, Takenaka Chouko's personal assistants within the recently-founded Engineering Division.

She may be in need of a brush in protocol. I may have given her more latitude with formality than I should." Which is about as much of a warning Chouko can get about treading carefully when it comes to people who can order her executed.

"Following recent events, she found herself needed at the Engineering Division's headquarters, which is why she is not greeting you in person." You know, the recent events Koutarou would rather not discuss out in the open where everyone can hear them.

[Ammutseba]

[Hueco Mundo]
(The Hive)

Nuala winces as Nielle's tail impacts with her, sending her flying to the side. She hits the ground and bounces once, a splash of green light flying away from her in ripples when she touches down. Assisted by Nathair in sheets, she manages to come up on her feet, dress further torn from her impact with the ground.

Some distance between her and the behemoth, the red-haired woman holds out her sword, point toward her opponent. Deep blue reiatsu collects along the blade, coalescing at the tip into a dense orb. Abruptly, she pulls the blade back, cradling the newborn cero in her left hand. It shivers, dilating wildly as her fullbring draws out its destructive potential.

[KnightDisciple]

[Soul Society]
[Southern Gate, Seireitei/Rukon Border]

[At the Gates]

"We don't often get visitors like you. Much less from the Mortal World, or carrying wounded with them." The giant offers in as relaxed and 'indoorsy' voice as he can.

When someone is twelve feet tall, it can get pretty hard to not sound like he's bellowing at the top of his lungs to those much smaller.

"I expect you have good reason for... knocking unannounced."

Chuck nodded and gestured toward the comatose Katsuo.

[Seireitei]
Outside the Southern Gate

"He needs help. Let us in or..."

Naito trails off, reining in the aggression with an obvious effort of will. Naito looks down, breaking eye contact with the guard.

"Just let us in. Please."

Chuck very carefully, and very gently, put a hand, lightly, on Naito's shoulder, having moved himself to be visible at least from the corner of his friend's eye.

"It's okay, Naito. He's just doing his job. We'll get it sorted."

"I cannot let you in without authorization. But I can call someone who'll see to your friend." Strictly speaking, protocol would say he flat-out deny Naito's request. But these are very unusual circumstances.

The giant pulls a comically oversized reiphone (but normal-sized for him, at least) to call the nearest hospital in Seireitei.

Chuck gives the giant a steady, but slightly pleading look.

"Please hurry, sir. Tell them there are signatories of the Unseelie Accords present. I am Charles of the Reiniger Clan Anderson, my friend Katsuo over there desperately needs help. Help only you and yours can provide. "

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Seireitei, Soul Society]
[Grounds of Command Division]

[Command Division HQ]

"Forgive my bluntness, but in well over three hundred-something years of service to the Gotei, I have not once seen the Royal Guard come to us for tea and shooting the breeze." Koutarou replied. "But such talk is not fit for the outdoors, much less because it would be improper to have my superior officers standing. Would you care to follow me into the headquarters proper?"

The Commander-General gestured towards the building. "You are all cordially invited." Funny he should stress that word in that particular way. Perhaps he found it odd that the Ki-rin Empress was the only one apparently missing from the entourage, but felt it discorteous to point it out?

The old man sighs and gives a "hmph" sound.

"It seems we're too predictable. But yes, I think going inside to sit down and discuss recent occurrences would be just the right thing to do. Those who can shall be joining you."
Just as he goes to turn-

[Soul Society]
(Command HQ)

Kusuma has a hand resting on the hilt of his zanpaktou, sizing Koutarou up quietly.

...when suddenly a blaring string of expletives sounds from one of Engineering's drones. "If it isn't one %$## %$!@ @@%& thing %$$@ **** ****** ** ** *****" ...the drone appears to be bleeping Chouko's voice out on it's own as her face shows up on a small screen situated on its 'face'. Kusuma looks to the drone with a bit of a muted befuddlement. The drone looks between Koutarou... then Masamune and Kusuma, then Koutarou again.

"Geez, give us some time to respond, boss-man. An unidentified cylinder popping in an destroying the Shakonmaku? Don't you remember the last few UFOs we had? I mean I know I'm the last person that should be givin' you **** about this but don't be so reckless, man."

"...what manner of homunculus is this?"

Chouko looks back to Kusuma. "It's a drone, silver fox. Guessing you're from Zero? More great news, we have the regional supervisors comin' in for their unannounced visit ready to drop our health code rating to a C-." Kusuma blinks owlishly, unsure if he should be laughing or not.

"...Silver fox? I've never heard that name..."

He blinks, and turns back. His head tilts.

"Fascinating. More advanced than anything the Mortals have come up with, and more versatile to boot.
I should have been paying more attention to the developments here. Ah well, I suppose my work does occupy me quite a bit."

Not that the Black Tortoise King's work is important or anything...

[Back at Command HQ]

Koutarou reins in the urge to facepalm. He doesn't normally begrudge Chouko's unusual latitude and temper, but this is a place where he ought to tread carefully.

"Gentlemen, this is a member of Orchestra, Takenaka Chouko's personal assistants within the recently-founded Engineering Division.

She may be in need of a brush in protocol. I may have given her more latitude with formality than I should." Which is about as much of a warning Chouko can get about treading carefully when it comes to people who can order her executed.

"Following recent events, she found herself needed at the Engineering Division's headquarters, which is why she is not greeting you in person." You know, the recent events Koutarou would rather not discuss out in the open where everyone can hear them.

Masamune set his face in a neutral expression.

"Indeed. Let us go inside, yes. Kusuma, would you mind joining us if possible? Your perspective will surely be...enlightening."

[Kuroimaken]

[Command HQ]

Going inside, the tension is palpable. And it's not just because, thanks to the recent scuffle, a good deal of the main Command HQ office is missing a portion of its roof. It was less than 24 hours ago that the confrontation took place, and the moods of the attending Command Division officers are still shaken by what may very well result in the incarceration of their boss.

Koutarou waits for the Royal Guard members present to be seated before he takes a seat himself.

"Before anything else, I must offer my sincerest apologies in troubling you to come. I count my ineptitude and inexperience as a Commander as the main reason. If my predecessor were here, I'm fairly certain he would scold me for saying so, but I offer it regardless and in good faith.

I will neither lie nor deflect my responsibilities in recent events. All I would ask is that you hear me in full before you pass your judgement."

[strawberryman]

[Soul Society]
(Command HQ)

Kusuma nods to Masamune, still a bit confused at the drone as it flies off without another word. "How very strange."

But it's back to business as they walk into command, eyes drawn inexorably upward. He says nothing, and it's hard to even gauge his expression, because it doesn't change; his mouth is still curled into a slight smirk, and his eyes unburdened. He sits after Masamune, resting his long weapon on his lap.

He's the first to respond. "Of course. It would be terrible of me to lop off your head without a chance to make your case."

[Hueco Mundo]
(The Hive)

The hollow roars, another series of explosions rocking the floor as it's torn apart by a series of 'comet' cero... and in the smoke, Nielle has fled, darting into a passage into the lower levels.

Clovis recognizes this as probably leading towards the other behemoth cages.

Oh, dear.

[Ammutseba]

[Hueco Mundo]
(The Hive)

As the dust settles, Nuala stands amidst the destruction, fine but for the state of her dress. At the last moment, it would appear she countered one cero with her own, keeping the majority of the harm off herself. Nuala catches sight of Nielle's tail as the latter disappears into the passage. High and yet guttural, she utters a scream twisted by rage and fullbring into a terribly loud shriek, like some cruel faerie wronged. It echoes off the walls of the chamber, rendering everything else into silence in its wake, and she's off, practically disappearing as green bringer light dances along her limbs. "Gitcha back 'ere, wutless coward!" she shouts, chasing Nielle down the passage.

[Kuroimaken]

[At the Gates]

The giant nods, relaying the necessary information.

As it turns out, mentioning the accords gets a medical staff there a lot sooner than they'd think. Katsuo is transfered from his current bed to a different one. One of the doctors politely stays behind to talk to the other boys.

"My name is Azusa. We're taking your friend to the nearest hospital to get him treated. Please, come with me." While the doctors actually use shunpou to carry Katsuo away, Azusa is proceeding at a normal pace - apparently unsure whether the kids can keep up. It shouldn't take more than a couple of words to tell her that they can, though.

[Draken]

[Hueco Mundo]
(The Hive)

"Ah! Not the behemoth pens! Nononono! Bad girl! Using your siblings as phase two of a videogame boss fight!"

Is that what he's been doing for the past 50 years?

Clovis dashes out of another stairwell towards the one Nielle went into, drawing his club in the process.

"Playtime is over. Entrance, Taumaturgo!"

Mid-dash, the jester is engulfed in a maelstrom of light, and comes out of it clad in bone armor, his arms and legs a sequence of rings connected by prismatic lightning.

And just like that, he runs after Nielle, quickly gaining ground.

"Stop right this moment or I will banish you, young lady! This is the last warning!"

[Dorizzit]

[Seireitei]
Inside the Southern Gate

Naito is silent until Katsuo is safely off and the group starts walking.

"Speed over manners. We can keep up."

Aoi, for her part, stays behind for a few seconds before silently appearing at the rear of the group. If anyone was keeping an eye on her, she was sending the bed back.

Command HQ

Rin, as the Captain-Commander leads her compatriots off, Shunpos to a nearby roof. Withdrawing a pen from one fold of her robe, she sketches a flowing, curved pattern onto her left arm and extends it forwards.

"White and black net. Twenty-two chasms, sixty-six collars and belts. Footprints, distant lightning, sudden abyss, swallowed land, visible in day, sky of waves, yellow line. Form a square and sink into the earth."

The words are muffled to near-silence for anyone else by the stealth Kidō Rin cast earlier.

"Bakudō 77: Gyaku Tenteikūra."

In the meeting room, Masamune and Kusuma can both feel a slight tickling at the edge of their consciousness as Rin's spell makes contact. The sensation is familiar to them; Rin has used this spell before to "attend" meetings of the Royal Guard when she was unable to leave her chambers. It will feed her a sensory stream directly from their five senses, assuming they do not resist.

If at least one of the two allows Rin to watch through them, she reaches into one pocket and withdraws a sphere of flesh with a single, rounded opening funneling towards its center.

"Record."

The inked patterns on Rin's arm flow onto the sphere, which she then pockets. She rolls her sleeve back down.

"Now, then."

Rin moves on to the next step of her current agenda, whatever that may be.

[Kuroimaken]

[To the hospital]

"Understood."

Though Shinji seems to be lagging a little bit behind the group, he appears to be shaking off the effects of the echoes he mentioned.

Katsuo has been hurried into what seems to be an operating room of some sort. The boys are denied entry, though Azusa assures that she will keep them posted as she hurriedly changes into sterile clothes within a minute of her promise.

[strawberryman]

[Hueco Mundo]
(The Hive)

Nielle continues into the deep catacombs of the hive. "...I'm not afraid of that! Anything's better than being left here to be forgotten, or bound in a tiny cell with nowhere to go! And if I have to free the rest of them to make you go away I will!" There's still a bit of fear in her tone, despite her words.

Every so often, she lets loose a flurry of meteoric cero to serve as cover fire, halls exploding into rubble in their wake.

[Ammutseba]

[Hueco Mundo]
(The Hive, Deep Catacombs)

She wasn't fast enough. Not that she couldn't just pour on more speed, but recent experiences had taught her it was unwise to do in Hueco Mundo. She might need that vigor for the next big threat. She huffs indignantly and stops in the corridor, thankful that she needn't dodge those ceros falling ahead of her any time soon. She wasn't about to let Nielle get away, she simply needed a change of tactics.

Into her Craein Seithe the ginto tubes go, and out of it comes the resin disk, transforming into a resplendent butterfly as it leaves the bag. Taking a moment to stretch her limbs, she squints into the dimness ahead, takes a deep breath, and vanishes into a rift cut through space.

She emerges again much further down the hall, close enough to Nielle to see her easily, and then disappears into another rift. Where she will emerge is clear. She'll cut off Nielle, and put a stop to this ridiculous chase. And if Nielle is very lucky, Nuala won't be quite as angry when she gets there.

[Kuroimaken]

[The meeting]

Koutarou is obviously not amused by Kusuma's gesture, but it's not like he doesn't have a point.

"I presume my predecessor has already informed you of Erscheinung Von Geister's escape from his millenia-old cell and the chaos that ensued, as well as our peace treaty with Las Noches. He became a member of the Royal Guard not terribly long before we took our first large-scale assault to the Cult of the Threefold Eye on Earth.

The operation was a disaster. Not so much from the casualties on either side, but because of what Von Geister set in motion. He catapulted Soul Society from within Izanami's bowels, intent on smashing it into Earth - the exact purpose of that still eludes us. But thanks to the efforts of Momoka Kobayashi, Koutetsu Hideki, and the research of, among others, Naganori Igarashi, we were able to avoid that fate. Unfortunately, that set us on an orbit around the Sun. And it's worth noting that in the process we lost a significant portion of Soul Society's mass. The outer rings of Rukon are no more, and if the people that lived there are still breathing today, it is thanks to the expeditious efforts of our Arrancar allies."

He doesn't hesitate to use the word, mostly by dint of the fact that this was both an important point, and the setup for what later happened.

"As you can imagine, such a catastrophic loss had us facing an entirely different set of problems. Not the least of which was the fact that we had to restructure our Senkaimon network on the fly, regroup and recover. At that time, we were also facing the threat of an army of Quincies bearing down on the Spiritual World as a whole. Among other things, they had assaulted and tortured a number of empowered mortals that became our allies around the same time Las Noches did. While they managed to fend the Quincies off, they did so in a rather... brazen fashion."

Koutarou plays the video of Hasunaga Giant-Roboting the top of the Moto building away to Okinawa then. It's about as much levity as this whole diatribe is going to get.

"I could not fail to address this. And in order to impart upon them the gravity of the situation, I went down to the mortal world myself. Sometime during my stay, I received a request from one Yamamoto Saiyuri to attempt to restablish contact with the Royal Guard by sending up a portion of the wall that makes up the Shakonmaku. I acceded. Wan Li Lin promptly came to us as a result."

At this point, Koutarou stops to see if any of the Royal Guard members present have any questions.

[Ammutseba]

[Soul Society]
(Command HQ, the meeting)

Saburo Kazuki looks on at the proceedings with absolute impartiality, his face the very nature of neutrality in diplomacy. He is seated nearby, where he can watch the flow of the meeting in detail, though far enough away that he is clearly not meant to be the focus of attention. When Koutarou pauses for feedback, Kazuki silently raps on the side of his left hand with his right, eyes front.

From outside, a pair of pretty young ladies bearing choices of the highest quality full-leaf teas, enter the meeting chamber. Heated, never boiled; steeped, never stirred. Quietly and with genuine smiles on, they attend the guests of the Seireitei. Each of them wears a badge, identifying them as criminal conscripts. Despite the reputation of these conscripts, these girls move gracefully and efficiently, serving those who wish to be served what they wish for, and unless stopped, retreating just as quickly as they came.

Kazuki sits with his hands folded neatly over his lap.

[strawberryman]

[Soul Society]
(Command HQ)

Kusuma listens to this with no change in expression.

Then thinks it over, also with no change in expression.

"So you admit to repeated instances of what could be considered gross incompetence in addressing matters of existential importance, and we are on the brink of a complete - possibly now unavoidable - upheaval in our traditions and way of life? And what's more the fiend Von Geister still roams free."

"Do not misunderstand - I have no doubt there are those in your command that have done admirably to control the damage that is being done. But that doesn't change the conditions we find ourselves in now." Kusuma stares Koutarou down with steel-gray eyes that cut to the bone, all while maintaining that calm, confident smile that nonetheless is beset with a position of power an authority.

[Hueco Mundo]
(The Hive)

Nielle snarls... and then aims another flurry of explosions at the floor in front of her, digging through the rubble in an almost frantic motion before falling into the wider halls below. They were nearing the pens now, though Nielle is flagging a bit with her expenditures of energy. Nonetheless, the likelihood of a cornered beast going down easy is pretty slim, even as she stops near Nuala, growling.

"What do you even want here, medium?"

[Ammutseba]

[Hueco Mundo]
(The Hive)

Nuala returns Nielle's growl with a snarl, looking strangely predatory for her position and size. "Ah came fer power," she informs her opposite, voice low and full of restrained fury. She whips off her mask and throws it against the wall in a single motion. It shatters into pieces, but the woman's eyes are locked on the beast's. "T' learn old memories and make em new again. But then ya made me ben, raas, an' as Ah am feelin' charit'ble, now ya will stan' down, or Ah will rip off that mask and feed it t' ya." The way her patois skitters in and out, it's clear she's doing her best to stay understandable, despite her anger. She takes a step forward and stows her zanpakuto on her back at the same time. Lime green light blossoms around her as she approaches, and her spiritual presence blooms with it.

[KnightDisciple]

[Soul Society]
[Southern Gate, Seireitei/Rukon Border]

[At the Gates]

The giant nods, relaying the necessary information.

As it turns out, mentioning the accords gets a medical staff there a lot sooner than they'd think. Katsuo is transfered from his current bed to a different one. One of the doctors politely stays behind to talk to the other boys.

"My name is Azusa. We're taking your friend to the nearest hospital to get him treated. Please, come with me." While the doctors actually use shunpou to carry Katsuo away, Azusa is proceeding at a normal pace - apparently unsure whether the kids can keep up. It shouldn't take more than a couple of words to tell her that they can, though.

Chuck seems to relax just a bit once it's clear professionals are beginning to take care of Katsuo.

"[color=#FF8000]I'm Chuck. That's Shinji, Naito, and Aoi. Let's roll.[color]"

He pointed to the appropriate people as he named them.

[Seireitei]
Inside the Southern Gate

Naito is silent until Katsuo is safely off and the group starts walking.

"Speed over manners. We can keep up."

Aoi, for her part, stays behind for a few seconds before silently appearing at the rear of the group. If anyone was keeping an eye on her, she was sending the bed back.

Chuck just nods at Naito's statement. He glances toward the slightly-lagging Aoi, but seeing that she was apparently just delayed slightly, he shrugs and moves on.

[To the hospital]
"Understood."

Though Shinji seems to be lagging a little bit behind the group, he appears to be shaking off the effects of the echoes he mentioned.

Katsuo has been hurried into what seems to be an operating room of some sort. The boys are denied entry, though Azusa assures that she will keep them posted as she hurriedly changes into sterile clothes within a minute of her promise.

[Hospital, Seireitei]
Once they arrived at the hospital and got settled, Chuck goes to find something to drink before returning to the room. He sits for about 2 minutes, before getting up and pacing a bit.

The whole "hurried into a side room while Katsuo goes off for an operation" has him clearly nervous.
__________________________________________________ ____________________________________

[Seireitei, Soul Society]
[Commander-General's Office, Command Division HQ]

[Command HQ]

Going inside, the tension is palpable. And it's not just because, thanks to the recent scuffle, a good deal of the main Command HQ office is missing a portion of its roof. It was less than 24 hours ago that the confrontation took place, and the moods of the attending Command Division officers are still shaken by what may very well result in the incarceration of their boss.

Koutarou waits for the Royal Guard members present to be seated before he takes a seat himself.

"Before anything else, I must offer my sincerest apologies in troubling you to come. I count my ineptitude and inexperience as a Commander as the main reason. If my predecessor were here, I'm fairly certain he would scold me for saying so, but I offer it regardless and in good faith.

I will neither lie nor deflect my responsibilities in recent events. All I would ask is that you hear me in full before you pass your judgement."

Masamune's posture is calm, belying the underlying currents of tension and threat present in the rum.

[Soul Society]
(Command HQ)

Kusuma nods to Masamune, still a bit confused at the drone as it flies off without another word. "How very strange."

But it's back to business as they walk into command, eyes drawn inexorably upward. He says nothing, and it's hard to even gauge his expression, because it doesn't change; his mouth is still curled into a slight smirk, and his eyes unburdened. He sits after Masamune, resting his long weapon on his lap.

He's the first to respond. "Of course. It would be terrible of me to lop off your head without a chance to make your case."

"Some might indeed see that as...improper."

Of course he's giving a mysterious little smile when he says that, so who knows what it's supposed to mean.

Command HQ

Rin, as the Captain-Commander leads her compatriots off, Shunpos to a nearby roof. Withdrawing a pen from one fold of her robe, she sketches a flowing, curved pattern onto her left arm and extends it forwards.

"White and black net. Twenty-two chasms, sixty-six collars and belts. Footprints, distant lightning, sudden abyss, swallowed land, visible in day, sky of waves, yellow line. Form a square and sink into the earth."

The words are muffled to near-silence for anyone else by the stealth Kidō Rin cast earlier.

"Bakudō 77: Gyaku Tenteikūra."

In the meeting room, Masamune and Kusuma can both feel a slight tickling at the edge of their consciousness as Rin's spell makes contact. The sensation is familiar to them; Rin has used this spell before to "attend" meetings of the Royal Guard when she was unable to leave her chambers. It will feed her a sensory stream directly from their five senses, assuming they do not resist.

If at least one of the two allows Rin to watch through them, she reaches into one pocket and withdraws a sphere of flesh with a single, rounded opening funneling towards its center.

"Record."

The inked patterns on Rin's arm flow onto the sphere, which she then pockets. She rolls her sleeve back down.

"Now, then."

Rin moves on to the next step of her current agenda, whatever that may be.

Masamune does not resist, and contrary to (a few) times past, does nothing...unusual...upon the sensory link being established.

Sometimes, you can teach an old dog new tricks. With time, effort, and negative reinforcement.

[The meeting]

Koutarou is obviously not amused by Kusuma's gesture, but it's not like he doesn't have a point.

"I presume my predecessor has already informed you of Erscheinung Von Geister's escape from his millenia-old cell and the chaos that ensued, as well as our peace treaty with Las Noches. He became a member of the Royal Guard not terribly long before we took our first large-scale assault to the Cult of the Threefold Eye on Earth.

The operation was a disaster. Not so much from the casualties on either side, but because of what Von Geister set in motion. He catapulted Soul Society from within Izanami's bowels, intent on smashing it into Earth - the exact purpose of that still eludes us. But thanks to the efforts of Momoka Kobayashi, Koutetsu Hideki, and the research of, among others, Naganori Igarashi, we were able to avoid that fate. Unfortunately, that set us on an orbit around the Sun. And it's worth noting that in the process we lost a significant portion of Soul Society's mass. The outer rings of Rukon are no more, and if the people that lived there are still breathing today, it is thanks to the expeditious efforts of our Arrancar allies."

He doesn't hesitate to use the word, mostly by dint of the fact that this was both an important point, and the setup for what later happened.

"As you can imagine, such a catastrophic loss had us facing an entirely different set of problems. Not the least of which was the fact that we had to restructure our Senkaimon network on the fly, regroup and recover. At that time, we were also facing the threat of an army of Quincies bearing down on the Spiritual World as a whole. Among other things, they had assaulted and tortured a number of empowered mortals that became our allies around the same time Las Noches did. While they managed to fend the Quincies off, they did so in a rather... brazen fashion."

Koutarou plays the video of Hasunaga Giant-Roboting the top of the Moto building away to Okinawa then. It's about as much levity as this whole diatribe is going to get.

"I could not fail to address this. And in order to impart upon them the gravity of the situation, I went down to the mortal world myself. Sometime during my stay, I received a request from one Yamamoto Saiyuri to attempt to restablish contact with the Royal Guard by sending up a portion of the wall that makes up the Shakonmaku. I acceded. Wan Li Lin promptly came to us as a result."

At this point, Koutarou stops to see if any of the Royal Guard members present have any questions.

Masamune's smile faded quickly, and he stroked his beard thoughtfully several times as Koutarou spoke, but did not interrupt.

When the Commander-General paused, the Black Tortoise King opened his mouth-

[Soul Society]
(Command HQ, the meeting)

Saburo Kazuki looks on at the proceedings with absolute impartiality, his face the very nature of neutrality in diplomacy. He is seated nearby, where he can watch the flow of the meeting in detail, though far enough away that he is clearly not meant to be the focus of attention. When Koutarou pauses for feedback, Kazuki silently raps on the side of his left hand with his right, eyes front.

From outside, a pair of pretty young ladies bearing choices of the highest quality full-leaf teas, enter the meeting chamber. Heated, never boiled; steeped, never stirred. Quietly and with genuine smiles on, they attend the guests of the Seireitei. Each of them wears a badge, identifying them as criminal conscripts. Despite the reputation of these conscripts, these girls move gracefully and efficiently, serving those who wish to be served what they wish for, and unless stopped, retreating just as quickly as they came.

Kazuki sits with his hands folded neatly over his lap.

-and stops for a moment. His eyes go to Kazuki for only a moment, before the drink servers enter. His eyes catch hold of two things. The badges, and their beauty. Masamune's grin threatens to split his face, but for all that he's not-quite-leering, his body barely moves, and he doesn't so much as twitch to engage in any...improper liberty...with the serving girl. When they leave, the smile fades, and Masamune reaches down, grasping his cup. He brings it to his nose slowly and inhales, taking in the scent. Finally, he drinks, just a few careful sips, before setting the tea cup down. Then, and only then, does he give Koutarou a level look.

"You have loyal and well-mannered Officers in this Division, Commander-General. A credit to the Division,
and perhaps to your own leadership."

He clearly isn't so sure about other Divisions.

"Before we delve too deeply into the rest of your story, I think it fitting for you to provide us a bit more explanation on some of the things you believe we know of fully. Moving to the Heavenly Realm can shift perspectives, especially after the Oken is received. It's always useful to have a...fresh perspective. So. Tell us a bit more about how the Great Abomination has been let free. And just what has and has not been done yet. I can tell the tale stirs your soul; Kokuden-ou stirs at your waist, eager for battle once more."

....Koutarou never told Masamune the name of his blade.

[Kuroimaken]

It is not difficult to see that Kusuma's rather sharp comments got to the Commander-General, in spite of his best efforts to control himself. For the most part, that's because of his usual bad habit of blaming himself for every bad thing that happens to anybody under his leadership.

But when Masamune speaks, the tension that Kusuma elicited vanishes, or at the very least subsides. When he speaks of his zanpakutou, the expression on Koutarou's face is a priceless mix of confusion and surprise, which then breaks into something of a smile.

The trick is actually that much more impressive because, given the quirks of his weapon, there is a distinct possibility none save for Koutarou himself (and possibly Masaru) know its name.

"As expected of the creator of Zanpakutou. You are uniquely in tune with the weapons around you.

When the Cult's activities began, it was not with Von Geister at the helm. His Knights broke out of their cells first - we know not the exact circumstances, but we suspect Izanami may have been indirectly involved. We had, point of fact, no practical knowledge of the prisons themselves, much less what they were supposed to contain, which we later hypothesized. Those suspicions were partially confirmed after Izanami freed one Reene Lucaster, whom had apparently been imprisoned on the grounds of Soul Society proper. Lucaster was later taken by the Cult's Knights on a concerted assault upon Seireitei, during which Izanami herself turned on us. Captain Hiraku Masaru, then interim commander of the Combat Division, lost an arm to her at the time.

By then, Von Geister had breached his cell already."

It's clear Koutarou is angry to remember both his failure to stop Lucaster's abduction and what comes next, if nothing else by the sparks in his eyes.

"When we learned of Von Geister's cell, we hurried there to make sure the Cult would not be able to free him. It is... unclear whether he had thrashed his cell from the inside so badly that he could already peer out or if our arrival finally opened the doors for him, but at the time,
he taunted us. Mocked us, and finally attacked us, before he walked away. He then hid on Earth, spreading his influence among the mortals as the leader of the Cult of the Trifold Eye. We were able to track the Cult's headquarters to the city of Ikari, Japan thanks to the aid of the Kuzunoha clan of onmyouji and the Anderson clan of Quincies. Which we then assaulted."

Koutarou's hands clench at this point, before he takes a deep breath.

"The Kuzunohas provided us with a storm under which to attack the Cult and minimize civilian casualties. I purified one of their Knights at the time. However, assaulting the holdings of Von Geister proved a tactical mistake. His daughter Felicia assaulted our troops with biological warfare, and as we regrouped, Von Geister apparently used perverse geomancy to channel the dead in order to have them dislodge Soul Society from its previous location. He then vanished, only resurfacing when we attacked the Cult's operations again, this time in Eastern Russia, where they were apparently trying to make use of the broken landmass of Soul Society that had crashed into Earth when it was moved. I engaged him in combat then, but could only manage to superficially wound him before my officers restrained me from attacking further."

______________

[The hospital]

Though it's only been minutes since their arrival, the anxiety is certainly thick enough to make it seem like much, much longer. Shinji appears drained, enough so that he doesn't try to offer words of comfort to his companions, and that he doesn't try to stop Chuck's pacing.

Until eventually he sounds out weakly, "...they know what they're doing. Tobioka-sensei is the master of all our healing techniques. If he said the Shinigami can help, then I know the Shinigami can help."

It's a bit unclear whether he's saying that to the others or to himself.

[strawberryman]

[Soul Society]
(Command HQ)

Kusuma considers this quietly, his casual tone of voice slipping away. "...we must consider our next steps carefully. Which is why we must also fully consider whether your command is sufficient to bring Von Geister to justice and seeing to his imprisonment. Izanagi - greatest of us all - as wise and powerful as he was, was not perfect, and his choice to keep those who proceeded him in the dark was perhaps not how it should have been done. He held to the belief that the best course of action was to leave him to be forgotten - but unfortunately, while the Seireitei forgot of him, his patience apparently paid off." And just like that, it's back. He shrugs, sighing it off.

"Quite a mess, I must say. I'm not entirely sure you are fit."

[Hueco Mundo]
(The Hive)

Nielle growls back, holding her ground. "Power? You'll more likely find enslavement. You might not think of it like that, but you'll be in chains if He finds interest in you. Whether you put them on yourself or not!"

"If you aren't one of His already. You came with the jester, after all.

[Ammutseba]

[Hueco Mundo]
(The Hive)

"Yer overhind the times, an' hard o' hearing t'boot," she takes another step forward as she speaks, daring Nielle to do something about it. The light on her thickens, taking on a liquid appearance, and the pressure around her grows heavy to match. "Stan' down, and if ya still so concerned 'bout it, Ah may hear y' out."

[Draken]

[Hueco Mundo]
(The Hive)

"You don't want advice from this girl, Nuala. She's had a temper since she was small as an elephant and always drove her siblings to a frenzy. Unmanageable when we lost her mother, really. It was why she was locked up."

Clovis now towers at least thrice as tall as he was before, although some of it can be given over to his overly stretched, energy-bound limbs.

"And I don't trust you to just leave anymore, Nielle, so I think it is time to send you to Europa's side with a very stern letter along with your report card."

The jester's hands flash, and the corridor around Nielle is filled with snaking chains of light.

"Fixing up this old trap took way too long, maybe I should just have zipped ahead of them. Ah, this is more fun."

[KnightDisciple]

[Soul Society]
[Hospital, Seireitei]

[The hospital]

Though it's only been minutes since their arrival, the anxiety is certainly thick enough to make it seem like much, much longer. Shinji appears drained, enough so that he doesn't try to offer words of comfort to his companions, and that he doesn't try to stop Chuck's pacing.

Until eventually he sounds out weakly, "...they know what they're doing. Tobioka-sensei is the master of all our healing techniques. If he said the Shinigami can help, then I know the Shinigami can help."

It's a bit unclear whether he's saying that to the others or to himself.

Chuck stopped and turned to Shinji, his expression softening a bit.

"You're right, Shinji. This is just hard. I'm bad at this sort of waiting. Feeling so powerless. Especially since I don't even know anything beyond 'Katsuo's sick'. It's enough to drive a man bonkers."

__________________________________________________ _______________________________


[Seireitei, Soul Society]
[Commander-General's Office, Command Division HQ]

It is not difficult to see that Kusuma's rather sharp comments got to the Commander-General, in spite of his best efforts to control himself. For the most part, that's because of his usual bad habit of blaming himself for every bad thing that happens to anybody under his leadership.

But when Masamune speaks, the tension that Kusuma elicited vanishes, or at the very least subsides. When he speaks of his zanpakutou, the expression on Koutarou's face is a priceless mix of confusion and surprise, which then breaks into something of a smile.

The trick is actually that much more impressive because, given the quirks of his weapon, there is a distinct possibility none save for Koutarou himself (and possibly Masaru) know its name.

"As expected of the creator of Zanpakutou. You are uniquely in tune with the weapons around you.

When the Cult's activities began, it was not with Von Geister at the helm. His Knights broke out of their cells first - we know not the exact circumstances, but we suspect Izanami may have been indirectly involved. We had, point of fact, no practical knowledge of the prisons themselves, much less what they were supposed to contain, which we later hypothesized. Those suspicions were partially confirmed after Izanami freed one Reene Lucaster, whom had apparently been imprisoned on the grounds of Soul Society proper. Lucaster was later taken by the Cult's Knights on a concerted assault upon Seireitei, during which Izanami herself turned on us. Captain Hiraku Masaru, then interim commander of the Combat Division, lost an arm to her at the time.

By then, Von Geister had breached his cell already."

It's clear Koutarou is angry to remember both his failure to stop Lucaster's abduction and what comes next, if nothing else by the sparks in his eyes.

"When we learned of Von Geister's cell, we hurried there to make sure the Cult would not be able to free him. It is... unclear whether he had thrashed his cell from the inside so badly that he could already peer out or if our arrival finally opened the doors for him, but at the time,
he taunted us. Mocked us, and finally attacked us, before he walked away. He then hid on Earth, spreading his influence among the mortals as the leader of the Cult of the Trifold Eye. We were able to track the Cult's headquarters to the city of Ikari, Japan thanks to the aid of the Kuzunoha clan of onmyouji and the Anderson clan of Quincies. Which we then assaulted."

Koutarou's hands clench at this point, before he takes a deep breath.

"The Kuzunohas provided us with a storm under which to attack the Cult and minimize civilian casualties. I purified one of their Knights at the time. However, assaulting the holdings of Von Geister proved a tactical mistake. His daughter Felicia assaulted our troops with biological warfare, and as we regrouped, Von Geister apparently used perverse geomancy to channel the dead in order to have them dislodge Soul Society from its previous location. He then vanished, only resurfacing when we attacked the Cult's operations again, this time in Eastern Russia, where they were apparently trying to make use of the broken landmass of Soul Society that had crashed into Earth when it was moved. I engaged him in combat then, but could only manage to superficially wound him before my officers restrained me from attacking further."

[Soul Society]
(Command HQ)

Kusuma considers this quietly, his casual tone of voice slipping away. "...we must consider our next steps carefully. Which is why we must also fully consider whether your command is sufficient to bring Von Geister to justice and seeing to his imprisonment. Izanagi - greatest of us all - as wise and powerful as he was, was not perfect, and his choice to keep those who proceeded him in the dark was perhaps not how it should have been done. He held to the belief that the best course of action was to leave him to be forgotten - but unfortunately, while the Seireitei forgot of him, his patience apparently paid off." And just like that, it's back. He shrugs, sighing it off.

"Quite a mess, I must say. I'm not entirely sure you are fit."

Masamune sips his tea for a few moments before speaking.

"So despite bringing in 'allies' in the form of a cohesive polity of, not just Hollows but Arrancar, and then further calling upon Mortals far more than any time in history, your greatest accomplishments thus far are striking down a single one of the Knights of Von Geister, never mind that he may have made more, and keeping Soul Society from being completely destroyed.

I can recognize that you did not engineer many of the current factors. But I have yet to see much evidence that you've done anything to address the issues present, never mind that a society that has stood strong for thousands of years is in great peril.
I must agree with my comrade and question your continued fitness for command. But."

The air feels...drier, somehow.

"First, we must know and understand what happened when Wan Li Lin arrived."

[Kuroimaken]

Yeah, the criticism was a long time coming. It actually surprises Koutarou that Masamune reined it in that long.

"No, that is not a merit of my leadership but rather a telltale sign of the competence of the officers under my command. Which is all the more reason why the following events transpired as they did.

It is worth noting that the significant lack of intelligence we had been acting upon at the time slowed us to a crawl." The Commander-General sighs. "At one point, we worked under the assumption that Von Geister may have been a portion of Izanami's soul - her Zanpakutou, especifically - and that slaying him might result in her return, which was a turn of events we could not afford either. So we were deadlocked at the time. We've only recently been able to confirm that is not the case.

It's also worth noting that Las Noches took care of the Quincy threat for us. Given the scale of the battle that took place, we could have been met with significant casualties in spite of our superior expertise and numbers. They, once again, did us a favor.

But I digress. You asked me what happened when Wan Li Lin came to us. Some of what I will report, mind, is second-hand knowledge, since I was away when Yamamoto Saiyuri tried to contact the Royal Guard.

From what I understand, among other things, Wan Li Lin assaulted that very same Yamamoto Saiyuri - possibly in ways we cannot heal or fully ascertain,
mind - in order to make her more 'apt to the task of aiding them'. They also summarily executed the Chamber of Forty-Six with nothing so much as resembling a trial. They yet breathe, yes, but they are like living cadavers, utterly catatonic.

Upon my return, I immediately requested an audience. Wan Li Lin demanded we immediately turn on Las Noches as well as initiate a move from our current position by means of a device that was not only not fully understood by me, but had also apparently never been tested, which they insisted could not wait in the slightest."

Koutarou takes a deep breath at this point.

"I could neither accept such demands as they were nor simply allow they do as they please with their Zanpakutou within Seireitei as though the officers and people within were tools or worse, toys for their amusement. And while I fully comprehend it was not within my authority to do so, I requested Wan Li Lin place themselves under effect of a limiter while not under a combat emergency. I absolutely refused to pay Las Noches' good faith with violence, or to allow the use of a device that could very well have damaged Soul Society's structural integrity even further without making sure that none would be affected.

As a result, Wan Li Lin and I clashed in combat. The fact I'm talking to you right now ought to tell you how that went, but you need not take my word for it - there are recordings to that effect that I am more than happy to submit for your perusal.

For what it's worth, Central 46's decisions towards Las Noches were more or less aligned with Wan Li Lin's, so I ignore why they thought it better to have them executed. I was not their first choice for this post, either. But, my differences of opinion with them aside, I could not condone the fate that was decided for them. I was, in fact, prepared to make arrangements to institute a new Chamber before your arrival.

I will say this as many times as necessary. You may judge my ineptitude for command as you will, but I will not tolerate the abuse of officers under my wing no matter the nobility of the cause or of the title held by those who would engage in such practices."

[Ammutseba]

[Seireitei, Soul Society]
[Commander-General's Office, Command Division HQ]

Sensing his commanding officer's anger and the unfortunately rising tension, Kazuki doesn't dare to interrupt again. He does allow himself to glance at Koutarou, making eye contact briefly. Then he takes a silent breath, and lets it out just as quietly. He practices this inaudible deep breathing, a simple relaxation technique, and perks his brows ever so slightly, just the same way he does as when he teaches a student.

[Dorizzit]

[Soul Society]
Hospital

Naito found a chair in the corner of the room and has been sitting there quietly since the group's arrival, hunched over and looking around discontentedly. Forcing one hand to unclench, Naito notes the bloody marks gouged into their hand and stands up abruptly.

"I can't...just sit here. I'm going for a walk."

Naito heads for the door. Aoi begins to stand as well.

"Would you like me to-"
"No. I'm fine."

Naito doesn't look back, but the tone used with Aoi is still considerably restrained based on Naito's recent behavior. She sinks back into her chair, apparently unperturbed.

[Kuroimaken]

[Soul Society]
Hospital

Naito found a chair in the corner of the room and has been sitting there quietly since the group's arrival, hunched over and looking around discontentedly. Forcing one hand to unclench, Naito notes the bloody marks gouged into their hand and stands up abruptly.

"I can't...just sit here. I'm going for a walk."

Naito heads for the door. Aoi begins to stand as well.

"Would you like me to-"
"No. I'm fine."

Naito doesn't look back, but the tone used with Aoi is still considerably restrained based on Naito's recent behavior. She sinks back into her chair, apparently unperturbed.

On the way, Naito runs into a very bandaged kid. Whom apparently recognizes him.

"Sheesh, I must be in a more sorry state than I look if they actually asked you boys to come up here."

NOW DOESN'T THAT VOICE SOUND FAMILIAR.