Sereitei (Shinigami Home) [BleachitP]

[strawberryman]

Satoshi has worked up enough trust (the jerky bribes helped) to have Vivi-chan allow him to pick her up. She yips happily as he bounces her, and then has a mixture of yips/giggling upon being tickled.

[Ganurath]

Somewhere in 4th Squad headquarters, a small garganta opens. A paper airplane flies through. Should anyone unfold it, it would be revealed to be a missing person poster of Honoka Ami, known locally as Vivi-chan. There's a note in the top margin:

"She's one of about forty. We're working on a machine to execute the culprit.

"-Sun Tzu"

[Shades of Gray]

That is very relevant, but all the cool kids are in the garden. I guess Xavier will find it later.

[KnightDisciple]

((A-yup))

Xavier

What you just said. It could even happen for who? You said something about not making assumptions.

Satoshi has worked up enough trust (the jerky bribes helped) to have Vivi-chan allow him to pick her up. She yips happily as he bounces her, and then has a mixture of yips/giggling upon being tickled.

Satoshi keeps bouncing Vivi, but stops tickling. His face looks sad again.

"I killed Nukari alongside Daisuke. There was another man, if you could call him that, that I killed. The thought struck me that he may not be dead. But...I'd rather not think he's alive. Not unless I have definite proof. Which I wouldn't know where to start looking for."

Drip. Tear falls on Vivi's face.

"That...thing...took a good friend, and...a precious person...from me. The only good thing about him being alive, would be me getting a chance to kill him again."

His recent emotionality can likely be blamed on the mix of Shirubaru's sentence and the alcohol.

[Shades of Gray]

Xavier

I'm sorry to hear that... Xavier pulls a slug off of one of the leaves of the garden. Looking at it closely. I suppose that I can tell Kiljaeran to stop investigating the connection between Vivi and the 11th...

[KnightDisciple]

"Let him continue. He might turn up something else. Plus, it'll keep him busy. He's been off his game the last few days. That's just what he needs, really."

[Shades of Gray]

Xavier

Xavier lifts the slug a bit into the air. Looking at in better light.

Okay then. I guess that will work. I'm not very good at managing these things, definitely not as good as Taniko. That's- He stops himself.

[KnightDisciple]

"That's what, Xavier? Her speciality? Or were you going to say something else? If you're worried about me reporting you or anything, unless you're planning to pull a Toho, I'll keep quiet. Especially if it's just you being frank about your captain."

[strawberryman]

Vivi-chan reaches up and licks Satoshi's face, just to add +.1 to her cuteness skill.

[Ganurath]

Meanwhile, Taniko is in the 1st Division library, studying up on potential methods by which a hollow can be made into a plus without destroying their memories. Assuming Satoshi ever got around to that request between Mia's imprisonment and now, which includes the timeskip.

Kind words cannot be said of her progress, however.

[Shades of Gray]

Xavier

That's... probably why I didn't want to tell Sigmund about my bankai. I'd achieved it back when I was on third seat, and she was vice-captain. I was such a little kid, almost afraid to be promoted.

He eats the slug. Eww.

[KnightDisciple]

Vivi-chan reaches up and licks Satoshi's face, just to add +.1 to her cuteness skill.

Satoshi chuckles a bit at Vivi-chan.
He says softly to her, "So happy...So innocent...Greta...Greta would have loved you, little one. I'm sure of it."

@Ganurath:Sure, I bet he mentioned it at least in passing.

Xavier

That's... probably why I didn't want to tell Sigmund about my bankai. I'd achieved it back when I was on third seat, and she was vice-captain. I was such a little kid, almost afraid to be promoted.

He eats the slug. Eww.

Satoshi doesn't see, so no reaction on slug.

"I can understand, kid. You get comfortable in a spot, enjoying doing just that, don't want to deal with getting promoted. Or, in your case, face possibly being moved out of your division. But...so many have bankai it's less of an issue. Not to mention that all information in the files indicate you're best suited for this division. Just because you're capable of defending yourself at all, doesn't mean you're not still good as a medic."

Yes. There are "files". He's the goshdarn Satoshi, Okay?

[Shades of Gray]

Xavier

I just somehow had it in my head that they'd promote me and demote Taniko, because she hadn't achieved her bankai yet, and wouldn't for a couple of weeks. That's when I ended up telling Sigmund. He sighs, looking for more bugs to eat. It wasn't that I was afraid that they'd move me into another division. After all, my bankai is pretty much just an upgraded version of my already medical shikai, I was just afraid of so much responsibility when someone else was so capable.

[KnightDisciple]

"Sigmund is...was...smart enough to look at organizational ability alongside sheer power. I somehow doubt he'd have pushed you above a desired station, if he could put someone else there."

[Shades of Gray]

Xavier

Yeah... Xavier finds a nice beetle. He quickly snatches it up. How was your old captain, back when you were a Vice-Captain?

[KnightDisciple]

"Hm. He was a stickler for the rules. Worse than me on my worst day, plus Kiljaeran on his worst day. Put together. Obsessive about planning and contingencies. Which I did get from him somewhat. But he also looked at multiple types of ability; ability to lead, fight, organize, analyze, so on. Every seated officer was there for a purpose. He was fast, too. I was faster, but...for a while, he used it better. I've surpassed his best since, but still."

Softly at Vivi-chan, he's saying, "My name is Satoshi Tsukami. Tsu-ka-mi. Tsu-ka-mi. Sa-to-shi. Sa-to-shi."

[Shades of Gray]

Xavier

Hmmm... Sounds like the sort of stereotypical captain you all imagine back in training... Xavier eats the beetle with an audible crunsh. Satoshi should be able to hear it, and will see some beetle leg sticking out of his mouth.

[strawberryman]

Vivi listens, parsing what she can. She yips nonsense for a while that sound somewhat close.

"Suuuka. Suuka! Suka!" She repeats this over and over. Then looks to Xavier. "Vee!" And then Satoshi again. "Suka!"

[KnightDisciple]

Satoshi blinks.

"Xavier...are you eating bugs? And trust me, he was worse. Random self-defense drills at 3am. Stealth training at 2am. In the rain. And the mud. Escaping a complex high-security system. In a cave. With only a box of scraps to get you out."

Turning to Vivi-chan, he says slowly, while pointing at himself. "Tsu. Ka. Mi. Tsu. Ka. Mi. Tsu-ka-mi. Tsukami. Tsukami."

[Shades of Gray]

Xavier

Yep. Bugs. You laugh at me now, but if you ever break your arm this beetle could repair it. He chuckles. I feel so sorry for you. I'm guessing the self defense drills consisted of him randomly attacking you in your sleep?

[KnightDisciple]

Satoshi just raises an eyebrow at the bug bit.

"That, or carefully moving our bed to the middle of a training field full of traps, including ones that explode. Then playing sudden, loud music. You learned to wake up very carefully, even from a shock like that. Then there was the time he threw me in a cage with a bear. With my hands tied behind my back."

Strangely, Satoshi is almost...wistful.

[strawberryman]

Turning to Vivi-chan, he says slowly, while pointing at himself. "Tsu. Ka. Mi. Tsu. Ka. Mi. Tsu-ka-mi. Tsukami. Tsukami."

Apparently Vivi is either set on her current "nickname" for Satoshi or she has only gone so far as parsing two syllables, because she continues with her yapping of;

"Suka! Suka! Suka!"

[Shades of Gray]

Xavier

Xavier stops eating bugs. He's had enough. He sits down on a bench.

I'm sure he was a great captain, although what you've given me to go on isn't a very good indication.

[KnightDisciple]

Apparently Vivi is either set on her current "nickname" for Satoshi or she has only gone so far as parsing two syllables, because she continues with her yapping of;

"Suka! Suka! Suka!"

Satoshi laughs.

"Suka it is then."

He then gently tosses her in the air; only a few inches, and her landing is soft. He does this several times, increasing height slightly each time.

His mood is notably lighter than when he first entered the garden.

After a bit of tossing, he takes out a copy of the photo of himself and Greta.

Pointing at Greta, he says slowly, "Gre-ta. Gre-ta. Greta. Greta."

He points to himself. "Suka. Suka"

To Xavier. "Vee. Vee."

Taking a break from name lessons, he sobers a bit.

"He...taught me things I needed to know. And in the field, he had no equal, either in combat or leadership. He just had eccentric ideas on training and preparedness."

[Innis Cabal]

Abishai walked through the portal, for a moment, he was sealed, but that didn't last long. He could have gone to Shirubaru. But he figured that would sound the alarm. And then he felt her...deep in Soul Society. The woman that tarnished him. His weapon...would be weak without another meeting. He quickly covered his face, saldy the blue hair was a slight give away. But the tattoo's were no doubt beacons to the patrols. He snuck further and further into the First Division, his mind slowly degrading as he tried to remain calm. He couldn't blow his one chance...he opened the door, and tried his best to hide between the book shelves.

[Shades of Gray]

Xavier

Xavier nods. I'm thinking about teaching her the names of some objects next. I don't think she'll be as likely to nickname them, Suka.

[KnightDisciple]

"It sounds like more than two syllables is a bit much. Start small and simple. That said, I'm not a teacher or a father, so I'm no expert."

He tosses her up again.

Then, a devilish smirk on his face, and a wink to Vivi-chan, he tosses her way up. Like 10 feet. But then he shunpo's up to catch her on her way down, landing softly himself.

[strawberryman]

Vivi yips at Satoshi tossing her up.

"Gre-ta! Suka! Vee!"

She smiles, showing off her cute little fangs.

(())

EDIT:
She is very excited at the high-altitude toss, yipping and almost cheering.

"Suka! Suka!"

[Ganurath]

Taniko continued to pour over the books diligently. She found from study of Vizards that the hollow mind is an alternate aspect of one's zanpaktou. Perhaps the key was there?

She sniffs, then perks a brow. She then wonders if there are showers in Hueco Mundo.

[Shades of Gray]

Xavier

Xavier was a little scared when Satoshi started this. But calms down. We don't have many monosyllabic names around here, do we? They don't seem to be as common as they were in English.