Shinigami
Administrator
"Sugoi… Sugoi, sugoi, sugoi, suuuuUGGGOOOOOOOOOOOIIIII!!!!!!!!!"
Ninth’s captain is full of theatrics as she screams into the microphone, but the shrill cries of the crowd that surround the northern Rukongai for a closer look only fuel the gremlin even more and feed into her extremity. She feels unstoppable, and as the participants begin to arrive, her blood only continues to pump. Both captains and non-captains will have their own set of questions that they must answer before they can make any leeway into the arena, but the Commander will eventually begin the games as a whole.
The pitched tent, it’s rather spacious with several cameras pointed directly towards the entrance. While there is a chair, participants have a choice in standing or sitting. More than likely her peers will stand because she knows well enough that the Games are nothing more than a hindrance to them. She could honestly pray to the Commander for giving her than exemption from the event. Yasu was clearly enjoying herself, and when the sound of the cheers began once more, she knew that her first participant had arrived. Yasu gives a pointed look to the cameraman behind the scenes, as well as those holding the light fixtures to give each entering participant the spotlight when they entered.
In a quiet surprise, it is the Monk that arrives first and foremost. As if by chance, he senses the evil within Yasu as she makes it a point to enjoy bombarding the ever-silent captain with invasive questions. She sits off to the side so that all focus can be on him.
He is quick to answer, and she takes pauses here and there for the audience to digest each answer given, much to his aggravation. Which each pause, he turns to leave only for her to continue with the interview, his feeling of annoyance pure and etched onto his face, and she has to cover her mouth to stifle any giggles that dared to try and escape. He survives as she finally asks him his last question:
“Do you have any words to share before you step into the field?”
“I care nothing for the title of Kenpachi, however, I will dole out violence to all my opponents regardless of who they are. Those who step foot into these games, men, women, or children, I will kill them all. I will kill to kill again, killing all.”
Yasu may not be surprised by the change in demeanor, but surely her viewers are. For a captain to utter such words, and coming from someone of the likes of Tenzen, saying something like that would paint him in the worst light. However, the cheers from those standing outside say otherwise. The people wanted to see the bloodshed; they wanted all the violence entailed, and to hear and watch a strong first response to an open question like so fed them well. Tenzen leaves the tent, and Yasu pops into frame, cackling like a madman as she addresses those watching.
“That Oda energy is heavy with that one, but what else should we expect from the Clan Lord himself. Captain Oda has proven to be an adversary that is worth having on your side… Imagine if he were the enemy.” She lets out a low whistle to show her distaste at the idea but gets right back into it. “Our next interview will follow-- What? Who?”
Yasu gets cues offscreen and the gestures to turn around make her do so, and she comes face to face with the one and only Kyomu Mukuro. Her lips part in surprise, but no sound comes out. Fortunately, Yasu snaps out of her short shock, and she whips her arms out and laughs in glee before moving out of frame to let her former captain take the stand and follow in the footsteps of his fellow captain.
The crowd is in awe as they watch the silent face-off before Yasu manages to regain her senses to ask the assigned question. She is more than aware of just how badly the Onmitsukido Commander does not want to be there, let alone answer these hapless questions, yet he does so, reluctantly, but cooperatively. All of his answers are short, curt, and this is something that she expects, something that he embodies well, and she knows not to push anything more than she needs to. Eventually, Yasu reaches the final question.
He shifts his glance to several places, and if one were to be rewatching the scene before them, the amount of times that Yasu has had the Phantom’s attention is numerous… And she feels this. Even after the century-long silence, the unspoken bond between these two shinigami is known to them and them only. The small exchange in this interview lifts a weight off of her shoulders that she didn’t know she possessed, and he gives his simple answer before leaving the tent.
“....no.”
She watches him leave and springs out of her seat to once more take the viewer’s attention.
“From personal experience, this is the most I’ve seen Captain Mukuro talk in one sitting.” She garners her laughs from the audience. The atmosphere is tense after being bombarded like that with two powerhouses with a discernable history. “Let’s continue, shall we?
As if on cue, the next participant enters.
Omoni Hageshi of the Eleventh Division takes a seat in the hair surprisingly and is uncomfortable in the settings she’s placed in. Luckily for her, Yasu was there to conduct the interview rather than one of her subordinates. The gargantuan woman and the pink-haired menace have been acquainted for several decades, so their relationship is a rather steady one. Familiar with her habits, Yasu is quick to begin to keep the captain’s attention for as long as she can. Omoni’s answers are as Omoni is: loud, direct, and full of vigor. Yasu appreciates this, and the clear support from those observers outside of the tent do as well.
It isn’t until Yasu asks about those other than herself vying for Kenpachi that the titan exhibits a change in demeanor that takes everyone by surprise. She flits through the cards of participants and one seems to send her for a whirl as the selected card gets shoved into her face and with it being too close, Yasu doesn’t exactly see anything more than the white of this participants hair and she quickly moves her eyes up and down from the card back to Omoni several times before she snatches it out of her hand and places it back in the pile, laughing a bit forced. To say she was confused was saying the least, but the show goes on. The ground quakes beneath them from her outbursts as she answers the questions one by one, but Yasu shows no worries as they quell long enough for her to get to the last question, something that stops Omoni right in her tracks.
“ I’M HERE TA’ FIGHT EVERY ONE A’ YA N’ YA BETTER BE READY TA’ SHOW ME WHATCHA’ GOT CAUSE I AIN’T GOIN’ EASY ON NONE A’ YA!”
Her voice booms and a few of her sound folk reel back from the thunderous proclamation but the effect supersedes any expectation and Yasu merely cheers, resulting in the following of her viewers. Omoni exits and exchanges words with the Phantom, all of which was caught on screen. Perhaps it wasn’t known to Rukongai citizens, but to the shinigami, all knew that it was Kyomu who had proctored Omoni’s exam to become a captain. The details themselves were unknown, but there she was, standing in her designated haori. Yasu manages to gain the attention once more and points directly into the camera.
“Riveting. An absolute monster has made her way into the waiting room and not a single one of us can wait until we see her in action! You can feel the bloodlust in the crowd!”
So far the interviews were going well. And this next one would hopefully go smooth as well. There is a small break as the next participant signs up for the games and she’s eventually handed a card to add to the pile. Yasu observed the contents, hand shooting up to her mouth to keep the laugh from escaping just as she heard the chuckle from behind her as Hiroka Ikari entered the tent.
"Certainly not how I expected to see you again after all this time, Yasu. Or should I say Captain Yūgure? Congratulations on that by the way."
"Hi-ro-ka-chan.~"
She calls the older shinigami by his first name, childishly at that, clearly indicating the casual relationship if him calling her by her first wasn’t giving any clues. Yet he corrects himself and calls her by her respective title and congratulates her. The two haven’t seen each other in a while, and she wondered just where the third of their rambunctious trio was. Hopefully, he was participating as well, but soon enough she’d come to realize that such was not the case. Unfortunately, she’d missed them two weeks ago due to the training with the Commander, but better late than never.
He makes himself comfortable and she too follows suit. Somewhere along the way, her members managed to get her a chair and she crossed her legs and fired away. Knowing good and well the type of man that he was and how private he was, it was unfortunate for him that it would not be the time for that. He is quick to make his statement known, and the answers are steamy and full of confidence. Much like Kyomu, Hiroka’s answers are also short and curt as well. It isn’t until the final question that Yasu feels something that the others haven’t earned from her.
“This is a battle without law. So I will not hesitate to leave no trace of those that get in my way."
She imagines this interview to be over, but his presence still lingers and she looks up from what has once caught her attention and sees him standing in the doorway, staring back at her. Yasu tilts her head, and he speaks.
"I'm sure it goes without saying but that goes for you as well. I hope we need not cross paths... But I'm serious about this."
In tandem with his exit, all cameras pan to Yasu who holds nothing but a blank expression on her face. She can sense the uneasiness from her members, and even those surrounding the tent. Perhaps they all overlooked the fact that the only face not shown in the roster among the captains was herself. It wasn’t as if she had made it public of her exemption, but she didn’t proclaim her participation either. They would only have so few moments to think about it before she turns to the closest camera and lets out a rather breathless laugh.
"What a cheeky bastard. We expect nothing less from a member of the Eleventh Division. In two weeks, Omoni Hageshi has certainly amped up her subordinates and all we can look forward to are what I expect to be fights of the century."
There is a small break and Yasu moves out of the cameras’ line of sight as they await the next entry. She sags in her chair, letting her head hang down and back to where the world around her was upside down. Idly swinging her legs, her purple orbs flit around as she watches her people work so tediously. She was proud, and perhaps after this entire ordeal, she would treat them for a night of barbecue.
“Captain, the next entry is here.”
She sits up so suddenly it causes the chair she sits in to rock back and forth, and before they can sit, she immediately begins her questioning. This catches Yu Nakamoto off, either that or the camera that nearly kissed his face. He fixes himself up and she manages to wait a bit before giving him the next questions in the set. Five stated questions, but each one answered was unique and so… them. Yuna was a quiet person, to begin with, so it was nice to have finally seen him come out of his shell. Like all of the others, she asks him the same final question, and he answers:
“For my competition, good luck. For those that are watching... I hope you will be inspired to continue becoming stronger and eventually fight alongside the greatest after watching today's matches.”
"Kind words from the Seireitei’s Angel, but don’t be fooled, folks. Those who mistake his kindness for weakness will understand just how much of a monster that Captain Nakamoto is. Speaking from experience, he is no one to hold back in the slightest."
Yuna has always been humble, and as he exits, he nods in her direction and she returns it. Her address to the audience is true; each of the captains was captain for a reason. Perfected crafts and unyielding natures make each of these allotted four individuals… monsters? No, perhaps she couldn’t even think of an adjective to best describe them as a whole. Unsure of when her next entry would arrive, Yasu checks her phone as it buzzes in her pocket. Shusuke had finally gotten to his post at the betting polls… Finally.
"While we wait on our next entry to arrive, please turn your attention to the screen if you have wandered. Trust me, you’re going to want to pay attention… Also, I suggest you get your phones ready if you aren’t in the area."
Yasu waves her hands out in the direction of the cameras and all of them check their phones to see that their lieutenant has finally arrived to begin his broadcast. The broadcast realigns and it is now Shusuke Kiyoshi who has the floor. The Ninth Division captain leans back in her chair with snacks in hand as she watches the screen where her lieutenant puts on his show and she can't help but watch how ridiculous this was. She had set him to be in charge of the betting pool, and with Uzu at his side, they'd do alright with the collection fees and properly calculating the odds between each player. He lists off the major players of the game, the captains, one by one, and she finds it a little irking that she wasn't mentioned but then recalls she never confirmed her participation. Not to forget that Shusuke had invited himself to the Captain's meeting and overheard the Commander give his exception towards the girl. Her phone buzzes yet again and she watches as the bets come rolling in, as well as a small popularity poll that will get added in with each incoming participant. For the time being, the individual who had the most favor with the audience was...
“Hageshi-san, huh? Can’t say that it isn’t surprising.”
There is shuffling behind her as someone enters the tent. While she expects another participant, she’s met with a familiar face instead, and her demeanor perks up at just what her guest brings.
”Excuse me? Captain Yugure? I apologize for interrupting, but I come bearing a gift from the Hoshi family as a thank you for your years of patronizing our business. This is from the soon-to-be head of our family, Signy Hoshi. We wish you the best of luck in the games.”
Like a child on Christmas, Yasu watches as her present comes to her wheeled in a cart, filled to the brim with the assortment of snacks and candies that the Sweets Shoppe held in the Rukongai stores. As the attendants take their leave, Yasu makes a dive, hugging the cart to herself and stuffing her face into the pile of snacks to where her head disappeared in the mountain. Meanwhile, her hands caressed the sides of the cart in absolute glee. While she would not consume it all just yet, she would make plans to take care of that later. After basking in her treasures, she calls for a couple of Shinigami from the Ninth to go and hole this up in her office in the meantime, pocketing a few bags here and there for later consumption.
“Who’s next on the list?”
She asks aloud but no answer comes and Yasu turns to her camera crew and looks at them in confusion. Waving her arms around, she finally catches them staring at something behind her and she too turns around to face someone that she didn’t expect. Honoka Oki stands at the opening of the tent, eating her yakiimo and for but a moment, everything is silent… until Yasu begins questioning Honoka with standard interview questions. Her members and viewers are in shock at the sight of the Oki woman, never having expected her to make an appearance in the least after all of the shame she suffered. While Yasu is not one to judge, she was there for her sentencing, and the girl knew that more than anything, Honoka was suffering far more than what anyone could say about her.
Like clockwork, Honoka answers, and her participation is confirmed, though she knows her first answer is a lie, Honoka having been present when Commander Kagayaki issued out his orders for the game. Perhaps she would be using this as an opportunity to salvage her name and her broken clan, or something more. Regardless, while Yasu says nothing about it, she is more than glad to see the woman as lively as she is. Reaching the last question, Yasu laughs as Honoka poses for the camera, giving her answer with gusto.
“Give it everything you got, and I'll give it everything I got! I don't want to leave with any regrets!”
The interview is over, and with another surprise at hand, Yasu catches her yakiimo, courtesy of her former Head Lieutenant. Bowing her head, the girl still gives her respects to her elder, one that has watched over her for most of her life. She unwraps the snack and points at the camera in her own dynamic pose, cheesing as she takes a bite of the savory potato.
“An unexpected participant has crossed the threshold. Former Head Lieutenant Honoka Oki has joined the field. Will she regain her honor in these games and show us the beast that slumbers within her? These games have just gotten even more exciting, don’t ya think!?”
Yasu scarfs down the gift and someone else calls in for the next interview. Pounding away at her chest, Yasu nearly chokes as she forcefully pushes down the sacred food to start her next interview with yet another face she hasn’t seen since she was the Second Division’s lieutenant. Nibui Ueki stands awkwardly at her tent opening, clearly looking like the most uncomfortable person there was in the Soul Society as he moves hesitantly to a spot where the cameras can capture him properly. He even waits for confirmation before she begins her questioning.
What was even more out of his normal expressions came exuberant and forced glee in his answers with his exclamations. As truthful as his answers were, Yasu could only sweat from each one given. She knows very well firsthand just how Nibui usually was, so watching himself force this type of attitude was stomach-turning, but maybe that was from the yakiimo she had to eat in a hurry. Eventually, they get to the last question, yet unlike his other answers, this one was quick, straight to the point, and made without any thought.
”Don’t die.”
She wishes him good luck and as he leaves, the cameras pan back over to her.
“It’s not every day you get to see Lieutenant Ueki so… pumped up. While not so much of a people-person, as a member of the Eleventh Division, he’s a battle-oriented person, and that’s exactly what we want for these games, am I right?”
The cheers of the crowd speak for themselves and the wild flapping of the tent once more sounds right behind her and then a thud to follow. Turning her head, and the camera with it, Yasu feels something hit her feet and catches a gourd there. However, stepping over it, she drops down into a squat and pulls one of the nearby sticks to jab it at this white-haired man’s back when he finally looks up and comes face-to-face with her.
“You look familiar.”
Yasu can smell the alcohol on his breath and she blinks a bit absentmindedly. Had it not been for Omoni shoving that place card in her face before, she probably would have never recognized the man, but she was unsure as to whether or not they’d met before. Just as she was to ask him if he needed assistance, he continued speaking with a smile --
“Cute hair.”
“Eh?”
Yasu’s expression stays smiling, but what happens in her head is just empty as she takes a bit to process what has just happened. Was that a compliment? Cute? Her hair? Unconsciously, Yasu begins fumbling with her hair while Suiyo manages to come to an upright position with his gourd in hand and hearing a forced cough causes Yasu to snap back into action and begin her questioning. Like Honoka’s entrance, many were confused at the sight of this man, or rather his eyeball and nostril as he had gotten so close to the main camera, the others had to move into a position where they could see his face.
Yet as she begins questioning him, she infers that he’s not listening, more interested in the camera more than anything, yet she presses on. Somehow by the second question, he manages to finally take a look around him and properly observe his surroundings. Many of her crew find it a waste, but he was in the cards, and Otsukai had already snagged a picture of him. She catches him observing her very closely and her expression is stoic as his eyes roam, examining her from head to toe. She manages to get the final question out, but rather than answering it, Suiyo leans in close to whisper in her ear and she can feel the heat from the alcohol brewing in his stomach seep out past his teeth as he tells her--
“Don’t look now, but I think your pants are falling down.”
Once again, it’s like time stops and she can hear nothing but her mind is empty. Although in his good effort, his whisper ultimately is caught by a few of her men and she can hear the stifled giggling. He leaves the interview nearly as fast as he came and while no definitive answers were given, with a tap on her shoulder, Yasu grabs at the microphone and stares a bit blankly at the screen, still at a loss for what had just transpired. She had dealt with many individuals before, but this drunken bastard was something else entirely. “Maybe there are other wildcards out there. Something tells me that he’ll be the underdog we didn’t know we wanted.”
She closes this last interview very quickly and looks at her pants, tugging on the black fabric and grumbling softly as she picks at the folds and adjusts the white-weighted wrap that hugged her hips.
“There’s nothing wrong with my pants...”
Eventually, and with quiet hope, that would have been her last interview, but the fates have decided to smite her today with yet another presence and she turns to find Shinotori Hitsugaya. Another white-haired entity, Yasu flits through the cards to count the number of them that existed in the line-up. Too many, she surmised. Whatever. Yasu waves her hands forward towards the next participant and begins her questioning.
From his card, he was a part of the Second Division, and she wondered if her former Captain had said anything to his subordinates, possibly to discourage or promote his uncaring nature on this participation. From her knowledge, it was probably the latter, so she imagined that this one was particularly new to the foundations of the Gotei Thirteen as a whole. Regardless of his admittance, he would surely have a lot to learn should he survive with the likes of the Captains and others within the roster. Many of his answers were short and curt, save for the second that required him some time to think. Captaincy was a big step, one that had many responsibilities to it, so she could at least understand his concerns of testing. Yasu had much of her own hesitance before she tested herself.
“No.”
Could he be any more suited to the Second Division? That is what she questions when the boy gives her an answer much like Captain Mukuro, and she wondered just exactly how he was training his members and whether or not they held secret classes to obtain their own version of the Mukuro ways. She bids him good luck and she misses the hiding of his face as she turns to the cameras and gives her closing interview.
“Perhaps our shortest interview, but all the same, perhaps Shinotori Hitsugaya will provide the same thrill that these past interviews have given to you!”
Just as the camera crew begins to make a break in order to prepare for the rest of the games, Yasu clears her throat to catch their attention. They all stop, and even those watching on the screens were confused. Wasn't that supposed to be the last interview? With their attention on her, Yasu holds up her own card containing her information and surprise sits on many of the faces behind the camera, and she poses as she captures the attention of the crowd once more.
“Maybe seeing all of these other participants made you forget about me. I'm a little bit hurt by that.”
Yasu stands at the center of attention, her glasses off as she stares right into the main camera. She has someone from the Ninth Division reading off those same five questions that the captains had received from her not too long ago. With the cameras on her, she answers earnestly.
“While our esteemed Commander has made it mandatory for you to participate, do you find it exciting still to fight against those confident enough to try for the title?”
“Unlike my peers, I was granted an exemption because the Ninth Division is in charge of hosting the Games, but I'd be a joke if I didn't join the others. Excitement isn't the word I'd use, but I look forward to my fellow challengers.”
Surprise, surprise. Who would have expected the Seireitei's brat to join in on the fun? Yasu is more than confident that she'll be able to keep up with her peers, but there are a couple of anomalies in which she finds herself wary.
“If you find anyone worthy, will you extend an offer into your division?”
“Ninth Division would surely become something in the Soul Society if we were to have someone holding the title of Kenpachi, but each of these participants have their own goals in mind. I don't seek out anyone, but if you're interested I'll see you in my office after the games.”
She highly doubted that anyone would join, but the offer was still there.
“Outside of yourself, who do you think has the ability to become Kenpachi?”
“I'm... not exactly sure how to say this. I have the utmost confidence in the other captains to hold their own. As for those seated below them or even that drunk one from earlier, their abilities will speak for themselves during the tournament. So we'll see.”
Yasu scratches at her neck. While she had had the time to think about these questions herself, time was still necessary to get her thoughts in order.
“Do you have high hopes that your competition will put up a good fight?”
“Not that they will, but must. The Kenpachi Games will end with the strongest soul in Soul Society standing above everyone else. They have to fight with their lives on the line.”
This was unlike any form of Yasu that the media was familiar with. She was completely serious, save for the interviews that Otsukai had taken prior during her lieutenant days. What she said was correct. While she had performed with the grace that caused the viewers to feel their hearts beating out of their chests in excitement for the games, she was there to remind those of the extremity that these games entailed.
“Do you have any words to share before you step into the field?”
“Kenpachi will go to the soul that deserves it the most, take it if you can.”
Unwrapping a lollipop as she speaks, the captain shoves the lollipop into her mouth and holds it in between her pointed canines and smashes her right fist against the palm of her left hand so roughly that a vein forms very crudely in sight of the camera. Yasu bows her head and those behind the cameras follow suit as they wish their captain luck. With her card handed in, the following participants will be shown with their given information very shortly. She makes her way out of the tent, stretching her arms across her chest and stopping just short of Honoka Oki and she holds out a bag of Konpeito she managed to pull from the gifted cart. No words are exchanged, but the small gesture speaks for itself.
Leaving the Oki woman, Yasu scans her horizons on just who else to bother and she catches Hiroka with his back turned to her. Like a pest, she circles him after he's made a change in attire. She would confront him, and although the last time they'd met he was the same height as her, he towered over her now, much like the majority of these contestants. She poked and prodded at his arms, his chest, his face, wherever else she could cause him to become annoyed.
“Konoyaro. Is that how you treat a close friend after all of these years?”
She teases him and continues her pulling and prodding, moving out of his way at any chance he tried to grab at her to get her to stop. The brat would continue her assault up until she got bored and moved on, whistling with the lollipop staining her tongue in red from its cherry flavor. Her eyes moved to the other participants, purposely avoiding the drunk as she finally falls onto the back of Kyomu Mukuro. Even after all of this time, she still finds herself unable to face him. Perhaps things would be different on the field. She would be forced to if it came to it.
Soon enough, by the word of the Captain-Commander, the games would begin. Ninth Division knew where to proceed to, and all fighters would be directed to where they needed to go. They'd reached the end of the beginning. Just who would stand on top as Kenpachi?
