"The Second Division has been rather busy..."
With the beginning of Lieutenant Yugure's report, Honoka's right hand begins to move with pen in hand as she quickly takes notes. Her hand moves in a blur across the paper, almost as if she's writing word for word. Her eyes mostly remain on Yasu as she speaks, occasionally and briefly glancing at the others, ensuring they were paying attention... to the best of their abilities. This vital exchange of information ensured all those present, and their respective squads remain on the same page, able to not only coordinate, but also cooperate with each other. Her eyes narrow slightly, noting the young Lieutenants fidgeting that was not present until she began to recollect the events in the Rukongai. It was clear to Honoka, and perhaps those playing close attention, that the events that transpired were dangerous, as it resulted in Yasu requesting additional backup from all available shinigami. While her scribbling does not pause, with her left hand, she lightly places it on the back of the Lieutenant, hoping to quietly ease her as she relives the memories in her head. These details prove more useful to piece the puzzle of all the singular events that transpired into something else. If the garganta in the rukongai opened up in two separate locations in the world of the living, surely, there was someone orchestrating the events from somewhere in the shadows. It being a garganta, would it be perhaps the arrancar? Or has a different race managed to mimic, or managed to get a traitor hollow in their midst. Still, more information was needed, but this would be as far as Yasu's report on such a day went. Once she settles, and feels more at ease, Honoka rescinds her comforting hand back.
"I..." Yasu's hesitation to continue momentarily baffles the Head Lieutenant, until she finally breaks the silence abruptly with her announcement,
"I will be testing!”
"I… will be attempting my captaincy exam soon. I am unaware of my summons for now.”
"Please wish me luck."
The Lieutenant of Second finishes her report with a meek voice, and fantastic news. Honoka can't contain the emotions and breaks into a bright, heavenly smile. This was a genuine and rare smile from the woman, unlike her trademark unreadable smile. She was certainly proud of her, to have come such a long way, through all the ordeals she . Now the young woman had a goal in her sights, and there was little anyone could do to and veer her from such, lest they wish to unleash the wrath of those protective of Yasu. There was no doubt in Yasu's capabilities, much less her dedication to her division, and hopefully, her would be division when the time came. Surely, they will be in more than capable hands.
"That's amazing news Yu-chan! I know you will pass with flying colors! Don’t think too hard and give it your all!"
"
“That’s great, Yugure! I’m sure you’re gonna do well! I’ll be rootin' for ya!”
"Congrats! It's a great honor, a lot of fun, and I'm sure you'll do great!"
Words of encouragement were offered by several to Yasu. This of course, was only natural, after all a Captaincy test was no easy feat, and those caught unprepared can suffer the consequences of their failures. Yet to those who have previously undergone this arduous trial, and now sit here, there is no shame cast upon them. All but a minor setback, that perhaps time and experience will remedy. With Omoni continuing after cheering on Yasu, Honoka's smile fades and she focuses her attention on her comrade stationed in Fourth. On her paper, she draws a straight line across; sectioning off to now begin her notes with Omoni's oral report.
“Abe’s condition is stable currently but, she is unable to attend this meeting in order to prevent unnecessary stress. The Kid’s orders.”
The Kid. What could she possibly do about this terrible habit of hers? Constantly addressing her captain as
Kid. A soft sigh escapes the dark haired woman's tinted lips. At this point, Honoka is resigned. And if Omoni ever refers to Yu Nakamoto as Captain, then that could very well be the day the Serireitei comes crashing down. She is incorrigible.
"Thank you, Lieutenant. You may continue."
"Before any of the crazy shit happened, Oyama Hoshi and I went to the land of the living to search for a hollow... ...gates of Hell opened and a Togabito showed up in Karakura..."
Her writing ceases but a fraction of a second, and her eyes narrow ever so slightly as Omoni informs the group of the mission she was in the world of the living for. Her brows furrow, her gaze growing more stern. Clearly displeased. A grimacing face rarely seen by those outside her social circle.
"...Kid attacked it head on and died... ...It ate Zanpakuto and Reishi. Then it could use those abilities for itself. Found out later it went by the name Sword Eater... ...Jinnosuke and I killed the Togabito after I used Bankai..."
Shinjitsu, Kyo. A promising life squandered by the scum of existence. Even hollows have a higher standing in comparison. How could they possibly not? Togabito were spawns of hell, cursed for eternity for the unspeakable crimes committed in their life. By their own hand, they were no longer in the cycle of reincarnation. While Hollows are pitiful souls turned beasts by their grudges and obsessions. It need simply be purified. Still, the loss of so many at the hands of this monster is a truly regrettable occurrence. It proved to be powerful adversary, to not only force the seal removals, but requiring a Vice-Captain to release Bankai, even she was initially shocked when she first read it in submitted reports of supporting shinigami.
"Now I got a question... ...This thing came lookin’ for ONE person."
"WHO THE HELL IS ARASHI SUTA?!"
CRACK
The pen in her hand snaps in half and her spiritual pressure strikes like a deadly missile. Precisely bearing down over the raging Hageshi, Honoka's eyes glisten with specks of white and red around the edges of her green irises. While Oda's within arm's reach of his neighbor, he remains unaffected, save the wind rustling his blond hair. With this, the Head Lieutenant's masterful control of not only the pressure's affected area, but the control over her spiritual energy, is displayed before the other Vice Captains as the damaging effects occur solely on the Fourth Lieutenant until she decides to settle herself and retake her seat to continue the meeting. Will she fight the modicum of force exhibited by Honoka Oki and force her hand further? Even so, past the stunning and the tightness in the chest slowly intensifying, fear creeping in as one starts struggling to breathe; the prolonged exposure will shred through Hageshi's clothing, beginning at her sleeves and shoulders, then as time proceeds, her skin will begin to show thin, one to two millimeter wide lacerations, as if she fell head first into a thorny bush. Or will she instead settle immediately and save herself from further damage? Exactly what prompted such a reaction from the usually calm and patient woman to begin with? Caught from her peripheral vison, it was the sight of a drop of blood falling from the jaw of the Vice Captain of Tenth division onto a sheet of paper.
While her eyes remain fixated on the fellow amazon, her hand waves before her, activating the ability of her constant release shikai. Hundreds of dark green thorny vines rapidly jot out of the larger chunks of table, while they avoid the other seated lieutenants, the tendrils grasp, coil around, and even stab their sharp, pointed thorns into the flying pieces of debris and objects. This prevents them from falling to the floor or striking others. Their appearance is darker than the usual manifestations of hers, even the thorny growths are more jagged. Whilst their movement, unchanged in speed, seems more choppy and aggressive, unlike its usual swift fluidity.
RIIIIIIIP
The vines pull the pieces back in place, a puzzle sorting itself out, with the pieces once again fusing together at the hands of the Head lieutenant. While unbothered by the splinters, she swiftly reconstructs the table by growing and attaching the pieces of the wood together. A simple ability granted by her plant zanpakuto, at little cost to her large energy reserves. The connecting wood is darker, and adds mass to the table, making it larger, denser, and finally heavier. While it looks nothing like it's original condition, the binding causes a marbling effect on the table. The vines snake and weave over the smooth surface as they shrink until they disappear, leaving the sheets of paper and the Head Lieutenant's tea set back in place.
"With all due respect Lieutenant Hagashi ...please restrain yourself, this isn’t a playground for you to casually destroy. Now that you've made me bleed I'll ask that you please be considerate of others. We aren’t enemies here but fellow shinigami.. comrades. You should focus your strength on the actual threats, our true enemies. Now, I'd like to get this meeting over with and go about my day to plan the funeral ahead of us."
"Eheh."
The tension in the room is then cut by Arashi Suta's sheepish laugh. The woman remains silent, closes her eyes, and turns her attention to Arashi. Fuyuko is right, and Omoni will have to find another time and partner to fight. For now, with things mostly back in place, and a new pen in hand, the meeting can resume.
"Lieutenant Suta of Squad Five..."
"Four days ago, Fifth Division was tasked with locating the source of the Soul King’s blood... ...Current Captain, Itsuki Asakura was already investigating the 77th District... ...Eizoku Yugameru of Squad Five joined unexpectedly. He has since been imprisoned for abandoning his post... In the attempt to freeze the Blood using kido and then release Hado 88 with full incantation from four Kido specialists from the Kido Corps... ...It backfired completely. It seemed as though the Soul King’s blood was able to absorb the power of the Kido and use it against us and the environment... ...A Garganta, one that was so large it was able to swallow the massive encampment, but instead it only took the blood, every last drop, and just like that, it closed... ..Unfortunately, I could do nothing having been attacked by the Hollow affliction inside of me. I was detained by Captain Oda... ...The Garganta that appeared, is likely the same one that appeared in the World of the living and released the blood absorbed from here. I fear that there is something or someone pulling the strings in the dark. I’ve never seen a Garganta that large before, it almost seemed like it was controlled."
She listens intently, her hand gliding through the paper as she adds to her lengthy notes. Seventh division was also needing to submit a report, with their captain mostly gone, unable to attend the Captain's meeting, and no vice captain present, the status of their division is yet to be updated. Imprisoned for abandoning his post? Admirable. She expects no less, she begins to see the kind of person in charge of the division. Soon, they will have to converse, but for now, she continues to listen, occasionally giving the others a look over, before returning her gaze back to Arashi, just in time to hear him detail his loss of self control. While hearing several Division cooperating on their lonesome is great news, the conditions to force the combination of forces tells a story to the severity of the situation in the Rukongai. With the blood no longer in Soul Society, who is to know what will happen. A tension headache develops at her left temple, with the intake of information, thoughts rushing past, and the events connecting, things do not bode well. Still, there remains missing information on this report, she does not mention this, but instead pours herself more tea, quietly, ensuring that she makes no sound with the tea ware. Only the soft sound of pouring comes from her direction. She settles the pot back in place, and quietly sips her cold tea.
"Lieutenant Fuyuko Kasumi of Tenth Division... ...As some of you may know, I was sent to Karakura Town in the world of the living... Once arriving I had used my bankai to immediately kill it and bring Arashi back to the Soul Society. ...similar to in Karakura Town, Naruki City also had a visitor from hell. Third Seat Shizuka Hyouzoku had received a distress message from Kuro Yakimono... ...Shizuka was heavily injured, had the others actually gone when they were suppose to, especially the one who personally requested to go...maybe things would have turned out differently... ...I had attempted to get the information to Captain Kagayaki, and perhaps even go to Naruki City myself to assist, but when I arrived I learned I had been restricted from entering the Land of the Living."
With this wretched soul's name uttered once more as everyone is reminded or informed of its initial encounter with shinigami, even in it's hollow state it proved to be a formidable opponent, again requiring the use of a vice captain's bankai to do away with it. Now there was no telling if it would make a third appearance, despite the collaborative effort between Omoni and Jinnosuke to squander it, if it will respawn in hell once again. Too many dangerous variables lay about. More casualties at the hands of these monsters. She nods understandingly as she listens, the pig-tailed lieutenant's no-nonsense approach to her division will certainly be punishment enough for those that incurred her wrath.
"Jinnosuke Ueku, Lieutenant of Eleventh division... ...I isolated myself and trained my body until I had broken myself into a complete state of uselessness... ...Hibiki Maeda was dispatched... ...He recovered a part of Vincent, the previous God King's finger. It was given to the Kido Corps... ... I was in the fourth division recovering from my training, which resulted in the destruction of our training grounds... ...help with repairs to the Rukongai and other affected areas... ...I recovered due to the Thirteenth and the Fourth Division's efforts and was immediately sent into combat..."
She turns from her right to her left as Jinnosuke gives his report, detailing how he came to be incapacitated for so long. Still, to train one's self beyond their usual thresholds to unleash more power, she can't help but be almost proud of him, even as he announces his weakness, he takes his vow, and with his own self-reprimanding, there is little need for her to chew the younger man's ear out with a scolding, after all, he jumped right into a ferocious battle the instant he could move.
...He recovered a part of Vincent, the previous God King's finger. It was given to the Kido Corps... The line repeats itself in her head several times, and a vain on her temple throbs lightly while she continues listening to the remainder of his report.
"Lieutenant Katsuo Oda, of 13th division... ...the Adjucha level hollow was fighting not one but several Quincy. ...one with long beautiful red-ish hair saved Oyama when the Togabito showed up. ...the Togabito in Karakura did a major blow to our numbers in division Thirteen, and they may see it as an opening to strike the soul society…I took the opportunity to record each of their faces with my soul phone, and Intend to send it to Division 12 so they can be monitored closely. ...I, too… was overwhelmed by the power of this Togabito… which mind you it took a captain and two lieutenants to take down… ...I hope one day I can prove my strength to every one of you… ...I'll get stronger…"
Finally, Katsuo Oda speaks, giving his account of the events in the world of the living. Smart, capable, and reliable. She notes this. While being present in the battle, he did everything in his power to support his comrades, and with his quick thinking, he was able to grant them more time to act. Even his division suffered heavy casualties. Just what was going on? All at once. The images captured by him will prove useful for surveillance, especially if these Quincy were able to fight, and survive the Togabito, despite not staying the full battle. She tilts her head slightly at he speaks his final sentences, and slowly exhales, finally laying her pen down on the table.
She takes a couple seconds to close her eyes as she thinks. Her left elbow places itself on the armrest, and with two fingers at her temple that support her head. She remains perfectly still for those few moments, even while those around her glance towards each other in wait of her. The seconds of silence seem endless, and deafening. A pin bouncing on the floor could be heard. She straightens up and smiles.
The Head Vice Captain stands, gesturing with her right hand for the others to remain seated. Finally, she speaks.
"While everyone suffered through their own hardships, you have all survived, and are stronger and wiser for it. Do not let that deter you from your duty, or allow it to cast doubt within yourself or your abilities. You sit here amongst the strongest, and not all strength is measured by raw physical prowess. A sharp mind can be the defining factor. Do not falter. It has been centuries since I have witnessed such cooperation and amicability between the squads. Rifts between us will do nothing but make the threats against the balance of souls that much more dangerous, and will drastically affect our ability to efficiently perform out jobs.
Lieutenant Yugure..." She turns to face her. "You did not have to remain in the Rukongai once your mission was complete, but you did. And in doing so, have inadvertently formed a bridge between the Second and Fifth divisions by cooperating. Using tenteikurai was a good decision, in doing so, reinforcements were able to arrive and assist with the chaos present in the 77th District. I don't even wish to begin theorizing what would have transpired were you not there to have done so. I wish you the best on your coming test. You must have confidence in yourself, as I, and those around you do."
The tone of her voice changes, becomes lower, as she now addresses the next person on her list.
"Lieutenant Hageshi..." She rubs her temples briefly, grimacing.
Where do I even begin? She sighs, sorting her thoughts and places her fingertips on the cold surface of the table, slowly lowering herself as she faces the woman. She leans over the table, and begins. "...Your mission was to procure a hollow to heal Jinnosuke, by becoming
distracted from your mission, not only was Lieutenant Ueku incapacitated for an extended period of time, the enemy acquired
your zanpakuto abilities, it claimed countless lives of fellow shinigami as it was able to heal itself
repeatedly. Even the Quincy suffered casualties! And while we have ability to heal damage, we cannot revive the dead!" The throbbing intensifies slightly, becoming more obvious as she grabs a handful of submitted reports and violently shows them to Omoni. "Had Ueku's healing taken priority, the number of casualties would have been
lessened!" The reports slam down on the table under Honoka's fist. She takes a breath, then continues, "Still, in the end, not only were you able to complete your mission, you were also able to put an end to the Togabito, preventing further casualties. I just ask that you do not let your desire to fight strong opponents hinder your ability to perform."
The paper is released from her vice grip, returning them to the table a crumbled mess. Now, she allows Omoni a reprieve from her "scolding", then sets her sights on the Fifth Vice Captain.
"Lieutenant Suta, nevermind the Soul King's river of blood..." She taps her left hand's index and middle fingers against the table as she speaks, "...considering it's unpredictable reactions, you lost control of yourself in such a precarious situation? Do you realize the severity of this? You need to subdue your
affliction." She points at Yasu, then at him. "I'm assuming neither of you have had a chance to train and hone that ability. You are to train under supervision, with kido masters on standby for barriers, as well as restoration. If you feel that you'd like my assistance, I will attend. These sessions should include your captain as well, Suta-san. While Captain Oda was able to restrain you this time, he may not be there next time you lose control, and the closest person may not offer you luxury of restrains; they may simply cut you down where you stand. I'm certain you both are very aware of this possibility." Her eyebrow twitches slightly. "Also, the finger in Fifth's custody is to be turned over to Twelfth Division for analysis. It is unconfirmed if this is truly the God King's finger, or simply a random hollows. And the fact the it was so easily accepted as such is beyond me. In the event that it
is the finger of the God King, Kido Corps will reseal it, and turn it in to the custody of First Division. This is not optional."
She shifts and glances to wards Fuyuko, focusing her attention on her now.
"Lieutenant Kasumi, I offer you an apology, because of the events here in First Division, Tenth was left without its captain, as Commander Higen succeeded Murasaki-sama per his req- order." She sighs. "I know this has left you with a heavy burden on your hands. Because you are the remaining captain level shinigami, to protect the stability of your division, it will be unlikely that you will be allowed dangerous excursions outside of Soul Society. Yet somehow, I do not worry about the state of your division. You rule with an iron fist, and have I have faith those that have failed to meet your expectations will receive adequate punishment for having done so."
The woman takes a breather and a final sip of what remains in her cup, then faces Jinnosuke.
"You became aware of your shortcomings and sought to remedy them. You surpassed your own limits at the expense of your mobility, but I'm positive it is a hurdle you have overcome. I have no doubt that the time you spent in Fourth Division fortified your mind as well. I commend your tenacity, although you were likely itching to fight for months, you wasted no time to jump back into the battlefield and work in tandem with Omoni and put an end to the Togabito. Good work both of you." She nods toward the two, then continues, "...As for Maeda-san, by turning over the finger to Fifth Division, he--" She pauses to rephrase, "First Division issued the order. I'm perplexed as to why he turned it in to Fifth Division to begin with... He is to be imprisoned in the Senzaikyū indefinitely." His expedition warrants further investigation, and without the proper information on the sequence of events that resulted in him returning with a single severed finger, she is unable to give a definitive order on the fate of the seated shinigami. "As for the budget of Eleventh, that will remain unaffected. With the structural changes undergoing in Central Forty-six, nobles are pledging and helping in hopes of becoming elected, we have no shortage of funds, and the survivors have convened to rebuild. This is possibly the smoothest cleanup and rebuild operation I've seen yet. I could have never imagined something like this. If Eleventh still wishes to assist, I'm sure the extra manpower will help things along, and it can double up as physical training for you."
She turns to Katsuo Oda, and gives proceeds.
Your name influences nothing, you sit here among us through your own ability, even if you do not see it. You have already proven yourself to the Captains. What else could you possibly have to prove to us? Your quick decision making on the battlefield bought valuable time for your comrades. The versatility of your zanpakuto and your imaginative thinking was able to briefly pause the hellish effects of the gate, for what it's worth, stopping further fire damage." She recalls his mention of images. "The photos of the Quincy you managed to capture, don't forget to send them to Twelfth Division, if what you say is true, we need to keep a watchful eye on them and their factions and abilities. While they are currently indifferent to us, that may not be the case forever, not to mention their ability to disrupt the balance of souls." She shakes her head, and looks around to each and everyone as she continues, "My heart goes out to each one of you who suffered casualties. I know we build bonds with our teammates, even if we are not related by blood, we trust each other with our lives in the midst of battle, not everyone is lucky enough to return. They are indeed our family and our friends, and are irreplaceable."
Honoka stands straight, then slowly bends forward, bowing formally to her fellow lieutenants for a few seconds. She then returns to her standing position.
"Their lives were not lost in vain, and they will be remembered. They have honored their names, their family, and the Gotei 13. First Division will cover the funerary services for each fallen warrior."
With this final sentiment from the Head Lieutenant, the meeting officially concludes.
