Slice the enemy you must defeat from behind... [P/Kiriko]

Kiriko grumbled under her breath, rather harsh and hostile words that escaped unnoticed as the recruit scurried from the room of her office having delivered his message. There was some strange person loitering near the dojo who had asked after her. The recruit was very new and he hadn't taken the time to gather a full physical description or even any real intelligence on this person before racing off to inform Kiriko, it was a mistake the girl would not soon commit again after Kiriko had taken her to task for it. Remembering tiny and even inconsequential details was a huge duty of any member of the Nibantai, you weren't just a killer without finesse. People with no minds had no place in the ranks of the Second – send them off to the Fifth if all they like is swinging a sword and killing people. She was beginning to regret accepting that particular recruit into their ranks. There wasn't anything wrong with the girl, and her prowess in unarmed combat was formidable for one so green. But her demeanor left a bad taste in Kiriko's mouth. The way the girl always had an arrogant little smirk on her face or the taunts Kiriko had overheard the girl yelling at her barrack-mates. If this kept up she would have to have a talk with her, about the uselessness of words and the power of professionalism.

But that was a concern for another day because there was someone unknown on her turf. With the Captain gone to Hueco Mundo she was effectively the only one in charge here and that left Kiriko with a rather territorial bent. Any possible smear happened on her watch, and would effect not just the Division but her name. Strange people wandering by was never really a good sign and she knew that something had to be done to address this event. Fingering her sash Kiriko stood and stretched, the ligaments in her arms and back creaking and cracking as she reached up towards the ceiling. Sitting in a chair all day really did a number on her back. Exhaling softly Kiriko eyed the cup of tea that was still softly steaming on her desk. It was jasmine too... Well, she could just reheat it when she came back, hopefully it wouldn't have grown bitter by then.

Sliding the important documents off her desk and into the proper drawers Kiriko locked them and placed the key inside her sleeve for safekeeping. She doubted anyone would assault her office for papers because most of the truly secret articles were kept in another safe place unknown to most everyone else, but there was no reason to be sloppy and leave the door open for an intruder so to speak. Glancing around the bare room once more out of an inborn wariness she exited and the door slid shut behind her with a soft click.

The Annex was empty of all other souls and Kiriko passed as a ghost down the darkened halls. With no one else occupying the rooms she had left most of the lights off allowing only natural sunlight to penetrate the building. There was no reason to be wasteful of energy or candles and besides she didn't need all that much light to get around now that she had been here for so long. The floor plan was an imprint in her head that could not be forgotten. Stepping into her sandals she began to walk, her pace sedate enough that one would not normally guess as to her hurry.

Appearance was an art form and Kiriko had mastered the task of looking perfectly unruffled. She was well groomed with freshly ironed Shihakusho and not a strand of hair out of place in the tight bun at her neck. Thin lips neither smiled nor frowned and her eyes were void of emotional indicators. Kiriko was a blank canvasse that people could paint their expectations on. To an underling she would appear strong and capable, the Lieutenant! To an old comrade she would appear dependable and formidable, the one who always got things done. Kiriko had cultivated her image to such a point that it was flawless. The opinions of her peers were paramount to her own understanding of her role in the Nibantai. She was someone to be admired, to be looked up to, and because of that she fulfilled those roles almost naturally, rising to the expectations of others with a grace and ease that made it appear effortless.

When Kiriko spotted the straggler walking up the path away from the dojo she was safe in her own swaddling of surety. The surprise she felt when her eyes lay on the noticeable scars and dress was not great enough to perturb her calm and Kiriko glided forward until she was in front of the visiting Shinigami who was none other than Yasutake Omoikane. Kiriko cared little for nobility or their conventions but even she had heard that name before, especially of late as he seemed to have become the Sixth's Lieutenant. That made them colleagues of sorts. The Second did the job of the Sixth more often then not, and did it better than the Sixth could even dream of. It was interesting stepping on their toes and playing the political game but now that they finally had a Lieutenant it would all make her task that much easier. If she had a counterpart in the troublesome Sixth then maybe she could regain a better working relationship with them. It was necessary for the Gotei's internal strength, not that she'd like cultivating one.

Standing upright in her rooted position she fell to a stop in a manner that would force the walking Yasutake to halt before he stepped on her. She did not smile, although Kiriko did bow in a precise and controlled manner, before stating dryly, “Yasutake-fukutaicho, what can I do for you?” Crossing her arms neatly over her chest, she waited with a clear physical indication that she was not intimidated by some noble stepping into her arena.

WC: 1015 | GP: 20 | Total GP: 20

During the time in which he had to wait around for Kiriko to arrive, he spent his time leaning on a wall of the barracks, looking at the rookies and the more hardened veterans as they went through the daily exercise routine. It was a very interesting thing to behold, knowing that whether they were working with their Zanpakuto or some other kind of weaponry, they all had a certain conviction behind every strike, proving to him that these were the kind of people who would die to protect the Sereitei and it's secrets. In his opinion, these people were a lot more like the shinobi of old then soul reaper, wielding various weapons such as Kama, Kusarigama, Shuriken and other such things while relying on agility and subtlety. Every single time they struck a target, he could tell that they were aiming to kill, even though a dummy would not be able to die, no matter how hard they might hit it. No matter how many times he watched them as they executed their routine moves, they kept interesting him to no end. After a couple of minutes, it seemed that the lady in question had managed to find him in the training area of the second division. She was a very pretty individual in his opinion, though he knew full well to not make the mistake of believing that a pretty thing was not capable of inflicting pain onto another. When she asked him as to what he was doing in her division grounds, it seemed that she was rather well informed as to who he was, having expected no less from the lieutenant of the second division.

"I came here looking for you, Kiriko-fukutaicho, hoping you would be able to help me out with some of my insecurities. There are a couple of things I was hoping you would be able to teach me about the things your squad specializes itself. After my recent appointment as lieutenant of the sixth division, I felt more or less outdated in some of the arts you specialize in. Hakuda, Zanjutsu, Shunpo, those are just some of the things I would like for you to help me with, and rest assured, I promise to make up for the time you spend on me if you choose to accept"

Having asked for her help, he bowed his head at her, hoping that she would accept his humble request for training. Omoi was certain that if she would allow him to train with her, he would not be a waste of her time, having enough faith in his abilities to know that he would quickly pick up on whatever it was that she would be able to pass on to him. His academy days had taught him that he was a very nimble minded individual that could easily pick up on new teachings and forms of combat. It had been the reason why he had been appointed to the role of vice captain without spending any time in the division as a means of proving himself to the captain. The reason why he had come to this woman of all people was because he wanted someone who could teach him things not related to simple brutish violence, this not being the way he fought his enemies. No, Omoi chose to fight using agile movements, trying to rub his opponent one way and then striking in the other. Some of the things he had in his arsenal were basic sword moves, a fair amount of kido spells and the moves granted by his Shikai, these being even more diverse and powerful then the previous skills stated. At the moment, there was but one last thing in mind that troubled him, this being the fact that she was sticking to the less then personal approach by using honorifics, rather then calling him by his first name.

"Oh, and I would very much enjoy it if you would just call me Omoi and drop the nobility and honorifics. In the battlefield, we are all but equal in that we will all die or kill those who stand against us. In the eyes of death, we are all equals, being noble or common does not matter, we won't get to use our money to bribe death, right Kiriko?" 

Amount of words: 753

Total GP: 20 + 15 = 35GP

If there was one thing blatantly obvious about Kiriko it was that she held a very strong belief in a hierarchical system. Something that apparently the Yasutake had not noted, and she heard faintly in the background as a few of the nearest training Shinigami sucked in their breath and one even stumbled through what should have been a routine punch. Kiriko? He dared to use her first name after not even a second of having spoken with her? Without even asking! The temerity of this man was infuriating. It wasn't just that he was referring to her by her given name as if they were old acquaintances or he superior to her, it was more that he even dropped the honorifics she had worked so hard to garner. Sure rank was a messy thing between equals, he had no real obligation to call her Lieutenant unless they were speaking on official terms, but at least have the common courtesy to use san! To go without, to purposefully use no suffix, it was like he was snubbing her. Right in front of her men no less!

Did this man honestly think he was so much better than Kiriko that he could look down on her like this?!? Did he think he could come in here, on her own land, and try to smooth talk her? Asking for help, more like condescendingly demanding it! Who did he think he was? Some fancy-pants noble all hyped up on fame? Like that mattered here. In fact the things he was professing a weakness in were the only things to matter in that second. Because she knew, flat out, that if she struck and smashed his skull in there would be no arrogant smile but instead a bloody smear. It was only her iron will that kept Kiriko looking outwardly calm even as she seethed inside. How dare he! How DARE he!

“Are you perhaps implying that I would care about nobility? The battlefield is more than a fancy playground for poetry Yasutake-fukutaicho,” she enunciated the title very carefully, putting full stress on the rather scornful words, “Command on the field is of the utmost importance. As a Lieutenant, you should already know this. The fact that you do not is appalling and it makes me question the integrity of the Sixth these days... If you shirk your duties and titles when you want to be at ease no one will remember them when danger strikes. Do you honestly prefer to speak plainly with me rather than maintain protocol in front of those who must listen to your orders, who must trust in your strength and more importantly in your ability to lead?” Her eyes were dark and forward as Kiriko held nothing back from her withering response, made all the more intense because her face was perfectly expressionless. One could only imagine the danger boiling beneath the surface like a rattlesnake coiled and about to spring.

“What I care about is responsibility,” she finished in a deadly tone, the ice coating just sharp enough that as Kiriko slowly lifted her eyes to gaze pointedly at the few Shinigami who had stopped training to watch this exchange they jumped as if flayed and rushed to complete their katas. Coolly turning her head back towards the noble, she acted as if she had not seen anything. Those listening had gotten her point, and she fully expected that all had been listening. Gossip was a beloved subject for any such closed community as the Gotei, even amongst the Second there was a distinct joy derived from juicy breakups or conflicts. She could not prevent them from listening in, so instead Kiriko made sure to draw a very strong argument with her words. All those here today would remark back to their mates about how Kiriko had maintained protocol – and they would be happy for it. A sloppy Lieutenant didn't just reflect badly upon the Division, it also meant danger. Especially in a Division as combat oriented as the Second.

She shifted then, breaking that preternatural stillness with which she had pinned Yasutake down withN her sharp gaze. A very short sigh escaped her lips before she smiled faintly, “I am however interested by your proposition. You certainly have come to the right place if you want to perfect those subjects before you are called upon in your new position to showcase them. However I'm not really sure that you are being earnest – many look at our fighting prowess and dream big dreams about such things. In reality we simply train harder and longer than anyone else. There is no secret to battle, if that is what you're seeking. I would say that I am sorry to disappoint however I wonder what your reaction will be...” Kiriko mused quietly, her tone softer than before such that no one could overhear them now. She had a taste of this man's personality, just a glimpse from his words, but Kiriko was willing to bet that he was willing to work hard to gain what he was looking for. He might be a noble with everything else served to him on a silver platter but he was also a supposed genius, right? He had to have that desperate desire, that burning and consuming need, to be good. To be more than good, to be perfect. Someone like him wouldn't settle at adequate when it came to fighting. He needed to utterly trounce his opponents, to flex his superiority. She knew that type well enough, and that was why Kiriko was interested. Training some random Shinigami wasn't on her schedule, especially not one who would go and take those skills to another Division so she would lose out on any benefits of having invested her time.

But his offer... It was intriguing. What could someone like him have to entice Kiriko? It had to be something pretty good if he thought he could walk right into the Second and get what he wanted. To put such constraints on her time, that was something he should understand even now. The duties of someone in their position was a whole lot more than just following their Captain around. Even if he didn't realize it yet, Yasutake was going to learn real fast. “What exactly are you offering me in return for my help?”

WC: 1060 | GP: 21| Total GP: 41

Outside of his otherwise stoic look, it was more then obvious that the woman was looking down on him and the way he handled his affairs, something he did not appreciate at all. Her division was the one that killed personality so there would be nothing left other then someone who was so dead inside that they'd gladly throw their lives away for the sake of the Sereitei. Even though he believed that they were skilled fighters, this woman had just summed up everything there was to know about the second division and it's people, high and mighty people that kept to the shadows because their personalities made talking to them about as bad as sniffing up manure. His eyes narrowed to mere slits as he looked in her direction, thinking to himself that it would be best to just leave the place before things got any worse, though it seemed like this woman just had to continue beating him down with her hurtful words. She spoke down on him and every single member of his division, even though he had done nothing but ask for a bit of personal conversation without the honorifics. Was that worth getting a verbal beat down, Omoi did not believe so, yet Kiriko obviously did. 

"You speak as if you are above me, though you are about a thousands years too soon to be lecturing me about how I handle my business. I learned when to be nice and when to be an authority from a very young age, something you don't know anything about. You're not even a pure soul reaper, yet you believe you have the right to look down on me and my division?"

There was no kindness to be found in his words at this point, for all of that had flown away the moment she finished her rant and told him that she would help him, acting like some sort of combat guru. He could forgive the fact that she just turned his back to him during conversation, acting all cool as if she was worth more then him. This was something he could handle, though the things she told him about his division and how he was handling things were not fit was what broke off all friendliness he harbored towards them. Now that he was a lieutenant of the division tasked with upholding the law, he was very capable in terms of passing down his verdict, using nothing but the laws of the Sereitei. Right now, he would do no such thing, giving this woman a piece of his mind, beating her back the way he had done to him for no reason at all. Omoi did not care about her reasons at all, she had already managed to make him loathe her for being nothing more then a puppet of the second division, her personality being nothing more then a ruined landfill. The way she spoke to him reminded him of his father, the man who was never happy with the things he did, regardless of doing things right or wrong. He was his father, a blood related man, while this woman was just someone who felt like she had the right to judge him.

"The reason I came here was to train with a fellow lieutenant, to see how you do what you do, though it seems that all you care about is getting things in return. An honorable person would not ask for things in return when helping out another division, yet you've got your head so far up your own ass that you simply can't see past your own filth. It's despicable"

It was more then obvious by his manner of speech that the woman had offended him in more then one way by her constant blabbering about how he was some kind of inferior soul reaper, forgetting that she was in the presence of a noble who held the same rank she did. He would not report this kind of offense for the sole reason of this not being the way he wanted to deal with his problems, yet he was very much tempted to. All he had been looking for was a sparring partner who had some input, someone who would be able to handle training him, to teach him some new things he could work with as a means of strengthening the divisions, though Kiriko had single handedly knocked down this simple wish. In truth, he had lost all respect for the second division due to the way she spoke like he was a mere piece of trash. Setting one foot to the side, he stood sideways, almost fully turned away from her in his attempt to leave this rotten, honorless place, though there were a couple of things he wanted to hand her on a silver plate. Once he was through speaking his mind, he would not look at the woman for another second.

"In any case, it seems that I was mistaken when I came to this place. I'd rather train with an actual individual then practice with one of you faceless shadow people, since that's all you people are, blanks and cannon fodder that can be thrown away when the Gotei deems it necessary. Have a nice day... fukutaicho..."

With that, Omoi turned his back on her, his haori waving in the wind that got caught beneath it. He had nothing left to say to someone like this, someone so stuck up on her own greatness that she would look down on all other forms of command that were not like the thing she had gotten used to. It was nothing short of pitiful, the way in which she abused her own position to just spit in his face like this. There was not a single part of him that wanted to stick around any longer, wishing for nothing more then to just get out of this place and get back home. If this was the way the divisions treated one another, he would just stick to his own and not get involved with any of the others if he didn't have to. Spitting on the tiles, the one that had come with a hopeful look at a better future for the divisions social connections left, a disappointed man.

Amount of words: 1056

Total GP: 35 + 21 = 56GP

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