[BSD-RP] Soul Society: Central Seireitei

[BSD]

He sighs, scratching the side of his face as he glances up towards the sky. Himari is a bright girl, bright enough to know her own limitations on what she can and cannot do so Tenzen understood this response was a truthful one. If she had claimed that she could hit the other side of the Seireitei he would have asked her to prove it. He stands quietly, toiling over his thoughts on his Division, it seems like their simple daily duties have perhaps made them soft, soft enough to not know how to respond to an invasion even. He doesn't like that one bit and such a thought throws a wrench into his plans. His gaze returns to Himari for a few seconds before his vision sweeps their current surroundings. He's thinking, plotting a method to train his Division to get them where he wants them to be and for that he'll need time but he isn't sure how much. His silence towards Himari continues on as the gears of his mind would turn but constantly halt, ideas that could work but with more thought, he understands that the desired results won't be achieved with them. He toils on in his mind until...
"Hey, I know you said not to bother you while you're thinking, I get that, I understand. But uhh, you think pretty damn loud and you're doing that awkward shit again, just standing there all creepy and silent like.
His Inner-Hollow has decided to intrude on his thoughts, making Tenzen self-aware of his behavior as he looks at Himari with a bit of shock realizing he hand;t said anything to her for a bit. He looks away from her and scratches the back of his head still semi-lost in thought.
"Just ask her another dumb ass question, you're good at doing that."
That was the last thing the Hollow said to him before going silent but the intruder did help him in some way, he'll ask her a "dumb ass" question. It will be a dumb question he was asked by his uncle while he was growing up a question that can easily translate into what he wants of his Division. He looks at her again and breaks the long silence.
"Shimizu-san, answer me this then. If you want to fight someone how would you go about starting it? Also, at what point do you think a fight has begun? Think about these two questions and answer them while we continue our walk."
Why was he asking this girl these strange and complex questions? It is to create and establish a new way of thinking, posing questions to her that she may not have thought much about or perhaps may even think silly to give much thought, to begin with. More than that he wants to create a bridge of understanding between the two of them, he wants her to understand the base concepts of what he wants for their Division so that in his absence she can continue to enforce and instill these ideologies into her, soon to be, subordinates. He is also covering his bases as he remains hopeful that Arashi will join his Division, however, he does not want to bet everything on just that alone. Should Arashi join him these very same questions will be asked of him, a similar bridge will be formed between them so that these concepts will continue to flourish within the Division. This small seed of thought will be planted into all of his seated officers, they will be the ones who set the example for the rest of his Division and hopefully, that same seed of thought will move on to the rest of the Division and the mighty tree Tenzen has envisioned can sprout, grow, and sustain itself without constant micromanaging. This is how Tenzen will militarize the Fifth Division starting with one seed of thought containing two questions, everything else he desires from the Division will come after this.
The two continue their walk throughout their Division, the two are familiar with the barracks they know it like the back of their hand but this isn't just a casual stroll or sightseeing. Tenzen's analytic nature is observing every single person he walks past, calculating how they may respond to a sudden attack, be it from himself or someone else. There are some who are slouched while they go about their duties, some who maintain perfect posture and those who are just faking their posture to maintain appearances in front of their Captain. Ever since he joined Division 5 centuries ago things have been like this, people only straighten up when they are in the presence of an authority figure. When he was first promoted to 3rd seat many did the same thing they are doing now but over time they stopped caring, became complacent with their day to day and failed to recognize Tenzen as a proper leader. But now things will be different, Tenzen will not tolerant complacency, he will no longer tolerate hunched or slouched postures, Shinigami are soldiers and it's about time the men and women of Fifth Division began acting like it. A perfect example now approaches Tenzen and Himari, two men locked in idle chatter walking right towards them and not paying any attention to their surroundings. He will bring an end to this complacency one way... or another. The sound of steel ringing echos out around them, one of the careless men continued to walk on unaware that he walked off without his friend. He halts after not receiving a response and looks back to see his friend in a cold sweat, frozen in place with Tenzen's Wakizashi held at his throat, a slight bead of blood trickles from his neck and runs across the edge of the blade. As if it were a needle on a vinyl record the bead of blood makes the blade sing with a metallic hum as it makes its way across the edge.
"You two are quite relaxed and chatty. Please use that to put the entire division on notice. Everyone is to remain on high alert, even you Himari. No matter where you are, no matter what you are doing, eating, sleeping, out getting drunk, visiting a friend at a different division's barracks, I will find you and attack you. There will be no precise time, no precise place, you will be ready at all times. Dismissed."
He moves his blade to sheath it and like pulling a cloth off a table without disturbing the plates and glasses the bead of blood and the trail it made are left hovering in the air for a moment before falling onto the nameless Shinigami's Shihakusho. He swallows to lubricate his now dry throat before running off with his friend to spread the word. This action will help spread the word to his Division much faster and it will get the point across much better than a meeting would. It is also in direct connection to his first set of questions to Himari, establishing battle readiness. The seed of thought he wants her to understand is what will help maintain that readiness and allow it to grow along with the seed of thought. Tenzen is a peaceful man but he is not a pacifist and he will use the tools he has at his disposal to make Fifth Division a force to be reckoned with.

 

[BSD]

As Tenzen stood there silent for a moment, Himari was suddenly worried that she had been a little too honest. Would he but upset that she wasn’t training as she should have without him being here? After all, she had no idea where she would stand if they did her invaded. She trusted in her Kido enough but she hasn’t actually been in battle before. She’s mainly only been stuck in the barracks. She and a few others. She did want to learn, but she just didn’t know where to start.
She was about to apologize when he spoke again, causing her to look up at him. She tried not to show too much of her emotions as he asked her that question. It was simple enough. As she started walking again, she quickly followed after him as she would think. She never was in a fight, so she was only focusing on what she learned in the academy about her style.
“Id pay close attention to my opponent and my surroundings. I couldn’t miss anything. I’d want to figure out their fighting style before I started fighting them. As my style might be lacking, I’d want to know what type of fighter they are before I plan my attack. I rely on distance if I don’t have distance my attacks will be messy. I need to be able to know if I will be able to use it to my advantage or will have to change my own style up. So I wouldn’t attack, I’d want them to attack me first. Just so I can see what their strengths are. When I know those… id probably make my move. As for your other question….. I feel a fight starts when an agreement cannot be made. You should try to have the person see reason. Or a fight is to begin when someone has done something that deserves a consequence. I even suffer from a temper so, that’s something I myself can work on I suppose. You shouldn’t start a fight without true reasons.”
She said this as she looked straight ahead. She was being honest and only thinking of her training. It was true, the type of style Himari possessed was a little different from others maybe. She could go in and attack at will. Which was something that completely went against her temper. And something she needed to work on.
As the walked Himari grew even more curious. Why were they waking around the barracks like this? What was he trying to prove or do? The young girl couldn’t wrap her head around it. She was confused but she kept the question to herself. As the group boys’ come near them. She glanced at Tenzen to see his reactions to them not paying attention and was a little surprised when Tenzen holds his blade to the neck of the other. She doesn’t say anything. She just stands there, but for the first time, she’s a little impressed.
This was the first time she saw Tenzen in power. As a Captain, and for this was the first time she actually felt true respect for the man. She watched as he disciplined them. As he spoke of them being on high alert, speaking also to her now all she did was nod. Her arms back to being crossed as she dismissed them.
She stood there, watching as he cleaned the blood off his blade with a cloth.

 

[BSD]

He hears her answer to his earlier questions, the answer isn't too out of the norm of what he expected, when he was younger he gave a similar response to the question. Although after Tenzen gave that response he was immediately attacked after giving it, he looks at Himari and decides not to take this route with her. Instead, he shakes his head at her and gives a light smile before giving her the correct answer to the question.
"Wrong, if you want to fight someone you just attack. Giving the opponent the opportunity to strike first allows them to test your defenses, allows them to see what sort of openings you may possess. Often the first attack in a battle is to test the waters, by allowing someone to strike first you let the gain much more information on you than you even realize."
This little chat with her is helping Tenzen understand her mindset on battle and what sort of person she is outside of it. Understanding the members of his Division will help him in the long run when complicated tasks arise he'll know who to send to handle them. Regardless of their seat, every Shinigami has their own particular talents and skillsets these are the things Tenzen will use to his advantage while leading the Division.
"Your mind is in the right place, Shimizu-San, I can fully understand your line of thought. Wanting someone to strike first to gauge their strength is a good tactic so is keeping distance, however..."
In the blink of an eye, Tenzen is behind Himari poking the back of her head with his right index finger.
"Keeping your distance only works on foes equal to or weaker than you. A battlefield is unforgiving, chaotic, and random. You may end up fighting someone who is a step ahead of you in strength and you say your close-range style is messy? Then let's fix it up, shall we?"
He moves his hand from poking the back of her head and takes a step back from her, his hands retreating inside the sleeves of his Shihakusho. Hearing her admit that her close range skillset was lacking didn't sit well with him, he wants and needs to make sure his seated officers won't suffer shortcomings like that in the field. He looks around seeing a few members of their Division become defensive from just his gaze landing upon them, they saw and heard what happened and understand what would happen if they aren't on guard, good. He turns his back to Himari and then looks over his shoulder at her.
"Let's head back to the training room shall we? I have enough time to teach you a few small things for close-quarters combat. They will be basic tactics, tactics you won't learn in the Academy. They should suit you just fine and also help you create the distance you enjoy having in a fight."
Tenzen has treated this conversation like a business talk, if he didn't he would still be fumbling his words to finish his first statement. He wonders if he should treat all conversations like this. No, if he did he may end up becoming more awkward as a result. If social interactions were as easy as fighting he wouldn't have this problem, to begin with. He sets off, with Himari in tow, back to the training where he originally ran into her to begin a small training session with her and teach her some of the building blocks for battle that he learned growing up.

 

[BSD]

The Commander sits upon his throne, Zanpakuto in hand. Head bowed, eyes closed, his senses peer deep across the Seireitei. It is unclear where he chooses to perceive, or what for that matter, as is always the case. Perhaps he looks to the Twelfth Division, watching without eyes as those three Vizards are released from their treatment, loved ones in tow. Today was meant to be the day Shobatsu would return to execute them, and yet no official order nor movement has been made. Had he already perceived today's events, was he already aware that there would be a stay of execution, that the Vizards would be stabilized? The Commander had a habit of arriving exactly at the right place, exactly at the right time. Yet, here he is, today, remaining idle within the great hall, looking without looking.
Perhaps he observes the small meetings of the Second, Tenth, and Ninth division, the consolidation of their members, the briefings of hardships to come. It has been made clear after all, these past few months, that the future of the Soul Society is an uncertain and unpredictable place. That is, to all but the Commander, who remains ever still, ever vigilant, never sleeping, never eating, never even breathing. He is a monument to the strength of the Seireitei, sitting ever-present upon his throne of stone. No worry appears upon his stern face, no reflection on times past, or doubts about the future ahead. The walls of the great Captains Hall have healed over since the Second Division’s Coup. No traces of Captain Mukuro’s treachery remain, spare the memories of those who witnessed it, and the silent judgement that permeates the shadows he crawls in.
Yami’s presence is felt the moment he steps through the Senkaimon. Though his arrival comes as no surprise to the Commander. There are those, especially within the First Division, that believe Head Captain Murasaki is omnipotent, all knowing, and capable of seeing into the future. Though such an ability is limited only to the Soul King, Shobatsu is as close an approximation as any soul could possibly get. No detail escapes his attention, nor his memory. Despite being gone for over two years, on a surveying mission through the hostile and unforgiving environment of Hell, trapped there for the foreseeable future, Shobatsu had somehow foreseen that very future, and was prepared to hear the Fourth Seat’s report. But how? A simple and minor detail. Fourth Seat Mochizuki had used a Jigokuchō (地獄蝶, Hell Butterfly) in a request for aid from Tenth Division.

Quote:"This is Yami Mochizuki, Fourth Seat of the First Division. I need to get to a Senkaimon and return to the Soul Society ASAP to complete my mission."

The contents of the butterflies message were recorded and analyzed. When the sender was identified, the First Division was immediately alerted. Upon Yami’s entrance into the Senkaimon, his spiritual presence was recorded, confirming his identity. This meant that the First Division, and specifically, Captain Commander Shobatsu Murasaki, were both aware of Yami’s impending arrival, and the reason behind it.
The Fourth Seat’s mission was simple. His duty being the very reason Yami was indoctrinated into the First Division in the first place. An immensely powerful Shinigami, he was delegated one task and one alone: To remain behind enemy lines, surveying the dimension of Hell, searching for any sign of the missing Captains. Yami is well aware that to return without any information towards their whereabouts is tantamount to a death sentence. It would not matter how many years it took, what hardships he would face, nor how dangerous it got. To some, this assignment was akin to banishment, exile from the Soul Society. To the battle-loving and war-forged Yami Mochizuki, it was a dream come true. So, why has he returned now?
Shobatsu does not require any extra-sensory ability, any spiritual sensitivity, to detect Yami. Even before the Fourth Seat enters his great hall, the Commander can smell him. Sulfur, the smell of Hell's toxic atmosphere. It clings to his person, clings to his clothes, his flesh, his very soul. Having spent two years straight struggling to survive in the land of nightmares, Yami’s scent would forever be tainted, as though he himself were corrupted. However, there is more to the man’s presence than simple sulfur.
The Commander smells iron. The accuracy of the Commander’s sensing being so distinct that he smells more than simply the blood stained upon his clothes, but can pinpoint the location and severity of each individual wound. Further, the Commander is able to identify the cause of each wound. Some of the Fourth Seat's open wounds smell of iron and carbon, the miniscule remnants of steel. Others smell of collagen and calcium, the components of bone. Further, the stench of burnt flesh, further still, the scent of reishi. It is clear that the Shinigami’s departure from Hell was not an easy one. Yami, not being one for stealth, must have fought his way out against Togabito and Kushanāda alike.
Finally, Yami makes it to the Captain’s Hall, and enters the throne room. No sign of acknowledgment or greeting comes from the Commander, who remains as still as ever. The silence of the moment is interrupted only by the Shinigami’s footfalls, as he walks the great length of the hall. Despite being grievously wounded, and spiritually drained, the Fourth Seat wills himself to maintain perfect posture and composure. His shoulders back, as he carefully takes each step, as though in a marching display. It does not matter that the Commander is blind and likely above such things, those who are wise know to show the man proper respect. The Fourth Seat kneels before his superior, a droplet of blood sliding from his being, freefalling until it splatters across the wooden floors. He needs no acknowledgement from his superior, he is aware of what is expected of him. He knows that he is on trial for his very life, with only the truth to testify with. Bracing himself, he hopes his judgment is sound, and gives his report.
"Commander Murasaki. I regret to inform you that I did not obtain any leads on information about the Shinigami that traveled into Hell and went missing three hundred years ago. However, from the two years I spent in Hell, I heard a plethora of rumors that an immensely powerful Hollow from the Shattered Dimensions event was trapped there. Upon further investigation, I found that the Togabitos were referring to this particular Hollow as the former God King, and that he has recently escaped hours ago. A Hollow escaping from Hell was thought to be impossible, but at the revelation that it could possibly be the former God King, I rushed back here to report as swiftly as I could."
The commander does not look up towards his subordinate, his eyes remaining closed. He allows Yami to kneel in silence for a moment, as though deciding his fate. Each fraction of a second would likely feel like an eternity, as the Commander seemingly weighs every possible outcome of this information. The floor beneath the Shinigami now slick from a puddle formed of his sweat and blood. With his head properly bowed, Yami would see not only the reflection of his own exhausted visage, but the Commander’s expression as well. From the angle of this reflection, it is as though the Commander’s closed eyes look directly into his own. After an eternal single second, Shobatsu speaks.
“You will report to the Fourth Division for treatment. Afterwards you will summon Head Guardsmen Gekkō to fortify the barracks in preparation for a Captain’s Meeting. I will dispatch a Shinigami to Hueco Mundo, who will investigate your claims. It was correct of you to present this information to me. You are dismissed.”
With that, Fourth Seat Mochizuki’s life is spared. Given a new task, he is expected to fulfill the Commander’s orders immediately. Punctuality is a requirement of all Shinigami who dare to call themselves First Division, a minor aspect of their incredible discipline. Just as Yami’s entrance was not acknowledged, so too is his exit seemingly ignored. Instead, the moment Yami takes action to leave, the Commander taps his cane-like zanpakuto upon the wooden floor. Instantaneously, six of Shobatsu’s personal messengers materialize, kneeling before the throne. The contents of the Commander’s spoken message inaudible to Yami through the closing hall doors. Unknown to the rest of the Seireitei, Yami came as the first harbinger of a coming war, one unforeseen, and yet still felt, dreaded by all who have survived the past year. It seems, for the first time in over three hundred years, the era of peace has come to an end.

 

[BSD]

When he said she was wrong she was a little surprised. She felt she has answered in a way that could have been applied, mainly due to her style but she understood where he was coming from. It is true if someone was stronger than her in a fight they could easily get her to the point where it was hard for her to get out of.
Maybe if she were to work better on her fighting, even hand to hand, she would feel more comfortable with being close to her opponent but she, at the moment, didn’t feel she was comfortable with that yet but she wanted to take it and use it. He, of course, knew more than she ever did when it came fighting. She felt a little embarrassed about having to admit she was lacking, but she had to be honest if she wanted. She had to build trust with him, even though she felt a little awkward doing so.
As he began to walk, telling her they would go to the training area she was a little excited. Even though she hasn’t seen much from Tenzen she knew he had to be a good teacher. And all she wanted was to learn, so this was going to be good for her. She quickly began to walk after him, not saying a word.