Apex [closed]

Time was precious, but Kasumi had promised herself to be different from the previous Commanders. She had decided to be as approachable as was possible for her subordinates in hopes to motivate them to share their thoughts on matters and trust her to make the right decisions. No, she didn’t plan to baby those who would request for her to hear out their worries – obviously not everyone would make it to her office, they had a whole group of people dealing with personal matters and complaints among the Shinigami, besides, the Public Safety Office was there for anything truly violent – but hearing out promising Shinigami about grave matters like the Quincy’s sudden growth, well, Kasumi had to make time for those type of things unless she wanted to fall into what she called the ‘captain trap’.

That’s why the letter she had gotten from a freshly graduated member of the Second had been answered in ink. If nothing else the young Captain was rather curious about whatever the woman would have to say on the Quincy matter – a topic Kasumi was working on, for the safety of the balance, the realms.

Sitting on the porch she had neatly folded the letter, put it down next to her and had the empty tea cup hold its corner in case of a gush of wind trying to steal the written words. A small bowl of dry prunes sat in her lap as she waited for the woman to arrive. After a quick look through the file she had managed to get, she was more or less aware of what this Saya looked like and what the instructors at the Academy thought of her. Not that Kasumi based a lot of her conclusions on those couple sheets of paper. Especially not when it came down to people who somehow managed to rush through the Academy in a rather short amount of time.

’A quick run through the Academy, an interest in Hakuda.. The Second. Are you looking for yourself?’

Vör’s teasing words remained unanswered as Kasumi’s ‘guest’ made her appearance.

“Good afternoon, Saya.” Ivory locks brushed over her shoulder as she turned her head a little to fully face the young woman. “Of course.” A vague gesture toward the empty space on her right made it obvious that she was welcome to sit down.

The way she exhaled had Kasumi wonder if Saya was nervous, but if she was indeed, then she was pretty good at hiding it. Without wasting any time the Seconds member came down to business. It was a trait she could appreciate; assuming Saya wanted some Hakuda practice, chitchatting about nothing in particular would have been silly even while it was an odd type of lunch break.

“Oh, I see that the Second’s doing their job well.” Turning more to give Saya her full attention, she kept her curious gaze on the smaller female. “Have you been keeping a tab on this ‘Order’?”

Was she the new head of the intelligence of the world of the living?

Picking the navy colored bowl from her lap, she placed it on the wooden porch before gently shoving it past the cup and letter till it stood right between the two of them. “They’re quite good, you should try them.” A soft smile briefly marked her lips, and then she nodded in order to encourage Saya both to take a piece of fruit and to give her the report on the enemy.


Words: 580

Without any hesitation, Says reached into the bowl and plucked a few of the fruits, popping them into her mouth. They were quite good, Saya thought as her eyes widened just a bit. She savored the taste for a few moments before getting back to business.

She shifted her weight and cleared her throat.

“Ah, well, you see,” Saya stammered nervously. “I’m actually an unseated member of the Second, so outside of reading other people’s reports, I haven’t actually been able to go to Earth and track them personally.”

She felt her ears start to burn with embarrassment, heat flushing through her head as she forced out a chuckle to try and calm herself.

“I’ve been doing this of my own volition in my free time, you see.”

Hardly a good excuse for her inability to actually present anything that was new material. All of her knowledge was secondhand and assumptions she made on said information. All she had going for her was she knew people very well and knew how they acted when cornered.

“But from my studies, I have to wonder if the Quincy are going to start fighting back some time soon,” she continued, happy to stray away from her failures. “Given how they were treated in the past, I wouldn’t put it past them to strike early – before we’re ready.”

It probably wouldn’t go well for the Quincy, but that didn’t mean the Seireitei wanted to needlessly lose people in a surprise attack. Even if this was a big leap of faith on Saya’s part, it was worth considering, right? After all, the destruction of a soul was rather huge, especially when it came to naturally powerful souls like that of a Shinigami.

“It seems like they’re rallying behind two people,” Saya said as she pulled out some paper from her pocket. “A young man by the name of Lucas and a teenager by the name of Freyleif.”

She passed the paper over to the Captain Commander. On it were semi-accurate drawings of the aforementioned Quincy, as well as their full name and known status. Other than that, though, there was no relevant information.

“Lucas has been spotted gathering with Quincy on numerous occasions, as if banding them together, while Freylief seems to be their leader, though we’re not entirely certain on that. Given how new the Order is, I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s just a stand in until someone truly rises to power.”

Saya stopped long enough to pluck another fruit from the bowl and regard it with curious eyes. She turned it in her fingers and looked at it from different angles before finally tossing it into her mouth and continuing with her explanation.

“In my personal opinion, I think the Lucas fellow is someone we should nip in the bud,” she said with a surprisingly flat tone. “Before he rallies too many Quincy and before they get their footing, I think we should strike. It would be more dangerous to let them gather strength than it would for us to strike now.” She paused before adding: “Of course, this is just my inexperienced opinion based on the reading I’ve done and conversations with Shinigami who have gone out on patrols.”

Once more, she shifted her weight and finally looked away from the Captain Commander. Her eyes fell to the garden, slowly looking out at the different flowers before resting on the grass directly in front of her. She stared long and hard before he inhaled and her lips parted.

She hesitated to before finishing up her report.

“I would be honored to take on the mission of dealing with Lucas, should you decide it’s worth looking into.”

[615]

Kasumi was really glad to see the other female move in to get the snack without any hesitation. There was no awkwardness, no extreme tension or anything truly uncomfortable about sharing some dried fruit with a fellow Shinigami. Hence, the fact that Saya appeared to feel the same way about sitting on the porch and silently chew on the prunes, had the young Captain smiling. Though, the curling of her lips soon returned to its usual line – the stammering she heard had gotten her attention, and curiosity. The blushing which soon came into view had Kasumi’s eyes remain on the embarrassed face; patiently, she studied it.

Pensively letting the fruit be for now, she accepted the papers with the sketches on. One of the faces was painfully familiar: Freyleif – the young queen whose temper had always rivaled Kasumi’s turned out to be a potential enemy. It was something the white-haired Shinigami’s been aware of for a while now, even if mostly subconsciously. Turning against a former friend was hard, but that’s why a friendship between a Shinigami and a mortal was rare to start with, not to mention one between a Shinigami and a Quincy.
“Interesting,” Kasumi noted, with her eyes still on the paper. Now she was looking at the other sketch, the second Quincy whose existence was of value according to Saya.

It was an unfamiliar face of a young man which stared back at her from the white sheet in her hands. A crease was running through his chin acting as something akin to a scar.

“A stand in?” Looking up from the sketches, she waited for Saya to give her something more than that. Either Kasumi had missed Freyleif ignoring her calling to be queen or other Shinigami weren’t aware of how strong the young blonde actually was. All in all, it was better to be prepared than wait for some sort of organized Quincy army to arrive at their gates.

’You feel skeptical about that ever happening, don’t you?

She couldn’t help it. The bits of memories she had about the Quincy didn’t immediately led to the picture of a military organization. There were many of Quincy, many families and clans, but none seemed to be too enthusiastic about following one another. In order to do that they needed to have a mutual goal.

Killing Shinigami could probably work.. ugh

“Yes, it is worth looking into.” Slowly folding the paper, she stood up, sliding from the wooden floor and walking across the grass until she stood in front of Saya. The paper was handed back to the Shinigami, and after a moment of inwardly discussing the cards which have been placed in front of her today, Kasumi smiled again.

“That, however, doesn’t mean you’ll be taking off immediately.” Taking a step back she made room for Saya to get up without bringing to two of them too close to each other – indicating for Nagisa’s subordinate to follow, she quickly decided to let the haori slip from her shoulders. Folding the pristine white fabric before putting it next to the bowl of fruit Kasumi cracked her knuckles soon after.

“You’ve just told me that you haven’t had the chance to actually go to Earth so far.” Motioning to the open space next to the porch Kasumi took a relaxed stance a small distance from Saya.

It probably looked rather silly to anyone who might have made their way through the Annex, or walked around it to find the Commander getting ready for a work-out. But Kasumi found herself being unable to really care. She wanted to make use of the moment to both relax and see how skilled Saya was. The latter because she didn’t feel like sending off someone so eager and full of potential to die against a potentially dangerous enemy.

“This makes me wonder if you have some real battle experience, because I know that you’re quite good at Hakuda, but I’m not sure if that’s going to be enough. Especially if the man turns out to be as important as you think he might be.” Ivory hair danced in the wind when Kasumi slightly tilted her head to the side.

“C’mon, show me what you’ve got.”


--704/ 1284

Saya couldn't help but let a stunned look cross her face when the Captain Commander rose to her feet and nodded in agreement with Saya's claims. Truth be told, she had never thought she would have gotten this far, let alone have someone like Kasumi agree with her. Shock shifted into happiness as her wide eyes relaxed and a small smile started to pull at the corner of her lips ever so gently. By the time Kasumi had turned to face Saya, she was already on her feet and getting ready to follow the woman.

However, it seemed they weren't going very far.

The brunette from the Second Division tilted her head as the Captain Commander shifted her stance and waggled her fingers tauntingly at the recruit.

A... spar? Saya thought to herself, wishing she could pinch herself. A chance to learn from someone like the Captain Commander? It stole her breath away instantly and left her with a determined blush painted on the tops of her cheeks.

"Of course, Captain Commander," Saya barked with a grin and then fell into her own stance.

Not as casual as Kasumi, if only because she wanted to put her absolute best forward, but nothing was tense. Feet shifted apart and loose hands at the ready she watched her target for a slow minute. Neither of them moved as they silently sized each other up. It wasn't until the moment felt right that Saya lurched forward like a snake, her fist seeking to jab the Captain Commander right in the jaw. The strike, despite going towards the strongest person in the Seireitei, didn't so much as flinch in the face of just raw power. It sought only to hit its mark and bring it, hopefully, a rather stunning blow.

[296]

With no hesitation, like a true warrior, Saya rushed forward and let her fist fly. Kasumi was impressed by the way this recruit acted. Attacking her head on with determination written all across her face wasn’t something that came easy to every Shinigami. It seemed that she knew what she wanted and was ready to get it. The Captain could respect that. It’s why she didn’t move, didn’t put her arm in front of her either. If Saya wanted to punch straight in the face, she could, but it wouldn’t pass without any consequences.

The sensation of warmth rapidly spread through Kasumi’s right jaw when the knuckles slammed into it with quite some force. It stung, and she thought to taste a bit of blood where her cheek had been roughly pressed against the side of her teeth.

While she wasn’t sure if Saya appreciated her acceptance of the punch, it was too late to head down a different route. That’s why the Captain’s fist shot forward. It was searching for the opponent’s stomach as a little smile showed the other Shinigami her handiwork. A couple of blood drops were visible on the side of Kasumi’s lips.

Knowing that her strength wasn’t all that impressive without Shunkō, she barely held back with her own attack. It would be interesting to see how Saya would dodge, if she could, or block. In the worst case Kasumi would use the fairly broad knowledge of Kaidō she had to restore whatever injuries they had at the end of the spar. The most important thing right now was to see if it would be safe to send Saya out on a mission to the world of the living.

Should that not be the case, then some intensive training would be recommended. The young woman had the right spirit, so the Captain was pretty certain that she would do well either way.


317/1601

The impact stung. She felt her knuckles crack a bit as they went full force against an immovable force. The Captain Commander barely flinched, of course, but the lowly recruit couldn't help but jerk her hand back and wave it back and forth a bit. A quick glance showed her the redness already burning around her knuckles. She flexed the fingers as Kasumi admired the strike and Saya readied her other hand -- her left hand.

There was a motion to block. In fact, the back of Saya's forearm successfully met with Kasumi's elbow, effectively making the jab be more of a hook, but something about the angle was off. Probably a split second change from the Captain Commander's angle kept her still mostly on track. Regardless, as Saya started to lean in and follow through with the block, her knee starting to reach up and aim for Kasumi's gut, she was suddenly set stumbling backwards and choking on a poorly timed gasp.

Saya wheezed a bit from the punch, feeling her diaphragm tense up from the blow that had originally been intended for her lower gut. Not a favorable block, but a block nonetheless. If she hadn't lifted up her foot, she probably wouldn't have been nearly as stunned.

"Again?" The recruit asked once she caught her breath. Only when Kasumi gave her a nod did she fall back into position.

Now with a bit of distance between them, Saya relaxed. Muscles loose and her arms held up loosely. Kasumi was tough, wasn't she? Not strong, at least not physically, but tougher than nails. It was like beating into a mountain, hoping to make a cave with your own fists. But, at the end of the day, she was just as human as Saya was. She still had to rely on joints and still had tender innards that didn't want to be sloshed around.

She took a step forward and started to swing her right fist, shoulders folding in as she did and head tucking down defensively. A standard push forward that any Shinigami should recognize. What the standard Shinigami may have overlooked, however, was the way Saya's fist curved widely to the side, fingers opening ever so slightly as she aimed to clap her palm smack against the Commander's ear.

[381]

Happy to see Saya recover so fast, Kasumi nodded. The recruit had quite some energy and enthusiasm. It went well with her skills, Kasumi thought as her opponent came closer again. This little game of theirs wasn’t over yet. The incoming fist was proof of that.

Watching it glide through the air she frowned a bit when noticing how Saya’s muscles shifted slightly. Her fingers seemed to be uncurling, but Kasumi wasn’t sure why that would be the case. Scratching her in the face would be an odd way of fighting. While getting some of her skin taken would be uncomfortable, she decided to let it happen in order to see what type of tactics her new ‘student’ wielded.

Slightly confused about the distance between her and the approaching hand, she wondered why Saya didn’t pull it back a little. This way her fingers wouldn’t get to Kasumi’s cheek, chin or face in general. Closing the eye near the side of the assault, she waited for whatever would happen. Only when the hand had opened up entirely did a smile grin cross the Captain’s face. A split of a second later she got slapped, hard.

As the world seemed to shatter around her laughter rolled from Kasumi’s lips. She bent to the other side a bit, using her hand to rub her ear where the hit had landed. With only one eye opened she chuckled further, feeling quite excited about this change of events.

“Smart!” she shot at the recruit while trying to ignore the loud pounding which was dominating the left side of her head. It was quite the distraction, but she managed to turn further away from Saya and try to kick her in the side once her spin was done.

The annoying echo in her ear didn’t stop. Every little sound was too loud, distorted and threatening to spark Kasumi’s annoyance. She kept her hand pressed against her ear as a little frown mingled itself with the remnants of the smile. Lightly shaking her head she watched Saya closely. There was no doubt about her having some sort of plan for her next attack, and Kasumi couldn’t wait to see what it would be.

“No stopping,” she grimaced as the stinging sensation she felt on her ear’s skin started to fade somewhat. If only the sound would return to its old self then everything about this spar would become a lot more pleasant.


406/2007

A smile broke the serious expression that had plagued her face the entire spar. As Kasumi shook her head and tenderly caressed her ear, Saya got all the confirmation she needed: that physical fortitude of hers most certainly did not apply to the standard week spots. It was good to know -- good to capitalize on. Too bad this was a more professional fight, otherwise Saya would have gotten really creative in her ideas to outsmart the Captain Commander.

Again, Saya met Kasumi's attack with a half block. Her arms came down to protect her torso yet again, though this time she had the luxury of a more unstable opponent. As Kasumi's right foot slammed into Saya's forearms, the recruit shoved hard. Hard enough to even stumble forward once Kasumi's balance was shaken. Ballsy to try and attack with the same side of her body that Saya had thoroughly shaken, but someone as practiced as Kasumi probably wasn't 100% on guard in this sort of situation.

Regardless, the shove was more than enough to make Saya continue moving forward once Kasumi's foot was pushed aside. She didn't need confirmation to keep going. Following through with the momentum and ignoring the large red mark on her forearm, Saya lurched forward and aimed for the exact same spot as last time. However, she wasn't being so nice as to just slap the ear this time. No, she was going for a full on punch that sought to further push Kasumi back and shake her balance even more.

All the while, a small smile lurked on Saya's face. As if trying to hide her excitement, it would come and go, tipping upwards when she thought the Captain Commander wasn't judging her as thoroughly. As much of a riot as she was having, she had to remain professional, after all.

[305]

Man, she really hated the fact that the world was vibrating a little. By now she almost regretted having taken the hit the way she had. Her curiosity really bit her in the ass this time. Perhaps some soothing Kaidō later on would be a good thing. For now, however, she would have to bite her tongue and plow through the spar as not to lose any of her dignity. Lashing out was not an option either, too much power would simply come across as silly. The only moment she would consider overpowering someone in a friendly battle was when it became necessary due to her opponent slipping in one way or another.

Watching the swing come in she knew that taking another of those hits would probably have her snap with frustration. She couldn’t allow for Saya’s fist to reach its target, but her balance wasn’t entirely its old self yet. By placing an arm in front of her she might still take the hit in case of Saya adjusting her punch just enough to slide past her defense. This was an odd situation she hadn’t been in before – a learning experience to say the least. Unable to trust her body to perform as perfectly as it usually did, she had to crack her brain in hopes of finding a less elegant solution.

Bakudō would be too flashy.. Shunkō would be just mean and.. she was running out of ideas. That’s why she did the only other thing she could think of; bowing enough for her face to be in front of Saya’s stomach tilted a bit to the side and dashed forward. While blocking a fist with a thin arm required concentration and a certain understanding of depth, ramming half of your body into someone else’s torso required very little coordination. The target was big and wouldn’t move away too quickly, and her body didn’t really need to be hundred percent certain of where it was heading as long as it was going there fast enough.

Curious about whether she would hit Saya head or shoulder and if it would be her side of stomach, Kasumi knew that she would find out soon enough.


366/2373

Saya felt the bottom of her fist skid through the top of Kasumi's head, thoroughly ruining the part in her hair. The friction of her skin sliding past the top of Kasumi's head irritated her own, creating a long, red line that managed to slide all the way down to her forearm somehow. The recruit had just enough time to reflect on the stinging sensation before all of the air was forced from her lungs and it felt like her eyes had popped out of her head. A distorted oof was pushed out from Saya's mouth as the Captain Command rammed directly into her diaphragm and then sent the girl tumbling backwards.

Kasumi pressed her hands into Saya's hips and shoved to finish off the assault. Saya managed to hold her balance for only one step before she wobbled and then fell right on her ass.

Her vision shook and blurred whens he hit the ground. Out of reflex, Saya closed her eyes and wrapped an arm around her gut, but instantly jerked away. It was the first time she had actually been caught off guard and took a full blow from the Captain Commander and, suddenly, she realized just how out matched she was. There was surely a bruise that wrapped all around her torso and maybe even some hand prints still glowing red on her hips from where Kasumi had shoved her. Her forearms burned, her ass had seen better days, and she was beginning to wonder if maybe she had a fractured rib or two.

A comforting glow of green emitted from her hand. Soon, the Kaido reached to her stomach with wispy hands and began working its magic while Saya caught her breath.

"Whew..." She exhaled and winced up at Kasumi. "I guess they weren't kidding when they say you're amazing at hand to hand combat. I'd hate to see what you could do with your infamous Shunkou."

Actually, she'd love to see the finer mechanisms behind the art of Shunkou, but today was not the day.

Soon enough, the roar of pain in her torso died down to just a grumble and then Saya found the strength to stand back up. Her left hand continued to give off the glow of her Kaido, fingers moving slowly towards to more tender parts of her ribs, and her left hand remained at her side.

"How was that for a demonstration?" Saya asked with a lopsided smile.

[409]
[2,590 / 51 gp]