The Youngsters Who Carry The Fire (Social, Closed)

[Alexander Kuma-Hebi]

OOC: This is a closed social between Alexander Kuma-Hebi, Amaya Azarola and Nakazawa Meian. It is happening just before their finals, when Amaya and Meian are as two most promising students brought for a brief interview with Alexander as a part of his inspection of Shino Academy.

[Alexander Kuma-Hebi]

It was an important day at Shino Academy. That grand, legendary institution, which gave so many great Shinigami , was having a visitor. Ordinarily, on a yearly level, inspection was conducted. It was always carried out by the Captain of Gotei 13, sometimes accompanied with his own Vice Captain. It was a tradition. The norm. Every year, it took place before finals. It was an opportunity for "Old Lightning Spiritual Academy", as it was officially called, to show what kind of potential it had among it's students. From a Gotei 13 point of view, inspection served checking whether Academy adheres to standards set, and from Academy staff, it was a way to show results of their hard work, to show what they are creating, what are they teaching, and how well they are handling Shinigami youth. For indeed, future was at Academy, and it was a relief knowing that it was in safe hands. As for inspection itself, it was always decided by Captain Commander who would be performing it. It was not anything intimidating, actually. Taking a tour of facilities, observing classes, talking with teachers. That was all part of inspection. On top of that, Captain performing inspection would have two students from final year who were judged by their teachers as most promising presented to him (or her is it was female Captain) for an interview. That was what inspection consisted of.

And this year, it was tossed at newbie. Gotei 13 was still recovering from recent invasion and all, but such important tradition, no, duty, could not be stopped. But as Gotei 13 was rebuilding, it was now more important then ever. New, young Shinigami will be needed to fill the ranks of Gotei 13 soon. But as most Captains were either on mission or too injured, it fell down to the newbie. Captain Commander, Kyousou Ningen, ordered him to perform the inspection. And he was Alexander Kuma-Hebi, newly appointed Captain of Squad 3. While not too keen on performing such duty when there were combat missions available, Alexander still accepted orders, and readied himself. He had to perform this duty well. It would be his honor that suffered if he failed. And also, he remembered. Alexander remembered his time at Academy. He also remembered Kekuro and his group, whom he met when they jsut graduated and joined Squad 9. It made him a bit sentimental, but also made him more interested. Alexander didn't know if and how much Academy changed. He wanted to see what were students being taught nowadays. How much was it different from what he was taught? Well, I might mix up duties with curiosity. Nobody will judge me for that, I believe.

Inspection itself started quite good. As Alexander strolled though main courtyard, while students of first and second years were lined up, he looked at their eyes. All of them seemed to display a mixture of awe and respect. Alexander figured it was probably because of his appearance. He wore what he considered a substitute for Shinigami uniform. He was wearing his black suit with vertical white double-stripes. Underneath it was a black shirt and a white tie. White shoes were on his feet, and a white trench coat that replaced traditional Haori was just sitting over his shoulders. As usual, Alexander wore his black eyeglasses, and his weird slug wristwatch was on his wrist. Despite orders to always wear Zanpakuto which was issued to all Shinigami recently, Alexander came without it. Seven feet and seven inches tall, and with his exquisite outfit, he was impressive sight. Perhaps that was cause of reactions Alexander saw among students. Yet, he found it satisfactory. They were so young. They would yet see what kinds of enemies awaited Shinigami in harsh struggle for survival they were leading now. No. Most of students did not know that. They thought of Captains as almost omnipotent, and of Gotei 13 as organization with infinite power. They were young. But future years, both at academy and beyond it would shape them up. Show them the bitter truth.

After that, Alexander had a talk with some teachers. As it appears, all areas had it's brightest talents. Kendo teachers were extremely satisfied, and so were Kido teachers. However, teachers from Travel class complained about student success rates at that class dropping. Also, Reiatsu manipulation teachers indicated that many students were in fact struggling with fine, precise control of Reiatsu. That pulled a bit of smile on Alexander's face. He remembered himself at the academy. He regularly fell at that class. But still, on average, students were performing good, and well within standards required from Gotei 13. Afterwards, Alexander had a lunch with head teachers, learning more of Academy's needs and requests. He memorized it all, knowing he would have to include it into his report which he would submit to Captain Commander. After lunch, he was showed around facilities. They were generally in good shape, and no investments were required. Afterwards, Alexander had opportunity to observe Kendo class and Travel class. While not everything was top notch and not all students were top notch talents, Alexander was more than satisfied by efforts put in by both students and teachers. They were all striving towards creating good soldiers for Gotei 13. It was good enough in his eyes. They... They will have to play a big role in returning us to where we belong. God help us if they are not ready.

After that, it was time for students' interview. as it was established before, Captain performing inspection would hold interview with two most promising students of final year. For this purpose, Alexander was lent an office. As he sat behind the desk, he picked up files that were already at the table. In front of table, there were two chairs, waiting to be filled by two students. Alexander was still reading the files. what he saw inside was highly amusing, at least to him. Fact that they managed to both unlock Shikai while still in academy was impressive. Alexander, for one, was impressed, knowing how long it took him to get his Shikai. They were something special, these two. But how much special? Alexander would certainly have a chance to find out during interview. "So... Amaya Azarola and Nakazawa Meian. Lets see what two of you hide." Dropping the files back on the desk, and setting himself into a more comfortable position, Alexander readied himself. This might be new for two students, but it was also new for him. Raising his voice slightly, he said: "Send them in!"

[Deleted]

((Sorry for the short intro. I just didn't really know what to do with this one since Amaya has no clue what's going on IC.))

Classes had been rough, but year five was finally coming to a close at Shino Academy. Final exams were right around the corner, but there were still unique challenges to be faced before that. One such challenge was a situation that only a few students got to experience. Amaya and Meian had been called out of their History class, seemingly at random. They weren’t given a ton of information. All they were told is that someone important wanted to see them. The academy inspection had been today, but Amaya hadn’t seen any trace of an inspector in her classes thus far. Was this one just really sneaky, or was he simply not watching her classes?

Either way, Amaya figured that it was probably the inspector wanting to talk to some students… but why her and Meian? Sure, they had pretty decent reputations, but there were plenty of other exceptional students as well. The kitsune was known to be a bit rebellious, and Meian was kinda odd, so they didn’t really seem like the best choices if the academy was trying to give a good presentation. Nonetheless, they had been called, so Amaya headed up to the office like she was supposed to. It’s not like there was any harm in seeing what this was all about anyway. Maybe he was here to give them a shiny gold star for being awesome? That would be pretty cool.

Of course it was nothing that simple. On the way over to the office, Amaya mostly just thought about the content of her classes. Year four had beaten good study habits into her, and most of her free mental cycles were spent going over material from her classes. There was no sense in worrying about what was going to happen in advance. She didn’t know, so she’d just deal with it when she got there. Eventually, that time came, and the students were sent into Alexander’s office. Amaya popped her head into the room and wandered on in. Still standing, she just let out the obvious question. ”You wanted to see us about something sir?” It was an obvious enough question, but she didn’t even know why she was here yet. She kinda needed to know that before anything else.

[Nakazawa Meian]

After so many efforts, the final year of the Academy was finally reaching its end. Even though Meian had been through a lot in his time there, he knew very well that it was vastly worth it; he had made many helpful friends and he learned numerous things, which would help him to both better understand the conflicts the Shinigamis were in as well as having better chances of surviving future encounters with potential threats. In overall, all of these outcomes would greatly affect the young samurai’s final goals, but they weren’t the only things which would have such an impact; the event that Meian would face today would likely affect his actions in the future a lot as well…

In fact, everything started with a usual history class, without anything special about it; the teacher was going on with his trivial rant about events which occurred many millennia ago, and Meian was taking notes about the motives and outcomes behind them. ”…So, students, this is why a such a disaster managed to slip away from the Gotei 13’s attention; in the early days, the threats to the Soul Society were different, and that is why our leadership was…” Halfway through the lecture, though, loud knocks echoed on the door, announcing the entry of a tall woman, that everyone recognized as the teacher of the Zanpakutou Shaping class. Many were worried when she went straight to the History teacher, whispering a message in his ear.

”Alright, Amaya Azarola and Nakazawa Meian are both dismissed from class for now. Someone’s waiting for you.” Well, this sure came in as a surprise; Meian never expected he and his friend would be the cause of this commotion. Ignoring the reason he was called out, the first thing that came to his mind was that his bullies had once again done something, but… when he looked at them in the class, they didn’t seem pleased from the events, but rather confused. If they weren’t behind all this, who was? As he reached the Zanpakutou Shaping teacher, he couldn’t keep himself from asking. ”Oh… don’t worry about it, there’s an important person who requested to speak to both of you.”

An important person? That’s when it came back to Meian; he remembered having heard about the Gotei 13 making an inspection today. Unfortunately, that information had just went out of his mind when the final exams approached, to focus on his tasks. However, the thought quickly bothered Meian; there was no reason for him to be noticed by such a person, and he knew it very well. In fact, he didn’t get all the politic involvements behind this, but surely an “inspection” wasn’t just what he had been told. Clearly, this had something to do with the recent conflicts the Seireitei was in the middle of…

As the group reached Alexander’s office, the teacher quietly motioned them toward the door and left, leaving the two students on their own. Once inside, the first thing Meian noticed was how tall the man in front of them was; he was above both of them, and by a good margin. The outfit he wore wasn’t something the young samurai was accustomed to either; it seemed to mimic the normal shihakusho colors a bit, but… the garment had a much more western look to it. Perhaps that was how an inspector was meant to be clothed? ”You wanted to see us about something sir?” That question took Meian by surprise a bit, who had been wandering in his mind. Quickly coming back to reality, the young man tightened his stance and awaited an answer, curious of why he had been called here…

[Alexander Kuma-Hebi]

Alexander observed students as they strolled in. Female one, Amaya, was pretty short and thin, especially from Alexander's perspective, but her movements gave off agility. She was an odd one, Alexander noticed that, but he didn't allow that fact to show on his face. He definitively did not expect her to have animal ears, but, did that mean her sense of hearing was as good as with such animals? Alexander made a mental note to ask her about that later. Other one, Meian, was just ordinary at the first glance. But Alexander noticed, inhumanly quickly, that he was just too pale. And as far as Alexander could say, he was possibly underweight, because he was thin, more thin than Alexander expected somebody could be without being severely underweight. But, all in all, two did look averagely, and Alexander could see no signs of above-average physical prowess. Not that it was entirely possible to detect something like that though just looking, let alone with a quick glance. But Alexander made educated guess. Which obviously meant they had other qualities. But what they were? Alexander wanted to know. All the files he was given revealed him just a bunch of facts, of which most were useless and pretty much disconnected from real world usability. But some were really useful. Before Alexander could ponder more on the subject, a question by Amaya interrupted his flow of thoughts and tossed him right back in reality.

"You wanted to see us about something sir?" "Yes. Take a seat please, both of you." Motioning for them to sit, Alexander continued. "You got no idea why I are you here. Otherwise, you wouldn't have asked something like that, no? Well, then lets just get to that first. I am Alexander Kuma-Hebi, Captain of Squad 3, and I...", said Alexander while raising his hand to stall anything two would have to say at that moment, "...very well know who you two are. Reason why you are here is because you two were selected. Customary, a Captain is delegated from Gotei 13 once a year to perform an inspection of the Academy, to make sure that... blah, blah, blah... They just tossed me this because I am new at my position, and we are actually shorthanded. So, here we are. Lets cut the formalities. I am supposed to talk with two most promising students of the final year. They sent you because two of you have... Let me just find that part..." Alexander opened a file on his desk and searched in it for a bit, he quickly found what he looked for. "Yes, here it is. "Students presented have so far shown a growth rate that averages at 275%, and average estimated future growth is 325%." Yeah... you are about triple as strong as you were when you entered, and they expect you to even triple on what you are at now by the time you reach your peak."

Alexander tossed the file back on the desk, and altered his own position a bit, making it more comfortable for himself. Then he continued. "Well, I would like you two to answer me a few questions. Afterwards, you can ask me anything you want to know. Alright... So, how would you describe your qualities as a Shinigami? And your flaws? And overall, what would you bring to Gotei 13 on joining?" Alexander consciously emphasized the word "you", to show them that actual fact was that an entire new generation of Shinigami would join Gotei 13 after graduation. Alexander was sure they knew that, But he felt it would be good to discreetly remind them of that. A student that was deemed to be most promising had to have something distinctive about him. Something to separate him from the crowd, whether positive or negative. Just as Alexander left academy well trained physically, but trailed with legends of his Kido failures and stuff which became, well, legendary. Leaning backwards a bit, and crossing his arms, readying himself to listen, Alexander addressed Meian. "Oh, and since we are men and are supposed to be gentlemen, let Amaya speak first." After that, Alexander went silent, ready to hear what would two students, soon-to-be-Shinigami would say. He hoped he wouldn't hear a story like his. Ultimate lack of potential for Bankai was not what Gotei 13 needed of it's best future soldiers.

[Deleted]

((Amaya speaks in Salmon, not lightcoral. No big though.))

Amaya did as she was instructed and took a seat in one of the chairs. Her tail curled up onto her lap as these chairs, unfortunately, lacked an opening in the back. That would give Alexander that piece of information right off the bat. She was a full blown kitsune, not just a girl with some weird ears. The movement to sit down showed both the ears and tail were definitely a part of her too. Her ears had twitched when Alexander started speaking, and her tail needed no assistance to move itself. Surely that would be of interest to Alexander. Outside of Raion, there weren’t exactly other Shinigami with animal qualities about them, so it was definitely something strange.

The girl listened quietly as Alexander spoke. Most of what he said was simply a formality, but Amaya noted the numbers he gave off. Apparently her power was only triple what it was when she came here? That seemed waaaaaaaaaay too low to her. When she first showed up at Shino Academy, she was fragile and powerless. She had a hint of talent for Kido, yes, but she couldn’t even cast one properly until a bit into the first year. Now she was capable of casting mid-upper level Kido with relative ease. She could even use a Bakudo in the 70s! That was above the talents of many seated officers and even a few Captains, so it definitely felt like a lot more than a tripling of power. However, numbers aside, if they still had that much growth left, there was certainly a lot of power still locked away.

Eventually Alexander got to the meat of why the two students had been called in. "Well, I would like you two to answer me a few questions. Afterwards, you can ask me anything you want to know. Alright... So, how would you describe your qualities as a Shinigami? And your flaws? And overall, what would you bring to Gotei 13 on joining?" They seemed like pretty standard questions. When Amaya heard she had to go first, she had a mixed response. Sure, she could answer all those questions easily enough. That wasn’t really hard since they were so basic… but she was just kinda bummed it was a straightforward seeming interview so far. She was really hoping for something more bizarre and unusual.

That disappointment didn’t show on her face, but it was very evident in her tone. When she responded, it was as though she was listing off facts rather than having a conversation with the Captain. ”Well, my talents are decently wide ranging. I’m probably the top student in the Kido Class this year, and possibly in the whole academy right now. I’ve got the hang of most of them that we’re taught, and I’ve learned a few stronger ones on my own time. The highest one I’ve gotten down is the 76th Bakudo, Gachan. On top of that, I’ve also completed the healing classes, and begun developing my own methods already. I’ve got a handful of new healing methods I intend to teach to others in the fourth, and I suspect they’ll make the squad as a whole far more efficient.

Overall, I’m competent at the other forms of combat. I’m around the middle of my class in Kendo, but my hand to hand skills are definitely above average. I’m faster and most, and I can weave my hand to hand knowledge together with my talent for Kido to take people down reliably and effectively. It’s hard to dodge Kido from a foot away after all. Beyond that, I’ve also unlocked Shikai already. My abilities are mostly supportive there, but I can still usually hold my own in combat well enough through my other skills. If that fails, I can usually read people decently well, and I can end a fight before it even starts through careful word choices if I’m lucky.

As for flaws… I don’t have a ton of direct offensive capability compared to those with offensive Zanpakuto. Sure, I can fire off a few Kido here and there, but that takes a lot more energy than something like an elemental Zanpakuto does. I’m also not too physically strong, and I can’t take hits too well, but that’s about it. I’m fairly well rounded so my weaknesses are mostly in just that lack of easy access to offensive power… but that doesn’t really matter since I’m joining Squad Four. Overall, I probably won’t bring anything beyond what I’ve already mentioned to the Gotei. I already mentioned the new healing methods, and that’s probably going to be my biggest contribution in the near future. Who knows though, maybe I’ll invent enough that they make me a seated officer or something.”

It was pretty cut and dry, but there were the facts. Amaya looked at Meian, and nudged him if he had zoned out like he seemed to do all too often. That was the sign that it was his turn.

[Nakazawa Meian]

As Meian had taken his seat, the man before him had already resumed talking. "You got no idea why I are you here. Otherwise, you wouldn't have asked something like that, no? Well, then lets just get to that first. I am Alexander Kuma-Hebi, Captain of Squad 3…” W-what!?! Oh ? Meian, that’s your future Captain! Don’t mess up. ”… and I very well know who you two are. Reason why you are here is because you two were selected. Customary, a Captain is delegated from Gotei 13 once a year to perform an inspection of the Academy, to make sure that... blah, blah, blah... They just tossed me this because I am new at my position, and we are actually shorthanded. So, here we are. Lets cut the formalities. I am supposed to talk with two most promising students of the final year. They sent you because two of you have... Let me just find that part..." When he said that, the new Captain started to search through the sheets in front of him, seemingly for a specific information. He quickly resumed as he found it. "Yes, here it is. "Students presented have so far shown a growth rate that averages at 275%, and average estimated future growth is 325%." Yeah... you are about triple as strong as you were when you entered, and they expect you to even triple on what you are at now by the time you reach your peak."

Meian’s mind reacted almost instantly as he heard that. Strength does not come from power, not at all… Do the Academy really believes that all I’ll be able to do is beat up my enemies? That’s clearly not what strength is about… However, another thing quickly surprised Meian in all of this meeting; the file in the Captain’s hands. He was astonished to see how big a single folder about him could be; was the Academy really collecting so much information about him, in the years he spent there? Fortunately, his mind didn’t get much time to ponder on the question, since Alexander quickly continued. "Well, I would like you two to answer me a few questions. Afterwards, you can ask me anything you want to know. Alright... So, how would you describe your qualities as a Shinigami? And your flaws? And overall, what would you bring to Gotei 13 on joining?"

Well, that would prove to be interesting; Meian had been given a perfect opportunity to talk about what he believed in, and that was more than sufficient to make him happy. As he was about to begin, though, he was soon stopped. "Oh, and since we are men and are supposed to be gentlemen, let Amaya speak first." Sure, the past samurai had no problem with that; he could easily wait for his friend to finish. ”Well, my talents are decently wide ranging. I’m probably the top student in the Kido Class this year, and possibly in the whole academy right now. I’ve got the hang of most of them that we’re taught, and I’ve learned a few stronger ones on my own time. The highest one I’ve gotten down is the 76th Bakudo, Gachan. On top of that, I’ve also completed the healing classes, and begun developing my own methods already. I’ve got a handful of new healing methods I intend to teach to others in the fourth, and I suspect they’ll make the squad as a whole far more efficient.

Overall, I’m competent at the other forms of combat. I’m around the middle of my class in Kendo, but my hand to hand skills are definitely above average. I’m faster and most, and I can weave my hand to hand knowledge together with my talent for Kido to take people down reliably and effectively. It’s hard to dodge Kido from a foot away after all. Beyond that, I’ve also unlocked Shikai already. My abilities are mostly supportive there, but I can still usually hold my own in combat well enough through my other skills. If that fails, I can usually read people decently well, and I can end a fight before it even starts through careful word choices if I’m lucky.

As for flaws… I don’t have a ton of direct offensive capability compared to those with offensive Zanpakuto. Sure, I can fire off a few Kido here and there, but that takes a lot more energy than something like an elemental Zanpakuto does. I’m also not too physically strong, and I can’t take hits too well, but that’s about it. I’m fairly well rounded so my weaknesses are mostly in just that lack of easy access to offensive power… but that doesn’t really matter since I’m joining Squad Four. Overall, I probably won’t bring anything beyond what I’ve already mentioned to the Gotei. I already mentioned the new healing methods, and that’s probably going to be my biggest contribution in the near future. Who knows though, maybe I’ll invent enough that they make me a seated officer or something.”

Well… Meian sure was proven wrong; unlike what he thought when Amaya began, he had a really hard time waiting for her to finish. In fact, even though Amaya would have nudged him if he had zoned out, that wasn’t even necessary; he was far too happy when she stopped speaking, and began talking almost immediately. ”As for me, I believe myself to be a strong samurai simply because of who I am. Some may call me weird for that, but I actually believe that being a samurai means more than just hunting darkhans and protecting humans. I know for a fact that, even if we are enemies by nature, Edo could gain a lot from learning more about its rivals, and I want others to think so too. I believe that only then will we be able to truly face those who oppose us as equals, and this belief is what constantly push me forward. I could even say that, without these beliefs, I would likely not have joined the samurais, and I wouldn’t be here today.

Of course, I am not without my weaknesses, though. This mentality of mine is surely what helps me the most for my duty, but it is also what’s the most likely to cause my downfall, and I know it all too well. My life is very precious to me, probably even more than others consider theirs to be, and yet I’m likely the first who would put his life on the line if it was for what I believe in. Not only that, but it also prevents me from obeying to certain things which could be asked of me, and that could very well be endangering later on. I’m finally not someone who look for strength by increasing my power, and I in fact consider searching for power is a loathsome act. For me, true strength comes from how a person can interact and influence what’s around him, simply from his actions.

As for your last question, what I will bring to Edo is fairly simple; it is a future… For me, anyone who can’t look at the implications of his actions in the future is doomed to waste his life. What I will give to Edo is something for future generations to aim toward, and to surpass. My actions will speak for themselves, and if peace is possible to attain between us and our foes, I swear I’ll do all I can to make it a reality. I want to show that, even for us, it’s possible to get on friendly terms with other factions and restore a state of balance within the world we’re meant to protect.” With that, Meian had answered the questions he was asked, with something he thought represented him well. If the Captain requested it or showed any signs of confusion, Meian would likely also give him one of his vocabulary sheets, since this discussion had brought forward many of the unusual terms he commonly said. Nonetheless, both his answer and Amaya’s own should prove to make for an interesting topic of discussion…

[Alexander Kuma-Hebi]

Alexander carefully listened to what youngsters had to say to him. Maya was first, and Alexander listened to her quite long talk, which was, actually, an answer to question asked. "Well, my talents are decently wide ranging. I’m probably the top student in the Kido Class this year, and possibly in the whole academy right now. I’ve got the hang of most of them that we’re taught, and I’ve learned a few stronger ones on my own time. The highest one I’ve gotten down is the 76th Bakudo, Gachan. On top of that, I’ve also completed the healing classes, and begun developing my own methods already. I’ve got a handful of new healing methods I intend to teach to others in the fourth, and I suspect they’ll make the squad as a whole far more efficient. Overall, I’m competent at the other forms of combat. I’m around the middle of my class in Kendo, but my hand to hand skills are definitely above average. I’m faster and most, and I can weave my hand to hand knowledge together with my talent for Kido to take people down reliably and effectively. It’s hard to dodge Kido from a foot away after all. Beyond that, I’ve also unlocked Shikai already. My abilities are mostly supportive there, but I can still usually hold my own in combat well enough through my other skills. If that fails, I can usually read people decently well, and I can end a fight before it even starts through careful word choices if I’m lucky. As for flaws… I don’t have a ton of direct offensive capability compared to those with offensive Zanpakuto. Sure, I can fire off a few Kido here and there, but that takes a lot more energy than something like an elemental Zanpakuto does. I’m also not too physically strong, and I can’t take hits too well, but that’s about it. I’m fairly well rounded so my weaknesses are mostly in just that lack of easy access to offensive power… but that doesn’t really matter since I’m joining Squad Four. Overall, I probably won’t bring anything beyond what I’ve already mentioned to the Gotei. I already mentioned the new healing methods, and that’s probably going to be my biggest contribution in the near future. Who knows though, maybe I’ll invent enough that they make me a seated officer or something."

All of that, he understood without any trouble. she was good with Kido, a healer, good with Hakuda, average with Zanjutsu, and she already knew that her major weakness is lack of directly offensive ability. Alexander was impressed, really. She was already highly self-aware, and that was essential trait to have. That trait tended to save lives on front lines. And Gotei 13 was at war. He smiled at her as she finished, and then turned to Meian, to listen to what he would say to him. "As for me, I believe myself to be a strong samurai simply because of who I am. Some may call me weird for that, but I actually believe that being a samurai means more than just hunting darkhans and protecting humans. I know for a fact that, even if we are enemies by nature, Edo could gain a lot from learning more about its rivals, and I want others to think so too. I believe that only then will we be able to truly face those who oppose us as equals, and this belief is what constantly push me forward. I could even say that, without these beliefs, I would likely not have joined the samurais, and I wouldn’t be here today. Of course, I am not without my weaknesses, though. This mentality of mine is surely what helps me the most for my duty, but it is also what’s the most likely to cause my downfall, and I know it all too well. My life is very precious to me, probably even more than others consider theirs to be, and yet I’m likely the first who would put his life on the line if it was for what I believe in. Not only that, but it also prevents me from obeying to certain things which could be asked of me, and that could very well be endangering later on. I’m finally not someone who look for strength by increasing my power, and I in fact consider searching for power is a loathsome act. For me, true strength comes from how a person can interact and influence what’s around him, simply from his actions. As for your last question, what I will bring to Edo is fairly simple; it is a future… For me, anyone who can’t look at the implications of his actions in the future is doomed to waste his life. What I will give to Edo is something for future generations to aim toward, and to surpass. My actions will speak for themselves, and if peace is possible to attain between us and our foes, I swear I’ll do all I can to make it a reality. I want to show that, even for us, it’s possible to get on friendly terms with other factions and restore a state of balance within the world we’re meant to protect."

This produced a different effect in Alexander's head. Samuirai? Edo? Darkhans? Slowly, as Meian spoke, Alexander understood what he was trying to say. It just clicked into place as Meian spoke. He seemed determined that it was his personality and actions he would and could take because of his ideals, were what would make him a great Shinigami. Alexnader couldn't disagree really, for Meian reminded him a bit of himself, burning with ideals, ready to stake his life for them. Only thing that made Alexander's expression go more serious, and darker, was his last remark about other factions. Peace? Coexistence? There was none, nor there would be. Nodding slowly, Alexnader addressed youngsters. Amaya was the first whom he spoke to. "Healing, eh? That is more important now than it ever was. With such massive wars, usually, side with better healers wins. And I certainly hope we can stay ahead of others in that department with young Shinigami like you. Truth is, all Shinigami can fight. But not all can heal their fallen comrades. I respect those who can do that. One more thing though. If you feel that you are lacking in offensive department, improve Zanjutsu. It is versatile and powerful in ways you probably cannot imagine right now. If you need aid with that, I would be happy to aid you." Then, Alexander gave her the time to say something if she wanted, and then he turned to Meian.

"Now, I might be wrong, but the last time I checked, we were in Seireitei, they called us Shinigami and we were fighting Hollows. But that is minor thing, overall. You say that your actions and ideals will reflect that much on how strong Shinigami you are. I cannot disagree. It is true, to an extent you are yet to see. Individual with strong ideas can affect the world more than many without. Sacrificing your life for greater good? Sure, it's all good. But be prepared. You must be prepared. You always must see the difference between dying for what you perceive as greater good, and carelessly tossing away your life for nothing other than misguided illusion. That choice awaits you somewhere in the future, as it awaits all of us. Be prepared for it. But do not speak about peace. Do not speak about coexistence. Do not speak about balance of the world. For last few centuries, we have been plunged into slow but steady decline. Yet we are still here. But times changed. Seeing that, our enemies awaited the right time. As we grew weaker, thy grew stronger. Don't have any illusions. All the wars we are fighting are for survival. And in each one, the loser will be wiped out, and winner will live to see another day. These are the wars for extermination. There can be no coexistence. No peace. And glorious Shinigami race can survive in only one way to take back it's rightful place. By exterminating all that stand in our paths." Then Alexander stopped, allwing Meian, and possibly even Amaya, to voice opinions. This was an interview after all.

[Nakazawa Meian]

Now that it was the Captain’s turn to talk, Meian was actively focusing on what his words would be. He was far too curious of what his future superior would have to say on his ideals. Unfortunately, it had to wait for now. "Healing, eh? That is more important now than it ever was. With such massive wars, usually, side with better healers wins. And I certainly hope we can stay ahead of others in that department with young Shinigami like you. Truth is, all Shinigami can fight. But not all can heal their fallen comrades. I respect those who can do that. One more thing though. If you feel that you are lacking in offensive department, improve Zanjutsu. It is versatile and powerful in ways you probably cannot imagine right now. If you need aid with that, I would be happy to aid you."

Finally, Meian’s turn came to a close, but it would soon prove to be… disappointing. "Now, I might be wrong, but the last time I checked, we were in Seireitei, they called us Shinigami and we were fighting Hollows. But that is minor thing, overall. You say that your actions and ideals will reflect that much on how strong Shinigami you are. I cannot disagree. It is true, to an extent you are yet to see. Individual with strong ideas can affect the world more than many without. Sacrificing your life for greater good? Sure, it's all good. But be prepared. You must be prepared. You always must see the difference between dying for what you perceive as greater good, and carelessly tossing away your life for nothing other than misguided illusion. That choice awaits you somewhere in the future, as it awaits all of us. Be prepared for it. But do not speak about peace. Do not speak about coexistence. Do not speak about balance of the world. For last few centuries, we have been plunged into slow but steady decline. Yet we are still here. But times changed. Seeing that, our enemies awaited the right time. As we grew weaker, thy grew stronger. Don't have any illusions. All the wars we are fighting are for survival. And in each one, the loser will be wiped out, and winner will live to see another day. These are the wars for extermination. There can be no coexistence. No peace. And glorious Shinigami race can survive in only one way to take back it's rightful place. By exterminating all that stand in our paths."

Oi, Meian. That man’s completely ignoring the worth of your goals… This was an incredibly rare sight; Kaimamiru was, for the first time since she started communicating with Meian, entirely serious. No sarcasm, no humor, no manipulation, simply plain words. She just couldn’t stand someone belittling Meian’s words of balance, and of course, neither could he. Meian was doing all he could to control himself and avoid rashly debating again; he had to collect his thoughts first. Calming down, he stood up and handed a sheet to Alexander; one of his vocabulary sheets. ”Starting with your first issue, I’m sorry but I simply can’t use those words to describe who we are, and what we do. Due to events which occurred as far back as when I was alive, I’m unable to say anything somehow related to the spiritual races. Instead, I use those words, written on this sheet. In fact, even if I try, the word simply won’t come out, like this; *********” As Meian tried to say the word “Shinigami”, both of his companions would notice that the only thing which came out of his lungs was an agonizing sound, as if it was his last breath.

Sitting back on his chair, Meian took advantage of the time this small explanation about his vocabulary provided him to effortlessly put his ideas in order on his mind, so that he may move on to the core of their debate. ”Now, as for what you said, Shogun-dono, I couldn’t disagree more. It is indeed true that our side has lost a lot of what made it strong in the last decades, and this allowed some of our most direct foes to obtain sufficient power to become a threat for us. However, what about it? Although power tend to corrupt peoples, this holds true only for the few which allow themselves to be corrupted. Even in front of such massive opponents, great allies can still be sought, allies which would gladly follow a goal of peace. Peace is not specific to a single group, and it never was, which means that seeking a peace only for us is a foolish act, one which will be met with total annihilation. Furthermore, this “extermination” you seem so fond of will only lead the samurais to their doom. Just take a look at the Vatican; a genocide is exactly their aim, and as you can see from their actions, even they are faced with an unexpected resistance widely spread over the World of the Living; those who believes in peace have suddenly emerged from the shadows, fighting off the madness that would cause many to disappear…” Hopefully, this would allow the Captain to see just how serious Meian was about all of this.

SPOILER: Click to show

(OOC: some words, which would normally be part of this list, were removed since Meian isn’t aware of the existence of those things yet (for example, Zero Division). )

Shinigami - Samurai
Hollow - Darkhan
Arrancar - Tengu Darkhan
Vizard - Tengu Samurai
Quincy - Bishop
Fullbringer - Native
Bount - Immortal
Mod Soul - O-Bake
Akki, Nakabakki, Hason, Saika - Tsumi
Seireitei - Edo
Rukongai - Outer-Edo
Hueco Mundo - Khan Empire
Las Noches - Xanadu
Vandenreich - Vatican
Hell - Yomi
Captain-Commander - Edo Emperor
Captain - Shogun
Vice-Captain - Daimyo
Division - Dynasty
Beginner - Ashigaru
Deserter - Ronin
King of Las Noches - Great Khan
Espada - Darougatchi
Fraccion - Tamagatchi
Emperor of Vandenreich - Archbishop
Xcution - Native Tribe
Xcution Seven Gun - Native Champion
Zanpakutou - Katana
Japan - Honshu
America - New World
Society - Bakufu
Family - Clan
Barrack - Shrine

[Alexander Kuma-Hebi]

After Alexander was done, it was Meian's turn to talk, to talk back to Alexander. Discussions couldn't be held with only one side speaking. Meain had the right to speak freely, and Alexander expected he would use it. He was right indeed. Handing him a sheet of paper, he spoke: "Starting with your first issue, I’m sorry but I simply can’t use those words to describe who we are, and what we do. Due to events which occurred as far back as when I was alive, I’m unable to say anything somehow related to the spiritual races. Instead, I use those words, written on this sheet. In fact, even if I try, the word simply won’t come out, like this; *********" And Meain let out sound that sounded like intaking air after suffocation attempt. Alexander was surprised to hear that. Sorry a bit, too. He had some sympathy for the young man. "I am sorry. I didn't know about that." Looking at vocabulary sheet Meian gave him, Alexander was very surprised. Interesting. Boy was very bright, and made so simple yet so effective way around his "language barrier". That made Alexander curious. If he could think of this, what else he could think of? Where were his limits of creativity? Alexander hoped in that moment, that he would get to see that one day. It was good thing, creativity, and Alexander never saw a bad application if it. Well, that was not entirely true. Probably not true at all. But regardless, he couldn't think of any at that moment.

Luckily, before his mind set off on a journey of it's own, Meian continued speaking. That was good. Alexander needed something to hold his attention tight at this moment. "Now, as for what you said, Shogun-dono, I couldn’t disagree more. It is indeed true that our side has lost a lot of what made it strong in the last decades, and this allowed some of our most direct foes to obtain sufficient power to become a threat for us. However, what about it? Although power tend to corrupt peoples, this holds true only for the few which allow themselves to be corrupted. Even in front of such massive opponents, great allies can still be sought, allies which would gladly follow a goal of peace. Peace is not specific to a single group, and it never was, which means that seeking a peace only for us is a foolish act, one which will be met with total annihilation. Furthermore, this “extermination” you seem so fond of will only lead the samurais to their doom. Just take a look at the Vatican; a genocide is exactly their aim, and as you can see from their actions, even they are faced with an unexpected resistance widely spread over the World of the Living; those who believes in peace have suddenly emerged from the shadows, fighting off the madness that would cause many to disappear…"

He is dead serious about it. That was Alexander's first thought as he listened to Meian. It reminded Alexander of himself. That passion. That fire when talking about his own ideals. Alexander saw a bit of himself, a reflection, perhaps, in Meian at that moment. It was too bad that reality would soon collide with young man's ideals, cruel, unforgiving reality. Alexander sighed. He wished it wouldn't be like that. "You are firm in your beliefs, same as me. That is a good thing, to be strong-willed. Well... Only time will tell which one of us got it right." He sighed again. It would not be a smooth walk for those two. More like rude awakening, the reality of war. Shaking his head, and getting that picture out of his head, Alexander addressed both Amaya and Meian. "Well... This was good to hear, all in all. Answer just one more of my questions, and then you can ask me anything you want. For as long it is not related to alcohol or drugs. You told me what will you bring to Gotei 13 as a Shinigami. But... Why do you want to become Shinigami in the first place?" That was another basic question which would have no simple answers. And it was something Alexander was also interested in hearing. Motivation behind actions was integral part of personalities. And there was no reason why it would be any different with those two.

[Deleted]

Crisis averted. Amaya had been just sinking into her chair and hoping that she had been forgotten about for a moment there. Both Meian and Captain Kuma-Hebi were very firm in their beliefs, and the Captain wasn’t happy about Meian’s vocabulary at first. It really looked like those two were heading towards disaster at that rate. The kitsune couldn’t side with Meian, because she didn’t want to stand up to a Captain. On the other hand, she couldn’t side with the Captain, because Meian was her friend. There simply wasn’t a right answer for her in that situation. Luckily, that phase of the conversation was only temporary. After Meian explained his condition, Alexander relented and actually went as far as to apologize. That was unexpected, but quite welcome.

When her friend went on to talk about how flawed Alexander’s viewpoint about Shinigami supremacy was, the medic only expected everything to get worse. By the grace of the Soul King, the debate was dropped right then and there. "Well... This was good to hear, all in all. Answer just one more of my questions, and then you can ask me anything you want. For as long it is not related to alcohol or drugs. You told me what will you bring to Gotei 13 as a Shinigami. But... Why do you want to become Shinigami in the first place?" This new question was a far harder one for Amaya to answer. It was a shorter answer, but it wasn’t one she wanted to give out.

For a moment, she actually debated staying silent instead of answering the Captain. She’d gotten a good gauge of the man’s personality, and she knew he was unlikely to enjoy hearing her answer. The more detail she gave, the worse it would be. Amaya had grown up in an orphanage and was treated poorly there. The only reason she had become a Shinigami was to escape that life. Anything beyond that was just a reason she made up after the fact. Still, she had a way to hide that truth without completely lying. ”Well, I met Captain Fuzz…Souretsu in a bar a few years back. He suggested I become a Shinigami, and it sounded like a better plan than staying as a civilian since it guaranteed food, shelter, and friends. That’s more than a life in Rukongai can offer.” It was technically a truthful answer, but it was only part of the truth. It still didn’t show the Shinigami pride that the Captain was probably looking for, but it was much better than simply saying she was trying to run away from the orphanage. She also held off on the questions for now, since Meian still needed to answer.

[Nakazawa Meian]

Much to Meian’s sorrow, that debate he was having with the Captain abruptly ended. Although one could argue it was getting him worked up a little bit too much, few were the occasions he was met with such a clash of ideals, and even more so at the Academy. For now, though, it seems this would have to do, since the discussion was simply moving forward. "You are firm in your beliefs, same as me. That is a good thing, to be strong-willed. Well... Only time will tell which one of us got it right." At the very least, the Captain now seemed to acknowledge Meian’s ideas, even if he still didn’t seem pleased by them.

However, this wasn’t nearly the end of this interview, and as such another question emerged. "Well... This was good to hear, all in all. Answer just one more of my questions, and then you can ask me anything you want. For as long it is not related to alcohol or drugs. You told me what will you bring to Gotei 13 as a Shinigami. But... Why do you want to become Shinigami in the first place?" Oh, this wasn’t an easy answer! Even though Meian knew clearly why he joined the Shinigamis in his head, explaining it with words, given that his interlocutor had no foreknowledge of his life, was simply troublesome. Fortunately, Amaya spoke first, which left him with some time to think. ”Well, I met Captain Fuzz…Souretsu in a bar a few years back. He suggested I become a Shinigami, and it sounded like a better plan than staying as a civilian since it guaranteed food, shelter, and friends. That’s more than a life in Rukongai can offer.”

As his turn came, the young man sure hoped his answer wouldn’t struggle with the Captain’s goals once again… or maybe he expected it? Few would still be able to guess what he was thinking anymore. ”Personally, my reason for joining is located down into the World of the Living. As someone who came from there, I witnessed how we, spirits, can affect their lives by making their lands our battlefields, and I therefore want to protect them as much as possible. Even though I’ve been in Outer-Edo ten times longer than in Honshu, I still feel the strongest connection to these lands and I doesn’t want humans to be thrown into disarray, even less so if it’s because of something they have no control over…”

Meian then paused, letting time for that information to sink. Once he felt it was time, though, he went on the offensive. ”So, if I understood correctly, it’s our turn to ask questions, isn’t it? If so, sorry if this sounds rude, but I’d like to know, according to your own opinion, why are you worthy of being a Captain?” By asking this, though, Meian had a very, very specific goal in his mind; it was an indirect way of seeing the kind of leadership this man enforced, and it would also give off a lot about his general personality. This simple answer would likely be worth a million others, to him…

[Alexander Kuma-Hebi]

Youngsters were so far proving themselves to be mentally stable and relatively strong, based on little what Alexander knew. Their reasons for being Shinigami, though, weren't nearly as flashy as Alexander expected. Though ti was weird expectation. His reason for becoming a Shinigami was not flashy either. He became drinking buddy with a Captain, and Captain tossed him into Academy. But it was long ago, before Alexander gave up on drinking. Which was smart decision. Alcohol was toxin. It damaged body if overused. Alexander had no intention of having his body damaged. "Well,I met Captain Fuzz…Souretsu in a bar a few years back. He suggested I become a Shinigami, and it sounded like a better plan than staying as a civilian since it guaranteed food, shelter, and friends. That’s more than a life in Rukongai can offer." Well, if Alexander actually got deeper into that, he became Shinigami in a similar way. He smiled. "You know, that is almost the same how I started. Only difference is that it was captain Benkei who took me in. But still, this is amusing. It seems Squad 9 Captains have a habit of frequenting bars." Yep, Alexander was discovered by previous Squad 9 Captain, Akashi Benkei. And his successor, Raion, kept traditions up.

Meian had a different, more mysterious answer. "Personally, my reason for joining is located down into the World of the Living. As someone who came from there, I witnessed how we, spirits, can affect their lives by making their lands our battlefields, and I therefore want to protect them as much as possible. Even though I’ve been in Outer-Edo ten times longer than in Honshu, I still feel the strongest connection to these lands and I doesn’t want humans to be thrown into disarray, even less so if it’s because of something they have no control over…" That was at least appearing mysterious. But it wasn't. From Alexander's point of view, it wasn't mysterious at all. It seemed... practical. Convenient. Preserving and protecting population of ordinary, spiritually non-aware Humans was a good idea. Protecting them from violent deaths would drop the number of them becoming Hollows, and thus provide more souls who could potentially become Shinigami one day. It was a good initiative. "Protecting Humans, eh? That is smart. Today we protect them, tommorow, when they die of age and natural consequences, we have more potential Shinigami, and less Hollows."

Alexander saw it in that simple way. But Meian was not over yet, Alexander gave youngsters chance to ask him questions, and Meian was first to ask. "So, if I understood correctly, it’s our turn to ask questions, isn’t it? If so, sorry if this sounds rude, but I’d like to know, according to your own opinion, why are you worthy of being a Captain?" Alexander smiled to that. It was a question that had a good answer to it. And easy one too. "Well, it's simple, really. People become officers based on either strength, organization or leadership skills. With any of those, any officer can lead men into battle. But, what is different with me, the reason why I am Captain, is simple. Any officer can lead men to battle, and if they trust him, men will follow him straight into death if needed. It's no different with me in that regard. However, I possess strength, skills and knowledge needed to keep my men alive. Sure they will follow me to death... But I will do whatever it takes to get my men back alive. That is pretty much it. Squad 3 is a specific Squad. You will discover that on your own once you graduate. Our duty is dangerous, and men often die. For me, mission is 100% success, when they return alive."

[Deleted]

Amusing. Apparently two Shinigami so vastly different had started off nearly the exact same way. That came as a bit of a surprise to Amaya, but it did explain why Raion was in charge of Squad 9. It seemed he wasn’t that different from the previous Captain… aside from the whole Lion thing. That was a bit of a difference, but both of them went to bars recruiting new Shinigami. They were close enough in Amaya’s eyes. Amaya zoned out a bit while she listened to Meian’s answer. She was already familiar with his reasons for joining. It was one of those things that just kinda came up when new students were trying to get to know each other.

Alexander’s response to it also basically went without anything noteworthy in terms of a response from the kitsune. She just didn’t really care about this interview all that much, so she wasn’t paying much attention overall. She did get the gist of both Meian’s question and the Captain’s answer though. Something about why he was a Captain, and something about him being strong. It was a fairly typical response from what the medic could gather. She wasn’t too impressed, but she also hadn’t gotten a great picture of this man’s character yet. He seemed to be a big military type, but that was about all she’d really gotten. She knew about his ambition, but not about him as a person.

And so once his answer was complete, Amaya gave him a few more questions. ”Okay, so we know that you have the basic qualifications to be a Captain, but what about you as a person? I’ve got a fun way to figure it out too! Let’s do some favorites. How about… color, food, sex position… and throw in a stance on drugs an’ alcohol while you’re at it. You give me that, and I think I’ll have you down pretty well. Medic training is good for some fun ol' psychoanalysis too~” So yeah, she respected his authority as a Captain, but she didn’t really have any serious questions for him. It wasn’t like she’d had time to prepare for this or anything. Besides, anything she wanted to know about getting stronger or how Captaincy worked, she’d already asked Hokori. There wasn’t much Alexander had to offer aside from information about himself.

[Alexander Kuma-Hebi]

Alexander was caught off-guard. It was rare sight, but it happened now. He kept his composure. Only thing that indicated he was surprised, if not upset, was the fact that his eyes widened. However, neither Amaya nor Meian could notice that since Alexander had his sunglasses on. Once again, they have come in handy. Still, he was surprised by questions he was asked. And it was Amaya who was asking them. "Okay, so we know that you have the basic qualifications to be a Captain, but what about you as a person? I’ve got a fun way to figure it out too! Let’s do some favorites. How about… color, food, sex position… and throw in a stance on drugs an’ alcohol while you’re at it. You give me that, and I think I’ll have you down pretty well. Medic training is good for some fun ol' psychoanalysis too.." Well. Damn the psychoanalysis. It basically placed Alexander into position where he was forced to reveal things he would rather not reveal. Well, he was not forced. He was just put at situation where he had a choice of holding back information or answering. But, not answering questions would break the purpose of interview, and Alexander wanted it to carry on, if only for a bit more. He wanted to get a single piece of information from them, and he had to rely on themselves telling it, as he could not ask no matter what.

So, after a bit of thinking, Alexander decided to put together best kind of answer- the honest one. It was not that hard. Those were ordinary, everyday things he was asked about. And answer was simple. Well, answers. There were multiple questions. "Favorites, eh? Well, that shouldn't be hard. My favorite color is white, for it is greatest of all colors. White light can be made to shine. White hope can spread. White cloth can be colored. Heh, I am not sure I got that right. I tried to quote "Lord of the Rings". I always liked that part. And I always liked white color. It's color of the Navy, and I am one old sea dog. As for food, my favorite is beef Wellington, but seriously, I will eat anything for as long it's not beans or contains them. Now... My preferences regarding sex I am not sharing. Not with you. And as for alcohol and drugs. I strictly oppose them. All psychoactive substances dull the mind, distort your view of reality. It makes you act unreasonably, irrationally, in best case scenario. In wort case scenario, you might even get up dead because you either overused them or somebody killed you while you were intoxicated." Saying that, Alexander pulled out a flak from his pocket on the inside of his coat. He placed it on the table. "What do you think is inside? To spare you the time of guessing, it's water. Pure, mineral water. Which is in fact all I drink, save for tea. And I only drink tea if I made it myself. Unless that is the case, I drink strictly from my flask. A man can't b cautious enough in these dark times, and I don't plan dying from poison. More questions?"