Facetime with the Nibantai [Kiriko]

Kiriko had left the Annex and her office today because it was the fifth of the month. Every fifth day of each month she set aside for personnel duties. Accepting new applicants, filing for transfers, overseeing promotions, and other miscellaneous activities. The worst tasks she set on top of her paperwork stack, such things as informing families of a Nibantai member's passing, or disciplinary actions. She saw to those first, in the bright and early morning sunlight. They deserved her full attention after all, even if she wished she could set them aside and never look at them. Duty was important, far more important then sheltering her merciful heart.

Aneue purred contentedly at her side as Kiriko looked over the last few sets of documents in the command center. She hadn't had much to do this month, and thus had arranged for several interviews with potential candidates for the Second. It was a duty she had taken up as Lieutenant, and now with no one to help her she still performed the task as Captain. Even though Kiriko took her job title to be contingent upon the return of Tsukimiya-taichou many others did not have the same foresight as her. Damn them for their lack of faith, but she could not blame people for worrying either. It had been months now, and each day ticking by was a painful reminder of what was missing from this office. She could never be quite what he had been, though Kiriko did her best for her family.

A knock at the door alerted her to the arrival of one such candidate for the Second. She could not recall which person she had scheduled first so she grabbed up the slim stack of manila files, each filled with information on the recruits and older Shinigami who wanted to join the Nibantai. She already had a clear picture of everyone from their files, but it was best to weed out and confirm in person. The intelligence network of the Nibantai was a lesser known apparatus, most took them for assassins entirely. But it was intel that Kiriko specialized in, and she prided herself on knowing more about her applicants then they perhaps would like her too. Her informants were everywhere, in every division, and she had eyes where she needed them. It was good, especially on days like today. When she had to make a decision that would either benefit or hinder her entire division.

Stepping to the door she twisted the handle and slid it open, stepping out into the hallway. Nodding at Nanao, especially pleased with her garb today considering that the woman was less womanly then most and would eagerly carve up anyone who made a jest about it, she was once more content that her subordinates were following along with her orders to filter through the roster for receptionist duty. It was a tedious job, but getting experience with paperwork would help everyone for when they were too old to work in the field. She would not dismiss anyone based on age, and injury was common enough that skills like this were important.

The woman turned to go and Kiriko pivoted to stare up at the new applicant. He was tall. Taller then most, and she found herself craning her head back to meet his eyes. That she did not like, but it was no real affront. “Fujikagi-san, I am Chinda Kiriko, current Captain of the Second. Please follow me,” her tone was formal and impersonal, her eyes dark and direct as she turned and led him down several twisting hallways. They stopped at a shoji screen which she slid open deftly, and Kiriko stepped into the tatami mat covered room near silently as she knelt and gestured for the candidate to do the same across from her.

“If I understand it correctly you are looking to join the Nibantai, am I right Fujikagi-san?” She stared at him, her face perfectly blank. Taking in everything. The musculature build. The way he carried his weight, careful and balanced like a skilled hand to hand combatant. The pressure of his reiatsu, steady. Most of all she studied his face, watching for his expression. Kiriko was an old hand at picking out micro-expressions and reading body language, it came in handy for these types of meetings among other things.

She slid his file out from the pile, placing it with a soft thwap on the lowered table directly in front of her. Flipping the front page aside with her thumb she slid forward his application, patting his picture with her knuckles. “I see here that you've just recently graduated. Is this the first division you have applied to?” The questions were impersonal, lacking in all tone or color, as she sought to test what kind of person he wanted her to think he was. 

WC: 801 | GP: 16| Total GP: 16

Walking down the winding hallways of the Second Division was as good a time as any to reflect.  There wasn’t much in way of strong odds that he would remember his route anyway it was a poor use of mental energy to attempt to commit something to memory that would not only likely not stick, but would never serve any useful purpose.  A calculate, thoughtful state began.

Captain Chinda Kiriko was a name he had heard for many months now, occasionally in reverent tones, and occasionally in a hushed whisper as if the Nibantai might hear the conversation and peek around the nearest corner.  She was, for lack of more poetic phrase, about what he had expected.  Her body was lithe and compact, however there was no doubt she could remove the pin holding the tension and explode on whatever target she felt like at a moment’s notice.  Combined with what was clearly a carefully tended awareness of her own body language and this woman was the exact prototype for someone who could kill you without a moment’s warning, leaving you wondering what the hell she had done to you, as your torso slid free from your abdomen.

They knelt down together, across from one another on the tatami mat, although the ease and grace with which Kiriko took to her spot only further demonstrated the difference in agility and body control between the two.  By all accounts and descriptions, Tokiyo was not someone who should look like a skilled hand to hand fighter however with all her training and experience whatever illusions he had about concealing his skills were easily dispelled by Captain Kiriko.

“If I understand it correctly you are looking to join the Nibantai, am I right Fujikagi-san?”

He had waited a very long time to be asked that.  Not explicitly about the Nibantai, per se, but to be face to face with a Captain of the Gotei Six and answer their call about joining a division.  It was finally here, and it was finally happening to him.

“I see here that you've just recently graduated. Is this the first division you have applied to?”

Gathered a breath as subtly as he could, as if inhaling too loud might shatter the peace of the room, he couldn’t help but be invaded by a very minor grin.  He allowed it to have its moment; to deface the stoic portrait he typically chose to wear, and then tucked it away again before speaking.  “Yes Captain, it is my sincere wish to join the Nibantai.  I’ve had several months of reflection since leaving the Academy and I have spent a few weeks amongst other divisions in an attempt to discern my best path.”  His tone stayed steady, hoping to indicate he had confidence in the route he had taken.

It might not be unusual for a person to seek approval, consciously or subconsciously, for wanting to join a division; to yearn for that confirmation from a superior about ‘how great a choice they had made’.  But Tokiyo had no such illusions about the Second Division coddling him or pandering to such things.  Maybe if he were younger.  Maybe in another division like the 1st, or 3rd.  But here in the Second was not the place.

“I have spent a good majority of my time in the Fifth Division’s barracks evaluating my desire to join their ranks.  But this is the first formal application I have delivered.”  His tone had risen as he talked about the Fifth, implying he might have wanted to say more but he swallowed it down, caught between wanting to tell his story and wanting to be respectful about answering only what he was asked.

Deciding to err on the side of showing his self, rather than concealing it from someone who would be amused if not insulted by it, he tilted his head down slightly and continued.  “While my skills in Hakuda would have given me an excellent place amongst them, I find myself unequally intrigued by sword play.  It’s my belief that one should spend their lives attempting to grow and maximize strengths, rather than than bawk and attempt to minimize weakness.”

“Whatever the truth of the matter is, my choice has led me here and I hope to offer my skills to the needs of the Second Division.”  He tied his answer up neatly, with a nice proverbial ribbon, hoping to keep the responses ties close enough together to prove merit.

“In addition, what skills my Zanpakuto lends me are not ideal for wading into the front lines.”  He lifted his head back up, perhaps as a point of pride, or perhaps out of conscious remembrance that he had it tilted down for so long.  He returned his attentive gaze to the Captain’s eyes, awaiting further conversation.

Word count // 803 = 16 || 25 GP

You may see now why we do not allow for fatal flaws in our own members, if it is us who are expected to handle the things others cannot...”

“I certainly can…” he sighed to himself, privately lamenting tripping over his own tongue in his excitement to define the moment.

“My apologies, Captain Kiriko, I did not mean to leave the impression I embraced a deficiency.”  He took a moment to pause and gather his thoughts, endeavoring to not repeat his mistake.  “I am comfortable with Zanjutsu, and truth be told there is very little I did not receive at least Intermediate marks on during my graduate evaluation.  I am a good study and a hungry student but the passion for combat; the yearning to cut flesh and break bones that many of the people I trained with in the Fifth Division is not a quality I share.”

After a brief pause, he continued, his posture changing slightly, as he sat up more aware of himself after having mistranslated his thoughts.  “Having options in executing the often delicate and dangerous tasks that the Nibantai is charged with is crucial, and I believe I understand that as well as any of the uninitiated can.”

He shifted his weight slightly, unaccustomed to resting his body weight on his knees like this.  

“And what skills do your Zanpakutou lend you then, Fujikagi-san? I admit, most recruits do not come to me with a fully realized Shikai. Nor do they often tell me they are not well equipped for the front lines,”

“As with my previous statement, I apologize if I did not translate my experience well.”  His tone was reflective and thoughtful.  “I find it substantially easier to talk about a thought or an idea that merely pops in and darts across the mind, but a long term experience or realization often goes beyond anything offered in brevity.  When I say I am not well equipped for the front lines, I mean rather to suggest I am a resource best deployed elsewhere.  Karaudo and I have forged a close relationship since she first revealed herself to me, and the benefits of that relationship are that I am able to see the streams of spiritual energy that emanate from entities.  While that may seem like a common thing, my perception is taken further.  I see them flutter about and wave in the wind like they are strings hanging from kites.  I can even manipulate them.  I see them flowing out of release points on the body, like a loose string on a shirt.  I can pull them and cause things to...unravel.  I can do very precise things with my abilities.  And such precision, at least in my evaluation, is better suited to more important tasks than a 12 man melee.”

Word count // 467 = 9 || 34 GP

Kiriko watched him squirm with a twinge of both regret and appeasement. The power she held at this rank, it was enormous. There had been a day, not so very long ago, that she would have done anything for power. Now that she had it, she had to control it. And Kiriko was finding that she had less of a grasp on herself then the previous Captain had. Tsukimiya-taichou would always be the perfect example of the Nibantai, of a leader, and she was only ever a shallow copy in return. She tried to allow that to humble her experience, to sharpen her focus, but more often then not it left her feeling all the more need to exert power over her underlings. They felt the pressure to be sure, but in the end it resulted in tempering blades, did it not? Heat and flame were required for anyone to dance amongst the stars of perfection. Maybe one day she would perfect the ratio.

Fujikagi was a serious looking man, and he seemed to be grasping at the air to recover from his misstep. She took note of that as well. Despite being flustered he did not lose his cool, and was able to explain sufficiently and in an empathic manner. That was good. As much as people liked to joke that the Second was all murders and lack wits the truth was far more deceiving. Other then the Fourth she liked to think she had the smartest Shinigami around, though intelligence could be measured in many different tasks here in the Nibantai. Skilled knowledge, combat knowledge, people knowledge, emotional knowledge, there was so much to plumb in her group of merry men.

She waved her hand through the air, a sharp gesture that cut off his words. “I see, that makes sense. Do not worry, a dislike of the blunt nature of the Fifth is something we can all share in common. I am glad you did not find your home there, perhaps you might find it here.” She offered him a bone, more a common courtesy, but strange still coming from the ever formal and precise Chinda Kiriko. Some people were surprised to find that she could be nurturing in her own harsh and exacting manner, but this was everything to her. Her family. The Nibantai. And she would see them to the peak of perfection no matter what the cost.

The rustle of paper abounded as she slid the particular page back into her file. It was curious that he had not directly explained his Shikai, but perhaps he was being cautious. Spreading knowledge of your ability wasn't always smart. Especially if you didn't trust who you were talking to yet. And he had no reason to trust her. But it didn't matter, she had the report anyway, and Kiriko found herself intrigued. “Does this ability pertain to reading your opponents? To gleaning information from them?” She could imagine so many amazing things if this was true. Kiriko had her report snippet in the file but it didn't explain the intricacies of his Shikai. Indeed it was mostly glimpsed and shared anecdotal evidence.

Even if he couldn't be used as a spy, this Shikai of his was an interesting technique. To be able to weaken a foe through their own reiatsu... This was something she could work with. Something that would fit into her skilled repertoire of soldiers quite well.

She looked up from her paperwork and stared, really stared, at the man. All these little mind games, they were worth it in the end. But you could get the best gauge of a person from their face. From their bearing. He was far from flawless, but that just meant he was malleable. Exactly what she was looking for given his personality fit. And that was the question wasn't it? “These interviews I conduct, they do not follow the same path each time. Sometimes I know right away if someone is fit or unfit for working with me. Sometimes it takes a while. Still, I always ask, and expect a thoughtful answer, are you prepared for what joining the Second would mean? Are you prepared for giving your life up for the protection of people who will never recognize your struggle? Are you prepared for working in the dark, for never receiving fame or glory no matter what great accomplishments you achieve? Are you prepared to give up everything for simply the satisfaction of a job done to the best of your capabilities, a family that will never desert you, and the knowledge that what you're doing, no matter how difficult or hard or heartrending, is for the protection of society itself?” She never let up with her gaze, imparting these words like heavy stones between them, each juncture full of judgment and expectation. Either he would fit, or he wouldn't.  

WC: 814 | GP: 16 | Total GP: 48

The idea of looking at everything in front of you as a tool was a very practical one, and it was a thing others glossed over in favor of social niceties, or at the very least just didn’t talk about openly.  Some other still viewed such topics as ‘immoral’ because people were worth more than just the sum of their skills.  The practical light in which Captain Kiriko was assessing Tokiyo’s skills was a refreshing thing to hear.

The Gotei Six was a military organization and your value and worth were ultimately founded on what your uses were.  Someone had to take care of the Jigokuchou, someone had to sweep the streets, someone had to assassinate political dissidents, someone had to peel potatoes.  And in fitting with the order of things, here they were discussing how, exactly, Tokiyo’s skills might be of use to her and the Second Division inside of that order.

“It does provide some insight, yes.  I am more sensitive to the subtleties of reiatsu and reiryoku than is possible for just about anyone else.  A sudden shift of energy down into their feet might betray their intent to use Shunpo, or the specific pattern of energy used in their Kido might give me the secret to unraveling it before they can even finish invoking it.  Some of the uses are more obvious than others, and they all ultimately requiring tempering from my own judgment.  As such, my survival instincts are usually more than adequate.  It’s difficult to stay alive when you ‘guess’ and get it wrong in most situations.”  A weak smile finished the comment off, perhaps an attempt to lighten the mood, or perhaps to politely defer himself away from a hard lesson learned.

Kiriko stared into him, glancing back and forth between her papers, alternating reading with a gaze that bored deep into him as if her sight alone were forcibly extracting his secrets.  ‘No fame, no glory, just obscurity, just duty’.  She had a way of cutting right to the meat of things and addressing the clear stake in the situation that all involved would face.  Her mission was clear, and so it would be just as clear for anyone whom considered themselves worthy of joining in it.

“Unequivocally yes, Captain.  If this weren’t a cause I could believe in..if this weren’t a cause I was prepared to do whatever necessary for...I don’t believe I would be able to sit here and look you in the eye and survive that stare if I weren’t absolutely certain.”

For a brief moment, the need for levity danced in the back of his mind.  Only a brief moment, killed suddenly by every sensible bone in his body rising in unison to protect this moment.  Whatever might come of his time in the Second, should he be accepted, he was not going to set himself on a dangerous and rocky path with a damaged and weak perception in the eyes of his Captain.

He ended his statement with a momentary smile, reflective and calm.  This was an important moment and he was glad he could recognize it.

Word count // 522 = 10 || 44 GP