While a majority of the Seireitei’s focus is placed on the Kenpachi Games at the Rukongai, there remain few exceptions; the Twelfth Division exists as one such exception. While a number of them had been tasked and employed in helping ensure the games could be properly displayed on a variety of monitors, some of which were elevated, floating where it was easily visible to a number of large crowds. Outside that menial task, the scientists of the Institution of Research and Development busied themselves with their own individual and group projects. Hanabi Kurokawa is one such member. She wanders the halls, aimless in her thoughts that muddled her perception of the world. She remains ignorant to the ongoings of the world outside the walls that had surrounded her for so long, yet she does not spare any thoughts wondering about what’s actually transpiring in the Seireitei. The young pyromaniac has but one thing on her mind 一 or, rather one destination.
In her desire the young woman walks blindly past the warning signs and labels meant to turn away any who approached or passed by. For the most part, the others knew better than to mindlessly wander into the sanctuary that is Kurotsuchi’s lab. Blind Courage, helplessness or ignorance 一 it was difficult to determine which of the three were guiding the girl.
"Sir Nyaraku, I was wondering if I could talk to you, on a professional level. I have been having some issues, and concerns."
She begins speaking after spotting a tuft of blue hair. She pauses for the briefest of moments before proceeding on, not bothering to wait for a response for the man.
"I've felt myself, slipping? I suppose the word is apt, yet, mired in my slipping. It's difficult to put it. Have you, yourself, in all of your time as a scientist...have you ever felt stagnant? As in, well, I can't be certain on how to put this. I feel as though whenever I reach the end of the rope I am climbing with my latest idea, success or not, I just pause? There have been times where I have gone days without having moved from my lab after reaching the end of an experiment. I'm concerned it might be something worse than medical."
She rambles on, it was clear she felt the need to get everything out. To this point, no response has been given to the girl as she carries on uninterrupted. Uncharacteristic of the Brainiac who normally would have expressed his annoyance at being disturbed by something so trivial. Her eyes downcast, darting about looking everywhere but towards the man whose counsel she sought.
"I just, had thought maybe you in your advanced expertise, would have experienced something similar, or know of anyone who has. I feel like a failure to have experienced this at all, let alone more than once. So please, Sir Nyaraku, any information you have could help."
Finally, it seems the verbal diarrhea had finally come to its end. She stands, lost...confused..and in silence as still no response is given. The only sounds that persist are the beepings from various surrounding machinery, the ruffling of clothes in movement and the clanking of something striking against glass, the sound of something being stirred.
”Hnn, let it settle for another three minutes before adding several drops of-”
Finally, a voice other than Hanabi’s is heard, mumbling to themself no doubt. Strange however, that it is not the voice that she might expect, at least...not exactly.
Behind a counter littered with flasks, vials and an assortment of strange mutated and grotesque creatures and body parts housed in jars filled with what appeared to be some manner of green liquid stands a man holding a stack of papers. As Hanabi had meandered her way to this location she came across a number of unfamiliar faces, her absence from the others leading her to be out of touch on who was who, perhaps the man before her now was a new recruit. He stood upright, his blue hair fashioned into a neat ponytail, amber hues scanning through the page that rested atop the stack of papers clutched in his hand. Regardless of how out of touch she was, she was certain she had properly made her way towards Kurotsuchi’s personal lab...right? Had he transitioned elsewhere in her time away?
”Oh, you’re still here.”
He sighed as he glanced up, eyes focusing on the small girl fidgeting in place. He shook his head, seemingly refocusing on the task at hand. He leafed through page after page, glancing between the papers and the brewing concoctions before him, all the while still muttering to himself just under his breath.
”Who in this line of work hasn’t paused or locked themselves away at the end of a project? When you’ve reached the end of one point, one must pause to ponder on the next thing to explore and investigate. What other wonders remain untouched, what imaginings have yet to be birthed into the world? It is that nexus between thought and action that is part of what makes the pursuit of science so enjoyable..it is the unknown.”
As he speaks he crouches down to stare at the flask, watching it bubble, and then rising up to inspect the vials, lifting and lightly stirring one before bringing it eye level for further inspection.
”The reason that you are so lost and find yourself so troubled is indeed no medical phenomenon. There is a simpler term to describe it and that is...incompetence.”
Though his voice, appearance and overall demeanor appeared vastly different, this manner of speaking was certainly akin to one man within the Twelfth Division; Nyuraku Kurotsuchi.
Two Weeks Ago
After having commandeered a classroom within the Shino Academy, the scientist immediately rushed himself and his specimens back to his lab in a fit of excitement. Though it pained him to have left so abruptly he found solace in the fact that he had imparted a bit of wisdom in those students who were so enthralled with the lesson not a single one of them made a peep or moved an inch. Despite having underdeveloped brains, their admiration for his work would forever touch his heart.
He had crunched the numbers, ran a countless number of scenarios within his head, then through his computer, then once more through his head. Algorithm after algorithm, a dozen calculations which multiplied into a hundred, and then a thousand, those thousand then transforming into the tens of thousands. Theory was then morphed into action, the bug-eyed scientist toying with an assortment of chemicals and blends. The sound of sizzling fills his workspace as he mixes the liquid from one vial into another, watching the colors warp and mix. Strange colored smoke wafts from the glass container before settling into a deep purple, the liquid contents radiating with a fluorescent glow. Nyuraku bursts into a fit of laughter, eyes parting ways. Securing a pasteur pipette he draws in some of the glowing liquid, carefully expelling several droplets into a petri dish. He carefully sets the flask down, placing the petri dish beneath his microscope and begins studying the contents of his creation.
He stands frozen in place, in time..unmoving as he watches. His expression never changes, neither waning or growing in its excitement. An hour passes and he still does not move, his eye still plastered on whatever is transpiring in the petri dish beneath the scope. Finally, the Brainaic breaks away, hands clapping giddily.
”I must test this out immediately!”
He exclaimed, grabbing a syringe, filling it with the contents of his odd little chemical mixture. The man had never been one to shy away from experimenting on himself, today was no exception to that.He unhesitantly sticks the needle into his arm, and slowly empties its contents into the pierced vein, letting it course through his blood stream to cycle through his body. A minute passes with no change, and then his eyes begin to itch, a similar feeling soon claiming his throat as he begins coughing and wheezing. He stumbles, fingers clawing and then clenching into fists, nails piercing the flesh of his palms. He trips over his own feet and tumbles to the ground, the sound of cracking bones drowned out by his hoarse cries and dry heaving. This goes on for minutes, these strange symptoms becoming progressively worse over time. Half an hour later, a hand grips the edge of the nearest counter, a body pulled to its feet. The hunchbacked bug-eyed man was nowhere to be found, instead was a man who stood with perfect posture, blue hair draped down to his shoulder. He closed his eyes to settle his breathing, weak steps walking him over to his computer monitor, mirroring his image. He touched his face as he stared at the man reflected back to him. There existed no pride or joy in what he saw.
What had he become…
The man turns towards his computer, gazing at the time being shown in the upper left corner of the massive screen.
”Hmm an hour. This dilation appears to be lasting longer than the others. Interesting, interesting.”
He turns to scribble something down on a nearby clipboard that had been tucked away. Since he first used the strange serum, he had experimented with it several dozen times, altering minor things here and there to see what varying results they would have on his body, reiatsu and soul. Careful charts and measurements were being kept every step of the way, the cycles of his transformation being measured. Yes, this...appearance was not permanent. In time he would revert back to his typical handsome and alluring self. Truth be told he had left his lab while maintaining this form, going unrecognized by practically everyone within his division. To this effect, he had opted to say nothing about his little experiment, Hanabi coincidentally now being the first to come across him while in his lab, and being the only one within the department in a position to recognize this face as Nyuraku Kurotsuchi...that is, if her current mental ineptitude was not further affecting her mental faculties any more than it already was.
He glances up and sees that the woman is still loitering within his precious laboratory. He slams his hands down onto the surface of the counter. Shooting a stern stare towards the little firestarter Nyuraku lashes out.
”UGH, REALLY NOW IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU PLAN ON BOTHERING ME WITH? SHOULDN’T YOU BE PLAYING WITH FIRE OR WHATEVER IT IS YOU DO BESIDES BOTHERING ME?”