[BitP:R] Soul Society 2

[Kuroimaken]

"Let me answer your question with another question. If it ultimately defeats my enemy and keeps my companions from harm, what's a wound or two?"

[KerfuffleMach2]

Alysha pauses, then smiles a little. Yeah, that's a good point. I just don't want that wound or two to become a missing leg.

[Kayne650]

Nasumi, still red, stiffly salutes Daisuke as she steps into his office. This causes an audible rip as her Shihakusho's seams give away near around her right armpit, and Nasumi quickly turns from beet red to flour white. She quickly lowers her hand, before walking closer to Daisuke's desk. Some unknown factor makes it look like the towering young woman shrinks as she comes forward, even though she all but block Daisuke's view of the rest of the room.

"Un - unseated Zaraki Nasumi reporting back from Gotei Joit-Operations Mission, Koishima-sama!", she blurts out nervously, bowing so deep so quickly she almost hits her head on Daisuke's desk. When she stands up, she finds, to her horror, that she has no idea what more to say. "Um..."

"... may I go now?"

It took all of Daisuke's self-control not to burst out laughing when the poor girl's shihakusho rips, but he managed to keep it down. He looked way up at her she drew near. The height difference was only accentuated by the fact that Daisuke's head only barely cleared his desk.

"Oh yeah, the Gotei Joint-Ops." Said Daisuke, remembering the mission that had taken Nasumi to the Mortal World. He remembered Magatsu-sama asking to go with them, but Sakura-taichou had needed him for something. Probably just to keep an eye on him.

"I see you've been busy with that, Nasumi-chan. I've already received several reports from the 4th division about several injured Shingami, including the Vice-Captain of the 13th division? But though I know what injuries were sustained, I don't know what caused them. What did you run into that would cause such severe injuries to a Vice-Captain? It had to be more than an ordinary Hollow." It was easy to forget, while he was sitting at his desk, giving orders to a woman a foot taller than him, that Daisuke's usual behavior was much more carefree. It made you wonder which was the act.

Daisuke, while waiting for her reply, hops off of his seat and walks over to the side of his office, where he opens a sliding door and reveals a set of shihakushos, each of a different size. "If you wish, Nasumi-chan, please take one from here that would actually fit you. I keep these here for the new recruits, because other storehouses have been known to run out of certain sizes, as it seems you know." A small smirk played across Daisuke's lips, but nothing more than that. It was an odd amount of restraint for the 3rd seat.

It probably had something to do with the Shihakusho he had been given on his first day as 3rd seat; it had been seven sizes too big.

[Kuroimaken]

Alysha pauses, then smiles a little. Yeah, that's a good point. I just don't want that wound or two to become a missing leg.

"That shouldn't be a problem. If I miss a leg, how am I going to stand to defend others?"

You realize it's been 'defend others' instead of 'kill my enemy' for a while now, haven't you?

...

[Terry576]

Karite lay in bed, sleeping, dreaming.

In his dream, he was standing in a circular, pure white room. But not with his Shinigami uniform, he was wearing a more casual outfit, a pair of pants and a shirt with a vest. At the edge of the room was a closed door. But the door... You could look straight at it, and look through it at the same time. And on the other side, was another him. But the other him looked like a shadow.

A shadow with yellow eyes.

The shade spoke, saying,

You know, for a Vice Captain, you kinda suck. Lost your sword... Nearly killed the men on patrol... I wonder... Do you really deserve the title, or was it given to you?

Karite turned in his sleep, muttering.

Hmm... No answer. I guess you won't mind if I... take over, then?

"I would mind, actually."

You're worthless Karite. A weakling. Couldn't keep your sword, couldn't save your friends. You've got nothing left. The instant you're back on pay, Natsuko's going to make damn sure you never go on another patrol again.

"..."

No response eh? It looks like you're out of ideas. If you just let me take over for a while, everything will be better Karite-chan. You'll have everything you ever wanted.

"No. I... I won't."

You're slipping Mitsukai. Soon, very soon, I'll ask again. And next time...

You won't say no.

The shade vanished, as did the room.

And still Karite slept.

[ThreadOfFate]

Whistling cheerily, Minuet ran over the rooftops of Soul Society, taking the chance to work on her flash-step. She wasn't great at it, and since she was now in 5th Division, it was something she really needed to work on. She wasn't often berated by her Captain for being slow, but better to stop the problem before it started.

So it was soon enough that she found herself at 3rd Division headquarters, having a few messages to pass between the Divisions. Admittedly, she could have just given them to hell butterflies, but she enjoyed the exercise and practice. It also meant that she didn't have to listen to another of her Captain's old man speeches. He didn't do them often, really, but any chance is a good chance to escape.

Walking in, still whistling, she spotted Daisuke standing by an open closet filled with uniforms. Her blossoming question of why was soon squashed as she looked over in front of her, spotting Nasumi, who was practically exploding out of her shihakusho. Minuet stopped in her tracks, her eyes opening slightly and her head tilting a bit. Sure, she'd seen the girl before, but not in something so tight. Taking a good look down at herself, the sighed slightly as she realized she was smaller, though not by much. Being rather well-endowed seemed to honestly be the norm here. Maybe it was a mental thing, your soul was reborn to look like what you'd always wanted to look like. Or, you know, maybe not.

It was rather funny to note that not even once did she consider alternative reasons for why a woman dressed in tight, currently ripping clothes would be in Daisuke's office.

Nevertheless, she greeted Daisuke with a smile and a wave accompanied by a puppy barking, Nasumi with a smile and a wave, and Nasumi's chest with a smile and a wave.

She pulled a scroll from the bag on her back and double-checked the recipient before handing it to Daisuke, approaching him past Nasumi. She then turned to face the girl and raised an eyebrow, then looked at the open closet, then back to her. She made a brief "ah" face of understanding, and then held out a hand in a clear offer to help.

[Kayne650]

Whistling cheerily, Minuet ran over the rooftops of Soul Society, taking the chance to work on her flash-step. She wasn't great at it, and since she was now in 5th Division, it was something she really needed to work on. She wasn't often berated by her Captain for being slow, but better to stop the problem before it started.

So it was soon enough that she found herself at 3rd Division headquarters, having a few messages to pass between the Divisions. Admittedly, she could have just given them to hell butterflies, but she enjoyed the exercise and practice. It also meant that she didn't have to listen to another of her Captain's old man speeches. He didn't do them often, really, but any chance is a good chance to escape.

Walking in, still whistling, she spotted Daisuke standing by an open closet filled with uniforms. Her blossoming question of why was soon squashed as she looked over in front of her, spotting Nasumi, who was practically exploding out of her shihakusho. Minuet stopped in her tracks, her eyes opening slightly and her head tilting a bit. Sure, she'd seen the girl before, but not in something so tight. Taking a good look down at herself, the sighed slightly as she realized she was smaller, though not by much. Being rather well-endowed seemed to honestly be the norm here. Maybe it was a mental thing, your soul was reborn to look like what you'd always wanted to look like. Or, you know, maybe not.

It was rather funny to note that not even once did she consider alternative reasons for why a woman dressed in tight, currently ripping clothes would be in Daisuke's office.

Nevertheless, she greeted Daisuke with a smile and a wave accompanied by a puppy barking, Nasumi with a smile and a wave, and Nasumi's chest with a smile and a wave.

She pulled a scroll from the bag on her back and double-checked the recipient before handing it to Daisuke, approaching him past Nasumi. She then turned to face the girl and raised an eyebrow, then looked at the open closet, then back to her. She made a brief "ah" face of understanding, and then held out a hand in a clear offer to help.

"Oh, thank you, Mini-chan!" Daisuke said, taking the message from Minuet while still waving to her. He placed it on his desk and looked back at Minuet.

"Actually, could you help Nasumi-chan find a replacement uniform?" Daisuke asked, noticing her offer. "I have ones designed for women in there, but I'm not sure how to make sure they fit." Daisuke admitted, blushing slightly. "I'll look away, if you want me to."

[KerfuffleMach2]

"That shouldn't be a problem. If I miss a leg, how am I going to stand to defend others?"

You realize it's been 'defend others' instead of 'kill my enemy' for a while now, haven't you?

...

Alysha smiles.

Alright, well, your recovery is good so far. Can't let you leave yet, but soon. Probably another couple days.

I'm off to go check on Hachirou. I'll stop by tomorrow, okay?

She grins, gives Kazuma a wave, and, unless stopped, heads to Hachirou's room.

When she arrives a few minutes later, she knocks on the doorway. Hi Hachirou! Come to check up on you.

[Hadrian_Emrys]

[Kido Corps grounds]

Sayuri had left work before the news of the joint-op disaster had reached 1st division - unusual for her, but she had more pressing and personal matters to take care of.

Dressed in her freetime clothes, the dark blue yukata with cloud patterns, she waits for Vice-Commander Yuuta at the Corps gates. Curiously enough, she's holding a brightly decorated gift-bottle of fine Sake - this catches the attention of several Junior members who are spending their time outside.

What could be going on?

A weary-looking Vice-Commander approaches the district's gate with naught but a soundtrack of chaos, violence, and industry heralding his arrival. The Corps looks nothing like it once did, with all but the most ancient temples, living quarters, and offices still standing. The entire area hums with energy as Corps members and students alike synchronize destructive and protective kido as they dismantle the maze of buildings.

[Purple Rose]

"I just finished the paperwork regarding Terrel Poi, and Daisuke-kun has the rest of it under control for the moment. I figured I'd see how you were doing after a rare instance of being allowed to do our duty. And I respectfully disagree, Sakura-taichou... one should always enjoy their job, especially if it can be done well." He fell into step besides his Captain. "I assume things will be boring as usual for a while?"

Sakura knew that there were those who looked at her squad and wondered why she tolerated somebody as... brash... as Magatsu, especially as her Vice Captain. She, however, had her reasons for giving him his position. The soul society had so often fallen into a state of stagnation when one reigning view had risen to the top and dominated the procedures that dictated how it was run. Her own squad had once been trapped in such a self repeating cycle. So while his opinions and behavior was almost diametrically opposed to her own, or perhaps because of it, Sakura valued the shinigami's attitude.

"Yes. With any luck. At least until we are called upon again."

She pauses as they pass Daisuke's office door, glancing inside.

"Good afternoon, Daisuke. Any business for me while I was... out?"

She nods at the other two, though she doesn't recognize them off the top of her head.

[Kayne650]

Sakura knew that there were those who looked at her squad and wondered why she tolerated somebody as... brash... as Magatsu, especially as her Vice Captain. She, however, had her reasons for giving him his position. The soul society had so often fallen into a state of stagnation when one reigning view had risen to the top and dominated the procedures that dictated how it was run. Her own squad had once been trapped in such a self repeating cycle. So while his opinions and behavior was almost diametrically opposed to her own, or perhaps because of it, Sakura valued the shinigami's attitude.

"Yes. With any luck. At least until we are called upon again."

She pauses as they pass Daisuke's office door, glancing inside.

"Good afternoon, Daisuke. Any business for me while I was... out?"

She nods at the other two, though she doesn't recognize them off the top of her head.

Daisuke looked up as Sakura looked in the doorway, Magatsu trailing behind. "Hello, Sakura-taichou, Magatsu-sama! No, nothing for you to look at, Sakura-taichou. I got a message from the 5th division, but I'm pretty sure it's just another report from the 4th division about the Joint Ops. The rest of the paperwork is just stuff that I need to deal with."

Oh, and this is Zaraki Nasumi, an unseated Shinigami in our division," Daisuke said, indicating the woman still standing awkwardly in his office, "And this is Minuet, the Vice-Captain of the 5th division. She was delivering a message for me. Is there anything else I can do for you?" Daisuke finished after indicating the much smaller girl standing in his office.

He hoped that the odd sight of Nasumi, still straining the limits of her shihakusho, wouldn't make a poor impression on the captain. Sakura usually had little patience for such improper nonsense as what was happening in his office, but perhaps she'd understand that it wasn't exactly Nasumi's fault that she was over six feet tall.

[Kuroimaken]

Alysha smiles.

Alright, well, your recovery is good so far. Can't let you leave yet, but soon. Probably another couple days.

I'm off to go check on Hachirou. I'll stop by tomorrow, okay?

She grins, gives Kazuma a wave, and, unless stopped, heads to Hachirou's room.

When she arrives a few minutes later, she knocks on the doorway. Hi Hachirou! Come to check up on you.

"Thank you. Give my regards to him."

Kazuma then laid back and tried to get some sleep. He wasn't sure when he'd have another opportunity to do so.

[Frozen_Feet]

[4th Division Recovery ward]

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Yoshi winced as the truth hit right to the core.

"You're correct in the end. Though my weapon range isn't quite as flimsy of an excuse. I'll...I'll keep your words in mind. It's been a couple of decades since I've done anything but invent and train. I suppose I'll have to mull over leadership for the future. After all..."

Here he smirked a bit, and his tone became good-natured, but teasing.

"I'll have a bigger paycheck and research budget the higher I go. Thank you for your time and advice, Hachirou. Was there anything else you needed to speak with me about?"

"Nothing that can't wait. Have a pleasant evening, Hirako-san." hachirou starts drifting asleep as soon as Yoshi steps out of the door.

Wait. Wait! Did you notice that?

Notice what?

No honorific! No honorific at all! You know what that means, right?

... for the sake of my sanity, I'll answer 'general disrespectfulness'.

But -

... whatever alternate explanation you might have in mind, I don't want to hear it.

That's it! You're no fun! I'm not talking to you anymore!

Be my guest, Jin.

Hi Hachirou! Come to check up on you.

Hachirou's eyes shoot open as Alysha calls from him. Instinctively, he tries to lift his hand to check his watch and see how long he's been asleep, but finds he lacks strenght to do so - then he remembers he doesn't have a watch anyway, as earlier the medics carefully cut it away from his singed wrist. Smiling wearily, he turns to look at Alysha.

"Ah, Sietka-kun. Nice to see you again. How are others?"

... have I mentioned she has very beautiful eyes?

Jin, for the love of...

---

[3rd Division]

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"I see you've been busy with that, Nasumi-chan. I've already received several reports from the 4th division about several injured Shingami, including the Vice-Captain of the 13th division? But though I know what injuries were sustained, I don't know what caused them. What did you run into that would cause such severe injuries to a Vice-Captain? It had to be more than an ordinary Hollow." It was easy to forget, while he was sitting at his desk, giving orders to a woman a foot taller than him, that Daisuke's usual behavior was much more carefree. It made you wonder which was the act.

Daisuke, while waiting for her reply, hops off of his seat and walks over to the side of his office, where he opens a sliding door and reveals a set of shihakushos, each of a different size. "If you wish, Nasumi-chan, please take one from here that would actually fit you. I keep these here for the new recruits, because other storehouses have been known to run out of certain sizes, as it seems you know." A small smirk played across Daisuke's lips, but nothing more than that. It was an odd amount of restraint for the 3rd seat.

It probably had something to do with the Shihakusho he had been given on his first day as 3rd seat; it had been seven sizes too big.

Nasumi has known her new superiors for too little time to wonder or know what is usual for them and what is not. So, she just answers the questions as they come. "I'm sorry, I didn't actually see what caused injuries to Karite-fukutaichou", she says, feeling a little embarrassed. So far, she has only heard few off-hand comments of his fight against Auset. "Me and Amagatsu-san, errr, I guess it was 8th? Yes, 8th seat of 11th Division were busy fighting off a crowd of lesser Hollows - real many of them, so many they covered every inch of ground! Um, there was also this man from 2nd Division, but he fought pretty much on his own, so I didn't really get to know him..." At this point, it's clear Daisuke has to do some work himself to squeeze a coherent report out of Nasumi's babbling.

"So we fought, and I smashed in the face of this mantis Hollow, and when I got back to him, Amagatsu-san was wounded real bad, and we were surrounded, and then this weird one-armed woman came and saved us - I wish I was half as cool as her - Oh! Do you know anyone called Nagamichi Soushi, Koishima-sama? I'm supposed to tell him that he's needed in the Zaraki district..."

Nasumi's blush has faded, and her mismatched eyes are following Daisuke's motions with dopey enthusiasm, not really registering what he's doing as she's so focused to tell him all she knows. Thus, his offer catches her off-guard. "You... you have this many Shihakushos, Koishima-sama? Uh, yes, if it's okay, I'd very much like one..." She quickly begins rummaging through the clothes to find a size that fits.

Spoiler

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Walking in, still whistling, Minuet spotted Daisuke standing by an open closet filled with uniforms. Her blossoming question of why was soon squashed as she looked over in front of her, spotting Nasumi, who was practically exploding out of her shihakusho. Minuet stopped in her tracks, her eyes opening slightly and her head tilting a bit. Sure, she'd seen the girl before, but not in something so tight. Taking a good look down at herself, the sighed slightly as she realized she was smaller, though not by much. Being rather well-endowed seemed to honestly be the norm here. Maybe it was a mental thing, your soul was reborn to look like what you'd always wanted to look like. Or, you know, maybe not.

It was rather funny to note that not even once did she consider alternative reasons for why a woman dressed in tight, currently ripping clothes would be in Daisuke's office.

Nevertheless, she greeted Daisuke with a smile and a wave accompanied by a puppy barking, Nasumi with a smile and a wave, and Nasumi's chest with a smile and a wave.

She pulled a scroll from the bag on her back and double-checked the recipient before handing it to Daisuke, approaching him past Nasumi. She then turned to face the girl and raised an eyebrow, then looked at the open closet, then back to her. She made a brief "ah" face of understanding, and then held out a hand in a clear offer to help.

Spoiler

Show

"Oh, thank you, Mini-chan!" Daisuke said, taking the message from Minuet while still waving to her. He placed it on his desk and looked back at Minuet.

"Actually, could you help Nasumi-chan find a replacement uniform?" Daisuke asked, noticing her offer. "I have ones designed for women in there, but I'm not sure how to make sure they fit." Daisuke admitted, blushing slightly. "I'll look away, if you want me to."

Nasumi blinks, a brand new Shihakusho folded on her arms, as Minuet sneaks into the room. "... Mini-chan?", she wonders out loud and bops her head. Well, she is tiny, she thinks. Though not quite as tiny as Koishima-sama... However, "Mini-chan" seemed to be older than Daisuke... of course, in the world of spirits, that doesn't mean she's necessarily older, but the question still pops into Nasumi's mind. "Koishima-sama, is she your big sister?"

When Daisuke suggests Minuet to help her, Nasumi is on her way to say 'No thank you, I can manage', when it finally registers that he's calling her by her given name, and using the suffix '-chan', and has been doing that for the whole discussion. This causes her mouth to clamp shut and her face to flare red again. What is it with officers and addressing their underlings in a socially proper, non-embarrassing manner? You'd think they'd die from it...

Spoiler

Show

Sakura knew that there were those who looked at her squad and wondered why she tolerated somebody as... brash... as Magatsu, especially as her Vice Captain. She, however, had her reasons for giving him his position. The soul society had so often fallen into a state of stagnation when one reigning view had risen to the top and dominated the procedures that dictated how it was run. Her own squad had once been trapped in such a self repeating cycle. So while his opinions and behavior was almost diametrically opposed to her own, or perhaps because of it, Sakura valued the shinigami's attitude.

"Yes. With any luck. At least until we are called upon again."

She pauses as they pass Daisuke's office door, glancing inside.

"Good afternoon, Daisuke. Any business for me while I was... out?"

She nods at the other two, though she doesn't recognize them off the top of her head.

Spoiler

Show

Daisuke looked up as Sakura looked in the doorway, Magatsu trailing behind. "Hello, Sakura-taichou, Magatsu-sama! No, nothing for you to look at, Sakura-taichou. I got a message from the 5th division, but I'm pretty sure it's just another report from the 4th division about the Joint Ops. The rest of the paperwork is just stuff that I need to deal with."

Oh, and this is Zaraki Nasumi, an unseated Shinigami in our division," Daisuke said, indicating the woman still standing awkwardly in his office, "And this is Minuet, the Vice-Captain of the 5th division. She was delivering a message for me. Is there anything else I can do for you?" Daisuke finished after indicating the much smaller girl standing in his office.

He hoped that the odd sight of Nasumi, still straining the limits of her shihakusho, wouldn't make a poor impression on the captain. Sakura usually had little patience for such improper nonsense as what was happening in his office, but perhaps she'd understand that it wasn't exactly Nasumi's fault that she was over six feet tall.

Nasumi's already wobbling train of thought screeches to halt and goes off the rails when Daisuke introduces Minuet to Sakura. "... Mini-chan is a Vice-Captain?", she blurts out, and then bleaches completely in horror when she realizes she said that aloud. And now her Captain, of all people, is in the room? Nasumi clutches her new Shihakusho tight with his other hand as she reflexively snaps into attention and salutes her superior. "Ta - taichou! Good evening!" This is accompanied with a new ripping sound, as the sleeve covering Nasumi's right arm tears rest of itself off.

---

[Kido Corps gate]

A weary-looking Vice-Commander approaches the district's gate with naught but a soundtrack of chaos, violence, and industry heralding his arrival. The Corps looks nothing like it once did, with all but the most ancient temples, living quarters, and offices still standing. The entire area hums with energy as Corps members and students alike synchronize destructive and protective kido as they dismantle the maze of buildings.

Sayuri does her best to keep her attention off of the chaos that was once the labyrinthine-yet-beautiful main body of the Kido Corps structure. What buildings that are left remind her of hacked-off limbs strewn across a bloodied battlefield.

"Hello again, Vice Commander Yama-sama", she greets cheerfully, giving the large man a deep bow. "I'm very glad you agreed to this little meeting. I understand the renovations leave you little to no free time. I apologize beforehand for any inconvenience this might have caused you."

She stands up and looks Yuuta in the eyes, smiling, and offers the decorated Sake bottle to him. "I've come to apologize for my intrusive behaviour three days back. In hindsight, I was not... very fair to your superior. As a way of making amends, I decided to bring him this little gift. I'm sure he will appreciate it."

Her face becomes solemn when she says the next part. "I do have to ask you to keep his hand off of it during his working time, however. He's a man of many good ideas, but I fear those might be lost in a fit of drunken fancy. I apologize for being this straight-forward and rude, but I hope you keep him in good tracks."

[Kayne650]

Spoiler

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[3rd Division]


Nasumi has known her new superiors for too little time to wonder or know what is usual for them and what is not. So, she just answers the questions as they come. "I'm sorry, I didn't actually see what caused injuries to Karite-fukutaichou", she says, feeling a little embarrassed. So far, she has only heard few off-hand comments of his fight against Auset. "Me and Amagatsu-san, errr, I guess it was 8th? Yes, 8th seat of 11th Division were busy fighting off a crowd of lesser Hollows - real many of them, so many they covered every inch of ground! Um, there was also this man from 2nd Division, but he fought pretty much on his own, so I didn't really get to know him..." At this point, it's clear Daisuke has to do some work himself to squeeze a coherent report out of Nasumi's babbling.

"So we fought, and I smashed in the face of this mantis Hollow, and when I got back to him, Amagatsu-san was wounded real bad, and we were surrounded, and then this weird one-armed woman came and saved us - I wish I was half as cool as her - Oh! Do you know anyone called Nagamichi Soushi, Koishima-sama? I'm supposed to tell him that he's needed in the Zaraki district..."

Nasumi's blush has faded, and her mismatched eyes are following Daisuke's motions with dopey enthusiasm, not really registering what he's doing as she's so focused to tell him all she knows. Thus, his offer catches her off-guard. "You... you have this many Shihakushos, Koishima-sama? Uh, yes, if it's okay, I'd very much like one..." She quickly begins rummaging through the clothes to find a size that fits.

Nasumi blinks, a brand new Shihakusho folded on her arms, as Minuet sneaks into the room. "... Mini-chan?", she wonders out loud and bops her head. Well, she is tiny, she thinks. Though not quite as tiny as Koishima-sama... However, "Mini-chan" seemed to be older than Daisuke... of course, in the world of spirits, that doesn't mean she's necessarily older, but the question still pops into Nasumi's mind. "Koishima-sama, is she your big sister?"

When Daisuke suggests Minuet to help her, Nasumi is on her way to say 'No thank you, I can manage', when it finally registers that he's calling her by her given name, and using the suffix '-chan', and has been doing that for the whole discussion. This causes her mouth to clamp shut and her face to flare red again. What is it with officers and addressing their underlings in a socially proper, non-embarrassing manner? You'd think they'd die from it...

Nasumi's already wobbling train of thought screeches to halt and goes off the rails when Daisuke introduces Minuet to Sakura. "... Mini-chan is a Vice-Captain?", she blurts out, and then bleaches completely in horror when she realizes she said that aloud. And now her Captain, of all people, is in the room? Nasumi clutches her new Shihakusho tight with his other hand as she reflexively snaps into attention and salutes her superior. "Ta - taichou! Good evening!" This is accompanied with a new ripping sound, as the sleeve covering Nasumi's right arm tears rest of itself off.

Daisuke looked back at Nasumi with a bit more pity. The poor girl looked like she was having a mental breakdown in the middle of his office.

"Nasumi-chan, how about you go ahead and go get changed somewhere? I can talk to you later and get a report of the mission then." Daisuke suggested, giving Nasumi a clear escape route. The girl had to get out of the office or she'd shut down, from the looks of it. And this way, she could take the suggestion of a superior and not look bad in front of her commanding officer.

But he did want to talk to her later. She mentioned something about Soushi, and that made Daisuke curious. What would someone in the Mortal World want with Soushi? Actually, he could take care of that now, once Nasumi left.

"Now, Sakura-taichou; is there something you needed?"

[KerfuffleMach2]

[4th Division Recovery ward]

Hachirou's eyes shoot open as Alysha calls from him. Instinctively, he tries to lift his hand to check his watch and see how long he's been asleep, but finds he lacks strenght to do so - then he remembers he doesn't have a watch anyway, as earlier the medics carefully cut it away from his singed wrist. Smiling wearily, he turns to look at Alysha.

"Ah, Sietka-kun. Nice to see you again. How are others?"

... have I mentioned she has very beautiful eyes?

Jin, for the love of...

Alysha dons her usual smiles as she walks over to Hachirou's bed.

So far, so good. Karite seems a little...distressed. Not exactly sure what'll calm him down.

Kazuma says hi, by the way.

She starts her routine of checking on him, looking for any signs of anything not healing.

[ThreadOfFate]

Spoiler

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[3rd Division]

Nasumi has known her new superiors for too little time to wonder or know what is usual for them and what is not. So, she just answers the questions as they come. "I'm sorry, I didn't actually see what caused injuries to Karite-fukutaichou", she says, feeling a little embarrassed. So far, she has only heard few off-hand comments of his fight against Auset. "Me and Amagatsu-san, errr, I guess it was 8th? Yes, 8th seat of 11th Division were busy fighting off a crowd of lesser Hollows - real many of them, so many they covered every inch of ground! Um, there was also this man from 2nd Division, but he fought pretty much on his own, so I didn't really get to know him..." At this point, it's clear Daisuke has to do some work himself to squeeze a coherent report out of Nasumi's babbling.

"So we fought, and I smashed in the face of this mantis Hollow, and when I got back to him, Amagatsu-san was wounded real bad, and we were surrounded, and then this weird one-armed woman came and saved us - I wish I was half as cool as her - Oh! Do you know anyone called Nagamichi Soushi, Koishima-sama? I'm supposed to tell him that he's needed in the Zaraki district..."

Nasumi's blush has faded, and her mismatched eyes are following Daisuke's motions with dopey enthusiasm, not really registering what he's doing as she's so focused to tell him all she knows. Thus, his offer catches her off-guard. "You... you have this many Shihakushos, Koishima-sama? Uh, yes, if it's okay, I'd very much like one..." She quickly begins rummaging through the clothes to find a size that fits.


Nasumi blinks, a brand new Shihakusho folded on her arms, as Minuet sneaks into the room. "... Mini-chan?", she wonders out loud and bops her head. Well, she is tiny, she thinks. Though not quite as tiny as Koishima-sama... However, "Mini-chan" seemed to be older than Daisuke... of course, in the world of spirits, that doesn't mean she's necessarily older, but the question still pops into Nasumi's mind. "Koishima-sama, is she your big sister?"

When Daisuke suggests Minuet to help her, Nasumi is on her way to say 'No thank you, I can manage', when it finally registers that he's calling her by her given name, and using the suffix '-chan', and has been doing that for the whole discussion. This causes her mouth to clamp shut and her face to flare red again. What is it with officers and addressing their underlings in a socially proper, non-embarrassing manner? You'd think they'd die from it...

Nasumi's already wobbling train of thought screeches to halt and goes off the rails when Daisuke introduces Minuet to Sakura. "... Mini-chan is a Vice-Captain?", she blurts out, and then bleaches completely in horror when she realizes she said that aloud. And now her Captain, of all people, is in the room? Nasumi clutches her new Shihakusho tight with his other hand as she reflexively snaps into attention and salutes her superior. "Ta - taichou! Good evening!" This is accompanied with a new ripping sound, as the sleeve covering Nasumi's right arm tears rest of itself off.

Spoiler

Show

Daisuke looked back at Nasumi with a bit more pity. The poor girl looked like she was having a mental breakdown in the middle of his office.

"Nasumi-chan, how about you go ahead and go get changed somewhere? I can talk to you later and get a report of the mission then." Daisuke suggested, giving Nasumi a clear escape route. The girl had to get out of the office or she'd shut down, from the looks of it. And this way, she could take the suggestion of a superior and not look bad in front of her commanding officer.

But he did want to talk to her later. She mentioned something about Soushi, and that made Daisuke curious. What would someone in the Mortal World want with Soushi? Actually, he could take care of that now, once Nasumi left.

"Now, Sakura-taichou; is there something you needed?"

Turning quickly to face the two new arrivals, Minuet gave a slight bow to the Captain of Third, and a slighter one to her fellow Vice-Captain. Thinking quickly, Minuet grabbed several more shihakasho of various sizes, then took Nasumi's arm and pulled her out of the room past the three highest-ranked people in 3rd Division into an empty nearby office. The letters on the front indicated it was the 5th seat's office. Hopefully he wasn't coming back soon.

Closing the door behind them, and now alone, Minuet smiled and took in a deep breath. Getting back to answering her questions, she put her two fingers up, then pointed at herself and nodded, then raised her hand with all five fingers extended.

She then bowed again, face apologetic, as the sound of a door opening and closing quickly sounded. Then, she looked her over and unfolded one of the shihakusho she got and held it up to her, comparing sizes. Shaking her head, she did it with another one, then nodded and held it out to her to try out.

[Terry576]

Karite lies in bed still, again asleep.

This time... He's in the middle of the Chamber of Central 46, strapped to a chair he can't get out of. A hooded man points an accusatory finger towards him, roaring,

"Karite Mitsukai, you are hereby charged of allowing several Shinigami to undergo intense pain while you were there, failing in your duties, and general incompetence! What do you say!"

He opened his mouth, but no words would come out.

The hooded man's mouth was visible, smiling grimly.

"Just as I thought. Take him away!"

As he was being pulled out of the chair, and dragged away, the hooded man removed the hood, and Karite stared at a reversed version of his face, grinning back at him.

With yellow eyes.

"Tough luck, eh Mitsukai? If you just let me-"

"Silence wretch."

The reverse Karite scowls.

"You were gone. We agreed that I had three days."

A woman appears, gently touching down on the floor, with a tight lipped

"That was before I knew what you wanted to do. Now, if you will excuse us..."

She waved a hand, and the entire room melted, returning to the pure whie circular room, and the reverse Karite stuck behind a door.

"We have business to attend to."

She turned with Karite and walked out.

[Outside of Rukongai]

Pure Ice rained down, right towards the Thirteenth Division's Training Area. The Ice slowly and slowly towered, until it broke.

At the center, streaking towards the middle of the Area, was a sword.

It quivered as it struck the ground.

[Purple Rose]

[Sakura]

Sakura looks at Nasumi for a long moment, her face stern but not judgmental. For a moment she considers scolding the girl on her appearance, but decides against it.

"I trust you will familiarize yourself with how this squad functions, including dress-code. Welcome."

She looks to Daisuke.

"That will be all."

She steps back out of the office and continues on her original course, pausing to see if Magetsu follows.

[Wahrheit]

Magatsu did indeed stay by his Captain's side. "So what's going on now, Sakura-taichou? You seem... purposed."

[Kayne650]

[Sakura]

Sakura looks at Nasumi for a long moment, her face stern but not judgmental. For a moment she considers scolding the girl on her appearance, but decides against it.

"I trust you will familiarize yourself with how this squad functions, including dress-code. Welcome."

She looks to Daisuke.

"That will be all."

She steps back out of the office and continues on her original course, pausing to see if Magetsu follows.

Daisuke waved as Sakura left his office. "Magatsu-sama, can I speak to you later? I have something that I want to talk to you about." Daisuke said to Magatsu before he left. "It's nothing vital, but I'd like it to happen sooner rather than later." Daisuke looked a little worried as he spoke to Magatsu. He still had the facade of propriety that he had whenever Sakura was nearby, but something was bothering him, and it would be easy for Magatsu to see.

After they left, Daisuke sighed and closed the closet, and sat back at his desk. His office seemed much bigger now that it was empty.

[Frozen_Feet]

Turning quickly to face the two new arrivals, Minuet gave a slight bow to the Captain of Third, and a slighter one to her fellow Vice-Captain. Thinking quickly, Minuet grabbed several more shihakasho of various sizes, then took Nasumi's arm and pulled her out of the room past the three highest-ranked people in 3rd Division into an empty nearby office. The letters on the front indicated it was the 5th seat's office. Hopefully he wasn't coming back soon.

Closing the door behind them, and now alone, Minuet smiled and took in a deep breath. Getting back to answering her questions, she put her two fingers up, then pointed at herself and nodded, then raised her hand with all five fingers extended.

She then bowed again, face apologetic, as the sound of a door opening and closing quickly sounded. Then, she looked her over and unfolded one of the shihakusho she got and held it up to her, comparing sizes. Shaking her head, she did it with another one, then nodded and held it out to her to try out.

It takes a while for Nasumi to register Minuet is trying to drag her elsewhere. Having subconsciously rooted herself in place, the large young woman has accidentally made very hard for the diminutive 5th Division Lieutenant to guide her away. However, when she finally notices what she's trying to do, she goes along with it, bowing slightly to other people in the room as they go and muttering apologies.

Nasumi blinks when Minuet starts gesturing to her. "Ummm... could you repeat that?", she asks, bopping her head to the side, wondering whether it'd be polite to ask why the officer doesn't just speak up. Her eyes brighten when Minuet holds up one of the Shihakusho's she's carrying.

"Ahhh... thank you, but I think I have a good one here already", Nasumi says and unfolds the one Shihakusho she'd managed to grab herself before chaos ensued. "But if you'd like to, you can help, uh... Minuet-fukutaichou." Red starts creeping to her cheeks again as she muses how she managed to call a commanding officer 'Mini-chan'.

And so they get on with getting Nasumi properly dressed again...

Alysha dons her usual smiles as she walks over to Hachirou's bed.

So far, so good. Karite seems a little...distressed. Not exactly sure what'll calm him down.

Kazuma says hi, by the way.

She starts her routine of checking on him, looking for any signs of anything not healing.

Hachirou's wounds are pretty much how they left them. His bandages are still fresh and no wounds have gotten infected or anything, but ineffectiveness of healing kido is sadly clear and there's been no time for natural healing to take place yet.

"Say hello to Amagatsu-san for me as well. I hope they'll patch him back to fighting condition soon", Hachirou replies non-chalantly. "Pray tell me, what's distressing my Vice-Captain so? Was it something Hirako-san said?" Hachirou has a distinct feeling he's forgetting something, but he dismisses it as general weariness and doesn't dwell on it.

[riccaru]

Akio slowly trundled through the Senkai gate in the thirteenth division, allowing Allen to be taken by an unseated. It seems he had collapsed outside of the gate for a while, and was now barely able to stand enough to get inside.

"Where's Vice-Captain Karite?" He growls to another unseated, before promptly falling backwards into the dirt. He was again passed out.

[KerfuffleMach2]

Hachirou's wounds are pretty much how they left them. His bandages are still fresh and no wounds have gotten infected or anything, but ineffectiveness of healing kido is sadly clear and there's been no time for natural healing to take place yet.

"Say hello to Amagatsu-san for me as well. I hope they'll patch him back to fighting condition soon", Hachirou replies non-chalantly. "Pray tell me, what's distressing my Vice-Captain so? Was it something Hirako-san said?" Hachirou has a distinct feeling he's forgetting something, but he dismisses it as general weariness and doesn't dwell on it.

Alysha makes a thinking face for a moment, then rolls up her sleeves and decides to give it a go on the healing Kido. Worth a try.

Kazuma should be good in a few days. Just needs rest. As for Karite, from what I could tell from his yelling, his Zanpakuto is missing. And he's freaked out. Which, is understandable, I guess. I'd be a little freaked if Tetsu here went missing.

Said zanpakuto is in its sheath, the keychain from its pommel reflecting the light a little.

[Frozen_Feet]

"Missing? Was it broken, or lost?", Hachirou asks. "If the former, it should remanifest itself somewhere near its wielder once he recovers. Once the physical vessel for a spirit is shattered, it always returns to person it's part of."

"If it's the latter, he should have easy time finding it once he gets back to his own two feet. Though I must admit, I've never heard of an occasion where a sword has been left a whole dimension away..." To her disappointment, Alysha feels her energy flowing through Hachirou with little visible effect, like water disappearing to a crack in the ground. The wounded officer notes this as well, and shakes his head slightly.

"Please don't over-extert yourself, Sietka-kun. My injuries are not life-treatening, I'm just a tad... tired. I know a person who I can call to fill me in for tomorrow's work, you don't need to work yourself to death just to get me up." Hachirou looks Alysha in the eyes, smiling wryly.

"Back to the previous topic... about Zanpakuto. Tell me, Sietka-kun, how long have you possessed a Shikai?"

[Purple Rose]

[Sakura]

Sakura walks in silence for a moment.

"There are... stirrings in the air. Changes are coming, Magetsu."

She closes her eyes and sighs.

"This world and the other; both are filled with turmoil. And as much as we hold ourselves to be the peacekeepers, men like Terral Poi only serve as reminders that we are just a vulnerable to evil as any other."

They reach her office and she invites him inside, closing the door behind them.

"We are all susceptible to the same lusts and temptations. Even us Captains."

She moves around to the back of her desk and takes a seat. For a long moment she rests her elbows and her desk and her cradles her head in her hands, her face hidden from her Vice-Captain.

"There are... Matters... that must be attended to, which I simply do not have the time for."

She open the top draw of her desk and pulls out a white envelope, sealed with the Third Squad's insignia, and holds it out to Magetsu.

"I need you to take care of an execution for me. Personally. Unfortunately, circumstances do not permit me to handle it in an official fashion. The target in presently in the mortal world. The crimes he has been convicted of are politically charged and it would reflect quite badly on the entirety of the Gottei 13 if word of his present freedom were to get out."

She looks her Vice-Captain in the eyes and it is absolutely clear that she is beyond serious. But behind the sternness, there is a twinge or shame, perhaps even guilt or regret, masked but not well enough.

"This mission is entirely legitimate and has been approved through all the proper channels, however, it needs to be carried out in absolute secrecy. I have secured your passage to the mortal world and will inform you of your departure when the time is right. Until then, you are not to open this or speak to anyone of it. The seal on these instructions will not be released until you have entered the mortal world. Any attempt to open them beforehand will result in the destruction of the instructions."

She pauses for a moment before continuing.

"The conditions and methods of the execution will be entirely at your discretion."

[Wahrheit]

"I've felt the coming storm as well."

For once, Magatsu's perpetual grin faded into an expression of utter seriousness as he listened to his Captain and took the envelope with complete gravity, sliding it inside his shihakusho.

"Not even Daisuke-kun will hear a breath of this, Sakura-taichou. This criminal will die by my hand as swiftly and quietly as possible." Magatsu? Offering subtlety? He knew this matter was important.

He obviously wanted to inquire more, but remained silent. Sakura would say more if she wished, and he trusted her instructions had all the information he needed to find and kill his target.

"Do you have a cover arranged for my absence from the Seireitei, or is that under my discretion as well?"

[Kayne650]

Daisuke looked around his office. He'd really been hoping to avoid this, but it didn't look like Magatsu-sama was going to be back anytime soon, and who knew what Minuet and Nasumi were doing in the other room. Dismissing the possibilities ((OOC: He's still too young for such thoughts)), Daisuke sighed to himself. He really didn't want to do this.

But, such was his duty as a member of the 3rd division; after all, it had been one of his subordinates who had given him the message in the first place. So, he left a note on the door to his office asking all those with reports or questions to please place them in the letterbox by the door.

And so, resigned to his fate, Daisuke found himself knocking on the door of Nagamichi Soushi, the one person in the Seireitei who Daisuke could honestly say he just didn't like.

After knocking, he realized that Nasumi hadn't said who the message was from. That would make this a bit more awkward.

[Kuroimaken]

"It's open, come on inside."

Daisuke would find Soushi building what looked like a fairly intricate castle of cards. He seemed fairly absorbed in his task, which kind of helped the poor 3rd divisioner, because it meant he wasn't smiling his way.

[Kayne650]

Daisuke poked his head through the door, saw that Soushi's creepy, creepy smile was otherwise occupied, and entered the office.

"Um, are you busy right now, Soushi-sama? I could come back later, if you are..."

Please, please say that you're busy, and that I should never, ever, ever come back! Daisuke thought hopefully to himself. To his credit, his fervent desire to leave showed only a little bit on his face.

[Kuroimaken]

"Ah, Daisuke-chan! Please make yourself comfortable, I was just finishing up." With that, Daisuke might notice his fingertips looked to be smeared with glue. Soushi cleaned up his hands, sat himself down, put his hands together and smiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiled.

"Now then. What can I do for you?"