Ashes Reborn, A Captain's Meeting

Kiriko set another piece of paper aside, placing it gently atop the ever growing pile that seemed an eternal presence on her desk. As a Lieutenant she had handled the vast majority of paperwork already for the Nibantai, but the added work of her new position certainly carried a greater weight. She felt confined in this tiny office now that the Annex itself was so empty. It was absurd, there was so much room with only one person living here, but that hole where her Captain should have been left her aching. Kiriko knew he would be back, but whenever someone made a sly comment or outright asked her about his timing she felt the slap of doubt. It had been a long time. A very long time. Where could he be?

Privately she wondered why he left her no note, no sign or even any standing orders. That was unlike her Captain. Even though he often left Kiriko to her own devices, trusting in her ability to handle things, he was also caring enough not to just drop off the face of the earth without alerting her. He knew how she felt about uncontrollable changes. The unforeseen events always throwing her into a tizzy of frantic planning. It was hard managing everything without him, she would admit that freely. Even with her new bond with her sister, Aneue was not the same commanding presence as Tsukimiya-taichou. Though the sword tried her best to give orders. Kiriko thought it kind of charming, except for when Aneue got that strange tone in her voice as if she was being serious.

Patting the hilt at her side Kiriko jerked in her chair, nearly knocking over her cup of tea as she realized she had been drifting off from her work. Angry with herself for such weakness she clenched her hands beneath the table her eyes roving around the room for a distraction to her own ineptitude. There was an approaching reiatsu signature, something unfamiliar to Kiriko who had committed to memory all of the people in her Division. Frowning she sensed the ancillary presence at the side of the foreign one, this one was remembered.

There was a knock at her door and Kiriko called for the group to enter, her Third Seat stepping in silently leading another man at his back. He gave a swift bow before speaking, “Ma'am, this is Junichiro-san from the Fifth. He has a message for you.” Stepping aside to allow the newly proclaimed Junichiro to the fore Kiriko studied the man in question. He wasn't small by any measure of the word but he wasn't as bulky as many of the Fifth Division members she was so used to seeing. Speed seemed to be ideal. Was there really such a need for this man to bring her a message? She raised one eyebrow as he paused and swallowed audibly. Not many enjoyed the process of being in Chinda Kiriko's office, not with her reputation.

“Uhm, right. Ine-taichou has requested that you meet him and the other Captains at the First Division to discuss the current situation of Seireitei,” the man bowed stiffly, his message having been delivered. She watched him stand there awkwardly, well aware of the fact that he wanted to be out of this room as quickly as possible. Staring at her long nails Kiriko tilted them in the sunlight, studying the Shinigami as she did so. Ine? She'd never spoken to him before but she could imagine why this was being called. There were a lot of disappearances that even she couldn't explain or account for with her vast information network. Seireitei was in a weakened position. Likely he wanted to discuss strategy.

Waving her hand wordlessly she directed her man to lead the messenger away. Once they had both left the room Kiriko stood from her chair, stretching her arms high over her head as she worked out the kinks in her back from stooping for so many hours. There would be no time for a light meal, she had taken to eating sparingly anyway now that she had to cook for herself more often. It was... painful... to be in that kitchen like that. So empty.

Smoothing her hair into its tight bun she slid the saya of Aneue through her sash and strode for the main road leading towards the First. What an interesting choice of location. Even Kiriko, young as she was, knew the old stories. She felt a jitter of anxiety when she thought of the group of people she would meet. Kiriko had never done much work with anyone in the current leadership and she wondered what they would think of her new position as Acting Captain. Thrusting away such paltry emotions Kiriko rubbed her sword as Aneue rattled in a soothing manner, “If they treat you badly I'll avenge you Imoutou,” the sword crooned darkly. A whisper in her ear. “No one dare do that to my Imoutou...”

Smiling wryly at the sword's desire to protect her Kiriko soon reached the meeting hall. The door was already pushed open so she entered the room on silent feet, glancing around to get her bearings. This building hadn't been used in a while it seemed and she was unfamiliar with the layout. She was also unfamiliar with who would be here. Kenshou Ine of course, for he had called the meeting. But who else remained? Everything had been so silently lately. Was Kachekiwa Acting Captain of the Sixth at such a time? Aizawa Junko should be there. And it was stranger still that the Captain Commander hadn't called this meeting himself, but perhaps that was due to those ever circling rumors that he had been mortally injured and was holed away somewhere.

Stepping inside she spotted one lone body, the haori her only indicator of who it was. Standing tall and precise Kiriko never paused as she walked towards the man who led the Fifth now that Artix was gone. In all of her derision for that Division she still wasn't sure what she felt about Ine-taichou. Perhaps today would be her chance to get a feel for the man. Eyes forward and piercing she looked him over silently before pausing at his side, “I am Acting Captain Chinda Kiriko. Pleased to meet you,” her words were cold and sharp, but perfectly polite.  

WC: 1065 | GP: 21 | Total GP: 21

Kenshou waited in the small courtyard outside, the two story courtyard was open to the sky above and Kenshou looked up at it contemplating the events that were unfolding today. Even now with the blue sky above and clouds lazily rolling across the sky he wondered if life could ever be as simple as it once had been. Back so long ago when he had watched another man wear this haori he had not a care in the world. These kinds of problems were something he could just ignore like any other member in the division, it was something that others had always handled. Those had been the days, the smile crept over his face as the memories of days long past played across his eyes. Even if Kenshou had been given the option to live in those peaceful times, he was not sure he could ever go back to that state of blissful ignorance now. He felt the breeze blow through the courtyard and felt someone approaching, it was someone he did not know. He was not sure what division the soul was even from. The footsteps drew near, almost silent. It was unsettling how little noise this individual made, something that was indicative of training in the second division.

It seemed that Kyousuke had still not been found after Tova had retaken Los Nochas. The man had been in charge there and could possibly be dead. Kenshou would offer some kind of condolences in any other circumstance, but the second division members were emotionless machines. Or at least the ones he had run into overtime, they simply seemed to not be capable of feeling. Even Kenshou still felt crept out by them. It was so different from the fifth where emotions ended up being worn on sleeves more often than not. Kenshou thought about his graduation from the academy and the second had offered him a fairly decent spot fairly high up in their ranks. His skill set had been everything they had desired, but he simply had chosen to follow that woman. She ended up shaping so much of his life he could not imagine not following her and joining the division she was lieutenant of.

“Pleasure is mine Chindra, lovely day isn’t it.” Kenshou dismissed the formality she came in with, it simply was not his style. Even with the nobles he found himself going about business as if they were sitting around a table drinking sake. The fact she was so much like those stiff nobles was less about the properness of it and more like the emotionless machine that the second had either made of her or found and used. Kenshou wondered when the other captains or their representatives would show up, he had not heard or seen a few of the captains. He worried that they were horribly undermanned and that officers were covering for their captains and keeping it under wraps as to not cause a panic. Kenshou knew how easy it was for an officer to run a division, hell he had done it for so many years after Hikari’s disappearance. The mindless conversation would have to fill the void of time while they waited for the other divisions to be represented.

Kenshou intended on ensuring that the Gotei no longer was without a leader or without captains in divisions. If and when those missing returned they would move to normalize things to how they had been, but for now they could not wait for them to return from wherever they had been. There was not time for that anymore, Tova’s attack on the Gotei proved that threats existed and they could not lounge around and wait until another one cropped up. They needed to be ready before such an event, they needed strong captains to protect the Gotei and the men and women in it. They needed to replace the Central 46 with something as Kenshou was almost sure that Lancelot was gone and he would never be seen again, Tova most likely had killed him and hidden the proof or Lancelot had run away. Afraid of if Tova ever did find him, a coward when his own life was actually on the line. Kenshou was sure the man would never show his face again in any realm.

718 Words - 14 GP

1,922 Total Words - 38 GP

Sunlight filtered down past the columns, the sky studded with passing clouds that did nothing to negate the heat of this day. It was passing on winter time and yet every so often there would be this flash of warmth, it was irritating. She wanted a regular pattern, something to trust in nature, but as always the world around her was not to be relied upon. It was too pernicious, and Kiriko had learned her lessons young that this world was cruel as well as capricious. A bad mix.

Ine-taichou watched her approach and she could see him thinking, calculating. There was something off about the Fifth Division Captain. Kiriko cloaked herself so deeply in Nibantai work that she found it strange to surface again into the common space of Seireitei and find people who did not mask themselves completely. Her skill had always been reading body language, facial expressions, even the smallest twitch she tried to pick up. But that was a skill of necessity when surrounded by people who never showed the slightest forewarning of an attack. Out here in the sunlight, it was painful how much she could see. Enough to know that Ine-taichou was a Captain who cared little for her realm of the world.

And that was fine, she respected his Division's area of effect but also felt irritation at their baldness. Perhaps the two Divisions were doomed to look at each other across the divide, so similar and yet so different. She could accept a lack of understanding in Ine-taichou, it was present in most people after all and she had never heart Tsukimiya-taichou speak of the Fifth Captain before as an acquaintance. He was the kind of man who explained in just his movements why the Second was needed, why they were so important. As much as Kiriko felt honored to be at this meeting she knew that she was second best. No one could ever represent the Nibantai like Tsukimiya-taichou.

Shifting on her feet, she absorbed the byplay of casualness. That was fine too. Kiriko was a professional, she knew that not all Shinigami held to the same standards though. It was a pity, but not unexpected. If only they all tried harder perhaps there wouldn't be this pervasive weakness that had allowed Tova to attack and their King to stand by silently while his people died. She couldn't claim to have been more effective than anyone else, but at least she had acted. At least her Captain had acted.

“I am not sure the day really matters Ine-taichou. You've called this meeting for a serious purpose, have you not? I imagine we are here to discuss the lack of leadership indicative of a larger problem in Soul Society. I would think that such a grievous topic would forgo any attempts at smalltalk,” she was silent then, her eyes judging. When there was business to be had why waste time? It was so... so like she imagined the Fifth handled things. This was exactly why she preferred to stay within her own Division. Where at the very least people acted with gravity when the situation called for it. How could you expect to handle a problem if you made jokes or talked peaceably about other topics? It wouldn't set the mood, it would only distract.

Kiriko glanced up at the sky again, the pale sun gleaming down across her hair like lacquer. Did weather really matter so much? Certainly the world they lived in was a beautiful place and it was right to contemplate that at times. But introspection now was only wasteful. This was not the time nor the place for petty conversations. Unless she was terribly wrong in her assumptions about Ine-taichou being at the very least a capable leader Kiriko had to assume that they were here for something far-reaching and not just to check up on each other. She turned her gaze to the empty spots beside herself and the other Captain, wondering deeply who else was going to show up today.

WC: 674 | GP: 13 | Total GP: 34

Life went on in the Sixth Division as it always had, workers filling up their respective positions and working to the best of their ability. In times like this everybody had learned how to pull together, and it was slowly starting to show. Hi-to had finally started to adapt to the rather unexpected role he'd had to fill, and things were starting to get easier as he finally settled. Unlike most of the members of the Sixth, he had been in this division for hundreds of years, and had come to learn its flow better than most around the barracks had.

The two nobles who were supposed to be running the division were nowhere to be found, and because of that most of the work fell to the next person who was prepared for it. Hi-to had taken that challenge. It was, more often than not, a thankless job, but he'd put too much of his life into this Division to see it fall after Tova's onslaught. The Division morale had been low, their hope and confidence lost and somebody had to be there to pick up the pieces. The other Division's had their hands full and were in no place to handle any more work from brother divisions, and even if they were, Hi-to wouldn't allow himself to ask for it. The Sixth already had a bad name as of late and the only way to earn that respect back was through hard earned work.

His original job was to run the Interrogation Unit, and although he was more than welcome to scoot over to the Captain's office with his paper work he more often than not stayed in his original office until he was officially told otherwise. It was underground and away from the majority of the squad, and he was normally left uninterrupted unless it was an emergency. It was the duty of the Captain and the Vice Captain to go through all the official paper work, and taking both of their loads had kept him up most nights and away from his own duties. He'd had to promote a couple of officers to help to his job in interrogation alone, and if he wasn't so good at Kaido the migraine would have killed him by now.

It was another one of those days, the cool air of the stone thick room soothing as he worked the cramp out of his wrist for the seemingly hundredth time that day. He had it all sorted into piles of importance, and when he reached out for the top of the immediate pile, his hand stilled for a moment, pushing his reading glasses up his nose to make sure he was reading it properly.

It was from Kenhsou Ine- Captain of the Fifth Division.

In all honestly, he wasn't sure why he was so surprised. He read over the contense of the letter with a frown, knowing that this was likely to pop up sooner rather than later but still not quite sure what he was supposed to do. If nobody showed up to represent the Sixth, it would only drive their division into deeper turmoil amongst their brothers. That simply wasn't an option. And yet, he was the only person he was aware of that had stepped up to the plate, and as much as he didn't want to admit it to himself, he was going to have to go. There wasn't any way around it.

He shed his reading glasses and drained the last of his tea before forcing himself up and out of his chair. There was still a lot of work to be done but this wasn’t something that could wait. It would take a while to get to the First Division barracks from here, and he would have plenty time to iron his approach out on the way.

He left the Sixth with an odd feeling of calm settling over his shoulders. Truthfully, it felt rather odd to be leaving the barracks after so long confided in his office, but this wasn't something he could ignore. He'd thought he'd be more nervous. After all, Kenshou Ine and the other remaining captains would be there, likely wondering who he was or why he was even bothering. He didn't care. He had things to say and these were people who would listen, who also cared for the greater good of the divisions.

It didn't actually take as long as he'd initially thought to reach the First Division barracks. It was probably because he hadn't had the chance to stretch his legs in so long that he took minute pleasure in being able to travel a little, and by the time he touched down on first division soil he felt much more alert than he had when he’d left. The Sixth Division was farther away than most, and he guessed that the other captains were likely already here.

He didn’t waste time gathering his thoughts, and instead quietly entered the main hall, surprised to find only 2 people had arrived so far. Kenshou Ine, of course, and his naturally, Kiriko Chinda. Of course, if 1 person had to show up on time it had to be Kiriko Chinda. He would have smiled if the situation was any less formal than it was, and instead he bowed his head to the more experienced leaders, moving to take the place of where he assumed Noaruji Amai used to stand a time not so long ago.

“Kenshou Taichou, Chinda Fuku-taichou,” He nodded, coming to stand on Kenshou's left. “I’m Kohara Hi-to, acting captain of the Sixth. I hope you can excuse my captain’s absence.”

Why he felt the need to excuse such a thing was a mystery. Nobody really knew what happened to the elusive noble captain, and if they thought any of the Sixth Division did they were poorly mistaken. It was a lot to take on, but so far he’d managed, and he’d managed to avoid asking Kiriko for any help thus far.

*****

1004 words: 20 GP

Order and peace...two things of which the seireitei had seen little off over the past year; In a single moment, Gilgamesh had completely turned their foundation upside down, causing friends, comrades and family to either submit, flee or be killed (and those that fled were marked as traitors, some who were to be killed on sight)..and it hadn't just ended there. They had invaded the hollows kingdom, and in turn they had been attacked themselves, by the man named Tova. His attack had killed many, and left even more injured, crippling the already weakened foundation of gotei 6.

And now, the man she previously had called brother-in-law, the spark that started all of this...had simply disappeared..

This was a fact to ponder and question, yet Junko had, had little time to relax over the past week. She had spend her time overseeing the rebuilding of the Aizawa estate, which had been left in a pretty bad shape, after the fight between Jemukatashi and...well, the hollow, who had turned out to be her son. Proper sleep was a concept she had given up long ago, yet any kind of rest seemed impossible, with the image of Jasper's hollow form burned permanently burned into her mind. The days had started to blurr together, and just getting up the morning after five hours of rolling around in the bed, seemed as big of a mountain as the stacks of unfinished paperwork on her desk.

It was however, while slumbered over the paperwork, that she found moments of peace. Reading over a request for more paint, the daily report on the critical patients, even things as simple as recommendations for what to serve for lunch...all of was signs of a living division, who had endured through the hard times, and was now moving forward with her at the front. Her division was not only good example of what she should be doing, but also what the seireitei itself should start on. With Gilgamesh gone, the wounds of the massacre healing and the majority of the captains missing...they had to move forward, rebuild what had been destroyed, and reclaim what had been lost.

It was for that reason alone, that she had left the comfort of her estate, and made her way to the chambers of the commander. She had dressed no differently than usual; the dark uniform, the white haori with its narrowed sleeves, and the hair left loose to sway along her short body like a veil. The small bags under her eyes had been hidden with some make-up, and her posture was no less noble than usual. But if you looked closer, you would notice a certain..dullness to the blue eyes, which usually held such energy. The normally curved lips were positioned in a thin line, a sight that had been all too common as of late. 

This was on full display, as she stopped by the entrance to the room, bowing briefly. "I am sorry for being this late", she spoke, trying her best at keeping her voice above a whisper. She proceeded into the room, noticing only three other people had arrived. The sole figure she recognized was Kenshou Ine, a man who's name still left a feeling of regret, in the back of the clouded mist she called her mind. The two others..well, she had seen them before, but it was hard to remember every single name. Instead of addressing the two, she walked to her spot opposite Kenshou, her eyes falling onto his face. 

"Mitsutaka-kun, Kyousuke-san...they aren't here. Are we all that's left, Kenshou-kun?", she said, still retaining her lack of formalities despite the circumstances. 

Kenshou listened as the acting captain of the second responded cold, harsh, and to the point. It seemed as if she was the perfect soldier in a den of assassins, no wonder she had moved up the ranks so quickly. “Sometimes the lack of formalities and just the small talk is nice, if only to remind us where we came from. Eventually we will discuss the larger problems, but it’s nice to enjoy the moment occasionally. A calm before the storm one could say.” Kenshou then noticed several presences approaching, another acting captain as he introduced himself. It seemed things were worse than he suspected. If Noaruji was missing then it left what he suspected to be himself and Junko as the only Captains left in the Gotei. Almost on cue he recognized another one of the presences as Junko Aizawa. He felt sorry for her, he was not sure if she even knew about her daughter yet. The girl had come to him only a few days ago. After the meeting he may catch a word with her in private to let her know about what had happened, even their friendship could not have stopped what he did.

“They aren’t around anymore it seems, neither is Noaruji as I’ve been informed. Seems it’s just us these days.” Kenshou tried to smile, but it was hard knowing that any sort of friendship between them was most likely over as soon as she knew the truth, but he could not let that get in the way right now. They had much to accomplish and it needed doing, that much he knew. The final presence appeared, Miki Sakamoto. It seemed that she would only confirm his hunch that Lancelot was gone, that sealed the fate of this meeting. Too many captains were missing and it was causing doubts in many, he could see it in some of the faces of the acting captains. Kiriko’s face though was a steel trap, it was nearly unreadable. He wondered what monster laid beneath the calm exterior of a mask that she put on around others. Out of all here, she was the most dangerous behind himself. She would either make a good ally or she would be someone he would have to watch out for from now until the end of his days, he certainly hoped it would be the former. Finally a presence he did not expect came upon them and it was one he knew well enough, she was more like him than anyone else here, Lessa Kachekiwa. He wondered what she was doing here, he had never known her to take an interest in this kind of thing or have any interest in running a division. Kenshou was sure she could have taken Noaruji if she so desired, but she was similar to him in that manner. She was lazy and would prefer to have fun in the now than worry about the future, but now with everything that had happened, maybe she had changed.

It seemed that everyone who was going to come had arrived and barring someone late from the fourth Kenshou decided it was time to move the meeting forward. “I imagine some of you are wondering why we are here, others may have an idea already. We are here because several captains, the captain commander, Lancelot, and the Central-46 are all gone. Some are dead and others are simply just missing, but we cannot keep moving along without some of these things. We lack leadership in some divisions and it weakens us, at a time where we are already weak from a monster arriving on our doorstep and attacking us. Where were these captains? Where was our captain commander? Where was this so called king? Nowhere to be found is what we know and they left us, they ran or hide away. These are not men that should be leading us, not when they cower in fear when a threat comes to our door. No they should be the first to great such a monster when he comes, that is what I know and it was what I did. So to be on point, we are here to reestablish leadership in the Gotei 6. We are here to determine the fate of Seireitei.”

The speech had been played over and over in his mind in his time leading up to this moment and now he would see what these men and women thought, although at this point only Junko was his peer and together they could simply dismiss these underlings if they so chose. That would not be the way though, Kenshou wanted to see a unified and strong Gotei. Under Mitsutaka and even partially under Ai, it had become segregated along division lines. Often times forgetting that in the end they were all part of one military and that was where their loyalty should lay in the end. Above their divisions and above their captains, they should be willing to lay it all down for the Gotei. Today was the beginning of that, Kenshou had a feeling it was finally time for a strong Gotei.

858 Words - 17 GP
2,780 Total Words - 55 GP

Kiriko watched the others arrive, her eyes shifting from body to body in a blank stare. She felt momentary surprise at almost each face, but never let it show in her expression. Today she was representing her Division, her family, and she would not let them down even if everyone else decided to be so casual about their duties. The duties they seemed so happy to rip away from old Captains without so much as a respectful word towards their accomplishments. There was a moment of silence after everyone had gathered and Ine-taichou had given his little speech about the situation they found themselves in. It was a silence she relished as Kiriko stared at each face here today, memorizing their reactions and marking down the shifting winds.

It was treachery afoot, to displace leadership like this. For the unaligned, it mattered little. For the power hungry, it was even better. And while Kiriko was of both those natures she was also the first to speak up, and felt a bitter anger at everyone else's silence. As if they agreed with such a thing. Such words against the people who had created what Soul Society was today. She nodded and stepped forward a precise centimeter before addressing the other leaders, “I disagree. I do not know about your Captains, but mine was here. Tsukimiya-taicho fought against Tova Diablo and was injured, I have determined this information to be true. His spot is not in question amongst the Gotei.” She folded her arms, sleeves falling back to reveal wiry muscles in something more subtle then a threat.

The Second was strong. They were stronger than these other Divisions, they didn't cower because there was a lack of information about their Captain. They didn't wait for deliverance. Instead they scoured for details, for the truth, coming up with their own conclusions with the knowledge they had gained. She knew that Tsukimiya-taichou had fought just as she knew he would be back. If anyone wanted to contest that, she would fight for his place amongst these ranks. She was still wearing his bloodied haori as proof of that link. As physical proof that he had been here that day, and that he still lived.

She looked at everyone again, her posture ramrod straight and her eyes piercing. Let them dare to question that claim, let them just try. No one shook her tree and Kiriko would allow no gainsaying towards her Captain. The rest? She had never cared for Gilgamesh's leadership, finding his policies both foolish and wasteful. The other Captains? Amai had been horrible leading the Second she imagined he was much the same over at the Sixth and while the previous Captain Commander had been a capable man by all accounts and Tsukimiya-taichou's friend she had never met him either. To replace those people, it did not bother her as much. They had clearly failed, if not even their Division was defending them. If there was really no shreds of evidence towards their disappearances. Who else could speak for such people if even their own Divisions stood here ready to usurp? Shameful.

Sakamoto-san was a capable person. As was Kohara-san, though Kiriko frowned at Kachekiwa-san's arrival. Her friend was stubborn, but wasn't she breaking protocol? Ine and the rest of these foolish people didn't seem to care but Kiriko bet Kohara did. After all it was a blatant claim against him. That could prove an interesting byplay. There was no one to represent the Fourth, not even a puffed up third-seat. The politics of this meeting were about to get interesting, but she hoped her words would remind people that they weren't just replacing defective leaders but instead people who had found and bled for them. War was so easily forgotten, maybe the memories in the Nibantai were just better. 

WC: 639 | GP: 12 | Total GP: 46

After his arrival it hadn't taken long for the other respective figures to show to represent their Divisions, each taking their places along the pale wood floor. Surprisingly, the last person to arrive was somebody he'd seen around his own division as he did rounds around Nawatsuki, a prison warden by the name of Lessa Kachekiwa. He didn't know her on a personal level, but he knew enough about her to wonder why she felt the need to show her face. She must have intercepted the message somehow and felt she had something to say, though he couldn't help but wonder why she hadn't just simply come to him if she had issues to be brought to light.

The fourth had nobody here as of yet, but Kenshou didn't seem to have neither care nor patience to wait any longer. Most divisions were present and Hi-to himself was rather glad to get things moving. There was a great deal of work to be done at the Sixth and he was sure the other acting Captains had their own respective workload.

He listened idly to Kiriko and Kenshou's awkward banter as the other women took place in the room, and his speech that swiftly followed. Of course, it was every topic they had all wondered about and secretly wished would be brought to light, and not a moment too soon. He hadn't been arrogant enough to expect a stamp for his hard work anytime soon, but doing a Captain's duty without the official title was making signing certain documents very hard.

He'd been in the Sixth for over 200 years. Through it all, through various Captains, he'd seen the Sixth change and evolve into what it was today. He knew all the members, their ranks and abilities and responsibilities, and even over saw some of their training. He kept the division up and running and had worked too hard to see it fall. He knew this division. It was all he'd ever known, and he'd stuck by it religiously through the ages. Starting as a recruit he'd worked his way up with nothing short of hard work and experience. He had a lot to offer. he knew the politics, half of his fellow captains and what exactly it took to do what was needed.

The Sixth were in dire need to get things moving and to appoint a leader , and to finally drag the sixth back to what they had always had the potential to be. He respected Noaruji. He had been a good politician and tactical leader. But he wasn't here anymore, and although he wished he knew if the man was alright, he was here to pick up the pieces in his stead and keep the division he'd worked so hard on alive.

He wasn't quite sure what Lessa was doing here, but he respected her work. He frowned though; she hadn't mentioned her invite to him, or even come to him at all regarding the division. He liked to think that she had the work ethic to at least come to him before showing up at a Captain's meeting. He made a mental note to ask her later; there was no use in breeding any lack of communication. Even it was because she wasn't happy about him being in his position, to so blatantly go behind him and straight to the other Captains seemed rather...

Regardless, this wasn't something he was going to bring up so brashly in front of these people. He wasn't one for hanging your laundry out in the open, and instead kept his face a perfect mask of calm as he listened intently to Kenshou talk.

Kiriko, of course, took up her own mention of her infamous Captain. It was important not to brand their pervious leaders as traitors, and nobody really knew what had happened to them after the massacre. Noaruji wasn't around, and as always, Hi-to had been there to pick up the work in his place, as many of the acting Captains had had the initiative to do.

"I can’t speak for anybody else, but I for one am not here to argue about what happened. We’re here today to decide what to do now that it has."

Kiriko’s loyalties to her Captain were admirable, and incredibly founded from what he’d heard, but he had a sneaking suspicion that going down this road was going to lead to more disputes than it would action. Their previous leaders was a sore subject for more than one person here, and he wasn’t going to get into an argument about what could have been when they were here now.

*****

776 words: 15 GP
Total GP: 35 GP

Kenshou listedened as some of the others talked, he knew that some would be against his plan. He also know that some would use this opportunity to climb the ranks themselves. It was all something that would always be played out in the politics of the Gotei. Kenshou himself had a goal and that was to ensure the military strength in such a time was more than what it was now, pathetic. Kenshou looked at Kiriko and understood her devotion to her captain, he also knew that is could be blinding. “That may be Kiriko, but where is he now? Your captain is missing and has not been heard from or seen in quite some time as I’ve heard it. How long will you cling to his memory before you do what you have to? Did he teach you to stay waiting for him like a simpering pup, or did he train you to be more than that?” Kenshou’s words were harsh, but right now they could not hold onto an idea that those who were missing would eventually come back and everything would just fall back into place. They needed to assume the worst and move to protect the Gotei and continue with their duty. Kenshou needed to push aside all pretenses that they could simply wait this out and it would work out for the best. They had to assume those missing would never return and that they had to rebuild the Gotei with the men and women at their disposal.

“The point of bringing us together was to handle the situation we find ourselves in now. We can’t wait for those missing to maybe come back, no it discredits what they did to sit here and wait. It’s our duty to move on and ensure the Gotei is protected and led well, if you are not capable of handling that duty then I suggest you leave now.” Kenshou looked at Kiriko and the others who were not captains. They may call themselves acting captains of their division, but they were not the same. He was not sure they were even capable of defending their division should it be called upon them to do it. Not this was not what he had expected of those who would answer the call, there was little to work with but he was going to have to move past that and ensure the Gotei came out stronger than it had been a few months ago. “I called this meeting because we need to fill those voids of leadership, we need Captains, a Captain Commander, and we need to determine what should be done about the now vacant halls of the Central 46. Some of you may think this is a time to grab power for yourself, but it isn’t. Now is a time that we do what’s right for the Gotei, I’ve said my piece on the matter now. What say you?”

Kenshou knew that with all that only two options for the Captain Commander position were even possible, Junko Aizawa and himself, the only two captains in attendance at the meeting. The others could make captain, but some were weak and it was an embarrassment they had climbed so high in their own division. His thoughts were harsh, but Kenshou had become a harsh man and he was not going to coddle them now. Now they needed to be strong and present a unified front that would deter any kind of attacks on their home again. What they needed now was to stop living in the past, Lancelot had destroyed that. Now they had to start rebuilding a future, with a strong foundation. A future that would last generations in the Gotei, that was a very long time to build for.

630 Words - 12 GP
3,410 Total Words - 67 GP

"Kenshou-san, there is no reason to be cruel in this situation. The last thing we need is open conflict between ourselves", Junko said, her clear voice sounding a bit weird, due to the rather blank expression on her face. "You have said many times, that the goal for this meeting is to restore order and fill the void of our empty seats. Such a thing isen't archived, it probably won't even be brought up, if we fight among ourselves". Tugging the side of her haori briefly, she glanced around the women; most of these faces were mostly unknown to her, and the only face she knew, was bitter and angry. She should probably pull him aside after the meeting, and consult with him about how he felt, or at the very least, try to calm him down. After all, the gotei only had two to look for leadership in, and it would't really help on the situation, if one of them turned into nothing but a void of hatred.

"We have both been through a lot in order to wear these haori, but right now, they don't separate us from the rest of those currently present. We all represent our divisions, and we all wish to restore what has been lost...on that note..". Since she hadn't spoken a word up until now, she hoped that the gathering would allow her just a moment to speak her mind. So without much hesitation, she spoke again. "Our first cause of action should be restoring our empty captain seats. As I said before, position matters little as we are talking right now, but when we emerge from this room, the seireitei expects to know who their new leaders are; Restoring the central 46 is important, yet it matters little how well it is re-build, if our society is in chaos due to lack of leadership and guidance".

Releasing the corner of her haori she had ben fiddling with, the ivory mother looked to Kenshou again, narrowing her eyes. "In order to help filling our vacant seats, I suggest we welcome back the people who rebelled against Gilga-...Lancelot-kun. It is not all who wish to return, yet those who do, should't be turned away. Of course they should be interrogated and the likes; cause even if they return, its not ensured that they are the same as when they left..". Her facial expression remained unchanged, yet there was a certain..power to her voice now; one that could only come after centuries of leadership and protecting her division. 

Kiriko let the comments roll off her like water. Let the man pout and decry her words, he obviously hadn't been listening hard enough if that was his conclusion to her warning. That was fine, Kiriko's opinion of Kenshou Ine had been formed and crystallized today. She would hate for him to temper his arrogance and give her reason to change those beliefs. She had spoken up for her Captain but the words had been ignored by all but Kachekiwa. Leave it be for her friend to be the one to realize what she was saying. Maybe everyone else cared little for Tsukimiya-taichou but these were words that Kiriko was never going to forget. Each person, grasping for new titles, each person she had written down in her soul. These were the Shinigami who dared to gainsay Tsukimiya-taichou. She would not forget this. Not today and not years from now.
 
Looking unruffled and poised Kiriko spoke up again, glad that at least Aizawa-san appeared intelligent enough to derail any insults or bickering that might occur. Kiriko hated intensely her own desire to throw verbal darts, but she was not so humble as to take such words easily. It was hard to maintain her calm when her own honor and that of her Captain's was being brought into question. She knew how to be quiet though, and that helped as her words came out soft and careful, a sharp juxtaposition to Ine's harsh call, “I did not say that Ine-taichou. I am here today because I represent my Division, because I have taken upon myself the mantle of Captain since the day of the Massacre. I do not question the need for leadership, I only hesitate to write off a man that I know will return. I will not be the one to take his place so greedily, however there is no disregard in filling the position until he returns.”
 
She stared straight at the taller man, eyes blazing with banked emotion, “You may order me to leave if you wish, or send me off like a recalcitrant child. That is your power as a tenured Captain of the Gotei, however I stand here today telling you that I will do my duty. I will not, however, steal a rank that does not belong to me. When Tsukimiya-taichou is back, he will find no challenge for his title from my quarters. If the Nibantai is the only Division with faith in their previous Captain then that is beyond my control or ken. Let our gathering be the place to decide what happens with the other Divisions, but you will find no desire in the Second for someone to rise up and take a position for life that rightly has another name already.”

She spread her hands openly and fell silent. If Ine wanted to pull rank on her he easily could, and his threat was valid enough on its own. But she would not break against some paltry condescension. He was welcome to scour the whole of the Nibantai for a new Captain, he would find no one capable. And Kiriko was content to rule from her position as Lieutenant for as long as needed. She had made her concession, agreeing to take up Captaincy until Tsukimiya-taichou came back, but that was the limit of the flexibility of the Second. He would find no better answer digging in the dirt like he appeared to enjoy.

Kiriko listened to the others talk back and forth, her expression bland. This talk about Lancelot and Gilgamesh, she had only ever heard Kachekiwa speak of the difference once – but it was still interesting. The politics and history represented here. It made her feel young, and she hated that inadequacy when standing beside the most powerful people still walking in Soul Society. She couldn't imagine a poorer situation, choosing between Aizawa Junko and Kenshou Ine for Captain Commander. Surely Seireitei had seen no worse day. Aizawa was surely the more tempered leader, but her weakness was frightening. Still, that at least was a smart decision, to have a leader with a brain. Ine, he was proving himself far too temperamental and prone to lashing out without thought. A leader such as that was too volatile to repair Soul Society. Let him hold the leash of the hounds of war under the purview of the Third, that seemed the best chance for all of them if they wanted to heal the damage dealt by all of their shortcomings. She only wondered if the collected leaders were here to vote or if it would all be decided by Ine and Aizawa themselves.

WC: 774 | GP: 15 | Total GP: 61

Kenshou listened to Junko and wondered if that was the difference in those who were here today. It was not that a division defined its members, but rather the members defined the division. Those in his own division were much more harsh that the other divisions, because the trial by fire in the fifth tempered harsh and hard men and women. Those who were not did not stay long or did not survive, death was a guarantee to anyone in the fifth division and only those who could handle that entered. On the other hand Junko had a manner that was soft and quiet, something needed in her division. Those with a bad bedside manner made for terrible healers. Everyone here was different and not quit similar enough that there would not be arguments, but it was more important to move past that. “I may be harsh Junko, but I do it out of what I was born into. The fifth doesn’t have a place for men and women who can’t overcome a fear of death straight from the academy. It is our place to die first for the Gotei, enter the fray first and cover any retreat. It’s a harsh life and it calls for harsh men and women, I don’t have it in me to coddle anyone like yourself.”

It seemed then that Lessa was going to stand with Junko, which he understood. He may have to treat the ones here like he would a recruit, with a finesse. It also seemed that Lessa wanted to establish a difference in Lancelot and Gilgamesh. She seemed to think they were two different people. It was an odd thought, but he wondered how she could think such a thing. A zanpakutō spirit was not a separate soul, it was simply a fragmented piece of your own. Kenshou knew this well enough because his soul was in three pieces and additionally another soul inhabited his body. He understood what having two souls inside of one’s body was like. “Are they two different people? I would say they are the one and the same. Gilgamesh was Lancelot’s zanpakutō spirit, they were one soul, but we are not here to hash out details. Junko suggests we allow those who rebelled to return and I’m inclined to agree, on that stipulation they are held and interrogated before returning.”

It seemed that Kiriko had more to say to him and the more she spoke the more he began to understand the woman. The reason of natural distrust was that he saw himself in her, she was most likely not as lazy as he had been, but she was as he was under Hikari. He had not accepted a captain or taken the spot himself until he knew she would not come back. It was eerily unsettling how much of the young woman reminded Kenshou of himself. Kenshou then smiled and laughed as she finished speaking, he could not remember the last time he had truly been surprised like that and enjoyed the fact. “Kiriko I would not send you away, in fact I admire your loyalty to your captain. It speaks volumes on your character and that of your captain for finding you and promoting you. Loyalty like that is more valuable than any currency.” He was surprised by the woman who had seemed so unfeeling only minutes earlier. She was something special and would make a good captain whenever she took that. She was one he would not mind having at his back in a fight, he envied Kyousuke for finding her.

“You have my word then that for the time being we will await Kyousuke’s return. We still have two captains and a captain commander to decide upon. If I intended to leave you all out of this I would have met with Junko myself, but I and I believe Junko agrees with me that involvement of all the divisions who can muster up a representative is important.” Kenshou watched out and smiled, it seemed that no matter what the Gotei was going to be in good hands with the people he saw before him. He had little to worry about no matter what the outcome. Kiriko had dispelled that fear with her passionate words.

712 Words - 14 GP
4,122 Total Words - 81 GP

In a discussion with this amount of people involved, you would usually be able to find someone to side with, or at the very least, agree with...yet why did she feel like she was standing alone? It was an odd feeling, especially considering Kenshou and Lessa had stated they agreed with her. As the others talked, the ivory-haired mother closed her eyes, gentle fingers clutching the fabric of her haori ever so tightly. Perhaps standing alone had been the wrong way to put it; the feeling was more..uneasiness, yes, it was uneasiness. But that feeling made even less sense in terms of the situation. None of the women inside the room posed any threat to her, and surely it could't be Kenshou - he was a friend after all, or at the very least no an enemy..right?

Not an enemy? Bah, are you listening to what she is thinking? Of course that fool is the enemy

Kenshou-san has changed himself, from what I can see..it is understandable that you would doubt him, but one should not let the past color their actions too much.

On the contrary, I think we should paint our actions the color of the blood he drew from you. You would't hurt anyone innocent, he is after all, a monster

No, Jinsei was right; Kenshou wasn't the enemy, no the enemy was their situation. Without captains and a commander to lead, the gotei six would fall into even more ruin (which was a lot, considering the poor condition of it at the moment). Upon opening her eyes, she quickly diverted them to the floor, cutting off attempts to get eye contact. Some would consider it inappropriate, perhaps even provoking, to do such a thing during a meeting, but right now she could care less. Junko buried a hand into the soft mane that was her hair, running two fingers across her forehead to re-gain a bit of focus. 

It helped a bit, but the first lady still felt quite dazed when she looked back up. Drawing air into her lungs, she even found a brief moment of strength to speak again (while making sure not to look at Kenshou). "Finding individuals to fill the vacant captain positions won't require a long search, since I consider the individuals within this hall to be fine candidates...but the matter of picking a commander". Re-claiming a bit of confidence, she raised her shoulders slightly, her voice growing somewhat stronger. "That is something that should be done by the captains of the gotei six through a voting - so filling our captain positions should be our first course of action"

Kiriko felt a bit of resentment towards Ine-taichou, his claim to harshness as if he was the only combat ready Division and the way he laughed aside her seriousness and his past rudeness. She felt... slighted, and it wasn't an enjoyable feeling. Even Sakamoto spoke up as if she hadn't heard what Kiriko had just said. Was she really that dense or had Kiriko used words too mired in politics and carefully chosen neutrality? Hadn't she just said that she would maintain her position of leader for the time being? That she would do her duty? This meeting was turning out more irksome than she had first imagined, and really it was only Aizawa-taichou of all people that she found herself agreeing with out of all the people here.

At the very least her reservations were answered as Ine-taichou told them he would allow the group to vote. She exhaled softly, no relief on her face despite the vast chasm inside her chest. That would make this much smoother, she hadn't relished the thought of being the dissident and raising her concerns openly. Kiriko had no desire to make an enemy out of Ine but she also had no desire to see Seireitei burned to cinders under his heavy rule.

There was an awkward silence after Sakamoto finished her speech. Perhaps it was only Kiriko's feelings projected outward but she could feel the air grow tense and only the softly ponderous motions of Aizawa-taichou could snap that tightrope. Would he have jumped at the chance to say yes? She thought badly of the man, and assumed he would have. But even so Aizawa had given Kiriko her chance at an out, she could only hope that the other people here would agree with her choices. The first step though was becoming a Captain herself, so that she could fight for the people she believed would make the best Captains. And finally, the best Captain Commander. Out of what was available at least.

“I have already made this claim but I will do so again for formalities sake. I, Chinda Kiriko, present myself to the group as candidate for the Nibantai's Captaincy position until such a time as my Captain has returned and is able to retake his spot,” her words had a hard edge to them, but with such flat out straightforwardness she couldn't imagine anyone misunderstanding her for the third time today. 

WC: 403 | GP: 8 | Total GP: 69